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Vom Beginn des Album-Openers „Obsidian Mirror“ an ist die Atmosphäre beklemmend, dicht mit einem erstickenden Unbehagen. Man hat das Gefühl, dass etwas Zeremonielles am Werk ist, aber nicht in einer Weise, die nach Gemeinschaft strebt. Vielmehr ist es eine Tortur als Sakrament. Riffs würgen und wälzen sich in krampfhafter Unterwerfung, oszillieren zwischen langsamer Agonie und psychotischem Ausbruch, über dem ein gutturales Lamento, das so brutal ist, dass es das Blut gefrieren lässt, durch Kerkerstein gerissen wird. Jeder Track entfaltet sich wie eine Zeit, die man in der Isolation verbracht hat, gefesselt durch Ketten, den Geist langsam enträtselnd und umgeben von Erinnerungen an reale und imaginäre Qualen.

Wenn sich das epische, 14-minütige Schlussstück „Disquiet“ in einer Masse formlosen Rauschens auflöst, haben Ritual Mass den Hörer in eine Welt gezogen, in der das Leiden kein Ende, sondern eine Bedingung der Existenz ist. Cascading Misery" ist Musik für die Auflösung der Hoffnung, den Schrecken des Seins und den langen Marsch auf den Tod.

- Debüt-Album nach mehreren EP-Veröffentlichungen
- Aufgenommen, gemischt und gemastert von Greg Wilkinson / Earhammer Studios (Ulthar, Autopsy, Undergoing)
- Erste 20BS-Band aus Pittsburgh (Labelsitz)
- FFO: Vastum, Krypts, Phrenelith, Master, Incantation, Abhorrence, Funebrarum, Disembowelment

In truth, singing is not all that different from acting. Performing a song is very similar to playing a role in a theatrical production. A singer's delivery — the way they interpret and emphasize certain parts of a song — is much like what an actor does with their character.

That's why we often find singers who go on to gain popularity as performers — some on stage, but more often on the silver screen (film).

These are called 'singing stars' — vocalists who are also featured actors, usually given roles specially created to suit their primary strength: singing.

Among them, a few have become even more famous for their acting talents, which sometimes surpass their singing ability. However, the number who manage to do this successfully is very small. Oslan Husein is lucky enough to be counted among that small number. As his fame as a singer began to rise sharply, he also began his film career as an actor. It's true that he had previously appeared in a film, but only as an extra, alongside the orchestra he performed with.

Following that, he appeared in several other films, including Detik-detik Berbahaya, 1000 Langkah, Kasih Tak Sampai, Hadiah 2.000.000,-, Maut Menjelang Magrib, and Antara Timur dan Barat. Six films over a span of just about 2.5 years — quite an impressive achievement.

Over time, a number of songs that Oslan had performed in his films began to accumulate. Together with a few additional songs — also from films — there were eventually enough to compile into one long-playing (LP) record.

And so, accompanied by Jack Lemmers — who, for this project, created special arrangements and musical treatments unlike the usual (for example, the use of four guitars at once) — Oslan carried out the recordings at Irama studios.

By releasing this LP of songs from the silver screen, Irama took an exciting step forward and opened many new possibilities in its history. Because the world of recorded music and the world of film, wherever they are in the world, are like siblings — and they work best when they collaborate, shoulder to shoulder, in harmony.

Leon Michels ist still und leise zu einem der gefragtesten Produzenten der Musikszene geworden. Sein unverwechselbarer Sound hat die Aufmerksamkeit des Mainstreams auf sich gezogen und inspiriert gleichzeitig weiterhin die Underground-Szene. Seit dem 2023 erschienenen Album Glorious Game von El Michels Affair & Black Thought war Michels als Produzent für andere Künstler aktiv - darunter Norah Jones' Grammy-prämiertes Visions, Clairos Grammy-nominiertes Charm, Kali Uchis' ,Moonlight" sowie Alben für seine Labelkollegen Brainstory, Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek, Thee Heart Tones und Liam Bailey. Sein neues Album 24 Hr Sports markiert die langersehnte Rückkehr unter seinem eigenen Namen: El Michels Affair.24 Hr Sports wurde inspiriert von Mode und Grafikdesign der Sports-Illustrated-Magazine der 80er- und 90er-Jahre, MF DOOMs Special Herbs-Alben, den dort verwendeten Sample-Quellen und Gospelmusik à la Pastor T.L. Barrett. Die Summe dieser Einflüsse, gepaart mit Michels' unfehlbarem kreativen Gespür, ergibt ein Rezept für einen Instant-Klassiker - ein Werk, das zweifellos zu den meistgefeierten Veröffentlichungen des Jahres 2025 zählen wird.Der Album-Opener ,Drum Line" ist ein hymnischer, mitreißender Track mit Marschband-Schlagzeug und donnernden Bläserarrangements, die sofort alle Aufmerksamkeit auf sich ziehen und den Ton für das folgende Album setzen. 24 Hr Sports bedeutet eine deutliche Abkehr von der bisher überwiegend instrumentalen Musik im Katalog von El Michels Affair. Mit einer Vielzahl von Gesangsfeatures spiegelt das Album das schwer einzuordnende Genre seiner Musik wider.Das erste dieser Features ist ,Mágica" mit dem brasilianischen Künstler Rogê, der die ohnehin energiegeladene Nummer mit seinen fußballinspirierten Lyrics auf ein neues Level hebt. Weiter geht es von Brasilien nach Ghana: In ,Say Goodbye" feiert Florence Adooni ihre Individualität mit lässigem Selbstbewusstsein und wechselt mühelos zwischen Frafra und Englisch, besonders eingängig im Refrain: ,never gonna find a girl like me_".Labelkollege und weltbekannter Trompeter von The Roots, Dave Guy, veredelt den 70er-Jahre-Groove von ,Oakley's Car Wash" mit seinen charakteristischen Bläserlinien, bevor der Track in ein Dub-artiges Outro übergeht. Vom wilden zum sanften Klang: ,Anticipate" mit Clairo knüpft an die musikalische Chemie an, die das 2024er-Album Charm hervorgebracht hat. Clairo gleitet über die typischen EMA-Arrangements, während sie sich nach unerreichbarer Liebe sehnt - getragen von einer perfekt eingespielten Band.,Eastside" ist ein Stück, das einen Sonnenaufgang am Meer vertonen könnte - Leon Michels' Sinn für Raum und Arrangement wird hier besonders deutlich. Aus Japan ist der Suginami Children's Choir auf dem üppigen Track ,Clean The Line" zu hören - sie singen ein Lied über den Mond, die Sonne und Vögel. Danach reißt ,Cortex" mit verzerrten Gitarren und donnernden Drums die Tür auf - ein Moment purer, filmreifer Intensität in der Mitte des Albums.Leon Michels übernimmt selbst den Lead-Gesang auf ,Shining", einem Song über die Suche nach einem Freund, mit dem man die Freude eines sonnigen Tages teilen kann. Der international gefeierte Shintaro Sakamoto ist auf ,Indifference" zu hören - ein lässiger Song mit federnden Basslinien und gefühlvollen Flöten, in dem Sakamoto zwischen Gesang und gesprochener Poesie über eine vergängliche Liebe reflektiert.Das Grammy-prämierte Duo Norah Jones und Michels kommt auf ,Carry Me Away" erneut zusammen: Jones' honigsüße Stimme schwebt über einem schwer einzuordnenden, aber sofort liebenswerten Track. Michels lehnt sich hier wieder mehr in Richtung El Michels Affair-Stil, der sich klar von seinen bisherigen Produktionen für Norah Jones abhebt. ,Take My Hand" stellt den Gospel-Einfluss in den Vordergrund - mit dem Fabulous Rainbow Singers Choir im Refrain und einem Saxophon-Solo der verstorbenen Jazzlegende Rahsaan Roland Kirk.,Open Season", ein Piano-getriebener Midtempo-Track mit Gruppenrufen wie ,we want the gold, we want the gold_", könnte den perfekten Soundtrack für eine Slow-Motion-Highlight-Reel liefern. Der treffend betitelte Albumabschluss ,Victory Lap" schließlich ist ein traumhafter, euphorischer Ausklang, der dem gesamten Werk würdig ist.Am Ende spricht die Trophäe auf dem Albumcover Bände: El Michels Affair ist Champion Sound - und 24 Hr Sports macht das unmissverständlich klar.

FAUN lädt mit "HEX" zu einer musikalischen Reise ein, die tief in die Mythen und Legenden verschiedener Kulturen eintaucht. Doch dieses Album ist mehr als nur Musik - es ist eine Erkundung der weiblichen Magie, eine Reflexion über die Kraft der Heilerinnen, Seherinnen und Zauberinnen, die in der Geschichte oft gefürchtet und verfolgt wurden. Dabei werden nicht nur die traditionellen Klänge vergangener Zeiten lebendig, sondern auch moderne musikalische Elemente kunstvoll eingeflochten, um die für FAUN exemplarische einzigartige und fesselnde Klangwelt zu schaffen. Mit "HEX" beweisen FAUN einmal mehr ihr Können, sowohl musikalisch als auch inhaltlich. Unter der kreativen Leitung von Oliver Satyr, Magister Artium der mittelalterlichen Philologie, wurden die Texte sorgfältig recherchiert, um den Hörer mit Authentizität und Tiefgang zu fesseln. Bereits der Titel "HEX" verweist auf das alte Wort für Hexe - "Hagazussa" - diejenige, die zwischen den Welten wandelt. FAUN nehmen diesen Gedanken auf und lassen ihn in ihren Songs aufblühen.

Das Album verbindet historische Quellen aus der germanischen, keltischen und angelsächsischen Mythologie und öffnet so ein Tor zu längst vergessenen Zeiten. Doch FAUN lassen sich nicht allein von europäischen Mythen inspirieren und diese Vielfalt macht "HEX" zu einem Album, das den musikalischen Horizont weit über das Mittelalter hinaus erweitert. Die musikalische Umsetzung dieses Themas ist so facettenreich wie die Geschichten selbst: FAUN verbinden traditionelle Instrumente wie Drehleier, Dudelsack, Laute, Schlüsselfiedel, Harfe und Flöte mit Synthesizern, elektronischen Beats und mehrstimmigem Gesang. So entsteht eine unverwechselbare Mischung aus Vergangenheit und Gegenwart. Besonders beeindruckend ist die Bandbreite der Songs. Neben der musikalischen Vielfalt steckt "HEX" voller tiefgründiger Fragen: Warum fürchten wir Hexen, aber nicht jene, die sie verbrannten? Warum gelten Heilerinnen und Weise Frauen oft als Bedrohung, obwohl sie Wissen und Schutz bringen? FAUN greift diese Fragen nicht nur in den Texten auf, sondern lässt sie auch musikalisch spürbar werden - jede Melodie, jeder Klang erzählt eine Geschichte. FAUN haben sich längst einen festen Platz in der Welt der Folk- und Mittelaltermusik erobert. Sie zählen zu den führenden Bands dieses Genres und haben mit ihren einzigartigen Klangwelten weltweit mehr als 1000 Konzerte gespielt - egal ob vor sitzendem Publikum oder auf großen Festivals, sie begeistern immer. Ihre Alben haben sich auf beeindruckende Weise in den deutschen Albumcharts behauptet: "Pagan" und "Midgard" schafften es auf Platz #3, während "Von den Elben" Platin-Status und "Luna" Gold-Status erreichten. Ihre Leistung wurde mehrfach gewürdigt - so wurden sie drei Mal für den Echo, Deutschlands größten Musikpreis, nominiert. FAUN bleiben sich treu, wagen gleichzeitig Neues und eröffnen mit "HEX" ein weiteres, eindrucksvolles Kapitel ihrer Erfolgsgeschichte.

Dieses Album ist eine Einladung, in magische Welten einzutauchen, Mythen neu zu entdecken und die unbändige Kraft des Pagan Folk zu spüren. Sie erschaffen eine Klangwelt, die sowohl historisch tief verwurzelt ist als auch zeitgemäß und innovativ klingt. Das macht sie nicht nur zu Vorreitern in der deutschen Musikszene, sondern auch zu einer Band, die über die Genregrenzen hinaus große Anerkennung findet.

Andre Zimmer Unveils 'Saved My Life EP' on his “Big Trouble Records” imprint.

The EP features four original tracks each showcasing Zimmer's unique influence of 90’s house and rave.

"Saved My Life" EP captures the vibrant and euphoric essence of '90s rave culture, seamlessly blending progressive energy with classic elements like pianos, robust basslines, and uplifting synthesizers. Utilizing Korg analog synthesizers, Zimmer crafts a contemporary fusion of tech house, trance, and progressive house, resulting in a cohesive and fluid collection of tracks.

Marja Ahti is a Swedish artist living in Turku, Finland. She works with found sounds, objects and electronics, creating auditory assemblages that reveal a profound sensitivity to sound’s tactile potential. This new record sees her palette expand to include more recognisable acoustic instrumentation, albeit working in collaboration with musicians who are already reconfiguring how those instruments can sound.

Touch This Fragrant Surface of Earth has its roots in a tape piece presented at Lampo in Chicago. Ahti then started working with Isak Hedtjärn (clarinet), Ryan Packard (percussion) and My Hellgren (cello) at the electronic music studios (EMS) in Stockholm. Incorporating recordings from those sessions, Ahti presented a new iteration of the work at the Seventh Edition Festival for Other Music in February 2024 with the trio performing live on stage whilst Ahti helmed the mixing desk, spatialising a specially made tape part through the INA GRM’s Acousmonium speaker orchestra. The piece has since gone through several further iterations before arriving at the version we have here on the LP's B-side where immense bass pressure and high frequency tones buffer restless amplified breath and scrape that folds over itself with extraordinary dynamics and subterranean activity before giving way to gorgeous resonant forms and passages of ritual purpose and sheer, unmistakeable beauty.

The A-side is Touch This Fragrant Surface of Earth’s gentle double. Still Life with Poppies, Mirror and Two Clouds offers a companion reconfiguration of Ahti’s resynthesised percussion sustain and the same recordings of Hedtjärn and Hellgren from EMS, but here they’re nestled in a sonic landscape of calm and restraint that gives them a wholly other character. Ahti also draws on older recordings she’d made of Sholto Dobie’s diy pipe organs and uses these to create repeating patterns and flourishes of sliding pitches that emerge unexpected out of cycling passages of Ahti’s clear struck metal, destabilising electronic interventions and minimal piano figures.

Marja Ahti: “I’ve been fascinated with the kind of elemental quality the sounds I'm using have such as airy sounds or earthy, wooden sounds. These qualities can also be found in wind instruments and percussion and the musicians I worked with on Touch This Fragrant Surface of Earth are really good at enhancing these qualities in their playing. I wanted to have this connection between found sounds, field recordings, or pre-recorded sounds, objects, and material, and see where these sounds might meet each other, and hopefully blend is a natural way without a divide between instrumental music, or acoustic music, or electronic music. But also, when you bring in people they come with their personalities and their ideas which is also energizing and brings surprising things into the collaboration that I couldn't come up with myself. I was really interested in making this a proper collaboration and not just coming up with the piece and giving it to them. We had the sessions at EMS where we could share ideas and Isak, Ryan and My could bring in their own ideas. Making recordings there gave me time to process these ideas and to also approach them in the same way that I would work with any other sound.”

Massive electro techno EP from Arnaud Bonzini. Discovered by Hydrophonic in 1994 this artist brings here 4 dancefloor pearls, precises and groovy, with a quiet ritch structure, very DJ friendly. Excellent !

Collecting Orders For 2025 Repress

DJ AGITATED, the alias of a well known producer first appeared on Steffi's The Red Hunter Remix LP and now joins the acclaimed Dolly TS series. The 'Magic Overlooked' EP is music that lasts. Beautiful high quality, Detroit infused melodic techno for the soul!

Collecting Orders For 2025 Repress

The dolly TS series is on a roll. TS05 is here and it's time for Earwax! His 'Always start EP' is the perfect match between hard hitting and deep grooving techno. The Italian producer delivers a high quality diversified 4 tracker for pumping, mood driven, dancefloor bliss!

Lucas Chantre, aka WORLD BRAIN, last graced us with a solo release half a decade ago, with 2019’s Peer 2 Peer. As its name suggests, that album explored the promise and perils of universal connectivity via quirked-up songwriting and instrumental psychedelia. His new release, Open Source, deepens this internal and external journey. Bursting beyond the four walls of ‘bedroom pop’ and reflecting a move from Berlin to Paris—where much of the album was recorded—and on to Brussels, the album has a jazzy, cinematic scope (as on the Brubeck-inspired march “Fromage collatéral,”) enveloping the listener in a cosmic-pastoral audiosphere.

There are still many tones that evoke the software sounds of decades past (the exemplar here is “cAPTCHA,” whose virtual marimba and vocalese suggest a breathless, Exotica-inspired introduction .mov for the information superhighway) but the palette has become richer and more organic, lead by the woodwinds which play a major role throughout, with flute provided by labelmate Martha Rose. (On the aforementioned “cAPTCHA” one also hears the world-class whistling talents of the incomparable Molly Lewis.)

Yet the single most noticeable new element may be the use of Chantre’s native French, sung by his sister on “Ville fleurie” and the gorgeous, fluttering “Minute papillion” (the title an idiomatic injunction to slow down!) Chantre initially wrote these lyrics in English, but felt something wasn’t quite right, only realizing what was off when he heard them sung in another language. That spirit of discovery – of finding a new spark in returning home – suffuses Open Source. It invites us to play, beckons us to relax, reminds us to find serenity amidst the churn of the present: minute papillon, dans le tourbillon.

Editions Mego presents Bosko, landing exactly 30 years after the initial General Magic flights into the fantastic; the legendary first Mego release, a collaboration with Pita whereby all sounds were harnessed from the buzzing, drinking, humming sounds of fridges MEGO 001 General Magic & Pita and a 12” with Elin called Die Mondlandung (The Moon Landing) MEGO 002 which embarked on a minimal techno template so austere and strange it was one of the historic progenitors of austere and wonky rhythms alongside Sakho and other European explorers.

The initial return of the playful and mystical Austrian outfit General Magic came with the 20th year anniversary vinyl reissue of their classic debut Frantz eMEGO 010. A record so audacious and playful it still baffles as much as it entertains. At some point whilst working on this reissue GM’s Ramon Bauer and Andi Pieper were spurred on to rummage around with ideas and tools once more and after more than two decades of inactivity sonic sorcery was conjured once again. Live shows in honour of Peter Rehberg were performed in Vienna and London. Softbop, a limited risograph collaboration with Tina Frank came with the first new recordings as a digital download came out discreetly online. The first full length album following Rechenkönig in 2000 MEGO 032 “Nein Aber Ja” released in 2023 on Finlay Shakespeare’s GOTO Records on CD and cassette. An ongoing series of mix tapes online further highlights their interests encapsulating a new found angle on electronic mayhem. All of these elements retain the wildly eclectic and ecstatic glow that only they can harness and hand out to an unprepared world.

Now, we have General Magic’s second official full length comeback recording, Bosko. The new album is initially notable prior to the needle hitting the wax or the cursor identifying a track due to the artwork. Made by long term collaborator Tina Frank, this is Frank’s first analogue artwork, with a painting of a happy/nervous machine thing hovering in a landscape of no discernible identity. It’s quasi science fiction hovering amongst the potential for fun. Suited to the music? Natürlich.

Bosko sees Bauer and Pieper update and reframe their original investigations with a fresh supply of head scratching, heart racing tunes that hit the inexplicable with a wild mesh of drums, pianos, synthetic voices and all manner of immaterial sonic play. Startling sonics shock the ears on Club Duchamp which sounds like a conversation between synthetic adult ants in an environment still in development. Elfer features vocals supplied by a female-ish voice who, whilst grappling melody, has trouble executing a firm identity. Noorenhalt catapults along a mainframe of syncopation so unwieldy it feels like the voice, which is utterly alien, provides the only comfort. Seite 5 inhabits a fuzzy zone where a synthetic Horn of Jericho type ambience competes with rhythms never quite sure of who they are. Rise of the Ombré raises the spectral dread. Is this Science Fact? Absolutely nothing within Bosko is predictable.

The amount of change in the miasma of existence and the things we touch in order to make things has shifted so exponentially we are at the point where minds are starting to glaze over. All of this makes the return of the always original, always surprising, always fresh and exciting General Magic totally in tune with the artificial intelligent apocalyptic age we currently inhabit. The tools may have changed but the wonderfully warped gaze of Bosko offers a fresh new vision of perplexing funk and robotic punk.

"Back in print with a brand new 2024 cut by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering, pressed on striking Transparent GOLD colored vinyl and topped off with a collectible “Footlong” OBI. NPR calls “Angherr Shisspa” a “vital reissue of a punk-prog opus”.

Japan's Koenjihyakkei blend progressive rock, jazz fusion, symphonic rock and neoclassicism with the energy of hardcore punk, the volume of metal and the attitude of rock in opposition.

Tatsuya Yoshida’s (of the renowned bass and drum duo RUINS), progressive rock powerhouse is Area and ELP at their most excessive; Deus Ex Machina with tempo changes multiplied by 100; and Magma at their orff-ian choral, fusion jazz, overcharged gospel peak.

“Angherr Shisspa”, the band’s landmark fourth album explodes with glittery keyboard lines, speedy bass/drum workouts, emotive reed respites, and operatic female vocals that take the listener from sheer exuberance to absolute apocalypse... all performed with superhuman technique in confoundingly catchy, complex arrangements.

“...towers over most modern progressive rock because of an attention to detail and an almost overwhelming force of conviction. No irony here: this rocks with the teeth and heart to cut through scenes and the ""overground"" like a knife."" - PITCHFORK"

Anthems (ultimate Singles Collected) is an album by Armin Van Buuren, released in 2023. Anthems (ultimate Singles Collected) includes a.o. the following tracks: “This Is What It Feels Like (feat. Trevor Guthrie)”, “Not Giving Up On Love (vs Sophie Ellis-Bextor)”, “We Are Here To Make Some Noise”, “Communication” and more. The album is a Coloured Vinyl, High Quality, Insert trance 2-LP.

A multidisciplinary artist, and avant-garde icon in her own right, Little Annie leaves little room for an introduction that is worthy of her prolific career. She has remained relevant for over four decades through her innate spirit of experimentation and the multiplicity of her genre-bending collaborations with artists traversing the globe such as Adrian Sherwood, Swans, The Wolfgang Press, Kid Congo, Current 93—the list goes on!

For this release, Noir Age is proud to present a 7” single of new material from Little Annie in collaboration with South Florida-based producer and label owner Richard Vergez, recording here under the moniker of Night Foundation. Annie and Richard met back in 2016 after a gig at the ICA in Miami through their mutual friend: Drew McDowall of Coil.

Sharing a requited spirit for visual art and music, they became fast friends and began collaborating, conjuring what you hear on this release: Inertia.

Edition of 300 records, each housed in a silkscreened, custom black 7" envelope jacket with newsprint insert.

Reviewed in The Wire magazine:

"Night Foundation is one of the current electronic projects envisioned by Florida's Richard Vergez. In this instance, his work is smooth and bassoid enough to have a vague dancefloor-friendly feel without being overtly prancy. This notion is enhanced by the presence of a dub B side, so things are not as dark as with most of Verge's projects. But they're still not sunny. Of course, Little Annie's lyrics and casual vocals have more in common with urban menace than sunshine pop, so the pairing works quite well."

It started like any other day on the cobbled streets of Lyon. The record store was humming, the usual diggers flipping through the usual crates. For Oscar and Anaïs, still new to the city, everything felt pretty normal. But the locals knew something they didn’t.

That’s when he walked in, a quiet humble presence, his magic key in hand. A producer with a daily ritual of one tune a day, every day. No fuss, just low-key consistency and a folder full of heat. We squeezed on as many as we could for his debut EP: a genre-blurring blend of head-turning cuts, all with creepy, classy, and catchy attitudes baked into every groove. Koffi is here.

VERVE ACOUSTIC SOUNDS SERIE: komplett analog von Ryan K. Smith bei Sterling Sound von den
Originalbändern gemastert, QPR-Pressung (180 g), stabiles Tip-On-Gatefold (Stoughton Printing), wattierte Innenhülle.
Die Aufnahmen für ”The John Coltrane Quartet Plays” entstanden 1965, kurz nach Fertigstellung des
legendären ”A Love Supreme”-Albums. Coltranes Intention war, wieder ein Album mit reinem StandardsMaterial einzuspielen, am Ende waren dann aber neben ”Nature Boy” und ”Chim Chim Cheree” die
Coltrane-Kompositionen ”Brazilia” und ”Song of Praise” enthalten, die mit ihrem hymnischen Charakter schon auf das Spätwerk des Saxophonisten verweisen. ”The John Coltrane Quartet Plays” war das
letzte Album des klassischen Coltrane Quartetts, das noch zu seinen Lebzeiten veröffentlicht wurde.

Charles Aznavour schuf mit seinem außergewöhnlichen Talent Werke, deren Originalität ein großes Publikum verführten. Seine Einflüsse waren vielfältig – armenische Familie, jüdische Kindheit, Idole, die Jazzmusiker waren und Mentoren des Chansons. Dieser illustrierte Bildband samt LP vereint 14 Highlights seiner Frühzeit, in der er sein Temperament formte, sein Talent verfeinerte und seinen eigenen Weg aus Rhythmus, Sinnlichkeit und Nostalgie fand. Aznavour bleibt mit über 100 Millionen Verkäufen der bekannteste französische Sänger der Welt.

Shania Twain veröffentlicht ihr rekordverdächtiges Greatest Hits Album erneut. Mit über 100 Millionen
verkauften Tonträgern ist Shania die meistverkaufte Country-Sängerin aller Zeiten, und diese Zusammenstellung zeigt, warum. Neben ihren Kult-Songs ”Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”, ”Any Man Of Mine”,
”You’re Still The One” und ”Forever And For Always” enthält diese überarbeitete und remasterte Version
nun auch ihren neuesten Hit ”Giddy Up!” und den Fan-Favoriten ”Life’s About To Get Good”.
Verfügbar ab dem 17.11.2023 als 2LP.

Live One ist der legendäre Mitschnitt des mit Spannung erwarteten Auftritts von COIL im April 2000 in der Londoner Royal Festival Hall (im Rahmen des ,Cornucopea"-Minifestivals von Julian Cope). Während es in den frühen 1980er Jahren bereits erfolglose Versuche von Live-Shows gegeben hatte, gilt dieses Konzert allgemein als das wahre COIL-Live-Debüt. In der Besetzung John Balance, Peter ,Sleazy" Christopherson, Thighpaulsandra und Ossian Brown betraten COIL die RFH-Bühne in ihren eigens entworfenen, flauschigen, polaren Teletubby-Anzügen und spielten ein äußerst hypnotisches Set, das ein wenig an ihr bahnbrechendes Album ,Time Machines" erinnerte, aber auch Variationen und Spannungen enthielt, die bei diesem dröhnenden Meisterwerk weitgehend fehlten. Balances Gesang bei "Queens of the Circulating Library" ist immer noch eine sehr kontrollierte, aber effektive Angelegenheit und unterscheidet sich deutlich von seinen späteren manischen Ausbrüchen. Sowohl die Show selbst als auch die lange vergriffene und jetzt sehr gesuchte CD-Veröffentlichung von 2003 wurden extrem gut aufgenommen und wurden zum Eckpfeiler einer schnellen Folge von COIL-Touren in den dazwischen liegenden vier kurzen Jahren bis zu Balances frühem Tod. Diese allererste Doppel-Vinyl-Version dieses fantastischen historischen Dokuments der COIL-Erfahrung wurde vollständig von dem überlebenden Mitglied Thighpaulsandra betreut und ist jetzt auf dem Retractor-Label erhältlich, präsentiert in klassischem Schwarz mit einer aufwendigen Gatefold-Hülle und gepresst auf 180g Vinyl. Auch als Einzel-CD wieder erhältlich.

"We're The Meatmen.And You Still Suck" wurde 1988 "live" aufgenommen und war zur Zeit ihres Releases das definitive MEATMEN Album. Unglaublich gut in der Qualität, wenn man bedenkt, dass es sich hier (hust, hust) um ein reines Livealbum handelt, ist "We're The Meatmen." der Sound der Band wie sie immer klingen sollte. Ohne sich auch nur einen Deut zurückzuhalten, ist dies hier aufgedrehter Punk/Metal mit dem männlichsten Mann aller Zeiten, Tesco Veer als Zeremonienmeister der Apokalypse. Die Songs sind ganz vorn mit dabei, wo die Originale "Tooling For Anus," "One Down Three To Go," "Lesbian Death Dirge" und so weiter mit fabulösen Coverversionen von "Razamanaz" von NAZARETH und "Rebel Rouser" von SWEET. Fünf Bonustracks geben dem Ganzen den letzten Schliff, der auch noch Material von 1986 mit Lyle Preslar (MINOR THREAT) in den Topf wirft.

In the smoggy orange light of a new millennium, the young Deb Demure would take the bus, once a week, from his home in crumbling Hollywood to his grandmother's apartment, nestled in the pastel pristineness of Beverly Hills. During these visits, Deb couldn't help but notice the disconnect between the glow of his grandmother's temple, and the downtrodden, alienated figures that populated the seats of the mass transit that took him there. Week after week, he would observe these characters: fading B-movie starlets, leisure-suited alcoholics and forgotten civil servants. But one fateful commute home, as the twilight waned to the purple Los Angeles night, he realized these figures were not as lost as they appeared - there was a nobility in their failure, reflective of the dignity of the city's vanishing golden era. They were survivors, in need of a voice: a spokesperson for every color of hope and hopelessness, transcendent of gender and time; Drab Majesty became Deb's musical podium for this undertaking. Raised in a music-centric household, Deb would find the time to teach himself to play his father's right-handed guitar upside down and left-handed; an unorthodox fashion from where his earliest understanding of chords and harmony were conceived. Exploring the bins of discarded vinyl in his neighborhood thrift stores, his toolkit expanded with the subterranean sonic gems of the recent past. Influences range from the virtuosic arpeggiated guitar work of Felt's Maurice Deebank and the grittier pop progressions of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry's Chris Reed as well as Steve Severin from Siouxsie and The Banshees. He also studied the harmonic oscillations and utilization of the occult power of vibratory frequency present in New Age sounds of Greek artist, IASOS. In terms of orchestration, he consciously culls from the seaside maximalism of Martin Dupont and mechanized grooves of early Depeche Mode. Like a dualistic pendulum, his vocals swing from a preistly baritone to a choir boy's falsetto reflecting the sepulchral ambiance of church visits with his grandmother. Currently the drummer for Los Angeles lo-fi rock ensemble Marriages and having honed an unorthodox home recording style, Deb sources his sounds from a repository of "mid-fi" synthesizers and other lesser-quality instruments. Following the release of his debut cassette EP, "Unarian Dances", he also shared a split 12" with synth pop forefathers, Eleven Pond. During the Spring of 2015, Drab Majesty signed with Dais Records and released his first single, Unknown to the I, as a introduction for his first initial foray into the album format, romantically titled Careless. Written over the course of 2 years, "Careless" is a compendium of songs that have outlasted a malicious burglary of his studio, his struggles with substance addiction, and most recently, the death of his beloved grandmother.

Ruben Rada played a pivotal role in the development of Uruguayan music. By blending Afro-Uruguayan traditions with rock, soul, jazz, and funk, he paved a new musical path that began in the 1960s and continues to evolve today. Throughout his career, he has consistently been surrounded by talented musicians who have been integral to his sound. This was especially true with Daniel "Lobito" Lagarde, bassist and founding member of the iconic band Totem in the early 1970s; Ricardo Nolé, keyboardist, arranger, and musical director of Rada's band in Argentina during the 1980s; and Nelson Cedréz, the drummer who has been by Rada's side since the 1990s. In 2016, these three musicians reunited to form Rada's Old Boys, releasing an album of jazz-infused reinterpretations of Rada's songs that earned rave reviews. Now, they return with Manos, a bold new album that reimagines Rada's works from every phase of his career, featuring deeply personal renditions and a special guest appearance from Rada himself on one track.

hook releases a new LP “RPG” composed with one hand and Influenced by Retro Video Game and Japanese Ambient Music.

“RPG” is composed entirely with one hand. Despite breaking his other arm and being unable to play his synthesizers, Wijnands did not give up and created the EP, showcasing his determination and passion for music.

Wijnands says: “I have been listening to Nintendo soundtracks nonstop while creating this LP, and it really cheered me up when I just broke my arm.”

Besides Retro Video Game Music, “RPG” draws heavily from Japanese environmental, ambient and new age music from the 1980s.

“RPG” showcases Wijnands’ skill as a composer and his ability to create evocative and immersive musical landscapes. The songs have a similar minimalistic aesthetic, where less is more, and the focus is on creating a serene and meditative atmosphere through the use of delicate piano melodies, subtle electronic textures, and synthesizer sound recordings to mimic the sounds of nature.

Despite the challenges Wijnands’ faced during the creation of “RPG,” the LP proves that he is still pushing the boundaries of electronic music.

Am 28. Februar 2025 machen Stereolab sieben Studioalben erneut als 2LP-Formate erhältlich. Diese verwenden dieselben Remaster wie die erweiterten Vinylausgaben von 2019, die von Bo Kondren bei Calyx Mastering von den Original-1/2-Zoll-Bändern unter der Aufsicht von Tim Gane (Stereolab) geschnitten wurden, jedoch ohne das Bonusmaterial der 3LP-Versionen (die inzwischen eingestellt wurden). Die Idee dahinter besteht darin, Fans und Läden kostengünstigere Formate dieser begehrten Alben zur Verfügung zu stellen. Jede Platte wird im 5 mm dicken Cover mit bedruckten Innenhüllen und einer schützenden PVC-Aussentasche geliefert.

Die Alben:
1. Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements (1993)
2. Mars Audiac Quintet (1994)
3. Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)
4. Dots And Loops (1997)
5. Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night (1999)
6. Sound-Dust (2001)
7. Margerine Eclipse (2004)

Die legendären und sich ständig weiterentwickelnden Zamrock-Pioniere WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc) verschieben mit ihrem neuen Album 'SOGOLO' weiterhin die Grenzen. Nach ihrem bemerkenswerten Comeback und dem von der Kritik gefeierten Zango von 2023 - ihrem ersten Album seit fast 40 Jahren - beweist 'SOGOLO', dass ihr innovativer Geist nach wie vor ungebrochen ist.

Abgeleitet vom sambischen Wort für 'Zukunft', verwebt 'SOGOLO' den von der Garage inspirierten Psych, Funk und Rock, den WITCH in ihrer Blütezeit in den 1970er Jahren buchstäblich miterfunden haben, mit dem experimentellen Geist des Augenblicks. Aufgenommen in Berlin während ihrer Welttournee, strotzt 'SOGOLO' vor Dringlichkeit, Aufregung und Entdeckungen, wie immer angetrieben von der magnetischen Präsenz des Frontmanns Emmanuel „Jagari“ Chanda.

Die Geschichte von WITCH ist fast zu außergewöhnlich, um sie zu glauben. Bekannt als die „Beatles von Sambia“, gründeten sie die Zamrock-Bewegung und veröffentlichten in den 70er und frühen 80er Jahren sieben Alben. Tragischerweise beendete die Aids-Epidemie die Zamrock-Ära und kostete allen Bandmitgliedern außer Jagari das Leben. Ihre Musik wurde 2012 wiederveröffentlicht und löste eine weltweite Wiederentdeckung aus, die zu ihrer triumphalen Rückkehr führte. Zango wurde von der New York Times in den höchsten Tönen gelobt, es gab ausverkaufte Welttourneen und einen preisgekrönten Dokumentarfilm, der weltweit ausgestrahlt wurde.

Mit 'SOGOLO' bestätigen WITCH, dass ihr kreatives Feuer noch immer brennt und beweisen, dass ihr Vermächtnis noch lange nicht zu Ende ist.

- Ltd. Col. LP: (Zamrock Dust (aka Opaque Natural) LP in einfacher Außenhülle und bedruckter Innenhülle)

Der mehrfach ausgezeichnete Produzent und Black-Pumas-Mitgründer Adrian Quesada schlägt ein neues Kapitel auf: Mit 'Boleros Psicodélicos II' interpretiert er die sinnliche Balada-Tradition Lateinamerikas neu - detailverliebt, psychedelisch und mit starkem modernen Twist. Unterstützt von Künstler:innen wie Angelica Garcia oder Hermanos Gutiérrez entstehen Klangbilder zwischen Nostalgie und Gegenwart. Ein Album für Liebhaber:innen romantischer Grooves und audiophiler Entdeckungen.

- Ltd. Col. LP: (Sunny Orange Vinyl)

Der in Brasilien geborene und in Los Angeles lebende Gabriel da Rosa ist ein Bossa Nova- und Samba-Künstler, der der traditionellen brasilianischen Musik seinen eigenen Stempel aufdrückt. 'Cacofonia', sein zweites Album, zelebriert sein brasilianisches Erbe mit einem L.A.-Touch.

Nach der Veröffentlichung seines Debütalbums 'É o que a casa oferece' im Jahr 2023 kehrte Gabriel zum ersten Mal seit acht Jahren in den Süden Brasiliens zurück, wo er aufgewachsen war. Bei seiner Rückkehr nach Los Angeles schwor er sich, „nie wieder so lange von meinen Leuten und meinen Wurzeln getrennt zu sein“.

Sein neues Album ist den Erinnerungen an seine Heimat und seine Lieben gewidmet und feiert die Menschen und Traditionen Brasiliens vor einem farbenfrohen musikalischen Hintergrund.

Für Fans von: Rodrigo Maranhão, Sam Evian, Arthur Verocai, Azymuth, Rodrigo Amarante, Pearl & The Oysters, Domenique Dumont, Jerry Paper, O Terno, Stan Getz.

Serenda is a London-based DJ and producer of Guyanese and Greek heritage, known for her rich, eclectic sound rooted in house but never confined by it. Her sets fold between soulful depth and experimental edge, always delivered with a bold, contemporary vision.

Her sets are grounded in rhythm and instinct, built less around genre than sensation. She blends percussive house, warped club music, and raw, organic textures; crafting dancefloors that feel immersive and visceral and emotioanlly charged . There’s a physicality to her sound that edges toward the primal. For Serenda, DJing is a form of play - fluid, responsive, and deeply connected.

She deconstructs and distorts house music with intent, letting in pressure, dissonance, and emotional rupture. Her sets draw on the “timeless mindless states” of Mancuso’s The Loft, unfolding as rituals that don’t smooth over the chaos, they work with it.

Following the release of her debut EP The Prophecy on Josh Caffe’s Love Child label, she made her mark with a headline show in Fabric’s Room 2 and a Rinse FM residency. A regular in London’s queer underground, Serenda is also shaped by New York’s experimental club scene, where experimental sound and unfiltered expression mirror her own ethos.

Afro-diasporic and South American ritual in tension with city life, instinctive rhythm against digital overstimulation. Her fascination with world-building and quantum physics runs through everything she creates, fusing sonic design and sensory experience into one evolving landscape

Introducing Hussain Bokhari and his debut album “Possessions” on Mood Hut Records. Hussain has been a close friend of the label for years and we’ve been quietly obsessing over his bedroom transmissions forever. With “Possessions”, we get a glimpse into the endless archives of a Vancouver underground legend.

Born in Bangkok but calling Vancouver home, Bokhari creates intuitively and freely, and you can hear it in the way "Pull Me Up" rolls out its plush carpet bedroom boogie, or how "Bangkok Boy"'s Thai vocals carry childhood memories across oceans and decades, while "Whatever Counts" sounds like Durutti Column moved from Whitworth Street to Cordova.

This is music for the spaces between - between cities, between eras, between yourself and the person you were, all held together by a minimalist studio setup and maximum heart approach that makes "Possessions" feel like an invitation into Bokhari'sparticular way of seeing.

Wishbone Ash reigned supreme through the 1970s — centered on inspired musicianship, joyful spirit and inventive songs. Their concerts were uplifting and their recorded work sublime. Argus remains a stunning high point in the band's startling repertoire. Argus was a 1972 tour de force, a hard-rocking masterpiece that has gone on to have a huge impact on rock bands moving forward. If you've never heard Argus, you've surely heard music that it inspired.

The British quartet's trademark harmony guitars became a touchstone for many: Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Opeth, and Lynyrd Skynyrd have all acknowledged an Ash influence, and tracks such as Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back in Town," Maiden's "The Trooper," and even Steely Dan's "Reeling in the Years" all have twin-guitar moments that hark back to Argus. But Wishbone Ash were different from the start. They were never strictly a hard rock band; their soaring vocal harmonies and musical grandeur placed them close to progressive rock.

But they weren't strictly prog either: They had no keyboards, no real classical influence and weren't into side-long suites. Their roots were in the blues, and their calling card was twin lead guitars in harmony (played in the original lineup by Ted Turner and Andy Powell). Even the hardest Ash rockers — like "Blowin' Free," the most famous track from Argus — had an ethereal touch. They could rock the big stages, but they did it with subtlety and grace. This is reflected perfectly in the classic album sleeve by prog-associated designers Hipgnosis: The front cover shows a Greek sentry — the "argus" of the title — staring off into the distance. It's a mythic, old-world kind of image until you look closely at the back cover, and see that he's heralding the arrival (or perhaps watching the departure) of a spaceship.

Two worlds colliding. Exactly what the band and album were all about. By the time of Argus, Wishbone Ash were stars in England and cult heroes among Anglophiles in the US. What made Argus a step forward was its flow of moods. The songs don't run together, but there's an emotional connecting thread from the album's somber beginning to its heroic end. The band insisted at the time that lyrics were something of an afterthought: Shortly after its release, main lyricist Martin Turner told NME that he wrote them mainly to fit the mood of the music: "The music that was coming out was very English, very medieval, and the lyrics had to reflect that." Added Powell at the time, "The expression comes out in the guitars. We wouldn't play it if it didn't express something." Now, Analogue Productions has applied all of its vaunted craft and technical expertise to make this epic album shine! Two 45 RPM LPs pressed on virtually silent 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings make the remastered audio sparkle. Quieter lyrical sentiments and softer musical passages are rendered precisely, while majestic riffs and fist-waving anthems fully reveal the energy of the music! Argus isn't just another rock record — it's a journey through a sonic landscape rich with depth, emotion and technical prowess. It's the album that solidified Wishbone Ash as masters of twin guitar harmony. Discerning audiophiles will find Argus an essential addition to their record collection. It's a masterclass in sound engineering that fully captures the intricate interplay of dual guitars with pristine clarity and a warmth that only analog recordings can provide.

Second release from SourD on Bass Addict. A pure kick again, with thin ambiances, mental and lots of details.
A little jewel.

“Great Doubt” is the third full length LP by Danish composer Astrid Sonne. Throughout her acclaimed discography, Astrid Sonne has been carefully crafting different moods through electronic and acoustic instrumental endeavours. On “Great Doubt” this skill is refined, now with the distinct addition of the composer's own vocal in front. The tone of each track is unmistakably Sonne’s, structured around contrasts through an impeccable sense of timing. Lyrics on the album are sparse, merely highlighting different scenes or emotional states of being, leaving the music to fill in the blanks. Yet they also form a pattern of ambiguity, consolidated through the album title, searching for answers through looking at how and what you are asking, questions for the world, questions of love. The viola, a trusted companion since Astrid Sonne’s youth, appears effortlessly throughout the album, fully integrated into the sonic universe; through a pizzicato driven arrangement in the poignant track “Almost” or along with booms and claps in mutated cinematic stabs during “Give my all”, paraphrasing Mariah Carey's 1997 ballad. Yet the string section also gives way to explorations of woodwinds, counterbalancing the bowed movements with digital brass and airy flutes. Finally, beats and detuned piano are fresh additions to the soundscape, cementing how Sonne’s practice is always evolving into new territories. In fall 2022, Astrid Sonne relocated from Copenhagen with its peers of artists such as ML Buch, Erika de Casier and Smerz, to live in London, where musicians of the South-East London scene like Coby Sey, Lolina, Still House Plants and Mica Levi provide a new inspirational framework. “Great Doubt” bears witness to both of those geographical locations, yet finds itself in its own unique space, in many ways due to the presence of Sonne's voice throughout. A voice that has always been present in her work, but never fully explored as a solo instrument before now. Astrid Sonne elaborates on the wish to work more in depth with the voice: “I come from a tradition of choir singing where I’ve used my voice as a way of creating unity with other voices. I’ve disciplined my voice in a certain way and this album is an exploration of me trying to find my own voice as an instrument, as a communicator, as a new way of being honest.” Questions take up a central role throughout the album. The doubt is both a blessing and a curse, always lying in-between, acting as both what holds back and drives forward. A metamorphosis not going anywhere. The great doubt takes place in a space of courage, chances, love, loss, gifts and surprises. Genre: Electronic / Experimental

next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series – pressed in lovely-lime-green vinyl on a 3-LP set packed with 47 stellar tracks celebrating a brilliant year of pop singles. NOW – Yearbook 1976.



LP1: Kicking off in magnificent style with signature songs from legendary artists: A #2 in 1976, Queen’s ‘Somebody To Love’ is first up, followed by Electric Light Orchestra with ‘Livin’ Thing’, Fleetwood Mac with ‘Say You Love Me’, and 10cc with ‘I’m Mandy Fly Me’. Dr. Hook had a huge hit with ‘A Little Bit More’, and Chicago hit #1 with their all-time classic ballad ‘If You Leave Me Now’, while the side closes with Eric Carmen’s enduringly popular ‘All By Myself’. Flip the LP over for huge hits from the year – including 4 #1s: 14 years after making their UK chart debut, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons enjoyed their first chart-topper with ‘December 1963 (Oh What a Night)’, whilst Leo Sayer reached #2 in the UK, and #1 in the US with ‘You Make Me Feel Like Dancing’. Pop gems follow from David Dundas, Bryan Ferry, Sailor, Smokie – and Slik, featuring a pre-Ultravox Midge Ure reached the top with ‘Forever And Ever’. Showaddywaddy celebrated their biggest hit and their first #1 with ‘Under The Moon Of Love’, and the UK won at Eurovision, with the winner ‘Save Your Kisses For Me’ by Brotherhood Of Man not only hitting the #1 spot but also becoming 1976’s biggest seller and bringing the first LP to a close.



LP2: Opening with a stellar run of pure-pop classics. Elton John celebrated his first UK #1 single, in a duet with Kiki Dee on ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’, and Cliff Richard with ‘Devil Woman’, ahead of dance-floor favourites – and both #1s in ’76: Tina Charles with ‘I Love To Love’ and The Real Thing with ‘You To Me Are Everything’. More pop nuggets follow from Billy Ocean and Dana, before the side finishes with R&J Stone with ‘We Do It’ and the sublime ‘Midnight Train To Georgia’ from Gladys Knight & The Pips. Over on the second side, ‘Silly Love Songs’ gave Wings a UK #2 and became ‘76’s biggest seller in the US and opens a run of great vocalists; Neil Diamond, Daryl Hall & John Oates with ‘She’s Gone’, Paul Simon’s ’50 Ways To Leave Your Lover’ and a trio of the year’s classic rock smashes: ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ from Thin Lizzy, ‘Squeeze Box’ from The Who, and closing with the epic ‘Music’ from John Miles.



LP3: Celebrating ‘76’s dancefloor with a stunning collection of disco and soul gold: First up, Donna Summer with her debut smash ‘Love To Love You Baby’ before ‘More More More’ from Andrea True Connection and Candi Staton’s timeless ‘Young Hearts Run Free’. Melba Moore with ‘This Is It’ comes ahead of Diana Ross with the genre-defining ‘Love Hangover’, and the side is completed with huge floor-fillers from Tavares and Barry White ahead of The Isley Brothers with the soul standard ‘Harvest For The World’ and over on the final side country music is represented with Dolly Parton making her UK singles chart debut with ‘Jolene’ three years after it was a hit in the US, but it was a Dutch band, Pussycat, who hit the top with their country-pop track ‘Mississippi’. Bonnie Tyler made her chart debut with ‘Lost In France’, and ‘Forever And Ever’ gave Demis Roussos a ’76 chart topper, and an easy-listening classic, whilst Guys N Dolls had a second Top 5 hit with their cover of ‘You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me’. The LP ends with a trio of the year’s most beautiful ballads: Gallagher And Lyle with ‘Heart On My Sleeve’, ‘Love And Affection’ the stunning singles chart debut for Joan Armatrading, and finishing with a second peerless single on this collection from Elton John with ‘Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word’.



NOW – Yearbook 1976 – a celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of a truly fabulous year in pop.

Black Vinyl LP with insert (including the story behind the album and lyrics with English translation)

After their first LP, in 1987, Pedro gathered his usual band, Carlos Sousa on keyboard, Bulimundo on drums, Nuno Santos and Zézé on lead and rhythm guitars, Augusto Rasta on bass, Daló on sax and finally Dalú on percussions, for yet another project, one that carried both their names: Jacinta Sanches - Pedro Ramos. Eight days, no more, that’s all Pedro Ramos and Jacinta Sanches needed inside the Estúdios Musicorde. The process was natural, as with all their music, memories recollected and arranged by Pedro on café napkins, rehearsed and perfected at home with Jacinta. Together they imagined music where Cape Verdean saudade could dance together with Kingston’s skank, two island hearts beating inside European concrete.

His name is Pedro Correia Ramos Varela, born in Praia, Santiago, Cabo Verde on April 6th 1954; her name is Jacinta Lopes Veiga Varela, born in Cidade Velha, Santiago, Cabo Verde on January 22nd 1959. The two met in Praia, where a few exchanged words turned into long evening conversations; conversations into friendship; friendship into love; and love into six wonderful children. After the independence of Cabo Verde, they got married in 1978 and moved to Portugal, where Pedro started working as a welder for Lisnave and playing the guitar in a band in Ramada. Trading shipyard sparks by day for the after-hours pulse of Cova da Moura, his love for music proved harder than steel. And in 1982, after seeing Bob Marley and Peter Tosh in Rotterdam, he opened his own Dancing Bar just below their house, a pioneering space for the promotion of reggae music in Portugal.

Their Dancing Bar kept its doors open from 1982 to 1994, seeing the release of two albums and more singles. To this day, Pedro and Jacinta are still making music, one the inspiration of the other. They define themselves as simple people, living happy without prejudice, friends with the world.

Raw & Alive – The Seeds In Concert“ ist möglicherweise das beste „Live“-Album, das es je gab. Das Album wurde 1968 gegen Ende der Karriere des ursprünglichen Quartetts veröffentlicht und war ein Versuch, die Live-Begeisterung, für die diese Garagenlegenden bekannt waren, auf Vinyl zu übertragen. Das Album wird von Seeds-Fans hoch geschätzt, da es spannende Versionen von Bandklassikern wie „No Escape” und „Up In Her Room” sowie hervorragende neue Originalsongs wie das punkige „Satisfy You” enthält, wobei letzteres eine klare Rückkehr zur alten Form nach dem blumigen Longplayer „Future” darstellt. Die meisten wissen jedoch nicht, dass die Aufnahmen tatsächlich live im Studio gemacht wurden und der Applaus erst nachträglich hinzugefügt wurde. Ursprünglich war geplant, eine Seeds-Show vor Publikum aufzunehmen. Im Februar 1968 wurde eine Live-Studioaufnahme vor dem Fanclub der Band aufgenommen, die jedoch in letzter Minute verworfen wurde. Die zweite CD unserer Deluxe-Vinyl-Neuauflage enthält dieses geplante Album in der Form, in der es für die Veröffentlichung vorbereitet wurde, direkt vom bisher unveröffentlichten Masterband. Die frühe Version enthielt den seltenen Titel „Hubbly Bubbly Love“, der für „Raw & Alive“ nicht neu aufgenommen wurde. Die neue 2LP „Raw & Alive“ ist die vierte Ausgabe der erweiterten Seeds-Reihe und enthält ein 8-seitiges Booklet mit Anmerkungen des Herausgebers Alec Palao, der die Geschichte des Abgesangs der ursprünglichen Seeds-Besetzung detailliert beschreibt, illustriert mit bisher unveröffentlichten Fotos des Quartetts auf der Bühne in ihrer Blütezeit Mitte der 60er Jahre.