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Los Angeles Free Music Society (LAFMS) formed in the mid-1970s as a loose-knit experimental music collective and multimedia publishing vehicle. Founded by teenage Le Forte Four members Chip Chapman, Joe Potts and Rick Potts and soon joined by Tom Recchion of Doo-Dooettes, LAFMS incorporated free improvisation, modular synthesizers, tape music, sampling, musique concrète, homemade instruments, noise, mail art and avant-rock in permissive and anarchic sessions at the Raymond Building and Poo-Bah Record Shop in old Pasadena. Inspired by The Residents, LAFMS self-released records and periodicals, organized performances and connected with fellow outsiders via post in the years before punk. Their uninhibited, egalitarian ideal of music-making and DIY distribution would influence generations of underground musicians.

Live At The Brand documents the second performance of newly formed LAFMS core groups Le Forte Four and Doo-Dooettes on July 8, 1976 at the recital hall of the Brand Library in Glendale. Le Forte Four (now joined by Tom Potts) did not actually perform live, but rather created 44 pyramid-shaped headphone helmets with internal quadraphonic speakers and countless wires in order to share their latest tape assemblages with showgoers deprived of sight. The recordings delivered in this Fluxus-inspired manner feature the Buchla synthesizer at nearby CalArts, radio interpolations, group improvisations, addled outbursts and splices from source material lost to time. Doo-Dooettes – Tom Recchion, Harold Schroeder, Juan Gomez, Dennis Duck and Fredrik Nilsen – performed a series of alternately droning and chaotic duets with guitar, percussion, piano, tape loops and synthesizer, all improvised around loosely structured compositions and culminating in a spontaneous group composition at the end of the program. Originally released in 1976, the double LP would be LAFMS' third release.

This first-time vinyl reissue is limited to 500 numbered copies. Comes with inserts.

Los Angeles Free Music Society (LAFMS) formed in the mid-1970s as a loose-knit experimental music collective and multimedia publishing vehicle. Founded by teenage Le Forte Four members Chip Chapman, Joe Potts and Rick Potts and soon joined by Tom Recchion of Doo-Dooettes, LAFMS incorporated free improvisation, modular synthesizers, tape music, sampling, musique concrète, homemade instruments, noise, mail art and avant-rock in permissive and anarchic sessions at the Raymond Building and Poo-Bah Record Shop in old Pasadena. Inspired by The Residents, LAFMS self-released records and periodicals, organized performances and connected with fellow outsiders via post in the years before punk. Their uninhibited, egalitarian ideal of music-making and DIY distribution would influence generations of underground musicians.

In 1977, LAFMS released Blorp Esette, one of several compilations tracking the collective's growth and wild-eyed experimentation. Ace Farren Ford, an early LAFMS recruit from the Poo-Bah circle, produced the album and solicited cover artwork by Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart). Ford appears in various configurations alongside members of Smegma, Le Forte Four and "unknown artist" (as the credit for more than one piece reads). The Residents, showing their affinity with LAFMS, contributed "Whoopy Snorp" for their first non-Ralph Records release. Blorp Esette shows the artists grasping for new, non-idiomatic voicings and collaborative modes, anticipating LAFMS affiliates and offshoots such as Airway, Human Hands and Monitor. A second volume would come out in 1980, featuring Ford's punk band The Child Molesters. If you're looking for the missing link between mid-'70s art practice and outsider music, then look no further.

This first-time vinyl reissue is limited to 500 numbered copies. Comes with inserts.

Los Angeles Free Music Society (LAFMS) formed in the mid-1970s as a loose-knit experimental music collective and multimedia publishing vehicle. Founded by teenage Le Forte Four members Chip Chapman, Joe Potts and Rick Potts and soon joined by Tom Recchion of Doo-Dooettes, LAFMS incorporated free improvisation, modular synthesizers, tape music, sampling, musique concrète, homemade instruments, noise, mail art and avant-rock in permissive and anarchic sessions at the Raymond Building and Poo-Bah Record Shop in old Pasadena. Inspired by The Residents, LAFMS self-released records and periodicals, organized performances and connected with fellow outsiders via post in the years before punk. Their uninhibited, egalitarian ideal of music-making and DIY distribution would influence generations of underground musicians.

Poo-Bah Records, with its import bins and backroom jam space, attracted the pseudonymous artists forming the initial incarnation of long-running collective Smegma. Early members Ju Suk Reet Meate, Dennis Duck, Cheez-it Ritz, Big Dirty, Amazon Bambiand Dr. Id contributed to various LAFMS compilations and combinations before several core members relocated to Portland, Oregon in 1975, where they recorded their debut album Glamour Girl 1941. Originally released on the LAFMS label in 1979, the LP combines rock instrumentation with tape, synthesizer, horns and voice in a tempestuous cauldron of anti-academy improv and alien noise. Beyond its roots in LAFMS, Smegma would help shape the early Portland punk scene in the late '70s alongside Wipers and Neo Boys. In more recent years, they have collaborated with Merzbow and Wolf Eyes.

This first-time vinyl reissue is limited to 500 numbered copies. Comes with insert.

Born Bangalter in 1947, Daniel Vangarde is a French songwriter and producer. In 1967, he met Jean Kluger who became his publisher. In the 1970s, their tandem stood out in those fields, for a plethora of popular French artists such as Petula Clark, Claude François, Joe Dassin, Dalida, Régine, Sheila and Ringo. 1975 saw the birth of Vangarde’s label, Zagora, and his first and only solo LP. Later on, Vangarde and Kluger were responsible for a number of hit songs by The Gibson Brothers, Ottawan and La Compagnie Créole. With or without Kluger, Vangarde also wrote and produced songs that remained underground, under several monikers (Starbow, Who’s Who, Soul Iberica Band, Yamasuki, Rocky & Vandella…) and for various artists. Let’s open these incredible cosmic disco funk vaults! Available on Double Vinyl (featuring 2 exclusive tracks) & CD .

Second Editions presents a new collaborative work by Marja Ahti and Judith Hamann.

After their distinguished duet ‘Portals’ for Cafe Oto's Takuroku label, ‘A coincidence is perfect, intimate attunement’ is a wonderful sophomore collaborative work pieced together over two years of changing seasons, ideas, moods, and feelings. The release is formed from a shifting field of sound correspondence that pivots on moments of coincidence, of a tuning in.

What are we opening ourselves to when we tune in to sound? How can one be truly open to a sound? How can the activity of recording move beyond notions of capture and release into more generative frames? Rather than a tool purposed for preservation or ‘conservation’ of memory, of time and place, can recording sound instead form new vibrant or vibratory spaces of attunement?

‘A coincidence..’ is an LP length composition of multiple interlocking parts, created through exchange, alignment, unpredictability: the title borrowed from poet Fanny Howe falling right into place, a flock of birds in flight, pitches matched and moved across different geographies and temporal frames. Marja & Judith have created an intuitive, lyrical longform piece that considers the idea of attunement itself as, in some sense, the smallest form of measure or denominator connecting their respective practices: across field recording, just intonation, electronic sonorities and instrumental bodies. ‘A coincidence..’ reflects a sense of a willingness to tune in to impulses given, or gifted to the other, a position that embraces an intimate synchronicity.

Recordings & correspondances between 2020-2022. Mixed by Marja Ahti & Judith Hamann. Mastered and cut by Anne Taegert at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin, 2022. Title quotation from Night Philosophy by Fanny Howe, Divided Publishing, 2020. Photogrpahy by Joshua Bonnetta. Thanks to Nino Bulling, Niko-Matti Ahti and leo. The work was supported by Kone Foundation, Akademie Schloss Solitude and NEUSTART KULTUR.

Marja Ahti (b. 1981) is a Swedish-Finnish composer and sound artist based in Turku, Finland. Ahti works with field recordings and other acoustic sound material combined with synthesizers and electronic feedback in order to find the space where these sounds start to communicate. She makes music that rides on waves of slowly warping harmonies and mutating textures – rough edged, yet precise compositions, rich in detail. Ahti has presented her music in many different contexts around Europe, in Japan and the United States. She is currently active in the duo Ahti & Ahti with her partner Niko-Matti Ahti and in the artist/organizer collective Himera.

Judith Hamann is a cellist and performer/composer from Narrm/Melbourne in so-called Australia, currently based in Berlin. Their work encompasses performance, improvisation, electro-acoustic composition, field recording, electronics, site specific generative work, and micro-tonal systems in a deeply considered process based approach to creative practice. Currently Judith’s work is focused on an examination of expressions and manifestations of 'shaking’ in solo performance practice, a collection of works for cello and humming, as well as ongoing research surrounding ‘collapse’ as a generative imaginary surface, and the ‘de-mastering’ of bodies (human and non-human) in European settler-colonial heritage instrumental practice and pedagogy. Judith likes working with and thinking-with other artists which sometimes includes people like Joshua Bonnetta, Dennis Cooper, Charles Curtis, Golden Fur (with James Rushford and Sam Dunscombe), Lori Goldston, the Harmonic Space Orchestra, Sarah Hennies, Yvette Janine Jackson, and Anike Joyce Sadiq.

Das ikonische belgische DJ-Duo 2ManyDJs, bestehend aus den Brüder Stephen und David Dewaele, feiert das 20-jährige Jubiläum ihres Albums 'As Heard on Radio Soulwax Pt. 2' mit einer besonderen Re-Issue. 2002 erschien es ursprünglich nach einer Reihe von Radioshows der beiden Brüder, damals vor allem bekannt als die Köpfe hinter der Electronic/Indie-Rock Band Soulwax. Die Re-Issue erscheint mit dem Foto von Richard Young auf dem Cover, das ursprünglich als Cover vorgesehen, aber nach Rechtsstreitigkeiten mit Tipp-Ex verfremdet wurde.

Nice Girl is back with 4 Tracks sitting somewhere between chillout, club & experimental. Fans will already know about her unique approach to sound, always surprising & fresh very hard to categorize. Although the 4 tracks can very much be viewed as an extension of her debut album „Ipsum“, the overall tone of the EP is somewhat brighter with more light, at times almost euphoric! Glad to be sharing these, hope you enjoy!

MEILENSTEIN DES ETHNO-BEAT

Jahrzehnte weltweiter Konzerte, 30 Alben und abermillionen Streams haben den Dissidenten ein wunderbares Publikum auf dem ganzen Planeten beschert. Die „New York Times“ sah sie schon in den Achtziger Jahren als Vorreiter dessen, was später zum Begriff „World Music“ werden sollte.

Fast 40 Jahre nach der Erstveröffentlichung erlebt ihr legendäres Album Sahara Elektrik remastered auf Vinyl eine ungeahnte Wiedergeburt und vermittelt hautnah den musikalischen Aufbruch jener Jahre.

For Dizzy everything starts and ends with laughter. In the meantime, all paths are possible. That of melancholy, of dance or of political commitment... Dizzy is everywhere at once, always elusive, he is this explorer who, after having been one of the founders of Bebop in the 40's, will never stop experimenting, surprising and pushing back the borders. Proud of his Afro-American heritage, he knew like no other how to confront it with other cultural horizons such as Latin America or Cuba. On 25 August 1973 Dizzy Gillespie came to the Dutch public in Laren. True to form, he introduced his musicians in a mischievous and generous mood and then launched thunderously into a Caribbean tempo that lasted 19 minutes! Then, in a deep voice, Dizzy evokes his friend Martin Luther King. He dedicates "Brother K" to him, a tender ballad punctuated by flashes of storm and anger. As a conclusion Dizzy invokes his roots: "The Blues", where he abandons his trumpet to unleash the full force and warmth of his voice. The musicians withdraw to a surprisingly light theme. We leave as we arrive, on tiptoe. However, we leave with a certainty: "Yes Dizzy, you made it".

Dizzie Gillespie, Trumpet and Vocals
Mike Longo, Piano
Alexander Gafa, Guitar
Earl May, Bass
Mickey Roker, Drums
Guest Artist : Jon Faddis, Trumpet on tracks 9 and 10

Recorded at the Singer Concert Hall

Laren Jazz Festival, 25.VIII.1973

STEREO ℗ 1973 VARA

Remastered by ℗ & © 2017 FONDAMENTA

Made and printed in Germany

After a rollercoaster two years promoting his last offering King Of Clubs in the middle of a global pandemic, alt-rock legend Jamie Lenman returns with the most intimate, most ambitious and most accessible album of his career. Recorded at The Chapel studios in Chichester over January and February this year with producer Mark Roberts, The Atheist is eleven tracks of guitar driven indie-pop, each laden with enough hooks to catch Moby Dick. With themes ranging from toxic friendships to socio economics to the religious topics inherent in the title, Lenman eschews the aggressive approach of previous records for a more melodic mood. “I’ve had a few of these songs kicking around for years, just waiting for the right album,” says Lenman. “Some of them were written for my first solo project Muscle Memory, some of them were even written whilst I was still in my band, but they were all too pretty. After twenty years of hard edges, particularly the ugly overtones of my last record, it was a relief to mellow out and just revel in the pure joyfulness of the thing.” From the huge earworm of Talk Hard to the stadium-sized chorus of Lena (Don’t Leave Me), the sheer catchiness of the material is undeniable, and was proven when Lenman took his new-look three-piece band to this year’s Download and played a set of entirely unheard tracks. The capacity crowd erupted into spontaneous sing-alongs despite never having heard a single note before, resulting in one of the surprise highlights of the weekend. Combined with dazzling artwork from renowned Washington Post/Wall St Journal illustrator Michael Parkin, Lenman will be unleashing his new softer side on an eager public later this year, alongside a string of live shows and the third iteration of his own mini-festival, Lenmania.

Helga Myhr is a highly regarded Hardanger fiddle player and singer
She has participated in a number of ensembles and has played in a variety of
genres. In this work, originally composed for the 2020 Osa Festival, she combines
her roots in traditional music from Hallingdal with her distinctive form of musical
exploration. This release unites music and visual art on glorious vinyl, designed
by the award-winning artist Solveig Lønseth.Helga Myhr grew up surrounded by
folk music. Today, fiddle tunes are what lie closest to her heart:
"Fiddle playing encompasses infinite possibilities, and it is these possibilities that
inspire me when I create new music. People who know fiddle music well might be
able to hear which tunes or 'layers' I have used, but sometimes it is more subtle" -
Helga Myhr.
The music on this recording was composed specifically for the outstanding
musicians who appear on the recording. Their exceptional musical and creative
qualities have had a profound impact on how the music sounds: "Malin Alander
has a fabulous voice that she can shape and stretch with amazing suppleness;
Adrian Myhr produces a warm bass sound, with lovely and intricate melodic lines;
Michaela Antalová has a superb groove, and she creates elegant tones on the
willow flute; multi- instrumentalist Rasmus Kjorstad adds compelling sound
variations and tasteful contributions on the Norwegian zither, octave violin and
Jew's harp", Helga Myhr explains.
Poems by Margit Lappegard (1918– 2011), from Leveld, Ål in Hallingdal, are
included in three of the tunes. Lappegard was a beloved poet who attracted
considerable attention with her poetry collection "Noko vil alltid lysa", first
published in 1988.
Helga Myhr's solo album "Natten veller seg ut" was released in the autumn of
2019 on the Motvind Records label, and was nominated for a Norwegian Grammy
Award (Spellemannsprisen). Myhr plays in several groups and ensembles,
including the band Morgonrode, which won a Norwegian Grammy in 2019. She is
also a member of Kvedarkvintetten, Dei kjenslevare and a duo together with Tanja
Orning.

“Arguably his generation’s best lyricist” – Mojo // “The year’s stand-out album for me” – Stewart Lee // “A sort of modern-day pastoral” – Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate // The follow-up to last year’s first volume, English Primitive II continues the themes introduced previously in a harder, more electric and psychedelic style. The songs were mostly recorded during the same sessions but, if EPII showcased the ‘songs of innocence’, this new set comprises ‘songs of experience’. Callahan's lyrical themes here are frequently the sleaze and corruption of our ‘betters’, the intentional and unintentional brutality meted out on those weaker and the sometimes perverse ways in which this happens. There are moments of reflection among the broken mirrors, but they allow scant solace or reassurance. Dressed in another of Scottish artist Pinkie McClure’s witty and detailed stained glass creations and recorded at home and under a railway arch, EPII rises above its origins and invades the wider world, in all its colour, gritand glory. Each song serves as a monument to its internal tale – in fact, the whole LP is as much a collection of musical short stories as it is an album of songs. Opening with Invisible Man, the impression of a regular person with hidden grievances, biding his time and waiting to lash out is given. Waves of distant samples ebb and fall as the warped guitars swell and crash behind the main themes. We don’t know when this explosion will happen – we only know it will. A sleazy celebration of Britain’s position as the laundering capital of the world follows in the form of Beautiful Launderette. It’s good that we keep everything nice and clean for the whole planet, isn’t it? Business as usual, keeping the globe turning – that’s our role and we love it. The Parrot rocks like only a prolonged evisceration of governmental mouthpieces and their court stenographers can. It’s a thankless task making sure that the powers that be retain their authority in all things and patrolling the borders of what is allowed to be said and believed, but somebody’s got to do it. If you’re providing a service, you’ll need to present a united front against the grievances of the public, so you’ll need The Scapegoat. Mistakes and accidents can’t be the company’s fault, so you’ll need to pay someone to be publicly and repeatedly sacked to make it appear as if you’re solving problems and getting better. Lessons will be learned, going forward. The disturbing tale of Bear Factory begins side two and is the real-life story of the murder of one of the singer’s primary-school classmates in the 1970s, and true in every detail. The victim’s body was never found but the killer justifiably imprisoned for life. A more ancient scent of death pervades The Burnet Rose. This ground-hugging plant covers the graves of the victims in a seventeenth-century plague village on the Yorkshire coast to this day, commemorating their sacrifices when all around have forgotten. It’s this particular songwriter’s favourite flower. Orgy of the Ancients describes the intimate intricacies of ageing politicians and the press as they decide whether to go to war. In grotesque scenarios worthy of Caligula, they decide the fates of our children. And it’s not even half the truth. To finish, the songwriter looks back to an admired predecessor, when he sets William Blake’s famous poem London in a groovier setting than we’re used to – in the form of London by Blakelight. If London swings, it’s from the Tyburn tree. Tracks: Invisible Man / Beautiful Launderette / The Parrot / The Scapegoat / Bear Factory / The Burnet Rose / Orgy Of The Ancients / London By Blakelight

After the relative success of The Bitter Springs' last album, The Odd Shower, Simon Rivers promptly disbanded the long-running group and began recording his first solo album, Like Yer Wounds Too, under the name Poor Performer. As Jim Wirth wrote of a recent Bitter Springs reissue, "Weaving the messy threads of suburban life into dense tapestries, he has something of the Go-Betweens' gift for melody, something of Mark E Smith’s ear for language, something of Vic Godard’s common touch, and almost none of the acclaim that should have been his due." This holds true for Poor Performer's debut album, though the songs seem based around a loose concept of issues dealing with middle-age self-reflection . . . though nothing nearly as navel-gazing as that statement might imply! Rivers: "For as long as I can remember, I've been either making records or planning to make them. But for once, this is a record I didn't really plan to make. The strange circumstances of the Covid lockdown led to its coming together. I'd lost my Dad to a demential-related death, retired from work due to mental stress, and was shielded for seven months . . . I took my banjo, my Dad's Yamaha keyboard and a few of my guitars, and booked a month of studio days at One Cat with the brilliant Jon Clayton at the controls . . . after a week or so of recording backing tracks, Jon said, "I think 57 songs is a bit ambitious, Si", so together made the decisions that shaped this record and its accompanying EP." With 7" 45s now nearly as expensive to make as a full vinyl LP, a decision was made to include likely contenders on a bonus CD EP, which certainly rivals the album in quality and perhaps generally exceeds it in immediacy, but Like Yer Wounds Too is more of a grower than anything yet released by Tiny Global Productions, and one of the releases we're most proud to present to the public. Humour, insight and brilliance abound. Album tracks: Golden London Leaves / Kempton Park / Life U Chose / Hard To Be Happy / Lil' Bro / Sleepy Little Town / No Escape From Me And You / Right As Rain / The Point / Our Souls / The Frog's Tale / Can You Whistle? / Something's Gonna Kill Ya ep tracks: The World Has Had Enough / 2 Hard 2B Happy / For A While / Get Up Them Stairs / Daylight Robbery

Nach fast 20 Jahren der Veröffentlichung ihres Debütalbum „Bohème“, welches mit über 500.000 verkauften Einheiten ihre erfolgreichste Veröffentlichung ist, erscheint nun erstmalig die englische Version des Albums.
Die englischen Bohème-Songs wurden 2009 in Berlin aufgenommen.
Adaptiert wurden die Texte von Martin Gallop einem kanadischen Singer-Songwriter. "Mit Annett Louisan trat er 2007 und 2008 als Gaststar auf ihrer „Das optimale Leben“- Tour und 2009 auf der „Teilzeithippie“-Tour auf, wodurch er einem größeren deutschen Publikum bekannt wurde, insbesondere da er von Sommer 2008 bis 2010 mit Annett Louisan auch privat liiert war, was auch von den Boulevard-Medien zur Kenntnis genommen worden war. Die Künstlerin war seinetwegen nach Berlin gezogen, wo Gallop seine neue Wohnheimat gefunden hatte.

Im Zuge dieser Veröffentlichung erscheinen auch ihre, als Tonträger lang nicht mehr zu erhaltenen, Alben „Bohème“ (2004), „Unausgesprochen“ (2005), „Das optimale Leben“ (2007), und „Teilzeithippie“ (2008) in neuem Gewand als „Gold Edition“ als hochwertiges Digipak und Gatefold DoppelVinyl, 180Gramm. „Unausgesprochen“, „Das optimale Leben“ sowie „Teilzeithippie“ erscheinen zum 1. Mal auf Vinyl.
Alle Alben enthalten unveröffentlichte Bonustracks des 2005 aufgenommen Livekonzerts bei „SWR1 Kopfhörer“.

When they released their first single, ‘Give It To Me’, in the summer of 2021, Classless Act were immediately praised for their ability to sound both fresh and timeless. Loudwire instantly added the song to their ‘Weekly Wire’ Spotify playlist, identifying it as one of the top new releases of the summer. Other iconic outlets such as SPIN Magazine were also early to show support. It was a fitting public introduction to a band who embody what it means to be modern rock stars. The band initially formed in 2018 after connecting and bonding virtually by their love and passion of music. Now in Los Angeles, they are united on a mission to be the next great generation-defining act, drawing inspiration from classic rock acts of the ‘70s and alt-rock groups from the ‘90s. Their music echoes the hallmarks of previous generations - anthemic rhythms, shredding guitars, soaring vocals - but punches its way into the future with clever arrangements, sharp musicianship and proficient songwriting. Already making a big noise within the industry, the band have recently been in the studio with world-class producers such as Bob Rock, Michael Beinhorn and Joe Chiccarrelli, who have helped craft hits for the likes of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Soundgarden and The White Stripes. Their debut album coincides with the band hitting the road in North America alongside Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard and others on their 2022 Summer Stadium Tour.

When they released their first single, ‘Give It To Me’, in the summer of 2021, Classless Act were immediately praised for their ability to sound both fresh and timeless. Loudwire instantly added the song to their ‘Weekly Wire’ Spotify playlist, identifying it as one of the top new releases of the summer. Other iconic outlets such as SPIN Magazine were also early to show support. It was a fitting public introduction to a band who embody what it means to be modern rock stars. The band initially formed in 2018 after connecting and bonding virtually by their love and passion of music. Now in Los Angeles, they are united on a mission to be the next great generation-defining act, drawing inspiration from classic rock acts of the ‘70s and alt-rock groups from the ‘90s. Their music echoes the hallmarks of previous generations - anthemic rhythms, shredding guitars, soaring vocals - but punches its way into the future with clever arrangements, sharp musicianship and proficient songwriting. Already making a big noise within the industry, the band have recently been in the studio with world-class producers such as Bob Rock, Michael Beinhorn and Joe Chiccarrelli, who have helped craft hits for the likes of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Soundgarden and The White Stripes. Their debut album coincides with the band hitting the road in North America alongside Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard and others on their 2022 Summer Stadium Tour.

Tehran-born, Manchester-based artist Parham Ghalamdar provides a suite of raw & candid amateur-performed Persian folk, pop songs and poetry - all pulled from the audio on his parents archive of homemade VHS recordings documenting intimate, joyous & illicit gatherings in turn-of-the-century Iran.

"Beautiful Apparitions is a collection of audio excerpts from digitized VHS tapes recorded by my parents in early-noughties Iran. The footage depicts the secret double lives of Iranians drinking, dancing, and singing to celebrate life when owning a VHS player was illegal in the Islamic Republic. The footage is an amateur performance of pop and folklore songs about love, loss and life. Although many Iranians must have recorded such vivid moments, they are rarely made available publicly. Such tapes would usually have been well hidden, lost, or purposefully destroyed."

— Parham Ghalamdar

Bad Colours is back with his sophomore album, "Always With U," out on Bastard Jazz Recordings in November, 2022. The London-born, Maryland-raised, Brooklyn-based DJ, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist - aka Ibe Soliman - continues to build on the well-deserved acclaim from his 2021 debut LP, "PINK," as well as a slew of standalone singles and collaborations with the likes of Shabazz Palaces, Jarv Dee, and Stas THEE Boss.

"Always With U" sees Ibe further develop his talents as a songwriter and producer, while maintaining the signature balance of banging dance music and dense bars that he's quickly becoming known for. The album expands Ibe's role to a collaborator, band leader, and all-around star-of-the-show; it's certainly still a dance record, but there's also so much more. Live instrumentation accompanies every track, with the notable contributions of Nigerian bassist Akin-Alade Ogo heard across the album, as well as the NY-based saxophonist Carras Paton on the jazzy, upbeat house number, "Heartache + U."

The lead single, "Maybe I Should Move to LA," sees the proudly Brooklyn-based Bad Colours contemplate a move out West – an idea that came about following a trip to LA for the 20 Years of Bastard Jazz anniversary party (which he DJed) in November last year. Bright pads, a thumping four-on-the-floor beat, and a catchy vocal line make it the perfect accompaniment to a top-down joy-ride up PCH. The album's second single, "You Don't Know," features frequent collaborator and PNW darling Jarv Dee, as well as KAS and JVDE who have both been making waves in the Brooklyn scene (KAS for his work with Grammy- nominated producer Harmony Samuels featured on BET, and JVDE as the lead-singer of alternative band Blind Benny). "You Don't Know" turns up the heat with Jarv and KAS trading dense, rapid-fire verses over a high-tempo beat and detuned vocal; the kick cuts out for the bridge, replaced by syncopated keyboard stabs and JVDE's stacked vocals. "You Don't Know" is high-energy hip house at its finest: Super catchy and irresistibly dancey.

The two singles are emblematic of the rest of the album, which largely alternates between vocal and hip house, sometimes jazzy, other times touching on R&B or dancefloor influenced pop. Dave Giles II and Cor.Ece (who recently both contributed to Beyoncé's chart-topping "Renaissance" LP and Honey Dijon's "Work" single) feature on "Flow," while Toribio (of the acclaimed Brooklyn band Conclaves) provides vocals for "Do Better;" both tracks are on the mellower side, reminiscent of late-90s New York mid-tempo garage. Rising artist N.O.V. features on the second track, "Ready," rapping over a bass-heavy beat; MarcusHarmon makes a return after appearing on "PINK," with smooth vocals on the romantic "Come Closer." Aforementioned JVDE can be heard throughout the album, contributing to "You Don't Know," "Flirtation Avenue," and "Easy Come, Easy Go."

While Ibe's career has spanned nearly two decades - as both a DJ (alongside the likes of James Murphy, Mark Ronson, and Q-Tip) and producer (for Kendrick Lamar, Faith Evans, Keyshia Cole, and Rick Ross, among others) - the Bad Colours name only came into being in early 2020, with the debut LP, "PINK," being released in February, 2021 on the Brooklyn tastemaker label Bastard Jazz. By tapping into his deep network of artist friends, Ibe compiled a treasure-trove of vocal samples, snippets, sketches, and fresh instrumental loops into a beautiful debut record that touches on hip-hop, house, and left-field electronic, while remaining danceable.

A slew of singles throughout 2020 and 2021 included "Feelin' Like," featuring the Seattle rapper Jarv Dee, has become an underground hit, popping up everywhere from Best Buy ads, Hulu's "Woke," celebrity Peloton instructor Emma Lovewell's playlist, and even as a soundtrack to the Mayor of Madrid's TikTok video. Most recently, "Feelin' Like" had a prominent placement in the #1 Netflix film "Spiderhead," directed by Joseph Kosinski ("Tron: Legacy;" "Top Gun: Maverick") and starring Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, and Jurnee Smollett. The breakout success of "Feelin' Like" further led to a collaborative EP with Jarv Dee, titled "BLAKHOUSE," which saw additional features from fellow PNW natives Shabazz Palaces ("Clouds," featured in Hulu's "Shoresy") and Stas THEE Boss ("Black Skin"). This year, Bad Colours dropped the early Summer banger "Hit The Breaks," and served as the musical director for the influential MADE New York festival, a two-day fashion, music, and arts event presented by Public School NYC and Paypal, that saw performances by Nas, Heron Preston, and Bearcat among others.

"Always With U" is a testament to Bad Colours' versatility as a producer and artist, which has allowed him to bring together such a diverse group of friends and collaborators. Yes, the house and hip-hop roots remain, but "Always With U" shows an evolution of the Bad Colours sound into masterfully crafted dancefloor sounds. It's a truly stunning follow-up from an artist undoubtedly on the rise. The album is out on all platforms, via Bastard Jazz Recordings, November 11th, 2022.

Heralding the release of Memoirs of Hi-Tech Jazz, the forthcoming album by Detroit-born-and-based artist, Waajeed, the 12” features further examinations of the track’s motifs by the vaunted Detroit collective, Underground Resistance, Zambian producer SHE Spells Doom, and a special reimagining by Waajeed himself featuring live drums.

Alongside the LP version the three remixes further explore the links between Techno and Jazz, styles both founded on African traditions that make commentary on the present but are always oriented to potential hereafter.

On the People Mover Remix, Waajeed enlists the talents of Zo!, Tall Black Guy, Michele Manzo, and more to explore one extreme of the track’s musical heritage. Syncopated drums, driven by a full and bright snare drum, firmly place this version in the sphere of contemporary Jazz emanating from Detroit and cities across the US.

Coming from an album inspired by revolutionary efforts against oppression in Detroit and in Black locales around the world it is entirely fitting that Underground Resistance should provide their take on Motor City Madness. UR’s Mike Banks follows the lead of the original’s melange of genres. By thickening the bassline, peppering the mix with extra brass from the Mad Brass Horn Section, and adding strings courtesy of Six Mile Strings, UR further explore the dynamic intersection of music, history, and geography.

SHE Spells Doom closes the remix package with his second release on Tresor after his contribution to 2021’s Tresor30 compilation. The Zambian artist trims Motor City Madness down to the bones of the brass section and infuses them with a gqom beat, simultaneously referring to Jazz and Techno’s deepest roots in Africa, as well as suggesting where they might be headed in the future.

PUBLISHED: 6TH OCTOBER 2022

GREY & BLACK SWIRL VINYL
Public Memory is a blend of damaged and dubbed out percussion, unfurling synths and sparse sampling all strung together by producer Robert Toher's spectral tenor. The project's sophomore LP, Demolition follows 2017's Veil of Counsel EP and 2016's Wuthering Drum LP with cinematic fortitude.While Public Memory's prominent krautrock and triphop rhythms are represented here, Demolition explores a greater range of tempos and an expanse of alien emotions with layers of electronic drums, live drums, Korg synths and samples from nature. Themes of rebirth and reflection imbue the album's atmosphere, rich in tape delay, spring reverb, and textures that conjure a sci fi and supernatural narrative.Toher's adept use of space and tension articulates the world of Demolition as eerie, emotive, and above all, narcotic.Each track is an existential procession. "Turning out the lights on your illusion," Toher sings to close the album, accepting that change is an inescapable condition of being.

Seit über einem Jahrzehnt verzaubert Lindsey Stirling das Publikum auf der ganzen Welt mit der fesselnden Magie ihrer elektronischen Violine und ihren exquisit komponierten, aber mutig erfinderischen Sound. Auf ihrem neuen Album „Snow Waltz“ findet sich die klassisch ausgebildete Musikerin/Songwriterin/Tänzerin/Autorin voll und ganz in ihrem Element und teilt eine Auswahl an Weihnachtsklassikern und Eigenkompositionen, die die Zuhörer durch ihre immersiven Arrangements und faszinierenden Melodien in den Bann ziehen. Der
Nachfolger ihres Debüt-Weihnachtsalbums „Warmer in the Winter“ aus dem Jahr 2017, dessen Hitsingle „Carol of the Bells“ als erster und einziger Instrumental-Song in den Top 10 bei AC Radio Geschichte schrieb, heißt „Snow Waltz“ und ist ein einzigartiges neues Album in der Welt der Weihnachtsmusik, was einmal mehr Stirlings außergewöhnliche Begabung als instrumentale Geschichtenerzählerin beweist. „Snow Waltz“, Stirlings sechstes Album in voller Länge und erstes Album seit „Artemis“ aus dem Jahr
2019 (Nr. 1 in Billboards US Top Classical Albums und US Top Dance/Electronic Albums Charts), nahm in ihrem Heimstudio in Los Angeles Gestalt an, wo sie bisher hauptsächlich mit langjährigen Kollegen wie Produzent Mark Maxwell und Orchestrator Stephen Anderson gearbeitet hat.

Das Album ist als Jewel Case CD und auf Vinyl erhältlich.

Live At The L.A. Forum präsentiert einen außergewöhnlichen Auftritt der Jimi Hendrix Experience im April 1969. Vor einem ausverkauften Haus spielten Hendrix, Schlagzeuger Mitch Mitchell und Bassist Noel Redding ein einzigartiges Set mit Highlights wie "I Don't Live Today", "Purple Haze", "Red House" und einem erstaunlichen Medley aus "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" und "Sunshine Of Your Love" von Cream. Diese unverfälschte Aufnahme, die von Hendrix' langjährigem Tontechniker Eddie Kramer neu abgemischt wurde, fängt die Jimi Hendrix Experience in ihrer unvergleichlichen Hochform ein. Ein Teil dieses Auftritts war zuvor Teil einer kurzlebigen Westwood One Radio-Dokumentationsbox Lifelines 1990-1992, war aber seit zwei Jahrzehnten nicht mehr in irgendeiner Form erhältlich. Die CD-Veröffentlichung mit einem 24-seitigen Booklet - komplett mit Linernotes von Billy Gibbons von ZZ Top, der die Show aus erster Hand miterlebte - gibt diesem bahnbrechenden Auftritt die richtige Plattform und präsentiert den kompletten Auftritt, der direkt von den originalen 8-Spur-Masterbändern abgemischt wurde.Enregistrée au printemps 1969 devant un public déchaîné et à guichets fermés, la performance captivante de la formation originale (Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell et Noel Redding) n'a jamais été publiée dans son intégralité. Cet album sort à temps pour le 80e anniversaire de la naissance de Jimi Hendrix. Après le succès massif du tiercé gagnant Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold as Love, Electric Ladyland en 1967-68, le trio est devenu l'attraction internationale la plus populaire du rock. C'est au L.A. Forum que le groupe dévoile pour la première fois la fameuse reprise de « The Star Spangled Banner », que Jimi allait canoniser quatre mois plus tard à Woodstock. Le live comprend «Purple Haze» et un medley incendiaire de 17 minutes de « Voodoo Child (Return) » et « Sunshine Of Your Love » de Cream. Le concert a été enregistré simultanément par Wally Heider et Bill Halverson, et récemment remixé par Eddie Kramer, producteur et ingénieur de longue date de Hendrix, pour une fidélité audio maximale et inclut une préface de Billy Gibbons de ZZ Top, qui a assisté au concert en 1969.

Mit "ELVIS Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" veröffentlicht RCA Records in diesem Sommer den Soundtrack zum neuen Baz Luhrmann-Film "ELVIS", der am 24. Juni in die Kinos kommt und Austin Butler sowie Tom Hanks in den Hauptrollen zeigt. "ELVIS" ist ein absolut episches Leinwandspektakel des visionären Filmemachers Baz Luhrmann, das das Leben und die Musik von Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) und vor allem seine komplizierte Beziehung zu seinem rätselhaften Manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), beleuchtet. Der Soundtrack zeigt das außergewöhnliche Werk von Elvis aus den 1950er, 60er und 70er Jahren und würdigt gleichzeitig seine vielfältigen musikalischen Einflüsse sowie anhaltende Wirkung auf populäre Künstler von heute. Neben Musik von Elvis Presley, befinden sich Original-Soundtrack-Recordings von Austin Butler auf der CD als auch neue Reimagined Tracks von Künstlern wie Doja Cat, Maneskin, Swae Lee & Diplo, Chris Isaak & Stevie Nicks, Gary Clark Jr, Nardo Wick, Jack White uvm. Avec "ELVIS Original Motion Picture Soundtrack", RCA Records publie cet été la bande originale du nouveau film de Baz Luhrmann "ELVIS", qui sortira le 24 juin dans les salles et mettra en scène Austin Butler et Tom Hanks dans les rôles principaux. "ELVIS" est un spectacle à l'écran absolument épique du cinéaste visionnaire Baz Luhrmann, qui met en lumière la vie et la musique d'Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) et surtout sa relation compliquée avec son énigmatique manager, le colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). La bande-son met en lumière l'oeuvre exceptionnelle d'Elvis dans les années 1950, 60 et 70, tout en rendant hommage à ses multiples influences musicales et à son impact durable sur les artistes populaires d'aujourd'hui. Outre la musique d'Elvis Presley, le CD contient des enregistrements originaux de la bande originale par Austin Butler ainsi que de nouveaux morceaux réimaginés par des artistes tels que Doja Cat, Maneskin, Swae Lee & Diplo, Chris Isaak & Stevie Nicks, Gary Clark Jr, Nardo Wick, Jack White et bien d'autres.

Meltdown was the fourth smash hit album from Ash. The album again reached No.5 within the UK and has since become a gold record. The hard rock album contains mega hits including Clones, Orpheus, Starcrossed, Renegade Cavalcade and Meltdown.

Ash and BMG are proud to reissue Ash’s fourth LP ‘Meltdown for the first time on Orange and Black splatter vinyl. This album has not been re-issued since it’s 2004 release, so will be an exciting prospect within the Ash community. Meltdown contains hit after hit and with its hard rock sound resonates strongly with a wide audience. Upon release Ash drew critical acclaim from multiple publications including Pitchfork, The Guardian, Drowned In Sound and many more, whilst touring with allusive contemporaries The Darkness, and headlining Coachella Festival.

Since 2018, BBE Music has been leading the field in reissuing rare modern jazz from Japan’s golden period spanning the late 60s to the early 80s. The J Jazz Masterclass Series continues to present the finest in Japanese jazz with Planets by Masaru Imada Trio + 1. Originally released in 1977 as a private press album, Planets showcases the refined playing and sophisticated compositions of one of Japan’s leading pianists, Masaru Imada. In a fifty-plus year career he has released over 40 albums, including several that have won awards from some of Japan’s leading music publications and has recorded with leading US jazz artists such as David Sanborn, Brecker Brothers, Steve Gadd, and Grover Washington Jr. Imada’s Bosendorfer piano is joined by the drums of Tetsujiro Obara and the bass of Kunimitsu Inaba, augmented by Yuji Imamura on percussion. The opening title track on Planets (featured on J Jazz vol 3) is a wafer-thin modal waltz, beginning with gentle bells and shells, followed by Obara’s deft brush work and Inaba’s hypnotically pliant bass that gives a discrete yet steady support to the gossamer melody from Imada-san’s piano. The other standout track is the suite, Sea's Pasture, an epic piece that undulates and heaves, like the dark endless ocean, rich with mystery and each side of the album ends with a solo piece on the haunting Bosendorfer. Planets comes with full reproduction of the original artwork with obi strip, extra photos, a translation of the original sleeve note and a 3000 word new sleeve note by Tony Higgins including an interview with Masaru Imada himself. The J Jazz Masterclass Series is curated by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden for BBE Music.

Here is the much anticipated volume 3 of the HOT SAUCE compilation LPs dedicated to the Trojan related UK labels between 1965 and 1975.

HOT SAUCE VOLUME 3 features outstanding original Rocksteady, Boss Reggae and early Reggae (“Reggay”) tracks including rare songs, overlooked gems, hidden treasures and a couple of hits.

The record labels showcased on this third volume are Amalgamated, Duke, Gayfeet, Grape, Harry J, Rio, Randy’s, Treasure Isle, Upsetter and Trojan. The tracks here have been selected according to their musical interest firstly, their rarity, and their complementarity.

These tracks are all outstanding tracks, “killer tracks”, there is no “filler” whatsoever.

Particular attention has been paid to the way the songs are sequenced (or “mixed”) so that the album builds up nicely and gradually, generally starting with the Rocksteady songs on the A side and the 70s songs on the B side.

HOT SAUCE is a musical journey across early Jamaican Reggae - highlighting its diverse musical genres and outstanding artists – as it was once published by the U.K. record labels during this golden decade…

Since the early 70s “Tighten Up” series, no compilations have really explored these labels in depth on vinyl.

Re-mastered from the original master tapes.
180 gr vinyl pressed by Optimal in Germany using the Metal Mothers from Pallas.

Facsimile reissue using the original photo by Jean-Pierre Leloir.
Double insert using an original color photo by JP Leloir.
Each record has been visually checked to prevent defects.

Recorded October 22, 1958, Olympia hall, Paris.
Original LP issue: Brunswick 87 903.

“They’d been living in Europe for months. They’d appeared in Cannes and at Knokke (…) yet the only thing missing was the consecration that a great concert in Paris would bring. They won that last battle with astounding brio, in front of an audience of connoisseurs. There were many there who thought modern jazz had never been so well- served in Paris.” (Jazz Magazine). Hard bop had arrived! Hallelujah! On its first French appearance, in July ‘58 at the Cannes Festival – the first and only Cannes jazz festival – the Donald Byrd Quintet had brought the house down. Yet four of its five members were relatively unknown in France… The French knew that the leader had replaced Kenny Dorham in the Jazz Messengers, that Doug Watkins was the Messengers’ bassist, and that pianist Walter Davis Jr. was still only 18 when he’d played with Charlie Parker. As for Art Taylor, even if his name meant something to fans, it was still difficult for people to have a more precise idea of his musical qualities. Only Bobby Jaspar was well-known to Paris audiences, and the tour marked the return of the prodigal son, the musician who’d decided, after setting the Club St. Germain on fire, to try his luck in the States early in 1956 – J.J. Johnson had hired him, and then Miles Davis (for a short spell) before Donald Byrd brought him into the group he was taking to Europe. This new tour would climax at the Olympia theatre during one of the “Jazz Wednesdays” that were organised there, ever since the Jazz At Carnegie Hall” tour – Zoot Sims, JJ. Johnson, Lee Konitz, Phineas Newborn – had inaugurated the series a little earlier. Byrd and his band took pains not to disappoint a Paris audience they knew to be particularly fickle, and they astutely varied the public’s pleasures throughout the evening. The complicity that united the rhythm section – Walter Davis Jr., Doug Watkins and Art Taylor – was much in evidence on Ray’s Idea; mistrusting the traps of the spectacular at all costs, Donald Byrd, producing brilliant inventions on the trumpet, took the lion’s share of the honours on a theme that was then much in fashion, Dear Old Stockholm, adapted from a Swedish traditional song; on Flute Blues, Bobby Jaspar proved he was still a specialist on that instrument, and Paul’s Pal showed that, on tenor, the playing of Sonny Rollins hadn’t gone unnoticed. It must be said that it didn’t have much effect on the discreet lyricism underlying the choruses he played during his “St. Germain” period. The Olympia spectators weren’t sparing in their applause for the five musicians. How else could they have reacted, faced with the fire the band showed during a tune like The Blues Walk? It wouldn’t take much for us to applaud, too, even if it is fifty-five years later…
Text – Alain Tercinet

A joint release between Discos Nada & Litoral. One of the first independently released Brazilian records, Alcides Neves’ debut LP ‚Tempo de Fratura’ is reissued for the first time on vinyl, alongside his second release ‚Des (Trambelhar) Ou Não‘.

Hailing from the Brazilian North East, Alcides Neves released his debut album a few years after moving to São Paulo, in 1979. The LP’s release coincided with the emergence of the city’s seminal Vanguarda Paulista movement, which led some researchers to locate Alcides within the movement. As the artist himself affirms; however, he did not fit into any established musical movements, and while it is perhaps possible to identify some influences, it is not possible to consider his music as belonging to a specific lineage either.

Alcides’ singularity and experimental disposition is on full display on his opening album, which revels in its own disformity and lack of external interference, made possible by releasing the LP independently.

The album translates to ‚Time of Fracture‘, a fitting moniker for the context in the final years of the Brazilian military dictatorship. The eleven songs that comprise the album are proof that the album was not named randomly, showcasing a broad range of both experimental and folk influences, while also including lyrics that originally did not get past federal censors.

Carefully remastered by Paulo Torres with updated original artwork, the record is reissued in a gatefold sleeve including a promotional image from the time of release. This LP furthermore includes an insert with a text written by the journalist and researcher Bento Araujo, editor of the bimonthly publication ‚Poeira Zine‘ and author of the ‚Lindo Sonho Delirante‘ series of books.

A joint release between Discos Nada & Litoral. Alcides Neves’ unique second LP ‚Des (Trambelhar) Ou Não’ is reissued for the first time on vinyl, alongside his first release ‚Tempo de Fratura‘.

Somewhat of a concept album, this LP was conceived as having a predominantly experimental A-side and a more folky B-side, with songs influenced by Alcides’ native Northeastern Brazil. Alcides chose to release his second record independently as well, owing to the risk-averse nature of the labels at the time. Indeed, rather than adapting to the demands of the labels and making more romantic or commercial music, Alcides went in the opposite direction and released the most experimental record of his career.

The result is an album with distinct identities on each side but with an experimental bent throughout. The LP’s sounds are reflected by its striking cover, which collates some of Alcides’ artistic heroes - Frank Zappa, Gilberto Gil, Jimi Hendrix, Arnold Schönberg, Igor Stravinsky (to whom he also dedicated a song on the LP) among others, above an artwork in the style of Northeastern Brazilian folk art.

By blending traditional regional Northeastern elements with an experimental approach and influences from 20th century classical music, Alcides Neves crafted one of the most unique Brazilian records.

Carefully remastered by Paulo Torres with updated original artwork, the record is reissued in a gatefold sleeve including a promotional image from the time of release. This LP furthermore includes an insert with a text written by the journalist and researcher Bento Araujo, editor of the bimonthly publication ‚Poeira Zine‘ and author of the ‚Lindo Sonho Delirante‘ series of books.

Die achtköpfige Combo Pleasure, gleichzeitig die Rhythmusband von Side Effect ('Always There'), verschmolz Soul, Funk und Jazz zu einer höchst spannungsgeladenen Mischung von Black Music. Sowohl ihr Powerhouse-Soul-Track 'We Have So Much' als auch ihr viel gesampelter Signature-Jam 'Joyous' sind heute selten auf 7" zu finden. 'Joyous' wurde u.a. von Daft Punk, LL Cool J, Janet Jackson und Public Enemy gesampelt.

In recent years ambient music has changed and encountering Jon Hassell's fourth world design has become easy. Most of the time there’s no feeling, no narrative, a nothingness of ideas through layers and layers of pastiche and boring bedroom music. This is not bashing. Just a reminder that sometimes the information trap delays an understanding of how good music really is.

“Cavalcante” is the new release by funcionário (born Pedro Tavares). You’ll find Jon Hassell in these eleven pieces. And yes, sometimes you’ll think about ambient music. Most of the time you’ll wonder about what is really happening. And why it's only now you’re hearing about this twenty-something musician from Setúbal, Portugal.

A little bit more than one minute into “En Garde!”, the opening track, one feels challenged by the idea that everything that was listened up to that moment was a false start. The piece abruptly stops, flips some digital sound, and restarts in a whole new direction. As this happens it becomes obvious we are in for a treat. Those two, three seconds create a sensation that everything happens in a moment that introduces you to funcionário's craft: delicate complex sounds infatuated with the idea of movement and the never-ending notion that there’s no dividers in the fourth world. Music can go beyond that.

As it moves forward – “Verde”, “Sierra” or “Publicidade Arco e Flecha” -, the album (his fourth) morphs around variations or perceptions of ambient / electronic / experimental music. And as the language evolves, it hints on how funcionário keeps stretching the boundaries of digital music as he wishes to advance to a more analog setup. In a way, he confronts foundational ideas while having breakthroughs and realizing he is at a top level. Justifiably ambitious, bright and discreetly edgy.

Available from Blank Forms for the first time since its original 1980 release on ALM-Uranoia, New Sense of Hearing documents a collaboration between Takehisa Kosugi and Akio Suzuki, two luminaries of Japanese experimental music in the lineage of Fluxus. Blank Forms's high-quality reissue of the sought-after, long out of print LP, is produced by musician-artist Aki Onda and mastered from the original tapes recorded on April 2, 1979, at Tokyo's Aeolian Hall. Described by Suzuki as the "culmination" of their sound,New Sense of Hearing features the two musicians improvising together in that empty Tokyo theater, Kosugi on vocals, violin, and radio transmitter and Suzuki on the Analapos, his namesake glass harmonica, spring cong, and kikkokikiriki, all apparatuses of his own invention. Suzuki and Kosugi first met at the city's Minami Gallery in 1976 on the occasion of "Sound Objects and Sound Tools," an exhibition of Suzuki's homemade instruments. Two years later, at the Festival d'Automne in Paris, Suzuki invited Kosugi to join him for a suite of performances as part of the exhibition "MA: Espace - Temps au Japon," organized by architect Arata Isozaki and composer-writer Toru Takemitsu. Suzuki and Kosugi performed together at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, nearly fifty times, honing their approach to mutual improvisation, before traveling with the exhibition to Stockholm and New York_critic Tom Johnson wrote in the Village Voice that he had "seldom seen two performers so completely tuned in on the same types of sounds, the same performance attitude, the same philosophy, the same sense of what music ought to be."For New Sense of Hearing, the duo reunited in Japan and produced an extraordinary dispatch from their collaboration of arioso violin, echoing vocals and bangs, and metallic twangs. As Johnson observed in 1979, Kosugi and Suzuki are "in a very subtle artistic world where there can be no direct relationships. . . . Only coincidence." Takehisa Kosugi (1938-2018) was a composer, artist, and violinist from Tokyo. In 1960, Kosugi founded Group Ongaku, the country's first improvisational performance collective dedicated to Happenings, with Mieko Shiomi and Yasunao Tone. Four years later, Fluxus leader George Maciunas published Events, an eighteen-piece set of his text compositions. Between 1971 and '74, his band the Taj Mahal Travelers produced four live albums. In 1977, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company invited Kosugi to be their resident musician; from 1995 to 2011 he served as the company's musical director. The Whitney Museum of American Art presented "Takehisa Kosugi: Music Expanded," a two-day retrospective of Kosugi's work, in 2015. Akio Suzuki (b. 1941) was born in Pyongyang, North Korea, to Japanese parents. For the artist-musician's first Fluxus-style work Kaidan ni Mono wo Nageru (Throwing Things at the Stairs), 1963, Suzuki tossed a bucket of miscellaneous objects down a flight of stairs in Nagoya Station and listened to the sounds it produced. During the next decade, he would create original instruments including the Suzuki-type glass harmonica and the echo instrument Analapos. In 1976, Tokyo's Minami gallery hosted his first exhibition, "Akio Suzuki's World: Sound Objects and Sound Tools." For his 1988 performance piece Space in the Sun, Suzuki spent twenty-four hours listening to his surroundings on the meridian line which runs through Amino, Kyoto. Suzuki has performed and exhibited at many venues and music festivals, including Documenta 8 (Germany, 1987), the British Museum (2003), Musée Zadkine (France, 2004), Kunstmuseum Bonn (Germany, 2018), and the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (2019).

What does it mean to be a traveler in a fixed place? An adventurer in
domestic space? A troubadour in a confined microcosm, or a
constellation of microcosms—that is, a microcosmos? These are the
questions Nashville musician, songwriter, and published poet Lou Turner
(aka Lauren Turner, Styrofoam Winos) was reflecting on as she wrote her
luminous third solo album, Microcosmos
She says of the cosmic country record, "Musically, these songs are mostly in the
country/folk vein of the 70s songwriter but lyrically they're challenging some of
those tropes or totally subverting them altogether, talking about commitment and
love—the small microcosmic things that make up the fabric of everything."
With her warm and welcoming voice and nylon- stringed acoustic guitar
foregrounded over sparse yet playful arrangements, Microcosmos is a meditation
on what it means to privilege cultivation over consumption and to ponder larger
realities from within the shell of the fixed reality of a home. The reward is the
adventure to be found in stillness and observation, the discovery of the
otherworldly in earthly matter, the revelations of groundedness. Turner generously
offers up these wonders to the listener, sharing hers, and inviting us to find our
own.

Blue Vinyl

Throughout his productive career, Carl Oesterhelt has proven to be an artist who finds it easy to move between musical genres and concepts. Much of his work has been within classical and chamber music, but he has also scored museum exhibitions and he is sometimes part of The Notwist crew as an angular figure on the Munich scene.

In Umor Rex we have been lucky enough to publish an array of Oesterhelt's universes. In Eleven Pieces for Synthesizer (Umor Rex 2019) we heard his kosmische side, where the connections with Harmonia or Klaus Schulze were amalgamated with ecclesiastical organ pieces and intense semi-automatic rhythms. A deeply melodic, fresh album. Pure syntax of the modern synthesizer. Further, in The Aporias of Futurism (Umor Rex 2021), in collaboration with Andreas Gerth (Driftmachine, Tied & Tickled Trio), Oesterhelt showed what is perhaps his darkest side —a work full of nuances within concrete music and midnight atmospheres. As deep and cerebral an album as it is surprising and catatonic.

Yet it seems that Carl Oesterhelt has another ace up his sleeve. Now he surprises us with The Dualistic Principle, a fantastic album full of weird but charming electronic melodies, rhythms that push the body to movement, sometimes syncopated and abstract, others permanent and fluid. In this work, Oesterhelt invited Johan Simons to give voice to the lyrics. The Dualistic Principle is a sort of rendition of a philosophical review or a nostalgic memory of the glamorous years. There is also underlying humor in the Post / Space-pop / Munich-disc assortment. The Dualistic Principle is the score to an imaginary film of contemporary hedonism.

All music & lyrics by Carl Oesterhelt. Voice by Johan Simons. Additional strings played by the Ensemble für synkretische Musik. Recorded in Munich & Bochum, Germany. Mastered by John Tejada in Sherman Oaks, USA. Artwork by Daniel Castrejón in Mexico City.

Für Fans von: Absu, Melechesh, Moonspell, Rotting Christ, Nile.
Unheiliger Black Metal aus dem Heiligen Land, durchtränkt von nahöstlichen Klängen und Mystik! Eine Beschwörung der Jahrtausende alten
Finsternis!
Die fünfköpfige Black/Death-Metal-Band Arallu stammt aus der israelischen Siedlung Ma'ale Adummim in Israel und ist seit fünfundzwanzig
Jahren im Metal-Underground unterwegs.
Der Name Arallu stammt aus der mesopotamischen Mythologie und bezeichnet das Reich der Unterwelt, das von der Göttin Ereshkigal und dem
Gott Nergal regiert wird und in dem die Toten gerichtet werden. Die Musik von Arallu dreht sich um die traditionellen, altorientalischen Melodien
der Landsleute Melechesh, die Hochgeschwindigkeits-Wildheit von Bands wie Angelcorpse und Absu, und dem atmosphärischen Gefühl legendärer Acts wie den zuvor erwähnten Melechesh und Absu.
Im Jahr 2019 hat die Band das Album "En Olam" veröffentlicht, und dieses Werk hat Arralus bereits bekanntes Talent in der Underground-Extrem-Metal-Gemeinde gefestigt. "Death Covenant" ist das siebte Full-Length-Studioalbum der Band und bietet dem Hörer eine atemberaubende
Mischung aus okkultem Black Metal und alten sumerischen und nahöstlichen Klängen. Die Riffs, die hier zu finden sind, werden die Hörer mit
ihrer Raserei von melodischen Tremolo-Riffs, die mit einigen unheimlichen Folk-Instrumenten verwoben sind, zufriedenstellen. Die Elemente in
der Gitarrenabteilung, die mit einigen Folkinstrumenten wie einer Saz und einer Darbuka vermischt sind, zeigen, wie die Band den Metal erfolgreich auf seinen Kern reduziert und das verleiht dem Gesamtergebnis von Arallus Musik einen zusätzlichen Punch und eine gewisse Schwere im
unteren Bereich. Er liegt im Grunde genommen gleichmäßig unter den Gitarren und unterstützt sie mit einigen dicken Linien, die den Streichern
ein tieferes Gefühl verleihen und den Tracks eine bedrohliche Atmosphäre verleihen. Auch die Schlagzeugsektion fesselt die Aufmerksamkeit des
Publikums mit einer Vielzahl von zerstörerisch stampfenden Kontrabässen bis hin zu orientalischem Tribal-Drumming, das viel dazu beiträgt, dass
die Atmosphäre intakt zu halten. Die Platte ist voll von hohen, durchdringenden Schreien und Kreischen, die eine dunkle und raue Klanglandschaft schaffen. Diese bösartigen Schreie werden manchmal mit unheimlichen Backing Vocals, die die Brutalität extremer Death- und Black-Metal-Musik mit den alten nahöstlichen Skalen des Materials verbinden. "Death Covenant" zeigt auch die bisher stärkste Produktion der Band in den
fünfundzwanzig Jahren ihres Bestehens.
Mit "Death Covenant" haben Arallu ein bedrohliches und atmosphärisches Biest in diesem Metal-Stil geschaffen. Die Israelis haben ein grausames
Album vorgelegt, das kaum mit seinen Vorgängern vergleichbar ist.

Viele Songs der Sportfreunde Stiller sind Klassiker und aus der deutschen Musikwelt nicht mehr wegzudenken: „Applaus, Applaus!“, „Ein Kompliment“, „Wunderbaren Jahren“.
Jetzt kommt also „JEDER NUR EIN X“, gesprochen Jeder nur ein Kreuz – das achte Album der Münchner
Band, sehnsüchtig erwartet von Fans und Followern.
Thematisch werden viele Facetten der Sportfreunde Stiller vereint: Der Sport, der Humor, die Haltung,
sowie Lieder, die einfach nur den Moment feiern wollen. Und wie klingt das? – Die ungehobelten Gitarrenbretter, mit denen die Sportfreunde zu Beginn ihrer Karriere das Publikum gegen die Wand klatschten, sind
weniger geworden. Das Album beginnt stattdessen mit Soundtüfteleien und Akustikgitarre, mit Off-Beats
und Bläsersounds. Und doch ist der erste Song „I’M ALRIGHT!“ – zugleich die erste Singleauskopplung
– 100 Prozent Sportfreunde Stiller. „I’M ALRIGHT!“ macht Lust auf mehr: auf der Oberfläche d ie pure
Lebensfreude – und ein paar Ebenen tiefer eben doch ein Nachdenken über die Welt.

Finnish metalheads have always been puzzled by the question of which is our country's first heavy metal band. Svart Records gives the answer. It's Hard Rock Sallinen, which was founded in 1974, and so far we haven't found an older Finnish metal band. If you have better information, you can contact the history and UFO department of our record company. In any case, the band's founder and bass singer Seppo Sallinen says he is looking into the band's background. -"Even though Hard Rock Sallinen was our country's first heavy band, it wasn't my first band. I already played with my nephew Juke Salline in various gigs in Ostrobothnia, covering Led Zeppelin, Cream and other contemporaries with the band Jew's Harp", When Hard Rock Sallinen was founded, the source of inspiration for the line-up moved to the heavier department, when Rainbow, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Mountain, Aerosmith and Cactus were selected as influences. The band started with the name Sallinen, but the words hard and rock were soon added to the name. This was simply due to the fact that the band was mistaken for a hit band based on the name at early gigs. After facing an aggressive and drunken crowd, the band changed into Hard Rock Sallis to make a clear difference to the music taste of the trampers. It took a long time before the band signed their first recording contract, when in the early 1980s the Finnish Zero Records signed the band. The debut album Heavy Metal Symphony began to take shape quickly and the album recorded at Esko "Suikki" Jääskä's Botnia Sound Studio still evokes emotions in its creators. -"Contemporary critics and the public liked the record, musically it is on point, but of course the overall sound is a product of its time. Of course, it's great that the album is being re-released after 40 years, because the original edition has become a valuable collector's rarity", Seppo Sallinen says about his feelings. Why then did Hard Rock Sallinen stop already in 1984? The background is a familiar story: the band worked excellently, but in Finland at that time there were no managers, proper gig sellers or really any infrastructure that could have pushed heavy rock forward. The result was only frustration and the band simply disappeared from the world map.

Say Anything was, despite its place in a genre known for sincerity, somewhat of a satire of the quintessential emo band. Bemis being the Andy Kaufman of it all was enough to delight and confuse an entire generation as to whether he was a “real boy” or Ziggy Stardust infused with Curb Your Enthusiasm and the Vagrant Records discography. The final Say Anything LP was written from the point of Oliver Appropriate, a personification of this intentionally confused public persona; his death during climactic “Sediment” echoed the end of an era for the band itself. When ready to recover from twenty years of trauma making music, Max’s answer was more natural than obvious. Bowie and other musicians invented “characters” to escape pigeon holes; with Maxim Mental for the first time, Max had to be solely himself. Maxim Mental is the sequel to Say Anything and Max Bemis doesn’t care who knows it. Men in popular rock bands adore the idea of “the solo project.” A project in which they call the shots, the contract is in their name, and they don’t have to fight with four slackers they’ve lived with since college to stand in the front at photo shoots.oots

Repress in soon, note new price. Algernon Cadwallader was an emo band from Philadelphia comprised of Peter Helmis (Bass/Voc 2005-2012), Joe Reinhert (Guitar 2005-2012), Nick Tazza (Drums 2005-2008), Colin Mahony (Guitar 2005-2008) and Tank Bergman (Drums 2008-2012). Their succinct, evocative songwriting stretched across raw, distinctive vocal stylings and signature "twinkly" guitars have earned them near-cult status. Since their disbandment, publications including Rolling Stone and Spin have cited them on "Best of Emo" lists and credited them with in­fluencing a new wave of emo. The members have gone on to play in a number of important DIY and indie bands, including Hop Along. For the ten-year anniversary of Algernon Cadwallader's first full length, "Some Kind of Cadwallader," Lauren Records and Asian Man Records are reissuing the record along with their second album, "Parrot Flies" (2011), and a new self-titled collection LP. The 16-track collection includes EPs, B-sides, previously unreleased versions, and two covers. Side A re­flects one era of Algernon Cadwallader, and Side B the other. “Ten years and many label rosters’ worth of imitators later, Some Kind of Cadwallader still leaps out of the speakers...” - Pitchfork “Some Kind Of Cadwallader is essentially the starting point for the entire emo revival and thus also required listening for anyone interested in how DIY indie rock took shape in the past decade...” Stereogum…..

Rare & unreleased 80's bangers from Sao Tome e Principe's most iconic singer !

Bongo Joe pursues their work with friend DJ Tom B and are sharing the fourth effort in their São Tomé & Principe series : “Recordar é viver”, the first volume of an anthology dedicated to the one and only Pedro Lima, , "A voz do povo de São Tomé" (the people's voice of Sao Tomé).

“Recordar é viver: Antologia Vol. 1” features some previously unreleased tracks and gives a comprehensive look into the discography of one of the islands’ biggest stars, known for his political outspokenness as much as for his soft voice, delicate rumbas, and high-energy puxas.

With his band Os Leonenses he built a brand new genre around the strong rhythms and infectious energy of Sao-Toméan Samba Socopé ("only with the feet” in Portuguese), but with the influence of Congolese soukous, Cape Verdean Coladeira, elements from French West-Indies Cadence/Compas, and Brazilian Afoxé, it soon developed into the infectiously danceable style known as “puxa”. The band kept playing together up until Pedro’s death in 2019, performing at large events around the islands and on the continent.

But Pedro shined also on his own. Alone, he demonstrated his compositional skills and ability to balance the band’s powerful rhythm section with São Tomé & Principe’s harmonic backing vocal traditions, creating strong, dance floor ready puxas or melodic, delicate rumbas.

Pedro Lima died in 2019, leaving behind the 23 children he fathered, with thousands of mourners accompanying him to his final resting place. The public funeral, paid for by ex-president Pinto da Costa, was one of the biggest the islands have ever seen. Lima, "O cantor do povo” (“The people’s singer”), was buried with his wireless microphone, so his powerful voice would always be heard.