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Hidden Notes Records are proud to announce that in February next year we will be releasing a smorgasbord of new music; creative collaborations born out of the award winning music podcast excuse the mess. Two compilation albums featuring 17 unique voices from contemporary music worlds and beyond…

How does a podcast = two albums worth of music? excuse the mess is a music podcast with a twist - alongside your bread and butter artist interviews each guest takes on the challenge of writing a brand new piece of music on the fly, in the room and with excuse the mess host, Ben Corrigan. They follow three rules (limitations are liberating!): 1. There can be no preplanning, it is spontaneous music making. 2. The track must be finished the same day. 3. Only one instrument can be used as a sound source but there can be electronic manipulations of it.

Our upcoming release is the end result of each of those heart palpating writing sessions featuring Hannah Peel, Gold Panda, Anna Meredith, Galya Bisengalieva, Manu Delago, Robert Ames, Emily Hall, Oliver Coates, Mira Calix, Matt Calvert, Douglas Dare, Laura Jurd, Mark Lockheart, Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, Anne Nikitin, Alev Lenz and Elliot Galvin. Released as two albums, to mirror the two series of excuse the mess in which they were made.

All the music fizzes with an energy that only fast paced work can invoke and the compositional fingerprint of each guest artist is embedded into the core of each track, whilst intermingling with Ben's own artistic voice. For anyone interested in a further delve they can go back to the podcast episode and witness the composition unfolding bit-by-bit, from the blank page to the finished piece, you are invited on that compositional journey.

About: ‘where i am allowed to sit for one more day, and this is an endless wonder’... is something more logical in its unfurling of desire (if the weight of words hold more ‘meaning’), a transversal thing from object to image. The book inlcudes poetry, prose, drawings and contributions from Angelina Nonaj, Hanne Boulanger, Emily Yuting Chen, Sam Horman, Harriet Jones, Sami Domenico, Laila Sakini, & Sam M plus an interview with ‘J’ by Lauryn Groševs on the topics of “my seat and weep”, the book, care, desire and interpreting connection.

Excerpt: I can find it difficult to articulate things into words, it's as if I can't find the (right) words. Sometimes it's a gesture, a look or a glance, or a simple movement that seems to communicate, or embody, what I want to say or what I "mean". The next question, for me, is what changes, or rather who. The absurdity of closeness, of putting things together, building meaning.

Scratcha DVA As the best connected mover and shaker in London’s dance underground nears 20 years in music, the producer and DJ talks to Chal Ravens about his Afrofuturist visions, his Hyperdub productions, making intercontinental connections with South Africa’s bass avant garde, and a broadcasting legacy that stretches from his pirate days at Rinse FM to NTS.

and also...

Eberhard Kranemann An unheralded figure in Germany’s underground rock revolution, Eberhard Kranemann was a member of Kraftwerk and Neu! in their crucial early years before striking out on his own with the notorious Fritz Müller Rock project and later collaborations with Harald Grosskopf.

Anne Gillis The French artist and experimental sound maker trod a distinctive path through the industrial scene with projects such as Devil's Picnic. Now, with her first album in over 15 years and new collaborations with London duo Seymour Wright and Paul Abbott, her unique rhythmic sensibility is surfacing once more.

Invisible Jukebox: Lee Ranaldo & Steve Shelley As an extensive collection of Sonic Youth’s live recordings is released, the New York pair take The Wire’s mystery record test.

Global Ear Peter Margasak investigates a new group of Berlin composers exploring the possibilities of just intonation tuning, including Catherine Lamb, Werner Durand, Marc Sabat, Chiyoko Szlavnics and Arnold Dreyblatt.

Unlimited Editions Emily Pothast talks to Ratskin Records, the Bay Area crew putting issues of accessibility and equality at the forefront of its music including in its ‘mixed reality’ online projects.

Unofficial Channels Abi Bliss investigates This Band Isn’t Real, the Twitter feed creating fictitious metal groups and album covers through the power of machine learning.

If you're interested in the Microphones box set but maybe you don't actually enjoy music (or maybe you have the records, or maybe it's sold out), here you can buy just the book.

It's pretty fancy on its own. 12.5" x 12.5", 107 pages, perfect bound with huge french flaps, packed with beautiful photos and artwork, notebook spreads, studio track sheets, show posters, etc. These were made at the sustainability-award-winning Hemlock Printers in Burnaby, B.C., a splurge.

It works as either a semi-abstract aesthetic art thing or as an abundantly packed collection of background materials that should satisfy even the most curious Microphones music listener.

Mdou Moctar

Niger guitar hero Mdou Moctar has blazed a trail across the world for a new style of hypnotic desert rock. On the eve of a major US and European tour, Clive Bell talks to Moctar and his band about the anti-colonial spirit animating their current album Afrique Victime, the infamous Purple Rain-inspired motorbike musical Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai, and their connections with other leading lights of daredevil North African guitar including Les Filles De Illighadad.

Inside the issue... Éliane Radigue Mazen Kerbaj Ben LaMar Gay Jeff Parker

The Primer: Éliane Radigue Julian Cowley writes a user’s guide to the recordings of the great French electronic and electroacoustic composer, whose work has continued exploring the connections between Buddhism and longform sound well into the 21st century with the acoustic Occam Ocean series. Mazen Kerbaj The Lebanese trumpeter, improvisor and cartoonist has carved out a new niche for himself in Berlin. He tells Mariam Rezaei about his new album Sampler/Sampled, where a global cast of collaborators including Bob Ostertag, Muqata’a and Equiknoxx’s Gavsborg explore the power of music as a universal language.

Invisible Jukebox Chicago creative music polymaths Jeff Parker and Ben LaMar Gay go head to head with The Wire’s mystery record test. Global Ear In Lisbon, April Clare Walsh gets familiar with a new wave of creole language rap.

Unlimited Editions Tokyo label, record shop and keepers of the roots reggae flame Dub Store.

Unofficial Channels YouTube’s Original Jungle Samples channel.

Inner Sleeve Tim Hecker. Epiphanies Reinhold Friedl on Iannis Xenakis.

Plus full page interviews with Robbie Lee, Hedvig Mollestad, Powers/Rolin Duo, and Duma.

Limited Edition Custom Playing Cards illustrated by El Oms - Released in conjunction with the new El Michels Affair 7" featuring Bobby Oroza // We had this idea years ago and a phone call to our very talented friend El Oms brought it to fruition. El Oms illustrated all the charcters on the card faces and our own Danny Akalepse designed the backs and the box. In talking about this deck of cards we decided to release a 7" with it and El Michels Affair cut a track for Bobby Oroza to write to which plays up the theme here and is aptly titled "Stack The Deck". For good measure we dug in the vaults and made the B Side El Michels Affair's crushing cover of the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Things Done Changed". This playing card collaboration is a limited 500 piece run. Standard 52 card poker deck, 2 jokers , and 2 logo cards in a customized box. A collectors item on release and a great gift for fans of the label, El Oms, and card players. The 7" is available if you would like to offer the full collaboration. We hope this is right on time to usher in the days of hanging out with friends listening to music, playing cards, and enjoying one another's company.

The Wire’s essential annual guide to the year in sound and music is upon us, as we consider where we are now after a tumultuous 12 months of underground activity, recovery, false starts and new beginnings. Our specially extended Rewind issue includes our Top 50 Releases of the Year and Archive Releases of The Year charts, cultural reflections from our extensive roster of writers, and our specialist columnists’ charts from avant rock to noise. This year the Rewind section also includes essays by Clive Bell on how new tunings are breaking the stranglehold of Western music; Neil Kulkarni on the complex and problematic legacy of the Fourth World aesthetic in contemporary sound; and Rob Turner on how music formats from LP and tapes to downloads and streams are still changing the way we listen.

Elaine Mitchener

Loré Lixenberg

Reiko & Tori Kudo

Haley Fohr Inside the issue...

Invisible Jukebox Vocalists Loré Lixenberg and Elaine Mitchener take The Wire’s mystery record test.

Global Ear James Gui spends a week in Seoul as the underground music scene opens up after Covid.

Unlimited Editions Robert Barry profiles publishing house and event organiser Grapheme as it explores the role of notation and scoring in music.

Unofficial Channels Punk ’zine archive Contextual Dissemination. Inner Sleeve Reiko and Tori Kudo choose record sleeves that have influenced them.

Epiphanies Haley Fohr aka Circuit Des Yeux on lessons learned in quarantine and the isolation of a Robert Rauschenberg residency.

Plus full page interviews with Matthias Muche, Klankvorm, Giant Claw, and Saadet Turkoz.

Soundcheck Selected new vinyl, CDs, cassettes, singles, downloads, streams etc reviewed

HoZac Books is proud to present The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Ought to Know, written and compiled by Sal Maida and Mitchell Cohen, who have recruited for their “society” a gang of esteemed music obsessives: musicians, label executives, and journalists who chose favorite albums from the 1960s and 1970s to rave about and expound upon. The only criterion was that the albums never made the top 100 on Billboard’s LP Top 200 (although in a few cases, they did quite well on the R&B or country chart). The selection ranges from east coast vocal-group harmony to punk and metal, from superstars like The Who and the Beach Boys to virtual unknowns. As Sal and Mitchell write in the book’s introduction, “These are the albums you might not read about, except here. No one needs to tell you why Pet Sounds, Revolver or Blonde On Blonde are essential parts of any decent record collection, or guide you towards classics – or even somewhat lesser efforts – by the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry or the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Or which Pink Floyd album is indispensable (hint: the debut; you can stop right there). Although we have strong opinions about pantheon artists like Led Zeppelin and Marvin Gaye, and are happy to share those views with anyone in earshot, that isn’t what this book is about. We aren’t here to challenge or endorse rock orthodoxy. Neither is the mission to, once again, assert the brilliance of Skip Spence’s Oar, of such artists as Nick Drake, Big Star, and the Velvet Underground, whose influence, despite the lack of any commercial success in their time, has been thoroughly – one might even say exhaustively – documented elsewhere.” To tell help this story, Sal and Mitchell called on an impressive team of guest essayists: Lenny Kaye, Russ Titelman, Amy Rigby, Brian Koppelman, Dennis Diken, Bebe Buell, Jim Farber, Susan Whitall, Steve Shelley, Phil King, Ira Robbins, Billy Altman, Marshall Crenshaw, Peter Holsapple, Wreckless Eric, Peter Keepnews, Miriam Linna, Joe McEwen, and a cast of dozens.

Featuring fresh insights from Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie, Unzipped digs deeper than ever before into the Stones’ archives to present a comprehensive collection of Stones artworks, instruments, stage outfits and notebooks alongside key work by some of the legends of rock photography.

For almost 60 years the Rolling Stones have helped shape popular culture around the globe. Unzipped captures the compelling character and dynamic spectacle of the band through distinctive photography and interviews with the Stones themselves, tracing their impact and influence on rock music, art, design, fashion, photography and filmmaking.

Evocative archive photos, artworks, outtakes and memorabilia, together with dazzling images of the band’s instruments and outfits, plunge you into the ever-changing world of the Stones. Many of the instruments and outfits are paired with pertinent archive photos, so you can examine the detail and see the objects in use. Peppered throughout with engrossing and insightful new commentary by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood, the book also features a compelling introduction by Anthony DeCurtis, which chronicles their career, and perceptive articles by some of their most important creative collaborators, including Buddy Guy, Don Was, Anna Sui, John Varvatos, Martin Scorsese, Shepherd Fairey, Patrick Woodroffe and Willie Williams.

Bold, glamorous and captivating – and beautifully bound and finished – Unzipped is the perfect showcase for ‘the greatest rock ’n’ roll band in the world’.

'An evocative photo-led exploration of the band’s close-on 60-year career' Choice

'This handsome tome has much to offer the Stones fan who thought they knew everything' Record Collector

About the Author: The Rolling Stones - Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood - have all been interviewed specially for the exhibition and accompanying book. Anthony DeCurtis is an author and music critic. He has written for the New York Times, Relix and Rolling Stone, for which he is a contributing editor.

Format:Hardback Size:31.7 x 24.1 cm Extent:288 pp Illustrations:400 Publication date:7 October 2021 ISBN:9780500023853

Record Culture Magazine is a biannual publication that shines a light on the people intrinsic to niche music communities around the world and their intersection with art, fashion, and culture.

250 plus magazin featuring in-depth interviews and home/studio visits with:

– DJ Harvey
– Sofie
– Jun Takahashi
– Ziggy Devriendt
– DJ Sundae
– Pedro Winter
– Ariel Kalma
– Octo Octa
– Max Essa
– Moxie
– Pierre Rousseau
– CC:DISCO!

And the visual feature, “White Columns Retrospective: 1977–1986.”

Record Culture Magazine is a biannual publication that focuses on niche music communities around the world and their intersection with the worlds of art, fashion and culture.

200 plus magazine featuring interviews and studio visits with:

– Louise Chen – John Gómez – Apiento – Regularfantasy – Lauer – Beatrice Dillon – Public Possession – River Yarra – Sadar Bahar – Anthony Naples And the visual feature, “A Decade of Power and L.I.E.S.

Record Culture Magazine is a biannual publication that focuses on niche music communities around the world and their intersection with the worlds of art, fashion and culture.

200 plus magazine featuring interviews and studio visits with:

– Louise Chen – John Gómez – Apiento – Regularfantasy – Lauer – Beatrice Dillon – Public Possession – River Yarra – Sadar Bahar – Anthony Naples And the visual feature, “A Decade of Power and L.I.E.S.

Dolly Parton, Songteller - My Life In Lyrics is a landmark celebration of the remarkable life and career of a country music and pop culture legend. As told by Dolly Parton in her own inimitable words, explore the songs that have defined her journey. Illustrated throughout with rare photos and memorabilia from Dolly Parton's personal and business archives. Mining over 60 years of songwriting, Dolly Parton highlights 175 of her songs and brings readers behind the lyrics. This special edition includes: -A denim-wrapped foil-stamped clamshell box with Songteller inside -A 45 record on pink vinyl featuring two neverbefore-released demo songs, "I Don't Care" and "The Fall," encased in a printed sleeve and inserted into a folder. Folder contains lyrics to the two songs printed on the back. -Lifting ribbon -Individually shrink-wrapped

In Janelle Monáe's full-length debut, the science fiction concept album The ArchAndroid, the android Cindi Mayweather is on the run from the authorities for the crime of loving a human. Living in 28th century Metropolis, Cindi fights for survival, soon realizing that she is in fact the prophesied ArchAndroid, a robot messiah meant to liberate the masses and lead them toward a wonderland where all can be free. Taking into account the literary merit of Monáe's astounding multimedia body of work, the political relevance of the science fictional themes and aesthetics she explores, and her role as an Atlanta-based pop cultural juggernaut, this book explores the lavish world building of Cindi's story, and the many literary, cinematic, and musical influences brought together to create it. Throughout, a history of Monáe's move to Atlanta, her signing with Bad Boy Records, and the trials of developing a full-length concept album in an industry devoted to the production of marketable singles can be found, charting the artist's own rise to power. The stories of Monáe and of Cindi are inextricably entwined, each making the other more compelling, fantastical, and deeply felt.

As one of the most recognizable brands in the world, Marvel has spent the last 80-plus years inspiring generations of creatives through its approach to visual storytelling. Marvel’s comic books, in particular, established a distinct graphic language that has found its way into mainstream culture, including 1960s Pop Art, and present-day digital culture, gaming, advertising, and more. Marvel By Design will celebrate the company’s visual language with an in-depth exploration of the design process behind the brand’s most recognizable graphical elements including logos, covers, lettering, layout, and color palettes. Readers will learn how the renowned Marvel Method established a unique approach to the creative process and how that process can serve as a template for creatives working beyond comics.

Throughout the book, Marvel By Design will connect the dots between comic book culture and its undeniable influence in every creative field including the evolution of graphic design, editorial design, movies, and visual culture at large.

Vs. is the sound of a band on fire. The same confluence of talent, passion, timing, and fate that made “grunge” the world's soundtrack also lit a short fuse beneath Pearl Jam. The band combusted between late 1992 and mid-1994, the span during which they planned, recorded, and supported their sophomore record. The spotlight, the pressure, the pace-it all nearly turned the thriving act to ash. Eddie Vedder, the reluctant public face of the band, responded by lashing out lyrically. Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Stone Gossard, who beheld success with varying degrees of anxious satisfaction, attacked their instruments in solidarity. Dave Abbruzzese welcomed the rock-star lifestyle, and left his mark on the record with more than just potent percussion. Vs. roils with fury-and at times, gently steams-over the trappings of fame, human faults, and societal injustice. The record is a thrashing testament to Pearl Jam's urgent creativity and greater-good interests, and the band's logistical calculations behind it drew a career-defining line in the sand. It promised the world that Pearl Jam would neither burn out nor fade away. This book weaves research, little-known details, and band members' memories into a definitive account of how Vs. set them on a path toward enduring integrity and relevance.

Yo! The Early Days of Hip-Hop 1982-84 is a new book published by Soul Jazz Books/Records that features 300+ pages of stunning photographs documenting the rise of hip hop in the early 1980s, taken by French photographer Sophie Bramly.

Featuring: Fab Five Freddy Futura Afrika Bambaataa Grand Mixer D.ST Beastie Boys Kool Herc Run DMC Cold Crush Brothers Rocksteady Crew Grandmaster Flash and many more!

Introduction BY: Bill Adler

With Additional Text BY: Fab Fab Freddy Grand Mixer D. St Rahiem of The Furious Five Arthur Baker Zephyr Muhamad of The Magnificent Force Lady Pink Mister Freeze of The Rock Steady Crew Patti Astor & Slick Rick

“All these photos speak for a time that is so special, is never coming back and changed the world. It’s pretty much this experience that changed everything for ever. What makes it amazing, is that you hear stories about superheroes that changed the world, and that was us.” Grand Mixer D. St

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Sophie Bramly lived in New York in the early 1980s and became firmly embedded in the emergent scene. The book features many stunning, intimate images of a star-studded roll call of legendary hip hop figures, all of whom were only just getting known or in their ascendency.

These include Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmixer DST, Jazzy Jay, Red Alert, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Kurtis Blow, Lisa Lee, the Fat Boys, Run-DMC, Beastie Boys and many more.

Bramly knew that hip hop was becoming a cultural force rather than just a musical fashion, and spent many hours photographing the four essential elements of this new world: the emcees, the deejays, the graffiti artists and the break dancers.

Aside from the musical stars of hip-hop you will also see legendary graffiti artists captured at work and play, such as Keith Haring, Dondi, Futura, Phase One, Zephyr and Lady Pink, and break dancers including members of Magnificent Force, Dynamic Breakers and the Rock Steady Crew

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Sophie Bramly is a French photographer born in 1959. In 1982, she moved from France to New York at age 22 and for two years documented the burgeoning hip-hop scene, taking pictures of everyone from graffiti artists and breakdancers to rappers such as the Beastie Boys and Run-DMC. She returned to France in 1984, bringing a number of US hip-hop artists to Europe and then in 1987 moved to London to host and produce MTV’s first ever hip-hop show, Yo! MTV Raps.

She currently lives in Paris and her work is featured extensively at Hip-Hop 360 a six month long exhibition showing at the prestigious Philarmonie de Paris, France (Dec 21–Aug 22)

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“One of the curious facts about hip-hop’s history is how little photographic documentation exists of the culture’s early years. Come the dawn of the Eighties, a handful of talented photographers finally began to pay attention, most notably Henry Chalfant, Martha Cooper, and Joe Conzo. In retrospect, it’s clear that each of them focused on a particular element or two of the multiform explosion of creativity that came to be called hip-hop. Henry zeroed in on graffiti. Martha devoted herself to graffiti and breakdancing. And the heart of Joe’s work documents the career of the Cold Crush Brothers. Uniquely Sophie Bramly, unlike the others, managed between 1982 and 1984 to put her arms around all four of the hip-hop elements: the emcees, deejays, graffiti artists, and breakdancers.” Bill Adler from the introduction.

Isbn: 978-1-9163598-2-6

Flexibound, 304 pages, Dimensions 224 X 284 mm, Weight 1.75Kg

Inside this issue: Laraaji, Jun Togawa, Olivia Block, Global Era, Epiphanies, … plus lots of reviews and the regulars you know from Wire.

Shelved for over 20 years, Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963, stands alongside Otis Redding's Live in Europe and James Brown's Live at the Apollo as one of the finest live soul albums ever made. It also reveals a musical, spiritual, emotional, and social journey played out over one night on the stage of a sweaty Miami club, as Cooke made music that encapsulated everything he had ever cut, channeling forces that would soon birth “A Change is Gonna Come,” the most important soul song ever written.

This book covers Cooke's days with the Soul Stirrers, the gospel unit that was inventing a strand of soul in the 1950s, and continues on to his string of hit singles as a solo artist that reveal far more about this complex man and the complex music he was always fashioning. A writer and an agent of social change, he absorbed the teachings of Billie Holiday and Bob Dylan while reconciling his own identity and what fans expected of him. Fleming explores how this towering soul artist came to reconcile so many disparate elements on a Florida stage on a winter night in 1963-a stage that extended well into the future, beyond Cooke's own life, beyond the 1960s, and into a perpetual here-and-now. Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 will resonate so long as we all have need to look into ourselves and square our differences and become more human, and more connected with others in our humanity.

From New York pioneers who helped create the art form in the 70s, to freight train kings in Florida and hall of fame spray can wizards in California. In the American Graffiti Coloring Book, more than 45 of America’s most prominent graffiti writers have provided the initial outlines – now it is up to you to give them color! With full pages devoted to the artwork, each spread becomes its own unique full color piece of art as you go along filling out the pages, and there is plenty of room for the small details. American Graffiti Coloring Book is printed on marker friendly paper. Use your markers and color-in on both sides of the page with no risk of the ink bleeding through. The content is carefully curated by the influential artist and Museum of Graffiti co-founder Alan KET, and the striking cover and

Amazing unseen image of Bikini Kill live at Cbgb in 1990, by Mike Galinsky -- the accompanying feature is a lengthy photo essay exploring indie-rock in the early 1990s, with tremendous behind-the-scenes, unpublished black-and-white film images of Sonic Youth, Unwound, Mary Timony, Sleepyhead, Half Japanese, and more. In addition to Luc Sante’s ridiculously good ‘Pinakothek’ column where he goes off on one image, we have: John Colpits AKA Kid Millions on Miles Cooper Seaton (rip); the forgotten brilliance of bluesy hip-hop pioneers New Kingdom; the tape column on new tape releases; Susan Bernofsky on her Robert Walser bio; The Clean's singer and guitarist David Kilgour on the long-awaited Stephen reissue plus a lot more; the enduring goofy excellence of ELO’s ‘Out of the Blue’; Legendary Japanese hardcore guitarist Zigyaku from Gudon talks with Takeshi from Boris for the ‘One on One’ column; a look at Peter Williams (rip)’s installation at Mocad; and strange and delightful vernacular dome-shaped roadside architecture, just because.

Also Featuring:

Michael Klausman on the great new age synth Christian hippie slowpop duo Planetary Peace; Sarah Cozort on the works and lasting influence of artworld heroes THE Guerilla Girls; RJ Smith investigates Endless Boogie on the eve of the release of what’s probably the year’s best record; Andy Beta on percussionist Valentina Magaletti; infamous Japanese hardcore punk guitarist Zigyaku interviewed by Takeshi of Boris; guitarist Sarah Louise gets down and spiritual with saxophonist Archie Shepp; Adam Woodhead chats with the storied (sorry) bookseller and publisher Aaron Cometbus; Australian writer Peter Doyle really lets loose on classic Country Drinkin’ Songs; Kelley Stoltz and David Buick in conversation with Echo and the Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant and Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie on the eve of Third Man Books’ publication of their debut memoirs; “New Narrative” alum Camille ROY interviewed by Sara Jaffe; and a solid selection of Christine SHIELDS’s genius fantasy face paintings. Whew.

Third Man Records & Books is excited to announce Issue #5 of Maggot Brain, a full-color quarterly magazine containing over 100 pages packed with art, music, literature, interviews, and archival stories. The June/July/August issue is available now Here, and yearly four-issue subscriptions can be purchased Here.

Contents:

We’re very excited about our new cover story: Why feminist punk pioneers the Raincoats still matter and finally, we hinted at this in the previous issue and now it’s here - unseen, amazing photos of Ac/dc from their first US tour in 1977. You’ll get rare look at celebrated indie auteur filmmaker Jim Jarmusch’s playful newspaper collages -- great interview plus lots of never before seen images!

We have brilliant Americana guitarists Marisa Anderson and William Tyler on their debut collaboration and then composer Terry Riley and percussionist Hamid Drake on the importance of husband and wife spiritual jazzers Moki and Don Cherry. We continue our unstapled series with 14 pages of rare comics by Pee Wee's Playhouse designer Gary Panter -- Jimbo goes to jail! Mike Turner talks to rising Colombian BMX star Julian Molina. And there’s a Spectacular tribute to jazz drummer Milford Graves by Detroiter Ben Hall.

Plus features on vocalist Merry Clayton; New Hampshire's neo-shoegazers Headroom; The Clean's fiery 1980s offshoot band Stephen; catching up with the great band Califone's main force Tim Rutili; a three-page comic on electronics weirdo Mort Garson, who made music to talk to your plants; America's finest essayist Luc Sante takes a gallows turn in this issue's column; and way more.

Also Featuring:

Our recurring reminder to the world that cassettes, just like vinyl, aren’t dead. Check out reviews by Dwight Pavlovic on some of his favorites.

Thought provoking short stories told by Mathias Svalina, dive into the dreamscape…

Yet another editor's note, that will leave you feeling like you know more about Mike than you needed to.

New artwork by Nathaniel Russell, that's out of this world.

Tim Rutili catches us up on his life and what he's been working on during the past year, in an amazing interview with Mike McGonigal.

’Hauntological’ genius curator/ musician Kristen Gallernaux in conversation.

Brand NEW & Expanded Edition! Packed with dozens of additional horror titles and containing limited edition enhanced packaging (foil cover elements + guilded foil page edges).

The expanded second printing of Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl profiles several additional soundtrack titles, reflecting the consistently strong trend of horror soundtracks being committed to vinyl. The full-color, 272-page book spotlights the intricate (and often rare) artwork on the LP sleeves, as well as album reviews, release details, and backstories. New titles include mainstream entries such as Child's Play, The Silence of the Lambs, Children of the Corn, Silver Bullet, and Cujo, alongside cult hits such as Troll / Troll 2, Bad Taste, Spookies, Ghoulies, and Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things.

Co-author Aaron Lupton: ''I'll never stop being proud of Blood on Black Wax, a passion project conceived by Jeff and I and brought to life by 1984 Publishing about my life's obsession: horror soundtracks on vinyl. I'm so proud to see the book get this deluxe second printing with even more cool records to add to your shelf.''

Co-author Jeff Szpirglas: ''It was a thrill to go back and revisit Blood on Black Wax with Aaron, and not just as an excuse to re-listen to the Maniac Cop soundtrack. With the new edition, we redoubled our efforts to speak directly to a bunch of composers such as Jay Chattaway, Joe Renzetti, and Jonathan Elias about their work on classic horror film scores. Plus, I love it when I have to watch films like The Kindred for 'work-related purposes.'''

Are you obsessed with John Carpenter's iconic music for the Halloween series? Do you thrill to the unforgettable stabs of the Psycho score, or the pounding synth of Goblin's soundtrack to Suspiria? Do you find yourself being pulled into the hair-raising modern scores for the likes of Get Out, Hereditary, and The Witch?

You're not alone.

Blood on Black Wax is a defining horror soundtrack volume that spotlights iconic franchises such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Jaws, The Exorcist , and George A. Romero's Dead films, highlighting both the music and the amazing - often rare - artwork that graces the record sleeves. It also tells the stories behind the soundtrack, from the mouths of the musicians who made them, including John Carpenter, Fabio Frizzi, Christopher Young, Harry Manfredini, Charles Bernstein, Pino Donaggio, John Harrison, and more.

Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas, both of Rue Morgue magazine, have curated Blood on Black Wax to reflect their own passion for the darkest slabs of soundtrack music. Their journey into the fascinating history of horror movie scores contains reviews, release details, and wild stories about both renown and unusual releases - everything from the orchestral sounds of Hammer and Universal horror, to the truly experimental albums for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Eraserhead, to the outlandish punk and metal songs of '80s soundtrack albums like The Return of the Living Dead and Shocker.

Go back to your favorite horror films one more time, through the jaw-dropping, spine-tingling music that helped solidify their place in cinematic history!

''Blood On Black Wax takes a deep dive into the history of horror movie soundtracks and the cool AF artwork that cloaks them.'' - Alternative Press

Mick Garris (director / The Stand, Sleepwalkers; writer / Hocus Pocus) wrote a foreword for Blood on Black Wax, while composer Christopher Young (Hellraiser, Pet Sematary) penned the afterword.

Blood on Black Wax will contain limited edition enhanced packaging (foil cover elements + guilded foil page edges).

Dimensions : 8.5 x 1.5 x 11 inches

Best of Soundtrack Covers. Feinstes Vinyl-Artwork der legendärsten Filmmusik-Klassiker. Vinyl Schallplatten und Record Stores erleben aktuell ein Revival und damit rücken auch die kunstvoll gestalteten Cover der vergangenen Jahrzehnte wieder ins Bewusstsein und präsentieren uns auf eine inspirierende Art echte Musik- und Designgeschichte. Für diesen Abreißkalender haben wir 365 der legendärsten Soundtrack Plattencover aus den letzten Jahrzehnten ausgewählt. Ein absolutes must-have für alle Filmfans und Soundtrack-Liebhaber! Und das Beste: mit den abgedruckten Spotify Codes kann jedes Album überall und sofort probegehört werden.

Daft Punk’s Discovery is a record that looked into the future and liked what it saw; an album that predicted the electronic music explosion, YouTube and the end of privacy, while dragging soft rock back into vogue. Discovery was not only one of the best albums of the 2000s, it was one of the most prophetic, the kind of record that makes you wonder: how did they know?

You can draw lines from Discovery to Glass Swords, Kanye West, EDM, Autotune, iTunes, Beyoncé, Guilty Pleasures, social media and more. Discovery's footprints can be found all over the modern world but it also looked back to Daft Punk’s childhood, to Van Halen records, Japanese cartoons and even Johann Sebas-tian Bach.

Discovery was a record that confounded many fans when it was released in 2001, thanks to its blatant pop hooks and unlikely sonic bricolage. It was a record that was - and still is - widely misunderstood; Discov-ery’s impact has only become clear with the passing of time, as Daft Punk have been proved right time and time again.

This book is a homage to a fascinating, troubled beast of an album that casts a huge shadow over the 21st Century, as Discovery reaches its 20th anniversary.

Magazine + Download Code. Another year has passed, and so it’s time for the latest installment in TAU’s huge compilation series, Spektrum. The Adana Twins have been collecting and curating hot new productions from a variety of sources, new and more established, compiling a V/A that distills that ineffable TAU sound into 16 diverse cuts. A few familiar names are representing alongside some fresh faces, introducing new talent as we do with each Spektrum release. With this special release you’ll receive the Spektrum zine, a printed publication with features on all of the artists who’ve contributed to this release (+dl Code). As a record label it’s our intention to innovate and entertain our supporters with creative treats and alternate ways of reppin’ our artists and music. We hope you enjoy it, and we’re sure this Spektrum release will keep you rocking, whether you’re at home or on the dance floor

Written by former DJ/producer Harold Heath, Long Relationships: My Incredible Journey From Unknown DJ to Small-time DJ is a biographical account of a DJ career defined by a deep love of music and a shallow amount of success. It’s the first book to detail exactly what DJing is like for the 99% of DJs who never make it big. Covering electro, hip hop, rare groove, acid house, rave and the UK underground club scene, it’s a 30-odd year tale of a life lived in dance music. Long Relationships is full of tales of clubs, raves, warehouses, DJing, music, record production, record deals, low-level international travel, shady promoters, dodgy club security, magical dance floor moments and much more.

The definitive exploration of John Lennon’s first major solo album after the break-up of the Beatles.

Described by Lennon as ‘the best thing I’ve ever done’, and widely regarded by critics as his best solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was released alongside the remarkable Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band on 11 December 1970. With first-hand commentary by John & Yoko, members of the Plastic Ono Band and other key figures in their lives, and packed with evocative and revealing letters, artworks and photographs, this incisive volume offers new insights into the raw emotions and open mindset of Lennon after marriage to Ono and the break-up of the Beatles.

Following their wedding in March 1969, Lennon and Ono decided that their future musical endeavours should be credited to a conceptual vehicle, the Plastic Ono Band. The band featured an ever-changing line-up of musicians, including Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, Ringo Starr, Alan White, George Harrison, Billy Preston and Jim Keltner, all of whom played live with Lennon and Ono, and contributed to their recordings. The fearless honesty that John & Yoko inspired in one another in their search for truth, meaning and peace had a huge impact on Lennon’s song writing, resulting in the creation of tracks that are intensely personal and unlike anything previously heard in popular music, including ‘Mother’, ‘Working Class Hero’ and ‘God’. This book takes those lyrics as a starting point and explores Lennon’s life, relationships and world view during this transformative period.

'A comprehensive, fascinating, well-produced, and finely printed publication that captures a moment of contemporary culture with breadth and depth. It brings then into now – and shows how similar and different life is today' Will Gompertz

'A handsome tome… never less than fascinating… The album was a high point in an astonishing career and the book does it justice' The Sun

'A hardback compendium of first-hand accounts about the band drawn from interviews over the years… It contains photos, lyrics, drawings and letters, and will be as interesting to Lennon completists as The Beatles Anthology was to general fans 20 years ago' Daily Telegraph

'A fine tribute to this intensely creative time in the couple’s joined-at-the-hip lives… A sumptuous and lovingly created example of the bookmakers’ art, an encyclopaedic extravaganza of reminiscences and memorabilia' The Budapest Times

About the Author: John Lennon (1940–1980) was an English singer, songwriter and peace activist who co-founded the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. Yoko Ono is a globally renowned multimedia artist, singer, songwriter and activist. She married John Lennon in 1969 and became his creative partner and muse. She continues to work to preserve his legacy, funding, among other projects, Strawberry Fields in Manhattan’s Central Park, the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland and the ‘Imagine There’s No Hunger’ campaign.

Format:PLC Size:30.8 x 24.0 cm Extent:288 pp Publication date:29 October 2020 ISBN:9780500023433

An expanded edition of the popular landscape and photography book, celebrating the most majestic mountains and historic cycling climbs for enthusiasts and participants around the world

The mountains of Europe have many different meanings to many different people. For the locals they are a way of life; for visitors they represent breathtaking beauty, active holidays and peaceful moments. For cyclists, however, the dramatic landscapes mean something quite different: suffering, pain, agony – and glory. For over a century the mountains have provided the setting for the greatest cycling contests, where human determination and willpower can triumph over nature and opponents.

In recent years, as cycling’s popularity has changed our cities, made us more active and taken us down less-travelled roads, the mountains of Europe have become the primary destination for everyday riders who want to challenge themselves, experience the storied roads and escape their everyday lives. This publication is aimed at all who wish to be inspired by those challenges or celebrate those personal victories. With tributes and personal recollections from leading road cyclists, the photographs and words coalesce into a visual depiction that transcends any single perspective and will inspire awe and wonder in anyone who wishes to confront the power of the mountains.

'A tribute to nature's beauty and man's dogged determination' i

'[a] spectacular portrait of some of the most beautiful and challenging scenery in the world ... offer[s] cycling aficionados plenty of bucket list inspiration'

About the Author: Professional photographer and keen amateur cyclist Michael Blann spent his formative years racing his bike and dreaming of riding in the Tour de France. Aged nineteen, he left England for Australia to ride in a well-respected amateur team, during which he competed in the nine-day Golden West Tour in Queensland. This experience left him with the realization that a pro contract was out of reach. Returning to the UK, he enrolled in art college and eventually moved into advertising. This book brings together Blann’s two great passions – cycling and photography – and evolved from a desire to produce a definitive record of the immense, immovable landforms that have set the stage for the most intense, nail-biting dramas the cycling world has ever seen. Limited-edition prints are available at www.michaelblann.com.

Andrew Diprose is Group Creative Director at Wired magazine in London and a keen cyclist. He lectures regularly on art direction, photography and illustration. He is also the co-founder, publisher and art director of cycling independent title The Ride Journal.

Susannah Osborne is a journalist and has written for numerous newspapers and magazines on the subjects of travel, fitness and adventure sport. She has cycled since her late teens, first as a means to get around her native North Devon, and later as an active member of the women’s road and criterium racing scene in the UK. She worked and cycled with Michael Blann for several years before teaming up with him on this book, which appeals to her love of storytelling and her long-standing fascination with dramatic landscapes.

Format:Hardback Edition Type:Revised and expanded edition Size:25.5 x 30.5 cm Extent:256 pp Publication date:26 March 2020 ISBN:9780500023082

Love music? Love illustration? Want to know more about some of the best musicians ever to record&;from Bowie and the Beastie Boys to The Smiths and St. Vincent? Then A Guide to Music's Cult Artists is for you.

Featuring 100 of the coolest artists from the last five decades, A Guide to Music's Cult Artists reveals the influencers and tastemakers who have helped to shape the contemporary music scene. Award-winning illustrator and comic artist John Riordan profiles cult musicians from genres including punk, indie, alternative, hip-hop, and electronic music. Not only does John create amazing illustrations, he also outlines key works from the artists and provides engaging trivia to accompany each entry. Enlightening, often amusing, and always stunning to look at, A Guide to Music's Cult Artists is a unique blend of the esthetic and the acoustic and is an essential addition to any music fan&;s collection.

Record Culture Magazine is a biannual publication that focuses on niche music communities around the world and their intersection with the worlds of art, fashion and culture.

200 plus magazine featuring interviews and studio visits with:

– Louise Chen – John Gómez – Apiento – Regularfantasy – Lauer – Beatrice Dillon – Public Possession – River Yarra – Sadar Bahar – Anthony Naples And the visual feature, “A Decade of Power and L.I.E.S.

Europe offers an astonishing variety of scenic landscapes and some of the most enchanting trails to explore them. Wanderlust Europe takes you from the Scottish Highlands to endless amber beaches of the Baltic Sea, from the Scandinavian tundra, the majestic peaks of the Alps, the pristine peaks of the Balkans, to the rugged coastal mountains of the Mediterranean islands, and along the romantic valley of the Rhine river. Wanderlust Europe points the reader in the direction of the continent’s most awe-inspiring routes. Offering expert knowledge on how best to experience the wild outdoors, this stimulating manual traverses far-reaching locales in pursuit of breathtaking beauty and a sense of freedom. Combining first-hand tips with informative maps and an array of spectacular photography, this book is a welcome addition to the Wanderlust series and for anyone with an urge to connect with the great outdoors.

With outdoor enthusiast Alex Roddie on how best to experience nature’s majesty, this book offers long-distance trekking, short-day trips, and extended weekend escapades for hikers of all levels. Explore the world one step at a time with Wanderlust Europe.

In a bar called The Bucket of Blood, a man shoots the bartender four times in the head. In the small town of Millhaven, a teenage girl secretly and gleefully murders her neighbors. A serial killer travels from home to home, quoting John Milton in his victims' blood.

Murder Ballads, the ninth studio album from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, is a gruesome, blood-splattered reimagining of English ballads, American folk and blues music, and classic literature. Most of the stories told on Murder Ballads have been interpreted many times, but never before had they been so graphic or profane. Though earning the band their first Parental Advisory warning label, Murder Ballads, released in 1996, brought Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds their biggest critical and commercial success, thanks in part to the award-winning single, “Where the Wild Roses Grow,” an unlikely duet with Australian pop singer, Kylie Minogue.

Closely examining each of the ten songs on the album, Santi Elijah Holley investigates the stories behind the songs, and the numerous ways these ballads have been interpreted through the years. Murder Ballads is a tour through the evolution of folk music, and a journey into the dark secrets of American history.

"As government legislation, standardised music and bad drugs forced the euphoria of the rave phenomenon into the darkness, a new underground movement emerged – the jungle and drum & bass nexus.

It was the sound of the beating heart of Britain’s multi-cultural urban rave, produced by the children of the Windrush and their closest friends, and distilled via the journey from a Tivoli Gardens soundclash, to the UK’s inner city blues parties and onto jazz-funk all-dayers and soul weekenders.

It was a space that was forged in the hidden edges of urban warehouses and the darkened recesses of clubland’s backrooms; schooled in the swagger of dancehall, the thunder of hardcore, the fury of bebop and the depth charge of dub.

Jungle and drum & bass was like nothing else the world had experienced before – simultaneously black and white, urban and suburban, old skool attitude and new school innovation. A socio-cultural melting pot of early-90s broken Britain seizing the wheel and taking control of the machine.

Originally published in 1997, State of Bass explores the scene’s roots through its social, cultural and musical antecedents and on to its emergence via the debate that surrounded the apparent split between jungle and drum & bass. Drawing on interviews with some of the key figures in the early years State of Bass explores the sonic shifts and splinters of new variants, styles and subgenres as it charts the journey from the early days as the deliberately hidden underground, ignored by the media in favour of the post-rave progressive house scene, to its position as a global phenomenon.

State of Bass: The Origins of Jungle and Drum & Bass extends the original text to include the award of the Mercury Prize to Roni Size & Reprazent for the groundbreaking New Forms album and brings new perspectives to the story of the UK’s most important subterranean urban energy.



Quotes

“Cogent, well researched and hardly oblivious to the nutty charisma of jungle’s lexicon and nomenclature. The first serious attempt to document the drum & bass realm is a total success.”
Select

“Exceedingly well researched, endlessly authoritative and undeniably ace…”
Melody Maker

“(State of Bass) deserves a special mention. A thorough account of the story of jungle.”
Ben Osborne, author of The A-Z of Club Culture

“The best book so far on the evolution of drum & bass”
Sheryl Garratt, author of Adventures in Wonderland: a decade of club culture

“Martin James comes up trumps with an in-depth examination of Jungle’s roots, history and even a recommended listening guide.”
Muzik

“Essential reading for anyone who is interested not only in the jungle scene… but in dance in general, in the music industry as a whole or even British society and its infrastructures.”
DJ

“An acutely perceptive and thought-provoking account of the circumstances and celebrities surrounding the development of a modern music that we can finally call our own.”
The Scotsman

“Well worth rattling through if you can track it down.”
FACT

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"Legendary drum & bass magazine Knowledge returns for a one-off special book to celebrate their 25th anniversary. It's been ten years since the last issue and five years since they called it a day and over the years people have clamoured for its return but Knowledge always resisted the temptation. So why are they bringing it back now? Well, they feel they have unfinished business. Reaching 20 years was such an important milestone but it was a bittersweet moment and they didn't celebrate it at all because they knew the end was coming. What better way to mark their 25th anniversary than with one last issue?

Knowledge Magazine returns with a special one-off book celebrating their 25th anniversary. There have been some special issues in the past but this is the biggest and best Knowledge ever. This is one for the collectors:

10” x 10” large format book
Hardback material cover with debossed logo
Premium 130gsm matt art paper
160 full-colour pages featuring new and classic long-form features and interviews"

"Showcasing the mastermind behind some of the most iconic rave flyers and record covers of the late eighties and early nineties, Junior Tomlin: Flyer & Cover Art is a comprehensive insight into Junior Tomlin’s incredible back catalogue.

Rave culture transformed the way people experienced music, sparking a revolution in British society and spreading across the globe during the late eighties. Its influence is still being felt today, as millions of people around the world attend clubs and festivals that embody the spirit of rave culture. Intrinsic to the spread of the culture in those pre-internet days was the dissemination of flyers, giving ravers information on where and when their favourite promoters would be organising parties. In order to stand out from the competition, it was imperative that the most respected events had distinctive flyer artwork.

Junior Tomlin’s visionary capabilities led to a long-running career as a flyer artist. His fantastical projections of the future and often surreal imagery earned him the title The Salvador Dali of Rave. Tomlin’s iconic work was highly sought after, with ravers collecting his remarkable work and promoters queuing up to commission him to produce imagery for their flyers. Junior’s imagination conjured up alternate worlds, references to outer space and gave us a peek into the endless possibilities presented by an unknown future. It was the perfect representation of the brave new world being cultivated by rave promoters and the community that sprung up around the culture.

Junior worked with a range of seminal rave promoters from 1992 onwards including Telepathy, Dreamscape, Slammin’ Vinyl, One Nation, Dream Odyssey and Ravealation. 30 years since he designed his first flyer Junior Tomlin: Flyer & Cover Art documents his work across 160 pages, with commentary and draft sketches provided by Junior himself. Divided into two distinct sections – Record Covers and Flyers – the book also features an in-depth interview with Junior and a foreword by Chelsea Louise Berlin (artist, flyer collector and author of Rave Art) plus words from former clients.

Chronicling the work of a pioneering artist whose art was intrinsic to early rave culture, Junior Tomlin: Flyer & Cover Art marks a critical time in British history. In a time where division and conflict seem to be more prevalent than ever, the book allows us to escape into Junior’s fantasy worlds and travel back in time to an era when social barriers were being broken down.

The book is 25cm x 25cm, printed on premium 130gsm full-colour paper. It is the first time his work has been documented and presented in such a comprehensive, cohesive fashion.

“His record sleeves are classic examples of a hugely important artform now sadly deceased in the digital age.”
Danny Briottet (Renegade Soundwave)

“When I think of music and the concept of what I wish to express, I always want the visual representation to be in total synergy with that I am creating. Artwork is so important! This is why I did not hesitate when it came to choosing an artist and legend like Junior for specific work projects I had in mind.”
DJ Rap"

"The Secret DJ returns with the follow-up to their acclaimed debut book. Less a sequel and more a panoramic wide-angle painting of the biggest youth movement in human history, The Secret DJ: Book Two charts the rise of dance music over the last 30 years and its connection to western capitalism and culture.

While never claiming to be instrumental, The Secret DJ was around for every stage of the journey and is a continually wry observer of this unstoppable growth. The Secret DJ’s signature humour and wit are ever-present in this ascent, charting personal ups and downs as well as the buying and selling of the acid house revolution.

Covering topics as wide as drugs, music production, anthropology, the gentrification of the scene, technology, travel, fame, devaluation, inflation, relationships, technique, festivals, rejection, social media, situationism and hypernormalisation; almost no aspect of the last four decades go unmentioned in terms of what we know today as Electronic Dance Music.

“No one in publishing would have the balls to touch this book with a bargepole,” says the Secret DJ. “It takes courage to speak up. There’s not much in the way of reward for telling it like it is, not any more. If you expose an industry, that industry hates you for life with the intensity of the sun. I have nothing but admiration for Velocity Press, they’ve taken a big risk working with me. I appreciate it greatly. It’s good to know there are still people out there willing to stand up.”

“I loved The Secret DJ – some all-too-familiar characters mixed with the highs and lows of what this industry can throw at you. Excited and intrigued to read the second instalment… how much more extreme can it get?!” – Denney

“I never read books about electronic music, why would I? But I guess The Secret DJ is more an anarchist handbook for shattered dreamers than a manual on how to make it big on the scene. Can’t wait for his new adventures.” – Ivan Smagghe

“We all have war stories, us jobbing night-lifers. From having sets ended by soldiers with automatic weapons in Juarez to coming-round in Glasgow city centre suddenly best pals with a gangster who’s most affectionate nickname was ‘Wolf’. I’ve bagged a couple over the years. And yours are undoubtedly more vivid, funnier or more ludicrous than mine. The Secret DJ’s are better still.” – Ewan Pearson

“I loved book one, waiting to live the DJ life vicariously again thru book two!” – Arthur Baker

“The Secret DJ’s first book managed to do something very different to the existing dance music memoirs (and I should know as I have read them all). It functioned not only as a hilarious jaunt through the insanity of the glory years of dance music – i.e. when there was still money in music – but as a harrowing portrayal of the emotionally, physically and mentally taxing straits an international DJ will find themselves in. Anyone with even a passing curiosity about ‘the industry’ should read it and await its follow up, especially if they have any frankly dangerous notions of joining up professionally, which I cannot in all good conscience recommend.” – Manu Ekanayake (music and culture journalist)

“It’s rare for a writer to capture the excitement and absurdity of dance music culture at the same time, but the Secret DJ did that to great effect in the first book. This latest chapter in the story promises to be every bit as exhilarating, providing an important critical voice at a time when ‘the society of the spectacle’ threatens to suck the life out of those clinging to the acid house dream.” – Justin Robertson

“The first book is a raw, effective and bizarrely emotional tale of ‘the life’. Superbly true and direct. I can hardly wait to hear the tale of the music movement being told by The Secret DJ in Book Two!” – Miguel Campbell

“The Secret DJ returns to once again pull back the curtain on the world of dance music and the sometimes harsh, but always hilarious, realities of what lurks behind it. Get ready for a second descent into the far(cical) side.” – Neville Watson

“Really enjoyed the first book, both hilarious debauchery and insightful commentary on a world usually kept behind the curtain. I’m looking forward to the next instalment, hoping for a lot more righteous anger within.” – Posthuman

“Every participant in the music industry will wince at the thought of falling under the glance of the Secret DJ’s withering pen, but still find themselves avidly leafing through his pages for the merest mention.” – Carl Puttnam (Cud)"

"From acid house to prog-rock, there is no form of modern popular music that hasn’t been propelled forward by the synthesizer. As a result, they have long been objects of fascination, desire and reverence for keyboard players, music producers and fans of electronic music alike. Whether looking at an imposing modular system or posing with a DX7 on Top of the Pops, the synth has also always had an undeniable physical presence.

Synthesizer Evolution: From Analogue to Digital (and Back) celebrates their impact on music and culture by providing a comprehensive and meticulously researched directory of every major synthesizer, drum machine and sampler made between 1963 and 1995. Each featured instrument is illustrated by hand and shown alongside its vital statistics and some fascinatingly quirky facts.

From its invention in the early 1960s to the digital revolution of the 1980s right up until the point that analogue circuits could be modelled using software in the mid-1990s, this book tells the story of synthesizers from analogue to digital – and back again.

Tracing that history and showing off their visual beauty with art-book quality illustrations, this a must for any self-respecting synth fan. The book has 128 pages, is 23cm x 17.4cm in size and printed on high quality 130gsm matt art paper.

Author Oli Freke says: “This book has grown out of a life-long obsession with synthesizers and electronic music, and it’s fantastic to be able to share this with my fellow synth obsessives and music fans who celebrate the synth’s role in modern music. I’m eternally grateful to Velocity Press for going with me on this journey and supporting the project so keenly.”

Reviews

“When the author’s passion for synths combines with his artistic talent the result is a book with a difference. The hand-sketched illustration style sets this book apart helping turn the technical facts and figures into a visual feast insightfully embellished with interesting anecdotes. This book is a joy to look at and a delight to read.” – Sound On Sound magazine

“Like a Victorian botanist climbing mountains in search of a rare flower to sketch, Oli Freke tracks down scarce examples of synthesizers to lovingly sketch and share with the rest of us to marvel at. His collection is an essential bookshelf addition for the analogue obsessive.” – Electronic Sound magazine

“Such a fascinating survey of the synthesizer world, demonstrating a depth of passion that will amaze even the greatest synth-head.” – Benge (Expanding Records)

“Every tweak of a button, every plug of a wire, every minute detail examined on some of the most iconic synths ever made… its really geeky & strange, but its the bible on every great synthesizer behind all of your favourite songs.”

Lotus Capo (Sony ATV Publishing)

The Belgian illustrator Tom De Geeter brings a fresh new look to the top ten list with Tens: he asked hundreds of artists, TV makers, musicians, famous and less well-known people to put together their so-called tens, and set them neither themes nor limitations. It is a unique and out-of-the-box insight into the interests and hobbys of various people, brought with great attention to craftsmanship and detail. No perishable or predictable lists, but a quirky, surprising, and extremely varied collection, illustrated by Tom De Geeter with contrast-rich yet delicate line drawings.

‘Cuba: Music and Revolution: Original Album Cover Art of Cuban Music: Record Sleeve Designs of Revolutionary Cuba 1959-90 ’ is a stunning new deluxe 250-page large format hardback book compiled and edited by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records) that features many 100s of stunning and unique Cuban record sleeve designs made since the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959. These album covers have rarely been seen (nor heard) outside of Cuba and show a rich previously hidden history of both music and design.

‘Cuba: Music and Revolution’ is the first ever book about Cuban record sleeve design and has been five years in the making, made in full co-operation with the Cuban government. The record sleeve designs reflect both the rich cultural Latin musical legacy of Cuba, as well as the political and aesthetic influence of revolutionary Communism, which manifests itself both in the music created on the island and the artwork of the designs included here.

Cuban music is the source of much Latin music in the 20th century. Salsa, the all-encompassing Latin music that came out of New York in the 1970s, and soon spread across Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere, owes all of its success to the Cuban music on which it is fundamentally based.

These record sleeves help document the dramatic change in Cuba’s identity from that of 1950s tourist paradise to socialist state. Following the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the United States imposed a trade embargo which exists to this day, and as a consequence the many 100s of Cuban records featured here have rarely been seen outside of Cuba.

The book is edited and compiled by Gilles Peterson, BBC broadcaster, record label owner, DJ, record collector, founder of Worldwide FM and Stuart Baker, founder of Soul Jazz Records. Together they have edited two earlier critically-acclaimed music and design books ‘Freedom, Rhythm and Sound – Revolutionary Jazz Cover Art 1965-83’ and ‘Bossa Nova and The Rise of Brazilian Music in the 1960s’.

In conjunction with the deluxe book, Soul Jazz Records will be releasing an album also compiled by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker, charting the rise of Cuban music in the 1970s and featuring many of the artists who appear in this book.

GRRRLS BY LODOWNMAGAZINE
it’s not just a buzz. It’s for real this time. Slowly but steadily, it’s gonna happen. That thing called change. And it will be a predominantly female-centric one.
You shouldn’t expect any kind of elaborate superstructure in this very issue though. There is no men vs women and its implicit over-simplified presentation format of evil vs good - because reality proved itself to be a lot more complex than that. Instead, Lodown’s latest issue GRRRLS presents itself as a celebration of all the uncountable female talent out there that’s dedicating their craft to turn this planet into something more beautiful, smart, reflecting and overall rad again. That’s it, really. It’s a celebration of those individuals with an intact moral and intellectual compass. The days where girls have to be something other than themselves altogether are finally numbered.


Highlights of our GRRRLS issue include…

- SARAH MAPLE... Celebrated British artist Sarah Maples certainly is no stranger to challenging your beliefs about society, gender roles, religion, Internet culture, the art circuit, and whatnot - she smoked in a hijab, got beaten live on tape, transferred Disney-princesses into the academic world, and is pro-orgasm while wearing a burqa. What usually would be considered as being downright smart and deliciously provocative immediately got incredibly scandalized because Maple’s not only pro-feminist but of mixed Islamic background.

- MENTRIX... All it needs to snap out of the current state of ignorance is reminding ourselves that it’s actually quite simple to become bigger than we’ve been recently - greater in spirit and more courageous. And Berlin-based Samar Rad aka Mentrix could be just the right musical catalyst for bringing this endeavor into fruition. At this point, the multidisciplinary artist is far from being exhausted from fighting the good fight, even though she basically spent the last four years working on the accurate transition to introduce her artistic vision to the world - and the result is nothing less than breathtaking.

- SHAUNA TOOHEY... When the cultural landscape becomes a drag, it is high time to create a new narrative. Multidisciplinary artist, designer, The Changes member and mother, Shauna Toohey advocates living joyously through community engagement, inclusive creativity, collective wah-wah and a decent dose of subversive rupture. The status quo has no choice but to mutate. Toohey is all for making culture collective and (psy) active in the here and now, not stuck in yesterday’s rut, but brandishing future vision and grounded in today’s fun.

- COMPUTER GRRLS... The first computers were programmed by women, 75 years ago, and women wrote the software behind Neil Armstrong’s ‘giant leap for mankind’. Since then, IT has become ever more important and gradually turned into a field for nerds where women seem out of place altogether. But the tide is turning: a new wave of Computer Grrrls presents itself through a fantastic exhibition at Rotterdam’s MU, which highlighted the historical role women played in the development of computer science.

- plus more elaborate features and visual awesomeness from the likes of: Abigail Varney, Mia Haggi, Brijean, Agnes Denes, Karen Hackenberg, Midsoomar, Issy Wood, The Paranoyds, The Evolution of IT Girls and many others.

Take a break from your stressful day-to-day sneaker hunting and amp up your creativity. In the Sneaker Coloring Book you can color your most beloved shoe models in what ever way you want. You can relax your mind with some peaceful coloring fun, or get head on creative adding that complex design you always wished for your favorite sneaker model.

Whether you are an advanced sneaker head or just have the slightest interest in street fashion and sneakers, you can t go wrong with the Sneaker Coloring Book! Equally well suited for kids and adults, the book s 50 pages are packed with illustrations of some of the most iconic sneaker models of all times. From the original Pro Keds, Adidas Superstar and Vans Sk8-Hi, via 80s classics such as Troop and Air Jordan, to recent models like Nike Marty Mcfly, Puma Creeper, Balenciaga triple S and Adidas Yeezy just to name a few of the many models included in the book.

The shoes in the Sneaker Coloring Book are illustrated by Alexander Rosso, a sneaker nerd of rank who has spent the past 12 years working as a graphic designer and illustrator, mainly in the music and streetwear business.

The Sneaker Coloring Book is marker friendly! Use your favorite markers without the risk of ruining the illustration on the other side of the paper. The Sneaker Coloring Book is the latest in Dokument Press popular coloring book series, with themes such as hip hop, graffiti, skateboarding and lowriders.

A daily planner with facts on what happened on this day in hip hop history! The Hip Hop Journal: A Daily Planner provides you with a notebook as well as a daily update on the most important historical events that took place in hip hop culture on each date. Simply turn to today’s page to and find out what classic records were released on this day in the past, and next to it note your schedule, ideas, grocery list, or even your rhymes. Get inspired by what has happened in hip hop’s past and make the most of your day! The journal offers ers a variety of facts, from record releases and movies to important cultural events relating to the development of hip hop culture over the last 45+ years. The Hip Hop Journal is a loving celebration of the rich body of work that builds one of the most influential cultures of our times, and an invaluable help in planning your day-to-day activities. In the Hip Hop Journal you plan your year accompanied by the many events in hip hop history, visualized by hip hop illustrator Mark 563’s illustrations, depicting the most iconic rappers and hip hop personalities from the ‘70s until today. You may not know them all, but if you spend a little time every day, listening and catching up on the classic record releases listed in this book, you will be close to a PhD in hip hop by the end of the year. The Hip Hop Journal is the latest title in Dokument Press’ publications related to hip hop, graffiti and street art, and it is the third release with illustrator Mark 563, following the tremendously popular Hip Hop Coloring Book and Hip Hop Coloring Book: East Coast Edition.

Featuring Louise Chen, John Gómez, Apiento, Regularfantasy, Lauer, Beatrice Dillon, Public Possession, River Yarra, Sadar Bahar, Anthony Naples, and the visual feature, “A Decade of Power and L.I.E.S.”

228 pages, Perfect bound, Softcover Printing: Kopa, EU

"If there’s a cultural artefact capable of withstanding the vagaries and fickleness of the digital age as well as the printed book, it’s the vinyl record . . .

In Listening to the Wind, Ian Preece (editor, and co-author of In The Heyday of The Football Annual) sets out on an international road trip to capture the essence of life for independent record labels operating in the twenty-first century. Despite it all – from algorithms and streaming to the death of the high street and the gutting of the music press – releasing a record to serve its ‘own beautiful purpose’, as 4AD’s Ivo Watts Russell once said, is a flame that still burns through these pages. With countless labels, albums and artists to be discovered, this book is for those who share that inextinguishable love for music.

Features extensive, original interviews with the likes of Analog Africa, Light in the Attic, Thrill Jockey, International Anthem, Dust-to-Digital, Pressure Sounds, Heavenly, Touch, Mississippi, Sublime Frequencies and more! [like Japan Blues for instance] "

"you can't help warming to his anti-populist folly, and soon acquire a shopping list as long as your arm" **** Mojo

"A garrulous, engaging and deeply informed travelogue" The Wire

Presented for the public’s perusal, a coffee table collection of film photos from 2009-2013 by Oh Sees frontman, Castle Face co-conspirator, and all around restless artistic presence John Dwyer. Dwyer seemed to always be pulling out a camera around then and these flicks function as a technicolor joyride through his universe in San Francisco and beyond, with his jackal’s smirk from behind the lens all but palpable in these pages. Tour snaps, blackmail fodder, candid camaraderie, and the ringing echo of maniacal laughter await one within. Originally printed in a limited quantity by San Francisco clothing shop and live music incubator Vacation, Castle Face has dusted it off for a wider release for those that never got the chance.