Review: Seun Kuti has released his highly anticipated album Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head) via Record Kicks to great excitement. This album, executive produced by Lenny Kravitz and featuring Fela Kuti's original engineer Sodi Marciszewer, marks a significant milestone in Kuti's career. Following his Grammy-nominated album Black Times, this release showcases his evolution as both an artist and activist. The album features six powerful tracks, each embodying themes of resistance, resilience, and revolution. The track 'Dey,' featuring Damian Marley, emphasises self-empowerment, while 'Emi Aluta' pays homage to revolutionaries, featuring the innovative Sampa The Great. 'T.O.P.' critiques societal values, promoting empathy and a connection to nature. 'Love and Revolution' highlights Kuti's belief in love as a catalyst for change. Kuti expressed gratitude for Kravitz's brotherly support and Sodi's guidance during the production process. He continues to uphold the legacy of his father, Fela Kuti, using his music to inspire social change. This album promises to redefine contemporary Afrobeat while staying true to its roots. Fans can expect an album that entertains, inspires and ignites activism.
Review: This vibrant 1969 release captures the raw energy of Latin soul and funk, a perfect snapshot of Spanish Harlem's musical melting pot. With tight grooves and infectious percussion, the ensemble delivers tracks that feel alive with cultural and rhythmic vitality. Each arrangement draws from the boogaloo era's creativity, blending soulful melodies with sharp, danceable rhythms. This reissue offers a chance to experience a key moment in New York's Latin music history with its unmistakable blend of genres.
Review: Cleveland death metal legends in the making 200 STAB WOUNDS have a hardcore following of fans and are getting ever more critical acclaim. Their new album Manual Manic Procedures on Metal Blade Records is only heightening that reputation with another bold mix of high-quality death metal sounds that are seriously constructed but not too earnest in execution. This fine sophomore effort follows 2021's Slave to the Scalpel, a manic debut that is followed up by another hefty slab of old-school death metal but with a contemporary edge. If you like it hard and gore-themed with ferocious licks and unrelenting drums, get your ears around this one which deals with themes as diverse as chemical spills and mental health.
Live My Life (feat U-Remi & Malik The Infinite 360) (5:10)
How Do You Want It (feat K-Ci & JoJo) (4:49)
Me & My Homies (feat Nate Dogg & Snoop Dogg) (4:04)
Be The Realist (feat Notorious BIG & CH) (3:19)
2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted (feat Snoop Dogg) (4:00)
Static Mix (part 1) (4:20)
Runnin' (feat feat Notorious BIG - Stone radio remix) (3:39)
One Night Stand (feat Ed Bone, Mil & Young Sly) (5:13)
Monday Morning (feat DAN Hustlers - West Coast edit) (3:18)
Review: Live My Life is a great compilation of songs by the late great rapper 2Pac. It's prime West Coast hip hop that first arrived back on CD in 2005 and now thanks to the Wax N' Stacks (Cult Legends) label gets pressed up to a limited 180 gram gold vinyl. It features some of his lesser-known gems and plenty of big-name peers from his 90s heyday such as his great pal Notorious BIG, Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg, Ed Bone, Mil & Young Sly and many more. It's a great reminder of one of hip hop's many great but sadly lost talents.
Review: Just like Ronseal does exactly what it says on the tin, The Original 4 Skins serves up a compilation of every known studio recording from the original line up of homegrown oi! punk legends The 4 Skins. Boasting a whopping 19 tracks including an alternative version of 'A.C.A.B.' originally intended to be included on the Oi! The Album compilation, as well contributions to other quintessential Oi! collections Strength Thru Oi! and Carry On Oi!, this gatefold pressing is limited to 1000 copies and arrives complete with lyrics, press clippings from the era plus previously unpublished photos of the band. An essential grab for any Doc Marten sporting skinhead with more Fred Perrys in their closet than your mother has handbags.
Pianos Raining Down (with McDonald & Jannetta - 165 To 134 BPM mix)
Ooh Boy
Sound System Love
Review: Real jungle and jungle techno rufige in full gatefold LP form from 4am Kru. Incognito Rhythm is an ironic name, since the titular track fronting this giant of a record sounds anything but incognito; judging by the full guns-blazing force of its shelling drums and sprayed quad-basses, it might as well have blown its cover, sounding as ballistic as a rubber bullet in a chamber full of springs. After the jungle techno exposition we move forthrightly into classic b-people jungle, with sizzling orchestral rompler workings wedged in with short-form breaks loops to exhilarating effect. The centrifugal mood is broken on 'Deepest Darkest Jungle', on which a much more tenebrous tone is achieved, giving off whiffs of a zoophonic jungle jamboree, the mise-en-scene for a fluting epiphany. The sounds of churlish cheek return from 'High Time' and thereon, after which r&b and ragga voxes predominate and determine the moods of the tracks in question. 'Wutt' is by far the maddest one, refusing at every turn the temptation to settle.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
She Looks So Perfect (3:18)
Don't Stop (2:50)
Good Girls (3:16)
Kiss Me Kiss Me (3:25)
18 (3:07)
Everything I Didn't Say (2:56)
Beside You (3:36)
End Up Here (2:59)
Long Way Home (3:14)
Heartbreak Girl (3:14)
English Love Affair (3:04)
Amnesia (3:46)
Lost Boy (bonus track) (3:25)
Mrs All American (bonus track) (2:38)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
The 5 Seconds of Summer (10th Anniversary Edition) is a nostalgic celebration of the band's pop-rock origins, the infectious melodies and energetic rock vibes that marked their rise to fame. Featuring classic hits like 'She Looks So Perfect' and 'Amnesia', the latter showcasing their versatility with its stripped-down acoustic sound, while deeper cuts like 'Voodoo Doll' and 'End Up Here' remind listeners of the band's growth over the years. 'Kiss Me, Kiss Me' stands out with its infectious energy and the live arrangements add an extra layer of excitement to the song's performances. This anniversary edition not only revisits the chart-topping hits but also reminds listeners of the enduring quality of the entire album. This album became the soundtrack of countless lives, particularly during the mid-2010s and this picture disc is a great added touch to the package for fans.
Review: Early arrivals don cardboard masks of 5 Seconds of Summer, blown up to thrice their usual size. It's as close as many will get to the Aussie lads tonight, with dry ice and a low stage obscuring them from view. This visual absence, coupled with the venue's steamy atmosphere, creates a pop-punk rave vibe - fitting for 5SOS's pivot to arena-ready anthems on their debut. The set spans their evolution from YouTube covers to teen idols. Wildcard moments like the psychedelic 'Voodoo Doll' and acoustic 'Amnesia' punctuate the night, but new material dominates. Opener 'She Looks So Perfect' sets the tone, channelling Blink-182 for a new generation. 5SOS amplify their pop sensibilities: 'Don't Stop' drives a simple riff to emotional heights, while 'Good Girls' repurposes 80s power ballad synths into tear-stained pop-punk.Despite radio-friendly polish, 5SOS's shift to mainstream pop feels genuine. Their vocals transform them into heartthrob crooners on 'Kiss Me Kiss Me'. This pop pivot suits their songcraft, with melancholy no less affecting when paired with power chords and arms-aloft choruses.their yearning songcraft perfectly, the melancholy heart of 5 Seconds of Summer no less affecting when tethered to power chord orthodoxy and following the shortest laser-guided path to the arms-aloft chorus.
Review: The 5 Seconds of Summer (10th Anniversary Edition) is a nostalgic celebration of the band's pop-rock origins, the infectious melodies and energetic rock vibes that marked their rise to fame. Featuring classic hits like 'She Looks So Perfect' and 'Amnesia', the latter showcasing their versatility with its stripped-down acoustic sound, while deeper cuts like 'Voodoo Doll' and 'End Up Here' remind listeners of the band's growth over the years. 'Kiss Me, Kiss Me' stands out with its infectious energy and the live arrangements add an extra layer of excitement to the song's performances. This anniversary edition not only revisits the chart-topping hits but also reminds listeners of the enduring quality of the entire album. This album became the soundtrack of countless lives, particularly during the mid-2010s and this picture disc is a great added touch to the package for fans.
Review: Matt Stockham Brown steps into the spotlight with 6161, his self-titled debut on Bristol's Severn Songs. Brown is already known for his drumming prowess and has earned real acclaim for winning a Montreux Jazz Festival award, as well as recording with Run Logan Run and getting great reviews for his work with Daniel Inzani. His resume includes collaborations with Massive Attack, Gregory Porter and This Is The Kit but with 6161, Brown showcases his vision beyond percussion. He heads into jazz, experimental textures and dynamic groove making in a way that marks a bold step forward without losing sight of his signature sound.
Review: 7FO's Ryu no Nukegara (meaning "dragon's husk") is a warm, inviting trip through ambient, dub and chill-out soundscapes. The Osaka-based producer blends sparse electronic percussion with dub-style synth bass and pentatonic melodies, while also using steel pan tones that bring an Okinawan or Southeast Asian touch. Fans of Haruomi Hosono and Equiknoxx will find much to love in this record's trans-oceanic textures with sparkling dub processing and thoughtful mixing throughout. A magical record that embodies strength, fluidity and meditative depth.
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