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‘Keep it in the Family Vol. 2’ sees Handy Records return with our first release of 2025- the second instalment of our compilation series- featuring 5 carefully curated house cuts from a range of label mainstays and fresh sounds from artists between Wales, the Netherlands, Brazil and beyond- a stellar array of emergent and established artists.

Following our club-ready releases on our recently launched sublabel Natural Frequencies throughout 2024, we felt it was the right time to return to our roots - providing the finest in timeless and broad-reaching house music.

Ediciones Espectro Oculto has the pleasure to announce their first vinyl edition ‘Elementa Obscura Vol. 01’, a wave-infused compilation which moves through the dim & dazzling realms of electronic music.

The vinyl kicks off with a new-beat-esque track by Trenton Chase known for his EP released on Interstellar Funk defunct label ‘Artificial Dance’ and his collaborations with June (Mania Sans Delire) and Traxx (Internal/External) with a 12” released on Kode sublabel of the infamous Nation Records. Synth wizard and legend Martial Canterel delivers a masterful track that embodies his signature wave sound—driven by sophisticated analog sequences, atmospheric textures, and a vivid story telling with ‘Folly’. Closing the A side we have Gravitational Waves boss DJ Nephil, who’s bringing his raw & analog trademark which will annihilate all dance-floors.

On the flip side we have cult czech producer & DJ: Exhausted Modern known for his notable work managing the extinct ‘Endless Illusion’ label, he provides a de-constructed electro track with an exceptional sound design, so glad to have one of the key cultural figures on the czech electronic music underground scene. Having collaborated with labels like Pi Electronics, Phormix & Modal Analysis just to name a few, Fragedis blends elements that seamlessly propels dancefloors into motion. Finally, Argentinian duo Happy707 present a low-bpm track which hypnotizes you with a detailed synth bassline and gritty vocals that draw you in, creating a hypnotic listening experience.

6 cuts that give you the 1st glimpse of what ‘Ediciones Expectro Oculto’ is about.

The British jazz/hip hop fusion collective Us3 founded in 1992 in London and its notable members included producers Mel Simpson and Geoff Wilkinson. The group scored a major hit in 1994 with “Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)”, a track that displayed the group’s fondness for sampling classic recordings from the Blue Note label (in this case, Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island’). The track was included on their debut album Hand On The Torch.

The album was a result of their connections with Blue Note owner Capitol Records, which gave Simpson and Wilkinson free rein to sample anything from the Blue Note catalog. Together with several musicians and rappers Kobie Powell and Rahsaan Kelly, they sampled a series of Blue Note classics, from Art Blakey and Thelonious Monk, to Horace Sylver and the previously mentioned Herbie Hancock. With the release of Hand On The Torch, Us3 had forged one of the most elaborate union between styles and became one of the best-selling jazz albums on the Blue Note label.

Rosettes are finally here with their debut album on Timmion Records, Lifestyles, a compelling journey into psychedelic soul, jazzy funk, and introspective grooves. For the listener, it creates an experience that manages to be both sophisticated and raw to the bone. Expanding on the sound they refined with their previous singles, this 10-track album captures the group in top form while crafting intoxicating sonic potions that pull you in. Featuring standout tracks like the soulful opener "The Call," the Isaac Hayes-inspired title track "Lifestyles," and the introspective groover "Spirals," the album weaves together cinematic instrumentals, intricate horn arrangements, and deeply personal storytelling, courtesy of lead singer Tytti Roto. Drawing inspiration from a range of vintage and contemporary masters_Cymande, SAULT, and Sade, to name a few_the rest of the eight-piece group doesn't linger in the shadows. Instead, they make it their mission to position the groove front and center. The album closes with "The Queen," the sole instrumental track, which evokes the spirit of 1970s blaxploitation soundtracks with its wah-wah and fuzz guitars and jazzy changes. Every track on Lifestyles is a testament to the Rosettes' ability to craft genre-blending masterpieces that are as emotionally gripping as they are musically intricate. For fans of adventurous soul and funk, this album offers a rich and rewarding journey.

The Vendetta Suite is back to light up the early part of 2025 with a brilliant brace of singles on Hell Yeah. Kicking things off is a glorious acid house/disco thriller backed by a soothing out of body escape.

We’ve often referred to The Vendetta Suite as Belfast’s best kept secret, but with the quality music he keeps releasing he is rightly picking up ever more of a profile. The Hell Yeah regular has long been a key part of his native Northern Irish scene thanks to the way he mixes genres; ambient, post-rave Balearic, dub and acid house all in the mix with his own unique psychedelic magic.

First up is ‘The Jam Answer’, which taps into plenty of classic sounds but reinvents them for modern dancefloors. Bendy acid lines weave in between the dusty analogue drums, familiar acid house vocal samples and fizzing chord stabs bring the heat before a cosmic synth lead sings out with sunny soul. ‘Island Hill Microdot’ channels dreamy Chicago house, the futuristic styles of IDM with the blissed out warmth of Balearic. Carried along with gentle percussion, it’s an immersive soundscape that makes for the perfect tropical distraction.

Two very different but equally effective cuts from The Vendetta Suite.

"No Warranty Dubs" is made by a logic powerhouse combination, Jimi Tenor & Kabukabu meets DJ Sotofett, with most of what you can expect from all parts involved. You're served Afro Dub & Jazz in a bold and classic sonic execution. Through all 15 cuts the echoes are real and rhythms upfront, with proper extended Disco Dubs and versions of Afrobeat and Free Jazz contrasting body and soul. The album is tuneful and rugged, some cuts have vocals & synth swimming alone, while others glue the drummers groove to slick piano from beginning till end.

Followers of Jimi Tenor's life in music will be able to dive into his trademark song writing, signature flute breathing and indistinguishable style of saxophone playing, as well as his tender and electrifuingly psychedelic vocals known from early days of Puu/Sähkö and Warp releases. Kabukabu's heavyweight instrumental performance trancends regular studio recordings with joy and precision as a core element. Kabukabu's Ekow Alabi Savage aka Ekowmania (from last years "Dr.Afrodub" album) embeds deep rhythm knowledge throughout the entire musical landscape. Last in the chain is DJ Sotofett, producing and mixing his probably most classically crafted output to date. With silky gloves and clanking wrenches every element has been tweaked, re-mixed & dubbed excessively to justify a fully musical, psychedelic, warm and rhythmically rich experience.

"No Warranty Dubs" is as warm as the chords of "Money Palaver (Extra Warm Mix)", and as bombastic as opening track "Fujitronic (Flute Mix)". The album reaches it's most tender moments with the sweet "Musical Message (Disco Dub)" and dives straight into obscurity when guest drummer Ilmari Heikinheimo contributes to "Otto Part 4", a rare freejazz cut with TR-909 tickering from start til end. The simplicity of "Tronic Rhythms (Flute Dub)" is worthy a tear in an eye, while brittle souls can scatter to the thunderous horns and drenched rhythms of "Kabu Anthem (Cosmic Dub)".

FIRST STRIKE of TRSSX, co-founder of the Wodawater label and Glasgow’s underground club EXIT on ZHARK. An amalgamation of harmonic distortion and gruelling modular signals recorded live to embrace rawness and throw you off balance. Divergence versus sameness.Incongruity versus equilibrium Tautology versus chaos

After a two decades long hiatus, One Self have reformed to present a new record – ‘Visions’ - to celebrate 20 years since the release of their acclaimed debut album – ‘Children of Possibility’ which was released on Ninja Tune and featured their indie hit single ‘Bluebird’. The ‘Visions’ EP sees Blu rum 13, Yarah Bravo and Daddy Vad rejoin forces with some special friends - Mr woodnote on the sax (DUB FX), Dj Woody, Reggie Watts and Meryem Saci to bring some organically grown soul to the hip-hop flavours the group are known for.

Songs of Silence is a beautiful turn-based strategy game of fantasy warfare. Leading one of the game's distinct factions, it is the player's task to conquer randomized maps through military might, subterfuge or arcane means. Intriguing hero stories grounded in a rich fantasy world create emotional bonds and give meaning to the player's actions. Roguelike meta-game progression, based on heroes' personal stories and unlocking new features and content via playing, ensuring long-time motivation and keeping the game excitingly fresh. The atmospheric soundtrack of the game is composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, the famous artist behind all-time favourites such as Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy 12 and Valkyria Chronicles. Sakimoto describes his way into creating the soundtrack for Songs of Silence: "Regarding Songs of Silence, the stage design and the world-building are incredibly detailed and meticulously crafted. The settings are thoroughly developed and each region has its own unique culture. Given this highly refined world, I believe that my role was primarily to support and enhance the atmosphere with sound. At the same time, I wanted to ensure that the music conveys the uniqueness of this world. When people see it, I want them to feel its strong presence while also recognizing that it is a world unlike anything they have seen before. Expressing this uniqueness and reinforcing the impression it leaves is, in my view, the role of music and sound." But Sakimoto's music isn't just pushing the gamer's experience, it aims to add a little extra in a way that only his profession is able to: "It's a bit difficult to describe the specific 'feeling' I was aiming for, but I intend to create sounds and music that people have rarely heard before. Since the world itself is already well-defined, my approach was to add an extra layer - something that cannot be conveyed through visuals or text alone - through music."

All Portrait, No Chorus is the new album from indie rap pioneer doseone and NYC producer Steel Tipped Dove. Together, these two artists have crafted an uncompromising masterpiece. Knowing the caliber of MC he is paired with, dove skillfully paints with every color on the palette, and doseone skates effortlessly on every track, whether skating languid figure 8s or landing lyrical triple axels. Somehow the veteran sounds sharper than ever and the songs are lean and hungry, cut to the quick. It is no accident that this project is released under the Backwoodz Studioz imprint; the road that leads to this collaboration starts with, of all things, a ShrapKnel demo. Here is how dose explains it: "I have been inspired by Backwoodz for a while, in many ways, but the most potent being all these distinct pens. September 2023, I had heard a nearly done version of ShrapKnel's latest record, and something snapped in me. Hearing that perfectly hungry, inspired rapping turned my power back on. For me, being inspired warrants telling those who are inspiring you, so once I heard Decay I reached out and sent Fatboi Sharif and Dove some kind words about that record. The rest is history." At the end of December 2023 Dove sent dose the first beat pack. Somewhere around the second week of January 2024 dose already had five songs written and recorded. By the middle of March, a rough album framework was essentially done, and they brought on Minneapolis producer Andrew Broder to freak the turntables across the whole project. Then, as a final piece, dose and dove added select collaborations from some of their favorite rappers. By the end of April it was done. "I'm not really a features guy, but to align with and connect with those who inspire me, I called in some beautiful humans I had never worked with but always meant to: Open Mike Eagle, M.Sayyid, billy woods, Fatboi Sharif, and Myka 9 connect eras, artists, and styles of unconventional rap I hold incredibly dear," doseone explains. Listening to All Portrait, No Chorus you can hear the battery in doseone's back as he pythons his way through each instrumental. For his part, Steel Tipped Dove_a prolific producer over the last two years_delivers some of the most diverse work of his career. The result is a dynamic, propulsive listen that casts its crackling energy in every direction except backwards.

"Otra", das siebte Studioalbum der norwegischen Avantgarde-Metaller IN THE WOODS... mag für all jene Hörer überraschend sein, welche die permanente Evolution der Band aus der südnorwegischen Stadt Kristiansand seit den frühen Neunzigern nicht weiter verfolgt haben. Die Songs auf "Otra" sind bemerkenswert eingängig und melodisch, wobei auch im aktuellen Sound von IN THE WOODS... immer wieder progressive Elemente und gelegentlich auch raue Erinnerungen an die harsche Vergangenheit der Norweger aufblitzen. "Otra" hebt sich von der Masse der Heavy-Veröffentlichungen durch seine herausragenden Kompositionen ab, die von jahrelanger musikalischer Erfahrung zeugen und mit einer täuschenden Leichtigkeit daherkommen. Inhaltlich erzählt "Otra" persönliche Geschichten aller beteiligten Musiker, die durch den namensgebenden Fluß verbunden sind, der sich 245 Kilometer lang durch den Süden Norwegens schlängelt und in der Heimatstadt der Band in den Skagerrak mündet. Den Namen IN THE WOODS... braucht man Freunden von Avantgarde und Black Metal kaum vorstellen. Ihre Eckdaten innerhalb der Szene sind wohlbekannt: Die Norweger zählen zu den Bands, die an der Entwicklung des nordischen Black Metal in den frühen Neunzigern beteiligt waren und den Sound eines starken Subgenres maßgeblich mitgeprägt haben. Ihr Erstlingswerk "Heart of the Ages" (1995) gilt zu Recht als einer der frühen Klassiker des Genres. Doch IN THE WOODS... haben sich nie auf ihren Lorbeeren ausgeruht und stießen bereits mit den Nachfolgewerken "Omnio" (1997) sowie "Strange in Stereo" (1999) in neue Klangdimensionen vor. Nach einer langen Unterbrechung zwischen den Jahren 2000 und 2014 kehrten die Norweger mit dem neuen Sänger James Fogarty zurück, der bis zum Dezember 2021 am Mikrofon stand. Mit einer runderneuten Besetzung, unter anderem nun mit dem Sänger Bernt Fjellestad, nahmen IN THE WOODS... mit dem Album "Diversum" (2021) erneut eine Kursänderung vor. Mit "Otra" demonstrieren die mittlerweile aufeinander eingespielten Norweger die volle Stärke und künstlerische Reife von IN THE WOODS... in der dritten Inkarnation. Dieses spannende und packende Album steckt voller glorreicher Details und überraschender Wendungen, die sich nach und nach in vielen Durchläufen erschließen.

Willie The Kid and producer V Don reunite for the fourth chapter of their acclaimed "Deutsche Marks" series, delivering another masterclass in underground hip-hop. This latest installment pushes their signature blend of gritty, cinematic production and razor-sharp lyricism even further. V Don’s beats are moody and atmospheric, laced with haunting samples and hard-hitting drums, creating the perfect backdrop for Willie The Kid’s vivid, lavish storytelling.

The album features an elite lineup of guest appearances, including The Alchemist, who brings his signature touch to the project, as well as Rome Streetz, Eto, Ankhlejohn, and Tully C, all delivering standout verses. Notably, the late great Abe Linx also contributes, adding a poignant layer to the record. The chemistry between Willie The Kid and V Don remains undeniable, with *Deutsche Marks IV* serving as a testament to their consistency and creativity. This project is a celebration of both their growth and the timeless essence of street rap.

The seventh and penultimate season of the fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones premiered on HBO in 2017.

The penultimate season focuses on the convergence of the show's main plots in preparation for the final season. Daenerys Targaryen arrives in Westeros with her army and three large dragons and begins to wage war against the Lannisters, who have defeated her allies in the south and west of Westeros. Jon Snow leaves Sansa in charge of Winterfell and visits Daenerys to secure her help to defeat the White Walkers and the Army of the Dead. He mines the dragonglass at Dragonstone and begins a romance with Daenerys. Arya and Bran (now the Three-Eyed Raven) return home to Winterfell; the Starks execute the treacherous Littlefinger. Tyrion persuades Daenerys not to destroy King's Landing, reminding her that she does not want to be simply a queen of ashes. Instead, Jon goes north of the wall to capture a wight to prove to Cersei that the fearsome army of the dead exist and are coming; in doing so, his group is pinned down and nearly killed. Daenerys rescues them with her dragons but the Night King kills one of her dragons and makes it part of his army. The undead dragon later destroys part of the Wall and the dead march through. Bran learns that Jon is really his cousin, Aegon Targaryen, the legitimate heir to the Iron Throne.

Game of Thrones Season 7 received 22 nominations for the Primetime Emmy Awards and won for Outstanding Drama Series and Dinklage won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The score by Ramin Djawadi was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media.

Game Of Thrones Season 7 is available as a limited edition of 750 numbered copies on silver coloured vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet.

Golden Ratio are Simon Stoll & Gary Clegg

It all started as a lockdown project in 2020 with Gary and myself exchanging ideas down the ether which grew into a body of work that we were excited to take further. We continued with the online process and enlisted some musicians we knew to fill in the gaps. Initially, this featured Jake Telford on sax and flute who is also credited with co-writing Morphology and Natural Law and Andre Espeut vocalist also credited with co-writing Stand Up & Fight, One Family and Wake Up To The Day. As restrictions lifted we were able to get some drummers into the studio: Filippo Galli (tracks 1 & 2) and George Addison-Atkinson (tracks 3-9). Other musicians featured are Kevin Davy, trumpet on Breaking Through Time, Gianluca Chiarella guitar solo on Morphology and Mohammed Nazam guitar on One Family.

In terms of previous experience, Simon was a member of Mamas Gun in their very early days before concentrating on a business career but has actively played with musicians from the north London music scene since the late 90’s. Gary played on the dance mix of Lazy by David Byrne produced by DJ Mark Wilkinson, played for Funkshy (Tansay Omar project), played in Charlotte Kelly’s band (from Soul II Soul) and was resident bassist at the Iceni club in the 90’s.

It’s long been our dream to have our own project featuring original compositions and dedicated to the style of music we love, our routes being the jazz funk and acid jazz scenes from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. We now have the opportunity to try and realise this dream and feel your label would be a perfect fit for us as it echoes and promotes those same musical influences.

Rarebell hat sich 12 Songs der 1980er ausgesucht, um sie mit befreundeten Musikern neu einzuspielen. Als Verbeugung vor den größten Hits einer Zeit, die für ihn ganz persönlich ein goldenes Zeitalter war. Der ehemalige Black Sabbath-Bassist Bob Daisley ist auf diesem Album zu hören. Dann Huff, der als Studiomusiker auf einigen der größten Alben der Popgeschichte zu hören ist, ist ebenfalls dabei, sowie Howard Leese (Heart) und Sänger Michael Voss (u.a. Casanova, Mad Max, Michael Schenker).

Doomed Utility is the debut album by Alex Wang, a bass-heavy, noisy, and abstract work that blends industrial and club music into an unsettling soundscape.

Sound existed before there were human ears to hear it—ancient and eternal, as silence itself. In the first few hundred thousand years after our cosmos was born, a deep hum traveled through a plasma of hot particles, eventually finding its way into our machines. Now, computers weave a web of sound around us, abstracting from meaning, pleasure, or melody, crafting disharmonies that dig into us raw.

In Doomed Utility, that primordial hum resurfaces—fractured, raw, and discordant—pulling us into rhythms of exhaustion, exhilaration, and annihilation.

This is a sound that doesn’t merely enter us; it claims us. It lingers, waits—hungry. It tears through cognition and rips through bodies. We may have no obvious use for it, but it has a use for us.

Computer sound perpetuates itself through our ears, our thoughts, and our human culture. It recalls all things, binds all things, moves all things. We are its resources, its vessels for messages not yet decoded, and for purposes yet unknown.

'Liftoff', an album created by saxophonist Robin Verheyen featuring a jazz trio with legendary drummer Billy Hart (Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Stan Getz) and renowned bassist Drew Gress; musicians from three generations at one with each other, communicating ideas without borders, resulting in inspirational and memorable music Featuring nine original compositions by the leader, including a waltz dedicated to Wayne Shorter, a composition where African drumming meets harmony, a beautiful rendition ofHarold Arlen's Over the Rainbow,and a composition by pianist Marc Copland.

Robin Verheyen: tenor saxophone
Drew Gress: bass
Billy Hart: drums
Recorded April 2024

On Katelyn Clark and Mitch Renaud's »Ouroboros,« astronomical and astrological phenomena, concepts and symbols such as the Great Year or the Eternal Return serve as the starting points for sonic explorations and experimentations. Focusing on a uniquely tempered range of frequencies, from low-enddrone rumbles to airy pipe swirls, the duo develops a minimalist and highly evocative sonic universe on their debut album for Hallow Ground.

Working as composers, improvisers and curators in Canada's vibrant experimental and early music scenes, Clark and Renaud began developing »Ouroboros« through extensive improvisation with a reduced setup. Clark, who has worked extensively with historical keyboards since her studies in Amsterdam and Siena, played a small pipe organ modeled after a 14th-century instrument while Renaud brought a modular synthesizer and his interest in feedback systems to the collaboration. Later, the duo further refined their artistic dialog and the sonic interactions of the two instruments through the shared space of a two day recording session in Vancouver. Subtle crackling, acoustic beating and other (psycho-)acoustic effects in five pieces document this encounter, giving the music a profound physicality while hinting at the bodily presence of the two collaborators.

Just as the cyclicality of natural phenomena or the repetition of planetary movements is both a scientific fact and of the cultural imaginary, the sound worlds of »Ouroboros« are fundamentally rooted in time and space while transgressing the idea of a »here and now« through their conceptual links to geological and planetary time. The interplay of portative organ and modular synthesizer, which merge fluidly and in ever-changing ways, leads to a kind of circularity, a timelessness, a no-time. At the same time, the movements and subtle changes undermine the idea of repetition in the negative sense. After all, the Eternal Return, as Gilles Deleuze writes in regard to Nietzsche, is not the return of the same but a repetition of repetition. The only constant is change, the production of new intensities, of new forms of life – and of new frequencies.

Gatefold 2LP

Far Out Recordings proudly presents a landmark discovery in Brazilian jazz: the long lost album by drumming pioneer Edison Machado. Recorded in New York City in early 1978 but never released, Edison Machado & Boa Nova captures a pivotal figure in Brazilian music history at the height of his artistic powers.

Combining North and South American jazz traditions with Machado's revolutionary samba innovations, Edison Machado & Boa Nova represents a triumph against the odds. After facing persecution under Brazil's military dictatorship and being forced to sell his drum kit in 1976, Machado found renewed creative purpose in New York with the Boa Nova ensemble. The resulting album captures the essence of his genius - sophisticated yet wild, controlled yet daring, leading an ensemble of some of the best jazz, samba and bossa nova players of the day.

At just fifteen years old, Machado revolutionized Brazilian music through an accident that would change everything - when his snare drum broke during a performance, he began playing samba rhythms on the cymbal. This innovation, known as "samba no prato" (samba on the cymbals), brought new layers of dynamism to samba and proved instrumental in the development of bossa nova alongside contemporaries like Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto.

A complex and passionate figure, Machado was notorious for his militant perfectionism and "attacking" style of drumming. Having spent some years of his youth in the Brazilian army, musicians often remarked that he played as if he were at war. But his innovative style, while exhibiting complete control and sophistication, somehow so often danced right on the edge of chaos and wild abandon.

After making his name in Rio's legendary Beco das Garrafas (Bottles Alley) in the 1950s and early '60s, Machado went on to form Bossa Três - the world's first instrumental bossa nova group. His influence spread internationally through collaborations with Stan Getz, Sergio Mendes, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, and Chet Baker, while his 1964 album Edison Machado É Samba Novo stands as a masterpiece of Brazilian jazz.

At 80 minutes in length, Edison Machado & Boa Nova, the lost 1978 New York sessions, is a singular achievement in Brazilian jazz. The format itself is a rarity in the canon. It’s packed full of exceptional technical precision and creative vitality, with sophisticated arrangements and masterful improvisation from its exceptional sextet of Brazilian and US musicians: Paulinho Trompete (flugelhorn/trumpet), Ion Muniz (tenor saxophone), Steve Sacks (baritone saxophone), Mozar Terra (piano), and Ricardo dos Santos (double bass).

The album features unheard compositions by Brazilian masters Dom Salvador (Salvador Trio, Harry Belafonte, Edu Lobo), Guilherme Vergueiro (Raul De Souza, Leon Ware, Joyce), Aloisio Aguiar (Arthur Verocai, Airto) amidst the plethora of captivating original material by the members of the Boa Nova ensemble.

2025 Repress

Berlin-based Frenchman Alexkid lands on Rawax with ‘Wake Up’, a fantastic new album that explores acid from many different angles.
As an early protagonist in the 90s Parisian electronic music culture, Alexkid has been paving his own path for over two decades. Obsessed with drum-machines since his teens, he is a skilled producer and sound engineer who imbues his productions with real soul and warmth, even releasing his own lauded Ableton Live Plugins. He is a Rex club resident, released albums on Laurent Garnier's legendary F Communications and has also appeared on labels like FUSE London, Rekids, Ovum, Freerange, and
Underground Quality. With this new album he proves once again why he is so well respected by presenting eight acid laced beauties on the infamous Rawax, following appearances from iO (Mulen), Shonky, Enzo Siragusa, Julian Perez, and Diego Krause. 'Kick It' is a bristling, in your face and pricking acid banger with restless 303 lines spraying about above
punchy kicks, the mood switches up for the headier and dubbed out, but still acid laced, 'Le Manteau d'Argent', and 'Tribute' then takes you down a deeper, more shadowy and sparse late night path with a warm, bubbly acid bassline leading the way. Sublime atmospherics characterise the spacious, deeply cosmic 'Revolutions' which has contorted drums and bass making you move, followed by the physical force of acid head wrecker 'No Hiss'. The
excellent 'Idle' strips things back to a propulsive drum groove and a molten sub pattern, 'Yussuf Is In Control' is led by the sort of prying, freaky lead synth that is perfect for the afters, 'Your Love Is Fading' is a masterful track of suspensory synths and soulful vocal sounds all fused to a brightly airy house groove making this another fantastically accomplished album from one of the best in the game.



Support by:

Delano Smith, Seth Troxler, Radio Slave, Dan Curtin, Butane, Ian Pooley, Spacetravel, Satoshie Tomiie, Posthuman, Diego Krause, Samuel Deep, Sonja Moonear, Traumer, Akufen, Sakro, Italojohnson, Enzo Siragusa, Laurent Garnier, Dirian Paic, Ryan Crosson, Reiss, Roger Gerresen, Sebo K, Vinyl Speed Adjust, Franck Roger, Mihai Popoviciu, Fabe, Jamie Jones, Raresh

Im hiesigen Indie-Punk-Kontext gab es in den letzten Jahren kaum einen Weg, der nicht an KOCHKRAFT DURCH KMA aus Duisburg-Marxloh vorbeigeführt hätte. Ob bei zahlreichen eigenen Shows oder noch mehr Festivalauftritten, oder auf Touren zusammen mit so unterschiedlichen Bands wie Team Scheisse, Kettcar, Das Lumpenpack, FJORT oder Adam Angst - Die Kochkraft war immer da und ist eine von den Bands die am Ende jede Person im Raum mitnimmt. Mit der ersten Single "Ehrlich" kündigt die Band ihr neues Studioalbum "Hardcore ever dies das" an, das über Hamburger Label Grand Hotel van Cleef erscheint.

Im hiesigen Indie-Punk-Kontext gab es in den letzten Jahren kaum einen Weg, der nicht an KOCHKRAFT DURCH KMA aus Duisburg-Marxloh vorbeigeführt hätte. Ob bei zahlreichen eigenen Shows oder noch mehr Festivalauftritten, oder auf Touren zusammen mit so unterschiedlichen Bands wie Team Scheisse, Kettcar, Das Lumpenpack, FJORT oder Adam Angst - Die Kochkraft war immer da und ist eine von den Bands die am Ende jede Person im Raum mitnimmt. Mit der ersten Single "Ehrlich" kündigt die Band ihr neues Studioalbum "Hardcore ever dies das" an, das über Hamburger Label Grand Hotel van Cleef erscheint.

Crystal clear vinyl. 'PO$T AMERICAN' is the second full-length album by Dead Pioneers. Written in February and recorded in July, it preempts the 2024 American election but wraps up the fears and frustrations as eloquently and, crucially, humorously as the band's 2023 self-titled debut. "Currently, we are amidst the gross existence of capitalism, colonialism, white supremacy and the many oppressive forces that have come to inform everything around us" says vocalist and songwriter Gregg Deal. "The title PO$T AMERICAN informs a collective disenfranchisement and disillusionment to the so-called American dream, while moving forward with hope of a desired designation of unity outside those that would use us for their own capitalistic power grab." The aural palate is broadly the same, but it feels expanded, stronger somehow: drawing on the confrontational writing of Rage Against The Machine, the unapologetic voice of Chuck D and Public Enemy, the storytelling of Johnny Cash, the evolution of IDLES, and punk stalwarts including Black Flag, Rollins Band and Dead Kennedys. Overall the resulting feeling across the new album is one of cautious optimism: "Although we didn't expect the political relevance to become more relevant, we have no illusions to the American dream, or to where we seem to be going. But we have hope that we can get to a better place for people to have what they need." It is an album that speaks to and for this precise time and place; that perhaps could not exist at any other time. It is an album for now.

35 Years of Evil Existence ist ein Live-Album, das die Essenz von ROTTING CHRIST einfängt. Von Klassikern wie "The Raven", "Demonon Vrosis" und "666" bis hin zu älteren Stücken wie "Among Two Storms" (1997) oder sogar "The Sign of Evil Existence" (1993) ist diese außergewöhnliche Performance, die in der Großartigkeit des Lycabettus Theaters in ihrer Heimat aufgenommen wurde, eine monumentale Hommage an ihre unermüdliche Reise über die Jahre.
Stell dir fast zwei Stunden heftige und unnachgiebige Hingabe vor, eine musikalische Pilgerreise durch ihre geschichtsträchtige Karriere - von den rauen, ursprünglichen Hymnen ihrer frühen Tage bis zur symphonischen und gotischen Grandiosität ihrer jüngsten Kreationen.
Erhältlich auf Vinyl, verewigt diese Veröffentlichung eine Nacht, in der rohe Emotionen und rituelle Intensität in einer Symphonie aus schwarzer Harmonie zusammenfielen. Brüder und Schwestern des Metals, erlebt den wahren Geist des Metals, wie ihn die legendären ROTTING CHRIST verkörpern.

35 Years of Evil Existence ist ein Live-Album, das die Essenz von ROTTING CHRIST einfängt. Von Klassikern wie "The Raven", "Demonon Vrosis" und "666" bis hin zu älteren Stücken wie "Among Two Storms" (1997) oder sogar "The Sign of Evil Existence" (1993) ist diese außergewöhnliche Performance, die in der Großartigkeit des Lycabettus Theaters in ihrer Heimat aufgenommen wurde, eine monumentale Hommage an ihre unermüdliche Reise über die Jahre.
Stell dir fast zwei Stunden heftige und unnachgiebige Hingabe vor, eine musikalische Pilgerreise durch ihre geschichtsträchtige Karriere - von den rauen, ursprünglichen Hymnen ihrer frühen Tage bis zur symphonischen und gotischen Grandiosität ihrer jüngsten Kreationen.
Erhältlich auf Vinyl, verewigt diese Veröffentlichung eine Nacht, in der rohe Emotionen und rituelle Intensität in einer Symphonie aus schwarzer Harmonie zusammenfielen. Brüder und Schwestern des Metals, erlebt den wahren Geist des Metals, wie ihn die legendären ROTTING CHRIST verkörpern.

Originally released on CD only – those were the days – “Triola im Fünftonraum“ counts as one of the most iconic albums of the early Kompakt era. Experience this timeless masterpiece of lush electronica lovingly restored and remastered for the first time on vinyl – 21 years after its inception.

We found this review from back in the days that perfectly sums up what “Triola im Fünftonraum” is all about:

The press material for “Triola im Fünftonraum” made allusions to home listening, when the album is mostly about movement… in a car …preferably a fast one … on a muggy spring day.

This might catch followers of producer Jörg Burger off guard. Up until this point, the producer’s Triola tracks – limited to three consecutive appearances on Kompakt’s yearly Pop Ambient series and a spot on “Leichtes Hören Teil 1” – were free-floating ambient washouts (albeit wondrous free-floating ambient washouts) with no pulse. The album, on the other hand, is beat-driven. Though still resolutely ambient – more an update of Burger’s lushest Bionaut tracks, only fully engaging instead of mildly diverting.

The soft, synthetic hand drums and tranquil vapors of “Leuchtturm” from Pop Ambient 2003, remain untouched and begin the album. Two other tracks that might sound familiar receive dynamic overhauls, now supported with quick dance rhythms and additional layers of synth gauze; the whispy flute trills and lightly flickering keys of “AG Penthouse”, for instance, are melted into a churning rhythm and some singing keyboard vamps that resemble a relaxed take on Tangerine Dream’s suspenseful soundtrack work for “Thief” (minus the crazy guitars).

What really makes the whole thing glow is the manner in which the tracks are attached, flowing in and out of another, rising and cresting and receding, with supreme poise – even if its title provides no indication, the album is as much a travelogue as Carl Craig’s “Landcruising”, Morgan Geist’s “Driving Memoirs” and Model 500’s “Deep Space”.

These are some of Burger’s most inventive productions, a remarkable feat since he’s been doing this so long. Catch yourself in the right frame of mind and you’ll wonder if everything he has released has been one extended ramp-up to this. In this age, it’s also refreshing to have a purely ambient techno album with absolutely no connection to “Boards of Canada”.

In other words, it’s a landmark for both its label and its genre.

Andy Kellman

Copyright 2025 TiVo Corporation
Ursprünglich nur auf CD veröffentlicht – das waren noch Zeiten – zählt „Triola im Fünftonraum“ zu den ikonischsten Alben der frühen Kompakt-Ära. Dieses zeitlose Meisterwerk schwelgerischer Electronica erscheint nun 21 Jahre nach seiner Entstehung erstmals liebevoll restauriert und remastered auf Vinyl.

Wir haben diese zeitgenössische Rezension gefunden, die perfekt zusammenfasst, worum es bei „Triola im Fünftonraum“ geht:

Das Pressematerial für „Triola im Fünftonraum“ spielt auf das Zuhören zu Hause an, obwohl es in dem Album hauptsächlich um Bewegung geht … in einem Auto … vorzugsweise einem schnellen … an einem schwülen Frühlingstag.

Das könnte die Fans des Produzenten Jörg Burger überraschen. Bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt waren die Triola-Tracks des Produzenten – beschränkt auf drei aufeinanderfolgende Auftritte in der jährlichen Pop-Ambient-Reihe von Kompakt und einen Platz auf „Leichtes Hören Teil 1“ – frei schwebende Ambient-Auswaschungen (wenn auch wundersame frei schwebende Ambient-Auswaschungen) ohne Puls. Das Album hingegen ist beatgetrieben, obwohl es immer noch entschieden Ambient ist – eher eine Aktualisierung von Burgers üppigsten Bionaut-Tracks, nur dass es voll und ganz fesselt, statt nur leicht abzulenken.

Die sanften, synthetischen Handtrommeln und die ruhigen Dämpfe von „Leuchtturm“ aus Pop Ambient 2003 bleiben unangetastet und bilden den Auftakt des Albums. Zwei weitere Stücke, die einem bekannt vorkommen könnten, erhalten eine dynamische Überarbeitung, die nun von schnellen Tanzrhythmen und zusätzlichen Schichten von Synthesizer-Gaze unterstützt wird; die flüsternden Flötentöne und leicht flackernden Tasten von „AG Penthouse“ zum Beispiel verschmelzen zu einem aufgewühlten Rhythmus und einigen singenden Keyboard-Vamps, die an eine entspannte Version des spannenden Soundtracks von Tangerine Dream erinnern, der für „Thief“ (ohne die verrückten Gitarren) verwendet wird.

Was das Ganze wirklich zum Leuchten bringt, ist die Art und Weise, wie die Tracks miteinander verbunden sind, wie sie ineinander fließen, ansteigen und ihren Höhepunkt erreichen und wieder abklingen, und das mit höchster Gelassenheit – auch wenn der Titel nichts darauf hindeutet, ist das Album ebenso ein Reisebericht wie Carl Craigs „Landcruising“, Morgan Geists „Driving Memoirs“ und Model 500s „Deep Space“.

Dies sind einige von Burgers einfallsreichsten Produktionen, eine bemerkenswerte Leistung, wenn man bedenkt, wie lange er schon dabei ist. Wenn man sich in die richtige Stimmung versetzt, fragt man sich, ob alles, was er bisher veröffentlicht hat, eine einzige Vorbereitung auf dieses Album war. In der heutigen Zeit ist es auch erfrischend, ein reines Ambient-Techno-Album zu hören, das absolut nichts mit „Boards of Canada“ zu tun hat.

Mit anderen Worten: Es ist ein Meilenstein für das Label und das Genre.

Andy Kellman

Copyright 2025 TiVo Corporation

Karma beginnt mit dem Verweis auf Schatten - den Opener von Licht. Eine Welt, die von ökonomischer Rationalität infiziert ist. Konsum, Ablenkung, Nebelkerzen, äußere Formen - die Menschen haben den Bezug zu sich selbst und zu ihrer Umwelt verloren. "Fühlst du nicht den einen Nerv, der richtig schmerzt, oder lässt der Schatten dich nur sehen, was er will?" Auf dem dritten Konzeptalbum dreht sich um das Prinzip Ursache und Wirkung. Wir werden sähen, was wir ernten. Im persönlichen Kontext, in unseren Beziehungen zu anderen Menschen und dem Planeten genauso wie auf der Metaebene in politischen und globalen Kontexten. Hass hört nie durch Hass auf. Nur Mitgefühl, Respekt und Vertrauen können uns einander näherbringen. Nur Demut, Rechtschaffenheit und Bescheidenheit können uns helfen, die Erde als lebenswerten Planeten zu erhalten. Wenn wir nicht mehr wissen, wer wir selbst sind, können wir keine bewussten Entscheidungen treffen. Wenn wir nicht mehr wissen, wofür wir stehen, können wir keine eigene Position mehr einnehmen. Wenn alles wichtig ist, ist nichts mehr wichtig. "Wer, wenn nicht wir? Wann, wenn nicht jetzt? Wo, wenn nicht hier? Ich nehme mein Leben in die Hand und fange neu an." KARMA ist deutlich. KARMA ist direkt. KARMA ist unumgänglich. TLUF halten der Gesellschaft den Spiegel vor und jedem Einzelnen. Musikalisch ohne Kompromisse. TLUF bringen auf KARMA ihren unvergleichlichen Sound erneut auf den Punkt.

Komatsu's 5th album is no fluffy pancake! 8 heavy, filling and delicious tracks will blow your mind and boost your immune system. Now as a three-piece band, their sound has opened up to show new layers of fuzz, rhythm and groove. Lyrics range from deep topics like the universe, rebirth and dystopia to fatcamps and female parts. Komatsu is proud to add some extra grease, grit and crunch to your morning oatmeal so you can face anything the world throws at you!

Green vinyl, limited to 350 copies. Komatsu's 5th album is no fluffy pancake! 8 heavy, filling and delicious tracks will blow your mind and boost your immune system. Now as a three-piece band, their sound has opened up to show new layers of fuzz, rhythm and groove. Lyrics range from deep topics like the universe, rebirth and dystopia to fatcamps and female parts. Komatsu is proud to add some extra grease, grit and crunch to your morning oatmeal so you can face anything the world throws at you!

Karma beginnt mit dem Verweis auf Schatten - den Opener von Licht. Eine Welt, die von ökonomischer Rationalität infiziert ist. Konsum, Ablenkung, Nebelkerzen, äußere Formen - die Menschen haben den Bezug zu sich selbst und zu ihrer Umwelt verloren. "Fühlst du nicht den einen Nerv, der richtig schmerzt, oder lässt der Schatten dich nur sehen, was er will?" Auf dem dritten Konzeptalbum dreht sich um das Prinzip Ursache und Wirkung. Wir werden sähen, was wir ernten. Im persönlichen Kontext, in unseren Beziehungen zu anderen Menschen und dem Planeten genauso wie auf der Metaebene in politischen und globalen Kontexten. Hass hört nie durch Hass auf. Nur Mitgefühl, Respekt und Vertrauen können uns einander näherbringen. Nur Demut, Rechtschaffenheit und Bescheidenheit können uns helfen, die Erde als lebenswerten Planeten zu erhalten. Wenn wir nicht mehr wissen, wer wir selbst sind, können wir keine bewussten Entscheidungen treffen. Wenn wir nicht mehr wissen, wofür wir stehen, können wir keine eigene Position mehr einnehmen. Wenn alles wichtig ist, ist nichts mehr wichtig. "Wer, wenn nicht wir? Wann, wenn nicht jetzt? Wo, wenn nicht hier? Ich nehme mein Leben in die Hand und fange neu an." KARMA ist deutlich. KARMA ist direkt. KARMA ist unumgänglich. TLUF halten der Gesellschaft den Spiegel vor und jedem Einzelnen. Musikalisch ohne Kompromisse. TLUF bringen auf KARMA ihren unvergleichlichen Sound erneut auf den Punkt.

2008 release from the Swiss Folk/Pagan Metal band. Eluveitie belong to the ever-growing Pagan Metal scene which has been producing such bands as Finn troll, Ensiferum, and Turisas. Eluveitie have become one of today's most exciting acts and leaders of this new movement They have become a phenomenon in North America and their sales are definitely on the rise.

Erfolg kommt selten über Nacht – so auch nicht bei MilleniumKid. Vor acht Jahren begann er, sich autodidaktisch das Produzieren von Musik beizubringen, verbrachte unzählige Stunden damit, sich als Singer-Songwriter und Produzent weiterzuentwickeln und veröffentlichte 2022 seine erste eigene Musik. Doch erst 2023 sollte sich für ihn alles ändern: Seine Single „Unendlichkeit" wird zum viralen Hit, steigt bis auf Platz 34 der Offiziellen Deutschen Singlecharts und ist der Beginn eines steilen Aufstiegs: Die folgenden Singles werden millionenfach gestreamt (allein „Vielleicht Vielleicht" hat über 60 Millionen Streams), seine erste Tour, bei der MilleniumKid zum ersten Mal überhaupt live auf der Bühne steht, ist sofort ausverkauft und im Sommer 2024 spielt er auf großen Festivals wie dem Deichbrand.

Den eigenen Schmerz herausschreien – die Songs von MilleniumKid haben etwas unglaublich Befreiendes. Die Stimmung ist oft düster, die Melancholie förmlich mit Händen zu greifen. Doch indem MilleniumKid seine Emotionen rauslässt, sie in gleißende Synthieflächen, treibende Produktionen und große Melodien kleidet, entfalten seine Songs eine befreiende Wirkung. Räume öffnen sich, und wo eben noch Schmerz war, kehrt so etwas wie Seelenfrieden ein. „Schmerz, Trauer und Sehnsucht sind drei Begriffe, die sich durch meine Lieder ziehen“, sagt MilleniumKid dazu, „Sehnsucht sollte man vielleicht etwas größer schreiben. Vielleicht ist die Sehnsucht sogar das Ergebnis oder die Voraussetzung für diesen Schmerz und die Traurigkeit, vielleicht ist es ein Pingpong-Spiel der Emotionen, die man in meiner Musik spürt.“


[a] Fiebertraum [Intro]












[n] Wer ich bin [Outro]

Obsession is THE DRIVER ERA’s explosive follow-up to 2022’s Summer Mixtape & sees the band’s artistry evolving in a dynamic, distinctive direction that solidifies themselves as a driving force in the alt-pop space. Clever, relatable lyricism backed by moody undertones and infectious grooves showcases the band’s pivot into more confessional songwriting and finding their sonic step.

Across the album’s 11 tracks, Obsession explores themes of love, longing, and loss through a uniquely captivating sonic profile rife with electric riffs, robust synths, and strong drums to create the most impressive release from THE DRIVER ERA to date.

The band, which consists of brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch, released their debut single ‘Preacher Man’ in 2018 and since then have amassed hundreds of millions of streams and a huge following with their signature sound and larger-than-life sold-out shows.

Obsession is THE DRIVER ERA’s explosive follow-up to 2022’s Summer Mixtape & sees the band’s artistry evolving in a dynamic, distinctive direction that solidifies themselves as a driving force in the alt-pop space. Clever, relatable lyricism backed by moody undertones and infectious grooves showcases the band’s pivot into more confessional songwriting and finding their sonic step.

Across the album’s 11 tracks, Obsession explores themes of love, longing, and loss through a uniquely captivating sonic profile rife with electric riffs, robust synths, and strong drums to create the most impressive release from THE DRIVER ERA to date.

The band, which consists of brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch, released their debut single ‘Preacher Man’ in 2018 and since then have amassed hundreds of millions of streams and a huge following with their signature sound and larger-than-life sold-out shows.

Grandmas House release their second EP "Anything For You" via Duchess Box Records on 11th April 2025. "Anything For You" gives rare energy with songs about sacrifice, love, lost and .won. The punk rock group from Bristol, UK, have bave performed at on the BBC Music Introducing Stage at Reading Festival 2023 and played as support on tour for acts such as The Breeders and Idles had a song from their debut EP synched on Apple TV's Bad Sisters which helped start their hype.

Rival Schools's Found is a collection of rarities, demos and alternate takes of songs collected in the years following the release of their 2001 debut United By Fate. Initialy released over ten years ago, the band has teamed up with Run For Cover Records for a limited reissue to release alongside the reissue of their 2011 album Pedals. Found features eleven songs that show the range of sounds the band tinkered with in the ten years between these albums - it's a must have for any fan of the band, available again on limited color vinyl.Rival Schools started as the once-new project of vocalist/guitarist Walter Schreifels, who as a member of Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits and Quicksand routinely reinvented the sound of hardcore. In Rival Schools he was joined by bandmates Ian Love, Cache Tolman and Sammy Siegler, whose other projects at the time include Iceburn, CIV and Glassjaw.

Sophie Löw alias SOPHIA BLENDA ist Multiinstrumentalistin, Songwriterin und Sängerin der Band CULK. Bereits auf ihrem ersten Soloalbum "Die Neue Heiterkeit" (2022) stemmte sich die Wienerin mit schwermütig am Klavier vertontem und poetisch betextetem Kammerpop gegen das lähmende Grundrauschen gesellschaftlicher Zwänge. Die Musik von SOPHIA BLENDA ist ein leiser, aber wirkungsvoller Protest. "DIE SUMME DER VEREINZELUNG" ist eine Anklage, und ein feministischer Weckruf. Wie viele Einzelfälle, fragt das neue Album von SOPHIA BLENDA, müssen es noch werden, damit sie begreifen, dass es keine Einzelfälle gibt. Der Albumtitel spricht Bände. Denn was ist die Summe aus den vielen einzelnen Geschichten, als ein gewaltsames System, das FLINTA* und queere Menschen ignoriert, diskriminiert und herabwürdigt. Trotzdem wird den Betroffenen oft gar nicht erst geglaubt oder wenn doch, keine Bedeutung beigemessen. "Dem will ich mein Album entgegenstellen", sagt SOPHIA BLENDA. "Es beschäftigt mich schon lange, dass weiblich gelesener und queerer Schmerz in unserer Gesellschaft so verharmlost wird. Ich will diese Geschichten erzählen, ohne irgendetwas kleinzureden. Hier wird nichts nebenbei oder am Rande verhandelt. Die Lieder geben den Geschichten den Stellenwert, den sie verdienen." Ihr Kampf als Musikerin ist ein Kampf gegen den Verlust der eigenen Geschichten, Gedanken und Gefühle im Sturm der Gegenwart. Und ein Gegenentwurf zur Vereinzelung, Vereinsamung und Isolation, die im mehrdeutigen Titel des neuen Albums schon mit angelegt ist. Entstehen tun die gesellschaftskritischen und unheilvoll drängenden Kompositionen alleine am Klavier zu Hause in Wien. Von dort aus wachsen die intim vorgetragenen Lieder zu etwas Kollektivem. Ganz im Sinne von: Zusammen sind wir weniger alleine. "DIE SUMME DER VEREINZELUNG" ist ein starkes Pop-Statement. Eine furchtlose Seelenverortung. Kritisch, suchend, fragend. Ein Mahnmal für das eigene Selbst. Oder um es mit einem Songtext SOPHIA BLENDAS zu sagen: "Ein Frühlingserwachen / Meine Mahnwache / Meine eigene Revolution / Ich bin nicht wie du mich willst" Sophie Löws Perspektiven, musikalisch wie inhaltlich, ob krachend-düster oder zart-dunkel, ob mit CULK oder durch SOPHIA BLENDA vorgetragen, sind nicht einfach zugänglich, aber von einer schmerzenden Wahrhaftigkeit, welche in uns nachwirken sollte.

Legendary songwriter Guy Clark’s iconic album, Dublin Blues, shines in a new light with this remixed and remastered reissue. The album was remixed by Miles Wilkinson, its original co-producer and engineer, at Compass Sound Studio in Nashville (formerly Glaser Sound Studio, aka “Hillbilly Central”). It includes liner notes written by Wilkinson and Clark’s former touring partner, the acclaimed singer-songwriter Darrell Scott. Featuring Sam Bush, Travis Clark, Donivan Cowart, Rodney Crowell, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Jelly Roll Johnson, Kenny Malone, Kathy Mattea, Suzi Ragsdale, Darrell Scott, Verlon Thompson, Jonathan Yudkin.

Crystal clear vinyl. 'PO$T AMERICAN' is the second full-length album by Dead Pioneers. Written in February and recorded in July, it preempts the 2024 American election but wraps up the fears and frustrations as eloquently and, crucially, humorously as the band's 2023 self-titled debut. "Currently, we are amidst the gross existence of capitalism, colonialism, white supremacy and the many oppressive forces that have come to inform everything around us" says vocalist and songwriter Gregg Deal. "The title PO$T AMERICAN informs a collective disenfranchisement and disillusionment to the so-called American dream, while moving forward with hope of a desired designation of unity outside those that would use us for their own capitalistic power grab." The aural palate is broadly the same, but it feels expanded, stronger somehow: drawing on the confrontational writing of Rage Against The Machine, the unapologetic voice of Chuck D and Public Enemy, the storytelling of Johnny Cash, the evolution of IDLES, and punk stalwarts including Black Flag, Rollins Band and Dead Kennedys. Overall the resulting feeling across the new album is one of cautious optimism: "Although we didn't expect the political relevance to become more relevant, we have no illusions to the American dream, or to where we seem to be going. But we have hope that we can get to a better place for people to have what they need." It is an album that speaks to and for this precise time and place; that perhaps could not exist at any other time. It is an album for now.