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Review: Plucking themselves and their strings out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Watchhouse has its foundations in Mandolin Orange, and the duo - songwriter Andrew Marlin (vocals, mandolin, guitar, banjo) and Emily Frantz (vocals, violin, guitar) - haven't necessarily changed since the name switch. A married couple, there's always been this beautiful intimacy in their music, which is often tender, if not strictly quiet. Eight studio albums in and most of the reasons we fell for this Americana-folk-country outfit remain front and centre. The musicianship, at times, is nothing short of spectacular. Check the chord work on 'In The Sun'. The lyrics are capable of stopping you dead, forcing contemplation and reflection. And the overall atmosphere is like the feeling you have after stepping off a train back home. Slow down, re-familiarise, and pay some attention to the subtle things.

Notes: In only 12hp, Axis condenses all the classical blocks for the audio amplitude management, redefining the classical envelope -> vca -> mixer path. The idea is to manipulate a sound over three axes: its length, its volume, and its place inside the stereo field.

Axis is a dual envelope generator that features an integrated VCA, a crossfader, and a voltage-controllable mixer section. The initial concept was to combine digital control over an analog VCA to closely emulate the classic Vactrol sound. After more than a year of refinement, Axis has evolved into more than just that. It offers exceptional versatility, providing a wide range of waveforms and the unique capability to simulate the natural percussive qualities of different materials. All this is in a complete analog path.

For the function generator section, we choose a faster method over the classic AD/ ADSR style: a selection of waveforms studied to give back a precise musical effect can be selected with the shape knob. The function length is independent from the actual wave shape and can be settled with the fader timeX from 30hz to 15 seconds. Also, setting the timeX fader at its maximum level will leave the VCA open.

A more typical collection of envelopes can be found in the first half of the dial. All kinds of sounds, from plucked notes to long volume swells passing through lead-friendly lines, can be obtained here.

More unusual, the last section of the knob is thought to simulate the acoustic vibration of a percussed object. Starting with a triangular envelope, from this point on, the more you turn the knob, the more rebounds will be added, simulating the natural ring of a material. Using this section at low rates can generate complex envelopes that could also be suitable for the vibrato-style AM effect. The envelope generator section includes a mode switch (cycle,trigger,hold), a trigger/gate input, an EOC trigger out, a function output, a CV for the envelope shape selection, and one CV for time.

As a cherry on the cake, a crossfader is placed at the end of the chain, blending both Axis halves. With a dedicated fader and CV control, raising it will invert the L/R output, creating nice stereo effects or moving the voices around the stereo field.

The VCA section is more straightforward: it has an audio input/output[1] and a VCA CV input[3].

You can plug the audio I/O to use Axis in its completeness and eliminate a lot of cables and mess!

Soundwise, here at Clank, we are all about vactrols LPGs, but since we knew it's not the most versatile option on the market, we came up with a different design. Blending together a VCA with a not-so-step filter, we obtained a VCA with a nice mild LPG flavor: enough to sound not so "clicky" but not too slow to inficiate really fast sounds.

By default, the envelope created by the function generator is normalized to the CV in of the VCA. Plugging a cable into the VCA in breaks the normalization, in this way you can use a different source to control the VCA and free the function generator for LFOs or modulation duties.

The range Y fader sets the strength of the envelope, but you can also see this control as a volume fader, which is nice since you won't necessarily need an additional volume for your voice after the Axis. Take into consideration that since the Axis VCA is actually a low-pass gate, lowering the rangeY fader also affects the cutoff frequency. The range fader also has its CV control to program dynamic changes to the sound. Basically, it's a VCA over a VCA that permits every note to be at different intensities. Last but not least, Range CV can also be fed by a unipolar modulation CV to obtain vibrato effects or audio rate AM modulations

Notes: Heavyweight 100% cotton t-shirt made in the USA with a silkscreen print of the Disk Union logo.

Review: 2002's Hooverphonic Presents Jackie Cane always felt like the odd jewel in the Belgian outfit's catalogue i part concept album, part theatrical detour, wrapped in lush strings and Bond-theme bravado. The 2025 reissue brings it back into focus, and it's certainly worth revisiting. There's drama i torch songs, twisted pop, and trip-hop filtered through a cinematic lens i but also a tangible sense of melancholy beneath. Tracks like 'Sometimes' and 'Human Interest' still land with weight, while the nocturnal psychedelia of 'Jackie's Delirium' and 'Shampoo' adds hallucinogenic depth to the collection. It's all very stylised, but that's part of the charm. You can hear the ambition, the restlessness. Not quite cool, not quite kitsch, but somehow it works.

Review: Brazilian Jesse "Dreams" Pimenta has been roaming around underground circles for a decade plus. He has a stylish sound that is about heady excursions into deep rhythms. 'Losing Control' opens up with a warped and flabby baseline over buoyant drums for peak time deployment. 'Dangerous When Wet' is a tightly programmed and kinetic cut with flappy drums and snares, aliens in the machines and psychedelic vocal swirls. 'XTC Messenger' then hits hard with thudding kicks and hints of 90s tribal techno. Last of all, 'Pressure Points' flips out with broke beats and dubby undercurrents.

Notes: ADSR (Attack-Decay-Sustain-Release) is a module designed to generate a voltage, which acts as the envelope with the adjustable stages. This envelope, generated in response to the incoming gate signal or manually pushed button, can then be used to shape the sound amplitude via VCA, modulate filter's cutoff frequency or any other parameters expecting CV control.
It features exponential Attack, Decay and Release stages, switch to select fast/slow operation mode, push button with led indicator to manually activate the envelope.

Review: Dexter Gordon's Lullaby For A Monster returns on 180g audiophile vinyl, spotlighting the legendary saxophonist in a rare, stripped-down trio setting. Recorded in June 1976 with Danish rhythm greats Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (bass) and Alex Riel (drums), the album represents Gordon at his most uninhibited, free from the piano's harmonic framework. His solo on 'On Green Dolphin Street' is often described as one of his most liberated, and with fresh liner notes by C. Andrew Hovan to rack up an already clamorous crock of acclaim by international critics, this reissue offers renewed appreciation for a lesser-known but electrifying entry in Gordon's discography.

Review: 'Theme' is a 1999 techno classic from Mion aka Edit Select that was originally released on Music Man. 26 years on, it still sounds future and chimes with the deep tech sound of now, so has been remastered and offered up alongside new remixes from Vil, Earwax and Deniro. The original is a textured, loose and chunky techno stomper with fuzzy pads and imperfect edges. Vil's version has wispy synths and static electricity fizzing around a deep mid-tempo groove and cavernous sub bass. Earwax brings a widescreen serenity and supple depth, and Deniro ups the melodic quota with shimmering synth modulations.

Review: In January 2025, Al Wootton visited Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio, which is home to a rare archive of vintage drum machines. Once there, he recorded the unique rhythms and quirks of these machines and captured their raw character. Back in the UK, he transformed those recordings through processing and layering to create this new EP, Rhythm Archives. The result is a stripped-back but impactful exploration of rhythm that draws from industrial, dub, post-punk and proto-techno influences. The record stands as both a creative tribute to the iconic machines and their makers and a nod to MESS's mission of preserving electronic music heritage and making it accessible through public engagement and education.

Review: MoBlack Gold work both as appraisers and minters of quality Afro House. This record, once again, attests to the fact, clocking in as the label and music-making house's "XII-th" release. Jamek Ortega, MoBlack, Armonica, Samna Soundsystem, Peaty and Faros all stop by the dancehall in a confident move of jitting, shimmying surety, extending out from an extended version of Ortega's 'Voices' to a closing, kwaito-deep quaalude by Faros, 'Feeling You'.

Review: Expanding To One is the third album from Phi-Psonics and is a serene meditation on community, connection and healing. Led by bassist Seth Ford-Young, the project captures the spirit of six live and intimate sessions recorded in Pasadena's Healing Force Of The Universe record store and the tracks, which were largely improvised, glide through soulful, spiritual jazz with warmth and clarity. Highlights like 'There's Still Hope' and 'Healing Time' showcase a rotating ensemble of LA's most sensitive players and they all create music that is both grounding and transcendent. Thoughtfully edited and deeply personal, this is the sort of record that cajoles you into a space of stillness, togetherness and quiet, essential reflection.

Review: New York's Joe Claussell offers three blistering takes on 'So In Love' by Black Rascals, the early 90s project from Blaze. This red-label 7" is a pricey one, but the contents justify it: deep house from the source, reworked by one of its most spiritual selectors. 'Rough Mix 1' leans into swirling vocal loops and expansive FX, full of Claussell's signature dynamics, while 'Rough Mix 2' dials back the drama slightly for something more floor-focused. Flip it for 'Drums', a stripped-down tool that reimagines the track as raw percussive hypnosis. Essential NY house lineage, revived in style and pressed loud-just don't expect it to hang around.

Notes: ***B-STOCK: Box opened, light surface marks, product in perfect working condition ***


The classic Pantheon pedal gets even better with this Deluxe version. Two independent overdrive circuits give you classic Blues Breaker-style tone plus modern boutique sounds.

Supplier's Notes:
The now legendary Wampler Pantheon provided a unique interpretation of the classic "Blues Breaker" style stomp box, by capturing all the tonal nuance of the original, but with added flexibility and style. In doing so, it found its way onto thousands of pedalboards across the world. Enter the new Pantheon Deluxe - a dual overdrive pedal that takes this evolution several steps further by offering a flexible design with two completely independent Pantheon circuits, one voiced as a classic blues breaker and one with a more modern boutique sound. This palace of tone delivers a staggering 200 combinations of gain settings, featuring dual Inputs and Outputs, and for the first time ever, Wampler have added MIDI channel switching to one of their gain pedals.

The Pantheon Deluxe lets you dial in two channels of organic creamy gain, gritty overdrive, or heavy distortion while retaining Wampler's famous ease of use and flexibility. Channel 1 delivers a classic Blues Breaker tone, Channel 2 is a recreation of the original Pantheon, a similar circuit to the Blues Breaker but with a modern boutique feel. Independent side mounted Voicing and Gain Level switches allow you to further shape your tone to perfection.

DOUBLE UP

The Pantheon Deluxe lets you dial in two channels of organic creamy gain, gritty overdrive, or heavy distortion while retaining Wampler's famous ease of use and flexibility. Channel 1 delivers a classic Blues Breaker tone, Channel 2 is a recreation of the original Pantheon, a similar circuit to the Blues Breaker but with a modern boutique feel.

ALWAYS THE RIGHT FIT

Each Channel of the Pantheon Deluxe Dual Overdrive feature independent Gain, Level, Treble, and Bass controls to enhance the shaping of your tone. The Baxandall-style active Bass control is neutral at noon but boasts an extremely powerful sweep as you move through the range. A single global Presence control simultaneously alters each channel to add just the right amount of top-end chime to suit different guitars and amplifiers - perfect for when playing live or when in the studio.

MAXIMUM CONNECTIVITY

With the addition of MIDI In and Out, you can now also switch the analog channels of each circuit on and off with a MIDI switcher - saving you valuable hardware loops on your loop switcher. With dual analog inputs and outputs, you can split both channels in a loop switcher, insert pedals between each side, or run in stereo.

BUILT FOR FOREVER

Brian Wampler's attention to detail and commitment to bringing you the best-sounding & most usable Effects Boxes on the market is nothing new. Those qualities are on full display within the Pantheon Overdrive. We're all tone-freaks, and we're always trying new things, but we hope this pedal finds its forever home on your pedalboard, so we built it to last that long.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Built in the U.S.A
Dual Independent drive channels using Brian Wampler's classic Pantheon circuits; Channel 1 Classic Blues Breaker voicing, Channel 2 Modern Boutique voicing.
Independent Volume, Gain, Treble and Bass controls for both channels, global Presence control, front mounted Channel Order Switch, side mounted independent Gain Level and Voicing switches, MIDI In and Out (3.5mm TRS) and 2 sets of input and output jacks.
Top-mounted jacks make pedalboard placement effortless
Power draw: 55mA
9-18V power jack: DC supply only, do not exceed 18V DC, battery Included.
Includes Wampler's limited 5-year warranty
5" x 4.5" x 1.5" (88.9mm x 114.3mm x 38.1mm) - height excludes knobs and switches

Review: This clear wax edition feels like an invitation into Worcestershire-born global traveller Will Holland's inner circle i not just as a selector but as a connector of people, scenes and sonic microhistories. Across the two LPs, his DJing reveals the subtle hand of a musician: textured, tempo-flexible, deeply in tune with the artists he features. JJ Whitefield's 'The Mind Is A Palace' and Alfa Mist's slow-burner 'In My Defence' lay the introspective groundwork, while The Heliocentrics and Dialect bring fuzz and abstraction into view. Side B pivots to percussive warmth, from JKriv's whistle-led 'Pifeiro Malandro' to Holland's own dusty 'Twang', before the humid swagger of Frente Cumbiero and a tripped-out remix of 'Theme From Selva' usher in Side C. Things then spiral toward the club, with 'Eko Eko', 'Throw Dat Azz' and 'Scintille' all bringing punch and release. The final stretch, featuring The Maghreban, Meridian Brothers and Sobredosis, casts a glowing ambiguity over the mix i just like Holland's sets, it ends not in resolution, but in feeling.

Review: Manchester's Joe McBride delivers a deeply atmospheric experience across his latest release, effortlessly fusing dub techno, ambient textures and broken rhythms with an unmistakable sense of space and restraint. Side-A opens with 'Kings Chamber', a hauntingly beautiful cut where static crackle meets dubbed-out echoes and shimmering pads. It's rich with melodic overtones that rise like mist over a subterranean rhythm, channeling both warmth and mystery in equal measure. 'Different Sound' follows with a deeper flow rooted in island bass traditions but filtered through McBride's ambient dubstep sensibility. The track's low-end sway, interspersed with ghostly echoes and spacious percussive flickers, gives it a grounded yet otherworldly feel, perfect for headphones or late-night sets. Flipping to Side-B, 'SK1 Dub' continues the journey, conjuring a cosmic, delay-laden soundscape that balances restraint with motion. It's a masterclass in space and sonics, where minimal elements swirl and stretch, maintaining a hypnotic pulse throughout. McBride shows that his touch is both technical and emotive, crafting meditative grooves that feel like they breathe.

Review: Detroit vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Javonntte is contracted by Marcel Vogel and Tim Jules for the smooth, disco-splashed house cut 'Just Because', now hearing a long-awaited 12" release on Lumberjacks In Hell, the clav-loving label named after the 2018 Vogel release of the same name. Known for his deep musicality and effortless brio, Javonntte's soulful touch now drops anchor on the original's groove, letting open the possibility for the three distinct remixes by Floyd Vader, Lyma and Stefan Ringer to follow. There come etched a future-leaning electro r&b cut, a Portlandian Yoruba house hitter, and a complementary post-boogie bust-up respectively.

Notes: Thererec is a 6hp smart dual-function generator based on a different approach! Two modern proximity sensors have replaced all the Attack/Decay thing, and this not only saved a lot of space but also turned Thererec into a whole new thing: a fusion between THEREmin gestural expressiveness and a tape RECorder,

Thererec, indeed, can quickly capture your hand movements and translate them into complex Envelopes and LFOs, adding a lot of expressiveness to your set. Once recorded, your movements can be mangled in both time and amplitude; they can be cycled or triggered in one-shot mode, letting you create complex but synchronized control voltage streams.

A straightforward movement with immediate feedback: move your fingers, listen, and connect yourself to the environment. Your body will do the rest.

Thererec sensors will track your movements to generate a voltage flow, and the LEDs and the CV outputs will reflect those movements.

Review: Developed as off-the-cuff cassette overdubs, work taking place in Manchester and Massachusetts, combined with syncopated vocals, Human Engineering very much lives up to its name. Narrated by Rick Myers, with long-time collaborators Andy Votel and Sean Canty in charge of the noises, it's a strange place to spend some time but it's also oddly beautiful. At first ear, the aesthetic feels rough and mechanical, definitely anything but human. But as things draw us further in to whatever this plain is, the organic at the root of everything rises to the surface. Suddenly, the obtuse noises no longer sound alien, and instead have taken on their true form - products of people, perhaps artefacts from a time we're about to forget. One in which machines were ours, not their own.

Review: Steven Umoh aka London-based Nigerian singer Obongjayar is back with Paradise Now, a sophomore album that is a bold blurring of pop, punk, Afrobeat, funk, dance and folk into a colourful and coherent new sound. Crafted with producers Kwes Darko and Beach Noise, the album was recorded between London and LA so has a global spirit with universal emotional depth. It was designed to play from start to finish on a night out so is both a party record and a Trojan Horse with infectious grooves concealing layers of complexity and introspection. It's Obongjayar at his most adventurous yet and explores what modern, global pop can sound like in 2025.

Review: When she started her career just over a decade ago, Cleopatra Nikolic AKA Cleo Sol was considered a singer-for-hire within the international deep house community. Now, with the assistance of beat-maker Inflo, she's decided to strike out on her own via a quietly impressive solo debut that re-casts her as a genuinely fresh and exciting soul talent. Beginning with the layered acapella vocals and deep, jazzy grooves of stunning opener "One Love", the album sees her brilliantly deliver heartfelt and thoughtful lyrics over hazy backing tracks that brilliantly join the dots between jazz, neo-soul and R&B. While she's undoubtedly the star of the show, Inflo's stripped-back, partially acoustic and largely soft-focus production is also worthy of high praise.

Notes: Polyphonic sequencing from Elektrofon, the Klang allows you to program and perform chords and multi-layered harmonies. Circular clock-style display gives visual feedback and real-time indication of chord progressions.

Supplier's Notes:
«Klang» is a 4 voice polyphonic controller. It stores, traverses and manipulates chord progressions.

Overview

«Klang» is a unique take on polyphonic control within Eurorack.

Displaying chords in a circular clock-like display, and giving the user immediate control over every aspect without "menu diving" makes for an easy to use and inspiring module.

The module can store up to 99 chords, where each chord is made up of 4 voices.

Each voice is represented by a colored indicator on the clock-face which in turn is controlled by an encoder.

The indicators points to notes on the chromatic scale drawn in 360- around the clock-face.

Interface

The big grey encoder in the middle of the module lets you browse the chords - the active chord and total chord count is shown just above the encoder on the display.

The + button lets you ad a new chord. The new chord is added after the currently active chord, and the new chord is then set as the active chord.

The - button removes the current chord.

Inputs

The module has 3 inputs - 1 trigger input and 2 bipolar CV inputs.

Trigger input

The trigger input triggers a chord change.

If the direction input is unconnected, a single trigger results in a single step in the forwards direction.

Direction input (+-5V)

The direction input normalizes to a single step in the forwards direction.

You can feed this input a bipolar CV (+-5V).

Direction maps the total chord count to 5V. This means that +5V results in a single trigger progressing +n steps, where n is the total chord count.

A negative voltage will do exactly the same but resulting in backwards stepping.

0V equals no movement.

Transpose input (+-5V)

This bipolar CV lets you transpose the current chord up or down within 1 octave.

It is therefore a 5V/oct input.

The reason for this is that it is intended to be used with an analoge voltage source like the Pressure Points from Make Noise, or any other analoge sequencer.

It is much easier to fine tune a 5V/oct signal with a regular potentiometer than a 1V/oct signal.

Outputs

Each voice has a separate color coded 1V/oct CV output.

Review: Rushing from the starting blocks as though life depended on it, Kahler opens the scoring with the perfectly balanced and fine-tuned 'Mosaic', a driving, percussive techno workout that's direct and peak time yet also minimal and patient, poised even. Grillac follows suit, keeping things ghostly with plenty of energy coming from the top ends, while using a vocal hook to add a little rave bounce. By now, it's probably clear R 0 01 is a strong collection of belters, and the remainder do nothing to quash that belief. Lorenzo Mancino and Exos arguably unleash the most fury - tracks that feel like stepping into a warehouse party in 1999 with a nose full of whizz and stomach full of pills - while BENKHLIFA keeps it more heads down and Berlin.

Review: Former Beatle Ringo Starr wasn't mincing his words when he called the line-up for his 2019 gig at The Greek 'All-Star'. From Santana's Gregg Rolie to Toto's Steve Lukather, Average White Band's Hamish Stuart to Men At Work's Colin Hay, there is some serious music industry heritage and high-level musicianship at work amongst those dudes. Starr doesn't waste the opportunity, running through a gamut of hits across an extended performance time, now captured on this two-disc set.

Review: Montreal producer Jesse Futerman returns a refined sound that has carefully developed since the early 2010s. With past support from BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music champions like Gilles Peterson and Benji B and collaborations with the legendary Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Futerman is a real contemporary favourite. These four cuts blend swinging vocals and organic live drums with introspective downbeat bliss outs like 'Velvet Glove' and 'The Case of The Lost and Found' marries the sort of life-affirming piano lines and persuasive Balearic grooves that will light up more mature parties. 'You Are All The World Of Hero' is a delicate dub with fluttering percussion and hand drums lending it great intimacy.

Review: Croatian producer Umbo makes a raucous return to Breakbeat Paradise with this two-tracker of throwback funk edits. A-side 'No Sugar' is a no-nonsense breakbeat soul cut, filtering vintage vocal hooks through crisp drums and rubbery basslines. On the flip, 'Saoco Root' cranks the tempo and energy, fusing jazzy brass, hype vocals and Beastie Boys swagger into a fast-cutting party tool. A continuation of BBP's long-running Toxic Funk series, this latest volume slots right into the label's wheelhouse: dusty, high-energy edits with bite.