Blues 444 Items

Long Live started in 1997 in Thessaloniki based on an idea by Giorgos Symeonidis of the legendary Thessaloniki metal group Sarissa and continues to this day, having given more than 3000 lives with Greek and foreign artists such as B. Papakonstantinou, F. Pliatsikas, T. Panoussis , Nazareth, Glenn Hughes, Joe Lynn Turner, Dr Feelgood, Eric Sardinas and others. The original line-up of Long Live included Giorgos Symeonidis voice, Laki Ragaza guitars, Stelios Tzioumerkas bass, Vangelis Notopoulos bass and Alexandros Dimarelli drums, who can be heard on the recordings of side 1 while later the line-up consisted of Giorgos Symeonidis voice, Laki Ragaza guitars , Stelio Tzioumerka bass and Giorgos Motesnitsa drums, who can be heard on the 2nd side of the vinyl. Since 1997, Long Live has been playing hard / heavy rock, which they recorded on 2 cd-ep's in 2000 and 2005. B-otherSide records together with Vinylmania Records presents the whole of Long Live's recordings in a edition of 200 numbered vinyls, which contain a four-page insert with photos of the group from the Giorgos Symeonidis archive and song lyrics. The master was taken over by the very experienced Yiannis Kyris, while the cover was created based on an idea by Giorgos Symeonidis.

“Keeping a Record of It” is the follow-up to Lonnie Holley’s debut album, “Just Before Music.” Guest performers include Cole Alexander from the Black Lips, Bradford Cox from Deerhunter, and visual artist Lillian Blades. “Lonnie Holley sings with an intense, emotional voice and unleashes lyrics without consistent meter or rhyme over gossamer keyboard lines that hang in the ether. His music is a blues nebula, splotched with riffy word jazz that shares in some rappers’ collagist aesthetics as well as the runaway passion of a gospel preacher enlivened by the Spirit.”

Lyra Valenza set the tone for their first full-length album ‘Low Gear No Pressure’ with an idyllic ambience, which then tumbles into feisty, heartfelt dance workouts. Across eight tracks, the Danish duo explore the pixellated euphoria of their previous ‘Scan, Deliver’ and ‘Nightshade Edition’ EPs with a more focused sensitivity. At the start of 2020, Lyra Valenza had been freshly nominated by music platform Shape. With the pandemic in hand, however, plans changed: instead of playing a slew of festivals, the duo spent weeks in a summer house in rural Sjælland, right at Denmark’s North Eastern coast, making early versions of the tracks in this album. ‘Low Gear No Pressure’ refers to the unusual calmness of that time, away from music industry stress and burnout; inspired by friendship. More than previous EPs, the album is shaped by the duo’s live set, which they’ve been performing in Denmark and Europe for many years now. The album breezes through different modes with confidence and ease, tracks morphing fluidly into one another to create a cohesive listening experience. A cool, expansive breakbeat on track two, ‘True Computer’, hints at the psychoactive journey to follow. ‘Truthwork’ plays with arps over a half time groove: subtle synths which reach their final form in ‘Joy Divided’. These agile swells and drops recall peers-in-precision Minor Science and 96 Back. On the flip, ‘Gameshow’ looks back over one shoulder to eurodance, while ‘Life on the Line’ goes out to the soulful junglists, but with a touches of trance in the samplework. On ‘Who Might Win’, the album’s ecstatic hyperactiveness melts into a slo-mo heartbeat, reminding us there’s a chillout room somewhere in the building. And just when we think it’s time to go home, the album gifts us with “one more tune”, and the soaring pop vocals of featured artist Saltmother on ‘Stretch Your Arms’.

Still sealed.

Original inner sleeve