Buscar:morph

Anchored by Mark Sandman's distinctive two-string slide bass, Morphine's second album "Cure for Pain" seamlessly blends rock, jazz, and blues to create a sound that remains as relevant and compelling today as it was upon its release in 1993. This 1LP features remastered audio from the original source and includes the classic songs "Buena," "Thursday," and "Cure for Pain."

2024 Reissue

A UK Dub pairing of gigantic proportions from 1996. The late Jah Shaka round at Mad Professor's and getting the message across with Phasers set to stun. Restrained and musical throughout. A beautiful meeting. TIP!

In the follow-up to 2023’s ‘Chrysalis’, Zanias returns with ‘Ecdysis’,
which travels even further into alternate dimensions, casting off all
language and song structures in favour of something far more alien
and sensual. Named after the final stage of emergence from a former
self, ‘Ecdysis’ lays claim to an entirely new electronic soundscape
influenced by the ethereal pioneering of Dead Can Dance, Enya and
Fever Ray. Zanias’s voice morphs deftly between species and gender,
exemplifying the oneness of conscious experience evoked by the more
extreme psychedelic states, while the atmosphere is headily influenced
by the Queensland rainforest where much of the recording took place,
conjuring an environment rich with biodiversity. The creation of the
album itself became a deeply healing process for its producer, and it is
designed to function the same way for its listeners. Best enjoyed on
headphones in total darkness. 140g white and transparent blue A-side /
B-side marbled vinyl housed in a matte 3mm cardboard sleeve with
insert featuring photography and artwork by Hidrico Rubens and Nat
Soba. Limited to 300 copies.

Finnish electro duo Morphology, comprised of Matti Turunen and Michael Diekmann, is set to release ‘Made Up Reality’ on Deeptrax Records, the label with a mission to deliver high-quality, groundbreaking electronic music focusing on the deeper side of electronica and eclectic leftfield dance jams, exploring those spaces between deeper house and techno, with hints from the past and a strong vision of the future.

Continuing Morphology's tradition of dark, melodic, and skilfully produced electro funk that has captivated international audiences, they’ve have been holding down the retro-activism of Detroit and its call for an illuminated future of programmable, motorized, electro-fantasies for over 15 years. With releases on Semantica, Solar One Music and a slew of albums for Germany’s Zyntax Motorcity, it’s been Cultivated Electronics and Central Processing Unit that have given new rise to the music of Morphology. Their Traveller LP released through FireScope, helmed by the UK’s B12 in 2018, the floodlights remain unshakably fixed on the Finnish pair’s brilliance, appearing on landmark compilations like CPU’s 50th release jubilee to DJ Stingray’s Kern mix for Tresor, or holding it down in the underground at Scand nights in London, to bookings at Concrete Paris and Closer in the Ukraine, to Berlin’s unmissable Berghain. With a forever exploratory live set, Morphology’s place as a mainstay of futurist electro is rock solid and burning bright.

Renowned for their soul charged, emotion rich melodies and signature blend of techno and traditional electro, Morphology's new EP takes listeners on an unforgettable auditory journey. ‘Made Up Reality’ showcases the duo's ability to integrate acid lines and vibrant drum patterns creating a sonic landscape that is both innovative and deeply resonant. ‘Seven Fingers’ is a deep dive into the darker side of electro, with haunting melodies and pulsating rhythms. ‘Particle Swarm’ is an acid-infused cut that melds techno elements with classic electro beats. ‘Gradient Descent’ is a more electrifying electro acid heater, blending head nodding bassline with sharp acid riffs and pulsating rhythms that will ignite the floor. ‘Active Inclusion’ is a vibrant, drum-heavy composition that brings the EP to a powerful close.

Konduku's appearance on Amenthia feels like something that happened a long time ago, but with 'Slowworm,' he officially makes his label debut, delivering three solo works that solidify his close relationship with the pioneering Basel crew. 'Slowworm' includes three mesmerizing, slow-paced, tension-building mind trips that are a perfect fit for Amenthia. It's an excellent showcase of impeccable rhythms, morphing from sludgy slow beats to introverted intensity--a style for which both Konduku and Amenthia are celebrated. Konduku's tracks have been a staple in the Amenthia crew's setlists for years. In addition to creating the 2022 release 'Glimmer' by Konsudd, a project with Aa Sudd; and contributing a track on the latest Amenthia x A Walking Contradiction collaboration EP; the partnership has generated a close friendship along the way.

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.

The fertility of the Cuban music scene in the 1970s was rich and blooming. FA-5’s self-titled album from 1976 is a perfect example of the energy and vitality emanating from the country’s musicians and marks the next release in Mr Bongo’s Cuban Classics series. A unique musical fusion that encompasses Latin rock, funk, soul, disco and Afro-Cuban rhythms to form a diverse and alluring album.

The exquisite, funk-fuelled opener, 'Muevete Con Las Fuerzas Del Corazon', is maybe the most-known song on the album. It is a super catchy cut powered by a dynamite bassline, joy-filled horn playing and splashes of drum breaks that will ignite any dancefloor.

The record surfs through genres as it progresses. 'Di Tu Que Haras Sin Mi’ and 'Paso Sin Mas' lean back with a West Latin rock / AOR flavour to their grooves. Elsewhere, the dreamy, cosmic, Balearic-tinged 'El Blue' and fuzzy funk-rock breaks of 'Pero Lo Cierto Es Que No Quise Mas' further show the breadth of styles at play on the LP. Another big highlight on the album is the Latin, disco-funk sounds of 'Casa De Ladrillo', which morphs into a cover version of the Commodores 'Brick House'. The result is a superb alternative take on a much-loved classic.

Released on the state-owned Areito Records, the album was directed by Nestor Caballero, who arranged the songs alongside Aneiro Taño and Osvaldo Caraballoso. The prolific Tony Taño produced the album with the recording courtesy of Tony Lopez who worked with Juan Pablo Torres, Los Reyes 73, Grupo Los Yoyi, Raúl Gómez and many other Cuban greats that we have featured in the Cuban Series.

A fabulous, under-the-radar classic, that will enrich any collection.

Acid jazz pioneer Chris Bangs returns with a brand
new album for 2024, following his early-2023
release ‘Firebird’, and 2022’s collaboration with
Mick Talbot ‘Back To Business’. His latest longplayer ‘Dream World’ is set for release on the Acid
Jazz label on 20 September – a characteristic font
of latin jazz from the maestro producer.
Bangs is known for originally coining the term
‘acid jazz’ – a movement which subsequently
morphed into the label – as he and likeminded DJs
(including Gilles Peterson and Eddie Piller) began
to combine jazz, soul and rock-fusion with the
prominent sounds of acid house in the late ‘80s.
He has since worked extensively as a producer
and DJ – including credits with his own The Quiet
Boys and Yada Yada, along with Paul Weller,
Galliano and of course most recently Mick Talbot.
The new album see some new collaborators in the
Bangs ranks – including Argentine keyboardist
Luciano De La Rosa, Italian Massimo Morganti on
trombone, Chile’s Juan Pi Salvo on trumpet, and
Fabio Tiralongo on sax – making it a truly global
production. Described as ‘pure labour of love’ by
Bangs himself, the album is a further expansion of
his remarkable sound and vision, and his own
ever-expanding dream world of (acid) jazz that
moves far beyond genre-casting

Few bands are as primed to capture their ecstatic live energy in masterful sonic detail like Terry Gross. Composed of three renowned engineer/producers (recording artists like Wooden Shjips, Moon Duo, Earthless, Big Business, and more) whose studio doubles as their jam spot and communal gathering place, the trio"s penchant for longform psychedelic escapades is able to be recorded with granular precision. The potency of the fellowship formed by drummer Phil Becker (Lower Forty-Eight, Peace Creeps, Pins of Light), bassist Donny Newenhouse, and guitarist Phil Manley (Trans Am, Oneida, Life Coach) lies in their ability to utilize their prowess as both players and record engineers to translate feeling with immaculate clarity. On Huge Improvement, Terry Gross embody a complex web of emotion with songs as ferocious and precise as they are agile and care-free, delighting in the catharsis of excising tension alongside one"s most trusted peers. Huge Improvement"s tongue-in-cheek title is rightfully earned. Like their debut Soft Opening, the pieces on Huge Improvement began as improvised studio jam sessions without expectations. The trio"s ability to plug in, play and have each experiment thoroughly documented opens up unparalleled avenues for further exploration and honing. The four mammoth slabs that make up Huge Improvement are driving, unrelenting excursions into the unknown. Whether burning white-hot or smoldering in plumes of smoke, the pieces stretch as much inwardly as they do cosmically, embracing every surprising turn. Terry Gross"s Huge Improvement morphs the trio"s search for communal connection and reprieve into a transcendent respite, a burst of focused energy to be enveloped in while facing the senselessness around us with a smile.

Volume Two in the Electro Sampler Series of Nijmegen's finest Shipwrec. Another compelling electro V/A with tracks by Konerytmi and Ian Martin, amongst others. SES1 set out what quality electro means for Shipwrec. The first in the series brought together six musicians from far and wide, musicians who journey through the colder edge of their analogue instruments with a clear ear for the floor. SES2 starts where its predecessor left off. The genre bending Ian Martin opens with the frigid funk of "Metaphysical Travellers." Stripped back, the track is bare in terms of its elements. Despite such meagre ingredients, Martin concocts an engaging and rich work of darkened grooves and sinister undercurrents. o-0._.0-o is the playful pseudonym of acid freetekno enthusiast Owen. His contribution, "Acidrobotik", releases a free and wandering 303 lines that forges a bubbling path through crisp percussion. The flip brings an artist better known for his work in techno. Cliche Morph delves into the clinical side of his palette and emerges with the stunning "Placebo." Balancing alienated and arctic blasts with a thawing warmth, the outcome is pure classic electro. A rising star of machine music follows, Fleck E.S.C. A dirty bassline is further sullied by layers of gritty distortion and glitched vocals in this re-wired work of ghetto. A legend of electronics closes, Kirill Junolainen. Under his lauded Konerytmi moniker, this synthesiser shapeshifter delivers "Kuva Alkio." Stuttering bass and tight drums are the foundation from which sci-fi inspirations take hold, sailing strings tethered by a terse snare as SES2 is brought to a triumphal close.

Alice Taylor was a popular session singer who sang background vocals for several local Philly groups including The Delfonics during the height of the Philly Soul boom of the early to mid-1970’s.

In 1974 Alice under the auspice of producer Emanuel ‘Manny’ Campbell Jr and fellow Philadelphian musician/composer Charles R. Bowen entered the famed Sound Room Studios in Upper Dardy PA, to record a session of her own. This session yielded two songs. The more commercial pop soul orientated “(I’m In Love With A) Rock ‘n’ Roll Singin’ Superstar”. A song which took influences from other popular songs of the time that mentioned one’s love for Rock ‘n’ Roll singers and taking road trips to L.A (Los Angeles) in an attempt to cash in. Although the elongated song title may at first be a tad off-putting the recording showcases Alice’s vocal talents to the full and in itself is a very good record. The second song “Sounds Ridiculous” is based around the theme of a girl falling in love with a guy who spends most of his time daydreaming rather than getting a regular 9-5 job. An excellent record that should find favour with 70’s/crossover soul fans alike.



Manny Campbell Jr used some of Philadelphia’s finest musicians on Alice’s session, notably session drummer Earl Young, reputedly the first exponent of the hi-hat cymbal a style of drumming used extensively throughout the disco period. Young had honed his skills during the 1960’s with his band The Volcanos, recording sessions for the Arctic and Harthon Record Labels. The Volcanos later became The Moods before morphing into The Trammps who Young recorded on his Golden Fleece Label with the group recording several further disco hits for Buddah Records prior to their worldwide hit “Disco Inferno” for Atlantic Records. Young’s strumming can be found on many other Philadelphia International, Sal Soul and MFSB recordings. The string and horn arrangements on the session were provided by another MFSB (Mother Father Sister Brother) pool of musician’s member, Don Renaldo.



“I’m In Love With A) Rock ’n’ Roll Superstar/Sounds Ridiculous” came out in November of 1975 as an initial pressing run of 500 copies for promotional use which sadly were not of the best quality with some background noise being present in the introduction on both sides of the single, a possible detrimental factor in the release gaining any significant airplay. It’s was the second and final release on Emandolynn Music’s short lived, Stage-Art label. The first release being another of Manny Campbell’s acts The Nu-Rons & Co “Disco Hustle/Can’t Do Enough Girl” (Stage-Art 1001). Sadly, Alice Taylor passed away sometime during the 1980’s. Soul Junction through its ongoing relationship with Emandolynn Music have taken the opportunity to license these now very sort after Alice Taylor songs, which have been remastered to remove the aforementioned sound problems present on the original release. Which are now presented to you as a 3 track EP which also includes a previously unissued alternative mix of “(I’m In Love With A) Rock ’n’ Roll Singin’ Superstar, a recent master tape discovery.

BASIC is a mind-meld between Chris Forsyth, his frequent running partner (and formidable 6-string thinker) Nick Millevoi, and Mikel Patrick Avery (Natural Information Society). "This Is BASIC", their debut album, is a complex and entrancing instrumental LP recasting forgotten scraps of guitar history into a moving mosaic of strings, skins and electronics. Taking inspiration (and their name) from the 1984 Robert Quine/Fred Maher album ("Basic"), Forsyth and Millevoi got together for a run of low-key jam sessions using an Alesis drum machine for rhythm tracks and forging a collaborative language from angular polyrhythms, pulsing baritone-guitar lines, and shimmering chorus-pedal washes (another stylistic nod, this time to the glistening post-punk of the Durutti Column and numerous 4AD bands). Avery was soon enlisted on drum kit_a setup that quickly morphed into a single drum, bell, and a bespoke electronics rig of his own creation. The trio quickly flowered into an improvisational swirl of disorienting electronics, hypnotic throb, and dense flanged-guitar harmonics: three unique voices spinning a complex conversation of textures and rhythms.

Denzel Curry's forthcoming King Of The Mischievous South Volume 2 finds him presenting a sequel to the project, and bringing back the sound, that helped launch his career. While the first installment of King Of The Mischievous South was performed from the perspective of his Raven Miyagi persona, a name bestowed upon him by Raider Klan founder SpaceGhostPurrp, Volume 2 finds Curry operating under his Big Ultra persona -- an elevated version of Raven Miyagi that is bragadocious and revels in the success that Curry has seen over the last decade of his career. Creating King Of The Mischievous South Volume 2 has been a goal of Curry's for some time, though his earliest attempts to do so ultimately morphed into other projects, namely his 2016 album Imperial and 2020's 13LOOD 1N + 13LOOD OUT. It wasn't until he stopped overly attempting to create Volume 2 that its songs started to emerge naturally. 

Given the project's sound, which pays homage to the great musical heritages of the South -- from Memphis to Houston and Curry's own South Florida -- its features include the region's greats, both old and new, as well as others whose style is indebted to the South's musical legacy. Features include fellow former Raider Klan member Key Nyata, Memphis stalwarts Juicy J and Project Pat, Texas' Maxo Kream, That Mexican OT and Mike Dimes, North Carolina’s TiaCorine, Atlanta's 2 Chainz and Kenny Mason and South Florida's Ski Mask The Slump God and PlayThatBoiZay, as well as ASAP Ferg and ASAP Rocky, among others. The project more broadly and the intentional inclusion of Rocky and Ferg is Curry's attempt to show what could have been had relationships not soured with SpaceGhostPurrp, fulfilling the promise that existed at the rise of their respective careers in the early 2010s.  

With all of the otherworldly adventures Denzel has taken listeners on over the course of his last few conceptually-driven albums, this project serves as a showcase for the fun, spontaneity and technical mastery that has made him one of rap's most in-demand talents over the course of the last decade. 

Alter is proud to present the debut full length release from devotional music outfit Unstern, a collaborative effort between deep ambient artist Arzat Skia and prodigal pianist Leo Svirsky. Co-mixed by Swedish electronic music luminary Civilistjävel! and Arzat Skia and mastered to tape by Stefan Betke, the album features lush electronics, two pianos refracting across the stereo field, processed recordings from the Peruvian Amazon, bowed percussion by Greg Stuart, alongside strings and renaissance meantone organ recorded at Orgelpark in Amsterdam.

The results are an abundant audio illusion where what seemingly repeats slowly over time morphs in a manner where the destination escapes the departure point with extreme discretion, a reverent nod to Morton Feldman's compositional method of "Crippled Symmetry."

Throughout Es Geht Der Tag there is a muted, refined melancholy imbued with a constantly fluctuating pulse which generates a sense of temporal disorientation, leaving the listener lost in a strange yet not at all unfamiliar sonic labyrinth. It is a journey whereby a glorious subtle tension exists between the grandiose and the restrained.

This is environmental music, not in the sense of capturing nature itself, more with regards to an unfolding of audio elements which move in a manner in tune with the multitude of flows in the world.

Unstern’s Es Geht Der Tag is a deep mental journey, rich in subtle transcendental tendencies and psychic liberation.

Dazed’ is the new single by recent FatCat signings and Netherlands power trio, Abdomen.

Sometimes described in the Dutch press as ‘postgrunge garage’, Abdomen themselves are keen to avoid any pigeon-holes or genre labels: “We’ve been influenced by so many things. Right now punk, post-punk, and noise are important inspirations, but there are a lot, lot more. Rap, hip hop, electronic music, IDM, electro, and techno, for instance.”

‘Dazed’ is heavy, heavy hypnotic groove, with a chanted vocal and wall of phased, psychedelic shredding. There are echoes of outfits such as Loop and Spacemen 3 - their stoned / stoner aesthetics, albeit turned up to 11.

It began as a demo set at a frantic pace before producer Rasmus Bredvig suggested slowing it down - “Something like 5 times” - morphing, mutating, the track into an epic, melodic, psyche mantra.

A head-banging, trance-inducing, transcendental raga, with its sights set on spiritual lift-off, the piece aims to create a path away from the negative toward a more positive way of life.

Formed back in 2011 in Savannah, GA, Triathalon consists of Chad Chilton, Hunter Jayne and Adam Intrator. Over the years the band has experimented with multiple sounds, releasing 3 albums, one EP and has shared collaborations with several artists. Their newest release "Sleep Cycle" blends fresh but familiar sounds; there's a meditative quality to the music that is especially welcoming in the current climate. Mastered by long time collaborator Alex Previty, a few of the tracks across the EP have mantra-like lyrics - simple thoughts repeated over and over that twist and turn and slowly morph into subtle ear worms.

Across the vast expanse of the cosmos we approach a shimmering satellite globe. Entering its orbit in a hypnotic swirl our eyes peer closer and closer to the glowing sea below. We land near an intertidal zone wondering what enchants this world and its waters.

Coral Morphologic’s first album took us on a journey through space. Now with their sophomore LP we arrive at our destination, an aquatic world teaming with life.

*features a foldout poster with album art by Robert Beatty*

Across the vast expanse of the cosmos we approach a shimmering satellite globe. Entering its orbit in a hypnotic swirl our eyes peer closer and closer to the glowing sea below. We land near an intertidal zone wondering what enchants this world and its waters.

Coral Morphologic’s first album took us on a journey through space. Now with their sophomore LP we arrive at our destination, an aquatic world teaming with life.

*features a foldout poster with album art by Robert Beatty*

‘The Oakland band’s wide-ranging debut is a whirlwind of biting critique, nervy post-punk guitars, and absurdist humor. Rarely does a first record speak with such a trenchant voice.’ 7.5 PITCHFORK
‘Post-punk lovers have a new act to follow" - PASTE
Fake Fruit’s visceral indie rock operates so firmly in the present that it’s transportive and unmooring. The Oakland trio’s songs careen with volatile energy and lead singer Ham D’Amato’s lyrics are enveloped with acerbic humor and resonant perceptiveness. Though their new LP Mucho Mistrust is a sly reference to a beloved Blondie lyric, the title encapsulates both the anxieties of daily life, a bloodless music industry, and global capitalism as well as the clear-eyed skepticism needed to rebel against it. Across 12 propulsively unpredictable tracks, the album is both their most collaborative and most immediate yet.
Following the 2021 release of Fake Fruit’s self-titled debut LP, the band’s personal lives hit a turbulent and transformational period. “There were big life changes and I was so close to boiling over,” says D’Amato. “I left a bad relationship, entered a more stable and loving one, got diagnosed with alopecia, and I'm turning 30 soon too.” This personal upheaval was channeled into the explosive lead single “Mucho Mistrust.” The track is simultaneously disorienting and direct, with clanging guitars from Alex Post, off-kilter drums from Miles MacDiarmid, and D’Amato snarling, “How you gonna blame me / when you could’ve done something about it / it’s not right / How you gonna marinate me / in shitty things overnight.” She explains, “This song was a snapshot of how I got through a difficult year.”
Recorded live at the Bay Area’s Atomic Garden studio with producer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Home Is Where), the band’s palpable ferocity shines throughout the record. Single “Más o Menos” is searing punk, with buzzsaw guitars and surging bass. It’s a clenched-fist song, one where D’Amato sings, “I decided to assert myself / After I lost all my sense of self.” Later in the track, D’Amato, who is Chicana, sings in Spanish, “¡No me hables! / ¡No escuchare!” While some of these songs deal in heartbreak, they are charged with way bigger themes. “There's also wanting to break up with capitalism and feeling upset about things politically,” says D’Amato.
For the band, these themes are personal. “I'm managing us while I'm in between changing diapers in my day job as a nanny,” says D’Amato. “Everyone in the band still believes in it and is motivated to keep wading through the bullshit.” On this album, they had no choice but to bet on themselves and each other. No track broadcasts their evolution better than the single “Cause of Death,” which morphs from a gorgeous sax-laden banger to something cathartic and anthemic.
As adventurous and righteous as Mucho Mistrust gets, there’s still an inviting core that never takes itself too seriously. From the ripping “Cause of Death,” which self-deprecatingly takes aim at anxiety and indecision, to the searing title track, Fake Fruit imbue their songs with humor and heart. “Our band is fun,” says D’Amato. “My number one coping mechanism for all of life is to joke about it. Even when the album talks about serious things, I am proud of how funny it can be.”

The French-Mauritanian conductor, pianist and composer Leila Olivesi presents her sixth album ASTRAL - a brilliant opus with the best musicians on the French jazz scene. The albumis also her second with a large ensemble, the first being the acclaimed Suite Andamane,which received a coveted "Coup de Coeur" from the Academie Charles Cros.

A gifted composer, Leila was inspired by the great jazz masters, including Duke Ellington, and Mary Lou Williams. 'ASTRAL'demonstrates their influence and her talent for creating harmonic and melodious original music, full of modernity.

"Leila's music has compositional and conceptual integrity - recurring themes intertwine and morph through the title track 'ASTRAL', the trippy interlude 'Interstellaire' and the song 'Au Feu Des Reves'. There are surprises waiting around every corner, and she deftly avoids any hint of that tired old "head insolo-solo-solo-head out" formula. Odd meters dance effortlessly, and she's not afraid to swing! While her original music is the focus of this album, Leila's fresh arrangement of Mary Lou Williams' classic 'Scorpio' is a lovely bonus. This is fully contemporary acoustic jazz on a high level, with brilliant musicians that interpret and breathe her musical visions to life." - Geoffrey Keezer

140g transparent blue and green galaxy marble vinyl housed in a matte 3mm cardboard sleeve with lyrics insert featuring photography and artwork by Hidrico Rubens. Limited to 300 copies. The creation of ‘Chrysalis’ was a retreat from a seemingly endless string of unfortunate events, a cocoon from which Zanias could weave hope from hopelessness. In each of its eight songs she has engineered unique worlds to express alternate facets of the modern human experience, from burnout and the toxicity of capitalism to processing death and the inherent isolation of personal trauma. Written and recorded between Berlin and the rainforest of Queensland, Australia, the sound design of ‘Chrysalis’ reflects the rich biodiversity of the latter environment, where she drew much of her inspiration. Her voice shifts and morphs into ghostly, alien forms between catchy hooks that plant this album firmly in the ‘pop’ genre, without losing the underground rawness and lyrical depth for which she is known. With her third full-length album, Zanias is expressing her truest form thus far, fusing her seemingly discordant influences into a genre-defying electronic artpop, as dark and evocative as it is ethereal and uplifting. Written and produced by Alison Lewis Bass guitar on ‘Lovelife’ by Laura Bailey Mixed by Ewan Kay Mastered by Alain Paul Photography and artwork by Hidrico Rubens Sigil by Nat Soba Design and layout by Alison Lewis Makeup by Eavan Derbyshire

Es sollten nicht sechs Jahre zwischen den Alben von ORB vergehen. Das aus Geelong in Australien stammende Trio beehrte uns zuletzt mit einem
Studioalbum in Form des 2018 erschienenen, charakteristisch berauschenden "The Space Between", bevor sie 2019 als Support von King Gizzard &
The Lizard Wizard durch Europa und Amerika tourten.
Aber die Zeit vergeht selten wie erwartet - wichtig ist, dass das vierte Album endlich da ist, mit genug Nebenwegen und Falltüren, um uns wirklich gut
zu beschäftigen.
Die lang erwartete 'Tailem Blend'-LP erscheint auf Fuzz Club. "Tailem Bend" bietet immer noch die unvermeidlichen Fuzz-Lawinen, aber ist gesättigt
von Vintage-Wärme und Tiefe und zeigt ORBs Geschick für melodische Hypnose inmitten einer düsteren Atmosphäre.

Sheffield's hugely talented producer Hedge Maze lands on Selvamancer. Years in the making after a long search to decipher an unreleased tune from an unknown alter ego found online (title track Riding The Wave), we're excited to finally bring it to the masses. Morphed industrial violence, tearjerking post-dubstep-trap and the ruthless title track bounce off the walls. Let's commence! Face to the glass. "You use a mirror to see your face, you use a work of art to see your soul." G.B.Shaw... but if you stood with your breath appearing on the canvas what would you say to a Mane or a Rothko three inches away from it. As you push your nose up to the mirror of your soul, what to say to it in response. To listen to one's soul is to hear its depth, for it has many voices, but which voice to listen to. Fear be a man's best friend, he will accompany you should you wish. Forever on your coattails, a whisperer of half unseen truths: distorting perceptions. grief, illness, disappointment, pain, struggle, poverty, loss, terror, heartache, All to be feared. Yet, all features of a life lived! Courage then is simply to live and to live well, choose the voice that gives light. Throw the house out of the window so some say, throw yourself too, say I. Mark Warren. - written whilst listening to Strukku's Beat on Hedge Maze EP

alphacut sets off into brushy tribal jungle

the early 2010s have been a prosperous era for a lotta fast dance and bass music. dubstep's magic was fading due to brosounds taking over but the idea of some fresh air inbetween drums and basslines was thankfully carried on into the jungles too. not only halftime but also tribal beats grew strong, whether it being in warm dubby or cold darker reincarnations.
speaking of living on, this plate is not only a sequel to that era but also a tribute to the one like morphy, who brought dubby tribal brushy jungle onto alphacut around that time. it light up a spark to head for new territories, its soul is vibing on in 45seven and especially in this new alphacut - post morphem!

rude operator are opening with a minimal dancehall feel, wriggling from 8bar to 8bar, switching tensions with patterns with a slice of footwork dna inside - zero chances to freeze!
rainforest is stepping on with enlightening skanks and mystic basses under a riddim one simply can't escape as well.
paradox effects is not only flipping sides but vibes pretty much too. keeping it tribal and one-seventy but much darker with an amen from the vaults in a bunker-conrete jungle - the raw and free sound of leipzig.
dreadmaul is closing with a masterpiece which could have been executed by the homaged dubbing don himself. moody pads meet distant dub sirens and robotic amen leftovers step up into a hypnotising groove, taking you back down in the woods.

we are happy to be back with a solid round-up package which should never leave your tribal crates again, zooom!

"Two-pronged, remix attacks don't come much more exciting and potent than this... as here - thanks to our good friends at Nervous NYC - we're beyond hyped to bring you the legendary Masters At Work and Dave Lee on one single, fully weaponised package.

Putting their own, inimitable spins on Louie Vega's ˙Music Is My Life˙ - which features the unique talents of Unlimited Touch - we're treated to a pair of wonderfully complimentary, but no less idiosyncratic re-rubs from these two stalwarts of the scene.

With a production hand and artistic touch like no other - Masters At Work lead the way here, with their main remix. Characterised by that trademark looseness and deliciously warm, organic approach - their rework is awash with woozy psychedelia and layered so expertly, that getting lost in the music is both gloriously simple and an absolute pleasure. But no true Vega & Dope remix suite, would be complete without a bonafide Dub version. And for ˙Music Is My Life˙ - this sees the dynamite duo take proceedings down a distinctly more mesmeric and mood-laden path… one where the vocal is instead used as a powerful rhythmic weapon, and the star of the show, is a surreptitiously morphing and shape-shifting, delicately acid-laced synth lead.

Next up - having recently switched his attentions to productions under his own namesake - is Z Records' head honcho, Dave Lee. Snapping into life with its crisp and punchy drum work - what Lee's remix does share with that of the Masters is in the over-arching, tripped-out haze which douses proceedings. However - where his remix opts to stick its head well and truly above the parapit, is in it stylistic flavouring. As when it comes to slicing that genre cake, so to split the worlds of Disco and House perfectly down the middle - there's simply no one who does it finer.”

Timelash is the evolution of Embassador Dulgoon’s cryptozoological sci-fi opus ‘Hydrorion Remnants’ converging with Corum’s surreal sonic mapping as ‘Beguiling Isles’. The combined cinematic vision jettisons listeners through a psychedelic wormhole far beyond the usual perception of known audio latitude.

Aguirre Records has gone all out to inject this tribal dino DNA double slab of wax presented as twelve expansive and mesmerizing tracks of historical mutations linking early communication developments with speculative astrobiological impressions heard as mysterious & riveting melodies that wash over dizzying percussive styles and suspenseful ambience.

A variety of unexampled sounds take shape throughout as tectonic tablature, reptilian choral movements, bubbling bioluminescence, tube calls, orogenic bells, crustacean chatter, lost continent scales, high plains drifting riffs, and primordial soup lapping splashes revealing to listeners a living mural that is ’A Morphology of Wonders'.

The conjuring of cratonic creature harmonics resonate wildly from this interdimensional duet, emerging as Neopangaea music of now

On her sophomore album "Germ in a Population of Buildings", upsammy moves through her surroundings with the curiosity of a place-bending landscape architect. The album is rooted in her interest for ambiguous environments in constant shift, and the feeling of discovering strange patterns in different ecosystems. Often, the Amsterdam-based artist finds herself zooming in and out beyond a place's most recognizable surface features to inhabit the microscopic and gigantic. Gathering field recordings and evocative environmental sounds, she shapes this source material into vibrating electro-acoustic rhythms and unstable, psychedelic textures. upsammy's debut album, 2020's critically-acclaimed "Zoom", was praised for its careful reimagining of IDM, evolving vignettes that nodded towards the dancefloor without being shackled to its rigid set of rules. On "Germ in a Population of Buildings" her process has evolved considerably; the skeletal trace of IDM is still present but it's been trapped in amber, allowing her unique sonic landscape to develop organically. 'Being is a Stone' is a proof of concept in many ways, layering upsammy's contorted voice in rickety patterns beneath a lattice of fragile rhythms and faintly melancholy synths. It's never immediately obvious where the sounds are coming from - a hiccuping beat might be glass cracking underfoot, and larger pulses could be wet concrete, rusted iron or bent plastic. As the sounds develop they morph into each other, demolishing what came before and building on top of the ornamental wreckage. On the dynamic 'Constructing', upsammy's sound design fluxes through hyperactive bass music structures, abstracting expectations at every turn. Often her sounds are whisper quiet, rattling and vibrating until heavier masonry drops and disrupts the structure. And when discernible rhythms subside into the background, like on the album's eerie title track, they become almost illusory, morphing between the real world and the electronic. upsammy's processed voice works like a bridge between these realms, snaking between stark, whimsical melodies on 'Patterning', arching from AutoTuned detachment into cooing, dreamy intimacy. By considering the harmonies between each location she's visited, upsammy has been able to build a unique topology that's an uncanny digital amalgam of her lived experience. It's a thoughtful alternative in an era more concerned with flatting the landscape than crumpling it and examining its peaks and troughs.

(Clear with black, white & yellow splatter limited to 500 copies) SKA DREAM is a complete re-recording of Jeff Rosenstock's critically-acclaimed 2020 record NO DREAM however this time around all the songs are ska songs you're welcome. The very good idea to make this record came together when, like many other bands throughout this pandemic that refused to participate in super spreading events, we were trying to find a fun way to make some music together to share with people. Otherwise we were just spending our evenings texting the group chat in dread about the collapsing world around us. Not the most fun band activity. As with most things ska in my life, what started out as a fun goof with friends eventually morphed into "Hey, what if we tried to make it good though?" All of us have a pretty deep history playing and touring the country in punk/ska bands. We all understand the stigma that comes along with ska, we've all dealt with the pitfalls of it, and we've all kept on truckin' regardless. If you are one of those people who loves music as long as it isn't ska, that's cool, we see you. This record isn't for you and you don't have to listen to it. Byeeee. Okay, everyone else, we see you too, we love you and check it out, SKA DREAM is real. This record includes contributions from Jer Hunter (JER, Skatune Network, We Are The Union), Rick Johnson (Mustard Plug), Laura Stevenson, Ara Babajian (The Slackers, Leftover Crack), Boboso, Sean Bonnette (AJJ), George Clarke (Deafheaven), David Combs (Bad Moves), Chris Farren, Augusta Koch (Gladie, Cayetana), Angelo Moore (Fishbone), Franz Nicolay, nonregla, Elise Okusami (Oceanator), Mike Park (Bruce Lee Band, Skankin Pickle, Asian Man Records), PUP, Anika Pyle (Katie Ellen, Chumped) & Shannon Toombes.

Available on ltd edition transparent purple vinyl.

We are delighted to bring you Alber Jupiters incredible 2nd album ‘Puis vient la nuit”!! 

Founded in Rennes in 2017, instrumental bass-drums two-piece ALBER JUPITER draw inspiration from Berlin’s 70s krautrock scene and Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s hallucinatory post-rock to craft a unique soundscape. Their motorik rhythm wanders between plaintive delays and intergalactic reverbs. Magic happens immediately! 

Following the release of their stunning debut album We Are All Floating In Space’, the band took advantage of the forced covid break tocompose and record a second album which sees them pursuing their psychedelic exploration. A looper, a few pedals and the journey becomes limitless! The bass morphs into guitars, trippy violins, screams, ethereal or distorted layers. The synths are also part of the adventure, completing the already rich sonic spectrum and propelling the band into new territories. 

Jacken Elswyth is a London-based folk musician, banjo player, and instrument builder. At Fargrounds is her third solo album, her first for the Wrong Speed label and the latest in a rich catalogue that repositions the spectral, vulnerable sound of the banjo away from its familiar role as signifier of the past and onto lands brave, new and unexplored. “The living wood is imbued with qualities that require engagement and understanding. Working with cherry, oak or walnut involves naming it an equal partner. The parallel, synchronous transformations of wood into instrument, of growing tree into resonating sound, musical tradition into musical flourishing, lie at the heart of Jacken Elswyth’s practices both as an instrument builder and as a creative musician. One might consider her primarily as a worker in wood, but whose craft and fields of expression are absorbed by those transitional and interim processes that manifest change. The traditional tunes included here have been cultivated and maintained by generations of players and collectors, pruned, grafted, and shaped over time. However, in this setting, their long-established forms seem to morph and shift. They audibly accrue unique qualities, blossoming and swelling into new modes of being, bright-stepping arrangements unfolding with a liveliness hinting at practices of ritual and community. Meanwhile, other pieces, creative cornerstones of this collection, appear fluid, partially formed. They suggest not the cultivation of new growth from established stock, but instead the actions of something on the verge of taking form. Working with raw elements of melodic and tonal abstraction, they illuminate the process of emergence and evolution. In this context, the title At Fargrounds is telling. It suggests a point set at some distance from any centre of human concerns, a liminal space in which the cultivated world encounters the world of other living things in their living state. Here, the innate strangeness of the maintained environment–vast lawns, sculpted hedges, vacant playing fields–encounters sprawling vistas of driftwood, dense thickets of brambles, stony hillsides. Across a full century-and-a-quarter, long-standing rural and pastoral musical traditions, at some distance from their origins, have been preserved, nurtured and re-shaped under the folk revival. Placed here, these artefacts now sit in alignment with unvarnished documents featuring the raw elements of sound-making. Their working-together is achieved through a universally-applied interest in musical growth and development. The juxtaposition and combination of these elements gives evidence of new, emerging approaches to community and social music: familiar, known, yet charged with an alien vitality”–CWK Joynes. “...she knows how to knit atmospheres, and does so to especially powerful effect during Scene 4b’s three minutes of stunning bowed banjo, yearning with longing and dread, while showing off her talent, curiosity and range”–Jude Rogers review of Six Static Scenes (Guardian Folk Album Of The Month July 2022) "Jacken is an emotive player with high technical ability. Further, she builds banjos and other instruments, and that intimate knowledge of the bones and fibres holding everything together means that her playing has very few cracks" - Foxy Digitalis

London producer Keplrr debuts on Midgar with ‘Plumes’. Known for his productions on trendsetting outlets like Control Freak Recordings and Pressure Dome where he showed his excellent take on forward thinking broken techno music, right here for Midgar he uses a more straight forward approach with two versions of title track ‘Plumes’. The original is a subtle, percussive and playful techno groover, where the ‘Meditation Mix’ flips this impeccable groove into an airy atmospheric after-house mood. Second track ‘Pulse’ continues on this breezy atmosphere, it’s a floaty eyes-closed deep trip, with carefully arranged drums creating the perfect breakdown. Keplrr’s creative process delves into the profound, seeking to encapsulate the sensation of falling or morphing, blurring the lines between reality and reverie. His aim is to transport listeners to a state somewhere between a dream and a trip, where the boundaries of perception dissolve, and the subconscious takes flight. This EP embodies that quest, each track a sonic voyage into the depths of consciousness.

GATECREEPER return with their highly anticipated new album Deserted. The new album, a furious mix of snarling guitars and driving, rhythmic pummeling takes death metal from its 80's Floridian roots and 90's Swedish expansion straight into the here and now. In fact, the vanguard of death metal in 2019 can be found under Arizona’s searing sun. That’s where GATECREEPER members—Chase Mason, guitarist Eric Wagner, bassist Sean Mears, drummer Matt Arrebollo and guitarist Nate Garrett—make their homes. Of course, the band nodded to their scorching home state with the title of their 2016 full-length debut, Sonoran Depravation. The theme continues on Deserted, which boasts songs like “Sweltering Madness,” “Boiled Over” and the double-meaning title track. You can hear the results on “From The Ashes,” a crushing cut primed for the European festival circuit. Over on side two, “Boiled Over” fuses classic BOLT THROWER with the pulverizing power grooves of sludge titans CROWBAR. Album closer “Absence Of Light” upholds GATECREEPER's tradition of finishing their records with a deathly doom dirge. Deserted was recorded at Homewrecker Studios in Tucson, where GATECREEPER co-produced the album with engineer Ryan Bram. CONVERGE guitarist Kurt Ballou handled the mix at Godcity in Salem, MA, and Brad Boatright mastered the album at Audiosiege in Portland, OR. Deserted’s hallucinatory cover art was created by Brad Moore (TOMB MOLD, MORPHEUS DESCENDS, and more.)

Operating from the depths of London’s musical underground since the late ‘90s, Infinity Plus One has been quietly toiling away, letting his music do the talking for the past two and a half decades. Cyphon Recordings draft in the veteran producer for a rare four-track EP of Detroit-infused, future-facing house and techno laced with the compelling lyricism of JaronX.

The Rebellion EP sees Infinity Plus One in some of his finest form to date. Leading the charge, ‘Context is Broken’ opens with JaronX’s poignant and passionate lyric on the state of global media, where sensationalism sells more copies than facts. From there, you dive headfirst into a hit of heavy-duty, contorted house. Crisp hats, punchy kicks and echoing stabs are interspersed with twisted electronics and JaronX’s arresting vocals. A sub-rattling bassline hits you square in the chest taking this neural club cut to the next level.

‘Say The Truth’ follows. A glitching, syncopated roller, woven with an entrancing monologue that is modulated and layered into tripped-out harmonies that echo around your brain.

On the flip side, ‘Identity Keeps Changing’ is a morphing techno weapon, where voices and synthesisers oscillate through different forms with every new turn. Rave-infused synth lines, breakbeats and a warped bassline channel that ‘90s warehouse flavour for a kinetic dose of dancefloor bedlam.

Rounding off the EP, the surging chords of ‘Utopia’ ping between your ears. A pulse that rides the kick drum, as dizzying arps and heavenly strings are layered into the mix to form a transfixing, gravity-defying techno immersion.

Fusing lyricism with the depth and dynamism of house and techno’s roots, Infinity Plus One hardwires meaning within his music. Visceral and thought-provoking, it’s a welcome respite in a sea of conformity.

In an inspiring collaboration uniting artists from different corners of Europe and the Middle East, Palestine's Muqata'a, French-Irish Zoë McPherson, and Lebanon's Rabih Beaini have merged their creative forces to remix the Belgian/Iraqi band Use Knife's influential album 'The Shedding Of Skin'.

'Peace Carnival', released on Berlin’s Morphine Records, challenges the narrative around peace through its percussion, glitches, distortions, and Muslimgauze-esque minimalism to critique and rethink perceptions of justice and freedom.

This year, Carnival's usual satire and mockery should be directed towards the so-called and one-sided definition of 'peace'.

Winston Hytwr is a co-release presented by K and Perennial. Born in Columbus, Ohio in March 1993, Winston Hightower is a prolific home recording artist with an expansive discography that crawls across space and genre. A staple in the Midwestern punk/DIY scene, his first work under the eponymous moniker was a self-released tape in January 2015. Since then, he has put out over 100 songs on tape, online and on video. The music defies easy categorization, and instead breezes through a landscape of synths that effortlessly blend pop, rock, rap and jazz. In doing so, Hightower continues to build a cohesive, ever-morphing experiment in pushing the boundaries of underground guitar music, all with his signature wit and charm. This body of work is almost entirely written and recorded alone in his room, causing many to refer to him as `the Black R Stevie Moore,' a fitting epithet as his influences likewise include modern "lo-fi" progenitors such as Guided by Voices and Vivian Girls. Hightower has released much of his own work and more on his tape label, the FAH-Q Catalog, which boasts over 12 releases He has also collaborated with numerous other Ohio legends such as members of Times New Viking, Slant 6, and Ron House. Both mysterious and effervescent, Winston shape shifts into roles that have also included pro skater (UNITY, Adidas) and touring hardcore guitarist/bassist (most recently with the groups Minority Threat and Twompsax). With such an extensive pedigree, and having toured ceaselessly since he was a teenager, it's shocking that Winston Hightower is largely unknown outside of the Midwest. K records is thus thrilled to be putting out his first ever record, "Winston Hytwr" KLP292/PRNL50 which will cull songs from his previous and impossible to find releases. Remixed by Capt. Tripps Ballsington and Remastered by Amy Dragon. This release continues the rich tradition of DIY bands crafting instant pop hits entirely on their own terms, which has long been the hallmark of the International Pop Underground. 1000 vinyl copies.

The phenomenal three-piece band includes members of Oranssi Pazuzu, K-X-P, Grave Pleasures and Aavikko


Svart Records is proud to release the debut album, I, from Haunted Plasma, a powerhouse of futuristic synth in symbiosis with the super violent atmospherics of kosmische Black Metal. Haunted Plasma is “man meets machine” in a cybernetic wasteland, set to a conceptual backdrop of William Gibson and Phillip K. Dick style mind-melt. The highly evolved creatives at the heart of Haunted Plasma’s sound, cite Terry Riley, Massive Attack, a contemporary take on Krautrock hypnosis, psychedelic Black Metal and 90s Techno, resulting in an orgy of mutant sound.



The phantoms at the beating nucleus of this unearthly machine are Juho Vanhanen (Oranssi Pazuzu, Grave Pleasures), Timo Kaukolampi (K-X-P, Op:l Bastards) and Tomi Leppänen (Circle, Aavikko, K-X-P), transmitting a music form evolved from a life of redefining sonic boundaries in their respective projects. Also featuring guest vocals from Mat McNerney (Hexvessel, Carpenter Brut, Grave Pleasures/Beastmilk), Pauliina Lindell (Vuono, Dust Mountain) and Ringa Manner (Ruusut, The Hearing). Haunted Plasma promises an extraterrestrial experience from some of the foremost contemporary musicians at the heart of the Finnish heavy and avant-garde musical underworld.



Haunted Plasma reveals:

“We are liberated futurists, embracing free-form and natural composition, mirroring the merciless forces of cosmic creation. We have a motto to stay true to our feelings, to spawn a sound that’s never been heard before. Servants of music. Energizing, radical and pure”


The first single from Haunted Plasma’s cascading debut, Reverse Engineer, is a creepy, slowly erupting, synthetic nightmare, of a downloaded being waking up in the wrong future. Ghostly vocals demand the listener to “give us what we want” in an Orwellian glimpse into the current dystopia we live in, where information is controlled, and thoughts are bought and sold. As McNerney intones the words “technology of power” he describes the threat of a malevolent and omnipresent artificial intelligence, as much as describing the oppressive and electromagnetic sonar pulse of Haunted Plasma’s sound itself. Psychedelic guitar hypnosis from Vanhanen snakes around Kaukolampi’s molten and morphing synths, while Leppänen’s uncanny man/machine rhythms pull our strings and animate their other-worldly mechanisms. Have a look at the official visualiser of "Reverse Engineer" on the Svart YouTube channel here


Culminating in the full-blown fast Krautrock of the final self-titled track, oozing with blistering noise elements and enigmatic vocals from Ringa Manner, the album's journey reaches its zenith, taking you to unknown territories on a Kubrikian space trip. I is a rare record of talented musicians coming together to create a completely new sound, which is entirely their own, boldly glowing, where no light has shone before. From the dreamy psychedelia of Echoes to the discombobulated Spectral Embrace, Haunted Plasma is a willful force of deliberate sound contortion.


Whether you want to give in to Haunted Plasma’s sound or not, you are being watched, you are being recorded and your every move is monitored. Haunted Plasma will enter your system on the 31st of May 2024. Turn on your phantom circuits and be prepared for an interdimensional excursion into Haunted Plasma’s alien dreams.

The debut album from Haunted Plasma will be packaged in a beautiful tip-on sleeve, swirling fog artwork, complete with 12” booklet and pressed on 3 exclusive vinyl colours: 300 copies on Standard Black Wax, 500 copies in Amber + Black Smoke and 200 copies of Svart exclusive Turquoise/Black Marble. The album will also be available on CD and digital platforms.

Luxury Apartments have spent long enough pondering in the orb of creative frustration as art charged city dwellers and have alchemised a jagged piece of guitar work that calls on the past for a quick catch up before cracking on with their day as a witty, energised and wiry punk band. Formed before your favourite East London neighbourhood became full of high rises, cockapoos and pubs with Madri & Beavertown on Draft, there’s a whole swath of words you could use to describe Luxury Apartments, but doing so might draw too many parallels to estate agent listings wo we’re gonna let their track record and new LP do the talking… LA played with the likes of TOY, TELEGRAM, Deep Tan, Es, The Chisel and Rifle before even having an LP. Mixing dry humour with a belting live show served them well while the guys were woodshedding and earnt them early fans such as Graham Coxon and Jamie Reynolds, who I can only gather shed a single tear of seeing where they came from with all the chaotic guitar-busting, skin-splitting, bottle-smashing madness of an early LA show. But we’re here talking about NOW and NOW is the time to get your pre-order for their first LP, a half hour of power smashing the atoms of 80s c86 indie on lead track ‘Energy’, 77 punk on ‘Wire’ and new garage rock explosions on ‘Taliban’ which morph in to a piece of black wax that’s 100% guaranteed to get the disenfranchised wiggling, the fed-up hurling half bricks through foxtons windows and the punk lifers flipping off yet another boss before carving out another fork in their paths of resistance.

Galaxy Orange/Black Vinyl. Limited to 500 copies. Data Diamond is the sound of FOUR STROKE BARON at their most confidently unhinged. Originally conceived as two separate EPs (one purely electronic - Data, one heavy - Diamond) that would then meld together on one full length release, the idea morphed into what is now the succinct sucker punch of an album that is heading our way at speed. Heavily inspired by their own work on Data Diamond's predecessor, Classics, Witt and Vallarino got to work in their laboratory creating the most potent, concentrated form of FOUR STROKE BARON possible. Data Diamond - a dizzying sub-40 minute dive into the deranged psyches of its creators. The tracks on Data Diamond are lithe yet still allow enough room for idiosyncratic flourishes that mark this out as a true FOUR STROKE BARON opus. If Classics was a Man vs. Food belly busting plate of indulgence, Data Diamond is an upmarket Gordon Ramsay dish, served with a side of insanity. Finding a co-conspirator in Cynic's Paul Masvidal, the trio get somewhat psychedelic on the album's eponymous closing - and most expansive - track, which also features Vola's Adam Janzi on drums. Thematically, this is their most murderous anthology to date. Those who find themselves embroiled in these bloodthirsty tales include a Radio Shack CEO, an internationally acclaimed cyborg, an accidental trafficker of human body parts, and the leader of a death cult located in a convenience store. FOUR STROKE BARON's anomalous view of the world takes a particularly dark turn across the songs on Data Diamond, yet, as ever the macabre tragedies are dressed up with catchy melodies, pop hooks for days and a big shimmering bow of positivity.

Data Diamond is the sound of FOUR STROKE BARON at their most confidently unhinged. Originally conceived as two separate EPs (one purely electronic - Data, one heavy - Diamond) that would then meld together on one full length release, the idea morphed into what is now the succinct sucker punch of an album that is heading our way at speed. Heavily inspired by their own work on Data Diamond’s predecessor, Classics, Witt and Vallarino got to work in their laboratory creating the most potent, concentrated form of FOUR STROKE BARON possible. Data Diamond - a dizzying sub-40 minute dive into the deranged psyches of its creators. The tracks on Data Diamond are lithe yet still allow enough room for idiosyncratic flourishes that mark this out as a true FOUR STROKE BARON opus. If Classics was a Man vs. Food belly busting plate of indulgence, Data Diamond is an upmarket Gordon Ramsay dish, served with a side of insanity. Finding a co-conspirator in Cynic’s Paul Masvidal, the trio get somewhat psychedelic on the album’s eponymous closing - and most expansive - track, which also features Vola’s Adam Janzi on drums. Thematically, this is their most murderous anthology to date. Those who find themselves embroiled in these bloodthirsty tales include a Radio Shack CEO, an internationally acclaimed cyborg, an accidental trafficker of human body parts, and the leader of a death cult located in a convenience store. FOUR STROKE BARON’s anomalous view of the world takes a particularly dark turn across the songs on Data Diamond, yet, as ever the macabre tragedies are dressed up with catchy melodies, pop hooks for days and a big shimmering bow of positivity.