quête:you am i

Accomplished musical documenters Analog Africa shine a long-overdue spotlight on the trailblazers of Zimbabwe's Chigiyo sound with this lovingly curated new collection. Emerging from Kwekwe in the 1980s, the group fused reggae grooves with Shona chants, mbira-inspired guitars and bold brass to create a style uniquely their own. Anchored by legendary guitarist Gilbert Zvamaida, Zig-Zag's music carried spiritual weight and infectious energy with classics like 'Gomo Ramasare' and 'Mudzimu Mukuru' shaping the country's cultural landscape. This lovingly curated compilation revives their groundbreaking catalogue and celebrates their fearless creativity while introducing a new generation to one of Zimbabwe's most distinctive and visionary bands.

Cambridge’s acclaimed psych-folk quintet Fuzzy Lights return with their fifth album ‘Fen Creatures’. Following on from 2021’s critically lauded ‘Burials’ the band have created their most conceptually focussed work to date – a mediation on environmental crises that uses the folklore and history of East Anglia as a lens to examine humanity’s fractured relationship with the natural world.

The album operates across multiple historical timelines, from Iron Age hill forts to medieval plague houses, from Byron's Romantic-era environmental warnings to the immediate threat of rising sea levels, creating a temporal tapestry that weaves ancient stories with contemporary concerns.

Musically, the quintet, Rachel Watkins (vocals/violin), Xavier Watkins (guitar/electronics), Chris Rogers (guitar), Daniel Carney (bass), and Mark Blay (drums), have pushed deeper into experimental drone territories while maintaining the crystalline folk sensibilities that have become their signature.

Lead track ‘Greenteeth transforms the traditional cautionary tale of Jenny Greenteeth, the water spirit who lures children to their deaths. "When I read this story to my daughter, she was instantly drawn into it," Watkins notes. "There's something timeless about these tales and the way they speak to fundamental fears and connections that span generations."

Elsewhere, 'War Ditches' imagines the Iron Age dead of a Cambridge hill fort keeping watch over the land, their vigil ending as modern people lose connection with the earth. 'The Promise' creates an imaginary encounter with the ghosts of Landbeach village across multiple eras, connecting the 1665 plague with our recent pandemic experience through shared narratives of community resilience and loss.

Critics praised ‘Burials’ as "way beyond folk and folk in essence all at once" (Backseat Mafia) and "folk-rock looking back squarely at the early 1970s" (Financial Times), and 'Fen Creatures' promises to cement Fuzzy Lights' reputation as one of Britain's most vital contemporary folk acts. The album positions them firmly within the lineage of artists like Fairport Convention, Trees, and Comus who understood that engaging with tradition isn't nostalgic escapism, but a way of accessing older wisdoms about how to live in the world.

‘Burials’ press:

“...the musical battle between the fuzzy and the light makes Fuzzy Lights special.” MOJO ★★★★
“...a simmering, sinister undercurrent which often explodes with apocalyptic fervour.” SHINDIG ★★★★
“...subverting genre expectations and folk melodies.” FINANCIAL TIMES ★★★★
“Way beyond folk and folk in essence all at once, it's a record that’ll bring you much reward.” BACKSEATMAFIA - 8.3/10
“a genuine delight....a stirring and unsettling listen, goosebumps adding to the pleasure of timeless music played well, with perfect precision. Don’t leave it another eight years, eh?” FOLK RADIO
“...re-inventing the folk-rock playbook and dragging it screaming through an array of influences...Fuzzy Lights’ most unique, reflective and ambitious record to date” FOR THE RABBITS

Ähnlich wie die nachtblühende Flora, nach der das Album benannt ist, ist Constant Smiles' Felte-Debüt ,Moonflowers" das Ergebnis langsamer, weitgehend unsichtbarer Wachstumsmuster. Die in New York ansässige Band hat sich ihren eigenen Weg hierher gebahnt und sich nach und nach von einer amorphen Sammlung hochkonzeptioneller Ideen zu etwas Greifbarerem entwickelt, wobei jeder Schritt ihres ungewöhnlichen Weges zu ,Moonflowers" führte, einem subtilen Meisterwerk des intern entstandenen Ambient-Pop. Constant Smiles wurde 2009 von Ben Jones gegründet. Er wurde von verschiedenen Mitwirkenden in verschiedenen Versionen der Band unterstützt, die sich in Form von lauten Soundscapes, szenischem Chamber Pop oder eisigem Coldwave-ähnlichem Synth-Pop manifestierten und oft auf undurchsichtig gestalteten, ultra-limitierten Alben veröffentlicht wurden, die nach Lieblingsfilmregisseuren benannt waren. Durch den Umzug nach New York und einige Platten bei Sacred Bones wurde die Band einem größeren Publikum bekannt, aber Jones und seine Freunde blieben in ständigem Wandel. Die große Entschlüsselung des Constant Smiles-Rätsels erfolgte, als sich die Band zu einer festen Kernbesetzung formierte, als Schlagzeugerin/Sängerin Nora Knight Ende 2022 zu Jones und dem langjährigen Bassist Spike Currier stieß. Nach Jahren, die von tiefgreifenden Veränderungen und Unbeständigkeit geprägt waren, veränderte diese stabilisierte Besetzung den Sound, die emotionale Färbung und die Wirkung der Band. Mit Knight und Currier, die einen Kontrapunkt und Struktur zu Jones' stets sprudelnder Kreativität bildeten, wurden die Songs stromlinienförmiger und direkter. Nach wie vor luftig und traumhaft, hat die Trio-Version von Constant Smiles, die Moonflowers produzierte, die Wolken der Unbestimmtheit und Unsicherheit beseitigt, die es schwieriger machten, sich mit früheren Versionen der Band zu identifizieren. Wie die besten Momente der grundlegenden Alben von Talk Talk oder Nick Drake, die gelebte Erhabenheit von Adrianne Lenkers Songs/Instrumentals oder Jim O'Rourkes Ausflüge in den Kammerpop erreicht Moonflowers seine dynamischen Schwünge auf natürliche, fast unterschwellige Weise. Es ist ein Sound, den frühere Veröffentlichungen von Constant Smiles andeuteten, aber nie ganz erreichten. Moonflowers ist die klarste Sicht auf etwas, dessen Entstehung Jahre gedauert hat, das sich aber dennoch ganz natürlich wie eine Einführung anfühlt. Die Musik ist sorgfältig, aber nicht überladen, und das passt perfekt zu Songs über Gefühle, die entstehen, bevor man Zeit hat, nachzudenken. In dieser vollendeten Form erschließt Constant Smiles etwas Instinktives, eine Atmosphäre der Stille mit mikroskopisch kleinen Teilen, die nie aufhören, sich zu bewegen, und Songs, die fast transparent sind, aber dennoch irgendwie schwerer als ein Berg.

With his third album Ouin Ouin, Miel de Montagne further establishes himself as a key figure in today’s global indie scene, resonating worldwide, especially in Latin America and Germany. Like a tightrope walker balancing between melancholy and carefree joy, he evolves alongside French talents (Lewis Ofman, L’Impératrice, Au Pinard) and international names (Parcels, Benny Sings, Men I Trust).



After a tour across Europe (England, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark) and France with a sold-out show at l'Olympia to close off his tour, he returns with “Ouin Ouin Ouin”. In this deluxe version, he collaborates with artists he met over the past few months, such as Blasé, Kazy Lambist, and Girl Ultra, a leading figure of the Mexican indie scene. To accompany these features, you’ll find two new exclusive tracks to make the Ouin Ouin journey last a little longer.

New Wave of Alternative Hardcore! 217's debut album ' In Your Gaze " is a combination of different Hardcore schools mixed with dreamy, dark and intense moments. This is a turning point. Drawing inspiration from American old-school hardcore (Negative Approach, Uniform Choice, Slapshot, Madball, Bad Brains, Chain of Strength, Growing Concern), mid-'90s new school (108, Have Heart, Snapcase, Abhinanda), as well as math rock, hardcore, and alternative dark rock (Melvins, Botch, Bauhaus, Fields of the Nephilim, Stone Temple Pilots, Killing Joke, The Doors), 217 now presents itself with a renewed and at times dreamlike musical and lyrical identity.

Wounds is the band's long-awaited fifth album - their first in six years, their most eclectic and ambitious work to date. As heavy as it is haunting, the record masterfully blends doom, post-punk, and driving krautrock in a dynamic, hypnotic maelstrom - pushing London's most exciting cult band into intoxicating new territory. "Wounds is a series of songs about the different ways people live with and process 'the wounds' of their lives," explains vocalist Maya. "A strange celebration of that formative pain we have all experienced in some way. The loss and joy of survival - the celebration of finding others like us, the gift of knowing life comes after fire." Wounds was recorded by Mike Bew, on location at Foel Studio. The band could be found working deep into the witching hours, experimenting with new sounds and filling the valleys with cantankerous wails of sound, bursting from amps borrowed from My Bloody Valentine. "The Welsh countryside has a mystical quality to it," says guitarist Adam. "We recorded in a deep, dark valley; misty days and shooting stars at night. You could wander through nearby woods and stone circles during breaks. Foel Studios is woven into this setting with a transcendence of its own - its storied history includes sessions by Electric Wizard, Hawkwind and The Fall." Synths on the album are arranged by Berlin-based Bow Church, an influential figure in the dark electronic scene and a longtime collaborator of the band. His work weaves icy and atmospheric textures into the album's tracks. While meticulously crafted, Wounds captures the visceral energy of Cold in Berlin's renowned live shows. The album's arrangements and raucous sound remain true to the unrelenting intensity and atmosphere of their stage performances - every track retains the sweat, urgency, and immediacy of a band performing in the moment.

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

Release Description:

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

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

The 2024 biographical drama film Back To Black explores the life of the iconic talent Amy Winehouse, played by Marisa Abela. The biopic is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and written by Matt Greenhalgh. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis crafted the evocative soundtrack for the documentary Back to Black, which chronicles the rise and impact of Amy Winehouse. Their composition is a haunting yet soulful homage, blending melancholic strings and ambient soundscapes to mirror Winehouse's turbulent journey and profound artistry. The duo's music underscores the film's emotional depth, capturing both the rawness of Winehouse's struggles and the brilliance of her musical legacy. The music of Black To Black is cut on 45 RPM and is available as a limited edition of 750 numbered copies on gold and black marbled vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet with liner notes by director Sam Taylor-Johnson.

None other than Nick Cave helped director John Hillcoat with the screenplay for the movie Lawless, while he also took great care of the movie’s soundtrack. Cave and fellow musician Warren Ellis form the core of The Bootleggers, a country and bluegrass ensemble that welcome a string of guests artist like Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley and Mark Lanegan. The Lawless soundtrack contains cover versions of artists such as Velvet Underground and Captain Beefheart and also features original compositions by Cave/Ellis and the great Willie Nelson. Lawless is a studded movie by director John Hillcoat (The Road, The Proposition) about a gang of bootleggers in Virginia during the Great Depression. And when we say star-studded, we really mean it: Guy Pierce, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy and Shia LeBoeuf signed up for the gritty and evocative story about brothers who try to create their own American Dream during Prohibition. Lawless is available as a limited edition edition of 750 numbered copies on smoke coloured vinyl and includes an 8-page booklet with movie pictures and liner notes by Hal Willner and director John Hillcoat.

SHDW presents 'Federation Of Rytm IV': a bumper 30-track collection spanning the past, present, and future of techno.

Offering powerful standalone club cuts and a cohesive deep-dive, the expansive VA lands on 24th October 2025.

The fourth edition of SHDW's flagship 'Federation Of Rytm' VA series has been carefully curated by the DJ/ producer and head honcho over more than a year, with close attention to detail given to sequencing. It is a balance of label regulars and debutants that represents the past, present, and future, both sonically and through the generational diversity of the artists involved. There are plenty of surprises along the way while always remaining true to the Mutual Rytm ethos and reflecting the journey of the night from start to finish, whether that's in intimate, sweaty clubs or on big festival stages.

Across 30 tracks in the digital collection and 24 on four sides of wax, the release explores the full breadth of the Mutual Rytm sound. Driving grooves and relentless percussion set the pace, gradually unfolding into hypnotic and atmospheric passages that invite deeper immersion. Pulsating low-end power alternates with eerie minimalism, while bursts of futuristic energy and cavernous kick drums keep the tension high. Elsewhere, dub textures and moments of introspection provide balance, creating a narrative arc that moves fluidly between intensity and release, atmosphere and tension, darkness and light.

"The Archer" is the second studio album by American musician Alexandra Savior. It was released on January 10, 2020 through 30th Century Records. "The Archer" was produced by Sam Cohen, often known as a fan of collaboration. On working with Savior, Cohen says, "It's really a joy to work with someone who's got such a strong sense of melody and also such a strong sense of what she wants stylistically." Savior's debut record, "Belladonna of Sadness", was written in collaboration with Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys and NME says, "Savior continues to build on that bold arrival and is becoming a star in her own right." "The Archer" shows that not only does her voice stand alone, but that her musicality stands alone, too.

Der Breakthrough-Artist sombr hat sein Debütalbum "I Barely Know Her" veröffentlicht. Das 10-Track-Album ist jetzt über Warner Records erhältlich und enthält die Hits „back to friends”, „undressed” und „12 to 12” (inklusive Musikvideo mit Addison Rae), die weiterhin international die Charts stürmen – darunter die globalen Spotify-Charts, die UK Official Singles Charts sowie die US-amerikanischen „Top 40 Radio“ und „Alternative Radio“-Charts. In diesen erreichte sombr schneller als jeder andere neue Künstler der letzten zehn Jahre Platz 1. Auch in den Billboard Hot Rock Songs setzte er ein Ausrufezeichen und verdrängte Hozier nach einem Jahr von der Spitze. In Deutschland befinden sich mit „back to friends”, "12 to 12" und „undressed” mittlerweile 3 Singles in den Top 30 der deutschen Single-Charts und das Debutalbum schoss auf Platz #16 der offiziellen deutschen Albumcharts!
"I Barely Know Her" wurde komplett von sombr geschrieben und vom 20-jährigen Künstler zusammen mit dem renommierten Produzenten Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, The Replacements) co-produziert. Gegenüber i-D gibt er zu Protokoll, die Songs seien inspiriert von „young romance, dimly lit rooms, late nights, and love, loss, and life.” Die Veröffentlichung folgt auf die Nachricht, dass sombr sein Debüt bei den MTV Video Music Awards geben wird – live aus New York am 7. September –, wo er als Best New Artist und Best Alternative Artist nominiert ist.

sombr (bürgerlich Shane Boose) wuchs im New Yorker Stadtteil Lower East Side auf und entdeckte seine Liebe zur Musik als Teenager im eigenen Schlafzimmer. Parallel dazu studierte er klassische Musik an der renommierten LaGuardia High School. Mit dem viralen Hit „Caroline“ (2022) wurde er über Nacht zum Internetphänomen. Seitdem hat er mehrere EPs und Singles veröffentlicht und bringt es inzwischen auf über 400 Millionen monatliche Streams über alle Plattformen hinweg. Heute lebt sombr in Los Angeles und verarbeitet in seinen Songs die Höhen und Tiefen junger Liebe – alles selbst geschrieben, co-produziert und veröffentlicht über Warner Records.

Dutch artist Sander van der Toorn returns to Kit Records, following his much-loved work with analogue-decayed folk duo Love is Yes, in 2024. While Sander's signature haze of tape-smeared synthesis and motorik guitar is ever present, "kom-kom" represents a departure from the elysian warmth of Love's debut.

The industrial throb of tracks like 'FIVE' and 'Rainhum' bear the deconstructed hallmarks of krautrock pioneers Neu!, and even the dystopic glow of artists like Plastikman or Pole. When kom-kom's harmonic ambitions resurface, such as on the synapse-aching 'Dwarsdoor', or the glassy structures of 'Hazenhart', the effect is startling.

van der Toorn cites the inspiration of Morton Feldman and Sarah Davachi when describing his work less as a linear listening experience, more a collection of sculptures that can be viewed from different angles. In this way, kom-kom doesn't have to move forward; the encounter can be one of stillness, of static objects given movement by the beholder's shifting perspective.

Sounds like: John Fahey being stretched into infinitely long pieces of spaghetti.
Recommended if you like: intercontinental rail travel, Mark Fisher, a nice malbec.

Limited edition of 100 cassettes, with risograph printed artwork.

In 1964, Martin Denny looked beyond the Hawaiian and Asian influences of his previous records to find another place to plant his umbrella in the sand, as well as in your drink: the sounds of Latin America. With this new sound to hang his exciting arrangements on, Latin Village has long been considered one of Denny's high-water marks, and Jackpot is thrilled to have this long-cherished LP back in print. This is an album that rips through what was considered "The Now Sound From Overseas," a sophisticated mash-up of sambas, bossa novas, and Latin jazz. From the first track, "Angelito" (the hit song written by Réne y Réne, later to also be covered by Trini Lopez & Herb Albert), all the way through to its closer, "Flying Down To Rio" (a song which Roxy Music later referenced in their 1972 song "Virginia Plain”), the album is a hypnotic listen. Latin Village also drops in some serious jazz numbers, with respected compositions such as "On Green Dolphin Street" by Kaper & Washington (which has been covered by Miles Davis, Bill Evans & Sarah Vaughn), "Malagueña" the sixth movement in Ernesto Lecona's Suite Andalucía & "Corcovado" by Antônio Carlos Jobim (who merged samba with jazz to create bossa nova). Latin Village is comforting in its familiarity within Denny's sonic world, but steps refreshingly out of the smoke-filled Tiki bars of his previous records and straight into the sunlight where this music still strolls around in a listener's heart, soul, and mind. “Latin Village is a triumph of Martin Denny’s search for a new style, post-exotica.” – ALLMUSIC, 4 stars.

Martin Denny returns with his loyal crew of multi-instrumentalists that had previously performed on
Forbidden Island, Primitiva, Hypnotique & Quiet Village: stand up bass player Harvey Ragsdale, vibe player Julius Wechter (also a member of the legendary recording unit The Wrecking Crew) and percussionist Augie Colon who was called the “Grandfather of Hawaii Percussion”. And of course, the famous cover girl on Martin Denny’s albums, Sandy Warner, otherwise known as “The Exotica Girl”, returns as well. Although Denny was recording his output at an astonishingly brisk rate, there’s something about Exotica Vol. III, which makes it one of his best and most sought-after with collectors and listeners. Of course, the brilliance of the lead-off track of Les Baxter’s “Jungle River Boat”, with its tight vibe-and-percussion workout intertwined with Colon’s iconic bird calls and other worldly sounds, only makes the sweet, lazy water sounds of the following track “Harbor Lights” all the more delightfully mysterious. So pour your drink of choice, dim the lights, open the windows, and let Exotica Vol. III roll across you.
“His last volume is a no-brainer. The material is simply too good to avoid.” – AMBIENT EXOTICA

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

"Amir ElSaffar (b. 1977, USA) is a composer, trumpeter, vocalist, santur player, and modular synthesizer artist whose innovative compositions blend elements of jazz, classical, and traditional Arabic music. His newly established label, Maqām Records, released its first album earlier this year, Maqam Al-Iraq, by legendary vocalist, Hamid Al-Saadi and is now following up with an album of ElSaffar’s work, New Quartet Live at Pierre Boulez Saal. Recorded live in Berlin in 2023, the album captures the ineffable magic of ElSaffar’s first encounter with Greek pianist Tania Giannouli, a star on the European jazz scene, alongside his NYC-based collaborators: acclaimed drummer and bandleader, Tomas Fujiwara, and saxophonist Ole Mathisen, who is also a featured member of ElSaffar’s Two Rivers and Rivers of Sound orchestra. The quartet merges Arabic maqām with jazz harmony and features microtonal and prepared piano. In addition to the concert itself, the album features alternate takes that were recorded at Pierre Boulez Saal the next day without an audience.

RIYL: Classic artists: Miles Davis - “Sketches of Spain,” “Kind of Blue,” John Coltrane - “A Love Supreme,” “Ballads,” Don Cherry - “Relativity Suite,” Ahmed Abdul Malik - “Jazz Sahara,” “East Meets West,” Cecil Taylor, John Hassel, Hossam Ramzy, Ziad Rahbani.
Contemporary artists: Vijay Iyer, Ibrahim Maalouf, Ambrose Akinmusire, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Dhafer Youssef"

TRON: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
24 neue Tracks von Nine Inch Nails: das Duo aus Trent Reznor und Atticus Ross veröffentlicht am 19.
September 2025 sein Album zum Disney-Kultfilm „TRON: Ares“, inklusive der neuen Single „As Alive As
You Need Me To Be”. Damit setzt die Band eine erfolgreiche Soundtrack-Geschichte fort: ihre vorherigen
Untermalungen zu Filmen wie „The Social Network“ (2010), „Soul“ (2020) oder „Challengers“ (2024)
wurden unter anderem mit zwei Oscars, drei Golden Globes, einem Emmy und einem Grammy ausgezeichnet. Die düstere Industrial-Handschrift Trent Reznors fängt die Stimmung der Sci-Fi-Reihe „TRON“, für
deren letzten Film Daft Punk komponierten, perfekt ein. Reznors Einfluss auf die alternative Musikwelt ist
seit den späten 80ern ungebrochen: mit Hits wie „Closer“ und „Hurt“ sowie Alben wie „The Downward
Spiral“ kombinierte das Mastermind elektronische Sounds mit Rockmusik wie nie zuvor. „TRON: Ares“ ist
die erste NIN Veröffentlichung seit fünf Jahren und liefert gleich 70 Minuten neue Musik – erhältlich ab
dem 19.09. auf CD und Vinyl.

Acclaimed electronic musicians, producers and sound architects Max Cooper and Rob Clouth team up for a new collaborative EP; a dark, playful four-track dive into ambient, breakbeat and techno’s subconscious flow, featuring a standout vocal performance from South London rapper FLOHIO.

Recorded over a series of spontaneous London sessions, “8 Billion Realities” channels years of creative exchange between two of the genre’s most quietly innovative artists and is a result of a decision between the longtime friends to refrain from conceptual overthinking in favour of instinct and joy.

As long-time admirers of each other’s audio/visual work, Cooper and Clouth collaborated in London together after both emerging from intense, idea-heavy album cycles. What followed was a series of exploratory sessions, half-improvised, half-built around half-formed thoughts.

The result is a club-ready EP that feels alive and human: imperfect and hypnotically rich.

“Rob Clouth has been one of my favourite electronic music producers since I first heard his work in 2011,” says Cooper. “His work is more full of ideas and structure than anyone else.” “We were both coming from extensive conceptual studio albums and both in the mood for simplifying things and having some fun with the music, so that’s what we did”.

For Clouth, no stranger to Max Coopers Mesh label having previously released an array of EP’s plus his 2020 debut album “Zero Point” this record marks a new chapter, both creatively and personally.“Something pretty new for me is collaborating,” he says. “You kind of have to when to stop, because if you develop an idea all the way to its endpoint, the other person has nowhere to jump in.”

The first “A Moment Set Aside” began as a break from another idea, a live, unplanned improvisation based around arps and ambience. “The track was written in about as long as it took to play it,” says Cooper. “It was pulled from a 1 hour recording session, more or less as you hear it… the energy and excitement grew as the unplanned moment bore some magic.”

“The lesson being that sometimes it’s helpful to set aside a moment without forcing results, and let the subconscious have something to say.” What followed was darker, heavier. “Asymptote” is detuned techno. Subversive and euphoric in its descent. “We found a sort of brain mangling, half consonant, half wandering detuned techno pulse, which we started chatting about being a sort of pit of spiralling body parts we were falling into,” says Cooper. “It was a lot of fun to work on and let loose with bigger kicks than I usually ever get to unleash.”

Then came “8 Billion Realities”, featuring a standout rap performance from FLOHIO; an emerging figure in the UK grime and rap scene. The track was inspired by conversations about algorithmic echo chambers and hyper-personalised online worlds. Frantic, direct, and South London to the core, FLOHIO brings this tension to life. Her sharp, intense flow cuts through distortion and rhythm, landing the track somewhere between chaos and control instantly making it one of the most striking moments in either artist’s catalogue. “A different reality for all 8 billion of us,” says Cooper. “We weren’t sure if it would work… but there was something about the energy of the percussive idea and the story which felt like it might fit.” “Then FLOHIO had a play with it and straight off the bat absolutely killed it, not just with the lyrics and energy, but the harmonising too, it was a beautiful process.”

The final piece on the EP “Candeleda” originated from Clouth’s solo experiments with a live rig made entirely of vocals and keys, using his self-developed “cheatbox” system. “He put forward a beautiful stumbling melodic sequence which we bounced back and forth adding harmonies and synth layers,” says Cooper. “It rounds off a collection covering some of the breadth of music that we both love.”

The third drop into the Poorly Knit ocean, sees Bruce washed ashore with three silted and barnacled explorations into dub techno, ambient and beyond.

Seizing the microphone for the first time since his sophomore album Not Ready For Love, Bruce weaves a seductive siren song with Golden Water Queen, treading sweet nothings into the bubbling abyss. Sinking further into the deep, The Hand fizzes and froths at the fringes of nothingness, born from the wishing of a softer and more insidious soundtrack to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. Then finally the waves are parted with DHam’s Jam, bobbing along 8 minutes of bouncing kick and prancing percussion, pulling you with peaceful buoyancy along the dancefloor, into “the zone.”

With a continued emphasis on the importance of physical medium within dance music, the 12” is pressed with eco-friendly “Eco-Mix” reground PVC and sleeved in DIY lino printed sleeves.

Das in Australien gegründete und in LA ansässige Duo VOWWS meldet sich mit I'll Fill Your House With an Army zurück, ihrem bisher ehrgeizigsten und am besten umgesetzten Album.

I'll Fill Your House With an Army ist der Höhepunkt der kühnsten Ideen der Band und zeigt, wie VOWWS, bestehend aus Rizz und Matt James, ihre charakteristische „Death-Pop“-Ästhetik vertiefen: eine genreübergreifende Mischung aus industrieller Elektronik, alternativem Rock, cineastischer Nostalgie und melancholischer Pop-Sensibilität. Co-produziert von Billy Howerdel (A Perfect Circle) und mit Gastauftritten von Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, NIN, Devo) und James „Munky“ Shaffer (KORN), ist das Album eine Reise durch Sehnsucht, Entfremdung und die surreale Schönheit des Chaos.

Dieses Album zeigt perfekt die dynamische Bandbreite des Duos: von verzerrter Intimität bis hin zu gewaltigen Klangattacken reflektieren VOWWS ein zerbrochenes Spiegelbild des modernen Zustands - romantisch, aber desillusioniert, viszeral und doch seltsam erhebend.

Nachdem sie sich durch Touren mit den Deftones, Twin Temple und Poppy bereits eine kultige Fangemeinde erspielt haben und gerade einen bahnbrechenden Live-Auftritt im Golden Gate Park neben System of a Down und The Mars Volta absolviert haben, sind VOWWS bereit, ihr Vermächtnis mit dieser Veröffentlichung zu zementieren. Ihr künstlerisches Ethos, unbeugsam in einer Ära der Wegwerfbarkeit, hat sie auch in die Welt der High Fashion geführt, wo sie mit Comme des Garçons, Givenchy und Byredo zusammenarbeiten.

The word "amateur" originates from the Latin word "amator," meaning "lover" or "admirer". This Latin term is derived from "amare," which means "to love". The French adopted "amateur" from Latin, and the English then borrowed it from French, initially retaining the sense of someone who loves or is devoted to something. Over time, the English usage of "amateur" also developed a meaning related to a lack of professional skill or experience. How did a word derived from love become a slur? Is love really so defenseless? They say love conquers all, but in reality isn’t love quite ridiculous? It has no intention, no motive, no agenda. How could it possibly prevail? It can’t be bought or sold, or so they say.Its mere existence can't be proven or even measured. What an impossible thing. Trying and failing, time and time again, no wonder cynicism always seems to win. I see “amateurism” as a delighted, even foolish, protest. Protest against everything. Of what’s expected of someone, or expected of someone to desire or strive for. To be elite, to be expert, to be professional, to be a master, to excel and succeed. Where’s the joy in that? I just want to have fun. I want to want. I want to love. And keep doing it, forever. I want to have fun, even when it’s tiring and sometimes even heaven is boring as hell. I want to be bad. I want to do my own thing. “I vant to be alone”. I want to be someone so dedicated to their passion that it starts to seem like there’s something wrong with them. All the way. We can take it all the way, and never get it back. ” - Molly Nilsson Amateur is the 12th studio album by Molly Nilsson. Deep in the teeth of a career that threatens to tip into something resembling a “legacy,” Molly Nilsson celebrates with an album recorded instinctively, quickly and bursting with so many moments of emotional brilliance and clarity it may be her greatest yet. Hers has been a career spent reaching out, perennially powerful in her earnestness, a warrior ridiculously defenceless and armed with a glittering sincerity. Shearing herself of the machinations of the music industry, recording at home, writing direct to the heart. Amateur is a jubilee for losers. A treatise in 13 songs, Amateur states clearly that we should live our life with eternal curiosity, offers us an open hand of comradeship out of the rat race. The songs on the album are both some of the most personal of Nilsson’s career and the most anthemic. First single How Much Is The World asks us to re-evaluate value in the face of a Neo-liberal system squeezing the life out of our loves. Pulsing opener Die Cry Lie satirises the commercialisation of emotion in the form of a shout-along diss-track. With a pounding rhythm track held down by gorgeous chord changes, heartbreaker Valhalla carries the torch for the main themes of the album: never growing up, making mistakes with kindness, moving on. When the drums crash in on the line “It’s going to get better now, you’ll see, going to be much better off without me” there is a world of feeling swirling about in the vocal delivery. One reading of the track might be that it’s a break up song but the subtext is classic Molly Nilsson: by living truthfully, making mistakes, we’re active agents against the myriad oppressions of the world. All The Way takes the theme for a run into the eternal sunset. It’s a manifesto for living fully. “Take it all the way, and never get it back” - it’s the process that’s the important point. The journey not the destination. Big Life, follows on like a part 2: An ode not only to Molly Nilsson’s career of endless gigs, endless connections with people, it’s a massive ode for following your dreams, doing it yourself. Closer The Bitter End is a powerful anthem for friendship, another definition of love infused in Nilsson’s work, A beautifully poignant ode to comradeship til the end, it seems to be the songwriter approaching aging, approaching life’s inevitability with the same vigour and earnestness, the same love of life she enjoyed at the onset of her career. There are moments on Amateur shrouded in reverb, slightly out of focus, forcing the listener to step deeper into the Mollyverse.. Nilsson’s open-armed beseeching to the world permeates every beat, every chord. These are songs exploding with life: the chunky, aggressive bassline on the punker Get A Life can’t hide its massive, catchy chorus. The sweeping Swedish Nightmare might be a tongue-in-cheek self-reference, but at its heart it’s a song about the duality of living life large, what is a dream, what is a nightmare? Molly Nilsson says you can’t have one without the other, and why would you want to? Here’s to making mistakes.

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Nils Frahm has unexpectedly confirmed details of a new collection of solo piano music, his first album since 2022’s three-hour Music For Animals. Day will be released by LEITER on March 1st, 2024, and it will be available on limited edition vinyl as well as via all digital platforms. Recorded in the summer of 2022 in complete solitude and away from his studio at Berlin’s famed Funkhaus complex, it is preceded by a single, ‘Butter Notes’, out on January 19. Day may come as a surprise to those who, over the last decade, have watched Frahm shift slowly away from the piano compositions with which he first made his name in favour of a nonetheless still-distinctive approach that’s considerably more instrumentally complex and intricately arranged. In addition, in 2021, having spent the early part of the pandemic arranging his archives, he released the 80 minute, 23-track Old Friends New Friends, a compilation of previously unreleased piano music intended to enable him to ”start over” with a clean slate. Judging from the extended, ambient nature of Music For Animals, it proved a successful gambit, but Frahm has never been able to resist returning to his first love, and those who enjoyed earlier acclaimed albums like The Bells, Felt and Screws will once again revel in Day’s familiar, personal style. Day, which contains six tracks, three over the six-minute mark, is the first in a pair of albums Frahm has lined up for 2024. In keeping with their nature, however, he won’t be making a song and dance about the release. Instead, he’ll resume his ongoing world tour, which has already included fifteen sold-out dates at Berlin’s Funkhaus as well as a show at Athen’s Acropolis. It will continue with shows all over the world, among them several sold-out dates at London’s Barbican in July 2024, where he previously curated a weekend of music, film and art, Possibly Colliding, in 2016. The album is best enjoyed in the manner in which it was recorded, in the intimacy of a peaceful, cosy room. There are muffled pedal creaks on the cyclical, quietly jazzy ‘You Name It’ and, during the palliative ripples of ‘Butter Notes’’ arpeggios, the sound of dogs barking in the streets outside. The compassionate, hesitant ‘Tuesdays’ and emotionally ambiguous ‘Towards Zero’ linger with the poignant persistence of Harold Budd’s earliest work, while ‘Hands On’ is a sometimes brighter, airier tune that sets its own, deliberate pace, and, as he has on occasions before, ‘Changes’ sees Frahm employing elements of his instrument’s construction in a ‘prepared piano’ fashion. Characterised by its confidential mood, Day confirms that, while Frahm is arguably now best known for elaborate, celebratory concerts calling upon an arsenal of pianos, organs, keyboards, synths, even a glass harmonica, he’s still a prolific master of affecting simplicity, tenderness and romance.

In May, fans were treated to the first new music from Trentemøller since 2022. A new single, "A Different Light," showcased a stunning blend of prismatic space rock and folk. For anyone wondering if it foreshadowed the release of a full-length, Dreamweaver will drop in September, on Friday the 13th.
Featuring 10 tracks that traverse Trentemøller's many musical strengths, Dreamweaver also represents an obvious artistic leap, treading new ground while retaining the overall plot. Tracks featuring vocals come courtesy of of Iceland's Disa, who has been in Trentemøller's fold since the Memoria tour.
Dreamweaver's nylon string-led opening track, and first single from the album, "A Different Light," contains many of Trentemøller's trademarks: exploring dichotomies, musical shadowplay, Nordic frigidity, and warm waves. It opens the door for the steady, hypnotic "Nightfall," with its tetherless vocal, wistful guitars, and early morning desert chill. The third track in the opening trifecta, "Dreamweavers" finds its footing with a percussive soft trot, which starts after what feels like a shortwave radio scan in search of the right chords, eventually dialing in a weightless voice. Ostensibly keeping a ruminative pace with the previous two tracks, the song and, by extension, album soon opens up as the rest of the elements drop into place with a grand, luxurious burst.
Dreamweaver is about to enter its next phase. With the hatch blown off of the portal, the noisy "I Give My Tears," driven by its glissed and fuzzy bass line, pours into the void. It's followed by its sibling, the most chaotic track on Dreamweaver, "Behind My Eyes." Arriving as a piece of noise rock pandemonium, "Behind My Eyes," can't be contained in its plush vault. A whip-crack snare and convulsing guitars smash against each other in the song's verse chamber. The tension builds, as the particles collide, pushing past the point of critical mass, kicking off the chain reaction which is the chorus. At times it harkens back to the proto-gaze tracks that gave birth to dream pop, at others it newly defines what that is. There's no time to contemplate it, though, as the song disintegrates in a microphonic feedback instant.
A respite follows with the somnambulistic pair of "Hollow" and "Empty Beaches." Then, a moment of intensity returns as the soaring textures and tribal drum bursts of "In A Storm" take control, before being taken out with the ambient slo-core of "Winter's Ghost" and "Closure." This diptych wraps up an album which certainly feels on-script for Trentemøller, but is also much more psychedelic than previous offerings.
Dreamweaver will be released on Trentemøller's own In My Room label. It is an exceedingly immersive experience, bound to release any dormant hallucinations you may be harboring.

Rights: World excluding FR & UK

Packaging: 2 x Gold-On-Clear Splatter Vinyl, 5mm spine sleeve, 2 x printer inner sleeve, marketing sticker

SHORT BIOG & KEY POINTS
" Goldie's 1995 debut Timeless is often described as one of the greatest dance music albums of all time. As one of the founders of Metalheadz, one of the most influential drum and bass labels, Goldie helped shape the sound of a generation, and a genre that has spanned over 3 decades.
" "Listening to Timeless is like taking an adventure. If the limits of music are the limits of society, then Timeless is going to create new worlds. It's a record that travels from darkness to light across electronic oceans, across streetsoul, ambience and jazz."

" London Records celebrate 30 years of Timeless with limited edition vinyl formats, re-imagining the original white sleeve and putting the album on double vinyl for the first time since '96, with new liner notes from Tim Carr. Remastered audio.

In between the folds of ceremony and commonality lies a perennial spring of musical expression.

A statement along the time continuum, or a testament to the resilient resourcefulness embedded in that truth, forms the philosophical approach of this album – the first outing of Dídac.
Studying an extensive archive of instruments, artifacts, and field recordings at the Musée d’ethnographie de Genève—a space steeped in folkloric gesture – Dídac encountered a cosmos of liturgical music and folk song. Anchored in reverance for tradition and transformation alike, this album navigates the old-world Mediterranean lore through a post-modern ambient lens, threading drone, gentle rhythm, electroacoustic textures and the crude tactility of archival material into one woven tapestry.

Under the guidance of Dr. Madeleine Leclair, Dídac was invited to work within one of the world’s most extensive ethno- musicological archives—L’AIMP. In the saturated basements and tape-lined backrooms of the museum, he submerged himself in the sounds of ritual and rural life: wax cylinders from the Eastern Mediterranean, tapes of liturgical hymn, the worn edges of communal song.
In a makeshift studio on the fourth floor of the museum, he sifted through the hours of material he collected, gradually discovering that the archive was no static source – It did not dictate; rather, it served as a companion—offering not answers, but questions. Not a beaten track, but a cluster of sonic clues and riddles. Samples do appear occasionally, tenderly interwoven into the dialogue of the songs. In Dídac’s self-titled debut, the past is not worn as ornament or kitsch; it is listened to and responded to. The museum, its archives, and the visit to Geneva became a foundational culisse of sorts, igniting a myriad of rough cuts and improvisational outtakes.
Dídac, or Diego Ocejo Muñoz, was born in Madrid in 1994 to a family of both Catalan and Castilian origin.

Brought up in a religious household, the influence of the Catholic Church innately shaped the social fabric, schooling and daily life. This lingering dominance led the adolescent Diego into a path of rejection of everything sacramental, promptly resorting to subversion in the shape of grafitti, skateboarding and underground music. Only later in life, after a rigorous venture as an acid and electro producer, the Church re-emerged before him in new light, invoking a deep fascination for its mysticism, iconography and choral tradition.

Spain in general and Catalonia in particular, has long served as a crossroads of the eastern–western Mediterranean continuum, with many of its cultures sharing aspects of way of life and ceremony. At the MEG, Diego found himself puzzled with this realization, resulting in a sonic amalgamation that reaches farther away from the rugged mountains of Catalonia than you might perceive at first encounter.

The deeply embedded memory of rite and public ceremony, religious hymn and landscape—sieved through the undercurrent of personal re-emergence, forms the emotional topography of this album. The record does not trace this landscape; it inhabits it. Its repetitive mysticism and ambient, wide-eyed gaze could possibly evoke (perhaps redundant) comparisons to artists such as Dimitris Petsetakis, or Popol Vuh’s late 70’s cinema scores.
The delicate lines between the sacred and the secular – between memory and re-invention – serve as a cipher to understanding this album in its entirety. Titles like Malpàs Mines or Pantocrator’s Portal Outro nudge toward a folkloric and devotional bedrock—places where labor and spirituality coexist, where names preserve both dust and veneration.

Nevertheless, this is far from mere nostalgia. It is a reclamation — singing alongside the spirits of the past, nurturing what still hums beneath the soil. It is an intimate reflection on tradition, rebellion, adolescence, ceremony and fantasy – a pastoral contemplation on what once was and what is to be.

Tremor erscheint zu einem Zeitpunkt, an dem Averys Arbeitspensum für Außenstehende kolossal erscheint. Als Produzent, DJ, Musiker und Remixer, der ständig mit anderen zusammenarbeitet, hat er kürzlich DRONE:NODRONE von The Cure neu interpretiert, wofür er allgemeine Anerkennung erhielt. Seine Arbeit als eines von drei Mitgliedern von Demise of Love (eine Gruppe, die gemeinsam mit Ghost Culture und Working Men’s Club gegründet wurde) liefert derzeit den Soundtrack für die verschwommenen, undurchsichtigen Ränder der Tanzflächen auf der ganzen Welt. Das Album ist Averys erste Veröffentlichung bei Domino.

Die Platte ist voller unerwarteter Kollaborationen, darunter: Yeule, Art School Girlfriend, Ryan von bdrmm, Yune Pinku, Cécile Believe, Walter Schreifels von Rival Schools, Julie von New Dad und Alison Mosshart. „Tremor” wurde teilweise von David Wrench und teilweise vom legendären Alan Moulder gemischt. Es ist ein Breitwand-Album, auf dem sich Daniel mehr denn je auf Instrumentierung stützt und diese Klänge mit seiner charakteristischen, dunklen, techno-ähnlichen Produktion ergänzt. Es gibt wunderschöne melodische Parts, große elektronische Hits, härtere Grunge-Parts und wunderschöne Ambient-Momente, die einen wieder zur Ruhe kommen lassen.

Ein unverzichtbares Album von Roy Ayers, das soulige Jazz-Wurzeln mit knackigem 1970er-Jahre-Funk verbindet. Mit Ayers' charakteristischen Vibes, präzisen Arrangements und herausragenden Tracks wie "The Boogie Back" (gesampelt von NWA, 2Pac, De La Soul_) und "Change Up the Groove" ist diese LP ein Muss für jeden Fan von Jazz-Funk und Vintage-Grooves, ein etwas verstecktes Juwel aus Roy Ayers Ubiquitys frühen Polygram-Jahren. Dieses soulige Album, das oft zugunsten von Ayers' größeren Hits übersehen wird, ist eine Meisterklasse in Jazz-Funk-Fusion und fängt die Essenz von Ayers' sich entwickelndem Stil ein, als er die Lücke zwischen seinen Jazz-Wurzeln und dem rhythmischen Snap der Funk-Revolution der 70er Jahre überbrückte. Vom ersten Track an steht Ayers' charakteristischer Vibraphon-Sound im Mittelpunkt, der vor Emotionen und Groove nur so sprüht. Das Album besticht durch seine instrumentale Vielfalt, zu der Jazzgrößen wie der legendäre Bernard Purdie am Schlagzeug einen herausragenden Beitrag leisten. Streicher verweben sich subtil und unterstreichen Ayers' ohnehin schon tiefgründige und strukturierte Arrangements. Zu den Höhepunkten gehören der unverkennbare Funk von "The Boogie Back", ein Breakbeat-Favorit für Crate-Digger und DJs (der oft gesampelt wird, um andere Tracks zu garnieren), und eine üppige, elektrifizierte Interpretation von "Feel Like Makin' Love", die vor sanfter Soul-Musik nur so glüht. Der Titeltrack "Change Up the Groove" liefert den typischen, emotional aufgeladenen Funk, der diese Ära geprägt hat. "Change Up the Groove" ist nicht nur ein Album - es ist eine Momentaufnahme von Roy Ayers' künstlerischer Entwicklung, voller Rhythmus, Herz und zeitlosem Groove. Egal, ob Sie ein langjähriger Fan sind oder nun neun entdecken. Essential listening!

Hailing from Raw Culture, Anna Funk Damage returns with his third release on the Roman label, delivering a record as fierce as it is intimate. Tarantola was born out of a winter suspended between contrasting emotions – melancholy, anger, love, confusion – distilled into a sound that transforms personal fragility into collective energy. There’s no pursuit of perfection here, but rather an urgency running through the veins, taking shape across supersonic punk, wave, ambient and industrial.

Each track is an emotional fragment, a bite that leaves its mark: from the electric tension of Vivere Distaccati to the feverish rush of Trasmissione, from the rawness of Decadente to the hypnotic title track Tarantola, which embodies the beating heart of the album. Side B unfolds into more nocturnal and intimate landscapes, from Chiang Mai to the disenchanted sincerity of Lavoro Troppo, closing with a party that carries the bittersweet taste of reality.

Tarantola is a journey into the chaos of human emotions, an album that doesn’t just narrate but pulls you deep into its sonic labyrinth, giving noise back its vulnerable yet powerful soul.

Peace and love in late 60s America did not come without parallel feelings of fear and confusion about the social situation – specifically about Vietnam. “Safe In My Garden” is the latest Ace compilation in an acclaimed series compiled by Bob Stanley – it’s a companion piece to the much-praised “State Of The Union (The American Dream In Crisis 1967 – 1973)” Ace CDCHD 1533/XXQLP2 057 2018).

The music on “Safe In My Garden” is harmony-laden, beautifully produced soft rock. Sunshine pop, even - a melodic, innovative style of American music that grew in the mid-60s out of the folk and surf scenes, exemplified by the Beach Boys and the Mamas and Papas. You will hear orchestral arrangements, and soft boy-girl vocals. But it wasn’t made in isolation from what was going on in the outside world. There are clouds and minor chords, plenty of melancholy in those harmonies.

“Safe In My Garden” includes songs of escape (Mark Eric’s ‘Move With The Dawn’, the Groop’s ‘A Famous Myth’), loss (the Eighth Day’s ‘How Can I Stop Loving You’, the New Colony Six’s ‘Prairie Grey’), dreamscapes (Tommy James and the Shondells’ ‘She’, Nancy Priddy’s ‘Christina’s World’), rebirth (Smokey and his Sister’s ‘Creators Of Rain’), a simpler world (the Free Design’s ‘My Brother Woody’) and a philosophically sounder future (Chad & Jeremy’s ‘The Ark’, Best of Friends’ ‘Summer Sound’).

It contains some surprisingly dark messages paired with beautiful melodies, as well as songs of hope. Thousands of young musicians in cities, suburbs and small towns across the States from the mid to late 60s spent their mornings hiding from the mailman, dreading the draft. This is the Sound of Young America in the late 60s, keeping its fingers crossed.

Kee'ahn, whose name is derived from kee’an, the Wik word meaning to dance and to play, is a proud Yalanji, Jirrbal, and Badulaig artist. Her music is steeped in connection to culture, community, Country, and self and with her soulful voice and storytelling, Kee’ahn has had a powerful impact on the Australian music scene, earning her the Archie Roach Foundation Award and Music Victoria’s Best Emerging Artist award. She has since performed at the 2025 AFL Grand Final collaborating with Baker Boy, Thelma Plum, Emma Donovan, Dallas Woods, Alice Ivy and shared stages with the likes of Julia Jacklin, Hiatus Kaiyote, Greentea Peng and Angie McMahon.

Kee’ahn’s debut EP “for me, for you x” is a collection of lush cinematic soul and rnb love letters. Across 5 tracks, Kee’ahn explores the pursuit of hope, compassion, connection, heartbreak, and healing. This project naturally and authentically came together, detailing moments across 5 years of Kee’ahn’s life. Each song begins on guitar and vocals with demo production in Kee’ahn’s Brunswick bedroom - they are diary entries to herself, formed into messages that hit the hearts of its listeners.

Each song is reminiscent of classic 60’s jazz soul to 90’s neo-soul rnb, to early 2000’s inspired soul pop weaving dynamic soundscapes with clear and meaningful catchy lyricism.

A samba funk essential. This debut album from Jorge Ben's iconic backing band blends Brazilian rhythms, soulful vocals, and American funk energy into one unforgettable groove. Includes the hit single 'Coqueiro Verde' along with standout tracks like 'Meu País,' 'Aleluia, Aleluia,' and 'O Canto da Ema.' A timeless gem for fans of Brazilian soul, vintage funk, or global grooves. Trio Mocotó is best known for being the powerhouse backing band behind Brazilian legend Jorge Ben during the height of his creative explosion in the early 1970s. But their contribution to music goes far beyond the supporting role-they were instrumental in shaping what would become known as samba funk, a vibrant fusion of traditional Brazilian rhythms with the groove and energy of American soul and funk music. Formed in Sao Paulo's iconic Jogral nightclub, Trio Mocotó-featuring Fritz Escovao, Joaozinho Parahyba, and Nereu Gargalo-began their musical journey as resident musicians, providing live accompaniment for a rotating cast of performers. It was here that Jorge Ben first encountered their raw talent and unmistakable chemistry, ultimately inviting them to join his band. The collaboration would go on to define an era. In 1971, Trio Mocotó stepped into the spotlight with their debut solo album, "Muita Zorra! (...Sao Coisas Que Glorificam a Sensibilidade Atual)." The record made an immediate impact, climbing the charts with the infectious single 'Coqueiro Verde' and marking the start of a prolific period in the group's career. "Muita Zorra!" is a dazzling blend of styles-mixing the baroque funk and melodic sophistication of artists like Marcos Valle with the soulful spirit of Jorge Ben. Layered with elements of American funk, the album delivers a dynamic, rhythm-driven sound that still feels fresh today. The trio's vocal harmonies are front and center, weaving through each track with warmth and richness, creating a captivating sonic tapestry that energizes every beat. This album isn't just a snapshot of a musical moment-it's a cornerstone of Brazilian soul. A must-listen for fans of global grooves, vintage funk, and timeless Brazilian music, "Muita Zorra!" is once again available and ready to take its well-deserved place in your collection. First time official reissue.

‘Icon’ is an overused word when it comes to describing singers and musicians, but when it comes to Nina Simone there are few artists that the word describes more accurately. The ‘High Priestess Of Soul’ is surely one of the most iconic singers of the 20th century, and one whose fame and acclaim stretches far beyond conventional black American music circles. 

Nina Simone has featured on Ace and Kent CDs before but this is the first time she’s had one all to herself. “Let It All Out” is the first and only Nina Simone collection to draw repertoire from every label she recorded for between the late 1950s to the late 1970s. 

Not a traditional ‘Best Of’ or ‘Greatest Hits’ package (although the performances included here ARE among her very best, and do include most of her Greatest Hits!) it is a singles collection that presents Nina Simone’s soul and R&B-slanted 45s in chronological order. Invariably they are the definitive versions of the songs, whether she recorded the original versions or not. 

As well as almost all of her American pop and R&B chart hits from 1960 onwards, “Let It All Out” also contains all of Simone’s UK chart hits from the same period – several of which were more successful here than they were back home, including both versions of her biggest British hit ‘Ain’t Got No; I Got Life’, a UK #2 that did not chart at all in the US as was the case with the belated UK Top 5 hit ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’ which also made no chart impression on its home turf…

Carefully curated and concisely annotated, “Let It All Out” lets the listener in to two dozen of Nina Simone’s most celebrated singles. There have been many compilations of her works since she passed away 20+ years ago, but none that gets to the heart – and soul – of her catalogue in quite so direct a manner as this one does. 

Nach der Neuauflage von The Belair Lip Bombs' (dem ersten australischen Signing des Labels) Debütalbum ,Lush Life" im Jahr 2023 durch Third Man Records - das breite Anerkennung fand, darunter eine ?-Bewertung im NME, eine 7,8-Bewertung von Laura Snapes in Pitchfork, einen Artikel in der Rubrik ,Ones To Watch" im Guardian und eine Auszeichnung als ,Best Rock or Punk Work" bei den Victoria Music Awards erhielt, bereitet sich die vierköpfige Band aus Melbourne auf die Veröffentlichung ihres mit Spannung erwarteten zweiten Albums ,Again" am 31. Oktober vor. Unter der Leitung von Maisie Everett (Gitarre, Keyboard, Gesang) und ergänzt durch ein talentiertes Trio von Musikern bestehend aus Mike Bradvica (Gitarre), Jimmy Droughton (Bass) und Daniel Devvlin (Schlagzeug) wurde das Album mit Produzent Joe White von Rolling Blackout Coastal Fever aufgenommen. (,Again" festigt die Position von Lip Bombs (als feste Größe in der aktuellen Indie-Szene). ,Hey You", die erste Singleauskopplung aus dem Album, fängt das großformatige Songwriting und das angeborene Gespür der Band für mitreißende Melodien ein.

Nach der Neuauflage von The Belair Lip Bombs' (dem ersten australischen Signing des Labels) Debütalbum ,Lush Life" im Jahr 2023 durch Third Man Records - das breite Anerkennung fand, darunter eine ?-Bewertung im NME, eine 7,8-Bewertung von Laura Snapes in Pitchfork, einen Artikel in der Rubrik ,Ones To Watch" im Guardian und eine Auszeichnung als ,Best Rock or Punk Work" bei den Victoria Music Awards erhielt, bereitet sich die vierköpfige Band aus Melbourne auf die Veröffentlichung ihres mit Spannung erwarteten zweiten Albums ,Again" am 31. Oktober vor. Unter der Leitung von Maisie Everett (Gitarre, Keyboard, Gesang) und ergänzt durch ein talentiertes Trio von Musikern bestehend aus Mike Bradvica (Gitarre), Jimmy Droughton (Bass) und Daniel Devvlin (Schlagzeug) wurde das Album mit Produzent Joe White von Rolling Blackout Coastal Fever aufgenommen. (,Again" festigt die Position von Lip Bombs (als feste Größe in der aktuellen Indie-Szene). ,Hey You", die erste Singleauskopplung aus dem Album, fängt das großformatige Songwriting und das angeborene Gespür der Band für mitreißende Melodien ein.

LP&DL Im Jahr 2023 erschien das Debütalbum der Wiener Band Bad Ida, das einen durchaus bemerkenswerten musikalischen Stil repräsentiert: eine explosive Mischung aus Soul, Funk, R'N'B traditioneller Spielart und dem absolut Besten was man aus dem guten, alten Bluesrock herausholen kann. Das klang im positivsten Sinne gewohnt und auch wieder ganz neu und heiß und dann war da ja noch eine Stimme, die besagte brandgefährliche Mixtur mit dem ersten Atemhauch zum Bersten brachte. Die Melodien - pure Ohrwürmer - und der rhythmische Drive hinterließen bei vielen geneigten Hörer:innen erstaunt-ekstatische Blicke und nur noch ein einzelnes, rudimentäres Wort im auf der Tanzfläche leergefegten Gehirn: WOW! Was tun nach so einem runden und rundum gelungenen Anfang? Easy: einfach weitermachen, wenn sich der perfekte Flow schon so schön zur groove-orientierten Spielfreude verdichtet hat. Nun startet also mit Ending Things der zweite Anlauf, um Hörnerven und Tanzbeine ordentlich auf Schiene zu bringen. Und es geht wieder aus dem Stand auf 180: angereichert mit einem dezenten Schuss Pop nistet sich hier ein weiteres großartiges Album konsequent auf dem Plattenteller ein. Die Lyrics von Ines Dallaji behandeln wieder die ganz großen, nicht immer ganz glücklichen Gefühle - die wiederum von einer richtig gut aufeinander eingespielten Band sehr zum Glück des Publikums intensiv zum Leben erweckt werden. Themen wie Umweltzerstörung ("Red Flags"), der Druck sozialer Medien ("Age of Likes"), Trauer ("I Still Miss You"), Angstbewältigung ("Fear") und toxische Beziehungen ("Remember My Love For You", "Leave Me Alone") verleihen dem perfekten Pop-Sound tiefgründige Strahlkraft: Bad Ida ist weit mehr als die oberflächliche Eleganz und der reizvolle Glamour, mit denen man das Genre Soul ja oft verbindet.

To some extent, this album arriving at INDEX:Records has been over 3 years in the making: we were first introduced to Beau’s work at GLOB in Denver (during our USA tour in 2023), at an event hosted by a dear friend, filled with lovely peeps. We were totally blown away by Beau’s performance and knew within a few minutes of their set starting that we wanted to release an album with them someday. Now, here it is: Subterra. Featuring tasty collaborations with iii, Uza A'amo and Yau Hei ASJ.

"Magical Thinking", Faraos drittes Studioalbum, entfaltet sich als vielschichtige Reise durch Verlust, Sehnsucht und Verwandlung. In Anlehnung an den Titel und den Geist von Joan Didions "The Year of Magical Thinking" bewegt es sich durch das stille Terrain zwischen Verleugnung und Akzeptanz - wo Trauer nicht gelöst, sondern getragen wird. Es sind Songs über Wiederaufbau und Widerstandsfähigkeit, geprägt von Themen wie Trauer, Mutterschaft und den wesentlichen Ritualen, die uns aufrecht halten, wenn die Klarheit schwindet. Das Album wurde zwischen Oslo und Berlin aufgenommen und pulsiert mit dem Flair des R&B der 90er Jahre, dem Glanz der 80er-Disco und der kontemplativen Schwungkraft des spirituellen Jazz - allesamt verankert durch Faraos intime Vocals und komplexe Arrangements. Vom ersten Schimmern von ,Waiting for You", wo Herzschmerz in Pailletten gekleidet ist und ein Groove an Robyn und Chaka Khan erinnert, lädt uns das Album in eine Welt ein, in der Sehnsucht zum Leuchten gebracht wird. In ,Spiritual Garden", benannt nach einer flüchtigen Textzeile von Janet Jackson, schafft Farao eine feuchte, narkotische R&B-Träumerei. Percussion im Stil von Timbaland und seidige Basslines umhüllen die unerwarteten Texturen ihrer Zither und beschwören eine Meditation über Verlassenheit und die fragile Rückeroberung des Selbstwertgefühls herauf. Wenn ,Dreamy Ride" einsetzt - wo Aaliyahs Coolness auf Dorothy Ashbys kosmische Harfe trifft -, gleitet das Album in nächtliche Bewegungen, eine R&B-Fantasie für nächtliche Autofahrten um 2 Uhr morgens, wobei ihre Zither sich wie ein Leitstern durch den Mix webt. Der verspielte Synth-Jam ,Hey Ladies" und eine kühne Neuinterpretation von Brandys ,Full Moon" lockern die Stimmung in der Mitte des Albums auf. Ersterer ist eine freche, einminütige Hommage an Destiny's Child, letzterer eine nächtliche Elegie, die einen geliebten Klassiker in tiefe Bässe und schimmernde Synthesizer hüllt. Dann kommt ,Xiang Xiang", ein intimes Intermezzo, das um eine geflüsterte Stimme einer Freundin herum aufgebaut ist und uns an die realen Bindungen erinnert, die Faraos üppiges Klanguniversum erden. Im Zentrum des Albums steht der Titeltrack ,Magical Thinking", der direkt auf Didions Memoiren Bezug nimmt. Hier zeichnen pulsierende Synthesizer und schwebende Vocals die verschwommene Grenze zwischen Präsenz und Dissoziation nach. Es folgt ,Endelig" (,endlich" auf Norwegisch), ein tiefes Ausatmen - ein minimalistisches, spirituelles Jazz-Intermezzo, das die Illusion einer Auflösung vermittelt. Farao tut sich dann mit dem Ambient-Pionier Laraaji für ,Voice Continues" zusammen, einer weitläufigen, von der Vierten Welt inspirierten Meditation, in der Zither, mehrschichtige Vocals und Synth-Texturen einen Klangteppich bilden, der die Spuren mütterlicher Liebe über Generationen hinweg nachzeichnet. ,Tschüssi" (ein luftiger deutscher Abschiedsgruß) wird zum Gefäß für etwas weit Schwerwiegenderes: ein Abschied, durchzogen von sich wiederholenden Erinnerungen und emotionaler Desorientierung, aufgebaut um ein gespenstisches Fragment aus Faraos Track ,Marry Me". Das Album schließt mit ,Sleep It O" zu einer verschwommenen, gnädigen Note, einem Wiegenlied für die Überwältigten - eine letzte Erlaubnis, sich auszuruhen, loszulassen, sich einfach hinzulegen. Keine Verheißung der Heilung, sondern eine mitfühlende Pause in einem Album, das von Sehnsucht und Illusion geprägt ist. RIYL: Erika de Casier, Tirzah, Sade, Kelela, Qendresa, Caroline Polachek, Solange

Mit Ex Voto / The Silent Love vollendet der schwedisch-amerikanische Singer-Songwriter Christian Kjellvander eine inoffizielle Trilogie über die Liebe - in all ihrer Zartheit, Komplexität und spirituellen Tiefe. Nach About Love and Loving Again und Hold Your Love Still präsentiert er ein Album, das leise und zugleich eindringlich wirkt: intim, atmosphärisch und emotional kompromisslos. Ursprünglich als ruhiges Country-Album geplant, entfaltet sich Ex Voto zu einer vielschichtigen Klangreise. Die Songs bewegen sich zwischen geisterhafter Stille und dynamischen Ausbrüchen, getragen von Kjellvanders markanter Baritonstimme und einer fein abgestimmten Instrumentierung aus Rhodes, Bassklarinette, Kornett und weiblichen Vocals. Produzent Tobias Fröberg verleiht dem Album durch gezielten Einsatz von Reverb eine fast übernatürliche Präsenz. Aufgenommen in einem alten Sommerhaus an der schwedischen Küste, spiegelt das Album die Ruhe und Tiefe seines Entstehungsortes wider. Es ist ein Werk, das zum Verweilen einlädt - wie ein nächtliches Gespräch, das lange nachhallt.