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To mark what would have been Mikis Theodorakis' 100th birthday in 2025, Intuition released a very special album: 'Lost Songs' - fourteen previously unpublished compositions by the world-renowned Greek composer, presented here for the first time in a remarkable solo piano version by German pianist Henning Schmiedt. A remarkable moment took place in 2009 at Mikis Theodorakis' studio in Athens: Henning Schmiedt personally played his piano arrangements of the 'Lost Songs' to Theodorakis himself. Some of the melodies sparked the composer's memory, while others did not - but he listened attentively, offered comments and gave guidance that directly influenced the final versions of the pieces.

As such, 'Lost Songs' can be considered a posthumous release with the composer's blessing. These pieces offer a glimpse into Theodorakis' expressive power and artistic maturity from a very young age - most of the 'Lost Songs' were written in the early 1940s and provide a compelling window into the formative years of one of the most important composers of the 20th century.

'Lost Songs' is available on 180g vinyl and digipak CD editions.

At the end of the Sixties, the production of soundtracks for small and big classics of Italian cinema is now joined by another business which has proved to be less profitable but more creative and, in best case, free from the constraints imposed by clients on duty: the composition of music libraries. Almost all of the artists for the eighth art have finalized at least one or more music libraries. Names famous and not, old and young composers, real outsiders and meteors, usually hidden behind pseudonyms: this is the case, for example, of Braen and Peymont. The first needs no introduction, it was the one adopted by the former arranger, multi- instrumentalist, singer and composer Alessandro Alessandroni. The second is closely linked to the mysterious American composer, but resident in Italy, David Hoyt Kimball. The two are authors in different measure of an interesting album with an experimental background, “Paese Sotto Inchiesta” (1971), originally published by Flirt Records.

The titles of the tracks appear in connection with the socio-cultural climate of Italy after 1968 and can be relocated as a background for journalistic-like images. The latter is a hypothesis not supported by facts, but some titles seem to be referred to the perception of a subsisting economic backwardness of the southern regions compared to the other ones; to a situation of collective tension, thanks to the global revolutions; in addition to the new concerns with an ecological background. Overall, the seventeen tracks on the album are mostly 'dirty', characterized by an even atonal setting, with long repetitions in a noisy key, more fundamental reverbs and echoes for the different keyboard instruments. In a few words, abstract sounds, some guitar notes, echoes of Gruppo Di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, flute melodies and proto- ambient intuitions. Composers like Alessandro Alessandroni and David Hoyt Kimball deserve to be rediscovered.

*Following the essence of the work, for this press, MPI release a 100% recycled vinyl that reduce waste, minimize environmental impact and support the planet*

In keeping with tradition, the new year brings another offering from Portuguese pianist and composer Tiago Sousa.

The fourth volume of the Organic Music Tapes series concludes this cycle that has significantly transformed Tiago Sousa’s music. Compositions in a fluid state, forming nebulae of sounds with vague contours for piano, organ, and tape loops, based on techniques pioneered by American minimalism, particularly by composers such as Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and Charlemagne Palestine.

While throughout this series the electric organ has played a more prominent role in contrast with pre-recorded loops, this is the moment when this technique is extended to the piano compositions. New opportunities arise for the repetition and variation of small motifs to induce subtle perceptions and psychoacoustic effects. This final edition represents the maturation of the Portuguese composer’s intentions surrounding the idea of organic music. In music, too, the organic world is quite different from the one built on the rules of syntax and grammar. It refers instead to a type of interdependent relationships and patient, repetitive processes that are simultaneously spontaneous and unpredictable, which shape rivers and mountains, the grain of wood, muscle fibers, or marks on a jade stone.

Enter then the fourth volume and be locked in a new theatre of eternal music by an artists that keeps pushing his own style to ebullient highs.

'The World in Air Quotes' is a genre-shifting style-melting kaleidoscope of art-rock, jazz, techno, folk & industrial. The God In Hackney sound like very little else from the early 2020's and whilst 'The World In Air Quotes' innovative progenitors are manifold - Eno, Coil, The Durutti Column, 1980s ECM jazz to name a few - it sounds beholden to none of them.

The God In Hackney's first album 'Cave Moderne' was Andrew Weatherall's album of the year for NTS Radio.

The God In Hackney's second LP, 'Small Country Eclipse', was album of 2020 for critic Sukhdev Sandhu of The Colloquium for Unpopular Culture: "Mordant music: stuttering, dread, black humour. A record that felt truly independent, beholden to no genre, out of step with all centres and signposted nodes."


'The World In Air Quotes' is The God In Hackney's 3rd album and their most musically emotive and lyrically inventive to date. It's an album that resonates with feelings about climate change, isolation, extinction, the social impact of technology, the flattening of history—and illuminates the darkness with imaginative rhythm, melody, noise & poetry. Songs range from widescreen, anthemic rock, to strange intricately arranged jazz-influenced songs, to abstract, textural electronic pieces. There's a strain of dark and surreal comedy too that runs through the lyrics and some of the choices the band makes in their sounds and arrangements.

The core God in Hackney quartet of Andy Cooke, Dan Fox, Ashley Marlowe and Nathaniel Mellors has expanded to include American multi-instrumentalists and composers Eve Essex (Eve Essex & The Fabulous Truth, Das Audit, Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra, Peter Zummo, Liturgy) and Kelly Pratt (Father John Misty, David Byrne/St Vincent, Beirut, and Lonnie Holley among many others), signalling a new and ambitious direction for the band.

The album cover features original artwork by Iranian-American artist Tala Madani, recently the subject of a career survey exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

Advertising:

The Wire, Maggot Brain

Reviews & features:

Maggot Brain - forthcoming feature

Hi-Fi+ Magazine - album review in April 2023 issue

Dereck Higgins (You Tube review)

Sonosphere - interview / feature

Weirdo Shrine - interview

It's Psychedelic Baby - interview

Spettacolo (Italy) - feature.

Ghettoblaster Magtazine (USA) - feature

Airplay:

Gilles Peterson - BBC Radio 6 Music

Steve Lamacq - BBC Radio 6 Music

Dublab - playlisted & featured in Dublab Recommends (Los Angeles)

Cian Ó Cíobháin - RTE Raidió na Gaeltachta (Ireland)

WFMU - playlisted

Resonance FM - The Wire presents Adventures In Sound & Music

Human Pleasure Radio (New Zealand)

Pete Wiggs & James Papademetie - The Seance (Repeater Radio, Sine FM & others)

Peter Hollo's Utility Fog - FBI Radio (Australia)

Jonathan Lethem & Sam Sousa on Radio Free Aftermath (KSP Claremont 88.7)

Life Elsewhere

WRPB Princeton

In Memory of John Peel

Mike Watt's Watt from Pedro Show

Peter Beyls (1950) works on the intersection of computer science and the arts. He develops generative systems in music, the visual arts and hybrid formats. Beyls studied music and computer science at EMS, Stockholm, the Royal Music Conservatory, Brussels and the Slade School of Art, UC London. Initially he was active in electronic music, as a composer of tape music. Later on, he developed various analog live electronic music systems. In close partnership with Michel Waisvisz, he designed and built the early prototypes of the crackle box synthesizer at STEIM, Amsterdam (1973-1975). Around the same time, Belgian composers Karel Goeyvaerts and Lucien Goethals were his mentors at the IPEM Studio. Over the years, Beyls’ work has primarily centered on generative systems, including extensive series of machine drawings, human-machine interactive music systems using machine-learning and interactive audiovisual installations on which he has also given worldwide lectures. His work has been widely performed and exhibited at various universities and art institutions. The four previously unreleased tracks on this LP are amongst his first electronic music compositions using the Crackle Box, the Synthi 100 and the VCS3, a combination of live improvised electronics with precise tape editing and effects.

Swan Song

The vinyl LP at the heart of this éthiopiques 31 tracks 2 to 11 was one of the very last vinyl records ever released in Ethiopia. But above all it represents, we felt, the absolute masterpiece of the Ethiopian Groove – the Swan Song of Swinging Addis. The album leaves a clear idea for posterity of the level of sophistication and mastery that modern Ethiopian music had achieved, before being crushed under the Stalino-military heel of the Derg – as the bloody revolution that was unfolding came to be called.

Ethiopia1976.

The Revolution that broke out in February 1974 rolled on in a ruthless march. The whole of Ethiopian society was utterly stunned. The bouquets of flowers handed joyfully to the first tanks of the coup d'état were to wilt very rapidly. From September 1976 to February 1978, 18 months of Red Terror (the name given by the junta itself) spilled blood throughout the country. This fratricidal conflict took its heaviest toll among students and youth. The shift from feudalism to a cruel and primitive Stalinism left the country's citizens deeply traumatised, and snuffed out any pretence of activism, whatever the sector of society. This ice age was to last for seventeen long years.

ሙሉቀን፡መለሰ Mulukèn Mellèssè Muluqän Mälläsä

It was three tracks by Muluken that served as the opener for éthiopiques-1 more than 25 years ago. Seven more tracks appeared on éthiopiques-3 and 13, all accompanied by The Equators, which was soon to become the Dahlak Band.

The first track, Hédètch alu, also the very first piece that Muluken ever recorded, left audiences both unsettled and amazed. Reflecting the singer's extremely young age (he was just 17 at the time), this angelic voice mystified many, who thought they were in fact listening to a feminine voice. He was not yet 22 when he released his last vinyl record in 1976 with Kaifa Records (KF 39LP), one of the very last to be issued in Ethiopia, before the cassette tape became the dominant medium for music distribution – and before the new revolutionary regime put a stop to all independent musical life, via an unspeakable barrage of prohibitions and other persecutions.

Mulu qèn, literally, “A well filled day”. This tender maternal intention wasn't enough to ward off the cruelty of fate. His mother's premature death drove Muluken to leave his native Godjam, in northeast Ethiopia, to live with an uncle in Addis Ababa. Born Muluken Tamer, he took his uncle's last name – Mèllèssè.

The spelling Muluken appeared in his administrative records. Transcription of Amharic to the Latin alphabet, both in Ethiopia and for scholars, gives rise to controversies and quibbles that can never be neatly settled. French allows for a closer approximation of the original pronunciation, thanks to its battery of accent marks, confusing as they may be to anglophones.

Between rather accommodating administrative record-keepers and the various versions that pop up in interviews given by the artist, Muluken's year of birth oscillates between 1953 and 1955…

1954? One thing is certain: the artist's talent made itself known very early indeed, because he got his start in 1966-67, at the age of 13 or 14. Photos from the period attest to his extreme youth. It's a strange sort of initiation for a very young teenager to become a sensation in the heart of Addis's nightlife at the time, Woubé Bèrèha – the Wilds of Woubé. And what's more, in the club of the Queen of the Night, the Godjamé Assègèdètch Alamrèw herself, the very same that was portrayed by Sebhat Guèbrè-Egziabhér in his novel-memoir Les Nuits d’Addis Abeba2… The legendary female club owner who is remembered to this day by the capital's ageing boomers.

Muluken first tried his hand at the drums, before he grabbed the microphone. He emigrated briefly to the Zula Club, across the street from the old Addis Post Office, one of the ground-breaking bars of the burgeoning musical scene, before joining the Second Police Band in 1968, for around three years. He spent a few months with the short-lived Blue Nile Band founded by saxophonist Besrat Tammènè. As the musical scene grew increasingly successful, and pulled slowly but decisively away from its institutional ties, Muluken released his first 45rpm single in February 1972 (Amha Records AE 440). It was included in two LP Ethiopian Hit Parade compilation albums in September of the same year. All in all, Muluken released eight two-track 45s and the same number of original cassette tapes between February 1972 and 1984, the year that he departed for permanent exile in the USA. After converting to Pentecostalism in 1980, Muluken gradually abandoned all secular musical activity. In 1985, at the end of a concert in Philadelphia, he decided to quit concerts and recording for good. Mèlakè Gèbré, the historic bass player from the Walias band who was playing with him that night, recalls that everything appeared so irredeemably diabolical in Muluken's eyes, that it was to be the end of his contribution to Ethiopian Groove.

The end of the story, the beginning of a legend.

Dahlak Band, forgotten by History

Aside from his personal history and vocal talents, it must be remembered that Muluken Mèllèssè was one of the biggest names in the musical innovations that marked the end of the imperial period. These éthiopiques aim to convince those who are just discovering this hidden gem... As for Ethiopians themselves, they are to this day captivated by this singular and atypical figure in the Abyssinian pop landscape – even though he withdrew from public life some 40 years ago. Incorrigible devotees of poetic twists, of more or less hidden meanings, Ethiopians appreciate above all the care Muluken took in choosing his lyrics and the writers who penned them, such as Feqerte Haylou, Alemtsehay Wodajo and, here, Shewalul Mengistu (1944-1977). Love songs, written by women, a far cry from the conventional drivel that pleases sappy sentimentalists.

Muluken is equally acclaimed for his perfectionism when it came to music, the opposite of the overly casual approach that is all too common. He remained a faithful partner of musicians who came from a lineage that borrowed from several inventive and pioneering bands (Venus, Equators, Dahlak). Amongst them were certain artists who began their musical lives with Nersès Nalbandian at the Haile Sellassie Theatre and who come of age in around 1973 – at just the wrong time, you might say. Among them were the pillars Shimèlis Bèyènè (trumpet), Dawit Yifru (keyboards) and Tilayé Gèbrè (sax & flute). Most notably Tilayé Gèbrè, certainly one of the most important musicians, composers and arrangers of his generation, of the end of the imperial era, and of the early years of the Derg.

It was only in 1981 that a miraculous opportunity arose for Tilayé to escape the Stalinist paradise of the dictator Menguistou Haylè-Maryam. Once again it was Amha Eshèté (1946-2021) who provided a solution. The spirited and courageous producer, who had been in exile in Washington since 1975, succeeded, thanks to his incredible perseverence, in bringing the Walias Band to the USA. It was, in fact an extended Walias Band comprising ten musicians3, six of whom chose to slip away after a few concerts and the recording of an LP (The Best of Walias, WRS 100). Tilayé Gèbrè was one of these. He has been living in the USA ever since. There he joined the then-nascent Ethiopian diaspora, which lived largely unto itself, and was making only very modest headway in the American musical market. It seems unfair that Tilayé Gèbrè and the Dahlak Band were not able to benefit earlier from the public recognition that they do deserve.

A similar draining away of the top-rate talents would lead to the reorganization of the major groups of the “Derg Time”. The remaining artists spread themselves around between Ibex Band (renamed Roha Band), Ethio Star Band and a remodeled Walias Band. That spelled the end of the Dahlak Band.

With this record, produced by the essential Ali Abdella Kaifa a.k.a. Ali Tango, we can appreciate everything that the Derg not only destroyed, but also prevented from flourishing. This gem of Ethiopian-style afrobeat came out in 1976 (and, by way of a parenthesis, before the FESTAC 1977 in Lagos, which was attended by an impressive delegation of Ethiopian musicians — although Fela was already personna non grata in his own country). Despite everything that might distinguish this ethio-groove from Fela’s music – no colonial axe to grind, no question of political confrontation with the authorities, no claims to negritude or Africanism for the Ethiopian musicians, and less extrovertion! –, this LP fits beautifully into the saga of intense and electrified soul of the new “African” groove that Fela and Manu Dibango embodied so well from that point onwards.

In restoring this record to its place in the afrobeat epic, it can be seen that, if nothing else, the timeline bestows a legitimate pedigree and a historical primacy to works that had no international impact when they were originally released.

Warning! Masterpiece!

With simpatico support from double bassist Drew Gress and drummer Tom Rainey, Hersch presented fresh interpretations of tunes by his favourite jazz composers, which included Miles Davis ('Milestones'), Wayne Shorter ('Iris'), Thelonious Monk ('Played Twice'), Dizzy Gillespie ('Con Alma'), and Herbie Hancock (Speak Like A Child). The album also includes an original number, 'Evanessence,' which Hersch composed as a salute to pianist Bill Evans. The Fred Hersch Trio Plays is a remarkable collection of performances affirming that jazz is about exploration, constant reinvention, and selfless teamwork.

An alto saxophone and acoustic piano engage in an intimate musical dialogue, reflecting on the current state of improvised music. Okuda and Dyberg’s album unites two artists at the peak of their musical collaboration, deconstructing jazz history into shimmering fragments, reassembling them in new forms that deliberately move away from traditional references. The music incorporates diverse influences—glimpses of classical composers like Webern and Prokofiev, abstract electronic elements reimagined acoustically, and a genuine spirit of exploration seeking a unique musical fusion.

Rooted in jazz, the Okuda / Dyberg Duo performs conceptual improvisations that include pulse, durations, interactions, natural/everyday life objects, soundalized: water dropping, light rain comes to a coffee-filter dripping, construction work or glass breaking sounds. Born in 2018. Glasscut is their third release – the first on vinyl – after Nigatsu 二月 (2019) and Naboer (2020).

Relive the excitement of SNK's greatest games with this album featuring cult titles arranged entirely for piano!


Arranged and performed by pianist Nicolas Horvath, a Steinway and Sons artist renowned as a leading interpreter of composers such as Philip Glass, Franz Liszt, Claude Debussy, and Erik Satie.



The album contains a rich selection of tracks composed by the legendary SNK Sound Team, ranging from Prehistoric Isle to The King of Fighters 94, Samurai Shodown, The Last Blade, and Metal Slug 3.


Sometimes dark, sometimes bright, the arrangements beautifully and emotionally revisit the melodies that have marked several generations of gamers!


b a2 Intro, Stage 1, Stage Boss Medley [PREHISTORIC ISLE]
[c] a3 Main Theme & Final Boss Medley [PREHISTORIC ISLE]
[d] a4 Dignity Palace (Kain R. Heinlein Stage) [GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES]
[e] a5 All Over With Blood (Freeman Stage) [GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES]
[f] a6 Fullmoon - A Groan (Gato Stage) [GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES]
[g] a7 Destruction Maniac (Grant Stage) [GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES]
[h] b1 The Twelve Challengers (Player Select), Exotic Lady (Charlotte) [SAMURAI SHODOWN]
[i] b2 Darkness (Shiro Tokisada Amakusa 2) [SAMURAI SHODOWN]
[j] b3 Banquet of Nature (Nakoruru) - Part 1 & Part 2 [SAMURAI SHODOWN]
[k] b4 Ryuhaku Todoh Stage [ART OF FIGHTING]
[l] b5 The Primitive Age [TIME SOLDIERS]
[m] b6 The Age of Rome [TIME SOLDIERS]
[n] c1 PonPonella [ALPHA MISSION]
[o] c2 Vixen [THE SUPER SPY]
[p] c3 The Super Spy, New World [THE SUPER SPY]
[q] c4 Imputation [THE SUPER SPY]
[r] c5 Game Start, Powering Up [Vanguard]
[s] c6 Stage Medley [Vanguard]
[t] c7 Change (Theme 2) [THE LAST BLADE]
[u] c8 Termination (Ending 1) [THE LAST BLADE]
[v] d1 Bioinformatics (UFO Interior Passage 3) [METAL SLUG 3]
[w] d2 The Cenotaph (Stage 4 Alternative Route~Ancient Ruins), Desert (Stage 4) [METAL SLUG 3]
[x] d3 Secret Factory (Stage 3 Alternative Route~Armory) [METAL SLUG 3]
[y] d4 Into the Cosmos (The Void of Space) [METAL SLUG 3]
[z] d5 Opening, Napolitan Blues, Duel R&D, Yuu, Psycho Soldier "K.O.F Version" [THE KING OF FIGHTERS '94]


[b] a2 Intro, Stage 1, Stage Boss Medley [PREHISTORIC ISLE]
[c] a3 Main Theme & Final Boss Medley [PREHISTORIC ISLE]
[d] a4 Dignity Palace (Kain R. Heinlein Stage) [GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES]
[e] a5 All Over With Blood (Freeman Stage) [GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES]
[f] a6 Fullmoon - A Groan (Gato Stage) [GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES]
[g] a7 Destruction Maniac (Grant Stage) [GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES]
[h] b1 The Twelve Challengers (Player Select), Exotic Lady (Charlotte) [SAMURAI SHODOWN]
[i] b2 Darkness (Shiro Tokisada Amakusa 2) [SAMURAI SHODOWN]
[j] b3 Banquet of Nature (Nakoruru) - Part 1 & Part 2 [SAMURAI SHODOWN]
[k] b4 Ryuhaku Todoh Stage [ART OF FIGHTING]
[l] b5 The Primitive Age [TIME SOLDIERS]
[m] b6 The Age of Rome [TIME SOLDIERS]
[n] c1 PonPonella [ALPHA MISSION]
[o] c2 Vixen [THE SUPER SPY]
[p] c3 The Super Spy, New World [THE SUPER SPY]
[q] c4 Imputation [THE SUPER SPY]
[r] c5 Game Start, Powering Up [Vanguard]
[s] c6 Stage Medley [Vanguard]
[t] c7 Change (Theme 2) [THE LAST BLADE]
[u] c8 Termination (Ending 1) [THE LAST BLADE]
[v] d1 Bioinformatics (UFO Interior Passage 3) [METAL SLUG 3]
[w] d2 The Cenotaph (Stage 4 Alternative Route~Ancient Ruins), Desert (Stage 4) [METAL SLUG 3]
[x] d3 Secret Factory (Stage 3 Alternative Route~Armory) [METAL SLUG 3]
[y] d4 Into the Cosmos (The Void of Space) [METAL SLUG 3]
[z] d5 Opening, Napolitan Blues, Duel R&D, Yuu, Psycho Soldier "K.O.F Version" [THE KING OF FIGHTERS '94]

The second volume of Bollywood Nuggets is a 14-track collection of instrumental gems spanning three decades, blending legendary composers with hidden talents for a rich musical journey. Volume 2 of this series focused on the amazing sonic treasures Bollywood music has to offer. This second volume is centered on the incredible instrumental gems that populate Hindi cinema soundtracks. 14 tracks of pure Bollywood instrumental genius to continue the dive into the mind-blowing world of Hindi cinema music. Covering a time span of 3 decades, this compilation mixes well-known names (like S.D. and R.d. Burman or O.P. Nayyar), with lesser-known talents from the endlessly thrilling vaults of Hindi movie soundtracks and throws a couple of delicious covers for a truly unforgettable sonic experience. Includes liner notes.

Acclaimed Scottish composer Craig Armstrong releases his new work Pacific via his own label CMA Records. Written for piano, cello, and electronics, the three-movement piece was originally commissioned in December 2024 by Christian Kellersman, a pioneering figure in contemporary classical and jazz music, for his new live event series Berlin Confidential, co-curated with Alexander Szlovák. The series aims to promote innovative new music projects, with a particular focus on emerging musicians and composers.

Armstrong was among the first artists invited to perform as part of Berlin Confidential, premiering Pacific at Berlin’s historic Meistersaal concert hall in March 2025. The concert featured Armstrong on piano alongside cellist Lena Angelina von Almen and producer and musician Guy Sternberg, combining acoustic instruments with live electro-acoustic treatments to create a rich and atmospheric sound world.

Recorded in May 2025 at Lowswing Studios in Kreuzberg, Pacific continues Armstrong’s ongoing exploration of blending acoustic and electronic sound in a natural, seamless way. Over several days in the studio, Armstrong, von Almen and Sternberg developed the work’s intricate textures and dynamic interplay, resulting in a recording that captures both the intimacy and expansiveness of the original live performance.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the piece, Armstrong says: “I wrote this work during a time of great instability in the world, I wrote “Pacific” as an Elegy dedicated to the many suffering in today’s conflicts and in the hope that peace will prevail.”

Across its three movements, Pacific 1 is elegiac in nature, with the main themes stated and developed throughout the piece, punctuated by recurring piano motifs. The movement is reflective and atmospheric, with subtle electronic interventions. The second movement is arrhythmic in nature, following shifting time signatures that reflect a sense of uncertainty - the music is searching and static, ending without resolution but leaving hope for one to come. Pacific 3 moves towards peace and resolution, bringing the work to a close with quiet strength and emotional release.

When speaking about the creative process and his collaborators, Armstrong said: “Lena’s beautiful playing , tone and expression worked so beautifully on Pacific, Lena was also a great collaborator and was always willing to experiment and try new musical approaches. Lena is such a natural musician and she brought so much emotion and beauty to the piece. I wish her all the best in her future musical journey.”

He continues: Guy is a unique combination of being a brilliant engineer and mixer and a prolific very talented musician/composer. I was very fortunate to spend time with Guy in his studio in Berlin. His sensitivity to the project and his electronic programming made a wonderful contribution to the composition. His collaboration and friendship made the days working in Berlin such a great experience I would like to thank Emma Ford for her dedication, enthusiasm and guidance on Pacific”

For both von Almen and Sternberg, the collaboration was equally meaningful. Von Almen reflects on the experience of recording the piece, saying: “As a musician, it is always a great privilege to work on a piece together with the composer, and of course I felt even luckier to go through the process of creating something new with an artist like Craig Armstrong. Figuratively speaking, it felt like knitting a silk scarf: using the finest materials and taking the utmost care during the recording, we have realised another beautiful and touching work by Craig, which will bring us and certainly many others great joy. I feel very honoured to have been part of this and to have experienced this warm encounter.”

Sternberg adds: “Diving into Armstrong’s music while working on this record felt like examining a diamond under a microscope, discovering endless beauty within simplicity. Perfection and complexity emerging from simplicity, where every note, tone, noise, and gesture has meaning. I’m deeply grateful to have been part of this process, and for the freedom Craig gave me to express myself through his music, to let our sonic visions merge into one. It’s been both a lesson in music-making and in setting the ego aside, if only for a moment.”

Reflecting Armstrong’s belief in the role of music as a force for empathy and reflection, proceeds from Pacific will be donated to charities working towards peace: Médecins Sans Frontières and the Red Cross.

The limited-edition vinyl release has been pressed on Eco Vinyl at SeaBass Vinyl, a sustainable plant near Edinburgh. The record features striking cover art by Dirk Rudolph, who has designed several of Armstrong’s previous releases.

"We first became aware of the Florence-based composer Marco Baldini’s work via the incredible Another Timbre label.
"His albums, Vesperi and Maniera, blew us away. Maniera, Marco’s second album for the label consists of seven chamber works for strings, beautifully played by Apartment House. If for some reason you haven’t heard it go straight to Another Timbre’s Bandcamp and check it out! Vesperi, Marco’s first release on Another Timbre, from around a year before is also absolutely unmissable, it’s comprised of three pieces derived from works by 16th century Italian composers alongside original compositions.
"Both albums have provided much needed calm in turbulent times. Marco kindly accepted our invitation to compile a mixtape, and here it is! Thank you so much, Marco!"

ensemble 0 (pronounced zero) is a band /contemporary music ensemble, whose line-up and instruments can change according to the repertoire performed. Directed by Stéphane Garin and Sylvain Chauveau, performing pieces by, mostly, contemporary composers including its own members, and working with numerous collaborators.

The year 0 of ensemble 0 was 2004, when four friends decided to assemble a vessel, essentially dedicated to acoustic music for the present time. A light and adaptable vessel, of varying geometry and geography (its members are based in different cities and countries, including France, Catalonia and Belgium.)

Zero, in cartography, is the reference level from which altitudes are erected. In other words, where the field of possibilities stands. Depending on the chosen direction, the disentangled or deciphered compositions, the musicians and instruments brought in, ensemble 0 performs upon a unique range of reliefs. First, its own compositions are specifically performed by the pulsating heart of the collective, i.e. a trio made of Sylvain Chauveau (acoustic guitar, glockenspiel), Stéphane Garin (metallic percussions) and Joël Mérah (acoustic guitar). Then, with a contemporary repertoire the ensemble expands according to the needs of each work. ensemble 0 occasionally performs pieces by Moondog, Julius Eastman or Ligeti but is particularly keen on living composers such as Tristan Perich, Michael Pisaro or Rachel Grimes.

Here, ensemble 0 plays in according to the movie: L’Incroyable Femme Des Neiges (directed by Sébastien Betbeder with Blanche Gardin and Philippe Katerine) a soundtrack with their own strong and beautiful imprint.

With ten original compositions (and one well-chosen cover) to record and a schedule window of just one day in New York City to record them, there was no margin for error. For the frontline Kerry picked a pair of legends - Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar and Jaleel Shaw on alto and soprano sax. In the rhythm section she selected NYC's busiest bassist Alex Claffy and, keeping it close to home, her partner George Colligan on drums. And in the face of delayed flights and traffic hold- ups, the album Alternate Route was created, hitting the highest standards of performance with the depth and warmth of Kerry's challenging but engaging compositions. It's a set of tough and tender tunes that combine sophisticated harmony with intricate but accessible melodies to inspire some fierce blowing from everyone, all delivered with a concise, timely precision.

The empathy and good feeling flowing between the players are audible from the first notes: "Kurt, Jaleel and Alex all have Philly roots so there's a really strong relationship there. Alex is incredibly gifted, and Jaleel is such a beautiful player with such a huge, recognizable sound. And it was such a thrill to have Kurt on the album - he's one of my favorite composers and I've been a fan for such a long time." Each player has a powerful personality and Kerry allows them free rein, yet such is the strength of her compositions, and her calmly stated but immensely powerful presence on piano, that no one player dominates the music: everyone finds their own alternate route to excellence.

Vanbur – artist duo consisting of composers Jessica Jones & Tim Morrish – are releasing their debut album release this autumn. The album scoops up Earthing and my dove, to sleep, made famous by the Netflix show ONE DAY, alongside previous material from their debut EP ‘Human’ including In Cold Light which had a huge TikTok moment around the show’s release. Written over several years, ‘Of Becoming’ reflects a maturing of Vanbur’s sound as they themselves have gone through major life changes and transitions, which are addressed both lyrically and sonically in this impressive body of work. There’s a dreamlike quality to the album, representing the sometimes disorientating dichotomy found in immense change of wistful nostalgia and strength found in adaptation. Recorded at Church Studios with a 12-piece ensemble, the album weaves between lush orchestral heights such as Of Becoming and Friends of Mine and edgier alt-pop bangers such as Strange Kind Of Creature. Jess’ vocals are at times ethereal and textured, and at times lean further into her song-writing sensibilities with their most personal lyrics yet. With the pair’s range and skillset across production and composition fully explored, the album is a triumph of song-writing. The band have worked with filmmaker and Creative Director Matt Houghton on a strong visual aesthetic, from key artwork to narrative promotional films shot on 35mm. With graphic design by Torsten Posselt, the vinyl will have a tactile and natural quality tying in with the analogue feel of the campaign. Vanbur’s debut EP, Human, was released in 2018 and received press coverage in Clash, Ear Milk, Higher Plain etc and was played across BBC 6Music shows. The had their debut performance at the 100 Club and plan to bring a scaled up version to stages in 2026. The follow up remix EP included remixes by Mogwai and Katie Gately, and their music has been placed in hit-shows including One Day (Netflix), The Rising (Sky), Hanna (Prime) and Queens (Nat Geo).

The smash hit album "Glass Heart" is now available as a limited edition vinyl record!

The Netflix series "Glass Heart" has just begun streaming worldwide. The band "TENBLANK," featured in this passionate youthful musical love story, has
released their debut album, "Glass Heart," in conjunction with the drama's release.
TENBLANK is a rock band formed by four members: the solitary genius musician Fujitani Naoki (played by Sato Takeru), college student drummer Saijo Akane
(played by Miyazaki Yu), hardworking and charismatic guitarist Takaoka Hisashi (played by Machida Keita), and music-obsessed pianist Sakamoto Kazushi
(played by Shison Jun).
The album was released digitally alongside the drama's release on July 31st, and was released on CD the following day, August 1st.
Glass Heart, which attracted attention thanks to the contributions of a stellar lineup of composers including Noda Yojiro (RADWIMPS) and Yaffle, has dominated
charts not only in Japan but also in other Asian countries, creating a global buzz.
Now, this smash hit album "Glass Heart" will be released as a limited edition vinyl record. Experience TENBLANK's music in a new way with the warm texture
and depth of sound that only analog can provide.

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis present a suitably epic, wondrous soundtrack suite for Mars, the National Geographic Channel's 6-part series. The fictional TV series tells the story of the first astronaut crew on a mission to Mars in 2033. Directed by Everardo Gout and produced by Ron Howard & Brian Grazer, the series aired in November 2016. Composers Nick Cave and Warren Ellis deliver a pitch-perfect score to complement the thrilling yet daunting mission to a desolate alien planet in which the human species struggle to survive, thrive and forge an existence in this new world. Cave and Ellis provided thirteen tracks including the show’s theme song, which occupies a similarly cosmic electronic atmosphere as the band’s album Skeleton Tree. Mars is available as a limited edition of 750 numbered copies on crystal clear vinyl and includes an insert.

Rare is the soundtrack that as time passes overshadows the film of which it was a part, but that’s what has happened in the years since the 1992 release of The Last of the Mohicans. Not that the film is any slouch; Michael Mann’s epic retelling of James Fenimore Cooper’s frontier tale is a cable TV fixture and more evidence that Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the great actors of our time. But the film’s music has emerged as easily one of the most popular scores of ‘90s cinema, with the “Main Title” in particular having become a part of our popular culture the same way as, say, the signature themes from Titanic, Star Wars, and other blockbusters. What makes it even more extraordinary is that the movie’s score emerged from postproduction turmoil as the work of two different composers, Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman. Jones’ work is more of the traditional orchestral soundtrack ilk, Edelman’s has a more contemporary feel, but somehow it all fits, with the closing credit song “I Will Find You” by Clannad an added bonus. Long a bestselling soundtrack CD, we at Real Gone Music are releasing this revered soundtrack on double LP peach vinyl, inside a gatefold festooned with production stills. Guaranteed to get your blood stirring!

"It may surprise some that, after two decades of silent films, when Alam Ara broke the silence in 1931, it and every South Asian talkie that followed was what we in the West think of as a "musical." Music had been integral to the culture's staged drama going back to the Gupta Dynasty — sometime between the 4 th and 6 th Century CE. Since its inception, South Asian cinema drew heavily from Marathi, Parsi, and Bengali musical theatre and silent film screenings were often accompanied by live music to mimic a live staged experience.

When sound films arrived, actors with serious singing skills became the next wave of stars. Songs were performed live while shooting, with musicians hidden off-camera, to the side or sometimes even in trees. Playback singing — the practice of dubbing a real singer's voice over a lip-syncing actor — didn't become standard until the 1940s.

Thus, the biggest stars of the 1930s were also the greatest singers, with some, like Govindrao Tembe and Pankaj Mullick, excelling as both composers and vocalists. None, however, were more beloved than K.L. Saigal, whose emotional, untrained crooning captivated audiences across the subcontinent. Saigal's voice inspired a young Lata Mangeshkar, who vowed to become India's greatest filmi singer to win his heart. Sadly, Saigal grew increasingly addicted to alcohol, unable to perform without it, and passed away at age 42, seven months before the Partition. Lata never married.

This collection features some of the earliest songs from South Asian cinema, sourced from CDs and LPs found in Jackson Heights, Queens, Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn, Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, and Oak Tree Road in Iselin, New Jersey — areas home to vibrant immigrant communities. South Asian immigration to New York and New Jersey surged after the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which lifted non-European quotas. By the 1990s and 2000s, the region's Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi media outlets flourished, especially in Jackson Heights, where such stores outnumbered the total number of regular record shops throughout the five boroughs.

The nascent period of sound film featured a limited palette of musical styles, predominantly Marathi Bhagveet, like the Ghazal, but with greater flexibility of subject matter and rhythm, and Rabindra Sangeet, the approximately 2,000 songs and poems composed by Bengali Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. But there was some evolution as well, with the success of South Asian cinema's first woman composer, the classically trained Saraswati Devi, and the introduction of Western instruments including the piano and Hawaiian guitar.

While much of the music was dark and brooding, perhaps exemplified best by Devika Rani's interpretation of Saraswati Devi's "Udi Hawa Mein" from 1936's Achhut Kannya (Untouchable Maiden), there were moments of brightness, such as R.C. Boral's "Lachhmi Murat Daras Dikhaye" sung by Kanan Devi in Street Singer, an otherwise thoroughly depressing film from 1938 that cemented Devi's and co-star K.L. Saigal's superstardom.

This selection was chosen to emphasise a range of expressivity, instrumentation and style achieved even within the decade's relatively limited scope, setting the listener up for the relative explosion of possibility in the 1940s, to be covered in the next installment of this series."

So Fades the Light is an eerie horror thriller that makes for unsettling watching. That is no small part thanks to the equally haunting score from composers Blair French (an ambient and Balearic producer from the Detroit area) and Dave Graw (a fellow Motor City musician and visual artist), who forgo melody in place of atmosphere. It means their soundtrack is a living, breathing presence that's less about music a more of a sort of ghost that refuses to leave. Graw and French sculpt a world of distortion, static and whispered tones that feel dug out of crumbling ruins. It’s bleak, patient and unrelenting, always pulling you deeper into the lead character Sun’s fractured memories and the menace of her past. As a standalone release, it’s equally gripping: a record that blurs ambient, horror and noise into one oppressive atmosphere.

So Fades the Light is an eerie horror thriller that makes for unsettling watching. That is no small part thanks to the equally haunting score from composers Blair French (an ambient and Balearic producer from the Detroit area) and Dave Graw (a fellow Motor City musician and visual artist), who forgo melody in place of atmosphere. It means their soundtrack is a living, breathing presence that's less about music a more of a sort of ghost that refuses to leave. Graw and French sculpt a world of distortion, static and whispered tones that feel dug out of crumbling ruins. It’s bleak, patient and unrelenting, always pulling you deeper into the lead character Sun’s fractured memories and the menace of her past. As a standalone release, it’s equally gripping: a record that blurs ambient, horror and noise into one oppressive atmosphere.

Having worked together on his 2024 album Colours & Light, Project Gemini aka Paul Osborne joins forces once again with Wendy Martinez, French singer and composer, and also part of renowned psych-girl group Gloria on a new collaborative EP. Landing on Mr Bongo, ‘Time Stands Still / Le temps s'arrête’ is a sonic exploration that shows a shared love of the progressive music emanating out of France in the ‘60s and ‘70s and the celebrated film soundtrack composers of the time. A more melodic and romantic excursion than Paul’s previous recordings, this EP marries his richly textured, cinematic psych rock with Martinez’s captivating vocal presence.

A body of work born during the period Paul was finishing up his last LP Colours & Light, he penned an album’s worth of instrumental library-style music and had the idea of having Wendy add vocals and lyrics to a selection of them. The instrumental record got scrapped, but thankfully ‘Time Stands Still’ grew out of it.

Paul was a fan of Wendy’s work as both a solo artist and in the band Gloria, and her inclusion on the Project Gemini tracks ‘Entre chien et loup’ & ‘Extra Nuit’ showed a clear synergy to their musical approaches and sounds. For ‘Time Stands Still’ he sent over instrumental tracks one by one, with Wendy taking time to find melodies and French poetry she was happy with and returning her ideas from her home just outside of Lyon.

Drawing inspiration from French soundtrack composers such as François de Roubaix, Frances Lai and Michel Colombier, as well as French female artists including Léonie and Laurence Vanay, these productions are a contemporary love letter to this sound, not a homage. Mixing psych, folk, chanson, and French new wave, it’s music that pulls you in deeper, with groove, grit and passion at its core.

'Je n'ai plus peur' kicks things off with a sultry energy. It’s a psych-funk production drenched in attitude, swagger, and edge, which nods to the left-field side of Serge Gainsbourg’s music. Elsewhere, 'Âme contre âme' feels like the opener from a forgotten new-wave film, managing to be at both beautiful yet sinister and longing. 'The Crawler' could be incidental music from the same film, with Wendy using her voice as an instrument layering the backing track as Paul's bass takes centre stage. The ghostly spoken word of 'Ce qui est intact' echoes a funky version of what the Théâtre du Chêne Noir d'Avignon may have recorded.

A transportive journey ‘Time Stands Still’ is nostalgic yet new in the same smoke-filled breath. Fuzzed-up guitars and driving basslines meld with folk-leaning organs and mellotron vibrations to give that eerie, otherworldly edge. All of which are seasoned by the sensuous, layered vocal tones of Wendy Martinez, alongside crisp drums from Tony Coote and considered percussive touches by Paul Elliot.

Returning to Die Schachtel with his fourth full-length with the label, the Genoa born, Bologna based, guitarist and electroacoustic composer, Stefano Pilia, delivers “Lacinia”, a new, immersive cycle of compositions, delving deeper into the realm of metaphysical, spiritual, and divine meaning, weaving astounding arrangements of sonority from a palette of synths, strings, brass, organ, various electroacoustic instruments, and percussion. Resting at a refined intersection of the acoustic and electroacoustic, drone, and chamber music - overwhelmingly beautiful, delicate, and bold, - “Lacinia” stands as a high-water mark in Pilia’s already remarkable and forward-looking career.

Since its founding in Milan during the early years of the new millennium, Die Schachtel has occupied a singular place in the landscape of experimental music, issuing a carefully curated body of reissues and archival releases by historically significant figures and projects like Christina Kubisch, Luciano Cilio, Marino Zuccheri, Prima Materia, Claudio Rocchi, Lino Capra Vaccina, Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, Roland Kayn, and numerous others, balanced against bristling contemporary counterparts by the likes of Jim O'Rourke, Giovanni Di Domenico, Nicola Ratti, Luigi ArchettI, Valerio Tricoli, etc. Running like a spine through the label’s output is a deep dedication to the work of the Italian guitarist and electroacoustic composer Stefano Pilia. Now Die Schachtel returns with “Lacinia”, Pilia’s forth full-length with the label and their first release of 2024. Building on the ground of deeply personal engagement with metaphysical, spiritual, and divine meaning, explored within his previous LP with Die Schachtel, 2022’s “Spiralis Aurea”, “Lacinia” encounters the composer working in close calibration with various ensembles, including the Bologna based Ensemble Concordanze and Comunale di Bologna String Orchestra, weaving synths, strings, brass, organ, various electroacoustic instruments, and percussion into an astounding reconfiguration of immersive, contemporary minimalism that stands among Pilia’s most noteworthy releases to date. Issued by Die Schachtel in two special double vinyl editions and a CD edition, “Lacinia” features artwork by Bruno Stucchi/Dinamomilano, and is an absolute marvel that draws you in and doesn’t let go.

First emerging during the early 2000s, over the past two decades – via solo releases and numerous collations with artists like Oren Ambarchi, Valerio Tricoli, Alessandra Novaga, Z'EV, Andrea Belfi, David Grubbs, and numerous others - the Genoa born, Bologna based, guitarist and electroacoustic composer, Stefano Pilia has presented a singular voice within Italian experimental music, harnessing visceral energy and hands-on immediacy within delicately woven tapestries of sonority, each investigating the sculptural properties of sound and illuminating its relationship to space, memory, and the suspension of time. “Lacinia”, Pilia’s forth solo venture with Die Schachtel, encounters the composer reentering his longstanding practice of collaboration with various ensemble forms, including the Bologna based Ensemble Concordanze, for the albums central piece, “Lacinia Off Axis”, spinning stunning string confirmations by Pietro David Carami and Elena Maury on violin, Alessandro Savio on viola, and Mattia Cipolli on cello.

A new, important cycle of compositions by Pilia, “Lacinia” (meaning "lace" in Latin) builds upon the exploration of the metaphysical, spiritual, and divine dimensions through numbers, geometry, and the creation of tonal forms explored by 2022’s “Spiralis Aurea”, mirroring archetypal, immutable forms at the juncture of the abstract realm of mathematics and architectural structures in the physical world, expands the poetics and compositional ideas featured in its predecessor. Regraded by Pilia as both a series of individual compositions and a single work, “Lacinia” was conceived to “define a circular path (a sort of "rhizomatic lace") where the beginning and end touch, suggesting the concept of time not only as linear but also cyclical and ritualistic—an eternal return, a process of transformation where matter changes, its state changes, but without altering the invisible internal principle of mutation”, embarking upon a a series of “steps, degrees, and energetic quanta in a progression of archetypal whole numbers and transcendent creation.”

The resulting 16 tracks unfold as a series of complex sonic meditations. While deeply resonant with the minimalism of composers like Arvo Pärt, LaMonte Young, Pauline Oliveros, and Eliane Radigue, Pilia digs deep and moves far beyond the predictable tonal relationships and structures of that idiom, echoing the ancient liturgical and devotional music of composers like Gesualdo da Venosa, Monteverdi, and John Dowland, at a refined intersection of the acoustic and electroacoustic, drone, and chamber music.

Fascinatingly structured as a whole to include a number of motif returns, across which we encounter works like “Lacinia Off Axis” appearing in slightly different rendering, states, or evolutions three times, and compositions like “Eve” appearing twice in subtly different forms and arrangements - first for four oscillators, guitar and voice and then for string orchestra - as well “Maris Stella”, which similarly makes two appearances, first for horn trio, organ and percussion, and then for string orchestra, with “Lacinia” Pilia delves further into the world of chamber music than ever before, creating a deeply inward, mediative body of work the totality of which, guided by its rich string arrangements of arching, sorrowful tone, feels almost like a mass for some unproclaimed loss; simultaneously locked in the nuances of a moment, while managing to suspend time.

Perhaps most remarkable is Pilia's ability to create a remarkable sense of sonic cohesion while using such a varied number of ensembles and instrumentation. From the sprawling string arrangements delivered by Comunale di Bologna String Orchestra, under the direction of Paolo Mancini, and Ensemble Concordanze, and a flute trio (Cadux / Plectere) brilliantly played by Manuel Zurria, to pieces for sax, organ and percussion, violin duo and percussion, organ and percussion, Pilia manages to create a sense of singular, encompassing world that flows forward like a shifting stream.

Overwhelmingly beautiful, delicate, and bold, “Lacinia” is unquestionably a high-water mark in Stefano Pilia’s already remarkable, forward-looking career. Nothing short of a marvel of contemporary Minimalism that, through its shifting arrangements of harmonics, tonality, and texture draws flickering images of ancient forms of music into the present day, “Lacinia” is Issued by Die Schachtel in two special editions on double vinyl and a CD edition, featuring artwork by Bruno Stucchi/Dinamomilano. This is an immersive all-consuming listen that can’t be missed.

The Complete Piano Etudes of Philip Glass available for the first time on vinyl, housed in a 4LP Box set (also available as a 2CD format).



After more than thirty years of working with and performing the great repertoire, the music of Philip Glass has, in a way, almost revolutionized my life as a musician,” confides Vanessa Wagner.

An emblematic artist on the French music scene, winner of a Victoire de la musique award and director of the Chambord and Giverny festivals, Vanessa Wagner is as inspired in her interpretation of Mozart, Debussy, Tchaikovsky and Dusapin as she is alongside Murcof and Rone.

With her innovative and daring approach, she has established herself as a major influence on the classical music landscape, crossing boundaries and blazing inspiring trails.

A tireless pioneer of new repertoires, she has been exploring the repertoire of minimalist composers for several years. For InFiné, she has dedicated 4 albums to the major figures of this movement, John Adams, Meredith Monk, Brian Eno, Ryūichi Sakamoto, as well as to the new generation Caroline Shaw, Bryce Dessner and Nico Muhly.

After giving numerous concerts based on these works, she felt the need to record in their entirety this essential monument in the history of music, which bridges the gap between the 20th and 21st centuries: Philip Glass's 20 Etudes for piano
by Philip Glass.
His approach helps to place these two books in the great repertoire, alongside the great cycles of studies by Ligeti, Debussy, Dusapin, and before them, Chopin and Liszt.

Philip Glass was born in 1937 and grew up in Baltimore. He studied at the University of Chicago, the Juilliard School and in Aspen with Darius Milhaud. Dissatisfied with much of what was then considered modern music, he moved to Europe, where he studied with the legendary pedagogue Nadia Boulanger (who also taught Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson and Quincy Jones) and worked closely with sitar virtuoso and composer Ravi Shankar.

The thread linking Philip Glass to Vanessa Wagner may be as simple as a detail: a moment, a pedagogy, a way of looking at the piano. In Words Without Music, Glass recalls his apprenticeship with Nadia Boulanger in Paris - a lesson in rigorous received just as the Nouvelle Vague was about to shatter the conventions of cinema the conventions of cinema, just as the composers of the minimalist movement had done with with the language of music. Nurtured by Ravel and Debussy, the great French pedagogue disciplined yet inquisitive minds, capable of embracing modernity without denying modernity without denying their heritage.

This LP features Christmas music for the piano in a timeless journey through the decades and centuries. These songs have been through a remarkable evolution over the course of several centuries, with the changes they have undergone reflecting the shifting musical styles and cultural influences that prevailed in various times. Composers such as Irving Berlin created Christmas songs centred around the piano that went on to become instant classics. An example that epitomizes this era is Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’. The growth of Christmas carols arranged for piano is a monument to the everlasting spirit of the Christmas holiday as well as the development of musical styles throughout the course of history. On Merry Christmas Pianomania, Jeroen van Veen performs in his signa- ture focused, serene minimalist style, reimagining Christmas music from medieval carols to modern jazz-inspired pieces.

Mutant, in partnership with Back Lot Music, are proud to present the physical media debut of Universal Pictures’ Jurassic World Rebirth Original Motion Picture Soundtrack with music by two-time Grammy® and Academy Award®-winning composer Alexandre Desplat.



To create the score for Jurassic World Rebirth, director Gareth Edwards turned to a distinguished friend, two-time Oscar® winner Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Shape of Water), who worked with Edwards on Godzilla. “I feel very fortunate to be doing the music for a movie franchise like this, which entertained me so greatly, as a filmgoer, for decades,” Desplat says. “I dreamed of writing music for movies like this since I was a teenager, and now, here I am,” he adds with a laugh, “part of Jurassic World, almost a teenager.”



Rebirth represents the second time that Desplat has stepped into a franchise and inherited and adapted iconic musical motifs written by an artist he considers his “forever idol,” the legendary John Williams: Desplat previously took on that challenge with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2. “John Williams wrote a fantastic melody for Jurassic Park that I now get to reinvent, rejigger and resculpt in ways benefit our movie,” Desplat says. “My desire was not to quote John’s score bluntly but subtly echo it or make use of it in the original score I have written for the film in playful and meaningful ways.”



"Continuing in the legacy of composers like John Williams, Don Davis, and Michael Giacchino - Alexandre Desplat brings the action packed Jurassic World: Rebirth to life with equal parts bombast, and tenderness." says Mo Shafeek, co-founder of Mutant. "Beautiful piano melodies give reprieve from thundering percussion, in this beautiful and essential addition to the Jurassic franchise.”

Mutant, in partnership with Netflix, are proud to present the premiere physical media release of Alan Silvestri's epic score to the Netflix original film The Electric State. One of the most important and prolific composers of our lifetime, Alan Silvestri (The Back To The Future Trilogy, Forrest Gump, Predator, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and so many more) rejoins the blockbuster fimmaking duo Joe and Anthony Russo (Avengers: Endgame, Captain America: The Winter Soldier), to score their latest sci-fi epic based on the graphic novel by legendary artist Simon Stålenhag.

These albums are the end result of a collaboration between Cartridge 1987 and the YouTuber Edward who created the YouTube channel "Retro Discovery". With over 200,000 subscribers, this YouTube channel aims to highlight everything related to the "Retro Gaming" culture and the nostalgia that surrounds it.


These albums put together all the musical credits of the 3rd and 4th seasons of Edward's YouTube channel. All the remixes come from the games featured in Edward’s videos.


This is like a tribute to the original composers of these tracks, who have carried these videogames even further than expected, thanks to their musical talents.

A unique sonic journey blending jazz, candombe, dub, hip-hop, and electronic music. Written, sequenced, and recorded by Ian Lampel (Uruguay), the album captures Montevideo's vibrant essence with innovative beats and deep roots. Embark on a sonic journey through the rich tapestry of Ian Lampel's multicultural heritage with his debut solo album, "The Parque Rodó Tapes." From the echoes of his grandparents' wartime exodus from Europe's tumultuous past to the rhythms of daily life in Parque Rodó, Lampel's artistic vision was shaped by a kaleidoscope of influences: Science fiction and fantasy books, graphic design annuals, comics, films, early computers and videogames as well as music; the haunting melodies of Russian and Polish classical composers hummed by his grandmother while cooking, the choir and hammond music of the synagogue, his early explorations in club music and dub or the syncopated drumming of candombe and carnaval echoing in the streets of Montevideo. The composer, producer and bass player, wrote, sequenced and recorded practically everything that is heard throughout the album. With meticulous attention to detail, he has crafted a sonic landscape that seamlessly blends elements of jazz and Uruguayan music with the innovative spirit of dub, hip-hop and electronica; from the infectious rhythms of candombe and the raw energy of murga, to breakbeats, moog's and samples. Drawing from a treasure trove of samples collected over two decades, "The Parque Rodó Tapes" weaves together a tapestry of sound that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking, from the haunting voice of Marosa Di Giorgio and the vibrant cacophony of a carnival field recording by Lauro Ayestaran, to the guest contributions from notable musicians including Lampel's wife, singer/songwriter Eco Lopez, multi-instrumentalist Luciana Giovinazzo on flute, and Ferna Nunez on repique drum. Each track is a testament to Lampel's eclectic vision. A debut album with a certain degree of melancholy that works as a soundtrack to the world in which the artist grew up, a world now gone, without cellphones or social networks, in which everything had to be proactively pursued "in the streets".

Repress.


Bicycle Ride takes you into lo-fi paradise. Enjoy the subliminal vibe of mellow melodies arising out of that true vintage piano sound. Sit back and experience the rhythms and pedal through your inner emotions. Shook's music will take you into a true admiration for melody, rhythm, music in a carefree treadmill of life. Listening to the latest productions of Shook is like watching a Ghibli movie with compositions by Joe Hisaishi. While balancing in the twilight zone between awareness and epiphany you can feel the influences by many artistic and obscure composers and musicians, Shook creates a personal form of electronic music. Creating its own melodies on vintage synths, acoustic pianos and recording drum shots to build his rhythm patterns.Shook creates an easy-listening experience with a deep appreciation for melody, synths and piano's, touching the current lo-fi revival connected with producers such as Nujabes. Influenced by the wonderful creations like the 'Chrono Trigger' video game soundtrack developed by music composer Yasunori Mitsuda. Inspired by synthesizer pioneer Isao Tomita to 70's and synth pop gurus Yellow Magic Orchestra. Become part of a surrealistic episode of yourself enabling you to safely meet your deepest memories.

On an evening in November 2020, Belgian artist Nicolas Rombouts (Dez Mona, Stef Kamil Carlens…) and American-then-Brussels-based artist Matt Watts (+2024) met at Studio Caporal in Antwerp, behind Central Station. Just a week after the suicide of friend and artist Loloman (aka Ward Zwart), and in the wake of the end of a marriage marred by pain, addiction, and depression. The two had spoken by phone and agreed to a recording session.

That evening, they shared their loss in conversation, on muted piano, contrabass, and electronics. Compositions were shared and improvised, and by the next day, their album Muted Songs For Piano was complete.

It is meant to be listened to in one full trip from beginning to end. You’ve traveled across the galaxy and are looking back through a telescope at this world and its lonesome mausoleum of memory. Sounds you can almost hear, and movements you can almost feel, though you know it has passed in the time its light has taken to reach you.

Muted Songs For Piano is an impressive and extremely intense listening experience, an album that engages in a heroic battle with the personal nocturnal demons of the two composers.

Coastal County II marks the fifth release from Oslo-based Lomas Productions, the long-running collaboration between musicians and producers Lars Mellgren and Thomas Hauge. Following the underground success of their 2019 Coastal County, the duo returns with a new installment that expands their instrumental universe. Coastal County II continues the sonic explorations of its predecessor, expanding the palette with a rich blend of cinematic moods and classic soundtrack grooves. Across eight tracks, the album moves from noir-infused symphonics and beat-driven progressions to Anatolian-inspired rock, jazz-tinged vignettes, and mountainous melodies. While steeped in the traditions of composers like David Axelrod and Alessandro Alessandroni, Coastal County II adds a Nordic sensibility – rich in details with shadows around the edges. This is not just a follow-up. It's a continuation.

With Vermilion Hours, Melaine Dalibert offers a condensed rereading of his Musique pour le lever du jour, still exploring minimal variations and subtle piano resonances. This new version, enriched by David Sylvian's discreet electronic textures, retains the atmospheric magic of the original while offering a new density. Sylvian, best known as the singer of Japan, is also an important figure in ambient music, collaborating with Czukay, Hassell and Sakamoto. Their collaboration, born of a sincere artistic affinity, acts here as a transmission between generations. The two tracks on the album - Musique pour le lever du jour and Arabesque - evoke a soundscape where each note is reflected and diffracted infinitely. The electronic work acts like a halo, a vibrant aura. Dalibert speaks of a desire to humanize his theoretical processes, to touch through the organic. Like a Klee painting, each stratum of sound builds depth. This is, indeed, "landscape music," where, if you listen closely, you might hear birds singing in the background. And that is the true essence of these suspended harmonies, these vermilion hours-which transport us, as only the contemplation of nature can, into another space-time, a sonic bath that is also a renewal of the senses. Since his career with Japan began in 1974, David Sylvian has explored a wide range of musical territories, collaborating with the likes of Robert Fripp, Jon Hassell, Readymade FC and Ryuichi Sakamoto - venturing as far as ambient music, which he further develops here in tandem with Melaine Dalibert. While continuing to teach at the Rennes Conservatoire, Melaine Dalibert regularly releases albums on various labels and performs both his own works and those of other composers - most recently, a reworking of Keith Jarrett's Köln Concert. He also co-curates the Autres Mesures festival. The two pieces forming Vermilion Hours feel like transcending the generations. Between Melaine Dalibert (born in 1979) and David Sylvian (1958) lies the same generational gap as between Sylvian and Czukay (1938-2017) or Hassell (1937-2021). The CD versions adds two edit versions of both long tracks.

Clear Vinyl. While Jamie Saft has been a significant presence on previous RareNoise recordings by Slobber Pup, Plymouth and Metallic Taste of Blood, the renegade keyboardist and essential Downtown improviser steps into a dramatically different role on The New Standard. A collaborative trio outing featuring the dream rhythm tandem of drummer Bobby Previte and bassist Steve Swallow, both prolific composers and venerable bandleaders in their own right, it showcases Saft alternating between piano and organ and making thoughtful, melodic contributions throughout. The album is the result of a magical recording and direct mixing session in Saft's own Pottervilles Studios, masterfully setup and captured by 5 - Time Grammy winning engineer Joe Ferla, who is regarded as the fourth member of the band for this remarkably empathetic endeavour. Ferla recorded everything analog direct to two-track 1/2" tape through a Neve console. On ten original tracks, seven of which the keyboardist composed, Saft blends brilliantly with his esteemed elders on this remarkable RareNoise release.

Featuring waves of neon synths, pristine machine funk, scorched ambient drones, gnarled bass lines, playful radiophonics & industrial percussion, this thrilling selection of obscure 1980's electronica is compiled by Zyklus (Alan Gubby / Revbjelde) and presented on 10" white vinyl. "On a teaching placement during the pandemic, I found a dusty cupboard above our college theatre holding 200+ library music CDs. Most of the discs were from the Arcadia Cosmos library, a prolific production house active during the late 1980s and early 1990s. I spent the next few weeks working through the discs and found several interesting electronic pieces although, pseudonym or not, I didn't recognise any of the composers involved. Further research kept leading to dead ends with Arcadia's owners having long vacated their last known address and web links either broken or abandoned. So more questions than answers remain about the library's provenance. For instance, who was / is the brilliantly named David Beast? Did Kraftwerk engage trans-european lawyers after hearing Endurance Test? Was Sylvia Sommer deliberately channelling vintage 1960's radiophonics by John Baker? What studio gear was used to create the distinctive Arcadia sound? And, for what appears to have been a UK-based company, why are so many of the album titles, tracks and composer names distinctly Germanic? If anyone has the answers please get in touch." Zyklus / Winter 2024

BACK IN PRINT! Glenn Branca’s first full-length album The Ascension is a colossal achievement. After touring much of 1980 with an all-star band featuring four guitarists (Branca, fellow composers Ned Sublette and David Rosenbloom, and future Sonic Youth member Lee Ranaldo) along with Jeffrey Glenn on bass and Stephan Wischerth on drums, Branca took his war-torn group into a studio in Hell’s Kitchen to record five incendiary compositions. Originally released in the summer of 1981, The Ascension effectively tears down the genre-ghettos between 20th century avant-garde and ecstatic rock ’n’ roll. On “The Spectacular Commodity,” chiming, shimmering tones unfold into sinister drone-territory à la Tony Conrad, while abrasive guitars and repetitive beats retain the raw primitivism of No Wave. The title track attains a densely packed, larger-than-life sound and (as author Marc Masters says best) “never stops climbing skyward.” With artist Robert Longo’s stark front cover that depicts Branca battling an unidentified man, The Ascension is a must-have record not only for fans of early Swans and Sonic Youth, but also of Steve Reich or Slint’s Tweez.

In C is a musical piece by the composer and performing musician Terry Riley. As one of the first minimalist compositions and a masterpiece of this genre it’s a response to the modern music that dominated the scene in 1968. The piece inspired a lot of famous composers, like Philip Glass and Steve Reich. In C consists of repeating cells and different rhythms, loosely based on the musical structures he had heard and loved in north African music. 53 short musical phrases
is where the compositions is made of. The thing that makes In C so enduring is that, once all concept is stripped away, it’s a seriously hypnotic piece of music. For listeners with a sympathy for minimalism it’s a wild and impressive work, full of energy.

In C is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl.

In C is a musical piece by the composer and performing musician Terry Riley. As one of the first minimalist compositions and a masterpiece of this genre it’s a response to the modern music that dominated the scene in 1968. The piece inspired a lot of famous composers, like Philip Glass and Steve Reich. In C consists of repeating cells and different rhythms, loosely based on the musical structures he had heard and loved in north African music. 53 short musical phrases is where the compositions is made of. The thing that makes In C so enduring is that, once all concept is stripped away, it's a seriously hypnotic piece of music. For listeners with a sympathy for minimalism it’s a wild and impressive work, full of energy. In C is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl.

A captivating deep cut from the golden age of Italian library music, Il Ponte Dell’Asia stands as one of Piero Umiliani’s most evocative and exotic soundscapes. Originally released in 1967 as a private pressing for Italian the TV documentary by Corrado Sofia, this elusive gem blends Far Eastern motifs with the elegance of mid-century European jazz and the textured experimentation that defines Umiliani’s best work.

On Il Ponte Dell’Asia, Umiliani constructs a cinematic bridge between continents, layering modal melodies, sinuous flutes, shimmering vibraphones, and richly orchestrated strings over hypnotic rhythms and subtly psychedelic touches. The result is a masterful fusion of East-meets-West that channels both travelogue fantasy and avant-garde sophistication — a rare synthesis of traditional instrumentation and modernist sensibility.

Exported from the original tapes, pressed on high-quality vinyl and with faithfully restored artwork, this reissue offers a long-overdue return to one of Umiliani’s most immersive sonic journeys, an essential for fans of Italian library music, film scores, and genre-defying jazz.

Rediscover a lost jewel from the vault of one of Italy’s most visionary composers — where bamboo forests, smoky clubs, and dreamlike landscapes converge in sound.

©℗ 1967, Liuto Edizioni Musicali / Licensed to Holy Basil Records by Liuto Edizioni Musica

From small beginnings in 1974 as a local cinema and university event, Film Fest Gent has grown yearly in stature and is now recognised as one of the major destinations for the film industry. A vital component is the celebration of film music in the shape of the World Soundtrack Awards which honours the very best composers at work in the world of cinema. In 2016 the award went to one of the most brilliant composers of his generation, Ryuichi Sakamoto. This is the first overview of his remarkable catalogue of film scores, fully approved by the composer and performed by the masterful Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Dirk Brossé. Sakamoto was already a celebrated pioneer in electronic music and composer/pianist/singer in Japan when director Nagisa Oshima asked him to write the score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence in 1983 and also to star alongside David Bowie. In a 30 year plus career since then he has worked with the cream of film directors including Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor), Brian De Palma (Snake Eyes), Pedro Almodovar (High Heels) and most recently Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant). This compilation is a fitting tribute to his status as one of the greatest living musicians and film composers.