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Review: Experimental artist Matthew Rozeik turns his hand to jungle with the start of a new series 'City Spectre'. An intense voyage back to the blueprints with echoes of Reinforced and early Metalheadz, but done with his own vision, Rozzer slaps us silly from the off... 'Abducticate' is all about those gruelling Amens a la No U-Turn while 'We Must Come To Earth' has much more of a spacious sense of tension that's comparable to Soul In Motion era Krust or classic Photek. Flip for ice cold brutalism in the form of 'Cold Metal' before 'Dust Storm' takes us far away from this wretched planet on a rocket made of pure Prototype-level tension. Bring on Volume 2.

Review: This killer double sided single form 1968 finds its way onto 7" for the first time ever. Back then it was actually put out as a blank label and was mistakenly credited to The Bleachers, ratter than The Race Fans who actually wrote it. On the B-side is a totally different tune, 'Bookie Man,' which is a gem in its own right. A rare sound and killer groove, it's a great yin to the yang of the a-side and this is the first time both of these have been pressed up together at the same time.

Review: Not to be confused with either the album of the same name nor a prior 7" single with different music on it, this limited cut contains four outtakes and demos recorded by T. Rex's Marc Bolan in 1966. Later in 1981, backing instrumentals were recorded and added to Bolan's vocals, under the watchful eye of his trusted former manager Simon Napier-Bell. From 'Mustang Ford' to the later hit 'The Perfurmed Garden...', Bolan sounds all but overdubbed here; he is at one with each rollicking, slick backing, freewheeling and near yelling on this rock altarpiece.

Review: This is Freestyle free from any style.
There is no need for the disembodied voice telling you THIS IS HOUSE.
It is simply felt and known.

{Every kick.
Every arpeggio.
Every bass note.
Experienced through the prism of now.
Ribs rattle from the heart center to the endless reaches of consciousness.}

The racks are stacked high beyond the heavens as the Filter Queen speaks of love without words.
Bound to no earthly constructs, beholden to no laws.
This is the joyous sound of overground resistance.

Notes: The announcement of the Denon LC6000 Prime controller caught the DJ world totally off guard.

Tapping into the dual-layer capability of the SC6000 and SC5000, or bolting onto a laptop or DJ controller such as the Prime 4, the LC6000 brings immense flexibility and control over your DJ sets.

Custom moulded right here in the UK, this cover is designed to fit the sleek contours of the Denon DJ LC6000 Prime media player.

Designed for the digital DJ, this super-durable polycarbonate shell offers a high level of protection and slides straight into protective cases, making it ideal for travelling.

Shields delicate faders, pads, buttons and knobs from the ingress of dust, liquids and accidental impact whilst still accommodating all cables.

At home, on the road or in the club, Decksaver has your LC6000 Prime media player covered.

Dimensions

Weight: 0.75kg
Length: 36.5cm
Width: 32.5cm
Height: 3.8cm

Notes: The tools we use to compose and produce music are dear to our hearts. Dust, liquid and accidental impact have taken many a good unit down over the years - this is where Decksaver steps in. Precision trimmed for perfect fit, the Solid State Logic UC1 can sit ready for operation. This case slides straight into a flight or soft case for maximum protection during transportation, and it also shields delicate controls and internal components from damage at home, on the road and onstage.

Notes: Omnitronic have stunned the rotary-mixer world with their entry-level mixers.

Your investment needs protection: and this is where Decksaver steps in.

Our custom-designed and precision-moulded lid gives an exact fit whilst accommodating cables, leaving your Omnitronic TRM-402 sitting ready for blending and mixing.

Manufactured from our own recipe premium polycarbonate for extra protection, each Decksaver cover is rigorously tested before it carries our name.

Shields all those delicate knobs and isolators from dust, liquid and accidental impact at home, on the road and in the DJ booth.

Dimensions

Weight: 0.7kg
Length: 33.6cm
Width: 23.8cm
Height: 3.9cm

Review: Some critics have called Cypress Hill's Back in Black their best album in 25 years. While this is a bold claim, it has some merit - at least to those who view the cannabis-obsessed Los Angeles crew's early-to-mid-'90s work as the artistic peak of their career. A big part of the allure of Back in Black is Black Milk's production, which in reaching for crunchy snares, classic hip-hop breaks and killer basslines doffs a cap to the group's gangsta-rap era releases. Lyrically, they're at their acerbic and dextrous best, too, matching updated raps on legalized weed with flows that take aim at other issues surrounding personal freedom and politics.

Review: Of his newly inaugurated eponymous imprint, Finnish producer Bjarki says it was the logical progression for him to share ideas and be in direct contact with his audience, releasing tracks created specifically for parties he plays at. BJARKI will also serve as a creative platform to launch a wealth of forthcoming audiovisual projects, so stay tuned. 'I Wanna Go Home' may be tongue-in-cheek but be warned: it is one serious banger of a track, and equally as playful is steely warehouse techno epic 'Woo!' up next. Turn over and the tracks take a more serious turn, best exemplified by the strobed-out hypnotiser 'Electric Ppl'.

Review: Sweet Soul Harmony From the Golden Era is a new album from The Lowriders that amalgamates two previous This Is Lowrider Soul CDs. The Kent Soul label has put together the 14 tunes they think best represent the sounds Los Angelenos, often of Mexican descent, love so much and are famous for having blasting from their low riding motors. This is the sort of music you can hear in East LA or Van Nuys Boulevard in the northwest of the city and is made up of sweet soul sounds that have been carefully dug out and unearthed over the years.

Review: Cosmic Disco Machine Records is an Italian independent record company specialising In reissue compilations, with the fourth volume of their eponymous series here, in a limited run of copies as always, There's a wonderful selection of tracks, with all have been only gently mastered to keep the original and characteristic mood of each one. Whether its Richard Wahnfried's entrancing "Time Actor", the off-kilter slo-mo polyrhythms of Mecanica Popular's "La Edad Del Bronce", or the more experimental realms of Italo explored by Schaltkreis Wassermann and Logic System - there's some proper oddball music of a fine vintage on this one.

Review: There's arguably few modern bands pushing and expanding the confines of death metal like Denver, Colorado based genre provocateurs, Blood Incantation.

Combining intricate tech-death stylings with psychedelic, prog-rock passages all awash in sci-fi hues led to 2019's 'Hidden History of the Human Race', landing on several end of year lists.

The much anticipated follow up, 'Timewave Zero', is a purposeful 180 from their formula, eschewing vocals, riffs and malevolence for ambient, synth-based science fiction psychedelia akin to latter day Tangerine Dream.

It may seem a perplexing departure, but one the group have envisioned since prior to releasing their 'Starspawn' debut in 2016. Continuing to carve out their own path, and craft a solely unique vision may lose some riff-raff semi-fans, but those willing to follow Blood Incantation on their ever unfolding cosmic journey, have just been handed the keys to the unknown.

Review: Cicero 'Corey' Blake was a big name on the Chicago soul scene of the 60s. He himself actually hailed from Jackson, Mississippi and became most well known for the superb reissue 7" presented here. It was recorded in 1975 having been written by Phillip Mitchell and in the years since has become a real modern soul room classic that never fails to detonate any crowd all over the world. It will cost you upwards of a money for an original copy if you can find one and here it is pressed up with the original Sam Dees tune 'Your Love Is Like A Boomerang' on the flip. Essential soul for real heads.

Review: Expansion have been busy recently with a wealth of superb releases all dropping in relatively quick succession. This one comes from 70s and 80s Us soul family, Family Brown. They put out just one album in 1978 and a couple of singles with these two tunes now pressed onto 45rpm some of the best. On the a-side is the slow motion stepper 'Never Had A Love' which has pirouetting strings and male and female vocals playing off in seductive fashion. On the flip is the more groovy but just as melodically lush 'Listen.'

Review: A repress here of 2019's under the radar 'Box EP by The enigmatic British producer JS Zeiter, who executed more greyscale dub techno excursions of a typically high caliber on this one. After some spookily sensual ASMR action on intro 'The Code' he continues to build the suspense on the beatless Subarctic Soundscape of 'Darkness Falls' before dropping the power on the cavernous and glacial beats of 'On The Moor'. Flip over and take on more of the frozen seascape on the deeply hypnotic groove of "Empty" before one more emotional ambient outro in the form of 'Endgame'.

Review: NBAST's wax operation has an early spring treat in store for us with this split EP featuring Belgium artist Uc Beatz and UK talent Ethank. The stylish and considered EP opens up with bouncy and soulful sounds from Uc Beatz's 'Rino Magic' with its lush chords and groovy beats, fine samples and upbeat feel. 'Tricky Games' then cuts loose on big filter loops and euphoric vocal cries and on the flip Ethank opens with some sexy sax sounds and punchy, raw beats for 'Kootenay' and 'Clouds' then bristles with frazzled drums and hits but smooth chords.

Review: Never mind just all day, Lee Burridge must be dreaming of this music every second of every night as well because he manages to unearth more of it on a constant basis. It's like aural wallpaper, a sonic lava lamp to gaze at, zone out to, and lose yourself in. Mass Digital is the latest to offer up four teaks of people are calling yoga house with his Viaje De La Vida EP. 'Someone Like You' kicks off with a joyous and celebratory feel, full of hope and choral melodies. 'Rain In June' is similar, with lovely keys racing down and 'I Remember You' then slips into something deeper for later in the evening but still with those churchy bells up top.

Review: It is now more than two years since Planet Tapes launched out of Italy and this is only the label's third release, but the wait is more than worth it. IT is Italian Domenico Rosa who kicks off with a brilliantly lush and melodic house workout that has as much old school influence as it does future soul. Deyayu's 'Asthatwhatis' sinks into a deeper, more late night vibe with strident drums and rolling bass but nice crisp claps and heady ambient synths. There is an irresistible playfulness to Two Opposites's 'Tropical Aurora' that really swells the heart while Eros closes down with 'Phased Energy' which is all glassy and celestial melodies over light breakbeats.

Review: As far as contemporary drummers go, Richard Spaven is one of the most sought-after. He is master of progressive and contemporary sounds who has played with all the greats such as Jose James, Gregory Porter, Flying Lotus and The Cinematic Orchestra. He got sit alone here on this new 7" for Fine Line. Opener 'Hoodie Beats' shows off his considerable skills with an airy, floaty grove that is like live and deep drum & bass, then neo-soul vocalists Jordan Rakei joins for the superb 'Nova.'
Barney Artist drops some verses on 'Icarus '88' to bring a real edge and the title track closes in seductive fashion with lingering chords melting your heart.

Notes: Lighting for DJs have become a lot simpler with the launch of the Wolfmix W1 and SoundSwitch Control One.

The Control One comes from the creative brains at InMusic and is capable of creating automatic, music-synched light shows to match every beat in a DJ set.

These units sit at the very heart of your setup - without them, the lights are down! Dust, liquid and accidental impact have taken many a good hardware unit down over the years - this is where Decksaver steps in.

Designed specifically the the Control One, this cover has the perfect fit whilst still accommodating important cables.

This cover is a Light Edition (LE), which is brought to you at a more cost-effective price, but still shields delicate knobs, switches, pads and internal components from dust, liquid and accidental knocks.

The low profile enables easy transportation into a case or bag for ultra-safe transportation.

Dimensions

Weight: 0.30kg
Length: 27.3cm
Width: 16.8cm
Height: 2.5cm

Notes: Guitar effects pedals are becoming more and more popular with DJs and producers with their ability to trigger the right noise at exactly the right time.

And whether you use Strymon pedals for processing other instruments, or even for your guitar, any unit that's regularly stomped on can suffer issues - and that's before we consider other stressors such as damage to switches or knobs during travel,or from dust, fluids or accidental impact.

These wonderful devices deserve care during downtime with the kind of protection only Decksaver covers can provide.

Precision moulded in-house to ensure a perfect fit whilst accommodating cables, your Strymon pedal can sit ready for operation.

Shields delicate controls and internal components from damage at home, on the road and in the studio.

Fits the NightSky and Volante pedals.

Dimensions

Weight: 0.235kg
Length: 18.1cm
Width: 11.8cm
Height: 3cm

Fits

Strymon NightSky
Strymon Volante

Notes: Guitar effects pedals are becoming more and more popular with DJs and producers with their ability to trigger the right noise at exactly the right time.

And if you're a guitarist with a taste for effects pedals, chances are you own or have played with or used a legendary Boss Stompbox at some point.

These units are are the world's best selling and can be found everywhere and cover a dazzling amount of effects. This is where Decksaver steps in.

Whether you use your Boss pedals for processing other instruments, or even for your guitar, any unit that's regularly stomped on can suffer issues - and that's before we consider other stressors such as damage to switches or knobs during travel,or from dust, fluids or accidental impact.

These wonderful devices deserve care during downtime with the kind of protection only Decksaver covers can provide.

Precision moulded in-house to ensure a perfect fit whilst accommodating cables, our cover shields delicate controls and internal components from damage at home, on the road and in the studio.

Fits all the Boss single pedal Stompboxes.

Dimensions

Weight: 0.16kg
Length: 13.5cm
Width: 8.4cm
Height: 3.8cm

Review: After what seems like an eternity, Warp has finally decided to give Broadcast's Microtonics series a full release. Initially made available only to fans at gigs, the two-volume series saw the band experimenting not with their krautrock-influenced brand of trippy electronic pop, but rather the kind of music concrete and synthesizer experiments that were once the preserve of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Peter Zinovieff and the various modular synthesis fetishists that came in their wake. For that reason, it's not Broadcast at their most accessible, but if you're into vintage synth sounds and admirable experimental electronica, Microtonics makes for hugely enjoyable listening.

Review: Oumou Sangare is an icon of Malian music, and African music overall. She first came to attention in the early 90s with songs descended from wassoulou traditional hunting songs. She's remained a creative and visible force ever since, and now she's back with her first album of new material since 2017's critically acclaimed Mogoya. Timbuktu fuses Sangare's Malian sound with elements of blues, folk and rock to create a timeless body of work which winds up all her own. You'll instantly be transported into her rich and rooted world of sound, where she uses her position as a hugely influential African musician to push for women's rights amongst other socially-conscious themes.

Review: Another comprehensive collection of jazz here from the good people at Light in The Attic. This 14 track compilation has been carefully selected and compiled by Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa, who is the owner of Tokyo's Universounds record store. It comes on heavyweight vinyl with vast track-by-track liner notes by Ogawa and take sin everything from hard bop to free jazz with plenty of big and explosive moments as well as more deep and introspective sections of calm, all of which has been plucked from the vaults of Nippon Columbia. There is a reason Japanese jazz is so revered, and this record shows why.

Review: The ever on point Upstairs Asylum present Unity Vol 1, featuring Jon Dixon, Darrin Abrams, Rick Wade, Mike Clark, Kai Alce, Kyle Hall, Eddie Fowlkes, & Santonio.

Review: Fresh off the acclaimed reissue of his Feuerfalter LP in both parts on Harthouse last year, the legendary Frankfurt label presents another reissue of a classic LP by hi-tech minimalism engineer Boris Brejcha. Die Maschinen Kontrollieren Uns ("The Machines Are Controlling Us"). was the Frankenthal native's second album released in 2007, where the masked crusader presented a whopping sixteen tracks. A true zeitgeist of a golden era in minimal techno, tracks like 'Brainstopper' with its atonal assortment of blips and bleeps underpinned by clipped rhythms will really take you back to the old says, as will the glitchy micro-funk of "Die Maschinen sind Gestrandet" (Second Edition) or the deep tech house of "Wellenreiter (2.0)" could have been played aboard a Sunday boat party along the River Main circa 2008.

Notes: The Daisy Patch Submodule is a DSP platform for Eurorack synthesizer modules. It features a lightning fast STM32 processor, high fidelity stereo audio codec, and enough RAM for 10 minute long buffers - all with standard signal levels and conditioning for the Eurorack ecosystem.

Simply design your carrier board, and let the Patch Submodule do the rest!

Programming is a breeze with support for C++, Max/MSP Gen~, Pure Data, Arduino, and more. These languages can be coupled with our open source DSP library, DaisySP, for a powerful music synthesis programming environment.

Create your dream Eurorack module with the Daisy Patch SM!

STM32 processor at 480MHz, 96kHz / 24-bit audio, RAM for up to 10 minute audio buffers

Stereo audio IO, x12 ADC inputs ( 16-bit bipolar CV or potentiometer), x2 CV outputs (12-bit), x2 gate inputs, x2 gate outputs, x12 GPIO

Flash firmware over USB via open source web programmer

Support for SDDMC, SPI, UART, I2C, and USB

FCC / CE Tested and Compliant

Notes: M-Caster Live is the ultimate portable audio solution for streaming on mobile devices. Plugin your mic, sweeten your sound with ContourFX and StreamFX, then stream in minutes. With ContourFX, your voice will reach new heights with studio-quality sound-shaping and enhancements. And with StreamFX, you can add fun voice-changing effects.

M-Caster Live is also packed with features like dedicated headset and media player inputs, USB connectivity, and user-selectable RGB lighting that looks amazing in any streaming setup.

On the go? Just plug in an external USB battery and you have an incredible mobile streaming platform. From streaming to podcasting, get pristine audio just about anywhere with M-Caster Live. Your followers will thank you.

Included accessories

USB Cable
1/8" TRS / Aux Cable
1/8" TRRS Cable (For Smartphones)
Power Supply

Notes: M-Caster Live is the ultimate portable audio solution for streaming on mobile devices. Plugin your mic, sweeten your sound with ContourFX and StreamFX, then stream in minutes. With ContourFX, your voice will reach new heights with studio-quality sound-shaping and enhancements. And with StreamFX, you can add fun voice-changing effects.

M-Caster Live is also packed with features like dedicated headset and media player inputs, USB connectivity, and user-selectable RGB lighting that looks amazing in any streaming setup.

On the go? Just plug in an external USB battery and you have an incredible mobile streaming platform. From streaming to podcasting, get pristine audio just about anywhere with M-Caster Live. Your followers will thank you.

Included accessories

USB Cable
1/8" TRS / Aux Cable
1/8" TRRS Cable (For Smartphones)
Power Supply

Review: Geo Rip is the trio of Aaron Leitko, John Calvin Jones and Mike Petillo who made their debut four years ago with a cassette release on U-Udios out of Takoma Park, MD (USA). Their eponymously titled sophomore effort here on The Trilogy Tapes features four experimental cuts, all said to be improvised live-to-tape. From the wonky electronics and splintered beats of opening track "Drop In Center" leading into the off-kilter deepness of "Nah Press Fake Text", their sound then diverts into more electro (-ish) sounding territory on woozy B2 track "Underwater Bodycam".

Review: Giving you a time portal back to the glory days of rap metal on a major label tip, Methods Of Mayhem was the moment legendary Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee took a break from glam metal to get down with the kids and serve up a fierce slab for the bros to mosh to. The guest line up is no joke, taking in Snoop Dogg, Fred Durst, George Clinton, Lil' Kim, Mixmaster Mike, Kid Rock and U God from Wu Tang Clan. Truthfully, it's aged well compared to a lot of the rap metal of the era, capturing a genuine hip hop swagger which more than stands up to the guitars, with production that reaches to sampling and synthesis as much as crushing riffage. It may not be the smartest creative expression out there, but neither is it trying to be. The main thing is that it kicks raw ass, which it absolutely does.

Notes: Welcome to a new era of the most iconic fuzz/distortion sound the world has ever known. You know, that epically huge and super saturated tone (some might call it big and muffy) that has defined the signature sound of so many artists and countless records in the past few decades. It's arguably one of the pedals with the biggest impact on the entire industry, which has seen it modified over and over and over again. So much that you think it's all been done, right? Well, KMA Machines have a surprise for you right here!

Holding three different Gain Modes, a pre- or post-EQ Clean Blend, active Bass and Treble controls, a foot-switchable and expression-controllable parametric Mid-EQ as well as a switchable top-boost for even more raspy, grinding bite, CHIEF DISRUPTOR is the most flexible, beautifully balanced and LOUDEST muff-style pedal you'll ever hear!

Over the years, different muff drives had different levels of gain, so KMA Machines derived three major distinctive gain structures all based on what was thought to be the best versions. The Vintage Mode (VTG) will give you every shade of discrete overdrive, while the Tight Mode will give a more focused and modern tone with less bass and super crisp harmonics. Heavy Mode is the essence of what we all love about muffs. Heavy, sustaining and crazy thick fuzzy distortion, with bone-shaking lows and chewy mids. Just crank the Disruption (Gain) Control and you'll see this in action.

Tonal shaping was one of the true weak points of classic muff pedals, and this has been remedied with the Chief Distruptor. KMA Machines opened the gates to more modern tonal flexibility through the active Bass and Treble controls, which let you boost or cut highs and lows with up to 15 dB, while the parametric Mid-EQ with adjustable centre-frequency and level boost/cut allows you to fine tune the mids with extreme precision, for everything from classic scooped fuzz tones, modern mid-focused dirt tones and all the way to cocked-wah saturation.

You can take complete hands-free control of the Mid-EQ frequency via an expression-pedal. This lets you make instant tone changes on the fly, as well as unleash fast and quacky wah-like sounds or slow and enveloping phaser-like sweeps. If you feel like the filter needs to be more resonant for screaming synth-like sweeps or needs to be subtler, then you can adjust the Q of the Mid-EQ via an internal trimpot. The mids can also be turned on and off via the relay-based soft-switch, allowing you to kick in the mids for soaring solos, cutting chords or when you want to get filter freaky. Having super saturated mids and lows can sometimes result in a perceived loss of highs. To fix this, just engage the Top-Boost to give your high-mids a big push for more crunchy harmonics and bite to cut through any band mix. The Top Boost has been tweaked, but if you feel like it's either too loud or not loud enough, you can also adjust the Top Boost Level via an internal trimpot.

The gain control has been carefully balanced to achieve total control of even the slightest harmonic nuances. So, whether you're looking for low gain drive, crunchy medium gain rhythm tones, singing or saturated lead sounds or skull-crushing doom tones, the Disruption control can and will cover all of them! A lot of gain rules! But gain also means compression, and the more you compress your sound, the more your instrument will lose definition. To preserve your precious core tone the CHIEF DISRUPTOR sports a clean blend control and a toggle switch to define the insert position. Insert your dry signal before the EQ section for a more cohesive sound or place it post-EQ to keep your dry signal completely unaffected.

Last but not least, KMA Machines have implemented stacked headroom topology to keep the EQs from getting saggy when cranked, all which results in the tightest, most punchy and LOUDEST muff-style tone on the market. Go forth and empower your creative side, with tone that has true vision to inspire. If you are ready for a change in distortion history, then it's time to follow the CHIEF DISRUPTOR!

Review: The electrifying Rheinzand and is back with another superb full length that will get fans more than excited. Based in Ghent, Belgium it is a joint venture between multi-instrumentalist and producer Reinhard Vanbergen, Charlotte Caluwaerts of Tundra fame and Mo Disko who you will know from electronic pair The Glimmers. For the title track, Stephane Misseghers (from dEUS) joins them on drums and Bruno Coussee plays bass and it makes for a standout single "about drugs and good times, but also about hangovers, loneliness, and a twist of identity crisis." It is backed up by plenty of other innovative tunes.

Review: Radiate Like This is Warpaint's first album in six years. The LA four-piece have been busy since their last outing, 2016's Heads Up, but their brand of dishevelled, dusty indie-pop feels more welcome than ever. As is so often the case with music released these days, the bulk of the work on the record was created in isolation through these weird pandemic years. They also opted to hold off recording the final takes until they had a chance to tour the material, sharpening up the tracks and creating a dazzling end result which might just be the most focused material they've ever realised.

Review: Although it received a lukewarm reception on its initial 2003 release, Erykah Badu's third studio album, Worldwide Underground, has subsequently become something of a fan favourite - in part thanks to its' partially improvised nature and undeniably impressive fusion of classic hip-hop and soul elements. As this reissue on striking purple vinyl, the album has lost none of its sparkle in the 19 years that have passed since its' release. The multiple highlights include sweet, retro-futurist head-nodder 'Bump It (Part 1 & 2)', the nostalgia-seeped 'Back in the Day', Dead Prez hook-up 'The Grind' and the block party-rocking hook-up with Queen Latifah, Bahamedia and Angie Stone, 'Love of My Life Worldwide', a club-ready update of the Sequence's early rap classic 'Funk You Up' (which, of course, Stone featured on and co-wrote).

Review: DDS presents Shinichi Atobe's new effort titled Love Of Plastic, featuring the enigmatic Japanese producer's distinct style of dub-infused house and deep, textured techno. Atobe explores various moods and grooves across the LP's nine tracks: from the rather upbeat groove of opener "Love Of Plastic 1" moving into more abstract waters on the knackered "Beyond The Pale" and leading up to the hypnotic back room dub of closing cut "Severina". On his sixth album for Demdike Stare's label, Atobe is in fine form once again.

Review: Courtial With Errol Knowles's Don't You Think It's Time album gets a first ever vinyl reissue here, and gets deluxe treatment. The original was recorded in 1976 in San Francisco's Bay Area and soon became a real collector's classic for its vital soul and jazz funk sounds. To be honest, the cover art alone is worth the entry price here, but the sounds sure are sublime, with wiggy synth lines weaving their way in and out of the funky drumming on 'Don't You Think It's Time,' 'Best Of Friends' offering lush string sounds and silky grooves and 'Love Nevermore' having a bit of a samba shuffle next to the acoustic guitars and golden Rhodes chords.

Review: This rarity gets a loving reissue via Mad About Records, zooming in the talents of a lesser-touted jazz virtuoso and former Sun Ra Arkestra member. Jothan Callins was a jazz bassist and trumpeter, who rose to prominence in the late 60s with the band Olatunji before joining the Arkestra. 'Winds Of Change' is his only LP, released in 1975. Across four long pieces that seamlessly blend, Callins brings a blissful, yet more energetic and classic jazz feel to his works, and is an example of the Strata East style, . Watch out for the 4-page booklet that comes with this reissue.

Review: German Ivan Ave is a core member of the flourishing contemporary beat scene and has put out a coupe of crucial record on labels like Berlin's Jakarta. Now he branches out to Norway's Mutual Intentions with a crisp new EP, Mid Season, on 10". It showcases the dexterity of his voice which goes from offering up classic bloom bap era par's to more stylised Prince-esque deliveries on 'Mid' and downbeat, almost mumble rap styles on 'Names.' Four instrumental versions of the originals are included on the flip and will be sweet in the club, but you can't beat the vocals.

Review: Isle of Wight self-professed "beach-punks" Reminders had to deal with their fair share of covid-related delays before finalising their cheekily titled debut full-length, 'Best Of Beach Punk.'

Now with UK distribution via punk indie label Venn Records and Wiretap in the US, 2022 is poised to be the year that many get to know the enigmatic, snarky yet unashamedly catchy crew for the potential emo titans they could become.

From the crunchy aggro/sweet embellishments of 'Carousel' to the Shame meets Jimmy Eat World fusion of wit and sincerity on fuzzy opening standout, 'Post Paris Blues', this debut deserves to be given careful consideration by anyone who likes their punk a little bit sugary, or their sugar just a tad gnarly.

Review: Progressive metal legends, Queensryche, pulled off the unthinkable with their fourteenth full-length, 'Condition Human'. The second album to feature vocalist Todd La Torre, after the dramatic firing and subsequent lawsuit brought by former frontman Geoff Tate, served as a reinvigorated rebirth, with many regarding the project to be easily the finest output from the group in the 21st century. Lengthier, more technical and brimming with seasoned chops, 2015 marked a major return to form which the band would capitalise further upon with 2019's, 'The Verdict'. No better time to revisit a modern essential before the imminent arrival of the much hyped, 'Digital Noise Alliance.'

Review: International Feel kicks off what is presumably a new series given its title, Mediterranean Dreams - Part 1. For it, they turn to Perugia synth obsessive, underground mainstay and fine producer Feel Fly for four tracks of breezy and sunny disco-house chuggers. 'Onironauta' brings retro Italo chords and nice chunky drums, 'Grace In Space' is a leggy cosmic wonder with far-sighted chords and muted acid magic, then 'Mediterranean Dreams' is pure 80s dream house bliss. 'Becalmed' is the most rough edged and analogue house jack track of the lot.

Review: STBL is the alias of Spanish sound artist Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo. "Reflected" is his new LP for Gailur Records, an intense voyage from the roots of classic ambient to more experimental layouts very rich in textures and details. This unique mixing brings us a very special release of contemporary ambient music. This is the 4th release of Gailur Records.

Review: Tears For Fears might have been away for twenty years, but they have finally re-convened for a brand new album. And The Tipping Point sure is an ambitions one, but an accomplished one, that goes deep and offers up real emotional force akin to their famously introspective 1983 debut, The Hurting. With plenty of bold and powerful songwriting this is a record that will draw in your new fans and appease the diehards of old. Getting lost in this is almost like they were never away. Welcome back.

Review:  Another highly anticipated reissue from the vaults of the legendary 70s label TSG here that has already been put out late last year by P-Vine Japan. But Reality's unknown classic Disco Party is always going to sell out quick so we're certainly happy about another pressing. Almost nothing is known about the band apart from their association with TSG, the label had a divine touch in picking out the best unknown musicians from New York's bustling funk and soul scene. Their music is full of vibrant riffs and funky bass and cannot fail to detonate in the club.

Review: Fans of library music may have heard of Janko Nilovic, a veteran composer whose jazz, funk, soul and easy listening-inspired works of the sixties and seventies have been extensively sampled by hip-hop producers including Dr Dre. Now 80, last year he joined forces with Russian funk combo The Soul Surfers to record this surprise album. He still appears to have something of a Midas touch, because Maze of Sounds really is rather good. Starting with the heady breeze of 'Prelude', the set sees the Soul Surfers delivering impeccable instrumental cuts that variously draw influence from Hammond-laden downtempo grooves, string-laden easy listening soul, stripped-back down-low funk, sun-kissed Sunday afternoon jazz-funk and the deep back catalogue of Bob James.

Review: Before delivering the self-explanatory Newwave Project album in 2017, Kuniyuki Takahashi had spent well over a decade delivering spiritual, life-affirming blends of deep house and future jazz. It's this side of his output that shines through on Remix Works, a collection of some of the producer's most sublime reworks of other people's work. Typically atmospheric, musically detailed and emotion-seeped, the set contains numerous headline-grabbing highlights, including a fluid, acid-flecked Latin deep house version of 'Plateau' by Mouse on the Keys, a sparkling and futuristic Afro-house re-wire of Mr Raoul K's extra-percussive 'Dounougnan Magni', a marimba-sporting drift through deep aural rainforests (his sublime revision of Kazumi Watanabe's 'Garuda') and a loved-up, life-affirming re-imaging of Jungle By Night's horn-sporting 'Love Boat'.

Notes: Based on the iconic and critically acclaimed AT2020, the AT2020USB+ cardioid condenser microphone brings affordable, professional quality into the homes of podcasters, musicians and voiceover artists alike. Plug and Play compatible and engineered for crisp detail, the AT2020USB+ has been a firm favourite amongst creators for many years.

Equipped with a USB output, the AT2020 USB+ is designed for digitally capturing music or any acoustic audio source using your favorite recording software. The microphone offers the critically acclaimed, award winning sound of the AT2020, with studio quality articulation and intelligibility perfect for singer/songwriters, podcasters, voice over artists, field recorders, and home studio recorders.

The AT2020 USB+ features a built in headphone jack with volume control that allows you to directly monitor your microphone signal with no delay. It also offers mix control that blends microphone and pre recorded audio. The microphone's cardioid pickup pattern delivers excellent off axis rejection, while its A/D converter with a 16 bit, 44.1/48 KHz sampling rate ensures extremely articulate sound reproduction.

Audio Technica's state of the art design and manufacturing techniques ensure that the microphone complies with the company's renowned consistency and reliability standards.

Specifications

Element: Fixed-charge back plate, permanently polarized condenser
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Frequency Response: 20 - 20,000 Hz
Power Requirements: USB Power (5V DC)
Bit Depth: 16 bit
Sample Rate: 44.1/48 kHz
Volume Control: Mix control; Headphone volume control
Weight: 386g
Dimensions: 6.38" (162.0 mm) long, 2.05" (52.0 mm) maximum body diameter
Output Connector: USB-type
Headphone Output Power: 130 mW (at 1 kHz, 10% T.H.D., 32 ohm load)
Headphone Jack: 3.5 mm (1/8") TRS (stereo)
Accessories Included: Pivoting stand mount for 5/8"-27 threaded stands; 5/8"-27 to 3/8"-16 threaded adapter; soft protective pouch; tripod desk stand; 10' (3.1 m) USB cable

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett returns with a third solo album that makes another assured leap forwards. The artist here sounds truly relaxed and comfortable in herself and with her art. She serves up an exquisite world of sound that is intimate and inviting thanks to the fine production work from Stella Mozgawa, who is known for her work with Warpaint, Sharon Van Etten and Kurt Vile. This most intimate and personal work has alluring groovers like 'Before You Gotta Go' and the optimistic 'Write A List Of Things To Look Forward To.' It arrives on a lovely limited gatefold blue vinyl with a spot-varnished sleeve.