2020s 60 Items

Kite 'vii' - Seven 7" singles, remastered, with original full-length mixes appearing on vinyl for the first time.

Since surfacing into the Scandinavian synth-pop scene 16 years ago, Nicklas Stenemo and Christian Hutchinson Berg aka Kite have steadily grown from local icons to a global phenomenon, yet until now they’ve never released a full-length studio album. 'vii' breaks the ice, collecting 14 of the duo’s deepest and most dynamic anthems into a stormy saga of immersive, apocalyptic emotion. Sourced from a series of seven 7-inch singles released over the past half-decade, the collection persuasively showcases Kite’s distinctly cinematic strain of Swedish darkwave in all its glory and desolation. Stenemo and Berg had both logged time in other bands before joining forces in the mid-aughts, although their unique chemistry became apparent immediately. After forming in Malmö, Sweden, they soon relocated to Stockholm, further refining their fusion of brooding synths, booming rhythm, and vocal theatrics over a string of celebrated, numbered EPs (named I through VI). Despite their rising profile, Kite then and now have largely refrained from publicity, allowing their music to speak for itself – which it clearly has, as Kite’s live performances have become the stuff of legend, prompting frequent festival invitations, international tours, and limited engagements on prestigious stages (recently at the Royal Swedish Opera, and Dalhalla, the former limestone quarry turned open air amphitheater, to name a few). VII offers a compendium of Kite’s potent recent discography, including collaborations with Blanck Mass, Anna von Hausswolff, and Henric de la Cour. From yearning dystopian pop ("Hand Out The Drugs," "Bowie ‘95"), to widescreen existential balladry ("Tranås/Stenslanda," "Glassy Eyes"), and sleek New Romantica ("Remember Me," "Teenage Bliss"), Kite’s wavelength is one of soaring heights and abysmal depths, anguish and ecstasy, pouring one’s burning, battered heart into the here and now. Their years of visceral commitment and artistic integrity have been hard fought and hard won; it bleeds between the words and melodies in one holy moment after another: "I switch my ways / To seize the day / To face my life / Not fade to gray."

Kite 'vii' - Seven 7" singles, remastered, with original full-length mixes appearing on vinyl for the first time.

Since surfacing into the Scandinavian synth-pop scene 16 years ago, Nicklas Stenemo and Christian Hutchinson Berg aka Kite have steadily grown from local icons to a global phenomenon, yet until now they’ve never released a full-length studio album. 'vii' breaks the ice, collecting 14 of the duo’s deepest and most dynamic anthems into a stormy saga of immersive, apocalyptic emotion. Sourced from a series of seven 7-inch singles released over the past half-decade, the collection persuasively showcases Kite’s distinctly cinematic strain of Swedish darkwave in all its glory and desolation. Stenemo and Berg had both logged time in other bands before joining forces in the mid-aughts, although their unique chemistry became apparent immediately. After forming in Malmö, Sweden, they soon relocated to Stockholm, further refining their fusion of brooding synths, booming rhythm, and vocal theatrics over a string of celebrated, numbered EPs (named I through VI). Despite their rising profile, Kite then and now have largely refrained from publicity, allowing their music to speak for itself – which it clearly has, as Kite’s live performances have become the stuff of legend, prompting frequent festival invitations, international tours, and limited engagements on prestigious stages (recently at the Royal Swedish Opera, and Dalhalla, the former limestone quarry turned open air amphitheater, to name a few). VII offers a compendium of Kite’s potent recent discography, including collaborations with Blanck Mass, Anna von Hausswolff, and Henric de la Cour. From yearning dystopian pop ("Hand Out The Drugs," "Bowie ‘95"), to widescreen existential balladry ("Tranås/Stenslanda," "Glassy Eyes"), and sleek New Romantica ("Remember Me," "Teenage Bliss"), Kite’s wavelength is one of soaring heights and abysmal depths, anguish and ecstasy, pouring one’s burning, battered heart into the here and now. Their years of visceral commitment and artistic integrity have been hard fought and hard won; it bleeds between the words and melodies in one holy moment after another: "I switch my ways / To seize the day / To face my life / Not fade to gray."

After a relative rest for the two Liège heads, it is time to get back to business. And this business requires four hands to play, very fastly, and two ears, to be listened to very loudly.

Trapped in a frantic chase on a Belgian highway, finally on a slope, this time, we are missing the brakes... and avoiding the famous ruts is imperative for survival.

So here we are, grazing the slide in a shower of magnificent sparks, while being hit by these ten punchy pieces releasing a crazy energy.

Even if the forays towards EBM become more and more pop (if we can use that word here), Punk becomes always more synthetic, Kraut is percussive and martial, but with Prince Harry, it's a long time that the Indus has been moving very fast: at 140bpm on the emergency lane. “A Long Way Down” is the fourth LP from the Belgian duo to find asylum on the Parisian label. After 5 years of discretion - almost absence - this curious pink album propels us to the unthinkable frontiers of electronic punk, lo-fi EBM and garage new-beat.

In March 2024, the legendary techno unit Oriental Magnetic Yellow, a group of game music composers at Namco at the time, re-released six albums to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Commemorating the band's restart, the 2-in-1 6th album "nancy Boys / Nervous", which leads from "nancy Boys", a rapid approach to J-pop, to "Nervous", the last commemorative album before the band's hiatus, is available as a limited Clear Vinyl edition!

To celebrate the band's restart, "RYZEEN," one of the most popular of all their songs, is now available for the first time as a 7-inch donut vinyl record! In addition to the original version, a special recording of the version used as BGM for "Super Locomotive" on the reissued game console "Mega Drive Mini 2" released by Sega Corporation in 2022 will be included on the B-side!

Unangenehm nervöse Zeiten erfordern angenehm nervöse Musik - neonfarbene Hymnen gegen das Dauergrau, unbeschwerte Statements gegen die tägliche Dosis Abfuck. Paula Carolina hat im Laufe der letzten Monate etliche solcher Hymnen geschrieben - ein ganzes Album voll. Es trägt den griffigen Titel "extra" und konserviert den selbstgeschaffenen Kosmos, in dem Paula Carolina seit 2021 kreativ aufgeblüht und in der Zwischenzeit vom Supportact zur Stilikone avanciert ist. Dieser Kosmos ist längst ein Safe Space geworden - für einen beachtlich breitaufgestellten Kreis an Menschen mit Herz am linken Fleck und unerschöpflich positiver Energie. Zwischen Indie-Pop, Nndw und Future-Punk, Moshpit und Gruppen-Kuscheln, Dorfanekdoten und Großstadtkamellen gelingt es Paula wieder und wieder, zwischen statt über den Dingen zu stehen. Ihre Kunst ist meinungsstark, aber nie spaßbefreit; ist rotzig, aber nie dogmatisch oder gar parolenhaft; ist Mainstream, ohne je in Richtung Mainstream geschielt zu haben; ist laut, ohne zu poltern. Paula-Carolina-Musik lebt von Beobachtungsgabe und Begeisterungsfähigkeit, von assoziativem Gedanken-Ping-Pong, schrillen Ohrwurm-Momenten und erfrischenden Frechheiten.

Nur bei HHV: die Platte mit unterschriebem Plakat.

Unangenehm nervöse Zeiten erfordern angenehm nervöse Musik - neonfarbene Hymnen gegen das Dauergrau, unbeschwerte Statements gegen die tägliche Dosis Abfuck. Paula Carolina hat im Laufe der letzten Monate etliche solcher Hymnen geschrieben - ein ganzes Album voll. Es trägt den griffigen Titel "extra" und konserviert den selbstgeschaffenen Kosmos, in dem Paula Carolina seit 2021 kreativ aufgeblüht und in der Zwischenzeit vom Supportact zur Stilikone avanciert ist. Dieser Kosmos ist längst ein Safe Space geworden - für einen beachtlich breitaufgestellten Kreis an Menschen mit Herz am linken Fleck und unerschöpflich positiver Energie. Zwischen Indie-Pop, Nndw und Future-Punk, Moshpit und Gruppen-Kuscheln, Dorfanekdoten und Großstadtkamellen gelingt es Paula wieder und wieder, zwischen statt über den Dingen zu stehen. Ihre Kunst ist meinungsstark, aber nie spaßbefreit; ist rotzig, aber nie dogmatisch oder gar parolenhaft; ist Mainstream, ohne je in Richtung Mainstream geschielt zu haben; ist laut, ohne zu poltern. Paula-Carolina-Musik lebt von Beobachtungsgabe und Begeisterungsfähigkeit, von assoziativem Gedanken-Ping-Pong, schrillen Ohrwurm-Momenten und erfrischenden Frechheiten.

Pem today releases her new EP, cloud work, out today on Fascination Street Records. The EP is produced by the acclaimed Ali Chant (Sorry, Katy J Pearson, Portishead) and to celebrate its release, Pem will headline The Lexington in London next week, 14th June. Pem has been garnering recognition for her silencing live performances, receiving long listings for 2023's Glastonbury Emerging Talent and Green Man Rising competitions and securing support slots with The Last Dinner Party, The New Eves and Mary in the Junkyard. There has been an abundance of recent coverage from The Line Of Best Fit, Clash, So Young Magazine, DIY, NME, Rolling Stone UK, Emily Pilbeam on BBC 6Music, Radio X's John Kennedy and many more. There has also been huge support via Spotify playlists, including New Music Friday UK, plus the cover of Melomania and Fresh Finds Folk.

cloud work is a collection of five songs that Pem wrote during an intensely challenging chapter in her life. Full of references to water, sky, flight, memory, and birds, these are the metaphors and symbols that helped her work through the grief of losing her father last year. She says, “the process of creating ‘cloud work’ enabled me to find beauty, meaning and comfort in a very difficult time."

Pem is the outpouring of Bristol-based, multi-disciplinary artist and songwriter Emily Perry. Her songs blend unfiltered storytelling with swooping melodies, transporting listeners into a world of vulnerable introspection. This powerful intimacy was first unveiled with her 2022 debut EP, songs about hands, which was written during her intensive psychotherapy training and explores themes of memory, connection and disassociation.

Sacred Skin is back! Their sophomore album Born in Fire hits turntables everywhere September 2024. Pre-order now to reserve your copy! This latest effort builds off the band’s full-length debut (2022’s The Decline of Pleasure) and takes their sound to a completely new level. Painting a blackened, dystopian vision of life in modern-day Los Angeles, Born in Fire is a movie soundtrack inspired by a forgotten era. Anthemic pop music steeped in romanticism and melancholy and drenched in layers upon layers of new wave nostalgia. For fans of ’80s soundtracks, Tangerine Dream, INXS, Depeche Mode, and New Order.

Midnight Mannequin Records is proud to present this deluxe pressing of Born in Fire on 2xLP colored vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket, complete with OBI strip.

Seira Kariya's first album "Always Fresh", released in 2022, is now available on long-awaited LP! This is their first full-length album after 7 years since her debut. The album tells a story of trying to hold on to the future while living through a difficult time with urban and danceable music, and is filled with heartbreaking melancholy and pop brilliance. Also includes a cover of tofubeats' "Suisei", a song with which she has a close relationship.

Every so often an album comes along that, from the very first seconds, fills one with a state of overwhelm and wonder, knowing that one has stumbled upon something truly special. Swedish musician Petter Herbertsson has been steadily recording and releasing albums for over two decades with his group Testbild! (not to mention many other projects under various aliases), but he recorded his so-far career defining statement with Ulrika, an album of almost imperceptible beauty.

Quietly released at the tail end of 2023 by Sweden’s Dilettante Productions in an edition of 199 copies, Ulrika unfolds like a flower in the morning sun, slowly opening and unveiling itself to the world. It’s hard to believe that Herbertsson plays all of the instruments on the album, as it is an especially sumptuous affair, with guitar, vibraphone, all manner of keys (including some especially lovely harpsichord), melodica, vocals and more all intertwining with each other. In someone else’s hands it could easily have come across as stiff and crowded, but here every instrument is given its proper amount of space to breathe, with an organic feeling of warmth that one just wants to sink into.

Although some analogs can be made to ’70s era Robert Wyatt, Brian Wilson’s lush arrangements or Slapp Happy’s charming avant–pop, Herbertsson has done an impeccable job of distilling these influences into his own defined sound. From the production to the compositions, nothing about Ulrika feels modern, the entire affair sounding like it could have been released in 1972 (in the best way possible). Rarely does 21st century music reach the levels of artistic maturity found on Ulrika.

Tokyo based indie pop / psychedelic pop band, xiexie finally releases their long-awaited debut album called “wellwell” on June 12. They have played in Fuji Rock Festival, and opened for many international artists. They also did their first headline show overseas in Taiwan and it was very successful.Their music is a bridge between Asian indie music scene and US indie music scene.