quête:sam u l

A band with many chapters and an everchanging sound, Shudder To Think’s story began in 1986 in Glover Park, Washington DC. Bass player Stuart Hill and drummer Mike Russell had just recruited Chris Matthews to play guitar in their fledgling hardcore band Stüge (1984-86) when they suddenly found themselves in need of a new singer as well. Matthews suggested his friend Craig Wedren for the role. At the audition, Wedren’s style clashed with the style of the band’s previous singer, but the group all sensed that they might have stumbled into a “chocolate-inmy-peanut-butter” situation with intriguing potential. The group changed their name and headed into new territory. Side A of this LP is comprised of five songs from one of their first recording sessions together. The tracks chosen are songs that were only released on demo tapes, never to be re-recorded for future proper releases (this version of “Too Little, Too Late” did appear on the local punk compilation FR-5 in 1987). Side B consists of four tracks that were originally released as their first 7-inch release, the It Was Arson EP, a split release by Sammich/Dischord Records. Included at the end of side B is a version of “Take The Child” from this session (later re-recorded for their first album in 1988).

"On “We Are Where We Are,” a glimmering mid-tempo highlight from Annabel’s new album, Ben Hendricks sings of “a modern way to fill the empty space.” Worldviews, the band’s fourth LP and first in nine years finds the band reconciling with the ways the world has changed in the decade since they’ve been away. His protagonists are trying to determine the boundaries between what’s real and imagined, navigating their worldviews and the dominant ones around them, fighting for an escape or at least a distraction, wondering where the time goes, “going through the motions, running in a circle.” That could’ve been Annabel’s fate, too. But the core of the Ohio band is brothers Ben and Andy Hendricks, and as long as they’ve got each other, we’ve still got Annabel. In a world that feels so uncertain and so disconnected, where else is there to turn but back to Annabel? Think of Worldviews less like a comeback and more as the product of years spent gestating.

Hendricks spends the chorus of “All Time” promising to “make up for all the lost time,” and Annabel makes good on that promise for the next half hour. Worldviews is the most locked in the band has ever sounded, perfecting and building on their indie-emo sound. The title track and “Dog” are classic Annabel, sprightly and jangly midwestern rock songs, while “Defense Mechanism” is a rougher-edged update; when they go in the opposite direction, it results in some of their best work: “Every Home Needs a Ghost” is spartan and spectral, worthy of its title, and the beautiful “Small Victories” dabbles in downtempo electronics. They don’t sound like a band returning after nearly a decade; they sound at the same time hungry and lively like scrappy upstarts and wizened and seasoned like they never left."

SamOne seamlessly picks up where his ¦rst EP left off and
starts another chapter ¦lled with broken and cheeky sounds!
“Breakz N Harmony Pt. 2” is a 4 track heavy record carefully
pressed, handmade packed and sprayed. Just like the ¦rst
one, the sample-oriented intuitive style prevails, spanning
across Breaks and Electro. Bold and rough drums,
harmonized with organic basslines and iconic vocals,
dominate both sides A and B. Tune in, Shake Well!

Is a (4 Track) offering from the (Trax) 'Golden Boy' Daniel Smith AKA (Late Nite 'DUB' addict). The self confessed 'House' Addict says he is privileged to release on the same label as some of his heroes in the house world such as (Mr Fingers) aka (Larry Heard) / Joey Beltram / Jesse Saunders / Chip-E / Phuture / Saytek & DJ Rush. He is a prolific producer that has released more than (x200) original tracks on (Trax Records) alone with
some remixes under his belt from (Screamin Rachael) / (Joe Smooth) / (Todd Terry) & (Armando). This Solid Underground House EP once again shows that this New Cat in the Chicago House Scene is still hitting with the Big Hitters and is a statement that his sound is here to stay.

"Unlimited Edition" ist eine Compilation aus dem Jahre 1976, gedacht als Verlängerung der 1974 erschienen LP Limited Edition (welche, wie der Name schon verrät, eine limitierte Auflage war). "Unlimited Edition" ist eine Sammlung von Tracks aus der Zeit zwischen 1968 bis 1976, beide Sänger der Band, Malcolm Mooney wie auch Damo Suzuki, sind hier vertreten. Die Abkürzung E.F.S., die bei mehreren Tracks hier vorkommt, steht für Ethnological Forgery Series bzw. "Ethnologische Fälschungsserie": kleine, ironische Improvisationen zum Thema "World Music".

Tomorrowland Music kündigt ’TOMORROWLAND 2024 - LIFE - OFFICIAL COMPILATION’ an. Erlebe die Euphorie des diesjährigen Tomorrowland-Mottos „LIFE“ bequem von zu Hause aus, mit exklusiven Tracks und erweiterten Versionen, die für DJs und Musikliebhaber gleichermaßen geeignet sind. Mit einer handverlesenen Auswahl aktueller Singles von einigen der größten Namen der elektronischen Musik, darunter Lost Frequencies, David Guetta, Alok, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Martin Garrix, Alesso und einige der größten Club-Hits des Augenblicks, wie Zerb (Mwaki), Alex Wann (Milkshake 20). Von erhebenden Melodien bis hin zu herzzerreißenden Beats ist jeder Track ein Zeugnis für die Einheit, Freude und Vielfalt, die auf dem Tomorrowland gefeiert wird. Jedes Vinyl ist ein Sammlerstück, reich an ästhetischen Details und angereichert mit luxuriösen Verpackungselementen, die durch ein atemberaubendes Artwork aufgewertet werden.

As the winds of music blow, a wise heart navigates the spiral, finding wisdom in each of its twists and turns.

As the releases of DUBBLACK’s catalogue pile up, the novelty and exploration for new music keeps on thriving.


A brand-new record is approaching, as always available both on a 12” vinyl – limited to 300 copies – and in digital format, featuring the presence of two Masters from the Electronic Music scene: A2 Abd El Monim and Tocchitek.


The two-track EP baptised “Dark Side” includes the gems “Euriale” and “Steno”; two expansive compositions that, also due to their length, masterly observe the task of narrating two complementary stories, each with its distinct moments, yet marked by a strong rhythmic temper. Both tracks are planned to share similar sonic elements: a pulsating 160 bpm kick drum, ghostly pads serving as an inevitable backdrop, and indispensable rhythmic details enriching the whole structure and arrangement.


A2 Abd El Monim, born Alan Abd El Monim, is an Italian-Egyptian artist/composer. He expresses himself through the creation of music ranging from electronic to purely instrumental, and through the interaction between the arts. His poetics opens in a “dark” dimension that considers and interprets the facts through the notion of shadows and darkness but also through penombre. His “dark” vision stands as a filter through which he reads the world and its interactions, therefore using also the notion of light. His music has been performed in Festivals including Musica d’arte (Riccione – Italy), Luci d’Artista (Salerno – Italy), GAMO (Firenze – Italy), Spazio Musica (Cagliari – Italy), On Air – On site (Den Haag -Netherlands), Sound Spaces (Malmö – Sweden), etc.


He composed songs for the solo exhibition “La pelle degli oggetti” and for works Lui&Lei by the artist Giovanni Oberti. In 2020 he undertook a collaboration with the poet Milo De Angelis , putting to music the lyric “A volte , sull’orlo della notte, si rimane sospesi”. He wrote music for several theatre performances by director Emily Tartamelli and has written music for several directors films including Reto Gelshorn, Enea Francia, Paola Piscitelli and Fabio Corbellini. He collaborated with the London based fashion brand B DODI and was invited as an artist to participate in the collective exhibition “Instructions to Light-Keepers” (Milano – Italy). In March 2023, “Periodo Nero”, its interactive and generative installation music and video, was selected for the tribute to Picasso in the city of Florence, will be presented at the Certosa of Florence in September of the same year. In 2017 he won the International Competition of Composizione Silenzio Musica, in 2020 the diploma from President and Artistic Director of Winterreise International Composition Competition Moscow, in 2021 the Call For Scores banned by the Cultural Association Esecutori di Metallo su Carta. A2 Abd El Monim is signed to international label F.M.T Records and Dubblack Records, with which he regularly publishes his electronic music.


Tocchitek is an underground Tekno producer and performer born in Milan, Italy. He started playing live in 2007 as part of the “Approdo Caronte” sound system based in Milan. His first significant appearance as a live performer was at a “Mayday Parade” in 2008 in Milan. In 2009, he joined the “R909 Records” chapters crew based in Milan, bringing his live set to many local club dance floors. Meanwhile, he collaborated and played with many crews around Europe, spreading his music in the free Underground Tekno movement. In 2021, in Milan, he launched “F.M.T Records”.


Simplicity is often the hardest thing to achieve when producing this type of music, primarily designed for uncompromising dance-floors, but the duo successfully channels their message with purity and truthfulness.


The visual aspects of layout and design are once again entrusted to Vittorio Valigi, who puts a greyscale spiral at the center of the cover. A spiral within which one an eye can be glimpsed – the eye of the musical soul of DUBBLACK harmoniously fused with that of A2 Abd El Monim and Tocchitek, who become worthy ambassadors of the Dubblack’s sonic mission.

Color Vinyl Repress

The world moves faster than ever these days, and even in the digital age, things can always be counted on to go in cycles. Despite all of the advances in computer recording technology, home studios, and electronic instruments, there is a flourishing interest in analog recording techniques and in recreating the mood and sound of vintage soul records. With one foot in the past but their eyes firmly set on the future, El Michels Affair are among the leaders of a resurgent funk & soul movement from New York City that’s sweeping both the music community and the charts.

Led by saxophonist/organist Leon Michels and producer/engineer Jeff Silverman, El Michels Affair began as a loose collaboration of session musicians (including members of top-selling acts Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, the Budos Band, and Antibalas) that looked to blend some of the vibrant quality of soundtrack records with the recording aesthetic of early reggae, and the rawness of 60's rock--they called it 'Cinematic Soul.' This delicate balance was evident on their 2005 debut album Sounding Out the City, which earned critical acclaim and acted as the inaugural full-length release for Michels and Silverman’s burgeoning label Truth & Soul (also the moniker for the duo as a production team).

The buzz generated from the album and a series of moderately successful 7” vinyl singles from Truth & Soul led to an invitation by Toyota’s Scion division for El Michels Affair to accompany the rapper Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan for a promotional concert. As avid Wu-Tang fans, not only were the band leaders thrilled with the opportunity, but Michels found that the ‘Cinematic Soul’ sound was consistent with the moods of RZA’s gritty soundscapes on the classic Wu-Tang releases. The concert was such as success, El Michels Affair went oan to play several more concerts nationwide backing Raekwon and other members of the Clan, and the shows led to the recording of two smash 7” singles featuring instrumental reinterpretations of the Wu-Tang classiac songs “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Bring Da Ruckus.” The singles combined to sell an extraordinary amount of over 7,000 units worldwide, and their success led to a contract in 2007 with indie hip hop powerhouse Fat Beats Records to record an entire album of Wu-Tang Clan interpolations entitled Enter the 37th Chamber.

Since the contract was inked, a worldwide explosion of retro soul led by Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings has transformed the pop music landscape, and the Truth & Soul production duo have been in strong demand, recording with everyone from breakthrough Grammy-nominated artist Adele to punk rock innovator Iggy Pop. They’ve been commissioned for official remixes of Amy Winehouse and Dinah Washington (for the popular Verve Remixed series), and produced for Australian multi-platinum acts Jet and Gabriella Cilmi.

Despite the eclectic group of clients for the Truth & Soul production company, El Michels Affair continued to build an audience within the hip hop community. A track from Sounding out the City was sampled for Ghostface Killah’s 2007 track “Shakey Dog Lolita,” and a horn part written and performed by Michels (for Menahan Street Band) was famously lifted for Jay-Z’s smash single “Roc Boys.” Truth & Soul also worked in the studio on original productions with multi-platinum producer Just Blaze (T.I.’s “Live Your Life,” Jay-Z, Usher).

With their increasing presence behind the scenes in the industry, El Michels Affair looks to have their status as recording artists rise significantly in 2009. With the release of their finally-completed album Enter the 37th Chamber, they can finally step out of the shadows of the retro-soul trend and establish their status as one of the most exciting and versatile bands in modern recorded music.

First Time On Wax! Pressed On White Vinyl! Originally released on July 9th, 2012, only via Soundcloud, Cigarette Boats is NOW available on wax! When Curren$y (aka Spitta Andretti) & Harry Fraud collab, they create classics, something which is most definitely evidenced on 'Cigarette Boats'. The merger of Harry's signature production and Spitta's deadly flow show why XXL Magazine named it the "2012 EP of the Year." The duo decided it was time to make Cigarette Boats available in all formats, releasing the instrumentals exclusively on vinyl. Fraud recalled his audition for Curren$y, after meeting him while working on a Smoke DZA project: "I had met Curren$y briefly for one second at a radio station, but that was the first time we really kicked it. He just asked me to play some beats,

and I played like five beats, and he was just like, 'Yo, I need all of those. We gotta do a little EP with those.'' Those same five beats became the entire sound bed for the 'Cigarette Boats'.

Split Colour Heavyweight Vinyl Repress!

'2 Sim' is a phrase the references mobile phones with two sim cards to describe people of mixed heritage, dual nationality or multiple residence. After being called 2 Sim in conversation with a stranger while on a walk through Freetown (a recording of this moment features on the record) Duval began to explore what the 2 Sim experience is in contemporary West-Africa.

2 Sim EP was created from 2 months of field recordings and interviews with family, friends and peers in Freetown Sierra Leone. These site specific recordings are collaged with solo piano recordings and production recorded in Sierra Leone and the UK. The EP is accompanied by a short film/ music video of the same name which Duval shot and Directed whilst making the record.

2 Sim EP is the second release from Carrying Colour which follows on from 2017's 'Sen Am'"

Closing off a four release run with Samurai Music and affiliated labels, Eusebeia collaborates with Aisatsaana for the Transformation EP on Samurai Music. The combined creative perspective and approach of the two artists results in a textural adjustment, a glistening and psychedelic sheen is sprinkled over the tempered kick/break/bass combos. It's a perfect EP that smoothly traverses mood waves.

A home, a house, has countless frequencies. Each room, each corner feels different. Swings differently. And as you grow older, you realize which corner is yours. But yeah, it takes time…

It certainly marks the end of an era when the house one called home as a kid no longer exists. This home, it was the starting point of so many journeys. Of one big, ongoing journey. And so it feels good, soothing, reassuring to at least return to a spot nearby – to that (proverbial) hill from where you can see it. Feel the vibe that made you.

Andi Haberl’s debut solo album as Sun is sort of dedicated to that house. It’s a journey leading to that hill overlooking everything that made him. It’s not about nostalgia, not about actually returning to a specific place. Instead, it’s about finding a personal frequency, an overlapping of sounds and samples, an open space that mirrors and extends whatever frequencies felt right at different points in time.

“To me, the results feel like Gold Panda/Four Tet meets Steve Reich meets Krautrock meets film scores. I just really wanted to create moods that touch me – and ideally others, too.”

Talking about his first solo album, Haberl recalls many stages: early compositions that ended up on Alien Ensemble’s albums, early DIY/home studio/multi-instrumentalist inspirations (Le Millipede), new technologies that came and went, even a set of wildly convincing arrangements (done with Cico Beck’s crucial input) that ultimately became stepping stones for yet another round of DIY takes. “It was a long, recurring process, and the songs went through so many different versions,” he says, talking about phases of growth (“I added more and more equipment over time”) and pruning, “cleaning up my music a bit.” Tending towards instruments that open up space, and slowly falling in love with sampling, he certainly didn’t rush things once it was time for interior design decisions ;)

“During this whole process I got to learn so much about my own taste, how I prefer to listen to the pieces, which musical elements really matter to me… and what my own voice is. For example, that acoustic elements are most important to me: the banjo, piano, drums, my voice, glockenspiel, trumpet, melodica. Anything that opens up some space.”

Every journey begins with a search: “Missing” with its plucked chords opens like a sunrise over pastoral plains, gently leading the way towards the intricate, playful explosion that occurs once a certain amount of energy (“Sun”) hits dirt and other surfaces: things grow, clot and curdle into new shapes, like new buds; layers of sound move forward, drenched in Spring’s new light. Relying on samples to ask for precipitation (“Rain On Me”), robotic “Low” goes from barren to bass-heavy after its midway shift in pace, full of loops plucked from the shade.

Towards the album’s midpoint, things are suddenly reversed: “Cluster” has that backwards pull, you can’t tell what’s what, yet everything is perfectly locked in, as the pace increases once again. And before the title song shimmers with densified cheering (to eventually stand tall like early Lymbyc Systym), “Beside Me” swipes you off your feet with its booming bass drum. The beat returns once again (“Daydream”), full of searching voices underneath, and at “Dawnday,” we can finally catch a melancholy view of the house. Voices hum. It’s the score moment of the album. Everything makes sense now. A happy end of sorts?

“I want to take people on a journey. A personal journey, too, because when my parents split up and sold the house I grew up in, I felt a bit like the ground had fallen out from under my feet. But I have dedicated the album title and the accompanying piece to this house… so I can keep it in good memory.”

“I Can See Our House From Here” has been a long time coming. It’s been a long journey. Homeward-bound. Leading to a place that’s really Haberl’s – his sound. His frequencies.

Known as a long-time member of The Notwist and various other bands/projects (Alien Ensemble, AMEO, jersey, Ditty etc.), Berlin-based drummer/composer Andi Haberl has also worked with My Brightest Diamond, Till Brönner, Owen Pallet, and Kurt Rosenwinkel, to name a few. “I Can See Our House From Here” is his first solo offering.

A1 - Permeate
JLM returns to Spatial with another superb selection of old school inspired tracks. Kicking us off is Permeate, with anxious melodies evocative of 90's sci-fi introducing proceedings before filtered old school breaks slowly rise into the mix. An early breakdown with the playful bassline flying solo for a spell precedes superbly executed amens adding a thick layer of detail to an eclectic beat pattern.
A2 - Orogeny
Orogeny opens with a lush old school riff, classically off-key melodies and echoing pads as the varied beats takes shape - effortlessly navigating a range of breaks to create a unique, bouncy pattern evoking a dynamic mid 90's energy with a captivating rhythm. Tuneful synth work and jazzy drum samples deliver an entertaining breakdown before the breaks resume for the latter half, airy pads adding further texture to the track.
AA1 - Subsidence
A contemplative, introspective tone is set by a delicate melody in the introduction to Subsidence, a track which showcases the variety of atmospheres JLM Production scan glean from his unique brand of drum & bass on Spatial set to the usual high standard of classic breaks and bass. Majestic pads and synths envelop the listener in a solemn haze, while a more intense, darkly melody counters, creating a divergent synergy to the vibe.
AA2 - Laminar Flow
Closing the EP in style, we are treated to a jazzy, melodic introduction to Laminar Flow with rising strings and vocal samples, before inspired 80's style synth sounds zip around the mix to a subtle, clean 2-step breakbeat. JLM ups the ante with a crisp Hot Pants break layered over the top while the jazz-inspired Rhodes key shifts craft a tuneful aura as cow bells ring throughout, rounding off another sublime and varied experience for the ears.

Words by Chris Hayes Spatial/Red Mist

A product of the not-so-underground, genre-bending melting pot that is Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Don Glori (AKA Gordon Li) prepares to unleash his forthcoming album ‘Don’t Forget To Have Fun’ via DeepMatter Records.

Following the release of his much-heralded 2022 LP ‘Welcome’, and a relocation to London, Don managed to tap into a potent creative current, by taking himself to a place of discomfort, and taking his creative back to basics for ‘Don’t Forget To Have Fun’. This invigorating approach helped distill the initial album sketches into a compelling and intoxicating listening experience across the record, creating a true work of art, traversing jazz, funk, soul, RnB, samba and beyond. Whilst the record itself is hard to describe, but even harder to forget.

Album opener ‘Pause’ pairs psychedelic influences with a cyclic loping groove and focuses on recognising a safe space that can act as a refuge. Taking inspiration from Steely Dan, Brian Bennett & Azymuth, ‘Emerald’ channels Jazz rock, 70's LA studio energy, with the faster funk sections featuring an unruly amount of mouth percussion, synth lead lines, and vocal melodies that weave in and around the tight horn arrangements. ‘All Seeds’ is a heady blend of samba and Brazilian street soul, with field recordings of Don’s old house in Melbourne providing additional seasoning. ‘First Touch’ is a downtempo 80’s boogie-infused gem, keeping proceedings nice and sleazy. The final three movements move through one fluid composition, charting the disorientating course of a fever dream, through beguiling astral travels, unexplainable occurrences, and transcendent moments.

A product of the not-so-underground, genre-bending melting pot that is Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Don Glori (AKA Gordon Li) prepares to unleash his forthcoming album ‘Don’t Forget To Have Fun’ via DeepMatter Records.

Following the release of his much-heralded 2022 LP ‘Welcome’, and a relocation to London, Don managed to tap into a potent creative current, by taking himself to a place of discomfort, and taking his creative back to basics for ‘Don’t Forget To Have Fun’. This invigorating approach helped distill the initial album sketches into a compelling and intoxicating listening experience across the record, creating a true work of art, traversing jazz, funk, soul, RnB, samba and beyond. Whilst the record itself is hard to describe, but even harder to forget.

Album opener ‘Pause’ pairs psychedelic influences with a cyclic loping groove and focuses on recognising a safe space that can act as a refuge. Taking inspiration from Steely Dan, Brian Bennett & Azymuth, ‘Emerald’ channels Jazz rock, 70's LA studio energy, with the faster funk sections featuring an unruly amount of mouth percussion, synth lead lines, and vocal melodies that weave in and around the tight horn arrangements. ‘All Seeds’ is a heady blend of samba and Brazilian street soul, with field recordings of Don’s old house in Melbourne providing additional seasoning. ‘First Touch’ is a downtempo 80’s boogie-infused gem, keeping proceedings nice and sleazy. The final three movements move through one fluid composition, charting the disorientating course of a fever dream, through beguiling astral travels, unexplainable occurrences, and transcendent moments.

As part of the series - Blockhead presents his new album, Luminous Rubble, where the artist dives deep into KPM’s iconic music and sound design library. Blockhead has released 15 albums over the past 15 years and is regarded as one of the modern masters of instrumental hip-hop. It’s a producer’s dream: Being given access to a vast library of material to construct something completely new and exciting out of all of it and when Blockhead’s at the controls, the results are a listener’s paradise, too. The New York City-based hip-hop production legend’s Luminous Rubble is the latest missive in a particularly busy period for the underground hip-hop veteran, who’s spent the last decades lending his considerable talents to work from artists like Armand Hammer, billy woods, Murs, and Open Mike Eagle; in 2021, he released the critically acclaimed collab LP Garbology with rap legend and longtime collaborator Aesop Rock, just last year he unleashed his twelfth solo album, The Aux. “For me, as a producer who uses samples, there’s nothing better than free rein. That was so exciting for me. Their vault is the one I’m most familiar with,” he says with a laugh. “Back when I used to go record shopping a lot, I would pretty much buy any KPM record on sight. They were always a huge find at record stores. So to be able to tap into these records with no limitations was really nice. Having no boundaries can be overwhelming when it comes to the creative process. Working with these samples forced me to find middle ground in cases where I’d typically just walk away and look elsewhere.” After hearing Luminous Rubble, you’ll be happy he stuck around.

A kaleidoscopic sonic riot, Nandakke? is the hotly anticipated debut album from Japanese-Belgian duo Aili. Featuring 10 tracks of surreal electro-pop, joyful electronica, house music and more, Nandakke? is a euphoric album that sees Aili Maruyama and Orson Wouters more than fulfil the promise of their acclaimed debut EP.

Recorded over the course of six months in Orson's studio, packed full of vintage synths, Nandakke? captures the spontaneous spirit and creativity of those sessions. Exchanging riffs and rhythms, bouncing sounds and samples off each other, Aili and Orson would let the music take them where it wanted. The result,an album full of wild ideas and bold, playful experimentation.

More than anything an exhilarating feeling of discovery courses through Nandakke?, leaving you never sure where it will go next. One minute a pulsing electro-pop number featuring Aili's dad discussing his takoyaki (battered octopus) recipe, the next an explosive high energy workout song like Up & Down.

Certainly Aili was surprised to find herself singing in her own unique version of Japanese again.

"I thought that I was done with that after our debut EP, but apparently not as I speak even more Japanese on the album!" said Maruyama. "Every time we were in the studio these words would just tumble out. It's a complicated language but I just love to play with it.

"In many ways I'm an outsider, I left Tokyo aged 7, so there's a lot I notice as someone who is not a native speaker and it doesn't always make sense, there's a lot of mistakes in it.But in a way that sums up the whole philosophy of the album and how Orson and I work together."

That notion of duality, a sense of belonging but feeling apart, of being between two worlds and inventing your own captures the spirit of Nandakke?, itself a Japanese word that roughly translates to "Well, what was it?".

"It's something you say when you're looking for a word, like you know it but have forgotten how to say it. That's literally how I communicate with my dad the whole time," Maruyama explains. "The main feeling I have when I go to Japan is that I know the language, I can speak it, but part of me still feels like it doesn't have all the vocabulary. There's a gap there that nandakke has always filled for me. All the lyrics come from that place, that seven-year old trying to speak Japanese."

Whether Aili's singing about the language she invented with her father over the years to bridge the gap between them (Nandakke?), the idiosyncratic Japanese relationship to fashion (Fashion) or riffing on children's playground songs (Yubikiri) the result is a remarkable album that defies easy categorisation.

Bursting onto the Belgian scene in 2021 with their acclaimed debut EP, Dansu, its lead track spent 8 consecutive weeks at the #1 spot of Radio 1's VOX list and saw the band nominated for Studio Brussel's De Nieuwe Lichting ('New Generation') award. Since then Aili have appeared playing live on the Belgian TV show Roomies, been tipped by the likes of Rolling Stone, become regulars on tastemaker stations like KEXP and KCRW in the US and Nova in France, toured across Europe and, just recently, played their first sell out shows in Japan.

‘Empires into Sand’ is the first album of new material from Normil Hawaiians in 40 years. The group first refined their sound during the early 80s, hitting on a pastoral experimentalism that drew on ambient drone, motorik impulse and post-punk pep.
‘Empires into Sand’ came together in the familiar manner of their original three albums, with improvisation and nuance informing the blueprint of the tracks. It was with the official release of this last record ‘Return of the Ranters’ (originally recorded in 1984/85, but then unconsciously shelved) in 2015 by Upset The Rhythm that led to the group reconnecting with the intention of playing music together again. Normil Hawaiians played a launch show for that ‘lost album’ and followed that up with more concerts, including an appearance at Supernormal, a residency at the Edinburgh Festival, gigs at Cafe OTO. They were even chosen by Richard Dawson to perform with him in London.
Throughout this time, Normil Hawaiians revisited their original songs for live performance. However for a group always so interested in evolving their sound, it came as no surprise that they shirked at the idea of a faithful retread. The band pushed their songs into new inventive dimensions, still progressive at core, but now imbued with a cosmic uncanny. A cinematic approach that was always quietly present has come to the fore. The quaint weirdness of folk song, the humanity of communal practice and the group’s ecological mindedness have all found a place in Normil Hawaiians’ current sound world.
When Normil Hawaiians write and record music they prefer to gather in a remote location and live together for a while, such is their communal ethos. Being far-flung across the UK, the Family Hawaii (numbering seven key members) decided to encamp to Tayinloan, a small village on the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland. They set up their own studio in an isolated, windswept house overlooking the sea and started the tape rolling. Noel Blanden from the band explains the process neatly: “we set up and began playing, slowly and patiently, allowing the music to take its own shape based on where we were staying and our ongoing friendship. We recorded for days, capturing everything. A lot of new and rich ideas began to emerge”.
Normil Hawaiians took their time to develop these threads at their own pace, allowing songs to mutate and settle over months. Simon Marchant deftly produced and recorded the album whilst also performing in the band, this marked the first time the band had total control of their own sound. The last few years has seen the band reconvene in Herne Bay, Faversham, London and Leith to record new parts, constantly responding to the changing form of these quietly spectral songs of defiance.
‘Empires into Sand’ incorporates samples from old rehearsals and live music into the new finished pieces, this is in continuum with their previous records. Snippets of sound from the static of short wave radio and satellite transmissions also embellish the work. In fact the whole album is stitched together with interludes, creating an acutely immersive 45 minutes. ‘Exiles’ opens the album amid swirling atmospheres, synth flights and recordings of Vilnis Egle (father of Zinta Egle from the band) retelling his experience of fleeing his home in Latvia during Soviet occupation in 1942. George Bikandy also features on this track talking about his flight from Syria in 2014. ‘Ghosts of Ballochroy’ is a winding river of a song featuring a lively discourse in Scots courtesy of Rodney Relax. There’s a commitment to truth telling present across this hopeful album populated with angels, incoming tides, long shadows and the rose-washed sun. “From our broken windscreen, we feel the breeze” soars Guy Smith triumphantly over the driving beat of ‘Waterfalls : Bedford 330’. ‘Big City Sky’ flutters and sparkles with rapid synth runs, tape-looped drums and Jimmy Miller’s commanding vocal. With ‘In The Stone’ Zinta’s melody is deliberately jagged and blunt, exaggerated by octave-layered vocals and interjections from Guy.
This is thought-provoking, boundary-bothering music. Honest in intent, a solidarity of vision. The album’s title is derived from a poem by band member Mark Tyler, who sadly passed away during the recording process and the transience of life is felt heavily throughout. Noel best coins the group’s wish for the album: “we wanted to create an album that acknowledges our history and also reflects who we are today. We remained true to ourselves and we wanted to make something beautiful without removing the edges.” ‘Empires into Sand’ certainly does that, it’s an echo from the past, an echo from the future.

EELS veröffentlichen ihr 15. Studioalbum mit dem Titel 'EELS TIME!', das über E-Works/Play It Again Sam erscheint!

Die Albumankündigung folgt auf ein arbeitsreiches Jahr 2023 für EELS, die endlich ihre lang erwartete 'Lockdown Hurricane'-Tour durch Europa und Nordamerika antraten, und der Veröffentlichung ihres zweiten Compilation-Albums 'EELS So Good: Essential EELS Vol.2' mitsamt eines brandneuen Weihnachtssong 'Christmas, Why You Gotta Do Me Like This', mit der sie ihre drei Jahrzehnte währende Bandgeschichte feiern.

'EELS TIME!' wurde in Los Feliz/Kalifornien und Dublin aufgenommen und enthält zwölf brandneue Tracks und einige von E's introspektivsten und persönlichsten Stücken der letzten Jahre sowie Kollaborationen mit dem amerikanischen Musiker und Schauspieler Tyson Ritter, Frontsänger der Rockband The All-American Rejects.

Das sich ständig verändernde Projekt um Sänger/Songwriters E (Mark Oliver Everett) hat seit seinem Debüt 'Beautiful Freak' aus dem Jahr 1996 insgesamt 14 Studioalben veröffentlicht. Im Jahr 2008 veröffentlichte E sein hochgelobtes Buch 'Things the Grandchildren Should Know' und spielte die Hauptrolle in dem preisgekrönten Dokumentarfilm 'Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives', der sich mit seinem Vater, dem Quantenphysiker Hugh Everett III beschäftigte.

- Col. LP: (Translucent Neon Pink Vinyl, Gatefold Sleeve, Printed Inner Sleeve)

Multitudes" ist das Debütalbum der Singer/Songwriterin Alisa Amador aus Cambridge, MA. Die Songs von "Multitudes" sind eine Synthese aus den
vielen Stilen, die Alisa unersättlich aufgesogen hat: Rock, Jazz, Funk und alternativer Folk, alles verpackt in den Geist der lateinamerikanischen Musik,
mit der sie aufgewachsen ist. Alisa hat live bereits für Künstler wie Hozier, Lake Street Dive, Madison Cunningham, Watchhouse, Hiss Golden
Messenger und viele andere eröffnet.
Das Album ist ein kühnes, fesselndes Selbstporträt, das nicht nur zeigt, wie weit Amador gekommen ist, sondern auch ihre Herkunft feiert (ihre
Wurzeln liegen in Puerto Rico, New Mexico, Argentinien und New England). Die Sammlung, die mühelos zwischen Spanisch und Englisch wechselt und
auf der auch Gaby Moreno, Madison Cunningham und Quinn Christopherson zu hören sind, ist ein wunderschönes Album - die Art und Weise, wie
Amadors kristalline Stimme die üppigen Synthesizer, verträumten Gitarren und filmischen Streicherarrangements des Albums durchbricht, ist
schlichtweg bezaubernd - aber mehr noch, es ist ein intensives Werk, eine tiefgründige, aufschlussreiche Meditation über Triumph und Verlust, Ende
und Anfang, Identität und Zugehörigkeit.

Radiosoul", das zweite Studioalbum von Alfie Templeman, ist eine anspruchsvolle Sammlung von Tracks, die eine neue, mutige Acid-Pop-Richtung des
in Bedfordshire geborenen Multitalents aufzeigen. An der Produktion des Albums waren neben Templeman auch Nile Rodgers, Dan Carey, Karma Kid,
Oscar Scheller, Will Bloomfield, Justin Young, Josh Scarbrow und Charlie J Perry beteiligt.
Es ist ein Album der Selbstfindung, das nach Lust und Laune zwischen den Genres hin und her springt und Templemans Lyrik mit neuer Schärfe und
bissigem Humor präsentiert, ohne dabei die Freude zu verlieren, die seine früheren Veröffentlichungen auszeichnete. Es ist das Werk eines
ungeheuer talentierten Songwriters, der wirklich zu sich selbst findet.

Jim Jones All Stars ist ein brodelnder Sumpffluch mit unheiligem Rhythmus und das neueste Projekt des britischen Garage-Paten Jim Jones (Thee Hypnotics, The Jim Jones Revue). Die Band besteht aus Mitgliedern von Jim Jones Revue, The Heavy, The Swamps und einer kompletten Bläsergruppe. Ihre LP "Ain't No Peril" ist ein dickes, fettes Stück Rama-Lama-Rhythm'n'Blues mit einigen von Jones' inspiriertesten Songs samt Gastauftritten des stimmlichen Powerhouse Nikki Hill und Eugene S. Robinson (Oxbow), das mit Scott McEwen in dessen Memphis Magnetic-Studio aufgenommen, von John Gletze produziert und von Grammy-Gewinner Randy Merrill gemastert wurde.

Drei Jahre nach ihrem morbiden Manifest "Limbo", einer bitteren Abrechnung mit der Pandemie und ihren bestialischen Folgen, kehrt Wave-Alchemist Ronny Moorings zurück. Im Gepäck hat er einen schwarzen Blumenstrauß aus Trauergesängen für eine kranke neue Welt, Elegien für einen neuen Status quo, mit dem wir alle leben müssen.

Auch 40 Jahre nach ihrer Gründung sind CLAN OF XYMOX ein Leuchtfeuer tragischer Eleganz und düsterer Tristesse. Sie sind die unbestrittene, unangefochtene Speerspitze einer Szene, die zuletzt überraschend die Aufmerksamkeit einer viel jüngeren Generation auf sich gezogen hat, die ihre Angst und ihren Schmerz durch Musik wie diese ausdrücken will. Gerne doch! "Exodus" zeugt von diesem Ausnahmestatus und führt das Feld der prosaischen Trauer mit zehn neuen Hymnen von erlesener Nachtschwere an. Das Besteck, welches Ronny Moorings benutzt, mag noch dasselbe sein; das Ergebnis ist ein weiteres Meisterwerk voller sehnsüchtiger Melodien, weltabgewandten Vocals aus den Tiefen der Erde, hallenden Gitarren und hypnotischen Drums, die die Phantome in uns allen zum Mitternachtsschmaus einladen.

Wir tanzen direkt in den Abgrund, will uns dieses Album sagen. Aber wenigstens tanzen wir noch. Denn wenn es nichts mehr gibt, an das man sich wenden kann, wenn alle Hoffnung verloren scheint und die Welt uns unter Fluten biblischen Ausmaßes begräbt, bleibt manchmal nur noch, sich der Musik hinzugeben. Diesem fesselnden Exodus in Richtung Katharsis. Vielleicht ist das der Grund, warum "Exodus" einige der düstersten und niedergeschlagensten Stücke enthält, die Ronny Moorings seit vielen Jahren geschrieben hat. Vielleicht ist das der Grund, warum diese Platte mit den besten Veröffentlichungen von THE CURE mithalten kann. Weil die Zeiten, in denen wir leben, ihn dazu gezwungen haben. Weil es einfach keinen anderen Weg gibt, als all seinen Kummer, seine Wut und seinen Weltschmerz in seine klagende Musik einfließen zu lassen. Nicht, weil die Welt danach eine bessere sein wird. Sondern weil es für ihn die einzige Möglichkeit ist, mit dem brutalen Wahnsinn, den wir Alltag nennen, fertig zu werden.

"Exodus" ist kein Album für Träumer. Es ist aber auch kein Albtraum - trotz der Schatten, die unter der Oberfläche brüten. Es ist ein Tor für all jene, die die Dunkelheit unserer Tage anerkennen und sich dennoch weigern, aufzugeben. Lasst uns also diese nächtlichen Wiegenlieder gemeinsam singen und tanzen, solange wir noch einen Boden dafür haben. Denn das ist alles, was wir im Moment tun können.

Drei Jahre nach ihrem morbiden Manifest "Limbo", einer bitteren Abrechnung mit der Pandemie und ihren bestialischen Folgen, kehrt Wave-Alchemist Ronny Moorings zurück. Im Gepäck hat er einen schwarzen Blumenstrauß aus Trauergesängen für eine kranke neue Welt, Elegien für einen neuen Status quo, mit dem wir alle leben müssen.

Auch 40 Jahre nach ihrer Gründung sind CLAN OF XYMOX ein Leuchtfeuer tragischer Eleganz und düsterer Tristesse. Sie sind die unbestrittene, unangefochtene Speerspitze einer Szene, die zuletzt überraschend die Aufmerksamkeit einer viel jüngeren Generation auf sich gezogen hat, die ihre Angst und ihren Schmerz durch Musik wie diese ausdrücken will. Gerne doch! "Exodus" zeugt von diesem Ausnahmestatus und führt das Feld der prosaischen Trauer mit zehn neuen Hymnen von erlesener Nachtschwere an. Das Besteck, welches Ronny Moorings benutzt, mag noch dasselbe sein; das Ergebnis ist ein weiteres Meisterwerk voller sehnsüchtiger Melodien, weltabgewandten Vocals aus den Tiefen der Erde, hallenden Gitarren und hypnotischen Drums, die die Phantome in uns allen zum Mitternachtsschmaus einladen.

Wir tanzen direkt in den Abgrund, will uns dieses Album sagen. Aber wenigstens tanzen wir noch. Denn wenn es nichts mehr gibt, an das man sich wenden kann, wenn alle Hoffnung verloren scheint und die Welt uns unter Fluten biblischen Ausmaßes begräbt, bleibt manchmal nur noch, sich der Musik hinzugeben. Diesem fesselnden Exodus in Richtung Katharsis. Vielleicht ist das der Grund, warum "Exodus" einige der düstersten und niedergeschlagensten Stücke enthält, die Ronny Moorings seit vielen Jahren geschrieben hat. Vielleicht ist das der Grund, warum diese Platte mit den besten Veröffentlichungen von THE CURE mithalten kann. Weil die Zeiten, in denen wir leben, ihn dazu gezwungen haben. Weil es einfach keinen anderen Weg gibt, als all seinen Kummer, seine Wut und seinen Weltschmerz in seine klagende Musik einfließen zu lassen. Nicht, weil die Welt danach eine bessere sein wird. Sondern weil es für ihn die einzige Möglichkeit ist, mit dem brutalen Wahnsinn, den wir Alltag nennen, fertig zu werden.

"Exodus" ist kein Album für Träumer. Es ist aber auch kein Albtraum - trotz der Schatten, die unter der Oberfläche brüten. Es ist ein Tor für all jene, die die Dunkelheit unserer Tage anerkennen und sich dennoch weigern, aufzugeben. Lasst uns also diese nächtlichen Wiegenlieder gemeinsam singen und tanzen, solange wir noch einen Boden dafür haben. Denn das ist alles, was wir im Moment tun können.

"A 'Pear' of albums on one vinyl LP... a combo of heavy psychedelia, drum and bass grooves, bouncy boogie, catchy tunes and sprinkles of tastee horns, keys and strings thrown in... kinda like a thumb over the genre-hose nozzle, something for everyone and nothing for someone... guaranteed! 'Grow A Pear' has been in the works for 5 years. What started as my contributions for the 'new' Butthole Surfers' album that was not to be... turned into a solo album I recorded with contributions from some of my favorite flavor players to create an album that most represents where I came from and bridges to where I'm at right now. My wishes for the future, is that everyone in the world will finally 'Grow A Pear'" - JD Pinkus 'Grow A Pear' features a veritable cornucopia of American Indie music radicals: Åsa Söderqvist and Lina Ericcson of Shitkid, Paul Leary of Butthole Surfers, Sam Coomes of Quasi and Jon Spencer's Hit Makers, Mike Savino of Tall Tall Trees, Walter Daniels of Bigfoot Chester, Mike Alfred of Shed Alford, Jed Willis of Khandroma, Michael Brueggen of Honky and Syrup, and Billy Sheeran.

A1 - Polaris
Going all in to open the EP with a truly stand out 2-step roller, ASC crafts a distinctly energetic vibe with Polaris, featuring an intricate old school break seldom heard in drum & bass - packed with high-end detail and a glorious raw energy. With long radiant pad work, a classic jumpy 808 bassline and a stunning, reverberating female vocal sample whooshing and panning across the mix, Polaris will instantly become a favourite in your setlist.
A2 - Things Left Unsaid
Opening with an intriguing fusion of suspenseful keys and deliciously crisp bongos that each play a key role throughout, Things Left Unsaid asks the listener questions of yesteryear in a varied odyssey filled with a myriad of echoed vocal samples, horns and effects, set to a break-laden beat pattern that hops along with kicks and snares each snatching the attention. A calmer vibe from ASC that still packs a punch.
AA1 - Temple Bell
A thumping, spirited beat pattern with rapid kicks and metallic snares provide a visceral aural onslaught as the aptly-named Temple Bell blends our imperious breaks with darkly, epic tolls radiating through a vast ornate hall of resonance -suitably reverberating alongside a backdrop of synchronic atmospherics. Heavily EQ'd vocal samples colour the mix to complete a weighty musical collage.
AA2 - Contrast
Beginning with a flurry of cow bells in a vibrant, expertly edited take on the classic Circles break, ASC serves up a delightfully laid back yet danceable piece with Contrast. Space FX, swirling pads and a mellow, memorable key melody overlay a beautiful mosaic of calm as the continued thrust of the break drives a constant energy to the track, perfectly capturing the ethos of Spatial and closing another immense EP

Words by Chris Hayes Spatial/Red Mist

Second physical record from KNOWN ARTIST brings forward the 4th EP from the french duo. Alex Kassian brings his sophisticated touch to warm “Get Up” into a chugging aerial soother. Aldonna honors “Say What ?” with high spirited energy from the depths of Me lbourne. The rest is the same business not business of signature rubber basses and chopped alarms!

Michael Reinboths allererste Veröffentlichung unter seinem Namen. Nach den frühen Beanfield-Produktionen, ca. 20 Remixen (einige davon schlicht als Compost Remixes bezeichnet), mehr als 30 Compilations, einigen 12"s unter verschiedenen Alter Egos und über 30 Jahren Compost Label Betriebsamkeit, fiel die Entscheidung dann doch leicht: Jetzt oder nie!

"Let The Spirit" ist eine kinetische Coverversion eines House-Klassikers, der vor langer Zeit auf Ron Trents legendärem Prescription-Imprint veröffentlicht wurde. Es gibt keine Samples, alles ist selbst programmiert und zusammen mit Jan Krause (Beanfield) produziert. Die Flipside, etwas trippiger "RS6 Avant" in zwei Versionen. Die Cosmic Version lädt dazu ein, über die Landstraße zu schweben (oder in den späten Nachtstunden mit geschlossenen Augen über den Dancefloor). Und da Michael auch gerne schnell fährt, hat er sich entschlossen, die Club Version hinzuzufügen - eine viel energischere Version, die auf der Tanzfläche (und natürlich auf der Autobahn) zu Spitzenzeiten gut funktioniert. Weitere Michael Reinboth-Releases sind für 2024 in der Mache!

Black Truffle is pleased to announce Resonant Trees, the first vinyl release from French composer-performer Léo Dupleix. An active member of the international community of younger musicians working with just intonation, Dupleix has composed works for solo instrumentalists and ensembles in Europe and Japan, as well as performing extensively on harpsichord, piano and electronics. His music is distinguished by a formal clarity and elegance of surface, gently shaping pure intervals into delicate melodic patterns and shimmering harmonic planes.

Resonant Trees presents two side-long pieces for harpsichord and ensemble, both setting slowly repeating patterns played on harpsichord and guitar within an environment of sustained tones. Dupleix performs on a French double manual harpsichord (tuned to a just intonation scheme of his own devising) and Prophet synthesizer, joined by Juliette Adam (bass clarinet), Johanna Bartz (traverso flute), Cyprien Busolini (viola), Fredrik Rasten (6- and 12-string guitars), and Mara Winter (traverso flute). The harpsichord begins Resonant Tree I alone, slowly sounding out a series of arpeggiated chords that emphasise the unique (and for unaccustomed listeners, sometimes unsettling) harmonic and timbral qualities of justly tuned intervals. Long tones from synthesiser, bass clarinet, viola and Baroque traverso flutes slowly creep into the spaces between the arpeggiated chords, joined after several minutes by delicate patterns of harmonics played by Rasten on acoustic guitars.

On Resonant Tree II, a similar structure and ensemble (without the flutes) are used with quite different results. We again hear only the harpsichord at first, but this time playing a series of flowing melodic lines, each of which is repeated several times. Joined again by long tones from the ensemble, here the viola is particularly prominent and its interplay with the harpsichord creates fascinating acoustic effects. In both pieces, repetition gives the music a static, stable quality while, at the same time, the exact shape of the repeating patterns remains difficult to grasp. As Dupleix writes, these pieces dream of music as ‘space and a sound that one could grasp in one’s hand.’ As the near-static quality of the repetitions and long tones with little incident make these two stretches of musical time feel like spaces for the listener to inhabit, the small variations on a narrow range of related material act like a three-dimensional object whose each facet is examined in turn. At once austere and seductive, Resonant Trees takes its place beside the work of contemporaries like Catherine Lamb, while also calling up the languorous melodic world of Mamoru Fujieda, the dignified melancholy of Satoshi Ashikawa’s classic Still Way and the espaliered chamber atmospherics of the Obscure catalogue.

"Stony Road" ist ein melodisches Gefl echt, gewoben aus Reas unverwechselbarem, rauchigem Gesang und seinen beliebten Gitarrenriffs, das für jeden Hörer ein eindrucksvolles Erlebnis schafft. Das Album ist eine harmonische Mischung aus Blues-, Rock- und Folk-Einfl üssen und spiegelt Reas eklektisches musikalisches Spektrum wider. Jede Note ist ein Pinselstrich auf der Leinwand von Reas musikalischem Landschaftsbild, das lebhafte Bilder malt, die mit den Komplexitäten des Lebens in Resonanz stehen. Diese Veröffentlichung ist eine streng limitierte Erstaufl age, gepresst auf 180 Gramm orangefarbenem Doppel-Vinyl und präsentiert in einem hochwertigen GatefoldCover. Ein bezauberndes Erlebnis für Audiophile und Sammler.

Cher and Christina Aguilera, together? On the same soundtrack? Who cares that the Burlesque film garnered mixed reviews at best (though a lot of folks now regard the 2010 feature as a camp classic)? The soundtrack had no such difficulties; the album release went Top 20 on the charts, won a Grammy nomination, and Cher’s performance of “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Aguilera’s star turn was something of a coming-out party, too; not only did she enjoy critical acclaim for her first leading role in a film, but her musical contributions—featuring a couple of Etta James songs and a cover of Marlene Dietrich’s “A Guy What Takes His Time’’—were sassy, jazzy, and brassy, not unlike her work on her #1 album from 2006, Back to Basics. In short, this one’s a must for fans of either artist, and for this pressing, we at Real Gone Music have created a bling-y metallic gold vinyl edition housed inside a gatefold cover boasting some sensational production stills!

"The debut longplayer from Washington, DC-based Ekko Astral is a complex mesh of bubblegum noise punk and no-wave art rock that holds an elastic space for the knotty, tangled horrors of living in the imperial core. Their songs thrash with intense, necessary defiance against codified gender-based violence, their distortion and sibilance a direct response to the dangers outside our front doors.

pink balloons opener “head empty blues” specifically bites back against the terrors of the normative male gaze that dominates so much of American culture. Over a post-punk passage that plays call and response with a wall of harsh noise, frontwoman Jael Holzman belts playfully morbid details of the head-exploding anxieties that haunt her daily: “is it bon eye-ver or bon iver? / i don’t care / i’ve got stalkers outside / not going out tonight / gonna sit and take pics / in my underwear.”

Holzman formed the band in 2021 with best friend Liam Hughes (guitar), and eventually rounded out the band’s lineup with Miri Tyler (drums), Guinevere Tully (bass), and Sam Elmore (guitar). Ekko Astral’s local scene quickly welcomed the band for their wildly fierce live presence, emboldened by the community-building message behind the band’s mascara mosh pit brand.

Ultimately, Ekko Astral are here to uplift, a mission exemplified by the frenetic and bewitching pre-release singles “baethoven” and “devorah,” cornerstones of pink balloons in both style and theme. The former serves as a reminder to keep your larger than life personality in a world that wants to downsize you, where the latter proclaims urgent solidarity with missing and murdered people. Such crucial messages of upliftment are the foundation of pink balloons, and, by extension Ekko Astral, whose thrashing debut leaves no stone of solidarity unturned."

One of the best reggae albums of the ‘80s and one of the real highlights in the Real Authentic Sound label catalog finally gets an LP reissue! Lascelle “Wiss” Bulgin, Albert “Apple Gabriel” Craig, and Cecil “Skelly” Spence all contracted childhood polio, and met at a Jamaican rehab center; in the ‘70s, they formed Israel Vibration and their first record, The Same Song, released in 1978 on the Top Ranking label, was an international smash. But by the time they released Strength of My Life in 1988, it had been seven years since they had made a record, having fled Jamaica in the intervening years to seek better health care and to escape the dancehall scene. Against all odds, Strength of My Life turned out to be a triumph, the beginning of the group’s partnership with the Roots Radics and a reaffirmation of the love the group’s members had for each other and a celebration, as the title goes, of the strength of their lives (we defy you not to be moved by the title track). That’s Augustus Pablo on melodica on “Greedy Dog” and Dwight Pinkney on guitar on “Jah Love Me,” by the way. Roots reggae royalty!

The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series Entry #12: DJ Muggs takes the Soul Assassins approach to source music - deep, dark, dank.

The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series was created by Madlib and Egon to give their creative friends a chance to stretch out and indulge in whatever type of music they wanted. This music was created for easy, one-stop clearance in film and television synchronization usage and for sampling. You can also enjoy these albums in the way that many do with the best of the best vintage library catalogs – listen, ponder, repeat.

Das dritte Album von Marina Allen mit starkem und lebendigem Songwriting, wunderschön instrumentiert, hochmelodisch und mit einer unvergleichlichen lyrischen Perspektive vorgetragen. Mit zwei gefeierten Alben hat die in Los Angeles lebende Singer-Songwriterin eine frühe Ernte eingefahren, aber ihr drittes Studioalbum birgt den bislang größten Ertrag. Verglichen mit den anschwellenden Kompositionen von Allens zweitem Album Centrifics oder der unschuldigen Ruhe von Candlepower, ist die Welt von Eight Pointed Star tiefgreifender und offener. Schimmernende Gitarren verziehren die Canyons und Staub wird von der rot vernarbten Erde aufgewirbelt. Allens Gesang ist rein und kristallin, während die Instrumentierung reichhaltig ist und vor Helligkeit nur so strotzt. Man kann hören, wie die Musik Zufriedenheit ausstrahlt und der Produktion von Chris Cohen Raum für eine volle Band bietet. Allens künstlerische Zuneigung gilt vor allem Sängern, die ihrer Meinung nach wirklich singen können, von The Roches bis Karen Dalton, Joanna Newsom und Meredith Monk. Aber diese Einflüsse verschwinden wie Gespenster auf dem Dachboden, wenn sie selbst zu singen beginnt. Allen hat eine Stimme, die es mit dem Kanon aufnehmen kann - unnachahmlich - und sie hat noch nie so entschlossen geklungen wie hier. Ein strahlender, klarsichtiger moderner Klassiker des alternativen Folk und Americana. Für Fans von Aldous Harding, Fiona Apple und Waxahatchee. Klassich schwarzes Vinyl mit DLC oder Digisleeve CD.

Los York's became the epitome of Peruvian garage sound. 'Abrázame' features a beat-influenced go-go twang guitar garage psych tone throughout and the unique voice of the iconic frontman of the band resulting an irresistible Latin garage hipshaker! Set the dance floor on fire with this first time 45 reissue of the Latin garage anthem 'Abrázame'! Los York's became the epitome of Peruvian garage sound, and the kings of the multi-group concerts which teenagers flocked to on Saturday and Sunday mornings in Lima's main movie theaters. The group was in tune with the youth from popular districts who were gradually turning morning concerts into dynamic gigs as the fashion for solo rock-ballads waned and garage sounds by bands like Los Shain's, Los Derbys, Los Juniors, Los Flyers and, of course, Los York's took over. Their supportive fans would follow them to every gig. After releasing their three first singles on MAG, featuring covers of popular hits, it took them a year to turn their ideas into songs for their first LP that was successfully released at Christmas in 1967. The original version of 'Abrázame' was included in this album and also released as a single. Although clearly based on Don Covay & The Goodtimers' r&b classic 'Mercy Mercy', the recording features a beat influenced go-go twang guitar garage psych tone throughout and the unique voice of the iconic frontman of the band, Pablo Luna, resulting an irresistible Latin garage hipshaker! A rawer, fuzzier version of the same song was released one year later and renamed as 'Abrázame baby'. How cool and handy is to have both versions together on one single artifact? Set the dance floor on fire with this first time 45 reissue of the Latin garage anthem 'Abrázame'!

"Pretenders ‘Learning To Crawl’ is to be reissued on standard black vinyl and clear vinyl for RSD Stores & HMV on 7th June 2024. Celebrating the album's 40th anniversary, this reissue is true to the original 1984 release with the artwork and tracklisting remaining the same. This pressing of ‘Learning To Crawl’ features 2018 remastered audio by the album’s original producer, Chris Thomas, on vinyl for the first time.

‘Learning To Crawl’ is Pretenders’ third album, released after a band hiatus which saw in this time the sad passing of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon before recording started. It sees an assortment of guitar and bass players on the record before Robbie McIntosh and Malcolm Foster joined Chrissie Hynde and Martin Chambers making the band a four piece.

The 1984 album is certified Gold and Platinum in the UK and US respectively and reached #11 on the UK albums chart and #5 in Billboard 200, featuring some of their most loved songs including ‘2000 Miles’, 'Back on the Chain Gang' both singles securing spots in the UK top 20 singles chart."