Buscar:swan

Tours (France) -based post-psych and deep-shoegaze powerhouse Stuffed Foxes are set to release their third LP, Standardized, on December 6th, 2024, via Bristol’s Stolen Body Records and French labels Reverse Tapes and Figures Libres. Songs / Revolving and Songs / Motion Return, a discographic diptych released in 2022, established Stuffed Foxes as accomplished ambassadors of the French rock scene. True to its predecessors, Standardized was recorded live in the Rennes studio of producer and musician Thomas Poli (Laetitia Sheriff, Dominique A). Mastering was entrusted to Matt Colton (Spiritualized, Swans, Shame). Early on, the six members transformed their youthful camaraderie into an adventure, embracing communal living (sharing a leaky roof had to be an integral part of the ride) and diving into the underground with their label, Reverse Tapes, a source of endless exciting music. They also adopted a democratic approach to creation fueled by endless jams, with the sexted striving to compose together from the outset. It is from this collective spontaneity that the unique expression of their music is born: long, hypnotic tracks, swirling mists of noise, and moments of vocal urgency that should be experienced in person during their invariably cathartic and incendiary concerts. It is a band that strives to stay true to its ethos, its soul haunted but never enthralled by the ghosts of its musical ancestors and battered icons. Their influences create joyful chaos: the musical walls of noise of My Bloody Valentine, the No-Wave drones of Swans, the psychedelic vapours of Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Post-Shoegaze eclecticism of Six-By-Seven. Standardized opens with Biting the Dawn, a Noise elegy that builds with relentless intensity. Léo's recitative voice soars above a searing blend of saturated guitars and echo-drenched drums. Next, Merry Xmas unleashes sharp, incisive guitar riffs reminiscent of Gang of Four and Fugazi, only to surprise with a dramatic twist that builds to a breathtaking, soaring climax echoing the brilliance of Ride’s most epic moments. Rough Up emerges as a Velvet Underground-inspired ballad, built on two simple acoustic guitar chords and an organ, showcasing a more subdued and vulnerable side of the band. In contrast, Standardized plunges into a powerful trance, unleashing a massive, deliciously primal wall of saturation with raw, unfiltered intensity. With Standardized, Stuffed Foxes appear to have reached an aesthetic milestone, transcending the semantics of the genres that once defined them. They have ‘de-standardized’ their sound and embraced a sense of freedom, opening up to the possibilities of a wider creative spectrum. Stuffed Foxes - Pretend to Be a Dog (Gamelle) (Official Video)

Ex-Vöid - bestehend aus Lan McArdle (Joanna Gruesome, Lanny) und Owen Williams (The Tubs) - kehren mit ihrem zweiten Album zurück: "In Love Again" Zusammen mit Laurie Foster (Bass) und George Rothman (Schlagzeug) hat sich die Band von einer chaotischen Power-Punk-Gruppe zu einem vollwertigen Pop-Ungetüm entwickelt. Mit Elementen aus Shoegaze (Pinhead), Country (Outline), 90er-Jahre-Indie-Rock (In Love Again) und so ziemlich der gesamten Geschichte der Gitarrenmusik erweisen sich McArdle und Williams auf "In Love Again" als wahre Schüler des perfekten Pop.

Ex-Vöid - bestehend aus Lan McArdle (Joanna Gruesome, Lanny) und Owen Williams (The Tubs) - kehren mit ihrem zweiten Album zurück: "In Love Again" Zusammen mit Laurie Foster (Bass) und George Rothman (Schlagzeug) hat sich die Band von einer chaotischen Power-Punk-Gruppe zu einem vollwertigen Pop-Ungetüm entwickelt. Mit Elementen aus Shoegaze (Pinhead), Country (Outline), 90er-Jahre-Indie-Rock (In Love Again) und so ziemlich der gesamten Geschichte der Gitarrenmusik erweisen sich McArdle und Williams auf "In Love Again" als wahre Schüler des perfekten Pop.

Kaum eine deutsche Band hat es seit ihrer Gründung vor gut 30 Jahren geschafft, einen so einzigartigen musikalischen Kosmos zu erschaffen wie die deutsche Band Bohren & der Club Of Gore aus Mühlheim. Mit ihren düsteren Instrumentalstücken konnten sich Bohren in den letzten Jahren eine beinharte Fangemeinde erspielen, und namhafte Musiker wie Mike Patton (Faith No More), Ry-X, John Grant, Soap&Skin und Thor Harris (Swans) sind den zeitlosen Songs von Bohren längst verfallen.

Das wunderbar betitelte "Bohren For Beginners" versammelt alle Highlights des Bohren-Katalogs in teilweise neu abgemischten Versionen sowie einen neuen Song, so dass die vorliegende Werkschau als Einstiegsdroge sowohl für Newcomer als auch für eingefleischte Fans interessant ist. Da ein großer Teil des Bohren-Backkatalogs schon seit Jahren gelöscht ist, werden hier musikalische Schätze gehoben, die nichts von ihrer Qualität verloren haben und auch in 20 Jahren noch für Gänsehaut sorgen werden.

Bisher gab es das Album nur digital und als CD, am 10.02.2023 erscheint das Album jetzt auch als 3LP in einem schicken Tri-Gatefold.

Die französische Post-Punk- und Industrial-Metal-Band KILL THE THRILL macht bereits seit 1989 Musik. Im Laufe der Jahre gab es einige Besetzungswechsel, doch die Mitglieder Marylin Tognolli und Nicolas Dick haben seit der Gründung der Band immer wieder atmosphärische und düstere Klanglandschaften mit ergreifender Lyrik geschaffen.

Mit "Autophagie" tauchen KILL THE THRILL den Hörer einmal mehr in ein Reich der rauen, hypnotischen Kunst ein. Eine Kakophonie turbulenter, lärmiger Klanglandschaften schlängelt sich durch das Album, während Nicolas' hypnotische Gesangslinien eindringlich und in rasantem Tempo vorgetragen werden. Diese turbulente Reise wird von subtilen, aber entschlossenen rhythmischen Perkussionen getragen, die dem Hörer die Möglichkeit geben, diese turbulente Klanglandschaft mit einem Gefühl der Zielstrebigkeit zu durchqueren, selbst wenn die umgebenden Elemente die Sinne überschwemmen. Wenn man sich Autophagie" anhört, könnte man sich ein Szenario vorstellen, in dem Swans eine unverwechselbare Wendung genommen und ein Album mit düsteren, französischen Texten geschaffen haben.

RIYLs: Killing Joke, Jesu, Swans, Einstürzende Neubauten

Die französische Post-Punk- und Industrial-Metal-Band KILL THE THRILL macht bereits seit 1989 Musik. Im Laufe der Jahre gab es einige Besetzungswechsel, doch die Mitglieder Marylin Tognolli und Nicolas Dick haben seit der Gründung der Band immer wieder atmosphärische und düstere Klanglandschaften mit ergreifender Lyrik geschaffen.

Mit "Autophagie" tauchen KILL THE THRILL den Hörer einmal mehr in ein Reich der rauen, hypnotischen Kunst ein. Eine Kakophonie turbulenter, lärmiger Klanglandschaften schlängelt sich durch das Album, während Nicolas' hypnotische Gesangslinien eindringlich und in rasantem Tempo vorgetragen werden. Diese turbulente Reise wird von subtilen, aber entschlossenen rhythmischen Perkussionen getragen, die dem Hörer die Möglichkeit geben, diese turbulente Klanglandschaft mit einem Gefühl der Zielstrebigkeit zu durchqueren, selbst wenn die umgebenden Elemente die Sinne überschwemmen. Wenn man sich Autophagie" anhört, könnte man sich ein Szenario vorstellen, in dem Swans eine unverwechselbare Wendung genommen und ein Album mit düsteren, französischen Texten geschaffen haben.

RIYLs: Killing Joke, Jesu, Swans, Einstürzende Neubauten

Musikalisch gesehen ist „Shadowreaper“ der logische Nachfolger von „The Black Stream“ und legt direkt mit ‚Into The Evergrey‘ los, das mit
geschmackvollen Akustikgitarren beginnt, um dann in ein treibendes Monster überzugehen. Das folgende ‚The Horrors Of Endlessness‘ wirkt wie eine
unerbittliche Warnung vor der Idee der Ewigkeit. Während NIGHT IN GALES das Tempo insgesamt recht weit oben halten, schaffen sie es auch, den
Fuß vom Gaspedal zu nehmen, um z.B. in ‚The Nihilist Delta‘ sanfte Momente durch all die anhaltende Dunkelheit hindurchscheinen zu lassen.
Während ‚Spirals‘ einen unwiderstehlichen Groove erzeugt, ist es ‚Sculptures And Defleshed‘, welches alle Stärken der Band in perfekter Manier
bündelt. Das abschließende ‚Walk Of Infinity‘ lässt den Hörer in völliger Dunkelheit zurück - kein Licht in Sicht.
Und doch sind bei „Shadowreaper“ einige Dinge anders. Nachdem sie vier Alben in Folge mit Dan Swanö gemacht haben, wurde die Produktion dieses
Mal Fredrik Nordström anvertraut, dem Mann, der in den Neunzigern in seinem berüchtigten Studio Fredman die großen prägenden Klassiker des
Genres geschaffen hat: „Slaughter Of The Soul“ (AT THE GATES), „The Jester Race“, „Whoracle“ (IN FLAMES) und natürlich „The Gallery“ (DARK
TRANQUILLITY). Das Endergebnis klingt für NIGHT IN GALE-Verhältnisse extrem brachial sowie ungeschliffen und vermittelt das so sehr begehrte
‚Live-Feeling‘. Es ist fast so, als würde man die Tür zum Proberaum oder zur Konzerthalle öffnen und sich direkt dem Geschehen und der riesigen
Soundwand aussetzen.
TERRITORY: Deutschland, Österreich, Belgien, Schweiz, Tschechische Republik, Frankreich, England, Italien, Irland, Niederlande, Polen

Released in October 1974, Fear is an incredibly important in the 50+ year career of John Cale - This re-issue faithfully replicates the original 1974 Island Records UK release and is pressed onto high quality 180g vinyl.Fear marked Cale's return to recording in London after the best part of a decade in America. Signing to Island, he made fast friends with two key admirers, Phil Manzanera and Brian Eno, who assisted him in returning his music to the rawer sound of his earlier work, as opposed to the lush textures of his previous studio album, Paris 1919. The tense, clipped "Fear Is A Man's Best Friend" harks back to the work of the Velvet Underground, as does the standout, "Gun", eight minutes of overdriven bleakness with Eno duelling with Cale's guitar solo on synthesisers. Much is rightly made of these tracks, but there is also the sweetness of the gospel of "Buffalo Ballet" and the Beach Boys homage "The Man Who Couldn't Afford To Orgy". The pretty, semi-autobiographical "Ship Of Fools" offers listeners an opportunity to hear Cale reference the South Wales city of Swansea, its seaside suburb, Mumbles and his home village of Garnant. In its often-skeletal simplicity, the often triumphant Fear is an album that brought an angular aggression with it.

This band, and this album, function as critical missing links that takes one from The Fall to Yard Act, from Television and The Minutemen to Parquet Courts and Sleaford Mods, from punk as a sound to punk purely as an ethos. While any Van Pelt album is a stand alone album, the unique approach they take begs one to enter their world and dig deep in.

RELATED TO: The Lapse, Native Nod, St Vincent, Blonde Redhead, Enon, Jets to Brazil, Vague Angels, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, American Football, Texas is the Reason.

‘The lines between post-hardcore, indie rock, and emo blurred on the two mid-’90s full-lengths from the Van Pelt.’ Pitchfork

‘New York City’s The Van Pelt are an influential, but too often overlooked indie rock band -- cult favorites for many an emo-inclined crate digger.’ Consequence of Sound

‘...should be mentioned a lot more than they are when you talk about the history of emo.’
Washed Up Emo

Back in the day there was this thing called an A&R guy. They would hang out at small venues looking to throw money at the next big thing. In the early 90s, everyone was looking for the next Nirvana of course. NYC's The Van Pelt had just released an album of anthems called "Stealing From Our Favorite Thieves" that seemed to be just that. The only thing is, they didn't want to sign. Legend has it $2 million was turned down over pierogies and coffee one Monday morning because The Van Pelt didn't want to risk crashing and burning. Instead, they were gunning for a long and stable stride even if that meant they would largely remain out of the public's eye forever.

Lack of willingness to play the game didn't mean people weren't waiting with baited breath for their follow up album though. In 1997 The Van Pelt released "Sultans of Sentiment", an album nearly devoid of the anthems and licks people were expecting. In fact, it's a complete bummer of an album that subjects the listener to the point on life's curve where the hubris of youth gives way to a cresting crashing defeat no kid with heart could ever have seen coming. Seeing as humanity are sick fuckers who revel in the misery of both themselves and others, the popularity of Sultans grew and grew and continues to win new loyal fans even today. It's for this classic album The Van Pelt has never fallen off the radar.

That being said, their swan song "The Speeding Train" was recorded while they were working on their third album. In any other age, in any other way, this song would have been a hit. The Van Pelt broke up mid-recording, released Speeding Train as a single, and the rest of the songs from that session didn't see the light of day until they were released in 2014 as the "Imaginary Third" lp.

Why are we here talking about them today in 2023? Because in preparation for the release of "Imaginary Third" The Van Pelt started playing some reunion shows. Soundchecks revealed to them that this band has a voice that was prematurely muted by their inability to see clearly in the thick of it. Returning to explore just what that is 25 years later has led to this first collection of 9 songs, "Artisans & Merchants". This is not a reunion album. This is vindication for that decision made over pierogies and coffee decades ago. The Van Pelt is a band in it for the long haul, free from whatever trappings the mayflies of trends and markets may bring.

For lovers of The Van Pelt, listening to "Artisans & Merchants" is like hearing the voice of a dear friend you haven't seen in years, a friend you used to share countless beers with over banter that went nowhere other than delivering a solid night. Your friend is older, they've changed. In some ways you're worried for them, looks like they might be teetering on the brink of something. In other ways it's the same old them, a nugget of a soul too unique to ever be altered. It's for those unfamiliar with The Van Pelt though for whom we should be truly jealous. This is a stand alone album, incredible vital song writing in and of itself regardless of the long history this band has. The climax of the single "Image of Health" perhaps describes the beautiful desperation best: "And you never felt more alive / Than when the priest came to read you your rites!"

Erupt returns with another explosive release in the "Unrest Hazard" series, bringing together a diverse lineup of artists to showcase the best of hardcore, jungle, and drum n bass. Wild Swan, formerly Ugly Duckling, teams up with Mr Dan Master for the frenzied track "*int," while Kool FM regulars Subbreak, D-Region, and Code deliver a pounding remix of "Industry Plant." DJ Terrace and Jon Tetly contribute hardcore jungle tracks "Doing Battle" and "I Get Stu Pid," adding to the record's intensity.

Schoco also makes a return with "Love Is The Answer," a track previously championed by Dead Man's Chest on SWU.FM, now finally getting its vinyl debut. For collectors, the vinyl release includes the exclusive track "Doing Battle." Survive the eruption and make your way to Amsterdam to secure a copy of this must-have release.

Next from the label that brought you "You Time", "Unrest Hazard 1" and "First Sign of Trouble" is a sizzling 5 track slice of 12" from renowned DJs and producers who get the crowd jumpin and pumpin, Deejay Atlas and K Super. The pair are known for an impressive back-catalogue of tracks the last few years on Ruff Cutz, SweetBox, Parallax and more, as well as for running the Certain Sounds label and parties in Manchester, UK.

This one takes a look at the less glamorous side of northern England's rave scene, the goings on under a dark night sky at a free party in a field somewhere near Manchester. Illustrated through tunes that possess the brooding spirit of 1993 and 1994 jungle and ferocious vocals, albeit as always when it comes to Erupt, with a modern twist for the 2020s that tells a story of the here and now.

Also featuring appearances from Buda and Wild Swan, as well as an EXCLUSIVE fifth track that you won't find on any digital releases of this EP!

Rough Trade Shops präsentiert mit "Behind The Counter with Ian Rankin" den zweiten Teil einer Reihe, in der Künstler eingeladen werden, die Musik zusammenzustellen, die sie am meisten beeinflusst hat. Der schottische Autor und Musikfanatiker Ian Rankin folgt auf den Komponisten Max Richter, der 2017 die erste Ausgabe kuratierte. Als langjähriger Vinylenthusiast gehören in Rankins Auswahl auch Songs, die als Titel seiner Bestsellerromane dienten, wie etwa Jackie Levens "Another Man's Rain" (aus dem "Another Man's Grave" wurde) und "The Hanging Garden" von The Cure. Beide Doppelformate enthalten je 23 Tracks mit Begleittexten.

- "Ich treibe mich immer noch in Plattenläden herum und lege Vinyl auf, und ich erstelle immer noch Playlisten, für den Fall, dass sich die Gelegenheit ergibt, hinter der Ladentheke zu arbeiten", sagt Rankin. "Hier ist ein Teil dessen, was Sie hören würden, wenn Sie die Tür aufstoßen und in mein Kaufhaus kämen, Tracks, die ich mir immer wieder gerne anhöre."

Maximum Violenceis Americandeath metalbandSix Feet Under's 3rd studio album. Thealbum goes back toChris Barnes' roots inCannibal Corpsewith violent themes/lyrics. Itwas also the first Six Feet Under album to featureSteve Swansonon guitars.

, INCANTATION,
Vier Jahre und zahllose Gigs später sind wir stolz, den Nachfolger des viel gelobten „Where Paths Divide“ aus dem Jahr 2020 der schwedischen
Old-School-Death-Metal-Legende TOXAEMIA zu präsentieren. Und zu sagen, dass „Rejected Souls of Kerberus“ ihr zweites und bisher gelungenstes
Studioalbum ist, wäre eine große Untertreibung. Für das Mixing und Mastering des Albums arbeitete der Fünfer erneut mit Dan Swanö zusammen, da
sowohl die Band als auch die Fans mit der Arbeit, die er bei Toxaemias letztem Album geleistet hat, äußerst zufrieden waren. Außerdem haben die
Schweden diesmal, wie schon beim letzten Mal, zwei Songs aus den Archiven ihrer alten Demos geholt: „Beyond the Realm“ und ‚Tragedies Through
Centuries‘. Auch ein Coversong ist zum ersten Mal auf einem Toxaemia-Album vertreten: Dismember und ihr „I Saw Them Die“. Das Ergebnis: ein
reiner schwedischer Death-Metal-Bastard. Kein Wortspiel beabsichtigt. Obwohl Toxaemia sich für einen moderneren Sound als auf dem letzten
Album entschieden haben, ist die Platte insgesamt härter ausgefallen. Die Band wollte auch sicherstellen, dass sie viel Abwechslung in das Album
bringt, um ihm die nötige Würze zu verleihen, um „Where Paths Divide“ zu übertreffen. Darüber hinaus wurde Freund und Gründungsmitglied Emil
Norrman zurück ans Schlagzeug geholt, um seinen eigenen, einzigartigen und sehr kernigen Toxaemia-Sound in den Mix einzubringen und „Rejected
Souls Of Kerberus“ zu einem Endergebnis zu machen, das jeden Fan von Death Metal begeistern wird.

, INCANTATION,
Vier Jahre und zahllose Gigs später sind wir stolz, den Nachfolger des viel gelobten „Where Paths Divide“ aus dem Jahr 2020 der schwedischen
Old-School-Death-Metal-Legende TOXAEMIA zu präsentieren. Und zu sagen, dass „Rejected Souls of Kerberus“ ihr zweites und bisher gelungenstes
Studioalbum ist, wäre eine große Untertreibung. Für das Mixing und Mastering des Albums arbeitete der Fünfer erneut mit Dan Swanö zusammen, da
sowohl die Band als auch die Fans mit der Arbeit, die er bei Toxaemias letztem Album geleistet hat, äußerst zufrieden waren. Außerdem haben die
Schweden diesmal, wie schon beim letzten Mal, zwei Songs aus den Archiven ihrer alten Demos geholt: „Beyond the Realm“ und ‚Tragedies Through
Centuries‘. Auch ein Coversong ist zum ersten Mal auf einem Toxaemia-Album vertreten: Dismember und ihr „I Saw Them Die“. Das Ergebnis: ein
reiner schwedischer Death-Metal-Bastard. Kein Wortspiel beabsichtigt. Obwohl Toxaemia sich für einen moderneren Sound als auf dem letzten
Album entschieden haben, ist die Platte insgesamt härter ausgefallen. Die Band wollte auch sicherstellen, dass sie viel Abwechslung in das Album
bringt, um ihm die nötige Würze zu verleihen, um „Where Paths Divide“ zu übertreffen. Darüber hinaus wurde Freund und Gründungsmitglied Emil
Norrman zurück ans Schlagzeug geholt, um seinen eigenen, einzigartigen und sehr kernigen Toxaemia-Sound in den Mix einzubringen und „Rejected
Souls Of Kerberus“ zu einem Endergebnis zu machen, das jeden Fan von Death Metal begeistern wird.

Red Laser continue their prolific purple patch, unpacking four more slabs of red lit Manctolo from a host of box jammers, old and new.

Frank Butters wastes no time at all, 'The Call Of The Wild' engaging photon tubes with a highly kinetic array of crystalline synth shards, thunderous bass and hyperactive sfx. Without geeking out too much, special mention has to go out to the synthesis on display here - Butters advancing up the levels of sonic shamanism as he conjures up never-before-heard patches of interstellar cosmic NRG...

Bob Swans' 'Bodyform4U' unites the robots with a universal message of togetherness. Its multiple layers of shuddering arpeggios and star-aligned synths working in unison to quell any fears and send us off into a space age utopia. One that'll work as well soundtracking the end of the session as it will as the dancefloor's filling up; its subtle anthemic qualities sure to rouse the spirits of even the most dehumanized cyborgs.

New signing Lone Saxon drops 'Hypersleep' which utilises rich piano chords and a hefty breakbeat, switching up the vibe but keeping things super uplifting. This one reminds us of that innocent period when you could get on the megabus for 50p and score three for a tenner on the dancefloor. An evocative vocal refrain adds a moment of thoughtful introspection in between the e-rushes and arm-raising for another moment of interactive harmony.

Finally, 'Webo' sees Franz Scala (with a little help from Il Bosco) return to source, delivering a bona fide slice of maximum balls out MANCTALO chug. With tension-wrought chord progressions, delicious layers of lead melodies and a soaring vocal, there's few that can resist the charms of this late night electro-disco hyper anthem.

All aboard the starship !

RL x

Auf den Monat genau 30 Jahre nach Bandgründung legen uns
die deutschen Melodic/Celtic Death Metaller von SUIDAKRA
ihr 15. Studioalbum vor! Musikalisch besinnt sich die Band mit
den vorliegenden 11 Tracks augenscheinlich auf ihre
Anfangsjahre, denn zweifellos wird DarkanakraD von
melodischen Death Metal Anteilen dominiert, vollzieht dabei
aber gleichzeitig auch eine Weiterentwicklung. Das Album,
dessen Titel übersetzt soviel wie „Armageddon“ bedeutet,
klingt so frisch und kraftvoll als wäre die Band einem
Jungbrunnen entsprungen und schließt die „Realms Of Odoric
“ Trilogie, die 2016 mit dem gleichnamigen Album begann,
ab.
Auch andere Kreise schließen sich, denn die 11 Songs,
erstmals selbst im eigenen GHA Studio in Würzburg von
Mastermind Arkadius aufgenommen, gemixt und gemastert,
wurden von Death Metal Legende Dan Swanö gemastert.
Damit erfüllte sich für Arkadius so etwas wie ein Traum, denn
Edge Of Sanity hatten in der Anfangsphase Suidakras einen
prägenden Anteil an der musikalisch-melodischen Ausrichtung

Die finnische Modern Metal-Band ARCTIS veröffentlicht ihr selbstbetiteltes Debütalbum Arctis über Napalm Records.
ARCTIS ziehen Inspiration aus der mythischen Natur des Nordens und ihren extremen Jahreszeiten, die sie in futuristisches Szenario übertragen. Einen
ebenso großen Spagat machen sie auf der Soundebene, wenn sie Modern Metal gekonnt mit Pop kombinieren und so ein episches und originelles
Klanguniversum erzeugen. Produziert wurde das Debüt von dem mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichneten Jimmy Westerlund (Sturm und Drang), gemixt
von Stefan Glaumann (Rammstein) und gemastert von dem zweimal Grammy-nominierten Svante Forsbäck (Rammstein).
Mit dieser geballten Expertise als Rückenwind verspricht Arctis die Szene mit frischem Wind aufzuwirbeln, was sie unmittelbar im Anschluss an die
Veröffentlichung auf den Bühnen Europas beweisen werden. Denn ARCTIS haben die Ehre die legendären Metal Cellisten von Apocalyptica auf ihrer
Tour zu begleiten, was ihren Status als Senkrechtstarter unterstreicht.

Red Laser gets on a kinky tip, where poppers are currency and salacious activities mandatory as label chief Il Bosco grabs us by the nethers and heads for 'The Darkroom EP'.

Inspired by amyl-soaked tales of Euro basement sex club debauchery, and steadily edging its way to a never-ending climax, the EP is a highly charged exercise in x-rated synth-jizz and erotic Manctalo that'll have you quickly believing you're surrounded by massive pulsating dicks on a cocktail of GHB and Mkat.
Maintaining a persistent throb throughout, the EP has us reaching blindly through clouds of pink saturated club smoke, unsure of what our sweat-soaked hands will grasp on to.

Two remixes alongside three originals. Fabrizio Mammarella has the blood rushing to our head quicker than a whiff of Rush Black Label* on his mix of 'Notio Botherdini'. Adding extra acid for a trippier sexperience and urging willing participants to "close your eyes" as he achieves maximum thrust.

Meanwhile local Stretford poppers enthusiast** Bob Swans also has a fumble in the shadows, remixing 'Dark Room' with late late late on in the session in mind - a time of carnal lucidity and primal urges that'd make even Michael Barrymore's peculiar desires look vanilla. It's a sparse and special redux, fluffing us with that latexy bassline and never-ended sfx trails until we're quite literally cumming in your ears.
Apologies, that probably was a bit graphic.

*Poppers brand highly endorsed by Red Laser contributor Count Van Delicious

**Red Laser only hypothesizes to said producer’s poppers usage.

Anna McClellan's childhood summers were spent in front of the TV, cementing a love of narrative that would later reveal itself through songwriting. By seventeen, Anna was performing original songs in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Her debut album, Fire Flames, garnered attention and earned her an opening slot on a Frankie Cosmos tour, setting the stage for her subsequently adored albums, 2018's Yes and No and / saw first light, released in late 2020. Now, with her forthcoming fourth album Electric Bouquet, out October 25, 2024 via Father/Daughter Records, McClellan crafts a musical journey that unfolds like one of her cherished television series. Each track is an episode, chronicling the past four years of her life - navigating a career change, a cross-country move, and relationships gone sour. Electric Bouquet is a narrative tour de force showcasing McClellan's remarkable ability to transform life's myriad of messy experiences into captivating musical stories. While writing the album, Anna attended trade school, apprenticing to become an electrician to escape the service industry grind and secure a foundational career alongside music. Eager to break free from Omaha, she decided to take her newfound electrical skills to pursue a career in the film industry in Los Angeles, CA where she's now based. Recorded in multiple sessions in Baltimore, MD and Omaha and co-produced with long-time collaborator Ryan McKeever and Another Recording Company Studios engineer Adam Roberts, Electric Bouquet shifts seamlessly between piano-driven melodies and guitar-anchored anthems, each song a miniature universe slowly opening unto itself.

"Cerulean Blue vinyl limited to 700 units! On her second full-length record as Waxahatchee, former P.S. Eliot singer Katie Crutchfield’s compelling hyper-personal poetry is continuously crushing. Cerulean Salt follows American Weekend -- a collection of minimal acoustic-guitar pop written and recorded in a week at her family’s Birmingham home. On this new record, Crutchfield’s songs continue to be marked by her sharp, hooky songwriting; her striking voice and lyrics that simultaneously seem hyper-personal yet relentlessly relatable, teetering between endearingly nostalgic and depressingly dark. But whereas before the thematic focus of her songcraft was on break ups and passive-aggressive crushing, this record reflects on her family and Alabama upbringing. Whereas American Weekend was mostly just Crutchfield and her guitar, Cerulean Salt is occasionally amped up, with a full band and higher-fi production.

At times, Cerulean Salt creeps closer to the sound of PS Eliot: moody, 90s-inspired rock backed by Keith Spencer and Swearin’ guitarist Kyle Gilbride on drums and bass. The full band means fleshed-out fuzzy lead guitars on “Coast to Coast”, its poppy hook almost masking its dark lyrics. Big distorted guitars and deep steady drums mark songs like “Misery over Dispute” and “Waiting”.

There’s plenty of American Weekend‘s introspection and minimalism to be found, though. “Blue Pt. II” is stripped down, Crutchfield and her sister Alison singing in harmony with deadpan vox. She’s still an open booking, musing on self-doubt versus self-reliance, transience versus permanence. “Peace and Quiet” ebbs and flows from moody, minimal verses to a sing-song chorus. “Swan Dive” tackles nostalgia, transience, indifference, regret — over the a minimal strum of an electric-guitar, the picking at a chirpy riff and the double-time tapping of a muted drum. The album closes with a haunting acoustic-guitar reflection on “You’re Damaged,” possibly the best Waxahatchee song to date."

Hank Dogs – Andy Allan, his partner Piano and Lily, Andy’s daughter from a previous relationship - started out at folk clubs in London in the early 1990s before going worldwide in 1998 when legendary producer and late 60s Folk Rock guru, Joe Boyd declared them the first British act he'd loved in 30 years. Their debut album ‘Bareback’ saw them touring the US with Joan Baez and winning fans with their quiet, haunting sound featuring ethereal vocal harmonies, strong traces of blues and Celtic music and Allan’s fluid acoustic finger-picking recalling UK folk guitarists such as John Renbourn. Another part of their appeal, particularly in the States, was their ‘Carter Family’ image but then, when Andy and Piano split-up in real life, so did the band. A follow up album ‘Half Smile’ appeared in 2002 but this turned out to be their swansong. However, the story was not quite over yet.. a third unreleased album ‘Fiveways’ had been recorded before they went their separate ways and now it’s finally seeing the light of day on South London label Scratchy Records, plus the band are re-uniting for some long overdue gigs to celebrate the release. ‘Fiveways’ contains much of the Hank Dogs’ trademark English folk/US country-straddling sound. Piano’s voice bounces between early Suzanne Vega, Tracey Thorn and Mary Margaret O’Hara with occasional hints of Dolores Cranberry and Bridget St. John, while underneath the acoustic guitars run freeform tangled and Lily’s backing vocals add sky. Stand out track ‘Logic’ with its pensive lyrics and haunting guitar line recalls the way Suzanne Vega (her again) could sometimes make songs stand still in their tracks but it’s the dreamy ‘Nut’ that really captures the mood “You had me when I was sweet as a nut.. Not sweet enough” sings Piano. This is the sound of two ex-lovers still able to work together but unable to hide the odd dig here and there.. like a follow up album a couple of years later on from ‘Blood On The Tracks’. Andy sings a few songs too including the raggedy, swashbuckling ‘Gazetteer’ revolving around a ‘Pre-CBS Maple neck Sunburst bought off The Pretty Things’ and hinting at a whole lifetime of music biz escapades from watching his dad Elkan Allan produce 60s TV show ‘Ready Steady Go’ to a stint on bass in The Professionals along with Steve Jones and Paul Cook. Next year the story carries on with his long-running South East London ‘Easycome’ club night featuring in US TV queen Lena Dunham’s new Netflix series ‘Too Much’. Towards the end of the album an angelic setting of Dylan Thomas’s ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’ in the song ‘Nod’ recalls Christmas TOTP number ones from days gone by and captures Hank Dogs ability to transport the listener. This album is definitely one for the dreamers. FFO Pentangle, The Innocence Mission and William Blake

Opaque Mango Colored Vinyl. RIYL: Black Milk, Kendrick Lamar, Kamasi Washington, Mos Def, Blood Orange, Milo, Pharcyde, Blackalicious, Anderson Paak. Richmond, Virginia-based artist McKinley Dixon has always used his music as a tool for healing, exploring, and unpacking the Black experience in order to create stories for others like him. For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her, Dixon's debut album on Spacebomb, is the culmination of a journey where heartbreak and introspection challenged him to adapt new ways of communicating physically and mentally, as well as across time and space. The language accessibility aspect of this project draws right back to communication and connecting," Dixon explains. "I think about the messaging, and how this can be a way for another Black person, someone who looks like me, to listen to this and process the past. Everything I've learned about communication for this album culminates with this bigger question about time. Is time linear when you're still healing and processing? Westerners look at time travel as something to conquer or control - it's a colonizer mindset. That's ignoring how time travel can be done through stories and non-verbal communication, and doesn't acknowledge how close indigenous people are to the land and the connections groups have because they've existed somewhere for so long. Storytelling is time travel, it's taking the listener to that place. Quick time travel. Magic." Never relying solely on beats, Dixon taps into a hybrid of jazz and rap, pulling in an array of piercing strings, soulful horns, percussion, and angelic vocalists throughout the album-plus features by Micah James, Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon, Pink Siifu, and more. Jazz instrumentals add a level of uncertainty, with the sounds and shifts evoking a lot of emotion and vulnerability. It's an energy he describes as "Pre-Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly," the era when rap adopted more live instrumentation. The best way to sum up this album is: I was sad, I was mad, and now I'm alive," Dixon explains. "These things I talk about on the record have had harmful and brilliant effects on my timeline, and have forced me to be cognizant of the fact that living is complex. Rap has allowed me the language to communicate, and be someone who can communicate with people from all over. Knowing how far I've come, I think people will find trust in the message I'm sending."

2024 Repress

Medical Records releases the first full length LP in 5 years by LA's Geneva Jacuzzi. To say Jacuzzi is a multifaceted artist would be an understatement. She is well known for her uncompromisingly obtuse synth-driven pop and one-of-a-kind performance art that is comprised of one time only spectacles and installations. Her works have been presented in famous art institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, MOCA and numerous other venues across the globe. She has developed a very focused cult following in the art AND music scenes. She was originally well known for her multitude of self-released home recordings but also released a full length Lamaze in 2010 on the Vinyl International to much acclaim. Not to mention her track The Sleep Room featured on The Minimal Wave Tapes Vol 2. Technophelia is the culmination of a hybrid of DIY and professional studio recordings (with the help of esteemed producer Chris Coady) that resulted in this exquisite album. Features the soon-to-be-hits I'm A TV and Cannibal Babies. Lovers of unique and left-field wave such as Gina X, Ronny, and the like will be transfixed by the raw, oozing newness of it all. All tracks recorded/performed by Geneva Jacuzzi with additional production by Chris Coady at Sunset Sound Studios. Mastered by Josh Bonati. Presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight white vinyl.

Back in print! Dead Moon's final album remastered with VERY radically improved sound and reissued here for the first time ever. 'Dead Ahead' is filled with all time great rockers and ballads. Some of the legendary band's heaviest work. The world's greatest rock band's swan song is not wasted - dark corridors are explored and conquered. Remastered from the original tapes with amazing new dynamics and the murk reduced to the noise layer it was meant to be.

Zur Feier seines 10-jährigen Jubiläums veröffentlicht der in Island lebende australische Komponist Ben Frost auf Mute eine limitierte rote Vinyl-Edition seines Studioalbums 'A U R O R A'.

Die limitierte Vinyl-Edition enthält ein alternatives Artwork und einen exklusiven Download seines mitreißenden Live-Auftritts von 2014 im Berliner Berghain.

'A U R O R A', das in den vergangenen Jahren nichts von seiner eindringlichen Kraft eingebüßt hat, wurde von allen Seiten gelobt und stand auf den Listen der Alben des Jahres von NPR, Rolling Stone, Clash, Crack, FACT, Stereogum und anderen.

Das von Frost zusammen mit Greg Fox (ex-Liturgy), Shahzad Ismaily und Thor Harris (ex-Swans) eingespielte und größtenteils im Osten der DR Kongo geschriebene Album verzichtet gänzlich auf Gitarre, Klavier, Streichinstrumente und natürliche hölzerne Intimität und bietet eine trotzige synthetische Welt aus wild geformten Klängen und galaktischen Interferenzen, stampfenden Fellen und reinem Metall.

Frost ist bekannt für seine bahnbrechenden Beiträge zu Komposition, Produktion, Klangkunst und Regie in den letzten 15 Jahren. Dazu gehören Soundtracks für Film- und Fernsehserien wie Fortitude, Raised by Wolves und die Netflix-Serien Dark und 1899 sowie Opernkreationen wie The Wasp Factory und The Murder of Halit Yozgat (die am Royal Opera House in London und an der Staatsoper Hannover aufgeführt wurden). Im Jahr 2024 veröffentlichte er sein erstes Studioalbum seit sechs Jahren mit dem Titel 'Scope Neglect', ein experimentelles, genreveränderndes Album, das aus Frosts Bewunderung für den Metal geschmiedet wurde, wobei er sich bewusst von dessen konventionellen Attributen entfernte.

Austin, TX legends, The Sword, welcome in the Twelfth vinyl release in the Live at LEVITATION series. On June 27, 2024, the band announced they would reunite for a one-off concert on November 3 at the 2024 edition of LEVITATION in Austin. In celebration of this reunion, we pulled from the archive and this limited live release showcases the bands appearance at the festival with their 2015 and 2021 performances. These recordings are now immortalized on beautiful limited colored vinyl. "With the band originating in the great city of Austin, a city that's proven to be a nucleus for a wide range of distinct and eclectic musical acts, it only felt natural to be included on the Levitation roster in 2015 and again in 2021, adding our own flavor to its diverse landscape. What an honor it has been to be included at such a cool festival. We've had two memorable sets so far, playing alongside some truly amazing bands. When we began entertaining the thought of returning to the stage after a two year hiatus, playing a reunion set at Levitation became the only appropriate solution, to play in front of the fans in Austin Texas, where it all began. We're very excited! Being asked to be part of the "Live at Levitation" LP series is also a great honor. The tracks we selected from each performance, at Carson Creek Ranch and Empire Garage, captured a special energy and enthusiasm that only Levitation could provide. It truly means a lot to share these memories with everyone and be included in this series!" - The Sword LEVITATION and the LIVE AT LEVITATION Vinyl Series The first Austin Psych Fest was held in March 2008, and expanded to a 3 day event the following year. The event quickly developed into an international destination for psychedelic rock fans, with lineups spanning the fringes of indie rock, from up-and-comers to vintage legends, and capped off with headline performances from co-founders The Black Angels, along with Tame Impala, The Flaming Lips, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Thee Oh Sees (in various forms) and many more. LEVITATION helped spark a movement, inspiring the creation of similar events across the globe and a burgeoning psych scene that would soon ignite. The series captures key moments in psychedelic rock history, and live music in Austin, Texas, pressed on beautiful limited edition colorful vinyl pressings - each an eye popping visual representation of the music contained within. The artists and sets showcased on Live at LEVITATION have been chosen from over a decade of recordings at the world-renowned event, and document key artists in the scene performing for a crowd of their peers and fans who gather at LEVITATION annually from all over the world.

Dame Area's highly anticipated fourth studio album, "Toda la verdad sobre Dame Area" ("The Whole Truth about Dame Area"), a collaboration with the renowned labels Mannequin Records and Humo Records.

Formed in 2017 within the vibrant underground scene of Barcelona's Màgia Roja club, Dame Area comprises the Italian-Catalan duo Silvia Konstance and Viktor Lux Crux. They fuse industrial-tribal polyrhythms with minimalist synth basslines, drawing profound inspiration from avant-garde masters such as Esplendor Geometrico, Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, Einstürzende Neubauten, Can, Coil, Swans, Big Black, and Wolf Eyes.

This record represents a new phase in Dame Area's discography. It's a big step up in terms of sound, composition and ideas. This record it's the perfect representation of what they have been playing live the last three years and what most people know them for. Also it serves as a companion piece to 2022’s Toda la mentira sobre Dame Area ("All The Lies About Dame Area"), which had a stronger focus on melody, while this latest record is more aggressive and industrial-influenced, with a greater emphasis on percussion.

Tracks like the Suicide-influenced "Si no es hoy cuando es" and "Sempre Cambiare" are an onslaught of industrialism and experimentalism—formidable, volatile, and unpredictable avant-garde subversion. Silvia explains, "One of our biggest influences is doing what our influences wouldn't do. We're more into dynamics and structures atypical of electronic music, with changes in time signatures, starts and stops, and dynamics more typical of rock music. We use any musical idea from any genre. Some songs on the album are based on flamenco rhythms, others influenced by '60s experimental pop, heavy metal, or contemporary electronic music."

The confrontational "Vengo dall'aldilà" accelerates with heavy percussion, while "Tu me hiciste creer" builds into a rhythmic, transcendent noise of yelled vocals and hypnotic beats. Viktor adds, "This song took us more time to complete than any other we have recorded. It was a very organic process, evolving slowly from some instrumental percussive stuff we were doing live. Then we started using feedback as a rhythmic element (through a metallic sheet), and this was the first song where we incorporated this element, typical of noise-rock and experimental rock."

Elsewhere, "Esto Es Nuestro Ruido" represents a manic, eclectic form of contemporary industrial music, post-punk, and EBM. Silvia notes, "It's the first album we recorded outside a studio. Although we've been playing live with metallic percussion and floor tom from the very start, in the studio, with some exceptions, it was mostly sample-based until now. On Toda la verdad sobre Dame Area, all drums and almost all metallic percussion have been recorded live."

With a growing reputation as one of the best live bands around since their inception, Dame Area has toured extensively across Europe, performing at renowned festivals like Atonal, CTM, Nuits Sonores, Dour, and Fusion, as well as legendary clubs such as Berghain, Tresor, Apolo, and Spook Factory.

Recorded at Sol de Sants Studios and Estudio Hermetic between August and November 2023

Silvia Konstance: vocals, synths, percussions, electronics, production
Viktor L. Crux: synths, drums, percussions, electronics, production
Mixing and additional production by Guillermo Sánchez Rojo
Mastering by Paul Mac at Hardgroove Mastering
Designed by Leo Sousa
Photography by Fabio Calabretta
Photo concept by Dame Area

A new piece by minimalist / experimental composer PHILL NIBLOCK (1933 - 2024), co-composed and performed by ANNA CLEMENTI & THOMAS STERN. Intense, menacing layers of thick drones and alien sounds.

In summer 2022, within just a few weeks and by pure coincidence, 2 proposals regarding PHILL NIBLOCK albums arrived: one suggesting an overdue vinyl reissue of a CD release (more on that when the time has come for it), the other email was from ANNA CLEMENTI saying she and THOMAS STERN were working on new pieces that PHILL NIBLOCK has written for her … when "Zound Delta 2" was complete, PHILL sent photographs for the two artworks, we met twice to discuss details, but unfortunately he died unexpectedly early january this year so the album now is, sad as it is, a posthumous release … an intense goodbye from one of 20thcentury most iconic composers.

Phill Niblock

Phill Niblock (1933-2024, USA) was an artist whose fifty-year career spans minimalist and experimental music, film and photography. Since 1985, he has served as director of Experimental Intermedia, a foundation for avant-garde music based in New York with a branch in Ghent, and curator of the foundation's record label XI. Known for his thick, loud drones of music, Niblock's signature sound is filled with microtones of instrumental timbres that generate many other tones in the performance space. In 2013, his diverse artistic career was the subject of a retrospective realised in partnership between Circuit (Contemporary Art Centre Lausanne) and Musée de l'Elysée. The following year Niblock was honoured with the prestigious Foundation for Contemporary Arts John Cage Award.

Anna Clementi

Italian-Swedish singer Anna Clementi grew up in Rome, where she first studied the flute and completed acting training before moving to Berlin and studying experimental vocal music and experimental music theater with the composer Dieter Schnebel at Hochschule der Künste (now UdK Berlin). Anna Clementi sees herself as an "actress of the voice" rather than exclusively as a singer. In this way she also articulates the diversity of her artistic expression, with which she is always searching for new connections between voice, gesture, language, dance and theater.

During her decades spanning career, Anna Clementi has performed at the most important festivals, has premiered numerous works, many of which have been composed especially for her, and worked with Fast Forward, Michael Hirsch, Rupert Huber, Christian Kesten, Alexander Kolkowski, Olga Neuwirth, Josef Anton Riedl, Iris ter Schiphorst, Dieter Schnebel, Laurie Schwartz, Elliott Sharp, and many others.

A special focus of hers is the work of John Cage, whose pieces she has performed worldwide.

Thomas Stern

Born in Bremen, Thomas Stern moved to Berlin in 1984 where he joined Mona Mur with Alex Hacke and F. M. Einheit (both from Einstürzende Neubauten, with which Stern also worked as live sound engineer for many years). Around 1987 he co-founded the Berlin set up of Crime And The City Solution (Mick Harvey, Alex Hacke a.o.). Over the years, he has has collaborated with artists like Ulrike Haage, Phew, Nick Cave, Ton Steine Scherben, Meret Becker, Nina Hagen, Jaki Liebezeit, Ben Becker, N.U. Unruh, Gry, Iris ter Schiphorst, Automat, Swans, Hans Joacxhim Irmler and many more, on the road or in his own Sternstaubstudio.
credits:

Anna Clementi: voice

Thomas Stern: slide guitar, bass and soundprocessing

Composition by Phill Niblock, Anna Clementi and Thomas Stern

Recorded and mixed by Thomas Stern at Sternstaubstudio, Berlin

Mastering and lacquer cut: Kassian Troyer at D&M, Berlin

Cover photography by Phill Niblock

Layout and design by kaidoh

Skinshape (aka Will Dorey) releases his ninth studio album titled Another Side Of Skinshape on 27th September via Lewis Recordings. As the album title suggests, Dorey’s latest body of work is somewhat unlike anything in his prior discography. However, there is always a consistent Skinshape thread which pulsates throughout all of his music - a kind of sonic dreamscape which echoes a mystical nostalgia for a sun dappled afternoon.

Taking inspiration from childhood memories, Ethiopian rhythms, and even calls to prayer, Another Side Of Skinshape gained access to the most esoteric corners of Dorey’s mind. Whilst ‘It’s About Time’ and ‘Ananda’ display a slightly more synthesised palette than we typically hear of a Skinshape tune, singles ‘Stornoway’ and ‘Lady Sun’ (which features the hazy soul vocals of West London’s Hollie Cook) replicate the same lifeblood heard on albums Nostalgia, or Craterellus Tubaeformis.

Speaking on the album, Dorey says “Some songs pay homage to the 90s whilst others the 60s and 70s. Yet you may not perceive all of these in the form that they are presented. In any case I hope that the album is enjoyable and will fit casually into the flow of your day.”

Whilst making this album, Dorey experimented with various keyboards and drum machines, which are at times layered over the excellent drumming of Thomas Blunt, who played live onto tape. Blunt is well versed in the Skinshape vernacular, also being part of Dorey’s live band. Indeed, Another Side Of Skinshape is due for release just before a run of UK and US live dates, which will be the first time the band has ever hit the open road.

Dorey is a former member of the band Palace, has played Glastonbury, BBC Maida Vale and Shepherd’s Bush Empire to name a few. Skinshape’s ‘I Didn’t Know’ has streamed over 50 million times. He is proudly from Swanage, Dorest.

Sun-scorched riff-rock propelled from the windswept heart of the desert! Blue Heron expand on their unyielding desert sound with a new slab of propulsive, sun-scorched riff-heaviness. Everything Fades finds the band reveling in low-tuned roil and amplifier hum, churning out swerving grooves as if the atavistic, primordial spirit of the desert itself compels them. Balanced between laid back, meditative atmospherics and heavier, more aggressive lunges, these cruising jams and gritty stoner romps call to mind echoes of Kyuss, Clutch and Soundgarden, along with modern contemporaries like Valley of the Sun and High Desert Queen. Full of rhythmic intensity, sledgehammer riffing, and vocals ranging from clean and moody to howling and raw, Blue Heron cover a wide expanse of musical ground that shows how familiar influences can still be molded into inventive, exciting new forms. New album of grooving, raw desert rock for fans of Kyuss, Valley of the Sun, Clutch and High Desert Queen Presed on sleek blue vinyl, available as Digipak-CD, too.

Sun-scorched riff-rock propelled from the windswept heart of the desert! Blue Heron expand on their unyielding desert sound with a new slab of propulsive, sun-scorched riff-heaviness. Everything Fades finds the band reveling in low-tuned roil and amplifier hum, churning out swerving grooves as if the atavistic, primordial spirit of the desert itself compels them. Balanced between laid back, meditative atmospherics and heavier, more aggressive lunges, these cruising jams and gritty stoner romps call to mind echoes of Kyuss, Clutch and Soundgarden, along with modern contemporaries like Valley of the Sun and High Desert Queen. Full of rhythmic intensity, sledgehammer riffing, and vocals ranging from clean and moody to howling and raw, Blue Heron cover a wide expanse of musical ground that shows how familiar influences can still be molded into inventive, exciting new forms. New album of grooving, raw desert rock for fans of Kyuss, Valley of the Sun, Clutch and High Desert Queen Presed on sleek blue vinyl, available as Digipak-CD, too.

The concept for and palette of Crystal Dorval aka White Poppy’s ‘Paradise Gardens’ trilogy first germinated in 2016 as a notion of “paradise music” combining new age, bedroom shoegaze, and bossa nova into “transcendental Tropicalia.” As she filled tapes of recordings exploring the idea, many of the songs gradually gravitated towards the hermetic dream pop her project is best known for, becoming the albums Paradise Gardens (2020) and Sound Of Blue (2023). Dorval describes these collections as a sort of “emotional purging or shadow work,” before arriving at “the state of inner paradise:” Ataraxia.

As the third, final, and most purist realisation of the original ‘Paradise Gardens’ vision, Ataraxia delivers. Nine instrumentals of nimble guitar, elevated bass, clean rhythm, and clear light, gliding like swans on a shimmering pond. There’s a sense throughout of playful tranquillity, of serenades at sunset, of kisses of blissful Muzak wafting along a boardwalk.

But behind the music is a patience, grace, and levity born of Dorval’s personal journey with spiritual healing that paralleled the trilogy. A process of transmuting pain into beauty, day by day, melody by melody, cleaving the darkness from the soul and re-entering one’s rightful home in the Garden.

Having established himself as a guitar slinging matinee idol fronting Welsh riot starters Trampolene and riding shotgun in Peter Doherty’s band the Puta Madres, Jack Jones releases his debut solo album ‘Jack Jones’. For this album Jack Jones has put away his guitar and embraced a fresh and highly contemporary sound in which to couch his hard-hitting state of the nation poems of existential fear and loathing. His lyrics tackle many of today’s burning issues: mental health, drug addiction, mortality, and the tortuous demands of technology. There’s also joy and hope in there. With some of his catchiest tunes so far, it’s a record that’ll both open up this natural-born star to untapped audiences, and reveal hidden depths to those already ‘on the team’. Much like the first Specials album at the turn of the 1980s, you can imagine ‘Jack Jones’ being useful to youngsters in 2024 trying to navigate the problems of today – swap birth control and street violence for mindless hedonism and mental-health struggles, and you have an equally bold and connective roadmap to the pitfalls of contemporary young-adult living. Jack Jones has enjoyed Top 10 success with TRAMPOLENE on the Independent Album Charts with three Top 10 Albums, hit the road as special guest to Liam Gallagher at the personal request of the iconic frontman, supported The Libertines on an Arena Tour as ‘Tour Poet’ and had the honour of being the first act to headline Swansea Arena. Headline tour dates are: November 2nd Glasgow The Poetry Club SWG3, 3rd Liverpool Jacaranda, 6th North Shields Three Tanners Bank, 7th Manchester YES Basement, 8th Cambridge The Six Six Bar, 9th Shrewsbury Albert & Co Frankville, 13th Bristol The Exchange, 14th London Old Blue Last, 15th Swansea Bunkhouse, 16th Cardiff The Moon

Rhetoric & Terror is Berlin-based Hemphill’s second album since leaving Liars back in 2016.

No stranger to reinventing his approach towards composition, Rhetoric & Terror feels like we are – perhaps for the first time – opening a doorway into Hemphill’s personal life, to his disparate sonic influences, his wide-ranging journeys through philosophy, and his own reflections on his role as an artist.

Like different thoughts and feelings emerging in a state of meditation, Hemphill invites you to pause on one ‘scene’ for a moment before moving onto the next. There’s space to get lost here – both emotionally and in the colour of the album’s wide-ranging textures.

With his wife Angelika Kaswalder on vocals throughout the album and multi-instrumentalist Morgan Henderson – a longtime friend of Hemphill’s since Henderson’s time in the post- hardcore band The Blood Brothers - adding woodwind, Nonpareils is no longer simply a solo project – and it’s apparent in this openness.

The name of the album – Rhetoric & Terror – describes this split that Hemphill is making from the conceptual nature of his first solo album (2018’s Scented Pictures), and the new direction that he – perhaps – hopes to continue taking. The title comes from a chapter in Giorgio Agamben’s book, “The Man Without Content”, where he describes the concepts of rhetoric and terror to describe two different types of writers: the rhetorician and the terrorist. The terrorist is a misologist who is only into the feeling; the rhetorician is committed to logic and form.

“With Rhetoric & Terror, I wanted to start with emotions and feeling. I was playing with my kids, listening to Cocteau Twins, I have a wonderful partner, and it seemed very contrary to any sort of growth to sequester myself from this life in order to get into character as a musician. Instead, I tried to remove the boundaries between my creative life and my. responsibilities and have it all be one fluid thing. All things at all times, and trust that this will guide my music rather than more intellectual concepts or limitations.”

Despite its catalysts being in philosophy and conceptual art, Hemphill has created an album that’s deeply “emotionally available”. It’s also helped him take a new stance on life that combines his life as a partner and parent in a kind of unity with his role as the artist. It’s plain to hear as a listener – Rhetoric & Terror, despite its intimidating name, is welcoming
and playful, even during its most intense moments.

The 2nd album from the Franco-Swedish songwriting duo. An album that blends airy poetry and pointillist pop, accompanied by the groove of drummer Larry Mullins (Swans, Nick Cave, Iggy & The Stooges redux) along with superb brass arrangements.

Both originating from Basel Switzerland, experimental dance outlets Amenthia Recordings and A Walking Contradiction combine forces and present their first collaborative release. Both known for their dare-to-do-different approach and proudly presenting sounds that come from their inner circle of friends they compiled the Flash Crash / Hack Crash EP with exactly this mindset.

From Agonis' heavy stepper to Konduku's whirlpool of low frequencies on the Amenthia side with Lemont continuing on this same low-end tripped-out tip to the slo-mo swamp sounds from Varuna representing A Walking Contradiction in typical fashion.

The Jesus Lizard sind zurück mit 'Rack', ihrem ersten Album seit 1998. Das Album enthält 11 Tracks mit flottem Gitarrenrock, wie man ihn nicht mehr gehört hat seit... seit The Jesus Lizard das letzte Mal eine Bühne in deiner Stadt erobert haben. The Jesus Lizard - Sänger David Yow, Gitarrist Duane Denison, Bassist David Wm. Sims und Schlagzeuger Mac McNeilly - sind zurück mit einem Album, das vor der Art von Verrücktheit nur so strotzt, die nötig ist, um die heutige AOR-Mittelmäßigkeit und den piss-perfekten Pop-Schwachsinn gleichermaßen zu besiegen.

Seit ihrer Gründung 1987 in Chicago haben The Jesus Lizard Zuhörer auf der ganzen Welt begeistert. Die tadellose, raketenartige Rhythmussektion von Sims und McNeilly war die perfekte Basis für Denisons zackiges, aber dennoch sauberes Riffing und Yows launischen Gesang, der sich als panischer Bürger, Realitätsflüchtling oder verletzter Meeressäuger manifestierte. Auf das Debütalbum folgten sechs weitere Studioalben, zwei Live-Aufnahmen sowie zwei Singles und EPs.

Auf 'Rack' kehren The Jesus Lizard neu formiert, erfrischt und voller Elan zurück. Keine lauen, faden Tracks, die zeigen, wie sie als Songwriter 'gereift' sind. Keine albernen Ausflüge in unnötige Genreübungen.

The Jesus Lizard. Sie sind vielleicht nicht mehr jung, aber sie werden nie, nie alt.

The Jesus Lizard sind zurück mit 'Rack', ihrem ersten Album seit 1998. Das Album enthält 11 Tracks mit flottem Gitarrenrock, wie man ihn nicht mehr gehört hat seit... seit The Jesus Lizard das letzte Mal eine Bühne in deiner Stadt erobert haben. The Jesus Lizard - Sänger David Yow, Gitarrist Duane Denison, Bassist David Wm. Sims und Schlagzeuger Mac McNeilly - sind zurück mit einem Album, das vor der Art von Verrücktheit nur so strotzt, die nötig ist, um die heutige AOR-Mittelmäßigkeit und den piss-perfekten Pop-Schwachsinn gleichermaßen zu besiegen.

Seit ihrer Gründung 1987 in Chicago haben The Jesus Lizard Zuhörer auf der ganzen Welt begeistert. Die tadellose, raketenartige Rhythmussektion von Sims und McNeilly war die perfekte Basis für Denisons zackiges, aber dennoch sauberes Riffing und Yows launischen Gesang, der sich als panischer Bürger, Realitätsflüchtling oder verletzter Meeressäuger manifestierte. Auf das Debütalbum folgten sechs weitere Studioalben, zwei Live-Aufnahmen sowie zwei Singles und EPs.

Auf 'Rack' kehren The Jesus Lizard neu formiert, erfrischt und voller Elan zurück. Keine lauen, faden Tracks, die zeigen, wie sie als Songwriter 'gereift' sind. Keine albernen Ausflüge in unnötige Genreübungen.

The Jesus Lizard. Sie sind vielleicht nicht mehr jung, aber sie werden nie, nie alt.