Buscar:station ep

Andre Zimmer’s sold out “Saved My Life” EP gets 4 hot and heavy remixes for the dancefloor, showcasing progressive, euro house sounds that are bringing back the true essence of the 90’s.

The Just Joans' new album Romantic Visions of Scotland finds the Glasgow band in characteristically melancholic form, pairing shambling indie pop with sharp observations on romantic pratfalls and everyday dis-appointments, all delivered with sardonic Scottish wit, fronted by siblings David and Katie Pope, whose wry lyrics and heartfelt vocals remain at the heart of the band’s distinctive sound.
Originally inspired by a grandiose exhibition title spotted on Glasgow buses in 2019 for a show at the Nation-al Museum of Scotland called Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland, the new album arrives six years later as a collection of semi-autobiographical snapshots from the Central Belt of Scotland. Whilst some of the details have been exaggerated for comic (or tragic) effect, the songs are based on personal experience of mundane failings, bitter regrets and missed opportunities that make up an unremarkable life.
Recurring themes of nostalgia for a bygone era and the fear of being left behind by lovers, friends and peers run throughout the album. Musically and lyrically, the band channels Village Green-era Kinks, with nods to The Television Personalities, The Smiths and Dolly Mixture.
In the past they have always recorded by themselves in a variety of bedrooms, living rooms – and the occasional toilet. For the first time they have abandoned their DIY recording practices to create what songwriter David Pope calls, “a corporate behemoth in an actual studio.” The album was recorded at Chem19 in Blan-tyre with Paul Savage, who is best known as a founding member of local legends The Delgados. He has also produced and recorded the likes of Teenage Fanclub, Arab Strap and Camera Obscura, and has captured a slightly more muscular version of the band while retaining their ramshackle charm.
The album artwork by vocalist and painter Katie Pope depicts Motherwell Train Station – an ordinary, boring place that speaks to the subject matter of the songs, but with a hint of potential escape. As David Pope ex-plains, “For me, the painting reminds me of the ending of Billy Liar in which Billy tries and fails to leave his hometown for the bright lights of London. Half the band also live in Motherwell, so it seemed appropriate.”
Funded by Creative Scotland, the recording allowed the band to bring in bass and cello arrangements, adding depth and a sheen of musical proficiency to their signature sound.
About The Just Joans - The Just Joans were formed in Glasgow in 2005 by songwriter David Pope. Early demos were collected together and released as a loose concept album, Last Tango in Motherwell, in 2006. Chris Elkin joined on guitar and was followed shortly after by David’s younger sister, Katie, on vocals and Fraser Ford on bass. Over the years they have released EPs and albums on WeePOP! and Fika Records and have gained a cult following as Scottish pop miserabilists.
The current line-up consists of Katie Pope (vocals), David Pope (vocals, guitar), Chris Elkin (lead guitar), Fraser Ford (bass), Arion Xenos (keyboards) and Jason Sweeney (drums).
Press Quotes:
“They fit snugly into the scratchy, low budget Scottish indie tradition of The Delgados and Arab Strap… There’s mischief in this miserabilism.” - Mojo 4*s
“Glasgow’s The Just Joans have documented the romantic pratfalls of a generation of indie kids with sardonic wit and a shambling musical style where Stephin Merrit lies down with The Vaselines.” - Uncut
“Funny and sad, it’s the kind of song that made Red House Painters, The Magnetic Fields and The Wedding Present’s early albums so easy to embrace; an unpretentious sharing of relatable gloom.” - Record Collector

A reflection on how we hold each other and how we let go, ‘Secular Music Vol 1’ is the first instalment in a triptych of albums by multi-limbed live dance music outfit Girls Of The Internet. Continuing their ongoing policy of “therapy through music”, the album touches all points on the shifting landscape of human connection: belief, doubt, loss, forgiveness. Emphasising human elements of songwriting, performance and production within the lineage of house, disco and electronic music; this first record furthers the band’s flair for manifesting the creative and communal spirit that birthed the scene. Joining the dots that have not been joined for a long time, the collective takes on people of all sexualities, gender expressions and body types. House music was created as an inclusive artform and Girls of the Internet are here to assert we are all invited. The group is completed with a rotating assembly of talented collaborators, including the live band with Nandi and Wynter on vocals and Tommy Peach on bass and trumpet. ‘Secular Music Vol 1’ also features guest appearances from Dani Siciliano, Sió, Pinty, i am an island, and James Alexander Bright - also a regular member of the live band. Girls Of The Internet’s 2024 album ‘When I Was Lost, I Found Myself’ was the follow-up to the acclaimed ‘Girls FM’, one of BBC 6 Music’s Albums of the Year in 2019. Firmly on the radar of key DJs Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft, Trevor Nelson, Pete Tong, and Lauren Laverne for some time, the band’s songs have more recently found fans in BBC Radio 1’s Sian Eleri and BBC 6 Music’s Nick Grimshaw as well as around the rest of the planet on tastemaker stations Byte FM, FIP, NTS, KALW, KCRW, KEXP and Soho Radio. Girls Of The Internet have performed on home turf at Glastonbury, The Warehouse Project’s Homobloc, Drumsheds, Printworks, Latitude, Lost Village festival, and a residency this summer at London’s Colour Factory. With Ibiza shows at Pikes and Glitterbox at #1 Club in the World Hï; this July saw Tom take on their first US dates with DJ sets in New York, LA and San Francisco. The live band are currently in the middle of an extended live tour that runs through to December. ‘Secular Music Vol 1’ is set for release on 14th November 2025 on Girls Of The Internet's own recently launched House Of the Internet label.

Fracture & Neptune return to Astrophonica with their first collaborative 12” on the label since 2010.

Two epic, psychedelic, and deeply authentic tracks for both the floor and the head, carrying the unmistakable hallmarks of the duo’s classic sound — A psychedelic concoction of Jazz, Sci-Fi, Dub, and Breakbeat Choppage. Rooted in the lineage of Jungle and Drum & Bass, yet delivered in Fracture & Neptune’s unmistakably unique style.

To celebrate the release, UTILE — responsible for all Astrophonica design — have gone all out on the artwork, creating an iconic, type-based image for both tracks, presented on a full-colour, double-sided printed sleeve. Massive shout to UTILE for being as important to the label as the music.

“Erase Everything” is a journey through LA 2049 via London 1999 — as if Deckard were blasting an AWOL tape in his Spinner. Merging classic breaks and analogue saturation with soaring, cutting-edge pads and city-wide reverb, the result is both devastating and deeply thoughtful.

“Good Stuff” is inspired by a love of digging for samples across Jazz, Hip Hop, and Rock, and by a dedication to crafting kaleidoscopic soundscapes — All that good stuff, blended into one hallucinogenic trip.

Meeting at Islington Sixth Form College in 1996, Charlie (Fracture) and Nelson (Neptune) bonded over their deep love for the defining sound of London at the time — Jungle and Drum & Bass. Countless trips to Black Market Records in Soho, playing on pirate radio stations, and eventually, a makeshift bedroom studio — complete with an E-Mu ESI4000, a Mackie desk, and a few FX units — set the foundation for their journey. Their first release arrived in 2002 on Droppin’ Science, the label run by legendary Hardcore and Jungle pioneer — and fellow breakbeat manipulator — Danny Breaks. A run of mid-2000s releases on Ireland’s Bassbin, Paradox’s Outsider, and London’s Inperspective Records propelled Fracture & Neptune further into the cosmos. In 2009, they founded Astrophonica — initially as a home for their own music, but it quickly evolved into a hub for like-minded artists to experiment and explore freely. Almost 30 years on, they’re back in the studio with APHA034 — with more to come.

The Eves celebrate the first anniversary of their acclaimed EP Both Sides with
a special vinyl edition to be released in November 2025
Produced and co-written with Dan Gautreau (Alicia Keys, Paolo Nutini) Both Sides was
released only on CD and digital in 2024. The new vinyl edition of the EP features a
previously unreleased bonus track The Silence produced by Mark Morrow (wrest,
Swim School). Title track Both Sides features prolific drummer and percussionist Ash
Soan (Snow Patrol, Tori Amos, Del Amitri). The EP showcases the duo's distinctive
songwriting style that encompasses smooth vocal harmonies and thoughtful
production, culminating in a fresh yet timeless sound that delivers their signature
blend of melodic pop.
The Eves have been played across BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Introducing.
Their song Brand New Day has over 137k streams on Spotify and spent 5 weeks on
the BBC Radio 2 playlist. It was also made 'Single of the Week' on BBC Radio Scotland,
played on Bauer Media's Forth 1 radio station, reached No. 6 and No. 15 in the iTunes
pop charts and iTunes main download chart respectively, charted in the Amazon 'New
Hot Releases' UK Chart, and made an impressive debut in the UK Official Charts
Company download and single charts in the top 65. The song also features on an
episode of 'The Kardashians' on Disney Plus and Hulu across America.
'Big Love' was adopted as the official anthem for Scottish Women's Football for the
2022/2023 League Season, and was the pair's first release as a co-write, written with
Jim Duguid (Paolo Nutini) and producer Lewis Gardiner (Ellie Goulding, Nick Jonas).
The track was also featured on BBC Scotland's most popular football show 'Off the
Ball' with Tam Cowan and Stuart Cosgrove.
The pair are seasoned performers having opened for major artists at sold out shows
including Belinda Carlisle, Sister Sledge and The Shires. They've toured extensively
with Skerryvore and Horse across the UK, opened for Callum Beattie, and have
performed at festivals including TRSNMT, Country to Country, Edge Fest, Tiree
Festival, Moonbeams and Fringe by the Sea, sharing stages with Wet Wet Wet, Sophie
Ellis-Bextor, Gabrielle, Tony Hadley and Heather Small.
Other highlights include performing at the Guinness Six Nations rugby for Scotland v
Wales at BT Murrayfield, recording a live session for BBC Scotland's 'The Quay
Sessions', and several TV appearances on BBC Scotland's 'The Edit' on national TV
and BBC i-Player and STV's 'What's On' and 'The Braw and the Brave' chat show.

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis present a suitably epic, wondrous soundtrack suite for Mars, the National Geographic Channel's 6-part series. The fictional TV series tells the story of the first astronaut crew on a mission to Mars in 2033. Directed by Everardo Gout and produced by Ron Howard & Brian Grazer, the series aired in November 2016. Composers Nick Cave and Warren Ellis deliver a pitch-perfect score to complement the thrilling yet daunting mission to a desolate alien planet in which the human species struggle to survive, thrive and forge an existence in this new world. Cave and Ellis provided thirteen tracks including the show’s theme song, which occupies a similarly cosmic electronic atmosphere as the band’s album Skeleton Tree. Mars is available as a limited edition of 750 numbered copies on crystal clear vinyl and includes an insert.

Chris Menist pares his sound right back for A book of imaginary beings, his fourth Awkward Corners outing with a project of electronic and abstracted global grooves. Experimenting with simple melodies and uncluttered arrangements, as well as taking inspiration from the Borges' short stories alluded to in the title, the project took shape in the early part of 2025, in the shorter days and dark evenings of January.

The initial challenge was to knock a basic track into shape each evening after work, then refine it later. There's a melancholy in the air in late winter, compounded by the creeping threat of national and geopolitical instability. Ulla, Natural Information Society, Jabu, Torso and Dawuna formed some of the background soundtrack as each tune took shape.

The track titles came after sitting with the sounds for a while, giving shape to images of people, creatures and their stories for a book that is yet to be written.

Two former friends sets the tone for the album perfectly as a minimal electronic piece with a slowly simmering synth bassline underpinning the groove whilst the trademark Awkward sound of the Shahi Baaja enters drenched in effects. It's the first demonstration of Chris' unique ability to create a world from apparently very little.

Dance of the silver beetles is completely unique in that we can hear chopped up Illimba samples seemingly playing backwards and forewords sometimes alone, sometimes together in duet with Chris' conga rhythms. Add to that a more conventional Illimba melody and added shaker percussion and you have one of A book of imaginary beings most curious chapters.

Anxious shadow puppets is closer to the Awkward Corners sound from previous albums as electronic pulses move around the arrangement with the urgency that the track title suggests. Chris' percussive roots move to the fore with the congas that tie down the Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band's sound. Here, the bassline is more playful and works together with one of Chris' many African Illimbas.

Fans of Chris' adventures on his Roland 808 will dig A leopard with no spots, although the minimal mood continues to flow through on this track. The lolloping, but hard-hitting rhythm track provides the grounding for strange and twisting feedback-sounding tones to work the soundscape.

Abandoned boy (left in charge of the family business) is Awkward Corners at his atmospheric best. Drift off to the sublime sounds of Chris exploring the Shahi Baaja, whilst a soft, repetitive synth line and abstracted pads give the listener that feeling of meditation and peace.

Flamingo with bandaged neck is A book of imaginary beings' perfect coda and is exclusively Shahi Baaja draped in reverbs and delays. It feels like the resolution and the closing of a book that – as of yet – remains unwritten.

Awkward Corners is Chris Menist, a musician, DJ and writer. It started life as a small project in Islamabad, where Chris was living at the time. Initial recordings were made with local musicians in Pakistan and then subsequently in Thailand. This culminated in the Sweet Decay LP that came out on Finders Keepers' Disposable Music in 2014, and in turn led to a limited tape release on Boomkat/Reel Torque of original compositions and re-edits of Thai 45s the same year. Chris released – Dislocation Songs – his second LP proper with Shapes of Rhythm in May 2020, collaborating on many of the tracks with award-winning performer Sarathy Korwar. The LP was picked up by many radio stations including NTS, Resonance FM, BBC 6 Music, Balamii and many more. It made Tom Ravenscroft's LPs of 2020. Amateur Dramatics, Chris' second LP arrived just a year later in 2021 and was a more ambitious project featuring more jazz-focussed compositions and featuring Tamar Osborn and Kitty Whitelaw. Shortly after that came another pivot with the heavier, dancefloor-friendly EP Somebody Somewhere. Somebody Somewhere is Dancing in a Field brought the House (yes House!) vibes, whilst Hector Plimmer turned in a remix of No Words in the same club mood.

As one of NTS Radio's longest-standing presenters, Chris continues to hold down the Paradise Bangkok show. Playing drums and percussion since he was a kid, Chris is the percussionist for The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band as well as co-founding the record label of the same name. Chris has curated compilations for labels such as Finders Keepers, Soundway and Dust-To-Digital. He has been featured on the Boiler Room, Vinyl Factory Collections, played at the Four Tet curated Nuits Sonores festival, and has put together an edition of Volumes which featured unreleased Awkward Corners compositions.






[d] 04: All the Goodbyes (You Tried to Defer) [Original]





[j] 10: Abandoned Boy (Left in Charge of the Family Business) [Original]

Originally released on Mon 22 August 2005, the Furries’ third and final album to be recorded by Epic Records, Love Kraft is to be reissued on double vinyl, 2CDs, including the 22-track bonus CD, Kiss Me With Apocalypse and digital formats on Fri 24 October 2025 via the Cardiff-based independent label, Strangetown Records. Four previously unheard tracks are drawn from the vaults, including the squidgy ELO-stomp of drummer, Daf Ieuan-led Rock ‘N’ Roll Flu, plus the distorted space-jam of Cae Marw, the band’s deep-bass sketch of Palo Alto and ghostly, percussive morsel of Bedw Arian.

The album followed six previous albums by the band, including their statement debut album, Fuzzy Logic in 1996, melding an attention-demanding mix of literary, narcotic and musical influences. Maintaining a shape that was ill-fitting in the jigsaw of other 90’s guitar bands, their follow-up, UK Top Ten album, Radiator brought the hooky squelch of the bona fide indie dancefloor classic, The International Language of Screaming. The next decade saw the release of the first Top 20-charting, Welsh language album, Mwng (2000), followed by further experimentation and commercial success with Rings Around The World (2001) and Phantom Power (2003).

Love Kraft’s sense of cohesion, collaboration and free-flow of rich harmony has been credited to the five-piece escaping Wales to record in the shimmering heat of Figueres, Catalunya. Bringing famed Beastie Boys producer, Mario Caldato Jr along with them for the ride, the travelling band’s stay in the Catalonian hometown of Salvador Dali included found sounds, boozy petrol stations, gastronomic revelations and, finally, a rich album of strings, synths and opulent vocal harmonies.

While eventually finding their way to Baha, near to Rio di Janeiro to mix the album Love Kraft’s story began in Wales and Pleasure Foxxx Studios, where the band began to craft the album’s songs. Embracing the landmark of a seventh album, notably coming after the 2004 release of their first ‘best of…’ package, Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1, Super Furry Animals pooled ideas and affected further democracy in their songwriting, taking a load off traditional lead-writer and front man, Gruff Rhys, and sharing in lead vocal duties (aside from the microphone-averse bassist, Guto Pryce).

Love Kraft was the first Super Furry Animals album recorded to hard disc instead of multi-track tape, and found the band typically explorative and open to happenstance. Zoom’s opening splash into the recording studio’s swimming pool is accompanied by the on-location, pool table samples found elsewhere on the album.

Updated packaging features the original, meticulously built diorama design by long-time collaborator Pete Fowler. Constructed by hand in his studio, complete with bulb-lit illumination, then photographed, the sleeve’s depiction of a monolith-rich desert landscape reflects the sense of other space and time depicted by Love Kraft’s woozy songs. The final sleeve design again comes courtesy of Mark James.

When Brion Gysin died a tape was found in his possession which was posthumously released under his name entitled "The Pool". It took many years and a lot of letters to realize this was actually a composition by his friend Paul Bowles, as they often sent recordings back and forth to each other. Dumb EPs are the same in a way, like tapes or letters crossed through time. Not as they are confused, from a band not earnestly wearing influences on its sleeve. But as a future touchstone making music that is uniquely their own.

DJ H0TLINE lands on his own imprint CALL 808 with an eclectic four-track EP – now on vinyl for the very first time! „Mars 96“ launches you right into martian orbit with wicked Jungle and playful Techno. On the flipside you forget about time and space with a deep Dubstep cut and finally touch down with floating Ambient.

Named after a failed Russian space mission in 1996 the record comes with an insert with more information – and even the hand stamped label matches the rust-red surface of Mars.

CALL 808 is more than a Cologne-based label, it’s a music hotline that pays artists up to 1000x more per listener than the average streaming service. Try it out & support local artists: 0900 3 808 303 (only 1,50€/min. Available in Germany.).

Product info: 12'' hand-stamped black vinyl + insert. + download

Small first pressing – limited copies available!
DJ H0TLINE landet auf seinem eigenen Label CALL 808 – mit einer abwechslungsreichen Vier-Track-EP, jetzt zum allerersten Mal auf Vinyl!

„Mars 96“ schickt dich direkt in den Orbit, mit wildem Oldschool-Jungle und verspieltem Techno. Verlier dich auf der B-Seite in Raum und Zeit mit einem deepen Dubstep-Track und schwebe mit Ambient in die Stratosphäre hinab.

Benannt nach der gescheiterten russischen Weltraummission von 1996, kommt die Platte mit einem Insert mit Infos und handgestempeltem Label – rostrot wie der Mars.

CALL 808 ist mehr als ein Kölner Label, es ist eine echte Musik-Hotline, die ihren Künstler:innen bis zu 1000× mehr pro Hörer:in auszahlt als Streamingdienste. Ruf an und hör selbst: 09003 808 303 (nur 1,50 €/Min.).

Produktinfo: 12'' schwarzes Vinyl (Hand-gestempelt) + Insert + Download

Kleine erste Pressung – wenige Exemplare verfügbar.

DAYBREAKERS return with Volume 2 of their Music Station Traxx series, following the success of the first dive into Jeffrey Collins’ revered 90s imprint from Englewood, New Jersey.

This time, they go deeper, repressing the legendary full EP from the Nathaniel X Project — a true holy grail for deep house heads. Originally released in 1994, this four-tracker is a masterclass in soulful, spiritual, and uncompromisingly deep club music, and hasn’t seen a proper reissue until now. Now coming with an essential remaster - this record won’t leave the bag.

Each cut oozes raw grooves, warm chords, and the kind of vocal snippets that made Music Station a staple in the trolleys of US house DJs coast to coast. It’s a slice of East Coast house history, lovingly remastered, repackaged and repressed for today's dancefloors.

Don’t sleep — these are the kind of records that are built for the clubs. Essential gear for DJs and house heads alike.

Buy or cry.

Andre Zimmer Unveils 'Saved My Life EP' on his “Big Trouble Records” imprint.

The EP features four original tracks each showcasing Zimmer's unique influence of 90’s house and rave.

"Saved My Life" EP captures the vibrant and euphoric essence of '90s rave culture, seamlessly blending progressive energy with classic elements like pianos, robust basslines, and uplifting synthesizers. Utilizing Korg analog synthesizers, Zimmer crafts a contemporary fusion of tech house, trance, and progressive house, resulting in a cohesive and fluid collection of tracks.

Just a year after the last compilation stood out as one of the best of 2024, Pete Herbert is back with a another brilliant collection of poolside sounds that again explore leftfield Balearica. These are delightfully horizontal grooves that transport you to sunny climes and starry skies in an instant. His own reworks feature, including a version of Sidirum's blissful and astral trip 'Ex Plane', a more tropical and propulsive dub of Lulla's 'Love Comes Quickly' and a quietly epic ambient daydream rework of Bill Mango's 'Inflight Sample.' These are grown-up sounds for cathartic moments lost in your own thoughts.

DJ Feedback

Don Letts/BBC6:
"Good to go on my show!"

Phil Mison/Cantoma:
"Another great MFSP release . Very summery, full support."

Leo Mas/Amnesia:
"Great Stuff."

Sean Johnston/ALFOS:
"PH on fire once again."

Trepanado/Selvagem/Brazil:
"Makes me wanna set sails and just go."

Ruf Dug/Pikes:
"Yeah this ticks loads of my boxes. Mega work."

Bill Brewster/DJ History/Lowlife:
"Some nice cuts on here especially Marius, Fernando etc."

Marco Gallerani/Hell Yeah:
"Beautiful compilation overall."

Sally Rogers/A Man Called Adam:
"Loads of lovely tracks here."

Feel Fly/International Feel:
"Definitely the compilation of the summer! thank you for this fresh breath of summer!"

Max Essa/Jansen Jardin,Tokyo:
"A beautifully curated collection providing a sublime listening experience!"

Massi NPL’s EP debut on House on the Strand’s label 'Herah' is a wonderful cluster of ambient club adjacent works
Producer and sound artist Massi NPL has spent close to a decade honing his craft as a producer with an impressive growing list of accolades that have seen him try his hand at everything from scoring award winning video games and theatre productions at the Zurich theater to DJ at events and radio stations around the globe.
While the producer’s output may be slim it is considered and precise. His new Fragments EP is a deeply personal project that is the product of years of work.
These select 3 pieces are crafted from a series of field recordings spanning 3 cities that have shaped much of the producers life. These ambient club adjacent works are equally promising at decibel sound system shaking volumes as they are within tucked away headphone and home listening environments. They exude expansive soundscapes, featuring a rich array of washed out synth backdrops and percussions.
As featured on Alex Ruder’s Pacific Notions on KEXP
Mastered by artist engineer Adam Badí Donova (ulla, mu-tate, dj lostboi, Torus)

With Bass Temprature, rediscover on one single CD the first three vinyl EPs by High Tone: Bot Dub Seasons, Low Tone, and Bass Temperature-a total of 12 tracks that propelled the Lyon-based group into the ranks of electro-dub heavyweights. In addition to these two reissues, four extra tracks have been added, making for a 12-track album just as compelling as it's predecessor. It marks a shift toward a more roots-oriented sound while remaining firmly grounded in the electro-dub genre. The album opens with Echo-Logik, a warrior-like chant followed by a driving bassline that makes you want to move-DJ Twelve's scratches laid over the groove offer a brilliant showcase of the band's talent. The title track, Bass Temprature, follows-perhaps the least striking piece, though that's only relative given the strength of the rest. Worth noting are the mystical vocal samples in Train to Transylvania, evoking vampires and devils, while N1 Station brings a heavy psych sound, a more energetic beat, and moments that border on hard-tek. Other influences also emerge, such as the strong Eastern vibe in The Orientalist. As always, High Tone delivers a stunning dub album sure to delight ears tired of the everyday noise pollution that surrounds us.

"6-track house finesse from Amsterdam mainstay Beraber, topped off with a killer remix by Brazilian artist Zopelar. Expect six melodic tracks for the body & mind. Beraber returns to United Identities with Gentle Actions, setting the tone for long summer evenings and sun-soaked days. The Amsterdam based producer and DJ organically blends Chicago's classically-schooled keys and machine backdrops with subtle, atmospheric textures. This long-awaited record by Beraber (Baris Akardere) is a deeply personal collection of music, encapsulating a period of creative and personal growth. Rather than a concept record, it serves as a document of the past years, bundling some of most cherished productions into a cohesive and heartfelt gift to the audience. This EP marks the first time the producer has used his own vocals in his productions, next to vocal contributions from Barcelona-based artist Ivy Barkakati, whose lyrics perfectly resonate with the journey of the EP. Gentle Actions opens with Between Us, a calm builder, gracefully layered with meandering pads. Distant Language picks us up with its dubbed-out groove, guiding our feet on a journey through melodic landscapes. It flows into Responsibility, an introspective track with a powerful message about turning dreams into reality, before continuing with Lost in Loops, a loose and soulful house cut featuring his own vocals. The journey ends with the more upbeat, instrumental Good Company, topped off with a deep, nocturnal remix by Zopelar. Written and produced entirely in his Amsterdam studio -- housed in the same building that once held De School -- Beraber continues to rely on a deeply analog and outboard gear-heavy approach. The result is a record that stays true to his soulful and introspective signature, mirroring the sonic identity of his acclaimed radio show, Gentle Actions on Amsterdam's online radio station RRFM."

Neo Gibson, born in Virginia and based in New York City, records, performs, and produces as 7038634357. This numerical alias, under which Gibson has been releasing work since 2016, offers a window into the careful ambivalences of the musical project. It conjures the impersonal_the opacity and randomness of data, a number that is hard to remember or even say out loud_while also suggesting a direct line of communication with the artist, down to an area code indexing their biography. 7038634357 uses a restricted palette to achieve music that is formally precise and emotionally direct. Their digital-native approach to production, in which frank melodies cross paths with heavy distortion, contains traces of both trance's maximalist arcs and a songwriterly intimacy. Expressive details may appear submerged or abraded, subjected to a canny sense of dynamics and textural specificity. Waterfall Horizon, Gibson's second vinyl record with Blank Forms Editions under the moniker 7038634357, was written for live performance and workshopped over successive shows during their 2022 European tour. Here, hallmarks of their earlier, studio-crafted recordings_digital distortion that obfuscates their lyrics and a slow-burning ambience_are noticeably pared back. Instead, Waterfall Horizon takes on a pop inflection, adopting more traditional lyric scaffolds so that the interstices from verse to chorus or track to track can flourish within their limited tonal range.Across recordings and performances, Gibson activates wide-ranging mechanisms of audience connection: from the relative anonymity of internet platforms to live experiments with the spatial effects of amplification. They have a particular interest in site-specific performances in non-musical spaces, and have performed in a variety of contexts, including the mezzanine of the West 4th Street subway station in New York City and INA GRM/Radio France's Présences électronique festival. Under their own name, Gibson has maintained a longstanding collaboration with the artist Charles Stobbs, working primarily with FM transmission and techniques derived from the early-seventeenth-century English tradition of change-ringing bells. The first 7038634357 vinyl record, Neo Seven, was released on Blank Forms Editions in 2023; previous releases include self-released cassettes and CD-Rs, as well as a pair of EPs on Genome 6.66 Mbp (2018, 2019).

Based in São Paulo and formed in 2017, TaguaTaguais lead by songwriter and producer FelipePuperi. Felipe, having fronted space groove rock band WannabeJalvafor several years, has an extensive indie resume. Having played at Lollapalooza Brazil, supported shows for Pearl Jam and Jack White. He's also been featured on KCRW, NY Times, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan and WFUV.

Tagua Tagua's 3rd full length LP and 3rd release on Wonderwheel following 2024's Todo Tempo EP and 2023's Tanto LP

Upcoming tour plans include SXSW and Lollapalooza Brasil in March 2025

Lead singleLado a Ladofeatures James Petralli frontman of the Austin, TX based rock band White Denim

White Denim were founded in 2008 and have shifted through genres like post-punk, soul, garage, and psychedelic rock and have released music on labels such as Bella Union, City Slang, and Downtown

2024 was a big year at radio as Tagua Tagua filmed and recorded a live sessions for NPR's World Cafe (US) and Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Basement on Worldwide FM (UK)

Embarked on a 10 date Brazilian tour in Spring of 2024 playing to capacity crowds each night in 400-500 cap rooms

Recent tour history includes two stints in the US for New Colossus Festival in NYC and SXSW March 2024 and November of 2024 in Miami, New York, and Philadelphia as well as a headline tour throughout Europe in September and October of 2024

Significant press coverage from publications like NPR Alt Latino, Remezcla, FIP, Bandcamp, and Sounds & Colours to name a few

Huge worldwide radio support from stations like KEXP, KCRW, KUTX (US) Inter, FIP, Nova (FR), RinseFM, Soho Radio, Worldwide FM (UK), 3RRR, 2SER, RTR (AU), RTP Antena 3, TSF Rádio Notícias, Rádio Oxigénio (PT) iCat, Radio 3 (ES) RBB Radioeins (DE) and many more

Amber Broos, the rising star of Belgium's techno scene, has released a thrilling remake of the iconic anthem 'Arpegia'. Originally released in 1995 by Belgian dance act The Mackenzie, this legendary track has captivated clubgoers for decades and earned its place as a true cult classic. Amber Broos, known for her dynamic fusion of techno and Belgian retro influences, breathes new life into 'Arpegia' with a powerful, energy-infused version on the Belgian label Serious Beats Classics. Her reimagined version for a new generation of dance music lovers features an epic breakdown, driving beats, and an electrifying intensity that cements her reputation as the next-generation artist to watch. With this bold and electrifying remake, Amber Broos continues to carve her path as one of the most promising female artists in the electronic music scene.

Amber Broos: "'Arpegia' is a track that has shaped Belgium's dance scene, and I'm honoured to bring it back to life with my own twist. It's a tribute to the past, but also a vision of the future."

At just 22 years old, Amber Broos is already a force to be reckoned within the global electronic music industry. She has made waves with her radio shows on Belgium's leading station Studio Brussel and Tomorrowland's One World Radio, and has become a favourite among fans for her energetic performances and happy dance vibes. Her impact was undeniable at Tomorrowland Belgium, where she not only hosted her own stage at the Atmosphere tent but also performed on the iconic Mainstage for the second time in her career - a historic moment as the youngest female DJ ever to achieve this milestone.

The Ibex Band, with Giovanni Rico and Selam Woldemariam at the creative helm, provided the musical backbone for legends like Aster Aweke, Girma Beyene, Tilahun Gessesse, Mulatu Astatke, and Mahmoud Ahmed, including the iconic album Ere Mela Mela, shaping modern Ethiopian music as we know it today. This 1976 album (Ge’ez Year 1968) played a pivotal role in that legacy and has now resurfaced to set the record straight.

There’s a tendency to talk about the seventies as a golden age of Ethiopian music. There are good reasons for that, and just as good reasons against it. However, the notion of a golden past privileges the role of Western explorers and suggests that the pinnacle of Ethiopia’s musical culture is something only a foreigner can appreciate and unearth. It downplays the complexities of Ethiopia’s culture and history, creating an artificial divide between then and now. And it underestimates the constantly evolving sound that has followed.

The legendary musical outfit The Ibex Band, later metamorphosed into The Roha Band, has played a central role in defining the sound of many of the greatest stars on the music scene of Ethiopia from the mid-seventies onwards–but their golden output has never really waned. The story of the origins of the band that provided the musical backbone for greats such as Aster Aweke, Girma Beyene, Tilahun Gessesse, backing the solo career of group member Mahmoud Ahmed as well as backing Mulatu Astatke and many others has yet to be properly told.

Two misconceptions plague the image of Ethiopian music, one is that the music is pure because it is, by some notion, unexploited, the other is that it is all traditional. To begin with, a combination of political changes between the late sixties and the mid-nineties created an environment where only the most dedicated and skilled musicians struggled on and pursued a musical career against fierce odds. The whole Ibex Band, with Giovanni Rico and Selam “Selamino” Seyoum Woldermarian at the creative helm, are arguably the origo of the vibrant scene in the mid-seventies, and the said pair are foremost responsible for not only navigating the band through troubled times, but also modernizing the 6/8 chickchicka rhythm to a contemporary form. Giovanni laid the rhythmic foundation with heavy looped basslines that reinvented traditional melodies as dance music, and with Selamino’s innovative guitar work they influenced scores of musicians from Abegaz Kibrework Shiota to Henock Temesgen. Even Giovanni’s Fender bass and Selamino’s Gibson guitar inspired younger musicians in their choice of instruments. Not only in choice of instruments but also in sound–even as the digital revolution hit Ethiopian music, a lot of popular music still took its cue from the masters from Ibex and Roha.

Ibex emerged out of the ashes of the sixties group the Soul Echos band, adding Giovanni and Selamino to their ranks and taking their cues from a slew of influences, such as Motown and The Beatles, fused with traditional music. A tighter-knit unit than most bands at the time – Ibex has remained six to seven members throughout their whole career, compared to many bands that were as large as fifteen or sixteen men strong when Ibex set out. Their playing has been viciously focused, economical yet heavy. Just a year before the recording sessions of the album in your hands, Giovanni and Selamino made a contribution to the popular musical lexicon of Ethiopia that was simply defining the popular sound: their arrangement and recording of bandmate Mahmoud Ahmed’s solo effort and real commercial breakthrough tune and eponymous album, Ere Mela Mela, from 1975.

Selamino has never limited himself to being an adroit lead guitarist, but has always been a scholar of history, and as such he has probably contributed as much to modern Ethiopian music with his guitar playing and compositions as with a deepened understanding of modern or contemporary – Zemenawi – Ethiopian music. Selamino’s contributions serve as a metaphor for those of the whole band, at one and the same time creating and defining a new, danceable and updated sound anchored in Giovanni’s bass, whilst also elevating the broader scene through their support for others on the scene and on top of that, increasing the understanding of the music.

There is an understandable desire to romanticize the musical heyday Ibex and Roha were at the forefront of, because so much of the output is sorrowfully hard to come by. Ibex creativity was nothing short of ridiculously fierce compared to many of their Western contemporaries. Based on their sheer recorded output alone they could have usurped the title “hardest working in show business” from James Brown, recording more than 250 albums or 2500 songs in the seventies and eighties. Some only surface as cassettes today, others were never given full LP release, and some are simply impossible to find today. In the light of that, it’s nothing short of a miracle that the recording Stereo Instrumental Music from 1976 (Ge’ez Year 1968) has resurfaced. Unearthed in perfect condition on a chrome cassette, this is musical history comes alive–to set the future straight. Stereo Instrumental Music was recorded in collaboration with Karl-Gustav Lundgren, a Swedish national working for the Radio Voice of the Gospel. It took two sessions at the Ras Hotel ballroom in Addis Ababa. The Ibex Band was the first band in Ethiopia to employ a four-track recorder for their recording (the first available in the country, lent by Karl-Gustav). Later the same week, Giovanni and Selamino realized that, lengthwise, the recorded material fell short of what they wished for, so they recorded four more tracks in one more session on a single-track recorder. The Ras Hotel and Ghion Hotel, where the Ibex Band held musical residencies were to Ethiopia in general and Addis Ababa in particular what Motown was to the USA and Detroit a few years earlier – a hotbed of musical creativity and showmanship.

The most astonishing thing about Ethiopian music of the last half century is how tradition and modernity are intertwined. Because of this feature, it’s kind of hard to tell when there ever was or when we are in a “golden age”. So much of music from the past has been criminally neglected, but because of the hardships in the past, it would be an oversimplification to say that said past was a golden age. Probably, the golden age is what we are approaching, because for the first time both the past and future are accessible, and the monumental contributions from before can lay a firm foundation for a thriving music scene today. The Ibex Band stands firmly in the past, present and the future. That, if anything, is golden.

The detailed history of Stereo Instrumental Music is in many ways unique. To begin with, it couldn’t have been recorded earlier (there were no four-track recorders available) and it really couldn’t have been recorded afterwards either, at least not in the years directly following, because of the toll the musical scene took from the unfavorable political climate that followed when the nascent Derg regime and rival groups tried to assert themselves, the musical equipment lent from The Voice of Gospel Radio simply disappeared from Ethiopia when the radio station folded in 1977. Karl-Gustav Lundgren,
the Swedish foreign national who assisted during the recording, worked with the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus at the time, recalls how they only had about fifteen minutes to get the microphones in place for the recording as to not alert neither the management at Ras Hotel nor the authorities and most importantly, to complete the recording before the curfew came into effect at midnight. In leaping to the opportunity to use previously unavailable equipment to push their sound forward and improvising to meet the logistical challenges, the Ibex Band displayed the very avant-gardism and adaptability that explains their longevity as a band through the years. The recording of Stereo Instrumental Music is from a given time in history, but it sounds as beyond time.
Much of the energy that burst out of the scene that Stereo Instrumental Music came out of dissipated or got sidetracked during the societal changes Ethiopia went through in the 1970s and 80s. Whilst leaders might have professed to be revolutionary, the work ethic of the Ibex Band can truly be described as that. They never called it quits, but adapted, toured extensively abroad in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, and found ways to work even in the face of the curfew that curtailed a lot of musical life. They even played major arenas in the nineteen eighties, despite said curfew and restrictions. The whole extent of their legacy has never been told, but their music speaks louder than words, so therefore… tune in to the Ibex Band’s Stereo Instrumental Music.

H.D. Reliquary is the first eponymous release from Ben Shirken a.k.a. Ex Wiish, and finds him returning home to his own label, 29 Speedway. The songs sparked during sessions with close collaborators - across 11 pieces, artists such as Pavel Milyakov, MIZU, Dorothy Carlos, Kevin Eichenberger and Muein breathe personality into the record. H.D.R. coaxes beauty from a serrated, raw, yet subdued palette drawn from improvised recordings of trumpet, violin, upright bass, cello, and modular synthesis.

The title references the hard drive as a sacred container for relics, contemplating how digitally archived fragments of one’s existence can burn eternally after death. Archives, and in this case recordings, splinter and warp. Some distort what they contain. Some vanish, and others are eternally preserved, immune to deletion. Your information on these digital drives becomes archival shrapnel, the music that survives the remnants of collaboration. Pieces of recordings were fed into a series of proprietary neural networks, generating MIDI information and audio that reacted to on-the-fly soloing, imaginary sessions between players and algorithms invented posthumously (in post).

Shirken will release H.D. Reliquary alongside a sound installation on April 11. Where his prior work was geared towards dissociation, H.D. Reliquary invites us to contemplate how our tools for understanding and containing the world fundamentally alter our relationship with it. He has performed in spaces such as The New Museum, Pioneer Works, Public Records and Nowadays in New York City; Dripping Music And Arts Festival in New Jersey; La Station in Paris; and Cafe Oto in London.

All aboard! Ketiov’s Rhythm Trainx Vol. 6 pulls into the station, delivering another batch of rhythmic delights to keep DJs and dancers on track. This isn’t just a drum tool EP; it’s a rhythmic Swiss Army knife designed to break the monotony, shake the staleness disease, and maybe even help you discover that long-lost dance move from 2003.New Release Information True to form, Ketiov goes above and beyond the call of percussion. These tracks aren’t your average drum loops—they’re living, breathing organisms. With real drum sounds recorded live and sprinkled with a touch of his own playing, the result is an earthy, organic feel that’ll make any drum machine feel like it has some catching up to do.

Spanning tempos and moods, Rhythm Trainx Vol. 6 offers something for every moment, from warm-up whispers to mid-set movers and late-night wigglers. It’s the ultimate utility belt for DJs who like to mix it up and keep their crowd guessing. Bonus points: these tracks have been rail-tested harder than a new set of railway-wheels, ensuring maximum reliability when it counts.

Whether you’re layering textures or cruising through extended sets, Ketiov’s latest will keep any train rolling. Dance floors beware—this one’s got serious rhythm!

*Repress*

180gr) 10 YEARS ON, ARTHUR VEROCAI'S ENCORE GETS A VINYL RELEASE. The highly anticipated follow up to Arthur's eponymous debut album from 1972, Encore saw Arthur joining the dots over 35 years to createa modern classic of Brazilian music that, like his debut, combined Brazilian influences with his take on American soul and cinematic experimentation, and shows Arthur's sound is as poignant now as it ever was.
To celebrate the album's 10th anniversary, Far Out Recordings announces the first ever vinyl edition of Arthur Verocai's 2007 masterpiece Encore. Remastered from the original tapes, Encore features 11 original compositions from Arthur with guest musicians including Azymuth, Ivan Lins and a nine-piece string section. The highly anticipated follow up to Arthur's eponymous debut album from 1972, Encore saw Arthur joining the dots over 35 years to create a modern classic of Brazilian music that, like his debut, combined Brazilian influences with his take on American soul and cinematic experimentation, and shows Arthur's sound is as poignant now as it ever was.

In the mid-2000's, following on from Marcos Valle, Joyce and of course Azymuth, Arthur Verocai joined the long-line of Brazilian musicians whose music was to be introduced to a whole new legion of fans by Far Out. The story of 'Encore' of course begins with Joe Davis, Far Out's head honcho who stumbled upon Arthur's debut in a dusty record store in downtown Rio in the late 80s. At the time of its release in 1972 critics panned Arthur's debut and both the album and artist subsequently vanished into obscurity. Fast forward to winter 2004 and Joe's at the studio of Far Out Recording artists Harmonic 313 - aka production duo Mark 'Troubleman' Pritchard and Dave Brinkworth - playing them some of his favourite Brazilian albums. Dave recalls the moment Joe put on Arthur's debut, 'As soon as the needle hit the record and we heard the fantastic arrangements, songs and sounds, Arthur completely blew our minds'.

Three months later and Dave was in Brazil with Arthur Verocai, and the plans for what was to become 'Encore' were being laid down. Produced by Dave, 'Encore' sees Arthur on incredible form, the 35 plus years between the recording of his debut and this the follow-up just melting away as Arthur picked up the (conductor's) baton once again to create 11 epic tracks of stirring samba-soul and experimental cinematic movements that sees him creating a record to rival his debut.


Born in Rio de Janeiro on 17 June 1945, Arthur Verocai began his professional music career in 1969 and over the next few years he was responsible for the orchestration of albums by Ivan Lins, Jorge Benjor, Elizeth Cardoso, Gal Costa, Quarteto em Cy, MPB 4 and Marcos Valle, among others. In the 1970s he was hired by Brazil's biggest TV station, TV Globo, as musical director and wrote the arrangements for many of the stations biggest shows. In 1972, following the success Arthur had with the production of Ivan Lins 1971 album "Agora", Arthur recorded his self-titled debut album on Continental Records. 'Arthur Verocai' challenged the musical conventions of the day, combining Brazilian influences with folksy soul and lo-fi electronic experimentations of American artists like Shuggie Otis or the orchestration of producer Charles Stepney.

VENTILATEUR is an instrumental project combining sounds from the vivid worlds of contemporary jazz and postpunk. The three-piece band, consisting of Iben Stalpaert on drums, Jasper Hollevoet on bass and Daan Soenens on guitar, uses angular rhythms and flowing melodies to construct compositions that embody both contrast and cohesion. Originally from Bruges, the band currently has Ghent as its homebase.

The trio released its self-titled debut EP on 22 March 2019. VENTILATEUR won awards at Fresh Fish, Red Rock Rally and Burgrock that same year and was one of the laureates of the then brand new Sound Track. Thanks to Sound Track 2020, the band received a residency at Het Entrepot in Bruges and a year of professional coaching from VI.BE and other national players in the music landscape.

In 2020, VENTILATEUR joined forces with young Ghent theatre collective Camping Sunset for the performance Happiness. The band composed the soundtrack for the play and also performed it live during the five-week run of the production. The music was subsequently recorded and released under the title A Soundtrack For Happiness at the Brussels label Sentimental.

In 2022, VENTILATEUR released its first full-length album with W.E.R.F. Records. Hoofdplaat, titled after the village near the manor house that served as its recording location, is the result of a long process of purification. VENTILATEUR presents the essence of their sound, stripped from all ballast.

VENTILATEUR balances on the border between the ‘niche’ world of instrumental jazz and the accessible world of the pop-rock circuit. From this position, the band aims to bring instrumental music to a wider audience. Apart from being purely intrinsically artistic, the trio's ambition is to excite a new audience for cultural participation and specifically the rich genre of jazz. Through their choice of accessibility within the experimental, the band aims to form a bridge between a wider audience and a musical world still too often labelled as ‘niche’. The musicians not only focus on the club and festival circuit, but have already written soundtracks for some short film projects and are also reaching out to the theatre world.

In its early years, VENTILATEUR was mainly known within the Flemish arts landscape on the Bruges-Ghent-Brussels axis. A soundtrack for Happiness and Hoofdplaat introduced VENTILATEUR to a new audience. Songs from the albums got airtime from Radio 1, Klara and other stations, and singles appeared in national playlists. The band’s music was also picked up by VRT, which used the single Nectar during several programs. In 2023, the band scored their biggest gig yet: Ghent Jazz on a podium curated by their label, W.E.R.F. Records.

VENTILATEUR as a project can count on the support of organisations such as W.E.R.F. Records, Cactus Music Centre, Het Entrepot and VI.BE. The band also has close ties with theatre companies such as Camping Sunset, Compagnie Cecilia and Ontroerend Goed and, of course, numerous connections within the Flemish and Brussels music scene.

Irrestible, and refreshing fast paced dub techno EP

Tricatel is releasing on gatefold vinyl a selection of tracks composed by Bertrand Burgalat for Ça, c'est Paris! the series directed by Marc Fitoussi, starring Alex Lutz, Nicolas Maury and Monica Bellucci.

Marc Fitoussi - extract from the sleeve notes
After collaborating on my film "Les Apparences", I knew he'd be the ideal man for this series. Someone who could make real revue music, like you'd hear at the Paradis Latin or the Alcazar, and who could also be resolutely contemporary, like when the troupe relaxes and dances in a bar to a hit of the moment.

Stéphane Lerouge - extract from the sleeve notes
It's a genre that dates back to the thirties, that of the backstage musical, a genre with well-defined codes: the struggle of a collective, a troupe of singers and dancers, to put on a show that, despite a tsunami of obstacles, will end in triumph and reveal a new star. A broad spectrum of films can be linked to this, from "Quarante-deuxième rue" to "Tous en scène", from "Chorus line" to "Trois places pour le vingt-six". And today, the original link in this long chain is the series "Ça, c'est Paris!", in which Marc Fitoussi strips away this tradition, reenchanting it, making it crackle with new energy. In the end, his mission is almost the same as that of his main character, Gaspard Berthille (Alex Lutz), heir to a cabaret, the Tout-Paris, for whom he must invent a present, or rather, a future. To carry out this delicate task, Gaspard Berthille needed an accomplice, invisible on screen: Bertrand Burgalat. His freedom, the way he juggles harmony and tonality, shines through in every measure, as if Marc Fitoussi's subject had triggered something decisive and essential in him.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder/CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J continues his trailblazing career with upcoming album 'The FORCE'.

LL’s highly anticipated 14th studio album The FORCE (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) set for release September 6th follows over a decade long hiatus. The record was executive produced by Hip-Hop innovator and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest. With this album, LL will help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Recordings. As LL was the label’s first release, there is no better way to represent the legacy of Def Jam Recordings on its 40th year

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J has created one of the most multifaceted careers and brands in entertainment and continues to display his wide range of talents with every project.

Four decades after he first burst onto the scene, LL COOL J continues his vibrant, trailblazing career. LL COOL J helped elevate the burgeoning rap and Hip-Hop scene of the 80’s, which developed into the musical and cultural phenomenon that is Hip-Hop as we know it today. Of LL’s many contributions to the culture, he also is credited with the creation of the acronym “G.O.A.T.” - short for “Greatest of All Time.”

First introduced to the world in 1984 as a Def Jam Recordings’ flagship artist, LL is the first rap artist to amass ten consecutive platinum-plus selling albums, including his critically-acclaimed debut album, RADIO, and the international, timeless anthem and album of the same name, MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT. LL’s hit singles include “Going Back to Cali,” “Doin’ It,” “Around the Way Girl,” “Loungin’”, “Headsprung,” and Hip-Hop’s first rap ballad “I Need Love.”

Up next, this fall LL is back to make his latest artistic contribution and continue to elevate Hip-Hop culture after over a decade long hiatus with the release of his highly anticipated new album, The FORCE (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy), executive produced by Hip-Hop innovator and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest. With this album, LL will help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Recordings.

In December 2017, LL became the first rapper to earn the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor, which is America’s highest achievement for any performer. In addition, he received his star on the world-renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 21, 2016.
In March 2018, LL launched his own SiriusXM timeless Hip-Hop channel entitled “LL COOL J's Rock The Bells Radio,” garnering millions of daily listeners. The channel features a wide range of innovative and timeless Hip-Hop content, music, interviews, and in-depth retrospectives curated, programmed, and presented by the award-winning artist himself. Since founding the radio station, Rock The Bells has developed into a global platform that has become the preeminent voice for timeless Hip-Hop. Rock The Bells focuses on content, commerce and experiences that honor the CULTURE and the core elements of Hip-Hop – MCs, DJs, Breakers, Graffiti Artists – and more. Rock The Bells hosted its inaugural eponymous music festival in Queens, New York in August 2022, which sold out back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023, where LL headlined both festivals.

LL COOL J was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on October 30, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio for the 36th annual induction ceremony. Considered by most as the crowning achievement for one’s musical career, the ceremony was a celebration of LL’s lasting impact on Hip-Hop and the music industry.

In Summer 2023, LL COOL J, Rock The Bells, and Live Nation Urban kicked off his first arena tour in 30 years across North America called The F.O.R.C.E. Tour, inspired by the name of LL’s forthcoming album. Living up to the acronym for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy, the lineup for this tour was personally curated by LL COOL J. Building off their amazing performance together on the GRAMMY® Awards earlier that year celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, all dates featured collaborative live performances with preeminent Award-winning Hip-Hop band The Roots, the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z-Trip.

LL hosted the GRAMMY® Awards for an unprecedented five years in a row from 2012-2016, for which he earned rave reviews. In addition, he hosted and produced the GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live Special for seven years and has also been a presenter at the Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG Awards. Most recently, at the end of 2023, LL helped produce CBS’ live concert special A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

LL has always been an avid philanthropist involved in numerous causes, including literacy for kids as well as music and arts programs in schools. Founded in 2005, LL’s charity “Jump & Ball” – which takes place every August in his hometown of Queens, New York – aims to give back to his local community by offering an athletic and team building program dedicated to bringing wholesome fun to young people.

Between being a musician, actor, philanthropist and entrepreneur, LL COOL J is the ultimate multi-hyphenate whose career continues to expand and where he remains one of the most beloved and innovative brands in entertainment. He currently resides in both New York and Los Angeles.

On Hardcore, James Mapley-Brittle (GRRL) and Nick Sanborn (Made of Oak), meld their love of late-night club music to make mind-bending high-energy dance music. GRRL is one of the brightest emerging stars in the underground arts space and a regular collaborator with PC Music, NTS, and more; Sanborn is better known as one half of the Grammy-nominated electronic pop duo Sylvan Esso. First sparked during DJ sets in North Carolina basements, the duo's unique creative chemistry has grown exponentially since the 2022 release of their debut EP, Inertia. GRRL x Made of Oak's glitched-out sounds have been featured on Adult Swim, Fortnite, and with their own sample pack on Splice. Finding new fans in the likes of Björk, Arca, AG Cook, Porter Robinson, Barker and DJs across the world, GRRL x Made of Oak is an exhilarating experience that will shake the speakers and get any after-hours dance floor moving.

Named after a metro station located in East Paris, Pointe du Lac originated in 2014 as the brainchild of analogue gear enthusiast Julien Lheuillier, joined shortly after by multi-instrumentalist Richard Francés, followed by Quentin Rollet on Saxophone a few years down the line. Les siphonophores des eaux froides et profondes de l'Arctique (“Siphonophores of the cold, deep Arctic waters”) is the project’s third studio album, the first one written as a three-piece as well as their first release on Hands in the Dark.

Like the organisms the album title refers to, Pointe du Lac’s music is highly polymorphic and complex, using a subtle and distinctive blend of Electronica, Krautrock, Jazz and Kosmische as vessels for the band’s fantastic instrumental imaginary voyages. Compared to previous albums and EPs -which tended to suggest cosmic odysseys- this new cinematic outing is diving deep and intends to shed light on fascinating, mysterious and diverse creatures and their habitats. Supported by (paradoxically) warm and impeccable sonic forms, the exploration turns out to be an unsurprisingly expansive one, yet accessible and oddly familiar sounding. There is a sense of assurance and serenity in the French trio’s latest offering, the musicians mastery and open-ended approach to free ambient music lets their ideas flow and never stagnate. The narrative of this expedition is one that will be remembered long after the listening finishes.

The first vinyl release by the Melbourne Soul / Funk trailblazers The Bamboos in over a year since their 'This Is How You Do It' album and UK / EU tour (which included two sold out nights at London's iconic Jazz Café) is something that guitarist / bandleader Lance Ferguson has wanted to do for many years: a Christmas EP!

This limited edition 7" comes in custom printed knitted Christmas sleeve that will rival even the most garish seasonal woollen jumper.

A side "Wrapt In A Beau" is classic Sweet Soul Bamboos style, recalling fan favourites such as "I Don't Wanna Stop" and "Golden Ticket", with a perfect vocal by The Antipodean Queen Of Soul, Kylie Auldist.

On the flip is the string drenched Funk instrumental "The Bells Of Holly Hill", which kicks off with a crisp breakbeat plus sleigh bells intro.

Paid promo service to Soul / Funk DJs w/wide for radio, club and online incl presenters on key radio stations such as BBC6, FIP France, KCRW.

LANCE FERGUSON "I'm never going to make an Xmas track without putting some sleigh bells in the mix, and you should see some of my yuletide knitwear...but for everyone who celebrates Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere it's something that falls right in the middle of Summer, flying in the face of much of that iconic festive imagery.

With these songs we thought we'd lean into some of those unique things that make a sun-drenched, snow-less festive season special."

Previous Bamboos seven inch pressings sold out straight away, so don't sleep on this.

I have a thing for distant galaxies or places in the universe where there are very few stars or star clusters. In meditations, I imagine myself in an empty space in the universe where it is pitch-black. My way of dissociating.

I played shows in Tbilisi and (1.) Yerevan. Afterwards, I was taken to the airport. We were in the car, the weather was good. There is a big mountain near Yerevan, which was (2.) the view. And Alice Coltrane’s World Galaxy was playing on the radio. I resonate with this song.

A few weeks later, my wife’s mother arrived (3.) from Canada. We had dinner together that day in (4.) Antwerp. As we drove out of the underground parking, I wanted to play that Alice Coltrane song again. But the internet reception wasn’t great, so the song cut out. We then wanted to switch to the local pirate station Radio Centraal. It was playing the exact same Alice Coltrane song, from exactly the same moment. We didn’t realize it at first. A very strange continuum.

Now I’m thinking whether my thing with the universe is because of this track and this situation. The track is about (6.) Olodumare, who is the African God of everything. That is very close to the voids in the universe. The place where I like to be.

8/10 FULL-PAGE LEAD REVIEW IN UNCUT: “TALENTED ARTISTS SUCH AS ALDOUS HARDING , DELANEY DAVIDSON, IVY ROSSITER AND MARLON WILLIAMS REPRESENT A FRESH COUNTRY-FOLK/AMERICANA MOVEMENT IN AND AROUND CHRISTCHURCH AND DUNEDIN. NADIA REID'S IMPECCABLE DEBUT WILL MAYBE SET A WIDER ORBIT IN MOTION.”
4/5 LEAD REVIEW IN MOJO: “INSPIRED DEBUT BY A YOUNG NEW ZEALAND SINGER-SONGWRITER YOU'LL FEEL YOU'VE KNOWN FOREVER. A WONDERFUL ALBUM"

SUNDAY TIMES DEBUT OF THE WEEK: "SHE RANKS ALONGSIDE LOW AND THE COWBOY JUNKIES FOR DELIVERING SLOW-BURN EMOTION"
"It has all that well-smoked wisdom, that mingling of strength and yearning that seems to charge the work of all my favourite female artists – Laura Marling, The Weather Station, Sharon Van Etten and Tift Merritt, to name but four. Reid is just 23, and since I am loathe to run that “old beyond her years” line, let us simply say that when I hear a young artist making an album as soulful and rich and self-possessed as Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs, I feel so thrilled not only for the existence of that record but for all the music they will make over all the years to come.” THE GUARDIAN PLAYLIST
6MUSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
A richness of voice; a depth of emotion; and wise beyond her years; with Listen To Formation, Look For the Signs, 23-year-old New Zealand native Nadia Reid has claimed her place as one of the country’s most evocative and profound young songwriters. Her music traces the sharp mountain peaks, azure coastline, and mirrored images of the land and sky that pinpoint her home country’s vast open landscapes.
Whether nerding about with friends, stunning audiences into silence with her spellbinding live shows or unwinding in the tranquillity of her favourite hometown spot overlooking Port Chalmers’ harbour through her large-rimmed spectacles, Nadia Reid has achieved a gloriously fresh and eloquent new folk sound. “I’ve been in New Zealand my whole life and guess at times I take for granted the serene beauty that I live so closely with,” she says of her music’s majestic affiliation with nature. Mapping out tales of change and loss, whilst drawing inspiration from reading, writing, the human condition, falling in and out of love, death, and birth - it all lends to a superbly balanced album that moves surreptitiously between sparse and fragile melancholia to beautifully brutal lyricism with a philosophical maturity that bellies her years.
Born in Auckland, Nadia’s acoustic roots stem from an upbringing in a musical household where attending folk clubs and festivals were regular occurrences on the family calendar. “I was lucky to witness a lot of live music and theatre performances because my mum was an actress. I was encouraged to learn piano and guitar, and attended a Steiner school where we spent a lot of time in nature, singing songs.” Before long Nadia was listening to The Be Good Tanyas with friend and fellow recording artist Aldous Harding, which spurred her chosen career path. “There was something spiritual about the Tanyas’ records - I vividly remember the goose-bump feelings up my arms, a true connection to the lyrics and vocals,” she recalls. “Aldous was the first person who told me I had a good voice and I thank her for that. I admire her as an artist and writer, and we like to keep up with what each other is up to.”
Creating her own enchanting wonderworld, each of Nadia’s songs explores the elements; truly organic, her vocals ebb, flow and soar but are always ignited with fire from the gut. Her lyrics clearly reference lush landscapes but equally reflect alienation provided by the surrounding Pacific Ocean and mortality of living in such close proximity to Mother Nature’s wrath, as experienced whilst living in Christchurch at the time of 2011’s devastating earthquake. “It shook the city to its core,” Nadia recalls. “I’m sure living through it has shaped my personality and writing. My first EP was recorded just months afterwards, it was a strange time. We were all quite fragile, but I was braver somehow.”
Boldly infusing folk with full flavour, Listen To Formation, Look For The Signs was produced by Ben Edwards, owner of Lyttelton Records in his Sitting Room studios with Nadia’s band consisting bassist Richie Pickard, guitarist Sam Taylor and percussionist Joe McCallum. Whilst 'Reaching Through’s rich but unhurried nature evokes She Hangs Brightly -era Mazzy Star and intricate nuances of Beth Orton are recalled on lead single ‘Call The Days’ which talks of moving to a new town and was the first song penned after Nadia moved from Christchurch to Wellington; spurred on by a “panic attack” and being “worried about making the right choices in life”. Elsewhere ‘Runway’ and ‘Some Are Lucky’ immediately channel Nadia’s love of TBGT’s Jolie Holland and appreciation for New Zealand’s Maori music by Maisey Rika and Anika Moa, plus the inspirational narratives of Kenyan-born Somali poet Warsan Shire.

Im April 2024 ist es 25 Jahre her, dass Coldplay die 'Brothers & Sisters' EP über Fierce Panda veröffentlicht haben. Zur Feier erscheint im November eine Jubiläumsausgabe über Fierce Panda Records - das erste Plattenlabel der Band. Die ursprüngliche "Brothers & Sisters"-Single war eine 7"-Version mit zwei Tracks ("Brothers & Sisters" und "Easy To Please") und eine CD-Single mit drei Tracks, wobei "Only Superstition" der dritte Song war, der zwar nicht auf der ursprünglichen 7"-Vinyl-Veröffentlichung enthalten war (aber zum 20-jährigen Jubiläum auf limitierten Vinyl erhältlich war), nun auf dieser Jubiläumsausgabe seinen festen Platz hat Die Veröffentlichung fängt die Essenz einer jungen Band ein, die ihren Sound definiert und sich eine Fangemeinde erspielt. Die Aufnahme der drei Songs kostete 450 £ und die Single erreichte Platz 92 in den Charts. Als kurioser Bonus ist der vierte Track auf der EP ein Spoken Word-Beitrag, "The Story of Brothers & Sisters". Dabei handelt es sich um einen gelesenen Textauszug aus dem Hörbuch von "Pandamonium! How Not To Run A Record Label" von Fierce Panda-Gründer Simon Williams. In 'Knee-Trembler' (Kapitel 17, Seiten 159-168) beschreibt er in raffiniert intimen Details das Wie, Warum und Wozu der frühen Tage von Coldplay, als sie das Gebälk des Camden Falcon, des Kentish Town Bull & Gate und der Station Studios in Southgate zum Beben brachten, von Radio One's Evening Session angepriesen wurden und auf dem Weg zu 'Brothers & Sis' ihre ersten Kritiken in der Zeitung NME erhielten. Das Label Fierce Panda delbst feiert 2024 sein 30-jähriges Bestehen, was bedeutet, dass sie nicht einmal fünf Jahre alt waren, als sie Coldplay im November 1998 im Camden Falcon zum ersten Mal begegneten.

. For Fans Of: The Weather Station, Weyes Blood, Adrianne Lenker, Phoebe Bridgers, Joan Shelley, Lana Del Rey, Cass McCombs, Angel Olsen & Neil Young. Camelot, the legendary seat of King Arthur’s court in Early Middle Ages Britain, was probably not a real place. A corruption of the name of a real Romano-Briton city, the word “Camelot” accumulated symbolic, mythic resonances over centuries, until achieving its present usage as a near-synonym of “utopia.” In the mid-20th century alone, Camelot inspired an explosion of representations and appropriations, among them the violent, affectless Arthurian court of Robert Bresson’s 1974 film Lancelot du Lac and the absurdist iteration of Monty Python’s 1975 Holy Grail, both of which feature armoured knights erupting into fountains of blood; the mystical Welsh world of novelist John Cowper Powys’s profoundly weird 1951 novel Porius, with its Roman cults, wizards and witches, and wanton giants; and the nationalist nostalgia of President John F. Kennedy’s White House. Unsurprisingly there are fewer Camelots in more recent memory. Camelot, Canadian songwriter Jennifer Castle’s extraordinary, moving 2024 chronicle of the artist in early middle age, charts a realer, more rooted, and more metaphorical place than the fabled Camelot of the Early Middle Ages (or its myriad depictions), but it too is a space more psychic than physical. In Castle’s Camelot, the fantastic interpenetrates the mundane, and the Grail, if there is one, distills everyday experience into art and art into faith, subliming terrestrial concerns into sublime celestial prayers to Mother Nature, and to the unfolding process of perfecting imperfection in one’s own nature. Co-produced by Jennifer and longtime collaborator Jeff McMurrich, her seventh record is at once her most monumental and unguarded to date, demonstrating a mastery of rendering her verse and melodies alike with crisply poignant economy. For all their pointedly plainspoken lyrical detail and exhilarating full-band musical flourishes, these songs sound inevitable, eternal as morning devotions. “Back in Camelot,” she sings on the lilting, vulnerable title track, “I really learned a lot / circles in the crops and / sky-high geometry.” The album opens with a candid admission of sleeping “in the unfinished basement,” an embarrassing joke that comes true. But the dreamer is redeemed by dreaming, setting sail in her airborne bed above “sirens and desert deities.” If she questions her own agency whether she is “wishing stones were standing” or just “pissing in the wind” it does not diminish the ineffable existential jolt of such signs and wonders. This abiding tension between belief and doubt, magic and pragmatism, self and other, sacred and profane, and even, arguably, paganism and monotheism, suffuses these ten songs, which limn an interior landscape shot through with sunstriped shadows of “multi-felt dimensions” both mystical and quotidian. The epic scale and transport of “Camelot,” with its swooning strings, gives way dramatically to “Some Friends,” an acoustic-guitar-and-vocals meditation in miniature on Janus-faced friends and the lunar and solar temperatures of their promises—“bright and beaming verses” versus hot curses which recalls her minimalist last album, 2020’s achingly intimate Monarch Season. (In a symmetrical sequencing gesture, the penultimate track, the incantatory “Earthsong,” bookends the central six with a similarly spare solo performance and coiled chord progression, this time an ambiguous appeal to … a wounded lover? a wounded saint? our wounded planet?). Those whom “Trust” accuses of treacherous oaths spit through “gilded and golden tooth” cynics, critics, hypocrites, gurus, scientists, doctors, lovers, government, the so-called entertainment industry sow uncertainty that can infect the artist, as in “Louis”: “What’s that dance / and can it be done? What’s that song / and can it be sung?” Answering affirmatively are “Lucky #8,” an irrepressible ode to dancing as a bulwark against the “tidal pools of pain” and the “theory of collapse,” and “Full Moon in Leo,” which finds the narrator dancing around the house with a broom, wearing nothing but her underwear and “big hair.” But the central question remains: who can we trust, and at what cost faith, in art or angels or otherwise? Castle’s confidence in her collaborators is the cornerstone of Camelot. Carl Didur (piano and keys), Evan Cartwright (drums and percussion), and steadfast sideman Mike Smith (bass) comprise a rhythm section of exquisite delicacy and depth. This fundamental trio anchors the airiness of regular backing vocalists Victoria Cheong and Isla Craig and frames the guitars of Castle, McMurrich, and Paul Mortimer (and on “Lucky #8,” special guest Cass McCombs). Reprising his decennial role on Castle’s beloved 2014 Pink City, Owen Pallett arranged the strings for Estonia’s FAMES Skopje Studio Orchestra. On the ravishing country-soul ballad “Blowing Kisses” Pallett’s crowning achievement here, which can be heard in its entirety in the penultimate episode of the third season of FX’s The Bear Jennifer contemplates time and presence, love and prayer and how songwriting and poetry both manifest and limit all four dimensions: “No words to fumble with / I’m not a beggar to language any longer.” Such rare moments of speechlessness “I’m so fucking honoured,” she bluntly proclaims suggest a state “only a god could come up with.” (If Camelot affirms Castle as one of the great song-poets of her generation, she is not immune to the despairing linguistic beggary that plagues all writers.) Camelot evinces a thoroughgoing faith not only in the natural world including human bodies, which can, miraculously, dance and swim and bleed and embrace and birth but also in our interpretations of and interventions in it: the “charts and diagrams” of “Lucky #8,” a daydreamt billboard on Fairfax Ave. in LA in “Full Moon in Leo,” the bloody invocations of the organ-stained “Mary Miracle,” and all manner of water worship, rivers in particular. (Notably, Jennifer has worked as a farmer and a doula.) The album ends with “Fractal Canyon”s repeated, exalted insistence that she’s “not alone here.” But where is here? The word “utopia” itself constitutes a pun, indicating in its ambiguous first syllable both the Greek “eutopia,” or “good-place” the facet most remembered today and “outopia,” or “no-place,” a negative, impossible geography of the mind. Utopia, like its metonym Camelot, is imaginary

DJ Support: Alix Perez, Hybrid Minds, DJ Marky, DJ Krust, Doc Scott, Pola & Bryson, AC Slater, Imanu, Hamdi and more.

1985 Music presents the first edition of 'Fragment' their new various artist series. Featuring familiar faces from the imprint and special guests, this album combines the 1985 Music sound in all forms.

Featuring tracks from label head honcho Alix Perez with the strictly soulful 'Bloomsbury', while New Zealand producer/DJ Headland reworks 'Trust' the anthem from EPROM. Joining the fold GLM, Eijer and Satl make their debut on the imprint while regular artists Visages, Drone, Bredren and Ebb continue to deliver the goods.

Radio support: Charlie Tee BBC Radio 1, Fred V Kiss FM, Mary Anne Hobbes BBC 6 Music, 1985 Music RinseFM show (monthly).

Timeless soul, 'Cool Cool' is the standout title track from James Alexander Bright's recent album. It's an immediately enchanting gem, with tendermusicianship and a stripped back production highlighting James' voice, pitchedsomewhere between Eddie Chacon, Beck and Michael McDonald. Athens of theNorth's in-house band East Coast Love Affair add a delightfully psychedelic Balearicpiquancy with an beautiful dub version on the flip.

'Cool Cool' has been enjoying a plethora of worldwide support; seeing James insession for Gilles Peterson, suppling a Block Party mix for Huey Morgan, interviewedby Bandcamp Weekly, and played across tastemaker shows on stations includingBBC 6 Music, FIP, Jazz FM, KCRW, KEXP, Les Inrocks, NTS, Soho Radio, Triple R,WDET, WNXP.

The past six years has seen James release a veritable treasure trove of music:'Mallorca' and 'Strange Folk' EPs, debut album 'Headroom', joyous second 'Float', analbum of collaborations and reworks with cosmic Americana-disco DJ/producer duoFlying Mojito Bros, and a new project with Groove Armada's Tom Findlay as Bright &Findlay. 'Cool Cool', his third solo album since 2020, was released on 26th July 2024.

Toy Tonics ITALOMANIA Vol. 2 is a compilation dedicated to NEW ITALIAN DISCO. (Not Italo Disco.)
13 young contemporary Italian producers made new organic disco, indie dance, avant pop and house tracks with Italian vocals.

Everything on this compilation has been produced in 2023. Fresh dance music by Italian indie electronic star Myss Keta together with DJ Severino (of Horse Meat Disco) and newcomers Sam Ruffillo, Fimiani, Magou, Tommiboy, Daniel Monaco, Giovanni Damico. And new music by artists Stump Valley (from Dekmantel), Munk (Gomma records), Rodion (Slow Motion Records) and DJ legend Lele Sacchi,

The ITALOMANIA compilation was initiated by Toy Tonics boss Kapote. The idea is to show the status of Italian Disco of today. It’s like a „manifesto“!
Kapote invited the most relevant Italian producers to make new tracks with Italian vocals and show different styles of modern Italian disco, dance and house music.
with Italian vocals. All tracks compiled by Kapote aka Mathias Modica aka Munk. Italo-German producer, DJ, keyboarder and head of Toy Tonics and Gomma records.

Italian Disco is not Italo Disco.
While the last years the slightly trashy pop music of the 1980’s called Italo Disco (with English lyrics) had a big revival. But now also the attention for more quality and organic dance music with Italian language is rising. This compilation is about this Italian Disco,
It’s a fact that not just in Italy but also in France and Germany there are now artists singing in Italian or using Italian words and names - even if they are not Italian.

Let’s not forget: The world’s culture of party, dancing, showbizness and pop music would be unimaginable without the heritage and creativity that Italians contributed.
Italy is not just the country of good food, beautiful beaches and high fashion, but it’s also the original country of dance music. Since almost 3000 years, since the ancient roman times the Italians have been making (dance) music culture, creating popular culture and being the maestros in organizing parties.
Also the disco wave of the 1970ies and the Pop music of the 1980ies has been co-created by Italians (and Italo-americans in New York).

The ITALOMANIA artists & tracklist:

M¥SS KETA
The most famous artist on the compilation is singer M¥SS KETA. The Italian press calls her "the Italian Lady Gaga“. M¥SS KETA is an edgy performer that reached the top of the charts with indie pop songs, but is also well rooted in the Milan art, fashion and LGTB scene.
To create a song for Italomania she teamed up with DJ Severino. The Italian part of London’s Horse Meat Disco DJ collective. Probably the world leading queer DJ team. (M¥SS KETA recently was invited to perform Berghain in Berlin).

Sam Ruffillo
Sam Ruffilo has contributed a new (party) version of his song Mediterranea. A organic disco track with lyrics in Neapolitan dialect. Sam Ruffillo is an upcoming Italian DJ and producer and one of the lead artists of Toy Tonics (along with Coeo, Kapote and Cody Currie). He had a few underground hits combining leftfield disco and Lofi House with Italian vocals creating a new genre that is finding lot of fans right now. One of his songs (Chiamami Subito) made it into the rotation of big Italian radio station M20. On Instrgam you can see his DJ sets where hundreds of Italians sing his songs at Toy Tonics parties.

Munk
Toy Tonics head honcho Kapote reworked the Munk song ‚La Musica‘ for this compilation. Munk is the former producer name of Mathias Modica aka Kapote. The creative mind behind Toy Tonics and Gomma records. ‚La Musica‘ is an Italo house song that he originally released 2010 when he was doing his former label Gomma records. Now there is this new version of this catchy dance song with the Italian hookline that became almost iconic when first released.
It made sense to include a new version of this track on ITALOMANIA because its a blueprint of italian disco and sounds so fresh again now.

Giovanni Damico
The south Italian DJ, producer made „Tropica“. The song is a tribute to the music of the Italian discos of south Italy of the 1980ies. A Balearic session that can be great at a beach in the afternoon, but also for dancing in the early morning. Damico is part of the new Italian disco scene releasing his dance tracks on international labels like Lumberjacks in hell and White Rabbit records since 2013.

Kapote
His new song „Sono tropical“ is an ironic Latin pop song based on a classic salsa piano riff and a strong Latin soul bassline. It reminds the big tunes from the 1970ies New York Salsa Scene (Tito Puente, Willie Colon, Fania All Stars). The vocals performed by Kapote are a mix of Italian and Spanish. The girl’s voice is also performed by Kapote. But transferred into a female voice by an AI. All instruments played by Kapote who before starting to get into the DJ and label business used to to study jazz piano. Before starting Toy Tonics Kapote he released 3 albums under his former name Munk and produced records with big names from the electronic music scene like James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, Peaches, The Rammellzee and three albums of Danish band WhoMadeWho. Mathias/ Kapote also worked with artists like Franz Ferdinand, The Rapture and Asia Argento.

Lele Sacchi
Lele Sacchi is an Italian DJ legend and host of Italy's most important DJ radio show on RAI national radio. He has been djing all around the world playing from Circoloco Ibiza to Avalon LA. He has Besides being on Italian national radio he has been doing shows on NTS Radio or guest on BBC Six. He produced for labels like Soul Clap, !K7, Internasjonal, Nervous, Snatch, Crosstown Rebels, Poker Flat and his own Stolen Goods imprint.
Sacchi teamed up with young vocalist Elasi, a new talent from Milano that is making waves in Italy for a few songs she released in a indie disco style. Their song is an interpretation of late 70’s cult slow disco pop classic ‘Malamore’ by the underdog Enzo Carella. A mix of slow house and playful pop with a slight touch of acid!

Tommiboy
Tommiboy made a nasty, disco rock song called Sfinge. Only 26 years old he is one of the most hyped up Italian disco diggers and collectors. Originally from Rimini, the capital of discos, he is the son of a father who was a regular dancer in Rimini’s clubs of the 1980is and fed his son with all things disco.
Tommiboy started to do parties and compilations under the name Disco Stupenda three years ago. By now he and his parties are a big thing in Italy and has fans all around the country. He also is DJ for fashion brands like Gucci and he is the guy who re-introduced 1980s stars like Pino D’Angio.

Fimiani aka BPlan
The DJ und producer from Napoli is part of the new, vibrant disco scene from Napoli. (NuGenea, Mystik Jungle, Manny Whodamanny )
His collabo with italian 1980ies crooner Angeleri called SessoSpaghetti is a remake of a song originally released in 1983, but never became famous when it came out. The drums on the song are played by Napoli legend Tullio De Piscopo and the guitar by Lucio Battisti guitar player Massimo Luca.
The new version is a ironic summer disco with sexy vocals and Italian fun rapping about beach life, beautiful girls and sex on the beach. Fimiani also does edits of rare italo disco under the name of BPlan

Daniel Monaco
Daniel Monaco is a multi-talented artist, producer, and bass player DJ, bandleader and producer from Napoli - but has been living for many years in Amsterdam where he hosted show on Red Light Radio released on Labels of the likes of Rush Hour and Bordello a Parigi. Is one of the key figures of the scene due to unique fusion of Italo Disco, Proto House, Obscure Disco, and a captivating tropical touch. His latest EPs came out on Slow Rush Hour records and Periodica Records contributed the song ‚Milly‘ for Italomania. Played with a 5 person band.

Stump Valley
The two DJs, producers and vinyl collector are experts in all things Italo Disco and Balearic music. Before joining Toy Tonics they released an album on Dekmantel records. One of the guys (Brain de Palma) is the favorite DJ of Peggy Gou. He is regularly opening the shows of Peggy as a warm up DJ and releases his solo records on Peggy's label Gudu records. For this compilation they made Non dire di no. An old school piano house track with catchy vocals in the finest tradition of the piano house style that Italians invented in the early 1990ies.

Crime In Australia follows 2022's The Real Work, the first Party Dozen record that (some) people were actually waiting for; the one that Nick Cave sang on; the one that had a track that billy woods jumped on for a rework; the one that took them to the USA, Europe (twice), Japan, China and New Zealand; the one that saw Party Dozen hook up with a cool US label (Temporary Residence Ltd.); the one that made Bandcamp, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan and a whole swathe of Australian radio stations declare it their Album of the Day/Week/Epoch; and the one that made KEXP invite the band in for a live session, and made Sub Pop add to their hallowed Singles Club. The Real Work was not the first Party Dozen record, but it was in many ways where Party Dozen really started to put it all together. Crime In Australia continues to build on their arc, and elevates their ascent with a slew of new songs that are simultaneously more focused and more feral than anything they've ever done. And there are no guests on this one.

Crime In Australia follows 2022's The Real Work, the first Party Dozen record that (some) people were actually waiting for; the one that Nick Cave sang on; the one that had a track that billy woods jumped on for a rework; the one that took them to the USA, Europe (twice), Japan, China and New Zealand; the one that saw Party Dozen hook up with a cool US label (Temporary Residence Ltd.); the one that made Bandcamp, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan and a whole swathe of Australian radio stations declare it their Album of the Day/Week/Epoch; and the one that made KEXP invite the band in for a live session, and made Sub Pop add to their hallowed Singles Club. The Real Work was not the first Party Dozen record, but it was in many ways where Party Dozen really started to put it all together. Crime In Australia continues to build on their arc, and elevates their ascent with a slew of new songs that are simultaneously more focused and more feral than anything they've ever done. And there are no guests on this one.