Search:summer

Ezra Feinberg's third album Soft Power sees the composer-guitarist enlist an impressive array of fellow musicians including Mary Lattimore, David Moore (Bing & Ruth), Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Robbie Lee and share the life affirming lead single 'Future Sand'.

Defined by its abundance of melodies, repeating figures and ecstatic improvisations, Soft Power exudes an enlightened and transformative spirit to empower the listener. Feinberg, a practising psychoanalyst and former founding member of the San Francisco psychedelic collective Citay (Dead Oceans / Important Records) resides in the artistic enclave of upstate New York's Hudson River valley. Initial recordings emerged in the late summer of 2020, before added synthesis with collaborator John Thayer (Arp, Sunwatchers) during early 2021. Soft Power follows previous albums 'Recumbent Speech' (2020) and 'Pentimento and Others' (2018).

Feinberg artfully transcends the listener to an enriched place, his compositions distinguished by the deep humanity that lies at their core, plugging the listener into a state of wide eyed being, open and alive. Soft Power then is Ezra's own mantra but also one of power giving - a colourful catharsis translated into music.

Feinberg's music always speaks to the listener, but Soft Power, in whispering, speaks loudest.

"Much like everyday life, I wanted to convey these very plain, simple, tranquil, nearly quotidian aspects, but each piece contains this arc in which that form expands, is broken out of, so what starts out like a painting of flowers in a seaside motel turns into a riot of color and sound, or you feel slipped into a dream that feels like it could go on forever"

Wie so viele Coming-of-Age-Geschichten mit nachhaltigem Eindruck spielt das neue Album der Brooklyner Band Momma in einem bezaubernden und turbulenten Sommer. "Welcome To My Blue Sky" wurde mit der gesamten Band live im Studio aufgenommen und von Bandkollege Aron Kobayashi Ritch produziert. Mit Hilfe des Drummers Preston Fulks gelangen Momma 12 kraftvolle Songs, die die rohe Dringlichkeit des Rock mit den eindringlichen Melodien und straffen Arrangements des Pop kombinieren – eine Dynamik, die aus ihrem Engagement entstand, das direkteste Ventil für ihren emotionalen Ausdruck zu finden. Jeder Track ist zugleich geteilte Erinnerung, gemeinschaftlicher Erguss und fesselnder Reisebericht voller Selbstbewusstsein und Sensibilität. Das Ergebnis ist ein mutiger Sprung nach vorne für eine der kreativsten, kompromisslosesten und einzigartigsten Stimmen im Indie-Rock.

2025 Repress

Nach dem Erfolg seines letzten Albums „Chloë and The Next 20th Century“ (2022) kehrt Father John Misty mit einem neuen Werk zurück.

As spring teases the summer ahead and overall lightness returns, T3R016 delivers highly intense peak-time euphoria by Dutch-born and Berlin-based hardware phenomenon Nadia Struiwigh. Her masterful storytelling shines through two tracks consisting of hard-hitting, yet dynamic drum arrangements and melodious breaks.
The remixes by Andy Martin and UFO95 build on this drive whilst offering striking contrasts. Witness Andy convince listeners once again with expressive melodies and trippy sound design, while UFO95 flawlessly adds contemporary, raw and beepy energy to the release.

Four tracks that are truly primed for moments of pure motion will entirely make the winter disappear.

A true showman, nightlife troublemaker, and lover of retro sounds, Master Phil, the Donny Benet of France, unveils his debut EP "Vagabond du Cœur" on Cracki Records. Blending nostalgia with dancefloor euphoria, he takes us on a vibrant journey through French Boogie, Euro Pop, and 90s Trance.

The standout track "Vagabond du Cœur" makes hearts and bodies groove with soaring synths and a deep, infectious bassline. Alongside it, "Ibiza" ignites the summer spirit with pure energy, channeling the sounds of Haddaway and Corona—where the nights never end and the beats never stop.

A debut EP that perfectly balances melancholy and carefree hedonism, ready to be played on the road to summer or as a festival-closing anthem.

2025 Repress

As a trained dancer, movement has always guided GiGi FM’s work, whether through developing movement based instruments, or questing to make you move via sound-systems across the world. These ephemeral moments of altered sleep patterns and dance are now present in the music of ‘Sea~rène’, sounds for a trip in the mind held with a desire to dance.

A sense of brightness prevails in ‘Movimiento’, the feeling of white light rising from the dark of your mind as you lay with closed eyes.



Opener ‘Gabriella’ takes you by the hand to spin you across the ballroom floor, dancing in a dusky glow. Piano twinkles along with your step; a gradual ascension as a graceful dance can be. Lost in thoughtful yet thoughtless drift to the rumble of sound, we can confront parts of ourselves and our connection to others, the spirit of B side opener ’Awakening The World’s Heart’.



Place is important to movement also, as heard in the kinetic motion of ‘Tempelhof’, reminiscent of the feld in Berlin (GiGi’s home) itself. Blurred lines of people weaving their way through, either high speed on skates or on a leisurely stroll. It's summer in the city, where the nighttime shortens and daylight extends, yet the simulated night of the club never ends. Eventually reaching slumber, ‘Lucid Dreaming’ is the record's swan-song, a final lift of propulsion to remind that the dream of dance is a physical act, belonging to the imagined and the real. Digi bonus ‘Raspberry Pie’ is a sweet treat at the end of the dance, a familiar taste and a reminder of joy, ready for the next ‘Movimiento’.

DESCRIPTION
“We like all these songs a lot. Dylan's approach to composing and playing involves hybridizing American Primitive, folk, country, soundtrack and avant influences into a unique & powerful alloy. Spinning the record is nothing short of a goddamn trip. Transportational music of the highest order. Get some today.” --Byron Coley “I made the title track a couple years ago at the beginning of summer,” writes Dylan, “I was thinking about how as you get older you have fewer new experiences. That feeling of excitement for summer fades, after it used to be such a big deal as a kid. Those experiences can only be new and vibrant once. The rest of your life can be spent in nostalgia for them. It's a sad thought and maybe not true for everyone, but I suspect it is for most.” The result, No New Summers, is Aycock’s first full length under his own name for almost a decade; it sees him journey through frayed fields of haunted solo-guitar, waves of prairie ambience and hard-won country stillness

"Water Season" is a collaborative EP between the lo-fi duo Hooky and shoegaze artist Winter. They first met online as fans of each other's music and soon started corresponding with ideas, the first of which was writing "horseshoe." After relocating from Los Angeles to New York, Winter took a trip over to Philadelphia in the summer of 2024 where they all became good friends and spent the whole day writing songs together. They coalesced in their love for lo-fi, indie, electronica pairing beautiful melodies with experimentation, sampling, and guitar. In their own way they created a sonic snapshot of that intersection of time and feeling- the bittersweet and fleeting sensation of the end of summer fading into fall. Both bands will be playing shows together this year as well as touring to promote the EP.

Arriving as a standout group in the current American shoegaze renaissance, Phoenix four-piece Glixen transcend all expectations of what the genre should currently look and sound like. The band creates a profoundly heavy sonic experience with their music, paying respects to their predecessors but resulting in something completely modern. An amalgamation of influences like Björk, My Bloody Valentine, Godflesh, t.A.T.u, and Hum, their sound crawls with intensity and introspection to contrast lead singer Aislinn Ritchie's lulling vocals. Ritchie, began the project in 2020 enlisting guitarist Esteban Santana, drummer Keire Johnson, and bassist Sonia Garcia. Their approach to music has landed them on expansive tours and shows with rock music titans and contemporaries alike, supporting acts like Interpol, DIIV, Narrow Head and Nothing. Glixen has released a steady stream of music since their inception, with one EP and a handful of singles under their belt. She Only Said, was first released last summer with taste making Philly label Julia's War Records, bringing them to the attention of the national DIY scene. Working with producers like Jack Endino (Nirvana) and Sonny DiPerri (My Bloody Valentine, DIIV) for recent releases, this year has seen them take their sound to the next level, previewing a continuous sonic evolution.

Ltd. Fruit Punch Vinyl. Arriving as a standout group in the current American shoegaze renaissance, Phoenix four-piece Glixen transcend all expectations of what the genre should currently look and sound like. The band creates a profoundly heavy sonic experience with their music, paying respects to their predecessors but resulting in something completely modern. An amalgamation of influences like Björk, My Bloody Valentine, Godflesh, t.A.T.u, and Hum, their sound crawls with intensity and introspection to contrast lead singer Aislinn Ritchie's lulling vocals. Ritchie, began the project in 2020 enlisting guitarist Esteban Santana, drummer Keire Johnson, and bassist Sonia Garcia. Their approach to music has landed them on expansive tours and shows with rock music titans and contemporaries alike, supporting acts like Interpol, DIIV, Narrow Head and Nothing. Glixen has released a steady stream of music since their inception, with one EP and a handful of singles under their belt. She Only Said, was first released last summer with taste making Philly label Julia's War Records, bringing them to the attention of the national DIY scene. Working with producers like Jack Endino (Nirvana) and Sonny DiPerri (My Bloody Valentine, DIIV) for recent releases, this year has seen them take their sound to the next level, previewing a continuous sonic evolution.

Arriving as a standout group in the current American shoegaze renaissance, Phoenix four-piece Glixen transcend all expectations of what the genre should currently look and sound like. The band creates a profoundly heavy sonic experience with their music, paying respects to their predecessors but resulting in something completely modern. An amalgamation of influences like Björk, My Bloody Valentine, Godflesh, t.A.T.u, and Hum, their sound crawls with intensity and introspection to contrast lead singer Aislinn Ritchie's lulling vocals. Ritchie, began the project in 2020 enlisting guitarist Esteban Santana, drummer Keire Johnson, and bassist Sonia Garcia. Their approach to music has landed them on expansive tours and shows with rock music titans and contemporaries alike, supporting acts like Interpol, DIIV, Narrow Head and Nothing. Glixen has released a steady stream of music since their inception, with one EP and a handful of singles under their belt. She Only Said, was first released last summer with taste making Philly label Julia's War Records, bringing them to the attention of the national DIY scene. Working with producers like Jack Endino (Nirvana) and Sonny DiPerri (My Bloody Valentine, DIIV) for recent releases, this year has seen them take their sound to the next level, previewing a continuous sonic evolution.

Oilix’s latest album, Dissolved, is a mesmerizing journey through the vibe of ’90s trip hop and downtempo, updated and realized in an exciting new way. Released on Cold Busted, this 13-track odyssey follows up on the Kazakhstan-born producer’s previous EP, Nothing But Summer, and showcases his unique “sunhop” style, blending bright melodies with undeniable grooves.

Drawing inspiration from downtempo music of the ’90s, Oilix’s music strays from stereotypical styles, instead embracing lounge, trip-hop, and electronic influences that lay the foundation for his head-nod-inducing tracks. Dissolved showcases his ability to craft memorable melodies that linger long after the final note has faded.

With appearances on popular playlists like Jazz Vibes and releases on labels such as Vinyl Digital, Hip Dozer, and Bluewerks, Oilix is poised for even greater success. Dissolved is an essential addition to any downtempo lover’s collection, offering a refreshing and captivating take on the trip-hop genre.

Hackney singer-songwriter Mychelle debut album Good Day is set for release on April 30 via FAMM (Maverick Sabre/Jorja Smith).  In her own words "This album is inspired by the music I love to listen to, with lyrics that helped me release what wasn’t serving me.‘Good Day’ is my way of saying goodbye to the chapters in my life that created bad days.I’m incredibly grateful for every single person who played a part in bringing ‘Good Day’ to life, and for those who continue to help push it further. I’ve really enjoyed the entire process.Thank you, and have a ‘Good Day’. Raised in Stoke Newington, Mychelle grew up surrounded by music and first picked up a guitar at 10. Years later, she overcame her shyness through busking—spending over four years performing on London’s streets, where her raw and soulful delivery caught the attention of FAMM, leading to her signing.
Since her debut The Way (2021), Mychelle has released standout EPs, including Closure (2021), Someone Who Knows (2022), It’s Not You, It’s Me (2023), and Me & Gaz (2024). Her collaboration with ENNY on Forbidden Fruit has nearly 2.5 million plays, proving her ability to connect deeply with audiences. Having performed at Montreux Jazz Festival, Boardmasters, Deershed, and Michael Kiwanuka’s tour, Mychelle will soon join Jorja Smith on her UK & ERIE tour and take the stage at Across The Tracks and Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, promising an exciting summer of live performances. Beyond music, she thrives in movement—whether on the basketball court, football field, or running track—infusing energy and passion into everything she does. Good Day marks a bold new chapter, showcasing her evolution as an artist and her unwavering trust in her craft.

Ziúr lines up with The Tapeworm for an exclusive cassette-only release featuring Kenichi Iwasa, exploring the electroacoustic realms.

Invited to perform solo at Tarek Atoui's performance series at Kunsthaus Bregenz in October 2024, Ziúr decided to write a new piece for the occasion. This composition, 'Turn Liquid Into Dust', was then performed within the framework of Tarek Atoui's 'Waters' Witness' exhibition as an 8-channel spacial audio piece, transmitting sounds through the installation's structure – metal bars, stones, compost piles… Composed in London in autumn 2024, its principal source of sonic material is recordings of Atoui's instruments which Ziúr had recorded in his studio in Paris during the summer of 2024. In addition, she invited the Japanese woodwind player and virtuoso Kenichi Iwasa to join on all pieces, his contribution providing a binding element, tying the pieces together.

Opener 'A Cold Drip' consists solely of Iwasa's spectral squalls. The tense noir drone of 'Long Call' features a string instrument built by Atoui. For the airy yet dense title track, Ziúr recorded an organ named The Reed Box, with Iwasa floating atop its smoggy soundbed. Closer 'Chips 'n' Crumbles' echos and reverberates with the rattles of household items Ziúr found around her home.

Driven by a relentless appetite for boundless experimentation, Ziúr has been subverting expectations since she was a teenager, corkscrewing through hardcore, metal and punk before veering towards electronic music's turbulent fringes. She produces just like she DJs, gathering a wide variety of ingredients and figuring out the most intriguing, unexpected ways to simmer them into a coherent narrative that helps listeners synchronize the conflicting messages that surround them. Genre isn't a fixed point for Ziúr, but a colour in a vast palette that stretches across history and borders, helping illustrate music that's powerfully subversive. Her The Tapeworm edition follows acclaimed recordings for Planet Mu, PAN, Objects Limited and Hakuna Kulala.

Kenichi Iwasa is a London-based improviser and multidisciplinary artist from Japan, also known for his legendary Krautrock Karaoke night as well as collaborations with visual artists and musicians such as Beatrice Dillon, Maxwell Sterling and Linder Sterling. He currently performs with Naima Karlsson under the name Exotic Sin.

Die Best Of LP von Joy Kitikonti präsentiert eine Auswahl von sieben Tracks, die die Vielfalt und Kreativität des italienischen Musikers widerspiegeln. Diese limitierte, farbige VinylEdition versammelt erstklassige Stücke aus Joy Kitikontis beeindruckendem Repertoire, bietet einen faszinierenden Einblick in die unterschiedlichen Facetten seines Schaffens und ist ein Muss für echte Fans des Künstlers. Die LP enthält gleich drei verschiedene Mixe von Joyenergizer, einem seiner bekanntesten Tracks, sowie weitere Höhepunkte wie Dirty Summer, Pornojoy und Joydontstop. Ob du ein langjähriger Fan bist oder Joy Kitikonti gerade erst für dich entdeckst, die Best Of LP ist die ideale Gelegenheit, um in die Welt seiner Musik einzutauchen und die aufregendsten Momente seiner Karriere auf Vinyl zu genießen.

Embark on a funky synth-drenched journey as the cosmic count Jimi Tenor reunites with Timmion Records' soul architects Cold Diamond & Mink for yet another album. When placed side by side with the fellows' recent effort "Is There Love In Outer Space? "July Blue Skies" glides on a slightly more raw and mystical plane. Crafted over fiery sessions between Tenor and Cold Diamond & Mink, this vinyl release offers six soul-grasping tracks ranging from mellow groove to soundtrack funk. The album's opening title song kicks off with an extended analog synth intro which eventually develops into a sweet romantic invocation, painting a sonic canvas reminiscent of a boundless summer sky. The most vocal tune of this quite instrumental set of songs "Sky Train Baby" propels the listener on a locomotive ride through the star systems while "Venus of Barsoon" with its drum breaks and fuzz sounds blast you straight into sci fi movie funk territory. The album's B-side opens with "Ikuchi," where Tenor's always trusted flute and tenor sax take the spotlight over the slinky library beats. Closing the album we discover two single releases, the sublime "Summer Of Synesthesia" and the demonic "Tsicroxe" both completely worthy to hear sequenced inside this album as well. This album might be just the Spring jam that you needed in your life.

Spawned on the day the earth stood still, COFFIN FEEDER is an unholy alliance between veterans in the Belgian metal and hardcore scene. A delirious and furious combo featuring members of Aborted, Leng Tch’e, When Plagues Collide and Fleddy Melculy spew forth a high energy blend of groove laden death metal, grind and hardcore. Though all members are from Belgium, they are from three different regions within Belgium and speak three different dialects, so the members have to convene in plain English in order to be able to understand each other. Now if that's not heavy, you don't know what is. Since its inception in 2021, COFFIN FEEDER unleashed 2 EP’s (‘Stereo Homicide’, ‘Over the top’) and played a ton of club shows through Europe. With already some a list festivals in Europe under their belt such as Brutal Assault & Summer Breeze, the band is continuing to take names and kick ass worldwide. The band didn’t sit still and as soon as they put the finishing hands on their debut full length album, they immediatly twent on tour with Benighted & Baest throughout Europe in November 2024 and already scheduled on several European festivals next year: Alcatraz, Summer Breeze, Deathfeast, … In comes BIG TROUBLE, the first full length album by these miscreants was mixed and mastered by none less than Dave Otero (Aborted, Archspire, Cattle Decapitation,...) and features blistering cinematic soundscapes provided by Spencer Creaghan (Aborted, Carnifex). 35 minutes of pummelling, devastating and action packed groovy death metal that will make your ears bleed for more. The artwork has been provided by Dan Goldsworthy (Heathen, Xentrix, Corpsegrinder, Aborted, Chimaira, Sepultura,...) and contains more 80’s action movie references than your now defunct Blockbuster video. If you thought that was enough to flatten everything in their path, the album features some very exclusive guests: Mark Hunter of Chimaira, Ben Duerr of Shadow of Intent and Julien Truchan of Benighted. Ready to curb stomp everyone in their town, COFFIN FEEDER inked a deal with Listenable Records to dominate. You’ve been warned. BIG TROUBLE is coming!

Viele Wellen bis zum Abwinken, eine klangliche Erinnerung, ein Tremoloboot in der Sommersonne. Nichts vergeht mit voller Kraft voraus, hier kommt Semi Trucks aus Kalifornien mit Georgia Overdrive. Über 10 Tracks hinweg basteln Brenden Sepe (Gitarre und Gesang), Finn Beard (Gitarre und Gesang), Bronwyn Bradshaw (Bass und Gesang) und Ian Collins (Schlagzeug) ihre Pop-Moral mit einem kruden Unterbau. Eine immerwährende Gänseblümchenkette. Locker gefesselt in Big Blue, in den weiten, sonnendurchfluteten Straßen, in einer Garage auf der Lexington, in den kleinen Bars, in denen sich alle wie Stars aufführen. Aufgenommen im Frühjahr 2024 in Los Angeles mit Robbie Cody (Wand, Pink Trash Can), spielt Georgia Overdrive wie ein Best-Of, ein Hit-geladener Schlag in den Magen. Momente, die an Velvet Underground oder an die Sonics erinnern, an die SST-Rocker Opal aus den späten 80ern oder an die Indie-Expressionisten Summer Hits, kulminieren in einer Zärtlichkeit und einem Geräuschgerangel. Entstanden in ihrer Heimatstadt Los Angeles, ist dies das erste Semi Trucks-Album mit voller Bandbesetzung (Sepe veröffentlichte ,Vs California" 2021 als Solo-Schlafzimmerprojekt). Sie gingen hart zur Sache und achteten sehr darauf, mit Tiefe und Präzision zuzuschlagen, indem sie Feedback und zuckersüße Hooks verwoben. Sepe's mühelose Gesangsmelodien tanzen mit dem gehauchten Gesang von Bradshaw. Das Zusammenspiel und der Schlagabtausch ist mühelos, während sich die Platte entfaltet. Ein Lauffeuer. Zerbrochene Keramik. Orange- und rosafarbenes, flockiges Chrom in einer Dose. Glückselige Untermalung, dunkler als die Nacht, volle Kraft voraus, nirgends abzuschalten.

Justin Sullivan has been living something of an artistic double life for the last 8 years. He’s been playing drums in Los Angeles’ Flat Worms and getting back together with his NYC bandmates in The Babies, but he’s also been crafting his own songs under the name Night Shop. Under this moniker, Sullivan has released two LPs and two 12” EPs and toured supporting, Widowspeak, Shannon Lay and Waxahatchee.

Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield once described Sullivan as “a well-read modern day Buddy Holly” and on his new record, The Beloved Returns, he raises the bar of both the literary allusions and the rock’n’roll. The record’s title track was inspired by Thomas Manns’s 1939 fictionalized biography of Goethe titled Lotte in Weimar: The Beloved Returns and themes of desire, obsession and the places they send you are all over the record. On the sonic end, the record is louder and faster than any Night Shop record before, a result of Sullivan’s collaboration with the Summer Cannibals’ Jessica Bourdeaux who produced the record, with songs like the opener “Ode To Joy II” coming fast out of the gate quickly followed by “Let Me Be the Lamb.”

'Gone Down Meadowland' is the much-anticipated debut album release from Norwich, UK psych outfit Floral Image, releasing 25th April 2025 on the renowned Fuzz Club. More than ever, the band wanted to produce a brand of East-Coast psychedelia that reflected the natural lusciousness and glorious solitude of the immediate world around them. Over 30 songs were conjured, considered and arranged before being whittled down to a final 10 that epitomise what they do best - ten tracks of vivid hue, harnessed live power, all laced together in fluid lyrical harmonies. Taking inspiration from band favourites Woods, KGLW, Stereolab, among many others, a string of at-home recording sessions commenced over a 6-week period across the summer of 2024. Side A is a sun-drenched journey through their whimsical Norfolk countryside, narrated with a surreal sense of lyricism which focuses on the undulating flow of the human psyche and the shape of relationships that can decide its fate. 'Burning 305' follows the mould of the band’s earlier creations with white-knuckled rhythms layered with dashing production and gritty guitars. 'The Score' summarises their love of Revolver-era Beatles and infuses it with a hint of 90's dance grooves. Side B is where the trip takes a heavier turn, the un-hinged night-time of the record. It is where the band best shows the force with which their live reputation has been built on. 'Tiergarten' - a motorik course through consciousness and 'Howling Dog Song' - all raucous, scuzzy-garage riffing. The album concludes with the 7-minute epic 'Sun For Hire'. Born out of a 30-minute live improvisation, it is the earliest written of all songs on GDM and a strong fan favorite for the audiences of the last 2 years. "A lot of themes are anti-establishment commentaries on the state of the modern world. It can feel isolating being bystanders of global concern in sleepy Norfolk, even though it’s easy to slip into a false comfort when you’re surrounded by vast space, natural beauty and friendly folks down the market. Gone Down Meadowland is that egoless escapist fantasy that still can't escape the world caving in on itself; Norfolk isolationism." Produced by the band themselves, mixed by Hugh Fothergill of Volleyball, and mastered by Joseph Carra at Crystal Mastering of KGLW fame, Gone Down Meadowland is Floral Image’s first full flourish. They take the record on the road across Europe and the UK throughout April & May 2025.

Born in the darkest days of a rainy summer, DRUUGG brews a raw garage rock, tinted with noise and romance under psychotropic influence. The trio, which quickly became a quartet, recorded its first tracks at the famous KOKO studio near Liège. In March 2023, nearly a year and a half after its formation, the band began performing, honing their skills from Wallonia to Brussels, through northern France and the Netherlands. Guitars keep screaming, walls shake, minds are marked, and nothing will ever be the same. In early 2024, after releasing their first EP, DRUUGG embarks on a crusade that will take them to Flanders and France. After spreading the gospel of FUZZ, the members retreat to their homeland to record their debut album, which will be available in spring 2025 through the Brussels label "EXAG' Records". In this world of chaos and illusion, DRUUGG is the ultimate cure that will lead you to illumination.

Danny Ward’s 30-year career has been far from predictable. While best known for the musical eclecticism of his Dubble D project, the dance floor-focused nous of his work as Moodymanc and as a member of the groundbreaking 20:20 Soundsystem, Ward’s bulging CV also includes stints drumming for artists as diverse as Fila Brazillia, Rae & Christian, and The Pharcyde, to Jazz luminaries Mat Halsall and Nat Birchall, alongside countless collaborations (Flora Purim and Nightmares on Wax to name but a couple) and numerous evenings spent adding live percussion to DJ sets at iconic Leeds club night Back To Basics.

Now the long-serving Manchester musician and producer has a new project to share via NuNorthern Soul: Balaphonic. Inspired by a mixture of lockdown-era studio experiments, online collaborations, his long-held love for Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian rhythms and a desire to do things differently, Resolution Revolutions is a gorgeously sonically detailed and immersive album that takes Ward’s musical output to a whole new level.

Like many musicians, Ward used the forced lockdowns of the global COVID-19 pandemic to retreat to his basement studio and make music. Focusing on utilising all of the acoustic and electronic tools at his disposal – not least his beloved percussion instruments – Ward took the opportunity not only to draw on a wide range of musical influences and ideas, but also rhythms, grooves and time signatures. As well as composing new tracks from scratch, he also revisited older compositions with fresh eyes and ears.

The results are simply stunning. Ward sets his stall out via the exotic, slow-burn Balearic warmth of ‘Sunflowers in Dub (Deep Summer Mix)’, where echoing whistles, harmonica motifs, sitar sounds, and cascading piano motifs rise above dub-wise bass and seductive, soft-focus beats. The heady, eyes closed vibe continues on the sunrise-ready awakening of ‘Disorganics (All Strings Mix)’, a samba-soaked summer shuffle rich in sparkling acoustic guitars and infectious Latin percussion, and the fretless bass-sporting Afro-Cuban yearning of ‘Six Fingers’.

As Resolution Revolutions progresses, Ward’s deep love of club-adjacent and dancefloor-focused rhythms subtly comes to the fore. There’s ‘Udders’, a hybrid – and hypnotising – fusion of chopped-up South American percussion, marimba-style melodic motifs, looped bass and spacey electronics, and Ocean Waves Brasil collaboration ‘Oxum’, a mid-tempo Afro-Brazilian deep house number wrapped in deliciously dreamy chords and gentle acid lines.

Similarly impressive and inspired is closing cut ‘Bloco Manco’, where Ward peppers a delay-laden Latin beat and a deep, weighty, dancehall style bassline in waves of echoing hand percussion and restless timbales patterns. Stripped-back, raw and seriously sub-heavy, it provides a jaw-dropping conclusion to one of Ward’s most perfectly formed albums yet.

a A1: Sunflowers In Dub Deep Summer Mix
[b] A2: Disorganics [All Strings Mix]

Yessss! Here it is! The comeback we have all been waiting for! Borrowed Identity is back! This classy producer and DJ from the German Black Forest has been making his mark some years ago (well it has been nearly a decade now) with releases on labels like Quintessentials (3 EPs to be precise), Circus Company or Foul & Sunk to name but a few. Now he teams up again with his Sandkastenbuddy Mechanical Soul Brother to present some super groovy, deep yet powerful and uplifting House tunes! Grab your copy and enjoy a hot summer!

Crazy streched breakcore hardcore and speedcore ! 2 LP one 7 inch... The absolute collector !! TIP !!!

With the Do For You EP, Fossar embarks on a deeply personal yet universal journey that’s as adventurous as our label’s name - Zissou. Known for his beautifully textured releases on Fuck Reality and Feuilleton, Fossar delivers a five-track exploration into the highs and lows of forging your own path. Each track reflects a different shade of the journey - passion, doubt, euphoria, and self-discovery, all woven together through Fossar’s signature warm basslines, hypnotic melodies, and crisp, driving rhythms.

More than just an EP, Do For You is a soundtrack for the summer, a call to take charge, and a reminder that the true adventure lies within. The path isn’t always clear, but the music is here to guide you.

Olof Dreijer signals a return to the dancefloor with the 'Rosa Rugosa EP', presented via UK label Hessle Audio. Lead track 'Rosa Rugosa' combines dreamy vibes and rubbery sounds with Olof's signature ear-worm synthlines, sitting comfortably alongside the label's extensive catalogue with a bassline that tears and splinters on the verge of breaking apart. Picked by Pitchfork as their 'Best New Track', it's found its way into the tracklists of some of the most respected and adventurous DJs throughout the Summer.

Complementing the title track, 'Camelia' dials up the emotional intensity with gliding leads soaring throughout the breakdown while 'Cassia' completes the EP with painterly splashes of colourful pads and gentle hand claps keeping the pulse. From his club focused work as Oni Ayhun, to his membership of the Swedish electronic pop group The Knife, Olof's music has always found ways to expand our ideas of what's possible in both instrumental electronic and pop music production, with an approach that is as inclusive and colourful as it is experimental.

Rindert Lammers' debut album is a heartfelt exploration of gratitude, blending personal narratives with cinematic imagery in a serene and soulful ambient jazz style. Inspired by Japanese cinema and the raw authenticity of YouTube confessions, the album captures a mood of introspection and appreciation. Central to the album is the track "Thank You, Kirin Kiki," which draws from a powerful scene in the film Shopliers. Lammers explains "It's one of my favorites. The Japanese actress Kirin Kiki plays the grandmother of a ‘chosen family’, all of whom have fled or lost their own families in some way. In this scene, one of her last scenes before her (real) death, Kirin Kiki (the grandmother) looks at her family and says, 'Thank You!' twice towards the children and the sea. Kirin Kiki improvised these words on the spot, and it's such a poignant moment in the film, but also indicative of her impending death. I found the gratitude so moving it fit perfectly with the gratitude I found in the voice clip from "Thank You Hiroshi Yoshimura. "The fourth song, "Thank You Hiroshi Yoshimura," opens with a voice clip that acts almost as the protagonist of a film, reflecting on a turbulent time of sleeping in parks and on the streets. This voiceover was inspired by a comment on a Hiroshi Yoshimura video on YouTube that began, “This album reminds me of...” Lammers noticed the deeply personal responses le on these videos, so he recorded various similar YouTube comments from people around the world, initially intending to set them to music. Though much of this idea evolved, this particular voice clip remained a central influence, ultimately inspiring a cinematic journey within the album. "Summer in Shibuya" sets the scene as a trailer, "Opening Credits" introduces the narrative, and "Closing Credits" gently brings it to a close. While there’s a Japanese and Tokyo theme running through the tracks, Lammers doesn’t view the album as a tribute to Japan or Tokyo specifically—he’s never visited and admits to knowing only fragments of the culture. Yet he's drawn to Japanese environmental music and is an avid Murakami reader, seeing Japan as a powerful, visual inspiration in his mind’s eye. In a way, the album is also his “thank you” to the beautiful art that Japan has shared with the world.

As they celebrate the 10 year anniversary of debut album 'MISERY', DISENTOMB have smashed through Australian tours with Sanguissugabog in March, Europe in August with STILLBIRTH as well as annihilating the European Festival circuit, before finally unleashing new EP 'NOTHING ABOVE', in OCTOBER 2024 with a run of headline shows across Australia, as well as a headlining appearance at Souther Death Festival. The release of NOTHING ABOVE coincides with Disentomb marking 10 years since the release of their 2014 sophomore album Misery which has become a classic in the genre of Brutal Death Metal. Fresh from laying waste to some of the biggest summer festivals in Europe, Disentomb will be bringing out slam pioneers Internal Bleeding for three exclusive shows in October in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, which will see the band performing Misery in full for the first time. Grab tickets to DISENTOMB, INTERNAL BLEEDING (US), HONEST CROOKS and DELIQUESCE The NOTHING ABOVE EP marks the first Disentomb release following their third album The Decaying Light and delving further into the sound of dissonant and bleakened Brutal Death with the writing from the band's bassist Adrian Cappelletti. NOTHING ABOVE is four tracks of the band experimenting with their sound while maintaining the guttural brutality that originally made Disentomb's mark when they exploded onto the worldwide scene in 2008. Vocalist Jord said the EP was an opportunity for fans to hear a more experimental side of Disentomb. "While we're hard at work writing Album IV, we wanted to put out some songs in between albums that show a more evolved sound that we have developed over the years. With the writing done by our bassist Adrian, you can hear the mix of brutality while also some more experimental elements."

Macht euch bereit für eine unvergessliche musikalische Reise, denn Polo & Pan melden sich 2025 mit der Veröffentlichung ihres mit Spannung erwarteten Albums '22:22' am 28. März zurück. '22:22', die magische Spiegelstunde, ist ein Symbol für Träume und erfüllte Wünsche und spiegelt das Universum des Duos wider, in dem alles möglich zu sein scheint.

First Terrace are thrilled to present the new album Lucid Dreams from the prolific Japanese artist Chihei Hatakeyama on January 23rd 2024.



Renowned ambient composer Chihei Hatakeyama is set to release his latest album, Lucid Dreams, an evocative sonic exploration that invites listeners to drift between the waking world and the dreamscape, to experience “dreams you are aware that you are dreaming”.



Known for his deep atmospheric textures and minimalist approach to sound, Hatakeyama’s new project expands on his signature style and with the help of collaborators Cucina Povera and LA based multi-instrumentalist Nailah Hunter charts new emotional territories.



Chihei expands on the concept of the album, sharing that “For the past two years or so, I have suffered from insomnia at times such as when the seasons change, and at those times all I can think about is wanting to sleep. However, when I'm in that state and I go through repeated light sleep, I can experience a state of "Lucid dreams" where I can't tell whether I'm dreaming or not, and am aware that I am dreaming. One aspect of this album is that it was inspired by that state of light sleep.”



“With that in mind, the theme of this album is the sense of time in a dream, situations that suddenly change unlike the flow of time in real life, surprises and nostalgia - I wanted to create an album that depicts those dream states.”



With a career spanning over two decades, Chihei Hatakeyama has gained an international following for his ability to consistently release music that enchants and rewards listeners. In Lucid Dreams, Hatakeyama continues to explore themes of nature, lucidity and calm, offering listeners an auditory escape from the hustle and noise of everyday life.



Tracks like “End of Summer” guide the listener blissfully through a five minute daydream, gently encouraged along by distant guitar strings on a bed of reverb whilst “Wind From The Mountains” (which features the beautiful work of Nailah Hunter) is the perfect example of what Chihei does so well with subtle movements that encourage your imagination & allow you to be lost in your own dream.

Hot Natured's last single 'Forward Motion' was the seductive summer anthem of 2011. Since then the founding members of Hot Natured, Jamie Jones and Lee Foss, have been joined by Ali Love and Luca C (from the duo Infinity Ink). The quartet has been locked away in writing sessions in Los Angeles, London and Ibiza, with an album planned for spring 2013.

South Londons’ indomitable Medlar delivers an ambitious new album

The long-time underground favourite has collaborated with the likes of Dele Sosimi, Rebekah Reid, Deevoenay, Finn Peters, Sam Virdie, Afla Sackey and Arnau Obiols on an album that finds him taking his production to new levels.
From roots playing illegal raves in the South West to building up a cultured catalogue that bounces between house and garage, Medlar has long been part of the underground conversation. He has dropped a previous album and many innovative remixes and edits for the likes of Billy Cobham and Shirley Lites, worked in the studio and on stage with Afro legend Dele Sosimi and most recently released an album under his own name that collected myriad different sonic sketches from the past 15 years.

Islands is an altogether different proposition that comes after establishing himself as a mix engineer and producer of other people's music. In that time, Medlar has honed his skills, learnt new tricks and grown more able to express himself in sound. The result is an album that explores a more electronic palette inspired by '80s fusion sounds whilst maintaining a loose, organic flow through his use of live instrumentation. “The idea for the LP was for a collection of music which could sit alone as club tracks, but would work equally well as part of a whole. The name Islands came from this, as there's some connecting ideas but the tracks sit independently in their own little sonic worlds. I took a lot of inspiration from early 80’s electronic music produced during early years of MIDI technology… proto house, jazz fusion, electronic disco and experimental ambient. I wanted to juxtapose some of these methods with more contemporary production and make something that's ultimately quite fun!” says Medlar of the record which could easily soundtrack a summer road trip.

Across 11 tracks, he blends old-school techniques like a fusion of live instruments, FM synthesis and MIDI triggered vocal samples with more contemporary touches such as punchy, club-friendly drums and dub inspired, speaker-wobbling low end. The result is less reliant on samples than his previous works and makes for a perfect blend of retro authenticity and future freshness.

Nach fast zwei Jahren meldet sich Okonski mit „Entrance Music“ zurück - ein Album, auf dem sich das Trio auf dem Höhepunkt seines improvisatorischen Könnens befindet und das Spontane und Meditative zelebriert. Nach dem Debüt „Magnolia“ von 2023 hat der Pianist und Bandleader Steve Okonski seine langjährigen musikalischen Mitstreiter (Durand Jones & The Indications-Bandkollege Aaron Frazer am Schlagzeug und Bassist Michael Isvara „Ish“ Montgomery) für eine weitere Session im Geiste von Künstlern wie The Bad Plus, Gerald Clayton und The Breathing Effect wieder zusammengebracht. Letztendlich ist „Entrance Music“ eine Einladung zu frühen Stunden, in denen die Songs in der Tür verweilen und ihre Anwesenheit ankündigen, bevor sie in die Luft zurückkehren, um sorgfältig in die nächste Runde zu treiben. „Entrance Music“ wurde in einer fünftägigen Session aufgenommen und war eines der ersten Alben, die in Portage Lounge, dem Studio von Terry Cole in Loveland, OH, auf Band gebannt wurden. „Es war ein neues Setup, aber mit Terry hinter den Reglern war es sehr vertraut“, sagt Okonski. „Ich kann nicht genug betonen, wie sehr sich Terry wie ein viertes Mitglied der Band fühlt, wegen des Raums, den er kuratiert, der Energie, die er einbringt, und den Produktionsideen.“ Die Energie und der Sound, die mit dem Colemine-Labelchef am Ruder entstanden sind, sorgen für ein Hörerlebnis, das sich mit den Katalogen von ECM oder Stones Throw messen kann. Während ein Großteil des Debüts auf seine Zeit in New York zurückgeht, fühlt sich „Entrance Music“ „ein bisschen weniger wie ‚auf den Straßen um 2 Uhr morgens‘ und ein bisschen mehr auf der Natur basierend an - ein bisschen mehr ätherisch“, sagt Okonski. „Es ist definitiv das Alter, die Umgebung und die Familie - all das kommt in der Musik durch.“

Obsession is THE DRIVER ERA’s explosive follow-up to 2022’s Summer Mixtape & sees the band’s artistry evolving in a dynamic, distinctive direction that solidifies themselves as a driving force in the alt-pop space. Clever, relatable lyricism backed by moody undertones and infectious grooves showcases the band’s pivot into more confessional songwriting and finding their sonic step.

Across the album’s 11 tracks, Obsession explores themes of love, longing, and loss through a uniquely captivating sonic profile rife with electric riffs, robust synths, and strong drums to create the most impressive release from THE DRIVER ERA to date.

The band, which consists of brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch, released their debut single ‘Preacher Man’ in 2018 and since then have amassed hundreds of millions of streams and a huge following with their signature sound and larger-than-life sold-out shows.

Obsession is THE DRIVER ERA’s explosive follow-up to 2022’s Summer Mixtape & sees the band’s artistry evolving in a dynamic, distinctive direction that solidifies themselves as a driving force in the alt-pop space. Clever, relatable lyricism backed by moody undertones and infectious grooves showcases the band’s pivot into more confessional songwriting and finding their sonic step.

Across the album’s 11 tracks, Obsession explores themes of love, longing, and loss through a uniquely captivating sonic profile rife with electric riffs, robust synths, and strong drums to create the most impressive release from THE DRIVER ERA to date.

The band, which consists of brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch, released their debut single ‘Preacher Man’ in 2018 and since then have amassed hundreds of millions of streams and a huge following with their signature sound and larger-than-life sold-out shows.

Die Vintage Sounds Vinyl-Reihe ist zurück mit einer neuen Ausgabe, die diesemal der kubanischen Musik gewidmet ist. Eine Auswahl mit 16 Tracks der größten klassischen kubanischen Songs. Darunter: COMPAY SEGUNDO, JOHNNY PACHECO Y SU CHARANGA, PÉREZ PRADO und viele mehr!

Mazy Fly, the second full-length by the Bay Area artist SPELLLING, explores the tension between the thrill of exploring the unknown and the terror of imminent destruction. Chrystia Cabral spent the summer of 2018 in her Berkeley studio reflecting on the thresholds of human progress and longing for a new and better tomorrow. She was struck by the way the same technologies that have given humans the ability to achieve utopian dreams of discovery have also brought the world to the precipice of dystopic global devastation. Despite the darkness of this reality, Mazy Fly is defiantly optimistic. It is a celestial voyage into the unknown, piloted by Cabral. Mazy Fly musically traverses the spaces between languid, honey-soaked vocals and distant angelic whispers, from thumping 808 club beats to crunching tape loops, and from silky, smooth R&B to whirling organ sonatas. Cabral became enamored by the idea of flight as a harbinger of both progress and apocalypse, and that was expressed in the textures and compositional techniques she utilized. Swarms, flocks, flies, angels, spaceships, flying saucers - all are represented sonically by Cabral and her Juno-106 synthesizer.

Sophie Löw alias SOPHIA BLENDA ist Multiinstrumentalistin, Songwriterin und Sängerin der Band CULK. Bereits auf ihrem ersten Soloalbum "Die Neue Heiterkeit" (2022) stemmte sich die Wienerin mit schwermütig am Klavier vertontem und poetisch betextetem Kammerpop gegen das lähmende Grundrauschen gesellschaftlicher Zwänge. Die Musik von SOPHIA BLENDA ist ein leiser, aber wirkungsvoller Protest. "DIE SUMME DER VEREINZELUNG" ist eine Anklage, und ein feministischer Weckruf. Wie viele Einzelfälle, fragt das neue Album von SOPHIA BLENDA, müssen es noch werden, damit sie begreifen, dass es keine Einzelfälle gibt. Der Albumtitel spricht Bände. Denn was ist die Summe aus den vielen einzelnen Geschichten, als ein gewaltsames System, das FLINTA* und queere Menschen ignoriert, diskriminiert und herabwürdigt. Trotzdem wird den Betroffenen oft gar nicht erst geglaubt oder wenn doch, keine Bedeutung beigemessen. "Dem will ich mein Album entgegenstellen", sagt SOPHIA BLENDA. "Es beschäftigt mich schon lange, dass weiblich gelesener und queerer Schmerz in unserer Gesellschaft so verharmlost wird. Ich will diese Geschichten erzählen, ohne irgendetwas kleinzureden. Hier wird nichts nebenbei oder am Rande verhandelt. Die Lieder geben den Geschichten den Stellenwert, den sie verdienen." Ihr Kampf als Musikerin ist ein Kampf gegen den Verlust der eigenen Geschichten, Gedanken und Gefühle im Sturm der Gegenwart. Und ein Gegenentwurf zur Vereinzelung, Vereinsamung und Isolation, die im mehrdeutigen Titel des neuen Albums schon mit angelegt ist. Entstehen tun die gesellschaftskritischen und unheilvoll drängenden Kompositionen alleine am Klavier zu Hause in Wien. Von dort aus wachsen die intim vorgetragenen Lieder zu etwas Kollektivem. Ganz im Sinne von: Zusammen sind wir weniger alleine. "DIE SUMME DER VEREINZELUNG" ist ein starkes Pop-Statement. Eine furchtlose Seelenverortung. Kritisch, suchend, fragend. Ein Mahnmal für das eigene Selbst. Oder um es mit einem Songtext SOPHIA BLENDAS zu sagen: "Ein Frühlingserwachen / Meine Mahnwache / Meine eigene Revolution / Ich bin nicht wie du mich willst" Sophie Löws Perspektiven, musikalisch wie inhaltlich, ob krachend-düster oder zart-dunkel, ob mit CULK oder durch SOPHIA BLENDA vorgetragen, sind nicht einfach zugänglich, aber von einer schmerzenden Wahrhaftigkeit, welche in uns nachwirken sollte.