the cowboy moved slowly out of the booth and into the studio. you could tell by the look in his eyes, that the half-dozen shots of chivas regal had put his ego to rest, and he was ready to sing with the lady. they sang for three nights - the cowboy and the lady, and the gods were kind, and their album was finished on time. herein, lie the results…some good, some bad and some more. - lee hazlewood

it does not happen that often any more that unreleased music from 40 years ago surfaces. even more unlikely it is that the songs put on tape are such treasures. the voltags were right at the forefront of the local washington dc new wave/punk scene of the late 1970s. influenced by kraftwerk, gary numan, the clash, and the b-52 s, they have released only one 45rpm single during their existence. but during the time span of not even 18 months, they had recorded enough material for an entire album but the songs remained in the can. this is the story of the voltags, a short-lived band which could have become famous and mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned music legends of that era if their songs had been released back in the day. dive in and enjoy the sound of the voltags, it is truly special. we here at perfect toy are thrilled to be label to finally release their work and we sincerely hope that they are finally getting the appreciation they so richly deserve

left ear are re-introducing another ten lost tracks from nicholas georgieff and virgil work, st louis basement electronics duo workdub. the release spans material from 1989-95 and includes recordings from their sole lp and both cassette albums. workdubs music hardly fits into a vacuum and some might even say it’s otherworldly. tracks like reach for the stars and lunar module reflect dreams of space-age exploration, all the while their investigation into drum machines, synthesizers, samples matched with their organic live instrumentation work to create a unique atmospheric dubbed out sound.

the artist/producer collective known as local-mu12 are back with a sophomore album called eeveryday people. the album features mc eiht, smif n wessun, guilty simpson, torae, ras kass, planet asia and more. it also features a variety of local-mu12 members such as stryfe, real mckoy, fokis, james moore, the manorail and more.

parallel people are proud to announce the release of ppl001, the 12” debut from the collective’s very own winters.
after simmering gently below the surface of the melbourne music scene for just enough minutes now, winters finally comes up for air with “sometimes for you but mostly just because” -- four tracks of elevated jazz/house/soul landscapes, with rhodes, synthesizers, and live percussion illustrating shifts between joy, melancholy, and cautious optimism.

banoffee pies records continue their musical exploration with their latest sub label output otaku. as the title suggests, otaku provides the banoffee crew the opportunity to focus on another area of expression. “music for home” will be the focus and tagline for this imprint which will showcase a range of expertly composed live drum elements while travelling through the spectrum of leftfield electronic music.
the first instalment comes from a new and blossoming artist marenn sukie, first featured on the parent labels limited series. this time he drops a six track delight spanning the moods of trip hop, beats, and chill out in a bonobo esque fashion, intermittent head nodding included. with love banoffee xx

cheap present was formed in 2013 as a collaborative project between melbourne artists env and luis cl serving as an outlet for the pair to experiment outside of their main musical acts and subsequent genre limitations.
cheap present’s music is mostly recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubs and draws sounds and influences from various sources. using old keyboards and samples mixed with digital high definition sounds, the duo create a mixture of raw elements from the techno and dance tradition with a nod to classical melodies and industrial music. each song features heavy drums to highlight the melodic playfulness of their bass, synth arrangements and humorous but expressive vocals and song titles. the anterior mini lp follows on from the duo’s wet garden cassette earlier in the year and presents a collection of material looking back from the group’s creation in 2013 to more recent output. the pair’s evolution is clearly on display on the this 12 inch, from initial jam based songs such as waterproofyouth and bergwasser, which have a spontaneous metallic edge, to new songs such as rooftops, which display a more meticulous and mature approach to production.

beck’s 1998 album back on vinyl with code for high quality digital download included.

the 1988 album from dj jazzy jeff & the fresh prince aka jeff townes & will smith back on double vinyl, including a bonus scratch album.

limited 2 disc 180 gram pressing with download code included. all tracks on vinyl 2 recorded live in new york city.

40 carreer-spanning hits from the steve miller band - peronally selected by steve miller, including previously unreleased tracks. deluxe edition on 180 gram 4x12 inch vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

22 carreer-spanning hits from the steve miller band - peronally selected by steve miller, including previously unreleased tracks. 180 gram 2x12 inch vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

die wiederveröffentlichung von -the taste of tg - a beginner’s guide to the music of throbbing gristle- fasst das schaffen von throbbing gristle eindrucksvoll zusammen, erscheint erstmals auf (rotem) vinyl als doppel-lp im klappcover inklusive downloadcode. die sammlung umfasst, wie im original, tracks von verschiedenen tg-alben, live-aufnahmen und wird im rahmen dieser veröffentlichung durch den song -almost a kiss- bereichert.

throbbing gristle gelten heute zu recht als die wichtigsten vertreter der klassischen industrial music. die band ging aus der aktionskunstgruppe coum transmissions (ct) hervor, die etwa ende 1969 von cosey fanni tutti und genesis breyer p-orridge gegründet wurde. 1974 stieß der im jahr 2010 verstorbene designer und techniker peter sleazy christopherson zu ihnen, im jahr darauf chris carter. zum 40. jahrestag seiner erstveröffentlichung wird am 03.11.2017 -the second annual report- als limitierte edition auf weißem vinyl im original packaging inklusive downloadcode erneut veröffentlicht werden.

say what you wanna say, but you have to give strahil velchev this: the manÆs a powerhouse. recording and playing live under the kink alias, he went on to become one of finest purveyorÆs of funk in techno and house. what it is, by definition, ainÆt exactly clear. and that is the beauty of it. kinkÆs music is unifying in the best possible way. channeling the spirit and feeling of a time where it didnÆt really matter who the faces behind the music were, kink plays with the elements of genres and sub-genres as if the future of it all is still wide-open. at the same time it could be accused of retro-fetishism, as much as the pope himself is infallible. the pure need to recreate moments, feelings and experience - rather than carbon copies of existing designs - was what started kinkÆs production work. hailing from bulgaria, it was nearly impossible to get your hands on all the records and music that fed into a system of raves, clubs and record shops that seemed far away from sofia, and financially it might as well have meant another galaxy. wanting to dj without having access to the tracks that spun the carousel meant that you had to create them yourselves. so, here we go with a private bootlegger gone public mastermind and one of the loudest voices in house, techno and beyond. from kinkÆs early productions with neville watson to his smash-hit for ovum, a cerebral album for macro, tons of remixes & tracks and his mind-bending live act, playground seems to take all that into a blender. simultaneously a sound-summary, the harvest of a field of ideas, and the exhibition of an artist in his prime, it also works as a sort of kink dictionary: avant-garde soundscapes stand next to boisterous bangers, classic club tracks and peak time emotions

swiss pair domo are back on their own framework label with another fine ep featuring two fresh and inventive cuts.
this well established swiss duo have already served up the first two eps on this label proving they have a sound that mixes up classic detroit and berlin sounds with their own vivid imaginations and a love of tech house. they also work as live performers who focus on spontaneity, and that certainly shows here.

straight out of south east london and back with his second ep on eartoground, gareth delivers a set of four rave cuts of techno with an additional two remixes from etg mainstay vsk!
tracks included have recently been tried and tested from warehouse dance floors in amsterdam to clubs in london, stuttgart, berlin and buenos aries, all with maximum dance floor effect.
artwork and audio combine to create an escapism from our troubled times all the while looking to a hopeful vision of the world we live in.
black vinyl with bespoke, special edition artwork.
being played and supported so far by the likes of answer code request, marcel dettmann, dax j, etapp kyle, stranger, remco, pfirter, violent blondes romek, takaaki itch, joe far, ben gibson.

mortazavi und friedman verbindet die erfahrung auf dem terrain ungerader, zyklischer rhythmen, die die grundlage ihrer, einerseits zarten, andererseits ekstatischen trance-kunstmusik bilden. im studio entstehen in der wiederholung und improvisation -nummern-. das sind groove-basierte stücke, gespielt auf verschiedensten trommeln (mortazavi spielt überwiegend tombak) und elektronischen mitteln. die musikalische basis bilden natürliche, d.h. gegebene bewegungsformeln. sie sorgen für die harmonische spannung zwischen elektro-sound und live erzeugtem groove mit präzisem timing. durch extreme klangbandbreite der tombak und mortazavis extravaganter technik, gelingt die verschmelzung mit friedmans ort- und zeitlosem repertoire.

a kind of intimate scrapbook of the startling collaboration between the techno maestro and this long-standing musical collective based in bishkek, devoted to the roots music of kyrgyzstan. loose-leaved but balanced, lucid and intimate, it sets out from stunning a cappella and virtuosic komuz and kylak, mouth harp and traditional percussion: not field, but expert studio recordings, using marvellous vintage microphones, made over several days in berlin. further, a few of these are deftly treated by moritz, using reichian de-synced double-tracking, and discreet effects. also two ten-minute dubs: a deadly, signature berlin steppers, plus its version and an echoing, mystical drum session, recorded live on stage in bishkek. and a side-long, dream-like summation: the locomotive, oceanic, clangorous, dread facets. ravishing, rooted, searching music, beautifully presented.

gritty & raw tight funk breaks, with hammond organs, electric pianos, exotic instruments, razor sharp guitar lines & nasty thick bass lines. all recorded live to tape with vintage tube studio gear.

a new transmission from the pasadena oceanlab by versalife. the start of a new saga where he explores the boundaries between electro romantic sounds and glitchy idm percussions. tracks that have already been highly sought after since his live performance at boilerroom in doornroosje, nijmegen earlier this year. a few people might have heard this release in an already legendary dj set by objekt during the freerotation festival this year. more parts are on their way.

apparillo releases #01, 02 & 05 all bundled up for one special price!

der neuseeländische multiinstrumentalist jordan rakei veröffentlicht sein hervorragendes debütalbum auf ninja tune! der erst kürzlich bei ninja tune unter vertrag genommene jordan rakei hat den kampf mit seinen inneren dämonen ausgefochten und währenddessen ein inspirierendes und bewegendes album aufgenommen. genannt hat er es -wallflower- (-mauerblümchen-). mit nur 25 jahren ist der multiinstrumentalist, sänger und produzent, der in neuseeland geboren wurde, ein seltenes talent, dessen eigenständiger ansatz für soul-musik ein klangliches und emotionales bewusstsein in sich trägt, dem viele andere künstler ihr ganzes leben lang hinterher rennen. er schreibt mit einer reife und einer solchen begabung, die man bei seinem alter kaum vermuten würde. mit seinem neuen album -wallflower-, das mitte september auf ninja tune erscheint, lotet er die grenzen seines genialen, oft sonnenbefleckten sounds aus, mit dem seine fans ihn kennen- und lieben gelernt haben. diese leichtigkeit, die von vornherein das rückgrat seines sounds war, ist nach wie vor stets zu hören und blickt zurück auf seine zeit als teenager, als er mit seiner geliebten mpc im schlafzimmer versuchte 9th wonder oder pete rock nachzueifern. auf -wallflower- haben sich die geräte etwas verändert und der entstehungsprozess weiterentwickelt. der fokus liegt nun auf live-instrumentierung, doch groove und rhythmus bleiben unverkennbar. so schafft er es, soul und jazz in ein wahrlich pulsierendes werk zu rahmen, das gleichzeitig an seine stilistischen vorgänger the roots sowie freunde wie the internet, nick hakim und hiatus kaiyote erinnert.

ariel pink sets a serene but complicated scene for the next chapter in his curious career with “another weekend,” the first solo material heard since the prog-pop opus pom pom. contrary to the lyrics of “another weekend” (and fortunately for both fanatics and the newly initiated), pink is neither too shy or humble to have brought his singular style of pop music beyond the bedroom for the befuddled masses over the past two decades, but returned to the formative, familiar setting to craft what will surely live as another shimmering moment in an unrivaled canon. encapsulating the lingering euphoria of a regrettable weekend over the edge, “another weekend” speaks in morose volumes while whispering sweetly, the dichotomy of pink’s pathos once again on display. backed with “ode to the goat (thank you)”, “another weekend” will be shared as a 7” single.

the orb’s 1991 album back on 180 gram double vinyl

marco baileys 5th full-length album, one that he personally claims to be the best overall representation of his sound. with seventeen tracks comprising almost an hour and a half of music, he has ample room to stretch out and to give listeners an excellent portable version of his potent live show.

the newest 12inch on voodoo down records marks the debut appearance of longtime friend of the label jordan lieb aka black light smoke. jordan played an instrumental part in the nyc label scissor & thread, and has spent recent years honing his live set in front of crowds ranging from bpm, robot heart, and fabric. the depression sleeping ep is a collection of tracks from his archives from the past decade that have been updated and remixed. the theme of the record is his struggle with sleep and insomnia. per the artist: releasing these songs form my past reflects my effort to embrace myself, the good and the bad, and to channel my personal battles into a creative process.

3 texts about that record from daft punk, the pilotwings & jorge socarrás (friend and musical partner of patrick cowley) have been written. (see below) andrei orlov pushes alive sounds from modern electronica spectrum through avantgarde, krautrock or ambient. it is totally new even if you would quote tangerine dream or john carpenter to assimilate ... it includes a track reinterpretation by le chocolat noir. based in moscow (russia), andrei orlov pushes alive sounds from modern electronica spectrum through avantgarde, krautrock or ambient. it is totally new even if you would quote tangerine dream or john carpenter to assimilate ... this space world full of lights crossing the city late at night, boarding with them all kind of styles ... cosmic disco,psychedelic pop, synth music. linking past to modernity is something conscient in andrei s sound, permitting him to play live at local places involved into technological process where conferences also take place, at the 2016 synthposium festival for example.

s-file is back with his second record in this year. broken and shelter is his new double a side record. shelter is a monster tune with a catchy old skool vox hook, that guaranteed work on the dance floor. ben sims played them early in his nts live show and also the baron of techno, dave clarke played the track as opener in his tomorrowland 2017 set. he sayed also in his white noise show: this is a weapon for all festivals. the second track on the record is a catchy broken beats tune with a catchy chord hook. we hope that you are as much excited as we are about his new record!

without new jersey native kerri ‘kaoz’ chandler, house—specifically deep house—would sound very different. ever since his teens he has been making and playing music with a unique sense of soul, jazz and deepness. from majors like atlantic, king street sounds and nervous via his own madhouse, his releases are never short of genre-defining classics that have spawned a thousand copycats. affectionately referred to as the stevie wonder of house, kerri’s dj sets take him all over the world and often find him playing live keys next to his informed selections. he’s meticulous about sound, too, which means that no-ones kicks hit quite like kerri’s. his instantly classic and timeless dj-kicks mix, though, takes him out of the club and through a world of influences and inspiration.
the double vinyl is housed in a gatefold sleeve with download code included.

find your own records launches with ceri’s ‘life holstee e.p.’ and includes a fred p reshape. a strong debut for this new label, a record that fuses the darker and deeper sounds of detroit, berlin and london.
fred p aka black jazz consortium delivers a timeless remix, his reshape of the title track tantalises the drum grooves, adds his trademark atmospheric ethereal synths and reworks the bass in such a way that is unexpected yet astounding.
the b side ‘we do’ is the deeper of the three tracks, fusing mysterious vocal stabs with minimal funky drums and deep rolling bass.
whilst the music is at times deep and dark, the message of the ep is positive, the title track drawing it’s inspiration from the holstee manifesto, a manifesto that producer ceri aspires to live by. this message is echoed by the lyrical content of the vocal snippets used in ‘life holstee’. this is juxtaposed with haunting eerie moog synths, alongside variating funky analog drum rhythms and sub-bass.
with early support for the label coming in from the likes of mr. g, d’julz, paranoid london and more besides, find your own records is off to a flying start, we can t wait to see what else they have in store for the future.

moscow based multi-talent impish presents the hush lp, his latest album project that will be released through all quality physical electronic music outlets around the world october 20. working through labels such as program, c.i.a. and his own fast rising occulti music imprint impish is quickly establishing a name for himself in the global drum & bass scene. in a world that consumes more and more music in a superficial way impish manages to take a halt on the hush lp with timeless songwriting, arrangement and production inspired by live music and drum work. from effortlessly rolling tracks such as can’t feel and shadows towards more introspective vibes on changing colours and the lp’s title track a common thread runs clearly throughout the album: the aim for perfection, true craftmanship and a drive to combine to high-quality beats and breaks with musical elements. to aid the budding artist in spreading his ethos uk based female vocalist kate wild and irish drum & bass producer zero t feature on the album for vocal appearances and remix work.

lumiÞreslanuit (alias lln) is glad to welcome back paris-based music composer, live performer and dj vadim svoboda for the 10th release of the label. in addition to be a close friend of the lln crew and a regular of the label’s showcases, vadim svoboda has also become a key artist of the label. indeed, it’s with him that it has all started, about three years ago, when he released his syntherapie ep (lln000) on the label. nine releases (plus one) later, we’re glad to have him again on board, this time with another format as he’s about to release his first album seed (lln009+1). seed is made up of two records: roots (vinyl 1: lln009) and canopy (vinyl 2: lln009+1). whereas roots sounds like a mini-album in the album where melodic and melancholic notes alternates with dark and strong beats, canopy seems - according to its composition - to refer directly to his syntherapie ep, even though the listener might find the same inspirations in both records.

avant-punk trio, toresch, return with a 4 track ep for düsseldorf’s, offen. following on and loosening up (possibly the result of live performances?). together, toresch, conjour up a rare spirit which lives in their sound and shapes their movement. huge love for this crew here!

dana ruh’s brouqade has long been renowned for its many eclectic and unpredictable sounds. in that essence, the label’s latest signing is a fitting fit. kamran sadeghi is an nyc based electronic music producer who is well versed in unconventional soundscapes. as likely to release an electronic music ep as he is turn his hand to film scores or more ambient textures, sadeghi has collaborated with everyone from patti smith to berlin club, berghain. a live artist of considerable depth and panache, his signing to brouqade marks another high point in the label’s story.

12 track album from various artists released by dub store records.

satori returns to crosstown rebels with his atmospheric album maktub. here is a four track vinyl sampler from the album, including a live unreleased vinyl only version of ‘while i miss you’.
music flows through the veins of satori. no ordinary artist, he is creating deeply spiritual music through a range of instruments and production techniques. maktub, his debut album on the illustrious crosstown rebels pulls the listener into an exotic world, blurring the lines between electronic and meditative music.
at the core of maktub is satori’s desire to touch people with his music, and his vocals shine through from start to finish, as he guides the listener on an arabian nights inspired journey.
after the success of ‘imanis’ dress’ and ‘umama’ singles, satori’s album is a work of sonic beauty. this four track sampler features four diverse cuts from the album that will each beguil, inspire and enthrall.

the ep saltamonte features 3 songs in new musical territory, possibly making associations with south american shamanism and connections to dance rituals through both strange and familiar sounds, acoustic and electronic. the duo keope is formed by the experienced, yet talented toni bruna and marcus rossknecht.

b-stock! cover with seam split. vinyl unaffected & mint. earth patterns is a new journey into sound by london based australian born musician ben davidson, best known for his disco tinged house singles as ben sun, that were championed by the likes of gerd janson and larry heard. the earth patterns concept presents a more expanded instrumental sound with live rhythm sequencing and synth work, sitting alongside vangelis katsoulis, lars bartkuhn and soichi terada on alex bradleys utopia records. davidson joins the dots between detroit by way of tokyo techno on sunflower to dream ii science deepness on horus rising and some worldly organic rhythms for a modernist and dare we say it utopian sound on after the rain. the analogue sound from his london studio comes through on the gentle and harmonic b-side opener transit pan perhaps the start of a journey beyond the dance floor for the producer. artwork and liner notes by davidson himself, all pressed by bespoke pressing plant the vinyl factory on heavyweight vinyl.

great new album by portuguese producer, dj and live band moullinex. guest singers include fritz helder (azari & iii), georgia anne muldrow (flying lotus, madlib, mos def), best youth and da chick. delicious artwork by brßulio amado. worldwide tour to accompany release during q4 2017 / q1 2018
support by vice, kcrw, npr, majestic casual, les inrocks, tsugi
for fans of:
kaytranada, anderson .paak, prince, daft punk, metronomy, cut copy, chromeo, xinobi, caribou, prince, miami horror, rac.

the record comes in a plain black sleeve (3mm spine) with holes. standard weight black vinyl.
in 2015 sam shepherd - aka floating points - released his break out, critically acclaimed debut elaenia. earlier this year he followed up the album with reflections - mojave desert, a short film and soundtrack featuring tracks recorded in the mojave desert. today the polymathic producer is pleased to announce his latest project, ratio, an epic track bordering on 19-minutes that harks back to his earlier dance floor focussed releases. over the course of the summer floating points has developed ratio as part of his solo live electronic show at festivals around the world.

following on from the ability ii pressure re-release, major problems and compassion cuts present another in-house favourite from their vaults: the sublime garage/rnb earworm dont tell me (how love should feel) by 2-bmw. a tony humphries/zanzibar favourite, the sole release on life of luxury in 1990 was new jersey producer larry p rauson’s first cut, and never saw a full release. it’s presented with three remarkable dubs from the mysterious man in bed, two of which in turn are flipped by compassion crew and, completing the circle, by larry himself. full colour cover with matt finish. restored and mastered by thomas p heckmann at trope. cut by andreas kauffelt at schnittstelle. artwork by mel keane. larry on dont tell me: tony played the song at zanzibar (on a) saturday night. that sunday morning my phone was blowing up... that weekend gave me the moment of my career. i was an engineer at the local cable company. listening to tony humphries on the radio, not expecting it, tony humphries played my record on his show... i did not last much longer at that job.

endlich erscheint »gang signs & prayer«, das gefeierte debüt von stormzy, nun auch auf doppel-vinyl.
mit dem werk gelangte anfang märz erstmals ein grime-album ganz nach oben in die hitliste der uk-charts. zu seinen größten fans gehört u. a. auch ed sheeran, den stormzy bei brit awards live supporten durfte. seine uk-tour war innerhalb kürzester zeit komplett ausverkauft und beinhaltete drei aufeinanderfolgende shows in der brixton academy in london.

mit seiner gabe zum songwriting sprengt er die grenzen von r&b, pop und soul, seine texte präsentieren einen faszinierenden blick auf die welt – kaum verwunderlich, dass rationale ein gefragter mann ist. rag’n’bone man (»wolves«, »guilty« und »life in her yet«), katy perry (»act my age«) und nause (»dynamite«) zählten bereits auf sein talent, dazu wurde ihm prominente unterstützung von kollegen zuteil, u. a. von ellie goulding, die seinen track »tethered« regelmäßig covert, und bastille, die rationale einluden, sie auf ihrer europatour zu begleiten.
nun präsentiert rationale seine eigene künstlerische vision mit seinem selbstbetitelten debütalbum. neben einer fülle von neuem material enthält es ausgewählte highlights seiner bisherigen karriere – darunter das 14 millionen mal gestreamte »fast lane«, die überragende live-hymne »deliverance« und das emotionale intensive »prodigal son«.
der großteil des albums wurde von rationale produziert, der kanadische producer stint (u. a. gallant, nao) arbeitete an »tumbling down«.

extrawelt are back! although in fairness, they were never gone. on the contrary, since their first release on james holdens border community label dropped in 2005, arne schaffhausen and wayan raabe have been responsible for a plethora of classics including schöne neue extrawelt and in aufruhr, their two seminal albums on cocoon recordings. the duo are one of the most booked live acts worldwide, commanding a huge fan base. their performances are the stuff of legend, making them the absolute highlight at every club and festival they play.

following up right after its first vinyl release, todh teri returns with volume 2. todh teri’s retrospective continues to reimagine the golden era of indian cinema. sampadan chaar revisits a bollywood ballad with a light breeze of acid thrown on. next up, a homage to a legendary indian producer, with a retouch to his classic 1980’s tune. the final edit on the ep takes on a sensuous super hit from a pakistani-born disco queen. giving it a little soul, and a lot of groove. making this a significant release that proves the artist will continue to produce top notch reworks. once again todh teri recreates memories of the legacy indian music directors & singers left behind. a tribute that’s fresh & definitive. in the past, todh teri has brought this style of music to berlin’s well known night life like voll schoen & wilde renate. the act debuted a very special live set at wilde renate

ambient shoegaze duo aris kindt launch the new kingdoms imprint with their second album, swann and odette. picking up where their first record (2015Æs floods) leaves off, swann and odette is an evolutionary leap forward for the duo. the sonic palette is deeper, the grooves more sparse and the melodies are given more room to seep deep within a mix so expansive it feels almost tactile. this is heady, opulent stuff. the album is immaculately produced and cunningly arranged to sidestep easy classification while not sacrificing accessibility and authentic feeling. aris kindt is the collaborative project of gabe hedrick and francis harris (scissor and thread). harris has previously released the albums leland (2012) and minutes of sleep (2014), both of which have been lauded ôfor (their) extensive use of live instruments, a contrasting feature to his work done beforeö (last.fm, 2016). building on this approach, hedrick adds his own sonic signature in effects-laden layers of electric guitar and modular synthesizer. collectively, the album swells and reverberates to create a seamless interplay of synths and instrumentation cast loose from their origins and awash in oceanic delay.

hope are in the black phase. everything around them is obscured. every lyric and every spark of music, every photograph and every recording is drenched in black. it’s not the black of wave or gothic bands, but the unpretentious black of portishead or talk talk. a black arising from a wound and at the same time covering the wound, burying it. a scab. a black letting you forget the jazz, the academics, and the provinces that hope has come from. in germany, jazz, academics and the provinces are very close, and hope had to live through most painful experiences, play many unnoticed concerts, and remain unloved to find the love for themselves and their music. only this explains the dark stringency and consequence of their self-titled debut album (produced by olaf opal), featuring monolithic songs like cell, kingdom and raw. songs, sounding rather like dystopic infinity than a light-hearted debut album. songs, compressed to one word, as if the listener should not waste any time with reading, but start listening. listen and dive into the endless hope wave of sound, vehemence and black. and yes, during all of this, the iconic singer christine börsch-supan is naked. we can only guess her contours - it is too dark.

leo pol strikes a 7 track ep spread over two 12- and made in collaboration with concrete paris.