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Neil Young and Reprise Records announce the 18th April release of Coastal: The Soundtrack, featuring 11 live recordings from the tour film of the same name

Coastal is a personal, behind-the-scenes documentary on Neil Young as he cruises the coast on his 2023 solo US tour. The film gives an intimate view of the maverick musician, as he navigates a return to the stage post-Covid. From his everyday observations on the bus to his candid banter with his audience. Coastal is a rare peek behind the curtain of this unguarded iconoclast. The film was shot and directed by Daryl Hannah.
Coastal: The Soundtrack features 11 Neil Young songs including "Song X", "Vampire Blues" "Expecting To Fly", "Throw Your Hatred Down", "I Am A Child", and "Prime of Life". The album is released on black vinyl, limited edition clear vinyl (includes poster), CD and digitally.

Carrying on their longstanding dedication to the seminal output of Merzbow, Urashima returns with what is unquestionably their most ambitious release to date: “Collection 001-010”, a deluxe, 10 LP vinyl box set limited to 299 copies, gathering together the entirety of the project’s first ten releases, originally released in 1981. Encountering the band in its early incarnation of the duo of Masami Akita and Kiyoshi Mizutani, raw, exposed and bristling with energy, foreshadowing numerous trajectories they would follow over the coming years, these astounding full lengths - the majority of which have never been released on vinyl - come housed in a beautifully produced, deluxe wooden box, with each LP in its own individual sleeve reproducing the original artwork, and a LP-sized 32-page book containing reproductions of artworls and collages by Masami Akita, an interview conducted by Jim O'Rourke, and liner notes penned by Lasse Marhaug, Thurston Moore, and Akita himself, amounting to what is unquestionably one of the most historically significant releases we’re likely to encounter in 2025.

Deluxe Edition of 299 copies, remastered from the original analog tapes by Masami Akita, each LP comes in its individual sleeve reproducing the original artwork, also includes a LP-sized 32-page book. ** Since its founding during the late 2000s, the Italian imprint, Urashima, has become a definitive voice in the landscape of noise. Bringing forth beautiful limited edition releases, they’ve sculpted a singular vision of one of the most vibrant and revolutionary bodies of experimental sound to have graced the globe. Among the many projects that they have supported over the decades, there has been an undeniable dedication to the output of the seminal Japanese noise outfit, Merzbow, making a significant amount of the project’s out of print back catalog available across a range of formats. Now they return with what is arguably their most stunning and ambitious release dedicated to the project to date: “Collection 001-010”, gathering the entirety of Merzbow’s first ten releases, largely privately released by the band on cassette across 1981, in a deluxe, 10 LP vinyl box set. Representing what is effectively ground zero in Japanese noise and collectively amounting to some of the most sought after releases ever produced within that movement, Urashima’s truly beautiful collection comes fully remastered by Masami Akita himself from the original tapes, presenting all but a small number in their first ever vinyl pressings, with each LP housed in its own individual sleeve reproducing the original artwork, alongside a LP-sized 32-page book containing reproductions of artworks and collages by Masami Akita, an interview conducted by Jim O'Rourke, and liner notes penned by Lasse Marhaug, Thurston Moore and Akita himself. Towering with energy and groundbreaking creative vision, within the realms of noise and experimental music, releases don’t get more monumental or historically important than this!

Merzbow came roaring onto the Tokyo scene in 1979, and remains, to this day, one of the most prolific and aggressively forward-thinking projects in experimental music. Eventually becoming the solo vehicle for the efforts of Masami Akita, in its earliest incarnation the project was the duo of Akita and Kiyoshi Mizutani, taking their name from German artist Kurt Schwitters' pre-war architectural assemblage, The Cathedral of Erotic Misery or Merzbau, and quickly set out to challenge entrenched notions of what music could be. Embracing technology and the machine, even in its earliest iterations, Merzbow pushed toward new territories of the extreme, arriving at a space of pure, unadulterated sonic onslaught that has continued, for over 40 years, to set the pace for the entire genre of noise, and has remained one of the movement’s most important, definitive voices, continuously laying the groundwork for countless artists who have followed in its wake.

When dealing with historical gestures, there’s an invertible aura surrounding original line-ups and early statements, and rightfully so. It is often within a band’s debut that we catch the purest glimpse of the raw energy and creative ferment that made them what they are. This is certainly the case when regarding the coveted early releases of Merzbow, capturing the emergence of the project in its form as the duo of Masami Akita and Kiyoshi Mizutani as they helped set the blue print from the then emerging movement of Japanese noise. Over the course of its nearly five decades of activity, Merzbow has always been noted for how prolific and ambitious the project is. This was no less the case in the very beginning. While they were active for roughly two years prior, in 1981 alone they issued ten self-released cassettes numerically titled “Collection 001-010”, albums which have both individually and collectively become holy grails in the realms of noise, with only two - “Collection 007” and “Collection 009” - ever receiving vinyl reissues prior to now.

As Lasse Marhaug deftly articulates in the newly commissioned liner notes for “Collection 001-010”, despite having been recorded in different location across a span of time, the sum total of Merzbow’s first ten releases might be best regarded as a single release to be listened to in the same, durational sitting, with the material standing well apart from what most came to expect from Merzbow, while foreshadowing numerous trajectories the project would take over the coming years. Not only do these recordings feature a vast array of instrumentation - tapes, acoustic and electric guitar, violin, drums, voice, recorder, organ, found sounds, clarinet, homemade and prepared instruments, a vast arsenal of effects and electronics, and piano, to only begin to scratch the surface - the majority of which would disappear from the project’s active sources of sound generation over the subsequent years, but there is a slow pacing and raw sense of openness and exposure that reveals strong connections to the avant-garde improvisations of groups like AMM, Musica Elettronica Viva, and Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, the psychedelia of groups like Taj Mahal Travellers and Flower Traveling band (both of whom Akita mentions having seen in youth within his interview with Jim O’Rourke), and rock in general - albeit in fully abstracted forms - unspooling as brittle, pointillistic, textural, raw and abrasive forms, that occasionally flirts with unexpected tonal sensibilities. As Marhaug describes it in his excellent liner notes: «Sonically, “Collection” sounds more sparse and stripped. It’s dry sounding, up-front, no reverb, and there’s less heavy low-end grime and thin on the signature frequency sweeps. Viewed in a 1981 context, musically, it’s more akin to what the LAFMS (Los Angeles Free Music Society) pool of artists were doing at that time than what was happening in industrial music... There’s a strong playfulness throughout, like the sound objects are being explored for the first time, without neither restraint nor hurry. Events are allowed to be fully examined before the music moves on, or simply cuts off. To a large degree, the music on “Collection” feels acoustic in nature, although a Electro-Harmonix ring-modulator features prominently throughout.»

Easily described as a rarely encountered revelation into the original and earlier documented studio sound of Merzbow, “Collection 001-010” collectively amounts to an engrossing sonic journey in its own right, while also allowing for important, often overlooked connections drawn from numerous other creative wellsprings, notably free jazz, underground rock, the output of European and Japanese avant-garde music, as well as Dada, Fluxus, and Mail Art, much of which, beyond the illumination made possible by the sounds, Jim O’Rourke’s fantastic interview with Akita, published in the booklet, further explores, offering great insights into the origins of Merzbow and the thinking behind the project, as well as aspects of the earliest days of Japanese noise.

Newly mastered from restored audio fidelity tapes. Comes in digi sleeve with alternate sleeve artwork and includes a rare 8-page booklet. Includes the original version of 'Pop Corn', later a worldwide hit in 1972 . Adds rare single B-side as bonus track. This CD edition also adds exclusive mono mixes to the expanded tracklist.

One of the earliest & most influential Electronic albums OF ALL TIME "Audio Fidelity Records... believes Gershon Kingsley is a true genius and a worthy creative compliment to the electronic wizardry of Robert A. Moog, the creator of the Moog Synthesizer." 1969 The Beatles were influenced by him (and sampled his music on their 1968 Beatles Christmas EP). Since 1972, his music accompanies each day's Main Street Electrical Parade in Disney theme parks. Yet Gershom Kingsley (born: Götz Gustav Ksinski) remains a mystery to many, despite being one of electronic music's finest pioneers and earliest exponents of Robert Moog's synthesizer and the possibilities its use bought to music. Newly mastered from restored Audio Fidelity tapes - this reissue sounds incredible! The rare non-album B-side The First Step (The Sea Of Tranquility) has been added to the LP while the CD adds additional mono mixes and comes in the album's alternate cover. Both LP and CD include the rare 8-page booklet that came with initial copies of the Audio Fidelity LP. To repay The Beatles compliment of including one of his songs, Gershom Kingsley covered two Fab Four classics in his own unique electronic style and included them on Music To Moog By: 'Nowhere Man' and 'Paperback Writer'. "First-wave Moog enthusiast and electronic music pioneer...." Electronic Sound - The Electronic Music Magazine, January 2020.

R&B duo THEY. — songwriter Drew Love and producer Dante Jones — have developed a smooth, future-facing sound for nearly a decade. In the early days, it was simple; two artists aligning on an appreciation for '90s R&B, new jack swing, and the height of soul-sampling hip-hop. Jones making beats and Love on the lines, a basic, balanced, and open-ended setup, free from major label expectations (which they'd feel on their 2017 breakout Nü Religion: Hyena) and high-profile collaborations (explored on 2018's Fireside, 2020's The Amanda Tape, and 2023's Nü Moon). They're proud of every stop along their story, while hindsight and a fresh perspective after signing to Secretly-affiliate label drink sum wtr have afforded them some distance to reflect on where THEY. goes next. The answer is LOVE.JONES. Here the duo exudes a whole new energy by reasserting their artistry in its most potent and pure form, just Love and Jones, making straight-fire, love-making music indebted to the golden neo-soul era that gave us the namesake 1997 film. “Forget the features, forget bringing in the big producers and writers. It's really just a return to our original dynamic," says Jones. Refined and reinvented, THEY. have arrived at their boldest work, a stacked, high-energy collection celebrating Black art, culture, and "the intense feelings of Black love."

“Egypt’s “official” popular music throughout much of the 20th Century was a complex form of art song steeped in tradition, well-loved by the middle and upper classes, and even accommodating to certain non-Arabic influences. It was highly structured by professional musicians working an established industry centered in the capitol, Cairo. However, far from the bustling cosmopolitan center of Cairo, north and northwest, in towns like Tanta and Alexandria and extending across the Saharan Desert to the Libyan border, dozens of fully marginalized artists were developing a raw, hybrid shaabi/al-musiqa al-shabiya style of music, supported by smaller upstart, independent labels, including the short-lived but deeply resonant Bourini Records. Launched in the late 1960s in Benghazi, Libya, Astuanat al-Bourini اسطوانات البوريني (Bourini Records) published some 40 to 50 titles from 1968 to 1975. Bourini released 7-inch 45 RPM singles by 15 artists, all but one of them Egyptian, igniting brief careers for Alexandrian singer Sheikh Amin Abdel Qader and the blind Bedouin legend Abu Bakr Abdel Aziz (aka Abu Abab). The tracks compiled here comprise a full range of styles covered by the label, while highlighting some of its most gobsmacking moments, from Basis Rahouma’s beastly transformation into a growling and barking man-lion by the end of “Yana Alla Nafsa Masouda,” to Reem Kamal’s hopeful-if-bitter handclapping party pivot “Baed Al Yas Yjini,” which descends into an almost Velvet Underground outro-groove of nihilistic dissonance. All the tracks on this compilation were laid down in stark divergence from the mainstream Egyptian popular music topography of heightened emotions buoyed by lush arrangements. The contrast is most evident in Mahmoud al-Sandidi’s “Ana Mish Hafwatak,” wherein his voice weaves heavily but deftly through a constant accordion drone, and Abu Abab’s “Al Bint al Libya,” a sparse, slow-burning lament with minimal percussion, violin, and Abab’s nephew Hamed Abdel Muna'im Mursi on lyre. Whereas the Egyptian mainstream was aspirational, attempting to reflect Egyptian culture at its most refined, the performances captured by Bourini were manifestations of everyday life lived by the mostly otherwise ignored masses. More than half century old, this music has lost none of its urgency, presence, or relevance. We hear these artists as if they’d just joined us in our living room, and not on a stage decades ago surrounded by tens of thousands of long-forgotten acolytes.

Wild ecstatic vocals, distorted electric guitars, rocket bass, and the amphetamine beat! // Unlike anything else, this is THE high life music you've always wanted // Ceremonial music played with abandon and extreme intent, honoring the living and dead alike // Recorded on location in SW Madagascar by Maxime Bobo // “Tsapiky music from Southwest Madagascar features wild ecstatic vocals, distorted electric guitars, rocket bass, and the amphetamine beat! Unlike anything else, this is THE high life music you've always wanted - ceremonial music played with abandon and extreme intent, honoring the living and dead alike. In Toliara and its surrounding region, funerals, weddings, circumcisions and other rites of passage have been celebrated for decades in ceremonies called mandriampototse. During these celebrations – which last between three and seven days – cigarettes, beer and toaky gasy (artisanal rum) are passed around while electric orchestras play on the same dirt floor as the dancing crowds and zebus. The music, tsapiky, defies any classification. This compilation showcases the diversity of contemporary tsapiky music. Locally and even nationally renowned bands played their own songs on makeshift instruments, blaring through patched-up amps and horn speakers hung in tamarind trees, projecting the music kilometers away. Lead guitarists and female lead singers are the central figures of tsapiky. Driven as much by their creative impulses as by the need to stand out in a competitive market, the artists distinguish themselves stylistically through their lyrics, rhythms or guitar riffs. They must also master a wide repertoire of current tsapiky hits, which the families that attend inevitably request before parading in front of the orchestra with their offerings. This work, a constant push and pull between distinction and imitation, is nourished by fertile exchanges between various groups: acoustic and electric, rural and urban, coastal or inland. What results during these ceremonies is a music of astonishing intensity and creativity, played by artists carving out their own path, indifferent to the standards of any other music industry: Malagasy, African or global. Recorded live on location by Maxime Bobo, this vinyl LP includes a 4-page full-color insert with detailed liner notes plus photos of the musicians and surroundings.”

Auf "Warlord of the Weejuns" definiert er in Brooklyn geborene und im Südosten Londons lebende Rapper Goya Gumbani seinen Sound mit reichhaltigen Full-Band-Arrangements neu und verbindet Londons neue Jazz-Generation mit dem Hip-Hop-Erbe von New York City. Zu den Gästen des Albums gehören die ebenfalls in London lebende schwedischen Soulsängerin Fatima, lojii, Seafood Sam und Yaya Bey. Der Titel des Albums ist eine Ode an Miles Davis, den Goya für seine Leidenschaft für Musik und den allgegenwärtigen Stil bewundert, den er in jeden Aspekt seines Lebens einbrachte. Goya kanalisiert diesen Ehrgeiz auf diesem neuen Album, das mit üppigen Arrangements in voller Bandbesetzung aufgenommen wurde und seine eigene Stimme als Teil der Instrumentierung einsetzt. Mit Goya und seiner scharfen, mühelos geschmeidigen Stimme als tonangebendem Dirigenten des Albums bringt er eine Schar musikalischer Köpfe zusammen, um eine weitläufige, strahlende Sammlung musikalischer Vignetten zu schaffen, die die wortlosen Ausdrücke des Jazz und die meditativen Rhythmen des Reggae aufgreifen. In "Warlord of the Weejuns" geht es um Selbstbestätigung, Selbstwert und das schwarze Erbe, das Wissen und Macht von innen heraus manifestiert. Goya arrangierte seine einzigartige Vision mit Produktionen von Joe Armon-Jones, Swarvy, Franky Bones, Dan Diggers, Alejandro ?anchez, Maxwell Owin, Omari Jazz, Les Lockheart, Zalente und Ghostly-Labelkollegen quickly, quickly.

Drop Music marks a quarter of a century of reliable and ever-on-point sounds with a special series of EPs that embodies what it has always been about and offers up both classics and never-before-released tunes. This one kicks off with 'Make A Move' which is chunky low-slung tech. It unfolds at a relatively slow tempo but that gives the fat acid gurgles time to really hit. Inland Knights then serves up the next three cuts, starting with the bass bin bothering sounds of 'Push It', the more silky tech loops of 'Long Time' and the vocal-laced acid-tech swagger of 'Same Talk.' Here's to the next 25 years.

Philoxenia Records boss man Luigi Di Venere continues to blur the boundaries between traditional genres with a new EP that takes its inspirational cues from the multidimensional nature of sound waves. The title reflects the depth and motion captured in the EP's stunning artwork by CGI duo muzzin+samiri while the opener is a tribute to early 90s Frankfurt EBM. 'By Means Of Music' is a more funky vibe with New Beat undertones and real warmth. 'Got Momentum' brings a French house edge and on the flip, Cromby transforms' Got Momentum' into a euphoric UK peak-time anthem, and Cycle_2 reimagine 'By Means Of Music' as a psychedelic techno trip.

dO iT nOw Recordings makes its debut in the world of vinyl with a various artists' sampler that shows just what they are all about. First up is Pigsie's wonderful 'Silk' which sets a fine tone with lush jazz-inspired keys, dreamy pads and intricate drum work that make it well suited to those late-night sessions. Wearing Shoes then offers 'Finding Your Words' with buttery Rhodes licks and looped vocals over fat bass, and the B-side begins with Michael Oberling and his deep jazz grooves, trumpet solos and swinging drums. Massive R closes with the lovely, jazzy house of 'This Feeling' complete with snappy drums and a catchy piano hook.

Limited first run of 7” Vinyls

The two tracks feature a different sound to most of James’ other solo releases, with production employing a more sample-based approach, rather than the electronic-based productions James is usually heard on.

James Massiah is a well known, and loved poet & musician from South London. He is known for his poetry works over the past ten years, prolifically writing and performing poetry both in London and around the world.

In addition to this he is a member of Dean Blunt’s enigmatic group ‘Babyfather’ (under the name ‘DJ Escrow’) with which James has performed around the world, and been part of many recordings/ albums, such as the seminal ‘"BBF" Hosted By DJ Escrow’, which featured credits from Mica Levi & Arca.

‘Holland Park’ features production by London-based artist/ producer Shimz343 & ‘Hot Winter’ features production by aloisius, founder of life is beautiful records (a london-based gesamtkunstwerk/ label & collective that regularly curate shows at venues such as Cafe OTO & Ormside Projects).

James Massiah was special guest at the first ever show life is beautiful hosted, in early 2023 at Ormside Projects (which was the start of a busy two years of live shows and releases by life is beautiful records, who’ve since hosted shows including: DJ Spanish Fly (UK Debut), Novelist, Lord Tusk, Lolina, Slauson Malone 1, John Glacier, Pretty V & Jadasea.

The double LP edition of „Koslowsky & Faaterland“ brings Floh de Cologne’s iconic sound to vinyl in its most immersive form.

Not only does the LP deliver a richer audio experience, but it also allows listeners to fully dive into the band’s expressive music and satirical lyrics. Just like the CD version, the double LP offers a sharp critique of social and political issues, delivered with Floh de Cologne’s signature humor and musical diversity. This vinyl release takes listeners on a journey between biting satire and deep, often humorous reflections. The fusion of rock, punk, and cabaretstyle satire gives this album its own unique character – a must-have for vinyl collectors and fans of thought-provoking music.

Immerse yourself in the world of Floh de Cologne and enjoy the intricate interplay of music, lyrics, and political commentary – a true vinyl experience.

Auf "Warlord of the Weejuns" definiert er in Brooklyn geborene und im Südosten Londons lebende Rapper Goya Gumbani seinen Sound mit reichhaltigen Full-Band-Arrangements neu und verbindet Londons neue Jazz-Generation mit dem Hip-Hop-Erbe von New York City. Zu den Gästen des Albums gehören die ebenfalls in London lebende schwedischen Soulsängerin Fatima, lojii, Seafood Sam und Yaya Bey. Der Titel des Albums ist eine Ode an Miles Davis, den Goya für seine Leidenschaft für Musik und den allgegenwärtigen Stil bewundert, den er in jeden Aspekt seines Lebens einbrachte. Goya kanalisiert diesen Ehrgeiz auf diesem neuen Album, das mit üppigen Arrangements in voller Bandbesetzung aufgenommen wurde und seine eigene Stimme als Teil der Instrumentierung einsetzt. Mit Goya und seiner scharfen, mühelos geschmeidigen Stimme als tonangebendem Dirigenten des Albums bringt er eine Schar musikalischer Köpfe zusammen, um eine weitläufige, strahlende Sammlung musikalischer Vignetten zu schaffen, die die wortlosen Ausdrücke des Jazz und die meditativen Rhythmen des Reggae aufgreifen. In "Warlord of the Weejuns" geht es um Selbstbestätigung, Selbstwert und das schwarze Erbe, das Wissen und Macht von innen heraus manifestiert. Goya arrangierte seine einzigartige Vision mit Produktionen von Joe Armon-Jones, Swarvy, Franky Bones, Dan Diggers, Alejandro ?anchez, Maxwell Owin, Omari Jazz, Les Lockheart, Zalente und Ghostly-Labelkollegen quickly, quickly.

South Londons’ indomitable Medlar delivers an ambitious new album

The long-time underground favourite has collaborated with the likes of Dele Sosimi, Rebekah Reid, Deevoenay, Finn Peters, Sam Virdie, Afla Sackey and Arnau Obiols on an album that finds him taking his production to new levels.
From roots playing illegal raves in the South West to building up a cultured catalogue that bounces between house and garage, Medlar has long been part of the underground conversation. He has dropped a previous album and many innovative remixes and edits for the likes of Billy Cobham and Shirley Lites, worked in the studio and on stage with Afro legend Dele Sosimi and most recently released an album under his own name that collected myriad different sonic sketches from the past 15 years.

Islands is an altogether different proposition that comes after establishing himself as a mix engineer and producer of other people's music. In that time, Medlar has honed his skills, learnt new tricks and grown more able to express himself in sound. The result is an album that explores a more electronic palette inspired by '80s fusion sounds whilst maintaining a loose, organic flow through his use of live instrumentation. “The idea for the LP was for a collection of music which could sit alone as club tracks, but would work equally well as part of a whole. The name Islands came from this, as there's some connecting ideas but the tracks sit independently in their own little sonic worlds. I took a lot of inspiration from early 80’s electronic music produced during early years of MIDI technology… proto house, jazz fusion, electronic disco and experimental ambient. I wanted to juxtapose some of these methods with more contemporary production and make something that's ultimately quite fun!” says Medlar of the record which could easily soundtrack a summer road trip.

Across 11 tracks, he blends old-school techniques like a fusion of live instruments, FM synthesis and MIDI triggered vocal samples with more contemporary touches such as punchy, club-friendly drums and dub inspired, speaker-wobbling low end. The result is less reliant on samples than his previous works and makes for a perfect blend of retro authenticity and future freshness.

repressed !

Setting out to make some 'happy music', Sophie Lloyd produced Calling Out' in a dreary January as an antidote to the pervading doom and gloom of the news, summoning the power of the most joy-filled sound of all, gospel. This no-holds-barred anthem radiates all the live atmosphere of gospel worship in mid flow, with full instrumentation, keyboard breaks and understated kick drum pulling it all together. Bringing in the uplifting voices of soul trio Dames Brown to re-record some old gospel samples was the icing on the cake, adding the last element of authenticity. A new member of the Classic family, Sophie Lloyd's impeccable knowledge of disco, soul and house shines through in this sparkling record, available on 7' for the very first time.

"Donald Duck, kill Minnie!" These words, ordered with urgency against a circular series of drum strikes and manipulated guitar/electronic textures, come over three fourths of the way through the album known as SYR 5 (aka "Olive's Horn"). While the words and sounds taken on their own may shock, their appearance within this collaborative effort between Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth, Body/Head, solo efforts), Ikue Mori (DNA, solo) and DJ Olive (We, solo) by this point in the album are not surprising. Taken on whole, SYR 5 sees its creators' respective histories forged in the 80s downtown noise scene, No Wave zone and Marclay-inspired club collide head on to create the audio equivalent of a slow-playing J.G. Ballard novel. Starting from the album's initial impressions where shimmering tones are interrupted by the sounds of winding clocks and bird calls before giving way to a cinematic sweeps of percussion, alien samples and blown out wasteland subs, the listener is constantly taken on a guided journey through a waking dream state where anything is possible. It is a world where dub samples, gurling beats and plaintive vocals (as only Gordon can deliver) fit together like the final locking puzzle pieces, the only elements needed to fully grasp a new reality. Re-appearing on vinyl for the first time in 25 years, these sounds have proven to be jaw-droppingly timeless. - Cory Rayborn, 2025

For Record Store Day 2020, Far Out Recordings presents a special 'poisoned vinyl' edition of Ivan 'Mamão' Conti's critically acclaimed Poison Fruit album. The 180g splattered colour LP is accompanied by an exclusive bonus 7” with a previously unreleased track from the original Poison Fruit sessions ‘Katmandu, and ‘Ninho’, a track never before released on vinyl.

From an artist in their seventies, you probably wouldn’t expect to hear an album like this. But Brazilian drumming legend Ivan ‘Mamão’ Conti has been experimenting and innovating for the last half a century. As one third of cult Rio jazz-funk trio Azymuth, Mamão was at the root of the group’s ‘samba doido’ (crazy samba) philosophy, which warped the traditional samba compass with jazz influences and space age electronics. Even with his lesser known jovem guarda group The Youngsters, Mamão was experimenting with tapes and delays to create unique, ahead-of-its-time sounds, way back in the sixties. More recently Mamão recorded an album with hip-hop royalty Madlib under the shared moniker ‘Jackson Conti’.

With his first album in over twenty years, and the first to be released on vinyl since his 1984 classic The Human Factor, Mamão shares his zany carioca character across eleven tracks of rootsy electronic samba and tripped out jazz, beats and dance music. Featuring Alex Malheiros and Kiko Continentino on a number of tracks, the Azymuth lifeblood runs deep, but venturing into the modern discotheque (as Mamão would call it), Poison Fruit also experiments with sounds more commonly associated with house and techno, with the help of London based producer Daniel Maunick (aka Dokta Venom) and Mamão's son Thiago Maranhão.

Take a bite of Mamão’s psychoactive Papaya and join the maestro on a weird and wonderful stroll through the Brazilian jung

Edinburgh-based three-piece funk band High Fade are set to release their debut album 'Life’s Too Fast'.

Capturing the raw, on-stage energy that has been the driving force behind High Fade’s meteoric rise was never going to be easy, but that’s exactly what Harry, Oli and Calvin set out to do with a clear creative vision to record their album live at the iconic RAK Studios in London.

'We recorded in RAK Studios, with the desk built for the Rolling Stones in ‘76, with the same cigarette burns still on the faders. It instantly had a vibe of raw energy and liveliness to it that matched the way we wanted to record - live.' – Calvin

The result? 'Life’s Too Fast' – a blistering 10-track debut from one of the UK’s most exciting bands that manages to deliver the same tight, groove-laden funk rock that has put the group on the radars of Jack Black, Cypress Hill and Rage Against the Machine’s Brad Wilk, has seen them tour with The Cat Empire, and tick off iconic venues including Glastonbury, Jazz Cafe, and Boomtown Festival.

'We decided to record the album live rather than through the normal single track overdubbed method – we felt this would help to fully convey the band’s power, sound and energy across to the listener! More like we’re playing a gig and having it recorded – it was a tough process, but we went about it in the best way for both us and the audience, to ensure they’re getting the most authentic High Fade sound and experience possible.' – Oli

Having spent much of the last three years on the road seeing to a punishing tour schedule, 'Life’s Too Fast' is a chance for the band to stop and take stock, to reflect on their whirlwind success, and create an artistic milestone that demonstrates who High Fade are today. 'It’s the most accurate representation of what High Fade is, what we sound like, and who we are' explains Harry. Telling a clear story that matches their own experiences over the last few years, the album is a snapshot taken by a band who are accelerating towards real success and recognition.

'I’m glad we finally have a body of work that we’re proud of and feels like a collection of songs that nicely represents where we are right now. It’s organised chaos and shows that we like to play, but can also write a catchy tune.' – Calvin

Launching into proceedings with the effortlessly uplifting 'Take Me To The Floor', every track is a demonstration of the band’s technical prowess and broad sonic palette. A forward-facing selection of completely original material, the album also gave the band the opportunity to re-imagine fan-favourite 'Sharpen Up' as a stripped-back cut that reflects the band’s current lineup.

'Honestly, I kinda feel like I could explode with excitement about getting it out for everyone in the world to hear because it has been a long time in the making! A culmination of what all the singles have been working towards! I guess the album represents us and the direction we’re taking the music, it represents us as a trio and the gel that is High Fade.' – Oli

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.

Nara Leão is known as "the muse of bossa nova”. Already as a teenager in the late 1950s, she became friends with several singers and composers who took part in Bossa Nova's musical revolution, including João Gilberto, Vinicius de Moraes, and Antônio Carlos Jobim. By 1963, after singing as an amateur for a few years, she became a professional and toured with Sérgio Mendes. In 1968 she appeared on the album “Tropicália: ou Panis et Circenses” together with artists including Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Os Mutantes and Gal Costa, performing "Lindonéia”, which appears as first track in this album, published in the same year.

Smoove ist einer der produktivsten und beständigsten, britischen Produzenten, ob als Komponist/Produzent seiner Geordie-Soul-Band Smoove & Turrell, als Produzent hinter der hochgeschätzten Multitrack-Vinyl-Re-Edits-Serie oder als Remixer für zahlreiche Hip-Hop/Soul/Funk-Acts. Abgesehen von Smoove & Turrell war sein erster Soloauftritt bei Jalapeno Records eine Zusammenstellung einiger seiner besten Remixe, die in einem DJ-freundlichen Paket mit dem Titel "First Class" 2012 zusammengefasst waren. 2019 folgte die zweite Sammlung namens "Recorded Delivery" und nun geht es mit dem Remix-DJ-Paket #3 "Heavy Goods" weiter. Auf diesem finden wir wirklich umwerfende Cuts von Betty Black & The Family Fortune, Emma Noble, Kraak & Smaak, Izo FitzRoy, The High & Mighty und Bahama Soul Club, alle in der charakteristischen Smoove-Produktionsmagie.

a Betty Black & The Family Fortune - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) Smoove Extended Remix

c Max Sedgley - I Want Your Soul (Smoove Remix) feat. Tasita D'Mour


[f] The Bahama Soul Club - Never Roam No More (Smoove Remix) [feat. John Lee Hooker]
[g] Vice Beats - That Love (Smoove Remix) [feat. Greg Blackman & Audessey]
[h] TGH Collective - Higher Level (Smoove Remix) [feat. Lee Scratch Perry]

[j] Nautilus - Georgy Porgy (Smoove Stripped Back Remix) [feat. John Turrell]
[k] The High & Mighty - Funk-O-Mart (Smoove Remix) [feat. Chubb Rock]




[p] Kraak & Smaak - Never Too Late (Smoove Remix) [feat. Janne Schra]

[a] Betty Black & The Family Fortune - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) [Smoove Extended Remix]

[c] Max Sedgley - I Want Your Soul (Smoove Remix) [feat. Tasita D'Mour]


[f] The Bahama Soul Club - Never Roam No More (Smoove Remix) [feat. John Lee Hooker]
[g] Vice Beats - That Love (Smoove Remix) [feat. Greg Blackman & Audessey]
[h] TGH Collective - Higher Level (Smoove Remix) [feat. Lee Scratch Perry]

[j] Nautilus - Georgy Porgy (Smoove Stripped Back Remix) [feat. John Turrell]
[k] The High & Mighty - Funk-O-Mart (Smoove Remix) [feat. Chubb Rock]




[p] Kraak & Smaak - Never Too Late (Smoove Remix) [feat. Janne Schra]

[a] Betty Black & The Family Fortune - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) [Smoove Extended Remix]

[c] Max Sedgley - I Want Your Soul (Smoove Remix) [feat. Tasita D'Mour]


[f] The Bahama Soul Club - Never Roam No More (Smoove Remix) [feat. John Lee Hooker]
[g] Vice Beats - That Love (Smoove Remix) [feat. Greg Blackman & Audessey]
[h] TGH Collective - Higher Level (Smoove Remix) [feat. Lee Scratch Perry]

[j] Nautilus - Georgy Porgy (Smoove Stripped Back Remix) [feat. John Turrell]
[k] The High & Mighty - Funk-O-Mart (Smoove Remix) [feat. Chubb Rock]




[p] Kraak & Smaak - Never Too Late (Smoove Remix) [feat. Janne Schra]

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.

Sound artist and designer Mattia Onori’s debut album “Tra Vento e Oscurità” (“Between Wind and Darkness”) on Naarm’s Southern Lights illuminated the expanse through the interplay of sound and silence; a harmonious balance between experimentation and sonic art, deeply rooted in an expansive understanding of sound engineering. It is only appropriate then, that the remix compositions for Tra Vento e Oscurità are entrusted to fellow artists who provide the same sense of sonic experimentation and sound art as Onori. Up steps Katatonic Silentio and Planatia. Katatonic Silentio’s absorbing and elegant live set in support of Onori’s album release party at Berlin’s Arkaoda in 2024 was a highlight; here she extends the energy of that evening by delivering a delicate and auditory rework of Tra Vento e Oscurità. Planatia’s remix is a twelve and half minute odyssey into the expanses of Tra Vento e Oscurità, traversing its way between sound and silence, underlying vibration and atmosphere, where getting lost in the journey is the ultimate outcome.

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

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.

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.

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.

Der preisgekrönte Cellist und Komponist Peter Gregson präsentiert sein lang erwartetes, selbstbetiteltes
Album: eine Sammlung von neun zeitgenössischen Songs ohne Worte, die seinen charakteristischen Cellosound und seinen selbstgebauten modularen Synthesizer zur Geltung bringen. Gregson beschreibt das
Album als „das, was dem, was ich in meinem Kopf höre, am nächsten kommt“. Es ist das selbstbewusste
Selbstporträt eines Komponisten und Interpreten, der sich auf dem Höhepunkt seiner Vorstellungskraft
befindet. Während der Aufnahmesitzungen in Peter Gabriels Real World Studios erreichte Gregson seinen
idealen Klang, indem er sein Cello durch seinen selbstgebauten modularen Synthesizer laufen ließ, der es
ihm ermöglichte, jeden Klang, den das Cello erzeugen kann, einschließlich grober Kratzgeräusche und subsonischer Geräusche, für ausdrucksstarke Zwecke zu nutzen. Das Ergebnis ist eine Sammlung von lyrischen,
atmosphärischen Vignetten, die zusammen die endgültige Darstellung von Peter Gregsons künstlerischem
Schaffen bilden.

Narciso has been running parallel to most of his contemporaries, staying close to the main lane but researching in his own distinctive way. He takes pride in "being free from limitations and conventions. To me, music doesn't follow fixed rules; it is a field for experimentation, where any sound can be transformed into something pleasing to the ear". Depending on what one considers "pleasing", this is a pretty challenging set of tracks. The artist never loses the balance, though, mindful of a certain "dance" context in which this music thrives, but it is also that same context that is being constantly twisted and reshaped into other forms. Some of those provide fresh ground for others to follow; some are of such individuality that no one else dares disturbance; some quickly return to a safer way of communication.

"Diferenciado" does communicate, but like words can be changed to sound different and still mean the same, such are music and sound with Narciso. It's not about alienation of the listener nor alienation of the self from the surrounding areas. "I believe music is present in everything around us." And if anyone can say her/his/their music "reflects vision, experience and perception", you know the end result is not often surprising or even that different from previous examples. Well, we stand by "Diferenciado" in its obvious distinctiveness, and if all the blurb so far may read like a nervous justification it's just because of the excitement in helping put this out into the world.

As a founding element of RS Produções, where Nuno Beats, DJ Lima, DJ Nulo and Farucox are also found, Narciso has been contributing to a spiritual and creative atmosphere that permeates the environs of Lisbon where that golden, inspired air has to fight for space with many kinds of instability. The beauty and drama of opening tracks "Ziu Ziu" and "Cabelinho" (this one with mate Farucox) should be able to touch any sensitive soul that appreciates the quirkiness often attached to pure expression. As in "Pipipi" too, for example, where melody and rhythm gently and moodily lead you into a brief but sudden interruption feeling like a change into another state of being. Do not shy away. Narciso steps up as himself, not as representative of whatever or whoever.

Debut album for the brand new Greek heavy/power metal band conceived by songwriter and bass player Bill Sam Featuring Travis Wills (Crimson Glory, Infdel Rising), Craig Cairns (Tailgunner, Induction), Rob Lundgren (Reveal, Mystery Moon), Mauro Elias on vocals, and Igor Paspalj (Guitarist of the Year 2020 by Guitar World and Guitar Player magazines) on lead guitar.

Produced by Bill Sam, mixed and mastered by Loz at Fat As Funk Studio.

Cover artwork, LP, CD and booklet art by NobotX (Arch Rival, Hansel, More Than Anything)

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

Night Keeper is a collaborative album by New York City-based artist Aaron Landsman and former Swans guitarist Norman Westberg that is based on the former's eponymous play. Westberg recorded it together with performer Jehan O. Young for the Swiss Hallow Ground label, with Landsman serving as the record’s producer. The original piece was first performed in the Spring of 2023 at The Chocolate Factory Theater in Queens and filled the stark industrial space with spoken text, choreography, projections, and music in dim light and, occasionally, complete darkness. Westberg and Young afterwards brought it to the studio to record it as a two-part
album in whose course his textural sounds, based on loops and samples, set the stage for her soothing, sonorous vocal performance. »Night Keeper« is a performance inspired by sleeplessness and the wanderings of the human mind at night—about time and memory.
Westberg and Young elegantly capture its essence in these roughly 44 minutes with a somnambulic album, letting sound and meaning flow into each other. The initial spark for Night Keeper was a run of almost sleepless nights in different neighbourhoods of a city that is perpetually insomniac. Instead of trying to force himself to go back to sleep by any means necessary, Landsman started writing down his thoughts. As he explains in the liner notes—accompanying the music along with drawings made by audience members during the performances—he started listening to the particular way in which the voice in his head navigates time and language. Accordingly, the texts that Young reads on the record form a diverse collection of specific moments, imagining different speakers and evoking different
situations. Westberg complements, accentuates, and juxtaposes these with different means. Ominous drones, soaring melodies, rhythmic bass sounds: the guitarist, whose latest release for Hallow Ground was 2021’s First Man In The Moon with Polish double bassist Jacek Mazurkiewicz, conjures up distinct sound worlds in which Young can let Landsman’s scenes unfold to gripping effect.
Landsman makes it clear that »Night Keeper« was intended as an invitation to »stay up, look out the window, let what’s happening outside spark reveries or predictions« or even take it on a stroll through the neighbourhood—at night, of course. Much like the original piece, this album is then one dedicated to wandering around, both mentally and physically.

Beatrice M's amusingly entitled Bait label has in fact become exactly that - very desirable to those who know. Its latest is a four tracker that serves as a taster of a forthcoming digital album by Trois-Quarts Taxi System. Behind the moniker is Eloi Petillon, a versatile producer, DJ and live act who has a knack for blurring genre lines. On this one, they mix up elements of dubstep, techno and d&b into soundscapes that are cerebral, hypnotic and psychedelic. Each one is made from futuristic sound design, field recordings and intricate polyrhythms: 'Metamorphism' warped, linear, deft and brilliant deep techno. 'Coma' is more busy, 'Fraction' has wispy synths and a sparse soundscape and 'Spectre' is a fizzy, skeletal sound that tickles the brain.

The Instinct label's single-handed spearheading of the fresh garage sounds around continues apace into 2025 with another meaty offering from Main Phase. 'Gotta Maintain' has it all - the clipped vocal sample, the bubbly synth patterns, the dusty drums and the naughty bass. House veteran Buckley remixes with a 2-step tinged and filthy low-end wobble that will send crowds bonkers. 'Soul Mirror' then kicks on with a slinky garage-house shuffle and 'Brother' shuts down with a minimal and skeletal rhythm that is embellished with swirly synths and late-night menace. Another great 12" from this label that never seems to miss.

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.

Cold Specks kehrt mit ihrem vierten Album 'Light for the Midnight' zurück.

Nach den Erfolgen ihrer ersten drei Alben 'I Predict a Graceful Expulsion' (2012), 'Neuroplasticity' (2014) und 'Fool's Paradise' (2017) hat Cold Specks (Al Spx) ihren Ruf als einzigartige Stimme der modernen Musik gefestigt. Von ihrer fesselnden Acapella-Performance bei Later... with Jools Holland bis hin zu Kollaborationen mit Moby, Massive Attack und Michael Gira von Swans hat Cold Specks immer wieder Kunstwerke geschaffen, die nachhallen.

Mit 'Light for the Midnight' begibt sie sich auf ihre bisher persönlichste Reise. In seinem Kern ist das Album eine rohe und zutiefst emotionale Reflexion über Ausdauer, Überleben und Transformation. Es ist eine Sammlung von inbrünstigen Balladen und atmosphärischen Popsongs, die Spx' gefühlvolle Stimme in weitläufige Klangwelten kanalisiert.

Das Album entstand in einer herausfordernden Phase in Spx' Leben. Die Arbeit begann 2019 inmitten von Kämpfen mit der psychischen Gesundheit, Erfahrungen, die tief in die Musik eingebettet sind. Doch trotz seiner persönlichen Ursprünge betont Spx seine Universalität: „Ich wollte auf jeden Fall über die letzten Jahre reflektieren, weil sie mich so sehr beeinflusst haben, aber ich wollte auch, dass das Publikum mit diesem Album weggeht. Die Songs gehören ihnen, sobald ich sie veröffentlicht habe.“

Das Album wurde in Toronto und Bristol aufgenommen, wobei Spx zusammen mit Adrian Utley von Portishead und Ali Chant (bekannt für seine Arbeit mit Perfume Genius, Dry Cleaning und Aldous Harding) als Co-Produzent fungierte. Es enthält Streicherarrangements von Owen Pallett (Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Sampha) und zusätzliche Beiträge von Graham Walsh von Holy Fuck. Spx arbeitete auch mit einer Reihe von hervorragenden Kollaborateuren zusammen, darunter Chantal Kreviazuk (Drake, Kendrick Lamar), Malcolm Middleton von Arab Strap, Ben Christophers, Ed Harcourt und Jonathan Quarmby.

'Light for the Midnight' zeigt Cold Specks von ihrer verletzlichsten und kraftvollsten Seite, indem sie die Geschichten ihres Kampfes in atemberaubende Kompositionen verwebt, die einen tiefen Eindruck hinterlassen. Es ist ein Album der Hoffnung und der Transformation.

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.