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Our latest Holy Grail reissue is this private press spiritual jazz gem out of California from Rickey Kelly and his vibes & marimba. Features Diane Reeves (vocals) & Adele Sebastian (flute)!

Heavyweight 180g LP with tip-on sleeve, individually numbered 1-1000, card enclosed for liner notes & audio download

"Rickey, I know these are your friends, the guys you went to school with, but if you wanna record an album, you record with musicians who have been playing their whole life; whatever you write, they'll put their whole life into it. You play with your friends; they may not even play in tune."

These are the words of Slave guitarist Kevin Johnson, and they were to change the course of young Rickey Kelly's life.

It was 1978, and music student Kelly had approached Johnson with a tape of rough demos of some songs he'd written. A San Francisco native, Kelly had recently moved the short distance south to study music at LA City College in East Hollywood. He was a member of E.W. Wainwright Jr.'s African Roots of Jazz, and was spending up to 10 hours a day in practice on both vibes and marimba. He also played with Horace Tapscott, and had his own band made up of fellow students, but it was his ambition to make an album that led to the conversation with Johnson. It was a turning point in his education, and a decision was looming.

The next thing Johnson said was "You call the best jazz musicians. How'd you like to play with Billy Higgins?", a line that would seal it for anyone; for a youngster like Rickey just starting out in the business, you just don't turn down the opportunity to play with the likes of highly accomplished musicians, especially those of the calibre of legendary jazz drummer Billy Higgins.

Some calls were made and the date was set to record at Studio Masters on Beverly Blvd, a studio set up just a few years previous in 1973, owned and operated by Dot Records founder Randy Wood with his son John. Some of the other music professionals set to record with Kelley that day were flautist Adele Sebastian, bass player Tony Dumas, saxophonist Charles Owens and vocalist Diane Reeves, none of whom had previously played with Kelly before.

Kelly was impressed with the studio, with the gold records displayed on the walls and the famous musicians hanging out. 'It took a lot of humility for me to record with them, I mean I was nobody, nothing, and for not a lot of money either' remembers Rickey in a later interview with Calvin Lincoln, 'It taught me a lot, to practice hard, and study for the rest of your life, to give your all, and there's a lot of all to give'.

As the recording session took place, John Wood was listening in. He was impressed. Kelly didn't have the funds to manufacture and release the album himself, so Wood suggested it was pressed up on his in-house studio label, Los Angeles Phonograph Records, and thus the LP 'My Kind of Music' was released early in 1979. The album also saw a subsequent pressing soon afterwards on Dennis Sullivan's New Note label.

Kelly remains humble and proud of his debut album to this day. 'I was still a beginner' he says, 'These masters walked in, smiling, and gave me something worth gold'.

"There is a suspicion that no one really knows how to deal with the legacy of the past." — Siarhiej Kraŭčanka

Malenčyk / Lami is a double vinyl release pairing previously unpublished archival recordings of Belarusian fiddler Stanisłaŭ Malenčyk with a response to that archive by Italian sound artist Giovanni Lami.

Stanisłaŭ Malenčyk (1928–2007) was a self-taught fiddler from a small village in Western Biełaruś, born on land that was then Polish territory. He never studied music formally and never worked on a collective farm — he supported his family solely through playing, crafting his own violins and harmonicas by hand. The music he played was made for a community: weddings, christenings, a room full of people, a shared life. As life shifted toward the cities and the village dissolved, that music lost the only place it could exist. By the end of his life, Malenčyk — nearly blind — was playing for whoever happened to be there: at the local bazaar, on district buses, moving through the aisles. He simply couldn’t stay home. He had to play.

These recordings were made by ethnographer Mykoła Kozienka in Ščučyn in 1999 and have not been released until now.

Giovanni Lami approaches this archive from a distance that could hardly be greater — geographical, cultural, temporal.

Credits:

Record 1 (Side A/B) — performed by Stanisłaŭ Malenčyk,
recorded by Mykola Kozenka in Shuchyn, Grodno Region, Belarus in 1999.

Record 2 (Side C/D) — produced by Giovanni Lami.

Mastering by Siarhej Cviki and Anton Aniščanka

Archival research by Alaksej Krukoŭski and Alaksandr Baroŭski

Cover Artworks by Volha Savič
Cover design by Ihar Jukhnievič

Project curation by Anton Aniščanka
Project assistance by Alaksiej Šumakovič

Texts by Siarhei Kraŭčanka (essay, editing, translation),
Alaksej Krukoŭski and Alaksandr Baroŭski (Malenčyk biography),
Giovanni Lami (artist statement)

No matter where you are in the world, distance fades when like-minded people connect.
Clima Futuros understands climate as a condition rather than a setting. An environment where trajectories take shape, move forward and, sometimes by chance, intersect. Each track follows its own path until those paths briefly align — not as a destination, but as a shared moment in time.
At the center of the record, DJ F outlines a common atmosphere shaped by movement, reinterpretation and intent. The EP unfolds through original cuts and reworked versions, where ideas circulate, transform and return with renewed meaning.
One of the tracks features saxophone lines by Nala Rami, adding a melodic presence that sits naturally within the climate, while remixes by Less J and Jarren expand the EP from different angles.
Rather than a fixed narrative, Clima Futuros presents a shared space — shaped by aligned paths, recycled forms and the quiet convergence of futures moving in the same direction.

Increasingly essential US artist Ben Hixon drops sublime deep house EP on Kai Alce's faultless NDATL Muzik. The six classy tracks will appeal to those who appreciate the subtleties of the classic Midwestern sound.

Ben is a Texas-born, but Brooklyn-based artist who has become a firm favourite of true deep house heads in the last year or so. He has put out several EPs on Dolfin, all of which find a perfect sweet spot between immersive atmospheres and late-night drive. Dusty analogue textures and frayed edges define his drums, while the subtle details are intelligent and add effortless emotion. He is a perfect fit for NDATL Muzik, the Atlanta label that has long been a flagbearer for well-crafted house grooves like these.

'Taping' kicks off with heavy kicks that swing under gentle chords that are perfect for after dark. There's a persuasive bump in the beats that will get early evening dancers primed and ready for more. Next up we have 'Y Do U Get So Nervous' - a mastery of sampling with nagging vocal hooks, cascading piano keys and wet finger clicks all adding soul to another low-key but all-consuming groove. 'Area Code 336 Phone Rings' is a higgledy-piggledy tapestry of toms and stuttering kicks with vocal fragments to match - the thrill is the looseness of it all. The smouldering and meandering 'December Blackout' is for gazing off it into the distance at the busy yet muted jazz keys that twinkle like faraway stars. 'It's Like A Vision' picks up the pace with more closely stacked kicks but still oodles of cuddly warmth and smudged synth work, before '0823' ends with a decidedly heavy feel - spare, lump drums unfurl beneath forlorn synths that feel utterly bruised and heartbroken.

Ben Hixon's deft artistry makes these quiet, texture tunes irresistibly danceable yet emotionally profound.

Between flesh and silicon. “Under My Skin” (2026) is the first album by IADI, released by Neo Life. A record like few
others, highly conceptual, cover art included. Its essence lies in the folds of the increasingly ambiguous relationship
between man and machine, where the former designs the latter and, perhaps without fully realizing it, is gradually
destined to adapt and be reprogrammed by it. Each track of “Under My Skin” is, in fact, a sort of interface, connector, or
any other imaginative point of contact between two creative phases, amid emotional impulses and binary calculations.
The sonic architecture oscillates between analog warmth and algorithmic coldness, constructing landscapes in which
pulsating synthesizers and mechanical rhythms seem to question each other. There's no linear narrative, but rather a
progressive immersion in a zone of near-friction, where the comfort of technology coexists with more than a faint
musical uneasiness, like a background noise that never ceases to remind you who's truly in charge. In “Under My Skin”,
the machine is neither an enemy nor a simple instrument: it's a real presence, intimate, even tactile, amplifying desires,
fears, and dreams of dawns beyond the digital realm. Intelligent dance music. Less noise, more sensations. Electronic,
but profoundly human.
The final result, then, is a music project that speaks to the present, yet sounds like an X-ray of the future, capturing that
fragile moment when humanity and technology stop observing each other from afar and begin to merge, track after
track. It's no coincidence that IADI's album opens with “Impulse”, an immediate expression of an electrical impulse, for
both humans and machines, which is also the language of the nervous system, as fast as it is vital—pure energy and
rhythm, a track as intense as it is irregular. And after this introduction, it's the turn of the equally erratic “Axon”, whose
title describes the neuron that transmits the signal over distance, telling the listener to sit back and relax for a new
journey through the notes toward the more melodic “Cortex”. The cerebral cortex, the ultimate seat of thought and
memory, becomes the source from which the musical flow of the first part of the work is drawn.
Then, suddenly, an automatic, or instinctive, response to the constant succession of impulses: “Reflex”, or zerotemperature techno, with a fragmented pace, featuring vocal samples, breaks, and restarts. In the producer's
imagination, the subsequent, and conversely placid, “Neuron” represents the emotional core of the second part of the
work, providing a kind of respite from the seething vibrations. While the neuron is the basic unit of the nervous system,
the synapse is the functional connection point between one neuron and another effector cell, essential for the
transmission of nerve impulses and communication in the nervous system, enabling functions such as learning and
movement. Likewise, a track like “Synapse” once again illuminates the path traced by IADI. The more experimental and
streamlined “Static” instead suggests true ordered chaos. “Dreamstate” is the conclusion suspended in the void, relating
to that dreamlike state between waking and sleeping, where consciousness fades toward infinity and visions begin. Pure
fading into the subconscious. Eternal return to where it all began. Dancing is a form of consciousness. Every beat is a
question. IADI, however, holds all the answers you need.

"It began somewhere between sleep and memory.
After first meeting in dreams, in Brussels and Berlin, on landscapes that felt strangely close to Vilnius, Marija Rasa aka emer and Ugnė Uma leisurely rewrote those visions into songs.

What followed became a collection of moments suspended in idle summers, familiar faces, gentle motions, skin touched by golden sun. These songs wander through closeness and distance, tracing the delicate emotional shifts between us, who almost understand each other completely.

‘you and me’ lives in the space where magical realism meets everyday intimacy: honey-colored evenings, recurring thoughts, and the slow surrender to things unfolding on their own."

2026 Repress

Laurie Torres is a Canadian musician and composer raised in Montréal, Québec by Haitian parents. Since 2008, she has been a trusted stage and studio performer for Julia Jacklin, Pomme, and Land of Talk, as well as being a founding member of Folly & The Hunter, with whom she recorded four studio albums and toured Canada, Europe and the UK.

In 2023, Laurie shifted focus to work on her own creations, a process of making time - the will and the need becoming omnipresent. Drawing creative inspiration from contemporary artists like Tirzah, Gia Margaret, Valentina Magaletti, Tara Clerkin Trio and ML Buch, 'Après coup' finds Torres intersecting at a pivotal moment where artists whose marginalized identities are at the forefront in creating a beautiful array of "other options".

"Being othered and tokenized as a woman who plays music, as well as a queer and black person, takes a toll, while also positively feeding a strong urge to push and be seen."

Centering around piano, drums and synthesizer with interweaving field recordings, 'Après coup' follows the precursor ep 'Correspondances' in the form of a sprawling 11-track album. Translating directly from French - afterwards, after the event - its title subliminally points at something deeper between the lines. Recorded in 2023 between tours in a small window of time where 'normal' life hadn't quite recommenced, Torres meticulously crafted her debut solo material in view of surrounding nature, all providing the perfect nourishment for long streams of improvisation. Built right up to the edge of a lake, Studio Wild in St-Zénon, Québec offered an unparalleled location and set up for her freeform creativity.

Instrumental music seemed like a natural response and evolution for Torres who had long basked in the world of "pop music" as she elaborates: "I had an urge to use creativity as a sort of resting place, a place where things can unfold slowly and take time to reveal themselves. In other worlds words, I felt the need to make something slower, more elusive"

The immediacy of Torres' recorded takes doubled with minimal overdubs create a fiercely direct, intimate and unpolished lo-fi beauty. 'Après coup' then is self-reflective, open and inclusive with Torres allowing herself to be fully seen. An album to be felt at close distance with unrivalled authenticity. This album stands as a testament to Laurie's artistic evolution and serves as a beacon, inspiring her to continue nurturing her own creative pursuits and finding exhilarating freedom.

Following Parnell March’s Back Bar Grooves EP in February and November’s release of the Dust Tears (lead song from Sarah/Shaun’s debut) remixes, Edinburgh’s Hobbes Music label returns with a second EP of dream pop from husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), alias Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced McLochlun), who wooed hearts and wowed critics with debut EP ‘It’s True What They Say?’ last year.

‘It’s True What They Say?’ attracted fans across the board: Artist Of The Week in The Scotsman, rapturous reviews from The Skinny and Tokyo's Ban Ban Ton Ton blog, BBC 6Music airplay courtesy of Nemone (Mary Anne Hobbs' Morning Show), more radio play from Radio Scotland's Roddy Hart & Vic Galloway, plus Simone Butler (Primal Scream) and Jim Sclavunos (Bad Seeds) via their respective Soho Radio shows, not forgetting ringing endorsements from the likes of David Holmes, Youth, Kevin Bales (Spiritualized), Brent Rademaker (Beachwood Sparks) and Julian Corrie (Franz Ferdinand).

They played gigs supporting Glasgow's huge Glasvegas, at festivals (Kendall Calling, Dunbar Music, Hidden Door), plus a slew of venues across the Scottish capital, ending the year with a trio of shows supporting Glaswegian 80s pop legends The Bluebells at Aberdeen’s Tunnels, Dunfermline’s PJ Molloys and Edinburgh’s Liquid Rooms, while The List magazine tipped them among their Ones To Watch For 2025, with journalist Fiona Shepherd suggesting they were “blending the starry-eyed pop of Sonny & Cher with the electronic experimentation of Chris & Cosey.”

Very much the companion piece to the debut EP but arriving a full twelve months later, Someone’s Ghost is emblematic of the duo’s desire not to rush things or release anything half-baked.

“I’ve always wanted to create the perfect pop record and I do really feel that we’ve achieved that with this one,” says Shaun. And he’s clearly not the only person who thinks so.

REVIEWS, FEEDBACK ETC:

"I LOVE that! Dreamy dreamy pop." ROY MOLLOY (Marvellous Crane/Alex Cameron) on BLAST RADIO, Sydney
“the Scottish music scene’s cream of the cool... buzzy drum beats, high, distant chimes, and heavenly electronics…. very ethereal.” THE SKINNY

"Listening to Sarah/Shaun is like eavesdropping on a noir dreampop, long-distance phone call between them both, across two separate sonic locations. On this stunning 4-song EP, Sarah’s voice, effortlessly mesmerising, draws you into these big beautiful and haunting passages of perfect dream-pop. All beautifully produced in a multi-layered-scape of low-fi analogue textures, epic cinematic crescendos, intense electro-pulse grooves and warped psycho-pop guitar riffs. Within the songs lurk a sense of unresolved emotions, longing and pathos. There are shades of classic Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra but also Post-Punk Electronica and Beach House. But what a unique sound they’ve created of their own. I love it" DAVID MCCLUSKEY (The Bluebells)
"Absolutely beautiful" SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"Lovely stuff here! Total quality." MARTYN 'MASH' HENDERSON
"Ooooh. Everything the last record promised is here. Well done" GEORGE T aka George Demure (Accident Machine)
"Vince clark Era Depeche Mode in places" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized)
"Sounds cool. Well done" PETE KEMBER (Sonic Boom, Spacemen 3)
"Glorious, it (Debbie Harry) grabs hold of you and doesn't let go." IAIN DAWSON aka RAVECHILD (Everyone Wants To Play The Hits Podcast)

SOMEONE’S GHOST

Born out of an incredibly anxious, stressful time, the songwriting process for these recordings has been something of a personal tonic for Shaun…

“There was a period when I was having nightmares,” he reveals. “Apparently I was saying there was someone in the room, I was talking to that person and Sarah was seeing all this while I was still asleep.

So, I was thinking that this was my ghost. I started writing songs because I was going through something and I was dealing with something and writing songs was a comfort. My ghost was a comfort, whether it was real or not. The idea of it was a comfort.”

“I firmly believe that everyone has someone who watches over them but all of the songs are essentially about being there for someone,” he says. “Everybody needs someone but also everyone needs to stay real and keep what you have, keep it close, never let it go. If you don’t have it, continue to tell people you’re there for them. It’s about loving and hoping people will be good to you in return.”

While Shaun took the songwriting lead on Filter Of Love and EP closer The Sound Which Stresses The Sound Of My Ears, Debbie Harry was originally instrumentally conceived by producer Jaguar Eyes, alias Ali Chisholm, later lyrically completed by Shaun, and the EP’s lead track, Anhedonia, and one of its stand-outs (much like Starbed on the debut) was conceived by Sarah, as a result of experiencing a bit of a spiritual epiphany of her own.

“When I first heard the word Anhedonia, I didn't know what it meant but when I found out I thought about it quite a bit. How sad it would be to have no enjoyment in anything,” she explains. “This song is really about my own personal beliefs. When I have been down, that's one of the things that helps me the most. It talks about trying to make amends but realising, for some things, you can't. But I think with any kind of faith comes hope… which is always a good thing.”

A record about hope, truth, honesty, a belief in something bigger than oneself… and all set to a soundtrack that wouldn’t feel out of place in a David Lynch or Eighties feature film. What more could anyone ask for, really?

There’s equally a desire to offer something universal and positive to anyone who tunes in. The labels for the 12” edition reveal the dual mantras “Who just wants to survive?” and “It’s about time to live a little”, with both messages also engraved in each record’s run-out grooves. T-shirts accompanying debut EP It’s True What They Say? bore the slogan “Kill Them With Kindness” - leading caps intentional. Shaun carries the acronym KTWK everywhere he plays, as a reminder: it’s stitched into his guitar strap. And this particular wee pebble has already caused a few ripples: people have been approaching him at gigs to acknowledge their appreciation and respect for it.

"We feel we have made an honest, open, colourful, body of work,” say the duo. “We hope to go out and play the songs with the guys (our band) and then potentially make more records. We are taking things as they come. Everything has been organic so far, after all. We are looking forward to whatever this brings."

FLO are leading the modern revival of the British girl group — and doing so at a scale not seen in over two decades. With over half a billion global streams, the trio have delivered the highest-selling tour by a British girl group in more than 20 years, becoming the first since the Spice Girls to reach that milestone. They are also the first British girl group to receive a Grammy nomination in two decades, alongside three MOBO nominations in 2026, cementing their status as both a commercial and cultural force. Rather than simply revisiting the past, FLO are reshaping the possibilities for what a contemporary girl group can be.

Comprised of Renée Downer, Stella Quaresma and Jorja Douglas, FLO’s story is one of intention, craft and deep-rooted connection. The trio had long been aware of one another through theatre school circles, social media and shared creative worlds before coming together as a group in 2019. That early familiarity quickly grew into a sisterhood, shaped behind the scenes through years of studio work, vocal development and trust. Raised by strong single mothers and immersed in performance from a young age, each member brings resilience, emotional intelligence and discipline into the group — qualities that underpin both their sound and their dynamic.

Individually, FLO’s balance comes from contrast. Renée is the group’s compass: composed, business-minded and creatively precise, grounding the trio with clarity and vision. Stella is the spark and the glue — sociable, emotionally intuitive and collaborative — shaped by a childhood between England and Mozambique where music was communal, expressive and felt. Jorja is the fire: outspoken, instinctive and vocally commanding, with a natural ear for harmony and arrangement. Their roles shift and evolve, but together they form a unit built on mutual respect, honesty and shared authorship.

That chemistry is central to FLO’s music. Drawing from classic R&B and soul while pushing it forward through modern production, their sound centres vocal harmony, emotional nuance and storytelling that reflects the realities of young womanhood. FLO reject the idea that strength requires emotional distance; instead, they explore power through vulnerability, confidence and control. From independence and self-worth to intimacy and desire, their writing is direct and unapologetically theirs. As Jorja puts it, FLO are “the brains, the heart and the soul” behind everything they do.

The success of their debut album marked a defining moment — not only for FLO, but for British pop more broadly. It confirmed the appetite for harmony-led, female-fronted groups operating with creative agency, and propelled FLO onto global stages, from sold-out headline tours to major festivals and international television. Along the way they have earned respect from R&B legends and peers alike, performing during Grammy Week for icons including Mariah Carey, Brandy and Chaka Khan, and showcasing their vocal chemistry on NPR’s Tiny Desk — a moment that further underlined the trio’s technical precision and emotional depth.

With their next chapter, Therapy At The Club, FLO expand this emotional honesty into a fully realised creative universe. The concept reimagines the club not just as a place of nightlife, but as a site of release, confession and self-possession — encompassing the moments before, during and after the night out. From mirror affirmations and pre-game chaos, to late-night Uber conversations, dance-floor catharsis and the clarity of the morning after, Therapy At The Club captures how women process desire, heartbreak, confidence and healing in real time, together. It is both fantasy and reality: cinematic, fashion-led and emotionally raw, grounded in sisterhood as a form of survival.

Sonically, the new music leans into dark, euphoric R&B and pop with sharper edges, built on vocal mastery and diaristic storytelling. Lead single “Leak It” sets the tone for the era — playful, charged and unapologetically self-aware — exploring what happens when desire spills over, secrets surface and control is reclaimed. Across the new songs, FLO move fluidly between intimacy and euphoria, turning the club into a space where vulnerability is power and feeling everything is the point.

As a trio built on discipline, joy and deep creative trust, FLO represent a new model for the British girl group: one rooted in authorship, harmony and cultural impact. Balancing softness with strength and ambition with authenticity, they are shaping the future of R&B and pop on their own terms. FLO are not looking backwards — they are setting the standard for what comes next.

Bristol innovator Addison Groove has long been reshaping footwork and bass music, but now steps into an entirely new world as Astel. Shards is an album in which he explores ambient frontiers with a sense of space, emotion and hints of nostalgia on Biofield Records, a new label from Darwin designed for deeper listening. There is a weightlessness to the music, with 'Cosmic Affinity' casting you adrift in the deep unknown with smeared pads and gentle flutters of hope way off in the distance. 'Starlight Shards' is all shifting tones and feathery lines, while 'Astral Radiance' has a sandy texture as well as long, sweeping synth arcs. It's an escapist world that provides plenty of prompts for your own endlessly deep reflection.

&Co. debut on A Quiet Village. The US-based trio drop the third release on Quiet Village’s eponymous imprint March 20th. &Co. Is a project from multi-hyphenate and Bianca Chandon founder, Alex Olson, pianist, composer and producer Alberto Bof (known for his work on ®Oscar ®Bafta ®Golden Globe and ®Grammy award winning ’A Star is Born’) and DJ/fashion luminary, Paul Takahashi. The trio’s second release, ‘Staycation’ follows 2015’s ‘Best of Friends’, and sees these rare talents create a two-tracker that explores a uniquely evocative, cinematic and dubby Balearic aesthetic. ‘Staycation began as a follow-up to the first EP, Best Friends.

As a result, ‘Staycation’ came together in fragments. The first track was built over a handful of short studio sessions, each only about an hour long, driven by brainstorming and reworking ideas. With Alex away, Alberto and I continued refining the piece in Los Angeles, sharing updates for Alex’s approval until it was completed. The track remained unmastered and was quietly circulated to a small circle as a promotional piece. The second track, “Lean Like a Cello,” was initially conceptualized together. However, with Alex now based in New York and less available, we completed the arrangement in Los Angeles, sending versions back and forth for Alex’s input and feedback. Nearly a decade later, the idea resurfaced, and the recordings were finally mastered and released. A friend, Justin Van Der Volgen, handled the mastering. What began as a plan to give the tracks away as a promo evolved when Justin encouraged the group to shop the release. With help from Eric Duncan of Rub N Tug, the music reached Matt (Edwards, aka Radio Slave/ 1/2 of Quiet Village).

Ten years after the first sessions, Staycation arrives as a document of distance, collaboration, and time. A project shaped as much by separation as by shared intention.’ (Paul Takahashi, Feb 2026)
A piece of art from a powerhouse creative team operating at the intersection of skate culture, music, design and fashion, ‘Staycation’ by &Co. Arrives on The Quiet Village 12” and digital/streaming on March 20th.

The breakout underground star of the past year, the deservedly hyped Thought Leadership returns with another X ideas: the deck this time chooses the suit of Cups. This new collection is closer to the Post-Punk tonality of Pentacles, than the breezy Balearic Jazz of Swords. Gone are the brushed drum samples and airy synths and in their place are BIG guitars, 808 thumps and a decidedly more prominent use of bass as a melodic device.

As the suit of Cups reflects the emotional heart of the Tarot, presented within are a further X pieces, this time displaying the full range and fervour of Thought Leadership.

You know the drill by now. Originally out on cassette only, we present the first ever vinyl issue. It's a hideously limited pressing of 300 for the world, so don't sleep on this.

Side A explores the emotional levels of consciousness; angst, joy, love, sorrow, relief, regret – they are all represented across the first seven tracks, and often within the same piece. XXI kicks us off with a huge tumbling D minor passage, layers and layers of guitar front and centre, whilst the drums pound away in the distance. Release is provided with a gorgeous G Dorian section, where we hear the bass take flight with a high melodic line.

We’re still in familiar Durutti Column meets Dif Juz territory here, but things switch up with XXII. This piece showcases a darker, more angular palette of guitars; think Alan Rankine (The Associates), or Deb Demure (Drab Majesty) in the unexpected harmonic shifts, knotty arpeggiated patterns and heavy, goth-adjacent modulation. A real love letter to 45+ years of darkly inclined guitar heritage.

XXIII enters the fray with tight, thumping 808s and Marr-esque guitar figures; and again, the bass providing heavy melodic counterpoint to the guitars. Enter chiming, lyrical lead phrasing, reminiscent of the eternal opening to "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". Another accidental perfect pop moment from the Thought Leader. Whilst on the topic of Tears For Fears, XXIV comes swinging out of the gate with some serious Sophisti-chug; we’re reminded of "Shout" in the A section, before being beautifully juxtaposed in the B section with more Vini-eqsue patterns, reminiscent of his timeless classic, Another Setting.

XXV gives us welcome pause to take stock midway through the A side. No drums this time, but instead a heartbreaking conversation between two guitars; think Kevin McCormick and David Horridge’s masterful Light Patterns, or perhaps even the early solo-Bill Connors mid-70s cuts for ECM. The moment of quiet reflection passes, and is quickly shattered by the thudding march of XXVI – this piece comes across like The Associates playing "Wicked Game"; heavy, moody, and utterly compelling. XXVII ends our journey across Side A with more Marr-inspired playing; one for the heads and already featured on mixes, this one is real testament to the vision of Thought Leadership.

Side B again takes us on a trip through three long-form semi-improvised pieces. XXVIII is like those classic Jonny Nash, early Melody As Truth releases, slowly unfurling, additional details introduced deliberately piece by piece, this idea builds across 7+ minutes culminating in some utterly joyous ebow fireworks at the end – well Balearic.

XXIX again, like XXV before it, dispatches the drums with a focus purely on melody and mood. The piece feels like a lost Save Room Theme from the Resident Evil series, pure golden age Capcom Sound Team vibes. Unadulterated aural nostalgia for hours spent with a PS1 in haze of hash.

XXX completes this majestic voyage with another Modal exercise; this time the Thought Leader has opted for the Lydian Mode. Beautifully dreamy, undeniably Soundtrack-y, and arguably the most concise distillation so far of everything this project stands for; drum machines, guitars, pedals, one-take improvised solos – XXX has the lot, and is surely destined for greatness.

So, another X epic statements for guitar, homespun with the humblest of means, for all the dreamers out there. The first ever vinyl release of IV Of Cups has been carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francis to ensure it sounds better than ever after its initial tape release. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut at Abbey Road Studios whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry, in Holland. The original tape cover artwork, so crucial to Thought Leadership's striking visual aesthetic, has been rejigged for vinyl issue here at Be With.

The last 2 LPs flew. You have been warned.

2026 Repress

An anthology born out of isolation and deep introspection, Sky Dust Drifter is a cosmic medley of sun-soaked AOR, psychedelic folk, and soft rock. This soundtrack was driven by the lonesome cowboy, a lockdown savior leaving me adrift in desert winds and dimly lit country bars.

Long-distance trades and masked meetups yielded a collection of private press LPs and 45s from ten different artists spanning 1973 to 1980. This seemingly random stack of records revealed songs living entangled in themes of hard luck, heartache, and the inevitable loneliness of existence. Adorned in cracked leather and chrome, this album is an aimless wander from the soil to the stars.

Featuring an unreleased English version of the compilation’s title track “Sky Dust Drifter” (originally released only in Hebrew), the record shifts from laconic afterthoughts to bold proclamations. From Michael Andrews’ blue-eyed soul assertion “Something Bad’s Better Than Nothin’,” to the searing electric guitars and bold synths of Sunburst’s “Special Lady,” Sky Dust Drifter thrives on solitude in a universe of unconditional self-rule where loneliness is not darkness but rather a blazing light of autonomy.

A MUCH SOUGHT AFTER SOUNDTRACK, THIS NEW VERSION FROM SILVA SCREEN CONTAINS MUCH NEVER BEFORE RELEASED MATERIAL!!

After a decade of creating pioneering puppet series made for children, Gerry & Sylvia Anderson took their first steps into live-action, with the 1969 feature film Doppelgänger (re-titled outside Britain as Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun). This science-fiction film approached its outer space subject matter with a gritty realism, and would set the tone for what was to be their first live-action television series: UFO. This new series took as a starting point the pioneering work of Dr Christiaan N. Barnard, the surgeon who performed the world’s first heart transplant operation. In UFO a dying race of aliens travel across vast distances of space to harvest organs from human beings to help ensure their own survival. To combat this threat the United Nations created SHADO, a top-secret organisation utilising the latest technology available to defend the Earth.

To complement the series, the Andersons frequent musical collaborator Barry Gray created a multifaceted score that gave the programme its own musical identity. Elegantly crafted and a firm favourite with Barry Gray fans, the sound of UFO, particularly its ethereal “World Music” closing credits is, quite simply, a joy. Includes a bonus track, Trampoline performed by The Spencer Davis Group from the episode Ordeal.

The name Ran is a new one to us and seemingly remains, for now at least, cloaked in secrecy, but when we see their influences range from Loefah, Photek and Carrier to Source Direct, Regis and Mika Vainio, we were instantly hooked. To this new EP on Gelassenheit, then, which speaks to a producer with a rough and tough analogue sound and love of bass-driven techno. 'Violence' is gritty and heavy as it pounds out a groove with eerie pads in the distance, 'Minus' has punchy broken beats that come at you through a murky fog, and 'Closure ' then ducks and dives with a post-dubstep nimbleness as spooky background details suggest there is an oncoming threat. 'Manoeuvres' is a sparse, heavyweight and soot-black dub with crispy hits that demand a physical response. Early support from Carrier!

Samurai Music offshoot SAIBAI welcomes legendary producer ASC to expand upon the label's widescreen strain of electronic music plumbing the depths between techno, electronica and broken beat.

ASC is the flagship project for James Clements, a prolific veteran of the scene who started releasing his distinctive twist on drum & bass back in the late 90s. Across a variety of aliases and many different label projects and collaborations, Clements has retained a strong artistic identity defined by steely atmospherics, rhythmic intrigue and precisely sculpted sound design. He brings those qualities to SAIBAI3.

On 'Raijin' the tempo prowls at 90 BPM, all the better to carry the bass snarls and haunted melodies hovering in the middle distance. 'Rasetsu' meanwhile hides its much sprightlier 150 pace behind a half time construction punctuated by a tactile, almost organic set of percussion. 'Kyubi' sinks into a deep, inky well of spatial sound design with just a light smattering of percussion and a weighty kick for guidance. 'Shigure' completes the picture with a mesmeric tapestry of shifting textures and brooding melancholy.

Clements has devoted much time recently to his ambient output, and it shows in the richness of the space he shapes around his needlepoint patterns, while his roots in more propulsive club music show their hand in subtle, understated ways. It's this balance that makes the release the perfect addition to SAIBAI's evolving story.

Limited to 200 copies

Presenting the third thematic volume on the “Aquapelagos" series - a collection of split LPs where selected artists offer their own take into water surrounded cultures and communities. After the initial release of the Anthology compilation Aquapelago in 2022 (Discrepant ,CREP91) and the split LP Atlantico by Lagoss & Banha da Cobra (Keroxen, KRXN027) as well as the direct collaboration LP Índico by Mike Cooper & Pierre Bastien we proudly introduce an the third volume in the series in the shape of no other than two inspiring artists, Vica Pacheco and Pak Yan Lau. Two different sound journeys inspired by the majestic and peaceful Pacific Ocean, the vastest, largest and deepest ocean of our planet.

Vica Pacheco’s composition takes a calm meditation approach where water flutes and synths brush shoulders to create a ever expanding mind journey whereas Pak Yan Lau’s ambitions Neo classical piece, The Ocean in Us, talks about that grand overwhelming feeling, that vast space deep under, on the bottom of the Pacific. Both compositions were recorded and created with the particular wet acoustics of the Tank in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in mind.

From Philip Hayward and Matt Hill’s liner notes: ‘’The Pacific is a complex space, comprising a third of the Earth’s surface. A cascade of islands runs along its eastern flank, down from the Kamchatka peninsula, through Japan, Taiwan, The Philippines, Melanesia and on to Australasia. In its watery heart the islands of Micronesia and Polynesia stretch across huge distances, north-east to the Hawaiian archipelago, south east to Rapa Nui and south west to Aotearoa and Chatham island. Closer to the shores of the Americas lie Tierra del Fuego, the Galapagos Islands, Haida Gwaii and the Aleutians. This is a space that resists easy characterisation. The Pacific laps the shores of Japan and Chile, the beaches of Australia’s East Coast and the cold, damp coasts of British Colombia and Alaska alike. Indeed, the space is so vast that it is a world in itself and one rarely navigated in its entirety. In this manner, strands of genres and the songs that reflect them are components in an intricate mesh of associations.‘’ Philip Hayward and Matt Hill, April 2022

Crate digger and music enthusiast James Endeacott compiles ‘Unlock Your Mind With Morning Glory’ for Two-Piers Records – A glorious heady mix of the weird and wonderful eclectic music from his radio show ‘Morning Glory’

“One weekday afternoon towards the end of 2017 I sat in The Lyric pub on Great Windmill Street, Soho with my dear friend Raf. I’d just finished another of my weekly Soho Radio shows and was starting to think about the next one. Raf had been on as a guest playing some of his favourite tunes of the day. We had a few drinks, told a few stories and started to plot and scheme. It was always a dream of mine to have a daily radio show. Radio had always informed and excited me from my early teens listening to John Peel under the blanket when I should’ve been either sleeping or revising right up to the present-day musical excursions of NTS, WFMU and numerous internet based stations.

We decided to speak to Adrian and Dan who ran Soho Radio to see if they’d be up for us doing a daily morning show. To our surprise they were into the idea and within 5 minutes Adrain came up with the name Morning Glory. We all liked it. We were all excited. It was all systems go. In December 2017 Raf and myself started a daily 2 hour show. We did the show together, got guests in and the musical policy was whatever we felt like that day. After several months Raf found the mornings too much. Off he went into the distance occasionally coming back with a smile, and a bag of new music. I carried on alone and then suddenly in March 2020 the world stopped, and we went into lockdown.

We set up in my house in Catford, Southeast London and carried on. The show became 3 hours a day and I started to invite friends, record labels, record shops, bands etc.. to supply me with hour long mixes that I played every day. The show took off during this time. My musical tastes expanded as I spent all day long searching for new sounds from around the globe. People started to send me more and more music. I became obsessed with the show. The audience started to take to social media and ask for certain tracks or artists to be played. I got listeners to make me mixes to play on the show and I did several phone interviews with musicians while playing some of their favourite tunes.

I was grateful that Soho Radio left me to my own devices. They never told me what to do or what to play – they trusted ma and I trusted my instincts.

The music on this compilation is not a ‘best of’ it’s just how I felt when I compiled it at the start of 2025. Apart from a couple of tracks they are all things I’ve come across since the show started in December 2017. If I did a list of tracks now I’m sure it would be completely different. Surely that’s the point. We never stick in one place. We are always moving and searching. Always trying to unlock our minds. Put it on. Take your time and let it take you somewhere” James Endeacott 2025

LOSOUL is back on SLICES OF LIFE with two minimal house gems!

Frankfurt-based DJ and producer legend LOSOUL is renowned for his unique sonic language and deep, captivating grooves.
On his latest release for the Berlin imprint, the tracks take us on a journey back to the roots of minimal house - raw, stripped-down, and deeply immersive.

"Post Service Pop" on the A-side flows deep and funky, spreading pads like hot oil, topped with subtly modulated vocal snippets.

"Modesty Bump" on the B-side dives into rawer territory with high-energy sounds and edgy sonic sparkles, while maintaining that minimalistic, steady, driving groove we all love in Losoul’s work: groovers and grinders for the long-distance runner’s soundtrack.

January 2025. Serra Grande, Bahia.
The sound of the forest dampening the steps of weary travelers. The air dense with the song of the Araponga. In the distance, amidst the rustling leaves and tropical raindrops, a distant voice howls: “P… Cara… A…zing”. A child’s soul, expressed through the body of a Japanese man, plays ‘Gishiki’ for the first time with the innocence and wonder of a young alchemist that just turned a rock into gold. We were captivated by the elegance of the composition. A friendship was struck and months of work followed.

Fast forward, and we find ourselves down by a familiar Portuguese lake. Rushing towards another Floresta just in time to hand over the test press before a spellbinding set. ‘Suiryuu’ plays and everything magically falls into place.

We hope this record touches you the way it touched us and reminds us all how life can really be Pra Caralho Amazing.

Ploughing a different furrow, Alone in a World of Wounds is an album of sweeping gothic tinged Americana, tripped out drones, beautiful world weary vocal melodies and slowly unfurling cello arrangements. Initially inspired by the harmonic resonance of piano and synths and his long standing love of ambient music, Alone in a World of Wounds follows 2021’s No Wilderness Deep Enough in reflective ambience. Opening up his voice in ways he has never done before, the album's genesis came via intuitive improvisations.
The search for deeper connection, living with the sorrow of our separation from the natural world, and relying on gut level intuition to get closer to the primal creative state are all key to Von Till’s creative process.
Recorded mostly at his barn studio at home in Idaho and mixed at Circular Ruin in Brooklyn, NY, with storied producer Randall Dunn (Jóhann Jóhannsson, Sunn O))), Earth, Jim Jarmusch), Alone in a World of Wounds also boasts cover artwork from Spokane, WA based alternative process photographer Brian Deemy - who works with colloidal wet plate ‘tintype’ aesthetics, which compliment Von Till’s uniquely ancient yet grounded aesthetic, and one that perfectly matches his desire to reimagine the connection between the human and the more than human world.

Hanagasumi, or "flowering haze," is a Japanese term that poetically describes the smoky, blurred appearance of numerous cherry blossoms visible from a distance. This image is often compared to a floral mist or fog. Through this word, the Japanese convey the visual effect created by a large number of flowers forming a soft, diffused, and ethereal picture. Such a description beautifully resonates with the musical palette of the new release. Introducing the long-awaited album Agera by the mysterious musician Jon'Smu. The record combines elements of classic deep house and ambient music, creating a unique atmosphere and the author's distinctive signature. The album features 8 stunning tracks, carefully selected and compiled into a cohesive story. A few words from the author: "This album, spanning a vast timeline of creativity, is about how important and interesting it is to be in motion and in constant search of something new. The recordings presented cover a significant interval of my musical journey through the diversity of genres and sound experimentation. At the core of the music lies Nature - it is the primary source of inspiration for me, and Action is a key moment of life for everything in nature. A wide range of instruments was used in the recording process, whether fully digital compositions or those featuring vintage analog instruments. I hope my love for an immense variety of genres is reflected in this album and brings joy to the listeners."

Synaptic marks the second album of SIT on Sushitech, the latest visionary project from Cristi Cons and Vlad Caia. A true meeting of minds, the album was born from deep friendships and inspired studio collaborations.

Crafted through extended, boundary pushing sessions, Synaptic brings together a stellar cast of like minded artists, Silverlining, O.Bee, Jay Tripwire, Jamie Leather, DeWalta, Sublee, Cezar, Joe Rolet, Lawrence, Christopher Ledger and Mischa Blanos.

A powerful and immersive listening experience, it's an intricate blend of textures, moods and rhythms that captures the collective energy of some of the scene's most innovative producers, specially released as part of the label's 20th anniversary.

During the 35 years of making music, Dave Lee has constantly been searching for new singers and writers to work with. A search that’s ended up with many fantastic collaborations and releases with the likes of Thelma Houston, Taka Boom, Dianne Charlemagne and Seal. More recently this quest led him to Maurissa Rose and the creation of their album ‘London / Detroit’. After hearing Maurissa's voice on a Theo Parrish record Dave reached out to her and after a few long phone conversations and mp3 swaps they both agreed a visit to London would be much more fun than trying to work together remotely. Maurissa made the journey from her home in Detroit to write and record an album with Dave at his studio in March 2022 - as they both feel that creating music together in the same room is always better. The fruits of their labour yielded 11 brand new songs (and 1 cover) tapping into their collective love of Soul, Disco and R&B, with a sprinkle of Soulful House. This album is a special one for Dave Lee as it’s the first time in his career he’s recorded an entire album with same singer on every track.

In the album’s liner notes Dave talks of how Maurissa is a naturally creative person, full of ideas, warm & unpretentious which is reflected in her vocal performances throughout ‘London / Detroit’. Dave’s expertly crafted music is backed up with a deeply passionate yet effortless delivery from the Detroiter, a marker of someone who has honed and perfected their art. When it comes to the music side of this LP, Dave Lee is once again proving he’s still at the top of his game and shows no sign of relenting. Drawing from his encyclopaedic knowledge of all things Soul/Funk/Disco, we are treated to a range of styles, BPMs and influences from 95bpm street soul to more uptempo disco and boogie flavours. Be it the rippling synth voyage opener of ‘You Decide’, taking the Johnnie Taylor classic ‘What About My Love’ into a modern Boogie realm, upping the tempo on the soulful houser ‘I Feel the Sun” or bringing the tempo back down to the bassy acidic chug of ‘You’re Giving Me Life’. Mr Lee is truly adept at creating a modern disco soul sound without the usage of samples.

London and Detroit might be two very different cities on opposite sides of the Atlantic but this album is proof that creative synergy knows no distance.

Out everywhere on Feb 28th on Gatefold Vinyl, CD and Digital/Streaming.

The time has come for hip-hop’s favourite superheroes to unleash their highly anticipated album. The industry’s most recognisable voice, Chali 2na, and turntable wizard Krafty Kuts have been not-so-secretly preparing this project since 2017 through over 150 live shows and countless studio sessions. The time has finally come to grab your capes, don a pair of tights and load up the turntable ready for the show to begin. This is ‘Adventures Of A Reluctant Super Hero’ – prepare for the Purple Assassin and the Scratchman as they come and save your city, the scene and hip-hop as we know it.

Featuring a who’s-who of collabs and guest appearances from hip-hop royalty, this 14-track record takes you to just about every corner of the genre, leaving no stone unturned. With Lyrics Born and Gift Of Gab joining on ‘Guard The Fort’ to deliver a serious statement of intent to open the LP, the rest of the record is an adventure through funk, breaks, rolling basslines, buckets of groove and everything in-between. Throw in a generous portion of expertly delivered bars and vocals from genre sidekicks like Harry Shotta, Skye (Morcheeba), Omar, Dynamite MC and more, and you’re left with a hip-hop record that not even the comic books could have conceived.

LP version comes with an exclusive 8-page comic-book by official Star Wars illustrator JAKe + full album download.

First Word Records are very proud to bring you 'Ghouls', the 6th studio album from Bastien Keb.

Through the reflective and introspective multi-mood journey of its 19-tracks, this album spans psychedelic-chamber-funk, warped anti-ballads, cinematic instrumentals, Ethio-jazz & ethereal ambience.

Part soundtrack, part beat-tape, part memoir, this is a dreamlike soundscape sewn together from half-forgotten memories & late night breakdowns.

Entirely sample-free, this album is full to the brim with musical experimentation, with Keb's compulsion to make all the individual pieces of music independently; combining strings, harps, saxophones, theremins, clarinets, flutes and trumpets.

He signals to the fuzzy, nostalgic nebulous of mid '90s skate videos, as well as harking back to the scores & moods of movies like The French Connection, Taxi Driver, The Warriors and La Haine. There are whispers of sounds in the air from jazz clubs, street preachers & Turkish restaurants.

Keb describes the sonic experience of this album simply as this… "You're half awake, and half asleep, but you're warm…"

For this 19-track opus, Keb is joined extensively by Malik Ameer Crumpler; a poet, composer, editor and professor based in Paris, who's been involved in numerous albums while writing for various forms of experimental media.

A multi-instrumentalist originally from the Midlands, Bastien Keb (aka Sebastian Jones) previously released his highly-acclaimed album '22.02.85' on First Word back in 2017; this new album being a very welcome return to the Worldwide Award-winning UK independent label.

His music has been widely supported across BBC Radio in the past by DJs including Gilles Peterson, Huey Morgan, Huw Stephens, Jamie Cullum, Lauren Laverne, Mary Anne Hobbs, Nemone and Tom Ravenscroft. This is in addition to glowing press reviews from the likes of Pitchfork, The Guardian and The Line Of Best Fit.

He's built up a steady fanbase through his extensive catalogue over the years, with material for labels like Def Pressé, Gearbox, One-Handed Music and most recently for Shabaka Hutchings' Native Rebel Recordings imprint, on a collaborative project with South London's Confucius MC (Speakers Corner Quartet).

Keb concludes "this record is for anyone feeling lost in a world that seems to have lost itself without knowing it. It's for the people who know that the world is missing the beauty of the lights in the distance, whilst being distracted by new shoes and flashy phones..."

'Ghouls' is due to be released on vinyl & digital worldwide, November 14th 2025.

The first ASFON release has been a year-long labour of love that has come into being from what felt like a lucid dream, off in the distance, too crazy to believe was real. From our first meeting in the Freerotation yurt to late-night exchanges in Bristol, Winkles (Jamie Slater) has been sharing tracks that lingered long after the party ended. Their raw textures and warped sense of time found a natural home in our sets, eventually leading to the emergence of ‘The Unavoidable EP’, a collection of four diverse tracks which form a singular, immersive experience.

On A1 journey, The Unavoidable Consequence Of Familiarity, a knocking kick opens the door to this new sound world, introducing us to the granular clicks, crazed telephony and vocoded grunts which populate the deep space of Winkles’ imagination. Machines whir and perception shifts in the space between distant synth stabs, while a pulsating bassline battles to break through the filter and create a throbbing low end. Hallucinatory and deep, this is the perfect introduction to both the EP and the ASFON outlook.

Semi Stretches sees Winkles pick up a signal from beyond the outer rim, fire up the hyperdrive and lock into the rolling hum of intergalactic techno. Juggernaut bass forms the perfect counterpoint to the rapid fire rim shots trembling away up top as this Venusian club craft battles static, drives through the milky cosmic and transports the dancing bodies to a Multicoloured Plasticine Universe.

Cutting the engines and switching to suspended animation, Winkles lets us drift through a hazy dream-space where there’s no up or down, where twinkling arps, insectile electronics and hazy sirens coalesce into a psychotropic swirl.

Out of this multicoloured mirage comes Osaka-based astral traveller Erik Luebs, who translates that peak-time ambient bubbler into a Balearic chugger which emerges from the ether to add another dimension to the EP. Rubberised bass, velvet pads and nuanced percussion ensure this is perfect for poolside play in a land of pink sand and sideways tides.

Looking back more than four years later at Haram, it is easier to see the forest for the trees. At the time, much of the attention fell on how this outsider duo would fare under the bright lights- which was fair, Armand Hammer had never done a single producer record before- and here they were working with a living legend. Now, with a little distance, it’s easier to see how Alchemist stepped out of his comfort zone to meet them where they were, and how all three artists then absconded for parts unknown. The flashbulb energy of “Bring The Stars Out”, asymmetric drone of “Chicharrones”, fugue-bounce of “God’s Feet”, and good luck finding analogues for “Peppertree” or “Stonefruit”. Haram doesn’t sound like anything else in the ALC discography, nor in Armand Hammer’s, for that matter. Haram was a one-shot kill that somehow contained some of the most accessible work ELUCID and billy woods had ever done, as well as some of their most experimental, and it all sounded cohesive.
Needless to say, they didn’t do this alone; KAYANA’s golden voice upps the wattage on “Black Sunlight,” while Fielded’s sultry alto gets chopped and screwed on “Aubergine”. Earl Sweatshirt’s cameo on the sun-soaked “Falling Out the Sky” is already a classic. Curly Castro, Amani, and Quelle Chris all turn up the heat when called upon.
But since we are talking about retrospect here, the thing about Haram isn’t that it still sounds as good as it did when it came out. The amazing thing is that it actually sounds even better than it did then. You don’t have to take our word for it either, run it up one time, with the lights low and something on ice, see if it doesn’t take you somewhere new, again.

MCRV019 – VA – Phase Drift. Passage is a graceful and emotionally nuanced four-track journey through modern deep tech house. Blending reimagined echoes of early 2000s deep sounds with forward-thinking production, the release moves between moods and textures with surgical control and quiet sophistication. It’s an EP that balances warmth and restraint, melancholy and motion — built for selectors who appreciate finely tuned emotional arcs.

A1. Stephano Franca – Arriving opens with a fluid, introspective piece. Gentle and melancholic, it glides with cinematic poise, drawing listeners into a state of suspended reflection.
A2. Dot – Distance Call introduces a percussive, tribal undercurrent — earthy and grounded, yet full of bounce. It energizes the space while maintaining depth and groove.

Flipping over, B1. Reenday – Last Call (Nicolas Barnes Remix) brings a refined sense of cold elegance. Dubby and atmospheric, it’s a minimalist piece that evokes distance and stillness — a cool breath in the night.
Closing the release, B2. Jeronimo Watson – On The Prowl is a deep tech gem — emotive, seductive, and sharply detailed. With a slow-burning energy, it brings the record to a confident and composed close.

From Brazilian talent Stephano Franca to Dot and Nicolas Barnes, two of the label’s most precise and consistent producers, and rising standout Reenday, a finalist of the ANTS: NEXT GEN Artist Program 2025, this release represents the current essence of MixCult. It is sealed by the distinct touch of Jeronimo Watson, whose Los Angeles–rooted sound closes the circle with style.

Phase Drift. Passage is not just a collection of tracks — it’s a refined toolkit for navigating emotional shifts and dancefloor narratives, framed by elegance and intention.

Limited Edition.

2025 Repress
Depth Over Distance presents: doddub.
Only 150 copies available, vinyl only, hand-stamped, all black.
100% Modular one-take jams by Sep.
The world needs more dub.

Curió Curió came to flight by chance. Two artists, Rio-born, Austria-based singer and actress Luiza Monteiro and German producer Dustin Braun, had separately reached a fork in their journeys. An opportune encounter soon blossomed into an uplifting, heartfelt Brazilian MPB-groove project shaped by psychedelic disco and studio experimentation. In their own words Curió Curió’s sonic vision “is not straight disco, not straight samba, not strictly old-school but inspired by all of them, creating something contemporary but still nostalgic”.

A modern fusion influenced as much by Gal Costa and Jorge Ben Jor as Say She She and Bala Desejo, their sound deftly plots a course all of its own. A celebration of freedom, movement, love and life, intertwined with introspective moments of reflection. Treating tradition as something alive, migratory and unresolved, the album is not simply bound by a shared love of Brazilian music, but by a deeper question that runs through every track; where does one belong when home becomes plural? As a Brazilian living in Europe, Luiza's lyrics explore themes of identity, culture, and existence. The tracks move between cities and emotional registers without settling, tracing a sense of identity that shifts rather than resolves. Songs like ‘Amor Doente’ and ‘Mar sem Dar Pé’ circle around relationships that resist clarity, while ‘Menina Passarinho’ captures the fear and necessity of committing to music as a path. For Luiza, deepening her commitment to music alongside years in theatre was both inevitable and difficult. Braun’s production follows a similar logic. Initial ideas were often built without obvious reference points, only later incorporating rhythmic and vocal elements that hint at Brazil without reproducing it. Analogue techniques, tape, ribbon microphones and live ensemble recording bring a tactile quality that reflects the duo’s interest in process as much as outcome. Highlights include ‘Bem Querer’, built on an authentic samba street vibe with a super-catchy sing-along chorus, and ‘Vem pra Casa’ with its cosmic-tinged Brazilian boogie flavour. The album closes with ‘A Cor do Meu Sonho’, a quiet act of insistence. A refusal to shrink in unfamiliar environments, and a belief in the strength of difference. It is less a conclusion than a continuation, leaving the central question open. “I started to understand that I can belong to many places at once”, Luiza reflects. “And that can be something to embrace”. Lyrics from the song ‘Raiz’ translate in English to “I value a burning sun and the cold in the air. Constant change is my companion”. With Curió Curió, that idea is lived through sound, story and collaboration. A debut that feels both searching and assured, grounded in heritage yet shaped by distance.

Curió Curió came to flight by chance. Two artists, Rio-born, Austria-based singer and actress Luiza Monteiro and German producer Dustin Braun, had separately reached a fork in their journeys. An opportune encounter soon blossomed into an uplifting, heartfelt Brazilian MPB-groove project shaped by psychedelic disco and studio experimentation. In their own words Curió Curió’s sonic vision “is not straight disco, not straight samba, not strictly old-school but inspired by all of them, creating something contemporary but still nostalgic”.

A modern fusion influenced as much by Gal Costa and Jorge Ben Jor as Say She She and Bala Desejo, their sound deftly plots a course all of its own. A celebration of freedom, movement, love and life, intertwined with introspective moments of reflection. Treating tradition as something alive, migratory and unresolved, the album is not simply bound by a shared love of Brazilian music, but by a deeper question that runs through every track; where does one belong when home becomes plural? As a Brazilian living in Europe, Luiza's lyrics explore themes of identity, culture, and existence. The tracks move between cities and emotional registers without settling, tracing a sense of identity that shifts rather than resolves. Songs like ‘Amor Doente’ and ‘Mar sem Dar Pé’ circle around relationships that resist clarity, while ‘Menina Passarinho’ captures the fear and necessity of committing to music as a path. For Luiza, deepening her commitment to music alongside years in theatre was both inevitable and difficult. Braun’s production follows a similar logic. Initial ideas were often built without obvious reference points, only later incorporating rhythmic and vocal elements that hint at Brazil without reproducing it. Analogue techniques, tape, ribbon microphones and live ensemble recording bring a tactile quality that reflects the duo’s interest in process as much as outcome. Highlights include ‘Bem Querer’, built on an authentic samba street vibe with a super-catchy sing-along chorus, and ‘Vem pra Casa’ with its cosmic-tinged Brazilian boogie flavour. The album closes with ‘A Cor do Meu Sonho’, a quiet act of insistence. A refusal to shrink in unfamiliar environments, and a belief in the strength of difference. It is less a conclusion than a continuation, leaving the central question open. “I started to understand that I can belong to many places at once”, Luiza reflects. “And that can be something to embrace”. Lyrics from the song ‘Raiz’ translate in English to “I value a burning sun and the cold in the air. Constant change is my companion”. With Curió Curió, that idea is lived through sound, story and collaboration. A debut that feels both searching and assured, grounded in heritage yet shaped by distance.

2025 Repress

Dubs for basements.

Second release in the doddub series.

Only 150 copies available, vinyl only, hand-stamped, all black.

DODDUB2 by Dävid

The world needs more dub.

To mark three decades of Classic, this special edition double vinyl comes housed in a raw reverse board sleeve, calling back to the very first ‘Season’s’ release on the label. The inner sleeves feature stunning orange and pink GMUND card stock, complete with embossed detailing—a tactile nod to Classic’s design-led legacy and attention to craft.

Volume 1 of the 3-part compilation series dives into Classic’s most cherished moments—spanning both foundational tracks from the label’s early years and key highlights from its post-2011 rebirth.

Record One celebrates some of the first outings of Classic's original era.

It opens with Matthew Herbert’s sought-after 1996 cut ‘Got To Be Movin’—a raw, Chicago-inspired groover that captures the sound of Classic’s roots.

Also featured is the monumental ‘Somewhere Between Distance and the Impossible’ by Chris Nazuka (of Rednail Kidz with Derrick Carter), a 1997 masterpiece steeped in atmosphere and widely regarded as one of the label's most transcendental releases.

Flip to Side B for Blaze’s legendary ‘Lovelee Dae’, remixed into a club ready, ethereal dreamscape by Jon Marsh of The Beloved.

To finish we have Gemini’s hypnotic ‘In My Head’, transformed by prolific remixers on Classic - Freaks (Luke Solomon & Justin Harris) into a dubbed-out vocal trip that oozes character.

Record Two picks up the story with Classic’s reawakening in 2011.

Seven Davis Jr’s ‘The One’ (Live Edit) was the track that caught Luke Solomon’s ear, paving the way for his Friends EP and long-standing connection with the label.

Red Rack’em’s infectious and eccentric ‘Wonky Bassline Disco Banger’ found its perfect home on Classic in 2016, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about records of the year.

Then there’s Eli Escobar’s ‘Happiness Pt. 2’—a rich, emotive standout from his Classic album work, showcasing his skill at blending deep grooves with raw soul.

Rounding out the release is the iconic ‘Play the Game’ by Kenny Hawkes & Louise Carver. A pillar of UK house history, this essential track was reissued in 2019 with a powerful remix from his best buddy’s The Space Children (Luke Solomon, Jonny Rock & Leon Oakey), honouring Kenny’s lasting influence.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Saints & Sinners, All Saints' iconic 2000 album is now available for the first time on vinyl. This special limited edition 2LP Black & Red vinyl edition features the band's signature blend of R&B, pop, and soul, including hit singles like "Pure Shores" and "Black Coffee". To further celebrate, this vinyl edition will include various remixes released over the years such as The Neptunes Remix of Black Coffee, alongside the recent Tourist remix of "Pure Shores."

"Hiss Golden Messenger delivers anthems for our times."
The Independent

"MC Taylor offers up soulful Dylan-esque country rockers about the impact of the system on ordinary lives."
The Guardian 4/5

This plate is about to welcome back one of the unsung heroes from the 45 Seven lands of dub, meditating with us from day one. Weather it may be about 4578's foundations of the rolling Dub Over Distance along the shuffly Dub Pacifico or the later forward lurking tribal jungles of Black Lake flipped by Lack Blake on 45719: Dub Across Borders always knows to amaze with both a contemplating deep inner focus of well laid-out hand-made instrumentation and vintage dubbing as well as refreshing ear-opening sounds and soul-pleasing vibes collected from all over the world, creating a very own sphere of what feels like some kind of ancient sci-fi riddim, rooting upwards to the phuture.

When sweating over a hot mixing desk and hoping for a fresh breeze, the roots of Come Rain were laid in a form of bassdrums knocking at the sky's gates, stabby infra subs foreseeing well-wished thunders and moist dark skank works are calling for storm. An inner shout for the elements, incarnating in a certainly minimal yet pretty heavy 160 stepper, rolling over all the dry hot air out there.

Yeh Sih Dub comes after the rain: new branches grow, fresh leaves spread, foggy clouds reach up for a mountain-high rainforest. Awakening the world bass side of Dub Across Borders, it gives you ceremonial Bhuddist horns as well as houting sounds of the tantric Khamak, a poundy stab bass and the shimmering spring-splashing ride sitting on top as its crown. Only rarely 80 bpm bass has been as easily touching and moving at the same time.

Take a deep breath and dive into this piece of both mindful and reflective space bass, launching sub-heavy Jungle onto imaginery moons of spacial perception. We are actually just about to start this journey, feel free to get aboard!

"Absolute gold, thanks a bunch" Will be supporting lots" Pugilist
"Epic Dub pressure, big fan of Dub Across Borders" Sun People
"Sounding great as usual, will play for sure!" Tracy & E3 of Zamzam