quête:sa ha ra

As mood changers go, this track is up there with the best. Last year whilst DJing with miche at Shapes festival in the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland, a breathtaking yet ominous Alpine sky suddenly became a picture postcard moment. The clouds parted and a double rainbow formed, as miche dropped Studio Rio's bossa nova remake of Bill Withers’ all-time classic 'Lovely Day'. From there, the dancefloor shifted gears and morphed into full-swing feel-good vibes, in a beautiful, spontaneous moment nobody could have planned for.

Mr Bongo now proudly presents a reissue of this brilliant, bossa-channelling Bill Withers reinterpretation from Studio Rio’s 2014 release ‘The Brazil Connection’. Masterminded by the German Grammy award-winning Berman Brothers, the project was born out of their deep love of Brazilian music. “Our goal was to bring the Brazilian joie de vivre to iconic performances by well-known artists. What would these classic songs sound like had they been recorded in the studios of Rio de Janeiro in the first place, with the best Brazilian musicians and arrangers?” the brothers reflect.

Capturing the life force of Brazil, the beating heart that is its music, they set out to find the musicians who would fit best with their concept. Landing in Rio in 2013 a series of coincidences led to them being introduced to their idols Marcos Valle and Roberto Menescal, who both agreed to come on board. The Berman Brothers also wanted to find some of the musicians who recorded with one of Brazil’s most influential composers Tom Jobim. “Fifty years after Jobim made the music that really defines bossa nova, we found that many of his sidemen were still active, including Paulo Braga of Jobim’s famed rhythm section. It was magic; everything just fell into place.”

There's no question that the original of ‘Lovely Day’ is up there as one of the most feel-good, spirit-lifting anthems of all time. Here the brothers, with the help of a whole host of Brazil’s finest musicians, rework Bill’s soul-fuelled groove into a bossa nova slice of sunshine. With the blessing of Bill and Sony, they were given access to the original multitracks so they could incorporate Bill’s vocals perfectly into the new arrangement.

Joy-injected horns and bouncing double bass blend with the smile-inducing samba flavour of Pretinho da Serrinha’s cavaquinho playing. Tying it all together Torcuato Marinao who worked with the likes of Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, completes the line-up as arranger of the songs.

The perfect end-of-the-night track, mood lifter or soul warmer, remakes don’t get much better than this.

London-based four-piece Adult Jazz announce their first full-length album in a decade, So Sorry So Slow, out 26 April 2024 via Spare Thought. Alongside the announcement comes lovesick new single ‘Suffer One’ featuring Owen Pallett, a cautious excavation of self and sexuality, clambering across a gorgeously shapeshifting, filmic five-minutes.

Containing some of the band’s most abrasive but gentle, beautiful and melismatic work to date, So Sorry So Slow has many defining characteristics: romance, panic, devotion and remorse, threaded together by an intentionally laser-focused love. It’s deeply personal, bruised and candid in its expressions of tenderness, and deeply pained in its concurrent reflections of ecological regret. Across its hour-long runtime, a delicate, frenetic energy and glacial heaviness coexist, the band pitting those paces against one another. In their richly experimental timbre, dancing strings and fluttering falsettos prang against a bed of brass drones like a wounded bird.

“We started writing in 2017 and began recording in 2018,” says vocalist Harry Burgess. “We genuinely thought it might be finished in 2018! But things kept developing and, having resolutely not struck while the iron was hot, there was no real external push to rush things after that, so we just kept letting things shift and unfold until it felt right. Listening back to my voice notes it’s nice to notice that there are fragments of ideas from the whole period 2017-2023 which have shaped the record.”

Recorded in bursts at studios across London and in the band members’ flats, at Konk, on the Isle of Wight and in Sussex, So Sorry is unambiguous in its evolution. Sonically, there are sparks of the arrhythmic brightness that afforded the band’s critically acclaimed debut album Gist Is its cult adoration, for fans of Arthur Russell and Meredith Monk, but with a blossoming, melancholic darkness often overhead. Piano sprees and luscious string sections appear like low-hanging stars on a night-time drive, whilst plunging vocal distortions and humming brass loops resurrect heavy limbs in a bad dream.

“I usually have objects as kind of totems for ideas,” explains Burgess. “The album initially started out to do with performance… the totem was a head mic, one of the subtle skin-tone ones, discreet on the forehead of a West End star. A number of the first songs in their original forms were almost musical theatre piano ballads. I think that was really a device to write about my life as the ‘main character’ (pre internet-speak reframing): regrets about romance, relationships - unsustainable relationships with the self and others.”

“However, once we started writing, the ideas about unsustainable personal relationships, loving unevenly and heartbreak conflated with a more expressly ecological regret. Like contending with big feelings of loss, endings, beauty, desolation, and with how much joy the earth contains in it. Feeling so much gratitude bound up in waves of sadness. Maybe witnessing a slow-motion goodbye to all that, or its last gasps. I love the earth and the life it supports so much. I love how ecosystems fit together - even the brutal stuff. It may be basic to say, but now is the time to be laser focused on that love. I was thinking about human centrality on earth, us as the ‘main character’, the way that is served by faith and romanticism, and the subsequent disingenuous understandings of our position in the ecosystem, as only stewards somehow, rather than subjects. The totems at this point: a herald’s horn, lorry inner tubes, archaeological tools. I guess from doom, industry, history respectively.”

“Now I would say the record is about gripping. Totems being: crampons, rope, drips, desalination equipment, accruing various survival tech. I think gripping sums up both of the threads. There’s the emotionally correct clinging to the earth that is the substrate of everything we value, or the delusional clinging to our imagined dominant position. But also the practical, technological aspects of creating a sustainable relationship, of remaining here. Then I think of romance again.”

So Sorry So Slow comes out 26th April 2024 on Spare Thought, mixed by Fabian Prynn at 4AD Studios and mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road.

Adult Jazz is Harry Burgess, Tim Slater, Steven Wells and Tom Howe.

Freerange welcome back Salvatore Freda once again for possibly his strongest track yet, along with three very different remixes. Remixer Nebraska has had a string of excellent releases on Rush Hour, with his recent album 'Displacement' getting rave reviews on Resident Advisor.

The Baby Seals debut album, "Chaos," is a sonic exploration that blends heavy guitars, a pop edge, and a punk rock garage spirit with a heavy attack. The band, comprised of Amy "Amos" Devine on drums and backing vocals, Kate Shore on bass and backing vocals, and Kerry Devine on guitar and lead vocals, delivers a raw and energetic collection that captures the essence of their live performances. Recorded in March 2023 in Thaxted, just outside of Essex, "Chaos" embodies the DIY ethos that has defined The Baby Seals' approach to music. Working with engineer Joe in a secluded outhouse surrounded by fields, the band laid down the tracks live over a day, capturing the unfiltered essence of their sound. Joe's extensive collection of homemade pedals added a unique touch to the recording, while Benny T's mixing expertise brought the album to its final form. The decision to minimise post-production sets "Chaos" apart from previous recordings, reflecting the band's commitment to authenticity and a desire to showcase their growth and maturity. On Chaos Kerry says: “Chaos is the next phase in life for us lasses in the band - babies and mid-life responsibilities. The album definitely is about how we feel and experience the world around us in our 30s and 40s. Someone who heard the album recently said it's like the The Baby Seals have grown up and I liked that because that's what I feel likes happened to me in the last two years… The album definitely has Themes: inclusivity, gender inequality, the mental load, the motherload, power, body positivity, challenging taboos, liberation. The importance of what to take seriously and what not to take seriously. Title track, Chaos is one of the songs on the album which I'd written after a series of events including watching an interview with the late writer Benjamin Zephaniah who said the only way to liberation for all was to tear big governments down and to believe in your community. The cover photo by Jeff Pitcher sums us up and hopefully gives you a feeling of what the album sounds like. Album design was created by Igor Prato Luna, he just seemed to understand what we are about. He referenced loads of wonderful album cover, poster and flyer artwork from the 60s - 90s, and even some fabulous sci-fi artwork from the 1920s and those incredible 1950s sci-fi pulp book covers. Nothing was referenced too heavily, though, and Igor definitely made it his own

Vanishing Twin is songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas, drummer Valentina Magaletti, bassist Susumu Mukai, synth/guitar player Phil MFU and visual artist/film maker Elliott Arndt on flute and percussion; and on this album they have made their first artistic statement for the ages.

Some of its great power comes from liberation. The album was produced by Lucas in a number of non-standard, non-studio settings. 'KRK (At Home In Strange Places)' summons up the spirit of Sun Ra's Lanquidity and Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio was simply recorded on an iPhone during a live set which crackled with psychic connectivity on the Croatian island of Krk.
The magical Morricone-esque lounge of 'You Are Not an Island', the blissed-out Jean-Claude Vannier style arrangement of 'Invisible World' and burbling sci fi funk ode to a 1972 cult French animation, 'Plane`te Sauvage', were all recorded in nighttime sessions in an abandoned mill in Sudbury. The only two outsiders to work on the recording were '6th member' and engineer Syd Kemp and trusted friend Malcolm Catto, band leader of the spiritual jazz/future funk outfit The Heliocentrics, who mixed seven of the tracks (with Lucas taking care of the other three).

Vanishing Twin formed in 2015 - their first LP, Choose Your Own Adventure, which came out on Soundway in 2016; followed by the darker, more abstract, mostly instrumental Dream By Numbers EP in 2017. The band explored their more experimental tendencies on the Magic And Machines tape released by Blank Editions in 2018, an improvised session recorded in the dead of night, offering a glimpse into their practice of deep listening, near band telepathy, and ritually improvised sound making. These sessions formed the basis of The Age Of Immunology.

Warehouse Find - Test pressing!

Following the red hot Detroit Swindle release this month, Freerange continue to bring fresh talent to the fore with the introduction of Nils Penner to the label. Although not exactly a newcomer (having produced the mighty Presence Of Another Man alongside Muder on his own Wazi Wazi Music as well as several remixes and appearances on Baalsaal and Moodmusic) it's fair to say he's been flying under the radar and we think it's about time that all changed.

Warehouse Find!

Time to welcome Chrissy, a Chicagoan DJ, producer, edit-maker, blogger, sometime dance music historian and documenter and general hard-working mother f**ker (according to Stool Pigeon). The Smart Bar resident has had a string of top drawer releases on house labels such as Classic, Tugboat Edits, Razor N Tape and Hypercolour, not to mention his own brilliant Nite Owl Diner label which he runs with Alex Burkat. Chuck in releases for Planet Mu and running the juke/footwork label Loose Squares and you start to get the picture. This guy is a genre-bender extraordinaire and clearly a tireless and highly creative individual so we're very proud to have him join us hear for his Freerange debut.

Warehouse Find!

Red D is back for a follow up to his brilliant Chez EP which dropped last year and this time he's going for the jugular! The man responsible for
some of the finest house music of the last decade as FCL (with San Soda) and FCL vs VFB (with Motor City Drum Ensemble) knows a thing or two about
what makes the dancefloor lose its s**t, with tracks such as Let's Go Seven, It's You and Can We Try all testament to this.
When he's not DJing at the likes of Panorama Bar or hosting his own stage at Tomorrowland, Red D can be found running his own mighty fine We Play House label from his Ghent HQ.
Moan The Mania opens this release in suitably back to the raw fashion! A minimal drum machine groove and clipped bassline lay the foundations of this tribute to all things jacking with a sprinkling of porno groans to help you on your way. This is sleazy machine funk at it's very best. Next up we have a remix from Eli Escobar, the native New Yorker who has recently been making major waves following the release of his LP Happiness on Classic.
As someone who has remixed the likes of Lana Del Rey, Kim Ann Foxman, Honey Dijon and Holy Ghost we knew he'd be the man to take Red D's baton and run with it.
Keeping the overall vibe of the original intact
Eli cranks the energy further with additional in your face percussion parts and a couple of perfectly placed build ups. Flipping over we have Chase The Cat which takes a similarly stripped-back and minimal approach as Moan The Mania but goes heavier on the 707 beats. Finally we have Dusk Or Dawn closing the release with a deeper mood.
Simple FM synth stabs and glassy chimes provide a tender and naive-sounding counterpoint to the basic beats.
Red D proving once again that limiting your tools and not over-complicating things can often have so much more impact when it comes to house music.

Clock DVA is one of the pivotal groups of industrial music. Founded more than forty years ago, the instrumental outfit has seen a contemporary partnership of electronic experimentation forged between Adi Newton and Maurizio Martinucci since 2010. It is their source material that proves fertile ground for two remixes, remixes by two heavyweights of electronic music. Atom™ delivers his re-imagining of “De-Konstructor.” A lone string is met by snapping snares as an alluring, yet cold, melody unfolds. Newton’s raspy throaty words rise, a stark prescient poetry countered by angular acid-twisted keys before samples buckle and loop. The second stalwart of electronics drafted in is Scanner for his reframing of “Rayonist Refraction #1.” A ghostly female voice haunts a backdrop of electrical fizz and voluminous cracks of shuddering thunder. Guitar strings tremble in this eerie landscape with a smattering of spoken text bringing solace to this hostile environment. Music for an all to immediate reality.

Mammoth Penguins are a 3-piece indie powerhouse, showcasing the songwriting and vocal talents of Emma Kupa (Standard Fare) backed up by the noisiest rhythm section in indie pop. May 2024 sees the release of their fourth album Here on Fika Recordings. After 2019’s big, bold and confident There’s No Fight We Can’t Both Win, and the initial shock of the global pandemic cancelling a trip to SXSW in 2020, the band returned to the studio in the summer of 2021 to start recording. The new record leans into a raw pop-punk power-trio sound more than ever, with a deep growl in layered guitars and bursts of percussion and harmony. The songs and artwork explore themes about finding a place for yourself and familiarity with people and places. Although it turns back towards a classic three-piece sound, the band weren’t restricted by that palette, adding finishing touches of percussion, extra guitars and backing vocals in short bursts in a garden shed, and also bringing in gorgeous strings to sweeten the title track. The sound builds on the band’s first album, Hide and Seek, which was released with the much-loved and sorely missed Fortuna POP! in 2015. The follow-up LP John Doe in 2017 was an ambitious concept album, exploring the feelings of loss and anger at a man who fakes his own death only to return years later, expanding well beyond the 3-piece rock‘n’roll template, with washes of strings, synths and samples. The ‘Penguins have been smashing it at some high-profile support slots in the lead up to this album release, including at Allo Darlin’s joyous reunion at Islington Assembly Hall (Oct 2023) and Muncie Girls last ever London show (Dec 2023). They play the Leicester Indiepop all-dayer and Wales Goes Pop in March, before heading out on tour in support of the new album in May. Those big singalong choruses need your voice shouting back from the crowd with joy and defiance. Mammoth Penguins are Emma Kupa (guitar, vocals), Mark Boxall (bass, vocals) and Tom Barden (drums, vocals). Reminiscent of the pop melodies of The Beths, the indie dissonance of Land of Talk, and the guitar forward slacker rock of Weezer, Mammoth Penguins marry heart-ache indiepop with spiky guitars and Emma’s frank confessional songwriting. “wonderfully awkward indie pop with a literate flair, sounding a lot like a Weezer record or even a more feminine Wedding Present” Clash // “eminently relatable earworms” Brooklyn Vegan // “one of the finest examples of simple and true indie rock around” All Music // “her characterful voice still carrying masses of charm and the messier, grungey approach bringing a strength all of its own, aided by a clutch of cheerful hooks and riffs that contrast nicely with lyrics dealing mostly with heartbreak and misery” Drowned In Sound

Kee Avil's music is both adventurous and intimate, intellectually challenging and emotionally resonant. The Montréal guitarist and producer's 2022 debut LP Crease garnered plaudits from outlets like The Wire, The Quietus, Mojo and Foxy Digitalis, picking up a Canadian Juno Award nomination and Bandcamp Album Of The Day and Albums Of The Year along the way. Its intricate construction, unnerving atmospheres, and knife-edge take on avant-pop prompted comparisons to early PJ Harvey, This Heat, and Gazelle Twin. A remix EP with work by claire rousay, Ami Dang, Cecile Believe, and Pelada brought collaborative perspectives to four Crease tracks, offering new pathways within those songs. With Spine, Kee Avil strips back her heavily textured compositions, opening up a much rawer sound. She calls it folk—and while traditionalists might scoff, this is urgent music that reflects the precarity of modern life, as well as the jarring mixture of electronic and real-world interactions that have become the fabric of our day-to-day experiences. There's a hypnotic post-punk somnambulance to it all, using the repetition and fracturing of melodic phrases interwoven with delicate electronics to create curious and persistent hooks. While not a concept album, themes of time's passage, remembrance, and decay crop up across multiple tracks. Each track intentionally only has four elements—guitar, electronics, and two other instruments, with Kee's voice and guitar pushed to the front. Within this minimalist framework, the juxtaposition of beauty and discomfort that is key to the Kee Avil sound stands out in skin-prickling relief. "We're shaped by many versions of ourselves," says Avil. "I was looking back at these versions of myself and what could have been, what didn't end up being and what did end up being, and going back like that through time. Seeing the future, the past." Spine was written in Kee Avil's home studio after a lapse in writing while touring Crease and working on other projects. She is a well-known and respected member of the Montréal experimental scene, and formerly ran Concrete Sound Studio with Zach Scholes, who continues to work with her as a producer on Spine. Compared to the three years that went into making her debut, Spine emerged in a matter of months—a process that may also be a factor in its intensity and sharpness: "This record was much harder, like it was really discovering everything from scratch." In her desire to not simply replicate or extend the sound of Crease, she felt she had to rip up the rule book, write in a different way, and pare back songs against her usual instincts. Sometimes, when we work against our ingrained habits, we get to the core of who we really are. Spine is an exercise in that process. Without over-intellectualizing or being didactic, it hits immediately and emotionally, especially if you are a person who has spent much time in the process of self-examination. Kee's voice hisses, whispers, and chants; her guitar bends and rings; electronics skitter and crackle; violin creaks like a door in the wind. There is something so evocative about the atmospheres she creates that it's easy to overlay one's own feelings onto her work, but to do that wholly would be to overlook one of the most important things about Spine: Kee Avil's clear and thoughtful vision. This isn't just the next step forward in her artistic trajectory; it's a stunner of a record that stands on its own, a bracing and thrilling listen that has much to reveal about the contradictions inherent in being human. — jj skolnik.

About S. Raekwon & Steven "Steven is the sound of me holding a mirror up to and critically reflecting on who I am: the good, the bad, the ugly. It's about trying to understand the multitudes within me." - S. Raekwon Steven Raekwon Reynolds performs as S. Raekwon, but his second LP is simply called Steven. Across ten tracks of furious and subtly strumming guitars, plodding bass riffs, and whispering revelations, S. Raekwon's newest album strips back sonic and personal layers to present his most vulnerable, yet authentic self. Born in Buffalo and now based in the East Village of New York City, Steven wrote, produced, engineered, and mixed everything on the record, in addition to playing every instrument except the drums. He packed up a rental car with all his gear and returned to his fiancée's parents' home in Southern Illinois, where they rode out the pandemic and where he recorded half of Where I'm at Now. The house proved to be a nontraditional recording space, but one that provided plenty of physical space as well as spiritual room for experimentation. Steven and drummer Mario Malachi, longtime friends since their days at college in Cleveland, Ohio, spent a week in July 2023 transforming the living room into a makeshift studio, rearranging furniture, sitting face-to-face in front of a mic, and taping songs in single takes. It was a new way of working together, with no demoing or pre-production; Mario hadn't even heard the songs before getting there, which created a sense of spontaneity and improvisation. Where his debut explored his past - longing for a connection to his father and the Black side of his family and wrestling with his identity while being raised in a household by a single, white mother - Steven looks inward. Steven is loosely structured in three parts: Part 1 is fast and energetic, exploring the concepts of rage, anger, jealousy. Part 2 is slow and dynamic, with themes of ugliness, disappointment, embarrassment. Part 3 is something gentler, a moment of contentment and clarity. Steven is a portrait of strengths and weaknesses, flaws and fulfillments.

"Rantanplan" sind seit fast 30 Jahren eine feste Institution und das schon lange nicht mehr "nur" innerhalb der Subkulturen, haben mit ihrem letzten Album "AHOI" 2023 nur knapp die Top Ten verfehlt (Platz 11 / 03.03.2023). Mit dem unveröffentlichten und exklusiv auf Vinyl erhältlichen Song "Am Meer" meldet die Band sich auf Sunny Bastards Records zurück. "Am Meer" ist genau der richtige Ohrwurm "um am Strand zwischen 3 Elementen zu liegen" und gut gelaunt den Sommer mit einem kühlen Bier zu genießen! Extrem tanzbarer Ska-Punk und klarer Hit von der Waterkant! Die B-Seite "Sand am Meer" greift nur vordergründig das unbeschwingte Sommergefühl auf, denn Rantanplan waren schon immer mehr als nur eine Spaßkapelle und verpacken ihre gesellschaftspolitischen Botschaften subtil statt plakativ in ihre Musik. "Idioten gibt's wie Sand am Meer"_wer will da schon widersprechen? Bislang nur online aus "Ahoi"-Sessions als Single Digital 2021 veröffentlicht, gibt es den Song jetzt endlich auch erstmals auf Vinyl! Streng limitiert auf insgesamt 500 Exemplare erscheint die 7" im Hardcover in bunter Vielfalt als red'n'white inside out und clear with blue & black splatter vinyl (je 200 copies ww). Für Puristen natürlich auch als black vinyl (100 copies ww) erhältlich.

"Rantanplan" sind seit fast 30 Jahren eine feste Institution und das schon lange nicht mehr "nur" innerhalb der Subkulturen, haben mit ihrem letzten Album "AHOI" 2023 nur knapp die Top Ten verfehlt (Platz 11 / 03.03.2023). Mit dem unveröffentlichten und exklusiv auf Vinyl erhältlichen Song "Am Meer" meldet die Band sich auf Sunny Bastards Records zurück. "Am Meer" ist genau der richtige Ohrwurm "um am Strand zwischen 3 Elementen zu liegen" und gut gelaunt den Sommer mit einem kühlen Bier zu genießen! Extrem tanzbarer Ska-Punk und klarer Hit von der Waterkant! Die B-Seite "Sand am Meer" greift nur vordergründig das unbeschwingte Sommergefühl auf, denn Rantanplan waren schon immer mehr als nur eine Spaßkapelle und verpacken ihre gesellschaftspolitischen Botschaften subtil statt plakativ in ihre Musik. "Idioten gibt's wie Sand am Meer"_wer will da schon widersprechen? Bislang nur online aus "Ahoi"-Sessions als Single Digital 2021 veröffentlicht, gibt es den Song jetzt endlich auch erstmals auf Vinyl! Streng limitiert auf insgesamt 500 Exemplare erscheint die 7" im Hardcover in bunter Vielfalt als red'n'white inside out und clear with blue & black splatter vinyl (je 200 copies ww). Für Puristen natürlich auch als black vinyl (100 copies ww) erhältlich.

"Rantanplan" sind seit fast 30 Jahren eine feste Institution und das schon lange nicht mehr "nur" innerhalb der Subkulturen, haben mit ihrem letzten Album "AHOI" 2023 nur knapp die Top Ten verfehlt (Platz 11 / 03.03.2023). Mit dem unveröffentlichten und exklusiv auf Vinyl erhältlichen Song "Am Meer" meldet die Band sich auf Sunny Bastards Records zurück. "Am Meer" ist genau der richtige Ohrwurm "um am Strand zwischen 3 Elementen zu liegen" und gut gelaunt den Sommer mit einem kühlen Bier zu genießen! Extrem tanzbarer Ska-Punk und klarer Hit von der Waterkant! Die B-Seite "Sand am Meer" greift nur vordergründig das unbeschwingte Sommergefühl auf, denn Rantanplan waren schon immer mehr als nur eine Spaßkapelle und verpacken ihre gesellschaftspolitischen Botschaften subtil statt plakativ in ihre Musik. "Idioten gibt's wie Sand am Meer"_wer will da schon widersprechen? Bislang nur online aus "Ahoi"-Sessions als Single Digital 2021 veröffentlicht, gibt es den Song jetzt endlich auch erstmals auf Vinyl! Streng limitiert auf insgesamt 500 Exemplare erscheint die 7" im Hardcover in bunter Vielfalt als red'n'white inside out und clear with blue & black splatter vinyl (je 200 copies ww). Für Puristen natürlich auch als black vinyl (100 copies ww) erhältlich.

Japanese radio edit single of "Harvest Time / Love Will Find Way" is a complement to Pharoah Sanders" seminal album from 1977 Pharoah.

Sonic Behavior by Driftmachine & Ammer is an album exploring the origins of sound, noise, and various music genres. Alongside lyrical declarations of love for noise ("Song To Noise"), the album delves into sonic reflections on how beauty and emotion emerge from mundane vibrations in the air ("The Siren Is A Simple Device"). For the first time, the analog sound researchers of Driftmachine (Andreas Gerth, Florian Zimmer) incorporate spoken language and noise into their sound research. They have collaborated with word and sound artist Andreas Ammer, renowned for his radio plays with Acid Pauli, aka Console ("Spaceman 85"), or FM Einheit ("Radio Inferno," "Symphony of Sirens").

In "The Siren Is A Simple Device," the words are spoken by 81-year-old musician and poet legend Ted Milton (Blurt, Loopspool). Despite its simplicity and obvious ability to produce high volumes, the siren has led a marginal existence as a musical instrument. Yet, it is capable of evoking the most intense emotional states in the listener in the shortest possible time, like almost no other sound-producing mechanism. "Sonic Behavior" capitalizes on this fact. The familiar hypnotic sounds of Driftmachine are accompanied by a siren organ inspired by the revolutionary Russian futurist Arsenij Avranov and built by Andreas Ammer, while the lyrics talk about the simple physical reasons behind the sound chaos that has just been unleashed: A siren ... chops the air into sound.

The core of the album is "Song To Noise," an electro-acoustic mini-symphony about the beauties of noise and all its producers, which is based on a poem by the British poet Deryn Rees-Jones and spoken by the poet herself and Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten, Hackedepicciotto). Driftmachine & Ammer develop a soundtrack that is as powerful as it is loud and danceable (which is why the LP also includes a textless version of the composition).

"Sonic Sculpture" is the zenith of the work: a text/music track spoken by Ted Milton, which creates the possibility of a sound sculpture that encompasses the universe: What if one could imagine the infernal sound that encompasses all conceivable harmonies at the same time? A piano does when you throw it down an earthly staircase (the epitome of music is a piano falling down the stairs) through silent space to the next theoretically life-filled, Earth-like planet, Proxima Centauri B. The radio makes it possible. Driftmachine & Ammer tried it. The result will be heard there in 4.24 light-years. On planet Earth, the time has come on May 2, 2024. On this day, Sonic Behavior will be released, a conceptual album by Driftmachine & Ammer exploring sound, its creation, and its power.

I Know I'm Funny haha is Webster's most realized manifestation yet of this emotional and musical alchemy. Continuing to bloom from her 2019 breakthrough and Secretly Canadian debut Atlanta Millionaires Club, Webster's sound draws as much from the lap-steel singer-songwriter pop of the 1970s and teardrop country tunes as it does from the audacious personalities of her city's rap and R&B community. The album began for Webster with the stirring ballad "In a Good Way," as in "You make me want to cry in a good way"_an instantclassic Faye Webster one-liner. It's beguilingly simple, the kind of melody and arrangement that seem to have existed forever. A sense of relief charges the neo-psychedelic pop of "Cheers," where Webster experiments with an overdriven guitar tone. She also collaborated, on "Overslept," with the Japanese artist Mei Ehara, who she calls the biggest influence on her new music. Webster's music is full of personality. Many of her songs contain bits of girl-group-esque talk-singing, which color her atypical storysongs. Webster says she's in a growth mindset, pushing herself to learn more, to be more vulnerable. "Growth is really important to me," she says. "I hope people will relate to my songs, and not just be like `this is a good record' but `this makes me feel something. This is making me think differently, this is making me question things.' I told myself a few years ago that I was going to be more honest in my songwriting, that honesty is the best route to take with music. If I have a voice and people are listening to me, I'm not going to waste it."

It was the summer of 1996 in London. Rat Scabies had his studio 'The Arch' underneath Kew Bridge, in which various projects were recorded. At some point, Rat (The Damned), Derwood Andrews (Generation X) and Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols) drifted in to rehearse and write songs to record an album. Pretty soon they were ready to start recording, but they didn't have a singer. They called upon an old friend Gary Twinn (20 Flight Rockers), who flew in on the red eye from Los Angeles and immediately started recording. It may have been a good idea to give Gary time to get over the jet lag, and write some more songs. But Gary's lyrics were working well and it was sounding so good they started laying down the tracks. A day or so later, Martin Lee Stephenson, a young hot mixer came down to the Arches and mixed the seven tracks that were recorded. The plan was to do a few more songs and have a finished album. Gary went back to the west coast and started booking shows. It was all looking good, and it was fun. Then Glen called to say the Pistols had offered him to reform with a world tour called Filthy Lucre, and he'd be doing that for the next six months at least. So, Dead Horse was truly dead, and the whole idea was abandoned. These tapes have been on the shelf for almost 30 years. These tapes are being released in the interest of music history, and the fact that they were never quite finished shouldn't matter to anyone. The quality of the people involved shines through.

Limted version on 2LP transparent violet vinyl in gatefold sleeve, 300 copies! ‘Lefto presents Jazz Cats' is back with volume 3 and still doing what it does best: putting you in the front row of what the thriving Belgian jazz scene currently has to offer and revealing a melting pot of the musical talent.



'Lefto presents Jazz Cats' is back with volume 3 and still doing what it does best: putting you in the front row of what the thriving Belgian jazz scene currently has to offer and revealing a melting pot of the musical talent coming out one of the smallest countries in Europe. Never change a winning team they say, so we're happy to have Belgian DJ and eclectic connoisseur Lefto on board again.

Although you expect thecompilation to be talking jazz, volume 3 explores a broader array of styles, genres, and sounds than ever before, arriving at a point where the 'young cats' of today don't bother no more. It may focus on the Belgian scene, but let's face it, seeing the influences, this one could be compiled from all over the world. From the empowering and bittersweet voices of Oriana Ikomo and Adja, over the more acoustic-electronic productions of Moodprint, Ciao Kennedy, Kassius and echofarmer. It's even expanding the Jazz Cats universe to dub and bass-heavy tracks with Kin Gajo and Le Ministère, Ethio-jazz from Azmari, while sending you back to earth with bodies' swirling sax and drums. That saxophone still rings in your ears when you end up in the orbit of the march-like drums of Bodem, Orson Claeys' piano testing your ability to follow him, slamming the breaks to go smooth cruisin' with HONEY (Morricone meets Khruangbin, anyone?), to crashing in a raging tempo on that last track of Bruno x Soet x Moene. And there you are, back with us.



2018's 'Lefto presents Jazz Cats' included tracks from some of Belgium's biggest hitters, including Black Flower, STUFF. De Beren Gieren and Glass Museum who have all gone on to receive global acclaim. The album was given the accolade of 'Album of the Week' on Worldwide FM and also received further radio support from Jazz FM in addition to numerous glowing reviews. The 2022 follow-up 'Jazz Cats volume 2' paved the way for a new generation inspired by its peers, entering another era of very talented individuals and collectives. Maybe even more so than 4 years before. It uncovered a beautiful balance of more established but also obscure musicians and artists. Opening up to electronics and dance, enter bands like ECHT!, Stellar Legions and TUKAN. Thrilling innovative soundscape grooves and jazz fusion with Bandler Ching and L?p?GangGang, not to forget about the weaving musical odyssey that is M.CHUZI. In addition, there's the balanced unease of One Frame Movement, the laidback 'acoustic electronica' of Boombox Experiments, the classic funky jazz stylings of Cargo Mas and cinematic The Brums, all of these have set volume 2 on the map as an essential release for any jazzhead with a passion for new sounds.

Tastemaker, selector, curator, DJ and producer, these words often get mentioned when Lefto's name pops up in discussions. And rightly so. If you've ever had the pleasure to listen to one of his incredible Boiler Room sets or one of his many radio shows, you'll know why. Famed for his gloriously eclectic taste on the decks, he switches effortlessly between hip hop, funk, breaks, neck-snapping beats, future bass, South-American influences, bruk riddims, some wild African rhythms and of course, jazz.

Growing up as a child, his father would have the sounds of jazz flowing through the speakers. Which led him to bars around town to hear the latest jazz ensembles. Falling in love with the genre, he would later refine his knack for record digging and fine ear for music working at Belgium's legendary Music Mania record store in his hometown Brussels. Which makes that Lefto is consistently a couple steps ahead. He doesn't wait for the next thing to land in his lap, but actively seeking it out.

Lefto on Jazz Cats volume 3:
"Another release in less than two years! I am very impressed by the amount of creative "jazz" talent we've managed to compile over the last couple of years. Thanks to the internet, young musicians find inspiration from around the globe and incorporate diverse influences into their work. Given the history and heritage of jazz in this country, it has managed to create a healthy jazz scene supported by festivals, venues, press, and labels. Therefore, I am very proud to present to you the thirdinstallment of Jazz Cats. This compilation is dedicated to the young and hardworking musicians who are the present and the future of Belgium's jazz scene."

London-based Kouslin's Le Chatroom imprint presents LCR003; a percussion-heavy release of four tracks from close friends and affiliates.

Taking inspiration from rhythms around the world and the uproar within the new-gen UK Funky scene, Le Chatroom once again exhibit their ethos of eclecticism that has found them in the record bags of the likes of Ben UFO and Call Super.

Big Brothers' frontman Amor Satyr (also of Parisian collective Boukan Records), channels heavy baile funk on 'Hohohoi', with razor-sharp low-end separation and haunting harmonies.

Soreab (Baroque Sunburst/BeatMachine) serves up a hearty cut of low-slung, tribal drum funk with a groove synonymous of Hessle Audio sets.

Having recently featured on an R&S Records compilation, plus a release on More Time Records, rising artist DJ Tess presents her new “Mala Femmina” alias and offers up a triplet-based 4x4 groove with relentless icy blows and rotating polyrhythms.

Livity Sound's Cando close out with a remix of Soreab's 'Cave Walk'. Racing away with dancefloor panic, the intricacies of the remix shine through via its claustrophobic and pristine mixdown.

LANY haben im Alleingang den Mainstream geknackt - als eine der allgegenwärtigsten, unberechenbarsten und unverzichtbarsten Alternative-Rock-Bands dieser Zeit. Ihre energiegeladene, mitreißende und sich ständig weiterentwickelnde Live-Show zieht Fans auf allen Kontinenten in ihren Bann und ist weltweit ein Publikumsmagnet. Für ihr lang erwartetes fünftes Album hat sich die Band wieder mit dem legendären Produzenten Mike Crossey zusammengetan.

"Pull The Rope", das neue Album von IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE, rückt die von Eno Williams und Max Grunhard geleitete Band in ein neues Licht. Die Hoffnung, die Freude und der Sexappeal ihrer Musik sind geblieben, aber die Verbindung, die sie mit ihrem hochgelobten Album "Electricity" (2022) herstellen wollen, hat den Schauplatz gewechselt, von der sonnigen Beschwingtheit eines sonnenbeschienenen Festivals zu einem schweißgetränkten, nächtelangen Tanzclub. Die Atmosphäre hat sich geändert, aber man hat immer noch die beste Zeit seines Lebens. Williams und Grunhard führen diese Veränderung auf die Zusammenarbeit mit dem in Sheffield ansässigen Produzenten Ross Orton (ARCTIC MONKEYS, M.I.A.) zurück, mit dem sie "Pull The Rope" innerhalb von zwei Wochen aufnahmen. Die Art und Weise, wie die beiden Songs schrieben, änderte sich erheblich - anstatt dass Eno die Texte zu der Musik schrieb, die Max und Co. beim Jammen kreierten, begann Orton damit, dass Eno und Max gemeinsam schrieben, bevor sie die Band hinzufügten. Mit weniger Zeit im Studio und einer neuen Art, über die Entstehung von Songs nachzudenken, gelang es dem Duo, Entscheidungen über den Sound von "Pull The Rope" schneller und instinktiv zu treffen als zuvor. Bei der Verschmelzung ihres Songwriting-Prozesses haben Grunhard und Williams das Kunststück vollbracht, IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE zu einer strafferen Band als je zuvor zu machen, die sich von ihrem Kern aus in einer Weise entwickelt, die die elektrisierende Gruppe von Musikern, mit denen sie spielen, hervorhebt. Anstatt mit der gesamten Band im Raum aufzunehmen, wurde "Pull The Rope" von Grunhard, Williams und Orton geformt, Elemente hinzugefügt und während des Prozesses endgültig gestaltet. Die Botschaft ihres fantastischen neuen Albums "Pull The Rope" ist Hoffnung in der Dunkelheit, Glückseligkeit trotz Tristesse. Wieder einmal sind IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE hier, um den Soundtrack für die beste Nacht deines Lebens und die bessere Welt zu liefern.

Based near Nantes & just 30 years old, Dj King Flow has almost 20 years of beatmaking under his belt, with numerous trips back and forth between France and the USA. His many travels have enabled him to network with a large number of independent MCs.
Today he presents Halftime, his first project on vinyl, which speaks volumes when you see the many names of hip-hop legends such as Rase Kass, O.C., Tragedy Khadafi, Goodie Mob, Shabaam Sahdeeq and other lesser-known but equally talented names!
The osmosis operates on King Flow's beatmaking style, with a mix of 90s, Sudist and boombap influences!

A new vinyl bomb for all lovers of good hip-hop music !!!!

Finland's UNEARTHLY RITES are preparing to release their debut album. On Ecdysis UNEARTHLY RITES' potent old school death metal songwriting offers a rallying cry against corporate greed and environmental negligence, with a scathing rebuke of those culpable of ecocide and climate destruction. At the beating heart of Ecdysis lies UNEARTHLY RITES' insistence for a better world, with the perilous effects of capitalist interests taking precedence over nature and human life at the core of the group's concerns. Through their collective work in environmental activism, including anti-mining campaigns in the arctic north that focuses on the challenges faced by the indigenous Sámi peoples, Ecdysis is less a despairing cry as it is a plea for change. The band's caustic approach to extreme metal and punk adds a feverish urgency to proceedings, with the rhythm section of bassist Vikman and guitarists Simo Perkiömäki and Santtu Markko evoking the genre's most brutish traits against Sisli Piisilä's visceral vocal delivery. Despite their rage and despondency at institutional apathy on the title track and the harrowingly doomy highlight cut Sacrifice Zones, album closer Doomed shuns inaction and resigned complicitly by directly challenging the listener to choose their side for humanity's sake and future.

Limited edition Cream and Black swirl PICTURE DISC is for Indie stores only.

Vanishing Twin is songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist Cathy Lucas, drummer Valentina Magaletti, bassist Susumu Mukai, synth/guitar player Phil MFU and visual artist/film maker Elliott Arndt on flute and percussion; and on this album they have made their first artistic statement for the ages.

Some of its great power comes from liberation. The album was produced by Lucas in a number of non-standard, non-studio settings. 'KRK (At Home In Strange Places)' summons up the spirit of Sun Ra's Lanquidity and Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio was simply recorded on an iPhone during a live set which crackled with psychic connectivity on the Croatian island of Krk.
The magical Morricone-esque lounge of 'You Are Not an Island', the blissed-out Jean-Claude Vannier style arrangement of 'Invisible World' and burbling sci fi funk ode to a 1972 cult French animation, 'Plane`te Sauvage', were all recorded in nighttime sessions in an abandoned mill in Sudbury. The only two outsiders to work on the recording were '6th member' and engineer Syd Kemp and trusted friend Malcolm Catto, band leader of the spiritual jazz/future funk outfit The Heliocentrics, who mixed seven of the tracks (with Lucas taking care of the other three).

Vanishing Twin formed in 2015 - their first LP, Choose Your Own Adventure, which came out on Soundway in 2016; followed by the darker, more abstract, mostly instrumental Dream By Numbers EP in 2017. The band explored their more experimental tendencies on the Magic And Machines tape released by Blank Editions in 2018, an improvised session recorded in the dead of night, offering a glimpse into their practice of deep listening, near band telepathy, and ritually improvised sound making. These sessions formed the basis of The Age Of Immunology.

Pull the Rope, the new record by Ibibio Sound Machine, casts the Eno Williams and Max Grunhard-led outfit in a new light. The hope, joy, and sexiness of their music remain, but, further honing the edge of their acclaimed 2022 album Electricity, the connection they aim to foster has shifted venues from the sunny buoyancy of a sunlit festival to a sweat-soaked, all-night dance club. Williams and Grunhard attribute this shift to a matter of collaborators, recording Pull the Rope with Sheffield-based producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) over the course of two weeks. The way the pair wrote songs changed significantly_rather than Eno penning lyrics to music generated by Max and company's jamming, Orton started with Eno and Max writing together before adding the band. With less time in the studio and a new way of considering how they built songs, the duo found making decisions about Pull the Rope's sound quicker and more instinctual than before. "Ross is from Sheffield, which has an edgier, more industrial vibe than London," Grunhard explains. "He hears things differently than us, is more grounded in rave and grungier sounds, and knew when to add drums or push the instrumentation more. It was very different for us, but it lends itself to where Ibibio Sound Machine is going." In melding their songwriting process, Grunhard and Williams have, impossibly, pulled the trick of making Ibibio Sound Machine a tighter band than ever before, building out from their core in a way that highlights the electrifying group of musicians they play with. Rather than recording with the full band in the room, Pull the Rope was sculpted, elements added and shaped by Grunhard, Williams, and Orton along the way. As a result, Pull the Rope is a nimble, sleek machine that's thrilling from the first note of the opening title track, Eno's otherworldly voice and PK Ambrose's throbbing bass driving through a kaleidoscopic array of house, post-punk, funk, Afrobeat and disco, bangers and ballads, making an argument for unity that begins on the dancefloor. "We are the places we grew up, the places we've been, and the people we've met along the way," Williams says. "Hopping around the globe, we've found that people are fundamentally the same_they're people. Opposing sides push and pull, but there is an alternative to war, violence, and suffering." Lead single "Got to Be Who U Are" literally globetrots, name checking locales across the world that would feel disparate were it not for how well-traveled they are. Eno growing up in the musical melting pot of the Ibibio region of Nigeria and Max being a conservatory-trained musician from Australia, one could call their meeting in London and formation of Ibibio Sound Machine predestined. "Mama Say" and "Let My Yes Be Yes" touch themes of female empowerment. They're indicative of the band's depth as they push further into the electronic; "Mama Say" hits notes of electropop while "Let My Yes Be Yes" fuses electro to Afrobeat. Ibibio Sound Machine have always imbued their music with political consciousness, and the light that shines through in Williams' vocals and voice has never felt more necessary. The sound of Pull the Rope, then, is hope in darkness, bliss in spite of bleakness. Once again, Ibibio Sound Machine are here to provide the soundtrack to the best night of your life, and the better world to come.

Im Stil der frühen Dancehall-Platten hat es sich Pachy García zur Aufgabe gemacht, den Sound von Scientist, King Tubby, Lee "Scratch" Perry und den großen Technikern und Instrumentalisten der frühen jamaikanischen Reggae-Musik zu reproduzieren. Inspiriert von den Channel One Studios und der Roots Radics Band, ist der Sound im Dancehall-Stil mit einigen Ausflügen in den Rub-a-Dub- und Rocker-Stil gehalten. Aufgenommen in Pachys eigenem 333 House von Januar bis März 2019. Geschrieben, produziert und gemixt von ihm selbst. Auch alle Instrumente hat er selbst eingespielt.

LIE HEAVY brings together notable rockers, Karl Agell, JD Dennis, TR Gwynne and Graham Fry. You may know them from some of their musical forays with Corrosion of Conformity, Leadfoot,The Skull/Legions of Doom, Confessor, Patriarchs in Black, The Point, Deltoid and The Backsliders. LIE HEAVY draws on the original hard 'n groovy jams of Sabbath, Mountain, Lizzy and Purple, fused with their own massive experience. So, it is not difficult to fathom why LIE HEAVY sounds like a well-oiled, hard working band of 30 years rather than a new entity. Their pedigree does not belie their power. Collectively, they have spent tens of thousands of hours in practice spaces, studios and on stages around the world, honing their vast skills, to find one another in this moment being among the top guardian practitioners at the gates of transcendently HEAVY music.

Blood red vinyl, limited to 350 copies. LIE HEAVY brings together notable rockers, Karl Agell, JD Dennis, TR Gwynne and Graham Fry. You may know them from some of their musical forays with Corrosion of Conformity, Leadfoot,The Skull/Legions of Doom, Confessor, Patriarchs in Black, The Point, Deltoid and The Backsliders !!! LIE HEAVY draws on the original hard 'n groovy jams of Sabbath, Mountain, Lizzy and Purple, fused with their own massive experience. So, it is not difficult to fathom why LIE HEAVY sounds like a well-oiled, hard working band of 30 years rather than a new entity. Their pedigree does not belie their power. Collectively, they have spent tens of thousands of hours in practice spaces, studios and on stages around the world, honing their vast skills, to find one another in this moment being among the top guardian practitioners at the gates of transcendently HEAVY music.

For as long as they've been a band, teen suicide's catalog has been as alluring as it has been elusive. Now the first time, two of the band's most sought after early EPs, dc snuff film and waste yrself, will be available together across all formats via Run For Cover Records this winter. These 18 tracks have been remastered to provide the best sound quality possible while still retaining the noisy, lo-fi sound that is an integral part of the teen suicide's essence. This collection will feature brand new artwork, including never-before seen photos & a lyric sheet for both EPs in one volume.

EN

DJ HS is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic figures on the nightlife scene in Belgium and Northern France. With a career spanning over 35 years, he made his mark as Lagoa's legendary resident for 8 years (1994 to 2002). His unique musical style, a skilful blend of Tek, Hardtek, Electro, Tekclub and Jumpstyle, has made him an essential reference. Always passionate about his work, he sets the dancefloors of the biggest clubs and festivals alight every weekend.

We're delighted to present the very first Best Of from DJ HS (The Anthems) on Serious Beats Classics, featuring no less than four of his best tracks on a single vinyl! These are no less than must-have classics in their respective genres. A must-have for all DJ HS fans. All tracks were composed and produced in collaboration with Frédéric de Backer (Ba-Back / Fred Baker), one of the most prolific producers of the last 30 years.

This previously unreleased Best Of is available as a limited edition. We strongly recommend that you order it as soon as possible, before it's too late...


FR

DJ HS est incontestablement l'une des figures les plus emblématiques de la scène nocturne en Belgique et dans le nord de la France. Fort de plus de 35 ans de carrière, il a marqué les esprits en tant que résident légendaire de Lagoa pendant 8 ans (1994 à 2002). Son style musical unique, un savant mélange de Tek, Hardtek, Electro, Tekclub et Jumpstyle, a fait de lui une référence incontournable. Toujours passionné par son métier, il enflamme chaque week-end les pistes de danse des plus grands clubs et festivals.



Nous sommes ravisde vous présenter le tout premier Best Of de DJ HS (The Anthems) sur Serious Beats Classics, comprenant pas moins de quatre de ses meilleurs morceaux sur un seul et même vinyle ! Il s'agit là non moins que de classiques incontournables dans leurs genres respectifs. Un "must have" pour tous les fans de DJ HS. Il est à noter que l'ensemble des morceaux ont été composés et produits en collaboration avec Frédéric de Backer (Ba-Back / Fred Baker), l'un des producteurs les plus prolifiques des 30 dernières années.



Ce Best Of inédit est disponible en édition limitée. Il vous est donc fortement recommandé de le commander dès que possible avant qu'il ne soit trop tard...

Die Liverpooler YOBS veröffentlichen ihr selbstbetiteltes Debütalbum am 3. Mai 2024 über Fuzz Club und folgen damit ihrer ersten Doppelsingle "Fortune Teller b/w Cemetery Man", mit der die vierköpfige Band die Szene mit einem herrlich schmutzigen und hedonistischen Feuerwerk betrat.

Das Clash Magazine schrieb über YOBS: "Schädelzerschmetternde Riffs und halluzinogene Effekte". YOBS liefern primitive Garage-Punk/Noise-Rock-Salven, die mit erschlagender Intensität vorbeirasen. Auf den zehn Tracks des Albums und der
rasanten 26-minütigen Spielzeit schwelgt die Band in einem rauen, spaßigen Rock'n'Roll, der deine Knochen genauso zum Vibrieren bringt wie deine Lautsprecher. YOBS, die aus den Trümmern der inzwischen aufgelösten Liverpooler Bands Weird Sex und Ohmns entstanden sind, wurden 2022 gegründet und bestehen aus Joey Ackland (Gesang), Alex Smith (Bass/Gesang), Michael Quinlan (Gitarre/Gesang) und George Gebbie (Schlagzeug).

Ihr Debütalbum, das sie in vier Tagen in den Hackney Road Studios mit James Aparicio aufgenommen haben, ist das Ergebnis eines Jahres 2023, in dem sie mit Bands wie A Place To Bury Strangers, Mark Sultan, C.O.F.F.I.N, Alien Nosejob und anderen raue, ohrenbetäubende Shows gespielt haben.

Steph Richards has already made quite a name for herself in the worlds of avant garde music and creative jazz - She has recorded for Relative Pitch and Northern Spy, worked with Laurie Anderson, Anthony Braxton and Ravi Coltrane and studied with Wadada Leo Smith - As co-producer of the FONT Music Festival, Richards worked for years alongside fellow trumpeter Dave Douglas. Her records have been praised for displaying her evident virtuosity and inventiveness, the New York Times calling Richards "boldly inventive." NPR's Nate Chinen says Richards is "ingenious" and Downbeat insisted that she is "the latest figure of note" in jazz while All About Jazz cuts to the chase, saying simply, that Richards "kicks ass." It's an impressive history and litany of praise for a young trumpeter, but with her latest full-length for Northern Spy, Power Vibe, Richards pushes even further, marrying avant garde and cinematic moods with a kind of infectious and patently pleasing tunefulness that is certain to expand her dedicated audience even further. The addition of "sensory electronics" -- subtle but compelling textures and tactile rhythms which are physically triggered by drum-mounted sensors -- compels fascination here, interweaving a kind of aural hyper-lucidity throughout the record. Though boldly original, this music strides surefootedly alongside the work of contemporaries like Nicole Mitchell and Rob Mazurek and the late jaimie branch

"Star Wars Stories is a collection of the most famous melodies & fan favourite tracks from the recent Star Wars Universe including The Mandalorian, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Rogue One. This compilation features main themes, epic orchestral tracks and emotional songs, paying tribute to the originals John Williams, Ludwig Göransson, John Powell, Anthony Williams & Michael Giacchino. This project is a follow-up to the 2019 release Music From The Star Wars Saga – the essential collection, a compilation of music from the Star Wars films. Included are the most famous melodies & fan favourite tracks from the hugely popular tv series, paying tribute to Ludwig Göranssons’ work. This includes musical highlights from the series ranging from the infamous main theme to epic orchestral tracks & character pieces for Boba Fett & Luke Skywalker. From Solo: A Star Wars Story, this tribute to John Williams & John Powell’s 2018 album features action-loaded orchestral musical highlights from the film and themes for the beloved characters Han Solo and Chewbacca. Star Wars Stories is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on ""Hyperspace"" coloured vinyl. This 2LP-set is housed in a gatefold sleeve, includes an insert, and features secret inscriptions in the run-out grooves.
"

Star Wars Stories by Various Artists, released 2 May 2024, includes the following tracks: "Luke Skywalker Hallway Theme", "End Theme", "Flying With Chewie", "The Adventures Of Han" and more.

This version of Star Wars Stories comes as a 2xLP in a(n) Gatefold Sleeve packaging. This release comes with (a) Insert(s).

The vinyl is pressed as a marble, blue & white & black disc. Another vinyl is pressed as a marble, blue & white & black disc.

Spoonfed Hybrid, the duo of Ian Masters (Pale Saints) and Chris Trout (A.C. Temple), released their one and only album on 4AD imprint, Guernica, in November 1993. Self-titled, this now-cult release has fans constantly asking for it to be reissued. For its 30th anniversary, 4AD are giving it the expanded treatment, re-releasing the album with a bonus disc of singles, demos and rarities. Beautifully designed, the original artwork has been expanded to now include comprehensive song notes.

2024 Repress

Mannequin Records is proud to present a full length by the Philly minimal-synth princess Void Vision.
Void Vision is a Philadelphia-based electronic project helmed by Shari Vari. It began around 2009 at a time when a wave of synth-revivalists were materializing, but the quality of the songwriting and intense vocals set the band apart from the pack. In a rare instance, Void Vision has managed to combine vintage dance elements with melodic structures, haunting melancholy, and lyrics that have a palpable soul. The songs themselves are dynamic, referencing a cross-section of the last 30 years of electronic music, while simultaneously retaining a uniqueness all their own.

The infamous Wierd Records weekly club night in New York, which showcased a variety of talented electronic and coldwave artists, served as an incubator for Void Vision in it's early stages. After a standout debut performance at the club, they immediately caught the attention of Blind Prophet Records, who consequently released their first 7" single, 'In 20 Years', which received excellent reviews.

Vari has continued performing and recording steadily over the last few years, releasing songs on compilations for various labels, including Rough Trade, and in 2012 the song 'Everything is Fine' was selected for Artforum magazine's 'Best of 2012' issue. In 2013, Void Vision toured the West Coast and later that year released a split 12" with Portland-based band, Vice Device. The first official full-length album, entitled 'Sub Rosa' is set to debut on Berlin-based Mannequin Records, followed by a European tour in 2015.

Shari Vari formed Void Vision in 2009 originally as a duo, during the explosion of the new minimal synth and cold wave scene in United States. Sharing the same scene of the Wierd Records associates like Led Er Est, Martial Canterel, Xeno & Oaklander, Automelodi, in 2010 VV released 'In Twenty Years' on Blind Prophet (Sean Ragon's Cult Of Youth record label), receiving also the attention of the Rough Trade dudes, who asked to put out a track for one of their synth wave compilations.
After other split vinyls, tapes and compilations, Mannequin approached Shari with the intention to continue what Wierd Records started, giving a proper shape to her beautiful and youthful dark electronic sound. The result is 10 hypnotic cold analog tracks dominated by the warm and fragile Shari's voice, some more 'pop orientated' some others belonging to the original 'cold wave' atmosphere.

"Sub Rosa" is an edition of 400 copies on 160 gram black vinyl and 100 copies on 160 gram white vinyl.

Razor-sharp production of the highest order from two of the masters of the early 80™s Rio de Janeiro boogie sound, Robson Jorge and Lincoln Olivetti. Both were highly acclaimed music producers of the time, starting around the mid-70™s. Over the course of his career Olivetti worked with artists including Rita Lee, Erasmo Carlos, Don Beto, Marcos Valle, Tim Maia, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Sandra Sa, Painel de Controle and many more. The album takes in mid-tempo, AOR, boogie and even latin all way through the tempo™s to ultra-quick Prince style disco-funk workouts. Includes several standout tracks  ˜Aleluia™ and ™Ginga™ being our two favourites. Synths, horns, claps, drum machines, guitars, keys and vocal harmonies combine effortlessly.

Die Londoner Band Home Counties veröffentlicht nach ersten EPs ihr Debütalbum 'Exactly As It Seems', produziert von Bandgitarrist Conor Kearney und gemischt von Andy Savors (Black Country New Road, Rina Sawayama, Sorry). Home Counties haben sich als eine der wichtigsten neuen Alternative-Bands Großbritanniens etabliert, die mit Shame, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, FEET, Courting und bdrmm auftraten und von BBC Radio-DJs sowie Elton John (Apple 1) unterstützt werden. Der Band gelingt es, lyrische Offenheit über die besch******* Details des modernen Lebens und musikalischen Schwung mit Begeisterung in Einklang zu bringen. Nach dem treffenden Motto: 'Mein Leben ist ruiniert, weil ich mir die Miete nicht leisten kann, aber ich werde darüber tanzen.'