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Seit 1989 liefert Desaster ihren eigenen unheiligen Mix aus extremem Metal ab - 2025 kehren sie mit Kill All Idols zurück. "Churches Without Saints war ein typisches Desaster-Black-Death-Thrash-Album, Kill All Idols etwas vielfältiger", erklärt Gitarrist und Gründungsmitglied Infernal. "Natürlich steht es für unseren klassischen Black/Thrash-Stil, aber diesmal hört man auch unsere Punk-Wurzeln deutlicher."Kill All Idols ist das zweite Album mit derselben Besetzung - live und im Studio zeigt sich, wie gut die Chemie stimmt. "Unser Drummer Hont ist live ein Wahnsinniger, privat ein ruhiger Typ. Technisch ist er uns fast überlegen - wir haben überlegt, ihm die Finger zu brechen, damit er sich anpasst!", witzelt Sänger Sataniac. Zum Albumtitel sagt Sataniac: "Alle 'Vorbilder' - ob politisch, religiös oder wirtschaftlich - verfolgen nur ihre eigenen Machtinteressen. Der Titel ist eine Einladung, selbst zu denken. Aufgenommen wurde wieder im eigenen Proberaum mit ihrem Live-Mischer Janosch Gensheimer. Gemischt und gemastert hat Greg Wilkinson (Autopsy) in Kalifornien. Infernal: "Wir wollten testen, wer unseren Sound 2025 am besten umsetzt. Greg hat uns einen neuen Klang gegeben, der zwar etwas untypisch ist, aber perfekt passt. Mit dem Ergebnis sind wir selten so zufrieden gewesen.

It’s been ten years since Drew Lustman aka FaltyDL last released on Planet Mu. In the meantime he's been running his own label Blueberry Records, been in-house producer for Mykki Blanco and has become a dad. The best things come out of play and it was Drew’s relationship with his young daughter that switched on this playful side of his music. The album in question, ‘Neurotica,’ expresses Drew’s fun in creating such energetic pieces people will want to move to. It's a dizzying sugar-rush at a high-speed bounce; the music is fresh and inviting and most important of all, joyful."Summer of ’24, we were in Catalonia. My girl, our young daughter, the old folks. Days by the village pool, afternoons on the dirtbike. At night, I made salads. Simple things. Good things. One afternoon, lying back, phone in hand, I saw a friend post a GRWM. The music behind it stopped me. A song grabbed hold. The track was ‘Secret’ by Mietze Conte, which is fast-paced euro-pop dance music, like soft fluffy gabber with childlike vocals. I hunted down the full version. Played it again. And again. Twenty times over the next few days. It unlocked something. The best music does that. Like the first time I heard Burial. Had to know what was happening under the surface. That time, it led to ‘Love Is A Liability’ in 2009. This time, it led to ‘Neurotica.’“ “I started to record, getting down fast, bright, sugar-rush sounds. 185 to 200 BPM. I wrote them quick—half a day per track. In between, I slowed things down. Gave space for breath. Mike Paradinas helped shape the album, his ear guiding the flow. I tested the tracks. Played them for kids barely out of diapers and grown folks who still move like they are. It worked, on all ages. I kept it simple. Only two rules: keep it moving and don’t look at my phone. Cut the vocals like I used to.” ‘Neurotica’ is FaltyDL with his mojo refreshed, a new life squared, do yourself a favour, crack a smile and feel the joy.

"In 1995 In The Red released the Cheater Slicks fourth full length album, Don’t Like You. The band, based in Boston at the time, travelled to New York to record at Jerry Teel’s Funhouse studio with Jon Spencer acting as producer. The result was a completely over the top noisefest that remains one of my favorite ITR releases to this day. Admittedly, Jon’s production was heavy-handed and extreme but, I thought it suited the band and this material well. "Prior to the recording the band demoed their material at a couple of different eight track studios in Boston. The demos showed that the band had enough material for an album that would be (in my opinion) their strongest to date. When the album was released it was very well received but there was a small number of people close to the band and myself who were critical of Jon’s production and preferred the straight forward recording of the demos. "With vinyl for Don’t Like You being out of print for decades I figured the album’s 30th anniversary was a good time for a re-release and to finally release the demos as well. I think both stand the test of time." – Larry Hardy

Buh Records presents Primera Secuencia, the debut album by Ballet Mecánico, the project of Fernando Pinzás. After his time in the synth-punk band Varsovia, Pinzás embarks on a new phase as a solo artist and producer, exploring electronic styles from the 1980s like synthpop, Hi-NRG, Italo disco, and techno pop. The album blends synthesizers, programmed sequences, and pulsating basslines to create a nostalgic yet danceable soundscape. Set against the backdrop of the pandemic and social movements in Peru, each track tells a story, featuring guest vocalists from the Peruvian independent scene, including Susana Fátima (Gomas), Noelia Cabrera (Blue Velvet, Silveria), Kat Kathia, Luxsie, Luminiscencia, Anabhell (Las Ratapunks), Laura Rosales (Solenoide), and Elva Cío (Specto Caligo). Singles No Cederé and Testamento define the project's dark and ethereal pop aesthetic. No Cederé, featuring Susana Fátima, critiques societal notions of success over an Italo disco and Hi-NRG beat. The track includes a remix by Italoconnection, the duo of Fred Ventura and Paolo Gozzetti, who take it into a hypnotic, spacey realm. Testamento, with Luminiscencia, reflects on the emotional weight of the pandemic, blending synthpop and ethereal pop. Other standout tracks include La ciudad de los incendios, a dystopian vision of Lima with dark disco rhythms, and Como la última vez, a synthpop-driven, melancholic song featuring Noelia Cabrera.

Multi-award winner Jack Garratt makes his very welcomed return with the announcement of third album Pillars - out on Cooking Vinyl. Marking his first full-length project in five years, Pillars is vibrant, emotionally charged and a celebration of love, community, and self-discovery. Pillars is a testament to Jack"s evolution as an artist and individual. Following the release of his 2020 album "Love, Death & Dancing" Jack found himself yearning to reconnect with his fans and his craft. This album is his answer: a bold, unflinching exploration of love in all its forms - romantic, platonic, and self-love - woven into a tapestry of lush melodies, infectious beats, and heartfelt storytelling. Since winning the Brits" Critics" Choice Award and the BBC Sound Of poll in 2016, Jack Garratt has released two critically acclaimed albums, Phase (2016) and Love, Death & Dancing (2020). Known for electrifying live performances and a genre-defying sound, Jack continues to push boundaries with his deeply personal and sonically adventurous music, with Pillars being no exception.

Multi-award winner Jack Garratt makes his very welcomed return with the announcement of third album Pillars - out on Cooking Vinyl. Marking his first full-length project in five years, Pillars is vibrant, emotionally charged and a celebration of love, community, and self-discovery. Pillars is a testament to Jack"s evolution as an artist and individual. Following the release of his 2020 album "Love, Death & Dancing" Jack found himself yearning to reconnect with his fans and his craft. This album is his answer: a bold, unflinching exploration of love in all its forms - romantic, platonic, and self-love - woven into a tapestry of lush melodies, infectious beats, and heartfelt storytelling. Since winning the Brits" Critics" Choice Award and the BBC Sound Of poll in 2016, Jack Garratt has released two critically acclaimed albums, Phase (2016) and Love, Death & Dancing (2020). Known for electrifying live performances and a genre-defying sound, Jack continues to push boundaries with his deeply personal and sonically adventurous music, with Pillars being no exception.

Old-time and traditional music stay exciting for their contrasts. Exacting instrumentation honed through mentorships and late-night jams at fiddler's conventions tangles with a community-sourced inventiveness that influences variants and new sounds. Joseph Decosimo is a master of this genre for this very reason, blending deep technique with an openness and curiosity that keep his music crackling with life. A "marvelous fiddler" (No Depression) and banjo player who braids "exultation and veneration" (INDY Week) into his music, on his third solo album Fiery Gizzard Decosimo gathers a close-knit ensemble of friends from his musical career to infuse his interpretations of fiddle and banjo pieces with a contagious communal joy. As an artist working with traditional music from the South and Appalachia, Decosimo chooses songs based not only on historical significance and lineage but also his own sensory approach. For Fiery Gizzard, his ear was tuned to otherworldly tones and mystery, sourcing from field recordings such as Virginia fiddler Luther Davis' hypnotic version of "Shady Grove" while amping up the music's psychedelic potential. On the middle Tennessee banjo composition "Flowery Girls," a VHS of bluesman Abner Jay inspired Decosimo to rig up a pickup inside a fretless banjo and play it thr ough a tube amp to capture some of Jay's edge and funkiness. But to round out the sound and keep it kinetic meant galvanizing a genre-eschewing crew to jam out - and not in a "spaced-out drooly" kind of way, he laughs, but as a sort of "responsive conversation." Decosimo has always been a community-minded artist. He began playing as a seventh graderin Tennessee, fostering relationships with older players at jams and in homes, a learning mode natural to his inquisitive nature and desire for musical connection. A folklorist by intuition, he later became one by profession, studying with old-time legend Clyde Davenport, teaching in East Tennessee State University's renowned bluegrass program, and receiving his PhD at the University of North Carolina with a dissertation titled "Catching the `Wild Note': Listening, Learning, and Connoisseurship in Old-Time Music." In North Carolina, Decosimo kicked about in the verdant environment of Durham and Chapel Hill's folk and indie scenes, collaborating with artists including Alice Gerrard, Hiss Golden Messenger, and Jake Xerxes Fussell. This community has influenced his own music, including his "sublime and strangely heartening" (Bandcamp Daily) 2022 release While You Were Slumbering and Beehive Cathedral, Decosimo's 2024 "Appalachian mountain music treasury" (New Commute) trio album with Luke Richardson and Cleek Schrey for Dear Life Records. Continuing on this path, Fiery Gizzard is home base for a loose outfit of mostly Tarheel-based musicians from within and beyond traditional music. Inspired by a tour with fiddler Stephanie Coleman (Nora Brown), guitarist Jay Hammond, and synth builder and multi-instrumentalist Matthew O'Connell, Decosimo assembled studiomates based on close friendships and comfort. Coleman, O'Connell, and Hammond contribute to Fiery Gizzard, along with bassist and producer Andy Stack (Helado Negro, Wye Oak), horn player Kelly Pratt (Beirut, David Byrne), Mipso and Fust's Libby Rodenbough, Joseph O'Connell (Elephant Micah), andtrad/experimental artist Cleek Schrey. Decosimo's fiddle and banjo work is virtuosic, intricate and simple simultaneously, a testament to his many years of study. On some tracks, his playing or lovely, plain-hearted singing is the centerpiece, such as on his interpretations of Texan street preacher Washington Phillips' 1929 recording "I Had a Good Father and Mother" or the Eastern Kentucky fiddle barn-burner "Glory in the Meetinghouse," famously played by Luther Strong for Alan Lomax. But there's also a trusting open-door policy, like where Southern Appalachian tune "Ida Red" relaxes into Coleman's sweet, confident fiddling and Hammond's loping guitar. As a bandleader, Decosimo's confidence and enthusiasm for the music reveal the heart of traditional music and how it can come to life through community. Fiery Gizzard is Joseph Decosimo as a powerful champion of traditional music - a sponge who soaks up as much as he squeezes out, a responsive artist who makes his genre accessible, and a magnet who can bring musicians of all sorts into his orbit with his same passion.

Internet's favourite music critic and Youtube star Anthony Fontana aka Needledrop has gotten a liking to the Grande Mahogany vinyl & digital album 'As Grande As'. The bald funny guy has been raving about the album to his millions Youtube, TikTok and Instagram follower on several occasions, also covering the record in his 'one of the great albums of 2024' round up.

The album is also already making waves in the UK with continuous plays on BBC Radio 1 by Jazz Supernova and BBC Radio 6 by Cerys Matthews as well as the New Music Fix show.

If this is the first time you're hearing about Grande Mahogany, now is the time. Behind the alter ego of Grande Mahogany is Finnish-Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist Jesse Essel, who relocated with his family from Finland to Manchester, England, at the age of 11. It was in Manchester where Essel found his own style, drawing inspiration from the city's diverse music scene.

Grande Mahogany's unique blend of Funk, Rock, Afro-Psychedelia, and R&B has already garnered international interest. Singles from the album, such as "Angle of The Dangle," "Thundercurls," and "SUPER ROCKER," have caught the attention of prominent music critics, for example Anthony Fantano of Needledrop.

"As Grande As" stands as a testament to relentless creativity and perseverance, much of it crafted during tumultuous times. It invites listeners to embrace its raw authenticity, serving as a chronicle of the artist's journey towards unfiltered expression. Mastered by Guy Davie, whose credits include work with Kaytranada, Jon Hopkins, and Mikael Kiwanuka, the album ensures a high-quality sonic experience.

Featuring waves of neon synths, pristine machine funk, scorched ambient drones, gnarled bass lines, playful radiophonics & industrial percussion, this thrilling selection of obscure 1980's electronica is compiled by Zyklus (Alan Gubby / Revbjelde) and presented on 10" white vinyl. "On a teaching placement during the pandemic, I found a dusty cupboard above our college theatre holding 200+ library music CDs. Most of the discs were from the Arcadia Cosmos library, a prolific production house active during the late 1980s and early 1990s. I spent the next few weeks working through the discs and found several interesting electronic pieces although, pseudonym or not, I didn't recognise any of the composers involved. Further research kept leading to dead ends with Arcadia's owners having long vacated their last known address and web links either broken or abandoned. So more questions than answers remain about the library's provenance. For instance, who was / is the brilliantly named David Beast? Did Kraftwerk engage trans-european lawyers after hearing Endurance Test? Was Sylvia Sommer deliberately channelling vintage 1960's radiophonics by John Baker? What studio gear was used to create the distinctive Arcadia sound? And, for what appears to have been a UK-based company, why are so many of the album titles, tracks and composer names distinctly Germanic? If anyone has the answers please get in touch." Zyklus / Winter 2024

2025 Repress

Laurie Torres is a Canadian musician and composer raised in Montréal, Québec by Haitian parents. Since 2008, she has been a trusted stage and studio performer for Julia Jacklin, Pomme, and Land of Talk, as well as being a founding member of Folly & The Hunter, with whom she recorded four studio albums and toured Canada, Europe and the UK.

In 2023, Laurie shifted focus to work on her own creations, a process of making time - the will and the need becoming omnipresent. Drawing creative inspiration from contemporary artists like Tirzah, Gia Margaret, Valentina Magaletti, Tara Clerkin Trio and ML Buch, 'Après coup' finds Torres intersecting at a pivotal moment where artists whose marginalized identities are at the forefront in creating a beautiful array of "other options".

"Being othered and tokenized as a woman who plays music, as well as a queer and black person, takes a toll, while also positively feeding a strong urge to push and be seen."

Centering around piano, drums and synthesizer with interweaving field recordings, 'Après coup' follows the precursor ep 'Correspondances' in the form of a sprawling 11-track album. Translating directly from French - afterwards, after the event - its title subliminally points at something deeper between the lines. Recorded in 2023 between tours in a small window of time where 'normal' life hadn't quite recommenced, Torres meticulously crafted her debut solo material in view of surrounding nature, all providing the perfect nourishment for long streams of improvisation. Built right up to the edge of a lake, Studio Wild in St-Zénon, Québec offered an unparalleled location and set up for her freeform creativity.

Instrumental music seemed like a natural response and evolution for Torres who had long basked in the world of "pop music" as she elaborates: "I had an urge to use creativity as a sort of resting place, a place where things can unfold slowly and take time to reveal themselves. In other worlds words, I felt the need to make something slower, more elusive"

The immediacy of Torres' recorded takes doubled with minimal overdubs create a fiercely direct, intimate and unpolished lo-fi beauty. 'Après coup' then is self-reflective, open and inclusive with Torres allowing herself to be fully seen. An album to be felt at close distance with unrivalled authenticity. This album stands as a testament to Laurie's artistic evolution and serves as a beacon, inspiring her to continue nurturing her own creative pursuits and finding exhilarating freedom.

Auf "Cryptic Aura" rotiert der fette Wahnsinn! AZURE EMOTE laden mit ihrem vierten Album zu einer "Tour de Force" durch die äußeren stellaren Gefilde des Death Metal ein, wo die musikalischen Möglichkeiten gegen die Unendlichkeit konvergieren und sich in alle Richtungen und Dimensionen auszudehnen scheinen, bis die Gravitation ihres ultraschweren Sounds alles in den Schlund eines zermalmenden Ereignishorizonts zieht. Jeder Track auf "Cryptic Aura" ist in seiner eigenen abstrakten Verrücktheit einzigartig, aber sie sind dennoch allesamt durch eine Verschmelzung von verstörenden Atmosphären, rastloser Unruhe und trotziger Kreativität miteinander verbunden. AZURE EMOTE wurden im Jahr 2003 von Sänger und Keyboarder Mike Hrubovcak mit Unterstützung seines langjährigen Freundes, den Gitarristen Ryan Moll (TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania gegründet. Sein Ziel war die Erschaffung eines experimentell-musikalischen Ventils, um persönliche Negativität auszudrücken. Alle willkürlichen Einschränkungen wie etwa Genregrenzen, die oft die extreme Metal-Szene prägen, lehnte Hrubovcak dagegen entschieden ab. Dieses Ziel wurde bereits mit dem Debüt "Chronicles of an Aging Mammal" (2007) erreicht. Obwohl das Album schnell Kultstatus erlangte, mussten AZURE EMOTE eine Pause einlegen, da sich Hrubovcak auf ausgiebige Tourneen mit seinen anderen Bands konzentrierte – insbesondere MONSTROSITY und VILE. Im Sommer 2011 wurden AZURE EMOTE gemeinsam mit dem FEAR FACTORY- und MALIGNANCY-Schlagzeuger Mike Heller wiederbelebt, was schließlich zur Veröffentlichung des zweiten Langspielers "The Gravity of Impermanence" im Jahr 2013 führte. Das Line-up besteht weiterhin aus Kelly Conlon, der auf DEATHs "Symbolic"-Meisterwerk den Bass spielte und u.a. auch Mitglied von MONSTROSITY war. Mit der Aufnahme der ehemaligen ELUVEITIE-Sängerin und Multi-Instrumentalistin Anna Murphy, jetzt CELLAR DARLING, sowie dem Violinisten Pete Johansen (ex-SIRENIA) haben AZURE EMOTE ihre beeindruckende musikalische Spannweite erneut ausgebaut. "Cryptic Aura" ist das in Töne gegossene Gedankenspiel, wie Death Metal klingen kann, wenn alle Überlegungen zu stilistischer "Reinheit" und musikalische Vorurteile über Bord geworfen werden. Dabei bleibt der brutale Kern des Genres unangetastet. AZURE EMOTE laden zu einem atemberaubenden Ritt in die Unendlichkeit des Death Metal ein.

‘Best tunes for your answering machine’ is the debut album of oblique, introspective electronic music by the mysterious solo artist Tekamolo.

Fusing melancholic synth pop and absurdist trip hop, ‘best tunes for your answering machine’ is a special assemblage of pitch-modified vocals, retrofuturist samples and freeform electronics that coalesces into music both outlandish and bittersweet, playful and profound.

Produced by a renowned artist, opting to conceal their identity under the guise of a new pseudonym, Tekamolo presents a series of curious, incognito confessionals with ‘best tunes for your answering machine’. An album led by a voice like a sentient, heavy-hearted android, the nine tracks collected here contend with themes of inertia, solitude and longing, revealing an inspired, affecting stream of messages from an unknown caller.

Without preconceptions tied to provenance, this is music liberated from the burdens of biographical detail. Music that eschews ego and the cult of the self. An album that can be heard purely for the strange, poignant sounds unfurled throughout.

For Tekamolo, the album signifies an attempt to navigate aesthetic reductionism, as well as an absolute sense of seclusion:

“An audio diary of a lonely soul. Broken, wounded mantra-songs. Memories of things that never happened. Dreams that never had the chance to be dreamed. Disassembled songs. As if testing the limits of emptiness — how much void can a song endure while still remaining a song? How much can be stripped away, how bare can it be, and still, the groove lingers, the melody pierces the memory, sinking into the listener's mind.

These are the skeletons of songs, an attempt to assemble music from the bare minimum — words, sounds, fragments of memory.

The songs are filled with desperate calm. They are not sung to the world, nor to anyone tangible, but solely to oneself and to the unseen. In a way, they could be considered songs of the end of the world: you wake up, and there is not a single person left in the world. At least, no one you can see. You wander through empty streets and deserted shopping malls, humming softly to yourself, hoping that someone — anyone — might hear you.”

‘best tunes for your answering machine’ is a sui generis conception of warped 21st century blues from an enigmatic figure, a work filled with surreal, indelible songs of modern isolation. Lost contemporary hymns, now recovered. Voicemails worth hearing.

Wild and untamed Swedish teenage heavy metal from 1981-1985. Includes their ultra rare single plus previously unreleased studio recordings. The album includes a booklet with interviews and photos documenting TRP’s wild stage shows and the local Swedish hard rock youth gangs of the 1980s. Blood splattered vinyl - limited edition of 600 copies worldwide.

The teenage boys that formed TRP came together in the small town of Fjälkinge outside of Kristianstad in southern Sweden back in 1981. In 1982 they recorded and released their legendary after single. They immediately became very popular with the local hard rock you gang’s attracting wild and rowdy crowds.

TRP performed wild and loud shows gilded by the bands furious use of pyrotechnics, smoke bombs, leather, studs and gallons of fake blood.

Their stage show combined with their music got the band banned in Sweden and it was said that they were obscene and promoted satanism.

The band didn’t let that stop them and instead they went into a studio and recorded several tracks with their new lead guitarist. However, these amazing recordings were never released...until now that is. Then in 1985 TRP performed their last show. Their final stand was heavy metal mayhem supreme and the whole stage went up in flames.

“I had welded a guitar slide with one end closed and filled it with chimney test smoke, then I screwed it to the top of the neck of the bass. It burned constantly for two songs, but the effect was cool. We spat blood, as usual, and Peter just kept firing off bombs like crazy. He managed to shoot one right up into Fredrik’s ass during a guitar solo…”

CANDLEMASS - a name forged in darkness; a legacy built on doom. Born from the cold shadows of Stockholm in 1985, this Swedish titan of epic doom metal has stood as a monolithic force for nearly four decades. In 2025, CANDLEMASS marks 40 years of sorrow-laden grandeur, a testament to their unwavering reign over the genre they helped shape. Their journey began with the seismic release of “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus” (1986), a requiem that redefined heavy music, followed by the monumental “Nightfall” - both now sacred texts in the annals of doom. These albums remain cornerstones of a genre that thrives in the echoes of CANDLEMASS somber majesty. Despite doom’s reputation for slow, crushing weight, CANDLEMASS themselves show no signs of slowing down. Relentless and untamed, they continue to storm stages worldwide, bringing their towering hymns to devoted Candlemaniacs from Tokyo to Los Angeles. With Grammy win in Sweden and a U.S. Grammy nomination in 2019, the band’s fire still burns with undiminished intensity. Originally released in 2009, “Death Magic Doom” is the tenth studio album from CANDLEMASS.

Old Juniper is a new album from The Down Hill Strugglers, their first in seven years and first to feature all original songs and tunes.

"These guys are a first rate string band! Walker, Jackson and Eli have absorbed the old tradition, and the songs and tunes they wrote for this album are outstanding."
- Tony Garnier
(Bob Dylan, Asleep at the Wheel)

"From the first track “I’m Gettin’ Ready to Go” to the last “Let the Rich Go Bust", this is a wonderful collection of original songs and tunes by The Down Hill Strugglers (Walker Shepard, Jackson Lynch and Eli Smith).

Based in NYC they have been playing and recording together for 15+ years—this is their first in seven years and it’s a doozy. Old and new, evocative, current—all original. And I, as one who’s always had one foot in “old weird America” and the other in new weird America, love this recording.

The Down Hill Strugglers have, as Nathan Salsburg put it in his notes, 'an exquisite sensitivity to the seam where collective tradition and individual artistry meet….' I couldn’t agree more."
- Alice Gerrard

"If it’s possible to be at the forefront of something old, The Down Hill Strugglers are right there with this new recording! Imaginative arrangements of interesting tunes played with soul, all while reaching back to the best of the old mountain sounds."
- Bruce Molsky

"Throughout the record, the musical texture of Old Juniper shifts and blooms. Eli, Jackson, and Walker exchange roles freely— the banjo, fiddle, and guitar change hands almost every track. No matter their instrument, the three fall into place with the tune their guide. As these dynamics build and transform, a sound raw and beautifully sincere appears.

This album of new old-time tunes and songs will surely be a welcome addition to the well loved canon of American traditional music."
- Nora Brown

"How wonderful is it that The Down Hill Strugglers are releasing a new album? I’ve been a fan of theirs from the beginning and will happily spend time with anything they put out!

I see The Down Hill Strugglers as the primary successors of the great and longstanding tradition of urban interpreter-performers of American vernacular string band music - They pick up where the NLCR left off, with Cohen’s considerable creative guidance ever in their hearts and minds. “Old Juniper” is a testament to the vibrancy of this legacy."
- Jake Xerxes Fussell

Stepping out of the shadows with refined precision, Saktu returns to Heisenberg with the Fucha EP – a sharp, hypnotic exploration of minimal groove. Sleek rhythms, tactile textures, and playful low-end pressure define this trio of deep, late-night rollers.

Balancing raw functionality with subtle artistry, the Fucha EP captures the essence of what makes Heisenberg a beacon in the modern minimal scene. Crafted for the floor, tested in the booth

The label is back with release number 11. A split EP that brings together two unique and complimentary styles of Bucharests finest producers, built on raw, underground old school grooves, refined with a present-day edge.

On the A-side, Elia Nafzger delivers two fluid and dynamic cuts with his signature bounce and warmth, a reflection of his deep roots and evolving presence on the scene.

On the flip, Guy From Downstairs strips things down to the essentials: groove-heavy, punchy and dancefloor-tested tracks, shaped by countless late nights and a trademark analog spirit.

Different shades, same dedication to the craft.

Stepping out of the shadows with refined precision, Saktu returns to Heisenberg with the Fucha EP – a sharp, hypnotic exploration of minimal groove. Sleek rhythms, tactile textures, and playful low-end pressure define this trio of deep, late-night rollers.

Balancing raw functionality with subtle artistry, the Fucha EP captures the essence of what makes Heisenberg a beacon in the modern minimal scene. Crafted for the floor, tested in the booth

The lovely, longing ‘I Still Think About You’ was a regular highlight of the band’s earliest live sets and was one of the first songs they wrote together. “We wrote it three years ago, before we had released any music,” explains the band’s Ben Easton. “It had a certain youthful optimism that we loved, but after a few road tests we decided to shelve it. However, we knew that there was still something in it, so we brought it back earlier this year and we’re chuffed with the result.” “We wanted to capture the purity of wanting to see someone again, hoping they appear around the corner, or in your local park or pub, without any form of doubt that creeps into one’s mind as we grow older,” adds singer Dottie. “We enjoyed exploring and challenging ourselves to achieve a softer and uplifting narrative – it’s possibly the most joyful thing we’ve ever written.” On the flip side, the ‘No Ordinary Love’ reframes the slick R&B of the original as a dark and delicious dreampop / trip-hop crossover. “The original was pretty much on repeat during our tour late last year and we thought it’d be an interesting thing to try,” explains the band’s Ben Easton of the decision to cover the song. “It’s a good representation of where we’re going, sonically, and it was also our first recording experience with Harry Catchpole on drums and so we particularly focused on what he brings to the table. We experimented with different snares, mics and other effects to create our own kind of drum sample which is something that feels important to the deary sound going forward.”

SIDE B returns with the second installment of its newly established label, this time with Rill at the helm. Staying true to effect, the young German producer has honed his percussively forward style with a string of steady releases and performances over the past three years. In his EP 'Friss', Rill delivers three highly concentrated club tracks with a Beste Hira remix closing out the project, assembling a record destined for unforgiving sound systems and frenzied dance floors.

Driving and mental, Rill brews up a viscous first track 'Silky Stones' to make his intentions clear. Shooting through a bubbling lead with percussive stabs wide in the stereo field, the producer uses the element of surprise by sharpening the edge with a sharp key sequence, doubling down on tension to an already hypnotic cut. With no time to waste, the needle slides to 'Rakija', with an imposing groove and quick, dry hats. Characteristically, a dystopian melody warbles over a robust rhythm to ensure maximum movement. Two tracks in and Rill already proves to balance his tools with attitude. Taking a turn on the record flip, the B1 ups the audacity with the title track 'Friss'. Techno usually prioritising kicks is a rule that Rill sweeps aside in exchange for an intimidating bassline with an ecosystem of high frequency ambiance. A testament to balance and spatial definition, the German adopts in fitting chord stabs in the second half to up the ante in a contained manner. To conclude, celebrated Beste Hira puts her spin on the latter for a drum forward eye roller, versatile for almost any dancefloor. Reconceptualizing the rhythmic identity of 'Friss', Beste Hira is able to weather the far off atmospheres while maintaining an emphasized festivity. Combining the best of groove-focused club music with a touch of niche psychedelia, Rill and SIDE B prove that techno is very much alive no matter what side of Europe you search for it.

Words by Noah Hocker

After its first ever test press on Crack Records in 1999, already both sides was produced by Dj inc aka Alien5ive in the end of 1997 for the UK Based Record Label "No Smoking Records". In December 2024, Dj inc has made some effective arrangements on the original Tracks and the Repress is now scheduled for July 2025.

This Release is one of the very rare "No Smoking Records" Sounds those were high covieted in the Drum and Bass scene back in the days. The EP smashed the Dancefloor. Now you can preorder the official Repress of the Darkside E.P. fresh and straight outta the Studio. Both sides represent the fresh Club Sound from the mid to the late ninties Drum and Bass Jump Up era

Madlib’s WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip Returns on Double Vinyl via BBE Music BBE Music is thrilled to announce the long-awaited rerelease of WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip, the final installment in the legendary Beat Generation series from none other than Madlib. Originally released in 2008, this masterful collage of dusty loops, raw beats, and left-field soundscapes remains a high-water mark in the Stones Throw producer’s sprawling discography.

Now, for the first time in years, fans can experience the album in all its analog glory with this deluxe double vinyl edition, carefully remastered to preserve Madlib’s signature warmth and grit. A tribute to pirate radio culture and late-night airwaves, WLIB AM weaves together a rich tapestry of hip-hop, jazz, and soul, featuring an all-star cas t of collaborators, including Talib Kweli, Guilty Simpson, MED, and Oh No. Each track showcases Madlib’s uncanny ability to blur the lines between genres, effortlessly flipping obscure samples into hypnotic, off-kilter rhythms. From the hypnotic bounce of “Blow the Horns on ‘Em” to the smoked-out groove of “The Plan Pt. 1,” this is Madlib at his most playful, unpredictable, and inspired.

This special double vinyl edition, released exclusively via BBE Music, brings one of the Beat Generation series’ most celebrated albums back into circulation for crate-diggers and collectors alike. With original artwork and a high-quality pressing, this rerelease is a must-have for Madlib aficionados and vinyl lovers who appreciate raw, unfiltered beat craftsmanship. Don’t miss your chance to own a piece of hip-hop history—WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip is back and sounding better than ever.

A deep excavation from the archives of Italy’s electronic vanguard, Navigators finds Franco Falsini—founder of the seminal Interactive Test label—charting bold, genre-defying territory at the dawn of the internet era. Created in 1997 with an Amiga Tracker interfaced via MIDI to Roland samplers, the EP reflects a hands-on, forward-thinking production approach that sidestepped industry norms of the time.

Named after Netscape’s iconic browser, Navigators is imbued with the spirit of early digital exploration. Ethereal vocals from Ashram’s Bettina and Ilaria Ciampolini drift through intricate, off-grid arrangements, while contributions from Riccardo Falsini, Ubj, and Atma Lai add rich, unconventional textures. The result is a collection that resists simple classification, bridging ambient, trance, and proto-techno with a distinctly Italian sense of depth and atmosphere.

Tremendo Recordings proudly reintroduces this timeless work—unmistakably personal, quietly radical, and ahead of its time.

Compiled by Philip King
“And then came the rise of synth pop : blokes with dodgy haircuts hunched over keyboard-operated
machines stuffed with wires and do-it-yourself tone oscillators making sounds like a brood of geese
passing gas in a wind tunnel. Whoopee! This is the way the ‘70s ended : not with a blood-curdling bang
bang but with a cheap, synthesized, emasculating whimper.”
NICK KENT, NME.

All The Young Droids: Junkshop Synth Pop 1978-1985 is a new compilation that charts the
underbelly of the epoch-defining sound of the synthesiser in 80s popular music. Compiled by Philip
King (previously seen compiling All The Young Droogs, Glitterbest and Boobs - The Junkshop
Glam Discotheque), the music here connects the dots between DIY synth enthusiasts grappling with
new, cheap synthesisers at the tail-end of punk and wannabe, jobbing songwriters enthral to the new
music pioneered by Gary Numan, Depeche Mode and Daniel Miller’s Mute Records. Featuring rare
tracks of auto-didactic progressive pop music, proto-techno punk, shoot-for-the-stars-land-in-the-gutter
chart flops and heralded, underground synth classics, School Daze paints a picture of beautiful failure.
Complete with extensive sleeve notes written by King and never before seen imagery, all 24 tracks
were remastered by RPM in-house engineer Simon Murphy, many from vinyl copies due to lost master
tapes. The story told on All The Young Droids is one of the dawning opportunity presented by both the
emergence to the market of cheaper analog synthesisers and the distribution networks plus indie labels
that exploded with the advent of punk music in 1976. While the music that sprouted out all over the
globe in the wake of these factors was decried as fake, plastic, a refutation of punk’s guitar-led
revolution, it’s telling that much of the music on All The Young Droids.. was created in bedrooms,
ramshackle studios and home-made set ups with often borrowed equipment. In the era of record labels
jumping to capitalise on the success of The Sex Pistols, The Clash (both on major labels, of course)
these artists struggled to stand out from a new gold-rush with next to no budget or PR team. With radio
and labels desperate for the new Yazoo, what resulted was a testament to necessity being the mother
of invention.

At the time, the synthesiser was the music of the future, a shiny new machine that could paint like an
orchestra with a single finger and a 4-track. In the hands of Manchester avant-pranksters Gerry & The
Holograms it’s a pulsing, sardonic weapon.. the only instrument on the Messthetics classic lampooning
of New Wave fashion. In Hamburg, a 16 year old Andreas Dorau used it to write and record (with his
female classmates on vocals) a global smash in Fred Vom Jupiter (later licensed to Mute Records).
The hard-to-find English version (Fred From Jupiter, natch) is included here. Many artists with alreadystoried careers caught the bug and recorded synthesiser-fuelled peons to space, computers, the future
and, of course, love-interests. Harry Kakoulli, late of Squeeze, recorded a solo album in 1979 that
included the incredible power-synth-pop smash-that-never-smashed I’m On A Rocket. Similarly, Ian
North of Neo and American Power Pop stalwarts Milk ’n’ Cookies bought a Korg MS20 and used a
tape machine to record We’re Not Lonely, an absolute lost-classic of minimal synth pop. We’re Not
Lonely also features on the Junkshop Synth Pop sampler 7” twinned with John Howard unreleased
track You Will See, released April 12th 2025.

There are plenty of compilation debuts in evidence. Sole Sister were a mysterious trio who were
featured on the Scaling Triangles compilation of female-fronted, queer-adjacent post-punk /
underground music that also featured The Petticoats. Selwin Image were from San Francisco and
featured members of the recently defunct power pop/punk group The Pushups. Their stupidly catchy
The Unknown fizzes with New Wave energy - think XTC to Sparks but remains unreleased until now.
Dream Unit’s A Drop In The Ocean is an early synth wave cut, positively teaming with Joy Division
instrumentation, previously only released on a long-forgotten and super rare, self-released EP.
Incandescent Luminaire’s Famous Names belies an archetypal struggle of a small-town trying to
make it in a cruel industry but is a thrilling New Romantic-Synth Wave cross over with a OMD
gloominess that’s a joy to hear. Feminist Minimal Wave track I Am A Time Bomb by performance artist
Peta Lilly and Michael Chance is a revelation destined for new found cult status. It was released on 7”
and lost until now.

The flipside to the subterranean, never-made-it synth pop mentioned above are the ambitious, even
fruity attempts at success that have a perennial elegance to their confidence. New Jersey-ite Billy
London (real name Ed Barth) tried to cash in on the synth boom with Woman, released by a major
label, a lurching new wave track built on the Louie Louie rhythm and a wonderfully camp Lou Reedstyle sleazy vocal before exploding in the synthesised chorus. The song bombed but with a chorus like
this, you have to wonder why? Ex-Glitter Band member John Springate’s My Life is truly epic, with
doomed chord progressions and massive sounding drums turning into at least 3 different songs in the
course of the track. Before you wonder what’s going on the song resolves with a glorious return to the
main refrain.

The dry-ice-dressed dance floor is well catered for too. Design’s Premonition and Vision’s Lucifer’s
Friend are stone-cold minimal synth bangers, well loved but given a new lease of life here. The
Warlord’s The Ultimate Warlord was released in 1978, a homespun proto Hi NRG banger that was
later re-recorded by The Immortals in Canada who had a club hit with it. One-man- band Disco
Volante’s No Motion was re-issued by Synth wave label Medical in 2012 but makes its first vinyl
compilation appearance here. Close your eyes and you can imagine what Lawrence of Felt would have
sounded like with some cheap Korgs a little earlier in his career. Gibraltar-based trio The Microbes
imagined a computer programming people to dance - how prescient - and ended up with a propulsive,
robo-funk track with splendid rubbery bass playing over a tectonic drum machine. Previously picked up
by Belgian label Stroom TV, Dee Jay Bert & Eagle’s heavily Euro-accented I Am Your Master
demands the listener to “come to paradise!” In a frankly terrifying manner.
All The Young Droids is the first compilation to peel away from the narrative that dour, Minimal Synth
and Cold Wave were the only musical children of the first rush of synth pop. Philip King and School
Daze Records describe a much more complicated world: along with the austere, Brutalist children of
Daniel Miller (who produced Alan Burnham’s Bowie-Low-influenced Science Fiction here) was a
plethora of desperate cash-ins, accidental mainstream hits, ambitious pop dramas and major label
punts that went nowhere. Crucially, the compilation blurs the line between junk and treasure. What if the
two things are interchangeable. What if it’s all science fiction?

Compiled by Philip King
“And then came the rise of synth pop : blokes with dodgy haircuts hunched over keyboard-operated
machines stuffed with wires and do-it-yourself tone oscillators making sounds like a brood of geese
passing gas in a wind tunnel. Whoopee! This is the way the ‘70s ended : not with a blood-curdling bang
bang but with a cheap, synthesized, emasculating whimper.”
NICK KENT, NME.

All The Young Droids: Junkshop Synth Pop 1978-1985 is a new compilation that charts the
underbelly of the epoch-defining sound of the synthesiser in 80s popular music. Compiled by Philip
King (previously seen compiling All The Young Droogs, Glitterbest and Boobs - The Junkshop
Glam Discotheque), the music here connects the dots between DIY synth enthusiasts grappling with
new, cheap synthesisers at the tail-end of punk and wannabe, jobbing songwriters enthral to the new
music pioneered by Gary Numan, Depeche Mode and Daniel Miller’s Mute Records. Featuring rare
tracks of auto-didactic progressive pop music, proto-techno punk, shoot-for-the-stars-land-in-the-gutter
chart flops and heralded, underground synth classics, School Daze paints a picture of beautiful failure.
Complete with extensive sleeve notes written by King and never before seen imagery, all 24 tracks
were remastered by RPM in-house engineer Simon Murphy, many from vinyl copies due to lost master
tapes. The story told on All The Young Droids is one of the dawning opportunity presented by both the
emergence to the market of cheaper analog synthesisers and the distribution networks plus indie labels
that exploded with the advent of punk music in 1976. While the music that sprouted out all over the
globe in the wake of these factors was decried as fake, plastic, a refutation of punk’s guitar-led
revolution, it’s telling that much of the music on All The Young Droids.. was created in bedrooms,
ramshackle studios and home-made set ups with often borrowed equipment. In the era of record labels
jumping to capitalise on the success of The Sex Pistols, The Clash (both on major labels, of course)
these artists struggled to stand out from a new gold-rush with next to no budget or PR team. With radio
and labels desperate for the new Yazoo, what resulted was a testament to necessity being the mother
of invention.

At the time, the synthesiser was the music of the future, a shiny new machine that could paint like an
orchestra with a single finger and a 4-track. In the hands of Manchester avant-pranksters Gerry & The
Holograms it’s a pulsing, sardonic weapon.. the only instrument on the Messthetics classic lampooning
of New Wave fashion. In Hamburg, a 16 year old Andreas Dorau used it to write and record (with his
female classmates on vocals) a global smash in Fred Vom Jupiter (later licensed to Mute Records).
The hard-to-find English version (Fred From Jupiter, natch) is included here. Many artists with alreadystoried careers caught the bug and recorded synthesiser-fuelled peons to space, computers, the future
and, of course, love-interests. Harry Kakoulli, late of Squeeze, recorded a solo album in 1979 that
included the incredible power-synth-pop smash-that-never-smashed I’m On A Rocket. Similarly, Ian
North of Neo and American Power Pop stalwarts Milk ’n’ Cookies bought a Korg MS20 and used a
tape machine to record We’re Not Lonely, an absolute lost-classic of minimal synth pop. We’re Not
Lonely also features on the Junkshop Synth Pop sampler 7” twinned with John Howard unreleased
track You Will See, released April 12th 2025.

There are plenty of compilation debuts in evidence. Sole Sister were a mysterious trio who were
featured on the Scaling Triangles compilation of female-fronted, queer-adjacent post-punk /
underground music that also featured The Petticoats. Selwin Image were from San Francisco and
featured members of the recently defunct power pop/punk group The Pushups. Their stupidly catchy
The Unknown fizzes with New Wave energy - think XTC to Sparks but remains unreleased until now.
Dream Unit’s A Drop In The Ocean is an early synth wave cut, positively teaming with Joy Division
instrumentation, previously only released on a long-forgotten and super rare, self-released EP.
Incandescent Luminaire’s Famous Names belies an archetypal struggle of a small-town trying to
make it in a cruel industry but is a thrilling New Romantic-Synth Wave cross over with a OMD
gloominess that’s a joy to hear. Feminist Minimal Wave track I Am A Time Bomb by performance artist
Peta Lilly and Michael Chance is a revelation destined for new found cult status. It was released on 7”
and lost until now.

The flipside to the subterranean, never-made-it synth pop mentioned above are the ambitious, even
fruity attempts at success that have a perennial elegance to their confidence. New Jersey-ite Billy
London (real name Ed Barth) tried to cash in on the synth boom with Woman, released by a major
label, a lurching new wave track built on the Louie Louie rhythm and a wonderfully camp Lou Reedstyle sleazy vocal before exploding in the synthesised chorus. The song bombed but with a chorus like
this, you have to wonder why? Ex-Glitter Band member John Springate’s My Life is truly epic, with
doomed chord progressions and massive sounding drums turning into at least 3 different songs in the
course of the track. Before you wonder what’s going on the song resolves with a glorious return to the
main refrain.

The dry-ice-dressed dance floor is well catered for too. Design’s Premonition and Vision’s Lucifer’s
Friend are stone-cold minimal synth bangers, well loved but given a new lease of life here. The
Warlord’s The Ultimate Warlord was released in 1978, a homespun proto Hi NRG banger that was
later re-recorded by The Immortals in Canada who had a club hit with it. One-man- band Disco
Volante’s No Motion was re-issued by Synth wave label Medical in 2012 but makes its first vinyl
compilation appearance here. Close your eyes and you can imagine what Lawrence of Felt would have
sounded like with some cheap Korgs a little earlier in his career. Gibraltar-based trio The Microbes
imagined a computer programming people to dance - how prescient - and ended up with a propulsive,
robo-funk track with splendid rubbery bass playing over a tectonic drum machine. Previously picked up
by Belgian label Stroom TV, Dee Jay Bert & Eagle’s heavily Euro-accented I Am Your Master
demands the listener to “come to paradise!” In a frankly terrifying manner.
All The Young Droids is the first compilation to peel away from the narrative that dour, Minimal Synth
and Cold Wave were the only musical children of the first rush of synth pop. Philip King and School
Daze Records describe a much more complicated world: along with the austere, Brutalist children of
Daniel Miller (who produced Alan Burnham’s Bowie-Low-influenced Science Fiction here) was a
plethora of desperate cash-ins, accidental mainstream hits, ambitious pop dramas and major label
punts that went nowhere. Crucially, the compilation blurs the line between junk and treasure. What if the
two things are interchangeable. What if it’s all science fiction?

Dmitra returns with Test Group B, a remix EP of Lab Rat featuring a DJ-friendly extended mix, a euphoric disco dub by DJ John Brooklyn, and a dark, femme-driven dub by Sevyn0000.

Dutch maestro Kettel (Reimer Eising) is back on Madrid's Analogical Force with Inmate Shuffle, his first full EP for the label since 2017's Alacasa (AF008). This release features five tracks straight from the heart of Reimer's universe, serving as a heartfelt reaffirmation of his unique identity. Kettel's artistry is a testament to staying true to oneself. Artists like Reimer are not bound by fleeting trends or rigid genres; instead, he carves his own paths, constantly reinventing his sound with honesty and passion. This is why his material is reviewed again and again and serves as a clear reference for many. While Dubio (2025), his recent full-length album inspired by the soundtrack of the acclaimed puzzle game of the same name, explored cinematic and conceptual landscapes, Inmate Shuffle takes us back to the playful, melodic, and rhythmically rich territory that first captivated his devoted audience. Five tracks, five parties. Inmate Shuffle will resonate in your head for a long time. MUST.

Modularz is proud to welcome back Venezuelan-born, Buenos Aires-based producer Michel Lauriola for his second full-length release on the respected American techno imprint. A rising figure in the global underground scene, Lauriola has consistently earned acclaim for his raw, immersive sound—an aesthetic rooted in precision, intensity, and emotional depth. With this new release, he further refines his unique sonic identity, presenting a gripping body of work that blends driving, hypnotic rhythms with a bold approach to sound design often described as sonic brutalism.

Each track on the 8-track release is a testament to Lauriola’s dedication to the craft, weaving together pounding drums, industrial textures, and layered atmospheres that build tension with surgical focus. His work evokes the stark energy of warehouse spaces, late-night dance floors, and the darker corners of techno culture, while still maintaining a sense of control and finesse. There is a narrative quality to the arrangement—one that guides listeners through a landscape of intensity, depth, and release.

Lauriola's return to Modularz marks a significant moment for both artist and label, as the project continues to push boundaries and elevate the label’s already rich catalog of forward-thinking techno. This release is not only a showcase of his technical skill and creative vision but also a powerful statement of where modern techno is headed: uncompromising, emotionally resonant, and undeniably physical. Whether heard in a club, warehouse, or on headphones, this is music that demands attention and rewards deep listening.

We all knew what was on the line before ever setting foot in the studio to record Gone For Good. “Grow or die” had become our mantra. We had endured a four year hiatus (2018 - 2022), reconciled our personal grievances, re-established the band to our original fanbase and beyond, and grew from a trio to a four-piece. It was clear to us that not only was change going to be a constant presence in our lives and careers, it was the fuel that kept the fire lit. To us, Gone For Good is a record from a band that finally arrived at who they wanted to become after 15 years of searching. In an ever evolving industry that seems to deliver countless new artists that are fully realized, perfectly sculpted, we cast a line of hope that there is still room for a band with a story of becoming.

The Last Revel's 5 previous studio albums give listeners a roadmap; hints and clues to who we are now. Gone For Good continues our story in the most powerful way. It's a challenging thing to do to be 15 years into a grassroots career of self-released music, self-promoted touring, and truly believe that we hadn’t written our best songs yet. That there was something deeper down in the well. Gone For Good is the manifestation of this belief and the songs reflect this with stories of sacrifice, courage, love, faith, and self-reflection. We called on Dave Simmonett of Trampled by Turtles to produce Gone For Good for two reasons: one being that Dave’s deeply personal and prolific songwriting career is a testament to the fact that a good song can move mountains.

Two being that we knew having someone involved that we admired so dearly would bring out the best in us. No one wanted to show up to the studio and show Dave a song they didn’t truly believe in. Working with Dave at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota over the course of 4 days was a powerful experience. Dave encouraged us to record everything live, together, in one room. The result being a sound we were searching for throughout our entire careers. It's just us; no studio magic to hide who we are. As a band we are the most proud of this record because we earned it. The countless hours working on our craft, the years touring, the work it takes to go on, it all shows up on Gone For Good. Whatever happens next belongs to us.

Held on the Tips of Fingers (2005) was the album that launched Polar Bear into the spotlight, earning a Mercury Prize nomination and cementing their status as one of the most influential British jazz groups of the 21st century. Now, for the first time, this landmark album will be available on vinyl, bringing new life to a recording that helped redefine jazz for a new generation. Expanding on the ideas introduced in Dim Lit, Held on the Tips of Fingers saw the band refine their sound while pushing their compositions further into uncharted territory. The interplay between Rochford, Pete Wareham, Mark Lockheart, Tom Herbert, and Leafcutter John was sharper, the structures looser, and the music more expressive. It was a rare feat: an album that felt both urgent and timeless, raw yet meticulously crafted. Held on the Tips of Fingers was widely acclaimed, securing a 5-star review in The Observer and a place in Jazzwise’s 100 Jazz Albums That Shook the World and The Guardian’s 1000 Albums to Hear BeforeYou Die. This long-awaited vinyl edition revisits an album that shaped modern British jazz and inspired a wave of experimental music that followed. Held on the Tips of Fingers remains as vital and forward-thinking today as it was in 2005, standing as a testament to the groundbreaking vision of Seb Rochford and Polar Bear.

Let's go back to the open-minded days of the '90s, when Goa-trance wasn't strictly defined! DICA & Antidot are the perfect example of genre-crossing artists. French artist DICA is already a well-known name in the acid scene and teamed up with his friend Antidot for this EP. After visiting ZNA and Apsara, their love for Goa-trance deepened...and it shows!
Picture a room full of analog machines and two guys tweaking them like madmen. The result? A high-energy acid/Goa-trance crossover with a touch of hard trance. All tracks have been tested on dancefloors with truly uplifting results! We hope you're ready for this madness too!

On At Tubby’s Dougie Poole plays stripped down live versions of his most treasured songs in a venue beloved by musicians for its’ intimacy & acoustics as well as its’ exceptional treatment of touring musicians. This set was a natural for release as a live album as it was a special night for the band. One of those nights when the music, audience and space all come together. It was recorded right from the board with minimal mixing work in post from Dougie himself.
The version of Dougie’s live band on At Tubby’s features main stays Mike Etten on electric guitar and Connor “Catfish” Gallaher on pedal steel. On the night’s first song “Los Angeles,” Etten’s classic country licks and Catfish’s soaring slide lines perfectly compliment Dougie’s formidable acoustic work and golden baritone. You can tell these three have been playing together for years and are road tested in this formation. They tackle some of Dougie’s most loved songs, from rave-up’s (“Beth David Cemetery” & “Vaping on the Job”) to country balladry (“Must Be in There Somewhere,” “Don’t You Think I’m Funny Anymore”) and all points in between.
There are some tracks here that might be new to fans of Dougie’s recent albums. “Toshiba Sky” is a one off digital single from 2020 and “Wild Motion” is a track Dougie wrote for L.A.’s Drugdealer, who recorded it for their 2020 album Raw Honey. Live at Tubby’s also sees the recorded debut of a new Dougie composition, “Heaven Sent an Angel” which closes out the set on a heartfelt note. At Tubby’s brings the listener to a spacial place and time, and will be a thrilling listen for fans old and new.

At this point the vast swathes of unreleased Muslimgauze material Bryn Jones left behind when he passed away over 25 years ago is as legendary as any of his work. And sure enough, there's still some being unearthed today. The new »Single #One« is the first in a series of four (three 7"s and one 12") taken from one of Jones' customary completely unlabelled DATs he sent to labels seemingly as fast as he finished them. Both sides here indicate that, even on what might have been throwaway efforts for other artists, Jones was constantly chasing his muse around new corners.

Side A begins with the kind of tough percussion loop often found on Muslimgauze releases, but even as foreboding synths start to swell in the background, Jones introduces a rhythmic, peppy little keyboard riff far jauntier than most things he created. Side B, meanwhile, takes Jones' looped hand percussion in a dubbier direction, but unlike other times he explored that space there are some elements (phased zaps, a slightly skanking rhythm) that, while not reggae exactly, makes this feel more like a traditional dub than Jones tended to make. Both sides stand in testament to a creator who never stayed in one place for very long.

FOLLOW UP TO THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED 2023 ALBUM ‘RPB’ (UTR151):

- #4 MOJO FOLK ALBUMS OF THE YEAR+ FOLK ALBUM OF THE MONTH:
“ IT MELTS TRAD TECHNIQUES AND MINECRAFT BURBLE INTO ‘A MASSIVE, MULTI-PLAYER ONLINE DREAM’ . INCOMPREHENSIBLE/IRRESISTIBLE’

‘ME LOST ME’S RPG (UPSET THE RHYTHM) IS AN EXCITING, IMAGINATIVE ALBUM EXPLORING THE LINKS BETWEEN TRADITIONAL INFLUENCES AND ELECTRONICS IN FERTILE WAYS.’ THE GUARDIAN - FOLK ALBUMS OF THE MONTH.

'FROM NEWCASTLE, VIA UPSET THE RHYTHM, JAYNE DENT EXPLORES FOLK ART AND FUTURISM TO SPELLBINDING EFFECT' THE QUIETUS

FULL PAGE REVIEW IN WIRE MAGAZINE:"ME LOST ME'S NEW ALBUM RPG IS FILLED WITH STORIES OF ADVENTURE AND SELF-DISCOVERY IN VERDANT NATURAL LANDSCAPES, SUNG WITH FEELING AND CLARITY"

Me Lost Me - the project of Newcastle-based artist Jayne Dent - delights in experimenting with songwriting, creating a beguiling mix of soaring vocals and atmospheric electronics that playfully push the boundaries of genre.

On Me Lost Me’s fourth full-length, This Material Moment - arriving on Upset the Rhythm on 27th June - she has created an “emotionally raw” album, her most honest and vulnerable yet.

Concerned with physicality, interpretations, and, yes, materiality, This Material Moment is an album akin to rummaging through a box of long-forgotten trinkets. With each song, Me Lost Me extracts something from the box and asks us to consider it from every angle. "This is an album which uses words as a material, a playful tool for experimentation, full of metaphor, abstraction and analogies.” Jayne says, “it has softness and anger, humour, hope and despair, intensity of feeling in all directions expressed as textures, objects, places."

With the release of This Material Moment Me Lost Me puts into practice the automatic writing techniques she developed during a workshop with Julia Holter, and in the process has spun her music in different directions that draws on poetry, psalms and using mesostic poems and phonetic translations to generate words. “Despite the chance-based writing strategies throughout, it feels like the most emotionally raw album I've ever made,” she says, likening the process to a Rorschah test which revealed things to her she wasn’t expecting to express. “I wanted to hide in stories, but I saw things plainly when I tried to write.” Having finished the writing process, Jayne realised that she had an unexpectedly personal album on her hands, into which her feelings of burnout and overwhelm had crept unconsciously. “Several of the songs for me express a kind of inner conflict, where you’re trying to keep hope and desire and beauty and art near to your heart, to live a meaningful life, but finding that increasingly hard to hold onto in a world that’s so fucked up.”

Whilst Jayne Dent’s music as Me Lost Me has previously presented time stretching back and forwards in opposition (noticeably on 2023’s album RPG), on This Material Moment she does away with linearity altogether, evoking rather than narrating, and presenting feelings, happenings and moods with no clear beginning or end point - “like experiencing a vista, trying to capture a moment that is unfolding all at once”. Instead, each track on This Material Moment exists entirely in media res, adjacent to past and future, and instead sprawling across the endless now.

This Material Moment was written and arranged solo, but played with a core band of John Pope on electric/double bass, Faye MacCalman on clarinet, and now with the addition of Ewan Mackenzie (Dextro/Pigs x7) on drums - bringing in live drums and electric bass for the first time. The album was recorded by Sam Grant at Blank Studios in Newcastle, who also worked on RPG.

Originally released in 1981 ‘Carry On Oi!!’ hit No.4 in the Independent Chart.
It “introduced” the likes of The Business, The Partisans, Blitz, Red Alert and The Ejected alongside ‘veterans’ such as The 4 Skins and Infa Riot

Now re-issued on vinyl complete with a gatefold sleeve and original inner bag, Previous vinyl re-issues of ‘Oi! The Album’ (AHOYLP 72)
and ‘Strength Thru Oi!’ (AHOYLP 230) have all proved strong sellers and we expect ‘Carry On Oi!’ to do the same.

BIOGRAPHY BY IRVINE WELSH
I discovered the Beta Band, like I discovered a lot of great music, basically through eventually surrendering to the enthused urgings of a mate who was cooler than me. He continually evangelized about the EP's. I was lost to the concert hall and firmly ensconced on the dancefloor by then and highly resistant, but quite taken by the idea that a band would bring out extended plays rather than singles. When I did check them out, I was instantly smitten by their originality and power.

The band, therefore, were pivotal for me in terms of my own musical journey, in that they represented a gateway back into indie guitar music, which I'd basically given up since becoming obsessed with rave and acid house.

The Beta Band were definitely a band for the cool cognoscenti- like my buddy- the ones you make a bit of a tit of yourself trying to convert quite straight boring people to.

The emotions they induced were a kind of throwback to school days when you were very pompous and prescriptive about what you liked, and derisive towards non believers. It's a testimony to the power of the music that they could take me to the raw state of the younger man.

I took it personally that they didn't hit the mainstream commercial base. At least two of the three albums they made deserved quadruple platinum status. Hot Shots II and Heroes to Zeros are permanently lodged very high in my top one hundred albums of all time.

So, the return of the Beta Band has me moving into the same mode of immature, adolescent anticipation. Everyone should have the Beta Band albums and EP's in their collection. It still kind of annoys me - in fact it bugs the shit out of me - that most of them don't.

And that really is something.

A deeply personal journey of an aspiring artist (Solene) navigating the harsh realities of Hollywood. An album that explores the emotional toll of being a hopeless romantic in a city full of predators and narcissists. A raw look at survival — and the trauma that follows. A narrative arc that takes the listener from LA to Las Vegas, only to find the same demons follow: addiction, vices, self-destruction, and the allure of illusion but ultimately setting on a journey of healing: picking oneself up, learning from pain, and choosing hope again and again. A love letter to Jazz, honoring Solene’s roots, with Hip Hop providing the fire and framework, produced by J. Rawls, to create something new: a genre-bending sound that’s soulful, futuristic, and fearless. Midnight Angel is not just an album — it’s a testimony of recovery, and of rebellion.

The original Madlib instrumentals to Georgia Anne Muldrow’s critically acclaimed album; “Seeds” which was released in 2012 on SomeOthaShip Connect. Heralded as one of her most captivating and immediate front-to-back statements of purpose, a deeply spiritual collection of songs. It was the first time in her career where she handed over all production duties to someone other than herself, that someone being the legendary Madlib.
The beats on “Seeds” are naturally heavy, funky, soulful, abrupt yet hypnotic. All the characteristics of Madlib’s signature sound we know and love.

On the B Side of the vinyl is a collection of Georgia Anne Muldrow instrumentals from across 3 Dudley Perkins albums, “Young Spirit”, “Self Study”, and “Holy Smokes.” Beats with synths reminiscent of J Dilla’s electronic era but with enough G-Funk influence to melt your Raiders hat. Bass lines that could get The Click back together. Georgia Anne Muldrow is a master of her craft on the beats and the microphone. This record is a testament to that. Rediscover “Seeds”, the magical powers of Madlib, and why beat tapes will never go out of style.

Thanks to acclaimed live shows and radio appearances in both Norway and Germany, Heigh Chief has been steadily winning over a growing fan base with their high energy performances of songs from their first two albums. One Night Live solidifies their reputation as a formidable live band with incredible chops and songwriting skills. Their talent has earned them notable achievements, including winning the Notodden Blues Cup in 2013 and placing second in the Norwegian finals of the "Battle of the Bands." These successes helped them secure spots at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis for two consecutive years, 2015 and 2016. The four-piece band brings serious talent to the stage - featuring none other than Norway"s top Hammond organ virtuoso, Lars Christian Narum. One Night Live is the band"s first live recording, and it doesn"t disappoint. Recorded in Norderstedt, Germany while the band was on tour in 2019, it"s an impressive testament to the band"s talents.