Search:motive

The music industry, once revered as a realm of artistic expression and creativity, has gradually transformed into a breeding ground for commercial nonsense. The rampant commercialization of music has resulted in an environment where genuine talent often takes a backseat to profit-driven motives. It’s high time we unmask and challenge the prevailing commercial bullshit that plagues the music scene today.

In the midst of all this commercial nonsense, it’s essential to recognize that there is a thriving underground and independent music scene where authenticity and creativity still flourish. Listeners can play a vital role in reshaping the music industry by supporting independent artists, seeking out diverse sounds, and rejecting the homogenized offerings of major labels.

To combat the commercial bullshit in the music scene, we must prioritize artistry over profit, diversity over uniformity, and creativity over conformity. Only by championing these values can we hope to revive the music industry as a bastion of authentic expression and genuine talent, free from the shackles of commercial exploitation.

1993 progressive acid house produced by the prolific and elusive Will Brunner. To date the only release from Shimmer records and almost impossible to find second hand. Features four diverse mixes which have been remastered by ManMade.

Highly regarded as a former resident at Salon Des Amateurs at his native Düsseldorf, Tolouse Low Trax/Detlef Weinrich has carved one of the most distinctive sounds in contemporary leftfield club music thanks to his deeply unusual grooves and hypnotic arrangements over the past 15 years as a solo artist.
Fung Day is his first album with entirely new material since Leave me alone which was released through Bureau B in 2022. Fung Day was written and recorded over the course of two years, slowly mutating and progressing from one state to another. Mixed, produced and finally mastered in Paris, his new domicile by choice.

A few words by Yvan Smagghe about Fung Day:
„He pretended he was in exile from Germany but he was a French lover like all of us; his MPC Sampler was smoking hot, an Enigma machine, an ashtray full of ghosts. I had left Paris for the same reasons he came. I could strangely relate. We’d met before he left Düsseldorf, and I knew of him through his oeuvre, his art over words (they were few) and piercing blue eyes.

He was now texting me on a night train from Warsaw going East, as in a Greene novel, asking me to go over his file. He sent me a spontaneous, fun, brave and bold record which is his new album - one that curiously smelled of mechanical grease - machinery of the soul, broken transport rhythms, samples like memories, noise at peace. Referenced yet uncoded. I don’t believe in ulterior motives and complex explanations. Not here at least. On the other hand, I do believe that works can be exposure - especially with the silent type or mistaken identities - and I knew about these too.“ - London, 2024

Es ist Ehre wie gleichsam Respekt für elektronische Künstler, Musik für den Sci-Fi-Filmklassiker Metropolis zu können, und mit dem einfach benannten Soundtrack for a Film reihen sich Factory Floor in die Reihen von Giorgio Moroder und Jeff Mills ein. Soundtrack for a Film ist zwar subtiler als die Alben von Factory Floor, trägt aber immer noch den typischen Ansatz des Duos. Soundtrack for a Film führt die Fähigkeit von Factory Floor, ausgedehnte, sich entwickelnde Tracks zu kreieren, zu einem logischen Abschluss, und das Album könnte als ein zweieinhalbstündiger Schnitt gehört werden. Trotz der Länge verlieren Gurnsey und Void dank ihrer sorgfältig ausgewählten Motive nie den Fokus. Da Factory Floor die organischen und mechanischen Aspekte von Metropolis und ihrer Musik auf Soundtrack for a Film ausbalancieren, erreichen sie das Beste aus beiden Welten - ein Auftragswerk, das genauso originell ist wie ihre eigenen Alben.

Enjoy The Ride Records in conjunction with Lakeshore Records & EA Music are proud to bring to you, the first vinyl press of the Dead Space Video Game Original Soundtrack by Trevor Gureckis. This limited edition vinyl release is pressed on a 2xLP set & housed in a gatefold jacket featuring artwork from the EA archives. Dead Space is a 2023 survival horror game developed by Motive Studio and published by Electronic Arts. A remake of the 2008 game of the same name developed by EA Redwood Shores, it is the first release in the Dead Space series since 2013's Dead Space 3.

The brainchild of drummer/producer Chiminyo, NRG is more than just an album, label or event. It’s a concept. Born out of a conversation about the UK Jazz scene (is it really jazz?) Chiminyo concluded that this musical expression is less about ‘jazz’ and more about energy (NRG).
So with this in mind, he set about to explore, celebrate and harness this NRG in its purest form. No labels, no promoters, no industry, no control. Just Chiminyo and members of his musical community exchanging (strictly improvised) NRG with audiences and capturing the spontaneous beauty to be shared with the world.
This third edition, NRG 3, features an all-star line-up. Modular synth wizard and Ariwo band leader Pouya Ehsaei, electro synth-pop artist and incredible keyboard/synth player Maria Chiara Argiró, and Hak Baker's trumpet player Sam Warner. And you can really feel the vibrant NRG of the capital pulsating throughout. Raucous dance-floor stompers such as 'Enter the Dragon' and 'Fred not Again' are beautifully contrasted with the dreamy, cinematic 'Avalon'. And the addition of instrumental and vocal guests on the night really adds a special touch. 'Stories Untold' opens with flautist Lluis Domènech Plana's lyrical exploration on bamboo flute before developing into an up-tempo house inspired dance tune, whilst Nadeem Din Gabisi's 'Fire' presents a unique perspective on a trap groove that you simply couldn't imagine outside of the context of NRG 3, and towards the end of the track the audio cuts to camera audio due to an issue with the desk recording, a magical moment that puts you in right there in the room and reminds you that this was a live gig!
It is incredible to think this record is improvised, because each tune comes across as a carefully sculpted master-piece, a clear testament to the incredible musicians on the line-up.

Indignation Meeting are punky rail fans from Leeds. 15-year-old Peter is the driver - he's the drummer and lead singer, writes most of the songs, and also plays bass and trumpet on the album. The rest of the crew is his dad Michael on guitar, Hugo on bass, and with Keith, Heather and Sally often along for the ride when they play out. Here at DGHQ we loved listening to their self-released debut album Trouble In The Shed so much we eventually released it on vinyl for the first time. They now have a second album! Vocalist/drummer Peter very kindly talks us through the (train) tracks_ * "The Trainspotting Song" - Now, as a train geek, I go out filming trains an awful lot, and one thing you can't help noticing whilst out in the wilds of Staffordshire or the moors of Lancashire are a whole load of unnecessary 'Private Land' signs. This song is my response_ * "The Talyllyn Railway" - The history of the Talyllyn Railway is a fascinating one that I've long since wanted to explore, due to its unique nature as the first railway to ever be taken over by volunteers. This is the result! * "The Middleton Railway" - As a volunteer at the Middleton Railway, I had felt that a song needed to be written for quite a while. However, our guitarist Michael, ended up beating me to it! * "A Model World" - It was late one night, and I was lying on my sofa, trying my hardest to gain an ounce of enjoyment from 'Hornby; A Model World.' It was proving quite hard, due to the alarming lack of substance in the programme, so instead I decided that its name was rather good, and could be the basis of a song explaining my 'model world.' And, well, here it is! * "The Fifth Black Five" - This song is dedicated to the railway preservationists of old, who spent countless hours in cold, damp, dreary sidings, all to make sure us future generations would be able to enjoy the smell of a steam train. Thanks guys! * "Case Study" - This song is a commentary on the sensationalisation of disasters, when there's a massive tragedy and people at home just sit in their comfy sofas, watching the news and drinking tea. We know what's going on, but we can just choose to turn off the TV and forget it ever happened and continue with our lives. It also relates to the dehumanisation of those disasters you experience in school, where you have to write essays on someone who's just become homeless. It seems quite heartless sometimes_ * "Loco Motives" - This song is a fictional story of a man's personal struggle with a railway company, and the drastic measures he took to fix them_ * "That Would Never Suit His Grace" - With model railways, you always seem to get a few people who can never be satisfied with a layout or a model - no matter how hard someone's tried, there's always something to improve on, and they're never nice about it either. This song is a reality check for them_ * "Small Black Shunter" - This is our second homage to Zounds - Electrification would never be truly complete without its B-side. And this B-side is the story of a little loco who wanted to see the world. * "Rhydyronen" - Slowly but surely, we're going to pick off all of the stations on the Talyllyn Railway. Starting where Abergynolwyn left off, this is the story of our second favourite station on the TR. * "Typically English Day" - This is an homage to Mark Astronaut, a true punk genius who was gone before his time. Although there were many songs we could've picked to cover, it only seemed right to punk up one of his most popular tracks, and one of the main ones that got me into the Astronauts in the first place - Typically English Day, a heart-wrenching tale of an elderly couple trapped in the middle of a nuclear war, following their last moments before their inevitable demise. * "Just For The Record" - There is too much misinformation in the media these days, and one case I found particularly egregious was the gross misrepresentation of the strikers, who aren't so evil as the media want you to believe_

The music industry, once revered as a realm of artistic expression and creativity, has gradually transformed into a breeding ground for commercial nonsense. The rampant commercialization of music has resulted in an environment where genuine talent often takes a backseat to profit-driven motives. It’s high time we unmask and challenge the prevailing commercial bullshit that plagues the music scene today.

In the midst of all this commercial nonsense, it’s essential to recognize that there is a thriving underground and independent music scene where authenticity and creativity still flourish. Listeners can play a vital role in reshaping the music industry by supporting independent artists, seeking out diverse sounds, and rejecting the homogenized offerings of major labels.

To combat the commercial bullshit in the music scene, we must prioritize artistry over profit, diversity over uniformity, and creativity over conformity. Only by championing these values can we hope to revive the music industry as a bastion of authentic expression and genuine talent, free from the shackles of commercial exploitation.

Excellent robotic electro(nix) as Pan-Am Tracks welcomes DVS NME and Krypton 81 with this ambitious project that pays homage to German Electro producer Das Muster. Both artists set the tone with intricate rhythms and analogue warmth. Pulsating basslines and shimmering synths intertwine, creating a vibrant, futuristic soundscape. This dynamic interplay between the two artists continues throughout the album, as DVS NME and Krypton 81 counterpoint each others explorations into the sound. A sonic trip that will surely resonate with fans of the genre.

Das ursprünglich 2015 veröffentlichte ”The Chopin Project” ist eine wunderschöne Erkundung von Chopins
Musik, die hier zum ersten Mal auf farbigem Vinyl zu hören ist.
Die Musik von Frédéric Chopin ist schon hunderte Male aufgenommen worden. Aber noch nie auf diese
Weise. Das Chopin-Projekt bringt den preisgekrönten isländischen Pop-/Klassik-Musiker Ólafur Arnalds
und die gefeierte deutsch-japanische Pianistin Alice Sara Ott für eine aufregende neue Interpretation der
Musik von Chopin zusammen. Arnalds wählte ein Programm von Chopin-Werken, um einen emotionalen
Bogen durch das Album zu spannen, und komponierte dann verbindende Abschnitte für Streichquintett,
Klavier und Synthesizer, die auf der Atmosphäre und den Motiven dieser Stücke basieren.

Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs-Drummer Ewan Mackenzie präsentiert die fünfte LP seines Soloprojekts Dextro auf dem neuen Pigs-eigenen Label Mr Medicine. "Respire" ist eine Reise in einen versunkenen Raum, in dem sich akustische Motive mit symphonischer Elektronik zu zauberhaften Klanglandschaften verbinden. Dextro veröffentlicht u.a. bei Grönland und Border Community und war erst kürzlich an Grönlands Harmonia-Rework-Projekt beteiligt. Ihm zur Seite standen Saxofonistin Faye MacCalman (Archipelago, Me Lost Me, The Unthanks), Cellist Tom Merrit Smith und Harmonistin Kate Halsall (Galvanize Ensemble).

If there's one musician in the last decade that you may hear in wildly diverse musical contexts it is Belgian electric bassist and sound sculptor Farida Amadou. Not only can you enjoy the unerringly skillful command she has over her instrument but also the transformative power to reinterpret and expand her material in spontaneous and unconventional ways.

Amadou is self-taught and radically aware of her idiosyncratic relationship with the bass guitar. She neither emulates the virtuosos of the electric bass, nor does she use the instrument as a pure sound generator that merely emits humming and feedback. She takes a completely independent and unique approach. This freedom enables her to create an overwhelming wall of sound, as well as simple, clear structures that are rhythmically concise yielding a wide associative space that lands somewhere between free jazz and noise.

Her work is often concentrated and circular where motifs are established and developed outward. It is an organic sound in the literal sense of the word, constantly in motion, yet resting in itself. The three solo pieces she has recorded for Week-End Records emphasize her impressive ability to ignite ecstasy from tranquility, to fan out a whole range of moods from a few potent ideas.

These attributes make her a musician who enriches every group she plays in, because she is present with her assured and crystallized sound but refrains from being domineering. However, her strengths are even more apparent when she plays solo: the contrasts between the dark, heavy clouds of sound and the rhythmic passages, and the transitions between movements which always sound "logical" yet surprising.

Her new solo album, "When It Rains It Pours" presents Amadou as an inspired improviser who follows her musical intuition and acumen to create a truly unique soundworld. Rarely has improvised music sounded so succinct and compelling.

Wenn es in den letzten zehn Jahren eine Musikerin gegeben hat, die man in den unterschiedlichsten musikalischen Kontexten immer wieder hören will: nicht weil sie eine passable Mitspielerin wäre, sondern weil sie diese Kontexte jedes Mal bereichert und auf spontane, unkonventionelle Weise erweitert, umdeutet, in neue transformiert, dann ist es die belgische E-Bassistin und Klangskulpteurin Farida Amadou.

Sie ist Autodidaktin - und sie versteht diese Selbstaneignung des Instruments radikal. Weder eifert sie den Virtuosen des E-Basses nach, noch verwendet sie das Instrument als reinen Klangerzeuger, der bloß Brummen und Feedbacks von sich gibt. Sie geht von einem völlig eigenständigen Ansatz aus. Der ermöglicht es ihr, eine überwältigende Wall of Sound zu kreieren genauso wie einfache, klare Strukturen, die rhythmisch prägnant sind und einen weiten Assoziationsraum zwischen Free Jazz und Noise eröffnen. 

Ihre Musik ist konzentriert, hat einen langen Atem, kreist um Motive, entwickelt daraus neue Linien, die Amadou im Spiel weiterverfolgt. Es ist ein im Wortsinne organischer Sound, ständig in Bewegung, dabei in sich ruhend. Die Stücke, die sie für Week-End Records aufgenommen hat, unterstreichen ihre beeindruckende Fähigkeit, aus der Ruhe die Ekstase zu entfachen, aus wenigen Ideen eine ganze Palette an Stimmungen aufzufächern.

Das macht sie zu einer Musikerin, die jede Gruppe, in der sie spielt, bereichert, weil sie präsent ist, ohne zu dominieren, weil ihr Sound so prägnant ist, ohne die anderen zu übertönen. Im Solo treten die Stärken ihres Spiels aber noch stärker hervor: die Kontraste zwischen zwischen dunklen, schweren Klangwolken und den rhythmischen Passagen, vor allem die Übergänge, die immer „logisch“ klingen, aber zunächst unerwartet kommen und ihren eigenen Weg einschlagen. Ihr neues Solo-Album, “When It Rains It Pours” zeigt sie als inspirierte Improvisatorin, die sich nie bloß ihren Einfällen hingibt, sondern die Ideen zu Ende denkt, oder besser: spielt. Selten klang improvisierte Musik so kompakt und zwingend.

Auf seinem neuen Album Sun Glories erkundet der in Oakland lebende Musiker, Komponist und Produzent Chuck Johnson Themen wie Zeit, Erinnerung und Illusion durch seine einzigartige Mischung aus Pedal Steel, Synthesizern, Gitarren, Orgeln, Streichern und Schlagzeug. Der Eröffnungstrack "Teleos" erforscht die linearen und zyklischen Qualitäten der Zeit durch episodische Abschnitte und Motive, die die bittersüße Erleichterung und Nostalgie heraufbeschwören, die mit der Ankunft des ersten warmen und sonnigen Tages nach einem langen, dunklen und regnerischen Winter die Sinne überfluten. Das gitarrenbasierte "Sylvanshine" fängt einen Moment zwischen Improvisation und aufkeimender Komposition ein, mit einem strahlenden Gastbeitrag des elektroakustischen Saxophonisten Cole Pulice. Bei "Ground Wave" greift Johnson auf die Kompositionstechnik zurück, ein kleines Streicherensemble in Wolken aus Pedal Steel zu verweben, ähnlich wie bei "Red Branch Bell" von seiner 2021 erschienenen LP The Cinder Grove. "Wenn das Pedal-Steel-Solo bei etwa 3:30 einsetzt, wollte ich, dass es sich anfühlt, als würde der Boden unter den Füßen des Zuhörers plötzlich verschwinden." Um seine Vision zu verwirklichen, arbeitete Johnson mit der Cellistin Clarice Jensen und der Geigerin Emily Packard zusammen, die beide mehrere Stimmen übereinander legten, um ein virtuelles Kammerensemble zu schaffen. Das Album schließt mit "Broken Spectre", einer Anspielung auf einen Begriff, der eine geisterhafte optische Täuschung beschreibt, die dadurch entsteht, dass sich das Sonnenlicht über einen nebel- oder wolkenverhangenen Berg beugt. Wieder einmal bauen sich Johnsons herrliche Pedal Steel-Melodien zu einem hypnotischen Strudel auf, der mit Ryan Jewells hymnischem Schlagzeugspiel ein episches Gefühl der Erhabenheit entwickelt. Wenn sich der Nebel lichtet und die Sonne durchbricht, hinterlässt dieser letzte Track ein Gefühl von Hoffnung und Entschlossenheit.

American Standard beginnt mit einem Schock. Sänger Michael Berdan steht allein und schreit: "A part of me, but it can't be me. Oh God, it can't." Alles beginnt mit einem Geständnis. Hinter den erschütternden Schreien verbirgt sich der Schmerz der Bulimia nervosa. Es ist der Schmerz einer Krankheit, die ebenso physisch wie psychisch ist. Dies ist eine Art von Aufbruch. Mit jedem Satz von American Standard schält Uniform eine neue Schicht ab und erzählt die Geschichte im Inneren der vorhergehenden. Die Texte dringen in den Kern des innersten Selbst ein, in das kleine menschliche Wesen, das im Griff der Krankheit zerquetscht wird. Um diese Geschichte von Essstörungen, Selbsthass, Wahnvorstellungen, Manie und letztendlicher Entdeckung zu entschlüsseln, holte sich Berdan Hilfe von zwei überragenden literarischen Außenseiterfiguren. Zusammen mit B.R. Yeager (Autor des modernen Kult-Klassikers Negative Space) und Maggie Siebert (dem Kopf hinter dem zeitgenössischen Body-Horror-Meisterwerk Bonding) nehmen die drei Autoren das persönliche Material auseinander, um ein Porträt psychischer und physischer Krankheit zu präsentieren, das so eindringlich und erschreckend ist wie nichts anderes im heutigen Kanon. Das Ergebnis ist eine akkurate Artikulation eines Zustands, der über einfache Qualen hinausgeht, und fängt die aufregende Transzendenz und Befreiung ein, die Krankheit in diesem Prozess bringen kann. American Standard ist mit Sicherheit das thematisch gelungenste und musikalisch selbstbewussteste Album von Uniform, das es bisher gab. Abschnitte drehen sich und explodieren. Motive driften ins Ungewisse ab, bevor sie sich mit neuer Kraft wieder durchsetzen. Genres kollidieren und brechen auf und formen etwas Eigenwilliges und Neues. Es gibt eine Größe, die zum Teil auf die Hinzufügung des Interpol-Bassisten Brad Truax zurückzuführen ist, zusammen mit dem perkussiven Druck und Zug des zurückkehrenden Schlagzeugers Michael Sharp und des langjährigen Tour-Schlagzeugers Michael Bloom, der hier sein Uniform-Aufnahme-Debüt gibt. Diese Großartigkeit ist jedoch ganz klar der Größe und Kraft der Arrangements von Gitarrist und Gründer Ben Greenberg zuzuschreiben, die immer elegant zu den intensiven lyrischen Themen passen. Ohne den geringsten Zweifel ist American Standard ein Kunstwerk, quälend in seiner Ehrlichkeit und unerbittlich in seinem Streben nach klanglicher Transzendenz. Es ist abscheulich. Es ist wunderschön. Es ist notwendig.

From listening to pirate radio recordings, putting on illegal parties and working for one of the UK’s original rave promoters, Greg Hepworth, aka Settle Down, has always had roots in the foundations of UK dance music.

Settle Down’s 30 year journey began when the sounds of Fantazia drifted into his childhood bedroom at the age of 10. After wearing out cassettes of pirate radio recordings and immersing himself in a growing culture, what followed was putting on illegal raves across the South Coast and packing tapes for Dreamscape, before crossing over to Creator and releasing for Metalheadz and Reinforced as 'Ulterior Motive' and reinventing himself as 'Settle Down'.

From fan to facilitator to maker. Voyage is a documentation of Settle Down's 30 year journey through UK breakbeat culture. Presented as a recording of a 90’s rave cassette mix, it chronicles the journey through house, breakbeat, hardcore and jungle and the influences that make up these genres, a love letter to the past and an ode to the vibe.

Voyage will be released on a limited edition mixtape cassette, 12” vinyl and digitally mixed and unmixed single tracks alongside some limited edition merchandise.

"FILT är the Ark-keyboardisten/producenten Jens Anderssons instrumentala musikprojekt. FILT bjuder på sitt nya album ""Maximal minimalism” in lyssnaren till ett musikaliskt rike där elektroniska ljudlandskap, akustisk värme och fängslande melodier vävs samman i en förtrollande mix. Omslagsbilden är tagen av fotografen Peter Westrup och motivet är sten från Kullaberg fotograferad genom mikroskop så det vi ser äristallerna i stenen. Debutalbumet ”Över frusen vän” släpptes 2022 fick ett mycket fint mottagande och blev bland annat utsett till ett av årets bästa album i Sonic Magazine. På nya albumet får syntar och elektronik ta större plats men det akustiska finns hela tiden närvarande som en motpol. Tvärflöjt, saxofon, stråkar, gitarr, trummor och kontrabas kontrasterar det elektroniska genom hela skivan."

Repress!

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO'S 1985 ELECTRONIC AND AMBIENT CLASSIC RELEASED OUTSIDE OF JAPAN FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ITS ORIGINAL RELEASE WITH NEW LINER NOTES BY ANDY BETA AND AUDIO REMASTERED BY SEIGEN ONO

Wewantsounds continues their Ryuichi Sakamoto reissue series with the release of the 1985 album "Esperanto", composed for a performance by New York avant garde choreographer Molissa Fenley. Produced and performed by Sakamoto with contribution by Arto Lindsay and Japanese percussionist Yas-Kaz, "Esperanto" is a fascinating instrumental work mixing electronica, ambient and synth pop. Released in Japan in 1985 on Midi Inc.s' School label, the album has never been released outside of Japan until now. This special reissue comes with original artwork including a 2 pages insert with a new introduction by Journalist Andy Beta. The audio has been remastered in Tokyo by Seigen Ono.
"Esperanto" originally came out in 1985 and was Ryuichi Sakamoto's sixth solo album. Coming after his stint with the influential Yellow Magic Orchestra, and also the worldwide success of Sakamoto's 1984 soundtrack for the film "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" (in which he starred alongside David Bowie), "Esperanto" was a return to Sakamoto's leftfield roots.
?Composed as the soundtrack to a performance by New York choreographer Molissa Fenley (a show commissioned by Japanese producer Shozo Tsurumoto), the album was masterminded by Sakamoto with the help of the cutting-edge electronic technology of the time (the only external contributions are by Arto Lindsay on guitar and Japanese composer Yas-Kaz on percussion).
?Indeed, the album is a fascinating soundscape experimenting with the new sampler technology - which, according to Ryuichi Sakamoto from a conversation with journalist Andy Beta mentioned in the liner notes, needed a computer that was huge at the time.
?Esperanto is composed of eight tracks displaying a varied mix of influences. "A Wongga Dance Song" is pulsating with rhythms while "A Rain Song" adopts a minimalist mode with its distinctive
repetitive pattern. "Dolphins" and "A Carved Stone" are captivating ambient pieces showcasing Sakamoto's talent for setting beautiful abstract melodic ornaments over atmospheric tones.
?One of the highlights of the album is "Adelic Penguins", a fascinating proto techno piece with a funky twist stretching over six minutes which echoes the electro funk of 1981's album "Hidari Ude No Yume." "Ulu Watu", a collage-like piece featuring bird motives and a tropical soundscape closes the album with an experimental note. It's interesting to note that, a year later, the tracks from "Esperanto" would be turned into an experimental video project by New York visual artists Kit Fitzgerald and Nam June Paik collaborator Paul Garrin.
?A unique album in Ryuichi Sakamoto's rich discography, "Esperanto" is a groundbreaking work worth rediscovering in its full glory.

The music industry, once revered as a realm of artistic expression and creativity, has gradually transformed into a breeding ground for commercial nonsense. The rampant commercialization of music has resulted in an environment where genuine talent often takes a backseat to profit-driven motives. It’s high time we unmask and challenge the prevailing commercial bullshit that plagues the music scene today.

In the midst of all this commercial nonsense, it’s essential to recognize that there is a thriving underground and independent music scene where authenticity and creativity still flourish. Listeners can play a vital role in reshaping the music industry by supporting independent artists, seeking out diverse sounds, and rejecting the homogenized offerings of major labels.

To combat the commercial bullshit in the music scene, we must prioritize artistry over profit, diversity over uniformity, and creativity over conformity. Only by championing these values can we hope to revive the music industry as a bastion of authentic expression and genuine talent, free from the shackles of commercial exploitation.

Catpack“ ist das originelle, unbeschwerte Projekt des Trios Amber Navran (von Moonchild), Jacob Mann und Phil Beaudreau aus Los Angeles. Das Ergebnis ist eine authentische Verschmelzung ihrer künstlerischen Fähigkeiten, bei der sie ihre Einflüsse nutzen, um einen Jazz-beeinflussten R&B-Sound mit Neo-Soul-, Funk- und Elektronik-Motiven zu kreieren.

Die gefeierte Can Live Serie wird mit einem Konzert in Paris mit Damo Suzuki fortgesetzt! Die zweite Phase der gefeierten Can Live-Serie, Can Live in Paris 1973, wird am 23. Februar 2024 auf Vinyl, CD und digital über Mute und Future Days (das neue EU-Label von Spoon Records) veröffentlicht.

Live in Paris 1973 zeigt Can in magischer Form bei einem Auftritt, der am 12. Mai 1973 im Pariser L'Olympia aufgezeichnet wurde und bei dem erstmals Damo Suzuki am Gesang zu hören ist. Von 1970-73 wurde die Stammbesetzung von Irmin Schmidt, Jaki Liebezeit, Michael Karoli und Holger Czukay durch den japanischen Improvisator und Sänger Suzuki ergänzt. Sie lernten sich durch eine zufällige Begegnung kennen, als Suzuki als Straßenmusiker in München unterwegs war; einige Monate nach dem hier veröffentlichtem Auftritt verließ Damo die Band. Dieses neue Album in der Reihe ermöglicht es uns, die Band in einer besonders wichtigen Phase ihrer Karriere zu erleben, da zwei ihrer am meisten gefeierten Alben - Tago Mago und Ege Bamyasi, wobei letzteres in den Pariser Auftritt einfließt - erst kürzlich veröffentlicht wurden. Die Aufnahmen wurden von Gründungsmitglied Irmin Schmidt und Produzent/Sound Engineer René Tinner, die alle Alben dieser Reihe zusammengestellt und bearbeitet haben, aus Aufnahmen in den Archiven von Spoon Records und von hilfsbereiten Fans eingesandten Aufnahmen zusammengesetzt und für das 21. Jahrhundert aufgearbeitet. CAN, die in den späten 60er Jahren gegründet wurden und sich ein gutes Jahrzehnt später auflösten, haben sich mit ihrer beispiellosen und kühnen Verbindung von hypnotischen Grooves und avantgardistischen Instrumentalstrukturen zu einer der wichtigsten und innovativsten Bands aller Zeiten entwickelt, und diese Alben zeigen die Gruppe aus einer ganz anderen Perspektive. Man hört vielleicht vertraute Themen, Riffs und Motive, die auftauchen und sich durch diese Jams wälzen, aber es sind oft nur flüchtig wiedererkannte Gesichter in einer wirbelnden Menge. An anderen Stellen hört man Musik, die es nie in den offiziellen Albumkanon geschafft hat. Bei diesen Aufnahmen gehen Can in noch extremere Bereiche als bei ihren Studioarbeiten: von sanftem, atmosphärischem Drift-Rock bis hin zu Momenten, denen die Band den Spitznamen "Godzillas" gab. Und selbst wenn sie sich von Minute zu Minute dem Rhythmus anpassen und hinterher jagen, kann man die außergewöhnliche musikalische Telepathie hören, die ihre Mitglieder miteinander teilen.

Die neue Veröffentlichung folgt auf Can Live in Brighton 1975 "Pure dynamite... keep them coming" - MOJO; Can Live in Stuttgart 1975, UNCUT's Reissue of the Year, #2 in MOJO's Reissues of the Year, #7 in THE WIRE’s Archive Reissues of the Year, und Can Live in Cuxhaven 1976, das ebenfalls in den “Reissues of the Year” stark vertreten war.

Can Live in Paris 1973 wird am 23. Februar 2024 auf Doppel-Vinyl, 2 x CD und digital über Mute / Spoon Records veröffentlicht.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Rami Gabriel has been a motive force in rock n' roll, jazz, Arabic, and experimental music communities across North America for over twenty years. In that time, he has released numerous projects across genres and under many names. On his debut LP for Sooper Records, Rami trips all the breakers. In his own name and voice for the first time, That's what I been sayin' is not so much a debut as a conflagration in Rami Gabriel's worldly underground. Drawing on Punk, Krautrock, Dub, No Wave, and lo- fi, the territory occupied by That's what I been sayin' is astringent, minimal, and buzzing with the sound of machines dancing in the wind. "I'm used to putting out records based on genre," says Rami of his multiple endeavors. "I was listening to one of the `70s Brian Eno records where he took his experimental work and his songs and put it all together, and I was thinking, `Why don't I try to put all the different ways I've been working for the last couple years onto one record?'" That's what I been sayin' ignites this vision with an album that ranges from the motorik-driven krautrock of "Like a monk" to the unexpected trance-like pairing of "Buzuq synth." That's what I been sayin' is a furnace of Rami's insuppressible impulses, where he undertakes to ask and answer: what is left of punk but making do with what is at hand? At times direct and scorching, at others meditative and wandering, That's what I been sayin' compresses Rami's understanding as a composer, musician, and singer into a restless, 11-track love letter to the underground. For Fans of The Fall, Haruomi Hosono, Brian Eno, and Scientist.

Bill MacKay and Drag City are delirious with pride to announce the discovery of a new territory: Locust Land, a record which seeks to reflect the nerve-shredding consciousness run amok in our world today - and somehow allay it with sound. Bill"s music is a visceral crackling where it meets the air, and Locust Land can"t help but reflect its era more than any other in his discography. It"s been five years since the release of Fountain Fire - but in the interim, Bill has barely stopped moving, collaborating with artists across the spectrum, including cellist Katinka Kleijn, banjo player Nathan Bowles and keyboardist Cooper Crain. He"s also contributed to recordings by Steve Gunn, Ryley Walker, Bill Callahan & Bonnie Prince Billy (Blind Date Party), and Black Duck (on their self-titled record featuring Douglas McCombs and Charles Rumback). Forget five years - how"d he even get Locust Land squeezed out of his temporal lobes? Bill"s sense of music as art is constantly modulating - lifting off from where it is found and naturally migrating to some other place. Sometimes, that"s elsewhere - others, it"s simply to be found deeper inside the starting point. And so, the action of moving on informs the landscape of Locust Land. This manifests in several different ways. A restless energy and urgency is repeatedly felt - in the driving momentum of "Keeping in Time," "Glow Drift," and "When I Was Here" - while a dogged persistence radiates from the tone colors and percussion of "Oh, Pearl." Mating a dirge-like desolation with sparkling guitars, "Radiator" adds darkness and depth. The sense of searching, displacement and longing in vocal tracks "Keeping in Time," "Half of You," and "When I Was Here" speak literally to the tumult of current vibrations. Within the arrangements, there"s also departure from previous norms - in addition to the brilliant guitar work for which he is known, Bill plays a variety of keyboards, from piano to organ to synth, extending his music with the available voicings, while enriching the sound field without abandoning his signature brevity. For fans of his singing, and following in the recent tradition of Fountain Fire as well as his collaboration with Nathan Bowles, Keys, Locust Land expresses with an increased vocal presence - and heightened engagement, with Bill"s words and melodies drawing us closer. Also different: on his previous solo recordings, Bill played every sound. Here, he has invited other illustrious Chicagoans to join him: Sam Wagster (The Father Costume, Mute Duo) plays bass on three songs, two of which feature the percussion playing of Mikel Patrick Avery (Natural Information Society, Jeff Parker, etc.). Additionally, Janet Beveridge Bean (Eleventh Dream Day, Freakwater) adds otherworldly vocal textures to the elegiac "Neil"s Field." Whether played alone or with companions, this music projects the strength of a universal collective. Even with a piece that might earlier have passed for blissful pastorale, Bill displays some declamatory motives. The reverie which opens the album, "Phantasmic Fairy," embodies both transcendent and desperate moods, with Bill"s ineffable slide guitar playing afloat, with organs and synths, in a dream state suffused with a sense of foreboding - a requiem, perhaps for the days of unencumbered bandwidth? On the other side of the album, the strength to continue to hope appears in the lifting melodicism/exoticism of the album-closing title track, leaving the listener with the sense of having achieved a hard-won space - a place of personal contemplation and dissent, one that everyone on the planet deserves to visit every single day on earth. With cover art also by Bill MacKay (the third of his albums on Drag City to feature his work), Locust Land stands as a thoroughly personal statement from Bill to everyone everywhere.

Bill MacKay and Drag City are delirious with pride to announce the discovery of a new territory: Locust Land, a record which seeks to reflect the nerve-shredding consciousness run amok in our world today - and somehow allay it with sound. Bill"s music is a visceral crackling where it meets the air, and Locust Land can"t help but reflect its era more than any other in his discography. It"s been five years since the release of Fountain Fire - but in the interim, Bill has barely stopped moving, collaborating with artists across the spectrum, including cellist Katinka Kleijn, banjo player Nathan Bowles and keyboardist Cooper Crain. He"s also contributed to recordings by Steve Gunn, Ryley Walker, Bill Callahan & Bonnie Prince Billy (Blind Date Party), and Black Duck (on their self-titled record featuring Douglas McCombs and Charles Rumback). Forget five years - how"d he even get Locust Land squeezed out of his temporal lobes? Bill"s sense of music as art is constantly modulating - lifting off from where it is found and naturally migrating to some other place. Sometimes, that"s elsewhere - others, it"s simply to be found deeper inside the starting point. And so, the action of moving on informs the landscape of Locust Land. This manifests in several different ways. A restless energy and urgency is repeatedly felt - in the driving momentum of "Keeping in Time," "Glow Drift," and "When I Was Here" - while a dogged persistence radiates from the tone colors and percussion of "Oh, Pearl." Mating a dirge-like desolation with sparkling guitars, "Radiator" adds darkness and depth. The sense of searching, displacement and longing in vocal tracks "Keeping in Time," "Half of You," and "When I Was Here" speak literally to the tumult of current vibrations. Within the arrangements, there"s also departure from previous norms - in addition to the brilliant guitar work for which he is known, Bill plays a variety of keyboards, from piano to organ to synth, extending his music with the available voicings, while enriching the sound field without abandoning his signature brevity. For fans of his singing, and following in the recent tradition of Fountain Fire as well as his collaboration with Nathan Bowles, Keys, Locust Land expresses with an increased vocal presence - and heightened engagement, with Bill"s words and melodies drawing us closer. Also different: on his previous solo recordings, Bill played every sound. Here, he has invited other illustrious Chicagoans to join him: Sam Wagster (The Father Costume, Mute Duo) plays bass on three songs, two of which feature the percussion playing of Mikel Patrick Avery (Natural Information Society, Jeff Parker, etc.). Additionally, Janet Beveridge Bean (Eleventh Dream Day, Freakwater) adds otherworldly vocal textures to the elegiac "Neil"s Field." Whether played alone or with companions, this music projects the strength of a universal collective. Even with a piece that might earlier have passed for blissful pastorale, Bill displays some declamatory motives. The reverie which opens the album, "Phantasmic Fairy," embodies both transcendent and desperate moods, with Bill"s ineffable slide guitar playing afloat, with organs and synths, in a dream state suffused with a sense of foreboding - a requiem, perhaps for the days of unencumbered bandwidth? On the other side of the album, the strength to continue to hope appears in the lifting melodicism/exoticism of the album-closing title track, leaving the listener with the sense of having achieved a hard-won space - a place of personal contemplation and dissent, one that everyone on the planet deserves to visit every single day on earth. With cover art also by Bill MacKay (the third of his albums on Drag City to feature his work), Locust Land stands as a thoroughly personal statement from Bill to everyone everywhere.

The music industry, once revered as a realm of artistic expression and creativity, has gradually transformed into a breeding ground for commercial nonsense. The rampant commercialization of music has resulted in an environment where genuine talent often takes a backseat to profit-driven motives. It’s high time we unmask and challenge the prevailing commercial bullshit that plagues the music scene today.

In the midst of all this commercial nonsense, it’s essential to recognize that there is a thriving underground and independent music scene where authenticity and creativity still flourish. Listeners can play a vital role in reshaping the music industry by supporting independent artists, seeking out diverse sounds, and rejecting the homogenized offerings of major labels.

To combat the commercial bullshit in the music scene, we must prioritize artistry over profit, diversity over uniformity, and creativity over conformity. Only by championing these values can we hope to revive the music industry as a bastion of authentic expression and genuine talent, free from the shackles of commercial exploitation.

MARTY FRIEDMANs Präsenz in der Welt der Musik, der Welt der Gitarre und der japanischen Popkultur ist rätselhaft, bizarr und geradezu inspirierend.Von seinen bahnbrechenden Anfängen mit Cacophony an der Seite des legendären Jason Becker bis hin zu seiner entscheidenden Rolle, Megadeth mit seiner atemberaubenden Bandbreite und seinem unorthodoxen melodischen Gespür auf den Gipfel der Popularität zu treiben, hat MARTY seinen Status als einzigartige Gitarrenikone gefestigt.

MARTY kündigt mit "Drama" sein neuestes Soloalbum an, auf dem er die atmosphärischen Elemente seines gefeierten Albums "Scenes" aus dem Jahr 1992 nur geringfügig aufgreift und sie zu einer modernen und exotischen Sammlung von extravaganten und unverkennbar emotionalen Mini-Symphonien erhebt. Das gesamte Album stellt MARTYs hypnotisierende Melodien, überraschende Arrangements und Motive noch stärker in den Vordergrund als alle seine früheren Werke. In Italien aufgenommen, wo MARTY neben seinen modernen Signature-Modellen auch Zugang zu einer Fundgrube von Vintage-Gitarren hatte, ist "Drama" ein reines Vergnügen für jeden, der Musik schätzt, die Emotionen weckt.

"Named for the band’s third lease on life, Third Wind finds Gulfer at a unique moment in their ten-plus year career. When they started in 2011, Gulfer played scrappy, complex math rock influenced by the emo revival. But in 2024 they’ve emerged almost unrecognizable, while still retaining the spirit of what made them all fall in love with Gulfer in the first place.

Third Wind’s stylistic turns are emphasized by deeper texture and simpler songwriting, influenced by the reemergence of 90s alternative and shoegaze. With a new emphasis on atmosphere and more straightforward composition, Gulfer give themselves space to explore audaciously.

Album opener “Clean” gets as close to pop as the band has ever been, where “No Brainer” dabbles deftly in downer rock that asks “what even is my fucking place in the world? "Bold juxtapositions feature elsewhere on Third Wind: pop-punk bruiser “Too Slow” stops on a dime before evolving into a slow burning drum n bass passage, all within two minutes. And then there’s “Heartshape”, a downright love song shrouded in virtuosic performance and electric-acoustic counterpoint. Although these contrasts could be construed as aimless fiddling, their seamlessness is the true essence of Third Wind, indicative of a sage band with a renewed love for what they do."

Wenn Geduld eine Tugend ist, könnten Love Sex Machine genauso gut Heilige sein, wenn auch Heilige mit einer Vorliebe für die dreckigsten Sludge-Metal-Riffs, die durch Downtempo-Post-Metal-Grooves und einen teuflischen Sinn für lyrischen Humor ausgeglichen werden. "Trve" besteht aus 10 neuenTracks voller rechtschaffener Empörung, ironischer sozialer Kommentare und natürlich unsagbar ekelhafter Härte. Von Anfang an zeugt das Album von der jahrzehntelangen Erfahrung der Band als eigenwillige Veteranen der europäischen Sludge-Szene. In den letzten acht Jahren haben die vier Franzosen das Fett von ihren Knochen gestrichen, so dass nur noch ein schlagendes Herz aus bedrohlichen, hypnotischen Riffs übrig geblieben ist, die sich unaufhörlich in dein Gehirn bohren. Obwohl die Band noch nie so rau geklungen hat, gibt es auch eine faszinierende, raffinierte und unbestreitbar poppige Note in "Trve", die dieser musikalischen Konfrontation ein neues Element hinzufügt, in dem Love Sex Machine gedeihen. Atmosphärische Intros, überflüssige Refrains und unheimliche, instrumentale Outros mögen klassische Kennzeichen ihres Genres sein, aber hier findet man nichts davon. Ähnlich wie bei der Vorab-Single "FUCKING SNAKES" sind die meisten Tracks auf "Trve" um die drei Minuten lang und zeichnen sich durch hochoktanige Black-Metal-Riffs aus, die in einer beunruhigend optimistischen Dur-Tonart gespielt werden, durch Synthesizer-Motive, die ans Triumphale grenzen, und - zum ersten Mal bei Love Sex Machine - durch Gesangsharmonien, die den Hörer für einen kurzen, schönen Moment in die Höhe heben, bevor die nächste Welle von groovigem, nihilistischem Schlamm einen wieder in die Knie zwingt.

Wenn Geduld eine Tugend ist, könnten Love Sex Machine genauso gut Heilige sein, wenn auch Heilige mit einer Vorliebe für die dreckigsten Sludge-Metal-Riffs, die durch Downtempo-Post-Metal-Grooves und einen teuflischen Sinn für lyrischen Humor ausgeglichen werden. "Trve" besteht aus 10 neuenTracks voller rechtschaffener Empörung, ironischer sozialer Kommentare und natürlich unsagbar ekelhafter Härte. Von Anfang an zeugt das Album von der jahrzehntelangen Erfahrung der Band als eigenwillige Veteranen der europäischen Sludge-Szene. In den letzten acht Jahren haben die vier Franzosen das Fett von ihren Knochen gestrichen, so dass nur noch ein schlagendes Herz aus bedrohlichen, hypnotischen Riffs übrig geblieben ist, die sich unaufhörlich in dein Gehirn bohren. Obwohl die Band noch nie so rau geklungen hat, gibt es auch eine faszinierende, raffinierte und unbestreitbar poppige Note in "Trve", die dieser musikalischen Konfrontation ein neues Element hinzufügt, in dem Love Sex Machine gedeihen. Atmosphärische Intros, überflüssige Refrains und unheimliche, instrumentale Outros mögen klassische Kennzeichen ihres Genres sein, aber hier findet man nichts davon. Ähnlich wie bei der Vorab-Single "FUCKING SNAKES" sind die meisten Tracks auf "Trve" um die drei Minuten lang und zeichnen sich durch hochoktanige Black-Metal-Riffs aus, die in einer beunruhigend optimistischen Dur-Tonart gespielt werden, durch Synthesizer-Motive, die ans Triumphale grenzen, und - zum ersten Mal bei Love Sex Machine - durch Gesangsharmonien, die den Hörer für einen kurzen, schönen Moment in die Höhe heben, bevor die nächste Welle von groovigem, nihilistischem Schlamm einen wieder in die Knie zwingt.

SOYUZ (СОЮЗ) stole our hearts back in 2022 when we released their album Force Of The Wind to critical acclaim. Here we proudly present the predecessor to that LP, the band’s sophomore long player from 2019 that was previously only available digitally. It captures a pivotal evolving period in the band's career, the recordings giving a snapshot of what would become their sound on Force Of The Wind, yet with echoes of avant-psychedelic-pop footprints from yester years.

Produced at a time when band leader Alex Chumak had moved from Minsk to Kyiv, torn between the need to try something new and the homesickness it brought about. Travelling back to Minsk almost weekly, Alex joined fellow band members Mikita Arlou and Stanislav Murashko to lay down II at Studio 42. The album captures these transient feelings, contextualised through the broad scope of influences the band were nourished by. From MPB to Ethio-Jazz and the Italian library soundtracks of Piero Piccioni and Piero Umiliani, the album shines with touches of joy from across the globe.

The opening track 'Verocai' is a tribute to the Brazilian maestro and 'Mirouze', whilst being named after a French favourite of the band, Jean-Pierre Mirouze, pays clear homage to Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges. A ghostly sample and invisible connection to music made miles away in a different era that has influenced and become part of the band’s lives. This is further reinforced in the album's enchanting closer, the aptly titled 'Nascimento', another nod to the great Brazilian musician and singer.

The beginnings of the cinematic, soul-laden jazz SOYUZ are now known for, are on display across the likes of ‘Lyric’ and 'Motive I'. The latter an orchestrated jazz instrumental with sensuous string sections, all of which were recorded on the warmth of a Studer reel-to-reel and waltzing Rhodes keys.

SOYUZ’s wide-ranging palate is further demonstrated in tracks like ‘Business Partners’ with its Krauty, kosmische, new wave production featuring Inturist, and the oh-too-short Anatolian-influenced interlude 'Corrida'. Elsewhere, 'Tezeta' and ‘ES-2 Jazz’ hint at the psychedelic haze of soul-funk, with the former featuring verses from Serbian rapper Petar Martic.

For this new physical and digital release, the whole album was mixed from scratch by Ryan Power before Joker worked his magic on the remaster. More excellence is to come from SOYUZ, but in the meantime, we are thrilled to present this essential recording from the band’s foundational years, mixed to a level that does it the justice it deserves.

F8 . Liam Melly - Energy
F9 . Armin Van Buuren - Space Case
F10 . The Obsessed - Free Yourself
F11 . Ie Shuuk & B Stylezz - Konje
F12 . Armin Van Buuren - Lose This Feeling (Maddix remix)
F13 . Armin Van Buuren - Lose This Feeling (Dimension remix)
F14 . Armin Van Buuren - AI Vs Humanity (A State Of Trance Year mix 2023 outro)

Wo ein Krater liegt, muss es einen Vorfall gegeben haben. Etwas ist eingeschlagen oder ausgebrochen, wo jetzt Ruhe ist. 2012 spien Messer das fiebrige Debüt "Im Schwindel" in die brodelnde Begeisterung für Punk aus Deutschland und wuchsen zu einer prägenden Stimme im Post-Punk-Revival der Zehnerjahre. Was auf den letzten beiden Platten "Jalousie" (2016) und "No Future Days" (2020) noch wild wucherte, ist nun auf "Kratermusik" stärker begriffen und gibt zugleich Sicherheit für weiterführende Expeditionen. Die einzelne Idee ist jetzt schärfer konturiert als zuletzt, Kratermusik ein Album im Wortsinn: Jede Seite ein anderes Bild, eine andere Szene mit anderen Figuren, zusammengehalten von einem Einband, einer Motivwelt, einem Sound, der dieses Mal dicht, aber umso detaillierter ausfällt. An anderer Stelle lösen sich Stimmen auf: Pola Lia Levy, die lange schon eng mit der Band befreundet ist und gerade mit ihrer neuen Band Dews in den Startlöchern steht, spendet Harmonien, die im erst sachten, dann zunehmend mitreißenden "Im falschen Traum" mit dem Rest der Band verschwimmen. Im Space-Dub-Finale "Am Ende einer groszen Verwirrung" stimmt sie mit Joachim Franz Büchner in einen beherzten Singsang ein. Was hier tröstlich klingt, wirkt im vielstimmigen Spiegel zerrissen, wenn auch nicht zwingend unheimlich - sondern ähnlich faszinierend-ambivalent wie Mille Petrozza von der legendären Thrash Metal-Band Kreator, der mit einigen englischsprachigen Zeilen durch den wispernden Refrain am Ende des Wave-Epitaphs Grabeland schneiden darf. Messer bleiben also ambivalent, fragend und suchend, gerade wenn es um Krieg und Frieden oder die Zukunft des Planeten geht. Die Bewegung steckt schon im Titel: Das "Messer verwandte Wort" Krater, so Otremba, "ist vieldeutig, ein Wort, bei dem klar ist: Zu dem muss man sich verhalten. Das ist ein scharfkantiges, schroffes Wort." Im Krater steckt immer auch das Potenzial zur Explosion, im Frieden lauert der nächste Krieg. Im Vorrang des Ästhetischen ist die neue Platte aber ein typisches Messer-Album, auch in seiner gewohnten Überschreitung dessen, was Post-Punk sein kann. Vielfältiger klang diese Band nie, ihr Referenzsystem bleibt undurchschaubar. Parallel spülen die Pop-Gezeiten wieder eine (Neue) Neue Deutsche Welle an, doch Messer bleiben ihren eigenen Zyklen verpflichtet, befinden sich in ständigem Übergang: Metaphern nie ganz auflösen, Motive immer neu ausleuchten, Sounds nochmal anders aufeinander beziehen.

The cinematic opening track Inthenever starts off as a film >> somewhere on a desolate coast, where everything has already ceased. This is going to be an album with a story and depth, a fearless tour of the barren shores of our days // or is it possibly just a mirage conclusion of their razor-sharp sound brutalism? Tittingur's third album, Epiphany, is here, pounding with waves they had not done before.

It seems as though this dyad has disposed of all the genre confines that had locked them in, and have grasped the sound of new subject matters, for which the moniker of experimental techno is finally too narrow. With utter urgency and candid to their emblematic, thunderous sound, Dominik's and Matus's deafening mallets collide in beats which are now, more than ever, drenched in a mass of palpable gloom and anguish. As though we could touch the rising levels of the oceans, and smell the melting of the glaciers themselves.

In one way or another, the music of Tittingur has always been about nature, its fierce essence, and its stark contrast with the post-era that we have found ourselves living in. However, whereas before, it was the sound of old, weather-stained concrete, and the pounding of abandoned, overgrown buildings, now it is, unavoidably, their most direct and honest return to nature landscapes, and to human, age-old traditions, referenced in the Slovak folk motives, recordings and found sounds.

On Epiphany, Tittingur's sound becomes yet more abstract, in a sound world that is ambiguous but also unified, and works on its own. The duality of nature and technology, of inland human folklore and the trenches of deepest oceans, invite us to come closer and observe the volatile obliteration taking place. Can we even attempt to re-assess our position with nature, or is this whole experiment doomed to fail?

Unsurprisingly, in the echoes, all the ingredients of the classic Tittingur sound are still present, distilled into new forms >> the ever-present over-saturation, the exaggerated, maximalist approach and megalomania >> the sound of impending climate change, doom, and near-apocalyptic visions, the scent of borovička mixed with the wild North Sea, the agony of contemporary urban life, and the adventure of wilderness: ferocious synths, monumental beats, aggressive basslines and crumbling noise-scapes built of a found-sound, music concréte-like, collagist approach.

At moments, it seems the means have changed. Just until you realise that the sentences of this story are spoken in a new language. If you dive deep enough, and listen to the essence that the music of Tittingur articulates, it's surprisingly easy to understand >> although the notions and emotions are difficult to put into words. The profound narrative of Epiphany is that of an endless inner struggle of society, anxiety, crises, and ambiguously easy // difficult solutions in the post-modern global chaos. It is the calm before a storm. It is the storm. Is it the calm. It is all of it, in itself. credits

Auf früheren Veröffentlichungen stellte Hulder ihre musikalische Vision in ursprünglicher Form vor, aber mit einem direkten Sinn für grimmig-melodische Motive. Doch erst auf ihrem Debütalbum "Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry" begann sich Hulders ausgeprägte Vorliebe für raue Hymnen von mystischer, belebender Erhabenheit und abgrundtiefer Tiefe vollends zu entfalten.

Während des gesamten Albums verwebt Hulder die Fäden verschiedener Black Metal-Stränge miteinander und nimmt dabei Elemente heidnischer Folklore, ätherische symphonische Würde und kratzende, rauhe Melodik der unharmonischsten und grässlichsten Art auf. "Godslastering..." zeichnet ein lebendiges Bild mittelalterlicher Dunkelheit und längst vergessenen Ahnenreihen.

Im Jahr 2021 wurde Hulder zu einer Live-Band mit kompletter Besetzung. Und obwohl es Pläne gibt, mit der Band weit und breit in der ganzen Welt zu touren, bleibt Hulder musikalisch die alleinige Vision ihrer Schöpferin. Godslastering..." wurde bereits Ende 2020 veröffentlicht und erscheint nun zum ersten Mal in Deutschland - auf 20 Buck Spin, dem neuen Label der Band.

Musique Infinie is the collaborative project of Manuel Oberholzer a.k.a. Feldermelder and Noémi Büchi.Their album »Earth«, released through the Hallow Ground label, is based on a spontaneously composed live score for Alexander Dovzhenko’s groundbreaking 1930 silent movie »Zemlya« (»Earth«) created for the 24th edition of the VIDEOEX festival for experimental film.

Frequently cited as a masterpiece of early 20th century filmmaking, the movie deals with the collectivisation of Ukraine’s agriculture. The Swiss duo complemented it with atmospherically rich electronic soundscapes that are both deeply immersive and highly evocative. As a stand-alone music release, the two-piece »Earth« album captures the essence of Büchi and Oberholzer’s collaboration that is marked by mutual trust and musical versatility that puts them in a state of »togetherness trance,« as they call it.

Oberholzer has been highly productive as a composer, musician, sound designer, and installation artist in recent years, releasing a slew of solo albums as well as a variety of collaboration records with artists such as Sara Oswald and Julian Sartorius. Büchi has recently debuted as a solo composer and sound artist working with electroacoustic techniques to create a »symphonic maximalism for the end of the world,« as she dubs it.

Both are prolific and versatile artists with a penchant for working conceptually, however their collaboration as Musique Infinie is an improvisational and thus by design an intuitive one.

Their sessions start with an exchange on emotions and thoughts rather than theoretical questions or aesthetic debates. When they get to work—often for several hours—they rarely talk.

They approached »Earth« the same way, improvising freely together and using only a few select samples from the film’s original score in the process. Their open-ended approach is marked by an aesthetic ambivalence that perfectly corresponds with the movie’s own inherent contradictions.

Dovzhenko approached his socio-political subject with poetic imagery and philosophical rigour, juxtaposing notions of traditionality with the depiction of modernity.

Büchi and Oberholzer accordingly work with motives that at o ce seem anthemic and elegiac, working with sounds and musical motives that evoke a sense of familiarity in one moment before transforming into something futuristic and uncanny in the next. Their score for »Zemlya« is not to be understood as a mere interpretation of the movie, but rather a re-narration or even re-negotiation of its aesthetic and emotional qualities under their very own terms. »Earth« is an album that concisely depicts what is at the core of the duo’s musical partnership

This music unites our common love for the essence of music, which contains harmonic structures and emotionality without borders." — Musique Infinie

Musique Infinie, the new duo consisting of Noémi Büchi and Feldermelder, is rooted in a shared desire to intertwine two composing veins, and to merge them into a new, massive core. While Büchi combined her background in classical and electro-acoustic music with a bold approach to composition on her highly acclaimed debut album 'Matter' (-OUS, 2022), multi-disciplinary musician and artist Feldermelder has been expanding his artistic practice into unexplored realms for over 20 years. Mutually, they've challenged themselves to fully engage on an artistic exploration aimed at making use of the elementary forces that unfold between them.

Their debut album, simply titled 'I', is a musical hybridization. The compositions make use of simple motives that are radically transformed by expanding them into intricate structures and fantastic layerings. The overcoming of genres with eclectic elements from classical music, jazz, film music and traditional music, combined with the vocabulary of experimental electronic music, complete the vertical plunge into this thickness. The emerging pieces lead into a paradoxical world, both disturbing and euphoric. Pieces that don't give in to calculations and expectations, but progress through ruptures and repetitions. The richness of the compositions and their analog, acoustic and orchestral character reflect the density of the world with its violence, its decadence, its fragility, but also its power, its ingenuity and its beauty.

Composer and sound artist Noémi Büchi creates electronic, symphonic maximalism. Her music is defined by a delicate synthesis of textural rhythms and electroacoustic-orchestral abstraction. She explores the potential of consonance and dissonance, contrasts rhythmic physicality with disruption and playfully emphasizes irregularities, creating an expansive listening experience marked by detail and elevation.

Feldermelder is a polymathic creative whose artistry spans composition, sound design, installation and code. He is co-founder of -OUS Records and an active member of Encor.studio, a collective specialising in creating immersive audio-visual installations. Through his work, he explores the idea of secrecy and its impact on our lives, using music and sound to create a thought-provoking and immersive experience for his audience.

Ein Jahr nach der Veröffentlichung seiner hochgelobten ”Inside Problems” LP, veröffentlicht Andrew Bird
”Outside Problems”.
Die Sammlung von neun flüchtigen, ausgedehnten Momenten instrumentaler Improvisation und melodischer
Erkundung, die am Freitag, den 17.11. über Loma Vista Recordings physisch veröffentlicht werden , bilden
ein neues Album, das den Klang von Musik im Alltag einfängt. Ähnlich wie beim Entstehungsprozess
seiner Echolocations-Serie hat Bird ”Outside Problems” hauptsächlich im Freien aufgenommen, inmitten
der Berge und Orangenhaine von Ojai, Kalifornien. ”Outside Problems” ist sowohl ein Vorläufer als auch
eine Erweiterung der Welt, die er im Laufe dieses jüngsten Kapitels seiner unermüdlich produktiven Karriere
aufgebaut und durchdacht hat, und legte den Grundstein für viele der Songs, Gedanken und komplexen
Fragen, die ”Inside Problems” von 2022 füllen. Die Arrangements und Motive von ”Outside Problems” in
Tracks wie ”Epilogue”, ”Mormon House Party”, ”Tik Tok” und anderen entwickelten sich zu Themen, die
Bird in ”Inside Problems” weiter verfeinern würde, wie er erklärt.

Dub-Stuy’s riddim series is a nod to tradition with a modern twist, with the label teaming up a producer with different vocalists to voice a single riddim.

The latest entry in the series comes from French producer Von D who crafted the Saga riddim exclusively for this occasion, a weighty steppers piece featuring guitar, keys, and horns. The riddim is paired with vocal turns from reggae singers Chukki Starr, Chezidek, and Jah Mason who each bring their own unique stylings to the riddim, riffing on uplifting messages of unity in the face of oppression.

As always the release includes the instrumental version, this time with a dub twist from Von D. Mastered by Bristol legend Joker.

Der mitreißende Soundtrack zur dritten Staffel von "The Witcher". Komponist Joseph Trapanese wird bei dieser Staffel von der polnischen Folk Metal Band PERCIVAL SCHUTTENBACH unterstützt. Diese verleiht dem Soundtrack mit der Expertise im Bereich der slawischen Musik sein markantes und authentisches Klangbild.Die Doppel-Vinyl wird begleitet von einem doppelseitigen Poster mit zwei von insgesamt vier erhältlichen Motiven (insgesamt vier Poster erhältlich).

ODD CREW präsentiert "Dark Matters Part II" und feiert damit ihr 25-jähriges Bestehen. Auf 8 Tracks kann man die Feinheiten des Progressiv-Metal erkunden, angeführt vom unverkennbaren Gesang von Frontmann Vasko. Vom Schatten zum Optimismus übergehend, taucht das Album tiefer in mysteriöse Motive ein und lädt den Hörer zu einer tiefgründigen Odyssee ein. Es ist ein echtes Zeugnis ihrer Vielseitigkeit & großen musikalischen Bandbreite und festigt das bleibende Vermächtnis von ODD CREW