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Am 14.Oktober erscheint Paul Wellers ”Modern Classics (The Greatest Hits)“ zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl! Ursprünglich 1998 veröffentlicht und bisher nicht auf Vinyl erhältlich – ”Modern Classics (The Greatest
Hits)“ ist ein Compilation-Album, welches viele der Paul Wellers Solo-Singles von 1991-1998 enthält.

Die Veröffentlichung erscheint als 2LP - Gatefold Sleeve und enthält eine Bonus Live LP, aufgenommen im Victoria Park, Hackney, London, am 8. August 1998

A warm Mediterranean summer night. The day’s heat lingers on the walls as the sea breeze carries fragments of conversation into the dark. Time slows, hearts open, and a melody drifts by familiar, yet impossible to place. Minutes later, you’re humming it. This is Tonight In Tunisia... If you know, you know..
With these remixes for Re:Imagine, the now well-established pairing of Chez Damier and Ben Vedren continues to blur the lines between deep house tradition and contemporary expression.
Built around warm rhythms, sun-drenched melodies, and irresistible vocal hooks, Tonight In Tunisia balances sophistication with immediacy. Rooted in jazzy sensibilities, it offers a version for every mood: open-air dancefloors, late-night terraces, and those summer moments that seem to linger long after the music stops.
Effortlessly uplifting and deceptively simple, it’s the kind of record that slips into your mind on first listen and refuses to leave.

New super-groovy one-off pressing purple double-vinyl very limited edition of Miami Sound 2 housed in gatefold sleeve, complete with two full-colour inner sleeves containing extensive text and exclusive photography from TK Records in-house photographer Larry Warmoth. Soul Jazz Records’ Miami Sound 2 is a superlative collection of 70s soul, funk, disco and boogie featuring tracks from legendary artists such as Betty Wright, Timmy Thomas, Gwen McRae, Milton Wright, T-Connection and many more, all released on the mighty TK Records musical empire based in Miami, Florida.

Throughout the 1970s founder Henry Stone’s TK Records rose up to be one of the most important forces in black music, successfully pioneering the evolution in musical fashions from the early gritty funk and soul at the start of the decade to the arrival of disco in the mid-70s. This album is a rollercoaster journey across soul, funk, disco and boogie, a party-rocking dancefloor-filling collection of monster tracks that includes million-selling hits such as Betty Wright’s classic ‘Clean Up Woman’, Timmy Thomas’s ‘Why Can’t We Live Together’, T-Connection’s ‘Do What You Wanna Do’, anthemic rare groove club hits including Gwen McCrae’s massive ‘All This Love I’m Giving’ and Milton Wright’s ‘Keep It Up’, plus a host of hard-to-find gems and rarities from the likes of Raw Soul Express, Chocolate Clay, Beginning of the End, Robert Moore, Clarence Reid, Little Beaver, Paulette Reeves and many more. TK Records functioned more like a close-knit family than a typical record company. Based in the industrial Hialeah district of Miami, music man Henry Stone surrounded himself with a host of creative artists, musicians, songwriters and producers who created an immediately identifiable TK sound as well as making musical stars out of many of its artists

NOW Music is proud to present the newest addition to the ‘Yearbook’ series: NOW – YEARBOOK 1982. 3 LPs of 44 defining tracks that ruled the charts in 1982.
Featuring number 1s, including ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ (Survivor), ‘Ebony And Ivory’ (Paul McCartney), ‘Town Called Malice’ (The Jam), and 1982’s biggest seller ‘Come On Eileen’ from Dexys Midnight Runners.
1982 saw the first huge hits from a wealth of new artists including Culture Club, Wham! and Tears For Fears, as well as an incredible line-up from artists who had established their chart presence in the prior 18 months and would produce some of the greatest tracks of the decade; Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, ABC, Haircut 100, Soft Cell, The Human League, and a newly solo Adam Ant.
‘Fame’ was the TV phenomenon of the year, and Irene Cara’s theme from the original 1980 film enjoyed massive success.
As ABBA released their last singles for nearly 40 years, pure-pop from Bucks Fizz, Blondie, and Madness is celebrated alongside synth-pop gems from New Order, Simple Minds, Visage and Japan.
Leading artists from the punk scene enjoyed continued and renewed success, including The Stranglers, The Clash and Pretenders, whilst Foreigner, Meat Loaf with Cher, and Steve Miller Band provided radio-favourite rock and power ballads.
1982 saw a huge chart presence for dance music – from the hi-NRG of Boys Town Gang, to the electro-infused beats of Malcolm McLaren, and Rockers Revenge, the 1980’s disco of Shalamar, alongside soul classics from Marvin Gaye and Donna Summer… plus stellar ballads from Elton John, Lionel Richie, and Roxy Music.

Slacker and Seth Troxler presents He Ain’t Here. 15 tracks by Slackers for Slackers. All exclusives.

Featuring exclusive music from: Seth Troxler, O.bee & Tomas Station, Audion, Jonny Rock, Dr Dunks, Krystal Klear, Marc Houle, Hiroko Yamamura and more. This is our dysfunctional family – and this will get weird.

Seth Troxler:

"When I created Slacker I wanted to make something to remind me of my youth in the ’90s. Being born in ’85, the ’90s was a decade that defined me. Culturally America was at a pivotal point. Post Reaganism of the ’80s, the ’90s was defined by the anti-hero. The idea that we had had enough. From grunge to hip hop, house and techno.

"This was the time of independence and indie music. Life without boundaries. A world where everything felt possible and a belief that the future was coming. Home game consoles, futuristic new sports like the X Games. It was about being radical. Living life on the edge and turning away from the imaginary cookie cutter American dream.

"I feel we are in similar times. The future we were promised every day seems more like a nightmare than a utopian dream. And all we have left are our minds and bodies, but who knows how long our freedom to be an individual will exist.

"This compilation is protest – from fight songs to moments of joy. It’s about living, dancing and being. It’s for the freaks, perverts, for the rebels, for those who forever were other, and dared the impossible to just be themselves in a world where everyone wants to be the same. The revolution will not be televised because it’s within ourselves. It’s about being unapologetically individual.

"Freedom is a state of mind as well as a state of being. Being a slacker is as much about pushing, as it is about being. Not giving a f#ck about the rules and making your own. I’m a slacker, you’re a slacker, a loser and nobody. History will forget me, history forgot Elvis.

"The world is about to change. Might as well have a bit of fun while it burns. Welcome to our dysfunctional family. Join us for the bonfire, I promise you things are going to get weird, in the best possible way. HE AIN’T HERE."

After the sell-out sensation of the album 'Soul Drums’, the Steve White Trio return with a special 7” single, as they take on Deep Purple’s ‘Mandrake Root’. A fitting tribute to Jon Lord, with a Hammond-heavy groove, White shows his range and power from behind the kit. It is backed by the original ‘Sunburn’, written by Joel White and Chris Hague, who complete the brilliant Trio.

’Soul Drums’ was the inaugural release in the new Acid Jazz Jazz Sessions series earlier this year and, remarkably, the first album bearing the name Steve White. After a storied session career and long association with Paul Weller, as a member of the Style Council and as the heartbeat of Weller’s solo band on ‘Wildwood', 'Stanley Road', 'Heavy Soul’ and ‘As Is Now’, the Trio sees Steve return to his jazz and filmic influences, with a true modernist touch.

The 7” release coincides with a special appearance at the 100 Club on 17 September.

As a tribute to Vladimir sivc aka FUNKY DESTINATION who sadly passed away in march last year, SOOPASOUL is releasing this limited edition special updated version of the now classic '' The Inside Man- REMIX '' pt.1 has been completely rebuilt from the ground up , on the flip is pt.3 .. which is previously unreleased and features Paul 'Dewey' haywood on Tenor sax and Tony wright on Congas as well as toasting and additional guitars by Soopasoul.

'You & Me', 'The Ballad of John Henry' and 'Live from the Royal Albert Hall'.
It is in a live setting where Joe Bonamassa the performer really thrives and in May
2009, he played the historic Royal Albert Hall in London. It was an incredible
memory for everyone present and one of his greatest live performances has been
remastered on high- quality 180g heavyweight triple vinyl for the first time. The
majestic evening saw him glide through his back catalogue of original hits as well
as inspired covers and featured guest performances from Eric Clapton and Paul
Jones – truly a special night to savour.
With 25 #1 albums, yearly sold-out tours worldwide and custom annual cruises,
he's a hard act to beat. These albums are a testament to his credentials and a
toast to his longtime fans who remember them originally and new fans who can
experience them for the first time. It's Joe Bonamassa at his finest, ready to rock.

I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do!

Jonah Ellis came to the Drifters as a guitarist but was soon singing with the group and acting as their musical director.

This multitalented musician/ songwriter hailed from DC where he was born on 25 August 1947 and grew up to graduate from Springarn, Senior High in Washington.

He went on to study further at Morris Town Junior College in Morris Town, Tennessee.

Then he received a BA degree in Music from Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee, and a Master of Arts in Music from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.

His first move into recording came with his group Jonah and the Whales and ‘Savannah Sun’ which sold well locally by didn’t chart nationally.

Jonah’s second single ‘I Get Hot/ Popcorn Cellar’ on Viking Records in 1970 had similar results but he was writing great songs and creating a lot of interest. In addition to penning Yarbrough and Peoples big hit ‘Don’t Stop The Music’ in 1980 which hit platinum.

Jonah was writer/ producer at Total Experience Records where he found time to cut a single under his own name ‘Christmas Won’t Be Christmas Without My Baby’ and also wrote hits for the Gap Band the biggest hit being ‘Desire’. Jonah only stayed a Drifter for about a year between 1986-87.

A short time later he joined the Temptations as their lead guitarist but didn’t stop writing songs for other artists (sometimes in his pen name Lonnie Simmons) like Alicia Keys ‘Gangsta Lovin’, Puff Daddy ‘Soul Food’, Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King ‘Shame’, Billy Paul ‘Fire In Her Love’and so many more including Aretha and sister Carolyn Franklin, Esther Phillips, Rose Royce and Burt Bacharach.

Jonah continued to write and perform internationally until his untimely death from a stroke on 22 February 2010.

Imagination Lady is the fifth long-player for Stan Webb's Chicken Shack and was originally released in 1972.

Much in the same tradition as the great British bluesmen Alexis Corner and John Mayall, Webb's revolving-door personnel landed the band several notable members. For this album, Webb (guitar/vocals) gathered a trio consisting of himself, future Gods and Jethro Tull member John Glascock (bass), and Paul Hancox (drums). As with the previous Chicken Shack long-players, this disc features several Webb originals augmented with some well-chosen cover tunes.

The album opens with a ferocious cover of B.B. King's "Crying Won't Help You." In a style akin to the Faces or even some of the rowdier moments from the Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac, this trio grinds out the blues with a decidedly English edge, followes by the folkie "If I Were a Carpenter". "Daughter of the Hillside" & is Webb's most impressive contribution to the album. This straight-ahead rocker is an ideal trio effort recalling the intense instrumentality of Cream or early Led Zeppelin. The closing number "The Loser" is upbeat and almost pop-oriented, again displaying the immense strength of this Chicken Shack line up.

Imagination Lady is available as limited numbered edition of 1000 copies on red vinyl and comes in a gatefold sleeve.

2027 marks two decades since musician and producer Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy struck out on his own and launched Claremont 56, a label initially dedicated to “music by Mudd and friends” and named after the house he grew up in. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Murphy has assembled the label’s first ever decades-spanning vinyl retrospective: a six-LP re-mastered collection bringing together key cuts, cult classics, personal favourites, hard-to-find gems and inspired remixes from across the catalogue.

Unlike the label’s previous 10th anniversary box set, which focused on unreleased material and never-before-heard remixes, 20 Years of Claremont 56 traces the musical story of the imprint to date. Across six records, it showcases the distinctive Claremont 56 sound in all its many forms: acoustic, electric and electronic instrumentation, Balearic sunshine, krautrock grooves, folk-inflected psychedelia, slow-burning chuggers and deeply considered dancefloor music.
The set comes housed in a custom box featuring cover art by long-term label illustrator Mark Warrington. Inside are six slabs of vinyl across three gatefold sleeves, accompanied by liner notes from music journalist and author Matt Anniss, Murphy himself, and many of the artists whose music features in the collection.

The journey begins with a selection of formative late-noughties releases, including Mudd & Pollard’s chugging, picturesque ‘Villa Stavros’, the folksy beauty of Smith & Mudd’s ‘Shulme’ and Murphy’s exotic reworking of Ahmed Fakroun’s ‘Drago’. From there, the collection moves freely through deep cuts, overlooked gems, album highlights and some of the most inspired remixes in the label’s catalogue.

Among those remixes is Murphy’s own über-Balearic rework of Zee Erf’s cover of ‘Southern Freeez’, a mix dedicated to his partner Emma; an extraordinary 22-minute, Manuel Göttsching-meets-ambient-dub revision of Smith & Mudd’s ‘Vegetable Square’ by friends-of-the-family Idjut Boys; Larry Heard’s typically deep and immersive house treatment of Jack Cutter’s ‘Serpent Strut’; and Quiet Village’s ambient-house ‘deep space dub’ of Mudd’s ‘Spielplatz’. Also included are lesser-celebrated but no less rewarding reworks by Recloose, Jex Opolis, Felix Dickinson and Deep88.

The collection represents every corner of Claremont 56’s self-contained musical universe, from the Murphy-assembled in-house collectives Hillside, Paqua and Bison - whose members famously included the late Holger Czukay and his life partner Ursula, to long-serving label artists such as Almunia and Hear & Now, as well as later additions and artists who took some of their first steps on the label through its much-loved Claremont Editions compilations.
That means the deeply cosmic krautrock of Bambi Davidson, the folk-meets-Americana of Torn Sail and the samba-electrofunk of Jpye sit alongside baggy Balearic sing-alongs such as Bel’s ‘Ready To Die’ and Sillyboy’s Ghost Relatives’ ‘In a Small Place’, recent high-profile guest releases such as Chaz Jankel’s ‘Rhumba Jam’, and string-laden ambient pieces such as Four Hands’ wonderful ‘Hizou’.

Packed with classic cuts, formative gems and overlooked treats, 20 Years of Claremont 56 is not only a fabulous label retrospective, but also an essential collection of timeless music from a label whose output has remained distinctive and unique for two decades.

Jonathan Kaspar returns to Crosstown Rebels with an eclectic four-tracker that shows his stylistic range. The EP features his own vocals, as well as some long-time personal secret weapons.

After an intense touring summer with acclaimed gigs, including Fusion Festival, Fabric London, Else Berlin or Woodstock 69 Bloemendaal, Jonathan Kaspar lands back on Crosstown Rebels. After remixing CRM head Damian Lazarus with two different versions in 2025 and his last massive "We Come EP” to the label in 2024, Jonathan is in a purple patch right now with upcoming remixes for the likes of Âme and Acid Pauli. This upcoming release reveals different sides to his sound while still feeling connected as one body of work.

Opener 'Take Control' will be familiar to fans who have seen Kaspar play recently - it's stripped back but tense, with a searching lead synth and tight, dusty tech drums that grip you and never let up. 'The Reason Why' came to life when Bákayan's incredible vocals were added to the deep, dreamy groove, bringing a smoky soul and human warmth that tugs at the heart. 'Play With Me' and 'I Love Your Voice' both feature Kaspar's own vocals: the former is a subtle, late-night grower that unfolds with trippy synth details and sci-fi motifs. The closer is a deeply immersive and widescreen mid-tempo sound that carries a heartfelt reminder to hold on to the voices of the people who love you when everything else gets loud.

Seven years after 2019’s ‘The Dusk Loom’, Petrels returns with a pair of new albums, Infangthief and Outfangthief. The first of these releases, Infangthief, was originally written and recorded in 2022, before being reworked in light of a subsequent album, Outfangthief, due to be released later this year.

The two albums act as companion pieces, mirrors revealing facets of the other, overlapping in sound and subject matter. Though Outfangthief may have been written after Infangthief, it is no mere follow-up, with it's own creation causing a re-visiting and re-working of the earlier album, which in turn informed the writing of its twin.

Taking their titles from Old English legal terms ("thief seized without" and "thief seized within”), the central thread running through both albums is the illusion of assumed human authority - that which is given and that which is taken by force. With Western society seemingly hellbent on willingly embracing a brutally destructive economic model (even in its death throes), these albums attempt - in their own small way - to undertake the essential task of imagining alternative ways of being.

Petrels is the solo project of musician and artist, Oliver Barrett. Since releasing his debut, Haeligewielle, in 2011 (#9 in A Closer Listen's Best Albums of the Decade), Petrels has toured across Europe and shared a stage with the likes of Jóhann Jóhannsson, Tim Hecker, FIRE!, Nate Young (Wolf Eyes), Trouble Books, Demdike Stare, Nadja, and Hans-Joachim Roedelius (Cluster). Working from his home in Somerset, UK, Barrett has released numerous albums through his Floating Limb imprint, as well as mixing and/or mastering hundreds of releases for the likes of Keiji Haino, Loren Connors & Alan Licht, Judith Hamann, Incapacitants, Mette Rasmussen & Sofia Jernberg, Yasunao Tone and more

“Petrels sidesteps the chilliness found in much of the music of his peers, replacing it instead with an almost spiritual ecstasy, his ravishing synths and almost choral vocal treatments calling out in cosmic, wide eyed wonder at the universe.” – Paul Margree, Louder Than War

Yesca is back on Shall Not Fade with ‘Paint on Walls’ 12” EP.

2024’s Yesca EP on SNF - “Mood Loops” - set a high bar, so when we say this record is something special you should take note. Of course if you already know Yesca’s music or have had the pleasure of a Yesca DJ set then you will have already this queued up.

Sweet Spot: Ben Sims, Deetron, Oliver Ho, Vince Watson, Grain (Artwork’s Techno alias). Planet-E, Primate Recordings, Paul Mac & Stimulus Recordings found the sweet spot.

According to the OED the first use of the phrase “Sweet Spot” was in 1976 in reference to tennis rackets and golf swings. It’s where everything hits just right. And that’s what this EP does, hits just right. What strikes me is how descriptive the phrase ‘Sweet Spot’ is. Given enough swings and some luck we all know what it feels like to hit the sweet spot in some regard. Finding the sweet spot regularly though takes time and skill. But being able to hit the sweet spot by design every time, well that’s something different. That’s what makes the greats great.

For us at SNF there’s a consensus that in the lineage of electronic music there have been many moments where artists & labels converged on a sweet spot. One such sweet spot for us is in Techno
around 2003 when at the tail end of Hardgroove tempos began to slow and a groovier more refined tech house infused goodness appeared in the racks from a group of killer techno labels & artists (some mentioned above) that moment before the fuller emergence of the 2nd wave of Tech House in the mid 00’s.

That sound, while often emulated, never quite hit the same for us at least – until Yesca came along. His music has everything that we love about that sweet spot. Raw driving groove, rolling basslines and hip shaking percussion. What’s different on ‘Paint on Walls’ is that Yesca stepped on - he had already found the sweet spot on 2024’s Mood Loop EP - now his sound (or swing) is natural. Repeatable, refined and seemingly effortless. To revisit the tennis and golf analogy, this is the start of a Grand Slam run from an artist ready to etch their name in dance music history. Tiger..... Serena......Yesca.

Run the Tracks:
‘How I Do It (They Wonder)’ - A masterclass in less is more, and a serious DJ tool. Full of groove - slow it down and it will light the touchpaper in a house set - speed it up and you’ve got techno weaponry. Forget gatekeeping, this will make you feel like you just found a 2004 techno white label from the likes of Grain or Ben Sims.

‘I Desire’ - House music that I reckon Deetron would be proud of... Blissed out machine funk, whispered vocals, slick jazzy chords and dubbed out techno stabs are all grounded by Yesca’s impeccable, loopy drum programming. The best tunes always end too soon.

‘Domination’ - The ever rising bass, err, dominates this track and this track will dominate on many a dancefloor, but Yesca's knack for dubbed out swinging synth lines has to get a shout out here too. He turns what would be melodic elements into what feels like part of the percussion. Double Threat. Hands Up and Heads Down business.

‘Paint on Walls’ - It would be a tough call to say Yesca’s saved the best til last with the EP’s eponymous track given what’s come before, but Paint On Walls works all the highlights from the rest of the EP into a latin techno/house infused anthem. Skittering percussion, a hint of Detroit goodness and a deep deep rolling bassline and THAT vocal. In every way hopeful yet resistant, and that is what techno is all about.

Rebolledo is back. And this time, he's bringing his own label: Rated R. What began as a party series — with chapters like Rated R and Wax Upon A Time — now mutates into a record label. Long overdue, if you ask us. Surrounded by talented friends from all corners of the globe, this is the new home for bringing everything back into focus. And yes, on wax too.
Naturally. For the first release, we're kicking things off with something equally overdue: Rub N Tug are back. The track? A certified underground wanderer. Loved, played, and passed around dance floors worldwide for well over a decade, yet somehow never properly released. Or maybe it was. Sort of. It's complicated. Now it returns with a remix of a remix, giving the whole thing a fresh coat of cosmic polish. As if that wasn't enough, Paulor takes things one step further with a particularly special jam of his own. Which means we're now dealing with a remix of a remix of a remix.

Confusing? Maybe.
Necessary? Absolutely.
Makes perfect sense to us.

Celebrate the incredible music from the first half of the 70s with this brand-new 2LP collection packed with the era’s most iconic hits.

LP1 kicks off with Queen’s ‘Killer Queen’, followed by Elton John’s timeless ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ and Mott The Hoople’s anthemic ‘All The Young Dudes’. Glam-rock favourites from Sweet, Mud and Wizzard sit alongside Pilot’s feel-good ‘Magic’ and David Essex’s distinctive ‘Rock On’. Side Two turns up the guitars with Rod Stewart’s ‘You Wear It Well’, Free’s legendary ‘All Right Now’ and Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet’. Alice Cooper’s rebellious ‘School’s Out’, Status Quo’s ‘Down Down’ and Thin Lizzy’s ‘Whisky In The Jar’ continue an incredible run of rock classics before Bob Dylan closes the LP with ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’.

LP2 opens with Paul McCartney & Wings’ epic ‘Band On The Run’, before Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ and Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’ showcase some of the decade’s finest songwriting. Harry Nilsson’s unforgettable ‘Without You’ and Terry Jacks’ ‘Seasons In The Sun’ lead into soulful classics from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and The Stylistics. Side Two opens with Neil Diamond’s enduring ‘Sweet Caroline’ and Carly Simon’s ‘You’re So Vain’, before Diana Ross’ ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ and Stevie Wonder’s ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours’ launch an irresistible run of soul and dancefloor favourites. Barry White’s ‘You’re The First, The Last, My Everything’, George McCrae’s ‘Rock Your Baby’ and The Three Degrees’ ‘When Will I See You Again?’ lead into Michael Jackson’s beautiful ‘Ben’, bringing this celebration of 1970–1974 to a memorable close.

2026 Repress

Next year the iconic anthem Cafe Del Mar will celebrate its 30th anniversary, a landmark that will be celebrated with a series of brand new remixes alongside the finest existing remixes in specially remastered versions.
Launching the series of vinyl releases in September is a remastered vinyl-only release of the original mix, as well as the best-known version of this classic track, the iconic Three ‘N One Remix.
Nearly 30 years ago, Paul M aka DJ Kid Paul recording as Energy 52 unleashed a record onto an unsuspecting public that would go on to define club culture for an entire generation of dance music enthusiasts. Named as an homage to the legendary Ibiza sunset spot, Café Del Mar broke down boundaries between the underground and
the mainstream, charting in the UK singles charts on three separate occasions and named as the “best tune ever” by Mixmag at the start of the new millennium. In terms of cultural and emotional impact in dance music, it’s hard to find a record that comes close.
Café Del Mar has come to represent the most euphoric and hedonistic pleasures of dancefloors - in Ibiza and all around the world - and has been remixed by some of the biggest names in the industry. Now, 30 years after its original release, Superstition Records will be putting out a new series of releases, with brand new remixes as well as remastered versions of some of the many remixes from across the last three decades. The vinyl-only remastered version of the original and Three ‘N One mixes will launch the series, with further details about the rest of the series announced in the coming weeks.

In 2021 Paul Van Dyk’s Café Del Mar remixes launched a series of vinyl and digital re-issues on the Superstition Records imprint after an almost 20 years hiatus. From 1993 until 2003 Superstition Records was a groundbreaking Techno, Tech-House and Trance Label and released some of the biggest and most revered records of the early German electronic scene.

Symbol Of The Land marks Dialog's first beat-driven album, broadening the duo’s vision of dubwise electronic music into a long-player shaped by collaboration and global exchange.

Over the last two years, Helsinki-based producers Samuel van Dijk and Rasmus Hedlund have been refining their voice within modern dub techno, testing their material on the road and inviting kindred spirits to their studio for real-life feedback loops. During these sessions, they built the album around live mixing, repeatedly re-recording elements as they work, committing effects and modulation before pushing digital processes back out into analogue voltage.

Across the record, the smoky tones of their regular collaborator, Jamaican singer Benji, plus the original voice of dub techno Paul St. Hilaire (aka Tikiman) fold into an open exchange of rhythm, space and sound. Their musings are housed by warm, patient grooves across a range of tempos and moods; from the blissed-out, reggae style on “Mellow Mood” to the wispy and esoteric “Constellation Of Stars”.

The album, which follows a string of well-loved releases on the duo’s own DOT Records, lands via Richard Akingbehin’s Kynant imprint, a label regularly dialling into the transcendent qualities of vocal dub techno.

Next up on Berlin’s Pure Hate Trax PH009 PH EP by NX1 Incl. UVB Remix. For over a decade, the Barcelona-based duo NX1 have forged and continuously refined a unique sonic identity. Their music radiates an awe- inspiring physicality: powerful low-end pressure, meticulously crafted breaks, and tension-driven crescendos that elevate each track without ever resorting to clichés. The duo has consolidated its position with releases on some of the most respected labels in the scene, including Planète Rouge, MORD, Modularz, Semantica, BITE, Earwiggle and their own imprints NX1 and Nexe Records. Their discography reached a pivotal moment with the release of their acclaimed album “What You Should Know About Yourself”, a defining chapter in the evolution of their artistry. On remix this time we are proud to welcome UVB to the label. The French Berlin based artist needs no introduction due to his constant presence on the Techno scene for well over a decade now releasing on such labels as Mord, 47, Monnom Black, Analogue, STOOR and his own imprints SHIV and Body Theory. Mastered by Paul Mac Graphic design by Slave To Society Distributed by Triple Vision Distribution 2026 Pure Hate Trax

25th Anniversary Black Vinyl Repress.
Before he was Caribou, Dan Snaith was a 20-something student in a "crappy" Toronto bedroom, recording music on a beat-up computer that used to strain under the weight of digital recording.
Start Breaking My Heart was Snaith's 2001 debut, originally released under the name Manitoba. Twenty-five years on, it still sounds like an artist finding his voice in real time - rainbow melody, hopscotch percussion, and playground laughter stitched into warm, tactile electronic pop.
Reflecting on the record, Snaith said it was the first time something clicked - he'd been making music since his early teens, but this was when he first felt he understood what he wanted his tracks to be. That moment coincided with the chance encounter that changed everything: he met Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) at a UK festival, who helped Dan get this album released - the start of a career that has spanned a quarter century and many albums since.

The Temptations Get High on Psychedelic Soul: Cloud Nine Soars with Ambitious Arrangements and Production, Features Standout Vocal Performances and Instrumentation by the Funk Brothers

The Temptations’ Cloud Nine announced that Motown — and “The Sound of Young America” — would never be the same. Influenced by the emergence of cutting-edge rock and pop currents, as well as increasing sociopolitical turmoil, the album broke down barriers between rock, psychedelia, and soul while heralding the arrival of visionary arrangements and production techniques. Bookended by traditional R&B numbers, the 1969 record sent the Temptations in bold new directions and signaled the advent of psychedelic soul.

Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45PM 2LP set presents Cloud Nine in audiophile sound for the first time on a domestic pressing. This collectible reissue bestows Norman Whitfield’s extraordinary production with the grand-scale dynamics, natural tonality, expansive openness, and low-end weight it deserves. The timbre of each of the five members’ voices is readily identifiable — even within the group harmonies — bestowing a realism never experienced outside the recording studio.

Making its debut on 45RPM, the album further benefits from the wide groove space by playing with greater separation and more realistic presence than prior editions. Everything from the brassiness of the horns to the dry snap of the snare comes across with reference-grade clarity and positioning. And since Motown’s renowned Funk Brothers backing band plays on many of the cuts, you’ll want to savor every note. The imaging, soundstaging, and organic bloom-and-decay of the notes make that possible.

Amid Cloud Nine, the instrumentation and architecture stand out as much as any element. Never before had a Motown album contained such ambitious patterns and complex passages. Seemingly conscientious of the departure from their past methods, the Temptations and Whitfield bunched together the tracks that mark a deep dive into psychedelic territory and counterbalance them with seven sterling soul cuts that dovetail with Motown tradition drenched with heartfelt vocals, swelling strings, and finger-snapping beats.

On the original 33RPM release, traditional Motown soul — laden with heartfelt vocals, swelling strings, and finger-snapping beats — occupies Side Two. These songs reveal an ensemble still very much on top of delivering pristine pop-soul material graced with romantic sweetness, persuasive insistent, and soaring highs. Re-energized after the departure of lead singer David Ruffin, who was fired for a variety of reasons in June 1968, the Temptations seamlessly meld with his replacement, Dennis Edwards, on one melodic gem after another.

The collective tackles five songs co-written by the legendary Motown team of Barrett Strong and Whitfield. Not the least of which are the smooth, shuffling “Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go)” and deceptively simple, horn-spiked “Gonna Keep on Tryin’ till I Win Your Love.” On these tracks, as well as on a lush rendition of the ballad “Love Is a Hurtin’ Thing” and pleading, tender send-up of the Gerry Goffin-Carole King classic “Hey Girl,” Edwards and Paul Williams take turns on the lead with the estimable Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams providing backing support.

All five vocalists trade-off leads on the simmering title track, a groundbreaking composition shot through with wah-wah-pedal effects, liquid funk, deep bass lines, Cuban percussion, saturated reverb, and gang choruses. Whitfield mines each member’s natural vocal range with spectacular results, keeps time with cymbals, and channels both the heated temperatures and escapist desires of a society embroiled in war, conflict, and experimental drugs.

Amazingly, the Temptations top themselves on the similarly revealing “Run Away Child, Running Wild.” Nearly 10 minutes in length, the song explodes R&B parameters and harbors a cinematic scope. Urgent pianos, distorted guitars, stripped-down percussion, steamy Hammond organs, minimal bass motifs, five distinct voices narrating the tale of a boy who fled home and now finds himself amid the scary, unforgiving external world: They combine to give the urgent tune a walls-closing-in atmosphere where fear and desperation reign. Bolstered by an extended instrumental section that precedes a climactic return of the singers’ voices, “Run Away Child, Running Wild” equaled the success of the record’s title track, with both reaching No. 6 on the pop charts.

Jazz-fusion, disco-funk, Latin jazz and batucada rhythms get the Filipino treatment onAfter Midnight, the sublime second album from keyboardist Boy Katindig. Originally released in 1980, After Midnight draws heavy influence from soul and funk contemporaries in the US as well as Latin America, in particular the famed Brazilian percussionist Paulinho da Costa.

It’s a testament to his musical prowess that Katindig weaves effortlessly between styles and tempos. His reverence for Paulinho da Costa extends far, with covers of several songs from the latter’s 1979 Happy People album. This includes slow-burner ‘Déjà Vu’ written by Isaac Hayes originally for Dionne Warwick; on the Filipino instrumental version, local legends Jun Regalado and Roger Herrera (from Regalado’s ‘Pinoy Funk’ single) are reunited on drums and bass respectively.

But Katindig’s original compositions hold just as much weight and unique personality: title track ‘After Midnight’ opens with a sultry funk serenade reminiscent of The Isley Brothers, and quickly transforms into a catchy, blistering, saxophone chorus that brims with swagger. Hidden B-side gem ‘Got The Need’ is an uptempo tribute to batucada that would not be out of place in a jazzy house set, and boasts increasingly elaborate and psychedelic solos from Katindig on keys and Ben Concepcion on soprano sax.

Meanwhile, ‘Love Till the End of Time’ is a masterclass in instrumental disco funk, penned by the prolific Greg Phillanganes who at that same time was writing for many of the greats including Chaka Khan, George Benson, Stevie Wonder, The Jacksons and Cheryl Lynn.

This album is lovingly reissued by Sama Sama Records, a boutique label from DJ and collector Norsicaa, who ran the esteemed Soundway Records for 8 years and released the compilation Ayo Ke Disco in late 2024.

In 1955 Miles Davis played an all-star jam session at the Newport Jazz Festival with Thelonious Monk on piano, Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax and Zoot Sims on tenor sax. This performance immediately drew the attention of Columbia Records' George Avakian, who was so impressed that he immediately offered Davis a contract if he could form a regular band. The group he then assembled would go down in history as Davis' so-called "First Great Quintet", consisting of John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Philly Joe Jones on drums, Paul Chambers on bass and of course Miles himself on trumpet. 'Round Midnight is Miles Davis' first record for Columbia and also the first studio recording of the First Great Quintet. The recording sessions began on October 26 1955 but the album wasn't released until 1957 as Davis was still under contract at Prestige at the time. These respective sessions yielded Steamin', Workin', Cookin' and Relaxin'; albums that would go down in history as quintessential blueprints of late 1950s hard bop.

The record is made up of a collection of standards and one traditional song ("Dear Old Stockholm", from the 19th century). Notably, it features what may be considered the most well-known versions of Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" and "Bye Bye Blackbird". That Avakian made a golden signing was sufficiently clear from the start, but no one could foresee that it would be this quintet on Columbia that would go on to change the course of modern jazz forever with Kind of Blue. 'Round Midnight is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on crystal clear vinyl.

Active in London’s electronic underground since the late 80s, Paul Hierophant has long worked in the space between techno, ambient, and dub, preferring atmosphere, tone, and slow-burn tension to obvious dancefloor tricks.

The Elder Gods finds him further out on the fringes of electro, where the synths loom large and the delay and reverb units are given a proper workout. The result is widescreen, ominous, and immersive.

The title track is a monolithic slab of rhythm where corroded synth pressure and ritualistic percussion feel less like a groove than some ancient machine grinding slowly back into life.

Titans stalks forward on a cavernous half-step pulse, all foggy bass weight and fractured metallic vocal echos, like dub techno that has wandered into darker mythological territory and decided to stay there.

The Hydra coils around a lurching low-end spine, its tentacular FX flickering and mutating while the groove stubbornly regenerates.

Works and Days rounds things off with a standout alien vocal loop drifting through pulsing bass and drums, lending the track a meditative feel that works just as well for late-night headphone sessions as it does in the deeper end of a DJ set.

This is an EP for selectors who like their electro expansive, slightly strange, and built for proper sound systems.

Paul Weller releases Weller At The BBC (Vol.2) on Friday 24th April.

This second BBC outing gathers live session and live in concert performances, including intimate stripped back acoustic versions and re-workings of tracks across The Jam, The Style Council and Paul’s extensive solo career.

From timeless classics such as Start!, Shout To The Top and Wild Wood, to deep cuts and covers, like The Zombies’ Time Of The Season and Billie Eilish’s What Was I Made For?

The album also features some beautifully orchestrated tracks with the London Metropolitan Orchestra, arranged and conducted by Hannah Peel, including Aspects, Boy About Town and Have You Ever Had It Blue.

Stone Foundation return with their 11th studio album. Collaborative as ever, the band's first LP in 3 years boats appearances from a diverse range of soul artists from Omar and Laville to J.P. Bimeni and regular collaborator Mick Talbot (The Style Council). Following a year celebrating their 25th anniversary as a band with a major compilation release alongside a summer touring with Grace Jones and Paul Weller, Stone Foundation's sights are now firmly fixed on the future. Join them as the sound of small town soul transforms itself once again.

XKatedral Anthology Series II (An Anthology Of Slowly Evolving Timbral Music), featuring exclusive music from Kali Malone, Jessica Ekomane, Mats Erlandsson, Theodor Kentros, Wilma Hultén, and Maria W Horn.

"XKatedral Anthology II is the second instalment in a series of archival releases dedicated to presenting music by composers affiliated with XKatedral working within the realm of slowly evolving harmonic and timbral music. This double-vinyl set contains an array of pieces dating from 2018 - 2020. This collection of pieces focuses on the use of synthetic sound and algorithmic composition languages as tools for precise work within the realm of spectral exploration. In addition to this, the electronic instrumentation in many of the pieces is augmented by acoustic instruments.

The first piece on side A is Kali Malone’s Music for Low Quartet. This piece is an adaptation of the composition “Rose Wreath Crown” originally released on The Sacrificial Code in 2019. In this iteration, the music is scored for two double basses played by Vilhelm Bromander and Zach Rowden, and sine tone electronics performed by Malone herself. The recording of this piece was made at EMS in 2019.

Closing side A is Jessica Ekomane’s ‘First Light’. This computer music piece focuses exclusively on digital sound, layering razor sharp synthetic textures into an otherworldly dynamic weave. The music heard here is a reworked version of a piece originally commissioned by Semibreve in 2020.

Side B contains the work ‘Hands Melt In The Sun’ by Mats Erlandsson. This composition is built from electronically processed tuned zithers and synthetically generated tones arranged in a series of chordal inversions over a sustained fundamental tone. This music, written as a love-letter to the localized drone tradition of Stockholm in the years 2008-2012, was composed and recorded in seven days while in residence at Ställbergs Gruva in Bergslagen, in the summer of 2018.

Opening the second half of the collection is Rough Draft v.7 by Theodor Kentros. Kentros’ compositional practice usually combines acoustic and electronic source material and in this piece he molds the sound of the Buchla 200 and a collection of recorded wind instruments into a molten mass of sound. In its original form, this music was presented as a multichannel immersive work and even in the current stereo configuration it retains some of that enveloping sense of depth.

The second piece on side B, Inertia, is by Wilma Hultén, who makes her debut on record here. An exclusively synthetic piece, Inertia utilizes internal digital feedback in a sealed synthetic system to manifest a harmonic field that swells and abates throughout the length of the piece, interspersed by small gestural elements.

Closing Anthology II is Maria W Horn's work ‘Dies Irae’ for female vocal quartet, pitched glass and synthesis. ‘Dies Irae’ uses a modified form of traditional tonal harmonic language to invoke an uncanny and restless middle ground between the classical western polyphonic vocal tradition and contemporary electronic music. The version heard here is a live recording from Eric Ericssonhallen in Stockholm on May 30th 2020. Performing the piece here are the vocalists Katarina Henryson, Lisa Holmgren, Vilma Ogenblad and Paula Wegmann, as well as Maria herself on glass and electronics."

Skull Snaps 1973 album on GSF is iconic because of the huge number of times tracks on it have been sampled by the Hip-Hop community.

The album, produced by genius George Kerr, and featuring the talented Ervan Walters and Sam Culley, was released with a flourish and in a classic gatefold sleeve but GSF floundered and the album flopped. It’s discovery by Rap music makers has been well documented but before that happened it was discovered by UK Soul detectives in the 70s.

As the Northern Soul scene shapeshifted on from 60’s Motown sound alikes into contemporary black music a whole new music rosta took over the dancefloors. And just as Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson’s “The Bottle” got its debut British spins in the North, so did a whole slew of other acts - includung the Skull Snaps.

“My Hang Up Is You” became a single from the album and an underground anthem. One venue that became synonymous with the track was the Ritz in Manchester where the legendary Soul and Jazz -Funk All-Dayers helped shape UK dance music culture. Paul Mooney has created two 2026 remixes - one vocal and one instrumental - that pay homage to that 1970s golden era when Soul and Disco gelled into an unstoppable force. Fittingly both remixes have been dedicated to those Ritz All-Dayers.

Swiss label Mormorio Records returns with its sixth release.
MOR006 is delivered by Zürich-based artist Aline, presenting two original tracks that move between subtle grooves, reduced textures and a warm, driving flow.
On remix duties, Paul K and Lorik each bring their own perspective to the record, stretching the originals into deeper territories while keeping the essence intact. The result is a balanced release that works as well on intimate dancefloors as it does in late-night sessions.

MOR006 continues the label’s focus on understated, carefully crafted club music, rooted in the Swiss underground scene.

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…

‘In Virus Times’ is an acoustic instrumental piece by Lee Ranaldo.
Composed during the pandemic, ‘In Virus Times’ is released as a onesided LP with an etching on Side B. The cover is a beautiful photo by
Lee’s friend, the great Brazilian photographer Anna Paula Bogaciovas.
 Originally released as one track as part of a collaboration with Lucien
Jean for Le Presses du Reel, the music was featured on a mini CD that
accompanied a book that featured two short stories.
 ‘In Virus Times’, released by Mute, sees the track transformed into 4
pieces and is available on transparent turquoise vinyl with digital
download and an exclusive poster, designed, signed and individually
numbered by Lee Ranaldo. The poster design is based on an electron
microscope photo of the COVID-19 molecule.
 Lee has written some of his own ‘loner notes’ for the release:
 “This recording began on an evening in September 2020, stuck at home
in lower Manhattan during the dark days of the Covid-19 pandemic as
we came out of a deadly summer. A heightened sense of anxiety
stemming from the then-upcoming US Presidential elections as well as
the virus seemed to pervade all aspects of life, for myself and everyone I
knew. Its minimal quality reflects the sense of ‘motionless time’ that
many of us felt. I set up some microphones in our darkened living room
(studios being closed due to Covid restrictions), coaxing out one simple,
repetitive phrase, and then another, sounding them out into the air. The
casual home ambience - a siren or truck rumbling down the street out
the window; someone talking around the table in another part of the loft;
water running - intrudes at points. I worked to develop a few simple
thematic elements, but mostly I wanted to hear the notes and chords
ringing out, hanging in the air for a long time on that evening when the
world seemed close to stopped on its axis.
 “I’d been listening closely to Morton Feldman’s catalog throughout the
pandemic. His sparse, long-duration music could often be heard playing
on repeat as we spent endless days locked inside. His willingness to do
very little, with very simple elements, and to such profound effect, has
been inspirational. I found the vast open spaces in his works thrilling,
miraculous, and comforting in those empty times. Additionally, the Drop
D guitar tuning used here has prompted my own variations on Bach’s
works for solo cello, open strings droning against melodic lines, so
simple and perfect…” - Lee Ranaldo, New York City, August 2021

The first act signed to The Neptunes' newly formed Star Trak label was a Virginia based duo known as the Clipse. The first single “Grindin’” impacted the streets with its bare boned but infectious drum beat in the same way that “Sucker MC’s” did almost 20 years earlier. These brothers - Pusha T and Malice combined with The Neptunes groundbreaking production sent a clear message to the rap world – “we are not the same” (as rapped by Malice on his opening verse on “Cot’ Dam”). Clipse brings an authentic Virginia sound into the game and created a movement, with not only their darkly layered raps but The Neptunes as well. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo were able to combine their cyberpunk production with just the right group to create a street masterpiece. Following in the footsteps of such rap criminologists as Kool G Rap, Nas, Jay-Z, and Mobb Deep, the Clipse offer the Virginia hustler's viewpoint with clever, hard-hitting lyrics that is sprinkled throughout the entire album. With so many standout tracks on Lord Willin’ the album starts pulling no punches. On Track 1 simply (or maybe not) titled “Intro” you get a very personal and deep testament of crack and the drug game, a theme that is throughout this album…HEAVY. Songs like “Virginia” or “I’m Not You” (featuring Jadakiss, Styles P and Roscoe P Coldchain), have lyrics that play as a musical notes alongside The Neptunes tailored beats. “Young Boy”, “Comedy Central”… all fit perfectly alongside “When the Last Time” and “Cot Dam” as each song plays its part as chapters to the Lord Wilin’ masterpiece. “Gangsta Lean” (another one of the albums standout tracks) features a slightly lighter feel while paired with Pharrell's trademark falsetto hook. The truth of it is, it’s hard to just pick one track, or point out which is the albums star. Each song on Lord Willin’ is essential to making it the classic that it is. The Neptunes (who were busy turning out every other Pop hit on the radio) crafted an album that was deemed an instant classic, and cemented Clipse as Rap’s newest superstars.

Man O To from the elusive producer NU is finally set to be released as a single on Crosstown Rebels, featuring remixes from Parisian producer Pépé Bradock who producers two amazing takes on the original. Since its inclusion on Acid Pauli's Get Lost Compilation in 2012, the track has gained huge support and become a modern-day electronic classic.
A nomad of modern times, NU has travelled the continents with his diverse music to unearth his imitable style. Represented heavily in Man O To, where instruments amalgamate with electronic production to become solid rhythms. An extra spark come from its lyrics, outtakes from an old Persian poem from the well known poet Rumi, who speaks of true happiness in love here performed by Ghazal Shakeri from an original recording made by renowned French composer Armand Amar.
Julien Auger aka Pépé Bradock is a widely respected producer best known for his ground breaking remixes and releases on labwes such a Avatisme, Classic and Versatile Recordings. As a DJ, he has spun in almost every major club in the world and is known for his versatile, and mesmerising style. Bradock conjures a trippy remix and dub version of Man O To and fitting ode to the original.

'Don't Turn Your Back On Me feat. Pauline Taylor' originally featured on US house innovator and Basement Boys co-founder Teddy Douglas's ‘I’m Here’ album in late 2024. It's a true soulful house anthem with funky bass and a glorious vocal that was primed for a A-list remix package. Douglas himself opens up this package with joyous organ chords and soft melodies lighting up the smooth, seductive drums. Swiss DJ and producer Shaka goes next as an artist who has spent decades blending acid, Chicago, and Detroit influences into his own tunes on top labels like Nervous, GooD MooD, and Mister Bear Records. His 12-inch Club version strips things back to go deep and dubby before rebuilding with sunny melodies, expressive organs, and proggy guitar licks that bring joyous energy and real dance floor unity.

Next is NYC DJ Tedd Patterson, a true originator, resident at Ladyfags’ Battle Hymn party and a regular at Horse Meat Disco, Berghain’s Panorama Bar, and Glitterbox, as well as releasing on Strictly Rhythm, Nervous, Defected, and more. His sophisticated remix boasts a warm and bouncy sound, complemented by soulful vocals that lend richness. Then it's seminal NYC favourite Danny Krivit, who is part of the cult Body and Soul crew, is a renowned remixer and editor with hundreds of credits to his name on the most important labels in the scene, and is resident DJ at New York’s legendary 718 Sessions. He draws on his vast experience to edit the original into a playful disco stomper, complete with neat guitar riffs and zippy synths, all bursting with joy as the funky beats roll on and the lush vocals soar to new heights.

It began with a cassette tape entitled 'Pleased To Meet You' gifted to us at Sessa's Fasching, Stockholm show by Yann Dardenne, the multi-tasking tour manager/sound engineer/producer/merch stall worker and co-owner of Seloki Records. On first listen, the selection of underground Brazilian artists from the Seloki's roster was superb, however, one song stopped us in our tracks. The hauntingly captivating ' GOSTO MEIO DOCE' by Nina Maia and Francisca Barreto, gave us a taste of Nina's ethereal, addictive voice and we knew we needed to hear more. Born in Minas Gerais but now based in Sao Paulo, the 22-year-old has already packed a lot into a relatively short space of time. The singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer, has already collaborated on the soundtracks for six Brazilian feature films, including a track with the vocalists Maria Gadu, Iza, and Liniker. But things enter a new exciting era with this, her remarkable debut album entitled 'INTEIRA', which translates to English as 'whole'.

As much inspired by Billie Eilish and Rosalia, as Milton Nascimento and Toninho Horta and not sounding like other records coming out of Brazil, 'INTEIRA' is unique. Though rich in its Brazilian heritage, inspired by samba cancao, MPB, and the Clube da Esquina movement, it also channels influence from bands such as Portishead and Massive Attack, mixed with jazz, contemporary leftfield and electronic pop artists. Musically, it is not easily pigeonholed, with beautiful, well-crafted songs, sophisticated arrangements, eloquent vocals and intimate lyrics. Each track reflects different moments and stories from Nina's youth but with dialogues, feelings, and questions that span generations and resonate with all. This ambitious debut album is Nina's vision and sound, expressing herself without constraints and making music with her friends. Featuring a lineup of Thalin (drums), Valentim Frateschi (bass), Francisca Barreto (cello and vocals), Thales Hashiguti (viola and violin), Yann Dardenne (acoustic guitar and co-producer) and Nina on piano, Rhodes, guitar and production. The album led to a nomination in Paulista Association of Art Critics (APCA) award's 'Breakthrough Artist' category, who also listed 'INTEIRA' as one of the 50 best albums of 2024.

It also received support from Bandcamp Weekly and Jamz Supernova on BBC 6 Music. Released digitally by Seloki Records in Brazil in 2024, Mr Bongo in partnership with Seloki Records now present this new, deluxe worldwide edition that includes four additional songs. These comprise the brand-new exquisite 'MANHA', as well as an original twist on Vinicius de Moraes' classic 'Serenata Do Adeus'. Elsewhere you'll find a live recording showcasing Nina's remarkable energy on stage courtesy of 'DE DENTRO' and 'GOSTO MEIO DOCE' with the amazing musician/vocalist Francisca Barreto, where our whole story began. Here at Mr Bongo, we are honoured to release music by such a remarkable new talent - one whose musical trajectory is most certainly about to soar.

Paul Weller meldet sich mit Find El Dorado zurück – einem neuen, sehr persönlichen Album voller Neuinterpretationen, das am 25. Juli erscheint. Inspiriert von einer lebenslangen Leidenschaft fürs Musikhören greift Weller auf Songs zurück, die ihn schon seit Jahren begleiten – nun gedacht, neu gehört, neu gefühlt. „Das sind Lieder, die ich schon lange mit mir herumtrage“, sagt er. „Im Laufe der Zeit haben sie sich verändert. Und jetzt schien mir die Zeit gekommen, sie mit anderen zu teilen.“
Die Veröffentlichung markiert gleichzeitig ein neues Kapitel in Wellers beeindruckender Karriere. Als prägende Figur der britischen Musik – mit rund 11 Millionen verkauften Alben allein in Großbritannien – kehrt Weller zu Parlophone Records zurück, dem Label, das seine von der Kritik gefeierten Alben zwischen 2015 und 2019 betreut hat.


Find El Dorado ist weit mehr als ein klassisches Coveralbum – es ist eine emotionale Landkarte seiner musikalischen DNA. Von der sanften Melancholie in Ray Davies’ „Nobody’s Fool“ bis zum flirrenden Schmerz von „El Dorado“: Diese Songs haben Wellers Innenleben geformt – und finden nun ihren Weg zurück nach außen. Mit intimen Arrangements und starken Kollaborationen – darunter Hannah Peel, Declan O’Rourke, Robert Plant, Seckou Keita, Amelia Coburn und Noel Gallagher – öffnet Weller die Tür zu seiner ganz persönlichen Songwelt.

STRANGER STILL was Julian Cator (guitar), Paul Cator (piano, organ, synthesizer), Tim Warnes (bass), Frank Warnes (vocals, drums) and Ian Johnson (vocals, drums) from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, UK. The two sets of Cator and Warnes siblings had been playing together in bands since 1974, with Ian joining in 1979, and with their musical style evolving from glam influenced rock to punk/new wave (punk came late to Norfolk) and finally post-punk, influenced by Ultravox!, Magazine, Joy Division, Bauhaus and Killing Joke. Their first gig together was in September 1979 with John Peel being in the audience. The Solitude/Survivor single was recorded in July 1981, released in November and sold well locally. John Peel played Solitude, between singles by Winston and Screen 3. When Julian left in autumn 1981 the others continued, later changing their name to Nothing Sacred. Ex-members have since played in a number of other bands, most notably Paul and Tim in Shine!, and Julian and Paul in Ivy.

Solitude opens in a perfect analogue way with a ‚primitive’ rhythm machine pattern and a dark synth sound fading in. We shall be glad for the band’s move towards electronics while knowing „given the negative reaction we got from some of the local bands when we got the synth a Moog Satellite“, quoting Julian. When the real drums, guitar, bass and vocals also come in, you’re in for one of the most perfect post-punk songs, yet playful but ultimately bleak. “And then I can feel nothing more. Alone again, with no sensation.“ Survivor is more uptempo and bass-driven, reminiscent of early Death In June (who came later though). Lyrics like “4 minute warning warning – the sound of today. Our new dream world – Enola Gay.“ set the mood there.

The band composed a dozen of songs, demos to get gigs, which were unfortunately never recorded properly in a studio. So these are demos or rehearsal tracks, never released to the public and presented here for the first time ever as an additional 15 tracks download-only (due to the poor sound quality). You’ll find fantastic tracks like Brave New Berlin or Cardiac Arrest, which is reminiscent of Death In June’s In The Nighttime, and then, there is a demo of Solitude too!

Here’s to a piece of post-punk history!

When you’re running a label, a demo occasionally comes across your desk that makes you reconsider everything you thought your label was all about. For Balmat, such was the case with this stunning album from Stephen Vitiello, Brendan Canty, and Hahn Rowe. It sounds like nothing we’ve released so far—and that very otherness opened up a whole new world of possibilities for us.

Fans of ambient, experimental electronic music, and sound art will be familiar with Vitiello, a New York native, long based in Virginia, who has collaborated with a cross-generational list of greats: Taylor Deupree, Steve Roden, Lawrence English, Tetsu Inoue, Nam June Paik, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Pauline Oliveros, and many more. On labels like 12k, Room40, and Sub Rosa, he has explored a wide range of minimalism, microsound, lowercase, ambient, improv, and other styles. But this album is something different. It may begin in ambient-adjacent territory, but it quickly veers off, and it just keeps zigzagging, taking on elements of krautrock, post-punk, dub, and the groove-heavy interplay of groups like Natural Information Society and 75 Dollar Bill.

This stylistic turn is thanks in large part to Vitiello’s choice of collaborators. “We’re coming from three different schools,” Vitiello says: “sound art, art rock, and punk rock.”

Active since the early 1980s, Rowe—a violinist, guitarist, and producer/engineer—has played with, or manned the boards for, a frankly jaw-dropping list of musicians: Herbie Hancock, Gil Scott-Heron, the Last Poets, Roy Ayers, John Zorn, Glenn Branca, Swans, Live Skull, Brian Eno, David Byrne, Anohni, R.E.M., Yoko Ono, and many more. But he might be most closely associated with Hugo Largo, a one-of-a-kind New York quartet—two basses, vocals, and Rowe’s violin—that in the late 1980s helped lay the groundwork for what would eventually become known as post-rock.

Canty, of course, is the legendary drummer of Fugazi, the visionary DC post-hardcore group, as well as Rites of Spring before them, and, currently, the Messthetics, a Dischord-signed instrumental trio with guitarist Anthony Pirog and Fugazi bassist Joe Lally.

Vitiello’s trio first collaborated on First, a 17-minute piece released on the Longform Editions label in 2023. Second picks up where the freeform drift of First left off, channeling the trio’s exploratory energies into more intentionally structured tracks and—in a real first for Balmat—some almost shockingly muscular grooves. “Sometimes my projects are more conceptually driven,” Vitiello says, “but I think this was more musically geared. I just wanted to open up the references and bring in an incredible drummer, bring in some melodies, and I’m sort of the center.” But his collaborators, he stresses, are “vastly creative in making anything I might suggest better.”

Like its predecessor, Second took shape in phases, shifting between improvisation and collage. Vitiello laid down the skeleton of the music at home, sketching out initial ideas on Rhodes keyboard and acoustic and electric guitar; he then fed the parts through samplers and his modular system, recording 10- or 20-minute jams. Once he had edited them into more structured forms, he hit the studio with Canty, who added not just drums but also bass and piano; finally, Vitiello took the results of those sessions to Rowe, who played violin, viola, electric bass, and 12-string acoustic and bowed electric guitar, and assisted in some of the final structuring and mixdown.

A few more surprises along the way: Reanimator’s Don Godwin, the studio engineer where Vitiello recorded with Canty, contributed what he calls “resonant dustpan”; and none other than Animal Collective’s Geologist, who just happened to be in the studio that day, sits in on hurdy gurdy on “Mrphgtrs1,” the album’s gorgeous, stunningly atmospheric drone closer. “I love these chance encounters,” Vitiello says. “Somebody I admire, a group I admire—that was an unexpected gift.”

An unexpected gift is a great way of describing Second as a whole: three veteran musicians venturing outside their usual zones and finding a new collaborative language together. The results can’t be neatly slotted into any given genre; they belong not to any given category, but to the spirit of conversation itself.

Nu bossa icon Sabrina Malheiros has released four now classic original studio albums for Far Out Recordings. Her first, Equilibria, was originally released in 2005, ascending the daughter of Azymuth bassist Alex Malheiros to international acclaim. Celebrating 20 years since it was first released—for Record Store Day 2025—Equilibria will be available on vinyl for the first time ever.

A masterful collection of sambas and bossas, Equilibria strikes the perfect balance between classic Brazilian songwriting and modern production courtesy of Far Out mainstay Daniel Maunick. The album features some of Brazil’s very best musicians including members of Azymuth, as well as Incognito frontman and guitarist Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick.

As one review put it, Equilibria is “guaranteed to turn your limbs to liquid…. Prepare to be swept away”