Cerca:ment

Rhiannon Giddens reunites with her former Carolina Chocolate Drops bandmate Justin Robinson on What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, an album of North Carolina fiddle and banjo music. Produced by Giddens and Joseph "joebass" DeJarnette, the album features Giddens on banjo and Robinson on fiddle, with the duo playing eighteen of their favourite North Carolina tunes: a mix of instrumentals and tunes with words.

Many were learned from their late mentor, the legendary North Carolina Piedmont musician Joe Thompson; one is from another musical hero, the late Etta Baker, from whom they also learned by listening to recordings of her playing. Giddens and Robinson recorded the album outdoors and on location at Thompson’s and Baker’s North Carolina homes, as well as the former plantation Mill Prong House. They were accompanied by the sounds of nature, including two different broods of cicadas, which had not emerged simultaneously since 1803, creating a true once-in-a-lifetime soundscape. The duo, along with four other string musicians including the multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell, will embark on the Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue North America tour in April.

“With the assaults on reality going on in the world today, we wanted to offer another kind of record, like walking back onto a gravel or dirt road while a stampede goes the other way,” Giddens says. “With the cicada choir, this record could’ve only happened at a certain time in the last 120 years. We doubled down on place, time, realness, and old-fashioned front porch music. It’s a reminder that another way exists, with music made for your community’s enjoyment and for dancing–not solely for commercial purposes.

“What is the role of music in our society?” she wonders. “How do we de-couple it from unfettered capitalism, where music is a product and musicians are incidental? How do we use the tools and system that we have been bequeathed in a way that reminds us of other ways of being?” Robinson adds, "Recording this album felt like being back in the saddle. Just this time Joe is not here, and his fiddle is under my chin. The album is about home, the cicadas, the storms, the music, and the people who make it feel like home."

Thompson was one of the last musicians of his era and his community to carry on the southern Black string band tradition. He played a crucial role in the lives of Giddens and Robinson, who, along with their Carolina Chocolate Drops bandmate Dom Flemons, spent their formative years learning from Thompson in traditional apprentice/mentor relationships. His influence has guided all of their artistic journeys as well as their mission to keep the legacy of the Black string band tradition alive.

In further tribute to Giddens’ North Carolina roots, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow will arrive just a week before Biscuits & Banjos, the inaugural edition of her first festival, which highlights the deep roots and enduring legacy of Black music, art, and culture while fostering community and storytelling. The sold-out festival will feature a much-anticipated Carolina Chocolate Drops reunion, their first performance together in more than a decade.

Carrying on their longstanding dedication to the seminal output of Merzbow, Urashima returns with what is unquestionably their most ambitious release to date: “Collection 001-010”, a deluxe, 10 LP vinyl box set limited to 299 copies, gathering together the entirety of the project’s first ten releases, originally released in 1981. Encountering the band in its early incarnation of the duo of Masami Akita and Kiyoshi Mizutani, raw, exposed and bristling with energy, foreshadowing numerous trajectories they would follow over the coming years, these astounding full lengths - the majority of which have never been released on vinyl - come housed in a beautifully produced, deluxe wooden box, with each LP in its own individual sleeve reproducing the original artwork, and a LP-sized 32-page book containing reproductions of artworls and collages by Masami Akita, an interview conducted by Jim O'Rourke, and liner notes penned by Lasse Marhaug, Thurston Moore, and Akita himself, amounting to what is unquestionably one of the most historically significant releases we’re likely to encounter in 2025.

Deluxe Edition of 299 copies, remastered from the original analog tapes by Masami Akita, each LP comes in its individual sleeve reproducing the original artwork, also includes a LP-sized 32-page book. ** Since its founding during the late 2000s, the Italian imprint, Urashima, has become a definitive voice in the landscape of noise. Bringing forth beautiful limited edition releases, they’ve sculpted a singular vision of one of the most vibrant and revolutionary bodies of experimental sound to have graced the globe. Among the many projects that they have supported over the decades, there has been an undeniable dedication to the output of the seminal Japanese noise outfit, Merzbow, making a significant amount of the project’s out of print back catalog available across a range of formats. Now they return with what is arguably their most stunning and ambitious release dedicated to the project to date: “Collection 001-010”, gathering the entirety of Merzbow’s first ten releases, largely privately released by the band on cassette across 1981, in a deluxe, 10 LP vinyl box set. Representing what is effectively ground zero in Japanese noise and collectively amounting to some of the most sought after releases ever produced within that movement, Urashima’s truly beautiful collection comes fully remastered by Masami Akita himself from the original tapes, presenting all but a small number in their first ever vinyl pressings, with each LP housed in its own individual sleeve reproducing the original artwork, alongside a LP-sized 32-page book containing reproductions of artworks and collages by Masami Akita, an interview conducted by Jim O'Rourke, and liner notes penned by Lasse Marhaug, Thurston Moore and Akita himself. Towering with energy and groundbreaking creative vision, within the realms of noise and experimental music, releases don’t get more monumental or historically important than this!

Merzbow came roaring onto the Tokyo scene in 1979, and remains, to this day, one of the most prolific and aggressively forward-thinking projects in experimental music. Eventually becoming the solo vehicle for the efforts of Masami Akita, in its earliest incarnation the project was the duo of Akita and Kiyoshi Mizutani, taking their name from German artist Kurt Schwitters' pre-war architectural assemblage, The Cathedral of Erotic Misery or Merzbau, and quickly set out to challenge entrenched notions of what music could be. Embracing technology and the machine, even in its earliest iterations, Merzbow pushed toward new territories of the extreme, arriving at a space of pure, unadulterated sonic onslaught that has continued, for over 40 years, to set the pace for the entire genre of noise, and has remained one of the movement’s most important, definitive voices, continuously laying the groundwork for countless artists who have followed in its wake.

When dealing with historical gestures, there’s an invertible aura surrounding original line-ups and early statements, and rightfully so. It is often within a band’s debut that we catch the purest glimpse of the raw energy and creative ferment that made them what they are. This is certainly the case when regarding the coveted early releases of Merzbow, capturing the emergence of the project in its form as the duo of Masami Akita and Kiyoshi Mizutani as they helped set the blue print from the then emerging movement of Japanese noise. Over the course of its nearly five decades of activity, Merzbow has always been noted for how prolific and ambitious the project is. This was no less the case in the very beginning. While they were active for roughly two years prior, in 1981 alone they issued ten self-released cassettes numerically titled “Collection 001-010”, albums which have both individually and collectively become holy grails in the realms of noise, with only two - “Collection 007” and “Collection 009” - ever receiving vinyl reissues prior to now.

As Lasse Marhaug deftly articulates in the newly commissioned liner notes for “Collection 001-010”, despite having been recorded in different location across a span of time, the sum total of Merzbow’s first ten releases might be best regarded as a single release to be listened to in the same, durational sitting, with the material standing well apart from what most came to expect from Merzbow, while foreshadowing numerous trajectories the project would take over the coming years. Not only do these recordings feature a vast array of instrumentation - tapes, acoustic and electric guitar, violin, drums, voice, recorder, organ, found sounds, clarinet, homemade and prepared instruments, a vast arsenal of effects and electronics, and piano, to only begin to scratch the surface - the majority of which would disappear from the project’s active sources of sound generation over the subsequent years, but there is a slow pacing and raw sense of openness and exposure that reveals strong connections to the avant-garde improvisations of groups like AMM, Musica Elettronica Viva, and Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, the psychedelia of groups like Taj Mahal Travellers and Flower Traveling band (both of whom Akita mentions having seen in youth within his interview with Jim O’Rourke), and rock in general - albeit in fully abstracted forms - unspooling as brittle, pointillistic, textural, raw and abrasive forms, that occasionally flirts with unexpected tonal sensibilities. As Marhaug describes it in his excellent liner notes: «Sonically, “Collection” sounds more sparse and stripped. It’s dry sounding, up-front, no reverb, and there’s less heavy low-end grime and thin on the signature frequency sweeps. Viewed in a 1981 context, musically, it’s more akin to what the LAFMS (Los Angeles Free Music Society) pool of artists were doing at that time than what was happening in industrial music... There’s a strong playfulness throughout, like the sound objects are being explored for the first time, without neither restraint nor hurry. Events are allowed to be fully examined before the music moves on, or simply cuts off. To a large degree, the music on “Collection” feels acoustic in nature, although a Electro-Harmonix ring-modulator features prominently throughout.»

Easily described as a rarely encountered revelation into the original and earlier documented studio sound of Merzbow, “Collection 001-010” collectively amounts to an engrossing sonic journey in its own right, while also allowing for important, often overlooked connections drawn from numerous other creative wellsprings, notably free jazz, underground rock, the output of European and Japanese avant-garde music, as well as Dada, Fluxus, and Mail Art, much of which, beyond the illumination made possible by the sounds, Jim O’Rourke’s fantastic interview with Akita, published in the booklet, further explores, offering great insights into the origins of Merzbow and the thinking behind the project, as well as aspects of the earliest days of Japanese noise.

Techno tastemaker Enrico Sangiuliano returns to his influential NINETOZERO label with his bold new Transcendence EP featuring two very different but equally powerful sounds; one track is to dance to, the other one to listen to.

This new release caps off an impressive year for the Italian underground icon. Coming just a couple of months after his Interconnection EP and a packed season of headline shows, it marks yet another subtle evolution of his always hard-to-classify sound. The EP is a collaboration with psychedelic trance pioneers GMS, who have been making their mark since the 90s. The award-winning pair have had their music used in a trio of Tony Scott movies and have dropped several vital albums and EPs.

“GMS and I met many years ago in their studio in Ibiza and spontaneously cemented our relationship through our passion for sound”, says Enrico Sangiuliano. “They are a pillar of psytrance, and collaborating with them to interpret the concept of Transcendence was the perfect way for us to finally merge our creative visions. With this release, we transcend our individual musical paths to create something entirely new. We explore the theme of elevation, challenging ourselves to move beyond the tangible. Here, music becomes a portal, expanding consciousness and providing an escape from material reality. Together, we shaped our sounds to build an immersive experience, with a guiding voice to lead you through it. Transcendence is an invitation to let go, release mental constructs, and flow with the sound. It's a journey into a timeless realm where what you feel and who you are become one. To transcend is to connect with your deepest self—and beyond.”

Superb opener 'Transcendence' is a sleek and futuristic soundscape with dynamic drums that take you up amongst the stars. The smeared pads bring a cosmic atmosphere, the lush arps layer in plenty of trance-tinged emotion, and smart spoken words add a cinematic feel to this most escapist track. 'The Inner World' is then a suspenseful two-minute synthscape with wise spoken words that muse on inner strength. It is a rousing piece of emotional electronic grandeur.

The Transcendence EP is another strong statement from the forward-looking creative mind of Enrico Sangiuliano.

“Big Love label boss Seamus Haji returns to deliver four of his beloved imprint’s standout disco, funk and groove-laden releases on wax for the sixth edition of ‘A Touch Of Love’. Opening the collection is the Big Love founder’s collaboration with Mike Dunn. A certified house master who needs no introduction, Dunn’s status as an innovator is revered globally, and his signature improvisatory flow is front and centre for ‘Serious’ now on wax. 2024 also saw Brooklyn’s Moon Boots debut on Big Love with ‘In My Life’, featuring stacked vocal harmonies over an exquisite bassline. Next up, DJ Fudge returns to deliver the spacey ‘Escapade’, spotlighting blissful instrumentation that creates an otherworldly vibe, before Danou P closes out this eclectic collection with ‘Fly’, featuring his frequent collaborator and mentee, the Chicago master selector Jamie 3:26.”

The British jazz/hip hop fusion collective Us3 founded in 1992 in London and its notable members included producers Mel Simpson and Geoff Wilkinson. The group scored a major hit in 1994 with “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)”, a track that displayed the group’s fondness for sampling classic recordings from the Blue Note label (in this case, Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island’). The track was included on their debut album Hand On The Torch.

The album was a result of their connections with Blue Note owner Capitol Records, which gave Simpson and Wilkinson free rein to sample anything from the Blue Note catalog. Together with several musicians and rappers Kobie Powell and Rahsaan Kelly, they sampled a series of Blue Note classics, from Art Blakey and Thelonious Monk, to Horace Sylver and the previously mentioned Herbie Hancock. With the release of Hand On The Torch, Us3 had forged one of the most elaborate union between styles and became one of the best-selling jazz albums on the Blue Note label.

Being one of the most popular albums in the history of the label,

Music Brokers is happy to announce the release of Jazz And Beatles in a limited-edition double LP.
The album features 24 stellar Beatles classics reinvented in jazz form that highlight the catalog of the biggest band of all time.
Gems such as “Yesterday”, “Here Comes The Sun”, “Revolu- tion” and “She Loves You” have new life with reworked versions
by many of the biggest names in the nu-jazz move- ment including Jazzystics,
Les Crossaders, The Cooltrane Quartet, Eve St. Jones and Apollinare Rossi. With stellar artwork and remastered sound,
this is another essential addition to your jazz-lounge music collection in vinyl format.

The Ick — a sense of sanity amidst the storm of information. This album by Archetype is an abstract scream for something quite fragile — a polarizing society, disruptive isolation, and the fading collective experience. Utilizing dramatic vocals, industrial trip-hop, and post-punk-leaning electronics, Archetype marks the new moniker by the ever-versatile Viennese Rotterdammer, Leonard Prochazka. Following his manifold of concept-driven, instinctive musical output, Archetype's "The Ick" releases in 2024, following "Strapazen und Genesung" as Geier Aus Stahl on Knekelhuis in 2022.

'Fly', Michael Mayo's highly anticipated follow-up to his critically-acclaimed debut album, delves deeply into the genre of jazz, allowing his prior collaborations with mentor Herbie Hancock, producer Eli Wolf and Scary Pockets (among others) to fourish on a mix of familiar takes of jazz classics and bold, adventurous originals Showcasing his remarkable versatility and exceptional talent while backed by an allstar band including pianist Shai Maestro, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Nate Smith, 'Fly' solidifes his prowess within the jazz realm, allowing his unique artistry to truly shine. This second pressing is on classic black vinyl.

Night Keeper is a collaborative album by New York City-based artist Aaron Landsman and former Swans guitarist Norman Westberg that is based on the former's eponymous play. Westberg recorded it together with performer Jehan O. Young for the Swiss Hallow Ground label, with Landsman serving as the record’s producer. The original piece was first performed in the Spring of 2023 at The Chocolate Factory Theater in Queens and filled the stark industrial space with spoken text, choreography, projections, and music in dim light and, occasionally, complete darkness. Westberg and Young afterwards brought it to the studio to record it as a two-part
album in whose course his textural sounds, based on loops and samples, set the stage for her soothing, sonorous vocal performance. »Night Keeper« is a performance inspired by sleeplessness and the wanderings of the human mind at night—about time and memory.
Westberg and Young elegantly capture its essence in these roughly 44 minutes with a somnambulic album, letting sound and meaning flow into each other. The initial spark for Night Keeper was a run of almost sleepless nights in different neighbourhoods of a city that is perpetually insomniac. Instead of trying to force himself to go back to sleep by any means necessary, Landsman started writing down his thoughts. As he explains in the liner notes—accompanying the music along with drawings made by audience members during the performances—he started listening to the particular way in which the voice in his head navigates time and language. Accordingly, the texts that Young reads on the record form a diverse collection of specific moments, imagining different speakers and evoking different
situations. Westberg complements, accentuates, and juxtaposes these with different means. Ominous drones, soaring melodies, rhythmic bass sounds: the guitarist, whose latest release for Hallow Ground was 2021’s First Man In The Moon with Polish double bassist Jacek Mazurkiewicz, conjures up distinct sound worlds in which Young can let Landsman’s scenes unfold to gripping effect.
Landsman makes it clear that »Night Keeper« was intended as an invitation to »stay up, look out the window, let what’s happening outside spark reveries or predictions« or even take it on a stroll through the neighbourhood—at night, of course. Much like the original piece, this album is then one dedicated to wandering around, both mentally and physically.

Dennis Brown has always been cited as Jamaica’s favourite singer. While Bob Marley set out to conquer the world, Dennis’s popularity on the island grew with every year. Overseas success also came Browns way with crossover hits like the massive ‘Money In My Pocket’. He will always be fondly remembered on the sound systems across the caribbean as the Crown Prince of Reggae.

Dennis Brown (b Dennis Emanuel Brown,1957, Kingston, Jamaica) began his illustrious career at the grand age of eleven like many of the other child singers at Coxsonne Dodds Studio One stable. His first hit in 1969 a cover of Van Dykes ‘No Man Is An Island’ still stands the tests of time and also its follow up cut ‘If I Follow My Heart’ as Reggae classics. The 1970’s saw Dennis build on his reputation by working with all the top Jamaican producers and
studio’s perfecting his sound. Lloyd Daley, Impact, Joe Gibbs, Aquarius and Derrick Harriott to name but a few. But it was his work with producer Winston ‘Niney’ Holness that he enjoyed the most success and many say recorded his best work for. Where many of the other producers stayed with the tried and tested Lovers Rock formula that did prove so popular with Dennis’s voice, producer Niney the Observer as he is fondly called, pushed him into a more roots led direction, over stark rhythms created by Niney’s studio band Soul Syndicate.

Two outstanding albums were put together ‘Just Dennis’ (1975) built on a collection of singles they had recorded together, ’Cassandra’, ’Westbound Train’, ’No More Will I Roam’ and ‘Conqueror’. The second 1977 set ‘Wolf and Leopards’ made up again of singles the prolific two had cut including, ‘Here I Come’ (a live favourite that Dennis always liked to start his set with) and ‘Children of Israel’ made these both strong roots era albums.

We have stayed with this period for our Dennis Brown album. Some of the above-mentioned cuts are present alongside the timeless crossover hit ‘Money In My Pocket’ (1979) produced by Niney but often credited as a Joe Gibbs production as it was released (and sweetened by adding Orchestration for the foreign market place) on his label. By the way this is the original Jamaican version (unsweetened) that you will find on this album a more truthful version in our humble opinion. His voice reigns supreme across these Niney produced cuts ‘Smile like An Angel’ ‘Silver Words’, ‘Play Girl’ and the fantastic ‘Poor Side Of Town’ (helped along by the great harmonies of the Heptones group), ‘Tribulation’ and ‘We Will Be Free’. Dennis Brown’s prolific catalogue of tunes that also found an outlet on his own DEB inprint (named after his initials) stands to show what a great artist he was and what a fine team he and Niney made when in the studio creating these magical moments. So sit back and enjoy a killer set of tunes compiled by Niney himself...Tribulation Times indeed and long may the records of the Crown Prince of Reggae Dennis Brown rule the world.....

Audio alchemist Damian Lazarus continues to redefine the boundaries of electronic music with his fifth studio album, ‘Magickal’.

Renowned for his unparalleled ability to craft transformative sonic journeys, Damian Lazarus is a master of rhythm, melody, and vibration—a true pioneer among his generation’s visionary artists. Damian’s broad depth of experience encompasses a variety of disciplines: tastemaker, selector, label owner, A&R and a Grammy-nominated artist in his own right - each informed by his unique ear for sound. He is chief wizard of the hugely influential and culture-defining Crosstown Rebels label, a globally renowned DJ with a penchant for exotic outdoor locations and a highly regarded recording artist with four albums and a plethora of solo cuts, collaborations and remixes in his sprawling discography.

With his fifth album, ‘Magickal’, Damian steps into his next evolutionary phase, combining his newly found sobriety with a more mature outlook while still pushing boundaries and creating unforgettable moments. At the root of it all is the magical power of togetherness and human connection that only music can facilitate. Driven by this core ethos, Damian continues on his mission to share his heartfelt music, taking the dance floor into unexplored realms of experience, facilitating moments of transcendence, bliss and pure, unadulterated magic.

Damian Lazarus, the avant-garde architect of spiritually nourishing sounds, is joined by a stellar lineup of collaborators on his latest excursion. It’s imaginative and mystical, rhythmically captivating and daring in its own way, as is typical of Damian’s approach. Taking consideration of his past, the album references his previous work to create a tapestry of compositions that tap into the energy of key moments from his discography. Drawing on his existing catalogue creates cohesive through lines and thematically serves as a continuation of previous stories. November’s single, ‘Sunrise Generation’, for instance, works as a companion to ‘Vermillion’, which was recorded by Damian with his band The Ancient Moons and vocalist Moses Sumney back in 2015. ‘Sunrise Generation’, featuring the beautiful vocals of Fink, was Damian’s first major release since his Grammy-nominated 2021 collaboration ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ with Diplo and Jungle, and continues to take inspiration from global gatherings at solstice and those moments of collective awe at sunrise.

Indeed, the album’s themes of mental elevation and psychedelic sonic journeys are evident throughout. Damian channels this energy through tracks like the soulful ‘So Low’, featuring the incredible Zoe Kypri, and the luminous ‘Searchin’, with Jem Cooke, whose collaboration with Damian dates back to ‘Flourish’ (2020) and lead single ‘Into The Sun’. Uplifting is the operative word here, as Damian aims straight for our hearts and inner selves, stripping away the layers to take us on a trip inwards, and out into the ether all at once. There’s a clear nod to Damian’s appreciation of amapiano when he teams up with Ghanaian interdisciplinary healer Jojo Abot on ‘Warrior Dance’. Old friend and inspirer Mathew Jonson brings his virtuoso touch to ‘Are You Dreaming?’, while TEED and A-Trak form an awesome alliance for ‘Falling Down’ with its heartrending vocals. ‘Alive’ features the Bloom Twins, and also additional production from acclaimed producer Mark Ralph, who incidentally worked on Damian’s debut album ‘Smoke The Monster Out’ in 2009 and forms another throughline to the past. ‘Alive’ blends pop sensibilities and song structure with Damian’s inimitable sound - and could become one of Damian’s biggest moments to date. ‘La Hija De Juan Simon’ delves into the Latin energy synonymous with vibrancy and self-expression as Damian teams up with acclaimed Spanish flamenco-influenced duo Mëstiza. On a solo tip, he rolls out with the eight-minute-plus soulful funk flex ‘Why Don’t U’.

In a suitably aligned instance of serendipity, the arrival of ‘Magickal’ comes at a pivotal period in Damian’s life, just as it has been with previous album concepts. Albums made and released during big shifts in his life speak to the correlation between growth, personal evolution, creativity, catharsis and sharing that process musically. The last album ‘Flourish’, for instance, was recorded and released in the space of a few months during the first summer of the global pandemic. As a result, there’s a kind of vulnerability in the music, a subtle story that’s being told with emotional touchpoints that will be relevant to anyone listening. The universal human experience and spectrum of emotions are things almost everyone can relate to. With the enhanced clarity of his sobriety, Damian’s compositions embody the uplifting nature of simply being alive, connected and unified in our love for music and one another.

Day Zero, Damian’s iconic annual festival, is intrinsically linked to ‘Magickal’. It’s the setting for his imagination when producing the music, it’s the launchpad for each year’s kaleidoscopic adventures around the world, and this year’s edition will be the backdrop to the release of ‘Magickal’. As the pinnacle of Damian’s annual experiences, Day Zero marks a vital milestone for his artistry, an extension of his inner realm, carefully curated and created for his global family of lovers and dancers to revel in the awe-inspiring beauty of Mother Nature. Central to the ethos of Day Zero is its sustainability practices and deep consideration for the locality within which it is held. Connections with local elders embolden its depth, cultivating a strongly aligned purpose with the ritual, customs and energy of the land and its people.

‘Magickal’ will be released in the same week as Day Zero, tying the two projects together in a neat dovetail. 12 years since it started, Day Zero continues to play a significant role in the music Damian makes, curates and plays. For him, it’s the epitome of his vision: a stunning natural setting, the very best party people from around the world, an unparalleled lineup of friends and family, high production values, eco-centric policies and music from another dimension. With these interdimensional transmissions, Damian channels his inner alchemist, which, in turn, permeates into the vibrational framework of ‘Magickal’.

Never one to adhere to convention, Damian has opted for a disruptive album release. ‘Magickal’ is to be kept under wraps and then announced and released on Crosstown Rebels on 8th January 2025, bypassing the modern trend of prolonged single drops and ‘tombstone’ album releases. ‘Magickal’ is the embodiment of Damian and his intentional, against-the-grain approach and reinforces the album as a complete artistic statement, offering listeners the full cohesive experience from the very beginning. This is a return to the album as the pinnacle moment and not the afterthought. Singles, edits and remixes will follow the ‘Magickal album’ release, and, of course, there will be a world tour to promote the album (including Glastonbury and Coachella) and a chance to present the album in exciting, innovative and unique ways.

Forever dreaming, a sincere student of magic, new and old, social sorcerer, lover of nature and master of musical wizardry, Damian Lazarus is a potent force. With ‘Magickal’, he reaffirms his place as one of electronic music’s most influential figures, taking listeners on a profound journey into sound, spirit, and connection.

Bretagne Hardcore !

Grinding industrial Acid mental Tekno... 2 tunes loud cut, with a sweet story telling...

Are you ready for this ?

Mastered by Stefan ZMK
Cut by Simon The Exchange

Tekwest benefits. Expensive but 100% goes to the victimes.

And about the music : Pure tribe, open on the Funky side, the oldschool mental style , the Italian neskool or the "looks" like Proces Kabaal style...
BIG UP !!

Wie Hip-Hop nach Hamburg kam
Die Compilation ist als Zeitreise zu den Anfängen der Hamburger Hip-Hop-Kultur konzipiert und umfasst über 100 weitgehend unveröffentlichte Songs und Skits. Begleitet wird das Triple-Vinyl von einem 96-seitigen Booklet, das von den frühen Jahren von Hip-Hop, Rap und DJing in Hamburg erzählt. Präsentiert wird das Werk von den Herausgebern des Buchs und den Kuratoren der Museumsausstellung EINE STADT WIRD BUNT.

Kennt eigentlich noch jemand Easy Business? Was wie ein Ratgeber Video auf YouTube klingt, ist der Name einer der ersten Hamburger Rap-Gruppen. Die vierköpfige Formation aus Steilshoop gründete sich schon in den späten 1980er Jahren und begann bald erste englischsprachige Texte zu schreiben. 1989 nahmen sie gemeinsam mit Mario von Hacht den Song „Money“ in einem Jenfelder Jugendzentrum auf.
Als House-Produzent verfügte Von Hacht über ein vergleichsweise schon recht ansehnliches Produktions-Equipment. Selbst die legendäre Roland TR-808, analoger Drumcomputer und Allzweckwaffe von Hip-Hop-Produzenten, war bereits 1989 Teil seines Maschinenparks. Nur hatte er sie eben nicht für Rap genutzt – bis Easy Business anklopften. Und so öffnete ein Musik-Nerd und Technik-Freak dem Hip-Hop eine Tür in Hamburg. Von Hachts Offenheit für den neuen Musikstil sollte sich auszahlen: 1995 produzierte er mit „Nordisch by Nature“ den ersten Chartstürmer von Fettes Brot.

Es sind Geschichten wie diese aus der Gründerzeit des Rap in Hamburg, um die sich die 3-Vinyl-Compilation EINE STADT WIRD BUNT dreht. Unter den über 100 Songs und Skits aus den frühen Jahren des Rap in Hamburg finden sich neben dem Song „Money“ von Easy Business auch ein Mitschnitt eines Auftritts der Gruppe in der Fabrik im Mai 1991.
Von frühen Aufnahmen von MC Africa True, der später unter dem Namen Nana einige Hits landen würde, bis zu den Britcore-Veteranen von Readykill, von 2 Ruff, deren Mitglied Simple Simon zu den ersten Hip-Hop-Produzenten der Stadt gehörte, bis zu den Reim Banditen, die als eine der ersten hiesigen Bands mit einem Majorlabel-Vertrag als Hamburger Antwort auf die Fantastischen Vier positioniert werden sollten, vereint das Triple-Vinyl eine einzigartige Sammlung musikhistorischer Zeitdokumente. In Kombination mit dem begleitenden Booklet vermitteln sie ein authentisches – und überaus unterhaltsames – Bild von den Anfängen des Rap in Hamburg.

Nach dem preisgekrönten, 2021 erschienenen Buch „EINE STADT WIRD BUNT. Hamburg Graffiti History 1980-1999“ und der gleichnamigen Ausstellung, die bis Anfang Januar 2024, als eine der erfolgreichsten aller Zeiten, im Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte gezeigt wurde, folgt mit der Compilation nun also eine weitere Dokumentation Hamburger Subkultur Geschichte der 1980er und 1990er Jahre. Im Fokus diesmal: die Pioniere des Rap in der Hansestadt.
Zum Team hinter dem Triple-Vinyl gehören neben den vier Herausgebern von EINE STADT WIRD BUNT. Oliver Nebel, Frank Petering, Mirko Reisser und Andreas Timm drei ausgewiesene Kenner der deutschen Hip-Hop-Szene. Oliver Herbst, einst DJ der Hip-Hop-Band City Nord, betreibt heute ein Musiklabel, auf dem die Platte erscheint, und konnte im Zuge der Recherche an viele alte Kontakte anknüpfen. Ebenfalls mit an Bord: der langjährige Chefredakteur des Hip-Hop-Magazins Backspin Dennis Kraus und der Musikjournalist und Moderator Falk Schacht.
Über einen Zeitraum von über zwei Jahren hinweg hat sich das Team auf Recherche begeben. Sie nahmen Kontakt zu Bands, Rapper*innen, DJs und Produzenten auf, die in den 1980er und 1990er Jahren in und um Hamburg aktiv waren. Sie sichteten und archivierten unzählige Stunden von Radio-Shows, Tapes, Demo-DATs und Live-Mitschnitten und führten Interviews mit Hip-Hop-Pionieren aus der Hansestadt. „Unser Ziel war es, ein kaum beleuchtetes Kapitel Hamburger Subkulturgeschichte zu erzählen“, sagt Mirko Reisser.
Begleitet werden die Platten deshalb von einem rund 80-seitigen, reich bebilderten Booklet im Vinyl-Format, das in aufwändig recherchierten Texten nachzeichnet, wie der neue Musikstil ab Mitte der 1980er Jahre in Hamburg langsam heimisch wurde. Zu den zentralen Themen dieser Erzählung gehört die Abwesenheit von technischem Equipment – und der Umgang der jungen Szene mit diesem Mangel.
Ein Vierspur Kassettenrekorder musste für die ersten Aufnahmen im Kinderzimmer reichen. Und wer DJ werden wollte, übte Scratchen mit dem Plattenspieler der Eltern. Anders als heute, wo man mit einem Smartphone in der Hand theoretisch ein Millionenpublikum erreichen kann, stellte die Aufnahmetechnik damals eine große Hürde dar. Wer jedoch über die technischen Voraussetzungen verfügte, Songs aufzunehmen, wurde schnell zur Anlaufstelle für die junge Rap-Szene.
Parallel zu dieser Ära der Technik-Autodidakten, öffneten die Rapper*innen der frühen 1990er Jahre ebenfalls ein Fenster in eine neue Welt: Indem sie anfingen, auf Deutsch zu rappen, grenzten sie sich bewusst von den amerikanischen Vorbildern ab und schufen ein ganz neues Selbstbewusstsein der jungen Subkultur. Und ganz nebenbei auch ein ganz neues Bewusstsein für die Möglichkeiten der deutschen Sprache. „Hier wurde etwas gänzlich Neues erschaffen“, sagt Oliver Herbst.

Viele Künstler, die auf der Compilation vertreten sind, dürften heute nur noch echten Hip-Hop-Nerds bekannt sein. Doch es finden sich auch bekannte Namen auf der Tracklist. Jan Eißfeldt etwa, der heute solo als Jan Delay oder als Teil der Beginner Konzerthallen füllt. Oder Fettes Brot, die von einem Hip-Hop-Trio aus dem Hamburger Umland zu einer der erfolgreichsten deutschen Popbands der Gegenwart heranwuchsen. Oder Deichkind, die zu einem massentauglichen Universal Kunstprojekt avanciert sind.

Wie schon das gleichnamige Buch und die Museumsausstellung, so blickt auch die Compilation EINE STADT WIRD BUNT. hinter die Kulissen einer jungen Subkultur – und erzählt parallel spannende Kapitel Musik-, Technik- und Stadtgeschichte aus der Hip-Hop-Hochburg an der Elbe.

INTERPRETEN
Fettes Brot, Absolute Beginner, Deichkind, Das Bo, Ferris MC, Mr. Schnabel, Sleepwalker, Kastrierte Philosophen, Mellow Mark, David Fascher, Easy Business, Reim Banditen, Readykill, TobiTob, I.L.L. Will, City Nord, MK Cram (Poets of Peeze), Dialektik, 2 Ruff, Nina, Flashmaster Ray, Dennis Deutschland, 2BIAS, MC Africa True alias Nana, Vers Chaoten, Die Erstausgabe, THC (Ter Hartchor), R.A.F. (Reimende Antifaschisten), Direkt Aktion, Fogmoor, Syren, Mental Disorda (Crime Code Barets), Dennis the Menace, Selma, 08/15, Hamburg Royal, Skunk Funk, B-Low, Gizmo, AJ, SMG, Phantom Black, Leon Le Pro alias EL’OMC, Paolo 77, Monti, Hanseknaller, Schlechta Umgang u.v.a.

ZITATE VON
André Luth, Jan Eißfeldt, Mathias Arfmann, Ale Dumbsky, David Fascher, Fatih Akin, Carsten Bohn, Schiffmeister (Björn Beton), Pasha Kamber (DJ MPK), Boris Ekambi, Sleepwalker, Mr. Schnabel, Nana Abrokwa, Simon Vegas u.a.

PRODUCER
Mario von Hacht (Super Mario), Sleepwalker, B-Base, Bubblez, TobiTob, X-Ray, Simple Simon

Stille kann entweder Ruhe oder Stagnation bedeuten. Walt McClements hat sich mit diesen gegensätzlichen Kräften auseinandergesetzt, um "On a Painted Ocean" zu realisieren: eine Suite von Akkordeon und Pfeifenorgel geleiteten Stücken, die einen stetigen Kurs verfolgen, anschwellen und sich mit einer Flut von zarten Emotionen erweitern. Der Komponist und Multiinstrumentalist hat den Titel seines zweiten Albums von Samuel Taylor Coleridges berühmtem Epos "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" und dessen Beschreibung eines Bootes, das auf See feststeckt ("As idle as a painted ship / Upon a painted Ocean"). Es ist ein Eindruck, der sowohl den Prozess als auch das Produkt von McClements' Western Vinyl Veröffentlichung widerspiegelt, vom sanften Entfalten eines rauen Schilfrohrtons im Opener ,A Painted Ship" bis hin zum düsteren, mit Effekten beladenen Drone von "Washed Up" und dem abschließenden Flattern und Signalstörungen, die sich in ,Clattering" geräuschvoll zu triumphaler Euphorie erheben. "On a Painted Ocean" ist das Ergebnis eines Zusammenflusses von Ereignissen und Inspirationen, die sich verändert haben wie das Wetter selbst. Die ersten Skizzen begannen mit dem unerwarteten Zugang zu einer Kirchenorgel in Pasadena im Jahr 2022, bevor diese Skizzen zur Seite gelegt wurden, um sich auf ein arbeitsreiches Jahr als Mitglied der Live-Band von Weyes Blood vorzubereiten. Die Monate im Tourbus mit begrenzten Instrumenten veranlassten McClements dazu, den Klang seines bearbeiteten Akkordeons auf dem Synthesizer nachzubilden, und überlagerte ihn mit den Orgelstücken. Als dieser Zyklus zu Ende ging, war McClements begierig darauf die Platte zu beenden, war sich aber nicht sicher, wie er den Faden wieder aufnehmen sollte. Festgefahren in der Flaute einer kreativen Blockade, nahm McClements seine Spuren von bearbeiteten Akkordeons und Synthesizern, Pfeifenorgel und Melodica, Zungen und Pfeifen, die durch Pedale und Computer laufen, in seine ehemalige Heimat New Orleans zum Karneval mit. Nachdem er ein Jahrzehnt in der Stadt in Louisiana gelebt hatte, bevor er nach Los Angeles zog, fand McClements in einer der ekstatischsten und bedeutungsvollsten Zeiten des Jahres neue Inspiration. Das Ethos der Kunst um der Gemeinschaft willen und die Praktiken der Fürsorge inspirierten ihn den Rat seiner Musikerkollegin und Mentorin Rachika Nayar zu befolgen und Mitstreiter einzubeziehen, darunter auch Nayar selbst, die eine zusätzliche Produktion zu ,Sirens" beisteuert. Aurora Nealand, eine alte Freundin und ehemalige Bandkollegin, antwortete ebenfalls auf den Ruf und fügte Saxophon zu den unruhigen Gewässern von ,Cloud Prints" und ,Parade" hinzu. Der letztgenannte Track ist der klangliche und konzeptionelle Höhepunkt auf McClements' Reise zur Verwirklichung von "On a Painted Ocean", wo eine steigende Tonhöhe und aufgewühlte Segel auf eine Feldaufnahme von Community Care treffen. Ein Verdienst von starken Beziehungen und gegenseitiger Unterstützung, das Album zeichnet als eine persönliche Pilgerreise auf - die Anpassung an die Gezeiten und die Erinnerung daran, dass die Gemeinschaft helfen kann, wenn man sich auf dem Meer festgefahren fühlt.

isolée is best known for his early work, the now 90s classic "beau mot plage" (1998), included on his first Album "rest" (2000), his second album "we are monster" selected as "best new album" and highly rated Album of the year 2005 in Pitchfork. "Allowance" (2013) on DJ Koze's Pampa Label, "Pisco" (2016) on Mano le Tough's Label Maeve, and the launch of his own Label "resort island" with his 4th album "resort island" in 2023 are the highlights to date.

"love algorithm," the first singles title pulls us into the rabbit hole of social media. Love and algorithm—can they even go together? In this deep house track isolée embraces the unpredictable. The slacker who takes things at his own pace. He leisurely lets some vocal debris wail through the track, and fans might recognise a Kerri Chandler vibe in the background textures, maybe more obvious in the stripped down B side “3rd places dub” version.

"OMG so random" seems oldscool, not boosting the tempo. Though not being "fast", this track is pushing and powerful. It’s classy dub sounds and textures put up against some scratchy, seemingly exotic, flute-like instru-ments make this track less obvious to categories than it might seem at first. It marries the reflection of a con-templative tune with the quality to be a dance track.

On „chopstick!", the third and final single, the bass line dominates, too. isolée rediscovered one of his analog 80s Roland synthesizers, the MKS30, which creates that distinctive thudding sound. This track picks up the pace the most.

Hüma Utku returns to Editions Mego with her new album. The title Dracones makes reference to the mediaeval latin term "Hic sunt dracones" (Here be dragons), marking the unexplored, dangerous places on world maps, expressing the fear of chaos, the unexpected and the unknown.

This new work by the Istanbul sound artist is a sonic journal of an expedition into uncharted territory, one which occupies self and domesticity. Inspired by Utku’s experience of matrescence, Dracones explores the themes of familial demonology, metamorphosis and homecoming as well as human relationship to the experience of love woven layers of euphoria, alienation and consumption.

Musically, Dracones traverses a wide array of sonic tools whereby industrial sounds are imbedded with certain psychological angles, this is an album where, all matter meshes into a sly snapshot of the human experience with a tension and release exposure occurring frequently with dark corners opening up to bright layers of electronic experimentation.

The haunting opening track ‘A World Between Worlds’ tackles pregnancy, of which Utku was experiencing when making this record. The emotional, physical, spiritual and mental experience of this journey is all documented here.. This track features the ‘Lyraei’, an electromagnetic string instrument and modern interpretation of the ancient lyre, that was built and played by Mihalis Shammas. ‘Comfort of The Shadows’ moves from within to without, what was once hidden is now exposed. Utku’s ability to conjure the visual in the sonic is at the forefront as howling electronics give a distinct impression of movement. ‘A Familial Curse’ presents a desire to break the cycle of generational trauma with a creeping sense of dread that rolls into an industrial rhythm prior to landing in a beautiful place represented with shimmering guitar tones. ‘Here be Dragons’ is a rich and dark evocation, a spooked surrender to the themes of the record whereby Utku’s wildly distorted voice beckons all manner of phantasmagoria over cello and recordings of her ultrasound. ‘Care in Consume’ engages in further sonic exploration as a means of conjuring ‘matriphagy’, with its unique psychic energy coursing through electronic veins. ‘A House within a House’ could also be read as a body within a body as the pulse of ultrasound audio rattle amongst a cage of thudding rhythms and swirling electronics, one also ending in optimism as an exquisite melody is born from the prior fire. The striking journey ends with the more soothing ‘Ayaz’a’, a track embracing love and all the hardships that a period of fundamental metamorphosis brings, this is a heartfelt dedication to her son and concludes an album draped in life, experience, joy and pain.

Dracones is a deeply visual journey through inner and outer worlds, a space where symbolic evocation is supreme and passive listening is not an option.

All tracks composed,performed and recorded by Hüma Utku
Buchla 100, vocals, cello, electric guitar performed by Hüma Utku
‘’A World Between Worlds’’ features the ‘Lyraei’ built, played and recorded by Mihalis Shammas
Buchla 100 recorded in EMS Stockholm 2022-2023

Mixed by Enyang Urbiks
Mastered by Heba Kadry, NYC
Cover Artwork by Marco Ciceri
Design by Tina Frank

Firstly, I want to thank Soulox & Soeneido for their patience because I have slept on their music for years haha

They have both been sending me music for a long time which I was pretty slack on checking (as a lot of people may have also noticed when sending me music, there's a huge backlog to get through and not enough hours in the day!) but it wasn't until Pete Dev/Null was in London for an event and we met up in person to record a mix for Blog To The Oldskool (our show on Jungletrain) that I realised what these two were capable of. Pete started the show with Lavish and I had to know what it was straight away, he told me it was by Soulox & Soeneido and I felt so bad that I had probably not bothered to check this tune if they had sent it to me, but I knew I had to have it!

I messaged Soen the next day asking about this tune and thankfully it was still available, one thing led to another and this release now exists. Big thanks to both of them for their wicked tunes, big up Comfort Zone on his quality remix of Lavish and a special mention to Jay Vaz (of Dreaming Vinyl) who did the design for the b-side of this release.

If every significant artist has an underrated gem in its catalog, then Mirage is that album for Fleetwood Mac. An obvious return to relative simplicity after the dramatic tension of Rumours and experimental ambitions of Tusk, the 1982 album finds the band re-grouping after a brief hiatus and again climbing to the top of the charts. Extremely well-crafted, well-produced, and well-performed, the double-platinum effort distills the group’s hallmark strengths into a filler-free set that never runs short of addictive pop hooks or daft accents.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in a Stoughton jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents Mirage in reference sound for the first time. The efforts co-producers/engineers Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut went to capture the splintered albeit formidable band can be heard with stunning accuracy, range, depth, and detail.

Though Rumours understandably gets a permanent spot in the audiophile hall of fame, the smooth, clear, and dynamic sonics on Mirage confirm that the record that stood as Fleetwood Mac’s last effort for five years deserves a place in the same vaunted arena. The presence and imaging of Mick Fleetwood’s percussion alone on this reissue might have you wondering how this slice of soft-rock bliss has gone under-noticed for decades. Other prized aural aspects — separation, definition, impact, tonal balance — are also here in spades.

Like much surrounding Fleetwood Mac in the 1980s, arriving at Mirage was not easy. Caillat searched for studios located outside of Los Angeles on a mission to change up the vibe of the band’s prior recording sessions. Everyone settled on Le Chateau in France, where relations between some members remained icy — and cooperation with the producers strained. Battles with exhaustion, bitterness, and addiction further informed the proceedings at the 18th century complex in the French countryside, where even communal meals were allegedly eaten in silence.

Inevitably, the feelings that co-producer Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, and company harbored — as well as the situations in which they found themselves — drifted into the songwriting. In its rapid ascent to rock-star royalty status, Fleetwood Mac drifted apart, embarked on solo pursuits, and found it was lonely at the top. Emptiness, the illusion of dreams, the longing for love, the want to escape to bygone times of innocence and happiness: Such themes inform a majority of the narratives. Even if the lyrics regularly take a back seat to easygoing arrangements that allow Mirage to come on like a refreshing breeze on a sunny summer afternoon.

Home to three Top 25 singles in the U.S. and having occupied the pole position of the Top 200 album charts for five weeks, Mirage rightfully resonated with the mainstream and attracted listeners on both sides of the pond. And how, via a smart blend of sugary melodies, warm harmonies, interlaced notes, nimble rhythms, taut structures, and passionate vocals. Not to mention the presence of what arguably remains Nicks’ signature song, the biographical “Gypsy,” a meditation on the loss of her close friend Robin Anderson that teems with majesty, mystery, and mysticism — and which gets an assist from Buckingham’s shaded tack piano and richly strummed guitar chords.

Its ranking as an all-time classic aside, that No. 12 hit has plenty of company when it comes to brilliant pop turns on Mirage. On the subject of Nicks, the raspy singer gets a little bit country on “That’s Alright.” Its clip-clopping pace and two-stepping progression complement subtle vocal swells that emerge during the final verse of a tune that is ostensibly about leaving but still conveys forgiveness and grace. And what would a Fleetwood Mac record be without Nicks drawing on the tools of the supernatural — cards, dreams, wolves, and the like — on the twirling “Straight Back.”

Despite the potency of Nicks’ primary contributions, Mirage seemingly unfolds as a tight competition between Buckingham and McVie — and one that ultimately ends in a draw. Buckingham’s salvos include the contagious “Can’t Go Back,” a yearning to time-travel back to the past that’s complete with hall-of-mirrors backing vocals; “Oh Diane,” out-of- left-field ear candy sweetened with hiccupped vocals and salt-and-pepper-shaken grooves; the chiming “Eyes of the World”; and “Empire State,” a delightfully fluttering track whose high-range vocals, lap harp notes, and ringing xylophones hint at the galaxies of sound that would erupt on Tango in the Night.

Then there’s McVie. As elegant, understated, and coolheaded as she’s ever been on record, she pours her heart out on cuts that revolve around her inevitable split with Beach Boy Dennis Wilson. In the process, she punctuates Mirage with a characteristic not always associated with catchy pop music: emotional weight, and the sense of dreaded acceptance in the face of dreams deferred.

“I wish you were here/Holding me tight,” McVie sings over a delicate melody on the album-closing piano ballad “Wish You Were Here.” Though they hoped otherwise, for the members Fleetwood Mac, distance and separation were always close at hand. Believing otherwise, inviting nostalgia, and pretending everything was fine only amounts to a mirage.

Efficient progressive banging hardfloor. Mental and acid. The Metek tune is just perfect.

Following their acclaimed debut album The Shedding of Skin (2022), the formation has deepened their relationship through numerous live jams, intense touring and story sharing, pushing both their skills and the boundaries of the project. For its successor, État Coupable, this growth has been enriched by various collaborations, including one with Lebanese-Canadian producer Radwan Ghazi Moumneh (Jerusalem in My Heart).

The first single, Freedom, Asshole, features live drums by Spooky-J from Nihiloxica. With lead vocalist Saif singing, 'I envy you because you can close your eyes, you can choose,' the track addresses those who need to be addressed in the Western world, resulting in a gutwrenching piece of raw electronica that delves into the very definition of freedom. Alongside the launch of the record , the single will be released on Bandcamp and other streaming platforms on Wednesday, January 29.

A series of live dates have been announced including gigs at Ment Festival (SL), Rewire (NL), Donau Festival (AT) and dunk!festival (BE) among others.

Belgian multidisciplinary artist and long time collaborator of the project, Youniss Ahamad, has shared a that embodies unease through distorted images, a black-and-white palette, and abstract bird loops.

“For me ‘Freedom, Asshole’ is about fighting for freedom even when everything seems bleak”
– Youniss Ahamad

After a year-long creative process fueled by collective composition and live jam sessions, Gin Tonic Orchestra returns with "Let The Children House" on Floors Records. The EP is a testament to their ever-evolving sound, deeply rooted in live improvisation and the spirit of club music.

Recorded in the heart of the Alps at "Maison des Artistes" in Chamonix, the band surrounded themselves with legendary analog synthesizers—ARP 2600, ARP Odyssey, Clavinet D6, Fender Rhodes MKII, Jupiter 4, Jupiter 8, JX-8P, Korg M1, Moog Subsequent 37, OB-X, Oberheim SEM, Roland MV8000, Wurlitzer—to sculpt a sound pulsating with the hypnotic grooves, euphoric synths, and raw underground spirit of '90s house music. Each track was shaped with care, influenced by the group's diverse influences and their shared vision of an immersive dancefloor experience, embracing the hypnotic trance of repetitive music that blurs the line between consciousness and surrender.

Much like children lost in play, Gin Tonic Orchestra embraced chaos, letting their creativity flow freely, drawing inspiration from their mentors, and the stories passed down through club culture. The result is an EP that not only embodies their musical identity but also carries a bold statement: "Let The Children House" is a call to let artists create without constraints, a message of artistic freedom in an industry often driven by formulas.

With a background that includes a debut EP on Mother Tongue, a standout performance at Nuits Sonores ranked in Resident Advisor's Top 5, and collaborations with UK jazz-funk legend Kaidi Tatham, deep house master Ron Trent, and the H2H project led by Chez Damier & Ben Vedren, Gin Tonic Orchestra continues to push boundaries between live music and electronic culture. Their new release is both a tribute to the past and a step into the future—a journey where house music is not just played, but lived

It is a huge honour to announce the publication of Peter Brotzmann’s final concerts on OTOROKU. When we invited Peter to do a residency at Cafe OTO back in February 2023 we had no idea these would be his last ever shows and he played with such power it would have been hard for anyone present to believe he would never play publicly again.

Recorded over two nights this grouping of Jason Adasiewicz on vibraphone, John Edwards on bass and Steve Noble on drums feels especially resonant and personal to Cafe OTO. The first time Peter performed at the venue back in 2010 it was in a trio with John and Steve, (released as The Worse The Better kick starting our in-house record label) so it feels fitting that the last shows he ever played here should also have that trio at its core.

The quartet last played together at OTO back in 2013, (released as Mental Shake on OTOROKU), and Brotzmann humbly opened the return of the group saying, "it's a pleasure to be back” before launching straight into a long blast on the alto sax, swiftly met by the relentless energy and engagement of Adasiewicz, Edwards and Noble.

There are moments of tenderness to Brotzmann’s playing that feels specific to this small group - one that cuts across three generations - and in a space that’s come to feel like home. Of course, there is dizzying, forceful, singleminded playing, but even amongst a relentless chorus of cymbal splashes and busy vibraphone clusters the lyrical, spacious moments are savoured and held onto. As he remarked at the end of the group's first visit to OTO, “the Quartet is, for us, a great adventure.”

Peter clearly wanted to play to the end. Did he know these might be his last shows? We will never know. What is clear is he wanted to go out in style and on his terms. For anyone in the room at the time or listening to these recordings it’s clear he achieved that.

It was Peter’s wish that these recordings should be made public and he was due to finalise the cover design on the week he passed away. We would like to thank Peter’s family for working with us to fulfil Peter’s wishes to release this material but more than anything we would like to thank Peter himself for all the extraordinary memories, his generosity and all he has given the music. On a personal level for us, like so many, he meant a huge amount and we miss him deeply.

The Quartet will be released as a complete recording on 2CD and as a special edit version on 2LP. Both feature artwork by Peter Brotzmann and UNTIET and are complete with photographs by Dawid Laskowski.
OTOROKU will also release a special 4LP boxset edition, limited to 250 copies and only available direct from us. Pre-orders are on the website now and Cafe OTO members will receive a 20% discount.

Pharoahe Monch is one of the most revered and influential emcees in the history of hip-hop, and 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of his fourth studio album "PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder".

In PTSD, Pharoahe Monch continues the story he began telling in his previous LP, "W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)" from 2011. The Queens emcee narrates, in both literal and metaphoric ways, about the trials and tribulations of an independent artist who is at war with the music industry and the struggle of the black male experience in America.

In 2012, during an interview with Shawn Setaro, host of the podcast The Cipher, the rapper explained the connections between the two projects, beyond their titles. “The W.A.R. album was like, I’m going to battle against the machine, I’m doing this independently. I’m putting some things out that I learned and I’m going to expose about the music industry. PTSD is the result of me doing that, where I am emotionally now. It’s similar to how someone comes back from war and is stricken by re-adjusting to a regular situation.”

Monch told MTV Hive that PTSD is “more mental, emotional and personal” because it came out of the depths of a period of depression. He also gave the internal and external factors that helped him create the album. “I was working on the title track, which took me to a point in between Internal Affairs and Desire, where I was heavily depressed. Through the waiting period, the industry period, and going through a lot emotionally. Then there was the physical problem with asthma. It was the worst. So I started off with that title track and my manager was like, ‘Yo, let’s really dive into that state and how you got to where you are now, and how this follows what people go through to get back to a so-called ‘normal’ situation’.”

The concept album follows a veteran through combat experience, his return home, relationship dissolution, drug addiction, painful depression, and, finally, a triumphant but realistically rendered decision to keep living and struggling.

Also includes a large double sided poster , colour inner sleeves and liner notes by Gerald V Casale.

Spuds rejoice. After years of requests, Futurismo are thrilled to announce a brand new limited pressing of the DEVO’s incredible Recombo DNA 4xLP with Mini CD Set, plus also available is a brand new 3xCD version.


For decades Devo have been working non-stop at Recombo DNA Laboratories on a new kind of research to keep up with the mutating world around us. That extensive research is now ready for public consumption once again. Futurismo were the first to bring you this on vinyl and now they present unhindered access into Devo’s labs, documenting the scientific analysis and demonstrations as conducted by the band between the years 1977-2008.



This tireless research has manifested itself in Recombo DNA…an unmissable collection of studio demos and unreleased rare tracks that span Devo’s entire recording career, from their original basement days to their famed ’Freedom Of Choice’ era, right the way through to unused demos from their last studio album. You may know the track ‘Baby Doll’ but do you know it’s original incarnation as ‘Satan’? If you submit to the findings of Recombo DNA Labs you will, Futurismo’s version of this compilation includes six bonus tracks taken from the archives that had never been released, or even heard before.



This limited edition 4xLP set is a sonic fusion of demos, alternate versions and outtakes, demonstrating the true breadth and talent of one of America’s most important bands. But this set doesn’t stop at four beautiful slabs of mutated vinyl, also included is ’The Somewhere Suite’ served up on the format it was originally intended to be back in the May of ‘89, advertised although never released, it’s contained here in all it’s full length glory on a 3” Mini CD. Recombo DNA is also coming on a 3xCD digipak version for the very first time from Futurismo, including all the wonderful artwork and bonus material. Devo’s Recombo DNA is an essential addition to the collection of any science fearing spud, and the perfect sister release to last years Art Devo. The original 2017 pressing of Recombo DNA sold out in less than 48 hours, so grab this while you can. Each set includes 4xLP on limited edition coloured vinyl and includes a Mini CD. This fantastic collection of devolved recordings and bonus tracks are contained within the gloss laminated wide spined sleeve, with newly tweaked artwork, a huge A1 poster, full colour inner sleeves and liner notes by Gerald V Casale. A 3xCD digipak version is also available. Submit to these findings and witness audio mutation in action.

Francesco Sotgiu has forged a unique and very swinging project of songs. With a quintet consisting of Luigi Bonafede on piano, Emanuele Cisi and Riccardo Luppi on woodwinds, Salvatore Maiore on bass, Francesco on drums, and with special guest Paolo Fresu on trumpet to cap off this heartfelt collection. There is also a nice diversity of groups within this larger collection. A nice trio piece called “Calm” featuring Paolo Birro sitting in with Marco Micheli and Francesco. And one called “Lotus Blossom” where Francesco shows his considerable skills and soul on violin. But the bulk of the material is straight-ahead jazz and is totally swinging and soulful, proving that jazz has no borders and is a worldwide language to which Francesco has added to that tradition with this project and all the great voices he has included here. Bravo maestro.

This is the comment of Gil Goldstein, American accordion player who won 5 Grammys and collaborated with giants such as Gil Evans, Wayne Shorter, and Michel Petrucciani.

This record was recorded in the middle of the pandemic times, and most of the work for preparing this record took place via the telephone: the selection of the songs on paper, the exchange of ideas on arrangements, staff and instruments, a sort of “phone rehearsal” of the structure of the songs, with the choice of a solo; everything else, everything that will happen in the recording sessions, is the result of a controlled improvisation, a jam session masterfully captured in the studio through the use of well-positioned ribbon microphones.

This is why “Passing,” literally “passing” or “crossing”: because the musicians have gone through listening to these songs as teenagers, and find themselves today, as a mature meeting of old friends who create an informal game made of nostalgic fun, great personality, confrontation, and deep spirituality. In the classic “Caravan” by Ellington and Tizol or “Afro Blue” by Mongo Santamaria, Coltrane toning, the Latin accent of the rhythm section supports the interpretation of the theme and the interplay in the solos between the soprano and tenor saxophones by Cisi & Luppi, and the piano by Bonafede.

A certain elegance in the execution distinguishes pieces such as Duke Ellington’s “Sound of Love,” yet another tribute by Mingus to the Duke, with a calibrated solo on the double bass of Maiore and the flute by Luppi, the immortal “Take Five” by Paul Desmond, with the highlighted soprano by Cisi, “Wishes,” “7th Street,” and the eponymous “Passing,” all pieces composed by Sotgiu, characterized by the precise medium/fast drive of the drums and a certain “cinematic” taste of the main themes.

In songs such as “Black Bats and Poles,” composed by trumpeter Jack Walrath for the Mingus Orchestra, and in “Stranatole,” an original piece in which Sotgiu writes a theme of Monk’s influence and enjoys overturning the traditional “Anatole Jazz” structure, the quintet opts for an effective hard bop language, with exciting moments of dazzling virtuosity in Bonafede’s solo. While in Coltrane’s “Wise One” and McCoy Tyner’s “Ballad for Aisha,” we enter a modal, mystical, and ceremonial jazz, of a cosmic depth, which seems to hover in the sweet volume of the great hall of the recording studio. These are truly magnificent interpretations.

A special separate mention for two classics such as “My Foolish Heart” by Victor Young, performed in trio by Sotgiu, Maiore, and the unmistakable trumpet by Paolo Fresu, and the (unfortunately very short) “Lotus Blossom” by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, which in the piano-violin duo of Birro and Sotgiu, in a minute gives a suspended momentary magic, sums up the roots of African-American jazz music, and also referencing an old-fashioned Italian musical sensitivity, typical of Nino Rota’s music for Federico Fellini’s films.

Mental tribe classic sound... Damned well done and dancefloor... With a Sioux superb last track called Abyss. Blasting sound :)

The debut recording from one of jazz music's most revered pianists! First U.S. vinyl release!

All-analog remastering by Bernie Grundman.
"Byard is absolutely brilliant...highly recommended." - All Music

Originally recorded in 1960, briefly released in Japan in the early ’70s, it wasn’t until 1988 that Jaki Byard’s solo debut, Blues For Smoke, was widely released. Even then it was more of a secret handshake among fans than the catalog cornerstone it should have always been. Now, Candid has finally created the definitive edition of this lost masterpiece for all to experience.

Byard backed generations of jazz icons, including Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Roland Kirk, and Quincy Jones.

As a bandleader and soloist, he went on to build his own catalog of iconic recordings across three decades while establishing himself as an educator and mentor to the next generation of artists, most notably, Grayson Hugh, Fred Hersch, and Jason Moran. Blues For Smoke is where it all began.

Recorded as a solo-piano showcase for Byard’s incredible gifts as a player, composer, and jazz historian, the exquisitely engineered session is given new life by Bernie Grundman’s sensitive remastering. With this release, Candid is hoping to make Jaki Byard’s very first album the rosetta-stone of jazz piano it was intended to be.

JP’s historic restoration carpentry has continued to be a baseline for his relationship to music; the yin to his yang, the Burt to his Ernie, the Dolly to his Porter. It was through this concurrent line of work that he met another twice-initialed singer with a penchant for old Americana music, obscure film, and overly elaborate ethnic meal preparations: one JD McPherson. The two became fast friends and would eventually, through many twists, turns, false starts, and biblically-proportionate plagues, enter a modest studio in Nashville to record Harris’ latest album.

Over the course of nine months in 2023, they recorded a sometimes lush, sometimes sparse, and sometimes jarring country album of Harris’ originals, loudly and violently squelching any attempt to pigeon-hole a song into any subgenre of country music. Only albums by Lee Hazelwood and an obscure folk album Waylon Jennings made when his hair was still short were allowed to be mentioned in reference. Featuring the guest vocals of Erin Rae, The Watson Twins, Shovels & Rope, and producer JD McPherson himself, the record is equal parts satire, reflection, and apology to those that would listen.

In a musical landscape of period-correct reproduction, “outlaw” internet posturing, and flavor-of-the-month variants on country,

“JP Harris Is A Trash Fire” burns bright as a dumpster in a Walmart parking lot on a moonless night; some will fear it, some will gravitate to its acrid warmth, and most will have no idea what to make of the situation. Harris has been steadily elbowing the definitive boundaries of “country music” wider with every album, both sonically and lyrically, and his latest piece of self described “Avant-Country” is no exception.

De Ti Depende is salsa legend Hector Lavoe’s second solo album, released on Fania Records in 1976, in which he steps out as the leader of his own orchestra for the first time. Hit tracks include Tite Curet Alonso’s “Periódico de Ayer,” the ever popular anthem “Hacha y Machete” and Perucho Torcat’s uplifting “Vamos a Reír Un Poco.” Featuring (AAA) lacquers cut from the original master tapes, this remastered reissue is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in a classic tip-on jacket.

Eurorack tweaker, 8-bit master, king of carnival madness, Dutch producer Solo Moderna is back with his female alter ego singer Krage, for a perfect fusion of Afro-Latin and Caribbean rhythms with modern synth pop. Highly entertaining, Clever and unique blend of organic sounds, samples and vintage synths tweaking, "Daïsm" is a fun and enjoyable journey to the frontiers between electro, mento, dub, rocksteady, contemporary African rhythms and cumbia with a twist.

Certainly not your average tropical music. This new album is definitely a step up for the eccentric artist, as he's now reached the next level of mastering the fusion of genres and the art of blending organic sounds with electronic elements. Solo Moderna is one of the few “electro” artists you can immediately recognise when you hear one of his songs. In the creative process of “Daïsm”, Solo Moderna met his soulmate singer, Krage, who sings in a delightful mixture of English, French, Spanish and Jamaican Patois. Together, they found their very own way of expressing their love for nature and diversity through universal language.

I wrote The Shit Punx Hate for Realicide in 2005. This version was made for Decide Today around a decade later, maybe 2015? It was about the pathetic narrow-minded dogmas that were common in Cincinnati punk, being discriminated against when our approach defied dominant aesthetic criteria, chronically misunderstood and rejected without consideration.

This experience in my formative years led to a long path of thought as I entered adulthood. Those feelings of being "other"ed, treated poorly based on who I was, started to seem less significant compared to the prejudices I saw friends faced with. Targets of bigotry due not to a subcultural choice, but aspects of themselves they were born into. Of course I mean things like race, gender, class, abilities. If being dissed by punk rockers sucked for me, imagine what it must feel like being the only black kid in a social circle that can't even recognize its own racism, the only woman in places misogyny is the celebrated standard, having a non-white family at risk of deportation, growing up "male" or "female" when you've always known they are wrong about you, etc. This was my mental gateway into prioritizing these struggles, wanting to become an ally, then even more so an accomplice.

Revolutionary Reason was written in 2018 during my time working with Mass Action for Black Liberation, and revised abruptly this year while recording for this record, as it was inconceivable not to address the epitome of merciless colonial atrocity orchestrated by the state of Israel. While I write this, the IOF is massacring families in the West Bank. The death toll in Palestine is currently estimated at around 41,000 and it hasn't even been a year since this modern Nakba began. I hope these songs help make apparent that whatever you said you "would do" during Jim Crow America, Nazi Germany, Apartheid South Africa, any archetypal history now synonymous with wrongness, yes I can confirm NOW IS THAT TIME to do it ...if you were for real about it that is.

Big respect to my Arab friends who are so patient while I learn the stuff my school conveniently omitted, to my Jewish friends tirelessly combating the violence of their ethnicity being shackled to a cult of Zionism, to native resistance across Turtle Island that articulates so well that this fight is also still/always very domestic, to contemporary hiphop telling today's stories while rock music often merely offers retro fashion, and of course to Kieren and Borg my homies in OZ.

All my love to intifada direct action everywhere dismantling the imposed global suicide pact that is white supremacist capitalism.

~ Robert Inhuman 28 August 2024

'A Toda Cuba le Gusta', the classic debut album by the Afro-Cuban All Stars. The frst in a trilogy of extraordinary albums recorded by World Circuit in a single two-week session
at Havana's EGREM studios, 1996. The other albums, which share many of the same personnel, were 'Buena Vista Social Club' and 'Introducing Rubén González'. Remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analogue tapes and now available
for the frst tme on double 180gm heavyweight vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve and presented alongside a 32 page booklet as part of World Circuit's classic album series. Plays at 45rpm.

The Tubs' second album, Cotton Crown, sees the Celtic Jangle boyband venture into darker, more personal territor y while continuing to hone their highly addictive brand of songcraft. It 's a true level up album which sees the band expand their sonic palette to take in a kaleidoscopic range of influences: everything from soulful pub rock (Chain Reaction) to Husker Du aggression (One More Day) to melancholy sophisto-pop (Narcissist) gets a look in. As Pitchfork noted, The Tubs see jangle as a `vast world of moods and muses' and Cotton Crown sees them continuing to explore this world and creating a distinctly Tub-ular sound in the process. This is in no small part down to Owen `O' Williams' vocal performance- often compared to a young Richard Thomson- and his frank, bleakly funny lyric writing. Cotton Crown sees him delve further into his favourite themes of love-psychosis, unsympathetic mentally ill behaviour, and the humiliations of being a musician in London. This time around, however, there's a palpable sense of risk in his self assessments/confessions. No more so in the track's closing track Strange- an accounting of the clumsy, intrusive, well-meaning social interactions that took place in the period following the suicide of his mother (the folk singer Charlotte Greig.) As Williams says: "I'd tried a few times to write a song about it. The result had always seemed either mawkish, simplifying or like I was hawking my trauma. But then this one came out, and it felt right because it looked at something smaller: the weird, unsatisfying, strangely funny ways everyone, including myself, acted after the dust settled." The album artwork features an image of Williams as an infant being breastfed by Greig in a graveyard- a promotional shot taken around the release of her debut album (the re-issue of which was featured in The Guardian in 2023.) The essential trick Cotton Crown plays is to offset Williams' lyrical bleakness with joyous, hook-laden blasts of pop perfection. This is largely down to the guitar work of George Nicholls, who, across the album, effortlessly slips between the virtuoso jangle of Marr, the driving folk-rock of Pentangle and the chorus-heavy hi-fi grooves of contemporary bands like Tops or The 1975. Add to that the breakneck rhythm section of Taylor Stewart (Drums) and Max Warren (Bass)- who attack each song with power-pop ferocity, recalling Guided by Voices at their drunken-yet-tight best- and you've got yourself a recipe for indie rock greatness. The band's debut `Dead Meat' was a word-of-mouth sensation that saw the band earn accolades from Pitchfork, The Guardian, MOJO, SPIN and more. They even gained some celeb fans: the inimitable Mark Proksch (The Office (US), Better Call Saul, What We Do in the Shadows) starred in the video for their "Round the Bend" single & punk legend Iggy Pop has praised them on his BBC 6Music radio program. Standing in opposition to the UK norm of post punk, and hookless high-minded indie prog, the album was described by Kitty Empire (Observer) as a "shot in the arm for indie rock". The band's hard touring and raucous, beer y live show have seen them stand out at festivals like Greenman, End of The Road, Melbourne Rising and Canela Party. The band (minus Stewart) were previously members of Joanna Gruesome- who won the Welsh Music Prize, toured the UK and US extensively, and were praised in Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The NY Times, The Guardian and others. Lan Mcardle (Joanna Gruesome, Ex-Void) also provides backing vocals on several tracks. The Tubs are part of the Gob Nation collective- the London-based network of bands, writers and promoters who were recently profiled in The Guardian.

The Tubs' second album, Cotton Crown, sees the Celtic Jangle boyband venture into darker, more personal territor y while continuing to hone their highly addictive brand of songcraft. It 's a true level up album which sees the band expand their sonic palette to take in a kaleidoscopic range of influences: everything from soulful pub rock (Chain Reaction) to Husker Du aggression (One More Day) to melancholy sophisto-pop (Narcissist) gets a look in. As Pitchfork noted, The Tubs see jangle as a `vast world of moods and muses' and Cotton Crown sees them continuing to explore this world and creating a distinctly Tub-ular sound in the process. This is in no small part down to Owen `O' Williams' vocal performance- often compared to a young Richard Thomson- and his frank, bleakly funny lyric writing. Cotton Crown sees him delve further into his favourite themes of love-psychosis, unsympathetic mentally ill behaviour, and the humiliations of being a musician in London. This time around, however, there's a palpable sense of risk in his self assessments/confessions. No more so in the track's closing track Strange- an accounting of the clumsy, intrusive, well-meaning social interactions that took place in the period following the suicide of his mother (the folk singer Charlotte Greig.) As Williams says: "I'd tried a few times to write a song about it. The result had always seemed either mawkish, simplifying or like I was hawking my trauma. But then this one came out, and it felt right because it looked at something smaller: the weird, unsatisfying, strangely funny ways everyone, including myself, acted after the dust settled." The album artwork features an image of Williams as an infant being breastfed by Greig in a graveyard- a promotional shot taken around the release of her debut album (the re-issue of which was featured in The Guardian in 2023.) The essential trick Cotton Crown plays is to offset Williams' lyrical bleakness with joyous, hook-laden blasts of pop perfection. This is largely down to the guitar work of George Nicholls, who, across the album, effortlessly slips between the virtuoso jangle of Marr, the driving folk-rock of Pentangle and the chorus-heavy hi-fi grooves of contemporary bands like Tops or The 1975. Add to that the breakneck rhythm section of Taylor Stewart (Drums) and Max Warren (Bass)- who attack each song with power-pop ferocity, recalling Guided by Voices at their drunken-yet-tight best- and you've got yourself a recipe for indie rock greatness. The band's debut `Dead Meat' was a word-of-mouth sensation that saw the band earn accolades from Pitchfork, The Guardian, MOJO, SPIN and more. They even gained some celeb fans: the inimitable Mark Proksch (The Office (US), Better Call Saul, What We Do in the Shadows) starred in the video for their "Round the Bend" single & punk legend Iggy Pop has praised them on his BBC 6Music radio program. Standing in opposition to the UK norm of post punk, and hookless high-minded indie prog, the album was described by Kitty Empire (Observer) as a "shot in the arm for indie rock". The band's hard touring and raucous, beer y live show have seen them stand out at festivals like Greenman, End of The Road, Melbourne Rising and Canela Party. The band (minus Stewart) were previously members of Joanna Gruesome- who won the Welsh Music Prize, toured the UK and US extensively, and were praised in Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The NY Times, The Guardian and others. Lan Mcardle (Joanna Gruesome, Ex-Void) also provides backing vocals on several tracks. The Tubs are part of the Gob Nation collective- the London-based network of bands, writers and promoters who were recently profiled in The Guardian.

The Tubs' second album, Cotton Crown, sees the Celtic Jangle boyband venture into darker, more personal territor y while continuing to hone their highly addictive brand of songcraft. It 's a true level up album which sees the band expand their sonic palette to take in a kaleidoscopic range of influences: everything from soulful pub rock (Chain Reaction) to Husker Du aggression (One More Day) to melancholy sophisto-pop (Narcissist) gets a look in. As Pitchfork noted, The Tubs see jangle as a `vast world of moods and muses' and Cotton Crown sees them continuing to explore this world and creating a distinctly Tub-ular sound in the process. This is in no small part down to Owen `O' Williams' vocal performance- often compared to a young Richard Thomson- and his frank, bleakly funny lyric writing. Cotton Crown sees him delve further into his favourite themes of love-psychosis, unsympathetic mentally ill behaviour, and the humiliations of being a musician in London. This time around, however, there's a palpable sense of risk in his self assessments/confessions. No more so in the track's closing track Strange- an accounting of the clumsy, intrusive, well-meaning social interactions that took place in the period following the suicide of his mother (the folk singer Charlotte Greig.) As Williams says: "I'd tried a few times to write a song about it. The result had always seemed either mawkish, simplifying or like I was hawking my trauma. But then this one came out, and it felt right because it looked at something smaller: the weird, unsatisfying, strangely funny ways everyone, including myself, acted after the dust settled." The album artwork features an image of Williams as an infant being breastfed by Greig in a graveyard- a promotional shot taken around the release of her debut album (the re-issue of which was featured in The Guardian in 2023.) The essential trick Cotton Crown plays is to offset Williams' lyrical bleakness with joyous, hook-laden blasts of pop perfection. This is largely down to the guitar work of George Nicholls, who, across the album, effortlessly slips between the virtuoso jangle of Marr, the driving folk-rock of Pentangle and the chorus-heavy hi-fi grooves of contemporary bands like Tops or The 1975. Add to that the breakneck rhythm section of Taylor Stewart (Drums) and Max Warren (Bass)- who attack each song with power-pop ferocity, recalling Guided by Voices at their drunken-yet-tight best- and you've got yourself a recipe for indie rock greatness. The band's debut `Dead Meat' was a word-of-mouth sensation that saw the band earn accolades from Pitchfork, The Guardian, MOJO, SPIN and more. They even gained some celeb fans: the inimitable Mark Proksch (The Office (US), Better Call Saul, What We Do in the Shadows) starred in the video for their "Round the Bend" single & punk legend Iggy Pop has praised them on his BBC 6Music radio program. Standing in opposition to the UK norm of post punk, and hookless high-minded indie prog, the album was described by Kitty Empire (Observer) as a "shot in the arm for indie rock". The band's hard touring and raucous, beer y live show have seen them stand out at festivals like Greenman, End of The Road, Melbourne Rising and Canela Party. The band (minus Stewart) were previously members of Joanna Gruesome- who won the Welsh Music Prize, toured the UK and US extensively, and were praised in Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The NY Times, The Guardian and others. Lan Mcardle (Joanna Gruesome, Ex-Void) also provides backing vocals on several tracks. The Tubs are part of the Gob Nation collective- the London-based network of bands, writers and promoters who were recently profiled in The Guardian.

Die britische Indie-Pop Band The Lathums kündigt ihr neues drittes Studioalbum 'Matters Does Not Define' für den 7. März 2025 an. Die Band hat bereits zwei aufeinanderfolgende Alben auf Platz 1 der offiziellen britischen Albumcharts vorzuweisen und ein weiteres Jahr mit riesigen Open-Air-Shows hinter sich. 'Matter Does Not Define' wurde von der Band, bestehend aus Sänger Alex Moore, Scott Concepcion (Gitarre, Piano und Gesang), Ryan Durrans (Schlagzeug) und Matty Murphy (Bass und Gesang), in ihrer Heimatstadt Wigan geschrieben, bevor es in den Kempston Street Studios in Liverpool in Begleitung des langjährigen kreativen Mentors John Kettle und des Produzenten Chris Taylor aufgenommen wurde. 'Matters Does Not Define' folgt auf ihr bisher erfolgreiches zweites Album 'From Nothing To A Little Bit More' und ihr Debüt 'How Beautiful Life Can Be' von 2021.

Die britische Indie-Pop Band The Lathums kündigt ihr neues drittes Studioalbum 'Matters Does Not Define' für den 7. März 2025 an. Die Band hat bereits zwei aufeinanderfolgende Alben auf Platz 1 der offiziellen britischen Albumcharts vorzuweisen und ein weiteres Jahr mit riesigen Open-Air-Shows hinter sich. 'Matter Does Not Define' wurde von der Band, bestehend aus Sänger Alex Moore, Scott Concepcion (Gitarre, Piano und Gesang), Ryan Durrans (Schlagzeug) und Matty Murphy (Bass und Gesang), in ihrer Heimatstadt Wigan geschrieben, bevor es in den Kempston Street Studios in Liverpool in Begleitung des langjährigen kreativen Mentors John Kettle und des Produzenten Chris Taylor aufgenommen wurde. 'Matters Does Not Define' folgt auf ihr bisher erfolgreiches zweites Album 'From Nothing To A Little Bit More' und ihr Debüt 'How Beautiful Life Can Be' von 2021.

Limited Red Vinyl

Ajay Saggar is BHAJAN BHOY. "With BHAJAN BHOY, Saggar synthesizes all of the stylistic approaches he’s explored over the years, swirling them into an intoxicating musical blend, with an earthy spirituality. Even the project’s name reflects the dual aspects of Saggar’s upbringing coming together in harmony. In Hindi, a “bhajan” is a devotional song, sung in the mandir, or temple, while “bhoy” is a Scottish and Irish derivation for a young man. There’s a searching quality to Bhajan Bhoy, as if Saggar is still hunting for transcendence with each track, whether through an expansive drone, an orchestral facility on the piano, or an electronics-augmented raga that threatens to dip into noise” (Erick Bradshaw / writer and WFMU DJ). This album presents a rich and varied set of compositions that showcase Saggar’s skills as an incredibly talented and accomplished composer and musician. With each and every Bhajan Bhoy LP, you are are carried to a higher place. With ‘Bhoy On The Wire’, the 35 minutes laid out unfolds like a cosmic tapestry, an extraordinary exploration that shimmers and reverberates with newfound vibrancy. The songs were broadcast as part of a session on Steve Barker’s “On The Wire” radio show in April 2024. They were a gift to Steve and his team for 40 years of broadcasting. “On The Wire” is simply the greatest radio show in the world. As Ajay explains in his own words : “In September 1984, I started a degree course at the University of Lancaster. On a wet and soggy Sunday afternoon towards the end of September, I sat in my room staring out at the grey Lancashire landscape, and decided to alleviate the boredom by seeing if there was anything to listen to on the radio. Most of the stations I tuned into were as dull as the weather outside. However, as I neared the end of the FM dial (and was about to give up hope), I chanced upon a station where I was taken by the music being played. That show was “On The Wire”, introduced by Steve Barker. From there on in, every Sunday, between 2-5pm, I tuned into Radio Lancashire to listen. Steve’s shows had an incredible and wide reaching selection of music and genres, that thrilled your ears and left you wanting more. Tied to that, his deep knowledge of the material he played helped the listener dig into the sounds even more, and also left you in admiration of this trait. In 1985, I started putting on DIY shows in Lancaster (inviting the likes of Bog-Shed, bIG fLAME, The Membranes, The Wedding Present, etc etc) and Steve was kind enough to mention the shows on-air, which helped in getting people from different parts of the county to come to the shows. At the tail-end of 1985, he invited me to the studio to come and hang out. When in 1988, the group I was in, Dandelion Adventure, released our first (demo) cassette, it was Steve, who not only played tracks off it, but invited the group to the studio for an interview. Now if you’re a young band, that is a massive thrill! And in 1990, when Dandelion Adventure did a John Peel session, I actually used “On The Wire” jingles (that Steve had put on a cassette and given to me a few years before) on the track “All the World’s A Lounge”. Since then, the show has been a mainstay for me, and so many others around the world, to get turned onto incredible sounds from around the world. And over the course of 40 years, Steve has always supported my music. These six tracks are a 40th birthday gift to the “On The Wire” team (Steve, Michael “Fenny” Fenton (an absolutely critical part of the show), and Jim Ingham (engineer who keeps the technical side of things going)) for sharing so much amazing music, and making the world a better place. They were originally broadcast as an exclusive session in April 2024 on “On The Wire", and are here for your listening pleasure. Music like shower”. Artwork by Jake Blanchard