Cerca:palmer

When dub and dope beats entered into an open relationship in the mid-nineties and created a casual hybrid with trip hop, Jean-Yves Prieur aka Kid Loco was one of the first French people to be there. With singles like "She"s My Lover" and "Love Me Sweet" and the album A Grand Love Story, the producer proved himself to be a loverman indeed, with a knack for bedroom moods, charming little melodies and a comforting balance between minimalism and lush arrangements . As a keyboard all-rounder, Guillaume Méténier aka Soul Sugar has been featured on numerous Kid Loco productions for more than twenty years. From the synthesizer to the clavinet, from the Fender Rhodes to the Leslie organ, the "Funky Frenchman" is no stranger to any keyboard instrument. The Hamburg label Echo Beach, which has already issued dub commissions for a number of pop and new wave classics, thought it was time to change that. Dub masters such as Rob Smith, Noiseshaper, Dubmatix, Paolo Baldini and many others remixed for the label. Songs by Martha & The Muffins, The Police, David Bowie, Grace Jones and Robert Palmer, among others. In order to honor the music of Florian Schneider, Ralf Hütter and their respective fellow Kraftwerkers with a dub set, they turned to Kid Loco, who has now established himself as a musical all-rounder, and who immediately invited his long-time accomplice Soul Sugar brought on board. The calculation really worked out.

Those in the know are well aware of Bobby Marin's work, and the fact that he was behind the scenes for some of the best boogaloo and salsa of the '60s and '70s. Yet, until now, no one has explicitly put Bobby's name in the headline and given him his due on the cover of a properly credited Latin soul compilation. This compilation comprises twenty four essential boogaloo, Latin funk, rock and afro disco gems, each one bearing the mark of quality: "A Bobby Marin Production", including songs by Ricardo Marrero, the Ghetto Brothers, Ocho, Louie Ramírez_ A freshly curated overview of his fascinatingly complex back catalog in these genres. Since the late 1980s there have been numerous Latin soul and boogaloo compilations, and certainly much has been written about the history of the music too and an an excellent documentary (We Like It Like That, by Mathew Ramírez Warren) have brought the music to a broader audience. Generally, when discussing the "first wave" of Latin soul and boogaloo, it's the bands and their leaders, the singers and the songs that get all the recognition. But what of the producers, composers, and arrangers behind the music? Over the years, one of the best old-school New York Latin music producers, Bobby Marin, has occasionally been given some well-deserved credit and popped up sporadically in articles or liner notes (Wax Poetics, Fania, Gladys Palmera). However, to the casual public, he is not a household name, even among some fans of boogaloo. There are even some contemporary Latin soul compilations that contain mostly material licensed, produced and / or written by Bobby (or his brother, Richard), and a tip of the hat must go to Bobby's friend Dean Rudland for all his work in this area, as well as to Rocafort Records for digging up the long-lost Nitty Gritty Sextet album. Yet, until now, no one has explicitly put Bobby's name in the headline and given him his due on the cover of a properly credited Latin soul compilation. This collection aims to change that and give the man his Latin soul "props" for the first time on a freshly curated overview of his fascinatingly complex back catalog in this genre.

Comes with insert and download coupon.

Imagine a Latin remake of Back to the Future. The mad scientist is Arsenio Rodriguez (the godfather of salsa) and the young student who travels through time with him is Eblis Alvarez (Meridian Brothers). This album can only be described as the perfect soundtrack for that movie that never was.

After the massive buzz generated by his first solo album, Mentallogenic, Alex Figueira got back in the studio to work in a more collective fashion this time, carefully assembling the second album of his largest project to date, Conjunto Papa Upa; a team of 6 musicians, spanning 3 generations of some of the best talent in the Latin and avant-garde scenes.

In an era where tropical music is dominated by purely electronic and rhythmically uniform sounds, the ten songs encompassed in “Fruta Madura” (“Ripe Fruit”) wander through the most diverse tempos, rhythms, and motifs effortlessly. A real breath of fresh air that gracefully incorporates soul, funk, jazz, psychedelia, and electronics into a solid tropical, irresistibly polyrhythmic foundation, without ever succumbing to the many genre clichés.

The distinctive production and catchy songwriting of Figueira shine in a very distinctive light on this second full-length. Living up to his reputation (Miles Cleret, founder of Soundway Records, called him “one of the scene's truly authentic and eccentric producers”), he takes the opportunity to show he’s not afraid to keep walking his own path.

Taking the band for a wild ride through the traditions of Africa, America, and the Caribbean; contrasting them with a ridiculously wide plethora of vintage, contemporary, and futuristic sounds, and pivoting on the exuberant musicality displayed by his musicians; the result leaves no doubt: this album is destined to be considered a future classic of the exciting tropical psychedelic music of the 21st century.

Addressing the most diverse themes in this new collection of songs, things take on a much more mature tone, as the title clearly suggests.

The opening track “El segundo es más sabroso” (“The second one is tastier”) sets the tone in the most assertive way imaginable, with the band boldly declaring, through multiple metaphorical references (laid upon a crazy mix of Dominican merengue, Detroit techno, classic and free jazz, dub, and electro), that the bar will be set higher with this second album.

The remaining compositions touch upon the most diverse subjects, with a fair dose of humor, sarcasm, and postmodern “magic realism”. “El Algoritmo” (The Algorithm) is a parranda-cumbia hybrid (for lack of a specific term) about the omnipresence of technology in our lives. The sophisticated Latin soul of the titling track “Fruta Madura” makes a case for the beauty of the maturity process. Some key philosophical teachings of Marcus Aurelius (the role of causality, the impositions of “the logos” and the importance of self-control) get a twisted cumbia treatment on “Reos del Deseo” (Prisoners of Desire). “No le pongas Coca-Cola” (“Don’t put Coca Cola in it”) shows us the most satirical side of the band, accusing those who mix Coca Cola with Rum of committing "sacrilege", on a powerful base of Dem Bow (the grandfather of Reggaeton), intertwined with touches of soul, salsa, and Cuban comparsa.

"Háblame Claro" (“Talk to me clearly”) is a story of heartbreak that evokes in its first part the spirit of the erotic salsa of the 80s (a subgenre deeply despised by purists), and after an unexpected samba interlude, leads to the hardest salsa of the 70s (a subgenre adored by purists), to end up in the surprising form of pure Afro-Cuban ceremonial music.

“Tu mamá tenía razón” ("Your Mom Was Right") is an attempt to exalt the spirit of the Latin American soap opera in the key of “acid bachata”, to recount a real-life case, witnessed by the band on countless occasions: the partying woman who arrives at the show accompanied by her bitter husband, who obviously does not like to dance. A very cheeky song to talk about the very serious and pertinent topic of female empowerment.

“La misma vaina” (“The same thing”) with its indescribable blend of bantú, candomblé, and Mozambique rhythms with abstract synthesizers, is an ode to adventure in favor of the aversion to taking risks and seeking predictability.

“Amigas picadas” (“Salty friends”) is another humorous song recounting another real-life case witnessed by the band on countless occasions: a love encounter sabotaged by the girlfriend's friends, who all happen to fancy the same guy. A jazzy take on the ancient Dominican rhythm of pambiche (grandfather of merengue), with generous psychedelic touches, resembling the classy late 60s releases of Guadeloupe's legendary producer / label owner Henri Debs.

“Vinimos a hablar” (“We came to talk”) takes sarcasm to the highest level, to ridicule the absurdity (also experienced by the band firsthand) seen in live music venues where people pay a ticket to go and have conversations that could be carried out much better on any bar, where no band is playing. The music alternates between a delicate melody with loose, sparse percussion and a full-on, pumping Angolan semba, with a techno kick drum included; bringing things to an apotheotic grooving finale, where the peculiar swing of Venezuelan calypso from the Callao region is thrown on top of all the precedent elements; closing the album in the most uplifting, “end of the carnival parade” feel.

The artwork is a delicate and impactful oil painting by Colombian artist Kevin Simón Mancera, who has collaborated many times with the label before (“Maracas, tambourines and other hellish things” tape and the Lola’s Dice LP).

What the experts are saying:

“Alex (Figueira) dove into this work with a brutal cohesion between lyrics and synths. Timbre poetry, sound poetry (you name it). And that, superimposed on his always impeccable percussive base, confirms the title of “avant-garde visionary of our beautiful Latin music”".
EBLIS ALVAREZ (MERIDIAN BROTHERS)
“Papa Upa's infectious quirkiness is a balm against boredom. A mature album, but without an expiration date”.
GLADYS PALMERA

“Here there is a lot of strength, drum, cadence and psychedelia, lost dance rhythms, united in an intercontinental Latin/African/and Caribbean journey, a unique winning combination that we could consider the new “Ritmo Figueira”.
DISCODELIC

Conjunto Papa Upa are: 



Alex Figueira - Timbales, percussion, vocals. 

Gerardo Rosales - Congas, percussion, vocals. 

Ramón Mendeville - Bongos, percussion, vocals. 

Randy Winterdal - Bass.

Andrew Moreno - Guitar.

Nico Chientarolli - Organ, piano, synths.



All songs written by Alex Figueira. 

Arranged and performed by Conjunto Papa Upa. 

Recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Alex Figueira at Heat Too Hot, Amsterdam.


Long-awaited reissue of an interesting and rare masterpiece by jazz guitar virtuoso Joe Pass, who took on jazz funk! (Made in 1971) This is the first release on Gwyn Records, a minor label in California, and features a very impressive lineup. Paul Humphrey and Earl Palmer on drums, Carol Kaye (label owner) and Ray Brown on bass, J.J. Johnson, Tom Scott, and Conte Candoli on horns, this is truly a historical session that brought together the top musicians of the West Coast at the time. From the cool funk of "Better Days" at the beginning of the session, almost the entire album was a storm of jazz funk. Free Sample" by Joe Sample, "Burning Spear," with its impressive undulating beat, "Head Start," with its too-subtle bass line, and the boogie shuffle "Gotcha! The jazz bossa "Balloons" and the weepy medium soul "It's Too Late" also have an outstanding presence. Not only can you enjoy Pass' intelligent soul-jazz guitar playing that hits all the right notes in a single tone, but the groovy, funky rhythm section is the best you'll hear on the West Coast.

Four years after releasing their debut record, Indus are back in 2024 with Negra, their second album. This record explores the essence of the night through dance, seduction and mystery, while paying homage to Colombian amphibious cultures and the land as that place that has seen us moving and that we always return to. With these ten songs Barranquilla producer Oscar Alford, along with Andres Mercado and a select group of collaborators, builds a bridge between the sounds and histories of the Pacific and the Caribbean, bringing together territories like a river running through them and connecting them. Oscar says that on this record "there's this confluence of various cultural universes, on the one hand there's the traditional music of the coast and river areas, there are various maestros who collaborated on the record and they brought that, also there's electronica which is a universal language, and even hip hop and more urban genres like dembow." The record kicks off with "Deja," a ritual of initiation, a galactic, synthetic entrance into a place of plenty, a journey to the ethereal and the night. It's followed, like light and guide, by the song "Alfa Indi," with Gamero singer Nelda Piña, a release of electronic sounds evoking creation in all its senses. The night is an excuse for and a generator of desire, seduction and flirting in "Candela tu Trá," in collaboration with Tomás Llerena, grandson of the legendary Petrona Martínez. The earth is evident in tracks like "Canción del muerto," homage to the marimba maestro Gualajo, with his brother Pacho Torres and Bogotá rapper N. Hardem, a song that could be a farewell ritual and tribute to the land as the place to which we always return, one that holds the history of those who walked that land and left their mark on it. We hear this in "Corre Cimarrón" with Ka Oddun, portraying the journeys of fleeing enslaved ancestors as they tried to survive until they reached the palenque, a place of freedom. Negra explores the mysticism of the night and the cosmos within the Colombian musical tradition. A dialog between root rhythms, voices and synths with bases oscillating between techno-champeta, afro-tech and future-dembow. With this record Indus comes across as one of the most versatile acts on the Latin American scene, especially in the way they reinterpret ancestral music and resignify its sound.

It’s True What They Say is the debut EP from Edinburgh-based, husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), aka Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced “McLochlin”).

“Sarah and I both have a love for nostalgia,” explains Shaun. “We watched that amazing old 80’s Sci-Fi, (John) Carpenter movie, Starman, a few months back. Myself and my brother David used to watch it all the time. We must have been, roughly, 5-7 at the time. I remember loving the movie but the end, you know, with the beautiful, atmospheric, synth ending, I love that particular moment the most - best part of the movie, you know, when he goes home… It’s heartbreaking but stunning, all the same. It’s the music that moves you most… It did when I was 5 and it still does to this day. It must have had some form of a (much deeper) impact on me.”

The duo narrates stories across themes of love, hope, family, friends, dreams and sadness - the good that comes with the bad in everyday life, not just on a personal scale but within a community as well.

“Starbed is the first song I have ever written and just came out of the blue really, with Shaun playing a melody and me singing along,” says Sarah. “It’s simple and just about two people in love. Love songs are always the best songs, after all… Music has been a big part of my life from a young age. I was unwillingly dragged to piano and violin lessons, which I’m thankful for now! I’d say the first band I really became obsessed with growing up were the Beatles, and on the back of that a lot of 60s music and fashion. From then on, I had a love for music.”

“Shaun definitely opened my ears to a lot of sounds and got me thinking about soundtracks and all the noises that can be made,” she goes on. “We love just spending time experimenting in the house with instruments, pedals etc and Ali is a real magician to work with, too…”

The recordings took place over the summers of 2022 and 2023, with fellow Delta Mainline member Ali Chisholm (aka Jaguar Eyes) plus long-term friend and collaborator Gavin King. Further collaboration then came via the ‘net from the (international) likes of Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty), Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz) and Daniel Land (The Modern Painters), among others (see a full list of credits below).

Both Sarah and Shaun have a love for uber-soundtrack producers such as Hanz Zimmer, Max Richter, Cliff Martinez plus live acts such as Beach House, Spiritualized, M83, Suicide, Moby and OMD (to name a few). Shaun also credits the work of Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (from Survive) on the Stranger Things score… “Even a moment in a movie, whether it be just 30 seconds during a particular scene, it grips you,” he says. But there’s something much deeper at play as well. “Music is a healer,” he goes on, “and I write from my own perspective but more so for others. Once I've done my bit, it doesn't belong to me any longer. It belongs to whoever wants it or needs it.”

The result is a cinematic, synth-wavey, dream poppy and downright beguilingly beautiful body of work. And they’re just getting started…

REVIEWS/RADIO/FEEDBACK:

“Starbed is folky, flavoured by pedal steel, cello, and brass. Dust Tears, in stark contrast, is a mini synth-pop rave epic. Part Bicep. Part Human League. Keep Your Eyes Closed summons a mood that’s romantic, but also dark and potentially doomed – like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks meets Cliff Martinez’s Drive score. My pick though is It’s True What They Say, whose interwoven jangle and picking recalls New Order’s more introspective moments (Love Vigilantes, Love Less… ). Drums crashing, cathartic. Guitar raising dramatic arcs. Its chorus a rush, like a reprise of Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart’s ‘Higher Than The Stars’.” BAN BAN TON TON
"Dust Tears sees them sharing vocal duties over a synth foundation reminiscent of Moby’s Go - Artist Of The Week” THE SCOTSMAN
"Woozy pop" NEMONE (Mary Anne Hobbs Morning Show, BBC 6Music)
"Nice one, very David Lynch meets Euro dream pop" YOUTH (Killing Joke, Paul McCartney, U2, The Orb, Spiritualized etc)
"Music sounds killer! Real emotion” DAVID HOLMES
"I’m enjoying it” TIM BRINKHURST aka LONDON (IKLAN, Young Fathers, Callum Easter)
“Oh, this is lovely!” SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"It’s totally my cup of tea with milk and biscuit" BRENT RADEMAKER (Beachwood Sparks/GospelBeach)
"Beautiful, ecstatic electronica! Short and to the point" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized, Julian Cope, Soulsavers, BE)
"Makes me wanna sit in the sun and sip an Arnold Palmer" CHRIS DIXIE DARLEY (Father John Misty)
“Really beautiful - Cocteau Twins / Spiritualized vibes but has its own thing going on, too - worth checking out!” JULIAN CORRIE (Franz Ferdinand, Miaoux Miaoux)
‘Sounded nice on a sunny day, makes me think of Twin Peaks, nice moods’ EAMON HAMILTON (Sea Power)
"Dealing in nostalgia, no bad thing at all, great to play that (Dust Tears) for you” RODDY HART (BBC Radio Scotland)
“I'll give the vocal tracks a spin before the release." VIC GALLOWAY (BBC Radio Scotland)
"Rather good!" IAIN ANDERSON (BBC Radio Scotland)

CREDITS:

Lyrics, Guitars, Keys, Synths, Drums, Drum Programming, Percussion, Mandolin, Glockenspiel: Shaun McLachlan
Lyrics, Vocals, Keys by Sarah McLachlan
Guitars, Synths, String Arrangements, Drum Programming, Engineering: Jaguar Eyes Percussion/Drums/Effects, Fire Extinguisher: Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz)
Guitars by Daniel Land
Slide Guitar by Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty)
Brass by Bruce Michie
Keys, pre-production & engineering on “It’s true what they say”: Gavin King
All produced by Jaguar Eyes and Shaun McLachlan and then mixed at Glasgow’s Chem19 Studios by David McCaulay (From Scotland With Love, Rick Redbeard, BBC TV’s Attenborough and The Mammoth Graveyard score).
Artwork: Jamie Walman (Fourteen Admirals)

MORE INFO:

Although Shaun released a pair of solo singles (When We Dance and Give Your Love To Me) during Lockdown, he will be better known to many via his work as the multi-instrumentalist in Edinburgh band Delta Mainline. With two albums released to date, Oh! Enlightened and Bel Avenir, both rapturously received by fans and critics alike, Delta Mainline have developed an international, cult following. Oh Enlightened (2013) achieved widespread critical acclaim on release, earning the band comparisons to Arcade Fire and Echo & The Bunnymen, while 2019’s Bel Avenir pulled in references to The Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd, David Bowie and krautrock. A third DM album is currently being mixed and due for release later this year…

Repress!

THE M.V.P.'s burst into life on the Northern Soul scene back in 1975 courtesy of Blackpool Mecca DJ Ian Levine and has long since divided opinion. Is it pop, is it soul, are they black, are they white, etc etc. Well, it's a rock record from 1971 and has nothing to do with soul... but everything to do with Northern Soul! It packed the floor at the Highland Room and was adopted as a Wigan Casino anthem and immortalized by Tony Palmer in his 1977 Granada TV documentary This England. It was reissued by UK Buddah, due to popular demand, driven in no small part by the TV show and its 20 million viewers. Now, some 40 years on, we present the iconic track, both stereo and mono mixes, as mastered at the time by Bell Sound's senior engineer Joe Breschie.

SALES POINTS:
All time Northern Soul Classics - Two fabulous sides
Massive appeal to ALL Northern Soul fans
As featured in the film Northern Soul

It’s True What They Say is the debut EP from Edinburgh-based, husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), aka Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced “McLochlin”).

“Sarah and I both have a love for nostalgia,” explains Shaun. “We watched that amazing old 80’s Sci-Fi, (John) Carpenter movie, Starman, a few months back. Myself and my brother David used to watch it all the time. We must have been, roughly, 5-7 at the time. I remember loving the movie but the end, you know, with the beautiful, atmospheric, synth ending, I love that particular moment the most - best part of the movie, you know, when he goes home… It’s heartbreaking but stunning, all the same. It’s the music that moves you most… It did when I was 5 and it still does to this day. It must have had some form of a (much deeper) impact on me.”

The duo narrates stories across themes of love, hope, family, friends, dreams and sadness - the good that comes with the bad in everyday life, not just on a personal scale but within a community as well.

“Starbed is the first song I have ever written and just came out of the blue really, with Shaun playing a melody and me singing along,” says Sarah. “It’s simple and just about two people in love. Love songs are always the best songs, after all… Music has been a big part of my life from a young age. I was unwillingly dragged to piano and violin lessons, which I’m thankful for now! I’d say the first band I really became obsessed with growing up were the Beatles, and on the back of that a lot of 60s music and fashion. From then on, I had a love for music.”

“Shaun definitely opened my ears to a lot of sounds and got me thinking about soundtracks and all the noises that can be made,” she goes on. “We love just spending time experimenting in the house with instruments, pedals etc and Ali is a real magician to work with, too…”

The recordings took place over the summers of 2022 and 2023, with fellow Delta Mainline member Ali Chisholm (aka Jaguar Eyes) plus long-term friend and collaborator Gavin King. Further collaboration then came via the ‘net from the (international) likes of Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty), Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz) and Daniel Land (The Modern Painters), among others (see a full list of credits below).

Both Sarah and Shaun have a love for uber-soundtrack producers such as Hanz Zimmer, Max Richter, Cliff Martinez plus live acts such as Beach House, Spiritualized, M83, Suicide, Moby and OMD (to name a few). Shaun also credits the work of Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (from Survive) on the Stranger Things score… “Even a moment in a movie, whether it be just 30 seconds during a particular scene, it grips you,” he says. But there’s something much deeper at play as well. “Music is a healer,” he goes on, “and I write from my own perspective but more so for others. Once I've done my bit, it doesn't belong to me any longer. It belongs to whoever wants it or needs it.”

The result is a cinematic, synth-wavey, dream poppy and downright beguilingly beautiful body of work. And they’re just getting started…

REVIEWS/RADIO/FEEDBACK:

“Starbed is folky, flavoured by pedal steel, cello, and brass. Dust Tears, in stark contrast, is a mini synth-pop rave epic. Part Bicep. Part Human League. Keep Your Eyes Closed summons a mood that’s romantic, but also dark and potentially doomed – like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks meets Cliff Martinez’s Drive score. My pick though is It’s True What They Say, whose interwoven jangle and picking recalls New Order’s more introspective moments (Love Vigilantes, Love Less… ). Drums crashing, cathartic. Guitar raising dramatic arcs. Its chorus a rush, like a reprise of Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart’s ‘Higher Than The Stars’.” BAN BAN TON TON
"Dust Tears sees them sharing vocal duties over a synth foundation reminiscent of Moby’s Go - Artist Of The Week” THE SCOTSMAN
"Woozy pop" NEMONE (Mary Anne Hobbs Morning Show, BBC 6Music)
"Nice one, very David Lynch meets Euro dream pop" YOUTH (Killing Joke, Paul McCartney, U2, The Orb, Spiritualized etc)
"Music sounds killer! Real emotion” DAVID HOLMES
"I’m enjoying it” TIM BRINKHURST aka LONDON (IKLAN, Young Fathers, Callum Easter)
“Oh, this is lovely!” SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"It’s totally my cup of tea with milk and biscuit" BRENT RADEMAKER (Beachwood Sparks/GospelBeach)
"Beautiful, ecstatic electronica! Short and to the point" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized, Julian Cope, Soulsavers, BE)
"Makes me wanna sit in the sun and sip an Arnold Palmer" CHRIS DIXIE DARLEY (Father John Misty)
“Really beautiful - Cocteau Twins / Spiritualized vibes but has its own thing going on, too - worth checking out!” JULIAN CORRIE (Franz Ferdinand, Miaoux Miaoux)
‘Sounded nice on a sunny day, makes me think of Twin Peaks, nice moods’ EAMON HAMILTON (Sea Power)
"Dealing in nostalgia, no bad thing at all, great to play that (Dust Tears) for you” RODDY HART (BBC Radio Scotland)
“I'll give the vocal tracks a spin before the release." VIC GALLOWAY (BBC Radio Scotland)
"Rather good!" IAIN ANDERSON (BBC Radio Scotland)

CREDITS:

Lyrics, Guitars, Keys, Synths, Drums, Drum Programming, Percussion, Mandolin, Glockenspiel: Shaun McLachlan
Lyrics, Vocals, Keys by Sarah McLachlan
Guitars, Synths, String Arrangements, Drum Programming, Engineering: Jaguar Eyes Percussion/Drums/Effects, Fire Extinguisher: Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz)
Guitars by Daniel Land
Slide Guitar by Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty)
Brass by Bruce Michie
Keys, pre-production & engineering on “It’s true what they say”: Gavin King
All produced by Jaguar Eyes and Shaun McLachlan and then mixed at Glasgow’s Chem19 Studios by David McCaulay (From Scotland With Love, Rick Redbeard, BBC TV’s Attenborough and The Mammoth Graveyard score).
Artwork: Jamie Walman (Fourteen Admirals)

MORE INFO:

Although Shaun released a pair of solo singles (When We Dance and Give Your Love To Me) during Lockdown, he will be better known to many via his work as the multi-instrumentalist in Edinburgh band Delta Mainline. With two albums released to date, Oh! Enlightened and Bel Avenir, both rapturously received by fans and critics alike, Delta Mainline have developed an international, cult following. Oh Enlightened (2013) achieved widespread critical acclaim on release, earning the band comparisons to Arcade Fire and Echo & The Bunnymen, while 2019’s Bel Avenir pulled in references to The Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd, David Bowie and krautrock. A third DM album is currently being mixed and due for release later this year…

Dire Straits never made a big to-do about its final run. In classic understated British fashion, the band simply let its music speak for itself. And how. Originally released in September 1991, On Every Street became the group's swan song – a lasting testament to the influence, musicianship, and integrity of an ensemble whose merit has never been tainted by cash-grab reunions or farewell treks. It remains an essential part of the Dire Straits catalog and a blueprint of the distinctive U.K. roots rock the collective played for its 15-year career.

Sourced from the original master tapes, housed in gatefold packaging, and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's 180g 45RPM 2LP set of On Every Street presents the album like it has always been meant to be experienced: in reference-grade audiophile sound. Recorded at AIR Studios in London and produced by Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler, it features all of the band's sonic hallmarks – wide instrumental separation, visceral textures, seemingly limitless air, broad soundstages, atmospherics that you can almost reach out and feel. Each element is made more vibrant, physical, and lifelike on this collectible reissue, which marks the first time this 60-minute work has been available at 45RPM speed.

Afforded generous groove space and black backgrounds, the songs from On Every Street burst with nuanced details and vibrant colors. Dire Straits' playing appears to float, their intricate performances organized amid hypnotic, fluid, three-dimensional arrangements. Mobile Fidelity's definitive-sounding set also brings into transparent view Knopfler's finely sculpted guitar lines, expressive tones, and laid-back vocals – as well as the balanced accompaniment from his band mates. Here's a record on which you can hear the full blossom and decay of individual notes, and imagine the size and shape of the studio. It is in every regard a demonstration disc. And it happens to be filled with timeless fare.

Remarkably, On Every Street almost never came to light. Dire Straits initially dissolved in September 1988 after touring behind its blockbuster Brothers in Arms and suffering the departure of two members. At the time, Knopfler professed his desire to work on solo material; bassist John Illsley also explored side projects. But Knopfler's decision in 1989 to form the country-leaning Notting Hillbillies reignited a spark to reconvene his primary band and craft a fresh batch of songs. Six years removed from Brothers in Arms, Knopfler, Illsley, keyboardist Alan Clark, and keyboardist Guy Fletcher teamed with A-list session pros – steel guitarist Paul Franklin, percussionist Danny Cummings, saxophonist Chris White, guitarist Phil Palmer included – to create what still stands as an unforgettable farewell.

The platinum record brings the band full circle in that it returns Dire Straits to a quartet formation; finds the group refreshingly out of step with the era's prevailing trends; and sees Knopfler and Co. knocking out song after song with the deceptive ease of a punter tossing back a pint at a pub. That subtle cool, clever poise, and innate control – signature traits that no other band ever matched – dominate On Every Street. Knopfler's clean, virtuosic six-string escapades unfurl with dizzying melodicism and economical efficiency. Led by his winding fills and focused solos, Dire Straits traverse a hybrid landscape of rock, jazz, country, boogie, blues, and pop strains with near-faultless prowess.

More than any other entry in the group's oeuvre, On Every Street welcomes quick detours down back alleys and into the depths of human souls. What makes it more brilliant is its staunch refusal to cater to commercial expectations or take advantage of prior successes; every passage feels true, every measure echoed in the service of song. It's evident in the humorous satire of "Heavy Fuel," closeted desperation of the witty "Calling Elvis," and shake-and-bake bounce of "The Bug." It pours from the album's darker corners, as on the high-and-lonesome melancholy of the title track and bruised emotionalism of "When It Comes to You."

Hinting at the open-minded approaches and boundless curiosity he'd embrace as a solo artist, Knopfler doesn't limit himself when it comes to style or subject matter. Look no further than "You and Your Friend," a shuffle whose all-inclusive lyrics encourage an array of interpretative meanings. Another of the album's deep cuts, "Iron Hand," comes on as one of the band's most memorable moments – the narrative addressing the abuses of power at the 1984 Battle of Orgreave during the U.K. miners' strike. Given cinematic heft by the expert production, the true-fiction account puts into perspective the richness, poetry, and depth of On Every Street.

"Every victory has a taste that's bittersweet," sings Knopfler on the title track. At least that bittersweetness seldom sounded so damn good on record.

SOURCED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES: 2LP SET PRESENTS 1991 ALBUM IN 45RPM SPEED FOR FIRST TIME.

PCM Digital Master to Analog Console to Lathe.

Dire Straits never made a big to-do about its final run. In classic understated British fashion, the band simply let its music speak for itself. And how. Originally released in September 1991, On Every Street became the group’s swan song – a lasting testament to the influence, musicianship, and integrity of an ensemble whose merit has never been tainted by cash-grab reunions or farewell treks. It remains an essential part of the Dire Straits catalog and a blueprint of the distinctive U.K. roots rock the collective played for its 15-year career.

Sourced from the original master tapes, housed in gatefold packaging, and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set of On Every Street presents the album like it has always been meant to be experienced: in reference-grade audiophile sound. Recorded at AIR Studios in London and produced by Dire Straits leader Mark Knopfler, it features all of the band’s sonic hallmarks – wide instrumental separation, visceral textures, seemingly limitless air, broad soundstages, atmospherics that you can almost reach out and feel. Each element is made more vibrant, physical, and lifelike on this collectible reissue, which marks the first time this 60-minute work has been available at 45RPM speed.

Afforded generous groove space and black backgrounds, the songs from On Every Street burst with nuanced details and vibrant colors. Dire Straits’ playing appears to float, their intricate performances organized amid hypnotic, fluid, three-dimensional arrangements. Mobile Fidelity’s definitive-sounding set also brings into transparent view Knopfler’s finely sculpted guitar lines, expressive tones, and laid-back vocals – as well as the balanced accompaniment from his band mates. Here’s a record on which you can hear the full blossom and decay of individual notes, and imagine the size and shape of the studio. It is in every regard a demonstration disc. And it happens to be filled with timeless fare.

Remarkably, On Every Street almost never came to light. Dire Straits initially dissolved in September 1988 after touring behind its blockbuster Brothers in Arms and suffering the departure of two members. At the time, Knopfler professed his desire to work on solo material; bassist John Illsley also explored side projects. But Knopfler’s decision in 1989 to form the country-leaning Notting Hillbillies reignited a spark to reconvene his primary band and craft a fresh batch of songs. Six years removed from Brothers in Arms, Knopfler, Illsley, keyboardist Alan Clark, and keyboardist Guy Fletcher teamed with A-list session pros – steel guitarist Paul Franklin, percussionist Danny Cummings, saxophonist Chris White, guitarist Phil Palmer included – to create what still stands as an unforgettable farewell.

The platinum record brings the band full circle in that it returns Dire Straits to a quartet formation; finds the group refreshingly out of step with the era’s prevailing trends; and sees Knopfler and Co. knocking out song after song with the deceptive ease of a punter tossing back a pint at a pub. That subtle cool, clever poise, and innate control – signature traits that no other band ever matched – dominate On Every Street. Knopfler’s clean, virtuosic six-string escapades unfurl with dizzying melodicism and economical efficiency. Led by his winding fills and focused solos, Dire Straits traverse a hybrid landscape of rock, jazz, country, boogie, blues, and pop strains with near-faultless prowess.

More than any other entry in the group’s oeuvre, On Every Street welcomes quick detours down back alleys and into the depths of human souls. What makes it more brilliant is its staunch refusal to cater to commercial expectations or take advantage of prior successes; every passage feels true, every measure echoed in the service of song. It’s evident in the humorous satire of “Heavy Fuel,” closeted desperation of the witty “Calling Elvis,” and shake-and-bake bounce of “The Bug.” It pours from the album’s darker corners, as on the high-and-lonesome melancholy of the title track and bruised emotionalism of “When It Comes to You.”

Hinting at the open-minded approaches and boundless curiosity he’d embrace as a solo artist, Knopfler doesn’t limit himself when it comes to style or subject matter. Look no further than “You and Your Friend,” a shuffle whose all-inclusive lyrics encourage an array of interpretative meanings. Another of the album’s deep cuts, “Iron Hand,” comes on as one of the band’s most memorable moments – the narrative addressing the abuses of power at the 1984 Battle of Orgreave during the U.K. miners’ strike. Given cinematic heft by the expert production, the true-fiction account puts into perspective the richness, poetry, and depth of On Every Street.

“Every victory has a taste that’s bittersweet,” sings Knopfler on the title track. At least that bittersweetness seldom sounded so damn good on record.

After releasing his seventh - arguably best and most popular album - The Odd Shower, The Bitter Springs' singer / songwriter Simon Rivers reinvented himself as Poor Performer, whose own debut, Like Yer Wounds Too, followed the same winning formula, widened somewhat by the inclusion of songs with a greater fragile beauty and introspection . . . though rarely without a degree of self-effacing humour and a rather stylish wit. Decades of self-releasing compact disc-only albums from the far southwestern suburbs of London, with scant regard for promotion or the normal machinations of showbiz - touring, for instance - did little to spread the word about Rivers' unique and prestigious talents. A conversational singer with a delightfully warm and convivial stone, Rivers' sense of the absurd and willingness to portray aspects of life generally unrecognised by pop music, one supposes it's not entirely unfair to have expect Top of The Pops to come calling. Yet the relative absence of cult of Simon Rivers fans is somewhat perplexing, for his lyrics, ideas and tunes all do merit it. There's little affectation in the sense of stage persona, but heaps of personality and intriguing, occasional perverse idea. It's hard to listen to anything he's down without a degree of sheer enjoyment. It's real, without affectation. The very real bumps heads with the slightly mental, just like in life! So what does this new guise - Oldfield Youth Club - have to offer? It's partially a revival of Rivers' first 'real' band, Last Party, and it displays hallmarks of that band's youthful energy. There's a bit of teen glam in Good News I'm Afraid and (Theme From Oldfield Youth Club, even while lead track We're The OYC and When Bob Grant Ruled The World add a dollop of an energetic ruefulness to the mix. A Kind Of Loving In A Loveless Town is an immediate classic, a song one could hear dozens of times before really reaching the core of its magic and majesty. Lest this sound like the work of a solo artist, it does feel like a band - a rather clever one, in fact. Including members Kim Rivers and Neil Palmer (both from Last Party), as well as trumpeter / vocalist Alison Targett, Oldfield Youth Club is a band with an obvious musical kinship. There's a connection to the literal style of Vic Godard's Subway Sect (and members have been shared between both acts) or early Go-Betweens . . . there's an alchemical sensibility shared by all three acts wherein their words and tunes inform each other in a deceptively casual but arresting manner. It's hard not to love, a rare work that earns immediate affection and just grows better from there.

"Richard Edwards is in the pocket. He’s been there for several albums now: 2017’s Lemon Cotton Candy Sunset, 2020’s The Soft Ache & the Moon, and 2022’s Ghost Electricity/Vampire Draw. Just as the Margot records defined his twenties, this “Beach Bum” era, as he calls it, may well define his thirties. That era is expanded in Two Sad Little Islands Drift Together, Two Lonely Little Monkeys Find A Tree: Rare and Unreleased 2015-2023.

Beginning with Lemon Cotton Candy Sunset, Richard has been steering his ongoing body of work toward capturing a feeling of being at sea. Life can find us at sea in any number of ways–in a marriage or partnership, or in longing for one; in parenting, and its ceaseless wonders and worries; in bodies and minds that confound understanding (whether just our own, or also that of professionals); in our rotting world, which we’ve fucked up beyond all repair.

“What does that sound like, though?” you may ask. Like Mike Bloom’s cascading fingerpicking in “Lil Dead Eye-d (b.),” or the tranquilizing combination of Dave Palmer’s piano and Perla Batalla’s multi-tracked vocals on “Love (b.)” Like the L.A. based Section Quartet on “True Love Waits,” or the triumphantly stoned Velvet Ocean jam-session that is “Jane Greer With A Gun.” Like Richard’s use of melody and imagery on “Pink Lightning (b.)” and lead single “Benzedrine,” where he is masterfully accompanied by Erin Rae (on the former) and Maria Taylor (on the latter).

Unlike Richard’s past archival releases which have often featured home demo recordings, everything on Two Sad Little Islands has been produced in-studio. With this 3-LP vinyl set, Richard presents just over two hours of material that once again makes his case as one of the “most underrated songwriters of our time” (LA Review of Books)."

Die neueste Ausgabe der hochgelobten Reggae-Anthologie-Serie von VP konzentriert sich auf den Produzenten Hugh 'Redman' James - A Reggae Revolution powered by Steely & Clevie und Roots Radics bei Channel One und Tuff Gong. Ein Killersong nach dem anderen von Gregory Isaacs, Conroy Smith, Carl Meeks, Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Admiral Tibet etc.
Inkl. Innenhülle mit ausführlichen Liner Notes und seltenen, noch nie gesehenen Fotos.

“Murderock - Uccide a passi di danza” (internationally released as “Murder Rock”) is a thriller/horror 1984 film directed by legendary

Lucio Fulci about a dance school in which a mysterious murderer kills female students with a long pin.

Its soundtrack was entrusted by the producers to Keith Emerson, In those early 1980s,

having temporarily shelved the prog-rock experience of Emerson, Lake & Palmer,

Keith Emerson launched a solo career that led him to compose a number of soundtracks

“Murderock”: an energetic mix of 80s pop/rock anthems, perfectly in line with the sounds of the time,dressed up with typically extravagant Keith Emerson arrangements.

“Murderock” has become a cult title among genre film fans over the years, and is here reissued on the occasion of

Black Friday 2023 in a new clear blue vinyl version with gatefold sleeve and audio remastered by Claudio Fuiano.

The last four tracks - Murderock (Part 1-4) - are released on vinyl for the first time ever. Artwork by Eric Adrian Lee.

Synth pioneer and musical polymath, Wally Badarou is a genius. But you know that already. A vinyl version of his majestic Colors Of Silence has been craved by the Balearic cognoscenti ever since its low-key 2001 release. Indeed, when we first started work on Be With, we asked some pals with exquisite taste what their dream release would be. We asked Balearic legend Moonboots and, without hesitation, he said Colors Of Silence by Wally Badarou. We didn't know Wally had made this album. And most still don't. But that's about to change.

Colors Of Silence is ostensibly a new age album. As ever though, Wally's sophisticated synth textures and expressive keyboard runs are so full of character, so full of life, that this work of art transcends any easy genre categorisation. It's simply stunning, throughout. It sounds like A.r.t. Wilson or Suzanne Kraft, with traces of CFCF and Jonny Nash. But it was made a good decade earlier than the work of these modern giants. Sometimes, it doesn't seem far from some Larry Heard albums.

Island Records founder Chris Blackwell's friend Nathalie Delon asked Wally to provide music for the yoga DVD she was to release. Lack of time on both sides made them agree on using "quality demos" Wally had in his ideas bank. It's understandable why Colors Of Silence remains somewhat of a lost gem. As Wally explains: "Total lack of promotion made it an 'intimate' release, which was exactly what I was looking for: just a buzz-maker and time-buyer that would allow me to concentrate on the real thing as soon as I'd have time, which could also turn into a rare collecting item later, once the final versions made their way to success. You never know."

Over the years, Colors Of Silence has become a true cult record for the ambient/Balearic heads.

The beguiling but brief "Dance In The Dust" is the shuffling, hyper-percussive, hypnotic opener. It gives way to the deep serenity of "Amber Whispers". It's a gliding, divine, mini melodic masterpiece. It'll make you swoon in its extreme beauty. The bright and breezy "Where Were We" follows, a tropical, reggae-tinged bounce through the islands.

The uptempo groove is maintained on the keys-drizzled soca-funk of "The Lights Of Kinshasa" before Side A is rounded out with "Pictures Of You". It starts with stately, melancholic, unadorned piano and this alone would make for a beautiful song. But Wally always gives us that bit extra and he effortlessly introduces warm, dreamy pads and minimal, slo-mo percussion to augment a frankly stunning piece of work.

Ushering in Side B, Wally's mesmeric piano playing is to the fore again, in the intro to uber-chilled "Serendipity For Two". The playing becomes more mellifluous as the track progresses and adds warmth through exotic percussion, woodwind, sweeping synths and digi-drums. It has echoes of, er, Echoes. It segues seamlessly into the more propulsive, wavy "Smiles By The Millions". If you're not nodding and grinning along widely to the gently throbbing bassline underpinning this, we can't help you. The meditative "Higher Still" follows, cinematic in feel and ever so slightly sinister with the strings. It sounds particularly Badalamenti-esque, if you ask us.

That unmistakable, almost peculiar Badarou funk - so lyrical, so texturally rich and so rhythmically spacious - is all over "Oriental". Next up, "Days To Wonder" brings the serenity back, insistent yet melodic keys, as if played in a place of worship, coupled with birdsong, conjure a kind of instant nostalgia for halcyon days of youth. The contemplative "Dawn Of Europa" is a sombre, beatless, ambient journey whilst the glorious, too-brief "Crystal Falls" features soft percussion and sparkle before fully glistening with some gentle head-nod beats. Wally brings this incredible collection to a mellow, tender close with the graceful "Purple Lines".

There can be few artists more under-appreciated given their vast influence than Wally Badarou. His solo work practically defined the sound of the Balearic DJs of the 1980s, and thus the more sophisticated sound of dance culture thereafter. A synth specialist, Badarou was the long-time associate of Level 42. He was one of the Compass Point All Stars (with Sly and Robbie, Barry Reynolds, Mikey Chung and Uziah "Sticky" Thompson), the in-house recording team of Compass Point Studios responsible for a series of albums in the 1980s recorded by Grace Jones, Tom Tom Club, Mick Jagger, Black Uhuru, Gwen Guthrie, Jimmy Cliff and Gregory Isaacs. Badarou's keyboard playing could also be heard on albums by Robert Palmer, Marianne Faithfull, Herbie Hancock, M (Pop Muzik), Talking Heads, Manu Dibango and Miriam Makeba. He also produced Fela Kuti. Phew!

Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland. Special thanks must go to Apiento from Test Pressing who first introduced us to Wally and facilitated all those early zoom meetings. It couldn't have happened without his help. Not least on pulling the art together, too, which features striking original photography by Mads Perch. Benji Roebuck of Roebuck Press did his thing brilliantly in art working the whole package to completion. All in all: essential.

More than 3 years after the release of his last EP "Dance Machine", DJ Reiz is coming back with "No Man's Land", cruising between Trance, Hard Trance and Acid.

The opening track "Break A Leg" gives you the tone with a rolling bassline punctuated with Acid notes and cosmic gates to completely break up to an old school Dance line.

The following and main track of the EP "No Man's Land" will take you back to a nostalgic trip through a melancholic melody, evolving on retro stabs over the tune.

In 3rd position, “Soleil Froid” (Cold Sun) is a track telling a story beyond the music.

The chords are inspired by the iconic "Laura Palmer's Theme" by Angelo Badalamenti, the composer of the original soundtrack from David Lynch’s series « Twin Peaks ». Through the melancholic melody, the music gently encourages the listener to dig into their imagination.

DICA is completing the EP with his own vision of "Break A Leg" in a powerful Acid Trance remix.

Supported by KI/KI, MCMLXXXV, Daria Kolosova, Bad Boombox, Eargasm God, Amazingblaze & more

180gram vinyl album in cork covered deluxe box with hand-signed art print by Manfred Bockelmann, LP size booklet and digital download code. The album ‘Duo’ by Joachim Kühn and Michael Wollny marks the start of a collaboration between two extraordinary partners: the label ACT and Château Palmer, one of the most important Grand Cru wineries in Bordeaux. And it unites the worlds of music, wine and modern art in a unique way.  This first, exclusive release brings together two icons of European jazz piano who are also close friends and mutual sources of inspiration. Two ever-alert and enormously creative minds, which possess the virtue of being able to listen, and also the confidence to do the right thing at the right moment. A magical encounter of two jazz piano greats

The Cranberries wiederveröffentlichen eine Deluxe Version ihres dritten Albums „To The Faithful Departed“ aus dem Jahr 1996!

Tracks von „To The Faithful Departed“ wurden über 80 Millionen Mal auf Spotify gestreamt.

Das Album verkaufte sich weltweit über 6 Millionen Mal, erreichte in sechs Ländern Platz 1 und wurde das meistverkaufte Album der Band in den US-Billboard 200.

Bei dieser Deluxe-Wiederveröffentlichung wurde das Originalalbum von John Dent neu gemastert und bei den 2LP-Versionen auf drei Vinylseiten aufgeteilt, wobei die vierte Seite Bonustracks enthält, darunter drei unveröffentlichte Albumdemos, die mit dem Produzenten Tim Palmer (Tears for Fears, H.I.M., The Mission) in Paris aufgenommen wurden.

Das Digital- und 3CD-Set enthält unveröffentlichte Outtakes und frühe Mixe des Studioalbums sowie zwölf seltene Live-Tracks, die auf der ”Free to Decide”-Tour der Band 1996 aufgenommen wurden. Die 2LP- und 3CD-Versionen enthalten eine 4000-seitige Sleevenote über die Entstehung des Albums, die auf Interviews mit den verbliebenen Mitgliedern basiert, die von Bandarchivar Eoin Devereux geführt wurden.

Das Album erscheint als 1LP, 2LP und als 3CD.

The Cranberries wiederveröffentlichen eine Deluxe Version ihres dritten Albums „To The Faithful Departed“ aus dem Jahr 1996!

Tracks von „To The Faithful Departed“ wurden über 80 Millionen Mal auf Spotify gestreamt.

Das Album verkaufte sich weltweit über 6 Millionen Mal, erreichte in sechs Ländern Platz 1 und wurde das meistverkaufte Album der Band in den US-Billboard 200.

Bei dieser Deluxe-Wiederveröffentlichung wurde das Originalalbum von John Dent neu gemastert und bei den 2LP-Versionen auf drei Vinylseiten aufgeteilt, wobei die vierte Seite Bonustracks enthält, darunter drei unveröffentlichte Albumdemos, die mit dem Produzenten Tim Palmer (Tears for Fears, H.I.M., The Mission) in Paris aufgenommen wurden.

Das Digital- und 3CD-Set enthält unveröffentlichte Outtakes und frühe Mixe des Studioalbums sowie zwölf seltene Live-Tracks, die auf der ”Free to Decide”-Tour der Band 1996 aufgenommen wurden. Die 2LP- und 3CD-Versionen enthalten eine 4000-seitige Sleevenote über die Entstehung des Albums, die auf Interviews mit den verbliebenen Mitgliedern basiert, die von Bandarchivar Eoin Devereux geführt wurden.

Das Album erscheint als 1LP, 2LP und als 3CD.

French Psych-JAZZ-Soul-FUNK original soundtrack for initial soft erotic drama from 1973, later re-edited into "Sex Revolution" hardcore! "Jeu de Dames, la libération des femmes" (1973), a film by director Christian Lara, is a vaguely subversive charm flick that won't be remembered for a long time. An amusing detail, however, is that Georges de Caunes, father of Antoine de Caunes, the famous French TV personality, plays the lead role alongside Danielle Palmero. It's just one of a number of naïve films that, without being erotic, is sufficiently olé-olé that it failed to find a place in theaters on the traditional circuit. Faced with this commercial failure, the unscrupulous producer at the time, anxious to save his investments, decided to re-edit the film so that it could be screened in the X-rated circuit. He rechristened the film "Sex Revolution" in a more racy style, inserting more hardcore scenes to appeal to fans of the genre. Although Georges de Caunes is no longer credited on the poster or in the credits of "Sex Revolution", he finds himself, in spite of himself, promoted to lead actor in a porn movie, much to the delight of his son Antoine de Caunes, who is still dreaming 50 years later of finally being able to watch this forgotten masterpiece of the 7th art. The film seems to be a dud (pn: the author haven't seen it), but as for the music, Jean Claudric is particularly inspired and offers us one of the best French jazz funk soundtracks, which would not blush at the comparison with the best of the genre, such as Michel Legrand's "Un homme est mort", or Jean-Pierre Mirouze's "Le mariage collectif", previously released by Born Bad. Four short tracks, one with pyschedelic touches, the secomd more funky, the third a bit soul-jazzy, the fourth a French typical melancholic-melodic one makes a hot 7"-EP.

New Shadows peaks into corners where interior and exterior worlds collide, where miniscule revelations can be found in the darkness of ourselves and our community: lost children, unheard prayers, bugs, money, depression, romantic relationships, regret, and Zoom funerals, all become a lens for self-reflection.

The production (by Don Cento and JDD) is modeled after DeCicca's favorite early 80's albums (Lindsey Buckingham's Law & Order, ZZ Top's Afterburner, Robert Palmer's Clues, Lou Reed's New Sensations,) while the songs' architectures and pathos lean more towards Warren Zevon, Townes Van Zandt, and John Prine - all these record- makers and songwriters are embedded in DeCicca's DNA, having seen them, and in some cases met them after gigs, when his brain was still developing between the ages of 13-19 years old.

The virtual collaborators are the musicians whose kept him company while isolated in his rural town, Bulverde, TX: Brian Harnetty's Many Hands, Rosali's No Medium, Irreversible Entanglements' Who Sent You?, James Brandon Lewis's Jessup Wagon, Jeff Parker's JP's Myspace Beats and Suite for Max Brown, and the Los Lobos discography.

New Shadows isn't so much about DeCicca's new discoveries, as it is the penumbrous reminder of what's always been there.

Freestyle Records proudly present a reissue of Gloria Weems' ace 1983 long-player "Lovelight" - previously only available on a rare South African pressing, and featuring the single "Wanna Dance With You" (licensed for a 12" on storied NYC label Prelude in the same year).

The record was written and produced by Jim Duncombe and Chris Palmer - owner of London's legendary Groove Records and also the man behind UK funk/disco label Groove Production (Surface Noise, Linda Taylor, Caché etc). Chris & Jim had met earlier in the year at the Midem music conference in Cannes, and started writing together shortly after. The initial recording sessions were completed at Duncombe's Powerplay Recording Studios in Switzerland, with American vocalist Gloria Weems (then on a club tour of Switzerland) brought in on vocal duties.

Palmer then added additional recordings and mixed the record down at Groove Production's London base. Criminally it was only ever picked up for release in super limited numbers through the South African label CCP Records - though Chris, through an ongoing licensing relationship via his Groove Production label, managed to license "Wanna Dance With You" and it's dubbed-out b-side "Wanna Version" to the legendary NYC label Prelude. Nevertheless the Lovelight LP represents a lost classic and a rare example of a transatlantic disco-boogie project in the era's golden period, in it's linking up of UK, European and American elements.

Portland-based Kevin Palmer returns to blundar with his Best Available Technology for another release (having previously been featured on cassette). This time it’s on vinyl but still messing about with the same business of constructing and deconstructing head-nodding beats into a foggy bowl of ambience that has become the trademark sound of BAT.

Initially inspired and influenced by the sound-worlds created by Hank Shocklee, BDP and KDAY, Palmer spent his formative years combing pawn shops for samplers. This kicked off his self-described obsessive compulsive work crunching out impossibly naive and obviously unschooled jams in what might have been and continues to be an attempt to capture and document something he felt when listening to the bombastic sonic collages of early hip hop.

Going backwards in order to go forward could be an apt mantra to describe the philosophy behind BAT. Often attached with labels like nostalgia and melancholy, Palmer surely deals with the longing for that perfect time capsule of N.Y. hip hop in the 90s - but where others zoning in on that era simply imitate it, Palmer goes way further into a world of his own making.

Far removed in both time and place to the outskirts of Portland, the sonics of Palmer filters through an outsider’s perspective, sometimes offering a personal journal of the here and now via field recordings from skateparks and surfing trips.

As if one would imagine looking slightly to the left of what was supposedly going on, these tracks continuously shift one's focus. That funky feel good beat is there, but almost always just out of grasp. Palmer gives us the sound of a memory slipping away.

Yet this reads not as the end of something, but rather a stepping stone into a world of possibilities. Operating at the outskirts of genre, you could imagine anything from dub, hip hop, ambient or techno to emerge and crystalize from the haze, yet it never does. This is all those things and nothing. Or maybe it’s just some “sad fucked up funk” as Palmer puts it.

Andy Taylor - Songwriter, Gitarrist, Sänger und Mitglied der Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, der unter anderem mit Duran Duran, The Power Station, Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart, The Almighty, Thunder und The Ting Tings gearbeitet hat, kehrt mit seinem neuen Album Man's A
Wolf To Man" zurück, seiner ersten Solo-Veröffentlichung seit über 30 Jahren.

Der Umstand, dass sich die Veröffentlichung von "Man's A Wolf To Man" durch die Auswirkungen der Pandemie verzögerte, gab Andy die Möglichkeit, das Album zu überarbeiten und neu zu gestalten.
Während dieses kreativen Prozesses wurde er mit der Nachricht
konfrontiert, dass der Prostatakrebs, gegen den er angekämpft hatte, unheilbar war. Das Ergebnis ist jedoch ein Album, dass alles andere als wütend ist: "Influential Blondes" beispielsweise startet mit einem durch und durch mitreißenden, glamourös anmutenden Refrain, "Try To Get Even" - ein Duett mit Tina Arena - ist eine wunderschöne Country-Rock-Ballade, "Reachin' Out To You" steht genau für die Art von funkigem Rock, den die Fans von The Power Station lieben werden. "Gettin' It Home" ist purer, energiegeladener Hardrock, in "This Will Be Ours" oder auch "Gotta Give" erleben wir, wie Andy sich von Skiffle geprägten Grooves in raues, Stones-artiges Stampfen gleiten lässt.

Mit einem Soloalbum, auf das er zu Recht stolz ist und einer speziellen Therapie, die sein Leben retten und nachhaltig verändern wird, spielt Andy Taylor im Jahr 2023 in der ersten Liga mit.

Kym Register + Meltdown Rodeo (formerly LOAMLANDS) is a
transgressive and distorted country music outfit based in North Carolina
that places queer storytelling at the forefront
Their music intimately grapples with identity, retribution, reconciliation and queer
existence in both modern- day and historical (inclusive of mostly all) southern
culture.
Register is also contributing a queer lens to the southern rock ethos. By way of
supporting cast, Sinclair Palmer (bass), Joe Westerlund (drums), and Matt
Phillips categorically deliver. Check out the title track for a perfect example of the
band's ability to travel between gritty
responsiveness and tendern reflection at Register's lyrical instruction. Whether
grappling with the constrictions of gender expressions on dating apps ("How Do
You See Me"), evoking the semi-autobiographical loneliness of Dorothy Allison's
Carolina bastards ("Maureen"), or daring white folks to "get right with their history
of compliance in racial capitalism" ("Loamlands"), Register affirms that
songwriting, at its best, is a gross but necessary confrontation.
Ultimately Register and Meltdown Rodeo (both the newly named band and
album) have achieved in eleven songs something the south has only halfheartedly attempted - undoing generational curses by retiring "bless your heart"
lip service.

Um das 10-jährige Jubiläum des Albums “Bad Blood X” von Bastille zu feiern, wurde eine brandneue 7”- Vinyl mit zwei unveröffentlichten Demos namens ”Racing Heart” und ”Poet”, produziert. Ein 16-seitiges
12×12 Buch mit neuem Artwork, Notizen von jedem Bandmitglied und unveröffentlichten Fotos liegen der 1LP + 7” – Box ebenfalls bei. Das Artwork enthält ausserdem handschriftliche Trackliste und Notizen von Dan.

Ab dem 14.07 als 1LP+7”- Box erhältlich.

Soundtrack-LP mit Originalsongs aus den Staffeln 4, 5, 6 der erfolgreichen Netflix-Zeichentrick-Serie BIG MOUTH, geschrieben und komponiert von Mark Rivers. Das Album enthält Gesangsdarbietungen der angesehenen Besetzung, darunter Nick Kroll, Maya Rudolph, Andrew Rannells, John Mulaney, Crissy Guerrero, Jason Mantzoukas, Paul Pell, Jon Daly, Joe Wengert u.v.m. Rotes Vinyl.

How could a combo named the Insect Trust be anything other than eclectic? Hoboken Saturday Night (1970) is their second studio album. The core of the band consisted of multi-instrumentalists Luke Faust, Trevor Koehler, Robert Palmer, Nancy Jeffries, and Bill Barth. The rhythm section was fleshed out by a sizable and equally diverse range of session musicians such as jazz legend Elvin Jones, Bernard Purdie, Donald MacDonald, William Folwell, Ralph Casale, Hugh McCracken a.o.

Under the production moniker of Material Things, 12th Isle co-founder Stewart Brown unveils a part debut album part compendium of musical collaborations spanning from 2015-2020. Some recordings began as long, one-take improvisations (How's Life, Peckham) spliced together and revisited years later. Others were based upon chance opportunities to record with musicians operating a long way from the parameters of 12th Isle.

Cult private-press loner folk guitarist Bob Theil, whose 1982 album So Far counts as one of the Scottish greats of the era, is at the heart of 'Westway'. Synth and guitar fragments recorded by the pair in Stewart's family home one summer form a low-key conclusion to the collection, whilst London based percussionist Pike Ogilvy brings an array of drum sounds and natural percussion to 'No Direction'. Regular 12th Isle affiliate Vague Imaginaires also features heavily, contributing synth work on Grenoble and his own extended digi bonus remix of 'How's Life'.

As a collection, the 8 tracks show a studious, concise vision and combine influences from minimalism, concrete and avant-garde jazz and techno yet also embrace friendship, experimentation and curiosity whilst capturing 5 years of the artists own personal life. Some of the tracks have been circulating in various versions for a number of years now, with DJ support from Bake, Ivan Smagghe, Optimo, Lena Willikens, Huntley & Palmers, Orpheu The Wizard and, of course, 12th Isle.

Fünf Jahre nach "Footprints In The Rock" melden sich die unbesungenen NWOBHM-Helden TRESPASS mit einem großartigen neuen Album namens "Wolf At The Door" zurück. Das Album umfasst Themen, die ihnen am Herzen liegen - insbesondere Umweltthemen - und wurde von Gründungsmitglied, Gitarrist und Sänger Mark Sutcliffe in seinem Heimstudio geschrieben und später in den Crooks Hall Studios in der Wildnis von Suffolk aufgenommen. Nigel Palmer (Raging Speedhorn, Satan's Empire) gab dem Ganzen dann in Lowland Masters den letzten Schliff. Diese typisch britische Umgebung half Trespass dabei, ihren charakteristischen NWOBHM-Zwillingsgitarren-Sound beizubehalten, während die Rhythmusgruppe
einen Drive und eine Energie an den Tag legt, die sie direkt in die 20er Jahre zurückversetzt. Das Artwork von Mark Wilkinson (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest) gibt dem Album den letzten Schliff und wird sowohl die Fans der alten Schule als auch die neuen nicht enttäuschen. Trespass wurde 1979 in Sudbury, Suffolk, von Mark Sutcliffe (Gitarre, Gesang) und seinem Bruder Paul am Schlagzeug gegründet. Die Band hatte Anfang der 80er Jahre als Teil der New Wave of British Heavy Metal Erfolg und wurde von der Kritik gelobt, obwohl sie nur ein paar Singles und eine EP - die kultige Bright Lights" von 1981 - veröffentlicht hat. Songs wie "One Of These Days", "Stormchild" und "Bright Lights" haben sich einen Namen gemacht.

ASIA ist eine englische Rockband, die 1981 in London gegründet wurde und 2021 ihr 40-jähriges Bestehen feierte. Als Band schafften ASIA, was nur wenige aus der Prog Rock-Ära geschafft haben: stromlinienförmige Pop-Hooks in sehr anspruchsvollen Songs zu
kombinieren. Diese 2LP-Veröffentlichung des klassischen Reunion-Albums PHOENIX von 2008 enthält alle vier ursprünglichen Sänger/Bassist John Wetton von King Crimson, Gitarrist Steve Howe von Yes, Keyboarder Geoff Downes von Yes und Schlagzeuger Carl Palmer von Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Sophomore album from Tenerife based trio, LAGOSS (Gonçalo F. Cardoso, Mladen Kurajica and Daniel García).

Moving away from their megamix vignette based first volume, the trio now experiments with a more song based approach whilst still keeping their trademark jam infused tropicalia and electronic freak outs with an offering to their 1970’s sci-fi masters – enter the lift to the stars.

First proposed by Russian rocket scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and taken to mystical literary heights by Arthur C. Clark in his 1979 book Fountains of Paradise, the concept of a space lift takes a spiritual turn here, with LAGOSS chronicling its construction, right here and there on a near future version of their Island of Tenerife, in the Canary Archipelago.

The album moves freely through ideas and moods akin to the world imagined by Arthur C. Clarke. It conveys a new story by sonically imagining future civilizations in a faux ethnographical exercise whilst exploring current ideas of technology, religion and alternative history by creating its own particular insular sound world.

The album counts with the participation of dear friends such as a synth solo by Spencer Clark (Monopoly Child Star Searchers et all.) and a punchy, full blown remix by Muqata’a. Altogether creating a unique collection of eerie musical moments made of sub tropical moods and cyber exotica jams from a band that keeps growing and evolving into their very own personal sound.

Enter Tenerife in the late 21st Century, meet the Aquachachos and Guayechi, and ascend!

From Ellen Allien to U.R. Trax, Miss Kittin to Anetha, or Chloé to Romane Santarelli Discoverall the greatest female producers of Electronic Music in a nice double vinyl LP : Women Of Electro ! - Including - Miss Kittin - Chloé - Romane Santarelli - TDJ - Maya Jane Coles - Anetha - Cinthie The Blessed Madonna - Lilly - Palmer - Helena Hauff - Ellen Allien - Mansfield.TYA DeLaurentis - Grimes - Louisahhh !!! - U.R.Trax - Monika Kruse...

Nachdem 2013 zum 10-jährigen Jubiläum die Deluxe Version veröffentlicht wurde, ist ,Give Up" nun wieder als einfache LP im Original Format zu haben. Man kann alle Zeit und alles Geld der Welt darauf verwenden, das perfekte Pop-Szenario zu erschaffen, aber manchmal müssen sich die Sterne von ganz allein in die richtige Position rücken. Und obwohl die Mitglieder von THE POSTAL SERVICE schon früh darüber Witze machten, dass ,Such Great Heights" der ,Hit" ihres Debüalbums ,Give Up" sei, konnte niemand ahnen, was für einen Einfluss diese Album haben sollte, das in Schlafzimmern des Mittleren Westens konzipiert wurde. Über zehn Jahre sind ins Land gegangen, seit das kleine Projekt aus Ben Gibbard von DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE und Jimmy Tamborello (DNTEL, FIGURINE) scheinbar aus dem Nirgendwo anrauschte und sich tief in die Ohren all derer eingrub, die in Kontakt mit dem ansteckenden Electropop von THE POSTAL SERVICE geraten waren. Natürlich war die Musik von THE POSTAL SERVICE zu jeder Zeit viel mehr als nur Electropop. Die Kraft, mit der Jimmy und Ben den Zeitgeist des Indie Rocks der frühen Nuller Jahre heraufbeschworen, machte sie zu einem derartigen Phänomen, dass Künstler wie BEN FOLDS, AMANDA PALMER, STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO und CONFIDE ,Such Great Heights" gecovert haben. Ein Zeugnis des zauberhaften Funken und der melodischen Kompaktheit des Songs. Der Sound der Band ist ein derartiger Meilenstein, dass der Terminus ,Postal Service-esque" ein akzeptiertes Adjektiv in der Musikwelt ist. Es war unmöglich, vorherzusagen, wie groß ,Give Up" werden würde, aber schon 2003 war klar, dass diese Herren etwas ganz Besonderes erschaffen hatten.

Following two standout releases from Rudi Creswick & Jamie Leeming, Alfa Mist’s Sekito Records imprint prepares to unveil their third LP project. Continuing their showcase of some of the most impressive up & coming Jazz players the UK has to offer, they are proud to present JSPHYNX’s debut LP ‘REFLEX’. Hailing from the coastal town of Broadstairs (Kent), JSPHYNX (AKA Johnny Woodham) is a talented trumpeter, who cut his teeth performing alongside the likes of Barney Artist, Mr Jukes, Corto Alto, Ego Ella May, Tom Misch, Loyle Carner, Ashley Henry, Jordan Rakei, Tertia May, Subculture & Maisha. Finding inspiration during lockdown, JSPHYNX began crafting loops at home before bringing them to his bandmates to help add some meat to the bones of the tracks. With an impressive roster of musicians on board (including Rudi Creswick on Bass duties, and Richard Spaven on drums) label boss Alfa Mist adopting the role of executive producer, ‘REFLEX’ is positioned at the sonic intersection of UK Jazz & Bass music.

Die englische Rockband ASIA, die 1981 in London
gegründet wurde, verkaufte mehrfach Platin und gilt
weltweit als Superstars. "Heat Of The Moment", eine
riesige Soft-Rock-Hymne mit anhaltendem, weltweitem
Radioerfolg, ist ihr bestes und bekanntestes Stück, das in
über einem Dutzend Ländern die Top 40 erreichte. Diese
mitreißende Live-Show mit 18 Titeln von der Welttournee
zum 25-jährigen Jubiläum von Asia im Jahr 2007 zeigt die
neu formierte Originalbesetzung mit Sänger/Bassist John
Wetton von King Crimson, Gitarrist Steve Howe und
Keyboarder Geoff Downes von Yes und Schlagzeuger
Carl Palmer von Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Das Album
wurde am 8. März 2007 in der "Shinjuku Kosei Nenkin
Hall" in Tokio, Japan, aufgenommen und erscheint
erstmals auf Vinyl.
Das Booklet dieser neuen 3LP-Veröffentlichung enthält
seltene Fotos und Anmerkungen des bekannten
Asia-Autors Dave Gallant mit Originalzitaten der
Bandmitglieder. Das Cover-Artwork stammt von dem
legendären Designer Roger Dean, der alle Original-Cover
der Asia-Alben entworfen hat. "Fantasia" ist eine
beeindruckende Erinnerung an das majestätische
Vermächtnis dieser unglaublichen Band und an den
künstlerischen Werdegang der vier Originalmitglieder von
Asia. Dieses wegweisende Konzert ist ein unverzichtbares
Set

We're proud to present the debut album by East-Sussex raised, London-based guitarist, composer and producer Peach Banquet (aka Jonathan Palmer). 'Rubber Leaves', a collection of solo guitar improvisations, invokes the feeling of jumping into a cool river in a heat-fogged daze, with meandering guitar lines that bubble and multiply like frogspawn before evaporating immediately into the ether. Recommended if you like Matsuo Basho's travelogues / haikus, John Frusciante's 'To Record Only Water for Ten Days', or Knobs youtube guitar pedal demos.