An essential Roy Ayers album blending soulful jazz roots with crisp 1970s funk. Featuring Ayers' signature vibes, tight arrangements, and standout tracks like "The Boogie Back" (sampled by the likes of NWA, 2Pac, and De La Soul) and "Change Up the Groove," this LP is a must-have for any fan of jazz-funk and vintage grooves. Step into the vibrant soundscape of the 1970s with Change Up the Groove, a hidden gem from Roy Ayers Ubiquity's early Polygram years. Often overlooked in favor of Ayers' bigger hits, this soulful album is a masterclass in jazz-funk fusion, capturing the essence of Ayers' evolving style as he bridged the gap between his jazz roots and the rhythmic snap of the '70s funk revolution. From the very first track, Ayers' signature vibes take center stage, shimmering with emotion and groove. The album leans heavily into instrumental richness, with standout contributions from jazz greats like the legendary Bernard Purdie on drums. Strings weave in and out subtly, enhancing Ayers' already deep and textured arrangements. Change Up the Groove isn't just an album -- it's a snapshot of Roy Ayers' artistic evolution, full of rhythm, heart, and timeless groove. Whether you're a longtime fan or just discovering his legacy, this record is essential listening.

A samba funk essential. This debut album from Jorge Ben's iconic backing band blends Brazilian rhythms, soulful vocals, and American funk energy into one unforgettable groove. Includes the hit single "Coqueiro Verde" along with standout tracks like "Meu País," 'Aleluia, Aleluia," and "O Canto da Ema." A timeless gem for fans of Brazilian soul, vintage funk, or global grooves. First time official reissue. Trio Mocotó is best known for being the powerhouse backing band behind Brazilian legend Jorge Ben during the height of his creative explosion in the early 1970s. But their contribution to music goes far beyond the supporting role -- they were instrumental in shaping what would become known as samba funk, a vibrant fusion of traditional Brazilian rhythms with the groove and energy of American soul and funk music. Formed in São Paulo's iconic Jogral nightclub, Trio Mocotó -- featuring Fritz Escovão, Joãozinho Parahyba, and Nereu Gargalo -- began their musical journey as resident musicians, providing live accompaniment for a rotating cast of performers. It was here that Jorge Ben first encountered their raw talent and unmistakable chemistry, ultimately inviting them to join his band. The collaboration would go on to define an era. In 1971, Trio Mocotó stepped into the spotlight with their debut solo album, Muita Zorra! (São Coisas Que Glorificam a Sensibilidade Atual). The record made an immediate impact, climbing the charts with the infectious single "Coqueiro Verde" and marking the start of a prolific period in the group's career. Muita Zorra! is a dazzling blend of styles -- mixing the baroque funk and melodic sophistication of artists like Marcos Valle with the soulful spirit of Jorge Ben. Layered with elements of American funk, the album delivers a dynamic, rhythm-driven sound that still feels fresh today. The trio's vocal harmonies are front and center, weaving through each track with warmth and richness, creating a captivating sonic tapestry that energizes every beat. This album isn't just a snapshot of a musical moment -- it's a cornerstone of Brazilian soul. A must-listen for fans of global grooves, vintage funk, and timeless Brazilian music, Muita Zorra! is once again available and ready to take its well-deserved place in your collection.

Among the most revered voices in funk, Marva Whitney holds a special place thanks to her fierce energy and unmistakable style on tracks like the classic "Unwind Yourself," a long-time favorite for DJs and dance floors alike. Emerging from the dynamic world of the James Brown Revue in the late 1960s -- alongside iconic names like Lyn Collins and Vicki Anderson -- Marva quickly carved out a name for herself. In 1969, she began recording as a solo artist under James Brown's King label, scoring a Top 20 R&B hit with 'It's My Thing.' While mainstream hits were few, her music resonated deeply with funk lovers and crate diggers around the world. Songs like "You Got to Have a Job" and the endlessly sampled "Unwind Yourself" have only grown in stature over the decades. Her album, It's My Thing, dropped that same year and has since become a touchstone of the genre. Backed by the legendary JB's and produced by James Brown himself -- who also contributed to most of the songwriting -- the album captures a raw, unapologetic funk sound with a distinctly female voice at the forefront. From the explosive opening of "It's My Thing" -- a bold response to the Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing" -- Marva channels sheer intensity, backed by a band that doesn't let up. The pace briefly softens with "If You Love Me," a soul-soaked ballad in the spirit of Otis Redding, before diving back into the rhythmic grit of tracks like "Unwind Yourself." Decades later, It's My Thing continues to inspire, sampled by producers and treasured by collectors -- a powerful snapshot of funk at its most uncompromising. Reissue on 180g vinyl.

"Somewhere around 2007 a rather remarkable sight and sound appeared around these parts. Two women, seated among a variety of instruments, playing their own mesmerizing songs amid scattered covers (Richard and Linda Thompson, Donovan, Anne Briggs). Sometimes they played together, sometimes one or the other would do a song while the other watched or added a bit of harmony. It was closer to something you'd see in a university club in 1967 than anything contemporary, but there they were. A large and devoted audience developed quickly, following them from gig to gig. At the time it seemed like they were ready to for the world to discover, something so good that everyone would know about them soon enough. Within a couple of years they would seem more like an apparition, something flown by that you weren't sure was ever really there. They had made some tentative starts at recording, but nothing much to show when I approached them in 2009 to make an LP. One afternoon they loaded all their gear in and set up as they would for a gig. We recorded everything live, including vocals, in one or two takes -- usually one. It was a lovely afternoon, without a hint of the usual recording jitters or other distractions. The songs flowed out, one by one, as naturally as you please. We later added a touch or two to a couple of songs, but the resulting record is almost entirely live, just as you would have heard it if you were lucky enough to see 'em around town. As it turned out, that session was close to the end for Baba Yaga. There were a few more gigs, and then they split -- Carla moving to NYC and Amanda staying local. There were scattered sightings of each over the years: Amanda joined Major Stars for a while. Carla formed Raajmahal with Pat Murano (of No Neck Blues Band and K Salvatore) and put out several LP's and cassettes. But the album they made together as Baba Yaga was seemingly doomed. For a couple of years emails were exchanged, but trying to get the recordings sequenced and artwork prepared for a defunct band whose members lived in different states was slow going. Finally in 2013 everything was in order and 250 copies of the LP were pressed. Then the finished art for the cover went missing. That seemed to be the final nail in the coffin. Boxes of unfinished LP's were tucked into a closet, where they've sat for over a decade. But you can't keep a good record down forever, right? A couple of chance meetings in the middle of this decade restarted the conversation, and designer Darryl Norsen (Grateful Dead, Yes, Joni Mitchell) was brought in to design an all-new sleeve. The records were exhumed and unboxed and after a sixteen year wait the Baba Yaga album everyone 'round town was waiting for is finally here." -- Wayne Rogers

WRWTFWW Records presents the first-ever vinyl release of Japanese electronic music producer Virgo's debut album, Landform Code, a forgotten underground classic from 1998, now finally available as a limited edition 45rpm cut double LP housed in a heavyweight sleeve. Originally only released on CD by Tokyo-based cult label FORM@ RECORDS, Landform Code is an absolute gem of smooth, melodic Detroit techno infused with brilliant hints of acid, ambient, and IDM. It's a dreamy, organic, and timeless record that captures the essence of late '90s electronic innovation with a deeply soulful touch. The 12-track album, radiating with lush melodies, hypnotic rhythms, and textural detail, is an essential (hidden) treasure of electronic music history, transporting the listeners back to the pioneering days of Carl Craig, B12, The Black Dog, Ian O'Brien, or Warp's Artificial Intelligence series, beautifully honoring its influences, while solidly standing on its own as a distinct and emotionally resonant piece from Japan's underground scene. Landform Code is released simultaneously with Virgo's 1999 follow-up album Remnants (WRWTFWW 117LP), both excavated from the vaults of FORM@ RECORDS which has officially supervised the reissue efforts. This marks the first phase of a collaboration between the Swiss and Japanese labels.

WRWTFWW Records presents the first-ever vinyl release of Japanese electronic music producer Virgo's unheralded sophomore album, Remnants, a sleeper underground hit from 1999, now finally available as a limited edition 45rpm cut double LP housed in a heavyweight sleeve. Released only on CD in 1999 by Tokyo-based cult label FORM@ RECORDS, Remnants is a quietly visionary record: mellow ambient techno, fluid electronica, and soul-laced atmospherics with the spirit of Detroit close to the heart. As the follow-up to his essential debut Landform Code, Virgo expands his palette here -- working in widescreen textures, warm synth tones, and patient, emotive arrangements that feel both intimate and cinematic. The result is lush, heartfelt, and simply brilliant -- a late '90s statement that rewards deep, repeated listening. Remnants sits comfortably alongside the era's best explorations in soulful techno, ambient, and IDM, recalling the sensibilities of B12, The Black Dog, Ian O'Brien, and the lineage of labels Warp, Likemind and Clear, while remaining distinctly Virgo -- subtle, sophisticated, and unexpectedly moving. The album is released alongside Virgo's Landform Code (WRWTFWW 117LP), also available on vinyl for the first time ever, as part of a collaborative reissue series between WRWTFWW and FORM@.

Originally released in 2020. "Welcome to the second release in the Black Dot LP series. Black Dot albums are all recorded live at the White Spot performance space in beautiful downtown Nanaimo BC, a venue which Mats Gustafsson visited on June 23, 2019. Mats is many things to many people -- a doting father, a fancier of fine bourbons, an enthusiastic sport fisherman and a record collector of unparalleled passion. But he is probably best known as a musical performer/composer/explorer with world-gobbling intentions. On this evening in June, Mats was in extremely fine solo form. Playing baritone sax, fluteophone and three 'vinyl killer' record players (containing three copies of his own Hockey 10" on Gaffer), Mats began the evening with the sounds of tabletop hockey. The hockey sounds were courtesy of the 'vinyl killer' (which look like Hot Wheels versions of VW mini-buses driving around a record), and this madness was soon intercut with insanely fleet breath manipulation on the baritone. Gustafsson is one of the few players (along Anthony Braxton, Peter Brotzmann and the late Hamiett Bluiett) who has managed to bend the baritone sax to his will. Even the tenor is a big horn, requiring some real meat/lung duality for successful wrangling, but the baritone is a monster. Although Mats handles it as though it were a baby otter (albeit a large baby otter.) His click-stop playing shows he has darn nice tongue control, with grumbles of mutated melodic construction poking up and then hiding again, burrowing deep into the fabric of pure sound. As the set continues, the sax gets more aggressive -- inflating and inventing new strategies of sonic architecture, tearing up the air, sometimes inhabiting the so-called freak register like it was born there, at others playing melodies as though Coleman Hawkins' ghost was haunting its bell. Sometimes when he's playing, Mats gets an expression on his face that suggests he's revisiting the entire history of jazz music (something I know he carries around in his head at all moments). And I suspect those spirits were visibly passing across his visage this night in British Columbia. Although he is revered as an avant-gardist, Gustafsson is much more than that. He embodies a tradition that connects all kinds of seemingly unrelated segments of the music, creating unexpected combinations of sound and technique that span a variety of theoretically unbridgeable gaps. The force of his playing and personality create a furnace in which everything must melt and combine." --Byron Coley

Originally released in 2021. "crys cole is a Canadian-born composer, currently based in Berlin. She has a long history as a sound artist, both for performances and recordings that display a subtle approach to sound generation (often involving small gestures and the amplification of objects not necessarily designed to produce music). She also creates sculptural installations featuring sound as one element amongst others. This might suggest she possesses some of the mania associated with Fluxus, but crys's work generally eschews the antic, focusing on the slow build and accretion of sound layers. On this night in Nanaimo BC, Oren and crys sat at a pair of tables. Oren held a guitar and his table was covered with electronics. crys held no instrument in her hands, but her table contained a mass of objects, some clearly electric in nature, others looking more like random bits found in a kitchen drawer. Working with these tools and microphones to amplify their voices and/or gestures, the pair created the two pieces here -- wonderfully flowing soundscapes from imaginary vistas of otherness. The instruments they employ sometimes recall the essence of things you've heard before, but more often they are sonic events whose source can only be discerned (and then, only fitfully), by trying to see who is doing what with their hands. The interplay of gesticulation and the slow swaying of their bodies resembles a kind of slow-motion dance, almost like something taking place underwater. And at times there is a concordant submarine heft to the music. Drifting as though heard through a waving wall of water at 20,000 leagues beneath the sea. Other portions make you feel as though you are lying in a tent at night in a jungle filled with cyborg insects. It was a night of music that came and went like a dream state. Beautiful, familiar and utterly strange all at the same time. Sadly, this will be the last LP in this series recorded at the original White Room, upstairs at 4 Church Street in downtown Nanaimo. A new landlord wanted to do something different with the legendary performance space/gallery, and so it goes. We are assured, however, that a new venue will be secured in the Nanaimo area, and the shows (with concomitant live LPs) will continue once the plague has abated. For now, take the opportunity to take a trip with Oren and crys. You won't regret a moment of it." --Byron Coley

"Although it is true that the Nanaimo concert hall known as 'The White Room' has been eradicated by real estate greedheads, Jack and Dave (who ran the place and its documenting record label) have decided to keep the label going because why the hell not? The first fruit of this divine union is the Belfort Strasse LP by Eugene Chadbourne's Contemporary Rock Band (whose name was copped from an otherwise anonymous Pismo Beach cover band). Under this exquisitely generic banner you'll find Eugene Chadbourne on vocals, guitar and banjo, Schroeder on drums, Jan Fitsjen on bass and baritone guitar and occasionally Titus Waldenfels on lap steel. Unlike their namesake, this Contemporary Rock Band only plays a couple of covers -- Johnny Paycheck's 'The Cave' and Willie Nelson's 'Wake Me When It's Over.' These are also the tracks on which Waldenfels's lap steel adds musical width, while on 'Prisoner' (recorded for Bulgarian National Radio), the ensemble features solely Chadbourne and Schroeder. The material here was recorded in 2018-19 in a basement studio on Belfort Strasse in Freiburg-im-Brieslau, Germany or in taverns within walking distance of the studio, using a mobile recording facility. A few of the tunes have appeared on some of Eugene's recent CDRs, but this the first vinyl appearance of the music, and a damn fine appearance it is. Unlike his more 'purely' avant instrumental records, Belfort Strasse is a suite of Eugene's sometimes-straight/sometimes-bent lyrics, spiced up with experimentally-canted musical flourishes that fuck with time, melody and harmonics in equal measure and at their own cruel pace. Eugene's approach is so amazingly advanced it can often be head-spinning to try and unravel its intent, but the overall effect kinda destroys the perceptual barriers between sounds deemed 'inside' and 'outside.' This is a trick Chadbourne has long been working at, but as much as I loved many of his early efforts at this syncretic mode of creation, over the years his tactics have become a bit less manic, which seems like a good thing in terms of making the lines blurrier than ever. Eugene is an artist whose aesthetic has long seemed to be dictated by Duke Ellington's statement, 'if it sounds good and feels good then it is. Good. There's no art when one does something without intention.' And to my ear, Belfort Strasse, is Eugene's most adamant exemplar of this dictum yet. If you can't dig it. I'm not certain you can dig." --Byron Coley

Frozen Reeds presents Mark Fell's Psychic Resynthesis, an instrumental work performed by Explore Ensemble. This double LP, with included digital download, is the label's eighth release, arriving 13 years after its foundation. Fell is a multidisciplinary artist, composer, and theorist based in Rotherham, UK. Renowned for his rigorous and conceptual approach to electronic music and sound art, his work explores the limits of structure, rhythm, and perception through a blend of computational systems, philosophical inquiry, and cultural critique. Over the last decade, Fell's practice has visibly shifted from a world of technical intricacy and myopic microdetail to one of collaboration and community. He has purposefully sought out diverse musical partners from a wide variety of traditions and disciplines and found equally diverse ways to work and create together -- not to integrate their playing into a musical fusion, but rather to discover how such combinations of approaches and experience can stimulate unique and heretofore unheard results. The music here emerges from a commission for contemporary chamber group Explore Ensemble, situating Fell's work in a new context entirely. Having been a notable critic of classical music's slavish adherence to traditional musical notation, "the score," and its associated issues of control and hierarchy, one might expect a provocative or abrasive approach. Instead, a work of deep, tonal introspection unfolds -- an elegant structure navigating the artist's trepidatious relationship with linear or timeline-based musical approaches. In Fell's selection of timbres and events, the dynamic of composer and performer is interrupted by his twin adoption of system and flexibility. Mathematical determination and sonic fixation vie for dominance. The conflict governing combinations. Upsetting preconceived strategies. Published in an edition of 777 double LPs, with included digital download, the result, Psychic Resynthesis, represents both a prismatic object for repeated examination and an abstruse table of musical correspondences. Artwork and design by Mark Fell. Mastering by Jim O'Rourke.

LP version. A voice, timeless as the desert, swirls up like the sirocco, drenched in cavernous reverberation, accompanied by the solitary, meditative swells of the ardine, an acoustic harp that dials in the fundamental frequency of Noura Mint Seymali's music. A brief pause, and the same refrain returns, this time picked out on a heavily flanged electric guitar, grounded by thunderous drums and growling electric bass. And there's that voice again -- direct and urgent, careening off into wild ululations and refracted echo. That's the opening two tracks on Yenbett, the brand-new album by Mauritanian force of nature, Noura Mint Seymali. In just under four and a half minutes, these two versions of the song "Lehjibb" set the tone for what's to come -- a trance-inducing and ferociously evocative blend of ancient Northwest African musical tradition and searing, electrified Saharan future rock. Noura Mint Seymali is a living embodiment of musical tradition. She hails from a family of musical visionaries: her father, Seymali Ould Ahmed Vall, was a renowned composer and scholar and her stepmother, Dimi Mint Abba, was a cherished singer and performer. Seymali is a practicing griot -- equal parts poet, singer, musician, historian and cultural custodian -- and a living embodiment of Mauritania's tradition of Moorish griot music. "The griot are highly respected lineages in our culture and are a source of social cohesion and social history that endures," Seymali explains. "We are still a kind of mirror for society, reflecting back the social bonds and history to the people. It's still the griot who are the artist celebrants of traditional weddings and ceremonies. And it's still griot representing the culture as artist ambassadors." In this role, Seymali performs as a powerful vocalist with both a deep connection to the griot's timeless repertoire, and an urge to create fresh, contemporary messages. Rounding out the band are bassist Ousmane Touré, and on drums Matthew Tinari -- an American who has resided in Senegal for many years. Tinari also co-produced the album, together with Mikey Coltun, best known as bassist with Tuareg rock pioneers Mdou Moctar. It's no surprise, then, that Yenbett smolders with a languid fire comparable to the desert blues played by West African groups such as Mdou Moctar. Certainly, Seymali can see a connection between the blues and West African music. "It's sewn from the same cloth," she says.

4LP box set version. "After more than thirty years of working with and performing the great repertoire, the music of Philip Glass has, in a way, almost revolutionized my life as a musician," confides Vanessa Wagner. An emblematic artist on the French music scene, winner of a Victoire de la musique award and director of the Chambord and Giverny festivals, Vanessa Wagner is as inspired in her interpretation of Mozart, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, and Dusapin as she is alongside Murcof and Rone. With her innovative and daring approach, she has established herself as a major influence on the classical music landscape, crossing boundaries and blazing inspiring trails. For InFiné, she has dedicated four albums to the major figures of this movement, John Adams, Meredith Monk, Brian Eno, and Ryūichi Sakamoto, as well as to the new generation Caroline Shaw, Bryce Dessner, and Nico Muhly. After giving numerous concerts based on these works, she felt the need to record in their entirety this essential monument in the history of music, which bridges the gap between the 20th and 21st centuries: Philip Glass's 20 Etudes for piano by Philip Glass. His approach helps to place these two books in the great repertoire, alongside the great cycles of studies by Ligeti, Debussy, Dusapin, and before them, Chopin and Liszt. The thread linking Philip Glass to Vanessa Wagner may be as simple as a detail: a moment, a pedagogy, a way of looking at the piano. In Words Without Music, Glass recalls his apprenticeship with Nadia Boulanger in Paris -- a lesson in rigorous received just as the Nouvelle Vague was about to shatter the conventions of cinema the conventions of cinema, just as the composers of the minimalist movement had done with the language of music. Nurtured by Ravel and Debussy, the great French pedagogue disciplined yet inquisitive minds, capable of embracing modernity without denying modernity without denying their heritage.

Goldie's 1995 debut Timeless is often described as one of the greatest dance music albums of all time. As one of the founders of Metalheadz, one of the most influential drum and bass labels, Goldie helped shape the sound of a generation, and a genre that has spanned over three decades. Listening to Timeless is like taking an adventure. If the limits of music are the limits of society, then Timeless is going to create new worlds. It's a record that travels from darkness to light across electronic oceans, across streetsoul, ambience and jazz. London Records celebrate 30 years of Timeless with limited edition vinyl, re-imagining the original white sleeve and putting the album on double vinyl for the first time since '96, with new liner notes from Tim Carr. Remastered audio. Also available on splatter color vinyl (LMS 1725579).

Soft Centre is the new album by Iko Chérie, the solo project of French-born, London-based multi-instrumentalist Marie Merlet. She blends dub-inflected textures, pop-tinged vocals, reverb-drenched guitars, Casio drones, and warm experimental noises -- creating her own intimate, fragile sound. Self-produced and largely performed by Merlet, the album grew from an introspective process, with many sketches recorded in transit between tours. The result is a deeply personal work, balancing light and dark in a Lynchian dream-pop haze. Songs such as "We Smoke That Peace Pipe" and "Bilbao" shimmer between vulnerability and resilience, while the single "Ghosted Ghosters of the Holy G" captures the immediacy of a one-take dub bass. Some pieces retain the quality of improvised snapshots while others reveal her meticulous production process and songwriting craft. Merlet defines Soft Centre as alive in radical tenderness, unguarded, open, and vivid. Influenced by Clarice Lispector's prose, Diane di Prima's poetry and Rachel Carson's environmentalist writing, as well as Marie's fascination with a vintage Roland Space Echo, the album is an invitation to connection that she describes as "hopefully a meditation into healing." A versatile musician trained in classical piano, jazz, and electroacoustic composition, Merlet has long moved between different worlds of sound. She has worked with Laetitia Sadier in Monade, performs with Gina Birch (The Raincoats), Malphino, Yama Warashi, and several other groups. She recently appeared as guest singer on the latest Stereolab album. Her debut solo LP, Dreaming On (Elefant Records, 2015), revealed her singular melodic instincts; with Soft Centre she ventures further inward, shaping her own distinctive voice in experimental pop.

"On the cover - claire rousay: The Winnipeg born, Texas raised composer found her footing as a drummer before branching out into a practice of multi-instrumental sonic journaling that incorporates ambient collage and found sound. She'll release her new album, a little death, via Thrill Jockey in late October. By Lucy Thraves; Features and regular sections - Rafael Toral: Following up on last year's celebrated Spectral Evolution, the Lisbon based guitarist, improvisor and engineer of DIY electronics delves into a sort of tradition with the October release of Travelling Light, his idiosyncratic take on a set of jazz standards made famous by the likes of Billie Holiday and Chet Baker. By Peter Margasak; Once Upon A Time In New York: Giorno Poetry Systems: New York poet and performance artist John Giorno founded the non-profit organization and label Giorno Poetry Systems to bring verse into dynamic engagement with pop artists and new music composers. The cultural context and legacy of GPS is examined by Alan Licht; Yusuf Mumin: The Black Unity Trio saxophonist discusses an expansive new collection of previously unreleased spiritual jazz explorations entitled Journey To The Ancient courtesy of archive label WeWantSounds. By Phil Freeman; Susu Laroche: The dark, liturgical style of the French-Egyptian interdisciplinary sonic and visual and artist has been showcased on a wide array of collaborations in recent years, as well as her latest solo release War Against The Lie. By Misha Farrant; Invisible Jukebox: Lord Spikeheart: The anti-genre metal vocalist and one half of Ugandan duo Duma takes on The Wire's mystery listening test. Tested by Claire Biddles; Unlimited Editions: Fused Arrow; Global Ear: Rotterdam; Plus, one-page profiles of Chupame El Dedo, Alister Spence, Kinlaw & Franco Franco and more."

Tresor Records presents the first-ever reissue of Drexciya's Fusion Flats 12" vinyl, including remixes from Detroit's Octave One, Kaotic Spatial Rhythms, and 043 Chaos. Originally released in the wake of Drexciya's seminal 1999 Tresor debut album Neptune's Lair, this release marks its long-awaited return and first appearance on digital platforms. The remastered edition contains the original extended version of "Fusion Flats" and features new artwork by Detroit-based contemporary artist Matthew Angelo Harrison. 25 years later, Fusion Flats returns to the constellation of Drexciya's Tresor works, connecting their debut full-length to further explorations that continue to inspire generations.

Conamara-raised musician and performer Olan Monk presents Songs for Nothing, their second album. Songs for Nothing was written upon Olan Monk's return to the west coast of Ireland. The album is imbued with the influence of sean-nós singing, Irish language songs in the "old style" that often proclaim tales of love, loss and landscape; and also heavily indebted to the late Sinéad O'Connor's confessional songwriting. Reconstructing these influences through their unique perspective has resulted in a fragmentary album veering between collaged pop, machinic rock and slow airs, "dedicated to Conamara and all who have called it home." The western, Atlantic-facing edge of Ireland has a particular feeling and energy, one that permeates the release: the granite pulsates, the ocean and sky reflect intensities, seaweed rots on shingle shores, plants bloom, ancient trees come up for air from the drowned forest in Galway Bay, the sun splinters through the low clouds. The album's title suggests a one-way transaction, an offering to the listener expecting nothing in return, but also a devotion to nothingness; and the realm of infinite possibility that springs from its well: singing out into a sparse landscape, which once was home to long-lost forests and communities. A departure from Olan Monk's previous, more electronic work, the instrumental arrangements of Songs for Nothing delve deeper into the "descriptor" with elements of shoegaze, witch house, cloud rap and Irish traditional music bleeding through the walls of the studio. Songs for Nothing, in melding influences old and new feels at times absurd, but never ironic; it is from the heart, and its respect for song traditions and dedication to process are felt in two arrangements of older songs embracing this new trajectory: "Fate (Reprise)" is an earlier recording reimagined as a doomer ballad with Maria Somerville singing in a duet, and "Amhrán Mhaínse" is a Conamara anthem slowed down as a duo of accordion performed by Peadar Tom Mercier accompanied by heavy guitar drones. Folding in other Irish neo-traditional expressionists and experimentalists, the record also features Michael Speers, Dylan Kerr, Aindriú De Buitléir, Risteárd O'hAodha, and Róisín Berkeley.

Frank Maston's beloved 2025 single finally gets its long overdue vinyl release! "Foreign Affairs" drifts through London fog and Paris shimmer, its avant-lounge glow wrapping each melody in a wistful ache. On B-side "Liaison," ghostly strings and a solitary piano paint a deserted twilight shoreline, Pacôme Henry's distinct 16mm cinematography hovering nearby. Originally written for a film Maston was scoring in 2024, he decided to keep it aside for himself. The two songs were recorded in Paris and London in the summer of 2024. Aside from the rhythm section and piano, there's vibraphone, a full string section, trombones and alto and concert flutes. The artwork for this 7" single has Roman campaign flags, referencing the foreign affairs in sort of a sassy way.

LP version. "A cornerstone of soulful reggae, Lover's Rock by Jamaican legend Delroy Wilson bridges his deep roots in ska and rocksteady with the smooth, romantic vibes of the UK's lovers rock movement. It's a noteworthy entry in the lovers rock canon and a testament to Wilson's versatility. Originally released in 1978 by Burning Sounds, this album captures Wilson's velvet-toned voice over laid-back riddims and heartfelt lyrics -- a perfect entry point for fans of both classic reggae and tender love songs. A must-have for collectors of golden-era reggae and lovers rock enthusiasts alike. Original UK pressing is increasingly rare and prized for its warm analogue sound and classic artwork. Recommended if you like: John Holt, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Sugar Minott."

LP version. "Two titanic forces in reggae history -- Roots Radics and The Mighty Revolutionaires -- unite for a powerful dubwise journey on Outernational Riddim. This long-anticipated collaboration blends heavyweight rhythms, militant drum patterns, and deep, atmospheric dubs that channel the essence of Jamaican roots music with a forward-thinking production style. The Roots Radics, known for backing icons like Gregory Isaacs, Barrington Levy, and Israel Vibration, bring their unmistakable heavyweight style to this session. Meanwhile, The Revolutionaires, studio legends behind countless Channel One classics, lace the tracks with their tight arrangements and classic rockers grooves. Produced and mixed in true dubwise tradition, Outernational Riddim delivers an essential release for fans of roots reggae, dub collectors, and sound system culture. From deep and meditative grooves to militant stepper rhythms, Outernational Riddim is a testament to the timeless strength of Jamaican instrumental reggae and dub -- an 'outernational' statement from two of reggae's most respected rhythm sections."

Dam Swindle's new Backyard Galaxy EP is an ode to house music and the classic Swindle sound. "Feel it Much?" has all the ingredients of a classic Swindle heater, with warm pads, rich organic percussion and tons of soul. There's a simple and effective vocal running throughout the track that blends nicely with the classic house elements and electronic textures that are layered throughout the track. "Backyard Galaxy" is an up-tempo Latin-themed jam with a hint of old school techno. You move into garage territory with the shuffling vibes of "Rhythm Baby". The EP closes with the NY-style house cut "What You Give".

2025 repress. Originally released in 1969, this album is one of the most significant in Brazilian musical history, spearheading the musical Tropicalia revolution lead by Brazilian legends Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, not to mention Gal Costa and mutant rockers Os Mutantes. Not only were the artists experimenting with the music, they were also making a very strong political statement that spoke out very harshly against the military regime in Brazil at the time. This album helped land Veloso and Gil a brief stint in jail and eventually in political exile in the UK. Includes bonus CD of the album.

"Until The End (The Lost Album) features recordings made by Wil Malone throughout 1970, possibly intended as a follow-up to Wil Malone -- Wil Malone, which was recorded in mid-1969 and mastered for release on Fontana Records on July 5, 1969. Recently unearthed from the Morgan Blue Town tape vaults, these tracks offer a compelling mix of '60s pop and bubblegum, diverging from the original album's string-heavy, progressive-psych sound. All the material comprises either demos or finished masters, recorded over several months. With the exception of the brass parts -- performed by session musicians -- all instruments were played by Wil Malone himself. It's a shame the debut didn't achieve greater commercial success, as it might have brought these follow-up recordings to light much earlier, back in the 1970s."

2025 restock. Working outside normal record business market mechanisms, Einstürzende Neubauten recorded this album over some 200 days in their own studio funded by their world-wide network of subscribing supporters via www.neubauten.org. Possibly informed by the title of 2000's Silence Is Sexy, the word on the international music scene was that Einstürzende Neubauten had become calmer, quieter even. Alles Wieder Offen blows this assumption out of the water; it is an urgent and compelling album in every aspect. The instruments do not exhaust themselves by a consumptive struggle against each other as they might have on prior recordings, but instead create an unprecedented fusion of Einstürzende Neubauten-typical instruments with conventional ones. Alexander Hacke's bass has never sounded warmer, Jochen Arbeit's guitar more graceful, the metal of Rudolf Moser and the percussion of N.U. Unruh more unsettling and diverse, or Blixa Bargeld's voice more mercurial yet forceful. It's the little details that first draw the attention: Jochen Arbeit's whizzing guitar on "Unvollständigkeit," seeming to anticipate the outburst that follows: a rain of light, falling aluminum sticks; the way Alexander Hacke electronically deconstructs Rudolph Moser's rounded, flowing rhythm on "Weilweilweil"; the deft combination of uplifting organ and the almost tender feedback that rends the sky open on "Nagorny Karabach." This album also is very conscious of the band's history. On a lyrical level, "Unvollständigkeit" is a sister piece to both "DNS/Wasserturm" (1983) as well as "Redukt" (of Silence Is Sexy, 2000); "Nagorny Karabach" refers to "Armenia" (1983), which is the sun of the EN-cosmos; "Von Wegen" quotes both their first single and a line from the song "Sehnsucht" from Kollaps (1981). Moreover, musically "Von Wegen" mirrors the structure of "Zerstörte Zelle" (1987). "Susej" is based around a rhythm guitar figure that Bargeld recorded in a flooded cellar of the Hafenklangstudio in Hamburg in the early '80s. Many layers have deposited themselves around the group's original nucleus. At the same time, the energy and the sheer willpower of the early days is still powerfully evident here. Perhaps the most emotionally-affecting and intellectually-stimulating album of Einstürzende Neubauten's career. Gatefold with full color printed inner sleeves.

Indulge in a delicious audiophile epilogue to Princess P's Infinite Sonore compilation (PRINCESS 002LP) with this 2x12" musical offering. Swiss DJ Princess P, known for her wide-ranging selections, that resonates equally on the dancefloor and in immersive listening spaces, has been a dynamic presence in the Swiss electronic scene since the mid '90s and has cultivated a genre-defying style. Her sets have become staples at clubs like Zukunft and festivals such as Watching Trees and Convenanza, where she showcases her iconoclastic musical knowledge and maverick flair. Featuring Fortran 5, Renegade Soundwave, Saint Etienne, and S.Y.T. (Shave Your Tongue).

A note from Lawrence English: "If I'm not mistaken, Ben Frost and I first talked about the ideas of what would become Steel Wound sometime in mid-2002. In the early '00s, Ben had been working on cut-up electronics, spilling over with floating rhythms, humming string samples and piano splices. It was a sound realized in part through the subversion of fruity loops and also owes a debt to Ableton Live which arrived in late 2001. His works to that point, gently saturated and bristling with a fizzy distortion at times, hinted at another sound world which would become his focused in the summer of 2002 and into 2003. Locking himself away at Johanna's Beach, a remote southern vantage along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, he was able to record for the first time without a sense of constraint. This opening up of the sound palette brought with it an entirely new harmonic language that had been hinted at, but not realized, on previous recordings. With a simple restriction of instrumentation, the guitar as the palette, Frost unlocked a certain verticality to his working methods that holds light to this day. Steel Wound is, by design, a singular record in Ben Frost's discography. It's a recording born of particular conditions, but also of particular interests. It was the first time Ben had set himself up with a situation where saturation, volume and density were all something that could be realized in a space and a time, not as a process of post-production. To have sound operating in space is a thing of true beauty and moreover it allows for a certain unpredictability that is central to new discoveries. Working with a Fender Twin, often with the reverb dialed in at maximum, he found a language of shimmer and saturation, of compression and collision, that set the stage for a prolonged interest in how sound performs and is perceived at volume. It also is the first time that many of the tonal and melodic inflections that have come to be recognized as his compositional language are on display. Steel Wound, in my opinion, is a map to the future for Ben. It is a portal, a chance for new understandings to emerge and also to take hold and it's these learnings that have guided Ben's work in the subsequent years. Steel Wound remains a pulsing beacon in an ocean of noise that has been flickering for two decades now."

"X-Ray Spex was a British punk rock band that emerged in the late 1970s, known for their distinctive sound, socially conscious lyrics, and the dynamic frontwoman Poly Styrene. The band was active during the first wave of punk rock and played a significant role in the punk movement. Lead vocalist and songwriter Poly Styrene was known for her unique vocal style and often cited as an influential figure in the punk scene. Other band members on Germfree Adolescents are Jak Airport, Paul Dean, Rudi Thompson, and B P Hurding. X-Ray Spex released their debut album, Germfree Adolescents, in 1978, featuring the title track, 'Germfree Adolescents.' The album is considered a classic of the punk era. Poly Styrene's lyrics often addressed social and consumerist issues, and her unconventional fashion sense and energetic stage presence added to the band's overall identity. While X-Ray Spex had a relatively short-lived career, disbanding in 1979, they left a lasting impact on the punk scene, and their music continues to be celebrated for its originality and influence. Poly Styrene sadly passed away in 2011, but her contributions to punk rock remain influential. This limited-edition re-issue of Germfree Adolescents is pressed on black 180-gram vinyl. Incl. 12" insert poster of album cover + sleeve notes by Stephanie Phillips."

From 2019 to 2022, Gorgun drafted this record twice, then deleted most of her sketches. By the time she opened a new session, she had gone through an accidental electrocution, a cancer diagnosis, and an allergic collapse that nearly suffocated her. During treatment, chemotherapy left her in a cognitive fog known as "chemo-brain," forcing her to relearn the craft of composition from scratch. While rebuilding her own focus, she watched her friends, relatives, and musical heroes battle illness, recover, or slip away. The result is Earthbound: a final, third iteration recorded in the quiet intervals between sunshine afternoons in the park, surgeries, funerals, long walks by the sea, emergency rooms, and snow-lit nights -- above all, between days spent searching for sound and music. Yet, rather than foregrounding those ordeals, Gorgun surrendered to them, composing as a witness to the post-COVID world limping back to life in "Janus"; to the wavedrops rejoining the sea in "Cloudbreak Swell"; to a joyful stargazing experience in "Moonbeams," to the attention-seeking power-drunk swagger in "Edgelord"; to memory dissolving at the doorway -- the doorway effect -- in "Olvido"; or to the way Middle-Eastern artists are ever more exotically consumed while their homelands splinter in "Exocannibalism" and "Bon Pour L'Orient."

Claire M Singer has shared details of the captivating second instalment in a triptych of albums that delves into two intertwining narratives. Gleann Ciùin -- which means "quiet glen" in Scottish Gaelic (pronounced gly-ow-n kyoon) -- is released on CD Touch. The follow up to 2023's Saor, the heart of this album lies a profound exploration of the artist's personal journeys across the rugged, awe-inspiring landscapes of the Cairngorms in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Through a tapestry of evocative melodies and stirring harmonies, the music transports listeners to these majestic mountain peaks, evoking the solitude, the natural wonder, and the transformative power of traversing such terrain. Gleann Cùin also represents a parallel journey, one that ventures deep into the history and grandeur of the UK's most remarkable pipe organs. As the artist navigates these historic instruments, coaxing forth their rich, resonant tones, the music becomes a vehicle for uncovering the stories embedded within these magnificent, centuries-old artifacts. Each track on the album seamlessly blends these two narrative threads, creating a captivating tapestry that invites the listener to experience the artist's own discovery, whether exploring the rugged Scottish landscape or unearthing the hidden musical treasures of the nation's most revered pipe organs. Gleann Ciùin stands as a powerful and immersive artistic statement, a mesmerizing musical journey that immerses the listener in the artist's own transformative explorations. The album's title piece is the Ivor Novello nominated "Gleann Ciùin." Originally commissioned in 2019 by the London Contemporary Orchestra and the Richard Thomas Foundation for the PRS New Music Biennial. The piece features violin, viola, four cellos, and two horns and the 1967 Flentrop organ housed under the stage when not in use in the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall.

2025 repress. "One album into their career in 1969, Mutantes showed few signs of musical burnout after turning in one of the oddest LPs released in the '60s. Similar to its predecessor, Mutantes relies on an atmosphere of experimentation and continual musical collisions, walking a fine line between innovation and pointless genre exercises. The lead track ('Dom Quixote') has the same focus on stylistic cut-and-paste as their debut LP's first track ('Panis et Circenses'). Among the band's musical contemporaries, Mutantes sounds similar only to songs like the Who's miniature suite 'A Quick One While He's Away' -- though done in three minutes instead of nine, and much more confusing given the language barrier. The album highlights ('Nao Va Se Perder por Ai') and ('Dois Mil e Um') come with what sounds like a typically twisted take on roots music (both Brazilian and American), complete with banjo, accordion, and twangy vocals. Though there are several other enjoyable tracks, including 'Magica' and a slap-happy stomp called 'Rita Lee', there's a palpable sense that the experimentation here isn't serving much more than its own ends. If the first album's relentless eclecticism did in fact occasionally result in dry passages, it's especially true here." --All Music

2025 repress. "Cindy Lee is the diva alter-ego of singer/guitarist/drag queen Patrick Flegel, the one-time captain of heralded Canadian experimental guitar pop act, Women. In Flegel's working on/as Cindy Lee exclusively over recent years, their songwriting makes a move toward high atmospherics, often achieving a mysterious sweetness rooted equally in beauty and ache. As Cindy Lee's first long-form statement, Act Of Tenderness makes use of antipodal themes to create a living sound: static with grace, distortion and sugar, all masterfully arranged with crooked nods toward pop classicism. The layered vocal on 'Power And Possession' creates a palpable haunt, bringing historical girl-group lament to choir-esque heights. The feedback shriek and industrial grind of 'Bonsai Garden' provides near-operatic damage, yet never stumbles into the irrevocably grave. These snowy pieces give the album a decidedly cinematic feel, albeit one bent more towards Eraserhead. Originally released in a scant private edition in 2015, Superior Viaduct's imprint W.25TH is pleased to give Act Of Tenderness its deserving wide release."

2025 repress. "Cindy Lee, the performance and songwriting vehicle of Canadian artist Patrick Flegel (who fronted influential indie group Women earlier), previously stunned listeners with Act Of Tenderness, a heart-wrenching statement informed by the noirish core of celebrity, and has continued to enchant with every album, including the startling What's Tonight To Eternity released earlier this year. Model Express originally appeared as a self-released edition of 100 gold cassettes. The arch, filmic drama of Cindy Lee's songwriting -- realized with keyboards, guitars, aching voice and collaged, lo-fi production -- traverses a wide range of emotional and sonic terrain. The red velvet psych-pop of 'What Can I Do' gives way to the fluid 'Diamond Ring' like radio bursts from space. Model Express finds Flegel at both their most experimental and immediately melodic, and this first-time vinyl release recognizes the collected tracks as a pillar in the Cindy Lee catalogue. Cindy Lee (who uses the gender neutral pronoun they) is a drag persona drawing on suburban closet queens and mid-century divas. In keeping with Flegel's interest in the fault lines of identity, gender expression, performance and media, Model Express delivers an intense and diverse set of unforgettable songs."

Muito Kaballa return in style with a refined modern sound on Tomorrow A Flower for the London-based imprint Batov Records, blending indie pop, soul, hip hop, jazz, Brazilian rhythms, and West African grooves. Initially the solo project of tenor saxophonist and composer Niklas Mündemann, Muito Kaballa has grown into a full-blown ensemble, based between Cologne and Berlin. Tomorrow A Flower builds on the success of the ensemble's acclaimed Like a River album, whilst moving away from the previous album's strong jazz leanings, towards a more direct, contemporary yet sophisticated pop feel. Still oozing with soul, and nods to not only African funk and hip hop but strong modern references, including electronic pop favorites "Jungle By Night" and cosmic groove merchants Khruangbin. The album commences with "Loving You", a heartwarming yet almost melancholy groover simultaneously recalling both classic soul, and the contemporary soul of electronic maverick Jitwan. Held to earth by a steady mid-tempo snare-and-tambourine rhythm, whilst the irresistible harmonizing between voice and horn threatens to lift it off the ground as the vocal slowly unfolds. "In My Delir" follows perfectly. Featuring South African singer and KEXP fave, Petite Noir, and shaped in collaboration with Muito guitarist Benjamin Schneider, the song opens with a beguiling guitar riff that melts through the speakers like a disintegrating highlife loop. On the epic album standout, "Make Me Bigger," guest vocalist Jermain Peterson asks the listener to "take my hand and make me bigger", on a stirring ode to friendship and its power to overcome fears and self-doubt. West African grooves and Afrobeats support coiling vines of jazz, soul, and pop that will no doubt appeal to fans of SAULT, Michael Kiwanuka, and Yazmin Lacey. Tomorrow A Flower is a modern classic -- interlacing multiple genres of sound into new perspectives that complement each and leave room for the enchanting and original songs and sounds of Niklas Mündeman and Muito Kaballa.

PRAED return to Discrepant, after their 2017's entry Fabrication of Silver Dreams. Known for their signature blend of Egyptian Shaabi, free jazz and improvisation, the Lebanese duo behind PRAED -- Raed Yassin and Paed Conca -- now assemble a full orchestra for the second time taking the music to a deeper, rooted level. Following their 2020 release Live in Sharjah, also under the PRAED Orchestra! moniker, the duo now revisit their unique blend of Arabic heritage and free jazz sensibilities with an album that keeps pushing further into strange and unexpected directions. The Dictionary of Lost Meanings is just that, seven fully composed pieces and large-scale improvisations, performed by an expanded ensemble of musicians from across the globe. The result is dense and playful, unpredictable but familiar, a record where Arabic rhythms and microtonal melodies collide playfully against electronics, warped vocals and orchestral textures. It's less about genre than about memory -- like tuning into a radio station broadcasting from somewhere between the past and the future. PRAED continue to blur the line between popular culture and experimental music in ways that feel both grounded and completely their own.

Azymuth bassist Alex Malheiros doesn't remember recording this single. It's understandable -- the sessions happened over forty years ago, and at the time, Malheiros, Ivan Conti and José Roberto Bertrami were backing countless MPB artists throughout the genre's golden age. As one of Brazil's most influential groups, Azymuth's story is well known. Vocalist Luisa, however, remains something of an enigma. She recorded this, her one and only single, in 1981 for Carlos Lemos' Piramide Label. With Luisa's powerful yet understated vocal, Bertrami's futuristic synths and José Carlos Bigorna's brow-raising tenor sax licks, the stirring early-'80s pop ballad "Romantica" should have been a radio hit. On B-side, "Lenha na Fogueira", Azymuth lock into an exceptional samba-funk groove with legendary guitarist Paulinho Guitarra. The record also features backing vocals from the lesser-known vocal group Arco Iris.