Castles in Space is delighted to have been able to curate an album pulled from Robin The Fog's unreleased tape archive. A true innovator and incredible live performer, Robin comments on the album "A Loop Where Time Becomes. Rare and Unreleased Recordings 2012-2017"

After twelve years, ten albums and innumerable live shows (including at least one former underground reservoir), the Howlround sound has indeed changed quite a lot, but the basic ethos remains the same as it did back in 2012. All tracks are created by manipulating field recordings dubbed onto analogue tape, with all digital effects and artificial reverb strictly forbidden - a process that has been described by Electronic Sound magazine as ‘conjur[ing] magic’. Of the twelve tracks here, only one has been physically released on a limited edition and long out of print compilation. A second appeared on a download only release several years ago and a third was created as part of the unreleased soundtrack to a documentary. Everything else on this compilation is seeing the light of day for the first time.

All were created in South London at various periods between 2012 and 2017, five years during which the project evolved from the Radiophonic mournfulness of 2012's debut album The Ghosts Of Bush ('The ultimate Hauntological artefact' - Simon Reynolds), to 2015's tour with tape legend William Basinski, to 2016's darker and weirder soundtrack to Steven McInerney's multiple award-winning film A Creak In Time and on towards what would become the wilder, gnarlier noise of 2019's The Debatable Lands. This retrospective from the first five years marks the gradual evolution of Howlround from the earliest days conjuring 'aural ectoplasm' from nocturnal field recordings of the last days of an underground BBC studio to increasingly spurning of the external world altogether by creating blistering no-input noise and raw analogue feedback. It's been quite a trip.

Los Angeles-based ASHRR are back on 2020 Vision ahead of a new album and this time serve up their own superb version of The Romantics's 1983 hit 'Talking in Your Sleep.' In their hands, it becomes a club-ready sound with a vocal you may recognise as it featured in the Mad Max episode of Stranger Things. Add in some DFA-inspired punk funk vibes and with all the instruments reapplied while new layers of bass and synth are added and you have one fantastic new version. Balearic don Fernando steps up for two remixes, first stripping things back to a deep house sound and then bringing some dub disco vibes to the fore.

TRACK LISTING

Talking In Your Sleep (ASHRR Version)
Talking In Your Sleep (Fernando Deep Mix)
Talking In Your Sleep (Fernando Disco Dub)

Iron & Wine's Sam Beam and the members of Calexico convened in December 2004 at Calexico's home base of Wavelab Studios in Tucson, Arizona. The idea of working together had been tossed around for over three years, though neither bands' schedule loaned itself into making it a reality until then. The resulting session "In the Reins", is a mini-album that is a truly harmonious affair sure to satisfy fans of both bands. The seven tracks are Sam Beam originals and were fleshed out by the full Calexico band. The record also features newcomer Natalie Wyants on vocals, Salvador Duran, a local fixture of the Tucson Flamenco scene, on vocals and Botas. Of course no Wavelab experience would be complete without the appearance of Nick Luca (NL Trio/John Doe Band) and Craig Schumacher, both of whom contributed to the record in the form of engineering and performance.

TRACK LISTING

He Lays In The Reins
Prison On Route 41
History Of Lovers
Red Dust
16, Maybe Less
Burn That Broken Bed
Dead Mans Will

When José González became a household name across the world with the help of 250,000 coloured bouncing balls and a Sony Bravia television commercial featuring his spare and moving version of The Knife's song, "Heartbeats", it was the second time fame came calling and caused a truly remarkable phenomenon. While studying biochemistry at the university of Gothenburg, José's debut album "Veneer" was released in his Swedish homeland in 2003. It made him a national star. Featuring "Heartbeats" and ten other resonant, acoustic songs, "Veneer" turned José, a Gothenburg (via Argentina) native, into a Top Ten recording artist. This, his second album continues where "Veneer" left off. Another stunning collection of captivating songs.

TRACK LISTING

1: How Low
2: Down The Line
3: Killing For Love
4: In Our Nature
5: Teardrop
6: Abram
7: Time To Send Someone Away
8: The Nest
9: Fold
10: Cycling Trivialities 

In May 1976 a record was released that would have an unforeseen and lasting impact on the music industry “Ten Percent” by Double Exposure was an early release on the New York independent label Salsoul Records. America was in the grip of a disco explosion with new clubs opening on a weekly basis; Salsoul saw what was happening and swiftly created a sound for their label, heavily influenced by the music then coming out of Philadelphia, aimed directly at New York’s dance-floors. Records like “Salsoul Hustle,” “Tangerine” and “You’re Just The Right Size” by The Salsoul Orchestra borrowed heavily from the beautifully orchestrated Philadelphia International records but added a more percussive, bass heavy depth that New York’s DJs loved. So what was so special about this particular single then? Double Exposure was, after all, just another band, “Ten Percent” just another song; one of many “disco” records released that week. First of all Salsoul became the first record label to make a twelve inch single available to Joe Public - the exotic format was previously only available to DJs as promotional items or bought under the counter at certain record stores. Not only that though, the extended version was created by Walter Gibbons, a DJ at New York’s Galaxy 21 who’d built his reputation making exclusive versions of tracks to play in his sets.

In 1976 it was unheard of for a DJ to set foot in a recording studio, being seen as little more than living jukeboxes by the serious music industry. Recording studios were strictly the domain of recording artists and producers so Walter found himself in a unique position, gaining access to a world no DJ had been granted before.

Or so we thought...
The Men In The Glass Booth tells the full story. Featuring ground breaking re-edits and remixes by some of the Disco era's most influential DJs including Walter Gibbons, Bobby DJ Guttadaro, Tom Savarese, Jellybean Benitez, Tee Scott and John Luongo, this opulent release also includes a 40 page book which features exclusive photos and insights from some of the story's key figures.

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: BBE answer the prayers of all us non-millionaire disco fans, taking us on a journey through the alternative 12" history via this exhaustive collection of acetates and DJ edits. Mega!

She’s In Parties are a hazy and ethereal quartet whose own idiosyncratic amalgamation of shoegaze and dream-pop belies their relatively young years.

This EP is the band's most politically driven body music yet. “It’s a timeless topic, people have always and will always sing about injustices, often though, people want an escape and sing about things like love because sometimes that’s easier than telling the truth.” Katie says, “I’m certainly not a political person and would opt for escapism in music, but sometimes there are things that happen in our society or on social media that you just can’t avoid. They’ve been plaguing my mind especially, so I’ve been writing about this stuff a lot more and it has now become a prevalent theme in this next EP”

'Puppet Show' sees the band in their most lyrically mature state yet. It tackles post coming of age worries and the existential realisation of the world’s issues from social media, to wars, and personal anxieties of feeling helpless to it all.

TRACK LISTING

1. Puppet Show
2. The Man
3. The Times
4. FSM
5. Ballad Of The Broken Nebula

Rag’n’Bone Man is ready to accept joy into his life. Born Rory Charles Graham, the Sussex-born singer known for his gravelly blues vocals, took the world by storm with his debut album ‘Human’ in 2016. Now multi award-winning, the British vocalist is embracing newfound balance, returning to his creative foundations while building anew.

It’s the most vital chapter to date in one of British music’s defining stories. A truth-telling voice that has framed an era, Rag’n’Bone Man’s success speaks for itself: his debut album ‘Human’ went platinum four times over in the UK and multi-platinum in a further twenty-seven countries - becoming the fastest selling male debut album that decade. While his latest release ‘Life By Misadventure’ debuted at #1 and spent seven weeks in the Top 10, making it the fastest-selling album by a solo artist in 2021. With over nine-billion worldwide streams (and counting) over his entire catalogue, Rag’n’Bone Man is a voice that can be heard across the globe. Now he’s ready to eclipse this: assured, and built with love, his uplifting new album “What Do You Believe In?” finds the multi award-winning British artist (with three BRITs, two MTV Europe awards, and an Ivor Novello to his name) facing the future with passionate excitement.

‘What Do You Believe In?’ is anchored in the blossoming of confidence and the enduring support network he finds in family life. It’s taken time, but Rag’n’Bone Man is in a secure, loving place - and he wants to share that feeling. The period surrounding second album, 2021’s ‘Life By Misadventure’, was marked by self-doubt, with troubles weighing down on the singer’s shoulders – but then things changed - As a result, new album ‘What Do You Believe In?’ has a bold, yet radiant touch.

With the pairing of the poignant and ubiquitous themes and the sonic brightness of both 00s hip-hop and the youthful memories they prompt, the release of the albums title track ‘What Do You Believe In?’ sets the tone for the for the thrilling musical journey Rag’s is preparing to take fans on. 

TRACK LISTING

Standard Editions:
1. The Right Way
2. Pocket
3. What Do You Believe In?
4. Iron
5. Hideaway
6. All I Know
7. Rush Of Blood
8. Feeding All These Fires
9. Put A Little Hurt On Me
10. Chokehold
11. Wreckage
12. Hope You Felt Loved At The End

Deluxe Edition:
1. The Right Way
2. Pocket
3. What Do You Believe In?
4. Iron
5. Hideaway
6. All I Know
7. Rush Of Blood
8. Feeding All These Fires
9. Put A Little Hurt On Me
10. Chokehold
11. Wreckage
12. Hope You Felt Loved At The End
13. Bleed The Same
14. Sorry For My Broken Heart
15. Ghosts
16. Lovers In A Past Life (Acoustic)
17. Lovers In A Past Life

Danish band Efterklang returns with their seventh studio album 'Things We Have In Common’, set for release on September 27th via City Slang.

An album about friendship, belonging, faith and understanding, themes which are palpable in the music, which is gentle and uplifting, healing and rousing.

Efterklang has become an open community with three permanent members: Mads Brauer, Casper Clausen and Rasmus Stolberg. On this album the core trio re-connected with their old friend and founding Efterklang member Rune Mølgaard who left the band in 2007 to join the mormon church, and ultimately withdrew from the church in 2022. His profound spiritual journey significantly influences the album's content and tone, on which he has co-written seven of the nine songs.

'Things We Have In Common' coincides with the 20th anniversary of the band’s debut album, and presents 2 decades of collaboration, exploration, evolution and reconnection.

The album features contributions from a variety of international musicians. Zach Condon of Beirut, Finnish drummer Tatu Rönkkö, Venezuelan guitarist Hector Tosta and Guatemalan cellist and singer Mabe Fratti all became key collaborators. Italian award- winning mixer Francesco Donadello and South Denmark Girls’ Choir both left their indelible mark on the record, as their did with the band’s 2012 album ‘Piramida’.

TRACK LISTING

1. Balancing Stones (feat. Mabe Fratti)
2. Plant (feat. Mabe Fratti)
3. Getting Reminders (feat. Beirut)
4. Ambulance
5. Leave It All Behind
6. Animated Heart (feat. Sønderjysk Pigekor)
7. Shelf Break
8. Sentiment
9. To A New Day (feat. Sønderjysk Pigekor)

Nine years on from the release of his seminal GRAMMY, BRIT, Ivor Novello and Mercury Music Prize-nominated debut album 'In Colour', London musician, DJ and producer Jamie xx announces his long-awaited second album 'In Waves'. Across 12 tracks including 'Baddy On The Floor', his joyous summer collaboration with club culture icon Honey Dijon, Jamie xx replicates the emotional crescendos and thrilling volatility of an almost mystical night out and features further collaborations with Robyn, The Avalanches, Kelsey Lu, John Glacier and Panda Bear, Oona Doherty and his The xx bandmates Romy and Oliver Sim. Created over a four year period ushered in by his much-loved 2020 Essential Mix and peppered with periods of self-reflection, a global pandemic, the blinking reemergence into the strobelight and a newly discovered love of surfing as escapism, it’s an album that's on course to eclipse the heights of its globally acclaimed predecessor.

TRACK LISTING

1. Wanna
2. Treat Each Other Right
3. Waited All Night (Jamie XX Feat. Romy, Oliver Sim & The XX)
4. Baddy On The Floor (Jamie XX Feat. Honey Dijon)
5. Dafodil (Jamie XX Feat. Kelsey Lu, John Glacier & Panda Bear)
6. Still Summer
7. Life (Jamie XX & Robyn)
8. The Feeling I Get From You
9. Breather
10. All You Children (Jamie XX Feat. The Avalanches)
11. Every Single Weekend
12. Falling Together (Jamie XX Feat. Oona Doherty)

Deluxe Edition Bonus 12":
1. F.U. (Jamie XX Feat. Erykah Badu)
2. It’s So Good
3. Do Something
4. LET’S DO IT AGAIN
5. KILL DEM

Featuring 10 tracks that traverse Trentemøller’s many musical strengths, 'Dreamweaver' 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.
The nylon string-led opening track, '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.

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. 

TRACK LISTING

1. A Different Light
2. Nightfall
3. Dreamweavers
4. I Give My Tears
5. Hollow
6. Behind My Eyes
7. Empty Beaches
8. In A Storm
9. Winter’s Ghost
10. Closure

As one-third of seminal band Cocteau Twins, Simon Raymonde helped to create some of the most beautiful and memorable albums of the '80s and '90s - music that continues to cast a spell over millions. This is the story of the band, in his words. Beginning with Simon's remarkable childhood and exploring his relationship with his father, Ivor Raymonde (the legendary producer, musician and arranger for acts such as the Walker Brothers and songwriter for artists including Dusty Springfield), the book will journey through the musician's rise to prominence and his time with Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil.

It will also chart the successful career he has forged running his own label, Bella Union, for the past twenty-seven years, discovering and developing globally renowned artists like Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty and John Grant. And the narrative will lead us back to the present day, reflecting on Simon's most recent experiences in the music industry - all while going deaf in one ear. A must-read for music fans, this is the incredible tale of Simon's life and legacy.

Max Richter presents his 9th studio album 'In A Landscape'. A record about “reconciling polarities"; bringing together the electronic & the acoustic, the human and the natural world, the big questions of life and the quiet pleasures of living. "A memoir of the present moment”. In his own words, Max describes the music on the record as being about “connecting or reconciling polarities. the tracks themselves are, as ever, my attempts to figure out how to make sense of our lives in the here and now of our daily life as I experience it.” One of the most influential and acclaimed composers of all time, Max's fusion of classical technique and electronic technology, heard across genre-defining solo projects, countless scores for film, dance, art and fashion, has won him legions of fans world-over, & blazed a trail for a generation of artists.

TRACK LISTING

LP
SIDE A
They Will Shade Us With Our Wings
Life Study I
A Colour Field (Holocene)
Life Study II

SIDE B
And Some Will Fall
Life Study III
The Poetry Of Earth (Geophony)
Life Study IV
Only Silent Words
Life Study V

SIDE C
Late And Soon
Life Study VI
Andante
Life Study VII
A Time Mirror (Biophony)
Life Study VIII

SIDE D
Love Song (after JE)
Life Study IX
Movement, Before All Flowers

CD
They Will Shade Us With Our Wings
Life Study I
A Colour Field (Holocene)
Life Study II
And Some Will Fall
Life Study III
The Poetry Of Earth (Geophony)
Life Study IV
Only Silent Words
Life Study V
Late And Soon
Life Study VI
Andante
Life Study VII
A Time Mirror (Biophony)
Life Study VIII
Love Song (after JE)
Life Study IX
Movement, Before All Flowers

Dummy is a rock band from Los Angeles comprised of Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O’Dell, and Joe Trainor. Their debut full-length “Mandatory Enjoyment” (Trouble in Mind) arrived in late 2021, becoming one of the year’s sleeper hits and garnering praise from Pitchfork, Stereogum, and more. Coming out of lockdown, the band spent two years touring in support of the record, and it is this transformational experience that pulses through “Free Energy”, the exhilarating follow-up to “Mandatory Enjoyment”.

A creatively restless band, Dummy (Ewell: drums, synths, bass; Maatman: vocals, synths, organ; O'Dell: vocals, guitar, organ; Trainor: guitar, bass, synths) wanted to get harder, dancier, more psychedelic for their next record. This meant applying explorative potentials of electronic textures to the elemental qualities of rock i.e. more vocal loops, sampling, more crazy rhythms, and playful synths - but make those samples of Trainor’s guitar, let Maatman sing bolder, experiment with using cold mechanical elements in warm and sparkly ways, and lean harder into traditional-yet-still-awesome forms of rock guitar experimentation like feedback. The result is a record that celebrates music’s ability to move the body, whether that be through a teeth-rattling wall of MBV-esque noise, a sticky pop chorus, or a joyous drum machine or, if you’re Dummy, maybe all of them in the same song.

Pop music has always been a big part of Dummy’s sound and it manifests in different ways all over Free Energy: the bubbly synth sequence made with a Korg EM1 popping all over “Nullspace,” the revved-up drone-pop inspired by second and third wave Dunedin Sound bands like Look Blue Go Purple and Dadamah, and the motorik beat powering “Nine Clean Nails,” perhaps the most confidently pop song Dummy has ever recorded and one that exemplifies “Free Energy”’s balancing of live performance intensity with electronic augmentations, the dancier rhythmic elements created out of a drum loop recorded by Ewell while the bridge recalls the Feelies with call-and-response guitars from O’Dell and expressive vocals from Maatman.

“Free Energy” also features guest appearances from Oakland-based saxophonist and electroacoustic artist Cole Pulice (Moon Glyph) contributes saxophone and wind synths and Jen Powers of Powers / Rolin Duo (Astral Editions, Feeding Tube Records).

TRACK LISTING

1. Intro-UB
2. Soonish
3. Unshaped Road
4. Opaline Bubbletear
5. Blue Dada
6. Nullspace
7. Minus World
8. Dip In The Lake
9. Sudden Flutes
10. Psychic Battery
11. Nine Clean Nails
12. Godspin

FINALLY! The very first commercial release of two legendary remixes of Arthur Russell's "In The Light Of The Miracle". Both are widely regarded as transcendent masterpieces and very much befitting of the title “holy grails”.

These long-beloved mixes are the types you'd wish would last for eternity. With almost 30 minutes of music here, we very nearly get our desires granted. At last, these jaw-dropping mixes are widely available to every Arthur fan in the world. This is musical perfection.

The deep Loft classic "In The Light Of The Miracle" remained unreleased during Arthur's lifetime, finally discovered when Phillip Glass included the original version on Another Thought on Point Music in 1993. As Steve Knutson told us, when Another Thought was being put together, the plan was to release a companion album of remixes that was overseen by Steve D'Aquisto but the project only got as far as these two remixes of "In The Light Of The Miracle".

Some dodgy scans of some centre label designs suggest that Point Music might’ve been planning to release these on a 12" but it didn’t happen. The story goes that Gilles Peterson heard the remixes on a visit to the Point Music offices and wanted to release them on Talkin’ Loud. We’re not sure how many white label copies made it out into the wild, but again, these remixes didn’t make it to a proper release.

These remixes both extend and undeniably enhance the original, elevating it to new heights. The 13 minute remix on the A-side is by Danny Krivit & Tony Smith with editing duties performed by Tony Morgan. As ever with Arthur, the music is almost impossible to describe: is it Disco? Garage House? Avant Garde? None of these tags do full justice to its sheer majesty. You best just listen. Stretching out the original with some unbelievably great percussive elements, until we're in a deeply spiritual, otherworldly realm, it's just too beautiful for words. As many have claimed, it's the prototype for EVERYTHING.

The "Ponytail Club Mix (Part 1 & 2)", produced by Tony Morgan in the mid-90s, is in a more up-tempo style, with vocals higher in the mix, the BPM upped to 120 and the addition of a housey 4/4 kick drum. A 14 minute epic, you could say this is a more straight ahead "club-friendly" mix (but can things ever be that straightforward with Arthur?!) It also has some really interesting vocal parts not used in the other versions, including some vocals from guest poet Allen Ginsberg.

These remixes are part of the same original project that also produced the Another Thought album so it seems only right that they have a sleeve that matches. Thanks again to Janette Beckman for letting us use another of her photos of Arthur and the rest of the design follows what Margery Greenspan, Tina Lauffer and Michael Klotz did for Another Thought back in 1994.

Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after treasure finds a home in many more collections, this and every year.

TRACK LISTING

A1 In The Light Of The Miracle (13:26 Min)
B1 In The Light Of The Miracle - Ponytail Club Mix (Parts 1 & 2) (14:10 Min)

Produced by Josh Kaufman (The Hold Steady, Bonny Light Horsemen), 'In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain' brings a potent new energy to the elegantly composed folk/indie-rock of Blind Pilot. In a profound step forward for the band, their fourth full-length - and first since 'And Then Like Lions' (2016) - unfolds with an exquisite fluidity, fully harnessing the chemistry they’ve shown in sharing stages with The Shins, Andrew Bird, and Gregory Alan Isakov and on festivals like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.

TRACK LISTING

1. Jacaranda
2. Brave
3. Pocket Knife
4. Don’t You Know
5. Just A Bird
6. Coming Back
7. Faces Of Light
8. One Drop
9. Lucky
10. Bitter Water
11. Believe Me

For Fans Of... The Jackson Sisters, Rotary Connection, Asha Puthli, Liquid Liquid, Grace Jones, Tom Tom Club, Clairo, Khruangbin, Lady Wray, Thee Sacred Souls.

After over a year of being a floor-filling staple in their live set, we are pleased to release Say She She's stunningly bright and bold cover of the Jackson Sister's classic 'I Believe In Miracles.' Oozing with fresh and funky production from Orgone's legendary Sergio Rios, it's an utterly irresistible tune that will get you giddy with movement!

The B-side, 'C'est Si Bon', is the group's French discodelia anthem encouraging listeners to throw their hands up and concede to joy. This catchy bi-lingual track is one of many hits off of their critically acclaimed sophomore LP 'Silver,' which was released to rave reviews last fall.

This 45 is essentially a double A, and a collector and DJ must! Two tracks that will undoubtably get the crowd going, what more could you need?

Excursions in Gwoka vol. 2 is another adventurous outing for the Beauty & the Beat label that takes them ever deeper into the gwoka scene of Guadeloupe. it is the celebrated carnival outfit Akiyo who are in focus here with two tracks taken from second and supremely hard-to-find long player, Mouvman, in 1993. 'Deboule' is a real heater with bustling drum funk and chatting tribal vocals all run through with synth wizardry from Marie-Galante Jacques-Marie Basses. 'Blo' is just as steamy and intern with percussion, whistles and big beats all making quite the impact. Breakplus adds a London twist to 'Deboule' while CW adds a cosmic air to 'Blo.'

TRACK LISTING

Deboule
Blo
Deboule (Beakplus’ Broken Tribute Remix)
Blo (CW Edit)

On 9 August, 2024, Merge Records reissues David Kilgour’s A Feather in the Engine, remastered and pressed on vinyl for the very first time. Originally released in 2002, A Feather in the Engine followed two full-band efforts 1997’s David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights and The Clean’s 2001 album Getaway and is thus almost startling in its intimacy.

Recorded at home and mostly alone (The Verlaines’ Graeme Downes provides lush string arrangements), Kilgour once called A Feather in the Engine “the most solo LP I’ve made.” Interpolating his genius for guitar pop through acoustic guitars and gorgeous instrumentals, its melodies unfold gently, suggesting that the 13 songs here, written over the course of four years, were searching Kilgour as much as he was searching them.

The dichotomy between A Feather in the Engine’s pop songs and instrumentals fascinates the ear, drawing the listener closer and closer to Kilgour’s virtuosic guitar playing when his lyrics aren’t imparting his breezy charm. The depth of style he achieves the psych pop of “Today Is Gonna Be Mine,” the Velvet Underground-esque churn of “All the Rest,” the chamber folk of “The Perfect Watch” is daunting; listening to it now, every song feels capable of generating a dozen playlists, or like the spawning point of a new microgenre.

Perhaps anomalous upon release, it’s A Feather in the Engine’s instrumentals that feel weightiest in this regard now. “Sept. 98” and “Backwards Forwards,” respectively the opening and closing tracks of the album, are elegant, pastoral epics that call out into the yawning expanse, presaging the simmering ambient country of William Tyler and SUSS, while “Instra 2” pushes out the boundaries of Eastern-influenced psychedelia.

Lovingly remastered (and in some cases remixed) from the original tapes by Tom Bell at Port Chalmers Recording Services, the vinyl reissue of A Feather in the Engine is a crucial opportunity to rediscover one of David Kilgour’s best records, a handcrafted gem that perfects guitar pop’s past while pointing to its future, idiosyncratic in its making and tantalizing in its potential. There is good reason for David Kilgour to be your favourite musician’s favourite musician. A Feather in the Engine is good reason for him to become yours.

TRACK LISTING

Side A:
1. Sept. 98
2. Slippery Slide
3. All The Rest
4. The Perfect Watch
5. Instra 2
6. I Lost My Train

Side B:
7. Time To Run
8. Today Is Gonna Be Mine
9. I Caught You
10. Instra 2 Reprise
11. Wooden Shed
12. Which One
13. Backwards Forwards

Strut introduces a pioneering new compilation 'A Dancefloor In Ndola,' curated by revered East African DJ, Kampire. Forging her reputation through memorable sets for the Nyege Nyege Festival in Uganda over the last decade, Kampire now tours worldwide and is celebrated for her brilliantly curated sets spanning the full range of African music styles from the ‘70s and ‘80s to the present day.

Although born in Kenya to Ugandan parents, Kampire spent her formative years in Ndola, Zambia. ‘A Dancefloor In Ndola’ is inspired by artists and songs that formed part of her soundtrack during that time. “It is important for me to continually reference Africa’s own musical history,” she explains. “At 17, I didn’t pick up on my Dad’s music but now I love and collect those records. I’m constantly referencing them in my music sets today. I love that feeling of shared nostalgia where people recognise a song they haven’t heard in a long time. It is a touchstone for me when I’m playing.”

The compilation flows through different East African and South African genres from Congolese rumba and soukous to 1980s township bubblegum and the rich guitar-led sounds of Zambian kalindula. “There are styles of music on the compilation which are often considered unsophisticated from rural areas. I and other contemporary African artists and DJs draw inspiration from them; it is part of what makes us ourselves.” Kampire also shines the spotlight on many incredible women in African music from the ‘80s, including Congolese legends like Pembey Sheiro, Feza Shamamba and Princesse Mansia M’bila to V-Mash and Di Groovy Girls from South Africa. 

TRACK LISTING

LP Tracklist:
1. Princess Aya Sarah – O Wina Tienge
2. Meta & Feza – Mivé Temoin
3. The African House Party Project Feat. Splash, Patricia Majalisa & Dalom Kids – P-Coq
4. V-Mash – Naughty Boy
5. Di Groovy Girls – Ririmi Rotsombela
6. Tshala Muana – Djepué
7. Lady Isa – Djambo
8. Pembey Sheiro – Sala Ni Toto
9. Princesse Mansia M’Bila – Ngoma Mansia
10. Samba Mapangala And Orchestra Virunga – Mashariki
11. International Zaistars & Nene Tshaku – Je T’Aime Au Pluriel
12. M.D. Shirinda & Gaza Sisters – Mabazi
13. “Bwaluka” Founders Band – Kimbera

CD Tracklist:
1. Princess Aya Sarah – O Wina Tienge
2. Meta & Feza – Mivé Temoin
3. The African House Party Project Feat. Splash, Patricia Majalisa & Dalom Kids – P-Coq
4. V-Mash – Naughty Boy
5. Di Groovy Girls – Ririmi Rotsombela (Kampire Dance Edit)
6. Tshala Muana – Djepué
7. Lady Isa – Djambo
8. Pembey Sheiro – Sala Ni Toto
9. Princesse Mansia M’Bila – Ngoma Mansia
10. Samba Mapangala And Orchestra Virunga – Mashariki
11. International Zaistars & Nene Tshaku – Je T’Aime Au Pluriel
12. M.D. Shirinda & Gaza Sisters – Mabazi (Kampire Dance Edit)
13. “Bwaluka” Founders Band – Kimbera 

A full-colour account of Lindsay Reade and Tony Wilson’s working life and relationship told through scans of their letters, pictures and Lindsay’s diary entries accompanied by commentary and reflections from Lindsay.

A Continual Farewell tells the story of the relationship between Factory Records’ Tony Wilson and his first wife, Lindsay Reade, through their letters, Factory Records memorabilia and numerous family photos and snapshots.

Many are typed on Factory notepaper, or are scrawled on pages from various studios and hotels. They begin in the punk year of 1976 from love at first sight to marriage, from a music show entitled So It Goes to the formation of Factory and the Hacienda, across domestic infidelities, separation, stalled reconciliations and a brutal sacking.

After all that, when the reader would doubt any recovery was possible, the letters describe a renewed but now illicit love affair of former marriage partners. And beyond that, to a lasting friendship.

Ninth album from this long-running New Haven group.

The band’s first true double album. “Walking After Dark” is released on black double-vinyl in a full color gatefold jacket & includes an insert with artwork & lyrics by member Dan Greene.

The current lineup of New Haven’s long running Mountain Movers (guitarist/vocalist Dan Greene, bassist Rick Omonte, guitarist Kryssi Battalene, & drummer Ross Menze) have been playing together for over a decade now, making their recorded debut on a slew of singles released from 2011-2013, but it wasn’t until 2015’s “Death Magic” (released on New Haven label Safety Meeting) that the potential of that iteration of the group became clear; Mountain Movers are a force of nature. The camaraderie & sensitivity to each others playing has only grown over time, crystallizing on the group’s trio of albums for Trouble In Mind; 2017’s eponymous “Mountain Movers” served as a reintroduction of the group to a larger audience, while 2018’s “Pink Skies” raged like a group confident in its strengths, and 2020’s prescient “World What World” - written & recorded before the world shut down - slightly shifted focus away from the jams & back toward the weight of guitarist/songwriter Dan Greene’s poetic tales of magical realism. The band’s ninth album “Walking After Dark” finds a happy medium between both aspects of the band’s strengths; Greene’s lyrical compositions and the group’s long-form improvised jams.

To those that are tuned in, that feeling of communion is evident in the Movers’ playing. The members swap & cycle effortlessly through instruments without missing a beat, utilizing the downtime of lockdown to write & record every jam in their practice space. Those piles of tapes would eventually get edited & sequenced into “Walking After Dark”, a tour-de-force double-album that balances fried, stony brilliance with outré excursions of experimental serenity.

Consider the opening track “Bodega On My Mind” that ambles in like a road-worn traveller, its lysergic folk strums peppered with acidic lead lines from Battalene’s Telecaster, eventually giving way to “The Sun Shines On The Moon, where the group’s sizzling guitars are buoyed by Omonte’s pillowy bass & Menze’s percussion. From there on out, tracks like “Factory Dream” give the listener a taste of The Movers’ modus operandi here; a mixture of (more) traditional song craft interspersed between long-form, improvised pieces of modern psychedelia. The group shuffles through instruments; synths, drum machines, auto-harp, various forms of percussion (and whatever else was laying around) as well as the trad guitar/bass/drums configuration to craft a suite of songs that - while not necessarily similar in composition - feel unified in their overall sonic scope. Tracks like the 14-minute “Reclamation Yard”, whose deep-space electronic pulse is juxtaposed against side C opener “See The City”s persistent acoustic strum that showcase similar ideas of the ‘spirituality’ of losing ones self in repetition, but executed differently. In many ways “Walking After Dark”s duality feels like a merger of “On The Beach”-era Neil Young & the collective freak-outs of Amon Düül, taking inspiration in the ‘incorporeality’ of free music and lacing it with Greene’s hazy, haunting lyricism and is an exciting step forward for a band that’s already a few steps ahead.

TRACK LISTING

1. Bodega On My Mind
2. The Sun Shines On The Moon
3. Factory Dream
4. My Holy Shrine
5. Reclamation Yard
6. See The City
7. In The Desert, In The Flood
8. Night Birds In The Trees
9. We Are All Flowers
10. Ice Dream

B2 Recordings is back with a second release that is every bit as good as the first. This one comes from Reece Johnson and is a joyous mix of uplifting disco sounds with a timeless edge. 'Comin' In Hot' is a lose-limbed opener with percussive edgy and low-slung drums topped off with dazzling chords. 'Glass Heart' then brings the funk with more expert looseness and this time some hooky and soulful vocals. 'Sup America' keeps the party rolling with instrumental disco brilliance and a Spanish vocal to add real heat while 'Feelin' The Beat' and 'Got To Be Free' close out with higher tempos but no less class.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. Comin' In Hot
2. Glass Heart

Side 2
1. Sup America
2. Feelin' The Beat
3. Got To Be Free

Worst Case Scenario started out in 1994 with Justin Trosper and Brandt Sandeno from Unwound as another of the many bands they formed together. That summer was a little slow for Unwound’s hoped-for tour schedule so they decided to start another hardcore-influenced band while working day jobs. As they began practicing in the basement of the Olympia punk house “Lucky 7”, long time friend and roommate Chris Jordan jumped in as the vocalist. Sandeno soon recruited his college friend, Scott Larsen, that had recently moved from Minneapolis. They quickly wrote about an album’s worth of songs and recorded them with Tim Green at the Red House for a “demo tape” that Tobi Vail released on her tape label, Bumpidee. 1995 saw another Tim Green recording with 7-inch records on Lookout Records and Troubleman. This LP contains all of the forementioned material.

In 1996 they recorded a full length record with “Seasick” Steve Wold in Olympia for Vermiform which resulted in the self-titled vinyl LP and The Complete Works of Worst Case Scenario CD collection a year later.

WCS played a few random shows, mostly in Olympia, with friends’ touring bands from 1994-96 and set up a national tour for the summer of ’97. Shortly before the tour Jordan was injured in a random accident and then Larsen broke his wrist in a work accident, rendering the band unable to embark on the tour. To cap it off, the one sheet of paper that had all the venues’ contacts for the tour was destroyed in a laundry related incident and the band was unable to properly cancel the tour. Apropos to their name.

They disbanded amicably later that year with members moving away from town and taking on more demanding tour and work schedules.

TRACK LISTING

1. Statue Of Liberty
2. Correct Posture
3. Umbilical Noose
4. Eight Penny Nail
5. Blood Of Christ
6. I Don’t Want To Hit You Anymore
7. Checkin’ Out
8. Caps
9. Studies In Pessimism
10. Dry Material
11. Golden Consolation Knife
12. Twenty Degrees Cooler
13. Metro Gnomes
14. Angry Devil
15. Blood Of Christ (Live)

It’s been three years since Glasgow musical collective NIGHTSHIFT’s last album (“Zöe”, 2021) & aside form an odds & sods tape compilation “Made Of The Earth”, the group has remained relatively quiet on the recorded front. Newly regrouped into a quartet, the band has readied their proper follow up to “Zöe” & their third album “Homosapien”, again for Chicago’s Trouble In Mind Records.

Recorded & mixed in the band’s rehearsal space by members Chris White & Rob Alexander, “Homosapien” started to take shape in Summer 2023. Writing had begun prior, but due to a crucial lineup change, the band had to start again. Thankfully, once they regrouped, the assembly and recording of the new set of songs was fun and relatively quick. Notably, the band has lost some members, gained a new member & shuffled some roles; former drummer Chris White (Spinning Coin) is now on guitar. His distinctive playing delivers a

countrified energy that is central to the album, leading the song structures into more succinct and colorful places, matching the upbeat and playful nature the band has always drawn strength from, only more so now under his stylish approach. Primary vocalist & keyboardist Eothen Stern (also of 2 Ply)’s lyrical gifts illuminate the group’s output with an optimistic urgency that is unmatched. On ‘Homosapien’ she wears her heart on her sleeve, but even in the song’s darkest moments, the words create a sense of hope and potential. She doesn’t shy away from politics or contemporary love languages and finds humor, earnestness, and critique at every turn. Andrew Robert Doig continues to play bass (Dancer/Robert Sotelo) and provides occasional lead vocals on tunes like “Together We Roll” & “Mellow Baby”.

Newest member & drummer Rob Alexander (Tarantula/Radio Banter) allows for a second new development in the band dynamic. Replacing Chris (his longtime friend from childhood) is no mean feat. Thankfully his drumming is an avalanche of skillful technique with a glorious abandon that swerves it away from the academic and absolutely into a wild and tactile performance that lifts the sound of the album (he also plays accordion and tin whistle). Friend & colleague Ray Aggs (Shopping, RAGGS) also contributes fiddle to “Sure Look” & “Phone”.

NIGHTSHIFT’s newest songs were born out of some genuinely existential times (birth, death and love all played a very real part in the gestation of the new record). Songs like first single “Crystal Ball”, “Cut” & “Side Effects” all touch upon struggle created by an ever encroaching fascist government (exacerbated by Brexit) & the effects austerity has upon their people. Other songs like “Sure Look”, “Phone” & “Crush” deal with matters of the heart while “Your Good Self” & “Together We Roll” take on self-preservation & community. It’s a great irony that the band are sculpting their most succinct and tuneful music yet from this potential chaos, but it’s this unexpected quality that drives them onwards into a dizzying universe. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Crystal Ball
2. Sure Look
3. Together We Roll
4. S.U.V.
5. Your Good Self
6. Cut
7. Side Effects
8. Phone
9. Y.T. Tutorial
10. Mellow Baby
11. Crush

Experience the raw emotion and dynamic energy of Bloc Party's second album, 'A Weekend In The City', with its 2024 reissue on green vinyl. Kele Okereke's unparalleled lyrical prowess shines as the album juxtaposes ordinary events with profound themes, creating a captivating narrative.

Layered guitars and vocals add depth, capturing the album's raw emotion and vibrant soundscape. From introspective moments to explosive anthems, each track leaves a lasting impression. This reissue is a must-have for fans, offering a fresh perspective on Bloc Party's contemplative masterpiece.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
A2. Hunting For Witches
A3. Waiting For The 7.18
A4. The Prayer
A5. Uniform
A6. On
B1. Where Is Home?
B2. Kreuzberg
B3. I Still Remember
B4. Flux
B5. Sunday
B6. Srxt

TMTCH stumbled into existence onstage at the Alternative Country Festival, Electric Ballroom, Camden on Easter Sunday in 1984; after a long afternoon busking and drinking in a Hammersmith subway. They knew three chords and a hundred songs all of which sounded a bit the same, a frenzied skiffle that was exciting to jump around and drink snakebite to. If they thought about longevity at all, a lifespan of 40 days seemed most likely. It’s forty years later and they are still running. Since those early days, and without much of a game plan other than always stepping onward, TMTCH have released around 20 albums plus many side projects, bootlegs, curios and an unknown number of T shirts. They’ve toured constantly, whether in dingy pub backrooms or Grand Ballrooms and Festival Stages. From Cairo to Reykjavik and all points in between, the TMTCH roadshow has shambled and thrilled through the decades, always passionate, always literate, occasionally dishevelled.

Forty years of recording has spawned a vast back catalogue, well represented here by songs from each album, style and era; a tapestry of human stories and vibrant characters. So there are the fast sprints like early folk hoedown ‘Ironmasters’, the frantic shanty ‘Raising Hell’ and the amphetamine punk blues of ‘Going Back to Coventry’. Then there are the waltzing folk ballads, from their impassioned version of the anti war standard ‘Green Fields Of France’ to the bitter regret of ‘The Bells’ and the righteous testimony of ‘Our Day’. Elsewhere there are anthems galore; ‘The Crest’ a swirling gaelic chant, ‘Rosettes’, a fast marching assault of drums, fiddles and mandolins; historical epics such as ‘Ghosts Of Cable Street’, ‘Shirt of Blue’ and ‘The Colours’; romantic ballads like the wistful ‘Parted From You’ and ‘Island in The Rain’.

All the eras are here; from the wiry lo fi of the first album, through the eighties into full blown MTV ready multi trackers with vast charging drums; the initial simplicity of their recipe deepening and darkening. And then on through the nineties, noughties and tens; always the double pronged vocals drifting between harmony and unison, always the celtic, folk and country tones vying for attention, the emotive fiddle, the top end mandolin above the thundering rhythm section. On through bouffant hair, spiky hair, dyed hair, thin hair and hats; on through Grunge, Baggy, Madchester, Rave, Britpop. On through the Miner’s Strike, Poll Tax, New Labour, Iraq and Brexit. On through marriage, children, loss and revival. Forty years at the working end of rock and roll is a feat achieved by very few bands. It requires tremendous chemistry, a deep catalogue; both panoramic and miniature, a vital and irrepressible energy, all of which is on resplendent display in this sprawling 3 disc compilation. But most of all it requires an intense resilience, something that TMTCH possess in spades. Forty years on the run; was ever a band so aptly named? 

TRACK LISTING

Ghosts Of Cable Street
The Eye
Wishing Well
Raising Hell
Bounty Hunter
Going Back To Coventry
Sirens
Nightbird
Shirt Of Blue
A Place In The Sun
Island In The Rain
Singing Elvis
The Lion And The Unicorn
Smugglers
Gold Rush
Night Ferry
The Crest
Rain, Steam And Speed
Our Day
King Street Serenade
Beast Of Brechfa
Kingdom Of The Blind
Rivertown
Great Expectations
Company Town
Devil On The Wind
Red Rocks Of Spain
Scavengers
Overseas
Rosettes
The Bells
Billy Morgan
A Map Of Morocco
The Colours
Parted From You
Green Fields Of France
Ironmasters
Walkin’ Talkin’
A Night To Remember
Red Kite Rising

For Fans of : Grant Green, The Meters, Charles Earland & Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. Debut album from Colemine supergroup, Parlor Greens Band contains members from Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, GA-20,and Scone Cash Players.

Perhaps one of the most exciting and anticipated projects in the world of heavy instrumental music is Parlor Greens, a fresh organ trio on Colemine Records! You could say that Parlor Greens are greater than the sum of their parts…however, the individual parts are simply stellar on their own. Tim Carman (GA-20) on drums, Jimmy James (True Loves, formerly Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio) on guitar, and Adam Scone (Scone Cash Players, The Sugarman 3) on organ.

Scone is perhaps the most tasteful living organist on planet Earth (and beyond) and to watch him play is to truly watch a master at work. He bends the organ to his will like a true master craftsman. He's a veteran of the soul revival scene, having played on many Daptone recording sessions since their inception, but also has learned from some of the legends of soul jazz: Melvin Sparks and The Turbanator himself Dr. Lonnie Smith. Jimmy James needs no introduction to many as he's been seen all over the world performing with instrumental groups The True Loves and the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. Perhaps the most dangerous right hand in all of soul music, his signature funky approach can be identified by even the most novice of music fans, a feat most musicians could only dream of. Tim Carman. The backbone. The pocket. Having cut his teeth touring the world with blues group GA-20, Carman's expertise in the world of blues shuffles might make him an unlikely candidate to lay the foundation for the funky Parlor Greens, but this debut LP shows otherwise.

Steady, heavy pockets and as funky as they come. Parlor Greens started off as an idea before it even had a name. Carman had been chatting with Colemine label boss Terry Cole about their shared love for organ combo records of yesterday on labels like Blue Note and Prestige. Cole said he'd love to have an organ trio be the first project at the label's new studio, Portage Lounge, located in Loveland, Ohio. So when Carman tapped James and Scone for the session, the stage was set. Carman and Cole had started work a day early to dial in the drum sound, so when the rest of this murderer's row arrived they hit the ground running. It was instant chemistry. Within the first ten minutes of everyone plugging in, a song was written and recorded, "West Memphis". And over the next three days, these three maestros conducted a beautiful and soulful symphony straight to tape. As natural and fun as three old friends getting together after a long absence, only this was the first time they had written and performed together. True magic. So this is the result of that session. Eleven cuts. Ten originals. Two sides. All killer, no filler. Straight to the old reliable Tascam 388 tape machine, mixed up nice and dirty for your enjoyment. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Driptorch
2. Sugar Maple
3. In Green We Dream
4. West Memphis
5. Flowers For Sharon
6. Parlor Strut
7. The Ripper
8. Steam Presser
9. The Jelly Roll
10. Irish Goodbye
11. My Sweet Lord

On the jazz standard "A Night in Tunisia" composed by Dizzy Gillespie in 1942, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, realised this album with a legendary ensemble the lineup includes Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass.

Recorded on August 7 and 14, 1960 this album is one of the most celebrated for the powerful solos and intricate arrangements, epitomizing the hard bop style. Blakey's versions of "A Night in Tunisia" are renowned for their intense energy and complexity, the piece itself features a distinctive Afro- Cuban rhythm in the introduction and the main theme, transitioning into straight-ahead swing for the improvisational sections. In summary, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' renditions of "A Night in Tunisia" are celebrated for their dynamic interpretation, technical proficiency, and influential impact on the jazz genre.

Their recordings are a testament to the enduring legacy of both Blakey and Gillespie in the world of jazz. His band, the Jazz Messengers, served as a springboard for many future jazz stars.

TRACK LISTING

A Night In Tunisia
Sincerely Diana
So Tired
Yama
Kozo's Waltz

Earth Tongue, the brainchild of guitarist Gussie Larkin and drummer Ezra Simons, present their second full-length album Great Haunting. The duo, known for their heavy flavor of fuzz-soaked psychedelic rock, are also pleased to unveil their signing to In The Red Records.

Earth Tongue’s partnership with In The Red stems from a run of shows supporting the legendary Ty Segall throughout New Zealand. Larkin explains: “Ty’s band Fuzz was a significant influence for our sound early on. Ezra and I saw them play live in London about nine years ago, long before Earth Tongue existed. We absorbed a lot of music at that time, and in fact many of the bands we saw released records via In The Red.”

Great Haunting sees the duo draw inspiration from the eerie depths of ’70s and ’80s horror cinema, delivering a sonic concoction of dark and primitive songs with thick layers of fuzz and punchy, compressed drums. The album was engineered by Jonathan Pearce from The Beths at his studio on Karangahape road in Auckland.

TRACK LISTING

1. Out Of This Hell
2. Bodies Dissolve Tonight!
3. Nightmare
4. The Mirror
5. Grave Pressure
6. Miraculous Death
7. Sit Next To Satan
8. Reaper Returns
9. The Reluctant Host

Step into the mesmerizing world of The Triffids with their renowned album, ‘In The Pines’, now available in a striking red coloured vinyl double LP reissue for 2024.

Originally released in 1986, this album showcases The Triffids’ unique blend of folk, rock and postpunk.

Featuring the haunting vocals of David McComb and lush instrumentals, ‘In The Pines’ invites you on a journey through atmospheric landscapes that captivate the senses.

With its enduring allure and rich sonic textures, this album stands as a testament to The Triffids’ timeless artistry.

TRACK LISTING

Suntrapper
In The Pines
Kathy Knows
25 To 5
Only One Life
Do You Want Me Near
You
Trick Of The Light
Once A Day
She’s Sure The Girl I
Love
Jerdacuttup Man
Just Might Fade Away
Better Off This Way
Keep Your Eyes On The
Hole
Blinder By The Hour
Wish To See No More
One Soul Less On
Your Fiery List
Born Sandy
Devotional
Love And Affection

Minimalism from NYC in the vein of Alan Vega from his partner and featuring their son Dante Vega Lamere.

Pledging to Keep It Alive with her debut album in 2022 (In The Red), Liz Lamere doubles down with her latest full-length second album, One Never Knows, released on In The Red. Dedicated to her late partner Alan Vega, with whom she collaborated on his solo works for over three decades, Lamere’s minimalist approach to creating music is clearly in line with the Vega aesthetic that she helped develop with him during countless experimental hours in the studio since the late ’80s.

Lamere teamed up again with her and Vega’s son Dante Vega Lamere in their Dujang Prang NYC home studio surrounded by the Suicide singer’s spectacular light sculptures, co-producer Jared Artaud, and mixing and mastering engineers Ted Young and Josh Bonati.

Vega had always encouraged Lamere to create her own music. After he passed away, she began writing as a form of catharsis which became the inspirational bedrock for her solo music. Lamere said, “At the end of Alan’s life, he was using the expression ‘one never knows’ to underscore that we don’t know how much time we have in this realm or where this journey will lead us. It was a phrase that had resonated so much for me. Alan taught me to go bravely into the unknown; to be fully present in the moment and deeply explore what is already here.”

TRACK LISTING

1. King City Ghost
2. Strike
3. Vibration
4. Mind
5. Moment
6. If Only
7. No Regrets

Mr. K Edits' latest release caters to roller skaters and groove enthusiasts alike. It features two mid-tempo tracks uniquely edited by the studio scalpel master himself as they make their debut on 45rpm. First is Rodney Franklin's 'Felix Leo,' which was originally overshadowed by his hit 'The Groove.' It unfolds with hypnotic chords trimmed to their essence and unfolds at a gradual, majestic pace with captivating and lush strings making it all the immersive. Second up is Prince's early gem 'In Love' which showcases his instrumental prowess with drums, bass, guitar, and creamy synth lines. Mr. K extends the mix seamlessly, enhancing its danceable rhythm and timeless appeal with his usual class.

TRACK LISTING

Felix Leo
In Love

Precocious Neophyte is the shoegaze/dreampop project of South Korean singer songwriter Jeehye Ham.

After gaining recognition both in the Korean indie scene and abroad as vocalist/guitarist of Vidulgi OoyoO (shoegaze/post rock) and guitarist of JuckJuck Grunzie(noise/psychedelic), Ham relocated to Chicago where she began experimenting with home recording. In 2019, she released an EP comprised of intimate acoustic compositions under the name Sophysoon.

With Home in the Desert, Ham embraces the solitary action and lo-fi aesthetics of home recording to create a fuzzier, more expansive sound, inspired by the organized noise of bands she grew up with in Korea's indie scene. Home in the Desert, written and recorded in her apartment between 2021-2022, developed out of Ham's attempts to envision how skeletal guitar lines might sound when performed live at ear-splitting volumes by a full band. “I never expected that I would make loud music again, but one day I took my guitar out and started jamming on my own.“

As its title suggests, Precocious Neophyte's debut release negotiates the impossible longings for perpetual spaces and times of home. In doing so, Ham fills unstable distances with what KEXP calls "ethereal vocals and soaring melodies," and cradles the insecurities of isolation in overdrive warmth and many layers of distorted guitars.

TRACK LISTING

1. From My Tiny Room
2. My Electronic Idol
3. Traveler
4. AIWA
5. Yasik (Midnight Meal)
6. Girls On The Bed
7. Korean Lesson 7 At Home (Where Is Michael?)
8. Golden Eyes
9. Dreaming Alone Or Together (Bonus Track)
10. My Electronic Idol (Alternative Mix)

FINK, Long-established alt-folk trio, return with Fin Greenall’s eighth studio album under the genre-hopping moniker. Coalescing around the emergent urgency in each of the album’s ten tracks and intimate, closed-door sessions in picturesque Cornwall, the soul-reaching ‘Beauty In Your Wake’ is released on the band’s R’COUP’D label.

Now resident in Berlin, native Cornishman Greenall, one time collaborator with John Legend, Amy Winehouse, Colin Stetson and more, sought the solitude and back-to-earth atmosphere of the small village of Zennor, on the county’s picturesque Atlantic coast for the agenda-free, organic recording sessions. The band were invited to record at producer Sam Okell’s newly built studio and were the first band to create there. Okell is the Grammy Award-winning engineer and mixer of The Beatles’ Get Back and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 50th Anniversary Release.

Imagining that those conditions could percolate a lo-fi, classic English folk album, the joint creative restlessness of the band and Okell instead pushed ‘Beauty In Your Wake’ into the expansive realms of FINK’s commercially and critically successful albums of the noughties and 2010’s, and is a triumphant return to self. FINK’s music has always been woven into a broader global tapestry, not least because the band’s music has featured on countless film and TV soundtracks such as Better Call Saul, The Walking Dead, and most recently on the latest series of True Detective.

Going ‘overground’ in the music world for the first time in 1997 as a dance-orientated signee to Ninja Tunes’ sister label N-Tone, Greenall’s life in music has travelled diverse roads and lit numerous corners of the international music business. The reformed, classic FINK line-up is the same as that which first recorded the band’s breakthrough album, Biscuits For Breakfast (2006), a release that proved to be a springboard for widespread international touring.

TRACK LISTING

A1. What Would You Call Yourself
A2. The Only Thing That Matters
A3. Be Forever Like A Curse
A4. It's Like You Ain't Mine No More
A5. Follow You Down
B1. I Don't See You As The Others Do
B2. One Last Gift
B3. Don't Forget To Leave
B4. So We Find Ourselves
B5. When I Turn This Corner

Ring the Alarm! We dug deep from the vaults and pairing crucially with the simultaneously released Barrington / Ranking twinspin, this diamond dig unearths Tenor Saw's previously unreleased 'Highest Grade' a herbman choice - Ready rolled from Junjo's secret stash

Backed with a heavyweight dub on the flip capturing the mighty Roots Radics in full effect at Channel One and King Tubby's

TRACK LISTING

Tenor Saw - Highest Grade
Roots Radics - Dub In Flames

In 1979, two school-kids all hopped-up on punk-rock started their own group in their hometown of Hawthorne, Los Angeles (birthplace of the Beach Boys) and soon found themselves opening shows for notorious scene pioneers Black Flag. Jeff McDonald was fifteen, his brother Steven McDonald only eleven. But that didn’t stop their group from becoming one of the most remarkable, enduring and unique outfits punk-rock ever belched up.

2024, then, marks Redd Kross’s forty-fifth birthday— an important anniversary for any group whose heart pulses at 45RPM—and the brothers are celebrating the event with a veritable multimedia extravaganza. There’s a memoir, Now You’re One Of Us, due in November, author Dan Epstein telling the group’s story in the McDonalds’ unmistakable (and occasionally contrary) voices. A brilliant rockumentary, Born Innocent, directed by Andrew Reich, will premiere later in the year. Most exciting of all, this new album—an eponymous double-album, no less, packed with eighteen of their sharpest, most addictive songs yet. These years of joyful service to rock’n’roll have seen Redd Kross evolve into a killer pop-rock concern, dealing in dayglo power-chords, choruses as tall as skyscrapers and a lyric sheet thick with acid couplets and arch popcultural references their loyal following will gobble up like quaaludes.

TRACK LISTING

1. Candy Coloured Catastrophe
2. Stunt Queen
3. The Main Attraction
4. Cancion Enojada
5. Good Times Propaganda Band
6. What’s In It For You?
7. I’ll Take Your Word For It
8. Terrible Band
9. Stuff
10. Back Of The Cave
11. Too Good To Be True
12. Way Too Happy
13. Simple Magic
14. The Witches’ Stand
15. Lay Down And Die
16. The Shaman’s Disappearing Robe
17. Emanuelle Insane
18. Born Innocent

“...as important to Korean rock in 1970-75 as Phil Spector had been to America's pop scene a decade earlier, and every bit as busy.” – MOJO

Shin Joong Hyun’s tale is personal, spiritual, and deep, not only reflecting the full spectrum of human emotions but also reverberating with echoes of sound, some beautiful and life-giving, others restless and ungovernable. These career-spanning anthologies gather Shin’s work as a guitarist, songwriter, producer and arranger of mind-altering experimental pop, acid-folk, and extended psych-funk jams. A musical trip existing somewhere between Motown, Hendrix, and the Velvet Underground.

TRACK LISTING

Kim Chu Ja - What Am I Going To Do
Park Kwang Soo - Grass
Kim Jung Mi - From Where To Where
Shin Joong Hyun - Beautiful Woman
Shin Joong Hyun - Beautiful Rivers And Mountains
Shin Joong Hyun And Questions - Funky Broadway
Shin Joong Hyun And Yupjuns - Expectation

Amazing and legendary 1994 cult album on the equally amazing and legendary Irdial Disc label, remastered at Emil Berliner Studios.  

The whole album was composed and realized on the Roland R8 drum machine. It followed the same process as the Elastic Variations pieces, with the major addition of many, many hours of editing.

Each piece was composed as a series of patterns, of varying lengths ( 5,6,7 bars long ). The stock R8 sounds were embellished with one of several ROM sound library cards ( mostly the Dance card, number 10 ).

These patterns were created by tapping out a rhythm, then, in real time, using the Pitch slider as the pattern looped, to create improvised melodies for each of the pattern's voices.

The rough version of each piece was built by stitching the patterns together as a song, listening to each addition over and over, to make sure the melodies flowed into each other in a vaguely coherent manner.

Once this initial rough structure was in place I set about fine tuning every single note.

The R8 doesn't allow you to assign a pitch to a note in the conventional sense. It's not possible to assign a pitch of Middle C to the first note of the first bar. Instead, it assigns a numerical value to a note's pitch, between -4800 and +4800 ( I think those numbers are correct - that little screen is seared into my memory ).

If you restrict all notes within a piece to a multiple of, say, 400, you therefore create the possibility of a sort of scale. For multiples of 400, you have a total number of 24 permissable notes. However, most of the percussive sounds, when pitch shifted, only sounded 'good' over a reduced range.

The first editing step was to go through the entire piece, and change every note's pitch to its nearest multiple of 400.

The second step was to draw out the entire piece on graph paper, the Y axis being pitch, X being time. This drawing gave me a visual sense of a melody's flow. It was easy to see too many notes clustering around too tight a pitch range for instance, or a single note straying way down into the lower register while all others at that point in the melody were in the upper.

Once these first 'clearing-up' edits were complete I could set about re-writing elements that didn't sound right melodically. Often this meant stripping out whole chunks of superfluous notes, to reveal a cleaner melody line, then shifting its shape slightly. If the flow of the line of dots on the graph 'looked' balanced and sweetly sinuous, then often it sounded so.

This entire process took many weeks per piece. Weeks of doing almost nothing else. Listening. Re-drawing. Re-writing. Listening. Round and round and round. When I could hear the whole thing in my head, from beginning to end, and nothing seemed to jar ( too excessively ), I knew it was done, time to move on.

I imagine it's very similar to the process of stop animation. Your days are filled with painfully tiny incremental changes that seem to be getting nowhere. Then, slowly, a shape, narrative, starts to appear. Then, all of a sudden, somehow, it's done.

When all the pieces were complete the R8 was taken into Irdial's studio where some simple effects were added, each voice recorded individually for clarity onto 8-track tape and mastered onto an ex-BBC half-inch tape deck.

Then I slept. And vowed never to do it again.

*****

And the title ?

Soon after finishing the pieces I happened to read a magazine article about Christo's "Surrounded Islands" installation with the music playing in the background.

There was something about a particular cluster of words within a random sentence that seemed pleasing and somehow appropriate.

"Islets in Pink Polypropylene" seemed to make as much sense as anything else.
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"The 50 best IDM albums of all time"
Pitchfork

"A liquidy headbox of aural shapes, whose forms hardly change yet seem to encompass infinite viscosity within them, like rainbow pools of oil on water"
Wire

"Before IDM became a nation of Aphex and Autechre cosplayers, the genre was less defined by aesthetics than by a shared ideology. Here was a loosely connected axis of post-rave kids, united by little more than a shared willingness to subvert the tools of their techno idols and create sounds that hadn't previously been imagined. No record of the era better embodies this find-a-machine-and-freak-it ethos than Islets in Pink Polypropylene, the otherworldly debut by British producer Anthony Manning."
Pitchfork

"It’s refreshing to hear an all-electronic album that sounds so organic yet so totally alien."
Fact

"One of the UK’s first post-rave ambient records proper; sharing much more in common with Autechre’s Amber or AFX’s Selected Ambient Works Vol. II - which were both released in that same year - than anything else before or around it."
Boomkat

For fans of avant everything innovative and experimental music.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Untitled
A2 Untitled
B1 Untitled
B2 Untitled
B3 Untitled

First anthology of Shin Joong Hyun’s music outside of Korea.

Includes an in-depth interview and track-by-track notes by Mr. Shin plus comprehensive liner notes by Kevin “Sipreano” Howes

Shin Joong Hyun’s tale is personal, spiritual, and deep, not only reflecting the full spectrum of human emotions but also reverberating with echoes of sound, some beautiful and life-giving, others restless and ungovernable. These career-spanning anthologies gather Shin’s work as a guitarist, songwriter, producer and arranger of mind-altering experimental pop, acid-folk, and extended psych-funk jams. A musical trip existing somewhere between Motown, Hendrix, and the Velvet Underground.

**** (4 Stars) “An incredible collection” - Record Collector

**** (4 Stars) “...as important to Korean rock in 1970-75 as Phil Spector had been to America's pop scene a decade earlier, and every bit as busy.” – MOJO

**** (4 Stars) ”The ten-plus-minute title track that closes the set is a labyrinthine folk-psych, acid-drenched masterpiece... It's an epic worthy of Morricone's spaghetti Western scores -- had Morricone been born a guitarist. An excellent introduction to his work.” – AllMusic

TRACK LISTING

Moon Watching - Shin Joong Hyun
Please Don't Bother Me Anymore - Golden Grapes
The Man Who Must Leave - Kim Sun
The Sun - Kim Jung Mi
I Don't Like - Lee Jung Hwa
Please Wait - Jang Hyun
Spring Rain - Park In Soo
Tomorrow - Lee Joong Hwa
'J' Blues 72 - Shin Joong Hyun
Pushing Through The Fog - Jang Hyun
I've Got Nothing To Say - Shin Joong Hyun
Why That Person? - Bunny Girls
Sunset - Jang Hyun
Beautiful River And Mountains - Shin Joong Hyun & The Men

Death Is Not The End's 333 series is back with another dig into the catalogue of the NYC-based Flames label on this reissue of a highly coveted Revolutionaries LP, Meditation in Dub.

One of reggae music's most famed session bands, The Revolutionaries were an often r/evolving cast of some of the finest session musicians on the island during the roots and early dancehall periods of the mid/late 1970s and early 1980s. These would include Earl 'Wire' Lindo, Radcliffe 'Dougie' Bryan, Ansell Collins, Bobby Kalphat, Lloyd Parks, Uziah 'Sticky' Thompson, Bongo Herman, Stanley Bryan, Bo Peep, Eric 'Bingy Bunny' Lamont, Errol 'Tarzan' Nelson, Skully Simms, Robbie Lyn, Mikey 'Mao' Chung amongst many others. The enduring core of the group, however, was undoubtedly in the coming together of the legendary rhythm section of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare - with the formation of The Revolutionaries marking the first time that this often unparalleled duo worked together.

The group laid down these rhythm tracks at their base at the storied Channel One recording studio, Maxfield Avenue, Kingston sometime in the mid 1970s - under the arrangement of one of reggae music's great undersung figures, Ossie Hibbert. Early in 1975 Ossie was to move to Maxfield Avenue just as Jo Jo & Ernest Hookim's studio was starting up. A well-respected session musician himself through the late 1960s and early 70s (he played keys for Bunny 'Striker' Lee and Keith Hudson and would also form part of another foundational session band, The Soul Syndicate) he was initially summoned by Jo Jo to be a band member for The Revolutationaries but quickly assumed the role of producer, engineer and talent scout for the studio, responsible for selecting the artists to bring into the studio.

These tracks were recorded by Hibbert around this time for Winston Jones, the original singer and composer of Stop That Train (later made world-famous by Keith & Tex's version) with his Spanishtonians for Prince Buster's label in the early 1960s. Jones had moved from JA to NYC in the early 1970s where he established and ran the Flames label. The imprint would go on to form a core part of Brooklyn's reggae scene from the mid-1970s until the early 1990s, though Jones often employed the use of Channel One, Hibbert and The Revolutionaries back home in the recording of rhythm tracks for his productions. Thus the Meditation in Dub LP is essentially formed of stellar dub versions to many of the early Flames labels 45s, produced and released by Jones throughout the mid to late 1970s, including crucial takes on a great many popular rhythms of that period. One of any self-respecting dub LP collectors' holy grails, with originals going for up to £400, it is issued here under license from the now Texas-based Jones with the kind assistance of RB at DKR in sourcing the audio for this new cut.

TRACK LISTING

1. Move Out Of Me Way
2. Meditation Dub
3. Little Bit Of Dub
4. Peaceful Natty
5. Political Affair
6. Natty Chase The Barber
7. Back Whe Dreadie
8. Move Out Carol
9. War Mongrel
10. Trod On Natty

This limited edition 12” serves as an accompanying piece to Fixmer’s brand-new album. The vinyl features 6 dark electronic tracks from the record, all infused with his signature energy and thoughtful sound design. This comes with an audio download code of the full-length record, including 6 additional tracks spanning across the landscape of techno music.

Terence Fixmer is celebrated for his innovative and genre-defying approach to music production. With a career spanning over two decades, he has released numerous albums and EPs on some of the most prestigious techno labels. His remixing talents have extended to tracks from industry giants such as Depeche Mode, Yann Tiersen, Sven Väth, Dave Clarke, Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, Indochine, and more.

This release underscores Fixmer's versatility and dedication to expanding his musical horizons, embodying the modest yet noteworthy influence he has had in the realm of electronic and techno music. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Ephemere
2. In Synthesis
3. Evolve
4. Shore Break
5. Glacier
6. Dark Enough?

New project co-written and produced by Zero 7.

Embracing the enigmatic as a canvas for sonic storytelling, Zero 7 unveils captivating new music alongside collaborator Swim Surreal.

Swim Surreal's debut album, 'In the Half Light,' transports listeners to another time, place, and mental space. Nine songs telling a tale that begun in the half light and, somehow, resides there still.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Crowd
2. Bloom
3. Say Nothing
4. Don't Call It Love
5. Back To Earth
6. Less Talk
7. Masquerade (feat. Lou Stone)
8. Exile
9. An Endless Wave

Following the release of their universally acclaimed, Mercury and Ivor Novello Award Nominated fourth studio album ‘False Lankum’, which collected Album Of The Year honours from UNCUT magazine, The Guardian, Loud & Quiet, The Quietus, as well as very high rankings from MOJO, NPR, DIY, Crack, Songlines, Music OMH, The Line Of Best Fit, Louder Than War, The Skinny and numerous other media worldwide. Rough Trade Records are excited to announce the release of ‘Live in Dublin’ by Lankum. Recorded across three sold out nights at Dublin's Vicar Street, the album features Lankum performing songs from across their catalogue including ‘The Rocky Road to Dublin’, which up until now has never been officially released.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Wild Rover
2. The Rocky Road To Dublin
3. The Pride Of Petravore
4.Go Dig My Grave
5. Fugue
6. Bear Creek

From it's original release:

The first thing that strikes you is the rhythm - The Gossip have been making punks dance since they debuted 5 years ago, long before dance punk existed - Soulful and jagged, you can hear everything from Dischord to Motown in Brace's playing.

Now, with the addition of new drummer Hannah Blilie (Shoplifting, ex-Chromatics) they have a new thundering beat for the kids to dance to on the corners and in the clubs. The next thing that smacks you is Beth's voice, all the guttural blues of the South is in that inimitable instrument. It resonates with the confidence that is in her lyrics asking people to hold on just a little bit longer, re-assuring the youth that there are others out there, and spitting in the face of all who say otherwise! "Standing in the Way of Control", their third album, was recorded by Guy Picciotto (Fugazi) at Seattle's Bear Creek. From heartbreakers like "Coal to Diamonds" to the anthemic title track, released as a single with a Le Tigre remix, the band is unafraid to put it all out there and take their audience to new places. This is the sound of a band destroying and surpassing all expectations placed on them.

TRACK LISTING

Fire With Fire
Standing In The Way Of Control
Jealous Girls
Coal To Diamonds
Eyes Open
Your Mangled Heart
Listen Up!
Holy Water
Keeping You Alive
Dark Lines

Songs in A&E is a beautiful, chilling record and it was very nearly the last thing J Spaceman would ever release. In 2005, with the writing and recording well underway, Spaceman was rushed to the Royal London Infirmary with double pneumonia. The sleeve of this reissue is a photograph taken as he lay in what his close friends and family feared at the time was his deathbed.

“We thought he’d gone,” recalled band mate John Coxon at the time. The album is collection of graceful, country-influenced songs that muse on familiar themes of love, death, hope and hopelessness. The country element was informed by a small black 1928 Gibson acoustic he’d bought in Cincinnati while the band toured the Amazing Grace record. Spaceman called it “The Devil”.

J Spaceman: “Mostly, when you buy a guitar, like most things, you don't really have any idea of whether it's good or not. And this shop had about eight of the same models for comparison, but this one was in a cage, to keep people away from it, like they knew it was kind of special. And it's beautiful. It just sings. And it kind of came with those songs, which is obviously a sort of romantic notion, but it really felt like it did. I'd never written on a guitar until this point and it seemed to come with all of this information.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Harmony 1 (Mellotron)
2. Sweet Talk
3. Death Take Your Fiddle
4. I Gotta Fire
5. Soul On Fire
6. Harmony 2 (Piano)
7. Sitting On Fire
8. Yeah Yeah
9. You Lie You Cheat
10. Harmony 3 (Voice)
11. Baby I'm Just A Fool
12. Don't Hold Me Close
13. Harmony 4 (The Old Man...)
14. The Waves Crash In
15. Harmony 5 (Accordion)
16. Borrowed Your Gun
17. Harmony 6 (Glockenspiel)
18. Goodnight Goodnight

Following last year's wonderful "Anthropomorphic Fantasy EP", Byamm returns with another super limited, private press modern soul release!

Crisp production taking in gospel, heavyweight 80's boogie, classic 2-step soul and downtempo joints, this is another top quality selection...

Timeless song-writing and classic soul music.

Pre-orders advised! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Byamm are back with their second instalment after causing an absolute stampede last year with their debut 12". The formular hasn't changed - modern soul and boogie with smoochy vocals, uplifting energy and highly skilled instrumental backing. Do not sleep on this!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Life Comes From The Sun
A2. Sweet Soul Sister
B1. Last Train To Oblivion
B2. Thank You

Top secret transmissions from the Upgrade crew who bring hip-house back again for summer '24 with four raucous revivals done up 21st century style...I'd love to say the highlight was the Missy Elliot tweak, but the other three give it plenty of competition which pair rugged beats full of ricocheting snares and tough kicks with some killer hip-house vocal parts. It's got that vintage rave energy but delivered with a fresh, speaker-tickling fresh production and plenty of hefty drums. A proper party record! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Hottest house record for a while; and essential for anyone with a penchant for hip-house. An unknown producer (we think from over the Pennines but more on that later) drops four modern hip-house bangers full of tough, rugged beats and brilliantly placed vox. This is my jam!!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Dancing Queen
A2. Jack You Out The Box
B1. She's A Whaaaat?
B2. Bass Face

Alternative were a Scottish anarcho-punk band of the early 80s that often drew comparison to Crass for their black attires, logos, firm political beliefs, as well as having their own open house, “The Pad”, where like-minded radicals would join and discuss ideas surrounding pacifism and anti-nuclear armament. The ‘In Nomine Patri’ EP is dark, furious, and articulate.

Penny continues; “Largely through their fierce commitment to ‘changing the world’, Alternative were often referred to as the Scottish Crass. Knowing that talking the talk could only be a half of it, Alternative resolutely walked the walk. Based in Dunfermline, they set up The Pad, an autonomy centre where, over tea and buns, revolutionary visions of peace and love could fester and grow. Theirs was a studied and often poetic form of anarchy which concentrated on people not power. Their interest was not in themselves, but in others. They knew all too well that the only way forward was to do it yourself, and that’s precisely what they did, a’plenty. After all these years, give ‘em your ears.”

Penny finally notes that “Our (Crass’) interest was never in personalities, profits or power, and neither did we have time for reformist liberals. Our position was solidly revolutionary; we took no prisoners. Ours wasn’t a show, it was a battle, not a living, but a lifestyle, a lifestyle with a difference – rather than looking only to ourselves, we sought to share our gains. I feel that this willingness added great strength to the form of anarchism that we practiced both on stage and out on the street.”

In giving a platform to an impressive array of other bands, Crass Records broadened the front of what popularly became known as anarcho-punk. Not, it must be said, a moniker that Crass themselves much favoured. In this respect, Crass’ classic line, “There is no authority but yourself”, makes its point. Crass sought to empower others, and the output of Crass Records does much to confirm this, while ‘2 By 2 And Back Again’ seems to nail it – “get out of your own way, we’re all in this together”.

Everything was just so intense. There was an alienation and awkwardness about Josef K, but that was actually very true to life for me. Listening today I find really difficult because it brings back so many memories, so many ghosts and characters from the past.

-- Paul Haig. A lot of what Josef K were about was as much to do with what not to play as what to play. Josef K could never have anything rootsy, no blues scale.

We were always looking for the modern. -- Malcolm Ross. Josef K are the great lost post-punk band.

Taking their name from the haunted protagonist of Franz Kafka s existentialist novel The Trial, they posed for photographs before brutalist and gothic architecture and produced visionary, often incendiary music that felt like the product of perpetual anxiety. And it really was. Through The Crack In The Wall is the first ever biography of the band, tracing their story from their origins in the leafy suburbs of Edinburgh through to their untimely implosion four years later.

It s a tale of fun and frenzy, filled with highs and lows. From their thrilling live shows, which left onlookers spellbound, to more anxious occasions confronting a baying audience of rioting anarcho-punks in Brussels; from a brief spell as press darlings of the inkies to the fateful decision to pull their debut album just as pop stardom beckoned -- one that continues to haunt them today. Drawing extensively on new interviews with the band members and those around them as well as contemporary press articles, the book explores the band s inner workings and analyses their relationships with Postcard Records supremo Alan Horne, labelmates Orange Juice, and manager Allan Campbell.

It re-evaluates their position in the pantheon of post-punk greats and considers how their music helped shape the UK independent scene of the eighties. More than anything else, though, the book s primary purpose is to celebrate the incredible music Josef K made and consider what makes it more vital today than ever.

This 40th anniversary edition of Bruce Springsteen’s history-making ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ album has been re-pressed on translucent red vinyl. The anniversary edition also features a gatefold sleeve and exclusive booklet with archival material from the era, new liner notes penned by Erik Flannigan and a four-color lithograph. Originally released on June 4, 1984 - ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ had an unprecedented seven Top Ten singles on its tracklist, sold 17 million copies to date and captured the pop culture zeitgeist with once-in-ageneration impact.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Born In The U.S.A.
2. Cover Me
3. Darlington County
4. Working On The Highway
5. Downbound Train
6. I'm On Fire

Side B
1. No Surrender
2. Bobby Jean
3. I'm Goin' Down
4. Glory Days
5. Dancing In The Dark
6. My Hometown

The first track on the album, A Shared Sense Of Purpose, reflects this optimism, and is the lead single from the album. This will be released in 7” and 12” vinyl versions. Both versions will be accompanied by an exclusive remix from the Godfather of New Town Synthology, Vince Clarke. To say that we’re excited about this, would be an understatement!

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: It's no Secret how big a fan I am of Warrington-Runcorn, and this nifty little twelver (as we never call them) sees, for my money, GCF's crowning glory from the brilliant new LP extended, prog rocked and then remixed by none other than the great Vince Clarke. It's classic WRNTDP, classic Vince Clarke, and classic CiS pressing and printing quality. Beautiful in every way and a perfect companion piece to the superb new album.

TRACK LISTING

A Shared Sense Of Purpose
A Shared Sense Of Purpose (Single Edit)
A Shared Sense Of Purpose (Vince Clarke Remix)
Oakwood
A Shared Sense Of Purpose (1973 Version)

The Brian Jonestown Massacre are one of the great contemporary cult American rock and roll bands. At the peak of their anarchic reign in the San Francisco underground of the mid '90s their psychedelic output was almost as prodigious and impressive as their narcotic intake. Immortalised in one of the most unforgettable rock and roll documentaries of all time, DIG! alongside their friends/rivals/nemeses, The Dandy Warhol's, in their early years when the US were obsessed with grunge, the BJM felt like a '60s anachronism.

But with albums like Their Satanic Majesties Second Request and Thank God for Mental Illness, and incendiary, often chaotic, live shows, they burnished their legend as true believers and custodians of the original west coast flame; a privilege and responsibility which continues to this day when the band have a bigger and more dedicated audience than ever. Joel Gion's memoir tells the story of the first ten years of the band from the Duke Seat. A righteous account of the hazards and pleasures of life on and off the road, In the Jingle Jangle Jungle takes use behind the scenes of the supposed behind the scenes film that cemented the band's legend.

Funny as hell, shot through with the innocence and wonder of a 'percussionist' whose true role is that of the band's 'spirit animal', In the Jingle Jangle Jungle is destined to take its place alongside cult classics in the pantheon of rock and roll literature like Playing the Bass with Three Left Hands, Head On, and 45 by Bill Drummond. It will also feature a foreword by Anton Newcombe, fellow member and founder of The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Hand printed in house on 100% cotton.

The new album by Richard Hawley, 'In This City They Call You Love' sees Richard ditch the distortion pedals and go back into making voice most prominent.

Following the universal acclaim for 'Standing At The Sky's Edge', the award-winning musical based on his songs, in May Richard Hawley returns with 'In This City They Call You Love', his ninth studio album and his first since 2019's 'Further'.

'In This City They Call You Love' features 12 outstanding songs, many of which can be described as 'vintage Hawley' and are amongst some of the finest ballads he's ever written. Gorgeous melodies and arrangements are accompanied by his emotive and sonorous voice, which sounds better than ever, and will make this a crowning moment in a hugely successful recording career of almost 25 years.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A perfect distillation of Hawley's classic sound, whimsical balladry and beautiful instrumentation around a core of thoughtful lyrics and rich, swooning orchestral majesty. Nobody sounds quite like Hawley, and this couldn't be a more perfect representation of his appeal.

TRACK LISTING

1. Two For His Heels
2. Have Love
3. Prism In Jeans
4. Heavy Rain
5. People
6. Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow
7. Deep Space
8. Deep Waters
9. I’ll Never Get Over You
10. Do I Really Need To Know?
11. When The Lights Go Out
12. ‘Tis Night

The acclaimed Can live series continues with the release of Live In Aston 1977, available via Mute and Future Days (the new EU label created by Spoon Records).

The series was overseen by founding member Irmin Schmidt and producer/engineer René Tinner, who delicately worked on restoring the archival recordings to the best quality for current modern technology. This record captures the band’s 1977 performance in Aston and features Schmidt (keyboard & synths), Jaki Liebezeit (drums), Michael Karoli (guitars), Holger Czukay (wave receiver & spec.sounds), plus Rosko Gee (bass), who appears for the first time in the series.

This release features sleeve notes by former Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock, sharing his first-hand experience of witnessing CAN's live show.

Live In Aston follows the release of Live In Paris 1973, the first in the series to feature Damo Suzuki’s vocals [“…among the greatest documents of their untouchable alchemy…” – Record Collector 5*]; Live In Brighton 1975 [“Pure dynamite… keep them coming” – MOJO]; Live in Stuttgart 1975, [Uncut’s Reissue of the Year, #2 in MOJO’s Reissues of the Year, #7 in The Wire’s Archive Reissues of the Year plus more]; and Live In Cuxhaven 1976, which again featured heavily in the Reissues of the Year.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: The latest in the lineup of beautifully presented live outings from Can's extensive history. this time sees the cosmic psychedelic overlords take on Aston in Birmingham with great, very psychedelic results.

TRACK LISTING

Vinyl Tracklist
A1 Aston 77 Eins
A2 Aston 77 Zwei
B1 Aston 77 Drei
B2 Aston 77 Vier

CD Tracklist
1 Aston 77 Eins
2 Aston 77 Zwei
3 Aston 77 Drei
4 Aston 77 Vier

Multi-genre album with crossover potential, blending jazz, soul, funk, and electronics. Cult artist active since the early 1990s who has released records on labels like Warp and Kindred Spirits. Fresh collaboration between singular vocalist/musician and the Cold Diamond & Mink band. LP Housed in vintage style Tip-On Sleeve. There are certain occasions when you can truly feel the stars align. One of these is when the interstellar voyager of cosmic soul Jimi Tenor finally lands his spaceship at full force on a Timmion recording. In 2024, he will be serving us two spaced out album sessions recorded together with Cold Diamond & Mink. Jimi is no stranger in these space ways as he has operated behind the Timmion scenes for years, furnishing several of the label’s artists with his flute and reeds artistry. The first album out is titled “Is There Love In Outer Space?”, which begs the question with the force of five extended tracks that are guaranteed to blow your mind to the stratosphere. The pieces are loaded with whooshing and glistening synth noises and span from lofi space funk to cinematic soundscapes. The sweetly floating title track is like some of those galactic ballads that rare soul collectors are spending their pensions on. At the other side of the spectrum, album closer ‘What Are You Doing?’ sounds like Sun Ra sat down at a JBs session, and is straight up meant to get that booty moving. Combined with the raw soul prowess of CD&M, Jimi is able to refine new shades from his already impressive repertoire of talent. Even if you are a friend of his previous work you might not have heard him get down quite like this. 

TRACK LISTING

Side A:
1. Is There Love In Outer Space?
2. Gaia Sunset Pt.1
3. Gaia Sunset Pt.2
Side B:
1. Orbiting Telesto
2. Laputa
3. What Are You Doing?

In The Red Records is proud to announce a previously unreleased new album by Brooklyn-born master of minimalism Alan Vega, Insurrection. The eleven songs here showcase the unparalleled vision and uncompromising force from one of the most influential artists of all time. Alan Vega was born in Brooklyn in 1938. He co-founded the legendary New York City punk band Suicide with Martin Rev in 1970. Suicide’s groundbreaking 1977 debut is considered one of the most influential albums of all time. Vega considered his solo records the audio counterpoint to his visual art that reflected the world around him while simultaneously exploring universal themes. It makes his work as relevant today as it was when he created them. It was during his highly experimental period beginning in the late ’80s that he began working with Liz Lamere, who became the most crucial collaborator of his solo career until his death in 2016. Lamere, along with Jared Artaud, resurrected these newly unearthed collection of lost recordings, which they co-produced and mixed. Lamere and Artaud spearhead the Vega Vault project, which aims to bring rare, unreleased and back catalog work spanning Alan Vega and Suicide’s career to the public for the first time. On Insurrection, Lamere says: “Insurrection was created in the time period around 1997/98, after Mutator and prior to Vega’s 1999 release of 2007 and captures the intense energy of NYC in the ’90s rife with crime, killing, hate, fascism, racism, and moral bankruptcy. You can hear the tortured souls floating through this album. Post-Gulf War angst still enveloped Alan. He was having premonitions about a major terror attack in the US, well before 9/11. The upcoming birth of his son raised further awareness of the state of our world. All these emotions are mirrored in the sounds he magnetized. And true to Vega form, there remains hope and empowerment coursing through the tracks. In the almost three decades of going into the studio with Vega, we recorded significantly more material than the seven albums released. Vega’s intention was to experiment with sound which would become the canvas for the poetry that reflected his vision of the universe. Because the goal wasn’t to make albums, he had no timeline or constraints and would freely follow new paths uncovered along the way.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Sewer
2. Invasion
3. Crash
4. Cyanide Soul
5. Murder One
6. Fireballer Fever
7. Genocide
8. Chains
9. Jet Lord
10. Mercy
11. Fireballer Spirit

‘In Gravity’ is the sound of a rebirth. Born from a period of pain, tragedy, isolation, yet hope about the future, ‘In Gravity’ emerges as an uplifting and crushingly precise statement about where Shrapnel are in 2023. A cathartic exercising of daemons, this is not an album that dwells on the past or leans on well-worn tropes but looks excitedly forward.

Drawing on Shrapnel’s ever-deepening well of experience and influence, ‘In Gravity’ marks a band at the height of their songwriting prowess. Whether dealing in extremity and complexity, Gojira-inspired bludgeoning heaviness, or a newly emerging sense of modern melodic maturity, Shrapnel are able to weave their sonic palette in new, genre-defying directions.

Helmed by Swedish super producer Jens Bogren (Sepultura) and featuring collaborations with Scott Kennedy (Bleed From Within) and modern shred virtuoso Bradley Hall, ‘In Gravity’ is an instant Album Of The Year contender for 2024. Shrapnel are breaking out of their shackles where others have failed and staking their claim to the British metal throne.

TRACK LISTING

1. In Gravity
2. Amber Screams
3. Guardian
4. Breaker
5. Judgement
6. Dark Age
7. Follow The Cold
8. As Above…
9. …So Below
10. Absolution

Ohh those Chicago cats do make me blush! Seemingly ignorant of the UK's fridget and conservative view on all things *ahem* sex related; our Chicago house brethen have always turned heads in the club with their many evolutions on ghetto house. From DJ Funk to Jackmaster Dick - English nightclubbers sometimes have nowhere to hide from these expilicit murmerings!

Demonstrated perfectly here by the ever-present and hot-to-trot Dirty Blends crew which on this latest mission enlist Zodiac for the downright filthy: "Thanksgvin Beat". Adult content aside, it's that chuggy, low-tom & woodblock combo that's won me over here - irrestible dancefloor hypnosis from a profecient technician. 

Label leader The Jak gets busy with Ron Hardy & Robert Owen's Jackmaster Hater track - "Your Mind" - accentuating the dark throb and ghostly drum patterns that populate this anthemic slice of Chi-town voodoo. 

One of the best from this champion label! Kipping unrecommended. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Hard not to blush for the x-rated booty track "Thanksgvin Beat"; but I'm really here for the Ron Hardy sampling "Itz In Ur Head" which receives a tasty update in keeping with the TCP-soaked, Music Box aesthetic.

TRACK LISTING

Zodiac - Thanksgvin Beat
The Jak- Itz In Ur Head

These are fighting times, people. We are surrounded by grit, spit, and bloody war, but in the distance moving forward is The Black Angels. Passover, The Black Angels debut album, speaks of real-life horrors, death, and destruction with doses of love, sex, and healing. Don’t lose track, these are caring times as well.

Formed in 2004 and hailing from the mescaline-infused outskirts of Austin, Texas, this gang of musical misfits has been on the road non-stop since their birth, performing at such renowned venues as Sin-e, Middle East, and Spaceland. In early 2006, the band’s self-titled debut EP was dubbed highly recommended in Spin Magazine while receiving heavy radio airplay on such influential stations as KEXP and BBC Radio 1 by Zane Lowe.

Growing in spades since their EP, Passover showcases a band on the make. Spiraling upwards to the skies with the enemy straight on their trail, “The Sniper At The Gates Of Heaven” sees The Black Angels reaching high and stretching out with trance-inducing guitar lines from Christian Bland, Nate Ryan’s filthy medical dumpster bass, and the grizzly preacher vox of lead shaman Alex Maas. “Black Grease” is a bluesy monster full of swagger propelled by the primitive beat of drummer Stephanie Bailey and the mourning drone of organist Jennifer Raines.

10-songs deep, Passover has come again. Reflecting and questioning the intergenerational psychosis of American social life that surrounds us, The Black Angels put forth their answers in song. It’s a “Call To Arms” for those ready to join the good fight, a rock ‘n’ roll salvation during the times we need it the most. As Maas bellows on “Young Man Dead,” “Fire for the hills, pick up speed, and let’s go…”

TRACK LISTING

Young Men Dead
The First Vietnamese War
The Sniper At The Gates Of Heaven
The Prodigal Sun
Black Grease
Manipulation
Empire
Better Off Alone
Bloodhounds On My Trail
Call To Arms

Produced by Chris Coady and written by DIIV (pronounced Dive), Frog in Boiling Water, the band’s fourth full-length LP is a collection of snapshots that explores the brutal realities of end-stage capitalism and overwhelming technological advance. Across 10 dark and dazzling tracks, DIIV documents the collapse from various angles with unusual sensitivity and depth of purpose while expanding their grand, hypnotic shoegaze, to create a transportive, sensual work of hope, beauty and renewal.

"Musically, we were excited to explore new territory sonically. We collected and cataloged cassette tapes and made tape loops, used samples, weird guitar tunings, crude synthesizers. It’s the least “genre” record we’ve ever made and we’re excited to show everyone the musical world we’ve found."

STAFF COMMENTS

Liam says: Following on from their monumental 2019 album 'Deceiver', 'Frog In Boiling Water' sees DIIV still with their shoes set to gaze mode and it might be even be their best yet. With nods to Sonic Youth, Duster, Slowdive and MBV, 'FIBW' is also DIIV's most lyrically dense as it touches on brutal realities of end-stage capitalism and overwhelming technological advance - plus it sounds absolutely massive! The textures/sonics on here are incredible and the best DIIV have ever sounded, I truly can't recommended this album enough!!!

TRACK LISTING

1. In Amber
2. Brown Paper Bag
3. Raining On Your Pillow
4. Frog In Boiling Water
5. Everyone Out
6. Reflected
7. Somber The Drums
8. Little Birds
9. Soul-net
10. Fender On The Freeway

Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan's new album, Your Community Hub, compellingly continues his sonic exploration of the New Towns movement. The issues the councillors, planners, and architects set out to solve still resound and echo throughout society.

For the latest instalment in this unique project, Gordon Chapman-Fox turns his laser eye to focus on Community and the Community Centres that populated Warrington and Runcorn in order to provide all the facilities people needed within a five minute walk from their home. These planning ideas predated the current discussions of fifteen minute cities by fifty years.

Those 50 years have seen a decline in our community centres and services: handy access to a GP or dentist, Post Offices, youth clubs, local shops, banking and much more. Successive governments have undermined and eroded those basic services. The decline in community services has also been matched with a decline in community and shared experiences with a knock-on effect on the population's health and well-being. The disastrous austerity policies imposed over the last 15 years have exacerbated this long, slow reduction in available spaces for people to meet and communicate, with seemingly no recognition of the societal impact that causes. Short-termism at the expense of the community and how we live our lives.

Margaret Thatcher's statement that "there is no such thing as society" has been taken as a mission statement by successive Conservative governments who have aimed to remove as much support and communality from the citizens as possible. It continues now, the wrong-headed idea that everyone can be left to fend for themselves.

Chapman-Fox's latest album decries the cruelty of where we find ourselves in 2024 and his quiet incandescence about the loss of optimism for what communities should be and could be. It's his most powerful work, and as always, it will deeply resonate with those who tune in to his unique vision and unparalleled productions.

As ever, beautifully packaged and designed by Gordon, the album artwork features photographs from the archive of the architect Peter Garvin, which was kindly provided by his son Richard Garvin. The photographs show Peter's work on the Castlefield Community Centre, a sleek modernist structure clad in white ceramic tiles.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: The master of story-driven progressive electronica returns for his latest opus, full of the bombastic basses and twinkling arpeggios he's become known for. It's been a joy seeing Gordon's development as an artist and storyteller, and 'Your Community Hub' couldn't be any more perfect a summary of that development. Grand, evocative electronic soundscapes.

TRACK LISTING

1. A Shared Sense Of Purpose 
2. Rapid Transport Links 
3. Cul-de-Sac 
4. Summer All Year Round 
5. Facilities For All Ages 
6. Pedestrian Shopping Deck 
7. A New Town With An Old Sense Of Community

In 1977 The Adverts sent a five song cassette they recorded at a rehearsal to Chiswick Records. Chiswick chose not to pick up the band and the tape sat at the label’s headquarters until October 2022 when the tape was auctioned on eBay. The winning bidder was Henry Rollins who, upon hearing the tape, contacted TV Smith (the band’s singer and principal songwriter) and got permission to release the tracks. The tape was transferred at Tonal Park in Maryland and mastered by Mikey Young in Australia and it sounds incredible in all its raw glory.
The Adverts were one of the original Class of ’77 UK punk bands and they were arguably one of the best. Their singles and debut album, Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts, are all time classics of the genre. Rehearsal Tape is the first time the band was ever recorded. In The Red and 2.13.61 are over the moon to have the opportunity this punk rock artifact on vinyl.

TRACK LISTING

1. One Chord Wonders
2. New Boys
3. Quickstep
4. We Who Wait
5. Bored Teenagers

This whole text about a compilation of legit chill slippers could be over with one quote of drummer Aaron Sterling. The John Mayer band member and studio guru called Basso (our compiler) the 'ECM of chill wave'.

As we all know, even if some words may be hollow, good quotes help to tell a story. And that is definitely a great quote and if someone has a good story to tell, it is Basso. Best known for his label Growing Bin, he is one of those miraculous figures in music or record culture who can be called a true believer.

"Sitting in Trees" for International Feel is a sampling demonstration of this commitment. Devotees of his previous compiling efforts "Proper Sunburn" (Music For Dreams) and "Lucky Are Those Who Hear The Birds Sing" (Growing Bin), know what to expect: some of the best songs you have never heard before, some you would probably never hear without this and even some that you did not know you would even like. Even self-proclaimed record diggers might not recognize more than "Mystery Voice" by smooth jazz new agers Dancing Fantasy. It is a world of merry music that, pretty much, is boundary- and genre-free, and includes the sunshine stepper Beau Michael’s "Move Away"; Patrick Jahn’s and Erobique’s previously unreleased "Moonlight Shuffle" (the soundtrack to a lost Schimanski Tatort) and Christian Ch. Kneisel’s impossible-to-find Balearic digi gem "Jungle Connection".
All contextualized, explained and wonderfully described with meticulous liner notes by the king of record descriptions himself: Basso. But what else would you expect from a DJ turned trip-hop-producer turned artiste turned record sommelier? Magic moments galore that won’t make you move away!

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A beautiful selection of airy electronics and floating Rhodes keys, laid-back drifters and saturated bass stabs from Growing Bin boss and master selector and musician, Basso. Beautifully paced throughout and full of little surprises, Sitting In Trees is an absolute triumph. Perfectly timed for hammock season!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Edwin Schimscheimer - Bon Nuit Michelle
A2. Dancing Fantasy - Mystery Voice
A3. Peak Of Normal - Hava
A4. Christian Ch. Kneisel - Jungle Connection

B1. Beau Michael - Move Away (Extended)
B2. Summer Vee - Judas
B3. Patrick Jahn & Erobique - Moonlight Shuffle
B4. Ikee Largo - After The Storm

A rare but unknown modern soul dancer from band Premonition or Premonitions depending on what release they put out. The A side is well written proto disco dancer, it's no wonder collectors have been calling begging for the TPs on this , as nobody can find an original (my copy is beat to death).

I actually really dig the sweet soul flip, its almost to cheesy but walks the edge well, and has some great rising moments if that's your bag (which is should be).

TRACK LISTING

1. Here In The Name Of Love
2. Righteous Love

Another Whodem 10" relic from the archive. Strong and fierce, industrial steppers by Cessman who touches on proto-dubstep stylings via the A-side's "Militant Dub". Characterized by tuff snare hits, aggressive bass, and an urgent groove that wouldn't sound out of place on a DMZ record.

On the flip, "In The Beginning" treads a similar path - somewhere in between the eeriest utterances of dubstep and the most futurist of steppers dub. Military snares, eerie melodica licks, rastaman vox and digital brass stabs make for a track that'd sound at home on Deep Medhi as much as Aba-Shanti's pivotal "Jericho Walls Verse III" LP. Big ting! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: One of my favourites from the recent Whodem salvo. Modern steppers dub which seems to have cross-pollinated with the early dubstep prototypes from Digital Mystikz, Loefah et al. Agro bass, neck snapping snares, jump-up energy.. proper fierce.

TRACK LISTING

A. Militant Dub
B. In The Beginning

This is the second of two releases from Emotional Rescue that looks to the music of Eric Calvi who headed up the collective Exo Fender, a project that brought together a bunch of friends, producers, and studio amigos. This one is a live boogie jam with Brooklyn DJ and producer Steve D'Aquisto. He was a regal at The Loft and a friend of Arthur Russell so all that bears out in the music - a loose-limbed disco groove with languid percussion and big vocals. A Justin Van Der Volgen edit rounds out the 12".

STAFF COMMENTS

Mine says: Exo Fender - via the ever reliable Emotional Rescue - deliver an addictive disco jam that had Ryan get out the (air) keytar just now... bag a copy now or forever hold your peace.

TRACK LISTING

Music In My Mind
Music In My Mind (Justin Van Der Volgen Edit)

The only proved efficient time traveling method to date is through listening to music, particularly evident when indulging in Jona Jefferies' latest EP released by Spanish house specialists Apersonal Music. It's a refreshing nod to the golden era of 90s electronic music. Across its three tracks, Jefferies masterfully blends elements of ambient, downtempo, and electronica, evoking a sense of nostalgia as if plucked from a bygone era. In contrast to today's TikTok-dominated landscape of short, immediate singles, this EP harkens back to a time when music was crafted with depth and complexity. Drawing inspiration from legendary acts like Boards of Canada and Underworld, it seamlessly transports listeners to the Gen-X decade, when acts like Daft Punk, Orbital and The Chemical Brothers reign supreme and exploited the electronic scene during the MTV era.

On the A side, "Es Camp" embodies the seamless influence of British electronic music on the Balearic scene of the 90s, and viceversa. Feels like Moby’s “Porcelain” if the film "The Beach" had been set in Ibiza. Max Essa's "Romantic Breaks Mix" elevates the track to pure Balearic bliss, setting the perfect mood for any sunset terrace around the globe.

Side B, tailored for the dancefloor, runs through “Lost in Paradise”, a track that channels euphoria reminiscent of the underground rave culture during the final years of the 20th century. Apersonal's trusted remixer, Eddie C, delivers an extended rendition of the track that continually evolves, echoing Jim Morrison’s words: 'the music was new, black polished chrome, and came over the summer like liquid night.'

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Two pastoral electronica bliss-outs, reminiscent of a weekend spent in the back of some Welsh hippy's camper van on a cocktail of drugs visiting various free parties along the way. Eddie C and Max Essa do their thing - moulding them into more typical dancefloor movements. Nice to see Apersonal back in the fold too.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Es Camp
A2. Es Camp (Max Essa Romantic Break Mix)
A3. California Sunrise… Do You Remember?
B1. Lost In Paradise
B2. Lost In Paradise (Eddie C Remix) 

The Moon Is In The Wrong Place is an upbeat, yet poignant narrative on grief and resilience from Shannon & The Clams. Woven from the threads of devastating loss and communal ties in the aftermath of profound loss – the sudden passing of Shannon's fianceé just months before their wedding – this record unfolds as the Clams' most introspective to date. With Dan Auerbach's production, the album delves deep into themes of heartache and healing, and showcases the band's trademark wry psychedelia, energetic nostalgia, and flourishes of retro beauty. It's a tribute to the power of art and community to triumph over tragedy, and a milestone in Shannon & The Clams' venerable oeuvre.

TRACK LISTING

CD TRACKLIST

1. The Vow
2. The Hourglass 
3. Big Wheel 
4. Oh So Close, Yet So Far 
5. UFO
6. What You're Missing 
7. Real Or Magic 
8. The Moon Is In The Wrong Place 
9. So Lucky
10. Dalí's Clock
11. Bean Fields
12. In The Grass 
13. Golden Brown 
14. Life Is Unfair

VINYL TRACKLIST

SIDE A

1. The Vow
2. The Hourglass 
3. Big Wheel 
4. Oh So Close, Yet So Far 
5. UFO
6. What You're Missing 
7. Real Or Magic 

SIDE B

1. The Moon Is In The Wrong Place 
2. So Lucky
3. Dalí's Clock
4. Bean Fields
5. In The Grass 
6. Golden Brown 
7. Life Is Unfair

Highlighting a time when the burgeoning Ghanaian diaspora across Europe and North America was utilising new music technology and recording techniques. A period of movement, emigration and innovation.

The dawn of the 80s saw an increase in emigration following a period of political upheaval at home, with many Ghanaians moving to Europe - especially Germany - to find work. Musicians recording both at home and abroad began to blend highlife with outside influences, taking inspiration from US disco and boogie, European new wave and Caribbean zouk and soca, reflecting new surroundings and cementing musical connections forged in London, Hamburg, Toronto and New York.

Ghana Special celebrates this key period of musical innovation and cultural
exchange that redefined the parameters of Ghanaian music and accelerated the cultural exchange between West Africa and Europe.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Godfathers - Ebe Ye Yie Ni
2. Pat Thomas - Gye Wani
3. Pepper, Onion, Ginger & Salt - M.C. Mambo
4. Andy Vans - Adjoa Amisa
5. George Darko - Kaakyire Nua
6. Rex Gyamfi - Obiara Bewu
7. Starlite - Anoma Koro
8. Abdul Raheem - Alaiye
9. Jon K - Asafo
10. Kwasi Afari Minta - Barima Nsu
11. Marijata (feat. Ata Kak) - Otanhunu
12. Gyedu Blay Ambolley - Apple
13. Dadadi - Jigi Jigi
14. Charles Amoah - Fre Me (Call Me)
15. Ernest Honny - New Dance
16. Bessa Simons - Sii Nana
17. Nan Mayen - Mumude
18. Nana Budjei - Asobrachie

Kerri Chandler, Dennis Quin and Troy Denari join forces to deliver ‘You Are In My System' this September, a modern take on the iconic 1998 ‘You’re In My System’.

The original mix of ‘You’re In My System’ has been a staple for many in House music DJ sets for the past twenty-five years, a record that perfectly encapsulates the soul of House and Kerri’s distinctive sound. Here we see Kerri Chandler put a contemporary twist on this celebrated cut from his back catalogue, this time collaborating again with vocalist Troy Denari and Dutch artist Dennis Quin, who’s delivered numerous hits on Kerri’s Madhouse imprint such as ‘Move Out Of My Way’ and the last collaboration between the three, ‘Be Strong’.

Here the three artists collaborated to rework and replay the entire composition and create this new 2023 version, Kerri and Dennis using the same hardware used in the original composition and singer/songwriter Troy Denari, lends his vocals to this new version of the track, reimagining the vocals of Mic Murphy to capture the essence and spirit of the 1980's hit by American Synthpop band The System.

Throughout 'You Are In My System' Kerri Chandler’s signature soulful keys, bouncy bass line and dynamic synth work ebbs and flows amongst Dennis Quin's sturdy, swinging and crisp drum style while Troy Denari's refreshed vocals then bring a modern soul and warmth to things, resulting in the dynamic future classic presented here, destined to work its way onto many late summer dancefloors and beyond. Dennis Quin also offers up his 'DQ Dub' for a more raw groove focused fix.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Extended Club Mix
B1. DQ Dub

Less than two weeks after “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” made it to the top of the charts, Nancy was back in the studio working on the follow-up. With a newfound confidence and a fresh batch of songs, How Does That Grab You? is a snapshot that captures the fun, creativity, and genius of an artist embracing her moment. The album includes the sparse masterpiece “Bang, Bang,” the Boots-esque “How Does That Grab You, Darlin’?” and Nancy & Lee Hazlewood’s very first duet, the proto-psychedelic “Sand.”

Equal parts strong, sultry, and savvy, Nancy Sinatra has long been ahead of her time—both in her choices as an artist and as a businesswoman. Unapologetically, she established her own path early on and paved the way for decades of female artists to come—all while firmly maintain- ing control over her career, her image, and her music. In 1965, Nancy Sinatra changed the face of music, fashion, and culture.

TRACK LISTING

Not The Lovin’ Kind
The Shadow Of Your Smile
Sorry ’bout That
Time
Sand
Crying Time
My Baby Cried All Night Long
Let It Be Me
Call Me
How Does That Grab You, Darlin’?
Bang, Bang
The Last Of The Secret Agents? (non-album B-side)
If Things Don’t Start Picking Up (session Outtake)

Queen Rock Montreal presents Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon at their most excitingand exhilarating. As Brian May puts it, this is Queen “live and dangerous.” Queen were on all-conquering form when they returned to Montreal, Canada for the fourth time in November 1981 to play two hugeconcerts at the 18,000-seat Forum. This pair of Montreal concerts marked an historic moment for Queen. After their massive success in the 1970s, the band entered the 80s bigger than ever, with the hugely successful The Game album producing their two biggest ever US singles in Another One Bites The Dust and Crazy Little Thing Called Love (both Billboard No.1’s), followed by theUK No.1 single Under Pressure. Queen’s return to Montreal came afteralmost two years of touring, including their very firsttours of South and Central America, which saw the band playing two nights at Sao Paulo’s Morumbi Stadiumtomore than 150,000 devoted fans. As a result, when the band arrived in Canada in November 1981 they were in electrifying form. “Montreal is one of our favourite cities, it’s a great audience there, very full of energy,” says Brian May. “We’d played this particular venue, The Forum, several times before, and it was always full of really enthusiastic people giving us a lot of energy back.”

The original concerts,which took place on November 24 and 25, 1981, were truly ground-breaking. They were arranged specifically to be filmed for a full-length concert film to document their live show. Director Saul Swimmer planned to shoot them using state-of-the-art Double Anamorphic 35mm footage, which allowed it to be projected on a gigantic, five-storey high screen.Backstage tensions between the members of Queen and Swimmer could have caused problems, but instead they propelled the band to new heights.

“We were very, very hyped up, some of the tempos are really fast, there’s a lot of really incisive, angry playing,” says May.

Queen Rock Montreal features a rawer version of the band who had released Bohemian Rhapsodyhalf a decade earlier, showcasingtheirunparalleled musicianship, soaring vocal powerand unstoppable live energy.“There’s no one on the stage apart from us,” says May.

Says Taylor: “It's fascinating to now realize how free we were on stage in 1981. It's a four piece, just the four of us in Queen, and to see Freddie. It's like being on stage with the band because the cameras are very high quality for the time. I've never seen anything that makes you feel quite so involved with the performance.”

From Freddie Mercury’s opening cry of “Hello Montreal… long time no see. You wanna get crazy?” through to the thrilling climactic one-two of We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions, the energy rarely lets up – and even then only for signature ballad Love Of My Life. The powerful vocal acrobatics of Mercury, May’s dazzling six-string pyrotechnics, Deacon’s rock solid heartbeat bass, Taylor’s unstoppable rhythmic display, and not to mention the unique combination of all four voices – Queen Rock Montreal shows the total cohesion and individual strengths of four musicians who were, as Brian May says, “at the top of our game”.

TRACK LISTING

2CD

CD1
1. Intro
2. We Will Rock You (Fast)
3. Let Me Entertain You
4. Play The Game
5. Somebody To Love
6. Killer Queen
7. I'm In Love With My Car
8. Get Down, Make Love
9. Save Me
10. Now I'm Here
11. Dragon Attack
12. Now I'm Here (Reprise)
13. Love Of My Life


CD2
1. Under Pressure
2. Keep Yourself Alive
3. Drum And Tympani Solo
4. Guitar Solo
5. Flash
6. The Hero
7. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
8. Jailhouse Rock
9. Bohemian Rhapsody
10. Tie Your Mother Down
11. Another One Bites The Dust
12. Sheer Heart Attack
13. We Will Rock You

3LP

SIDE A
1. Intro
2. We Will Rock You (Fast)
3. Let Me Entertain You
4. Play The Game
5. Somebody To Love

SIDE B
1. Killer Queen
2. I'm In Love With My Car
3. Get Down, Make Love
4. Save Me

SIDE C
1. Now I'm Here
2. Dragon Attack
3. Now I'm Here (Reprise)
4. Love Of My Life
5. Under Pressure

SIDE D
1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. Drum And Tympani Solo
3. Guitar Solo
4. Flash
5. The Hero

SIDE E
1. Crazy Little Thing Called Love
2. Jailhouse Rock
3. Bohemian Rhapsody
4. Tie Your Mother Down

SIDE F
1. Another One Bites The Dust
2. Sheer Heart Attack
3. We Will Rock You
4. We Are The Champions
5. God Save The Queen

Unavailable for over 20 years, ‘In The Beginning There Was Rhythm’ was Soul Jazz Records’ first foray into post-punk and punk-funk in the UK, capturing the groundbreaking, seminal groups that crossed the divide of punk and dance music for the first time.

First released in 2001, this album is fully remastered, remade and presented once more in its entirety and features A Certain Ratio, Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, The Human League, The Pop Group, Gang of Four, The Slits, 23 Skidoo and This Heat.

This album comes as a CD and as a double black vinyl edition with download code complete with two bespoke inner bags containing extensive sleevenotes and original photography.

As Muzik magazine noted on its initial release, ‘In The Beginning There Was Rhythm’ is a choice selection from the fertile post-punk period when bands thought nothing of combining politics and philosophy with imported dance rhythms and edgy industrial angst.

Most of the bands featured come from the then bleak postindustrial North of England - Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds as well as Bristol and London - and yet all show a fascination with Black American rhythms and an experimentation in sound that was completely unique at the time.

TRACK LISTING

1. A Certain Ratio - Shack Up
2. 23 Skidoo - Coup
3. Gang Of Four - To Hell With Poverty
4. The Human League - Being Boiled
5. The Slits - In The Beginning There Was Rhythm (Early Version)
6. This Heat - 24 Track Loop
7. Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats
8. The Pop Group - She Is Beyond Good And Evil
9. Cabaret Voltaire - Sluggin' Fer Jesus
10. 23 Skidoo - Vegas El Bandito
11. A Certain Ratio - Knife Slits Water

Recording technology was completely revolutionized in the 80s by the multitrack recorder, with the popularity of 24-channel SSL consoles sweeping the world. Japanese pop music created during this wave of digital improvement is now recognized worldwide as ""City Pop."" Techno Pop was another offshoot born of the same revolution.

Precise, computer-controlled beats produced by groups like Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) introduced a different type of sound to the masses. By now, these works have been brought into the international limelight and continue to be a major influence on today's music.

At the center of Tokyo’s Techno Pop scene was ALFA/YEN Records. The label left behind an impressive body of work, but much of it wasn't made widely available... until now!

This new, definitive compilation focuses on the music archives of the YEN Records catalog, available for the first time exclusively at Light in the Attic. This is a true celebration of Japan's Techno Pop scene of the 80s, reissued with the intent that future generations, internationally, will be able to discover, enjoy, and appreciate ALFA/YEN and its significant contributions to the sonic landscape of the 80s and beyond.

TRACK LISTING

1. SEOUL MUSIC - YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA
2. ZOOT KOOK - SANDII
3. Sakisaka To Momonai No Gokigen Ikaga One Two Three - You An’ Me Orgasmus Orchestra
4. Drip Dry Eyes - Yukihiro Takahashi
5. SUKI-SUKI-DAISUKI - Jun Togawa
6. Parallelisme - Miharu Koshi
7. Bikkuri Party No Theme - Haruomi Hosono & Yukihiro Takahashi
8. Sakasa Kenjin Eagas - Apogee & Perigee
9. Yumemiru Yakusoku - Haruomi Hosono
10. ROCK - Hajime Tachibana
11. Riot In Lagos - Ryuichi Sakamoto
12. Radarman - Jun Togawa
13. Platonic - Haruomi Hosono
14. BEAT THE RAP- Super Eccentric Theater
15. Rap Phenomena - YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA
16. LEXINGTON QUEEN - Ryuichi Sakamoto
17. Chanel No #5 No On The Rock - Sheena
18. Beach Girl - TESTPATTERN
19. FLASHBACK - Yukihiro Takahashi
20. Automne Dans Un Miroir - Tamao Koike
21. Ascending - INTERIOR

It goes without saying that the legendary Lou Reed was a true rock ’n’ roll pioneer. From The Velvet Underground’s debut in 1967 all the way through the end of his days, Reed sang truth from his heart. He lived life to the limit—and then some. The Power of the Heart is a tribute to Reed’s freedom of expression with covers spanning his groundbreaking years with the Velvets into his majestic solo career. Each track is a glorious extension of the Rock ’n’ Roll Animal’s soul, ever adventurous and avant-garde. The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed kicks off with a legend in his own right, Keith Richards, reimagining the Velvets’ classic, “I’m Waiting for the Man.” Richards’ rendition instantly invites you on board this unforgettable ride.

In stark contrast, “Perfect Day” is somehow even more melancholy than the original given the Rufus Wainwright treatment, featuring sparse fingerpicking and gentle harmonies. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts deliver a version of “I’m So Free” that would have even Lou rockin’ in his grave. It’s thrilling to hear these songs reinterpreted and sung by such heavyweights; you can even hear as Lucinda Williams channels the spirit of Lou with her take on “Legendary Hearts.”

Other tracks include a punk-drunk, loved-up duet by real-life lovers Angel Olsen & Maxim Ludwig with “I Can’t Stand It,” and Rickie Lee Jones’ reimagining of “Walk on the Wild Side,” both whimsical and enticing with her whispery vocals, stripped-down percussion, and a piano fit for a late-night lounge. This tribute album truly defies genre, but its throughline, in the end, is its heart: a deeply thoughtful collection of songs that shaped a generation, each paying homage to a man whose body of work still sings.

“To me, Lou stood out. The real deal! Something important to American music and to ALL MUSIC! I miss him and his dog.” – Keith Richards.

“Lou seemed fearless to me, like he’d rather die than be a people-pleaser. I took inspiration from that.” – Rosanne Cash.

“Lou Reed is my earliest influence, my introduction to punk rock, and the soundtrack to the beginning of my romance with Maxim.” – Angel Olsen.

“Lou Reed has been gone now for many years. He’s one of the few people whom I miss as much now as when he left. There are so many instances where I wonder what he would say or what he would think. His general aura would always lend something really unique to the room. Thank God he left his great music and recordings. His personality is sorely missed. Love you, Lou.” – Rufus Wainwright.

TRACK LISTING

I'm Waiting For The Man - Keith Richards
I Can't Stand It - Maxim Ludwig & Angel Olsen
Perfect Day - Rufus Wainwright
I'm So Free - Joan Jett And The Blackhearts
Sally Can't Dance - Bobby Rush
Walk On The Wild Side - Rickie Lee Jones
I Love You, Suzanne - The Afghan Whigs
Coney Island Baby - Mary Gauthier
Legendary Hearts - Lucinda Williams
New Sensations - Automatic
Magician - Rosanne Cash
The Power Of The Heart (bonus Track Cd Only) - Brogan Bentley

After two critically acclaimed albums (2020’s ‘Now Here’s An Echo From Your Future’ and 2022’s ‘The Rest Is Distraction’), and numerous mini-album, EP and single releases, London-based trio Girls In Synthesis return with their new statement; their third album ‘Sublimation’.

If you thought you knew GIS, think again… they have moved on and created a dark and intense, yet melodic, collection of songs; their take on an angular pop record. Opening song ‘Lights Out’ is split into two distinct sections; the opening a Barrett-esque vocal and guitar lament to sleep deprived anxiety which morphs, via a ‘Faust Tapes’ influenced freeform noise section, into a stomping, high intensity closing blitz.

Tracks such as ‘Deceit’, ‘We Are Here’ and ‘Picking Things Out Of The Air’ see the group at their most melodic to date, minimising some of the chaotic noise elements of their signature sound and bringing to the fore impassioned, soaring vocals and keys melodies. Their trademark, driving drums and bass foundation is particularly evident on songs ‘I Judge Myself’ and ‘Corrupting Memories’, but is counterbalanced by intense, early goth influenced keyboard lines, bringing influences from late 1970s/early 1980s into focus with the contemporary GIS intensity. Slow-burning tracks ‘I Was Never There’ and ‘The Prefix’ build up tension and atmosphere with sparse arrangements and circular, spiralling outros, while closer ‘A Damning Lesson’ sees the band return to their intense, bludgeoning wall of sound only to send it into a blur of echoing drum machine, reminiscent of the early work of Cabaret Voltaire.

Lyrically, GIS prove themselves head and shoulders above their contemporaries, leaving the pastiche sloganeering and lecturing to those wishing to preach to the converted, and reach inside to bring forth poetic and challenging analysis of the anxiety and emotional turmoil of self-reflection and human relationships. Booked in for extensive UK/EU touring throughout May and June, the band will be adapting their white-heat live show to bring subtlety and clarity to the new songs from ‘Sublimation’, losing none of their unique and intense performance in the process. Be ready…

TRACK LISTING

Lights Out
Deceit
Semblance Of Choice
We Are Here
Corrupting Memories
I Was Never There
Picking Things Out Of The Air
I Judge Myself
Subtle Differences
The Prefix
A Damning Lesson

Toko gift us another timeless classic from the much-lauded archive, with Attaboy (Paul Ingall, Alec Greenhough and in house producer Si Bradshaw) penning this deep house masterpiece sometime in 1997. Now a highly coveted 12", the label have decided it time to reissue it on mint vinyl without the £25+ price tag.

"Autopsy In B Flat" is a driving, late night house affair; with heavily compressed, echo drenched percussion working beautifully alongside the hefty bass plumes and niggly lead licks. It's perfectly arranged to let waves of ecstasy-fueled ripple through your body during the subtle breakdowns, before the heads-down, energetic dancing takes over again when the drums kick back in.

"Kookaburra" is equally hypnotic, with extended passages of percussion and bass tethering the whole track onto a dreamy yet driving line of revelry. The wafty synth stabs and growling square waves all complete the sonic canvas in a grandiose style; there's simply no element out of place or unthought out.

Both tracks possess an ever-so-slight proggy element to them too, making them as perfect for big, open air arenas as they are for pitch black nightclubs with low ceilings and a red light.

Limited reissue - won't hang around long! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A top drawer, lesser known deep house nugget from '97 gets reissued by the Toko label. Stylish and direct, it's remained remarkably timeless some 25 years later

TRACK LISTING

A. Autopsy In B Flat
B. Kookaburra

Twin Cities duo Feel Free Hi Fi return to their in-house imprint Digital Sting with their first full length entitled “I was so far in I was out.” After two prior EP's and collaborations with Equiknoxx and Duppy Gun Feel Free Hi Fi deliver 8 new tracks of their distinct but eclectic digital dub. Amalgamating many of the sounds, sonics, and aesthetics of prior releases into these eight percussive instrumentals. The industrial dub and weirdo dancehall remain but the focus is further refined while also exploring environmental and cinematic sounds to create often dark and heavy versions that are as singular as they are collective, as introverted as they are expansive.

The records come in double sided silk-screened printed custom DJ Jackets, with Obi Strip style stickers and hand stamped white labels created and printed by Digital Sting.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Blood
A2. Gateless Barrier
A3. Spring Rain
A4. Triton
B1. Marauder
B2. Vexed
B3. Digital Tomb
B4. Computer Paul

On her fourth album, west coast artist Jessica Pratt expands the scope of her artistry, placing her sharpest songs to date within an ever-broadening pool of influences including spectral '60s pop, Hollywood psychedelia and bossa nova. Whereas Pratt's 2019 record, Quiet Signs, floated elegantly in the ether, Here in the Pitch is entrenched in more earthen characteristics, as the title suggests, and her craft is emboldened with a newfound gravitas.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: 'Here In The Pitch' takes Jessica Pratt's established sound (brittle folk and slow country balladry) and widens the net into slow hazy pop and soaring widescreen songwriting. Though she's not moved away from the more minimalistic pieces, there are a lot more moments of both jubilance and fear, it's a beautifully crafted and intensely personal creation.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
A1 Life Is
A2 Better Hate
A3 World On A String
A4 Get Your Head Out
A5 By Hook Or By Crook

Side B
B1 Nowhere It Was
B2 Empires Never Know
B3 Glances
B4 The Last Year

GoGo Penguin - From The North captures the Manchester-based trio at an exciting moment within their trajectory. For this limited-edition Vinyl, the trio decided to re-arrange a selection of 7 tracks from ‘Between Two Waves’, their first EP on XXIM Records, as well as from their latest album ‘Everything Is Going to Be OK’. The live session was recorded and filmed at Old Granada Studios in Manchester, an iconic studio complex that has played a significant part of the band’s own musical history.

GoGo Penguin is an emotive, break-beat minimalist trio from Manchester, UK. Formed in 2012 its sophomore album 'v2.0' was nominated in 2014 for the Mercury Music Prize and in 2016 the trio signed to Blue Note Records, releasing a trio of acclaimed albums: 'Man Made Object', 'A Humdrum Star' and 'GoGo Penguin', as well as two EP’s and a remix album, 'GGP/RMX'. With their new record label, XXIM Records, the band ushered in a more ambient era with their EP 'Between Two Waves' and ‘Everything Is Going to Be OK’, which marks the latest chapter in the story of GoGo Penguin.

TRACK LISTING

1. Wave Decay
2. Ascent
3. Friday Film Special
4. Everything Is Going To Be OK
5. Unbroken Thread Of Awareness
6. You're Stronger Than You Think
7. Parasite

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

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Debut release, x4 trk EP on Black Vinyl. 40th anniversary.

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THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

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Soul Jazz Records’ new 10th anniversary one-off limited-edition heavyweight special-edition orange coloured vinyl pressing (+ download code) exclusively for Record Store Day 2024 of their long out of print ‘Punk 45: Kill the Hippies! Kill Yourself!’

Soul Jazz Records’ debut ‘Punk 45’ album charts the rise of underground punk across the United States of America in the years 1973-1980.

This album is fully remastered, relicensed with new tracks exclusively for RSD 24 and includes new tracks from Iggy & The Stooges, Nervous Eaters, Angry Samoans and more.

The ‘Punk 45’ album features a collection of seminal, classic, obscure and rare punk and proto-punk 45 singles from the likes of Electric Eels, The Pagans, The Deadbeats, The Randoms, The Lewd and many more – a lightning-rod journey across the states of America: Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, Akron, New Orleans, Philadelphia – tracing the rise of punk music in these various towns and cities.

The album comes complete with extensive text, biographies on each of the bands, exclusive photos and original record artwork.

‘Live In France: The 1966 Concert In Limoges’ is a previously unissued live solo recording of the ‘Godmother of Rock n’ Roll’, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, captured at the auditorium of the Grand Theatre in Limoges, France on November 11, 1966.

This is an official release on producer Zev Feldman's new Deep Digs record label, in partnership with Elemental Music, and in cooperation with the Sister Rosetta Tharpe Estate and INA France.

Transferred from the original tape reels, this recording was restored and mastered by multi- Grammy award-winning engineer Michael Graves at Osiris Studio, with lacquers cut by the legendary Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios.

TRACK LISTING

1. This Train
2. When My Life Work Is
3. Ended
4. Didn’t It Rain
5. Mother’s Prayer
6. Up Above My Head, I Hear
7. Music In The Air
8. Moonshine
9. Sit Down
10. Down By The Riverside
11. When The Saints Go
12. Marching In
13. Joshua Fought The Battle
14. Of Jericho
15. Jesus Met The Woman At
16. The Well
17. Two Little Fishes, Five
18. Loaves Of Bread
19. Travelling Shoes
20. Beams Of Heaven
21. That’s All / Denomination
22. Blues
23. Going Home
24. Go Ahead
25. Bring Back Those Happy
26. Days
27. Give Me That Old Time
28. Religion
29. If Anybody Above Me
30. Nobody’s Fault By Mine

Envisioned in the style of early dancehall records, Pachy García took upon the task of recreating the sonic endeavours of Scientist, King Tubby, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and the great engineers and players of instruments of early Jamaican reggae music.

Inspired by Channel One Studios and Roots Radics band, the tone was set in a dancehall fashion with some detours into Rub-a-Dub and Rockers style playing.

Recorded at Pachy’s own 333 House from January to March in 2019, with him writing, producing and playing the instruments.

TRACK LISTING

1. Saturday
2. Rocking
3. Space Camp
4. In A Fashion
5. Taserak
6. Jumpy!
7. Bring The Herb
8. Uptown
9. Big & Easy
10. Rootsman Classic
11. Coming Home
12. Flash The Riddim
13. Meet With Friends

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

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An exclusive 45th anniversary double vinyl release of Paste Magazine's #1 synth-pop album of all time 'No 1 In Heaven' by Sparks, and the Sparks-composed-and-produced lost gem 'Is There More To Life Than Dancing?' by Noel.

Released in 1979, the Giorgio Moroder-produced 'No. 1 In Heaven' became the blueprint album for all electronic music to come. The same year, Ron and Russell Mael wrote, produced, and recorded the album 'Is There More To Life Than Dancing?' for LA-based singer Noel. Together these albums showcase the Maels' electronic adventurousness and trailblazing foresight into the next decade. Bands such as Joy Division, Duran Duran, Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure), etc. have cited 'No. 1 In Heaven' as infuential to their own work. 

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The long out-of-print sophomore title from seminal El Paso, Texas band At The Drive-In, featuring favourites "Napoleon Solo," "Chanbara," and "Alpha Centauri." Drowned In Sound proclaims, ìIn/Casino/Out screams at you, beats you into a pulp along with all your conceptions of punk, chews you up and spits you out a newly formed individual" while Vice describes the record as "a document of the moment when one of punkís most exciting bands discovered what they wanted to be." Pressed on limited edition Purple & Green Smoke vinyl.

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

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The tracklisting for Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth) runs differently from the Ziggy Stardust album and features four songs that didn’t make the final album.

On Side 1, in the place of ‘Starman’, one of the last three tracks recorded for the album in February 1972, is ‘Round and Round’, a Chuck Berry cover. The track was finally released on a single as the B-side to ‘Drive-In Saturday’ on 6th April, 1973. Initially, closing Side 1 of the album was Bowie's version of Jacques Brel’s ‘Amsterdam’, which would later appear as the B-side of ‘Sorrow’ on 12th October, 1973.

Side 2 of the 15th December, 1971 tracklisting features two long-time non-LP fan favourites, ‘Holy Holy’ and ‘Velvet Goldmine’. The former is a re-recording with The Spiders of David’s 1971 single. Again, this version of the track had to wait several years before surfacing as the B-side of ‘Diamond Dogs’ on 14th June, 1974.

The cover of Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth) features a photo of David taken at an early Ziggy Stardust period session by Brian Ward, and the two sides of the inner bags are the fronts of the two Trident Studios tape boxes. The album’s title comes from the lyrics of ‘Starman’, which, along with ‘Rock ’N’ Roll Suicide’ and ‘Suffragette City’, had not yet been recorded when this variation of the album was compiled.

Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth) was cut on a customised late Neumann VMS80 lathe with fully recapped electronics from 192kHz restored masters of the original Trident Studios master tapes, with no additional processing on transfer. The half-speed vinyl cut was by engineer John Webber at AIR Studios, London.

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Gatefold jacket, green / smoke coloured vinyl. Coloured vinyl version of the cult classic movie.

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'In Case of Emergency' is a collection of four irresistibly uplifting songs with messages to swing back, crush problems, breathe and get back on track. Written, produced and recorded by Ellie Dixon, the EP revolves around self-care, coping strategies and the various methods she personally employs to navigate her own mental well-being. This EP features singles: Swing!, Big Lizard Energy, Dopamine & Bounce - all available on vinyl for the very first time.

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For Record Store Day 2024, to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of La Rouxís second album ëTrouble in Paradiseí will be a limited-edition remaster of the album on splatter colour 140g vinyl. The album was remastered at Abbey Road studios and features the singles ìUptight Downtownî and ìKiss and Not Tellî. ëTrouble in Paradiseí debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart and at number 20 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, where it also became La Rouxís first album to top the Dance / Electronic Albums chart.