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It's the pair you've all been waiting for! FINALLY!

Alan Tew's driving jazz-rock, sleuth-funk masterpiece, Drama Suite Part I is finally reissued to sate your appetites for arguably the very best library two-parter in existence. If you don’t know, get to know. Originally released in 1976 but wonderfully timeless, Drama Suite Part I is at the top of every library funk collectors' list. It's easy to see why...

Racing out the gate, the gritty crime funk of "The Detectives" makes for a thrilling, wild ride. A dramatic action theme, it's packed with strident playing and bags of attitude. There follows 10 (ten!) drama-tinged, horn-heavy, wah-wah-laced, conga-enhanced, synth-riddled links for neat segues and maximum funk fever. "Helicop" is another fast paced and energetic dramatic action background with great breaks and horns. "The Big One (Prelude)" has an ace bassline and creeps along superbly to create expectation and contains an amazing rolling piano loop that just stops you dead in your tracks. It's all building to "The Big One", a driving, dramatic, full-band action with fantastic funk breaks, heavy horns and *that* piano refrain. It was sampled by Jay-Z, and you can't really blame him, can you? The brief, tense "Headlights" and (even briefer) burner "The Burn" add some - you guessed it - deep drama over insistent rhythms to close out Side A.

Flip over for "The Detectives (Slow Version)", a relaxed, thoughtful version featuring synths. You might recognise it as being sampled by Domo Genesis and Evidence for "Tallulah" from their brilliant collaboration a few years ago. "The Detectives (Interlude)" is another slow, pensive version featuring electric piano and a trombone solo in the centre section. There follows 6 further links, Detectives versions essentially, with guitars, electric pianos, flugelhorns - all very cool and relaxed rhythms. The strutting majesty of big-time highlight "The Build Up" is next. It's a medium-slow drama background with occasional light statements of The Detectives theme peppered throughout. Nice. The fantastically-titled "Snout" is a slow, tense background theme which features a repetitive guitar figure with alto flutes over the top. The tense, stabby funk of "The Prowler" rounds out proceedings, with nervous figures over a slow, insistent cymbal beat.

As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for Drama Suite Part I comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. And as usual, the sleeve reproduction duties were handed over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity. We're not quite sure what else to say about this landmark record, other than, GET IT!

It's the pair you've all been waiting for! FINALLY!

Alan Tew's Drama Suite Part II. What can we really say? Honestly? We guess the first thing that strikes you is how clean the drums are. Almost impossibly slick but dripping so, so heavy with the neck-snapping funk you'd expect from perhaps the most sought-after library funk set of them all! The cheapest on Discogs is, currently, £1300+. Now's your chance to remedy that. If you know, you know. And we think you know...

"The Rub" is a cool, low-slung heavy-funk roller with relaxed brass and alto flute phrases. Up next, "Money Runner" is another edgy funk glider, its easy-tempo moving in harmony with slinky rhythmic riffs and featuring a seemingly ad-libbed electric piano solo. Strutting along after, "White Elephant Walk" is another laconic, deeply stoned walking theme with electric piano and alto flutes. There follows a couple of brief "walking" links before the brilliantly tense "Master Plan" slowly builds. Expectancy grows to the main theme around a minute in and then a melodic theme builds slightly to the 3 minute mark before floating down gradually and elegantly to its climax. It's utterly fantastic. The smoky, after-hours "Night Watch" is a slow, cool gem featuring alto flutes and synths.

Now we're talking, "The Fence (a)" is just sensational and worth buying this album all on its own. It's likely the reason you're here, anyway. Another impossibly funky, slow and easy tempo with a bass riff to die for, dramatic guitar with gorgeous electric piano and alto flute phrases. It was sampled for "Action Satisfaction" by J5, way way back. "The Fence (b)" is a slower, more deliberate version of the previous heater, but it's no less essential. Indeed, it's absolutely jaw-drooping. Closing out this remarkable side, "Surveillance" is another horizontal masterpiece of relaxed yet dramatic jazz-funk. Vibes ad-lib in centre section and give you an idea of how Roy Ayers making library funk in the mid-late 70s might've sounded. Sensational.

Flip over for "Total Silence", a near-beatless and understated scene-setter featuring neat interplay of guitar and synthesizer themes over bass and hi-hats. The slow "Eyes" follows, a brief gem with subdued electric piano solo and a light climax. The fantastic "Drama Backcloth (1a)" is up next, a repetitive piano and bass refrain with guitar figures over the top. Its creeping crime-funk vibe was pilfered for "Outta Town Shit" by Ghostface Killah in 2006. "Drama Backcloth (1b)" is a short, subdued version without the guitar figure. "Drama Backcloth (2)" features an expectant, background marimba figure over light rhythm whilst the cool "Drama Backcloth (3)" centres around a relaxed riff and the angular "Drama Backcloth (4)" presents eerie progressions with piano interjections. It's decidedly non-rhythmic!

We're then onto 14 (!) different half-minute "Scenechanges", all jazzy and funky, some cool and dramatic, some slow and rhythmic. All ace and groove-fuelled. The aptly-titled "Final Statement" closes proceedings, a slow, pensive theme on guitar joined by cool brass and a solo trumpet to its climax.

As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for Drama Suite Part II comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. And as usual, the sleeve reproduction duties were handed over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity. We're not quite sure what else to say about this landmark record, other than, GET IT!

Impossible to find in the wild, KPM's Image is exactly that; this record paints extraordinary, hyper-vivid scenes with music, in the way only the library greats can. Originally released in 1974, Image is an absolutely stunning listen from start to finish, and arguably the most wanted KPM grail that's still not been reissued - until now! Just too good…

Worth the price of admission alone, and likely the reason you're all already drooling about this release, the mellow, dramatic beat of "Image", Brian Bennett's opener and title track, is a Jaylib-sampled firecracker. A reflective, scenic underscore which grows to full orchestra and ends as it begins - it's just beautiful. Next up, swoon to "The Little Orphan" by Neil Richardson featuring strings and harp. It's a deeply emotive, sweeping orchestral piece. Just straight gorgeous. It's followed by "Paradise Island", a lush, horizontal Balearic gem courtesy of Gordon Rees and David Gold; it'll send you into a blissful reverie with its elegant strings and gentle drums. From the same pair, "Forbidden Fruit" is, again, string-drenched but the strings are more insistent, stabbing even, and, with drums and Blaxploitation guitars high up in the mix, it's definitely a funkier proposition. "The Enchantress", again a Rees-Gold special, is a slower, groovy, synthy wonder. Closing out the A-Side, "Phenomena" is a mysterious gem, a Gold solo effort set at a breezier tempo with propulsive percussion and head nod, fast-paced breaks with ace keys.

Flip over for "Infinite Expanse", John Scott's dramatic panorama adorned with proud, triumphant horns. Scott's "Static Objects" paints patient, pastoral scenes; there's a serenity and stillness to the proceedings. Next up, Be With favourite John Fiddy delivers shifting shapes and patterns with his wonderful "Metamorphosis", all wah wah, harps, dramatic percussion and strings. It's by turns billowy and blasting. "Cubist Pictures" follows, Neil Richardson's brilliant nebulous, fragmentary piece. Better yet, Richardson's gorgeous, beatless "Analysis" follows, and it's an orchestral beauty featuring cello, harps and woodwind. It's no exaggeration to describe this as transcendental. His "Crystal Ball" presents more static scenes with cello, twinkling percussion and strings, before Steve Gray's fantastically-titled softly-ace "Gliding Through Clouds" closes out this remarkable set.

As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for Image comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. And as usual, the sleeve reproduction duties were handed over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity.

When it comes to wild men of rock, they didn’t come any wilder than Newcastle’s Animals and their larger-than-life frontman Eric Burdon. His distinctive rasp was instrumental in taking the group to the top of the transatlantic charts; 1964’s ‘House Of The Rising Sun’ . followed by ‘I’m Crying’, and covers of Nina Simone’s ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’, Sam Cooke’s ‘Bring It On Home To Me’, and Mann & Weil’s ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’.

Despite splitting from his four bandmates in late 1966 and relocating to the USA, Eric retained the group name and put together a different line-up. These New Animals, turned in some searing Acid-Rock in the shape of ‘Spill The Wine’ and ‘San Franciscan Nights’, the latter a paean to Burdon’s adopted home that made the Top Ten Charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

Irgendwo zwischen Planet Punk, Milchstraße Retro-Pop, Mikrokosmos New Wave und Hinterwelt Thüringen befindet sich das Universum MAMORÉ. Es sendet schrille Signale aus, wird Tag und Nacht von einer rosaroten Sonne beleuchtet. MAMORÉ ist ein Ort, an dem alles erlaubt ist: Zu feierlichen Synth-Melodien und schroffen Rockgitarren wird simultan ruppiger Pogo, romantischer Paartanz und Bowie-esker Hüftschwung praktiziert. Drama und Behaglichkeit, Anachronismus und Innovation, Herzschmerz und Augenzwinkern aggregieren hier zu einem blumigen Gefühlsgewirr. Im Zentrum des Treibens: Fünf in extravagante Outfits aus der Vintage-Kleiderkiste gewandete junge Männer, die hin und wieder selbst nicht so ganz fassen können, was um sie passiert.

Jetzt, im Dezember 2023, legen MAMORÉ endlich ihren langersehnten ersten, nach dem Bandnamen betitelten Langspieler vor. »MAMORÉ« ist eine wilde Experience, ein heißkaltes Wechselbad — hier tippelnd-euphorisch, konsonant und tanzbar, da abgründig-absurd, schnell und kalt. Was alle zehn Anspielstationen eint, ist ihre nonchalante Eingängigkeit: MAMORÉ haben Hits gemacht, die eigentlich gar keine sein wollen, sich keineswegs anbiedern und trotzdem im Ohr bleiben. In manchen Momenten erinnert ihr Album an die ersten Veröffentlichungen der Band Abwärts, hin und wieder scheinen die frühen Die Ärzte durchzuschimmern — und doch ist »MAMORÉ« in seiner Attitüde stets eigenwillig, modern und neu. Der in neuer Bandbesetzung re- ecordete, von hysterischen Klangmustern gespickte Opener »Voll im Visier« signalisiert direkt, wo die Reise hingeht: »MAMORÉ« piepst, knallt und explodiert fortwährend, klingt dabei voll und gravitätisch.

Im bittersüß-verträumten »Du fehlst« crashen harte Brüche in sanfte Schlager-Ästhetik, in »Ich Sehe Dich« treffen raue Gitarrenriffs auf NDW-typisches Synthie-Spiel. Die Neuauflagen der 2021 veröffentlichten Stücke »Meine Liebe Nicht« und »S.O.S« gehen der von seichtem Piano-Spiel eingeläuteten Dark-Wave-Schnulze »Pfeil Ins Herz« voraus. Die bereits erschienene Single »Wolke 7« baut in den Parts kitzelnde Spannung auf, um in Richtung Hook wie ein Vulkan auszubrechen — und auch die darauffolgende Punk-Hymne »Melancholie«, ein Feature mit NNDW-Sternchen Gwen Dolyn, schraubt sich in ihrer Dynamik von Sekunde zu Sekunde weiter hoch. Im Zuge vom hallig-darken, Gitarren-getragenen »Die Hatz« erreicht das Rabbit Hole »MAMORÉ« seinen tiefsten Winkel, bevor das abschließende »Keine Bewegung« dort anknüpft, wo die LP begonnen hat: Auf der klammen Tanzfläche einer Diskothek. »MAMORÉ« kreist inhaltlich stetig um das Thema Zweisamkeit — inmitten von Liebeskummer und Euphorie, gebrochenen Herzen und kochendem Blut, »Rennen gegen Einsamkeit«, Nervendoktor und Oktobertristesse liefert das Album ein geballtes ABC der Gefühlsausbrüche.

Vladislav Delay's complete "Hide Behind The Silence" series. Intuitive and raw music, momentary and reflective, released on Ripatti's own label Rajaton.

Stillness is a myth. Consider concepts such as ”still water”, or ”still air” for that matter. Go to a restaurant, ask them for a glass of still water, hold it against the light and see where we’re at. Even though the water itself has been captured and imprisoned in the glass, it never stops breathing. It’s filled with tiny particles, dancing. Everything can be explained on a molecular level, but since we’re not scientists – and even if you happen to be – it’s the natural world of perception that moves me.
Still air is very similar. A hot summer’s day with zero wind feels completely still. It’s the closest I have felt to complete stillness. Or for a more urban adaptation, imagine the same vibe inside a normal apartment. In those moments, revelations and mind- blowing experiences can be had with experiments in stillness.
Try this: Just sit down for a minute on a sunny day, making sure there’s enough natural light. Do absolutely nothing. Try not to breathe for a bit. (If you need a mental anchor, you can play Cage’s 4’33” in your head but nothing else.) Watch the tiny dots of dust dancing :..’ ̈.:; ́ ́*°.,’:,. ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈:,.’
The movement is crazy, but the feeling of stillness comes from witnessing how subtle it is. In (perceived) complete stillness, every act of microscopic mobility seems to speak volumes. Yet, it feels both reassuring and oddly threatening that the stillness is never complete. What if we would need absolute stillness? Or is it just enough that we can perceive something as such? Extremes attract, so for both water and air, extraordinary movement is equally fascinating. That is also a luxury item of sorts. For us to enjoy a very ”loud” body of water or air, we need to be safe, in enough control of the situation. So when you are, it’s worthwhile to pay attention and take it all in.
A rapid flowing free with extreme strength and just barely in control. Look at that water go! No still water on this one, only ”sparkling”. A windy day when birds seem surprised how hard it is to fly, but in the end they make it. Trees bend but don’t break. The wind shows you its movement but doesn’t hurt you. It feels friendly, like a big clumsy dog that doesn’t quite understand its size.
It’s beautiful to be a guest of the elements, but not at the mercy of them. A new kind of dialogue forms.

Q&A with Sasu Ripatti:

1) Tell us something about the EP series ”Hide Behind the Silence”, what’s the idea and what can we expect?

Exploration of inaction. Of many kinds. In arts and in personal life, or at bigger and more serious levels. Questioning myself as a human being as well as an artist. Acknowledging the growing activism all around, and the very clear need for it, and how it reflects my own inaction.
Musically speaking, after Rakka, Isoviha and Speed Demon, I finally found some relief, but more importantly lost the need to go musically ever more outward and intensive. I felt quite strongly certain periods/moods from the past and they made me revisit some musical ideas or states of mind I was exploring early on.
It’s about live moments being captured, not much premeditation or editing. More intuitive and raw, even though the end result (to me) feels and sounds quite introspective and calm. It’s not very ambitious. Momentary and reflective.

2) Your music doesn’t sound very silent. Does it come from somewhere behind the silence?

Oh, this time to me it sounds quite quiet and playing with space if not silence. I don’t know what’s actually behind silence, but I think silence is the source of everything. We just don’t understand it yet.

3) What kind of thoughts or experiences gave inspiration to this series?

Writing this in Nov ’22, it’s not a stretch to say the world has been really unwell. Sometimes, like Mika Vainio put it, the world eats you up. I feel a bit like that. And I try to hide in my studio and stay away from it all, but it’s getting harder by the day. I’ve been questioning myself and thinking if what us artists are doing is worth anything, and whether it’s just a selfish thing I’ve been doing for the past 25 years, running away from everything. I haven’t come to a conclusion yet.

4) Is it easy for you to be in silence, or around silence?

Absolutely. I not only hide behind silence but I also love silence. It’s only since I started going back to nature as a grown-up person that I sensed and was enveloped by silence, true silence. I have begun to appreciate it a lot. I think all the people should spend more time in silence.

All tracks composed and produced by Sasu Ripatti.
Artwork by Marc Hohmann, photography by Shinnosuke Yoshimori.
Mastering by Stephan Mathieu for Schwebung Mastering.
Vinyl cut by SST Brueggemann.
Publishing by WARP Music Ltd.

The latest by Texan-turned-Angeleno progressive vaporwave producer Carlos Ramirez aka AURAGRAPH finds him shifting focus to the dance floor across eight chrome clockworks of cosmic acid house and liquid rave glide: 'New Standard'. Inspired by lessons learned during a 5K mile American road trip tour in the summer 2022, he set to work in his Simi Valley Tuff Shed of synths and hardware, pursuing an explicitly DJ-friendly muse: "I realized I wanted to make a record where every track could go off in a live setting."These cuts do just that, revved and rhythmic, peppered with slap bass, Madchester whistles, filtered acid, gated snares, baggy cowbell, and sample pack classics - record scratches, orchestral stabs, the "Yeah! Woo!" from Lynn Collins "Think (About It)." Ramirez describes the process as immediate and instinctual: "I'd turn on the MPC, pick a tempo, and just improv - it was incredibly fun."From sleek freeway techno ("110 Cruising") to arcade lurker acid ("Coast 2 Coast") to big room bangers ("666 Ambience"), the tracks time-travel across the canon of club music, sifting tricks and styles to fashion fresh anthems of hypnagogic jack. It's an album channeled as much as crafted, tapping into the decks of mythic warehouse infinities past and present, where the system rips all night and acid never dies.

Opaque Lime vinyl. The Loneliest Girl is the third studio album by New Zealand musician Chelsea Nikkel, better known as Princess Chelsea. It was recorded by Chelsea between 2016 and 2017 in her home studio in West Auckland, New Zealand. The Loneliest Girl examines the loneliness and ultimately the artistic satisfaction a strong work ethic can bring, the result of which is this eclectic collection of pop songs. As a studio based artist Chelsea was conscious of not wanting to fall too deep into a production hole for her third album and wanted to more than ever before capture moments of inspiration, madness and spontaneity on record. Chelsea's trademark arrangements featuring classic 80s Synths (Yamaha DX7, Roland D-50), ambient guitars, and orchestral instruments are all here but are presented in a more refined and simple manner than on her previous releases. Stylistically The Loneliest Girl moves away the more uniform synth sounds of The Great Cybernetic Depression to more eclectic territory similar to her first release Lil' Golden Book and certainly sounds like a record made by a lover of pop music across all genres from 60s girl groups to 80s power ballads, and late 80s acid house to 90s pop. Like her earlier work, adult issues are presented in a humorous and sometimes childlike manner, and this juxtaposition rather than softening the blow makes jarring social commentary hit harder.

Aptly titled Two Worlds, Tigers Jaws sophomore full-length draws on the strengths of the band's raw, minimalist atmospheres and driving grunge-rock rhythms, funneling them into a catchy, brooding and brilliantly focused album. Sounding as confident as ever in abandoning dependence on traditional pop structures, songs ebb and flow naturally as the band explores fresh tones and textures. Firmly planted in their own niche of the 90 s-era Midwestern emo sound, Two Worlds probes Superchunk's indie-punk stylings, Weezer's discordant pop moments and the far edges of Kurt Cobain's brain while managing to sound almost nothing like those groups. Chimey clean guitars weave in and out of the mix, juxtaposing a gain guitar laden with thick grit. Standing alone, the tones create familiar Tigers Jaw moods, but when combined, the effect lays the foundation for swelling walls of sound. Pulsing bass fills the low end, locked with the drums in rhythmic unison, alternately tracing guitar lines and stepping forward to grab the listener s car. Similarly, the drumming style perfectly compliments the songwriting with steady beats and measured flash. Lush and resonant cymbal splashes constantly flourish, adding color and a new spaciousness. Keyboards swell in a wave of warmth creating the band s defining ambiance, in parts taking on more adventurous melodies and chord tones. At its core, Two Worlds is a Tigers Jaw album through and through. It evokes many moods the band is known for, but adds a depth that will leave listeners discovering new reasons to love them with each new listen.

To mark the 35th Anniversary of Acid Jazz, we have been reissuing seminal records from our catalogue on colour vinyl. The final instalment - and the second James Taylor Quartet release in the series - is this this version of ‘Mission Impossible’ is pressed on a fitting red vinyl.

The original release track-listing showcases JTQ’s sixties soundtrack odyssey – driving organ instrumentals from the beginnings of Acid Jazz, showing James and the original lineup in their prime. Alongside Lalo Schifrin’s iconic title track appear tracks by Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon and Bacharach & David, before the Taylor-penned original ‘The Stooge’ closes out this lean, hip collection.

ASA

Arturo Lanz Saverio Evangelista AtomTM

are the last three futurists on earth.

»Radial« is the result of a vivid creative merge between Esplendor Geométrico and AtomTM. A transparent diamond formed by a heavy implosion. Its underlying massive mechanics are covered by a crystal surface made to cut reality in half. Just one letter short of “radical”, this album is no less than exactly that – an orgy of powerful, blunt repetition and hyperbolic simplicity, a profound evocation of nothingness and its surroundings.

Consisting of MCs A+, Phesto, Opio and Tajai (with production by A+, Domino, Del the Funky Homosapien, Jay Biz and Casual), East Oakland’s Souls of Mischief burst onto the scene in the early 90s with an impact that few other West Coast artists had at the time. Culminating in the release of their classic debut, they created a bouillabaisse that was most parts West Coast swagger but - similar to The D.O.C. and Cypress Hill - with a sonic approach that could just as well have stepped off the streets of New York City. Recorded in less than two weeks at San Francisco's Hyde Street Studios, 93 ‘til Infinity doesn’t suffer from a single freshman jitter or misstep. It’s a fully-realized effort, packed from start to finish with ridiculous lyricism - all carried out in impressive four-part, tag-team style - and backed by a wide range of musical possibilities, from hard boom-bap to 70s CTI-jazz-sprinkled grooves. But without worthy music, the group’s high-level lyricism could have fallen by the wayside. Digging deep into crates that other producers had yet to mine, the production crew gave the quartet exactly what they needed, with unpredictable rolling basslines, dusty drums and jazz keyboard and horn stabs and swirls. Non-singles like Disseshowedo (produced by Domino and Jay Biz), Batting Practice (Casual), Limitations (Jay Biz, with Del and Casual contributing verses) and What A Way To Go Out (Domino) made sure that the fast-forward button remained untouched. Get On Down is proud to present a 30th Anniversary pressing of this west coast Hip-Hop classic on cloudy blue and cloudy yellow vinyl, packaged in a gatefold jacket with liner notes and a commemorative 30th Anniversary stamped numbered OBI.

Into the void hits from second one. Strong beats lead the way into this dreamlike soundscape, where metallic drum elements and effortless reverb tails take us on a journey. We get lost in a slow build and an unassuming bass-line drives us home, until the track collapses just to hit twice as hard coming back in. Dreamy vocals float over dirty synth lines, melodies that feel familiar guide the way to continuous build ups, where we can’t help but move our bodies to the gritty, thumping bass-line pushing us forward relentlessly.

Tempest is all about the beat. Simple, yet endearing, it reels us in and guides us on an endless rise where fragile synth swells and powerful percussion elements tease our ears. High-pitched glimmers dance across the soundscape with ease. A track that rises again and again, yet never quite implodes in-between. Instead it builds, in the most natural way, skilfully and exquisitely, whilst sirens add a well-rounded urgency, that’s hard to resist.

The first release from the remastered catalogue campaign on Melanie’s own revitalised Neighbourhood Records label (via UKs Easy Action) features the song recently used on the cult TV show Black Mirror, backed with an unreleased version of the 60s hit ‘Bo Bo’s Party’. This year Shindig Magazine did a 3-page feature on Melanie as more and more people start to ask who is she? The 7” is limited to 350 coloured vinyl copies and comes in a spined picture sleeve. Melanie landed in the New York City music and radio scene in the late 1960’s. Her first single Beautiful People immediately became a turntable hit. Her first tour began with an impressive 40-day run of shows at Paris’ world-famous L’Olympia Theater at the personal invitation of Bruno Coquatrix. In the years to come she would entertain millions: at An Aquarian Exposition (the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival), at Carnegie Hall, and the Isle of Wight and Glastonbury music festivals, The Sydney Opera House, the South Korean DMZ, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the Royal Albert Hall, and other Venues around the globe. Melanie launched Neighborhood Records, making her the first American woman to open a mainstream record label. She recorded over 20 chart hits. Melanie received an Emmy after composing lyrics for the theme song of the hit television series Beauty and the Beast. “What Have They Done to My Song Ma” was re-recorded by Ray Charles with the Count Basie Band. Nina Simone delivered a remarkable rendition, as well. “(Lay Down) Candles in the Rain” was re-recorded by Mott the Hoople on their 1971 album Wildlife. Meredith Brooks and Queen Latifah later re-recorded the anthem. “Some Say (I Got Devil)" was re-recorded by Smith’s frontman Morrissey. Melanie has always known her calling in life was to entertain. Audiences have welcomed her to the stage for more than fifty years, and she continues to perform today.

Soliton maximizes the compact format by further illuminating lesser-traveled paths. Contemplation and exploration weave harmoniously through five mysterious tracks. Influenced by a wide range of styles and sounds, such as Japanese ambient, the muted dissonance of Pharoah Sanders, and the chilly dub of the Scape catalog, Soliton evokes visions of lonely night drives punctuated by bright moments of bliss. The Calque EP from January 2023 saw them pursuing the minimal electronic side of their work even further. The opening track, "Kottbusser Tor,” showcases a conspicuous absence of the processed guitars that characterize most of their work, and instead explores sequenced filters, tape delays and analog synth patterns for eight minutes. On "Ammosel", they dive directly into dubby soundscapes, with crackling electronics and deep basslines, while "Kiyosumi" and "Fade Into Air" pay a visit to more familiar ambient territory. A darker undercurrent pervades on this EP, but one that goes particularly well with the coldest of seasons and its frosty air. The duo, consisting of Jason Kolb (Michigan, US) and Jonas Munk (Denmark) started working together in 2006, sending each other tracks across the Atlantic, eventually resulting in a full-length release on Felte in 2012. What started out as a side project to their respective main projects (Auburn Lull and Manual) have slowly become the main activity for both artists, now with a total of four full-lengths under their belt. Their music has also evolved and matured over the years, reaching a level of perfection that’s only granted producers who've been in the game for decades. Billow Observatory have by now established themselves as purveyors of highly refined ambient music and the Soliton EP sees them elegantly blend new and old, electronic and organic, into a gently drifting, enveloping whole. “.. mind drenching sunrises, glittering constellations, and sailing clouds, richly furnishing the familiar sense of hovering over vast natural orders that you're also inside. – Pitchfork // “So the world it inhabits is essentially that one between states, simulating a quietly vibrant ecology of sub-aquatic bass rumbles, washed out expanses of mid-range swirl and keening top end whose elusive colours seem to fade and coruscate in the low light. Lovely

Recorded in an abandoned water tank in rural northwest Colorado and inspired by Muriel Rukeyser’s circa-1935 poem of the same name, violinist Leslee Smucker explores the range and saturation of intense natural reverb on Breathing Landscape. The artist pushes her instrument to the limit –by turns percussive, sweeping, and scraping– and, on several tracks, utilizes her own voice as well, resulting in an album that combines breathtaking beauty and visceral texture. Leaning into the meditative quality being present in one moment can provide, this is music you can feel on your skin, calling out from our decomposing modernity into the indifferent sky above. Conjuring deep time but captured in one day, the album is simultaneously immediate and vaporous, primeval-sounding yet unapologetically modern. When you travel out of the mountains down into the rangelands of what we know today as western Colorado, the horizon opens up to reveal an ancient and scarred land. Cell phone coverage is spotty at best and towns are sparse. Time escapes our efforts to contain it and is instead etched into the hot, dry canyons. Approaching The Tank, outside the settlement of Rangely, oil pumps work ceaselessly on the other side of the gravel road, extracting a grim future. Inside The Tank it is 20 degrees warmer than outside, a zone of strange harmonics, exchanges of sound and stillness, and explorations of landscapes both exterior and interior. In what she describes as a "sauna of sound", Smucker "was transported by the reverberation to another realm. Birds and trucks passed outside, while the wind was an integral part to the sound making

finally available again on vinyl, note the new price. The most critically revered and commercially successful Eluvium album finally released on stand-alone vinyl for the first time ever. Originally released on CD and Digital formats only, Copia was eventually available on vinyl exclusively as part of the Life Through Bombardment Vol. 1 box set. With thatset long out of print – and Copia celebrating its 10-year anniversary – we are finally giving this landmark album the vinyl reissue that it unquestionably deserves. Remastered for vinyl by Francesco Donadello at Calyx Mastering in Berlin, this deluxe 2xLP set is packaged in a full-color wide-spine jacket with dual heavyweight full-color inner sleeves. // “The grandest, most sweeping Eluvium record to date.” Pitchfork // “A magnificent set, awash in textures, atmospheres, moods, and emotion.” AllMusic // “Copia is the sound of Cooper surpassing himself, combining his patented minimalist drones with beautifully rendered piano.” – Drowned In Sound // Following a string of increasingly remarkable albums, Eluvium's Matthew Cooper set out to broaden his instrumental palette, while maintaining the uncanny emotional resonance that has become his trademark. The result is Copia, an hour-long epic that applies Eluvium's heartache-inducing ether to a symphony of strings, brass, keyboards and piano. Noticeably absent but hardly missed are the washes of guitars that color most of Eluvium's previous material. The deliberate exclusion of traditional rock instrumentation serves as sufficient proof that the instrument is not Eluvium's driving force. At best it is a catalyst, a vehicle to that netherworld in the back of your head, where your life starts to uncontrollably reevaluate itself. Also Available From Eluvium: False Readings On CD, 2LP, Life Through Bombardment Vol. 2 7LP, Nightmare Ending 2CD, The Motion Makes Me Last CDEP, Leaves Eclipse The Light CDEP, Similes CD, Talk Amongst the Trees CD / 2LP, An Accidental Memory In the Case of Death CD, Lambent Material CD

20 years ago Sunburned Hand of the Man released "Headdress" and it
cracked there world open
This is not hyperbole. The album resulted in the band becoming the cover children for a scene / genre-defining story titled "New Weird America" by the Wire and also saw the album given a 9.0 / Best New Music tag from Pitchfork ("...the music flows so readily with complete and utter disdain for trend and fashion that it feels simultaneously primitive and advanced..."). Largely out of print since back then, "Headdress" is back to help put the world back on a better path.

Remastered for this 20th anniversary edition freshly from the original masters and housed within a gatefold bearing archival photos, this is true head music for true heads.

Tune in, shake yr ass and drop out with this ever-providing slab.

The first in a four-volume retrospective of Kuduro and tarraxinha pioneer DJ ZNOBIA. Incoming unto the world for a very long time from the musseke of Rangel, home of Casa da Mé&e Ju, in the Angolan capital o Ldanda, one if not the pivotal visionary of his country’s music electronic and digital modernism DJ Znobia, o/fum/an inventor. Usually considered the first purveyor of the fluency regarding tarraxinha (drinking in its foundational slow shuffle from the city of Benguela), as well as a main player in free thinking, spontaneous, funny, depressive, silly, melancholic, hilarious all encompassing beats within kuduro, batida, techno and beyond, his influence as a producer, DJ, MC and public fiuce has had a great imprint in Angolan culture for the better part of the last three ecades. This venture went through over 700 tracks of his archive (more than double are lost in the meantime between his and the NNT library) in order to collaboratively select a fiercely representative albeit balanced affair from his production, between instrumentals for sung kuduro, instrumental kuduro/batida, sung and instrumental tarraxinha, and other creative styling from the late 90’s to the mid 2000’s. Forms now heard around the world which started here, with Znobia a decisively influential contributor, along with several of his peers and collaborators, which will be also in evidence in this four volume retrospective. His story is way too far flung for this endeavor to try and make a simple narrative out of it. You have to be him, you have to be within this territory, and we ask of the people who will approach to ask him what has happened with the history of this music and what is the current reality at ground zero Luanda, as he is a mirror and visionary of its streets, in a country with such complicated dynamics and brutal treatment of its citizens. To try to put in a clean slate for this conversation, let’s talk to a genius of street music. Your question. First, here's the opening collection of what we have to share with you.

The debut EP of 'heizen records' takes a step aside from modern production techniques heading towards a late 90's/early 2000's sound. Without waiting for permission, Daito & impala kick off with 'Fuck Protocol', a warehouse tool containing two simple yet well placed synths followed by a pushy acid-lead giving the first track an incredibly energetic drive. impala's & vnice's 'Bohlen' is a ghetto-tech homage with a catchy vocal and a propulsive kick and bass combo which brings you straight to the party. On the B-side, Daito's & emagemuser's 'Grazie' comes in like a stomping closing banger quickly gathering a lot of momentum through its polyrhythmic structure and dreamy pad-synths, whereas the beat of 'Simulektronik' conveys a trippy yet shaky feeling through the swinging synergy of a clamouring synth-line and semiquaver hats followed by a suprising bass lead.

On Natura Morta, Sven Wunder is exploring art as a bridge between nature and the human ability to judge and observe in eleven musical compositions with brightly colored textures and an emphasis on vibrant melodies.

Throughout human history, we have depicted the world we live in through art. By reworking what we see in the world, the simplest things have helped us understand the beauty of nature and to evaluate the material world that we have created around us, as a window to a constantly changing reality, through our own perception. It is that absolute reality that appears in the seam of human and nature and that can be revealed through art.

Still life painting, also referred to as Natura Morta (”dead nature”) in Italian, stretches back to ancient times. Some of the earliest works, found in Pompeii, depict commonplace objects such as fresh autumn fruits alongside man-made objects such as a small amphora and a small terracotta heap with dried fruits. These two-thousand-year-old paintings give a snapshot of Roman life, and also creates a link to time and space. A slice of life has been created by binding the earth’s pigments with extracts of oil, made from nuts and seeds, painted with brushes, made from a variety of fibers, such as trees and hair from animals. While life wanes with each brushstroke, by shifting reality into the past, art exists to make us come alive, being a living image of a dead thing, a surface and a symbol with symbolic powers of its own. Still life works celebrate material and ephemeral pleasures by returning to nature as the ultimate source for our standards in art as well as in life itself.

Natura Morta collects pieces from a continuous variety of melodies — supported by a decisive rhythm section — creating a musical kaleidoscope of ever-changing colors. Sven Wunder brings life into this rich assortment of musical implications by fusing and combining melodic instruments with each other in a setting that spans from a classical to a modern idiom. The author evokes this panoramic portrait by articulating an instrumental dialog between a chamber orchestra and a jazz ensemble. The result is a musical celebration of material pleasures that also serves as a reminder of the brevity of human life. This album was produced with financial support from the Swedish Arts Council.

repress !

A single sided repress of All I Remember - hand-stamped centre with the Astrophonica Logo.

'I was introduced to Damian’s Ghost by a mutual friend and what struck me immediately was how simple and clean the tracks were. The vibe and intention was clear from the outset and ‘All I Remember’ went straight into my radio show that week. Vangelis meets Jungle. Atmospheric and drawn out but ruff with it. Delicate but weighty. There’s more too so watch this space . . .' All I Remember takes the scenic route and drifts over peaks and valleys before ascending into the stratosphere. A positive outlook for your day and beyond.

Repress!

10 years since the consumerist musings of Tesco, Matthew Herbert reanimates his Wishmountain project and heads deep underground to find the source material for Stonework: 1000 metres down.

Like many of Herbert’s projects, Wishmountain releases revolve around specific, material sound palettes, and for this latest album he’s drawn from a sample library created as a commission for the Stone Techno festival, which took place at the UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein mine in Essen, Germany. Working with sound recordist Lorenzo Dal Ri, Herbert and Dan Pollard captured a varied and wide variety of hits, tones, textures and one-shots from the frozen-in-time remnants of the Ruhr region’s coal-mining industry and from specific materials in the nearby Ruhr Museum and Mineralien-Museum. A sample library created by Matthew and Dan of the recordings was also used for the Stone Techno series, from which tracks have been commissioned by the likes of Luke Slater, Megan Leber, Ben Sims and KiNK drawing from the same sounds heard on this album.

These stone-cast sounds lend themselves to the Wishmountain framework – skeletal, quasi-industrial techno with an angular impulse and a subtle swing. Much like the breakthrough hit, 1996’s ‘Radio’ (made using samples of a broken radio), the limitations on the source material sharpen the focus of the music. What started out as a practical hardware restriction in the early 90s became a purposeful way of working for Herbert – one which carried through the 1999 album Wishmountainisdead to 2012’s Tesco with its sampling of the British supermarket chain’s 10 most popular products.

Musically, Stonework is consistent terrain for Wishmountain – austere and forbidding in one sense, playful and irreverent in another. But from a club music perspective, which Wishmountain absolutely is, it offers DJs a variety of rhythmic formations within the tool-like minimalism of the arrangements, opening up intriguing possibilities for mixing into, out of, or somewhere in between. For every 4/4 thrust and jerk there is a fractured, snaking meditation pivoting around other time signatures.

Crystal clear in its creative intention and simultaneously successful as surface-level club music, Stonework: 1000 Metres Down is a natural continuation for one of Herbert’s most celebrated, albeit intermittent, aliases.

“I wrote these six new pieces with simple French words that a student learning French can understand. It is always intended for fanciful dances and musical fantasies” - Bernard Fevre

Legendary Parisian disco pioneer and producer, Black Devil Disco Club is back and has announced the release of a new album via UK independent imprint Lo Recordings on the 1st December.

‘Etincelles’, which translates as ‘sparks’ in English, is the follow up to 2020’s ‘Lucifer Is A Flower’ and will be digitally available and released on limited edition coloured vinyl wrapped in screen printed sleeves with lazer cut triangles designed by the award winning Non Format team. A truly future perfect and infectious collection of electronic sounds and beats, the new album features six brand new tracks including the lead single ‘L Mer Sur L’enfer’ which was inspired by Salvador Dali and will be available from the 3rd of November.

With a story as deep and strange as the music itself, Black Devil is the alter ego of Bernard Fevre, a French composer of electronic library music with a highly sought after back catalogue that includes the magnificent ‘Strange World Of Bernard Fevre’.

Having grown up and worked in Paris, it was the African clubs and rhythms in the city that inspired him to make his celebrated debut album ‘Black Devil Disco Club’ with only a small arsenal of electronic keyboards, a vocoder and looped conga drums. One of the most enigmatic electronic masterpieces ever made, the record was so ahead of it’s time that no one could believe it was made in 1977 on it’s release in ‘78. When it was re- issued in 2004 on the Rephlex label many thought it was a hoax and that the music was made by Aphex Twin or Luke Vibert but when Lo Recordings put out the ‘28 After’ album in 2006, the truth was finally revealed.

2001, Yorkshire, England. SUBDUB is in full strength shaking down Leeds' city walls with regular parties, community events & sound system sessions. Active since 1998, the devoted crew push UK Dub music forward, inviting key players of the scene to play at their events powered by the mighty Iration Steppas sound system. Session after session, the SUBDUB imprint nurtures a loyal community of skankers while building close ties top artists in the field. A solid reputation that resonates amongst dub-heads around the globe. After 3 years of existence and having already put out 3 singles on their Tandori Space Records label, the idea of putting out a SUBDUB compilation album sparks. Producers get involved and the ‘Digital Africa’ project takes shape! But when the test presses finally arrive, the difficult financial situation and bleak state of the vinyl market at the time force the project to get shelved…

22 years on, while on a pilgrimage to SUBDUB and stopover at the Tribe Records HQ, the Dubquake team see the dusty test presses emerge from the record store vaults and get a taste of the incredible music through the shop's speakers… Unreleased & exclusive tracks by Iration Steppas, Jah Warrior, D.BO General, Vibronics, The Disciples, Tena Stelin, Nucleus Roots, The Bush Chemists & Freedom Masses. 12 undiluted UK Dub cuts from the 90s pressed on to 2x12” vinyl discs, with a 13th bonus digital track. Pure sound system business, raw dubs inna vanguard style!

‘Digital Africa’ is finally coming out on Dubquake Records in time to celebrate SUBDUB’s 25th birthday. A forgotten compilation full of history, curated by Simon Scott & Mark Iration. Guaranteed to bring back sweet memories to veterans of the dance, a great piece of dub music education for the rest of us!

"I don't like rap music at all. I don't think it's music. It's just a beat and rapping."
Nina Simone

Straight off the streets, Hip-Hop burst onto the scene, leaving no one indifferent, igniting a cultural revolution that would shape generations to come. Now, in celebration of its 50-year anniversary, Art That Kills proudly presents HHCOMP01.

HHCOMP01 aims to capture the freshness and innocence of a genre in the midst of defining itself. As the world embraced this new phenomenon, it was a time of raw creativity and unbridled expression.

With a selection of seven fantastic tracks stepped out of the underground, HHCOMP01 is a window into the origins of a genre that has resonated with countless hearts and minds.

Eraldo Bernocchi and Hoshiko Yamane have come together again to create their second album - inspired by the Japanese concept of ""Sabi"". The record is a unique blend of electronic and acoustic music - with Bernocchi’s pulsating textures and Yamane's haunting treated violin melodies weaving together to create a captivating and emotional sonic landscape. ""Sabi"" is a Japanese aesthetic that celebrates the beauty of impermanence and decay. It is often associated with the simplicity, austerity, and solitude found in nature, and is said to evoke a sense of melancholy, nostalgia, and reverence for the passage of time.

Bernocchi and Yamane's ""Sabi"" explores these themes through a collection of minimalist compositions that combine electronic and acoustic instruments immersing the listener in a deeply cinematic experience. The album takes the listener on a journey through a series of atmospheric tracks, sometimes melancholic pieces that evokes the sense of solitude and simplicity often associated with the concept, other times more energetic and uplifting, optimistic ones that celebrates the beauty of transience. The artwork again was created by the renowned designer Petulia Mattioli.

Eraldo Bernocchi and Hoshiko Yamane have come together again to create their second album - inspired by the Japanese concept of ""Sabi"". The record is a unique blend of electronic and acoustic music - with Bernocchi’s pulsating textures and Yamane's haunting treated violin melodies weaving together to create a captivating and emotional sonic landscape. ""Sabi"" is a Japanese aesthetic that celebrates the beauty of impermanence and decay. It is often associated with the simplicity, austerity, and solitude found in nature, and is said to evoke a sense of melancholy, nostalgia, and reverence for the passage of time.

Bernocchi and Yamane's ""Sabi"" explores these themes through a collection of minimalist compositions that combine electronic and acoustic instruments immersing the listener in a deeply cinematic experience. The album takes the listener on a journey through a series of atmospheric tracks, sometimes melancholic pieces that evokes the sense of solitude and simplicity often associated with the concept, other times more energetic and uplifting, optimistic ones that celebrates the beauty of transience. The artwork again was created by the renowned designer Petulia Mattioli.

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Jogo Duro, a collaboration between Ilhan
Ersahin and some outstanding Sao Paulo musicians Guizado, Ze Nigro,
Samuel Fraga, Chicao & Tony Gordin who also happen to be great friends
These are players who will be familiar to those following the careers of Ceu, Otto,
Curumin, Tulipa Ruiz and the late, great Gal Costa. This record is the result of the
amount of time Ilhan has spent in Sao Paulo over the last decade due to putting
on the Nublu Jazz Fest there every year. With all the contacts, connections and
friendships formed over the course of making an annual music festival happen,
musical cross-pollination (usually simply referred to as "jams") was inevitable but
this time it was decided to do it in a studio with tape rolling rather than on stage,
which is certainly a more productive approach than merely talking about it over
beers at a local bar!
Everything happened fairly spontaneously over three days in the studio,
everybody brought songs, ideas and creative energy and before you know it an
album was born, which will be released in November after three singles come out
over the spring and summer

Sun Ra is better known to most as a musician than a poet, but he identified equally as both. My Words Are Music provides direct access to the sentiments of a poet who never called Earth home. The spoken word album hosts an inspired array of artists who personally chose their favorite Sun Ra poems to recite. Freed from the page, his poetry acquires an unexpected simplicity and poignance it possessed all along.

This all-star and intergenerational lineup of artists conjure wisdom from his words: spoken word elder Abiodun Oweyole of The Last Poets; rapper, and singer-songwriter Saul Williams; jazz experimentalist Melanie Charles; British-Trinidadian poet, novelist and musician Anthony Joseph; poet Mahogany L. Browne; poet, playwright, and conceptual artist Carl Hancock Rux; musician/digital composer L’Rain; singer, actor, and director Tunde Adibempe of TV on the Radio singer; British DJ and BBC radio host Zakia Sewell; ballistic hip-hop poet Jive Poetic; and longtime members of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Marshall Allen, Knoel Scott, and Tara Middleton.

Punctuated by impish electronic interludes composed and played by Marshall Allen, these voices bless Sun Ra’s poetry with new life My Words Are Music offers the opportunity to follow Sun Ra into a
better future. “Prepare for the journey,” he writes in his poem “The Cosmic Age”, “You have a rendezvous / With the living wisdom.” My Words Are Music is a project developed in conjunction with Living Sky, the all-instrumental Sun Ra Arkestra album released on Omni Sound in 2022

The first bunch of remixes for Kito Jempere's Green Monster. The album itself was a versatile journey thought all music styles and patterns you can imagine, remixes are keeping the same direction.

EP opens with a remix from multi-talented and prolific studio genius Ewan Pearson, the man behind hundreds of remixes, production and studio engineering duties for artists like Tracey Thorn, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, The Chemical Brothers and many many more. And Mr Pearson is taking Kabwato on a journey! Originally recorded as two and half minutes as some say mid-album filler, this boat (kabwato in chewa language) is going deep down the tropical river and through breezy morning rainforest valleys. A perfect trip for your midday staying home alone errands or for your early morning ray of light at the bar with a beautiful panorama.

Same track is getting treatment from the mighty Cable Toy! Unmistakable peak time euphoria manifest - going back to my roots-esque piano meets 90s cable tv dance show house party!

On the flip is the remix by The Dawless. The Dawless are Ramil' Goddeem from LAUD and Sergey Gol'd, producer and owner of GoldxFish Music studio. They recently released their debut album "Broken Aux" on System 108, got remixed by DMX Crew and became residents of LOUD BOYZ label. The project has simple ethics: computers not allowed, only real gear and vibes. The duo has created a true rage rave anthem for Kito Jempere now. Having already been played in a lot of DJ-sets blasting through packed warehouses, now it became available to everyone.

EP closing opus is by Kito's frequent collaborator - UK born and Japan based producer Max Essa. Every Kito's album was accompanied by Max's remixes and this time he's delivering pure beauty again. Creating some Golden-era "8 1/2 weeks" vibes, Max transforms the track into a post-summer voyage anthem.

The eyes cannot see without varying the perception.

Thought dwells over rapid, constant change.

There is no moment in which any power of the soul remains the same; senses and faculties in their nature instinctively stimulate the alteration of the state.

No simplicity at any given time, nor identity at different times.

Distinct scenes make their appearance, pass and repass, slip and mix with an infinite variety of attitudes and situations: the mind opens the curtain, becoming theatre.

DJ Monchan returns with a killer two track EP.

The sound experience is similar to his previous releases and continues to explore the void between old-school 80's house and 70's disco.

'Love Me' has that 80's house backbone but loops and filters the disco samples into a real journey...proper Loft biz if you ask us.
'U&Me' is a serious boogie stepper that is as bumpy as it gets and together with the smooth vocals this will sound ace at any disco jam :)

Finally the 5th album of the imaginary German quartet - as always via Denovali. Although the title ""Systeme"" suggests a perhaps rather distant-cool album, it is the most personal and concentrated soundtrack so far created by Thomas Bücker from Münster in his ""E-Smog-Playground"" studio. In 2008, the quartet still flirted with cyrillic-mysterious melancholy and red wine-swilling trakl melancholy. 15 years and four albums later, it seems almost cynical to simply continue at this point. Because: late modernity delivers its very own complex tragedies - in real time.

This feeling of ""Something's not right here"" runs like a thread through the entire new album. While it still sounds popularly symphonic here and there, there are also many soundscapes that have an observing, almost unmasking effect. Microtonal shifts, polyrhythmic structures, tempo fluctuations and sound aesthetics torn out of context create a fragile, unpredictable foundation - as if Talk Talk, Tim Hecker and Skrillex were making music together and challenging our tolerance for ambiguity.

Typical of the Bersarin Quartet: sparks of optimism shimmer through everything. However, sitting back and enjoying doesn't really want to work - necessarily. Because that makes it exciting without freezing in escapism - fortunately.

When Leo Pesci submitted his outstanding nujazz LP, ‘Impolite’ to Jo at Ramrock Records, there was absolutely no hesitation in saying ‘yes please’ to his refreshing, contemporary collection of tracks which aim to transcend the limitations of genre and speak out on matters that are unpalatable and difficult to swallow. Leo addresses current global issues such as politics and corruption, climate change and overpopulation, capitalism and the misery it brings to society, but also toxic masculinity and relationships.

This is Leo’s first new release since his highly acclaimed EP ‘Community’ in 2021, which featured well-known artists of the London jazz scene like Jas Kayser, Ella Knight, Nicola Guida, Johnny Woodham, Simon JNR and Dani Diodato amongst others. ‘Impolite’ continues


to steer the listener through Jazz, HipHop, Soul, Alternative R&B and Rap with some exceptional collaborations featuring 15 different jazz/hip hop artists including Jackson Mathod, Moeazy, John Swana, Dylan Jones, Jay Phelps and Tendayi to name but a few.

Suburban Architecture continue their series of now highly collectible 4 track EP releases with their 6th offering, 'Inside / Outside'. This new collection of tracks once again draws heavily on influences from the jazzier, atmospheric strains of mid to late 90s Drum & Bass. Putting a contemporary spin on sounds rooted in this golden era of dance music, the latest 4 tracker is split into two parts: Inside / Outside. Each track appears in two parts, delivering similar themes at different tempos.

Opening track 'Inside Part 1' will please followers of Suburban Architecture's previous work - lush pads, deep atmospherics, Jazz fusion flute licks and smashing Amens are all present in the mix. Inside Part 2 lowers the tempo without compromising the energy: Slo-mo Amens interspersed with complimentary breaks sit on top of huge pads, Reece style bass and rousing vocals. Outside also appears in two similarly styled parts. This time Part 1 comes in at the lower tempo, a light vocal-led slow motion rolling number with classic Apache elements, while Part 2 applies the same sonic template to a tough, jazzy roller.

LTD gold vinyl. Back On Black re-package and re-issue "A Holocaust in Your Head", the debut album by crust punk veterans Extreme Noise Terror - on gold vinyl! Never was a band and its first album both so suitably named as EXTREME NOISE TERROR and their seminal debut full-length, 1989's "A Holocaust in Your Head". Simply put, this is one of the key releases of both the crust-punk and grindcore genres, redefining British music's known limits of sonic extremity with its remorseless aggression, blinding speed, and none-more-raw recording.

* Lou Reed's final solo album finally available again * First time on vinyl * Produced in partnership with Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive * Booklet features unseen photography by Lou, Q&A with Laurie Anderson & Jonathan Cott, essay by Eddie Stern, and archival interviews with Lou and Hal Willner * Remastered by GRAMMYr-nominated engineer John Baldwin * Package designed by multi-GRAMMYr-winning artist Masaki Koike // "I first composed this music for myself as an adjunct to meditation, Tai Chi, and bodywork, and as music to play in the background of life, to replace the everyday cacophony with new and ordered sounds of an unpredictable nature. New sounds freed from preconception. ...over time, friends who heard the music asked if I could make them copies. I then wrote two more pieces with the same intent: to relax the body, mind, and spirit and facilitate meditation." - Lou Reed Light in the Attic Records in cooperation with Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive, proudly announces a definitive re-release of Hudson River Wind Meditations, the pioneering artist's final solo album. Originally released in 2007, the deeply personal project combines Reed's love of creating drone music with his passion for Tai Chi, yoga and meditation. The album's ambient soundscapes have been described as a counterpoint to his intense Metal Machine Music album-but they are similar outliers in Reed's 40+ year exploration of drone music and feedback harmonics. The album has been remastered by the GRAMMYr-nominated engineer John Baldwin with vinyl pressed at Record Technology Inc. (RTI). The Double LP set is presented in a gatefold jacket designed by GRAMMYr-winning artist, Masaki Koike and features new liner notes by renowned Yoga instructor and author, Eddie Stern, who guided Reed's practice for years. Also included in the physical editions is a fascinating conversation conducted earlier this year between author/journalist Jonathan Cott (Rolling Stone, The New Yorker) and Reed's wife, artist Laurie Anderson, who discusses the album, as well as her husband's devotion to Tai Chi - one of the album's primary inspirations. Hudson River Wind Meditations marks the latest release in LITA's Lou Reed Archival Series. Launched in 2022 in tandem with the late artist's 80th birthday, the ongoing series has celebrated one of America's most influential songwriters through such acclaimed collections as Words & Music, May 1965 featuring many of Reed's earliest (and previously-unreleased) recordings, including the earliest-known versions of "I'm Waiting for the Man" and "Pale Blue Eyes."

In 1994 the South London collective Archive was formed by Darius Keeler and Danny Griffiths together with female singer Roya Arab and young rapper Rosko John. Unfortunately, a few months later, they broke up, however Darius and Danny regrouped and continued releasing more Archive albums. Their 1996 debut album Londinium features a very strong mix of trip-hop, electronica, string arrangements, and female vocals from Roya Arab. Rosko John’s tough-spoken words are very similar to Tricky, Future Sound Of London and Massive Attack. The original 1996 issue only came out as a limited edition advance release, and has steadily built in reputation as a rare and expensive record to get a hold of. Fun fact: the song “Londinium” was featured on the Playstation
1 demo-disc and the music video was directed by Matt Cook.

This 25th Anniversary Edition of Londinium by Archive features the singles “So Few Words”, “Londinium” and more. It is packed in a gatefold sleeve, and includes a 4-page booklet with song lyrics and credits.

After an international tour, the multi-instrumentalist FKJ presents his new 6-tracker jazz EP : Ylang Ylang

Produced in an intimate context, the project, both bright and melancholic, is a real journey within the artist's time capsule.

Its numerous instruments - often accompanied by warm choruses - between apotheosis and rhythmic lull, tell the different parts of his life. Story of musical and familial love, loneliness and passing time, this project spotlights his name, coming from a soothing local flower.

Full of influences, there is Bas - the first rapper signed on Dreamville, label created by J.Cole - on the single "Risk", which deals with similar themes. French Kiwi Juice introduces us to a sweet orchestral ballad. Finally, between gratitude and lightness, he states "I am still the same".