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Limited 200 copies.
A where is my teen spirit mind ?

In ,Library Copy Do Not Remove" präsentiert JJ Weihl von Discovery Zone eine digitale Verzauberung der Realität, in der er das Materielle und das Immaterielle miteinander verwebt, um zu zeigen, dass es sich dabei tatsächlich um zwei Aspekte ein und desselben handelt. In Weihls Welt sind Natur und Technologie keine Feinde, sondern erschaffen sich gegenseitig in einem unendlichen Tanz aus Bedeutung und Reflexion. Ursprünglich als Raumsound für das Zeiss-Groß-Planetarium in Berlin geschaffen, ist ,Library Copy Do Not Remove" eine Schöpfungsmythologie für das simulierte Universum. Dabei handelt es sich jedoch nicht um eine trockene, bostromische, maskuline Fantasie einer digitalen Realität, der die Geheimnisse der Natur fehlen. Stattdessen fordert Weihl den Zuhörer auf, im Rahmen einer Simulation Raum für die beeindruckende Realität der natürlichen Welt zu lassen. Wenn unsere Welt simuliert ist, dann muss die Simulation in der Lage sein, die Schönheit und Pracht der Natur zu erschaffen. Auf diese Weise betreibt Weihl eine ambient-artige Alchemie, die eine große Versöhnung von Natur und Technologie fordert, während sie uns auffordert, darüber nachzudenken, wie und wo die Erfahrung transzendenten menschlichen Bewusstseins zwischen ihnen existieren könnte. Die Songs auf ,Library Copy Do Not Remove" entstanden, während Weihl gleichzeitig ihr zweites Album ,Quantum Web" fertigstellte, und spiegeln einen weitreichenden, inspirierenden Zustand aus Aufregung und Angst wider, der mit der Aufgabe einherging, Musik für einen so einzigartigen Raum zu komponieren. Die Songs selbst wurden durch Ambisonics geformt, ein spezielles Format für räumliches Audio, das direktional ist, anstatt auf Kanälen zu basieren (wie Stereo), und wurden über ein Mosaik aus 49 Lautsprechern übertragen. Da es für Live-Auftritte geschrieben wurde, war ,Library Copy Do Not Remove" nie als Album im eigentlichen Sinne gedacht, sondern als dreidimensionales Ereignis. Auf diese Weise spiegelte die Klanginszenierung wider, wie wir Klang in unserem Alltag wahrnehmen: uns aus allen Richtungen umgebend. Für diese Albumveröffentlichung hat Weihl alle Songs gemeinsam mit ihrem langjährigen Produzenten E/T von Grund auf neu abgemischt und die Konstellation der Tracks für ein Stereoerlebnis neu konzipiert und überarbeitet. Inspiriert von den Werken von James Gleick, LD Deutsch, Johannes Kepler und Jorge Luis Borges, erforscht ,Library Copy Do Not Remove" die kreative Spannung zwischen Realität und Wahrnehmung, Information und Mythologie, Harmonie und Unordnung. Im gesamten Album fragt Weihl, wie wir als Menschen das Universum um uns herum und den zugrunde liegenden Code, der es belebt, verstehen lernen. Was dabei entsteht, ist ein klanglicher Mythos, der von spiralförmigen digitalen Universen erzählt, die ineinander verschachtelt sind und in denen jeder teilnehmende Akteur gleichzeitig sowohl Teil als auch das Ganze der Realität ist. Auf diese Weise ist ,Library Copy Do Not Remove" ein cyber-Ausdruck zeitloser Weisheit: Anstelle von ,wie oben, so unten" könnte Weihl vorschlagen: ,wie der Input, so der Output".

With her third album, composer and bandleader Jasmine Myra has stepped confidently into the next stage of her unique musical explorations. Where Light Settles is a cohesive artistic statement from a distinctive and confident voice in UK music, and a significant evolution from the critically acclaimed Horizons (2022) and Rising (2024). Nine beautiful and powerfully grounded compositions express an accumulation of the artist"s ruminations on life, growth, and progression, powered by her vision of duality. "It"s those bittersweet moments which are heart-breaking but so important. Looking forward and trying to make sense of life," she says. "Pain is unavoidable, and you"ll have hardship no matter what, but you don"t grow or learn about yourself or the world around you without it. The duality is the growth and coming out the other side. I had the concept from the start."

Jess Sah Bi is well-known as half of the legendary duo Jess Sah Bi & Peter One who brought homegrown Country-Americana to the West African masses with their smash debut Our Garden Needs Its Flowers in the mid-1980s. Touring stadiums and reaching listeners worldwide, their music has racked up millions of spins on YouTube and remains imprinted in the hearts of Ivorians of a certain age. ATFA reissued their album in 2018, garnering critical acclaim from publications including Pitchfork and Rolling Stone and reaching a new generation of listeners outside Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire). Sometime in the early 90s, Die Sahbi - or Jesse, as he known to friends-became gravely ill with an unknown ailment and almost died. He visited various doctors and all kinds of religious healers and nothing helped. One day he went down to an Evangelical Christian revival in his neighborhood. They prayed over him and he was delivered. He says, "Their prayers helped chase out whatever demons and unhealthy spirits were inside me. After that my illness went away. When I went to the United States a few months later on an exchange program I wanted to make music to thank God because I was saved." He recorded an album of music praising God in order to honor a promise he made to himself at the depths of his desperation in the hospital. The album Jesus-Christ Ne Deçoit Pas Jesus Christ Does Not Let Us Down came out in 1991 and sold around 3000 cassettes in Ivory Coast. The master tape was lost along the way so the recording has never been on digital platforms until now. Jesse didn't have much time to record while visiting South Carolina, hence the relatively short album, 6 songs including two reprises for filler. A local pastor connected him with a studio and some American musicians (Robert Fortner and Gary Davis) to help. They added acoustic guitar, percussion and keyboard accompaniment to Jesse's soaring French and Gouro vocals, harmonica and finger-picked acoustic. The resulting recording is deeply soothing and contemplative music that perfectly compliments the songs already embraced by millions. But he had to find the rest of the studio expenses-$600 total-which he secured drawing cartoons for UNICEF. Jesse is Ivory Coast's first political cartoonist, a vocation for which he was widely celebrated at the time. It also made him a few enemies which lead to him leaving the country permanently a few years later. Jesus-Christ Ne Deçoit Pas is Jess Sah Bi's first and only gospel album. Fortunately, fans responded with enthusiasm: widespread radio airplay and concerts followed, along with a growing solo profile in the country. The first big gospel artists in Ivory Coast were the duo Mathieu et Constance, who emerged in 1989. There was a bigger gospel music movement in English-speaking counties like Ghana and Nigeria (Christians make up roughly 40% of the population in Ivory Coast, slightly less than Muslims). Jesse didn't have any intention of working in Christian music but he realized, "You don't make music to make money-you want to send a message." In the years since Jesus-Christ's release, gospel music in Ivory Coast has grown to become a key part of music culture in the country. Spiritual music appears in community actives across the public and private spectrum from religious gatherings and parties to television broadcasts and music festivals. And, as it has evolved and indigenized locally, gospel music has picked up elements of traditional Ivorian music, reggae and soul. The album ultimately precipitated the demise of the duo, who were soon separated geographically as Peter One relocated to Nashville. He went on to become a nurse and release a successful solo album on Verve following the ATFA collaboration. Nowadays Jesse lives in the Bay Area and continues to record and perform music wherever and whenever he has the chance. He is publishing a new book of humorous cartoons in 2025 and his most recent album Never Give Up came out in 2020

The Dubplate series comes to the label’s spiritual home of Hackney, the stomping ground of the Douglas “Dougie” Waldrop and his Conscious Sounds label with the spin off Dub meets Funk project. The music of the Dub Specialists is presented with extended re-edits by label owners Piers Harrison and Stuart “Chuggy” Leath, alongside rising selector star Millie McKee and studio master extraordinaire Matt Bruce (Vanity Project).

Formed in 1989, Conscious Sounds and the Conscious Music studio have been mainstays on the UK Digital Roots scene to this day, working with the likes Bush Chemists, Johan Dan, Kenny Knots and Pablo Gad. The Dub Specialists was a project created by Dougie to put aside studio sessions and explore a new interest in samplers, working with friend Chris Petter (Love Grocer) and his interest in Jazz and Funk.

Using the Atari 1040 running Cubase, with a Soundcraft mixer, drum loops and Reggae basslines were played over Funk samples and layered with Petter’s chords to create a series of short tracks for DJ play. Releasing 3 albums between 1995 and 1999 on the sub label Crispy Music, they have more recently been gaining cult status.

The tracks chosen all come from the first and increasingly sought after LP, Dub To Dub Break To Break and have been extended, stretched, looped and dubbed by the label family to form a club friendly EP. From the dance floor jams of Dub De Funk and Funkin’ Dub to the deeper Movin Ya (with additional flute by Millie) and Murderous Style, this is a unique fusion of Funk and Digidub that fits perfectly the ideals of the Dubplate Series.

Break The Mystery.

Despite its tragic breakup, Yugoslavia as a political, social and cultural phenomenon still inspires generations, especially those who were born or lived at the time of this utopian land of South Slavs. Those who didn’t enjoy the privilege are still amazed by its 1970s and ’80s music scene and the number of very modern, high quality acts that were so often ahead of their time. Two such acts were Data and The Master Scratch Band, both founded by Zoran Jevtic and Zoran Vracevic, who introduced synth-pop, breakbeat, and hip-hop music in Yugoslavia in 1984 with their releases: SP Neka Ti Se Dese Prave Stvari/Ne Zovi To Ljubavlju and miniLP Deogut (Jugoton). Our latest release, “It Was Ridiculous, It Was Amazing!” gathers their earliest unreleased material from 1981-1983, showcasing a broader range of genres – alongside synth-pop and breakbeat/hip-hop, they also experimented with industrial, EBM, minimal synth, and electro-funk!

The whole record is divided into two parts: on A side there are 7 previously unpublished songs by group DATA, and on B side there are 4 previously unreleased recordings by The Master Scratch Band.

The Data side opens with two unexpected “shocker” tracks: Ja Nisam Kao Ti” (eng. I am Not Like You) and “Izumi” (eng. “Inventions”) from 1981, where they sound like early Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft with unusual vocal pan sound effects on Serbian lyrics and uncompromising synth-based sound. Equally unpredictable are the next two songs: atmospheric “España” and dusty “Damage In My Head,” where Zoran Jevtić boldly steps into the lead vocal role. But the surprises don’t end there. The next two songs, France and Strahovi (eng. “Fears”), bring a mysterious and nostalgic atmosphere, elevated by the irreplaceable sound of the modular Roland System-100M. At the end comes the greatest surprise of all: Data covers YMO-Ballet in a song called Ne Zelim Da Tako Zive (eng, I Don’t Want Them Living Like That) and puts some extra energy in rhythm without losing the original song’s sensibility. Like in the original, the lyrics are tender and yet mysterious and provocative.

The Master Scratch Band side contains the very first versions of the songs Break War, Jailbreak, and Computer Break, originally recorded in studio Druga Maca in Belgrade in 1983. These versions were not released on their mini-LP album Dégout (Jugoton, 1984), and they are actually the first ever hip-hop/Breakbeat recordings in Yugoslavia. With great enthusiasm, every sound was uniquely crafted from scratch using the finest analog gear available in the early ’80s. The two young artists, aiming for international success, chose to write their lyrics in English. The album’s final track, “Mad Scratch,” showcases their talent for creating impressive sound effects, which would be a delight for contemporary DJs and producers who specialize in sampling and scratching old-school hip-hop.

This release is truly a “100% digger’s gem” – 11 previously unreleased tracks from legendary pioneers of electronic, hip-hop, and breakbeat. A collection to discover, enjoy, play, and treasure forever!

2026 Repress

Inner City Sound Archives is the work of a small crew of obsessive DJs, diggers, and archivists. For years, they hunted lost reels — digging through basements, flea markets, forgotten storage rooms — until they uncovered a batch of mysterious acetate tapes. No credits, no labels. Just cryptic handwriting and the hiss of time. What they found were raw, extended disco cuts — played once or twice at underground NYC loft parties in the late '70s, passed hand to hand among a tight circle of selectors, then lost to history. Now, after painstaking transfers and full analog remastering, these tracks are back. Unpolished, hypnotic, physical. Restored with love. Cut loud. Pressed right. For our debut release: six unreleased NYC disco bombs, presented in their original long versions across Sides A & B. Once championed behind closed doors by the likes of Larry Levan, Francis Grasso, Steve D’Acquisto, Walter Gibbons, and Richie Kaczor.

Just as you were getting your head straight coming off the 21st Trip … Brown Acid dose # 22 drops, continuing to fry your mind in a revolving trap-door Twilight Zone alternate world of early hard rock… populated by real life characters so far out they can look like a cheesy wedding band but sound like Blue Cheer! Uncanny! This music comes at you from many angles. Teens in a garage colliding with booze, drugs and girls for the first time, lounge lizard hustlers with snazzy stage clothes and fuzz boxes… gnarly backwoods troublemakers meet blow dried glam rock wannabes here, seamlessly clobbering your head with sound rather than each other! An electric post-psychedelic bar brawl for your mind awaits, unfasten your seat belt, crank it up and fly! Sounds Synonymous "Babylon" out of Flint, Michigan 1969 rip the devastating Blue Cheer classic a new one, immediately swarming you with organ swells and distortion before collapsing into a tuff funk groove, a psychedelic James Brown vibe shot through with dirty howling fuzz guitar, vocals nailing the messed up but confident relaxed sneering attitude of the original Cheer eruption. The Bumps "Shining" from Seattle 1969 resides right at the transition of ‘60s psych into early prog, well constructed, no diluting things artsy fartsy style, a compelling heavy riff, spacious vocal harmony hook floating above a turbulent take on getting your shit together and shining like a star. Fat chance, but you can dream, the band did and their dreams kick ass across time to right now or you wouldn’t be here.

Coulda been a hit back then, definitely a hit now. Riverside "Farmer" explodes out of Austin, Texas 1974, economical but brilliantly structured riffs and power chords, intense dynamic tension/release, fantastic screaming leads over shifting angles of attack during the middle break… it’s all here with a detached confidence in the vocal that swaggers back in time to the late ‘60s in its proto-heavy psych adjacent assault. Cincinnati Joe & Mad Lydia "Get It Together" for real in Cincinnati, Ohio 1970. The song says everything you need to know: “You may think that you’re the very best, miles and miles ahead of the rest, but be sure when you’re put to the test you get it together!” These words are deployed in a manner similar to Peter Green’s “Oh Well”, intermittently stated between killer gnarly guitar and gushy organ attacks. Bar band heaven and hell rolled up into one big ball, the vocals get all the way out there! Straight Up "Fire" takes the monster 1968 Crazy World Of Arthur Brown hit into faithfully executed but surreally minimalist territory, Minneapolis, Minnesota 1974. Genius version of a key song that presciently cuts to the chase regarding Brown Acid’s incinerations of psychedelic idealism, you’re gonna burn, burn, burn… as that moment climaxes you can gawk at their preposterous flashy lounge band stage outfits and realize side one must end because everything is totally scorched into eternity. Scrap Iron "Poopsie" is a primitive two chord stomper with spiraling fuzz and organ riffs, singer marking his territory caveman style. “Poopsie, you’re my woman” he commands, but gets weirdly insecure she’ll blow him off at the altar by the end of each verse. Snarly wah-wah ices this toxic cake out of Carteret, New Jersey 1973. Focused delivery so single-mindedly crude it creates an inescapable instant brain-worm. Lady "Live Show Tigers" is amongst the most potently life affirming trash rockers you’ll ever hear, one outrageously triumphant but fiercely sloppy anthem about living it up like a star, strutting the stage glammed up New York Dolls drag style but with a Dictators sense of humor. Tasty slightly off kilter guitar leads all through, going serendipitously berserk on the fade. Picture disc single out of L.A. 1980. Fantastic fun rock star rock at a very raw local street level where any time is party time.

Killer Frog "Hard Times" on Masochist Records from Chicago, Illinois 1972 takes less than two minutes, an action packed James Gang style bar band rocker with a bit of punky sneer in the face of misfortune. These guys never even heard of flower power. They are killer frogs. Good Humore "Killer" does kill in stripped down hard rock trio style, Warren, Michigan 1976. No frills guitar, bass and drums groove tight, snaky primordial riff, snarly licks. “She’s a killer of a woman, knows just what she’s doing…” The singer knows she’s a femme-fatale roadhouse predator but she’s so hot the inevitable wreckage seems a bargain. Ride it out like the extended jam on the fade knowing she’ll be back for more! Sarawest "Space Rider" winds up the 22nd Trip lost in a twisted two chord space adventure from the point of view of an alien visiting our planet seeking knowledge but finding out we are stupidly destroying ourselves, so he gotta split sneering back at us like we wasted his time “I got no time for loving… I wanna be a space rider, space rider”. Toronto, Canada 1974, a vibe lurking in some strange but funny void between late ‘60s outsider garage psychedelic rock complete with reverb-y acid guitar leads and late ‘70s retro-futuristic D.I.Y wisecracking from inner space… taking the piss out of outer space!

Just as you were getting your head straight coming off the 21st Trip … Brown Acid dose # 22 drops, continuing to fry your mind in a revolving trap-door Twilight Zone alternate world of early hard rock… populated by real life characters so far out they can look like a cheesy wedding band but sound like Blue Cheer! Uncanny! This music comes at you from many angles. Teens in a garage colliding with booze, drugs and girls for the first time, lounge lizard hustlers with snazzy stage clothes and fuzz boxes… gnarly backwoods troublemakers meet blow dried glam rock wannabes here, seamlessly clobbering your head with sound rather than each other! An electric post-psychedelic bar brawl for your mind awaits, unfasten your seat belt, crank it up and fly! Sounds Synonymous "Babylon" out of Flint, Michigan 1969 rip the devastating Blue Cheer classic a new one, immediately swarming you with organ swells and distortion before collapsing into a tuff funk groove, a psychedelic James Brown vibe shot through with dirty howling fuzz guitar, vocals nailing the messed up but confident relaxed sneering attitude of the original Cheer eruption. The Bumps "Shining" from Seattle 1969 resides right at the transition of ‘60s psych into early prog, well constructed, no diluting things artsy fartsy style, a compelling heavy riff, spacious vocal harmony hook floating above a turbulent take on getting your shit together and shining like a star. Fat chance, but you can dream, the band did and their dreams kick ass across time to right now or you wouldn’t be here.

Coulda been a hit back then, definitely a hit now. Riverside "Farmer" explodes out of Austin, Texas 1974, economical but brilliantly structured riffs and power chords, intense dynamic tension/release, fantastic screaming leads over shifting angles of attack during the middle break… it’s all here with a detached confidence in the vocal that swaggers back in time to the late ‘60s in its proto-heavy psych adjacent assault. Cincinnati Joe & Mad Lydia "Get It Together" for real in Cincinnati, Ohio 1970. The song says everything you need to know: “You may think that you’re the very best, miles and miles ahead of the rest, but be sure when you’re put to the test you get it together!” These words are deployed in a manner similar to Peter Green’s “Oh Well”, intermittently stated between killer gnarly guitar and gushy organ attacks. Bar band heaven and hell rolled up into one big ball, the vocals get all the way out there! Straight Up "Fire" takes the monster 1968 Crazy World Of Arthur Brown hit into faithfully executed but surreally minimalist territory, Minneapolis, Minnesota 1974. Genius version of a key song that presciently cuts to the chase regarding Brown Acid’s incinerations of psychedelic idealism, you’re gonna burn, burn, burn… as that moment climaxes you can gawk at their preposterous flashy lounge band stage outfits and realize side one must end because everything is totally scorched into eternity. Scrap Iron "Poopsie" is a primitive two chord stomper with spiraling fuzz and organ riffs, singer marking his territory caveman style. “Poopsie, you’re my woman” he commands, but gets weirdly insecure she’ll blow him off at the altar by the end of each verse. Snarly wah-wah ices this toxic cake out of Carteret, New Jersey 1973. Focused delivery so single-mindedly crude it creates an inescapable instant brain-worm. Lady "Live Show Tigers" is amongst the most potently life affirming trash rockers you’ll ever hear, one outrageously triumphant but fiercely sloppy anthem about living it up like a star, strutting the stage glammed up New York Dolls drag style but with a Dictators sense of humor. Tasty slightly off kilter guitar leads all through, going serendipitously berserk on the fade. Picture disc single out of L.A. 1980. Fantastic fun rock star rock at a very raw local street level where any time is party time.

Killer Frog "Hard Times" on Masochist Records from Chicago, Illinois 1972 takes less than two minutes, an action packed James Gang style bar band rocker with a bit of punky sneer in the face of misfortune. These guys never even heard of flower power. They are killer frogs. Good Humore "Killer" does kill in stripped down hard rock trio style, Warren, Michigan 1976. No frills guitar, bass and drums groove tight, snaky primordial riff, snarly licks. “She’s a killer of a woman, knows just what she’s doing…” The singer knows she’s a femme-fatale roadhouse predator but she’s so hot the inevitable wreckage seems a bargain. Ride it out like the extended jam on the fade knowing she’ll be back for more! Sarawest "Space Rider" winds up the 22nd Trip lost in a twisted two chord space adventure from the point of view of an alien visiting our planet seeking knowledge but finding out we are stupidly destroying ourselves, so he gotta split sneering back at us like we wasted his time “I got no time for loving… I wanna be a space rider, space rider”. Toronto, Canada 1974, a vibe lurking in some strange but funny void between late ‘60s outsider garage psychedelic rock complete with reverb-y acid guitar leads and late ‘70s retro-futuristic D.I.Y wisecracking from inner space… taking the piss out of outer space!

Wabi Sabi Records is a new house music label based on analog sounds, raw grooves, and the beauty of flaws. It’s all about ephemeral and fleeting moments. Made for the dance floor, not for perfection.

The Ensō series is a various-artist collection exploring all the different shades of house music. The first release, “Neon Dream,” dives into the deep and groovy side of the genre.

A1. Cirkel Square - Can’t Stand You
666 Recordings brings back Cirkel square to the A side.
A deep dive into hypnotic dub, where layered electronic sounds pulse and shimmer.
Each echoing hook line and delayed rhythm draws you deeper, creating a mesmerizing, immersive experience that lingers long after the last beat.

A2. Cirkel Square – Zeus Overture
This track captures the essence of lazy, sun-drenched days along the Greek coastline. Soft percussion mimics the rhythm of waves lapping against the shore. Every note evokes the golden light and quiet serenity of a Mediterranean afternoon.

B1. Tony Waller – We Control
Representing Brighton on the South coast of England Tony Waller delivers a track that evokes the raw energy of the old-school warehouse. Deep basslines resonate beneath sharp synths that cut through the air, transporting you to an underground world of midnight exploration.

B2. Pat Waller – Mupa
Also representing Brighton delivers the final track that envelops you in a dreamlike state.
With intricate soundscapes, subtle melodies and a shadowy beat that guides you deeper inward, like a nocturnal journey through mystery and stillness.

Krystian Shek & Milly James return with Never Ending on Cinta Gara, and it feels like a natural next step after the beautiful impact they made with their standout Greyscale release, a record that firmly positioned them in the deeper, more immersive corner of dub-driven electronic music. With Never Ending, the duo continue to refine that signature feeling: warm, hypnotic, deeply musical, and full of emotion. This is music that moves with patience and confidence, rooted in dub house, but carried by a timeless house sensibility that makes it equally powerful at home, in the club, or in those early-morning moments when everything locks in.

''Next Moov Records continue with a 10'' release of the highly reccomended reworks by NYC's DJ Erv with Classic Vybes and Mystery.''

Mysticisms’ returns to the music of the Conscious Sounds label and their short-lived but highly prized Dub meets Funk project, Dub Specialists. Created by label head Dougie Waldrop and Chris Petter (Love Grocer) to explore their interest in samplers and a love of Funk and Jazz.

A hugely respected “Digital” and “Roots Reggae” label, Conscious Sounds has been a mainstay of the East London digidub sound for over 30 years. Dub Specialists released 3 albums on the Crispy Music sub label, they have recently gained considerable interest in digger circles, with rising prices to match.

As with their first Dubplate outing, the release features extended re-edits by the label and friends, this time featuring versions by Lexx, Miles J Paralysis, Chuggy and Vanity Project. Working with the simplicity and skill of his studio craft, Dougie utilised the Atari 1040, Cubase and Soundcraft mixer to effect. Petters’ chords sit atop reggae basslines, funk samples, loops and this time, a heavy dose of cut up vocals in to the mix.

While the first EP came from their debut album, Breat To Break, here the source material for the re-edits comes, in the main, from their second outing “Dub To Dub Beat To Beat”. A more expansive album that also dipped in to 4/4 rhythms and touches of House / Techno.

Opening track Dynamic Duo is a 4/4 stepper bomb – with samples from Adam West’s iconic interpretation of Batman – expertly extended by long-standing DJ, producer and edit master, Zurich’s own Alex Storrer aka Lexx, who dials things to max for a club stop. A new name on many lips, Miles J Paralysis takes it all back down with a beautifully drawn out, acid-tinged tripper. Bumpin’, the mid-tempo groove sucks you in, psychedelic and mind expanding.

The flip returns to the more traditional Dub Specialist vibes of Breaks’n’Funk’ cut ups, first with (co-)label head Chuggy’s faithful extension of Heavy Dub. Featuring the classic Ijahman Levi’s vocal, the breaks flow and piano / horns stab, a dance floor shaker for the discerning. To close, secret studio fixer to many, Matt Bruce again dons his Vanity Project moniker to perfectly tease and live dub (out) the half-stepper, Reality Dub and close this latest in the Dubplate series.

Beat The Mystery.

“Lonesome for a Storm” is the result of a felt sense in the summer of 2024.

A fleeting feeling in the body meditated on and played through a restrained pallette of instruments and found sound . LFAS is Gustav Kemps’s first solo album under his own name, but he’s been a frequent behind the scenes coll- aborator in various other bands (if you can connect the dots, there’s a lot to find). Mystery can be fun, but this album of his feels tender and generous in what it conveys.

RIYL: Empress, Loren Connors, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, The Humble Bee, Yo La Tengo, Taku Sugimoto...

With a soaring, emotionally-charged sonic signature all his own, Sam Goku returns to Dekmantel for his latest four-track EP, Bliss Drift.

As Sam Goku, over the past few years Robin Wang has edged into the beating heart of the contemporary house and techno scene with a rejuvenating sound that reaches from peak time maximalism to immersive introspection. Across a run of acclaimed albums and EPs — including 2024's Radiants on Dekmantel — he's balanced the heavyweight impact of his rhythms with mesmerising melodies and swirling atmospheres. It's precisely this blend he brings to Bliss Drift, writing and recording from the heart and accurately capturing what he describes as a sense of blossoming — "a renaissance into something new yet familiar."

Make no mistake, this is music to make you move. 'Rhythm Drift' and 'Bliss Drift' lead on rock-solid rhythms as springboards for Goku's ascendant tones. Airy, mysterious pads and sampled choral voices meet with glistening chimes that soften the tough edges of the drums — a quintessential demonstration of how to make a tender banger. 'Warm Soils' strikes a deeper, more meditative note enriched with haunting flutes and a heads-down roll to the percussion, while 'Infinity Keys (Sina's Song)' lets rich layers of melodic sequencing dictate the pace in a poised demonstration of techno composition at its most expressive.

Catching the mood as the Northern Hemisphere heads out of the winter months, Goku's unique energy hails a return to the light via four distinct twists on the house and techno tradition.

"Heith and Tarawangsawelas met at the University of Traditional music in Bandung in 2017. Their collaboration has been evolving since then, both in person and remotely. Recording and arranging songs over a long period of time and across a vast geographical distance has lent their practice a distinct character. This distinctive distance allows the possibility to see things from different perspectives and creates music that hovers both in place and out of it. Here, in this music, we are both inside the Sundanese Land, and outside of it, both on the European continent and not. This record carries compositions from one side of the globe to the other, catching spirits and energies from different places, societies and rituals."

BLARF is comedian and actor Eric André’s musical project. Most people know Eric as an actor (Bad Trip, Happy Gilmore 2, and The Righteous Gemstones), and for his surreal, boundary-pushing comedy career, with an eponymous Emmy Award-winning show on Adult Swim and standup shows toured around the world. But few know Eric André as a bona fide musician who attended the prestigious Berklee School of Music, where he specialized in standing bass.
BLARF brings his disruptive energy to a new body of work that is both an extended comedic bit and entirely, unironically serious: Film Scores For Films That Don’t Exist. Inspired by composers like Ennio Morricone and Vangelis, whose signature sound is as iconic as the films they soundtracked, Eric enlisted a full orchestra to bring his compositions to life, recording in Los Angeles and Budapest.

Mystic Arts brings you two essential cuts from Gary Irwin (The Vendetta Suite / Hell YeahRecordings). Dating back to 1994 and 1995 respectively, both tracks were originally released on David Holmes' Exploding Plastic Inevitable label.

Waveforms In Wonderland is a bubbling, acidic brain-melter - inspired, as Gary recalls,by Richie Hawtin, Conemelt and falling out with a friend at a Primal Scream gig. Diary of aMicrochip moves further off-grid: an unplaceable hybrid where Detroit techno, electro, funk and ambient house intersect. Thirty years on, both tracks remain remarkably intact. Timeless.

Ultra Clear Vinyl. ‘*FLUTTERS AWAY*’ follows last year's debut EP, ‘Handwriting Practice No. 1’, which established Operelly as one of the most exciting new voices in music. Thupcoming EP tells the story of a relationship breaking down
amidst miscommunication. Delicate electro-acoustic arrangements (dubbed "tiptoe music" by Operelly) intersperse
with the static sounds of radio interference, as if the interrupted communication recounted in the lyrics has punctured the songs
themselves. Operelly executive produced the entire record and mixed four of the five songs. Additional production work was provided by Hudson Pollock, Al Carlson, Stephen Willard, and Kali Flanagan. Cover art was designed by Leo Horton in collaboration with Operelly. The music video for "under my bed" was directed and shot by Sarah Elise Bauman

Blanche Biau, the enigmatic solo project blending 80s wave, post-punk, and shoegaze into a dreamy yet melancholic soundscape, is set to release a remix album of her sophomore record ‘Heartcore’. The new album, titled ‘Heartcore (Remixes)’, will be released via the Zurich based label Subject To Restrictions Discs.

Following the success of ‘Heartcore’, released in July 2025, the remix album brings together a group of artists to reimagine Blanche Biau’s hauntingly beautiful tracks. The remixers include Danzinger99, Donna Haringwey, Lumpex, Lust For Youth, Spear Flower and Milan STHC.

Blanche Biau on the remix album: «Heartcore is deeply personal to me, but I also imagined it as a living, breathing entity that could evolve. Collaborating with these incredible artists has been a dream – they’ve taken my songs to places I never thought possible. This remix album is a celebration of reinterpretation and connection.»

Blanche Biau is a solo project hailing from Zurich, Switzerland. Known for her DIY approach and ability to channel influences from 80s wave, post-punk, and shoegaze into a sound that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking, Blanche Biau has quickly established herself as a rising star in the alternative music scene. Her music combines raw emotion with dreamy atmospheres, resonating deeply with audiences worldwide.

In 2025, we celebrate 30 years Out Of Line - Three decades of chaos, passion and 0 Years in - Still defiant, still evolving…2026 marks the 30th Anniversary of Massive Ego, and the release of a brand new album: “Symphony Of Flies” is revealed on May 8th, 2026 and marks the band’s first ever vinyl release. Available as Digipak CD and Limited Red Vinyl. Symphony Of Flies is a powerful, defining statement in Massive Ego’s long and uncompromising career, marking not only the band’s 30th anniversary, but also a moment of reckoning, survival and renewal. Across ten tracks, Massive Ego transform personal collapse, recovery and resistance into one of their darkest, most personal and emotional works to date. Musically, the album moves effortlessly between darkwave, electronic rock, EBM, glam-infused bombast and confrontational pop, pairing club-ready intensity with deeply introspective lyricism. Singles such as “In Your Own Darkness”, “Hit The Kerb Running”, “(My) Death Song”, “Man Become Monster”, and “Broken Tomorrow” showcase the band at their most fearless, culminating in a standout collaboration with Boy George, whose presence underscores the album’s themes of endurance, reinvention and personal growth. Lyrically, Symphony Of Flies reads like a confession and a journal. Frontman Marc Massive confronts mental health, betrayal, isolation, and the long climb back from the brink, reframing darkness not as something to romanticise, but something to fight through. The album’s central metaphor, the “Symphony Of Flies,” evokes surveillance, toxicity, decay and transformation: the unseen forces that drain, observe, and attempt to undermine, until they are finally confronted and dispersed. “The worst things that happen to you are the best things that happen to you”

First Word Records is extremely proud to welcome back Kaidi Tatham, with a brand new 12-track album entitled 'Don't Rush The Process'.

This is Kaidi's 4th solo album under his own name, following on from 'An Insight To All Minds' (2021), 'It's A World Before You' (2018), and 'In Search Of Hope' (re-pressed in 2020), all released on First Word, along with several EPs from 2017 onwards.

To bring you up to speed, Kaidi Tatham is a legendary multi-instrumentalist born in the Midlands and based in Belfast. Once dubbed "the UK's Herbie Hancock" by Benji B, he's a virtuoso on the keys and a true innovator in sound production as one of the original creators of the Broken Beat sound. Over the years his musical prowess has blessed numerous projects, recently with the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff, Andrew Ashong and with longtime accomplice, Dego. This in addition to session and remix work for artists such as Mulatu Astatke, Slum Village, Marcos Valle, Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul, Nubya Garcia, Rosie Frater-Taylor and Leroy Burgess, along with First Word label mates Eric Lau, Children of Zeus, Allysha Joy and Darkhouse Family. Kaidi is also a revered DJ known for rocking parties globally, whilst his solo catalogue spans tons of EPs and releases for labels such as Dego's 2000 Black, Alex Nut's Eglo Records and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature.

This new album 'Don't Rush The Process' opens with an intro of sweet strings on 'Mystery Solved', ahead of lead title track, which is on a mid-tempo boom bap vibe, before switching to a more uptempo boogie vein, with the assistance of The Easy Access Orchestra, who also appear on 'We Chillin' Out', which is on a similar boogie tip. 'All I Need' is some gospel flavoured hip hop, whilst 'Knocknee Donkey' steps things up in a jazz-funk fashion. The second half of the album takes on a very Brazilian flavoured stance, with a set of delicious latin flavoured grooves on 'Any Flavour', 'Runnin' Tru', 'What A Dream' and 'Sooretama', the latter featuring the additional prowess of pianist Robert Mitchell. There's a touch more of the hip hop beats thrown in via 'Funky Fool' and the album closes out in inimitable Kaidi style with a short message: 'Mind Yourself'.

A hugely prolific artist, here he adds to an already impressive catalogue, a body of work that falls within the cracks of jazz and dance music, exemplifying modern British black brilliance; uncompromising, innovative, groundbreaking, intricately sophisticated and deeply funky. His fanbase expands on every release and it's no surprise that that fanbase includes a diverse set of peers such as Madlib ("ahead of his time"), Gilles Peterson ("a key part of an entire movement"), K15 ("a limitless source of inspiration") and Kyle Hall.

'Don't Rush The Process' is released on vinyl & digital worldwide, July 2022 via First Word Records.

White Vinyl

The fringes of the desert have a way of changing a man, but the high-altitude chill of the Sierras will strip him down to his soul.

Following the gritty, neon-soaked introduction of his debut, Red Leather returns with his sophomore studio album, TAHOE. If his first record was a desperate sprint through the dark alleys of the soul, TAHOE is the cold morning after—a cinematic, sweeping exploration of isolation, clarity, and the jagged edges of recovery.

Named after the alpine lake that serves as both a sanctuary and a graveyard for secrets, the album navigates the duality of the landscape.

The songwriting dives deep into the "blue" period of his life—tackling themes of sobriety, the weight of sudden fame, and the ghosts of past versions of himself. It is an album about the silence that follows the storm, and the realization that the higher you climb, the thinner the air becomes.

Die beiden vorherigen Captured-Tracks-Alben von The Lemon Twigs, "A Dream Is All We Know" (2024) und "Everything Harmony" (2023), deuteten bereits auf eine Art Neubeginn in ihrer damals fünf Alben umfassenden Karriere hin. "Es war der Beginn davon, Platten zu machen, die wir selbst anhören würden", sagt Michael D'Addario, der jüngere der Twig-Brüder, heute 26 Jahre alt. Spätestens mit "A Dream Is All We Know" und dem zukünftigen Michael-Klassiker "My Golden Years" hatte die neue Ära der Lemon Twigs wirklich begonnen. Und nun erscheint das dritte Lemon-Twigs-Album für Captured Tracks, "Look For Your Mind!", das unter seiner poppigen Oberfläche einen unterschwelligen Strom aus Paranoia und Misstrauen trägt. Der Opener, der titelgebende Track "Look For Your Mind", ein beschwingtes Stück von Michael, führt die Hörer*innen in den gitarrengetriebenen Harmonie-Sound ein, der das zentrale Thema des Albums bildet. Vieles, was auf "A Dream Is All We Know" erreicht wurde, ist auch hier präsent - nur noch fokussierter. Es sind klassische Twigs, geprägt vom goldenen Zeitalter des Gitarrenpops, aber in keiner Weise sklavisch nachempfunden. Neu auf diesem Album ist die Einbindung der Live-Mitglieder Reza Matin (Schlagzeug) und Danny Ayala (Bass) sowie Eva Chambers von Tchotchke in die Rhythmusgruppe. Während die Brüder zuvor im Studio alles selbst eingespielt hatten, zeigt dies ein neues Gefühl von Freiheit. "Gather Round" ist eine der größeren Produktionen auf "Look For Your Mind!" - ein Brian-Song mit freudigen Orchestrierungen, der wie ein Wahlkampflied aus der Jahrhundertwende wirkt. Der Songwriter sucht nach einer unverdorbenen Führungsperson, kommt aber zu dem Schluss, dass kollektives Handeln der einzige Weg nach vorn ist. Musikalisch ist er opulent und herrlich 1967, doch Stimmung und Aussage sind unverkennbar 2026. "Jedes Mal, wenn wir versuchen, etwas völlig Geradliniges zu schreiben, können wir nicht anders, als ein Element hinzuzufügen, das völlig aus dem Rahmen fällt", erklärt Brian. Brians "Fire And Gold" beginnt mit einem klingenden Power-Pop-Riff, bevor alles auf den Kopf gestellt wird. Es ist auch der erste Song des Albums, auf dem der energiegeladene Drummer Reza Matin zu hören ist, den die Brüder mit Größen wie Jody Stephens von Big Star, Jim Bonfanti von The Raspberries und Bev Bevan von The Move vergleichen. Den Abschluss der ersten Seite der Vinyl-Ausgabe bildet Michaels wunderschöne Ballade "Mean To Me", mit Gesangsparts, die The Beach Boys vor 60 Jahren gerne aufs Band gebracht hätten - eingesungen von Michael, Brian und Danny. Der Abschluss der zweiten Seite, "Your True Enemy", wirft schließlich alles über den Haufen. "Wir haben den Song zunächst als einfache Rocknummer angelegt, aber das passte nicht zur düsteren Stimmung des Textes", sagt Brian. "Also haben wir begonnen, experimenteller zu werden." Das sechste Studioalbum der Lemon Twigs mag auf den ersten Blick wie eine direkte Fortsetzung der beiden Vorgänger wirken, ist aber zugleich viel mehr: mit Verweisen auf frühere Werke, einem neu entdeckten kollektiven Geist und vor allem großartigem Songwriting.

Die beiden vorherigen Captured-Tracks-Alben von The Lemon Twigs, "A Dream Is All We Know" (2024) und "Everything Harmony" (2023), deuteten bereits auf eine Art Neubeginn in ihrer damals fünf Alben umfassenden Karriere hin. "Es war der Beginn davon, Platten zu machen, die wir selbst anhören würden", sagt Michael D'Addario, der jüngere der Twig-Brüder, heute 26 Jahre alt. Spätestens mit "A Dream Is All We Know" und dem zukünftigen Michael-Klassiker "My Golden Years" hatte die neue Ära der Lemon Twigs wirklich begonnen. Und nun erscheint das dritte Lemon-Twigs-Album für Captured Tracks, "Look For Your Mind!", das unter seiner poppigen Oberfläche einen unterschwelligen Strom aus Paranoia und Misstrauen trägt. Der Opener, der titelgebende Track "Look For Your Mind", ein beschwingtes Stück von Michael, führt die Hörer*innen in den gitarrengetriebenen Harmonie-Sound ein, der das zentrale Thema des Albums bildet. Vieles, was auf "A Dream Is All We Know" erreicht wurde, ist auch hier präsent - nur noch fokussierter. Es sind klassische Twigs, geprägt vom goldenen Zeitalter des Gitarrenpops, aber in keiner Weise sklavisch nachempfunden. Neu auf diesem Album ist die Einbindung der Live-Mitglieder Reza Matin (Schlagzeug) und Danny Ayala (Bass) sowie Eva Chambers von Tchotchke in die Rhythmusgruppe. Während die Brüder zuvor im Studio alles selbst eingespielt hatten, zeigt dies ein neues Gefühl von Freiheit. "Gather Round" ist eine der größeren Produktionen auf "Look For Your Mind!" - ein Brian-Song mit freudigen Orchestrierungen, der wie ein Wahlkampflied aus der Jahrhundertwende wirkt. Der Songwriter sucht nach einer unverdorbenen Führungsperson, kommt aber zu dem Schluss, dass kollektives Handeln der einzige Weg nach vorn ist. Musikalisch ist er opulent und herrlich 1967, doch Stimmung und Aussage sind unverkennbar 2026. "Jedes Mal, wenn wir versuchen, etwas völlig Geradliniges zu schreiben, können wir nicht anders, als ein Element hinzuzufügen, das völlig aus dem Rahmen fällt", erklärt Brian. Brians "Fire And Gold" beginnt mit einem klingenden Power-Pop-Riff, bevor alles auf den Kopf gestellt wird. Es ist auch der erste Song des Albums, auf dem der energiegeladene Drummer Reza Matin zu hören ist, den die Brüder mit Größen wie Jody Stephens von Big Star, Jim Bonfanti von The Raspberries und Bev Bevan von The Move vergleichen. Den Abschluss der ersten Seite der Vinyl-Ausgabe bildet Michaels wunderschöne Ballade "Mean To Me", mit Gesangsparts, die The Beach Boys vor 60 Jahren gerne aufs Band gebracht hätten - eingesungen von Michael, Brian und Danny. Der Abschluss der zweiten Seite, "Your True Enemy", wirft schließlich alles über den Haufen. "Wir haben den Song zunächst als einfache Rocknummer angelegt, aber das passte nicht zur düsteren Stimmung des Textes", sagt Brian. "Also haben wir begonnen, experimenteller zu werden." Das sechste Studioalbum der Lemon Twigs mag auf den ersten Blick wie eine direkte Fortsetzung der beiden Vorgänger wirken, ist aber zugleich viel mehr: mit Verweisen auf frühere Werke, einem neu entdeckten kollektiven Geist und vor allem großartigem Songwriting.

RÏO is a sonic journey that begins in the waters of the Santa Rosa River (Argentina) and flows into Barcelona, uniting my roots with the pulse of the migrant experience.
This album is not just a collection of songs, but a tribute to the foundational memories of my childhood and an organic path where the past, present, and future flow within the same riverbed. It is an album that speaks of movement, of temperance, and of the need to affirm one’s own identity through change.

New album from Girl"s Chat Room which is Zillas On Acid and Babystar"s project.The band"s chug-pop style combines jaunty basslines, tight drum machine programming, and sage observations on modern life (the ease of depleting your bank account).

Pete Lambrou, the visionary composer and multi-instrumentalist behind VLMV (pronounced "Alma"), is one of the most singular voices emerging from the ambient, post-rock, and experimental scenes in the UK. With a career that spans atmospheric solo work, film and television scoring, and evocative live performance, Lambrou has carved out a distinctive sonic universe he describes as "ambient-ish post-something" (Pete Lambrou) a playful yet accurate summation of a sound that is at once genre-fluid and deeply immersive. The album takes its title from Sara Teasdale's 1918 poem and Ray Bradbury's later short story, both of which imagine a world continuing quietly after humanity's disappearance. This idea became the gravitational centre around which the record formed. Written during a period of deep engagement with climate fiction and ecological thought, `There Will Come Soft Rains` reflects on humanity's legacy, its technological ambition, and its uneasy relationship with the natural world. A century on from Teasdale's poem, the balance of power feels less certain, and Lambrou's music inhabits that tension with remarkable subtlety. "The initial ideas stem mostly from chaos, randomness or sound exploration and then get shaped as I go. Typically, and certainly for this album. It's evolved since album 1, which was more song / chord based. It's a fun process of finding the sound and then working out whether it's speaking to me - or merely just a cool noise. That's fun, but it sometimes can't evolve or progress, so then begins the long journey of shaping it into some sort of song format - which doesn't have to be a-typica,l but whatever feels right to me. The subject matter and overall theme is important too - it's got to all make sense within itself. There's no point having a slowly creeping theme and then rush the music." (Pete Lambrou) VLMV embody an emotional honesty that works with patience and nuance. Whether you're encountering his music for the first time or returning to its quiet depths, VLMV offers an aural space that resonates long after the final note fades. Lambrou's singular sonic language sits at the intersection of ambient, post-rock, modern classical, and experimental electronic music, while remaining unmistakably human at its core. "Instrumentally it's far more synth based - as soon as I had the concept, I wanted to make sure technology clash and marry with traditional instruments (at different times) in a sort of slow-moving dance I suppose. One is nature, one is human development and technology. Sometimes working together and sometimes in opposition. On my previous albums I'd say that at least half of the tracks started life as songs, whereas with `There Will Come Soft Rains` I think the majority (if not all) started as experiments in sound." (Pete Lambrou) Sonically, the album is VLMV at its most cinematic and textural. Warm, intimate piano figures and elegiac string arrangements are set against unstable modular synthesis, fractured rhythms, and evolving sound design. The organic and the artificial are locked in a slow, shifting dialogue, mirroring the album's central themes. At times the music feels tender and nostalgic, at others unpredictable and mournful, yet it never tips into despair. Instead, a quiet resilience runs throughout the record. "The album is slightly unusual in that it was mixed in Dolby Atmos before being mixed down to stereo. Most, if not all, do it the other way round. That's because I got to work with a superb mix engineer who just happens to live opposite. It was extremely random and lucky, moving to a tiny hamlet in the South of England and there being a Dolby Atmos studio opposite with a genius of an engineer. We had in mind that we would do it this way round and enjoy the mix process and give everything its own space - it still had issues when folding down to stereo, but overall a more pleasurable mix!" (Pete Lambrou) There Will Come Soft Rains has a geological sense of time: themes creep, expand, erode, and reform, resisting conventional structures in favour of something more patient and immersive. Each sound exists because it needs to; they move, recede, and emerge with a three-dimensional clarity that enhances the music's cinematic quality, giving each element room to breathe while maintaining an enveloping sense of cohesion. Lambrou's unique voice is Intimate and fragile, his vocals hover above the instrumentation, a guiding thread through the expansive soundscapes, drawing listeners closer into the emotional core of each piece. "Long time vocal collaborator Anja Madhvani did lots of harmonies on the album - I wanted to include her voice as much as possible on this album. In terms of string players - 3/4 have been long term collaborators with me. Marie Schreer actually recorded all strings on my first album ALMA, and Fraser & Clodagh have worked on every album (and occasional live shows) since Stranded Not Lost. In terms of art - Joel Cammarata designed the cover, and accompanying art - he designed Sing With Abandon and I absolutely adore his work, but also - he's so great at understanding and developing and capturing the concept." (Pete Lambrou) Layered harmonies drift through the music like distant signals or half-remembered voices. Madhvani's presence adds a human fragility to the album's vast soundscapes, reinforcing the sense of memory and longing that runs beneath the surface. The strings, performed by a close circle of trusted collaborators, further ground the record in warmth and physicality, acting as a counterweight to the synthetic elements that threaten to unravel it. "Despite the heavy subject matter, I wanted to create an album that imparts hope and optimism, marrying traditional instrumentation as nostalgia, with technological innovation through the randomness of modular synths." (Pete Lambrou) The partnership with Pelagic Records feels both organic and significant. Known for championing artists who value emotional weight, sonic ambition, and artistic integrity, the label provides a natural home for VLMV's work. Lambrou's music shares Pelagic's ethos: immersive, patient, and unafraid of scale whether intimate or vast. With There Will Come Soft Rains, Pete Lambrou has crafted a work that feels timely without being didactic, expansive without being overwhelming. It stands as a quiet, but powerful statement that lingers long after the final notes fade. FOR FANS OF Sigur Ros * Olafur Arnalds * Radiohead * Keaton Henson * This Will Destroy You

Pete Lambrou, the visionary composer and multi-instrumentalist behind VLMV (pronounced "Alma"), is one of the most singular voices emerging from the ambient, post-rock, and experimental scenes in the UK. With a career that spans atmospheric solo work, film and television scoring, and evocative live performance, Lambrou has carved out a distinctive sonic universe he describes as "ambient-ish post-something" (Pete Lambrou) a playful yet accurate summation of a sound that is at once genre-fluid and deeply immersive. The album takes its title from Sara Teasdale's 1918 poem and Ray Bradbury's later short story, both of which imagine a world continuing quietly after humanity's disappearance. This idea became the gravitational centre around which the record formed. Written during a period of deep engagement with climate fiction and ecological thought, `There Will Come Soft Rains` reflects on humanity's legacy, its technological ambition, and its uneasy relationship with the natural world. A century on from Teasdale's poem, the balance of power feels less certain, and Lambrou's music inhabits that tension with remarkable subtlety. "The initial ideas stem mostly from chaos, randomness or sound exploration and then get shaped as I go. Typically, and certainly for this album. It's evolved since album 1, which was more song / chord based. It's a fun process of finding the sound and then working out whether it's speaking to me - or merely just a cool noise. That's fun, but it sometimes can't evolve or progress, so then begins the long journey of shaping it into some sort of song format - which doesn't have to be a-typica,l but whatever feels right to me. The subject matter and overall theme is important too - it's got to all make sense within itself. There's no point having a slowly creeping theme and then rush the music." (Pete Lambrou) VLMV embody an emotional honesty that works with patience and nuance. Whether you're encountering his music for the first time or returning to its quiet depths, VLMV offers an aural space that resonates long after the final note fades. Lambrou's singular sonic language sits at the intersection of ambient, post-rock, modern classical, and experimental electronic music, while remaining unmistakably human at its core. "Instrumentally it's far more synth based - as soon as I had the concept, I wanted to make sure technology clash and marry with traditional instruments (at different times) in a sort of slow-moving dance I suppose. One is nature, one is human development and technology. Sometimes working together and sometimes in opposition. On my previous albums I'd say that at least half of the tracks started life as songs, whereas with `There Will Come Soft Rains` I think the majority (if not all) started as experiments in sound." (Pete Lambrou) Sonically, the album is VLMV at its most cinematic and textural. Warm, intimate piano figures and elegiac string arrangements are set against unstable modular synthesis, fractured rhythms, and evolving sound design. The organic and the artificial are locked in a slow, shifting dialogue, mirroring the album's central themes. At times the music feels tender and nostalgic, at others unpredictable and mournful, yet it never tips into despair. Instead, a quiet resilience runs throughout the record. "The album is slightly unusual in that it was mixed in Dolby Atmos before being mixed down to stereo. Most, if not all, do it the other way round. That's because I got to work with a superb mix engineer who just happens to live opposite. It was extremely random and lucky, moving to a tiny hamlet in the South of England and there being a Dolby Atmos studio opposite with a genius of an engineer. We had in mind that we would do it this way round and enjoy the mix process and give everything its own space - it still had issues when folding down to stereo, but overall a more pleasurable mix!" (Pete Lambrou) There Will Come Soft Rains has a geological sense of time: themes creep, expand, erode, and reform, resisting conventional structures in favour of something more patient and immersive. Each sound exists because it needs to; they move, recede, and emerge with a three-dimensional clarity that enhances the music's cinematic quality, giving each element room to breathe while maintaining an enveloping sense of cohesion. Lambrou's unique voice is Intimate and fragile, his vocals hover above the instrumentation, a guiding thread through the expansive soundscapes, drawing listeners closer into the emotional core of each piece. "Long time vocal collaborator Anja Madhvani did lots of harmonies on the album - I wanted to include her voice as much as possible on this album. In terms of string players - 3/4 have been long term collaborators with me. Marie Schreer actually recorded all strings on my first album ALMA, and Fraser & Clodagh have worked on every album (and occasional live shows) since Stranded Not Lost. In terms of art - Joel Cammarata designed the cover, and accompanying art - he designed Sing With Abandon and I absolutely adore his work, but also - he's so great at understanding and developing and capturing the concept." (Pete Lambrou) Layered harmonies drift through the music like distant signals or half-remembered voices. Madhvani's presence adds a human fragility to the album's vast soundscapes, reinforcing the sense of memory and longing that runs beneath the surface. The strings, performed by a close circle of trusted collaborators, further ground the record in warmth and physicality, acting as a counterweight to the synthetic elements that threaten to unravel it. "Despite the heavy subject matter, I wanted to create an album that imparts hope and optimism, marrying traditional instrumentation as nostalgia, with technological innovation through the randomness of modular synths." (Pete Lambrou) The partnership with Pelagic Records feels both organic and significant. Known for championing artists who value emotional weight, sonic ambition, and artistic integrity, the label provides a natural home for VLMV's work. Lambrou's music shares Pelagic's ethos: immersive, patient, and unafraid of scale whether intimate or vast. With There Will Come Soft Rains, Pete Lambrou has crafted a work that feels timely without being didactic, expansive without being overwhelming. It stands as a quiet, but powerful statement that lingers long after the final notes fade. FOR FANS OF Sigur Ros * Olafur Arnalds * Radiohead * Keaton Henson * This Will Destroy You

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning / Mood Indigo / Glad To Be
Unhappy / I Get Along Without You Very Well / Deep In A Dream / I See Your Face
Before Me / Can't We Be Friends / When Your Lover Has Gone / What Is This Thing
Called Love? / Last Night When We Were Young / I'll Be Around / Ill Wind / It Never
Entered My Mind / Dancing On The Ceiling / I'll Never Be The Same / This Love Of
Mine / The Girl Next Door

Boogiemonsters were an American hip hop group composed of Bronx‑born rapper Mondo McCann, Alaskan native Vex Da Vortex (Sean Pollard), and Jamaican‑born brothers Myntric (Sean Myers) and Yodared (Ivor “Al” Myers). The members met while attending Virginia State University, quickly connected, and began recording demos and performing at campus events. Their early momentum led them to win first place at Howard University’s Hip‑Hop Convention.

Pendulum/EMI record label signed the four MCs and released their debut album Riders Of The Storm: The Underwater Album in 1994. The first single, “Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress,” introduced their thoughtful, alternative approach to hip hop. It was followed by “Honeydips in Gotham,” a smooth tribute to the fly sistas of the city, and “Strange,” built around a slick Cameo sample. Another standout track, “Salt Water Taffy (Slo Jam),” is noted as one of the earliest non‑Roots session appearances by future producer Scott Storch.

Riders Of the Storm: The Underwater Album delivers a focused blend of rugged beats, sharp lyricism, and atmospheric production that stands apart in the 90s hip hop landscape. Its mix of conscious themes and deep grooves makes it essential for fans of underground hip hop. The album’s mellow, funky, alternative sound sits comfortably alongside groups like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, giving it a timeless place in the era’s most creative and forward‑thinking releases.

On the two-year anniversary of The Past Is Still Alive – named one of the Best Albums of the 2020s So Far by Pitchfork, and one of the Best Albums of 2024 by the New York Times, The Atlantic, Associated Press, NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Billboard, OUT, Mojo, Uncut and a multitude of others – Hurray for the Riff Raff releases a new live record, Live Forever. The album was captured over the course of two sold-out summer nights at the Old Town School of Folk Music in bandleader Alynda Segarra’s new home of Chicago, Illinois. Spanning 14 songs, Live Forever presents The Past Is Still Alive in its entirety, as well as a selection of Hurray for the Riff Raff’s show-stopping, set-defining staples: decrying ICE on the poetic ‘Precious Cargo’ and The Navigator’s anthemic ‘Pa’lante’; the prescient digital age critique of ‘Pyramid Scheme’; and ripping through a folk-rock rendition of LIFE ON EARTH’s ‘Rhododendron’.

“I moved to Chicago in September 2024, the year I released The Past Is Still Alive and hit the road with a new band – a group of musicians recommended by my front of house/production manager, Johnny Wilson. Everyone had ties to the city, and had been playing together in the DIY scene for over a decade.

Since then we’ve traveled the world together, becoming family, playing the best shows of my life. Chicago has become home for me, and I feel grateful for the welcome I’ve gotten into the best music scene in the country.

I wanted to capture this time and this brilliant band, a moment that won’t last forever. This record is a love letter to the working class musicians out there, we who slug it out on the road against all odds. We deserve so much more from an industry built to exploit us. It’s a thank you to all the fans supporting live music, you who believe songs made by human beings are a vital life force.

East London producer and DJ IZCO announces his debut solo studio album ‘POWERSCROFT’, set for release on 1st May via Brownswood Recordings. The album’s first single, ‘Strike a Pose’ featuring the vocals of Camille Munn offers an early glimpse into the project. To celebrate the release, he will go on a run of UK dates from March to May, culminating at London’s Jazz Cafe.
Named after the road where he grew up, ‘POWERSCROFT’ marks a defining new chapter for an artist who has spent the past decade shaping the sound of UK dance music. Drawing from jungle, broken beat, grime, garage, soul and dub, the album channels the energy of the dancefloor while remaining deeply rooted in memory, instinct and identity. It captures what it feels like to be inside IZCO’s world, where thoughts, memories and influences collide.

Hailing from East London, IZCO is a producer and DJ spearheading a new generation that is bringing soul back to the dancefloor. Shaped by the rich musical heritage of his hometown, he has developed a sound that feels familiar yet forward-looking, diverse yet distinctly his own. That sound has taken him across the globe, from New York to Tokyo, alongside standout sets at We Out Here, Outlook and Glastonbury.

IZCO began his journey making grime beats for local rappers including Capo Lee, Novelist and Reek0, before becoming a key figure in the UK’s evolving garage and dance music landscape. In 2018, he launched his long-running Rinse FM show and released his debut EP Tek 5, earning early underground acclaim. His production credits include PinkPantheress’ breakout track ‘Passion’, created alongside Jkarri, as well as collaborations and remixes for artists such as Katy B and Greentea Peng.
Beyond his solo work, IZCO is a label head, promoter and co-founder of the Brighter Days Family, a collective built on community, craft and cooperation. With ‘POWERSCROFT’, he steps fully into the spotlight, presenting his most personal and fully realised body of work to date. “This album is about channeling my true musical personality and character,” he says. “I’m marking a new chapter by paying tribute to my foundations.”

A new EP by Extrawelt is always something special, as they continually manage to reinvent themselves while remaining unmistakably true to their sound. The a-side „Moonster“ of their latest record forms a subtle and almost magical bridge to early musical influences such as Immortal Coil, Chris & Cosey, The Cure, and Throbbing Gristle.
In doing so, they reclaim, or rather reintroduce, a powerful, mystical element into their music, one that is integrated so naturally it feels as if it has always been an essential part of Extrawelt’s sonic DNA. Beyond that, the track unfolds through numerous facets, constantly shifting and evolving. Just when you think it is settling into a familiar direction, small variations emerge, keeping the piece remarkably alive and unpredictable.
You can clearly sense how much fun Extrawelt had working on this track. It is bursting with ideas, energy, and vitality, radiating a playful confidence that makes it endlessly engaging.

The b1 track „Bettermaker“ takes a different route, dedicating itself entirely to a single mood. Through subtle pitch bending and a carefully shaped tonal palette, the track unfolds with a slightly eerie, enchanted atmosphere.
From beginning to end, „Bettermaker“ remains focused and unwavering. There are no breaks or dramatic shifts in direction, instead, the piece commits fully to its initial setting. A monolithic, almost mantra like motif forms the core, creating a distinctive ambience, mystical, shadowy and faintly oriental in character.
This atmosphere is carried and reinforced by percussive, ethno inspired drums, which add an organic, ritualistic pulse. The result is a hypnotic soundscape that draws its strength from consistency and depth rather than contrast, inviting the listener into a secluded, otherworldly space.

The final piece of the EP „Popcorn Forever“ reveals another side of Extrawelt’s thinking. The track unfolds like a curious experiment in motion. Instead of building toward a predictable climax, sounds are gradually tossed into an ever running loop fragments, textures and small rhythmic ideas appearing almost casually, as if the piece were assembling itself in real time.
At first the elements seem loosely connected, sometimes abstract, sometimes slightly mischievous in the way they twist and bend. It almost feels like an impossible construction task. But Extrawelt’s experience quietly guides the process. Bit by bit the scattered parts begin to communicate with each other.
Repetition becomes the hidden engine. With every return of the loop new details slip into the structure, and what once appeared random slowly starts forming relationships inside the listener’s mind. The track never forces a clear explanation, yet the brain begins to tie the loose ends together almost automatically.
Popcorn Forever therefore works beautifully as a kind of transit piece within the EP. It moves between ideas, linking moods rather than closing them off. In typical Extrawelt fashion, the result is playful, slightly surreal and full of subtle discoveries that reveal themselves over time.

When Harry met Barney it was a match made in heaven - that's Hary Balk and Barney Duke' Browner. The Duke had worked with Harry since the early sixties on other labels inlcuding American Arts where he wrote Walk On InTo My Heart' for Bobbie Smith. But he really hit his stride at Impact alongside Harry and John Rhys. Eventually the three would make the move to Motown but not before the Duke struck paydirt with his Northern Soul anthem Crying Over You' featured here in its orginal coupling, vocal/instrumental. It was the instrumental that first commanded the dance floor back in the days of the Golden Torch, but today the vocal is king. Whatever your preference we know you'll enjoy our offering couretsy of Harry Balk himself... the first legal reissue in years!

SALES POINTS:
All time Northern Soul Classic - Two fabulous sides
TV advertised and featured in the film Northern Soul