Search "maria+minerva" 209 Items

Sleeve has taped edges, stickers, handwriting

Hugging the bend and blowing kisses since 2012, Antinote has been a vessel of choice for lovers of left-of-centre dance music and retro-laced boogie. Covering a supremely wide range of styles, the Parisian outlet has carved out a musical lane truly its own by putting on a nonstop celebration of electronics’ inexhaustible power of enthralment. A pledge of quality-driven curation and never-ending search for the next thrill that’s proven untiringly relevant throughout the years and opens onto its second decade of existence with equal panache.

Toasting to its ten years splashing the game with continuously reasserted outsider bravura, label captain Zaltan has bottled some of the finest expressions out Antinote’s versatile vaults of sound to form the present “X” compilation, “ten years of loving notes and foolin around 2012-2022". From totem animal IUEKE’s oddball musique concrète (“fiano-church") to the candid synth-pop of Lithuanian outfit Domenique Dumont (“La Dolce Vita"), via Feminielli’s outré mix of ghetto-house and ominous croon (“Nobody’s Boy”) and Tel-Aviv vibist Alek Lee’s signature synth-splattered 80s wave (“Different Plans”), it’s a smorgasbord of colours and vibrations that prepares to avalanche across your sound system.

Take the esoteric shoegaze of Epsilove, Shelter and Thomas Riguelle (“From The Spaceship in My Room”) and prepare to move upstream a river of saturated guitars and all-engulfing reverbs; let Low Jack’s jagged floor aggressor drill a hole in your head (“Feel 2020”) or opt for further ankle-breaking UK-bass-influenced riddim traction from DK & Geena (“BelleTech One”). A further cosmic-friendly epic, Chimère FM (I:Cube!) embarks us on a ride near Saturn’s belt (“La Genèse du Monstre à Suze") whereas former Antinote apprentice River Yarra snipes a hail of Italo-informed arpeggios and giallo-esque bass murk to compelling effect (“Blooms”) and L.I.E.S. head honcho Ron Morelli goes all in with a formidable, old-school dusty house chugger (“Tribute”).

There’s obviously more to "Antinote X" than the sum of its parts, and Jean Luc’s post-Plantasia jazz hybrid (“La Truite”), Arabica’s decadent, anti-colonial spoken number (“Multo Storia") or fellow Antinote in-house visual designer Nico Motte’s vintage disco churner (“All The Money In The World”) are there to attest. Not to forget Panoptique, up with a lashing, dissonant treat for the senses (“Un Licenciement”), Leo Martelli under guise as Sammy Patanegra with a tribal jacking weapon (“Maria”), Pont Levis floating into emotional hyperspace (“L’Espace et le Coeur de L'Âme”), Trigger Moral in with a marvel of a hip-hop gem emerged from some retro-futuristic wormhole (“soul assssn”) and Laporte rounding it off downtempo, modular ambient style for good measure (“Sleepers”). Ten years on, Antinote still leading the pack.

* Toko Miura first album, she is the vocalist of the hit animation movie 'Weathering With You'
The long-awaited LP version of Toko Miura's first original mini-album, which was selected as the vocalist of the hit animation movie 'Weathering With You' Keiichi Sokabe, Naotaro Moriyama, Santara, Yonesaki Tsuno (Akai Koen), Wataru Sawabe (skirt), Tendre, and an extravagant group of artists who are coveted by music fans provided and produced the music. Contains 7 songs. Announced in 2020.

Long awaited re-release of The Mary Onettes second studio Album, Islands. The Swedish Dream-Pop pioneers first released Islands in 2009 on legendary Labrador records. Now a limited edition LP version is coming on Welfare Sounds & Records. This gorgeous transparent vinyl is a must have for the serious record collector.

The venerable Dark Entries celebrates it’s 300th release with Panoramic Coloursound, a triple LP from the Creative Technology Consortium. Traxx, Andrew Bisenius, and Jason Letkiewicz forged the CtC during the depths of pandemic isolation. Drawing from film and television music of the 80’s/90’s and armed with a mighty array of vintage analog and digital synthesizers, they set out to explore heists, vices, and catastrophe. Panoramic Coloursound collapses sound and image into a neon blur throughout its 25 tracks. While retro scores were the starting point for the CtC, the project does more than pay dutiful homage — these notes are warped and skewed, devolving into decaying digital soundscapes. EBM-inflected basslines pop up on tracks like “Catastrophe” and “A Retro Vice”, menacing numbers that recall Traxx and Letkiewicz’s legendary work as Mutant Beat Dance (a project also featuring Beau Wanzer). “Follow Our Kode” pairs heroic synths with funky bass, striking cosmic chords akin to the material that Traxx and Bisenius have released as An Anomaly. Krautrock-esque guitars slide along anthemic pads on “Beautifully Polluted Sunset”, which comes across like an alien Miami Vice closing theme. The CtC channel corroded VHS vibes while making music for the future. Panoramic Coloursound was mastered by Frédéric Alstadt. The sleeve was designed by Eloise Leigh, and features a photograph by Jason Letkiewicz. Also included is a postcard featuring liner notes, a gear list, and a photograph by Maria Tzeka.

US Carrolton pressing. Original inner sleeve.

Cover has a cut-out.

With "Mirage Mirage", avant-pop quintet Spirit Fest gifts their listeners with their richest, deepest record to date. It's no surprise when you consider the group's membership: Saya and Ueno, aka the duo Tenniscoats; Markus Acher, best known as singer of The Notwist; Mat Fowler, who plays with Jam Money and Bons; and Cico Beck, who's making music with Joasinho, Aloa Input & The Notwist. If that feels like a heavyweight line-up, that's because it is - yet the overarching mood of Spirit Fest is one of lightness and joy, of experiment and pure pop pleasure.

Taped spine. Santa Maria Pressing.

Sóley is back with her third solo album, Endless Summer. Written over the period of one year together with her long-time friend and collaborator Albert Finnbogason, the new full-length sees the acclaimed musician from Iceland explore the more optimistic, sun-drenched corners of her songwriting.

Original inner sleeve.

1972 reissue. US Santa Maria pressing.

NOT SO SILENT NIGHT ist kein klassisches Weihnachtsalbum mit „Ave Maria“ und „Stille Nacht“, sondern eine Platte mit 12 selbst geschriebenen neuen Weihnachtsliedern.

Unter anderem die erste Single „Ring out the Bells“ euphorisch und die Vorweihnachtszeit einläutend. „Not so Silent Night“ beschreibt ein typisches Weihnachtsfest bei uns zu Hause. In „24th“singe ich für die, die nicht mehr bei uns sein können und die wir, vor allem an Weihnachten, besonders vermissen. Eigentlich eine ganz normale Sarah Connor Platte, finde ich. Nur still ist es nicht.

Denn für mich ist Weihnachten, wie auch der Titel der Platte ausdrückt, nicht nur ein besinnliches Fest, wenn ich ehrlich bin. Für eine berufstätige Mutter bedeutet Weihnachten viel mehr als nur eine besinnliche Zeit. Es ist vor allem Stress. Da schicke ich schonmal kleine Stoßgebete in den Himmel wie:

Natürlich liebe ich die Weihnachtslieder, die geschmückten Fenster und beleuchteten Straßen, den Kitsch. Dafür hasse ich den Überkonsum, die Hektik, wie schnell alles vorbei ist, und wie sich an Heiligabend alle zusammenreißen, um Reizthemen zu umschiffen.

Ich vermisse jedes Jahr an Weihnachten meine geliebte Oma ganz fürchterlich und habe ihr den Song „Santa, if you´re there“ gewidmet.

Ich liebe die aufgeregten Kinderaugen und ich liebe es, Weihnachten für sie auszurichten und hoffe, dass wir das noch ganz ganz lange so erleben können, vielleicht irgendwann mit einem weiblichen Santa, der eine andere Hautfarbe hat als ich oder auf einem futuristischen Auto statt einem Schlitten kommt.. wie in „Christmas 2066“.

Durch die Augen meiner Kinder kann ich noch immer an den Zauber glauben und wünsche mir an Heiligabend tatsächlich von ganzem Herzen Frieden für die Welt, in der sie leben.

Eines ändert sich auch an Weihnachten und auch auf Englisch nicht: ich mache Songs und Texte nah am Leben. Und als Mutter, Tochter, Schwester, Frau, ist es nun mal auch ein bisschen beten, dass alles schön wird.

Bei uns zu Hause ist Weihnachten wild, laut und lustig. Darum habe ich die Platte „Not so Silent Night“ genannt.

Ach ja, das Album ist auf Englisch, weil mir das Songtexte schreiben auf Englisch nach wie vor leichter fällt. Es geht einfach leichter von der Hand. Und ich wollte ja Leichtigkeit. Es gibt einfach mehr Wörter, die gesungen schöner klingen. Das ist aber eigentlich auch völlig egal. Ich bin mir sicher, ihr werdet mich trotzdem gut verstehen. Erscheinen wird NOT SO SILENT NIGHT am 18.11.2022!!

Fröhliche Weihnachten und viel Spaß mit der Platte,

Sarah

If 2022’s The Children Of Scorpio was the debut album that turned people onto the world of Project Gemini aka Paul Osborne, Colours & Light is the body of work that will be buried deep into their hearts. It is a majestic album, bringing together the worlds of folk rock, psych soundtracks and hazy cinematic funk. A growing confidence and ease emanate from the writing and production of this sophomore LP, bolstered by the reception to his standout debut. “It’s a more layered and diverse record” Paul mentions, “with a more outward-looking, global sound, born out of the records I was listening to and the musicians I was lucky enough to collaborate with”. It feels relaxed yet self-assured, with a kaleidoscope of sounds that twist together in a mesmerising fashion. The theme of the album developed naturally through the lyrics Paul began writing. A creative process both plagued and fed by insomnia, nourished by relationships, entwined in emotions, nights out, nights in and the after-effects on the human condition. Relatable themes yet seen through the prism of a soundscape that takes in many a different culture and scene. From acid folk to psych-funk, Francophile elements to Anatolian and Eastern inspirations, all interlocking and rotating as one. Drawing inspiration from those he admires, Colours & Light radiates with collaborations. The title track, which tips its hat to a live 1973 TV version of Pentangle’s ‘Wedding Dress’, features the folk rock, guitar brilliance of Jack Sharp from Wolf People/Large Plants. Elsewhere, two tracks are blessed by the sultry, smokey French vocals of Gloria’s Wendy Martinez, ‘Extra Nuit’ and ‘Entre chien et loup’. The former echoes Paul's love of classic French psych-pop from the late ’60s and early ’70s and artists such as Laurance Vanay, Calcium, Leonie, and Serge Gainsbourg. Martinez's sublime vocal work nestles perfectly within Paul's psych-folk-funk productions, as her Gloria partner, Alexis Morel (aka Kid Victrola) sprinkles a dose of entrancing guitar line magic on proceedings. The list of collaborations extends further with Raz and Markey Funk, drummer Tony Coote and percussionist Paul Elliott all featuring. Regular collaborator and underground icon Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie) returns along with Bert Page from The Cromagnon Band, who between them provide a hit of whacked-out, fuzzed-up country guitar and Moog madness respectively on ‘Lost In The Woods (Bacchanal)’. Rounding off the record Paul’s daughter, Olivia Osborne, supplies the keyboard intro on the penultimate track ‘Twilight’. Dorian Conway from The Soundcarriers (whose bandmate Paul Isherwood returns on mixing duties) then layers echoing heavy flute parts to magically capture the psychedelic sunrise images brought to mind. Balancing light and shade on this record, there is beauty and tension all wrapped up in Paul’s vivid and visceral, storytelling gift.

If 2022’s The Children Of Scorpio was the debut album that turned people onto the world of Project Gemini aka Paul Osborne, Colours & Light is the body of work that will be buried deep into their hearts. It is a majestic album, bringing together the worlds of folk rock, psych soundtracks and hazy cinematic funk. A growing confidence and ease emanate from the writing and production of this sophomore LP, bolstered by the reception to his standout debut. “It’s a more layered and diverse record” Paul mentions, “with a more outward-looking, global sound, born out of the records I was listening to and the musicians I was lucky enough to collaborate with”. It feels relaxed yet self-assured, with a kaleidoscope of sounds that twist together in a mesmerising fashion. The theme of the album developed naturally through the lyrics Paul began writing. A creative process both plagued and fed by insomnia, nourished by relationships, entwined in emotions, nights out, nights in and the after-effects on the human condition. Relatable themes yet seen through the prism of a soundscape that takes in many a different culture and scene. From acid folk to psych-funk, Francophile elements to Anatolian and Eastern inspirations, all interlocking and rotating as one. Drawing inspiration from those he admires, Colours & Light radiates with collaborations. The title track, which tips its hat to a live 1973 TV version of Pentangle’s ‘Wedding Dress’, features the folk rock, guitar brilliance of Jack Sharp from Wolf People/Large Plants. Elsewhere, two tracks are blessed by the sultry, smokey French vocals of Gloria’s Wendy Martinez, ‘Extra Nuit’ and ‘Entre chien et loup’. The former echoes Paul's love of classic French psych-pop from the late ’60s and early ’70s and artists such as Laurance Vanay, Calcium, Leonie, and Serge Gainsbourg. Martinez's sublime vocal work nestles perfectly within Paul's psych-folk-funk productions, as her Gloria partner, Alexis Morel (aka Kid Victrola) sprinkles a dose of entrancing guitar line magic on proceedings. The list of collaborations extends further with Raz and Markey Funk, drummer Tony Coote and percussionist Paul Elliott all featuring. Regular collaborator and underground icon Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie) returns along with Bert Page from The Cromagnon Band, who between them provide a hit of whacked-out, fuzzed-up country guitar and Moog madness respectively on ‘Lost In The Woods (Bacchanal)’. Rounding off the record Paul’s daughter, Olivia Osborne, supplies the keyboard intro on the penultimate track ‘Twilight’. Dorian Conway from The Soundcarriers (whose bandmate Paul Isherwood returns on mixing duties) then layers echoing heavy flute parts to magically capture the psychedelic sunrise images brought to mind. Balancing light and shade on this record, there is beauty and tension all wrapped up in Paul’s vivid and visceral, storytelling gift.

Red vinyl. Japanese pressing.

Pascal Pinon's third album is the Icelandic duo's rawest and yet most diverse musical statement within the frame of their Folk-influenced, minimalistic sound. Produced only by themselves, "Sundur" comprises material written over the course of 1 ½ years.

A reissue of this notable album from the Japanese underground, originally dating back to 1982. Non Band was the unit surrounding female bass player Non, previously one half of the duo Maria 023. Partly due to the use of violin and clarinet, Non Band sounded quite different than the other groups at the time!

Monday Massacre / Sick Dog Try To Speak

Japanese folk-rock legend Morio Agata stunned fans with this way-outta-left-field dispatch - a synthesizer-laden, new-wave/post-punk classic. Originally released by Osaka’s Vanity Records in 1980 and back on vinyl for the first time in nearly 40 years, this fully authorized reissue has been remastered from the original analog tapes. In tip-on sleeve, with double-sided insert.

50 years ago, Hokkaido-born singer-songwriter Morio Agata released his debut single, Sekishoku Ereji (Red Elegy), an emotive, shuffling piano ballad that (shockingly) sold half a million copies in Japan. While he would never have another Top-40 hit, Agata would spend the next half century issuing a series of idiosyncratic, experimental pop albums. Today, he’s a beloved cult figure, still actively touring and recording in his seventies.

In his first decade as a recording artist, Agata released a stream of classics right out of the gate — Otome No Roman (1972) melded American-styled folk rock with traditional Japanese melodies, Zipangu Boy (1976) was a sprawling, Haruomi Hosono-produced psychedelic opus, and Kimi No Koto Suki Nan Da (1977) saw Agata tackle slick, lightly funky AOR. While this sort of stylistic schizophrenia might sink your average artist, Agata’s singular voice and magnetic charisma elevates everything he touches, and subsumes it all into Morio Agata World — a joyous, playful and frequently unhinged world.

Arguably the biggest left-turn of Agata’s early career, however, came in 1979, when legendary experimental label Vanity Records’ Yuzuru Agi paired Agata with major players from his label’s roster and the Osaka punk scene for an impromptu recording session. An impressive list of musicians took part (sab, Yukio Fujimoto (Normal Brain), Masahiro Kitada (inu), Taiqui (Ultra Bide), Jun Shinoda (ss), Chie Mukai (Che-Shizu), and others) and even though they all came from different wings of the underground music scene, together they built an arresting, minimalistic bedrock of synthesized and acoustic sounds for Agata to work his magic over. The recording sesssions were tense and it took a while for the collective to find their footing. But the hard work paid off — Norimono Zukan is a masterpiece of ramshackle new wave and droning dirges, topped off with Agata’s unmistakeable croon, at times delicate, other times twisted. It’s a relatively short album, but a deep one, and Mesh-Key is honored to introduce it to a new generation of music fans.

Disco Segreta teams up again with Miro (b. Mario Baldoni) in the re-release of his 1970s-80s productions, after the italo-disco burner Stranamore by Brina (DS M 002) and the tropifrutti balearic italo-house smasher Tobago by Pat & Pats (DS M 006), we are back introducing to italo-disco connoisseurs a truly atomic jam ! “Passion Night” was originally written by Miro in 1985. Story goes that envisioning a release by 1987, Miro teamed up with legendary south-african sound engineer Allan Goldberg, in light of their previous Vedette Records disco-infused collaboration for the “Slang“ studio project and the “Real Life Games” LP. The team featured also track co-writer Gregorio Puccio, ready to unleash the synths (Roland Jd800 + D50, Yamaha DX7, Oberheim 12, Prophet 5), along with two young vocalists, Giulia Fasolino and Silver Pozzoli, later to become household names for the italo-disco heads. As a special feature on the track, Miro brought in the studio contribution of the top italian jazz contralto saxophone virtuoso of the era, Massimo Urbani. In September 1987 a session at Pomodoro Studio had the track recorded on a 24 tracks tape, where has been sitting unreleased for 35 years, until now ! Within its cross-genre blend of synth-pop, italo-disco and jazz, “Passion Night” is an outstanding musical time capsule, a picture-perfect vivid snapshot of year 1987, with the additional historical value as a document itself: it’s the only strictly non-jazz project in Massimo Urbani’s repertoire, in a revelatory performance shedding a light over an unusual facet of Urbani’s versatile talent, regardless of boundaries, a few years before his untimely passing.

Minru is the project of Caroline Blomqvist, a Swedish musician based in Berlin. Woven from light and shadow, the interplay of her folk and indie-rock blend appears from a personal space of finding life after death. On her debut LP »Liminality« she paints melody in soft tones, whispering secrets to navigate feelings of loss.

Built around winding layers of acoustic guitar, piano, and strings, Minru is a surprisingly uplifting and stirring testament to Blomqvist’s own suffering from the passing of someone close to her. Returning to Berlin from Sweden feelings of grief, confusion, and pain travelled with her, and these emotions prompted the journey both of and within the album, heard as a dreamlike actualisation of wandering lost between them. "I read that Carl Jung used the word "»Liminality«” to describe the psychological process of transitioning. I instantly felt seen; it reflected my own experience and the feelings I carried whilst making the album – a sense of the old certainties being gone, but the new not being quite there yet,” she says.

Defined as "the threshold separating one space from another" »Liminality« moves between feeling the ground beneath your feet fall away, fighting through the darkness and the doubt, and the emerging shades of hope and light as you painstakingly make peace with mortality and find yourself as a person again. "I am happy to have encapsulated this moment of time in sound," Blomqvist says, "it will always be there as a memory."

Flourishing from a preferred position of solitude, »Liminality« sees Blomqvist’s vision radiate with intensity from her home-based studio in Neukölln - a small, 2-room apartment with squeaky old wooden floors. Capturing the intimacy of the space, she recorded vocals and synth on gear partly borrowed from friends (to swiftly reunite it with its owners), and the songs flow with a stream of consciousness as feelings become entwined with melody. Time-restraint drew the process to a natural close, preventing Blomqvist from losing herself to experimentation. “Maybe I would have been stuck in »Liminality«, trying out sounds forever,” she suggests of the way ‘Into the well’s instrumental swims into a warm stream of synth pads. "It’s the cosiest moment on the album,” she says, “Cosy is a feeling I always strive for in life."

There is something magical about the synergy of the voices of a couple; they gel, they interweave, they lift each other. Remember classic duets sung by partners over the years; so much is said, more than just words. 'Warm You' is the collaboration between Mandaworld (aka Amanda Hicks) and partner Matthew Tavares (aka Matty of Badbadnotgood fame). It is a song about your lover getting out of bed in the middle of the night because they can't sleep and you telling them to come back to where it’s warm and safe and they’re loved. It was written in their Montreal apartment a few months after they moved in. Matty described the writing process "We just spontaneously decided to make music, and the idea came out pretty much immediately. I laid down some guitar and then Amanda played the synth line over it and I edited the guitar so the timing was more interesting. We worked on it for a few days getting the chorus and the verses to feel right and, for the most part, everything fell into place super intuitively. Amanda wrote the lyrics." This heartfelt, dream-pop song, with a mellow shoe-gaze sensibility, lets the pair trade verses whilst the instrumentation builds to a crescendo and the duo's voices finally combine. Lush, passionate and personal, a beautiful song, rich in evocative memories. On the ‘B-side’, Mandaworld takes centre stage. 'Spoonfeed' is a spacey synth bass-led ambient ballad with smokey hazy vocals, calming like a bubble bath. Produced with a timeless quality, the song leaves you with a sense of tranquility and a feeling of being submerged underwater. Like all the best music this 7" is deeply personal, yet these are universal themes that are relatable to any listener as they recognise their own experiences within the mood of the songs.

Déjàvu' is the debut solo album from Matthew Tavares, aka Matty. Originally released in 2018 as a digital only release, it now sees the physical release it rightly deserves. Produced by his good friend, the acclaimed producer / songwriter Frank Dukes, ' Déjàvu' emerged during a period of rest for Matthew after heavy touring schedules with his former band Badbadnotgood. As with many of the most fertile creative minds, continual reinvention leads to exploration of new sounds and styles. ' Déjàvu' sees a departure from the jazz of Badbadnotgood and a move into a more song-based storybook, with Matthew stepping up to the plate as lead-vocalist. As Matthew explains "I’ve always worked on my own stuff outside of Badbad, and I’ve made music that sounds like this since I was 16. But when Badbad started taking off, it was like “Ok, I can’t really make rock-y songwriter music anymore”. The inspiration for the album came after revisiting old favourites and classics such as The Zombies, The Beatles, shoegaze, and Krautrock records. It was also made in a difficult and reflective period in Matthew's life, with each song being a vignette to an individual. "I wrote each song about someone specifically, but then I realised very quickly afterwards that every song is about myself". Even though on the surface the record could be loosely categorized in the rock / indie camp, its dreamy psych-pop vibe evokes much richer musical inspirations. Elements of jazz, AOR, and the compositions of 'golden-era' Brazilian arrangers such as Arthur Verocai enrich the songs. For the Mr Bongo release of ‘Déjàvu' we have included the beautiful bonus track 'Verocai Pt. II’ which was a product of the same recording sessions and rounds off the record. Though a 'solo’ release, with its songwriting, content, and themes being very personal to Matthew, the record is backed by a cast of friends, family, including Badbadnotgood members.

Her new album "Keys" shows Berlin-based musician Masha Qrella elegantly fusing disco-pop and songwriting. Written and produced by Qrella in her studio within one year, the album’s eleven songs feature well-known elements of fragility, perfection and understatement, while walking a fine line between laconic coolness and passionate uptempo melancholia.

Writing and small sticker stain on cover.
Includes original insert.

Small cutout in opening.

For years now, Mary Jane Dunphe has been at the forefront of exciting underground music, with acclaimed releases in projects like Vexx, Ccfx, GEN POP, County Liners, and more. Today, the NYC-based musician has begun an exciting, new chapter with the announcement of her debut solo album, Stage Of Love, via Pop Wig Records. Stage Of Love showcases Dunphe’s versatile songwriting, coalescing, pulsating drum machines, shimmering synths and guitars, and her singular voice in ten highly danceable avant-pop songs. Lead single and title track “Stage Of Love” provides the perfect introduction to Dunphe’s world, with its thumping beat and bass line building into an absolutely euphoric chorus hook.