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ED/MCL (pronounced Ed Michael) and IDN (Ibisazi Designers Nyabyo) have collaborated to create MOSH - both the title of the EP and its proposed genre. Mosh is music to mosh to, like dance is music to dance to. Jungle breaks are slowed down to the tempo of a metalcore breakdown. Super low 808s rumble below the beat. Sampled and recorded sounds are textured to evoke heavy metal guitars. And there are rhythmic shouted phrases, for shared chanting. This EP is being released on Interference Pattern because Tyler Pope saw ED/MCL playing on the street in Williamsburg.
IDN (Ibisazi Designers Nyabyo) is an artist collective based in Rwanda. Their vocals are shouted in a language of their own invention, yet they have crafted catchy vocal hooks designed for call and response. The vocals heard on MOSH were recorded with ED/MCL while they were visiting them in Kigali. The final track is a 10 minute long performance by IDN, from which ED/MCL remixed the preceding five mosh songs.

Das aufstrebende "Death Pop"-Trio Corlyx wird sein bisher ambitioniertestes Projekt veröffentlichen: Purple Pain. Das Doppelalbum, das am 14. Februar 2025 via Out Of Line Music erscheint, ist eine tiefgreifende, 19 Tracks umfassende Erkundung von allem, was die Band an der dunklen Seite der Musik liebt. Mit Einflüssen, die von 80er Jahre Synthpop und Post-Punk bis hin zu Darkwave und Alt-Rock reichen, ist Purple Pain ein spannendes Mosaik des Goth Genres. Ursprünglich aus Los Angeles stammend, leben Corlyx heute zwischen Großbritannien und Italien und bestehen aus der Singer-Songwriterin Caitlin Stokes, dem Gitarristen/Produzenten Brandon Ashley und dem Bassisten Davide Rocco. Über Touren in Europa, Großbritannien und den USA mit Blutengel, Twin Tribes, Double Echo und Unzucht sowie die Zusammenarbeit mit Künstlern wie Lord Of The Lost, Massive Ego und Ashbury Heights haben sich Corlyx schnell eine solide Fan Base erspielt. Mit ihrem 3. Studioalbum "Purple Pain" werden Corlyx die Welt der dunklen Musik im Sturm erobern und die Band in ihrer kreativsten und gewagtesten Form präsentieren. “Purple Pain - ja, eine Anspielung auf Prince - ist der Höhepunkt jahrelanger Experimente mit den Gothic-Genres, die wir so lieben", sagt Sängerin Caitlin Stokes. "Es ist emotional, sinnlich und kreativ, aber auch ein bisschen gruselig, kitschig und lustig. Goth kann all diese Dinge auf einmal beinhalten." Das Album enthält sowohl sehr persönliche Stücke wie Death Is The Beginning - eine ergreifende Reflexion über Caitlins Verlust ihrer Mutter - als auch ansteckende Dancefloor-Hymnen und entfaltet sich wie ein Film, der den Hörer durch seine dramatischen Höhen und melancholischen Tiefen trägt. Für Gitarrist Brandon Ashley war der kreative Prozess für Purple Pain ebenso natürlich wie aufregend. "Als wir mit dem Schreiben anfingen, sprudelten die Songs einfach aus uns heraus, wir konnten nicht aufhören. Caitlin schlug vor, noch weiter zu gehen und ein Doppelalbum zu kreieren. Diesmal haben wir mehr von meinen 70er-Jahre-Rock-Einflüssen aufgenommen und unserem typischen Sound eine gewisse Blues-Note hinzugefügt." Die auf 12 Tracks limitierte Vinyl-Edition komprimiert das Album zu einem einzigartigen Meisterwerk aus Goth-Hits, während die Doppel-CD den vollständigen Umfang des Albums offenbart. Merkt Euch also den 14. Februar vor und macht Euch bereit für Purple Pain - eine genreübergreifende, dunkle und gleichzeitig unterhaltsame Reise von Corlyx; einer Band, die neu definiert, was es bedeutet, Goth zu sein.

Like a passenger riding shotgun on a road trip, The Villagers Companion offers its own unique perspective and story to tell. Featuring tracks recorded alongside last year’s acclaimed villagers, TVC captures the miles between the start and destination—the faded gas station pit stops, the plastic saint statue stuck to the dashboard for safe travels or luck. It embodies the essence of the journey without the burden of driving—the experience of the ride itself.

The album takes us through the heart of Califone’s magic: reverb-drenched piano chords, electronic whirs, and layers of experimental noise. Guided by Tim Rutili’s abstract, fragmented lyrics—both strange and familiar—delivered through his warm, well-worn vocals, it creates an experience as evocative as it is haunting. Often passing through what seem to be the spaces between radio frequencies, the stations never meant to be heard. Crackles of static, feedback loops, and fleeting signals bloom into meditative moments, with each sound given space to breathe, unravel, and shimmer in slow decay. The result resonates deeply, transforming what might be noise into something profound, hypnotic, and totally immersive.

As with villagers, Rutili and company continue to explore what it means to get lost while surrounded by modern technology. Like a ghost in a machine or a whispered prayer stuck in a telephone line, Califone adds soul—be it damned or saved. And they do so with the kind of transformative magic granted perhaps only to artists a quarter of a century into their craft. The kind that turns a photograph into a tableau, or any darkened space with a microphone into a makeshift confessional. A song into a hymn, and a hymn into a soundtrack to a life.

Like a passenger riding shotgun on a road trip, The Villagers Companion offers its own unique perspective and story to tell. Featuring tracks recorded alongside last year’s acclaimed villagers, TVC captures the miles between the start and destination—the faded gas station pit stops, the plastic saint statue stuck to the dashboard for safe travels or luck. It embodies the essence of the journey without the burden of driving—the experience of the ride itself.

The album takes us through the heart of Califone’s magic: reverb-drenched piano chords, electronic whirs, and layers of experimental noise. Guided by Tim Rutili’s abstract, fragmented lyrics—both strange and familiar—delivered through his warm, well-worn vocals, it creates an experience as evocative as it is haunting. Often passing through what seem to be the spaces between radio frequencies, the stations never meant to be heard. Crackles of static, feedback loops, and fleeting signals bloom into meditative moments, with each sound given space to breathe, unravel, and shimmer in slow decay. The result resonates deeply, transforming what might be noise into something profound, hypnotic, and totally immersive.

As with villagers, Rutili and company continue to explore what it means to get lost while surrounded by modern technology. Like a ghost in a machine or a whispered prayer stuck in a telephone line, Califone adds soul—be it damned or saved. And they do so with the kind of transformative magic granted perhaps only to artists a quarter of a century into their craft. The kind that turns a photograph into a tableau, or any darkened space with a microphone into a makeshift confessional. A song into a hymn, and a hymn into a soundtrack to a life.

This is the eponymous debut studio album by the American Rock band the Modern Lovers, originally released in 1976. Six tracks (“Roadrunner”, “Astral Plane”, “Old World”, “Pablo Picasso”, “She Cracked” and “Someone I Care About”) were produced by John Cale.

The Modern Lovers were formed in 1970 by teenage singer, songwriter, guitarist Jonathan Richman, augmented with Jerry Harrison (keyboards) -later of Talking Heads-, Ernie Brooks (bass) and David Robinson (drums) -later of The Cars-, with Richman’s friend and original band member John Felice joining them occasionally.

The Modern Lovers influenced numerous aspiring punk rock musicians on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Sex Pistols, whose early cover of “Roadrunner” was placed on The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle. The album was included in Robert Dimery’s 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 2003, the album was listed on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The Modern Lovers is available as a Limited numbered edition of 4000 copies on “Cool Blue” coloured vinyl

Do Your Own Dance! VARIOUS ARTISTS
Chic’s Nile Rogers is lauded as an international star and the recently departed Patrick Adams is acknowledged as one of the most important pioneers of disco music, but behind them were an army of lesser-known musicians, producers, and arrangers including one of the founding-fathers of New York Dance, the enigma Lonnie Johnson.
Scorpgemi Records and Lonnie Johnson, the man behind the label, will be unknown to most, but he was an important figure at the birth of dance music. His label featured work by several leading voices of the New York scene and provided one of New York’s most instantly recognisable dance music records— “Keep In Touch (Body To Body)”—one of the greatest club cuts ever.. But Johnson himself leaves hardly a trace, a behind-the-scenes person, and a friend of Patrick Adams who is only known to those who study the small print on record labels.
So, Lonnie Joel Johnson proves to be both highly influential, and almost completely elusive. A backroom person, who created an anthem across the Atlantic from his home base in New York. A man who was instrumental in the development of Patrick Adams’ career from producer of vocal groups to the go-to producer for dancefloor gold. Yet, for all this there are no biographical details, no interviews and almost nothing left behind except for a small but fantastic catalogue of music.
The first ever curated works of the Broadway based Scorpgemi label Produced by Lonnie Johnson, one of the founding-fathers of New York Dance Dancefloor Gold from the enigma that is Lonnie Joel Johnson, the man behind the career of the legendary Patrick Adams.

Possessing lyrics heavily focused on political and social justice, inspired heavily by West Coast gang culture and Islam, Da Lench Mob made waves throughout the hip-hop scene when they first appeared on the track "Rolling With Da Lench Mob", off Ice Cube's famed 1990 solo record AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. Initially, the titular "Lench Mob" of the track namesake referred to Ice Cube as well as the other participating rappers, but J-Dee, Shorty, and T-Bone would adopt the name for their own in time. Their standout appearance on the Ice Cube track would earn the trio critical interest, (as well as shout-outs on Ice Cube's 1991 follow-up Death Certificate) and generate palpable anticipation for a studio album of their own. Guerillas In Tha Mist, their 1992 debut record, was recorded in the wake of the Rodney King riots, taking its name from infamous comments made during the riots. The record was uncompromising and confrontational in its depictions of urban decay and an unjust system wreaking havoc on an economically disadvantaged Black population. It was starkly realistic (bordering on abrasive) in the content of tracks like the armed revolution-advocating "Freedom Got An A.K.", the kill-your-idols style of "You And Your Heroes", and the anti-pusher anthem "All On My Nut Sac." These harsh manifestos were made all the more smooth via Ice Cube's jazzy G-funk and Bomb Squad-influenced production, which sampled heavily from classic songs by Parliament, Kool & The Gang, The Incredible Bongo Band, and even Vangelis. Cube himself would make guest appearances throughout the record, as well as an appearance by B-Real of Cypress Hill on the track "Ain't Got No Class." Guerillas In Tha Mist was a Billboard success upon its release, reaching #24 on the Billboard 200, and rendering rap radio hits out of its title track and "Freedom Got An A.K.", but Da Lench Mob would fall into obscurity over the years, eventually going their separate ways after creative differences, financial rifts, and the life conviction of rapper J-Dee for suspected murder in 1993. Despite their loss of commercial fortunes, Guerillas In Tha Mist would develop a strong reputation as an unheralded gem among hip-hop heads, and would be considered one of the great lesser-known releases of the era among critics (in 2018 Complex would declare the title track as one of the 100 Best L.A. Rap Songs). Decades after its initial release, and in tribute to the memory of Da Lench Mob member Shorty, who passed in 2019, Get On Down now presents an exclusive LP reissue of Guerillas In Tha Mist, which previously was only released officially on wax in Europe. The LP is pressed on a deluxe Green and Orange Splatter-colored vinyl, and features remastered audio and a painstakingly recreated full color jacket.

"Live Mind, is the first live album from rock supergroup, The Third Mind. With over an hour of performances, Live Mind was overseen and curated by Don Boles, Will Golden and Brett Brock from shows in February and March 2024 at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, Ventura Music Hall in Ventura, CA, and The Kessler Theater in Dallas, TX. Produced by Dave Alvin and Victor Krummenacher, the album was mixed and mastered by Craig Parker Adams at Winslow Court, Los Angeles, CA.

What started four years ago as a wishful music fantasy, the supergroup of “Californian Psychedelic Rockers” (Doom Charts) is now a reality. The brainchild of GRAMMY award-winning guitarist Dave Alvin and veteran alternative music bassist Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven, Monks of Doom, Eyelids), The Third Mind’s two studio albums–The Third Mind (2020) and The Third Mind 2 (2023)–feature guitarist David Immerglück (Counting Crows, Monks of Doom, Camper Van Beethoven), drummer Michael Jerome (Richard Thompson, Better Than Ezra, John Cale) and vocalist Jesse Sykes from her critically acclaimed group, Jesse Sykes and The Sweeter Hereafter. The Third Mind live psychedelic improv performances include the addition of guest guitarist Mark Karan (Bob Weir's Ratdog, Phil Lesh, Delaney Bramlett) subbing for Immerglück."

Other Voices is a studio album by English singer Paul Young. The gold certified album was originally released in 1990 and peaked at #4 on the UK Albums Chart. Other Voices combines cover versions with original songs and includes the singles “Calling You”, “Softly Whispering I Love You” and “Heaven Can Wait”. On this album, Paul Young collaborates with many well-known musicians such as Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Nile Rodgers, Steve Winwood, Dave Gilmour and Anne Dudley. In 2012, a deluxe expanded edition of the album was released on CD. This vinyl release of Other Voices presents this
expanded edition for the very first time available on vinyl, including 10 bonus tracks containing 12” mixes, B-sides and live performances.
This release does not include the track “Trying To Guess The Rest”, but instead includes a live performance track of the song
“That’s What Christmas Means To Me”.

Other Voices (Expanded Edition) is available on vinyl for the first time as a 35th anniversary edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on silver coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

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

SPLIT#4 is the final release for the 10th anniversary year of the Pi project featuring Elements of Joy (a.k.a. UVB) and Stave both returning to the label after their earlier appearances with PI08 and PI07 respectively.
The vinyl release showcases six original tracks--three from each artist--with bonus tracks included in the digital release.

On the A-side Elements of Joy delivers 3 original tracks of New-Beat leaning techno including one song that features vocals by Zanias. The opening track "Prutaneousa (A1)" connects the dots between his previous entry on the label and this one with the use of retro 80s inspired vocal samples but this time on a rather driving beat sequence than an industrial/noise one. "A Master of Distress (A2)" dives deeper into a hypnotic mood while "Vampiric Habits (A3)" takes it even further to an ethereal atmosphere through the input of Australian vocalist Zanias.
On the B-side Chicago producer Stave presents his signature hypnotic broken-beat techno. The side opens with "Weingart (B1)" a characteristically Stave textured track. "900MPH (B2)" combines IDM elements with dynamic broken rhythms while "Capital, Selves (B3)" blends experimental with Grey Area influences.
The digital release includes two more bonus tracks: an energetic EBM techno piece by Elements of Joy and an atmospheric techno by Stave completing this diverse split release.
SPLIT#4 is a fitting close to the project's milestone year celebrating a decade of our Pi vision.

American heavy stoner rock / doom metal music titans Bongripper are set to unleash their latest release, a monumental live album recorded at the iconic Soulcrusher Festival in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, in 2022. The album captures the raw, immersive power of Bongripper’s unforgettable performance, a night that left festival-visitors in awe of the band’s crushing intensity and atmospheric depth. Known for their colossal soundscapes and uncompromising approach to instrumental heavy music, Bongripper delivered a career-defining set at Soulcrusher 2022. This live recording captures the band at their peak, delivering an authentic, visceral listening experience. This album also includes a special treat for fans: the ambient track “Glaciers” as an exclusive bonus-song; a stark contrast to the bone-crushing live set, “Glaciers” is a meditative exploration of texture and space, offering a contemplative comedown from the intensity of the first three tracks. Recorded and mixed separately from the live performance, the track showcases the band’s experimental side, blending haunting synths and atmospheric soundscapes into a mesmerizing sonic journey; an experience like no other!

Heavyweight Black Vinyl / Original glued prints on Thick Cardboard 700 gram / 2 Separated parts hand-glued / Glossy lamination / PVC outer sleeve / Insert with 10 pages Booklet 30 x 30 cm printed on Gmund Colro Felt Red Purplea d 90 Gram Favini papers with detailed interview between Tony Higgins and Mustafa's family (his sisters and children are all musicians), as well as an insight into the recording of the album with Gregory Bufford, the drummer for the session, lyrics and exclusive pictures.


Colored Vinyl Details:
Heavyweight "A side - B side solid purple + transparent blue" vinyl / Original glued prints on Thick Cardboard 700 gram / 2 Separated parts hand-glued / Glossy lamination / PVC outer sleeve / Insert with 10 pages Booklet 30 x 30 cm printed on Gmund Colro Felt Red Purplea d 90 Gram Favini papers with detailed interview between Tony Higgins and Mustafa's family (his sisters and children are all musicians), as well as an insight into the recording of the album with Gregory Bufford, the drummer for the session, lyrics and exclusive pictures.

Peronnel:
Mustafa Abdul Rahman - Tenor Saxophone, Percussion, Producer
Ahmed Abdullah - Trumpet
Malachi Thompson - Drums
Gregory Bufford - Bass
Richard Radu Williams - Piano
Rafik Abdur Rahim
Tony Smith - Guitar
Larry Banks - Synthesizer
Khalil Abdullah - Congas
Babafumi Akunyon - Percussions
Odell Grier Backing Vocals – Fred Harley, Hilda "Asia" Richbow , Linda Hall

Notes:
In the course of our deep research, we sometimes discover a hidden thread that unites musicians, songwriters, artists, and poets linked by music. Mustafa's 'Polygamy' is no exception. Apart from the music - the main reason we decided to work on this first ever re-press, a jewel at the crossroads between jazz funk, spiritual jazz and proto rap - are the many other things that make Mustafa an intriguing and fascinating character. For starters, he was a childhood friend of the Ayler brothers with whom he played in different formations. He also played with other beloved figures such as Noah Howard and Charles Tyler, on a still unreleased album recorded for Amiri Baraka's Jihad label, and worked with The Legendary Master Brotherhood and Steve Reid. This and much more will be revealed in a detailed interview between Tony Higgins and Mustafa's family (his sisters and children are all musicians), as well as an insight into the recording of the album with Gregory Bufford, the drummer for the session.

Needle Mythology, the label founded by music writer, author and broadcaster Pete Paphides, is thrilled to announce the release of SENSITIVE the first ever vinyl anthology to cover the indiepop scene of the 1980s. SENSITIVE features 30 songs in total by artists who defined the indiepop aesthetic, among them The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Sea Urchins, Primal Scream, The Pastels, Talulah Gosh, Orange Juice, The Field Mice, The Primitives, The Wedding Present, Miaow, Razorcuts, Dolly Mixture, The Bodines, Shop Assistants, The Soup Dragons, The Loft, The Chills, That Petrol Emotion and The Railway Children. SENSITIVE takes its name from the single released by The Field Mice, and marks the first time that The Field Mice have allowed one of their songs to be used on a compilation released by any label other than Sarah Records, who released all their records at the time. Also features on SENSITIVE is Dying Day from Orange Juice’s hugely influential debut album You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever – marking the only time that Edwyn Collins and his wife and manager Grace Maxwell have given permission for an Orange Juice song to be featured on an anthology. Many of the records featured on SENSITIVE have become highly sought-after collectors’ items since their original release. The Sea Urchins’ Pristine Christine changes hands for up to £400. Original mint copies of April Showers’ only single Abandon Ship command up to £380. If you were to try and individually buy all the records featuring the songs on SENSITIVE, you can expect to pay something around £1150. SENSITIVE features 10,000 words of extensive track-by-track notes and an essay by Pete Paphides, who was and remains an avid proponent of the indiepop scene that this collection chronicles. All the songs on SENSITIVE have been newly mastered at Abbey Road by Miles Showell. SENSITIVE will be released on double LP and double CD Needle Mythology Records.

Poet, novelist, musician and academic, Anthony Joseph teams up with legendary UK producer Dave Okumu for forthcoming album, ‘Rowing Up River To Get Our Names Back’

Dave Okumu, known perhaps best as frontman for The Invisible, though digging deeper into his production credits, huge names emerge such as; Grace Jones, Amy Winehouse, Jesse Ware, Rosie Lowe and Eska. On this album, the magic and alchemy of Dave’s production style showcase subtle sonics and deep layering resulting in a contemporary sound to carry Anthony’s afrofuturistic metrical meanings.

Anthony and Dave first came across each other when working with Shabaka Hutchings during Covid broadcasts, and then after Anthony performed some poems on Dave’s 2023 album ‘I Came From Love’, the seeds of collaboration were sown.

With a little more psychedelia, a little more experimentation, Dave’s eclectic vision focuses on the actual sounds on these pieces. Anthony stated that “The best producers guide you, not push you” now add to that the fact that both these humans were born on the same day, a concoction of laid back attitudes in people with strong purpose, some real magic can happen, naturally.

Early writing sessions for this record took place in 2022, around Mount Blanc in France. Anthony was away touring with long-time collaborator, Jason Yarde. Ideas were a little thin and they found themselves somewhat repeating previous work resulting in Anthony rethinking things a little, and so entered Dave Okumu.

LP opener ‘Satellite’ is a fine example of how this new partnership pans out. New musicians have been enlisted; Dan See (Drums), Aviram Barath (Synths), Nick Ramm on Fender Rhodes and Byron Wallen (Trumpet). Add to that the mighty vocal power house of Eska and we have a whole new dimension of soul and depth, to carry Anthony’s statements. “You build a wall, we go under, you build it higher, we go higher, like a satellite” .

On the album's second single, ‘Tony’ - there’s a nod to all drummers and creators of African rhythms, from the point of view of Afrobeat legend Tony Allen. Highlighting this is drummer’s drummer Richard Spaven as Dave’s choice of skin beater. He successfully reminds us that Tony was someone who understood the real power of rhythm and how it is used to unite people.

As well as the new musicians on this LP, Dave Okumu played all the guitars and used the studio as his tool. On ‘A Juba for Janet’ - a poem to Joseph’s mother, and a track so bass heavy that it feels as though it could sit in a deep dubstep set in Plastic People days, - Anthony’s voice reaches straight down your ear canals next to dark drums, huge synths and delayed saxophone stabs from Colin Webster. Slightly more introspective verses on ‘An Afrofuturist Poem’ see Dave’s beats show off the real future sound of this record, kalimba, moog bass and guitars all played by the man himself.

Mellower and deeper moments are also present, Anthony’s cryptic yet informative storytelling is at its absolute best on ‘Churches Of Sound (The Benetiz-Rojo)’ - Caribbean and Windrush history reeled off alongside a linear musical timeline of Black music in the diaspora.

A reminder that this body of work is first of 2 volumes, ‘Rowing Up River To Get Our Names Back’ is not a follow up to Anthony’s previous album, but more a development of his 2006 novel, ‘The African Origins of UFOs’ a book where experimental elements of afro-futurism, metafiction, science fiction, surrealism, mythology are rewritten in Anthony’s innovative language. Look out for Volume 2 also coming in 2025.

Anthony Joseph releases, ‘Rowing Up River To Get Our Names Back’ (Vol. 1) via Heavenly Sweetness 7th February 2025 and he will play live at Ronnie Scotts in London on 14th March 2025, with Dave Okumu as a special guest.

CREDITS:

Vocals - Anthony Joseph

Additional vocals, vocal arrangements - Eska Mtungwazi

Producer - Guitars, Bass, Moog, Synthesisers, Programming, Percussion - Dave Okumu

Drums - Dan See

Drums on ‘Tony’ - Richard Spaven

Synthesiser - Aviram Barath

Fender Rhodes, Synthesisers, Nick Ramm

Trumpet - Byron Wallen

Saxophones - Colin Webster

Trombones - James Wade Sired

MPO is thrilled to announce the release of Jazz Sexiest Ladies, a two-LP compilation that masterfully blends the elegance of jazz with the charm of iconic pop hits from the last five decades. This unique collection features a selec- tion of sultry, jazz-inspired renditions of beloved songs, all brought to life by some of the most evocative female voca- lists in the genre. Each track offers a fresh, soulful interpretation, transforming these well-known hits into intimate, lounge-style performances.
Highlighting this compilation are stellar contributions from renowned artists such as Sarah Menescal, Karen Souza, Eve St. Jones, and Cassandra Beck. Their distinct voices and captivating styles infuse each song with warmth and sophistication, creating an experience that bridges the worlds of jazz and pop. These talented performers bring depth and allure to classics, offering listeners a new way to appreciate the enduring appeal of these hits.
Available on vinyl, Jazz Sexiest Ladies is a must-have for collectors, jazz aficionados, and anyone looking to experien- ce pop classics through a new, refined lens. This double LP promises to be a captivating addition to any music collec- tion, ideal for setting a relaxing ambiance or enhancing a lively gathering with its rich, evocative soundscapes.

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

“Powerhouse Duo” (TODAY) The War And Treaty return with their new album Plus One. The album includes "Can I Get An Amen," "Leads Me Home," "Stealing A Kiss," "Called You By Your Name" and “Carried Away” "Every song on this album deals with some aspects of him and some aspects of her and some aspects of us. The ideal of sharing space with someone can be challenging no matter how short or long. We’ve had moments of doubt, moments of clarity, moments of regret and moments of solid faith." - Michael and Tanya

Tesfa Williams celebrates his personal ancestry and the diversity of black electronic music with a name change on his Heist Recordings debut.

First things first. T. Williams is now Tesfa Williams. And although the dot is gone after the T, by taking that away, the artist openend up a whole world of meaning, personal storytelling and recognition of his roots.

“Originally when I started "T.Williams" it felt like my African first name Tesfa wouldn't be welcomed in the scene. Something I've experienced in general from school, college, work etc….. I grew up in a Rastafarian family with Carribean heritage and my parents decided to give me and my siblings African names to connect us to our African ancestry. I now feel like I’m ready to embrace this part of me as an artist and share it with the world.”

Tesfa Williams is an artist with a long history in UK club music. Long before his critically acclaimed debut album in 2024 ‘Raves of future past’, he was knee-deep in the UK grime scene and throughout the years, he has built a strong reputation in UK funky, soulful house and Garage with remixes of Latch for Disclosure and Sam Smith (yes, that track), bumping originals on Strictly Rhythm, Local Action with Julio Bashmore, and much more. On his debut for Heist, we see the artist dig deep into his black roots and deliver an EP that celebrates his eclectic sound with 4 originals full of high notes.

The ’Beyond today’ EP kicks off with ‘Moments Ahead’, a classic filter-house jam with lovely soulful chops and the perfect amount of grit. It’s the type of funky, peak-time house track that will ignite any dancefloor with its irresistible groove. ‘Get it together’ sees the artists layer some classic R&B vocals over an infectious warehouse groove. It’s the kind of track that’ll grab anyone’s attention on a first listen. The breakbeat loop in the background gives the percussion its dry immediacy and the sparse melodic hits and irresistible vocal chops turn this track into an absolute dancefloor monster.

On the flip, the London producer merges his love for soulful house with contemporary electronics on ‘Brighter life’. There’s something deliciously breezy about this song, where the vocals, chord hits, sweeps, and hits deliver a groove that’s laidback and powerful at the same time. The electronic parts of this track are cleverly laid out to contrast the syrupy sweet vocal and underline the class of the artist’s ability to effortlessly blend genres.

The EP closes with ‘Futures’, a bottom-heavy late-night burner much in the style of Dam Swindle’s 2023 Heist outing ‘Soul’s lament’ or the percussive goodness of Alma Negra tracks such as ‘Conversation’. There’s a nice blend of trippy electronics and driving Rhodes hits, which makes this a track perfect for those moments you simply want to go deep, heads-down, and feel the music.

With ‘Beyond Today’, Tesfa Williams has written a piece of music that pays homage to so many of the genres that have influenced him as well as to his black roots. ‘Beyond Today’ is a contemporary club record that oozes positive energy just the way we like it and we can’t wait to play this one out to all of you.

Enjoy the music and get ready to dance!

Lars & Maarten

Universally hailed as the King of the Blues, the legendary B.B. King was without a doubt the single most important electric guitarist of the second half of the 20th century. His bent notes and staccato picking style influenced legions of contemporary bluesmen, while his gritty and confident voice -capable of wringing every nuance from any lyric- provided a worthy match for his passionate playing. In The Many Faces of B.B. King we will review many of his most celebrated collaborations including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Etta James, Chaka Khan and Pat Metheny, enjoy plenty of his hits that spanned a six-decade career and finally, enjoy a list of who’s who in The Blues Hall of Fame with names such as Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Slim Harpo y Muddy Waters. The Many Faces Of B.B. King is a fantastic album that showcases the work of one of the most celebrated musicians from our time.
Also, remember that it is not available on any streaming platforms.

Southern-bred, alternative R&B singer-songwriter Mereba artistically embodies self-understanding on The Breeze Grew a Fire, her grandest work and first release on Secretly Canadian. To hone in on this latest album, it was necessary for Mereba to reconnect with her whole many-sided self, from her inner child to her inseparable relationships. Mereba peacefully transmutes her beginnings, looking upon her closest kinships and friendships with a keen understanding of their steadying, inspirational force. Surrounded by the gentle Breeze of these relationships and recollections, Mereba is empowered as both an artist and mother, while also being reminded to nurture her childlike wonder. Mereba gracefully shines on the follow-up to her bounteous 2019 debut, The Jungle Is the Only Way Out. In escaping the Jungle, Mereba faced the paradigm shift of birthing a son in 2021 and getting accustomed to a rapidly changing self-outlook. Mereba's creative output has always relied on her innermost reflections and ideas on whatever was happening around her; but in motherhood, the singer's perspective widened while her inspiration became more focused, and more individually powerful. "Even though I'm fully an adult, I had to grow up in a way overnight when he my son came," Mereba explains. "The process of watching him open up to the world, learn how to engage with the world, it is very tender. I feel like it's the most reminded I've ever been of when I was a child and the first memories I have of life." The transformation brought Mereba to the intimacy of DIY recording sessions, providing an honest and organic foundation to Breeze. Mereba tapped her longtime production collaborator Sam Hoffman to co-assemble the album's rich production, which parallels its folk-like warmth. Although Mereba is a true double Earth sign-Virgo and Virgo rising-the development of Breeze was anchored by experiences and memories that span from Atlanta to L.A., Addis Ababa to Greensboro, an intention that speaks to the album's fluid nature. While nowhere near the end of her musical trek, The Breeze Grew a Fire is a loving, inspiring return to origin, one where Mereba frees a painful past, eases into future possibilities, and goes with life's flow.

Southern-bred, alternative R&B singer-songwriter Mereba artistically embodies self-understanding on The Breeze Grew a Fire, her grandest work and first release on Secretly Canadian. To hone in on this latest album, it was necessary for Mereba to reconnect with her whole many-sided self, from her inner child to her inseparable relationships. Mereba peacefully transmutes her beginnings, looking upon her closest kinships and friendships with a keen understanding of their steadying, inspirational force. Surrounded by the gentle Breeze of these relationships and recollections, Mereba is empowered as both an artist and mother, while also being reminded to nurture her childlike wonder. Mereba gracefully shines on the follow-up to her bounteous 2019 debut, The Jungle Is the Only Way Out. In escaping the Jungle, Mereba faced the paradigm shift of birthing a son in 2021 and getting accustomed to a rapidly changing self-outlook. Mereba's creative output has always relied on her innermost reflections and ideas on whatever was happening around her; but in motherhood, the singer's perspective widened while her inspiration became more focused, and more individually powerful. "Even though I'm fully an adult, I had to grow up in a way overnight when he my son came," Mereba explains. "The process of watching him open up to the world, learn how to engage with the world, it is very tender. I feel like it's the most reminded I've ever been of when I was a child and the first memories I have of life." The transformation brought Mereba to the intimacy of DIY recording sessions, providing an honest and organic foundation to Breeze. Mereba tapped her longtime production collaborator Sam Hoffman to co-assemble the album's rich production, which parallels its folk-like warmth. Although Mereba is a true double Earth sign-Virgo and Virgo rising-the development of Breeze was anchored by experiences and memories that span from Atlanta to L.A., Addis Ababa to Greensboro, an intention that speaks to the album's fluid nature. While nowhere near the end of her musical trek, The Breeze Grew a Fire is a loving, inspiring return to origin, one where Mereba frees a painful past, eases into future possibilities, and goes with life's flow.

As part of maintaining The Black Dog's back catalogue, Dust Science has now re-issued the 2010 album, "Further Vexations". It's a real successor to Radio Scarecrow, moving forward with the dark tone and concepts.

Further Vexations picks up from what was started in Radio Scarecrow, moving beyond the world of open secrets and the bemusing transmissions of number stations, to exploring the dark cynicism of Orwellian practices carried out by our Govern-
ments, institutions and corporations.

Martin Dust from tBd explained, “Our main concern was and still is the amount of personal freedoms being surrendered under the banner of "for your own safety" – CCTV, Biometrics and the World Wide Databases being the latest inventions to save us from ourselves. What is it going to take for people to wake up? How much further can the people that we’ve put into power go before something finally snaps? We've had enough now! We believe that people have become lazy and accepting of "beige" political parties who have realised if they stand for nothing, people will fall for anything.”

10 years on, the references to George Orwell's 1984 appear to be a little naive and wholly inadequate. From billion-dollar corporate entities openly mishandling our data for profit to highly-targeted and manipulative political propaganda campaigns, the misuse of our data and communications is far more sophisticated and devious than originally envisaged.

The stark omens of Further Vexations are now more prophetic than ever.

Blue Valentine Vinyl. Sometime in 2005, a lone box of master tapes escaped an estate sale and made its way through a network of collectors, record dealers, and "junkers" into the hands of leading Ohio soul expert Dante Carfagna, who linked them to Columbus, Ohio's mysterious Prix label (See: Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label). A bit of research turned up Prix proprietor George Beter, who identified most of the unlabeled material. All it took was an endless series of phone calls and letters and two fields trips in Columbus. But one complete mystery wended its way onto our final Prix compilation. "You and Me," a simple but irrepressible demo credited only to Penny & the Quarters, was found tacked onto a mixed studio reel. Our survey of every willing lifer left on the Columbus soul scene, including retired DJs, producers, and important local artists, produced not so much as a glimmer of recognition at the name Penny & the Quarters. Though we loved the song from the first play, it may've ended up a bit buried on our original compilation, as #18 of 19 tracks.Four years later, Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label hadn't exactly become a huge seller, although listeners had repeatedly told us that the unfiltered studio demos that fill out the record's back half were true diamonds in the rough. But neither Penny nor her Quarters had appeared to claim credit for their efforts. Then, completely out of left field, we heard from respected screen actor and avowed Numero fan Ryan Gosling that Penny's piercing bit of stripped down doo-wop was being considered for inclusion in Derek Cianfrance's indie-weeper film Blue Valentine. What we didn't know was that "You and Me" had won a major role in what became an indie circuit hit, and that Penny & the Quarters would instantly assume the role of world's most famous unknown doo-wop group.Every week is a slow news week in Columbus, Ohio, and early January 2011 found the city recovering from the thrill of elevating Ted Williams_the formerly homeless guy with the awesome voice for radio_into a national news sensation. But both major daily newspapers in town, as well as the city's alternative weekly, also ran stories about how a lost and unknown Columbus soul group had become the musical centerpiece of a film already garnering Oscar buzz. That mainstream spotlight aimed at Blue Valentine and Penny & the Quarters did the trick: we finally made contact with the widow of Jay Robinson, lead Quarters' singer and songwriter. Robinson, it turned out, had also been the leader of Columbus doo-wop pioneers The Supremes (later known as "The Columbus Supremes," for reasons which should be obvious). Jay Robinson never did give up on the dream of writing a hit record; even so, the posthumous realization of his dream is cold comfort for his widow and daughter. With their blessings, we returned to those estate sale masters and pulled down another neglected track ("You Are Giving Me Some Other Love") from the still-unknown Penny and her now-partly-known Quarters. "You and Me" is a song that could not be suppressed: not when Prix failed to release it; not when Penny & the Quarters were forgotten; not when Numero stuck it at the bitter end of a much overlooked compilation. Its evolution from estate sale trash to silver-screen gold has finally returned it to big-hole 45, where it probably should have lived all along.

"Shybits are releasing in November their second album to date with their new label, Anomic Records. "What's That?" is reflecting on the musical and personal growth of the band - a more mature sound inspired by this of the colder 80s, without abandoning the 90s nostalgia. Shybits have played notable shows including WDR Rockpalast, NPR Word Cafe & Reeperbahn, as well as supports for Yard Act, Art Brut, Pabst, Gurr, WWPJ & more. For the album release they will be touring in EU later this year."

Off the back of storming the UK charts once again with latest single 'White Noise feat AlunaGeorge' - DISCLOSURE are extremely excited to announce the title, artwork and release date for their eagerly awaited details of their debut album.
'SETTLE' - the brothers' first full-length recording - will be released on June 3 via PMR records (home to Jessie Ware and Julio Bashmore among others).
Leading the charge into the album is the single 'You & Me' featuring Eliza Doolittle, and as you'd expect, Disclosure continuously prove their ability in bringing the best out of their vocal collaborators, with Eliza's lustrous vocal immersed among Disclosure's trademark 2-step garage rhythms, once again showing beyond doubt their capacity in delivering yet another anthem alongside previous singles Latch and White Noise.

Having steadily built a name for themselves as purveyors of a standard of music production way beyond their tender years, they've spent a solid couple of years honing their already prolific output into what's sure to be one of the debuts of 2013 - in any genre.
Highlights:
'You & Me' was released on Sunday 28th April
The single was the week's HIGHEST new entry in the official chart midweeks at number (J) CD 10
Single remix roll out as below:
16th May Zane Lowe exclusive Baauer
w/c 20th May online exclusive Flume
'You & Me' Remix EP and 12' Vinyl available June 24th
R1 Zane Lowe Session (May 15th), R1 Zane Lowe Album Of The Week (May 27th) and Radio 1/1Xtra Live Lounge (June 5th) all confirmed

'Latch' featuring Sam Smith and 'White Noise' featuring AlunaGeorge have now sold over 650K combined (making both Silver certified singles).

White Noise' which entered the UK singles chart at #2 on release remained a Top 15 single for the consecutive 10 weeks.

‘Insides is a cracking album of shifting ambient moods, riding on the cusp of technology without forgetting emotive credence’ 9/10 FUTURE MUSIC
Originally released in 2009 Insides is Jon’s third solo album and will be made available from the 18th December 2020 on the Just Music label, following on from his first two Just Music albums, Opalescent and Contact Note. It paved the way for both Immunity (his hypnotic breakthrough solo album) and Diamond Mine (his collaboration with King Creosote) which attracted Mercury nominations and for his recently released fifth solo artist album, Singularity.
The epic Light Through The Veins from Insides, which bookends Coldplay’s Viva La Vida album, is always a crowd favourite and is played by Jon as one of the closing tracks at almost all of his venue and festival shows. Small Memory, also from Insides has been streamed almost 57 million times on Spotify alone where Jon has 355, 462 followers and nearly 2 million monthly listeners.
Cited by The New Yorker as “One of the most celebrated electronic musicians of his generation”, electronic artist, producer and composer Jon Hopkins has forged a reputation for music that marries the dance floor to the devotional, and for live performances that are visceral, generous and charged with a rapt, sensuous beauty.
Jon has remixed artists as diverse as Flume, David Lynch, Moderat, Disclosure, Four Tet, Wild Beasts and Purity Ring. Other projects include collaborations with Natasha Khan of Bat For Lashes and Bonobo, as well as productions for London Grammar and Coldplay. His film credits include his Ivor Novello nominated score for the indie sci-fi classic Monsters, The Lovely Bones (scored with Brian Eno and Leo Abrahams), How I Live Now, Uwantme2killhim? and Rob and Vanentyna in Scotland. He also scored the National Theatre Live production of Hamlet and his work has appeared in many films and adverts.
‘Lilting piano and strings give way to industrial glitch with a calculated force, shifting the mood from tranquillity to terror’ 7/10 CLASH
‘Hopkins is a conjurer, an illusionist, symbolically combining imagery and sounds that shouldn’t work together, creating new dimensions of listening’ KRUGER

High Roller Records, reissue 2025, 180g black vinyl, ltd 300, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, insert, poster

Whereas Lewis used his transformative talents to newly illuminate renaissance man George Washington Carver onJesup Wagon, the saxophonist does the same here for gospel- music force of nature Mahalia Jackson. And this time it's personal, because Lewis lived her music growing up, nurtured by a grandmother who had received Mahalia's singing like a bolt from above. Much more than a tribute, this work is"really a three- way conversation between Mahalia, my grandmother and me."

The challenge was to turn these songs into jazz, the 21st century variety. What James and the band (William Parker- bass, Chad Taylor- drums, Kirk Knuffkecornet, Chris Hoffman-cello) conjure with this music is miraculous.

The CD & LP editions also exclusively include the contemporaneous suite, "These Are Soulful Days", JBL's first composition for strings; performed with the Lutoslawski Quartet. It is included as a 2nd disc on CD version & via an exclusive download card with the LP

The 1990 album Scène De Vie was the big follow-up album to her debut Mademoiselle Chante and it confirmed the singer's talent and potential. The album went straight to the top of the French charts and featured several successful singles, including ""Les Hommes Qui Passent"", ""Les Mannequins d'Osier"", and ""Kennedy Rose"". The album eventually reached 2 million sales worldwide and received a diamond status. The album also had great success in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, and Russia. Scène De Vie is available as a limited edition of (1000?) individually numbered copies on crystal clear vinyl and includes an insert.

This new TopicDrift45 release comes straight outta Aachen. Originally released in 1982 on Rainer Wiedensohlers "Nabel Musik" Imprint with a whole LP called "Floating" and for the first time on a DJ friendly 45 cut. Side A "Running" was and still is a well known mover in the UK Northen & Asian Scene. While holding down the laidback mellow jazzy vibes with "Till We Get There" on the B Side. A true example for all those DJs out there collecting & spinning organic music in all its forms. Get it! :-)

Ein verspieltes Album mit klangschönen Träumereien, komponiert für Mandoline und Akkordeon, poetisch und unbändig zugleich. Es ist das erste Mal, dass der stets kreative Komponist speziell für die Mandoline geschrieben hat. Auf dem Album ist auch Vincent Beer-Demander zu hören, dessen Mandoline zu einem Orchester multipliziert wird, um eine einzigartige Klangpalette zu schaffen, die sorgfältig mit dem Akkordeon von Grégory Daltin kombiniert wird.

Mike Patton, der mit Vannier an dem 2019 erschienenen Album 'Corpse Flower' gearbeitet hat, sagt über die Veröffentlichung seines neuen Albums auf Ipecac: „Jean Claude ist ein guter Freund, Mentor und ein wunderbar talentierter und exzellenter Komponist. Eine Legende. Es ist eine große Ehre, mit ihm gearbeitet zu haben. Seine Texte und Arrangements haben eine Vielzahl von Künstlern beeinflusst, und ich kann mich zu den Glücklichen zählen, die seinen Weg gekreuzt haben. Er hat schon bahnbrechende Sachen geschrieben, bevor ich überhaupt geboren wurde. Er hat mich tief beeinflusst und ich bin ihm für immer dankbar und voller Ehrfurcht“.

Jean Claude Vannier, der von der Presse als „the rare bird“ bezeichnet wird, hat in den letzten 60 Jahren unter anderem mit Serge Gainsbourg und Jane Birkin sowie mit Künstlern wie Beck und Sean Lennon zusammengearbeitet. Er hat an unzähligen Soundtracks mitgewirkt, sechs Soloalben veröffentlicht und ist eine Ikone der französischen Popkultur, die für den Eurovision Song Contest komponiert, Videos gedreht, Gemälde ausgestellt, Radiosendungen moderiert und Kurzgeschichten veröffentlicht hat.

Seit der Veröffentlichung ihres gefeierten Debüts "Versions of Modern Performance" 2022 (u. a. mit Höchstwertung um US-Rolling Stone) hat sich vieles für Nora Cheng, Penelope Lowenstein und Gigi Reece verändert. Im Herbst desselben Jahres zog die junge Band von Chicago in die Ostküstenmetropole, wo Penelope und Nora an der New York University ihr Studium begannen und das erste Mal überhaupt Musik außerhalb des elterlichen Zuhauses schrieben. Der Einfluss der neuen Umgebung macht sich unmittelbar im Sound bemerkbar. Zugleich wendet sich der Blick in Zeiten beispielloser Veränderungen nach innen. Im Januar 2024 kehrten Horsegirl nach Chicago zurück, um die neuen Songs aufzunehmen. Im "The Loft" Studio stellten sich dort ein Fokus und eine Intimität ein, wie sie wohl nur entstehen können, wenn es schlicht zu kalt ist, das Gebäude zu verlassen. Cate Le Bon führte die Band derweil in neue, helle und klare Sound-Gefilde, die Raum und Textur gegenüber den dichten Soundflächen des Debüts in den Vordergrund rücken und das charakteristische Songwriting von Horsegirl betonen. Dazu zählt auch der erstmalige Einsatz von Violinen, Synths und Gamelan. Die Leadsingle "2468" ist ein Beispiel für die offenkundige Experimentierlust auf "Phonetics On and On". Mit seinen Raincoats-artigen Streichern und energischen Drums verdreht einem der Song in seinem fortlaufenden Crescendo immer mehr den Kopf. Das dazugehörige Video stammt von der Schriftstellerin und Regisseurin Eliza Callahan und wurde von Alexa West choreographiert. Es ist schwer vorstellbar, dass Songs wie die auf "Phonetics On and On" augenblicklich von irgendwem anderes stammen könnten als von diesem Trio bester Freundinnen. Nora, Penelope und Gigi schreiben mit ungefilterter Aufrichtigkeit über Szenen ihrer Jugend als Momentaufnahmen des Lebens. Die Liebe zueinander ist dabei in jedem Augenblick spürbar und resoniert durch und durch im Zusammenspiel auf ihrem zweiten Album. Horsegirl gründeten sich 2019 in der umtriebigen DIY-Szene Chicagos. Die damals 17- und 18-jährigen Schülerinnen zählen Yo La Tengo und Pavement zu ihren erklärten Vorbildern. Ihr Debüt, auf dem Steve Shelley und Lee Ranaldo als Gäste zu hören sind, nahm die Band in Steve Albinis Studio mit John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.) auf. Zuletzt tourten Horsegirl u. a. mit The Breeders.

Mantar erreichten mit ihrem letzten Album Pain Is Forever... (2022) Platz 2 in den Offiziellen Deutschen Charts!- Year End "Best" Listen: Metal Hammer Deutschland, LAWeekly (US), Exclaim (CA), Terrorizer (UK)- Vorgestellt auf: All New Metal/Black & Dark Metal/The Pit/Metal Planet (SPOTIFY), Breaking Metal/New Music Daily/Optimus Metallum/Breaking Hard Rock (APPLE MUSIC)- Mantar hat 8,5 Millionen Streams auf Spotify erreicht- Massive Underground-Fangemeinde in Europa und Nordamerika, die auf einem jahrzehntelangen DIY-Ansatz und ausgedehnten Tourneen beruht- Vergangene Festivalauftritte: Hellfest, Download, Full Force, Oya Festival, Getaway Rock, Roadburn, The Fest (US), Wacken, Maryland DeathfestCharts (Pain is Forever...):Germany:#2 Official German Album ChartsAustria:#69 Official Album ChartsSwitzerland: #45 Official Album ChartsUS Billboard:#60 Current Hard Music Album#84 Top New ArtistsQuotes for Pain Is Forever and This Is The End (old):- Album of the Month - Metal Hammer (GER)"So präsentiert sich das räudige Doom-Duo auf PAIN IS FOREVER AND THIS IS THE END in Bestform. 'Art Is Hard', das wussten bereits die Indie-Rocker Cursive. Aber Mantar sind härter." - 6/7pts - Metal Hammer (GER)- Album of the Month - Metal.de (GER)- "Pain Is Forever.. skillfully keeps the balance between brute destructive fury and dense atmosphere in widescreen format with real underground hit potential." - 8.5/10 pts Rock Hard (GER)"So hält "Pain Is Forever..." gekonnt die Waage zwischen brachialer Zerstörungswut und dichter Atmosphäre im Breitwandformat und hat oftmals echtes Underground-Hitpotenzial zu bieten." - 8.5/10pts Rock Hard (GER)- "The blackened doom punk duo's biggest rock moment to date is not a betrayal, but an accomplishment" - Visions (GER)"Der bislang größte Rock-Moment des Blackened-Doom-Punk-Duos ist also kein Verrat, sondern eine Vollendung" - Visions (GER)- "A tremendous hit rate, as if we were not dealing with a regular longplayer, but with a "Best-of MANTAR". Very Strong!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"Und so kann man "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End" eine enorme Trefferquote attestieren, so als ob man es nicht mit einem regulären Longplayer, sondern mit einer "Best-of MANTAR" zu tun hätte. Stark!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"- "Compact and to the point interpretation of Black'n'Roll, which can not only split your skull, but also animate you to headbang and even sing along." - 9/10 pts Powermetal.de (GER)"Ein weiterer Volltreffer aus dem Hause MANTAR!" - 9/10 pts - Powermetal.de (GER) - "Auf dem neuen Album haben MANTAR nichts an Angriffslust und brachialer Wirkung verloren, ihr Repertoire jedoch eindrucksvoll erweitert, sind gewachsen und zu etwas in seiner grundlegenden Ehrlichkeit und massiven Härte unfassbar Schönem geworden, ohne auf ihren urgewaltigen Sound zu verzichten. " - 10/10 pts - Slam (AT/GER)- "Thicker grooves, anthemic refrains, head nodding rhythms and a greater exploitation of the fist-in-the-air-ology school of song writing." - 8/10 pts - Metal Injection (USA)- "...their latest studio album may be their best yet... a burning Molotov cocktail of black metal, sludgy hardcore and classic metal hooks..." - Decibel (USA)- "...they've made the album of their career so far; so buckle up and get ready for forty minutes of blackened punk that'll give you the kick up the ass you've been waiting for." - Distorted Sound (USA)- "I love how far my mind roams while listening to the same album on the repeat; the more I spin "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End", the more things I discover, driving me deeper into MANTAR's moving sand." - 10/10pts - Metal Kaoz (USA)- "Pain Is Forever... clearly takes some inspiration from their recent album of Grunge, Punk, and Riot Grrl covers by elevating this aspect of their sound a little more too, without dulling the unapologetically in-your-face edge of the music." - No Clean Singing (USA)

Mantar erreichten mit ihrem letzten Album Pain Is Forever... (2022) Platz 2 in den Offiziellen Deutschen Charts!- Year End "Best" Listen: Metal Hammer Deutschland, LAWeekly (US), Exclaim (CA), Terrorizer (UK)- Vorgestellt auf: All New Metal/Black & Dark Metal/The Pit/Metal Planet (SPOTIFY), Breaking Metal/New Music Daily/Optimus Metallum/Breaking Hard Rock (APPLE MUSIC)- Mantar hat 8,5 Millionen Streams auf Spotify erreicht- Massive Underground-Fangemeinde in Europa und Nordamerika, die auf einem jahrzehntelangen DIY-Ansatz und ausgedehnten Tourneen beruht- Vergangene Festivalauftritte: Hellfest, Download, Full Force, Oya Festival, Getaway Rock, Roadburn, The Fest (US), Wacken, Maryland DeathfestCharts (Pain is Forever...):Germany:#2 Official German Album ChartsAustria:#69 Official Album ChartsSwitzerland: #45 Official Album ChartsUS Billboard:#60 Current Hard Music Album#84 Top New ArtistsQuotes for Pain Is Forever and This Is The End (old):- Album of the Month - Metal Hammer (GER)"So präsentiert sich das räudige Doom-Duo auf PAIN IS FOREVER AND THIS IS THE END in Bestform. 'Art Is Hard', das wussten bereits die Indie-Rocker Cursive. Aber Mantar sind härter." - 6/7pts - Metal Hammer (GER)- Album of the Month - Metal.de (GER)- "Pain Is Forever.. skillfully keeps the balance between brute destructive fury and dense atmosphere in widescreen format with real underground hit potential." - 8.5/10 pts Rock Hard (GER)"So hält "Pain Is Forever..." gekonnt die Waage zwischen brachialer Zerstörungswut und dichter Atmosphäre im Breitwandformat und hat oftmals echtes Underground-Hitpotenzial zu bieten." - 8.5/10pts Rock Hard (GER)- "The blackened doom punk duo's biggest rock moment to date is not a betrayal, but an accomplishment" - Visions (GER)"Der bislang größte Rock-Moment des Blackened-Doom-Punk-Duos ist also kein Verrat, sondern eine Vollendung" - Visions (GER)- "A tremendous hit rate, as if we were not dealing with a regular longplayer, but with a "Best-of MANTAR". Very Strong!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"Und so kann man "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End" eine enorme Trefferquote attestieren, so als ob man es nicht mit einem regulären Longplayer, sondern mit einer "Best-of MANTAR" zu tun hätte. Stark!" - 8.5/10 pts Deaf Forever (GER)"- "Compact and to the point interpretation of Black'n'Roll, which can not only split your skull, but also animate you to headbang and even sing along." - 9/10 pts Powermetal.de (GER)"Ein weiterer Volltreffer aus dem Hause MANTAR!" - 9/10 pts - Powermetal.de (GER) - "Auf dem neuen Album haben MANTAR nichts an Angriffslust und brachialer Wirkung verloren, ihr Repertoire jedoch eindrucksvoll erweitert, sind gewachsen und zu etwas in seiner grundlegenden Ehrlichkeit und massiven Härte unfassbar Schönem geworden, ohne auf ihren urgewaltigen Sound zu verzichten. " - 10/10 pts - Slam (AT/GER)- "Thicker grooves, anthemic refrains, head nodding rhythms and a greater exploitation of the fist-in-the-air-ology school of song writing." - 8/10 pts - Metal Injection (USA)- "...their latest studio album may be their best yet... a burning Molotov cocktail of black metal, sludgy hardcore and classic metal hooks..." - Decibel (USA)- "...they've made the album of their career so far; so buckle up and get ready for forty minutes of blackened punk that'll give you the kick up the ass you've been waiting for." - Distorted Sound (USA)- "I love how far my mind roams while listening to the same album on the repeat; the more I spin "Pain Is Forever And This Is The End", the more things I discover, driving me deeper into MANTAR's moving sand." - 10/10pts - Metal Kaoz (USA)- "Pain Is Forever... clearly takes some inspiration from their recent album of Grunge, Punk, and Riot Grrl covers by elevating this aspect of their sound a little more too, without dulling the unapologetically in-your-face edge of the music." - No Clean Singing (USA)

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

Red w. Black Smoke Vinyl

After 25 years, eight albums, and countless gigs, BLEEDING THROUGH persist as a tried-and-true outlier in heavy music and culture. The Southern California stalwarts wield an enigmatic and unmistakable signature sound born at the cross roads of no-holds-barred hardcore, cutthroat thrash, and cinematic black metal.
Mastering a drastic push-and-pull, they have always occupied their own elevated realm in the extreme space, exhibiting a rare ability to not only incite a moshpit, but also invite complete immersion. It’s why they’ve endured changing tides and trends and stood strong as a force of nature with consistent critical acclaim and packed shows. However, the six-piece - Brandan Schieppati vocals, Derek Youngsma [drums], John Arnold [guitar], Ryan Wombacher [bass], Marta Peterson [keys, vocals] and Brandon Richter [guitar] - assuredly perfect this vision in 2025 on their aptly titled ninth full-length offering, NINE.

"Tchenbé !" The New Therapeutic Album from Dowdelin

This deeply introspective new opus tackles the personal and emotional challenges we all face at some point in our lives. Dowdelin explores themes of depression, life’s ups and downs and resilience, served up by Caribbean sounds and lyrics in Creole, French and English, at the confluence of jazz, electronic music and even the most percussive soul.