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With their Debut „Everything Went Down As Planned“ A Tale Of Golden Keys made it to numerous club and festival stages, into the good radios and Spotify playlists. Their sophomore album continued their way of releasing beautiful songs for the indie pop crowd. „Shrimp“ is a critically acclaimed record and was one of the most successful indie pop albums from Germany in 2018. In 2019 the band released the soundtrack for the adventure documentary "Tyry" called "Tyry (Music for the Film)".

Attn.: We did not receive this record in time for RSD, but we will get it this week.

Amaiwana's new project draws influence from Shibuya-kei, new wave, and techno-pop genres.

Scheduled for release in October 2024, the project includes two EPs, 'new Shibuya' and 'new WAVE,' presented as a double A-side. Ginger Root, an American musician, contributed to the mixing and mastering of both EPs. 'new Shibuya' features the track "cover GIRLS," with a guest appearance by Maki Nomiya, the queen of Shibuya-kei. The album continues the spirit of Shibuya-kei into the Reiwa era. It also includes "Shanghai Girl," part of Amaiwana's "Shanghai trilogy," alongside previous releases "Shanghai Planet" (2020) and "Shanghai Rendezvous" (2023). 'new Wave' reimagines tracks from 'new Shibuya' in a techno-pop and new wave style, influenced by artists like Plastics, Hikashu, and Miharu Koshi, as well as 80s techno kayō music. These self-remixes offer a fresh take on the original songs, giving them entirely new identities. Amaiwana also designed the cover art, which features a double-sided concept that represents both the new Shibuya-kei and new wave aesthetics.

About:

Coming off her first Number 1 single at country radio with "Somebody Like That" & 2021 ACM's New female artist nominee, Tenille Arts is set to release her third studio album, Girl To Girl. Catapulting into the project is the Dave Pittenger produced lead single,"Back Then, Right Now” which has amassed 8.8M streams on Spotify to date. Tenille continues to deliver magic with the 13 track album while stepping into stardom on a major tour this summer through January 2022 with Lady A. Features include Matt Stell & Callista Clark.

Known as an icon of Shibuya-kei and Swedish Pop in Japan since the 1990s, Hideki Kaji returns to his roots with this work, seriously embracing jangle pop/guitar pop. The cover illustration is done by Hisashi Eguchi.

After appearing on some of the labels key releases, dub maestro Andre Kronert is back on Berg Audio doing what he does best : dubby, reduced, and highly efficient dancefloor breaking tunes - Incl. a highly awaited repress of >Triton<.

"San Francisco Bay Area bon vivants with an impressive pedigree and playful meld of loopy Syd Barrett flights of fancy; sparse Young Marble Giants-styled quietness & minor-key New Zealand sub-underground dissonance..."—Dynamite Hemorrhage fanzine.

Remix 7inch from the project "Tetsuro Yafune & Seira Kariya" is now available!! The key person in the current city pop scene, "Cunimondo Takiguchi (ryusenkei)", and "Auto&mst", wicked beat maker in the Lo-Fi~Chill Hop scene, have joined as remixers!!

First release of the band Joel, 12 original tracks with numerous influences: funk, soul, rock, pop, folk… Kind of like David Crosby rubbing elbows with The Meters, like a jam session between the Alabama Shakes and Pink Floyd, or the Black Keys having a beer with Joe Cocker. All carried by a charismatic voice.Joel is a little bit of all this at once.

Drum-machine soul, funk, disco and boogie from Buffalo, NY. Rare 7" singles and previously unreleased tracks presented as a complete album. In the early 70s, Jessie Key and Sylvester Cleary - two passionate idealists living in Buffalo, New York - formed a close friendship based on a mutual mission to better their city. The Attica State Prison Riot of 1971 was a burning memory, and the Arthur vs. Nyquist lawsuit - brought against the City of Buffalo for creating and maintaining a racially segregated school system - was on the docket. Key was once a cotton-laborer in Mississippi, who journeyed north for school where he met his kindred spirit, Cleary. The two struck up an intense friendship, bought a drum machine and recorded their first 45, "A Man," a paean to self-actualization and Black American empowerment, which they custom pressed and issued privately. Dozens of recordings followed over a decade long span, issued on local labels and warehoused on cassette tapes. Perennial optimists, Key & Cleary tried any - perhaps every! - path they could demarcate in hopes of forwarding their agenda of self-effected, positive change. They formed Buffalo’s first minority-owned construction company, opened a health food restaurant in a building previously occupied by a fast food chain, and even concocted a candy bar called "The Buffalo Treat," which they manufactured and sold locally. Eventually they started their own label, Buffalo’s Reflection. On it they released their masterpiece, "What It Takes To Live," a sought-after disco and Northern Soul classic, which previously appeared on Now-Again”s Soul Cal anthology. This album collates the breadth of Key & Cleary’s recordings from 1970 until the mid 1980s, both with songs issued on rare 7" singles and previously unreleased. It presents a conjoined musical vision and tells the story of a duo years ahead of their time, both musically and culturally. Love Is The Way was their ethos - their goal was to enlighten humanity and to bend history in a more loving direction through communion.

First Dabeull's proper album of his career after several key releases - Intimate Fonk, Fonk Delight or the sought-after compilation InDaStudio.

For Dabeull, analog production is his favorite playground as showing his upcoming 9-track album, "Analog Love" (out on April 12th 2024) was recorded using Michael Jackson's Thriller console - 100% analog.

First Dabeull's proper album of his career after several key releases - Intimate Fonk, Fonk Delight or the sought-after compilation InDaStudio.

For Dabeull, analog production is his favorite playground as showing his upcoming 9-track album, "Analog Love" (out on April 12th 2024) was recorded using Michael Jackson's Thriller console - 100% analog.

Hawaiian enka singer Torao Hikariyama, who gained fame by winning a foreign talent singing competition on TV and is well-loved in Hawaii as a key performer at Bon dance festivals, has his hit song "Torao no Tairyo sen" boldly remixed and dubbed by Tengaku DUB! This release comes in a UK-style center-cut double-sider 7" vinyl, making its long-awaited debut.

The remastered edition of the City Music Tokyo multiple compilation, curated by Cunimondo Takiguchi (Ryusenkei), originally released on CD and digital formats by Nippon Columbia in 2023, is now making its debut on vinyl!! The compilation is a chronicle curated by Cunimondo Takiguchi (Ryusenkei / City Music Tokyo), specializing in curation from the vast catalog owned by Nippon Columbia. It serves as a chronological account of the most exciting and innovative originators and key artists in the genre of City Pop.

Since 1981 French new wave/rock band Indochine have sold millions of albums and singles marking them as one of the bestselling French bands of all time. Led by founder/frontman Nicola Sirkis, their extraordinary career has spanned four decades and has fully established Indochine as a key part of France's history. Singles Collection (2001-2021) features the new track 'Nos Célébrations', recorded in London at the legendary Rak Studios.

The track "Chocolate Lemonade" features American musician Ginger Root as the arranger. Ginger Root also handled the mixing and mastering for the entire album. The album includes a techno-pop cover of "Message Song," originally by Pizzicato Five, whom Amaiwana admires. Additionally, it features "Shanghai Aibiki," an answer song to their 2020 track "Shanghai Wakusei," marking a continuation of Amaiwana's "Shanghai series." The album's title, "sweet Sweet Sweet," reflects a pop aesthetic inspired by the Shibuya-kei genre. The cover art, designed by Amaiwana, is sweet and catchy, complementing the album's vibe.

Little Creatures are long running Japanese band formed in 1987 while still in high school by Takuji Aoyagi (Vo/G), Masato Suzuki (Bass/Key), and Tsutom Kurihara (Dr/Per). They gained popularity while performing street shows centered around Shinjuku and Shibuya and debuted with a single in 1990 “things TO Hide”. 2020 marks their 30th anniversary from their debut. In January of 2021, they released their 8th album, “30”, a masterpiece packed with advanced minimal pop music that can only be made by the current Little Creatures, which boasts overwhelming musicianship and career.

Soft-spoken with the look of a slightly disaffected 1950s matinee idol, Aaron Frazer possesses a unique voice that's both contemporary and timeless. On Introducing... -- his debut solo album produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, co-released on Easy Eye Sound and Dead Oceans -- Aaron melds mid-`60s soul with Auerbach's particular sensibilities (`Over You'), songs with a message in the key of Gil Scott-Heron (`Bad News'), and uplifting tales of love told through a blend of disco, gospel, and doo-wop (`Have Mercy'). The Brooklyn-based, Baltimore-raised songwriter first came into the international spotlight as multi-instrumentalist and colead singer of Durand Jones & The Indications, but he's more than a revivalist act. "I didn't want Introducing... to be an exact recreation of an era or a style," Frazer says. "I'm excited to keep breaking some of the expectations around what exactly I'm supposed to be artistically and musically, or what this scene as a whole can be." On Introducing..., Aaron expertly calibrates consciousness-raising and the desire to be enveloped by love. Where previous records were written in a partial state of turmoil, Aaron's debut LP shows maturation and range. Introducing... is both loving and gracious, critical without losing hope, and a showcase of a young artist on a seriously soulful ascent.

Aparde's new album, Alliance sees the German musician retreat from his recent experimentations with avant-gard pop music back into the world of deep, and oftentimes dark, electronica. For his previous album, Hands Rest, Aparde ventured outside Berlin's club scene through the use of his voice, which gave his music a softer and more intimate edge. Alliance is no less intimate, except this time the musician's vulnerability seeps through the cracks rather than taking center stage. With Alliance, Aparde brings listeners deep into his soul, a soul that is at times conflicted and agitated and at times low-key and solemn. And as he does so, the listener's own mood is muted and lifted in a journey of quest, dance and healing.

Sealed copy. Cover corners slightly dented.

„Sybilline“, „unique“ and „peerless“. These are some of the adjectives that were used to describe Everyone Is A Door – Panoram’s first full-length on Edinburgh’s Firecracker Recordings. Since then, the elusive producer, founded his own label Wandering Eye, produced automated piano music in Los Angeles (Thom Yorke Sonos playlist approved), composed synth lines underwater for Amen Dunes Freedom and toured two years with the band as well being involved in their collaboration with Sleaford Mods Feel Nothing and their upcoming album on SubPop. But Panoram can also hold its own very well. His debut on Running Back’s Incantations series lets you hear and experience that after the first few bars already. Acrobatic Thoughts is surreal, abstract, puzzling and urgent, yet filled with beautiful, slow-moving melodies and emotional passages. Eccentric humor meets serious soundscapes, acrobatic thoughts evolve around abstract key notes, while an out-of-time and out-place atmosphere surrounds a microcosmos that seems to be otherworldly and very natural at the same time. Panoram manages to build a house that can be as much of a home for ambient record collectors as for futuristic pop fans and all the ones in-between those poles. Or to describe it one sentence while quoting two titles of this enigmatic record: Seabrains controlled by beautiful engines. Short: Seabrains controlled by beautiful engines. Panoram’s new record Acrobatic Thoughts and his debut on Running Back is surreal, abstract, puzzling and urgent, yet filled with beautiful, slow-moving melodies and emotional passages. Eccentric humor meets serious soundscapes, acrobatic thoughts evolve around abstract key notes. One LP to make millions happy.

Endearing Montreal-based trio Afternoon Bike Ride announce their forthcoming second album "Glossover", set to be released via Friends of Friends. Consisting of Lia Kurihara (vocals, guitar, programming), David Tanton (vocals, guitar, drums, programming), and Éloi Le Blanc-Ringuette (vocals, keys, drums, programming), Afternoon Bike Ride is a lo-fi folk trio providing a comfort zone in audio form. It"s in the name. When all three artists are together, their chemistry culminates into one organic and lush sound. Sonics that feel natural and freeing, as if fireside with a handful of microphones and instruments and toys. The band has released a series of cohesive projects where field recordings blend with ambient, acoustic, folk, and pop. A cauldron of genres they stir during each song. With precision, Afternoon Bike Ride presents a soothing sound all their own, one that continues to expand and deliver with each new release.

After releasing on Atomnation's Unfold Vol. 2 last year, Berlin-based Italian Nocui returns with more rich and uplifting grooves on his new 12” “Entrain”. Leonardo Di Fiore (Nocui's real name) is a Rome-born composer and a classically trained pianist who brings a performative approach to how he makes music. An early love of jazz also permeates his work and he now considers himself a "studio and sound design obsessive." That shows in the meticulously crafted, always fresh music he makes on his go-to drum machine, the Jomox Alpha Base. Nocui is also adept at speaking through other key bits of gear such as the Roland Sh101, Acidlab 303, DSI Prophet 6, and Haken Continuum Fingerboard - machines that lend his music its signature sound and have taken him to labels like Traum and Wildfire.

Following 2022' acclaimed 'Topical Dancer' album with Charlotte Adigéry, here comes 'Letter To Yu', the debut solo album by Bolis Pupul : produced by fellow Belgians Soulwax & released on DEEWEE/Because Music. Exploring many themes including loss, grief, ancestry, culture, belonging/not belonging and identity. It's no coincidence that Bolis Pupul's music sounds the way it does. Born in Belgium to a Chinese mother and Belgian father and raised in the super-cool creative city of Ghent, Bolis' music is a joyous cross-cultural assemblage. Mixing widescreen electronica with the warm-hearted and wonky naivete of Belgian New Beat, Bolis' singular sonics are at once playful, emotive, unrelenting and tender. The real key to unlocking Bolis' musical secret, however, is that conversation he has between his Eastern and Western roots. The creation of the album is built around Bolis' trip to Hong Kong earlier this year, made to reconnect with his late mother's roots.

2 Afrobeat bangers inspiring a new label design fitting of this genre. Side A features South African singer Tyla's banger "Water" which is still killing the airwaves paired with Nigerian Rema's "Calm Down" this 45 is pure Fiiiiiire!! Summer sure shot don't sleep!

One of the summer’s anthems, Popular, taken from the HBO series The Idol, features non other than Madonna and for the flip we go back to 2016 and the title track of the multi platinum

LP Starboy featuring French superstars Daft Punk – both tracks killer and intro/outros added with the DJs in mind – this is likely to be a popular one!

Third full-length solo album by singer-songwriter Mimlus Naito Akiko, filled with high-quality city pop songs. This album "home Fermenting" was produced with two supporting members during the pandemic stay-home period, and the entire production process was done at home DIY. The sound is a quality POP album with a smooth lineup of 80s~city pop~organic acoustic sounds.

Chris Wicked is an experienced artist from Bergen, best known as the vocalist in Malice in Wonderland where he toured the world and released several albums, EP’s and singles. After a tour in China with Finnish band Negative, the artist was brought to Finland where he spent several years touring, doing festival work, as well as several TV appearances. Back in Bergen, the band was eventually disbanded, and Chris has spent the last few years creating a new sound singing in his own language - now as a solo artist. The recent time has been spent in Polyfon Studio and the debut album has now been recorded. Although parts of the Black Metal elite such as Gaahl (Gaahls Wyrd), Hoest (Taake, Gorgoroth), Vgandr (Helheim, Taake) and Niklas Kvarforth (Shining SE) contributes on the album, it is in no way extreme music we are talking about. This is melancholic and catchy, at times low-key, with a dark, beautiful and unique expression, inspired by artists such as The Cure, Nick Cave, David Bowie and Depeche Mode.

The first release from Nothin Personal, comes from Melbourne based artist 'Loure'. House music has always been made from the heart and for the floor. Whilst Loure's music adheres to this hackneyed creed, it exists beyond simply the confines of one particular genre. His jazz-infused, house cuts have found homes on labels such as Delicieuse Musique, Apparel Music, and Slothboogie. An oscillating live performer, Loure can be found in the middle of a flurry of hardware for his solo live show, behind the platters for his DJ sets or conducting a full live band setup that is riddled with horns, guitars, keys and infectious improvisation. For these reasons, it's our pleasure to share 'np001: Loure - Outta 106'. Marking a slightly new direction for Loure, 'Outta 106' celebrates the diversity and talent of the Melbourne underground. Showcased through a collection of 6 finely crafted tracks stretching from contemporary jazz, to breakbeat, through to house cuts - Loure collaborates with some of Melbourne's best-kept secrets, to surface the stunning talent and beauty that is the Melbourne underground.

7"
DJ Koze - Wie schön du bist EP
Two sides, one message - love in its purest form, captured at 45 RPM
A. Wie schön du bist (feat. arnim & The Düsseldorf Düsterboys)
AA. Amor (feat. César Lacerda)

A
DJ Koze, Arnim Teutoburg-Weiß aka arnim, and the Düsseldorf Düsterboys enchant with a touching homage to Holger Biege - one of the legendary architects of East German soul. DJ Koze once again proves his unparalleled sense for the extraordinary. Around the line "Du hast erzählt, gelacht / Mir gezeigt, wie schön du bist" from Holger Biege's 1978 song "Bleib doch", Koze weaves a small masterpiece, infused equally with nostalgic depth and futuristic elements.

Arnim Teutoburg-Weiß aka arnim (frontman of the iconic Beatsteaks) opens our hearts with his heavenly radiant voice. With full sincerity - pure and straightforward - he sings the love declaration of a lifetime.
Floating on a cloud, the Düsseldorf Düsterboys sprinkle lyrical stardust with their brilliant harmonies - fluffy and bizarre at the same time. It feels as if this cosmic quartet boarded a time machine and returned to the present to plant the essence of days gone by into today's matrix.

"Wie schön du bist" is not just a tribute to Holger Biege's work, but a loving bow to his entire musical legacy. It is an anthem to the timeless magic of music and the enduring power of love that connects us all.
Koze, arnim and the Düsterboys have created something truly unique here: a gem-a homage, a time travel, and a love letter all in one. Music can indeed be something magical.

AA
"Amor," a dandelion of a song, was created in collaboration with Brazilian singer César Lacerda. It is an acoustic love letter in its purest form-warm, crackling, and everlasting.

On September 13, the two original Amiga albums "Wenn der Abend kommt" and "Circulus" by Holger Biege were re-released as a double album and are available here
https://konsum.buschfunk.com

Gabriel Gosse - Flow

Still sealed. Clear vinyl. tiny wear.

180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
INCLUDES INSERT
CONTAINS ETCH ON D-SIDE
FEATURING THE SINGLES “NOT AN
ADDICT”, “MR. FREEZE” & “DAD”

LIMITED EDITION OF 750 INDIVIDUALLY
NUMBERED COPIES ON TRANSLUCENT

GREEN COLOURED VINYL

White opaque wax.

Last chance, last repress.

Cleo Sol - Mother is the second studio album by British singer-songwriter Cleo Sol, released on August 20, 2021. The album is deeply personal, with themes centered around motherhood, family, healing, and self-discovery. As part of the Sault collective, Cleo Sol had already established herself as a key figure in the neo-soul and R&B world, but Mother showcases her vulnerability and emotional depth in a more intimate, reflective setting.

The album blends elements of soul, jazz, R&B, and folk, creating a serene, acoustic soundscape that complements its introspective lyrics. Mother features lush, soulful arrangements, with gentle strings, piano, and acoustic guitar forming the backbone of many tracks. The overall sound is calming and meditative, allowing Sol's vocals to take center stage.

Lyrically, the album reflects on Cleo Sol's experience with motherhood and the emotional changes it brings. She addresses themes of unconditional love, personal growth, and the challenges of raising a child while also navigating her own self-healing. Songs like "Don’t Let It Go to Your Head" and "We Need You" express a sense of nurturing and tenderness, while "Promises" speaks to the weight of responsibility and the desire to protect loved ones.

Key Tracks:
"Don’t Let It Go to Your Head" – A standout track that offers both encouragement and advice, encapsulating the nurturing spirit of the album.
"We Need You" – A deeply emotional song that explores themes of connection, support, and the importance of being present for those you love.
"Build Me Up" – A soulful ballad that speaks to vulnerability and the need for support and growth within a relationship.
Critical Reception: Mother received widespread acclaim for its emotional honesty and soothing production. Critics praised Cleo Sol for her vocal performance and the way she was able to capture the complexity of motherhood and personal transformation. The album’s stripped-down production was also commended for allowing her voice and storytelling to shine.

While Mother is a personal solo project, it is clear that Cleo Sol’s work with Sault influences its sound, especially in terms of the introspective lyricism and the use of minimalist, organic instrumentation. Producer Inflo, who has worked extensively with Sault, was also heavily involved in the production of Mother, contributing to its cohesive and intimate sound.

Overall, Mother is a deeply personal and emotionally rich album that solidifies Cleo Sol's place as a standout voice in contemporary soul and R&B

The Moon and the Melodies is a singular record within the Cocteau Twins" catalogue - unusually ethereal, even by their standards, and largely instrumental, guided by the free-form improvisations of Harold Budd, an ambient pioneer who had drifted into their orbit as if by divine intervention. Building on the atmospheric bliss of Victorialand, released earlier the same year, it signalled a possible future for the trio, yet it was a path they"d never take again. Now, almost forty years after it was fi rst released, it"s being reissued on vinyl for the first time - remastered, from the original tapes, by Robin Guthrie himself. Over the ensuing years, The Moon and the Melodies has attracted a passionate fan base. Its most atmospheric tracks routinely turn up in ambient DJ sets. "Sea, Swallow Me" is one of the Cocteau Twins" most streamed songs on Spotify, having found a new life on TikTok, where it serves as the soundtrack to innumerable expressions of hard-to-express melancholy. For such a low-key aff air, the album casts a long shadow - but Raymonde believes the record"s uniqueness stems directly from its humble, unpremeditated origins. "It captured a moment in time between friends that are enjoying making music together. Really, that"s the essence of it."

The second release from the My Favorite Soul label is a 7-inch featuring singer Keyco. This ambitious project features Keyco's empowering vocals, recorded with a live band assembled once again by producer Chick-d.

Side A, titled ‘Watashi Jishin,’ is a cover of the track from Ayumi Ishida & Tin Pan Alley Family’s classic 1977 album *Our Connection*. The cover retains the original’s spoken word sections while infusing a touch of Latin funk into the sophisticated city pop vibes, giving the song a warmer feel. (It's also worth noting that a recent cover of "Bye Bye Jet" from the same album by Muro featuring Keyco remains fresh in memory.)

Side B, ‘I Am,’ is a cover of the hidden gem by neo-soul duo Kindred the Family Soul from their 2003 album “Surrender to Love”. This track features a soft and warm band arrangement, with standout contributions from Swing-o (of 45trio) on keys and Tsuyoshi Kosuga’s mellow guitar. However, the real highlight is the heartfelt harmonies shared by long-time collaborators Keyco and Mika Arisaka, whose gentle and beautiful vocals make this recording truly captivating.

Sampha announces "lahai", his highly anticipated second album, which will be released on Young on 20 October. Named after his paternal grandfather's name, which is also Sampha's middle name, the music on "lahai" flows between the awe of life and the magic of mundane existence, describing the chaos experienced when facing the cycle of life and the afterlife. On the 14 tracks, Sampha has called together close friends and colleagues - including fantastic artists such as Yaeji, Léa Sen, Sheila Maurice Grey (Kokoroko), Ibeyi, Morgan Simpson (Black Midi), Yussef Dayes, Laura Groves and Kwake Bass. Unlike its predecessor "Process", "lahai" is a more collaborative album. The latest single "Only", accompanied by a music video by Dexter Navy in collaboration with Sampha and following on from the advance track "Spirit 2.0", features an extremely vibrant Sampha singing melodically over a fragmented hip-hop beat with co-production by Spanish musician El Guincho. In June, Sampha returned to the stage for the first time in five years for his Satellite Business residencies in London and New York. The unique setup, with Sampha and his band performing in the middle of the room, gave fans intimate access to the improvised performance of new, unreleased music and alternative arrangements from Sampha's catalogue that left audiences "spellbound" (Pitchfork). This autumn, Sampha will take a larger version of the Satellite Business live show on tour. It kicks off with several nights in London at St Johns at Hackney Church in October, before returning to North America to perform in major cities: Los Angeles, Toronto, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Atlanta. In early December, he returns to Europe and plays in Berlin, Amsterdam and Paris. Like its creator, "lahai" refuses to be pigeonholed. The new album is a mixture of jazz, soul, rap, dance, jungle and West African music, with which Sampha raises his production and vocal ambitions to a new level. A gifted singer , songwriter and producer, it is no wonder that artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Travis Scott and earlier Drake, Solange, Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and Alicia Keys have sought him out for his inimitable voice as well as his contributions to the songwriting and production of their music. His previous creative partnerships include fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, the Shy Light zine with Durimel (who also shot the Lahai artwork), his Process film with director Kahlil Joseph, and most recently, a collaboration with Jonny Lu, with whom Sampha designed the artwork for his Lahai album and new logo. If "Process", Sampha's 2017 Mercury Prize-winning debut album, showed an artist searching for and eventually finding his own place in the world, "lahai" is an exercise in the radical acceptance and joy of life and the beauty of the journey to get here. Welcome to Sampha's next musical chapter: Lahai.

A match made in heaven and hell, since forming in the cradle of Europe Athens, back in 2012, dark synth duo Selofan have paved their own perditious way, reinventing the modern Darkwave scene throughout the continent and worldwide with their prolific creativity and work ethic over the past decade. Through varied experimental synth-scapes conjured with keen ears for sound design, production, and theatrical aesthetics, Selofan rest not on the laurels of just creating highly danceable coldwave infused music, but with together with Joanna Pavlidou's haunting vocals, and Dimitris Pavlidis' throbbing bass guitar, and modular synth compositions, the pair conjure whole other worlds and narratives throughout each album and music video they create. Thus far the Selofan have released 5 studio albums, issued through their own legendary label they curate themselves: Fabrika Records. Through their Fabrika family, Selofan have championed such acts as Lebanon Hanover, and She Past Away, aiding these bands in becoming two of the most popular Darkwave acts worldwide. In the Spring of 2020, Selofan released the video for the hopelessly plaintive "There Must Be Somebody", the first single from their forthcoming sixth studio album Partners In Hell, the follow-up to 2018's widely popular Vitrioli LP. "There Must be Somebody" is a discordant composition, mimicking the startled song of birds after a disturbance in a wooded enclave on a mountainside, while a magick ritual unfolds. The album itself opens with "Grey Gardens", a menagerie of morose melodies setting a sombre tone for the rest of a bleak record whose sound design and dreamscapes evoke the best sounds of British and German post-punk of the 80s. "Almost Nothing" is a brooding bell-driven track with a dark and pirouetting melody that is the perfect soundtrack to a figurine twirling in a music box. The German language "Nichts" means No, and this song is both sinister and cinematic with sighing keys, shuddering drum machines, and German lyrics sung with sorrowful conviction. "Zusamen", is a word often asked if you are together, or separate, is a dark ballad whose shadowy keys weave a nightmarish delirium, evoking the soundscapes of a lullaby sung in a haunted dollhouse. "4am" is a restless rhythm, whose soft percussive melody tosses and turns alongside subtle bass and string accents overlaid with despondent vocals. "Happy Consumers" sounds like the swirling of a finger drawn upon the edge of crystalline glass, with vocals and drum machines coming emanating from an adjacent room with echoing acoustics, collectively evoking the sound like lingers when the somnambulist wakes from his dream. "Absolutely Absent" hums onward like a phantom train ride that is a one-way ticket to madness, and with the next track "Metalic Isolation" the locomotive beats gather more steam, propelled forward with anachronistic melody. The album closes with "Auf Dein Haut", which translates as on your skin, and the song is both tactile and tenebrous with sensuously dark synth textures amidst howling German vocals that take flight like witches during a sabbat

Ever since his 2016 mini-album-length EP Rojus (Designed To Dance), Leon Vynehall has been a house producer in flux, an artist interested in pushing four-on-the-floor revelry off the beaten track, his debut LP Nothing Is Still further throttled expectations with string and horn-laden mood pieces, the kick-hi hat-snare melee another emotive musical choice among many. Rare, Forever picks up where Vynehall left off in 2018, and signals his return to the club — on his own terms.

The spirit of euphoric deferral runs deep throughout the LP, as rhythms start and stop — or transform into different shapes entirely — to keep would-be ravers on their toes. To that end, ‘Mothra’ is the album in microcosm; the perfect bait and switch. Bubbly synth arpeggios slowly take shape around a low-key deep house beat until synthesised ambient swells cut through the mix. A surprise sample appearance cuts the tension like a starting pistol, which sends the beat running again. Elsewhere, Vynehall discards convention entirely, crafting sensual grooves from washes of dreamy sax licks.

With Rare, Forever, Vynehall further demonstrates the flexibility of club music, and shows that he can rearrange it any way he likes — dance-designed or otherwise.