quête:the gr record head

When I first heard Natalie Rose LeBrecht's time-suspending, air-ionizing music, more than twenty years ago, I thought "this kid is on to something." She's been proving that thought right ever since. Her recordings, from the teenage 4-track tapes she made as Greenpot Bluepot to the recent albums under her own name, have been fascinating dispatches from her progressively deeper dives into her gorgeous, weird, wildly idiomatic aesthetic. Holy Prana Open Game is a jewel of intensely personal cosmic music, created through a remarkable process of openness, craftiness, addition and subtraction. It belongs to a tradition of albums that document a rich, meditative sound as it rises up to join the world outside its creators' minds: Alice Coltrane's Universal Consciousness, Harmonia's Musik von Harmonia, Philip Glass's North Star, Talk Talk's Laughing Stock.

"Meditative" is specifically the idea here: Holy Prana Open Game had its origins in the fourteen days LeBrecht spent silently meditating in her home's small music room in the summer of 2019. "I came out of that bursting with the will to create new music," she says, and she created it sound-first. LeBrecht taught herself to program an analog synthesizer's timbres from scratch, and built a new set of glacial, heady compositions out of them, eventually singing to accompany the keyboard parts she was playing.

Then she closed her eyes at her computer, "let my mind be clear and open, imagined light pouring down through me, and began auto-writing to my memory of the music playing through my mind. Most of the lyrics emerged this way, and then I used my conscious mind to refine them a bit at the end." One other song came along with LeBrecht's new pieces, a cover that seems wildly unlikely from the outside and makes total sense in its context: it's a version of Atoms for Peace's "Amok" (which had been created by improvisation and editing, too), mutated into her own idiolect.

In early March of 2020, LeBrecht recorded Holy Prana Open Game's analog synth parts with Martin Bisi at his studio in Brooklyn--and then the world shut down. As you may have gathered, LeBrecht is very much a spiritual, head-in-the-stars type. She is also extremely hardcore, and if making the art she wants to make means doing things the hard way, she cracks her knuckles and gets down to it. Within weeks, she had taught herself how to record, mix and edit with a digital audio workstation. She recorded her vocal parts (sometimes multi-tracked into a radiant choir) at home, assembled a rough mix of the album, and sent it off to her collaborators.

LeBrecht spent some years studying with and assisting La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela at their legendary sound-and-light installation, the Dream House. As with their work, her singular, precisely focused vision is shored up by its openness to artistic voices beyond her own. For Holy Prana Open Game, she worked with the Australian guitarist Mick Turner and drummer Jim White (both of Dirty Three, the Tren Brothers and innumerable other projects), as well as woodwind player David Lackner, a longtime presence on her recordings.

Turner and White have been playing together in one context or another since 1985; in the summer of 2020, they were only blocks from each other in Melbourne, Australia, whose strict lockdown meant they couldn't meet up to record together. So both of them, as well as Lackner, recorded their improvisational additions to LeBrecht's rough mixes individually, often without hearing each other's contributions. "I had asked them to play as much as they could on each track," she says, "and told them that I would edit it all down in post, so I had a lot of source material of theirs to work with."

LeBrecht arranged and edited the recordings from all four of their homes to flow together like breath across the duration of her suite. Prana, one of the album's central conceits, is in fact the Sanskrit word for breath, with the connotation of the breath of life. Like LeBrecht's music, prana flows at its own pace, and demands stillness to take in fully--but it's also subtly playful and surprising, a force that can be as light as air or as immersive as the atmosphere itself.

In August 2020, following some typical delays at the plant, Fourth Dimension Records released the limited edition 2LP (and now sold out) set of Kleistwahr's This World Is Not My Home and Over Your Heads Forever albums, originally released by the same label in 2014 and 2016 respectively. Packaged together in a single sleeve with printed inners reproducing all the artwork found on the original CDs, the 2LP was always designed to represent the first volume in a series of them. This next volume gathers everything on the next two albums, Down But Defiant Yet and Acceptance is Not Respect, both also initially released on CD in, respectively, 2017 and 2018, and presented in the exact same way. 2017's long sold out at source album, Down But Defiant Yet, collects four lengthy cuts which catch Gary Mundy (also known for Ramleh, Breathless and Broken Flag Records) furrowing his distinct and recognisable take on a kinda contemporary psychedelia with dystopian leanings. Each piece nods towards the fug generated by certain ‘krautrock’ groups whilst retaining threads of those uncompromising power-noise surges he built his reputation on, this is music guaranteed to take you to new spaces before forcing you to nervously look over your shoulder. 2018's Acceptance is Not Respect collects two lengthy pieces themselves broken down into seven parts often tempered to the point restraint assumes new, often disturbed (and disturbing) psychedelic or even filmic, properties, this music arrives like a spitting and foaming scream into the insanity of the void and the myriad challenges and questions it inexorably keeps hurling at us. Whereas Ramleh captures the sound of at least two people dealing as best they know how with the constantly rising rivers of shit around us, Kleistwahr is akin to one man having scaled a great height poking out of an infinite chasm and wondering why he bothered. This is uneasy listening sometimes renderedvirtually elegiac by dint of a prowess rarely found in such realms. Of this, Gary himself quite prophetically, in light of how events have shaped the world since said, “I was trying to make the music more spiritual sounding this time as the album is about belief. The first half is about personal and political belief and the second half about religious belief. I was wondering about whether in the 21st Century, you can seriously get anyone to completely change their beliefs and [am] asking is there anything you believe that you would be willing to die for, and the difference between the way that most beliefs have been accepted/tolerated and [are] supposedly respected in recent times in [the UK]. Now our society is starting to break down, it becomes clear that that acceptance tends not to actually be the same thing as respect at all.”

Twenty-five years later, Little Plastic Castle feels like a greatest hits collection. Her highest charting release on Billboard (peaking at #22) and containing her third Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance - Female (“Glass House”), Ani DiFranco’s ninth studio album shows the Little Folksinger grappling with her independent career bubbling up into the mainstream — dissection of her fashion choices, a new expanded listenership encroaching on the die-hards, examination of what it means to sell out — encapsulated in singalongs so indelible that they’re staples of her live set decades later. This 25th Anniversary Edition sees a new remaster by Heba Kadry, the addition of three bonus tracks mixed by Tchad Blake, and a new CD package and first-time release on vinyl (2 LP). To make Little Plastic Castle, Ani returned to one of her favorite places to record in that era—the live-in studio the Congress House in Austin, Texas. In this relaxed setting she commented, "This album seemed to happen more organically than earlier studio releases." Ani is joined by drummer Andy Stochansky and bassist Jason Mercer who played with her on her 1997 tours, as well as bassist Sara Lee who toured with Ani in 1996. LPC also prominently features outside musicians including drummer Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Indigo Girls), a horn section composed of three Austin session musicians who add flavor to "Little Plastic Castle" and "Deep Dish," and trumpeter Jon Hassell (Brian Eno, Talking Heads) providing the sustained subtle solo on the 14-minute final track "Pulse." The three bonus tracks are recordings of Ani playing with the rhythm section of Sara Lee and Jerry Marotta, a trio that never reassembled after their single day of tracking. Though Ani described it as “the most light-hearted album I’ve made in a long time,” this record covers a wide range of topics — the impermanence of existence ("Fuel"), mutual respect ("Pixie"), forgiveness ("As Is"), drugs (“Two Little Girls”) — and emotions.

Twenty-five years later, Little Plastic Castle feels like a greatest hits collection. Her highest charting release on Billboard (peaking at #22) and containing her third Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance - Female (“Glass House”), Ani DiFranco’s ninth studio album shows the Little Folksinger grappling with her independent career bubbling up into the mainstream — dissection of her fashion choices, a new expanded listenership encroaching on the die-hards, examination of what it means to sell out — encapsulated in singalongs so indelible that they’re staples of her live set decades later. This 25th Anniversary Edition sees a new remaster by Heba Kadry, the addition of three bonus tracks mixed by Tchad Blake, and a new CD package and first-time release on vinyl (2 LP). To make Little Plastic Castle, Ani returned to one of her favorite places to record in that era—the live-in studio the Congress House in Austin, Texas. In this relaxed setting she commented, "This album seemed to happen more organically than earlier studio releases." Ani is joined by drummer Andy Stochansky and bassist Jason Mercer who played with her on her 1997 tours, as well as bassist Sara Lee who toured with Ani in 1996. LPC also prominently features outside musicians including drummer Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Indigo Girls), a horn section composed of three Austin session musicians who add flavor to "Little Plastic Castle" and "Deep Dish," and trumpeter Jon Hassell (Brian Eno, Talking Heads) providing the sustained subtle solo on the 14-minute final track "Pulse." The three bonus tracks are recordings of Ani playing with the rhythm section of Sara Lee and Jerry Marotta, a trio that never reassembled after their single day of tracking. Though Ani described it as “the most light-hearted album I’ve made in a long time,” this record covers a wide range of topics — the impermanence of existence ("Fuel"), mutual respect ("Pixie"), forgiveness ("As Is"), drugs (“Two Little Girls”) — and emotions.

Over the course of eight thrilling tracks, ‘Royal’ leads listeners on a topsy-turvy journey from Middle Eastern exotica to Spaghetti Western style scores, via scorching Mediterranean beaches.
Highlights of the album include the surf-meets-Western delights of “Silver Lining”, where irresistible guitar lines are piled high and topped with euphoric synths and rock drums, resulting in a timeless soundtrack for both headless nights in dive bars and heedless days at the funfair.
“Juda” follows, a deadly combination of Zepellin and Middle Eastern rock with subtle hints of synth funk. The track is named after living legend and Middle Eastern guitar hero, Yehuda Keisar, who also joins the band for this song, contributing a scorching solo. The thunderous guitar riffs are matched pound-for-pound by the irresistible percussive groove.
Boom Pam, widely renowned for their spellbinding Middle Eastern guitar music, have unveiled their highly anticipated fifth album, 'Royal'. Celebrating their twentieth anniversary, the Tel Aviv based band combine cinematic atmospherics and high-powered surf rock on
their first album for international ambassadors of Middle Eastern grooves, Batov Records.

Boom Pam “Rock the Casbah” on title track “Royal”, revealing another card up their sleeve, as they transform a famous 80's Israeli radio theme into a discoinspired super jam with a punk edge.

The band maintain their reputation for first-rate and distinctive surf rock on the fast paced “Daber Yafé” and “Monsour”.
The sonic imprint is both warmed and widened by the rare addition of a tuba supplying the lower frequencies.
Meanwhile, opener “Lava Tongue”, and “Golden” emphasize the melodic side to the band, conjuring dreamy sunset mirages to hypnotize the listener.

Boom Pam have established themselves as pioneers of modern Middle Eastern surf rock, combining sophisticated yet catchy guitar riffs, with roaring tuba basslines and fiery drums. In the past decade the band have frequently collaborated with and backed legendary Turkish folk singer-songwriter, Selda Bagcan, on stage and record, and performed at some of the world's most renowned festivals, including Primavera Sound, Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock, the Montreal Jazz Festival and many more.
An engaging listen from beginning to end, ‘Royal’ is the perfect representation of Boom Pam’s incredible 20-year journey, showcasing their superior skills in pushing the boundaries of their genre.

Angel Deradoorian and Kate NV are Decisive Pink - Ticket To Fame is their highly anticipated debut. After teasing the single 'Haffmilch Holiday' the duo amassed a rapturous response, with The Guardian calling it "a space-age-dancefloor swoon that brings to mind Kate Bush's Waking the Witch" and the New York Times highlighting the single as "substantive and thoroughly hypnotic". On their first LP they do not disappoint, calling on Kate NV's experimental pop leanings and Angel Deradoorian's taste for atmosphere and otherworldliness, Decisive Pink have created a playful and abstract album designed for escape and enchantment. Electronic pop at it's finest, the debut points to the fact that life is a puzzle, but you can still get a lot from living it. 'Destiny' is a smart take on the nature of belief, built on a question-and-answer format, where Angel plays a role as the seer, and Kate the enquirer. The poppy beat is reminiscent of Talking Heads' 'The Great Curve', from Remain in Light. There again, it could be a sinister take on Will Powers' 'Kissing with Confidence'. The synth squeaks, squelches and toots sound like the timid affirmation of the initiate. Ticket to Fame is also unashamedly romantic in atmosphere and tone. Romance is to be found in the simple pleasures, such as listening to a blackbird on the instrumental 'Rodeo', where warm synths, a melancholic guitar pattern and hissing rhythm combine with some vocal snippets to form a soothing contemplation. Then there is 'Ode to Boy'; a perfect pop track. The walking into the room of "more than just an ordinary boy" (doubtless "drunk with fire") allows a set of initially different, and shortened synth patterns to build to a glorious affirmation of the power of love. "Perfect pop music" Marc Riley, BBC6 Music And guess what? The vinyl comes in pink!

blue + red marbled vinyl
"Dog Eared"! Named as such as it marks a turning point in my productions and releases. Made while moving from Bristol back to London this as a theme pops up throughout the EP.

"Ithaca Vox" is the name of my first ever favourite preset - a CMI-inspired pad from GarageBand which I've been using since I was 11 but never on a release. The track also samples the screeching of Victoria line on my way back from nights out.

"Bubble Trouble" caused many headaches to finish hence the addition of the word "Trouble". The track pops, floats and bursts into the space between simplistic cartoon sound sources and excessively over the top sound design and production.

"Dive" dives further into these production ideas swapping tight space tiny bubbles for wide grinning resonance. The twisting track cuts these resonances leaving a large valley of missing frequencies that gets suddenly filled by an unrelentingly simple bell centring the listeners balance.

"From Window to Wall" gives a not so subtle nod to one of my favourite excessive chart hits as well as a further nod to the source of some of the track samples (see if you spot them).

"Calpohol" is the first collaboration Ive released (another reason to Dog Ear this release). Made from an afternoon of recording with Delay Grounds on his custom Eurorack the track was shaped by us over the weeks that followed.

Back in 2018, two mysterious twelve-inch singles appeared in underground record sthops. Credited to Blotter Trax, a previously unknown outfit who cherished “faceless” anonymity, the pleasingly twisted and mind-altering music on show was a mutant form of electronic psychedelia. The included tracks were variously informed by analogue techno, acid, electro and minimal, but inhabited their own clandestine sonic space. These tracks were, we later discovered, lightly edited “straight to tape” jams, crafted on the fly by their creators in one of Berlin’s most admired studios.

By the time Blotter Trax delivered their follow-up on Clone offshoot Frustrated Funk a year later, the secret was out: the project was in fact a collaboration between two storied artists, techno titan Magda – a DJ/producer who should need little introduction – and serial underground aggravator (and man of many aliases) Jay Ahern, sometime Hauntologists member and acid techno royalty thanks to years spent releasing similarly shadowy EPs as T.B Arthur.

In the years that followed, and before the COVID-19 pandemic grounded them in Berlin, the pair took their incendiary, modular-driven live show to esteemed clubland institutions (Fabric included), on an acclaimed tour of Japan, and onto the stages of festivals across Europe.

Four years on from that appearance on Frustrated Funk, Blotter Trax are back in updated and expanded form. Now a trio thanks to the addition of bassist Hannes Strobl, the band is set to release their far-sighted, funk-fuelled debut album, Super Conductor – a pulsating, thrill-in-minute ride includes contributions from a swathe of notable guests (Nina Hynes, Ilhem Khodja and David Moss provided vocals, Shigeru Tanabu played guitar, Matthew Styles mixed the set and old friend John Tejada mastered it).

While rooted in electro and acid, the album is impressively low-slung, stylish and funky, with nods towards Blotter Trax’s mutual love of Arthur Russell, early ‘80s NYC downtown disco, leftfield new-wave pop and flash-fried punk-funk. Released by JD Twitch’s Optimo Music imprint, it charts the ongoing dancefloor evolution of a band whose days of mystery and mischief are now a distant memory.

Next up is an overdue reunion with a familiar face. After his outstanding contribution to Cocoon Compilation S and his first solo EP on Cocoon Recordings, Raxon is back with a more than equally fascinating sound. The Egyptian-born and now Barcelona-based artist is back on it again, delivering two tracks that will take you on a journey through the depths of robotic soundscapes.
Intricate beats, hypnotic synthesizer melodies, deep bassline grooves, and distinctive EFX sounds create Raxon’s very special signature sound.

Straight drum programming paired with chirping percussions takes us away to embark on a travel through space and time while distinctive claps poke through a futuristic nebula of floating and shifting sequences. The twisted melody of “Robotalia” carries us to a parallel dimension of machine sound and if you listen closely, you can hear the robots’ screwing and sawing. Warping bleeps and mechanical effects complete the robotic feeling. Raxon’s understanding of structures and architectural abilities are reflected through the arrangement, slowly increasing to ecstasy.

“Kryptonite” scores with alien soundscapes. Stuttering vocals are the questions, while futuristic and dramatic chord stabs are the direct answer. A straight, radiant sound appears as an electronic trombone from outer space, offensively supporting the driving bassline. The symbiotic interplay between the euphoric synthesizer hook line and the relentless beat with pushing sharp hi-hats visualize powerful images in one's mind's eye. Suddenly the beat stagnates and results in a morphing break going head over heels developing a start-stop pitch effect that not only builds up tremendous tension but also bears an increased risk of melting your brain. We just love tape delay!

Growing up with and influenced by the sounds of TR-909 or TR-808 which surrounds you, then you would recognize Adham Zahran's signature sound and his unique skills when he plays with rhythms and catchy melodies, especially on this 'Grain Galaxy'. He also brings us tracks such as 'Ocean Falls' and 'Synth Funk Suit 1' full of pleasant dreamy vibrations that would sound amazing at your local venue, as
well as if you just let the decks play at home for your own listening session. Head of Umanuto Records Javas remixed the original 'Grain Galaxy' as a classic house leg warmer to get it moving on the dance floor.

Music Plan, label headed by Fabio Tosti creates this vinyl EP dedicated to House Music lovers.
The vinyl includes of 4 different tracks.

Side A Soulful and Deep House style includes "Take Me Down", a track with a Classic House mood, perfect for refined DJ sets.

The second piece of side A, has a Deep House song with an amazing atmosphere and a great impact on the dancefloor. Side B is more clubbing. It opens with one of the successful songs from The Deepshakerz and "Shosholooza" by Fabio Tosti.

Pure energy!

London-based Italian David Agrella is the man behind the Agrellomatica Records label and now for its fifth release, he has tapped up some undeniably quality names to remix the title tune from his debut Modulo EP back in 2007. Baby Ford kicks off with a deliciously deep and dubbed-out minimal house roller that is detailed with wispy chords and eerie vocalisations. Agrella himself then flips it into a rubbery 909 workout with pops and bubbles next to the leggy drums. GNMR goes for a gritty, heads down and back room techno roller and to close, NDR brings a retro techno sound with molten acid lines. All in all a very useful outing.

Another amazing double-sided dynamite from the famous 7” Lego series.

This bringing a hypnotic mid-tempo afro disco groove and it will turn heads and twist legs on the dancefloor!

The beatmaker Moar finally presents on record a project that started to exist live more than 10 years ago. It took a world-wide pendency to finally take the time to settle down in the studio and put on tape the beatmaker's Mellow & Jazzy beats, accompanied by the excellent jazz guitarist Rémi Schnell and Jean-Louis Potin (Moar's father) who has been accompanying him since his first EP on saxophone.
In the end, an instrumental album oriented jazzy beat & chill with the soft jazz-soul ambiences of a George Benson (here Rémi on guitar !!) accompanied by a Grover Washington (here Moar's father !). 14 sweets to listen to without moderation.

Stoned Part II is Lewis Taylor's pure, perfect dance-pop album. His second self-released album and fourth album proper, it initially appeared on his own label Slow Reality in 2004. It's been licensed to Be With for this long-awaited double LP release, its first ever vinyl edition. Gravely misunderstood at the time by hardcore fans and the music press alike, it has aged quite magnificently. An experiment in the sounds of contemporary pop and dance music, Lewis's wonky take on funky pop would annihilate anything kicking around the charts, then or now. If only it were given half a chance.

Stoned Part II is brimming with Lewis's trademark soul, his singing as beautiful as ever, but the rhythms throughout are more upbeat, the overall sound a more smooth and slicker dance-funk presentation. Roughly half the tracks are absolutely essential, fascinating re-workings of tracks from the eternal Stoned Part 1, as Lewis explains: "When we were doing Stoned we were trying different approaches with everything so we ended up with more than one version of nearly all the songs which left us with more than an album's worth of material. There was a lot of really cool house tunes around at the time which we were both really into and that shaped the sound and production, some songs more directly than others." Amen to that.

The swoonsome, string-drenched opener "Madman" is quite the departure, a bleepy, bumping soulful disco-house record with a bassline to die for. Is there anything he can't do? It's followed by another huge dancefloor stomper, "Keep Right On" again riding another killer bassline over funky drums and featuring Lewis's dazzling vocals. There's no let-up with the sparkling "Reconsider" which sounds an awful lot like Daft Punk meets Nile Rodgers (prescient as ever, our Lewis). The wide-eyed French filtered house vibe is to the fore here, and how this wasn't picked up by someone like Kylie and taken wholesale to the top of the charts is something we'll never understand.

Opening the B-Side, "When Will I Ever Learn 2" really slaps, presenting a breezier, more upbeat funk take on the brilliant original and incorporating "From The Day We Met" from Stoned Part I. "Out Of My Head Is The Way I Feel" is absolutely fantastic and one of Lewis's very best songs. The vocals, self-harmonising and virtuoso playing are next level. To close out the side, "Carried Away" is a real standout, Lewis's gorgeous falsetto riding a quasi D&B groove to begin with before adorning a more classically funky 2-step rhythm. The marriage of undulating synths and guitars is stunning, giving way to Lewis indulging his goosebump-inducing Brian Wilson harmonies.

The funky, Rhythm King drum machine soul of "Stoned Part 2" refashions the original in the style of an unearthed Sly Stone classic, circa There's A Riot Going On. Yes, it's that good. On we then glide to "Positively Beautiful 2" which, if it's even possible, manages to be better than the original. The epic, orchestral opening truly captivates before Lewis truly gets down with kaleidoscopic dancefloor-slaying Philly soul-funk. It's surely tracks like this which help explain why he was soon to be tapped up by Dangermouse and Cee-Lo for the musical director role with Gnarls Barkley. "Throw Me A Line" closes out the side

"Shame 2" is a blissful, restrained version of the massive original, without the crazy psych-soul wig-out. Definitely more radio-friendly, that's for sure. The gorgeous mellow vibe continues with "Won't Fade Away", featuring more Beach Boys harmonies over a barely-there pulse (a version of which later pops up in an altered state on The Lost Album). The album bows out with - you guessed it - a psych-soul wig-out! "Keep On Keeping On", a real highlight, opens with looped sampled drums a la Massive Attack and Lewis's multi-layered self-harmonising again very much high in the mix. It amps up gradually to feature vocals dripping with tune and bite before screaming guitars and crashing drums really blast this whole set into the stratosphere.

Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering, approved by Lewis himself, presents the twelve tracks over a double LP so it sounds exactly as it should. The records have been cut by Cicely Balston at Air Studios and pressed at Record Industry. Allow Lewis Taylor to get you Stoned, Part II.

Lost soul phenomenon Lewis Taylor's Numb finally arrives on double vinyl! One of UK soul’s most fascinating artists, most enigmatic figures and most under-appreciated talents, Andrew Lewis Taylor is a prodigious multi-instrumentalist and eclectic polymath. He enjoys a fiercely loyal following which, over the years, has included celebrity champions like Bowie, Elton and D'Angelo. Numb is Taylor's sixth album, initially released on his own label Slow Reality (an anagram of his name) and licensed to Be With for this long-awaited physical edition. It captures Taylor's wholly unique, intoxicating take on lush, late-night psychedelic soul music.

Lewis wrote and recorded these 10 brand new tracks after a 17 year break from making music, although the album came together over a two-year period. The years away have done nothing to dull Taylor's unique musical vision. He still astounds. The lyrical themes, however, have shifted. Understandably, more than a decade and a half of soul searching and unflinching self-examination cannot fail to influence this most honest of songwriters, and boy does it show. Numb marks a return to the darker, more mysterious side of his output: "Brian Wilson-channels-Smokey Robinson atmospheres", as Mojo put it recently.

After playing a rapturously received gig at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC in 2006, Lewis unceremoniously walked away from music and disappeared completely. An interview in 2016 shed light on some of the reasons for Taylor’s withdrawal from the business, but there was no hint of a return anytime soon. Then in June 2021, news emerged out of the blue that he was readying new music alongside Sabina Smyth with whom he had worked first time around.

On Numb, Lewis deftly balances stark, soul-bearing lyrics with moody mid-tempo pop-soul sheen. He deals candidly with depression, mental turmoil, even thoughts of suicide - clearly more personal than Taylor's earlier songs. The music is rich, warm and layered, with infectious melodies and hooks that stick with you. A true grower of an LP, it really does reward repeated listens. As Jim Irvin in Mojo reflected, "despite the depths these plumb, it's a curiously uplifting experience, unfurling like a concept album about life's challenges with an optimistic beauty at its heart."

Triumphant dubwise horns ring out yet, almost instantly, “Final Hour” takes on a dark, downbeat vibe. With lyrics that confront (and, seemingly, confound) death head-on, Lewis ensures the groove is still there, the beats still swing and your head still nods, strings glissade. Woven around delicate yet insistent piano and subtle strings over a killer bassline, the title track “Numb” is a good example of the lyrical themes throughout the album. As Taylor reflects, "So removed I feel no pain / And for all I know I could be having the time of my life" with a coda that feels very much in conversation with Brian Wilson's finest harmonies. "Feels So Good" is sophisticated 90s-sounding soul of the highest order. The music and vocals feel simultaneously optimistic and despondent. Downlifting. A neat trick, and one Lewis has been so adept at over the years. "Apathy" is a mini-epic, a symphonic-soul gem which builds and glides and, eventually, soars. “Worried Mind" is another slow-builder, creeping out the gate in a sketchy, discordant fashion before climbing to half-crescendo but never quite breaking free of its disorientating restraint.

The brighter "Please" presents a more hopeful mood, with the refrain "I still believe" ringing out as Lewis harmonises with himself. "Brave Heart" quietly struts from step one, as Lewis's falsetto swaggers over a downtempo backdrop with ace echoey drums, beautiful strings and serene electric guitar. Closing out Side C, "Is It Cool" answers its own (non-) question with a spellbinding five and a half minutes of swoonsome deep soul that oscillates between a restrained, barely-there backdrop and a lushly full musical accompaniment of acoustic and electric guitar and organ over bass and slick drums. The penultimate track "Nearer" is a magical, soul-stirring ballad in which Lewis sings of reaching a sweet salvation and achieving a peace of mind. If the hairs on the back of your neck aren't standing up by the midway point, you might need to check your pulse. Album closer and true tear-jerker "Being Broken" places Lewis's gorgeous voice high in the mix and the wordless falsetto and melodies invite you to ponder what Pet Sounds might sound like if it were refashioned as a dubby 21st Century electronic soul album. Astonishing.

Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering spreads out the ten tracks over a double LP so, as ever, nothing is compromised. And as usual, the records have been cut by Cicely Balston at Air Studios and pressed at Record Industry. Turn it up and let the Lewis Taylor sound envelop you.

Stoned Part I was the first self-released album from lost soul phenomenon Lewis Taylor. His third album proper, it was initially released on his own label Slow Reality in 2002 and it's been licensed to Be With for this long-awaited double LP release, its first ever vinyl edition. The songs are varied, hook filled and outstanding. Beloved by his legions of diehard fans, it's nothing short of a masterpiece.

After parting ways with Island, and without a label deal, Lewis went back to his home studio and began to record Stoned Part I in 2001. Co-written and co-produced with longtime collaborator Sabina Smyth, Lewis sings and plays all the instruments on this beautiful, emotional and very human album. It represents Lewis at his most accessible and finds him in the middle ground between his two Island releases. In some ways, Stoned Part I distills the best of his musical sensibilities. The flawless production is dense, layered and very early-2000s slick. The bottom end is thick, funky and sexy.

The complex, proggy-soul of title track "Stoned" opens the album and instantly captivates. Deep swinging funk with truly sweet soulful vocals, complemented by wah-wah guitar and swelling acidic synths. As Lewis himself told us, the ad libs at the end of the track were a nod to Paul McCartney at the end of "Hey Jude". Fan favourite "Positively Beautiful" has shades of Curtis and Marvin; its richly layered harmonies propelled by a simple, metronomic click-track that gives way to a more fully fleshed beat for the magnificent coda.

The slow, sweeping majesty of "Lewis IV" is all moody atmosphere, featuring dense, richly textured music and heavenly multi-tracked harmonies. The stop-you-in-your-tracks incredible "Send Me An Angel" could have been a huge AM radio hit, beautifully crafted sophisticated soul-pop songwriting in the vein of the very best Sade records. Yep! *That good* The smooth, psychedelia-lite "Til The Morning Light" is a gorgeous, sun-dappled love song, layered with Lewis' distinctive honey drenched vocals and, again, the type of record you could've easily heard all over the radio at the time of initial release.

The remarkable, wide-eyed "Shame" packs so many shifting styles into one song, it has to be heard to be believed. Opening in a laconic, breezy style, not unlike a Dallas Austin or Rodney Jerkins produced R&B hit of the day, it morphs into a heavy psych-soul Soulaquarians wig-out (the solo bearing an uncanny resemblance to Carlos Santana’s on "She’s Not There") before elegantly sliding into string-assisted symphonic soul and then back around again. And again. Sheer brilliance. The sublime, gentle head-nod funk-soul of "When Will I Ever Learn" (Part 1) is a strikingly well-turned-out tune, a neat, sweet bass-driven guitar-soul jam that ensures our jaw won't be leaving the floor anytime soon. "Lovin’ U More" sounds like a classic turn-of-the-century Neptunes production, the likes of which they'd lay on for JT BITD. A Latin-tinged groover with more than a little Nile Rodgers-driven slick funk stylings, it's yet another instant Lewis bomb with those gorgeous harmonies and chart-friendly irresistible key-changes to boot. Another indisputable (non-)HIT!

The funky seductive swagger of "From The Day We Met - Part II" opens the final side of wax, giving way to the gigantic buzzing synth-funk beast "Lovelight", a track so insouciantly mighty it should have been a massive hit for someone. Wait, what's that? Robbie Williams covered it? Ah, OK, well, I guess that says something about the effortless pop genius contained within. Containing a seemingly unnoticed nod to Kraftwerk’s "Computer World", it's Lewis's favourite song on the album. It's easy to hear why: "Sabina’s production totally nails it. I love the restraint and the subtlety, and that mixture of warmth and sweetness from the singing against the slightly cold, yet beautiful airy-ness of the backing track." To close this phenomenal album, the twisted electronic soul of "Sheneverdid" marries Lewis's beautiful falsetto to his virtuoso playing and an easy-cum-ominous musical backdrop. Stunning.

Simon Francis’s vinyl mastering, approved by Lewis himself, presents the eleven tracks over a double LP so, as ever, it sounds sensational. The records have been cut by Cicely Balston at Air Studios and pressed at Record Industry. Allow Lewis Taylor to get you Stoned.

”Peace...Like A River”, das 12. Studioalbum der Band und der Nachfolger ihres chartstürmenden und Grammy-nominierten Blues-Albums ”Heavy Load Blues”, wird am 16. Juni 2023 über Fantasy Records veröffentlicht. Die 12 Songs umfassende Rocksammlung enthält auch Gastauftritte von Billy Bob Thornton, Celisse und Billy F. Gibbons, der mit Haynes am vergangenen Sonntagabend bei den CMT Music Awards eine unglaubliche Hommage an Lynyrd Skynyrd darbot. Zusätzlich enthält die ”Peace...Like A River” Deluxe Edition (nur auf CD erhältlich) das 12-Track-Originalalbum plus die spezielle 5-Track ”Time Of The Signs” Bonus EP, die vier brandneue, unveröffentlichte Tracks und eine alternative Version des Albumtracks ”The River Only Flows One Way” enthält, bei der Warren die Lead Vocals übernimmt.

A track first recorded by Felix Dickinson, DJ Shacra and Blane Lyon in 2001 finally gets a release in Blane’s memory with remixes from Ron Trent, Crazy P and Brother Lee Love.

Felix’s Dub offers a stripped back, slouchy workout that previews Blane’s lyrics in tastefully dubbed-out snatches. From this open canvas, Blane’s voice melts into disco glitter and cool funk, courtesy of UK mainstays Crazy P. On track three, house royalty Ron Trent spotlights Blane’s vocals underneath a steady groove, soaring into euphoria with passionate pads and colourful synths.

Next, Brother Lee Love’s Heads Down remix pulls the record into techy minimal territory: Blane’s voice loops pensively, speaking to the sultry, eyes-closed part of the night. The digital release also features the bonus Brother Lee Love’s Hands Up mix which takes us back to the surface of house music’s hopeful vision with the help of tender melodies, Blane’s direct speaking voice, and a chorus of joyous synths.

Tuff Darts was an American punk rock band. They reached their greatest fame in the mid-late 1970s with such songs as “Slash”, “(Your Love Is Like) Nuclear Waste” and their biggest single, “All for the Love of Rock and Roll”, which was originally recorded by Ram Jam. The band appeared at popular New York City clubs like Max’s Kansas City and CBGB and featured Tommy Frenzy (vocals), Jeff Salen (guitar), Bobby Butani (guitar), John DeSalvo (bass), and John Morelli (drums). In 1978, the group released their debut album Tuff Darts!, on Sire Records, produced by Bob Clearmountain and Tony Bongiovi.

This NYC punk rock classic, Tuff Darts!, is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on translucent red coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

What would have happened if Michael Dudikoff had gone missing in action, say – in Poland in 1987 – during the harshest freezing spell of the century? Would he have coped under these conditions like John Rambo has in the town of Hope? We shall never find out, but the soundtrack is already there. Latarnik and Cancer G (members of EABS and Błoto) would call this film Zima Stulecia: Minus 30°C.

When Twin Peaks debuted on Polish National Television with its oneiric music by Angelo Badalamenti, Poland could feel as eerie as the series. Seemingly nothing quite matched, but on the other hand, no one was surprised. Growing up in the 1990s inevitably brings back memories of stalls selling a variety of products. You could buy there cleaning products from Germany, some underwear, Haribo jellies and Jacobs coffee, and have access to the "latest" cultural releases, which would be arriving late in Poland. This is where one could obtain pirated copies of cassette tapes and VHS, the labels of which had typewritten film titles that transported kids' fantasies to another world. With such content distribution, many of these kids got their first glimpse of Predator, Terminator, Robocop, as well as Van Damme's stunts in Bloodsport and a plethora of other B action movies, which to this day - like American Ninja - are rerun on TV over and over again. The afterimages of these soundtracks nestled in the heads of Marcin Rak and Marek Pędziwiatr for years and found expression on their debut album.

The music of Zima Stulecia is difficult to label in terms of genre. It oscillates towards melancholic electronic music. For some it will be techno, others will hear elements of house, all accompanied by improvised synth and percussion music.

Zima Stulecia is a duo that was not supposed to have any chance of success. Many years ago, back in 2006, when they were still budding musicians they met for the first time at a jazz workshop. When they found out where they both came from and that they were separated by almost 800 kilometers, despite having great chemistry in playing, they
jokingly said goodbye with the sentence: "it was fun playing together!". They figured they would never meet again. At the time, none of them imagined that in a few years' time in Wrocław they will form one of the most interesting contemporary jazz bands in Poland: EABS and Błoto. On top of that, they were both born in January 1987. The last of the historic "winters of the century" (eng. for "zima stulecia") occurred at that time in Poland, which ultimately determined their name as a band. Minus 30°C album is a recording of the non-verbal workings of these soulmates, and a fruit of a musical collaboration that has lasted for 16 years.

R.A.N.D. Muzik welcomes Perth’s, Ewan Jansen to the label for an EP of moody deep house.

The new single on Bob Stanley's Measured Mile label is a terrific double-header from Connie Stevens – ‘Tick Tock’ b/w ‘Keep Growing Strong’. A northern soul monster, arranged by the late Philly soul legend Thom Bell, original copies of Tick Tock regularly fetch £250 or more.
It was originally the flip side, as Connie Stevens was handed the very first opportunity to record Thom Bell and Linda Creed's evergreen ‘Betcha By Golly Wow’, later a hit for both the Stylistics and Prince. The record label decided to retitle it ‘Keep Growing Strong’, for unknown reasons - Measured Mile have rescued it from obscurity and made it affordable once again.
A classy orchestrated floor-filler and a timeless Philly ballad. You can't go wrong.

For fans of Khruangbin, El Michels Affair, Tame Impala and Bonobo. “I spent a while thinking about the title for this album; it was quite hard to pin down the feeling I felt it represented. At a certain point I realised it was nostalgia, for everything; our life passed by, childhood, moments of happiness and sadness, where we grew up”. – Skinshape // Will Dorey aka Skinshape has proven himself time and again as a connoisseur for the cosmopolitan, across a prolific career expertly exploring understated sounds and theatrical textures. Taking his place alongside the likes of Khruangbin, Tame Impala, Bonobo and Madlib, Skinshape’s global kaleidoscopes are loaded with warmth and wisdom created on vintage analogue equipment applying a perfectionist’s touch. As a former member of indie band Palace, he has played everywhere from Glastonbury and BBC Maida Vale to headlining Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Conversely as a solo artist Skinshape has never played live preferring to record, releasing an album a year (two in 2020’s lockdown) and keeping away from the trappings of stardom.

2025 Repress

Beste Modus, we_r_house and Unison Wax co-founder Cinthie launches her new imprint Crystalgrooves this October with three raw House cuts.

Berlin's Cinthie has long been a respected figure in the underground electronic music scene of Berlin and further afield, heading up the Beste Modus and we_r_house imprints, as well as Unison Wax alongside Diego Krause amongst holding a residency at the infamous Watergate club in her hometown and recently opening her new record store in Friedrichshain, Elevate. It's clear to see electronic music scene plays a huge part in Cinthie's life and here we see her adding another label to her already impressive coterie of imprints, namely 803 Crystalgrooves, a platform for her own material edging towards more classic, raw House sounds in contrast to the deeper more stripped back sounds heard across the other labels. Leading on the package is the anthemic heavy hitter 'Together', a heady House groove fuelled by a filtered, funk-infused bass line, bright organ chords and bumpy 909 drums, the result is an emotive slice of peak-time house to kick start the EP.x 'Ada Lovelace' follows and tips the focus over to dusty, swinging drum sounds and an amalgamation of choppy disco string and vocal samples all intricately programmed to create a dynamic dance floor workout. 'No Need To Worry' then rounds out the package with murky bass tones, wandering stab sequences and stripped-back shuffled percussion to close the package on a more dark and brooding tip.

Few bands have as enduring a legacy in the acoustic/newgrass/jam band
scene as Colorado-based Leftover Salmon
Carrying the torch passed down by the progressive bluegrass pioneers, The
Seldom Scene and Newgrass Revival, Leftover Salmon are true architects of the
contemporary jam grass scene, inspiring the careers of a generation of artists
including Billy Strings, Greensky Bluegrass and Yonder Mountain String Band.On
'Grass Roots', Leftover Salmon reflect on its bluegrass and festival campground
origins with a set of songs that draws from the repertoires that The Salmon
Heads and The Left Hand String Band played when they first jammed in a
Telluride Bluegrass Festival campground. Collaborating with jam scene icons Billy
Strings, Oliver Wood, and Darol Anger, and with the recent addition of Jay Starling
on resophonic guitar, lap steel and keys to the band's official line, Leftover Salmon
have all the instrumental firepower needed to deliver hard driving versions of
bluegrass standards and grassed- up versions of songs from Bob Dylan, David
Bromberg, and The Grateful Dead.
Featuring special guests BILLY STRINGS, OLIVER WOOD and DAROL ANGER

10 Year anniversary reissue of Citizen's debut fan-favorite LP on "Evergreen" vinyl including updated deluxe artwork with die-cut slip-case o-card and new gatefold cover. To celebrate 10 years of YOUTH, Citizen and Run For Cover Records have teamed up to completely update the band's debut LP. Since it's initial release in 2013, the songs that make up Youth's tracklist have been staples in mixtapes, playlists and record collections for listeners chasing what felt like a long-lost feeling in alternative music. YOUTH takes notes from the headbanging tempo of grunge, the hazy reverb of shoegaze, and the catharsis of emo together to make something deeply personal and profound. Songs like opener "Roam the Room" and the anthemic sing-a-long "The Summer" have been soundtracked a thousand stagedives at live shows, while pensive and moody songs like "Figure You Out" and "Sleep" offer brief, downtempo respites with blissful melodies. YOUTH also features Citizen's two most popular songs: "The Night I Drove Alone" builds from a quiet, isolated guitar strum into vocalist & lyricist Mat Kerekes' diary-like confessional, exploding mid-song into a full-band barrage, while "How Does It Feel?" incorporates dreamy shoegaze elements into a somber mid-tempo wall of sound. New additions to the vinyl packaging include a die-cut slip-case cover to hold a new rendition of the album's classic flower text done by artist Mike Adams. Packaging also includes an updated printed inner sleeve with photos from the era as well as lyrics and updated liner notes. This updated version of Citizen's first record pays homage to a landmark record for the band and re-contextualizes it alongside their ever-growing catalog.

“Are we having fun yet? Living in the grey zone”? The Toads ask the question and already know the answer. There’s many a wry smile, often packed with gallows humour, shared on the Melbourne groups’ debut album “In the Wilderness” (out June 9th on Anti Fade and Upset The Rhythm). Navigating the dross of modern life, whilst keeping one foot in a dream is the key to their nervy post-punk scuffle. Featuring members of The Shifters, The Living Eyes and Parsnip you’d be forgiven for guessing what The Toads sound like, but their mordant step and minor-key enchantment makes for an intriguing parry.
The Toads hatched after a short period of domestic readjustment mid-2021. Billy Gardner (guitar) found himself in need of a roof after his home was consumed by fire, and was kindly hosted by friend Stella Rennex (bass). Elsie Retter (drums) was a regular visitor to the house and after seeing Miles Jansen (vocals) tear it up with his other band at the local bowls club, they invited him along to sprinkle his deadpan musings across their fledgling sound. Pretty quickly they hit on their direction; a savvy, snappy lo-fi pop as openhearted as it is brooding.
After playing some formative shows, including a debut at Jerkfest in 2022, The Toads set about recording five songs mid-year for a tentative EP. Realising the songs were too long to fit on a 7”, they booked in another recording session the following September to extend the EP to 12”. Two tracks’ chords structures were fleshed out with new melodies and arrangements, and by this point The Toads were surprised to find they had an album’s worth of material. ‘In The Wilderness’ is a beguiling record, full of twists and turns. It’s arch, resilient, thoughtful and straight-at-your-head catchy to boot.

It’s fitting that the title track “In The Wilderness” draws this record to a close, being the peak of their invention so far. Drums pound and tumbling bass-lines sprint among the crisply stabbing guitar phrases and soaring horns outro. It’s a survivalist epic of hard-worn wisdom, ambling and restless. “I open up the door trying to get all of us through” sings Miles, becoming progressively more dizzy and despondent. There is a sense of toughing it out that never falters though and this is the essence of what The Toads do best. They push onwards into the darkness and keep their appetite, pulling us all into the light.

$oul $old $eparately marks Freddie’s first major label album debut. Gibbs joined Warner Records shortly after releasing his collaborative album with Alchemist titled Alfredo.

‘Too Much (feat Moneybagg Yo)’ is the first track to be released from the upcoming album and the next track to follow will be ‘Dark Hearted’ which was written in collaboration with British Singer/Songwriter James Blake.

There is a whole thematic world around this album which features Freddie as the head of the $$$ Hotel and Casino which is heard on the album via interludes.



More on Freddie

Freddie Gibbs has become one of hip-hop’s most important, inimitable, and influential voices via his quotable wordplay, versatile songs, and unflinching honesty. Since 2004, the uncompromising Indiana-raised rapper has built a diehard global fan base and regularly attracted tastemaker adoration. His discography includes 20-plus mixtapes, eight EPs, four official solo albums, and four top-billed collaborative records.

Teaming up with Warner Records in 2020, his momentum only accelerated six months later as The Alchemist-assisted Alfredo drew the same enthusiasm, landing a 2021 GRAMMY nomination for Best Rap Album and hitting #4 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart. Freddie Gibbs has collaborated with everyone from Pusha T, Killer Mike, Anderson .Paak, and Yasiin Bey to Tyler, The Creator, Gucci Mane, A$AP Ferg, Jay Rock, and Young Thug, in addition to contributing music to blockbuster video game franchises, such as Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, and NBA2K.

Introducing Cutcross, created to champion the melting pot of basscentric sounds teetering around 140 bpm. Heading up the concept are Sicaria & Mia Koden, two DJs who have set out to explore and expand on the possibilities of these sounds whilst spotlighting underground artists.Cutcross is therefore their next step in supporting the forwardthinking music that they've drawn for when curating sets.

CXT007 brings forth the final release on the label: linking up two UKbased favourites in the 140-sphere. With a heavy-weight solo track each - longtime Sicaria Sound set staple 'Gruffa' by Nova alongside Taiko's punchy 'Pastorius' - the flip of the record then introduces two dynamic collaborative efforts which perfectly interlace melody and bass.

On Underwater, Elephant Gym's latest release and second full-length,
there was no single composer overseeing the record - To the end of
unlocking new sounds for themselves, each member took turns leading
production and compositional roles during the creation of the album
The result is an expansive cohesion of diverse songs which flow in and out of one
another like water. Vocal cameos by international collaborators provide another
compelling dimension to the record, emboldening a group usually known for their
instrumental compositions.
The band explains that "Underwater is an idea about a kind of private, mysterious
space." It's a place where one may go to ponder or concentrate, to clear one's
head, or to just blow off some steam in solitude. So, too, is Underwater
fundamentally about immersion: immersion in the chaos of feeling, living in the
throes of being human-sized in the infinite expanse of existence.













m Midway [Rgry Remix]

In the KID BE KID superhero universe, the fact that she is not only a singer but also a virtuoso pianist goes without saying. So much talent in one person would hardly be bearable if KID BE KID wasn't, above all, such a lovable funky freak!
"Naked Times! No More Lies! Here I am strippin' straight in front of your eyes," she chants in a futuristic dress with a gigantic shoulder width, and in the video clip she skillfully oscillates between the authenticity of her live performance and the complete unreality of the production.
Musically, it sounds like a finely curated neo-soul record collection pushed through a 2030s cyber-sound AI. Except that with KID BE KID, the beats don't come from the hard drive, but from her body: Human Beat Boxing. So hip-hop community members are welcome to nod their heads here.

In the 10 songs contained on "Truly A Live Goal But No Ice Cream" KID BE KID reflects on our existence between Internet publicity and Home Sweet Home, in which the mere start of the day can become a regular challenge! KID BE KID arms herself against the personified time and gives it an ultimatum: "Don't you dare not be better than last year!". As a result, everything in her life as well as musically finally takes a turn for the better...

KID BE KID has been touring Europe almost non-stop since last summer, has been recording vocals for Netflix ("Rumsspringa") and, in her remaining free time, has been hanging out in the young Berlin jazz and abstract beats scene.
All these influences can now be heard on her fantastic new album, where KID BE KID seems extremely determined to make the world a little bit better with her art:
"We are here for a reason, Move! Be the better Move!", she challenges herself and us in her song "Move" and of course: KID BE KID is a movement we are only too happy to join in 2023.

She has been a celebrated sensation for years for her live performances anyway, so it's no wonder that she is only too happy to make fun of all the boring online productions, including bloated self-marketing in her lyrics: "You'll have to post 5 times a week, at least 5 videos and one pic, if not your audience won't grow".
But since we have all become little self-marketing monsters with the desire for constant virtual pats on the back, KID BE KID directs this criticism primarily at herself: "Of course: For love everybody seeks, But it makes me sick, to do so, too" it also says in the song ("News Feed").

Well, when this album comes out in June, the ice cream parlors should finally be open again in real life. Walking there, with KID BE KID on the AirPods, we make a few jumps of joy! Because, honestly? This is really so incredibly good.

Angel Deradoorian and Kate NV are Decisive Pink - Ticket To Fame is their highly anticipated debut. After teasing the single 'Haffmilch Holiday' the duo amassed a rapturous response, with The Guardian calling it "a space-age-dancefloor swoon that brings to mind Kate Bush's Waking the Witch" and the New York Times highlighting the single as "substantive and thoroughly hypnotic". On their first LP they do not disappoint, calling on Kate NV's experimental pop leanings and Angel Deradoorian's taste for atmosphere and otherworldliness, Decisive Pink have created a playful and abstract album designed for escape and enchantment. Electronic pop at it's finest, the debut points to the fact that life is a puzzle, but you can still get a lot from living it. 'Destiny' is a smart take on the nature of belief, built on a question-and-answer format, where Angel plays a role as the seer, and Kate the enquirer. The poppy beat is reminiscent of Talking Heads' 'The Great Curve', from Remain in Light. There again, it could be a sinister take on Will Powers' 'Kissing with Confidence'. The synth squeaks, squelches and toots sound like the timid affirmation of the initiate. Ticket to Fame is also unashamedly romantic in atmosphere and tone. Romance is to be found in the simple pleasures, such as listening to a blackbird on the instrumental 'Rodeo', where warm synths, a melancholic guitar pattern and hissing rhythm combine with some vocal snippets to form a soothing contemplation. Then there is 'Ode to Boy'; a perfect pop track. The walking into the room of "more than just an ordinary boy" (doubtless "drunk with fire") allows a set of initially different, and shortened synth patterns to build to a glorious affirmation of the power of love. "Perfect pop music" Marc Riley, BBC6 Music And guess what? The vinyl comes in pink!

Japan faces its ultimate doom as Godzilla's deadliest foe is back in Godzilla vs King Ghidorah. Visitors from the 23rd Century arrive with grave news; Godzilla will destroy Japan in the future. Time travelling back to when Godzilla was born, they prevent the birth, but something goes wrong, as when they come back to the present day, the monstrous three-headed King Ghidorah is on the rampage instead. A secret conspiracy is soon unmasked, and only one outcome will save the country: Godzilla must return! Godzilla vs King Ghidorah saw the return of legendary composer Akira Ifukube to the series, his first since 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla. He showed no sign of slowing down, providing a thrilling and muscular score dominated by the presence of the two headliners. Godzilla's theme and fanfare are presented beautifully by Ifukube, along with the terrifying material for Ghidorah. The composer also wonderfully integrates earlier music from Rodin and King King Vs Godzilla that - alongwith his terrific new music - results in a musical monster throw-down for the ages. No one knew Godzilla better than Akira Ifukube, and Godzilla vs King Ghidorah proves it.

The debut album from London's finest, Hak Baker - 'Worlds End FM' represents the war in Hak's mind, the culture war on the streets of London and the individual battles of his community - from his mother to his brother to his best friends. In a year that will see Hak perform alongside Pete Doherty at The Royal Albert Hall, Jamie T at Finsbury Park & his own headline UK & Germany tours, the campaign has already garnered support from Rolling Stone, NME, Clara Amfo, Steve Lamacq, Jamz Supernova & partnerships with Dr Martens, Fred Perry, Fender, FIFA & Hugo Boss to name a few. Previous highlights include performing on Later with Jools, Glastonbury 2022 (Other Stage), the first artist ever to play at the BBC's new Eastbank site, selling out two Village Underground shows & been championed by the likes of Clara Amfo, Jack Saunders, Sian Eleri, Tom Ravenscroft, Jo Whiley, Huw Stephens & Charlie Sloth.

Manuel Sahagun lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina and has a long history in the music industry. He is known for his unique sound signature which have landed him releases on great labels such as Freerange, True Romance, Minor Notes, Lazy Days and more. And this summer he tryst with Fortunea Records, bringing along his new 3-tracker ‚A Daily Noise‘.
The record starts off with ‚Dreams‘. Don’t expect with this title a fluffy, peaceful melancholic tale. This track pushes through the door with warm subs, galloping hi-hats, xylophones and an irresistible crunchy bassline that’ll get stuck in your head for hours and hours. An absolute belter!

The EPs title-track goes on in similar manner. This time built around an eerie pad that lurks from behind and comes more and more forward in the course of time. A sign for danger? Not at all. But an optimistic relief will come along when the climax hits the dancefloor.

Finally we have ‚Hostages‘ on B2. A deep house track which has a beautiful sense of gloom and curiosity to it. Manuel gives more drama to the track by adding abstract digital glitch noises and haunting synths. A substantial treat for the ears.

‚A Daily Noise‘ comes out on the 9th of June 2023. The vinyl is limited to 300 copies. There will be no repress!

Parasol Dance' embodies the musical headway and fruition Fabio experienced exploring different soundscapes and rhythms in his London based studio this last year. The crisp analogue cuts in the album are peppered with Monesi's organic evolution from the New Jersey sound drawing inspiration from Jazz, Funk and even Disco, all the while never faltering on the end product of raw undulating grooves.

In a sentence, in 'Parasol Dance' Fabio has dished up a vibrant collection of raw and robust cuts that keep you locked from start to finish and will be no doubt be finding a welcome home in record bags across the globe.

Black + White Haze Vinyl. With a sound that was swampy, primal and modern-urban all at once_as much in the tradition of rock n' roll and punk rock as it was a rejection of those things, the Scientists' formula was as universal as it was specific to their own experience. The themes of getting wasted, driving around in hotted-up cars, being trapped in crap jobs, and paranoia were their subject matter. Machine throb bass and drums with jagged car-wreck guitars were their modus operandi. Fitting into no place or time they spurned all but the most rudimentary and elemental of rock structures to create a sound all their own. Quadruple CD includes their complete studio recordings, live recordings, and a previously unissued set from Adelaide UniBar, plus dozens of previously unpublished photographs, discography, and fold out Perth Punk family tree. Double LP version boils the box down to 22 essentials, plus unpublished photographs, discography, and fold out Perth Punk family tree.




















t 20 THIS IS MY HAPPY HOUR LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR
u 21 FIRE ESCAPE [LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR]
[v] 22 WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE [LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR]
[w] 23 RAVER [LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR]
[x] 24 THE SPIN [LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR]
[y] 25 CLEAR SPOT [LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR]
[z] 26 REV HEAD [LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR]
[xa] 27 SET IT ON FIRE [LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR]
[xb] 28 BURN OUT [LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR]
[xc] 29 THIS LIFE OF YOURS [LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR]
[xd] 30 SOLID GOLD HELL [LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR]
[xe] 31 BLOOD RED RIVER [LIVE AT ADELAIDE UNIBAR]
[xf] 32 DON'T LIE TO ME [LIVE AT THE LOFT]

[xh] 34 MELODRAMATIC TOUCH [LIVE AT STOREY HALL]
[xi] 35 SLOW DEATH [LIVE AT STOREY HALL]
[xj] 36 STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT [LIVE AT THE SYDNEY UNI]
[xk] 37 I'VE HAD IT [LIVE AT LE TOTE]
[xl] 38 GONNA MAKE YOU [LIVE AT THE PRINCE OF WALES HOTEL]
[xm] 39 WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE [LIVE AT SYDNEY TRADE UNION CLUB]
[xn] 40 GHOST TRAIN [LIVE AT THE PRINCE OF WALES HOTEL]
[xo] 41 THE OTHER PLACE [1985 FLEXI DISC]
[xp] 42 SHE CRACKED [1985 FLEXI DISC]

On this second vinyl from the new label of Barcelona’s club Les Enfants Brillants, Mannheim-born producer Fabe has taken control of this new release delivering 'Hyped By Light', an EP consisting of four deep club-ready deep house tracks with heavy-bass sound and sparkling groovy notes.

Repress!

It can take a while for an artist to find their musical voice. For Alex Andrikopoulos, it’s been a journey that’s taken the best part of two decades. Now he’s set to mark a major milestone in his transition from record store owner, label co-founder and DJ to producer with the release of his long-promised first solo album for Leng, Waving. The Greek artist first joined the Leng Records roster in the autumn of 2020 and has since gone in to release the acclaimed ‘Punta Allen’ EP for the imprint. Before that, he spent the first decade of the century running the popular Radical Sounds record shop in Athens, before refocusing on running Quantized Music with fellow DJ/producer Tolis Q and developing his DJ career, where his unique blends of disco, house and techno tracks earned him bookings at some of Europe’s most storied clubs.

Waving, which appears on the back of a handful of fine EPs for a variety of labels, is his boldest and strongest statement yet as a musician and producer. Created with a little help from guest musicians and collaborators including keyboardist Artis Boriss, bassist Brotha Gilla, percussionists Ilario Arnel and Harold Perez, pianist Luciano Ledesma and guitarist Alex Searle, the album brilliantly blurs the boundary between 21st century disco, afternoon-ready downtempo grooves, and the kind of dancefloor-minded Balearic fare that’s devilishly difficult to pigeonhole.

Fittingly, the set begins with previous single ‘Punta Allen’, an eight-minute chunk of organic dancefloor goodness which slowly unfurls before rising towards and gorgeous and joyous conclusion, and ends with the squelchy, slo-mo cosmic funk of ‘Patrol Di Caribe’, where trippy synthesizer lines, layered percussion and more tuneful style pan style lead ins catch the ear.

In between, highlights are plentiful, from the driving, piano solo-laden dub disco brilliance of ‘Down My Soul’ and the languid, sun-kissed, beach-ready downtempo grooves of ‘The Jamail Pass’, to the rubbery, pitched-down electrofunk of ‘Window Spells’ (featuring a fine lead vocal from Max Giovara, the flash-friend, dubwise Balearic funk of ‘Waving’, and the throbbing brilliance of ‘La Di Da Di’, whose crunchy Clavinet lines, fluid electric piano solos, snappy drums and pulsating, arpeggio-style bass encapsulate all that is good about the album.

The digital edition of the album also comes bundled with eight more tracks not featured on the double-vinyl LP. Featuring the same blend of expansive musicality, organic drums and dancefloor nous, this octet effectively extends the album via a string of similarly playable, club-ready and sofa-friendly tracks. Standouts include the non-stop, nu-disco-meets-house excellence of ‘Large Stacks’, Hammond-laced head-nodder ‘Take The High Road’, horizontal Balearic funk shuffler ‘Prezend’ and hazy, vocal-sporting dub disco roller ‘Angels of Rhythm’, which previously appeared on the flipside of Lex’s ‘Punta Allen’ 12”.