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Whatever condition your condition is in, Soul4Real have huddled together a team of the finest soul physicians to make you feel good.

We scoured all the shelves in the soul pharmacy and discovered some potions that were only just through the trial stage. Just one listen to the brilliant Aretha, Gladys, Walter Jackson and the Purify’s tracks convinced us not to wait for FDA approval, so we took the plunge and shared them with the world on vinyl for the very first time.
Recorded in 1968, Arthur Alexander‘s magnificent “I Need You Baby” reached legendary status during the tape-swapping epidemic of the late 70s/early 80s. The first traces of Alexanderitus were linked back to a tape dispensed by a north London mod by the name of Randy Cozens, which went viral. Even today, the mere mention of the title to any of those C60-swap-survivors can cause severe heart palpitations.
Down in Memphis, they tend to practice the holistic approach to heartaches. Southern folk understand it’s about the voice and its natural healing powers, especially when it’s being administered by the likes of the Soul Children and Shirley Brown, who instinctively inject the perfect amount of ache, warmth and emotion to hit just the right spot. May we prescribe at least two listens a day, taken with or without food.
Helping with recovery we have included tracks by our care team Maxine, Gil Scott-Heron and the Isleys, whose gentle grooves will help nurse you back onto the dance floor in record time.
And finally, my personal favourite, Dr Johnnie Taylor. Frankly, it beats me how someone who delivers the lines "she don’t break no records when it comes to good looks” and “she burns up the food when she cooks" to his girlfriend manages to avoid a trip to A&E. We decided such foolish bravery should be rewarded by having his picture on the album cover.

12 tracks, all great examples of real soul music, a mix of well known classics, overlooked gems, and 4 original unreleased songs.

180g virgin vinyl pressing, limited edition of 750 copies only - the complete album + 2 bonus tracks A superb performer with a real knack for the blues, Debby Moore (1924-2017) only recorded one LP. She sang with the bands of Earl Hines, Rex Stewart, and Count Basie, and mentored by none other than Louis Armstrong. On 'My Kind of Blues', the pinnacle of Debby Moore's career, she is backed by brilliant jazz soloists, including Harry "Sweets" Edison, Jimmy Jones, Barry Galbraith, and Elvin Jones. "As its title promises, My Kind of Blues captures a distinctly personal interpretation of familiar blues and jazz standards - Debby Moore's uncommonly warm and gentle vocals soften the blow delivered by some lyrics transforming their melancholy into profound compassion and understanding. Nuanced contributions from trumpeter Harry 'Sweets' Edison, pianist Jimmy Jones, guitarist Barry Galbraith, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Elvin Jones further underscore the session's feather- light beauty." - **** Jason Ankeny, AllMusic

Skemer is a brand new cooperation between singer Kim Peers, who’s also a model for Vogue, Steven Meisel, Prada and guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove of post-metal band Amenra and his personal project Syndrome. Two very different worlds collide and lead to minimalist dark wave deconstructions that are equal parts brutal and erotic. This duality is reflected in the name Skemer, which next to its obvious English meaning of ‘intriguer’ also stands for ‘dusk’ in Mathieu’s native tongue West-Flemish, as well as in their debut album. Recorded just a few months after meeting, a sense of urgency shines through in the tracks that build Benevolence. The winding sensuality of Sunseeker juxtaposed with the pounding harshness of Best, the faint twirl of Call Me versus the solemn gait of Heartbreak. Just like with their effervescent live performances where Peers seductive vocals coalesce with Vandekerckhove’s austere beats to meld into a transcendent fury. Everything has a double nature in the hands of Skemer. Vinyl LP limited to 500. Comes in UV Glossy Varnish picture sleeve.

Search Party is the debut album from pianist, Rupert Cox. Rupert has made a little following for himself already being a respected player for Myele Manzanza, China Moses, Chris Hyson and many more.

His debut album swings between laidback contemporary jazz and swirling electronics. There are mellow and moving moments alongside joyful, uplifting melodies and dancing rhythms.

The record has already won support from people like Deb Grant on BBC Radio 6 Music and is slowly developing an ardent following.

DJ Support:

Deb Grant (BBC Radio 6 Music) and Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM)

Jacob Collier: “Having known Rupert for more than a decade, I can honestly say that this kaleidoscopic beauty of an album does effervescent justice to his magnificent musicianship. It’s a journey for the soul! I can’t wait for the whole world to hear it.”

Brad Mehldau: “Music is all about storytelling for me at its base and it’s got that going on all the tracks… It really holds together as a singular voice.” “It feels like I’ve heard it before, like it has a familiarity, but it doesn’t sound like something or someone else.”

Philadelphia's CAGED present the most flawless merger of Death Metal,
Doom, Sludge and Harsh Noise in their crushing debut full length entitled
'From Roving About the Earth'
Mixed and mastered by James Plotkin (Khanate, Scorn, O.L.D., Atomsmasher)
and features artwork by Mark McCoy (Full of Hell, Pig Destroyer, Nothing). Five
songs that purvey determination intertwined with filth and decay

Easy Listening Recordings is here, and to kick things off we've got a new three-track EP from Vancouver's Teen Daze.

We begin with the title track, Quiet City, and immediately conjure up images of late night drives through anonymous city streets. Brimming with emotion, and a gentle energy, this one could find itself at home in a warmup set, early in the night, or one of those aforementioned late night drives. No matter where you hear it, this is one of Teen Daze’s most beautiful tunes.

Life Style brings us out of the car, and onto the sidewalks of that once quiet city. Now there’s a bustling energy from crowds of people, steam rising from the sewers below. You’re navigating it all in stride, with Life Style in your headphones. This is City Music.

We start Side B with an ode to Vancouver, BC, aka The Glass City: Night Club. The soft, swung drums, the walking bassline, the dubbed out bongos; this one feels at home across the entire Lower Mainland. Maybe you’re taking a stroll along the Sea Wall, maybe you’re watching the sun set while sipping on something at Juice Bar, maybe you’re walking up to Paradise at 12 am. No matter how you might experience Vancouver, Night Club has got your soundtrack covered.

Finally, we wrap up this first disc for Easy Listening Recordings with a special vinyl-only track, called New Mood. Pulsating percussion lead this dream-like track through 4 ½ minutes of Balearic Bliss. A beautiful way to finish this first release.

Early support from:
Paula Tape, NIKS, Eug (Public Records), Pleasure Voyage, Masha Mar, Massimiliano Pagliara, Loz Goddard

The first album on ohne kommerziellen Wert comes from label co-founder Stute. After several appearances with hard-hitting club material on the OHNE EP series, Stute’s debute LP “Petra” demonstrates a beyond-genre approach that shows a different and more introverted side of the Hamburg-based producer. Far from being a collection of stand-alone gems that have accumulated over the years, the 12 stages of “Petra” sound like they were formed in a single cast. It is a personal and intimate journey through a unique man-machine mindset that has been manifested in music and sound.

Stute isn’t new to the game, but he has been producing under the radar for far too long. He started DJing and producing more than 20 years ago and found himself progressively drawn to different genres like Hip Hop, Breakbeat, Drum & Bass and Techno. And all of those experiences culminate in “Petra”, where Stute maneuvers his production skills through a wide range of styles and tempi somewhere between leftfield and rave. Urgent techno coldness, promising downtempo dystopia, restless acid dreams, floating breakbeat pleasure or hopeful leftfield romance – every track represents a different phase of a long-time companionship with music and making music, resulting in “Petra” being filled with conflict and drama as well as bliss and belonging.

Like all of Stute’s releases, his first LP is shaped by a very high level of production paired with a rare sensitivity for harmonies and arrangements. Every sound is made from scratch with analogue equipment – heavy dragging beats surrounded by glistening synths and bleeps built on a pure love for music and hardware. “Petra” sounds unlikely complete: nothing is missing, nothing is overdone. Nevertheless… or maybe because of that, the 12 arrangements offer you enough space to conjure up images of distant worlds or let you turn inwards to dive deep into your inner self.

Communique Records U.S.A. re-issues on of the most wanted releases from the entire catalogue by Fuzz Face, originally released in 1996!!!
Re-mastered including new cut - highly recommended!

Grandson is the second posthumous album from acclaimed rapper and Chicago legend, King Von. In a career that was ultimately cut far too short, King Von established himself as one of his generation's most vital storytellers, offering breathless intensity and visceral detail to animate the environment of his upbringing. Lovingly assembled by Von's closest collaborators, including producer Chopsquad DJ, the upcoming album features the same street sagas and invigorating anthems fans have come to expect. The album sees appearances from some of Von's heavy-hitting street rap peers, including Lil Durk, Polo G, Tee Grizzley, G Herbo & more. Singles include "Robberies," & "Heartless (feat. Tee Grizzley)."

Summer's Mine is the third studio album from acclaimed Detroit legend and rapper, Babyface Ray. After an enormous 2022 that saw the release of two full-length studio albums, getting named to 2022's XXL Freshman Class & YouTube Music's Black Voices Fund, and a sold out nationwide headlining tour, Babyface Ray returns to bless the streets with something fun for the summer. The 16 track album showcases a side of Ray that fans have become familiar with, and features appearances from fellow Motor City peers Veeze and Los & Nutty, King Hendrick$, Vory, & Hip-Hop luminary Westside Gunn. Never afraid to make a bold statement, Ray is here to say that in 2023, Summer's Mine.

"Serenity / Rage" focuses on the contradictory human capacity to do both good and evil, where clarity and insight can turn to blind overwhelming rage and how we find ourselves moving back and forth across this vast expanse of human emotions. With hints of classic Death Industrial and a unique cover version of Brighter Death Now's classic track "Necroses Evangelicum", Johan Levin exposes a new facet of his expanding discography. Nothing is Black nor White, we all fade to Grey…

CD Edition of 300 copies in 4 panel Digipak. 6 Tracks. Running Time 36:41 EAN: 0679628554211
Vinyl Edition of 300 copies, 3mm sleeve, Matt Lamination with printed inner sleeve. 6 Tracks. Running Time 36:41

In 2021, Los Angeles trio Gabriels arrived in a whirlwind with the loose-limbed vintage soul jam of ‘Love & Hate In A Different Time’, a song that could have dropped in almost any era. A stone-cold classic, it introduced a band so much more than just the sum of their supremely talented parts.

For the first time, ‘Love & Hate In A Different Time’ is now getting a special 7 Inch release with a previously unreleased live version of ‘Spanish Harlem’ recorded at BBC Maida Vale studios for a Gilles Peterson 6 Music session.

Just a handful of live shows deep, the spotlight swings and lands squarely on vocalist Jacob Lusk. A man who demands attention with a presence and voice of a gospel choir. That rich vocal swoops and soars through the pitches effortlessly matched by an on-stage persona that’s intensely likeable.

A bonafide star by anybody’s reckoning. Two acclaimed EPs deep and yet barely out of second gear, Gabriels have moved beyond mere promise to become one of 2022’s most essential new acts.

Press / PR:

“One of the most spectacular voices you will hear this year... Set to be 2022’s word-of-mouth hit” - The Guardian

“A sound that’s unlike anything else out there” – The Times

SOLD OUT every headline live show in 2021 and 2022 so far in seconds. Gabriels will also support Celeste on her sold out UK tour in the spring of 2022.

Love And Hate In A Different Time was playlisted at 6Music Arielle Free’s TOTW on Radio 1, other supporters included Annie Mac, Nick Grimshaw and Adele Roberts

Syncs with Reebok and Gucci campaigns

Breaking Act - Sunday Times Culture feature

Included in The Guardian’s 2022 Tips

NME Radar feature & NME 100: Essential Emerging Artists For 2022

KCRW’s 2021 Breakthrough Artist

Ones To Watch – The 25 Artists to Watch

Forged in a warehouse in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle, Beatowls emerge in 2023 as a genre-defying trio. Darcie Chazen, Tom Roberts and Carl Cook, possess distinct talents, fusing elements of electro, folk, and psychedelia into captivating, dark atmospheric grooves.
The city’s urban-industrial mood inspires their sound, weaving evocative and cinematic tones into their upcoming debut album Marma.
For Fans Of : Dean Blunt and Inga Copeland,The XX, Portishead , Nancy & Lee
Badalamenti/Lynch, Broadcast, Warp Records.
Above all, Beatowls embody a journey. Their story starts from a shared passion, extends into this collection of songs and sounds, and hints at a future filled with creative exploration.
From a dream in a Liverpool warehouse to a national platform, Beatowls stand on the cusp of an era promising audio adventures steeped in originality, emotive tales, and sonic diversity.

Soundscape Versions presents the 4th release on sub-label Analog Versions and welcomes Laslo, DJ and Producer from Hungary. On this record he explores the lower tempo territories in a minimalistic way, fusing jazz influences with dub music and downtempo. The release was influenced by early electronic music released on the infamous hungarian label, UGAR and early nu-jazz records. Musically the main goal was to have a human, imperfect feel to the drums. As usual, everything was recorded live on the mixing desk. Instead of sequencing most of the synth parts were played live and additional guitar atmospheres were dubbed over some sections.

Error Subcutaneo was born under the sweltering sun of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, but their project portrays the colder, more urban side of life in the Caribbean, where cacophonous violence and Cold War monoliths collide with dreams of a better tomorrow The duo take elements of hip- hop, modular electronics, island syncretism, and bebop to twist and distort contemporary narratives on music composition, representing the greater movement of Latin American resistance directly from its epicentre Temporada Ciclonica is a recollection of alibis from a quenched island imaginarium. Palm trees dance in sync with the gales, an omen of the upcoming hurricane season. Pictographic technologies seek refuge in time's embrace, as eerie scents of petrichor and blood fill the corridors beneath the temple steps.

The cyclone's ravaging beauty and destruction bring rain, fertility and life to the land, an allusion to the cyclical nature of creation. Masters of musical past ride the storm's eye, a semiotic double- entendre on the spinning nature of the vinyl medium. A pupil glimmers from the dark, a kid rubs its belly in the womb. Press: Truth and Lies - review "a challenging but exhilarating journey through the minds of two young artists who's deep knowledge of local and international music places no harness on their creativity. Raw and instant, these boys look at the world as it is and let its contradictions flow into their creations. 9/10" Received airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music (Gilles Peterson), BBC Radio 3 (The Late Junction - Wolf Eyes' Mixtape) + The Lot Radio NYC - Marco Wibel - Darker Than Wax

This metal treasure has been well kept in our vault Since 2017 we are preparing this release. There's no reason to wait any longer... Launching this sonic bomb is mandatory! Avid vinyl collectors, U.S. Metal enthusiasts and thrash metal devotees know MERSINARY pretty well and how they sound. This is one of the most powerful thrash bands of the late 80's, capable of rivaling classic bands like SLAYER, DARK ANGEL or DESTRUCTOR! Released in 1988, the original vinyl edition of the "Dead Is Dead" album has become a rare collector's item, in addition to a series of EPs and limited edition singles released by the label Iron Works (Azra Records). Available in CD for the first time, this limited edition on 2CD will comprise remastered audio of "Dead Is Dead" album, additional studio recordings and an unreleased live concert in Las Vegas. A 12-page booklet with band biography and rare photos will also be included

Devilish is an album surrounded by a darkest atmosphere, its lyrics show urges experienced in our century, such as the constant degradation of the Amazon rainforest and the population increasingly affected by psychological illnesses such as anxiety and depression At the same time, it opens windows of escape for an imaginary world inspired by games, series and fiction books. In their second album with the new lineup, Mayara Puertas (Voice), Rene Simionato (Guitar), Castor (Bass) and Amilcar Christofaro (Drums) transcend the sound of extreme metal with maturity, incorporating progressive metal, influences from Brazilian music and symphonic elements.

The album also honors Brazilian heroes with a participation of Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) in the track "Buried Alive", and a tribute to Rickson Gracie the resilient fighter of Jiu Jitsu considered one of the greatest legends in this sport, the theme of the track "Warrior". The band also mobilized several musicians related to indigenous causes in their country to collaborate on the song "Uatuma", making an appeal for the preservation of the Amazon in a song that flows in an powerful way with the speeches of the indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire and tribal rhythms. For the cover art, the band had Marcelo Vasco, a Brazilian illustrator who has already created artworks for Slayer, Dimmu Borgir, Soulfly among others.

So a Burner fan is a Rock'n'Roll fan. When Bjorn (guitar/vocals) and Mats (bass) finally found their drummer Jan, the trio is solid as a rock. In September 2018 they wrote and recorded the songs for their first album which was released via Time To Kill Records in spring 2020. Now the Swedish diesel rockers Burner are back! After their first attack with the debut album "Baptized in Gasoline" the band has received praise from all corners of the globe. And after a successful tour with English monster Orange Goblin the band started focusing on their upcoming new album. Burner say: "After the release of Baptized in Gasoline we continued to write new songs as always. Soon there was enough material for a second album and recording began. We always do everything with a smile and our sick sense of humor. The inspiration it comes from anything really, there are so many bands that have inspired us over the years. Janne came up with the idea for the cover and title and work moved on. We are really happy with the result and our fans will be in for a nice surprise. "Hittin' The Target" will be our second release and once again it will be filled with hard rock'n roll riffs. The perfect soundtrack for gulping cold beer!

Fire and water collide again: On her latest album "Wandering Through Time", Swiss sorceress ASHTAR opens up a menacing yet ethereal world of opposing forces, fans of emotional yet dirty Blackened Doom Metal should willingly enter. ASHTAR - a duo at first - emerged on the scene in 2015 with their critically acclaimed debut album, "Ilmasaari", voted by Tom G Warrior (Celtic Frost, Triptykon) as one of his favorite albums of the year in Deaf Forever magazine The follow-up, "Kaikuja", released in 2020, took the project's unique blend of black and doom metal to the next level. Since then, ASHTAR has shared the stage with renowned bands such as Inter Arma, Primordial, Bell Witch, Bolzer, and Schammasch.

Now, with "Wandering Through Time", frontwoman Witch N. takes the helm as a one-woman band, pushing the limits of her creative expression to new heights. On her latest offering, she aims to express the darkness, power, and magic of most notably female forces in nature in a saturnine and poetic way. The deeply personal songs take listeners on a journey through the darkest corners of the human soul while embracing the beauty of the natural world. They never fail to showcase Witch N.'s accomplished songwriting and her talents in delivering tortured, gritty screams as well as super- heavy, leaden guitar riffs. Consequently, she names metal masters such as Winter, Darkthrone, and Black Sabbath as her major influences.

From the gloomy and depressive "Into the Gloom" to the tragic tale of the Waterman in "The Submerged Empire", each track is a cathartic work of art. The lyrics transcend metal-cliches of fantasy and lore by telling stories about personal growth, finding soulmates within a cold world, and keeping one's own inner black flame alive. Recording and mixing of the album were handled by V. Noir at Inferno Studio in Switzerland. He also provided additional guitars and jaw harp. The album was mastered by Greg Chandler (Esoteric) at Priory Recording Studios in Birmingham, UK. The front cover photo was captured by Raphael Wolf, while Anti Graphic laid his skilled hands on the new logo design. For Fans of: Oranssi Pazuzu, Wolvserpent, Mizmor, Mantar, Blut aus Nord, Dark Buddha Rising, Eagle Twin, Glorior Belli

180g limited edition on high-definition premium vinyl for super fidelity the great Nina Simone's style encompassed a broad range of musical genres ncluding jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, pop, and classical music. This collection ompiles some of her best performances of jazz ballads and blues, the album's A ide programmed to feature the ballads, and the B side for the blues. mong the many highlights are her classic readings of the ballads 'I Loves You orgy', 'Little Girl Blue', and 'Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair', as well as lues such as 'Trouble in Mind', Billie Holiday's 'Fine and Mellow', and 'Nobody nows You When You're Down and Out'. s a bonus, one of Simone's biggest hits, 'My Baby Just Cares for Me', has been dded to this essential collection.

It was not only in Brittany that progressive rock bands went under the radar in the 1970s This was the case with the New Zealand quintet Dragon, born in 1972 in Auckland. Author of two albums released by Vertigo, certainly appreciated by amateurs, the group unfortunately did not meet with the expected success in its country of origin, which led it to emigrate to Australia from 1975. From there, they would spin the perfect love with the kangaroo public and the rest of the world in the 80s. Since then, between splits and reformations, they are still touring! But let's come back to this second album "Scented Gardens For The Blind" published for the first time in 1975 and today emerged from the shadows by the Replica and Musea labels. Note that from the first title, they try to get out of the shackles of progressive pop with Ivan Thomson's keyboards which push the combo to venture towards very English lands that the Zombies then Argent knew how to borrow. It is both marked by the 70s and a real desire to seduce the charts. What they did next in Australia. For the time being, on most of the album, the work remains a paragon of progressive rock marked by long guitar solos and beautiful flights of keyboards. Masterfully reissued.

In this climate of social change, one of the greatest Canadian purveyors of offence, the Dayglo Abortions, release their new album, "Hate Speech" Even after more than 40 years, Murray "The Cretin" Acton and company don't seem to have lost a step; they're still angry AND funny, a rare and wonderful combination. While Dayglo Abortions are definitely punk in attitude and delivery, Hate Speech has enough killer riffs to appease the most militant metalhead. Here you will find some of DGA's best work, well after most of their peers have called it a day. This is what punk is supposed to sound like! It's been said that the best punk bands comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. Dayglo Abortions Hate Speech certainly fits that bill.

Swarm Intelligence’s unique take on industrial techno is back, with the second instalment on his self-titled label, coming this November.

Fiercely intense, dramatic and cutting-edge, Swarm Intelligence’s distinctive take on techno has garnered him a solid following amongst the true underground of the scene. Following on from the widely supported launch of his label, SWRM002 is a striking next step – a testament to the quiet confidence of a skilled artist unafraid to eschew norms and carve his own path. This second EP continues to draw inspiration from dystopian themes of new and imagined technologies and their resulting societal impact.

‘Critical Signal’ was produced during the global pandemic, and iteratively refined over the following years. Grinding basses and tense atmospherics sit atop a thunderous four-to-the-floor. Its message to humanity is as relevant now as it was then – “you are resilient, you will prevail”. In ‘Mass Disinformation’ a visceral, bleak and unsettling sonic landscape punctuated by a slamming groove is an apt metaphor for the psychological warfare being unleashed on the world today.

Opening the B-side, the uplifting glory of ‘Digital Immortality’ lifts the tone of the release. Here, Swarm’s signature glitchy, broken beats complement beautiful melodic swells and a rolling bass line. The track imagines a digital afterlife where, upon uploading our consciousness, we leave our bodies behind. Bringing the EP to a close, “Singularity Dawns” is the most freeform, cinematic composition. Its obscure broken rhythms and traversing sequence tells the tale of an AI becoming self-aware and discovering its capacity to feel.

Grand River and Sofie Birch are set to unveil their collaborative EP, titled “Our Circadian,” on November 24, through Melantónia.

The two-track release follows Grand River’s final release under the now-discontinued Editions Mego label earlier this year, and Sofie Birch’s two solo albums from 2022. Our Circadian represents the second collaborative release on Melantónia, a platform founded by Hanna Maria & Mattia Onori in 2021, dedicated to music for non-dance environments, featuring early contributions from artists like Polygonia, Plants Army Revolver, and Melantónia co-founders Hanna Maria & Mattia Onori themselves, amongst others.

“Our Circadian” was conceived remotely in 2021 during the lockdown, with the aim of encapsulating two distinct moments of those days – early morning and late afternoon – along with their subtle emotional nuances. The first track of the release – 7PM – conveys dreamy atmospheres that flow into colorful rhythms, recalling the electroacoustic nature of the label’s melancholic sounds. The gloomier 3AM, on the other side of a 7“ record, offers a timeless introspection of a gently intensifying synth sound’s fling.

Grand River, a composer and sound designer, brings her background in linguistics to her work. She draws inspiration from minimalism and ambient music, resulting in atmospheric and rhythmically intricate compositions. Her artistic pursuits traverse the realms of art and electronic music, exploring forms of communication that transcend language, often influenced by nature, scale, and movement. Grand River’s impressive portfolio includes sound installations at 4DSOUND/Monom and Terraforma’s Il Pianeta, as well as performances at prestigious venues like Barbican, Rewire, MUTEK, Le Guess Who?, CTM, Draaimolen, and Atonal’s Kraftwerk. She has also worked on remixes for notable acts like Tangerine Dream. Since 2016, she has curated the label One Instrument, offering a unique creative challenge to artists: creating music using only a single instrument.

Sofie Birch, a celebrated sound artist and producer, is known for her lush ambient releases, art installations, live performances, DJ sets, and her NTS show “Ambient Abracadabra.” Her sonic creations can manipulate space, infuse it with a profound sense of calm, and invite listeners to engage in meditation and introspection through the healing qualities of sound and vibrations. Her music acts as a conduit for understanding the complexities of the mind and body through artistic expression, characterized by a distinct emphasis on stillness, suspension, and sustain. Sofie’s soundscapes open gateways to dream-like states of perception and heightened presence, providing a transcendental journey into an alchemical biosphere. Her extensive repertoire includes performances at renowned events such as Barbican, Roskilde Festival, MUTEK, Unsound, CTM, Rewire, Monom, and Terraforma, as well as award-winning compositions for VR experiences and animated films, in collaboration with artists like Baum & Leahy and animation director Pernille Kjaer.

As Our Circadian takes its final form, it promises a narrative of resilience, creativity, and the indomitable human spirit guided by the artistic mastery of Grand River and Sofie Birch.

** German Disco - first time on 7" ** "Matter of Taste" released their debut album on the small german Flame label in 1979. "Step By Step" is a monstrous Disco track while the flip side ("Haselief") is completely different and certainly surprises the listener. - as comped on "CAN YOU FEEL IT Vol. 4"! - 300 copies pressed! - first time on 7"! - 33 1/3 RPM!...

Singer, songwriter and author Ali Sethi had been entranced by Jaar's music long before they began collaborating. He'd absorbed the sounds over a number of years, listening casually and taking in their subtleties in bars and rooftop parties across Lahore and London. "It felt familiar to me, that sense of adventure you have when you hear his music, like a tale that teases you and plays with your expectations as it unfolds," says Sethi. "In that sense it resembled the leisurely improvised ghazals and qawwalis I grew up hearing in Pakistan." So when the two were finally introduced by Indian visual artist Somnath Bhatt, a regular Jaar collaborator who also handled the album's artwork, Sethi was well prepared. He began to sketch out voice notes using loops snipped from Jaar's acclaimed 2020 album 'Telas', improvising vocalizations and seductive Urdu poems over Jaar's weightless, time-bending productions. Jaar was astonished by the result; "It was what 'Telas' had been missing," he explains.

Improvisation has been important to the Chilean artist for many years. Before he had even started making electronic music, Jaar jammed on accordion with friends on the street in New York City. It's at the core of his practice, "a moment in time," in his own words. 'Intiha', the opening track on the album, is the first they finished together, and positions Sethi's evocative phrases over Jaar's faded, metallic percussion. It's a perfect proof of concept, re- imagining the world of 'Telas' and augmenting it with a sense of ancestral melancholy and giddy euphoria that's truly transformational.
Sethi is best known globally for his attempts to revive the ghazal, an ancient poetic form that was taken by Sufi mystics from the Arab world to Persia and throughout the Indian subcontinent, where it captivated the royal court. It's been unfashionable in the last few decades, a mannered style associated with decadence, and Sethi offers it a new lease of life through his playfully revisionist covers and renditions. (His most popular single 'Pasoori' is a global phenomenon, one of the most Googled songs of 2022, with hundreds of millions of listeners tuning into its timeless message of forbidden love.) Sethi updates the ghazal form by using his years of training in raga music, lifting metaphors that reflect his journey as an out-of- place queer kid in Pakistan who became a US citizen and now lives in New York City.

This Sly And Robbie New Roots Riddim has been mashing up dances all over the UK and Europe for the last 4 months by two of the UK Champion Roots Sound Systems: Channel One And Iration Steppas.

Enter COMPASSA! Finally Tom Trago & Charles Levine formally known as The Compass Joint arrived at a new identity that pays homage to their shared musical influences and dedication to compassion, mindfulness, life and music.

At this moment they proudly present The Compass Choice EP, a sonic foundation representing another taste of their range and capabilities with this collaborative project. This latest release dives deeper into a love of FM synthesis and a dance floor interpretation of these mixed up electro-Caribbean-techno-futuristic flavors!

These songs, rhythms and melodies are born out of a pureness of heart and designed to bring positivity, joy and a little Compassa magic to you!

2023 repress, red with white splatter LP plus white red splatter 7" single. Innitially the first release in Fu Manchu's 30th Anniversary vinyl reissue series, In Search Of...Deluxe Edition, celebrates the band's 3rd album and major label debut, which was originally released on 27 February, 1996. Recorded at Grandmaster Studios in Hollywood, California by the band and Brian Jenkins (KYUSS, SCREAMING TREES), "In Search Of_" is considered a classic of the '90s and a pillar for the "stoner rock" movement. Highlights include the lead single "Asphalt Risin'", "Redline" and fan favorite "Cyclone Launch." This limited edition run is pressed on clear vinyl with blue and yellow splatter and the gatefold package design includes never before seen photos of the band. Also included is a bonus red/black splatter 7" of "Chevy Van" (a Sammy Johns cover that was previously only available on the Japanese pressing of the original album) b/w a 1995 Demo version of "Redline." Both the LP and 7" feature newly remastered audio for maximum fidelity.

After two years, Carl and Andreas present their second album, and once again, it opens up a wide associative space for us. What strikes us initially is the uncommon instrumentation: a church organ, harpsichord, glass tubes, and more. Like their first album (The Aporias of Futurism), it is mysterious and dark. But it also carries a strong touch of rebellion and adrenaline, sometimes quite pointedly. The pieces are now shorter and feature intricate yet irresistible rhythms. The impact is immediate, yet it maintains a sense of solemnity and ceremony. The Apollonian complexity of the rhythms and subtle melodic interweavings is transformed into a Dionysian, ecstatic, hypnotic, and at times tribal context. "Music for Unknown Rituals" oscillates between primitive instincts and avant-garde intrigues.

The process began in Döblitz, a small village on the Saale river in Germany, inside an old church that houses an organ built in 1886 by Johann Adolph Ibach. Carl and Andreas gained access and secluded themselves there for a few days, accompanied by the organ, an instrument made of glass tubes, and a set of modular synthesizers. After recording the basic tracks in Döblitz, the work continued in Munich and Berlin. Carl played electric guitars, harpsichord, bass, metallophone, xylophone, Indian harmonium, and various percussive instruments. Andreas added layers of electronic sounds, noises, and atmospheric drones. He also created percussive structures extracted and derived from recorded material of technical and industrial noises, which contrasted with the acoustic drums played by Carl. The antithetical approach continues with the dichotomous arrangement of the instruments, often panned hard left and right in the stereo field, creating an antiphonic communication. Some parts, especially the use of the electric guitar, evoke memories of the psychedelic sixties. However, this is anything but a nostalgic album—these musical references are merely remnants, set pieces, and fragments used from a contemporary, post-modern, post-youth-cultural, and post-romantic perspective.

Although Andreas and Carl continue on their chosen path of composing music with an almost literary narrative structure, this album is conceptually and formally completely different from their first effort. If “The Aporias of Futurism” was a revolutionary manifesto (in a pataphysical sense), "Music for Unknown Rituals" is more like the implementation in action; it is the practical application of the previous statement. To put it another way, if "The Aporias of Futurism” was the conceptual manifesto of a dark utopia of modernity, "Music for Unknown Rituals" is the staging of free will surrendering to the myths and catharsis of a Greek tragedy. And in response to this, the artwork features a leitmotif of histrionics with hands, the hands being the first and intuitive part of the body to express something: a ritual, a prayer, a defeat...

— Andreas Gerth is one half of Driftmachine, and Carl Osterhelt is part of F.S.K and collaborates with Hans-Joachim Irmler of Faust. Both became connected through their participation in the Tied & Tickled Trio.

Get On Down is proud to announce a vinyl reissue of one of the West Coast's most revered, yet underrated, hip-hop classics and quite possibly one of the best hip-hop albums of all time: The D.O.C.'s No One Can Do It Better. Produced entirely by Dr. Dre and out of print on vinyl in the U.S. for several years, this limited edition colored LP features original album artwork and thirteen tracks of rap heaven. When his debut album hit in mid-1989, The D.O.C. was in the vortex of the biggest hip-hop happening on the planet: the rise and rule of N.W.A. The group’s breakout album Straight Outta Compton had hit one year prior and had created both controversy and worldwide critical acclaim. As rap history buffs and industry insiders know, The D.O.C. was a crucial behind-the-scenes member of the N.W.A. inner circle - his most important role in the early days of the group was writing many of Eazy-E's rhymes, including his hit 1988 single “We Want Eazy.” He would go on to write for Efli4zaggin, The Chronic and Doggystyle. But The D.O.C. wasn’t in N.W.A. and never wanted to be - he was his own man, with his own vision. And after Compton proceeded to blow up the next crew album was No One Can Do It Better. Significantly, it was the first album where Dr. Dre showed his greatness as a solo producer for one MC. Boasting four singles - “The D.O.C. & The Doctor,” “Mind Blowin’,” the smash “It's Funky Enough” and “The Formula” - the album is flawless from beginning to end. Of particular note beyond the singles is “The Grand Finale,” which was the last time that Ice Cube, M.C. Ren and Eazy-E would rhyme on a track together. The D.O.C. showed on this amazing record that he was one of hip-hops most talented MCs. He nearly died in a horrific car crash as the album was catching fire in the late summer of 1989 which damaged his vocal cords, but he survived and continues to make new music and act as a sounding board for Dr. Dre to this day. More recently a documentary covering D.O.C.'s life titled The DOC debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival with fans eagerly awaiting a wider release. This album is a must have for any Hip-Hop fan

Originally released in 2003 on CD via Post-Parlo Records, and two years later on vinyl via Morr Music, the »Home EP« sees Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service) and Andrew Kenny (The American Analog Set) each contributing three original tracks and playing one of the other's songs. This 2023 vinyl edition is released via Morr Music (EU+UK) and Barsuk Records (US). It features the artwork by Jan Kruse, that was originally made for the 2005 Morr Music version.

The EP was released as the fifth and final volume of the early-’00s series of split albums on Austin, TX indie Post-Parlo, the Gibbard/Kenny pairing followed short contributions in the series from such varied notable early-aughts indie artists as Kind of Like Spitting, Britt Daniel (Spoon), Bright Eyes, Pavo and Super XX Man.

Gibbard and Kenny’s installment came out during a prolific era for both writers: The American Analog Set had released the classic »Know By Heart« album in 2001 and followed it in 2003 with the acclaimed »Promise of Love«, while Gibbard’s profile was rising significantly via the critical and commercial success of The Postal Service’s »Give Up« and Death Cab’s »Transatlanticism«. Unlike the more lush arrangements of their main projects, both Kenny and Gibbard took a simple approach for their entry into the Home series, recording on cassette four-track machines in their respective living rooms in New York and Seattle and each performing four exclusive stripped-down tracks (including a cover of one of the other’s songs – Kenny choosing a rendition of Death Cab’s »Line of Best Fit« and Gibbard delivering his version of AmAnSet’s »Choir Vandals«).

»Home EP« showcases two brilliant songwriters whose legacies continue to shine twenty years later. The American Analog Set recently announced »For Forever«, their seventh album and first new music in 18 years, which was released last week and followed the band’s announcement earlier this year that The Numero Group will reissue their first three albums »The Fun of Watching Fireworks« (1996), »From Our Living Room to Yours «(1997), and »The Golden Band« (1999) as a vinyl boxset in early 2024.

Benjamin Gibbard has recently finished fronting both bands on the sold out Death Cab for Cutie / The Postal Service co-headline tour of arenas and amphitheaters in the United States celebrating the 20th anniversary of »Give Up« and »Transatlanticism«.

Gombloh’s forgotten masterpiece

What if you have Brian Wilson and Bruce Springsteen rolled into one? And what if he came of age as an poor buskers in in Surabaya, Indonesia, but then summoned enough strength to record six albums that flew in the face of everyone in the country’s rock scene back in the early 1980s?

Genius, be they Brian Wilson or Soedjarwoto “Soemarsono” Gombloh, don’t conform to rules written for us mere mortals. They have their own way of doing things and in the case of Gombloh, writing music, conducting recording session and spending cash from his music, must be conducted on his own terms and his terms only. Studio time was expensive back in the early 1980s, yet Gombloh could be three-hour late for his session, and while engineers, session musicians and producers were jittery about the prospect of another botched session, Gombloh took his time for a nap before the recording begun.

Yet, some of his greatest works came into being in the wake of this napping session. Recording session for Sekar Mayang is no exception, despite the fact there’s foreboding sense of doom with Gombloh being unsure about the possibility of selling enough units to help his label break even. This is, after all, this is his last record with his band Lemon Tree’s. No one knew that Gombloh was operating with all his cylinders running and what came out of this Indra Record session, in the waning days of 1980, were some of the best compositions ever committed to magnetic tapes (to wax, if now you’re holding this on vinyl).

This is Gombloh at the peak of his creative genius. You can argue that his debut album Nadia & Atmospheer (what’s with the spelling mistake?) is the most sprawling and complex album (both sonically and thematically), but Sekar Mayang certainly had the best songs and I can make the argument that this album’s 10 songs are strong contenders for biggest hits in blues, country, psychedelic rock charts. “Prahoro & Prahoro” is one of those impossible song which appears to have sprung from a bottomless well of inspiration, encompassing King Crimson’s sprawling epic, Deep Purple’s deepest blues and Genesis’ most progressive tendencies. Or “Sekaring Jagat”, which begins as Lennon-McCartney lullaby before launching a thousand ships traveling to the end of the rainbow with children choir singing heavenly melodies backed by droning harpsichord and synclavier, while a buzzing Hammond B3 tightly locks with Gombloh’s guitar strumming.

For many of his fans, Gombloh is known as generous man of the people. A Robin Hood type if you please. He spent his royalty checks to buy foods for beggars and buskers and dish out some more to buy undergarments for Surabaya’s prostitutes. In Sekar Mayang, Gombloh went full Springsteen mode in “Mitra Becakan,” a social commentary that cut so deep you can end up with tears in your eyes and lump in your throat (even if you don’t understand any of its Javanese language lyrics). This is one the most devastating social commentary ever recorded for a pop song, and even if you discount the greatness of its musical composition, you chalk this up as a great social-realism poetry. His years of hanging out with pedicab drivers, street vendors and street-bound prostitutes certainly gave him enough insight into their (in)human condition.

Yet, a record this stellar was largely forgotten. First, this record was a flop upon its release in 1981. Indra Records reportedly only did one pressing on cassette tape and be done with it. For those who were lucky enough to have come across one of songs from this album on the radio were likely growing up in East Java, where Gombloh had a massive cult following early in the 1980s. Nothing was heard from this record again.

There were only a handful of cassette tapes from the first pressing found on second-hand market and I recently stumbled upon one online with a price tag of Rp 50 million (US$3,500). It’s no longer available now.

In Sekar Mayang, Gombloh harbours an obsession for a long-lost utopia, Java’s distant past, where farmers have their barn full of rice and corn, where blacksmith working around the clock making tools and children singing and dancing in their seminaries. Or the fact that he opens the song with stanza from Serat Weddhatama, arguably the most monumental poem in neo-classic Javanese literature, could be his pledge of allegiance. The question for him is should a modern-day Indonesia, rife with poverty, corruption and environmental degradation not be an anathema to that utopia?

In the end, you don’t need to be someone fluent in Javanese to enjoy this majestic record. And if this record turns out to be the last in Elevation Records catalogue and we shut down this label tomorrow, we will be very happy. Mission accomplished!

■ "Camera" ist ein Album, auf dem Frank Boeijen nach dem beeindruckenden Album "As" zurück zu
den Grundlagen geht. Es ist eine Bandplatte, die sich auf Pop-Songs konzentriert. Aufgenommen
wurde es im ICP-Studio in Brüssel, wo Boeijen zuvor "Vaderland" aufgenommen hat. Das Album dreht
sich um Freundschaft und Wärme und enthält Fan-Favoriten wie "De Streken Van De Meester," "Alles
Wat Ik Had" und "Op Een Dag." "Camera" ist First Time auf Vinyl erhältlich und enthält ein Beiblatt mit
den Songtexten.

This is the first color pressing of this performance. Doug Sahm AKA Sir Doug was both a Texas rock & roll legend and pioneer. True, there were others before him (Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison come to mind), but the Sir Douglas Quintet counterattacked the British invasion of the mid 1960’s with their own brand of Chicano-influenced rock that they had been playing around their hometown of San Antonio. Wearing their tight-fitting, English-looking suits, they hit the charts with “She’s About A Mover” in ’65, riding the waves with Doug’s incessant guitar twangs and Augie Meyer’s much-imitated, two-to-a-beat Vox electric organ chords. This performance, recorded October 14, 1975, came after Doug had temporarily retired the Sir Douglas name, but features original member Meyer along with musical compadres Martin Steitle, John Barber, Steve McDaniels and Harry Hess. All the Sir Douglas Quintet classics are here, including “She’s About a Mover,” “Mendocino,” and “Rains Came,” and Doug ventures into other musical territory ranging from T-Bone Walker to Bob Wills. Long before the Quintet, Doug had been making music since even before the birth of rock & roll. He began his career as “Little Doug,” a guitar-playing prodigy who was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry when he was only 13. Over time, with the help of his irrepressible personality, he became a voice for Texas music, the original “cosmic cowboy” back in the heyday of the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin. But his influence went beyond Texas; in 1973 he even lured Bob Dylan out of hermitage to record with him, and Bob in turn invited him to join his legendary Rolling Thunder Review Tour. Doug left us suddenly in 1999, but he left behind a unique legacy, a “Groover’s Paradise” indeed. - Terry Lickona (Producer Austin City Limits®)

2023 Repress
Moon in Earthlight describes the phenomenon one can see in the first few days after a New Moon, when the slim crescent of the moon is completed into a full circle by a faint light that is not lit by sunlight but by the light reflected from Earth. It is also the apt title for the first album from an artist whose first love was astronomy. After 6 EPs over the course of 5 years, Wolfgang Tillmans now releases his first album, Moon in Earthlight, a singularly plural 53-minute piece comprised of 19 tracks.
Opening with more that connects us than divides us, 'Celloloop / More That Connects Us', a looped cello sets out a discursive path for a bright keyed melody to flirt with while the sounds of the organ and synthesizer build their supporting roles, all along a bouncing four-to-the-floor beat punctuated with bright electronic chimes and the rhythmic tempo of a shaker. The invitation is hard to resist as a yearning voice opens up to let us know he's left his "place in security." And, "you're shining … All the way down to this glittering place … you're shining." Where voices and laughter are then overheard in the background of another field recording sounding water dripping from a 'Rain Gutter' later caught by the soft, warm rhythmic bounce between two synth notes on 'Fourth Floor' where chime-like and percussive timbres resonate from the metal tine keys of the kalimba creating a meditative acuity, which Tillmans peppers with arpeggiated synth riffs.
A composition of multiplicities, Tillmans' album debut is a collage of sounds, field recordings, words, studio jam sessions and live recordings, voice, soundscapes, and instrumentation scored with audible space to breathe along the way. Keeping pace, the first 'Kardio Loop' is a vocal callisthenics contemplating 'the possibility of a happy life' and/or the propositional properties of its semantic constructions backed by the recording of a heartbeat from a cardiogram. This movement is gradually accompanied by a set of orchestral synth pads that build to a crescendo before the soft, twirling melody of 'Stonerella' carries us along a carousel-like melodic, pop, instrumental timed in the percussive clapping of pebbles.
Not knowing where one leaves off and the other begins is part of this album's enigma, as we move in and out of these aural spaces choreographed with the slightest, open hand, where we can float through 'Don't Kill It by Naming It' before dancing along 'Insanely Alive' all the while contemplating the inherent, fragile complexities of language and being.
This enigma also stems from the raw vulnerability of Tillmans' voice. Whether lyrically playful or introspective, it is always giving: intimately unfolding as in the surprising take on Simon & Garfunkel's 'El Condor Pasa' or shapeshifting in 'Can't Escape into Space' or fully naked as raw material expression in 'Kantine' and 'Ocean Walk'.
Whether it's Tillmans voice or voices overheard, a field recording or a pop synth melody, these sounds defy track listings, audibly held together as one of many in an aural space that becomes a reflective cycle that develops over the course of the album. The accumulative effect of which (reminiscent of the artist's installations), drives the singularity of each of the album's elements into a complete, unconsolidated whole. Like a phenomenon that marks time, Moon in Earthlight is the shadow and the reflection, fifty-three minutes in time.

Parallel zur Singleveröffentlichung hat die Band aus Los Angeles auch erste Details über GODMODE bekanntgegeben. Das achte Studioalbum von In This Moment, das in den Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas aufgenommen wurde, vereint insgesamt 10 Tracks. Produziert wurde es von Kane Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Papa Roach, Five Finger Death Punch) und Tyler Bates (John Wick, Jerry Cantrell, Bush). „Wir können es echt kaum noch abwarten, bis alle hören, was wir dieses Mal aufgenommen haben“, so Howorth.

In This Moment sind Maria Brink (Leadgesang), Chris Howorth (Gitarre), Travis Johnson (Bass), Randy Weitzel (Rhythmusgitarre) und Kent Diimmel (Schlagzeug)


Über In This Moment:

Seit der Gründung im Jahr 2005 haben sich In This Moment aus Los Angeles eine riesige internationale Fanbase erspielt. Unterstützung bekommen die „Mother“-Figur und Sängerin Maria Brink und der Leadgitarrist Chris Howorth (ebenfalls ein Gründungsmitglied) aktuell vom Bassisten Travis Johnson, dem Gitarristen Randy Weitzel und dem Schlagzeuger Kent Diimmel. Besonders ihre gefeierten Live-Shows bescherten den Kaliforniern eine gewaltige Fanbase, weshalb sie ganz beiläufig zu einer der einfluss- und erfolgreichsten Bands des 21. Jahrhunderts avancieren konnten: Inzwischen gehen mehr als 1,3 Milliarden kombinierte Streams aufs Konto der US-Metalcore-Institution.



Nachdem ihnen schon das 2012 veröffentlichte Album Blood US-Gold beschert hatte, konnten zwischenzeitlich neben einem halben Dutzend Gold- und Platinsingles gleich drei Alben in Folge die Top-25 der US-Albumcharts aufmischen: Nach Blood und Black Widow (2014) stieg auch Ritual (2017) direkt auf Platz 23 in die Billboard-200 ein. Auch künstlerisch auf einem ganz neuen Level angekommen, sollten allein die Songs von Ritual seither mehr als eine Viertelmilliarde Streams generieren.



Neben ausverkauften Headliner-Tourneen rund um den Globus füllten sie die größten Stadien auch schon zusammen mit Disturbed und traten dazu bei den größten Festivals auf (u.a. Rockville, Sonic Temple).



Unterwegs zwischen den größten Bühnen war zuletzt das siebte Studioalbum Mother (Roadrunner Records) entstanden, das die US-Band mit dem angestammten Studiopartner Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch) aufgenommen hatte. Waren bei Ritual auch Blues-Elemente in ihrem knallharten Sound aufgetaucht, zog einen Mother schon mit der ersten Single unweigerlich in seinen Bann: Die Auskopplung „The In-Between“ wurde hinterher auch für einen GRAMMY Award nominiert. Im Jahr 2022 veröffentlichten In The Moment die EP Blood 1983 (BMG), ein musikalisches Update zum 10. Jubiläum des Blood-Albums. Außerdem war der Exklusivtitel „I Would Die For You“ auf dem Soundtrack zum Kinofilm John Wick: Chapter 4 zu hören.

Parallel zur Singleveröffentlichung hat die Band aus Los Angeles auch erste Details über GODMODE bekanntgegeben. Das achte Studioalbum von In This Moment, das in den Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas aufgenommen wurde, vereint insgesamt 10 Tracks. Produziert wurde es von Kane Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Papa Roach, Five Finger Death Punch) und Tyler Bates (John Wick, Jerry Cantrell, Bush). „Wir können es echt kaum noch abwarten, bis alle hören, was wir dieses Mal aufgenommen haben“, so Howorth.

In This Moment sind Maria Brink (Leadgesang), Chris Howorth (Gitarre), Travis Johnson (Bass), Randy Weitzel (Rhythmusgitarre) und Kent Diimmel (Schlagzeug)


Über In This Moment:

Seit der Gründung im Jahr 2005 haben sich In This Moment aus Los Angeles eine riesige internationale Fanbase erspielt. Unterstützung bekommen die „Mother“-Figur und Sängerin Maria Brink und der Leadgitarrist Chris Howorth (ebenfalls ein Gründungsmitglied) aktuell vom Bassisten Travis Johnson, dem Gitarristen Randy Weitzel und dem Schlagzeuger Kent Diimmel. Besonders ihre gefeierten Live-Shows bescherten den Kaliforniern eine gewaltige Fanbase, weshalb sie ganz beiläufig zu einer der einfluss- und erfolgreichsten Bands des 21. Jahrhunderts avancieren konnten: Inzwischen gehen mehr als 1,3 Milliarden kombinierte Streams aufs Konto der US-Metalcore-Institution.



Nachdem ihnen schon das 2012 veröffentlichte Album Blood US-Gold beschert hatte, konnten zwischenzeitlich neben einem halben Dutzend Gold- und Platinsingles gleich drei Alben in Folge die Top-25 der US-Albumcharts aufmischen: Nach Blood und Black Widow (2014) stieg auch Ritual (2017) direkt auf Platz 23 in die Billboard-200 ein. Auch künstlerisch auf einem ganz neuen Level angekommen, sollten allein die Songs von Ritual seither mehr als eine Viertelmilliarde Streams generieren.



Neben ausverkauften Headliner-Tourneen rund um den Globus füllten sie die größten Stadien auch schon zusammen mit Disturbed und traten dazu bei den größten Festivals auf (u.a. Rockville, Sonic Temple).



Unterwegs zwischen den größten Bühnen war zuletzt das siebte Studioalbum Mother (Roadrunner Records) entstanden, das die US-Band mit dem angestammten Studiopartner Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch) aufgenommen hatte. Waren bei Ritual auch Blues-Elemente in ihrem knallharten Sound aufgetaucht, zog einen Mother schon mit der ersten Single unweigerlich in seinen Bann: Die Auskopplung „The In-Between“ wurde hinterher auch für einen GRAMMY Award nominiert. Im Jahr 2022 veröffentlichten In The Moment die EP Blood 1983 (BMG), ein musikalisches Update zum 10. Jubiläum des Blood-Albums. Außerdem war der Exklusivtitel „I Would Die For You“ auf dem Soundtrack zum Kinofilm John Wick: Chapter 4 zu hören.

The first color pressing of this title. We’re talkin’ TEX-MEX ROCK ‘N’ ROLL! In this show from January 21, 1981, Doug Sahm (AKA Sir Doug) reunites with original band members Augie Meyers and Johnny Perez, along with the legendary Alvin Crow on guitar and Speedy Sparks on bass for a no-holds-barred, rip-snortin’ Texas rock ‘n’ roll revival. Back in the day, the SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET was Texas’s answer to the British Invasion. With the arrival of the Beatles, Sir Doug & Co. saw their chance to break out the rough, Chicano-influenced rock they had been playing in the joints around San Antonio. They donned English-looking suits and hit the charts with “She’s About A Mover” in 1965. Nobody was quite sure where they came from, but they rode the English-pop wave to fame. There’s something contagious about Augie’s cheesy, pumping Vox organ chords and Sir Doug’s chang-a-chang rhythm guitar over Johnny’s Mexican drumming style, drenched in psychedelia, that stood out from everything else at the time. And it still does today. You may not be able to sit down through “She’s About A Mover” or “Mendocino,” but that’s OK. Doug is no longer with us, but you can be sure that somewhere he’s still kickin’ out the jams. - Terry Lickona (Producer Austin City Limits®)

A Flor de Piel, the new album from singer-songwriter and composer Maria Monica Gutierrez (aka Montañera), is a meditative journey of self-discovery across oceans, time, and the traditional confines of genre. Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Gutierrez began the album as a way to explore her identity after a difficult move to London left her feeling untethered in a strange new place. The result is an examination of the immigrant's experience through a rich sonic lens of ambient pop textures, inspired by sources as disparate as Colombian traditional music, traditional Senegalese music, and whalesong from the depths of the Atlantic. The album begins with the title track "A Flor de Piel," Gutierrez's indelible vocals floating above a vast expanse before being joined by deep, silky bass and the plucks of a koto-like stringed instrument. "The song was inspired by traditional Japanese music," Gutierrez explains, "It's about making my heart a little lighter; I know that inside of me I can be as light as mist in heat, I can be fragile as the song of a sparrow." That sentiment perfectly encapsulates much of what makes A Flor de Piel so special. The album comes with a message of healing for all people, without forgetting the centuries of struggle and hurt that form the bedrock of modern society. The track "Santa Mar," for instance, is inspired by the musical traditions of afro-pacific women in Colombia, and the crucial role that they play as peacebuilders in the region. Backed by a hypnotic beat, the song features contributions from marimba player Cankita, alongside Las Cantadoras de Yerba Buena, an all-female vocal group that utilizes traditional Afro-Colombian music to preserve their history and promote peace. Standout track "Como Una Rama" is a futuristic take on bullerengue, a traditional style of music and dance originally developed by Maroon communities on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Deeply affecting, the song combines Gutierrez's indomitable voice with electronics that recall Steve Reich's rhythmic minimalism. "Cruzar," the final track on the album, feels almost like a lullaby, with a meditative harmonic style and trance-like vocal melody. "The lyrics," Gutierrez explains, "are a personal reminder of what is important to me: healing, letting go, breathing, evaporating, forgetting, changing, crystallizing." Across the 40-odd minutes of A Flor de Piel, Gutierrez triumphs at recontextualizing traditional sounds and sentiments into a modern form using synth-based and electronic textures. It's a fitting representation for the personal struggles that the artist endured during her move to London. Rather than dwelling solely on the past Guitierrez uses A Flor de Piel to summon the strength of past generations, and forge a new path forward. As she describes it, "The album has accompanied me through inner journeys of finding myself in a new territory _ of redefining myself, of remembering who I am _ in a strange place." As we drift towards an increasingly frightening and uncertain future, perhaps Montañera's A Flor de Piel is exactly what we need: something to give us strength, to bring us peace, and to accompany our journey into a strange new place.