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Astral travel with Cybotron into the meta-narrative of the Parallel Shift, a new sonic fiction that raises many questions about military science of the near-future and the possibility of other worlds.
Descending backward through the rhythms of time, the Skynet module retracts from the hyper-structural society of 2100, edging toward the mid-century modern age teetering on the brink of what was then the frontier of “the future”. The system boots the Infiniti process, morphing into a cosmotechnic vessel coursing the superhighway of burgeoning general intelligence, seeking data from just before “the overshoot and collapse.”
R&D methods, rhythmanalytically applied, dissect the aftermath of an industrial society that burst through the ecological capacity of Spaceship Earth. Fractal visions of war and innovation spike and recede from and into the surfaces of reality being bent and guiding the eyes, ears, touch towards a laboratory in the year 1961. A nuclear expert, Don Lewis, receives orders to decrypt the mysterious black dodecagonal disc known as Fortec and the extraterrestrial biology unearthed in Roswell. He joins a team disassembling Fortec and studying the recurrent dodecahedral patterns linked to the human nervous system.
Through dismantling and probing, the team cycles through a saecular search devoid of finite conclusions, limited by Earth’s intellectual and technological prowess. One 1960s night, Lewis, while meddling with Fortec’s cyborganic innards, accidentally electrifies himself. His cyclotron and missile experience guides him to circuit-bend Fortec, stirring the entity from a mechanical slumber. Lewis and Fortec communicate in resonances, until it drifts back into a tranquil stasis.
The US Defense and contractors, unbeknownst to them, observe this breakthrough. They later permit Lewis to exit military service as the Air Force forms the Foreign Technology Division. Concurrently, MJ12 evolves into CY12, delving into second-order cybernetics. Lewis clandestinely keeps working on Fortec fragments, transitioning from military engineer to musician, pioneering the LEO module, a fusion of Fortec’s essence and audio engineering.
He shares his insights with Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi, aiding the creation of the iconic TR-808. Meanwhile, Fortec branches out, coining “Cyberspace” – a collective illusion of liberty unshackled by physical, political, or spiritual bounds, anchored in the equitable distribution of The Golden Ratio across realities. Yet “Cyberspace” morphs into a chaotic truth reservoir, spilling over into deception.
The Parallel Shift manifests in the perpetual “Now,” a collapsed event horizon where past and future are ensnared in a relentless present, unfurling along a dissolving timeline, overseen by a monolithic simulation under ceaseless watch…
— The Rhythmanalyst aka DeForrest Brown, Jr.

This will come as no surprise to those who've followed GGM since 2014's Bishouné: Alma Del Huila, the critically-lauded, self-produced EP that put him on the map, and served as sample fodder for a handful of popular music's most iconic artists. His follow-up LP, 2017's Jardin, melded classical and folkloric instruments with rnb, hip-hop, and cumbia, proving once again that Gabriel is totally comfortable making transformative, funky, cathartic records all by himself. Agüita, his first release for Jagjaguwar, is a sequence of impossibly diverse offerings ranging from trap anthems to string-drenched art pop ballads - a prismatic self-portrait, personal and universal all at once. The artist is present, and he is in final form. The magic of Agüita lives in Gabriel's ability to consolidate a range of truths into a focused, crystallized idea. "Bloom," "Blue Dot," and "Fields" compare the growth and loss inherent in human life with the changing of the seasons and the life cycles of the universe; on "Fields," Garzón-Montano evokes the despondent whimper of Thom Yorke. There are mirrors of the same themes in compositions like "With a Smile," "Tombs," "Someone," and "Moonless," a quartet of songs that explore the births and deaths of the relationships we have with the people we love; on "Moonless," Gabriel explores for the first time his struggle with the grief of his mother's passing: "Mama died / and I was moonless in a Stygian tide...trying to hide the ripening tumor / breathing fire, love but a rumour / There's a woman in my sky / 17 when I learned to cry_" It is to his immense credit as a songwriter that we are left with an understanding of the depth of his loss, despite having never experienced it. Equally impactful are the trap and reggaeton cuts - the album's energetic high points. On "Agüita," "Mira My Look," and "Muñeca," GGM delves into club-banger territory, performing in Spanish for the first time on record. Whether you're here for the medium, or for the message, for the man himself, or one of his characters, Agüita stands as the strongest installment thus far in a series of alarmingly sincere, sensationally profound works, from an artist who has sought not only to challenge established preconceptions and categories, but to expose their ultimate unworthiness. From composition to execution, the product distills the essence of Gabriel Garzón-Montano's genius, an uninterrupted creative process rare in this age of fattened album credits.

It's impossible to talk about this album without acknowledging the spectre of death that hangs over it - not only is it the third entry in Strata-East Records' Dolphy Series, a collection of archival recordings from some of the label's close associates honoring the recently deceased multi-instrumentalist, but it is actually dedicated to two members of the band, Wynton Kelly and Kenny Dorham, who died in between the recording sessions and its release. The point is driven home even further by the fact that the album begins with a tribute from Payne to the fallen Martin Luther King, Jr., a piece that acts as a de facto solo for Dorham - his playing all rosy elegance and regal warmth - before shifting into the lighter (though equally coolly-paced) "I Know Love," a showcase for Payne's sax. While not the most somber jazz track ever recorded, this opening suite is a low-key and mournful way to open the affair, but thankfully the album really picks off and shows these musicians more in their element the rest of the way.

"Girl, You Got a Home" is a funky piece, beginning very soulfully with some tight interplay among the rhythm section of Kelly, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Albert Heath. Ware is in especially fine form on this track, tying together the disparate passages of the piece by grounding the more ponderous moments in a deep funk, while Kelly's playing is especially ear catching in the way he stabs at his piano like it's an organ. After the first two tracks take up nearly twenty minutes, the four-minute "Slide Hampton" feels almost impossibly brief, a feeling that's enhanced by its quick, jittery, and infectious rhythm, driven by some really dexterous work from Kelly. The final track, "Flying Fish," may be the album's highlight, a Caribbean-inspired composition that casts the rhythm section as flighty ground for both Payne and Dorham to vamp on. The track is oddly danceable for something released on Strata-East, maybe the most fun moment ever for the label, and relentlessly uptempo. Though this release may be in part defined by the deaths that preceded it, it's clear that the recording process was actually a lot of fun for everybody, as their enthusiasm and energy jumps right out of the speakers. This is one of the first Strata East records I really got into and is still one of my favorites, a must-hear for any fans of the flightier moments of Dorham or Kelly's career, and a fitting tribute for both master musicians.

Straight outta Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York City, USA, THE World, Prison is a state of mind, an experience, a loose collective, a band, a jam band and a bunch of psychedelic dudes who aren"t your average bunch of jambanders. All that, all at once, ALL THE Time. You get what you"re dealing with here? No...you don"t. The only way to Really get it is to go to Prison -- and if you"re not from greater NYC and haven"t showed at any of the shows, here"s your best bet: their breakout album, Upstate. And whatta breakout! So high, you can"t get under it; so wide, you can"t get over it! How wide? Every song has two titles, that"s how wide. And almost everybody sings, like, all the time. That wide. Sure, you can break down the numbers -- five guys, five songs and four sides of vinyl in one gatefold sleeve -- but that won"t get you Upstate, either. Prison is the sound of everybody in the room figuring out where to go, individually and collectively. As they go through it, the meaning changes, the destination changes, the words mean something different. It"s meaning and no meaning, rising and falling, sinking and flying on the back of something massive cacophonized by three guitars, four vocals, a bass and drums. A lot of information bouncing around and enough time to really get you out of yourself! Take a look at the titles: each one a dichotomous inquest that the assembled Prison-ers march upon with fervor, glee, vengeance -- a whole spectrum of feels and perspectives woven into the jam for you to see. The Prison population changes with the seasons, and during the season this album was recorded, Sarim Al-Rawi, Mike Fellows, Sam Jayne, Matt Lilly and Paul Major were in Prison. Sarim you might know from Liquor Store, Mike"s made a bunch of scenes and records as Mighty Flashlight, Sam, who passed away in 2020 (R.I.P., brother) was in Love as Laughter -- and Paul Major you know from Endless Boogie, who Matt had roadied for -- and despite being "just a skateboarder who loves music" with no previous experience on the drums, he and Sarim inaugurated the Prison experience, like, seven years ago. Since then, it just fell together and it keeps doing so. A free thing called Prison.

Energy MC2 began as an energetic bunch of 10 and 11year old neighborhood kids, who initially formed a band under the name of ‘Congressional Funk’ while still attending elementary school. The founding members were Vincent Bonham, Opelton Parker (the brother of Ray Parker Jr), brothers Ufuoma and Eric Wallace, with the later addition of Fred Gordon. Within months of the group’s formation, they began entering and winning local talent shows in between performances at local churches and backyard parties. A little over a year later, they initially became the backing band for local recording artists Mad Dog & The Pups going on to feature on their earliest Magic City releases “Hep Squeeze” (MC-007) (which they provided the horn section on) and the follow up release “Funky Monkey” (MC-009). A change of name to ‘The Soulful Hounds’ followed which they are credited as on the instrumental flipside of Mad Dog & The Pups vocal version of “Why Did You Leave Me Girl” Magic City (MC-012). The age of band members now ranged from 11 to13 year old, and featured the four founding members with the addition of Leslie Bass, (Fred Gordon by then having left the group). Between recording sessions they continued playing their own stage shows mainly covering hit songs of the day. During one particular performance, Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield made an approach to Mad Dog & The Pups and The Soulful Hounds with an invitation to join Motown. Unfortunately, the kids were already under contract to Magic City and label owners Ernest and Barbara Burt was not about to let one of their acts go to a rival label.

After leaving Magic City, the band went through a several changes in both name and personnel and became one of the biggest bands on the local Detroit music scene. At this point the band hired a bass player Ben "Rat Bass" Adkins, who brought with him the name of his former band, ‘Energy’. Then by borrowing Albert Einstein’s formula for special relativity (E=MC2) which they added to their inherited name ‘Energy’ in doing so they were able distinguish themselves from Adkins former band. Energy MC2 also from time to time featured three female members Marlene Rice, Gwen Laster and Patricia King who played violin, viola, xylophone and bells. These girls would often provide background vocals when required. They were primarily recruited to add a string section to the band and became affectionately known as the MC3 Orchestra.

Ben Adkins later left the band, going on to play with Creative Source, Lonnie Smith and The Jackson’s (he, being Jermaine Jackson's replacement). ENERGY MC2 soon after began to seriously record original material which included the previously unissued 70’s dance track “If You Break It” which gained a belated 45 release on Soul Junction Records in 2016 to great acclaim. The group line up on “If You Break It” included Vincent Bonham, Ufuoma Akil-Wallace, Arnell Carmichael, Ernestro Wilson, Opelton Parker, Gordon Carlton, Eric Wallace, Leon Lopez, Marvin Carlton and Marlene Rice. While an earlier session had yielded two further unissued tracks firstly “Other Side Of The Mirror” featuring the same line up of musicians as “If You Break It” but with the addition of a second female vocalist Gwen Laster, this too also gained a belated release as the flipside of the SJ536 45 release. While the second song “Juliane” a beautiful mellifluous soulful ballad which featured Arnell Carmichael, Vincent Bonham, Ufuomo Akill- Wallace, Eric Wallace Gordon and Marvin Carlton on it’s recording. (“Juliane” was to also gain a belated release on the now long deleted Soul Junction compilation album “We Got A Sweet Thing Going On” Volume 2 SJCD 5011).

Following a later move to Atlanta GA, Energy MC2 signed on with The Greer Agency who also represented, The Commodores, Brass Construction, Mother's Finest, New Birth, Brick, Little Richard etc. This association led the band to perform it's own brand of Pop, R&B, Funk and Jazz throughout the Southern states, from Arkansas to the Carolinas. Sometime during 1974 several members of Energy MC2 boarded a Greyhound bus and took a road trip to Los Angeles. During their week-long stay in L.A. Vincent Bonham, Ufuoma Akil-Wallace, Arnell Carmichael, Ernestro Wilson, Opelton Parker, Eric Wallace, Gordon and Marvin Carlton joined lead guitarist Ray Parker Jr in a recording session that produced amongst others the following two songs the mellifluous “You And Only You” and “Love To Make Love To You” featuring Arnell Carmichael on lead vocals. A session that was to remain unissued in the can that was until a chance meeting many years later between UK Record Dealer and DJ Dave Thorley. Ufuoma Wallace allowed Dave to hear this unissued session and it was Dave who brought this session to the UK Soul Junction label’s attention. Later on Vince Bonham and Arnell Carmichael parted company with their fellow Energy MC2 members to join Ray Parker Jr and Jerry Knight in forming the band ‘Raydio’, they were also later joined by Arnell’s brother Darren London Carmichael. A teenage Ray Parker had learnt his trade as a member of Hamilton Bohannon’s House Band at Detroit famous 20 Grand Theatre during the late 60’s. Into the 1970’s he featured as a session guitarist on many of Holland, Dozier and Holland’s Invictus and Hotwax sessions with his noticeable “Choppy” guitar style being very prominent on Honey Cone’s number one single “Wants Ad’s”. Ray’s work also featured on Lamont Dozier’s first two ABC albums. Further session work with Stevie Wonder was to follow, an association that was to prompt Ray to permanently relocate to L.A. Once there he also became a part of Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra. In addition to the previously mentioned artists Ray’s work and writing credits can be found on a plethora of other recording artists sessions, for example The Temptations, Michael Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Gladys Knight & The Pips, and Rufus & Chaka Khan. Ray’s first bona fide song writing hit came in 1974 with a song he co-wrote with Chaka Khan “You Got The Love”. Raydio scored a #8 billboard hit with “Jack & Jill” from the Arista album of the same name during 1978 while a second single from the album “Is This A Love Thing” reached # 20 in the same year. Their 1979 Album ‘Rock On’ spawned the hit single “You Can’t Change That” reaching #9 on billboard. By 1980 Jerry Knight had left to persue a solo career and the group became Ray Parker Jr & Raydio. Three more top 40 hits followed, “Two Places At The Same Time” again from the album of the same name #8 on Billboard (1980) and from the groups final studio album two singles “The old Song” reaching #21 on billboard and their biggest hit and title track from the album “A Woman Needs Love (Just Like I Do)” reaching #4 on Billboard both in 1981 at which point the group broke up with Ray Parker wanting to go solo.

Ray Parkers solo career would see him score six top 40 hits including “The Other Woman” reaching #4 in the pop charts and the song that he will be forever associated with “Ghostbusters” the title track of the box office hit film of the same name a#1 Billboard hit for 3 weeks in 1984. Given only 2 days to write the title song Ray duly obliged but he never actually sings the word “Ghostbusters” following his question “Who you Gonna Call” it’s the crowd on the set that reply “Ghostbusters”! Ray also became involved in small screen and video acting roles.

In 2014 original members Arnell Carmichael and Vincent Bonham joined by James Carmichael and a up and coming young singer Giovanni Rogers revived “Raydio” featuring as a support act on several major tours. As for the other members of Energy MC2, Ufouma Wallace went on to play with artists such as The Four Tops, The Temptations and Michael Henderson. Eric Wallace and Ernestro Andre' Wilson both played with Michael Henderson's touring band. Eric Wallace played and recorded with Stevie Wonder. Ernestro Wilson also played with the Franklyn Sisters Areatha and Carolyn, as well as Cheryl Lynn and Bettye LaVette amongst others. Other group members, Gordon Carlton, twin brothers Jimmy and Jerome Ali, cousin Kenny Colton and Ernestro Wilson again became the band for ‘Parlet’ (part of the P-Funk family) that helped George Clinton land the Mothership!

Energy MC2 first 45 “If You Break It/Other Side Of The Mirror” first saw the light of day during 2016 and a follow up 45 of two further songs was never far from my thoughts but I was always told that those were Ray Parker Jr’s arrangements and that I would need to deal with him. Over the ensuing years of involvement in securing licensing deals I finally got a contact number for Ray, and duly called him up (and yes he does have the Ghostbusters theme tune as his ringtone!). The Energy MC2 lost session was just a vague and distant memory to Ray but after sending him a copy of the tape transfer to listen to the memories soon came flooding back. Ray was only too pleased to agree to my proposal exclaiming let’s do it Dave it sounds like fun! and so the Energy MC2 stories circle is now complete.

Words by: David Welding & Vincent Bonham

Pressed on 180g. Kate's first double album, Aerial, was released on 7 November 2005 and reached no. 3 in the UK album chart.

As with 1985's Hounds Of Love, the album is split into two sections. The first disc, subtitled "A Sea Of Honey" and the second "A Sky Of Honey"

The album sold more than 90,000 copies in its first week of release and has now been certified as platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.

UK music magazine Mojo named Aerial their 3rd best album of 2005 and the album recieved a Brit Award nomination for Best British Album in 2006. Kate was also nominated for Best British Female in the same year. Fish People are proud and excited to announce new pressings of all 10 of Kate Bush's albums, featuring a special new edition for independent retailers.

"It’s very exciting to see people appreciating the physical presence of an album released on vinyl. It’s how it’s always been for me, especially when I was a teenager. The whole buzz of the record store was part of the experience. Buying an album was an event." Kate Bush.

The records are all pressed on 180g vinyl at the world-renowned Record Industry plant in the Netherlands. New lacquers were cut from the 2018 remasters by Bernie Grundman and overseen by mastering engineer James Guthrie.

Indie editions were all designed by Kate and feature new Fish People label designs, stunning Color Vinyl combinations and obi strips with pressing date. They are protected in resealable poly-bag liners with a 'Fish People Reissue' sticker, bottom right.

These are unlimited editions and will be in production constantly.

Street date for the first batch is set at 20 November.

Psychedelic Anxiety, as a mood, goes something like this: overwhelming, existential, vertigoic, arising when we stare into the void. This metaphysical unease also serves as the title for Brooklyn-based musician Frances Chang’s second album, and as a feeling it’s present throughout, charged by all things occultish. Recorded by Chang and engineer Andrea Schiavelli, featuring a cast of revered NYC DIY players, including Schiavelli (Eyes of Love) and Liza Winter (Birthing Hips), Psychedelic Anxiety relishes in the refining of aesthetic, in the electricity of improvisation, in balancing bleakness with humor. It embodies an idiosyncratic genre Chang calls slacker prog — offbeat, but brimming with spiritual and emotional resonance. The record infuses artifacts of the mundane with otherworldliness— even the love songs live more in the realm of fantasy (or horror) than the romantic. The psychic twin and mirror image of Chang’s 2022 debut full-length Support Your Local Nihilist, Psychedelic Anxiety by comparison is less urgent, leaving space for more nuance and storytelling. Together, these albums represent a new cycle of creativity for Chang, a reset to zero. “Eye Land,” captures Chang on a tour around the Irish and English countryside, in a moment of major life change. “Lying around your spare room,” she sings, “Sky is cloudy here in June.” Around her, guitar sputters and stops. Vocals branch off like vines on the side of an old house. It is a profoundly lovely song, a freaky miniature in the way that a Broadcast song is a freaky miniature. “Darkside” opens up with a particularly memorable narrative moment. “Last night I saw Parasite,” sings Chang, describing how she saw it alone, how regular life that week was acute, weird, intense. How she found comfort in resignation. After all: Psychedelic Anxiety is a serene, bizarre record full of alien sounds and big introspection.

Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) takes us beneath all the bedazzled glam stardom as Yves journeys through the limbo of life and love, escaping toxicity to get higher and holier. From the raw, unapologetic drawl of 'God Is a Circle' comes a mercurially shifting tracklist where Yves picks apart their psyche, discerning lovers and enemies both spiritually devoted to. 'Lovely Sewer' captures the incendiary spark of love, heart racing to the red flags under sunset coloured new wave guitars; a total flipside to the later sultry sighs and strong shuffles of 'Echolalia', where heat rises from the spiralling synths and funky dance grooves.

As Yves explores the pulchritude of purgatory, they move through electrifying rock strains. The technicolour acoustic guitars of 'Meteora Blues' evolve into a high voltage headbanger as they plead, "I'll always pray to an empty sky," sauntering into a falsetto-powered, scathing examination of the popstar on 'Parody' and the cold wave-meets-emo thrashes of 'In Spite of War'. 'Purified By the Fire' is a plunderphonic gauntlet of alchemical transmutation, with shredded loops and cataclysmic beats leading up to the anthemic and heavenly last hurrah of 'Ebony Eye', where Yves Tumor finds glory and salvation, sitting on the throne as the righteous leader of rock music’s contemporary revolution.

The world needed a new rockstar, and Yves Tumor has the answer. From the chameleonic kaleidoscope Safe In The Hands Of Love, to the visceral fusions of Heaven To A Tortured Mind, and the theatrical power jams of The Asymptotical World, Yves Tumor has proved their prowess in any sound their punk spirit inhabits. Hot Between Worlds distills all of this into a masterclass of pop songwriting and rock captivation, with songs that carry a stadium shaking energy having been teased and refined with their band live across the globe.

Something happened on No. The early EPs from Baltimore’s Tomato Flower were pretty, dreamy psychedelia. Warm to the touch, like looking up at the trees on a cloudless day. On No, the four-piece’s debut album, those trees, that cloudless sky, have become haunted, thorny, stormy. It takes Tomato Flower from buttoned-up, almost technically formalist psych pop to something more urgent, raw, emotionally immediate. No is messier, more expansive, and through all of its chaos, the band’s most rigorous artistic statement to date.

No is the band’s first effort made entirely in person, the first thing tracked in a studio instead of in a bedroom. It is a highly collaborative record written and recorded by everyone, partially made live. It is very much the byproduct of a band that has done some serious touring, following a coast-to-coast tour with Animal Collective in the summer of 2022.

Lead single “Destroyer,” has Jamison Murphy practically screaming over angular guitars, oscillating in a sonic space somewhere between the prettiness of Broadcast and the sludge of Jesus Lizard. It also presents an early entry point to one of No’s major conceptual underpinnings: that of the breakup between Murphy and fellow co-lead vocalist and guitarist Austyn Wohlers, which occurred during the composition of the album.

It wouldn’t be fair to just call No a break up album. It’s far more complicated with that. No is a record about negation: I will not do this, you cannot tell me what to do, we are not living in a utopia, don’t be delusional. No embraces a kind of brutal realism, a confrontation of life that only happens when you wizen up a little bit. All of it is a brutal delight, a departure from the past, a nod to a startling present.

After the release of debut record Gris-Gris, Dr. John found himself in a strange and awkward position. The US was deep into the Vietnam War, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were fresh in the public memory. On top of that, Dr. John was being pursued by various Los Angeles authorities for a handful of criminal offenses. It was, in his own words: "a heavy time for me." Much like Sly & The Family Stone's There's A Riot Goin' On, Dr. John's follow-up album Babylon would be a reflection of the chaotic and tumultuous time that he was living in. He and band dove deeper into the voodoo-inflected psychedelic rock and R&B of Gris-Gris, while touching upon elements of free jazz and Captain Beefheart-style avant garde. As with his debut record, production was handled by the legendary Harold Battiste, and much of the same session personnel who performed on it returned for Babylon, including Plas Johnson on saxophone, Alvin Robinson on guitar, and backing vocals from Jessie Hill, Shirley Goodman, and Tami Lynn. Babylon stands out as one of Dr. John's most overtly political albums, and is a singularly murky and darkly entrancing record in his discography. A psychedelic swamp of apocalyptic lyrical content, drunk, disorienting experimentation, and a fascinating entry into Dr. John's catalogue well-worthy of his expansive legacy. Get On Down is all too eager to reissue this unique record for Record Store Day Black Friday, which has not been repressed on vinyl in over 40 years. In keeping with the album's hallucinogenic sound, it is presented on trippy splattercolored vinyl, and housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket.Shuggie Diamonds is my ‘singing’ and ‘more soulful’ alter ego, so the title The Diamond Report is based off that. The nickname was given to me by my brother, the late, great Guru. My music is also a form of me dropping jewels; I have always been a diamond in the rough.” - Big Shug on his new album, The Diamond Report Boston rap stalwart Big Shug blends equal parts raw soul and grimy street rap on The Diamond Report, an album that’s bursting with life and character from an emcee who exudes longevity. With decades in the game, the Gang Starr Foundation co-founder continues to sound hungry and passionate with his art, and it’s led to one of his strongest album showings yet. After delivering smooth vocals on the opening track, Shug hits your ear like a freight train on the bombastic “EMF” that’s produced by longtime collaborator DJ Premier. A lyrical middle-finger to “every motherf*cker” who’s ever doubted or crossed him, the single also received the video treatment from director Myster DL. It puts the focus directly on Shug and his rhymes, and it actually sets the tone for the remainder of The Diamond Report. At 20 tracks deep, the album plays like a highlight reel of all of Shug’s artistic strengths. On “Doing My Sh*t,” he kicks back and oozes confidence as he croons over the Thir(13)teen-produced instrumental. And then on the Lil Fame-produced “Keep It Cool,” he’s back in bruiser mode alongside M-Dot, B.A.M and International Dreez. Shug also embodies the wise hip-hop sage on several cuts, including standouts “Old Man Rapper” and closer “You Ain’t About It.” But it’s on the lyrically charged “Stay The Course” that everything hits hardest. With Elevated Music’s snarling beat as his canvas, Shug takes aim at Trump, big ups Colin Kaepernick, and spits rewind-worthy bars like: “I still hustle, that’s how I was raised/ When I started out they said rap was a phase/ 20 years later, I still get paid/ While some of y’all clowns, still get played.” It’s a powerful reminder of exactly who Shug is, where he comes from, why he’s still here, and why everyone needs to be paying attention. To paraphrase the man himself, it may be 20 years later, but Shug’s pen is as sharp and necessary as ever.

In a realm where the threads of fate intertwined with the tapestry of existence, there existed a timeless construct we call “meng”. This transcendental domain pushed a sanctuary where an unholy wisdom was safeguarded. Within its twenty-two walls, the experiences of countless sages and seekers resided, forming a reservoir of enlightenment, of vision and of identity.

Among the enigmatic texts that adorned the shelves of The Memory Palace, one stood out—the "Tubular Heaven," a chapter that held the essence of the universe's patterns and transformations. The book we speak of is the Book of Change - I Ching. Legend has it that the Memory Palace embodied the vibrations of those who sought its wisdom, guiding them to the Slow-Chain’s pages where hexagrams unveiled the secrets of existence.

Amidst this cosmic dance of knowledge, there lived a young wanderer whose name we do not say out loud. Driven by a deep yearning for understanding, this Warrior ventured into the city of Tanoy. With every step, he felt the resonance of centuries long gone, as if the walls whispered to him the essence of reality itself - “you may fall as long as you stand up again. Repeat this 1000 times and you will understand me. Only then can we control the sound.” As he reached for the illuminated Book of Change, a light was cast onto a newly fabricated realm of questions. One hexagram, in particular, was essential. The cryptic symbolism was perplexing. Upon meditation, we slowly begin to realize that life is indeed a tapestry of imperfections, yet from these glitches we arise with profound growth and transformation.

As our curiosity spikes, we delve into the pages that follow, discovering an unexpected connection between I Ching and the world of Jeans, no denim. In ancient times, the craft of weaving denim mirrored the wisdom of these hexagrams. Just as threads interwove to create a durable fabric, I Ching reveals how life's experiences intertwine to form a meaningful existence. Denim, like life, is sturdy yet adaptable - a true testament to the harmonious balance between falling and standing.

As this journey comes to a gentle end, we must stress that hexagrams prove that other divination systems exist. It has become clear that the patterns hitherto observed are not confined to one culture, tradition, mind or body. Instead, they echo throughout history, manifesting in various divination systems across our globe. Hexagrams are a universal language, transcending boundaries and demonstrating the interconnectedness of humanity's pursuit of higher understanding.

We can now truly emerge from the Memory Palace, carrying the wisdom of everything above us. It’s time to Drag A Friend into this Made Up Reality. Or is it? We now understand that life's glitches are the catalysts for growth and that just as threads wove together to create denim, experiences wove together to create a meaningful existence. As we walk beneath the open sky, we whisper into the wind, "Hexagrams are the echoes of universal truths, proving that the search for wisdom knows no bounds."

The chimes tingle in the deep subset of your imagination. As the pages of the Book of Change unfurl one last time, the shimmering tapestry of our shallow minds unravels.

We have revealed the kaleidoscopic corridors where perceptions dance in hallucinogenic symphony to the hymns of our rich minds.

Bureau B present a reissue of Serge Blenner's Magazin Frivole, originally released in 1981. Cold, concise analog synthesizer instrumentals -- on his second album Serge Blenner remained true to his style, albeit shifting course slightly towards pop territory. The juxtaposition of dark harmonies and pop structures is what makes this album so appealing. In places, it feels like a blueprint for early Depeche Mode. Having seen his first album La Vogue (BB 324CD/LP) snapped up by the Sky Records and fast-tracked for release in 1980, Blenner delivered his second LP, Magazin Frivole, the following year. Mindful of the success of its predecessor, Blenner added the name of his debut in big letters to the front cover of the new sleeve. Blenner remained faithful to his musical style, albeit adding more of a pop flavor. Magazin Frivole would not look out of place filed alongside Depeche Mode on the record shelf, as a certain resemblance is undeniable. Moreover, Blenner was one of the few proponents of electronic music who preferred to keep his songs concise, in contrast to the meandering odysseys of many of his electronic contemporaries. The far better-known French artist Jean-Michel Jarre adhered to similar principles, yet although Blenner was often compared to his compatriot, he claims only to have heard his music long after La Vogue had appeared. Minor chords dominate his harmonies, the bass performs octave leaps which mirror the zeitgeist. Unexpected key changes abound, adding a restless, almost disquieting quality. Overall, Magazin Frivole is less dark than the preceding album, but a picture of cheerfulness it is not. Nevertheless, a poppy drum computer introduces a lighter note. From the very first track, chord changes pop up at unexpected junctures -- they seem to come in prematurely, before harmonic sequences have run their course. Blenner doesn't have any explanation for this curiosity, other than to note that "most of the music was played by hand, so of course it wasn't all perfect." "I did all I could to avoid being successful -- on a subconscious level, at least. Unpredictable metrics and irregular beats were definitely part of the process," Blenner admits with an enigmatic smile. Juxtaposed with Blenner's more recent works, one can see what he means. His latest album Musique de Chambre (2008) comprises modern classical chamber music, built on digitally sampled real instruments. Besides, Blenner points out, handling all of those analog devices was a convoluted and complex undertaking.

Part 3 of the Melody As Truth Studio vinyl documents

“Things happen for a reason, man.” - Leo Nocentelli

At just fourteen, Leo Nocentelli was backing up Otis Redding. Soon after, he was playing on hits for Lee Dorsey, The Supremes, and The Temptations. As an original member of The Meters, Leo wrote instant classics “Cissy Strut” and “Hey Pocky A–Way,” but his greatest moment on record may be totally unknown, until now…

Recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s Jazz City Studio in New Orleans in the early ‘70s and then lost to the ages, Another Side is one of Leo Nocentelli’s most personal and definitive moments ever cut to tape. A mixture of funky folk and rootsy, raw emotion (think Bill Withers and James Taylor meeting Allen Toussaint at Link Wray’s Three Track Shack), this previously unheard album shines like the sun on a spring day on the New Orleans fairgrounds. Backing Nocentelli is an all-star line-up of New Orleans royalty, including Allen Toussaint (piano), James Black (drums), and both George Porter Jr. (bass) and Zigaboo Modeliste (drums) of The Meters. Deeply introspective, the album features nine original songs by Nocentelli, plus a soulful rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song.” Half a century later, these recordings sound just as fresh and engaging as the day they were recorded.

What makes Another Side even more extraordinary, however, is the fact that the album—which could have easily become a classic in the ‘70s singer-songwriter canon—sat untouched for decades; miraculously surviving the devastating blow of Hurricane Katrina, only to be found 2,000 miles away at a Southern California swap meet in 2018 by record collector Mike Nishita. The album’s incredible journey is documented in the liner notes by Sam Sweet (New York Times, Los Angeles Times), who spoke with Nocentelli and Nishita about the recording process and re-discovery of the tapes. Sweet’s full notes appear in the release’s accompanying booklet alongside hand-written lyrics by Leo Nocentelli. The first pressing of the vinyl edition will feature gold-foil treatment on cover and spine. Rounding out the package are original designs and layout by the multi GRAMMY®–winning designer Masaki Koike.

While Nocentelli was embedded in New Orleans’ R&B scene, he was also deeply inspired by the late 1960’s and early 1970’s rising singer-songwriters, and soon found himself exploring sounds that were miles away from his band’s hard-edged funk riffs. Whenever he had downtime from session work and shows, Nocentelli spent much of 1971 recording his newly-found, reflective, diaristic songs at Matassa’s Jazz City studio. Backed by longtime Meters bandmate George Porter Jr. on bass, Nocentelli crafted the lineups for his sessions to match the tone of the material. When he needed a pianist, he’d call Toussaint. For percussion on the slower songs, he used drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, but many of the tracks featured James Black—a frequent collaborator of Toussaint’s and a member of Ellis Marsalis’ jazz group, whom Nocentelli recalls as an “unbelievable” musician. The recording, which Nocentelli fondly refers to as his “country-and-western-album,” paints a picture of a young man yearning to find a sense of purpose. “I was going through some changes which were reflected in the songs that I wrote during that time,” he tells Sweet. Among them is the mid-tempo “Getting Nowhere,” in which he expresses a sense of frustration, as he watches others find success around him. Similarly, “Till I Get There” details a man who is struggling to persevere in his goals. In the soaring “Tell Me Why,” meanwhile, the singer contemplates the existence of God. Other songs center around fictional characters. “Pretty Mittie,” for instance, is sung from the perspective of a farmer who longs to give up his arduous life for the city. “You’ve Become a Habit” is about a man who falls for a sex worker named Fancy. “Riverfront” is based on stories that singer Aaron Neville shared, about his days working on the New Orleans waterfront. Nocentelli also chose to perform one cover: Elton John’s breakthrough hit, “Your Song.” The guitarist made the recently-released ballad his own—infusing it with a loping, head-nodding cadence, ever so tastefully “funkdafied” in true New Orleans fashion. By the time that the album was finished, The Meters were busier than ever. They had just signed a record deal with Warner Brothers and were now the official house band at Toussaint’s studio, Sea-Saint. There, they not only backed artists on Toussaint’s Sehorn label but had also become the go-to session musicians for every major artist that recorded in New Orleans. Rather than focus on a solo career, Nocentelli poured his energies into The Meters’ next album. Eventually, time moved on, as did Nocentelli, and he decided to store his unreleased solo album at Sea-Saint for safekeeping. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Sea-Saint was among its victims. While Toussaint (who passed away in 2015) had sold the hallowed studio in the mid-90s, hundreds of his archived recordings remained in the building. The new owner salvaged what he could from the flooded building, shipping everything to a storage facility in Southern California. Boxes of tapes sat there for more than a decade before moving to another unit, which foreclosed a year later. The contents were purchased in a blind auction and, days later, sold at a swap meet. The fact that record collector Mike Nishita just happened to be there was pure kismet. Nishita, a DJ and brother to “Money Mark” Nishita (of Beastie Boys fame), recognized the Sea-Saint label on the boxes and purchased all 673 master tapes at the swap meet. He inspected the contents with his friend Mario Caldato Jr., the longtime audio engineer for the Beastie Boys. In addition to masters from Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Lee Dorsey, and Toussaint, there was a quarter-inch reel with Nocentelli’s name on it. As Caldato and Nishita played it back, they knew they had something special. “There was nothing else like it,” writes Sweet. “An acoustic album by the greatest funk guitarist who ever lived. It was the tape Mike would play for people to show them how special the collection was. The best album in the vault was something nobody knew existed.” Eventually, Nishita and Nocentelli connected, “He was so grateful, so sincere,” recalls Nishita. “I just kept thinking about how this music needs to be heard...Especially when you look at all the things that had to fall into place for these tapes to survive and be discovered this way.” As Nocentelli simply puts it, “Things happen for a reason, man.” And now, Light in the Attic is thrilled to give this remarkable record the spotlight it so rightly deserves. 50 years later, all is not lost.

*Available Nov. 19th, 2021*

“Things happen for a reason, man.” - Leo Nocentelli

At just fourteen, Leo Nocentelli was backing up Otis Redding. Soon after, he was playing on hits for Lee Dorsey, The Supremes, and The Temptations. As an original member of The Meters, Leo wrote instant classics “Cissy Strut” and “Hey Pocky A–Way,” but his greatest moment on record may be totally unknown, until now…

Recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s Jazz City Studio in New Orleans in the early ‘70s and then lost to the ages, Another Side is one of Leo Nocentelli’s most personal and definitive moments ever cut to tape. A mixture of funky folk and rootsy, raw emotion (think Bill Withers and James Taylor meeting Allen Toussaint at Link Wray’s Three Track Shack), this previously unheard album shines like the sun on a spring day on the New Orleans fairgrounds. Backing Nocentelli is an all-star line-up of New Orleans royalty, including Allen Toussaint (piano), James Black (drums), and both George Porter Jr. (bass) and Zigaboo Modeliste (drums) of The Meters. Deeply introspective, the album features nine original songs by Nocentelli, plus a soulful rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song.” Half a century later, these recordings sound just as fresh and engaging as the day they were recorded.

What makes Another Side even more extraordinary, however, is the fact that the album—which could have easily become a classic in the ‘70s singer-songwriter canon—sat untouched for decades; miraculously surviving the devastating blow of Hurricane Katrina, only to be found 2,000 miles away at a Southern California swap meet in 2018 by record collector Mike Nishita. The album’s incredible journey is documented in the liner notes by Sam Sweet (New York Times, Los Angeles Times), who spoke with Nocentelli and Nishita about the recording process and re-discovery of the tapes. Sweet’s full notes appear in the release’s accompanying booklet alongside hand-written lyrics by Leo Nocentelli. The first pressing of the vinyl edition will feature gold-foil treatment on cover and spine. Rounding out the package are original designs and layout by the multi GRAMMY®–winning designer Masaki Koike.

While Nocentelli was embedded in New Orleans’ R&B scene, he was also deeply inspired by the late 1960’s and early 1970’s rising singer-songwriters, and soon found himself exploring sounds that were miles away from his band’s hard-edged funk riffs. Whenever he had downtime from session work and shows, Nocentelli spent much of 1971 recording his newly-found, reflective, diaristic songs at Matassa’s Jazz City studio. Backed by longtime Meters bandmate George Porter Jr. on bass, Nocentelli crafted the lineups for his sessions to match the tone of the material. When he needed a pianist, he’d call Toussaint. For percussion on the slower songs, he used drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, but many of the tracks featured James Black—a frequent collaborator of Toussaint’s and a member of Ellis Marsalis’ jazz group, whom Nocentelli recalls as an “unbelievable” musician. The recording, which Nocentelli fondly refers to as his “country-and-western-album,” paints a picture of a young man yearning to find a sense of purpose. “I was going through some changes which were reflected in the songs that I wrote during that time,” he tells Sweet. Among them is the mid-tempo “Getting Nowhere,” in which he expresses a sense of frustration, as he watches others find success around him. Similarly, “Till I Get There” details a man who is struggling to persevere in his goals. In the soaring “Tell Me Why,” meanwhile, the singer contemplates the existence of God. Other songs center around fictional characters. “Pretty Mittie,” for instance, is sung from the perspective of a farmer who longs to give up his arduous life for the city. “You’ve Become a Habit” is about a man who falls for a sex worker named Fancy. “Riverfront” is based on stories that singer Aaron Neville shared, about his days working on the New Orleans waterfront. Nocentelli also chose to perform one cover: Elton John’s breakthrough hit, “Your Song.” The guitarist made the recently-released ballad his own—infusing it with a loping, head-nodding cadence, ever so tastefully “funkdafied” in true New Orleans fashion. By the time that the album was finished, The Meters were busier than ever. They had just signed a record deal with Warner Brothers and were now the official house band at Toussaint’s studio, Sea-Saint. There, they not only backed artists on Toussaint’s Sehorn label but had also become the go-to session musicians for every major artist that recorded in New Orleans. Rather than focus on a solo career, Nocentelli poured his energies into The Meters’ next album. Eventually, time moved on, as did Nocentelli, and he decided to store his unreleased solo album at Sea-Saint for safekeeping. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Sea-Saint was among its victims. While Toussaint (who passed away in 2015) had sold the hallowed studio in the mid-90s, hundreds of his archived recordings remained in the building. The new owner salvaged what he could from the flooded building, shipping everything to a storage facility in Southern California. Boxes of tapes sat there for more than a decade before moving to another unit, which foreclosed a year later. The contents were purchased in a blind auction and, days later, sold at a swap meet. The fact that record collector Mike Nishita just happened to be there was pure kismet. Nishita, a DJ and brother to “Money Mark” Nishita (of Beastie Boys fame), recognized the Sea-Saint label on the boxes and purchased all 673 master tapes at the swap meet. He inspected the contents with his friend Mario Caldato Jr., the longtime audio engineer for the Beastie Boys. In addition to masters from Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Lee Dorsey, and Toussaint, there was a quarter-inch reel with Nocentelli’s name on it. As Caldato and Nishita played it back, they knew they had something special. “There was nothing else like it,” writes Sweet. “An acoustic album by the greatest funk guitarist who ever lived. It was the tape Mike would play for people to show them how special the collection was. The best album in the vault was something nobody knew existed.” Eventually, Nishita and Nocentelli connected, “He was so grateful, so sincere,” recalls Nishita. “I just kept thinking about how this music needs to be heard...Especially when you look at all the things that had to fall into place for these tapes to survive and be discovered this way.” As Nocentelli simply puts it, “Things happen for a reason, man.” And now, Light in the Attic is thrilled to give this remarkable record the spotlight it so rightly deserves. 50 years later, all is not lost.

“Things happen for a reason, man.” - Leo Nocentelli

At just fourteen, Leo Nocentelli was backing up Otis Redding. Soon after, he was playing on hits for Lee Dorsey, The Supremes, and The Temptations. As an original member of The Meters, Leo wrote instant classics “Cissy Strut” and “Hey Pocky A–Way,” but his greatest moment on record may be totally unknown, until now…

Recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s Jazz City Studio in New Orleans in the early ‘70s and then lost to the ages, Another Side is one of Leo Nocentelli’s most personal and definitive moments ever cut to tape. A mixture of funky folk and rootsy, raw emotion (think Bill Withers and James Taylor meeting Allen Toussaint at Link Wray’s Three Track Shack), this previously unheard album shines like the sun on a spring day on the New Orleans fairgrounds. Backing Nocentelli is an all-star line-up of New Orleans royalty, including Allen Toussaint (piano), James Black (drums), and both George Porter Jr. (bass) and Zigaboo Modeliste (drums) of The Meters. Deeply introspective, the album features nine original songs by Nocentelli, plus a soulful rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song.” Half a century later, these recordings sound just as fresh and engaging as the day they were recorded.

What makes Another Side even more extraordinary, however, is the fact that the album—which could have easily become a classic in the ‘70s singer-songwriter canon—sat untouched for decades; miraculously surviving the devastating blow of Hurricane Katrina, only to be found 2,000 miles away at a Southern California swap meet in 2018 by record collector Mike Nishita. The album’s incredible journey is documented in the liner notes by Sam Sweet (New York Times, Los Angeles Times), who spoke with Nocentelli and Nishita about the recording process and re-discovery of the tapes. Sweet’s full notes appear in the release’s accompanying booklet alongside hand-written lyrics by Leo Nocentelli. The first pressing of the vinyl edition will feature gold-foil treatment on cover and spine. Rounding out the package are original designs and layout by the multi GRAMMY®–winning designer Masaki Koike.

While Nocentelli was embedded in New Orleans’ R&B scene, he was also deeply inspired by the late 1960’s and early 1970’s rising singer-songwriters, and soon found himself exploring sounds that were miles away from his band’s hard-edged funk riffs. Whenever he had downtime from session work and shows, Nocentelli spent much of 1971 recording his newly-found, reflective, diaristic songs at Matassa’s Jazz City studio. Backed by longtime Meters bandmate George Porter Jr. on bass, Nocentelli crafted the lineups for his sessions to match the tone of the material. When he needed a pianist, he’d call Toussaint. For percussion on the slower songs, he used drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, but many of the tracks featured James Black—a frequent collaborator of Toussaint’s and a member of Ellis Marsalis’ jazz group, whom Nocentelli recalls as an “unbelievable” musician. The recording, which Nocentelli fondly refers to as his “country-and-western-album,” paints a picture of a young man yearning to find a sense of purpose. “I was going through some changes which were reflected in the songs that I wrote during that time,” he tells Sweet. Among them is the mid-tempo “Getting Nowhere,” in which he expresses a sense of frustration, as he watches others find success around him. Similarly, “Till I Get There” details a man who is struggling to persevere in his goals. In the soaring “Tell Me Why,” meanwhile, the singer contemplates the existence of God. Other songs center around fictional characters. “Pretty Mittie,” for instance, is sung from the perspective of a farmer who longs to give up his arduous life for the city. “You’ve Become a Habit” is about a man who falls for a sex worker named Fancy. “Riverfront” is based on stories that singer Aaron Neville shared, about his days working on the New Orleans waterfront. Nocentelli also chose to perform one cover: Elton John’s breakthrough hit, “Your Song.” The guitarist made the recently-released ballad his own—infusing it with a loping, head-nodding cadence, ever so tastefully “funkdafied” in true New Orleans fashion. By the time that the album was finished, The Meters were busier than ever. They had just signed a record deal with Warner Brothers and were now the official house band at Toussaint’s studio, Sea-Saint. There, they not only backed artists on Toussaint’s Sehorn label but had also become the go-to session musicians for every major artist that recorded in New Orleans. Rather than focus on a solo career, Nocentelli poured his energies into The Meters’ next album. Eventually, time moved on, as did Nocentelli, and he decided to store his unreleased solo album at Sea-Saint for safekeeping. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Sea-Saint was among its victims. While Toussaint (who passed away in 2015) had sold the hallowed studio in the mid-90s, hundreds of his archived recordings remained in the building. The new owner salvaged what he could from the flooded building, shipping everything to a storage facility in Southern California. Boxes of tapes sat there for more than a decade before moving to another unit, which foreclosed a year later. The contents were purchased in a blind auction and, days later, sold at a swap meet. The fact that record collector Mike Nishita just happened to be there was pure kismet. Nishita, a DJ and brother to “Money Mark” Nishita (of Beastie Boys fame), recognized the Sea-Saint label on the boxes and purchased all 673 master tapes at the swap meet. He inspected the contents with his friend Mario Caldato Jr., the longtime audio engineer for the Beastie Boys. In addition to masters from Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Lee Dorsey, and Toussaint, there was a quarter-inch reel with Nocentelli’s name on it. As Caldato and Nishita played it back, they knew they had something special. “There was nothing else like it,” writes Sweet. “An acoustic album by the greatest funk guitarist who ever lived. It was the tape Mike would play for people to show them how special the collection was. The best album in the vault was something nobody knew existed.” Eventually, Nishita and Nocentelli connected, “He was so grateful, so sincere,” recalls Nishita. “I just kept thinking about how this music needs to be heard...Especially when you look at all the things that had to fall into place for these tapes to survive and be discovered this way.” As Nocentelli simply puts it, “Things happen for a reason, man.” And now, Light in the Attic is thrilled to give this remarkable record the spotlight it so rightly deserves. 50 years later, all is not lost.

Limited to 100 copies, exclusively available at HHV! Only 2 per customer!

Rare Philadelphia Soul-Funk Album From 1982 * First Ever Official Vinyl Reissue since 1982Karin Jones (born and raised in Philadelphia) took her first musical steps singing in church. She was gifted with an extremely talented ear, and an accomplished pianist, percussionist and drummer, mostly developed without formal training. In her pre-teens, Karin and her two older sisters formed a soul group called The Jonesettes that was managed by their father. They released a single titled 'Once I Had Love / Stop, Look & listen' on Cougar Records in 1971 and participated on the gospel classic “After While” by 'Rev. Arvetra Jones And The Jonesettes' released on HSE Records in 1975. In 1976 a friend of Stevie Wonder told her that Marvin Gaye was looking for backing singers for his new record and subsequent tour. Karin auditioned for Marvin and was instantly hired. They recorded the “Got To Give It Up” EP and she hit the road for Marvin Gaye’s London Palladium tour (later released as a double live album on Motown in 1977). Soon after Karin Jones started doing session work for the renowned label Jobete Records where Teddy Pendergrass got really impressed with her unique musical style. She signed with him for management in 1979, but with Teddy's own frantic schedule, the arrangement dissolved a year later. At a convention of the Black Music Association in Philadelphia, Karin met with Jim Tyrrell, who at the time was establishing his own label, T-Electric. Karin signed with T-Electric Records and recorded an album in 1980. However, the album was shelved because the label run out of money. After collecting dust for two years, producer Jim Tyrrell brought it under the attention of industry veteran Ron Alexenburg who was president of Handshake Records. Alexenburg heard the album and very much liked it. He got Karin Jones to sign with his label, and 'Under The Influence Of love' finally got its well-deserved release in 1982. “Under The Influence Of Love” is a monster of an album arranged by Dunn Pearson Jr (known for his work with Roy Ayers, Lou Ragland, Mary J. Blige, D’Angelo) and Bruce Hawes (Stevie Wonder, Kool And The Gang, The Temptations). All of this carefully supervised and produced by Jim Tyrrell. Also worth mentioning is that the duet on the album is the one and only time Eddie Levert, of the legendary O'Jays sang with a female artist. Sadly (and shocking) Karin Jones suddenly passed away in 1984 from a diabetic coma. Strangely, she predicted an early demise while preparing her photo shoot for the album. Karin Jones was a true example of a bright light burning out way too quickly, thankfully we are left with the unique (and very rare) document that is her “Under The Influence Of Love” album. The entire album is filled with heartbreaking modern soul, deep disco, boogie-funk and a great range of tempos…all of this is topped off with Karin’s trademark vocals. Also included is the hit ‘Ready, Ready Love’ which was one of the biggest songs of the London steppers scene (or more fashionably known as 'rare groove') and almost impossible to get a hold of (unless you had deep pockets). To this day, it remains a much sought-after gem and a 'holy grail' for fans and collectors alike. Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the First ever Official vinyl reissue of this rare Philadelphia album that goes for hefty amounts on the second-hand market (it was originally released on Handshake Records And Tapes back in 1982 and plagued by inferior bootlegs ever since). This unique record comes as a deluxe 180g White North American vinyl edition (strictly limited to 500 copies) with obi strip and features the original artwork.

Jesse James returns to the Soul Junction roster with a new 45 that features his own unique interpretation of a classic song that is backed with one of the more popular songs from his 1990 “Looking Back” album now brought to you for the first time as a 45 release. Beginning with the A-side, “Everybody’s Talking At Me” which is Jesse’s unique cover of the folk rock singer Fred Neil’s penned song “Everybody’s Talkin’”. Which although recorded by Neil originally, was made internationally famous by Harry Nilsson when used as part of the theme score for the acclaimed United Artists 1969 film “Midnight Cowboy”. The song has been much covered in the style of a ballad but Jesse’s version recorded under the production skills of close friend Willie Hoskins (Wilhos Productions and Boola Boola Records) is a great up-tempo piano driven version of the song. “Everybody’s Talking At Me” is yet another find from the unissued tapes from the self- financed sessions that Jesse recorded at the Searra Sound Studios in Berkley C.A during 1971 that also has brought us Sj543 “(The Girl In) Clinton Park” and Sj544 “If A Man Ever Loved A Woman (Baby I Love You)”.

While the b-side, features the much, admired modern soul favourite “You’re More Than A Friend Of Mine” which first gained a release on the 1990 ‘Looking Back’ album (Gunsmoke Records). “You’re More Than A Friend Of Mine” was up to that point a previously unissued mid 70’s recording produced by the late song writer /producer Ron Carson. Carson the original owner of the San Francisco Soul Clock Records label remains highly respected for his work with the hit group, ‘The Whispers’ (both on Soul Clock and some of their later Janus recordings). Carson had produced and co-wrote Jesse’s 1975, 20th Century Records release “If You Want A Love Affair/I Never Meant To Love Her” now regarded worldwide as Jesse’s signature song. Carson had a follow up release in the can, which never came to fruition due to Jesse and 20th Century parting company for the second time. Carson by then had moved on and was heavily involved in the production of the Janus distributed blackploitation album “Black Fist” for Happy Fox records. “Black Fist” was a various artists compilation which also featured the Jesse James composition “The Same Thing Happens (Part1 & 2)”. The shelved, proposed 20th Century follow up release would have been “Your More Than A Friend of Mine/I Don’t Want It To End” recorded during 1976. Carson had pitched the idea of a song in a similar vein to the Jackson Sisters 1973 Prophesy Records release “(Why Can’t We Be) More Than Friends” to the songs original songwriting team William Peele Jr and Warren Sams. They duly obliged, coming up with the aforementioned “Your More Than A Friend Of Mine”. Warren Sams along with his half-sister Christine Adams Tripp and their friend Rachel Sanders were none other than the respected vocal trio “Water & Power” who recorded the acclaimed 1975 album of the same name for Fantasy Records and a solitary 45 “Mr Weatherman/If You Don’t Want Me”.

Ltd edition Double Sky Blue Vinyl, Gatefold sleeve w/ spot gloss, liner notes + DL card. Bending scuzzy boundaries, ‘Good Bad Not Evil’ is a coming-of-age garage rock classic record. Full of hedonistic delinquent anthems, the fourth studio album from Atlanta punks Black Lips reaches it’s 15 year anniversary. This deluxe edition includes unearthed photos and new liner notes from Jared Swilley and King Khan. The second disc features B-sides and rarities including ‘Cruising’, ‘I Wanna Dance With You’ and ‘Leroy Faster’. ‘Good Bad Not Evil’ perfectly encapsulates the disillusionment of the mid-00s America, slammed between warehouse parties, DIY generator shows and scattered party pics, which was recorded in a little house in Atlanta that had been converted into a studio called the Living Room. Referencing Shangri-Las in the title, this is where their knack for garage gems met Motown; with bass heavy grooves (later remixed by Diplo), a certified country twang and unabashed bravado. Instant hits like ‘Veni Vidi Vici’, ‘Cold Hands’, ‘Bad Kids’ and ‘O Katrina!’ immediately became Black Lips staples. This was a band caught in the eye of the storm, the touring continued, the parties didn’t stop, this was a band bending the scuzzy boundaries of their chosen genre. The record was hailed by the likes of Pitchfork, who proclaimed, “Black Lips are a go-to band for vintage lo-fi freaks, and their raucous live shows have helped them cross over outside of crusty dive bars. ‘Good Bad Not Evil’, however, is the record where naysayers, disinterested friends and acquaintances, people on the street, and anyone else within earshot has to sit up, shut up, and listen.” …and, shut up and listen they did. “A perfect tapestry of sordid pleasure.” NME // “The same rapturous energy as the Sonics and the 13th Floor Elevators.” The Guardian

Lockdown took its toll on Clive. Not the isolation or sense of impending doom - that was normal - but specifically the worldwide marmite shortage in April. On the verge of a ‘Driving to Dundee barefoot’ style meltdown, Clive found solace in his 20 year obsession with Alan ‘foot on a spike’ Partridge. Taking Musique Concrete to its textbook conclusion, Clive has made music only using sounds from TV series ‘I’m Alan Partridge’. Over 100, mainly foley samples were repurposed into the two title tracks of the Alan EP. Alan A is a raw yet melodic, big plate of House. Containing everything from drawer slams to air bass, cereal destruction to Black Beauty, this orchestra of found sound makes for some unique and exciting rhythmic textures. Grab a cup of beans and enjoy. Things take a dubby turn for Alan B. Late night broken beats and sultry bass worthy of Alan’s Deep Bath. Featuring Lynn on jungle time-stretched vocals. The EP is bought to a close by off-kilter acid-tinged synthwave nugget, Linton TT. It doesn’t fol-low the Partridge sampling rules but needless to say has the last laugh. Bonus Easter egg for the vinyl heads is a “Dan!” locked groove at the end of side A. Cook a cat! Label info: Income Trax is Clive from Accounts’ filing cabinet of curiosities. Home for his more eccentric and exotic ideas. Artist Bio: Regional tiddlywinks champion, stationary cupboard loiterer and all-round beige sky thinker, Clive From Accounts likes two things; pens and music. But mainly pens. Using springs, tape and old synths with fonts he admires, Clive creates the musical equivalent of warm photocopies. If it’s going to be that kind of party, Clive’s going to put his Filofax in the mashed potato.

‘Push’ sees the bridging of two minds, a spontaneous event of shared loops, ideas and vision. My Panda Shall Fly & Mau’lin join creative forces giving birth to five abstract free-form compositions. Having followed each others work for some years, the pair found themselves in an East London studio first commencing a sonic dialogue just days before Christmas.

Each track breathing a new life; a conventional genre is hard to pin down. Fusing elements of neo-jazz, broken house and down-tempo ambient, resulting as an eclectic product of unforeseen joint creativity.
Opening track ‘Sea Beast’ heralds entrance into a murky journey through time and space. With jilted, broken keys drizzled upon a throbbing bassline a distant moan finds its way through dense textures. ‘Red’, eases up tightened bolts, it lifts a hazy smog with its loose, almost ‘Buddha Lounge’ melodies. A poly-rhythmic venture of crossing synths, snares and percussion each teasing the other in & out. Taking you into a videogame-like realm, ‘Gingerbread House’ summons intrigue with a conflict of virtuous and sinister emotives. Its minimal pulsing bass line transports an ethereal synth with playful bleeps and shuffling stirs. Calling in Irish outfit Lakker, they instinctively gravitate towards the more organically moulded ‘15Keys’. Dismembering a canon of cascading marimbas and chromatic percussions they splice and reconstruct it into a euphoric slow burner. Marking the last leg of an enchanted journey, ‘I’ finds its dance-floor energy in swelling melodies and a confident staccatoed bass gifted with sharp hi-hats & breaks. Twinkling keys descend as if embossing a newly-cleared night sky with falling stars.

Devoid of preconceived concepts, MPSF & Mau’lin have managed to bind together their own musical idiosyncrasies creating an EP of seductive suspense and intelligent textures.

Sky Blue Vinyl.Unbound opens with a single, trembling chord that rises anddescends before meeting a warm, beguiling voice, a voicesinging in a tradition that's been heard in this northern rivercountry for millennia. The music that follows is a soulfuldialogue between the ancient tradition of powwow singing anda contemporary musical palette. On Unbound, the powwowstyle of singing is entwined with synthesized voice modulation,and hand drumming is accented with electronic samples andbeats _ the harmonies and resonances are equal parts culturaland musical.Geographically, Bizhiki is almost wholly a made-in-Wisconsinproject, a collaboration between Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, JoeRainey and the multi-instrumentalist Sean Carey (S. Carey), whofor years has been a secret weapon within the Bon Iver family.Bezhikiins Jennings grew up singing within the powwowtradition, around the Lac Du Flambeau and Lac Courte Oreillesreservations in Central Wisconsin. He now makes his home inNorthern Wisconsin, on the Bad River reservation on the shoresof Lake Superior. He's joined on the album by his adoptedbrother, Rainey, a Red Lake Ojibwe powwow singer fromMinneapolis who now makes his home within his wife's OneidaNation on the shores of Lake Michigan.The collaboration between these three musicians first began atthe Eaux Claires festival in 2015. The festival was being organizedon Ojibwe's ancestral homelands, and the organizers didn't feelright without the inclusion of the native communities who livednearby. Bizhikiins Jennings remembers getting an invitation toplay the festival and thinking "I wish more people would say this_ that instead of reading from some land acknowledgement,that they would say `we're gonna give your people space andjust invite you to do what you wanna do.'" The open-endednessof the initial invitation and the "let's just do something together"spirit continues to inform Bizhiki's process.Recording steadily over the course of years _ and between...

By most bands' fifth LP, the sound is pretty set. Parameters established. Refinement dissipated in favor of to-formula execution of what's worked in the past. Fair enough. All Them Witches go a harder route.

In 2017, the Nashville four-piece offered what might've otherwise become their own template in their fourth album, Sleeping Through the War. Also their second for New West Records behind 2015 mellow-vibing Dying Surfer Meets His Maker, it brought a larger production value to dug-in heavy psych blues jamming, with oversight from producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson).

After exploring new ground through their early work on 2013's Lightning at the Door and 2012's Our Mother Electricity as well as Dying Surfer, the band had arrived at something new, sprawling, and grander-feeling than anything before it.

So naturally in a year they've thrown that all to the Appalachian wind, turned the process completely on its head and gone the absolute other way: recording in a cabin in Kingston Springs, about 20 miles outside of Nashville on I-40, with guitarist Ben McLeod at the helm. Take that, expectation.

The result, mixed by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith, Kurt Vile), is the most intimate, human-sounding album All Them Witches have ever recorded and another redefinition of who they are as a band. Introducing keyboardist/percussionist Jonathan Draper to the fold with McLeod, bassist/vocalist Charles Michael Parks, Jr., and drummer/graphic artist Robby Staebler, All Them Witches' All Them Witche

It's the band confirming and continuing to develop their approach, in the shuffle of Fishbelly 86 Onions, the organ-laced groove of Half-Tongue, the tense build of HJTC and the fluid jam in closer Rob's Dream.

Its a reaction to being a bigger band. To playing bigger shows, bigger tours, etc. From the sustained consonants in Parks vocals to McLeod's commanding slide in Workhorse and drifting melancholy at the outset

Sometimes we can only come to know ourselves best when we let others in. Such can certainly be said of NYC multi-instrumentalist and artist Andrya Ambro, and her band Gold Dime, on the eve of their second full-length My House. See, she's played these instruments and crafted these songs her entire life, having honed her decisive sit/stand style of transfixing drumming and provocative singing to a degree of perfectionism. Coming from her previous, highly acclaimed noisy rock duo Talk Normal, Gold Dime's first release, 2017's Nerves, was the first time Ambro has had no one to answer to but herself. My House sees a new, more collective effort being made, with Ian Douglas-Moore on bass and John Bohannon (Ancient Ocean || J.R. Bohannon) on guitar. And it very much shows. Walking a tightrope between unapologetic art rock and disarming intimacy, she integrates triumphant doubled guitars whose distorted fuzz winks at the mayhem of Les Rallizes Denudes, deep floor toms that quick pivot to galvanizing beats on a bed of dead spinning cymbals, to sometimes spoken, sometimes sung Laurie Anderson-esque words that uplift into a many voiced choir. And the warm bass lines, well they would make Holger Czukay from CAN very proud.

My House, according to Ambro, is intended to be something of a gruff father's declaration at dinner, fist slamming on the table, but rather than the stubborn, undying manners that would come with 'living under my roof,' she only demands that everything be done with the same degree of tireless dedication and authenticity. 'I want every beat to be played with intention. 'Cause why play if you don't mean it?' Every moment of this album acts as just that'a demand to own something, whether it be self or art or place in this world. We have no choice but to listen, to respect it. This is her house... well Gold Dime's house.

Produced by Andrya Ambro recorded and mixed by Ernie Indradat, mastered by Sarah Register with artwork and layout by Eric Copeland.

Limited numbered edition of 1000 copies on colored vinyl!

Ash’s production output is similarly exploratory: his journeys have taken him far and wide, from tunnels under the river Thames to recording local percussionists in the Atlas mountains of Morocco. Inspired by a deep dive of sounds from artists including Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, King Tubby, Bo Diddley, 4Hero, J Dilla, Pete Rock, Curtis Mayfield, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich; his first two albums, ‘Augmented 7th’ (2015) and ‘Echo Chamber’ (2016) gained attention from the likes of BBC 6 Music DJs Gilles Peterson, Don Letts, Gideon Coe and Clash Maga- zine, XLR8R and MIMS.

‘Aquamarine’ is a projection and culmination of all he’s ab- sorbed. A cosmic explosion of sound and colour, rhythm, shape and patterns. The arrival of an unassuming dreamer now projecting his unique flavour of expression. ‘Aqua- marine’ is the take-off of this audial spaceship, a sound discovered in the grooves of thousands of records, united in one. A meditation designed to inspire good energy, Ash hopes to bring a sense of calm and tranquility to the listener amongst the chaos of life. Recorded at home with the freedom of time and space, it combines analogue with digital, and a fondness for normally unwanted shapes and textures such as fuzz, hiss and crackle.

“My previous albums have felt to me more like ventures on land. This one feels more like a deep sea voyage into the subconscious. Living to dream with visions of gran- deur. Manifesting a beautiful path to walk on. It was inspired by everything around me, from friends and family to art and design, engineering and architecture, move- ment and how we use our five senses. I love to try and push my own boundaries of what I perceive to be right and wrong, seeing mistakes as innovations, and obstacles as inspiration.”

Highlights on the album include ‘Under The Sun’, ‘Time’ and ‘Finishing Touch’, all of which feature the smooth and silky voice of Laville. Themes of metaphysical exploration and transportation re-occur in the cosmic jazz of ‘Brave New World’ and the smoked beats on ‘Come With Us’. Also featured across the album are trumpet and flugel- horn genius Yazz Ahmed, bassist Marc Cyril (Keziah Jones, Jr Walker & The All Stars) and renowned musician and producer Jonathan Shorten.

Having already graced the stages of some of the biggest UK festivals as well as as The Jazz Cafe and Rich Mix, The Ash Walker Experience is a formidable six piece live lineup. Ash has collaborated with Ezra Lloyd-Jackson to turn each performance into a vibrant, multi-sensory experience combining live reactive projections and carefully crafted frequency complimenting fragrances.

Following Gabi Garbutt's brilliant 2019 debut album, `The Discredited Language of Angels,' which saw Gabi and her band performing live sessions for BBC 6Music's Cerys Matthews and Radio X's John Kennedy, and scoring plays on Steve Lamacq and Chris Hawkins, Gabi Garbutt and Trapped Animal are proud to announce `Cockerel' out on very limited 12" Blue Sky 180gsm vinyl and limited Trad Black, CD DigiPak and Digitals on May 20th 2022. Gabi and her band toured with The Libertines and Edwyn Collins in 2019, and were all set for a year of touring when the pandemic hit in 2020. Retreating into her songwriting, Gabi started sketching out songs about escape and exploring vulnerability. Demoing the arrangements at home then honing the songs with her band The Illuminations as soon as rehearsal studios opened up, they created an explosive album of indie pop bangers that have lyrical and musical depth. As the opening song 'Bad Boy Bird' announces "I am no human, I am the promise of dynamite", Gabi and her band summon up a volcanic concoction of sounds, from the poetic punk sensibilities of Ezra Furman and Patti Smith, the soaring alt pop of The Voidz and The Flaming Lips, to Motown inspired soul stompers, the record conjures up a range of atmospheres to occupy the listeners mind over many, many replays, as they fall deeper into the universe that is Cockerel. Connecting again with multiinstrumentalist and producer Sean Read (Beth Orton, Edwyn Collins, The Pretenders) at his Famous Times Studio Gabi set to work bringing their songs to life on record. Upcoming single 'Subterranean Stars', one of the most representative songs on the album, catchy guitar licks flutter around trippy lyrical musings, brass refrains and a soaring string arrangement played by Basia Bartz. Following this slice of shimmering pop is 'Genet's Journey.' We meet for the first time the baritone sax of Sean Read that provides a gorgeous guttural intro that wouldn't feel out of place on a Bowie track. Next we find the first single from this album, 'Never Never' Gabi draws inspiration from Van Gogh and guitarist for Lou Reed and Richard Hell, Robert Quine. Gabi says, "Van Gogh & Robert Quine are both people that I admire artistically and who sadly took their own life.Side A of the 12" ends on a more intimate note with 'Your Blues', a song about looking out for one another and set in a dive bar suspended somewhere between heaven and hell. Opening Side B we get the sure fire single, "I Can't Win." In this darkly intense yet euphoric track, Gabi broaches the topic of mental health. The song draws on her own experiences, 'that if you lean into the mania and try to draw creativity from the manic energy, it can be a destructive path.' In Habit of Sadness, Gabi explores the merciless nature of depression and calls it 'a song of solidarity, an awareness that a lot of people are going through a hard time and that we need to remember this and be gentle with each other.' Sea Organ is inspired by a trip to Zadar in Croatia where there's an organ carved into the rocks, so as the waves come in and crash around in the organ, an ethereal melancholy melody rings out. Angel of Third Avenue is a Springsteen-esque rock n roll odyssey. Our Dying World closes the album. A song that started out as being about the discrete suffering of animals and birds in the city, Gabi soon realised she was writing a song about climate change // 'This will be amongst the best new tunes you hear all day, all week, maybe even ever.' Chris Hawkins, Bbc6 Music // "Lyrically, it's at a level you rarely hear [_] consistently brilliant and unpredictable lyrics" Cerys Matthews, Bbc6 music // "A damn fine pop record" Steve Lamacq, Bbc6 Music

(New York, NY – October 23) Celebrated hip-hop luminary, Busta Rhymes, renowned for his lyrical brilliance and enduring contributions to the genre, has just unveiled a groundbreaking announcement in an exclusive in-studio film clip. The iconic MC is gearing up to release his long-anticipated new studio album, “BLOCKBUSTA,” in partnership with an exceptional team who bring an unprecedented amount of star power as project curators. You can’t get a mind squad with any more cultural equity than Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz and Busta Rhymes himself. All serve as Executive Producers on “BLOCKBUSTA.”

In the video, wizz Beatz, proudly introduces the extraordinary alliance working with Busta Rhymes on “BLOCKBUSTA.” There’s Pharrell Williams, who he refers to as “The Pharaoh,” Timbaland, who he calls “The King,” and Swizz Beatz humbly refers to himself as “The Student.” All three super producers also helm tracks on the album in addition to their executive duties. This collaboration of four of hip-hop’s most prolific and celebrated heavyweights is poised to give rise to a dynamic masterpiece, destined to be embraced by fans across the globe. The LP is to be released on Friday November 24, 2023, by way of Busta Rhymes label, The Conglomerate Entertainment distributed by Epic Records/Sony Music Entertainment. For the megastars joining forces with their close friend Busta Rhymes, working on

“BLOCKBUSTA” was a labor of love and brotherhood Timbaland expressed his gratitude, in the film clip stating to Bus, “I’m so grateful that you chose me to be a part of your legacy.” Pharrell passionately added to Busta “You really feel illuminated; this illumination is good because I think people are going to be able to get and feel that.” Their enthusiasm is palpable, heralding the launch of a historic musical endeavor. The year 2023 has been a monumental year for Busta Rhymes, as he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the B.E.T Awards. This accolade celebrated his heralded legacy over the years and his continued impact on the world of entertainment. Busta Rhymes, accompanied by five of his six children, graced the awards show and the red carpet, making it a heartwarming, family-centered celebration. As anticipation continues to mount for “BLOCKBUSTA,” one of the album’s tracks, “Beach Ball,” featuring the emerging femcee BIA, has garnered significant attention in the run-up to the 2024 Grammy Awards. It is under consideration in multiple Grammy categories, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, and Best Music Video, further cementing Busta Rhymes’ legacy as a dominant force in hip-hop. Busta’s latest single is “Luxury Life” featuring Coi Leray. The song, produced by Swizz Beatz and Busta Rhymes, finds both MCs speaking their clout while providing a banger to put any club into overdrive. Fans have been and are continuing to go into frenzy from seeing Busta Rhymes, live as well. Busta and his family Spliff Star and DJ Scratchator are currently overseas with headliner 50 Cent as part of “The Final Lap Tour.” After selling out everywhere in the U.S. this past summer and into fall, the acclaimed 90 city outing has gone international, exciting ticket holders in foreign countries.

Mermaids really do exist, and I discovered this a few days ago. I came across the fantastic story of the Ama, literally the women of the sea. They live in Toba Bay, Japan, and have a long-established custom that has been passed on from one generation to another for more than two thousand years. Not so few. What do they do? They jump into the sea half-naked to fish for seaweed, octopus and, above all, for pearls. They are the real pearl fisherwomen. They reach a depth of just under 30m, with only the strength of their lungs. They are as beautiful as the sun. When they ascend, due to a strange play of sounds and noises coming from their hyperventilating lungs, they emit a kind of whistle that sounds like the cry of dolphins. Or more precisely, the song of mermaids. They go down into the deep sea and search for pearls. When out of the water, they train all their lives and help each other passing on practices and secrets, confiding in one another to stay united. And they are cohesive, never envious of one another, just a great sense of belonging. With his new work Gianluca seems to have drawn from this ancient hunt, made up of memories and traces. He submerged and searched in the remotest memories and ancestral sounds of skins, streets, eras and styles. With his appreciation he has connected black ghettos, slums, townships, ‘the bronx’ of all over the world and explored them with the curious sounds of contemporaneity. Gianluca also has a very cohesive community of musicians around him, he is proud of this, and with them he finds his element, his peace. ‘Anyone who doesn’t get along with musicians has an unresolved problem,’ he tells me. And that’s why he makes a point of letting it be known that each of the five well-known members of his Cosmic Band and the many valuable guests who populate this new record, contributed decisively to the creation of these crazy tracks. In what way? By using the words of their instruments, generating a language that serves precisely to connect past and present, useful for finding the thread of dialogue. A continuous back-and-forth between generations. To speak of the best in the field is an idle exercise: all have striven in the realisation of the composition, all deserve full praise, none excluded. Ovations for all. If you think you are only listening to jazz, you are sadly mistaken. There are exotic ghosts, promises of evasion. There is a celebration of the human condition. There is a life in here. A plunge into the heart of music and its many languages. A record about confrontation on words, about memory, about being true to oneself. But it is also a work on how complicated it is to come to terms with what we call identity, and Gianluca rewrites this identity in his own way. A work made of whispers, murmurs, in which music and language try to invent a new encounter. That takes us down into the abyss of the sea and up to the sky. Federico Scoppio

Mermaids really do exist, and I discovered this a few days ago. I came across the fantastic story of the Ama, literally the women of the sea. They live in Toba Bay, Japan, and have a long-established custom that has been passed on from one generation to another for more than two thousand years. Not so few. What do they do? They jump into the sea half-naked to fish for seaweed, octopus and, above all, for pearls. They are the real pearl fisherwomen. They reach a depth of just under 30m, with only the strength of their lungs. They are as beautiful as the sun. When they ascend, due to a strange play of sounds and noises coming from their hyperventilating lungs, they emit a kind of whistle that sounds like the cry of dolphins. Or more precisely, the song of mermaids. They go down into the deep sea and search for pearls. When out of the water, they train all their lives and help each other passing on practices and secrets, confiding in one another to stay united. And they are cohesive, never envious of one another, just a great sense of belonging. With his new work Gianluca seems to have drawn from this ancient hunt, made up of memories and traces. He submerged and searched in the remotest memories and ancestral sounds of skins, streets, eras and styles. With his appreciation he has connected black ghettos, slums, townships, ‘the bronx’ of all over the world and explored them with the curious sounds of contemporaneity. Gianluca also has a very cohesive community of musicians around him, he is proud of this, and with them he finds his element, his peace. ‘Anyone who doesn’t get along with musicians has an unresolved problem,’ he tells me. And that’s why he makes a point of letting it be known that each of the five well-known members of his Cosmic Band and the many valuable guests who populate this new record, contributed decisively to the creation of these crazy tracks. In what way? By using the words of their instruments, generating a language that serves precisely to connect past and present, useful for finding the thread of dialogue. A continuous back-and-forth between generations. To speak of the best in the field is an idle exercise: all have striven in the realisation of the composition, all deserve full praise, none excluded. Ovations for all. If you think you are only listening to jazz, you are sadly mistaken. There are exotic ghosts, promises of evasion. There is a celebration of the human condition. There is a life in here. A plunge into the heart of music and its many languages. A record about confrontation on words, about memory, about being true to oneself. But it is also a work on how complicated it is to come to terms with what we call identity, and Gianluca rewrites this identity in his own way. A work made of whispers, murmurs, in which music and language try to invent a new encounter. That takes us down into the abyss of the sea and up to the sky. Federico Scoppio

It may have taken the Notorious B.I.G. a few years to follow up his milestone debut, Ready to Die (1994), with another album, but when he did return with Life After Death in 1997, he did so in a huge way. The ambitious album, intended as somewhat of a sequel to Ready to Die, picking up where its predecessor left off, sprawled across the span of two discs, each filled with music, 24 songs in all. You'd expect any album this sprawling to include some lackluster filler. That's not really the case with Life After Death, however. Like 2Pac's All Eyez on Me from a year before, an obvious influence, Biggie's album made extensive use of various producers -- DJ Premier, Easy Mo Bee, Clark Kent, RZA, and more of New York's finest -- resulting in a diverse, eclectic array of songs. Plus, Biggie similarly brought in various guest rappers -- Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, Bone Thugs, Too $hort, L.O.X., Mase -- a few vocalists -- R. Kelly, Angela Winbush, 112 -- and, of course, Puff Daddy, who is much more omnipresent here than on Ready to Die, where he mostly remained on the sidelines. It's perhaps Puffy himself to thank for this album's biggest hits: "Mo Money Mo Problems," "Hypnotize," "Sky's the Limit," three songs that definitely owe much to his pop touch. There's still plenty of the gangsta tales on Life After Death that won Biggie so much admiration on the streets, but it's the pop-laced songs that stand out as highlights. In hindsight, Biggie couldn't have ended his career with a more fitting album than Life After Death. Over the course of only two albums, he achieved every success imaginable, perhaps none greater than this unabashedly over-reaching success. Ready to Die is a milestone album, for sure, but it's nowhere near as extravagant or epic as Life After Death. - allmusic.com

Kylie invites fans to return to the dancefloor with a collection celebrating all things ‘DISCO’.



DISCO: Guest List Edition



Featuring 3 brand new tracks with collaborators Jessie Ware, Years & Years and disco icon Gloria Gaynor, plus previously unreleased remixes and fan favourites, including the sensational Dua Lipa version of Real Groove, DISCO: Guest List Edition is the ultimate gift for fans.



A 2 disc digipack CD format will contain the original 12 track ‘DISCO’ album, with a bonus disc full of the additional 4 tracks from ‘DISCO (Deluxe), the new collaboration tracks and remixes.

A 5 disc deluxe casebound CD format will include the 16 ‘DISCO (Deluxe) tracks, new collaboration tracks, remixes and the Infinite Disco livestream audio – plus a DVD and Bluray of the livestream performance in full.

Finally, there will be a triple gatefold vinyl format of the original 12 track ‘DISCO’ album, new collaboration tracks and remixes.







About ‘DISCO’

‘DISCO’ was released in November 2020 and entered the charts at Number 1 in the UK, making it Kylie’s eighth UK Number 1 album. It is a record-breaking release for the pop icon, making Kylie the first female solo artist to claim Number 1 albums in five consecutive decades (‘80s, ‘90s, ‘00s, ‘10s, and ‘20s). ‘DISCO’ received widespread critical acclaim, deemed ‘an irresistible tonic to real life. Thank God for Kylie Minogue’ by Metro in a 5* review, ‘the ultimate rescue remedy’ by The Observer (4*) and ‘an exquisitely produced, effervescent tribute to 70s and 80s disco music and dance as escapism’ by The i (4*).



For ‘DISCO’, Kylie worked with long-time collaborator Biff Standard plus Sky Adams (with whom she worked with on Golden), Teemu Brunila (David Guetta, Jason Derulo) and Maegan Cottone (Iggy Azalea, Demi Lovato), alongside others. The album was largely recorded in lockdown with each team member recording and working from a separate location, leading to Kylie having a vocal engineering credit on all but two of the sixteen tracks on the record.

In 1993, in the midst of the second wave's heyday, when numerous classic albums saw the light of day and many a blaze ignited the northern sky, GEHENNA were brought forth in Stavanger, Norway's fourth largest city. In the course of the same year their efforts resulted in their first and only demo 'Black Seared Heart' which was released by the band on tape in very limited quantities.The demo comprises 7 songs of which 3 are instrumentals serving as intro and outros respectively. Although the demo reveals the members' at the time limited capabilities as musicians, it's, by and large, a very enjoyable first recording with lasting qualities. The sound is leagues above the average demo production since 'Black Seared Heart' was recorded in a studio.The moody songs – for the most part played in moderate tempo – are written in a way that reveals GEHENNA as talented songwriters even at this early stage. Notably, the keyboards, whose remarkable melodies would go on to become one of the band's trademarks were already present on the demo.As an added bonus the re-release of 'Black Seared Heart' comes with an instrumental, a song recorded at the rehearsal-room and most importantly a studio recording-session that was aborted before completion that was supposed to result in the band's first EP 'First Spell'.The songs were completely new remastered by Patrick W. Engel at the Temple of Disharmony to ensure the best possible sound for this timeless Black Metal classic.This release will include a huge 20 page 12” booklet including an in-depth interview (divided into 4 parts, this is part 1) with all 5 original bandmembers and many never seen before pictures.An A2 poster will be added to every vinyl too and a download-code. SIDE A:1. Intro2. Two Demons Eight Spirits3. Black Seared Heart4. Angelwings And Ravenclaws5. The Chariots That Carried Her To The Grave6. Outro (Part I+II)SIDE B:1. A Witch Is Born2. Night Of The Serpent’s Judgement3. Midwinter Forest

Avnu (uk) follows up his fantastic recent single on Ellum Audio with a long-awaited and hugely adventurous new album, ‘Tough To Love But Worth The Effort’. Avnu (uk) is based on the East Coast of Scotland and has been deeply immersed in music for twenty plus years. He has a love of everything from rock, soul and blues to disco, electro, techno, trance and rave. All of that comes out in his innovative sounds, which range from sweat-inducing club tracks to hooky and feel-good grooves. This album finds him working his magic across 15 tracks that bring plenty of fresh perspective to house, electro, synth, techno and pop. They add up to a storytelling record filled with left turns and tracks that work in a range of different contexts. 'Surprise!' opens with a glossy electro beat and shimmering 80s synths that set the tone for the whole record. 'I Love You' brings a French touch influence with plenty of filtered synth loops and crisp drums under a soulful vocal, then 'Supaflake' cuts loose on an old-school funk vibe with nods to early Daft Punk. This most colourful of records plays out through the likes of sombre cosmic techno offering 'Bad Karma,' the longing chords and heavy-hearted electronica of 'Odyssey Jam' feat Mariel Ito and distorted bass of 'Phlegm In The Street' which comes with laser-like synths and menacing vocals. The future styles continue on 'Yo E, Check This Out' which collides jungle breakbeats with brain-melting sine waves, while 'Wilkie' is a moment to catch your breath amongst bright and shiny synths and deeper drums that suspend you in a celestial sky. 'Proud You’re Mine' is a perfect electro-dance-pop gem that has potential to be a summer festival anthem and the title track closes down with six minutes of enchanting and mystical synth lines and hypnotic drums. ‘Tough To Love But Worth The Effort’ is a spectacularly broad and accomplished album that lives in a world of its own.

Limited Editon Lp Format With Extra Heavy Textured Jackets And Metallic Silver Ink. Lp Includes 12" Square Insert With Lyrics And Images Of The Artist, And Download. The Raw Inspiration For Vague Tidings Came From A 2006 Diy Tour Of The 49th State. It Was A Trip That Went Off The Beaten Path-Sometimes A Bit Too Far For Comfort. Now, Over A Decade Later, Listeners Find Joe O'connell Aka Elephant Micah Stationed At A Creaky Spinet Piano, Singing About The Alaskansky. Throughout, His Lyrics Take A New Angle On A Pet Theme: Human Encounters With The Natural World. Vague Tidings Places These Encounters In The American West And, At Times, In Its Sci-Fi Corollary, Outer Space. Its Imagery Draws From The Allure Of Alaska, The Idea Of Western Prosperity, And The Human Relationship To Wilderness More Broadly. Often, O'connell Sings About The Goal Of Capturing And Commodifying Nature. In Poeticsketches Of Resource Extraction Industries And Dark Sky Tourism, Frontier Lust Runs Amok. Pipelines Catch Fire And Stars Disappear, All To The Tune Of A Stark, Uncanny Americana.Vague Tidings Is A Sustained, Hallucinatory Rendering Of This Theme. In Style, Its Eight Songs Follow A Switchback Path Between Foggy Incantations And Mountain Anthems. Made With A Small Cohort Of Acoustic Instrumentalists, The Record Is Rough Hewn, But Easy On The Ears. To Put Vague Tidings Down On Tape, O'connell Assembled Some Of His Favorite Musicians In Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Area, Where He's Lived Since2015: Libby Rodenbough (Mipso) Bows And Plucks A Detuned Fiddle, Matt Douglas (Mountain Goats) Breathes Life Into Various Woodwinds, And Matt O'connell (Lean Year) Sets The Pace On A Two-Piece Drum Set. Their Loose, Imaginative Playing Pushes Vague Tidings Beyond The Singer-Songwritergenre Into Something Richer In Texture. Ultimately, This Is Foreboding But Spacious Music, With Plenty Of Room For Reconsidering Life On Earth. R.I.Y.L. Jason Molina, Bonnie Prince Billy, Bill Callahan, Damien Jurado.

In 1993, in the midst of the second wave's heyday, when numerous classic albums saw the light of day and many a blaze ignited the northern sky, GEHENNA were brought forth in Stavanger, Norway's fourth largest city. In the course of the same year their efforts resulted in their first and only demo 'Black Seared Heart' which was released by the band on tape in very limited quantities.The demo comprises 7 songs of which 3 are instrumentals serving as intro and outros respectively. Although the demo reveals the members' at the time limited capabilities as musicians, it's, by and large, a very enjoyable first recording with lasting qualities. The sound is leagues above the average demo production since 'Black Seared Heart' was recorded in a studio.The moody songs – for the most part played in moderate tempo – are written in a way that reveals GEHENNA as talented songwriters even at this early stage. Notably, the keyboards, whose remarkable melodies would go on to become one of the band's trademarks were already present on the demo.As an added bonus the re-release of 'Black Seared Heart' comes with an instrumental, a song recorded at the rehearsal-room and most importantly a studio recording-session that was aborted before completion that was supposed to result in the band's first EP 'First Spell'.The songs were completely new remastered by Patrick W. Engel at the Temple of Disharmony to ensure the best possible sound for this timeless Black Metal classic.This release will include a huge 20 page 12” booklet including an in-depth interview (divided into 4 parts, this is part 1) with all 5 original bandmembers and many never seen before pictures.An A2 poster will be added to every vinyl too and a download-code. SIDE A:1. Intro2. Two Demons Eight Spirits3. Black Seared Heart4. Angelwings And Ravenclaws5. The Chariots That Carried Her To The Grave6. Outro (Part I+II)SIDE B:1. A Witch Is Born2. Night Of The Serpent’s Judgement3. Midwinter Forest

You can't get Deeper if you're standing still. That's intentional, says the Chicago quartet's Nic Gohl. "Does it feel good when you're listening to this song? Does your body want to move with it?" These are the questions he asked himself as he and bandmates Shiraz Bhatti, Drew McBride, and Kevin Fairbairn were writing and recording Careful!, their third record and Sub Pop debut. "I wanted these to be interesting songs, but in a way where a two-year-old would vibe out to it," Gohl adds. "It's pop music, basically." That "basically" qualifier is working pretty hard, as fans of 2020's Auto-Pain might suppose. On Careful!, they're not reimagining their sound so much as testing its limits. If you want to, you can hear echoes of David Bowie's Low in the snapping rhythm and gray-sky synths of "Tele," but you can also hear a bit of Auto-Pain in the nailed-in, stippling lines being spit out by Bhatti's drum programming and McBride's synthesizer. "Fame" seems to stumble together and nearly fall apart, the dialed-up noise making the beat feel maniacal and a little invincible, the whole thing a series of short, snipped, autonomous gestures that are by now Deeper's trademark. "Build a Bridge" pushes in the opposite direction, using a prickly guitar line to launch into big, smeary art-pop, its emotional palette clear, well-defined, and easy to latch onto. On "Sub," Gohl sings above and below the melody like Ian McCulloch, bellowing and wondering and ruminating and rounding into swaggering confidence that the band rises to meet. It's festival headliner music that still feels like it was written in a garage. That fraternal interdependence is near the center of Deeper's music. The musical and lyrical devotion to mutuality makes this restlessly curious, stylistically broad album feels like the most coherent portrait of who Deeper is. Or, as McBride ultimately frames it, "Careful! is about looking out for one another."

You can't get Deeper if you're standing still. That's intentional, says the Chicago quartet's Nic Gohl. "Does it feel good when you're listening to this song? Does your body want to move with it?" These are the questions he asked himself as he and bandmates Shiraz Bhatti, Drew McBride, and Kevin Fairbairn were writing and recording Careful!, their third record and Sub Pop debut. "I wanted these to be interesting songs, but in a way where a two-year-old would vibe out to it," Gohl adds. "It's pop music, basically." That "basically" qualifier is working pretty hard, as fans of 2020's Auto-Pain might suppose. On Careful!, they're not reimagining their sound so much as testing its limits. If you want to, you can hear echoes of David Bowie's Low in the snapping rhythm and gray-sky synths of "Tele," but you can also hear a bit of Auto-Pain in the nailed-in, stippling lines being spit out by Bhatti's drum programming and McBride's synthesizer. "Fame" seems to stumble together and nearly fall apart, the dialed-up noise making the beat feel maniacal and a little invincible, the whole thing a series of short, snipped, autonomous gestures that are by now Deeper's trademark. "Build a Bridge" pushes in the opposite direction, using a prickly guitar line to launch into big, smeary art-pop, its emotional palette clear, well-defined, and easy to latch onto. On "Sub," Gohl sings above and below the melody like Ian McCulloch, bellowing and wondering and ruminating and rounding into swaggering confidence that the band rises to meet. It's festival headliner music that still feels like it was written in a garage. That fraternal interdependence is near the center of Deeper's music. The musical and lyrical devotion to mutuality makes this restlessly curious, stylistically broad album feels like the most coherent portrait of who Deeper is. Or, as McBride ultimately frames it, "Careful! is about looking out for one another."