Cerca:think of one

Aaron Frazer - der in Los Angeles lebende Sänger, Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist und Mitglied der gefeierten Gruppe Durand Jones & the Indications - lässt mit "Into the Blue" eine gewagte Mischung aus Soul, Psychedelia, Spaghetti-Western, Disco, Gospel und Hip-Hop auf sein hochgelobtes Debütalbum "Introducing_" aus dem Jahr 2021 folgen. "Into The Blue" repräsentiert die beeindruckende Bandbreite von Frazers klanglichen Talenten. "Es ist das klarste Porträt dessen, was ich als Künstler bin", sagt Frazer über sein zweites Solo-Album, auf dem er die unverwechselbare Falsettstimme und das klassische Songwriting beibehält, für das er bekannt ist, aber mit einer Hip Hop inspirierten Mentalität im Kern, die Genres und Produktionstechniken miteinander verwebt und "Into The Blue" somit fest im Hier und Jetzt verankert. "Into The Blue" ist das Ergebnis eines gebrochenen Herzens. Nach dem Ende einer langen Beziehung zog Frazer quer durchs Land von Brooklyn nach Los Angeles und begab sich auf eine Reise, die sich in den Themen des Albums widerspiegelt: Trauer, Einsamkeit und die Suche nach Heilung. "Into The Blue" enthält Momente mit überragenden Arrangements, die an David Axelrod und Ennio Morricone erinnern, wird aber durch die Rohheit von iPhone-Aufnahmen und One-Take-Vocals ausgeglichen. Als Co-Produzent für das Album konnte Frazer den Grammy-Gewinner Alex Goose gewinnen, der für seine Crate-Digging-Samples und die Zusammenarbeit mit Hip-Hop-Künstler*innen wie Freddie Gibbs, Madlib und Brockhampton bekannt ist. Frazer experimentierte auch zum ersten Mal mit Samples, die er aus unerwarteten Quellen wie der R&B-Gruppe Hi-Five aus den 90ern bezog. Und Obwohl "Into the Blue" aus Herzschmerz entstanden ist, hofft Frazer, dass es die Zuhörer*innen mit einem Gefühl des Optimismus zurücklässt. "Weißt du, man kann auch an einem Tag, an dem man trauert, lachen", sagt er, "es gibt keine Gipfel ohne Täler" - aber mit "Into The Blue" erreicht Aaron Frazer neue Höhen.

Rakkit Records is a brand new label that specialises in darkside jungle techno.

Heading in a different direction to Radman's older releases, this EP is inspired by two of his young loves: London squat parties and militant EA raves. That darkside hardcore sound you'd hear in the morning at the squats, with the energy of the main event at a Thetford Forest party. Dark, stompin', and drenched in 303s.

It's dedicated to one of his partners in crime of the time, Phil Sayer, who introduced him to much of the above and always pushed Radman to keep releasing tunes, with his support and brutal critique. Radman took samples of one of Phil's original poems for the track ACAB, from his performance in his old living room. Phil loved vinyl, 303s, darkside and hardcore, so we think he woulda been chuffed.

Just 150 copies getting pressed. Once they're gone, they're gone.

The Germany-based band Rikas' new album, "Soundtrack For A Movie That Has Not Been Written Yet," promises to be their most cohesive and contemplative project to date

Comprising 11 brisk yet beautiful tracks, the album showcases the band's tight tempos and mellow delivery. "We started this record just to have fun. It's not been that easy, because so much change has happened," guitarist and keyboardist Sascha Scherer reflects. "We've had to learn to adapt... This record is more inward-looking. We were reflecting. " Scherer further explains, "I think a lot of bands have trouble staying still. When you stop touring and moving to a new city each day, you feel lost. I feel like our new album is capturing that feeling of go, go, go." This feeling of inertia contains layers: there's a sense of restlessness, but also brotherhood and camaraderie-- feelings Rikas aim to depict in each of the album's videos. "For our sophomore album, we wanted to create a very homogeneous one," Scherer continues. "Which was not easy to achieve because we have made the experience that throughout all of our records every song differs from each other. We have four songwriters who happen to be also multi-instrumentalists in our band, and that's why we don't have to put much effort into diverse record making. Instead, we had to put pressure on ourselves to make something consistent. But we also didn't want to make every song sound the same. So the concept of the album lays in its topics."The songs for "Soundtrack For A Movie That Has Not Been Written Yet" were written over the past year, adapting and shaping old snippets and ideas, as well as creating songs completely from scratch. "For some reason, when we started writing and listening back to the songs, they all shared a similar feeling of cruising, traveling, being in motion," Scherer says. "This wasn't intentional at first, but felt more and more suiting as we proceeded with the writing. We found we'd enjoy the songs most while driving in our van, looking out the window, seeing the landscapes passing by. This has something very meditating to itself already, amplified even more by a suiting soundtrack. This is the soundtrack we tried to write. The album in its entirety is supposed to feel warm, hugging, like 'being bedded in cotton.'" For the visual content of the album, the band decided to travel to San Remo, northern Italy, to capture some of the late November sun. "In a way, you could say we tried to film the first part of the movie whose soundtrack we had just written," Scherer concludes. "Soundtrack For A Movie That Has Not Been Written Yet" is a testament to Rikas' ability to adapt and reflect on their journey, offering listeners a meditative and immersive experience that captures the essence of being in motion.

Six Nine Records Ltd. UK proudly presents an amazing release with the Swedish soul maestro Paul Mac Innes, two vinyl exclusive versions of the tracks “Falling By The Wayside” and “You Make My Sunshine”. The first one is the extended 12” mix by SANDDYN, which has an infectious groove and just keeps on building. The track on the flip is an uplifting tune on which mr. Mac Innes pairs up with T.B.O.I. and this one has been given that magic T-Groove treatment, also an extended 12” version. We are really proud to be releasing these fantastic tunes and can’t think of anything more fitting for the milestone that is our 50th release!

Definitely not to be missed as this is a strictly limited release!

Dare To Wonder is the new album by London jazz rap duo Summers Sons. Two brothers, surname Summers. Turt on vocals and Slim on production.

Dare To Wonder consists of 12 songs about love, life and connection. Compared to previous Sons’ albums, it’s safe to call Dare To Wonder a feel good album in its best sense. It doesn’t turn a blind eye to the madness of the world today. But it dares to take a step back and marvel at the beauty of the world around us. It dares to wonder. Wonder awakens our curiosity and leaving us thirsty for more knowledge. But it also humbles us – keeping us from thinking we know everything already.

Since 2018 Summers Sons have released five albums on Melting Pot Music (Undertones, Uhuru, The Rain, Nostalgia, Still Nothing Still) – which accumulated over 50 million streams to date – and a string of high profile collaborations with The Silhouettes Project, Twit One, C.Tappin, Nix Northwest and Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn.


INFOTEXT DE

Dare To Wonder ist das neue Album des Londoner Jazz-Rap-Duos Summers Sons – zwei Brüder mit dem Nachnamen Summers. Turt am Mikrofon und Slim an den Beats.

Dare To Wonder umfasst 12 Songs über Liebe, Leben und Verbundenheit. Im Vergleich zu ihren bisherigen Alben darf man Dare To Wonder mit gutem Gewissen als Feel-Good-Album im besten Sinne bezeichnen. Es verschließt nicht die Augen vor dem Wahnsinn der heutigen Welt, aber es wagt die Perspektive, um die Schönheit um uns herum neu zu betrachten. Es wagt, zu staunen. Staunen weckt unsere Neugier und macht uns hungrig nach mehr Wissen. Gleichzeitig macht es uns demütig – und bewahrt uns davor, zu glauben, wir wüssten schon alles.

Seit 2018 haben Summers Sons fünf Alben über Melting Pot Music veröffentlicht (Undertones, Uhuru, The Rain, Nostalgia, Still Nothing Still) – mit über 50 Millionen Streams – und hochkarätige Kollaborationen mit The Silhouettes Project, Twit One, C. Tappin, Nix Northwest und Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn veröffentlicht.

May Simones has been garnering attention for her solid Berklee-trained technique, musicality spanning J-pop, jazz, indie, and bossa nova, and bilingual
English-Japanese lyrics. Following her 2025 Fuji Rock Festival appearance, she has already confirmed her first Japan tour, starting in January 2026.
She is one of the most talked-about singer-songwriters today. Meanwhile, John Roseboro is a Haitian-American singer-songwriter who blends elements of indie
folk, bedroom pop, and jazz with bossa nova rhythms. Unconstrained by typical idioms, his unconventional songwriting and arrangements have led him to
proclaim himself "post-bossa nova," garnering attention among some listeners in Japan.

The duo's cover of Antonio Carlos Jobim's classic "Waters of March" was a hit that quickly raised their profile. The intimate atmosphere created by May's soft
vocals and John's guitar is a testament to the two's friendship. This outstanding cover could set a new standard for English-language bossa nova.

With this release, I think I'll be the only one to have released something from every single one of Kenny's solo jungle aliases!

A few years back, he started on an album project where he would combine the works of 2 of his aliases for his Amiga productions, DJ Mindhunter for the hardcore tracks & Retr0n One of the jungle tracks.

If I remember right, I think the plan was to originally release it on his label Green Bay Wax, but he was too preoccupied in the work being put into other projects of his at the time. The release was then going to be coming out on Parallax Recordings, a label based in Berlin, run by Vali, who I've worked with many times in the past for releases on his label but then Vali was also focused on other releases he had scheduled for his label. The tracks sat in limbo for quite a while, whilst I had been playing some of them on radio & in club sets and eventually, Kenny offered for me to release the tracks on Future Retro London.

I asked Vali if he would be OK with this, since the tracks are meant to come out on Parallax & I also wanted him to do the artwork for it (he does all the artwork for his label). He was unsure if he could do the artwork as his capacity for design was quite taken up by his own outlet, but he floated the idea of doing this release as a joint label project so that it would be a bit more able to fit in with his workload.

And like that, the project is now finally out, after some of the featured tracks having been sat around for many years! Big up to Kenny for his wicked tunes & to Vali for co-releasing this project with me, as well as handling the design.

“From Birmingham and centred around the extraordinary songwriting talent of James and Patrick Roberts – initially as The Sea Urchins and since 1993 as Delta – they’ve only just got round to releasing their debut album, Slippin’ Out. It is a work of some beauty”. 9/10 NME ALBUM OF THE MONTH, 2000

“It’s classicist for sure, shot through with the influence of The Beatles, Byrds and Buffalo Springfield. In James’ downright beautiful closing ballad ‘I Want You’ one can also discern the school of ambitious English balladry that peaked in about 1968: The Casuals, Love Affair, Barry Ryan. The impression of accomplished old-schoolery is only furthered by the dizzying string arrangements penned by Louis Clark Jnr, son and namesake of the one-time orchestral chief of Electric Light Orchestra” – Mojo lead review, 2000


Having ended the 90s with the spirited ‘Laughing Mostly’ compilation of singles and demos (Guardian Album Of The Week) Delta finally released their debut studio album of twelve songs in the summer of 2000 on the Dishy Recordings label. Accepting that this might be their sole studio album the band threw everything at these recordings allowing it to exist in its own sphere, unbothered by their contemporary generation and disregarding the idea of even releasing a single.

Recorded at DEP International there was a notable difference to the scruffier, looser charm of their 1990s recordings, a tighter focus developed by having the experienced Lenny Franchi mixing the LP with them. Lenny had been working with a number of Island artists including My Bloody Valentine and Tricky so knew his way around a desk. There was also the question of budget (a few months passed between recording and mixing whilst funds were raised) so every day counted. Ultimately though you can hear the joy in the recordings, even amongst the melancholy and angst. As James recently recalled in an interview in Shindig! Magazine: “It was such a big deal for us. It’s one of my fondest memories doing that record. Everyone was happy. If there’s anything that I’d stand by, I think it would be that”

Louis Clark Jr joined the band towards the end of the ‘90s and brought a classically-trained element to the recordings particularly with his string arrangements. For ‘Cuckoo’, ‘I Want You’ and the prophetic ‘We Come Back’ Louis brought in eight players from the Birmingham Conservatoire; the baroque style is partly why the record often receives comparisons to Love’s ‘Forever Changes’.

On release ‘Slippin’ Out’ was a big favourite with writers at the NME, Mojo and The Guardian again and before long the band were signed to Mercury/Universal for their second studio album ‘Hard Light’, a far more expensive and expansive love affair. It was a temporary palatial home where things quietly fell apart again, but that’s another chapter.

“If long-term memory is nothing more than selective editing and only pop’s most weighty visceral works are built to last then it’s quite possible that in 50 years the Britpop era will be best recollected for the two bands it ostracised. Earlier this year we met Shack and thought their story of mercurial brilliance indicated the biggest music biz oversight of the 90s. We were wrong because we hadn’t met Delta yet. This is richer and more engrossing than anything by Shack” 

Sierra Levesque is a 20-year-old, award-winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who is rapidly establishing herself as one of rock’s most
exciting rising stars. Gen Z’s Most Ambitious New Guitarist” and named among “10 Young Shredders Shaping Rock and Metal Today,” Sierra Levesque has also been prominently and in Guitar World Magazine, which declares she “stakes a claim as the future of rock ’n’ roll.” Her sound is a fusion of pop, rock, and metal,
drawing inspiration from legendary artists such as Avril Lavigne, Heart, Joan Jett, and Scorpions.

With a rapidly expanding global fanbase, Sierra has
amassed over 2 million Spotify streams, 450,000+ music video views, and 250,000+ social media followers. Sierra’s growing list of accolades includes winning four MyFM Spirit Awards for “Best Local Musician,” being a finalist for 'Artist of the Year' at the 2024 Ottawa Awards, earning a nomination for 'Song of the Year' at the 2025 Ottawa Awards, and receiving the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal for her outstanding contributions to the arts. Sierra Levesque’s debut album NEW GENERATION delivers 13 original, self-recorded tracks that blend powerful guitar riffs, evocative storytelling, and rebellious energy—establishing her as one of the most exciting young artists shaping the future of rock.

SKYLAX RECORDS presents a monumental new release by two of France’s most revered electronic music icons: ARNAUD REBOTINI & ACID WASHED. This record marks the first chapter of a secretive 4-part project — each release forming a piece of a bigger picture — a bold and mysterious tribute to the roots and future of rave culture. Following in the footsteps of Rebotini’s landmark album "Musical Component", this new project feels like a natural evolution — deepening his vision while expanding it into new sonic territories. Without giving too much away, this is SKYLAX BLACK 2 (after the LAXBLACK 1 "Winter Sequences EP" which marked the collaboration between Rebotini & Skylax) and features a set of four stunning tracks. On the A-side, Redshifts to Blueshifts opens the EP with an epic and soulful Detroit-style journey, evoking the finest moments of Underground Resistance — militant yet emotional, full of futuristic melancholy. 99 Shakes follows with a more direct club-driven assault, propelled by massive synth riffs and machine-gun rhythms, pushing the boundaries of dancefloor energy. Flip to the B-side and discover Futur Race, a pure electro odyssey à la Juan Atkins and early Metroplex (think 1985 sci-fi transmissions), sharp, robotic, and ultra-funky. Closing the EP is Gen Mix, a powerful and cinematic slice of what can only be called Wagnerian techno — intense, dramatic, orchestral in scope, and unmistakably Rebotini. This release is a statement — timeless and forward-thinking. This release is the first in a series — a mysterious and powerful journey through sound, vision, and legacy. What’s next? You’ll find out… one piece at a time.

"Ray Fernández is a name that cannot be forgotten when we talk about the new generation of Cuban singer-songwriters.
"The current moments the world is going through are reflected in his lyrics. What better for this artist than to be accompanied by the Zanja All Stars! Ray Fernández, accompanied by the Zanja All Stars under the direction of Julio Padrón, make a formidable combination. This allows us to see new shades by blending his lyrics with a selection of the best musicians in Cuba today.
"The social and political issues shaking the world right now are perfectly reflected in his work, which, like all songs, can be interpreted in different ways. Ray’s lyrics become a bridge that should foster understanding between different sides of thinking, where the most important bridges are formed by art.
"The largest of the Antilles, Cuba, is one of the few places in the world where such revolutionary music can emerge. His lyrics deserve to be heard at a time when the world needs people unafraid to express ideas and willing to give everything."

The Break Cracker returns with a double sided delight for all funky, latin and soulful DJs with some tried and tested sure shots - showcasing two sides of latin club sounds

On one side- an extended version (33% extra!) of a Latin-soul crossover classic from New York in the late 60s. Originally issued on a Fania LP and then on their subsidiary Uptite label for a 45 release. It really gained attention in forward thinking soul clubs in the early 2000’s with its soulful vocals combined with a familiar riff - and now the original 45 now commands a hefty price tag - with sales up to the four figures GBP bracket

The flip sees an edit of a lesser known 1970s Latino funk bomb - chopped and looped for devastating dancefloor action - as witnessed on dub plate action over the last 6 months at select clubs and venues. From B-Boys to Jazz Dancers - to the Salsa familia - this whips up an instant storm anywhere !

2025-2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the Happy Mondays, a milestone celebration of one of Britain's most iconic and era-defining bands.

To celebrate, London Records will launch a series of special anniversary releases, beginning with a fully remastered brand-new compilation: The Factory Singles. This definitive collection captures the band's ground-breaking output from 1985-1992, celebrating their pivotal role in shaping UK music culture. Classic remixes from Paul Oakenfold, Andrew Weatherall, Terry Farley and Jon Carter make up bonus tracks on the 2CD and 2LP.

The release will be available across multiple formats, appealing to collectors and fans alike.

Complementing the physical editions, a series of brand-new digital remixes will be unveiled from world-renowned artists Daniel Avery, Paul Oakenfold, Mella Dee, and Shadow Child and more, bridging the Mondays' legacy with today's electronic innovators, and a revisit from Paul Oakenfold.

This campaign marks the beginning of an extensive celebration of the Happy Mondays' 40-year legacy, bringing their iconic sound to both devoted fans and new generations

Tuk Smith is the kind of rock 'n' roll ambassador you didn't think existed anymore. Punk maverick from rural Georgia, Biters frontman, producer and solo artist, he's seen the best and worst of a music industry in constant flux. By turns it's left him critically acclaimed, poised for stadiums, dropped, burned out, back in the game and beloved by those for whom rock is still everything. Now based in Nashville, and with his own label Gypsy Rose Records, he creates from a more real place than most. "I want to do something that means something to people," Tuk says, "because a lot of shit nowadays is so disposable and so plastic. I just don't connect with that. I'd like to do things that impact people positively. It's a weird time on the planet, so to have songs about hope, but not be cheesy about it, it's something I think we need with songwriting. That's the kind of music I want to hear." Again, there's that dichotomy he speaks of. "Rock 'n' roll is essentially the illusion of not giving a fuck, right? Like, you know Axl Rose was doing sit-ups and jump rope, and Paul Stanley was on a cardio machine, and they come out and act like it just happens. The point is I sit at that piano many hours, working on this stuff."

US Black Friday 2025 Release. There are very few albums in the psych/punk/hard rock/private presses strata that garner the sort of universal awe and accolades that Fraction’s almighty Moonblood LP does, and even fewer records in the world that could be dubbed ‘Christian Rock’ incur such fierce devotion. Indeed some records just meteorically lift themselves out any genre tag with brilliance and sheer defiance--and Moonblood is surely one of them. Based in LA, Fraction was a ragged collection of working-class musicians--the line-up was ringleader Jim Beach--vocals; Don Swanson--lead guitar, Curt Swanson--drums, Victor Hemme--bass, and Robert Meinel--rhythm guitar. Beach himself describes those early days: “The guys met through various acquaintances that we had in LA. All of us had been in bands before, but were seeking something with more teeth. We had a small studio in an industrial complex in North Hollywood and started practicing sometimes as early as 4:30 AM. We all had day jobs, so we did what we could.”

Amazingly the recording sessions for the album were recorded similarly on the fly, as Beach further states: “The Moonblood recording took place at Whitney’s Studio in Glendale, CA, early in 1971. On a strict budget, these songs were recorded in less than three hours—all of them “one takes.” We played, all 5 of us, simultaneously-- there were no studio effects, no overdubbing or any additional sound effects added. Basically what you hear is considered ‘old school’ recording.”

This workmanlike description in no way prepares one for the pure tortured genius the session wrought. Particularly noteworthy is Beach’s vocals—as commonly stated, the spirit of Jim Morrison is conjured in his deep baritone, which gives way to unparalleled pained howls, at times bathed in delay which trails into the abyss. Fascinatingly enough, Beach cites the much punker Love as his fave LA band over the Doors, and also gives influence-nods to proto-everything rockers The Yardbirds and to Dylan, whose dark word tapestries surely inspired Beach’s lyrics (though lines from The Doors’ “L’America” pop up on the LP) Whatever the case, the man clearly has a vision, as even the stark sleeve concept is Beach’s own. Equally as integral to the Fraction sound is lead guitarist Don Swanson—his blown-out fuzz riffs set a template for what is now commonly known as “stoner rock” or “acid punk,” and his solos consist of jagged, wah-wah-ed shards of notes, with his amplifier clearly pushed to the limit.

Beach says: “Don’s guitar was always my driving force and he did everything he could to keep it over the top. You’d never know that (his sound) was coming from an old, broken down Esquire. Don kept it alive!” The other members contributions shouldn’t be underappreciated though-- drummer Curt Swanson keeps things at a constant simmer, and then boils over when the whole band launches into snarling glory. The band and LP as a whole equals something indescribably intense from start to finish—comparisons to the Detroit late 60s high-energy bands like The Stooges and MC5 abound, as well as the sort of late 60s damaged spirit lurking in biker clubs and disgruntled Vietnam vets. The song cycle on side 1 of the LP in particular cuts to the emotional core, with severely charged dark lyrics like “Extend your thumbs and burn the darkness out of her.” Which brings us to the Christian aspect--it often can confuse listeners. The Fraction/Beach world of religion is complex and perhaps a bit pagan/sinister than most---fire and brimstone, temptation, and the truth-seeker being burned by this hell on earth—or perhaps as Beach himself best put it: “Speaking for myself, as a believer, it’s been a progressive experience since my childhood.

I think we’re all basically driven to live more than religion.” The album was pressed in a run of but a few hundred to little attention in the day, but now inferior bootlegs flood the marketplace, and originals of Moonblood command thousands of dollars. So enjoy this all-inclusive reissue, which also features for the first time on vinyl, 3 lost tracks-- like the more acoustic-minded “prisms” and “dawning light,” as well as the proto-metal choogle of “Intercessor’s Blues.”

2025-2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the Happy Mondays, a milestone celebration of one of Britain's most iconic and era-defining bands.

To celebrate, London Records will launch a series of special anniversary releases, beginning with a fully remastered brand-new compilation: The Factory Singles. This definitive collection captures the band's ground-breaking output from 1985-1992, celebrating their pivotal role in shaping UK music culture. Classic remixes from Paul Oakenfold, Andrew Weatherall, Terry Farley and Jon Carter make up bonus tracks on the 2CD and 2LP.

The release will be available across multiple formats, appealing to collectors and fans alike.

Complementing the physical editions, a series of brand-new digital remixes will be unveiled from world-renowned artists Daniel Avery, Paul Oakenfold, Mella Dee, and Shadow Child and more, bridging the Mondays' legacy with today's electronic innovators, and a revisit from Paul Oakenfold.

This campaign marks the beginning of an extensive celebration of the Happy Mondays' 40-year legacy, bringing their iconic sound to both devoted fans and new generations

Back again with another release for the Meeting Of The Minds series, this time with lucky number 13!

First track on this is by me & Fez The Kid, who has been regularly sending me music for years, most of which I admit to sleeping on due to the sheer volume of demos submitted to the label. But when I was able to actually check some music that he sent me, there was one tune (at the time called All Round Juggling) of his that I gave me a few ideas on how it could sound. He was thankfully up for me working on it with him & the end result is "Skin Out Crew (Magnificent Mix)", which I've been playing a lot in sets this year.

"BDC" is a track done by me & The Last Ronin (aka Stretch & Enjoy) which they had started and I was really into it because it reminded me of some of the "ruff with the smooth" ragga jungle style tracks I'd hear on labels like Slam!, Tom & Jerry, Kemet & so on. It was really fun to work on this with them & we were also able to do a 2nd collaboration, which will be coming out on the next Defender compilation on Stretch's label AKO Beatz.

Settle Down is someone that was on my list of potential collaborators for a long long time but I just kept neglecting to reach out to him about actually doing something together. I eventually got round to getting in touch with him last year for collaborating on a track for Meeting Of The Minds, so he sent me something he had started, which I added some more to & sent back to him, so that he could add the finishing touches. The end result is "Shell Of A Man", which I like because it's quite sparse & ominous, dark but not in the typical "darkside hardcore" way.

"Altitude" by me & Flex Luthor has been through quite a lot haha. He initially reached out about working on a tune together in 2021 & at the time, I was keen but already quite occupied with other artists I was collaborating with for the series, as well as contemplating ending the series on Vol. 10, due to the amount of work it takes to compile each one (which also explains why Vol. 14 is not currently ready for release yet). But around the end of 2022, he sent me a track he had done where he said that he was struggling to get any kind of bassline that he was happy with. I liked what he sent so I asked him to send the track over for me to work on, but I then sat on the track for a whole year due to other commitments before finally working on it in 2024, during a long plane ride where I had time to actually focus on it. I was able to get the track to a place we were both happy with, until it became one of the tracks of mine that got lost when my backpack was stolen a few weeks later, with my computer inside. I didn't have the backup of the project, so unfortunately, we had to master this track for release from the mp3 file of the first & only version we had of it. I think it still sounds fine though, especially as this is not the first (or only) time I've had to send mp3 files off for mastering, but yeah, what a journey this tune has had!

MAL welcomes Hiroshi Takakura aka Element & co-owner of Riddim Chango Records with a heavyweight session of deep roots mutations and dynamic steppers.

A truly unique and well loved character, Hiroshi is one of Japan’s key figures for dub wise experimentation and this release presents a decade of influence distilled into a selection that bridges Jamaican and UK lineages with a very personal slant.

The centrepiece, ‘Longest Summer Pt.1 & 2’, is a radical remake of the theme from Fruit Chan’s Hong Kong cult film. He flips the wistful, naïve melancholy of the original alongside deep bass weight and syncopated hats with a slink and roll that feels as well suited to the steaming tarmac of LA as any smoke laced, late night Blues dance.

Born from the momentum of live set preparation, the raw sketches that make up the ep were shaped into full-blown dancefloor weapons, particularly the percussion-heavy, tribal mayhem of the title track, ‘Motion Exchange’.

All in all the release captures a snapshot of heady obsessions: UK roots and dub pressure channeling echoes of Jah Shaka, Jamaican dancehall’s roughneck energy, and a wide selection of experimental electronic influences from the early 80’s to the present day.

Motion Exchange delivers a weighty steppers sound that honours its roots while pushing into bold, forward-thinking territory.

Like Element’s sets, this is music for the rig but has layers of detail that reveal themselves on repeat listens and in selector tradition, the EP offers multiple versions for extended play.

A further milestone in MAL’s journey, with Takakura charting heavy new territories in modern dub. RIYL 5 Gate Temple / Bokeh Versions / Lord Tusk / Seln etc.

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Beat Machine Records is proud to present the fifteenth chapter of its iconic Swinging Flavors series, starring Ac1d Vicious—a brutalist force in underground jungle and acid rave—backed with a remix from high-speed specialist Samurai Breaks.

“Screamer” is exactly that: a hardware-driven sonic assault that draws from 90s breakbeat chaos and acid techno ferocity. Think distorted amen breaks colliding with tortured 303 riffs, all arranged on glitchy hardware gear with no safety nets. Every snare slices through, every bass stabs deep—it’s raw, unstable, and unapologetically intense.

The B-side flips the script with Samurai Breaks’ signature footwork‐meets-jungle rework. Twitchy, fast-paced and percussively scattered, his remix injects hypermodern energy while preserving the original’s rave DNA. The two tracks together form a high-pressure 7” that captures both the nostalgia of old-school warehouse violence and the momentum of cutting-edge club experiments.

Following artists like DJ Sofa, Ornette Hawkins and naco, to name a few recent ones, Ac1d Vicious marks a new evolution for the Swinging Flavors series—one where tempo and texture are weapons, and the dancefloor is a war zone.

This release continues Beat Machine Records' mission to highlight forward-thinking club music rooted in global underground culture, with a sharp focus on physical formats and hybrid rhythms.


b b1. Screamer Samurai Breaks Remix

The collaborations between Chet Baker and Art Pepper were originally issued in such a disparity of ways that it might seem difficult at first to think about them as a coherent body of work. Their first session, for instance, was originally segmented in a variety of compilation albums, one tune each, and many times the selections were even abridged, suppressing a solo here or there.

Along with another equally splendid session, it was included in Baker and Pepper's most famous album together, Playboys, which was also released under the title picture of heath. At the time, both Baker and Pepper were at their peaks, which is to say that each was playing as much or more on his instrument than anyone in jazz.

Kevin Sery is the ambient guitarist behind From Overseas and now returns with a brilliant follow-up and stylistic evolution of his 2020 debut, Home. This one was inspired by fatherhood and the artist's studies in environmental philosophy, which is why the eight luminous soundscapes feel both intimate and immense. Layers of shimmering guitar, airy drones and organic resonance add up to a sonic meditation on awe that cannot help but have a profound effect. From the cascading beauty of 'Appalaches' to the radiant calm of 'Infinite,' this is ambient music that is too emotional and cinematic to be simply left playing in the background. It's a contemplative heavyweight that demands and rewards your full attention.

Straight out of the local mud of the city of Antwerp comes dancing this next Souvenirs from Imaginary Cities slab of free-flowing bits of electronic wonder : Schönen Abend by Simon B. Just in time to ease you out of this endless winter and right into springtime. Like the previous hit by Purple Uncle, this flower takes some time to bloom and fill up your head and body with it's ear wormy fragrance.

It's hazy and cinematic, makes you think of Italian electronic pioneers and their library magic, Patrick Cowley's School Daze and Haruomi Hosono in some kind of gothic manner. It's quite stripped and lush at the same time, rhythms like minimal mechanics make you fly above the river and land just outside reality. It's a nice place where soft jazz tingles right around the dark corner, and that particular mix of exotica and melancholia — the trademark of this port city's best electronic auteurs is definitely in the air. The river still shines, but she’s deeply poisoned. The old town has lost every bit of fresh air but keeps on digging for old gold. This bitter pill is served with delicacy and lightness, the wound is dressed up seductively — feet in the mud, head in the air. Stuff is sensuous, with quiet places reminding of the good side of those times when the big wheel stopped turning ever so madly. A strange quietness whistles through the leaves. Some things take time to unfold. In or out of C.

Four years in the making, this is the solo debut LP of Simon B, a longtime contributor to Antwerp's improvised music scene (Groovecats Deluxe, Wij Blij Trio ). Primarily a double bass player, he also has a deep-felt passion for offbeat electronica and the rainbowy side of American minimalism, which takes front here. The smoky voice on the last track belongs to Nina-Joy Thielemans, Nina-Joy is part of Particals, a trio working with live electronics and field recordings, releasing an lp on Ultra Eczema later this year. Furthermore, you can hear the tenor and soprano saxophone of Adia Van Heerentals on 4 tracks, deepening out Simon's naturally flowing compositions and playing around with his melodies. You may know her from Bodem and her strong presence in the Belgian jazz scene lately.

Simon's electroacoustic experiments — using a clarinet and some outboard effects — were important tools in finding the very specific colour of this record. There's this airy character, like wind blowing through old layers of bricks and over the river, anchored with a deep sense of bass, gathering ages of dust and memories in these eight elegantly wobbling tracks, forming a perfect whole that’s really coming together in one deep listening from A to Z.

The centrepiece is perhaps Come to Me, instrumental and reprise with vocals, but no fillers on this one. Every part of the mystery is needed to come to its end and back again. It's a record that works in the morning, to open up a day and in the quiet corners of the night, with it's sleazy quirkiness, smiling towards you from the right corner of the eye. A perfect compagnon for your long-form wandering habits, light reflections on a wet surface obsessions, coffee slurping in the morning and the forgotten art of beachcombing. Quite essential these days, witnessing a world going apeshit.

Previously we’ve mentioned influences from the 1970s self-reflective work of Nick Drake & John Martyn to the lovelorn tragedy of troubadours such as Elliott Smith and Jeff Buckley creating a fusion of 1960s/70s folk and blues.

Now Cardiff-based indie folk singer-songwriter Ivan Moult returns with his most personal work to date, Stood Out In The Storm, due to be released on November 7th through Bubblewrap (home to The Gentle Good). The album follows the acclaimed Songs From Severn Grove (2023), which drew praise for its warmth, intricacy and timeless songwriting, cementing Ivan’s reputation as one of Wales’ most compelling contemporary voices.

While Songs From Severn Grove captured moments of renewal and joy - written in lockdown and
during the early days of fatherhood - its follow-up takes a braver, more vulnerable step. Stood Out
In The Storm was written in the aftermath of a personal crisis and charts Ivan’s gradual process of
healing and recovery. The record traverses darkness and light, despair and resilience, offering a
deeply honest exploration of fragility, survival and hope.

Ivan’s signature sound remains at the core: a seamless blend of 1960s/70s folk and blues infused
with modern textures, drawing influence from John Martyn, the late great Terry Reid and Ry
Cooder. On Stood Out In The Storm, that familiar intimacy is expanded with a greater presence
of guitars and organs, adding new depth and urgency to the sound. As with his previous records,
Ivan wrote, played, recorded and mixed the album at his Cardiff home studio, and the record sits
as a companion piece to Songs From Severn Grove.

Over the years, Ivan has gained support from BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio Wales and KLOF
(Formerly Folk Radio UK), earned festival slots at Cornbury Festival, Festival of Voice and Sŵn,
and shared stages with the likes of This Is The Kit, Becca Mancari and Willy Mason. Now, with
Stood Out In The Storm (out November 7th), he offers his most powerful and affecting work yet –
an album born of struggle, but defined by resilience.

“Exquisite”- Folk Radio UK 

“Beautiful” - Huw Stephens, BBC Radio

“Utterly wonderful” - Adam Walton, BBC Radio Wales

”There is a wonderful delicateness that resonates through Ivan’s heartfelt lyrics, deamy music and vocals. Ivan is able to take listeners on their own journey of growth through his soft melodies and blissful atmosphere”
- Amplify The Noise

Fronted by Dutch-born singer and songwriter Michelle Hindriks, the band evolved into a duo in the studio with the addition of drummer Tim Spencer. CIEL's sound is both atmospheric and urgent-- heavy guitars, pulsing basslines, and driving rhythms providing the backdrop for Hindriks' haunting yet intimate vocals.

Think of a sound that sits somewhere between the hazy allure of Slowdive, the urgency of Wolf Alice, and the brooding cool of The Cure-- ethereal yet punchy, nostalgic yet fresh, and leaving room for wonky sound experiments through the use of vintage synths and samples. Visual art has as much a place in the world of CIEL too, where paintings and images can show you a different place and make you wonder about the environment, the characters, what is their story? Such as the work of Tilo Baumgartel; sometimes beautiful and strangely dreamlike, sometimes dark and nightmarish, but always mysterious. Having toured extensively and gained strong support from platforms such as BBC Radio 6 Music (A- list rotation), BBC Radio 1, Clash, and DIY, the band continues to push their sound forward. After two EPs and having toured the EU with Blood Red Shoes, in December 2024, CIEL joined The Jesus and Mary Chain on their full UK tour, further cementing their place as one of Brighton's most exciting rising acts.

On a "Balearic-Jazz trip", the phenomenally hyped Thought Leadership returns with another X ideas: the deck this time chooses the Ace of Swords. In the acclaim garnered by III of Pentacles, there were many whispers of “Balearic” from those in the know. As soon as you drop the needle on XI you will be basking in turbo Balearica.

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

The sonic palate has been augmented by the addition of synth and bass; there are more guitar layers, more pedals and more organic drums this time – a much fuller production. Still DIY, and still recorded straight to multitrack, just ever so slightly grander in scale; think a rough-hewn, long-lost Claremont 56 cut and you’ll have some idea of how XI opens this future classic LP.

The touchstones so key to the vision of Pentacles (Cocteau Twins, Dif Juz, Durutti Column) are all still present and correct; XII could be a piece from Extractions, XIII is pure Garlands-era Guthrie and, now with the shuffling jazz drums, XV makes TL even more LC – but more disparate influences are found this time out too. ECM guitar legends John Abercrombie and Pat Metheny in the more considered melodic phrasing and harmonic structure of the ideas and a nod to the cosmic Balearic spirit in the overall vibe, means more is offered to the listener across Swords.

XVI and XVII are the biggest indicators to Thought Leaderships’ new found love of The Real Book and their grasp of jazz chords. The former sounds like if Mike Hedges had produced on a heavily sedated ECM date in the early 80s, whilst the latter is Bright Size Life condensed into a most post-punk shard of Strat conversation. The syrupy Phase 90 on the lead parts lends much weight to the guitar melodies, a beautiful tonal counterpoint to the Vox-ish chimes of the plangent chords we’ve all come to love.

The flip again treats us to three extended, improvised jams. XVIII owes as much to Canterbury as it does to Krautrock, another modal voyage through the stars. Light the incense and drift away, guided by delayed cymbals and weaving ribbons of guitar. XIX has almost a New-Wave/Sophisti-Pop energy to it in tone, if not in structure and execution. Something almost Tears for Fears-esque in the chiming chorus guitars. An interesting outlier that has already received a lot of love from those that have heard it. XX is the starkest idea, and the only piece this time with no drums. What we do get, however, is a free exploration over a two chord-vamp. It’s Harvest Time meets Planet Caravan and a fitting end to this Balearic jazz trip.

Be With is honoured to present the first ever vinyl release of Ace Of Swords, carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francis to ensure it sounds better than ever after its initial tape release. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut at Abbey Road Studios whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry, in Holland. The original tape cover artwork, so crucial to Thought Leadership's striking visual aesthetic, has been rejigged for vinyl issue here at Be With.

The last one flew. You have been warned.

Scuba channels timeless, euphoric energy on his Crosstown Rebels debut, ‘GetUppp’. The Hotflush boss delivers two tracks crafted for the later hours, set for release on 21st November 2025.

Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels welcomes electronic pioneer Scuba for his first appearance on the label with ‘GetUppp’, a two-track release that fuses the UK artist’s trademark low-end pressure with the euphoric pulse of house. The title track glides on slinking percussion, interwoven with subtle soulful vocal nuances, building an irresistible groove that climbs steadily toward full dance-floor release. On the flip, ‘406 Dub’ dives deeper, a stripped, head-down workout that channels the tension and space of dub techno into something hypnotic, trippy, and captivating.
A producer who has continually defied convention, Paul Rose, aka Scuba, has shaped the direction of underground music for over two decades. From his formative role in the UK’s dubstep movement to his era-defining SUB:STANCE residency at Berghain, he’s evolved through techno, house, and beyond while steering his influential Hotflush Recordings imprint - the launchpad for artists like Mount Kimbie and Joy Orbison. He has also delivered critically acclaimed mixes for DJ Kicks, Fabric, and Ostgut Ton, cementing his reputation as one of electronic music’s most astute tastemakers.
Following his acclaimed Digital Underground live tour across 2024, and his latest headline run across Asia with shows in Kyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo, Koh Phangan, Singapore, Danang, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing, Scuba returns with fresh energy on ‘GetUppp’ - a record that captures the forward-thinking sound that has made him one of underground electronic music’s most influential figures.

"PROG-ROCK LEGENDS SPOCK’S BEARD ARRIVE ON MADFISH WITH NEW ALBUM THE ARCHAEOPTIMIST. GATEFOLD 2LP VERSION, PRESSED ON RED VINYL. “mad time signatures, impossible harmonies, intense arrangements…sensational”
THE PROG REPORT “a true heir of the legacy of bands as Yes, Gentle Giant, Pink Floyd & old Genesis…a truly fascinating voyage.” METAL TEMPLE If Spock’s Beard have taught us anything over their 30+ years in the business, it’s that they have no interest in becoming their own tribute act. The Archaeoptimist - their latest offering & first release on Madfish - is not a retreat into old habits, but a recalibration. Just when you think they’re settling in, they kick the walls out instead. At the centre of this particular storm is Ryo Okumoto, whose fingerprints are all over the album - not just as a performer, but as a driving creative force. Teaming up with co-writer Michael Whiteman (I Am the Manic Whale) & longstanding bandmembers Alan Morse & Ted Leonard, Ryo has helped shape an album that is undeniably Spock’s Beard with a characteristic wry smile to boot. The album was produced by Okumoto & recorded at each band member’s respective home studios. Esteemed producer Rich Mouser (Dream Theater/Weezer) takes up the mixing & mastering duties. Over more than 30 years, Spock’s Beard have established themselves as one of modern progressive music’s most exciting & consistent acts, with live shows as renowned as their studio work & tours that draw sold-out audiences across the globe. Their albums regularly chart worldwide, with 2018’s Noise Floor reaching #3 on the UK Official Rock & Metal Chart & #6 on the Official Progressive Albums Chart.

Fragments was a completely new way of working for us. We’ve always worked with an internal brief, creating documents, pictures and videos, simply because keeping an idea on track with three individuals can be difficult. It's easy for someone to be edged out of the creative process when the focus is not clearly defined.
It’s a formula we’ve used since the early 2000s, but things have changed a lot since then, particularly when we decided to dip our collective toes into supporter memberships with Patreon. It made us think about what we could do directly for our support- ers rather than just the next album or project. At first, the whole thing felt odd and uncomfortable, but we decided that we’d try a few things and ask for feedback.
"Fragments" was initially a way for us to see how we could include others in an ongoing creative process. There was no over-arching concept, no defined characteristics or purpose, just the promise that there would be at least one new track for members to download every month. Consequently, we never knew what was coming next, so the old, very focused working method was irrelevant. It was difficult for us to let individual tracks go without knowing what was coming next, but this also made the project more interesting.
And then C19 hit and we were forced to continue the project remotely from our home studios. As difficult as the disruption was, it was during this period that we realised we could re-organise and remaster the individual tracks into a coherent album, captur- ing a specific moment in time and drawing a line under the first phase of the project.
Like our "Allegory" EPs, we’ve tried to keep everything stripped back. We used to hide many subtle elements within the layers, but not so much this time.
Fragments is our journey through many changes, both self-im- posed and those imposed upon us, and it ultimately led us to create things differently. We hope you like it.




b A2















r D1 b Yes Hello (Remastered BONUS) 1:53
s D2 No JuJu (Man Power Version - Remastered BONUS) 4:27
t D3 Cup Noodle (Unemployed Youth Version - Remastered [BONUS]) 5:43
[u] D4 Black Smoke (They Never Got Started) (Remastered [BONUS]) 2:18
[v] D5 Concrete Concentration (Remastered [BONUS]) 3:21
[b] They All Live In The Past (Remastered [BONUS]) 1:06

A decade after its original release, Flako"s seminal debut album Natureboy returns for its first-ever reissue on vinyl in a special 10th anniversary edition. In 2015, Natureboy emerged as a rare bloom in the electronic underground - a record that defied genre and expectation. Hailed by Bleep as "one of the most startlingly unique and original releases" and crowned their Album of the Year, it still stands as one of the most singular, emotive, and genre-defying releases of its era.

In 2023, k.d.b lived in a crumbling farmhouse on the edge of the River Maas. Each morning, he’d wake at 6:00 and walk along the river’s bank with his dogfriend Miemel, pausing at sunrise for a cup of coffee.

It’s 6:34, and a thick rug of mist rolls out across the river. It’s so dense that k.d.b can’t see the water beneath it. Then comes the sun: a single ray cutting through the mist like a tube of light, landing on Miemel’s face. In her mouth is a CD she’s picked up, and on the CD is the title Instrumental Romance.

'What is Instrumental Romance?' thinks k.d.b. 'Romantic instrumentals? Or a romance used instrumentally? As in, a romance used to get something—like love?'

Miemel drops the CD and turns her attention to a stray purple grape on the path. Grapes are poisonous to dogs, and as she bends toward it, k.d.b. shouts, “NO!” At that precise moment, a large fish rises from the mist. It launches into the air, mouth wide open, and hangs there above the clouds. His shout, having traveled across the river, bounces back towards k.d.b with a “NO,” and in perfect synchrony, it appears the fish is also shouting at Miemel. The timing is so perfect, they can’t be sure it isn’t.

The fish falls back down, entering its watery world with an eerie, splashless silence, leaving k.d.b and Miemel standing open-mouthed on the bank. Before they can register the perfection of this duet, another fish (or maybe the same one again) rises from the mist in the exact same spot and launches into the air. Without thinking, k.d.b shouts again. The word “ROMANCE” comes out. This time, however, he is slightly too late, and the word is too long, so “ROMANCE” lingers on after the fish has already fallen back down.

'What even is romance?' thinks k.d.b. 'The construction of mystery or excitement with dead red flowers and timing?'

A foghorn sounds behind him, and k.d.b turns 180 degrees to see a boat moving freight, right to left, along the River Maas. 'That’s strange', he thinks. 'If the river is there, then what’s that behind me, below the mist?'

Staring at the boat and its shipping containers as they float out of sight, k.d.b imagines a man. The man is standing at the bottom of a small valley, holding a fish. 'Who is this man, and what does he want?'

- Jacob Dwyer

Body Language Vol. 27 marks the return of Get Physical's landmark series, curated this time by Dutch producer Helsloot. Since its launch in the early 2000s with curators like Dixon, Modeselektor, and DJ Hell, Body Language has become one of the most respected compilation formats in electronic music - a series that captures moments in club culture while pointing to the future.

For this new chapter, Helsloot brings his melodic and emotional touch to the project, weaving together exclusive originals, collaborations, and carefully chosen reinterpretations. A special highlight is his remix of the legendary "Body Language" by M.A.N.D.Y. vs. Booka Shade, which bridges the series' heritage with its modern vision.

Across four sides, Helsloot balances intimate songwriting with dancefloor energy, joined by guests including Richard Judge, Pete Josef, Sailor & I, and Beacon. The result is both a personal artistic statement and a continuation of the Body Language legacy - a timeless journey designed for deep listening as well as club play.

I first remember meeting Eminence in 2019, at one of her Upraw events she was doing at the time in Leeds (now taking place in Bristol). She had booked me & Coco Bryce to play & since then, we kept in contact and she would send me her music that she was working on.

Last year, I heard that she had collaborations on the go with both Dwarde & Kid Lib, which made me curious about how those tunes would sound & when she sent me early previews of them, I was very keen on getting them for the label. It took quite a while for both of these collabs to get finished but eventually, after many back & forth between Eminence & both artists, we reached a point where everyone was happy (I think!) with the end results.

I was asked by Priori (a producer based in Montreal) who runs a label called NAFF about doing a remix of this tune called "First Step To Peace" by Sabola. I did the remix that month & both him & Sabola were pleased with how it sounded and it got the go ahead for release (should be out at some point soon!)

In February, I had a gig in Montreal where I was able to meet both of them beforehand to hang out and chat about music and such & getting to know Sabola in person, I realised that he had more interest in & knowledge about jungle than I had initially assumed. Also, he was occasionally producing jungle tunes, but none of them had been released before.

I asked him to send me some of what he had been working on & when he sent me "Close Your Eyes", I knew straight away that I needed to get him on the label in some form. I signed that track instantly and then waited for him to work on some more music for a Future Retro London release, which then resulted in "Give You Some Space" & that was all I needed.

In the end, I decided that rather than doing 2 separate 10" releases for the collabs Eminence had done with Dwarde & Kid Lib and the tracks that Sabola had made, it would be more practical to combine them into a split 12" EP release & here we are.

Big up to Eminence for her collabs (as well as her putting up with my constant chasing up of progress for the release), to Dwarde & Kid Lib for their work on the collaborations, to Sabola for his excellent work on his two tracks & to Priori for introducing me to his music.

The perfect accompaniment to that deep fall feeling, Frank Maston's beloved 2025 single finally gets its long overdue vinyl release! As our friends New Commute articulated beautifully, "Foreign Affairs" drifts through London fog and Paris shimmer, its avant-lounge glow wrapping each melody in a wistful ache. On B-side "Liaison," ghostly strings and a solitary piano paint a deserted twilight shoreline, Pacôme Henry's distinct 16mm cinematography hovering nearby." We've pressed just 500 of these gorgeous records so, be quick, Maston always flies.

Originally written for a film Maston was scoring in 2024, he decided to keep it aside for himself. And, well, us all. The song has a vibe Maston has previously flirted with; he wanted to dive in...all the way: "The arrangement is huge, definitely the biggest I've written, and it merited live musicians playing together. Also another experiment, to do it with all live musicians playing my arrangements. I wanted to make something that you'd want to put on when you bring a date back to your place. It's on the edge of sappy but that's sort of the point. I decided to give myself an unlimited budget - just spend whatever was necessary to get the right musicians and record it the best way possible."

It's this dedication to sonic perfection which Maston is rightly lauded for. We couldn't not put this on a cute wee 7" when we heard it.

The A side, "Foreign Affairs", is a brilliant, Bacharach-esque romp with a bit of that unapologetically romantic Morricone angle. Says Frank: "I was trying to synthesize that sort of jazzy/sexy/classy/romantic mature sound, where the edginess is in these surprising chord changes and subtle arrangement cues."

A wonderful complement, the flipside "Liaison", evokes Martin Denny, but Eden's Island was in Frank's head, too. He wanted to take a deep dive into that exotica sound - a genre he'd referenced a bit but never fully committed to - so the piece is lavished with those big sighing strings and a pretty lush arrangement. Happily, it all sounds super rich. Also, "Umiliani is always a reference for this sort of thing (Il Corpo etc.), That almost mechanical arrangement of things moving together and a simple melody over it (something I nicked from Ennio)".

The two songs were recorded in Paris and London in the summer of 2024. Aside from the rhythm section and piano, there's vibraphone, a full string section, trombones and alto and concert flutes. "Liaison" boasts strings, vibraphone, a female choir and tenor sax. Maston played piano and acoustic guitar but that's it (as opposed to playing basically everything on Tulips). His friend Oscar Sholto Robertson played drums and percussion whilst Maston mainstay Elie Ghersinu (formerly of L'Eclair) played bass.

The theme for a lot of Maston's titles is that they have two meanings. So "Foreign Affairs" is both a reference to him living abroad and the idea of constant cultural diplomacy and then there's this sexy/cheeky interpretation of foreign affairs in a literal way - "an affair abroad, ooh la la!". The artwork for this 7" single has Roman campaign flags, referencing the foreign affairs in sort of a sassy way. There's a violence implied. But then if you look from a bit of a distance it looks like a bouquet of flowers. So Frank thought it went with the spirit of the title. Also, he's used a lot of roman motifs now so he kept that theme going, even with the terracotta cover.

This is a vitally important project for our Frank. He explains why, here: "For whatever reason, these songs really resonated with me. I feel like they are either the end of a stylistic era for me or the beginning of a new one. They're sonically the culmination of what I'd been working towards and trying to get better at since I started. If I heard this when I was making Tulips I would have said "YES! *This* is what I want to be doing!". So that's the essence of it. It's a statement and the intended reaction is "This is really good, but why now?". Like the edge to it is the context of someone making this sort of thing in 2025, which I think is a huge strength. The real heads will get it. My music always has like a 2-3 year latency until people really catch onto it, and these ones will have a nice payoff I think."

We couldn't put it better ourselves. So we haven't.

As trans-Atlantic alchemists pulling from a shared dialectic that somehow encompassed both postmodern deconstructionist tendencies and a delightfully subversive sense of poptimism, it’s easy to see how David Cunningham and Peter Gordon immediately hit it off upon initially meeting each other back in the late-1970s at the height of their youthful transgressions. Having initially worked together on the second Flying Lizards’ LP fourth wall, with its ingenious fusion of dismantled rhythms and rearranged melodies juxtaposed against the slyly sultry singing of Snatch’s Patti Palladin— with Gordon adding a few sprinkles of mischievous sax in the mix— it’s no wonder the collaboration would lead to further musical adventures.

Which leads us directly to the genesis of The Yellow Box. Embarking on a collaborative exercise in the structural repurposing of music as untethered puzzle pieces in need of rearrangement with no predetermined outcomes, the duo gave birth to a project that would see them move through both time and recording studios across Europe, taking nearly two years from 1981-1983 to complete. Enlisting the great Anton Fier on drums from The Feelies/Lounge Lizards nexus and John Greaves on bass from Henry Cow/Soft Heap lore to round out their dueling creative counterparts, the album would be something of a lost treasure until its eventual release on Cunningham’s Piano imprint in 1996.

Cinematic in scope, and filled with drifting drones, beautiful counter-melodies, eery minimalism, Kraftwerkian synthesizers, looped voices, skronky interludes, and other shifting undercurrents of sound, it was an album that utilized both a diverse array of expressive languages, as well as early sampling techniques and prepared instruments, well before most people were thinking in such expansive, integrated terms at the dawn of the 80’s. But such is life at the vanguard of new music. And one of the reasons that it likely sat on the shelf for so long before finally being released well over a decade later. Like a sparser, less groove-oriented version of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, or a more radical take on the experimental work of Can’s Holger Czukay, The Yellow Box stands at the crossroads of time and technology, fusing multiple strands of musical thought and compositional techniques into a disjointed whole that somehow still comes off as a conceptually complete record.

Now, here it is again, over 40 years later, with perhaps even more historical resonance than it had before, remade and remodeled just waiting to be rediscovered again.

Unchained is the long-standing guitar-based project of Nate Davis, originally from Providence, RI, and based in France for over a decade. In his two most recent LPs—Gabbeh (2024, A Colourful Storm) and Frontalier (2025, Stern Records)—Davis strives to describe a new path for outsider jazz instrumentalism that remains committed to harmonic and rhythmic form while placing greater emphasis on sonic texture through experimental production techniques.

Release Description:

Unchained—a name which at the project's inception or on earlier recordings spoke perhaps to the ecstatic saturation of high gain guitar—has over the past three albums (N.D. Visitor, Pic, and Gabbeh) come to represent more and more an acknowledgement of and sensitive remove from a crashing world. An excuse of oneself from trend towards a siloed artistic development.

On Frontalier, Nate Davis crosses further into this patient personal lexicon of guitar composition, presenting a new set of richly developed songs and leaps in arrangement which may very well shock Unchained fans the world over. The sympathetic geometric guitar themes of the earlier second-period Unchained style are almost entirely absent, making way for a fully realized presentation of the jazz, MPB, and fusion influence present to varying degrees on the previous three albums. Davis's keen sense of melody and songcraft have never been stronger, here landing on music which is at moments evocative of Wes Montgomery, Allan Holdsworth, Jobim, or the jazzier impulses of Lô Borges. Distinct in Davis's music, however, is what these references might belie: an innate tending towards repetition as an affective tool—one which has less to do with the aesthetics of the scene from which the project emerged than it does with devotional prayer. In this way it feels as if Unchained has always been music for living. What was once a maximalist expression of youth has matured into the sound of living with and in the world and an empathic transmuting of all the joy, disappointment, and ambivalence that comes with it. Songs that feel like the sort of thinking one does looking out the window on a long train ride, or the routinism of internal and external life and the breaking out of it. As much as it will be recognized by the fandom as a significant step forward, Frontalier serves also as a perfect gateway for new listeners to the singular music of Unchained.

Hikmah is an astonishing solo piano work from virtuosic and far-ranging
sound scientist; deep and compassionate thinker and musical treasure: Pat
Thomas
Pat Thomas was Born in Oxford, UK to Antiguan parents on July 27, 1960.
Interestingly, just over 4 months separate his birth to that of fellow modern piano
master Matthew Shipp (Dec 7, 1960) - whose The Piano Equation was TAO Forms
inaugural release. Thomas is most certainly among the Black Mystery School Pianists
of which Shipp elucidates in the title essay of his recently published first book.
Eight thoroughly focused improvised and otherwise compositions recorded at Fish
Factory studio in London. The album's title, Hikmah, means "wisdom" in Arabic. The
title is also presented in two different forms of Arabic calligraphic script on the cover
artwork. This album brings the information. The vibrantly living jazz tradition and new
modes of expression in abundance are brought forth from a lifetime of work and a
decades long devotion to Sufism, understanding that the practice and performance of
this music is an elemental form of spiritual practice. As William Parker writes in the
liner notes, "the music becomes the prophet and the prayer all in one gesture." And,
"If you haven't yet heard the music of Pat Thomas, get hip to it quickly."
Attuned American audiences are most likely to have become familiar with Pat
Thomas through his work with the quartet [Ahmed] , whom over recent years have
amazed with their mesmeric, long-form explorations on the compositions of Ahmed
Abdul-Malik, and more recently, Thelonious Monk. Their debut US performance took
place in March 2025, and TAO Forms were lucky members of the rapt audience at
Roulette in Brooklyn that night; the group flew to Knoxville the next day to perform to
an equally rapt audience at Big Ears.
Available on 6- panel digipak CD printed on heavyweight board, with liner notes by
William Parker and LP with insert featuring liner notes by William Parker & Pat
Thomas Discography + download card. Ltd edition of 500.

Waxwork Records is thrilled to announce the exclusive release of the WEAPONS Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, in proud collaboration with New Line Cinema and WaterTower Music. Scored by Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay, and director Zach Cregger, this haunting and immersive album accompanies the highly anticipated mystery-horror film WEAPONS.

Written, produced, and directed by Zach Cregger (Barbarian), WEAPONS tells the chilling story of seventeen children from the same classroom who vanish into the night—each fleeing their homes at 2:17 AM, drawn by an unseen force toward an unknown destination. Their simultaneous disappearance baffles authorities and sets the stage for one of the year’s most unsettling cinematic experiences.

The WEAPONS soundtrack captures the eerie atmosphere and emotional intensity of the film with original compositions from the Holladay brothers and Cregger. From minimal ambient textures to deeply unsettling orchestral crescendos, the score is both gripping and unforgettable.

Waxwork Records is thrilled to announce the exclusive release of the WEAPONS Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, in proud collaboration with New Line Cinema and WaterTower Music. Scored by Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay, and director Zach Cregger, this haunting and immersive album accompanies the highly anticipated mystery-horror film WEAPONS.

Written, produced, and directed by Zach Cregger (Barbarian), WEAPONS tells the chilling story of seventeen children from the same classroom who vanish into the night—each fleeing their homes at 2:17 AM, drawn by an unseen force toward an unknown destination. Their simultaneous disappearance baffles authorities and sets the stage for one of the year’s most unsettling cinematic experiences.

The WEAPONS soundtrack captures the eerie atmosphere and emotional intensity of the film with original compositions from the Holladay brothers and Cregger. From minimal ambient textures to deeply unsettling orchestral crescendos, the score is both gripping and unforgettable.

"Straight up, no one is having more fun than me when we"re up there!" beams DRAIN frontman Sammy Ciaramitaro, whose face is perpetually glued in a grin. For anyone that"s seen the Santa Cruz hardcore firebrands live, there"s no mistaking that fact. DRAIN isn"t just a good time as Sammy presides over the chaos of stage diving bodies and mic-grabbing frontline; it"s a party-and everyone is invited. (Dolphin shorts and boogie boards are optional but encouraged.) "The vibe of it is, enthusiastic, hectic," says the vocalist. "Five people deep singing and stagediving, then kids going berserk behind that. It"s a great vibe and I think people pick up on that." That, in a nutshell is DRAIN. The trio inject a serious dose of relatability-not to mention catchiness-into hardcore"s penchant for toughness and brutality on their new Epitaph album, ...IS YOUR FRIEND. Ciaramitaro"s desperate, snotty howl rides roughshod over thrash-leaning riffage as rhythms bounce in a big way. If you"re picturing the Pacific Ocean waves that rise and fall along the coastal town, occasionally violently so, you"re not far off.

"Straight up, no one is having more fun than me when we"re up there!" beams DRAIN frontman Sammy Ciaramitaro, whose face is perpetually glued in a grin. For anyone that"s seen the Santa Cruz hardcore firebrands live, there"s no mistaking that fact. DRAIN isn"t just a good time as Sammy presides over the chaos of stage diving bodies and mic-grabbing frontline; it"s a party-and everyone is invited. (Dolphin shorts and boogie boards are optional but encouraged.) "The vibe of it is, enthusiastic, hectic," says the vocalist. "Five people deep singing and stagediving, then kids going berserk behind that. It"s a great vibe and I think people pick up on that." That, in a nutshell is DRAIN. The trio inject a serious dose of relatability-not to mention catchiness-into hardcore"s penchant for toughness and brutality on their new Epitaph album, ...IS YOUR FRIEND. Ciaramitaro"s desperate, snotty howl rides roughshod over thrash-leaning riffage as rhythms bounce in a big way. If you"re picturing the Pacific Ocean waves that rise and fall along the coastal town, occasionally violently so, you"re not far off.