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When Chuck D proclaimed "Bass, how low can you go?" on Public Enemy's anthemic 'Bring the Noise,' maybe he was pre-empting or inciting the 10,000 fathoms-deep, spine-bending basslines and sub-quake tremors of 'Implosion.'

Implosion is a crushing split album, appropriately released on The Bug's own PRESSURE label. Mapping out a new form of spectral dub, the sound is deliberately immersive, introverted, and yes, definitely implosive. In pursuit of heavy lids, blurred vision, and merciless bass bin punishment, it’s one part meditation, two parts low-end theory, and essentially a confession of devoted sound system addiction.

As expected from a tag team featuring British soundlab explorer and 'London Zoo' composer Kevin Martin, aka The Bug, and Michael Fiedler, aka Jah Schulz—a long-time graduate of Germany's new school of sound system reggae culture—the duo approaches their target differently yet share the goal of keeping their sound "raw" (Fiedler) and "brutally minimal" (Martin). This proves that opposites can attract, even if their tools are different and their methods sometimes diverge.

From such a disparate combo, hailing from different geographical and aesthetic backgrounds, contrasts are certainly on display, even within each artist's own contributions. From the melancholia and transcendence of 'Alien Virus (West Indian Centre, Leeds),' to the duality of ascension and descension on 'Hope,' or the Sunn 0))) in dub, visceral drone of 'Dread (The End, London),' to the tripped-out repetitions of 'Midnight,' which reinvents Chain Reaction for post-millennials, the result is both sacred and narcotic. Each track illuminates the emotional impact and atmospheric pressure being explored across this deceptively sparse album—a mastery of tone and texture.

This collection might be as reduced, minimal, and deep as The Bug has ever gone, perhaps echoing the solemnity of his recent Kevin Richard Martin Black release and invoking the futurist steppas self-pioneered on his previous Pressure album. Alternatively, Fiedler‘s Ghost Dubs project ventures into his most heavyweight direction yet, which is no mean feat considering his previous, the critically acclaimed album Damaged, was a monstrously massive triumph of analogue weight and enviable sound design.

Implosion is ice-cool, a stark contrast to the warmth and sociability of traditional Jamaican roots and the current trends in digi-dub. Instead, the mood is soaked in tension and intense dread, finding an unexpected melting point where classic dub's stark rhythm attack, isolationist ambience's eerie drift, dub techno's floatation strategies, and even the relentless riffs of doom metal collide. As the bass-obsessed pair drop what is arguably the heaviest ambient dub album to emerge from any electronic sector—a moody counterpoint to The Orb's fluffy clouds, etc, Martin has cited The Roots Radics, Black Jade, and On U Sound's Pounding System as heavily influencing his approach to the album, while Fiedler has expressed his admiration for Adrian Sherwood's productions and Rhythm & Sound's enchanting soundscape. Yet, the super heavyweight pulsations, emotive resonances, and bone-rattling vibrations detonated here effortlessly go far beyond these influences.

Shadowy and elusive, there’s a mysteriousness at this record's core. A haunting moodiness oscillating between nostalgia and future shock. Despite the deadly fixation with SLOW and HEAVY, the album maintains a totally hypnotic swing throughout. Implosion and its lead single 'Imploded Versions' are testaments to being enveloped in bass, seduced by bass, submerged in bass, and utterly crushed by bass, as The Bug and Ghost Dubs seek to craft a new form of dub for zonal headz and Babylon seekers.

Mastered by Stefan Betke (a.k.a. POLE) at Scape Mastering studio, this record is heavy as f-ck without resorting to continuous distortion. It’s low-end worship taken to an absolute extreme, yet remains highly listenable and definitely danceable, albeit at the slowest of paces. Sacred and narcotic, this is low-end worship amplified to the max. Dive in if you dare.

Already championed by Gilles Peterson on Worldwide FM and DJ Koco from Japan is the newest collaboration between Wah Wah 45s & the vinyl only ,singles only label imprint Mukatsuku Records .Dele Sosimi is a modern Afrobeat torchbearer who worked with the genre's greatest, Fela Kuti. He has a varied and vital discography that includes the 2023 album The Confluence from which this new 45 rpm on Mukatsuku is taken. It is a sweet soul sound, laced with gentle jazz and warm, buttery vocals that slow your heart and mind equally. On the flip is an exclusive, never-released instrumental that allows the sax-laden sounds and virtuoso musicianship to shine. Both sides are perfectly cosy and gentle accompaniments to a lazy afternoon in by the fire as winter begins to bite.




b 02: Mo Se B'ola Tan (Unreleased Instrumental) feat. Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly


b 02: Mo Se B'ola Tan (Unreleased Instrumental) feat. Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly

First Word Records are proud to bring you 'Penny Ballads', a 5-track EP from Royce Wood Junior.

Royce Wood Junior is a Grammy & Mercury Award-nominated musician, songwriter and record producer from London, currently based in Brighton. As a multi-instrumentalist, he's collaborated with a litany of brilliant artists over the years, such as Jamie Woon, Nao, Disclosure, Jessie Ware, Olivia Dean, Joy Crookes, Jamie Lidell and Jordan Rakei, additionally to touring with the likes of the legendary Thomas Dolby. He's released two acclaimed solo albums to date ('The Ashen Tang' in 2015, and 'No Two Blue Ticks' in 2021).

'Penny Ballads' demonstrates RWJ's varied talents, with a collection of alternative soul compositions, each one as unique as the next. It includes the first two singles, the Poplife-Prince era flavoured 'Go Get Your Money', and the double-time future funk adrenaline shot, 'Clean Up', along with three previously-unreleased tracks. 'Beretta' is low-slung soul funk, beginning with quirky squelchy synths, before the soulful lead vocal of feature artist Lucey Way breezes in to melt everyone's hearts. 'Things' sweeps in next, an infectiously soulful midtempo heavy soul bop, with an instant earwork of a hook, like a modern-day Steely Dan / Doobie Brothers, complete with a head-nodding string section to end the track. The collection concludes on a more melancholy downtempo tip with 'Rolling'; an almost-folktronic anthem, with a key refrain that wouldn't be out of place on a 70's Stevie piece.

RWJ (aka Jim Wood) says of this project… "Back in the 17 and 1800's Troubadours and minstrels would go from Tavern to Tavern selling Penny Ballads, single sheets of music and lyrics written quickly and frivolously to make a quick buck.. It strikes me that we're in a similar phase in the way we value music in 2025. An old Penny Ballad was cheap and dog-eared, ink-smudged, sung aloud by firelight, Now songs live in the digital ether, dissolved in the air, a ghostly breath paid in micro cents. The new era of Penny Balladry is here, and weird.

This EP is a snapshot of my writing over a two year period. Focussed on minimal recording styles, one mic on the drums, generally first or second takes on parts and vocals, I wanted the music to feel like small moments with lyrics that talk about the weird nuances of being alive as a latter stage human on the cusp of the Ai revolution. Culturally so evolved, but physiologically still just a bunch of mammals walking about with primitive fears and needs. Just trying to reconcile it all moment to moment…"

Previous support for Royce's music has included Radio 1's Future Sounds, BBC 6 Music's New Music Fix, Annie Mac, Clara Amfo, Jo Whiley (BBC Radio 2), Mary Anne Hobbs, Jamz Supernova, Tom Robinson, Huw Stephens (BBC 6 Music), Zane Lowe and MistaJam. There have been sessions previously for the likes of Red Bull and press from Huck, Line of Best Fit, Clash, Aesthetica & DIY magazine.

Entirely self-written and self-produced, this EP gives a solid taste of RWJ's talents. A deeply funky diverse set of music from an immensely talented individual.

'Penny Ballads' is due to be released on vinyl & digital, 24th October 2025.

The vinyl version also includes an exclusive additional mix of the first single 'Go Get Your Money'.

Disco 5 is the latest instalment of Pet Shop Boys’ continuing ‘Disco’ album series, which started in 1986. The 12-track collection features ten Pet Shop Boys’ recent remixes of songs by artists including Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Primal Scream, Paul Weller, Tina Turner, Claptone, Wolfgang Tillmans and more, as well as a remix of their own track ‘Dreamland’ featuring Olly Alexander.

Punching in with his debut vinyl EP for Fluid Funk, Chilean house producer Massiande follows up to a string of head-turning releases on an array of labels, including Jimpster’s Freerange Records. His much anticipated new offering, “Essential”, packs all the attributes of his vivid, floor-focussed vision, taking us on a bouncy ride across densely forested coastal house scapes and heavy-lidded electronics. Draped in washed-out pads and cottony textures, Massiande’s tracks have us floating in a chromatic daze of sorts, light-hearted and somewhat nostalgic, but above all hopeful and resilient.

A textbook slab of Massiande’s ever-expanding palette of woozy house tropes and silken disco touch, A1 “Tears” (also presented in bare instrumental form on the flip side B2) has it all, from the euphonic synths arrangements to the no-nonsense, club-igniting jack and irresistible footwork, via the infectious bass and Chicago-style soulfulness of its vocals. Proper fiery number and absolute weapon for any DJ seeking either impactful elegance in a peak-time context or to rekindle the flame when the after gets a bit too prosaic and requires that extra funky boost to get back on tracks. Grooviness exemplified.

More of a straightforward affair, A2 “Essential” unflappably beckons us on the path of utter vaporous escapology with its pulsating tableau of FX-soaked machine talk, semi-acidic bass and zero-G synthwork painting the sky all shades of pastel. The result is a rather captivating piece of weightlessly intuitive though carefully engineered sonic daydream. Injecting further oomph to the groove, B1 “Come On” pulls out a symbiotic collage of Sino-flavoured melody, Stax-ian vox sampling and straight out Detroit house-indebted propulsion, neatly showcasing both Massiande’s broad spectrum of influences and that idiosyncratic take of his on the said genres’ tried-and-tested leitmotivs.

Souldynamic swings back onto the Samosa label with the mesmerizingly rhythmic West-Side Of Afrika Vol. 2.

We kick off the A-Side with ‘Touma’ – a truly hypnotic tribal afro vapour that entices you into the fire-lit night. A heavy dub-style bass just about dominates above the rhythmic ensemble, whilst the haunting chanted vocals elevate the track to ethereal levels. Stunning. No wonder Ron Trent has been spinning this one in his sets for the past few weeks – it’s right in that spiritual zone where deep house meets ancestral ritual.

Second track on Side A is the happiness trip that is ‘M.I.L’. Rolling drums, marimbas and a killer bassline merge with the flighty guitar riffs and smiling vocals. You could be in a bar listening to the music live in the room, smoke filling the spaces and dim lights offering a glimpse of good times.

Heading over to Side B and you find the enchanting ‘DJA’ awaiting. A deep roller of a tune, Souldynamic shifts the gears whilst serving the entrees. A truly magnificent slice of West-African vibes, ‘DJA’ has it all from the gorgeous vocals to the chugging, hypnotic beat.

Track 2 on Side B is the sultry ‘N.T.F.P’. The BPMs are touched down a notch for this one but don’t let that fool you. ‘N.T.F.P’ is a musical celebration of joyous beats, slaps, claps, brass and Afro vocals. You don’t get it much more authentic than this.

West-Side Of Afrika Vol. 2 is like a shapely hand in the perfectly fitted glove that is the Samosa label. A truly stunning piece of vinyl with every track as strong as the last. A sure-fire winner.

Manchmal geht einfach alles POP! Fall in Love Again with "Balloon Balloon Balloon"! Unterwerfung. Das ist das Wort, das mir in den Sinn kommt, wenn ich mich mit Kai Slaters Sharp Pins auf den überwältigenden Pop-Planeten begebe. Das Universum funktioniert nur, wenn man sich unterwirft: sich der Liebe unterwirft, sich der Rockmusik unterwirft. Sich der Kraft zu unterwerfen, die von einem Jungen ausgeht, der seine Gitarre schwingt, um makellosen Gitarrenpop zu kreieren, der ins Pantheon der Idole gehört, zu denen er mit diesem Album aufsteigt. Natürlich ist es verständlich, dass man zunächst wütend ist. Alle waren wütend auf Big Star, weil sie den Beatles zu nahe kamen. Und alle werden wütend auf Sharp Pins sein, weil sie dasselbe tun und dann noch Guided by Voices mit ins Spiel bringen. Wie kann er es wagen? Diese Überheblichkeit. Welcher 20-Jährige glaubt, er könne Robert Pollard übertrumpfen? ,Queen of Globes and Mirrors?" Ein Verbrechen. Mit dem noch schlimmeren Verbrechen, Songs zu schreiben, die so rätselhaft zeitlos sind, dass man glauben könnte, sie seien aus einem verlorenen Beatles-Band gestohlen worden. ,I Don't Have the Heart" und ,(I Want to) Be Your Girl" lassen einen wirklich im Unklaren darüber, wann und wo sie entstanden sind. Aber wenn der Lo-Fi-Noise-Pop von "Balloon Balloon Balloon" uns an etwas erinnert, dann daran, dass nur Kai das kann. Mit seiner 12-saitigen Gitarre und seiner unermüdlichen Besessenheit von Popmusik ist Slater einzigartig ausgestattet, um nicht nur von Pollard und Chilton das Erbe anzutreten, sondern auch den Byrds, den Temptations, den Four Tops und allen anderen Künstlern nachzufolgen, die versuchen, die wahre Liebe auf Band zu bannen. Er wendet die Taktik ,um Vergebung bitten, nicht um Erlaubnis" an, wenn er sich bei diesen Größen bedient, und uns bleibt nichts anderes übrig, als Slater zu vergeben, dass er uns diese Rock'n'Roll-Juwelen schenkt, die er aus der Vergangenheit in eine Zukunft katapultiert, die so melodisch makellos und doch kantig und aufrichtig ist, dass wir ihm auch dafür danken müssen, dass er das Genre vor der Bedeutungslosigkeit bewahrt hat. Denn was Slater hinzufügt, ist ganz und gar sein Eigen. Eine unbeschreibliche Sensibilität für das Songwriting, die trotz der zahlreichen Anleihen nur ihm gehören kann. Am Ende des Albums schluckt man jegliche Wut oder Ungläubigkeit, die man vielleicht hatte, und akzeptiert, dass Sharp Pins wirklich so gut sind. Auf diesem umfangreichen, aber niemals überladenen Album erschafft Slater eine Welt voller kleiner Pop-Perlen, die so einfach und dumm gut sind, dass sie uns daran erinnern, dass eine andere Welt möglich ist. Denn es ist nicht nur so, dass die Songs unmöglich aus dem Kopf gehen, was sie auch sind. Es ist Slaters eigene Hingabe an dieses Streben nach dem perfekten Popsong, die uns glauben lässt, dass dies nicht nur möglich ist, sondern auch ausreicht, um dem Leben wieder Form und Farbe zu geben. Fall in Love Again ist keine Empfehlung, sondern eine Verpflichtung. Nicht nur gegenüber einem schönen Mädchen, von denen es auf dem Album viele gibt, sondern gegenüber der Welt selbst. Vielleicht ist es dann möglich, die Zukunft zu erreichen, von der der 20-jährige Slater selbst träumt, aber bis dahin haben wir seine Liebesbriefe an den Rock'n'Roll und die Welt um ihn herum, die uns Gesellschaft leisten.

Slip is Paul Abbott’s response to his 3 day residency at OTO in 2023. It’s a continued exploration of the acoustic-digital hybrid drum setup Abbott has been developing for some time, which involves drum kit and synthetic sounds combined closely—through an entanglement of limbs and cables—in an intimate but strange relationship with each other.

Paul Abbott hasn’t had any formal musical training, but has a long history of making music, having collaborated for years with Seymour Wright, Pat Thomas, Michael Speers, Cara Tolmie, Anne Gillis and many others. Eventually, led by a profound suspicion of what is fixed or limited, Abbott began finding other ways to organise sound - or what he calls ‘material’:

“I wanted a way to 'persuade' or guide the possibility of something happening - my activity or the events of an algorithmic composition - for example, but without certainty or formalism. It felt to me, during playing, that certain ideas had a particular sort of shape, but more than the form of a line. I began to write alongside (before/after) playing the drums, and ‘characters’ began to enter the scene as a more wobbly, and therefore appropriate option to notation. Working with these characters allowed me to simultaneously approach body, imagination, language and music: without dividing things up or separating these aspects from each other. It allowed me to leave things messy and entangled, whilst trying to deal with form and specificity: wanting to have some things feel or respond differently to other things at other times.”

In approaching his residency, Abbott developed a fixed cast of characters - crystal, lleaf, reiy.F, reiy.C, strike, nee, qosel, sphu and aahn. They each communicate using different kinds of movement and drum kit/s, and Abbott choreographed them as ‘dances’ based on different feelings, or outlines of behaviours suggestive of ways of moving (body, drums, sounds). He then arranged these characters into ‘compositions’: one for each performance day, with each composition featuring multi-layered activity - options for behaviours, ways to move around the rooms, play drums, develop synthetic sounds, change the lights or re-distribute the sound in the space.

After the performances, Abbott took home 9 hours of recordings split into up to 28 multitrack channels for each day, and re-organised his cast once more into a performance for 2LP, CD and digital. It’s an enormous amount of work - but Abbott is activated by the process. For him, the pleasure of unstable edges, possibilities, slippages, is the vital attraction. Like all living organisms, Abbott’s characters have malleability and responsivity. They stimulate a bundle of possible behaviours, a tendency to act a certain way, a temperament, a boundary of respective limits or affordances.

It’s an affective way of working, inclusive of Roscoe Mitchell, Sun Ra, Nathaniel Mackey and Milford Graves. In ‘Pulseology’(2022), Milford Graves reminds us, ‘Breath varies, so cardiac rhythm never has that (metronomic) tempo. It’s always changing. All the alignments of the heart are determined based on the needs of the cells, specifically tissues and organs. The heart knows if it needs to speed up.’ In Slip, to slip, in a heartbeat, is to descend not into the grid of the even metre accorded to the heartbeat, but into a play of mutability and modality. To change is the condition of the heart.

Vanbur – artist duo consisting of composers Jessica Jones & Tim Morrish – are releasing their debut album release this autumn. The album scoops up Earthing and my dove, to sleep, made famous by the Netflix show ONE DAY, alongside previous material from their debut EP ‘Human’ including In Cold Light which had a huge TikTok moment around the show’s release. Written over several years, ‘Of Becoming’ reflects a maturing of Vanbur’s sound as they themselves have gone through major life changes and transitions, which are addressed both lyrically and sonically in this impressive body of work. There’s a dreamlike quality to the album, representing the sometimes disorientating dichotomy found in immense change of wistful nostalgia and strength found in adaptation. Recorded at Church Studios with a 12-piece ensemble, the album weaves between lush orchestral heights such as Of Becoming and Friends of Mine and edgier alt-pop bangers such as Strange Kind Of Creature. Jess’ vocals are at times ethereal and textured, and at times lean further into her song-writing sensibilities with their most personal lyrics yet. With the pair’s range and skillset across production and composition fully explored, the album is a triumph of song-writing. The band have worked with filmmaker and Creative Director Matt Houghton on a strong visual aesthetic, from key artwork to narrative promotional films shot on 35mm. With graphic design by Torsten Posselt, the vinyl will have a tactile and natural quality tying in with the analogue feel of the campaign. Vanbur’s debut EP, Human, was released in 2018 and received press coverage in Clash, Ear Milk, Higher Plain etc and was played across BBC 6Music shows. The had their debut performance at the 100 Club and plan to bring a scaled up version to stages in 2026. The follow up remix EP included remixes by Mogwai and Katie Gately, and their music has been placed in hit-shows including One Day (Netflix), The Rising (Sky), Hanna (Prime) and Queens (Nat Geo).

Moving freely through time and space via experimental DIY recordings since 2009, Joasihno return with their fourth album "Spots".

“Find your spot in the shade,” a truly laid-back and incredibly soft-spoken MC once advised, yet in a world that seems to get shadier every day, it’s probably time to finally get out and face the sun. Southern German experimental pop duo Joasihno – initial solo founder Cico Beck (The Notwist, Aloa Input, Spirit Fest) and drummer/composer Nico Sierig (Instrument, Fehler Kuti) – seem to know exactly when it’s time to shine. Idiosyncratic genre tweakers since day one, they have been operating at their own pace, mostly staying in their own shady corner. Yet, almost a decade after their most recent “Meshes” (an album that came with a whole legion of tiny music robots), it’s high time for them to take over more corners, to reclaim even more spots between lo-fi and sci-fi, retro electronica and contemporary classic. Drawing upon influences as varied as Reich, Riley, and Ryuichi, múm, Meek, and Moondog, while also nodding to other experimental twosomes (e.g. The Books), the duo’s fourth full-length “Spots” is set to arrive via Alien Transistor in late 2025.

Leaving soulless automation and all things artificial to others, Joasihno launch the latest record on “2 Squares” that feel like a peaceful, almost bucolic version of retro space age: lights blink ever so softly as easy-going bass tones point at today’s introspective flight arc. Electronic shapes align and things lift off – with a majestic 8-bit sunrise soon appearing right in front of us. Whereas playful title song “Spots” is a miniature Rube Goldberg kind of device, with quirky plucked strings and glitches setting off more and more contraption layers, “Crackleboom” is uncharted energy, an open landscape, an expanding bonfire that leads to a long-forgotten piano, all dust-covered in some kind of saloon. Space might be only noise to others, here, it’s foreboding screeches (“Dizzle Whistle”) that make room for A-side center piece “Forest Lights”: a steady beat that lures us to a clearance in the woods. Things break and shatter in the distance, but this spot right here is for hypnosis, dancing, sylvan spirits. And yeah, it’s surprisingly hot down here in the undergrowth…

Opening side B with a fun banger that takes the unhinged dancing to the playground – “Characa Orb.” feels like French kids on swings going crazy, a tipsy, tongue-in-cheek electro blow-out between Oizo and Orbis Tertius –, things get even more cinematic throughout the second half. Even the cheapest, lo-fiest gear is sufficient to make “The Slow Hour” glow like true, timeless pop royalty. In fact, the very same pop spirits roam and celebrate freely in the chirpy coves of mesmerizing “Detune Lagoon” – more hand-crafted sci-fi/lo-fi loops you’ll only find after facing the ghosts of Lynch or Sakamoto on those night-time trails under the “Deep Moon”. It’s all DIY spots, spots that leave room to dream or dangle, drape yourself over or dive into. Returning to the leafy bower on a melancholy post rock tip, we eventually learn that “Death Is Real” – and so we’re left with a laterna magica that turns and turns and turns. It’s a beautiful spot where light and shadows keep on dancing, just like they’ve always done, ever since the dawn of this madcap universe.

With Processing Music, Dutch composer and electronic musician Casimir Geelhoed offers a compelling meditation on sound transformation as a metaphor for psychological and emotional processing. Operating at the intersection of overstimulation, introspection and fragility, the album unfolds as a deeply immersive and personal exploration — one that invites the listener to inhabit a space of their own projection, memory and reflection.

Rather than imposing a fixed compositional structure, Processing Music follows a bottom-up approach, allowing form to emerge organically from the interaction of sonic materials. Digital signal processing is not used here as a mere technical tool, but as a poetic device: transformation as narrative, delay as memory, distortion as tension. Through slowly eroding loops, gently collapsing textures and shifting layers of timbre and space, Geelhoed crafts a delicate sound world that is charged with friction.

What may at first seem abstract gradually reveals an emotional core. The album evokes the suspended time of a largo, the layering of memory like an excavation, the psychological tension of perceived spatial expansion. These are not literal themes, but associative keys to a music that operates in a distinctly human sonic language.

Emerging from a series of live performances, Processing Music retains a performative sensibility: the music breathes, transforms, and invites attention to nuance. It slowly unfolds a landscape shaped by the subtle interplay between structure and dissolution.

Casimir Geelhoed has presented performances and installations at festivals such as CTM, Sonic Acts, Rewire, Fiber, SPATIAL, and Aural Spaces. He studied computer science, composition, music technology, and sonology in Amsterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht.

Never Sleep charity tape series focuses on London's pirate radio momentous rise with a true pioneer.

Femme enterpriser DJ Rap holistifies futurism with a cacophony of Ragga, Hardcore and Transatlantic soundscapes. A bass propagation filled with landmark pointillism, matriarchal musicianship and acidic House.

Soundclashing all machismo in sight, rugged mercurial stripped back bedlam for the peak time listener. Complexificating with hypnotic FX, "WHERES THE RAVE" signalling, flawless magnetica and hyperbolic genre splicing. Rap brings the "mood", hybrid soundsystem lashing and method only she fully enablises.

Literally sleeping inside and DJing on Fantasy FM from the age of 16 (you can hear her doing the ads at the start), this mix showcases an incredible time for the burgeoning sounds of the new millenia and the rise of pirate radio across London.

DJ Rap recently released her 6th studio album and is well known for her charity work and love of club culture. A female pioneer in the UK music industry and a long lasting staple in the Electronic history lexicon.

All proceeds go to Four Paws who help Animal Welfare across the UK

Amazing Things is an album about death which isn't morose, slow, or quiet. A year ago Darren lost a friend to cancer. Amazing Things is an album about death which isn't morose, slow, or quiet. Instead, it is packed with joyful, melodic guitars and some of Darren's prettiest tunes. It is sometimes very sad, but also heartfelt, loving, and rewarding. Darren recorded the album almost entirely solo and this time he has dug deep into his primary instrument, the electric guitar, creating a sound that is rich in tone and texture. Darren Hayman is a British songwriter best known for his work with late 90s band Hefner, but has since made more than 20 albums dealing with astronauts, the English Civil War, William Morris, Lidos, and Thankful Villages. He lives in South London with his dog.

Originally released in 2011 during the second big coming of deep house, Maya Jane Coles' 'Focus Now' EP returns as part of 20/20 Vision's Full Circle 30th Anniversary series. It's been out of print for years and harks back to a very different sound from Coles, who has since spread her sonic wings into many different worlds. This reissue features all three original tracks, starting with 'Focus Now,' a soft focus and bubbly blend of pulsing synths and rubbery drums, 'Little One' which was something of a warehouse classic of its time, and 'Senseless' with Coles' own vocals and slow motion drum churn. Alongside those is 'The High Life', another syrupy and warm blend of smooth drums and aching vocal hooks that, like the rest of the cuts, is freshly remastered.

2025 Repress

DJ Koze exists both above and beyond club culture as we know it - his albums and remixes flying free from genre and trend - and symbiotically woven into its heart. Yes, he always abstracts and weirds out the principles of house, techno, hip hop, pop, psychedelia, exotica and so forth, but he does that because he understands them. And when it comes to club-demolishing tracks, he understands those principles as well as just about anybody on earth. Thus he could create an enduring club tune like 2015's 'XTC' that is strange, contemplative, even disturbing, bore little relation to anything around at the time, yet still got bodies moving and sweating better than way more obvious techno bangers. And thus the Knock Knock album, which melts a million genres and none into one another, can comfortably include 'Seeing Aliens". 'Seeing Aliens' unquestionably is a banger, its bass riff snaking around your body like a python, its high-drama strings, pianos and outbursts of noise designed for maximum crowd pressure release. But, again, it sounds like nothing else, and its dynamics and twists unfold over eight and a half minutes in ways that will mess with your head every time no matter how many times you hear it. The exclusive b-side track, 'Nein König Nein' ("No King No"!), meanwhile, is slightly gentler on the face of it: it's less about sonic pressure, more about hip-shaking syncopation. But it too tells strange fairytales in its peculiar and brain-tweaking accumulation of detail, and though you'll hear archetypal sounds from the heart of house and disco in it, every last one of them becomes new and otherworldly.

Originally released in 2005, Supernature was Goldfrapp’s era-defining masterpiece, a multi-layered sonic-pop thriller that shattered the electronic rulebook, replacing it with a radical, high-gloss vision of pop music at its most seductive and strange.

Supernature catapulted Goldfrapp into the pop stratosphere, spawning now-classic singles like “Ooh La La”, “Number 1”, and “Ride A White Horse”. The album topped charts worldwide, earned multi-platinum sales, garnered multiple BRIT and GRAMMY nominations.

Now reissued for its 20th anniversary, the deluxe edition offers fans the classic original album alongside B-sides, classic & brand new remixes, unreleased live radio session recordings and an Audio Blu-ray 5.1 surround mix. The release is presented across 3 CDs (2CD + Audio Blu-Ray) in deluxe packaging, alongside a stunning peacock-coloured double vinyl edition (the second disc being a remix 12” single EP), with everything cut at half speed for enhanced sound quality.

The new edition includes two brand new Goldfrapp remixes by Alison Goldfrapp & Will Gregory, with exclusive reinterpretations from Richard X, Sun’s Signature (Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins) & Damon Reece (Massive Attack, Spiritualized).

With the release of this deluxe edition, Goldfrapp don’t just revisit Supernature, they reaffirm its enduring influence in 2025’s musical landscape and beyond.

2025 Repress

Pye Corner Audio shows off his love of acid on the first of two EPs for Emotional Response that drop simultaneously. This first one is his debut on the label and comes with a gorgeous cover that perfectly encapsulates the sounds within. 'Dust Acid' is a sparse cut with dusty drums and meandering basslines that slowly sink you in, then 'Magnetic Acid Two,' which like all of these was recorded live, is another expertly reduced brew of murkiness with plenty of frayed edges and vintage analog sounds. 'Wanna Show U Acid' is a late-night acid dream and 'Magnetic Acid Four' shuts down slightly more bite. Four timeless backroom cuts, make no mistake.

Finally, back on vinyl after 20 years! Skunk Anansie’s seminal 3rd studio album Post Orgasmic Chill was released in 1999 when the band were at the height of their powers - the tour around this album saw the band headline Glastonbury. The album includes classics such as Secretly, Charlie Big Potato and You’ll Follow Me Down.
Gatefold sleeve with printed inner bag.

Killer tune produced by Sly & Robbie at Channel 1 in the early '80s. Never released at the time, but it was played by some sounds on dubplate and has become hunted by steel seekers ever since. Great lyrics and the early Taxi trademark spare, heavy mix elevates this tune to something more. Warning for the punters, this is mastered from dubplate - loud and raw.

Australian artist Factory Preset dropped a killer album, Swingchronize Me, back in 2022 and it was an ode to the DIY acid wave scene of 90s Sydney DIY made using a 'swingchronizer,' aka a homemade box that "bypassed the temporal rigidity of other units allowing the freedom to create consistent swing effects." Now, four of the cuts get reworked into deep, groove-driven and masterfully well swung sounds that are fluid, loopy and could unfold endlessly without ever growing stale. Some are slow and predatory, others are more light and colourful, all of them perfect for dropping into long-form sets where both body and mind get locked in.

Red Vinyl. 'The Ugliest Of All' is a devastating album with zero let-up or mercy, a thoroughly unenjoyable assault of horrific battering that will bring no pleasure to the listener whatsoever. Previous albums had catchiness and levity, but this one is dark, vicious, hateful. 'Fools Of The Trade' opens with anger at the rest of the metal scene, before segueing into 'I Want To Be Offended', a catchy middle-aged attempt at whining like millennials. 'Skullbattering' is a stomping Angelcorpse-tinged ode to mass suicide. 'Logorrhea' continues the WEREWOLVES tradition of ripping into their own fans, and title track 'The Ugliest Of All' closes the album with a fearsome chorus, stupendous velocity, and dynamite fretboard dexterity.

London-based Aketi Ray are all-acoustic dub-jazz dons that blend double bass, drums, upright piano, horns and percussion into original compositions rooted in post-independence Jamaican instrumental traditions. Their sound also weaves in Ethiopian jazz, West African percussion, US jazz influences and UK Steppas vibes. Here they join up with K�ln, Germany duo Hidden Sequence, regulars on the likes of Mosaic and Lempuyang. 'Call On His Name' is flute lead and liquid dub, 'Time Is Now' has a mystic quality and moody sax lead, then 'Sinai' brings slowly unfurling melodies and lovely woodblock hits that echo away to infinity. Alternate versions on the flip make this a timeless excursions into endless dub depths.

Househead London launch their 2nd 12" release - a limited-edition Chicago Vs London sampler featuring Glenn Underground and Emmaculate Remixes.

Following a string of critically acclaimed events featuring Chi-Town royalty, Househead London further cement their relationship with Chicago on this vinyl release which features two of the city’s esteemed producers - Glenn Underground & Emmaculate - remixing two sterling new tracks from two of the UK’s most exciting producers - Prefix One and Wez Whynt.

Opening the EP is an artist who needs very little introduction, Glenn Underground. A leading international producer & DJ who seems to effortlessly slide between Deep, Soulful, Disco, Jazz and beyond, Glenn boasts an exceptional discography that very few could compete with. His Cosmic Disco Journey Mix here weaves its lo slung groove in a funky off-kilter disco style with piano ripples as Nambi’s voice shimmers on top. Nambi’s heartfelt soars across Glenn’s Cosmic Journey remix unfurling beautiful piano and taut Chi-town beats. Deep and vocal, it’s got that raw soul power that both Glenn and Chicago are known for.

Known for his exquisitely high attention to detail and quality, Emmaculate is one of the go-to producers and sound engineers in Chicago. Working closely with Terry Hunter on a multitude of projects and a shining light across the global soulful house scene, he’s regularly featured across impressive labels such as Dopewax, Yorubasoul, United Music, Soulstice Music and S&S Records. His lush, tough-edged Remix of ‘Feelin’, rolls on with melodic piano hooks to unlock the groove and boosted with extra keys and vocal refrains before the full vocal unfolds. Solid and deep, “Feelin’ is pure joy for the dance floor.

Four decades on, "Around The World In A Day" has been newly remastered in stereo by Bernie Grundman and is available on limited-edition 140g blue marble vinyl. The record ultimately yielded four commercial singles: “Raspberry Beret” with its spectacular kaleidoscopic video featuring Prince in a suit inspired by the clouds and sky on the sleeve, “Paisley Park” (released only overseas), “Pop Life”, and “America”.

Four decades on, "Around The World In A Day" has been newly remastered in stereo by Bernie Grundman and is available on 140g black vinyl. The record ultimately yielded four commercial singles: “Raspberry Beret” with its spectacular kaleidoscopic video featuring Prince in a suit inspired by the clouds and sky on the sleeve, “Paisley Park” (released only overseas), “Pop Life”, and “America”.

Die frühesten Aufnahmen des legendären Singer-Songwriters Blaze Foley. Einfach, geradlinig und kraftvoll - ,Sittin' By The Road" enthält 12 Titel, die während Blazes ,Baumhaus"-Zeit in Georgia aufgenommen wurden. Die hier vorgestellten Titel wurden Mitte der 1970er Jahre auf Blazes heimischem Tonbandgerät aufgenommen, das er auf seinen Reisen zwischen Texas und dem ländlichen Georgia mit sich führte. Diese Songs zeigen Blazes Talent in seiner frühen Form. Das Album enthält mehrere Songs von Blaze, die heute als Klassiker gelten, darunter ,Cold, Cold World", ,Election Day", ,Clay Pigeons" und ,If I Could Only Fly". Das Album enthält außerdem drei Songs von Foley, die auf keiner anderen Aufnahme zu finden sind: ,The Way You Smile", ,Fat Boy" und der Titelsong. Als Blaze 1989 auf tragische Weise ermordet wurde, war er außerhalb der Kreise der rebellischen Songwriter von Austin kaum bekannt. Heute wird er als einer der großen Songwriter von Texas verehrt. Townes Van Zant und Lucinda Williams haben beide bewegende Hommagen an Blaze geschrieben. Seine Songs wurden von John Prine, Merle Haggard, Lyle Lovett, Billy Strings und Willie Nelson gecovert.

Anthology 4 - Triple LP. The new volume from The Beatles Anthology Collection.

Anthology 4, is newly curated by Giles Martin, including 13 previously unreleased demos, plus fascinating session and other rare recordings dating from 1963 to 1969. It also includes the band’s final single, ‘Now And Then’, released in 2023, and new mixes of The Beatles’ Anthology-associated hit singles: the GRAMMY-winning ‘Free As A Bird’ and ‘Real Love’, given new life by their original producer, Jeff Lynne, using de-mixed John Lennon vocals. Furthermore, Anthology 4 presents 26 tracks that have never previously been released on vinyl.

The track notes are written by Kevin Howlett with an introduction compiled from 1996 interviews recorded with The Beatles’ close friend and adviser Derek Taylor.

Pressed on 180g black vinyl, the triple LP is housed within poly-lined inner bags and a triple gatefold sleeve.

"Raise your swords up high: BLOODBOUND march into a powerful future with Field Of Swords, out November 21st via Napalm Records. Twenty years after the release of their debut album, the Swedish warriors stand taller than ever on the front line of epic power metal, delivering their most modern work yet. Most recently drawn to the Viking era, the latest concept album Field Of Swords turns the page to another chapter in history, moving past the year 1066 and into the Middle Ages. As warfare evolves and the significance of forging iron with carbon leads to superior swordsmen, the bloodstained battlefields show new, grim faces, leaving room for more of BLOODBOUND’s vivid storytelling that continues to thrill audiences at countless live shows around the globe. BLOODBOUND’s first release with Napalm Records adds another 11 captivating battle hymns to their repertoire. A diverse record with aggressive songs and epic tracks alike, their eleventh album also contains some of the band’s fastest material ever written. The opening title track, “Field Of Swords”, immediately storms into BLOODBOUND’s signature sound, braiding stories of glory with a sweeping blend of melodic and heavy power metal. The dominant “As Empires Fall” follows the crusaders east and powerfully depicts said glory in epic battle in contrast with sacrifices made on the way. “Defenders Of Jerusalem” cleverly expands on the topic of loss, leaving listeners to wonder which side is holding their heads up high in the face of imminent defeat. Catchy flutes have the heroes take heart in “The Code Of Warriors” to guide them into the “Land Of The Brave” and Field Of Swords to new heights at the same time. “Light In The Sky” further illustrates BLOODBOUND’s battle scars turned electrifying sound, while the mature “Teutonic Knights” opens up the bleak reality of the tragedy that undoubtedly accompanies this battle-torn era of history. Yet, “Forged In Iron”, “Pain and Glory”, and “Born to be King” hold their ground as equally unforgettable tunes, all leading up to the brilliant finale: Brittney Slayes of powerhouse Canadian band UNLEASH THE ARCHERS joins “The Nine Crusades” as another valuable fighter to lead Field Of Swords to greatness. BLOODBOUND’s latest triumphant march impressively illustrates the importance of purpose and perseverance with heroic tales in shining heavy metal armor.

Stripped-back dub techno, carried by ghostly, voodoo-haunted vocals. From Grand-Popo 2013 to Helsinki 2025, a slow burn across time and space.

Berlin’s ZentaSkai returns to his Mask Records with the ‘Billie’ EP, collaborating with Palawan, Jeremy Reinhard, and Thomas Grün for release on vinyl only, 2nd November 2025. He kicks off with the solo cut 'A1', which is quick, sophisticated, raw House with a funky clip to the beats that diffuses heat in the grainy sustained pads. It brings serene emotional release through stylish hypnosis and gorgeous vocals that blend seamlessly into the mix. Next, ZentaSkai collaborates with the mysterious Palawan, as he did on one track of his 2023 album The Architecture Of The Mind, on 'A2.' This one suspends you in backlit synth glows while rounded drums and funky claps tap out the supple rhythm. Cautious hope comes from the quiet chord stabs and soft focus melodies in what is a masterclass in deep Techno minimalism. 'B1' reunites ZentaSkai with Cologne's Jeremy Reinhard following previous cuts on that same 2023 album. Reinhard has long been a pillar of his local Berlin scene as a resident DJ, but also the wider underground with his own label Lekker Record. Their track taps into dub depths but ups the pace and allows radiant synths to piece the surface next to muttered spoken word that keep it intimate and perfectly seductive for body and mind. Last of all is a collab with Austrian Thomas Grün, who has been shaping deep and Tech House with his immaculate grooves for decades. Their 'B2' brings US garage snares to buoyant drums and douses them in layers of fuzzy synth warmth. It's meditative yet direct with an ever-rising sense of hope that makes it all the more indelible. ZentaSkai (aka No Mad Ronin, Matt Nowak, and MASK) is a German DJ and producer active since 1997. Based out of his studio in Berlin, ZentaSkai runs the Zaijenroots label and, since 2017, the Mask sub-label, which houses his stunning 2023 ‘Architecture of the Mind’ LP as well as his Cuddling Monsters project with Laura Merino Allue, who has been significantly involved in the label's work since 2023. - with other credits including a release on Jerome Sydenham’s Ibadan Records and support from the likes of Richie Hawtin, Joseph Capriati, Marcel Dettmann, Luke Slater, Laurent Garnier, DVS1, Ben Sims, and Radio Slave.

Legendary Metal Band STRYPER Announces Long-Awaited Christmas Album 'The Greatest Gift Of All' out November 21 via Frontiers Music Srl Iconic and long-running Christian metal band STRYPER is set to release their long-anticipated Christmas album, The Greatest Gift Of All, on November 21st via Frontiers Music Srl. Fans have been requesting a holiday record for years—and now, the wait is finally over. The celebration begins this July with the release of the first single, "Still the Light". STRYPER's current lineup features original members Michael Sweet, Robert Sweet, and Oz Fox, alongside bassist Perry Richardson. Together, they continue to craft what they believe is some of the most powerful and inspiring music of their career. The band recently wrapped up a successful world tour in support of their latest studio album, When We Were Kings. The tour spanned the USA, Europe, and South America, and marked the band’s 40th anniversary—a milestone celebrated with a dynamic setlist featuring classic hits, fan favorites from the newer era, outfit changes, and an upgraded stage production. As STRYPER continues to evolve, they remain a cornerstone of Christian rock and metal, blending faith and heavy music for four decades. Looking ahead, the band is also working on a Kickstarter-funded documentary directed by Chris Atkins, offering a behind-the-scenes look at their remarkable journey. With over 10 million albums sold worldwide and several Billboard Top 40 hits, STRYPER shows no signs of slowing down as they continue to write, record, and perform for their global fanbase.

Drummer and NEA Jazz Master Billy Hart releases his first live album, MULTIDIRECTIONAL, with his longtime all-star quartet featuring saxophonist Mark Turner, pianist Ethan Iverson, and bassist Ben Street. --- Legendary drummer Billy Hart credits the great Rashied Ali for introducing him to the term “multidirectional” – a descriptor for the elusive, daring approach to the kit that Hart and others of his generation had developed intuitively in response to the increasing freedom and exploration of the era’s jazz experimentation. “Rashied Ali told me that ‘multidirectional’ was what John Coltrane called this freeform feel, where conventional structure was abandoned and the rhythms could cut in any direction,” he writes in Oceans of Time: The Musical Autobiography of Billy Hart, his captivating new memoir. Hart had begun to explore that style under the influence of Coltrane’s pioneering work, first venturing into the terrain while playing with Pharoah Sanders at the famed East Village club Slugs’. More than half a century later, Hart has refined and evolved the approach into a singular percussive voice of unparalleled elegance, finesse, and intricacy – as exemplified on MULTIDIRECTIONAL, the first live recording by his longstanding quartet featuring tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, pianist Ethan Iverson, and bassist Ben Street.

God Given Ass is a five piece punk rock band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 2008. The band members’ former outfits include 90’s Finnish rock band Tehosekoitin (a.k.a. The Screamin’ Stukas), legendary drunk punks Maho Neitsyt and horror-garage-punksters The Patsy Walkers. As connoisseurs will have noticed, the band name derives from a line in a certain David Bowie song, and true to that, their influences range wide – from classic punk rock sneer to 60’s-influenced melodies to glitter stomp and back. Despite God Given Ass having been around for some time, this eponymous record is their debut album. Having released four 7-inchers early in their career (and two cassettes to boot), they went on a hiatus a couple of years back, only returning to the touring cycle in 2024. Despite the near glacial release pace, the album itself is not slow: it’s a 28 minute and 12 track ride through the at times fun & at others dreary landscapes of eastern downtown Helsinki by night.

Sex Tapes From Mars presents Outdom Records' boss, LATENT, who shares a brand-new four-track EP that spars with breakbeat, electro, house, and left-field electronics, neatly centring them all into a steady, sexy collision. The record as a whole captures genuinely original-sounding, rough-edged b-boy breaking badness - nostalgic, but never polite. It's a few BPMs slower than Sex Tapes' last few outings, but no less effective. Arguably, it's more late '80s sounding than ever, although, in fact, it's a brand-new, stonking release that showcases the label's versatility and unpredictability.

The opening track, "Break Machine", sets the pace with a clear nod to the '80s US group of the same name, bringing tidy drum workouts and clipped vocal samples that recall early Chicago, as well as choppy rave and street party energy at its most unfiltered.

"Disco Hijack" pushes the clutch into a more functional gear, merging delay-heavy, druggy, chuggy, sludgy bass with more robotic vocoder tropes, sharing something playful but IDM and European skewed. It's a dancefloor tool with a wink - just the style this now accomplished label has made its identity. Oh, don't forget the amens and clattering jungle breaks. 1990 or 2040? Fuck knows.

On "Distress Robot", pneumatic percussion and malfunctioning android chatter bring a darker, more mechanical edge, while "Virtual Body" closes with a spacious, garage-leaning shuffle that pulls the EP into recognisable contemporary yet still very much peak-time territory.

LATENT gives lean grit, pushes the edges, and lets the tracks feel alive in their imperfections. It’s music that thrives on tension between old-school reference points and modern floor pressure.

Bristol's label head Elon Dust HAS done it again.

Vinyl-only as per, don't sleep."

Toyah’s 1994 solo album Take The Leap! is issued on limited edition picture disc vinyl for the first time ever.

The picture disc features colour images on each side of the vinyl and is housed in special die-cut outer sleeve containing previously unseen photography from the original album shoot.

Toyah’s 1994 studio album was recorded with Salisbury band Friday Forever and includes eight re-recordings of classic Toyah material and six original compositions.

Toyah’s 1991 solo album Ophelia's Shadow is issued on limited edition picture disc vinyl for the first time ever.

The picture disc features colour images on each side of the vinyl and is housed in special die-cut vinyl outer sleeves containing previously unseen colour photography from the album shoot.

A personal favourite album of her catalogue, Toyah confirms: “Above all, this is the one album I have made that truly represents me. I’m fiercely proud of it. Ophelia’s Shadow is not just a record, it’s a reflection of who I was, who I am, and who I continue to become. It’s the sound of resilience, reinvention, and raw truth.”

The album features a band line-up including Trey Gunn on stick, Paul Beavis on drums and Tony Geballe on guitar. Two tracks, Brilliant Day and Lords Of The Never Known feature Robert Fripp on guitar and were originally played live by Sunday All Over The World, the band Toyah & Robert Fripp toured and recorded with in the late 1980s.

Moving Pressure marks its fifth release, and the first one to stretch across a double vinyl with full sleeve artwork. It isn't framed as an album, yet its sequencing carries a narrative weight that lingers between immediacy and introspection.
MP05 welcomes on board Australian producer Connor Wall, whose work fuses tightly wound rhythm and immersive atmosphere, balancing precision with a sense of openness. His sound is rooted in the physical pull of the dancefloor, yet drawn toward zones of suspension and elusion. And Moving Pressure 05 captures that duality very clearly. Momentum sets the tone from the outset - taut drum programming, metallic accents, and structures that build energy in decisive bursts. There's a sense of propulsion that feels engineered for peak hours, exuding a tightening grip on the floor. Gradually, tension loosens up, stretching patterns into spirals, layering vaporous pads and resonant low-end that opens a more interior space.
Together, the two arcs trace Wall's range with clarity: body and mind, force and dissolve. Rather than presenting opposites, they reveal different angles of the same language. An exploration of density, atmosphere, and the subtle thresholds between the two.