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On 24th May, 2024, the exact day of its Golden Jubilee, Diamond Dogs will be issued as a limited edition 50th anniversary half-speed mastered LP. The first single from the album, ‘Rebel Rebel’, reached number 5 in the UK and the album would also reach similar heights on both sides of the Atlantic reaching number 1 in the UK and number 5 in the USA.



This new pressing of Diamond Dogs was cut on a customised late Neumann VMS80 lathe with fully recapped electronics from 192kHz restored masters of the original master tapes, with no additional processing on transfer. The half-speed was cut by John Webber at AIR Studios



The writing of the album was influenced by Bowie not being able to secure the rights for a theatrical production of George Orwell’s 1984 and the work of William S. Burroughs, whom Bowie had interviewed for Rolling Stone in November 1973. The songs on the album created an urban apocalyptic scenario with Bowie appearing on the cover as a controversial half-man, half-dog hybrid painted by the Belgian artist Guy Peellaert from photos by the world-renowned photographer Terry O’Neill. Since its release, tracks from Diamond Dogs have been covered by artists such as Beck, Tina Turner, Duran Duran, Def Leppard, Joan As Police Woman, Dead Or Alive and The Struts.

In one sense, it's easy for artists-songwriters, specifically-to express their feelings in their work. After all, that's what the lyrics are for! But it's much harder to convey emotional energy in how you play, slash at the guitar, and the structure of the music itself. That's precisely why Girl and Girl's Sub Pop debut, Call A Doctor, feels like such a vital, electrifying shock to the senses. Not since the early work of Car Seat Headrest or Conor Oberst's widescreen emotional brutality as Bright Eyes has indie rock managed to come across as this intimate and grandiose, as the Australian quartet led by Kai James lay a lifetime's worth of woes-mental health, the human race's planned obsolescence if you've been living on this cursed rock you know what we're getting at-across a canvas of indie rock that feels both timeless and in-the-moment. An audacious and aggressively tuneful blast of a record, Call A Doctor is an unforgettable first bow from Girl and Girl, whose origins lie in James and guitarist Jayden Williams jamming in his mother's garage in the afternoon after school. One afternoon, James' Aunty Liss headed down to their practice space after walking her dog and asked if she could sit in on drums. "It sounded really great," James recalls. "We begged her to stay, and she said, 'I'll stay until you find another drummer.' We wore her down, and she eventually became a permanent member." After bassist Fraser Bell joined to round things out, Girl and Girl hit the road and began to make a name for themselves beyond the Australian bush, eventually signing to Sub Pop off the strength of word of mouth. Call A Doctor came together quickly soon after, largely recorded in marathon sessions in a two-story industrial complex over the course of two weeks. "That added to the intensity of the album," James says about the frenzied creative process overseen by producer Burke Reid. "I can hear the stress in the record, which is good because that's what it's about-being tense, tied up, and in your own head." Call A Doctor's eleven songs-spanning sweeping guitar epics and wry acoustic shuffles to spiky punk maneuvers and the type of raw, adoringly unvarnished indie-pop associated with legendary PacNW label K Records-are literally plucked from James' personal history, as he reworked older recordings with newer lyrics reflecting his past struggles as well as new anxieties that emerged prior to the album's recording. "I've struggled with mental health for a lot of my life," he explains, "and I went through a particularly difficult patch when we were making the album; the band had started to get some attention, and I felt an enormous amount of pressure to live up to it." "This record is about an individual who's too far in their head, trying to get out," James continues while discussing Call A Doctor's overall outlook-specifically the snapshot it offers of its creator. But even though this record deals with uneasy topics we all know well from within ourselves, it's important to emphasize how teeming with life Girl and Girl's music is. There's a brazen, bold sense of humor to this stuff, an undeniable brightness to the darkness that makes it impossible not to be drawn in as a listener. Feeling down never sounded so goddamn good.

As mui zyu, Hong Kong British artist Eva Liu searches for a portal, wandering between nothing and everything in her pursuit of peace. On her second full-length album nothing or something to die for she looks outward, embracing the chaos with each tentative step. mui zyu's debut album Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century saw her explore her heritage, as she dived inward to find acceptance and healing. Now, instead of searching for answers from the inside, Liu raises her head to look at the world around her. As she attempts to understand the complexities and significance of human existence, she observes apathy alongside overwhelming chaos; the technological advancements of connection with the lack of meaningful bonds and the frustrations of upholding standards set by others. nothing or something to die for tries to decipher these juxtaposing truths, holding both the weight of those trying to destroy the world with the utter futility of it all. Working with co-producer and fellow Dama Scout band member Luciano Rossi, the sonic world of nothing or something to die for encapsulates both the fleeting tranquility of serenity and the dissonance in chasing it. After all, our reality can change in an instant. Like the psychedelic tones of Ryuichi Sakamoto's Thousand Knives, the urgent techno-pop of Miharu Koshis Parallelisme or the eerie wanderings of Angelo Badalamenti's work for Twin Peaks, nothing or something to die for expertly toes the line between disorder and clarity

Kein Zweifel: Die große musikalische Weiterentwicklung der Hamburger Sleaze-Rocker Night Laser ist auf ihrem neuesten Studioalbum ‚Call Me What You Want‘ in jeder einzelnen Note zu spüren. Die fünfköpfige Band hat die gesamte Erfahrung aus den drei Vorgängerscheiben ‚Fight For The Night‘ (2014), ‚Laserhead‘ (2017) und ‚Power To Power‘ (2020) sowie den mehr als 200 Konzerten gebündelt und in ihre bislang abwechslungsreichste
und kraftvollste Studioproduktion einfließen lassen. Verantwortlich dafür sind – neben den Bandgründern/Brüdern Benno (Gesang) und Robert Hankers (Bass) – die Neuzugänge Felipe Zapata Martinez, Vincent Hadeler (beide Gitarre) und Schlagzeuger Ingemar Oswald, aber auch Produzent Dirk Schlächter (Gamma Ray, Ross The Boss) und Mix/-Mastering-Koryphäe Eike Freese (u.a. Deep Purple, Helloween, Simple Minds). Veröffentlicht wird ‚Call Me What You Want‘ am 24. Mai 2024 über Steamhammer/SPV als CD, Vinyl und digitaler Download. Bereits vorab werden mit den Album-Openern ‚Bittersweet Dreams‘ und ‚Way To The Thrill‘ und der Hymne ‚Don´t Call Me Hero‘ mindestens drei Singles inklusive Videos
ausgekoppelt.

"I was in a dream, but now I can see that change is the only law." With a credo adapted from science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, an album title from a collection of metaphysical poetry, and an expansion in consciousness brought on by personal crisis, guitarist and songwriter Shana Cleveland learns to embrace a changing world with unconditional love on News of the Universe, the new full-length from California rock band La Luz. News of the Universe is a record born of calamity, a work of dark, beautiful psychedelia reflecting Cleveland's experience of having her world blown apart by a breast cancer diagnosis just two years after the birth of her son. It's also a portrait of a band in flux, marking the first appearance for drummer Audrey Johnson and the final ones from longtime members bassist Lena Simon and keyboardist Alice Sandahl, whose contributions add a bittersweet edge to a record that is both elegy for an old world and cosmic road map to a strange new one. But is there any band in the world more suited to capturing the chaos of change in all its messy beauty than La Luz? Formed by Cleveland in 2012, La Luz is beloved for their ability to balance bedlam and bliss, each new record another fine-tuning of the band's mix of swaggering riffs with angelic vocals borrowed from doo-wop and folk; a band so reliably great that it makes the huge step forward in confidence and sheer musicality that is News of the Universe all the more formidable. Cleveland, also a writer and painter, has developed into a truly original songwriter with her own canon of haunted psychedelia. Yet if Cleveland has spent years writing songs about ghosts, what lurks in the shadows of News of the Universe is nothing less than death itself. "There are moments on this album that sound to me like the last frantic confession before an asteroid destroys the earth," says Cleveland. The powerful sense of openness that permeates News of the Universe is at least partially due to the fact that it is a record made entirely by women-from the performing, writing, and producing all the way through to the recording, engineering, and mastering. Working with producer Maryam Qudos (Spacemoth), the all-female environment allowed Cleveland to feel safe tapping into difficult places and expressing hard emotions women are socialized to suppress. Unashamedly vulnerable, unabashedly feminine, and undeniably triumphant, News of the Universe is another knockout record from a band so reliably great that it has perhaps led people to overlook how pioneering La Luz really are: women of color in indie music forging their own path by following their own artistic star into galaxies beyond current musical trends, always led by an earnest belief in the cosmic power of love and a great riff. Never is that more true than on News of the Universe, which might be La Luz's most brutal record to date but also their most blissful.

Black Uhuru wurde Mitte der 70er Jahre gegründet und stürmte in den frühen 80er Jahren wirklich in die Reggae-Szene, als Sly & Robbie die künstlerische Leitung übernahmen und wichtige Alben wie Showcase, Sinsemilla, Red, Chill Out und Anthem produzierten (beachten Sie, dass es sich um eine großartige Sammlung ihrer Alben handelt). Singles für Sly & Robbies TAXI-Label sind auf TAXI TRAXX erhältlich und wurden letztes Jahr von TABOU1 veröffentlicht.

Die Alben waren nicht nur künstlerisch bahnbrechend, auch die Live-Shows waren großartig. Eine Lawine aus kraftvollem Drum and Bass, ergänzt durch grenzwertige Metal-Rock-Gitarren des verstorbenen Darryl Thompson, lieferte ein Fundament aus Rhythmus und Energie für Michael Roses Lead-Gesang und Duckie Simpsons und Puma Jones‘ Backing-Gesang.

Die erste US-Tournee von Black Uhuru fand 1982 statt. Damals steckte Reggae in den USA noch in den Kinderschuhen und es gab nur drei Reggae-Radiosendungen in Kalifornien: Doug Wendt in San Francisco, Roger Steffens in LA und Lance Linares in Santa Cruz. Lance leitete nicht nur seine Radiosendung bei KUSP, sondern buchte auch Künstler in Santa Cruz und arbeitete mit dem Soledad-Gefängnis zusammen, um Insassen dabei zu helfen, berufliche Fähigkeiten zu erwerben, die sie nach ihrer Entlassung aus dem Gefängnis nutzen könnten. Lance kontaktierte die Organisation Black Uhuru und bot an, ein Konzert im Gefängnis selbst zu organisieren. Zu seiner Überraschung wurde seine Idee begeistert angenommen und die Gruppe trat vor vollem Haus im Soledad-Gefängnis auf.

Was wir auf dieser Doppel-LP hören, ist das gesamte Konzert, das live auf KUSP übertragen wurde. Seine historische Bedeutung ist enorm und kann mit dem Reggae-Äquivalent der legendären Live-Aufnahme der amerikanischen Legende Johnny Cash in Folsom verglichen werden. Außerdem wurde das Konzert per Video aufgezeichnet. Wir haben das Video mit modernster Technologie restauriert und Schlüsselmomente des Konzerts kuratiert. Jedes dieser Videos kann mit der Artivive-Anwendung auf ein Smartphone gestreamt werden. Sobald die App installiert ist, können Benutzer die Videos ansehen, indem sie ihr Telefon auf die Fotos auf dem Plattencover (von Bruno Tilley) richten, die mit dem Artivive-Logo gekennzeichnet sind. TABOU1 ist stolz darauf, das erste Plattenlabel zu sein, das diese Augmented Reality-Funktion anbietet.

Not God is the new album from Chicago's beloved two-headed monster, Finom (fka Ohmme). You can ask them to go into more detail about the boring reasons why they changed their name, but for now, the answer is going to be polite refusal. No. Co-fronted by Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart, Finom's influences run vast and varied, and they put a premium on change. Produced by Jeff Tweedy in the Wilco Loft, Not God is a marvel of growth, a progression from the roots of this collaborative band whose history can be traced back to its improvised conception. This is owed in no small part to their hometown of Chicago, the life raft to so many persisters in musical adventurosity. That energy combined with Finom's dramatic vocal and musical gifts puts them in the peripheries of the legacies cemented by The Roches, Roxy Music, the B52s, Kate Bush, Cate Le Bon, and Wilco. Cunningham and Stewart are brilliant harmonizers, but harmony doesn't equate to a utopia. In Finom's maws harmony can also be a fight, holding the line until the volcano erupts. This realistic depiction of a creative relationship jolts throughout the songs of Not God, and brings the whole damn thing to life. Finom are more than one person with more than one dream. But still, they grow together, harnessed by their shared love of pop songwriting, control, chaos, and being generally freaky-deaky. Freaky in that way that is only really fun when you're doing it with a friend. As the globe spins and advancements advance, it can feel essential to return to relationships that make us feel whole, that generate energy of strength and relief. Which puts double the weight on the reality that Sima and Macie continue to pledge allegiance to each other, at the base of the volcano, in the front seat of the car as it pulls off the highway.

Nathaniel Russell is a multi-disciplinary artist from Indiana who creates drawings, paintings, prints, murals, objects, videos, and music, often with friends and fellow artists. And in 2023, he packed up his car and drove from his home in Indiana all the way to North Carolina to record new music with his long-time friend Amelia Meath (Sylvan Esso, The A's) at Betty's, the wooded studio haven of Sylvan Esso, where recent releases from The Tallest Man on Earth, Caroline Rose, Wednesday, The A's, The Mountain Goats, Flock of Dimes, Indigo de Souza, and many more have been born. This record began with a funny and sad idea Russell had about a funeral. "I imagined a picture of a funeral with a merch table. It was an idea full of darkness and sweetness to me. Immediately I thought about what my merchandise would look like, what it would be. I began to think about what the record for sale at my funeral would sound like. I started to think about the songs I have made up and sung to and with my friends, family, and myself over the years. I noticed how the songs I had sung the longest seemed connected to others from a different time. I had changed some words and how I played them but they were all of me and my time on earth. I heard how these things fit together. Of course I now needed to see this project become a reality." Songs Of was produced by Meath, engineered by Alli Rogers, and features additional performances from Joe Westerlund (Megafaun, Califone) and Nick Sanborn (Sylvan Esso, Made of Oak).

„The urgency of global climate change" and humanity"s ignorance towards this topic is the fuel behind the formation of "maybe not tomorrow", santpoort"s newest full-length album, out now with indie label Friends of Friends. Lush and dense in electronic production, santpoort not only provides vocals throughout the project, but also enlists some friends for the occasion.

The album will be released through Neurot Recordings in collaboration with Supernatural Cat, the record label of the rock ‘n’ roll graphic design collective Malleus, of which Poia and Urlo are part of.

Ufomammut formed in the late 90s by Poia (guitars, FXs) and Urlo (bass, vocals, FXs, synths), (rising from the ashes of past band Judy Corda), together with Vita (drums). With Levre taking over on drums in 2021, the band has undergone a rebirth, culminating in the release of the album Fenice and the Crookhead EP.

Over the course of 25 years, the band has developed a unique sound that combines heavy, dynamic riff worship with a deep understanding of psychedelic tradition in music.This has resulted in a cosmic, futuristic, and technicolor sound that fully immerses listeners.

The band has produced 10 records along with various other releases, such as compilations, EPs, and live albums.

Now, in 2024, as they celebrate their quarter-century milestone, the band is set to release their latest album, HIDDEN. This album marks a shift in the band’s musical composition, aiming for a more intense and heavy sound, and it’s the third release featuring Levre as the band’s new drummer.

The title, HIDDEN, reflects the concept of the presence of everything in our existence and the ability to bring to light what lies within us. With HIDDEN, Ufomammut delves into a sonic journey that traverses vast expanses of space and time.

From the crushing heaviness to the hauntingly melodies, from the textured compositions to the otherworldly atmospheres, HIDDEN testify the neverending evolution of Ufomammut and their mastery of creating immersive sonic experiences: a fitting celebration of their 25 years of sonic exploration and experimentation.

The album was recorded at Flat Scenario Studio in Piemonte, Italy, with Lorenzo Stecconi handling the mixing and mastering, and Luca Grossi overseeing vocal tracking.

Introducing “Psyche Gems”, the Jakarta Records debut LP from LA based Rapper JUICEBOX & Norwegian producer duo Myeye. Debut LP “Psyche Gems,” a collaborative musical venture sparked by an impromptu Instagram jam session in 2021, is poised to mesmerize audiences. The brainchild of JUICEBOX, a versatile artist known for his roles as a singer, songwriter, rapper, and one half of the acclaimed group Figmore (with 10.4 Rog), “Psyche Gems” emerged from JUICEBOX's admiration for Simen Hallset's psych-pop band Gold Celeste (over 20 million Streams on Spotify). After reaching out to Simen, they swiftly connected with Henrik Norbakk, the other half of Myeye, igniting the genesis of the collaborative project. An Instagram jam session in 2021 gave sonic birth to LP “Psyche Gems”. Buttery vocals meet funky, soul-driven beats, meticulously recorded live, then chopped and repurposed to create an experience that transcends sonic definition. From vibrant head-nodding energy to lush beats seamlessly melded with an inimitable vocal delivery, “Psyche Gems” captures the essence of past and present, offering a kaleidoscope snapshot of life reflected through timeless grooves. The album's distinctive sound is characterized by meticulous layering, where each element is meticulously played, chopped, looped, and jammed over until achieving sonic perfection. United by their shared passion for old soul and jazz records, ‘90’s + ‘00’s hip hop, lo-fi indie, and psychedelic music, JUICEBOX and Myeye seamlessly fuse their diverse influences to craft a musical experience that resonates with listeners on a profound level. "We wanted to create something that inspires, provokes, and sheds light on the truths we all carry inside us," explains JUICEBOX. "Psyche Gems is more than just an album; it's an infinite journal entry of reflection, a testament to the power of music to illuminate the human experience."

Das dritte Studioalbum „Model” des mehrfach Platin-ausgezeichneten Alt-Rock-Trios erscheint am 24. Mai. Zwei Jahre nach dem letzten Album und wenige Wochen nach ihrer triumphalen Rückkehr mit der Single „Your Apartment” kann man sich also auf neues Material der drei besten Freunde aus L.A. freuen. Produziert wird das Album von John Congleton, der bereits für das 2019 veröffentlichte Debütalbum „Nothing Happens“ verantwortlich zeichnete. Das vollständige Tracklisting des insgesamt 12 Tracks umfassenden Albums wird in Kürze bekannt gegeben. Irrtümer und Zwischenverkauf vorbehalten. Es gilt der am Tag der Auslieferung gültige Listenpreis.

Das dritte Studioalbum „Model” des mehrfach Platin-ausgezeichneten Alt-Rock-Trios erscheint am 24. Mai. Zwei Jahre nach dem letzten Album und wenige Wochen nach ihrer triumphalen Rückkehr mit der Single „Your Apartment” kann man sich also auf neues Material der drei besten Freunde aus L.A. freuen. Produziert wird das Album von John Congleton, der bereits für das 2019 veröffentlichte Debütalbum „Nothing Happens“ verantwortlich zeichnete. Das vollständige Tracklisting des insgesamt 12 Tracks umfassenden Albums wird in Kürze bekannt gegeben. Irrtümer und Zwischenverkauf vorbehalten. Es gilt der am Tag der Auslieferung gültige Listenpreis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Album introduction written by Jonathan Selzer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Album introduction written by Jonathan Selzer.

Info: On her debut album Suave Bruta, across eleven tracks blending traditional Afro Colombian rhythms with electronic experimentation, Ëda Diaz manages to reconcile different parts of her identity, two rich and complementary aspects that she has long viewed as opposites. Wonky Colombian salsa, electrified currulao and an eccentric Colombian-made dembow all sparkle with real-world samples from the buzz of a hairdressing salon to birdsong, and samples cut from classic Latin American tunes, all underpinned by the production of Anthony Winzenrieth evoking Björk, James Blake or Juana Molina.

Through his project Lionlimb, New York based singer/songwriter/producer Stewart Bronaugh crafts unfurling soundscapes that feel mysterious and otherworldly, yet timeless and nostalgic at the same time. He presents his most ambitious vision of these inner vistas on his new album, Limbo, arriving May 24th on Bayonet Records. Inspired by a palette of '70s Italian film soundtracks, '60s girl group music, and funk and soul ballads, Bronaugh brings these influences together to invent an immersive sound all his own-with help from close collaborator Joshua Jaeger, whose live drums bring a rawness to Limbo's meticulously layered production. Led by the smoldering single "Dream of You," featuring Angel Olsen, Limbo taps into universal themes of romance, longing, and loss, while still offering a hazy escape from our present reality. Bronaugh penned the songs with "classic" songwriting in mind, transforming his personal struggles with grief and addiction into love songs. Using images inspired by nature (like the sun, moonlight, hurricanes, and deep water), he expresses being overtaken by a force greater than himself, as the psychedelic production evokes a sense of being plunged into this vast landscape. Limbo benefits from its eclectic influences, as Bronaugh overlays sitar-sounding guitar on top of funky basslines, melodramatic string arrangements, and fuzzed out guitar, making for music that could easily belong on Twin Peaks just as much as a Western cowboy film. An album of duets, Limbo features a host of female vocalists-Angel Olsen, Ewa Synowiec, to Bion augil, nderstad ocal periora ne Bill bout vocal sad ate another instrument* he explains. "When we first tried to have someone else sing, I liked it, because I felt more akin to a producer than a songwriter." There's a dreamy quality to how these singers trade off with Bronaugh, both parties expressing his inner emotions. Limbo is a culmination of Bronaugh's years of production experience, as he composed, produced, and mixed the project almost entirely by himself, with additional recording from Robin Eaton. Always inspired to make bold and experimental choices that capture his instincts in the moment, Bronaugh's production style is informed by "wanting to do the weird thing that engineers wouldn't approve of," as he describes it. "My favorite part of making music is the mistakes."

Seine kubanischen Verbindungen machten ihn zu einem grenzenlosen Künstler, durch Auftritte mit internationalen Künstlern wie Cimafunk (Grammy-nominiert) oder dem Rapper/Texter Barbaro el Urbano Vargas. Als vielseitiger Sänger/Rapper, Komponist und Produzent besteht Harris' Universum aus prägnanten Melodien, einem charakteristischen rauen Ton, poetischem und ehrlichem Songwriting und beeindruckenden Produktionsfähigkeiten. Seine Musik ist die Fusion von den Genres R&B, Soul und Hip-Hop, gewürzt mit Jazz-Vibes. Seine Single 'The Hill' war neben Künstlern wie Little Simz und Pa Salieu im offiziellen Soundtrack von FIFA 2022 zu hören. Hendrix' neues Album 'Awakening' nimmt uns mit auf eine Klangreise durch seine Gedanken. Er findet Trost in hypnotischen Melodie-Loops und kräftigen, bassgetriebenen Beats. Sein intimer, aber kraftvoller Vortrag reflektiert über Vorstellungen von sich selbst, Gesellschaft, Beziehungen und Wachstum. Klanglich und lyrisch sein bislang ehrlichstes Werk. Erhältlich als Black Vinyl!

Since 2011, the Berlin born and raised producer and DJ Mørbeck has been delivering numerous acclaimed Techno releases via Vault Series and his own Code Is Law imprint as well as making his mark on the global club scene as a DJ. Fast forward to 2023 and we see Mørbeck inaugurate his house guise, Midnight In A Toyshop, aimed to showcase his passion for House productions in a lighter shade, whilst still retaining his signature rawness.

Setting the tone to open the EP is ‘100’s & 1000’s’, laying down warbling pad sequences and crunchy saturated drums in combination with a bouncy bass line and hypnotic vocal hooks throughout. The aptly titled ‘90’s Memento’ follows, encapsulating a classic House sound with bright, mesmeric chords, rumbling subs, processed vocal lines and a bumpy drum machine workout.

On the flip-side title-track ‘Dreams For Sale’ shifts focus to Trance tinged staccato melodies, cinematic atmospherics, acid licks and a heavily swung rhythm before ‘Every Night’ rounds out the EP on a classic Deep House tip via ethereal pads, robust percussion, circling synth lines and a vacillating low-end drive.

Black Truffle is pleased to announce the first vinyl reissue of Trancedance, a wild slice of Swedish Afro-fusion from Christer Bothén, originally released in 1984. A major figure in Swedish jazz and improvised music since the 1970s, often heard on bass clarinet and tenor sax, Bothen studied doso n’koni (the large six-stringed ‘hunter’s harp’ of the Wasulu) in Mali in 1971-2 before turning to the guinbri (the three-stringed lute of the Gnawa/Gnauoua) in Marakesh later in the decade. In between, he performed extensively with Don Cherry during his Organic Music Society period and taught Cherry the doso n’koni. In the later 70s and 80s he worked with the most important figures in the distinctive Swedish jazz-rock-world fusion scene, joining Archimedes Badkar for their African-influenced Tre and participating in Bengt Berger’s legendary Bitter Funeral Beer Band. Many of the musicians who played on the Bitter Funeral Beer Band’s ECM LP (including Berger on drums, Anita Livstrand on voice and percussion and Tord Bengstsson on piano, violin and guitar) joined Bothén for one of the sessions that produced Trancedance, the first release under his own name, dedicated to his compositions. The other session introduced his seven-piece group Bolon Bata, heard on the second track of each side. The title track opens the album with the rubbery buzzing strings of the doso n’goni playing a hypnotic ten beat pattern, soon joined by bass and piano before the entire nine-piece group kicks in with a rollicking Afro-jazz workout, Berger’s drums driving an intricate, winding melodic line played by the horns with Mattias Helden’s cello throwing in pizzicato slides and smears. Bothén then takes centre stage on tenor sax, soloing with a wide, vibrating tone and moving seamlessly from soaring melodies to guttural stutters. After a return to the composed horn lines and a solo from Elsie Petrén on alto sax, the piece builds to an ecstatic conclusion of yelping voices and handclaps, gradually simmering down to return to the solo doso n’koni where it began.

The hypnotic sounds of the hunter’s harp carries over to ‘Mimouna’, where it is joined by Bothen’s overdubbed guinbri. The piece develops into a haunting whispered and sung invocation, gradually building momentum until the organic textures of strings, voices, and hand percussion are ruptured by Lennart Söderlund’s distorted guitar, which brings an unmistakable touch of 1984 to the otherwise timeless sound. Joined by chicken scratch guitar and increasingly dominated by the insistent clang of three of Bolon Bata’s members on karqab (a kind of cast-iron castanet), the grove develops frenetically.

The B side opens with the multi-part epic ‘9+10 Moving Pictures for the Ear’, at over 16 minutes the record’s longest piece. Though Bothen is heard only on horns on this piece, the hypnotic repeating bass line carries on the first side’s link to African musical traditions. Using an expanded 16-piece ensemble, the music balances untethered improvisation with carefully arranged passages of knotty ensemble playing that at points suggest Mingus, Moacir Santos or some of the ambitious post-free work being done in the same years by figures like David Murray or Henry Threadgill. The piece ends with a triumphant passage of looping unison melody reminiscent of the Scandinavian folk explorations of Arbete och Fritid (whose Kjell Westling is heard on bass clarinet and soprano sax here). The sound of Bjorn Lundqvist’s fretless bass introduces the odd left turn made by the record’s final track, a spaced-out expedition into bluesy horn lines and distant guitar atmospherics set to a semi-reggae beat, perfumed by the core Bolon Bata group and bearing the appropriate title of ‘The Horizon Stroller’. A must for fans of the Swedish scene around groups like Arbete och Fritid and Archimedes Badkar, as well as any listener who has been seduced by Louis Moholo’s Spirits Rejoice!, The Brotherhood of Breath, or, more recently, the guinbri grooves of Natural Information Society, Trancedance is a lost classic ripe for rediscovery.

Suffering can be a borderline experience, opening doors to the divine. Canadian black-metal-outfit GIVRE has dedicated its fourth album to this concept, well known throughout Christian history: On "Le Cloitre" (engl. "The Cloister") the band continues its exploration of the atoning side of pain and the austere aspects of faith through music that goes all the way from elegiac elegance to disturbing outbursts. Even the band deals with Christianity, through a historic lense, they should not be understood as religious band in any way!

The group was founded back in 2010 in Rouyn-Noranda by David Caron-Proulx (Composition, guitars, keys), Jean-Lou David (research, vocals), and Mathieu Garon (bass) when they were just 16 years old. They self-produced a demo album, then moved away from their hometowns. David is now a composer for film and mixed media and Jean-Lou is a writer and historian. In October 2020, ten years after their first collaborative endeavors, they reunited and recorded two more albums: "Le Pressoir mystique" and "Destin Messianique".

The creation of "Le Cloitre" was a lengthy process. While most recordings were made right after "Destin Messianique" in 2021, extensive work was done over an extended period of time to add layers and perfect the album's concept. Each of the six songs corresponds to a holy woman from Christian history. The lyrics are taken directly from their writings or hagiography (an idealized biography), delving into their connection to the divine through suffering. The words are sometimes rearranged, but they are all direct citations without anything new added to them, from the symbolic poetry of Hildegard Von Bingen (1098-1179) to the disturbing and factual depictions of Marthe Robin (1902-1981).

The compositions vary to reflect these different perspectives: sometimes dark and eerie, other times blissful or sorrowful. Therefore, a crucial addition to the album's atmosphere was the inclusion of female vocal performances. Additionally, samples from the French film "Le dialogue des Carmelites" from 1959 are incorporated. Excerpts of a piece by Hildegard von Bingen are used in the song dedicated to her. The album was recorded in the band members'home studios. Mixing and mastering were done by long-time-collaborator Gael Poisson-Lemay (Gris, Sombre Forets, Miserere Luminis), who also contributed guitars to the song about Marthe Robin. Vinyl mastering was done by Greg Chandler (Esoteric) at Priory Recording Studios.

With Lucifer, Kompakt presents an album of rare beauty from two masters of modern music. A family affair, it’s a collaboration between the Italian father-and-son duo of Luciano Michelini and Lorenzo Dada, whose combined histories bring to Lucifer a depth of experience alongside clarity of vision and a finely tuned, neatly developed combined compositional voice. A lovely, beguiling suite of music that combines the electronic and the acoustic, the urban and the pastoral, its gorgeous night-eye vision and tender melancholy sits neatly within the Kompakt universe, while offering the curious listener some rich new perspectives.

There is already plenty to know both artists by. Lorenzo Dada creates across multiple fields – a techno producer and DJ who has already worked with the likes of Jay Haze, Fete, Leo Benassi, and Der, he’s released a small clutch of stylish, smartly designed EPs, and a solo album, Second Life (2018). His complementary background in classical music and composition informs his ensemble project, Tears Of Blue (who appear on Lucifer), where Dada paints with neo-classical tones for a quartet of violin, viola, cello and grand piano, supplemented by electronics for live performance.

Luciano Michelini’s history is yet richer. He may be best known, to many, for his piece “Frolic”, the theme to Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm series; it was also sampled by Snoop Dogg for 2022’s “Crip Ya Enthusiasm”. But there’s much more to Michelini’s story. A successful soundtrack composer, Michelini both studied and taught at the Conservatoro di Santa Cecilia, and worked for RCA from the sixties to the eighties; his soundtracks from this period are gorgeous examples of the form, particularly his work for Il Decamerone Nero (1972), L’Isola Degli Uomini Pesce (1979), and the devastatingly gorgeous Dimensione Donna (1977).

In the eighties, Michelini and his wife Anna Gutling founded the Electronic Music Division studio and academy in Rome, which is where the majority of Lucifer was recorded. Dada reflects on the experience: “We never worked together before, so it was all new for both of us,” with Michelini adding, “I truly love this experience with my son. He’s a talented pianist and composer. I am not very familiar with electronic music nowadays, but we did it fluently.” There’s certainly a familial energy at play through Lucifer, and you can hear how Dada and Michelini, through exploration and experiment, find a shared language, balancing Dada’s tendency toward minimalism, and Michelini’s composerly voice.

Lucifer flows as a suite that interweaves electronic music with acoustic instruments: the lonely sigh of saxophone; Michelini’s lush, verdant piano; the weeping strings of Tears Of Blue (recorded at the studio of Michelini’s friend, the late Maestro, Ennio Morricone). These multiple voices are located within the electronic sighs and swarms from Dada’s kit; there are moments of propulsion, and passages of lambent drift, where the album revels in its tonal sweetness. If it flows so effortlessly, that’s because Lucifer was designed that way, as a suite or a sonata of sorts.

And the title? Dada reflects, “Lucifer was an angel who decided not to be one anymore. The miracle of life is that we can decide what we want to be, even if we are born as angels or vice versa.” This feels somehow apposite: there’s certainly something of the transformative, and the transportive, in Lucifer, a unique family collaboration of rare poetry and sensitivity, where two generations meet in the modern crucible that is the electronic music studio.

"Sugar Minott was a Jamaican reggae star who was a pioneer of the dancehall style. Minott was a producer, label head, and sound system operator. He collaborated with one of Jamaica’s most accomplished producers, Lloyd James aka King Jammy, and among their collaborations was the popular 1979 LP Bitter Sweet, which included the seminal dancehall anthems “Give The People” and “I’m Not For Sale”. For the first time in over 40 years, Bitter Sweet is being reissued on vinyl. The album is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange coloured vinyl."

Bitter Sweet by Sugar Minott, released 24 May 2024, includes the following tracks: "Never Too Young", "Right Track ", "Save The Children " and more.
This version of Bitter Sweet comes as a 1xLP.

Nach Tourneen durch die USA, Kanada, Russland und grosse Teile Europas bringt Jack McBannon 2024 sein neues Album "Tennessee" auf den Markt. Aufgenommen in Johnny Cash's legendärem Cash Cabin Studio in Tennessee und produziert von dessen GRAMMY prämierten Sohn John Carter Cash, ist dieses Album ein wahres Juwel, welches den Hörer auf eine unvergessliche Reise mitnimmt. Die Songs atmen die unvergleichliche Weite und Freiheit der amerikanischen Prärie, was durch die handverlesenen Profimusiker der Nashville Szene verstärkt wird. Jack McBannon's einzigartig raue Stimme fesselt von der ersten Sekunde an und beweist, warum Jack von der Presse gefeiert und als Mix aus Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, wie auch Bob Dylan und Eddie Vedder bezeichnet wird.

Vicent, an electronic music producer, unveils his debut EP titled “Find Yourself”, offering a deep dive into a techno universe subtly infused with Japanese influences. This innovative project features four mesmerizing original tracks, complemented by remixes from BXTR, Swooh, and Iannis Rezgui. Notably, a unique ambient piece crafted exclusively from sounds recorded in Japan is included. For enthusiasts of authentic soundscapes, a limited edition vinyl release is also available.

We are very happy to present our twentieth vinyl release.

It is a double vinyl album with 12 tracks plus 4 digital bonus tracks produced by Somatic Responses.

This album perfectly represents the music of the brothers from Wales. In this double vinyl you will find tracks that go from IDM to breaks or glitches through the rave sound."

In 2009, American metalcore band Atreyu released their fifth studio album Congregation of the Damned. For this album, the band returned to their "heavy hardcore" roots, following 2007's Lead Sails Paper Anchor, while also wanting to "move forward", which resulted in a more melodic approach. It was produced by Bob Marlette (Ozzy Osbourne, Airbourne) and mixed by Rich Costey (The Mars Volta, System of a Down).

Three tracks were released as singles: “Storm To Pass”, “Lonely”, and “Gallows”. The album debuted at #18 on the Billboard 200, selling 26.000 copies in its first week of release.

Congregation of the Damned is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve and includes an insert. This vinyl edition features the original artwork for the first time.

A deeper dive into the mind of the mysterious man who gave us Niggajazz at the top of the pandemic. Although only a six song ep, the title song gained traction for its jazz bop, house appeal. The follow up, New World Order is the first full length from the artist and displays a wider scope of that exact sound. Written and produced in 2021 NWO comprises tunes for the floor as well as the ride. With lush ballad Black Apple, The Common Suicides latin flare, The Torus’ obscurity and Ota Benga with its tribute to the worlds most renown human zoo attraction, this release is complete and advanced from the introduction received prior. We are pleased to present New World Order in a time when most needed to reflect and absorb carefully. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Remedy, a dynamic and cutting-edge melodic rock metal band originating from the heart of Stockholm, Sweden, burst onto the music scene in 2022 with an unmistakable presence. Their debut album ‘Something That Your Eyes Won't See' charted in Sweden and had a massive impact, including truly incredible positive feedback from the Rock and Metal World. Now it's the time for the second album ‘Pleasure Beats the Pain', co- produced with the Swedish S-Rock Music Production, a huge sound journey between catchy melodies, powerful riffs, huge sound and mesmerising guitar solos. With these new songs, the band presents a sound even more personal, pushing boundaries even further. Drawing from the lively sounds of the 80s, but adding a modern twist, Remedy captivates listeners with their contagious energy.

Their magic is driven by energetic guitars, powerful vocals, and catchy hooks across Rock, Pop, and Metal genres, blending retro vibes with fresh innovation seamlessly. In line with the production of Remedy's debut album, ‘Pleasure Beats the Pain' is mixed and mastered by Erik Martensson (Eclipse) at Mass Destruction Production. “Fuelled by the success of our debut album, stepping back into the studio felt like the most natural progression for us. With 'Pleasure Beats the Pain,' we reached a defining moment in Remedy's journey, solidifying our sound. With a balance of light and dark, day and night, pleasure and pain, love and hate, our music mirrors life's complexities, melding melodic rock & metal into a harmonious blend. Through this, combined with a distinctive approach to instrumentality and songwriting, Remedy emerges”, Rolli concludes.

Toronto, ON prog metal outfit Red Handed Denial release their fourth studio on 24 May, produced, mixed and mastered by Lee Albrecht (The Devil Wears Prada, Of Virtue, Silverstein).

A Journey Through Virtual Dystopia is their most accomplished offering to date, both for song composition, musical technique; pushing their melodic and heavy game to a new level as shown on lead single Parasite.

The album will be pressed on a stunning White/Orchid (A Side/B Side) Limited Edition vinyl and CD.

Grammy-nominated Kim Richey returns with her first album of new music in six years. The album's 10 tracks share a common thread of nostalgia and longing for times gone by. The album, except for one song, was produced by Doug Lancio in Nashville. Piano, flugel horn, pipe organ and acoustic guitars elevate these songs to a place that defies genre, but live somewhere in the folk, country, rock universe and illustrate what an incredible songwriter and singer Kim Richey is.

"Rave-up & turn on! Fueled by a classy high-stepping image and hot instrumental licks born of old R&B and Northwest stalwarts the Kingsmen, Wailers and Sonics, this collection shows their always excellent material ranging from '60s punk to sunshine pop. Includes their debut single!

In many ways they were one of the quintessential Northwest bands. Their credentials were impeccable - leader Don Gallucci was a classically trained pianist who, as a younger teenager, played keyboards for the Kingsmen on "Louie, Louie." Early guitarist Pete Oulette had been in the Raiders and his replacement, Jim Valley, had founded the white hot Seattle band the Viceroys. When Valley got the call to become "Harpo," his slot was filled by Charlie Coe, who had played with the Raiders and Jack Ely and the Courtmen. And the last Goodtime guitarist was Joey Newman, who had made his mark with the Enchanters and Merrilee Rush and the Turnabouts.

Their only hit single, "I Could Be So Good to You," a Jack Nitzsche song, was their only national hit (#56) in spring 1967. Their Nitzsche-produced Epic album So Good was a curious amalgam of Overman originals and British Invasion covers.

Their earlier sound is much more raw – "You Were Just a Child" could have been a national hit. The dynamics and bridge in this are killer, as is the pulverizing fuzz bass. "I'm Real" may be the punkiest Don and the Goodtimes got; Note the cool reference to LA disc jockey "The Real" Don Steele. Other cuts like like "Make It" are as Northwest as they come. Rough and raunchy, this hot instrumental was the B side of their first single."

BANGER MAKE MY BODY SHAKE MAKE THE SPEAKERS SHAKE

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

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

Dexys are back! 11 years since the release of their last album of original music, the acclaimed One Day I'm Going to Soar, the band return with a stunning new record, The Feminine Divine, out July 28th on 100% Records.

The Feminine Divine’s arrival is heralded by today’s release of the glorious first single ‘I’m Going To Get Free’, soaked in horns and with a heavy dance-hall feel. "The character is optimistically breaking free from internalised trauma, depression and guilt," Kevin Rowland said of the track.

The Feminine Divine is Dexys’ fifth album of original material produced once again by Pete Schwier, along with acclaimed session musician and producer Toby Chapman. After taking some time out to refocus his energy, Kevin Rowland came back to music with a fresh perspective and new-found positivity. A personal, if not strictly autobiographical, record portraying a man whose views have evolved over time. Not just on women, but the whole concept of masculinity he had been raised with: an education and an un-learning that is traced across the arc of The Feminine Divine with dizzying effect.

With two tracks on the album with Goddess in the title in ‘My Goddess Is’ and ‘Goddess Rules’, it’s no surprise Kevin chose to use a painting inspired by Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, for the artwork.

Dipping into the archives for a song he’d originally written in 1991, the album’s opener, ‘The One That Loves You’, is a tough-guy feint before he lifts the curtain on “what I really feel”, as announced by a classic bit of Kevin spoken word that leads into the second track, ‘It’s Alright Kevin (Manhood 2023)’.

The record’s first half is full of music hall-esque swagger, much of it written with original Dexys’ trombonist Big Jim Paterson. The second side of the record is like nothing Dexys have done before. A saucy, synth-heavy cabaret, written in collaboration with Sean Read and Mike Timothy. It’s steamy, fizzing and sultry, at times doom-laden and heavy and at other times raunchy and funky. Quite a heady mix.

Today the band is more of an “organic” assemblage – Kevin, Jim (a non-touring band member), Sean Read and Mike Timothy. “It’s always just natural with me,” says Kevin. “The inspiration comes first, I think about what I can do, what songs I’ve got, then approach the band.” He describes their current lineup as “very much the nucleus, these days.”

With over a billion worldwide streams, three top 10 albums in the UK, two number 1 singles, a Brit Award and a multi-platinum selling album with their sophomore release Too-Rye-Ay (as Dexys Midnight Runners), Dexys are as vital and exciting today as ever. With live shows set to be announced shortly in support of the record, The Feminine Divine marks a new chapter in a book that just keeps getting better and better.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” says Kevin. “But I feel I’ve got to it now.”

Dexys are back! 11 years since the release of their last album of original music, the acclaimed One Day I'm Going to Soar, the band return with a stunning new record, The Feminine Divine, out July 28th on 100% Records.

The Feminine Divine’s arrival is heralded by today’s release of the glorious first single ‘I’m Going To Get Free’, soaked in horns and with a heavy dance-hall feel. "The character is optimistically breaking free from internalised trauma, depression and guilt," Kevin Rowland said of the track.

The Feminine Divine is Dexys’ fifth album of original material produced once again by Pete Schwier, along with acclaimed session musician and producer Toby Chapman. After taking some time out to refocus his energy, Kevin Rowland came back to music with a fresh perspective and new-found positivity. A personal, if not strictly autobiographical, record portraying a man whose views have evolved over time. Not just on women, but the whole concept of masculinity he had been raised with: an education and an un-learning that is traced across the arc of The Feminine Divine with dizzying effect.

With two tracks on the album with Goddess in the title in ‘My Goddess Is’ and ‘Goddess Rules’, it’s no surprise Kevin chose to use a painting inspired by Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, for the artwork.

Dipping into the archives for a song he’d originally written in 1991, the album’s opener, ‘The One That Loves You’, is a tough-guy feint before he lifts the curtain on “what I really feel”, as announced by a classic bit of Kevin spoken word that leads into the second track, ‘It’s Alright Kevin (Manhood 2023)’.

The record’s first half is full of music hall-esque swagger, much of it written with original Dexys’ trombonist Big Jim Paterson. The second side of the record is like nothing Dexys have done before. A saucy, synth-heavy cabaret, written in collaboration with Sean Read and Mike Timothy. It’s steamy, fizzing and sultry, at times doom-laden and heavy and at other times raunchy and funky. Quite a heady mix.

Today the band is more of an “organic” assemblage – Kevin, Jim (a non-touring band member), Sean Read and Mike Timothy. “It’s always just natural with me,” says Kevin. “The inspiration comes first, I think about what I can do, what songs I’ve got, then approach the band.” He describes their current lineup as “very much the nucleus, these days.”

With over a billion worldwide streams, three top 10 albums in the UK, two number 1 singles, a Brit Award and a multi-platinum selling album with their sophomore release Too-Rye-Ay (as Dexys Midnight Runners), Dexys are as vital and exciting today as ever. With live shows set to be announced shortly in support of the record, The Feminine Divine marks a new chapter in a book that just keeps getting better and better.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” says Kevin. “But I feel I’ve got to it now.”

: League of Legends Worlds is an esports championship like no other — not only prestigious, but gargantuan in scale and chock full of production grandeur. A culmination of each LoL season, Worlds is the place for the very best League of Legends players to come together and compete at the highest level, battling for the Summoner’s Cup, a multi-million dollar prize, and, of course,
eternal glory.

An eminent event like Worlds demands a legendary theme song to match. Each year, Riot Games taps talented superstar musicians to craft a new Worlds Anthem, performed live at the competition and released later with a music video to match. These themes, from incredible artists like Zedd, Lil Nas X, and now, for 2023, NewJeans, have never been collected together on a single vinyl release — until now.

iam8bit and Riot are proud to present League of Legends Worlds Anthems (Vol 1: 2014-2023). It’s a full decade of Worlds Anthems, collected together on two sides of a 1xLP for the very first time. We knew this illustrious release deserved a very special vinyl treatment. That’s why we pressed the record on a Worlds Blue Vinyl. Plus, it wouldn’t be an iam8bit release without fantastic cover

art to adorn your record shelf, so we tapped our pals at Envar Entertainment to craft amazing illustrations celebrating the past, present, and future of the League of Legends Worlds Championship.

Legends never die. Celebrate a decade of Worlds in style with this one-of-a-kind release.

wieder auf Lager Wenn immer es um das beste deutschsprachige Album aller Zeiten geht, sind die Fehlfarben mit "Monarchie und Alltag" vorn dabei. Es erschien 1980. Seitdem ist viel Wasser den Rhein hinabgeflossen, und Peter Hein hängt "das Frühwerk am Hals wie ein Mühlstein". So zumindest singt er im Stück "TCM (Polychemie)" vom Album "Xenophonie". Hein klagt zu Recht. Denn auf "Xenophonie" klingen die Fehlfarben ungemein frisch. Der Opener "Dekade 2" stellt sich mit einem Wahnsinnsriff vor; kurze Zeit später erklingt Peter Heins Stimme mit eben jenem typischen Ausdruck, diesem Gesang, den nur er beherrscht: dringlich-konkret und doch voller Poesie und Melancholie. Bei aller Ernsthaftigkeit kommt die Lässigkeit nicht zu kurz, seit "Resistance" von Family 5 war Hein nicht mehr so locker. Und im Schlussstück, dem fast zehnminütigen "Herbstwind", verwandeln sich die Fehlfarben in Riders on the Storm, ehe ein Fortuna-Düsseldorf-Schal den schönen Spuk vertreibt. Produzent der im Berliner Hansastudio live aufgenommenen Stücke war Moses Schneider (Beatsteaks, Tocotronic).

Benny Sings, the Amsterdam-based singer, songwriter and producer, blends together influences from AOR, soul, jazz and pop. Known for his distinctive vocal and piano chops, he put his own spin on Drake's "Passionfruit" to mark his signing with Stones Throw.

Since 2003, Benny Sings has been releasing his own music and collaborating with artists including Anderson .Paak, Mndsgn, GoldLink, and Mayer Hawthorne. He was featured on Rex Orange County's 2017 hit "Loving Is Easy" and had a breakout performance on NPR's Tiny Desk series. He says of the “Passionfruit” cover: “Pop music has always been a goal of mine and I liked the idea of presenting this song in a more old-fashioned or conventional way."

It’s burning, everything is catching fire, and Aquaserge are singing and dancing on the embers of a world contemplated in a rear-view mirror. A world which is hyper-connected, yet forgets its primary emotions.

This seventh album by the band is an ecological poem, where present and past collide. A resolutely rock-sounding album, laced with electronics, experimental pop songs and audio archives. Along the way, the listeners will encounter traces of Oulipo (the famous experimental French literary movement founded in the ’60st), Dada and free jazz. They will cross paths with the ghosts of Ennio Morricone, Walter Benjamin and Marguerite Duras, with the shadows of Kim Gordon and Brigitte Fontaine. And other audacious and exciting melanges, in the pure tradition of Aquaserge.

The album was arranged and produced by Benjamin Glibert, the band’s guitarist and main composer.

The recording took place in a house located in the french countryside (where Aquaserge’s mobile studio was installed). The mix was done at Studio St Guidon in Brussels, the album was mastered by the legendary Dominique Blanc-Francard at the Labomatic studio in Paris.

The members of the band’s current line-up all took part in the recording: Audrey Ginestet (vocals, bass, guitar, etc.), Benjamin Glibert (vocals, guitar, keyboards, etc.), Olivier Kelchtermans (saxophones, keyboards, vocals, etc.), Manon Glibert (clarinets, vocals, etc.) and Julien Chamla (drums, vocals, etc.).