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Singer, actress and cultural conduit for peace, Liraz releases a new collection of four songs, primed with an intensity and a raw musical revolt, energising the Middle Eastern musical landscape, sung in Farsi and driven by her deep desire for positive energy and much needed global harmony and light.

The latest release on Jai Alai follows the format of forgotten vinyl tracks never before released on 7” format, or previously CD only album tracks, and will raise some eyebrows in artist selection and pairing.

Donaldson Toussaint L’Ouverture Byrd II was one of the most significant jazz artists of all time having joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the mid-50s and establishing himself as one of the best hard bop trumpeter/flugelhorn players. His progression was continuous through the 50s/60s working with John Coltrane, Gigi Gryce, Pepper Adams, Thelonius Monk, Sonny Rollins as sideman, and became one of Blue Note Records leading artists.

By the end of the 60s Byrd decided to move away from that idiom, experimenting with jazz fusion, African music and Rhythm & Blues. He worked hard to make jazz and its history part of the curriculum in US music colleges and he taught at many including Rutgers, Hampton, Howard, and Columbia, the latter from who he received his PhD in music.
Byrd took a great interest in how Miles Davis’ experimentation was resonating with a younger audience, and despite being castigated by his musical peers, his development of jazz fusion changed the jazz scene forever. His work with the Blackbyrds was a cornerstone for the progression of jazz funk in the UK.

The effect of his hook-up with brothers Larry & Fonce Mizell was immediate and his Blue Notes albums “Black Byrd” (1973), “Street Lady”, “Stepping Into Tomorrow” (1974), “Places & Spaces” (1975) and “Caricatures” (1976) became legendary on the newly evolving jazz funk scene with certain tracks such as “Change (Makes You Wanna Hustle)” normalising dance jazz on the disco floors, not to mention being a rich source for many hip-hop samples.
A slightly leaner period followed when he moved to Elektra Records and of the three albums with his new incarnation 125th Street NYC, a group of musicians he taught at North Carolina Central University, two were produced by Isaac Hayes including “Words”, “Sounds, Colors & Shapes” (1982) from which “Everyday”, a fabulous forgotten piece of mellow jazz funk derives.

By the end of the 80s he had returned to his harder straight-ahead jazz roots, but his place in history and the evolving of jazz as a dance culture in our clubs should never be forgotten.

Placenta is the fourth collection of broadly imaginative and highly collaborative Carlos Niño & Friends music released on International Anthem since 2021. But perhaps more notably for the zeitgeist of today, it is the first new music to be released by Carlos Niño & Friends following the November 2023 release of André 3000’s New Blue Sun – an album which Carlos produced alongside André, while co-writing, performing, and co-mixing every song. The announcement of Placenta also comes while Carlos is in the middle of tours with André to support New Blue Sun, where Carlos wields an immense presence as music director, bandleader, and percussionist, and performs alongside many of the same musicians that are present on his recent & Friends albums, including this new one.

Placenta is announced on the 1st solar return of Moss Niño, of whom Carlos and his partner Annelise are Earth parents. Their experience of pregnancy, labor and delivery were all profoundly impactful for Carlos. Becoming a father again (a whole 25 years after the birth of Azul Niño, who has become a regular artistic collaborator for Carlos) he felt total Inspiration for this set of recordings, and hence it is perhaps the most conceptually-grounded Carlos Niño & Friends album we've yet to present–fully connected to the spirit of family, birth, and "how we get here."

In Niño’s words, Placenta is “dedicated to Mothers, Children, Babies, Aunties, Doulas, Midwives, Birthworkers...,” and a short list of track titles includes: "Love to all Doulas!," "Some Rest for the Midwives," "Real Vital Organs," and "Generous Pelvis." The centerpiece of the album, the sprawling "Placenta, Nourishment, New Home, The Galaxy," is an unbelievably vivid immersion in the sonic architecture of Niño's memory-scape...like being present in his energy field...or being present in a birthing room, or maybe even being born yourself. And it just might be the most powerful, unique piece of music Niño has ever created.

Featured artists on Placenta, in order of their entry on the album, include: Nate Mercereau, Jamire Williams, Sam Gendel, Jamael Dean, Dexter Story, Brandon Eugene Owens, Maia, André 3000, Jesse Peterson, Ariel Kalma, Surya Botofasina, Annelise, Haize Hawke, Aaron Shaw, Devin Daniels, Tiffany de Leon, Michael Bolger, Michael Alvidrez, Moss, Iasos, Photay, Deantoni Parks, Adam Rudolph, Andres Renteria, and Cavana Lee.

Salomé de Bahia ist eine brasilianische Sängerin. Zum 30-jährigen Jubiläum von Yellow Productions sind nun die größten Hits von ihr auf einem Doppel-Vinyl zusammengefasst. Mit dabei Produktionen mit Bob Sinclair, den sie 1997 im Parisier Jazz-Cafe "Chez Felix" kennenlernte, DJ Gregory und einer brandneuer Remix von Synapson. Größere Bekanntheit erlange de Bahia als sie mit Sinclair zusammen die Compilation "Sun Sun" bei Sony Music veröffentlichte und mit ihren Version von Stevie Wonders "Another Star" ("Outro Lugar"), Barry Manilow"s "Copacabana".

Chelsea Wolfe has always been a conduit for a powerful energy, and while she has demonstrated a capacity to channel that somber beauty into a variety of forms, her gift as a songwriter is never more apparent than when she strips her songs down to a few key components. As a result, her solemn majesty and ominous elegance are more potent than ever on Birth of Violence.

There is a core element to Chelsea Wolfe’s music—a kind of urgent spin on America’s desolation blues—that’s existed throughout the entirety of her career. At the center, there has always been Wolfe’s woeful longing and beguiling gravity, though the framework for compositions has continuously evolved based on whatever resources were available. Her austere beginnings were gradually bolstered by electronics and filled out with full-band arrangements. The music became increasingly dense and more centered around live performances. Her latest album, Birth of Violence, is a return to the reclusive nature of her earlier recordings

“I’ve been in a state of constant motion for the past eight years or so; touring, moving, playing new stages, exploring new places and meeting new people—an incredible time of learning and growing as a musician and performer,” Wolfe says of the era leading up to Birth of Violence. “But after awhile, I was beginning to lose a part of myself. I needed to take some time away from the road to get my head straight, to learn to take better care of myself, and to write and record as much as I can while I have ‘Mercury in my hands,’ as a wise friend put it.“ Birth of Violence is the result of this step out of the limelight. The songs stem from humble beginnings—little more than Wolfe’s voice and her Taylor acoustic guitar. Her longtime musical collaborator Ben Chisholm recorded the songs on a makeshift studio and helped fill them out with his modern production treatments and the occasional auxiliary flourish from ongoing contributors Jess Gowrie (drums) and Ezra Buchla (viola).

The album opens with “The Mother Road,” a harrowing ode to Route 66 that immediately addresses Wolfe’s metaphoric white line fever. It explains the nature of the record—the impact of countless miles and perpetual exhaustion—and the desire to find the road back home, back to one’s roots. Songs like “Deranged for Rock & Roll” and “Highway” offers parallel examinations on the trials and tribulations of her journeys while the ghostly “When Anger Turns to Honey” serves as a rebuttal to self-appointed judges.

While the record touches upon tradition, it also exists in the present, addressing modern tragedies such as school shootings in the minor-key lullaby “Little Grave” and the poisoning of the planet on the dark wind-swept ballad “Erde.” But the record is at its most poignant when Wolfe withdraws into her own world of enigmatic and elusive autobiography. Much like Alan Ginsberg’s hallucinatory long-form poem Howl, the tracks “Dirt Universe” and “Birth of Violence” weave together specific references from her past into an esoteric overview of the state of mankind. Though the lyrical minutiae remain secret, the overall power of the language and delivery is bound to haunt the listener with both its grace and tension.

“These songs came to me in a whirlwind and I knew I needed to record them soon, and also really needed a break from the road,” Wolfe says. “I’ve spent the past few years looking for the feeling of home; looking for places that felt like home. The result of that humble approach yields Wolfe’s most devastating work to date.

European Headline tour confirming now for 2020. UK/EU Publicity handled by Lauren Barley at Rarely Unable. Immense support from Press, including coverage with NPR, Pitchfork, FADER, Vice, Revolver, Decibel, Under The Radar.

repress !

Four years after Nuova Napoli, Nu Genea are back with Bar Mediterraneo, a new album and journey, which projects the sounds of the Neapolitan duo formed by Massimo Di Lena and Lucio Aquilina even further.

Nu Genea's Bar Mediterraneo is an idea of a shared place where people meet and fuse together; a space that leaves its doors open to travellers and their lives, always exposed to the whims of fate. Some of this can be experienced through the multitude of sounds that come together in the tracks, layers of different acoustic instruments, voices and synthesizers merging in a unique musical blend.

Opening up to the voices of many different people, separated by languages but united by the sea and the music, Nu Genea's hometown, Napoli, becomes a true place of encounter.

You can hear this all along. In "Gelbi", a gorgeously deep and propulsive Ney flute plunges into murky waters of the melancholic Tunisian dialect sung by Marzouk Mejri. In "Marechia'", unbridled happiness and sun ooze from the delicate vocals of Célia Kameni and create an acrobatic bridge between French and Neapolitan language. In "Straniero", your soul is arrested from the moment the slow spell-binding mandolin ignites the hypnotic patterns recorded by the legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen. In "Bar Mediterraneo", the title track, bittersweet guitar’s riffs, analog waves and choirs are overwhelming the song giving you what you would like to hear on a boat trip along the Amalfi Coast.

Nu Genea couldn't afford to overlook their firmly anchored roots into the Neapolitan culture and its dialect with "Tienaté", where the power of neapolitan language (interpreted by Fabiana Martone) supports those quarter-tone strings and the uncessant folk-disco groove that spreads to the entire song. In "Praja Magia", repetitive mandolin riffs lead the song, giving space to a choral yet tight vocal line that speaks of Varcaturo, a village close to Napoli. In "Rire", a volley of poetic, deceptively laidback, lyrical fury interpreted by Sicilian Marco Castello intimately combines with a highly musical, multi-textured instrumental backbone and the swoon of a chanson in its heart. In "La Crisi'', the lyrics of a Raffaele Viviani’s poem from 1930 have been adapted to a laidback jazz-funk groove in full NG style. In "Vesuvio", revaluing the evocative verses and powerful mantra of Vesuvio, Nu Genea re-adapted to the dancefloor a folk song by the working-class band E’ Zezi from Pomigliano D'Arco, combining the voices of a school choir with Jupiter-6 arpeggios and bold percussions.

Bar Mediterraneo is the place where people constantly return to transform curiosity into participation, tradition into sharing, unfamiliar into familiar. When travellers come through its “doors”, carrying their treasures of words and emotions, they aren’t strangers any more. They take part in a shared experience, enriching themselves and others by leading to unexpected musical journeys.

Horace Andy a.k.a.Sleepy must process one of the sweetest and most distinctive voices in reggae music. 1951 in Kingston Jamaica. He cut his first track in 1966 for producer George ‘Phil’ Pratt, a tune called ‘Black Man’s Country’. But it was four years later his star really began to shine when he joined the stable of Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd’s Studio One. It was Coxsone Dodd who renamed him Andy after another of his leading artists Bob Andy, such was his belief in Horace’s writing talent and singing abilities. Still only twenty years of age Horace used his falsetto talent to the fore and cut some impressive tracks at 13 Brentford Road, Studio One’s headquarters. Such reggae standards as ’Skylarking’, ‘Just Say Who’, ‘Love of a Women’ and ‘Something on my Mind’ to name but a few. The early 1970’s saw Horace due to political reasons move on to work with producer Bunny Lee, a move that suited his talents and beliefs, Horace being an early advocate to the Rastafarian faith.The tracks which he cut with Bunny, which we concentrate on here gave his songs a rootsy feel. The rhythms often cut at Channel ONE and Randy’s Studio17 and finalised at King Tubby’s, provided a fine backbone for Horace to recut some of his earlier classics, along side his newer songs also to become reggae standards. Like ‘Money Money’, ‘Zion Gate’ the great ‘You are my Angel’ and a version of The Heptones ‘My Guiding Star’. The power of these recordings were such that the earlier tracks like ‘Skylarking’ became hits a second time around.Proving that the ‘you can’t keep a good tune down’ mantra was alive and kicking… …A golden time for Horace and Reggae music in general… Horace would go on to work with other producers like Everton Da Silva in 1977 creating the ‘In the Light’ album and the New York based Lloyd ‘Wackies’ Barnes in the 1980’s for his ‘Dancehall Style’ recordings. Most recently his work with Massive Attack has brought his majestic voice full circle and back into the arena once more. Those ‘Massive’ recordings and this dub collection here seem to fit side by side. Horace’s distinctive vocal riding over the rhythms adding a magic as only he can .....

RESPECT JAH FLOYD.

Incubus released their critically acclaimed studio album "Morning View" on October 23, 2001 and was celebrated by fans and the music industry alike. The album went double platinum and spent 60 weeks at number 2 on the Billboard 200.

Now the band is releasing the re-recording of the highly acclaimed double album entitled "Morning View XXIII".

"About 23 years ago, we rented a house by the sea to start an art experiment. The unfamiliar and expansive surroundings helped us find the FLOW state we had been longing for, and the songs that became known as 'Morning View' have since become an integral and important part of our lives," says Brandon Boyd.

"That album helped make our little art experiment called 'Incubus' a way of life, and here we are, some 23 years later, ushering in a new phase of its existence. 'Morning View XXIII' is a re-recording of the 2001 album and is the result of our desire to honor that legacy, but also to reinterpret it as musicians who have played these songs night after night with much love over the last 23 years. See you on the road soon!"

repressed !

10 Year anniversary edition, recut and remastered from the analogue tape masters from Bazza's Alchemy Mastering in London; focusing and enriching every finite detail. This EP features 2 new pieces of sonic meditation residing somewhere between space and time, somewhere in the cosmos.

With the title track, "Beyond Starlit Sky", vaporous atmospheres emerge from the distance, while ghostly apparitions and analog modulations rise to the surface of a truly hypnotizing rhythm, submerging the mind deep into an analog world. With the "Live" version a mixture of themes from "Fading Lights" and "Beyond Starlit Sky" find an engaging syncopation, resting somewhere in the ether. Those who loved Echospace's "The Coldest Season" on Modern Love will have plenty to adore here, timeless in all senses of the word.

Warehouse Find!

Vienna-based producer Sam Irl popped up on our radar a couple of years ago following stellar releases on Jazz & Milk, but honestly we should have been paying far closer attention as this guy has been making the best crunchy, MPC-driven jazz-infused House music dating right back to 2006. EP's for S3A's Sampling As An Art and collaborative projects with Patrick Pulsinger and Dusty have won him fans including Gilles Peterson (leading to a release on Brownswood), Mr Scruff and Session Victim amongst many others. His live sets have also seen him perform at the hallowed grounds of Panorama Bar and Sonar Festival.

For his debut EP here on Freerange Sam has delivered four tracks which perfectly showcase his production skills and knowledge of what makes a dance floor tick, kicking off with title track Rain Technique. Quirky keys and a playful groove help build a warm and charming vibe, light and bouncy yet deep and driving enough to get your dance on to.

Trust follows with loping, lopsided percussion forming the basis of the groove, sparse Rhodes pads punctuating the beat and adding just the right musical element to the mix without cluttering the beats or compromising the sense of space.

Flipping over we have All That's Left which sees Sam utilising his trusted TR606 for some lovely snappy snares and sizzling hihats. Chiming arpeggios join the repeating chord riff creating another simple yet uplifting and playful mood which can't fail to get under your skin. Closing the EP we have a wonky, shuffling house track which once again shows Sam proving less is more, sampling his key elements into the MPC and jamming out the arrangement in a live and improvised way which brings a fresh, somewhat naive appeal to the production.

"Return Of The Super Ape" was the final revelation from Lee Perry’s Black Ark Studio, a psychedelicized dub journey into uncharted sonic territories. The longplayer is now state-of-the-art remastered by Pete Norman (Finyl Tweek) and restored with original press artwork complete with inner disco sleeve!

The album from 1978 is the final chapter in the trilogy of albums in the period from 1976 - 1978 following "Scratch The Super Ape" (aka "Super Ape") and "Roast Fish & Cornbread". Produced, mixed and arranged by Lee Perry at the Black Ark Studio featuring on all tracks the skills of The Upsetters and additional vocals by The Full Experience on "Dyon-Anasaw" and "Tell Me Something Good". The frontsleeve artwork image was created by Lloyd Robinson (also known as the singer of the Studio One classic "Cuss Cuss").

Reggae expert Jeremy Collingwood says: "The Return Of The Super Ape that surfaced later in the year 1978 saw Perry way off the mainstream with a set that owed much to jazz with its loose structure and horn breaks. The title track took an early production from Perry, U-Roy's " OK Corral", and reshaped it into another futuristic outing - just like the original that had been a decade earlier. At the time few knew what to make of it and over the years its lack of proper re issue had meant it's remained a hidden Perry gem. It also marked the end of a hugely creative period at the Black Ark."

Tracklisting / side-split
Side One
A1 Dyon-Anasaw
A2 Return Of The Super Ape
A3 Tell Me Something Good
A4 Bird In Hand
A5 Crab Yars
Side Two
B1 Jah Jah Ah Natty Dread
B2 Psyche & Trim
B3 The Lion
B4 Huzza A Hana
B5 High Rankin Sammy

• Follow-up to the highly acclaimed dub album Super Ape, the album like its predecessor, was produced by Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. This was the last album recorded by The Upsetters before Perry closed down his Black Ark Studio.
• The remastered album showcases the production skills of undisputed dub master with insanely layered textures and technical wizardry. With musical backing The Upsetters – Boris Gardiner, Mikey Richards, Sly Dunbar, Benbow Creary, Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith, Winston Wright, and Keith Sterling.
• Remastered by Pete Norman at Finyl Tweek
• Coloured Inner Bag

‘Life On Other Planets’ is Supergrass’ fourth studio album, which peaked at #9 in the UK charts. (Norway#13, Australia #22, France #44).

Released as 1LP black heavyweight vinyl, 2LP white 12”, green and black 10” vinyl and 3CD with demos and live versions.

This 2023 re-issue has been fully remastered from original sources and includes the hit singles ‘Grace’ (UK #13), ‘Seen the Light’ (UK#22), ‘Never Done Nothing Like That Before’, ‘Rush Hour Soul’.

Gatefold 1LP is a faithful reissue of the original album

Grand Soleil is an ode the awakening. Composed for Organ and Piano, this 7 tracks album is a soul trip with gospel accents. The great french soul singer LYNN is blessing this record with her airy vocal layers and a dope song: Clouds. Blackjoy closest partner, Blundetto is rocking the drums over minimal drum machine paterns. This record is recommended for the best morning routing.

'Standard Tuning' ist der letzte Song, der in den Knave Studios in Leeds im Rahmen der Aufnahmen zu bdrmm's gefeiertem zweiten Album 'I Don't Know' aufgenommen wurde.

Die 10" kommt mit einem Remix des Albumtracks 'Alps' von Nathan Fake, einer geätzten B-Seite und exklusivem Artwork von Bandmitglied Jordan Smith und ist weltweit auf nur 700 Exemplare limitiert.

2025 Repress

Broc Recordz is thrilled to announce the imminent release of our latest album, Cosmos Giants!

This cosmic fusion is the result of an epic collaboration between maestro Janko Nilovic, JJ Whitefield of the Poets of Rhythm, and Igor Zhukovsky of the Soul Surfers. Together, they've crafted a musical universe where genre boundaries blur, giving way to a transcendent sonic experience.

Immerse yourself in a musical journey where funk, psyche, and soul intertwine to create something truly magical!

«First Rays Of The New Rising Sun» wurde im April 1997 veröffentlicht und war das erste Album, das unter der direkten Supervision der Familie Hendrix entstand. Mit siebzehn Songs, deren Entstehung von März 1968 bis zu Jimis letzten Sessions in den Electric Lady Studios im August 1970 reicht, markiert das Album das letzte grosse Werk des innovativen Künstlers Jimi Hendrix. Es beinhaltet "Dolly Dagger", "Angel", "Ezy Rider" und "Freedom". Diese Veröffentlichung ist eine neue, komplett analoge Ausgabe, die von Bernie Grundman aus den originalen 1/4"-Mixes gemastert und auf schwarzes 140-Gramm-Vinyl gepresst wurde.

Inspired by the winter sunrises in the city of Porto, MURK AT DAWN VA marks the beginning of a new chapter in the electronic music scene, embracing the passion for the obscure and its intrinsic beauty. The first release by the newly established Rapture label consists of a spatial composition from Maria Callapez that inherits the melancholy from those foggy mornings, followed by the intensity and vigor from two renowned Georgian artists, Hecate Legacy and Downwell. To fulfill the work from the previous producers, Alessandro Adriani presents us some of his dark hypnotic finest art, preceded by the industrial and vibrant pace of the Portuguese Dust Devices, a sonority already considered his trademark. Artwork crafted by Serafim Mendes. Tracks written and produced by Aleassandro Adriani, Downwell, Dust Devices, Hecate Legacy and Maria Callapez Mastering by João Rodrigues @ Tema Mastering Artwork by Serafim Mendes

Öjskog’s debut album Dolda Byar is a study in explorative, farreverberating industrial and techno landscapes as described by Berlin’s Hardwax record store. The remixes EP of Dolda Byar continues down the explorative and experimental path with four exceptional remixes from Notzing, Ena, BODYXVIII and Fresnal Lens. Notzing’s Dream remake of Aatos delivers intricate time signatures and layering that produces an ethereal landscape of the original, while Ena highlights his signature micro-sampling style of organic and found sounds to deliver a twisted remix of Kefhel. BODYVXIII’s remix of Gleymdu is an opaque study in sonic experimentation and Fresnel Lens rounds off the EP with a haunting and unnerving reduction of Hanna. Mastered & Cut by Tim Xavier at Manmade Mastering Berlin

DJ Support: Keinemusik, Black Coffee, Solomun, Damian Lazarus, Steve Lawler

Bringing a fresh new sound to this iconic masterpiece. Keeping an old school yet modern feel to this timeless classic.

Superb classious Acid mental music... Acid Swan songs full of energy and nostalgy... walking on a frequency tightrope.

Repress!

One of the keys to Nervous’ longevity has been our willingness to take chances on new producers and new sounds. As long as a track contains the essence of House, we encourage producers to experiment with combining House with other musical genres. And if the results are creative and fruitful enough we are always ready, willing and able to create a new sub label and logo to go along with a fresh sound.

In the 90’s we felt a movement toward House being juiced with Jazz elements and we created the Nervous Chill Sub-label. Now all these years later we are once again seeing a new appreciation for the sounds, flow and energy of Jazz on the part of some of the world’s premier House Music Producers, and so we are embarking on a re-launch of the Nervous Chill imprint.

Onboard for the re-launch is the very talented and dynamic producer Felipe Gordon with the two tracks “Elisa” and “Resonant.” Both songs feature the legendary musician Paul Shapiro, who has played a key musical role in many of House Music’s most celebrated tunes including “The Whistle Song” for which he supplied the eponymous “whistle.” “Elisa” features an uplifting and bouncy rhythmic vibe that’s topped and energized with Paul’s jazzy flute, while “Resonant” has a deeper and slightly more aggressive tone that’s propelled with Paul hypnotic and free wheeling sax instrumentation.

With 'Stone Flute', the free-improvising duo's third studio album proper, Galecstasy returns to the universe of synthesizers to deliver an aural odyssey, conjuring the ancient tones of a forgotten world.
The album was entirely conceived and recorded in, and around, the majestic landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park in the magnificent high desert of southern California. From atop the mountain, the two sonic surveyors were witness to a 360 degree view of the stars at night. From above, the giant rocks looked like immense wise faces looking up at the sky, or even huge bodies resting on the Earth and looking up at space. It was during this time that Galecstasy started a ritual that ended up being called the “Moon Cruise”. This would involve waiting for the full moon to rise and then driving into the national park after dark. They would turn off the headlights of the car and drive slowly through the alien landscape lit up by the moon. Boulder fields took on the shape of temples; faces carved into the rocks everywhere they looked; giant heads with smiles or haunting expressions; and the knowledge that people had been living, dancing, and making music here for thousands of years. It was during these enchanting escapades that 'Stone Flute' was conceived.
In the mountain-top recording studio, the band were utilizing every potential space to tap into the best vibrations the land had to offer. Where the mic was placed: Perhaps a giant boulder once stood, or an ancient tree. One could feel the different energies of every room. The fireplace in the living room was built of giant lava rocks for the music to swirl around. Sounds would spill and climb around the house.

"The living room was just a beautiful tangle of synthesizers and plants. It was an inspiring place to make great records. We channeled the music of the boulders buoyed by the energy shooting up from the fault lines. The good feelings emanated from the studio, it had become our own temple and the birthplace of 'Stone Flute'."

With 'Stone Flute', the free-improvising duo's third studio album proper, Galecstasy returns to the universe of synthesizers to deliver an aural odyssey, conjuring the ancient tones of a forgotten world.
The album was entirely conceived and recorded in, and around, the majestic landscapes of Joshua Tree National Park in the magnificent high desert of southern California. From atop the mountain, the two sonic surveyors were witness to a 360 degree view of the stars at night. From above, the giant rocks looked like immense wise faces looking up at the sky, or even huge bodies resting on the Earth and looking up at space. It was during this time that Galecstasy started a ritual that ended up being called the “Moon Cruise”. This would involve waiting for the full moon to rise and then driving into the national park after dark. They would turn off the headlights of the car and drive slowly through the alien landscape lit up by the moon. Boulder fields took on the shape of temples; faces carved into the rocks everywhere they looked; giant heads with smiles or haunting expressions; and the knowledge that people had been living, dancing, and making music here for thousands of years. It was during these enchanting escapades that 'Stone Flute' was conceived.
In the mountain-top recording studio, the band were utilizing every potential space to tap into the best vibrations the land had to offer. Where the mic was placed: Perhaps a giant boulder once stood, or an ancient tree. One could feel the different energies of every room. The fireplace in the living room was built of giant lava rocks for the music to swirl around. Sounds would spill and climb around the house.

"The living room was just a beautiful tangle of synthesizers and plants. It was an inspiring place to make great records. We channeled the music of the boulders buoyed by the energy shooting up from the fault lines. The good feelings emanated from the studio, it had become our own temple and the birthplace of 'Stone Flute'."

Kater's captivating songs celebrate the power of oppressed people and act as an antidote to centuries of exploitation, fear, and greed. This collection of ten songs, featuring appearances by today's finest roots musicians such as Allison Russell, Aoife O'Donovan, and Taj Mahal, showcases Kater's biting topical songwriting and deft arranging chops. 'Strange Medicine's' intricate orchestrations were inspired by diverse sources: composer Steve Reich's propulsive minimalism, the frenetic jazz drumming of Brian Blade, the unsettling orchestral scores of film composer Jonny Greenwood, and the spiraling rhythms of the West African kora.


Furthermore, Kater's delicate yet robust banjo playing charts new territory well beyond what's expected of the instrument. With 'Strange Medicine', Kater taps into the full kaleidoscope of her artistry, creating an outlet for our collective grief and celebration and inviting the ancestors to a place of honor at the table.

"Fast hätten wir gedacht: es könnte gut ausgehen". Zwei nervenaufreibende Jahre lang haben L'APPEL DU VIDE aus Chemnitz an ihrer Debüt-EP gearbeitet, jetzt ist die "Abwärtsspirale" in Gang gesetzt. Ihre selbstgewählte Genre-Zuschreibung Dark Punk kratzt dabei nur an der Oberfläche. Das Spektrum reicht vom aggressiv-düsterem Surf-Punk ("Das bin ich nicht") über spröden, repetitiven Sound mit Noise-Ausbrüchen ("Aufmerksamkeit") bis zu hymnisch-melodischen Post-Punk ("Delirium"). Bei "Das Programm", - einer bittersüßen Romanze in Zeiten totaler Überwachung - , wird es plötzlich ungewöhnlich ruhig-melancholisch dank 60ies-Orgel und Background-Gesang von Mara. L'APPEL DU VIDE beschäftigen sich textlich in knappen Worten mit Verleugnung, Scheitern und Entfremdung. "Delirium" klingt dabei wie der Soundtrack zur Pandemie, wurde aber schon 2019 geschrieben. Die Songs wurden von Flatty aufgenommen und klanglich von Max Herrmann/Gloven Studio Leipzig (Mix) und Mikey Young (Mastering) veredelt.

"Du reitest über die Zwickauer Hügel nach Nordosten. Die Lederzügel schneiden sich in deine gefrorenen Hände, während sich heiss-saurer Sod nach oben brennt. Metaphysischer Katerschweiss sticht sich Pore für Pore durch deine Haut, durch ein verblasstes Sargtattoo auf dem Unterarm. Die müden Füße in den NVA-Stiefeln deines Vaters umklammern die Flanken eines dampfenden, grauen Appaloosa, oder ist es doch nur die frisierte Simson S51? Egal, denn eigentlich ist es deine ur-eigene Mind-Machine, in der du dem Ruf der Leere folgend durch die Ruinen der Selbsterkenntnis irrst. Nach Chemnitz - dem San Francisco des ganz kleinen Mannes. Erwarten wird dich dort allerdings nicht Bernd Spier's einfältige Flowertime, sondern Asbest, Eternit und vor allem die Risse, die sich durch ebendiesen ziehen. Genau da verdichten sich die Songs auf L'Appel du Vide's erstem Full-Length "Metro" jedem Leerstand trotzend zu einem 9 Stories hohen Monolithen aus Post-Punk, Death-Rock, Synth- und Darkwave, der einen - einmal erklommen - über jene Genregrenzen hinwegschauen lässt. Ein schwarz-schimmernder Jengaturm aus (East-)German Angst und kompromissloser Innenschau. So viel aufrichtiger wankend, als ein Campino im einstudierten Seitwärts-Taumeltanz der Mitte der Gesellschaft weismachen will, führt er dich weg von den tief hängenden Früchten des epigonalen (Post-)Punkswindles. Hin zu den aufgehenden Blüten echter Musikliebhaberei. Man hat sich festgebissen und ist drangeblieben, hat geschürft und sortiert, die Linernotes gelesen und vor allem eins: den vielen Platten zugehört. Die Schubladen aufgemacht und offen gelassen. Sänger René klagt sich ohne Allüren, zeigefingerfrei und immun gegen jedes Zeitgeistgeheische ins zunächst eigene Herz. Die Gitarre sägt, klirrt und kreischt vor Hunger und ist doch satt. Die Rhythm-Section knurrt und scheppert und bumst sich geradeaus in den Abyss, aus dem auch analoge Synths hier und da auftauchen um kurz Luft zu schnappen. Überhaupt kann man die Instrumente atmen hören, so ehrlich ist der Sound. Gitarrist Flatty hat die Band Anfang 2023 im Studio Gloom, Chemnitz aufgenommen. Doch da ist nicht nur Sachsen und die zu oft beschworenen, modrigen Wurzeln der Hängengebliebenen. Da ist Detroit, Frisco und Los Angeles. Manchester, New York und Portland. Und genau so wie Poison Idea's "Feel the Darkness" (um dann doch mal eine Reminiszenz zu bemühen) beginnt, endet "Metro" nach 37 Minuten Spielzeit - mit nacktem Piano. Dazwischen: eine Verwandtschaft in Wucht und Haltung, nur ohne Metal- und Gepose. Just Power and Void. Und in der Satteltasche ein altes Foto vom Meer, körnig, schwarz weiss und doch alle Farben widerspiegelnd.

Mit "Dark Superstition" schlagen Gatecreeper ein neues Kapitel in ihrer Bandhistorie auf: Das kommende Studioalbum ist gleichzeitig die erste Veröffentlichung der Death-Metaller bei Nuclear Blast.

Dafür hat sich die US-Band unter anderem Unterstützung von Fred Etsby (Dismember) und Converge-Gitarrist Kurt Ballou geholt. Zum Hintergrund des Albums, auf das es mit "Caught In The Treads" bereits einen ersten Ausblick gegeben hatte, erklärt Frontmann Chase Mason: "Viele der Songs handeln von übernatürliche Ideen, gepaart meinen eigenen Erfahrungen. Allerdings ist der Titel selbst eine Referenz an die Superstition Mountains in unserem Heimatstaat Arizona. Es ist eine wunderschöne Bergkette, umgeben von Tragödien und Legenden über verborgenes Glück." An das Thema des Übernatürlichen schließen sie auch mit der neuesten Singleveröffentlichung "The Black Curtain" sowie dem dazugehörigen Musikvideo an.

Darin ist die Band von einer Friedhofskulisse umgeben, der sie mit ihrer Mischung aus straightem Rock, peitschenden Death Metal und ausufernden Shoutings Kontur und standesgemäße Düsternis verleihen. Dazu führt Mason weiter aus: "Es geht darum, zwischen Leben und Sterben gefangen zu sein. Eine Seele, die im Fegefeuer gefangen ist und darum bettelt, von einer übernatürlichen Kraft zurückgebracht zu werden."

Es ist 2021, und eine Pandemie würgt die Welt ab - und niemand scheint Spaß zu haben. Der scheinbar unermüdliche Musikfreak Peter Tägtgren kümmert das wenig, denn er landet einen Volltreffer mit - Entschuldigung für die harte Sprache - einer verdammt eingängigen... naja, Partyhymne.

Wir sprechen natürlich über den Song ?Party in My Head' von Tägtgrens synthinfiziertem Metal-Projekt PAIN. Unser geliebter Planet mag am Ende sein, aber in der Welt von PAIN scheint immer noch nicht viel falsch zu sein, da 2024 schnell im Kalender voranschreitet.

Es kann einfach nicht sein, denn das sehnlich erwartete neue Studioalbum von PAIN, "I Am" ist bald hier - ja, nach acht Jahren des hingebungsvollen Wartens. Das kraftvoll klingende "I Am" ist wirklich eine vielseitige - wenn nicht die vielseitigste - musikalische Rakete in PAINs reicher Diskographie. Die neuen Songs bewegen sich überall mit schweren industriellen Riffs, eindringlichen melancholischen Vibes und groove-gefüllten Rhythmen - ohne Überraschungen natürlich zu vergessen.

Am 17. Mai begrüßt die Band die Veröffentlichung ihres zweiten vollständigen Albums Under The Crooked Claw über Nuclear Blast Records.

Vollgepackt mit straffen, präzisen Songs, die mit schlagkräftigen Refrains und blitzdurchzogenen Leads geladen sind, bietet jeder der 13 Tracks eine neue Horrorkurzgeschichte, die die perfekte Mischung aus Heavy Metal, Punk und Rock'nRoll oder, wie Waste es nennt, "primitiver Heavy Speed" mischt. Die Band präsentiert die erste Single mit dem Titel "Rite For Exorcism" zusammen mit einem brillant augenzwinkernden Videoclip, der von Norman Cabrera inszeniert, von Maya Kay produziert und von Rob Lucas bei Wolfpack Studios gefilmt wurde. Das Powertrio, vervollständigt durch Schlagzeuger Chris Marshall, zog im Juni 2021 nach Philadelphia, wo Arthur Rizk die Grundtracks für Under The Crooked Claw aufnahm.

Yavé Rust nahm später in Richmond Lead-Gitarren und Gesang auf, um schließlich von Rizk gemischt und von Joel Grind gemastert zu werden.

Die Kunstwerke für das Album wurden von Brandon Holt gezeichnet und von Margaret Rolicki koloriert

Neben der digitalen Veröffentlichung der EP "Answers" gibt die multidisziplinäre amerikanische Komponistin und Sängerin Holland Andrews eine limitierte Vinyl-Edition heraus, die alle neuen Stücke sowie die 2022 veröffentlichte EP "Doubtless" enthält.

"Answers" ist bereits die vierte Veröffentlichung in einer Reihe von EPs, die Andrews seit 2021 auf Nils Frahms Label LEITER herausbringt. Teile des Vorgängers "Doubtless" entstanden unter anderem im LEITER Studio im Berliner Funkhaus, wo Frahm selbst an der Leadsingle "Rules" mitwirkte. Mit Stimme, Klarinette und Synthesizer erschafft Andrews magische Soundscapes zwischen zeitgenössischer Klassik und Ambient - ähnlich wie ihre früheren Mitstreiter Son Lux, Darian Donovan Thomas, William Brittelle oder Christina Vantzou hat die erst kürzlich zur renommierten Whitney Biennale geladene Künstler*in eine Heimat am Knotenpunkt divergierender Klänge gefunden.

Lange nicht auf Vinyl verfügbar ist „Native Tongue“, das vierte Studioalbum der „Hair“ Metal Band Poison, endlich neu aufgelegt worden. Im Original wurde das Album 1993 veröffentlicht. „Native Tongue“ erreichte die Top 20 sowohl in den US Billboard Top 200 als auch in den UK Album Charts. Neben der Stammbesetung mit Brett Michaels, Bobby Dall und Rikki Rockett wurde Richie Kotzen an der Lead Gitarre verpflichtet. Native Tongue wurde von Richie Zito produziert. Die vorliegende 2LP Version enthält drei Bonus Tracks, die nicht auf dem Originalalbum enthalten waren.

Composed by Jim O’Rourke and pieced together by Jim together with longtime collaborator and trumpeter Eivind Lønning at Jim and Eiko Ishibashi’s home in the Japanese mountains, this engrossing new album blows brass wails and tense fanfares across O'Rourke's manipulated Kyma tapestries for a deep, captivating trip into the aether.

Eivind Lønning has been sharing ideas with O'Rourke for several years: the duo collaborated on music for the Whitney's 'Calder: Hypermobility' exhibition, and Lønning played trumpet on O'Rourke's brilliant 2020 album 'Shutting Down Here'. For this new work, Lønning headed to O'Rourke and EIko Ishibashi's home studio in the Japanese mountains, where he teased unfamiliar, alien textures from his trumpet to open the labyrinthine three-part composition. O'Rourke took the material and subsequently funnelled it through his Kyma system, transforming it into a swirl of sound that hums alongside Lønning's original takes. The album was composed, mixed and mastered by O'Rourke, with everything's based on Lønning's virtuosic performance.

The album begins by cautiously introducing us to its sonic palette: wavering, bird-like horn wails that O'Rourke contorts around quiet synth oscillations and computerised swarms. Lønning's spittle-drenched blasts are given the spotlight, but O'Rourke's manipulations - often gentle and illusory, and sometimes utterly lacerating - lift the sounds into completely new territory. When Lønning begins to turn rhythmic cycles using the trumpet keys, popping with his mouth to compliment its leathery timbre, O'Rourke replies with dense, hallucinatory drones, juxtaposing unstable electronics with Lønning's breathy, sustained notes. All these sounds coalesce into a dizzy vortex, but O'Rourke is careful not to overwhelm the senses, dropping to near silence as the first act transitions into the second. O'Rourke pelts Lønning's vertiginous wails, steadily mutating them into Xenakis-like stabs until they sound like cybernetic strings and icy tones that extract the tension from Lønning's brassy harmonics.

The third act is more screwed, with O'Rourke allowing Lønning's improvisations wail into cathedral-strength reverb, accompanying the sound with glassy penetrations and throbbing subs. Here, Lønning sounds as if he's heralding the arrival of a celestial being, piercing the atmosphere with bright, sustained tones and muted, jazzy flourishes. O'Rourke hangs back, carefully spinning the notes into naturalistic fibres and orchestral drapery, before he allows the electronics to subside completely and the trumpet to echo into the imposing negative space.

'Most, but Potentially All' is a dumbfounding piece that shifts the dial on contemporary experimental music; dizzyingly complex but never showy, it's the kind of record you can spin repeatedly and hear something different each time. As an exploration of the trumpet, it's a unique expression, and as a progression of electro-acoustic compositional techniques, it draws a deep trench in the sand, setting a new standard.

In einer Welt, die sich oft bedrückend anfühlt, sind Insanity Alert wild entschlossen, zu feiern, als gäbe es kein Morgen. Skifahrer besuchen Österreich wegen der pulvrigen Pisten, aber als sich diese Adrenalinjunkies 2011 in Innsbruck zusammenfanden, hatten sie eine viel krassere Art des Shreddens im Sinn. Ihr zerstörerischer Appetit auf 80er-Jahre-Crossover-Thrash wird nur noch von einem unstillbaren Durst nach eiskaltem Bier und guten Bud(s) übertroffen. Moshemian Thrashody hält die Party in Schwung. Insanity Alert geben vier bekannten Klassikern, darunter Guns 'N' Roses und Iron Maiden, einen schnellen und spritzigen Dreh. Einer von ihnen könnte Sie allerdings überraschen. Die Leadsingle "Beerless Fiesta" parodiert... George Michael? "I'm never going to drink again / Poor old lives has taken a beating" schreit Heavy Keevy in rotznasiger Agonie, als würde er sich an die Toilette klammern. Aber Insanity Alert werden sich nicht so bald in den Mosh-Ruhestand begeben. Der Titeltrack packt die Queens-Theatralik auf ein Clownmobil voller Scherze. Don Melanzani schmettert Blast-Beats herunter. Die Ganggesänge sind lauter als eine deutsche Bierhalle. Wenn Special Guest Hauwitzer auf der Party vorbeischaut, geht sein Gitarrensolo ab wie eine Flasche Champagner. Nach mehr als einem Jahrzehnt harter Partys gehen Insanity Alert immer noch überall hin, wo das Gras weht.

In einer Welt, die sich oft bedrückend anfühlt, sind Insanity Alert wild entschlossen, zu feiern, als gäbe es kein Morgen. Skifahrer besuchen Österreich wegen der pulvrigen Pisten, aber als sich diese Adrenalinjunkies 2011 in Innsbruck zusammenfanden, hatten sie eine viel krassere Art des Shreddens im Sinn. Ihr zerstörerischer Appetit auf 80er-Jahre-Crossover-Thrash wird nur noch von einem unstillbaren Durst nach eiskaltem Bier und guten Bud(s) übertroffen. Moshemian Thrashody hält die Party in Schwung. Insanity Alert geben vier bekannten Klassikern, darunter Guns 'N' Roses und Iron Maiden, einen schnellen und spritzigen Dreh. Einer von ihnen könnte Sie allerdings überraschen. Die Leadsingle "Beerless Fiesta" parodiert... George Michael? "I'm never going to drink again / Poor old lives has taken a beating" schreit Heavy Keevy in rotznasiger Agonie, als würde er sich an die Toilette klammern. Aber Insanity Alert werden sich nicht so bald in den Mosh-Ruhestand begeben. Der Titeltrack packt die Queens-Theatralik auf ein Clownmobil voller Scherze. Don Melanzani schmettert Blast-Beats herunter. Die Ganggesänge sind lauter als eine deutsche Bierhalle. Wenn Special Guest Hauwitzer auf der Party vorbeischaut, geht sein Gitarrensolo ab wie eine Flasche Champagner. Nach mehr als einem Jahrzehnt harter Partys gehen Insanity Alert immer noch überall hin, wo das Gras weht.

MENSCHENFRESSER" heißt das neue Album von RAWSIDE und wird im Mai 2024 über Fettfleck Records erscheinen. Fünf Jahre nach dem wahrscheinlich persönlichsten Album "Your Life Gets Crushed" gibt es neue Songs der Hardcore-Punks aus Coburg. Songs, die wieder politischer, wütender und angriffslustiger sind. Menschefresser meint hier emotionalen Kannibalismus, psychischer Druck, der ausgeübt wird, wie Menschen sich verhalten, Ellbogen auspacken, wenn sie nur versuchen, sich ihren eigenen Vorteil zu verschaffen. Oder Menschen, die denken, sie wären der Mittelpunkt der Welt. RAWSIDE werden nicht müde, den Finger in die Wunde zu legen und sich mit korrupten Wirtschaftsbossen, selbsternannten Verschwörungstheoretikern, rechten Politikern oder stumpfen Wutbürgern anzulegen. Die 13 neuen Songs von RAWSIDE sind eine volle Breitseite, musikalisch kommt es laut und fordernd zwischen Hardcore, Metal und Punk daher. Die Wucht der Songs hat seit dem letzten Album ein neues Level erreicht. Das liegt vielleicht auch an der Frischzellenkur in der Besetzung. Sänger/Shouter Henne ist das einzig verbliebene Gründungsmitglied nach mehr als 30 Jahren Bandgeschichte. Seit Sohn Justin am Schlagzeug ist gerade mal 23 Jahre alt. "RAWSIDE ist zum Glück keine One-Man-Show", sagt Henne. "Das waren wir nie und wollen wir auch nicht sein. 2024 hat die Band beim LOIKAEMIE-Label Fettfleck angeheuert. "Für uns war es ein Schritt in Richtung Selbstverantwortung", erklärt Henne. Bei Fettfleck sind wir in alle Prozesse eingebunden. Und das ist doch die Idee, die hinter dem ganzen Punk- und Hardcore- Gedanken steckt. So bleiben RAWSIDE auch nach über 30 Jahren Bandgeschichte ein Grundpfeiler der deutschen HC/Punkszene. "Menschenfresser" ist ein Biest von einem Album, dass die Vorfreude auf die Open Air-Saison nochmal steigert. Wir lassen schon mal das Dosenbier zischen. - Wolfram Hanke (Ox, Zündfunk, Der kosmische Penis)

MENSCHENFRESSER" heißt das neue Album von RAWSIDE und wird im Mai 2024 über Fettfleck Records erscheinen. Fünf Jahre nach dem wahrscheinlich persönlichsten Album "Your Life Gets Crushed" gibt es neue Songs der Hardcore-Punks aus Coburg. Songs, die wieder politischer, wütender und angriffslustiger sind. Menschefresser meint hier emotionalen Kannibalismus, psychischer Druck, der ausgeübt wird, wie Menschen sich verhalten, Ellbogen auspacken, wenn sie nur versuchen, sich ihren eigenen Vorteil zu verschaffen. Oder Menschen, die denken, sie wären der Mittelpunkt der Welt. RAWSIDE werden nicht müde, den Finger in die Wunde zu legen und sich mit korrupten Wirtschaftsbossen, selbsternannten Verschwörungstheoretikern, rechten Politikern oder stumpfen Wutbürgern anzulegen. Die 13 neuen Songs von RAWSIDE sind eine volle Breitseite, musikalisch kommt es laut und fordernd zwischen Hardcore, Metal und Punk daher. Die Wucht der Songs hat seit dem letzten Album ein neues Level erreicht. Das liegt vielleicht auch an der Frischzellenkur in der Besetzung. Sänger/Shouter Henne ist das einzig verbliebene Gründungsmitglied nach mehr als 30 Jahren Bandgeschichte. Seit Sohn Justin am Schlagzeug ist gerade mal 23 Jahre alt. "RAWSIDE ist zum Glück keine One-Man-Show", sagt Henne. "Das waren wir nie und wollen wir auch nicht sein. 2024 hat die Band beim LOIKAEMIE-Label Fettfleck angeheuert. "Für uns war es ein Schritt in Richtung Selbstverantwortung", erklärt Henne. Bei Fettfleck sind wir in alle Prozesse eingebunden. Und das ist doch die Idee, die hinter dem ganzen Punk- und Hardcore- Gedanken steckt. So bleiben RAWSIDE auch nach über 30 Jahren Bandgeschichte ein Grundpfeiler der deutschen HC/Punkszene. "Menschenfresser" ist ein Biest von einem Album, dass die Vorfreude auf die Open Air-Saison nochmal steigert. Wir lassen schon mal das Dosenbier zischen. - Wolfram Hanke (Ox, Zündfunk, Der kosmische Penis)

"Miranda Winters, as the voice of Chicago’s much-loved noisemakers Melkbelly, has spent the past few years happily in her own shadow. While she has quietly written and occasionally released her own music for 15 years, Winters finally steps out into the bright light with the release of Lawn Girl, the debut album under her Mandy moniker.

The album, a combination of older songs and newer creations, feels positively and endearingly alive–like a freeing of pent-up energy, an intimate rebuilding of the self. While Winters recorded and produced a number of the songs herself, she worked with Taylor Hales at Electrical Audio to feed those songs back into the studio, where they were re-recorded with room mics and worked back into the original versions. “I see it like photocopying,” she says of the process. “I’ve always loved working with photocopying and related printing techniques in my visual art because of the way everything decays and falls apart. It was nice to honor that on the record.”

Performed by an all-women band–Linda Sherman (guitar), Lizz Smith (bass) and Wendy Zeldin (drums)–the songs on Lawn Girl suitably find Winters ruminating on the idea of femininity; about her mom (who graces the album cover) and being a mother herself; her female friends; and what it means and what is required to make art and music in a female space intentionally."

One Step Closer signal a sea change with Songs for the Willow. With last year's This Place You Know, the band had already mastered a unique stripe of mournful melodic hardcore informed by eclectic emo influences. But on Songs for the Willow, they've tapped into a dynamic, emotionally powerful, and sonically intricate post-hardcore space inhabited by the charged aura and artistic nuance of landmark early 2010s records like Title Fight's Floral Green and Touché Amoré's Is Survived By. But ultimately, Songs for the Willow moves this sound forward into new territory.

To celebrate 50 years of this mighty band - A brand new studio album by the legendary Johnny Moped! Green vinyl limited to 425 copies! First up, that title - Quonk! What's that all about? Johnny - I have no idea where the name Quonk! come from! it seemed rather weird for a possible album title. Slimy - Incidental noise that's picked up _. We are a bit like that _ Johnny Moped's Quonk! is very Quonk le Donk (saucepan lid landing on head) and it's available soon from all Damaged record outlets. Marty - This one's for Toad really. It was his call and it's a great title for a Moped album. Robot - The band suffers from Quonking pretty regularly, so we thought we'd make a whole album of it. It's been five years since your last album Lurrigate Your Mind. How come it's taken so long to write and record this one? Johnny - it must have taken up to five months to rehearse for that album. Around the same time as previous albums. Slimy - Toads are slow moving creatures. Marty - Because we're old and very very lazy. Robot - That's pretty quick for us, it was over 30 years between 'Rock 'n' Roll Rookie' and Cycledelic. We wanted to make sure it passed quality control before letting it loose on the world. It sounds like you had a fun time recording it. Is that the case or was it more painful this time round? Johnny - We did have a lot of fun recording those albums starting from Real Cool Baby and Lurrigate Your Mind. Classic albums! I have enjoyed recording all of our albums from Cycledelic up to our latest album (problems aside!) Slimy - Creating Quonk! was fun _ always thrills me when the sounds come together _ Johnny and his band have a plethora of tunes. Yeah! It was alright. Marty - Bits were really easy and other bits were really hard. A lot of the songs on any Moped album really only take shape in the studio. And Dick Crippen helps a lot with how they turn out. I'm very proud of this album and the band and Johnny have worked really hard to make the best record we can. Robot - Yeah it's always fun making a Moped record. Johnny's totally at home in the studio environment...and the pub across the road. Give him the lyrics, he takes hold and delivers the goods in one take. There are some brilliant songs on the new LP. Can you tell us what 'Oh Jane' is about? Johnny - Jane is a traveller on that song, nothing to do with an ex-girlfriend of the same name! Slimy - That's about Johnny's love life. Marty - Over to you Rob.. Robot - Johnny wrote it about his love affair with a certain TV starlet who spends most of her time cruising around the world. I'll give you a clue - it ain't Susan Calman! 'Things May Happen' is being released as a single. What inspired you to write that song? Johnny - I did not write 'Things may happen', that is a Slimy Toad song; but I did not have a problem with it being released as a single. Slimy - The extraordinary lightness of being ... just the path and what's on it. Marty - This is Toad's one and it's a cracker! Robot - I think it's about the possibility of London buses running on time, or Crystal Palace winning a trophy. Johnny turned 70 last year, celebrating in style with a gig at London's 229 Venue. Some people have said it was the best Moped gig ever. How was it from your point of view? Johnny - Yes it was a gig at the 229 club to remember for all the right reasons, it was a blinder of a gig. Slimy - I thought Johnny's birthday gig was a rip-roaring success _ I enjoyed it _ The next Moped gig will be the best Moped gig ever and the one after that. Marty - It's not the best gig as far as how we performed. But as far as the turn out and the size of the crowd that came along to celebrate Johnny's birthday it was the best vibe of all the gigs for certain for me. Robot - Yeah I think it was up there with the Koko gig a few years back, great sound and a great crowd, yeah one of the best. This year marks the 50th year of Johnny Moped. What have been the high (and low) points for the band in the last five decades? Johnny - Not much was happening with the band gigwise. we were in hiatus between 2006 up to 2016 when we were getting gig bookings thick and fast, including mini-German tours and three dates in Norway and one in Sweden. Slimy - The constitution of these thoroughbred punk rockers is testimony to getting up and rocking out _ Johnny is not stopping he's class. Marty - I've only been in the band since 2017 and before that was the driver and shit carrier and before that a fan and also the band are my mates. So not one low point for me at all. Robot - I don't recall any low points...being in the band is one long high. You'll be back out on the road this summer. Any message for fans who'll be coming to see you? Slimy - You better believe it! You enjoyed that you bums or I'll kill you! Tomcats! Marty - Be afraid. Be very afraid! Robot - Enjoy the show...things may happen!