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US-based producer MACK LOENZ makes his Lone Romantic debut with the beautifully anthemic ‘Dance With Me’. Centred around its captivating vocal, ‘Dance With Me’ layers its sounds throughout. Pulsing bass, half-time kicks and rasping snares, are adorned with powerful synth chords, chops, and aquatic flourishes. The track builds, yet never peaks, always maintaining its sense of stripped elegance and mystery throughout.

Maceo Plex, fresh from the release of his critically acclaimed new album ‘’93’, makes a swift return to the label to lend his signature touch to ‘Dance With Me’. Initially drawn to the beauty of the original, the Lone Romantic boss now deftly reimagines the track, slowing the tempo, amplifying the vocal and adding a cinematic propulsion to synths that results in a spine-tingling rework.

‘Dance With Me’ (incl. Maceo Plex Remix) by Mack Loenz is available on Lone Romantic from 21st March 2024.

This project unites artists from two labels, Chinese based bie Records
and Latin America based Shika Shika, separated by very contrasting
cultures and thousands of kilometers but united by shared values and a
shared musical vision
Driven by values of creativity, borderless music and fairness for artists, both
labels showcase artists that unite electronica with ambient and folk music,
purposefully existing outside of the globalized, copy- paste of the mainstream
music industry.
A mix of intrigue and mutual respect led to the birth of this compilation, with the
two labels teaming up to match together a group of their artists to remix each
other. The result is a widely imaginative, fresh and diverse selection of tracks
featuring some of the prominent producers such as DaYe, Lim Giong; Hualun, Sun
Dawei and Rainsoft from bie records and DJ Raff, Terror:Cactus, Numa Gama,
Barrio Lindo and El Buho from Shika Shika.
The compilation is a testament to music's power to transcend language and
cultural background as artists from hugely different contexts unite to explore and
build on each other's creative visions.

John’s debut album was recorded at Tony Pyke’s home studio in Dryburgh Road, Putney in glorious mono and then mastered at Pye Studios, Marble Arch, London for the princely sum of £158. Recording and mastering was completed by 9 August and London Conversation was released when John was just nineteen in October 1967. Theo Johnson took the role of producer under the supervision of Chris Blackwell and the cover photograph of John perched amongst chimney pots was taken on the roof of Blackwell’s apartment. Talking to Music Week magazine in 2007 John recalled that he recorded the whole album in one afternoon in a two-track studio on Putney High Street.

The album is in the folk tradition and contains some excellent lyrics and jazzy instrumentation including the sitar and flute in Rolling Home. As a result it won praise and the instrumentation distinguished John from his contemporaries in the folk scene. Back To Stay is a beautiful love song with a sad and dreamy melody, a sign of things to come.

John took up guitar whilst at school and although he was only nineteen he was already acknowledged locally as an accomplished guitarist. He was influenced by two people in particular, amongst others, that he knew. “Les Brown, who is completely unknown and has never recorded…he plays a kind of American Doc Watson guitar very very well. Lovely voice. Also a friend of mine called Paul Wheeler who is featured on the second album.”

400 copies purple wax! Fold Out Poster, remastered & remixed by Eroc Welcome to the definitive Vortex. The LP you're holding has been on a journey, and no, not just shipping. Mouth's second after 2009's Rhizome, Vortex was mostly recorded in 2011 and 2012 over five sessions in a small space where the band rehearsed. Material was pieced together intermittently over a period of 11 months with Chris Koller handling guitar, keys and bass and Nick Mavridis on drums. That's where it started. Two construction projects: the studio and a recording that would help define the course of the band in classic and melodic progressive rock, happening almost simultaneously in a creative meta-narrative that could easily stand as analog for the depth of pieces like "Into the Light" or the sprawling "Vortex" itself, which opens the record (new and old editions) in an encompassing display of impulse and fluidity Through experiments in atmosphere like "March of the Cyclopes" and toward the finish of "Epilogue," Mouth married sounds that in other contexts would come up disparate, like finding a hidden magnetism between two north poles. Most of the Vortex songs were created on the spot in the studio.There would be no way to know it at the time, but this process would result in a collection of songs with a broad range, within as well as between the component tracks. "Parade" taps Sly Stone on the shoulder and asks if he wants to party (he does), while the penultimate "Soon After_" resonates with its smoky, mellow-jazz vibe. "Vortex" itself happens over six movements and was put together across different sessions, while "Epilogue" happened in a day. Dissatisfaction with the original mix - and when an album has as much put into its arrangements as Vortex, that balance matters - would lead Mouth to offer Out of the Vortex in 2020 as a collection of alternate versions of pieces like "Mountain" and "Parade," as well as the unreleased "Ready" and "Homagotago's Paddle Boat Trip," the latter an apparent successor to a cut from Floating. But sometimes a thing nestles itself into the back of your head and just won't leave, and Mouth's pursuit of a finished Vortex would lead them into the studio again. Koller handled the remix himself in Oct. 2023, and in addition to helming the new master, krautrock legend Eroc (who drummed in Grobschnitt) brought a gong to mark the beginning of "March of the Cyclopes." Like a lot of the finer touches on this Vortex, be it a hashed-out stretch in the title-track built on a drum/bass jam or just pulling the vocals and Hammond down a bit in "Epilogue," the result is a stylistic flourishing that was there all along throughout the journey and now can finally shine as the band intended. - JJ Koczan / Dec. 2023

"As Bill Orcutt’s most mature and exhilarating LP to date, Music for Four Guitars was a slab of undeniable Apollonian beauty. Its approachability and obvious novelty landed it not only on the year- end lists of every key-pushing codger in the underground in 2022, but also on NPR in the form of the Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet, an ensemble assembled to perform this music and featuring Wendy Eisenberg, Ava Mendoza, and Shane Parish in addition to Orcutt. But while their Tiny Desk Concert gave a whiff of the quartet’s easy intimacy, the sterile confines of the virtual recital medium still left a puzzle unsolved: how might these brutally mannered bricks of minimalist counterpoint sound on a stage in front of actual breathing bodies?" "This was the question foremost in my mind when I first saw the quartet in San Francisco a few months before this double live LP was recorded. I was already familiar with the prowess of Eisenberg and Mendoza, two of the most technically intimidating shredders to blast out of the noise/improv underground, and knew Parish as the mastermind behind the epic translation of Orcutt's quartet recordings into a fully notated score. I was ready to be 'blown away'—and I most assuredly was. The quartet navigated Orcutt's jaggedly spiraling right angles into the shining core of the compositions with joyous ease, faithful to the originals in nearly every way (though their tempos were slightly ramped up, Blakey style, to communicate their breathless rush). The renditions were flawless, stellar and inspiring. I had expected nothing less." "Which leads us to this album, Four Guitars Live, recorded in November of 2023 at Le Guess Who? festival during the quartet’s first European tour. The true essence of this set is not simply in its faithfulness to the source compositions, but in the group's easy familiarity (no doubt the result of weeks on the road) and the generosity of their improvisations, both collective and solo. Orcutt, clearly cognizant of both the caliber of his collaborators and the singularity of their voices, has given everyone room to stretch out, and all have delivered some of their most moving passages to date." "One of this record's great thrills for me is imagining a listener, perhaps unfamiliar with the outer limits of contemporary guitar improvisation (or the Tzadik catalog), slammed into catatonia by Mendoza's liquefying lines on Out of the corner of the eye, then revived and healed by the languid, breathy lines of Parish's unaccompanied, spaced-out breakdown of the track's main theme, finally only to be crushed by Eisenberg’s staggering extended solo on Only at dusk (somehow channeling both Eugene Chadbourne and Buck Dharma)." "There's another peak, which begins at the end of side B, in Orcutt's own languid solo, encapsulating the flowing focus of his recent solo LPs, and serving as an introduction to the next side's ensemble tour de force, the psychic heart of the album, On the horizon: its melodic core passing first to Orcutt, launching into a sublime solo turn by Eisenberg, a duo of Parish and Mendoza, before parachuting back into the ensemble for a smashup rendition of Barely visible and Glimpsed while driving (renamed Barely driving) knitted together with an softly bubbling ensemble improvisation. The transfer is orchestrated yet seamless, its tonal form undeniable even in the presence of obvious dissonance." "The breadth of Four Guitars Live gives lie to the false notion that agile, polytonal improv is necessarily without soul, is necessarily inaccessible. Rather, Four Guitars posits a human avant-garde music that the most conservative will recognize as virtuosic and revel in its classic intervals, boiling counterpoint, and precisely- layered facets. Even the rockers in your life might dig it, so why not pass it on?"—Tom Carter

"Jolifanto" takes its name from the first verse of "Karawane", a seminal Dadaist phonetic poem by Hugo Ball. When Ball first recited it in 1916 at the Cabaret Voltaire, both the author and the audience embraced a trance that left Ball exhausted, requiring assistance off the stage as the audience claimed the spotlight.

Over a century later, by a series of fortuitous events, "Jolifanto" is also the title of an album featuring two powerful musical entities. Artists stemming from diverse backgrounds converge with a shared experimental spirit, curiosity and passion for exploration in their music.

"Jolifanto" is an unexpected explosion propelled by (poly)rhythm, expanding into seemingly distant territories under the influence of flamenco. The Dadaist spirit permeates the work, where a constant tension between the improvised and the meticulously planned is evident. ZA! and Perrate together form an organism traveling from the roots to the rave, with nothing sounding out of place because the place is yet to be defined.

Perrate witnessed ZA!'s concert in a festival he attended as part of the audience. The Catalans surprised him with a proposal that he found radical and unclassifiable. Later, after being invited to prepare a collaboration for the Música y Museos season in Seville, Perrate decided to move off the beaten path, approaching ZA!, who quickly embraced the proposal. Exchanges of ideas and audio tracks ensued in a short time and they quickly  found out that they were in the same wavelength. A week before the concert, they met in the same physical space for the first time, dedicating a couple of days to composition and preparing the gig at La Mina Studios in Seville. The concert took place, hailed as "the best concert most attendees had experienced in a long time", as reported by the Diario de Sevilla. That energy needed to be captured, and so it was, at the Happy Place studio in Seville, where the album was recorded between March 6th and 9th, 2023.

The Catalan duo ZA!, "the duo that mash up terrace-chant mayhem with... everything else" (The Wire #384), has operated independently and self-managed since their inception in 2004. They overlap genres and amalgamate sounds that move, with intensity, between wild jazz, post-rock and avant-garde electronics, among other influences. In their acclaimed latest work, they have revived the Phoenician language, exploring Mediterranean sounds alongside MegaCobla and Tarta Relena.

Perrate, active since the late 90s, explores the outer edges of flamenco without forsaking its profound essence rooted in lineage and tradition, evident in every note of his voice. His latest work, "Tres golpes" (Lovemonk/El Volcán, 2022), named flamenco album of the year by Babelia/El País, and one of the albums of the year for BBC3's Late Junction, reflects an innate curiosity, possibly the seed of all the fortuitous events leading to this album.

The encounter between Perrate and ZA! is the result of serendipitous events interwoven with the narrative of artists dedicated to experimentation and radicalism in all its forms.

Circus of Desire is the much anticipated third studio album from Grammy-nominated folk singer-songwriter Olivia Chaney. Worked up over five eventful years, this collection of lovingly wrought songs was recorded in NYC with long-time collaborator, producer and musician Thomas Bartlett (David Byrne, the Magnetic Fields, Sufjan Stevens, The National, St. Vincent, Father John Misty)

Consisting of ten originals and one cover (a revoicing of Dory Previn’s haunting ballad ‘Lady with the Braid’), this album is Olivia set free. Taking their departure from real life experiences, these songs strain towards the universal. The title track blends the carnivalesque and meditations on ancient wisdom with an anthemic, dancy refrain. ‘Calliope’ is a tribute to Olivia’s daughter, named after the Greek muse of music and epic poetry, picturing this little life as part of the ever-revolving cosmos. ‘To the Lighthouse’ tells the story of her sister who left the capital to live on a remote island. Like ‘Mirror, Mirror’ and ‘Why’, a pair of tracks about erotic love, this song reflects upon our capacity to flee and transcend inherited trauma. ‘Zero Sum’ is a setting of a metaphysical number poem by Olivia’s grandfather, a mathematician and poet. ‘I Wish’ - the album closer, is the ultimate breakup song.

Whilst staying true to her folk roots, Olivia enters new musical territories with Circus of Desire, venturing into the realms of pop and dance. The record features cameos from a number of friends, including string arrangements by Nico Muhly and banjo and guitar from Sam Amidon. The result of this rich blend of musical influences is an album that looks honestly, sometimes despairingly, but primarily hopefully at the carnival that is life - ‘we’re in a dance with death, with fire…we’re all in a circus of desire’.

Circus Of Desire by olivia Chaney, released 22 March 2024, includes the following tracks: "Why", "Galop", "Bogeyman", "Mirror, Mirror" and more.

This version of Circus Of Desire comes as a 1xLP.

Stolen Goods Records announce Pergola's cinematic techno 'Zed' EP, featuring a remix from indie-dance legend CURSES.
Exploring hypnotic, emotionally charged melodies and vast techno breakdowns, the title track opens up the EP with a strong sense of mystery. Suspenseful strings build in anticipation as the bassline filters in intensity, this deep space offenng is the perfect example of a tune fit for the club as well as headphone-listening.

'Freak' is a beautifully intense piece featuring soft synths marked by subtle scratches, a feel-good vocal and the catchy strum of a quitar. '"Zed' is then given the CURSES treatment, the Optimo Music, Bordello a Parigi and Correspondant artist amplifies its retro feel resulting in nine minutes of pure dark disco hedonism. Closing out the release is an ambient collaboration between Pergola and Luigi Sambuy, 'Tunnel' is an ode to the early days of IDM through to the '70s.
*"Zed' marks the third release on Lele Sacchi & Asian Fake's Stolen Goods Records and follows up their widely acclaimed 'Volume 0' compilation as well as the recent collaborative EP between Black Loops & Innocent Soul. Since its launch last summer, the label has seen the support of artists like Dixon, Sasha, DJ Seinfeld and DJ Sneak and has garnered plays on prestigious stations like NTS and BBC Radio 1. The imprint continues its strong start to the year with three new tracks from the hyper-talented Pergola: a newcomer to the scene whos aready listed on labels such as Multinotes, Sementa ano Adriatiques Siamese, the latter which saw/ him reach number one on Beatport's Electronica chart.

In our 20th celebration year we welcome back Loz Goddard! It’s been quite a while since we last saw him on our label. With his standout debut collab release with Harry Wolfman in 2016 he has developed a unique mix of electronica, deep soundscapes and lush organic Deep House on labels such as “Oath”, “Razor N Tape”, “Church”, “Outplay” and “Apparel Music”. Now he finally returns with a mini album that features beautiful crafted ambient and electronica cuts paired with three upbeat tracks that will for sure shake the dance floors in and outdoors this summer! Enjoy!

In his own words, here are some insights on the influences and production process of these six pieces:

The release is named after a night in the White Hotel in Salford watching Skee Mask. At the time I had a bunch of unfinished ambient ideas as a result of making “Balloon Tree Road” (out on Oath). There were a lot of ideas I still loved that didn’t get finished for that release, so I set about finishing them late 2022 & early 2023 with the view to releasing an EP or ‘mini album’ that was again angled a bit more towards home-listening.

The more upbeat tracks are newer jams that I created in 2023. I wanted to include a few club-ready tracks on the record as well, so the release appeals to DJ’s as well as home listeners. I approached the production much like my past two records on Oath, with lots of live drum elements, some sampling and a mixing approach which keeps everything sound warm and organic. It’s rough round the edges - as has been the case with my productions of late - and offers a nice contrast to my DJ sets and radio shows at the moment, in which I am playing mostly Deep/Progressive House, Breaks & Techno. There’s some influence on the title track from the Deep & Lo-Fi House sound of artists like Baltra & Mall Grab, and I have taken influence from all the breaks I’ve been playing in DJ sets for ‘How’s This for a Vague Song Title’.

All tracks mastered by Salz Mastering in Cologne. Photography & Art by Break 3000.

M. Ward returns with a stunning new album, More Rain, for release on Merge Records on March 4, 2016. Ward has released a string of acclaimed solo albums over the past several years, along with five LPs with Zooey Deschanel as She & Him and a 2009 collaborative album with My Morning Jacket's Jim James and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis under the moniker Monsters of Folk. In addition to his celebrated work as a musician, Ward is an accomplished producer, handling those duties for such luminaries as Mavis Staples, Jenny Lewis, and Carlos Forster as well as his own musical projects.This album, Ward's eighth solo affair, finds the artist picking up the tempo and volume a bit from his previous release, 2012's A Wasteland Companion. Where that record introspectively looked in from the outside, More Rain finds Ward on the inside, gazing out. Begun four years ago and imagined initially as a DIY doo-wop album that would feature Ward experimenting with layering his own voice, it soon branched out in different directions, a move that he credits largely to his collaborators here who include R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Neko Case, k.d. lang, The Secret Sisters, and Joey Spampinato of NRBQ. The result is a collection of upbeat, sonically ambitious yet canonically familiar songs that both propel Ward's reach and satisfy longtime fans.



a [MORE RAIN]

[a] [MORE RAIN]

Eddie Harris was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. During his career he recorded over 50 albums, mixing jazz with funk which resulted in Grammy Award nominations for two of his albums. The 1983 People Get Funny... recording contains the title track "People Get Funny When They Get a Little Money" and "La Carnival", which are sublime examples of his jazz-funk style accompanied by vocals and scatting. "Silver Plated" and the other tracks are more in the jazz-hard-bop style. Featured on the album are drummer Carl Burnett, electric pianist William S. Henderson III and bass-player Larry Gales.

Reverberations of Non-Stop Traffic on Redding Road is a duet in ambience by Pan American (Mark K. Nelson) and Kramer. This experimental record is 11 brief sojourns into the dream state, produced by Kramer (of Shimmy-Disc) and co-written with Mark K. Nelson (of Labradford, Anjou).This record is a brotherly and collaborative follow-up to Kramer's 2022 ambient excursions, "Music For Films Edited By Moths".On the making of this collaborative project, Mark K. Nelson said "It was an honor to work with Kramer. That we came out of it with a great friendship and a record that's unique to each of our histories and music that we're proud to share is a privilege and a joy."As Kramer has described, the result of this record is a work that begs listeners, both animal and human, to allow these beautiful landscapes to sing and speak and weep for themselves.Simply put by Kramer, "Please. Forget about words. Just LISTEN."

Reverberations of Non-Stop Traffic on Redding Road is a duet in ambience by Pan American (Mark K. Nelson) and Kramer. This experimental record is 11 brief sojourns into the dream state, produced by Kramer (of Shimmy-Disc) and co-written with Mark K. Nelson (of Labradford, Anjou).This record is a brotherly and collaborative follow-up to Kramer's 2022 ambient excursions, "Music For Films Edited By Moths".On the making of this collaborative project, Mark K. Nelson said "It was an honor to work with Kramer. That we came out of it with a great friendship and a record that's unique to each of our histories and music that we're proud to share is a privilege and a joy."As Kramer has described, the result of this record is a work that begs listeners, both animal and human, to allow these beautiful landscapes to sing and speak and weep for themselves.Simply put by Kramer, "Please. Forget about words. Just LISTEN."

LP in gatefold sleeve. The band members are active with an impressive list of bands and projects - in pop, jazz and remote areas -, and relinquish this broad-mindedness with a self-evident love for adventure and exciting interaction.The result is a collective in continual transformation, maintaining a balancing act between wonder and determination.

Several years of mutual appreciation and encounters on- and off-stage have been the root of this chance meeting, resulting in an unplanned mysterious collaboration album where the aura of each individual is augmented by the magic osmosis of united forces. The 12- tracks display a collage of dreamy musique concrète with desolate instrumental and vocal interventions, masterfully balanced out by Vincent Epplay.

Finnish Recue debuts on Analogical Force with 'Paramnesia EP', where Riku Annala explores the murkier side of electronic soundscapes with distorted and gritty undertones. With impeccable production, Recue guides us through this expedition in his highly distinctive style that blurs boundaries between bass music, idm and reflective electro-nix. 'Paramnesia EP' takes you on a cinematic journey through post apocalyptic soundscapes full of deep bass, textures and nuances. Some of Paramnesia's tracks have accompanied Recue in his live sets, acting as a counterbalance for the most nolanesque moments, when the music starts driving the listener forward in full speed. Some have started as reworks of other material, gradually morphing into something completely different, leaving only a memory of something that never came to be. The release is the result of a dialogue and curation together with AF, and the end result is something that sits comfortably in the sound that is Recue and undertone that's Analogical Force. You know what to do!

Kyiv (Ukraine) born Sasha Renkas, made music as Antenna for almost a decade, releasing many EP's and a full length album. Now he follows his urge to make a different kind of music. The result is a full length album with slow, intimate, nighttime music varying from abstract pop ballads to ambient movie score pieces. At times they sound like stripped down Kate Bush instrumentals, drenched in reverb, or introvert Roxy Music with a touch of dub and nineties trip-hop. "This time I wanted to compose music and then perform my instruments live making this album. I used mainly old synthesizers and other instruments and a heavy layer eighties reverb machines. Before moving to the Netherlands, I was growing up in the nineties in Kyiv, surrounded by economic turbulence and a weird mix of music from different decades that overflowed the country after years of isolation. Accompanied by the weird early Ukrainian visual culture I was mesmerized by the music videos I saw on TV and I wanted to belong there. I guess I never really grew up, still drifting like a cowboy through imaginary spaces, in a timeless vacuum, outside of real life. I decided to release this album as Sasha Renkas, because it felt very personal and pure, all coming from a spacious, misty place where everybody is still alive and safe."

This is a repress of Tycho's second release with Ghostly International to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of this masterpiece, while Ghostly International celebrates its 25th year anniversary. For nearly a decade, Tycho has been known as the musical alias of Scott Hansen, but with the release of Awake - his second LP for Ghostly International - the solo project evolved into a three-piece band. Relating closer to post-rock than ambient soundscapes, the record is situated in the present, sounding more like Hansen than drawing from his influences. This is, in many ways, the first true Tycho record. Following 2011's Dive LP, the San Francisco-based designer toured extensively, and with a full band on stage, his sound coalesced into a percussive, organic whole. Zac Brown (guitars, bass) rejoined Scott on the road for this tour, but it was the particular addition of Rory O'Connor's live drumming that ultimately sent Hansen back to the studio with a more precise vision. "After the tour, I decided that I wanted to capture the more energetic, driven sound of the live show on the next album," Hansen recalls. Bringing musicians into Tycho's creative process was a step towards expanding his own songwriting and advancing the project beyond its current sound. In a cabin near Tahoe last winter, Zac and Scott began fleshing out the structure of the new record, but it wasn't until they set up shop in the hills of Santa Cruz with Rory that it all fell into place. "It crystallized the vision of how the drums would come to the forefront on this record," says Hansen. The sound was much more stripped-down and concise with more organic instruments in the fold. Songs like "Montana" and "Awake" are a departure from Tycho's previous material - unique to the group effort poured into the songs on the new record - while "See" and "Dye" echo ideas from previous works, bridging a middle ground between the old and new. Working with Count Eldridge, who also engineered Dive, the team could fixate on the pulses that Tycho might previously layer under synthesizers and exhume them with distinct bass and guitar patterns. Also known for his design work as ISO50, Hansen's visual and sonic efforts have dovetailed throughout the course of his career. "This is the first time in my life I've dropped everything to focus on one artistic pursuit," notes Hansen. Previous Tycho releases came to fruition when an amalgam of songs were nearing completion, but Awake is where music becomes the focus and true expression becomes the result.

After making waves with their 2020 self-titled debut LP (championed by the late, great DJ and synth/wave connoisseur Silent Servant), Toronto’s Analytica return to Suction Records’ minimal synth sub-label Ice Machine, for the second full-length LP, “Strategy Of Tension”. Comprised of kosmische synth artist Gabe Knox and electro-industrial performer David Lush, Analytica is a synth-pop duo who confront the race-to-the-bottom ethos of our time, but utilizing sounds and tools from the early ‘80s synth-DIY era.

The album was recorded to a 6-track cassette portastudio in a two week session in Summer 2022, and mixed down live to tape in an afternoon. Analytica pair classic, holy grail analog synthesizers like the ARP Quadra, Roland System 100, and ARP 2600, with uncommon analog rhythm machines including the Univox SR-95, Soundmaster ST-305, Roland TR-77, and Korg KR-55B. The result is Strategy of Tension: a stinging rebuke to cynical political actors and a reminder that the only thing to fear is fear itself.

Mr Lee Perry who in no uncertain terms defines the words musical genius, recorded some of the most inspiring, soulful, funny and weird / wild reggae music ever put down on tape. Working through all the manifestations of reggae from Ska to Roots and Dub, where his ground breaking 1973 ‘Blackboard Jungle’ LP, set the standards, he was an innovator. If this was not enough his recordings of THE WAILERS, many believe to be their finest work. Born Rainford Hugh Perry, 28 March 1936, Hanover, Jamaica. He began his career at the grand age of 16, working for Clement ‘Coxone’ Dodd’s sound system, rising quickly to the position of record scout and organising recording sessions during his 3 year period 1963-1966. Restlessness and unsatisfied with credit he felt due to him he moved on to work with Producers J.J. Johnson and Clancy Eccles, the later of which would help him set up his ‘Upsetter’ label in 1968,which would see his first of many recordings telling the injustices done to him by previous employees. ‘The Upsetter’ track itself pointed at Mr Dodd but reflected back to Perry when he inherited it as a nick name along side many others during the coarse of his career, including ‘Scratch’, again taken from one of his recordings ‘Chicken Scratch’ recorded in 1965/1966. Perry’s work in 1968 with producer Joe Gibbs was fruitful and resulted in many successfulreleases, but again lack of credit and itchy feet, it was time to move on. But not without leaving his trademark recording summing up his feelings at the time ‘People Funny Boy’ this time aimed at Mr Gibbs. Still not having a studio of his own, Perry recorded at the various Kingston establishments of the time, Randy’s Studio 17 on North Parade, Dynamics on Bell Road and Harry J’s on Roosevelt Avenue where the bulk of the aforementioned recordings with The Wailers were carried out. During this time and the years that followed Perry has built up a vast catalogue of backing tracks / instrumentals, he had cut over a 100 releases on his ‘Upsetter’ label alone. A library of music that he has an uncanny knack of reutilising to work into something new when put against a new song / singer. This collection of rare and unreleased dubs stems from his 1971-1974 period. We can here on tracks like ‘Perry’s Jump Up’ Ska-ish up tempo chopping guitar cuts leading through to organ laden tracks like ‘Roots Rock Dub’. The sound moving to a slowed down rhythm on ‘Perry in Dub’ which would predominate his sound, when in mid 1974 he’d open his own studio at his home in the Washington Gardens district of Kingston. We hope this selection of lost treasures will add to the jigsaw that makes Mr Perry’s output now spanning over 5 decades so remarkable.
RESPECT.... JAH FLOYD.

The debut full-length of Denmark's promising purveyors of truly Medieval Black Metal, Formed in 2020, Heltekvad is a three-piece featuring members of some of Denmark's finest recent acts such as Afsky, Solbrud, Sunken and Morild.

While the sound of Heltekvad certainly shares the passion on display in the aforementioned projects - no doubt a result of the shared members behind each entity - what sets them apart is their approach to songwriting and crafting truly medieval soundscapes. This is partially shown through the medieval instrumental interludes, which are tastefully scattered across "Morgenrødens Helvedesherre", but more fully embodied by the epic, at times even heroic sounding melodies carried by the guitars. There is an element of unbridled wilderness to be found on these seven tracks, each one containing interesting twists and turns that are sure to keep listeners returning for repeat listens.

“Refuse”:
A unique sound that could be described as “Breakbeat Soul" O.Love's instruments and vocal prowess take centre stage, showcasing a fusion of live instruments & soulful vocals re-arranged and remixed with original breaks and beats by DJ DSK!

"Tonight":
A catchy rootsy original reggae tune, featuring lyrics that exude positivity and soulfulness. It receives the remix treatment from DJ DSK, who infuses it with heavy beats and luscious dub elements. The result is a speaker-shaking, dancefloor rocker!

For a few years Leo Robinson was the sort of hidden secret you sometimes come across in local music scenes. First in Manchester and now in Glasgow, he’d pop up regularly on DIY bills or as local support to a touring act, quietly blowing them off stage with his rich baritone vocal and homespun lo-fi tales of folklore and animism. With The Temple – his debut on PRAH Recordings – he looks set to cross over from being a cult concern.

“There's a spectrum within the album between fully mythologising or symbolising my lived experience, and just stating it in very matter of fact terms - that push and pull between the need to abstract and the need to break through the abstraction and have an honest moment with oneself” he explains. “This is one of the themes of the album as well as part of the process. The aim was to take all these anecdotal or symbolic elements and merge them into one narrative and one world, in a way that you can find your way through the record as if it were a landscape or language with its own logic.”

The record takes on a pastoral, slightly baroque nature that Robinson partly attributes to a friend screening a lot of ‘70s BBC material in his book shop that they used to hang out at. There are also elements of jazz, flickering to life in “The Spring”’s piano-led finale and coda.

Thematically, Robinson likens it to a Jungian ‘Hero's Journey’, his voice possessing a character who goes through several defined stages of consciousness. From conception and the beginning of an earthly life, the first half of the album recognises the development of the protagonist’s narrative and identity, before “The Pink Light”’s freeform departure from the hitherto more song-based suite devastatingly shatters this. The second half of the album then sees the protagonist witness “the uncontainable” water; learning that true divinity lies not in the individual self or lofty notions of gods and temples, but in the unremarkable nettles, insects and dogs on the roadside riverbank - referenced on tracks “The Cormorant” and “The Spring”.

Although now residing north of the border, The Temple was written while Robinson was finding his feet in Manchester, having moved there to go to art school as a teenager (as a visual artist, he has exhibited at the Tiwani Contemporary in London and Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre). As a result, many of the tracks bear out the shadows of his experiences in the northern city – at their most visible and explicit on the beautifully fragile storytelling of “The Pavement”. Written the day after the Manchester Arena Bombings, it recalls Robinson waking up to go to work on a hot summer’s day to discover that his street had been blocked off for terrorism investigations; it then progresses through the rest of his day, amidst the grimly surreal aftermath of the previous night.

Having written the chords, melodies and lyrics to the album, Robinson fleshed out the tunes by scoring out parts for the additional instrumentation, but it was only when a friend sent a demo to PRAH that he was able to fund its full recording. Guitars, vocals, piano and French Horn (the latter recorded by Lauren Reeve-Rawlings) were put down at Green Door Studios in Glasgow. Microphones were placed around the room and the sound of the musicians stepping on creaky floorboards and opening creaky doors were left audible to further the record’s live feel. The harpsichord heard on “The Serpent”, meanwhile, came from University of Glasgow lecturer David McGuinness. Strings were then recorded at PRAH Studios by Francesca Ter-Berg and Raven Bush, the Social Singing Choir adding their choral vocals to “Temple II”.

The result is an album that feels both luscious and yet intimately raw; as grand as Richard Dawson at his most panoramic but containing the rough edges and skeletal looseness of a Calvin Johnson work. At times Robinson lyrically moves towards the surreal, but ultimately this is a record grounded in reality; a true showcase of Robinson’s skill as a lyricist and songwriter.

In a mesmerizing fusion of two beatsmiths, the renowned Instrumental hip hop virtuosos Thelonious Coltrane and Miller Gold have joined forces to create an unparalleled vinyl release, set to captivate music a¦cionados worldwide. This groundbreaking collaboration seamlessly blends the innovative drumbreaks mastery of Thelonious Coltrane with the synth compositions of Miller Gold. With a collective legacy spanning decades, these two luminaries have rede¦ned the boundaries of instrumental hip hop, in§uencing generations with their distinctive styles. The forthcoming vinyl release promises an immersive journey through the rich tapestry of future sound of instrumental hip hop, offering listeners a transcendent experience that harkens back to the golden age of the genre while pushing the boundaries of contemporary musical expression. From exhilarating improvisations to hauntingly beautiful melodies, each track on the album showcases the unparalleled artistry of Thelonious Coltrane and Miller Gold. Speaking about the collaboration, Thelonious Coltrane expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "Working with Miller has been a true privilege. Our shared passion for music and our deep respect for each other's craft have fueled this collaboration, resulting in something truly special." Speaking about the collaboration, Thelonious Coltrane expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "Working with Miller has been a true joy. Our shared passion for music and our deep respect for each other's craft have fueled this collaboration, resulting in something trulyspecial." The vinyl release is poised to reignite interest in the timeless allure of instrumental hip hop, drawing both seasoned enthusiasts and newcomers alike into its spellbinding embrace. With its evocative melodies and virtuosic performances, this collaboration between Thelonious Coltrane and Miller Gold promises to leave an indelible mark on the landscape of contemporary instrumental hip hop. Stay tuned for anticipated vinyl album

One of the most successful and enjoyable debuts in history, The Cars' self-titled album doubles as a greatest-hits collection. That's because not one song here is unrecognized or unknown. A huge reason why the Boston quintet became America's most popular new-wave band, The Cars launched eight tracks still regularly heard on radio stations everywhere. Consider the hit list: "You're All I've Got Tonight." "Good Times Roll." "Just What I Needed." "Moving in Stereo." "My Best Friend's Girl." "Don't Cha Stop." If you're a fan of pop music, this album is mandatory. Just call it the best new-wave rock album ever made.

And now, The Cars sounds better than it has in any previous incarnation. Mastered from the original analogue tapes, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition LP allows the music's oscillating rhythms, futuristic keyboard passages, panned stereo images, and rippling textures to be experienced like never before. The songs take on a surreal quality, the Cars manipulating the vibrant music at will to mesmerize the listeners' senses and hold them at bay. Mobile Fidelity's pressing epitomizes the sensation of "moving in stereo."

Led by Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr, the Cars managed to unite then-disparate styles: bubblegum pop melodies, angular art rock, progressive arrangements, and terse minimalism. Orr's low, understated singing and Ocasek's cool, detached vocals lend shades of doubt and double meaning to the lyrics, which are further counterbalanced by orchestral keyboard flourishes and electronic beats. The brilliant arrangements also benefit from a laidback cool and understated irony that remain uncommon in the over-the-top world of mainstream music. Obsessed with incorporating the latest technologies and sounds into its palette, the band spiced its tunes with delightfully quirky accents — country-tinged guitar fills, echoing Syndrums, reggae splashes, hard-rock tones, robotic pulses.

The results are the sounds of a creative landmark. At once accessible and eccentric, edgy and catchy, The Cars explodes with emotion, energy, and hooks. It's impossible not to get caught up humming and singing along to every song, an appeal that comes courtesy of Roy Thomas Baker's stellar production. The legendary producer, best known for his work with Queen, ensured that the record seamlessly packed a smooth midrange, spacious imaging, and call-and-answer choruses in one tight package. Baker's trademark touches with harmony vocals abound.

"The MoFi disc is much better than the original in every way. It's more dynamic, much more natural on top, and all three dimensions have a lot bigger space. This disc is great from start to finish, but "Moving in Stereo" will blow you away on a great system in a big room."
—Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio

In 2005, an 18-year-old Raphael Gimenes left the sunny shores of Brazil behind, embarking on a journey to a distant and wintry land. "Dinamarca," the Portuguese name for Denmark, became his new home, where he has lived for almost two decades. Today, he presents his third album, a deep exploration of his life in Scandinavia. Rather than being a nationalistic tribute, "DINAMARCA" tells chapters from Gimenes" life story as a Brazilian living in the northern corners of the world. It guides us through the enchanting nordic woods, the vast fields stretching to the horizon, and the timeless sea resting beneath an endless sky. The melodies of blackbirds, the dances of red deer, and the whispers of ancient oaks form the backdrop for his musical stories. Within his songs, we experience moments of deep solitude and boundless inspiration, moments where reflection and creative passion intertwine. Gimenes skillfully turns the power of love into harmonies, dedicating songs to both his companion and his closest friends. Beyond these experiences, he leads us on journeys to Denmark"s neighboring lands, Norway and Sweden, where revelations and encounters with the mystical found their way into the lyrical fabric of his songs. The album"s orchestration includes Gimenes" vocals and the resonant chords of his classical guitar. Accompanying him throughout the album are Jan Kadereit"s multilayered percussion, and Lucas Delacroix"s bass synth, who also plays the electric guitar at times. The music further unfolds with the nuances of a string quartet, and a brass quintet, both recorded in the tropical highlands of Minas Gerais. Other guest musicians feature on individual songs, such as pianist Sebastian Macchi, flautist Flavia Huarachi, cellist Lucas Almeida, and singers Gaby Echevarria, Cecilia Pahl, and Cris Ferro. Gimenes has garnered acclaim and accolades across continents. His debut release, "Raphael Gimenes & As Montanhas de Som," delved deep into the rhythms and traditions of Brazil. It rose to prominence as the top Brazilian release in 2016 in Holland and was hailed as a "conceptual masterpiece" in Japan. His second album, "A Tongue Full of Suns," co-produced with Faroese multi-artist Teitur, ventured into the English language, blending Gimenes" inspirations from the world of prog-rock. Danish rock legend TimChristensen praised it as "top-shelf neo-folk," while Brazilian website80minutos described it as "hypnotizing." The music within "DINAMARCA" delves deep into the soul of a man who embraced a new land with open arms, while staying true to his roots. It unites elements from both of Gimenes" prior works, embarking on a journey across new musical horizons. The result is music that transcends borders, weaving itself into an intricately beautiful tapestry - a soul that has learned to harmonize with two worlds.

Celebrated new wave compilation from Japan reissued for the first time on Glossy Mistakes.

A much-cherished gem from the 1980s underground Japanese music scene returns as Soft Selection 84 is reissued by Glossy Mistakes for its 40th anniversary. Originally released on DIY label Soft, the compilation sees 13 tracks from nine acts spanning minimal, ambient, zolo and more for a beguiling listen.

The result is a charming time capsule of eclectic creativity in which nothing sounds dated. Take La Sellrose Can Can, whose two party jams predate Kero Kero Bonito's hyperpop by decades. In addition, an impeccable remastering from the original master tapes adds to the "could have been recorded yesterday" feel of the collection.

Soft Selection 84 also includes the eccentric Picky Picnic. One of the few featured artists with recordings beyond the anthology, the trio is an essential act for those curious about Japanese art pop of the era. There is also new wave introspection from Name, whose "Do We All Need Love" plays out as a sensual nod to John Lennon. In a similar vein is Clä-Sick, the recording name of Goro Some, the compilation's original producer and founder of Soft.

The record's rerelease comes with Some's blessing, along with his original artwork and photography. Ultimately, the listener is left tantalised by his selection and its bold excursions into no wave, synth pop, radioplay and bizzaro house. Most of the artists on this release would fade into obscurity, but the transient nature of the potential showcased has helped cement the compilation's reputation over the years.

Soft Selection will be released on vinyl LP by Glossy Mistakes on March 2024, with a remastering from the original master tapes.

Authenticity is important in music culture, at least to those whose relationship with it is a lifelong love affair. As listeners, we instinctively respond to artists whose musical output is an authentic representation of their inspirations, experiences and working methods.

By any measure, Guillaume Metenier’s collaborative Soul Sugar project oozes authenticity. It began in the late 2000s as an outlet for the virtuoso organist and producer’s updated takes on ‘60s and ‘70s soul-jazz and Hammond funk, but over the years it has evolved into something entirely different: a vehicle for classic dub and reggae inspired musical fusions made in collaboration with friends and like-minded musicians. As a result, Soul Sugar albums mix impressive musicianship with great grooves and untold nods to the sounds and artists that have helped shape Metenier’s musical outlook.

This authentic approach and soul-enriching sound is naturally in evidence on Soul Sugar’s firth studio set, Just a Little Talk, which is set to be released by Metenier’s own Gee Recordings label in March 2024. This time round, Metenier’s close circle of musical collaborators includes Blundetto, Samuel Isoard, Yvo Abadi, Jolly Joseph, Jahno, Shniece, Slikk Tim and Leo Carmichael. While many are old friends who have appeared on previous albums and singles, there are some first-time collaborators too.

This familiar-but-also-fresh approach is mirrored by the blend of tracks on offer on Just a Little Talk. New songs and instrumentals sit side by side with a small selection of on-point cover versions – something Metenier has been doing since the inclusion of Jimmy Smith and Dr Lonnie Smith covers on 2009 debut album Nothing But The Truth. Memorable covers since have included ‘Why Can’t We Live Together’, ‘I Want You’ and ‘Never Too Much’, all featuring the honeyed voice of Leo Carmichael.
This time round, the headline-grabbing covers are undeniably special. You’ll find takes on Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Makings Of You’, re-framed as a languid roots reggae song featuring voiced by the returning Carmichael, and Donald Byrd’s ‘Blackbyrd’, which Metenier has brilliantly re-imagined as a fabulous fusion of Studio One dub and Blaxploitation funk.

Yet it’s the album’s original compositions that arguably stand out. For proof, check lovers rock-influenced reggae-soul treat ‘The End of Your World’ (featuring heart-aching roots style lyrics and Junior Murvin-esque lead vocals by Jolly Joseph), the similarly conscious ‘Just a Little Talk’ and recent single ‘Top of My List’– an effortlessly emotive gem marked out by Metenier’s weighty dub bassline and Shniece’s incredible lead vocal.

The original instrumentals, in which Metenier often trades licks and solos with guitarists Slick Tim and Samuel Isoard, are similarly impressive – and, to return to our theme, as authentic as they come. Fittingly, one of these – ‘Tubby’s Ghost’ – was originally written and recorded in 1998 with bassist Patrick Bylebyl, who was then Metenier’s partner in a project called Seven Dub. It is, then, a new cover of one of Metenier’s own tunes – and a pleasingly heavyweight one at that. It delivers a genuinely pleasing conclusion to Soul Sugar’s most true and authentic album to date.

Anastasia Zems lands on Alzaya with a new EP resulting from a self-reflective journey marked by hypnotic electronic rhythms that echo the passage of time and the change of life.

ALZC03 – Atlantika EP is a rolling cycle of inspiration, mirroring new experiences and sonic explorations that oscillate from warm memories to dark atmospheres aligned to current events. The EP ends by inviting us to slow down, reinterpreted in a separate track by Eklektique, who uplifts its essence and message.

Pastel de Nata is a track resonating with trance-tech rhythms to evoke warm and welcoming memories in a new home that smells of the Atlantic Ocean.

With Bairro Alto, the piece evolves, wandering and experimenting with old-school trance soundscapes across borders—a memento of the past days spent in local record stores searching for new rhythms.

Casa Amarela tunes into a dark, oppressive atmosphere pronounced by classic acid and arp-bass sounds. A symbol of sorrow and pain tuned to the current times.

The hypnotic, acid, mid-tempo sound in Push The Tempo Down stands high in the sky to remind and invite us to slow down before rising again.

Push The Tempo Down Remix is a unique reinterpretation by Eklektique, injecting hypnotic and acidic components crossed with a groovy bass line to reinforce the track’s essence and message.

COMA's melodic innovations between indie and electronica have always been incredibly accessible, sparing neither hooks nor emotions, and expanding the scope of what club music can be from album to album. In this respect, the new album 'FUZZY FANTASY' (their 2nd album on City Slang) is the next logical step - away from the dancefloor, closer to life. The Cologne-based duo COMA has firmly established themselves as a household name at the intersection of Indie Pop and Electronic Music. While embracing the incorporation of warmer Pop elements, COMA remains loyal to their artistic essence: meticulously crafted electronic music that has the ability to evoke both joy and melancholy simultaneously.
Tracks like 'Space', 'Hideout', and 'Start/Stop/Rewind' catapult COMA into the musical vicinity of the Pet Shop Boys, Hot Chip, and the more recent Depeche Mode. 'FUZZY FANTASY' is the result of an astonishing transformation, though in retrospect, not entirely surprising.

The elusive gemstone of 1970s Harlem soul and funk from the Ray Alexander Technique, officially reissued with bonus tracks. Renowned for its enviable combination of musical muscle and malleability, guitarist/songwriter Raymond Alexander Jenkins’ tight four-piece unit was so revered on the uptown club circuit that it was offered the opportunity to serve as the Apollo Theater house band. Jenkins demurred, hopeful and confident in his groupís chances at making it on its own, and Let’s Talk is the sublime result of their hard work. Independently released and recorded with a distinctly lo-fi charm, it is a collection of unabashedly sincere songs that perfectly encapsulates the era’s heady milieu of Black pride and cultural awareness, and the plaintive emotion of struggling to realize dreams whilst navigating a city and neighborhood in decline. Personal tragedy coupled with Jenkins’ inability to gain traction as a musician, would haunt him for years. But Let‘s Talk’s reputation would eventually spread via word-of-mouth praise amongst soul and funk connoisseurs and record collectors. Now elevated to exalted status, it may finally be more widely appreciated as a testament to Jenkins’ gifts. The main album is augmented by two songs by Ray Alexander Technique with Chris Bartley, not available on the original album.

MUSIC BY MADLIB / ARRANGED BY KIEREN HEBDEN (Four Tet)

Gil Evans to Miles Davis…. Holger Czukay to the ensemble known as Can….Jean Claude Vannier to Serge Gainsbourg on Histoire de Melody Nelson. That’s the only way to explain the specificity of Four Tet and Madlib’s collaboration, in this special album that showcases a two-decade long friendship that has resulted in an album that follows Madlib’s classics like Quasimoto’s The Unseen, Madvillainy and his Pinata and Bandana albums with Freddie Gibbs.

“A few months ago I completed work on an album with my friend Madlib that we’d been making for the last few years. He is always making loads of music in all sorts of styles and I was listening to some of his new beats and studio sessions when I had the idea that it would be great to hear some of these ideas made into a Madlib solo album. Not made into beats for vocalists to use but instead arranged into tracks that could all flow together in an album designed to be listened to start to finish. I put this concept to him when we were hanging out eating some nice food one day and we decided to work on this together with him sending me tracks, loops, ideas and experiments that I would arrange, edit, manipulate and combine. I was sent hundreds of pieces of music over a couple of years stretch and during that time I put together this album with all the parts that fitted with my vision.” - Kieren Hebden AKA Four Tet

Bringing to life intensely personal memories of her native County Derry and the
people, places, and customs she holds closest to her heart, Cara reveals a new
found freedom to express herself within the tiniest of details and life's larger
mysteries, leaving a profound impression.
Originally written for entirely personal reasons and without an intention to be
shared publicly, Cara's collection of poetry didn't resist the pull to be set to music
for very long. However, allowing the process of writing and recording to unfold
unconstrained by time and pressure has resulted in the finished album exceeding
expectations.
Comprising ten tracks, "Coming Home" was produced and recorded under the
expert guidance of long time musical partner Sam Lakeman and its sonic
character was brought to life with mixing by multi- Grammy winning producer/
engineer Kevin Killen, known for his work with music legends such as Kate Bush,
David Bowie, U2 and Peter Gabriel. The album marks a return to the singersongwriter style she and Sam first explored on her first solo recordings over 23
years ago, sitting within an original and contemporary soundscape. Significantly,
this is also the first of Cara's releases comprised entirely of original material.
Hailing from an exceptionally strong cultural background in the North of Ireland
and with a profound connection to her home- place and people, Cara's "Coming
Home" succeeds in distilling her reflections and feelings into compelling and
highly emotive pieces.
* Press/Publicity/Highlights:

Near Future Residence is music for an imagined place based on real ideas; the soundtrack for an ecologically sustainable housing development somewhere in a not-too-distant future Britain. The eleven instrumental pieces here come from a place of optimism, imagining a future that is based on cooperation, community and ecological urbanism. It's music intended to sit in this imagined environment rather than impose upon it, similar in principle to the function of Kankyō Ongaku (Japanese environmental music). The ideas contained on Near Future Residence laid the groundwork for - and can be seen as a companion piece to - the album Your Wilderness Revisited, released to critical acclaim in 2019. Doyle explains how the pieces “were composed in entirely generative ways using samples of instruments, synthesisers and field recordings I've collected and developed throughout 2018. In generative composition, rules are set and parameters are chosen and then put into motion, the results constantly changing and surprising.”

After 2021’s critically acclaimed album “Afraid To Leave”, Berlin based post-punkers Bleib Modern invited artist friends to take an outside perspective on their tracks, resulting in the “2 Afraid 2 Leave” compilation, featuring remixes and reworks from several esteemed names within the darkwave, post-punk and EBM music scenes.

From club bangers like IV Horsemen’s version of “Bitter Smile” and M!R!M’s dreamy lo-fi bedroom synthpop sound on “Into The Night” to Danish deviant pop artist Dune Messiah’s crooner “Loony Voices”. The album also boasts contributions from luminaries like The KVB, The Underground Youth, Blind Delon, Shad Shadows and various Bleib Modern band member side projects.

“2 Afraid 2 Leave” offers listeners a chance to experience Bleib Modern’s music from an altered vantage point, a welcome interlude as the band forges ahead with new creations.

Madlib and Karriem Riggins are Jahari Massamba Unit, a collaboration between two beacons of modern music joined by an unwavering passion for pushing the boundaries of traditional music Beginning as a genuine friendship and mutual admiration for one another's craft, Jahari Massamba Unit became a project with no rules or guidelines. The result is an extraordinary fusion of creativity, an embrace of artistic freedom, and a testament to what music can be when given the chance to roam beyond convention.

HAZE is honoured to present you a new EP by Bruno Pronsato. The tracks are full of acid arps, atonal and jazzy textures, vocal chops, swingy percussions resulting in precise and groovy masterpiece. Bruno showcases his passion, excellence and addiction, delivering pulsating still pure minimal 4-tracker. Must have!

HJirok is a mythical figure, conceived as a fictional character by Iranian-born Kurdish singer and artist Hani Mojahedy. Together with versatile music producer And Toma of Mouse On Mars, she combined a variety of sounds collected during their joint travels to Iraqi Kurdistan and elsewhere with heavily processed recordings of Sufi drum rhythms and setar melodies. The result is a driving, dubbed-out, and deeply intricate soundscape that perfectly sets the stage for Mojahedy's extended, unconventional vocal techniques and polyglot lyrics. Both informed by tradition and rigorously forward-looking, »Hjirok« (with a lowercase J) is at once a profoundly personal album and a universal utopian promise. As a ghost from the past, HJirok draws on Mojtahedy's memories to mould a new future out of them.

The foundation for »Hjirok« was laid in the city of Erbil in the Kurdish part of Iraq. During one of their stays in the region, Mojahedy and Toma recorded the three percussionists Hadi Alizadeh, Jawad Salkhordeh and Serdar Saydan as well as setar player Ali Choolaei from Motahedy's backing band while they were playingthe rhythms and notes that she had grown up with in the house of her grandfather in the Iranian city of Sanandaj. Her memories of that place revolve around hypnotic Sufi music, dervishes in deep trance, and ecstatic singing. Much like this music seemed to open a portal to other dimensions, the inhabitants of the house lived in a sort of alternative reality: It provided them with a hideaway from political circumstances. Following the Iranian revolution in 1979, a Kurdish rebellion ensued but was met with the utmost brutality by the new regime, which resulted in the death of thousands.

It is no coincidence that the music on »Hirok« would draw on rhythmic patterns that were passed on from one generation to the next for hundreds of years. »The project is rooted in the figures of the Sufi dervishes and thus a culture that precedes today's political, social, cultural, and religious systems,« explains Mohtahedy. »The Sufi sound travelled around the entire world. I like to think of it as a dialogue between peoples-one based on the rhythms of the drums and the sound of their voices.« Toma adds that by electronically transforming the recordings and enriching them with field recordings from both rural and urban spaces, they were able to use the stories told by the drums and the setar to create an entirely new narrative.

The story told by these eight pieces is hence a deeply personal, but also inherently political one. Moitahedy herself left Iran in 2004 and relocated to Berlin in 2010. Having continued to use her art as a platform to tirelessly advocate for the rights of the Kurdish people and women under oppressive regimes, she has not been allowed to return to her country of origin ever since. »Hani is singing for equality and there are people who are afraid of that-her femininity, her strength.« Toma says. Much like earlier Hirok sound installations addressed human-made climate change and other systemic ills, also »Hjirok« can hardly be disconnected from far-reaching struggles for liberation and equality.

This is also true on a thematic and even linguistic level. »The lyrics are about a promise,« Mojahedy says, citing Kurdish writer Ebdulla Pesêw as an inspiration. »At their core, these are about that day on which violence and fear become a thing of the past; what they tell you is ot not give up, to keep hoping,« she adds. The promise embedded in them is an emancipatory one. These contents are mirrored on a linguistic level: The lyrics were written in both Kurdish and Farsi, blurring the lines between the two languages and thus, Kurdish and Persian cultures.

Mojahedy, or rather HJirok, conveys these philosophical themes with elegance. Herversatile vocal performance is only loosely basedo n established styles. »Of course everything started with traditional rhythms, but we kept pushing things further and further, so Idid the same with my voice,« Mojahedy explains. »There were no boundaries.« The same can be said of the field recordings that she and Toma used. Whether it's conversations between members of the Pesmerge, the Kurdish armed forces, having a chat in meadow full of bunnies or the humming and buzzing of metropolises like Tehran: »Hirok« paints a sonic picture that is quite literally autopian one; that of a non-place in which different soundscapes, cultures and ways of life coexist peacefully.

What the album conjures up from Mojahedy's memory is not only a very specific place during a unique time in history as experienced by a single person. It is also ametaphorical home open to anyone who wishes to enter - promise of a better, more egalitarian future for everyone. Hence, HJirok will bring it on tour, presenting the material as an audio-visual live show that makes use of the photo and video material that Mojahedy and Toma have collected during their travels through Kurdistan.ja

»Sound of Matter« is the debut album by Romanian sound artist and composer Simina Oprescu. The two pieces draw on research conducted with 15 historical church bells at the Märkisches Museum and the Stadtmuseum Berlin. After the artist had presented the results of her studies of the connection between matter and harmony in the form of a multi-channel installation, she has translated the underlying approach of this site-specific work into an album that unfolds slowly, consistently setting in motion subtle tonal changes that continuously change the mood of the two pieces. »Sound of Matter« is both minimalist and maximalist, creating an infinitely rich and multi-layered dronescape that modestly invites its audience to get lost in the sonic experience.

Oprescu has been fascinated by church bells since her childhood spent in Transilvania since the instruments were shrouded in mystery, as she explains in an in-depth essay that accompanies the album. Having received a Bachelor’s degree at UNArte in Bucharest and after studying at the Royal Conservatory of Mons in Belgium, Oprescu enrolled at Berlin’s Universität der Künste for an M.A. in Sound Studies and Sonic Arts. She started working with the archive of the Märkisches Museum, which included 15 historical church bells that were built between the 15th and the early 19th century.

Since every bell sounds different according to its shape, material, and density, Oprescu abstracted these qualities in the formula f = K1t/d^2√E/s(1-m^2). This enabled her to recreate the harmonic tone of the individual bells with Max/MSP. She then composed a piece with semi-overlayed tones, i.e. overlapping frequencies. Naturally, this resulted in a beating effect that provided the music with a sense of urgency, though the five second-long natural reverb of the Märkisches Museum’s Große Halle turned it into a »warm blanket of sound,« as the artist herself puts it. This is perfectly recreated on »Sound of Matter« due to the music being presented in mono, bringing out the intrinsic movement of the beatings with more nuance than a stereo version would.

»Sound of Matter« feels warm and welcoming even when different frequencies seem to create friction between each other or when the subtle beating effects turn into throbbing rhythms, like at the end of the record. It manages to explore both Oprescu’s personal fascination with church bells and psychological and psychoacoustic questions relating to them as well as philosophical issues connected with them. This music is profoundly physical, but also intellectually stimulating—perfectly at home in the catalog of the Swiss Hallow Ground label between records by Kali Malone, Lawrence English, or Siavash Amini.

The booklet features an in-depth essay on church bells by Simina Oprescu.

The folks at Castle Face dig a good trance. Hypnosis, mesmerization, and brain trickery are some of their favorite results of deep listening and it is a suggestive, ritualistic and dreamlike vibe that Bronze ooze like pheromones all over their excellent new record. Absolute Compliance is a truly hypnogogic group of tunes from Bronze on their best and weirdest behavior and it hits all Castle Face’s favorite things about them immediately and repeatedly: insistently strange synth voicings emanating from Miles Friction’s mad scientist’s lab worth of equipment, controlled by a homemade-looking oversized knob; Brian Hock’s throbbing, woolly, hall-of-mirror grooves; and above it all Rob Spector’s thousand yard croon, the vaguely familiar touchstone amongst these Lynchian, mutated surroundings—these are songs of dreams and nightmares, hidden rituals observed, futuristic coliseum entertainments displaced in time, sci-fi jams of an uncertain future. Bronze are one-of-a kind great and if unfamiliar, go find their other records (including their great live record for Castle Face) and get caught up. They are real-deal weirdo kings of San Francisco and their spell is not easily dissipated once cast.