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Rush Hour’s RSS series excels in unearthing buried treasure, offering a second chance for artists and releases that have long been overlooked. That’s certainly the case with ‘Witches’, the superb sole single by British 1980s wave trio Zenana.

Originally released on seven-inch by the tiny PRM label in 1986, ‘Witches’ was the product of a sister-brother songwriting team whose music was mostly recorded in the front room of a terraced house in Nanpean, a small industrial village in Cornwall, England’s most south-westerly county. While the single was infectious, impeccably produced and dancefloor-ready, it sold in limited quantities at the time.

Zenana’s story can be traced back to the early 1980s, when singer-songwriter Anita Tedder founded the all-female trio as a vehicle for her musical ambitions. To bring her songs to life, she joined voices with her brother Mike, an early adopter of electronic music who had built a studio – nicknamed MFR, short for ‘Mike’s Front Room’ – in his Cornish home.

Countless Zenana tracks were recorded at ‘mfr’ between 1984 and ’86, with the resultant demo cassette securing the band a management contract, a slew of live bookings, a video shoot and even a television appearance. Buoyed by this underground success, they headed to the remote Sawmills Studio in Cornwall – famously only accessible by boat – to re-record ‘Witches’, a song inspired by local folk tales of witches gathering near Mike’s home.

While this version of ‘Witches’ failed to make an impact at the time, it has become something of a cult classic following its’ rediscovery by crate digger Kiernan Abbott – and subsequent championing by other dusty-fingered DJs including Antal, Skyrager, Trevor Jackson and Luke Una – in early 2023. The buzz inspired Zenana to perform live again for the first time in decades, with the story of their surprise comeback being covered by British media outlets including the BBC and (more surprisingly) the Daily Mail.

Now presented in re-mastered form, ‘Witches’ is a genuinely slept-on gem. Propelled forwards by punchy drum machine beats, a killer synth bassline and fizzing keyboard sounds, the song benefits greatly from strong vocals and an extra-percussive middle eight layered with vocalisations, cosmic spoken word sections and swirling noises.

It comes backed by a brand-new extended ‘spell of love’ courtesy of Bristol duo Bedmo Disco, AKA music journalist Matt Anniss (author of Join The Future: Bleep Techno and the Birth of British Bass Music) and DJ/production partner Gareth Morgan. Anniss is a long-time friend of Mike and Anita Tedder who has fond memories of visiting Mike’s home studio with his family around the time that ‘Witches’ was recorded.

Working from Zenana’s original MFR eight-track recording (tapes of the single version were lost years ago), Anniss and Morgan have turned in the extended ‘dance mix’ the track never had first time around. More atmospheric, clandestine and dancefloor-focused, it offers authentic nods to New York proto-house, mid-80s Shep Pettibone dubs, and the pioneering synth-pop productions and dub mixes of Factory Records regular Martin Rushent.

Yumi Murata’s second album with Mariah.
It’s a beautiful, stateless ambient record with its halting vocals, which reflect the sonic experiments of Shimizu Yasuaki.

Mariah, at a time when she was leaning towards hard rock; she used this song as a starting point to steer her into the new wave.

* Originally released in 1981 * Pressed on Yellow Vinyl * Featuring Kenji Iwakura, Kenji Omura, Jun Aoyama + more! Released in 1981. The long-awaited reissue due to the re-evaluation of the city pop boom in recent years is now available on color vinyl! With Kenji Iwakura, Kenji Omura, Jun Aoyama, and other gorgeous members, the album faithfully reproduces the West Coast sound that was popular at the time, and also writes the lyrics himself. A work that can be heard without discomfort even in the current scene with a straight singing voice that has molted into an adult.

Yukako Hayase’s 1988 debut album, “mizu to tsuchi”, is now being reissued for the first time ever! Hayase made a name for herself with her ennui, whisper voice along with her famous cover by Yuko Ando. Several artists have cited Hayase as an influence on their work, including Kahimi Karie. The record is made up of 7 songs, amounting to approximately 30 minutes of excellent pop music.

"Yoichi Takizawa's second album ""boy"" which follows his first album ""Leonids no Kanatani"", is miraculously released after more than 40 years!

This work was scheduled to be released on July 25, 1982, following his first single ""Sunday Park"". For unknown reasons, this is a phantom second album that was canceled just before its release.

*Also includes the original version of ""Kagirinaki Natsu"" from Hideki Saijo's 17th album ""gentle・a Man"" released on March 5, 1984.

The mixdown was once complete, but the original master of the 2-mix is currently missing, so the mixdown was done again for this album (except for Side B, 1st and 2nd tracks released as singles). The mix work this time was done based on the remaining karaoke masters of all the songs, and the album was revived as a supreme album that expresses a modern sound while staying as close to the original mix as possible.

The first album "" Leonids no Kanatani"" released by Alfa and traded at high prices long before the City Pop boom, has been reissued on vinyl. This second album is also finally being released in its entirety on vinyl for the first time in the world!"

" Pressed on 7"" black vinyl
Two incredible hits from 1980s Japan!
NOTE: artwork to be announced Two major duets by Yoshinori Monta and Junko Ohashi are released simultaneously on analog 7inch single vinyl! In April 1983, ""Natsu Onna Sonia"" became a big hit under the name ""Yoshinori Monta with Junko Ohashi,"" and the following June 1984, ""Koi wa Magic"" was released simultaneously, this time under the name ""Junko Ohashi with Yoshinori Monta! The couplings include Yoshinori Monta's solo song ""Harbor Light"" and Junko Ohashi's solo song ""A LOVE AFFAIR,"" respectively."

SOURCED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES AND LIMITED TO 4,000 NUMBERED COPIES:

MOBILE FIDELITY'S 180G SUPERVINYL LP PRESENTS 1985 BLOCKBUSTER IN AUDIOPHILE SOUND, PLAYS WITH EXCEPTIONAL CLARITY
PCM digital master to analogue console to lathe



Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut album has few parallels. Viewed solely through the lens of sales numbers, Whitney Houston is a watershed statement on par with the most commercially successful and culturally dominant LPs ever released. Having sold more than 14 million copies in the U.S. and upwards of 25 million units worldwide, the 1985 LP became the equivalent of the television show or blockbuster film that everyone collectively experiences and discusses. Nearly four decades later, it’s lost none of its appeal or magnetism — and its artistic significance and historical import have only grown.

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at RTI on MoFi SuperVinyl, and strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's 180g SuperVinyl LP of Whitney Houston presents the breakthrough in audiophile sound for the first time. The signature traits Houston exhibits on every song — her three-octave range, radiant warmth, personal conviction, impossibly controlled register — come across with exceptional clarity, focus, and presence. Free of artificial ceilings and constricted dynamics, this reissue plays with an openness, airiness, and balance that put the singer’s once-in-a-lifetime instrument and immortal artistry into proper perspective.

It does the same for the songs’ cascading melodies and captivating arrangements. Individually produced by one of four renowned industry veterans — Kashif, Micheal Masser, Jermaine Jackson, and Narada Michael Walden — each composition feels grander, closer, more genuine. A vocal spectacular, Whitney Houston benefits from the high-end characteristics of SuperVinyl, which include a nearly inaudible noise floor, superb groove definition, and dead-quiet surfaces. This is how an album that changed the direction of popular music — opening previously inaccessible doors for Black artists; bringing smooth-singing vocalists back into the mainstream; kickstarting a movement that soon included several “divas” who would command the charts through the early 21st century — should look and sound.

Though Houston’s seemingly effortless performances suggest otherwise, creating the record Rolling Stone ranks as the 257th Greatest Album of All Time wasn’t easy. Nearly 18 months were required to identify songs suitable for a still-unknown singer who did not fit into the conventional frameworks of the mid ‘80s. Confident, powerful, and prodigiously talented, Houston would forge her own parameters with Whitney Houston. In the process, she obliterated the stubborn lines between R&B and pop, Black and white radio. She dared to reimagine who could be a superstar and then went out and defined the role. Recorded for nearly $400,000 and released on Valentine’s Day, the LP exceeded the wildest expectations of those most closely associated with it — save for Houston and her family.

Having made her first public appearance at the age of 11 singing at a Baptist church, Houston understood pressure and knew her way around, inside, and through a song. The invaluable guidance and support she received from her mother, Cissy, an accomplished gospel vocalist who backed Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, are on display throughout Whitney Houston. They arrive in the types of authoritativeness, discipline, and diction rare for even most seasoned veterans — and unheard-of for a 21-year-old newcomer. Houston brings a soulful elegance, understated glamour, and in-the-moment rapture to every note. Moving up, down, or staying in the middle of the vocal ladder; channelling softness or sweetness; showing restraint or increasing the volume, she is a marvel of emotionalism, a dynamo who can seamlessly transition from one mood to another within a verse.

Though the 10-track LP largely concerns itself with the ballad tradition, Houston covers the bases, getting into an R&B groove on the fleet “Thinking About You,” turning up the heat on the duet “Take Good Care of My Heart,” and investing the contagious dance-pop confection “How Will I Know” with all the anxiety, hope, energy, and enthusiasm its lyrics demand. Featuring her mom on background vocals and Houston’s pitch-perfect tone, uncanny precision, and skyscraper highs (no AutoTune here, friends), the synth-based anthem propelled Whitney Houston into the stratosphere, the vocalist into regular MTV rotation, and the term “crossover” into popular parlance. The double-platinum single reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, Hot R&B, and Adult Contemporary charts — a trifecta that foreshadowed accomplishments that would ultimately crown Houston as the most-awarded female artist of all time.

Whitney Houston became the first album by a Black female performer to top the Billboard charts. It remained there for 14 non-consecutive weeks en route to claiming the title of the best-selling LP of 1986. It stands as the first debut and first album by a solo female artist to spawn three No. Hits, as well as the first album by a Black female artist to top the year-end charts in Australia and Canada. These are just a handful of the accolades — along with four Grammy nominations — that surround a set that also contains the unforgettable ballad “Saving All My Love,” string-accompanied “Greatest Love of All,” and sensual “You Give Good Love.”

As TIME observed in an article written two years after the album took the world by storm: “This is infectious, can't-sit-down music, and her performance dares the listener not to smile right back.” We’re still smiling.

SACD

Sourced from the original master tapes and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's hybrid SACD of Whitney Houston presents the breakthrough in audiophile sound for the first time. The signature traits Houston exhibits on every song — her three-octave range, radiant warmth, personal conviction, impossibly controlled register — come across with exceptional clarity, focus, and presence. Free of artificial ceilings and constricted dynamics, this reissue plays with an openness, airiness, and balance that put the singer’s once-in-a-lifetime instrument and immortal artistry into proper perspective.

‘Make It Big’ is exactly what Wham! had done by the time they released their second album in 1984. Featuring the hit singles ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, ‘Everything She Wants’ ‘Freedom and ‘Careless Whisper’, the album cemented their place as pop icons. Now on vinyl for the first time in over 30 years, ‘Make It Big’ is available in limited edition white vinyl and black vinyl.

‘Make It Big’ is exactly what Wham! had done by the time they released their second album in 1984. Featuring the hit singles ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, ‘Everything She Wants’ ‘Freedom and ‘Careless Whisper’, the album cemented their place as pop icons. Now on vinyl for the first time in over 30 years, ‘Make It Big’ is available in limited edition white vinyl and black vinyl.

Wham! exploded onto the global stage with their first album ‘Fantastic’ in 1983 and music was never the same again. Featuring the huge hits ‘Bad Boys’ ‘Wham! Rap (Enjoy What You Do)’ and ‘Club Tropicana’, the album debuted at #1 in the UK and sold millions of copies worldwide. Now on vinyl for the first time in over 30 years, ‘Fantastic’ is available in limited edition transparent red vinyl and black vinyl.

Wham! exploded onto the global stage with their first album ‘Fantastic’ in 1983 and music was never the same again. Featuring the huge hits ‘Bad Boys’ ‘Wham! Rap (Enjoy What You Do)’ and ‘Club Tropicana’, the album debuted at #1 in the UK and sold millions of copies worldwide. Now on vinyl for the first time in over 30 years, ‘Fantastic’ is available in limited edition transparent red vinyl and black vinyl.

London Records releases remastered and expanded editions of Voice Of The Beehive’s classic debut 1988 album, ‘Let It Bee’ on November 25th. Formats include a remastered gatefold vinyl edition in transparent honey yellow, and an expanded double CD edition featuring previously unreleased tracks, live versions and demos. All formats feature new liner notes by the band’s very own Tracey Belland. In the mid 80s, armed with a only a suitcase of songs, Californian sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland escaped the American music industry in search of the vibrant British indie scene, finding recently split Madness band member Daniel ‘Woody’ Woodgate, who together with guitarist Mike Jones and bassist Martin Brett would form ‘the Beehive Boys’. The powerful live chops of the Beehive Boys, combined with the harmonies, energy and stage presence of Tracey and Melissa, made Voice of the Beehive indie darlings and one of the hottest live acts on the London scene. Signing with London Records, they recorded ‘Let It Bee’, its sunny exterior of sparkling indie guitars, energetic rhythms matched with lyrics and melodies that revealed both hope and an occasionally cutting cynicism. On its release ‘Let It Bee’ was a UK Top 15 album, its singles ‘I Say Nothing’, ‘I Walk The Earth’ & ‘Don’t Call Me Baby’ all chart hits and radio favourites. Re-issued for the first time since its initial release. The expanded double CD version features ‘Cartoon City’, a band favourite recently uncovered and remastered from the London Records archives.

Vocoder were a quartet from Zaragoza, Spain formed in 1981. Keyboardists Antonio Laval, Alfonso Olarte and Antonio Tenas met while attending university, and were later joined by vocalist Pilar Pellicer. They recorded several demos with synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines, creating a soundtrack for the clubs and dance floors. After sending demos to various record companies, they signed a deal with Aviador Dro's sublabel Neón Danza and released two EPs, "What Happens Now"/"Radio" in 1984, "Mindanao"/"Amor de Robot" in 1985 and a self-titled LP which was produced by Michel Huygen (Neuronium) in 1987. Vocoder also appeared on the TV program La Bola De Cristal, presenting their music video for "What Happens Now," in which the band danced in a supermarket with a shopping cart full of synthesizers. The group mutually disbanded in 1988 and continued to organize concerts for other groups touring in Spain. Cuadro Sinóptico compiles both two-song 12" maxi singles as one four-song EP. All four songs were recorded during 1984-85 at Doublewtronics Studios in Madrid, Spain, using the most advanced and sophisticated techniques of time in digital recording and Direct Metal Mastering (DMM). The band utilized many professional synthesizers of the time: Roland Juno 60, Prophet V, Korg Poly 61, Yamaha DX-7, Roland TR-909 and the Linn Drum, which was used by most Italo Disco artists. These songs were recorded in the highest fidelity with disc jockeys in mind. Genuinely catchy, Vocoder combined soaring melodies with cybernetic coldness. A futuristic sound for the modern age topped with Pilar's charismatic vocals. Lyrically they address robotic love, disco dancing, and the tropical island of Mindanao, and sing in Spanish, English and French. All songs on Cuadro Sinóptico have been remastered from the original reel to reel master tapes for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA. Each LP includes a double-sided insert with photos, lyrics and liner notes by Flemming Dalum, a Danish DJ who introduced much of the world to Vocoder in 2008 on his “French Spanish Italo Connection” mix. Vocoder want you to barricade yourself in the discotheques and dance away the depression.

* The latest chapter in the acclaimed Pacific Breeze series! * Artwork by renowned illustrator Hiroshi Nagai * Compiled by Yosuke Kitazawa and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab) * Newly remastered audio * 2xLP housed in a deluxe wide spine jacket with full color inner sleeves and custom die-cut OBI * Extensive artist bios by Yosuke Kitazawa * Digital mockups are not an exact representation of colors * Available in two vinyl variants: Pink or Black Vinyl

Light in the Attic’s Pacific Breeze series has supplied the world’s growing legions of Japanese music fans with an expertly curated selection of the most sought-after City Pop recordings—the mesmerizing and nebulous genre of Japanese bubble-era music of the ‘70s-’80s that encompasses AOR, R&B, jazz fusion, funk, boogie and disco. These familiar sounds are spun through the unique lens of optimistic, cosmopolitan fantasy colored by Japan’s affluence at the time. Much of the music has previously been nearly impossible to acquire outside of Japan and continues to captivate listeners with its unique blend of groove-laden escapism, even birthing wholly new genres such as Vaporwave.

Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987 marks the latest chapter in the famed series and features holy grails plus under-the-radar rarities. The collection bursts at the seams to reveal some of the greatest Japanese tracks ever laid to tape, pushing towards the edge of City Pop to reveal glimmers of the next waves of styles to spring forth from the country’s creative minds. The appearance of Pizzicato Five hint at the emergence of Shibuya-kei while the influence of hip hop and electro as an emerging global trend are also evident here through the prevalence of heavier programmed drum beats on tracks such as “Heartbeat” by Miho Fujiwara.

This volume of Pacific Breeze, like its predecessors, is a female-forward offering with many tracks being voiced by women who would become household names in Japan as actresses and pop idols. Their songs here subvert the norm and brim with an innovative spirit that shatters gender roles in favor of sonic transcendence. Techno-pop classics from Susan, Miharu Koshi and Chiemi Manabe sit alongside sublime funk from Atsuko Nina and Naomi Akimoto while Teresa Noda slides into the mix with a sultry reggae jam. The genre span is stretched wider with hypnotic jazz fusion by Parachute and Hiroyuki Namba, a synthesizer fantasy from Osamu Shoji, and magnetic pop by Makoto Matsushita and Chu Kosaka.

Although not front and center, the visionary members of Yellow Magic Orchestra are still very present on Pacific Breeze 3, with Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi taking up producer and musician roles on many of these tracks. Pacific Breeze 3 serves up a captivating musical journey that adds an essential chapter to the iconic compilation series.

Limited to 500 copies, worldwide, exclusively available at HHV. The latest chapter in the acclaimed Pacific Breeze series!

Artwork by renowned illustrator Hiroshi Nagai

Compiled by Yosuke Kitazawa and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab)

Newly remastered audio

2xLP housed in a deluxe wide spine jacket with full color inner sleeves and custom die-cut OBI

Extensive artist bios by Yosuke Kitazawa

Digital mockups are not an exact representation of colors

Light in the Attic’s Pacific Breeze series has supplied the world’s growing legions of Japanese music fans with an expertly curated selection of the most sought-after City Pop recordings—the mesmerizing and nebulous genre of Japanese bubble-era music of the ‘70s-’80s that encompasses AOR, R&B, jazz fusion, funk, boogie and disco. These familiar sounds are spun through the unique lens of optimistic, cosmopolitan fantasy colored by Japan’s affluence at the time. Much of the music has previously been nearly impossible to acquire outside of Japan and continues to captivate listeners with its unique blend of groove-laden escapism, even birthing wholly new genres such as Vaporwave.

Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987 marks the latest chapter in the famed series and features holy grails plus under-the-radar rarities. The collection bursts at the seams to reveal some of the greatest Japanese tracks ever laid to tape, pushing towards the edge of City Pop to reveal glimmers of the next waves of styles to spring forth from the country’s creative minds. The appearance of Pizzicato Five hint at the emergence of Shibuya-kei while the influence of hip hop and electro as an emerging global trend are also evident here through the prevalence of heavier programmed drum beats on tracks such as “Heartbeat” by Miho Fujiwara.

This volume of Pacific Breeze, like its predecessors, is a female-forward offering, with many tracks being voiced by women who would become household names in Japan as actresses and pop idols. Their songs here subvert the norm and brim with an innovative spirit that shatters gender roles in favor of sonic transcendence. Techno-pop classics from Susan, Miharu Koshi and Chiemi Manabe sit alongside sublime funk from Atsuko Nina and Naomi Akimoto, while Teresa Noda slides into the mix with a sultry reggae jam. The genre span is stretched wider with hypnotic jazz fusion by Parachute and Hiroyuki Namba, a synthesizer fantasy from Osamu Shoji, and magnetic pop by Makoto Matsushita and Chu Kosaka.

Although not front and center, the visionary members of Yellow Magic Orchestra are still very present on Pacific Breeze 3, with Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi taking up producer and musician roles on many of these tracks. Pacific Breeze 3 serves up a captivating musical journey that adds an essential chapter to the iconic compilation series.

* The latest chapter in the acclaimed Pacific Breeze series! * Artwork by renowned illustrator Hiroshi Nagai * Compiled by Yosuke Kitazawa and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab) * Newly remastered audio * 2xLP housed in a deluxe wide spine jacket with full color inner sleeves and custom die-cut OBI * Extensive artist bios by Yosuke Kitazawa * Digital mockups are not an exact representation of colors

Light in the Attic’s Pacific Breeze series has supplied the world’s growing legions of Japanese music fans with an expertly curated selection of the most sought-after City Pop recordings—the mesmerizing and nebulous genre of Japanese bubble-era music of the ‘70s-’80s that encompasses AOR, R&B, jazz fusion, funk, boogie and disco. These familiar sounds are spun through the unique lens of optimistic, cosmopolitan fantasy colored by Japan’s affluence at the time. Much of the music has previously been nearly impossible to acquire outside of Japan and continues to captivate listeners with its unique blend of groove-laden escapism, even birthing wholly new genres such as Vaporwave.

Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987 marks the latest chapter in the famed series and features holy grails plus under-the-radar rarities. The collection bursts at the seams to reveal some of the greatest Japanese tracks ever laid to tape, pushing towards the edge of City Pop to reveal glimmers of the next waves of styles to spring forth from the country’s creative minds. The appearance of Pizzicato Five hint at the emergence of Shibuya-kei while the influence of hip hop and electro as an emerging global trend are also evident here through the prevalence of heavier programmed drum beats on tracks such as “Heartbeat” by Miho Fujiwara.

This volume of Pacific Breeze, like its predecessors, is a female-forward offering with many tracks being voiced by women who would become household names in Japan as actresses and pop idols. Their songs here subvert the norm and brim with an innovative spirit that shatters gender roles in favor of sonic transcendence. Techno-pop classics from Susan, Miharu Koshi and Chiemi Manabe sit alongside sublime funk from Atsuko Nina and Naomi Akimoto while Teresa Noda slides into the mix with a sultry reggae jam. The genre span is stretched wider with hypnotic jazz fusion by Parachute and Hiroyuki Namba, a synthesizer fantasy from Osamu Shoji, and magnetic pop by Makoto Matsushita and Chu Kosaka.

Although not front and center, the visionary members of Yellow Magic Orchestra are still very present on Pacific Breeze 3, with Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi taking up producer and musician roles on many of these tracks. Pacific Breeze 3 serves up a captivating musical journey that adds an essential chapter to the iconic compilation series.

* The latest chapter in the acclaimed Pacific Breeze series! * Artwork by renowned illustrator Hiroshi Nagai * Compiled by Yosuke Kitazawa and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab) * Newly remastered audio * 2xLP housed in a deluxe wide spine jacket with full color inner sleeves and custom die-cut OBI * Extensive artist bios by Yosuke Kitazawa * Digital mockups are not an exact representation of colors * Available in two vinyl variants: Pink or Black Vinyl

Light in the Attic’s Pacific Breeze series has supplied the world’s growing legions of Japanese music fans with an expertly curated selection of the most sought-after City Pop recordings—the mesmerizing and nebulous genre of Japanese bubble-era music of the ‘70s-’80s that encompasses AOR, R&B, jazz fusion, funk, boogie and disco. These familiar sounds are spun through the unique lens of optimistic, cosmopolitan fantasy colored by Japan’s affluence at the time. Much of the music has previously been nearly impossible to acquire outside of Japan and continues to captivate listeners with its unique blend of groove-laden escapism, even birthing wholly new genres such as Vaporwave.

Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987 marks the latest chapter in the famed series and features holy grails plus under-the-radar rarities. The collection bursts at the seams to reveal some of the greatest Japanese tracks ever laid to tape, pushing towards the edge of City Pop to reveal glimmers of the next waves of styles to spring forth from the country’s creative minds. The appearance of Pizzicato Five hint at the emergence of Shibuya-kei while the influence of hip hop and electro as an emerging global trend are also evident here through the prevalence of heavier programmed drum beats on tracks such as “Heartbeat” by Miho Fujiwara.

This volume of Pacific Breeze, like its predecessors, is a female-forward offering with many tracks being voiced by women who would become household names in Japan as actresses and pop idols. Their songs here subvert the norm and brim with an innovative spirit that shatters gender roles in favor of sonic transcendence. Techno-pop classics from Susan, Miharu Koshi and Chiemi Manabe sit alongside sublime funk from Atsuko Nina and Naomi Akimoto while Teresa Noda slides into the mix with a sultry reggae jam. The genre span is stretched wider with hypnotic jazz fusion by Parachute and Hiroyuki Namba, a synthesizer fantasy from Osamu Shoji, and magnetic pop by Makoto Matsushita and Chu Kosaka.

Although not front and center, the visionary members of Yellow Magic Orchestra are still very present on Pacific Breeze 3, with Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi taking up producer and musician roles on many of these tracks. Pacific Breeze 3 serves up a captivating musical journey that adds an essential chapter to the iconic compilation series.

Here's the sixth exploration so far of the FullTime Production world with four brand new reworks of tracks extracted from our infinite vaults, finally coming into a brand new sparkling life for DJs and Disco fanatics. After the well-received and successful previous five volumes, there's so much to enjoy throughout this new limited edition 12-inch trip, completely remastered. On the A-side the Disco supernova Da Lukas brings into the world a boosted rework of the B.B. and Band classic "That Special Magic". An incredible groovy vertigo that will take the dancers deeper in. Then the Musta's remix of the 1982 Ago's "It Will Never Be" is pure funky! On the flip side Antonello Ferrari and Aldo Bergamasco alias F&B provide a stomping killer nu-disco rendition of Selection's "Desire", while C. Da Afro closes the package in big fashion kicking the groove and pathos of the Italo-Disco gem "I'm In love" by Patty Johnson.

It’s time to deck the halls and put up the Christmas tree as the yuletide season is upon us. Christmas Collected is the brand-new compilation with both traditional and modern songs celebrating the festive season. Artist and groups including Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Band Aid, Paul McCartney, U2, The Teskey Brothers, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Amy Winehouse, Ariana Grande, Mud and many more are featured on the 2LP. Christmas Collected is available as a limited edition on translucent green (LP1) and translucent red (LP2) coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

On Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop, Dark Entries brings us 10 divergent tracks of Mexican electronics from 1980-1989, full of skittering analog drum boxes and saucy synthesizer hooks. 8 of these songs were culled from the 2005 CD-only compilation Backup: Expediente Tecno Pop on At-at records. Also included are two previously unreleased cuts. This release marks the first time many of these songs will have appeared on vinyl; it is also the first ever vinyl compilation of Mexican New Wave and post-punk. While synth pop and obscure electronics from Europe and the United States have been extensively documented, much less attention has been paid to such offerings from the periphery. Back Up serves as a vital document of Mexico’s flourishing DIY scene in the 1980’s, surveying a wide range of styles and moods. By using home recording techniques, the bands featured here were able to circumvent relying on the expensive studios of the era. Tracks by Avant Garde, Vandana, and Silueta Pálida mine the kind of dreary-but-infectious wave that long-time Dark Entries fans will celebrate. Meanwhile, Volti and Artefacto offer a floor-ready pop sound that has echoes of NY freestyle, with Latin percussion and boxy beats. But darker turns are present as well, with Década 2’s New Beat-inflections and electro experiments of Syntoma and their side project Escuadrón Del Ritmo. Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop was remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The sleeve is a neon retro-futurist design by Gwenaël Rattke. Also included is a 12-page booklet printed on neon green, pink, and orange paper, which features photographs, band biographies, lyrics, and liner notes.

Dark Entries returns to Mexico with Back Up Dos: Mexican Tecno Pop 1982-1989. Following 2021’s Back Up compilation, Back Up Dos delivers 10 more tracks of synth-pop and New Beat, 7 of which have never before appeared on vinyl. From mutant drum machine beats to irresistible synthesizer hooks, fans of the fringes of the 80s will find songs to stir their cold, dark hearts. But Back Up Dos does more than mine retro kitsch; it documents the development of a rich DIY music scene that is still underexplored. As affordable samplers and digital synths spread throughout the decade, post-punk and new wave gave way to more aggressive EBM and cyberpunk sounds. The scene also developed in opposition to the political climate of the times: the rise of the drug cartels and a reactionary turn in national politics. Using home recording techniques, these bands took cues from the electronic wizardry of the Human League and Wax Trax Records while reflecting the vibrant and chaotic Mexican cultural landscape of the era. On Back Up Dos, impeccable pop anthems from Casino Shanghai and Los Agentes Secretos sit alongside gnarled obscurities from Ford Proco and María Bonita, showcasing a decade of sly deviance and enthusiastic experimentation. This album comes housed in an 80s-inflected neon sleeve designed by Gwenael Rattke and includes a 12-page booklet with photographs, lyrics, and notes. Back Up Dos compiles synthetic music produced in Mexico at the crossroads from Tecno Pop to Post-Industrial, nourished by culture shock and stories of dystopian worlds.

“War” is the third studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Steve Lillywhite, and was released February 1983 on Island Records. The album has come to be regarded as U2's first overtly political album, in part because of songs like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day", as well as the title, which stems from the band's perception of the world at the time; Bono stated that "war seemed to be the motif for 1982."
“War” was a commercial success for the band, knocking Michael Jackson's Thriller from the top of the charts to become the band's first number-one album in the UK.

Japanese pressing with OBI and insert

More Relax', the fourth album released in 1984 by Aran Tomoko, which is currently the talk of the town after being sampled by The Weeknd, is being reissued in analog for the first time!

Arranged by Minoru Mukaiya, the performance team includes Tetsuo Sakurai, Akira Jinbo, and other members of Cassiopeia at the time, as well as Makoto Matsushita. This is a long-awaited reissue, as the price has skyrocketed on the used market.

Cover with some wear, tears on the front and bottom seam split!

Cover with some wear and yellowing!

Promo copy. Japanese pressing. Few paper scuffs. OBI is missing.

Japanese pressing with OBI and insert. Vinyl close to NM and cover to VG+.

* Ultra rare U.S Powerpop album from 1982 reissued for the first time ever * A U.S. powerpop killer & D.I.Y-nugget – Original album is rare and highly in demand * Deluxe reissue housed in gatefold sleeve * Expanded with bonus tracks * Printed inner sleeve filled with rare photos * Extensive liner notes by Kieron Tyler (Mojo) * Carefully restored and remastered sound * Colored vinyl (yellow)

The Trend is high explosive, hyperactive teenage powerpop. The Trend hailed from Kennett, Missouri and was formed back in 1979. Aged fifteen to sixteen at the time, and armed with guitars, striped t-shirts, skinny ties, tambourines and colorful drainpipe trousers. The Trend (Is In) was a full on powerpop and bubblegum-explosion.

One self-released (and nowadays mega-rare) album in 1982 and a just-as-hard-to-find 7-inch single from the previous year was all that The Trend unleashed on record during their short lifespan. Since then, appearances on compilations like Yellow Pills and Numero’s Buttons have made sure The Trend is in high demand amongst powerpop aficionados all over the world.

Trend’s debut 45 “She’s Hi-Fi” b/w “Lucky Day” is blistering class AAA powerpop that will most likely make anyone with the slightest interest in the genre strip off all clothes and do the helicopter. “The Girl At The Holiday In” shows that The Trend had moved on since the single. So much so that “The Girl I Used To Know” could have been recorded by one of the then contemporary Paisley Underground bands from Los Angeles. “Real Cheap Thrill” is raging Merseybeat-pop-mayhem bordering to killed by death-punk. “Two Plus Two” is suffused with the spirit of late 1960s Paul McCartney. Above all, The Trend is about direct, driving upbeat pop. “Go For Broke” could have clicked as a single, while “Southsiders (Waiting To Go Northside)” caught The Trend’s outlook in a nutshell: “power pop, bubblegum, punk rock, here we come.”

Housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve that comes with a printed inner sleeve richly illustrated with rare and previously unpublished photos. In the extensive liner notes The Trend’s main man and song writer John McMullan tells the full story to Kieron Tyler (Mojo Magazine).

The Trend is finally in!

Part of The Optic Sevens 4.0 Reissue Series. Limited to 1000 copies worldwide. Pressed on White Vinyl Includes postcard and poster. Edward Ball was a member of cult band The Television Personalities alongside his school friend Dan Treacy before leaving to concentrate on The Times. ‘I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape’ (inspired by cult TV series The Prisoner) Is probably the best known track from them, originally released on the Artpop! label in 1982. The second single from The Times reissued here with an extra track from the 12” (released a year later in 1983). We have also decided to use the same sleeve that was used for the original 12”.

Minimal Wave presents an LP of tracks by Belgian synthwave luminaries The Misz, entitled The Lonely Crowd. The Misz formed in Gent in 1983 by Jan Van den Broeke and Dries Dekocker at a time when they had both just relocated from the country. They lived on the same street and collaborated freely with the limited equipment they had, which always centered around the Fostex 250 4-track tape recorder. They used an unknown monophonic synthesizer, casio synths, roland drum machines, hand drums and guitars through effects pedals, improvising with their voices and often and included friends for additional voices and sounds. They captured these sonic experiments and sometimes released them on cassette in editions of 100-200. They were also included on numerous cassette compilations throughout the 1980s on labels like Mad In Belgium, The Cassette Factory, 3RIO Tapes, Minimart production, Fraction Studio, Cauchy Productions, Home Product, R.R. products, ZNS Tapes, and Body Records.

The Misz described themselves as young, immature and bit strange yet totally bold and fearless. They sang about what surrounded them from world politics and environmental catastrophes to love and lust. The songs on The Lonely Crowd span from various cassette releases and have been remastered from their original reel to reel tapes.

The LP is pressed on 180 gram vinyl as a limited edition of 600 copies, the first 100 are in white and the remaining 500 in black. The cover and inner sleeve are printed on matte heavy card stock featuring photographic collages, typography and design by Peter Miles.

Dark Entries summons Philadelphia synthesizer scribes The Ghostwriters to rouse their ambient masterwork Remote Dreaming. The late Buchla maestro Charles Cohen and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Cain joined up in 1971 to craft electroacoustic chaos as Anomali, later renaming themselves The Ghostwriters. Their collaborations with choreographers and visual media artists led to their singular style, straddling improvisation and composition, the oneiric and the immediate. Following their debut album, Objects in Mirrors Are Closer Than They Appear, they were approached by ambient outlet Mu-Pysch. Remote Dreaming would take shape in various studios over nine months. Jeff Cain's instruments on this project included electric and acoustic pianos, the Juno 106 synthesizer, and a Mirage sampler, while Charles Cohen used his signature Buchla 200 Series Electronic Musical Instrument. A stark departure from the tightly wound first LP, Remote Dreaming shows the duo unfurling with soothing pianos and psychoacoustic textures, its somnambulant drones just skirting the edges of the uncanny. Although ignored in its time, Remote Dreaming is now heralded as a landmark in 80s experimental ambient music. It is here released for the first time on vinyl, spread across a double LP with five additional tracks, four of which were previously unreleased. Remote Dreaming has been freshly remastered and includes an insert with photos and liner notes. Proceeds will be donated to Sosa (Safe from Online Sex Abuse), a nonprofit that combats online child sex abuse and trafficking.

If The Fall truly is a cult band, then Slates both benefits from and reinforces such shrouded obsessions. In presenting these six particular songs as a 10" EP, the inherent and attractive difficulty of The Fall's sound is made physical, framing the urgency of their singles from this period (notably How I Wrote 'Elastic Man' and Lie Dream of a Casino Soul) alongside lengthy rumblings normally restricted to long players.


The tumbling and phased "Middle Mass" begins on an incredible high note, segueing into the snake-charm hypnotism of "An Older Lover Etc." "Slates, Slags, Etc." is built on stretched VU-inspired riffing, complete with ace feedback bleed that doubtlessly went on long after fade-out. Ultimately, it's the piercing chimes of guitar and marching drum grind of "Prole Art Threat" that elevates Slates beyond oddity. Truly one of Mark E. Smith's finest, busiest and most enigmatic performances, equally matched by a band at the peak of their powers.


Superior Viaduct's edition is the first time that Slates has been available on vinyl domestically since its initial release in 1981. Liner notes by Brian Turner.

The Fall returned to Rough Trade in 1983 to release a pair of singles (“The Man Whose Head Expanded” and “Kicker Conspiracy”) and Perverted By Language, their sixth proper studio album. Perverted By Language hints at the band’s shift towards a distinctly pop approach, one that they would perfect via their Beggars Banquet output that immediately followed. Yet again, the force and panic of their initial Rough Trade recordings remains the foundation for much of the album. A transitional recording in the absolute best sense, Perverted By Language is The Fall both as they were and as they would become.

The emergence of Brix Smith is often cited as the impetus for The Fall’s move toward outward pop, and she first makes her first appearance with the band on Perverted By Language. Nowhere is her presence felt more than on “Hotel Blöedel,” where she handles lead vocal duties alongside Mark E. Smith whose mangled violin accompaniment roots the song’s cold romanticism in his unmistakable brand of strange. “Garden” provides a new take on The Fall’s stretched-out tendencies—using ringing, clean guitars to build a nearly 10-minute epic more subtly than ever before. The opener, “Eat Y’self Fitter,” is wholly classic Fall: a playfully circular bass line drives the album’s strongest vocal spout, complete with emphatic breaks where Mark E. Smith issues the song’s spiteful decree with equal parts glee and scorn.

Superior Viaduct’s edition is the first time that Perverted By Language has been available on vinyl domestically.

Expanded double-LP of »Exploded View« from Dutch minimal synth pioneers The Actor. Originally released in 1982 by Trumpett Tapes, the album was repressed for the first time by Mannequin Records in 2014, and is now coming back to life again in 2022, enriched by an extra full-length of demos from a 1981-1984 period.

Originally released in 1980 Limited edition 180g vinyl Pressed on black vinyl Ride on Time is the fifth studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita, released by Air/rvc in 1980. This record includes everything from up-tempo songs to ballads, making it an absolute masterpiece beloved by many.

Talk Talk's musical journey took them from early 80s synth-pop to early 90s post-rock resulting in a diverse and stimulating legacy. This 1982 release showcases the synth-pop/new wave side to the band. After supporting Duran Duran on their 1981 tour, they released the single Mirror Man, as well as their two UK Top 40 hits Today and Talk Talk – all of which are included amongst other great songs on the album.

Their debut album, The Party's Over was released in 1982 and produced by Colin Thurston, who was a former engineer for David Bowie but was better known for producing Duran Duran's first two albums.
A product of its time, the album is classic synth-pop teamed with lyrical depth that went on to be synonymous with lead singer, Mark Hollis.

This 1983 album appears on vinyl for the first time.

Dark Entries is honored to finally present the first ever official vinyl reissue of Space Museum by Solid Space. Solid Space was the British duo of Dan Goldstein (keyboards, vocals) and Matthew "MAF" Vosburgh (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals) formed in 1980. Dan and Matthew met at the age of 11 while attending school in north London. In late 1978 at at the age of 14, they formed EXHIBIT 'A' with Paul “Platypus” and Andrew “Lunchbox” Bynghall. They recorded two EPs in 1979 and 1980, self-released on Irrelevant Wombat Records and appeared on The Thing From The Crypt compilation. After the dissolution of the group, Mathew started taking his guitar over to Dan’s house where he’d play his Casio MT-30 and they would record songs. Eventually a second hand drum machine and Wasp synthesizer were acquired from classified ads in Melody Maker and the Solid Space sound was born. By this time they were just turning 18 and finally found the freedom to make the music they’d had in their heads. Over the course of the next two years the band assembled eleven bedroom recordings that would become one of the most cherished DIY obscurities of its kind. Their debut album Space Museum was released in 1982 on cassette by In Phaze Records. The band's music and lyrics were heavily indebted to science fiction, in particular the 1960s television series Doctor Who. Space Museum is an unveiling of atmospheric, minimalist post punk supported by bright melodies. The music combines drum machines and synths with acoustic guitar and toy drums whilst also experimenting with samples between tracks. Representing a bubbling spirit within the underground, they foreshadowed an entire world of independent music which would emerge across the '80s and well into the '90s. For this reissue we’ve included two bonus tracks from the band’s archive, “Platform 6” originally released on the B-side of the second single by Exhibit ‘A’, this song features only Dan and Matthew and is the first Solid Space track ever recorded. “Tutti Lo Sanno” is a cover of In Phaze label mates Marine Girls, though the lyrics have been changed to suit the gender of the new singer.


Each song has been carefully remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record is sleeved in a replica of the cassette artwork featuring the Cybermen and Jamie from the Doctor Who episode "The Wheel in Space". Every copy includes a double sided 11x11 insert with lyrics, notes and never before seen photographs of the band taken by Maf as well as a postcard featuring an original advert for the cassette.

Recorded in 1989, Neapolis saw the band going back to their early electronic sound, this is the first time that it has been available on vinyl and comes with full approval from the band.

Shoc Corridor was the London post-punk quartet of Paul O’Carroll (Voice, Synth), Andy Garnham (Synth, Drum), Chris Davis (Guitar, Bass, E-Bow) and Nogi Prass (Synth) named after the Sam Fuller film from 1963. Chris met Nogi shortly after moving to London in 1979 – they started playing music together, fell madly in love, and decided to form a band. They recruited Andy, who had previously played in a band with Stephen Luscombe of Blancmange, and lyricist and vocalist Paul. Their influences were wide reaching: Kraftwerk, Neu, Cabaret Voltaire, Brian Eno, PIL, and Joy Division.

The group recorded a 4-song demo during 1981 in a tiny flat Chris shared with Nogi in Notting Hill. As their collection of instruments grew they set up studio a few blocks away in Andy’s flat at 20 All Saints Road. There they re-recorded “Sargasso Sea” along with “On Reflexion” on a TEAC reel-to-reel 4-track machine. In the summer of ’82, the band was booked into Decibel Studios in Stoke Newington for two and a half days with Mark Easton of Shout Records, where they reworked the two songs. The group usually worked through studio experimentation rather than constructing their songs in a conventional way. Their equipment list included a Korg MS-20, Wasp, Pro-One, Roland TR-808, WEM Copicat, guitars, bass, e-bow and an assortment of effects pedals. “On Reflexion” began as a Blancmange backing track, since Stephen Luscombe would sometimes use Andy’s 4-track, Korg MS-20 and drum machine. Chris has memories of Paul disappearing from time to time to the neighboring graveyard for inspiration, where they had to procure him from to lay down vocals. Their debut 3-song 12” single, “A Blind Sign”, was released in October 1982 on Shout Records. For this re-issue we’ve included the original skeletal “Sargasso Sea” 4-track demo from 1981. Evocative and dreamy, the music escorts you on a tour of icy landscapes, with Paul’s rich vocals guiding the way.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. Each EP comes in an exact replica of the original jacket, designed by Chris Davis with artwork by Paul and Jerry Neal. Each copy includes an 8×11” 2-sided insert with liner notes, lyrics and photos designed by Eloise Leigh.

Dark Entries is pleased to announce a deluxe reissue of Sexual Harrassment’s 1983 opus I Need A Freak. Lynn Tolliver, DJ/Program Director at Cleveland’s Wzak, adopted the pseudonym David Payton in order to keep his musical endeavors separate from his public persona. Sexual Harrassment (misspelled deliberately) was formed as a concept band, with members selected based on appearance and choreographic skill rather than musical ability. Tolliver’s explicit lyrics focused on the central themes of desire and sexual relations. Working at a studio in Akron, he recorded an album of quirky-yet-lurid electro funk, which was released on Heat Records. Tolliver remarks, “I learned as a youngster, sex sells! The things that are rated the worst – violence, horror and sex – are the things people want to see or hear about.” I Need a Freak was a surprise hit, selling over 100,000 copies. I Need A Freak is presented here for the first time on double LP, pressed at 45 rpm for maximum DJ-friendliness. While the album’s naughtier moments seem quaint by contemporary standards, the fusion of lo-fi funk and disaffected vocals still stuns today. On the eternal electro-raunch anthem “I Need a Freak”, minimalism serves to highlight the lasciviousness of the deadpan lyrics, which were inspired by Lourdes Figueroa, Tolliver’s girlfriend at the time. Tolliver’s whimsy shines on tracks like “If I Gave You a Party” and “K.I.S.S.I.N.G.”, which contrast nursery rhyme structures with decidedly R-rated lyrics. “Exercise Your Ass Off” lampoons the home exercise craze, but with a more-than-suggestive sexual bent. Also included are two bonus cuts, “We Want Prince” and “These Are The Things That I Like”, previously released as singles in 1984 and 1986, respectively. “We Want Prince” is both a homage to the Purple one and a gentle satire of obsessive fandom. I Need A Freak has been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The album comes in a gatefold sleeve featuring the original artwork. Included are lyrics, photos, and liner notes by Lynn Tolliver and drummer Dale Jackson. Tolliver’s sly provacateurship is best captured by the quote: “It’s funny – without sex, mankind is dead, yet we hide the very thing we need.”

Limited to 500 copies.

Limited 180gm audiophile vinyl LP pressing including bonus track - 'Blue' - and insert. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy is the third album by Canadian singer/songwriter and Grammy Award winner Sarah McLachlan and proved to be her worldwide breakthrough album. It reached the Top 5 In Canada in no time and went certified platinum within a few weeks, eventually selling over four million copies worldwide. Besides the hit singles 'Possession', 'Hold On' and 'Good Enough', the album contains the track 'Fear and Ice Cream', which became a favorite during Sarah McLachlan concerts over the years. As a bonus track, the album also includes a wonderful cover of the classic Joni Mitchell song 'Blue'.

THE First Ever International Release OF Ryuichi Sakamoto's Landmark 1984 Album "ongaku Zukan" IN ITS TWO Rare Japanese Versions (normal AND Limited Edition).
Featuring Remastered Audio With Bonus Tracks, Original Gatefold Artwork AND NEW Liner Notes BY Andy Beta.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release of Ryuichi Sakamoto's classic LP "Ongaku Zukan", originally issued in Japan on his own School label in 1984.
The reissue will replicate the original Japanese release which offered two versions: a normal edition featuring the LP with a bonus 2-track 7" EP (wwslp71), and a limited edition which includes a 3-track 12" EP in place of the 7" (wwslp72)
Remastered by Saidera Mastering in Tokyo the reissue boasts the original gatefold artwork plus an extra 2-page insert with new liner notes by Andy Beta

The early '80s were a turning point for Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. As a solo artist, the smash hit soundtrack he had composed for 1983's "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" (a film in which he had also acted), had put him on the verge of becoming a global superstar. Meanwhile he had called a halt to his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra; the influential, globally successful pop trio calling it quits after the release of their 1983 album "Naughty Boys".
Against this backdrop, Sakamoto descended on Tokyo's Onkyo Haus Studio to record his fourth solo album, "Ongaku Zukan" ("Musical Encyclopedia") accompanied by a handful of musicians including his ex-YMO partners Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, and the prolifically talented Yasuaki Shimizu, Tatsuro Yamashita and Toshinori Kondo. Sakamoto began with no particular plan in mind, recording 30 basic tracks over the best part of 1983. It was on his return to the studio the following year that the album truly began to take shape. Accompanied by a newly acquired Fairlight CMI sampler, the musician made extensive use of the revolutionary equipment to create a wide palette of sound textures which he added to the tracks, a creatively fertile process that was captured on film for the French documentary "Tokyo Melody, A Film about Ryuichi Sakamoto".)
Released in August 1984 the album "Ongaku Zukan" proved a huge success, providing Sakamoto with his first top 5 hit in Japan. Filled with inspired melodies that showcase his unique gift as a composer, it offers up a fascinating mix of styles. Asiatic electro pop nuggets ("Tibetan Dance") share space with futuristic ambient pieces ("Hane no Hayashi de"), and brilliantly creative fusions of jazz, funk, techno and reggae ("Etude" and "Tabi no Kyokuhoki.")
Two simultaneous editions of the album were released in Japan: the regular one featuring a bonus 7" EP with two extra tracks: "Replica" and "Ma Mère l'Oye" while a limited edition added a 12" EP (in lieu of the 7") which included a third track, "Tibetan Dance (Version)." An international version was released two years later in 1986 by 10 Records/Virgin under the title "Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia," but with a very different track list. Five tracks from "Ongaku Zukan" were dropped, namely "Self Portrait," "Tabi no kyokuhoku," "Mori no Hito," "A Tribute to N.J.P" and "Tibetan Dance (Version)", to be replaced by two non-album singles from 1985, "Stepping Into Asia" and "Field Work."
This is the very first time that the two 1984 Japanese editions of Ryuichi Sakamoto's classic album have been released internationally in collaboration with the artist's management and Midi Inc., with remastered audio and the original artwork faithfully reproduced, paying tribute to one of contemporary music's undisputed geniuses.

Rukatama is a Japanese singer songwriter from Tokyo. After years with idol band Melon Batake A Go Go , she started her solo career in 2020. Most of her songs and works are written and composed by herself. Her voice & music sound like a contemporary citypop dream, with rock, electronic and sometimes mellow, jazzy, folk influences as well. You can catch Ruka’s live performances around Japan or internationally, sometimes in the UK or Italy where she performed lately with Italian idols “Erisu”. Back in 2022 she made her solo debut album titled “Misrule” on NarisuRecords/via Ultra Vibe Inc, where the cd /album has been available most of the time during Sunday Girls events as in Japanese Major Record shops as well. Finally, Rukatama makes her first vinyl debut ever outside Japan, via Tanoshii Records.

1994 is a perfect mix between UK 90s broken music and classic Japanese city pop with some jazzy vibes, where Ruka’s lyrics during the last years had a huge impact on the Italian crew, inspiring the whole Tanoshii project.

Mellow is the kind of song in which you can hear Rukatama soul during some sunset DJ set. It’s the perfect food for Balearic/Tropical heads, as deep lovers lost in classic music from Mondo Grosso, Monday Michiru, Masters At Work, Blaze, King Street Rec.It’ won’t be the first time that music like Mellow could be played in classic parties like Body & Soul or Club Shelter Saturday Night event in Nyc as well.

This classic Queen album is pressed on 180gram. Queen Greatest Hits (and Greatest Hits II separately) is released on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl. Both titles will use their original artwork, and for the first time, Greatest Hits will be released as a 2LP set. 'Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Queen, originally released in the UK on 26 October 1981. The album consisted of Queen's best-selling singles since their first chart appearance in 1974 with "Seven Seas of Rhye", up to their 1980 hit "Flash". Queen's Greatest Hits was an instant success, peaking at number one on the UK Album Chart for four weeks. It has spent over 700 weeks in the UK Charts, and is the best-selling album of all time in the UK, selling over 6 million copies there. It is certified 8x Platinum in the United States, and is Queen's most commercially successful album worldwide with over 25 million copies sold, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Features a second bonus disc packed with singles and b-sides from the
Freaks era. Pulp had changed significantly since their debut 'It'. By this time every member bar Jarvis had moved on but the addition of
Russell Senior proved to be a pivotal turning point for the band. No longer did Pulp sound pastoral, easy-natured; now they were darkly
romantic, brooding, noisy and a little bit Gothic, in the way young folk who brush their hair a certain way are always a little bit Gothic.
Pulp were out-of-tune with the times: but the times didn't satisfy Pulp. The album is quite marvellous. Most of these songs stand the
distance of time: it was here, possibly even more than 1992's Separations, that Pulp started coming into their own as a band with a fullyrealised aesthetic. The first disc is the original album, unaltered and in its entirety. The second is a bonus disc comprising of tracks from
the two big non-album singles from the same era, 'Little Girl (With Blue Eyes)' and 'Dogs are Everywhere'. Two further b-sides 'Tunnel'
and 'Manon' complete the second disc for the definitive 'Freaks' period release. Pulp's 'It' and 'Separations' will be repressed at the
same time for the complete Pulp on Fire collection.

Prince‘ ikonic Album Sign O’ The Times, remastered by Prince‘ Mastering-Engineer Bernie Grundman.

Prince‘ ikonic Album Sign O’ The Times, remastered by Prince‘ Mastering-Engineer Bernie Grundman.

Prince‘ ikonic Album Sign O’ The Times, remastered by Prince‘ Mastering-Engineer Bernie Grundman.

Prince‘ ikonic Album Sign O’ The Times, remastered by Prince‘ Mastering-Engineer Bernie Grundman.. Still in shrink, but opened, with hype sticker

Piano & A Microphone 1983 is set to feature a previously unreleased cassette recording of Prince at the piano at his home studio in Minnesota captured in 1983.

“This raw, intimate recording, which took place at the start of Prince’s career right before he achieved international stardom, is similar in format to the Piano & A Microphone Tour that he ended his career with in 2016,” said Prince Estate entertainment adviser Troy Carter. “The Estate is excited to be able to give fans a glimpse of his evolution and show how his career ultimately came full circle with just him and his piano.”

The private rehearsal provides a rare, intimate glimpse into Prince’s creative process as he worked through songs which include ’17 Days‘ and ‘Purple Rain’ (neither of which would be released until 1984), a cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘A Case Of You‘, ‘Strange Relationship‘ (not released until 1987 on his critically acclaimed Sign O’ The Times album), and ‘International Lover’.

The album also includes a rare recording of the 19th Century spiritual ‘Mary Don’t You Weep’, which will be featured during the end credits of Spike Lee’s BlacKKKlansman in cinemas August 2018. For fans of Prince’s spontaneous live medleys, tracks 1-7 of the album are presented in that same format as they were originally recorded.

The album cover photo captures a rare view of Prince backstage during the 1999 tour. The photo was taken by Prince’s trusted photographer and creative collaborator Allen Beaulieu who worked closely with Prince between 1979-1984. Allen’s work with Prince includes the cover shots for the Dirty Mind and Controversy albums and iconic promotional photos for the 1999 album.

Piano & A Microphone 1983 is set to feature a previously unreleased cassette recording of Prince at the piano at his home studio in Minnesota captured in 1983.

“This raw, intimate recording, which took place at the start of Prince’s career right before he achieved international stardom, is similar in format to the Piano & A Microphone Tour that he ended his career with in 2016,” said Prince Estate entertainment adviser Troy Carter. “The Estate is excited to be able to give fans a glimpse of his evolution and show how his career ultimately came full circle with just him and his piano.”

The private rehearsal provides a rare, intimate glimpse into Prince’s creative process as he worked through songs which include ’17 Days‘ and ‘Purple Rain’ (neither of which would be released until 1984), a cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘A Case Of You‘, ‘Strange Relationship‘ (not released until 1987 on his critically acclaimed Sign O’ The Times album), and ‘International Lover’.

The album also includes a rare recording of the 19th Century spiritual ‘Mary Don’t You Weep’, which will be featured during the end credits of Spike Lee’s BlacKKKlansman in cinemas August 2018. For fans of Prince’s spontaneous live medleys, tracks 1-7 of the album are presented in that same format as they were originally recorded.

The album cover photo captures a rare view of Prince backstage during the 1999 tour. The photo was taken by Prince’s trusted photographer and creative collaborator Allen Beaulieu who worked closely with Prince between 1979-1984. Allen’s work with Prince includes the cover shots for the Dirty Mind and Controversy albums and iconic promotional photos for the 1999 album.

RSD Exclusive, Limitation: 3000

Available for the first time on vinyl, Live From The Board... The Official Bootleg is an EP of recordings from the European leg of Phil’s Both Sides tour in 1994. It includes big hits such as Sussudio and Easy Lover. Packaged in a special edition 10" EP for RSD Black Friday.

Minimal Wave proudly presents a newly remastered deluxe double album of archival material by pioneering 80s minimal electronic duo Oppenheimer Analysis. Oppenheimer Analysis formed in London, England in 1982 by Andy Oppenheimer and Martin Lloyd. Their first meeting though was at the 1979 World Science Fiction Convention in Brighton. They quickly became good friends, sharing an interest in the work of David Bowie, electronic music and early synthesizer bands such as the Human League and Soft Cell. They also shared a love of old science fiction movies, 1950s graphics and comic book imagery and a fascination with post-World War II propaganda, the politics and aesthetics of the Cold War, and the social impact of the atomic bomb. Over the next few years Andy and Martin frequented the growing club scene, including Studio 21 on Oxford Street, and became involved in the developing Futurist and New Romantic style sub-cultures. During this period Martin recorded as Analysis, both alone and with David Rome of Drinking Electricity. They released their first single, “Surface Tension/Connections” on David’s Survival label in 1981. In 1982, Oppenheimer Analysis began writing and recording together at Feedback Studio in Battersea, and performed several times at The Bell, Islington, the 1983 World David Bowie Convention in Hammersmith, the Starzone Birthday Party at Camden Palace, the 1984 European Science Fiction Convention in Brighton and other live venues. Their first demo tape and twelve song “New Mexico” cassette were sold at gigs and by mail-order, and were reviewed in Melody Maker, Sounds and Soundmaker. For the years to follow, Oppenheimer Analysis became recognized among electro-music aficionados as a pioneering duo who influenced countless other bands during the club and home-recording era of the early 1980s and beyond. Their cassettes became massively collectible. In 2005 they re-formed with the release of a self-titled four song 12” EP of selections from the New Mexico cassette, including “Cold War” and “The Devil’s Dancers”. This marked the first release on Minimal Wave. Now in 2015, we’re happy to present the entire New Mexico collection, newly remastered and cut to vinyl for the first time ever, to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. This first edition of 1000 copies is pressed on deluxe ‘nuclear’ style black and white 160 gram vinyl, housed in a glossy gatefold silver and black printed sleeve, featuring all the song lyrics on the inside of the sleeve. First release date: May 16th, 2015. This quintessential reissue has been produced in loving memory of Martin Lloyd.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Ammar El Sherei's superb instrumental album “Oriental Music” from 1976. Here, the iconic Egyptian musician and composer revisits six classic compositions by another Egyptian legend, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, in his own hypnotic way. This series of great Arabic music reissues, started with the Fairuz and Ziad Rahbani album reissues are curated by Lebanese-born Arabic music expert Mario Choueiry from Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. This reissue has been newly remastered and comes in its beautiful original artwork.

The late musician and composer Ammar El Sherei is one of Egypt's musical giants. Born in Upper Egypt in 1948 into an upper middle class family (his paternal grandfather had been an MP during King Fouad's reign and his eldest brother became the Egyptian ambassador to Australia) El Sherei moved to Cairo with his family when he was five and attended a special school for the blind (he had lost his eyesight in his early childhood). A child prodigy with a unique gift for music, he got noticed by his teachers who recommended him to the Hadley School for the Blind in America so he could perfect his studies by correspondence. El Sherei then quickly learn piano, oud and composition with unparalleled ease. Once he got his BA in English literature from Cairo's Ain Shams University, he decided to become a musician against the will of his family. He began playing accordion in the Cairo bars and clubs and started making a name for himself on the Cairo scene. El Sherei got his first taste of success when he managed to place a song with famed Egyptian singer Maha Sabry. This was the start of a long series of hit he composed for many established Egyptian artists. From then on, his ascension was meteoric and he went to to become a very successful composer for films and TV series especially. A true innovator who didn't hesitate to bring some western influences to traditional Egyptian music and was one of the musicians responsible for ending the lengthy song trend of the 70s. He embraced modern instrumentations and was asked by Japanese keyboard maker Yamaha Corp. to help develop new electronic keyboards that could handle quarter tone. Early in his career El Sherei recorded albums for Soutelphan, including "Oriental Music" celebrating the music of another Egyptian legend, composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab, who had co-founded Soutelphan. Here he masterfully interprets six classics from the Master including "Ana Wehabieby" (aka Ana Wa Habibi), "Ya Wabour Koly" and the classic "Ahwak" made famous by such talents as Abdel Halim Hafez or Fairuz. Using early electronic keyboards like the Steelphon S900 or the Farfisa as seen on the album cover, El Sherei creates beautifully hypnotic instrumentals that blend together traditional melodies with modern instrumentation, adding jazz and pop elements in the mix. Achieving cult status over the years with Arabic music collectors and vinyl diggers, "Oriental Music is now a sought-after album which command high prices on the international scene. Wewantsounds is delighted to make this unique album available on vinyl for the first time since it originally came out in Egypt in 1976.

Originally released via the legendary Factory Records, Substance compiled all of the band's singles to that point in their 12" versions with many of their respective B-sides, and specially new recorded versions of 'Temptation' and 'Confusion'. The album also included the biggest selling 12" single of all time, Blue Monday, alongside other classic singles The Perfect Kiss, Bizarre Love Triangle and the band's debut single release Ceremony.

Following last year’s inaugural box set, Power Corruption & Lies is the next Definitive Edition to chronical the history of one of the UK’s most enduring and influential groups

The box which includes an LP, two CDs, two DVDs and a book, features the album remastered for the first time from the original analogue tape masters on LP, and CD. The Extras CD contains previously unreleased writing sessions from New Order’s Manchester rehearsal rooms and the 1982 John Peel Session for the BBC. The DVDs capture New Order live during 1982 & 83 at The Hacienda and Kilkenny, the 1984 Play at Home Channel 4 TV documentary and other rare live & TV performances. Finally a beautiful 48 page hardback book of rare photos and brand new essay from Dave Simpson completes the Peter Saville designed box.

Power, Corruption & Lies was recorded in 1982 at Britannia Row Studios, Islington and produced by New Order.

Bonus Content:

CD:
Power Corruption And Lies - Extras

Writing Session Recordings
1. Age Of Consent *
2. The Village *
3. 5 8 6 *
4. Your Silent Face *
5. Ecstasy *
6. Leave Me Alone *

John Peel Session
7. Turn The Heater On
8. We All Stand
9. Too Late
10. 5 8 6

John Peel Session Outtake
11. Too Late (instrumental rough mix) *

New York demo #1
12. Thieves Like Us*

Writing Session Recordings
13. Thieves Like Us *
14. Murder *
15. Blue Monday *
16. Blue Monday *

Album Session Recording
17. Blue Monday (Instrumental Outtake)
*Previously unreleased

DVD 1
New Order - Power Corruption And Lies DVD
Live Shows

The Hacienda, Manchester, 1982
In A Lonely Place
Ultraviolence
Denial
The Village
We All Stand
Senses
Chosen Time
5 8 6
Temptation
Everything's Gone Green
Rosehill Hotel, Kilkenny, Ireland 1983
We All Stand
Leave Me Alone
Denial
The Village
Temptation
Confusion
Age Of Consent
Blue Monday
Everything's Gone Green
Ceremony

TV Sessions

Blue Monday (BBC Top Of The Pops, London, 1983)
Confusion (Countdown – 1983
Age Of Consent (Switch – 1983)
Blue Monday (Switch – 1983)
Thieves Like Us (BBC Top Of The Pops, London, 1984 )

Extras
Your Silent Face (The Hacienda, Manchester, 1983)
5 8 6 (The Hacienda, Manchester, 1983)
We All Stand (Recreation Centre, Tolworth, 1983)
Leave Me Alone (Recreation Centre, Tolworth, 1983)
Love Will Tear Us Apart (Tower Ballroom, Birmingham, 1983)
Ultraviolence (First Avenue, Minneapolis, 1983)
The Village (Uni-Mensa, Dusseldorf, 1984)
Thieves Like Us (Alabamahalle, Munich, 1984)
Blue Monday (Alabamahalle, Munich, 1984)
Lonesome Tonight (Metropol, Berlin, 1984)
Confusion (Metropol, Berlin, 1984)

DVD 2

Play At Home
Channel 4, 1984 documentary made by New Order
Live Show
The Hacienda, Manchester, 1983
Blue Monday
Age Of Consent
Lonesome Tonight
Your Silent Face
Leave Me Alone
5 8 6
Denial
Confusion
Temptation
Thieves Like Us
In A Lonely Place
Everything's Gone Green