Cerca:mr thing

Well, we're two full months into 2017 and the world continues to burn like an avalanche of flaming biohazard material sliding down a mountain of used needles into a canyon full of rat feces. But hey, it's not all bad: Portugal. The Man has a new album coming out called Woodstock.


PTM's last album came out over three years ago—a long gap for a band who've dropped roughly an album a year since 2006. And in true, prolific band fashion, they've spent almost every minute since 2013 working on an album called Gloomin + Doomin. They created a shit-ton of individual songs, but as a whole, none of them hung together in a way that felt right. Then John Gourley, PTM's lead singer, made a trip home to Wasilla, Alaska, (Home of Portugal. The Man's biggest fan, Sarah Palin) and two things happened that completely changed the album's trajectory.

First, John got some parental tough love from his old man, who called John on the proverbial carpet or dogsled or whatever you put people on when you want to yell at them in Alaska. What's taking so long to finish the album' John's dad said. Isn't that what bands do Write songs and then put them out' Like fathers and unlicensed therapists tend to do, John's dad cut him deep. The whole thing started John thinking about why the band seemed to be stuck on a musical elliptical machine from hell and, more importantly, about how to get off of it.

Second, fate stuck its wiener in John's ear again when he found his dad's ticket stub from the original 1969 Woodstock music festival. It seems like a small thing, but talking to his dad about Woodstock '69 knocked something loose in John's head. He realized that, in the same tradition of bands from that era, Portugal. The Man needed to speak out about the world crumbling around them. With these two ideas converging, the band made a seemingly bat-shit-crazy decision: they took all of the work they had done for the three years prior and they threw it out.

It wasn't easy and there was the constant threat that the band's record label might have them killed, but the totally insane decision paid off. With new, full-on, musical boners, the band went back to the studio—working with John Hill (In The Mountain In The Cloud), Danger Mouse (Evil Friends), Mike D (Everything Cool), and longtime collaborator Casey Bates (The one consistent producer since the first record). In this new-found creative territory, the album that became Woodstock rolled out naturally from there.

Remember that mountain of burning needles we were talking about Good. Because Woodstock is an album (Including the new single Feel It Still') that—with optimism and heart—points at the giant pile and says, Hey, this pile is fucked up!' And if you think that pile is fucked up too, you owe it to yourself—hell, to all of us—to get out there and do something about it.

After 14 years and nearly 150 CD releases, Cherry Red's psychedelic imprint Grapefruit finally produces its first-ever vinyl issue.

A 90-minute, 30-track anthology, ‘When The Alarm Clock Rings’ is an all-encompassing overview of the late 60s British psychedelic scene.

The set features major underground names (Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Blossom Toes, Dantalian's Chariot, John's Children), cult 45s (The Voice, Paper Blitz Tissue, The Syn), future legends (Alex Harvey, Genesis, Greg Lake's early venture The Shame) and pop groups who occasionally turned dayglo (The Merseys, Plastic Penny, Picadilly Line).

Limited to 1000 copies and containing Grapefruit's trademark combination of photos and annotation on stylish 12” x 12” inserts, ‘When The Alarm Clock Rings’ is an essential purchase for vinyl aficionados and a tantalising taster of further plastic platters!

Mr. K’s series of edits on Most Excellent Unlimited is nothing if not eclectic, and utilitarian — as befits a veteran DJ of Danny Krivit’s stature. For our latest, Krivit pulls two disparate gems out of his bag of tricks and fits them neatly on a single 7-inch piece of vinyl.

In 1972 Ralph Bakshi’s landmark underground animated film Fritz the Cat was released, featuring a soundtrack performed by an all-star cast of San Francisco area musicians associated with the Berkeley-based Fantasy label. Perhaps Fantasy’s biggest artist was the vibes player Cal Tjader, who debuted in 1955 and was still going strong when songs were gathered for the movie’s soundtrack nearly twenty years later. Rather than simply using one of his older, already-recorded tunes, Tjader laid down a completely new version of his earlier hit record “Mamblues.” This time however, he swapped his standard latin percussion accompaniment for a can’t-miss rhythm section of Bernard Purdie, Chuck Rainey, and Arthur Adams. The result was a searing funk workout that took the latin jazz classic to new heights. Mr. K subtly warms this one up by adding a hint of reverb and bringing the tempo down a notch, pushing things from frenetic to funky, and firmly into friendly mixing territory for the DJs.

For our flip side, we turn to an unsung jewel amongst Philadelphia’s many contributions to disco music. Executive Suite released a series of singles in ’74 and ’75 that were recorded at the famed Sigma Sound Studios and had ties to a number of better known disco luminaries, among them the holy trinity of Baker-Harris-Young and, on “You Believed In Me,” the mighty Patrick Adams. Along with his longtime associate Stan Lucas, Adams garnished the vocal quartet’s composition with a driving arrangement and epic, soaring strings. The combined effect produced a vibrant, uplifting club cut that echoes the positive spirit of Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” while being altogether its own thing. For our latest release Mr. K focuses solely on Adams’s instrumental section, returning repeatedly to that addictive string riff and creating a propulsive rhythm track that just doesn’t quit. And we don’t want it to!

As always, these connoisseur’s choice cuts have been remastered and pressed to Most Excellent Unlimited’s standards, and are primed and ready on 7-inch for DJs and home listeners alike.

The best I can tell, we thought we'd get this album done in 2016. Roughly (not exaggerating) 60-70 songs later, we've whittled and worked and reworked the songs into 'After the Gold Rush Party.' Danny and I started this album while we lived in different cities (I was in DC and Danny was in OKC), then wrote some of them in the same city (OKC), and then the rest of them in different cities (I was in OKC and Danny was in Costa Rica and then Seattle). And weirdly, some of our most generative times happened when we weren't living in the same city. We've both grown up quite a bit and have real life jobs and families. In these songs we were grappling with trying to be punk rock (which we've never really been) while putting on a suit for work (hence, the Mr. Downtown character). But at the same time, punk rock has all but disappeared as a thing that exists - where are the punks, anyway? (See: Speed Racer). The songs read a bit like a travel guide. Part of the growing up process is coming to terms with one's own escapist tendencies - or embracing them, as you'd hear in a track like "Mexico" or "Culebra". Other times, the escapist themes come out musically, not lyrically, like in "She's a Betty" or "Tijuanarevor" maybe. Other times, we play around with just the idea that people are entitled to anything at all (Ms. Universe). And while Danny mixed most of the album, we have much to thank Chad Copelin for - he mixed four of these tracks, and we learned a ton from getting to spend time working with the man who recorded and mixed BRONCHO, Sufjan, Sports, and others. The time last summer we spent honing those four tracks were kind of the catapult for finishing up the rest of the tracks. So, to conclude, After the Gold Rush Party kind of represents us at this phase of the creative process. Big dreams, absurdly ambitious timelines, put into contradiction with the realities of family life, the challenges of the everyday, the mundanity of the workweek. "After the Gold Rush Party" is a nonsensical phrase, but it's exactly what we wanted to name the album. A frenzy of ambition, and then, the lull that lingers afterward.

Since his career started over three decades ago back in 1981, The Chicago house veteran Boo Williams has been heavily involved in the house music industry, racking up highly strong reputation with his massive discography which includes a wide range of influences.

Hooking up with Mr Green Velvet, aka Curtis Jones’, much celebrated Relief Records in the mid-‘90s, the hard, jackin’ sub-label of Cajual, and later releasing on the tough-as-nails Dutch label Djax, 1996 saw Boo produce his seminal album with the bouncy house of ‘Home Town Chicago’, the first of a series of reissues by Anotherday Records.
Boo has since gone on to record for reputable imprint such as Ovum Recordings, Relief Records and Rush Hour.

For those who have religiously followed Boo over the many years, he continues to deliver as promised, once again bringing the driving beats and textured etherial soundscapes as you'd expect from the master‘. And for those who are just tuning in for the first time, Boo will open up your ears to a new level of sound.

Many things have been said, written and rightfully attributed to DJ and Producer Boo Williams' monumental career: "innovator".
As Boo Williams said: «House music will never die! Love, peace and hair grease».

Label owner, Adrien Calvet, is in charge of the B side. Always trying to push boundaries of raw sounds and electro glitch.

As wonky as Weezer, as poignant as Pulp, Confidence heralds the long-awaited
return of The Hoosiers, the band whose debut album, The Trick To Life, sold well
over a million copies, and spawned four singles including Top 5 hits, Worried
About Ray, and Goodbye Mr A. Enter Confidence, a sonic shot of optimism,
effervescence and joie de vivre, and an album so hook-laden, you'll think you've
had it knocking around your house for years.

The Esbjörn Svensson Trio, e.s.t. for short, are still
celebrated today as one of the most important and
influential European jazz bands of the last 20
years.
 In 1999, the three Swedes achieved their
international breakthrough with ‘From Gagarin’s
Point Of View’. A star rose in the musical sky and a
unique world career followed. But sometimes stars
shine for much longer than one thinks. On ‘e.s.t.
Live 95’ there are recordings that prove that this
was also true for the Esbjörn Svensson Trio.
 The band, founded in 1993, found their very
specific sound early on but it was not initially
noticed outside its home country. In 1995, when
the trio’s namesake still wore long hair and a
headband, these recordings were made at various
locations in Sweden. And whoever hears how the
trio played back then is left breathless.
 Much of what distinguishes e.s.t. was already
strongly pronounced here: the coherence and
powerful grip of the playing; the catchy themes that
immediately jump out at the listener and yet do not
become clichéd; the fusion of the music of role
models like Thelonious Monk and Keith Jarrett into
a style of their own, always infected by the forward
thrust of rock. Magical moments were saved for
eternity by these recordings.
 Now this e.s.t. early work is available on double
vinyl.

With over 40 musicians across 28 tracks, Essentials Spring 2023 might be our most treasured one yet. Featuring a who's who of some of our favorite musicians in the community, we present a 2xLP to keep everyone vibrant and alive as the seasons change and days start to warm. Essentials Spring 2023 features recent Chillhop beat tape alumni like El Train, Evil Needle, illiterate, and Mr. Slipz, while also showcasing songs from familiars like Oatmello, SwuM, Toonorth, Blue Wednesday, HM Surf, The Doppelgangaz, and dozens of others.

This album features over 70 minutes of chillhop, jazzhop, lofi hip-hop, downtempo R&B, lounge jazz, soulful beats, boom bap, old school. However you might like to classify this. Study beats? Sure. Beats to go on a road trip to? Absolutely. Gaming beats, coding beats, beats to daydream to? You betcha. The essentials return for 2023, adding to the ever growing collection of limited edition seasonal releases on vinyl!

Hard-hitting latin-tinged super-group Grupo Magnético formed from backgrounds in funk, hip-hop & soul, united by a love of Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Fania and classic New York salsa. They have worked with legendary musicians from Cuba, Venezuela and America & over time the group, led by Toby "El León" Shippey, developed their own set and sound.

These two tracks have been lifted from the Athens Of The North album Positivo from 2018 and feature 'Vulcano V El Gato' (Medley) with 'Somos Latinos' on flipside. Already supported by DJ Koco, Patrick Forge, Colin Curtis Gilles Peterson, Kevin Beadle ,DJ Amir, Mr Thing, Dom Servini, Coco Maria, Cosmo Sofi, Rainer Truby, Miche, Skeme Richards, Elsewhere Sonido, DJ Gilla and more ! Limited to 300 hand numbered copies ! No repress.

"Wow. Sounds like '74 downtown NY Fania Records... Absolutely brilliant. " - Gilles Peterson

Bobby Caldwell's second album, Cat In The Hat, from 1980, is one of his greatest moments and another masterwork of soulful sophistication. Featuring the eternal "Open Your Eyes", brilliantly sampled by J Dilla for Common's "The Light", it's about as essential as records get. Like its eponymous predecessor, it's been out of print for far too long. To finally release the hugely-anticipated reissue is one of our sincerely proudest moments.

Whilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as "Mr California", native New Yorker Bobby Caldwell has always been "Mr AOR" to his Far-Eastern friends. His distinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He possessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances, was both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for genius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering the studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful, sweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his supple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted.

Right from the off, it's easy to tell that Cat In The Hat is a deeply special record. It's fantastically produced and incredibly well-rounded, carving its own lane with deep soul, warm jazz and a stunning vocal delivery that really helped Bobby reach out to some big new audiences at the time. Goosebumps at the ready for the rolling power-piano funk of "Coming Down From Love", opening up the album with a track as good as anything Steely Dan or The Doobies ever crafted, with a vocal performance from the heavens. Pumping AOR wonder "Wrong Or Right" is up there with the slick, classy rhythms of prime Ned Doheny whilst the cool, skipping soul of guitar-drenched "To Know What You've Got" is a funky ballad par excellence, with elemental traces of "What A Fool Believes". No bad thing. Closing out Side A, the folk-funk of "You Promised Me" is a bright, soulful strut with a wonderful vocal coda that just builds. Sensational.

The delicate bounce and falsetto self-harmonising of "It's Over" offers a truly delightful introduction to Side B, and serves as a great precursor to what follows. Bobby's dynamite "Open Your Eyes" is likely the reason you're all here. As if he needed it, the eternal J Dilla further immortalised Caldwell in the hip-hop canon with his production of Common’s epochal “The Light,” which heavily samples the magical “Open Your Eyes.” On a post paying tribute to Bobby in March 2023, Questlove claimed that he "got word Brother Bobby loved it". Bobby's original has seen new life even more recently from the likes of Dwele and Kendrick Lamar and deservingly so, as its insistent drums and staccato piano created a modern-soul classic. You'd think that would be hard to follow, wouldn't you? Not so, when you're Bobby Caldwell. Indeed, the horn-drenched stepper "Mother Of Creation" is absolutely ace, and, whisper it, possibly the album's finest track, all funky piano and guitars with horn lines to die for. Exquisite ballad "I Don't Want To Lose Your Love" rounds out the album beautifully.

Bobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of Cat In The Hat will be available on vinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans of his incomparable talent - and soul music enthusiasts worldwide - can radiate in the deep beauty of this seminal album. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland.

Some are looking for gold or oil and others are passionately looking for forgotten treasures of music! Those who can be described as "sound gold diggers" criss cross record shops or confidential places to unearth musical nuggets previously kept in the dark. This practice began with sampling in the 80s and has now become a way of safeguarding the world"s musical heritage. With "Diggin" Collection" we invite you to discover Soul, Funk or Disco gems from the 70s and the 80s available in four volumes for your pleasure. Following the success of previous volumes of the Diggin" collection, discover groovy gems with Groove Diggin" : Barbara Mason, Cortex, Maxayn...

Celebrate the 5th anniversary of Leon Bridges Grammy-winning album Good Thing. The limited-edition title features a custard color variant, the original track list, and a bonus track “Naomi” originally released on the 2018 Japan Edition. 

Indies Only LP is opaque green vinyl. Both LPs come with a download. The moment the needle drops on Bite, the new A Giant Dog record, one’s conception of what an A Giant Dog record sounds like bends like space and time around a starship running at lightspeed. The biggest point of departure is that Bite is a concept album, concerning characters who find themselves moving in and out of a virtual reality called Avalonia. A Giant Dog’s first album of original songs since 2017’s Toy, Bite finds the band Sabrina Ellis, Andrew Cashen, Danny Blanchard, Graham Low, and Andy Bauer at their peak as musicians, challenging themselves with more complex arrangements and subject matter that forced them out of their heads and into those of the characters who occupy this supposed paradise. “We had to find ourselves within, or project ourselves into, the principal characters. We developed them, got to know their minds, emotions, and motivations, and then expressed those in nine songs,” Ellis explains. Themes of addiction, gender fluidity, living ethically in a capitalist society, physical autonomy, avarice, grief, and consent bubble beneath the promised happiness of Avalonia. This is evident in songs like “Different Than,” where Ellis sings, “My body can’t explain the things my mind don’t comprehend” as if societal gender pressure is squeezing its protagonist out of their skin. The songs on Bite are full of bombast, at turns calling to mind the spacefaring operatic rock of Electric Light Orchestra and the high drama of an Ennio Morricone film score. The album’s narrative sweep is epic in scope, its characters facing impossible odds and certain doom, existing as comfortably with the sci-fi grandiosity of Thin Lizzy’s Jailbreak as it does with the high fantasy of Dio and Iron Maiden. Appropriately, A Giant Dog came to this narrative armed to the teeth with new ideas, unleashing synthesizers and string sections to create what Ellis describes as orchestral, symphonic, futuristic punk. To achieve this, they left their home turf of Austin, Texas, for La Cuve Studio, just outside of Angers, France. Living in the French countryside, A Giant Dog laid down their vision of the future against a decidedly pastoral backdrop. On walks from Angers to La Cuve, Ellis says that they “would see many things, and also nothing at all. Swans on the river. Romani people living in little trailers, with a side hut built for their dog. A juggler on a unicycle—not fucking with you.” “We thought we wouldn’t be allowed back in France after this trip, to be honest,” they continued. “Five loud, stomping, clapping, rowdy Americans who ran through the streets of Angers for three weeks in November 2022.” The experience capped two years of planning and writing, fleshing out the universe of Avalonia beyond the bounds of most concept albums. The resulting nine songs do not merely occupy this space: They’ve lived in it, and they want out.

In dem Moment, als die Nadel auf die neue A Giant Dog-Platte fällt, krümmt sich die eigene Vorstellung davon, wie eine A Giant Dog-Platte klingen soll, wie Raum und Zeit um ein Raumschiff, das mit Lichtgeschwindigkeit fliegt. Bite ist ein Konzeptalbum, in dem es um Charaktere geht, die sich in einer virtuellen Realität namens Avalonia bewegen und zugleich ist es das erste Album von A Giant Dog mit eigenen Songs seit Toy von 2017.

Sabrina Ellis, Andrew Cashen, Danny Blanchard, Graham Low und Andy Bauer - auf ihrem Höhepunkt als Musiker, fordern sie sich mit komplexeren Arrangements heraus und versetzten sich hinein in die Köpfe der Figuren, die dieses vermeintliche Paradies Avalonia bewohnen. "Wir mussten uns in den Hauptfiguren wiederfinden oder uns in die Hauptfiguren hineinversetzen. Wir entwickelten sie, lernten ihre Gedanken, Emotionen und Motivationen kennen und brachten diese dann in neun Songs zum Ausdruck", erklärt Ellis. Themen wie Sucht, Geschlechterfluidität, ethisches Leben in einer kapitalistischen Gesellschaft, körperliche Autonomie, Geiz, Trauer und Zustimmung sprudeln unter dem versprochenen Glück von Avalonia.

Dies wird in Songs wie "Different Than" deutlich, in dem Ellis singt: "My body can't explain the things my mind don't comprehend", als ob der gesellschaftliche Geschlechterdruck seine Protagonistin aus ihrer Haut herausquetscht. Die Songs auf Bite sind voller Bombast und erinnern abwechselnd an den raumfahrenden Opernrock des Electric Light Orchestra und die hohe Dramatik einer Ennio Morricone Filmmusik. Der erzählerische Bogen des Albums ist von epischer Tragweite, seine Charaktere stehen vor unmöglichen Unwahrscheinlichkeiten und sind mit dem sicheren Untergang konfrontiert, und ist so bequem vergleichbar mit der Sci-Fi-Grandezza von Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak wie auch mit der High Fantasy von Dio und Iron Maiden. Passenderweise sind A Giant Dog bis an die Zähne bewaffnet mit neuen Ideen zu dieser Erzählung gekommen, mit Synthesizern und Streichern, um das zu schaffen, was Ellis als orchestral beschreibt: symphonischen, futuristischen Punk. Um dies zu erreichen, verließen sie ihre Heimat Austin, Texas, in das La Cuve Studio in der Nähe von Angers, Frankreich.

Auf dem französischen Land legten A Giant Dog ihre Zukunftsvision vor einer ausgesprochen pastoralen Kulisse nieder. Auf den Wanderungen von Angers nach La Cuve, so Ellis, sahen sie "viele Dinge, und auch gar nichts. Schwäne auf dem Fluss. Romani, die in kleinen Anhängern leben, mit einer Hütte für ihren Hund an der Seite Ein Jongleur auf einem Einrad - ich verarsche dich nicht. Wir dachten, wir dürften nach dieser Reise nicht mehr nach Frankreich zurück, um ehrlich zu sein", fährt sie fort. "Fünf laute, stampfende, klatschende, randalierende Amerikaner, die im November 2022 drei Wochen lang durch die Straßen von Angers gelaufen sind." Diese Erfahrung war der Höhepunkt von zwei Jahren Planung und Schreiben, in denen das Universum von Avalonia Gestalt annahm. Die daraus resultierenden neun Songs besetzen nicht nur diesen Raum: Sie haben darin gelebt und sie wollen raus.

In dem Moment, als die Nadel auf die neue A Giant Dog-Platte fällt, krümmt sich die eigene Vorstellung davon, wie eine A Giant Dog-Platte klingen soll, wie Raum und Zeit um ein Raumschiff, das mit Lichtgeschwindigkeit fliegt. Bite ist ein Konzeptalbum, in dem es um Charaktere geht, die sich in einer virtuellen Realität namens Avalonia bewegen und zugleich ist es das erste Album von A Giant Dog mit eigenen Songs seit Toy von 2017.

Sabrina Ellis, Andrew Cashen, Danny Blanchard, Graham Low und Andy Bauer - auf ihrem Höhepunkt als Musiker, fordern sie sich mit komplexeren Arrangements heraus und versetzten sich hinein in die Köpfe der Figuren, die dieses vermeintliche Paradies Avalonia bewohnen. "Wir mussten uns in den Hauptfiguren wiederfinden oder uns in die Hauptfiguren hineinversetzen. Wir entwickelten sie, lernten ihre Gedanken, Emotionen und Motivationen kennen und brachten diese dann in neun Songs zum Ausdruck", erklärt Ellis. Themen wie Sucht, Geschlechterfluidität, ethisches Leben in einer kapitalistischen Gesellschaft, körperliche Autonomie, Geiz, Trauer und Zustimmung sprudeln unter dem versprochenen Glück von Avalonia.

Dies wird in Songs wie "Different Than" deutlich, in dem Ellis singt: "My body can't explain the things my mind don't comprehend", als ob der gesellschaftliche Geschlechterdruck seine Protagonistin aus ihrer Haut herausquetscht. Die Songs auf Bite sind voller Bombast und erinnern abwechselnd an den raumfahrenden Opernrock des Electric Light Orchestra und die hohe Dramatik einer Ennio Morricone Filmmusik. Der erzählerische Bogen des Albums ist von epischer Tragweite, seine Charaktere stehen vor unmöglichen Unwahrscheinlichkeiten und sind mit dem sicheren Untergang konfrontiert, und ist so bequem vergleichbar mit der Sci-Fi-Grandezza von Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak wie auch mit der High Fantasy von Dio und Iron Maiden. Passenderweise sind A Giant Dog bis an die Zähne bewaffnet mit neuen Ideen zu dieser Erzählung gekommen, mit Synthesizern und Streichern, um das zu schaffen, was Ellis als orchestral beschreibt: symphonischen, futuristischen Punk. Um dies zu erreichen, verließen sie ihre Heimat Austin, Texas, in das La Cuve Studio in der Nähe von Angers, Frankreich.

Auf dem französischen Land legten A Giant Dog ihre Zukunftsvision vor einer ausgesprochen pastoralen Kulisse nieder. Auf den Wanderungen von Angers nach La Cuve, so Ellis, sahen sie "viele Dinge, und auch gar nichts. Schwäne auf dem Fluss. Romani, die in kleinen Anhängern leben, mit einer Hütte für ihren Hund an der Seite Ein Jongleur auf einem Einrad - ich verarsche dich nicht. Wir dachten, wir dürften nach dieser Reise nicht mehr nach Frankreich zurück, um ehrlich zu sein", fährt sie fort. "Fünf laute, stampfende, klatschende, randalierende Amerikaner, die im November 2022 drei Wochen lang durch die Straßen von Angers gelaufen sind." Diese Erfahrung war der Höhepunkt von zwei Jahren Planung und Schreiben, in denen das Universum von Avalonia Gestalt annahm. Die daraus resultierenden neun Songs besetzen nicht nur diesen Raum: Sie haben darin gelebt und sie wollen raus.

Andrew Hozier-Byrne, besser bekannt als HOZIER, veröffentlicht sein drittes Album ”Unreal Unearth”.

Die Hintergrundgeschichte von ”Unreal Unearth” ist vielschichtig, sowohl von italienischer Dichtkunst als auch griechischer Mythologie geprägt und verteilt sich über alle Albumtracks.

Mit mehr als 20 Mrd. Streams und 30 Mio. monatlichen Hörern ist der Ire einer der führenden Künstler des Genres Folk-Singer Songwriter in der Streaming Welt.

Sein Durchbruch gelang Hozier 2013, mit seiner kürzlich mit dem Diamond Award, für über 1 Millionen verkaufter Units, ausgezeichneten Hymne, „Take Me To Church“. Mit ihr stellte er seinen globalen Erfolg auf ein festes Fundament, es folgten Gold- und Platin-Auszeichnungen für seine ersten beiden Alben, eine GRAMMY-Nominierung, sowie diverse weitere Auszeichnungen.

Im Juli dieses Jahres war Hozier auf Europatour und wird im Dezember für zwei weitere Shows erneut nach Deutschland kommen.

Roach is Miya Folick's clearest and most direct work yet, eschewing
some of the lyrical and musical obfuscations she layered onto her 2018 debut album,

Premonitions With ear- worm melodies, heart- wrenching poetry, eclectic production and anchored by Folick's once-in-a-lifetime voice, Roach straddles a line between pop and something more experimental.

She enlisted a team of collaborators who she
trusted to bring out the grittier side of her artistry, including Gabe Wax (War on
Drugs, Fleet Foxes), Mike Malchicoff (King Princess, Bo Burnham), Max
Hershenow (MS MR) and a team of some of LA's best players. The result is an
album that sounds as honest and intimate as the subject matter at hand, a
candid snapshot of where she is now and what it took to get there

Swami John Reis celebrates his 100th year in rock ’n’ roll with a brand new band and record! “Ride The Wild Night” is neither completely similar nor dissimilar to his previous bands (Hot Snakes, Night Marchers, The Sultans, Rocket From The Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, etc).

Yet the sound is immediately familiar and assuring (like an old friend you lost touch with that comes back into your life only to ask to borrow money).

The music is an amalgam of ’60s folk-punk, ’70s punk-punk and pre-Vietnam War rock ’n’ roll, filtered through the Reis’ unregistered, trademark sensibilities. “I wanted to celebrate some of my favorite rock n roll in its transitional periods. Flaming Groovies, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Kinks, The Saints and others created some of the most exciting recordings while also connecting the musical past to its future. That really appeals to me”.

Although titled a “solo” record it is predominantly in name only. The record is built on stentorian bedrock of savage drumming by J. Sinclair K. of Hot Snakes and the pounding acoustic piano of Joe Guevara. Also adding their expertise to the mix is Chris Prescott (Pinback) Gar Wood (Hot Snakes), Glen Galloway (Truman’s Water), Jacob Turnbloom (Mrs. Magician) and Jordan Clark (PLOSIVS). With this backing, Swami John Reis finalizes it with his throaty basso and weaponizes the files with roaring electric guitars, rapid acoustic guitar strum and bass.

Hear his defiant, croak-howl in what might be his most autobiographical work yet. “All of these stories are real. They just might not be completely true.” Reis adds, ”The words come from what I overhear through my fence, what I see across the street, pictures I see in my head, experiences that I can’t forget or am grateful to remember.” If there is a loose theme throughout the record he offers, “Musically and lyrically there is a motivation to surrender to a restless and impulsive spirit that can only be satisfied by breaking things. Creating rubble for better or worse. “

Music critics and fans alike have long referred to Reis’s signature voice as “The Velvet Yawn” and never has that description been more apt. “Ride The Wild Night” was recorded by Reis at City Of Refuge (Night Marchers, Black Lips, The Spits) and mixed by Ben Moore (Hot Snakes, Diamanda Galas) at Singing Serpent.

Obwohl der Begriff "soul" schon während der Dreißigerjahre in der US-amerikanischen Populärmusik auftauchte, entstand Soul als eigenständiges Genre erst in den 1950ern aus Gospel und Rhythm"n"Blues sowie je einer Prise Blues und Jazz. Schon bald darauf sollte Soul zum Inbegriff "schwarzer Popmusik" werden. Kennzeichnend für die afroamerikanisch geprägte Unterhaltungsmusik sind emotional gefärbte Sangeskünste. Sich mit ganzer Seele und herzergreifendem Gesang den Vibes, dem Groove und der Message hinzugeben, das macht Soul aus. Sängerinnen wie Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Tina Turner, Lavern Baker, Marlena Shaw oder Diana Ross beherrschten dieses Metier meisterhaft. Sie finden sich neben Dionne Warwick, Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield, Irma Thomas, Amy Winehouse, Ibeyi und vielen anderen Künstlerinnen auf der geschmackvoll kompilierten Doppel-LP "Soul Women".

2024 Restock

"Warren 'Sonny' Sharrock died of a heart attack at the age of 53 in 1994. At the time of his death, many writers noted that he had recently landed a contract with a major label (RCA) and was perhaps 'destined for big things.' In my opinion, these writers missed the point. Although Mr. Sharrock may not have been successful financially (as though that might be a primary motivating goal for any true artist), he was uncommonly successful aesthetically. Certainly, there are a few dubious moments to be found inside his oeuvre, but Mr. Sharrock produced several of the most mind-shredding avant-garde albums ever recorded. Premier among them is Black Woman.

"Originally released on the Vortex label in 1969, Black Woman may be the universe's first true statement of guitar skronk majesty. It also represents Mr. Sharrock's first date as a leader and stands as the sole documentation of a band that well-understood the essentials of energy. Besides Sharrock's explosive guitar, the band features the omni-directional percussion mastery of Milford Graves (then in the midst of recording Love Cry with Albert Ayler), the gorgeous post-tongue vocalizing of Sonny's then-wife Linda Sharrock, the sinuous bass presence of Norris Jones (later known as Sirone) and some the most explicitly abstract piano work ever recorded by Dave Burrell. That Black Woman was produced by flautist Herbie Mann, a guy not well-known for his affinity to fire music, makes it even more intriguing." – Byron Coley

Jason Mraz is living full spiral. It’s not full circle, exactly, because he’s changed and his experiences have changed, but on his eighth album, Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride, the musician has found himself returning to a familiar junction in space. The new songs, which are unabashedly pop, see Mraz reuniting with numerous collaborators, including Los Angeles band Raining Jane and producer Martin Terefe, who helmed 2008’s We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. In fact, as Mraz looked at the number eight, he instead saw an infinity sign.

In the five years since Creep Show’s acclaimed Mr Dynamite album was released it’s fair to say that we’ve all been through a fair bit. Sitting here, in 2023, things don’t seem to be getting any better. There’s the cost of living crisis and political meltdowns; we're in deep water with global warming and to top it all there’s a war on our doorstep.

Back in 2018 everything seemed less complicated. Sure, there was stuff to get riled about, but we knew nothing about what was to come. Mr Dynamite was a fairground ride into the dark corners of a world that was on the brink of being blitzed in a blender. It was a record teetering on the edge. Five years down the line you’d expect the follow-up, Yawning Abyss, would double-down and bring the white-knuckled, teeth-gritted fury of the last five years to the boil. And yet….

A quick recap? No problem. Wrangler + John Grant = Creep Show. And Creep Show? “A band of musical misfits who have found a voice or two”, says Wrangler’s Ben “Benge” Edwards, whose Bond villain studio on the edge of a moorland is Creep Show Grand Central as well as home to an analogue synth arsenal that could sink ships.

Wrangler have known each other for a while. Tunng’s electronics wizard Phil Winter and Cabaret Voltaire’s trailblazing, pioneering frontman Stephen Mallinder go way back, while Phil and Benge crossed paths in the 21st century when they seemed to be increasingly in the same venues at the same times. Meanwhile, Mal had been living in Australia since the mid-90s and when, in 2007, he returned to the UK his old pal Phil suggested he meet Benge and the three of them immediately began working together.

Wrangler collectively bumped into Grant at their soundcheck for Sheffield’s Sensoria Festival in 2014 where they were playing with Carter Tutti. A friendship blossomed and when they were invited to perform together for Rough Trade’s 40th anniversary show at London’s Barbican in 2016, well, they jumped at the chance... and Creep Show was born.

Let’s talk about the new album... What is the ‘Yawning Abyss’? You might well ask. According to Mal, it’s “a cosmic event horizon that I can see from my attic window when stand on a chair”. Yeah. Thanks.

“On this album”, offers Benge, feet firmly on the floor, “Wrangler wrangled some vintage synths, mostly Roland, Moog, and the ‘Crystal Machine’ - then John Grant joined in the fun at Memetune Studios where lots of musical experiments were carried out. Then Mal and John ran off to Iceland with the master tapes and recorded a load of madcap vocals. Back at Memetune, me and Phil were left to try and make sense of it all. Which wasn’t hard because what they did in Iceland was totally magnificent.”

Which kind of brings us back to where we began. You’d imagine ‘Yawning Abyss’ would be blowing steam out of its furious ears. Mr Dynamite but kicking a wasps nest. Repeatedly. And yet…

Opener ‘The Bellows’ comes on like a modular ‘Radio Ga Ga’, the singalong ‘Moneyback’ (“You want your money back? / I didn’t think so”) sounds like Godley & Creme’s ‘Snack Attack’ meets Prince Charles And The City Beat Band (“Pennies, pounds, dollar bills, signed agreements, death wills”). ‘Yahtzee!’ is an unhinged electro breakdance party in four minutes and nine seconds.

Where Mr Dynamite was menace, a mélange of mangled voices, with Grant and Mallinder being heavily treated, pitched up or down, rendering their contributions largely indistinguishable, Yawning Abyss takes a more direct approach. You hesitate to say feelgood, but there’s a skip in the step here for sure.

The title track plays John Grant’s vocal straight. Completely. It’s good, so very good. Like ‘Axel F’ covered by Vangelis. The delicious shimmering synths of ‘Bungalow’ also plays those Grant pipes with a straight bat. ‘Matinee’ delves into darker, very funky territory. With Mal upfront it comes on like ‘The Crackdown’. Choice lyric: “You are starting to breakdown / And it’s so fun for me to see / You should have thought of that / You should have come prepared / You can see what’s happening and you look a little scared”.

So, you know, not all feelgood. But it does feel good. It’s probably best to draw your own conclusions... This is Creep Show after all.

Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen of Tanlines are indie-rock lifers turned reasonable, happy middle-aged fathers of two, figuring out their place in a chaotic culture and industry that can no longer command their full attention. They are emblematic of a particular time and place that doesn't really exist anymore, yet here they are existing, and thriving, in 2023. The Big Mess came together when Emm and his family moved from Brooklyn to rural Connecticut, while Cohen launched a marketing career and a successful podcast and stayed in the city. Emm continued writing songs_hundreds of them _ through all the weirdness of the past few years, but he wasn't exactly sure who he was writing them for. "I spent years figuring out in my mind, `What is my musical life going to look like?'" he says. "I just kept writing." Cohen gave Emm his blessing to continue Tanlines, even if his own contributions would be limited due to his own non-musical obligations. "I'm like, `Whatever you can do to keep this thing going, do it,'" Cohen says. And with that, Tanlines was reborn. By January 2022 Emm felt he had a body of work that made sense as a Tanlines album. Cohen spent ten days with Emm at his Connecticut studio, along with unofficial third Tanline Patrick Ford (!!!). This was tied together with a sleek final mix from Peter Katis (The National, Interpol) at his famed Tarquin Studios, resulting in a clear vision of what Emm's musical life was going to look like: The Big Mess. The first sounds on The Big Mess are the title track's coiled guitars and thumping drums, building into the kind of outsize, choral rock anthem artists like Tanlines were almost a reaction to. It is warm and nostalgic, and Cohen likens a lot of the prevailing mood to "a sepia filter on a digital photo." He continues, "we were pretty intentional about making this the first song on the album, underlining the way that this is a new phase of the band." Cohen says. The moody, scintillating "Burns Effect" serves as one of the biggest pushes forward for the Tanlines sound, and for Emm as a lyricist. He says that the song is "deep and dark and dangerous, but in a fun way. It's one of the more personal tracks on the album where this ungrounded part of my personality surfaces, but with an over-the-top machismo, almost an ironic character." Other tracks like "New Reality" and closer "The Age of Innocence" are also demonstrably guitar-forward in ways that wouldn't seem obvious for Tanlines (despite Emm's pedigree in austere avant-garde math-rock outfits Storm & Stress and Don Caballero), but Emm is less sure The Big Mess is a total departure. "I'm trying to make these absolutely simple things," he says. "I think of these songs as Rothko paintings: They're big and they're bold and they're seemingly straightforward, but they have a lot of depth and they engage with you and make you feel something."

Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen of Tanlines are indie-rock lifers turned reasonable, happy middle-aged fathers of two, figuring out their place in a chaotic culture and industry that can no longer command their full attention. They are emblematic of a particular time and place that doesn't really exist anymore, yet here they are existing, and thriving, in 2023. The Big Mess came together when Emm and his family moved from Brooklyn to rural Connecticut, while Cohen launched a marketing career and a successful podcast and stayed in the city. Emm continued writing songs_hundreds of them _ through all the weirdness of the past few years, but he wasn't exactly sure who he was writing them for. "I spent years figuring out in my mind, `What is my musical life going to look like?'" he says. "I just kept writing." Cohen gave Emm his blessing to continue Tanlines, even if his own contributions would be limited due to his own non-musical obligations. "I'm like, `Whatever you can do to keep this thing going, do it,'" Cohen says. And with that, Tanlines was reborn. By January 2022 Emm felt he had a body of work that made sense as a Tanlines album. Cohen spent ten days with Emm at his Connecticut studio, along with unofficial third Tanline Patrick Ford (!!!). This was tied together with a sleek final mix from Peter Katis (The National, Interpol) at his famed Tarquin Studios, resulting in a clear vision of what Emm's musical life was going to look like: The Big Mess. The first sounds on The Big Mess are the title track's coiled guitars and thumping drums, building into the kind of outsize, choral rock anthem artists like Tanlines were almost a reaction to. It is warm and nostalgic, and Cohen likens a lot of the prevailing mood to "a sepia filter on a digital photo." He continues, "we were pretty intentional about making this the first song on the album, underlining the way that this is a new phase of the band." Cohen says. The moody, scintillating "Burns Effect" serves as one of the biggest pushes forward for the Tanlines sound, and for Emm as a lyricist. He says that the song is "deep and dark and dangerous, but in a fun way. It's one of the more personal tracks on the album where this ungrounded part of my personality surfaces, but with an over-the-top machismo, almost an ironic character." Other tracks like "New Reality" and closer "The Age of Innocence" are also demonstrably guitar-forward in ways that wouldn't seem obvious for Tanlines (despite Emm's pedigree in austere avant-garde math-rock outfits Storm & Stress and Don Caballero), but Emm is less sure The Big Mess is a total departure. "I'm trying to make these absolutely simple things," he says. "I think of these songs as Rothko paintings: They're big and they're bold and they're seemingly straightforward, but they have a lot of depth and they engage with you and make you feel something."

Mit seinem frischen Blend aus Reggae und Hip-Hop gelang dem Jamaikaner Kabaka Pyramid mit seinem Debütalbum 'Kontraband' (2018) ein Überraschungserfolg, an den der Nachfolger 'The Kalling' nun ansetzt. Das Meisterwerk, produziert von Damian und Stephen Marley, Young Pow und Kabaka Pyramid, gewann dieses Jahr den Grammy für 'Best Reggae Album'. Diese Symphonie von 15 Songs hebt den Reichtum der Reggae-Musik hervor, von der scharfen Perfektion von Percussion und Bass bis zu ikonischen Tunes von Junior Byles ('Faded Away' ft. Buju Banton), Peter Tosh ('Mystic Man') und Eddie Fitzroy ('EZ Ride'). Features kommen u.a. von Protoje, Jemere Morgan, Black-Am-I, Jesse Royal und den Marley-Brüdern.















[o] D3. Kontraband, Pt. 2 (feat. Damian Marley) [Bonus Track]

Is A Feeling follows up its debut 12" with a classy and varied house offering from Triform. It kicks off with some old school and jacked-up sounds on 'Not For Radio' where analogue drums, silvery cowbells and ticking hi-hats get you in a sweat. Then it's a more drum-led and low-slung affair on the swinging 'Dub 3'. 'Mr Chr$ (65)' shows this artist's range as things become more stripped back and tech-inclined, with silky drum loops and watery droplets backed by diffuse chord work. 'Timeless Groove' then heads back to the old school with lush piano chords and sustained pads bringing the good times.

Mogwaa returns to Peggy Gou’s Gudu label with Drifted, his second EP for the imprint and a perfect summary of what makes him one of Korea’s most exciting contemporary artists - complete with a remix by Klasse Werks founder Mr. Ho.

A staple of Seoul’s electronic scene, Mogwaa’s catalogue takes in everything from ambient to jungle - but at the centre of his music, there’s always a distinct sense of melody and pure compositional chops that defines his music regardless of style or tempo. Put simply, you know a Mogwaa track when you hear one.

Quicker in tempo than his last EP for Gudu, Drifted opens with ‘Driven’ - a combo of chopped-up breaks and a relentless riff that does just what the title implies - before Mogwaa really flexes those melodic chops on ‘Chances for Bounces’, getting heady with synthesized voices and an almost Detroit-leaning bassline over an 808 groove. ‘Rushing’ takes things further into peaktime with an acid bassline and some nifty automation to keep things ascending, before Mr. Ho’s remix of ‘Driven’ closes the EP on a dreamy techno tip.

Following several European runs last year that saw Mogwaa perform at Warehouse Project, Pleasure Gardens and more, plus a Boiler Room in Seoul alongside Anz, Sharda, Finn, Closet Yi and Seesea, Drifted is another snapshot into the sound world of this remarkable talent.

First things first - you don't need me to tell you about the significance of Australia in the history of punk. I mean, what am I, Jon Savage? Google it yourself, FFS. Instead, let's just agree that the speedy, feral racket thrown together by the likes of The Saints, Radio Birdman and The Scientists in the mid-late '70s is AT LEAST as deliriously entertaining as anything concocted by their UK/US counterparts, sowing the seeds for seemingly endless garage-inflected noisemakers in the land down under. No one likes using words like 'tradition' or 'heritage' here - the punk rock clusterbomb is far too messy for any of that business - but also emerging from Australian rock's primordial soup is the addictive sneer of Stiff Richards. Like their predecessors, the band are a gleefully wracked mess of full throttle energy and barrelling power chords, with songs like 'Kids Out On The Grass' and 'Point of You' proving at least the equal of '(I'm) Stranded' or 'Aloha Steve And Danno'. Nine tracks in less than 30 minutes, all winners and all determined to leave you flipping over couches and smashing your TV set. And let's face it, you may as well; there's nothing good on. It all builds towards frantic closer 'Fill In The Blanks', which rattles around your speakers like the UK Subs trying to play Ed Kuepper riffs at the centre of an earthquake, before grinding to a halt as a voice says, "That's the one." Does it sound self-satisfied? Hey, it's got good reason to - this is the best no-frills garage rock party since Gino & The Goons' 'Do The Get Around', and the only appropriate response is to declare yourself betrothed to Stiff Richards because you can't imagine your life without 'em. Don't believe me? Sort out your ears and get 'State Of Mind' in 'em. Rock'n'roll as it's supposed to be played. Will Fitzpatrick.

Over the past 20 years, The New Pornographers have proven themselves one of the most excellent bands in indie rock. The group’s ninth album and first for Merge establishes them alongside modern luminaries like Yo La Tengo and Superchunk when it comes to their ability to evolve while still retaining what made them so special in the first place. A dazzling and intriguing collection of songs, Continue as a Guest finds bandleader A.C. Newman and his compatriots Neko Case, Kathryn Calder, John Collins, Todd Fancey, and Joe Seiders exploring fresh territory and shattering the barriers of their collective comfort zone. Newman began work on Continue as a Guest after the band had finished touring behind 2019’s In the Morse Code of Brake Lights. Themes of isolation and collapse bleed into this album, as Newman tackles the ambivalence of day-to-day life during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Newman says that Continue as a Guest’s title track also addresses the concerns that come with being in a band for so long. “The idea of continuing as a guest felt apropos to the times,” he explains. “Feeling out of place in culture, in society, being in a band that has been around for so long—not feeling like a part of any zeitgeist, but happy to be separate and living your simple life, your long fade-out.

Living in a secluded place in an isolated time, it felt like a positive form of acceptance: find your own little nowhere, find some space to fall apart, continue as a guest.” Newman discovered new vocal approaches within his own talent. There are new and rich tones to Newman’s voice throughout Continue as a Guest, from his dusky lower register over “Angelcover” to his slippery slide over the glimmering synths of “Firework in the Falling Snow,” to bold tones he embraces on the soaring “Bottle Episodes.”

Another sonic change comes courtesy of saxophonist Zach Djanikian, whose tenor and bass luxuriate all over Continue as a Guest’s alluring chassis, especially on the menacing build of “Pontius Pilate’s Home Movies.” Along with Newman’s usual collaborators, several songwriters contribute. The bursting opener and first single “Really Really Light” is a co-write with Dan Bejar (Destroyer, the New Pornographers). Then there’s “Firework in the Falling Snow,” a collaboration with Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz and Sad13. “I was feeling like I wanted some help, so I sent it to Sadie and she sent me back this complete song that had these great lyrics,” Newman says. “She included the line ‘A firework in the falling snow,’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s great.’ Sometimes you need that one thing to center the song, and even though I only used a few lines of hers in the end, I couldn’t have finished it without her.”

Even as Newman embraces a collaborative spirit more than ever, Continue as a Guest is a testament to his ability to discover new artistic sides of himself. “I started out as a songwriter more than as a singer, but at some point, you have to sing your own songs,” he says with a chuckle. “For a long time, I felt like the idea of changing a song because I couldn’t hit a note wasn’t okay—I could just get someone else to sing it. But I’m learning now that my songs can actually be a lot more malleable than I thought.” And it’s in that spirit that Continue as a Guest sounds like a thrilling path forward for The New Pornographers, with songs that generate a contagious feeling of excitement for the future as well.

The undisputed kings of garage rock are back! It’s been 22 years since the last Headcoats album, but now Billy, Bruce, and Johnny return with a brand-new studio album!

Recorded last year at Ranscombe Studios in Rochester. Billy, Bruce, and Johnny kindly answered some pertinent questions…You got back together recently as Thee Headcoats Sect to make the ‘Tribute to Don Craine’ EP. What was it like working with each other again after all this time? BILLY: It was 'fab' and 'gear.' BRUCE: The weirdest thing for me was how weird it wasn't.

It was like time compressed, but to the 'good old days', early on. I was wary that it 'wouldn't be like Thee Headcoats', but it was. JOHNNY: I'm with Bruce and Billy on that one. I think we were all surprised how it all just worked. If I remember correctly, we kicked off role playing like we detested each other. Then we got started and well, you can hear the result.

What were the first songs you ran through when you got in the studio? BILLY: That’s a very good question. No idea. BRUCE: I can't remember. They all sound the same to me. JOHNNY: Bill had stuff on his phone that went “KSSHHCCCKSSHHHH”! So, we did that first. You’ve also paid tribute to Don with a track on the Irregularis album – ‘Oh Leader We Do Dig Thee’.

He was, along with the other members of Downliners Sect, a big inspiration to Thee Headcoats. When did you first become aware of his music and what was he like to work with? BRUCE: We were given (or possibly lent) a reissue of the Sect's first LP around 1977, marketed as 'Punk From The Vaults', which certainly floated our boats and definitely popped our corks, due to the somewhat aggressive yet carefree nature of the tunes and sound in general. Ollie, our old bassist, found an ad in a trade magazine for them with a contact number for a Michael O'Donnell, which I excitedly called almost immediately.

T'was none other than Don his'self and we managed to convince him into venturing down to Rochester to record some tunes with us which became the first Headcoat Sect EP. We were fairly starstruck and presented him with a brand new 'dearstalker' (or 'Headcoat', as they were now known). He was very accommodating and a great laugh and spent the evening with us, regaling us with tales of yore. I recorded a lot of it on cassette, which I may still have somewhere. Gawd bless Don

On October 21, 2022, Merge Records will release Pigments, the debut collaboration between New Orleans electro-revival dynamo Dawn Richard and multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Spencer Zahn. Pigments is a project about the power of self-expression through living art, through motion. It's also a love letter to New Orleans, Louisiana. Not strictly classical, jazz or ambient electronica but rather a body of "movements," Pigments is an expressive soundscape that is an immersive passage through the city as seen through the eyes of a young Black girl with dreams to paint her future with the pigments given to her. Richard explains: "Spencer wanted to create one long piece of music that would ebb and flow around my lyrics and emotions, which tell a story of growing to love my own skin. I wanted my voice to be moss surrounding the roots of Spencer's compo - sitions, never forcing the moment to fill every space but rather reveling in the openness of thought and breath." Zahn agrees, saying, "I wanted to work with all these different textures, tones, and colors to have a new sound to frame Dawn's voice and lyrics. To hear a lone clarinet as the breath fades and a cello continues its melody to cue Dawn's vocal entrance is unlike any other record she has made. These are things that excite me as a composer but more as a listener. I hope that other listeners feel the same." Coming on the heels of Dawn Richard's critically acclaimed Merge debut Line, Pigments will introduce listeners to a different facet of Richard's outrageous talent and bring Zahn's thoughtful creativity to a new audience.

A lot can happen in ten years.

Rewind back to Gateshead in 2008 - the producer Smoove is round his friend and keyboard player - Mike Porter's house. Together they are working on tracks for his project and all of a sudden they hear a heavenly voice from the neighbour. Transfixed by the vocals that are caressing their ears they go and investigate to find a youthful John Turrell doing his thing at a practice with a local band he played with when he wasn't teaching carpentry at the local college. Together they woo him with their Geordie charms and the initial line up of 'Smoove & Turrell' is born. The group instantly gel and soon after have penned the killer track 'I Can't Give You Up'...

Flash forward to 2019 and the carpentry community looks on with jealousy as the group has gone from strength to strength. Signed to the independent label Jalapeno Records they are now five albums deep and they have achieved multiple radio-playlisted singles, won awards, toured with the likes of Chic, gained sync success across the world and continue to wow venues in all continents with their thrilling live shows on the regular.

All of this in an age where attention spans are shorter than ever and there is more access to music than ever. This is certainly an achievement worth celebrating. Doubly so in fact as not only is it their ten year anniversary collection but also it is the 300th official release on Jalapeno Records so it only seems right that the occasion gets commemorated properly - a double gatefold LP with brass coloured vinyl somehow seems appropriate...

Comprising of 18 tracks taken from all five of their studio albums as well as two new barnstorming tunes exclusive to this release - it's a veritable feast of northern funk gems from start to finish. Favourites from their deep catalogue including 'Slow Down', 'Beggarman', 'In Deep', 'Have Love' and 'You Could've Been A Lady' are all present and correct, lining up next to the two newbies which also hold their own.

"But what about the new tracks!" we hear you cry - well Smoove's solo rework of The Spencer Davis Group - I'm A Man is the stuff of legend with physical copies changing hands for huge sums (if you are lucky enough to be able to locate one in the first place!). The track has long been a staple of S&T live sets but they've never laid it down in a studio recording... That is until now. It's a monster of a tune and the perfect way to kick proceedings off on this record.

That's not all though, as the lads also serve up the aptly reflective 'Give it Back'. It's signature Smoove & Turrell stuff - full of soul with deep and heartfelt lyricism. Turrell's chorus refrain "We love the ones who give it back" is typically honest and true of a band that prides themselves on community. Proper canny that. Proper canny.

Dynamite Cut’s little sister, SKYLINE recordings, the UK’s home of funky beats has only gone and done it again with the one and only Mike Bandoni.

Most notably known as the main man behind UK Funk heavyweights, Funkshone, this sees Mike Bandoni making a welcome return to his solo work for this new 45 on Skyline Recordings. ‘I Thought Of You’ is a delightful slice of Funky Soul/Jazz that sees Mike playing everything! A superb drum sound with layers of Rhodes, live Bass, Clav, Percussion and Organ, the cut is so soulful it hurts. A prefect balance of rhythm and melody and all that we’ve come to expect of Mr Bandoni. The flip features a sparser but funkier tune ‘Matrices’. Elements reminiscent of Money Mark, the Meters and Bob James combine to form a cracking three and half minutes of bliss. Again, a killer drum sound and instrumentation to match. One thing is clear. The new Mike Bandoni sound is here to stay and we here at Skyline Recordings dig it!

4x LP and Zine (ft. photos, historical text and track narrations by the artist) set. Nation bring it.
An essential delve in to the retrospective works of SSPS. Limited edition. No repress. HUGE TIP ON THIS!

" You can't fake the funk, as they say and SSPS is pure funk embodied in all he does, the man oozes the funk 24-7!
One of my earliest encounters with SSPS was at one of the infamous Rubulad parties out in Brooklyn....
the man was decked out extravagantly...a cross between Blowfly and some futuristic being zapped
down to earth directly from the P-Funk mothership. Who was this masked man?
The disco vampire, was beating fast disco tracks relentlessly while slamming in his 707 over the records in real time...
not an easy feat, the beauty of the imperfections making it that much more exciting hearing the gallop and wild energy
he was bringing to the crowd, we were eating it up. This is SSPS, fearless in his approach and execution,
a modernist looking to the future but rooted in the past, an artist committed to his art...
all presented with unhinged emotion. It's all or nothing...everything on the table....do or die...the true epitome of style!!!!

Declaring someone a "cult figure" or a "legend" is a huge weight to carry and is often a term that is carelessly thrown around,
but those of us who have dwelled in this "underground" over the last 30 years can say with confidence that SSPS is just that
to many of us, no questions asked, it's not up for debate.

Now, many years later we see the culmination of his electronic works from 2002-2021 committed to record in this 4xlp,
16 track boxed set (plus 45 page booklet) titled SSPS, "The Life and Times of GiGi Black" thus solidifying
Mr. Nicholson's place in the secret world of dance not dance music.

The only way to describe this offering is "full spectrum electronic musical madness" not to be categorized,
never to be pigeonholed, full of surprises and straight from the gut with a direct hit to the heart.
We could go on about the production processes, about his Furr City studio space or his cross country excursions
for work with a truck packed with paintings (but also his music equipment) plugging in and recording during his
pit stops in Motel 6's across the US. But again it doesn't do justice to simply have a small peek inside the man's mind...
the music is beyond the mind. The process is the process and nothing has or can stand in the way of what the SSPS
has done in his long musical life. Punk Rock, Hardcore, House, No-Wave, Industrial, Jakbeat/Slow-Beat and Noise.
it's all there for the taking, it's all intertwined. If you want it, you will find it within SSPS's works.

Nicholson's path is the embodiment of true culture within "dance music" cultivated from years of learning, experimenting,
and pushing the limits with total commitment and immersion. "The Life and Times of GiGi Black" is true life experience,
it is a reflection of someone delving deep into his craft and presenting it with care in opposition to the fast, disposable,
self gratifying click bait culture we see dominating the pages today. The proof is here, drop the needle, enter the world of SSPS.














n G2 1000 Truths Balearic Inaugural Mix

This album features Pharoah Sanders playing some no-nonsense tenor in a quartet with pianist John Hicks, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Idris Muhammad. Sanders performs "It's Easy to Remember" (in a style very reminiscent of early-'60s John Coltrane), an original blues, and two of his compositions, including the passionate "You've Got to Have Freedom."

The musicianship is at a high level and, although Sanders does not shriek as much as one might hope (the Trane-ish influence was particularly strong during this relatively mellow period), he is in fine form. Review by Scott Yanow/AMG

Beware! This is hot stuff! Wear asbestos clothing while listening. Four world-class musicians at the very pinnacle of their art relating closely to one another in the vortex of a cyclone of jazz music. They're all burning, but listen particularly to John Hicks (R.I.P Mr. Hicks) on "DOKTOR PITT." Is he not the best thing to happen to the keyboard since McCoy Tyner? And when I state John Hicks was burning, if you've ever had the opportunity to view the video of this performance (maybe still on YouTube) recorded at the Great American Music Hall in 1981, you'll see
Mr. Hicks melting with perspiration. That's cookin' brother...
review by James S. Grogan

Ten years after our initial survey of Afro-Latin accented rhythm & blues from the mid-century, Jazzman proudly presents a fourth installment, packed with as many musical surprises as the first. With music plucked from an era spanning the late 1940s into the early 60s, Jukebox Mambo IV highlights yet again the unparalleled musical creativity of the post war era, and shows how the infusion of afro-latin rhythms was key to these revolutions.

Lovingly and painstakingly researched and curated, the album boasts 23 tracks, many previously uncompiled, touching on jazz, blues, doo wop, calypso, rock & roll, gospel and more. Featuring individual track notes for every song along with some never seen before photographs of the artists, Jukebox Mambo Vol IV maintains the same high production values of each previous volume, and indeed the wider Jazzman catalogue.

Blackploid has become one of Central Processing Unit's stalwarts in the past couple of years. Martin Matiske's project contributed a trio of EPs to the Sheffield label across 2021 and 2022, with each of them showing off the kind of electro chops and production sensibilities that made Blackploid an ideal fit for an imprint which also boasts the likes of Cygnus, Silicon Scally and Bochum Welt among its catalogue.

Now, for CPU's first release of 2023, Matiske levels things up with the debut Blackploid LPEnter Universe. Across these twelve tracks, Matiske leaves us in no doubt that he's a prime mover in the world of modern electronic music.Enter Universedoes not let up from start to finish, delivering a dozen pieces of leftfield electro that draws from the sound's greats while also showcasing an unpredictability and flair that is all of Blackploid's own.

The tone is set from the first frosty chords of opening cut 'Pulsation'. The track traverses the starscape on pitter-patter drums and chirruping synths, a lively and slightly dystopian roller with an adventurous undercurrent reminiscent of classic Rephlex drops. It's a style which Blackploid often draws for throughout the rest ofEnter Universe, albeit with elements added or subtracted at each stage.

Indeed, this album features some of the most unusual production you will hear on any record this year. While the grooves pulse away in a manner reminiscent of Drexciya or Legowelt, Blackploid layers the mixes with a whole cornucopia of synth tones. 'The Mission' boasts a bleep-bloop breakdown that sounds like malfunctioning rotary telephones; 'Silent Room' is a ghoulish jam which harks back to Warp's legendary Artificial Intelligence compilations; 'Automatik' and 'Wormhole' are defined by some brilliantly strange low-ends - you'll be thinking of Mr. Oizo's 'Flat Beat' with the wiggly former, while the gurgling, writhing anti-lead that dictates 'Wormhole' is oddly thrilling and more than befits the track's title.

This inventive approach is also apparent in some of the structural choices onEnter Universe. While the tracks here all keep a steady, dancefloor friendly pulse, several of them surprise you by switching up the approach after a minute or two. 'Pulsation', 'Automatik' and 'The Mission' all feature moments where a new element - extra hi-hats, a synth line entering from leftfield - inject fresh impetus into the tune to keep the listener on their toes.

Blackploid may push the sonic envelope onEnter Universe, but this does not mean there is no room for melody. In particular, the cuts here which most strongly channel 'Computer World'-era Kraftwerk do so by fronting some slyly tuneful work, particularly in the low end of the mix. 'Unidentified' serves up delightfully springy chords, 'Cell Mutation' leads from the bassline, and 'Space Curve' features little cells of melody and counter-melody working together to closeEnter Universeout on a high.

Blackploid's debut LP Enter Universe marries Drexciyan electro and Warp-school electronica with some brilliantly inventive production choices.

Rubinho E Mauro Assumpção's 'Perfeitamente, Justamente Quando Cheguei' has to be up there as one of the finest Brazilian-psych-folk-MPB records we know. Unfortunately, it's very hard to find in the wild; even on digging trips to Brazil, an original copy rarely shows up, and when it does, it comes with a hefty price tag.

This highly sought-after rarity was released on the Brazilian label Tapecar Records in 1972 and is the one and only album by the sensational pairing of Rubinho and Mauro Assumpção. Effortlessly blending folk, MPB, funky-psych, rock, and relaxed, swaggering samba, this record ought to be heralded as a true Brazilian classic. However, maybe due to its scarcity and the previous reissue predominantly being only available to the Brazilian market, it has not had a chance to fully shine and find the wider audience it deserves. Through our reissue we hope to put things right. Fans of records by Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges are sure to enjoy the same magic and allure in 'Perfeitamente, Justamente Quando Cheguei'.

In addition to being the album’s songwriters, Mauro Assumpção took on the role of producer and Rubinho was co-producer as well as playing piano, organ, acoustic guitar and performing vocals. The record features the drummer Gegê who worked with Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo, Nana Caymmi, Dom Um Romão and more. It also features guitarist Rick Ferreira, who played with Erasmo Carlos, Gal Costa and other greats. Rounding off the players on the album are Darcy Da Cruz and Formiga who have graced many a fine recording on horns.

'Perfeitamente, Justamente Quando Cheguei' is a truly stunning work that washes over you with beauty. Delve in and savour.