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Spotlight 17
Welcome to the Spot Light. Check out the latest psychedelic, cosmic, prog, freakbeat, folk, kraut, experimental, jazz, drone, mystical, and avant-garde sounds!
Looking for older versions of Spotlight Magazine, check the Spotlight Archive.
PSYCHEDELIC/PROGRESSIVE/FOLK
Pappo's Blues
Pappo's Blues (black)
Reissue of the first album by Argentinian blues rock legend Pappo's Blues on vinyl. Guitarist-singer Pappo aka Norberto Aníbal Napolitano (1950-2005) is one of his country's biggest rock legends, who also managed to make a career outside his home country. He was there right from the beginning of Argentine rock, as guitarist of the first version of Los Abuelos de la Nada, Conexión Nº 5, Engranaje and Los Gatos, the band that made Argentine rock a household name thanks to the success of their first single, 'La Balsa,' which sold more than 200.000 copies in 1967. Jorge Alvarez (co-founder of the first Argentinian independent rock label Mandioca) encouraged Pappo to develop his own music. What followed was the formation of the first version of Pappo's Blues in 1971, a trio that had Pappo himself on guitar and vocals, David Lebón on bass and Black Amaya on drums. Their self-named debut album was an unqualified success among the ever-growing audience of Argentine rock. It contained a bundle of all-time classics such as 'El Hombre Suburbano' (The Suburban Man), 'El Viejo' (The Old Man) and 'Adónde Está La Libertad' (Where Is Freedom). 'Pappo's Blues' (1971, also known as 'Volume One') introduced a new element to Argentine rock: a harder rock and blues sound, combined with intelligent and sensitive lyrics with centered on the vicissitudes of a typical young man trying to live life according to his own rules, surrounded by the mores of an intolerant society. The arabesques of Pappo's guitar, complemented by a solid and yet elastic rhythm section, made for an exciting and daring sound, where his trademark rock and blues sound also extended to embrace blues ballads and even excursions into psychedelia.
Viaje A 800
Conac Oxigenado (3lp)
Deluxe reissue of Spanish-cult heavy psych-prog band Viaje A 800's third studio album, sold out for over a decade. It includes the album released in 2012 as well as the original recordings from 2009 (the album was recorded twice) featuring new tracks, lyrics, arrangements, etc. It comes in a limited edition of 300 hand-numbered copies in a trifold jacket with 3 black vinyl records. For fans of Blue Cheer, Black Sabbath, Kyuss.
Phonocaptors
Atomic Lunch
A perfect mix of instrumental rock, surf, psychedelia, sci-fi and deep grooves and reverbs. The third studio album by Phonocaptors will take the listener on a trip to outer space.
Fandango
El Deguello Ep + Live Album Exclusive
When the fuzz rockers Ridge just released their epic 'A Countrydelic And Fuzzed Experience In A Colombian Supremo' (4/5 in Kerrang) in 2001, they unfortunately split up. In a frenzy from the events that happened, alongside a cruel divorce, the two songwriters continued to write and record as a duo: Fandango. Songs that orginally were written for Ridge's second album ended up on this "live" album along with newly written songs. 'The Sweet Five' shows how a divorce and a break up physically sounds; RAW, RUGGED, FUZZY and HARD. The duo wrote and recorded all songs in their own studio/rehearsal space between 2001-2002. Sounds like Iggy & The Stooges a car chase - far out in the desert, with Fu Manchu and Queens Of The Stone Age tailgating. It will hurt.
Kariti
Dheghom (black)
'Dheghom,' Kariti's second full-length, sees a notable development in terms of the sound, songwriting and the use of instrumentation. It features the use of various synthesizers, analogue piano, strings by Jon K (live Cough, Dorthia Cottrell), a song with drums and bass, multiple contributions of Marco (Grime, Simian Steel) on guitars/noise, and a haunting duet with Dorthia Cottrell (Windhand). Kariti's folk/dark ambient music is recommended to those who enjoy dark explorations accompanied by the smell of burning wood and the moonlight reflecting off snow delivered through profound lyrical content. For fans of Nico, Steve Von Till, Marissa Nadler, Jarboe, Wovenhand. Edition of 100 copies on black vinyl.
Iron Jinn
Live At Roadburn (2lp)
This album was recorded during Iron Jinn's spellbinding performance at the renowned Roadburn Festival in 2023. It's a musical journey showcasing the band's unique blend of psychedelic rock and experimental sounds. Iron Jinn from Amsterdam are Oeds Beydals (The Devils Blood, Death Alley), Wout Kemkens (Shaking Godspeed, De Niemanders), Bob Hogenelst (Birth of Joy) and Gerben Bielderman (Pauw). For fans of Motorpsycho, Black Midi, Magma, Captain Beefheart, Sleep. Limited to 300 copies on black vinyl.
Mojo & The Kitchen Brothers
Mojo's Heavy Cream
Repress of 250 copies on black vinyl. Heavy psychedelic progressive rock outfit Mojo & The Kitchen Brothers is a 5-headed omnium gatherum of young and eclectically inspired music freaks from Belgium that came together in 2021. Sharing their love of late '60s and early '70s heavy and progressive rock, as well as for their contemporary psych-rockers, Mojo is continually playing around with their bearings in the sonic whirlpool between past and present. With their sights racing past both sides, they manage to sound both assuringly familiar and arousingly strange. After the digital release of their EP 'Flaming Tiger Lizard' (2022) followed the vinyl release in 2023 through the Dutch record label Lay Bare Recordings. It is that same continuity and driving force that led the band to their debut full length album titled 'Mojo's Heavy Cream' in 2023 digital and on vinyl. This album presents an intriguing collection of all-original tracks that both clearly echo some of the band's major influences, like Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Wishbone Ash, and show the band coming together musically and finding their own voice. Indeed 'Mojo's Heavy Cream' displays some degree of maturation in Mojo's sound and vision, but this maturation is by no means final. The band leaves the door not just open, but blown off its hinges and burned to a crisp in the fires of their insatiable lust for more. Childlike enthusiasm, je m'en fous freedom and freaked out free-association are the cornerstones of Mojo's creative process, and as such, you can safely expect to hear more from these guys soon, because their next projects are already in the works.
Fuzz Meadows
Orange Sunshine
The majesty of Fuzz Meadows' debut release is in the journey, with gorgeously crafted heavy psych instrumentals twisting around through influences embedded in post rock and metal as well as a hearty smattering of stoner rock and shoegaze while bringing all of these elements together to cultivate a voyage that's both earth-shakingly heavy at its core while ascending to euphoric climaxes. The listener can do no more but strap in and take a ride on Fuzz Meadows' wave. Edition on transparent red vinyl with heavy blue splatters.
Sons Of Zoku
Endless
Sons Of Zöku return after their 2021 debut album 'Sün' to deliver what promises to be an absolute gem in its follow-up 'Endless.' Lyrically themed around an endless search for enlightenment, the band exhibit their virtuosic creation of soundscapes to draw you into a psychedelic journey reaching for purpose and spirituality while maintaining a grounding through nature. Pressed on eco-mix vinyl, the pressing colour is completely random.
Cold Sun
Dark Shadows
Vivid peyote-induced psychedelia from Texas sounding like an impossible meld between the Elevators and the Velvet Underground but possessing a strongly unique disposition. Recorded in 1970 but never released at the time, featuring future members of Roky Erickson's backing band Bleib Alien/The Aliens. Formed in Austin in the late 1960s by visionary lyricist and autoharp player Billy Bill Miller and his friend Tom McGarrigle on guitar, Cold Sun evolved from a band called Cauldron (later Amethyst) which at one point featured drummer John Kearney from Roky Erickson's first band The Spades. Miller, a proto-Goth figure always dressed in black, highly influenced by Joe Meek and vintage sci-fi/horror movies, started to experiment with weird noises out of his electrified autoharp, favoring the audio-oriented drug mescaline over the LSD associated with hippies. Amethyst jammed with musicians such as Benny Thurman from the 13th Floor Elevators and Steve Webb from the Lost And Found (another International Artists band). The definitive Amethyst line-up, with Hugh Patton on drums and Mike Waugh on bass, played at venues like the I.L. Club, a historical landmark of Austin blues and psychedelic music. It was through Mike Waugh's friendship with Elevators drummer John Ike Walton that Billy Miller and the band (still unsure about their name but calling themselves The Daily Planet, changing it to Dark Shadows, and then to Cold Sun) hooked up with the local label/studio Sonobeat (Mariani, Wildfire, Johnny Winter...), who expressed interest in recording an album with the intention to shop it to a major label: thus, the now-legendary Cold Sun album was born. The band, driven by Miller's strange electrified autoharp sounds plus the massive fuzz guitar of McGarrigle, dressed with feedback and futuristic lyrics, laid down several tracks in between rehearsals at Miller's house on Castle Hill (west Austin). The album opens with 'South Texas' ("the ultimate psychedelic track," according to Patrick "The Lama" Lundborg), climbing to a psychedelic summit with the final 11 minutes of the fervently intoxicated 'Ra-Ma.' Never released at the time, the Cold Sun album languished in oblivion and the musicians moved on to other things. Billy Bill Miller along with drummer Hugh Patton founded Bleib Alien (later The Aliens), the famous backing band of Roky Erickson, with Billy being essential in bringing Roky back to music after his stay at Rusk Mental Hospital. It wasn't until 1990 that the Cold Sun album was finally released on vinyl by the Rockadelic label (in a tiny edition of 300 copies), followed by a new edition on German label World In Sound in 2008, now out of print. For this new edition on Guerssen, we've tried to imagine how the Cold Sun album could have looked like if it had been actually released in 1970. It comes in a hard cardboard sleeve with vintage styled artwork by psychedelic illustrator Callum Rooney. Sourced from the same audio master as the original Rockadelic LP, the sound has been vastly improved thanks to the meticulous and careful restoration/remastering by audiophile engineer Ezra Lesser, who has also penned the definitive story of Cold Sun for the liner notes. Includes download card.
Harmer, Jeremy
Idiosyncratics And Swallows' Wings
Mega rare UK private album (99 copies originally pressed in 1969) by singer/songwriter Jeremy Harmer, featuring David Costa of psych-folk band Trees on guitar. Melancholic, introspective psych-folk with chamber/baroque feel. Guitar, flute, viola, bass, drums... Jeremy Harmer started singing and playing at school and university, where his circle of friends included aspiring folk musicians like Nick Drake and pre-Trees David Costa. Jeremy has a long history as a singer/songwriter and performer, along with his work in the field of English language teaching. 'Idiosyncratics And Swallows' Wings' was recorded one night in 1968 at the studios of Anglia Television, Norwich, while Jeremy was at the University of East Anglia. Along with Jeremy singing and playing guitar, the album features a mini-chamber ensemble of flute, viola, bass and drums with orchestral arrangements written by John Trevitt from the School of Fine Arts. Jeremy's friend David Costa (prior to forming the psych-folk band Trees) played guitar on several tracks and co-wrote 'Tuesday P.M.' Only 99 copies were pressed at the time and all were sold to people at the University, making it impossible to find now. Includes download card.
Rumplestiltskin
Rumplestiltskin
Psychedelic, funky hard-rock with plenty of distorted guitar and Hammond by this "supergroup" created by legendary producer Shel Talmy and featuring some of the best session musicians from the UK: Herbie Flowers (bass), Alan Parker (guitar), Clem Cattini (drums), Alan Hawkshaw (keyboards) plus Peter Lee Sterling (Daniel Boone!) on powerful vocals. This is their first album from 1970, originally released in the UK, Europe and the US, now officially reissued on vinyl for the first time, faithful to the original UK edition with the effects between songs and the lavish gatefold sleeve (both omitted on the US one). RIYL: Led Zeppelin, Ugly Custard, Hungry Wolf, Black Cat Bones, Atomic Rooster... Sourced from the original master tapes. Insert with liner notes by Alec Palao and rare photos/memorabilia.
Snake Eye
The Journey
Heavy-progressive sounds with long tracks and stunning lead guitar by this British band (post-Red Dirt). This is the first ever vinyl release of their unissued at the time album recorded between 1971 and 1973 at some of London's best studios (Morgan, Denmark) and sounding like a killer cross between King Crimson and Wishbone Ash! Snake Eye started life in 1970 as Red Dirt, the band famous for their collectable Fontana album. After playing several dates in London Red Dirt was picked up by Peter F. Amott and Ivan Mant who, at the time, worked with the John Sherry Agency and Miles Copeland. Miles Copeland chose the name "Snake Eye" for the new line up, featuring Ron Hales on lead guitar. Snake Eye played with many of the top artists at the time such as Free, Marc Bolan, The Kinks or Status Quo and they were described by Manfred Mann as being 'one of the best bands' he had seen. Originally conceived as concept album, 'The Journey' was started in 1971 and finished in 1973 but never released at the time. Vintage styled artwork in hard cardboard sleeve. Remastered sound. Insert with liner notes and photos. "Why Snake Eye weren't on Harvest, Dawn or Vertigo is one of rock's mysteries" ~Brian R. Banks.
Yildirim, Derya -& Grup Simsek-
Dost 1 & 2 (2lp)
This double gold printed LP gathers all tracks from the acclaimed 'Dost 1' and 'Dost 2' albums, released respectively in 2021 and 2022. Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek's subtle and groovy Anatolian psych folk sound matches the powerful quality of the songs often led by Yildirim's sublime vocals and baglama (Turkish lute). They captured a lively, unique piece of interpretation which connects to the meaning of 'Dost.' "Dost is a friend, a comrade, a brother, a sister and even more than that. Dost is the connection to keep this life and world meaningful". No doubt that with this project Derya Yildirim & Grup Simsek will bring sounds, people and emotions together.
Volanis, Lefteris -& Dimitris Pagidas-
Outside The Long Walls
This record is the first full collaboration between Lefteris Volanis and Dimitris Pagidas, who, along with Vasilis Dokakis, have formed the trio No Clear Mind over the past 15 years. 'Outside The Long Walls' is a musical creation whose canvas is filled primarily with a mix of electronics and guitar, analog synthesizer sound, saxophone, electric pianos, all bound together with drums, percussion and xylophone, along with intervening soundscapes. Theirs is a deeply melodic work with a strict sonic and timbre aesthetics that reference the new wave and post-punk outsiders, folk, progressive, space rock and world music for past decade interspersed with tributes to the soundtracks of the '60s and '70s European cinema. The band uses both Greek and English lyrics interchangeably since the vocals are simply a means of achieving aural magic. Limited to 500 copies.
GARAGE/BEAT/SURF/ROCK’N’ROLL
Meows
All You Gotto Do
These are The Meows' first studio recordings, between their first singles and their debut LP, which did not see the light of day. They pointed in the direction in which the band has always moved: punk'n'roll inspired by Little Richard, executed with enormous class.
Tumbita, Indy -& The Voodoo Bandits-
A Danca Ritual Da Salamandra
Second album by Indy Tumbita, excellent surf guitarist, with his band the Voodoo Bandits, in which they delve into territories already explored in their previous recording: cumbia surf with traces of psychedelia.
Los Wavy Gravies
No Brain
Their third album, in which they maintain their passion for frat rock'n'roll, giving another twist to their style, making it even more wild, wild and festive.
Pleasure Fuckers
Malasana Republic
Dietmar Post, one of The Pleasure Fuckers' first fans and now of Play Loud! and Kike's widow Marga Gaffaro compiled 'Malasaña Republic,' an incredibly cohesive collection of unedited, early and live recordings.
Eye Five
The Eye Five
Cool full-length CD from this Oregon based surf/instro combo - this 13 song CD compiles all of the songs from their 'Coast Ghost' EP, 'Boogie Bones' 7" and 'Creature Crawl' EP.
Los Misterios
Iv
Los Misterios are characterized by their instrumental sound with roots in '60s rock & roll, exotica and B movies. Lots of reverb, echoes, sounds that evoke the depths of the sea and sunsets on the most beautiful beaches in the world, the Cantabrian Sea and sunrises on planets foreign to humans.
Surfers
Surf Party!
The Surfers is a surf band from Gdansk, formed in 2023. Band members: Kacper Kwiatkowski on drums, Igor Jeziak on lead guitar and vocals, Slawomir Nowak on bass and Igor Kielar on rhythm guitar. They play music closely related to the turn of the 1950s and 1960s in the USA, the golden era of surfing, hot rods and, of course, rock'n'roll. Their repertoire includes both classic hits from the 1960s and fresh, energetic original songs, including vocal ones. They guarantee every party an unforgettable seaside atmosphere and a perfect opportunity to dance!
Sant Anna Bay Coconuts
The Pineapple Parade
Finally their third album with 14 amazing tracks to parade with! Surf and exotica! Comes on coloured vinyl, every copy has a unique colour!
Surf Raiders
On The Beach
'On The Beach' is The Surf Raiders' third album originally released in 1984 on the Surf Wax Record label. 1983 was a year of change for The Surf Raiders. Neal Kuzee left the group for other interests. Tom Moncrieff, formerly of the Malibooz, stepped in on the rhythm. 1983 was a busy year, as the Raiders burst into the LA club scene, playing at LA Street Scene, 321 Club, Music Machine and Zaca Greek Restaurant.
Goodchilde
Email Female/hang Up
Goodchilde's roots stem firmly from the likes of The Prisoners, The Daggermen and The Offbeats. Goodchilde started life as party covers band Johnny and The Bandits in the late '80s. They formed specifically to play garage and rock'n'roll cover versions because it was the best way to get invited to parties and drink for free. Luckily, they were pretty good at the rock'n'roll part as well as the drinking. For a few years they were a regular soundtrack at rowdy Medway parties. With Glenn Prangnell, Jon Barker, Allan Crockford and Wolf Howard in the group, it was no accident that they were good. Despite the unserious reasons for playing, the band was actually made up of members of more celebrated and influential Medway bands, such as The Prisoners, The Daggermen, James Taylor Quartet, The Offbeats and The Kravin' A's. The list of their 'other' bands was long then, and it's even longer now. Maybe they were the first Medway 'supergroup.' Eventually, they tired of the constant easy acclaim and applause and decided to write their own material. They became Goodchilde (no one really knows why they chose that name) and set out on the tougher path of playing original songs to audiences who still wanted cover versions. They gigged and toured regularly, recorded and released two albums ('Elizabeth's Talking Straight Into My Head' and 'Straight Out The Fridge') and one single ('Sarapeutic'/'Chips With Everything'). In 1998 they decided they'd had enough and disbanded, reconvening at the occasional party as Johnny and The Bandits when the money (or drink) was right. Before they disbanded, in 1996, Goodchilde returned to the studio for what turned out to be the last time to record a single (with The Groove Connection's Matt Brewer on Hammond organ for 'Email Female'), which remains unreleased, until now! In addition to the previously mentioned bands, Glenn, Jon, Allan and Wolf are still making noise between them within Groovy Uncle, The Senior Service, Wild Billy Childish & CTMF and The Galileo 7 to name but a few. Limited to 500 copies.
POP/ROCK/WAVE/NOISE
Kaukolampi
Bs/bf
Music composed and performed by Timo Kaukolampi in collaboration with Mira Kautto for a performance by the Finnish Center for New Dance, Zodiak. Featuring vocalization by Ringa Manner, Sara Gurevitsch, Anna Torkkel & Emmi Venna. Limited vinyl pressing of 222 numbered copies. The music of 'BS/BF' has echoes of early Brian Eno and 'Low'-era David Bowie. It has manipulated and textured vocals and low grain dub from early digital delay processors. Material draws influences from the 1970s Berlin school to minimalist masters like Éliane Radigue, yet it all sounds thrillingly new. Starkly beautiful instrumental pieces are layered with bassy depths and glittering peaks, with networks of mazy, centre-less electronic pathways. 'BS/BF' is a fantasy forest and an alternate reality in the form of a dance performance. It is made of dancing, hypnotic music and the color blue. 'BS/BF' is an environment where lights, sounds and dances with no clear place outside of the performance, blend into a mutually unraveling logic. The initial inspiration for the work has been a photo book 'Blå Skog/Blue Forest' (self-published, 2009) by artist Morten Andersen. The book offers a rich imaginary environment, completely different and indifferent to the city surrounding the reader. As a performance 'BS/BF' is alike, both the book and the dance performance function as portals to something different and changing. 'BS/BF' is a continuation of the collaboration between Kautto, Timo Kaukolampi, Jenni Pystynen and Anna Torkkel, which began with 'Station To Station To Station' (2019), also released on Svart Records.
Familie Hesselbach
Suddeutschland/der Untergang Des Hauses H
The South German punk and new wave band Familie Hesselbach caused a sensation between 1980 and 1985, first regionally and then nationwide. They indulged in a deliberate eclecticism from the musical preferences of the individual family members and formed these into their unmistakable sound. Disco, pop, punk, rap, no wave, funk, the main thing it's danceable. The lyrics in German and Italian, later also in English - and always with a wink. Their trademarks were the rousing live quality of the performances and the use of brass instruments, trumpet and clarinet from the beginning - the tenor saxophone was added later. After the releases of Familie Hesselbach's first album '1982' (LP 2020) and the tape 'Froh Zu Sein & 8-EP-Sampler' (double LP 2023), this third LP includes the 1984 EP 'Süddeutschland' and their very last tape 'Der Untergang Des Hauses H.' (1985).
Lunch, Lydia
13.13
Recorded in Los Angeles in 1982, '13.13' exists as document to the pandemonium of specters and potential serial killers who twisted the California Dream into a waking nightmare as they snaked through the boulevards, back yards and basements of a sun stroked paradise turning into a blood soaked inferno of fear, paranoia, panic and lust killings. Lush musical textures provided by members of seminal art punks The Weirdos - Dix Denney, Cliff Martinez and Greg Williams create a hypnotic backdrop to Lunch's evocative vocals and terrifying lyrics. Includes 2 live bonus tracks recorded at Jeds, New Orleans, L.A. on October 30, 1981.
Alvin Purple
Billie
Alvin Purple provided their own Brit-pop anthems, fusing '60s British pop, melodious post punk and a smattering of blue-eyed soul. Starting life as Disney Firetruck; an indie power pop quartet that crashed onto the scene in the early '90s, equipped with an arsenal of sweaty and energetic catchy tunes that helped them build up a sizeable local following of devoted 'Disney-heads.' Several gigs and a couple of demo tapes later, the Trucks trimmed down to a lean and punchy 3-piece and changed their name to Alvin Purple, whilst refining their song-writing skills along the way. It wasn't long before the band and it's songs caught the attention of NME scribe Simon Williams who included a demo of 'Billie' on 'Return to Splendour' - a 7" compilation EP on his own Fierce Panda label; the EP also included The Bluetones amongst others. This helped garner more interest and the band was soon signed to small independent label La La Land, the initial home of Irish indie noise popsters Ash. Alvin Purple cut two tracks with legendary music production duo Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (Madness, Dexy's, Morrissey). The first, 'Headcase,' was released in 1995 on La La Land shortly after, just before the label sadly dissolved, leaving the second song, a meatier re-do of 'Billie,' lingering in extended limbo. Flash forward many years and 'Billie' is now finally receiving its well overdue airing, now on Spinout Nuggets. Completing the package, this 45 is backed with two more pieces of perfect Purple pop: 'Sunny Garden Weather' and 'Straight Through The Nose,' which showcase the band's knack with a killer melody wrapped up in a quintessentially British aesthetic. Enjoy! Limited to 500 copies.
Gemma
Dromoi
Two years after their first release, Gemma releases their second album titled 'Dromoi' (Roads). Gemma come from Crete, Greece and with these eight hi-speed songs, they deliver a tight electro punk album that delivers the live atmosphere of the group. Greek lyrics, Greek traditional folk elements, strong basslines, drum & bass rhythms, loops, adrenaline and a unique voice!
PUNK/HARDCORE
Solomillo Wellington
Solomillo Wellington
New "hate punk" band from Barakaldo, which includes Retumbes and members of Campamento Rumano in its ranks. Minimalist sound and hurtful lyrics. Make punk offensive again.
Richie Dagger
Primitive Power
After a quiet period Richie Dagger is back and releases their fourth album. 8 songs of dark (post-)punk, still '80s influenced but taking things to the next level. Limited to 300 copies on black vinyl.
Dishrags
Four
Canada's #1 all-women punk band. For the first time on vinyl, here's the entire 1980 output by the trailblazing Dishrags quartet. Formed in 1976 in Victoria and later relocating to Vancouver, the Dishrags played Vancouver's first-ever punk rock gig and went on to bump elbows with the Clash, the Ramones, the Avengers, and countless others. Four features 13 songs of brooding punk and early hardcore, meticulously remastered. Including their 9-song studio demo, 3-song 'Death In The Family' EP, and 1 soundboard recording. Includes large-size booklet with their bio, interview, photos, and gig posters. Plus a cool sticker! 1100 copies, black vinyl.
INDUSTRIAL/EXPERIMENTAL/NOISE/NEOFOLK/GOTHIC
Lifeless Gaze
A Long History Of Decay
'A Long History Of Decay' is a live ritual performance recorded in 2020, culminating and sealing the first chapter of Lifeless Gaze. The performance combines into a haunting, ultra-misanthropic whole material from earlier releases of this project, whose members are also active in well-known acts such as Lugola, Grave Of Love, Harmony Of Struggle and Whalesong. The music of this negation ritual combines dark ambient, death industrial and atmospheric, eerie black metal. Unsettling layers of industrial noise mesh with cavernous, atmospheric dark ruminations and moments of almost meditative, minimalistic ambient black metal instrumentation. Shrill sounds pierce through like serrated knives cutting flesh, and echoing, buried vocals recite mantras of nihilism and negativity - if the words cannot be understood, the negative intent can. Recorded in Antisound Studio, the sound of the release is full studio quality. Combined with the concentrated and focused power of a live performance, the result is a genuinely eerie, haunting, spiritually crushing onslaught of darkness and negative energy. "We are born to suffer. To feel nothing but pain as we, the martyrs of our own existence crawl towards the Nothingness and the Void." Limited edition of 50 hand-numbered copies on transparent smoked shell tape with pro print, 3-panel j-card in clear jewel case. Normal bias tape.
Bresthaft
Termination Transmission
Bresthaft is German for maimed or crippled. And that is certainly how 'Termination Transmission' will leave you feeling: mentally crushed and mutilated. On their second Steinklang release, the German act assault the listener with 12 tracks of harrowing, grating, vicious power electronics noise that leaves nothing alive in its wake. With ties to long-running and prolific Flutwacht, Bresthaft explores a darker, grittier and far more filthy side of post-industrial electronics. 'Termination Transmission' unveils an utterly misanthropic, nihilistic and hostile world of dirt, grime, disease and deformity. Unrelenting layers of crackling distortion, rumbling synthesizers, nasty higher frequencies and moments of all-out cacophony combined with stern, negative vocals lay bare the rotten core of the world. 'Termination Transmission' is an ultra-negative condemnation of all the decay, rot, disease and detritus that make the world of today. Limited edition of 100 copies in 6-panel glossy digipak.
In Search Of Death
I
Belgian In Search Of Death continues their countdown: the project's first release on Steinklang was 'II' in 2022, now followed by 'I.' Where 'II' contained material from 2001 and 2002, 'I' goes - as the name suggests - even further back, to 1999-2000. In Search Of Death is all about old school industrial, on this release even moreso than on 'II.' More precise labels just won't stick: this isn't dark ambient, death industrial, noise or power electronics, though there are elements from all. This is: industrial! In other words: powerful percussive elements, metallic clangs, subterranean rumblings, weird loops, ominous choirs, sweeping synthesizers, plenty of speech samples. 'I' might not be the most original material you've heard, but if '90s style industrial is your thing - then, THIS is your thing. Like 'II,' the release has again been mastered by Peter Andersson (Raison D'Etre) to ensure maximum quality. The result is old school industrial with a sound that doesn't pale in comparison to modern releases. Limited edition of 100 copies in 6-panel glossy digipak.
Healthyliving
Songs Of Abundance, Psalms Of Grief
First pressing of the debut album by the Scottish band Healthyliving, featuring Amaya López from Maud The Moth. Their debut concert was at Roadburn 2023. Dark post-metal and noise rock.
Dj Marcelle/another Nice Mess
A Different Fridge For Cheese
Is DJ Marcelle a masochist? She hates musicals and called her 2022 album 'DJ Marcelle: The Musical.' She dislikes cheese and calls this album 'A Different Fridge For Cheese.' Probably the answer has more to do with her wicked sense of humour and her love for original track and album titles. The singular producer and DJ from Amsterdam lives in that rare league of artists who are out there, doing their own thing, continually pushing the boundaries of electronic music and having a great time in doing so as well. This album is like any Marcelle production (and DJ-set): it's hard to pigeonhole. Dub, techno and avant-garde influences are clearly present but the overall feeling is one of freedom, excitement, adventure and playfulness. Ideas bounce off another and Marcelle is certainly not content with one single formula. Each track becomes a new beginning, a new adventure. Where can we take this? What if we try that? Bristling with possibilities, structures are pushed and pulled and explode excitedly. Album opener and closer 'Muslimgauze Was Right Part I and II' are short pieces of rhythmic noise, 'Big Room Techno Looking For A Room' is a weird and very danceable techno track and the bouncy 'Nice Feet' is not only another great dance track but also the second tribute on the LP ('Muslimgauze Was Right' the other one); this one is an ode to the best female footballer in the world, Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati. 'New Equipment' describes the mood of the track perfectly. For a The Fall fan the track title 'You Don't Have To Be Weird To Be Weird' should ring a bell. Insect sounds dominate stop-start track 'To Bee Or Not To Bee.' 'A Difficult Fridge For Cheese' (nearly the title track!) is a storming avant-garde track featuring voices of some of her (musical) friends like two members of avant dub outfit Holy Tongue and fans and friends she met whilst DJ-ing in amongst others Brazil and Portugal, asking in their native language to leave the cheese in the fridge, por favor. This brings us to the album title. The title was inspired by a visit to her DJ-friend and fellow The Fall-fanatic Carlos Souffront in San Francisco. Souffront, in daily life a cheesemonger, does have a different fridge for the cheese in his house. Upon seeing this, Marcelle decided to name her new LP after this. For future album titles controversial phenomena like 'pop choirs' and 'DJ schools' are warned! After 'Explain The Food, Bitte' and 'DJ Marcelle: The Musical,' 'A Different Fridge For Cheese' is Marcelle's third album being released on the Berlin label Play Loud!.
Fuchs, Limpe
Amor
Limpe Fuchs is a legend in the experimental music scene. In the late sixties, this percussionist drummed on self-made instruments, together with her then husband Paul Fuchs, in the Ensemble Anima. During that time, Limpe and Paul Fuchs cooperated with the classic pianist star Friedrich Gulda, as well as with jazz luminaries like Albert Mangelsdorff, and continually attracted the interest of their audiences in new constellations. For the most part, 'Amor' reflects on love as an interpersonal and spiritual experience. Drawing inspiration from such different authors as Giordano Bruno, Hilde Domin and Serge Kahili King, 'Amor' is a record of compositions one could almost call "songs" although they're far from being performed in a conventional way. It is also Limpe Fuchs' most openly insightful and vulnerable record to date.
Tenhornedbeast
Capra Hircus
2024 album of shimmering, heathen drone from TenHornedBeast - the ritual doom-drone project of Christopher Walton (Endvra). The wild goats (Capra Hircus) of the Cheviot hills have lived there for millennia and are the Avatars of the wild places. If there is a heathenry left on this island, it is to be found the places where the wild goats gather, in the secret valleys and alongside nameless burns. They are the Children of Pan in an Arcadia that straddles both the imagination and the real world. This is TenHornedBeast intentionally moving in a different direction from the cryptic doom-ambient of 2022's 'The Lamp Of No Light.' 'Capra Hircus' is full of the glowing sunrise of hill-top psychedelia and shimmering, spiralling drones that mimic the abstract lines of the rock-art panels that mark the landscape. The music flows outwards and immerses the listener in looping, hypnotic waves of feedback. "I dream in landscapes and this is very much an "outdoor" album. When I was recording these pieces I was hoping to capture the openness and sense of wonder that I get from the high places. I've walked these hills for many years, where earth and sky meet and I was searching for a new way to be TenHornedBeast, although it's very much the same ideas that inspired me twenty years ago - just seen in colour." CD in 6-panel flood-printed matt digipak with photographs taken by Christopher Walton on the High Places of Pennine Horeb.
METAL/STONER/HARDROCK
Necrophagia
Moribundis Grim (black)
After many years of silence, the legendary death metal force of Necrophagia, one of the very first death metal acts, has reawakened. The band's revamped line-up have signed to Time To Kill Records for the release of the their final album, 'Moribundis Grim.' In the years of 2016-2018, the band's last line-up - Killjoy, Serge Streltsov, Shawn Slusarek and Jake Arnette - composed and started recording what became their final opus, 'Moribundis Grim.' Unfortunately in 2018 Killjoy passed away before finishing the album. In 2022 with the help of special guests and former Necrophagia members - John McEntee from Incantation, Titta Tani (ex-Goblin) and Mirai Kawashima from Sigh - the album was finally completed. In a way, it is quite sensational to see another Necrophagia album released at this point in time, meaning 40 years after their first demos were released!
Homecoming
Those We Knew
'Those We Knew' reveals the band's well-honed personality, fusing grunge, '90s rock and progressive metal. 'Those We Knew' showcases remarkable vocal work that guides the listener through various musical tableaux. The vocals adapt to the moods and unite the tracks, tying together the influences. Discovering 'Those We Knew', we can easily imagine Alice In Chains featuring Tool or Cult Of Luna. The gloomy, heavy, sometimes hushed '90s tones collide with endless imagination, peppered by ethereal atmospheres, enticing introspection. Pressed onto random-coloured eco-mix vinyl.
Slowtorch
Serpente (black)
Never one to follow trends, Slowtorch delivered a no-frills, no-bullshit blend of '70s rock, metal and blues with their first album, 'Serpente,' originally self-released in 2014. For the first time on vinyl at the tenth anniversary of the first release. Adorned with fuzzy jewels of rock's past, so if you're a fan of Dio, Ozzy, Clutch, Kyuss and those damn dirty Desert Sessions, this release will definitely be right up your street.
Vulcan Itch
Rise Of The Fallen
Formed in 2018, The Vulcan Itch is a groove rock power trio hailing from Athens, Greece. Their sound is a blend of heavy rock riffs, catchy vocals, gnarly bass sounds and big drums. Their third LP is their debut for The Lab Records, out on limited edition petrol vinyl!
BLUES/COUNTRY/OLDIES
JAZZ/AVANTGARDE
Dubbelorganisterna
Volym 1
Psychedelic splatter vinyl and insert, limited edition of 600 copies only! The last, and previously unreleased, recordings from the legendary and world renowned Swedish psychedelic organist Bo Hansson before he passed away. Jimi Hendrix was a fan and recorded his song 'Tax Free.' Here you can listen to Bosse in fine form together with his lively organ student and keyboardist extraordinary Eric Malmberg, joined by drummer Niklas Korsell, creating mesmerizing and ethereal space jazz. The music seems to contain information about a deep perspective that questions both time and space and recognize the universe unfolding its abstract process of creation.
SOUL/FUNK/LATIN/R&B/GOSPEL
Bayan Mongol Variety Group
The Bayan Mongol Variety Group
A long-awaited reissue of a unique and only album of a legendary Mongolian ensemble. The self-titled album first time was released on vinyl in 1980 by the Soviet label Melodia and due to a huge demand was urgently re-pressed again in 1981. A musical pearl in the vein of Dos-Mukasan, Firyuza, Soyol Erdene, and Gunesh. Now EBALUNGA!!! is happy to present the first vinyl reissue of the album and the first time with a correct photo on the front cover. Released in 1980 and 1981 vinyl versions were pressed with the wrong photos on a cover. Melodia has mixed-up photos of 2 Mongolian bands Soyol Erdene and The Bayan Mongol Variety Group. So the Soyol Erdene LP was published with a photo of The Bayan Mongol Variety Group and opposite The Bayan Mongol Variety Group - LPs with a photo of Soyol Erdene. The Bayan Mongol Variety Group existed from the early '70s to the late '80s. After the collapse of the USSR, the ensemble began to experience serious difficulties with funding and booking concerts, and finally disintegrated, after which the participants lost contact with each other. Fortunately, thanks to efforts from the fans, some old contacts were reestablished, key records and sound sources were dug up, and now this historical record is released again. File under funk, jazz-rock, prog rock, or psychedelic rock.
SOUNDTRACKS/LOUNGE/CULT ETC
Ixtahuele
Pathways To Paradise
2024 album from the masters of exotica! Mix up a mighty rum typhoon and emerge yourself in this excitingly dazzling audio fantasy! Experience the fearsome 'Jungle Chase.' Behold the secret world of the majestic 'Moonflower' or lose yourself for a while inside 'The Hookah Parlor.' What's your pleasure? Ixtahuele continues to develop their sound and song writing while exploring the heart, nuances, and boundaries of classic exotica. Venture into the unknown with the music for noble savages and urban primitives. Yellow vinyl, limited to 500 copies.