Buscar:the clash

The new batch from the bottomless edit archives of Danny Krivit is an uptempo, guitar-heavy excursion into two cuts of danceable rock from opposite sides of a decade.

“Marbles” originally came out late in 1970, the result of a collaboration between the fiery British guitarist John McLaughlin and drummer Buddy Miles. Miles was hot off his time with Jimi Hendrix, and producer Alan Douglas, who’d been instrumental in putting together the Band of Gypsys group, attempted another crossover combination with a brand new, blazing guitar god. Also on the date was Larry Young, an organ player best known for his expansive jazzy albums on Blue Note, and several veterans of Buddy Miles’ funk-rock combos. The resulting mixture produced in “Marbles” a powerful, driving rhythm anchoring an addictive riff that steamrolls through the cut in a fashion not unlike the motorik sound of Velvet Underground or Can. Mr. K’s edit leans heavily on the drums, naturally, with a long, tailor-made intro and a mesmerizing focus on the main riff, extending things well past the seven-minute mark.

Ten years later, the world of music was in an entirely different place but a good guitar riff coupled with a driving beat was still powerful currency on the dancefloor. This time, the group was Scottish new wave-punk group APB, whose single “Shoot You Down” had garnered unexpected peak time play in cutting edge NYC hotspots Danceteria, the Peppermint Lounge, the Ritz and the Mudd Club. “Shoot You Down” combines the urgency of the Clash with the free for all vibe that characterized the downtown scene (and throws in a chant borrowed from P-Funk for good measure). Mr. K has created a long instrumental opening that leads into the vocals, giving the tightly-wound 7-inch single a proper extended 12-inch treatment it deserved but never had before.

The sound is crisply remastered for club play, and stretched over the breadth of a 12-inch single. Both of these tracks are appearing on the long-format player for the first time.

L’Eclisse is the third studio album by Garden City Movement. Drawing from psychedelia, alternative R&B, leftfield electronic music and lo-fi indie songcraft, the album weaves together guitars, synthesizers, layered vocal arrangements and groove driven rhythms into a richly detailed collection of songs. Bringing together different facets of the band's sound into a cohesive body of work, the album reflects a decade of musical exploration while further developing Garden City Movement's distinctive musical language.

Garden City Movement are the duo of Roy Avital and Johnny Sharoni. Over the past decade, they have built an international audience through a distinctive blend of dream pop, electronic music and immersive production. Their releases have received support from Pitchfork, The FADER, Clash, Stereogum and KCRW, while their music has appeared in FIFA 22 and major television productions. Alongside extensive international touring, the band has performed at festivals including Glastonbury, Primavera Sound, Pukkelpop and Lollapalooza India, and shared stages with artists such as Alt J, RÜFÜS DU SOL, SOHN and Cults.

Children of Zeus return with their third studio album ‘As The World Burns…’

Five years on from their highly-acclaimed sophomore album ‘Balance’, Manchester’s kings of hip hop soul, Tyler Daley and Konny Kon, bring us a brand new 16-track opus.

Sonically the duo continue their story where they left off; crafting an amalgamation of street soul, alternative r&b and boom bap hip hop, with a sprinkle of flavours taken from their original multi-genre pirate radio influences, and a dash of forward-thinking new sounds, ensuring all tracks are destined to become future classics.

The features are sparing but powerful, enlisting the talents of revered UK rapper Knucks (‘Before We Drown’), Colorado-native Young Old Soul (‘Dopamine’), MCR family K S R (‘Do You Want To Get High’, & Australian/Mauritian up & comer Anieszka (‘Water & Vibes’).

As with previous projects, this album is largely produced by the duo themselves, though there are guest productions from previous collaborators too, including Grammy Award-winner Beat Butcha, Grammy-nominated Teo, and broken beat pioneer K15, along with an assortment of new players making moves in the underground neo-soul & beats circuit.

Conceptually, this project continues on with the story to date. An eternal search for sunsets and soulfood, as a respite to the anxieties of the modern world; personally, professionally and globally. Assertive swagger is matched with brutal but sincere candidity. As ever, it encapsulates the rough with the smooth, with reflections on where they’ve been, where they’re at and where they’re headed. There’s no preaching to be found here; just an acceptance of things as they are, an embrace of the environment and people they were nurtured by, and a celebration of some of the finer things in life; slow jams, weed & rum, water & vibes. Raps for listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners. All packaged together as another perfect sonic love letter to sound system culture. 50 minutes of big people music.

Since the release of their anthemic debut single ‘Still Standing’ a decade ago, to the subsequent EP ‘The Story So Far’, and their critically-lauded debut album ‘Travel Light’, the duo have received numerous accolades, including nominations for AIM Awards & Worldwide Awards both, along with tons of ‘Album of the Year’ nods care of Clash Magazine, Bandcamp, Complex, Wordplay and many more. This along with huge swathes of support from DJs, radio stations, press outlets, tastemakers, luminaries & fellow artists across the globe.

Children of Zeus have performed sessions for COLORS, Soulection (Apple Music), DJ AG, Boiler Room, BBC 6 Music and at the infamous Maida Vale studios for BBC 1Xtra as well as touring across Europe, Australia and South Africa. This is in addition to collaborating & touring with Mercury Award Winner’s Ezra Collective, including a Wembley Arena show. Other collaborations over the years have included Shy FX, Juls, Goldie, Black Milk, Kofi Stone and the late great Lenzman.

From the Broke ’n’ English / Hoodman-era, to the present day, Children of Zeus have been omnipresent in the fabric of British black music. Proud ambassadors of Manchester music, and of UK soul, it really is “Zeus to the world”.

Children of Zeus have been adorned with plenty of flowers over their career. The unbridled quality and poignance of the music and the message on display throughout this project will see the algorithmic needle move some more. It’s undoubtedly set to be a Zeus Summer. As the world burns…

Available on all digital platforms and physical formats, Friday September 4th 2026.







t 07: Do You Want To Get High? (feat. K S R ) - Children of Zeus03:26







t 07: Do You Want To Get High? (feat. [ K S R ]) - Children of Zeus03:26







[t] 07: Do You Want To Get High? (feat. [ K S R ]) - Children of Zeus03:26







[g] B3 | Do You Want To Get High? (feat [ K S R ]) - Children of Zeus03:26

“An amazing new project…” Tony Minvielle, Jazz FM

“A lush, heatwave-friendly piece of dancefloor innovation…” Clash Magazine


First Word Records is delighted to bring you the debut EP from Ships of the Pharaohs.


Ships of the Pharaohs are a London-based collective led by producer Last Nubian, who’s had releases in his own right on labels like CoOp Presents, Eglo Records & Touching Bass. Blending jazz, soul, bossa nova, d&b and house-influenced grooves, the band also consists of vocalist Achanté, keys player Goldbar & bassist, Dougan.

The 7-track EP kicks off with the high-energy, vitamin D-saturated lead single ‘Sun is Rising’, featuring the guest vocals of brilliant Berlin-based singer Red Bird, who appears on three tracks on this project (‘For You’ and ‘Seasons’). ‘Can’t Quit’ follows on a smooth soulful house/bruk tempo, and invites in the thought-provoking spoken word prose of AKEEM. ‘Seasons’, ‘For You’ and recent single ‘Joys’ add another element to the band’s eclectic take on fusion, leaning heavily into the bossa side of the quartet’s influences. The latter track sees Achanté’s soulful harmonies gracefully float across a warm bed of keys, percussion, guitar picks & synth strings. We take a short jazzy breather on the ‘Interlude’ cut, featuring the resplendent sax of multi-talented Norwegian artist, Bror Havnes, who also features on the outro cut ‘One’ - this one seeing the crew ride out with a sonic salute to jungle/d&b, closing this first opus from the group with the energy levels remaining high.

Tre Wright (aka Last Nubian) explains “Our debut EP is a reflection of who we are, both individually and as a collective. Drawing inspiration from jazz, jungle, bossa nova, house, r&b and the music that's shaped us, we've explored our own interpretation of these sounds and how they come together in a way that feels true to us. It gave us the space to experiment without boundaries, trust our instincts, and create something that genuinely reflects where we are creatively right now.”


Originally conceived to perform Last Nubian material live for a Touching Bass showcase at We Out Here festival in 2023, the project soon took on a life of its own, as the group effort unleashed a unique chemistry & sound of its own merit. Thereafter followed numerous sessions in a studio-converted bedroom of a Brixton flat, developing this new sound. The finishing touches were taken care of at the infamous Total Refreshment Centre in North London, resulting in the formation of captivating new original material, which appears across this first extended release.

Ships of the Pharaohs have additionally performed live across London at Brick Lane Jazz Festival, House of KOKO, Jazz on Wick Festival, Peckham Levels, 91 Living Room & GROW in Hackney. Developing their powerful stage presence has gone hand in hand with the creation of their own material.

The initial singles from this project received praise & support from a variety of DJs, press outlets & tastemakers from the worlds of jazz, soul and clubland, including Shy One (NTS), Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM), Rohan Rakhit (Worldwide FM), Somewhere Soul & Clash Magazine to name a few.


With sonics somewhat reminiscent of Acid Jazz legends Incognito, merged with the class of Nuyorican Soul, and the dynamic fluidity of 4Hero, the 4-piece have cooked up a set of style & flavours uniquely their own, fresh for modern dances, incorporating organic improvisation with more contemporary club sounds.

The Ships of the Pharaohs are about to set sail for what is sure to be an exciting journey ahead.

‘Part 1’ will be released on 12” vinyl & all digital platforms on September 18th 2026.

Coloured Vinyl. Harsh Reality - the fourth studio album by Seattle's The Drowns - is an unapologetically political punk record, coming this September from Pirates Press Records. Recorded at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO by punk rock legend Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag) and mixed by Jason Livermore (Teenage Bottlerocket), this collection of 13 new songs fuses everything fans have loved about the band's previous sonic experimentation and focuses it into laser-tight melodic songwriting firmly rooted in punk rock, but with the potential to reach listeners from all walks of life. Singer-guitarist Rev Peters, singer-bassist Andy Wylie, and drummer Jake Margolis largely bashed out the tracks themselves, with the exception of additional guitar work on "Vengeance" by Zach Blair (Rise Against, Only Crime, GWAR), and a touch of accordion on "3rd & Pike" courtesy of Matt Hensley (A-100s, Flogging Molly). While the title of lead single "Relentless" could easily refer to The Drowns' infamously non-stop touring regimen, it refers instead to something far more humanitarian: the crushing weight of capitalism on the working poor. The song acknowledges the toll it takes on one's mental health, struggling day in & day out with no breaks only to be left farther & farther behind. "I wish life would just give it a rest", laments Rev. The album contains its fair share of venom, however, like all great political punk in the tradition of The Clash or Stiff Little Fingers, the lyrics prioritize people over polemic, reaching out with compassion in an age where it is in distressingly short supply. "I'm sure that we could change it all if we only had a heart", implores Andy on "Have a Heart". This is life-affirming music for hard times, made for everyone that could sorely use it right now, and a record poised to give the band's hard-earned position as a fan-favorite in the global punk scene an even greater trajectory. For a band that has won over fans around the globe, record by record and show by show, it is a big statement, but simply put: Harsh Reality is The Drowns at the top of their game.

A recent signee to Chess Club Records, Jo Geller aka jo from school, finds herself among the independent label’s pedigree of homegrown artists who have gone on to attain major success. Alumni such as Billie Marten, an artist long admired by Jo, as well as Wolf Alice, are just a couple of names who found their initial support through Chess Club.

At 22-years-old, jo from school’s graceful, carefully crafted but devastatingly delivered songs hit with an air of maturity that lands far beyond her years. An embrace for spontaneity and imperfection gives her material its character; primarily as an artist focussed on doing things her own way.

Writing on the piano since the tender age of nine, Jo self-taught herself guitar as a teenager during lockdown, joining the illustrious Brit School: “I was the only musician in my world until I went to Brit School, then I was the worst musician there,” she says. “It gave me a kick. I went from thinking that it was cooler to not care about anything, to realising the more you cared, the cooler and more individual it made you.”

Largely produced by Rich Cooper (CMAT, Billie Marten), so far both singles from the EP have been supported by BBC Radio 1, Radio 2 & 6Music. Huw Stephen's has invited Jo to feature in his Huw You Are segment airing on 6Music on 29th July, and Jess Iszatt has already had Jo as her Introducing featured artist on BBC Radio London. Rolling Stone UK featured jo as their Play Next artist last month, along with CLASH who just confirmed a Next Wave feature to run on EP release. Outlets like Line of Best Fit, DORK, DIY and Wonderland have all came to the table to champion jo too. We've also seen impressive audience growth in just 2 months – with jo adding more than 3k new followers across platforms since her debut single 'Chicken' was released on 6th May.

On the live front, jo was invited by Dirty Hit's Skullcrusher to support on her UK + European headline tour in June, with past supports also including TTSSFU, Daffo, Esme Emerson. Jo has been booked for Night Currents festival in Portsmouth and invited to support 1000 Rabbits, both in October, and will be Playing Estrella Soundhood Festival in London in September too.

Children of Zeus return with their third studio album ‘As The World Burns…’

Five years on from their highly-acclaimed sophomore album ‘Balance’, Manchester’s kings of hip hop soul, Tyler Daley and Konny Kon, bring us a brand new 16-track opus.

Sonically the duo continue their story where they left off; crafting an amalgamation of street soul, alternative r&b and boom bap hip hop, with a sprinkle of flavours taken from their original multi-genre pirate radio influences, and a dash of forward-thinking new sounds, ensuring all tracks are destined to become future classics.

The features are sparing but powerful, enlisting the talents of revered UK rapper Knucks (‘Before We Drown’), Colorado-native Young Old Soul (‘Dopamine’), MCR family K S R (‘Do You Want To Get High’, & Australian/Mauritian up & comer Anieszka (‘Water & Vibes’).

As with previous projects, this album is largely produced by the duo themselves, though there are guest productions from previous collaborators too, including Grammy Award-winner Beat Butcha, Grammy-nominated Teo, and broken beat pioneer K15, along with an assortment of new players making moves in the underground neo-soul & beats circuit.

Conceptually, this project continues on with the story to date. An eternal search for sunsets and soulfood, as a respite to the anxieties of the modern world; personally, professionally and globally. Assertive swagger is matched with brutal but sincere candidity. As ever, it encapsulates the rough with the smooth, with reflections on where they’ve been, where they’re at and where they’re headed. There’s no preaching to be found here; just an acceptance of things as they are, an embrace of the environment and people they were nurtured by, and a celebration of some of the finer things in life; slow jams, weed & rum, water & vibes. Raps for listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners. All packaged together as another perfect sonic love letter to sound system culture. 50 minutes of big people music.

Since the release of their anthemic debut single ‘Still Standing’ a decade ago, to the subsequent EP ‘The Story So Far’, and their critically-lauded debut album ‘Travel Light’, the duo have received numerous accolades, including nominations for AIM Awards & Worldwide Awards both, along with tons of ‘Album of the Year’ nods care of Clash Magazine, Bandcamp, Complex, Wordplay and many more. This along with huge swathes of support from DJs, radio stations, press outlets, tastemakers, luminaries & fellow artists across the globe.

Children of Zeus have performed sessions for COLORS, Soulection (Apple Music), DJ AG, Boiler Room, BBC 6 Music and at the infamous Maida Vale studios for BBC 1Xtra as well as touring across Europe, Australia and South Africa. This is in addition to collaborating & touring with Mercury Award Winner’s Ezra Collective, including a Wembley Arena show. Other collaborations over the years have included Shy FX, Juls, Goldie, Black Milk, Kofi Stone and the late great Lenzman.

From the Broke ’n’ English / Hoodman-era, to the present day, Children of Zeus have been omnipresent in the fabric of British black music. Proud ambassadors of Manchester music, and of UK soul, it really is “Zeus to the world”.

Children of Zeus have been adorned with plenty of flowers over their career. The unbridled quality and poignance of the music and the message on display throughout this project will see the algorithmic needle move some more. It’s undoubtedly set to be a Zeus Summer. As the world burns…

Available on all digital platforms and physical formats, Friday September 4th 2026.







t 07: Do You Want To Get High? (feat. K S R ) - Children of Zeus03:26







t 07: Do You Want To Get High? (feat. K S R ) - Children of Zeus03:26







[t] 07: Do You Want To Get High? (feat. [ K S R ]) - Children of Zeus03:26







[t] 07: Do You Want To Get High? (feat. [ K S R ]) - Children of Zeus03:26







[g] B3 | Do You Want To Get High? (feat [ K S R ]) - Children of Zeus03:26

One year earlier, 50 years ago this December, THE HEARTBREAKERS arrived in London to join the Sex Pistols on the "Anarchy" tour. They spent most of 1977 there, recording "L.A.M.F." and cementing their status as elder statesmen of the punk movement. This last date of their 1977 European tour was to be their very last as a band - until the reunions. Drummer Jerry Nolan had already jumped ship; his substitute is The Clash"s Terry Chimes. The gig was filmed for a movie that was never to be - this is the soundtrack recording.

Die schwedische Künstlerin Sibille Attar kehrt mit ,Amor Fati" zurück, ihrem ersten englischsprachigen Album seit fünf Jahren. Attar, die bereits von Pitchfork, Stereogum, The Line of Best Fit, Clash und BrooklynVegan gelobt wurde, hat sich als eine der faszinierendsten und von Kritikern am meisten gefeierten Stimmen des alternativen Pop in Schweden etabliert. ,Amor Fati" - äußerst unabhängig und komplett in Eigenregie produziert - begann als Versuch, ein reines Liebesalbum zu schaffen - offenherzig, euphorisch und ungekünstelt. Doch während sich die Songs entfalten, beginnen sich emotionale Gewissheiten zu verschieben. Das Album, das in Schweden, Belgien, Deutschland und den Vereinigten Staaten entstanden ist, beschäftigt sich mit Intimität, Sehnsucht, Vertrauen und den seltsamen Wegen, auf denen sich Liebe im Laufe der Zeit neu formt. Es beginnt euphorisch, wird schnell kompliziert und weigert sich, sich für irgendjemanden der Einfachheit halber zu vereinfachen - vielleicht weniger beruhigend, aber dafür umso lebendiger. "madly wide-eyed, swooning songs" - Pitchfork "leaps out of the speakers so vibrantly that the band seems to be playing in the same room with you" - Stereogum "a masterpiece in artistic misery" - The Line of Best Fit "mournful and absolutely gorgeous" - BrooklynVegan ENG Swedish artist Sibille Attar returns with Amor Fati, her first album in English in five years. Previously praised by Pitchfork, Stereogum, The Line of Best Fit, Clash, and BrooklynVegan, Attar has established herself as one of Sweden's most fascinating and critically acclaimed voices in alternative pop. Fiercely independent and entirely self-produced, Amor Fati began as an attempt to make a pure love album -open-hearted, euphoric, and unguarded. But as the songs unfold, emotional certainties begin to shift. Written across Sweden, Belgium, Germany, and the United States, the album explores intimacy, longing, trust, and the strange ways love reshapes itself over time. It begins in euphoria, gets complicated fast, and refuses to simplify itself for anyone's convenience - less reassuring, perhaps, but far more alive. "madly wide-eyed, swooning songs" - Pitchfork "leaps out of the speakers so vibrantly that the band seems to be playing in the same room with you" - Stereogum "a masterpiece in artistic misery" - The Line of Best Fit "mournful and absolutely gorgeous" - BrooklynVegan

Long Slow Distance is an album about finding peace, and making peace where it can’t be found. It’s inspired by change, grief, acceptance, forgiveness, love, and running.

Dawson began running around the same time he started making records. At this point it’s unclear where one practice ends and the other begins. The album’s title has become the ethos he’s embraced for all things in life.

Long Slow Dance unravels the woven collage of his previous work. Here each song consists of three long guitar takes, panned across the stereo-field with minimal overdubs. “I remember my grandmother always kept a rain barrel on the farm. Just a simple vessel that served as a means for gathering water for the garden and the flowers. I wanted to instill that sentiment on this record. Other than some panning and recreational EQing, the computer was just a vessel to gather sounds.”

There is a distant grace to the album. A soft expanse, a quiet contrast. Guitars dissolve and then recalibrate. Sparse melodic motifs bloom and fracture. Warm chords clash and make amends. Alpenglow textures shimmer against tones that feel weathered by salt air. The songs are lightly propulsive, yet drift at a glacial pace. Fields and artifacts ground the material, like keeping your eyes on the horizon. Long Slow Distance feels intuitive, sentimental, and like Dawson is one step closer to whatever distance he is chasing.
Downloadable Assets

"There Near" ist das sechste Studio-Album, das DINOSAUR JR. seit ihrer gefeierten Wiedervereinigung vor 20 Jahren aufgenommen haben. Zwar gab es seit "Sweep It Into Space" vor fünf Jahren einige Live Veröffentlichungen und Archivsammlungen, doch nichts kommt an ein komplett neues Album voller frischer DINO Songs heran. Und auf "There Near" stehen sämtliche Regler auf Anschlag. Das Album entstand in kurzen, intensiven Arbeitsphasen über den Zeitraum eines Jahres hinweg in den Bisquiteen Studios in Amherst. Aufgenommen wurde es nahezu vollständig vom Kerntrio der Band: Schlagzeuger Murph, Bassist und Sänger Lou Barlow sowie Gitarrist und Sänger J Mascis. Unterstützung kam lediglich durch einige Piano- und Orgelparts von Ken Mauri. Das Ergebnis entfaltet von Anfang bis Ende eine enorme Wucht. Der Gitarrensound von Mascis klingt auf "There Near" noch ursprünglicher und animalischer als gewohnt, was möglicherweise auch an einem kürzlich erworbenen Mesa Boogie MK 1 Verstärker aus den 1970er Jahren liegt. "Ich habe denselben Verstärker gekauft, den Chris Dixon hatte, als wir unser erstes Album aufgenommen haben", erklärt Mascis. "Chris hat uns damals bei sich zu Hause mit genau diesem Amp aufgenommen. Er hat einen wirklich interessanten Klang, den ich schon lange nicht mehr hinbekommen habe. Genau zu diesem Sound wollte ich auf diesem Album zurück. Die ROLLING STONES begannen in den 70ern Mesa Boogies zu benutzen, nachdem sie SANTANA damit gehört hatten. Danach machten es THE CLASH nach und so weiter. Mit den späteren Modellen wurde der Sound zunehmend Metal-lastiger. Aber der MK 1 klingt wie ein aufgemotzter Fender. Man hört immer wieder, dass Rick Rubin Bands dazu bringt, ihr erstes Album zu hören und zu sagen: Lasst uns wieder zu diesem Sound zurückkehren. Also habe ich mir seinen Rat einfach selbst gegeben." Auf die Frage nach der oft schwer greifbaren Bedeutung seiner Texte antwortet Mascis: "Wenn ich einen Song schreibe, weiß ich oft selbst nicht genau, worum es darin geht. Ich schätze, die Bedeutung zeigt sich irgendwann von allein. Ich verwende einfach die Worte, die funktionieren. Vieles wird auch von irgendeinem esoterischen Kram beeinflusst, den ich gerade lese. Ich versuche, nicht zu viel darüber nachzudenken. Mich nervt es, dass Spotify inzwischen alle Songtexte anzeigt. Wo bleibt da der Spaß?" Mit "There Near" setzen DINOSAUR JR. ihre Reihe von mittlerweile zu Klassikern mutierten Alben fort. Die neuen Songs dürften mit ihren gewaltigen Riffs live ebenso eindrucksvoll funktionieren wie die Klassiker des Bandschaffens. Bis die Band wieder auf der Bühne zu erleben ist, wird "There Near" ein treuer Begleiter sein. Je näher, desto besser.

Splatter Vinyl, exklusiv via 375 Media. "There Near" ist das sechste Studio-Album, das DINOSAUR JR. seit ihrer gefeierten Wiedervereinigung vor 20 Jahren aufgenommen haben. Zwar gab es seit "Sweep It Into Space" vor fünf Jahren einige Live Veröffentlichungen und Archivsammlungen, doch nichts kommt an ein komplett neues Album voller frischer DINO Songs heran. Und auf "There Near" stehen sämtliche Regler auf Anschlag. Das Album entstand in kurzen, intensiven Arbeitsphasen über den Zeitraum eines Jahres hinweg in den Bisquiteen Studios in Amherst. Aufgenommen wurde es nahezu vollständig vom Kerntrio der Band: Schlagzeuger Murph, Bassist und Sänger Lou Barlow sowie Gitarrist und Sänger J Mascis. Unterstützung kam lediglich durch einige Piano- und Orgelparts von Ken Mauri. Das Ergebnis entfaltet von Anfang bis Ende eine enorme Wucht. Der Gitarrensound von Mascis klingt auf "There Near" noch ursprünglicher und animalischer als gewohnt, was möglicherweise auch an einem kürzlich erworbenen Mesa Boogie MK 1 Verstärker aus den 1970er Jahren liegt. "Ich habe denselben Verstärker gekauft, den Chris Dixon hatte, als wir unser erstes Album aufgenommen haben", erklärt Mascis. "Chris hat uns damals bei sich zu Hause mit genau diesem Amp aufgenommen. Er hat einen wirklich interessanten Klang, den ich schon lange nicht mehr hinbekommen habe. Genau zu diesem Sound wollte ich auf diesem Album zurück. Die ROLLING STONES begannen in den 70ern Mesa Boogies zu benutzen, nachdem sie SANTANA damit gehört hatten. Danach machten es THE CLASH nach und so weiter. Mit den späteren Modellen wurde der Sound zunehmend Metal-lastiger. Aber der MK 1 klingt wie ein aufgemotzter Fender. Man hört immer wieder, dass Rick Rubin Bands dazu bringt, ihr erstes Album zu hören und zu sagen: Lasst uns wieder zu diesem Sound zurückkehren. Also habe ich mir seinen Rat einfach selbst gegeben." Auf die Frage nach der oft schwer greifbaren Bedeutung seiner Texte antwortet Mascis: "Wenn ich einen Song schreibe, weiß ich oft selbst nicht genau, worum es darin geht. Ich schätze, die Bedeutung zeigt sich irgendwann von allein. Ich verwende einfach die Worte, die funktionieren. Vieles wird auch von irgendeinem esoterischen Kram beeinflusst, den ich gerade lese. Ich versuche, nicht zu viel darüber nachzudenken. Mich nervt es, dass Spotify inzwischen alle Songtexte anzeigt. Wo bleibt da der Spaß?" Mit "There Near" setzen DINOSAUR JR. ihre Reihe von mittlerweile zu Klassikern mutierten Alben fort. Die neuen Songs dürften mit ihren gewaltigen Riffs live ebenso eindrucksvoll funktionieren wie die Klassiker des Bandschaffens. Bis die Band wieder auf der Bühne zu erleben ist, wird "There Near" ein treuer Begleiter sein. Je näher, desto besser.

Hot off the heels of a stack of fine singles, they found love with the likes of Nels Hylton, Amy Lame, John Kennedy, Visions, NTS, Bring The Noise, Upset, arts culture, Distorted Sound, The Punk Site and many more - building a buzzing community, touring with Don Broco and Weakened Friends, finding favour with scribes at the likes of Kerrang, Rock Sound and Clash and popping up on the BBC Radio 1, Radio X and BBC 6 Music airwaves with alarming regularity... Signed to Alcopop! (UK/ ROW) and Grand Hotel van Cleef (GAS) they drop fiery choruses, grungy riffs and catchy hollering britpop sensibilities. With these future anthems all wrapped around vocalist jim heffy's lyrics of angst, depression and medication, break- ups, drinking and problematic housemates, it's prescient to remember the most important message that resides in the beating heart of these songs - 'be kind and be free to express yourself, no matter who you are'.

Classic Me First And The Gimme Gimmes reissued: The Gimmes roll into town for a 12-song shootout with Country & Western. These Blue-State bandits are gonna show Kenny Chesney how it's really done. But now the demanding bunch are back, and this time, it's country that gets a kicking. More C&W-styled numbers are easy targets, be it the ever popular "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky," which here gallops straight into hardcore, "Desperado," which will never escape this incendiary melodic punk rock arrangement, and "On the Road Again," which is delivered up in a similar sizzling style. "Jolene," having already suffered the indignities of a goth make-over, is now manhandled by the Gimmes, who storm Dollyland with utter abandon and a barrage of guitars and battering drums, all the better to keep their man -- hmm, shades of Brokeback Mountain. "Annie's Song" is dragged off of John Denver's country roads, and dumped center stage in the middle of a rock concert, which is just where it belongs. Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" gets even more inspired treatment, including a bagpipe! Even a seemingly straightforward punk do-over like "Goodbye Earl" provides some scintillating moments, from the Rancid meets the Clash styling to the bright harmonies and soaring lead guitar licks. The musicianship really shines through on this set, the guitars blaze, the bass becomes assaultive, and the rolling drums sound like the thunder of mortar in the distance, while the production is equally notable. But hey, the Gimmes can play country, too -- well almost -- the first half of "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" boasts some fine fingerpickin' guitar, although the country styling keeps sliding into surf: hey, your roots are showing, guys. Now this is country music everyone can enjoy, gimme more! The 20th anniversary edition comes in a yellowish, more brown Mustard colored vinyl.

Am 7. August 2026 veröffentlichen THE BOYS eine limitierte Doppel-A-Seite-Vinyl-Single bei Damaged Goods Records. ,Damn Those Eyes" und ,Never Mind the Botox" wurden letztes Jahr im The Planet Of Noise Studio in Limmared, Schweden, aufgenommen. Beide Songs stammen aus dem sechsten offiziellen Studioalbum von The Boys, das im Dezember 2026 erscheinen wird. Zusammen mit den Sex Pistols, The Clash und The Damned gehörten The Boys zur ersten Welle der britischen Punk-Explosion Mitte der 1970er Jahre. Ausgestattet mit einem Arsenal an Killer-Songs von Steel und Dangerfield wurden The Boys im Januar 1977 zur ersten britischen Punkband, die einen Plattenvertrag unterschrieb. Von der Musikpresse und ihren Zeitgenossen hoch geschätzt, führten ihre gut ausgearbeiteten Songs zusammen mit Steels und Dangerfields Liebe zu Harmonien dazu, dass sie als ,die Beatles des Punk" bezeichnet wurden, aber sie hätten genauso verdient mit den Ramones verglichen werden können (und sollen) - schnell, abwechselnd frech und augenzwinkernd, und herrlich hymnisch. Auf der neuen Single sind die ursprünglichen Gründungsmitglieder und das Songwriter-Team Matt Dangerfield und Casino Steel zu hören, zusammen mit den langjährigen Mitgliedern Chips Kiesbye & Kent Norberg (von der schwedischen Megaband Sator) sowie Martin H-Son (ex-Backstreet Girls). Der renommierte internationale Filmemacher und ehemalige Bassist von The Crybabys, Danny Garcia, hat einen Gastauftritt auf ,Never Mind the Botox" und hat außerdem Promo-Videos für beide Songs gedreht.

With their ever-mutating brand of jazz-and-country-laced punk, Opus Kink have always cut a singular figure in a saturated landscape. Making their name with incendiary, cult-like live shows, the band - formed in Brighton (UK) in 2017 — has developed a sound as elusive as it is recognisable. Underscored by a formidable horn section and ragged, sardonic delivery, the band bear passing resemblance to post-punk and no-wave acts like The Pop Group, Birthday Party and Lounge Lizards, but it’s the weaving of older, more traditional influences - choral, folk, country, Latin, Weimar cabaret, cruise-ship-crooning - into the fabric of their music that sets them apart. Their highly anticipated debut album 'The Sweet Goodbye' is set for release on 31st July 2026 via So Recordings and follows a series of EPs and singles which have earned acclaim from NME, DORK, DIY, CLASH, SO YOUNG, BBC Radio 1 and playlisting on BBC Radio 6 Music. The album is produced by Grammy award-winning producer and mixer Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire, Florence & The Machine, Baxter Dury, REM, Kronos Quartet, Sam Fender), with album track 'The Head Tree' featuring The New Eves (No.1 Independent album in 2025). Opus Kink brings their alluring live show to audiences around the UK and Europe later this year, including a headline show at London's 2,300-cap venue o2 Kentish Town Forum, while the Summer sees them supporting The Libertines at Rochester Castle, Kent. TRACKLISTING A1. Come Over, Do Me Wrong A2. Will It Come For You? A3. I'm A Pretty Showboy A4. The Sweet Goodbye A5. Peckham Nocturne B1. I Have To Shine My Sunday Shoes B2. The Head Tree (ft. The New Eves) B3. 448C (The Colour of Love) B4. Crucify! B5. Oh, Irony QUOTES - ?"Horn-fuelled filth-funk, where punk and jazz combine in grimy circumstances." - NME - "One of the UK’s most exciting new bands?...A raucous, intense blast of guitar pop...as equally anxiety-inducing as it is sublime." - C?LASH - "Barnstorming, infectious" - Steve Lamacq, BBC 6 Music - "One of the most enjoyable genre fusions I've ever seen." - Nels Hylton, BBC Radio 1 - "(Their) ferocious live performances have earned them a reputation as? one of the best live bands in the country?." - So Young

With their ever-mutating brand of jazz-and-country-laced punk, Opus Kink have always cut a singular figure in a saturated landscape. Making their name with incendiary, cult-like live shows, the band - formed in Brighton (UK) in 2017 — has developed a sound as elusive as it is recognisable. Underscored by a formidable horn section and ragged, sardonic delivery, the band bear passing resemblance to post-punk and no-wave acts like The Pop Group, Birthday Party and Lounge Lizards, but it’s the weaving of older, more traditional influences - choral, folk, country, Latin, Weimar cabaret, cruise-ship-crooning - into the fabric of their music that sets them apart. Their highly anticipated debut album 'The Sweet Goodbye' is set for release on 31st July 2026 via So Recordings and follows a series of EPs and singles which have earned acclaim from NME, DORK, DIY, CLASH, SO YOUNG, BBC Radio 1 and playlisting on BBC Radio 6 Music. The album is produced by Grammy award-winning producer and mixer Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire, Florence & The Machine, Baxter Dury, REM, Kronos Quartet, Sam Fender), with album track 'The Head Tree' featuring The New Eves (No.1 Independent album in 2025). Opus Kink brings their alluring live show to audiences around the UK and Europe later this year, including a headline show at London's 2,300-cap venue o2 Kentish Town Forum, while the Summer sees them supporting The Libertines at Rochester Castle, Kent."Horn-fuelled filth-funk, where punk and jazz combine in grimy circumstances." - NME - "One of the UK’s most exciting new bands?...A raucous, intense blast of guitar pop...as equally anxiety-inducing as it is sublime." - C?LASH - "Barnstorming, infectious" - Steve Lamacq, BBC 6 Music - "One of the most enjoyable genre fusions I've ever seen." - Nels Hylton, BBC Radio 1 - "(Their) ferocious live performances have earned them a reputation as? one of the best live bands in the country?." - So Young

Für sein treffend betiteltes Solo-Debütalbum "Introducing..." hat Aaron Frazer mit Dan Auerbach von The Black Keys zusammengearbeitet. Soft spoken und mit dem Aussehen eines leicht unzufriedenen Matinee-Idols aus den 1950er Jahren gesegnet, besitzt Frazer eine einzigartige Stimme, die sowohl zeitgemäß als auch zeitlos klingt. Der in Baltimore aufgewachsene, zurzeit in Brooklyn lebende Songwriter wurde als Schlagzeuger und Co-Vokalist von Durand Jones & The Indications bekannt. Jetzt tritt er mit "Introducing..." als Solist hinter dem Drumkit hervor und demonstriert nicht nur seine beeindruckenden stimmlichen Qualitäten, sondern auch sein Können als hochklassiger Songschreiber. Schon die erste Single "Bad News" sorgte für Aufsehen ("a gorgeous piece of vintage R&B" - CLASH), die sich anschließende Lead-Single "Over You" ist inspiriert von elektrisierenden Northern Soul 45s der 60er Jahre. Nur zwei Belege der erfolgreichen Zusammenarbeit zwischen Frazer und Auerbach. Die zwölf Songs auf "Introducing..." verbinden gekonnt den Soul der 70er Jahre mit Dan Auerbachs besonderer Sensibilität für Vintage-Sounds im neuen Gewand. "Introducing..." enthält klassische Message-Songs im Stil von Künstlern wie Gil Scott-Heron sowie motivierende Liebeslieder, die von Disco-, Gospel- und Doo-Wop-Einflüssen durchzogen sind. Das gesamte Album wurde innerhalb nur einer Woche in Auerbachs berühmten Nashville-Studio nach einer schnellen und produktiven Songwriting-Session aufgenommen. Auerbach holte auch den legendären Songwriter und Falsettspezialisten L. Russell Brown (schrieb früher Hits für Frankie Valli von The Four Seasons) an Bord, der den wunderschönen Opener "You Don't Wanna Be My Baby" auf dem Album mitkopmponierte. Für "Introducing..." rekrutierte Frazer eine beeindruckende Schar alteingesessener Session-Musiker aus Nashville. Darunter Mitglieder der legendären Memphis Boys (die in Dusty Springfields "Son of A Preacher Man" und Aretha Franklins "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" mitspielten), den Perkussionisten Sam Bacco sowie diverse Musiker aus dem Daptone/Big Crown Records-Umfeld.

First Word Records are proud to bring you the debut EP from papaya noon - ‘through the moods’.

papaya noon are a Cardiff-based duo comprised of vocalist Annie Mirza and multi-instrumentalist Greg Marriott.

Formed five years ago, they make jazz-infused R&B music that incorporates their mutual love of classic soul, hip hop & electronica.

The duo have already amassed an impressive fan-base online, garnering over 80,000 followers across their socials, and receiving praise from such luminaries in the US as Missy Elliot, Snoop Dogg, Queen Latifah, 9th Wonder, Bootie Brown & the late great Fatman Scoop.

This is a result of their unique style, captivating grooves & deeply catchy hooks, encompassing a distinctive blend of soul music, from retrospective 90s vibes to alternative futuristic flavours, creating a sonic palette that’s wonderfully contemporary, yet very much their own.

All their music is written, performed & produced single-handedly by the duo themselves, who’ve managed to create a magically powerful potion from their plant-filled Cardiff studio space, and generated huge anticipation for their future output in-turn.

The future is NOW, as papaya noon are finally ready to unleash their music into the world.

‘through the moods’ is a 6-track EP of delicious alternative r&b vibes, already set to become future soul classics.

Sonically rooted in warm, textured instrumentation & layered harmonies, the duo have triumphantly built a huge soundscape that feels simultaneously nostalgic & futuristic. Smoky late-night ballads nestle alongside infectious uptempo jams, leaning into their jazzy boom-bap & neo-soul influences, whilst showcasing their phenomenal spread of talents as performers and songwriters both.

The duo explained that the EP navigates “neurodivergence, trauma & loss, with tenderness & honesty. Rather than presenting trauma as a spectacle, we’ve attempted to approach it with the softness and complexity that it merits”.


From the first single release ‘blush’, to the downtempo sweetness of ‘blindside’ or ‘morning light’, to the pacier ‘on your side’ & EP closer ‘crybaby’, each track on this project exemplifies their unbridled ability to produce deeply infectious earworms, whilst thematically encompassing unflinching lyricism that’s deeply personal.

Already hailed by some as “the Welsh Moonchild”, papaya noon were named as one of Clash Magazine’s “must-see” acts at FOCUS Wales in 2025, bringing their music to life on stage with their 5-piece live band, additionally performing at Brick Lane Jazz Festival, The Great Escape, Inglefest, Nowadaze, Swn Festival & Good Vibrations Society, as well as NXNe and BreakOut West in Canada, and supporting the likes of Hot 8 Brass Band & Reel People.

With everything already pointing to the duo swiftly becoming one of the hottest new soul acts in Britain, this is only the beginning of the journey for papaya noon…

‘through the moods’ will be released on vinyl & all digital platforms on Fri 10th July.

A catalyst for all sorts of noise-making endeavors, Bob Bellerue embraces chaos as a positive force. As a musician, he harnesses the violent timbres and textures from feedback clashing against piano wires, amplifiers, metal, zithers, electronics etc. He's also been central in harnessing community through his long standing Ende Tymes festival in New York, providing an intersectional platform for all voices to utter their noise. To a polite society, things such as chaos, noise, and anarchy threaten the normative structures that can assert control and maintain power over others. Bellerue qualifies his practice as a form of sonic animism, in which engages with that which is unheard in materials, equipment, and their relationships, developing a process of amplified discovery. The unhinged, the unquantifiable, and the unknowable are all possible outcomes in Bellerue's expansive works.

Chaos Is A Law is a macrotonal album, whose expressive de-centralization originates from rasping noise, intense textural accretions, brutalist drone, and inharmonic ambience. For all of the sustained harmonics and dissonant frequencies, the album is in constant motion, with Bellerue pushing dynamics that build, rupture, collapse and reform with an almost organic morphology. At times, it boils with a feral intensity. At others, its muscularity collapses into peculiar almost half-melodic figures, mutated within all the distortion. One could look to the free noise practitioners from New Zealand (e.g. A Handful Of Dust, Birchville Cat Motel, Surface of the Earth) or to the alchemical dronescaping of Stephen O'Malley and Organum. Yet, Bellerue's work maintains a bespoke tactility that is uniquely his.

In Bellerue's words, "The universe is a feedback loop. Creating and destroying. Growing and decaying. Loving and dying. Expanding and contracting. The big bang is the end result of everything merging together in the biggest black hole ever and then erupting into being over and over again. Praise chaos!"

Siren Selector launches its mixtape series with a companion release to Remy Solar’s - ‘Heavy Terrain’ cassette.

“Jamaican music grows in rings like an old tree. From a core of early riddims, the genius of Studio One, versions of original basslines and melodies evolve over time New releases of the same tune follow each other through the 70s, 80s, 90s, into this millennium. Generations of the same family. And then there’s the unreleased versions, the frontier dubs built strictly for sound systems, held close by those who got them and only gradually circulated into the wider audience of selectors and collectors. These are the ones where the bass is heavier, the echoes more mind- bending, the effects wilder and the drums harder. Older sound followers tell stories of how these dubs defined dances, flattened opponents in clashes, inspired a dozen rewinds. Younger followers remember these tales and pass them down. These dubs are folklore.

Who knows how many such versions there are in the vast worldwide archives of Jamaican music? Not me. But as a little taster of a lifetime’s musical journey you can open your ears right now to a few moments: Lacksley’s Castell’s “Unkind”, transported from the sprightly riddim which underpinned it on his Princess Lady album and reengineered into a thunderous version of Ras Michael’s None A Jah Jah Children; “Deceivers” by the Heptones, stripped back into something simultaneously ethereal and bathyspheric; Keith Hudson’s “I’m No Fool” emerging from a pressure cooker of bass and drum; Jah Lloyd’s “Black Moses”, busting down walls with its epic echo and siren opening.

I started collecting these dubs in the late 90s. We were going to Shaka at the Rocket, Aba Shanti in the Arches, then Imperial Gardens. Entebbe somewhere off Mare Street. Iration Steppas in Kingsland Road, Jah Tubby’s in the Rec. We were doing our own parties at the time in east London, Bohemia Place, then Trenz, Dungeons, the old social services office by London Fields. Building up a sound, taking it on the road, crew sitting on the speaker boxes in the back of a Mercedes 508. Under the stars or in warehouses with sweat dripping from the ceiling, lugging crates and amps across fields or up flights of stairs, stringing up boxes under bridges, in car parks or on roundabouts. Waiting for the moment to drop the dubs.

This tape is dedicated to my crew and all the music providers and anyone who also knew or wants to know these moments.“

Fifty Physical Copies - 60 mins - No digital

London’s The Hanging Stars return with their sixth album, Just A Day – a dazzling collection of four-part harmonies, shimmering twelve-string guitars and chiming songs, touching on themes of longing, new beginnings and the fragility of the everyday. Recorded at Edwyn Collin’s legendary Clashnarrow Studios in the Scottish Highlands, the album marks a bold new chapter for the band, produced with the invaluable guidance of Teenage Fanclub’s Gerard Love.

Citing sources from early Dub influenced Clash, Blitz and The Modern Lovers - Spiritual Cramp exist in a strange vacuum somewhere between David Byrne's oversized suit and a bar fight between a bunch of drunk goons on Polk Street in SF. Hate for the police, the government and the status quo are reoccurring themes in Bingham's lyrics. The sounds borrow from the past, echoes of late 70's / early 80's working class rock and punk, which function on the upbeat, showcasing very bright guitars yet generating darker vocal rhythms and darker patterning.

The Heartbreakers" "D.T.K" ("Down To Kill") is the incendiary live 1977 companion to "L.A.M.F." (Like A Mother Fucker), which is hailed as one of the classic punk albums. Formed by New York Dolls Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan in 1975, they influenced the UK punk scene, joining the Sex Pistols, Damned & Clash on the infamous "Anarchy" tour. "D.T.K" was recorded by Track Records on the Maison Rouge mobile studio on 15th March 1977 at the notorious musicians" nightclub and features Johnny infamously abusing the audience. It was a warm-up for the "L.A.M.F." sessions starting the following week. Originally released in 1982 as a 10-track album, it was remixed in 2005 and five more tracks were found on the 2" multi-track tapes. Now the album has the entire two sets played that night, 15 unexpurgated tracks in all. The sleeve has notes by journalist Kris Needs and contemporary photos.

Newly remastered and repackaged, Soul Jazz Records’ Gipsy Rhumba was first released to much-critical acclaim around the world in 2012, the album is a stunning mix of Latin, Funk, Flamenco and Rhumba rhythms. The album is being released on deluxe double vinyl, complete with large text and lush photography across two inner sleeves. Also new limited-edition new-card sleeved CD, out of print for more than ten years. The album is like no other and remains the first album ever outside of Spain to seriously focus on the history of Gipsy Rhumba, one of the most interesting musical culture clashes ever that first took place in the early 1960s.

In the Catalan region of Spain, Gypsies primarily known as the creators of Flamenco, came up with a fascinating hybrid style – Gipsy Rhumba – which blended together Latin and Rhumba music of Cuba and the Caribbean together with their own Flamenco as well as the emerging Rock and Roll from America. The album tells this unique story of how this Latin-tinged music came about in the heart of Spain's gypsy community. The album comes with extensive sleevenotes, exclusive and stunning photography from the celebrated French photographer Jacques Leonard. The album is put together by two of Spain's most important Gipsy Rhumba specialists - compiler David El Indio and sleevenotes by Jose Manuel Gómez (Gufi).

Review: It's Rough Trade's 50th birthday, and in honour of themselves, the renowned indie-stitution reaches for Cabaret Voltaire with a fresh triple LP variation on their final release on the label, 2x45 (1982) - here reimagined as 3x45, of course, to make room for the newly released extras. Then at a fork in the road, Chris Watson was still present for the first session, but gone by the second; and with two different drummers, the record's still a coherent one, as it moves perceptibly from the angular tape-and-noise experiments of their earlier discography toward a more motorik pulse. The third disc adds 'Seconds Too Late' and 'Control Addict', plus the John Robie remix of 'Yashar' (originally a Factory 12"), which hears said pulse become post-disco heartbeat. Collectors may be in for the chance of a valuable misrprint - first edition liner notes contained an erroneous discussion of The Clash's debut album, rather than anything related to the Cabs - though a revised run may have already corrected the issue by the time you cop it.

Schwarzweißes Split-Vinyl LP! "Ultra-catchy. A wicked side of garage soul" - CLASH // "One of their catchiest pieces yet, Sassy, groovy, toe-tapping" - CLASSIC ROCK // "A giddying rush of noise" - MOJO // "The real sound of now busting through my door, new songs that keep kicking the history forward. I can't imagine my turntable without The Courettes" - David Fricke, ROLLING STONE // Die dänisch-brasilianische Band The Courettes war von Anfang an eine Rock'n'Roll-Sensation und kehrte 2024 mit ihrem vierten und bisher besten Album zurück: "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes". The Courettes treffen genau den richtigen Punkt zwischen Garage-Rock, Girlgroup-Pop, Doo-Wop-Harmonien, Herzschmerz und allem, was dazwischen liegt.

Mildred have announced their debut album Fenceline (out 24 April via Memorials of Distinction / Dog Day Records), they have also shared the Nick Roberts directed video for lead single ‘Fish Sticks’. Speaking of ‘Fish Sticks’ and the album, Mildred say: “Fish Sticks is a song of scenes from two worlds. Conversations with your boss. Acute workplace mediocrity. Riding home and eating fish sticks with your friends. For UK audiences, a fish stick is a fish finger, ideally Alaskan-caught cod. The song comes packaged in Fenceline, an album about conversations with old friends, little cousins, ceaseless piles of dust in your crumbling duplex, loves and theologians and their books. Fencelines mark two places but belong to neither. Neither nor, either or.”
Ahead of Fenceline, at the end of last year Mildred released their debut twin EPs mild and red, an insatiable collection of songs birthed before Mildred even knew they were a band. Arriving purposefully on the scene in that gentle, approachable Mildred way, the EPs picked up support from The Guardian, The Line of Best Fit, Uncut (‘We’re New Here’), The New Cue, Clash, DIY and more. Mildred is a band from Oakland, CA of four equal parts. They don’t have a lead singer, no one person writes the songs. The songs that make up Fenceline come together as a group with their genesis sprouting from any one of their members - Henry Easton Koehler (vocals, guitar), Jack Schrott (vocals, guitar), Matt Palmquist (vocals, bass, woodwinds) or Will Fortna (drums, production) - each time.

The songs are often wrestled from the lead writer by the other three, a lyric might have been mumbled absentmindedly for a few days before one of the other three grabs at it. Summed up neatly by Clash “imagine if Pavement went Americana and you’d be close”, Mildred make music that is pure and poetic, gently addictive and never overwrought. The lyrics for their songs are written largely alone and often draw from their own individual lives and experiences but there’s a shared something there. “It makes sense when common threads emerge” they say, “because we do things together a lot as friends: cook, laze about on a weekend, listen to an album, go walkabout, read, go see movies etc.
Strikingly literal or intriguingly oblique, Mildred have a remarkable way with lyrics that lodge themselves in your head softly but with such determination that they begin to feel like shimmering memories from your own life. Fenceline is a collection of songs that you want to hold close and delve into, and yet play to everyone you know.

As Corsica draws to a close, this is our homage to a space that has been our home for 18 precious years. A space that has nurtured us and allowed us to evolve - to find our own way of raving. The Rupture way. The Corsica way.

We wanted to celebrate 18 precious years with a release that truly embodies the spirit of Rupture at Corsica Studios. The music on this EP has mashed up the dance, time and time again!

Double O wrote ‘Corsica Jungle’ with the intention of capturing those peak 5am emotional Corsica vibes. Love and respect to dBridge & Skeptical for contributing to a project so close to our hearts with tracks that represent our sound so perfectly: dubwise, killer breaks and peak dancefloor energy! The EP closes with a spoken word poem from Mantra.

Viva la rave!

Corsica Forever!

As Corsica draws to a close, this is our homage to a space that has been our home for 18 precious years. A space that has nurtured us and allowed us to evolve - to find our own way of raving. The Rupture way. The Corsica way.

We wanted to celebrate 18 precious years with a release that truly embodies the spirit of Rupture at Corsica Studios. The music on this EP has mashed up the dance, time and time again!

Double O wrote ‘Corsica Jungle’ with the intention of capturing those peak 5am emotional Corsica vibes. Love and respect to dBridge & Skeptical for contributing to a project so close to our hearts with tracks that represent our sound so perfectly: dubwise, killer breaks and peak dancefloor energy! The EP closes with a spoken word poem from Mantra.

Viva la rave!

Corsica Forever!

Today, Oakland-raised and Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Ivy Knight announces her debut album Iron Mountain, set for release on 15 May via Scenic Route.

Ivy Knight’s songs reflect a city dreamer creating a new world to sink into: across Iron Mountain, she conjures imagery of barren Southwest American landscapes as she recounts memories that feel beamed from generations past, channeling folk melodies and old trail ballads of the late 50s and early 60s.

Much of her work has been created both within, and in reference to the Hudson Valley, where she met frequent collaborator Deer park (fakemink, Ecco2k, evilgiane) who produced, engineered and performs on Iron Mountain.

Her latest single ‘Red Rock’ follows last month’s single ‘Headlamp’, and her recent collaboration with Deer park, ‘Black Cat’, which received support from BBC 6 Music, Crack Magazine, The Face, The FADER, Pigeons & Planes, NME, The Line of Best Fit, Clash, So Young + more.

Part 2. The next in wave of Roof International 45 Clash Killers, presenting the big and bad ‘Cuss Cuss’ Rhythm, voiced by Stan Rick with his nice up the clash ‘Cool And Deadly’. The flip side holds a previously unreleased dub that drops in with pure thunder, heavy and relentless. Roof’s ‘Cuss Cuss’ carried many artists over the years, but Stan Rick’s cut has always been a standout and under the radar killer. Now it returns in style, housed in an original Roof International 7” dub plate sleeve to keep in the 45 weaponry.

Mysticisms’ Dubplate series reaches number 10 with the first in a series of specials, taking the genre blurring music of Persian and presenting updated remixes and versions by up-and-coming producers, as well as friends and family of the label.

Started as a sporadic offshoot of Mysticisms’ main releases, with the idea to highlight the wonderful sounds of dub influenced dance music, Dubplate has now become an integral part of the mission.

To start, South London’s Picasso joins the label, showcasing his declared abstract grooves and an EP of Dub and Tech House movers. While his productions aim for the dance floor, they are often characterized by complex rhythms and unconventional structures, prioritizing atmosphere and texture over traditional melodies.

Drawing inspiration from ambient, jazz, experimental influences and the heavy hand of dub, Sam “Andrews” McKay has crafted an EP of immersive “soundscapes”. Joining the legendary Persian (Peter Reilly) as co-selector, his retakes are all warped grooves, wide bass and dubby atmospherics.

Opening with Space Within Art, the street soul meets reggae rhythms are jettisoned, and a Dub House swing drives the track. The love, homage and vibration for Sound System culture remains, enchanting trippy reggae sampledelic vocals weaving in the brain.

Dunya 2 sees a shift, minds expanding. A jazz influenced breakbeat, harp, strings, building to a psychedelic swirl, driven by a dub bass in a clash, morph and glow.

The deep Digi Dub of D Dub Twist grows, warping the ‘JA riddim meets English hedonism’ in true Soundclash style. Touches of drone underlay, highlighting Sam’s experimental leaning, utilising Persian’s love of Eastern mystical samples to marry perfectly for a deep dub excursion.

The self-prescribed “odd-fellow” completes his versions, exploring his love of depth and abstract sound in closer, Jacob’s Dub. The warm roots vibrations in original form develop into a scatter gun House bumper. Dubwise, Lovers, Stepper, all merge around shuffling, trippy beats and skippy hats, Picasso’s groove is laid bare, driving the EP to finale.

Abstract the Mystery.

Welcoming prolific and essential Mexican artist Andy Martin to Animalia, with his mesmerising, mind-bending musical interpretation of the Nahual, a common & integral figure of the belief systems of ancient Indigenous peoples of the Americas, which embodies the spiritual connection between humans & animals. In some traditional stories, this connection is so strong that they are said to transform into one of them. Tierra de Nahuales refers to a region of ancient America inhabited by these mythological beings, which in this EP become part of the Animalia universe, shaped by psychedelic broken rhythms, tribal sounds, and dub influences. A release that feels both deeply personal to Andy's musical & cultural identity as well as the label's own - a telling ode to the abilities of the depth & outer worldly sense to his music - a world-building, shapeshifting & one of a kind artist who feels truly at home in the Animalia family.

Part 3 in our Roof International 45 Clash series. This one features the singer Wayne Watkins aka Stone Wall Jackson with his heavyweight cut ‘War’. Tough, loaded, and built to flatten any opponent. Originally voiced in 1992 and now appearing on vinyl for the first time, backed with a murderous dub on the flip. “The Dancehall is a battlefield, all of the Dubplate them a jack up and haul and wheel

Part 1 in the next wave of Roof International 45 Clash Killers kicks off with Singing Melody ‘Dubplate to a Soundboy’ What sets this reissue apart is not only the murderous previously unreleased dub mix, but also the vastly improved audio quality, lifted straight from the original source. A true sound-killing classic that has become rare and sought after over the years, it remains an essential weapon in any serious 45 box arsenal. Pure Roof International energy at its finest, and presented in an original Roof International 7-inch dubplate hard sleeve.

Pete Lambrou, the visionary composer and multi-instrumentalist behind VLMV (pronounced "Alma"), is one of the most singular voices emerging from the ambient, post-rock, and experimental scenes in the UK. With a career that spans atmospheric solo work, film and television scoring, and evocative live performance, Lambrou has carved out a distinctive sonic universe he describes as "ambient-ish post-something" (Pete Lambrou) a playful yet accurate summation of a sound that is at once genre-fluid and deeply immersive. The album takes its title from Sara Teasdale's 1918 poem and Ray Bradbury's later short story, both of which imagine a world continuing quietly after humanity's disappearance. This idea became the gravitational centre around which the record formed. Written during a period of deep engagement with climate fiction and ecological thought, `There Will Come Soft Rains` reflects on humanity's legacy, its technological ambition, and its uneasy relationship with the natural world. A century on from Teasdale's poem, the balance of power feels less certain, and Lambrou's music inhabits that tension with remarkable subtlety. "The initial ideas stem mostly from chaos, randomness or sound exploration and then get shaped as I go. Typically, and certainly for this album. It's evolved since album 1, which was more song / chord based. It's a fun process of finding the sound and then working out whether it's speaking to me - or merely just a cool noise. That's fun, but it sometimes can't evolve or progress, so then begins the long journey of shaping it into some sort of song format - which doesn't have to be a-typica,l but whatever feels right to me. The subject matter and overall theme is important too - it's got to all make sense within itself. There's no point having a slowly creeping theme and then rush the music." (Pete Lambrou) VLMV embody an emotional honesty that works with patience and nuance. Whether you're encountering his music for the first time or returning to its quiet depths, VLMV offers an aural space that resonates long after the final note fades. Lambrou's singular sonic language sits at the intersection of ambient, post-rock, modern classical, and experimental electronic music, while remaining unmistakably human at its core. "Instrumentally it's far more synth based - as soon as I had the concept, I wanted to make sure technology clash and marry with traditional instruments (at different times) in a sort of slow-moving dance I suppose. One is nature, one is human development and technology. Sometimes working together and sometimes in opposition. On my previous albums I'd say that at least half of the tracks started life as songs, whereas with `There Will Come Soft Rains` I think the majority (if not all) started as experiments in sound." (Pete Lambrou) Sonically, the album is VLMV at its most cinematic and textural. Warm, intimate piano figures and elegiac string arrangements are set against unstable modular synthesis, fractured rhythms, and evolving sound design. The organic and the artificial are locked in a slow, shifting dialogue, mirroring the album's central themes. At times the music feels tender and nostalgic, at others unpredictable and mournful, yet it never tips into despair. Instead, a quiet resilience runs throughout the record. "The album is slightly unusual in that it was mixed in Dolby Atmos before being mixed down to stereo. Most, if not all, do it the other way round. That's because I got to work with a superb mix engineer who just happens to live opposite. It was extremely random and lucky, moving to a tiny hamlet in the South of England and there being a Dolby Atmos studio opposite with a genius of an engineer. We had in mind that we would do it this way round and enjoy the mix process and give everything its own space - it still had issues when folding down to stereo, but overall a more pleasurable mix!" (Pete Lambrou) There Will Come Soft Rains has a geological sense of time: themes creep, expand, erode, and reform, resisting conventional structures in favour of something more patient and immersive. Each sound exists because it needs to; they move, recede, and emerge with a three-dimensional clarity that enhances the music's cinematic quality, giving each element room to breathe while maintaining an enveloping sense of cohesion. Lambrou's unique voice is Intimate and fragile, his vocals hover above the instrumentation, a guiding thread through the expansive soundscapes, drawing listeners closer into the emotional core of each piece. "Long time vocal collaborator Anja Madhvani did lots of harmonies on the album - I wanted to include her voice as much as possible on this album. In terms of string players - 3/4 have been long term collaborators with me. Marie Schreer actually recorded all strings on my first album ALMA, and Fraser & Clodagh have worked on every album (and occasional live shows) since Stranded Not Lost. In terms of art - Joel Cammarata designed the cover, and accompanying art - he designed Sing With Abandon and I absolutely adore his work, but also - he's so great at understanding and developing and capturing the concept." (Pete Lambrou) Layered harmonies drift through the music like distant signals or half-remembered voices. Madhvani's presence adds a human fragility to the album's vast soundscapes, reinforcing the sense of memory and longing that runs beneath the surface. The strings, performed by a close circle of trusted collaborators, further ground the record in warmth and physicality, acting as a counterweight to the synthetic elements that threaten to unravel it. "Despite the heavy subject matter, I wanted to create an album that imparts hope and optimism, marrying traditional instrumentation as nostalgia, with technological innovation through the randomness of modular synths." (Pete Lambrou) The partnership with Pelagic Records feels both organic and significant. Known for championing artists who value emotional weight, sonic ambition, and artistic integrity, the label provides a natural home for VLMV's work. Lambrou's music shares Pelagic's ethos: immersive, patient, and unafraid of scale whether intimate or vast. With There Will Come Soft Rains, Pete Lambrou has crafted a work that feels timely without being didactic, expansive without being overwhelming. It stands as a quiet, but powerful statement that lingers long after the final notes fade. FOR FANS OF Sigur Ros * Olafur Arnalds * Radiohead * Keaton Henson * This Will Destroy You