Cerca:rap

Pelican and Thrill Jockey are proud to present a deluxe edition of the band"s acclaimed 2005 album The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw, newly remixed, remastered and featuring special bonus rarities including an early version of "Red Ran Amber," (previously only available on a split with MONO) and demos of "Autumn Into Summer," "Last Day of Winter" and "Sirius". The Fire In Our Throats established Pelican as indisputable masters of their craft. Pelican"s ability to alchemize their influences into a sound so wholly original and then expand on that sound into a work of captivating beauty remains a marvel. The album indelibly shifted the paradigm of heavy music and the ripples of that shift can be heard in the countless bands who have risen to prominence since its release. The genre-busting nature of the album"s melodicism and refined dynamics was a harbinger of things to come in a genre whose strict boundaries were rapidly being shattered; a fact recognized and cemented by the album"s critical reception, which engendered everything from an Album of the Year nod from Decibel, to pontifications about Pelican representing a rising wave of intellectualism in metal from the New York Times. Nearly two decades since the album"s release on Hydra Head Records, The Fire In Our Throats has stood as not just one of the band"s most celebrated releases, but as a watershed work of avant-metal. The album arrives with a fresh mix by its original engineer Greg Norman and mastering by Josh Bonati, imbibing the songs with a new ferocity while also granting increased clarity, highlighting the developing interplay between each member. The refreshed mix brings an additional punch to the rhythm section of bassist Bryan Herweg and drummer Larry Herweg, bolstering the brightened melodicism and interlocking riffing between guitarists Trevor Shelley de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. The more articulate presentation of the album showcases the power of each individual player while buttressing Pelican"s distinct sound as a unified force.

Pelican and Thrill Jockey are proud to present a deluxe edition of the band"s acclaimed 2005 album The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw, newly remixed, remastered and featuring special bonus rarities including an early version of "Red Ran Amber," (previously only available on a split with MONO) and demos of "Autumn Into Summer," "Last Day of Winter" and "Sirius". The Fire In Our Throats established Pelican as indisputable masters of their craft. Pelican"s ability to alchemize their influences into a sound so wholly original and then expand on that sound into a work of captivating beauty remains a marvel. The album indelibly shifted the paradigm of heavy music and the ripples of that shift can be heard in the countless bands who have risen to prominence since its release. The genre-busting nature of the album"s melodicism and refined dynamics was a harbinger of things to come in a genre whose strict boundaries were rapidly being shattered; a fact recognized and cemented by the album"s critical reception, which engendered everything from an Album of the Year nod from Decibel, to pontifications about Pelican representing a rising wave of intellectualism in metal from the New York Times. Nearly two decades since the album"s release on Hydra Head Records, The Fire In Our Throats has stood as not just one of the band"s most celebrated releases, but as a watershed work of avant-metal. The album arrives with a fresh mix by its original engineer Greg Norman and mastering by Josh Bonati, imbibing the songs with a new ferocity while also granting increased clarity, highlighting the developing interplay between each member. The refreshed mix brings an additional punch to the rhythm section of bassist Bryan Herweg and drummer Larry Herweg, bolstering the brightened melodicism and interlocking riffing between guitarists Trevor Shelley de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. The more articulate presentation of the album showcases the power of each individual player while buttressing Pelican"s distinct sound as a unified force.

As the void stares back at me, I am consumed by the waves of this new sonic transmission. ESP's Goblin Synth reigns supreme, guiding me into the darkest corners of my mind, as the Galaxian remix shatters my being into a thousand pieces. This release is a frenzied piece of IDM, braindance, and DnB, fueled by a chemical fury that leaves my mind in a state of pure ecstasy. The relentless pace and shifting soundscapes of the A-side are the perfect conduit for the raw power of the Galaxian remix, taking me beyond the limits of what I thought was possible.

On the B-side, I am treated to a liquid dnb homage that is no less relentless in its pursuit of sonic intensity. Here, the rhythms are more organic, more fluid, but no less potent in their ability. This is music that demands a total surrender of the self.

The insidious rhythms of ESP's Goblin Synth seize my consciousness like a viral agent, rendering my being porous and open to the twitching, glitching transmissions emanating from the depths of the machine. With each stuttering break and howling, modulated synth line, I am hurled headlong into a world of ravenous, cybernetic abandon - a blackened, dystopian horizon of shattered glass and flickering neon.

As my mind is hijacked by the rushing currents of amphetamine psychosis, I realize that this is no mere exercise in genre or form, but an all-out assault on the very fabric of reality itself. The sonic textures here are hyper-real, beyond the grasp of normal human perception - this is the sound of the post-human, the sound of the inhuman, the sound of a future that is rapidly bearing down upon me, whether I am ready or not.

And yet, amidst the chaos and decay, there is a kind of perverse beauty at work - a beauty that can only be glimpsed through the shattered glass of my own shattered subjectivity. With each burst of static and each crunching bassline, I am hurled deeper into a vortex of metallic, crystalline wonder, a realm of pure, unadulterated sound that is as terrifying as it is sublime.

RAGE waren schon in den Achtzigern eine hart arbeitende Band, die sich aber erst finden musste. Auf Alben wie „Perfect Man“ (1988) und „Secrets In A Weird World“ (1989) konnte das Line-up aus Peavy Wagner (v./b.), Manni Schmidt (g.) und Chris Efthimiadis (dr.) sich stilistisch austoben, auf dem Nachfolgewerk „Reflections Of A Shadow“ (1990) gar unter Hinzunahme eines Keyboarders.
Anfang der Neunziger erhielt die Metal-Szene aber einen zeitgemäßeren, Riff- und Groove-betonteren Anstrich, der auch an den Hernern RAGE nicht vorbeiging. Diese Entwicklungen haben deutliche Spuren auf den beiden Werken „Trapped!“ und „The Missing Link“ hinterlassen. Auf diesen Longplayern konnte das Trio sich auch qualitativ nochmal steigern und lieferte zahlreiche Hits ab, die in den Folgejahren zum festen Bestandteil ihres Live-Sets wurden (u.a. 'Solitary Man', 'Enough Is Enough', 'Medicine', 'Firestorm', 'Refuge', 'Nevermore'). Die beiden Alben bescherten der Band nicht
nur einen gehörigen Popularitätsschub, sondern gingen zurecht als RAGE-Klassiker in die Geschichte ein.

Nun erscheinen die beiden legendären Alben zum 30. Jubiläum als streng limitierte Sonderauflage inklusive Demoversionen sowie unveröffentlichter Titel. Für RAGE-Fans sind diese Neuauflagen natürlich unverzichtbar!

ENG 'Behavioural Sink Delirium' is the new studio album from MADMADMAD. Powered by their wild live parties and rooted in the sounds of mutant disco, post-punk and experimental electronics, the London-based trio's third LP is due out July 21 via Bad Vibrations. Arriving following 2019's 'Proper Music' and 2020's 'More More More', 'Behavioural Sink Delirium' was recorded and produced by Eddie Stevens (Zero7, Moloko, Róisín Murphy) in his Fulham studio. "We locked ourselves away for ten days and recorded 30 hours of music, all played live in one room, and only edited to create arrangements", MADMADMAD recall. The result of those sessions is nine unhinged techno-dystopian freak-outs that mark the trio out as a truly singular group. 'Behavioural Sink Delirium' takes its name and inspiration from the 1968-70 'Universe 25' experiment by American ethologist John B. Calhoun, looking at the behavioural effects of population growth in a 'rodent utopia'. During the studies, a perfect space was built for a colony of 3,000 mice to thrive in, with constant food and water supplies, cosy apartments and no outside threats or predators. Starting with 4 females and 4 males, the population grew rapidly before capping at a number of 2,200. At this point, a living nightmare ensued, filled with antisocial and violent mice as the utopic conditions began to collapse. The mice formed violent cliques and social hierarchies, cannibalism started becoming common practice and the population started plummeting to eventual extinction. Calhoun coined this tipping-point the "behavioural sink" effect, and it's this state of societal breakdown that the trio tap into on the record. "You can easily see the link with our species in terms of overpopulation, but also with the Internet medium or 'metaverse' and its overproduction of data, causing tremendous societal, mental and environmental shifts. What was supposed to cater for most of our needs has also turned on us. Delirium kinda states the air of it all, and the folly of the music." Pressing Info: 180g red vinyl, standard sleeve, printed inner-sleeve, download card included!

Second album from Elias Mazian.

While his debut album Vrij Van Dromen hinted at the work of a bedroom producer, Elias Mazian never was the person to hide. After becoming a resident DJ at the now gone club Trouw ten years ago, he spent many nights playing records at clubs, and today he is as visible during the day as selector and host on FM radio. With this follow-up record he does one more step out of obscurity: moving from low to high fidelity, into more sincerity.

The songs on Alleen Bij Mij comfortably sit next to the songs he shares with friends on Private Hearts, Mazian's radio show dedicated to pop melodies. Like classic sixties records, the LP clocks just above thirty minutes, while also sharing their harmonic approach. Additional influences can be traced back to seventies krautrock, Dutch disco dub from the eighties and the storytelling of mid-2000's Dutch rap. Channeling these sounds into his own after hour tales, Elias Mazian created the perfect album for late bike rides and night trains alike.

Seconded by his good friend and multi-instrumentalist Anton Pieete and the all-knowing engineer Eelco Bakker, the album is produced and mixed for Mazian's melodies to shine. Combining observations from daily life with the big themes of pop music, this mixture results in eight songs ready for radio play.

Shiftyman is a slider. He slides through his world like butter. People know him in his town. But only as a slider. What hardly anyone knows is that he also likes to listen to music. A few of his favorite songs can be found on this record. When you play this, it’s like Shiftyman’s day.

The four slider friends Andreas, Lutger, Michael and Raphael have painstakingly put together the songs over the past few years. They slid through Shiftyman’s world and felt good.

Written and performed by Andreas Haslacher, Lutger Lonin, Michael Roggon and Raphael Schindler. Mastered by Quendolin Fender.

Repress!

Repressed, note price increase. Remastered from the original masters and pressed extra loud for DJs. There are very few albums across any genre that stand the test of time better than 93 ‘Til Infinity, the classic debut record from the Hieroglyphics crew’s very own Souls of Mischief. In an era where Gangsta Rap and G-Funk dominated the West Coast Rap scene, Souls broke ground on a completely unique and thoroughly west coast sound. While the Dr. Dre’s and the Snoop Doggs were garnering much of the mainstream attention, Souls were quietly forging a charismatic, critically acclaimed, and cohesively shaped record that when categorized, sounded much closer to A Tribe Called Quest than N.W.A. The sound of their debut is characteristic of the distinct style explored by the collective, including a rhyme scheme based on internal rhyme and beats centered around a live bass and obscure jazz and funk samples. 93 ‘Til Infinity was propelled into success by its title track and lead single, which reached #32 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also featured singles “That’s When Ya Lost” and “Never No More” which also reached the Hot Rap Singles. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source’s 100 Best Rap Albums of All Time. Considered by many to be a textbook “slept-on” classic Rap record, 93 ‘Til Infinity has only grown better with age. The album simply defines the Hiero golden age with a sound that would later be fine tuned with strong releases from MCs Del The Funkee Homosapien, Casual and Pep Love. It takes some serious bravado to name your album 93 ‘Til Infinity, but certainly the goal of creating a Hip Hop “classic” must have been on the collective minds of group members A-Plus, Tajai, Opio, and Phesto when recording this landmark moment in Hip Hop history. It’s true, even seventeen years after the album’s initial release many people are still discovering it, and with this re-mastered reissue on double vinyl, fans all over the world will once again discover the brilliance that 93 ‘Til Infinity delivers and will continue to deliver beyond infinity. A1. Let ‘Em Know (Produced by Domino) A2. Live and Let Live (Produced by Domino) A3. That’s When Ya Lost (Produced by Del tha Funkee Homosapien) B1. A Name I Call Myself (Produced by Del tha Funkee Homosapien) B2. Disseshowedo (Produced by Domino and Jay Biz) B3. What a Way to Go Out (Produced by Domino) B4. Never No More (Produced by A-Plus) C1. 93 ‘til Infinity (Produced by A-Plus) C2. Limitations feat. Casual (Produced by Jay Biz) C3. Anything Can Happen (Produced by A-Plus) D1. Make Your Mind Up (Produced by Del tha Funkee Homosapien) D2. Batting Practice (Produced by Casual) D3. Tell Me Who Profits (Produced by Domino) D4. Outro (Produced by Domino)

After the success of the first volume, the second SOUL FINGERS’S tribute compila&on is released on double vinyl too.

SOUL FINGERS is a wandering black music dancefloor that in 2023 reaches to celebrate 10 years lifelong. Soul Fingers mixes soul, disco and funk, with rap and La&n rhythms. In this brand new compila&on there are some pieces that have really marked great par&es since 2013.

This time featuring some carefully selected dancefloor music bombs directly from the hands of Claudio Cavallaro, the leader of the Soul Fingers console!

‘Bad Neighbor’ is a collaborative studio album by rappers MED and Blu and producer Madlib. Originally released on October 30, 2015, the 13 track LP features guest appearances from the likes of the late MF DOOM, Aloe Blacc, Mayer Hawthorne, Jimetta Rose, Dâm-Funk, and Oh No. The album is undoubtedly an extension of all three artists’ signature sounds, but it simultaneously defies all precedents to reaffirm each individual’s position at the forefront of LA’s legendary hip-hop landscape.

For the first since it’s original release date, the album is set to be rereleased on vinyl in a special edition red and black color-in-color configuration equipped with two new mixes of the focus tracks, “The Strip (feat. Anderson .Paak)” and “Knock Knock (feat. MF DOOM).”

"Bad Neighbor is as if the Ruff Ryders albums were reimagined by this trio and all the avant heads get to party, but it is also worth mentioning that the often slept-on MED and Blu seem to steer this beast as much as the beloved Madlib." -AllMusic

Death metal powerhouse Dying Fetus return with their long-awaited new record War of Attrition. Masterminded by guitarist/vocalist John Gallagher and his hand picked kill-team, War of Attrition advances the band’s devastating assault and destroys everything in its path. From the first song to the last, the patented 'Fetus combination of punishing slam riffs, frenzied guitar work, and utterly savage dual-vocal assault and overpowers the listener. War of Attrition reaches an altogether new and focused level of brutality for Dying Fetus, and expands and cements the legendary status of this renowned US metal institution.

R&B, funk and soul icons Kool & The Gang are returning with a new album release – People Just Wanna Have Fun is out July 14, 2023 on Astana Music Inc. With six decades of hits, the internationally celebrated group continues to tour the world and recently performed on Good Morning America. The band is led by founding members Robert “Kool” Bell (bassist) and George “Funky” Brown (keyboardist, drummer & producer of this album), whose book Too Hot: Kool & the Gang & Me will be released on July 11, 2023. Continuing to release music that makes the good times better and the bad times more bearable, this collection will be the band’s 34th studio album, featuring some of the last studio work by founding horn players, Kool’s brother Ronald “Khalis” Bell and Dennis “D.T.” Thomas, who passed in 2020 and 2021. Lead vocals on the album also include Sha Sha Jones, Shawn McQuiller, Lavell Evans, Dominique Karan, Rick Marcel and Walt Anderson, plus rappers Ami Miller & Ole’. Both Bell and Brown view People Just Wanna Have Fun as a summation of their long career, during which they sold 70 million albums worldwide with hit singles like “Celebration,” “Ladies Night,” “Get Down on It,” “Hollywood Swinging” & beyond. Since their start in 1964, the group has amassed two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, a BET Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award and star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Kool’s bass guitar is even featured in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. From Newark to Nairobi, Kool & the Gang have performed continuously longer than any R&B group in history and are the most sampled R&B band of all time, including by Madonna, Jay-Z, Beastie Boys, Janet Jackson, Cypress Hill and P. Diddy.

777 is a captivating collaboration between rapper Raz Fresco and producer Figub Brazlevic that takes listeners on a remarkable musical journey. Released to critical acclaim, the album seamlessly blends Raz Fresco's introspective lyricism with Figub Brazlevic's masterful production skills, resulting in a project that pushes the boundaries of contemporary hip-hop. 5 different color pressings sold randomly (Purple, Lime, Orange, Red, Green).

SMK is back and he's Aint Nuttin Shakin. A packed Memphis classic with gangsta hits only. Originally released in '96 and never before pressed on wax. Better be fast on this low down g-rap monster from another planet

SMK is back and he's Aint Nuttin Shakin. A packed Memphis classic with gangsta hits only. Originally released in '96 and never before pressed on wax. Better be fast on this low down g-rap monster from another planet

"What do you get when 2 esteemed Belgian producers/DJ's collaborate with their favorite New York / New Jersey MC's? You get a bullseye. The long awaited release of the international album 'Moving Targets' by Chillowproductions & DJ Grazzhoppa is in sight.

On March 10th, the first single ""Fly Ego"" will drop. Moving Targets pretty much speaks for itself. For this single, the duo set their scopes on New Jersey rapper Venomous2000. While he's aiming for you!"

The six letters of Def Jam, like the three of RAL (for Rush Associated Labels), Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin imprinted them indelibly into hip hop mythology. The epicenter is New York, in order to make sure to have in its ranks the best representatives of Boom Bap, Hardcore Funk, Go-Go or Electro. Beastie Boys, EPMD, Onyx, Redman, Method Man, LL Cool J, Junkyard Band, South Central Cartel, 3rd Bass; the list of MC's who left a mark stamped with the Def Jam or RAL logo is a freestyle where catching your breath is difficult. In order to study more closely the footprints left by these behemoths, Uncle O, the man behind the 5 volumes of Shaolin Soul compilations, explored the label's 1985-1995 period. From another age, tucked away behind a photograph of Glen E. Friedman, the man who created the visual history of Def Jam and RAL through iconic covers, they are the work of rap's T-Rex. Dinosaur Beats. Reviews R2, Mojo Blues and Soul, Guardian, Record Collector Ads R2, Mojo.

Celebrate Hip-Hop At Fifty with this 25th Anniversary Compilation Album produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs and featuring the biggest hits from the early days of Bad Boy. Tracks include a who's who from the Bad Boy lineup, including The Notorious B.I.G., Mase, Faith Evans, Craig Mack, 112 and Diddy himself. This Limited Edition Black & White Split Vinyl also includes Exclusive Bad Boy Vinyl Etching on side D.

Das Album „Queen Radio: Volume 1” der amerikanischen Rapperin und Sängerin Nicki Minaj ist ab dem 07.07. als 3LP erhältlich!
„Queen Radio: Volume 1“ ist das erste Greatest-Hits-Album der amerikanischen Rapperin und Sängerin Nicki Minaj.

Es wurde am 26. August 2022 über Young Money Entertainment und Republic Records veröffentlicht.
Das Album wurde zwei Tage später erneut veröffentlicht, um einen Remix von Skengs 2022er Single ”Likkle Miss” hinzuzufügen.

Das Album enthält Songs aus all ihren Studioalben—”Pink Friday“ (2010), „Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded“ und seine Neuauflage „The Re-Up“ (beide erschienen 2012), „The Pinkprint“ (2014) und „Queen“ (2018).
Songs aus dem Mixtape „Beam Me Up Scotty“ (Originalversion von 2009 und Neuauflage von 2021), der Young Money Entertainment-Compilation „Rise of an Empire“ (2014) und einigen Nicht-Album-Singles, die sie 2022 veröffentlicht hatte. Es wurde überraschend ohne vorherige Ankündigung veröffentlicht. Eine der Singles von 2022 und der Eröffnungstrack des Albums, ”Super Freaky Girl”, debütierte und erreichte den Höhepunkt der Billboard Hot 100.

NOW Music is proud to present the next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series – and our first to celebrate the ‘90s, NOW – Yearbook 1992; 79 tracks from a brilliant year in Pop! Available as a Special Edition CD housed in ‘hard-back-book’ packaging, including a 28-page booklet featuring a summary of the year, a track-by-track guide, a quiz, and original singles artwork, a standard 4CD package, and a Limited edition 3-LP set pressed on green vinyl.

Fourth release for the London-based E2-E8 Records. Whilst continuing on the path set by Orphic’s widely acclaimed “Shelter EP”, this one marks a return to the label’s beginnings. Music comes from rapture wizard Miro Sundaymusiq, who featured on E2-E8’s first release and previously appeared on Carl H’s Animals On Psychedelics. And the Animals On Psychedelics sound is very much what’s channelled here with ITWT (we’ll let you figure out what the acronym stands for!). A suspended number with plenty of tension in the first minutes, with a change in atmosphere when you least expect it.

On the B-side we are delighted to have S.O.N.S providing his interpretation of ITWT. One for peak times and booming speakers, a sea of low and high frequencies blending together. This one will appeal to discerning dance floors while firmly standing the test of time.

On their sophomore effort Tusky, surrealist duet Robbie & Mona ascend beyond the lo-fi scrawlings of their debut album to something altogether more grandiose. Between the lights down drama of sprawling opener ‘Sensation’, to the ‘roll credits’ coda of closer ‘Always Gonna Be A Dead Man’, Tusky exists as a glitzy, lucid journey playing out before the listener.
While debut album EW captured William Carkeet and Ellie Gray as they were finding their feet with one another, creating Tusky was a wholly symbiotic process from day one. “We got better at knowing what each other wanted,” William offers. “This was the album that we were trying to make from the beginning.”

Simultaneously evoking multiple eras of music, the album drifts through worlds of synth pop, jazz, trap, drill, ballroom waltz and leftfield electronica, with the scatterbrain sound palette melded by a peppering of instrumental motifs and William’s addiction to sampling sounds across multiple tracks. “I wanted there to be this weird dimensional thing going on,” William explains, “where songs from the album are playing in multiple places.”

The record sees an expansive cast of musicians assembled, with a much heavier focus on live instrumentation than previous outings. Alongside the expected fare of crackly synths, samplers and drum machines, Tusky gets its glossy sheen from a rich tapestry of jazz drums, double bass, grand piano and saxophone.

Most of the tracks are laden with improvised saxophone from Campbell Baum (Sorry, Broadside Hacks) and Ben Vince (Housewives, Joy Orbison), much of which was scrambled by William in post-production, lifting scraps from one song and layering them atop an entirely different track. Elsewhere, session musicians were cherry picked, including Bingo Fury, his drummer Henry Terrett, and a string ensemble led by Caelia Lunniss and Jo Silverston (Spindle Ensemble).

Most surprising is a rap feature from Monika (of South-East London collective Nukuluk), who brings album centrepiece ‘Mildred’ to new heights with a fiery verse on pain. Aside from being the most unlikely addendum to a sombre piano ballad, it demonstrates Robbie & Mona’s natural state of playfulness, forever following emotions and sensuality over any notion of traditional compositional boundaries.
Many of Tusky's tracks owe their inception to cinema, be it the soundtrack to Betty Blue, the glowing films of Wim Wenders, or the surprising parallels between La Belle Et La Bete and Bad Boys. Equally, much of Robbie & Mona's new-found sense of tension and spectacle comes from William’s recent work soundtracking independent filmmakers, while Ellie gave greater priority to threading a narrative through her stream of consciousness writing style.

In all its majesty, Tusky celebrates creativity with creation. “If you begin to see fiction as real, you can reincarnate and become different things. You can grow,” Ellie implores. “Nothing stays the same. You can shed old characters in yourself. There’s great joy in that.”

Coming straight outta Salerno's vibrant music scene, "Amo' / Voce 'e Notte" is the first 7" single from female rap duo Zetas. Released by DJ's Choice, a partner label of Four Flies Records, it contains two songs produced bybeatmaker, rapper and producer Tonico 70, a true veteran of Southern Italian hip hop.

Both young millennials, rappers Annarella and Miriade were exposed to the world of underground hip-hop from an early age, jamming, freestyling and listening to different music than their peers. Active as a duo since 2019, they're now making their official debut with this 7", which will be followed byan album at the end of September.

The A-side track "Amo'", which is about the overuse and loss of meaning of the word 'love' (amo' translates as 'luv'), makes their intentions clear. Zetas rap in the exuberant dialect and slang of their native city of Salerno, while their sound looks back to the '90s through a contemporary lens. Raw rhymes are delivered with an urgent flow over a beat that, rather than boom-bap nostalgia, is a modern take on classic production styles. The result is a happy medium between old school and fresh – one where the melody of dialect rap and rhymes blends wonderfully with the rhythms of funk, soul and reggae.

"Voce 'e notte", on side B, has a different mood, but the same approach. Here, Zetas weave wistful verses tinged with disillusionment and toughness on top of Tonico 70's 808-led beat, paying tribute to a classic Neapolitan song also titled "Voce 'e Notte". The result is a rap serenade that transforms and reimagines the Neapolitan song tradition through today's sensibility and, of course, through hip hop.

The legendary Ultramagnetic MC touches down in London for a one-away collab with We Are The Horsemen, featuring the one and only Kaidi Tatham.


What you sayin’, Kool Keith...? Enter your spaceship for a transatlantic meeting of minds as the legendary Kool Keith links up with We Are The Horsemen (Outernational Sounds head honcho Harvinder Singh Nagi and producer Sub One) and the great Kaidi Tatham for a future-jazz flavoured trip through the great MC’s London adventures.

Kool Keith needs no introduction to hip-hop heads worldwide. As one of the greatest MCs ever to touch the mic, Keith has never stopped innovating and progressing. From his days in the seminal 1980s Bronx unit Ultramagnetic MCs, through his pioneering development of new conceptual characters and styles in the 1990s (Big Willie Smith, Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom, Black Elvis), to his continuous run of radically independent recordings in the 2000s and beyond, Kool Keith defines rap longevity and artistic originality. No one else in hip hop has a comparable record of continuous reinvention, conceptual boldness, and stylistic panache.

And after four decades in rap, Keith is still one of the hardest working rappers in the game, perpetually seeking new sounds to spit on and new collaborators from across the musical spectrum. Fresh off the acclaim for his new Black Elvis 2 release, the protean MC has touched down on Outernational Sounds for a unique collab with We Are The Horsemen and Kaidi Tatham. ‘London Is The Place’ finds Keith riding the Horsemen’s atmospheric, break-toughened riddim and reaching back in time to drop kaleidoscopic, stream-of-consciousness impressions of the Ultramagnetic MCs infamous 1989 tour, before flashing forward to the present in order to namecheck Honest Jons Records, saxophone star Nubiya Garcia and master keyboardist and broken beat pioneer Kaidi Tatham, who contributes trademark jazz keys and bruk steez to the AA side remix. The 12” is closed out by a third version, the Horsemen’s own Kool Jazz Mix, bringing see- sawing organ stabs and a neck-snapping Ultra-sampling hook.

Kool Keith, Kaidi Tatham and We Are The Horsemen, taking it higher and overcoming the pressure with ‘music so progressive’, to quote Keith himself! Limited press – don’t sleep on this one!!

Circles is the sixth and final studio album by Mac Miller. Conceived as a sister album to 2018's full length Swimming, the album was completed with the assistance of Jon Brion, with whom Miller worked on Swimming and had been working together on Circles at the time of his passing. While sonically distinctly different than its predecessor, Circles features many of the hallmarks for which Swimming was critically-acclaimed upon its release -- Miller further realizing his singing voice in addition to rapping, live instrumentation and earnest, confessional lyrical content. Listeners will hear shades of some of the album's influences in its songs, from the T-Rex guitar tone of "Surf" to the Plastic Ono Band-era John Lennon feel of its production and the inspired cover of Arthur Lee's 1972 single "Everybody's Gotta Live." It's a momentous final entry into the discography of an artist that remains at the centre of reimagining the limits of rap.

Hailing from the seaside communities surrounding Enoshima, a small island located 50 km southwest of Tokyo, Maya Ongaku is a ragtag collective of local musicians whose brand of earthy psychedelia transcends widely beyond the roots of their inner souls. The name derives not from any kind of ancient civilization, but rather a neologism defined as the imagined view outside one’s field of vision. The band—currently a trio of Tsutomu Sonoda, Ryota Takano, and Shoei Ikeda—finds sanctuary at the Ace General Store, a beachy vintage shop and salon-like space just hidden from sight from the bustling, touristy riverside Subana Street. Between discussions on music and art, curating the vinyl section and manning the register, and chatting up with locals young and old, the members find time to jam and record their spontaneous ideas in the studio tucked away in the back. It’s in this unlikely setting where Maya Ongaku finds its origins, the culmination of what Sonoda describes as 自然発生 (shizen hassei), meaning spontaneous generation, or the supposed production of living organisms from nonliving matter.

Approach to Anima, the group’s debut album released on Guruguru Brain, finds Maya Ongaku building a foundational groove while tapping into their innermost psyche. Sonoda’s malleable guitar and vocals, Takano’s sinuous bass lines, Ikeda’s floating woodwinds, and a sprinkling of delicate percussion—all coalesce into an aural experience that’s assertive yet abstract, calm but unsettling. The slow building, sax-laden “Approach” serves as an introduction to Maya Ongaku’s world, while the appropriately-named “Water Dream” floats its way toward the gentle finale of “Pillow Song.” It’s a concise distillation of their many interests and influences, from Neo-Dada and Fluxus, to where contemporary art intersects with the development of modern recording technology in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

As the title suggests, Approach to Anima is not intended to be a terminus; it’s merely the beginning of an exploration. The three childhood friends that comprise Maya Ongaku are always looking beyond the confines of the idyllic but rapidly gentrifying enclave of their beloved Enoshima. Feeding off of the energy that still radiates from the triumphant, decade-long journey of their label bosses’ band Kikagaku Moyo, who rose to global prominence from scrappy beginnings busking on the streets of Takadanobaba, they hope to go wherever inspiration takes them, to anywhere around the globe where their music can find a home.

Ultimately, Maya Ongaku’s uninhibited world-building will make it possible for us to see the unseen, expand the possibilities of the naked eye—all through the unbridled vibrancy of their music.

Obsessive tekno/grime experiment from London's lostdomain producer Leeway following the great great Krevet EP. Very compatible with ~160 BPM hardtek/trance. Grainy desaturated claustrophobic sound progressing to full, crisp and dreamy with alien salival textures...

Whole album varies on two or three circling themes. Super zoney and subdued and spiritual but then jumps right out of the speakers with violence.

Wenn Afrob ein neues Album produziert, darf man zurecht alles erwarten. Er lässt sich nicht beschränken und geht jeden Weg. Das gilt auch für „König ohne Land“. Die neue Platte erscheint im Juni ’23 und stellt die Vielfalt des Godfather of Deutschem Rap erneut unter Beweis. Seit 25 Jahren dabei, ist er der letzte seiner Art und der erste, der voran in eine neue Richtung geht. Er repräsentiert HipHop immer
noch wie am ersten Tag. Er ist so real wie man es nur sein kann. Er kennt die Geschichte des Games und ist immer offen für neue Sounds. Und genau so ist auch die neue Platte. Von der Ansage im Intro bis zum letzten Gospel im Schlussstück rundet sie sich musikalisch wie textlich.

Wenn Afrob ein neues Album produziert, darf man zurecht alles erwarten. Er lässt sich nicht beschränken und geht jeden Weg. Das gilt auch für „König ohne Land“. Die neue Platte erscheint im Juni ’23 und stellt die Vielfalt des Godfather of Deutschem Rap erneut unter Beweis. Seit 25 Jahren dabei, ist er der letzte seiner Art und der erste, der voran in eine neue Richtung geht. Er repräsentiert HipHop immer
noch wie am ersten Tag. Er ist so real wie man es nur sein kann. Er kennt die Geschichte des Games und ist immer offen für neue Sounds. Und genau so ist auch die neue Platte. Von der Ansage im Intro bis zum letzten Gospel im Schlussstück rundet sie sich musikalisch wie textlich.

Psych-rap enigma Onoe Caponoe returns with his fifth studio album ‘Concrete Fantasia’ on High Focus Records. In crystal clear communication with the mothership; littered with striking references to fantastical realms and uncommon lore, but very much anchored in the inner city blocks and smoggy roadsides that inform his everyday, ‘Concrete Fantasia’ is a dark fantasy tape that expertly blurs the lines between genres, tones, moods and character profiles.

Of this world and out-of-this-world perfectly poised; Onoe offering up escape portals, before quickly pulling the listener back in with wave-upon-wave of catdelix riptides. ‘Concrete Fantasia’ is something of a tug-of-war; peppering movie samples, vignettes and complex go-betweens tickling the senses, combining with a cacophony of mind-bending lyricism resulting in a singular journey, with Onoe confidently filling the shoes of both author and narrator.

Pinocchio ducking feds in the hood, an Ice King ruling over a frostbitten kingdom, The Cheshire Cat trying to clean up Alice’s act, sweet serenades to off-shore mermaids, the trials and tribulations of life in a haunted trap house, big booty witches, flying carpets and beyond, ‘Concrete Fantasia’ is a real trip through the imaginative mind of Onoe Caponoe. With an eclectic line-up of featured artists and productional talent propping up the fictional cast, ‘Concrete Fantasia’ has all the makings of an alt-rap odyssey for the ages.

Psych-rap enigma Onoe Caponoe returns with his fifth studio album ‘Concrete Fantasia’ on High Focus Records. In crystal clear communication with the mothership; littered with striking references to fantastical realms and uncommon lore, but very much anchored in the inner city blocks and smoggy roadsides that inform his everyday, ‘Concrete Fantasia’ is a dark fantasy tape that expertly blurs the lines between genres, tones, moods and character profiles.

Of this world and out-of-this-world perfectly poised; Onoe offering up escape portals, before quickly pulling the listener back in with wave-upon-wave of catdelix riptides. ‘Concrete Fantasia’ is something of a tug-of-war; peppering movie samples, vignettes and complex go-betweens tickling the senses, combining with a cacophony of mind-bending lyricism resulting in a singular journey, with Onoe confidently filling the shoes of both author and narrator.

Pinocchio ducking feds in the hood, an Ice King ruling over a frostbitten kingdom, The Cheshire Cat trying to clean up Alice’s act, sweet serenades to off-shore mermaids, the trials and tribulations of life in a haunted trap house, big booty witches, flying carpets and beyond, ‘Concrete Fantasia’ is a real trip through the imaginative mind of Onoe Caponoe. With an eclectic line-up of featured artists and productional talent propping up the fictional cast, ‘Concrete Fantasia’ has all the makings of an alt-rap odyssey for the ages.

Psych-rap enigma Onoe Caponoe returns with his fifth studio album ‘Concrete Fantasia’ on High Focus Records. In crystal clear communication with the mothership; littered with striking references to fantastical realms and uncommon lore, but very much anchored in the inner city blocks and smoggy roadsides that inform his everyday, ‘Concrete Fantasia’ is a dark fantasy tape that expertly blurs the lines between genres, tones, moods and character profiles.

Of this world and out-of-this-world perfectly poised; Onoe offering up escape portals, before quickly pulling the listener back in with wave-upon-wave of catdelix riptides. ‘Concrete Fantasia’ is something of a tug-of-war; peppering movie samples, vignettes and complex go-betweens tickling the senses, combining with a cacophony of mind-bending lyricism resulting in a singular journey, with Onoe confidently filling the shoes of both author and narrator.

Pinocchio ducking feds in the hood, an Ice King ruling over a frostbitten kingdom, The Cheshire Cat trying to clean up Alice’s act, sweet serenades to off-shore mermaids, the trials and tribulations of life in a haunted trap house, big booty witches, flying carpets and beyond, ‘Concrete Fantasia’ is a real trip through the imaginative mind of Onoe Caponoe. With an eclectic line-up of featured artists and productional talent propping up the fictional cast, ‘Concrete Fantasia’ has all the makings of an alt-rap odyssey for the ages.

Repress!

Now available for the first time on vinyl since its original release in 1999 on Rawkus Records, Trescadecaphobia brings you the CLASSIC LP from Pharoahe Monch "Internal Affairs." Featuring production from DJ Scratch, Diamond D, and The Alchemist with verses from Canibus, M.O.P., Busta Rhymes, Common, and Talib Kweli.

High Focus Records is proud to present TrueMendous’ first official release on the label, the highly anticipated ‘HUH?’ EP. This 7 track EP is the perfect introduction to TrueMendous - One of the most talented MCs from these shores whether it be her storytelling expertise, varied range or unrivalled flow. Taking reign as the first female rapper to sign to High Focus Records she is definitely one to look out for. With production from Chemo, Pitch 92, Illinformed, Winchester and Marcus Jakes this EP is going to make a serious dent in the scene. Featuring singles ‘That Don’t Mean’ and ‘O.T.Y.L Part 2’, the ‘HUH?’ EP sets the tone for TrueMendous’ future with unparalleled confidence.

365XX, das erste Rap-Label in Europa, das sich ausschließlich weiblichem und genderqueerem Talent widmet, beschenkt sich und seine Artists zum dreijährigen Jubiläum mit einem Label-Sampler (inkl. aufwändig illustriertem Artwork von der aus dem Schwesternblog 365 Female MCs bekannten Henrike Ott). Darauf zu hören: CARY, Die P, Mariybu, MIMII, PALAS, SATARII, Skuff Barbie und YETUNDEY.