quête:nas

Nachdem Ásgeir jahrelang mit Übersetzern wie John Grant zusammengearbeitet und die Poesie seines Vaters, Einar Georg Einarsson, vertont hat, betritt er nun neues Terrain: Zum ersten Mal in seiner langen und gefeierten Karriere hat er die Texte komplett selbst verfasst.

Ásgeir wird seit Langem für seinen detailreichen Folk-Pop, die opulente Produktion und sein sehnsüchtiges, gefühlvolles Falsett gefeiert. „Julia“ markiert eine Wende – nicht nur hin zu lyrischer Eigenständigkeit, sondern auch zu kathartischer Direktheit, mit Songs, die nicht nur meisterhaft vorgetragen, sondern auch durchlebt wirken. „Das war irgendwie das erste Mal, dass ich die Texte völlig allein geschrieben habe“, erzählt er. „Es war beängstigend. Ich versuche immer noch, mich darin zu finden. Aber ich habe versucht, mich zu öffnen, und habe in diesem Prozess viel gelernt. Es war auf jeden Fall therapeutisch für mich.“

Dieses neue Gefühl der Verletzlichkeit zieht sich durch die zehn Stücke des Albums, die über einen Zeitraum von fast zwei Jahren geschrieben und aufgenommen wurden. Viele der Songs entstanden zunächst auf der Gitarre, wobei Ásgeir auf Schlichtheit setzte und Melodie, Klarheit und Bedeutung in den Vordergrund stellte. Die Produktion, gemeinsam mit seinem langjährigen Weggefährten Guðm. „Kiddi“ Kristinn Jónsson entwickelt, bleibt organisch und zurückhaltend – und gibt so Ásgeirs Stimme, und vor allem seiner Stimme als Songwriter, den nötigen Raum.

Der aus Nashville stammende Cellist Nathaniel Smith, den Ásgeir als „Zauberer“ beschreibt, steuert hier und im gesamten Album atmosphärische Klangteppiche bei. Mit improvisierten Melodien verleiht er den Stücken Leben und Tiefe – auf eine Weise, die Ásgeir sich zuvor nicht vorgestellt hatte.

David Zé - Mutudi Ua Ufolo / Viúva da Liberdade is a major milestone in Angolan music, intensely blendingsemba, rumba, and bolero, recordedat the height of the country"s liberation struggle. Both soulful and political, the album resonates far beyond Luanda, carrying a universal spirit akin to that of Bob Marley. Originally released on CDA with Conjunto Merengue, it captures David Zé at his creative peak. Sung in Portuguese and local dialects, it combines rhythmic elegance with deep commitment, weaving links between Afro-Brazilian and Latin American traditions. After his assassination in 1977, the album was banned for several years, before being reborn as an essential work of resistance and beauty. In 2008, his legacy found a new echo when Damian Marley and Nas sampled "Undenge Uami" on Distant Relatives.

Animaleja (Medellín, Colombia) and No Sabes (Nashville, Tennessee) unveil Nostalgia De Mar Remixed a special edition that brings together eight artists from across the globe. From the tropicanibalismo of Meridian Brothers in Bogotá and the experimental guaracha of DJ Malicia in Medellín, to the digital cumbia of Ruido Selecto weaving Latin roots with bass music, the album traces a sonic journey across continents. In Japan, Nickelman and Boogie Mason reimagine tropical sounds through lofi beats and hip hop, while in Amsterdam Apichat Pakwan fuses Asian tropical bass with contemporary electronica. Back in the tropics, Palka (Chiriki Records, Panama) offers a downtempo universe, and on the Mexico–Los Angeles border, 714 channels the power of the Latin club scene. Nostalgia De Mar Remixed is a global dialogue of rhythms, voices, and territories, where tropical roots find new forms beyond borders.

Dear friends, What’s left of a genre when you drop the posturing and keep nothing but feeling, space and rhythm? Freudenthaler answers that question straight up with a stripped-back, no-nonsense take on UK garage. With a sharp ear for space, swing and restraint, he boils the sound down to its core — nodding to the golden age of sound system culture while lacing it with the jazz-tinged touches that run through his productions. The result is a record that feels both timeless and personal. Freudenthaler plays with expectations, flips them neatly, and leaves just enough room between the beats for the atmosphere to breathe and the dancefloor to lock in. One for lovers of vinyl, heavy sub and subtle moves. Sincerly yours, Brombért P.S.: The physical release comes with handcrafted, screen-printed artwork by the fabulous graphic artist Zatina Kessl

James Ruskin's Blueprint Records celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026. Kicking off the festivities Vinicius Honorio returns to the label but this time it's alongside R.M.K who makes his Blueprint debut.

Vinicius Honorio is a Brazilian-born, London-based DJ and producer whose vision of techno is built on hypnotic repetition, gritty textures and emotional weight. With a career spanning over 2 decades, Vinicius has emerged as a powerful voice in contemporary techno - raw, focused and unflinchingly honest. His productions blend relentless drive with intricate groove, often laced with haunting melodic undertones and has released music on the likes of Figure, Token, Mord andSK_eleven, as well as Blueprint.

Hailing from London, R.M.K is the alias of Fossil Archive label head Roberto, representing a faster and more intense take on his unique brand of Techno. During his 20+ year career in music, he has formed friendships and worked in partnership with other respected artists such as Trevino (Marcus Intalex), Jamie Anderson, Robert Owens, Goldie and Nastia. Although the focus is always on the very heart of the most raucous of raves, R.M.K never shies away from groove and funk

Swiss artist Lukas Traxel releases his powerful debut album One-Eyed Daruma on We Jazz Records, March 10. The trio features Traxel on double bass, Otis Sandsjö on sax and Moritz Baumgärtner on drums. Compact, deep, and organic to the bone, Traxel & co's sound echoes the innovations of rhythmically driven avantgarde jazz while keeping things moving at all times. There's both drive and freedom to this sound.
ONe-Eyed Daruma features eight new compositions by Traxel, who crafted the outline for the album while dealing with the loss of his father. The group came together after an open invitation from the Zurich jazz club Moods to present a new group. The trio of Traxel, Sandsjö and Baumgärtner creates a full, symphonic, and powerful body of sound despite the instrumentation without a harmony instrument. The trio functions as a collective where the boundaries between composition, melody, and accompaniment are in flux, while keeping the common goal of creating new music together in sight at all times. Traxel reports that after playing bass in various groups with guitar and/or piano, he wanted to create a counterpoint of sorts with his new group and specifically go about it with a more sparse setup. As One-Eyed Drama proves, the idea behind the trio dynamic is a strong one and the unit makes use of their extra space in creating evocative, moody, swinging creative jazz with a distinguishable fingerprint of its own.
Lukas Traxel says:

"The process of composing this music while dealing with the loss of a loved one resulted in a writer's block at first. The notes would just not flow out of my pen until I noticed a mysterious-looking figure in the right upper corner of my piano. It was a daruma, an eyeless figure that in the Japanese tradition brings luck and prosperity. According to the myth, the first eye must be drawn onto the figure while expressing a wish. The second eye can be added only if the wish comes true. My daruma is meant to stay one-eyed as my wish, strongly connected and intertwined with my now gone father, is not meant to be fulfilled. The feeling of unfulfillment and imperfection of life serves as a common thread throughout this album, right down to its title. In a similar fashion, a composition remains incomplete until it is interpreted by musicians, and given form as music. That being said, for me playing together with this trio symbolises the upside: the sense of fulfillment in music and life.

Our musical influences include the American composer and singer Caroline Shaw, Swiss pianist Colin Vallon's trio, and composer/singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane. In addition, I have listened a lot to the trio albums of Jimmy Guiffre and Sonny Rollins. Besides that, my musical heroes like Charlie Haden, John Coltrane, and Keith Jarrett always flow into the music. Another very important influence in the music is the work of American visual artist Agnes Martin, in whose works the imperfection of a multiplicity of repetitions results in a lively big whole in the end. (See "Wild Flower")

Live, the trio takes a lot of freedom in interpreting this music, yet we have a deeper, almost pop-like attitude towards the live performance as an experience. For me it's always important to build a strong narrative with the band while on stage."

One-Eyed Daruma by Lukas Traxel is released on 10 March 2023 by We Jazz Records on LP/CD/digitally. The LP edition is shelved in an inside-out sleeve and pressed on white vinyl. The CD is housed in a cardboard digisleeve with UV lacquer finish.

The Mad Geezers are basically F-Spot mainstays Night Owls’ Dan Ubick, Dave Wilder, and Roger Rivas, but with long-time friend and drum guru, Oliver Charles (Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Gogol Bordello) behind the kit. It’s safe to say that these four musicians love their Ska, Rocksteady, roots, and dub, but for this lineup, the four Mad Geezers collectively decided to explore their other obsession... early Jamaican Dancehall.

First on producer Dan Ubick’s To Do list was to channel the fun, attitude, and natural talent on records by Jamaican legends like Yellowman, U-Roy, Sister Nancy, Barrington Levy, Bunny Wailer, and Freddie McGregor. Secondly, find a song that no Jamaican artist has covered, but every DJ on the planet loves, and flip it into a Dancehall groove. Hmm… What about Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love”? Ooh! That’s it! So, The Mad Geezers broke out synths, Syn drums, and invited some friends to the party, stepping up to the plate with the brand-new F-Spot Records 45 “Genius Of Love” b/w “Genius Of Dub (Roger Rivas Dub Version). Featuring vocals by one of Jamaica’s shining jewels, Ranking Joe & Oakland’s chosen daughter, Destani Wolf (who many will recall from top-selling Night Owls singles such as “After Laughter” and “Let’s Stay Together,”) this 7” is a sure shot.

With its iconic bass line and catchy synth hook, this 1981 decade-long crate essential is in the collective unconscious at this point. Whether you found it as a Talking Heads fan, or as a rap music fan via Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde’s “Genius Rap” or Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “It’s Nasty,” the groove is infectious. It’s hard to imagine no one had yet infused this punk-disco powerhouse with a dancehall injection… until now.

Repressed!!

Peggy Gou is proud to announce the launch of her own independent record label, Gudu Records. The label's first release will be the Moment EP - a two-track 12' featuring the tracks 'Starry Night' and 'Han Pan'.
'Moment' sees Gou continue to explore the charismatic facets of her musical and personal identity, drawing on her Korean heritage and language and her love for house & disco's Eighties heritage, with particular nods to the output of labels such as Prelude and West End Records in the decade's nascent years.
Gou's own singing voice, known to so many from last year's 'Once' EP, returns here to confidently guide the rhythm on 'Starry Night'. Mixing both Korean and English vocals over a tumbling cascade of percussion and piano house keys, the track builds to incorporate layers of instrumental samples and subtle acid lines. Romantic, anthemic and timeless in its feel, it reaffirms Gou's skill as a songwriter with appeal that resonates beyond crowded dancefloors, not to mention language barriers.
'Han Pan' follows as an instantly rhythmic affair that draws energy from a memorable and delicately tuned pan-drum. Alongside some expert and understated arrangement, as well as another, contrasting vocal performance, 'Han Pan' transmits a different but equally powerful energy.

British singer-songwriter Lucy Kitt unveils her highly anticipated second album, Telling Me, a deeply personal collection that shifts focus from introspection to storytelling, capturing the lives and struggles of those closest to her. Drawing from her love of 70’s Laurel Canyon folk, 90’s indie rock, and country music, Kitt crafts narratives that blend her own experiences with compassionate observations of loved ones. Based on a raw acoustic “three chords and the truth” style of songwriting that ripples throughout, the album expands with full-band arrangements that give a huge range and richness to the sound.

Though influenced by American musical traditions, the Essex-native maintains her distinctive voice and authenticity, ensuring the music remains unmistakably her own. Following her 2018 debut Stand By, this new record represents a more mature approach to songwriting, written during her early 30s and completed in the 2021 lockdown – a storybook of songs capturing that moment in time.

Musically, Telling Me showcases Kitt's stripped-down acoustic foundations, while incorporating fuller arrangements that blend her love of Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons, Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, with music she loved as a teenager such as The Lemonheads and Veruca Salt. The album features collaborations with an impressive roster of musicians, including Jay Starkey on drums, Nashville-based pedal steel virtuoso Spencer Cullum, Treetop Flyer’s Sam Beer and longtime collaborator Pat Kenneally on drums and piano.

Recorded between 2021-2023 at London's Lightship 95 studio at Trinity Buoy Wharf, the album was co-produced and engineered by Dave Holmes, with some musicians contributing remotely from Nashville and London.

Kitt's commitment to authenticity extends to every aspect of the album, from the down-to-earth, home-based album artwork which represents her life right now as a musician and a working mum, with all the wonderful chaos that comes along with it. Also her decision to maintain her natural accent throughout her vocals. "I have always retained my authentic self in my songs," she explains. "Always singing with my own accent, despite the influences of all the bands and artists over the years."

Kitt has been songwriting and performing for over 20 years, starting in a riot grrl band in her teens in her hometown of Romford, Essex, before evolving into the thoughtful folk storyteller she is today. A semi-finalist at the BBC Young Folk Awards in the early 2000s, she has performed at major festivals including Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival, building a reputation for intimate, lyrically-focused performances.

Telling Me is a resplendent collection of songs, capturing the human experience with great empathy, honesty and musical sophistication that has become Lucy Kitt's signature.

“My auntie asked me what’s my path?” spits Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon on his debut from the celebrated Lex Records. The lyric relatably references the cross roads he’s at in his current life, especially as someone right on the cusp of rap stardom. “Recently I’ve been thinking more and more about what comes next in my life,” the artist reveals.


It’s fair to say Ogbon’s Lex LP features less of the sh*t-talking court jester of old. Instead, there’s more of an imperfect man re-examining past mistakes so he can avoid any future forks in the road. There’s a particular focus on overcoming heartbreak, inspiring Ogbon to admit he’s haunted by an ex so badly he now needs to call up the Ghostbusters for assistance.

Since emerging in the late 2010s, Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon has consistently lit up America’s underground rap scene and this is thanks to a refreshingly honest writing style. Amid the exquisitely wavy strings of 2021’s The Missing Link / The Sneaky Link, for example, he rapped: “Everyone thinks they’re player, until their bitch doesn’t come home.” Biting and snappy, the nasally vocals carry the playful verve of comedian Richard Pryor bravely excavating personal Demons to solicit giggles.

All this brash, wry Redman-inspired storytelling continues on the new project. Its first single is titled I’m Signed to Lex, Now I’m Up – a name that mirrors what a big moment releasing a project on the label that once housed MF DOOM represents for Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon’s legacy. “I’m really driven by being able to level up and give my family more financial freedom,” he hopes.
And, if auntie asked what his path was right now, what exactly would the rapper say? Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon concludes: “Auntie: this rapping thing feels like it’s finally about to pay off!”

Sacramento (CA) Heavyweight Crushers Return! Oromet presents atmospheric funeral doom with a melodic emphasis without surrendering the all-encompassing heaviness that is the genre's hallmark. Where some seek to immiserate and drown the listener, Oromet explores the complete nature of sorrow as the band weaves the choke of despair and the lightness of serenity. The Sinking Isle focuses on the inevitability of collapse and the cycles of ruin and rebirth. Adrift on cataclysmic seas, melody remains the compass—a hopeful light guiding the listener through themes of loss, nostalgia, and pessimism. For fans of Mournful Congregation, Bell Witch & Esoteric. Dan Aguilar: Guitar, Vocals Patrick Hills: Drums, Bass, Synth, Backing Vocals Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Patrick Hills at Earthtone Studios Cover Artwork: Ted Nasmith Design, Layout, Illustration: Dan Aguilar Additional Backing Vocals: Chris Lemos

With a GRAMMY nomination and years of touring experience, this female- forward string band releases a career- defining album with Magic Accident . Longtime supporters of women in roots music, Della Mae teamed up with producer Alison Brown for this new release, their first on Nashville-based Compass Records. Magic Accident showcases the band's range of talents, from Americana songs that evoke early Chicks to energetic bluegrass and dreamy indie folk-inspired tunes.

The band's vocal power and instrumental skill shine throughout this mostly original collection, with standout tracks including "Out Run 'Em," written by guitarist Avril Smith and featuring champion fiddler and band founder Kimber Ludiker, "Lifeline," sung by bassist Vickie Vaughn, and the title track, written and sung by Celia Woodsmith. Guest artists on the project include Mary Bragg (vocals) and Jen Gunderman (accordion), with Brown playing banjo and guitar throughout. Since forming in Boston in 2010, Della Mae has proved to the roots music world that an all-women band is no novelty. Their 2013 Rounder Records release, This World Oft Can Be, earned them their first GRAMMY nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. That same year, the International Bluegrass Music Association named them Emerging Artist of the Year. Della Mae has performed in over 30 countries on behalf of the U.S. State Department. They are favorites on the roots music circuit, where their highenergy performances always get audiences on their feet, inspired by the power of their music and message. Available on turquoise coloured vinyl with 4-page folder and digipak CD editions

Then known as Catacomb, their early recordings of unusual gothic doom metal were to quickly gain the band interest. It was around 1993 that the brothers decided that a name change was in order & Novembre was born. Following swiftly on the back of 2006's 'Materia' release - Novembre's first album for their then new label, Peaceville - & in the wake of the great acclaim the band was receiving at the time for its highly captivating blend of atmospheric, emotional & progressive rock/metal, arrived the follow-up opus, 'The Blue', in 2007.

Featuring among the band's strongest compositions to date & with twists of doom/ gothic which brought to mind classic bands such as Opeth, 'The Blue' was a flawlessly executed opus of soaring majestic anthems in the unmistakable Novembre style. 'The Blue' was recorded at Outersound Studios, Italy, by the band & mixed at Finnvox Studios in Finland (Nightwish, Finntroll, HIM). Artwork was created by Travis Smith (Katatonia, Opeth). Following the recent release of the band's stellar 'Words Of Indigo' album, this edition of 'The Blue' is presented on black vinyl with printed inner sleeve featuring lyrics & arrives on the vinyl format for the first time.

"Deep Purple's Greatest Hits, released in 2009, is a comprehensive compilation showcasing the legendary band's most iconic tracks. Spanning their groundbreaking career, the album features classic live versions of hits like ""Smoke on the Water,"" ""Highway Star,"" ""Child in Time,"" and ""Black Night,"" offering a perfect introduction to Deep Purple's influential sound. Known as pioneers of hard rock and heavy metal, the band’s virtuosic guitar solos, soaring vocals, and dynamic keyboard riffs shine throughout this collection. Greatest Hits captures the essence of Deep Purple's heyday while celebrating their timeless appeal. It highlights the band’s ability to blend powerful rock energy with intricate musicianship, making them a cornerstone of the genre. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, this compilation is an essential addition to any rock music collection, solidifying Deep Purple’s legacy as one of the most influential bands in rock history. Greatest Hits is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on purple coloured vinyl."

Backyard Babies wurde 1987 in Nässjö gegründet und kann mit Fug und Recht als Schwedens einflussreichste Glam-Punk-Band bezeichnet werden. Zwischen 1994 und 2019 veröffentlichten sie acht Studioalben, darunter 2001 das Album "Making Enemies Is Good".

2001 kannten sich die Backyard Babies bereits mit Verstärkern und Mikrofonen aus, aber so richtig in Fahrt kamen sie erst mit der Veröffentlichung von "Making Enemies Is Good". Mit "Brand New Hate", "Heaven 2.9" und "The Clash" gewann das Album der einflussreichen schwedischen Glam-Punk-Hardrocker ihren ersten schwedischen Grammy. Zur Unterstützung des Albums gingen sie mit Motörhead auf Tour, was angesichts der Energie absolut perfekt passte.

Repress!

Second Phase (aka Joey Beltram and Mundo Muzique) are 2 legendary producers whose output shaped an entire generation of ravers, DJs and producers minds.
'Mentasm / Mind To Mind' is one such influential release, literally creating new styles, new directions and impacting on dance music for decades to come. Unique programming and fresh sounds made their records stand out head and shoulders above everyone else's output. 'Mentasm' particularly broke ground with it's now infamous 'hoover sound', influencing house, techno and trance music to come and even spilling over into the nascent hardcore, jungle and D&B scenes where it was often imitated or sampled by producers who wanted that ruff, visceral feel for their own tracks, but didn't know how to create it themselves. A new energy was born and it emanated from this milestone 12". 'Mind To Mind' on the flipside is equally as deadly, but in a deeper, more spaced out realm it maneuvers and pulls into a trippy early morning space, the yin to 'Mentasm's yang. This is a quintessential techno record, a glimpse of innovation from back in the day. File under 'classic'.

This special 2021 edition is reissued by R&S Records from original master sources, remastered by Curve Pusher.

A vinyl soundtrack for GQuuuuuuX (Geku Axe) is now available!

"Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX" is a new Gundam series, a collaboration between Studio Khara, the creators of the "Evangelion" series,
and Sunrise, the creators of the Gundam series. The pre-release theatrical version was released in January of this year, becoming a huge hit,
grossing approximately 3.4 billion yen and attracting over 2.06 million viewers.
The TV broadcast began in April, and it became one of the most talked-about anime titles of the spring.
A vinyl record featuring a selection of the soundtrack from "Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX," including the music used in the pre-release theatrical
version, is now available. The music was co-produced by Junsei Terui, known as a member of the bands "Haisui no Nasa" and "siraph" and
Masayuki Hasuo, also a member of "siraph," and composer of the anime "Jujutsu Kaisen" series and the live-action film "Showtime Seven"
The music, which includes pop, electronica, and minimal music that fits the worldview of the work, will allow you to experience a new "Gundam"
sound. The LP label side is colored vinyl (splatter disc) and it is a set of two discs!

Zombie Club presents a re-edition (new sleeve art) of "Mambo Calypso" another volume of sonic Caribbean Cruise. Following the approach of the first volume and understanding the Caribbean as a region is not limited to a strictly geographical demarcation but rather a demographic and cultural space where countries, islands and coastal areas may fall into a common Mare Nostrum even arrives in New Orleans. The influence of African drum and the "Cuban clave" makes different music beyond its specific components be they Latinos, Anglos or Frenchie's - look at themselves and recognize a certain family. This is not a coincidence, since the slave trade brought African music from the port of Havana to Cartagena de Indias, Nassau, Port-au-Prince, Salvador de Bahía and the southern United States. The same Blackness, the same rhythm, the same festive mood, spirit of resistance and struggle. And so, Arsenio Rodriguez can be heard without jumps next to a Calypso of Blind Blake, or a tasty Pacho Galán's coastal Cumbia crossover with Dave Bartholomew's Mambo or a Latin Swing of Lalo Guerrero, where the Dominican Merengue sounds Joseíto Mateo in line with that of its Haitian neighbor Nemour Jean Baptiste. A very spicy musical "melting pot," a gumbo of percussion and languages, to enjoy and dance. Re-board the Zombie Club Cruise, mixing different genres of Caribbean music with a high dance and rhythmic component. This selection designed for collectors, Dj's & calypsofied zombie dancers.

Nastia's imprint launches a new compilation series curated by selected music connoisseurs and crate diggers, with ANNÉ as the debut curator.

Each compilation features handpicked unreleased pieces including an exclusive track by the curator. The release pairs a curated double vinyl with a CD featuring the curator's own mix of the compilation.

For this first edition, ANNÉ has put together a balanced journey that opens with Gaetano Parisio's dynamic old-school energy and closes with The Advent's raw classic techno. Between these two legends, the selection flows seamlessly across the first 12".

The second record takes a more soulful direction, starting with Newa and closing with ANNÉ's own track - a natural way to wrap up the journey she's curated, serving both as a closing piece and the final statement of the compilation.

Before he turned 20, Lô Borges released one of the most captivating albums to come out of Brazil's rich musical landscape - a record that somehow flew under the radar at the time but has since become a cult favorite for listeners around the world. Recorded in the same whirlwind year as the legendary "Clube da Esquina" - the groundbreaking collaboration with Milton Nascimento and Beto Guedes - this self-titled solo debut finds Lô Borges in full creative flight. Pressured by Odeon Records to deliver a solo project, Borges responded with a burst of youthful brilliance, sometimes writing a song in the morning and laying it down in the studio that very night. The result? An album that's spontaneous, heartfelt, and sonically stunning. From the shimmering guitars of 'Você Fica Melhor Assim' to the dreamy melodies of 'Cançao Postal' and the jazz-infused groove of 'Calibre,' the album blends Brazilian popular music with rock, soul, and subtle psychedelic touches. It's got the intimate spirit of a bedroom recording, but with the musical sophistication of legends - with collaborators like Toninho Horta, Tenorio Jr., Nelson Angelo, and of course, Beto Guedes helping bring Borges' vision to life. Fans of Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, or early Nascimento will feel right at home here - but Lô Borges brings his own voice, at once tender and electrifying, to every track. The guitars are fuzzy, the harmonies rich, and the songwriting nothing short of magical. Though it didn't make a splash in 1972, "Lô Borges" has only grown in stature over the years. It's the kind of album you discover once, then return to again and again - a timeless treasure from a young artist who helped redefine Brazilian music from the ground up. If you're into warm, soulful songwriting with a touch of experimental edge, this record is waiting for you. Give it a listen - and see why "Lô Borges" is considered one of Brazil's most underrated masterpieces. Reissue on 180g vinyl.

Rich musical history of Yugoslavia reveals a long-lasting love for the music of Latin America.
Entwined in Afro-Cuban rhythms, ballrooms were shakin', swayin' and swingin', gathering musicians who were heavily into jazz bands and orchestras, most notably in Ljubljana, Zagreb, and Belgrade. Jazz could be heard on the streets of Split way back in 1919 when dancing became a symbol of freedom. Radio was the most loved household item, newest sheet music was in demand and collecting records was hip like today. In the aftermath of Second World War, jazz went underground but little by little, things changed and Ella, Satchmo, Dizzy and Miles came to visit, among others. Music festivals shaped the music for entertainment and variety of popular styles showed influences from all over the world. In the early sixties, one particular rhythm crashed on the coast of the Adriatic Sea: the rhythm of bossa nova!

In the whirlwind of various musical styles, Latin American music still played important part of the scene in the early sixties Yugoslavia. Beguine, tango, rhumba, samba, calypso, mambo and cha-cha-cha all found their place on the festivals inspired by famous Sanremo, festival of Italian popular song that largely shaped the musical taste of Europe. It was the era of instrumental rock, R & B and rock'n'roll - sounds of "imperialist America" now played freely on imported and hand-made electric guitars. While dancing halls had been turning into concert venues, bossa nova has come! Eydie Gorme with Blame It on the Bossa Nova and Paul Anka with Eso Besso (That Kiss!) tried to make us learn some new dance moves but it was Joao Gilberto's gentle singing and his new way of playing samba songs, along with Tom Jobim's modern dissonant harmonies and poetry of Vinicius de Moraes that created the magic. When American alto saxophonist and flautist Bud Shank visited Zagreb and Ljubljana in 1963 (with Boško Petrović in his quintet) "it was the first time we heard bossa nova!" remembers Stjepan Braco Fučkar. Jugoton, the biggest record company in Yugoslavia, released 4-track EP Bossa Nova by Bogdan Dimitrijević and his ensemble that same year! While not being fully accepted or understood completely, the archives of Jugoton reveal to us various interpretations of this new trend from their vast catalogue.

Leave it to Langhorne Slim - a pioneer of raw, rule-breaking Americana for more than two decades - to reach far beyond the genre he helped inspire.

The Dreamin' Kind finds the Nashville transplant strapping on an electric guitar and embracing his longtime love of larger-than-life rock & roll. With it's chugging power chords, 1970s-sized riffs, and richly layered arrangements, The Dreamin' Kind is fueled not only by sheer amplification, but by the soul-baring songwriting that's become Slim's calling card, too. Tucked between those anthems are acoustic-driven songs that skirt the outer orbits of folk music, from the bare-boned heartbreak of ''Stealin' Time'' to the organic, orchestral sweep of ''Dance On Thru.'' The result is the more explorative and expansive album of Slim's career: a record made for rock clubs, campfires, and garages alike, produced by Greta Van Fleet's Sam Kiszka, and anchored by a lifelong desire to break down new walls.

''It felt like I was blowing some old shit up so I could plant some new flowers,'' Slim says of the creation process. ''I love acoustic music. I love folk music. But those aren't my only loves. Rock & roll has always tickled the same place in my soul as great singer-songwriter music, and I wanted to explore those influences. Raw songs that make you feel something: that's the stuff I'm after.''

Hazy Runway Indie Rock That Oozes Vibes

Katie Schecter is for fans of Sharon Van Etten, Caroline Rose, and Amy Winehouse. Raised in NYC, it feels as if Katie Schecter time traveled to present day from a chicer and more sonically cool yesteryear of the future. She effortlessly blends the half-cool, half-kitsch of her home in Nashville that is neither new nor timeless. Deeply soulful and introspective indie rock vibes await the listener when you drop the needle on this LP. Produced with love and care by Nick Bockrath of Cage The Elephant with an incredible set of musicians (Homer Stenweiss, Leon Michels to name a few!) this LP is one that reveals more of itself the more you spin it.

Till Lindemanns „Zunge 2025“ enthält alle Original-Songs des Albums „Zunge“ aus dem Jahr 2023 sowie 9 zusätzliche Bonustracks. Limitierte 2LP-Edition als schwarze 180g Pressung im 6-seitigen Klappcover. Enthält auch ein 16-seitiges Booklet mit exklusiven Fotos.

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!

Error404 is release its second EP.

The Last Romantic is a blend of 80s vibes, featuring memorable sounds and catchy basslines.

For this release, we feature three original tracks from Sancturu, an Argentinian artist releasing his first EP in physical format. It also includes a collaboration on the A1 track with vocalist Lourene and a powerful rework by Light Blue File, a close friend of the Error404 team and reowned producer.

Vinyl reissue of the most acclaimed album by Brazil's legendary female vocal quartet, this LP captures the group at their creative peak, featuring sophisticated arrangements by Edu Lobo and Luiz Eça (Tamba Trio), A post-bossa gem filled with stunning vocal harmonies. Originally released in 1972 on the Odeon label, Quarteto Em Cy stands as a high-water mark in the group's prolific discography-and a hidden gem for collectors of Brazilian vinyl. Known for their intricate vocal harmonies and deep roots in the bossa nova movement, the quartet ventures into post-bossa territory here, where sophistication meets groove in all the right ways. Arrangements by Edu Lobo and Luiz Eça (of Tamba Trio) lend the album a richly layered sound-elegant, jazzy, and emotionally resonant-while the group's harmonies remain as mesmerizing as ever. It's a masterclass in vocal interplay and tasteful orchestration, with an unmistakable Brazilian soul running through every track. Highlights include their stunning interpretation of Milton Nascimento's 'Tudo Que Você Podia Ser,' along with deep cuts like 'Quando o Carnaval Chegar,' 'Canto de Obá,' and 'Cantoria.' These recordings capture a moment when the group, already respected collaborators of Vinícius de Moraes, Jobim, and Chico Buarque, hit a new creative stride. A MPB landmark and long out of print, often cited as QEC finest work, this self-titled LP has become a sought-after piece among collectors of MPB, bossa, and 70s harmony pop. For those drawn to groups like The Free Design or The Mamas & The Papas-but with a distinctly Brazilian elegance-this album offers a rare and rewarding listen. Reissue on 180g vinyl.

Stephen Murray, for fans of CAAMP, Mt. Joy, and Houndmouth. Stephen Murray is back with another 7" after the success of his first two singles with Soul Step Records. Expanding on those Americana and Folk flavored tracks, Stephen explores R&B and Hazy Indie Rock on these new tunes. ODAAT is where the haze sets in with an introspective indie jam while Darkest Night is a torch ballad that has one of the biggest musical crescendos to wrap up the B-side. Stephen is backed by some of Nashville's best musicians to gather these sounds. Drop the needle on this 45 and soak up this genre-bending artist.

2026 Repress

HOLY GRAIL ALERT!!! Following on 2021’s massive reboot of Midnight Magic’s seminal classic Beam Me Up, Razor-N-Tape have now unearthed a bit of NYC indie disco history with 'I Found Love.'

Although recorded over 10 years ago in Midnight Magic’s nascent early period that produced many of their legendary hits, the song never received an official release; until now it has been heard only by select ears and lucky concert-goers. The package comes with a grip of luminous remixes by Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca, Sophie Lloyd, Perel, some solicited at the time of recording and some brand new, but all exceptionally fresh!

Here are some words about the song by the band:

“'I Found Love' was recorded in a fever on the heels of releasing 'Beam Me Up' New York dance music wizard Tommie Sunshine approached us about a co-write saying we should go as big as possible. So we did, it is one of our all time favorite vocal performances from our singer, Tiffany Roth. We had big plans, too, for a release but nothing quite felt right until meeting the Razor N Tape crew almost a decade later. Finally the stage is set, the lights are on, and we're ready. This song is very special to us because it is the last unreleased recording of our original lineup. We dedicate its release to our late bandmates Andrew Frawley and Jason Disu.”

After finding fame with the Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, expatriate Englishman turned West Coast rock icon Graham Nash made an auspicious solo debut on this 1971 disc. It's an exemplary singer-songwriter effort, striking a vital balance between graceful introspection and political fervor — and while it's deeply personal, it still carries the harmonies, heart and politics that made CSN(Y) so essential.

With assistance from the likes of David Crosby, Jerry Garcia, and Dave Mason, highlights include the sensitive internal explorations "I Used to Be a King" and "Man in the Mirror" and the impassioned protest anthems "Chicago" and "Military Madness."

If Déjà Vu was a wild canyon party with four competing egos, Songs for Beginners is Nash's introspective morning after — a mix of heartbreak, hope, and a little bit of righteous protest. He recorded it while reeling from his split with Joni Mitchell, and you can feel that melancholy seeping through the grooves.

But don't mistake this for a wallowing breakup album — it's also a call to action, packed with the kind of folk-rock anthems that made Nash an indispensable voice of his era. If you love CSN's folk-rock harmonies but also crave a more personal, raw touch, this is a must-listen.

This Analogue Productions (Atlantic Series) reissue of Pain in My Heart is a standout for your collection. First, we turned to Bernie Grundman to cut lacquers from the original master tape. Pressing on 180-gram vinyl is by Quality Record Pressings, and the album is housed in a tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jacket by Stoughton Printing.

The song titles on Van Halen's aptly titled Fair Warning don't lie. The likes of "Unchained," "Mean Street," "Push Comes to Shove," "One Foot Out the Door," and more indicate the mood the band channels on its double-platinum 1981 record — the nastiest, darkest, and fiercest album of the group's storied career. For the fourth time in four years, Van Halen throws down the gauntlet to all challengers and emerges victorious.


Sourced from the original analog tapes, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing, and strictly limited to 5,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP set plays with unfettered clarity, dynamics, and immediacy. Benefitting from superb groove definition, an ultra-low noise floor, and dead-quiet surfaces, this vinyl edition captures what went down in the studio with tremendous realism and involving presence.

Taking a more controlled approach in the studio and still completing everything in less than two weeks, Van Halen and producer Ted Templeman relied on studio amplifiers to direct the sound. Further diverging from the live-on-the-floor approach of its earlier albums, the ensemble also employed overdubs to great effect. The result: Dense, stacked architecture that underlines the hard-hitting tenor of the songs — and which comes alive like never before on this reference edition that looks as good as it sounds.

The premium packaging and gorgeous presentation befit the reissue's select status. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, it features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. Aurally and visually, it is made for listeners who want to immerse themselves in everything involved with the album, including the iconic cover art adopted from William Kurelek's haunting painting, "The Maze."

Isolated frames from Kurelek's childhood-inspired work — including a man bashing his head into a brick wall, a guy pinning down an adversary as he delivers bare-fist blows to his face and others watch with apparent glee, a boy tied down on a conveyer belt and being sent through the equivalent of a meat saw — adorn the front and back covers. The sunnier visual disposition of Van Halen's prior efforts gives way to something sinister and tortured, traits reflective of the music within. The band members, too, are visually depicted not in glamorous shots but in a serious black-and-white portrait in which the quartet is clad in black leather jackets.

Tough, aggressive, stark: Fair Warning comes on like a series of bare-knuckled punches to the solar plexus and boasts lyrical narratives to match. Though not a concept record, the concise album revolves around themes of roughing it on the streets and struggling to survive amid dim prospects. Singer David Lee Roth reportedly penned many of the initial lyrics after traveling to Haiti and observing extreme poverty. The characters and situations populating Fair Warning reflect hardscrabble existence, last-chance desperation, and underlying danger.

Witness the crazies, poor folks, and hunters of “Mean Street”; the former prom queen turned pornographic actress on “Dirty Movies”; the menace and vice of “Sinners Swing!”; the streetwise hustle of “Unchained”; the isolation and alienation of “Push Comes to Shove”; the desire for escape on “One Foot Out the Door”: A carefree California beach party Fair Warning is not.

Having said he felt angry and frustrated during the sessions, guitarist Eddie Van Halen uses the forceful arrangements as a playground for his seemingly unlimited arsenal. Supported by a crack rhythm section and a hyped-up Roth, he performs with an almost impossible combination of punk-like intensity, technical finesse, lyrical fluidity, and unbridled emotion. The virtuoso was increasingly butting heads with Templeton and seeking a freedom in the studio he believed denied him.

No wonder he plays like a bat out of hell. Listen to the rapid-fire manner in which he slaps the high and low E strings on the 12th fret of his instrument on “Mean Street,” instilling the tune with funk flair and metal-spiked sharpness. For the pouty strut of “Dirty Movies,” Eddie Van Halen contributes slide guitar magic made possible after he sawed off the lower portion of a Gibson SG so he could reach further down the fretboard.

Related intensity, urgency, and daredevil momentum punctuate the surging “Sinner’s Swing!” A heavily flanged, delicately melodic introduction frames the attitudinal “Hear About It Later,” among the most creative arrangements of Van Halen’s career. And do riffs come any bigger or magnetic than those on the high-wire kick of “Unchained”? As for the out-of-left-field “Sunday in the Park,” an instrumental composed on an Electro-Harmonix micro-synthesizer: Who but Eddie Van Halen to supply creep factor in such an ingenious way?

Despite selling fewer quantities than Van Halen’s prior efforts, Fair Warning remains for many diehards the record that epitomizes all of the band’s immense strengths —Roth’s manic energy and tongue-wagging humor, Alex Van Halen’s rhythmic heartbeat-in-your-chest bombast, and Michael Anthony’s lucid bass lines included. Arriving when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and new-wave movements were taking flight, it signaled a shot across the bow from a band determined to stay a step ahead and provide proof nobody could touch what it delivered.

More than four decades later, Fair Warning still sounds that alarm.

"Souvenirs opened the door for me in L.A. as far as not just being the kid anymore, but being one of the guys, so I remember that one as a real good time—probably way too good a time! It's a miracle we survived that record." – Dan Fogelberg

Impex Records, in collaboration with Epic Records and Iconic Artists Group, is proud to present the official limited-edition 50th Anniversary 180-gram LP of Souvenirs! Our audiophile vinyl LP has been newly remastered from original analog tapes and features original photographs, new notes, and remembrances from Dan Fogelberg and others who crafted this classic album!

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dan Fogelberg's breakout hit album, newly remastered and lavished with The Impex Treatment.

50th Anniversary Edition
180g Audiophile Vinyl LP
Contains the Top-40 Hit "Part of the Plan" & Fan Favorites "As the Raven Flies" & "Illinois"
Features Members of Eagles, Graham Nash, Gerry Beckley, Kenny Passarelli & Russ Kunkel
Mastered from a Flat 1:1 Transfer of the Original Analog Tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering
Pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing
Exclusive Booklet Containing Original Photos & an Appreciation by Charles L. Granata Featuring Archival & New Interviews with Many of the Participants Who Helped Make This Classic Album
Limited to & Individually Numbered to Only 3,000 Copies

Hip Hop icon and one of the genre’s most distinctive voices, Big L returns with 'Harlem's Finest: Return Of The King', the latest release in Mass Appeal's 'Legend Has It...' series.

Features guest appearances from Nas, JAY Z, Mac Miller, Joey Bada$$, Method Man and more

Featuring 10 of his own compositions, Grossi's renowned virtuosity flows with deep sensitivity through various genres, reflecting the solid trajectory of one of the greatest instrumentalists and most creative musicians in Brazilian music. Collaborating with prominent names from both the national and international music scenes, 'Plural' showcases Grossi's music without borders, offering the world a glimpse of his extensive career. For this celebration, outstanding guests were invited to join the musical journey. Several tracks also highlight Grossi's sensitivity as a songwriter and lyricist. In 'Onde Nascem as Ondas', Ed Motta delivers a soulful ballad carried by his distinctive timbre. Zelia Duncan, sings a unique samba in 'Nosso Amor Vadio' with a captivating cadence. 'Chamego no Salao' captures the spirit of north-eastern Brazil and is brought to life by Lenine's vibrant voice and joyful interpretation, adding a playful tone with a jazzy touch. The art of improvisation is beautifully represented by 'Catarina e Teresa', an improvised composition created in collaboration with the legendary Hermeto Pascoal and dedicated to Grossi's twin daughters. Other tracks include 'Banzo', which showcases a rhythmic dialogue featuring Cuban pianist Omar Sosa. 'Motion', with the brilliance of both Jacob Collier and Seamus Blake, merges jazz and pop in a seamless melodic conversation.

With an open mind and without boundaries, he invites us to explore a vast musical universe, embracing art with profound emotion and passion. This is what you will hear and experience in 'Plural': a deep love for the art of sound and a profound respect for musical diversity - qualities that have defined his career.

Recorded amidst the Vietnam War's turmoil and the tragic Kent State shootings of 1970, Alarm Clock was Havens' urgent wake- up call to a generation - a powerful warning against an overreaching government. This reissue includes two never- before- released tracks: ' Nobody Knows', recorded during the same sessions, and a deeply moving rendition of Graham Nash's 'Military Madness'. A testament to Havens' artistic integrity and commitment to social justice, Alarm Clock remains a timeless masterpiece. "Alarm Clock was just as the title suggested: a warning. It was also one of the few times I have used a song's title to name one of my albums.

Alarm Clock was being made in the context of the Vietnam War that was still raging. Four students protesting the war had been shot dead in May 1970 on the Kent State University campus in Ohio. Large crowds were gathering in many cities, pleading for the end to America's involvement, but the administration did not care about anything the public seemed to feel. The war would go on, regardless of public sentiment. We were seeing our government step way over bounds. Alarm Clock felt like a warning to awaken." - Richie Havens