Suche:the it

GALA announce Ten Years of GALA – a compilation marking a decade of independent culture

Ten Years of GALA is both an archive and a horizon: a reflection on where GALA has come from, and a signal of what lies ahead.

Founded in 2016 as a one-day gathering in South London, GALA has grown into a global point of reference for dancers, artists and collectives drawn together by a shared commitment to independence, collaboration and underground music culture. Rather than charting success through scale alone, the festival has consistently prioritised integrity, community and musical curiosity – values that underpin this release.

Spanning fifteen tracks, Ten Years of GALA unfolds as a considered journey. It opens with an intimate spoken contribution from Charlie Dark, grounding the compilation firmly in GALA’s home of Peckham before gradually expanding outward into fuller, club-focused terrain. From there, the record moves between moods and tempos, tracing a path from reflective moments into the physical language of the dancefloor.

The compilation brings together longtime friends of the festival alongside newer voices drawn into its orbit in recent years. Each artist contributes a distinct perspective, but collectively the tracks form a coherent portrait – not of a single sound, but of a shared ethos shaped over ten years of gatherings, collaborations and days spent dancing together.

Rather than a retrospective in the conventional sense, Ten Years of GALA functions as a living document. It captures fragments of past editions, scenes and relationships, while remaining firmly oriented toward the future. These are not museum pieces, but records designed to be played, shared and folded back into the spaces from which they came.

Together, the compilation holds a piece of GALA’s first decade – not as a closed chapter, but as a foundation for what comes next.

MASK Records founder ZentaSkai joins forces with Berlin-based creative Laura Merino Allue under the name Cuddling Monsters, a project centered on analog processes and tactile sound design. Debuting in March 2024, the project explores Detroit-infused House, dub Techno, and minimal soundscapes shaped by raw texture and spatial depth. Working exclusively with analogue instruments, the duo prioritise warmth, imperfection, and presence over polish. Alongside her music work, Laura Merino Allue is also a graphic designer, bringing a strong visual identity to the project’s wider aesthetic.
‘Cuddling Monsters' is inspired by real-life experiences — the raw, imperfect, beautiful moments we move through. We believe in staying present, feeling everything deeply, and embracing the analog flow of the now. It’s about living the moment fully — and like a cuddle on the dancefloor, creating a space where sound holds you, warmth surrounds you, and even the wildest monsters feel safe enough to soften.’ -
Cuddling Monsters
The Cuddling Monsters ‘Vol. 3’ EP opens with ‘Bubble Bloom’, a melodic house track featuring warped, filtered synth tones that set a hazy foundation before a dub-leaning beat settles in. It’s layered with aquatic, bubbly textures and fragmented samples, adding warmth and movement. ‘Warm Waves’ shifts into a lighter, more atmospheric space, increasing the tempo slightly while maintaining a restrained, ethereal character. The B-side closes with ‘Secret Signal’, a long-form techno piece stretching over ten minutes, where evolving synth lines gradually merge with soft, dubby drums and analogue percussion, building steadily without excess before easing out.

STRICTLY LIMITED TO 100 COPIES ARTIST PROJECT After discovering techno at La Concrète, invited by my girlfriend, it was a revelation, and I very quickly felt the urge to contribute in my own way. My intention has been to create tracks infused with positive energy (even if the creative process sometimes leads into slightly darker corners of music). Still, I realized—rather late—the importance of the musical genre known as “techno.” Here is my reflection on it: Nothing is closer to village music (with everything that implies among indigenous peoples, for example—important and respected moments of communion) than techno. On one side, you have basic organic instruments and the voice; on the other, the most advanced technology available. But fundamentally, the difference is only superficial—the essence is the same: a guide, and people who participate intuitively, ultimately finding or discovering their own inner paths… individuation. Techno represents the re-emergence of a kind of initiation rite that had been missing in the West for quite some time—a sort of continuation of Woodstock, more spread out over time but just as powerful from a societal perspective. This release is my contribution to that revival, in the same way a villager might feel free to join trance music with a simple stick that sounds right, or a drum—something intuitive that all our ancestors must have practiced naturally at one point or another. In short, nothing pretentious—just something made with heart

Through her work across five Vastum albums, Leila Abdul-Rauf has been a sonorous contributor to 20 Buck Spin’s discography for more than 15 years now. Concurrent to that she’s also amassed an impressive body of solo work whereby she could showcase the full range of her multi-instrumental artistic and vocal talents. We now bring that part of Leila’s output to 20 Buck Spin showcasing her darkest and most confrontational material to date with new album ‘Andros Insidium’. On ‘Andros Insidium’ Leila draws us into a ceremonial descent, through the architecture of shadow itself. Unfolding like a ritual text etched in obsidian, each movement traces the violent and sacred geometry of transformation. The presence and wisdom of the feminine divine looms throughout, as an ancient and uncompromising force, in conflict with everything buried, exiled and made monstrous by the machinery of societal pressures and unrealistic expectations. The album delves deep into the dark vastness of the psyche of woman: wild, ugly, vulnerable and powerful. Sonically ‘Andros Insidium’ is a mutation of the cinematic dark-ambient, industrial and ritual folk expressed in prior releases, now sharpened into something far darker, more narrative and intimate. Leila’s vocal work becomes a new focus with a wider variety of styles and characters, exorcising the demons of patriarchal fragmentation and revenge fantasy as lived myth. In its most potent moments, ‘Andros Insidium’ suggests that wholeness is not purity or light, but the terrifying act of reclaiming everything that was discarded, and learning to speak with its voice. * New solo album of Leila-Abdul Rauf of VASTUM (also has played in Amber Asylum, Hammers of Misfortune, and others) * Dark and heavy mix of Dark Ambient, Industrial, Ritual / Neo Folk, Electronic

* FFO: Dead Can Dance, Diamanda Galas, Arcana, Amber Asylum, Jarboe/Swans, Chelsea Wolfe, Cold Meat Industry

The Collective Rhythm Network (Hamilton, Canada), is a weekly radio show that focuses on underground dance music past and present. This EP was produced in celebration of the radio show's 20th Anniversary, featuring tracks by Detroit's Rick Wilhite, Ron Allen and Terrence Parker !
.
Rick The Godson' Wilhite is a Detroit born producer/label owner/record store owner/DJ and founding member of Detroit's 3 Chairs. Rick also releases music under his Vibes New & Rare Music label. For this release Rick has provided us with a brand-new track entitled Mind Control' - a thumping late night dance floor stomper
reminiscent of early 3 Chairs, that is sure to keep the crowd jumping!

Ron Allen is a Toronto based JUNO Nominated music producer/songwriter/DJ and founder of legendary dance music label Strobe Records that was instrumental in developing the house and techno genres in Canada in the early 90's. Whispers' by The R.A.S.E. (Ron Allen Sound Experience), features melodic keys, dreamy vocals and a groovy, head-nod inducing bassline that sounds just as fresh now as it did when it was originally released in 1994.

Terrence Parker ( TP') was born and raised in Detroit and has become legendary for his skillful turntablism style of playing House Music. Terrence has released more than 100 recordings on his Intangible Records & Soundworks label and various other international record labels. With lush keys, and soaring vocals, Embrace (The Original Melody Vibe)' is one of the deeper cuts in the Intangible Records & Soundworks catalogue.

‘Black Butterfly’ is Brooklyn Funk Essentials eighth studio album and includes the bands recent hits ‘Never Give Up’, ‘Bust The Bus Stop’ and ‘Life During Wartime’. Playlisted on BBC Radio 2 and Jazz FM and supported by Craig Charles and Cerys Matthews at 6 Music as well as many stations across Europe and the Americas. The album was produced and co-written by bassist Lati Kronlund and features Alison Limerick, Ebba Åsman and Desmond Foster on vocals.

Kronlund and Limerick have been enjoying the recent renewed interest in ‘Where Love Lives’. Kronlund wrote and produced it for Limerick in 1990, it was remixed by Frankie Knuckles and David Morales and became a club classic and was featured in this year’s John Lewis Christmas TV Ad. Arthur Baker heard the original in a club in 1991 that he contacted Kronlund about working together and they then formed Brooklyn Funk Essentials.

Since then, Brooklyn Funk Essentials have built a devoted international following and notched up over 100 million streams. Fusing Soul, Hip Hop, Spoken Word, Jazz, Latin, and, of course,
Funk, the band’s journey began experimenting with drum machines and loops in Baker’s Shakedown Sound Studio in Jersey City—hunting for that perfect beat. The early recordings featured greats such as Maceo Parker, Lenny Pickett, Tower of Power Horns, Michigan & Smiley, and Dizzy Gillespie, leading to the acclaimed debut ‘Cool & Steady & Easy’ (1994). Fast-forward to April 2024, when Kronlund reunited with Baker in Miami, rediscovering recordings featuring percussion prodigy Bashiri Johnson, which inspired new creative sparks for the next chapter of Brooklyn Funk Essentials.

"Life & Death has been a bucketlist label for me since day one. I've always been inspired by the way DJ Tennis approaches music and the whole philosophy around the label. What always stood out to me is the variety in the releases. One record can be deep and emotional, the next one raw and club-focused, but it still feels like it belongs to the same world. That balance is something I am always chasing in my music. Next to this: in a world that is focussed more and more on short term wins and commercial performance, i really can tell that Tennis still values the art and process of making music the most, which is something i really appreciate"

I remember hearing him play at Circoloco in Ibiza and later in the Loft in Amsterdam and thinking: 'fuck, I should've send him the tune I made last week.' When I came back home, I immediately put together a pack of tracks to send to him. Two were released as part of the Fabric release, and 4 of them are on this EP.
For me, this release is a next step in my career, and I'm happy and proud to be part of a label that is both legendary and super relevant in 2026."

Naarm/Melbourne producer Mistr Dean delivers the first release on the city’s newest label, Lower Power, a nine-track double LP rooted in Dub influences.

The project is at its core, a journey that progresses through ambient and house adjacent soundscapes, to methodically constructed grooves. Phase Shift, Solanin, Automagic and Send Dub all exemplify the consistency and range of the record, and Dean’s clear ability to build clean tracks from the ground up.

While it has a clear cohesive identity, Phase Shift leans into a diversity of sound and feel, suitable at points, for the bar, club, couch or frankly, any function you feel.

IN2POL rounds out the record with a remix of the title track that brings its own distinct weight to the LP’s sound and, to no one’s surprise, it truly is a weapon.

Credits:
Mixed by Mistr Dean
Mastered by Brendan Zacharias at Cirius Audio

Sans Merit arrives on Knekelhuis with his second album Trolley Polly. A radiant album from currently LA-based Australian musician Griffin James—one that leans into unguarded joy with a playful, disarming sincerity.

The album rocks right away into our world. Lifting off where the guitar pedals mash the gas and go. While at other moments the acoustic guitar passages carry a neofolk intimacy, like the low-voiced choir singer cast out of a pastoral world, left to wander in his own solitude. These moments are swept up by surging shoegaze episodes, slipping into hazy hypnagogic pop interludes and wiry post-punk turns, giving the record a restless, shifting pulse.

Beneath it all lies a lyrical sensitivity that grounds the album’s movement. Sans Merit reflects on the big questions in a world that feels increasingly fragile, balancing vulnerability with a self-aware, gently naïve humor, while staying attuned to the emotional undercurrents of everyday life. It’s this perspective that makes Trolley Polly feel so human—alive in its contradictions, and quietly comforting.

Sultans Ghost Ship LP was originally released on Sympathy For The Record Industry in 2000. While RFTC looked for a new drummer, Speedo (armed with an 8 track tape machine and 3 microphones) devised yet another alias as “Slasher” and concocted this primordial ooze of moped scuzz, punk rock and roll. Ghost Ship was met with enthusiasm by those seeking blistering relief from the weak, whiny, wretched and wimpy wannabes du jour.

The sound is full on, straight ahead with only starting gates and finish lines between songs. The band played some shows around California and would slightly evolve on their second LP Shipwrecked. Ghost Ship is Sultans at their most thuggish and hairiest. Taking inspiration from Australia’s Chosen Few, Ramones bootlegs, Misfits bootlegs and then challenging themselves to be as thrifty and impatient as possible, the songs are intentionally brief, similar and burly. After this was recorded these tapes lay dormant in a shed for over 20 years. When the tapes were recently unearthed it revealed unreleased songs recorded after Ghost Ship yet before the band’s follow up LP Shipwrecked. Some of these songs would later be absorbed by RFTC and re-recorded. These songs are included here as bonus tracks and offer no relief to the record’s unrelenting pace.

Next up on Acid Pauli's new label All Is Acid is Urwald (engl. jungle). Originally released 2009 on Smaul, the track has been carefully restored and remastered and comes with a brand new remix by French DJ and producer rRoxymore.
Urwald marks an early moment in Acid Pauli's solo work. The track is built on a dry, steady rhythm and a small melodic loop that shifts slowly over time. It does not follow a classic build-up structure and lets subtle changes shape the movement to give it a hypnotic vibe.
The new rRoxymore remix makes the tune even trippier. She loosens the rhythmic grid, softens some of the edges and tell's her own story with lots of off-the-wall elements that guide the listener through the jungle.

With Burn The House Down, Ghalia Volt delivers a raw and electrifying blend of blues, garage rock, and roots-driven energy. Fueled by gritty guitar riffs, hypnotic rhythms, and her unmistakable raspy vocals, the album captures the spirit of stripped-down, high-voltage rock’n’roll. Recorded with an organic and live feel, the songs pulse with authenticity and urgency, balancing infectious grooves with a rough-edged charm. Ghalia Volt’s performance is both fierce and soulful, channeling the essence of traditional blues while pushing it into a more modern, rebellious direction. Burn The House Down is a bold and uncompromising release—perfect for fans of The Black Keys, Larkin Poe, and raw, unfiltered blues rock

Back to back deep roots here. Both sides produced by Niney the Observer on one of Augustus Pablo's all time masterpieces, the 555 Crown Street rhythm. The A-side is Johnny Clarke chanting out "Warrior", then flip it over for Ranking Trevor, one of the most underrated deejays ever, breezing out over a dubbed cut with plenty of our beloved bleeps. These were undoubtedly dubplates at the time they were made in the '70s, but both first released later, the Johnny Clarke on CD in the 1990's, and the Ranking Trevor actually much earlier in 1979, when the late great Dave Hendley released it on his Sufferers Heights label. Both tunes have been issued in a couple forms since, but not in quite a while, and we just love them and felt they were too good to remain unavailable; top shelf essential material.

With her third album, composer and bandleader Jasmine Myra has stepped confidently into the next stage of her unique musical explorations. Where Light Settles is a cohesive artistic statement from a distinctive and confident voice in UK music, and a significant evolution from the critically acclaimed Horizons (2022) and Rising (2024). Nine beautiful and powerfully grounded compositions express an accumulation of the artist"s ruminations on life, growth, and progression, powered by her vision of duality. "It"s those bittersweet moments which are heart-breaking but so important. Looking forward and trying to make sense of life," she says. "Pain is unavoidable, and you"ll have hardship no matter what, but you don"t grow or learn about yourself or the world around you without it. The duality is the growth and coming out the other side. I had the concept from the start."

The second volume of this series is as good as the first with more finely tuned twilight dubs and Balearic chuggers, expertly curated by a master of this form in Pete Herbert. Across two sides, the comp flows between low-slung grooves, deep synth atmospheres and sun-kissed dancefloor moments. Highlights include Statues' warming 'Andromeda' and a powerful synth-driven turn from Imogen Soundsystem, while side two leans further into Balearic romance, from Herbert's nostalgic 'At Zuka to Kasper Bjorke's proto-dancefloor elegance. Cohesive, tasteful sunset music with real substance.

DJ Feedback

Phil Mison/Cantoma/Ambala:
"Great tunes as always , full support. Lovingthe Zuka tune!"

Sean Johnston/ALFOS:
"Killer Petey! Next few ALFOS sets sorted"

Conrad/Idjut Boys:
"Nice selection, totem project rmx has it for me"

Sally Rogers/A Man Called Adam:
"Excellent, dependable DJ fodder from Pete and Co. Thanks for the consistency :) "

Camilo Miranda/Ibiza:
"Nice combo of tracks here ! loving these!!"

Dream Chimney/Blog:
"SF vol 2 is 10/10 every track a winner on here"

Logan Fisher/Try Outs:
"Superb comp. full of goodies"

4Trepanado/Selvagem/Brazil:
"Great compilation! the Pete Herbert Remix for Time is a great weapon to flip the switch at the dancefloor"

Simon Lee/Faze Action:
"Stunning compilation, hard to pick a winner but I'm heading for Pete Herbert - Zuka"

Marco Gallerani/Hell Yeah:
"Beautiful selection!!! loving it. Can't wait for summer now"

Dicky Trisco/File Under Disco:
"Classy release. All winners. Giselle is my fave. Nice one Pedro xxx"

Felix Joy/Rinse FM:
"Sounding great!"

Jaime Fiorito/Ibiza:
"Some cool bits! Time is my favorite!"

ICONIC FRENCH LABEL VULTURE RETURNS WITH A NEW CHAPTER.

Marking its 25th anniversary, Alan Braxe label Vulture looks beyond its archive, from the French Touch imprint of “Intro” and “In Love With You” to The Upper Cuts, entering a new phase.



This chapter opens with Femme d’Intérieur. Developed in close collaboration with Million Miles and Braxe, the debut introduces French lyrics to the label’s catalogue, shifting toward a nocturnal strain of French Boogie and soulful songwriting.



The B-side reconnects the project to the label’s club lineage through remixes by Shakedown and JKriv (Razor-N-Tape).

Shit Robot and DFA are psyched to rerelease 2015 anthem "Where It's At", a collaboration with the singer/comedian/television star Reggie Watts. Reggie Watts' vocal performance runs the gamut of Chicago dance music history - from the gloom and melodrama of iconic label Wax Trax, to the jubilant choruses of Frankie Knuckles' house anthems. But let's not de-emphasize the solid instrumentation provided by Mr. Marcus 'Shit Robot' Lambkin - we've got that classic DFA bassline, claps, and bleeps and bloops aplenty - mixed and manipulated by none other than our own James Murphy. The flip features a remix by London producer Johnny Aux, who turns the track into a staticy, stripped down, raw Deep House banger, with hissing glimmers of icy cymbals peeking through the smog.

Berlin-based duo Disguised land on Mutual Rytm with a splash of signature driving techno on ‘Nightrun’. German-born, Berlin-based pairing Alvaro and Domenik are Disguised, a duo that feels closely connected to their favourite club RSO and its Robus Floor, where most of their musical inspirations happen. They head up their own label, Inherit Records, and also host parties at Berlin's new C115 venue on the Berlin highway. Already this year, they have dropped an impressive collaborative EP with their studio partner and close friend Fabio, aka FANK, who features on this EP with his own vocals. Their sound is always defined by driving drums and hypnotic melodies that build up to intense dancefloor peaks, and here they showcase this to its fullest on their Mutual Rytm label debut via five vinyl-only cuts and three digital bonuses built and crafted to make a lasting impact. The powerful 'Where Thoughts End (ft. FANK)' rises up through the ground like an oncoming train, as drums rumble, synths peel off the groove, and moody voices have you looking over your shoulder. 'Nightrun' is glitchier and more textured, with a fractured energy that keeps you on your toes. 'Crusher Wheels' is a deep, back-lit, and trance-inducing sound made for 4am, while 'Ashes and Algorithms' layers up eerie melodic details with bulky drums for a spare but atmospheric trip. 'All You Find (ft. FANK)' is dubby, greyscale techno with a muscular rhythm and unsettling synths, taut and tensile, balancing right on a knife-edge. Three digital bonuses explore different moods - the subtle melodic touches of 'Silent Pulse', the cosmic energy of 'Sceptre Rd', and the rising optimism of 'Twinfall’.

Nothing Under Heaven is the third full-length album from Scottish ambient and drone multi-instrumentalist Yulyseus.

It follows 2022’s In the Dark Palaces of Both Our Hearts, an introspective and immersive work shaped by travel, displacement, and unfamiliar surroundings. Where that release explored darker and more inward-looking terrain, Nothing Under Heaven opens outward into broader, more expansive soundscapes. Drawing on years spent moving between Glasgow, Berlin, Mexico City and Valencia, Niall Gahagan’s compositions here feel patient and quietly luminous, built from layered electronics, bowed strings and subtle field recordings.

Rather than seeking dramatic gestures, the album unfolds slowly, allowing atmosphere and emotion to emerge over time. Working within a crowded and ever-evolving ambient landscape, Yulyseus continues to focus on texture, weight and gradual movement.

Across eight carefully shaped pieces, Nothing Under Heaven explores how sound can hold both stillness and momentum, inviting attentive listening rather than functioning as simple background music. The opening track, Veillands, sets the tone with a quiet intensity that gently draws the listener inward. From there, the album develops as a continuous, immersive experience, rich in detail and emotional nuance. Nothing Under Heaven reflects an artist still in motion, responding to change, uncertainty and new surroundings with humility and care. It stands as a thoughtful and deeply considered addition to Yulyseus’s growing body of work which is rooted in patience, deep listening, and a continuing search for meaning through sound.

The Naked Dance is MATISA's record label.

A platform built around the artists she believes in. Vinyl first. No shortcuts.

The label launches with four original tracks by MATISA - an opening statement that sets the tone for everything to come. Uncompromising, exploratory, and entirely her own.At its heart, The Naked Dance stands for freedom, stripping back expectation and letting music exist on its own terms. A home for singular voices and honest artistry.

Distributed by KMA60, connecting to a worldwide network of record shops, DJs, and listeners who still care deeply about how music reaches them.

Three years after their debut, French Azken Auzi return with Infernua, a dark and powerful journey into the depths of occult doom and sludge. Forged through years of live activity and creative evolution, the album reveals a band that has fully embraced its identity, delivering heavier riffs, deeper atmospheres and a more mature songwriting approach. Crushing grooves meet haunting passages as Azken Auzi explore the darkest corners of the human soul, balancing oppressive heaviness with moments of eerie tension and hypnotic flow. From the album's thunderous opening to its more ethereal closing moments, Infernua unfolds as an uncompromising sonic ritual that pushes the band's sound into darker and more immersive territories.

For fans of Monolord, Electric Wizard, Darkthrone, Weedeater, Beherit, Celtic Frost, Crowbar, Mayhem, YOB.

Berlin-based producer ZentaSkai returns with ‘Analog Assets Vol. 04’, a four-track vinyl-only EP focused on analog texture, dub-inflected atmospherics, and disciplined techno structure. Active since 1997 and operating Mask Records and its parent label, Zaijenroots, from his Berlin studio, he continues to refine a sound shaped by spatial control and steady, architectural pacing. Tracks unfold patiently, elements are introduced with intent, and nothing feels excessive.
Setting the tone with Cuddling Monsters’ partner, Laura Merino Allue, A1 features phased melodic textures and crisp percussion that gradually lock in the rhythm. A2 develops a filtered synth motif over a steady four-to-the-floor rhythm, revealing its full weight before pulling back. B1 is the most direct cut, driven by a firm, punchy beat and sharp rhythmic detailing built for peak-time focus, while B2 closes with rising string layers over a dub framework, balancing warmth and precision in a clean, measured finish.
With releases on Jerome Sydenham’s Ibadan Records and upcoming collaborations including Cuddling Monsters with Laura Merino Allue and a joint project with Thomas Grun for Rhythm Trax Austria, ZentaSkai’s work sits comfortably between minimal experimentation and functional dancefloor design.
Supported by artists such as Richie Hawtin, Joseph Capriati, Marcel Dettmann, Luke Slater, Laurent Garnier, and DVS1, he maintains a consistent presence within the underground without chasing trends.

Wenn Daniel Benyamin Musik schreibt, geht es nie nur darum, schöne Lieder zu komponieren. Es steht immer eine umfassendere Idee im Vordergrund - ein übergreifendes Konzept, eine Perspektive, durch die er bestimmte Aspekte des Lebens reflektiert. Mit seinem zweiten Soloalbum geht er jedoch über einzelne Themen hinaus und richtet seinen Blick auf das Leben als Ganzes: das Leben nach der Musik. Ein kleines Studio, hoch oben auf einer Klippe am Fuße des Olymp. Vollkommene Einsamkeit. Nur in der Ferne gibt es einen schwachen Hinweis auf Leben. Klingt so absolute Stille? ,Dolphin Palace" ist der Name des Ortes, an dem ,Life After Music" entstanden ist. Das Ergebnis ist ,Life After Music", ein Doppelalbum, unterteilt in vier thematische Seiten, das am 15. Mai 2026 über Ghost Palace Records erscheinen wird.

Seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2016 haben die Londoner High Vis ihre Palette an progressivem Hardcore mit Nuancen von Post-Punk, Brit-Pop, Neopsychedelia und sogar Madchester-Groove verfeinert und einen Mittelweg zwischen Hooks und Wut, Melodien und Moshpits gefunden. Sänger Graham Sayle beschreibt ihr drittes Album Guided Tour als eine Achse der konkurrierenden Kräfte: "Es versucht, eine hoffnungsvolle Platte zu sein, während es gleichzeitig wütend macht." Die Band, die von Schlagzeuger Edward 'Ski' Harper, Bassist Jack Muncaster und den Gitarristen Martin MacNamara und Rob Hammaren komplettiert wird, ist tief in der britischen und irischen DIY-Hardcore-Szene verwurzelt und wird von Rastlosigkeit und rechtschaffener Wut gleichermaßen inspiriert. Die 11 Songs des Albums umfassen das gesamte Spektrum zeitgenössischer Gitarrenmusik, die durch Erfahrung, Kameradschaft und gesellschaftliche Frustrationen geschärft wurde. Von schwungvollem Streetpunk ("Drop Me Out", "Mob DLA") über schrillen Indie-Spott ("Worth The Wait", "Deserve It") bis hin zu Heavy Alt ("Feeling Bless", "Fill The Gap") und shoegazeartigem Spoken Word ("Untethered") - die Chemie der Gruppe verwandelt jeden Stil in ihre einzigartige Intensität.

SCHWARM (Martinou Remix)
Martinou reshapes SCHWARM into fluid sound currents and a glowing, hypnotic arpeggio. Intimate yet euphoric, it's a slow-burning dream. He and Harald Björk first connected through Myspace in 2008. Martinou has since released on Nous'klaer and Mule Musiq, among others.

SCHWARM (Sniper Mode Remix)
Gregor Tresher revives Sniper Mode with sharp 808 electro - minimal, deep, precise. After meeting Björk via Cocoon, the link continued through Break New Soil.

ALUCO (Revisited)
Björk reworks his Cocoon Recordings release into a deeper, more spacious trance journey. A staple in his live sets and championed by Ida Engberg and John Digweed, it returns stripped, atmospheric and hypnotic.

ALUCO (AD Remix)
AD is the deeper alias of Alexi Delano, a key figure since the SVEK era. His version drifts through nocturnal Stockholm - dubby, cold, immersive.

Sixteen killer 70s reggae funk and soul cuts from the likes of John Holt, Lee Perry, Cornel Campbell, The Cimarons, The Chosen Few and more featuring superb reggae takes on songs by artists including The Jackson 5, William DeVaughn, Diana Ross and The Supremes, War, The Temptations, Roberta Flack, The Stylistics and others!

Well-documented is the influence of American black music on Jamaican styles of the 1960s – from the birth of ska music, when The Skatalites ska-ified the jump-up southern USA rhythm and blues music of Rosco Gordon, Louis Jordan and Fats Domino, through to the creation of rocksteady when Jamaican artists like The Techniques, The Paragons, Alton Ellis and The Melodians turned to the slower rhythms and soulful harmonies of groups such as The Impressions and The Drifters for inspiration. 

Less-well established is that in the 1970s Jamaicans didn’t (shock!) stop listening to American black music styles, with many 70s reggae artists as invested in soul, funk and the proto-disco sounds of Philadelphia, as was the case with rhythm and blues in the previous decade. In the 1970s, while Jamaica promoted its own roots reggae styles around the world, powerhouse USA soul labels such as Motown, Philadelphia International and Stax Records were at the same time all popular on the island.
This interaction between American and Jamaican music was not limited to Jamaica. In Britain, first-generation Caribbean-émigré children in the 1960s and early 70s grew up with an equal love of both soul and reggae, which manifested itself in the home-grown arrival of lovers rock in the mid-1970s.
Soul Jazz Records’ new ‘Reggae Island Soul’ tells this story of how soul and funk-infused reggae in the 1970s united the sounds of Jamaica, USA and the UK into a highly addictive cultural hybrid of styles.

Solid Red Vinyl Edition - 10@ Mini album. Originally release in 2025 in a painfully limited 2x7" + Book edition.

"Dream of the Egg" is the debut solo album by Tomo Katsurada, known for his work with the Japanese psychedelic band Kikagaku Moyo. This project is a unique fusion of music and visual art, inspired by the Japanese 1920s children's book “Yume No Tamago (Dream of the Egg)”. It reveals a deeply personal journey, reflecting Tomo's dreams and the numerous rebirths experienced in 2024—a year marked by profound new beginnings in every facet of his life.

This mini album was driven by a passion for raw and immediate expression. Every song was crafted and recorded with only the materials available to him at the time, embracing an organic and handmade atmosphere. By eschewing rhythm clicks and standard instrumental tunings, a spontaneous sound emerged, capturing the essence of both uncertainty and immediacy. Adding to this distinctive sonic landscape, guest musician Jonny Nash (UK) contributed ethereal guitar sounds on the first and final tracks, enriching the record's dream-like quality.

The journey begins with the opening track, "Moshimo," which means "If..." in Japanese. Here, Jonny's guitar weaves seamlessly with the vocal melody, creating a harmonious dialogue. The first half of the album concludes with "Zen Bungalow" a cover of Gabriel Yared's “Bungalow Zen” from the soundtrack of the film “Betty Blue 37°2 Le Matin”. This particular track is his partner’s favourite song to listen to every morning and left a profound impression on him. One day, he heard a song in his dream that combined both of these tracks and loved how they blended together. This experience inspired him to create a new arrangement, "Zen Bungalow," which has become a central piece of the “Dream of the Egg” album.

The third track serves as an interlude, printed on a flexi disk attached to the middle of a picture book. This interlude transitions the listener into"Inner Garden," a bittersweet folk song that explores themes of love. The EP's narrative spans 20 minutes, culminating in the final title track “Dream of the Egg”. This piece features a delicate session between Tomo & Jonny, combining cello and guitar to create a spectrum of tones that evoke the imagery of a rainbow. The focus on smooth dynamics and meticulous play reflects an intent to convey a sense of physical trembling. This track sounds like the beginning of a new dream; as if the egg of one’s dream is about to hatch, bringing a sense of anticipation and wonder to the listener. Throughout the album, a variety of instruments come into play, drifting between notes and embracing the beauty of imperfection. By incorporating free-form sounds in a highly technological age, the record aims to reconnect listeners with the tangible, human-made quality of sound.

Special Thanks
Jonny Nash – Guitar

Holy Sun Opera House at its core is soprano and drummer Krissy Barker with composer dl Salo. Along with a revolving cast of collaborators, singers and performers, they create emotionally engaging and haunting symphonic music embellished by electronics, heavy drums and synthesizers. The group has been described as “Opera Cult” and as one who would play at the Roadhouse in Twin Peaks. They draw influence from early Dead Can Dance, Fever Ray and Klaus Nomi.

The Holy Sun Opera House is the group's self-titled debut set for release in May 2026 on the label Hologram Opera. The self-produced album was conceptualized as a way to describe an obsessive mind with music and inspired by the recurring dreams of singer Krissy Barker. In it is a realm of shifting rooms, dilapidated houses and passages. These unsettled rooms and spaces pose a striking confrontation of fear and anxiety from deep within.

In its conception, The Holy Sun Opera House was written as a passage through these ethereal dreams and spaces. The song Latched On depicts the compulsive psyche as a draining physical entity attached. While Voice of Gob, Decrepit Mansion, and Room with the Rain observe and attempt to find acceptance in this conflict. The Passages I & II travel between the curtains to the unknown entity residing in The Attic, who looks inside the mind of the dreamer and determines she has no soul.

The album blends genres with electro, darkwave, and contemporary classical music. The ritualistic passages of the choir throughout the album are reminiscent of Wicker Man and 1970's mystic cults, praising the deities residing within the dream. The arrangement of synths, electronics, heavy drums and operatic singing lend itself to something uniquely memorable.

After a savage summer of performing over 35 festival shows, COLLIGNON continue their journey with the release of Bicicleta.

Bicicleta was written and recorded right in the midst of the band's summer tour. Gino, Yves and Jori seized the moment, the album captures exactly where they currently stand as a band: thriving on the energy of their live performances, with the desire to dive deeper into their music.

The result is Bicicleta—a diverse and authentic album that stays true to COLLIGNON’s distinctive blend of wildly grooving beats, psychedelic guitars, and sharp keyboard riffs. The music transports listeners across many borders, all while maintaining their signature COLLIGNON sound.

This album was made with vinyl in mind, designed to be experienced as a complete journey. From the first Maloya rhythms of "Fonkér la Mér" (Kreol for 'fond du cœur de la mer', meaning ‘from the bottom of the heart of the sea’) to the Brazilian groove and cosmic crescendo of "Vai Vai Vai (Into the Stars)", Bicicleta is a trip that flows from track to track.

The album, recorded while Jori left his Portuguese studio for a year-long stay in the Netherlands, pays homage to what -without engine, exhaust or pollution- might be considered the finest emblem of Dutch culture: the bicycle.

The words of adventurer Nellie Bly, written in 1896, still ring true today: ‘In a frenetic era of expanding possibilities, cycling offers a journey into a landscape of dreams. The bicycle has always signified independence and freedom in steering one’s daily course and the byways of its occasional adventures.’

To truly experience this album, nothing compares to holding the vinyl sleeve in your hands and spinning the record on your turntable.

Swedish composer and multi-instrumentalist Gustaf Ljunggren invites listeners into the quiet, reflective world of Along the Low Road , an ambitious solo album that balances delicacy with depth. Following the success of Ljunggren s 2022 release Floreana , this new release offers a gentle, dream dream-like musical journey, shaped by two of the Nordic scene s most imaginative and intuitive musicians. Balancing sparse acoustic instrumentation with sprawling affected soundscapes, the album moves with patience and clarity. Ljunggren s compositions provide a foundation for subtle interplay, where every note and gesture is attentive to the music s unfolding. Featured guest Icelandic bassist Skúli Sverrisson s bass provides warmth and grounding, supporting Ljunggren s guitar, ukulele, and multi multi-instrumental textures. The result is a sound that is at once intimate and expansive, inviting reflection and connection. The tracks draw inspiration from nature, landscapes, and personal experience. Lille Skotland " evokes the rocky coast of Bornholm with gentle, melancholic flow, while Stevelen " captures the quiet power of cliffs and open skies. The title track, Along the Low Road," traces a contemplative path, its cyclical melodies and ambient layers offering perspective and calm. Letters Melting " twists a classical chord progression into a reflective polska, while Summer Passing Letting Go " balances warmth and transition. Brief, hymn hymn-like pieces such as Tillfrisknandet " provide moments of repose, and playful minimalism in Nine Again " captures the wonder of childhood at the cusp of youth. The album closes with Here And Not Here," a meditative reflection on perception and presence, leaving the listener in a quiet, suspended space. Ljunggren and Sverrisson have long been celebrated for their generosity, sensitivity, and courage as collaborators. Their work together on Along the Low Road continues this partnership, offering music that listens as much as it plays. Drawing from jazz, minimalism, Nordic folk, and early music, the duo s sound combines melodic clarity with a sense of freedom, revealing subtle emotional depths in each composition. In concert, Ljunggren and Sverrisson reimagine these pieces in the moment, allowing the music to unfold with a sense of shared discovery. Whether recorded or live, the album is a testament to the duo s enduring musical dialogue and the quiet, immersive beauty of their Nordic sensibility.

Drumcode returns with its flagship A-Sides series, led by a huge new Adam Beyer single that highlights the 20-track compilation.

If you want a snapshot of techno in any given year, look no further than Drumcode’s annual A-Sides compilation. The release broadly charts the evolution of the genre, while giving a platform to standout demo’s Adam Beyer has received across the course of the year with many emerging artists finding their music on Drumcode for the first time. Case in point – Wehbba, Charles D and Raxon who all debuted on the label via a track on the A-Sides series and have gone on to become regular contributors to Beyer’s influential labels.

This year’s compilation features an exciting mix of established heavy-hitters, alongside a slew of new faces set to make their mark on the genre. ‘We Don’t Say Please’ – is emblematic of Adam Beyer’s sound in 2025 – fresh, experimental and thriving on cross-genre pollinations, as elements of bass music, rap and techno collide, underpinned by a distinctive UK vocal. The results are inspiring.

Elsewhere, the 20-track compilation brims with highlights. HI-LO’s ‘NYC to Amsterdam’ has inflections of New York house fused with driving techno elements. Nicole Moudaber returns to DC in cahoots with the rising ZLATA for the super-charged ‘Report to the Dancefloor’. Oscar L & Charles D mint a new collaborative partnership with the immersive, spacey cut ‘Lift Me Up’. LUSU continue their red-hot run following the recent ‘Move 2 the Groove’ EP, and craft a straight-up mind-mashing single ‘LIKE THIS’. Mark Reeve is in trademark strong form with hypnotic ‘My Mind’, which comes to life via a massive synth led. The fantastic Kaufmann shares her ‘People are Strange’, a nod to a classic vox, re-contextualised for a modern techno audience.

As is tradition, a troupe of ascendant producers land on Drumcode for the first time. They include Uruguay’s Enzo Monza, who delivers the crisp ‘Late Night’ – a favourite of Beyer’s; Mattia Saviola, whose ‘Parallel Dimension’ is a powerful cut with fantastic sound design; Romanian artist Tao Andra, who shares the celestial ‘Unity’; and long-time industry stalwart AdamK, who makes a richly deserved Drumcode debut in partnership with Vikthor feat. MC Stretch on the stunning ‘Silence + The Sound’.

The Portcullis draws on dungeon-synth textures, medieval ambience, and the imaginative pull of folklore. Taking the listener on a focused journey through shifting eras, symbols, and atmospheres. It plays like a lost fantasy soundtrack, inviting the listener into an adventure that feels both ancient and newly invented.
Released on Fire Records, ‘The Portcullis’ sees composer Graham Reynolds on an ancestral journey back to Launceston Castle.
"For The Portcullis, I took a deep dive into the history of my family’s patrilineal side. Starting with my grandfather, an ironworker who built the Hartford Cathedral, to my great great great Grandmother, who was a galley cook on a Welsh sailing ship, to the enlightenment era celebrity portrait painter, Joshua Reynolds, and finally to twelfth century know Richard Reynell (before the Reynolds spelling was standardized). Reynell was the Sheriff of Devon and the custodian of Lauceston Castle. While King Richard I was away on the crusades, Reynell made his name defending the castle from the usurper Prince John. I started making sketches of the scenes and stories I imagined. The Portcullis follows Reynell from castle to castle, sequentially as they were built after the Norman invasion. On Reynell’s chest and shield is the symbol and crest of the Reynolds family: The Portcullis."
Graham Reynolds creates an “ominous, stark environment that rumbles with sounds evocative of the natural world, in both its beauty and despair” New York Times.
Known for his wide-ranging versatility, from film and television scores to classical ballet, Graham has scored over seventy films and TV episodes to date. His ongoing collaboration with Richard Linklater the most notable.

Spiritual World presents: Ashleigh Ball — Center of the Universe, a transcendental flute journey from the singer and flutist of Teal. Center of the Universe is a 32-minute improvisational odyssey recorded inside the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO), a National Historic Site on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia Canada..

Inspired by the pioneering work of Paul Horn and his Inside series, the recording channels a similar spirit of reverent exploration within a space rich in history and resonance. Completed in 1918, the observatory is home to the Plaskett Telescope - once among the largest and most powerful in the world - playing a key role in mapping the Milky Way.

Following months of coordination, three hours of private access were granted on the morning of August 25, 2025. Beneath the observatory’s towering telescope, Ball performed a wordless meditation, moving between alto flute and soprano concert flute, allowing each note to merge with the chamber’s vast natural reverb. Tones bloom, linger, and return, carried along the massive curved steel walls.

Captured using a minimalist recording approach, Center of the Universe preserves the purity of the moment—its warmth, stillness, and the architecture’s subtle mechanical resonance. Here, the observatory itself becomes an instrument, shaping the sound into something elemental, timeless, and deeply human. Center of the Universe will be released as a limited-edition vinyl LP (300 copies) with a printed insert on May 15, 2026, via Rubadub, Forced Exposure, and HiFi in Sheep’s Clothing.

"Swedish modern rock unit SELF DECEPTION is set to unleash their Napalm Records debut, One Of Us, on May 15, 2026! The band is known for their fiery fusion of anthemic modern metal and powerful melodic rock. Since their 2009 debut, they have shared stages with the likes of Electric Callboy, Danko Jones, and Adept, while racking up millions of streams and video views – including their viral 2022 hit, “Fight Fire With Gasoline”, with tens of millions of streams. Written on the road during the heaviest touring of SELF DECEPTION’s career so far, One Of Us is a cohesive album full of character, made for the stage – and the pit! Bone-crushing album-opener and title track “ONE OF US” takes no prisoners, unleashing the heavy modern metal side of the Swedish powerhouse: fusing relentless hardcore energy, in-your- face lyrics, and high-voltage attitude, the track hits with unstoppable force. Following track “TIME'S UP” features an absolute hit chorus, fresh hooks and high-energy instrumentals, while emotional “DON'T B E L O N G” addresses the difficult themes of addiction and mental health battles – the combination of hauntingly beautiful melodies, multifaceted vocal performance and heavy rhythm section carry this sentimental track.

Further highlights on SELF DECEPTION's new 10-track offering include “THE WEDDING”, an energetic modern rock anthem with a particularly dark and twisted storyline, and “BREAK!"", with its heavy-hitting drums, electronic influences and yet another irresistible sing-along chorus. Final track “ENTERTAINED” wraps up the album impactfully, featuring one of the heaviest breakdowns on the album. From massive pit churners to creative storylines and choruses full of hit potential, the energy on One Of Us is unmatched. The band has a busy festival summer following the album’s release, so fans will get the first chance to experience these new tracks live at several major European rock and metal festivals. With One Of Us, SELF DECEPTION is ready to push contemporary rock to the next level!"

2026 Repress

Deadbeat & Tikiman's occasional collaborative performances have since blown the minds of many audiences

Deadbeat. Tikiman. Infinity. Dub. A quadrangle of such obvious statement and perfect musical inference may very well never have been uttered for those of the wholly weeded out persuasion. Indeed, when the great book of Dub music is written the names Scott Monteith and Paul St Hilaire will undoubtedly figure highly in its chapters devoted to recent years. Monteith, the last great prodigal son of the doctrine handed down from the Blue Mount of Lord Scratch and King Tubby, St Hilaire the undisputed voice of a generation, those fanatical warrior monks, followers of the most Holy House of Ernestus and Von Oswald incarnate.

Having developed a fast friendship from their very first meeting in Montreal at the premier Micro Mutek event a decade ago, Deadbeat and Tikiman's occasional collaborative performances have since blown the minds of audiences from Berlin to Tokyo and many points in between. No great surprise then that their first album length venture is a Tour de Force of Dub music of the highest order.

Nearly a year in the making, the genetic code of Deadbeat's Infinity Dubs series gets shot through with a Dreader than Dread Kingstonian logic, hi hats dropping back from the three to the one, Tikiman at his most militant, poetic, fierce, and flowing. These are the recordings of two lions uncaged, and none who bare witness shall escape their fiery judgement.

If music is truly eternal, here be two voices which shall echo in infinity with all the weight, reverence, and dire power unleashed with every tectonic bass hit, and every whimsical turn of phrase. And if these eight burnt offerings are any indication of what happens when these two sit down for a session of smoke and reasoning, here's hoping they choose to do it frequently. Dub without end. Ad Infinitum.

REPRESS ALERT! Long out of press and with copies regularly changing hands for close to £100 on the second-hand market, Air Miles are proud to present a limited repress of their inaugural release, “An Ode To Midnight EP’ by Jeigo.

The tone is set from the off with the eponymously named first track of the release ‘an Ode to midnight’. The tracks mellow break beat feel is met by warm rushing pads, ebbing and flowing between textures of the night before last.

Floor focussed, zero fussing ‘Wing Systems’ carries the front side at an orbital trajectory. No time for an intro, the drums jolt you into alertness, the wobbly bass perfectly counterpointed by gated, washing keys.

‘Lime Hawk’, melancholic euphoria brings the release back to the conscious. It’s structure toy-fully crescendos and builds, all while the Balearic synth peaks with the sub line keeping you grounded throughout.

Rounding off the record is ‘By My Side’ meandering the record into slightly darker territories. The shifting keys wash over, the siren call vocals penetrate and the thudding kick punches through, anchoring the track as an emotionally driven, cerebral affair.

Elations Recordings presents "Terra Ignota", the long-awaited new full length album from elusive Melbourne-based fusion ensemble Krakatau. "Terra Ignota" marks a return and an epochal shift for the group, a deep exploration of possible sonic spaces and a portent of things to come.

In the years since 2016's cosmic jazz funk-prog-spiritual 12" "Tharsis Montes/Apogean Tide" Krakatau have worked on refining their craft as instrumentalists and writers, expanding further into the world of jazz and fusing influences from world folk musics, contemporary jazz and the European post-minimalist music of the 1980s and early 90s. "Terra Ignota", literally translated as "Unknown Land", takes its name from the cartographer's notation for uncharted territory, the blank spaces on maps where knowledge gives way to imagination and speculation, gesturing towards the group's studio explorations and search for new sonic worlds in the years spent developing the record.

The results are a diverse yet unified combination of sounds and influences across five tracks that see Krakatau drawing closer to the independent underground "world" jazz scene of the 1980s than anything contemporary. The album opens with the digi-minimalism and fourth world atmospherics of title track "Terra ignota", a percussion heavy latin fusion sound in "Birds of Passage", and melancholic ambient saxophone and synthesiser duo "In Memory". Three-part epic "Cosmetic Surgery" journeys through a long, complex post-minimalist arrangement into latin fusion and contemporary jazz, followed by the contemplative ECM-styled acoustic quartet closer "Trial in Absentia".

The album features significant contributions from saxophonist Rob Vincs, former Victorian College of the Arts head of Jazz and Improvisation and a collaborator with Australian musician Brian Brown; layered percussion and wordless vocals from Brazilian percussionist and esteemed songwriter Alcides Neto; and a guest performance from trumpet player Reuben Lewis on the title track.

Introducing Whoman, a Brussels trio formed by Mira and Ambroos De Schepper and Lou Wery, after several years of concerts and sonic explorations between electronic and acoustic formats. Born from travels, rehearsals, and fragments accumulated in various living spaces, About Honey has patiently taken shape, like a collection of soundscapes and intimatenarratives. The richnessof the textures and the fluidity of the arrangements are striking. Acoustic guitars, mandolin, and tenor guitar converse with synth pads and delicate vocal harmonies, sketching a shifting sonic universe where pop energy and introspective folk atmospheres intersect. Finalized at Studio Ledeberg in Ghent, the album bears the mark of these years of concerts, particularly the tours in mountain refuges that refocused the band"s attention on the essence of the songs: voices, harmonies, and collective breath. Like the honey from which it borrows its metaphor, About Honey concentrates multiple influences to reveal a singular color: the textured expanse of Animal Collective and Panda Bear, the luminous melancholy of Fleet Foxes, and the abundant songwriting of Dirty Projectors. In ten tracks, Whoman delivers a dense and luminous debut album, both organic and inventive, where the delicacy of the vocals and the richness of the arrangements combine to create a warm and vibrant record, revealing a unique new voice on the Belgian indie scene.

Deep, deep stuff on the debut album from K Wata. Long and dubwise, dark and detailed. With bass that fills and warms a space.

All noir. Cast shadows against the wall. Weight being shifted and distributed with singularly delicate poise, like a knife being balanced on the end of a finger.

There’s a silvery, loose flow state to this record that maybe reveals the way some tracks were first written to be deployed live at Sustain Release 2025. Then taken back to the lab and tightened up further into the album’s final form, with beautiful mixing work between Kenzo and Chris Botta.

With that in mind, Give U Space unfolds slowly and fluidly, giving the listener the chance to access and open up to the deepness of the sound, being led down a path. It rolls and builds momentum and groove, and ratchets tensions up toward peaks of energy "Whisper Dub" and "There Will Be Love".

The tunes feel architectural. Rooms to be in and settle into. Simultaneously stripped back and then etched with neat little details and characterful or atmospheric sound choices. The silhouette of slo mo Memphis and Houston trap is a leading influence, especially with the drums. Mixing with bits of click’n’cut sampling and psychoacoustic tricks, the penumbra of dub techno and drowsier dubstep, and SG’s soft vocals rising in the ether.

The presence and inspiration of the sound system is obvious in all of Kenzo’s work, the music can rattle when spun up louder or blended into the club. But K Wata’s uniqueness and signature comes from an often equally inward facing quality, touched by distance and longing and a sort of chiaroscuro incandescent light set up.



Written and produced by K Wata.

Mixed by K Wata and Christopher Botta at Fer Sound Studio.

Vocals on “Give You Space” and “Go” by SG.

Clarinet on “Radio Embrace” by Eugene Lai.

Mastered and cut by Mike Grinser at Manmade.

Art by S. Gong