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Over the last decade-and-a-half, C Joynes has ploughed a singular furrow through solo guitar, with a body of work incorporating English folk-tunes alongside North & West African music, and lifting proto-minimalist and improvised techniques from the European classical and avant-garde traditions.

His new release, ‘Poor Boy On The Wire’, is his first full album dedicated wholly to the electric guitar. Through a typically wide-ranging set, Joynes exploits the instrument’s potential by placing intricate parlour music alongside overdriven garage blues throw-downs, wiry electric folk and the brittle ringing tones of free improvisation. However, these explorations of the tones and timbres of close-mic’d guitars and amplification retain an overall coherence and unity through the deliberate use of a limited palette of budget instruments and vintage equipment.

With ‘Poor Boy On The Wire’, Joynes has released 9 albums to date, including ‘The Borametz Tree’ (2019), recorded with long-term fellow travellers Dead Rat Orchestra, and ‘The Wild Wild Berry’, a collaboration with singer Stephanie Hladowski (MOJO Top 5 Folk Albums 2012, fROOTS Editors Choice Album Of The Year 2012). He has played extensively across the UK, Europe and the USA, sharing bills with performers including: Shirley Collins, Martin Carthy, A Hawk And A Hacksaw, Marc Ribot, Alasdair Roberts, Richard Dawson, Jack Rose, Josephine Foster, Sir Richard Bishop, Six Organs Of Admittance and 75 Dollar Bill.

“As much Conlon Nancarrow and Ali Farka Toure as Blind Lemon Jefferson, the compositional mind at work here can take apparently disparate threads of modernism and ethnic tradition and treat them as though they were all archaic blues styles learnt from dusty 78s.”
BRUCE RUSSELL, THE WIRE

“An inheritor to Davy Graham; a lone operator prone to unexpected collaborations, with a repertoire that crosses continents and timezones with consummate ease, and dashed off with a phenomenal, yet lightly applied technique.”
ROB YOUNG, THE WIRE

“His epigrammatic re-castings and re-readings of widely-travelled folk melodies and rhythms from a variety of traditions suggest shared memories that might be intensely universal while seeming strangely out of reach.”
KEVIN MACNEIL BROWN, DUSTED MAGAZINE

The trashed hotel room and communal living depicted on the cover of the J. Geils Band's sophomore album tell you all you need know about the music, spirit, and energy spilling from within The Morning After. Shot through with raw, lean rock n' roll sparked by juke-joint blues and loose rhythms, the 1971 set comes on like the most fun, party-still-raging hangover any group in the 70s enjoyed. And now it rolls with an abandon that takes you inside the sweaty, smoky roadhouses and wall-to-wall-packed clubs the group dominated in its heyday.

Mastered from the original master tapes, pressed at RTI, and limited to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's 180g vinyl LP achieves a sonic acumen that brings you face-to-face with the sextet's white-hot instrumental prowess and magnetic personalities. It's always been difficult to single out just one member of the band given the cohesive bluster the ensemble achieves as a whole, but this collectible audiophile edition allows you to do just that if you so choose, by way of superb imaging and separation. As for the band's trademark dynamics? Here, they feel like they're on the verge of exploding.

So go ahead. Twist the volume knob to the right as much as you want. You'll lose none of the focus, detail, placement, or presence no matter how high the decibels climb. The Morning After spills forth with previously unheard tonalities, ranging from the distinctive swells of Seth Justman's slow-burn organ to the live-wire spark of Geils' own downed-power-line-jumpy guitar work to the mooring hi-hat/cymbal/snare combinations of arrangement-steadying drummer Steven Bladd. Friends, this is raw rhythm n' blues, this is how it should feel, and, man, this is how it should sound.

Not for nothing did the Massachusetts-based collective name the album The Morning After. The music within doesn't abide by rules, ignores speed limits, flips the bird at curfews, and digs deep down into America's blues roots to yield organic material at once fresh, exciting, traditional, and original. The back-porch punch provided by the combination of "Magic Dick" Salwitz's searing, melodic, snake-like harmonica and vocalist Peter Wolf's animated, barely controlled deliveries is alone enough to make anyone with a faint pulse to stomp their feet, climb atop a kitchen table, and kick their boot heels until the neighbors call the cops.

Just witness the deceptive smoothness of the snake-like "So Sharp" or Maxwell Street zest of the aptly titled Magic Dick showcase "Whammer Jammer," which will leave you gasping for breath before it even ends. J. Geils Band also knew its way around deep-cut soul. The ensemble's Top 40, howling, adrenaline-to-the-heart rendition of the Valentinos' "Looking for a Love" and swirling, romantic take on Don Covay's "The Usual Place" seamlessly balance drive and emotion. Coupled with rafter-shaking originals such as "Floyd's Hotel" and the riff-propelled "I Don't Need You No More," sent up with typical Wolf vocal flair, and the record parks the band's all-night festivities and go-for-broke attitudes right on your front lawn.

One last word of warning to the uninitiated: The Morning After is not the slick-pop J. Geils Band of "Centerfold." And that is a very good thing.

At last, ‘In the Shadow of the Bomb’, the pummelling new single from Rat Cage is back in print after a limited lathe run on Lughole Records last year. The A side is a Burning Spirits style ripper, inspired by a trip Hiroshima and witnessing the devastating long lasting effects that nuclear war has on a city and country. ‘In the Shadow’ sonically nods to classic Japanese hardcore, but still maintains the typical Rat Cage blend of Scandi/UK punk. On the flip side, ‘Scared Of The Truth’, is a political mid pace stomper that rumbles with power in a State Violence, State Control fashion, while somehow also sounding like Out Cold at their most rocking. A glimpse through the cracks as to what’s coming next from Rat Cage in 2023.

A double treat for those who love timeless Southern Soul flavoured with some of those good ol’ down home blues. Memphis born, and Minneapolis based, Willie Walker can comfortably be included in the pantheon of grittiest soul singers along with Wilson Pickett, Syl Johnson, Lou Rawls, James Carr, Eddie Floyd, Tyrone Davis and L.V. Johnson, to name but a few, but there has always been speculation about other Willie Walkers. The recordings on Eutor and Hi in the 70’s are not by the same Willie as those on Goldwax and Checker in the 60’s. He did, however, also record as Wee Willie Walker.
 
He was a member of The Rhythm Harmonizers, The Val-Dons, The Exciters, The Bound Band, Willie & The Bumblebees (although that Willie is actually Willie Murphy of The Val-Dons), and Canoise, spanning a long and varied career before hooking up with the Minneapolis based band The Butanes in 2004, with whom he made the next three albums. The first of these was mainly cover versions, but "Right Where I Belong" (2004) and "Memphisapolis" (2006) are notable for each providing the tracks that make up this latest Jai Alai release, a label that differs from sister label Soul4Real by featuring 21st century tracks previously CD only but now released on 7” vinyl for the first time. It also has to be noted that all the tracks on both these albums were written and produced by Curtis Obeda, who managed to track down Willie after so many years.
 
“I Feel It” will have been missed by most as it was on the CD "Right Where I Belong" which was released in 2004 on the most unlikely of UK imprints, the Wirral based One On One Records run by Colin Dilnot. The album is a lavish display of real instruments from a band that once backed John Lee Hooker and Little Johnny Taylor and the perfect setting for Willie’s powerful vocals. 
 
Just tipping five glorious minutes, "Cry, Cry, Cry" is a perfect example of why soul music is inextricably linked to the blues, and when the gospel styled chorus joins in towards the end, you realise that this could, maybe should, have carried on for just a little bit longer. Perhaps a fuller length version exists? Sadly, Willie died peacefully in his sleep in November 2019, but to complete his story check out the two albums on Blue Dot as Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra. To quote the great Quinton Claunch…”Willie was one of the best to come out of Memphis in the 60’s”.
 
Steve Hobbs
(Solar Radio, Totally Wired Radio)

Mozes And The Firstborn liefern waghalsigen Garagen Pop, catchy Surfmomente, kratzige Gitarrenriffs, Ahh's und Ohh's gewürzt mit reichlich Selbstironie. Im Frühling als Support von Two Gallants, The Growlers und FIDLAR auf Vorstellungsrunde, erscheint am 20. September das Debüt Album in Deutschland, Österreich und Schweiz bei Siluh Records. Im Herbst 2013 folgen Auftritte u.a. beim Reeperbahn Festival, dem Waves Vienna und der Berlin Independent Night. Das verschmitzte Grinsen haben die vier Jungs nicht umsonst aufgesetzt. Nach unzähligen Shows auf House Partys, in Coffee Shops und Spelunken haben sich Mozes And The Firstborn auf die großen Bühnen der Niederlande gespielt und rumpeln bisweilen selbst in nachmittäglichen TV-Formaten. Auf Europas wichtigstem Newcomer Festival Eurosonic gewannen sie schließlich auch die Schweißporen der internationalen Gäste für sich. Launig, waghalsig und mit viel Übermut präsentieren sich die vom Garagen-Punk-Rock der 70ies infizierten Jungspunde vor Publikum. Nun erscheint ihr selbstbetiteltes Debütalbum in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz auf dem Wiener Label Siluh Records, das zuletzt mit Releases von Sex Jams und Mile Me Deaf ein Händchen für rotzige Gitarrenmusik bewiesen hat. Mit lausbübischem Humor, dem Draufgängertum der jungen Rolling Stones, der verpeilten Lockerheit der Black Lips sowie dem erstklassigen Songwriting von Indie-Heroen wie Guided By Voices überzeugten sie auch das kalifornische Label Burger Records, das bereits zum internationalen Sprungbrett für Szenegrößen wie Ty Seagull, Black Lips oder King Tuff wurde.

"Für "Earth Rocker", den Nachfolger des 2009er Werks "Strange Cousins From The West", mussten knapp vier Jahre ins Land ziehen. Ob sich die Wartezeit gelohnt hat? Wer CLUTCH kennt, der weiß: Ja! Das neue Album strotzt nur so vor Energie, beinhaltet aber auch die klassischen ruhigeren Songs, bei denen Sänger Neil Fallon natürlich mit seinen interessanten und gut durchdachten Texten voller Poesie überzeugen kann.

Doch bevor es an ruhigere Nummern geht, die auf dem Album in der Minderheit sind, geht es mit dem Titeltrack "Earth Rocker" erst mal gnadenlos rockig ab. Die schnelle Nummer ist schon mal ein guter Einstand, und Neil's "Muhahahas" in dem Song lassen einem ein breites Grinsen ins Gesicht treiben. Ein weiteres Highlight und garantierte Live-Granate ist den Mannen mit "Crucial Velocity" gelungen. Wer schon "Mob Goes Wild" oder "Electric Worry" mochte, wird diesen Song vergöttern. Tim Sult lässt seine Klampfe gnadenlos im Stoner-Dickicht die Rock-Welt regieren. Hammer!

"Mr. Freedom" groovt ganz gewaltig, Obacht: auch hier unbedingt auf die Textpassagen achten. Bei "D.C. Sound Attack" wird die bewährte Mundharmonika aus der Tasche gezogen und im Sinne von ZZ TOP abgerockt. Weiter über "Unto The Breach", "The Face" (MOTORJESUS lassen grüßen), "Cyborg Bette" oder "Book, Saddle & Go", CLUTCH zeigen sich abgezockt und saucool, wie eh und je. Warum cool? Weil diese Band einfach das macht, was ihnen gefällt, sei es Mucke, Attitüde oder Acting. Wer es mal bluesig mag, dem ist "Gone Cold" ans Herz zu legen. Relaxte Nummer, genau richtig zum chillen mit nem Glas Whisky.

Veredelt wurde "Earth Rocker" durch die Hand von Machine, der schon auf "Blast Tyrant" oder "Pure Rock Fury" für CLUTCH tätig war. Der räudige Sound, wie man ihn von der Gruppe gewohnt ist, wurde beibehalten und noch einmal auf eine höhere Stufe gewuchtet. Da bleiben keine Wünsche offen.

"Earth Rocker" reiht sich nahtlos in die Gassenhauer-Alben der Band hinein. "Blast Tyrant" oder "From Beale Street To Oblivion" gehören zwar noch immer zu den absoluten Highlights, "Earth Rocker" übernimmt ab jetzt jedoch den Vorsitz." (9von10/metal.de)

Gold Vinyl

No binaries, no simple opposition. Either/or is subsumed by infinite relations and dizzying possibilities, by the perpetual crest of and/and. Freedom is the key to bring about all complex and incongruous multiplicities. Embodied, embedded, relational freedom is the key.
Mue is a duo based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal composed of Catherine Debard and Léon Lo. Formed in the Spring of 2020, the electronic musical project merges two distinct practices and explores the way they interact with each other. Drawing on early-IDM, illbient, minimalism, and natural phenomena, the resulting real-time hardware improvisations weave asymmetric patterns, create spaces, and digest various sounds.

Recorded in 2020, Les vasières explores unsynchronized hardware electronic impro-visations where individual sonic elements come to life by creating new and complex layers and organizational logics — melodically and rhythmically modulating each other.
The French album title translates to “The mudflats.” Sounds from disparate sources form an aural silt that is brought to life by waxing and waning cycles, each improvi-sation presenting a new, different mudflat scenario.
Mue asked visual artist Katherine Melançon to create the album’s artwork, which was the artist’s first dive into compost as source material. The resulting image—an otherworldly organic smear, both intimate and alien — was incorporated into graphic designer Haley Parker’s montage, hard frames recalling the flatbed scanner used by Melançon, and branch-like typography nodding to the organic concerns of all the artists involved.

After the success of his latest works, Moderator comes back with the EP In The Garden, a refined jazzy blend of genres so typical of the producer, as shows the track ‘Half Light’. A sweet and sour instrumental that takes the listener on a sensitive and introspective journey through melancholic chords.

Hailing from Athens, Greece, Moderator has been producing his brand of cinematic beats since 2012. His debut album The World Within (2015) established him as a serious player on the downtempo/trip-hop scene. His latest works, Sinner’s Syndrome and Midnight Madness hit the #1 best-selling album on the Bandcamp music platform selling thousands of records. Dazzling with a distinctive production style that leaps across genre boundaries like psychedelic, lounge, horror film soundtracks, surf, Memphis soul, and rockabilly, his influences phase in-and-out. His music is similar to calmly turning the radio dial to a random station, yielding a surprising but pleasant discovery.

2022 Repress

One of the most distinct talents of recent times returns to Critical with his first EP release since the acclaimed 'All Talk'. Once more Hyroglifics presents a typically eclectic showcase ranging from the heads down D&B of 'South London's Finest' to the electro-infested 'Cheyhboi' making for one of the most dope EP's of the year so far.

Bongos, bouzouki and Farfisa organ galore ! The explosive cocktail of rock'n'roll and traditional Tsifteteli hailing from 1960's Greece is still alive thanks to Deli Teli : the Marseille-based quartet performs a string of forgotten hits that once set Athens on fire, with a contagious energy and a subtle dose of Mediterranean drama.

Half a century ago, while French seasiders would dance to « Yéyé » sounds and dig the Beatles or Pink Floyd, a whole other scene was happening further along the coastline. Notably, Greek artists were a huge influence beyond the Mediterranean cradle ; Aris San's version of « Boum Pam » (a.k.a. « Bros Gremos Kai Piso Rema »), brilliantly interpreted by Deli Teli on this record, was a n°1 hit from Southern Europe to the tip of India ! Far from being an exclusive Greek sound, Tsifteteli music has travelled through borders for centuries and means « double string » in Turkish. In the 1960's, it mixed with rock'n'roll, surf and Latin-american influences, and gave birth to the typical « Laïko » sound.

With their powerful electric bouzouki (Greek lute) and the distinctive sound of the Farfisa organ, Deli Teli have carved their style while digging through the incredible goldmine of the late 60's and early 70's Tsifteteli/Laïko singles. The 4 musicians met in 2019 with a burning desire to dive into electric sensations – bassist Christos Karypidis used to play oud and keyboardist Arthur Bacon played accordion in most of his former projects – and made the most of 2020's « lockdowns » by building their repertoire and thinking up Deli Teli.

On this mini-album, they also interpret Koko's « Chily Chily », a groovy belly-dance mover ; « Ekso Dertia Kai Kaïmi », an intoxicating and frenetic floor shaker ; « Tsiftetelli 1969 », a cool organ-lead surfing instrumental ; and 2 slightly freer and more psychedelic numbers, « Taksim Deli » (improvisation) and « Bournelis », a creative re-arrangement of 2 tracks by Leonardos Bournelis.

Deli Teli preach a collective, sensual and solar hip-wiggling across the continents and beyond ; they are ready to shake our minds and bodies until we all gel together... Join the « Tsifteteli Club » now !

I Prevail haben sich als die Vorreiter ihres Genres etabliert. Das neue Album, das erneut von Tyler Smyth produziert wurde, bietet die Art von stadiontauglichen Riffs, die einem die Zähne aus dem Zahnfleisch
klappern lassen, und unvergessliche, äußerst eingängige Melodien, die sich wochenlang im Kopf festsetzen.

Außerdem mischt die Band abwechselnd geschriene Vocals, die klingen, als wären sie aus den Tiefen der Hölle gekrochen, mit hochfliegenden, gefühlvollen Vocals und zu Herzen gehenden, intimen Texten, die so tief gehen, dass sie das Mark treffen. Das Endergebnis ist ein Album, das den Hörer auf sehr persönliche Weise berührt.

I Prevail haben sich als die Vorreiter ihres Genres etabliert. Das neue Album, das erneut von Tyler Smyth produziert wurde, bietet die Art von stadiontauglichen Riffs, die einem die Zähne aus dem Zahnfleisch
klappern lassen, und unvergessliche, äußerst eingängige Melodien, die sich wochenlang im Kopf festsetzen.

Außerdem mischt die Band abwechselnd geschriene Vocals, die klingen, als wären sie aus den Tiefen der Hölle gekrochen, mit hochfliegenden, gefühlvollen Vocals und zu Herzen gehenden, intimen Texten, die so tief gehen, dass sie das Mark treffen. Das Endergebnis ist ein Album, das den Hörer auf sehr persönliche Weise berührt.

To those who embraced 2000’s Nixon—Lambchop’s fifth album, whose luscious country soul grooves provided the sprawling Nashville collective with a significant British breakthrough that even found them selling out London’s 2,500-capacity Royal Festival Hall—the deceptively gentle Is a Woman, delivered two years later, administered a quiet but compelling shock. Gone almost entirely was frontman Kurt Wagner’s euphoric, Curtis Mayfield-esque falsetto, replaced by a tranquil, contemplative vocal style; and instead of the joyfully warm brass arrangements that had encouraged Zero 7 to remix “Up With People,” one of Nixon’s standouts, pianist Tony Crow now took center stage, teasing out gentle, ingenious melodies. The contrast was acute.

To discover the true spirit of Is a Woman, however, one need only listen to the remarkable “My Blue Wave,” one of the band’s finest recordings to date. Here, Wagner depicts a world of helpless tragedy in which comfort can nonetheless be found in the smallest of gestures, as he journeys from the contented sight of his pets—“You lay around the house… Just bones and squirrels inside your head”—to recollections of a devastating phone call from friend and bandmate William Tyler: “And William called and tried to tell me /

That his sister’s boyfriend has just died / He’s not sure what to do / And I’m not sure what to tell him he should do / Sometimes William, we’re just screwed / In my blue wave.”

Released on the heels of her breakthrough album Tapestry, Carole King's Music is every bit the equal of its more famous predecessor: a No. 1 smash that features impeccable songwriting, beautiful melodies, and extraordinary piano playing. In short, everything that's made King an institution. After of years of being overshadowed, this 1971 singer-songwriter classic has been given the audiophile treatment it's long deserved.

Sourced from the original master tapes and pressed on dead-quiet vinyl at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g LP of King's second solo masterpiece is rife with intimacy, transparency, soulfulness, and you-are-there sound. Never before remastered, Music seems like a brand-new album as King's familiar voice, intelligent arrangements, and ace support band presented on a deep, three-dimensional soundstage. Your appreciation for and understanding of the depth of King's inspirational lyrics and performances will doubtlessly increase — this reissue brings you that much closer.

Accompanied by percussionist Bobbye Hall, drummer Russ Kinkel, guitarist/vocalist James Taylor, and a multitude of other professional wind musicians, King delves further into R&B and jazz-derived pop. Warm and cohesive, songs echo with simplicity and honesty. And as is typical of much of King's work, several of tunes here were later covered by other artists, including "It's Going To Take Some Time" (the Carpenters). Yet the originals trump the later renditions, and King's rendition of the standard "Some Kind of Wonderful" stands among the best ever recorded.

With Taylor lending more of a hand on Music than he does on Tapestry, King expands her reach on the piano and peppers the songs with graceful touches of saxophone, flute, pedal-steel guitar, and woodwinds. Ballads sway ("Surely"), gospel raises spirits ("Brighter"), and backup vocals float amid pop arrangements like clouds ("Song of Long Ago"). The most irresistible aspect? King's voice, infused with fondness, concern, joy, and a quiet power that parallels the delicacy and deliberate nature that define Music.

Mobile Fidelity's 180g LP is free of the limiting artifacts that have helped keep this record in the dark for the better part of the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Acoustic guitars, subtle brass elements, and soft percussion contribute to the enjoyment of the songs, and King's voice —pleasant, assuring, emotional — comes through with incredible clarity and inflection. The brilliance of Lou Adler's original production is restored to its full glory.

Aptly named, this companion to Tapestry is an aural and sonic delight.

Svart Records proudly presents: Finnish prog-psych quintet Sammal sheds skin and changes into a power trio, new album announced Sammal have since their 2013 debut cemented their reputation as one of the leaders of the Fenno-Ugrian neoprogressive and psychedelic scene and also raised some waves internationally, performing at the well-respected Roadburn Festival in 2015 and garnering a series of raving reviews around the world of psychedelia and progressive rock fandom, such as “Truly amazing and otherworldy music” or “Earnest, vibrant music specked with impressive nuance”. A few years have passed since the successful Suuliekki album, and since then two of their five members have left the fold. Guitarist and songwriter Jura Salmi decided, however, that Sammal must continue in some form or another. “During the spring of 2020 I would spend time alone recording new demos with the guitar. The remaining three Sammal members had already decided that if the band was to continue, we would not seek another keyboard player.I had bought a guitar pedal that can simulate keyboard sounds and it opened a new world to me. I realized we can perform fine as a power trio without a bass or a keyboard player”, comments Jura Salmi. “Sammal has always been a melting pot of all music we like. If in the past we used to be heavily into bands lke Camel, Dungen and Opeth, when working on this album we’d liste to everything from Bo Hansson and Iron Butterfly to Type O Negative and Whitesnake”, laughs Salmi and continues, “We’d also pick the language of a song’s lyrics based on what we felt would fit the mood of the song. This album has songs in Finnish, Swedish and English.” Sammal’s unexpected prog-psych-boogie epic Aika laulaa will be released on November 18th on all platforms as well as on CD and LP.

Svart Records proudly presents: Finnish prog-psych quintet Sammal sheds skin and changes into a power trio, new album announced Sammal have since their 2013 debut cemented their reputation as one of the leaders of the Fenno-Ugrian neoprogressive and psychedelic scene and also raised some waves internationally, performing at the well-respected Roadburn Festival in 2015 and garnering a series of raving reviews around the world of psychedelia and progressive rock fandom, such as “Truly amazing and otherworldy music” or “Earnest, vibrant music specked with impressive nuance”. A few years have passed since the successful Suuliekki album, and since then two of their five members have left the fold. Guitarist and songwriter Jura Salmi decided, however, that Sammal must continue in some form or another. “During the spring of 2020 I would spend time alone recording new demos with the guitar. The remaining three Sammal members had already decided that if the band was to continue, we would not seek another keyboard player.I had bought a guitar pedal that can simulate keyboard sounds and it opened a new world to me. I realized we can perform fine as a power trio without a bass or a keyboard player”, comments Jura Salmi. “Sammal has always been a melting pot of all music we like. If in the past we used to be heavily into bands lke Camel, Dungen and Opeth, when working on this album we’d liste to everything from Bo Hansson and Iron Butterfly to Type O Negative and Whitesnake”, laughs Salmi and continues, “We’d also pick the language of a song’s lyrics based on what we felt would fit the mood of the song. This album has songs in Finnish, Swedish and English.” Sammal’s unexpected prog-psych-boogie epic Aika laulaa will be released on November 18th on all platforms as well as on CD and LP.

Nach einer Reihe explosiver Singles veröffentlicht die japanische Kultur- und Modeikone NIGO sein neues Album „I Know NIGO!“ nun endlich auch auf Vinyl. Die Platte enthält die Single und den Opener „Lost And Found Freestyle 2019“ mit A$AP Rocky und Tyler, The Creator, die drei Titanen der Kultur auf einem Epos vereint.
Zuletzt sorgte er mit „Heavy“ feat. Lil Uzi Vert für Aufregung. Es folgte „More Tonight“ feat. Teriyaki Boyz, der weltweit große Anerkennung fand.

Der Vorgänger „Want It Bad“ feat. Kid Cudi sammelte 4,1 Millionen Spotify-Streams und Rolling Stone nannte es „vibe heavy“.
I Know Nigo ist Nigos erstes musikalisches Werk seit fast zwei Jahrzehnten.

10 year anniversary edition on orange & red marble vinyl. While his formative years were spent listening to everything from Yes to Photek, Scott Hansen didn't get his hands on an actual guitar or drum machine until he left his native Sacramento for San Francisco in 1995. "Encountering this whole new world at 20 years old was a profound experience," says Hansen, better known by his musical pseudonym Tycho and as the graphic artist ISO50. "At the time, I was just learning the processes of design and music; both felt very similar, and have flowed back and forth for me ever since."As seamless as his two creative outlets have been, nearly a decade passed before the release of Hansen's first proper Tycho LP, Sunrise Projector (later expanded and reissued under the title Past Is Prologue). And while three striking singles have emerged since then, the sum of all those sepia-toned parts is nowhere near the double-exposed soundscapes of Dive. The product of a prolonged break from IS050's design work and blog, it pays tribute to Tycho's prismatic past (the dense, guitar-guided turning points of "Daydream" and "Adrift") but spends most of its time pointing to the project's not-so-distant future.That can mean any number of things, really, from the halcyon hooks and hopeful horizons of "A Walk" to the expansive, wildly expressive tone poetry of the title track, an eight-minute epic that unfolds like a compressed concept album. Or at the very least, a restless vision of prog-rock - one that's been coated in neon colors and filtered through a thick piece of blotter paper. And then there's "Elegy," a spare curtain closer that pairs a vulnerable crescendo with a fitting bridge to future works.And with that, Dive establishes its position as the most diverse musical statement of Hansen's multi-medium career; the point where his skills as a performer finally catch up with his vaporized vision of a world that doesn't belong to any particular time or place."Nostalgia is a common thread in my work," says Hansen, "but this album wasn't driven by that idea. I see these songs as artifacts from a future which might have more in common with our past than our present."

Pianist, drummer, composer and producer Hamish Balfour presents jazz funk, soul and electronic music, bridging the gap from classic Blue Note to Warp via Sonar Kollektiv on Running Colours, his electrifying debut album for London's Shapes of Rhythm Records.

Praised by Jazzwise for hissolo flourishes and sidestepping harmonies, Hamish Balfour should be a recognisable face to jazz addicts. The go-to keys player has performed and recorded alongside American jazz drumming legend Harvey Mason, Tenderlonious, The Temptations, Odyssey, Faze Action, Yolanda Charles' Project PH, Bassically, Nim Quartet and Yam Who. Popping up not only in the credits of many sought-after albums, but also Channel 4, ITV and BBCprogrammes for his compositions on various shows.

Over the course of eleven tracks, Balfour folds in and explores his influences, with a wide yet highly cohesive and strong palette of sounds, whilst interacting with high caliber guest vocalists such as spoken word artist and broken beat icon, Lyric L(Seiji,Nathan Haines), London Elektricity and Hospital Records' star vocalist Elsa Esmeralda, award-winning and chart-storming singer-songwriter Belle Humble (Freestylers, Paloma Faith) and soul and house mainstay Andre Espeut (Afriquoi,Simbad,Faze Action).

Responsible for all piano, synths, percussion and production on the album, Balfour's musicality shines through, a reminder of how overdue this debut album as leader is. However, in addition to the incredible vocalists, he's joined by some of the UK's finest jazz musicians: James Copus (trumpet), Pete Matin (bass), Laurie Lowe and Saleem Raman (drums) and Rob Updegraff (guitar).

Elsa Esmeralda implores us 'not to be afraid' on lead single and title track Running Colours. A perfect invitation to get stuck into this many layered album. Balfour compliments Esmeralda's soothing vocals with delicate piano intro before Lowe's bruk-easque drums and lead an irresistible groove bedded in warm synths and guitar licks.

Yes or No showcases Loose Lips legend Lyric L contemplating the uncertainty of love over a swinging mid-tempo jazz funk boogie groove propelled by tight drums and Hammond chords, closing with a flying trumpet solo from Copus, weaving around Balfour's nimble keys.

Wealth, featuring singer/songwriter Belle Humble, displays incredible depth and restraint. Humble delivers the enticing vocal with ease, as it slides over the intricate webs of jazz fusion and electronics.

Mogul is arguably Running Colours' curveball. An eastern-inspired whirlwind of all manner of synths and twisting drums which constantly morph throughout. Guitars and trumpets take turns to solo on a track that feels like a series of questions that we never quite get answers to.

Balfour's ability to merge free wheeling jazz and fusion with timeless electronic production and soulful compositions is also apparent on instrumental pieces such as Reflector 28. Here, we find the musicians upbeat, uplifting, progressive and playful, showcasing the keys whilst the bass underpins the groove.

South Of The Sun is Running Colours' laid-back moment with Roy Ayers-type vibrations as bass and drums sit in the pocket (at least to begin with), whilst a Rhodes weaves its magic. Like many of the album's tracks we take a few twists and turns before returning to our main feel-good motif.

Hamish's long awaited debut is sure to exceed the expectations of those who know him already, whilst introducing a whole new audience to his wealth of talent and originality.

After a summer of touring and working on remixes, Big Miz readies this new self-released 5 track EP. The first outing on Miz Records since February, three solo cuts and two collaborations
bring us yet another versatile spin on the modern house sound.

With aquatic sound design and tight kicks introducing ‘Causal Loop’, an opener that quickly morphs into a Legowelt / Alden Tyrell type synth-led jacking house jam, the EP wastes no time in getting going. There’s a sharp vocal sample of the narcotic persuasion that brings to mind Paul Johnson’s classic ‘Give Me Ecstasy’, whilst the clubbier vibe of those early LIES 12”s is also present. The title track is a drum machine workout that gradually ends up in a loopy 90s style minimal techno groove, whereas ‘An Facile’ pushes and pulls at the dancefloor with a mean acid line and makes reference to a gig that may or may not have taken place at a now shut-down Glasgow club many moons ago. You’ll need to ask Miz.

Over to Side B and ‘Sleep Well’ brings in production help from fellow Scottish stalwart Ewan McVicar, the pair working on the tune in a hotel room after a show. Evidently no sleep was had as the swirling acid lines, modulated rimshots and tempo trickery combine to make one of the trippiest jams on the record. Things draw to an end with an Underground Resistance sampling colab with Good Thing resident DD Watermelon.

Repress!


Epitomising the very best of their hometown’s unparalleled musical heritage, Detroit’s Dames Brown are the vocal trio you may not yet know by name but are sure to know by voice. Lending their exquisite range to a number of modern house essentials, including Sophie Lloyd’s ‘Calling Out’, The Vision featuring Andreya Triana ‘Heaven’ and David Penn’s ‘Nobody’ in recent years, Athena Johnson, Teresa Marbury and LaRae Starr now release ‘What Would You Do?’ on a limited 7” package. Produced by long-time collaborator of the group and fellow Motor City native Amp Fiddler and Mahogani Music regular Andrés, this slick, funk-filled and typically soulful vinyl release features the exceptional original version as well as Lyon house superstar Folamour’s remix, with his signature groove a perfect match for the Dames mesmerising vocal.

"Infinite Echo" is a fresh suite of voyaging Balearica, tinged with ocean mist. Over the years, the incredible British duo Seahwaks have crafted an expansive catalogue of trippy and cosmically-influenced, ambient instrumentals, which has seen them collaborate with the likes of Badly Drawn Boy, Tim Burgess and Jon Goddard (of Hot Chip). Helmed by perennial co-captains Jon Tye (founder of Lo Recordings) and Pete Fowler (acclaimed Welsh visual artist), their latest collection emerged from a series of scraps and vignettes informed by a breadth of eclectic chillness (mid-80's digital new age in the Higher Octave vein, Michael McDonald remixed by Oneohtrix Point Never, etc.), then fleshed out with Lyra Pramuk's Siren Songs app and Holly Herndon's Holly+ software, rendering it choral, otherworldly, and "emotional in a new kind of way." The results sound elevated and ineffable, like music heard at the edge of dreams, hinting at worlds yet to come.

Staging an attempt to gloss their music, Gentle Stranger
say it recalls “throwing a bouncy ball into a hall of mirrors.”
It’s telling that normal routes of describing music - your
typical band boilerplate of “such and such meets such and
such” or “we just play guitar, us, and leave the writing up to
you” - doesn’t suffice for the London collective; instead a
more arcane, more potent image is fired back, a wonky
and poetic idea that’s instantly more arresting, more
substantial.
For the newly initiated, Gentle Stranger are a selfdescribed “post-clown” outfit that oscillate between musical
forms, achieving a bewildering, almost Joycean
experimental sweep; pastiche, parody, burlesque, earnest
composition, genre interrogation and progression - they
cover it all. Their renowned live performances see the trio
cycle through an arsenal of musical instruments,
apparatus, tackle, and stuff. The set (part of the reason for
their now cult-like following) hangs together intricately, a
fractal clockwork machine that relies on movement and
spatial-awareness as much as it does timing and
musicality.
Upon witnessing the Gentle Stranger live show (‘show’
here is most certainly in the theatrical, carnivalesque,
extravaganza sense of the word), it’s tempting to question
whether they could reiterate, reshape, and condense this
uniquely visual and visceral spectacle into recorded music
- and the answer is yes. The latest update of the Gentle
Stranger sound lands in the form of ‘Upon Return’, their
barnstorming third album.
Gentle Stranger reportedly enjoy “revelling in the
disarray” of ‘Upon Return’, this ornate and finely wrought
mind palace - it’s a riveting and often joyous experience
soundtracked by strange, strange, and stranger music.
Available on black vinyl LP.

Es ist soweit: Nach dem großen Erfolg der ersten Staffel und langem, ungeduldigen Warten auf die zweite Staffel der
Netflix-Serie, konnten Fans jetzt bereits mehrere Monate lang die zweite Season Bridgerton genießen. Neben der
für diese Zeit typischen klassischen Musik begleiten die Coverversionen aktueller Hits die mitreißende Handlung.
Wie schon in den ersten acht Folgen sind die Quartett-Versionen und -Interpretationen vom Vitamin String
Quartet, Kris Bowers und Duomo und die neu hinzugekommenen Künstler, Hannah V & Joe Rodwell, Midnite
String Quartet und Krisis Houston dabei und unterstützen den Soundtrack.
Erhältlich ist der Soundtrack ab dem 09.12.2022 als 2LPerhältlich.

Pollux - Locus

Pollux strikes again with this banger, a solid deep groove as we're used to, the drive in this one is really massive.

Lovely mysterious female vocals and a great solid melodic lead, all this in a wonderfull stunning atmosphere.

This track has got it all, great vibe, lush sound, a strong production.

Pollux & Faber - Pulse

With Pulse, the guys continue on the elan of predecessor Tam Unanimem, a "dark" deep bassline which reminds a bit to the classic "Barbarella" although it's different, but it's nice to have :)

An additional strong deep bass-melody and catchy lead are keeping "this whopper" going !

Leach - Cernunnos

No interduction needed for this guy who already earned his stripes with several releases. We go way back so we're very proud to have him and his newest track "Cernunnos" on Castor, a MASSIVE groove, nice build up & break with a great vocal. "Cernunnos" grabs hold of your attention and doesn’t let go ! Guaranteed Floorfiller !!!

Pollux - Restless

This one's got that typical "Pollux Sound", a pumping deep groove, a

heavenly arpeggiator and bombastic lead in a "Progressive" atmosphere, makes you long to dance ...

Up for the third installment from the Atlanta, USA based Mithra records, is the first EP of crew member Tito Mazzetta's new moniker as Titino. Titino takes his debut EP into hyperspace with a dance floor oriented EP for all types of rave, dark spaces, and club moments. There is a mood for all types of moments and record bags with a beautiful and ethereal remix by Paolo Mosca. This third installment from the Mithra crew pushes them through the glass ceiling into a multi faceted interpretation of electronic music.

"It's the artist's business to create sunshine when the Sun falls"
- Romain Rolland

2022 Repress

Mancunian maestro Setaoc Mass returns for his second outing on Soma with the Fortnight EP. Drenched in his typical hard hitting, meticulously produced style, Sam's latest Soma 12" has him at the top of his game with 4 top quality tracks + a special bonus track for the digital EP.

"Time" opens the EP with a particularly hypnotic sound and a definite driving pace as swelling and pulsing background atmospheres give this a quite aggressive backbone. "Bluebells" is yet another dance floor rocking track that hits the ground running right from the start. Razor sharp poly-rhythmic structures keep the track interesting while intense percussive workouts provide the power. Title track "Fortnight" delves deeper whilst still remaining true to Sam's direct and tough sound; don't let this deeper side fool you, all the hallmarks of a proper banger remain intact! "Chaos" closes out things with a more groove laden and emotive tone as shuffling percussive elements funk things up before subtle synths work their way in giving the track a more melodic feel than the previous. Digital Bonus, "Necessary Evil", is a straight up, no nonsense dance floor workout.

Die Musik von Surprise Chef basiert auf dem Hervorrufen von Stimmungen; ihre lebendigen Arrangements nutzen Zeit und Raum, um Klanglandschaften zu schaffen, die den Zuhörer in ihre Welt einladen. Der unverwechselbare Sound des Quintetts speist sich aus der Filmmusik der 70er Jahre, der funkigeren Seite des Jazz und den Samples, die die Grundlage des Hip-Hop bilden. Sie verschieben die Grenzen des instrumentalen Soul und Funk mit ihrem eigenen Ansatz, der durch unzählige Stunden im Studio, das Studium der Meister und - vielleicht am wichtigsten - durch die "Tyrannei der Distanz", die ihrer Musik eine einzigartige Perspektive diktiert, verfeinert wurde. Mit ihren ersten beiden Alben All News Is Good News und Daylight Savings haben sich die aus der Nähe von Melbourne, Australien, stammenden Musiker eine eingefleischte Fangemeinde erspielt und ihren Sound von ihrem Heimstudio aus in alle Ecken der Welt gebracht. Die Band ist nun bei Big Crown Records unter Vertrag und reiht sich damit in eine Reihe zeitgenössischer und klassischer Sounds ein, die die Musik von Surprise Chef seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2017 beeinflusst haben. Surprise Chef besteht aus Lachlan Stuckey (Gitarre), Jethro Curtin (Keyboards), Carl Lindeberg (Bass), Andrew Congues (Schlagzeug) und Hudson Whitlock - das jüngste Mitglied, das von der Percussion über das Komponieren bis zum Produzieren alles macht. Die selbsternannten "moody shades of instrumental jazz-funk" haben von allem etwas: druckvolle Drums, mitreißende Keys, eine Rhythmusgitarre, die man auf einer Studio One-Platte hören könnte, und Flötenlinien, die von einer Blue Note-Session stammen könnten. Aber wenn man einen Schritt zurücktritt und sich die Gesamtheit ihres Sounds und ihrer Herangehensweise anschaut, dann hört und sieht man eine Gruppe, die mehr ist als die Summe ihrer Teile. In vielerlei Hinsicht verkörpert Surprise Chef die Redewendung "the benefits of limits". Ihre Möglichkeiten waren insofern begrenzt, als es in Südost-Australien nicht viele Leute gab, die instrumentalen Jazz/Soul/Funk machten oder darüber sprachen, geschweige denn Platten herausbrachten. So mussten sie ihren Sound und ihre Herangehensweise in einer Art kreativer Isolation entwickeln, in der sich ein kleiner Kreis von Freunden und gleichgesinnten Musikern gegenseitig befruchtete. "Da wir in Australien so weit weg sind, bekommen wir nur flüchtige Einblicke in die Ursprünge dieser Musik", sagt Stuckey. "Aber als wir ein Label wie Big Crown hörten, wurde uns zum ersten Mal bewusst, dass man frische, neue Soulmusik machen kann, die nicht super retro oder einfach nur nostalgisch ist." Dieser Ansatz ist auf ihrem neuen Album Education & Recreation deutlich zu hören. Tracks wie "Velodrome" verbinden klobige Drums mit einer ohrwurmverdächtigen Synthie-Linie, die so klingt, als würde sie auf einer Ultimate Breaks & Beats-Compilation zu finden sein, während Nummern wie "Iconoclasts" zeigen, dass sie ein Händchen für die geschmackvolle Nutzung von Raum haben. Vom erdrückenden Intro von "Suburban Breeze" bis zum schwebenden, sanften Bop von "Spring's Theme" haben Surprise Chef ein Album zusammengestellt, das dich durch Höhen und Tiefen der Emotionen führt. Ein lebendiger, die Fantasie beflügelnder Sound! Dem weiten Spektrum dieser Instrumentalmusiksparte wird mit diesem neuen Album ein modernen Klassiker hinzugefügt.

Voller Zorn und brennendem Hass, doch gleichzeitig auch erfüllt vom prallen Leben und mit Momenten erstaunlicher Schönheit - IMHA TARIKATs drittes Album "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" deutet seine internen Widersprüche und Konflikte bereits im Titel an. Das Album ist um einen Kern aus typisch deutschem Black Metal entstanden, der ebenso präzise wie trocken und humorlos auf jeglichen Bombast und die oft folkloristischen Untertöne seines nordischen Gegenstücks verzichtet. Dabei stößt IMHA TARIKATs lyrischer und musikalischer Vordenker Kerem Yilmaz alias Ruhsuz Cellât erneut mit seinen einzigartigen Kompositionen auch in tiefere Schichten und unerforschte Dimensionen vor. Während er seinem körperlich schwer fordernden Gesangsstil noch mehr brutal die Kehle zerfetzende Ansätze hinzufügt, bilden ein furioses Drumming sowie das unerbittliche Peitschen von frostig klirrenden Gitarrensaiten das mal eiskalte und dann wieder glühend heiße Fundament von IMHA TARIKAT. Doch während sich Yilmaz' Songs durch die schwarze Leere des Alls winden und drehen, tauchen aus dem Nichts überraschend strahlende Momente und Soli auf, die ihre Ursprünge eher im Heavy Metal, hartem und okkultem Rock und sogar einer Messerspitze Punk haben. Textlich funktionieren IMHA TARIKAT weiterhin als eine Art von verschlüsseltem Tagebuch, in dem Yilmaz seine persönlichen Erfahrungen, sein menschliches Wachstum und seine Faszinationen festhält: "Ich habe mich buchstäblich in den Wahnsinn getrieben, um eine absolut authentische Erfahrung zu erschaffen", beschreibt der Sänger und Gitarrist den Aufnahmeprozess von "Hearts Unchained". Von daher liegt es nahe, dass "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" von inneren Konflikten, seelischem Leid, eskalierenden Emotionen, aber auch von Katharsis und Erlösung handelt. Der brutale schwarze Sound von IMHA TARIKAT war von Anfang an auch als eine Art von emotionalem Druckventil für den Bandgründer Kerem Yilmaz konzipiert. Seine brennende musikalische Leidenschaft zeigt sich ebenso in der rasanten Entwicklung, die Yilmaz' Songwriting mit jeder neuen Veröffentlichung offenbart und das in mehrere Richtungen gleichzeitig expandiert. Während bereits die erste EP "Kenoboros" 2017 einen hervorragenden Eindruck hinterließ, eroberte die Band auf dem folgenden Demo "Son Mistisizm" (2018) hörbar neues Terrain. Mit dem 2019er Debütalbum "Kara Ihlas" und ihrer folgenden Black Metal Supernova "Sternenberster" (2020) erreichten IMHA TARIKAT dann neue Höhepunkte. Es passt ins Bild, dass es den Deutschen mit "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" gelingt, einen weiteren Gipfel zu erklimmen. IMHA TARIKAT sind drauf und dran, die Welt in schwarze Flammen zu setzen und "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" ist der Funke, der alles entzündet. Bevor alle Gefühle zu Asche und Schlacke zerfallen, lasst sie lieber brennen!

Voller Zorn und brennendem Hass, doch gleichzeitig auch erfüllt vom prallen Leben und mit Momenten erstaunlicher Schönheit - IMHA TARIKATs drittes Album "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" deutet seine internen Widersprüche und Konflikte bereits im Titel an. Das Album ist um einen Kern aus typisch deutschem Black Metal entstanden, der ebenso präzise wie trocken und humorlos auf jeglichen Bombast und die oft folkloristischen Untertöne seines nordischen Gegenstücks verzichtet. Dabei stößt IMHA TARIKATs lyrischer und musikalischer Vordenker Kerem Yilmaz alias Ruhsuz Cellât erneut mit seinen einzigartigen Kompositionen auch in tiefere Schichten und unerforschte Dimensionen vor. Während er seinem körperlich schwer fordernden Gesangsstil noch mehr brutal die Kehle zerfetzende Ansätze hinzufügt, bilden ein furioses Drumming sowie das unerbittliche Peitschen von frostig klirrenden Gitarrensaiten das mal eiskalte und dann wieder glühend heiße Fundament von IMHA TARIKAT. Doch während sich Yilmaz' Songs durch die schwarze Leere des Alls winden und drehen, tauchen aus dem Nichts überraschend strahlende Momente und Soli auf, die ihre Ursprünge eher im Heavy Metal, hartem und okkultem Rock und sogar einer Messerspitze Punk haben. Textlich funktionieren IMHA TARIKAT weiterhin als eine Art von verschlüsseltem Tagebuch, in dem Yilmaz seine persönlichen Erfahrungen, sein menschliches Wachstum und seine Faszinationen festhält: "Ich habe mich buchstäblich in den Wahnsinn getrieben, um eine absolut authentische Erfahrung zu erschaffen", beschreibt der Sänger und Gitarrist den Aufnahmeprozess von "Hearts Unchained". Von daher liegt es nahe, dass "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" von inneren Konflikten, seelischem Leid, eskalierenden Emotionen, aber auch von Katharsis und Erlösung handelt. Der brutale schwarze Sound von IMHA TARIKAT war von Anfang an auch als eine Art von emotionalem Druckventil für den Bandgründer Kerem Yilmaz konzipiert. Seine brennende musikalische Leidenschaft zeigt sich ebenso in der rasanten Entwicklung, die Yilmaz' Songwriting mit jeder neuen Veröffentlichung offenbart und das in mehrere Richtungen gleichzeitig expandiert. Während bereits die erste EP "Kenoboros" 2017 einen hervorragenden Eindruck hinterließ, eroberte die Band auf dem folgenden Demo "Son Mistisizm" (2018) hörbar neues Terrain. Mit dem 2019er Debütalbum "Kara Ihlas" und ihrer folgenden Black Metal Supernova "Sternenberster" (2020) erreichten IMHA TARIKAT dann neue Höhepunkte. Es passt ins Bild, dass es den Deutschen mit "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" gelingt, einen weiteren Gipfel zu erklimmen. IMHA TARIKAT sind drauf und dran, die Welt in schwarze Flammen zu setzen und "Hearts Unchained - At War with a Passionless World" ist der Funke, der alles entzündet. Bevor alle Gefühle zu Asche und Schlacke zerfallen, lasst sie lieber brennen!

Wie ein Schneesturm unter einer Glaskugel Im Herbst 2003 erschien bei dem amerikanischen Indie-Label File 13 Records Martin Revs mittlerweile sechstes Soloalbum. Nachdem Rev bereits 2002 zusammen mit seinem musikalischen Partner Alan Vega und ihrem gemeinsamen Projekt Suicide mit dem Album "American Supreme" neue Wege beschritten hatte, setze sich diese Neuausrichtung auch in seinen Soloarbeiten fort. Klang das 2000er Werk "Strangeworld" noch wie ein aus der Zeit herausgelöstes, abstraktes Komposite aller musikalischen Einflusswelten Martin Revs, scheinen auf dem drei Jahre später veröffentlichten Album "To Live" auch kontemporäre Einflüsse hörbar zu werden. So kommen hier erstmals Gitarren-Samples zum Einsatz. "Der Sound von "To Live" war eigentlich einer, den ich schon seit ein paar Jahren live auf der Bühne benutzte. Die Inspiration kam nicht aus den 2000er Jahren, sondern wahrscheinlich aus einer viel früheren Zeit, obwohl ich nicht genau sagen könnte, woher. Es hängt auch mit der Rhythmus-Technologie zusammen, die ich verwendet habe." erinnert sich Rev. Die Anmutung dieses Sequence-gesteuerten und für die späten 1990er Jahre so typischen Industrial-Rocks scheint - zumindest für ein Rev-Album - ungewohnt und so fielen die Kritiken beim Erscheinen der Platte 2003 zunächst sehr gemischt aus. Wie bereits Anfang der 1970er Jahre als Suicide für ihren neuartigen Sound gleichermaßen gehasst und gefeiert wurden, polarisierte Rev mit seiner Musik auch 30 Jahre später noch immer. Doch auch wenn jene Tracks auf "To Live" weniger von Synthesizer-Drones und minimalistischen Keyboardfiguren geprägt sind als die vorherigen Platten, so sind dennoch alle Stücke des Albums getrieben von jener eigentümliche Formsprache, die Martin Revs Sound so prägnant und unverkennbar macht. Verhallte, sich überlagernden RhythmusSchleifen durchzogen von Revs sporadisch einsetzendem, zärtlich wie bedrohlichem Sprechgesang wachsen zu einem heftigen Schneesturm unter einer Glaskugel an, in dem verchromtes Glitzer und goldenes Konfetti wie wild durcheinander gewirbelt werden. Besonders beeindruckend ist dies auf dem Track "Gutter Rock" gelungen, das wie ein übersteuertes, hypnotisch betörendes Stück Lounge-Exotika anmutet. Und es ist speziell dieser Sound der Gegenpole zwischen harten Drummachine- und Gitarrensalven und dem Ungreifbaren von Revs Stimme, in dem mitunter auch jene Stimmung und Verunsicherung zu Beginn des neuen Jahrtausends zu hören ist, die insbesondere in eine Stadt wie Revs Heimat New York beherrschte, die erst zwei Jahre zuvor von den Ereignissen des 11. Septembers 2001 erschüttert wurde. So ist "To Live" ein widerspruchsvolles und schwer zu verdauendes Werk, das als vor allem als Kind seiner Zeit und Transition innerhalb Martins Revs Gesamtwerk einen ganz besonderen Platz einnimmt.

Jazzrausch Bigband has more or less invented a new art form,
techno jazz, and has become well-known for performances of it. But
the band also has another, different story to tell. It has invented its
own tradition of hitting the road and touring at the end of each year
with a programme consisting of Christmas music, and has been doing
this ever since the band first emerged eight years ago. Bandleader
and founder Roman Sladek explains: “Whereas our regular projects -
the most recent album, ‘Emergenz’, is a good example - are all about
working through a specific theme and finding new ways to reinvent
ourselves, our Christmas thing is something we do for one reason
alone: to have fun. It was our very first programme, we still love it, and
we’re still nurturing, developing and growing it. Being able to devote
one month a year entirely to the big band tradition is something we’re
all really passionate about.”
Some bands might have been tempted just to throw together an
album of Christmas chestnuts any old how, but the Jazzrausch way of
doing things is not like that at all. Unlike any other album by the band,
for the first time we hear purely instrumental music. Furthermore,
Kuhn has taken ten classic Christmas songs - each one of them
rarely heard in jazz, and tunes which can often come across as a bit
staid in their original settings - from ‘Tochter Zion, freue dich# to
‘Adeste fideles’ or ‘Ihr Kinderlein, kommet’. The title track, ‘Alle Jahre
wieder!’ (based on the 1830s carol to music by Silcher which is very
familiar to children and adults in the German-speaking world) appears
here in completely new orchestral garb.
Sometimes the listener will recognise the kind of swing typical of
Glenn Miller. At other moments it is the incomparable big band
elegance of, say, Artie Shaw. ‘Es wird scho glei dumpa’ (an Austrian
carol) is given the full extra high pressure Tijuana brass treatment.
‘Maria durch ein’ Dornwald ging’ gets the touch of the Thad Jones /
Mel Lewis Orchestra after a Henry Mancini-like intro, and ‘Ich steh’ an
deiner Krippe hier’ recalls more of the great swing heritage.
Once again Jazzrausch Bigband has succeeded in a way that only
very few in the jazz field can, notwithstanding the openness of the
genre: they have brought young and old together, tradition and
revolution, the familiar and the new. Which is why it feels so
completely natural and right that they should continue to do this
‘again every year’, as the album title tells them: ‘Alle Jahre wieder’.

Based in rural New Mexico, William Fowler Collins (b.1974) is a composer, recording artist and performer. His music extends across and beyond many genres including drone, minimalism, and free improvisation. He records and performs in both solo and group contexts. Collins has released music on the SIGE, Type, Blackest Rainbow, Handmade Birds, Sicksicksick and Root Strata record labels. In addition to his work as a solo artist, Collins has several collaborations including Thalassa with Aaron Turner and Mesa Ritual with Raven Chacon. He has also collaborated with Marshall Trammell, James Jackson Toth, Mamiffer and is currently working on new music with Margarida Garcia.

Alone Inside the Walls of Night is music for Mellotron, violin, synthesizers, and electric guitar. It was completed in 2022 and is dedicated to Maria Valentina Chirico. It features Heather Trost on violin. Artwork by Chris Bigg.

Comprehensive box of 6 LPs / EPs and the band's first rare 7inch.

Aroma Di Amore is/was Belgian’s premier cult band. Since the early eighties ADA innovatively combined electronics with rock. With a mix of razor-sharp Flemish lyrics and unconventional song structures the group earned a cult status in Belgium and abroad. 40 years later they conclude their career with a few last concerts and a vinyl box set spanning the years 1983-1987.

At the notorious Rock Rally of 1982 Aroma Di Amore stands out with their wonderful handling of the Flemish language, a deep bass, typical cold new wave drums, biting guitar riffs with the occasional flavor of absolute madness. Frontman Jos Verlooy adopts the stage name Elvis Peeters. The explanation for this remarkable pseudonym choice: in 1977 – the period of the singer's musical awakening – one of the two famous rocking Elvises (not Costello, but Presley) succumbs to his pill addiction. So, dixit Verlooy, there is an Elvis vacant. A banal surname belongs next to that exotic first name. A combination that breathes rock 'n' roll, according to the singer.

His companion Gerry Vergult – who very much determines the sound with his metallic riffs, somewhat indebted to Jean-Marie Aerts – adopts the stage name Fred Angst. Completely in line with the depressing zeitgeist of the 1980s. Gerry eats and breathes music. Besides composing most of ADA’s songs, he records & self-produces a few fantastic dark en loner solo minimal wave tracks as Fred Angst. He is still musically active, more towards the electronic leftfield nowadays under the moniker Zool.

It is clear from an early age that companion Elvis Peeters possesses the gift of the word. As an adolescent he published the punkzine “Dus”. The punk spirit stimulates Peeters. He begins to transform the poetry that he has been entrusting to paper for some time into song lyrics. It is on a whim and without any stage experience that punk friends Peeters and Angst register for the Rock Rally as Aroma di Amore. On a bed of post-punk and cold wave (Joy Division, Wire and Sisters of Mercy are the main influences), they initially let out playful, minimalist and nonsensical slogans such as "Doe De Mafia" (1982) and "Gorilla Dans De Samba" (1983). Later on, the tone becomes more serious, although Peeters' choice of words continues to show a penchant for absurdism and sarcasm. No one in Dutch songwriting imitates this verbal elasticity, certainly at that time.

The numerous songs about war are downright horrifying. In the 1980s, an arms race is underway. When the Belgian government decides to install nuclear missiles in 1981, Aroma di Amore asks for one minute of silence in the hall during performances. In "Lauwe Oorlog" (1983), Peeters exposes the core of his unrest: “paraat voor de parade / de vrede wordt begraven / met militaire eer”. To this day, the frontman of AdA still proudly wears his at least 30 year old 'atomic energy, no thanks!' button.

In 1984 Aroma releases Koude Oorlog on the new and independent Brussels label Play It Again Sam. The traditional press and radio ignore the record, but in the alternative circuits the mini-album does not go unnoticed, and the group starts to build a solid fan base, resulting in more and more offers for gigs. There's also interest in the Netherlands, and due to the international contacts of PIAS, the record also ends up in France, Switzerland, Spain and Canada.

Encouraged by this modest success, the group returns to the studio for a 12" single. With new group member Frits De Cauter on sax, they record "Voor De Dood". To this day, Voor De Dood remains the most popular AdA song, as evidenced by the countless compilations on which the song has appeared.

AdA goes to the Netherlands to record their next album “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen”. The people from Nasmak have built a new studio in Eindhoven and one of the members, Theo Van Eenbergen (later Henry Rollins), will be the producer. “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen” is the group's most adventurous album, and the reviews are again unanimously favorable. However, sales are disappointing and PIAS proposes to recruit Chris Reed of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and record a new single with him. "Zonder Omzien" is recorded at the prestigious Pyramid Studio. However, PIAS is waiting to release the album and in the meantime AdA is recording a number of extra tracks with producer Ludo Camberlin, including "Koekoek In De Stad". Towards the end of the year, Lo and Elvis travel to Africa for a few months and as a result the group comes to a standstill. In this period, Zonder Omzien is released.

At the beginning of 1986, Peeters and Meulen return, and Andrea Smits leaves the group. Luc Pillards is hired as a replacement, and when Ludo Camberlin presents himself as a new label boss and producer (Anything But Records), they start recording their first full album for the label. “Harde Feiten" kicks in immediately, and the group is back up to cruising speed. In the first week of release, the record even appears in the bestseller list of the record stores.

At the beginning of 1987 the recordings for the second album start, this time in a production by Peeters and Angst themselves. Shortly after the shooting, AdA goes to Switzerland for a short but successful tour, with Men 2nd and Cas & Organized Crime as support act. "Koudvuur" is published in the autumn and considered to be their strongest record so far by the group, the reactions are rather low. Both the reviews in the press and the sales are disappointing and put a damper on the joy. Nevertheless, the group is invited to perform in Valencia, Spain, where they have an unexpected success.

MUTANT SOUNDS BLOG

Aroma Di Amore have always been outsiders, even within the confinement of the alternative rock circuit. Their peculiar blend of raw guitars, electronics, Dutch lyrics and unconventional song structures was too hybrid for many. Those howewer who, without prejudice, would lend an ear to the band's music, discovered an energetic, authentic and uncompromising collective that stood above all trends. While so many Belgian "connaisseurs" had their doubts about the possibilities of international recognition for a band singing in Dutch, Aroma Di Amore toured France, Switzerland and Spain; their records figured in alternative charts from Poland to Canada.

From beginning to end the nucleus of Aroma Di Amore consisted of Elvis PEETERS, who in a inimitable, possessed way delivered his highly original lyrics, and Fred ANGST, guitarist mastering the heaviest riffs as well as refined tapestries of sound. Furthermore, the line-up varied throughout the band's carreer with:- H.K. (Guitarist from 1982 until 1983)- Andrea SMITS (Organ from 1982 until 1985)- Luc PILLARDS (Synthsizer in 1986)- Jan WANDELAAR (Guitar and synthesizer in 1986)- Pulcherie (Saxophone in 1983)- Wout DOCKX (Bass from 1987 until 1988)and especially- Lo MEULEN (Bass from 1983 until 1987)and the late Frits DE CAUTER (Saxophone from 1984 until 1986) contributing to the music.

Box Set includes: Gorilla Dans De Samba 7" (1983), Voor De Dood 12" (1984), Koude Oorlog LP (1984), De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen 12" (1985), Zonder Omzien 12" (1986), Harde Feiten LP (1986), Koudvuur LP (1987)

First-time reissue of Aroma Di Amore's debut album, originally released in 1984.

Aroma Di Amore is/was Belgian’s premier cult band. Since the early eighties ADA innovatively combined electronics with rock. With a mix of razor-sharp Flemish lyrics and unconventional song structures the group earned a cult status in Belgium and abroad. 40 years later they conclude their career with a few last concerts and a vinyl box set spanning the years 1983-1987.

At the notorious Rock Rally of 1982 Aroma Di Amore stands out with their wonderful handling of the Flemish language, a deep bass, typical cold new wave drums, biting guitar riffs with the occasional flavor of absolute madness. Frontman Jos Verlooy adopts the stage name Elvis Peeters. The explanation for this remarkable pseudonym choice: in 1977 – the period of the singer's musical awakening – one of the two famous rocking Elvises (not Costello, but Presley) succumbs to his pill addiction. So, dixit Verlooy, there is an Elvis vacant. A banal surname belongs next to that exotic first name. A combination that breathes rock 'n' roll, according to the singer.

His companion Gerry Vergult – who very much determines the sound with his metallic riffs, somewhat indebted to Jean-Marie Aerts – adopts the stage name Fred Angst. Completely in line with the depressing zeitgeist of the 1980s. Gerry eats and breathes music. Besides composing most of ADA’s songs, he records & self-produces a few fantastic dark en loner solo minimal wave tracks as Fred Angst. He is still musically active, more towards the electronic leftfield nowadays under the moniker Zool.

It is clear from an early age that companion Elvis Peeters possesses the gift of the word. As an adolescent he published the punkzine “Dus”. The punk spirit stimulates Peeters. He begins to transform the poetry that he has been entrusting to paper for some time into song lyrics. It is on a whim and without any stage experience that punk friends Peeters and Angst register for the Rock Rally as Aroma di Amore. On a bed of post-punk and cold wave (Joy Division, Wire and Sisters of Mercy are the main influences), they initially let out playful, minimalist and nonsensical slogans such as "Doe De Mafia" (1982) and "Gorilla Dans De Samba" (1983). Later on, the tone becomes more serious, although Peeters' choice of words continues to show a penchant for absurdism and sarcasm. No one in Dutch songwriting imitates this verbal elasticity, certainly at that time.

The numerous songs about war are downright horrifying. In the 1980s, an arms race is underway. When the Belgian government decides to install nuclear missiles in 1981, Aroma di Amore asks for one minute of silence in the hall during performances. In "Lauwe Oorlog" (1983), Peeters exposes the core of his unrest: “paraat voor de parade / de vrede wordt begraven / met militaire eer”. To this day, the frontman of AdA still proudly wears his at least 30 year old 'atomic energy, no thanks!' button.

In 1984 Aroma releases Koude Oorlog on the new and independent Brussels label Play It Again Sam. The traditional press and radio ignore the record, but in the alternative circuits the mini-album does not go unnoticed, and the group starts to build a solid fan base, resulting in more and more offers for gigs. There's also interest in the Netherlands, and due to the international contacts of PIAS, the record also ends up in France, Switzerland, Spain and Canada.

Encouraged by this modest success, the group returns to the studio for a 12" single. With new group member Frits De Cauter on sax, they record "Voor De Dood". To this day, Voor De Dood remains the most popular AdA song, as evidenced by the countless compilations on which the song has appeared.

AdA goes to the Netherlands to record their next album “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen”. The people from Nasmak have built a new studio in Eindhoven and one of the members, Theo Van Eenbergen (later Henry Rollins), will be the producer. “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen” is the group's most adventurous album, and the reviews are again unanimously favorable. However, sales are disappointing and PIAS proposes to recruit Chris Reed of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and record a new single with him. "Zonder Omzien" is recorded at the prestigious Pyramid Studio. However, PIAS is waiting to release the album and in the meantime AdA is recording a number of extra tracks with producer Ludo Camberlin, including "Koekoek In De Stad". Towards the end of the year, Lo and Elvis travel to Africa for a few months and as a result the group comes to a standstill. In this period, Zonder Omzien is released.

At the beginning of 1986, Peeters and Meulen return, and Andrea Smits leaves the group. Luc Pillards is hired as a replacement, and when Ludo Camberlin presents himself as a new label boss and producer (Anything But Records), they start recording their first full album for the label. “Harde Feiten" kicks in immediately, and the group is back up to cruising speed. In the first week of release, the record even appears in the bestseller list of the record stores.

At the beginning of 1987 the recordings for the second album start, this time in a production by Peeters and Angst themselves. Shortly after the shooting, AdA goes to Switzerland for a short but successful tour, with Men 2nd and Cas & Organized Crime as support act. "Koudvuur" is published in the autumn and considered to be their strongest record so far by the group, the reactions are rather low. Both the reviews in the press and the sales are disappointing and put a damper on the joy. Nevertheless, the group is invited to perform in Valencia, Spain, where they have an unexpected success.

MUTANT SOUNDS BLOG

Aroma Di Amore have always been outsiders, even within the confinement of the alternative rock circuit. Their peculiar blend of raw guitars, electronics, Dutch lyrics and unconventional song structures was too hybrid for many. Those howewer who, without prejudice, would lend an ear to the band's music, discovered an energetic, authentic and uncompromising collective that stood above all trends. While so many Belgian "connaisseurs" had their doubts about the possibilities of international recognition for a band singing in Dutch, Aroma Di Amore toured France, Switzerland and Spain; their records figured in alternative charts from Poland to Canada.

From beginning to end the nucleus of Aroma Di Amore consisted of Elvis PEETERS, who in a inimitable, possessed way delivered his highly original lyrics, and Fred ANGST, guitarist mastering the heaviest riffs as well as refined tapestries of sound. Furthermore, the line-up varied throughout the band's carreer with:- H.K. (Guitarist from 1982 until 1983)- Andrea SMITS (Organ from 1982 until 1985)- Luc PILLARDS (Synthsizer in 1986)- Jan WANDELAAR (Guitar and synthesizer in 1986)- Pulcherie (Saxophone in 1983)- Wout DOCKX (Bass from 1987 until 1988)and especially- Lo MEULEN (Bass from 1983 until 1987)and the late Frits DE CAUTER (Saxophone from 1984 until 1986)contributing to the music.

First-time reissue of Aroma Di Amore's 2nd album, originally released in 1986.

Aroma Di Amore is/was Belgian’s premier cult band. Since the early eighties ADA innovatively combined electronics with rock. With a mix of razor-sharp Flemish lyrics and unconventional song structures the group earned a cult status in Belgium and abroad. 40 years later they conclude their career with a few last concerts and a vinyl box set spanning the years 1983-1987.

At the notorious Rock Rally of 1982 Aroma Di Amore stands out with their wonderful handling of the Flemish language, a deep bass, typical cold new wave drums, biting guitar riffs with the occasional flavor of absolute madness. Frontman Jos Verlooy adopts the stage name Elvis Peeters. The explanation for this remarkable pseudonym choice: in 1977 – the period of the singer's musical awakening – one of the two famous rocking Elvises (not Costello, but Presley) succumbs to his pill addiction. So, dixit Verlooy, there is an Elvis vacant. A banal surname belongs next to that exotic first name. A combination that breathes rock 'n' roll, according to the singer.

His companion Gerry Vergult – who very much determines the sound with his metallic riffs, somewhat indebted to Jean-Marie Aerts – adopts the stage name Fred Angst. Completely in line with the depressing zeitgeist of the 1980s. Gerry eats and breathes music. Besides composing most of ADA’s songs, he records & self-produces a few fantastic dark en loner solo minimal wave tracks as Fred Angst. He is still musically active, more towards the electronic leftfield nowadays under the moniker Zool.

It is clear from an early age that companion Elvis Peeters possesses the gift of the word. As an adolescent he published the punkzine “Dus”. The punk spirit stimulates Peeters. He begins to transform the poetry that he has been entrusting to paper for some time into song lyrics. It is on a whim and without any stage experience that punk friends Peeters and Angst register for the Rock Rally as Aroma di Amore. On a bed of post-punk and cold wave (Joy Division, Wire and Sisters of Mercy are the main influences), they initially let out playful, minimalist and nonsensical slogans such as "Doe De Mafia" (1982) and "Gorilla Dans De Samba" (1983). Later on, the tone becomes more serious, although Peeters' choice of words continues to show a penchant for absurdism and sarcasm. No one in Dutch songwriting imitates this verbal elasticity, certainly at that time.

The numerous songs about war are downright horrifying. In the 1980s, an arms race is underway. When the Belgian government decides to install nuclear missiles in 1981, Aroma di Amore asks for one minute of silence in the hall during performances. In "Lauwe Oorlog" (1983), Peeters exposes the core of his unrest: “paraat voor de parade / de vrede wordt begraven / met militaire eer”. To this day, the frontman of AdA still proudly wears his at least 30 year old 'atomic energy, no thanks!' button.

In 1984 Aroma releases Koude Oorlog on the new and independent Brussels label Play It Again Sam. The traditional press and radio ignore the record, but in the alternative circuits the mini-album does not go unnoticed, and the group starts to build a solid fan base, resulting in more and more offers for gigs. There's also interest in the Netherlands, and due to the international contacts of PIAS, the record also ends up in France, Switzerland, Spain and Canada.

Encouraged by this modest success, the group returns to the studio for a 12" single. With new group member Frits De Cauter on sax, they record "Voor De Dood". To this day, Voor De Dood remains the most popular AdA song, as evidenced by the countless compilations on which the song has appeared.

AdA goes to the Netherlands to record their next album “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen”. The people from Nasmak have built a new studio in Eindhoven and one of the members, Theo Van Eenbergen (later Henry Rollins), will be the producer. “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen” is the group's most adventurous album, and the reviews are again unanimously favorable. However, sales are disappointing and PIAS proposes to recruit Chris Reed of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and record a new single with him. "Zonder Omzien" is recorded at the prestigious Pyramid Studio. However, PIAS is waiting to release the album and in the meantime AdA is recording a number of extra tracks with producer Ludo Camberlin, including "Koekoek In De Stad". Towards the end of the year, Lo and Elvis travel to Africa for a few months and as a result the group comes to a standstill. In this period, Zonder Omzien is released.

At the beginning of 1986, Peeters and Meulen return, and Andrea Smits leaves the group. Luc Pillards is hired as a replacement, and when Ludo Camberlin presents himself as a new label boss and producer (Anything But Records), they start recording their first full album for the label. “Harde Feiten" kicks in immediately, and the group is back up to cruising speed. In the first week of release, the record even appears in the bestseller list of the record stores.

At the beginning of 1987 the recordings for the second album start, this time in a production by Peeters and Angst themselves. Shortly after the shooting, AdA goes to Switzerland for a short but successful tour, with Men 2nd and Cas & Organized Crime as support act. "Koudvuur" is published in the autumn and considered to be their strongest record so far by the group, the reactions are rather low. Both the reviews in the press and the sales are disappointing and put a damper on the joy. Nevertheless, the group is invited to perform in Valencia, Spain, where they have an unexpected success.

MUTANT SOUNDS BLOG

Aroma Di Amore have always been outsiders, even within the confinement of the alternative rock circuit. Their peculiar blend of raw guitars, electronics, Dutch lyrics and unconventional song structures was too hybrid for many. Those howewer who, without prejudice, would lend an ear to the band's music, discovered an energetic, authentic and uncompromising collective that stood above all trends. While so many Belgian "connaisseurs" had their doubts about the possibilities of international recognition for a band singing in Dutch, Aroma Di Amore toured France, Switzerland and Spain; their records figured in alternative charts from Poland to Canada.

From beginning to end the nucleus of Aroma Di Amore consisted of Elvis PEETERS, who in a inimitable, possessed way delivered his highly original lyrics, and Fred ANGST, guitarist mastering the heaviest riffs as well as refined tapestries of sound. Furthermore, the line-up varied throughout the band's carreer with:- H.K. (Guitarist from 1982 until 1983)- Andrea SMITS (Organ from 1982 until 1985)- Luc PILLARDS (Synthsizer in 1986)- Jan WANDELAAR (Guitar and synthesizer in 1986)- Pulcherie (Saxophone in 1983)- Wout DOCKX (Bass from 1987 until 1988)and especially- Lo MEULEN (Bass from 1983 until 1987)and the late Frits DE CAUTER (Saxophone from 1984 until 1986)contributing to the music.

First-time reissue of Aroma Di Amore's 3rd album, originally released in 1987.

Aroma Di Amore is/was Belgian’s premier cult band. Since the early eighties ADA innovatively combined electronics with rock. With a mix of razor-sharp Flemish lyrics and unconventional song structures the group earned a cult status in Belgium and abroad. 40 years later they conclude their career with a few last concerts and a vinyl box set spanning the years 1983-1987.

At the notorious Rock Rally of 1982 Aroma Di Amore stands out with their wonderful handling of the Flemish language, a deep bass, typical cold new wave drums, biting guitar riffs with the occasional flavor of absolute madness. Frontman Jos Verlooy adopts the stage name Elvis Peeters. The explanation for this remarkable pseudonym choice: in 1977 – the period of the singer's musical awakening – one of the two famous rocking Elvises (not Costello, but Presley) succumbs to his pill addiction. So, dixit Verlooy, there is an Elvis vacant. A banal surname belongs next to that exotic first name. A combination that breathes rock 'n' roll, according to the singer.

His companion Gerry Vergult – who very much determines the sound with his metallic riffs, somewhat indebted to Jean-Marie Aerts – adopts the stage name Fred Angst. Completely in line with the depressing zeitgeist of the 1980s. Gerry eats and breathes music. Besides composing most of ADA’s songs, he records & self-produces a few fantastic dark en loner solo minimal wave tracks as Fred Angst. He is still musically active, more towards the electronic leftfield nowadays under the moniker Zool.

It is clear from an early age that companion Elvis Peeters possesses the gift of the word. As an adolescent he published the punkzine “Dus”. The punk spirit stimulates Peeters. He begins to transform the poetry that he has been entrusting to paper for some time into song lyrics. It is on a whim and without any stage experience that punk friends Peeters and Angst register for the Rock Rally as Aroma di Amore. On a bed of post-punk and cold wave (Joy Division, Wire and Sisters of Mercy are the main influences), they initially let out playful, minimalist and nonsensical slogans such as "Doe De Mafia" (1982) and "Gorilla Dans De Samba" (1983). Later on, the tone becomes more serious, although Peeters' choice of words continues to show a penchant for absurdism and sarcasm. No one in Dutch songwriting imitates this verbal elasticity, certainly at that time.

The numerous songs about war are downright horrifying. In the 1980s, an arms race is underway. When the Belgian government decides to install nuclear missiles in 1981, Aroma di Amore asks for one minute of silence in the hall during performances. In "Lauwe Oorlog" (1983), Peeters exposes the core of his unrest: “paraat voor de parade / de vrede wordt begraven / met militaire eer”. To this day, the frontman of AdA still proudly wears his at least 30 year old 'atomic energy, no thanks!' button.

In 1984 Aroma releases Koude Oorlog on the new and independent Brussels label Play It Again Sam. The traditional press and radio ignore the record, but in the alternative circuits the mini-album does not go unnoticed, and the group starts to build a solid fan base, resulting in more and more offers for gigs. There's also interest in the Netherlands, and due to the international contacts of PIAS, the record also ends up in France, Switzerland, Spain and Canada.

Encouraged by this modest success, the group returns to the studio for a 12" single. With new group member Frits De Cauter on sax, they record "Voor De Dood". To this day, Voor De Dood remains the most popular AdA song, as evidenced by the countless compilations on which the song has appeared.

AdA goes to the Netherlands to record their next album “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen”. The people from Nasmak have built a new studio in Eindhoven and one of the members, Theo Van Eenbergen (later Henry Rollins), will be the producer. “De Sfeer Van Grote Dagen” is the group's most adventurous album, and the reviews are again unanimously favorable. However, sales are disappointing and PIAS proposes to recruit Chris Reed of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and record a new single with him. "Zonder Omzien" is recorded at the prestigious Pyramid Studio. However, PIAS is waiting to release the album and in the meantime AdA is recording a number of extra tracks with producer Ludo Camberlin, including "Koekoek In De Stad". Towards the end of the year, Lo and Elvis travel to Africa for a few months and as a result the group comes to a standstill. In this period, Zonder Omzien is released.

At the beginning of 1986, Peeters and Meulen return, and Andrea Smits leaves the group. Luc Pillards is hired as a replacement, and when Ludo Camberlin presents himself as a new label boss and producer (Anything But Records), they start recording their first full album for the label. “Harde Feiten" kicks in immediately, and the group is back up to cruising speed. In the first week of release, the record even appears in the bestseller list of the record stores.

At the beginning of 1987 the recordings for the second album start, this time in a production by Peeters and Angst themselves. Shortly after the shooting, AdA goes to Switzerland for a short but successful tour, with Men 2nd and Cas & Organized Crime as support act. "Koudvuur" is published in the autumn and considered to be their strongest record so far by the group, the reactions are rather low. Both the reviews in the press and the sales are disappointing and put a damper on the joy. Nevertheless, the group is invited to perform in Valencia, Spain, where they have an unexpected success.

MUTANT SOUNDS BLOG

Aroma Di Amore have always been outsiders, even within the confinement of the alternative rock circuit. Their peculiar blend of raw guitars, electronics, Dutch lyrics and unconventional song structures was too hybrid for many. Those howewer who, without prejudice, would lend an ear to the band's music, discovered an energetic, authentic and uncompromising collective that stood above all trends. While so many Belgian "connaisseurs" had their doubts about the possibilities of international recognition for a band singing in Dutch, Aroma Di Amore toured France, Switzerland and Spain; their records figured in alternative charts from Poland to Canada.

From beginning to end the nucleus of Aroma Di Amore consisted of Elvis PEETERS, who in a inimitable, possessed way delivered his highly original lyrics, and Fred ANGST, guitarist mastering the heaviest riffs as well as refined tapestries of sound. Furthermore, the line-up varied throughout the band's carreer with:- H.K. (Guitarist from 1982 until 1983)- Andrea SMITS (Organ from 1982 until 1985)- Luc PILLARDS (Synthsizer in 1986)- Jan WANDELAAR (Guitar and synthesizer in 1986)- Pulcherie (Saxophone in 1983)- Wout DOCKX (Bass from 1987 until 1988)and especially- Lo MEULEN (Bass from 1983 until 1987)and the late Frits DE CAUTER (Saxophone from 1984 until 1986)contributing to the music.