Поиск:pow pow

Needwant Records arrive with the latest in their ever-evolving roster showcasing the sounds of underground city life, proudly presenting label newcomer NATE08's kaleidoscopic debut LP, 'Furaha'.

London-based label Needwant Records have been tirelessly advancing dance music's esoteric fringes for well over a decade, with their immaculately curated catalogue routinely moving dancers and garnering respect and plays from the industry's most revered tastemakers. Here, the newest recruit to the label's glittering line-up, Mumbai-based musician, producer, and DJ, NATE08 brings forth his breathtaking inaugural album.

Equally adept as a producer, session bass player, and genre-spanning selector, Nathan Thomas has become an irrepressible force in India’s blossoming underground music scene. The Mumbai-based musician’s solo project, NATE08, treads the groove-oriented territories of funk, r&b, and house – with his elegantly spun productions firmly rooted in dance music's glorious heritage while imbued with a future-facing production gloss.

Title track 'Furaha' blissfully sets the tone for what's to follow, with dextrous Latin guitar gliding over intricate percussive waves as heavenly chords fill the sun-kissed panorama. Upping the energy just a touch, Azamaan Hoyvoy's honeyed vocal enlivens the summer haze of 'Trigger Fool', arriving over evocative chords and laser tight four/four rhythms to create a stunning slice of low-slung future house deepness.

The funk-flecked bump of 'Bunker' sees Nathan's bass mastery arrive in full force, with spirited slaps propelling misty chords and sublime guitar licks across a loose-limbed beat. Continuing the horizontal sensations, the captivating chord progressions of 'Hold Up' soar over thick, rolling bass notes and shimmering synth swells.

Lead single 'Sunrise Sundown' is a stunning example of NATE08's organically spun deep house prowess, with Jitwam's soul-drenched vocals cascading over succulent chords and dancing synth melodies as smokey beats and pulsating bass cement the heads-down groove. Next, hypnotic fusion guitar refrains soar over lively percussion and gentle pads for a life-affirming Balearic voyage, maintaining the carefree spirit while enlivening the senses as the arrangement heads for the horizon.

The 'Let's Go To Ibar' interlude makes way for the mesmerising deep house flex of 'Want You', where Megan Murray's yearning vocal provides the seductive hook as acidic bass notes bounce over glistening chords and propulsive beats. A prime example of NATE08's futurist intentions arrives in the form of r&b-meets-house hybrid 'Feel It', with Lojal's striking performance flitting between searing soul and street-ready swagger powers over an intoxicating, organ-infused bed.

The forward-thinking two-step rhythm of 'Cold Muse' sees broken drums drive emotion-heavy chords and bewitching guitar licks over sensual bass, before closing track 'Primrose' sees the album home with a fitting flourish. Here, Naisha's heartfelt vocals sail across an ocean of glassy chords and staccato synths, with kinetically charged congas enlivening the groove as the magnetic bass adds body to the celestial instrumentation.

The Belgian minimal synth band's three releases – a cassette and two vinyl EPs – were all titled »Against The Dark Trees Beyond«. This compilation collects the songs from these records.

"They were interesting times, the early eighties. Against a backdrop of cold war and economic crises, the DIY attitude of the earlier punk movement had spawned near countless new genres where artists and bands broke the three-chord guitar mould and experimented with new content matter, singular song structures and – in many cases – new instruments. Synthesizers became affordable and were no longer the sole privilege of rock millionaires. All around the globe, musical creativity boomed as never before, and Belgium was no exception: Digital Dance, Snowy Red, The Names, Pseudocode, Marine, 1000 Ohm, De Kommeniste, M.Bryo & D.M.T., De Brassers, Struggler, Siglo XX are but a few legendary names of bands and artists who started making a name for themselves.

In Leuven, things were happening as well. Until then, the music scene in this rather provincial town had been dominated by straightforward rock and blues acts. Not for much longer, though: in places like Arno'z and (later) The Gladhouse, where young budding artists met with kindred spirits, bands were often formed on the spot and, more importantly, started to make ripples.

Ludo Camberlin and Karel 'Bam' Saelemaekers already had a certain track record in Leuven's burgeoning music microcosm. But what they shared would become the cornerstone of A Blaze Colour (Against The Dark Trees Beyond): a fascination for new forms and instruments, a penchant for sonic adventure and a profound love for gripping songs. The full band name, by the way, was inspired by a phrase from the Irish-American novelist J.P. Donleavy, a writer who belongs in the definitely-worth-checking-out section.

After appearing on the first No Big Business LP (1981) with the instrumental 'Fisk', A Blaze Colour's first proper release, as was so often the case in those days, was a self-produced cassette. The music – which would later be dubbed 'minimal' – was characterized by the use of basic rhythm machines (Boss Dr. 55, mainly) and analog synthesizers (for the synth geeks: Korg Delta and MS20, Roland SH-2 and Jupiter IV, and the infamous Casio VL-1). Camberlin’s vocals, meanwhile, displayed an aloofness totally in sync with the zeitgeist. Equally important, though: all five tracks on this cassette were bona fide songs with a clear sense of structure, aided by a sonic mastery that demonstrated a high level of experience: 'Means To An End' started out as a proto-industrial track before bursting out into a moroderesque finale. The remix of 'Fisk' was as sprightly as the next river salmon, while 'Or Lie Again' proved the perfect soundtrack to a nightly walk through wet deserted streets. On the other hand, 'Through With Life', rife with disturbing sound effects countered by a slow portamento, could have been a prize track on a post punk 'Lamb Lies Down On Broadway'. And in true dramatic fashion, 'Follow The Signs' was the perfect ending of this five-song cycle: a driving sequencer and gripping chord progression coupled with a simple but powerful vocal line. Considering the limited technical means the duo was working with, this was no less than a triumph.

A few months later, the band released a seven-inch single on its own ABLACO label. 'Dark Trees Beyond', a quirky pop song, was coupled with 'Addict Of Time', a dark and brooding spoken word piece. Not the kind of single to storm hit parades, but it didn't go unnoticed. The Minny Pops' Wally van Middendorp, who had founded the Plurex label in 1978, invited A Blaze Colour to his studio in the Netherlands, to record an EP. It would prove to be a massive step forward: recording in a semi-professional studio offered great possibilities, the recently acquired TR-808 drum machine allowed for a broader rhythm palette, and the three new tracks (next to the re-recording of 'Through With Life') showed a band on the top of their game: 'The New Ones' was a wry and haunting song built around a live drum loop and an ominous bass pattern, while 'Nowhere Else' was a near-pop track with very un-minimal vocal harmonies. And it's a mystery why 'Altitude' – another instrumental – was never used in a stylized, high-profile detective soundtrack.

Another song from these sessions, the revved-up 'Cold As Ever' turned up on the high-profile Plurex "Hours" compilation, where it shone brightly, next to songs of a.o. X-Mal Deutschland, Nasmak, Minny Pops and Section XXV.

Meanwhile, Camberlin had already carved out a bit of a reputation for himself as a producer, while Saelemaekers was a respected graphic designer. It remains uncertain if this played a big part in the end of A Blaze Colour, but the fact remains: as studio recordings go, 'The Ultimate Fight' on the "No Big Business 2" compilation, was to be their swan song. What a way to go, though: maybe their best song ever, this was a synthetic bastard funk groove, complete with shout-out chorus and punch-drunk middle-eight. It shut a door, for sure, but it did so with a resounding bang.

So there it is and there it was. Short, sweet, visionary, pioneering and highly influential. And as anybody listening to this first ever compilation will be able to assess probably one of the most colourful electronic acts of its time.

On a more a personal note, A Blaze Colour proved to be instrumental in my own coming of age as a lyric writer, when Ludo and Bam graciously adopted some of my earlier writings, warts and all. To hear them translated into songs was no less than magic, and it certainly gave me the confidence to start our own band a bit later. And the magic continued when Ludo became our producer and Bam designed our record sleeves. But that’s another story, obviously. Because this is the place and the time to dive back into the wondrous world of A Blaze Colour!"

Bart Azijn (Aimless Device)

Less than a hundred miles inland from the capital city of Lima lies the great Peruvian jungle, an untamed land of impenetrable forests and endless winding rivers. In its isolated cities, cut off from the fashions of the capital, a unique style of music began to develop, inspired equally by the sounds of the surrounding forests, the roll of the mighty Amazon and Ucayali Rivers, and the rhythms of cumbia picked up from distant stations on transistor radios. With the arrival of electricity, a new generation of young musicians started plugging in their guitars and trading in their accordions for synthesizers: Amazonian cumbia was born.

Powered by fast-paced timbale rhythms, driven by spidery, treble-damaged guitar lines, and drenched in bright splashes of organ, Amazonian cumbia was like a hyperactive distant cousin of surf music crossed with an all-night dance party in the heart of the forest. While many of the genre’s greatest tracks were instrumental, and others were simple celebrations of life in the jungle, the goal of every song was to keep the party going.

Radio stations in Lima remained unaware of the new electric sounds emanating from the jungle, but a handful of pioneering
record producers ventured over the mountain passes to the cities of Tarapoto, Moyobamba, Pucallpa – even Iquitos, a city
reachable only by boat or plane – and lured dozens of bands to the recording studios of the capital to lay down their best
tracks. Although many became local hits, few were ever heard outside the Amazonian region … until now.
With eighteen tracks from some of the greatest names in Amazonian cumbia, Perú Selvatico is both the improbable soundtrack
to a beach party on a banks of the Amazon and a psychedelic safari into the sylvan mysteries of the Peruvian jungle.

Svart Records proudly presents: Finnish prog-psych quintet Sammal sheds skin and changes into a power trio, new album announced Sammal have since their 2013 debut cemented their reputation as one of the leaders of the Fenno-Ugrian neoprogressive and psychedelic scene and also raised some waves internationally, performing at the well-respected Roadburn Festival in 2015 and garnering a series of raving reviews around the world of psychedelia and progressive rock fandom, such as “Truly amazing and otherworldy music” or “Earnest, vibrant music specked with impressive nuance”. A few years have passed since the successful Suuliekki album, and since then two of their five members have left the fold. Guitarist and songwriter Jura Salmi decided, however, that Sammal must continue in some form or another. “During the spring of 2020 I would spend time alone recording new demos with the guitar. The remaining three Sammal members had already decided that if the band was to continue, we would not seek another keyboard player.I had bought a guitar pedal that can simulate keyboard sounds and it opened a new world to me. I realized we can perform fine as a power trio without a bass or a keyboard player”, comments Jura Salmi. “Sammal has always been a melting pot of all music we like. If in the past we used to be heavily into bands lke Camel, Dungen and Opeth, when working on this album we’d liste to everything from Bo Hansson and Iron Butterfly to Type O Negative and Whitesnake”, laughs Salmi and continues, “We’d also pick the language of a song’s lyrics based on what we felt would fit the mood of the song. This album has songs in Finnish, Swedish and English.” Sammal’s unexpected prog-psych-boogie epic Aika laulaa will be released on November 18th on all platforms as well as on CD and LP.

Svart Records proudly presents: Finnish prog-psych quintet Sammal sheds skin and changes into a power trio, new album announced Sammal have since their 2013 debut cemented their reputation as one of the leaders of the Fenno-Ugrian neoprogressive and psychedelic scene and also raised some waves internationally, performing at the well-respected Roadburn Festival in 2015 and garnering a series of raving reviews around the world of psychedelia and progressive rock fandom, such as “Truly amazing and otherworldy music” or “Earnest, vibrant music specked with impressive nuance”. A few years have passed since the successful Suuliekki album, and since then two of their five members have left the fold. Guitarist and songwriter Jura Salmi decided, however, that Sammal must continue in some form or another. “During the spring of 2020 I would spend time alone recording new demos with the guitar. The remaining three Sammal members had already decided that if the band was to continue, we would not seek another keyboard player.I had bought a guitar pedal that can simulate keyboard sounds and it opened a new world to me. I realized we can perform fine as a power trio without a bass or a keyboard player”, comments Jura Salmi. “Sammal has always been a melting pot of all music we like. If in the past we used to be heavily into bands lke Camel, Dungen and Opeth, when working on this album we’d liste to everything from Bo Hansson and Iron Butterfly to Type O Negative and Whitesnake”, laughs Salmi and continues, “We’d also pick the language of a song’s lyrics based on what we felt would fit the mood of the song. This album has songs in Finnish, Swedish and English.” Sammal’s unexpected prog-psych-boogie epic Aika laulaa will be released on November 18th on all platforms as well as on CD and LP.

Bongos, bouzouki and Farfisa organ galore ! The explosive cocktail of rock'n'roll and traditional Tsifteteli hailing from 1960's Greece is still alive thanks to Deli Teli : the Marseille-based quartet performs a string of forgotten hits that once set Athens on fire, with a contagious energy and a subtle dose of Mediterranean drama.

Half a century ago, while French seasiders would dance to « Yéyé » sounds and dig the Beatles or Pink Floyd, a whole other scene was happening further along the coastline. Notably, Greek artists were a huge influence beyond the Mediterranean cradle ; Aris San's version of « Boum Pam » (a.k.a. « Bros Gremos Kai Piso Rema »), brilliantly interpreted by Deli Teli on this record, was a n°1 hit from Southern Europe to the tip of India ! Far from being an exclusive Greek sound, Tsifteteli music has travelled through borders for centuries and means « double string » in Turkish. In the 1960's, it mixed with rock'n'roll, surf and Latin-american influences, and gave birth to the typical « Laïko » sound.

With their powerful electric bouzouki (Greek lute) and the distinctive sound of the Farfisa organ, Deli Teli have carved their style while digging through the incredible goldmine of the late 60's and early 70's Tsifteteli/Laïko singles. The 4 musicians met in 2019 with a burning desire to dive into electric sensations – bassist Christos Karypidis used to play oud and keyboardist Arthur Bacon played accordion in most of his former projects – and made the most of 2020's « lockdowns » by building their repertoire and thinking up Deli Teli.

On this mini-album, they also interpret Koko's « Chily Chily », a groovy belly-dance mover ; « Ekso Dertia Kai Kaïmi », an intoxicating and frenetic floor shaker ; « Tsiftetelli 1969 », a cool organ-lead surfing instrumental ; and 2 slightly freer and more psychedelic numbers, « Taksim Deli » (improvisation) and « Bournelis », a creative re-arrangement of 2 tracks by Leonardos Bournelis.

Deli Teli preach a collective, sensual and solar hip-wiggling across the continents and beyond ; they are ready to shake our minds and bodies until we all gel together... Join the « Tsifteteli Club » now !

I Prevail haben sich als die Vorreiter ihres Genres etabliert. Das neue Album, das erneut von Tyler Smyth produziert wurde, bietet die Art von stadiontauglichen Riffs, die einem die Zähne aus dem Zahnfleisch
klappern lassen, und unvergessliche, äußerst eingängige Melodien, die sich wochenlang im Kopf festsetzen.

Außerdem mischt die Band abwechselnd geschriene Vocals, die klingen, als wären sie aus den Tiefen der Hölle gekrochen, mit hochfliegenden, gefühlvollen Vocals und zu Herzen gehenden, intimen Texten, die so tief gehen, dass sie das Mark treffen. Das Endergebnis ist ein Album, das den Hörer auf sehr persönliche Weise berührt.

I Prevail haben sich als die Vorreiter ihres Genres etabliert. Das neue Album, das erneut von Tyler Smyth produziert wurde, bietet die Art von stadiontauglichen Riffs, die einem die Zähne aus dem Zahnfleisch
klappern lassen, und unvergessliche, äußerst eingängige Melodien, die sich wochenlang im Kopf festsetzen.

Außerdem mischt die Band abwechselnd geschriene Vocals, die klingen, als wären sie aus den Tiefen der Hölle gekrochen, mit hochfliegenden, gefühlvollen Vocals und zu Herzen gehenden, intimen Texten, die so tief gehen, dass sie das Mark treffen. Das Endergebnis ist ein Album, das den Hörer auf sehr persönliche Weise berührt.

Die seit langen Jahren als Partner zusammenarbeitenden, mit dem GRAMMY® Award ausgezeichnete, Bassist David Ellefson und der gefeierte Metal-Sänger Jeff Scott Soto haben sich für ein neues Projekt zusammen getan: Ellefson/ Soto- Vacation In The Underworld. Ganz in der Tradition großartiger Duos wie: David Coverdale & Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi & Glenn Hughes, Tommy Shaw & Jack Blades, Michael Sweet & George Lynch, um nur einige Beispiele zu nennen. Das Album enthält elf Tracks und drei Bonusaufnahmen, die zeigen, warum Ellefson-Soto von vielen in der Metal-Welt als Legenden angesehen wird. Von der feurigen Gitarrenführung des Album-Openers "Vacation In The Underworld" bis zur Prog-Metal-Wut des Closers "Rise To Win" haben Ellefson/Soto ein Debüt geschaffen, das Metal-Fans aus der ganzen Welt fesseln wird. Songs wie "Sharpen The Sword", "The Revolution" und "Live To Die Another Day" kombinieren verschiedene Stile und zeigen die verschiedenen Einflüsse, die Ellefson/Soto in ihren vier Jahrzehnten in der Musik gesammelt haben. Jade Etro von der italienischen Power-Metal-Band Frozen Crown hat einen Gastauftritt bei "The Day Before Tomorrow". Steve Conley und Ken Mary von Flotsam & Jetsam performen auf dem Titeltrack "Vacation In The Underworld". Vacation In The Underworld entzündet eine mitreissende aus Thrash-Feuerkraft, Rock-Swagger und hymnischem Arena Donner.

Expert Timing describe themselves as Bubblegrunge Power Pop and who are we to disagree? Expert Timing from Orlando, Florida is comprised of husband/wife duo vocalist/guitarist Jeff and vocalist/bassist Katrina Snyder, as well as drummer Gibran Colbert. Their brand of music is infectious and fun and feels like a summery day, even when heading into serious lyrical territory. But beware, it also packs a punch and absolutely refuses to leave your head. You can’t manufactory growth, it just takes time. On Expert Timing’s new LP “Stargazing”, the band has put in that work and it shows. The songs are well thought-out and know exactly when to deliver an emotional punch and when to pull the blow back. Everything you want from a sophomore release.

Released on the heels of her breakthrough album Tapestry, Carole King's Music is every bit the equal of its more famous predecessor: a No. 1 smash that features impeccable songwriting, beautiful melodies, and extraordinary piano playing. In short, everything that's made King an institution. After of years of being overshadowed, this 1971 singer-songwriter classic has been given the audiophile treatment it's long deserved.

Sourced from the original master tapes and pressed on dead-quiet vinyl at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g LP of King's second solo masterpiece is rife with intimacy, transparency, soulfulness, and you-are-there sound. Never before remastered, Music seems like a brand-new album as King's familiar voice, intelligent arrangements, and ace support band presented on a deep, three-dimensional soundstage. Your appreciation for and understanding of the depth of King's inspirational lyrics and performances will doubtlessly increase — this reissue brings you that much closer.

Accompanied by percussionist Bobbye Hall, drummer Russ Kinkel, guitarist/vocalist James Taylor, and a multitude of other professional wind musicians, King delves further into R&B and jazz-derived pop. Warm and cohesive, songs echo with simplicity and honesty. And as is typical of much of King's work, several of tunes here were later covered by other artists, including "It's Going To Take Some Time" (the Carpenters). Yet the originals trump the later renditions, and King's rendition of the standard "Some Kind of Wonderful" stands among the best ever recorded.

With Taylor lending more of a hand on Music than he does on Tapestry, King expands her reach on the piano and peppers the songs with graceful touches of saxophone, flute, pedal-steel guitar, and woodwinds. Ballads sway ("Surely"), gospel raises spirits ("Brighter"), and backup vocals float amid pop arrangements like clouds ("Song of Long Ago"). The most irresistible aspect? King's voice, infused with fondness, concern, joy, and a quiet power that parallels the delicacy and deliberate nature that define Music.

Mobile Fidelity's 180g LP is free of the limiting artifacts that have helped keep this record in the dark for the better part of the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Acoustic guitars, subtle brass elements, and soft percussion contribute to the enjoyment of the songs, and King's voice —pleasant, assuring, emotional — comes through with incredible clarity and inflection. The brilliance of Lou Adler's original production is restored to its full glory.

Aptly named, this companion to Tapestry is an aural and sonic delight.

James Taylor's best-selling record since 1970's hallmark Sweet Baby James, the triple-platinum JT takes its permanent place as one of the singer's most enduring albums — an affair that gorges on country, blues, and rock styles as well as incisive songwriting. As the pre-eminent singer-songwriter's Columbia debut, it catapulted Taylor back into the limelight and re-established his place as the era's leading-edge folk-rock troubadour.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes and pressed at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g LP possesses a warmth, immediacy, and intimacy absent from other pressings. The singer's comforting voice, breath control, and enchanting guitar lines sound as if they pour right out of the studio control room. Similarly, the splendid array of backing instrumentation is balanced, vivid, and dynamic. Taylor should always sound this realistic, warm, and lively.

More than any other of his records, JT features all sides of Taylor's lyrical persona. Optimistic, content material fills half of the 1977 set while Taylor reveals a darker, moodier identity on a number of songs that keep the 12-track set alternating between shade and light, shadow and sun. He turns romantic and blissful on the touching ballad "There We Are," praises the power of love on "Your Smiling Face," and enchants with the graceful "Secret O'Life."

In addition to channeling domestic bliss, Taylor expresses surprise and cynicism on "Honey Don't Leave L.A.," delves into despair on "Another Grey Morning," and invites sardonic tones on "Bartender's Blues." The result is a complete picture of an extraordinary songwriter and an accurate sketch of the mixed emotions many of us feel when it comes to romance. Taylor's ability to capture deep-seated feelings and set them to lyrical and musical poetry explains why we relate to him on such a meta-level. It's also why his music, including JT, remains timeless.

Taylor doesn't do it all alone. JT benefits from an all-star support cast. Carly Simon and Linda Ronstadt supply background vocals, saxophone great David Sanborn plays the horn, Russ Kunkel mans the percussion, and arranger David Campbell oversees the strings and woodwinds. It's no wonder why many fans consider this gorgeous collection of Laurel Canyon pop-rock Taylor's finest.

Whether you've never heard this record or know it inside and out, this reissue will open your ears to previously hidden details ranging from pedal-steel guitar accents to honky-tonk tonalities. Taylor's funky rhythms, too, gain in stature, as does his command of pace and tempo.

Die mysteriöse Atmospheric Death-Doom-Band JADE entfesselt mit 'The Pacification Of Death' unergründliche Tiefen in klangvoller Verderbtheit sowie atmosphärischer Dunkelheit. Mit unheimlicher Finsternis und überwältigendem Riffing haben Jade ein erstklassiges Genre-Debüt aufgenommen.
Aufgenommen, gemischt und gemastert von Javi Félez in den Moontower Studios, Barcelona (Graveyard, Teitanblood, Foscor, etc.) sowie erstaunliches handgemaltes Artwork des Zeichners Adam Burke (Loss, Occultation, Vektor, Evoken, etc.).

Powermetal:
"...Das Cover weist schonmal in eine gute Richtung, da es auch recht viel Ambiente mit sich bringt. Als ich dann in "Pacification Of Death" eintauchen konnte, wurde trotzdem die Frage nach dem Genre nicht endgültig geklärt. Einerseits fühlt man sich in einigen Momenten an Death Metal erinnert (jedoch nicht der alten Schule aus den USA), viel öfter klingt das jedoch noch Black Metal, aber lässt sich auch hier nicht komplett einordnen. Doch wozu das ganze Geschwafel um das Genre, wenn wir es hier mit einem wirklich hochklassigen Album zu tun haben. Das Trio hat ein Brett eingespielt, das sich nicht so ganz einordnen lässt und das ist auch gut so, denn dadurch wird es spannend. Sechs Kompositionen finden sich auf dem Album und diese sind auch in sich recht abwechslungsreich..."

Milly make songs that simmer and spark. The Los Angeles-based band, led by songwriter Brendan Dyer, finds power in the slow burn: their music carries the tension of a lake’s surface moments before a storm hits, or a cracking pane of glass moments before it shatters. Their debut album, Eternal Ring, is kinetic, physical, and often a little bit volatile — a mixture of emo music and 90s-indebted indie that tastes as if it’s been fermenting for years, feeding on itself until it becomes something new entirely. A profound first full-length statement from Dyer and his closest collaborator, bass player Yarden Erez, it’s a record that takes the anxiety of modern-day America and filters it through a prismatic, powerfully individualistic lens, resulting in something intense, bracing, and deeply modern

Definitive collection of this seminal NYC punk/powerpop groups singles tracks as well as unreleased studio material. Restored and mastered from the original tapes. Includes extensive liner notes and never before seen photos of the group by David Godlis.

H-Blockx is a German rock band that received a nomination for Best Breakthrough Artist at the 1995 MTV Europe Music Awards after the release of their successful debut album Time to Move. Get In The Ring is the fourth album of H-Blockx and contains cover versions of “The Power” featuring rapper Turbo B. Turbo B. also performs the original version with the Eurodance group Snap!. A cover version of Johnny Cash’ classic “Ring Of Fire” featuring Dr. Ring-Ding is the final track of the album.

Get In The Ring is available on vinyl for the first time as a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on red coloured vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

KU is proud to celebrate a powerful moment in hip-hop history, in which the underground found space amongst the mainstream.
20 plus years ago, Dilated Peoples dropped their first studio album, ‘The Platform’. The Los Angeles-based group was composed of legendary Beat Junkies member, DJ Babu, staple underground and prolific emcee, Evidence, and fellow Los Angeles-based rapper, Rakaa.

The crew formed in the early 90s, exploring their craft and dynamic for many years before making their imprint known and gaining the attention of Capitol Records, who’d eventually put out ‘The Platform’ in the year 2000.

Mainstream Hip Hop and specifically the greater Los Angeles area radio during those years was inundated with West Coast Gangster Rap. Dilated Peoples offered a different look for the genre, steering away from celebrating gun violence and misogyny. Stepping into the light with notes of positivity, boosting one another up, thought-out observations about social issues, and catharsis.

KU is celebrating the influential group with a replica 45” repressing, of the title track from ‘The Platform’. The track hit #22 on the US rap charts in 2000, and #89 in the UK. “The Platform” was produced by the aforementioned, The Alchemist.

New Studio Album after long 8 years! Produced by Jack Endino in Chile and Mastered by Tony Cousins (The Verve, The Stone Roses) at Metropolis Studios U.K, Lacquer cut by Richard Simpson (Beck, Flamin’ Groovies, Lou Reed). After 8 long years The Ganjas returns with a new studio album, a joint production between Jack Endino and the band. Like the 2012 album ‘Resistance’, this LP combines sounds and styles that have marked the band since its inception; long space rock songs, neo grunge guitars, Manchester-reggae rhythms, and ballads with R&B vocal harmonies. For fans of: Sundial, Keith Richards, The Stone Roses, Swervedriver
A job that very well summarizes the more than 20 years of uninterrupted career. After the compilation album ́Ghost River ́ (2015) and having finished the European tour in September of the same year, the drummer changed, the long-lived founder Aldo Benincasa left and Nes entered, who had already replaced him on a couple of occasions. In March 2017 they embark on a trip to El Médano a mountain refuge that is on the border between Chile and Argentina, and in there for several days they shaped the songs that gave life to this album. Then, in 2018, Jack Endino, an old acquaintance of the group, travels from Seattle to Santiago to record 10 songs with different nuances and colors, lyrics in English and Spanish, radio cuts and long durations, rock, groovy and power ballads, at Estudios Lautaro. The album has songs like ‘America’ and ‘Ex-Pilot’ an opening and closing of almost 10 minutes in a cadenced and hypnotic groovy march, spatial and psychedelic in the purest style of The Verve's A Northern Soul album. While ‘Space Trees’ and ‘10.000 Años’ are short, powerful, fast and acid songs with the grunge and alternative rock stamp that sounded in the 90's, nothing to envy to Sundial and Swervedriver. There is room for Manchester-reggae moments in ‘New Berlin’, an instrumental dance song that was born in that city thanks to the collaboration with Andrés Bucci and ‘Listen To The Lion’, a trippy and deep Dub-Reggae cut. R&B ballads have always been part of the group's work and on this album they stand out with ‘Generation’, the title that gives the album its name, with a sound reminiscent of Keith Richards solo songs and the emotional nirvana-esque ‘Far Along The Way’. The mix was carried out in 2019 between Seattle and Santiago de Chile, during upheaval and social protests as a result of the October outbreak and was mastered in 2020 at the Metropolis studios in the U.K. by Tony Cousins, an engineer who had already worked with The Verve and The Stone Roses, influences recognized by The Ganjas. Due to the pandemic the release was postponed to the end of 2022. For the likes of: Sundial, Keith Richards, The Stone Roses, Swervedriver. Genre: Alternative / Indie

Acclaimed Brooklyn artist Bird Streets has returned with Lagoon, an album about separation, rumination, regret, and recurrence. For his second album under the Bird Streets name, John Brodeur has widely expanded on the project’s collaborative foundation, enlisting production b Patrick Sansone (Wilco), Michael Lockwood (Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple), and Zach Jones (Sting) and Oscar Albis Rodriguez (A Great Big World), plus guest appearances from the likes of Aimee Mann, Ed Harcourt, John Davis (Superdrag), Jody Stephens (Big Star), and an array of top-shelf session players. With mixing split between Sansone and Grammy winner Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer), and mastering by Grammy nominee Pete Lyman (Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton), Lagoon is an enormous step forward from an artist who has been hailed or his evocative storytelling and keen attention to craft. Producer and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Sansone helmed sessions in Nashville (“Burnout”, “Leave No Trace”, the bossa-flavored “The Document”) and later in Memphis, where he and Brodeur were joined by John Davis on guitar and Jody Stephens on drums, forming a power-pop fantasy band of sorts. (“Machine”, “Go Free”, and wistful “SF 1993” come from the Memphis dates.) Back in Brooklyn, Brodeur cut several tracks with the production team of Zach Jones and Oscar Albis Rodriguez, including “Ambulance,” the catchy AM Gold of “Let You Down,” and the Last Waltz-styled soul-rock of “Disappearing Act.” When the pandemic threw a wrench in the works, Brodeur turned to Los Angeles-based producer Michael Lockwood to remotely helm Lagoon’s final stretch. Track listing: Sleeper Agent; Machine; Burnout; The Document; Let You Down; Leave No Trace; SF 1993; Ambulance; Disappearing Act; On Fire; Unkind; Go Free

"You and Me" by Penny & the Quarters simply refused to stay lost. For 40 years, the song sat silent in a box of reels before heartthrob Ryan Gosling selected it to star in 2010's indie weeper Blue Valentine. The power of the track set off an international treasure hunt in pursuit of the mysterious artists behind it. Since then, "You and Me" has soundtracked thousands of weddings, spawned hundreds of YouTube covers, and tugged heartstrings for scores of advertisements and films. Fifteen years after "Eccentric Soul: The Prix Label" became Numero's worst selling compilation, we've reanalyzed the tapes and selected 11 equally-as-fascinating rehearsals caught by engineer Clem Price in Columbus, Ohio, in 1970.

Superbly multifaceted nocturnal sound journey by prolific Swedish producer Peter Benisch, known under the name “Harmon Eyes”. Beautiful synth melodies, powerful drums: three techno/trance tracks from out of space. All tracks freshly remastered. Powerful, unique and must-have EP!

Belgian artist Melawati steps up to Ellum Audio with an arresting debut album, Artimia. Produced with an array of modified machines and modular synths, it is a testament to finding beauty in chaos.

Martijn Ravesloot aka Melawati makes music out of mistakes. He comes from an indie background but has always admired Aphex Twin while playing in bands such as The Subs and working in theatre. He has a love of experimenting with soundwaves that gives rise to his complex, experimental and improvised sounds. He first met Maceo Plex while jamming and that session turned into the track 'Daliah' which dropped on Ellum Audio and was remixed by Tale of Us.

After that, Melawati wrote this most absorbing and beautiful album during the pandemic in a dark studio attic in the heart of Brussels. He set about recording live experiments on analog synths and then deconstructed and reconstructed them into the tracks presented here. The angelic tones of guest vocalist Lisa Jane feature on two tracks though the pair have never met, and Melawati is now set to take his impressive live show to Tomorrowland. His life has changed since writing the album, he now has two children and lives on a farm, but the power of this music where organic and alien worlds intersect remains utterly compelling.

Opener 'I Just Want To Go Walking' pairs a heavenly vocal with celestial chords and a bustling broken beat that strikes a powerful emotional note right from the off. The excellent 'Riddles' showcases more majestic synth work and molten melodies that suspend you in mid-air while 'Slow Pulse' is an intense layering of drones and heavy drum tumbles that again offsets light and dark, tension and release. 'Red Herring' rests with beautifully pensive synth patterns that twinkle, warp and melt before your very ears and 'You And I' takes off on a rubbery groove overlaid with heart-aching keys and shimmering, wordless vocals. 'Somebody' is brain-soothing synth bliss with lush patterns and icy drums that gently unfold to get you in a trance and the gorgeous 'Radiate' then offers a widescreen and cosmic ambient interlude. The heartbroken synths of 'Let Your Love Wash Over Me' speak of the end of a cosmic love affair and 'Violent Thoughts' rebuilds on smooth arps and smeared pads over downtempo drums. The final trio of tracks offers rousing breakbeats on 'New White Noise', uplifting synth catharsis on 'Pain And Pressure' and a melancholic lullaby on 'Stellar'.

Artimia is a beautiful mix of harmony and dissonance, of real emotional power and improvised musical elegance.

"Meat. The story needs meat. (And blood ... coagulated blood (Gore)). The substance we are seeking here lies beyond the bare bones of fact, thewhen and the where (founded in 1988, Mülheim an der Ruhr) or personneland instruments (a trio since 2016, built around keyboards, saxophone, bass & drums). The story is more than the sum of its facts. Mysteries may very well lurk here or there along the way. What keeps the final two foundermembers going after all this time Do Morten Gass and Robin Rodenberg have skeletons locked in their closets How dearly we would we love to know the answer to that one, alas the most beautiful puzzles tend to remain unsolved.Including their debut Gore Motel' (1994), BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE have amassed an impressive eight longplayers. Four album titles allude to the night - their debut was followed by Midnight Radio' (1995), Sunset Mission' (2000), and Black Earth' (2002), whilst the most recent instalment carried the name Piano Nights' (2014). The nocturnal quartet was punctuated by Geisterfaust' (2005), Dolores' (2008) and a mini-album entitled Beileid' (2011), adding rather eerie overtones to the after hours ambience. The BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE legend has grown stronger both at home and abroad with every record they have released and every show they have played. Strange as it may seem, there is a uniform consistency to their reception. Whatever the band does, critiques are unfailingly positive, yet repetitious. References, links and associations recur almost word for word. Consider the arrival of Christoph Clöser in 1997, by way of illustration. When he joined the group, his saxophone replaced the departing Reiner Henseleit's guitar as one of the defining instruments in the band. This was arguably the sharpest break in their sound to this day and a significant marker in terms of the band's reverence for Dutch instrumentalists GORE (the clue is in the name), whose repetitive riffs paved the way for how the guitar would be deployed in a post-everything future. Nevertheless, this fissure in the BOHREN continuum has barely merits a mention in the greater scheme of things. Similarly conspicious by their absence in the BOHREN chronicles are the numerous instruments which they added to the mix - vibraphone, organ, tuba, bass trombone to name just a few. The introduction of choirs at least had a clear visual impact. Since Thorsten Benning left at the end of 2015, the band has continued as a trio, sharing shifts on the drums (although they have equipped themselves with mechanical brushes). A decrease in personnel was conversely accompanied by quantum leaps forward in the group's musical development - or more precisely, minor adjustments triggered major effects. Such changes may not get any easier to spot in the future, such is the intensity of internal imagery sparked by the music, a maelstrom of distractions so powerful that its promises are too sweet and too dangerous in equal measure. The music of BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE opens up remarkable rooms of association, from a warm burrow to a pristine secret lodge, from a
dusky woodland tavern to a smoky quayside dive. Individual and collective floods of images rush forth irresistibly. Loneliness is not at all problematic: empty multi-storey car parks, nighttime drives, remote bridges to nowhere. All in your mind. This is the temptation, a sweet, guilt-free addiction. It's all in your mind - and only there. These sinister crackling songs are invitations to secrete oneself in darkness. With track titles such as 'Maximum Black', 'Zombies Never Die' or 'Dandys Lungern Durch Die Nacht', the mind wanders inexorably into filmic spaces.
Echoing the masters of midnight cinema, stories evolve all by themselves. As the American Film Noir Foundation observed so smartly: 'the vivid co-mingling of lost innocence, doomed romanticism, hard-edged cynicism, desperate desire, and shadowy sexuality.' Their definition of Film Noir serves just as well as an appraisal of the group, 'Bohren For Beginners'.
Which says it all really, doesn't it A final word of warning! Sources close to the band describe the double CD
released in October 2016 as a gateway drug to the Bohren universe. Enter at your own risk, some have never found their way out again."(by Lars Brinkmann)

From an aspiring b-boy to working with luminaries Billy Porter, Joss Stone, Kimberly Davis and Teni Tinks, The Shapeshifters, Simon Marlin announces the release of his brand-new studio album “Let Loose”.

Wrapped in a defining optimistic mood and colourful palette, “Let Loose” plays with the friction between musical persona and influence, delivering a masterclass in Simon’s flourishing depth of integrity as a producer and admiration to those that exert their enduring influence upon him.

“I'm a facilitator of talent. I'm blessed that over the years I've managed to put a team of people together - as a producer, that's what I do, very much in the old school sense like a Quincy Jones or Gamble & Huff, they’re the guys I try to emulate - and make something magic out of nothing, but do it in a contemporary way. That’s what really floats my boat, and that's what this whole project is about.” Simon Marlin – The Shapeshifters

Across the latest and long-awaited studio album “Let Loose” The Shapeshifters pledge rhythmic allegiance to the golden era disco records and their spellbinding qualities; embracing the tension often found between tradition and future to craft a euphoric, certifiable body of work presented to the devoted audience he deserves. The Shapeshifters exemplify a scene in rude health one that is now switching on an ever-younger fan base, and with Marlin being the beating heart of it it’s easy to see why The Shapeshifters are more in demand in the clubs than ever.

The twelve-track album is illuminated with vocal collaborations including the recently released and debut collaboration with the Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winning Billy Porter.

Layers of rushing strings, flares of brass and hedonistic grooves provide refreshing dancefloor power dynamics and deliver a liberating, triumphant and inherently uplifting record.

Taking an impeccably smooth course through disco-infused house, The Shapeshifters continue the rich relationship with Glitterbox and its record label; one that has yielded instant classics that epitomise the label’s ethos for preserving disco’s mission to uplift and empower.

Following their breakout album, WIND ROSE quickly became one of Italy’s rising power metal acts, with many fans anticipating what the band would bring with their next release - and they were not disappointed! Wardens of the West Wind is a massive, bombastic, epic, and outrageous album packed with large riffs, symphonic layers, guitar solos, and bold vocal arrangements! The amazing musicians of WIND ROSE crafted elaborate songs that contain twists and turns to further push their unique sound of progressive power metal to their current fans and any new fans they amass! The band’s debut album made waves in the power metal scene, and Wardens of the West kept their storm of progressive power metal churning, poising the band to become one of the modern key players of the power metal scene!

Das zweite Album der italienischen Zwergenkrieger endlich als Re-Release!
Nach ihrem Debütalbum wurden WIND ROSE schnell zu einem der aufstrebenden Power Metal Acts
Italiens, und viele Fans warteten sehnsüchtig auf die nächste Veröffentlichung der Band – und sie wurden nicht enttäuscht! Wardens of the West Wind ist ein massives, bombastisches und episches Album,
vollgepackt mit großen Riffs, symphonischen Schichten, Gitarrensoli und fetten Gesangsarrangements! Die
fantastischen Musiker von WIND ROSE haben ausgefeilte Songs mit progressiven Wendungen geschrieben,
um ihren einzigartigen Sound weiter zu verbreiten! Das Debütalbum der Band schlug Wellen in der PowerMetal-Szene, und Wardens of the West ließ den Sturm des progressiven Power Metal nicht abebben. Ganz
im Gegenteil – ihr zweites Album machte die Band zu einer der modernen Schlüsselfiguren in der Power
Metal-Szene!

Somewhere between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, the rif largely disappeared from mainstream rock & pop. Its transformative power - the rif as a means to transport the listener into another dimension - became an art cherished only in the underground of rock and metal. One of the strong proponents of that transformative power is ASTROSAUR, an overlooked gem in the international heavy psyche rock and post- metal scene. The Norwegian power trio has been employing the rif as their principal mode of transport since their 2017 debut album Fade In // Space Out. Now, with the release of their third album Portals, ASTROSAUR are sounding more expansive and convincing than ever, delivering an intuitive exploration of the infnite powered by soaring guitars and surging grooves. With their third full-length album, ASTROSAUR have delivered an incredibly diverse and musically challenging and satisfying experience, showing that this band is greater than the sum of its truly great parts. Over the course of fve tracks and 48 minutes, the band use the best traits of the aforementioned genres to take you on a sonic journey into the deepest caverns of space and time. First single «Black Hole Earth» is masterclass soaring post-rock guitars, with its magnifcent main melody, which is ofset against a blistering desert rock rif, like a star ship phasing in and out of hyperspace, alternating between crushing your guts and showing you the most marvellous views of deep space. From a compositional viewpoint, «Eternal Return» is a mind-blowing afair. This giant psychedelic prog epic has been built from diferent themes and motifs that take turns in appearing, shifting form and developing as they go along. Segueing into new themes or returning to earlier ones, «Eternal Return» gloriously comes full circle, ending the mind-boggling journey of Portals. With the addition of vibraphones, Moog and acoustic guitars, the sound of ASTROSAUR is fuller and more diverse than ever before. From the soaring overture of «Opening» to the glorious fnale of «Eternal Return», Portals shows the next great post-metal band at their most accomplished. Fans of dynamic rifs and intricate compositions can once again rejoice as they're able to tune in and fade out once more with another wild ride courtesy of this exciting Norwegian powerhouse. Limited Eternal Return Vinyl Edition!

LTD ETERNAL RETURN ED.

Somewhere between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, the rif largely disappeared from mainstream rock & pop. Its transformative power - the rif as a means to transport the listener into another dimension - became an art cherished only in the underground of rock and metal. One of the strong proponents of that transformative power is ASTROSAUR, an overlooked gem in the international heavy psyche rock and post- metal scene. The Norwegian power trio has been employing the rif as their principal mode of transport since their 2017 debut album Fade In // Space Out. Now, with the release of their third album Portals, ASTROSAUR are sounding more expansive and convincing than ever, delivering an intuitive exploration of the infnite powered by soaring guitars and surging grooves. With their third full-length album, ASTROSAUR have delivered an incredibly diverse and musically challenging and satisfying experience, showing that this band is greater than the sum of its truly great parts. Over the course of fve tracks and 48 minutes, the band use the best traits of the aforementioned genres to take you on a sonic journey into the deepest caverns of space and time. First single «Black Hole Earth» is masterclass soaring post-rock guitars, with its magnifcent main melody, which is ofset against a blistering desert rock rif, like a star ship phasing in and out of hyperspace, alternating between crushing your guts and showing you the most marvellous views of deep space. From a compositional viewpoint, «Eternal Return» is a mind-blowing afair. This giant psychedelic prog epic has been built from diferent themes and motifs that take turns in appearing, shifting form and developing as they go along. Segueing into new themes or returning to earlier ones, «Eternal Return» gloriously comes full circle, ending the mind-boggling journey of Portals. With the addition of vibraphones, Moog and acoustic guitars, the sound of ASTROSAUR is fuller and more diverse than ever before. From the soaring overture of «Opening» to the glorious fnale of «Eternal Return», Portals shows the next great post-metal band at their most accomplished. Fans of dynamic rifs and intricate compositions can once again rejoice as they're able to tune in and fade out once more with another wild ride courtesy of this exciting Norwegian powerhouse. Limited Eternal Return Vinyl Edition!

Das bahnbrechende Debüt von WIND ROSE zieht als brandneues Re-Release in die Schlacht!

Das Debütalbum von WIND ROSE setzt die musikalische Tradition von symphonischen Power Metal Bands
Rhapsody of Fire, Kaledon und Thy Majestie fort und präsentiert progressive Power Metal mit schnellem
Riffing, schweren Gitarren, eindringlicher Atmosphäre und fantastischen Texten. Shadows Over Lothadruin
enthält lange und monumentale Stücke wie das fast zehnminütige ”Majesty” und wechselt in ”The Fourth
Vanguard” und ”Close to the End” von fließender Sanftheit zu schweißtreibender Schwere. Claudio Falconcinis Gitarrensound überzeugt mit packenden Riffs und mitreißenden Soli, während Federico Merandas
Keyboardspiel die perfekte Atmosphäre für das Album schafft. Daniele Viscontis Schlagzeug treibt mit
schnellen, galoppierenden Abschnitten voran unterstützt von Alessio Consanis Bassarbeit. Angeführt wird
das Quintett aber von Francesco Cavalieri, der mit seiner kraftvollen Stimme in die Schlacht führt und den
Kriegern befiehlt, für Ruhm zu kämpfen!

New artist on Mule Musiq.

Tel Aviv born producer “Nadav Siegel aka Autarkic” has been releasing nice indie dance tracks from Disco Halal, Life And Death, Turbo, Optimo Music and name a few.

This is his first release on Mule, it is a sampler 12inch from the upcoming new album (digital only).

12inch kick off killer psychedelic techno house “Cymbals Powder Rush”, floating deep house which remind us Lawrence stuff “A Petition For Grace”, slow mo electric German progressive new age tune “New Age Swag”, detroit manner machine funk “Breeder”.

We are very happy to welcome the brightest hope from Tel Aviv.

With help from Jerry Seinfeld himself, one of the classics from the mixtape era, Wale’s More About Nothing sees its first official release on CD & Vinyl. Originally released in 2008, the album is nothing short of a masterpiece in his celebrated catalog, and features appearances from then-budding artists Wiz Khalifa & Fat Trel, among others. True fans of the musician will undoubtedly know how crucial this project is to the culture; a Jerry Seinfeld collaboration with Wale finally available for all.

The first album in 7 years from seminal electronic music pioneers and twice Mercury Prize Nominated, Leftfield. Currently reaching a new audience through Idris Elba’s Gucci ad, this will be their 4th album in their 28 year history. The new single will be featured in the soon to launched eFootball by Konami (previously PES).

Their last tour (in 2017) featured 7 sold out UK shows (including 2 X Brixton Academies), a sold out world tour and various festival headlines.

Quote from Neil Barnes: "I wanted ‘Pulse’ to be the first statement from the new album. It felt strong. Dance floor. Human. Positive. And I love the bass. It’s Leftfield."

Full pitch notes with bio to come

CULTURE

Leftfield (originally comprised of Neil Barnes and Paul Daley), have been at the cutting edge of dance music since the 1990s, releasing albums that have become some of the most influential electronic records of all time around the world with their debut LP 'Leftism' being widely regarded as one of the most boundary-pushing electronic LPs ever released.

In 2010, Neil Barnes reignited the Leftfield name, and went on to release an acclaimed new album (Alternative Light Source) touring the world with the full live band. Neil has also been cementing his reputation as a top-tier DJ and record collector unleashing modern dance floor weapons, selling out venues, headlining festivals and creating some amazing nights with his sets.

Yellow Vinyl

London Records releases remastered and expanded editions of Voice Of The Beehive’s classic debut 1988 album, ‘Let It Bee’ on November 25th.
Formats include a remastered gatefold vinyl edition in transparent honey yellow, and an expanded double CD edition featuring previously unreleased tracks, live versions and demos. All formats feature new liner notes by the band’s very own Tracey Belland.
In the mid 80s, armed with a only a suitcase of songs, Californian sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland escaped the American music industry in search of the vibrant British indie scene, finding recently split Madness band member Daniel ‘Woody’ Woodgate, who together with guitarist Mike Jones and bassist Martin Brett would form ‘the Beehive Boys’.
The powerful live chops of the Beehive Boys, combined with the harmonies, energy and stage presence of Tracey and Melissa, made Voice of the Beehive indie darlings and one of the hottest live acts on the London scene.
Signing with London Records, they recorded ‘Let It Bee’, its sunny exterior of sparkling indie guitars, energetic rhythms matched with lyrics and melodies that revealed both hope and an occasionally cutting cynicism.
On its release ‘Let It Bee’ was a UK Top 15 album, its singles ‘I Say Nothing’, ‘I Walk The Earth’ & ‘Don’t Call Me Baby’ all chart hits and radio favourites. Re-issued for the first time since its initial release. The expanded double CD version features ‘Cartoon City’, a band favourite recently uncovered and remastered from the London Records archives.

Japanese street music icon, Yasushi Ide released new album featuring Don Letts, Josh Milan, Jeff Mills, DJ Krush and more.


"This is a sound track for rude, underground adults! Amazing mixture of reggae, dub, funk, jazz, rock, afro, house. Masterpiece that goes beyond genres of music created by great producer, Yasushi Ide who has relentless motivation and global network of talents." - Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive / Kyoto Jazz Sextet)

"Great album! It is amazing to finish such a big project involved many collaborators at this high quality only in a year and 4 months. The magic of Cosmic Suite is there are variety of styles, and it makes you feel deep and spiritual at one point, but at the same time you can feel relaxed. Also, I have to say that the sound quality is great. It sounds very clear and it can only be done with top level recording and mixing professionals." - Ken Ishii

Yasushi Ide is the Japanese street icon. In the 90's he was called "the Guru of Shibuya-kei" which was the movement of Shibuya style of eclectic pop by the artists such as Cornelius, Pizzcato Five, or Original Love who is once again recognized in City Pop revival of recent years. (Yasushi Ide was a manager of Original Love, and also Kenji Ozawa)

Through his works, he has been creating the global network of musicians such as Josh Milan of the Blaze, house music icon, Don Letts, the pioneer of connecting punk rock with reggae, and Jeff Mills, Detroit techno legend, and released a great amount of hi-quality music on his label, Grand Gallery.

The Cosmic Suite project started in 2020, during the pandemic. It started as a project to reconstruct the parts of music Jeff Mills created for Chieko Kinbara, a violinist which Mills produced. However, it turned out to be 36min of spaced themed original track = Cosmic Suite.
(There are few phrases of Jeff Mills music left in the final version) This masterpiece created a buzz in the music scene in Japan and overseas, and became Yasushi Ide's new beginning.

In June, 2022, Ide released "Cosmic Suite 2". Originally, Cosmic Suite was an instrumental. "Cosmic Suite" is the reconstruction of "Cosmic Suite 2" with the element of vocals. In this project, Don Letts, Josh Milan, DJ Krush are featured as guest musicians. Moreover, drums of Tony Allen, the legendary Afrobeat drummer, and Style Scott, a drummer known for his works in early days of ON-U label, and Gota Yashiki, a Japanese drummer known for his works with Soul II Soul are featured in this album. Also, Japanese brightest talents such as Kan Takagi of Major Force, Kaoru Inoue aka Chari Chari, Tomoyuki Tanaka aka Fantastic Plastic Machine and Calm are featured as artists and engineers. This is the true dream team of the Japanese underground music scene.

The artwork is done by Josue Thomas, the founder of popular fashion brand, Gallery Dept. He is also featured as poetry reading artist in track 1 of "Cosmic Suite 2." Ide and him collaborates in various projects under the concept of "Universal Music Connection."

Yasushi Ide's also well received as a dub artist. (beside his wide range of musical styles)
His dub cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine (Space Dub Mix)" is selected for "Late Night Tales mixed by Don Letts" in 2021.

Highlight of "Cosmic 2" is the unique dub sound in tracks such as "Lava" feat. UA, the Japanese singer often described as "Japanese Bjork", and "Sumimasen Suite" feat. Rebel Dread (= Don Letts).

Tokyo is the melting pot of street music from all around the World such as Dub, Jazz, House, Hip Hop, Afrobeat, Punk rock, Techno,,, You can see the influence of all spectrums of rebel music in this album. This unique avant-garde music can only be created by Yasushi Ide, who has been heavily involved in this truly unique music scene for a long time.

Die Powerhouse-Rocker Fozzy veröffentlichen ihr neues Album BOOMBOX, ihr erstes Album seit fünf Jahren. Das Album, das die US-Top-10-Singles "Nowhere to Run" und "Sane" enthält, wurde erneut von Johnny Andrews produziert. FOZZY-Frontmann Chris Jericho sagt über das Album: "Judas... sowohl das Album als auch der Song waren ein RIESIGER Durchbruch für FOZZY. Es brachte uns auf das nächste Level und brachte uns eine gute Position im Rockradio und als Live-Magnet ein. Daher wussten wir, dass wir das Album unseres Lebens nachlegen mussten. BOOMBOX ist dieses Album! Ihr habt bereits die Top-Ten-Singles "Nowhere To Run" und "Sane" gehört - knallharte, eingängige Songs, die den Ton für dieses Album angeben. Aber es sind "I Still Burn", "Army Of One" und "Relax", die meiner Meinung nach dieses Album und diese Band noch weiter nach oben bringen werden! Also dreht die Lautstärke auf und haltet euch die BOOMBOX an eure Ohren!!! Es wird ein wilder Ritt werden."

United States at the beginning of the 1960s, the vibrant speeches of the great defenders of the black cause were soon relayed by the artists of the time.... The groove revolution is underway! Dive into the heart of this era with the proud voices of the Artists who made the Protest Song! A fine selection with : GIL SCOTT-HERON - Angela Davis- Doris Duke- Seven Seas- Shirley Caesar- Skull Snaps- T-Connection- The Whatnauts...