Onilu is an all-percussionist trio utilizing the extensive family of drummed and tuned percussion instruments to deliver beautifully composed, arranged and executed small ensemble music. Nothing about this all-percussion band feels rarified, or missing anything musical. To the contrary, Onilu create a soundworld where nothing is missing, and everything is musical -- defying the stereotype of modern percussion ensembles as esoteric or academic pursuits, reaffirming the powerful social and sacred musics made in African diasporic communities and across cultures by drum and percussion groups since the beginning of human time. The members of Onilu are: Kevin Diehl, leader of the enduring Philadelphia-based Afro-Cuban Yoruba free-jazz ensemble Sonic Liberation Front; Chad Taylor, Artistic Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Pittsburgh and esteemed drummer of long standing in many scenes. Highlights of Taylor's recent history include his work with James Brandon Lewis, Jaimie Branch, Marc Ribot, Rob Mazurek, and with Joshua Abrams in the duo Mind Maintenance-. Taylor was part of the community of young Chicago-based musicians organized around Fred Anderson's Velvet Lounge in the 1990s that included Abrams, Nicole Mitchell, Jeff Parker, and Matana Roberts, among others; living legend Joe Chambers, who began his illustrious career as the drummer on now-canonical early Blue Note recordings by Andrew Hill, Bobby Hutcherson, Sam Rivers, Wayne Shorter, and Mccoy Tyner. A 1970 founding member of Max Roach's pathbreaking percussion ensemble M'Boom, Chambers continues to record percussion-centered music as a leader for Blue Note records. After nearly three decades working with such historic drummers as Denis Charles, Walter Perkins, Sunny Murray, Hamid Drake, Milford Graves, Susie Ibarra, Charles Bobo Shaw, and Han Bennink, it is Eremite Records' joy and honor to give the drummers not some, but ALL the spotlight. From Dana Hall's liner notes: "These three artists are master musicians and the music they present here is masterfully conceived. The drum, and its entire global family of membranophones, shakers, and idiophones, are conduits for their collective creative voice. In addition to drummers, they are also composers, and their works here represent a synthesis of ideas, concepts, and their individual dialectics on the language and syntax found in much of African and African Diasporic musics. A music that uses call and response. One that honors the past while looking forward to the future. A music that is principally concerned with feeling, mood, and storytelling. One that eschews frivolity and the baroque. A music that swings and grooves. I found myself dancing to this recording. Trust me, you, too, will find yourself rightfully and unapologetically dancing to this recording." First Eremite edition of 999 copies pressed on premium audiophile-quality 140-gram vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing, from Kevin Gray/Cohearent audio lacquers. Recorded by Michael Richelle, Philadelphia. Mastered by Joe Lizzi, Queens, NY. Hand screen-printed insert by Alan Sherry, Siwa Studios, Northern New Mexico.

"In the mid-'70s in Northern New Jersey, some friends and I formed an ensemble called Atomic Squawk, with which we used our extremely limited musical techniques to play the sorts of whacked-out sounds about which none of our fucking peers gave a rat's ass. 'Funny' talking blues, free form skronk, vaguely detourned covers of Beefheart and the Velvets -- these were our stocks in trade, and much happy time was whiled away in Randy Charles' basement drinking and making noise, simply because most all the live music being played in the area was dull as shit; useless unless your only goal was trying to get a sloppy blowjob in the parking lot of Mother's. Fifty miles south, things were pretty much the same for future members of Steel Tips, King of Siam, Strapping Fieldhands, Spy Gods and other future legends of the South Jersey sub-underground. But the active (and semi-active) participants in Bangone Ensemble had access to many more and better musicians down around Rutgers. This meant the Bangone Ensemble's sound was leagues beyond Atomic Squawk's. Still, we shared the same aesthetic impulse. In 1975, Jersey bands like the Laughing Dogs and Another Pretty Face were considered cutting edge. If you knew anything about anything, this notion was a goddamn joke. It sounds to me (factual details are shrouded in mystery) like Bangone Ensemble had up to a dozen players at times, with miles of instrumental width, and chops almost on a par with Ithaca's Zobo Fun Band. There's some seriously good playing going on here, but it's all being done in the name of weirdo-rock as the truest expression of non-idiotic teen rebellion. It's a great damn sound, mixing jazz, art-rock, 'new music' and primitivism in much the same way DC band the Muffins did during their earliest days. The sound is kind of like a child's guide to the avant garde -- from the Mothers to the Soft Machine to the Magic Band to the Arkestra and beyond, with a soupçon of sheer wise-assery stirred in for good measure. Bangone Ensemble's sound is just a great gust of freedom from a time and a place that was pretty fucking square. They unwittingly set a pace not really matched until some of the free-rock post-everything fusion units of the mid '90s. As Mick Farren might have said, 'Give the anarchists a cigarette!' They earned it." --Byron Coley

"We are overjoyed to present this album, another one from our bucket list and another one to set the record straight and illuminate the history of another much loved, but until now mysterious group. The Invaders made some of our all-time favorite records -- back in 2013 we issued five 45's of their brilliant, sometimes plaintive, sometimes hopeful and sweet early roots music. Their sound touches folk and gospel in lovely subtle ways that elevate them above the many harmony groups of the early roots reggae era. Since the start of DKR we were striving to learn more about the group -- and despite being able to license a portion of their output for reissue, and get anecdotes about them here and there, we were never able to connect with the group themselves. But we never gave up asking about them, and finally in 2024 we were able to link with Delroy 'Bongo Pat' Forde, the surviving member of the group. Unfortunately other Invader, Lloyd 'Paddy' Campbell passed on several years back. To hear and learn their full story, you need to check out this album and read the liner notes. This 13-song LP corrals much of their output -- some of the tracks we previously issued but have been long out of press, some more never before reissued, and some great related solo works by the duo. And to cap it all off we've added two new voicings on a couple of our favorite vintage rhythms, by Invader Bongo Pat himself, live in 2024, singing two Invaders songs written way back in the early 1970s but never recorded back then. All together this is a long overdue document of one of the 1970s finest groups and one dear to our heart. LP comes with double sided insert sheet of history and photos." --DKR

Arriving in North America on Eremite, the debut recording by The Ancients, the intergenerational coalition of Isaiah Collier, William Hooker, and William Parker formed by Parker to play concerts in conjunction with the Milford Graves Mind Body Deal exhibition at the Institute Of Contemporary Art Los Angeles and now a working group. Across 2 LPs of side-length long-form improvised sets recorded at 2220 Arts and Archives in LA and The Chapel in San Francisco, The Ancients bring the free jazz trio languages first explored by the Cecil Taylor Unit and Ornette Coleman's Golden Circle Band (expanded upon in later eras by Sam Rivers' trio and Parker's collective trios with Charles Gayle/Graves and Peter Brötzmann/Hamid Drake) into their own unique and scintillating realms of expression. As we tumble further into the throes of history's tides, people of hope and creativity rely on the works of our great artists to lift our spirits and focus our resolve. Ascension was recorded less than a year after the passage of the Civil Rights Act and four months after the assassination of Malcolm X. Journey in Satchidananda was recorded the month Reagan was re-elected governor of California. M'Boom made its debut recording weeks after the Watergate scandal broke and a couple months after the Wounded Knee occupation ended. The music of The Ancients builds on these great musical legacies. It resounds with the pride of survival and the joys of making and sharing music. It delivers to us hope and balm. Something real in you, real in history, and real in the music is shared, right on time. When Eremite records commenced operations during the 1990s free jazz resurgence, heavyweight freedom-seeking tenor saxophonists such as Fred Anderson, Peter Brötzmann, Charles Gayle, Kidd Jordan, and David S. Ware were at the height of their powers. Isaiah Collier's tenor playing in The Ancients is bracing testimony that the wellspring lives on. To hear the young Chicago firebrand blowing freely with veteran improvisers in an entirely open-form group music is a revelatory study of his vast talent, personal voice, and the intensity of his expression -- as well as a bold complement to his composition-based albums as a bandleader (including The Almighty, a New York Times' best albums of 2024 selection). I've admired drummer William Hooker since first encountering his music in a Hartford, CT, city park, early '90s (on a double bill with Jerry González and Fort Apache Band). From the man himself right off the bandstand I bought his even-then rare first recording, the 1976 self-released 2LP opus Is Eternal Life (reissued 2019 by Superior Viaduct). An imposing force on his instrument and an intrepid DIY cat, Hooker's been exuberantly swinging in-and-out of free time for 50+ years. Informed by the innovations of Sunny Murray and Tony Williams yet entirely himself, there is no other term for it than "pure Hooker." At age 78, with the Ancients and everywhere else, THE HOOK is in peak form. With a discography approaching 600 entries and 50+ years working across the musical maps, including in the history-defining bands of Don Cherry, Cecil Taylor, Bill Dixon, Peter Brötzmann, in his own wondrous ensembles from small group to orchestra to opera, a bastion of compassionate leadership and a poetic champion of his musical community, in tireless service to what he rather egolessly refers to as "the tone world," multi-instrumentalist, improviser and composer William Parker is a living hero of the grassroots and the Black Mystery Musics, not to mention one of the great bassists in the history of jazz. To quote George Clinton, conquering the stumbling blocks comes easier when the conqueror is in tune with the infinite. Free jazz is an enduring high art. Its greatest expressions belong to their particular moment in history, and live on to transcend and refract in amaranthine ways. Inside our present historical moment, we are fortunate to have the master musicians in the ancients bringing us their high-level creation. First Eremite edition of 1,299 copies pressed on premium audiophile-quality 140gram vinyl at Fidelity Record pressing, from Kevin Gray/Cohearent audio lacquers. Live to 2-track concert recordings by Bryce Gonzales, Highland Dynamics. Mastered by Joe Lizzi, Queens, NY. Album and concerts co-produced with The Black Editions Group.

Reissued here for the first time, Cartão Postal is one of the best and most sought-after Brazilian funk-soul albums from the early '70s. It includes some outstanding up-tempo gems like Marcos and Paulo Sergio Valle's "Que bandeira," and the stellar "Esperar Prá Ver," co-written by Evinha's brother Renato Corrêa who also happened to be a member of the Golden Boys. This is a classic Brazilian soul-funk title, right up there with all the greatest albums of the genre. Remastered from the original tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl. This release is part of a new reissue series that will include many other outstanding Brazilian classics. Cartão Postal was originally released on Odeon Brazil in 1971, a few years after Evinha started her solo career. From 1961 to 1968 she was a member of Trio Esperança, alongside her brothers Mário and Regina. In 1969 Evinha won first prize at the Festival Internacional da Cançao Popular and her discography for Odeon took off. Cartão Postal, her third solo album, comprises some outstanding gems. "Só Quero" emanates samba soul sounds while songs like "Por Mera Coincidência" or "Rico Sem Dinheiro" resemble what Trio Esperança was doing at the time: vocal-driven groovy jams spiced with celestial strings arrangements and heavy-duty drums and basslines, which is not surprising since they both worked with the same producers and arrangers, as they were all Odeon artists. Ridiculously rare and expensive now, and at the top of many collectors' wants lists for decades, it's finally reissued here after years unavailable.

WRWTFWW Records presents a one-of-a-kind collaboration release between buzzing UK producer and DJ Pizza Hotline and Swedish electronic and synth icon Mitch Murder, delivering three gigantic tracks each for the Anti Gravity Tournament album, available as a limited-edition LP housed in a heavyweight 350gsm sleeve illustrated by the legendary junkboy. Inspired by the classic WipEout video game series, this high-energy boosted split-album transports listeners into the futuristic world of anti-gravity racing, a colorful turbo adventure soundtracked by six mega tracks of fast-paced atmospheric jungle, thunderous breaks, and liquid drum and bass. The adrenaline-fueled collection delivers maximum energy and dreamy vibes, a true paradise for fans of '90s/Y2K video games, LTJ Bukem, Peshay, Soichi Terada, and previous efforts by Mitch & Pizza. Anti Gravity Tournament follows two critically-acclaimed albums by Pizza Hotline -- Level Select and Polygon Island, both still available on WRWTFWW Records, as well as the limited Low Poly Breaks cassette series which sold out in a few minutes. Mitch Murder is known as one of the originators of synthwave and has released timeless albums on Rosso Corsa Records, Mad Decent, and My Pet Flamingo (TimeSlave Recordings). He is also the man behind the Kung Fury soundtrack and has collaborated with David Hasselhoff himself! The astonishing exclusive artwork comes from the one and only junkboy, creative director at Mojang Studios (Minecraft) and all-around design grandmaster. Fasten your seatbelt and join the fun.

"A special moment here with this one. This record has it all -- one of the best rhythms of the entire '80s let alone the early digital canon, laced with lasers, killer synths, dive bombs, vocoder, screeching across the border, militant lyrics, gigantic drums, perfect claps, the list goes on and on. An absolutely perfect record for the period and for the ages. Hopeton Lindo lets loose an awesome vocal -- his salute to the heroes and martyrs of the militant struggle against South African apartheid -- Benjamin Moloise, Stephen Biko and of course Nelson Mandela. If you don't know, read up on these men ASAP. This tune was made at Tubby's on a wild mix of the original King Tubby's tempo riddim, and was originally released on the very short-lived Aqua label due to some producer runnings back in the day. Now recut from the original master tape, this is one of those joyous occasions where this new issue actually sounds better than the original, which suffered from being made at the notoriously quality plagued GG's pressing plant. Fans of late '80s digital and militant reggae take note - this is your perfect storm. A long time searching for this one, finally here."

Efficient Space honors the memory of producer and MC Ali Omar with Hashish Hits, a posthumous selection from the dub rebel's self-released discography. One of ten children in working-class Liverpool, Omar drew deep influence from his father's Arabic heritage -- a thread central to his identity and sample origins. After art school and a spell clubbing during Manchester's halcyon days, he relocated to Sydney, where he co-founded the blunted downbeat duo Atone with fellow British expatriate Andy Fitzgerald. As an MC, he infiltrated the city's house, dub, jungle, and bass circuits, becoming a regular fixture at the Bentley Bar, where he commanded the mic with his versatile, rumbling baritone and charisma. Freakishly talented in the studio, Omar was a pioneer of the Akai sampler and Atari, deftly recording live sessions straight to DAT. Drawing on industry insights from his sister, Merseybeat firebrand Beryl Marsden -- who supported The Beatles on their final UK tour and was signed to Decca and Columbia -- the non-conformist sought to build a self-sufficient business model. Between 1998 and 2004, he independently issued four albums on CD through his Hashish Studios imprint, hustling copies directly to local record stores and live shows for instant returns, even hand-sewing screen-printed hessian sleeves for his final release. Uncompromising in his principles and refusing to suffer fools or charlatans, Omar relished the opportunity to collaborate with those who embodied the same spirit. Hashish Hits offers a snapshot of his inner sanctum -- Fitzgerald on the opening track's billowing smoke stacks, the serpentine vocals of Gina Mitchell and the magic hands of mixer Louis Mitchell on "On Release," and Wicked Beat Sound System's Kye on "Poor Man Beggar Man Thief." Meanwhile, "Suicide Bomber" smolders with the tension of a lost Muslimgauze relic, as the instructional "Roll Up" and "The Last Straw" spiral deeper into Omar's signature production vortex -- where space stretches in slow motion and walls reverberate with ricocheting delay. A true icon of Sydney's underground scene, the larger-than-life Omar passed away on 23 June 2009 after a valiant battle with cancer. He is remembered for his assertive spirit, larrikin humor, wild anarchic personality, and enduring mantra: "Love and live your life."

Rare islands funk soul. Great soulful vocal ghetto-vibed funkiness from Barbados. Reissued for the first time. Watch out for funky version of Kool & The Gang's "Kool Reggae" and favorite songs of many DJs, such as "World of Tomorrow" or "Making a Living." Licensed by Phil Dino.

A groundbreaking collaboration between British experimental artist Pete Kember, aka Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3) and Swiss electronic duo SINNER DC, MAPS blends music, visuals, and interactive gaming (Mac/PC) into a multidimensional experience. Originally conceived for a one-off live performances in 2013 in Geneva, MAPS draws inspiration from Borges' meditations on the limits of representation, crafting a surreal auditory and visual journey.

Pedro Vian and Maalem Najib Soudani's Mogador: a fusion of analog electronic music and traditional gnawa sounds. Mogador stands as a compelling exploration of the intersection between seemingly irreconcilable musical worlds; the experimental realm of analog electronic music and the deep-rooted tradition of Gnawa. This project is more than just a juxtaposition of styles; it's a meeting of minds where the ancient and the modern, the analog and the organic, are woven together into a seamless auditory dialogue. What truly sets Mogador apart is the way Pedro Vian's use of the EMS AKS Synthi and Buchla doesn't overpower the mix but instead forms a perfect synergy with Maalem Najib Soudani's qrebeb and guimbiri. Rather than competing, the analog pulses intertwine with the hypnotic lines of the traditional instruments, amplifying the trance-inducing qualities inherent in Gnawa music. Maalem's vocals, steeped in history and spirituality, float over layers of synths that feel both ethereal and tangible, crafting a soundscape that is as cinematic as it is visceral. This is not just a collision of cultures or a superficial fusion exercise. Mogador represents a genuine dialogue between two ways of understanding sound and space, where every element -- from the syncopated percussion to the serpentine modular waves -- contributes to a sonic landscape that is both haunting and profoundly resonant. Here, tradition isn't a museum piece, and analog electronics aren't a rootless futurism; instead, they transform each other, creating something greater than the sum of their parts.

Inventive and superbly produced hard-rock with psychedelic, blues and heavy-prog/proto-metal touches by this studio side-project of Mama Lion. Loud fuzz guitars, heavy keyboards (by James Newton Howard), and screaming vocals. Featuring the great Neil Merryweather and Lynn Carey & the Mama Lion musicians. This is their second album, originally released on Artie Ripp's Family Productions label in 1973. First official vinyl reissue. Original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve with OBI. Sourced from the original master tapes. Includes insert with liner notes, photos, and download card.

Psychedelic hard-rock and heavy blues with loud fuzzed-out guitars, keyboards and inventive studio production/effects by this band led by the great Neil Merryweather and featuring the Mama Lion musicians. This is their first album, originally released on Artie Ripp's Family Productions label in 1972. The Heavy Cruiser project was conceived during the studio sessions for Mama Lion, the band led by Neil Merryweather and Lynn Carey. Artie Ripp always allowed Neil to experiment/jam in the studio and to record any cool ideas and songs he may come up with. Thanks to that creative freedom, Heavy Cruiser was born during Mama Lion jamming sessions. The initial idea was to operate both bands simultaneously with Lynn taking the backseat for Heavy Cruiser but providing vocals and helping with songwriting. Powerful cover versions of rock classics like "C'mon Everybody" or "Louie Louie" show the band having lot of fun in the studio and there was also room for more experimental sounds like "Miracles Of Pure Device." First official vinyl reissue. Original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve plus OBI. Sourced from the original master tapes. Includes insert with liner notes, photos, and download card.

Originally known as Captain Speed, Turquoise was a psychedelic rock band from Southern California who were managed by pioneering Tri-counties concert promoter Jim Salzer, who also operated the legendary Arcade Record Shop. Their sound was 100% psychedelic with swirling baroque organ, trippy guitar fills and driving percussion, all topped off by front man and Jim Morrison's lookalike Tim Pearson's lysergic lyrics. Turquoise shared stage with big names like Grateful Dead, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe & the Fish, The Seeds, The Strawberry Alarm Clock, Jimi Hendrix, and many others. During 1967-68, they recorded two 45s for Jim Salzer's Arcade label and they also laid down material for a planned LP that was never released -- until now. Featuring keyboard player Bill Payne, who later went on be a founding member of Little Feat. Remastered from the original master tapes by Alec Palao. Including their two rare 45s plus eight previously unreleased tracks, 1967-68. Includes insert with liner notes by Gray Newell (Ugly Things/Shindig!) and rare photos/memorabilia. Includes download card.

Soul4Real returns to the south with a selection of eleven songs from Malaco, Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and Alarm Records. There is no doubt that in the 1970s and 1980s, Malaco in Mississippi and Muscle Shoals Sound in Alabama were both highly significant in defining the southern soul sound. Malaco's Studio had opened in 1967, while Muscle Shoals Sound Studio opened its doors for business in 1969, when four musicians left nearby Fame Studios to go it alone. Alarm Records, meanwhile, based in Shreveport, Louisiana, provides listeners with four of the tracks on this album. Independent producers and major record companies sent their artists south to record, taking advantage of both Malaco and Muscle Shoals Sound's talented array of musicians, writers and producers. Muscle Shoals Sound, in particular, started to receive artists from Atlantic Records from the get-go; R.B. Greaves, Baby Washington, Sam & Dave, and Solomon Burke led the way, along with Scotland's Lulu. The first release on their own record label was the timeless "It Hurts So Good" by Katie Love. Meanwhile, Stax (amongst others) sent some of their artists to record at both studios, and Malaco would also lease some of its own productions out to Atlantic. Alarm Records was a smaller set-up which also produced some wonderful records. This album opens with the only female singer featured -- Dorothy Moore. Her exquisite "Girl Overboard" has been justifiably popular on the soul scene for decades. The other ten tracks showcase an array of fine male singers, most of whom (Bobby Bland and King Floyd aside), sadly and perhaps unjustly, never really made the big time. It is the first showing on vinyl for three of the tracks here (previously having only been issued on CD), and Jimmy Jules' reading of "Having A Little Talk With Love" has never appeared anywhere before. As always, sit back and savor the music! Also featuring Ray Crumley, George Jackson, Chuck Brooks, Joe Wilson, Ted Taylor, Eddie Giles, and Reuben Bell.

A collection with a very specific criterion: to bring together the best songs that exemplify the model of what would later be known as salsa. Tito's sessions at RCA produced the highest quality and sounding recordings of the epoch, and are up to today's sound standards. 24 tracks compiled from the best dancefloor tracks from Tito's golden era that easily adapt to the aesthetics of modern salsa. Featuring: Santos Colón, Vicentico Valdés, Alfredito Valdés, Vitín Avilés, Yayo "el Indio," and Tony Molina. Complete liner notes Spanish/English by collector and DJ, Pablo "Bongohead" Yglesias. Format designed for DJ's, collectors and general public. Though it may seem obvious or perhaps even a fool's errand to dedicate a compilation to this theme, since everything Tito recorded was full of "salsa y sabor" (sauce and flavor), it's actually perhaps the first of its kind in that every recording here is specifically chosen for today's salsa dancers, in whichever style they choose to dance, with an emphasis on the guaguancó rhythm and mambo arrangement. Tito's RCA sessions produced the most high quality, incredible sounding recordings of the epoch, and they more than hold their own by today's sonic standards. For this reason, Grosso has collected two dozen of Tito's finest golden era nuggets for the dance floor, with a concerted emphasis on midtempo numbers with clear percussion patterns that easily fit the modern salsa aesthetic. Many of these tracks, such as "Cuando Te Vea," "Complicación," "Agua Limpia Todo," "Con Sandunga," and "Guaguancó Margarito" are directly connected to traditional Afro-Cuban rumba or Santería rituals through their original composers, rhythm structure, lyrical content and melodies. Indeed, they could all be performed -- and some were -- as strictly percussion and vocal rumbas, but the real difference is what Tito Puente did with the instrumentation, arrangements, vocals and pacing, turning them into the big band extravaganzas that caused "mambo mania," routinely working his audiences into a frenzy on the dance floor.

15 Years Anniversary Edition of the debut full length from French producer/DJ Rone. Printed on neon pink transparent bio-vinyl. In 2009, Rone released Spanish Breakfast, an album that marked the first step of an extraordinary musical journey. Now, to celebrate its 15th anniversary, Infine is thrilled to announce a special edition reissue -- sustainably crafted on vibrant neon pink vinyl, created as a tribute to the album that started it all. This limited release isn't just a record; it's a piece of history and a celebration of where it all began. A record of simmering techno bubbles and gentle wells and releases swimming elegantly over its duration. A playful and woozy effort, Rone fills up the stereo field with widescreen synthscapes and dreamy bleeps popping from every audio crevice. In Spanish Breakfast, the young Frenchman has crafted a player that is primed for hazy Spring afternoons bathed in sunshine. Featuring Alain Damasio.

2025 repress. Jeff Mills's Waveform Transmission Vol. 3 initially came out in 1994 on Tresor Records. The eight titles on this album marked a turning point for Mills. It indicates a transition from the straightforward sound he had created through the early 1990s, into the different facets and sound palette he would develop through the remainder of the decade. It is a significant piece within Mills's oeuvre.

This is the best Chilean album of all time according to Rolling Stone magazine. It contains the latest compositions by Violeta Parra, including her global hit "Gracias a la vida." Vampisoul are now glad to present Las últimas composiciones de Violeta Parra as originally released in 1966, with remastered sound from the tapes and the original artwork. 180g vinyl. It was recorded for RCA Víctor at the end of 1966, despite the artist had signed a deal with EMI Odeon and released her previous albums on this label. After spending some time in Europe, Violeta Parra was back in Chile and wanted to record her most recent songs, filled with lyrics inspired by personal life's disappointments and social topics. The album contains great songs such as "Run Run se fue pa'l Norte," "Maldigo del alto cielo," "Rin del Angelito" and the global hit "Gracias a la vida." This is the very last album released while Violeta Parra was still alive as she would kill herself only four months later, in February 1967. In 1974 a new version of the album was released featuring string arrangements by Chilean composer Nino García and new artwork, a full-color illustration based on the black and white photo of the original album cover. This became the most popular version of the album available in decades. The ownership of the original master tapes has been the subject of judicial disputes since the late 1990s and until very recent times, which explains the difficulty in having access to the original work, as originally conceived, throughout this period.

Brooklyn Sounds' legendary second album from 1972, full of heavy Nuyorican underground salsa dura propelled by raw trombones, off-kilter piano and in-your-face percussion. A perfect blend of barrio attitude and Caribbean swing, the album proves Brooklyn has sabor y salsa! Pressed on 180gram vinyl, Vampisoul's reissue includes liner notes featuring never-before seen photos. Libre -- Free is the now legendary second album by the short-lived Brooklyn Sounds and is arguably even better than their self-titled debut (VAMPI 297LP), displaying a more mature and practiced sound, no doubt honed by their experiences playing more gigs in support of their first record. Brooklyn Sounds were one of a handful of garage salsa bands from the independent scene that was gathering steam in the early 1970s in the New York boroughs, despite little support or exposure in the mainstream Latin music industry from more dominant labels like Fania, Mericana, Cotique and Alegre. As with many others, Brooklyn Sounds briefly fluoresced in a burst of creativity and defiance, yet flamed out shortly thereafter, dying like a flower among the ruins of burned-out apartment blocks in the barrios of its home city. Though the band only cut two LPs and a couple singles in their brief half-decade of existence, and never really broke out of the cuchifrito circuit in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, their music gradually spread far and wide, eventually becoming a sought-after global commodity by the late 1990s. In contrast to the first album Libre -- Free is up-tempo and ebullient, with fewer slow songs and more confident, creative arrangements, full of heavy Nuyorican underground salsa dura propelled by raw trombones, off-kilter piano and in-your-face percussion.

WRWTFWW Records presents the Pitstop Box, compiling all 24 tracks from Japanese house music pioneer Shinichiro Yokota's two acclaimed albums Do It Again and Again (2016) and I Know You Like It (2019). The collection, available on vinyl for the first time ever, is presented as six 45rpm-cut 12" housed in a superb slipcase box set created by Lopetz, designer, illustrator, typographer, and co-founder of Swiss graphic design studio Büro Destruct. Included as bonuses are two sticker sheets. Previously only available on CD in Japan via cult electronic label Far East Recording, Shinichiro Yokota's album discography finally gets a long overdue vinyl release. With a production style drawing from a rich blend of funk, hip hop, electronic, and Japanese influences, Yokota's music is loved for its simplicity, its hypnotic quality, and, most importantly, its soul -- homegrown '90s soulful melodic club music -- pure love! The Pitstop Box, full of dancefloor treasures and sprinkled with downtempo gems, not only defines Yokota's personal journey but also resonates as an essential contribution to the house genre and Japanese music in general. It includes his house hits, a cover of "Simoon" by Haruomi Hosono's Logic System, and a collaboration with his longtime partner and electronic music hero Soichi Terada. Shinichiro Yokota began his musical history in Tokyo, inspired by electronic music giants such as Yellow Magic Orchestra and Kraftwerk. He co-founded Far East Recording with the great Soichi Terada (who also worked with WRWTFWW for the Omodaka compilation) in 1990. After releasing the now highly sought after Far East Recording album with Terada in 1992, he took a hiatus from music and, most notably, brought his passion for sports cars to the next level by launching Night Pager, a company he started with his wife, specializing in tuning sports cars and modifying limiters for competition racers. It's this side of Yokota's life which has inspired the design of the Pitstop Box. He triumphantly came back to music with the album Do It Again and Again in 2016, consisting of unreleased '90s recordings as well as new material, and followed it up with I Know You Like It in 2019. His work has influenced generations of producers, and has expanded Japanese house music's reach on the global stage. Experience it on vinyl now.

"Live In Paris is the fourth album from the Austin TX trio USA/Mexico, and their first since 2021's Del Rio. As the title suggests, the album was recorded live at Paris' Le Petit Bain in March of 2024. As on their prior studio albums, the group remains guitarist Craig Clouse (Shit and Shine), bassist Nate Cross (Water Damage, Marriage) and drummer King Coffey (Butthole Surfers). Mastered by James Plotkin."

Black Truffle presents a rare solo release from Konrad Sprenger, alias of elusive Berlin composer-producer-instrument builder Jörg Hiller. A prolific collaborator, Sprenger has worked extensively with icons of American minimalism such as Ellen Fullman (with whom her recorded the gloriously eccentric song album Ort) and Arnold Dreyblatt (as a core member of the Orchestra of Excited Strings since 2009), as well as releasing their music on his impeccably curated label, Choose. As an instrument builder and installation artist, he has overseen the creation of a computer-controlled multi-channel electric guitar and, with Phillip Sollmann, a modular pipe organ system designed to be reconfigured from space to space. Set brings together the various strands of Sprenger's work into a wildly infectious, playful epic, performed by the composer and the mysterious Ensemble Risonanze Moderne. On the LP's second side, listeners are also treated to a guest appearance from longtime collaborator Oren Ambarchi, on whose recent solo releases Simian Angel and Shebang Sprenger has made key production contributions. Ambarchi's signature stuttering, swirling harmonics weave through a sparkling assemblage of electric guitars, acoustic instruments, percussion and electronics -- though, given the deft use that much of Sprenger's recent production work makes of midi-controlled sampled instrumentation, it's anyone's guess where the acoustic ends and the digital begins here. As soon as the needle drops on the first side, listeners are inside a musical world that Set will inhabit for its 33 minutes: sparkling guitar harmonics and palm-muted notes, tuned percussion, crisp electronic drum hits, flashes of horns, and untraceable bursts of synthetic sound are arranged into a skittering polyrhythmic framework calling up the detail-rich percussive constructions of contemporary techno filtered through the pointillism of the post-serialist European avant-garde. Behind this shifting mist of particulate sound, winds and strings sound out held chords, reminiscent of Arthur Russell's Tower of Meaning in their epic yet seemingly aimless drift. The relationship between elements is mysterious, appearing both carefully considered and almost random. Though never straying too far from where it begins, as the piece moves along, it spotlights increasingly bizarre instrument choices as well as momentary liftoffs into motorik propulsion. Set is a fascinating, mercurial thing: at once propulsive and fragmented, essentially static in form yet ever-changing in detail, unabashedly egghead in its construction yet sure to get the feet tapping.

Collector, seeker and storyteller Charles Bals brings his curatorial finesse to Hamburg's Bureau B with Ambientale, a journey into otherworldly sounds from the years 1983-2000. Drifting effortlessly between digital exoticism, mellow fusion, new age groove and library electronics, the pieces range from largely obscure to utterly un-google-able, and coalesce into a stunning soundtrack to tranquil seas, desert sand and starlit skies. Cinematic and enigmatic, Ambientale is a stranger you've only just met but can't stop thinking about. A familiar face to those who dwell in the deep end of the record pool, Charles is an obsessive digger, always on the track of an otherwise unheard sound. Through two trips to "Club Meduse" and star-crossed lovers "America Dream Reserve" and "Black Rain," he's also established himself as a mixtape auteur, weaving together the strange and beautiful into evocative compilations that transport listeners to distinct, imaginative realms. While his previous sets resembled Super-8 vignettes, populated by sun-kissed hedonists and drifting outsiders, Ambientale sees Charles leave the human world behind, exploring all the world's wilderness on the scale of an IMAX epic. Bals opens his sonic travelogue with the bamboo flutes and resonant gongs of esteemed Italian maestro Luigi Ceccarelli, joined by the clean lines and Eastern tonalities of the little-known RanōBoru. The journey deepens with a double-feature from Tokyo composer Akira Mitake, sliding from dreamy New Age soundscapes into the lush groove of floral fusion. Digital rhythms and snaking bass add a Latin accent to the bouzouki of Individual Sensitivity's "Greece Ambientale," while the lilting percussion and shimmering synths of Steve Shehan's smooth jazz rarity "Evening In The Sahara" segue perfectly into a masterpiece of French Balearic from Private Joke. A smoky saxophone rises like mist, echoing through the rainfall on Adriano Maria Vitali's "Velvet Blue Circles," before Masami Tsuchiya pulls listeners into the depths with the aquatic ambience of 1983's "Never Mind," its electronic palette the perfect vehicle to ensure that Akira Mitake's "Spectrum" surprises, rather than startles, with its booming machine drums a superb point of difference. From there, we wander once more into the digital undergrowth, exploring the mystical and magical sounds of the Italian library ensemble Gruppo Sound, along with a rare glimpse of Blue Note new age from Gil Mellé. Police sirens and street noise signal our return to the city, forming the backdrop to the tumbling drums and moody electronic stabs of "Ship Out" by Ferris Wheel, an utterly unknown piece rumored to be a promotional track from a Venezuelan garbage company -- the final twist of intrigue to this otherworldly voyage.

LP version. "If you're already aware of Rüdiger Lorenz, chances are you washed ashore on Southland, his cult kosmische curio graciously reissued by the ever-benevolent Bureau B in the middle of the last decade. Either that, or you're one of the few hundred electronic music obsessives who encountered his work the first-time round, giddily grabbing up the eighteen cassette, vinyl and CD releases the prolific part-timer delivered DIY style on his Syntape and Syncord imprints between 1981-1998. I say this because despite a catalogue both copious and singular, and a renewed interest amongst the switched on and tuned in since his premature passing in 2000, Rüdiger's reception has remained sadly subterranean -- another example of audio inequity. As such, it falls to Synrise, attentively assembled by Rüdiger's son Tim, to shine some rightful light on this unique talent. Although Rüdiger impressed as a member of a local beat group in the seventies, growing exposure to the likes of Neu!, Tangerine Dream, Reich, and Riley pushed him towards the electronic and experimental, a style more suited to his solitary temperament. Unsurprisingly for a man who made eighteen solo albums around his day job, Lorenz was something of a loner, though it's hard to hear that through the emotional resonance of his releases. His search for sonic expression led him to overcome his lack of electrical knowhow, boldly soldering on to create organs, effects units and self-built modular systems, each in service to his specific sound. What then, specifically, is the sound of Synrise? Selected from his first four releases, Queen of Saba (1981), Silver Steps (1981), Wonderflower (1982) and Earthrise (1983), this septet boasts sci-fi anthems and sine wave requiems, nebulous cosmic collages of snapping rhythm boxes, gurgling sequences and synthesized choirs? Though originally released across four different cassettes, these seven tracks all belong to the same sonic universe -- just not the universe we're living in." --Patrick Ryder

"On the Cover: The Velvet Underground -- Lost in Sound -- Multiple features on your favorite band, with rare images and cool ephemera throughout. Here Come The Tapes: A Guide To The Velvet Underground's Live Tape Stash by Tyler Wilcox. Plus, full length reviews of new reissues of cassette tapes by ur-VU drummer Angus MacLise, and a lengthy appreciation by Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Light in the Attic's excellent pre-VU Lou Reed set. Killer Content: "TV on the Radio and the Magic Negro Myth." Martin Douglas on the band's visionary debut LP, Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes -- and the lessons we haven't learned 20 years later. This piece is such a standout, wait until you read it. Punk Diary: Excerpts from Hat & Beard Press' I Feel Famous: Punk Diaries 1977-1980, written by a then-17-year-old Angela Jaeger. This diary was renowned for years and has finally seen the light of day, with multiple images to support it. Sweeping Promises: A very visual look at the great, shimmering guitar-pop band. Their visual aesthetics so perfectly accompany their sound, and that's discussed in detail for the first time. 12XU: Fred Thomas' engrossing talk with Gerard Cosloy about the third major record label he's run, and why it matters. This is the third in a series of columns on record labels. Razor Braids: Raucous, hilarious, uncompromising -- an introduction to the Brooklyn-based band who you're sure to hear more from soon. Antietam Loves Sleepyhead: Two of our favorite bands from the 1980s on how to keep the love alive. Antietam was formed in Louisville in 1984 out of the ashes of the Babylon Dance Band. They soon moved to NYC And released a series of beloved records for Homestead. Sleepyhead formed in 1988 in the basement of their NYU dorm and released beloved albums for the likes of Slumberland. The Sonics: An in-depth look at the fun, new documentary film on the Pac NW garage pioneers. Departmentstore Santas: Wonderful interview with the folks behind the major 1984 self-released DIY effort, At The Medieval Castle Nineteen 100-Year Lifetimes Since, a record on par with the best efforts by Desperate Bicycles, Homosexuals, and V3. Joy Guidry: Ana Gavrilovska on the beautiful music of the contemporary jazz bassoonist. Plus our regular, excellent columns by Mimi Lipson, Lucy Sante, Andy Zax, and others, including the debut of Desert Island owner Gabe Fowler's "Customer Profiles" column..."

Seminal and highly influential album in the history of Venezuelan rock. Ladies W.C. (1968) is innovative in many aspects: from its stunning psychedelic guitars, loaded with fuzz and wah-wah effects, to its repertoire -- made up of original songs -- or even the graphics featured on the cover of the album. As in the case of "Love Depression," this album has become one of the most sought-after and collectible recordings of Venezuelan rock. Munster's reissue includes remastered sound from the original tapes, 180g vinyl and liner notes. Adib founded Ladies W.C. with his friends Jose Maria Arria "Chema" (bass, vocals), Wolfgang Vivas (lead vocals), and Frank Rojas (drums). Their sound was so innovative that it was not conducive to getting many bookings and they barely managed to play a single concert. As a result, all the original line-up, except Adib, upped and left. Soon after, Stephen Scott and Mario and Jaime Seijas replaced them, seamlessly complementing Adib's playing and his growing interest in blues and psychedelic hard rock. The group's first and only album, released by the Venezuelan label Souvenir, was recorded at Continente Studios in just 10 days. Ricardo Landaeta acted as technician, while Adib and Stephen worked out all the structures and arrangements of the songs, as well as the lyrics. They were very intense recording sessions in which they spent full days locked inside the studio. Hector Fuenmayor is the only guest musician on the recording. All the songs are their own compositions, which was unusual on the Venezuelan scene, as groups' repertoires tended to be cover versions of international hits. The sleeve art, displaying a striking illustration instead of the classic covers showing a photo of the band, was also a novel ingredient in Venezuela, as was the distorted sound of the guitars which made great use of the wah-wah pedal, the extensive harmonica playing, and creative use of sound effects, all of which gave the album a unified conceptual feel. The band were only active for only a couple of years from 1968 to 1969.

El Álamo was a cult Peruvian psychedelic rock band that, as other groups in Lima such as Laghonia, Traffic Sound, and Telegraph Avenue did, sung in English aiming to reach the international market. Their only LP was released in 1971 and was recorded under the influence of Hendrix, Santana, and The Allman Brothers. Unavailable for almost two decades, Munster now reissues Malos Pensamientos in its full glory, with gatefold jacket, two bonus tracks taken from their rare 45, and an insert with liner notes. Released in December 1971, Malos Pensamientos is a psychedelia and Latin rock album on the Peruvian Decibel record label. The local rock market appealed to the label, in spite of Santana's expulsion that same month by the nationalist military dictatorship to appease radical university students who protested vociferously that rock was imperialist. The origins of El Álamo can be found in Los Youngers, a group from Huacho, a city 140 km north of Lima, which was sponsored by the local priest to encourage younger parishioners to attend the go-go-style masses churches were celebrating across Peru by 1967. After recording a 45, the guitarist and bassist, Tino Pow Sang and Arturo Montenegro, moved to the Lima district of Maranga and revamped the band with Luis Iturry and Ricardo Allison from Los Shoes Makers joining the line-up. The average age of the group was 20 when they began laying down the instrumental track at a five-hour session at El Virrey studio. The album stand-out tracks include "Malos Pensamientos," a progressive rock song inspired by a Jimi Hendrix riff, accompanied by the atmospheric sounds of the organ; the rock ballad "Good Night," a must at parties with psychedelic lights and blacklights; "Candy," an abridged version of "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" (Crosby, Stills & Nash); and the psychedelic mantra "Can You See Me."

Sarang Bang Records proudly presents Eternal Afternoons, the latest full-length offering from Auckland-based composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Joe Kaptein. Drawing inspiration from the '70s jazz-funk innovations of Donald Byrd and Lonnie Liston Smith and elements of dub and disco, Eternal Afternoon is an uplifting collection of five original Kaptein compositions -- a joyful antidote to these troubled times. Featuring Kaptein's intricately layered keys and tight ensemble arrangements, the album is augmented by masterful touches of flute and saxophone by Aotearoa New Zealand jazz icon Nathan Haines and backed by local heavyweights Elijah Whyte (drums) and Wil Goodinson (bass), the backbone of Kaptein's regular working band. Seemingly out of nowhere, Kaptein appeared on the Auckland scene a few years ago and quickly made a name for himself owing to his versatility, impeccable taste and musicianship, and has established himself as the go-to keyboardist for the likes of Nathan Haines, The Circling Sun, Princess Chelsea, The Situations, and Muroki. Before recording Eternal Afternoon, Kaptein somehow managed to channel his unrelenting creative energy into three low-key, but brilliant self-released digital albums in between his hectic international touring schedule and session work. These exploratory recordings touch on drum machine and synth-driven psych-lounge, Krautrock, experimental jazz, and Bacharachian pop, allowing the listener a glimpse into the depth of Kaptein's vision and his wide-ranging musical interests.

Here comes a first EP by Josh Ludlow for Toy Tonics. Mastermind of Make a Dance aka M.A.D. records. London's best kept secret (or not so secret anymore) of new underground dance weapons that are played by everybody who counts in the scene. Josh delivers a hot four -tracker that will move people on dance-floors worldwide. Combining 1990s filterhouse influences, 2000s indie dance and some of the edgy contemporary funk moods that are lighting up clubs these days. The post-techno generation likes it funky and Josh delivers. Fitting perfectly with the vibe of Toy Tonics, this EP will find a lot of friends. In fact, Josh knows how things work. Josh Ludlow has been steadily honing his craft over the past 15 years. Starting out releasing Drum & Bass under the Squash! moniker in the late 2000s whilst also playing drums in bands. The former gave way to live touring and it was only in 2020 when Josh resurfaced with some new electronic music. The impetus for releasing this new material was when Josh Ludlow and Ben Lewis formed their beloved project Make A Dance (which then went on to establish the imprint) M.A.D. Records during the pandemic. Since then, M.A.D have made a big impact on the underground scene, become regulars at places such as Fabric, Heidegluhen, Gottwood and gained DJ support of propel such as Laurent Garnier, Optimo, Palms Trax, and Peggy Gou and across BBC Radio1 and regularly cover show's on NTS for Long Running Host's Moxie and Apiento. This is just the beginning.

Gerson King Combo's 1977 album is a masterpiece of Brazilian soul, emerged within the Black Rio movement, which was recorded with União Black as the backing band. It features the kind of full-on funky sound you'd only expect to hear from a rare few American groups of the time. Its ten songs mix political statements, which primarily address issues of racial pride, and dancefloor-oriented music. Remastered from the original tapes and pressed on 180g vinyl. This release is part of a new reissue series that will include many other outstanding Brazilian classics. The Côrtes brothers were born and raised in Madureira. Their careers in music stood away from samba carioca and followed different paths: Getúlio was one of Jovem Guarda's composers (author of hits such as "Negro Gato") while Gerson was involved in underground dance groups and would later (as Gerson King) become a leading figure in the Black Rio movement. This album was produced by Ronaldo Corrêa and features Pedrinho da Luz as artistic director. The album has achieved cult status over the years, becoming one of the most sought-after Brazilian funk records of all times. Ridiculously rare and expensive now, at the top of many collectors' wants lists, it's finally reissued here after years unavailable out of Brazil.

Veyl welcomes Harlem back to the label with a new eight-track LP titled Cage. The Stockholm-based duo of Martin Thomasson and Johan Skugge last appeared on the imprint with 2021's Bait, and the project now returns diving deeper in to their infectious cocktail of menacing electronics. Bringing with them a vast body of work, ranging from dub to minimal techno, with Harlem the pair fuse electro, no wave, post-punk, disco, proto-body, dub, hip-hop, and grime, creating a unique sound that cannot be categorized. Cage opens with "Shut Your Body," a muscular piece which drills into the surface, setting the stage for what's to come. Next up is "Fantasy Scan" a dance floor ready jam that picks up the pace and lures listeners into the pleasure dome. "Blow by Blow" brings a nihilistic energy to a fictional scenario that takes its cues from the past while remaining firmly in the now. "Kiss The Steel" continues on the slow burning path, dropping listeners into a dream like state, blurring the lines of reality and plunging them into a surrealist nightmare or reverie. "Dummy Up" comes roaring back, injecting a dose of electro and body that sounds like a soundtrack to your favorite cult gathering. With "Sleuth" comes the repetitive grind of a man at work, searching for the unknown, unlocking new mysteries along the way. Towards the finale, "Contact High" brings back a seductive dance, ready to movie bodies and stir emotions. Closing things out is "Wiggle Walker," returning listeners to a drifter's journey, a wanderer's melody that carries them to the end -- or is it just the beginning?

20-year anniversary re-issue! Okie Dokie It´s The Orb On Kompakt the 13th album of one of Britian's most prized cult bands. The music of The Orb only has an intensive effect when taken in as a long-playing full length. And it proves with this lovingly conjured collection of songs brought together like a collage. The first half of Okie Dokie showcase The Orb´s love for minimal techno and Schaffel/Shuffle as it is so obviously present in the foreground, while the second half is only reserved to the classic Orb-ish ancestral domain. There are wonderful guest appearances by Schneider TM and Kompakt´s ambient-guru Ulf Lohmann. As many of you know, there is so much history about The Orb you could write a book. Since Jimmy Cauty and Alex Paterson, in the flush of euphoria invented chill out and ambient house in the first summer of love 1988, an incredible amount of things have occurred. After 2002, The Orb found with Kompakt a new ambient-loving partner and release a row of singles and play live, as the trimmed-down version as Le Petit Orb.

10-year anniversary re-issue! A major slice of psychedelic synth bliss and powerful basslines. 2LP edition. Gatefold double LP version. Iconic electronic music pioneers The Orb return to Kompakt with Moonbuilding 2703 AD, another major slice of psychedelic synth bliss, obscure loops, and deep ambient textures tossed in swinging breakbeats and powerful basslines. Installing a forward momentum rather unusual for a genre-defying project like this, the latest effort from masterminds Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann follows their 2005 album success on Kompakt, the cheekily named Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt -- as well as several contributions to Kompakt's Speicher and Pop Ambient series -- but, more importantly, it finds the legendary duo at the peak of its creativity, ringing in another essential phase in what can only be called a groundbreaking career. True to form, Moonbuilding 2703 AD features a small track list, but turns each one of its four cuts into a mini-epic in its own right. Opener "God's Mirrorball" hits the ground floating, employing a handful of cozy statics to great effect before finally discharging into an intricate mosaic of atmospheric, melodic sketches and gripping rhythms. With a hypnotic runtime of more than 14 minutes, it immediately establishes a blueprint for the other album tracks to follow, perfectly illustrating the vast extent of the artists' vision and their impressive skills in luring in listeners -- welcome to The Orb's sonic labyrinth, where nothing is what it seems and the unexpected waits just around the corner. Likewise, follow-up track "Moonscapes 2703 BC" presents itself as a uniquely versatile affair sitting comfortably between ambient flourishes and beat-driven focus, holding as many twists and turns as a caper movie, but carefully grounding every single one of its cliffhangers in its impeccable flow. With a runtime of approximately nine minutes, "Lunar Caves" is the shortest jam of the bunch -- and also the most ethereal, keeping its rhythmic content to a bare, pulse-like minimum and opting for enticing, freewheeling synth textures instead. Album closer and title cut "Moonbuilding 2703 AD" introduces a surprisingly jazzy vibe mingling rather well with the wealth of electronic tricks up its sleeve -- even indulging in abrasive bass sweeps and a breathtaking multitude of different rhythm sections constantly switching places. It's a fitting closing act for a full-length as multifaceted as this, as idiosyncratic as possible and as muscular as needed. Cover design by iconic graphic wizards The Designers Republic.

10-year anniversary re-issue! LP version. The Orb, Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann, have become known for their genre-bending curiosity and surprising sonic detours, exploring experimental soundscapes as well as club-friendly beats. COW / Chill Out, World! is a masterful ambient album that branches out in many directions, but unmistakably sounds like The Orb. In contrast to their much-acclaimed previous full-length Moonbuilding 2703 AD, which took years to prepare and fine-tune, COW / Chill Out, World! was produced over the course of only five sessions in six months, directly following the like-minded Alpine EP. Paterson on recording the album: "It got so spontaneous that a track like '9 Elms Over River Eno (Channel 9)' consisted only of material collected at North Carolina's Moogfest in May - second-hand records from local stores, field recordings, live samples from gigs that we liked, and of course an excursion to the Eno River, which actually exists. This geographic intimacy and the spontaneity are among the top reasons why we love this album so much." Fehlmann sees the duo's relentless gigging schedule as a formative influence on the new album: "the countless performances we've played in the last years have brought us closer as a musical unit. The spice of our concerts is improvisation - a fertile process that we've brought to the studio, where we operate with very simple rules of engagement and go wherever the flow takes us." It's an approach that one might expect from traditional acoustic instrumentation, not necessarily an electronic set-up. Once more, The Orb's trademark playfulness is on full display on COW / Chill Out, World! and it doesn't limit itself to the multi-layered sampling and psychedelic sound composites. It's not so much an obscure trope coming full circle as a perfect example for The Orb's multi-timbre approach to sound and meaning - a compelling, immersive journey to diverse places and impressions. Each track title is a conceptual work in its own right, playing with multiple references, some of which remain highly personal and mysterious. But the greatest feat of The Orb's latest outing might just be how all this semantic doodling never gets in the way of the actual listening, at all times directly relating the artists' sonic vitality and cheerful nosiness.