2LP Silk Screen Sleeve plus insert. 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. On VI, Álvarez crafts a hallucinatory patchwork of cumbia and vallenato, using his guitar as the guiding thread before layering other instruments on top. 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.

2LP Silk Screen Sleeve plus insert. 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.

LP version. Cluster can be counted among the most important international protagonists of the electronic avant-garde. Some credit them with having invented ambient music, others as pioneers of synthesizer pop, whilst to some they are firmly embedded in the krautrock universe. There is some truth in all of these notions. Cluster (or Kluster as they were in the beginning) were founded in 1970 in Berlin by Conrad Schnitzler, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, and Dieter Moebius. A change in direction and musical differences moved Moebius and Roedelius to split from Schnitzler after which the duo recorded ten regular studio albums between 1971 and 2009. Their debut album (Cluster 71) was in Wire Magazine's "One Hundred Records That Set The World On Fire" list. Cluster II is influenced by Berlin and Hamburg; situated somewhere in the middle of artistic happenings, musical outrageousness and drug abuse: an urban mixture.

"The question as to whether Cluster II has to be considered part of serious music or rather of popular music seems as obsolete today as it was back in 1972. Interestingly enough, however, the album was among the first ones to leave people in confusion when trying to tell what musical category it belonged to. As opposed to now where there is a large transitional area situated somewhere in between the two poles and made up by all sorts of electro-acoustic music, serious and popular music were still categories strictly set apart at the beginning of the seventies. Moebius and Roedelius, however, simply did not care about categorizing their music, thus contributing to the trend towards abandoning the categories altogether. When listening to Cluster II today, fifty years after it was recorded, the album's historic significance becomes as clear as never before. A lot has already been written about Cluster's historic impact. Let me just underline in this context that it was not least this album that opened up doors through which generations of electro-acoustic musicians were yet to step." --Asmus Tietchens

LP version. After more than 40 years, Silberstreif's EP Ich suche dein Gesicht, first released on Sky Records in 1983, is available again. Rather unusual for Sky's catalogue, the duo played flawless synth-pop with German-language lyrics. This EP sank into obscurity in the 1980s flood of hyper-commercial German New Wave releases. The band later became an insider tip and the EP a sought-after collector's item. The re-issue is accompanied by four previously unreleased bonus tracks.

"Overdue, a re-issue of this great, rare EP from 1983. While that year, the major labels were finally exploiting everything commercially that even rudimentarily fitted the NDW (Neue Deutsche Welle -- German New Wave) buzzword, we can now look back and realize that there were still countless creative bands, projects and artists in the musical underground. The release by Silberstreif shows like no other that the focus of the German 1980s underground was not only on odd and experimental sounds, but also on poppy and melodic ones. Listening to these hopeful, almost innocent synth melodies paired with dark lyrics circling around obsessive male protagonists, one can't help but imagine how this band re-asserted its artistic freedom by leaning into the musical tropes of sell-out and commercialization -- with a subtle subversive middle finger. The duo play fantastic and timeless synth-pop which is still relevant today and still gets crowds dancing in trendy clubs between songs by Human League and Grauzone. Like I said, this re-issue is long overdue!" --Marco Floess

LP version. Limited edition (400) vinyl with artwork by Ian Anderson and double CD. CD contains the tracks from Plan For A Miracle. Pioneering British electronic musician Mark Van Hoen presents his latest solo album, The Eternal Present, a remarkable collection of tracks spanning nearly three decades of recordings from 1998 to 2024. The Eternal Present embodies its philosophical title, inspired by Joseph Campbell's concept that "Eternity is that dimension of here and now that all thinking in temporal terms cuts off." The album explores music as the ultimate expression of existing in the present moment, transcending time and creating a sonic experience that is simultaneously "spectral, ghostly, melodic, harmonic, and decayed." An influential contemporary of Aphex Twin, Autechre, LFO and Boards of Canada, Van Hoen is best known for his solo work as Locust in the mid-'90s, which helped push post-rave electronic music into newly challenging realms. The Eternal Present continues the lineage of Van Hoen's most significant works, with artwork by Ian Anderson (Designers Republic) reflecting the album's "eternal present" concept with a mysterious visual approach, allowing listeners to form their own imaginary landscapes. The mastering by Stefan Betke (Pole) enhances this document of the evolution of the artist over the years as he continues to hone his signature sound. Using a host of instruments including analogue synthesizers and employing various recording approaches, Van Hoen's equipment changed dramatically over the years, contributing to the album's rich sonic diversity. Throughout The Eternal Present, ideas are woven together through spoken word quotations and abstract vocals featuring notable collaborations from Rachel Goswell on the Slowdive cover "Shine" (from 1998), Megan Mitchell (Cruel Diagonals) on "Somewhere", and session vocalists Clare Dove and Dorothy Takev on "No-One Leave" and "It's Not You (In A Way)" respectively. The album was recorded across multiple locations including Somerset, London, Los Angeles, and New York, reflecting Van Hoen's changing personal circumstances, environments, and situations throughout the years.

LP version. Far Out Recordings continues its reissue campaign of the late Argentinian guitarist Agustin Pereyra Lucena's work with the first-ever vinyl reissue of his singular 1988 private press album, Puertos De Alternativa, now his most sought-after LP. The album features some of Agustin's most uniquely beautiful compositions, including "Luces de Valeria" and "Preparativos Maritimos," alongside Baden Powell's "Pequeño Vals" and "O Cego Aderaldo (Nordeste)," and "Tema Barroco" by his longtime collaborator, Guilhermo Reuter. By 1988, Agustín had established himself as one of Argentina's foremost interpreters of Brazilian music. The seventies saw success with his group Candeias, and he gained recognition in Brazil, forming friendships and collaborations with luminaries such as Vinicius de Moraes, Baden Powell, Dorival Caymmi, Toquinho, and Maria Bethania. Following the era of dictatorship in South America, Agustín spent the late seventies and early eighties, living and touring in Norway as part of his European travels with his group Agustín Pereyra Lucena Quartet. Recorded after returning to his native Buenos Aires, Agustin Peyera Lucena's Puertos de Alternativa emerged from this confluence of diverse experiences and influences, revealing an artist deeply connected to his environment. The album's title, meaning "Alternative Harbours," reflects Agustín's particular affinity for water. He observed that much of his favorite music originated from places with rivers and seas nearby, noting, "There is a flow near water that influences guitar playing for sure." With a profound connection to both instrument and environment, Agustín's music is often difficult to place. The album begins rooted deeply in South American soil, drawing clear inspiration from Brazilian guitar masters like Heitor Villa Lobos, Garoto, and Baden Powell. But, as it progresses, a sense of journey unfolds, evoking new landscapes and horizons -- from the crystalline beauty of glacial Norway to the gentle currents of the Rio de la Plata. The ensemble on Puertos de Alternativa features notable Argentinian musicians, including drummer Osvaldo Avena, flautist Rubén Izarrualde, and saxophonist Bernardo Baraj. Mastered by Stuart Hawkes at Metropolis Studios from the original master tapes which had been lovingly kept by Agustin's nephew José Lucena Perreyra.

LP version. "While they have collaborated a good many times, Next is the first recorded evidence of Danish guitarist (or more properly Bastardist) Jørgen Teller playing with American ex-pat multi-instrumentalist Mark Cunningham. The pair both have long histories on the fringes of known sounds. I first heard Teller as a member of the dizzily freakoid Tzarina Q Cut and Cunningham's decades of musical adventurism with Mars, Don King, Bestia Ferida, Blood Quartet, etc. have been well documented, not least by us. This is Mark's tenth FTR release! The four pieces here are improvised instrumental duets. The material was recorded in October 2023, as part of an ongoing residency Mark has at the Fabra I Coats creation center in Barcelona. Throughout, Teller plays Le Bastard (a Hofner 137 electric guitar with two bass strings and three guitar strings). Cunningham plays mostly trumpet and delays, but also whips out his old Dan Electro for one of the tracks. Overall, the sonic results are droney, druggy, lightly-noisesome slabs of brilliant buzz. In a general way, Jørgen's amped strings set up a humbucking sound-sheet against which he and Mark can each toss spontaneous squibs of creation and destruction, When Mark is playing trumpet and pedals, the music sometimes manifests a strange sort of charm that almost has the feel of a noise rock approach to the Canterbury Sound. By which, I mean the stuff is rackety, but there are built-in glissandos that make me think of nothing less Camel's brilliant live work on the Greasy Truckers Live at Dingwalls Dancehall. Of course, these moments resolve themselves in weirder ways than any Pete Bardens has ever dreamed up, but it demonstrates the duo's avant-prog game is strong! The doubled guitar track (called 'Next 3' to contrast it with 'Next 1,' 'Next 2,' and 'Next 4') is a superb piece of string work with rockist overtones that put fellow in mind of some of the best moments by classic two-man string units like the Smashchords or early Half Japanese. But with a more overtly hypnagogic overlay that forces your brain's receptors to stretch themselves in new ways. It's all amazing stuff. Sounding so fully evolved you'll be tempted to swear it weren't improvised! But you'd be wrong, friend. Some people just have the gift. To paraphrase that old softy, Lou Reed, their week beats your year. Get up with it!" --Byron Coley, 2025

Laetitia Sonami was born in France, where she studied with Eliane Radigue. She moved to the United States to study electronic music, first with Joel Chadabe at SUNY Albany, then at Mills College where she was mentored by Robert Ashley and David Behrman. Laetitia Sonami is not only a gifted composer/designer of electronic music, but a compelling presence on stage. This collection of early works covers a period when Sonami transitioned from live mixing with cassettes, homemade analog synths and objects in the early eighties, to working with MIDI, MAX software and "off the shelf" synths and samplers. At the same time, she begins a long collaboration with Melody Sumner Carnahan, using her dramatic texts to evoke characters and behaviors to inhabit musically and visually. All but two of the works on this release utilize Sumner Carnahan's stories, and all but one use Sonami's famous invention, the lady's glove, an arm-length tailored glove fitted with movement sensors allowing the perform to fluidly control digital sound parameters and processing, as well as motors, lights and video playback. Sonami has since moved on to works for another of her inventions, the Spring Spyre, which applies Machine Learning to real time audio synthesis.

Electròccid àccid alquimístic xoc marks a shift in Pau Riba's sound -- now electrified and fully embracing rock under the influence of artists like Lou Reed, Ray Davies, and Kevin Ayers. Once again, Riba left everyone bewildered with a work that, on its own, gave early substance to what would eventually be known as roc català, of which Riba may well have been its most authentic representative. First vinyl reissue in over four decades! The magical "Dioptria" had been left behind. The album was recorded in the winter of 1975 with the help of the same group of musicians who had accompanied Riba a few months earlier at a concert at Zeleste to debut new songs: a mix of Valencian musicians from bands like Paranoia Dea and guitarist Eduardo Bort's group. The core of Electròccid is defined by Riba's own authorship. With lyrics that veer from poetic to absurdly ironic, Riba explores themes like the moon, the stars, death, love, women, the devil, and the bourgeoisie -- fueling the originality that made him such a unique artist. It's striking how naturally and effortlessly Riba incorporated the Catalan language into the rock idiom -- and vice versa.

Vinyl reissue of the legendary soundtrack to Forbidden Planet by Bebe and Louis Barron, an absolute milestone for electronic music, and the first entirely electronic score for a feature film. Recorded in 1956 by Bebe and Louis Barron, the soundtrack to the cult film Forbidden Planet is without a doubt one of the most suggestive and astounding examples of early electronica, bringing the extraterrestrial experience of the movie to new levels with the help of the stunning sounds created by the couple through of a myriad of vintage artifacts, including loop FX and amazing modular synths. Includes a foldout insert with a Bebe Barron interview. An absolute masterpiece of the genre, bringing proto electronica, sci-fi and abstract music together for an unforgettable aural experience.

LP version. When they performed a handful of concerts as a duo in the summer of 1998, Kristen Noguès and John Surman had already worked a lot on the interweaving of genres: Noguès had confronted traditional Breton music with contemporary music and Surman had changed his jazz into atmospheric numbers that would be amongst the finest recording on the ECM label. As a duo, the harpist and the saxophonist would go on to invent something different: free folk, traditional ambient, modal 'fest-noz'. It is difficult to label, because the duo Noguès/Surman is one of a kind. Diriaou means "Thursday" in Breton. It is also the title of the first piece that Kristen Noguès and John Surman played together in 1991. Noguès learned the Breton language as a child, at the same time as the Celtic harp, "taking lessons with Denise Mégevand, who would go on to teach others, notably Alan Stivell. At the beginning of the 1970s, she discovered the Breton song tradition (soniou and gwerziou) and became involved in Névénoé, a cooperative of traditional expression founded by Gérard Delahaye and Patrick Ewen. She recorded a single with the two musicians in 1974, then her first album, two years later. Everyone who has listened to Kristen Noguès debut Marc'h Gouez is now aware of her mysterious plucked strings. Her art, leaving Brittany, would go on to take in all landscapes and folklores, in the same as that of John Surman, conceived a little further north including vernacular jazz, international fusion with Chris McGregor or Miroslav Vitou, and exploring more personal territory. Kristen Noguèsand John Surman thus shared an "extra-Celtic" inspiration infused with free improvisation. On this recording, made in 1998 by Tanguy Le Doré at the Dre Ar Wenojenn festival, the duo uses original compositions which refer back to traditional songs (Maro Pontkalek, Le Scorff). The musicians then create fantastic impressions: Baz Valan, on which Noguès and Surman have a heavenly exchange; Kernow, on which the shared theme slowing disappears into the mist; Maro Pontkalek and Diriaou which move from the storm to the calm. Elsewhere, there is singing, first with Surman (Kleier) and then moving on to Noguès (Kerzhadenn and her signature song Berceuse). On a canvas of traditional music, the two musicians weave countless memorable landscapes.

LP version. Formed in London in 1992 by singer and songwriter David Christian, Comet Gain were originally inspired by early Creation Records, Television Personalities and mod culture, drawing from the same ideals as Dexys, The Style Council and Vic Godard, and from the lineage of The Velvet Underground, The Byrds and the 13th Floor Elevators. In the ensuing years they have released eight albums on such esteemed labels as Wiiija, Kill Rock Stars, What's Your Rupture and Fortuna POP! that blend French New Wave with English kitchen-sink heart, Riot Grrrl with acid punk, and C86 with post-punk and Northern soul, somehow outliving their peers and in turn inspiring a younger generation of DIY musicians. On this record, their second album proper for Tapete Records, Comet Gain are David Christian (vocals, guitar), Ben Phillipson (guitar), Rachel Evans (vocals), Robin Christian (percussion), Anne Laure Guillain (keyboards) and Clientele bassist James Hornsey, with additional vocal, brass and keyboard contributions from producer Sean Read (Dexys, Edwyn Collins, Rockingbirds).

"After Comet Gain's last LP Fireraisers Forever! which was a necessary exorcism of the Moron Era that has in fact only got worse -- they have put aside the fuzz drenched broken glass howls for a more immediate, toe-tapping rush of melody and intent. Sifted through from the library of songs David Christian Feck had been recording over the last couple years for Bandcamp LPs of homemade snap, crackle and POP and picked the best bunch and streamlined, improved and muscled up 8 or so and wrote new songs that would fit into a living thing - a jukebox of favorites playing somewhere in the background -- evergreen sixties UK pop with tough edges, soul stompers with a slight tear in the eye, Alex Chilton, Gene Clark, 'Sound Affects' Jam, euphoric melancholic folk rock, Hitchcock and Cope, The Fall when they made pop records, snarling freakbeat, yearning '80s baroque popness and jangled mornings and sad midnights -- an alchemy mix to make something direct with hooks and hope and heart-looking back to look forward and looking forward to be in the NOW? Truly this is one of the best of the Comet Gain LPs -- a concise mix of all their bags of tricks but in a way where everything fits like close friends that finish their own sentences -- pop singles, garage snarl, midnight ballads, morning floor shakers, folkrockers, obtuse angles and direct hits. Just good things to hum for the 'Ordinary Outsiders' everywhere as they watch the world falling down around them, because sometimes that's all you can do." --Allen Ginsberg, Bordeaux, Jan 2025

LP version. Picture one of the greatest living singer-songwriters in a kitchen. He is on holidays, he's just had a swim. His wife is out on the beach, and he finds himself faced with a bowl of irresistible strawberries. They're meant to be shared, of course, but their taste is "out of the ordinary," so he just can't help himself. Minutes later all of the delicious fruit are gone, but there's the germ of a song as the phrase "Someone ate all the strawberries" has just popped into Robert Forster's mind, sounding "so weird, but normal". Thankfully, he has taken his guitar with him. As the story goes, his wife Karin Bäumler not only forgave her husband, she actually joined him on a duet of what was to become the title song to his ninth solo album. Robert Forster has perfected the art of being outré in a least ostentatious way, from his time in the Go-Betweens to his solo career, now spanning almost three decades, interrupted only by the old band's reformation in 2000 which ended with his songwriting partner Grant McLennan's untimely death in 2006. Strawberries follows a recent spate of deluxe reissues of four of his older solo albums as well as the third and final volume of the career-spanning series of G Stands For Go-Betweens boxsets with a much awaited helping of new material. Next to admittedly bigger names such as Bob Dylan or Nick Cave, Robert Forster is the rare case of an artist with a celebrated past whose current work evokes genuine interest among a faithful fan base. As a straight-up personal song, "Strawberries" is a bit of a red herring in the context of this new album that, unusually for Forster, deals almost exclusively in observational character studies or, as the author would have it, "story songs". Louis Forster, by the way, also makes an impressive appearance on lyrical lead guitar in "Such a Shame." As his slapback echo vocals tuck into a rockabilly vibe, you can hear Forster enjoying the company of his Swedish backing band: producer Peter Morén (of Peter, Björn and John fame) on guitar, Jonas Thorell on bass, and Magnus Olsson on drums, crucially augmented by Lina Langendorf on various woodwind instruments and Anna Åhman on keys. The album's monumental closing track "Diamonds" starts off as a cross between Lou Reed and Buffalo Springfield, then takes off via Astral Weeks into an (almost) Albert Ayler direction, with Lina Langendorf given free rein on the tenor sax and Forster himself relinquishing his trademark understatement for some unexpected outbursts of falsetto.

The Rhythm Machine is now available again to the musical public, legitimately reissued in its original packaging. Offering up brilliant soul, haunting ballads and high-energy mid-'70s funk, this tasty medley is served best in its entirety. Virtually impossible to find in its original edition, it is now reissued once again thanks to a collaboration with Now Again. Pressed on 180g vinyl. Indianapolis' legendary Rhythm Machine is one of the rare funk bands that transitioned between eras of funk's history seamlessly, creating awesome funk sides for a host of independent labels between the years of 1968 and 1976. Born out of cult Indy funk band The Highlighters' ashes, the Rhythm Machine was founded in the early '70s by bass player James Boone and guitarist James Brantley. Their self-titled and only LP, originally released in 1976, is a wild, super-groovy ride with tight band energy and a bunch of unexpected twists that keep things interesting from start to finish. At first, you might catch some Earth, Wind & Fire vibes -- deep basslines, funky beats, and killer horn sections -- but dig a little deeper and you'll find something a little looser, a little cooler. There's a smooth, jazzy undercurrent running through a lot of these tracks that gives the whole thing a fresh, off-the-beaten-path feel. Some songs drift into a dreamy, almost spacey zone -- think cosmic funk with a romantic twist. The production is silky, almost liquid-like, letting the guitars shimmer and the keys float. And when the soprano sax kicks in? Pure magic. It adds just the right bite to take the tracks up a notch. Perfect for late-night grooves, chill sessions, or anyone hunting for that hidden gem funk record with serious soul.

Here it is, for the first time on a 45, "Drug Story," the lost track by Joe Bataan. Pure Latin soul, recorded at the peak of the artist's career and released 50 years later! A must-purchase for those into Latin soul and funk. Joe Bataan's extensive discography was expanded in 2022 with the release of some old recordings from the King of Latin Soul that had never been previously published. After the success of his album Riot! (1968), Bataan had easy access to a studio whenever inspiration struck to record a new song sketch or even a complete track. Sometimes, he would finish the recording entirely and offer it in its final version to Fania for release. This usually worked, although on some occasions, the song was rejected. In the case of "Drug Story," the track was recorded without a clear final purpose, even though Bataan hoped it would become part of an album. When the Fania executives heard the result, they immediately rejected it, thinking it promoted drug use. The tapes were filed away and lost in oblivion until they ended up in a thrift store in New York. From there, they were rescued by a Latin music specialist and later sold, eventually making their way to the Vampisoul archives. The song was finally released in its entirety in 2022 on the LP Drug Story by Now Again. It features a long, slow vocal intro that evolves into a more up-tempo track with two very distinct parts, to the point that it almost feels like two different songs. It transports us to the best moment of Joe Bataan's career, with all of his classic ingredients, delivering a track as good as his most famous songs. Bataan himself takes on the lead vocals and piano, Bobby Rodríguez handles the flute, sax, and bass, Pete 'Choki' Quintero plays the drums, and William Howes Jr. plays the electric guitar with wah-wah effects.

Krautrock as an escape from post-war Germany. Krautrock Eruption is a rousing counter-narrative to the usual depictions of Krautrock, written by Wolfgang Seidel, member of Conrad Schnitzler's band Eruption and co-founder of Ton Steine Scherben. Seidel's groundbreaking book, which includes unique historical photographs, paints a vivid picture of the old Federal Republic of Germany, with all of its contradictions and struggles. What is now celebrated as Krautrock emerged in this environment, and at the time was an attempt to contribute the soundtrack to the revolution. As a fly on the wall, Seidel recounts the squats, demos and first concerts of bands such as Cluster, Tangerine Dream and Ash Ra Tempel. Just as precisely and vividly, he recapitulates the influence of minimal music composers such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass, the origins of many Krautrock musicians in jazz and the role of the synthesiser. Wolfgang Seidel delivers a captivating account on Krautrock that dispels many of the founding myths of the first genuinely German pop culture, which above all did not want to be German. In addition, the book is supplemented by a discography of the 50 most important Krautrock records, written by music journalist and Krautrock expert Holger Adam. Translated from German by Alexander Paulick (member of influential Düsseldorf-based avant-garde band Kreidler). Paperback, 186 pages, 7.5 oz, dimensions: 7.5" x 5".

A meeting of minds and bodies on a heady percussive trip with no clear destination, captured live at Espacio Cultural El Tanque in Tenerife. With both imaginary and lived in tropical sceneries coalescing the two units, both Tenerife's Lagoss and Kampala's Abagwagwa (aka Nihiloxica) find a common thread to disentangle throughout different cartographies. As if it was bound to happen. As it did. Taking Abagwagwa's relentless barrage of polyrhythms as a starting point to jammin' excursions that never falter into self-indulgence, brimming with ideas and spirits pulled from East African traditions, free jazz cosmologies, Dub tactics, urban sonic warfare and different strains of psychedelia through a vast array of drums, percussion, flutes, skewed synths, ecstatic vocals and electronic processing. Island Slang is a celebration that's truly alluring in its search for some sort of "Universal Consciousness."

In an ever-expanding musical universe, Azymuth have long existed as a celestial giant, drawing countless artists, musicians and followers into their orbit. Marking fifty years since their 1975 debut album Azimuth, their new album Marca Passo proves that the band's alchemic brew of Brazilian jazz-funk and cosmic samba soul remains as vital as ever, as the group honors the profound legacy of their departed founders. Recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Marca Passo is the first full-length release since the passing of founding drummer Ivan "Mamão" Conti in 2023, following the earlier loss of keyboardist José Roberto Bertrami in 2012. Alex Malheiros, the sole remaining original member, sees his stewardship of the band's musical legacy as his spiritual duty. He is joined by the equally devoted Kiko Continentino (Milton Nascimento, Djavan) on keyboards, who has been with the group since 2016, and new recruit Renato Massa (Marcos Valle, Ed Motta) on drums. Yet since their earliest recorded music, Azymuth have always been far greater than the sum of their parts. The "three-man orchestra's" unmistakable sound is rooted in Brazil's MPB studio scene of the 1970s and early 1980s -- a time when artists blended traditional Brazilian rhythms with global jazz, rock, and emerging psychedelic and progressive elements. Marca Passo continues this legacy, seamlessly fusing Brazilian musical traditions with global influences while showcasing the exceptional musicianship that powers Azymuth's distinctive, multi-dimensional sound. The album is produced by studio mastermind Daniel Maunick, responsible for Azymuth's two previous studio albums, Fênix in 2016 and Aurora in 2011. Daniel's credits also include albums by Marcos Valle, Sabrina Malheiros and Terry Callier. Azymuth also invited Daniel's father, British jazz-funk royalty Jean Paul "Bluey" Maunick, of Incognito, to play guitar on a new version of Azymuth's eighties classic "Last Summer In Rio," in tribute to the song's composer, José Roberto Bertrami. Equally, "Samba Pro Mamao" is a new composition dedicated to Azymuth's beloved original drummer, Ivan "Mamão" Conti. Also available on black vinyl (FARO 251LP), red vinyl (FARO 251RED-LP), and blue vinyl (FARO 251BLUE-LP).

Gradually, the latest album by Julien Mier, is a sonic journey that delves into the transitions of life, identity, and the blurred boundaries between art and personal growth. With a trilingual brain, Mier reflects on how language shifts have shaped his sense of self throughout his life and the music that he writes. Gradually is his exploration of shapelessness -- an urge to break free from rigid musical genres and get closer to his most fundamental expression. The album is composed of nine tracks, each representing a distinct cultural and linguistic influence, all tied together by the theme of gradual evolution. The first section, "Ciel, Soleil, and Espace" (French for Sky, Sun, and Space), draws on Mier's French heritage, evoking the feeling of childhood memories bathed in a warm, nostalgic glow. This fluid, atmospheric section mirrors the soft, ever-changing air, symbolizing a time of pure, untainted intention. It feels like a hazy, sepia-toned dream, as fleeting and elusive as the scent of an old friend. The second section, "Steen, Zee, and Zand" (Dutch for Stone, Sea, and Sand), channels the influence of Mier's childhood in a small Dutch dune village. These tracks are grounded in the hard-edged textures of electronic dance music, a genre that introduced him to a world of rhythm and movement. It's a sonic landscape rooted in stability, a foundation from which everything can grow. The tracks build from the fluidity of the first section into more structured, rhythmic territories, mirroring the natural transition from childhood innocence to the discovery of deeper, more grounded musical influences. The final section, "Scrap" (a collaborative track with the Japanese producer Daisuke Tanabe), "Soil," and "Spark," dives into the exploration of the world beyond familiar borders. Mier's relocation from the Netherlands to Australia in 2016 is reflected in these pieces, which grapple with the contrast and complexity of different cultures and environments. These tracks are tinged with rust-red hues and a sense of eroded beauty, evoking a more fragmented, distorted view of the world. The music here is marked by tension, conflict, and the erosion of once-solid forms -- symbolic of the digital and ecological storms that shape our modern existence.

"There is no doubt that Teenage Perversity & Ships in the Night, although a bootleg, is Patti Smith's best live album. Patti Smith released some good albums, but any serious fan of hers will tell you that she performed most of her material better live. There are a number of fine Patti Smith bootlegs, but this one -- taken from a January 1976 show at the Roxy in Los Angeles, with near-perfect fidelity -- is both her best and her best-known. Besides incendiary versions of several songs from her first few LPs, it features covers of 'Louie Louie,' 'My Generation' (with John Cale guesting), and The Velvet Underground's 'We're Gonna Have a Good Time Together' and 'Pale Blue Eyes,' as well as entertaining between-song raps and even a brief cameo by Iggy Pop. It's no exaggeration to claim that this may be her best album, and one of the best '70s punk/new wave albums of all."

There is a night in the Naarm/Melbourne music scene that takes place every Tuesday night, known as the "Make it up club." A meeting place where all improvisers, from all walks of life come together to make it up. Many stories have unfolded because of this wonderful institution, there have been many collaborations, many bands, many interactions. A place that values the beginner as much as the master, and is there even such a thing? This is where Rama Parwata and Adam Halliwell met, playing in a multitude of collaborations set for the outer reaches of sonic explorations. A center for birthing their ideas and watching them grow into fountains of sonic possibilities. Rama having reputation for his audacious and technical aural explorations in sound, texture and rhythm on the drum-kit, drawing influence from jazz, extreme metal, and Gamelan music from his Balinese and Indonesian heritage. Adam for his sensitivity to dynamics, form and narrative and his lucidity/chaos juxtapositional-style drawing on influences in pop to folk, and free music and jazz. They unite together with their love of the freer sides of jazz and improvised music, alla Peter Brötzmann and Ganelin Trio to the more funk laden music of Bitches Brew and Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi. It's when musicians find a synergy together, be it through sound conversations, be it through mouth conversations, or be it through the love of what other musicians have said before them, then they can go forth and collaborate freely. As is the case for this duo. Rama and Adam play from different worlds but find a synergy amongst the humanity of sound. The name of this group Gruppo AdRa, is a simple combination name of Ad'am and Ra'ma, Gruppo is used because of our combined Italian heritage. As Rama and Adam are primarily live musicians, improvising and using the studio as a tool is new to this duo. This recording is an experiment in composing from percussion first. To feel movement in harmony and arrangement through the improvising senses of a percussionist. The result is a thorough composed work, a narrative starting inside the body and expanding outward into the world and beyond.

Limited edition of 300 on crystal-clear vinyl with purple blob and black splatter. Housed in full-color matte sleeve with polylined inner bag and download code. Following his two sold out releases Vertigo and Water Music on Riot Season in 2024, the ever-prolific Ivan The Tolerable returns with An Orphan Form. A beautifully strange and immersive suite that feels both otherworldly and rooted in something organic. Drawing on kosmische drift, loose-limbed jazz, and warped psychedelic textures, the record moves like a half-remembered dream. Field recordings and nature sounds weave in and out, grounding the swirling synths and off-kilter rhythms in real earth and air. It's a record that doesn't follow a straight line, but instead wanders, curious, alive, and quietly spellbinding. Recorded in winter 2024 in Middlesbrough, UK and Utrecht, Netherlands. Oli Heffernan: bass/guitars/synths/drones/field recordings/electric piano. Mees Siderius: drums/percussion/vibraphone. Elsa Van Der Linden: saxophones/flutes. Sleeve design by Ack! Ack! Ack!

Limited 300 only "purple galaxy" LP, with obi strip. Housed in a matt finished outer sleeve, with black polylined inner bag and download code. Psychedelic rock in the dark! Dope Purple's new album Children In The Darkness was recorded when the band hosted a live midnight recording session at Revolver, Taipei City, Taiwan on Friday 3rd March 2023. Amidst the tense silence of the middle of the night, the five members of Dope Purple, two guest musicians: saxophonist Yong Yandsen from Malaysia, British drummer Darren Moore from Singapore, and a familiar audience, came together to produce the album Children In The Darkness. The album is a ferocious space psychedelic rock, no starlight, no glamourous psychedelic paradise, just a meditative journey of infinite darkness and ear-splitting tinnitus.

"The band showed up, four folks from three different spots on the globe -- Chicago (Vandermark, Reid); Nickelsdorf, Austria (Gustafsson); Philadelphia (Taylor). They assembled their gear and sound-checked at the studio. There was a four-way freedom at play, structures but liberties and no need for elaborate explanation. Everyone spoke the same shorthand. Cues were understood; timings were implicit and considered; space was made for chances to be taken. In creative music, you sometimes need to rehearse a band incessantly to get to a level of understanding, that 'condition of secrecy' that Inger Christensen speaks of in relation to poetry. Not so with this ensemble. Some scores with directions and motifs that specify the relationships, but also the relationships prefiguring their being directed, relationships between the people themselves, the standing understanding between Mats and Ken, who worked together extensively for the last 30 years including the quartet version of Gustafsson's AALY and of course the Brötzmann Tentet. The relationship between Chad and Tomeka including the cellist's Hear in Now Expanded and in Rob Mazurek's bands; the one between Ken and Tomeka including a quartet with Hamid Drake and Lemuel Marc; one between Chad and Ken in the trio Side A, with pianist Håvard Wiik; one between Mats and Tomeka dating back to a 2017 studio session that might someday see light of day. The relationships and their prepositions. Not only simple prepositions, like 'on' or 'in,' 'above' or 'below.' More subtle ones, like 'across' or 'through.' Relationships of duration and transfiguration. Not just 'since,' but 'until.'" --John Corbett

Double LP version. In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Aesthetical Records reissues Peau Froide, Léger Soleil, the groundbreaking collaboration between Finnish electronic music luminary Mika Vainio and French experimental music pioneer Franck Vigroux. Originally released in 2015, this new edition revives a work of unparalleled sonic intensity and textural exploration. This iconic album is the result of a three-year recording process that began after Vainio and Vigroux's first live performance in Paris in 2012. Their collaboration serves as an intricate balance of minimalist meditations and maximalist energy, pushing electronic music into radical new directions. Peau Froide, Léger Soleil is a journey through psychic resonance and spatial abstraction, constructed through Vainio's intense, brutalist grooves and Vigroux's explorations in tonal extremities. Spanning a total of nine tracks, the album unfolds like an odyssey, densely layered yet free from structural limitations, traversing vast emotional landscapes where each sound feels at once intimate and tectonic. Beginning with the ominous, bass-heavy textures of "Deux," Vainio and Vigroux establish a dynamic atmosphere, setting the stage for the intense soundscapes to follow. "Mémoire" introduces ghostly voices that weave through thick waves of sub-bass and distorted noise, while "Souffles" explores uncharted sonic territories with its microtonal landscapes and spectral ambiance. Vigroux's mastery over spatial abstraction comes to life in "Le Souterrain," adding an atmospheric weight reminiscent of Ennio Morricone's stark loneliness or Neil Young's Dead Man soundtrack. In contrast, tracks like "Parabole" and "Le crâne tambour" unleash fierce, maximalist grooves, making them some of the most aggressive and memorable moments in Vainio's discography. Peau Froide, Léger Soleil represents a landmark in its sonic identity, embodying a vision of uncompromising, avant-garde sound design. This anniversary reissue on Aesthetical honors that legacy while inviting new listeners into Vainio and Vigroux's collaborative universe -- a space where electronic music becomes both weapon and sanctuary.

The Argentinian punk-noise-queer combo Blanco Tet ais back with a new album from the underground scene of Buenos Aires. La Debacle De Las Divas is a raw, satiric and emotional album about capitalism's obsession with youth, and the burnout of always having to keep yourself "new." It dives into the sounds of pop and rock, noise, no wave and even metal and grunge, and it´s a record for the working-class divas, the Flixbus divas -- too broke, too tired, too late, but still loud. Recorded live in one room, no overdubs, no edits -- just the urgent chaos of cables, bodies and feedback. It's danceable, glitchy, and full of heartache and rage. Fuck meritocracy. Fuck techno-feudalism. This is survival music for the ones paying subscriptions to platforms that censor them. La Debacle De Las Divas is a shelter and also a call to arms for outdated divas.

Belgian musician and filmmaker Jef Mertens has been an active force in the experimental music and film scene for nearly two decades. Known for his documentaries on artists like Sonic Youth and Borbetomagus, as well as his work with the now-defunct Dadaist Tapes label, Mertens continues to push the boundaries of sound exploration. His previous solo works include No Mathematics, released on KRAAK/Feeding Tube Records. With Orchid Alto, Mertens dedicates himself to the taishogoto, a Japanese stringed instrument that became a new focal point in his sonic explorations. Initially drawn to its unique tonal qualities, he approached the instrument with an open-ended curiosity, using it as a means to reshape his musical language. The transition to taishogoto marked a shift away from guitar-based compositions, offering a fresh perspective on texture and resonance. Through these explorations, Orchid Alto serves as a blueprint for new sonic possibilities. A bold and immersive sonic journey, Orchid Alto merges traditional resonance with modern experimentalism, further shaping Mertens' artistic voice -- one influenced by artists like Michael Flower, Turner Williams Jr., and Bill Nace. Edition of 200. Co-release with Aguirre. Performed, recorded and edited by Jef Mertens at Scherpendries, Geel, 2023. Mixed and mastered by Jürgen De Blonde. Artwork by Jim Faes.

Flamenco is a Spanish art, which has always been prone to hybridization with a multitude of musical languages. Therefore, the universe of "flamenco fusion" could well reflect the way in which Spaniards have related throughout history with other cultures. And that relationship may have often been one of dialogue, exchange, respect and crossbreeding. Among the circumstances that could have favored the traditional mestizaje of flamenco art is the open character of the south of the Iberian Peninsula, to all the civilizations that have settled in its territories; the encounter with America in 1492, and the brotherhood with the Spanish-speaking countries; that the Casa de contratación de Indias, the entity that regulated the transit between Spain and America for centuries, was founded in none other than Seville! (and olé); without forgetting the fundamental African contribution, brought to America by millions of black slaves throughout the 400 years of the slave trade. Pícaro Vol. 4 is an excellent example of how some Spanish flamenco musicians knew how to take advantage of the fashion of other styles and rhythms coming from outside Spain, creating a new sound universe and incorporating them into their repertoire. Undoubtedly, there is a generational replacement of "flamenco Ye-Ye" in Spain with artists like Rosalía or C. Tangana, although now it will be necessary to modernize "the label". This compilation offers listeners a snapshot of the multiple styles of flamenco hybridization that triumphed in the world during the decades of the '50s and '60s of the 20th century. Through its microsurcos comes immeasurable flamenco ye yé (track 1), flamenco rock and roll (tracks 3 and 4), flamenco cha cha chá (tracks 6, 7 and 15) or flamenco mambo (track 12), together with other unusual, exotic and impossible mixes of Spanish song with tango arrabalero, bluegrass, easy listening, swing, groove or soul. Always a happy mix, brought together with exquisite taste in this vinyl for your enjoyment. Featuring Juana Chicharro, Encarnita, Amina Y Su Cuadro Flamenco, Dolores Abril Y Juanito Valderrama, El Titi, María Bonita Y José De Moreno, Los Alcarson, Paquito Jerez, Rosita, Rafael Martínez Y Su Orquesta, Emilio Varela, Felipe Campuzano, Los Españoles, Tito Moya Y Su Orquesta, Los Plata, and Rosa Morena.

Corbett vs. Dempsey presents the release of PRO FAKE NO REJECT by pianist Erez Dessel. This is Dessel's first solo CD. One of the most astonishing young musicians to emerge in contemporary improvised music, Erez Dessel (b. 1998) is helping to revitalize the practice. An ace technician who studied at the New England Conservatory, Dessel is in no way conservative. Indeed, his bracing approach to the keyboard and deeply intuitive sense of form can be explosive, uncorked energy summoning references to Cecil Taylor and the Don Pullen/Milford Graves duets, and an almost Russian Romantic darkness -- imagine an improvised Mussorgsky -- offset by keen emotional intelligence, with joyful melodicism and an airborne quality. And nestled within Dessel's playing there's a perverse streak, a contrarianism that might call to mind Misha Mengelberg or Jim Baker. An active participant in Chicago's current creative music scene.

LP version. "This record follows the embrace of winter time; the closing in of darkness, the cold, the pull to turn inward. But also, the customs of the season, and gathering for the ceilidh: songs and stories told round the fire; where the boundaries between reality and imagination blur."

Thus, Brìghde Chaimbeul introduces her third album, a release which comes after two years of incredible acclaim for its predecessor Carry Them With Us (GB 139CD/LP), which won awards from such diverse places as The Guardian (Best Folk Album Of 2023 #7) and The Quietus (Best Albums of 2023 #13). Since that album, she has played stages from Tennessee to Denmark, often far outside the traditional/folk circuit where she first made her name, and often playing for audiences who'd never seen someone play small pipes before. To appear alone on the main stage at 2024's Supersonic Festival in Birmingham and reduce a hungover festival crowd to rapt silence probably isn't what Chaimbeul expected, and nor would she have expected to be hailed as leading a revival of interest in an instrument that was arguably fading into obscurity. Sunwise is more a solo record than Carry Them With Us, which saw her collaborate with acclaimed artist and peripatetic collaborator Colin Stetson. Chaimbeul explains that she'd spent the last two years playing live solo, "so that's where I was naturally going at the time of recording, most of the collaborators came on after I had recorded my parts," the exception being "Sguabag/The Sweeper" where she recorded live with the three other pipers. She explains that she's learned a great deal about how to record her instrument, where "a lot of it is about tone, and the depth and richness of that tone, paying attention to detail -- what mics you're using, and how to get the best sound possible." However, Stetson returns on the rousing, whirling "A Chailleach," which also features Chaimbeul's lovely, sparingly used voice. Sunwise is a remarkable album, a record steeped in folklore and tradition but also embracing minimalism, experimentation and the eternal presence of the drone. Her love for this music, these traditions and shared stories, shines through everything she does: "It's a music and language that has survived so much and for so long -- it's the music of people. It's music of the land. And I think it's extremely relevant to hold on to that and learn from that in current times."

LP version. Biosphere's album The Way Of Time takes loose inspiration from Elizabeth Madox Roberts' novel The Time Of Man, sampling Joan Lorring's voice from the 1951 radio play adaptation of the novel. Biosphere's signature ambient loops, soothing arctic synths and melodies combine with Lorring's sweet, wistful and deep-south wonderings to create a record that is both deeply human and searching.

Havilah from The Drones is finally on vinyl since its first edition in 2008 on ATP. A great gem of swampy garage blues, largely unknown to the public, now rescued to take its rightful place. One of the last albums from this great band, which a few years later would give birth to the brilliant Tropical Fuck Storm, led by Fiona and Gareth. Bang! Records now presents the double vinyl reissue of Havilah, the fourth studio album by The Drones, originally released in 2008. A cult classic in Australian alternative rock, now returning in a limited analog edition, perfect for experiencing the raw intensity and unique energy of this essential band. An album born from isolation and introspection. Recorded in a remote sub-alpine forest cabin in Victoria, Australia, Havilah was created in total seclusion from the outside world. Without conventional electricity -- only diesel generators and sheer determination -- The Drones crafted an album deeply connected to the rugged landscape surrounding them. That untamed energy seeps into every note, giving the record an unfiltered, visceral quality that few albums can match. In Havilah, the band, led by Gareth Liddiard, expands its sonic scope, blending punk blues, noise rock, dark folk, and garage rock with raw emotional intensity. Liddiard's exceptional lyrical craft shines throughout the album, exploring mystery, doom, and existential struggles in songs that weave between allegory and stark reality. A must-have vinyl reissue. Celebrated both in Australia and internationally, Havilah was nominated for the 2008 J Award for Album of the Year and later recognized in 2011 as one of the 100 greatest Australian albums of all time.

"Samara Lubelski builds delicate and intricate structures of webbed and sugary filigree but will also close her fist around a newly formed world just to watch what color it is when it oozes between her fingers. This music is the sound of becoming and unbecoming, of creation and destruction. The bow acts as an erase head on a tape machine in this context drawing half arcs that are then erased and redrawn with each stroke. Diving tones that circle back but to a new origin point and echo out endlessly. A Jim Starlin cosmos built of clusters and a kind of freeform geometry. Though creeping and alien there is also something very lyrical about this music, a poetry of momentum and stasis. Every move seems to create its immediate opposite -- patience/impatience, kinetic/fatigued, straight/curved, like opening a paper cutting to reveal its repeating shape but in a binary of opposition. 'Vol 1' begins with a descent into a world that is new and chaotic. The accretion of delicate shapes and the chaos of young jagged landscapes. A core rising in temperature, forcing out bubbling and colorful liquids in explosions and dripping piles. While in the distance a gaseous horizon line percolates into nothingness. With 'Vol 2,' listeners start with something more settled -- while still alien and exploratory there is an eye towards terraforming. A sense that we could settle here in this place where the wind screams through towers of glistening plants while geysers of silver viscous liquid arc into the sky and freeze there. By the end a silver and mirrored thread has looped together the mutating present with the far off and unknown and we are both here and gone. I hear in 'Vol 1' and '2' a stunning commitment to a liminality of sound. A denial of firm ground. It reminds me of 'Nordic skating,' the skaters that seek the black ice, the thinnest ice, to skate on. That's where the acoustic properties are the most beautiful and striking yet also where the most focus must be applied. Movement must be constant, not only to produce the sounds, but to avoid falling through." --Bill Nace, Philadelphia 2025

In Sightings, one of NYC's all-time greatest bands, the bass playing of Richard Hoffman fluidly shifted from propulsive to arrhythmic to sublimely melodic, sometimes all within one song. All the while occupying a teeth-rattling sonic space that was truly all his own. With his new solo project, Organs Obsolete, Richard's singular voice stands on its own, naked and unadorned. Here are eight solo bass meditations where looping patterns shift in and out of phase creating a hall of mirrors that is labyrinthine in its psychedelic potency. Even at lower volumes RRH1 presents a truly visceral experience with each track seemingly targeting a different part of the human anatomy.

It's one thing to have founded a notable band dedicated to exploring the possibilities of psychedelic exploration in many different sounds and styles. But it's arguably pretty darn rare to have done it, as Jeffrey Alexander has, four separate times. First emerging with the Iditarod in the mid-1990s before a later world oversimplified their sound as "freak folk," you'd be forgiven for thinking Alexander had settled into things with the feedback grooves of Dire Wolves. But 2020 brought forth another incarnation in the form of the Philadelphia-based Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders, joined by local legends like Kohoutek's drummer Scott Verrastro and Drew Gardner and Jesse Shepherd of the exploratory guitar duo Elkhorn. Once more they're here to provide some needed balm in the form of their sixth formal album effort, Synchronous Orbit, released jointly by Feeding Tube and Cardinal Fuzz labels. With three lengthy songs showcasing their interwoven skills both in studio and live settings, Synchronous Orbit finds the Heavy Lidders once more, given the appropriate album title, aiming for a beautiful trip into outer space and in the inner mind. There's guest percussion from Ryan Jewell and, in a lovely matching of voices with Alexander, a wonderful turn from the legendary Kate Wright, famed for her work in the Bristol UK acts Movietone and Crescent. Plenty of space unfolds for a sweetly trippy midsection as the players do their thing, with Wright and Alexander's vocals returning to help wrap up the trip. The core quartet keep the calm but never cool vibes leading into a steady slow-building burn, guitar parts pouring over each other like glowing layers of honey with Verrastro's drumming both keeping pace and gently altering tempos and intensity. Synchronous Orbit concludes with its longest track at twenty minutes, taken from a live show at the Milwaukee Psych Festival in May 2024. There's a heck of a wonderful wild card factor in the form of 21st century jazz experimenter Isaiah Collier, contributing not merely saxophone but bullhorn and bird calls -- a real
menagerie of sound. His performances add both depth and even more energy to the proceedings, never simply a rampage outward even at his fiercest, but
embracing the sense of community and participation in the performance.