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Abschließender Teil 3 der NICHTS-Deluxe Reissue-Serie: Endlich gibt es das fast vergessene dritte Nichts-Album "Aus Dem Jenseits" von 1983 neu aufgelegt! Aufgrund von Umständen damals untergegangen und unerfolgreich, aber deshalb auch rar und zum Kult geworden. Enorm unterschätzt sowieso! NICHTS stellten sich 1983 neu auf und hauten mit Seite A der LP eine ungebrochene Reihe von sechs deutschsprachigen New Wave-Powerpop-Super-Hits raus, garniert mit den schon immer guten Postpunk-Texten von Sängerin Andrea Mothes. Deren Echos finden sich auch heute noch im aktuellen Gitarrenpop, New Wave oder der Neuen Neue Deutsche Welle. Mindestens Single "Venus Schenkt Dir Schöne Stunden (Horrorskop)" hätte ein NDW-Klassiker der besseren Sorte sein sollen. Seite 2 ist kaum schwächer. Nachdem die Band im Herbst 1982 nach zwei erfolgreichen Alben sowie den NDW-Hits "Radio" und "Tango 2000" ihre Tour beendet hatten, stiegen Gründungsmitglied und Gitarrist Meikel Clauss sowie Bassist Scarbeck aus. Doch Sängerin/Texterin Andrea Mothes und Schlagzeuger Tobias Brink waren noch nicht fertig mit NICHTS und spielten in neuer Besetzung das dritte Album "Aus Dem Jenseits" ein. Liveauftritt bei Mal Sondocks Pop Explosion, geplante Single-Auskoppelung und gebuchte Tour schienen den Erfolg fortführen zu können, doch es kam anders: Aufgrund einer Verletzung Brinks musste die Tour abgesagt werden, die Single wurde nicht weiter promotet, die Band löste sich alsbald auf und das Album wurde in der Folge zum Kultobjekt der Fans. Das von den ehemaligen Bandmitgliedern begeistert aufgenommene und abgenickte Remastering des Albums wurde in der Düsseldorfer Skyline-Tonfabrik von Kai Blankenberg gefertigt, dessen Dienste sonst u.a. von International Music, Boy, Madsen oder regelmäßig Udo Lindenberg in Anspruch genommen werden. Neben Bonustrack (Horrorskop 2024 Single Edit) gibt es auch wieder ein 16seitiges Booklet im CD-Format mit Fotos der Zeit und den Texten dabei! Farbige Vinyl-Versionen, klassisch schwarze LP sowie erstmals auf CD überhaupt erhältlich! Für Fans von Bärchen und die Milchbubis, Mia., Paula Carolina, Ideal/Neonbabies, Gwen Dolyn, Östro 430, frühe Extrabreit, späte Hans-A-Plast, Nils Keppel Nichts 1983 waren: Gesang - Andrea Mothes/Gitarre - Stephen Keusch/Bass - Peter Szimanneck/Schlagzeug - Tobias Brink

Abschließender Teil 3 der NICHTS-Deluxe Reissue-Serie: Endlich gibt es das fast vergessene dritte Nichts-Album "Aus Dem Jenseits" von 1983 neu aufgelegt! Aufgrund von Umständen damals untergegangen und unerfolgreich, aber deshalb auch rar und zum Kult geworden. Enorm unterschätzt sowieso! NICHTS stellten sich 1983 neu auf und hauten mit Seite A der LP eine ungebrochene Reihe von sechs deutschsprachigen New Wave-Powerpop-Super-Hits raus, garniert mit den schon immer guten Postpunk-Texten von Sängerin Andrea Mothes. Deren Echos finden sich auch heute noch im aktuellen Gitarrenpop, New Wave oder der Neuen Neue Deutsche Welle. Mindestens Single "Venus Schenkt Dir Schöne Stunden (Horrorskop)" hätte ein NDW-Klassiker der besseren Sorte sein sollen. Seite 2 ist kaum schwächer. Nachdem die Band im Herbst 1982 nach zwei erfolgreichen Alben sowie den NDW-Hits "Radio" und "Tango 2000" ihre Tour beendet hatten, stiegen Gründungsmitglied und Gitarrist Meikel Clauss sowie Bassist Scarbeck aus. Doch Sängerin/Texterin Andrea Mothes und Schlagzeuger Tobias Brink waren noch nicht fertig mit NICHTS und spielten in neuer Besetzung das dritte Album "Aus Dem Jenseits" ein. Liveauftritt bei Mal Sondocks Pop Explosion, geplante Single-Auskoppelung und gebuchte Tour schienen den Erfolg fortführen zu können, doch es kam anders: Aufgrund einer Verletzung Brinks musste die Tour abgesagt werden, die Single wurde nicht weiter promotet, die Band löste sich alsbald auf und das Album wurde in der Folge zum Kultobjekt der Fans. Das von den ehemaligen Bandmitgliedern begeistert aufgenommene und abgenickte Remastering des Albums wurde in der Düsseldorfer Skyline-Tonfabrik von Kai Blankenberg gefertigt, dessen Dienste sonst u.a. von International Music, Boy, Madsen oder regelmäßig Udo Lindenberg in Anspruch genommen werden. Neben Bonustrack (Horrorskop 2024 Single Edit) gibt es auch wieder ein 16seitiges Booklet im CD-Format mit Fotos der Zeit und den Texten dabei! Farbige Vinyl-Versionen, klassisch schwarze LP sowie erstmals auf CD überhaupt erhältlich! Für Fans von Bärchen und die Milchbubis, Mia., Paula Carolina, Ideal/Neonbabies, Gwen Dolyn, Östro 430, frühe Extrabreit, späte Hans-A-Plast, Nils Keppel Nichts 1983 waren: Gesang - Andrea Mothes/Gitarre - Stephen Keusch/Bass - Peter Szimanneck/Schlagzeug - Tobias Brink

Esoteric Warfare is the fifth full-length studio album by Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. It was released by Season of Mist on 6 June 2014 in Europe and Asia, and on 10 June 2014 in North America. It is the band's first album with Teloch on guitar since Blasphemer's departure from the band in 2008. As with the previous album, the lyrics focus less on the classically Satanic themes of the band's early work, instead referring to occult and conspiracy theory concepts such as psychic powers, mind control and alien tampering with human evolution. (For instance, the song "Corpse of Care" appears to be a direct allusion to Bohemian Grove and the Cremation of Care ceremony performed there.)

Phonica AM proudly introduces the latest release from upcoming Irish-born producer and DJ, Rhythms Of Prescott. For fans of Pepe Bradock and Derrick Carter, this record is a must-have.

The A-side kicks off with 'Beat Heat', a driving filter house monster underpinned by dubbed-out percussion, playful vocal interjections, and infectious disco stabs. Following up is 'RGRT', which delves into a deeper vibe with slick jazz samples and a pulsating filtered bass line. The B-side brings 'The Instigator', a tension-filled mind melter perfect for early morning trippiness, featuring Rhythms Of Prescott's masterful sample manipulation and unique wonkiness.

This release showcases Rhythms Of Prescott's raw approach and jackin' sample manipulation to rock any dancefloor.

Jan Anderzén - living in Tampere, Finland - is a collage artist making music, quilts, drawings, mosaics, videos and other things. From him, among a few others, sprang the The River of Finland. A stream that shook the European underground for infinity, back from the years 2005 and up. Jan is/was involved in acts like Kemialliset Ystävät, Avarus, Tomutonttu and The Anaksimandros. When in the past some of that River of Finland tasted like a fermented ocean of mycelia - today it tastes different, like sparkling water.

Halki pilvien - transl. Trough the clouds - brings exactly what one expects from the clouds. It is a collection of soft and gentle movements, as playful as a ‘Jan Anderzén type of music’ is always. A collection of patterns that solidify for just a brief moment in time, before sublimating in the back of the mind. This album is in constant motion.

Push play. A warped piano and cartoonish SFX’s might foretell a hyperreal approach to music. Yet while the champion of hyperrealism, Noah Creshevsky, describes his music as being written in a language we already understand (realism) yet in an exaggerated manner (hyper) - I have to add that things on this album do not sound exaggerated at all. Moreover, i have the feeling that somehow on this work, Jan is trying to underwhelm us. In the best possible way. Because clouds float trough and dissolve. Thus instead of hyperrealism, is Jan maybe speaking to us in a certain Serenerealism? Or Mildrealism?

What Jan’s music does have in common with Creshevsky’s is the no rush part. Listening to Halki pilvien makes time non-directional. The music seems to be designed to be played over and over again. This music has no direct impact like one can experience at a punk show, or at a classical music concert. This music is not that one gigantic raincloud covering the world dark. Quite the opposite, it is a pattern of clouds and clearings, floating over the lands. Trough this music a shadow play appears. This music is durable.

And it is when the sounds are at its faintest, that Jan touches the core: in the smallest detail, we find the fullest musical information.

In 2006, Danger Mouse is King Midas of the music world. He has an uncanny knack for creating jagged, dense, frenzied beats and odd, eerie, vivid soundscapes that never compromise the music's natural flow. Meanwhile, rapper and singer Cee-Lo, a veteran of Atlanta's Dirty South scene, has never been one to be constrained by hip-hop conventions, and is a willing partner in adventure. The result is an intrepid psychedelic blend of pop, hip-hop, soul, and rock that consistently challenges and delights. It's no wonder that "Crazy," with its modest riff, irresistible hook, and disarming opening line ("I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind") became a worldwide Internet sensation a full six months before the official release of St. Elsewhere. But that relatively simple soul-pop gem is the tamest track on this wide-ranging, often dark and introspective collaboration. (In fact, the duo considers Gnarls Barkley to be a wholly new creation, as opposed to a collaboration of existing artists.) "Everybody is somebody, but nobody wants to be themselves," Cee-Lo croons on "Who Cares?" He and Danger Mouse try very hard not to be their old selves as they creatively and confidently break down boundaries, but the brilliant cores of their musical personae--Cee-Lo's eccentric spiritual soul man and Danger's bold sonic explorer--remain. --Marc Greilsamer

Oh Boy Records is proud to announce the first ever vinyl* release of John Prine's 1999 album In Spite Of Ourselves.

Dan Reeder's debut album is finally on vinyl! The packaging includes a gatefold jacket, written by John Prine, with a photo of the original letter explaining the story of how Dan found Oh Boy Records. Also included are credits, photos of Dan's homemade instruments and original artwork. Wowee!

his release marks the first complete album reissue on Canopy. Originally released in Nigeria in 1987, “Oppressor” was executive produced by Myke Moul himself and distributed domestically by EMI Nigeria & Tropic Records.

“Oppressor”, the album, finds the sweet spot between synth reggae, boogie, and euphoric Balearic island vibes.

Written by Myke Moul and arranged in collaboration with reggae star Majek Fashek in Nigeria, it was later re-crafted and recorded in France with a host of French musicians. Most notably the contribution of multi instrumentalist Pierre de St Front added engaging synthesiser parts and electronic drums.

Unfortunately the pressing of the album suffered from inherent technical flaws which adversely affected the sound quality and therefore even those lucky enough to find a copy, will not be able to enjoy it without considerable sonic defects. Therefore this remastered reissue will prove welcome to both collectors and new discoverers.

The titular track “Oppressor” stands out as a mid-tempo synth-reggae-boogie jam espousing the turbulent political times in Nigeria that were present in the late 80s. Elsewhere “Shadows in the Rain” is an instrumental cut displaying a jazz-funk sensibility which was unusual for a Nigerian artist at that time, and reflects Myke’s influences outside his home country. “Heading for the Top” is a boogie dance floor gem that shows the popularity of this genre at the time, as evidenced in many Nigerian releases and still sounds just as vital today. “Rescue us. O! Lord” shows Myke’s great song writing and Pierre’s fine musical skills working in tandem to create a reggae boogie tune, displaying the reggae & ska tendencies that were present in pop music in this era, from artists such as Grace Jones, Sly & Robbie or The Police.

All in all, the album demonstrates something fresh & exciting for Nigerian album reissues, touching down in a reggae fusion direction, with some fuller sounding production aesthetics, making the dynamics full and crisp on sound systems while also well suited to home listening.

Rolando Simmons returns to Furthur Electronix with 6 signature style mind melting cuts.

Pianist, Composer, Multi-Instrumentalist Eva Novoa Releases First Album from Her Newly Forged Trio with Sax Legend Daniel Carter and Beloved Drummer Francisco Mela

"It’s not a rumor. Brooklyn’s Eva Novoa has formed a new trio! Novoa / Carter / Mela Trio, Vol. 1 marks their first sparkling album together (which is also Eva’s third with 577 Records). The group performed live for the first time in Cambridge (Boston) in 2022 and at the NY Forward Festival in August 2024.

In an invigorating creative explosion recorded at New York City’s Sear Sound in 2021, the multi-talented instrumentalist unites with sax legend Daniel Carter and beloved drummer Francisco Mela. Prepare to be reawakened when you experience Novoa tickling the ivories, dominating the Fender Rhodes, and wowing with the electric harpsichord and Chinese gongs. Even her whistling will linger in your mind!

As captured in the electrifying tracks “Aire” and “Fuego", Novoa / Carter / Mela Trio, Vol. 1 is inspired by the four elements (earth, wind, fire, and water). “Hasta Mañana Vida Mia” weaves together Cuban tradition with soulful lyrics (sung by Francisco) and high-energy, rhythmic conversations with horns and drums. The musicians’ free interplay approach defines this eclectic trio and their sonic universe.

Born in Barcelona, Spain, Eva Novoa is a pianist and composer who’s been mastering her talents since childhood. Calling NYC home since 2012, she has rocked countless local venues with her thrilling performances and has played with many adored artists all over the globe.

Her new album drops on November 22, 2024, and will be available on vinyl, CD, and digital download. Don’t miss the stunning cover art by Novoa’s friend and collaborator, acclaimed street photographer Richard Sandler, and stay tuned for Volumes 2, 3, and 4!"

Piano, Fender Rhodes, Cinese gongs, percussion & whistling by Eva Novoa.
Tenor, alto & soprano saxophones, trumpet, flute, clarinets by Daniel Carter.
Frums & vocals by Francisco Mela.
Recorded April 18, 2021.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Jeremy Loucas at Sear Sound, New York City.
Photography by Richard Sandler.
Graphic design by Sergio Vezzali.
Graphic support by Mark Smith.

Repress!

Techno, Disco, Italo, Electronics, House, Library, Cosmic and Ambient frequencies - These are the bedrocks of the Midnight Drive ethos and sound. A label shining a light on overlooked or unheralded creations and respectfully reissuing them for the contemporary audience.

A label that respects and understands the connection between these disparate and sometimes forgotten forms of musical expression and celebrates them. Midnight Drive are extremely proud to reintroduce the world to the sublime after-hours, cult downtempo sounds of Belgian duo Pieter Kuyl and Jan Van Den Bergh aka Mappa Mundi.

Mappa Mundi's sole release 'Musaics' was released on Belgium's legendary USA Import label in 1990, riding on the wave of early trance and ambient house sounds and exploring the same sonic terrain and worlds as The Orb, The KLF, Sun Electric and other like minded outfits. A wonderful swirling collage or mosaic of breakbeats, samples and new-age synth stylings, 'Musaics' is indeed a real trip.

A spontaneous late night studio concoction borne of endless takes and experimentation between Kuyl and Van Den Bergh who both display a deep knowledge and a shared love of different sounds from around the world. The end result is a meditative, sprawling journey that touches on many different styles from languid widescreen techno to frantic drum machine driven machine-funk, all while retaining a feeling of post-rave atmospherics and psychedelia.

This is a very special record indeed, and is somewhat of a lost gem from a very fertile and interesting period in sample based music. Undoubtedly the perfect soundtrack to numerous late nights and early mornings to come, remastered and spread across 2 discs for maximum sonic playback.

The making of a maiden album can be a capricious process. One moment of outright musical flow paired with another period of sustained creative struggle are feats experienced by seasoned producers the world over. So when Miraclis was forced to hole away in his makeshift studio - in the midst of a global pandemic - the stage was set for something magical. Now it will see the light of day for the very first time.

Having released two singles on Secret Teachings to critical acclaim already this year, Chilean talent Miraclis will accomplish a milestone achievement in July with the release of his debut album: Origin Of Truth.

Difficult experiences were fundamental to the creation of such work, as were Miraclis’ inherent musical interests. He explains: “Origin Of Truth had its birth during the pandemic. I created it as a way of communicating to myself the sensations and feelings that were spinning around my head at the time. I've always been inspired by Bristol trip hop, as well as classical rock, and these genres definitely contributed to the making of these melancholic tracks. In a way I wanted to fuse all the musical influences that were part of my childhood, up until this point now, so this album really means a lot to me. It was my way of communicating, when there was a lack of social contact and communication itself was hard to come by.”

It's this meditative quality that initially drew Damian Lazarus to the project. “It’s a record that has its roots in electronic music, but it’s a very alternative, very deep, melancholic album. I find it both soothing and stirring at the same time, and that’s a quite interesting juxtaposition in that it feels edgy but delicious at the same time,” says Lazarus. “The fact that this was written in this place surrounded by the most incredible desert landscapes makes this a very important piece of work to me. It doesn’t sit in any particular genre, which is why it feels right for a Secret Teachings release. It hints at so many genres that I as a DJ am quite into, and it feels like a first as it’s unique and unclassifiable. That mystical, esoteric, edgy feel makes this a perfect release for the label.”

Sonnet opens proceedings, with ghostly vocals residing next to raw instrumental elements throughout. Miraclis’ signature guitar riffs soon converge on saddened keys, paving the way for Scienter. It takes the form of an instrument-based, electronic-inspired cut, building slowly before reaching a crescendo midway through via an enrapturing acoustic solo.

Floating Child comes next, brimming with a darker intensity courtesy of broody synth pulses and rhythmic hi-hats, as Shiver arrives next. There’s a rock-leaning sensibility to the piece that gives way to earnest lyrical offerings, opening swiftly into the breakbeat-esque world of Perceptions. Hard-hitting drums act as the focal point, with electric chords adding depth and intrigue, whilst Bright continues in a similarly heartfelt vein.

Introspective pads leave us feeling pensive, ahead of Interstellar taking us on a celestial journey through warped bass tones. Acting as the LP’s penultimate number, it’s a four-and-a-half minute showcase of guitar-based musical goodness and one that perfectly sets the stage for Trapped, a closing saga of suitably emotive proportions.

Miraclis earned his stripes as a DJ under the name Max Clementi in his native Chile, as well as Spain after a stint at the Barcelona SAE Institute. Playing and writing music since his parents gave him his first guitar at age twelve, he found himself inspired by synth wave, electronic pop, trip hop, and psychedelic rock of the ‘80s and ‘90s, drenching himself in music by the likes of Massive Attack, Tricky, Depeche Mode, and Nine Inch Nails. However, it wasn’t until he had to move back to Pucón to take care of his father during the pandemic that he began working on what would become Origin Of Truth.

Serendipity seems to play a large part in Crosstown Rebels’ new label Secret Teachings. Just look at the story of how Damian met Miraclis in the first place. It involved a chance midnight encounter in Pucón, Chile at a woodland campfire after the DJ was locked out of his hotel room. This meeting of minds was the start of a remarkable friendship, where Miraclis invited Lazarus to stay at his house and break bread with his family. The two kept in touch, exchanging music and ideas as a result.

Originally released on Robs Records offshoot Pleasure, followed by a repress on Air Trance in 1995 featuring Francesco Farfa & Kiticonti on remix duty, the debut offering from French/UK outfit Prism - aka Pascal Eloy & Grant Wilkinson - ‘Vapour Trails’ EP eventually gets a much needed reissue on Cosmocities this summer, enhanced with a remix from Bliss Inc.

From its initial sortie on the label run by Rob Gretton, former manager of legendary New Wave bands New Order and Joy Division, onto making it to a then en-vogue Italian trance imprint, this record made waves and opened new portals for many lovers of the burgeoning electronic sound, including - years later - Cosmocities head exec himself, holding the special status of being his first ever vinyl record buy. Harder was the path towards that longed-for repress, but with a twist from destiny - after tracking down one half of Prism - Pascal Eloy - to no avail, the label managed to find him through his father, contemporary composer Christian Eloy, plans were set out to release a first EP, ‘Rain’ (2022), and now ‘Vapour Trails’, which comes as the icing on the cake.

A future-facing slice of fast-track trance bound to have ravers melting in XTC thru and thru, the lead single treats us to a deluge of prismatic arps and multi-faceted synthwaves, ushering us into a vivid, mind-expanding kaleidoscope of throbbing colours and propulsive groove; an absolute killer of a tune that’s lost nothing of its frenzied punch. In the hands of Italian duo Farmakit, the track morphs into a further corrosive churner tailored for peak-time rumble in the warehouse with its calibrated mix of acid-drenched bass whorls, hard house bounce and Tangerine Dream vibrations.

Flip sides and here’s ‘O.N.V.I.’ shifting gears towards a more tribal / spiritual kind of uptempo hoodoo, running the gamut wildly from ethereal choirs to warlike drum programming, via sci-fi-indebted cosmicness and proper 303-infused salvos from outer space. New addition to the bunch, the remix from Bliss Inc. treats us to a more focussed parade of jacking house percussions, hi-NRG acid tropes and Afro funk-minded psychedelia, revving up the engines as the room temp rises from hot to sweltering. No surrender

Peggy Gou’s Gudu Records is proud to present the label’s first ever album, from someone who’s been part of the family since the start: Brain de Palma.

Born in Ukraine, settling as a child in Turin and spending three years in Egypt before settling in his current home of Berlin, Alexei Versino has one hell of a story.

Musically, he’s been around for a decade now, releasing his previous music (solo as Panama Keys, and also as one half of the duo Stump Valley) on labels like Dekmantel, Soul Clap and Off Minor, before settling on Gudu with his Brain de Palma alias. But personally, his relationship to music goes much deeper: as a young child growing up in the former Soviet Union, a lot of European music was banned, so he relied on his well-travelled uncle to bring him back smuggled cassettes of Italo Disco, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Erasure and early DJ mixes – getting an illicit musical education behind closed doors as a child.

He still carries that underground mindset to this day: the press release for his last Gudu EP, Purple Brain, reads: “dedicated to all the ravers, DJs, aficionados who had to go through the lockdowns … a shout out to people who keep on fighting for the underground culture!”. The perfect candidate for Gudu’s first album, then.

Comprising eleven tracks made across the past year, Versino describes Rhythmption as “my redemption through rhythm”, and a tribute to “seeing people enjoying themselves on the dancefloor, that feeling of unity where people become one thing, regardless of their life path or social status.” Opening with the gorgeous ‘Thandolwami’ (featuring South African vocalist Sfiso Atomza), Rhythmption charts a path through sun-drenched Balearic house, stuttering drum work-outs, Italo-inspired synth romps, trancey house and even a touching tribute to his former home of Egypt, taking in every aspect of Versino’s journey to date. After all, it’s not all about the destination, it’s also the sights you see along the way.

Santa Maria Electronics is a new label born in Italy. In the first EP, Giulio Gastaldello, the mind behind the project, tried to best express the key concepts of the label: eclecBcism, alchemy and freedom. These elements are not only present in the musical production, but can be also found in the party series by Santa Maria. The desire to merge various genres of electronic music to achieve a new sonic experience is a formula that has been happily welcomed.
We firmly believe that an artist's vision should always be as broad as possible, and this is why in our future releases, as in this one, we will consistently try to push ourself into having an open mind in order to achieve the best outcome for the listeners, besides the genre.
In more depth, side A of this Ep is opened by a DnB pitched down beat combined with an ethereal techno pad. A2 is instead a fusion of house and trancy elements.
Side B1 track, ‘Collapse’, consists of 2 basslines, synth lines, pads and stabs that come and go for the whole length of the track. B2, by contrast, is a more clubber tune with acid elements, groovy kick-sub combination and a catchy vocal.

The only album to soundtrack both late-'70s Minneapolis lounges and a Travis Scott x Dior fashion show. Recorded in a host of living rooms with only a Fender Rhodes piano, a Donca Matic Mini Pops drum machine, and Senrick's wide-eyed, 20-year-old voice, the 1977 LP disappeared into the wild and joined the Wendigo in Minnesota lore. A provocative mix of marina soul, easy listening, and loner folk, Dreamin' is a sanguine sliver of the American private mind garden. Harsh winters coupled with a relative lack of interest amongst siblings allowed Chuck Senrick years of unfettered access to the family piano in their Farmington, Minnesota, home. Learning both by ear and by instruction, Senrick began gigging professionally at age 15, joining John Zimmer and the CR4 for a weekly rundown of Allman Brothers, Blind Faith, and Cream covers at the Sea Girt Inn in Lake Orchard. Tapping into James Taylor's pop-chart achievements in songwriting and enunciation, Senrick composed the bulk of the songs featured on Dreamin' before graduating from Farmington High School. At 20, Senrick migrated 30 miles north to the Twin Cities to pursue music full-time. Using borrowed equipment and borrowed living rooms, a string of informal recording sessions generated the quarter-inch tape for Dreamin'. "I didn't know how to do it," Senrick says about producing an album. "I just knew it could be done." Constructed with vocals, Fender Rhodes, and an assortment of rhythm presets on his Donca Matic Mini Pops drum machine, a mere 200 copies of the private-press masterpiece were stamped and sleeved and sold hand-to-hand at performances. Chuck's wife Lesli illustrated the album cover_a pen-to-paper portrait of her husband against the backdrop of the Minneapolis Skyline, she and their newborn son situated on a nearby knoll. Any plans for a re-press were quashed when producer Bruce W. Hansen lost the reels during a messy divorce. "I was a kid with big ideas and not much hope to do anything but play," Senrick said of the Dreamin' era. "It still amazes me that people are interested in it."

Stars align and Oli Heffernan brings his ever-(d)evolving Ivan The Tolerable to Riot Season for two LPs of sublime entropic drift.
Having this time recruited Christian Alderson (The Unit Ama) on drums, John Pope (Ponyland) on double bass, Kevin Nickles (Ecstatic Vision) on flute and saxophone and Ben Hopkinson on electric piano - both works were recorded as a quintet almost instantaneously, the players barely brushing or breathing a note before the whole thing was done.

The first LP, Vertigo, is all claustrophobic, dense and disorientating - like Sun Ra sitting in with Exploding Star Orchestra
Whereas the second LP, Water Music, is the music of lapping waves, becalmed, creaking hulls, circling birds and gentle winds. - Equal parts Laraaji and Natural Information Society
Bob Fischer (Electronic Sound Magazine) on ‘Water Music’
"A summer's afternoon daydream of an album. Beautifully soothing psychedelic jazz overflowing with raga delights...immerse yourself in its charms"

John Hubner (Complex Distractions) on ‘Vertigo’
“An expansive collection of free-flowing sound and mood bringing to mind Coltrane (John and Alice) as well as the great Albert Aylor, while touching on the forward thinking compositions of Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra. From the titanic soundscape of "New Worlds On Earth" to the Marc Moulin touches of "Liquid Voices" and the mysterious eccentricities of "Swimming", 'Vertigo' hangs in the air long after the final note plays.”

third album, "Magic Seeds". The record represents his most personal and collaborative work and blends live recordings and analogue synths to create an organic, rhythmic sound reminiscent of trip-hop and hip-hop.

"Magic Seeds" explores themes of growth and reconnection, featuring unexpected musical moments and influences from 90s electronic music to neoclassical. Tracks like "Smoke in the Air" and "Inner Child" highlight his ability to balance emotional peaks with deep, moody atmospheres. The album’s dynamic range and authenticity reflect James's commitment to musical freedom and societal reflection, making it a compelling sonic collage of his recent experiences.

Over the past few years, Leifur James has steadily built a reputation as a vital new voice in electronic music on both sides of the Atlantic. He’s played prestigious London venues like the Barbican and Village Underground in London and toured Europe, as well as being named Pitchfork and KCRW’s ‘best new music’ in the US, and his music has been championed by the likes of tastemakers Gilles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs, Bradley Zero and actor Cillian Murphy, and from BBC 6Music to NTS via KCRW and RMC Italia. James has also enjoyed further flagship press support from Consequence of Sound, Clash, CRACK, Passion of the Weiss, XLR8R, Complex, MixMag, DJ Mag, The Vinyl Factory, and more

Die exklusive Vinyl-Ausgabe “80s Electro Tracks – Vinyl Edition Vol. 4“ bietet dir 8 ausgewählte Club-Hits, die den unverwechselbaren Electro-Sound der 80er prägen. Perfekt für Vinyl-Liebhaber und alle, die den authentischen Sound dieser Ära schätzen. Top-Klangqualität: Die Tracks wurden sorgfältig remastert, um den bestmöglichen Sound auf Vinyl zu gewährleisten. Genieße die kristallklaren Bässe und energiegeladenen Synth-Melodien, die den Club-Sound der 80er ausmachen. Mit dabei: Anne Clark , Yello , Visage uvm. Diese limitierte Vinyl-Edition ist ein Muss für alle Fans von 80s Electro, ideal für DJ-Sets oder zum gemütlichen Hören zu Hause. Hol dir jetzt das authentische Club-Gefühl der 80er direkt auf deinen Plattenteller!

London-based DJ and producer Steven Julien’s career has always been about contrasts. Across a decade of releases on labels including Eglo and his own Apron Records, as well as club sets around the world, he’s consistently mixed light and dark, soft and heavy, yin and yang. From rough-edged house and techno to laid-back soul and boogie, or meditations on his familial and musical heritage with 2018’s Bloodline LP Julien’s music has always moved between moods, styles and emotions.

That eclecticism also defines Julien’s upcoming instalment in !K7’s iconic DJ-Kicks mix series. Featuring a broad spectrum of artists including Ryuichi Sakamoto, DāM-FunK and Todd Edwards, alongside a selection of his own exclusive productions, Julien takes us on an imagined journey from day to night: from a bucolic afternoon in nature to heady domestic vibes before a big night out, and finally the euphoric embrace of the dancefloor itself.

Julien describes his creative approach to DJing in general, and this mix in particular, as letting his energy and intuition guide him - it’s only on listening back to the finished session that he realised how often he mixes tracks in key, creating smooth transitions from one moment to the next.

That instinctive approach, where seamless mixing becomes second nature, speaks to Julien’s decade of appearances in DJ booths around the world: he cites sets at Ormside Projects in London, Doka and De School in Amsterdam, or Mitsuki in Tokyo as specific inspirations for this mix. Julien describes the feeling he’s tried to capture on tape as an out-of-body energy: just letting loose, and being yourself. “When you get in that position of doing what’s true to you, playing what’s true to you” he says, “people just resonate with that.”

DJ Support: Marco Gallerani, Manu Archeo, Faze Action, Thomas Wood to name a few

Calm, a highly regarded and influential beatmaker known for his lush downtempo sound, re-issues on LTD transparent vinyl his timeless album “Quiet Music Under The Moon”. This album showcases Calm's signature ambient style, featuring gently evolving pads and sustained, meditative chords that envelop the listener in a soothing atmosphere. Perfect for late-night introspection, this tranquil album offers a serene auditory experience, acting as an adult lullaby to calm even the most restless minds.

The brainchild of drummer/producer Chiminyo, NRG is more than just an album, label or event. It’s a concept. Born out of a conversation about the UK Jazz scene (is it really jazz?) Chiminyo concluded that this musical expression is less about ‘jazz’ and more about energy (NRG).
So with this in mind, he set about to explore, celebrate and harness this NRG in its purest form. No labels, no promoters, no industry, no control. Just Chiminyo and members of his musical community exchanging (strictly improvised) NRG with audiences and capturing the spontaneous beauty to be shared with the world.
This third edition, NRG 3, features an all-star line-up. Modular synth wizard and Ariwo band leader Pouya Ehsaei, electro synth-pop artist and incredible keyboard/synth player Maria Chiara Argiró, and Hak Baker's trumpet player Sam Warner. And you can really feel the vibrant NRG of the capital pulsating throughout. Raucous dance-floor stompers such as 'Enter the Dragon' and 'Fred not Again' are beautifully contrasted with the dreamy, cinematic 'Avalon'. And the addition of instrumental and vocal guests on the night really adds a special touch. 'Stories Untold' opens with flautist Lluis Domènech Plana's lyrical exploration on bamboo flute before developing into an up-tempo house inspired dance tune, whilst Nadeem Din Gabisi's 'Fire' presents a unique perspective on a trap groove that you simply couldn't imagine outside of the context of NRG 3, and towards the end of the track the audio cuts to camera audio due to an issue with the desk recording, a magical moment that puts you in right there in the room and reminds you that this was a live gig!
It is incredible to think this record is improvised, because each tune comes across as a carefully sculpted master-piece, a clear testament to the incredible musicians on the line-up.

Since yeyeh brought them together in 2019 to record their first collaborative album, Swallow a Party, Oceanic and Greetje Bijma have become firm friends.

When they gathered in Studio Het Rode in Roderwolde for three days of improvised recordings based on existing ideas, Oceanic and Bijma set out to create music, through a mixture of voice and electronics, inspired by the mental sounds and images that appeared when they thought about the Wadden Sea’s celebrated landscapes. Extended improvisations were recorded, before Oceanic edited them down and they collaborated shaped the finished versions with added texture and structure.

Sykheljende Lûden (Frisian for “breathing sounds”), wears its central inspiration lightly, with many of Bijma’s startling and expressive vocalisations and Oceanic musical motifs subtly hinting at tidal flows, bird calls, and the comforting feeling of home that the environment stirs in both artists.

Aussie techno innovator Alpharisc returns to Mutual Rytm for a second standout EP.

Shane Yates, aka Alpharisc, has been living and breathing techno for over 30 years. He first began producing in the mid-90s and has amassed a fine hardware collection that lends his sounds a raw, rugged feel. After breaking through with the Wetmusik party and label collective, he has let his music do the talking and isn't afraid of colouring it with a hint of nostalgia. Previous material has come via several notable labels over the years, but his most recent outings have been on SHDW's Mutual Rytm imprint, with his solo EP 'Ram Face' from 2023 becoming an underground favourite alongside a fine outing as part of the label's 'Federation Of Rytm II' and 'Federation Of Rytm III' compilations. Once again, he returns in style, uncovering an impactful selection of gems across his new 'Remain Seated' EP.

The opener 'Peace Be With You' is a straight-up techno weapon with urgent synth flashes peeling off the groove like a police siren. The drums hit hard in true Alpharisc style before 'Hail' builds on that with a more hard-edge groove topped with frosty waves of white noise that electrify the dance floor. 'Remain Seated' brings a hint of trance-leaning energy with its bright sheets of synth lighting up the driving drums and saw-tooth bass loops. Next, 'Look At This' is another brilliantly forceful techno sound with slamming drums and rusty synth loops, layering melancholic pads up top and adding a cerebral edge, while closer 'In Your Mind' is from the Jeff Mills school of synth-laced and serene deep techno with lush pads radiating cosmic light. As a bonus, digital-only cut 'Expedition' brings some backlit celestial synth work to a rubbery and pummelling drum pattern for pure techno escapism.

One of the funkiest records ever from Brazilian soul legend Tim Maia - and a set that also has him singing a bit of English language lyrics too! The groove here is that classic Maia blend of Brazilian roots with American funk and soul - echoes of forro or samba in some of the rhythms, mixed with psychedelic touches, and some harder-hitting funky lines too - all in a mindblowing blend that's perfectly topped with Maia's vocals - which are every bit as large and powerful as the man on the cover himself! Tim shifts effortlessly between Portuguese lyrics and American English - the latter of which really showcases his love of American soul on the titles"I Don't Know What To Do With Myself", "Broken Heart", and "I Don't Care". The album also features a version of Marcos Valle's "Preciso Aprender A Ser So", plus the cuts "Meu Pais", "A Festa Do Santo Reis", "Nao Vou Ficar", and "Salve Nossa Senhora" - all wonderful, all the way through!

Liquor Talkin’ is the debut studio album from Texas-based country artist Don Louis. Born in Irving and raised on a 12-acre farm in Commerce, Texas, Don Louis learned the meaning of work early on. He grew up tending to livestock, singing along to George Strait and Al Green, and playing football. Done was an All-District defensive end for Commerce High School and played on scholarship at Ouachita Baptist and Southern Arkansas. He performed well at NFL combines, but an injury in 2020 changed everything and Don son found himself chasing his other childhood dream - being a professional singer. Don’s mix of Country, Rock, and Rhythm and Blues has been winning over loyal fans from the start. He’s shared the stage with acts such as Dylan Wheeler, and Don’s personality and gritty voice have also earned him a healthy following on Spotify and social media. Ask Don how he’s doing and he’ll often reply, "I'm blessed and highly favored!” That attitude says it all.

The eighth and latest slate of refined retro-futuristic synth-pop by Liz Wendelbo and Sean McBride aka Xeno & Oaklander is named after and inspired by "the study of what not to do, a negative image of a positive, the other side, the other:" Via Negativa (in the doorway light). Recorded in the fall of 2023 at their modernist Connecticut home fashioned into a two-story synthesizer laboratory and mixing studio, the album is uniquely visionary in spirit yet precision in execution, a contrast central to the duo's enduring chemistry. Embryonic piano sketches were translated to nuanced modular systems, which McBride weighted with "harmonic padding," tuned percussion, and a spectral transfer device capable of "rendering spasms of rhythmic overtonal filigree." Despite the technological complexity of their craft, emotively the songs require no deciphering - these are technicolor widescreen anthems of the cybernetic age. The eponymous opening track sets the pace, soaring sleekly over glittering synths and call-and-response vocals about arias, shattered light, and faces in stereo. From there the record expands and contracts, cycling through a gallery of moods and masks, animated by the band's fascination with drama, "the idea of personae," and theatrical characters. Track by track, a murky, tragic backstory reveals itself: forlorn figures navigating a treacherous mercury mine, alternately poisoned by fumes or buried in collapsing caverns. The tension between Teutonic, utopian synthetic pop and lyrical narratives of ghosts in silos, ruined mills, and the traumas of mineral excavation creates a compelling friction, alternately futurist and obsolete, elevated and subterranean. Wendelbo describes the music's polarities perfectly: "The heavy machinic din of extraction in contrast with the enchantment of the mined precious gems and metals." From bilingual odes to bloodstones ("O Vermillion") to cosmic chrome dance floor classics ("Lost & There" "The present tense can never feel real / So many pasts conspire in the burning sun") to strutting EBM sensualities ("Actor's Foil"), Xeno & Oaklander re-prove themselves masters of the axis of technology and poetry, snaking cables and synesthesia, mining melodies and myths across 15 years of focused artistry. Theirs is a muse still gilded and gleaming, burnished red and silver, attuned to "the unobservable, the unfamiliar, that which you don't see directly."

The eighth and latest slate of refined retro-futuristic synth-pop by Liz Wendelbo and Sean McBride aka Xeno & Oaklander is named after and inspired by "the study of what not to do, a negative image of a positive, the other side, the other:" Via Negativa (in the doorway light). Recorded in the fall of 2023 at their modernist Connecticut home fashioned into a two-story synthesizer laboratory and mixing studio, the album is uniquely visionary in spirit yet precision in execution, a contrast central to the duo's enduring chemistry. Embryonic piano sketches were translated to nuanced modular systems, which McBride weighted with "harmonic padding," tuned percussion, and a spectral transfer device capable of "rendering spasms of rhythmic overtonal filigree." Despite the technological complexity of their craft, emotively the songs require no deciphering - these are technicolor widescreen anthems of the cybernetic age. The eponymous opening track sets the pace, soaring sleekly over glittering synths and call-and-response vocals about arias, shattered light, and faces in stereo. From there the record expands and contracts, cycling through a gallery of moods and masks, animated by the band's fascination with drama, "the idea of personae," and theatrical characters. Track by track, a murky, tragic backstory reveals itself: forlorn figures navigating a treacherous mercury mine, alternately poisoned by fumes or buried in collapsing caverns. The tension between Teutonic, utopian synthetic pop and lyrical narratives of ghosts in silos, ruined mills, and the traumas of mineral excavation creates a compelling friction, alternately futurist and obsolete, elevated and subterranean. Wendelbo describes the music's polarities perfectly: "The heavy machinic din of extraction in contrast with the enchantment of the mined precious gems and metals." From bilingual odes to bloodstones ("O Vermillion") to cosmic chrome dance floor classics ("Lost & There" "The present tense can never feel real / So many pasts conspire in the burning sun") to strutting EBM sensualities ("Actor's Foil"), Xeno & Oaklander re-prove themselves masters of the axis of technology and poetry, snaking cables and synesthesia, mining melodies and myths across 15 years of focused artistry. Theirs is a muse still gilded and gleaming, burnished red and silver, attuned to "the unobservable, the unfamiliar, that which you don't see directly."

VSION 02 is the soundtrack to when the club's heartbeat matches yours; the first sip of water while cavernous drums engulf you. Kasra V's latest offering appeals to the glory days of the tribal side of 90s electronic music: sacred rhythms that echo influences from NYC clubs of past times and the freaky side of abstract dance music, while still retaining a unique flavor from his creative V-sion. Drawing a direct line from the shadowy corners of late 90s club culture to the avant garde, Kasra's world building is on full display, calling to mind both the full-bodied spirit of Victor Calderone's primal grooves and the voodoo beats of Exquisite Corpse. His most dancefloor oriented work to date, Kasra infused the energy of spontaneous jams into refined and layered sonic alchemy, utilizing vintage gear and pedals to evoke spiritually timeless flavors. The record is artistically represented by a Pierrot-esque visual, a perfect symbol for the playful psychedelia that is still entrenched in a hedonistic flair. There's more time in our ritual dance, take another sip.

Die einzige Spur von Kenneth Wright aus Atlanta sind eine Handvoll nicht aufgenommener Songtitel auf BMI, vertreten durch Awares Verlag Act One. Mindestens ein Dutzend seiner Aufnahmen wurden kürzlich in den Tonbandarchiven von Aware gefunden und 'The Souls Of Black Folks' ist die beste davon. Es enthält Kenneths Gesang und eine ebenso beeindruckende unbekannte weibliche Hauptrolle, die dem Projekt noch mehr Mysterium verleiht. Von derselben Quelle des Atlanta-Labels stammt Miss Louistines Interpretation des Sam Dees-Songs 'Extra, Extra'. Ursprünglich von Ben E. King als Albumtitel aufgenommen, war diese druckvollere Version auf einer kürzlich erschienenen 100 Club Anniversary 7inch zu hören und erfreut sich großer Nachfrage.

Gotho is an experimental instrumental duo formed in 2020.

Their debut track, "Gatta De Blanc," was a 25-minute composition, showcasing their signature mix of synthesizers, electric piano, and drums, with no backing tracks or overdubs. Blending elements of progressive rock, metal, jazz, disco, psychedelia, post-rock, and classical, their sound defies categorization.

After gaining acclaim for their live performances, they released their first album, *MindBowling*, in October 2022 through Controcanti Produzioni and Black Widow Records, receiving strong reviews.

In November 2024, Gotho will release *Gothron Versus Fartark* with Supernatural Cat. Set in a sci-fi world, the album tells the story of two robotic enemies battling for their world's survival, using synthesizers, electric piano, vocoder, trumpet, and drums to narrate Gothron’s victory over Fartark. Like their previous work, the album spans multiple genres, resisting any single classification.

Gotho are: Fabio Cuomo (Elder, Eremite, Liquido Di Morte) on synth and electric piano. Andrea Peracchia (Tons, Dogs For Breakfast, Slaiver) on drums.

Exquisitely compiled by Discrepant head honcho Gonçalo F. Cardoso from three tapes released earlier this year by the tireless mind-body of Spencer Clark through his own Pacific City Sound Visions, 'This Year In Coconuts Vol. 2' is another revelation into the deeply personal soundworld of this true voyager of both ancient, present and forthcoming times. Coming from a truly singular artist, capable of conveying multiple visions into a labyrinthine-esque mythology all of his own, these seven tracks feel as much part of their original setting as connected pieces from this never ending and puzzling netherworld.

Dedicated to the Temple of Isis in Pompei and opening sides A and B, the two tracks from 'Tempio d'Iside' set up a scenario not far from a dream version of the Temple itself, made from crystal clear synth-lines and levitating ambiences, like drifting into ancient memories from days to come. Making up about half of the compilation, the four tracks from 'Kowloon Spider Temple' drip into a feverish mosaic of Clark's by now trademarked cascading rhythms, unhinged alien-vocal samples, phantasmic textures and sparkling synth harmonies projecting a catchy hypnotic oblivion filled with intrigue. The sole title track from 'From the Caves and Jungles of Apulia' tangentially reports back to some lower-fi recordings of the past, with its murkier sound inducing the feeling of willing confinement within such caves and jungles. A brilliant Year in Coconuts, indeed.
Mastered by Rasha

Am Morgen des Mardi Gras kann man sich an den kunstvollen Perlenarbeiten der Indianer erfreuen, wenn sie die Straße entlang tanzen, aber das erste, was man hört ist die Backline, bekannt als ,The Rumble". Mit sieben GRAMMY-nominierten Musikern ist The Rumble mehr als nur eine Band - es ist eine Gelegenheit, in eine ganz besondere Facette der Kultur von New Orleans einzutauchen. Bestehend aus Second Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. von den Golden Eagles, Trompeter Aurélien Barnes, Posaunist José Maize Jr, dem Bassisten TJ Norris, dem Gitarristen Ari Teitel, dem Keyboarder Andriu Yanovski und dem Schlagzeuger Trenton O'Neal, verbindet die Gruppe den kultigen New Orleans-Funk im Stile der Meters und der Neville Brothers - jedoch aktualisiert, modern und lebendig, wie es sich für die nächste Generation gehört - mit elektrisierenden Bläsern und der einzigartigen visuellen Pracht der Black-Masking-Karnevalstradition. Auf ihrem Debütalbum "Stories from the Battlefield" erheben The Rumble kühn ihren Anspruch als Fackelträger für die Entwicklung der Musik aus New Orleans - ein progressiver, treibender Sound, der die Konzerthallen in ganz Amerika füllt und gleichzeitig die einzigartige Tradition, die ihn prägt, fest im Griff hat. Die Musiker hier sind nicht nur Weltklasse, sie leben diese Tradition auch jeden Tag. Das zeigt sich in der gesamten Musik - von der Aufforderung ,do it for your people" in ,Take It Back" bis zur Erinnerung daran, dass man ein ,Herz aus Stahl" braucht, um zu überleben, im Titeltrack des Albums - diese Geschichten sind keine Fiktion.

On this new LP Harry Bertoia shows why he may have been the first industrial musician. Bertoia often referred to his sound sculptures as a "collaboration with industry" and on this LP Bertoia is intentionally creating heavy, rhythmic music he described as "mechanized," "mechanical" and "factory like."

Recorded in 1971, percussion and repetition emulate the pounding rhythms of machinery on this unique pair of conceptual Bertoia compositions. Bertoia utilizes innovative performance techniques to create new sounds unheard in his ouevre. Even in the busy factory of Bertoia's mind, distant stillness rises up as Bertoia exhibits the massive amount of control he possesses over his many looming sculptures.

"Mechanization" is just one of the many sonic directions Bertoia took while composing and recording between the late 1950's and his death in 1978. He documented all of his ideas and directions in notes accompanying the hundreds of tapes discovered in his barn.

Bertoia's recordings are as much a celebration of sustained tones, intervallic relationships, healing vibrations, deep listening and shimmering harmonics as Indian Classical music, singing bowls, The Well Tuned Piano or Benjamin Franklin's glass armonica. Through these rich harmonics and pulsing pure tone, Bertoia was able to more clearly articulate his inner spirit than he could with sculpture alone – a point he made himself many times in interviews.

Harry Bertoia first came into artistic prominence in the late 1930s and his sculptural, ergonomic chairs, produced by Knoll Furniture beginning in 1952, were soon modernist furniture classics. Inspired by the resonant sounds emanating from metals as he worked them and encouraged by his brother Oreste, whose passion was music, Harry restored a fieldstone "Pennsylvania Dutch" barn as the home for this experiment in sounding sculptures which he had begun in the 1950s. Bertoia was an obsessive composer and relentless experimenter, often working late into the night and accumulating hundreds of tapes of his best performances; Oreste, too, would explore and record the sculptures' sounds during his annual visits to his brother's home in rural Pennsylvania.

Learning by experimentation was common for Bertoia and he mastered the art of tape recording, turning the Sonambient barn into a sound studio with four overhead microphones hanging from the rafters in a square formation. He would experiment with overdubbing by performing along to previous recordings, sometimes backwards, constantly improving his methods while also honing his performance skills. Bertoia was a careful editor of his own work and only chosen recordings remained, each with a date and carefully considered observations written on a note included with each tape. Through these pieces of paper a greater logic can be uncovered, a careful approach to composition, ideas, feelings and forms. The story of Sonambient barn collection will slowly be told through the release of recordings from the archive as well as installations and performances built from Bertoia's own recordings, lectures and a book.

The eighth and latest slate of refined retro-futuristic synth-pop by Liz Wendelbo and Sean McBride aka Xeno & Oaklander is named after and inspired by "the study of what not to do, a negative image of a positive, the other side, the other:" 'Via Negativa (in the doorway light)'. Recorded in the fall of 2023 at their modernist Connecticut home fashioned into a two-story synthesizer laboratory and mixing studio, the album is uniquely visionary in spirit yet precision in execution, a contrast central to the duo’s enduring chemistry. Embryonic piano sketches were translated to nuanced modular systems, which McBride weighted with "harmonic padding," tuned percussion, and a spectral transfer device capable of "rendering spasms of rhythmic overtonal filigree." Despite the technological complexity of their craft, emotively the songs require no deciphering – these are technicolor widescreen anthems of the cybernetic age.

The eponymous opening track sets the pace, soaring sleekly over glittering synths and call-and-response vocals about arias, shattered light, and faces in stereo. From there the record expands and contracts, cycling through a gallery of moods and masks, animated by the band’s fascination with drama, "the idea of personae," and theatrical characters. Track by track, a murky, tragic backstory reveals itself: forlorn figures navigating a treacherous mercury mine, alternately poisoned by fumes or buried in collapsing caverns. The tension between Teutonic, utopian synthetic pop and lyrical narratives of ghosts in silos, ruined mills, and the traumas of mineral excavation creates a compelling friction, alternately futurist and obsolete, elevated and subterranean. Wendelbo describes the music’s polarities perfectly: "The heavy machinic din of extraction in contrast with the enchantment of the mined precious gems and metals."

From bilingual odes to bloodstones ("O Vermillion") to cosmic chrome dance floor classics ("Lost & There" "The present tense can never feel real / So many pasts conspire in the burning sun") to strutting EBM sensualities ("Actor's Foil"), Xeno & Oaklander re-prove themselves masters of the axis of technology and poetry, snaking cables and synesthesia, mining melodies and myths across 15 years of focused artistry. Theirs is a muse still gilded and gleaming, burnished red and silver, attuned to "the unobservable, the unfamiliar, that which you don’t see directly."

The eighth and latest slate of refined retro-futuristic synth-pop by Liz Wendelbo and Sean McBride aka Xeno & Oaklander is named after and inspired by "the study of what not to do, a negative image of a positive, the other side, the other:" 'Via Negativa (in the doorway light)'. Recorded in the fall of 2023 at their modernist Connecticut home fashioned into a two-story synthesizer laboratory and mixing studio, the album is uniquely visionary in spirit yet precision in execution, a contrast central to the duo’s enduring chemistry. Embryonic piano sketches were translated to nuanced modular systems, which McBride weighted with "harmonic padding," tuned percussion, and a spectral transfer device capable of "rendering spasms of rhythmic overtonal filigree." Despite the technological complexity of their craft, emotively the songs require no deciphering – these are technicolor widescreen anthems of the cybernetic age.

The eponymous opening track sets the pace, soaring sleekly over glittering synths and call-and-response vocals about arias, shattered light, and faces in stereo. From there the record expands and contracts, cycling through a gallery of moods and masks, animated by the band’s fascination with drama, "the idea of personae," and theatrical characters. Track by track, a murky, tragic backstory reveals itself: forlorn figures navigating a treacherous mercury mine, alternately poisoned by fumes or buried in collapsing caverns. The tension between Teutonic, utopian synthetic pop and lyrical narratives of ghosts in silos, ruined mills, and the traumas of mineral excavation creates a compelling friction, alternately futurist and obsolete, elevated and subterranean. Wendelbo describes the music’s polarities perfectly: "The heavy machinic din of extraction in contrast with the enchantment of the mined precious gems and metals."

From bilingual odes to bloodstones ("O Vermillion") to cosmic chrome dance floor classics ("Lost & There" "The present tense can never feel real / So many pasts conspire in the burning sun") to strutting EBM sensualities ("Actor's Foil"), Xeno & Oaklander re-prove themselves masters of the axis of technology and poetry, snaking cables and synesthesia, mining melodies and myths across 15 years of focused artistry. Theirs is a muse still gilded and gleaming, burnished red and silver, attuned to "the unobservable, the unfamiliar, that which you don’t see directly."

For Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms, country music is soul music. Just as soul music resonates the mind, body, and spirit with powerful rhythms and expressive vocals, so too does the reflective storytelling and crooning country music on their latest record, Gold In Your Pocket. Blending classic country, bluegrass, old-time, and Cajun influences, Caleb & Reeb offer a refreshing departure from the often sorrowful themes found in traditional music. In fact, love–particularly remembering, giving, and receiving it–is the thematic glue connecting all 13 tracks. Celebrated for their charismatic performances and deeply-rooted musical style, the duo’s pared-down approach is supplemented by pedal steel and electric guitar, channeling classic country duos of old. Legendary Cajun musician and engineer Joel Savoy, along with Nashville session savant Chris Scruggs, added tasteful performances to Gold In Your Pocket at sessions in Louisiana and Nashville. As a vocally-led band, Caleb & Reeb focus on the art of harmony, capturing listeners with the joy of telling a universal story through song. Their creations also honor the communal side of country and honky-tonk music. These longtime leaders of the vibrant Pacific Northwest underground country scene prove that getting us to dance and sing together is more important than ever.

DJ Support: Black Coffee, Keinemusik, Pete Tong, LP Giobbi, Villa Nova

Kaz James Launches new imprint krushes with ’Sun is Shining’

This summer cut thats already had the likes of Black Coffee, Keinemuzik, &Me, Pete Tong, LP Giobbi, Birds of Mind all heavily supporting.