2010s 169 Items

Benny Sings‘ first song on Stones Throw was a cover of “Passionfruit” originally by Drake. Some six years and three albums later, we’ve finally decided to put it out on vinyl. Side A is a cover of Christopher Cross’ 1979 classic “Sailing”, which Benny released late last year. Quantities are limited, so grab yours now. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

close to NM. Numbered Limited edition.

close to NM. Limited edition

Blue - also Antony Costa, Duncan James, Lee Ryan und Simon Webbe -, das ist so ein Name, der einen automatisch in die Boygroup-Ära transportiert: Sie waren nicht nur einer der größten und erfolgreichsten Acts jener Hochphase, sondern vor allem auch einer der besten. Auf den drei Alben, die ihnen in den Nullerjahren Spitzenplätze in den Charts (u.a. 3x #1 UK, 1x Top-10 DE) und reichlich Platin bescheren sollten, verschränkten sie lässigen R&B mit hochauflösender Pop-Perfektion und emotionalen Balladen, was der im Jahr 2000 gegründeten Boygroup nicht nur 16 Millionen verkaufte Albumeinheiten bescherte. Auch zwei BRITs räumten sie ab im Königreich, wo sie gleich 11 Mal die Topregion der UK-Singlecharts aufmischen konnten und davon gleich noch drei Mal die #1 belegten.

Parallel zur Stadiontournee werden Blue im Herbst ihr sechstes Album Heart & Soul veröffentlichen - ihr erstes fürs neue Label Tag8 Music/BMG. Der neue Longplayer unterstreicht und zelebriert all das, was die Band während ihrer ersten Blütezeit ausmachte, denn er spielt immer wieder auf die Vergangenheit an, bringt aber auch kontinuierlich Neues ins Spiel. Ihr Trademark-Sound schwingt im sorglos-ausgelassenen Titelsong, der von MNEK (Beyoncé, Little Mix) mitkomponiert wurde, genauso mit wie in der gefühlvollen Ballade "Magnetic", bei der die Jungs mal wieder ihr ganzes umwerfendes Stimmvolumen auspacken dürfen. Mit der Leadsingle "Haven't Found You Yet" legen Blue einen Instant-Classic vor, der klanglich eher in Richtung Justin Bieber oder auch jüngere Coldplay-Hits geht. Man hört, dass sie unbedingt alles geben wollten für Heart & Soul.

In 2014 Dan Snaith aka Caribou released Our Love to overwhelming critical acclaim and massive fan support. Now Caribou returns with his seventh studio album Suddenly, an album about family and the changes we go though as those relationships evolve.
Suddenly is the most surprising and unpredictable Caribou album to date. Though it retains the trademark Caribou warmth and technicolour, this album is littered with swerves and left turns, and amazes with it’s yet unheard nuances, samples and hooks.
As Snaith puts it, “these albums are like photo albums for me – when I look back at the old ones, they’re a snapshot of my life at that time, full of people who are close to you”. This is the drive to continue to make Caribou albums. Full bodies of work where Snaith is able to evaluate things, look at those around him and celebrate them. As his passion and joy in music making remains as fresh as ever, Suddenly is the purest example of this yet.

The long-awaited first analog release of the second album, a masterpiece released in 2012!

This ambitious album was produced and arranged by Kei Kono, a producer who has worked with Hikaru Utada and many other artists and bands, and was created with simplicity in mind.

The entire album was created from a demo of an acoustic guitar playing, and each sound was added on the spot to complete the work. The nine songs on this must-hear disc are highly acclaimed as a masterpiece, and the songs stand out for their soothing, faintly contoured vocals.

It would be fair to say that Leng co-founder Paul “Mudd” Murphy is a born collaborator. Since first donning the Mudd alias at the dawn of the century, Murphy has released numerous collaborative albums and singles with regular collaborators Ben Smith (as Smith & Mudd) and Kevin Pollard (Mudd & Pollard), as well as playing a key role in “super-groups” Paqua and Bison. “Susta”, which marks his first single on Leng since 2009, sees Murphy add some new names to his growing list of collaborators. It was made in cahoots with singer/songwriter David Harks, a regular Satin Jackets collaborator who also appeared on Jack Cutter’s superb “Serpent Strut” cut on Murphy’s Claremont 56 label.

“Susta” is a bubbly, evocative and ear-pleasing chunk of mid-tempo nu-disco pop featuring lead vocals from Jaanika Leino AKA JaneLy – a former X-Factor Finland contestant whose sultry and evocative voice simply soars above Murphy and Harks’ sparkling, life-affirming instrumentation. Rich in twinkling synth solos, rich Clavinet lines, chugging arpeggio lines and eyes-closed piano, “Susta” is a strong song that will squat inside your head and stay there for days. Our advice is to welcome it in – it’s as joyous and life-affirming a track as Leng has ever released. It’s accompanied by a predictably strong remix by British electronic music veteran Andrew Meecham (Bizarre Inc, Chicken Lips etc.), who dons the now familiar Emperor Machine alias to deliver a dub for the ages. Combining his own analogue and modular electronics with snippets of Leino’s vocal and some of the warmest instrumentation from Murphy and Harks’ original mix (think Clavinet and Rhodes for starters), Meecham offers up an epic slice of electronic dub disco that bubbles away for ten mesmerizing minutes. It’s a superb interpretation of a high quality cut.

Black & White Splattered Vinyl Edition.
Includes original inner sleeves and booklet.

White vinyl version!

"Forever Jan" packs 25 (!) years into the most comprehensive compilation possible - and, despite all the stylistic diversity, makes the common thread of this extraordinary career recognizable in every respect. Jan Delay himself has become an icon of German pop: He has shaped how music sounds in this country, and he has inspired entire generations to listen to their raveheart and consistently do their thing.

But above all, he has always remained a fan. Anyone who has shared a dancefloor with Jan at five o'clock in the morning or discussed the latest Soundso record with him, indeed anyone who has experienced him on stage even once, knows what music means to him, how it drives him, how it defines his work. The beats, the bass, the whole boom, that's his element. And he has always transferred this passion very directly into his own projects. Anyone who hears "Forever Jan" knows that this fire will burn forever.

"Forever Jan" comes with 2 new tracks, classics, rarities and floor fillers.

Limited hardcover book in vinyl format incl. 2 new tracks: 5-fold vinyl (colored, 180g) and 2 CDs with glued-in 20-page booklet and signed DIN A5 photo