Search:spr

Gabriels Announce Angels & Queens Album Release Details

Full Length Debut Album Released 28th April 2023

Six New Tracks Include New Sounwave Produced Version Of Debut Single, “Love And Hate In A Different Time”

Gabriels are very pleased to announce details of the full release of their debut album, Angels & Queens.

The 13 track record will be released on 28th April 2023 via Atlas Artists/Parlophone Records. It was produced by the Grammy winning and fellow Compton local, Sounwave.

Angels & Queens - Part I was released back in September, picking up widespread acclaim across the globe. Its release was governed by the band’s desire to push through the release of new recordings this year, and release the record in two distinct chapters. The second chapter now concludes the full album’s tracklisting for a Spring 2023 release.

Angels & Queens incorporates a brand new recording of the band’s seminal debut single, Love & Hate In A Different Time, and songs that have already become staples of the band’s live set; Offering, Glory, and Great Wind.

For ALT014, Altered Circuits presents its first Various Artists release. In addition to the label's co-founder, three friends of the label appear on this heterogeneous, club-oriented 12''. Portal, with its breakbeat layered drum section and spartan bass hook, sounds like classic Innershades from the start. When the angular leads and slowly phased, ominous chords hit, we are reminded of the artist's fondness for the new beat genre and his ability to translate its tropes and conventions to the present. On Show You Love, Mr. Ho combines skippy two-step drums with an MS20 type of flat bass. After introducing a one-bar mid-bass arpeggiator, gently swelling pads, leisurely spread side riffs and reverb-drenched musings join, calibrating the vibe to lush and groovy. On the other side, Oshana treats groove as the focal point with her Hey Kiss Kiss contribution. Over its 6-minute course, the snappy 909 kick rarely relents while a bunch of often short, many a time looped sequences emerge and disappear, unfolding a hypnotic tapestry of textures. Rising talent Salomee closes the VA with Late Night Summer, a track capable of setting the floor in motion at any moment. It revolves around a portamento-heavy, neon-tinged lead that lingers long after the track ends and a sturdy, efficient one-note bass pulse.

Dark Entries celebrates its 15th anniversary with legendary synth-punk deviants Crash Course in Science. Dale Feliciello, Mallory Yago, and Michael Zodorozny formed CCIS in 1979 after meeting at art school in Philadelphia. As a gesture born of equal parts punk irreverence and brute necessity, the band incorporated toy instruments and kitchen appliances into their aggressive, angular sound. Their anthems “Cardboard Lamb” and “Flying Turns” from 1981’s Signals From Pier Thirteen EP have been staples in adventurous DJ sets for over 40 years - yet some of their finest work is to be found on Near Marineland, a full-length LP recorded in 1981 but remained unreleased in its time. Near Marineland shows the band moving into more diverse and polished territory (although it’s still as abrasive as sandpaper). Tracks like “No More Hollow Doors” and “Jump Over Barrels” highlight CCIS’s singular knack for embedding infectiously monotone hooks in their stiff-yet-funky grooves. Elsewhere we see CCIS going fully unhinged, like on the searing “Someone Reads” or the demented “Pompeii Spared”, where a spray of honks is barely glued together by a frantic synthetic pulse. While this masterwork of malfunctioning analog electronics has surfaced on a few occasions - this first time stand alone remaster includes four never-before-released bonus tracks and includes a lyric sheet. Near Marineland is crucial listening for all devotees of synth-punk and minimal electronics.

`Dope Music On Vinyl’ cue up their next release, pairing up some classic West
Coast hip hop with some even more classic Disco grooves. “Going Out With A
Fifth” is a boom bap rendition of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony with a sprinkling of
boys from the Hill. On the flipside, Dr. Dre’s stepbrother, Warren steps up to knock it
out of the park with some backing from René & Angela

Die Songs von Faye Webster sind ein direkter Draht zum menschlichen Unbewussten, und "Underdressed at the Symphony" dokumentiert, was passiert, wenn man beginnt, aus den Trümmern der alten Routinen ein neues Selbst aufzubauen. Schon ihre zuvor veröffentlichten Songs "But Not Kiss" und "Lifetime" zeigen das selten erforschte Gebiet emotionaler Intimität, in dem Verlangen und Leidenschaft im Konflikt mit Trost, Verständnis und sogar platonischer Liebe stehen. Diese Themen finden sich in "Underdressed at the Symphony" wieder, zusammen mit hyper-spezifischen Symbolen, die ein Bild von Websters Leben zeichnen, wie z.B. "eBay Purchase History" oder die physischen Objekte, die sie begehrt bei "Lego Ring". Eine Art Unbeschwertheit, allerdings mit melancholischem Rückgrat, ist die treibende Kraft hinter dem Song "Lego Ring", auf dem Atlanta-Multikünstler Lil Yachty als einzige Gaststimme auf dem Album zu hören ist. An einigen Stellen schwebt sein gespenstisches Trillern direkt unter Websters Stimme und sticht durch die Leere über einem tiefen Grollen des Basses. Es ist die Art der klanglichen Zusammenarbeit, die auf der Grundlage eines langen gegenseitigen Verständnisses und einer engen Freundschaft gelingt, die bereits seit Schulzeiten besteht. "Underdressed at the Symphony" wurde mit ihrer langjährigen Band in den Sonic Ranch Studios in Texas aufgenommen und schwelgt in Experimentierfreudigkeit, Verspieltheit und Abenteuerlust. Vocoder-Momente, Schnörkel eines Orchesters, gruselige Harmonien und Synthesizer kommen zum Vorschein, ohne die räumliche Qualität von Websters früherer Musik zu beeinträchtigen, sodass ihre Texte nach wie vor genügend Raum haben, mit zusätzlichen Bedeutungsebenen an die Oberfläche sprudeln. Matt "Pistol" Stoessels Pedal Steel-Klänge sorgen für genau den richtigen Schimmer, während Nels Cline von Wilco seine unbestreitbar gefühlvollen Fingerfertigkeiten zu einer Reihe von Songs beisteuert. Das Zusammenkauern an der buchstäblichen Grenze zwischen den USA und Mexiko bot den Musiker*innen Raum zum Isolieren, Konzentrieren und Experimentieren. Alle Songs auf diesem Album sind Live-Aufnahmen, von denen einige bereits beim ersten oder zweiten Take aufgenommen wurden und Websters Talent zeigen, aus einem ganz bestimmten, scheinbar kleinen Moment eine universelle Erfahrung zu ziehen.

Die Edition Paul als Gruß an LKM-Bassist Stephan Paul, der gerade noch pausieren muss: Klares Vinyl gebundlet mit Slipmat & Poster, limitiert auf 48 Stück! Das aktuelle 2023er (Comeback)-Album von LOIKAEMIE mit Namen "Menschen"! 2022 erschienen mit "Lumpenmann" und "Tief im Herzen" die ersten neuen LKM-Songs seit 2007 (digital und als limitierte 7"-Single), dazu gesellenen sich noch "Was Soll Die Ganze Scheisse?" und "Lasst Uns rein", alles Vorboten des fünften Studioalbums "Menschen" und schon auf einer Menge Playlists zuhause. Kein Wunder, dass nach 16 Jahren die Erwartungen riesig sind, bei den Fans wie der Band selbst. Und ,Menschen" ist nicht weniger als ein Manifest dessen, wie Punkrock im Jahr 2023 klingen muss: Rotzig und melodisch, kompromisslos und reflektiert, politisch und gut gelaunt. Alle zwölf Ohrenfräsen atmen den unverkennbaren LOIKAEMIE-Spirit und doch ist ,Menschen" ein Riesenschritt nach vorn. Schon der überaus modern klingende Opener "Wenn wir alle so wären" fegt alles weg, was derzeit belanglos auf Allgemeinplätzen durch den Punk pogt, vom anschließenden hymnischen Titeltrack bis zur abschließenden Selbsteinladung "Lasst und rein" bleibt die Energie ganz oben, gleichzeitig ist das Album vielschichtig wie nie zuvor in der Bandgeschichte. Zu Streetpunk- und Rock'n'Roll-Brettern gesellt sich Reggea, Sprechgesang, Ballade und Melodien, die sich auch im Pop nicht verstecken müssten. Statt markiger Statements erzählen die Texte pointierte Geschichten, teilen durchdachte Gedanken zu aktuellen Miseren in der Welt, der Szene oder des eigenen Kopfes. Aber es gibt auch keine Scheu vorm hymnischen Refrain, den fortan volle Konzertsäle gemeinsam intonieren können. Oi!, was sind das knallende Hits!

Mount Jacinto is the creative vision of Costa Rican artist Sonya Carmona, formerly a member of Colornoise and Las Robertas. Inspired by the majestic Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs and the expansive landscapes of Northern California, Sonya sought to embody a sense of freedom and openness in her new musical project.

The band lineup includes Gini Jungi of Annie Taylor on guitar, drummer Adrian Oesch, and a touch of Latin American flair with Peruvian Joel Morales on bass and Mexican Yan-Cey on synthesizer.

In their music, chamber music elements intertwine with gentle bass lines reminiscent of Air’s Moon Safari and melodic compositions rooted in raw alternative rock. Their debut EP, Outward Signs, released in March 2023, explores modern pop-rock psychedelia with a groovy touch of twang.

The album was recorded with JooJoo Ashworth from Froth and mixed by Alex Newport (Bloc Party etc.).
The title track, Silver Lining, is a standout on the album, showcasing the evolution of Mount Jacinto's sound over recent years. Sonya explains:
"This song is my favorite at the moment from the album. I think it kind of represents it well and reflects that there is always a 'Silver Lining' in everything, where something good can come from a difficult or bad situation. It’s very exciting to play it live and marks the evolution of our sound through this last year. It has its own character and creates its own sonic universe. It’s a homage to the synth wave era, a mix between Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, and Lebanon Hanover."

The debut album Silver Lining is more than a collection of songs—it’s a deeply personal journey through love, loss, and self-discovery. Created during a period of transformation in Sonya Carmona's life, it captures raw emotions and the resilience required to find one’s true self. Tracks like Forest delve into the path to self-acceptance and the importance of confronting inner struggles, whileThe Reason explores the inner dialogues we have during pivotal moments. The album blends heartfelt, intimate lyrics with lush, soulful soundscapes.
Musically, Silver Lining combines classic 60s and 70s influences with a modern indie vibe. It reflects the profound changes Carmona has experienced, offering listeners a moving musical journey.

Back In Stock!

Neues Album erscheint am 31. Mai 2024 bei City Slang inklusive der Single 'Big Swimmer' featuring Gesangsharmonien von Sharon Van Etten!

King Hannah entwirft einen musikalischen Wandteppich, der nahtlos zwischen den ruhigen Tiefen des meditativen Pops und den weitläufigen, klangvollen Landschaften voller Dunkelheit, Witz und schrägem Humor pendelt. Merricks Gesang, ein rauchiges Vergnügen, verleiht ihren Worten tiefes Gewicht und Kraft, ergänzt durch die bluesigen Leinwände, die Whittle meisterhaft unter ihnen malt. Ihr Sound wechselt mühelos von Momenten post-rockiger Weite zu dem Gefühl, dass Springsteen auf eine düstere Seitenstraße abseits seines Highways zur Freiheit gerät. In jüngster Zeit hat das Duo die Bühnen neben geschätzten Künstlern wie Kurt Vile, Thurston Moore, Kevin Morby und DIIV geziert und das Publikum auf Festivals in ganz Europa und Nordamerika, darunter End of the Road, Green Man, Primavera Sound und Fusion, in seinen Bann gezogen. King Hannah wurde unter anderem von Stereogum als "Band to Watch", von The Guardian als "Ones to Watch" und von Paste als "Best of What's Next" gefeiert und in der Rubrik "NEU" des DIY Magazins sowie als "Rising Artists" von SPIN vorgestellt.

Limited Edition Yellow vinyl repress.

Two huge edits by Gospel Soul music authoritarian Greg Belson & veteran edit crew, Situation member Paulo Fulci.

Greg Belson has been the host of The Divine Chord Gospel Show since 2011, and has shared his record collection to an ever growing worldwide audience.

Over the last 4 years, he's assembled DJ tours around Europe to spread the gospel directly to the dancefloors of more discerning clubs, and it was at Glastonbury Festival specifically the NYC Downlow stage that he met Paulo Fulci. 'Born Again' became a reality and in the Summer of 2017, was road tested on Belson's tour of 50 dates over 3 months.

His work as a compiler of releases on Cultures of Soul & Harmless Records have garnered support from all sides of the music industry from The Guardian to BBC Radio 6 Music.

Now as 'Divine Situation', Belson & Fulci are returning to the underground sound with a slew of edits, starting with these back to back club-tested heavy hitters.

A few years ago, Angel Olsen quietly formed somethingscosmic, a new imprint and a home for Olsen to have “the flexibility to release when and how I want to with the help from my longtime partners at Jagjaguwar.” Somethingscosmic’s second release, ‘Cosmic Waves Volume 1’ is a compilation reimagined as a dialogue; side A features artists chosen by Olsen, with each artist choosing their own song for the collection. Side B is a collection of songs from the same artists, but chosen by Olsen and recorded by her. Each song, unsurprisingly, illuminates a new artist Olsen finds spectacular. Hearing Olsen refract the artists’ songs back to them reveals the depth of Olsen’s imagination, while spotlighting multiple exciting artists at work.

“As someone that emerged into the music scene through a small tape label,” says Olsen, “I’ve wanted to continue the spirit of discovery and of my debut release, ‘Strange Cacti’, while supporting and collaborating with artists and friends whose music I have been moved by. I feel there is something unique and special about covering another artist's song,” she continues. “We all make it our own, or we try to, but I personally always learn something new about the process when I’m engaging someone else’s words and melodies in such a close way. Time and again I find that putting myself into various different styles of songs can lead to new ways of thinking and creating.”

The artists on “Cosmic Waves Volume 1” draw from a sprawling, myriad sounds, eras and inspirations. Poppy Jean Crawford’s magnetic growl and guitar-god heaviness; Coffin Prick’s reckless, psychedelic fuzz; Sarah Grace White’s hypnotic voice and melody; Maxim Ludwig’s expert minimalism; and Camp Saint Helene’s beautiful, big sky folk. “Thank you for listening and supporting this experiment,” Olsen says. “If you like what you hear, please support these artists by buying some of their music, merch, a ticket to their show, or telling your friends about them. It goes a long way. Love, Angel”

The Holiday Album That Turned Mariah Carey into the Queen of Christmas: Featuring the Standard “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” the Singer’s Blockbuster Merry Christmas Exudes Joy, Spirituality, and Conviction
Sourced from the Original Master Tapes, Presented in Audiophile Sound for the First Time, and Strictly Limited to 3,000 Numbered Copies:

Mobile Fidelity’s UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33RPM LP Set Plays with Superb Detail, Openness, and Definition
1/2" / 30 IPS / Dolby SR analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe

Mariah Carey didn’t become the Queen of Christmas just because of her fervent love of the holiday. Or as the result of a brilliant marketing plan. The iconic singer earned her title by way of her blockbuster Merry Christmas, a 1994 album that quickly joined the likes of Bing Crosby’s White Christmas, A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song as an all-time holiday vocal classic. Featuring a balanced mix of inspired originals and well-chosen covers, Carey’s fourth studio record has only grown in stature as new generations discover its magic. Mobile Fidelity’s 30th anniversary edition reissue of Merry Christmas makes her spellbinding performances and upper-tier register come alive like never before.

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, the pioneering label’s UltraDisc One-Step 180g 33RPM LP set of Merry Christmas plays with superb detail, depth, and dimensionality. Available in audiophile quality for the first time since its original release three decades ago, and featuring the bonus track “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” the nine-times-platinum set breathes with a newfound openness and transparency that enhance the spirituality, passion, and festive tenor of Carey’s singing.

Benefitting from superb groove definition, a nearly inaudible noise floor, and dead-quiet vinyl surfaces, the music takes on a heightened energy and anticipatory emotion synonymous with the holiday season. Carey’s signature vocals explode with liveliness and dynamics, the full scope of her acrobatic range presented in clear, transparent sound that practically places her on a small stage in your listening room. This collectible version also breathes with the kind of warmth, intimacy, and coziness you want from a landmark vocal album.

Recorded when Carey helped put “diva” back into everyone’s vocabulary, Merry Christmas gave the New York native another smash right out of the box. What nobody knew at the time was the degree of the album’s staying power — and how, many years removed from its initial promotion cycle, its legend would still grow and even spark a 2010 sequel. Having re-entered the Top 200 charts every year since 2019, Merry Christmas ranks as one of the three most commercially successful holiday LPs ever made and, in due time, will likely earn the top distinction in that class. A global blockbuster, it seamlessly ties together Christian, gospel, and secular threads and speaks to a boundless audience, independent of denomination.

Most obviously, the record remains inescapably connected to “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” an uptempo anthem that towers as a holiday standard and one of the biggest-selling singles in history. Punctuated with celesta chimes, sleigh bells, springy keyboards, and joyous beats, the song echoes the simple albeit engaging melodies and doo-wop style of beloved holiday classics of yore — and blends such elements with contagious dance-pop rhythms to create an atmosphere rich in joy, wonder, and excitement. Radiant with golden soulfulness and sincere conviction, Carey’s exuberant singing and on-point phrasing put it all over the top. And how.

The song stands as the only effort in Billboard history to top the Hot 100 chart during at least three separate runs. Carey’s blockbuster has already hit No. 1 during five runs, spanning every year between 2019 and 2024. That’s just one of the many records the singer holds — and only one of the multiple highlights from Merry Christmas, which includes two other Carey-penned originals, “Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)” and “Jesus Born on This Day.”

Though slightly lesser known, Carey’s remarkable rendition of Darlene Love’s “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” further links her album with the big, lush, Wall of Sound heritage that helped inspire its production. Carey’s heartfelt take and transformation of the traditional “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” into an animated tune that even adults can believe, as well as her clairon reading of “Joy to the World” — cleverly augmented with bits of Three Dog Night’s 1971 hit of the same name — further reinforce her status as Queen of Christmas.

At the peak of her powers, Carey finds equivalent success when tapping more spiritual veins. Witness the reverence she brings to the timeless carol “Silent Night,” the piousness she invests in “Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child,” and the sacred feeling she conveys throughout “O Holy Night.” You’ll also never think of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “Gloria (In Excelsis Deo)” the same way again after hearing Mimi pour her heart and soul into them, and pair the songs together.

Indeed, it’s Carey’s pliable voice, melismatic technique, and five-octave range — on display here in definitive fashion — coupled with her undeniable love for Christmas and understanding of the religious significance of the season that make Merry Christmas a must-have holiday staple. And on Mobile Fidelity’s LP, something you better add to your wish list.

Vinyl reissue of 2021 cassette release: Tokyo visionist Soshi Takeda’s second album took shape across eight months of the winter and spring, inspired by an iconic mid-80’s photography book of Chinese landscapes. Scenes of lantern-lit fishing boats on misty mountain lakes seeded a mood of hidden paradise, with ancient waterways snaking secret paths into the past.

Recorded at his home studio using hardware synths and samplers from the 1990’s, the six songs of Floating Mountains (plus digital-only bonus track, “Deep Breath,” from the 2nd Life Silk compilation) evoke shrouded vistas of liquid skies and shining lakes, like some Li River twist on Balearic half-light house. Shades of cosmic drift and crystalline electronica ebb and flow within the nocturnal pulse, pagodas and pearls reflecting the waning moon: “I hope you can feel the cool and exotic atmosphere.”

Nach der Veröffentlichung von 'Mothership Connection' im Jahr 1975 wurde spekuliert, ob Parliament nochmal etwas ebenso Gutes liefern könnte. Kein Problem. Das bahnbrechende Album 'The Clones Of Dr Funkenstein' erschien 1976 und gehört zu den besten der P-Funk-Crew. Es erreichte in Amerika Goldstatus und # 20 in den Billboard-Album-Charts. Zu George Clintons cooler Crew gehörte u.a. Bootsy Collins (Bass). Die musikalischen Arrangements stammten von Keyboarder Bernie Worrell und dem ehemaligen James Brown-Bläser Fred Wesley. Zu den Studiobläsern gehörten die legendären Brecker Brothers.
Jeder Titel war ein Volltreffer, wobei 'Gamin' On Ya' und 'Children Of Production' vor musikalischer Elektrizität sprühten. 'Getten' To Know You' war sogar eine Art romantische Ballade. 'Everything Is On The One' war eine Zusammenfassung der aufgefrischten Groove-Philosophie von Parliament in einem einzigen Song. George Clinton spielte natürlich die Rolle des Dr. Funkenstein, der auf dem ikonischen Cover abgebildet ist. Natürlich auf Black Vinyl!

In der Hoffnung, Sun Konkurrenz zu machen, startete Meteor 1952 vielversprechend mit dem in Chicago aufgenommenen R&B-Hit 'I Believe' von Elmore James. Ein zweiter Hit, diesmal im Country-Bereich, 'Daydreamin' von Bud Deckelman Ende 1954, verlieh Meteor jedoch neues Leben und weckte Lesters Interesse an Aufnahmen von Rockabilly-Künstlern, insbesondere jetzt, da der Newcomer Elvis Presley bei Sun seinen Durchbruch hatte. Meteor's Studio war dazu da, seine Geheimnisse zu bewahren, und darin lag die Magie. Niemand wurde jemals bezahlt und niemand wurde zu einer zweiten Session eingeladen. Irgendwann im Sommer 1957 machte Lester Bihari das Licht aus, schloss ab und ging, ohne sich die Mühe zu machen, die Master und irgendwelche Unterlagen mitzunehmen, und machte das Label mit dieser letzten Drehung des Schlüssels zum Mythos. Die unfreiwillige Wahrheit von Meteor Rockabilly ist: Man ließ die Musik für sich selbst sprechen, ungeschönt und frei von kommerziellen Zwängen. Exquisit gemastert aus den besten verfügbaren Quellen und attraktiv verpackt, ist 'Bop Baby Bop - Meteor Rockabilly' ein wichtiges Zeugnis des Nachkriegs-Amerika. Auf Black Vinyl!

Steven Wilson is no stranger to composing music that appears to counter everything else before it in his catalogue. Bass Communion, his long running solo electronic project, is no exception to this perverse streak that apparently likes to turn all expectations upside down. The Itself of Itself, Bass Communion's first album for 12 years, skilfully pays testament to this. Long established as a purveyor of mostly atmospheric or ambient textures, the seven cuts that represent The Itself of Itself take detours from this approach in order draw as much from musique concrete, noise music, abstract electronics and uneasy listening. Whilst still rippled with the same shades of light and dark that can be found throughout all of Bass Communion's work, The Itself of Itself reveals a fascination with analogue sounds and, more importantly perhaps, 'unwanted' analogue artefacts like tape hiss, wow and flutter, static noise, and sonic break-up, taking the music into a space at once different yet familiar. 'Apparition 3' presents a stark nod to Wilson's established command of shifting textures steeped in penumbral gauze, while 'Bruise' is akin to a space probe adrift and headed towards a white dwarf as all communication is reduced to a disturbing and indecipherable crackle. Between the other five cuts we witness fragmented, garbled and buried voices, vast vacillating banks of grainy hum, what sounds like the dying gasps of an oboe, spooky swirls from an indiscernible source, swathes of tape hiss, moody drones, and spiralling slivers of noise. Meanwhile on the title track, a mellotron flute rusts and collapses in on itself in a way that renders it the very antithesis of the one deployed on 'Strawberry Fields Forever'. Everything adds up to a dynamic listening experience where unease, dread and comparatively claustrophobic torrents of sound make (un)natural bedfellows to moments of enchantment and serenity. Above all, The Itself of Itself sees Steven Wilson cutting his teeth on an album that's at once cinematic and moody whilst proving him to be a master in electronic music craftsmanship. It's an album that might surprise some of those who have thus far been paying attention to his work as Bass Communion, but setting out to please everyone was never part of his raison d'etre. The Itself of Itself catches Bass Communion spreading its weatherbeaten wings to embrace new strategies and a strong desire to journey elsewhere. Arriving in a wonderful Carl Glover designed deluxe cover also comprising a 24pp. booklet of his photographs and an obi strip, this version of The Itself of Itself arrives in December on Lumberton Trading Company as a 2LP pressed in an initial run of 1000 copies.

Fang Island's debut record, long out of print and back in stock as daisy pink splatter coloured vinyl in gatefold jacket LP via Joyful Noise, defined the sound of danc-y/math-y indie rock of the early 2010s alongside contemporaries Lightning Bolt, Titus Andronicus, and Japandroids. Fang Island described their music as the sound of "everyone high fiving everyone." No matter where they went, Fang Island's up-with-people approach made them a subversive art project by default. At a time when the belligerent noise-rock of Lightning Bolt and The Body defined Providence, Fang Island played major-key guitar harmonies and flashy tapping riffs. When people tried to call them "math-rock," they thought of themselves as "recess rock." Fang Island shared bills with uber-buzzy bands like Yeasayer and Chairlift at Cake Shop and Santos Party House, crucibles for Brooklyn hype at the turn of the aughts; but their most impactful co-sign came from Andrew WK. At least until Fang Island earned an unexpected Best New Music review at Pitchfork; in the style of the time, the group - now including drummer Marc St. Sauver and guitarist Nick Sadler - were thrust from playing "literally empty shows" at hot dog stands in Ohio to becoming the toast of SXSW and starting their North American tour with psych-rock idols the Flaming Lips in an Atlantic City casino. They would later play sprawling amphitheaters with Stone Temple Pilots, and in perhaps the best demonstration of their ability to wield pop smarts to guitar pyrotechnics, both Matt & Kim and Coheed & Cambria.

Das siebte Studioalbum der kanadischen Punks Sum 41, Order in Decline, hat weltweit die Charts angeführt und Platz 2 erreicht: OCC Rock & Metal & US Hard Rock + #9 der Offiziellen Top 100 in Deutschland & #13 der kanadischen Billboard Charts. Das Album enthält die Lieblingssongs der Fans ,Out For Blood", ,Never There" und ,Catching Fire". So klingt ein rockiger Gefühlsausbruch: »Order In Decline« von Sum 41 ist laut, rau, mitreißend, intensiv. Besser geht's nicht. Sum 41 legten 2019 das härteste und aggressivste Werk ihrer Karriere vor. der damals siebte Longplayerder Kanadier war der Nachfolger von »13 Voices« aus 2016. Schon die erste Singleauskopplung, »Out For Blood«, sprach für ein ein absolutes Brett von einem Album. Punk, Rock, Alternative Metal - irgendwo dazwischen haben Deryck Whibley und Co. die perfekte Mitte gefunden. Die übrigen neun Songs von »Order In Decline« bestätigen das. Kerrang! bewertet das Album mit 4/5 Ks und schreibt: ,Insgesamt ist es das härteste und schwerste Album, das sie je gemacht haben, und auf den 10 Tracks sind Sum 41 auch am kreativsten und bereit, ihre Grenzen auszuloten." Sum 41 gründeten sich 1996 und veröffentlichten 2001 ihr erstes Full-Length-Album, es folgten mehrere EPs und sieben weitere Alben, darunter Chuck (2004), Underclass Hero (2007), Screaming Bloody Murder (2011) und 13 Voices (2016). Die Band veröffentlichte ihr letztes Album Heaven X Hell erst 2024 und befand sich zueltet auf einer Art Abschiedstournee zumindest für Europa. Diese neue Vinylversion ist neongrün und auf 500 Stück limitiert!

"Känguru" ist das dritte Album von Guru Guru, 1972 veröffentlicht auf dem Brain-Label. Produziert von Conny Plank in der damals "klassischen" Guru Guru - Besetzung mit Ax Genrich (Gitarre), Uli Trepte (Bass) und Mani Neumeier (Drums, Vocals). "Känguru" besteht prinzipiell aus den gleichen Ingredienzen wie seine beiden Vorgänger "Ufo" und "Hinten", die 1970 und 1971 auf Rolf Kaisers Ohr Label veröffentlicht wurden. "Känguru" ist Krautrock in Reinkultur, auf dem Album sind "nur" 4 Tracks, alle in einer Länge zwischen 10 und 15 Minuten. Die Band geht aber weg vom unorganisierten Chaos der beiden Vorgängeralben und geben den Songs mehr Struktur, der Härteanteil wird zurückgefahren, alles klingt zugänglicher und harmonischer. Gleichzeitig nimmt die humoristische Komponente zu, siehe z.B. Mani Neumeiers Sprechgesang bei der Einleitung zu "Immer lustig". Kurzum: "Känguru" ist ein Krautrock-Juwel.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member Little Richard is a musical institution. The Architect Of Rock ’n’ Roll’s 1970 return. Pressed on opaque pink vinyl. Mastered by Grammy®-winning engineer Michael Graves. Lacquers cut by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl/Sam Phillips Recording Service in Memphis. Packaging contains liner notes from Bill Dahl. Some successful recording artists are lucky to enjoy a lengthy career and perhaps one successful comeback after their popularity wanes over time. Rock ’n’ roll pioneer and absolute legend, Little Richard, achieved several. In the ’50s he racked up a non-stop string of smashes for Specialty Records with producer Bumps Blackwell like the blistering cuts, “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally,” and “Rip It Up.” The Georgia Peach was deemed too uninhibited and unpredictable for TV variety shows to present to the nation, but the records were undeniable hits. He was clearly, an artist far ahead of the culture and times. Little Richard returned in 1970 with The Rill Thing and instead of sticking around his adopted home of Los Angeles, Richard set out for Rick Hall’s FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama to record the album for Reprise, joined by Bumps, who was now his manager. The opening track, “Freedom Blues,” was released in April of 1970 and hit #28 on the charts. The second cut, “Greenwood Mississippi,” was also released as a single in August and also made a Billboard appearance. The marathon title track (running a whopping 10 minutes and 20 seconds) was an intense funk jam that was captured in one take. The album also featured covers of tunes by The Beatles and Hank Williams—it was a different sound by far than the savagely rocking attack he’d ridden to fame like a rocket at Specialty close to a decade and- a-half earlier, but it was every bit as effective. The Rill Thing bore the slogan “The Little Richard Sound” on its labels. “He was at his peak with his vocals on there,” says guitarist Travis Wammack admiringly. “He was just singing his booty off!” The Rill Thing is back as a 12" long player, and pressed on opaque pink vinyl with a printed inner sleeve that includes liner notes by Bill Dahl.

"Dwell time is defined as the length of time a shopper spends in a shopping center, starting from the moment they enter till the moment they exit."

Experimental artists Xqui & Dogs Versus Shadows join forces in this lively, dadaesque spree through the earthly delights of shopping mall muzak and consumer theory. Xqui is a prolific experimental electronic producer based in Lancashire UK, known for his mind melting-palettes and brooding abstract soundscapes: "carefully constructed, intelligent and mature.. a musician very much in control of his art" - We Are Cult "As good as Basinski, and neck and neck with the degenerative sounds of Eno's best." – TQ Dogs Versus Shadows is a prolific experimental electronic producer based in Nottingham UK, known for his boundless invention and quick-witted powers of reflective observation. Formerly a much-loved broadcaster, Lee 'Pylon' was known for his influential underground radio show Kites & Pylons, before changing tack to delight and intrigue listeners with his DVS project: "A rare example of gamekeeper turned poacher...a welter of impressive electronica"

From Rotterdam's fertile grounds springs another thorny rose. Composer, DJ, and producer Muzmin kicks off the maiden release of 'Fusion of Thought' with 'Yucca EP', featuring four tracks of old-school harbour city slamming techno with a heady, contemporary twist. An elegant balancing act between thought-provoking sound-design and undulating, peak-time efficacy that the San Francisco Bay Area-based artist is such an expert at. A promising start for this young label.

In the fall of 2022, celebrated UK chill-out institution Seahawks landed in Los Angeles for the first time in their 15-year history, with plans to record a sweeping new age downtempo "exploration of visionary California."

Instead, they immediately fell ill with flu (Fowler collapsed next to a taco truck; 911 was called), and were bedridden for the better part of a week. Upon recovering, they resituated at the synthesizer sanctuary of Brian Foote (Peak Oil, Kranky, Leech), channeling their post-sickness psychedelia into one of the band's lushest and most elevated creations to date: Time Enough For Love. Inspired by the "groove and mood" of Harry Nilsson demos, as well as its wider 70's wavelength - Rhodes, Wurlitzer, wood paneling - Seahawks transposed their classic post-rave ambient exotica onto a warm and woozy Golden State palette. Buoyed by the liquid touch of English maestro Kenny Dickenson on keys, the results rank high among the duo's smoothest and most multi-sensory voyages. "Sail Across The Moon" delivers on its title, a simmering, phaser-smeared cruise through the beauty of the night. "Messengers" echoes the cosmic lounge of Air's Moon Safari, shuffling, weightless, and ethereal, while "Falling Deep" reaches for the stars, pure cascading bliss, the ecstatic moment writ large.

The album skews steadily more astral as it progresses, drifting towards jazzy, galactic outer reaches. "Like A Grain Of Sand" opens with a spoken sample by the celebrated late American poet Rachel Sherwood ("The children watch, breathless / with the birds / They feel an emanation / from this shuddering place"), before taking flight on a Balearic trip through island house, PM Dawn gold dust, upright bass meditation, and kaleidoscopic light. A remix of the title track by Chicago trio Purelink closes the record in a suitably subdued and skittery state of mind. Time Enough For Love radiates color, complexity, and positivity, infused by the "life enhancing" nature of the band's time in Los Angeles - sunsets, sound systems, and sativa, framed by coastlines and cloudbanks, the city's mystic sprawl glittering beneath purple dusk.

A classic in the realm of Disco, ‘Spread Love’ by Al Hudson & The Soul Partners was a standout record from their album ‘Spreading Love’, originally released in 1978 on ABC Records. Having been covered and sampled various times over the years, this sought-after masterpiece has now been officially licensed for the first time in 46 years and remastered on 12 inch, thanks to the team at South Steet Disco. The A-side features the full extended intro version from the original album, whilst the B-side houses the 1978 12 inch single version, jumping straight into the action.

Releasing now for well over a decade - Neue Grafik: known to friends as Fred, has successfully transplanted from Parisian rookie to one- man London Institution. Beginning as a solo producer and DJ,Fred spread his wings upon relocating to South London - at first with his Neue Grafik Ensemble and later with his now iconic twice-weekly Orii Jam - the latter of which has given agency to an entire new generation of musicians; spawning an aesthetic, nurturing a unique sound and becoming a launchpad for countless artists.

Dalston Tape Volume 1 is Fred’s attempt to fall back in love with beatmaking - taking it back to the roots of
where the project began. I say “attempt” because he’s simply learnt too much and made too many friends
along the way to make a mere DIY beat tape. Since his early MPC-led productions on Parisian label, Beat
X Changers, Fred has learnt to play the keys to a concert hall standard, he has become proficient in double bass and built up a dense network of collaborators who he has composed, recorded, engineered and produced for both at home in SE London and in the iconic Total Refreshment Centre Studios in Dalston.

This experience adds unavoidable dimensions to his toolbox - resulting in something more akin to a miniature-magnum-opus than a simple beat-tape.

Yes, we hear the influences of Pete Rock, Mad Lib, J Dilla and Al Dobson Jr but we also hear the musicality of D’Aneglo, James Blake and live contributions from an ever growing army of young graduates of the Orii School.

RIYL: Portishead, Thom Yorke, BEAK>, SUUNS, TR/ST, Radiohead. Solo project of Robert Toher who was the creator of ERAAS. Covered by Quietus,Pitchfork, NME, Stereogum, Earmilk, The 405, Clash, BBC Radio, Clash and more.... Public Memory is a mixture of damaged and dubbed-out percussion, unfurling synths and sparse sampling - all strung together by producer Robert Toher's spectral tenor. The project's sophomore LP, Demolition follows 2017's Veil of Counsel EP and 2016's Wuthering Drum LP with cinematic fortitude. While Public Memory's prominent krautrock and trip-hop rhythms are represented here, Demolition explores a greater range of tempos and an expanse of alien emotions with layers of electronic drums, live drums, Korg synths and samples from nature. Themes of rebirth and reflection imbue the album's atmosphere, rich in tape delay, spring reverb, and textures that conjure a sci fi and supernatural narrative. Opener "The Line" sets the album in motion with a driving energy and introspective unease, as if estranged from the world it was created in. A meditation on impending collapse, "Red Rainbow" begins with an arpeggiated melody that hints at a sense of dread. Like the darkness of night descends, the track unfolds with haunting atmospherics and howling synths, finishing with an unexpected climax that ominously builds until at last it falls apart, quickly, softly, without incident. The slowtempoed "Aegis" reflects on the banal reality of love lost, with shuffling rhythms, lingering inflections and a growling synth at its core. Toher's adept use of space and tension articulates the world of Demolition as eerie, emotive, and above all, narcotic. Each track is an existential procession. "Turning out the lights on your illusion," Toher sings to close the album, accepting that change is an inescapable condition of being.

Horrible Occurrences is the title of the new Advance Base album, and there is truth in advertising. In these songs_all centered around a fictional town called Richmond and featuring an interlinked cast of characters_you will hear stories of death and disappearance, climactic confrontations and unsolved mysteries. "Richmond is just this place where all the bad memories live," Owen Ashworth explains, and nearly 30 years into his songwriting career, none of his records have packed quite the emotional intensity of this one. And yet something alchemical happens in the telling of these tales. Like a masterful short story collection, Horrible Occurrences is inspiring and alive, idiosyncratic and electric, pulling you closer with each word. In the six years since his last full-length collection of originals, 2018's Animal Companionship, Ashworth gathered ideas from performing live and traveling around the country, returning to cities that he once called home and revisiting old ghosts, memories, and fragments of unfinished ideas. Blending truth and fiction into a dreamlike composite, the songs convey the winding path our memory takes as the years go by, giving voice to a subconscious that is still unpacking old memories for new wisdom. Drawing inspiration from the otherworldly loneliness depicted on '80s masterpieces like Arthur Russell's World of Echo and Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, the music never crowds Ashworth's detailed storytelling but it also never feels auxiliary. These are beautiful songs, but they stick with you for their ability to strike dissonant, unforgettable emotional chords. It is this pervasive empathy in Ashworth's songwriting_along with his writerly gift for clear settings and complex characters_that has made him a guiding light for so many independent artists. The things that happen throughout Horrible Occurrences are what we tend to call "unspeakable"_events that draw gut-level responses just from acknowledging that they could happen. But part of the triumph of the record is how simply and generously Ashworth finds the language to share them. For the characters in these songs who make it out okay, these are the types of memories they will be tossing and turning their whole lives, waiting for quiet moments to confide them among the people they trust. For the rest of us, they are signs of life along the highway on a dark, snowy night: reminders that, as isolated as we may feel, we are not alone on the road.

Im vergangenen Herbst hat Kat Frankie das Publikum mit ihrem Projekt B O D I E S überrascht, erstaunt, zu Tränen gerührt und begeistert. Auf ihrer Tournee hat sie unter anderem die Elbphilharmonie und die Berliner Philharmonie ausverkauft. Die Show hat mit ihrem A-capella Ensemble die Zuschauer*innen zu Standing Ovations hingerissen. Der Klang von B O D I E S ist in der Tat ein ganz Besonderer: Ohne Instrumente auf der Bühne liefert das achtköpfige Ensemble eine erstaunliche Bandbreite menschlicher Emotionen ab. Manchmal unglaublich kraftvoll, manchmal zärtlich und nachdenklich, reichen Frankies Kompositionen hierbei von leidenschaftlich bis verspielt. Und dann ist da natürlich noch die schiere körperliche Kraft von acht Frauenstimmen in Harmonie.

Auf dem Album B O D I E S erkundet Frankie die Möglichkeiten des mehrstimmigen Gesangs noch weiter. Während einige Lieder dem Publikum bereits bekannt sein werden, sind neue Werke wie „Wonder“ und „Petrichor“ reine A-Capella Kompositionen. Frankie hat dabei auf eine Hauptstimme verzichtet, um sich stattdessen auf satte Harmonien und die Erzeugung einer wohlige Wärme zu konzentrieren. Kat Frankies Gesang auf „All of It“ ist ebenfalls minimalistisch, doch er sprüht nur so vor Sehnsucht und erhebt sich über den mantraartigen Hintergrund des Ensembles. In „Joan Didion“ geht es – das gilt es zu beachten – nicht um die Autorin, sondern um die Entfremdung und den Kummer ihrer Protagonistin. Das Epos „Versailles“ ist inspiriert von der Geschichte des Frauenmarsches in Versailles im Jahr 1789, einem Protest von Pariser Marktfrauen, die über den Brotmangel verärgert waren. Schließlich schlossen sich den Frauen Tausende von Menschen an und daraus entstand eines der bedeutendsten Ereignisse der Französischen Revolution.

Ltd transculent blue & red Vinyl zum national album Day (UK)

Autobahn, Feldwege, Landstraßen. Thees Uhlmann ist längst sein eigener Road Movie. Doch erst dieses Album zeichnet den Trip mitreisetauglich nach. Er führt vom AJZ bis ins Stadion, von Hemmoor bis nach New York, durch mehr als drei Jahrzehnte wiedervereinigtes Deutschland. Rock, Indie, Punk und was nicht sonst noch alles. Lichthupe aber nur im äußersten Notfall. "Sincerely, Thees Uhlmann!" ist eine Best Of Zusammenstellung der Tomte Years (1994 - 2010) und Thees Solo Years (2011 - Present).

Autobahn, Feldwege, Landstraßen. Thees Uhlmann ist längst sein eigener Road Movie. Doch erst dieses Album zeichnet den Trip mitreisetauglich nach. Er führt vom AJZ bis ins Stadion, von Hemmoor bis nach New York, durch mehr als drei Jahrzehnte wiedervereinigtes Deutschland. Rock, Indie, Punk und was nicht sonst noch alles. Lichthupe aber nur im äußersten Notfall. "Sincerely, Thees Uhlmann!" ist eine Best Of Zusammenstellung der Tomte Years (1994 - 2010) und Thees Solo Years (2011 - Present).

DJ Koze, Arnim Teutoburg-Weiß aka arnim, and the Düsseldorf Düsterboys enchant with a touching homage to Holger Biege - one of the legendary architects of East German soul. DJ Koze once again proves his unparalleled sense for the extraordinary. Around the line "Du hast erzählt, gelacht / Mir gezeigt, wie schön du bist" from Holger Biege's 1978 song "Bleib doch", Koze weaves a small masterpiece, infused equally with nostalgic depth and futuristic elements.

Arnim Teutoburg-Weiß aka arnim (frontman of the iconic Beatsteaks) opens our hearts with his heavenly radiant voice. With full sincerity - pure and straightforward - he sings the love declaration of a lifetime.
Floating on a cloud, the Düsseldorf Düsterboys sprinkle lyrical stardust with their brilliant harmonies - fluffy and bizarre at the same time. It feels as if this cosmic quartet boarded a time machine and returned to the present to plant the essence of days gone by into today's matrix.

"Wie schön du bist" is not just a tribute to Holger Biege's work, but a loving bow to his entire musical legacy. It is an anthem to the timeless magic of music and the enduring power of love that connects us all.
Koze, arnim and the Düsterboys have created something truly unique here: a gem-a homage, a time travel, and a love letter all in one. Music can indeed be something magical.

AA
"Amor," a dandelion of a song, was created in collaboration with Brazilian singer César Lacerda. It is an acoustic love letter in its purest form-warm, crackling, and everlasting.

Control Freak is delighted to present Medici Daughter's ‘113’ – an exercise in expansive musical worldbuilding from a uniquely talented & multifaceted artist.

Medici Daughter has been a close CF collaborator since the earliest days of the label. Now, the new album-length continuous piece ‘113’ sees them expanding their musical focus, exploding the constraints of any boundaries set by the titular BPM into a myriad of possibilities.

With a sound palette influenced by dub techno, minimalism & outsider house, the release is anchored in a series of continuously evolving rhythmic motifs, washed out in a sea of hazy texture – engineered for deep home listening & late-night ambient-room sessions.

The digital release of ‘113’ is accompanied by a highly limited run of tapes, presented in a clear case & sealed with a holographic RFID sticker.

For Fans Of: Actress, Huerco S., Loraine James

Another step outside the box for Ripple Music as Shotgun Sawyer embrace rocked-up Americana in the vein of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty with a touch of 60's garage rock thrown into the mix.

King’s X is one of the great mysteries in rock. Ear Candy is the sixth album of this American rock band.

Ear Candy expands on King’s X ability to vacillate between pop, hard rock, psychedelic, and everything in between. All these elements
can be found on this album, good hard rocks songs, ballads and everything in between.

The album also features the single “The Train” and Glen Phillips of Toad The Wet Sprocket can be heard the track ‘A Box.’

Ear Candy is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on purple coloured vinyl and comes in a gatefold sleeve.

"Echtholzstandby" ist das zweite Album aus 2016 von Schreng Schreng & La La, dem Duo von Lasse an der Gitarre und Jörkk am Gesang. Hier als Random Colored Edition.

Talking to machines in the land of happiness.

Machines are machines. Art is art.

Even the greatest artificial-intelligence machine is a machine.

Earquake 1992 is the second part of the man-made "Best Of 90s" music series by the various artist Wolfgang Voigt.

The prayer flags are waving in the stormy wind of truthfulness.

Time for change.

Mit Maschinen sprechen im Land des Glücks.

Maschinen sind Maschinen. Kunst ist Kunst.

Auch die größte Künstliche-Intelligenz-Maschine ist eine Maschine.

Earquake 1992 ist der zweite Teil der menschengemachten „Best Of 90er Jahre“ Musik-Reihe des diversen Künstlers Wolfgang Voigt.

Die Gebetsfahnen wehen im stürmischen Wind der Wahrhaftigkeit.

Zeit für Veränderung.

Vor vierzig Jahren reiste Roman Bunka mit der legendären Gruppe Embryo nach Kolkata und überquerte die eindrucksvolle HowrahBrücke, die Jahrzehnte später den Hintergrund für ein unvergessliches JISR-Konzert am 24. März 2022 bildete. Die Aufführung am Ganges, eines von Roman Bunkas letzten Konzerten, ruft wertvolle Erinnerungen an sein Leben und seine friedvolle Botschaft des Miteinanders durch Musik wach. "JISR – Live in Kolkata" ist nicht nur ein musikalisches Denkmal für Roman Bunka, sondern ein starkes Manifest für die universelle Sprache der Musik – eine
Einladung, über die eigenen kulturellen Grenzen hinauszublicken und die fesselnden Klänge der Welt in sich aufzunehmen.

The Norwegian indie-pop super-group with members from Making Marks, The Little Hands of Asphalt, Mildfire, Flight Mode and Elva return with a third album of original Christmas songs.

Get into that alternative, Nordic Christmas spirit! Christmas III at its heart is an alt-Christmas album: the songs are firmly rooted in December’s festivities, albeit not usually relying on the season’s traditional reference points. The songs hone in on the more ambivalent sides of Christmas - family, customs and the passing of time - with a keen eye towards the holidays’ most obvious function in countries close to the Artic circle: getting through the cold and dark times to celebrate the winter solstice and the turning of the sun. Drawing from Sufjan Stevens’ epic indie Christmas compendium and Phil Spector’s wall of sound classic A Christmas Gift From You, Christmas III is built on shimmering guitars, snow filled piano lines, gentle strings, springy vocals and dynamic drums - all steadily conducted by Sunturns’ own Sjur Lyseid (Flight Mode, The Little Hands of Asphalt) in the producer’s seat at his Globus studio in Oslo. With 3 songwriters (Ola Innset, Einar Stray & Sjur Lyseid) contributing to Christmas III, there’s an ever shifting sense of reflections. Parenthood and the struggles of the dark Norwegian winter is behind Ola’s track First Winter. “Sometimes I feel bad about bringing children into such a difficult world. Not so much with respect to daylight and the seasons, they’re just going to have to learn how to live with it, but with many other things – like war, poverty, climate change and even just death.” Back In Town might have been inspired by a discussion over whether Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town” is a Christmas song or not, but it’s written about his youngest daughter Klara, to his elder daughter, about taking holidays with your family in a town you once lived. Einar pulls in Phoenix and Mew by the way of Jesus and Mary Chain on Crash Course Christmas, resulting in a seasick wave of a pop tune. “It’s a song about the guilt of not prioritizing your relationships. It’s been year of rainchecks and Christmas finally gives you some time to reflect. You’ve experienced so much and changed so much as a person that you almost forget your origins. Coming home for Christmas can then be a ritual of finding your way back to what you left behind." Drawing on the knitwear from the film Love, Actually, Turtle Neck, taps into the Backstreet Boys by way of Mac Demarco, with a sneaky reference to the legendary Norwegian Christmas hit En Stjerne Skinner I Natt. Album closer This Christmas / Next Christmas leans in on the hook for the Norwegian Christmas TV show Jul i Blåfjell, a multi-generational seasonal staple (essentially a daily children’s advent calendar kids show). “The song is about your parents ageing and needing your help – possibly really far away - while at the same time having your own children to take care of”. The cover artwork is a homage to Christmas dress codes for Norwegian men. Suits and shirts are a rarity in day to day life, but there are a handful of occasions that require some form of formal attempt at a suit: New Year’s Eve, National Day, weddings & funerals, and Christmas Eve: resulting in various degrees of sartorial elegance on the day (and on this instance, a hot summer’s day stifling the Christmas vibes, with ambiguous apparel instructions ahead of the photoshoot!).

Merry Christmas! Sunturns are Ola Innset – vocals, guitars, banjo. Sjur Lyseid – vocals, guitars. Einar Stray – vocals, keyboards, guitars. Eivind Almhjell – guitars, bass. Simen Herning – guitar. Jørgen Nordby – drums.

Prairiewolf make easy listening music for an age of fracture. They almost do it in spite of themselves. No one can seriously question the head music bona fides of the members of this Colorado-based trio.

Guitarist Stefan Beck has already assembled a formidable discography of jewel-toned guitar zone-outs under his Golden Brown moniker. And keyboardist and guitarist Jeremy Erwin and bassist Tyler Wilcox have both made their reputations as chroniclers of the vast world of out-music. Erwin helms the indispensable Heat Warps blog, a performance-by-performance archive of Miles Davis’s labyrinthine electric period. And Wilcox has been covering the ragged edges of psychedelia and experimental rock at Aquarium Drunkard and other publications, not to mention his own virtual basement for heads, the great bootleg blog Doom and Gloom from the Tomb.

These guys come by it honestly. And yet, given their backgrounds, Prairiewolf’s self-titled debut last spring was remarkably free of face-melters, brown acid blowouts, and ascendant spiritual jazz odysseys. Instead, they dropped a record of beautiful, elegant, low-key cosmic groovers that sounded like the piped-in background music to a resort hotel on Jupiter. It was an unlikely psychedelia, brocaded with mid-twentieth century sonic threading from the hi-fi era: vintage synthesizers, smears of spaghetti western, luxe tropical details, the faint schmaltz of space age pop. Imagine something like a Harmonia residency in the airport lounge. And yet somehow it all worked brilliantly. Prairiewolf became last summer’s cool-down standard. After a year woodshedding around Colorado’s Front Range region, the Prairiewolf boys have fired up their trusty Korg SR-120 drum machine for another outstanding collection of suborbital exotica. The appropriately titled Deep Time operates in its own chronology, unspooling at its unhurried pace. All its incongruous period and stylistic references—the new age pulses, Hawaiian steel, shaggy hippie rambles, lysergic guitar spirals, and orchestral synthesizer flourishes—float atop the album’s own singular temporality. Deep Time makes its own time.

From the moment Beck folds his slide guitar, origami-like, into a sound resembling the call of gulls on the tranquil album opener, “Peach Blossom Paradise,” there is a sense of departure from everyday life. The shimmering “Lighthouse” has a similar sunbaked nonchalance, like an afternoon passed day-drinking in a seaside bar. That they named their lush, kaleidoscopic downtempo track “The Meander” pretty much says it all. The ranging, propulsive “Saying Yes to Everything” seems like a nod in the direction of Rose City Band’s brand of wookie krautrock. And the motorik noir of “Demon Cicadas in the Night” also goes hard. Beck and Erwin’s intertwined guitar jam on the eerie album standout “The Cold Curve” evolves into something that sounds like primitive computer music. A genteel bassline from Wilcox on another album highlight, “Revisionist Mystery,” sets the stage for a loopy space jazz turn from guest clarinettist Matt Loewen of Rayonism. The title of post-rock cowboy tune “Another Tomorrow” might refer to the alternative future that so many critics heard in the music of Prairiewolf’s first album. Or it might simply refer to the persistence of time, however deep. Either way,

I’m thankful for the way Prairiewolf make each of their tunes a little oasis or sanctuary, each subsisting according to its own crystalline little logic for a few minutes. It is no simple task to filter out the omnipresent anger and anxiety of everyday life these days. But Prairiewolf are out here making it seem easy.

Brent S. Sirota