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"Neutrals are a punk band from the San Francisco Bay Area, channeling a wide range of '70s and '80s punk, post-punk, and DIY indiepop influences. Their spare, angular songs don't skimp on melody or intimate storytelling and represent an appropriate intervention in these tense, atomized times. Their debut album ""Kebab Disco"" came out in 2019 on Emotional Response Records and garnered universal acclaim as ""an excellent collection of terse melodies, unique storytelling, and scraping pop. (AllMusic)"".

Following up their ace 2019 debut LP and a string of future-classic singles, Neutrals are now back with ""New Town Dream,"" a 13 song dispatch that takes on modern life and politics (both micro and macro) and situates their scrappy Jam-meets-Television Personalties sound firmly in 2024. Now featuring the sprightly bass and deadpan harmonies/backing vocals of bassist Lauren, Neutrals have turned in their catchiest, sharpest set of tunes yet."

Luxury Apartments have spent long enough pondering in the orb of creative frustration as art charged city dwellers and have alchemised a jagged piece of guitar work that calls on the past for a quick catch up before cracking on with their day as a witty, energised and wiry punk band. Formed before your favourite East London neighbourhood became full of high rises, cockapoos and pubs with Madri & Beavertown on Draft, there’s a whole swath of words you could use to describe Luxury Apartments, but doing so might draw too many parallels to estate agent listings wo we’re gonna let their track record and new LP do the talking… LA played with the likes of TOY, TELEGRAM, Deep Tan, Es, The Chisel and Rifle before even having an LP. Mixing dry humour with a belting live show served them well while the guys were woodshedding and earnt them early fans such as Graham Coxon and Jamie Reynolds, who I can only gather shed a single tear of seeing where they came from with all the chaotic guitar-busting, skin-splitting, bottle-smashing madness of an early LA show. But we’re here talking about NOW and NOW is the time to get your pre-order for their first LP, a half hour of power smashing the atoms of 80s c86 indie on lead track ‘Energy’, 77 punk on ‘Wire’ and new garage rock explosions on ‘Taliban’ which morph in to a piece of black wax that’s 100% guaranteed to get the disenfranchised wiggling, the fed-up hurling half bricks through foxtons windows and the punk lifers flipping off yet another boss before carving out another fork in their paths of resistance.

For fans of Duster, LSD and The Search for God, The Microphones. Double LP (NO BOOKS!) First official physical copy of fan-made compilation of alternate tracks and demos from cult phenomenon album Deathconsciousness. Freshly remastered. With the broader adoption of the internet around the turn of the century, how people would engage with and discover underground music would change forever. As a result of the new digital era, DIY was now worldwide, and no band embraced this new frontier better than Have A Nice Life. Formed in 2000 by duo Dan Barrett and Tim Macuga, the Middletown, CT-based pair would, throughout the 00s, self-release and share a number of demos and home recordings via early social media channels as well as establish its in-house label ENEMIES LIST HOME RECORDINGS. These first steps set in motion Have A Nice Life’s rise to renown as an icon of underground music in the internet age, culminating with the release of its pivotal 2008 debut album, Deathconsciousness. Through word of mouth and online discussion, Deathconsciousness became subject to viral praise thanks to its synthesis of bleak post-punk, lo-fi shoegaze, and carpets of hypnotic drone music. Eventually, this humble self-released project would attain the status of a post-internet cult classic, amassing Have A Nice Life a fervent online following that the band would interact with in kind. In an effort to thank and continue to engage with Have A Nice Life’s internet cult following, Barrett and Macuga would regularly share links to old demos, works in progress, and outtakes from the recording of Deathconsciousness. Over time, a group of fans would compile these demos into an unofficial release. Dubbed Voids, this fan-made compilation several alternate takes of tracks from Deathconsciousness, as well as a handful of early versions of songs that would appear on Have A Nice Life’s two following albums, The Unnatural World and Sea of Worry. While undeniably reminiscent of their final album version counterparts, the earlier versions of these tracks each feel distinct in a way that makes the moody, decidedly lo-fi aura of Voids an essential slice of the Have A Nice Life discography. Hungry for more from the enigmatic duo, fans swarmed around this compilation, accompanied by loud calls for it to receive a physical release. Seeing that demand and with the band’s blessing, a pair of fan-made tape pressings of Voids would be released via Music Ruins Lives, a DIY label run by Have A Nice Life superfan Thom Wasluck, also known for his band Planning for Burial. Between both instances of the tape swiftly selling out and the compilation’s long absence from streaming services, Voids has historically been an elusive release to track down, only available in the obscurest corners of the internet or physically on the secondary market at eye-wateringly high prices.
Over a decade since its initial, unofficial release in 2011, The Flenser is proud to reissue Have A Nice Life’s Voids for the first time ever in an official capacity in physical form. Originally released digitally in early 2023 and freshly remastered for the occasion, this reissue of the beloved compilation will receive its first-ever wide release on physical formats (CD/LP/Cassette). This release also marks the first time fan-favorite tracks from Voids “Sisyphus”, “I’m Doctor House”, and “Human Error” will be available on vinyl and CD. Like a symbolic passing of the torch, the physical versions of the 2023 Voids reissue come with a foreword essay written by Wasluck, the previous custodian of Voids during the Music Ruins Lives days.

10 Year Anniversary Gatefold 2LP 10 year anniversary gatefold 2LP edition of Cult of Luna's take on Fritz Lang's Metropolis film, Vertikal. "Somewhere Along The Highway" and "Eternal Kingdom" were inspired by the landscape of Västerbotten, the county we are from. We realised that there was only one way to go for us: to the city, into the future. Making a droney John Carpenter-esque album would be too easy and we've never been about taking the simple route. I was studying film at the time and had been floored by the aesthetic of German expressionism. This resonated perfectly with Erik Olofsson, who had just got into Italian futurism. This was a real challenge. We put in a lot of effort to realize our vision of the stale, artificial city in all aspects of what an album is. The way we played guitar (only down strokes), the production, artwork and band photos, everything was done with the vision as a guide. "Vertikal" is the album where we had the most precise vision of what we wanted to do and worked hardest to transform it from an idea into reality. A lot of things happened during the years between "Eternal Kingdom" and "Vertikal" and I could continue writing for ages but this will do for now. Ten years have passed since its release and what felt like a rebirth of the band, the band that is still ongoing with new goals and missions. It's a full circle kind of thing. At the time we had no label and now we are releasing it on our very own. Life is strange. Johannes Persson - Umeå December 2022

Immerse yourself in the legendary atmosphere of Studio 54 in 1980 with this collector’s vinyl by James Brown. Let yourself be carried away by unforgettable hits like “Sex Machine,” “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” and many more. These iconic grooves will transport you back to the golden age of disco music. A must-have for any funk enthusiast and James Brown legend.

"Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception" is the new full length album by The Hope Conspiracy. The album was engineered by Kurt Ballou and Zach Weeks at God City Studios. Artwork for the release was created by acclaimed artist Alexander Heir (Death/Traitors). This is true sonic violence aimed at political division, economic manipulation, war profiteering, media propaganda and other vile forms of global oppression. Air raid sirens wail as the foreboding "Those Who Gave Us Yesterday" and "The Prophets and Doom" explode forth like burning shrapnel. The hell ride continues with "A Struggle For Power" and "Live In Fear", two vicious blasts supercharged with malice and contempt. "Shock By Shock" and "Of A Dying Nation" introduce doom and gloom heaviness, grinding down the tempo to a mid-paced barrage. "Confusion/Chaos/Misery" picks up the pace, going scorched-earth policy on the sociopolitical nightmares that ensnare us all while "Broken Vessels" plows into overdrive about the opioid crisis and addiction as a whole. This leads to "The West Is Dead" a dystopian hook laden hardcore anthem, and epic closer "The Specter Looms"; An ominous soundtrack to the steady decline of our modern age. There is no question, The Hope Conspiracy is back to make a cold hard statement about existence in the end times.

rush2theUnknown is a project born in pandemic-era provincial New Zealand, developed in the hills of Izu Peninsula, Japan, but forged in the fire of potent teenage memories — the flames of the future sounds of jungle and drum 'n' bass that exploded onto dance floors across the urban centres of New Zealand in the mid 90's. Two old friends, both who played pivotal roles in the development of New Zealand's own jungle and drum 'n' bass scenes in the 1990s, estranged for decades, reunited amidst the isolation and chaos of covid. They began an experiment, attempting to recapture the feeling of having their heads overwhelmed by sounds they couldn't quite comprehend as adolescents — in particular, channeling the energy, spirit, and vibe of 1995 to 1997, where the ever-mutating evolution of jungle intersected with the dawning of drum 'n' bass to create a utopian future vision, before the latter genre changed course and moved increasingly darker.

By weaving in the influences that these two long-lost friends had accumulated over the decades, most notably from ambient, kankyõ ongaku, new age, minimalism, and some of the deepest research into the history of Japanese video game music ever conducted, the pair attempt to discover new terrain from an specific era of dance music that was never fully explored.

Greg Foat is a London-based keyboardist, composer, bandleader and DJ. He claims his life-long love/hate relationship with the piano began at age 3, when he fell off a piano stool at his aunt's house. He started composing around age 11, and at 15 attended a jazz workshop with Jeff Clyne, Olaf Vas, Trevor Tomkins and Nick Weldon, igniting his obsession with jazz music. He furthered to study jazz at Middlesex University, and then studied for 6 months in Sweden on an Erasmus grant. He played his first professional studio session there at 21, and has been working as a professional musician ever since.

Snake Plant Shuffle and Spider Plant Blues are inspired by the the plants on Gregs bedside tables - which periodically move around the house dependent on his mood. The plants provide a good source of oxygen in the room and create a calm soothing atmosphere for Gregs musical projects. Together the tracks feature live drum kits by Ayo Salawu, Fender Rhodes and a plethora of Vintage Synthesisers.

Snake Plant Shuffle has had radio plays in Gemany, Poland and Canada, as well as being heavily featured in Amazon Music's Jazz playlists, including 'Fresh Jazz', 'Coffee Shop Jazz' and 'Café Jazz'. Both tracks are featured in Apple Music' 'Jazz Scene: UK' and 'New Latitudes' playlists.

“Depas strikes a fine balance between raw energy and subtle melodic hooks.” (DMY) “Throughout the pounding track Midnight Ride, the Italian beat smith expertly blends lush synths with intricate rhythmic components and gritty bass.” (EDM com)

“Depas' approach to techno is a veritable melting pot of influences, blending sounds from the 80s and 90s with contemporary symphonic and cinematic elements.” (Magnetic Mag)

Following his recent ‘Rave The Planet’ EP at the end of February, Milanese hard techno producer Maike Depas is back with a brand-new release on well-renowned label The Innovation Studio. His newest EP is named ‘The Age Of Chaos’ and features a five-track banger arsenal – including a special remix by Italo-American producer Matasism, which was also included in his recent BPtich Control mixtape.

“This EP is the result my own experience throughout an inner dystopic reality, where energy-ridden sounds and epics all collide into a very personal version of the hard techno legacy I’m devoted to.”

‘No Redemption’ is a proper big-room belter, with explosive drop divided by a big break and a statuesque vocal that feels like a claim: “Techno is my only drug”. Same goes for ‘Tesseract’ and it’s rave-like atmosphere and hypnotic hook. ‘Dystopia’ is pure groove and makes the listener dive into a distorted and futuristic metaverse, while ‘Cyber Attack’ and its remix include synthetic vocals tha aim to symbolize an artificial imposition: man against machine, fiction against reality.

‘The Age Of Chaos’ will be available from April 19th via The Innovation Studio.

BANGER MAKE MY BODY SHAKE MAKE THE SPEAKERS SHAKE

It was two and a half years ago when a conversation took place between Sal Carmona and Dj Producer Jovonn Armstrong; talks of which planted a seed in Sal Carmona's ear, which years later would manifest what was once a dream into a reality. No stranger, nor a newcomer in the world of dance music, Sal's experience in the club scene goes way back to the days when his sisters, to whom he credits for helping shape the person he is today, took him to Dave Mancuso's The Loft. An experience that he recalls being nothing short of magical. It was a spiritual encounter that immediately took over thus steering him towards the direction of clubs such as The Paradise Garage, Bentley's, Underground, Red Parrot, Latin Quarters, Roseland, Studio 54, just to name a few. Years later, Sal decided to take on the role, of which he became quite successful at, of promoting his own events in New York City; throwing regular parties at venues such as Park Circle & USA roller skating rinks, Red Parrot, The Palladium, The Copacabana and many others, soon becoming one of the premier go to promoters in NYC. Taking a long and well-deserved hiatus from the club scene, in 2012 Sal decided to make his return back to what he loves. It was around this time that he began thinking what it would be like to venture into creating his very own record label. Envisioning his first release being a bona fide House Music Album, one that would include some of his favorite producers. Not one to let dreams drift into the ether, while recollecting on that conversation with Jovan way back, Sal set out to make that vision manifest into a reality and thus emerged this dope compilation titled Banger "Make My Body Shake" "Make the Speakers Shake"

A great idea which brings together an interesting mix that includes highly sought out and respected veteran producers in the scene, such as Timmy Regisford, Ron Trent, Dj Jovonn, and Joe Claussell. Alongside with up and coming DJ producers who are garnering their own adulation of fans, in the likes of Vick Lavender, Mark Francis, Conway Kasey, and DJ Punch. With valuable directional contributions from friend Joe Claussell, this, to say the least, has become far more than just a seriously dope compilation that consists of a unique coming together of serious dance music. More than the aforementioned, Sal Carmona has manifested a dream into a game changing music scripture that is one of a kind, especially in this day and age where it seems where things are thrown together hoping for something to stick. On the contrary, this is well planned and thought out dopeness at A higher level consisting of all new house music that hasn't been brought together like this in a very long time and probably not for a while afterwards.

Svart Records are proud to release the long-awaited full length album "SÁLA" by Kati Rán in May 2024

If the most profound treasures are often the most deeply buried, the journey to uncover them is vital process of discovery. Five years after the 15-minute single “Blodbylgje” signaled the birth of a new, more primordial, and immersive vision after the dissolution of her band L.E.A.F., Nordic dark folk artist Kati Rán has expanded on its oceanic theme for her long-awaited full-length album, “SÁLA”. Embarking on a far-reaching musical and personal travelogue, it’s a reawakening of both the feminine narratives submerged and fragmented within Norse mythology, and the enduring, healing powers held within.

Named after the Old Norse word for ‘soul’ and ‘sea’, “SÁLA” is an act of ‘soul retrieval’, the shamanic art of trauma recovery, be it illness, death, heartbreak or loss, and the reintegration of a splintered self. Across its 13, wide-ranging, elegantly unfolding tracks, the album is an embodiment of different feminine voices and perspectives – from the Norse nine daughters of the sea, or ‘billow maidens’, through various historical and fictional figures to the late-night voices we hear in our most liminal states – all with tales to tell, riddles to solve, challenges to be accepted and guidance to offer. It’s a multiplicity that, like the ocean itself, belongs to a vast, restless dynamic: a matrix of mysteries, unfathomable depths and ever-shifting currents, accumulating into an elemental, regenerative source of power.

Recorded in a barn in Húsafell, Iceland – home to glacier ice caves and a rare lava stone marimba rediscovered for the track “Stone Pillars” – as well as Finland, Norway and at home in Kati’s native Netherlands, “SÁLA” is as much chronicle of Kati’s own perspective-shifting recording process as it as a pilgrimage through different viewpoints and internal states. That itinerate urge is also reflected in the use of different languages, ranging across Norwegian, Old Norse, Icelandic, and, for the first time, English, her combination of ancient texts, historical reimagining’s and unguarded personal reflection backed up by deep research into the most resonant recesses of Nordic lore.

Spun throughout every thread of “SÁLA” is a sense of communion - with the power of stories to offer moral guidance and the thrill of the unknown; with the element of water, recreated across the album both in field recordings and the agelessly organic nature of the music itself; with the archetypes whose qualities we are called upon to embody at our most critical moments; and with the internal hidden realms forever whispering at us from the far edges of our consciousness.

Appropriately, it’s a collaborative venture too. As well as working closely together with Finnish producer Jaani Peuhu, there are contributions from across the musical spectrum, including extreme metal vocalist extraordinaire Gaahl, the Icelandic female choir Umbra Ensemble, renowned Norwegian jazz musician Karl Seglem, Björk and Brian Eno contrabassist Borgar Magnason, members of pagan folk acts Völuspá, Gealdýr, Heilung and Theodor Bastard and even Napalm Death’s Mitch Harris on vocals.

For all the many sources “SÁLA” draws from, the result is a singular, intimately transformative rite of passage, and a retuning of the heart to the reverent continuity of the sacred. It will take you from the opening title track’s chest-pounding rhythmic pulse emerging from a traditional Norwegian bukkehorn (recorded by Karl Seglem), a galloping horse-rider and Kati’s glacial, velveteen chant, through “Kólga’s” recounting of female persecution through the ages borne on the most gossamer-light yet unbreakable of timbres and “Stone Pillar’s” gently percolating, deep wells of abandonment and incantations to recovery. “SÁLA” closes with the track “Sátta” - Old Norse for ‘peace’ and ‘reconciliation’ – ending the album as it began with the bukkehorn, as it weaves rich drones and experience-stamped poems and prayers, Kati’s vocals the most sensitively tuned of emotional barometers. An album made in dedication, and in thrall to, its own sense of destiny, “SÁLA” is, as all quests must ultimately be, a homecoming.

Album introduction written by Jonathan Selzer.

Svart Records are proud to release the long-awaited full length album "SÁLA" by Kati Rán in May 2024

If the most profound treasures are often the most deeply buried, the journey to uncover them is vital process of discovery. Five years after the 15-minute single “Blodbylgje” signaled the birth of a new, more primordial, and immersive vision after the dissolution of her band L.E.A.F., Nordic dark folk artist Kati Rán has expanded on its oceanic theme for her long-awaited full-length album, “SÁLA”. Embarking on a far-reaching musical and personal travelogue, it’s a reawakening of both the feminine narratives submerged and fragmented within Norse mythology, and the enduring, healing powers held within.

Named after the Old Norse word for ‘soul’ and ‘sea’, “SÁLA” is an act of ‘soul retrieval’, the shamanic art of trauma recovery, be it illness, death, heartbreak or loss, and the reintegration of a splintered self. Across its 13, wide-ranging, elegantly unfolding tracks, the album is an embodiment of different feminine voices and perspectives – from the Norse nine daughters of the sea, or ‘billow maidens’, through various historical and fictional figures to the late-night voices we hear in our most liminal states – all with tales to tell, riddles to solve, challenges to be accepted and guidance to offer. It’s a multiplicity that, like the ocean itself, belongs to a vast, restless dynamic: a matrix of mysteries, unfathomable depths and ever-shifting currents, accumulating into an elemental, regenerative source of power.

Recorded in a barn in Húsafell, Iceland – home to glacier ice caves and a rare lava stone marimba rediscovered for the track “Stone Pillars” – as well as Finland, Norway and at home in Kati’s native Netherlands, “SÁLA” is as much chronicle of Kati’s own perspective-shifting recording process as it as a pilgrimage through different viewpoints and internal states. That itinerate urge is also reflected in the use of different languages, ranging across Norwegian, Old Norse, Icelandic, and, for the first time, English, her combination of ancient texts, historical reimagining’s and unguarded personal reflection backed up by deep research into the most resonant recesses of Nordic lore.

Spun throughout every thread of “SÁLA” is a sense of communion - with the power of stories to offer moral guidance and the thrill of the unknown; with the element of water, recreated across the album both in field recordings and the agelessly organic nature of the music itself; with the archetypes whose qualities we are called upon to embody at our most critical moments; and with the internal hidden realms forever whispering at us from the far edges of our consciousness.

Appropriately, it’s a collaborative venture too. As well as working closely together with Finnish producer Jaani Peuhu, there are contributions from across the musical spectrum, including extreme metal vocalist extraordinaire Gaahl, the Icelandic female choir Umbra Ensemble, renowned Norwegian jazz musician Karl Seglem, Björk and Brian Eno contrabassist Borgar Magnason, members of pagan folk acts Völuspá, Gealdýr, Heilung and Theodor Bastard and even Napalm Death’s Mitch Harris on vocals.

For all the many sources “SÁLA” draws from, the result is a singular, intimately transformative rite of passage, and a retuning of the heart to the reverent continuity of the sacred. It will take you from the opening title track’s chest-pounding rhythmic pulse emerging from a traditional Norwegian bukkehorn (recorded by Karl Seglem), a galloping horse-rider and Kati’s glacial, velveteen chant, through “Kólga’s” recounting of female persecution through the ages borne on the most gossamer-light yet unbreakable of timbres and “Stone Pillar’s” gently percolating, deep wells of abandonment and incantations to recovery. “SÁLA” closes with the track “Sátta” - Old Norse for ‘peace’ and ‘reconciliation’ – ending the album as it began with the bukkehorn, as it weaves rich drones and experience-stamped poems and prayers, Kati’s vocals the most sensitively tuned of emotional barometers. An album made in dedication, and in thrall to, its own sense of destiny, “SÁLA” is, as all quests must ultimately be, a homecoming.

Album introduction written by Jonathan Selzer.

R'n'Cs is the contraction of "Rem and the Courbarians". made up of Rem (drums - Vox) and the Courbarians brothers, Saïd (Guitar - Vox) and Gui (Bass Guitar - Vox). they were formed in the Orléans region at the dawn of the second millennium, combining Punk / Hard Core with overdriven Garage Punk'n'Roll. giving birth to a Rock'n'Roll speed all their own! The years go by. but the cadence remains the same. they are and remain definitively addicted to feedback and BPMs. Their Rock'n'Roll remains fast and furious. You'd think the teats they feasted on from an early age were loaded with nitroglycerine! And these R'n'R aficionados never tire of it! Class, delicacy and refinement have nothing to do with it. even if some music lovers will enjoy it! Their music isn't a poem, it's an ode to sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. all at breakneck speed! Hang on to the handlebars, because no one escapes this infernal spiral that grabs you and sends you straight to the devil's entrails! They became a national benchmark for speed rock'n'roll. and were repeatedly asked to play with bands such as Nashville Pussy, Supersuckers, Discharge, GBH, Unseen, Guitar Wolf, New Bomb Turks, The Cellophane Suckers, The Butchers, Burning Heads, Etc.. Over the years, R'n'Cs has always been backed, produced and supported by labels such as 442ème Rue, Beast Records, Guerilla Vinyl and of course Trauma Social. Their 7th Opus "Flytrap in the Murderhouse" released on Beast Records / Fly House Records (Trauma Social for the CD) saw the light of day in Spring 2024 and still remains in the tradition of Zeke, Peter Pan Speedrock, Mötorhead. This incendiary bomb will not differ from previous productions. Still in sweat, flames and Rock'n'Roll!!!! Hell Yeah!

»Música para 10m2 de Relva Sintética« (Music for 10 square meters of synthetic grass) includes a live recording of the Niagara performing at MAAT museum in Lisbon on 9th April, 2020. The recording is taken directly from the concert, without any additional production or mixing.

The set begins with strong nods to US minimalism before evolving into a quirky new age affair. Later, vocal experiments and some dreamy synth excursions set the tone. The gentle sound of water splashing is almost constant, for where there is grass, there must be watering.

With her third Gondwana album, "Constellation", Manchester"s Caoilfhionn Rose has come of age as an artist, digging deep to find experimental new ways of expressing her wonder at nature"s beauty, her love of music in all its diversity, and her belief in the restorative powers that both afford in the troubled post-COVID world. The ten tracks on "Constellation" feel rooted in a knowledge of folk, jazz and all the twentieth century"s classic tunesmiths, and yet they seem to create a magical, otherworldly space of her own imagining, blending Caoilfhionn"s core piano with synths, and pitting a live rhythm section and saxophone embellishments against ambient samples and future-facing production techniques.

With her third Gondwana album, "Constellation", Manchester"s Caoilfhionn Rose has come of age as an artist, digging deep to find experimental new ways of expressing her wonder at nature"s beauty, her love of music in all its diversity, and her belief in the restorative powers that both afford in the troubled post-COVID world. The ten tracks on "Constellation" feel rooted in a knowledge of folk, jazz and all the twentieth century"s classic tunesmiths, and yet they seem to create a magical, otherworldly space of her own imagining, blending Caoilfhionn"s core piano with synths, and pitting a live rhythm section and saxophone embellishments against ambient samples and future-facing production techniques.

Attention, Electro-heads! SNC Recs is back with its first vinyl release for 2024, presenting a treat for all breakbeat enthusiasts with Friedrich Ernst's Breakthrough EP. The old-school influenced 12’’ is garnished by two high-grade remixes contributed by none other than the new-wave electro pioneers, DJ MELL G and Viikatory.

Hailing from Dresden, Friedrich Ernst discovered his passion for electronic music at an early age. After relocating to Leipzig in 2020, he co-founded the label "Self Learning System" with DJ Unisex, focusing on releasing electro music and organizing events. Since then, Friedrich has honed his own style and established himself internationally as a label owner and producer, increasingly focusing on live performances.

His second solo EP, marked by his detail-oriented and uncompromising electro sound, fits perfectly into the SNC Recs catalog and brings a dignified start to the tenth series. Completing the release are remixes by DJ MELL G and Viikatory, each bringing their own personal touch to a different track.

The artist Dennis Busch (James Din A4, Joyride, Pop Dylan, Pastor Fitzner, etc.) returns after over 12 years of electronic abstinence under his pseudonym James Din A4 with his new album Ins Licht (Into the light) on David Rauer's label Blubbernugget.

Hedonistic dissociative techno tracks meet twisted, light-drenched house anthems and are gently, yet brutally transformed into a multi-dimensional state of pure euphoria in dream-like sequences and abstractions. Here you can dance like nobody is watching and at the same time put your innerspace time travel on autopilot. This is a record as energetic as a Hi-Frequency crystal. It's 2024. Welcome to the age of I AM.

Musik & Artwork: Dennis Busch
Master & Cut: Loop-O

2024 repress

Staying on the Mediterranean coast for their third release, Music From Memory this time shift their attention to the work of Mallorcan musician Joan Bibiloni. TIP!

Primarily a guitarist, Bibiloni was creating music at an early age, releasing his first single at the tender age of 15. In his twenties he formed Spanish progrock outfits Zebra and Euterpe where he would meet Pepe Milan, the two of them becoming the bluesy folk duo 'Milan & Bibiloni'. Bibiloni himself would later go on to play with a number of luminary musicians such as Larry Coryell, Daevid Allen and John Cage to name but a few.

In 1982 Bibiloni set up his own label Blau in order to highlight the muchoverlooked work of musicians not only on his home island of Mallorca but across the Balearic Islands. In doing so he created a platform not only for
local talent but also for his own music to breathe a new life, much influenced by the landscape and life that surrounds the islands.

Whilst Bibiloni's first solo releases on his Blau imprint have stronger echoes of contemporary Jazz fusion of the time, it is on the album known as 'Una Vida Llarga I Tranquila' where Bibiloni really began to experiment with new sounds
and technologies; fusing tape loops, drum computers and synthesizers.

Taking these more electronic infused works as a departure point for the compilation and drawing on material from across his following five albums, 'El Sur' sets out to highlight Joan Bibiloni's unique ambient fusion and sun-drenched Mediterranean beach boogie.

Horace Andy a.k.a.Sleepy must process one of the sweetest and most distinctive voices in reggae music. 1951 in Kingston Jamaica. He cut his first track in 1966 for producer George ‘Phil’ Pratt, a tune called ‘Black Man’s Country’. But it was four years later his star really began to shine when he joined the stable of Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd’s Studio One. It was Coxsone Dodd who renamed him Andy after another of his leading artists Bob Andy, such was his belief in Horace’s writing talent and singing abilities. Still only twenty years of age Horace used his falsetto talent to the fore and cut some impressive tracks at 13 Brentford Road, Studio One’s headquarters. Such reggae standards as ’Skylarking’, ‘Just Say Who’, ‘Love of a Women’ and ‘Something on my Mind’ to name but a few. The early 1970’s saw Horace due to political reasons move on to work with producer Bunny Lee, a move that suited his talents and beliefs, Horace being an early advocate to the Rastafarian faith.The tracks which he cut with Bunny, which we concentrate on here gave his songs a rootsy feel. The rhythms often cut at Channel ONE and Randy’s Studio17 and finalised at King Tubby’s, provided a fine backbone for Horace to recut some of his earlier classics, along side his newer songs also to become reggae standards. Like ‘Money Money’, ‘Zion Gate’ the great ‘You are my Angel’ and a version of The Heptones ‘My Guiding Star’. The power of these recordings were such that the earlier tracks like ‘Skylarking’ became hits a second time around.Proving that the ‘you can’t keep a good tune down’ mantra was alive and kicking… …A golden time for Horace and Reggae music in general… Horace would go on to work with other producers like Everton Da Silva in 1977 creating the ‘In the Light’ album and the New York based Lloyd ‘Wackies’ Barnes in the 1980’s for his ‘Dancehall Style’ recordings. Most recently his work with Massive Attack has brought his majestic voice full circle and back into the arena once more. Those ‘Massive’ recordings and this dub collection here seem to fit side by side. Horace’s distinctive vocal riding over the rhythms adding a magic as only he can .....

RESPECT JAH FLOYD.

Limited black vinyl. Full colour sleeve with unseen pics of Ron Geesin in his studio doing maths stuff on the back.
Wow! So you’re telling me Ron Geesin made this kooky electro groovy score to a really progressive maths educational programme on Central TV in 1980 and it’s musically anarchic and amazing and it’s never been issued before? Until now. Wow again!!!! And there’s 30 tracks!!! Trunk Records we love you...
Basic Maths was the second educational TV Series for the Midlands-based ITV station for which I composed, played and recorded all music and noises. The first series, also for budding mathematicians in the 7-10 age group, was Leapfrog in 1978 produced by ATV (Associated Television): Basic Maths was for the newly-formed Central Television, the work spanning 1980-1981; both series were of twenty-eight parts.
The most worthy idea for both of these series was to project mathematics into life by means mainly of non-verbal sound and vision, with both animated and live action films, linked by two presenters, Fred Harris and Mary Waterhouse. In my role as Media Composer, I had had quite enough of voice overs, therefore music well under, so this fairly radical educational approach at the time encouraged my creative juices to run unhindered. Of course the sound had to do something with the picture and not just use it as a carrier for peacock display. It had to duet, play with and explain the visual content using novel and engaging techniques, so this involved the usual and sometimes intricate mathematical calculations which constantly exercised my already reasonable school maths.

An enormous production with musicians of the highest calibre combine to create a bombastic spectacle. The show's infrequencies make it evermore unique. In September 2023, Arjen Lucassen sold out five performances of '01011001 - Live Beneath the Waves' at the Poppodium 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Talking about the show Arjen Lucassen says: "When I wrote the 01011001 album back in 2007, it was never meant to be played live.

So I could make it as complicated as I wanted with countless instrumentalists and no less than 17 singers!" Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen and keyboardist Joost van den Broek managed to gather a large number of the original cast of the 01011001 album and many special guests, including Simone Simons (Epica), Damian Wilson (Threshold), Anneke van Giersbergen, Jonas Renkse (Katatonia), Tom Englund (Evergrey), Daniel Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation), Marcela Bovio (MaYan), Brittney Slayes (Unleash the Archers), Hansi Kursch (Blind Guardian), John Jaycee Cuijpers (Praying Mantis). Maggy Luyten (Beautiful Sin), Michael Mills (Toehider) and Wudstik are among other incredible musicians.

Repress!

Dskonnect Booking Agency is celebrating during 2023 its 20 years in the industry by launching a new label: DSK RECORDS, with the support of the agency´s most relevant and exciting acts. After 20 years working worldwide with bookings, events, and management, now it’s the moment to see the birth of a new angle of the company and keep contributing to the scene with releasing the music we love.

The Vinylbox includes DSK001, DSK002, DSK003 and DSK004

Halocline - a visible layer of water that forms between saltwater and freshwater when there is a rapid change in salinity; they are found in colder oceans, caves, fjords and estuaries.

Malin Lewis is a queer bagpiper, fiddler, instrument maker and award winning composer. One of Scotland's most exciting innovators, Malin melds west coast tradition with a newly invented, self-made bagpipe. Hair tingling, philosophical and dance inducing melodies inspired by European folk traditions, humans, queerness and the universe. Having played in Canada, Europe and across the UK, Malin will release their long awaited debut album Halocline on the 3rd May 2024 with Hudson Records. Halocline began as a New Voices commission for Celtic Connections and was premiered to a sold out Strathclyde Suite, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in 2023.

"I saw my first Halocline aged fourteen whilst swimming in an estuary in the Isle of Skye. I didn't know what it was at the time but the image has stayed with me ever since. Appearing like a hazy layer of cloud under the water; it floats between two worlds and provides an environment which is home to a unique microbial ecosystem. As a trans person I live in a space in between; this beautiful space between a binary with its own colourful and unique culture."

Malin's unique sound is born from the deep connection that comes with making and composing for their own instrument. Alongside whistle and fiddle, Malin plays a newly invented two octave bagpipe that, when combined with guitar FX pedals, creates a whole new world of sound which is as lively, thought provoking and sensitive.

Halocline - a visible layer of water that forms between saltwater and freshwater when there is a rapid change in salinity; they are found in colder oceans, caves, fjords and estuaries.

Malin Lewis is a queer bagpiper, fiddler, instrument maker and award winning composer. One of Scotland's most exciting innovators, Malin melds west coast tradition with a newly invented, self-made bagpipe. Hair tingling, philosophical and dance inducing melodies inspired by European folk traditions, humans, queerness and the universe. Having played in Canada, Europe and across the UK, Malin will release their long awaited debut album Halocline on the 3rd May 2024 with Hudson Records. Halocline began as a New Voices commission for Celtic Connections and was premiered to a sold out Strathclyde Suite, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in 2023.

"I saw my first Halocline aged fourteen whilst swimming in an estuary in the Isle of Skye. I didn't know what it was at the time but the image has stayed with me ever since. Appearing like a hazy layer of cloud under the water; it floats between two worlds and provides an environment which is home to a unique microbial ecosystem. As a trans person I live in a space in between; this beautiful space between a binary with its own colourful and unique culture."

Malin's unique sound is born from the deep connection that comes with making and composing for their own instrument. Alongside whistle and fiddle, Malin plays a newly invented two octave bagpipe that, when combined with guitar FX pedals, creates a whole new world of sound which is as lively, thought provoking and sensitive.

NAKID presents the first album in years from Max Loderbauer (Sun Electric) and Tobias Freund’s cult Non Standard Institute. Delving deep into the aether with a double LP - almost an hour and a half in length - featuring ruined, vaporous and engrossing ambient variations on a theme.

Planing axes between iridescent new age ambient, sublime folk and avant-classical, to miasmic drone and plangent shoegaze; ‘A Day or Two’ charts the Non Standard Institute’s first actions in 6 years and serves as a compelling reminder of their intuitive work in abundance. Expanding and contracting their sound across 18 parts, they arc from heaving, oddly-tuned drones to smoggy, surreal soundscapes, bringing a wealth of fine-tuned instincts to the table. With Max Loderbauer’s 35+ years as Berlin ambient pioneer with Sun Electric, jams with Villalobos, and roles in Vladislav Delay Quintet and the Moritz von Oswald Trio, he’s matched by Freund’s 40 years of deep engineering expertise embedded in the experimental industrial and techno trenches.

The melancholy, Satie-laced piano meditations that grounded 2018's '5863' are gone, and the human touch that's been present since their very first collaborations is placed under the microscope, enhanced by their use of the Haken Continuum Fingerboard, a gestural synth that was developed to open up new modes of playing. Loderbauer's experience with the piano helps him make the most of the instrument's touch-sensitive 3D surface, while Freund uses two multi-channel loopers, piping the sounds through his arsenal of pedals.

The 18 tracks are billed as "unplanned atmospheres" that arc from sombre, drone-heavy material to humid, tape-saturated imaginary-island jams such as 'Listening To Cells' and 'Are You One Of Them'. On the latter, the duo work patiently, letting dusted string plucks tumble across each other while warbling pads hum below, bending like flutes. On 'Unlikely Events', anxious didgeridoo-like wails are ruptured by environmental rattles, before ominous voices lead us into a pocket of industrialised resonance. In time, the skies open up and the sounds morph into pastoral song, the drone blurring into hopeful pads almost as lucid and eloquent as AFX's 'SAW Vol. II', with sonorous synths that float over formless strings. Reflective, cinematic arrangements for flute and silvery ambient give way to diffusions of denser, resonant polychromatics and pucker up in outernational, alien ambient impulses recalling Connor Camburn jamming with dirashe folk pipes.

LP - 180 Gram Vinyl The debut work of Viennese jazz violinist and composer Rudi Berger FIRST STEPFIRST STEP - now on vinyl for the first time since its release in 1985. It is regarded as a historic jazz violin album, affirming Rudi Berger`s pronounced talent as a composer from a young age. Since then he presented his music in jazz clubs, concert halls, and festivals in 29 countries worldwide, has lived in New York and Brazil, collaborated with various famous musicians, contributed to over 200 recordings, including award-winning soundtracks for animation, film, and theater and was named an honorary member of the Chet Baker Foundation. Today he is recognized as one of the most original and influential voices in jazz.

LP - 180 Gram Vinyl / Handnumbered Edition limited to 200 Units / turqoise marble vinyl. The debut work of Viennese jazz violinist and composer Rudi Berger FIRST STEPFIRST STEP - now on vinyl for the first time since its release in 1985. It is regarded as a historic jazz violin album, affirming Rudi Berger`s pronounced talent as a composer from a young age. Since then he presented his music in jazz clubs, concert halls, and festivals in 29 countries worldwide, has lived in New York and Brazil, collaborated with various famous musicians, contributed to over 200 recordings, including award-winning soundtracks for animation, film, and theater and was named an honorary member of the Chet Baker Foundation. Today he is recognized as one of the most original and influential voices in jazz.

Ollie Spalding and Jack Watts were friends first, and songwriting partners second, and this quality sets them apart. They're marked by that peculiar alchemy when two voices become one, a special sense of human connection wrought through harmony and emboldened with experience.

New album 'Redsetter' is their coming- of- age moment - gilded indie- folk with an optimistic sense of maturity, it dares to look towards the light. "We had literally no idea what was gonna happen!" Ollie gasps when looking back on the pair's self-titled debut album. Sculpted over the pandemic and released on Real Kind Records - the boutique Communion imprint chaired by Lucy Rose - the record displayed their core values. "The emotion has to be right," says Oliver.

"When we record songs, we want to stay true to the emotion - as though those songs had just been written seconds before they were recorded." The success of their debut brought fresh experiences - writing with Flyte, collaborating with everyone from Matthew & The Atlas and Victoria Canal to Talos and Olafur Arnalds - but also new challenges.

New LP 'Redsetter' takes them from their base in Brighton to a remote part of Texas (and back again); it's a record that's driven by a special kind of determination, dealing with intimate bonds, familial connections, and a quiet sense of renewal. Looking for perfect moments within our imperfect lives, Memorial have displayed extraordinary sense of character to drive themselves forwards. "We've let go of trying to make everything sound perfect," says Jack. "Being vulnerable in that way means that the end product is truer to you than it ever could be. There's a realness to it." Memorial have taken true ownership of their lives, pushing through enormous challenges to unlock new aspects of their artistry, and actualise their dreams.

Soul Jazz Records’ new 10th anniversary one-off limited-edition heavyweight special-edition orange coloured vinyl pressing (+ download code) exclusively for Record Store Day 2024 of their long out of print Punk 45: Kill the Hippies! Kill Yourself! Soul Jazz Records’ debut Punk 45 album charts the rise of underground punk across the United States of America in the years 1973-1980. This album is fully remastered, relicensed with new tracks exclusively for RSD 24 and includes new tracks from Iggy & The Stooges, Nervous Eaters, The Angry Samoans and more!


The Punk 45 album features a collection of seminal, classic, obscure and rare punk and proto-punk 45 singles from the likes of Electric Eels, The Pagans, The Deadbeats, The Randoms, The Lewd and many more - a lightning-rod journey across the states of America - Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, Akron, New Orleans, Philadelphia – tracing the rise of punk music in these various towns and cities. The album comes complete with extensive text, biographies on each of the bands, exclusive photos and original record artwork.

Maximilian Skiba, an Eminent Figure in the World of Electronic Music, Makes a Triumphant Return to Skylax After an Absence Spanning Over a Decade. His Resurgence Is Nothing Short of Exceptional, as He Joins Forces With the Legendary Snax to Deliver a Musical Offering That Rekindles the Very Essence of House Music's Illustrious origins.
Skiba's Two New Tracks, "Pushing My Buttons" and "In Motion," Serve as a Compelling Testament to His Impeccable Craftsmanship as a Producer. the Influence of the Pioneering triumvirate—Larry Levan, Ron Hardy, and Frankie Knuckles—is Palpable Within These Compositions. Both Tracks Are a Masterful Blend of Nostalgia and Innovation, Perfectly Aligning With the Playlists That Once Defined the Heyday of House Music's Most Celebrated luminaries.
"Pushing My Buttons" and "In Motion" Evoke an Air of Sophistication, Exuding a Smooth, Velvety Quality That Transports Listeners to the Cherished Era of Original Disco. Drawing Parallels to the Timeless Classics Like Dinosaur’s "Kiss Me Again" or Loose Joints "Is It All Over My Face", Skiba's Creations Pay Homage to the Bygone Era While Injecting a Modern Edge. This Phenomenal Ep Goes Beyond Skiba's Original Works, Offering Two Exceptional Remixes That Elevate the Experience. the First Remix, a Balearic Interpretation by the Emerging Talent Maltitz, Adds a Refreshing Dimension to the Tracks. the Second Remix, Helmed by the Skilled Apollon Telefax, Ingeniously Transforms the Already-Classic Tunes Into an Explosive Italo-Disco Sensation. These Remixes Seamlessly Weave Together the Past and the Present, Creating a Bridge Between Different Eras While Keeping the Music timeless.
In Essence, This Ep Is Not Just a Musical Offering; It's a Journey—a Seamless Fusion of History and Innovation That Transports the Listener to an Era of Musical Brilliance, All the While Redefining the Boundaries of Contemporary Sound. Skiba and Snax's Collaboration Is Not Merely a Comeback; It's a Testament to the Enduring Legacy of Electronic Music, Encapsulating the Spirit of House Music's Golden Age While Breathing New Life Into Its Timeless Allure....

the debut release of naples based house music producer fabrizio fattore.

he released first single on world peace(run by joe clausell&gigi testa),it’s nice cosmic
jazzy fusion deep house.

since then we have been paying attention to his music.

our release is revival of classic detroit techno and house.

a1 “deep blue” is simply killer detroit techno which reminds us early 90’s stuff.

b1 “passengers to mars” is his trademark cosmic deep house.

b2 “moon temple” is jazzy new age down tempo.if you like some slow stuff of kuniyuki,
you will love it.

music sounds classic but we’re feeling classic is new.

hope you like!

Tulsa, Oklahoma's Unwed Sailor have been on a tear over the past few years. Following a quiet phase through much of the 2010s, they reëmerged with the aptly titled Heavy Age (2019), and two more full-lengths, Truth Or Consequences (2021) and Mute The Charm (2023), that chart a remarkable evolution of their bass-led, pop-leaning post rock. On Underwater Over There - their ninth LP overall - a current of 80s goth and jangle-pop runs beneath a litany of memorable hooks and compositional left turns, creating a propulsive and intricate world of sound. The band worked collectively on all elements of mixing and production to craft a meticulously layered environment, while maintaining an air of spontaneity and experimentation across the set. Early standout, "Final Feather", drifts through varying landscapes of airiness and haze on a high-neck bass hook, while the hum of voices adds a contrast of angelic comfort. Bearing influence from New Order and The Cure in particular, its balance of gravitas and shimmer is the result of founding member Johnathon Ford's intuitive writing method: the lead bass line comes first, followed by supporting melodies, drums, guitars, keys, and final detailing. "Dusty" is a prime example of this process, as Ford's powerful, low-end groove anchors a full-spectrum array of guitars, bells, and arpeggiations along with Matt Putman's energetic drum section. Its fluid pacing provides a perfect establishing shot, with shifting moods that gather into a coda guided by David Swatzell's harmonized, glittering guitar riffs - a sunrise after a moonless night. In quick succession, "Blue Tangier" widens the aperture with a pounding percussive refrain, vibrant bass tone and an unforgettable, fuzzed-out melodic motif. Sprawling centerpiece, "Junko", is a loose callback to 2003's The Marionette and The Music Box, its deliberate stride and interwoven melodies evoking the hands of a mechanical clock, and the anticipation of something long-awaited but nebulous. It drifts effortlessly from innocence to intrigue, expands into a mesmerizing howl, and vanishes abruptly into mist. While honoring their forebears in winks and nods, Unwed Sailor remain totally inimitable in their approach and style, twenty-five years into an acclaimed career. The band's clear vision for Underwater Over There has yielded some of their most indelible work, and their inventive, passionate approach gives a strong sense of plenty more beyond the horizon.

Our 20th celebration year continues with a very special comeback! It’s exactly ten years now since the last Ben La Desh release on our label, his sublime “Stellar Talk EP” hit big waves and together with the “Midnight Rendez-Vous EP” from 2012 he cemented himself in the lo-fi deep space house scene as an artist to look out for, no one produced deep house like he did back then. After a longer break from releasing music he is back and we think stronger as ever, with analogue gear and well curated sampling and live field recording we present you his “Fine Rise EP”.

The opener “Heel Goed” is an amazing track with that distinctive 909 beat and DX bass driven “La Desh” flavour and a truly wonderful vocal sample from a 90s TV commercial, hilariously funny and brilliant at the same time! We can’t wait to see the faces of people, especially on the Dutch dancefloors, when they try to figure out and discover what the ladies are talking about! Second A side track is the super funky “Lift Adrift” that flanges itself to outer space, etherical with chopped break beats and various percussive and rhythmic Pearl Syncussion layers running through effect pedals, Lift Adrift!

On the other side we start out with the deep title track “Fine Rise”. Here Ben treats us again to his trademark spaced out effects driven sound and on top a killer bass line and synth lead melody, reminiscent of the golden age of (good) trance music. Followed by the break beat gem that is “Asanti”, cautiously cut up breaks and layered machine drums with bubbly Syncussion sounds, rain drops falling down on different surfaces recorded in a garden in the French Drôme and processed African Kalimba. Did we already say Etherical? It is!
Closing out this great new record is the ambient piece “Expanding Signal”, an analogue tune that consists of field recordings and deep dubby chords, a building Juno pulse, swooshes and again a profound DX bassline, think of “Sun Electric” or “The Orb”.

Enjoy this one and play it loud on the dance floors or silently in your bedroom, it works everywhere as far as we are concerned!

All tracks mastered by Salz Mastering in Cologne. Photography & Art by Break 3000.

Introducing "The Mesmerizers," a mysterious trio of maestros whose debut 7" record transports you to a bygone era of exotic enchantment. Unearthed from the depths of a forgotten studio and given new life, these captivating compositions beckon you into a timeless realm where the boundaries of sound and imagination blur. Within the sultry grooves of this vinyl treasure, The Mesmerizers weave a spellbinding tapestry of exotica, echoing the seductive rhythms and lush melodies reminiscent of a golden age that refuses to be tethered to any specific moment.

Glasgow’s Somewhere Press return with their inaugural vinyl release, a new album from Madelyn Byrd aka Slowfoam. Mining the seam between ecology and technology, Byrd offsets syrupy, dissociated electronics with sparse acoustic instrumentation and expressive field recordings.

The polyrhythmic pulse of the natural world surges through Byrd’s productions, and though the sounds are mostly electronic and strictly metered, a landscape teeming with insects, birds, and wildlife fills the horizon. We’re languidly ushered through the gates on the opening 'Enlightened Smudge on the Machine', juxtaposing glassy tones with flute (from Berlin-based sound artist Diane Barbé) and skittering percussion that could have been lifted straight off Björk’s 'Vespertine'. "No traffic, under the stem," a stoic voice muses while sounds dissolve into waterlogged ambience. There are hints of vintage West Coast new age music, but Byrds' over-arching theme is one of a contemporary digital reality slowly harmonising with its distant, bucolic past.

Field recordist Pablo Diserens provides some of the album's most arcane material, handing over environmental recordings of sulphur pools, Arctic terns and glacial streams. The lengthy 'Divine Morpho, Shimmering' deploys a swarm of insects, forming a looped, uneven rhythm that counters Byrd's pulsing electronics. Choral stems mesh with uncanny strings, blurring the line that separates artificial from organic sound sources. Byrd uses mutation and reconstruction as a form of "speculative melting" to bring us closer to utopia. On 'Like Phantom Memories In The Slinking Storm’, one of the album's most levitational moments, they tease twangy harp-lyre plucks into dubbed-out smudges, eventually given a reprise on 'Grief Rituals' where the same riffs are stretched into slower phrases, queered against giddy, xenharmonic drones.

Bird calls and tremulous exotica mark the brilliant 'Fragrant Dusking', and ‘Soft Body Virisdescence' takes us to a gurgling, kaleidoscopic climax, with electronic processes thrust into the foreground. 'Of Data & Delight' distills all the album’s sonic elements into a sort of delirious fever dream, using pitched animal calls to signal sensuality. It's not ambient, exactly, even if it shares space with the 3XL crew's sludgy eroticism, and it's not wholeheartedly electro-acoustic either. The record exists at a place of convergence, as one era wrestles with a new dawn, and real life glimpses high fantasy.

Born in 1977, in Malang, East Java, Wukir Suryadi began playing music for theatre at the age of 12 with the Idiot The-ater Studio, and later with the Rendra Theater Workshop. In his solo work, and as a member of Senyawa, Error Scream, Bendera Hitam Setengah, Potro Joyo and other groups, Wukir breaks the boundaries of traditional music, death metal and avant-garde performance. On this new release, “Cycle and Prayer,” recorded in 2023, he expands the edges of his unique artistic world further, by digging in to meditative improvisation, art, and community building in his home workshop in the mountains of central Java. These recordings vibrate inwards, toward the microcosmic ecologies of forests and rivers; they distort outwards, resonating with global waves of apocalyptic change that are forcing all living beings to the edges of existence on earth. The result is a meditative poem that moves, as its titles an-nounce, from phenomena to phenomena, praying that humans find a way out from the depths of the depths to the light that illuminates the soul.
An essential mode of creative work for Wukir is the creation of unique instruments, using these sound sources as “bullets of expression.” In addition to the spear-like tube zither Bambu Wukir, he has created the Solet, Enthong, Garu, Luku, Arrows, and Industrial Mutant instruments, which in addition to being used in live performance, have been exhibited in the Instrument Builders Project and the 2017 Jakarta Biennale. In the past few years, Wukir has begun to collaborate with local guitar makers, carpenters, and suppliers of native endemic wood in the mountain region of Salatiga. Using earthen bricks along with local woods (suren, coconut, mindi, and waru lengis) as building materials, he constructed a new studio and workshop space in Tingkir, where this album was made. The trees, water and air of the local environment have exerted a powerful influence in Wukir’s documentations of instrumental sound. On this recording, he uses the simple Cetta guitar, an instrument designed in Bali and made for Indonesian children and local communities of folk and popular musicians, in order to explore the different sonic characteristics of a more “normal” instrument built from local wood.
The themes of the album -- cycle and prayer -- arise from a foreboding series of meta-events that shook Indonesia and the world over the past years, following one after the other: the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukrainian-Russian war, the Kanjuruhan Stadium tragedy in which football supporters were gassed and killed by police, revelations of govern-ment failures and corruption, the rise of personal vehicles, the increasing disturbance of natural patterns of the rainy season and other ecological cycles. “In these waves of technology and narratives of truth made for certain interests, playing a sound at a certain frequency and repeating can try to bring images and feelings to a certain point of con-sciousness,” Wukir told me. “Sound is a prayer that creates a change, whether gradual or rapid, in the behaviour of living things, to face the demands of the time, as humans struggle to live according to what they believe.” The draw-ings and sketches used for the cover spontaneously emerged alongside the recordings, as an instinctive depiction of “time and sound, nature that is outside of oneself, and nature that is within.”

Entering the world of MOOON is like entering a time machine. The young Brabant power trio, consisting of brothers Tom and Gijs de Jong and their cousin Timo van Lierop, takes the listener to the Golden Age of pop music: the heyday of psychedelia in the 60s and 70s.

Following up their recently released LP "III", here comes a brand-new 7" by MOOON. Featuring a mono-version of "Hurtin' My Heart", taken from their latest album "III" and on the B-side an unreleased song from the same session; "How I Learned (To Say Goodbye)".

"Hurtin' My Heart" is a fuzz & Farfisa driven tune, that everybody on the dancefloor will dig. "How I Learned (To Say Goodbye)" is a jangly 3 part harmony pop song but with a high energy twist!

This is a 7" that both sounds and looks 60's-stylish (with flap outer sleeve) and every DJ will need in their box!