Other worldly folk music from the Central Highlands of Vietnam performed by some of the most renowned musicians of the region, this exceptional document features small ensembles and solo performers on a variety of unique instruments (many with vocals). This is rare and disappearing music from the Jerai, Banhar, Ede, and Rongao ethnic groups and although the recordings are made during informal settings, they are raw, emotional, dreamy, and transcendent. From Vincenzo Della Ratta's liner notes: "In recent decades, the traditional cultures of various ethnic groups in Vietnam have undergone dramatic changes, leading to the radical transformation or even loss of some long-standing traditions, all of which has also had a significant impact on the musical traditions of the Central Highlands. The recordings on this album reflect this period, in which the last representatives of the old musical traditions have coexisted with a new wave of musicians and performers. This shift has affected the musical instruments used, the functions or contexts in which they are played, the repertoires, and the playing styles. A further characteristic of musical change in the Central Highlands is the influence of Western or Vietnamese music, evident in the way young musicians perform with a clean and measured style, with the standard Western tuning. This contrasts with the traditional playing style of older generations, and both styles are featured on this album. Rather than just being a 'musical postcard,' this album is intended to provide an accurate sonic representation of the musical landscape in the Central Highlands over the past two decades, while still being highly enjoyable. I feel that it is particularly significant, considering the present period of major change, during which the music of the older generations is fading from the villages of the region, making way for new forms of musical expression." Recorded live on location by Vincenzo Della Ratta between 2003-2023, this extremely limited-edition LP includes a four-page full-color insert with photos of the musicians and surroundings, a detailed track list and liner notes by Vincenzo Della Ratta.

3,900 years ago, in 2010, David Tibet and Andrew Liles decided to ReDream and ReName the first six and two-halves Current 93 albums on Steve Pittis' dirty Dirter label. Now, 3,900 years later, to mark The Death Of The Age, Or Æon, Or Arse, Of Aquarius, they have returned with a CD box-set, consisting of the original vinyl albums in the box-set remastered by Master Monster Liles, and an extra CD featuring C93's album Who Is The Sufferer. The box-set has been taken from the original artwork by Saint Rob Hopeye, and also includes five color cards, and one color poster, painted by David Tibet. Limited to 1,000 copies. The material on these albums and single and postcard, that has now been dreamt and redrawn by Andrew Liles, was originally performed and released by Current 93 on her earlier UnVeiled, Rising, MalD'Aurorian, MoonBled, DayBreaking, Faustian, Suffering, and BlackBird albums and singles. Now Dirter Promotions offers to you all: Nature Revealed, Dogs Blood Ascending, The End Of Red Dreams, Dead At Bar Maldoror, Dusk, Haunt Invocation (Apadno), Who Is The Sufferer. The box-set also includes a 7" single in full-color sleeve, featuring "There's No Hiding From The BlackBird."

WRWTFWW Records is boiling with excitement: Pizza Hotline is back! The UK producer and DJ is following up the already classic Level Select (WRWTFWW 078LP, 2023) with another liquid drum and bass with a video game music twist beauty: the Polygon Island album, available in a limited-edition double LP with a majestic 45rpm cut (for louder, bigger, bolder, deeper earth-shaking bass), packaged in a heavyweight 350gsm gatefold sleeve. Home of eight all new slices of delicious atmospheric drum and bass, Polygon Island is the perfect artificial paradise beach for Pizza Hotline to deepen his exploration of modern jungle music liquified through the lens of '90s/Y2K video game motifs and seasoned with the soundtrack essence of PS1, PS2, N64, Sega Saturn & Dreamcast adventures. Bewitching and larger than life, Pizza Hotline's perfect follow-up to Level Select takes listeners (players?) on an endless summer escapade filled with immaculate vibes, crispy beats, and refashioned homages to, once again, LTJ Bukem, Peshay, the Wipeout OST, and Soichi Terada's Ape Escape. It's bouncy, it flows, it's dreamy -- something to dance to, something to reminisce to, something to chill to. Pizza Hotline is back and it feels so good. Press start. Again.

Joanne Robertson follows up on AD 93 with the album Blurrr. Written between painting sessions and also whilst raising a child, Blurrr is a record of loose and playful intuition. Robertson's vocals and guitar drift, murmur and whisper across the record; fostering a deep intimacy as unknown emotions rise up from the well. Robertson's intuitive approach to music making co-exists alongside her improvisatory and collaborative nature. She has collaborated regularly with artists such as Elias Rønnenfelt on Heavy Glory, Dean Blunt on Backstage Raver, and Black Metal, and Sidsel Meineche Hansen on Alien Baby. In Blurrr Robertson turns to previous collaborator and friend: cellist, composer and producer Oliver Coates.

2LP version. Since 2015, Les Disques Bongo Joe have been exploring musical margins with passion and precision -- from rare reissues to bold local projects and international collaborations. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Geneva-based label releases 10 Years of Sonic Explorations, a compilation that captures a decade of handcrafted work, collective vision, and sonic adventures. It's not a "best of," but a vivid snapshot of what drives the label: from forgotten archives to emerging scenes, from Geneva to Bogotá, Istanbul or Lilongwe -- through lo-fi grooves, offbeat percussion, raw vocals and unclassifiable sounds. Spanning the label's earliest releases to its most recent ones, this selection highlights the range of aesthetics Bongo Joe has championed over the years -- always resisting trends, always embracing singularity. A deep dive into a freeform catalogue built on one belief: that music is a force for expression, transmission, and connection. Featuring Alain Peters, Altin Gün, Mauskovic Dance Band, Esplendor Geometrico, Hyperculte, Madalitso Band, Meridian Brothers, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, Nordine Staifi, Cyril Cyril, África Negra, Yīn Yīn, Les Abranis, Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp, Coco Maria, AMAMI, Lalalar, Nusantara Beat, Yalla Miku, Chouk Bwa & The Ångströmers, Sami Galbi, Baby Berserk, and Dressed Up Animal.

Double LP version. Electronic pioneers Propaganda follow up their acclaimed 2024 comeback with Remix Encounters, a broad and brilliant remix album featuring Moby, Tangerine Dream, Rhys Fulber, Schiller, and more. Released on Bureau B, this remix collection reflects the enthusiasm Propaganda's return after three decades of silence has ignited among contemporary artists, who approached the project with fresh energy and creative freedom.

"Since breaking new ground with their seminal 1985 debut A Secret Wish and its pioneering remix companion Wishful Thinking, Propaganda have thrived on transformation. Yet rather than revisiting the past, Remix Encounters looks forward, building on the vitality of last year's album and celebrating its widespread critical and fan acclaim. What began as a remix request from Finnish electronic maestro Jori Hulkkonen, returning the favor after Ralf Dörper's contribution to his last album, quickly blossomed into an international collaboration, drawing in luminaries such as Moby, Tangerine Dream, Rhys Fulber (Front Line Assembly, Delerium), and Schiller. Embracing openness, Propaganda spent the fourth quarter of 2024 encouraging the wide range of musicians inspired by their triumphant return to offer their own interpretations. Each brought their distinctive voice to the material, resulting in a thrilling journey through electronic subgenres, from EBM and industrial to rave, ambient, house, and beyond. Rhys Fulber opens the album with a brooding, machine-funk reinvention of 'They Call Me Nocebo,' evolving from a sleek, sinuous introduction into a relentless pneumatic stomp. Next, Schiller offers a powerful remix of 'Distant' that balances raw electro-house and techno energy with the emotional depth of EBM, before Moby transforms 'Purveyor of Pleasure' into a furious early-'90s rave anthem, fusing breakbeats and rolling basslines that pulse with nostalgic urgency yet feel unmistakably modern. Elsewhere, Finnish polymath Jimi Tenor infuses 'Vicious Circle' with cosmic jazz and dub textures, while Pyrolator, a key figure in Düsseldorf's avant-garde scene, delivers a shadowy reinterpretation of 'LoveCraft.' Cult With No Name also contribute a brooding electro-ballad version of the same track. Propaganda's own Michael Mertens teams up with longtime collaborator Hans Steingen to re-envision 'Dystopian Waltz,' shifting its time signature to a gripping 4/4 and intensifying its ominous mood for darker dance floors. The range of remixers speaks volumes: from industrial punks Gewalt and synth purists Metroland to ambient pioneers Tangerine Dream, Remix Encounters unites an eclectic group of electronic artists bound by a shared reverence for innovation and Propaganda's distinctive voice." --Patrick Ryder

2025 marks 20 years of Tectonic, the pioneering dubstep and electronic label founded in 2005 by Bristol's underground originator, DJ Pinch. The Tectonic Sound compilation lays down the gauntlet for the future direction of the imprint. Split across 6 x 4-track 12"s and double CD, the compilation comprises many producers making their Tectonic debut, including Re:ni, Beatrice M., Yushh, Flora Yin-Wong, and Sicaria, alongside stalwarts like Om Unit, RSD, Peverelist and Kahn & Neek. It's an exhilarating 24-track journey through experimental, bass-heavy electronic music, with almost all tracks created by the artists specifically with Tectonic's sound in mind -- at the intersection where dubstep and techno meet. Across Tectonic's 150-strong catalogue there are seminal releases by 2562, Scientist, and Mumdance & Logos, side by side with appearances from Flying Lotus, Shed, Adrian Sherwood, Riko Dan, and Photek. The label holds some of the earliest dubstep incantations of Skream, Digital Mystikz, and Joker as well as Pinch's own productions. The evolution of the Tectonic sound branches into audio explorations encompassing sub-heavy techno and grimey soundscapes alongside leftfield electronica and future-facing beats. The common thread that binds is Pinch's devotion to pushing underground music ahead of its time, always built to rattle a soundsystem. Also featuring V.I.V.E.K, FJAAK & J.Manuel, Cocktail Party Effect, Appleblim, Gemmy, Sophia Loizou, J.Sparrow, Cortical, Ipman, Distance, Coki.

"The 500th issue of the magazine comes with a special commemorative silver gatefold cover featuring brand new artwork by The Wire's long standing resident graphic artist and illustrator Savage Pencil. The contents of the 500th issue add up to another unmissable monthly despatch from Wire central and include: Natural Information Society + Bitchin Bajas: Natural Information Society, the protean, Organic Music Society inspired collective lead by composer Joshua Abrams, have collaborated extensively with fellow Chicago cosmic drone power trio Bitchin Bajas. The latest outcome of their long-running partnership is this year's album Totality on Drag City. By Emily Pothast and Bill Meyer; OvO: The industrial-infused noise rock duo from Ravenna, Italy mark 25 years of high octane sonic confrontation with the release of their new album Gemma, featuring guest vocals from Duma's Lord Spikeheart, on Canada's Artoffact label. By Claire Biddles; Weston Olencki: The South Carolina born, Berlin based composer and trombonist has worked with composer collective Ensemble Pamplemousse and duo Rage Thormbones while racking up a catalogue of solo releases via Superpang, Tripticks Tapes and Lonform Editions. Their forthcoming new album Broadsides will document an environmental sonic travelogue of the American South. By Daryl Worthington; Fay Victor: The New York jazz vocalist's 2024 album Life Is Funny That Way contributed to the reappraisal of pianist Herbie Nichols as a visionary innovator, under-appreciated in his time. By Stewart Smith; and many more."

"For many bands, having all their gear stolen would be catastrophic. For Third Ear Band, this unfortunate 1968 incident opened a portal to beneficial change. Leader/percussionist Glen Sweeney viewed the heist as a sign to alter Third Ear Band's approach, and they switched to exclusively using acoustic instruments. With electrified psychedelia in full bloom, Sweeney, Paul Minns (oboe, recorder, whistles, flutes) and Richard Coff (violin, viola) struck out on an individualistic path, blending Indian raga with chamber music -- without plugging in. Third Ear Band's 1969 debut album, Alchemy, established them as a solemn, powerful force in the global underground. On Alchemy, Sweeney laid down a steady pulse on hand drums, while Minns and Coff wove in melismatic patterns on oboe, recorder, violin and viola. This approach carried over to Third Ear Band's self-titled sophomore album, often called Elements due to its track titles being named after the four basic components of medieval European alchemists' doctrines. On this 1970 LP, Third Ear Band sounded at once ancient and contemporary, yet they turned on the hippies with their epic, trance-inducing jams that suggested secret knowledge of infinity. Although Third Ear Band flourished during the West's countercultural zenith, they were peculiarly estranged from it on a sonic level. Even outré contemporaries such as Comus and Jan Dukes De Grey sounded like pop groups compared to TEB. Having no traditional front person or electric instruments, Third Ear Band forged a singular path that flowered most vividly on Elements. The long songs here stream forth from their skilled hands, evoking a communal transcendence in sound -- a hypnotic swirl that doesn't swing, but rather wafts and undulates with cloistered beauty. TEB's music exists in an eternal now, a perpetual wow. It is an ouroboros of organic textures, seemingly magicked into the air spontaneously, yet possessing a rigor that suggests long hours in the lab. Without electricity, it somehow burrowed deeper into your consciousness." --Dave Segal

Spanish-born, Berlin-based artist JASSS, presents her third LP, Eager Buyers. It's the inaugural release on her own new platform called AWOS, which also encompasses musical, AV and art collaborations, live events, and a radio show. Eager Buyers is an observation of longing, of memory, of attempted connection, of lost innocence, and irreconcilable dreams. It's the sound of broken promises for a bright future, where rose-tinted glasses have lost their clarity, dirtied with disaffection over time. Across this sultry, smoky, cinematic epic, JASSS attempts to process mixed feelings amidst the modern malaise. Alluringly atmospheric and cerebral, but bold and direct, with high-spec sound design, JASSS spaces each element with expert definition. Searing swathes of noise nestle with crisp breakbeats, billowing bass, dark ambience, prepared piano, phosphorescent electronics and calibrated percussion. A sort of anti-nostalgia, the record lives in a contemporary purgatory of oblique moods which hover in the psyche, somewhere between uncertainty, foreboding, and guarded anticipation. The raw metal of bass guitar strings plays a key part too, ranging from ornate melodic phrases, shoegazy drones, and attitude-riven hard twangs. Vocals come from JASSS herself, plus James K and Alias Error on the track "It's A Hole." The heavy, hauntological atmospherics are in part due to the addition of field recordings -- the discreet, but spiritually-loaded incidental sounds of a place which can capture its history, with the acoustics somehow retaining an emotional imprint of lives long gone. If pressed for descriptive reference points, "masterfully-produced-post-punk-post-rockbaroque-gothy-dubby-trip-hop" might be a starting point, but that doesn't do it justice. Equally spectral in their dream-like quality are the musical signposts, where genre elements are familiar, but somehow also unplaceable, untethered from context, and beautifully strange in their new composite. At points there's an air of strangely dazed calm too -- a kind of frazzled cool in the face of desolation, and even tender, lighter moments, which glint through the cracks.

Double LP version. Hailing from the suburbs of Glasgow, this five-piece are best known for their three starry-eyed albums on the renowned Sarah Records -- this being an expanded version of their first (an eight-track 10" at the time). By the tail end of the 1980s the independent music scene in the UK was turning its back on the polish and over-indulgence of the mid-'80s with its gated drums and wallpaper production. And those who weren't stretching the boundaries of sonic innovation had tuned back to the post-punk ethos of ramshackle charm and zealous melody, even dousing the spirit with some political fervor once more. Influences were more likely to be Television and the Television Personalities than MTV. The Orchids and The Sea Urchins were the first two bands to release 7" singles on the Sarah label having previously begun their recording existence on a shared flexi disc in 1987 (The Sea Urchins went on to become Delta, whose classic album Slippin' Out from 2000 will be the second release on Circuitry). The Scottish five-piece released I've Got a Habit and Underneath the Window, Underneath the Sink as EPs before really finding their feet with Lyceum; the tracks, remastered from the original Toad Hall tapes are included on this reissue as are the three songs from the "What Will We Do Next?" 7" (this collection closes with the frazzled stretch that is "Yawn"). Lyceum was originally released in August 1989. The album opens with "It's Only Obvious" and its gloriously youthful chorus of "who needs tomorrow when all I need, all I needed was you." James Hackett somehow appears both forthright and rejected, something that one of their musical heroes The Go-Betweens also had down to a fine art. It barely takes a breath until midway through side two where "Hold On" (sounding suspiciously like an unlikely objective) descends into the intro of "Blue Light," the counted-in "1, 2, 3, 4" whispered like the most hopelessly dejected rally. If that sounds depressing it isn't. This record by The Orchids was a spirited source of comfort for an 18-year-old at the time and still shudders with the best type of melancholy, one that's spirited not indulgent. If you're not familiar with the band's charm, this is where you should begin.

Limited-edition of 500 worldwide on white vinyl. The first in a series of archival releases from Cranes, the band's John Peel Sessions are collected for the first time. Artwork by feted 4AD/v23 sleeve designer Chris Bigg (Cocteau Twins, Pixies etc). Formed in mid-1980s Portsmouth by the brother and sister duo of Jim Shaw (drummer, keyboardist, guitarist, programmer) and Alison Shaw (vocalist, guitarist, bassist), Cranes first appeared in 1986 with Fuse, a self-released and now highly sought-after cassette of demos. Their debut album Self-Non-Self followed in 1989, catching the attention of legendary DJ John Peel, who invited them to record two sessions for his show in 1989 and 1990, the second seeing Mark Francombe (guitarist, keyboardist, bassist) and Matt Cope (guitarist) join ranks to form the line-up who would go on to record multiple albums for Dedicated including the much-loved album, Forever. Cranes now present John Peel Sessions (1989-1990) on their own Dadaphonic label.

LP version. Stripping away excess layers, Dispossessed lives up to its title. The band went into Causa Sui's Jonas Munk's studio on the last day of February 2025. In an a priori session, the first note played together since 2023's Dens (EPR 075CD) -- the conclusion of a trilogy and a live album all in less than a year. Has something shifted during the silence? Added aggression? Faster tempo? Darker ambiance? The feeling of losing time? Or is it simply the listener whose world has tilted? In a fast-paced world, Edena Gardens shows listeners how to resist and tune to their own inner chord. Edena Gardens deals in subtle shifts that can only be summoned from something played for the first time. From the sludgy blasts of opener "Hiraeth" to the droning ambience of 10-minute ender "Aftenstjerne." As always, the band travels far yet stays in the same internal realm. The band's own Jakob Skøtt has made minor edits to cut a record from hours of free improvisation, and every dubbed ambience has been culled directly from the material recorded that day, bringing into play the band's gestalt in a way that shows their both outer and inner workings: Dispossessed. Edena Gardens is: Jakob Skøtt: drums (Causa Sui); Nicklas Sørensen: guitar (Papir); Martin Rude: baritone guitar and bass (London Odense Ensemble).

2025 restock. Another selection of eight songs following the first compilation released in late 2020 covering the same period but also venturing in the 1990s. Drissi is one of Rai's softest voices. This is more Wah-Wah driven, mid-tempo guitar-based Rai from the city where Rai's "harder' form was conceived. Sad romantic songs about lost loves and other sorrowful tales.

Cyan-color vinyl LP, housed in full color sleeve with polylined inner bag. In November 2024, Japanese quartet Hibushibire flew into the UK for the third time. Heads were banged, minds were blown and a new legion of fans were made. During the tour, the band recorded several shows with the idea to release another of their legendary live bootleg album if the performances were up to scratch. They were! This is a trimmed down version of their set, recorded in both Glasgow and London with no overdubs and no fancy production. It's 100% raw/live Hibushibire as God intended. Crank it up and freak out!

Transparent sky-blue vinyl LP. Housed in full-color sleeve with polylined inner bag and download code. Two fields of existence collide as Nolla (Finnish psych/space rockers) and Mike Vest (maximalist guitar guru, Bong, Blown Out, Drunk In Hell, Artifacts & Uranium, Modoki, Tomoyuki Trio, Mienakunaru, etc) merge their creative visions for the third time, creating a steady and surreal exploration through astral planes. Nolla improvised the ground layer in their signature minimal space-rock style and MikeV wrapped everything up in lavish layers of fuzz, phased and U-Wah layered guitars. Blending octaval tones, around an array of electronics and vocal harmonies. Resulting in a constant trance like psychedelic drone rock. It's time to join the extraterrestrial communion, beyond the skies, convert into the mode of light and pay homage to his mighty eminence.

"The Diary, the legendary lost album and instrumentals from J Dilla, released posthumously in 2016, was the VMP Hip-Hop Record of the Month for November 2022. It's here on exclusive double LP purple and orange marble vinyl. (AAA) lacquers cut from the analog tapes by Ryan Smith, Sterling Sound. 180 gram audiophile vinyl pressed at QRP, Salina, KS. Includes extensive listening notes booklet by Andrew Winistorfer."

"Kris Kristofferson was the true country outsider, a man who single-handedly pushed the genre leftward, changing forever the perception of its songwriters, its performers and its message. He was long-haired, anti-war and sang songs with drug use, sex and violence always lurking as dangers in the margins, at a time when Waylon and Willie were wearing sweaters and playing golf on their album covers. He was the outlaw, in a genre that would soon have people recording his songs, and co-opting his vision for a new version of country, to much greater financial success." (AAA) lacquers cut from tapes by Ryan Smith, Sterling Sound. Pressed on exclusive 180 gram "black and blue" galaxy vinyl. Listening notes by Andrew Winistorfer.

"With 1975's Trident, McCoy Tyner finally achieved his true vision for the piano trio. In an era that finally -- and firmly -- established Tyner in the upper echelon of jazz masters, adored by critics, set at the top of festival bills and heartily supported by the record-buying public, Trident stands at the pinnacle of his brilliant album run from that decade. Trident might not seem as ambitious as Tyner's other '70s outings, but don't let its near-monochromatic gray and silver cover of McCoy by the ocean fool you; just beneath its surface is the heaviest, most vivid and deep music of his career. Trident finds him coming full circle, realizing his -- and just about any fantasy jazz fan's -- dream piano trio. Call it Money Jungle for the new decade, only one featuring cogent and telepathic alignment rather than clashing intergenerational conflict. Three titans, three defining masters of their instrument, with thousands of recording dates between them. (AAA) lacquers cut from the master tapes by Ryan Smith, Sterling Sound. Pressed on 180 gram black vinyl. Exclusive listening notes booklet by Andy Beta. "

Berlin-based DJ and producer Moomin (Sebastian Genz) returns with Into The Distance, a deeply immersive album. Expanding on his signature warm, textured sound, the 10-track LP blends deep house, downtempo, and ambient influences into a hypnotic, cinematic journey. Following his acclaimed 2011 debut The Story About You, Moomin has released on labels like Smallville, WOLF Music, OATH, and Aim, while also running his vinyl and tape imprint, Closer. Into The Distance refines his introspective, groove-driven style, with tracks like "Joni" and "A Way Out" pulsing with subtle energy, while "Caught In A Memory" and "Night Moves" evoke dreamy nostalgia. Having stepped away from live shows in 2019 to focus on his mastering studio, Moomin's latest album reflects this period of deep creative focus -- fluid, contemplative, and designed for both personal reflection and sonic exploration.

Process of Elimination, El Hardwick's sophomore's album, explores sickness as a teacher for anti-capitalist modes of being; a rewilding of the self. Out via AD 93, the record is the product of an attempt to be indestructible; this sickness has an unknown diagnosis. El Hardwick's album follows their experience of becoming chronically ill after years of treating their body like a machine. El explains: "After failing to receive a diagnosis, which is only given via a lengthy process of elimination, I instead turned to autonomous modes of healing rooted in mysticism and herbalism; putting aside the need to be defined. My journey towards accepting my disability is told in parallel to my coming-out as trans. I also see my non-binary identity as a process of elimination: I am neither gender, both, in-between. It is through rewilding myself from capitalism and gender normativity that I learn how to connect to my body and the earth; no longer allowing either's energy to be extracted from. The less I sought answers, language, metrics and analysis, the more peace I found." Silvia Federici's Caliban And The Witch influenced the album in telling how dissident women and gender nonconforming people have been historically labelled as hysterical and heretical when questioning the cartesian dualist mindset that laid the groundwork of capitalism. Donna J Haraway's Staying With The Trouble and Jenny Odell's How To Do Nothing were further inspirations in how humans can rebuild relationships with the earth. The album features a number of London-based musicians and friends: Alex McKenzie (Gentle Stranger, Shovel Dance Collective, Caroline) on clarinet, flute and saxophone, Laura Misch on saxophone, Marysia Osu (Levitation Orchestra) on harp, Memory Play on co-production, double bass and saw, and Sasha Wilde on vocals. El Hardwick is a multidisciplinary artist living in London, UK. Identifying as trans non-binary, their work weaves narratives between queer world making practices and how listeners can heal on a damaged planet.

2025 repress. Innercity Griots, the second album from Freestyle Fellowship, is perhaps the essential West Coast left-field rap album of the early '90s. Released in 1993 on 4th & Broadway, it's a towering, progressive hip-hop masterpiece that expanded rap's boundaries through lyrical elevation and production innovation. Their talent was ahead of everybody else by light years. This is pure b-boy jazz. Be With reissue includes "Pure Thought" from the CD version of the album. Freestyle Fellowship were some of the earliest technically dazzling rappers to come out of California. Mikah 9, P.E.A.C.E., Aceyalone and Self Jupiter -- along with DJ Kiilu -- forged their famed lyrical dexterity in the ultra-competitive crucible of the Good Life Cafe. Founded in Leimert Park, South Central LA in December 1989, this earthy health-food store and cafe was where the city's finest microphone fiends would gather to showcase their freestyle skills at the Thursday night open-mic. Innercity Griots has been described as the Rosetta Stone for rap styles. The group's dense, vibrant wordplay and enviable interplay quickly earned the attention and respect of the city's hip-hop underground. Frenetically trading acrobatic rhymes with agility and grace, the Fellowship used their voices as instruments like true virtuosos, spraying improvised raps like a Coltrane sax solo. With the bulk of the album's production handled by The Earthquake Brothers, and Bambawar, Daddy-O, and Edman taking over for some of the tracks, Innercity Griots dances between organic and programmed music, largely forgoing sampling and instead built around live jazz jams. The likes of Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay" and Miles Davis's "Black Comedy" were used more as templates for house band The Underground Railroad Band to spiral out from. As Pitchfork noted in their recent 9.0 review of this classic album, "Freestyle Fellowship embodied the style and spirit of jazz on a molecular level. They shared the effortless cool and tough countenance of the great bebop players from the '50s without verging into jazz-rap parody." The unusual approach to the music was matched by the Fellowship's lyrics. Eschewing the tired rap tropes of the time, this multifaceted album instead explores their ruminations on greed and homelessness, weed, sex, survival, insecurity and tribalism. Remastered by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman.

2025 restock. "Two albums that shook the world! Dub From The Roots and The Roots of Dub. The release of these two ground-breaking dubs sets in 1975 altered the course of modern music forever. Dub From The Roots and Roots Of Dub make up a crucial selection of King Tubby's mind-altering dub versions. Produced by Bunny "Striker" Lee -- both albums are essential."

2025 repress, originally released 1979. . "As roots reggae harmony groups go, Culture has always been a bit unique. Wholly dominated by the mystical and strangely charismatic lead singer and songwriter Joseph Hill, Culture has always dealt in simple (some would say simplistic) and yet absurdly catchy melodies, astringent harmonies and lyrics of the very dreadest character -- very few love songs, very few party songs, just lots and lots of dire warnings issued to Babylon and its fellow travellers. Although the band is most commonly praised for its work with producer Joe Gibbs (most notably the stone classic Two Sevens Clash album), many the tracks Culture recorded under the supervision of Sonia Pottinger are every bit as good, and Cumbolo includes ten of the best of those. Just about every song here counts as a highlight, but 'Natty Never Get Weary,' 'Poor Jah People,' and a charming adaptation of 'This Train' are all particularly good. And the backup is provided by a shifting contingent of Jamaica's studio aristocracy that includes Sly & Robbie, Ansel Collins, and 'Deadly' Headley Bennett, among other luminaries. Highly recommended." --Rick Anderson, AllMusic

2025 repress, black vinyl. "Originally released in Turkey 1973, Özkent's masterpiece (creation) of an all instrumental Turkish Psychedelic Funk album, filled with classic beats and breaks still inspires long time fans and first time listeners. The funky rhythms, hypnotic percussions, and heavy break beats makes this a holy grail amongst DJ's and music fans alike. Only a handful of copies from the original pressing are known to still exist making this reissue a welcome addition to any record collection. The concept is very complicated, futuristic and free from categorization. Traditional folk songs mixed with rock, jazz, blues, funk and psych. Özkent took traditional turkish folk songs and reconstructed them for the new 'hip' generation. It was recorded live in just one day with some of the best studio musicians in Turkey. The band was made up of 2 drummers, 2 guitarists, 2 percussionists, a bassist and a Hammond B3 organist. Özkent created his own unique guitar sound by adding extra frets and a clutch of effect pedals in order to create quarter notes and emulate turkish traditional scales. Mustafa Özkent has since made arrangements for hundreds of other artists in Turkey. But this unique album documents his most revered work. In the more than 40 years since the Mustafa Özkent Ve Orkestrası recorded Gençlik İle Elele, it seems that the world is still just discovering this gem."

Nyahh Records presents this compilation of singers, which has been on the back boiler for some time! Inspired by the song collecting of Alan Lomax, this compilation brings together two generations of singers from all across the island of Ireland. Some of the songs previously appear on albums, but the rest were recorded by the singer themselves on their phones to give the song a real and raw effect that brings an authentic feel and immediacy to the songs. A long-standing tradition in Irish culture, singing has taken place in pubs and private homes all over the country since the 13th Century and has been a way to share and keep the music alive, passing it down to younger generations. It is considered to be an aural tradition, as a lot of these songs would not have been written down. Featuring Conor O'Kane, Aoife Hammond, Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin, Michael Frank Ó Confhaola, Méabh Meir, Rosie Stewart, Ruth Clinton, Fionnuala Maxwell, Nell Ní Chroinin, and Thomas McCarthy.

This split 7" EP comprises four new tracks, two from Linda Smith in keyboard-warble anthem mode and two low-fidelity daytrips by The Smashing Times. Linda Smith and The Smashing Times are the best of friends. They are both currently based in Baltimore, USA. This split 7" EP celebrates that friendship with two new tracks by each act; united by DIY spirit, a bedroom-pop sensibility and now a puddle of black vinyl. Songwriter Linda Smith has a gentle but unconventional experimental style that continues to evolve as she adds new entries to her storied catalogue. Smith's pioneering work with four-track production in the '80s found her at the beginning of a home-recording movement that would set the pace for the decades of indie rock that followed. During this most active period, Smith's music was limited mostly to obscure cassette and 7" releases. This trailblazing time was recently revisited on Captured Tracks' compilation Till Another Time: 1988-1996. Shortly after Smith's retrospective, she teamed up with like-mind and collaborator Nancy Andrews to release an album of beguiling pop entitled A Passing Cloud (2023). The duo performed songs from that record at Upset The Rhythm's 20th anniversary party at Café OTO that same year. 2024 saw further reissues of Smith's music including Nothing Else Matters (1995) and I So Liked Spring (1996). The Smashing Times are a premier East Coast pop experimental group. They have also gleefully performed in London for Upset The Rhythm twice in quick succession. Known for their dogtooth style, waggish mod attitude and tumbledown sound, The Smashing Times have holes in their socks and sit idly between The Kinks and Tori Kudo. Their previous albums on K Records, Perennial and Meritorio are a cherished commodity steeped in Paisley psyche and slapdash panache.

"Having spent some considerable time in Nebraska over the last few years, I've come to know and love the region and can attest that the sound on Prairie Whistle Call that is very much of that place. There's a timelessness to Pratt's songs that belie Omaha's railroad heyday with a wispy shadow of Midwest indie rock. The performances and arrangements are played with the ease of old friends having conversations, keeping the pace steady and close. The energy that lives in these songs conjure distant memories and warm nostalgia that I am not sure belongs solely to me. Perhaps it's the raw intimacy I hear in Pratt's tender spoken sung delivery sweetly nestled into the gentle and sparse instrumentation that recalls the feeling of driving through the grasslands, staring towards the relentless bright blue sky as the stories we live circle the clouds." --Rosali Middleman

"Sean is a consummate Midwestern songwriter; keenly aware that our lives are more honestly depicted through impressionistic understatement than gross exaggeration. The strength of his songs lies in giving us as much of a story as we need to truly care about the characters -- to wonder where these people came from and to imagine we know where they are headed." --Simon Joyner

"Sean Pratt's prairie-blown folk songs are ambling yet arresting -- moving with the worn-in certainty of a trusted friend. Gorgeously frayed harmonies and delicately spun strings are all brushstrokes in the Midwestern landscapes that populate Pratt's songs. It's music that feels rooted in a place but beams outward, a flickering porch light at the bend in a road." --Lou Turner (Styrofoam Winos)

DJ Sniff returns to Discrepant with a direct and visceral document: Turntable Solos. Composed from live recordings made during the latter half of 2024, Turntable Solos captures DJ Sniff's improvised performances in their rawest form. At the core of his setup is Cut 'n' Play, a software sampler he originally built in Max/MSP in 2007. Since then, he has continued developing custom tools and instruments that extend what Derek Bailey called the "instrumental impulse" -- the tactile, responsive relationship between musician and machine that defines improvisation. Following a summer 2024 tour of Japan with Gonçalo Cardoso, Sniff was encouraged to document and release a selection of his live sets. Not long after, a performance at 20α (Alpha) in Hong Kong would become the emotional and conceptual anchor for the project. In the liner notes, Sniff reflects on the eerie parallels between footage of protestors in Los Angeles -- assaulted by police using so-called "less-lethal" weapons, and civilians being abducted into detention centers -- and the 2019 Hong Kong protests. A place once filled with personal nostalgia began to feel like a grim foreshadowing of what might unfold in Western societies. In this turbulent context, 20α stands out as a space of resistance and renewal -- a beacon for a new generation of experimental musicians, growing in defiance of increasing censorship and surveillance. Turntable Solos is both a personal statement and a public act of sonic resilience.

Green vinyl. 2LP Silk Screen Sleeve plus insert. Holidays Records is more than excited to join the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of Les Disques Bongo Joe with the first ever vinyl edition of Meridian Brothers' early projects: Meridian Brothers VI and Meridian Brothers VII! Before Guaracha UFO propelled Meridian Brothers onto the international stage, Eblis Álvarez was already shaping his singular sonic universe in the shadows. Released only on CD in between 2009 and 2012 via local label La Distritofónica, Meridian Brothers VI and VII never had wide distribution or media exposure. Yet, these albums represent a crucial phase in the band's evolution, capturing the energy of Bogotá's experimental cumbia scene at the time. VII pushes experimentation even further with a custom-built sampling algorithm, generating unpredictable loops and grooves. These two albums laid the foundation for the radical fusion and irreverent spirit that would later define Meridian Brothers. Now reissued on vinyl for the first time, these historic recordings offer a raw and fascinating glimpse into the origins of one of Latin America's most forward-thinking musical projects.

Tectonic Sound Vinyl 1. 2025 marks 20 years of Tectonic, the pioneering dubstep and electronic label founded in 2005 by Bristol's underground originator, DJ Pinch. The Tectonic Sound compilation lays down the gauntlet for the future direction of the imprint. Split across 6 x 4-track 12"s and double CD, the compilation comprises many producers making their Tectonic debut, including Re:ni, Beatrice M., Yushh, Flora Yin-Wong, and Sicaria, alongside stalwarts like Om Unit, RSD, Peverelist and Kahn & Neek. It's an exhilarating 24-track journey through experimental, bass-heavy electronic music, with almost all tracks created by the artists specifically with Tectonic's sound in mind -- at the intersection where dubstep and techno meet. Across Tectonic's 150-strong catalogue there are seminal releases by 2562, Scientist, and Mumdance & Logos, side by side with appearances from Flying Lotus, Shed, Adrian Sherwood, Riko Dan, and Photek. The label holds some of the earliest dubstep incantations of Skream, Digital Mystikz, and Joker as well as Pinch's own productions. The evolution of the Tectonic sound branches into audio explorations encompassing sub-heavy techno and grimey soundscapes alongside leftfield electronica and future-facing beats. The common thread that binds is Pinch's devotion to pushing underground music ahead of its time, always built to rattle a soundsystem.

A luminous new chapter in a singular collaboration Handling, Nils Frahm and F.S. Blumm present their fifth collaborative album-an immersive, 40-minute journey across just three tracks that radiate intimacy, invention, and sonic depth. Building on the dub-inflected textures of 2X1=4, the duo now ventures into more delicate, exploratory terrain, where every sound feels intentional and alive. Recorded at Frahm's LEITER studio in Berlin's Funkhaus, Handling is a masterclass in subtlety and sonic storytelling. Each of the three compositions-titled Leuchter-glows with quiet energy, evoking miniature worlds through a rich palette of instruments: pianos, celestas, cristal baschets, glockenspiels, guitars, and a wide array of percussive textures. Blumm and Frahm's long-standing friendship and mutual trust allow for a rare creative freedom. Their contrasting approaches-Blumm's playful chaos and Frahm's structured intuition-merge into a sound that is neither one nor the other, but something entirely new. Handling is not just music-it's a living, breathing sound sculpture, full of warmth, wonder, and the joy of discovery. A must for fans of ambient, experimental, and genre-defying music.

"Those profiled include Egyptian guitarist Omar Khorshid, maverick producer/arranger/composer Elias Rahbani, mysterious talents like Nicolas Dick and Robert Maalouf and the father of the label's founder, Abdallah Chahine, a pianist of immense talent. As told in detailed liner notes by DJ, music researcher and legacy-keeper Ernesto Chahoud and Natalie Shooter, this period of Lebanese music formed the soundtrack to the city of Beirut during its multiple transformations, from its 1950s to 1960s heyday as 'the Switzerland of the Orient' through to the mid-1970s and 1980s, when it soundtracked the tragic days of the Lebanese Civil War. From Chahoud's liner notes: 'I spent years going through thousands of titles from one of the largest catalog of Lebanese and Arabic music, by one of the earliest labels in the Arab world, Voix De L'Orient, to handpick the 12 songs that represent a survey into this momentous catalog. The Lebanese musical experiment, stretching almost seven decades, has offered one of the most complex and fully fledged modern Oriental scenes of the Arab world. These 12 songs were released in different periods and embody a wide range of musical ideas from the most adventurous on the Voix De L'Orient label, those musicians that played major roles in the renaissance of ancient musical traditions. So, from the '60s and '70s, you'll hear Adballah Chahine improvising on Oriental scales on a custom-made piano that he developed in order to play quarter tones; you'll engage the radical approach to folkloric music from the legendary Iraqi composer and oud player Munir Bechir; you'll enjoy the timeless blend of Occidental and Oriental forms as fused by the genius Elias Rahbani. The songs by Georgette Sayegh, Adib Abou Antoun and Robert Maalouf give a sense of Lebanon's unique '70s and '80s pop sounds. You might think that this music comes from a foreign, faraway culture, and I suppose it does, for some, but this music is close to us all. This anthology is presented 100 percent free of cultural appropriation. This album is a genuine attempt to escape the ephemeral aspect of everyday, fast music fashions. This album is absolute beauty to play out loud, while waiting for the second volume to come.'"

2025 restock. "Few moments in pop music history can match the grinding, pent-up energy of 'Mongoloid' and the spastic bounce and sputter of 'Jocko Homo' (two anthems presented in their earlier and superior versions here). Cult favorites like 'Mechanical Man' and 'Auto-Modown' make Volume 1 essential listening."

2025 repress. "Hopeton Brown, better known as Scientist, has been a pioneering figure in the world of dub for nearly 40 years. His early love of electronics proved fruitful when (still a teenager) he was hired at King Tubby's studio in Kingston. Brown quickly ascended the ranks and became heir to Tubby's throne, producing imaginative and technically impressive mixes that solidified his forward-looking nickname. Introducing Scientist - The Best Dub Album in the World, his 1980 debut LP, lives up to its boastful title. Recorded with Sly & Robbie at Channel One Studio and mixed at King Tubby's, the album features hypnotic basslines, reverb- drenched keyboards, and fluid, start-stop rhythms. Opening track 'Steppers,' with its well-balanced phrasing and organic contours, shows Scientist's mastery of the studio- as-instrument concept. On 'Scientific,' the effectsladen guitars are stretched to their outer limit to create magnificent, spaced-out textures and muted tension. Introducing Scientist displays the talents of a man obsessed with every element of production, drawing out the very best of the dub form."