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Black Zodiac is a science-fiction sonic piece in which the oblique movement of harmonies allows conversations with other existences. It is a galactic chant created by the words of Manah Depauw and the web of sounds of Ben Bertrand

The machinic rapture of Van Boom’s debut album, ‘Prosthetics’, firmly planted the Kuwaiti artist in the underground of critical producers that stoke grisly and inhuman themes. Set against the backdrop of the Gulf Region, these themes remain exceptionally nefarious. His latest release, the ‘NUBORNE’ EP, mounts wider explorations of the eviscerating sonic grounds that he began to depict with his first long-playing document.

Gestured with the EP’s title, ‘NUBORNE’ stakes its significance on regeneration and permutation, clearly relishing in the aftermath of ‘Prosthetics’. Across four tracks, Van Boom crafts precisely to forge a set of works that are attached to their live performance state. It’s here that the EP is at home, for this is where unknowns come into play, this is where distortion leads to novel structures. Featuring collaborations with whiterose, Safety Trance, and Evita Manji, ‘NUBORNE’ is rendered evermore atypical. Accompanying the shift in design, there’s an unnerving ambience that’s given free reign across the EP, too. Snapshots of solitude prick the focal points amongst rhythmic tics, as if these shards deform the tracks in real time. With sheer relentless momentum, Van Boom seizes a new path wielding his familiar forces.

Matthew Dear's Black City Can't Be Found On Any Map. It's A Composite, An Imaginary Metropolis Peopled By Desperate Cases, Lovelorn Souls, And Amoral Motives. Like Most Literary Gothams, Black City Is A Place To Love And Hate, As Seedy As A Nightclub's Back Room And As Seductive As The Promise Of Power. Matthew Dear, The Musician, May Live In New York City, But The Matthew Dear Of Black City Inhabits A Sound-world Unlike Any Other: A Monument To The Shadowy Side Of Urban Life That Bumps And Creaks, Shudders And Wakes Up Screaming In The Middle Of The Night. Black City Is Matthew Dear's Third Album On Ghostly International, And It's His Darkest And Most Engrossing Work To Date.

From The rst Notes Of Album Opener "honey", It's Clear That The Love-obsessed Matthew Dear Of 2007's Asa Breed Has Given Way To A More Existentially Paranoid Entity, As Creeping Tempos Dominate, Cavernous Atmospherics Envelop The Listener, And Strange Distortions Crackle On The Horizon. In Black City, Nothing Is At It Seems: Leadoff Single "little People (black City)" Is A Nine-and-a-half Minute Disco odyssey, subverting its gleaming electronic lead with eerily giddy backing vocals and cryptic, ominous lyrics ("a frozen wasted heart / has died", "love me like a clown"); "You Put a Smell on Me" is a sordid sex romp set to hysterically chattering percussion and a serrated synth line that will set your teeth on edge; "More Surgery" at rst recalls the barely-there Krautrock of Harmonia in its burbling minimalism, until Dear's chanted chorus of "Alter genetics / to make my body glow / I need more surgery / there's so much more to know" sends the track hurtling into a dystopian future.

And yet, for all the foreboding moods on Black City, it's the album's sweeter moments that illustrate Matthew Dear's growing maturity as a songwriter. "Slowdance" is a futuristic lullaby in which Dear articulates a lover's helplessness ("I can't be the one to tell you everything's wrong") over breathy, Arthur Russell-esque cello swishes; the album-closing "Gem" is an achingly simple, reverb-drenched piano ballad that ends with a long, slow fade. Even in Matthew Dear's Black City, there is hope.

The world was a different place in June 2020. Most of us were coming out of a first lockdown and accepting limitations, new fears, and changes in our lives. There was some hope things were going to be better, optimism in the summer, a new beginning. For some, like Molero, it was. He released his first album in June 2020, one he had been working on over the previous years. “Ficciones Del Trópico” felt like a discovery, the synths approached a new world, raw, full of wonder, fresh. It was the sound we needed, the horizon we were longing for.

Four years have passed. Molero spent most of that time thinking about and creating the music for “Destellos Del Éxtasis”. If “Ficciones Del Trópico” lived in the depths of the Amazon jungle, “Destellos Del Éxtasis” releases itself from a physical location/idea and creates upon symbolism and the abstract. The more we listen to it, the more we get lost in how he created music that is shapeless, no angles, constantly morphing, transforming into something else.

Like magic, alchemy, but also like visions, hallucinatory visions, or dreams if dreams could step out into reality. And the more we get lost, the more we are convinced the music from “Destellos Del Éxtasis” is part of us, of our body, present as a permanently passing cloud. It gets into dark places, moving constantly into new ground, testing feelings, emotions and how they gravitate with sound. There’s something different in each track. Like magic. Not magical music (but there’s an argument for that). We prefer music for magic. Ritualistic, celebratory, transformative and increasingly visual. Close your eyes, it will open your perception. Follow the ecstasy, let yourself go. The reward is here.

The third chapter in CLIKNO's MAT (Music / Art / Text) EDITIONS series features four extended deep Minimal Techno tracks by Dr.Nojoke, titled wrongwrongrightright.

This release is accompanied by Dana Widawski's SelfMade 1-4, a series of four fayence-style plates created using traditional techniques to convey unconventional, socio-critical themes, and a text, solo moral judgement, by Marianne Klausen—a manual for a performance on moral judgment that explores the meanings and values of concepts like good, bad, wrong, and right—fusing auditory and visual art with writing into a unified experience.

At the core of Dr.Nojoke's wrongwrongrightright lies a deep, hypnotic quality, woven through layers of rhythm, melody, and noise, creating a transcendental pulse for the dancefloor. Notone on the A-side takes a more straightforward, acidic approach, while Cornips on the flipside is a deep minimal groover with a funky interplay of sounds. The second record dives even deeper with two more obscure tracks, Volasuri and Jilimuz, appealing to fans of Voices From The Lake and similar artists.

CLIKNO … art for dancing

Artist, producer, DJ and cultural trailblazer Peggy Gou returns with her latest single “Find The Way” on Gudu Records.

The first new track since the release of her debut album I Hear You, this latest single builds on her recent sonic terrain. Making a midsummer bid for song of the season, on “Find The Way” Gou addictively blends her featherlight breezy vocals with a balmy, technicolour 90s house beat lush with mellow keys, acid tinged synths and hypnotic basslines.

2024 has been a huge year for Gou already with the release of her hotly-anticipated debut album I Hear You on XL Recordings in June. Alongside glowing reviews from The Observer, NME, The Line of Best Fit and more, she’s also graced the covers of Billboard (US), Vogue Germany and L’Officiel Italia. A huge year for her in the live arena too, having played to over a million people in 2023, 2024 has seen a string of high-profile appearances at the likes of the Coachella, Ultra, EDC and Primavera festivals alongside a headline slot on Glastonbury’s Park Stage.

Obscure Bad Dreams Vol. 1 - Dedicated To The Legendary Sauro Cosimetti

Another strong HOTMIX to be out soon.
It's a Hommage to the legendary Sauro Cosimetti.
Highy recommended!

After a string of ambient and experimental releases across labels such as Bedroom Suck, Best Effort, Ken Oath and Analogue Attic, Matthew Hayes - veteran bassist of Z*F*E*X, welcomes his latest project Xpress Point, designed to keep your hips moving rather than kicked back on your couch. Born out of jam sessions and collaborations with artists such as Dreamcastmoe, Jitwam, Ziggy Zeitgeist, Finn Rees and Allysha Joy and an obsession with reclaiming the nostalgic sound sounds of the Korg M1 and Yamaha DX7, Xpress Point, which takes Its name from a local surf break off the coast of Phillip Island, draws heavily from the boogie tradition with a nod to vapourware, downtempo, balearic and funk breaks.

Assembled in 2023 across Melbourne/Naarm, London and Berlin, from surf breaks to crusty drum breaks, Xpress Point is a vehicle for Hayes to search for the perfect bass line, explore funk minimalism, continue nurturing longtime musical relationships with close friends and offer his own take on music to make you move.

in the middle of it we instantiate false aralia: a series of recordings growing in all directions, cataloging the work of a group of north american collaborators centered around the studio practices of izaak schlossman (of aught, s transporter, loveshadow etc.) and facilitated by brian foote (of peak oil, kranky, etc.). with this outlet we hope to provide useful tools for dance and avenues for intentional listening.

the first release, ‘zero key’, explores valences of an idea as it slips, as would a thought or a cloud, into something else entirely across its four tracks of recursive microhouse rhythms and hallucinated dub spatializations. foregrounding its most melodic state, its most percussive, and two points between, the versions cut an indeterminate and continuous process into discrete objects that invite repurposing, layering, and other nonlinear methods of evaluation. played through, it may be interpreted as an emerging, or a coming-to-light, as a soft vocal figure develops a tougher rhythmic architecture that eventually occludes its prior form entirely. each of zero key’s facets spurs a parallel investigation into its internal logic of patterning and form.

We’re teaming up with ELUCID and Fat Possum for a limited edition of 300 copies of a Rush Hour black ice coloured edition.

E L U C I D, one half of the illustrious duo Armand Hammer, is here with the full-length follow-up to 'I Told Bessie'. Further experiments in the sonic, expanding on the 'live' side of music paired with the embracing of chaos. Something you haven't heard, or not so for a very long time. E L U C I D is here to reveal the bleakness of reality.



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''There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now.''
James Baldwin

A raw, crackling urgency runs through rapper-producer ELUCID’s new album REVELATOR like an underground power line. There is no space here for sepia-toned reminiscences or indulgent self-mythologizing. Intellectual rabbit holes have been filled in with concrete and rebar ; there is nowhere to hide and no off ramp from the audio Autobahn that ELUCID has fashioned—a renegade Robert Moses with gold fronts, bulldozing the homes of the powerful and the complicit. REVELATOR brims with the energy of now, with a refusal to look away. Carpe diem in a murder one mask.

Born in Jamaica, Queens, ELUCID has been on the cutting edge of New York’s underground scene since the mid-2000s. From the beginning, he has defied both convention and expectation. He ran with Okayplayer darlings Tanya Morgan, but his own music eschewed their throwback charm for glitchy noise experiments and bass-swamped culture jamming. His 2016 debut studio project Save Yourself (re-released in a deluxe edition last year) announced him in earnest. But in recent years, his Armand Hammer releases with partner-in-crime billy woods have received significant attention and acclaim. Serving as a followup to his last solo album—2022’s comparatively balmy I Told Bessie—ELUCID hoped to “re-distinguish” himself with REVELATOR, setting himself apart amidst the increasing attention around the music he and his friends are making together.

For ELUCID, this meant setting bold new challenges for himself. One of these was diving further into live instrumentation than ever before—”getting my Quincy Jones on,” as he puts it. The testing ground for this approach was Armand Hammer’s most recent project, 2023’s We Buy Diabetic Test Strips’ Möbius strip soundscapes, warmed with instrumental flourishes and skin-shedding beat progressions. With REVELATOR, though, ELUCID strove to create an atmosphere of chaos, embracing experimental electronics and atonal sample bursts. He worked on much of the album with co-producer Jon Nellen, who comes from a background in avant-garde and Indian classical music. “I wanted to get as freaky as I could at this moment. I wanted people to hear things, maybe for the first time, or in a way they haven’t for a long while,” the rapper explains.

ELUCID arrived at the studio with a collection of noise sources: non-referential samples, glitches and noises. Together he, Nellen, and others created forms out of them and, as ELUCID recalls, “just started playing drums with it.” Their fried, distorted sound was directly inspired by Miles Davis at his most uncompromising—specifically, the tone-clustering funk track “Rated X” from his 1974 double LP Get Up With It. At times, the pairing of rap with avant-fusion sounds also brings Emergency! from The Tony Williams Lifetime to mind, perhaps in an alternate timeline where the late drummer was listening to Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted.

“The World is Dog,” REVELATOR’s lead single, functions as the album’s aesthetic thesis statement. Like the Davis track, the textures are punishing, the tonality is in free-fall, and the driving breakbeat of a groove cuts in and out unceremoniously. Avant-jazz bassist Luke Stewart, who appears throughout the record, holds the whole thing together just long enough for ELUCID to tightwalk over the beat. This tension is exactly where REVELATOR sets itself apart; in a time of drumless loops, and safe soul samples, this is a high-wire act with no safety net. Similarly, the song announces the themes of the album within just a few phrases, evoking the way societies accept and adjust to new levels of debasement and brutality while suffocating under the weight of history: “Can’t clock the kill, all a mystery/Forced past will eating everyone eventually/The world is dog.”

Many of the songs on REVELATOR grapple obliquely with dissolution and disenfranchisement in America and across the world—the grim realities of our domestic sociopolitical climate and our involvement in foreign conflicts. “Much of my artistic and political sensibility comes from the Black arts movement here in New York,” ELUCID explains. “Recognizing the interconnected global struggles against oppression, artists and thinkers created works and actions in solidarity with freedom movements in South Africa and Palestine.” ELUCID cites intellectuals like Amiri Baraka, Kwame Nkrumah, Audre Lorde, Sonia Sanchez, and Nikki Giovanni among his heroes. (One track on the album is specifically inspired by Lorde’s work, “SKP,” citing the scholar’s paper “Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic As Power.”) Songs like REVELATOR’s insistent closer “ZIGZAGZIG,” find ELUCID applying up-to-the-minute messaging, making explicit reference to the conflict in Gaza: “Feed a war machine…from river to sea, in lieu of peace.”

Despite ELUCID’s preference for cacophonous system overload here, the rapper also provides moments of respite. Recorded at The Alchemist’s Los Angeles studio, the laid-back, wheezing “INSTANT TRANSFER” is a collaboration with billy woods, which crystallizes their shared sense of creative determination. “With much momentum behind us and even more on the horizon, I knew a purpose, and that every step was ordered to that purpose,” ELUCID said of the experience. Meanwhile, the jittery “HUSHPUPPIES” is a playful anomaly on the track list, providing a snapshot of ELUCID watching his grandparents in the kitchen while preparing for Friday night fish fry dinners.

“Love still rules over on this side,” ELUCID says. ”I’m raising a family. We are making meaning and finding joy in the midst of all the fucked up-ness of everything around us because the alternative is cowardice and slow death. We remain rooted. We celebrate our people and our wins. Struggle is necessary.”

“IKEBANA” is one of ELUCID’s strongest statements of purpose on the record, blending the record’s heaviest themes with its most hopeful sentiments. supported by a shoutalong refrain and an urgent prog-funk groove. Breaking away from images of dissolution and crumbling societal systems that populate REVELATOR, ELUCID notes that the only way to navigate life’s bleakest landscapes is to cling to love and believe in those around you—to look forward toward something better that may or may not be possible. For the rapper, one of the album’s most trenchant lines comes during a centerpiece of a beat drop: “Being alive/I must look up.”

“The lyric ‘being alive I must look up’ is important especially in the context of this album. Much of the album imagery is harsh and reflects the actual doom some of us experience. But still I/we exist,” ELUCID explains.

Every artist is, in one way or another, the product of their time, bound by life’s leaden gravity to operate within the space of that which is already known. But there are some who are able to shake free of these ties, to shape the culture as it unfolds, to make the present their own.
Revelation, as a concept, points to the scales falling from people’s eyes—something that has been hiding in plain sight becoming clear. “The revelator relates to things that have been talked about, things that have been forecasted,” ELUCID adds. “And now they’re really here, and everyone sees it. And there’s no escaping.” REVELATOR plays out with the unmitigated power of those storms, laying waste to any genre conventions in pursuit of a certain physicality. Here, ELUCID develops a wholly distinctive musical language to explore our fractured modernity.

REVELATOR's packaging was designed by longtime Armand Hammer / Backwoodz art director, Alexander Richter.

Astral travel with Cybotron into the meta-narrative of the Parallel Shift, a new sonic fiction that raises many questions about military science of the near-future and the possibility of other worlds.
Descending backward through the rhythms of time, the Skynet module retracts from the hyper-structural society of 2100, edging toward the mid-century modern age teetering on the brink of what was then the frontier of “the future”. The system boots the Infiniti process, morphing into a cosmotechnic vessel coursing the superhighway of burgeoning general intelligence, seeking data from just before “the overshoot and collapse.”
R&D methods, rhythmanalytically applied, dissect the aftermath of an industrial society that burst through the ecological capacity of Spaceship Earth. Fractal visions of war and innovation spike and recede from and into the surfaces of reality being bent and guiding the eyes, ears, touch towards a laboratory in the year 1961. A nuclear expert, Don Lewis, receives orders to decrypt the mysterious black dodecagonal disc known as Fortec and the extraterrestrial biology unearthed in Roswell. He joins a team disassembling Fortec and studying the recurrent dodecahedral patterns linked to the human nervous system.
Through dismantling and probing, the team cycles through a saecular search devoid of finite conclusions, limited by Earth’s intellectual and technological prowess. One 1960s night, Lewis, while meddling with Fortec’s cyborganic innards, accidentally electrifies himself. His cyclotron and missile experience guides him to circuit-bend Fortec, stirring the entity from a mechanical slumber. Lewis and Fortec communicate in resonances, until it drifts back into a tranquil stasis.
The US Defense and contractors, unbeknownst to them, observe this breakthrough. They later permit Lewis to exit military service as the Air Force forms the Foreign Technology Division. Concurrently, MJ12 evolves into CY12, delving into second-order cybernetics. Lewis clandestinely keeps working on Fortec fragments, transitioning from military engineer to musician, pioneering the LEO module, a fusion of Fortec’s essence and audio engineering.
He shares his insights with Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi, aiding the creation of the iconic TR-808. Meanwhile, Fortec branches out, coining “Cyberspace” – a collective illusion of liberty unshackled by physical, political, or spiritual bounds, anchored in the equitable distribution of The Golden Ratio across realities. Yet “Cyberspace” morphs into a chaotic truth reservoir, spilling over into deception.
The Parallel Shift manifests in the perpetual “Now,” a collapsed event horizon where past and future are ensnared in a relentless present, unfurling along a dissolving timeline, overseen by a monolithic simulation under ceaseless watch…
— The Rhythmanalyst aka DeForrest Brown, Jr.

More brutal sounds from the thriving UK scum/noise rock underground.

LOUSE: purveyors of the finest cellar-dweller scum rock since 2020; a disgusting cocktail comprised of 4 parts Foot Hair (Box Records) and 2 parts The Shits (Rocket Recordings), served over a capsized cruise-liner.

Described as wielding “damp and sticky instruments”, being “rotten from the inside” and sonically “stinking drunk, shirtless with no shoes, crawling around in your head”, LOUSE gleefully pummel one riff into oblivion, deranged howls & punishing buzzsaw guitars growl over driving disco beats and slide bass. A carnival in an open sewer.

Creep Call – LOUSE’s debut LP, after various tapes, live recordings and a split 10” lathe cut with The Shits – is a true statement of intent. Presented by the magnificent Riot Season, the record is the result of a (wasted) life’s work honing and toning the platonic ideal of single-riff noise rock, all wrapped up in a grindhouse, Giallo-flick package.

Briefly elevated from the basement, Creep Call was recorded with James Atkinson at The Station House Studio in 2023 and mastered by S. Bishop, so the carnage has never sounded better. Perfectly balanced ugliness drenched in feedback, pumped up with Stooges keys and sax (honk honk) - the closest thing to experiencing the deafening, goofy, beer-soaked-undergarment chaos of a LOUSE show first hand.

Creep Call features wholesome ruminations on perpetual home invasion, road-side pornography addiction, perfecting a cannibalistic diet, and an unmistakable cowboy/line-dancing anthem. Do the wrong thing, and answer the call.

From London to Ibiza via Berlin, inspired by Chigago and Detroit, Ceri finds her truth in proper house music. ‘Can’t Pay My Bills’ EP provides a message of hope during uncertain times. Acknowledged as a “rising selector” by Crack Magazine, producer, label boss and record digger Ceri steps into 2024 with a brand-new EP ‘Can’t Pay My Bills” via her imprint “Find Your Own Records”.

“The title track is inspired by the current economic situation in the world, and also features a positive message that reflects the values and true origins of house music, reinforcing the belief that we can overcome our circumstances and improve our situation” - Ceri


The new four track EP drips with Chicago, New York and Detroit jackin’ house with garage influence, and a sprinkle of ripping UK breakbeat for good measure. The people’s producer D'Julz steps up, on remix duties, contributing not one but two remixes to the label’s ongoing message of artist authenticity and collaboration. The remixes will be vinyl only, and the originals will see a digital release later in the year.

“I have collected D'Julz music for many years, his label started around the same time I started DJing, and it was and still is, one of the few labels that I buy on sight. I know it will always be quality. Something I aspire to do with my label too.”– Ceri

As an artist led label 'Find Your Own Records’ has become a home for genuine house legends Mr G, Fred P, Alex Arnout, and has rightly gained support from Mixmag, Resident Advisor, BBC Radio 1, BB6Music and BBC1Xtra.

Support for the label so far comes from the likes of:

Midland, Ben UFO, Move D, K-HAND, Fumiya Tanaka, Fred P, Paranoid London, Steve O'Sullivan, Tristan Da Cunha, Ryan Elliot, Lakuti, DJ Deep, Kerri Chandler, Chloe Caillet, Fred P, Jeremy Underground, Cici, D’Julz, Chez Damier and more…


As a DJ Ceri has performed marathon sets at Fabric, Corsica Studios, Pikes Ibiza, Thisishaven, and recently made her debut at the legendary Panorama Bar/Berghain. Confidently sharing the booth with club favourites Ryan Elliot, Jeremy Underground, Paranoid London and Objekt it’s certain the next year of live shows will be ones to remember for the UK artist. Inspiring far beyond the dancefloor, Ceri also regularly steps up as a masterclass host / panelist on creativity, mental health, meditation and wellness with renowned platforms Beatport, ADE, RedBull, Point Blank and Native Instruments, earning her a distinctive reputation as a multifaceted artist and
thought leader.

Ceri – ‘Can’t Pay My Bils’ EP is out on Find Your Own Records. Vinyl end of Feb tbc. The remixes re vinyl only. And the originals will be released digitally in the summer.

FREDDIE TERRELL & his Blue Rhythm Band struck gold in 1970 with the perfect slice of Crossover Soul “You Had It Made”, co-written with rare soul legend Herman Hitson. It failed to hit outside of his home town, Atlanta, Georgia and remains a highly sought-after and rare original, reissued here for the very first time. Terrell returned a couple of years later with the Soul Expedition releasing one of the most collectabhle soulful-funk albums of the decade.

CHARLES WILLIAMS also hailed from Georgia and relocated to Finland in the Seventies. In 1975 he released his debut album, the socially conscious, Love Is A Very Special Thing and the breakout single “Standing In The Way”. With it’s easy, soulful, jazzy groove and obscure heritage it caught the imagination of the UK scene and remains a midtempo favourite to this day.

The first in a new compilation series, "How We Walk on the Moon," was selected and supervised by the project "VINYL GOES AROUND," which operates under the concept of "redefining record culture" in the era of subscription services.

The album is themed on "quiet nights." It is not too close to healing/easy listening, but has a beautiful tension and a pure, mellow mood, and the fantastic soundscape that makes you want to listen to it under the moonlight blends into the environment.

The selection of beautiful pieces is a woven ensemble of various genres, including not only ambient and jazz, but also soul, library, and alternative, and will serve as an introduction to the pop side of ambient music, which many people find intimidating. It is a must-listen for all music fans.

In addition, the LP comes with a completely new type of obi called "ORIGAMI" supervised by "VINYL GOES AROUND". It is a special design that further deepens the worldview of the album.

The tracks included are "Harmonica and...", a 7-inch only track by Sven Wonder, an up-and-coming artist who was nominated for the Jazz category of the 2024 Swedish Grammy Awards; "Clouds" by Gigi Masin, which has been cited by Namedaruma, Nujabes, and Bjork; and "Morning Sunrise", a popular song by Weldon Irvin that has been sampled in countless songs since the 2000s. The lineup is set apart from conventional healing/ambient compilations, and will be useful for DJs as well.

This is a record that will make spending an evening with you feel incredibly luxurious, as if your mind is being freed to go on a free-spirited journey.

*****

It is an honor to be included in this compilation alongside so many other talented artists who have been an important part of my musical journey and hold a special place in my heart. - SVEN WUNDER

(incl 40p fanzine written by Matt Annis with photographs by Simon Pyke and Ian Brodie) Postpunk Theory is a meticulously curated compilation by the legendary Tony Thorpe, known for his work with The Moody Boys, 400 Blows, and The KLF. These classic tracks were played at parties by Thorpe at the time, making them his personal classics. The compilation features 16 rare and sought-after tracks from the post-punk era, including works by Mark Stewart and The Maffia, Basement 5, 23 Skidoo and more.



Defining post-punk is no easy task. While punk was defined by a raw, rebellious simplicity, post-punk (1978-1986) expanded into a diverse array of sounds and ideas. It maintained punk's independent spirit but embraced experimentation, incorporating influences from various musical and cultural traditions, resulting in a movement far more eclectic and fragmented than its predecessor.

At its core, post-punk broke away from traditional rock structures, blending genres like industrial, goth, and punk-funk with emerging dance music cultures. This era's spirit of innovation and defiance against musical norms continues to inspire, making post-punk a pivotal moment in music history that defies easy categorization.

Tony Thorpe presents Postpunk Theory - Alpha ? is a meticulously curated compilation by the legendary Tony Thorpe, known for his work with The Moody Boys, 400 Blows, and The KLF. These classic tracks were played at parties by Thorpe at the time, making them his personal classics. The compilation features 16 rare and sought-after tracks from the post-punk era, including works by Mark Stewart and The Maffia, Basement 5, 23 Skidoo, African Headcharge, and more.

Growing up in a vibrant musical environment in South London, Thorpe was deeply influenced by the eclectic sounds around him, from jazz-funk to Brit-Funk, and later, the post-punk records he discovered. As Thorpe recalls, "Post-punk was a mishmash of different cultures and ideas. Out of post-punk came dance music culture. That period was the most creative time because the culture was in its experimental phase." This compilation captures that innovative spirit, offering a glimpse into the era that shaped Thorpe's musical journey.

The album comes as a limited 2xLP set, accompanied by an extensive 40-page fanzine. The fanzine, written by Matt Annis (Join The Future), dives deep into the post-punk movement, offering insight and context enriched with striking photographs by Simon Pyke and Ian Brodie.

2024 Repress

Medical Records releases the first full length LP in 5 years by LA's Geneva Jacuzzi. To say Jacuzzi is a multifaceted artist would be an understatement. She is well known for her uncompromisingly obtuse synth-driven pop and one-of-a-kind performance art that is comprised of one time only spectacles and installations. Her works have been presented in famous art institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, MOCA and numerous other venues across the globe. She has developed a very focused cult following in the art AND music scenes. She was originally well known for her multitude of self-released home recordings but also released a full length Lamaze in 2010 on the Vinyl International to much acclaim. Not to mention her track The Sleep Room featured on The Minimal Wave Tapes Vol 2. Technophelia is the culmination of a hybrid of DIY and professional studio recordings (with the help of esteemed producer Chris Coady) that resulted in this exquisite album. Features the soon-to-be-hits I'm A TV and Cannibal Babies. Lovers of unique and left-field wave such as Gina X, Ronny, and the like will be transfixed by the raw, oozing newness of it all. All tracks recorded/performed by Geneva Jacuzzi with additional production by Chris Coady at Sunset Sound Studios. Mastered by Josh Bonati. Presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight white vinyl.

MLiR is one of those rare creative partnerships where personalities and talents perfectly match, an exquisite balance of similarity and polarity leading to ingenuity. In the case of MLiR, this dynamic has resulted in the form of consistently vibrant takes on current, past and future global dance music, an artistic expression
fuelled by equal parts tireless record digging and masterful studio wizardry.
Their two previous EPs on Studio Barnhus count among the label's most played and loved, and the forthcoming debut album Pulpo Fiction, released this October on the Stockholm label, takes it to the next level with a staggering tracklist of 16 new recordings featuring vocal talent as diverse as Kenyan rapper Nah Eeto, American
poet Oliver Grimball and Swedish soul singer Cosima Olu.

The music is as wild a ride as ever with MLiR at the controls – ranging from the nostalgic to the futuristic, the deep to the poptastic – with a firm base in the kind of high-powered, light-footed dancefloor material the duo is so beloved for.

RARE & PREV. UNRELEASED PSYCH-FUNK AND GARAGE ROCK !!!

Say hello to Down & Wired Vol. 7 as Perfect Toy Records unleashes yet another instalment in its long-running compilation series! Once more, the label provides a delectable selection of obscure funk and soul-influenced psychedelic and garage rock tracks to delight even hardcore collectors of both genres.

And make no mistake, there is plenty to discover among these eleven tracks. At the funkiest end of things, Function's Free Style morphs from West Coast psychedelia to country funk to swamp rock and back again in its sub-three minute length, Dandy King provide psychedelic funky-soul and The Whiz Kids take a heavy dose of funkiness with them into psych-rock territory – sample fiends watch out for the fat twenty-second drum break towards the end of the latter! Purer psychedelia can be found in the offering from Third Stone while Würzburg band Prisma provide all-out epic psych-rock carnage. And if rock carnage is your thing, you'll be feeling the dirty garage rock onslaught of The Comin' Generation and a previously unreleased cut by Synod - soon to be a 45 single on Perfect Toy. That just leaves The General Store, The Soul Society, The Vestells and another unreleased cut from The Villagers (from whom the label will be dropping more unreleased material soon!), to close the circle by adding a heavy dose of garage soul.

A worthy successor to the previous volumes, Down & Wired Vol. 7 is once again accompanied by an insert containing detailed information and photos of the bands and a download code is also included with every vinyl LP.

Exploration, collaboration and curiosity define the rhythm at the beating heart of Mehmet Aslan’s exemplary compositions. The Swiss-born producer of Turkish heritage has already forged a singular path through production, DJing and full-band performances, navigating the more esoteric corners of Berlin’s club culture without sacrificing his musical heritage or innate creativity.

A conceptual new LP ‘Auguri’ follows on from 2021’s gnomic, ornate ‘The Sun Is Parallel’, which saw Aslan musically associate with the likes of Valentina Magaletti and Niño De Elche. ‘Auguri’ also has its foundations in collaboration, born out of a musical lab at Lyon’s annual
Nuits Sonores, the forward-thinking festival with whom Aslan has maintained a lengthy creative relationship.

The resulting audio-visual performance, ‘Bird Signals For Earthly Survival’ introduced Aslan, to the Greek filmmaker Stratis Vogiatzis. Drawing on the philosophy of Donna Haraway and envisioning new ways of being, of living on earth, Aslan and Vogiatzis crane their necks to the sky to witness flocks of birds performing spectacular movements in unison. Fluid and ancient, their organic waltz provides inspiration for Aslan’s extension of the project, spanning sonic shades of electro, ambient and modern folk psychedelia.

On the coastline of Vogiatzis’s home country of Greece, as in many places across the world, climate change threatens to effect the ancient migration pattern of millions of birds, just as their fellow beings on terra firma become increasingly entangled in a man-made disaster of their own creation. In unison, ‘Auguri’ is adorned by artwork from designer Xavi Bou. Known for his ‘ornithographies’, this striking visual captures avian life not only as a force, but a wry observer.

“We need to transform our connections with other living beings to protect the Earth and live together harmoniously”, reflects Aslan. “Personally, this project has made me more sensitive to this issue. I wanted to give back in return for the inspiration I've received."

Perhaps upending expectations of a more traditional ‘ambient’ album, Aslan commits some of his finest compositional work and understated songwriting to this urgent imperative, creating original music that nonetheless, has nature flowing through it. ‘Critters’ presents a spectral sound collage on which Aslan himself speaks from the texts composed at the residency, conjuring visions of “the birds flying… shape of the future”. Meanwhile, the undulating, psychedelic ‘Pigeon Blinks’ takes inspiration from more domestic scenes, charting the unexpected roosting and hatching of an egg on a kitchen window, while ‘Auguri’ gives the album it’s title in connecting to a higher plain, demonstrating Aslan’s ability to lure melody and catharsis from looping hypnosis.

Opener ‘Spectra’ provides a forceful, almost industrial breakbeat that establishes the exigency of the album as well as its sense of wonder, while ‘Euphoria’ reaches the potency of its promise slowly, with Aslan’s modular melodies meeting the flourishing percussion of guest player and multi-instrumentalist, POPP. Finally, ‘Aura’ delivers a cinematic conclusion, mixing an elegiac organ motif, haunting guitar chords and the prophetic sense of a scorched earth. Here, with patience and soaring production, Aslan once more makes the abstract and the unthinkable somehow tangible, mixing in sampled birdsong.

Accordingly, ‘Auguri’ is being released in accordance with EarthPercent, the music industry’s climate foundation, co-founded by Brian Eno. A portion of the album’s publishing will be credited as part of ‘The Earth As Your Co-Writer’ initiative, allowing artists to directly credit The Earth in their new compositions. Here, streaming and publishing from Aslan’s recorded sounds are automatically paid back to a number of vital initiatives worldwide.

Leaning into some of the most vital questions and anxieties of our time, ‘Auguri’ is not a project without a sense of hope. From studio to sea, Mehmet Aslan continues to look to the skies and beyond.

Eaux proudly announces a new collaborative mini-album from label boss Rrose and Polygonia. Containing six tracks and over 40 minutes of music housed in a fully printed sleeve with artwork by Jon-Paul Villegas, the record focuses squarely on the dancefloor while infusing it with the kinds of psychoactive drones, intricate polyrhythms, and relentless modulations that have come to identify both of their approaches to sound. Featured heavily are their shared interests in sonic shapes that resemble natural forms and conjure tactile feelings, in this case related to themes of skin-like surfaces and circulatory systems experienced simultaneously on a micro and macro level. While several of the tracks hover in a flexible tempo range between 125 and 130 bpm, "Stretcher" reaches up to 142, and the closing track "Vena Cava" trades the kick drums for spectrally processed percussion and endlessly diverging high-frequency pulses.

The story behind the release starts in 2022, when Rrose reached out to Polygonia after noticing that her tracks were appearing in their sets more frequently than any other artist. Never before had Rrose proposed a collaboration with someone they hadn't met before, but there was such an obvious connection in their approach to sound that it felt necessary. As it turns out, Polygonia had only become interested in techno after hearing Rrose perform at a festival in 2018. It all made sense, and they began sharing sketches and unfinished ideas with each other, trading them back and forth until they reached completion. Without any announcement of their collaboration, the two artists have since been asked to share the stage together several times. It seems there are other people out there sensing a connection...


Bios:

RROSE

Rrose is an alias of the multi-disciplinary artist Seth Horvitz, born and raised in California, and currently based in London. Active since 2011, the Rrose project explores the intersection of hypnotic techno, experimental composition and psychoacoustic phenomena with a meticulous touch. The first major breakthrough was 2012's "Waterfall" for Sandwell District which followed "Motormouth Variations," a collaborative project with composer, improviser, and activist Bob Ostertag. After the shuttering of Sandwell District, Rrose established Eaux, a home for further solo productions and collaborations. Building on his studies in electronic composition and history at Mills College, Rrose's electronic pieces blur the lines between thrillingly claustrophobic club tracks and destabilizing sound art explorations. In 2015, she released an extended version of James Tenney's postcard composition "Having Never Written a Note For Percussion" for solo gong, and in 2018 collaborated with Charlemagne Palestine on "The Goldennn Meeenn + Sheeenn" for two grand pianos. These works overlapped with the development of Rrose's singular techno: EPs like "Vanishing Pools," "The Ends of Weather" and "Arc Unknown" as well as 2019's debut LP "Hymn to Moisture" and last year's follow up "Please Touch." Rrose is also active as a touring DJ and live performer, equally comfortable commanding sweaty warehouse dancefloors and seated audiences in historic concert halls. Appearances include Unsound, Atonal, Semibreve, Dekmantel, Mutek, Sonic Acts, Nuit Sonore, Mostra, Parallel, Theatre Graslin, Nextones, and Berghain.
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POLYGONIA

Polygonia represents a multidisciplinary music and art project conceived by Lindsey Wang from Munich, Germany.

She draws inspiration from her many years of practicing various acoustic instruments and her keen interest for other cultural forms of expression, which she translates into the digital language of electronic music and art.

Her productions' soundscape exudes a mystical, organic quality, featuring intricate and compelling rhythms. Polygonia's sound palette ranges from energetic, groovy Deep Techno, Downtempo, Grey Area to textural and/or harmonic Ambient. Besides, she is not afraid to include influences from the genres House, Drum and Bass, Electro etc.. In addition inspiration from nature play a major role in many of her productions. Exemplary for her style are for instance her 'Otro Mundo' EP (2023) on Bambounou's Bambel Imprint, her 'Bloom' EP (2022) on the American record label Sure Thing, the release 'Deformed Human Nature' (2021) on her own label IO, as well as the album 'Abbilder einer vergessenen Welt' (2021) on the Korean label Huinali.

Her DJ and live sets too reflect her passion for different genres. Depending on the time of day and setting, Polygonia shows a different musical side. What unites all her dance music sets is the hypnotizing effect that invites to completely lose oneself in the world of sounds for a longer period of time. Several voices from the audience also confirm that the musician always tells a complex story within her mixes, allowing for very clear highs and lows. In the same set there can be very harmonic passages, which provide emotional moments and on the other hand extremely texture-heavy dark tracks, which establish a connection with the subconscious and put the listener in a kind of trance.

Polygonia has already visited numerous of prestigious venues. She is now a regular at Tresor or Berghain in Berlin and additionally started her residency in 2023 at Munich-based BLITZ club.

A full tank of gas, the gentle glow from the radio dial, & stretches of open highway await, Forever Gamblin’ On You meanders through miles of soulful AOR, funky folk, & dusty soft rock obscurities. A follow up to Sky Dust Drifter, this compilation was gleaned from American private press oddities & rarities of the 70s & 80s, all of which are seeing their first official reissues on this album. A celebration of love, rebirth, and exploration radiating like the warmth of a loved one from the passenger seat.

Featuring “Feeling The Fire”, a jazzy, AOR grooving declaration of love and desire taken from the sole release from The Mad Brother. The compilations’ title track “Forever Gamblin On You” by Petroc And Pals, features an echo-laden folk rock recollection of hard feelings delivered with swelling guitar in a mournful soft psychedelia. Angie Pepper’s “Miss You Too Much” dwells on a past love, rolling along with an effortlessly cool rhythm section, while Roy McComas croons of his manifested “angel of love” on the swirling psych folk rocker “Girl Of My Dreams”.

Forever Gamblin’ On You unfolds as a hopeful yet equally melancholic collection of nomadic anthems, primed for a memorable journey along the back roads of familiar American landscapes.

Oráculo Records proudly presents the vinyl debut of one of the most promising contemporary Italian post-punk acts. The Bolognese duo delivers a fresh take on what this movement should embrace today. Their approach combines elements of krautrock with some dub influences and grunge clichés, resulting in an advanced proposal that invites repeated listening.. Presented in a ONE-OFF truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid BLACK vinyl. All tracks have been specially mastered for vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany).

2024 Repress

The much anticipated album by Another Taste released on Space Grapes — an eclectic ooze of boogie, funk, and obscure disco. Comes in a Tip-on sleeve and with a download code.

Another Taste's debut brings together a blend of boogie, 70’s funk and obscure disco - birthed from unearthing forgotten sounds and reinventing them for the modern era. A recipe they’ve been cooking up successfully over the last years in the studio, through their label Space Grapes and on tour through some of Europe’s finest stages.

Another Taste is a Rotterdam-born concept band formed by a group of longtime friends, consisting of Bobby van Putten (keys), Bob Roche (bass), Barend Lippens (keys) and Teun van Zoggel (drums).

Inspired by the obscurity and the do-it-yourself approach of private press culture of the late 1970s and 80s, their first releases were mostly a product of late night sessions between the four of them at the studio of their co-producer Danilo Plessow (MCDE), leading to the founding of Space Grapes Records.

The band’s first songs were released under various pseudonyms such as Mad Honey, GALXTC or Jambonne and quickly gathered them a loyal following and support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Kenny Dope and many more.

Another Taste ripples their sound beyond the studio and onto the stage. In their live performances they introduce additional band members in Sarina Voorn (Vox), Diogo Carvalho (percussion) and Florian Verhagen (guitar). A core group with whom they’ve played at prestigious festivals such as Worldwide or Kappa Futur and legendary venues such as Jazz Cafe London, New Morning Paris, and Tresor Berlin.

The March-scheduled album release is the latest iteration of the band’s evolution. From the A-side opener "Turn Up" to the B-side closer "Perfect Night," the album is a testament to Another Taste’s ceaseless creative exploration. Each of the 6 songs on the album presents a new invitation to experience their genre-defying sound and bring people together in delight!

The Chronics is co-manager of the respected Bipolar Disorder and Primal Instinct labels along with Chlar and Alarico, and is known for his mastery of straight-up and compelling grooves and evocative anthems. He has been releasing for over a decade now and shows his versatility again here. This new release makes a debut vinyl offering from the Anglo-Australian Transition label, following millions of digital plays since its inception last summer and support from DJs like FJAAK, Anetha, Daria Kolosova, VTSS and Boys Noize.

Opener 'By My Soul' is a techno pumper with inescapable euphoria built into the diva vocals and the smart synth loops that rise up and up through the mix. It's lean and linear but packed with feelings that burst out of the speakers and hook in your heart. Dublin's Tommy Holohan is blazing an exciting path as a fine new talent who is part of Samba Boys with Kettama and has released on SCDD, Monnom Black and more. His remix is even more maximal, with happy piano stabs dropped in and a funky bassline that brings an all-new vibe.

The Chronics then serve up 'Body Harmony', a slamming but playful cut with a colourful lead synth motif and unrelenting drums. It's warm and energising while also hitting hard, especially during the epic jungle breakdown. Acclaimed techno producer and live artist Obscure Shape recently split from his long-time partner SHDW but is already making waves as a solo talent with a huge batch of unreleased music, including this remix. It's a turbocharged and nimble loop techno offering enriched with Detroit-style machine soul and precision percussion that keeps you hooked.

Review: Sade's Lovers Rock marks a significant evolution in the band's sound and image. Departing from their signature luxuriance, the album embraces a sparser, knottier sound that beautifully balances past influences with contemporary trends. Adu's vocals, thick and low as ever, blend seamlessly into the breezy landscape of acoustic guitar, reggae bass, and simple percussion, creating an atmosphere of understated sensuality. The album's themes range from new love to motherhood to societal issues, showcasing Adu's lyrical prowess and her ability to navigate the complexities of human emotions. Lovers Rock also pays homage to the cultural influence of Caribbean Britishness, both in its title and its musical style, adding depth to Sade's sonic palette. While the album was released amid a pop landscape dominated by shiny, slick productions, Sade remained true to their sound, avoiding obvious trends and opting for a more introspective approach. The album's impact reverberates through contemporary music and allowed Sade to maintain their unique identity and continue evolving with each release.

Markus Guentner returns to his longstanding label, A Strangely Isolated Place following the triptych of ‘Theia’, ‘Empire’, and ‘Extropy’, presenting eight inspiring collaborations on ‘Kontrapunkt’.

Collaborations are nothing new to Markus, but it’s hard to see beyond his strong singular presence as a pioneer of long-form ambient and drone. Collabs have punctuated his albums in various places over the years, and he is no stranger to working as a duo amongst other projects, with such a strong conceptual thread throughout his prior ASIP releases, Kontrapunkt represents a literal pivot and counterpoint in his production approach. Instead of music encapsulating a strong conceptual narrative, Kontrapunkt sees Markus create a dialogue between himself and a collection of inspiring production partners.

Kontrapunkt opens with ‘Vanish’, a widescreen cinematic odyssey created in collaboration with fellow German and Affin label-head Joachim Spieth, forming the perfect opener with its modest subtleties. Australian-born Karen Vogt, renowned for her voice layering and looping, brings a beautiful, and natural addition to ‘All Light Will Remain’.

Sonae, who appeared on ASIP’s early digital releases, demonstrates her evolution into experimental flourishes with ‘Farbe Der Nacht’, adding pulsating techno tendencies and a menacing, metallic approach to Markus’ foundations. Multi-instrumentalist Pepo Galán harmonizes beautifully with Markus on ‘Ancestral Images’, adding complex nuances to a slowly evolving euphoric piece.
A master of synthesis, Arovane delivers a powerful display of supercharged electronics and coils of energy on ‘Utopian Fragments’. Benoît Pioulard's renowned expertise with guitars and tape distortion become a perfect counter to the electronics of Markus, blending styles seamlessly on ‘Father Of Waters’.

‘An unstoppable force meets an immovable object’ on ‘While Hunting Nightmares And Dreaming For Peace’, as Abul Mogard adds powerful restraint in a meeting of two drone titans. The album concludes with ‘Presence’, where Hollie Kenniff’s uplifting vocals provide a shimmering finish, perfectly bookending an album of perfected counterpoints and evolutions on the Markus Guentner sound.
Kontrapunkt will be available on Gatefold Black/Grey/Blue marble 2LP, digital and streaming on August 30th 2024. Mastered by Gio at Artefacts Mastering, Berlin, and featuring artwork by Noah M / Keep Adding.

Dark Entries picks up Severed Heads yet again for Ear Bitten, a double LP reissue of some of the band’s earliest material. As originary Aussie industrial legends - although founder Tom Ellard would balk at being branded as such - Severed Heads shaped the continental subcultural sound with their kitchen electronics, chaotic tape loops, and quietly infectious nursery-rhyme-esque melodies. In 1979 Ellard, Richard Fielding, and Andrew Wright abandoned the moniker Mr. and Mrs. No Smoking Sign and adopted the edgier name Severed Heads “to pretend to be an industrial band such as Surgical Penis Klinik & Throbbing Gristle.” Noise-rockers Rhythmx Chymx had placed an advertisement in a local shop looking for a band to share the costs of pressing an LP. The Heads set about recording a Dadaist racket on a pair of open reel dictaphones and a cassette deck using a TRS-80 computer, Kawai Synthesizer 100F and Korg Mini Pops drum machine. Ear Bitten was released in 1980; original copies now fetch obscene sums, in part due to most of Severed Heads’ copies perishing in a fire at Richard’s home. The band’s next endeavor was a cassette titled Side 2, a collection of free-form experiments fashioned as Ear Bitten’s second side. For this reissue, Dark Entries has collected both Ear Bitten and Side 2 on the first disc, presenting the album in its full form. Disc two includes the original first version of Ear Bitten, which was only unreleased because it was recorded in a format not suitable for pressing. The album comes in a gatefold sleeve designed by Eloise Leigh and includes photos, liner notes, and reproductions of the original Xerox inserts from the 1980 issue. Ear Bitten delivers 22 tracks of pain you can dance to!

Mit einer Yamaha-Orgel und einem Traum begann der Südafrikaner Pops Mohamed seine musikalische Reise Mitte der 1970er als Bandleader von Black Disco und schuf eine angesagte Chill-Out-Jazz-Melange mit futuristischen Drum-Machine-Sounds und spirituellen Obertönen. Ihm zur Seite standen die beiden gefragten Sessionmusiker Basil Coetzee (sax) und Sipho Gumede (bass). Mit den polyphonen Beats von Mohameds E-Orgel und später mit einem Drummer ausgestattet, schuf Black Disco in einem Ausbruch von Kreativität 1975-76 einen unverwechselbaren Sound und eine Trilogie innovativer Alben. Das italienische Boutique-Label Afrodelic präsentiert die erste vollständige Reissue des 1975er Debütalbums von den Originalmasters.

In May, fans were treated to the first new music from Trentemøller since 2022. A new single, "A Different Light," showcased a stunning blend of prismatic space rock and folk. For anyone wondering if it foreshadowed the release of a full-length, Dreamweaver will drop in September, on Friday the 13th.
Featuring 10 tracks that traverse Trentemøller's many musical strengths, Dreamweaver also represents an obvious artistic leap, treading new ground while retaining the overall plot. Tracks featuring vocals come courtesy of of Iceland's Disa, who has been in Trentemøller's fold since the Memoria tour.
Dreamweaver's nylon string-led opening track, and first single from the album, "A Different Light," contains many of Trentemøller's trademarks: exploring dichotomies, musical shadowplay, Nordic frigidity, and warm waves. It opens the door for the steady, hypnotic "Nightfall," with its tetherless vocal, wistful guitars, and early morning desert chill. The third track in the opening trifecta, "Dreamweavers" finds its footing with a percussive soft trot, which starts after what feels like a shortwave radio scan in search of the right chords, eventually dialing in a weightless voice. Ostensibly keeping a ruminative pace with the previous two tracks, the song and, by extension, album soon opens up as the rest of the elements drop into place with a grand, luxurious burst.
Dreamweaver is about to enter its next phase. With the hatch blown off of the portal, the noisy "I Give My Tears," driven by its glissed and fuzzy bass line, pours into the void. It's followed by its sibling, the most chaotic track on Dreamweaver, "Behind My Eyes." Arriving as a piece of noise rock pandemonium, "Behind My Eyes," can't be contained in its plush vault. A whip-crack snare and convulsing guitars smash against each other in the song's verse chamber. The tension builds, as the particles collide, pushing past the point of critical mass, kicking off the chain reaction which is the chorus. At times it harkens back to the proto-gaze tracks that gave birth to dream pop, at others it newly defines what that is. There's no time to contemplate it, though, as the song disintegrates in a microphonic feedback instant.
A respite follows with the somnambulistic pair of "Hollow" and "Empty Beaches." Then, a moment of intensity returns as the soaring textures and tribal drum bursts of "In A Storm" take control, before being taken out with the ambient slo-core of "Winter's Ghost" and "Closure." This diptych wraps up an album which certainly feels on-script for Trentemøller, but is also much more psychedelic than previous offerings.
Dreamweaver will be released on Trentemøller's own In My Room label. It is an exceedingly immersive experience, bound to release any dormant hallucinations you may be harboring.

Released in 1981& the last in a decade-long run of Top 50 R&B albums, ‘The Electric Spanking Of War Babies’ was the band’s twelfth studio LP & featured several players new to the Funkadelic line-up, notably Sly Stone. With its allusions to the Vietnam War & US imperialism, George Clinton’s project was destined to court controversy from the start, not least for its uncompromising sleeve art which original label Warner Bros. censored. Described by Robert Christgau as “the solidest, weirdest chunk of P-Funk since one nation gathered under a groove” & originally conceived as a double LP, many tracks saw release on Clinton’s later P-Funk projects. Arguably, it is better for having been précised down to a single album while still spawning two hit singles, the title track (US R&B No. 60) & ‘Shockwaves’ (US R&B No.53). FUNKADELIC Masterminded by the larger-than-life figure of George Clinton, Funkadelic was a key component of his influential P-Funk empire. Funkadelic’s unique combination of Rock, Psychedelia, R&B & Soul led to the band crossing over to the pop mainstream & gaining a vast international following, becoming one of the most important & influential groups in music. On 6 May 1997, Parliament / Funkadelic were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame by Prince. To commemorate six decades of thrilling & delighting fans, George Clinton returned to the stage in 2022 for a series of concerts. To celebrate, Charly have reissued Funkadelic’s classic four albums ‘Hardcore Jollies’; ‘One Nation Under A Groove’; ‘Uncle Jam Wants You’; & ‘The Electric Spanking Of War Babies’ (originally released by Warner Bros during a golden period for the band between 1976-1981). Each album will be available as deluxe gatefold Digi-Sleeve CDs in PVC wallets + obi-strip & facsimile-edition gatefold LPs on 180-gram black vinyl & limited edition 180-gram colored vinyl + 1970s-style obi-strip in a protective PVC sleeve. “They played a HUGE role in creating the future of music.” PRINCE

25 killer library music cuts by the German film music maestro on audiophile pressing in deluxe 2x10" set. Uberrare and never released before material from 1968-1976, sourced from Peter Thomas' personal reel-to-reel tape archive. Limited edition of 500 pieces.

From brassy big band funk, space jazz, krauty synth experiments to proto-hiphop, cosmic schlagers, heavy easy listening, soulful soundtrack moods and absurdly dreamy LSD ballads, this compilation encompasses the composer's most obscure and yet most transcendent work.

Peter Thomas is widely acknowledged as Germany's most inventive film music composer of the 1960s and 1970, best known for his iconic soundtrack work. He scored over 600 films and episodes, from the crime blockbusters of Jerry Cotton and Edgar Wallace to indie arthouse films like Playgirl, Bruce Lee's The Big Boss and the extraterrestrial Space Patrol and Chariot of the Gods.

His recordings for music libraries often provided an even more leftfield approach. Their visionary 'dope beats' appeal provoked a keen interest from vinyl aficionados, beatmakers and rare groove DJs alike. Unavailable for the public, the original "for professional usage only" albums are now sought-after collector's items that fetch astronomic prices on the 2ndhand market.

This double 10" album is the definite selection of Thomas' best library cues from the Golden Ring Records, KPM and DeWolfe catalogues, many of them available publicly for the first time - plus four recently unearthed "lost" tracks from Warner Chappell's CPM Archive series that have never been released on vinyl before. All music was carefully transferred from Peter Thomas' private master tapes and cut in full dynamics, housed in a beautiful fold-out cover with liner notes and private pictures. The compilation was realised in cooperation with Peter Thomas' son Philip who takes care of the Peter Thomas Sound Orchester catalogue after his father's death in 2020.

Buoyant, spirited, and merging the cultural influences of the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Lebanon, Moaïs debuts on 1432R like a cool glass of water. This EP blends his African influences with modern and informed house traditions, building a sound that’s energetic and timeless. It’s music colored by a longing and loving obsession with the stars and their guiding light, oriented to the DJ, and guaranteed to get the club rats racing.

Die dritte LP des Ishmael Ensembles, "Rituals", stellt eine bedeutende Entwicklung für die Musiker aus Bristol dar. Mit Live-Instrumentierung und elektronischer Stilverschmelzung war die Band schon immer breiter aufgestellt als das Etikett "New UK Jazz", das ihr gegeben wurde, aber hier sind Umfang und grenzüberschreitender Ehrgeiz deutlicher als je zuvor. Obwohl das Ensemble seinen Mix aus spirituellem Jazz, Dub, experimentellen und elektronischen Klanglandschaften beibehält, werden diese Elemente hier kräftig zu riesigen Soundyklonen aufgepeitscht, die wesentlich songbasierter und zugänglicher sind, aber auch fast psychedelisch in ihrer wohlklingenden Mischung aus Farben und Texturen, Facetten und Stimmungen.

Highly original material on a very limited EP... be quick!

POLYPHONIC WAVES OF SOULFUL MADRIGALS

The power of duality is an inscrutable thing: we’re endlessly fascinated by the interplay between light and darkness, East and West, voice and silence, our senses tingling from the compelling synergies that thrive in perceived opposites. Drawing from an urbane Antwerpian upbringing and a Moroccan family lineage, the Brussels-based multidisciplinary artist Younes Zarhoni, embraces these very dualities in all of his projects, exploring those murky areas of contrast and bringing all their ambiguous energy to crystal clear focus.

A longtime staple of the local electronic music scene with his hypnotic techno outings as YZ, Zarhoni’s latest focus is on the compositional power of pure harmony and silence: namely, his polyphonic renditions of medieval mystical poetry, sung in multiple voices and left to solemnly radiate beyond their given spatial grounds. Stripped of all instrumental accompaniments, what you get is Gregorian chant meets Boyz 2 Men, articulated by the lyrical ineffability of Arabic tongues and finding their rhythm in the silences that act as the juncture between observation and anticipation.

These sparse stanzas tread under an elusive referential threshold, conjuring visions of architecture and archaism, madrigals and MTV, the sacred and the profane ~ ostensibly disparate elements that seamlessly fold themselves into the radicality of the compositions. In these 20 minutes of verse, Zarhoni oversteps the margins of categorization to deliver an immersive story of song, flowing freely and sustaining the arc of the narrative long after it has ebbed into silence.

2024 Repress

Thomas Fehlmann remains as one of the most endearing and respected artists on Kompakt. He has inspired generations of fans and musicians over the course of his 30+ year career. From his early days as part of the legendary band Palais Schaumburg, and the pioneering Detroit/Berlin act 3mb (With Juan Atkins and Moritz Von Oswald), to his longstanding membership with The Orb, combined with his contributions as a solo artist to esteemed imprints R&S, Plug Research and of course Kompakt, where we have proudly released two full length solo albums: Visions Of Blah (Kompakt CD 20/Kompakt 67) and Honigpumpe (Kompakt CD 59 / Kompakt 157), his musical works have been prolific, not to mention four singles and a full serving of tracks found on our Pop Ambient and Total collections. Now, after 3 years, Fehlmann returns with 'Gute Luft'…

'Gute Luft' is the result of months of work scoring the hit German TV film 24h Berlin - the longest documentary film in history which featured 80 camera teams following the lives of berliners over a 24 hour period. Obviously a huge challenge for Fehlmann, beyond the scope of the project and hours of music involved in a 24 hour film, there was dealing with the decision making process that went with working with such a large production team. As he shared scoring duties with another musician (separately), inevitably a lot of his music ended up not making the final cut. 'Gute Luft' is about re-tweaking and editing material from the countless hours of recording he had created. In a sense, 'Gute Luft' is Fehlmann's ideal soundtrack to the 24h Berlin documentary.

“while scoring the film and subsequently shaping it into a album, i found myself questioning what holds it all together in Berlin. I figured that 'Air', the good old 'Berliner Luft', is something that is guaranteed to touch everyone and everything in the city. Also with that Berlin is very green, the combination with the unavoidable city dirt makes for a distinctive blend which seems to infuse its vibrant scene unknowingly with a constructive drive. Besides that, 'Gute Luft' was also the title of a song from my old band Palais Schaumburg, of which I have very fond memories. Also (as he says with a wink) “Gut” is one word I have a profound relation to…”

Fans shall rejoice as Thomas Fehlmann doesn't feer far from his signature path of trailblazing the finer links of classic Detroit House and Techno with the submerged beauty of Berlin Dub. One will immediately recognize the classic scoring techniques Fehlmann brings to 'Gute Luft' - various themes and sounds resonate in various forms and versions throughout the tracks. As Thomas states, “There are also More Subtle Connections That Should Give An Overall Feel To The Score. I Also Brought In Elements From Tunes From My Previous Albums In recognition of the fact that I often feel that there would be so many more ways to explore and experiment with certain ideas than just on a single track”. Fehlmann clearly succeeds in synergizing the best of the past 20 years of Berlin's expansive history of electronic and dance music with 'Gute Luft'. A recreational album in every way in which he hopes will make you “Feel at peace with you and your environment, inspire you to lush, imaginative dinners, make babies, or just walk your own way with open eyes”. Well put Thomas!

This is a re-release of " Gute Luft " orginally released in 2010 on Kompakt.

Thomas Fehlmann ist nach wie vor einer der liebenswertesten und gleichzeitig angesehensten Künstler bei Kompakt. Im Laufe seiner über 30-jährigen Karriere hat er Generationen von Fans und Musikern inspiriert. Von seinen frühen Tagen als Teil der legendären Band Palais Schaumburg und dem bahnbrechenden Detroit/Berlin Act 3MB (mit Juan Atkins und Moritz von Oswald), bis hin zu seiner langjährigen Mitgliedschaft bei The Orb, kombiniert mit seinen Arbeiten als Solokünstler für Imprints wie R&S, Plug Research und natürlich Kompakt: Sein musikalisches Gesamtwerk ist beeindruckend. Wir sind stolz, bereits zwei seiner Soloalben veröffentlicht zu haben: “Visions Of Blah“ (KOM CD 20/KOM 67) und “Honigpumpe“ (KOM CD 59 / KOM 157). Ganz zu schweigen von vier Singles und jeder Menge Tracks, die sich auf diversen Pop Ambient- und Total-Sammlungen finden lassen. Jetzt, nach drei Jahren, kehrt Fehlmann mit “Gute Luft“ zurück ...

“Gute Luft“ ist das Ergebnis monatelanger Arbeit für den deutschen Fernsehfilm “24h Berlin - Ein Tag im Leben“ - der wohl längste Dokumentarfilm der Geschichte. 80 Kamerateams verfolgen das Leben der Berliner*innen über einen Zeitraum von 24 Stunden. Die größte Herausforderung stellte für Fehlmann dabei nicht die Komposition für einen solchen Film dar; vielmehr waren es die Entscheidungsprozesse im großen Produktionsteam, die ihm die meiste Arbeit abrangen. Da er sich die Aufgabe mit einem anderen Musiker teilte, endete es unweigerlich so, dass einige seiner Tracks nicht in den Final Cut kamen. Bei “Gute Luft“ ging es nun darum, Material aus den unzähligen Stunden an Aufnahmen neu zu bearbeiten und zu editieren. In gewissem Sinne ist “Gute Luft“ Fehlmanns eigentlicher Soundtrack zum 24-Stunden-Dokumentarfilm.

"Während ich den Film vertonte und anschließend zu einem Album geformt habe, habe ich mich gefragt, was hier in Berlin alles zusammenhält. Ich habe mir gedacht, dass 'Luft', die gute alte Berliner Luft, etwas ist, das garantiert jeden und alles in der Stadt berührt. Die Tatsache, dass Berlin sehr grün ist; gleichzeitig die Kombination mit dem unvermeidlichen Dreck einer solchen Stadt – das ergibt eine unverwechselbare Mischung, die ihrer lebendigen Szene unterbewusst einen bestimmten Drive zu verleihen scheint. 'Gute Luft' war übrigens auch der Titel eines Liedes meiner alten Band Palais Schaumburg, an das ich mich sehr gerne erinnere. Außerdem (das sagt er mit einem Augenzwinkern) ist ‚Gut‘ ein Wort, zu dem ich eine enge Beziehung habe ..."

Seine Fans können sich freuen, denn Thomas Fehlmann entfernt sich nicht weit von seinem charakteristischen Sound, mit dem er die feinen Verbindungen von klassischem Detroit House und Techno mit der versunkenen Schönheit des Berliner Dubs aufspürt. Man wird sofort klassische Soundtrack-Techniken erkennen, die Fehlmann auf “Gute Luft“ verwendet - bestimmte Themen und Sounds durchziehen in unterschiedlichen Formen und Versionen die einzelnen Tracks. Thomas sagt dazu: "Es gibt subtile Verbindungen, die der Erzählung ein zusammenhängendes Gefühl geben sollten. Ich habe Melodie-Fragmente aus früheren Alben einbezogen, um der Tatsache Rechnung zu tragen, dass ich oft das Gefühl habe, es gäbe so viele weitere Möglichkeiten, bestimmte Ideen weiterzuverfolgen und mit ihnen zu experimentieren, als nur in einem einzigen Track.” Fehlmann gelingt es hier, das Beste aus den vergangenen 20 Jahren Berliner Elektronik- und Tanzmusik-Geschichte zu bündeln. Ein wohltuendes Album in jeder Hinsicht, von dem er sich selbst erhofft, dass es seinen Hörer*innen "ein Gefühl des Friedens mit sich selbst und ihrer Umgebung vermittelt, sie zu phantasievollen Abendessen inspiriert, zum Babys machen oder sie einfach nur mit offenen Augen Ihren eigenen Weg gehen lässt." Gut gesagt, Thomas!

Dies ist die Wiederveröffentlichung von “Gute Luft“, erstmals erschienen 2010 auf Kompakt.