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Various - Nervous Records 30 Years (Part 1) 4x12"
 
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part 2


Nervous Records, the iconic label synonymous with the rise of house from the streets of New York City, will mark 30 years in the music industry by releasing the celebratory compilation LP ‘Nervous Records: 30 Years’ on October 1st (Part 1) and October 15th (Part 2).

Featuring original mixes of the label’s biggest tracks, plus remixes by some of its most celebrated acts, ‘Nervous Records: 30 Years’ is both a celebration of the past and of the future. Featuring a who’s who of electronic dance music, the long player sees names including Louie Vega, David Morales Darius Syrossian, Tensnake, Monki, Franky Rizardo, Danny Howard and more take on iconic Nervous cuts: ‘You Make Me Feel Mighty Real’, ‘Treat Me Right’, ‘Future Groove’, ‘Feel Like Singing’, ‘Get Up Everybody’, ‘Break You’, ‘Hot’, ‘End This Hate’, ‘Unspeakable Joy’, ‘Can Ya Tell Me’, ‘Jerk It’, ‘The Anthem’, ‘It Makes A Difference’, ‘Learn 2 Luv’ and ‘Don’t You Ever Give Up’.

The album marks one of the most enduring, extraordinary legacies to grace America’s illustrious music history, not just in electronica but far beyond. Founded in 1991 by Michael and his father Sam Weiss, and recognizable immediately by its distinctive character logo, the label grew rapidly, in no small part due to Michael Weiss’ practically unmatched passion for discovering new music.

“Louie Vega and Kenny Dope woke me at 4am on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning from their studio telling me they had something really different that I needed to hear,” Michael recollects. “I asked if they could play it over the phone. They said if I wanted to hear it I had to come to the studio. So of course I got myself up, got dressed and went there. That “really different track” ended up being ‘The Nervous Track’, a tune that became our signature release and was also highly instrumental in the emergency of London’s ‘Broken Beat’ movement.”

The label’s willingness to take chances on fresh sounds and innovative concepts rising up from the melting pot sidewalks of NYC ensured a body of work that has become a living musical history of the city. House cuts ‘Unspeakable Joy’ and ‘Nitelife’ (Kim English), ‘Get Up (Everybody)’ (Byron Stingily) and ‘Feel Like Singing’ (Sandy B) bump up against hip-hop anthems like ‘Who Got Da Props’ (Black Moon) and “Bucktown” (Smif-n-Wessun) and reggae cut ‘Take It Easy’ (Mad Lion); soulful flows from Mood II Swing (Kim English ‘Learn 2 Luv’, Loni Clark “Rushing”), Armand Van Helden (‘The Anthem’) and Nuyorican Soul (‘Mind Fluid’) sit alongside seminal techno singles like Winx’ ‘Don’t Laugh’. The young artists and producers who joined the Nervous Records’ family have gone on to become some of the most hallowed and celebrated dance acts of all time: Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, David Morales, Tony Humphries, Roger Sanchez, Armand Van Helden, Kerri Chandler, Kim English, Byron Stingily, Josh Wink, to name just a handful.

“We did a release with Josh Wink under his Winx alias entitled ‘Nervous Build-Up’,” Michael said. “It did well and it was obvious how talented Josh was. Subsequent to that release I was pretty persistent in asking him to continue to play me his new demos. During one phone conversation he said, “Mike I’m gonna play you something over the phone but don’t laugh when you hear it.” That demo ended up being ‘Don’t Laugh’, which became one of our biggest international hits and still to this day is one of America’s earliest and most impactful techno hits.”

As much a celebration of the label’s future as it is of their past, Nervous Records: 30 Years is but a marker in the imprints’ history, a clear sign of where they’ve been and also where they’re going. With 30 years behind them, the label’s determination to unearth new raw diamonds in the rough is as unwavering as ever.

“I’ve always been one to look at what others are doing (the industry at large) and think, “ok, are they doing this specific thing for a reason, or doing it because everyone else is doing the same thing” and make my decision based on that,” says Nervous Records’ General Manager Andrew Salsano. “In an age where data metrics and analytics reign supreme, I remain steadfast that they should be complementary to your decision and not the sole indicator to make one. So many songs today are written with 15 second hooks in mind for social media, and while there’s nothing wrong with that business model you will always be chasing the wave instead of carving out your own path and identity.

“My primary focus for the sound of the label has and will continue to revolve around signing good songs and music that has the ability to react at the street level first. The best results come from artists that are firstly given a bit of local love that grows into a global impact. Fresh ideas that express child-like curiosity and artists showing vulnerability in their music are also something I look for, artists and producers that are not making music with certain markets in mind, but rather their own style and signature that is unique but able to straddle the fine line of underground and overground.”

Still as raw, as underground and as finely tuned to the dance floor as they ever have been, perhaps the secret to the success - and the longevity - of Nervous Records has something to do with that hard, dogged, no-holds-barred NYC edge that runs through the veins of the label. With the next generation of producers rising from the clubs of New York, one thing is certain; Nervous Records will be there to find them, nurture them and bring them to the world at large, over the next decade and beyond.

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Last In: 18 months ago
WITCHES BROOM - WITCHES BROOM

Recorded by the band direct to 8-track tape in a basement behind a cemetery, these nine timeless teenage anthems and jukebox rippers tackle love (“Got Me High”), lust (“Tell Your Boyfriend”), and drugs (“Here He Come”) with a counterculture sneer and trickster’s wink. Fueled by Savage Sam's fiery guitar and Farfisa leads, vocal snarl, and arsenal of self-built custom analog effects pedals, the trio offers fresh and lucid hallucinations of various Seeds-y, Fugs’ed up strains of American underground rock and freakbeat rave-ups at the farthest edge of the British Invasion.

Crucially, the group laces each composition with more than enough personality to ensure that this joyful noise couldn't be coming from anybody else's garage. An upbeat singles band to the core, they save their lone improvised psychedelic jam for the end of midtempo closer "Watching" - a glimpse at the wild abandon of the trio's facemelting live shows. Savage Sam: guitar, organ, lead vocals, production
Michelle: drums, backing vocal Herb (Matt Lajoie) : bass guitar, backing vocals

pre-order now21.01.2022

expected to be published on 21.01.2022

Jackie McLean - Destination…Out!

The innovative hard bop of Jackie McLean began to evolve and take on a harder edge as the early-1960s progressed. Inspired by Ornette Coleman, the alto saxophonist began to venture gradually into the realm of the avant-garde, but on his own terms, never fully relinquishing a grounding in a soulful sense swing and chordal structures.With his 1963 album Destination… Out! he created a masterpiece of inside-out jazz with a unique quintet featuring Grachan Moncur III on trombone, Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone, Larry Ridley on bass, and Roy Hayes on drums. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

pre-order now21.01.2022

expected to be published on 21.01.2022

Artizhan - Breaks From The V.

Artizhan

Breaks From The V.

12inchAPLTRONIC015
Apparel Tronic
17.01.2022

Apparel Tronic is proud to present you the new album by Artizhan called Breaks From The V.
The DJ and producer from Naples, who’s been a pivotal figure of the Italian Electronic music scene since a very young age, is not new to the Tronic catalogues with his newest moniker but this one is surely his most complete, heartfelt and anticipated work to date. Having been in the scene for more than 25 years allowed Franky B to experiment, improving his creative techniques with ninja-like dedication and always testing himself along the rapids of music production, DJing and scratching. Now he’s ready to emerge once again from the shadows with his new LP: a groundbreaking, powerful, cutting-edge work we’re all extremely proud to finally release and, most importantly, his most profound sonic confession so far. With ‘Breaks From The V’ (the title of which is a tribute to his homeland, where ‘V’ stands for Vesuvius), Artizhan narrates his life through his music and embodies the best version of himself displaying, through ten stunning tracks, great versatility as a producer, ranging from D&B and Jungle to abrasive beats and some masterly composed and very personal paraphrase of IDM. The LP is a massive showdown by the artist himself and his label, both united towards a single objective: telling Artizhan’s incredible story as effectively and efficiently as possible.

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Last In: 4 years ago
Lucy - Tarkomania

Lucy

Tarkomania

10inchSATOTEM001
Stroboscopic Artefacts
14.01.2022

Stroboscopic Artefacts is releasing its latest addition to the forward leaning edge of electronic music with the Totem series. Unfurling as a chain of transparent 10' vinyl, each of the Totem releases will have a subtly divergent take on the aesthetic space defined by techno and club culture. Totem continues investigations previously established by Stroboscopic Artefacts, namely the relation between sound and material object, spatiotemporality and the architecture of music. The series aims to collapse the artist, their intention and resonance with the public into one object, an artifact of beauty and functionality, the emblemized transparent 10-inch. In choosing a less common format for the Totem series, Stroboscopic Artefacts aims to reinforce the cognition that each of these pressings is a unique object, carrying a message that will develop as the record's existence moves through space and time

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Last In: 8 months ago
MARCO BELTRAMI - VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE

Limited Edition

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is highly anticipated 2021 superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Venom. It is intended to be the second film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and the sequel to Venom (2018). The film is directed by Andy Serkis from a screenplay by Kelly Marcel, based on a story she wrote with Tom Hardy who stars as Eddie Brock / Venom alongside Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, and Woody Harrelson.

pre-order now14.01.2022

expected to be published on 14.01.2022

Various - Stellate 3 (2x10")

Gathering sounds from the experimental frontiers and outer edges of electronic music, Stellate 3 collects together Kangding Ray, NSI, Xhin and Reformed Faction's visions. The polished tracks are layered to the -nth degree, filled with minute details and whispered asides. These productions use an array of analogue machines and the most cunning digital means to vividly render disquieting questions.

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Last In: 4 years ago
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

Miles Davis Kind of Blue meets Analogue Productions' UHQR, the pinnacle of high-quality vinyl!
Best-selling album in jazz history; mastered from the original master tapes by Bernie Grundman
Pressed at Quality Record Pressings using Clarity Vinyl® on a manual Finebilt press
Purest possible pressing and most visually stunning presentation and packaging!
Dream team of Davis, Adderley, Coltrane, Evans, Kelly, Chambers, Cobb make history.

Legends have a way of sticking around. If there was ever an album awaiting a high-fidelity, custom-pressed vinyl treatment of the level you now hold in your hands, it is Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. The top-selling jazz album of all time, it has been lauded, entered into "Best Of" lists and Halls of Fame, and universally acknowledged as a landmark recording — a five-track masterpiece of melancholy mood and melody.

It continues to be one of the most listened-to and studied recordings of all time, a required primer for many young musicians, and one of the most transcendent pieces of music ever recorded. Davis played trumpet sublime with his ensemble sextet featuring pianist Bill Evans, drummer Jimmy Cobb, bassist Paul Chambers, and saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley with Wyton Kelly playing piano on "Freddy the Freeloader."

Now Analogue Productions, together with Quality Record Pressings, is putting Kind of Blue where it belongs: the Ultra High Quality Record (UHQR) pressed on Clarity Vinyl on a manual Finebilt press with attention paid to every single detail of every single record.

The 200-gram records will feature the same flat profile that helped to make the original UHQR so desirable. From the lead-in groove to the run-out groove, there is no pitch to the profile, allowing the customer's stylus to play truly perpendicular to the grooves from edge to center. Clarity Vinyl allows for the purest possible pressing and the most visually stunning presentation. Every UHQR will be hand inspected upon pressing completion, and only the truly flawless will be allowed to go to market. Each UHQR will be packaged in a deluxe box and will include a booklet detailing the entire process of making a UHQR along with a hand-signed certificate of inspection. This will be a truly deluxe, collectible product.

Kind of Blue is more than Miles Davis's most enduring recording, it's a testament to Miles' experimental approach, drastically simplifying modern jazz by returning to melody unlike the chord complexity more often heard at the time. "The music has gotten thick," Davis complained in a 1958 interview for The Jazz Review. "... There will be fewer chords but infinite possibilities as to what to do with them." Kind of Blue is, in a sense, all melody — and atmosphere.

None of the musicians had played any of the tunes before heading into the first of two recording sessions in early spring of 1959. In fact Miles had written out the settings for most of them only a few hours before the session. Miles also stuck to his old recording procedure of having virtually no rehearsal and only one take for each tune.

Miles remained proud of the album, performing at least two of its tracks — "So What" and "All Blues" — for years after, until his musical path took him in a different direction.

History was on the side of Kind of Blue; it was born in 1959, at the peak of the golden age of high-fidelity, featuring innovations in studio equipment (magnetic tape, high-quality condenser microphones), matched by advancements in home audio reproduction (long-player records — LPs; high-end turntables, and other stereo components). Kind of Blue also benefited from Miles' being signed to the leading major record company of the day — Columbia Records, a part of the CBS media conglomerate. Columbia had the means and wisdom to invest in cutting edge recording technology, and their own professional recording studio.

A minor audio complication with Kind of Blue has been addressed with this UHQR edition. The motor on the studio's 3-track master recorder was running slowly the day of the album's first session. This speed issue affected the album's first three tracks, "So What," "Freddie Freeloader" and "Blue in Green," making them a barely perceptible quarter-tone sharp. Before now, it was only addressed in 1995 for the Classic Records edition and by Columbia Records — or their latter-day parent, Sony Music — on a CD reissue in the late '90s.

Sixty years have passed; this LP bridges that time span in the best way possible, struck from the master reel of Kind of Blue, free of speed issues and replete with all the instrumental detail, sonic environment and minimal noise. As we set out to make our UHQR series the world's best-sounding vinyl records, we have also used Clarity Vinyl, which is free of any carbon black pigment which might introduce surface noise. All-in-all this edition of Kind of Blue meets the highest audiophile standards and offers the truest sound for the most enjoyment.

pre-order now29.12.2021

expected to be published on 29.12.2021

Zed Bias - The Beijing EP

"As one of the instigators of the UK 2-Step sound that paved the way for the seminal movements in Dubstep and Grime, Zed Bias, aka Maddslinky, is a true pioneer and stands as one the Godfathers of the UK Bass scene. With a prolific career spanning more than two decades, we’re honoured to welcome him into the Unchained family with his debut release on the label.

His powerful 4-track EP echoes both cutting edge modern electronic as well as the nostalgia of UK dance history. All tracks wander into upper BPM territory and sonically span very wide ground; whether this be “Beijing”, a track sure to carve itself a place in classic anthem history; or “Doen�a Tropical”, a tune which draws new broken-beat boundaries around the 160bpm ethos.

Two tracks feature collaborations with Strategy and Bugz In the Attic’s G Force - both music defining legends in their own right.

Spanning both the Drum’N’Bass universe and thought-provoking left-field bass, we hope this fresh release has you covered from club to couch."

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Last In: 15 months ago
Ewan McVicar - Amnocairn EP

Ewan Mcvicar

Amnocairn EP

12inchSNFBT009NOCOVER
Shall Not Fade
20.12.2021

Scottish DJ Ewan McVicar is tipped for big things, having found support in the likes of Annie Mac and Fatboy Slim. After a stellar year crowned with a release on the hallowed Nervous Records, he makes his debut on Shall Not Fade's "Basement Tracks" series with five explosive earworms.

Amnocairn EP collects the most classic sounds from the dancefloor and melts them together, styles blending throughout songs to keep listeners on their toes and dancing. The title track is a sweeping marriage of insistent house piano and washy dub techno synths, leading into the sugary, hardcore "1001 Freestyle" that calls back to early Lone tracks. Then one for the after hours crew, "Ha Mez", a syncopated 303 techno roller.

McVicar keeps the party atmosphere close across the B-side, flexing laser-cut synth arps with a dark, big-room edge on "Stu Boy", before crowning the EP with a gorgeous sun soaked party number "See U Thru My Eyes", jazzy inflected house with a 90s aesthetic. This EP has something for everyone, bringing together eclectic influences into a smooth festival-ready record.

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Last In: 3 years ago
ANA MAZZOTTI - O FILHO DO HOMEM

Believed to have been recorded in 1983, ‘O Filho Do Homem’ is a newly discovered and previously unreleased single by the late Brazilian composer and keyboardist Ana Mazzotti. Though it’s her only known studio recording of the decade, ‘O Filho Do Homem’ is one of several unreleased compositions Mazzotti and her band performed on TV Cultura and Programa MPB during the 80s.*

These performances showed Mazzotti had transitioned towards a harder edged and more daringly experimental sound in this period, while keeping the core components of samba, jazz and funk that characterised her two studio albums from the 1970s, Ninguem Vai Me Segurar (1974) and the self titled Ana Mazzotti (1977). This evolved 80s sound had evidently taken a similar path to that of her contemporaries and mentors, like Azymuth, whose keyboardist José Roberto Bertrami arranged her debut album, and Hermeto Pascoal who described her as “a super musician.”

Following the resurgence in appreciation for Ana’s music that arose from the 2019 reissues of her two studio albums, her son Toni Mazzotti was compelled to re-examine the archive of artefacts he’d inherited from his parents. Amongst the LPs, chord sheets, photos and VHS recordings, Toni stumbled upon a mysterious reel of tape, which he swiftly dispatched to the Far Out office in London. Toni and the Far Out team were delighted to discover the mystery tape was a hazy jazz-funk gem recorded by his mother (and father, drummer Romildo Santos) during the twilight of her short career; Ana Mazzotti sadly passed away in 1988 from lung cancer at the age of just 37. Aside from Ana on keyboards and vocals and Romildo who produced and played drums on all of Ana’s recordings, the line-up for the quartet is unknown.

“O Filho Do Homem” will be released on 7” vinyl and digitally on the 10th December 2021 via Far Out Recordings.

pre-order now17.12.2021

expected to be published on 17.12.2021

Sweet Gum Tree - Silvatica

Sweet Gum Tree

Silvatica

12inchDBLP004
Dreamy Bird
17.12.2021

. A true child of the seventies, Sojo wished to record and mix his new material straight to tape, using vintage analog equipment with according methods of work. This was made possible at Studio Kerwax, located in the heart of Brittany. A tight quintet gathered with sound engineer Christophe Chavanon to produce the warm timeless sounds of Silvatica, marking the welcome return of drummer Earl Harvin (Tindersticks, The The, Psychedelic Furs). New recruit Erik 'Raggy' Sevret (from French dub masters Zenzile) works his sax magic, breathing further life into Sweet Gum Tree's lush sonic forest.

pre-order now17.12.2021

expected to be published on 17.12.2021

CMD - Social Factory Reset

CMD aka Corina MacDonald is a Montreal-based DJ, producer and host of the program Modular Systems on CKUT 90.3 FM. She has released on JACKTONE, EXPERIMENTAL HOUSEWIFE’S PERFECT LOCATION RECORDS, FUR TRADE RECORDINGS, and BASIC_SOUNDS. For her vinyl debut, she brings us four entrancing, slightly dubby and acidic techno dance floor cuts perfect for the smooth edges of the late night.

The A-side opens up with “Social Factory Reset”, modular jacking techno with an infectious acid swell and patient pads. “Shaping Inner Space” is an apt title. The tempo is slightly faster than A1, and it sounds like an extraterrestrial night out. Euphoric synth twists bring in the break while the bass drum toys with the rhythm only to zap it back home with the force of cosmic gravity.

“Dream-Life Cycles” opens up the B-side tough, with an acid line and bass drum syncopation sure to bring out the stomp. Modular tweets fire off in stereo; pads bring in the harmony; and a nuanced and pleasantly surprising vocal line brings the euphoria on home. “Body Locked” closes the EP with an athletic, cosmic techno track that doesn’t shy away from the trance palette. Step out of your body and onto the dance floor!

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Last In: 4 years ago
DC Salas - The Weight Of Uncertainty

Having already impressed via a slew of releases for Correspondant, Live At Robert Johnson and his own Biologic Records, DC Salas tees up an impressive release for Futureboogie. ‘The Weight Of Uncertainty’ EP illustrates the suave sounds that the Brussels born producer has become noted for, and comes backed with a remix from the supremely talented and always on-point I:Cube.

In its original mix, ‘The Weight Of Uncertainty’ dips into a smorgasbord of sound, as touches of Belgian New Beat slide on up against balearic disco tropes for a spectacular body & soul workout. The legendary French disco architect and Versatile Records mainstay, I:Cube, floats in on a little fluffy cloud for a terrific ambient dance version, fuelled by the kind of IDM brain scrambling sounds once present in the DNA of producers like Carl Craig, B12, Black Dog and Autechre.

On his two other originals, DC Salas gets raw and grungy on ‘Gliding Sound’, its distorted edge adding to the drama composed by the heavy hitting synth lines and the gnarly percussive pattern, whilst ‘They Don’t See It’ introduces some dark acid elements to the chugging rhythm and steely hi-hats anchoring the tracks off-kilter melodies.

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Last In: 3 years ago
Pirate Copy feat. Hattie Snooks - You Need It

Kaluki Music head Pirate Copy makes a long-awaited debut on Hot Creations this November with the three-track You Need It. Collaborating with rising vocalist Hattie Snooks, the release includes two remixes courtesy of US legend Harry Romero and Spanish mainstay Miane.

The title track takes the form of a driving, 4x4 house cut, packed full of punchy percussion and resonant kick-hat pairings. Built for the dancefloor, Hattie Snooks’ enigmatic vocals whisper beneath a minimal-laced bassline, before Harry Romero’s remix arrives. The US stalwart serves up another no-nonsense offering, as a hard-edged bassline melds with flecks of acid throughout. Rounding off the release is Miane, whose tribal-leaning offering is sure to light up many a nightclub this year.

Manchester’s Pirate Copy is a leading artist in today’s electronic music sphere. His discography boasts releases on some of the scene’s most revered imprints, including Sola, Relief, Elrow and Moon Harbour to name a few, whilst his own label, Kaluki, has become a bastion for contemporary house since its inception fifteen years ago.

Harry Romero is a well-established figure on the worldwide music circuit, with recent productions landing on Crosstown Rebels, DIRTYBIRD and many more besides. Ibiza’s Miane is fast becoming a talked about talent in the industry, thanks to several appearances on major labels including Repopulate Mars, Toolroom and Moon Harbour.

stock from19.06.2026


Last In: 18 days ago
Lady Gaga - BORN THIS WAY - THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Lady Gaga’s iconic album Born This Way, Born This Way The Tenth Anniversary includes Lady Gaga's original Born This Way album, along with six new versions of songs reimagined by artists representing and advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community, including Kylie Minogue, Big Freedia, The Highwomen, Orville Peck, and more. The 3LP version includes 3 additional tracks.

pre-order now10.12.2021

expected to be published on 10.12.2021

Mouth Congress - Waiting For Henry

Mouth Congress – friends Paul Bellini and Scott Thompson of Kids In The Hall fame - wrote and recorded hundreds of songs in the ‘80s with - out ever putting out a proper release. Alongside various cohorts and conspirators, the band drew on their experiences as gay men to craft hilariously crude punk songs that run the gamut of strange characters and taboo subject matter. Their rag tag approach to songwriting blended various styles from noisy punk to lo-fi new wave and DIY disco, all with a very gay bent. Without trying, they were surprisingly cutting edge.

Mouth Congress did dozens of live shows through the mid-80s that gained a reputation for being theatrical, combining props, sets, multiple costume changes, unusual song choices, guest stars, and Scott’s stand-up comedy. In 1988, they recorded a 7-song demo tape. The tracks were recorded quickly, as the Kids in the Hall were about to go to New York City to develop their material. Then, caught up in the excitement of the Kids in the Hall being signed to television, Mouth Congress activities slowed to a crawl.

In 2011, Paul dug out an old VHS tape of one of the live shows. The sight of one of the Kids in the Hall covered in sweat, writhing on stage like Iggy Pop, was something he felt comedy fans might enjoy seeing. Naturally, Scott agreed and they uploaded everything - over 600 recordings - onto Bandcamp. One day in 2019, Mike Sniper of Captured Tracks stumbled upon the Bandcamp page, got in touch, and suggested assembling a compilation of the best recordings to be officially released for the very first time.
Waiting for Henry is a collection of 29 tracks over 2 LPs with a booklet of interviews and ephemera from one of the ‘80s
last queercore bands.

Who is Henry? We don’t really know, but we certainly hope he shows up soon.

pre-order now10.12.2021

expected to be published on 10.12.2021

Fucked Up - David Comes to Life (10th Anniversary)

 In 2011, Toronto’s Fucked Up delivered an album
that chafed the edges of punk rock’s conceptual
boundaries - a set of songs that splayed freely into
unexpected instrumentation, psychedelic drift, and
situationist philosophy. Its ambition was limitless
and its run time opulent. Which is to say, they
made a concept album.
 Matador Records celebrate the 10th Anniversary of
Fucked Up’s titanic 78-minute early ‘10s
masterpiece, ‘David Comes to Life’, with a special
edition double LP reissue on lightbulb-yellow vinyl.
 ‘David Comes to Life’ is a story of lost love, global
meltdown, depression, bombs, guilt and madness.
Or is it? A modern-day morality tale set amid the
dour backdrop of a British industrial town in the
late ’70s, it’s a four-part play that follows the dark
moods and inner psyche of the titular hero. At the
same time, the reliability of the narrator gets called
into question. The tables are turned, responsibility
shifts, and the story goes meta. Of course, you
could always ignore the backstory and just listen to
a fiercely imaginative double album of blistering,
melodic rock ‘n’ roll shot through with all manner of
psychic weirdness.

pre-order now10.12.2021

expected to be published on 10.12.2021

Soul Mass Transit System - All I Need

Northern stars of the Time Is Now series, Soul Mass Transit System, are back for their fourth full-length outing on the popular garage imprint with All I Need. The duo, both established producers in their own right, bring infectious grooves and cheeky samples to shake off the winter blues to.

Sax-infused opener "Freak-ee" serves up shuffling two step and retro vocals - gentle diva intonations giving a housier edge to the sound. "Show U Love" criss-crosses between crooner samples and a classic, dirty dub-driven delight for late night punters.

Skippy snares and cleverly glitched up samples make an earworm melody in "All I Need (Deepa Inside)", before the tempo is pumped up speed garage style for the closing track "The Message". If the rumbling dubwise melody doesn't control the dancefloor, the tantalisingly elongated second drop will.

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Last In: 3 years ago
The Sunburst Band - Listen Love (Dave Lee & Louie Vega Mixes)

Dave Lee dons his Sunburst Band trousers and calls in the vocal talents of Wayne Hernandez with this slice of Brazilian flavoured Jazz Funk ‘Listen Love’ - yes the Jon Lucien jazz dance favourite. The sizzling drums & percussion blend perfectly with the pulsating bassline that allows Wayne to scat and weave his way into the blissed out yet uptempo jazzy keys. For those thinking this would be an even better track if it had a flute solo, we’ve got you covered! with Dave Lee’s ‘Flute Reboot’ for that maximum Latin edged jazz-funk feel.

On the flip two people who need not introducing, Louie Vega & Josh Milan get frenzied on the drums and piano, as they up the ante and deliver a jazz dance fusion clocking in at 9 minutes. Their mix really works up a sweat in the second half as the groove and scatting lock together for an intense rhythmic workout. All in all a very impressive outing.

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Last In: 18 months ago
Tommy Farrow - Forever EP 10"

white vinyl

Tommy Farrow has been making waves ever since his breakout single, 'Let's Just', caught the eye of Radio 1 tastemakers. His emotive, trancelike tracks, evoking influences like Bicep, have been instant hits. Joining the Classic Cuts series, Forever EP is his debut on Shall Not Fade.

'Forever' features rising star vocalist Clementine Douglas, her sultry lines coasting over melancholy chords before casting off into high drama breaks and synth melodies. Breakbeat dominates 'Feel What I'm Feeling' too, a big room track filled with pure ecstasy; closing track 'Imagination' is deep and grooving with an explosive electro edge.

Forever EP drops 10th December via Shall Not Fade.

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Last In: 3 years ago
Screensaver - Expressions Of Interest

‘Expressions of Interest’ is the debut album from Melbourne/Naarm post-punk group screensaver.

Sonically, the 10 track album is rich and detailed, and pays homage to its era of inspiration (late 70s-mid 80s post-punk and new wave) with gripping vocals, dissonant guitar, melodic basslines, washes of synths and motorik drumming. Engineered by Julian Cue alongside band member Chris Stephenson and recorded over multiple studio sessions between 2020-2021

The album opens with the ominously titled ‘Body Parts’, an immediately arresting song that showcases the bands penchant for blending classic post-punk elements, leaning into a sound somewhere between the Banshees and Protomartyr.

Maynard doubles down on these themes in the frenetic second track, ‘No Movement’. Guttural organ tones swim under overdriven guitar, jagged and intense. Additional textures and sound effects are used percussively to embellish the dynamics, creating a feverish atmosphere with some Martin Hannett like flourishes.

The album takes a surprising turn into electronic driven krautrock on track three with 'Buy, Sell, Trade' - a rollicking piece of danceable ephemera, dominated by swirling synth sounds and punctuated with electronics reminiscent of Sparks/Moroder collaborations. Chris Stephenson's masterful guitar work begins with Greg Sage-esque determination before a crescendo into a lush Frippertronics outro.

'MEDS' transports us back to the foundation established on 'Body Parts', a gothy piece, full of tribal toms and dirge-y synths. Industrial punk rock nearly swallowed whole by the keys in the middle and slowly building back to complimentary guitar and vocal hooks.

It's from this point in the album that the band let's their other influences rise to the surface, as they explore touches of EDM on 'Static State' - a brutal, death-disco style track, Krystal Maynard's lead synth and gloomy vocal complimenting the pounding drums and dub-esque bass line culminating in a track worthy of the dancefloor.


Opening side two we have 'Skin', beginning with a solid and simple backbeat, James Beck’s post-punk percussion provides a steady and minimal framework for the rest of the band to colour in with great depth and detail. Giles Fielke’s bass guitar wobbles brilliantly leading the verse melody, whilst Chris Stephenson’s guitar drives the chorus that folds neatly in on itself.

In ‘Attention Economy’, Krystal Maynard is flexible with her lyrical style, and knows how and when to lend her voice to the greater backdrop of the composition. ‘Attention Economy’ has an almost Kraftwerkian structure - repetitious, but engaging with its constant tom driven beat, lush synth lines and minimal bass tones.

Just when you thought things had slowed down, screensaver ramp things right back up again with ‘Overnight Low’ - a no holds barred thumper. Giles Fielke underpins the hard-edged sound with his bassline, keeping things smooth and tight. It brings to mind a hybrid of PiL’s ‘Annalisa’ and Wire’s ‘Two People In a Room.’

Before you can catch your breath, we have ‘Regular Hours’ - another industrial track, and perhaps the sister song to ‘Static State’ heard earlier on side one. Seething electronic drum samples cut through an abyss of growling synths, Giles Fielke hanging up the bass temporarily to accompany Krystal Maynard on synth duties.

The album closes with the fittingly titled ‘Soft Landing’, literally bringing the listener back down...softly. The song is heavy on atmos, and resembles the aesthetics previously encountered on ‘Attention Economy’ a few tracks earlier.

‘Expressions of Interest” was recorded at various locations across Melbourne, with a handful of songs being captured before the start of the Covid pandemic in January 2020. With the recording timeline being drastically altered, the band shifted focus to work on what would become their first single ‘Strange Anxiety’, throughout the first months of the Melbourne 2020 lockdown.

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Last In: 4 years ago
Various - SOS Music Volume 2

Various

SOS Music Volume 2

12inchSOS002LP
SOS Music
06.12.2021

After the success of critically acclaimed debut, SOS Music Volume 1 (praised by The Wire - ‘There isn’t a weak link’, RA, Gilles Peterson, Maryann Hobbs, Rough Trade, Love Injection, Mixmag, DJ mag, Basndcamp, Vinyl Factory etc.), the cutting edge Los Angeles electronic label are back with their sophomore release, another explosive compilation comprised of brand new female and female identifying talent.
The release, available on beautiful clear vinyl and digital features 7 of the most exciting emerging names in global dance music; Aura T-09, Closet Yi, Regular Fantasy + Yazzus to name a few. As dance floors open, SOS co-founders Maddy Maia and Tottie wanted to curate something positive, uplifting and reflective of sweaty summer dance floors, whilst retaining the edge that permeated their debut.
The release will be accompanied by an SOS tour North American + Europe at some of the most iconic global clubs - and expect mainly female, female identifying and non-binary artists on the bill.
Though only founded in 2020, SOS Music has been making waves in the independent dance community, and has helped to highlight the global underground dance scene growing rapidly in Los Angeles. The release made end of year lists including Bandcamp’s Best of Electronic and Rough Trade NY compilation of the year. SOS Music also hold a residency on Worldwide Fm, which continues to highlight ground breaking electronic talent with a female focus.

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Last In: 4 years ago
BOY SCOUTS - WAYFINDER

Boy Scouts

WAYFINDER

12inch278371
Anti
03.12.2021

On Wayfinder, the follow-up to the acclaimed 2019 album Free Company, Oakland-based songwriter Taylor Vick, under her songwriting moniker Boy Scouts, chases down life's queries to the very edge of the horizon. This is an album that's not afraid to track down what it all means -- how life unspools around the monoliths of love and death, the heavy knots of even quotidian conflict, the task of carrying your own suffering with you day after day, the challenge of meeting other people out here in the tangled expanse of living. In a warm, expansive style that recalls the raw punctures of Lucinda Williams and Alex G, Vick once again shows herself to be a fearless seeker shedding light on the unanswerable. Vick's true superpower is her voice. Strands of slide guitar, organ, and strings ring under her affable, ex?pressive voice, bolstering layers and layers of harmony. There is something so honest about her songs, they feel like a late-night therapy session with your best friend.

pre-order now03.12.2021

expected to be published on 03.12.2021

Civic - Future Forecast

Civic

Future Forecast

12inchATO0586
ATO Records
03.12.2021

An origin story since time immemorial, this DIY garage
rock five piece came together in 2018 through the
traps of the Melbourne music scene. Bonding over a
shared love of tightly coiled riffs and a collective
musical ethos, Civic made a name for themselves
through the intensity of their live shows, which would
become local folklore.
 On ‘Future Forecast’, Civic pay homage to the
classics, but pivot on them with avant-charged edge.
It’s raw, searing guitars, pummelling rhythms, driving
bass and vocals that lock into and synergize with their
wall of sound. All of this is balanced by the raucous
and restrained weaving of melodies and textures, and
vocal variation which broadens their sound past any
one genre label.
 There’s the horn-fuelled drive of album opener
‘Radiant Eye’, the power pop-laden hook of ‘As Seen
On TV’, the emotively atmospheric and vocally
subdued ‘Sunday Best’, all culminating with closer
‘Come To Know’, before ending in a tightly wound
splay of feedback and groove.
 Coloured vinyl LP in custom inner sleeve. Includes
digital download

pre-order now03.12.2021

expected to be published on 03.12.2021

ATIC & Exosphere - Trench Terror 10"

Grey Marbled Vinyl

North American bad boys ATIC & Exosphere turn up the heat on US-based DJ Trace's 117 imprint. Trench Terror & Animals push sound design to the edge, with the aim to punish the dance floor. Available December 3rd on grey marbled vinyl.

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Last In: 4 years ago
Various - Seven Years Of Delirium

The interdisciplinary collective and record label Liber Null proudly presents its newborn vinyl series, kicking off with two releases “ Vol I & II”, taking eight of the best cuts from it’s Seven Years Anniversary compilation, “Delirium”. The releases showcase unique music from a diverse selection of artists and friends, including tracks from Phase Fatale, Alessandro Adriani, An-i + Unhuman, Zanias, Celldöd and SSSS.

Loyal to the concept of Ritual Magick and with a deeply ideological approach towards darkness and chaos in performance art, the two records complete a cutting-edge journey through mutant soundscapes and electronic body-music, made by the finest producers.

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Last In: 10 months ago
Maybeshewill - No Feeling Is Final 2x12"

Gatefold double LP. Black Vinyl. No DL Code is out in January, 1000 copies available. Since 2006 Maybeshewill have released four full-length albums of towering, cinematic instrumental music. After a decade long career that saw them tour across four continents they bowed out in 2016 with a sold out show at London’s Koko. Having reformed briefly in 2018 at the request of The Cure’s Robert Smith for a show at Meltdown Festival, 2021 sees the band return with their first new material since 2014’s Fair Youth. Having worked on ideas separately in the intervening years, it was the sketches of music that would become ‘No Feeling is Final’ that pulled the band back together. Building on the songs that they felt needed to be heard, together. ‘No Feeling is Final’ was born from a place of weary exasperation. From the knowledge that we’re living in a world hurtling towards self-destruction. We watch as forests burn and seas rise. As the worst tendencies of humanity are championed by those in power; rage, fear, greed and apathy. We see every injustice, every conflict, every catastrophe flash up on our screens. We stay complacent and consume to forget our complicity in the structures and systems that sustain that behaviour. As the world teeters on the edge of disaster, we sigh and keep scrolling, the uneasy feeling in our stomachs eating away at us a little more each day. However easy it would be to switch off and pretend all is lost, there’s no choice but to remain engaged. To set that feeling of hopelessness aside and use the fear and frustration as fuel to make something positive. ‘No Feeling is Final’ is a message of hope and solidarity. It’s a story of growing grassroots movements across the world that are rejecting the doomed futures being sold to us, and imagining new realities based on equality and sustainability. It’s a reckoning with the demons in our histories and a promise to right the wrongs of the past. It’s a plea to take action in shaping the world we leave for future generations. It’s a simple gesture of reassurance to anyone else struggling in these troubled times: “Just keep going. No feeling is final.” Continuing and building on the self-sufficient, do-it-yourself ethos that has been core to their existence, ‘No Feeling is Final’ was once again recorded and produced by bassist Jamie Ward, and released on the bands own Robot Needs Home Collective Label, in collaboration with close friends Wax Bodega (North America), New Noise (Asia) and Birds Robe (Australasia).

pre-order now26.11.2021

expected to be published on 26.11.2021

Ys Net - Shenmue III - The Definitive Soundtrack Vol. 2 : Niaowu
 
69

he 20th milestone release in the Generation Series lineup, this 5-LP abridged set features 82 tracks that play in the first half of Shenmue III, which takes place in Bailu Village. Comes in a top lid box (similar to recent Generation Series releases from Brave Wave) with liner notes, archival artwork and a digital download code for all 196 tracks.

pre-order now26.11.2021

expected to be published on 26.11.2021

Rosie Lowe & Duval Timothy - Son (Book)

An illustrated children’s book.

All illustrations and paintings, and the story, are by Rosie Lowe and Duval Timothy.

Inspired by the music from the album Son.

Limited pressing
Full colour
32 pages perfectly bound
Hand painted fore-edge
Uncoated 350gsm cover (softback) and recycled uncoated 190gsm paper
Custom size 120 x 150 cm (small enough to put in your pocket but not tiny)

pre-order now26.11.2021

expected to be published on 26.11.2021

Gordon Edge - Compnded (Edge*1)

A much-needed reissue of the 1992 old school, breakbeat hardcore classic ‘Compnded’ and killer 2015 Kafty Kuts remix. An undeniable rave anthem that’s blown the minds of many a dancefloor across the past 30 years.

Massive support from day one from the likes of Carl Cox, Ray Keith, Grooverider, Slipmatt, Krafty Kuts

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Last In: 20 months ago
Lebanon Hanover - Sci-Fi Sky 2x12"

No other pairing in the history of Darkwave ever matched the unfettered creativity, resolve, and DIY attitude from the collaboration between the two creative minds that compromise Lebanon Hanover.

The meeting of the Swiss musician Larissa Georgiou, aka Larissa Iceglass and British artist William Maybelline a decade ago in the latter’s hometown of Sunderland in the UK, was a monumental occasion, reverberating throughout the European music scene and even across the Atlantic.

Lebanon Hanover would emerge from the peak of the world-wide minimal wave revival, with their 2011 split 7-inch record with La Fete Triste issued as the catalog debut of Europe’s most ubiquitous Techno-Industrial EBM labels, Aufnahme + Wiedergabe

With Berlin as their new physical home, William and Larissa would soon, however, join the Fabrika Records family. From here, they would go on to release two full-length albums through the Athens based label, starting in early 2012 with their winter debut LP The World Is Getting Colder, and it’s All Hallows Eve follow up Why Not Just Be Solo.

It was Lebanon Hanover’s 2013 third studio outing Tomb for Two that would go on to cement the duo’s legacy, with the album’s single “Gallow Dance” becoming a post-punk anthem for the times, with artwork became the band’s defacto logo. Not only that, the song “Sadness is Rebellion”, also featured on the album, became the band’s official Mantra.

Two years would pass before the release of 2015’s critically acclaimed fourth record, “Besides the Abyss”. In the intervening years, William and Larissa, initially a couple, would find other partners, and relocate to Athens.

Meanwhile, Lebanon Hanover as a live act would expand rapidly in popularity, exceeding capacity during their performances at Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig, and performing sold-out shows across Europe and the UK.

With the playful Babes of the 80s maxi-single released in the interim, three years would pass before the next record from Lebanon Hanover, with 2018’s Let Them Be Alien, the band’s fifth studio album.

At the dawn of the global pandemic, where dystopian nightmares that were only ever seen before within the pages of books and flashes of silver screen celluloid, has become a daily reality, a new kind of darkness envelops the world. It was at this Lebanon Hanover returned, sharing a glimmer of hope with the single “The Last Thing,” the duo’s first song from their forthcoming sixth studio album Sci-Fi Sky.

Spanning an epic journey across ten tracks that wander through industrial landscapes, and ascend beyond the atmospheric aether, Sci Fi Sky is Lebanon Hanover’s most cohesive artistic statement to date. With their icy hearts on their sleeves, this is the culmination of a decade’s worth of musical creativity radiating from the minds of both Iceglass and Maybelline, and altogether an otherworldly beacon of hope in a time of sheer darkness.

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Last In: 4 years ago
Bill Withers - Greatest Hits

Bill Withers

Greatest Hits

12inchMFSL1-445
MFSL Records
24.11.2021

Bill Withers created mellow, downhome-style soul for barely more than a decade before electively retreating from the industry to pursue craftsman interests. Yet over the course of the handful of albums he made for Sussex and CBS, the Appalachian native struck lasting emotional chords in legends ranging from Booker T. Jones to Stephen Stills—not to mention the millions of listeners that fell under the spell of now-standard tracks such as “Lean on Me,” “Use Me,” and “Ain’t No Sunshine.” The antithesis of the sweaty R&B shouter that prowled the edge of stages, Withers dealt in calm and vulnerability. Serving as a template for modern British soul contemporaries like Sam Smith and an extension of the timeless fare explored by Van Morrison, Curtis Mayfield, and Al Green, Bill Withers’ Greatest Hits belongs in every music lover’s library.



Mobile Fidelity’s reissues of the 1981 compilation provide a transparent view of Withers’ relaxing timbre and the subtle grooves underlining his arrangements. Characteristics ranging from the tension of the guitars, funky bends of the bass, whisper-soft coo of the formal strings, airiness of the backing harmonies, and sharpness of the snare drum emerge with utmost clarity and lifelike presence. Always prized for its naked honesty and pure conviction, Withers’ music positively caresses the senses on this LP and SACD, the unadulterated production and beautiful soundscapes revealed anew with each listen. You won’t find a better-sounding roots R&B collection.

pre-order now24.11.2021

expected to be published on 24.11.2021

ALEX MALHEIROS - TEMPOS FUTUROS LP

Stargazing from the sands of the Niterói beach, Tempos Futuros is low-end-led Brazilian futurism from one of Brazil’s most prolific and influential bassmen. As one third of legendary trio Azymuth, Alex Malheiros has pioneered a unique fusion of space-funk, samba and jazz since the early seventies. His playing can be heard on the records of Jorge Ben, Milton Nascimento, Roberto Carlos, Marcos Valle, and Mark Murphy (to name a few), and he’s performed and toured with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Chick Corea.

Written and recorded in Niterói, Brazil, overlooking Guanabara and the beaches, mountains and forests of Rio de Janeiro, Tempos Futuros has deep roots in Brazilian soil. The rhythms of Malheiros’ homeland have always permeated his music. But just like the Oscar Niemeyer designed Niterói Contemporary Art Museum which stands spaceship-like over the water, Tempos Futuros - while inspired by terrestrial forms, reaches out, deep into the great unknown.

Produced by acclaimed London-based producer Daniel Maunick, who has worked with Marcos Valle, Azymuth, Terry Callier, and Ivan Conti, the funk comes full circle. Daniel’s father Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick and Alex Malheiros shared a reciprocal stream of influence throughout the 80s, between London and Rio; Azymuth and Incognito; brit-funk and samba-funk. But just as with Azymuth’s music, you can also hear the influence of stateside jazz-funk masters like Roy Ayers, Weather Report, Lonnie Liston Smith, Mtume and Pleasure.

Tempos Futuros features Alex’s daughter, a Brazilian star in her own right, vocalist Sabrina Malheiros, Brazilian percussion master Sidinho Moreira, London based saxophonist Sean Khan, Marcos Valle’s go-to drummer Massa, and Brazilian keyboard player Dudu Viana. Featuring the late Azymuth keyboard maestro Jose Roberto Bertami on Fender Rhodes, the title track “Tempos Futuros” was originally recorded as a demo in 1995. On this finished version, Alex Malheiros used Bertami’s original keyboard take, explaining the posthumous release.

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Last In: 4 years ago
Alfred - Direct Hit (including Cignol mix)

It's a great pleasure to introduce Leed's based newcomer Alfred for his eagerly awaited debut release on 20/20 Vision following a string of cutting edge releases on Reference Mark Recordings.A'Direct Hit' is packed with an array of intricatelyAwoven electro, breaks and perfectly executed peak-time club weapons.A

'Direct Hit'Afuses techno andAbroken beats withAa bottom heavy bass theme reminiscent ofAclassic Kevin Saunderson,Asoaring arpeggiated synth lines, slick drumAprogramming and a killer break. TheAhighly sought after Dublin basedAproducer CignolAdelivers a perfectlyAexecuted acid electro remix that adds lush strings additional synths to the originalAtheme.A

'Iris', is a nifty high fidelity breaks workout, loaded with an abundance of Alfred's signature flourishing arpeggios and modulating synths backed by an infectious groove, and a fragmented bass line. 'Core Velocity' rounds off the record with perfectly nuanced synth polyphony giving it a deep, tripped out braindance flair, punchy bass and irresistible groove.

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Last In: 4 years ago
EMMA RUTH RUNDLE - ENGINE OF HELL

Ltd White vinyl LP w/ printed inner sleeve lyric insert (1000 copies ww)! Emma Ruth Rundle's forthcoming Engine of Hell is stark, intimate, and unflinching. For anyone that's endured trauma and grief, there's a beautiful solace in hearing Rundle articulate and humanize that particular type of pain not only with her words, but with her particular mysterious language of melody and timbre. The album captures a moment where a masterful songwriter strips away all flourishes and embellishments in order to make every note and word hit with maximum impact, leaving little to hide behind. "I really wanted to capture imperfection and the vulnerability of my humanity," Rundle says of the album's sonic approach. "Here are some very personal songs; here are my memories; here is me teetering on the very edge of sanity dipping my toe into the outer reaches of space and I'm taking you with me and it's very fucked up and imperfect.'" Emma Ruth Rundle has always been a multifaceted musician, equally capable of dreamy abstraction (as heard on her album Electric Guitar: One), maximalist textural explorations (see her work in Marriages, Red Sparowes, Nocturnes or collaborations with Chelsea Wolfe and Thou), and the classic singer-songwriter tradition (exemplified by Some Heavy Ocean). But on Engine of Hell, Rundle has opted to forego the full-band arrangements of her previous albums in favor of the austerity of a lone piano or guitar and her voice, which creates a kind of intimacy, as if we're sitting beside Rundle on a bench, or perhaps even playing the songs ourselves. It's an extremely up-close and personal confessional with a focus on the rich subtleties and timbre of Rundle's graceful performances. "For me this album is the end of an era to the end of a decade of making records. Things DO have to change and have changed for me since I finished recording it." In essence, Engine of Hell signifies a major turning point for Rundle as both an artist and as a person. The catharsis of this type of songwriting has effectively served its purpose, and to continue ruminating on the past going forward is less of a healing process and more like picking at a scab and refusing to let it heal. This may help explain why Rundle is less than enthusiastic about divulging the details about her muses, but it doesn't alter the fact that these songs served a purpose in their creation, and that they may continue to bring comfort to others.

pre-order now19.11.2021

expected to be published on 19.11.2021

Matt Elliott - Farewell To All We Know

There are records with empathy, records which are your friends and then there's the others... There might be little difference between them, a certain "je ne sais quoi", an "almost nothing but still something" which makes the difference between almost pointless and vital records. Despite, or rather thanks to his cynical despair, Matt Elliott's music never holds up a moralizing mirror to us - on the contrary, it creates a compassionate dialogue with listeners like the rhythm of two steps that synchronize to become as one. In 2016, Matt Elliot brought out his seventh solo album The Calm Before whose obscure title is neither exactly threatening nor comforting... the calm before what? Before the storm for sure but maybe also before the great record, the immediate classic we felt might be coming for a long time in the dual discography of the Bristol-born artist working under his own name and his electronic alias Third Eye Foundation. The elegant details and perspectives of Little Lost Soul (2000) already hinted at the upcoming masterpiece from the English singer-songwriter. The Mess We Made (2003) was Matt Elliott's first solo album and portrayed a universe in a kind of flight towards Balkan horizons made up of visceral despair. With the Songs trilogy, he put aside the electronic side of his work to continue working with a minimalist, stark and lucid style of writing. The Broken Man (2012) was full of tears and long laments sometimes carried by Katia Labèque's piano on a record which painted new shades of grey. On this record Matt began working with the producer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist David Chalmin (La Terre Invisible) who has kept on collaborating with the Bristol-born singer since then. Their partnership continued on Only Myocardial Infection Can Break Your Heart (2013) and The Calm Before (2016). Stéphane Grégoire is the head of the Ici D'Ailleurs label which has accompanied Matt Elliott since 2005 and perhaps he describes this album the best: "This new record by Matt is without a doubt his best album to date, a record that takes him into another dimension where he fully asserts himself as a songwriter and singer of the calibre of artists like Bill Callahan, Leonard Cohen or Johnny Cash." Matt Elliott's other records all seemed like empathic links between each other. Farewell To All We Know is an instant classic based on the sensitive piano and superb arrangements of David Chalmin, the sensitive cello of Gaspar Claus, the subtle bass of Jeff Hallam (who has also played with Dominique A and John Parish). There is a clear form of alchemy in all of this and still we find Matt Elliott's usual atmospheres and scenery, the same Eastern European folk music, long songs that take time to settle over time. Everything is the same but also is transfigured. By making his music stark and purifying and redefining the subject matter, Matt Elliott's work became so much more delicate. However this work is never frail nor really turned in on himself and thus becomes like a vital tune that vibrates and unfolds. The opening song Farewell To All We Know seems torn between the fear of what tomorrow may bring, inevitability and hope for the future in a permanent and progressive dramatic tension expressed by his Spanish guitar, the impressionist style piano and Matt's voice teetering on the edge of whispers. A funereal tribute to endless twilights and the dawns we all dream of seeing. There are touches of Leonard Cohen from Songs from a Room or Thanks For The Dance in The Day After That with Gaspar Claus's counterpoint cello. There is no spirit of resignation in Matt Elliott's work - life's path has to be followed against all odds. We have to follow the river's flow to reach the immense ocean and its infinite freedom. The haunted instrumental Guidance Is Internal harks back to the atmospheres of Howling Songs (2008) with its guitar parts full of scansions and muted threats. The music is transcendental but never seems afraid of the risk of falling. This is also what Bye Now tells us with its quasi-obsolete simplicity and sunburst melancholy reminiscent of the work of Luiz Bonfá, Bill Evans on Peace Piece or laidback crooners of the 50s. In Farewell To All We Know, Matt Elliott incessantly alternates between the dual desires to face up to the world or to protect himself from it. Hating The Player, Hating The Game is a lucid statement about the dullness of our daily lives sometimes, our right to get out of the game and no longer want to be part of it. Matt Elliott is tender but spares no one, particularly himself. Aboulia speaks of the tiredness of living and of looming death while Crisis Apparition says that there is always a time for reconstruction after chaos. This is like initially wearying wandering in the ruins of Aleppo with the slow dilution of the melody into a hallucinated drone. However the smell of great fires always fades and the earth always regenerates. Matt Elliott seems to suggest that the survival instinct is stronger than any cold winds could ever be. Matt Elliott never sings of certainties and prefers possibilities. Possibly the worst is over? Maybe... Maybe the storm has passed and devastated everything, now we just have to rebuild and live again. Farewell To All We Know shows us the distance that still needs to be walked and he walks next to you - right next to you, he is the friend who doesn't spare you the truth like all true friends really do.

pre-order now19.11.2021

expected to be published on 19.11.2021

J.R.C.G. - AJO SUNSHINE

J.r.c.g.

AJO SUNSHINE

12inchCF138
Castle Face
19.11.2021

Ajo Sunshine (pronounced “Ahh-Ho”) is heralded by
an alarming horn ensemble, stabbing with the dramatic
urgency of a killer’s theme in a midnight movie. It’s a
jarring but appropriate entry point for this brilliantly blasted
listen, an array of exquisitely sharp edges punctuated by
kaleidoscopic respites of throbbing warmth and surprising
tenderness. J.R.C.G. (Justin R. Cruz Gallego)’s previous
work with Seattle’s excellent Dreamdecay may foreground
the broad strokes here, but he’s pushed things way outward
in terms of his sonic palette. Abutting field recordings
captured from rodeos off Ajo Way, a stretch of highway
that leads one westward out of Tucson Arizona directly into
the sun, both acoustic instruments and gleaming walls
of synthetic noise are framed in dour and dissonant chord
shapes, crackling with overdriven drum mics and seasick
waves of distortion. It’s homage that plays out like a
collage, a dream switching from station to station, a series
of dedications broadcast on late night radio. All pin-hole
size images from scenes never seen whole, strung together
in but one version of complete, all making for a dazzling
listen.

pre-order now19.11.2021

expected to be published on 19.11.2021

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