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Arketip Discs is a Barcelona-based vinyl and digital imprint co-founded by Spear and Makuto that has featured music by Reeko, Truncate, Temudo, ORBE and Eduardo De La Calle.
Makuto is the label head from Spain with a growing reputation and who has kept his productions exclusively to Arketip Discs so far. ''Sfera'' is a hypnotic and atmospheric cut with modular accents and tones that morph and expand in sleek style.
A. Morgan is from Manchester, UK and has been establishing his productions with revered releases on the likes of Jay Clarke's Blackaxon, Joton's New rhythmic, Hans Bouffmyhre's Sleaze and Berlin's BCCO. ''Vogue One'' has a stripped-back style and groove focused rhythm with creative sound design and precise percussion highlights.
VIL is known as a core member of the Portuguese outfit HAYES, and has released music on Ben Klock's Klockworks, Ben Sims' Hardgroove, Shlomi Aber's Be As One, and TWR72's Float amongst others. ''The Reaction'' has a shuffling and quirky rhythm with deep, floating chords and electric elements creating a unique vibe.
Also from Spain, Psyk is the Non Series label owner whose back catalogue includes Tresor, Luke Slater's Mote Evolver, Scuba's Hotflush, Reeko's Mental Disorder and Chris Liebing's CLR to name only a few. Psyk's impressive remix of ''The Reaction'' succeeds in expanding distinct electric fragments from the original into a tapestry of organic, modular soundscapes

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On June 29th 2023, Jeremiah Chiu walked into the Vintage Synthesizer Museum (VSM) in Highland Park, Los Angeles, with no plan more specific than "let"s fire this stuff up and see what happens." Exploring the VSM"s vast collection of classic, rare and staple synthesizers, he would sequence, trigger, and layer the machines together with help from VSM founder/curator Lance Hill. The resulting album - In Electric Time - was recorded in just two days, and edited to completion in the two days following. It was captured fully analog by engineer Ben Lumsdaine, who contributes performances on a few tracks himself. Cooper Crain (of Bitchin Bajas) makes an appearance as well; but ultimately the collection is an intuitive expression of organic electronic conceptualized and created in-context by Chiu alone, as he calls on a lifetime of work in sound synthesis to pain a fulgent, refreshingly undercut sequence of cinematic sketches and in-process themes. In some ways, In Electric Time reflects the directness of Raymond Scott"s electronic studio recordings - with sharp cuts and room chatter - and, in others, it conjures the in-the moment- magic of Harmonia.

On June 29th 2023, Jeremiah Chiu walked into the Vintage Synthesizer Museum (VSM) in Highland Park, Los Angeles, with no plan more specific than "let"s fire this stuff up and see what happens." Exploring the VSM"s vast collection of classic, rare and staple synthesizers, he would sequence, trigger, and layer the machines together with help from VSM founder/curator Lance Hill. The resulting album - In Electric Time - was recorded in just two days, and edited to completion in the two days following. It was captured fully analog by engineer Ben Lumsdaine, who contributes performances on a few tracks himself. Cooper Crain (of Bitchin Bajas) makes an appearance as well; but ultimately the collection is an intuitive expression of organic electronic conceptualized and created in-context by Chiu alone, as he calls on a lifetime of work in sound synthesis to pain a fulgent, refreshingly undercut sequence of cinematic sketches and in-process themes. In some ways, In Electric Time reflects the directness of Raymond Scott"s electronic studio recordings - with sharp cuts and room chatter - and, in others, it conjures the in-the moment- magic of Harmonia.

For the last seven years, sound artist, technologist, and electronic musician Moisés Horta Valenzuela (aka Hexorcismos) has been studying artificial intelligence and generative art, wondering how these new technologies might be augmented into his musical process. Born in Tijuana and currently based in Berlin, Hexorcismos has long attempted to break down the permeable borders between musical styles and expressions, using the spaces in between to reinforce his politics and worldview. And on 'MUTALISMX - becoming sonic network', he expands his vision, inviting artists from across the globe to collaborate on work that questions the biases inherent in AI models, offering a collective alternative that could serve as a blueprint for further research.

The majority of AI art at this stage works with "big data", taking ideas from the cultural canon and muddying them with our contemporary reality. But if we accept that mass culture is always politically biased, always swaying towards historical prejudices, then there must be a counter-narrative. Hexorcismos began to develop a bottom-up approach, using "small data" to interrogate his idiosyncratic approach to art; he built a tool called SEMILLA.AI based on neural audio synthesis that could not only mimic his sonic fingerprint but transform it into another. So when he offered the synth to his network of collaborators, he gave them the option of either using only their data or sharing the signatures of each other artist involved in the project, blurring their identities into a mutual voice.

The result is a compilation that unspools with the coherence and fluidity of a single-artist album or adventurous DJ mix, genreless and boundless but unified by a singular message. Hunanese-American artist Kloxii Li for example takes rugged percussion and tense, industrial ambience, smudging her soundscape into a swirling gust of ghostly dissonance. Hexorcismos himself contributes two compositions: the lengthy, hypnotic 'Acaso de veras se vive con raíz en la Tierra', an AI-powered scramble of his pointed tribal guarachero experiments; and 'Interferencias', a collaboration with Mexican club veteran Bryan Dálvez, aka El Irreal Veintiuno that drives intense dancefloor rhythms into a dense haze of frozen drones and radio static. Elsewhere, Berlin-based Lebanese artist and writer Jessika Khazrik dissolves her voice into a mesh of obscured rhythms and dissociated whirrs, blending the organic with the artificial but retaining an overpowering sense of humanity.

Some artists were drawn to the nebulous aspects of the technology, searching for truth in a soup of different sounds, while others, such as KMRU, used Hexorcismos's synthesizer the examine their output. On 'hidden options', the Kenyan sound artist fed his immense catalog into the neural net, bringing out his mannerisms and tendencies in the process. Each track is singular but myriad, prompting both mutual respect and a sonic becoming, a feedback process between the artist and the tool, the individual and the collective. Data sets are made by people, and by engaging directly with musicians, Hexorcismos suggests a new way of utilizing a technology demonized and glorified without careful examination. Each artist owns their AI model, and alongside the album Hexorcismos will release SEMILLA.AI to the public (with custom-made models to start the process), allowing anyone to access this revolutionary technology.

Even the album's artwork reflects the political message, conceptualized by Chilean duo hypereikon, who used AI processes to develop a visual reflection of the technology and its possibilities. Operating outside of academia and capitalist enterprises, MUTUALISMX proposes an alternative future - one without borders that's not beholden to the Western canon, where independent labor can be prioritized and celebrated, and where creativity can truly flourish.

People Of Earth strides into the New Year with a new project called The Elements Series. Part one welcomes some serious names, not least Detroit's ambient and techno master John Beltran who kicks off with 'Nuyorico' a joyous, chord-laced house groove laden with organic percussion. Javonntte's 'Tropical Feelings' is another of his textbook deep house cuts with whispered vocals bringing a spiritual vibe. Atlanta's main man Kai Alce does his do with the jazzy synth energy of shuffling house cut 'Benefit' (NDATL instrumental mix) then Byron The Aquarius pairs things back to dusty drums and humid chords on 'Sun Gods'. This one is only for the real heads.

36's new album Reality Engine explores "the blossoming dynamics of artificial intelligence and the ever-changing definition of reality" on Past Inside The Present and does so with a continuation of his richly melodic sound while also evolving into new realms. The sheer beauty of these sounds is enough to uplift and energise, with chords ascending to the heavens on the opener 'Imagine The Truth' and then rolling out to infinite horizons on 'Axiom Haze'. 'Reality Engine' suspends you amongst the clouds and 'Beyond The Hyperreal' is a perfect marriage of immersive and organic sounds and hints of digital augmented reality engines. A sublime album, for sure.

The organic minimalism of composer and producer Kirk Barley is collected on his new studio album Marionette, released via Odda Recordings.

Whether drawing from field recordings, found sound, instrumental improvisations or synthetic processes, Barley’s compositions evoke unfolding sound worlds, as simple ideas or motifs are layered and developed into complex set-pieces that reveal themselves over time.

Marionette showcases the breadth and variety of the Yorkshire-born artist’s sound, weaving together familiar and uncanny moods of rural England and its Victorian architecture, as suggested by the gated garden print of the album’s cover. Unfurling between physical textures – the patina of vinyl crackle or gentle rain – and the hyper-real spaces that his music inhabits, Barley describes the compositions as “landscape or static scene paintings,” with many of the album’s tracks taking nature’s rhythms as their compositional cue.

On ‘Seafarer’, this manifests in the repeated synth swells of a boat on rough waters, while title track ‘Marionette’ imagines an eerie scene, were shadows flicker by an open fire. Similarly,‘Lake of Gold’ layers plucked strings at different scales and velocities to create what Barley calls the “rain-like quality” of the rhythm.

Drawing from jazz, minimalism and techno, Barley focuses on the detailed qualities of sound, experimenting with time signatures, temporals and tuning systems. His esoteric alter-ego Bambooman (2013-2018) found a home on Matthew Herbert’s Accidental imprint, releasing the album Whispers in 2017.

In contrast, under the pseudonym Church Andrews (most notably in collaboration with drummer Matt Davies), he produces synthetic, often beat-focused music, using digital synthesis and algorithmic composition techniques, with the live drum performances triggering and modulating Barley’s synths. The duo has recently performed at festivals such as Rewire and Waking Life, filmed sessions for Fact Magazine and Slate & Ash, and recently had their music played out by Aphex Twin.

Under his own name, Barley released his debut album Landscapes in 2019 on 33-33 Records and received support from the likes of NTS Radio and BBC 6 Music. Barley has performed at events across the UK and Europe alongside the likes of Andy Stott, Beatrice Dillon, Jan Jelinek, MF DOOM and Madlib. He has also completed commissioned work for the British Art Show, Camden Arts Centre, MSCTY and the Open Music Archive.

Harm’s Way is Duck Ltd.’s most intuitive and organic album yet, the result of keen observation, self-possessed songwriting, and a collaborative spirit. Building on the successes of their previous releases, the deeply relatable album displays a band operating at a nuanced, lyrical and musical best.

Ducks Ltd. make inviting and frenetic guitar pop for when life feels overwhelming. While the band’s songs are ostensibly breezy, a palpable anxiety boils underneath that communicates something deeper about everyday existence. On their latest album Harm’s Way, the Toronto duo of Tom McGreevy and Evan Lewis hones in on interpersonal and societal collapses, urban decay, and the near-impossibility of keeping a level head when everything around you seems to be falling apart.

“They’re songs about struggling,” says singer and lyricist McGreevy (who also plays bass and rhythm guitar). “About watching people I care for suffer, and trying to figure out how to be there for them. And about the strain of living in the world when it feels like it's ready to collapse.” 

Even with its often dark subject matter, Harm’s Way is Ducks Ltd.’s most vividly rendered and collaborative collection yet. It’s an undeniable evolution for the band, not just in how these songs soar, but in their entire writing and recording processes. Composed on tour while supporting acts like Nation of Language, Illuminati Hotties, and Archers of Loaf, the album displays the band’s finely tuned songcraft and well-earned, road-tested confidence. “When we got signed, we had played maybe five or six shows ever. After last year, it’s in the hundreds. That experience can change your perception of your own music and songwriting,” says McGreevy. “In the past when we got stuck on a song we had a tendency to look at our favourite records to see how they tackled it. But now, instead of asking ‘what would Orange Juice do?’, we’d ask, ‘what would we do?’.” Lewis adds, “We have this really great thing where every decision with the band is filtered through both of us. Here especially, we really figured out how to make something that truly sounds like us.”

The band, fortified by this strong sense of sonic identity and a self-assurance in their new material—and in contrast to their critically acclaimed 2021 debut Modern Fiction and 2019 EP Get Bleak, both self-recorded and self-produced in a Toronto basement—wanted to bring Harm’s Way to life in a new city, with an outside producer, and with some of their favourite musicians. “We realised that so many of our favourite bands who are making guitar music right now are from Chicago,” says McGreevy. Working with producer Dave Vettraino (Dehd, Deeper, Lala Lala), they enlisted a marquee cast of Windy City collaborators to round out the tracks on Harm’s Way, including: Finom’s Macie Stewart (violin, string arrangements); Ratboys’ Marcus Nuccio (drums on most tracks); Dehd’s Jason Balla (who helped arrange the backing vocals, to which he also contributed); and backing vocals from Julia Steiner (Ratboys), Nathan O’Dell (Dummy), Margaret McCarthy (Moontype), Rui De Magalhaes (Lawn), and Lindsey-Paige McCloy (Patio). The band’s touring drummer, Jonathan Pappo, and bassist Julia Wittman also appear on the LP.

Ducks Ltd. are a band that already thrives on skirting the edges of buoyant jangle pop and driving power pop, and the duo credits these collaborators with helping to push their sound even further. “Historically our process has been really tightly controlled and insular. On this record, we worked with people who we trusted with a pretty wide range of musical backgrounds and they had approaches and ideas that helped open up the record's sonic palette,” explains McGreevy. “Jason thinks about backing vocals in a totally different way than I do and is super intuitive with melodic ideas. Julia and Margaret have a really deeo understanding of harmony. Macie and Dave were comfortable with the idea of improvising string parts which took some of those layers in some surprising directions. Dave also has an amazing ability to create atmosphere on a recording, and encouraged us to use a bunch of different techniques, tones, and processes to achieve that.”

Harm’s Way’s lush, melodic swagger is clear from the first notes of opener “Hollowed Out.” A song about living with decline (inspired by a Toronto sinkhole), its bright, indelible catchiness serves in contrast to its lyrical unease. Anchored by Lewis’ shimmering electric guitar, “The Main Thing” laments growing apart from a person whose views you once shared while managing to toss in references to both the unglamorous lives of middle relief baseball pitchers and the occult. Other songs split the difference between country and krautrock, like the rollicking “Train Full of Gasoline,” which uses the 2013 Lac-Mégantic rail disaster in Quebec as a metaphor for self-destructive patterns. Meanwhile, “Deleted Scenes” mourns the absence of someone no longer in your life (even if for very good reasons) and recalls The Cure at their most direct, and closer “Heavy Bag” employs enveloping, mournful strings to evoke a sense of how misery frequently loves company.

Creeping through an imaginary border, sidesteppin’ through the night like cyber phantoms eavesdropping on early morning machinery shifts, an industrial solstice for pagan mystics. After five years Torino’s mysterious SabaSaba are back with ‘Unknown City’ an imaginary soundtrack for a dystopian city: digital raga, horror Exotica, half-speed techno, metallic dub and organic electronics.

The duo of Andrea Marini (synth, guitar, electronics, tapes) and Gabriele Maggiorotto (drums, percussion, effects, programming) return with their most political manifesto yet, an intricate musical essay inspired by China Miéville’s novel ‘The City And The City’, examining border control, repression, an unknown city where people move like ghosts without personality and without communicating, monitored on sight by the authorities. SabaSaba’s personal OST is a whirlwind of analog and digital instruments colliding, textured samples, syncopated drums and spiritual synth sweeps often heightened by Ambra Chiara Michelangeli’s eerie viola playing, an ancestral force resisting under a cement tower, modulars gasping for air, endlessly reverberating into noir-soul and gray landscapes.

Like Miéville’s two imaginary cities Ul Qoma e Besźel, SabaSaba’s journey is cavernous, claustrophobic at times, but a clear sense of evasion and resistance breaks through, small flickers of light, like a cyborg calibrating himself - the hypnotic dub ambient of ‘False Speech’ - for an ecstatic liberation - the trance inducing ‘Wrists Free’ featuring UK industrial techno duo Jerome. ‘Ul Qoma’ unites

180g, black vinyl. Warm and harmonic, this four-piece Scandinavian soul act deliver nostalgia steeped tracks with a timeless feel. Described as the bastard lovechild of Fleetwood Mac, Khruangbin, obscure Motown singles, hip-hop duo Eric B & Rakim seasoned with a bit of Stevie Wonder, Selda Bagcan, Elis Regina and Ted Gärdestad, Dina Ögon borrow across decade, country, and genre, ultimately delivering cohesive and homely retro pop from a laidback Nordic horizon. With two critically acclaimed albums under their belt and backing from the likes of Tyler The Creator, many sold out tours and and an organic growth and word of mouth build up on a global level in just two years, they are gearing up to release their third album "Orion" in February 2024.

Limited Crystal Clear Vinyl. Warm and harmonic, this four-piece Scandinavian soul act deliver nostalgia steeped tracks with a timeless feel. Described as the bastard lovechild of Fleetwood Mac, Khruangbin, obscure Motown singles, hip-hop duo Eric B & Rakim seasoned with a bit of Stevie Wonder, Selda Bagcan, Elis Regina and Ted Gärdestad, Dina Ögon borrow across decade, country, and genre, ultimately delivering cohesive and homely retro pop from a laidback Nordic horizon. With two critically acclaimed albums under their belt and backing from the likes of Tyler The Creator, many sold out tours and and an organic growth and word of mouth build up on a global level in just two years, they are gearing up to release their third album "Orion" in February 2024.

THE 2016 RELEASE OF SUPREME SICKNESS FROM THE US GORE LEGENDS

Skull Grinder was originally released in 2016, and contained 7 new tracks of gut-wrenching death metal delivered in the unmistakable Autopsy way, from members Chris Reifert, Eric Cutler, Danny Coralles & Joe Trevisano.

Recorded once more at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California, with Adam Munoz, Skull Grinder perfectly captures the rancid essence of Autopsy in all its savage glory, with a suitably dirty and organic sound mixed with brutal riffs, resulting in a slab of perfect and relentless horror.

“Musically, it's just what you'd expect from us; no style changes, wimp outs, sell outs, settling down or caving in. Add to that acknowledgement of the obvious, some of Wes Benscoter's sickest art yet to (dis)grace the cover, and you have a new sledgehammer to the bowels with no apologies offered whatsoever.”

One of the early breed of US death metal acts, Autopsy formed in 1987 in San Francisco, and released 4 albums on Peaceville Records - beginning with the classic debut Severed Survival in 1989 - before disbanding in 1995, with members going on to form Abscess. Autopsy triumphantly and officially returned from the grave after a 15 year hiatus with the 2010 EP, The Tomb Within. This was followed by the release of the band's fifth studio album, Macabre Eternal in 2011, to great acclaim.

Following the success of Eric B & Rakim covers on 45, touching Hip Hop and rare groove fans, Medline explores new horizons. Well known to be free from styles boundaries, the French Chilean multi - instrumentalist unveil a two side Afro Funk killer.

Marked with the "universal power" title on the label, third 7 inch on My Bags catalog, this new 45 shows Medline's abilities to produce high quality music in a wide range of styles. The compositions are produced with a brilliant contrast. The uptempo "Run For Cover" is a huge Afro beat runner with a hardcore feeling while "Azul", is a heavy downtempo soul funk anthem, and shines like a massive solar energy boost.

Medline brings back the 70's West African sound signature, carried by a hot drum and bass couple, leaded by the Farfisa organ and harmonized with a powerful brass section. The rhythm is wild, mastered by dynamical arrangements when the breaks are hitting loudly around. And yes as always Medline is the ONE playing all.

The artistic fate offered beautiful colors and forms to the music. Clément Laurentin's elegant painting "Run For Cover" reminding Bob Marley and Lee Perry's records, baptized the first composition which includes a "Jamaican" surprise. "Azul" (Blue in Spanish) is the main color of Clément's creation which remind the look of the famous azulejos. The link happens without any previous consultation, all was here to be done this way, connecting cultural areas and eras. To end, the acrylic painting on linen canvas is the perfect organic mirror to this new 7 inch.

My Bags is happy to offer this "tratra" (Ivorian pancake), designed with all the elements of a ready to dig holy grail, Soul inspired, Afro beat to the core.

Jason Grimez is a Cincinnati-based DJ and producer. He has a long history of record collecting, sampling, and creating new sounds with analog gear. Grimez works with some of Cincinnati's finest studio musicians to create raw, soulful, instrumental hip-hop under the moniker Doctor Bionic. The next LP, In The Infinite, is due out 12/01/2023 via Chiefdom Records. Grimez fell in love with music during the golden era of early 90's east coast hip hop - when digging for jazz and funky samples were the backbone of beats. He became comfortable scratching on a pair of 1200s and sampling records with an MPC 3000 in high school. After years of collecting music and working on his sound behind the scenes, he has compiled a huge discography of original songs. In 2015, Grimez started his independent label Chiefdom Records. His studio persona Doctor Bionic was one of the first to see a release on the new imprint. The project features a studio band of session musicians. Grimez is responsible for writing, recording, producing, mixing, and releasing the records. He gathers a group of musicians in his studio, presents a few ideas, and hits record. Due to a rotating cast of musicians and ever-changing inspirations, no two sessions are alike. "There's no set pattern," Grimez explained. "I'll invite some session players and have them jam on a few ideas. Sometimes we'll start with a drum break and add melodies over top. It's mostly improv, and I can always go back and chop it up." One common thread is the fresh, original sounds. "I like to call it Organic Groove," he shared. "I'm inspired by all kinds of music - instrumental hip-hop, soul, classic rock, jazz, you name it. When we get in the studio, all of the pieces add up to a new sound." In The Infinite features some of the best players in the Cincinnati music scene. Cameron Brown played guitar on several tracks. Brian Batchelor-Glader, an award-winning pianist, was also involved. All 12 tracks provide the perfect backdrop for hanging with a group of good friends or cruising in the car. The drums are solid, consistent, and lay an effortless foundation for all kinds of instrumentation. Jazzy trumpet lines, ethereal keyboards, choppy soul guitar licks, and much more. "Do You Remember?" (track 2) heroes a busy, poppy guitar and a head-bobbing bassline. The record scratching and tape-recorded drum tones on "Plastic Art" (track 7) feels like a hip-hop instrumental from the early aughts. From top to bottom, this record has a lot to offer. Pick up a copy of In The Infinite on vinyl or stream the album on 12/01/2023

The Tables Will Turn EP marks the comeback of Senegalese singer Faada Freddy after a long recording silence since the release in 2016 of a first album The Gospel Journey, punctuated by some 300 concerts worldwide.
Tables Will Turn confirms an uncompromising musical approach where the only resources are human "My music is 100% organic and 0% technological" summarizes Faada to evoke a device, already proven on Gospel Journey that solicits the mouth and body to imitate the sound of instruments.

Svaneborg Kardyb are Nikolaj Svaneborg – Wurlitzer, Juno, piano and Jonas Kardyb – drums, percussion a multi award winning duo from Denmark, with a fast-rising international reputation and with an NPR Tiny Desk concert – number one on many artist’s wish lists - in the bag before even the release of their Gondwana Records debut album Over Tage last November.



Their beautiful, exquisite compositions draw on Danish folk music and Scandinavian jazz influences, resulting in a joyful melding of beautiful melodies, delicate minimalism, catchy grooves, subtle electronica vibes, Nordic atmospheres and organic interplay. All of this and more shines through on their NPR session, first broadcast in May 2022 on YouTube. But of course, not everyone watches YouTube and so here, remastered for vinyl and download, is a strictly limited to 1500 vinyl, four tracker - At Home (An NPR Tiny Desk Concert) featuring bespoke artwork from Gondwana Records’ Daniel Halsall.



Here is what Kara Frame had to say for NPR, “Svaneborg Kardyb's Tiny Desk (home) concert was recorded in the countryside of Djursland, Denmark. "You have to drive for a while on a gravel road, and then you come to a lovely old house surrounded by hills and a stream on one side and a very flat landscape on the other, where you can see 10 miles away," the band wrote to us, describing the location of the shoot. It's this place that inspired Svaneborg Kardyb's second album, Haven (or "garden" in English). "Haven celebrates places we like to be," the duo said.



The Danish jazz duo is composed of Nikolaj Svaneborg on the Wurlitzer, synthesizer and piano, and Jonas Kardyb on drums and percussion. Their instrumentation set-up is untraditional, with the drums and keys facing each other, a position that they play in on stage just as they do in Kardyb's kitchen and living room here. They open up their set with the title track from Haven, which begins with a quiet melody over an effervescent loop. The sound mimics the shimmy of leaves in the breeze.”

On their debut "Hold Your Horse Is" Hella's style started to transform, organically. Zach was pushing the envelope rhythmically, and Spencer began to simultaneously play both rhythm and melody on the same instrument. 2023 marks the 21st anniversary of HYHI, which is being repressed as a commemorative re-release by KRS, including both the remastered original album and the 3 song demo which landed them their deal with KRS in 2001.

In the ever-evolving landscape of hip-hop, Divine ScienZe emerges with their third album, Divine ScienZe 3, a testament to their unwavering dedication to pushing boundaries and crafting music that is as refreshing as it is organic. As a dynamic duo, Divine ScienZe has consistently strived to redefine their sound, and this album stands as a brilliant showcase of their musical evolution. With this release, Divine ScienZe boldly ventures beyond the traditional boom bap approach, seamlessly merging the contemporary essence of hip-hop with their signature classic sound. The result is an auditory journey that transcends time, capturing the essence of both past and present in a harmonious union. Each track on the album is a testament to the duo's growth and innovation, offering listeners a transformative experience with every press of the play button. At its core, this album is a fusion of diverse elements, meticulously crafted to deliver a multifaceted sonic experience. Divine ScienZe masterfully weaves storytelling, hard-hitting bangers, and lush, soulful vibes into every track. The storytelling invites listeners to delve deep into the narratives, while the bangers ignite an irresistible energy, compelling even the most reserved to move to the rhythm. The lush vibes provide a tranquil oasis within the album, offering moments of reflection and introspection. Divine ScienZe 3 is more than just a collection of songs; it's a testament to the duo's artistic evolution and their unyielding commitment to creating timeless music. With every note, rhyme, and rhythm, Divine ScienZe proves that growth is not just inevitable but essential in the world of hip-hop. This release is destined to become an instant classic, a testament to Divine ScienZe's enduring legacy in the genre, and a must-listen for anyone seeking a musical journey that is both refreshing and profoundly authentic

When it comes to warming, quality, life-affirming live blends of house and disco, Italian duo Micky More and Andy Tee are in a league of their own. Logo Side Sees "Celebrate” Feat. Kathy Brown & Sheree Hicks; A beautiful original song with a great energetic two-voice chorus full of intensity; Hypnotic guitars and explosive strings surround the voices of Kathy Brown and Sheree Hicks. Feel-good house music with disco and soulful influences. On The Flip “So Wide Open” Feat. Angela Johnson is a horn-heavy, disco and funky-fired organic house number. Quality dance music as we like it.

DJ Support: David Morales, Dimitri From Paris, Dave Lee, Simon Dunmore, David Penn, Michael Gray, Brian Tappert, Melvo Baptist, Seamus Haji, Terry Hunter, DJ Spen, Hector Romero, Dr. Packer, Kenny Carpenter; Jellybean Benitez, Husky, Birdee, Derrick McKenzie, Angelo Ferreri.

Soliton maximizes the compact format by further illuminating lesser-traveled paths. Contemplation and exploration weave harmoniously through five mysterious tracks. Influenced by a wide range of styles and sounds, such as Japanese ambient, the muted dissonance of Pharoah Sanders, and the chilly dub of the Scape catalog, Soliton evokes visions of lonely night drives punctuated by bright moments of bliss. The Calque EP from January 2023 saw them pursuing the minimal electronic side of their work even further. The opening track, "Kottbusser Tor,” showcases a conspicuous absence of the processed guitars that characterize most of their work, and instead explores sequenced filters, tape delays and analog synth patterns for eight minutes. On "Ammosel", they dive directly into dubby soundscapes, with crackling electronics and deep basslines, while "Kiyosumi" and "Fade Into Air" pay a visit to more familiar ambient territory. A darker undercurrent pervades on this EP, but one that goes particularly well with the coldest of seasons and its frosty air. The duo, consisting of Jason Kolb (Michigan, US) and Jonas Munk (Denmark) started working together in 2006, sending each other tracks across the Atlantic, eventually resulting in a full-length release on Felte in 2012. What started out as a side project to their respective main projects (Auburn Lull and Manual) have slowly become the main activity for both artists, now with a total of four full-lengths under their belt. Their music has also evolved and matured over the years, reaching a level of perfection that’s only granted producers who've been in the game for decades. Billow Observatory have by now established themselves as purveyors of highly refined ambient music and the Soliton EP sees them elegantly blend new and old, electronic and organic, into a gently drifting, enveloping whole. “.. mind drenching sunrises, glittering constellations, and sailing clouds, richly furnishing the familiar sense of hovering over vast natural orders that you're also inside. – Pitchfork // “So the world it inhabits is essentially that one between states, simulating a quietly vibrant ecology of sub-aquatic bass rumbles, washed out expanses of mid-range swirl and keening top end whose elusive colours seem to fade and coruscate in the low light. Lovely

Matthew Herbert and Goldsmiths University's in-house record label NX Records presents the latest in their series of experimental electronic vinyl 12"s.

NX14X showcases the work of two boundary pushing Goldsmiths students: first, UK born and South Africa raised composer Galina Juritz, whose chopped and spliced RnB doused in lush string arrangements enduces a fidgety unease and zero gravity lushness in equal measure.

And second, rising DJ and producer Harry Rodger, with two cuts of organic, summery techno that would sound perfectly at home pumping out of the NTS Radio speakers into a sun-baked Gillett Square.

We are thrilled to introduce the world to the innovative sounds of the Japanese improvisational music trio 'I-I'. Composed of three exceptionally talented musicians, Kazuhisa Uchihashi (guitar, daxophone, pedals), Mitsuhisa Sakaguchi (synthesizers, pedals) and Tatsuhisa Yamamoto (percussion). This dynamic ensemble has embarked on a remarkable musical journey with their homonymous debut album.
"There's no inspiration from others. We just played." With this raw and unfiltered approach to music, 'I-I' promises a unique listening experience. The album's overall sound and style can be described as completely improvised, devoid of any predetermined theme or content. Instead, the musicians rely on their deep understanding of each other's musicality to create spontaneous and captivating harmonies. This organic approach results in a tension-filled sound that challenges traditional norms.
In their own words, the musicians stated that there are no particular themes or messages they seek to convey through the songs. Their creative process is one of pure exploration, allowing their musical intuition to guide them.
'I-I' is the trio's debut album, marking the beginning of their musical journey as a collective.
Despite the complexities of spontaneous creation, the trio revealed that they faced no significant challenges during the album's production, making the creative process smooth and seamless."We hope you will listen to this album from the first track to the last track in order, as like 'Album-oriented music.' The trio hopes that listeners will fully immerse themselves in "I-I" by sitting down in front of their audio systems and playing it as loudly as possible. Their goal is to provide a unique and unforgettable musical experience that transcends traditional boundaries.
"I-I" is now available for listeners who crave the thrill of uncharted musical territory. Embrace the unexpected and embark on a sonic adventure with this groundbreaking debut album.

‘Cull Portal’ was an idea that came to life during Sydney’s 2nd lockdown in 2021 when the world was in limbo and time felt like it was standing still.
It’s an exploration of modal harmony and improvisation, extrapolated over the course of the eight tracks. Woozing analog synths, grand piano, live drums and Jeremy Rose’s tenor sax set the tone for this fusion spiritual jazz/ electronic release. Cull Portal definitely nod’s its head to the past while intrinsically pushes the genre forward at the same time.
“I set myself the task of writing something as economical as possible that slowly unfolds into larger, more complex structures. The seed idea started as a solo piano piece, which later formed as ‘Cull pt II’ and from a two chord modal vamp. The rest of the album grew organically from there.
The live instrumentation you hear on this album was recorded remote during lockdown and is a true testament to the abilities of the performers, especially Jeremy Rose who brought so much life to the parts.
I was fortunate enough to record the original Yamaha CS-80 (The synth made famous in the cult classic Bladerunner score by Vangelis) down at MESS in Melbourne for the album, once the borders re-opened and we were allowed to travel again.”

"Ultra-textured arrangements that radiate quiet power, locking listeners into a distorted landscape before evaporating without any fanfare."
Resident Advisor

"Both reflective and rapturous...focuses on altering the DNA of traditional Japanese instruments and building something new from it, without losing the essence."
Bandcamp Daily Acclaimed Japanese musician 99LETTERS joins Phantom Limb for new album Zigoku / 地獄, seamlessly processing traditional Japanese instrumentation into pitch-black techno and quasi-industrial sound design.

“This album is made with the theme of human death,” 99LETTERS (Osaka producer Takahiro Kinoshita) writes of Zigoku / 地獄 Eng: hell, his first album for Phantom Limb. “Even if I eventually end up in hell when I die, it might be a more peaceful place than I had imagined. The whole album may represent the world of death that I desire.”

Though the music of Zigoku / 地獄 is ostensibly programmed with dark, disorientating, disturbing sound design, 99LETTERS continues his now-characteristic practice of sampling, processing and disguising traditional Japanese instrumentation to develop a sound world both organic and unsettling. The very real presence of beauty, culture, and folklore remains throughout the record, in attendance as a kind of heaven to offset the willful hell of Kinoshita’s craft.

Appropriately - and in his typically cryptic language - Kinoshita speaks of human interference with reality and morality as key themes of the album: “Everyone has a good and bad person within them, which can be deceived by misinformation and superstition. The bad side can be ferocious and can easily hurt people. Sometimes I think that the present age is a complicated and difficult era to live in, and that this era may be hell.”

Repress!

Following his debut on the label with last year’s ‘The Pob Routine’, Jerome Hill returns to AccidentalJnr with another absolute stonker of a release which we’ll let him describe in his own words...

“After my last EP for Jnr I spoke with label boss Matthew Herbert and he challenged me to write a track for the next EP, containing only sounds I'd recorded 'in the wild'. I was about to spend a little time on an organic Vegetable farming co-op just outside Munich, 'Kartoffel Kombinat' which I'd previously nicknamed Potato Land, so I brought my recorder and during my stay made lots of recordings, carrots being bitten and snapped, various gardening tools clattering around, voices and even the big tombola-like machine that cleans the freshly picked vegetables. The resulting track was Potatoland and the only non-organic noise in it is the kick. Various 'Potatoland’ elements also make guest appearances in the other tracks, although they are less easy to spot.

'Quibble’, was also written specifically for the label and was influenced by Herbert who I've been a huge fan of for decades... I wanted to make something suitably wobbly and humorous that shuffles along but then really slams when the kick comes in. Add in the Dance Mania influenced ‘Chicken’ and the final track ‘Bleeper’ and that's the EP... Very happy to be back!!”

Repress!

For those who know, Bambooman is one of the most sought-after, probing, and distinctive voices in UK electronic music right now.

The Yorkshire-born producer's catalogue builds into an aural mosaic, comprising everything from scrunched up hip-hop to techno deviance, all delivered with an impish sense of individuality.
'Whispers' certainly resonates. It's a lengthy, bucolic work, an album of great breadth but also one of sustained mood – think those hazy summer evenings when shadows stretch out across the road, and autumn lingers around the corner.

This new album has a dusty, organic, and decidedly personal feel, much more at home with Jon Hassel's 'fourth world' aesthetic than the club.

The results are also imbued with an incredible sense of mystery, with Bambooman's productions frequently being shot through with a hallucinatory sense of the uncanny. Entirely self-composed, 'Whispers' utilises "lots of field recordings that I've collected over the last few years, while within the tracks you can find lots of the instruments, percussion, bells and whistles that have been gathered throughout my life."

In certain ways 'Whispers' is entirely autobiographical: Bambooman reaches back to his varied alter egos, to the ambient releases, art commissions, and soundtrack projects that litter his discography. The cover art was even pieced together by Oliver Pitt – of Glasgow group Golden Teacher – who was an early ally in the producer's sonic quest.

Stylistically 'Whispers' veers from avant hip-hop of Flying Lotus to the theoried composition of Terry Riley, from the future-forward percussive energy of Battles to the ever-evolving electronics of Mark Pritchard. It's a record marks by a fiercely independent spirit, but also by a close-knit cast of collaborators.

King Kashmere takes a starring turn, following the pair's collision on the recent 'SUPERGOD' EP.

Each vocal is recorded, chopped up and then spliced across the album, with Elsa Hewitt also making a number of appearances and re-appearances.
credits

A collaboration between two prestigious Italian bands, the wizards of dub and the masters of big-band ska-jazz, in perfect symbiosis. An album full of dub atmospheres mixed with orchestral patterns; compelling rhythms of the ska and reggae traditions together with dilated and hypnotic electronic sounds. A recording fruit of a challenge and a celebration of music, something that is undoubtedly reflected in the spectacular outcome. 22 musicians locked in a large studio to rediscover the beauty of sharing after months away from the stage due to the pandemic, without even being able to rehearse.

The decision to record a live album was instantaneous, it was just about enjoying the energy of the moment. All tracks were recorded strictly live in the studio, without overdubs, with the aim of apprehending something unrepeatable.

The electronics, the melodies of the wind section and the vocal power come together in this work, recorded live at Deep Studio in Treviso (Italy) and mastered by Ibon Larruzea (Bilbao), full of dub atmospheres mixed with orchestral patterns.

All this merges into a unique and explosive sound in which the strength of the big band meets the deep and hypnotic beats of dub music. The instrumental "Cascade Dub" opens the album with a rootsy, majestic brass-led track.

From there on, Michela Grena, Rosa Mussin and Freddy Frenzy jump into their vocal games, inducing a trance-like state from which you can't (don’t want to) get out. A succession of untamed riddims and expansive sounds in which, in many cases, the wind section remains crouched in the background leaving the creative element in the hands of the dubmaster unit. As small depth charges "You Can Fly", "Lion", "Moon", "Beating Heart", generate submission to the beat and texture. "Mama", the successful first collaboration between the two bands, celebrates the bright sounds and colours of mother earth, a glorious song to our home. In the face of inequality, the senselessness of war, injustice, it becomes necessary to "Shine a Light" that offers hope and, at the same time, to "Give Thanks" for what we are fortunate enough to enjoy. The power of the big band merges with the heavy and deep step of the dub.


A progression of organic, pressing cadences, as in the solidest of the ska and reggae traditions and, at the same time, electronic resonances, dilated and deep. "Sinking Sand" closes the album in a sort of sonorous fencing of styles that makes us guess (as well as the title of the album itself) that WDD and NESJO still have a lot to debate. WDD began their journey as a quartet in 2014 and prior to Studio Session #1 they had already released two albums and several singles. NESJO formed in 2012 and have previously released two albums (both available on Brixton Records) and are working on what will be the recording of their next full-length.

Northeast Italy is a border area and it's easy to connect with each other in those territories made of enchanted landscapes. That energy, that desire to experiment and get involved, have made possible this ambitious project in which a ska-jazz orchestra and a dub band, each with its own language, are assembled in an amazing sonority

Clear Vinyl

On Rock Island, their second LP, Palm produces evidence of a distinct musical language, developed over time, in isolation, and out of necessity. On the island, melodies are struck on what might be shells or spines. Rhythms are scratched out, swept over, scratched again. Individual instruments, and sometimes entire sections, skip and stutter. There is the sense of a music box with wonky tension or a warped transmission in which all the noise is taken for signal.

Like other groups so acclaimed for their compulsive live show, Palm has been burdened by the constant comparison between their recorded material and their touring set. On Rock Island, they render this tired discussion moot, using the album form to present that which could never be completely live, reserving for performance that which could never be completely reproduced.

Despite appearing behind the instruments typical of rock music, Palm trades in sounds of their own making. On these songs, one of the guitars and the drum kit are used as MIDI triggers, producing an index that can be combed through later and replaced with new information. The percussion is sometimes augmented so as to suggest a multiplication of limbs. The strings are manipulated to choke, crack, and hum like other instruments, or other bodies, might.

Working again with engineer Matt Labozza, the band spent the better part of a month in a rented farmhouse in Upstate New York. With the benefits of time and space, Palm recorded the various elements piecemeal, only rarely playing together in groups larger than two or three. While some members tracked, others holed up in the next room, experimenting with quantization, beat replacement, and other methods borrowed from electronic music. Even accounting for the many labors that brought them to be, these materials seem produced by an organic logic. Their complex friction forms a habit of thought, scores a network of grooves on the floor of the mind.

This is music with dimensionality. Sonic objects are deployed, developed, and dissected in various states of mutation. The listener flits about between the field and the lab. The tone is warm in a way only the sun could make, the pace as forceful and as variable as a gale. Whether one locates Rock Island in a sea or in a refinished attic (as in Greg Burak's album cover), whether one escapes to there or is banished, its psychic environs are charted clearly enough. Only at this remove from the mainland can we sense the conditions necessary for such a strange species of sound.

KID FRANCESCOLI, leader of the French Riviera Touch is back with the stellar album SUNSET BLUE out Sept 22nd 2023.

After a first sold-out world tour (over 200 concerts in Europe, USA, Asia...), and successful hits such as Nopalitos, Blow Up or Moon (now certified diamond, with more than 200 millions streams), the Marseille-based producer, crooner and multi-instrumentalist, Mathieu Hocine, is eager to share his most accomplished LP ever. This fine collection of soulful songs honor his Mediterranean roots, with elegant and pop melodies. His most recent success and the creation of his first original soundtrack with AZURO, installed him as one of the best French songwriters of his generation, with a unique signature sound.

"I live in Marseille, I spent my childhood in Corsica, I have Algerian origins, my first vacations with friends were in Barcelona, vacations with my first girlfriend in Roma,... Then, I had the chance to perform in Morocco, Greece, Turkey and Egypt: each time I spent time in the Mediterranean region, the people I met there made me feel like I was part of the same country. This shared multiculturalism is really comforting, it has its own poetry and strength, bringing uniqueness and empathy to the people. It is essential for me. I love my city: it’s the perfect place to feel good with sun, sea, family, friendships, love... It gets me emotional, bringing tears with a smile".

With his new musical gem, Mathieu Hocine unveils 11 elegant tunes of his finest craft: sunbathed French Touch (Run Run, 1986), romantic chillwave (Corsica), uplifting synthpop (You Are Everywhere, Like Magic), electronic-soul (Casino Soul), cinematic disco (Solaris), cosmic R&B (Sweet and Sour, Take Time), … Everything is in this record.

For the first time ever, Kid Francescoli paid tribute to his mixed origins with his collaboration with world-renowned lute and mandolin player Hakim Hamadouche (Rachid Taha, Patti Smith, Brian Eno, Tricky...), whom added Algerian patterns to the introspectives songs Drift in Blue and The Morning After.

"My ambition is to create pictures in people's heads with music, to transport them instantly into a movie"

SUNSET BLUE is an instant-crush album: crystal-clear, strong, personal but universal at the same time.

It's an ecstatic soundtrack for this moment when time is suspended, the golden hour when everything seems possible. It feels like Love is in the air, you're living your best life and you're at the right place at the right time. This album embodies this magic moment where we would like to last forever… Like an epiphany, Kid Francescoli's new album is a moment of pure pleasure, a soothing way to escape reality.

"I see myself as a melodist.I would like my music to feel like velvet. There's something cinematic, classy about it, and yet comforting. It's very simple, popular and synonym of love and passion"

His friend French 79 co-produced the album, while the american rapper Bamby H2O brought his NYC swag (on Sweet & Sour), Stan Neff (Polo & Pan, Kungs, Christine and the Queens...) took care of the mix and Alex Gopher (Daft Punk, The Blaze, Bon Entendeur...) added a final touch of magic when mastering. Nicolas Despis (known for his work with Etienne Daho, Hoshi, Juliette Armanet... and many famous French rappers) later joined this dream-team to craft custom-made artworks. SUNSET BLUE is a deeply personal quest, a human adventure for Mathieu Hocine (whom explores his maghrebian origins, his feminine side, his subconscious space, ...). It's a male's work, but don't get it wrong, this LP would be nothing without women’s touch : Julietta (on Run Run and Take Time), Sarah Gaugler from Turbo Goth (on You Are Everywhere and Like Magic), and iOni (on Drift in Blue).

“Music has this magical power to broaden your vision of the world. It's fascinating because, like dreams, it's the kind of irrational things science can't explain and that makes life exciting."

Planets aligned perfectly on this project and thanks to this five-star cast of collaborators, Kid Francescoli achieved his personal holy grail : he orchestrated a great 21st century pop-music album.SUNSET BLUE is a new turning point between organic and electronic, both a mediterranean travel and a Californian dream, a bridge between Ennio Morriconne and modern electronic music.

Also, while it might be called SUNSET BLUE in honor of the sea and the Portuguese / Brazilian concept called “saudade”, but it is a really optimistic album, whose true colors would rather be "yellow-orange-red" in nod to the sun.

Created in the midst of the world tour, SUNSET BLUE is a direct result of the lives’ energy and fans’ joyful vibes: going back in the studio after smiling, singing and dancing with people all around the world inevitably gave Kid Francescoli the desire to retranscribe this ecstatic feeling in music. This album is a sensitive experience, from sunrise to sunset, from first track to last one. It’s an exploration of an everlasting summer, reaching its climax in the very final seconds of the track Corsica, making us want to press play and dive into this jewel all over again.

A beautiful cosmic trip, whether you like to stay in bed cocooning, to travel far, far away or to dance ‘till dawn, to catch the first rays of light.

Make sure to catch Kid Francescoli on his next world tour to have a good time.

With its tenth record from Fortunato Durutti Marinetti, Quindi continues to celebrate songwriting and storytelling framed by curious musicality. In keeping with the label's trajectory to date, this is an album which draws on a universal human sentimentality and presents it with an uncommon flair. In the case of Toronto-based Daniel Colussi, the man behind Eight Waves In Search Of An Ocean, his melancholic poetry cuts through with a clarity which calls to mind all-time greats from Anette Peacock through to Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen.
Turin-born Colussi has drifted through various bands, guises and styles over the past 20 years, but since settling into Fortunato Durutti Marinetti as a vehicle for his songs, he's found a strong expressive impetus which transcends genre to become entirely hinged on the power of his words and melodies. The first album under this alias was a 2020 cassette album, Desire, later pressed on vinyl due to demand in tandem with the release of 2022's Memory's Fool. On each record, Colussi has found distinct arrangements of players to set the mood, ranging from gently lilting art and folk rock through to orchestrated balladry, but Eight Waves In Search Of An Ocean widens the palette of Fortunato Durutti Marinetti to create an album in which each song feels like a tale unto itself.
Colussi's renewed approach is instantly apparent as album opener 'Lightning On A Sunny Day' unfurls, informed greatly by producer Sandro Perri's input pursuing a hybrid electro-organic sound. The addition of drum machines and synths to the musical palette bring with them the strong connotations of pop while the sax and violin sounds similarly smooth and silky, and one can't help but think of John Martyn's slide into the digital sound of Sapphire or Kraftwerk's bittersweet synthetic tenderness.
Within this sound, there's still space for the energy to fluctuate according to the whims of songs. 'The Flowers' turns inward with a soft-touch composition as delicate as the petals Colussi describes falling to the floor. 'Misfit Streams' and first single 'Clerk Of Oblivion' savour the fluid, luxuriant tone of fretless bass with all the 80s connotations intact. Colussi remains the central focus whatever happens around him, in possession of the kind of unforced charisma which drives a song deep into the listener's heart. It's at once entirely his own style and yet comforting and familiar. The lyrics might sweep you into the singer's inner world, similarly to the experience listening to late 60s Tim Buckley, or you might well inhale the mellow jazziness of the harmonic movement like you would Joni Mitchell on Hejira.
The emotional direction of each track is never linear - 'Smash Your Head Against The Wall' snarls its rhythm section before the strings sow their aching beauty to cool the song's temper, winding up as a track of distinct halves jabbing at each other. "I Need You More' leaves space for spiralling flute solos and strangely stiff, militaristic drum rolls in the midst of a sweet, slightly sad synth ballad, the final wave receding back into the tidal undulations of Colussi's unique exploration of his muse.
The artist himself dubs his musical expression as "poetic jazz rock" with a sideways glance - it's not exactly poetry, far from trad jazz and it doesn't really rock, yet the tag feels uncannily like it fits, just like the curious music it's used to describe.

Making their debut on Rupture, we are pleased to welcome Pugilist & Tamen with the 'Looking Out EP'.

The duo from Melbourne come with a unique blend for the Rupture crew, across four tracks that journey through the elements.

The EP drifts between dubby tribal steppers and rolling percussion, taking its time to savour everything in between, experimenting with different tempos, textures and atmospherics.

Progressing and building at every turn, the EP develops organically and hits in all the right ways.

Limited to 300 copies worldwide.

Justin K. Broadrick returns to Pi Electronics with his second full EP under the moniker "JK Flesh".
This latest release also features a remix by the German industrial techno legend, Ancient Methods.

Diverging from his previous offering, "PI04", PI11 unveils JK Flesh's real slow burners-- a crossover between industrial and dub-techno.
Broadrick's mastery in industrial music meets his dub influences, resulting in meticulously crafted organic textures and relentless, tormenting dub-leaning techno beats. This EP is for those who appreciate music that unfolds gradually and rewards patient listeners.

Ancient Methods' take on PI11.2 is a demonstration of his distinctive and trademark sound, perfectly transforming the depth of the original track into an industrial techno banger.

The 11th instalment of the Pi Electronics EP series brings together two titans of industrial aesthetics: a UK musician boasting four decades of cross-genre music-making and one of the scene's most respected DJs and producers. The record comprises three original tracks, along with the remix, pressed onto 180-gram black vinyl, including an A5 insert. Additionally, two digital extra originals complement the physical release, providing a comprehensive sonic journey through Broadrick's work.

Seven Steps to Heaven arrived at a crucial junction in Miles Davis' career. Recorded at two separate locations in spring 1963, it served as Davis' first release in more than a year – a layoff that was then unprecedented for the jazz visionary who had issued at least one LP a year since debuting in the early '50s. Equally notable, Seven Steps to Heaven marks the point at which the core of Davis' Second Great Quintet started to assemble. The twice Grammy-nominated effort is also Davis' final studio record to blend standards with originals. And it happens to be one of the expressive, well-played albums in the jazz canon.

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at RTI, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity's 180g SuperVinyl LP of Seven Steps to Heaven adds yet another step (or more) towards the bliss suggested by the album title. Playing with standout clarity, detail, tone, and balance, this audiophile reissue pulls back the curtain on the instrumentalists. Afforded the tremendous advantages of SuperVinyl – including a nearly inaudible noise floor, dead-quiet surfaces, and superb groove definition – this numbered-edition version presents Davis and Co. amid a wide, deep soundstage whose dimensions and solidity help bring the record's historical importance and musical merit into focus. Warm, organic, and present, the SuperVinyl LP of Seven Steps to Heaven is what great-sounding hi-fi is all about.

And there's nary a passage on this 1963 landmark that isn't great. That Davis manages to make it feel so cohesive and seamless is a testament to the inspired performances and engaging compositions. Davis didn't draw it up the way it unfolded. No matter. He held trump cards that stayed up his sleeve for the next three decades: A drive to be nothing less than superb, a refusal to settle for mediocrity, and standards to which nearly no other composer or player could match. "The toughest critic I got, and the only one I worry about, is myself," Davis wrote in the liner notes. "The music has to get past me."

Davis' demanding approach partly explains why he switched up his band between the first and second sessions – and underscores how fast his mind was racing with new ideas. Seven Steps to Heaven acts as the stable bridge between the transitional period that followed the dissolution of his First Great Quintet and formation of the Second; without it, Davis perhaps doesn't invite then-23-year-old Herbie Hancock and a still-teenage Tony Williams into the fold. The trumpeter not only got his men – he preserved in amber for the only time (well, magnetic tape anyway) the chemistry and vibe he achieved with pianist Victor Feldman, drummer Frank Butler, tenor saxophonist George Coleman, and bassist Ron Carter.

That line-up gels for half of the six songs on Seven Steps to Heaven. Captured in Los Angeles April '63, the quintet stretches out on a luxurious reading of the late '20s New Orleans staple "Basin Street Blues"; lays on the romance for a candlelit stroll through the '40s standard "I Fall in Love Too Easily"; and explores the rounded contours and melodic crevices of the early blues "Baby Won't You Please Come Home." The performances are refined, elegant, emotional; the band lets the feelings linger and gives the listener time to absorb the colours and textures.

A month later, Davis returned to New York City with Coleman and Carter, and partnered them with Hancock and Williams. Tellingly, the quintet tried its collective hand at the title track and "Joshua" – Feldman-penned songs already recorded in Los Angeles – as well as the yearning "So Near, So Far." Those are the tunes that comprise the other piece of Seven Steps to Heaven, with the revised quintet's liquid pulse, articulate dynamics, and timing shifts a harbinger of things to come.

It's also worth mentioning that the interpretations of the bounding "Seven Steps to Heaven" – a showcase for Davis' trumpet – and interlocking "Joshua" netted considerable radio airplay and attracted the attention of other contemporaries who covered the songs. Keeping Carter and Williams as the rhythmic engine, and Hancock as the anchor between solo flights and structural motifs, Davis would soon soon welcome Wayne Shorter into the family and transform jazz. Again. The aptly – and, in hindsight, perhaps prophetically titled Seven Steps to Heaven – is how he got there.

Sourced from the Original Master Tapes and Presented in Audiophile Sound for the First Time: Mobile Fidelity’s Numbered-Edition 180g SuperVinyl LP Plays with Riveting Detail
Three decades before he released The Philosophy of Modern Song — an insightful book devoted to 66 tunes that both impacted his career and the music world at large — Bob Dylan issued Good As I Been to You. The under-heralded 1992 album, Dylan’s first solo acoustic album in nearly 30 years and first all-covers effort in nearly 20 years, can be seen as a prophetic prelude to what has become the Nobel Laureate’s celebrated late-career arc. It’s also an absorbing continuation of the custom Dylan has embraced since he first picked up a guitar.


Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at RTI, and housed in a Stoughton jacket, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g SuperVinyl LP of Good As I Been to You reveals the immediacy, detail, and stripped-down nature of recording sessions that took place in Dylan’s garage studio in California. Simple, raw, and unplugged, the record presents Dylan in peak form — and showcases a diversity of vocal phrasing, soulful chording, harmonica accents, and close-up ambience that on this reissue emerge like never before. As the first-ever audiophile edition of this almost-lost classic, this LP also benefits from SuperVinyl’s extraordinary properties: a nearly inaudible noise floor, superb groove definition, and dead-quiet surfaces among them.

Recorded and mixed by Micajah Ryan, and supervised by Debbie Gold, Good As I Been to You took shape at Dylan’s home shortly after the singer-songwriter completed sessions in Chicago with a full band. Unaccompanied, he again gravitated to existing works — in this case, traditional folk music — and, with Gold serving as a trusted advisor, performed the songs in multiple keys and tempos until he arrived at what he desired. That careful, determined albeit loose, organic approach emanates from this reissue, on which each note, movement, and space come across more directly, fully, and immediately than on the original formats. It helps draw a through-line to Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964) as well as the similarly themed follow-up, World Gone Wrong (1993) and immersive old-world storytelling of Tempest (2012) and Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020).

Well before Dylan made those renowned 21st century LPs, however, he needed to find a way out of a funk that — save for his 1989 collaboration with Daniel Lanois, Oh Mercy — followed him for years. As author Clinton Heylin reported Dylan admitting in 1997: “My influences have not changed — and any time they have done, the music goes off to a wrong place. That’s why I recorded two LPs of old songs, so I could personally get back to the music that’s true for me.”

Truth: Few, if any, concepts better encapsulate Good As I Been to You. It resonates with the same originality, honesty, resolve, and age- and time-defying relevance as the seminal Anthology of American Folk Music that fired Dylan’s imagination as a kid in small-town Minnesota and, later, per Greil Marcus’ That Old Weird America book, informed Dylan and the Band’s Basement Tapes sessions. This record also contains the type of music Dylan was playing during his acoustic sets at his period Never Ending Tour shows; within a year of the record’s release, Dylan would play half the album’s songs live.

As for those songs: Rife with strange mystery, common circumstance, and epic adventure, the stories appeal to our base instincts. Their themes — jealousy, temptation, sacrifice, love, revenge, identity, opportunity — operate on a fundamentally human level immune to trends, generations, or eras. They’re ancient and modern, serious and comical, open and disguised, simple and multi-layered. They talk of vengeance and justice (“Frankie & Albert”; “Jim Jones”), romance and tenderness (“Tomorrow Night,” “Froggie Went a Courtin’”), the troubled and trouble-free (“Hard Times,” “Sittin’ on Top of the World”). They lend voice to lovers scorned and freed (“Blackjack Davey”), the used and users (“Diamond Joe”), the powerful and powerless (“Arthur McBride,” “Canadee-I-O”), the followed and followers (“Little Maggie”). And akin to much of Dylan’s finest output, things are not always what they appear to be.

Spanning country, folk, sea shanty, bluegrass, and blues motifs, Good As I Been to You re-confirms Dylan’s position as an elite interpreter and sculptor — not of just structure but emotion. Dylan delivers the tunes as if he’s known them forever. He plays with a subtle sense of mischievousness and retains a largely upbeat demeanour; his eyes seemingly twinkle as he sings and picks. His guitar serves as the guidepost for shuffles, boogies, ballads, and mess-arounds while his innate feel for each specific arrangement and melody helps inform pacing, tone, attack.

Like a great author, he understands the importance of adhering to concision, luring an audience, holding their attention, and maximizing the impact of details, actions, and unexpected turns. Though already coarse and ragged, his voice feels ideal for the subject matter and his phrasing — from the clever ways he stretches syllables to underline meanings on the surprise twists of “Canadee-I-O” to the sheer delight he gets from singing “rowdy-dow-dow” on the protest song “Arthur McBride” — outstanding.

“This one might’ve been in us from the start”, says John Hancock. He’s talking about ‘Echos’ - his, Becky Williams, Finn Bjarnson & Ryan Raddon seventh Late Night Alumni longform. Predominantly known for blending electronic and organic elements into their music, the album represents a departure from the band’s largely house-led sound. An all-acoustic affair, in many ways though ‘Echos’ is a natural extension of LNA’s DNA. “Most of our songs”, John continues, “are written in the organic/acoustic realm and then produced with electronic flavours to create our sound. In those intimate song beginnings though, there’s a magic all its own. We’ve long wanted to do an album that captured and augmented that initial intimacy.” Which is indeed what Becky, John, Finn & Ryan have now done. The quartet have dug back into their twenty-year, six-album history and selected eleven tracks that they felt could most benefit from this song-spotlighting treatment. With their original acoustic intros as cues, they’ve taken them to their natural conclusions. A Sliding Doors-type feast for LNA enthusiasts both new and established, or indeed all lovers of downtempo, downtime, live instrumentation-led music, ‘Echos’.

Berlin based producer and DJ, Fletcher, joins the roster of Anthony Georges Patrices’ Ausblick imprint this December with his ‘Blurred Lines’ EP. The past decade has seen Fletcher steadily unveiling his own distinctive twist on dub techno and micro house with a debut album on Steve O’Sullivan’s Mosaic and further material on the likes of Roger Gerressen’s Irenic, Ohm Series, his own Tact Recordings/Tactics. Here though he drops his new two tracker on the growing Ausblick label, following its recent release from label boss AGP with a remix from Playhouse legend LoSoul. Title-cut ‘Blurred Lines’ leads and see Fletcher lay down a sturdy, shuffled percussive groove at the foundation of the composition while ghostly chimes, swelling subs and modulating synths ebb and flow within its eight-minute duration. ‘What’s It All About’ follows and edges into more mind mending, minimalistic realms with oscillating bass tones, organic percussion and murky atmospherics all intertwined to create a low-slung dance floor focused tool.

Temple, Bassey, MacLaine and now, Hurt; in a world of Shirleys, the name Sophia Ruby Katz has chosen for her music is perhaps prophetic as it captures her stunningly emotive vocal approach. And whilst Shirley Hurt might be the perfect nom de plume for the creative Toronto-based artist, it’s her self-titled debut album which positions her as protagonist of her own universe.

Traversing sonic landscapes, Shirley Hurt’s vocals ebb and flow like lyrical Ley lines tracking the contours of her own well-travelled map. By the age of 18, Hurt had travelled extensively, having lived in upwards of 20 different apartments and houses, as a result never really feeling “at home” anywhere. At this age was when Hurt found herself in New York, dipping her toes into various scenes and musical realms. The first and only place she ever felt at home, and a partial home-base for her, she travelled between Toronto and New York until the age of 26.When the project she was working on in New York reached a dead-end she returned West, moving in with musicians Harrison Forman (Hieronymus Harry, Zones) and Patrick Lefler (Roy, Possum). Being surrounded by their improvising at all hours, a new approach emerged. “Harrison is a virtuosic guitar player, and I hadn't picked up a guitar in any serious way since I was 16,” she says, “by osmosis I started playing again for fun.” Without agenda, the process grew organically from there.

Hurt and Forman decided to travel across the US and Canada in a trailer for half a year, with the entire album written in the final months of their trip. Hurt had been writing loose ideas here and there but felt blocked creatively. When the pair reached Berkley, they wound up house-sitting for a tuned-in friend who recommended she pray, in a very direct way, to remove the block. “I took her advice and to my surprise it worked. The album was conceptualized and finished within a couple of months.” Shapeshifting in tone and phrasing, Hurt’s music alchemizes the furthest corners of experimental indie folk, pop, and country into a singular sound with elegant unpredictability.

Whilst Shirley Hurt’s lyrical and structural ideas may have emerged on the road, the album was self-produced and recorded at Joseph Shabason (The War on Drugs)’s Aytche studio in Toronto’s West End. It was engineered by Nathan Vanderwielen and Chris Shannon (Bart), and Hurt enlisted collaborators Jason Bhattacharya, Nick Dourado, Patrick Lefler, and Harrison Forman to hone her vision. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with the songs until we returned to Toronto,” she recalls. “Joseph and I had been talking about working together after sending across some demos and Jason happened to recommend his studio at the exact same time, so everything came together naturally at that point.”

Whilst her most recent adventures may have seen Shirley Hurt bound for Texas as an official SXSW artist (hand-picked by Gorilla Vs Bear to perform at their own showcase), she currently resides in her native Canada, more specifically rural Ontario, close to friends and family, and is already working on her second album. The ties to lineage are interwoven in the fabric of the music. Hurt’s mother, artist Leala Hewak, instilled a lust for life and innate value of creativity in her from a young age as she explored the role of gallery owner, vintage jewellery show host, mid-century modern furniture expert, real estate agent, painter. Hurt’s father, a civil litigation lawyer and new-wave obsessed music lover with an extensive vinyl collection, introduced Hurt to a wide-range of artists at a young age such as Nina Hagen, Laurie Anderson, Tom Tom Club, and endless others.

In her video for ‘Problem Child’ Hurt’s grandmother walks her through a generationally revered pie-making process. One would be tempted to hear this, and other songs, as autobiographical. Yet, Hurt’s lyrics are rarely pulled from her relationships or personal history––at least not consciously. Rather, they arise from somewhere less tangible or defined. “Lyrics tend to come to me when I am doing non-musical things - washing dishes, brushing my dogs, walking to the grocery store. I have a lot of voice memos on my phone and half-filled notebooks and when I hear something, I have to stop what I'm doing to get the idea down. Usually it’s bits and pieces. It's rare a full song comes to me in one go, but it's great when they do, and those are often my favourites.”

Carving out a space of her own in an all-encompassing universe, Shirley Hurt is the introduction to a long artistic story, and if the journey so far is anything to go by, it will be stippled with evermore unpredictable chapters.

Drawing inspiration from his homeland Germany, with a particular focus on the organic house and techno scene of Berlin, Sanoi has meticulously crafted Echoes Of Home to reflect his diverse influences.

Echoes Of Home finds Sanoi challenging conventional music production norms, steering clear of familiar tropes and techniques. The result is eight carefully curated tracks with a rich tapestry of ambient layers, recorded sounds, and melodies that range from quirky and playful to nostalgic and melancholic. The finely crafted drums take centre stage, emphasising the unique groove that defines Sanoi's distinctive sound.

The album traverses warm, bouncy & melodic house music, with touches of deep-house, techno & organica. While largely instrumental, the album’s centrepiece is a collaboration with Christchurch artist Beacon Bloom on the track ‘Silver’. Both artists previously collaborated on the popular single ‘Club Jesus’, once again featuring Ryan Ferris' delicate yet strong vocals. The final track on the album, ‘Moon Boy’ offers a few moments of quiet as the journey draws to an end with just Sanoi & his piano.

Created at his home in Auckland, and road-tested across multiple live performances across NZ & Australia over the past two years, Echoes Of Home sees Sanoi’s composition & production step up another level. Available on limited edition vinyl, the digital release also includes an eclectic collection of four remixes from acclaimed New Zealand artists micronism & Paige Julia, alongside German producers Gabriel Ananda & Fabian Krooss.

Over the past five years, Sanoi has become an integral part of the growing underground house and techno scene in New Zealand, all the while expanding his international presence with releases on labels Bar 25, Stil Vor Talent, Magician On Duty, and Zehn Records. Sanoi's music has already gained support from student radio stations in New Zealand and has caught the attention of tastemaker DJs worldwide

Two previously unreleased collages for magnetic tape, both realized at the Studio di Fonologia Muisicale RAI in Milan. These pieces are precious testimonials to Aldo Clementi's intense and ongoing interest in electronic music in the 1960s. The electronic composition »Collage 2« from 1960 was his first experiment with electronic music. »Collage 3« dates back to 1966. It's an electronic collage on »Michelle« by The Beatles.

The composer wanted to replace old concepts and clichés which had become popular and common, through the use of "natural wells of timbre, live and organic, springing from a world of symmetry and fixed blocks." This original idea underwent a drastic transformation when the RAI (the Italian radio) commissioned Clementi to write a longer work. To his initial desire to start from scratch was added the problem of a longer duration. It was only when Clementi had almost completed the piece that he gave it its final title of "Dies irae," owing to the extreme tension that accompanied its composition.