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Review: Jazz-funkers Menagerie carry the torch of broken beat and jazzdance into the bleeding-edge present day with 'The Shores Of Infinity'. The Australian band, led by Lance Ferguson, is nominally guided by the spiritual jazz movement of the 1970s, but their sound reflects little of its usual beatless freakouts and croony, culty improvisations. Rather, this LP runs the entire gamut of what could be considered spiritual jazz, moving through, in their own words, myriad zones of "cosmic consciousness, transcendence, and interconnection". In fitting fashion for the genre, just six long-form tracks appear, three on each side, making for a neat, coin-flipped, symmetrical statement in jazz; the balance of the universe reflected in a cosmick vinyl void.

Notes: Cable Ties - 100Pcs

Strong plastic cable ties available in black or white and in a variety of sizes.

Material: Nylon
Temperature range: 40 to 85 degrees
Max. load: 181lbs

Review: Disco mixer Mike Muarro has been delivering tasteful, multi-track remixes of disco and soul classics for the last couple of years, and earlier in 2021 delivered a digital-only set of revisions of classic cuts from the Philadelphia International catalogue. This must-check 12" contains two of the most potent reworks from that set. On the A-side you'll find his epic, beautifully executed revision of MFSB's brilliant 'Love is the Message', which features rearranged elements and Tom Moulton style builds, drop outs and instrument solos. He takes a similar approach on the flip, wringing maximum energy and release from the O'Jays 'Message In Our Music' without adding any unnecessary instrumentation. If you're a fan of the Rephlex and Moplen's multi-track revisions, you'll love both remixes.

Review: Electric life-givers, MGMT, return for their fifth album Loss Of Life. Shockingly, it's been six years since 2018's Little Dark Age, in which the duo proved their capacity to evolve beyond the pale of their earliest electro-pop singles. Here, they adapt even further, enlisting the help of a well-selected cast of familiar faces - Christine & The Queens, Danger Mouse, Dave Fridmann, James Richardson, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Patrick Wimberly - all while declaring the project to be the yield of a calculated fusion: "20% adult contemporary" plus an unspecified amount of hero's journey subversion. From the standout single 'Dancing In Babylon' through to more esoteric twin sonic flames like 'Nothing To Declare' and 'Nothing Changes', this feels like an album dedicated to lost causes, overobsession with singular life trajectories, and moving through hard times.

Review: The 'Gates Of Zion (Dub)' is a time-honoured fixture of the catalogue of Yabby You (real name Vivian Neville Jackson), the reggae vocalist and producer whose largely autodidactic and self-released work lent him a special credo during dub's 1970s heyday. With the original first appearing as a collaboration with Scientist and Michael Prophet on the album At The Dub Station in 1981, under the name 'Free Up Your Heart', the versions featured here on this imprint is far colder and less forgiving, skilfully working in snake-rattly curios and percussive oddities into a backbeat that effortlessly complements You's ghostly vocal delivery. Not one to be missed, 'Gates Of Zion' truly produces the feeling of approaching utopia's vine-leaved entrance; you, too, might get a pass, provided you add this one to your collection.

Review: Yet another good ole Studio One classic. Michigan and Smiley's 'Nice Up The Dance' is widely understood as one of the dancehall scene's most formidable classics. First out in 1979, this edition also comes with 'Real Rock', one of the most enduring tunes in reggae from time. Two rootsy monsters you won't regret hearing.

Review: When Mick Mars stepped back from touring with Motley Crue, it seemed like the end of an era. Really, it was the beginning of a new one. The legendary guitarist, whose riffs, solos and overall devastatingly heavy sound powered the L.A. icons through four decades of world-conquering, multi-platinum sonic mayhem is, as he demonstrates on his debut solo effort, still a serious force to be reckoned with. Only now, listeners are reckoning with more Mars than ever before. On the aptly-titled The Other Side of Mars, fans get that vision in its full, multifarious glory. To be sure, there are plenty of characteristically riff-tastic, tough-as-nails hard-rock anthems, but The Other Side of Mars also shows the 71-year-old guitarist heading into new and uncharted territory, tearing through caustic, modern metal ('Broken On The Inside"', conjuring gothic-tinged soundscapes ('Undone'), digging into anguished, slow-burning power balladry ('Killing Breed"' and unspooling bluesy, cinematic instrumental workouts (the album-closing guitar showcase, 'L.A. Noir'). The music throughout the ten-track collection, meanwhile, is otherwise studded with slide guitars, violins, violas, keyboards, glitchy freak-outs and all manner of sonic surprises.

Review: Miguel Migs has been producing expertly well crafted, superbly polished house tracks for years. He has a sound rooted in deep house, but always draws on things like r&b and soul, as well as the scorching hot sun of his native Californian. This new album was written in lockdown so focuses a little more on proper song craft. The results are fantastic - these are tracks that ooze pool-side cool. Their rolling beats and bass perfectly designed to hook you in and make you smile. It might be his best yet.

Review: A genuine meeting of minds here, as rising star (and Real Gang Records founder) Danny Miller joins forces with long-serving deep, dubby and techy house maestro Jay Tripwire. What's on offer is undeniably alluring: a three-track salvo built around deep, hypnotic, sub-heavy grooves and wonderfully wayward and wonky electronics. The trippy and mind-altering nature of the duo's combined sound is best exemplified by A-side 'Cut001', where lo-fi bleeps, echoing analogue electronics and ghostly chords wrap around crunchy machine drums and deep sub-bass. They opt for an even more sparse, druggy and dubbed-out tech-house sound on 'Cut002', before joining the dots between bleep, Paul Woolford's 'Erotic Discourse' and Tripwire's dub-fired house sounds on 'Cut003'.

Review: Jeff Mills for Axis Records. Are there any more exciting words for fans of Detroit techno? Here The Wizard assumes his MIllsart alias and once again sets off to explore extra terrestrial soundscapes. The tempo here is slower than under his own name, leaving more space for the sci-fi details and cosmic motifs to really sink in. The beats roll deep, too, with gentle percussive clatter dropped in from above. In the case of 'Breaker Breaker One Nine' the sound is almost Glenn Underground-esque. It is the EP highlight, though the glistening 'The Upside Down' is not far behind.

Review: "Hopium" is internet-speak for naive "hope" in the face of oncoming calamity, where "hope" is imagined as a kind of injectable drug upon which media consumers inevitably get hooked. With this in mind, LA-based political synth-come-punk-metal ish act Ministry (the lifetime project of founder Al Jourgensen) deliver their latest album, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, which provides a window into the pysche of the contemporary hope-stricken worrier / warrior of today. From the opening war-cry of 'Goddamn White Trash' to the closing clamour of 'Ricky's Hand', it's clear the ultimate message is that there are two kinds of hope - the passive "hopium" kind, and the active kind that knows what it's doing.

Review: One of the most vital hardcore punk releases ever committed to record, the self-titled Minor Threat compilation took the band's first two EPs, the original self-titled and 'In My Eyes', released in June and December of 1981, respectively, and collated them into a visceral work that has only grown more essential with time. Before expanding his sonic palette and abilities with Fugazi, a younger, more disillusioned Ian MacKaye led a cathartic barrage of hyper-intense, exceptionally brief pieces that reimagined punk at its most direct and extreme values. With the iconic cover of younger, exhausted MacKaye brother Alec (now of Hammered Hulls, formerly Untouchables, The Faith), hunched over despondently, and recreated by everyone from the likes of Rancid to even Nike (yes, that Nike), it goes without saying that the name Minor Threat, the singular image, and even the inadvertent push of the straight edge message due to the track of the same moniker, are all integral, historic pieces of the hardcore punk blueprint and subsequent memorabilia.

Review: Purple Print's musical universe expands once more here with a ninth outing on wax and a fine various artists selection to mark the occasion, with Minube appearing on each of these collabs. It's a wonky and afterparty-tinged minimal jaunt from him in solo mode to open up with as 'Zaha Zhivai' gets you locked into a slinky groove. He then inks with Rebreanu for the marching bleeps and squeaks of 'Bro Disch Tut' and with D I N he makes 'Wormhole', a dry and dusty final tech shuffler before a fine work with Andrey Djackonda in the form of the abstract funk of 'Can't Stop The Time' shuts down.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Box slightly damaged, slight surface marks, otherwise in perfect working order***


The 1971 classic album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, Blue is widely thought by many music lovers to be one of the best albums of all time. Already well into her career by the time of its release - it's her fourth album - it was certainly Mitchell's best yet, reflecting a period in her life where she took a break from touring and live performing to focus on creation. Its confessional and poetic lyrics, not to mention the distinctively groggy yet idyllic guitar and piano playing on songs like 'All I Want', 'River', 'A Case Of You', heard Mitchell encapsulate the various milestones, Renaissances and turning points of the contemporary rock landscape of the 1970s, into a singular LP.

Review: This collaborative album from Rob Modell (Deepchord) and Taka Noda (Mystica Tribe) presents a brand new and compelling East-West dialogue in the mode of noir ambient dub. It also provides ample opportunity for these two greats of the genre to take a break from the monikers and operate under their own names - reflecting this one's specialness. Unlike the straight-up kick-centric and transcendentally meditative focus of either artist's solo releases, the pair have here conjured up something entirely beatless and a little more melodically advanced. Expect hurt, rainsoaked, and swamped soundscapes over a long four pieces.

Review: Monyaka's 'Rocking Time' encapsulates the essence of reggae's infectious groove in just four minutes. Released in 1983, this timeless anthem radiates positivity with its upbeat rhythm and uplifting lyrics. Monyaka's infectious energy and catchy melodies invite listeners to dance and celebrate life's joys and serve as a reminder of reggae's ability to transcend borders and unite people with its universal message of love and harmony. With its irresistible vibe, Monyaka's 'Rocking Time' is a warming gem that embodies the spirit of joy and togetherness that defines reggae.

Notes: MOOER is well known for producing highly versatile multi-effect pedals, but its latest product announcement, the Prime Stomp S1, is not just a multi-effect pedal. It is an all-in-one pedalboard for guitar effects and tones, looping, and music production, complete with a unique portability-focused design.

Initially, guitarists will be impressed by its 126 internal guitar effects and tone presets, which are editable, sharable, and downloadable through the MOOER Cloud platform, fostering unlimited tonal flexibility. However, these capabilities shine particularly brightly when combined with the pedal's recording features.

This includes a looper module, which facilitates up to 80 seconds of looping, whilst also providing functionality for real-time playback, loop deletion, and overdubbing. Loops and arrangements can also be recorded directly onto a mobile phone or tablet through a USB/OTG cable.

When combined with the pedal's 40 synchronizable drum machines, 10 metronomes, and tuner, these looping and recording capabilities empower guitarists to craft complete musical arrangements within a single unified pedalboard, without the need for studio equipment. All features can be controlled by four simple footswitches, making for a powerfully minimalist user experience.

Whilst MOOER offers several pedalboards that offer similar functionality, the Prime Stomp S1 stands out due to its focus on portability. Instead of being powered by a mains power supply, it is powered solely by an integrated lithium battery. This battery is charged by a USB C port, enabling users to charge the pedal with a portable power bank, laptop, or regular USB C charger. The device also weighs just 350g, making it effortless to carry in a backpack.

Whilst the Prime Stomp 1 primarily caters to traveling musicians, it still includes industry-standard pedal features, such as a 1/4" input, stereo 1/4" outputs, and an independent headphone output. All of these features are presented in a sleek case and are visualized by MOOER's signature digital LED display, making for an unbeatable unified toolkit for traveling guitarists.

Notes: The Theremini is a reimagination of one of the oldest electronic musical instruments, and Bob Moog's first love - the Theremin. Its design fuses the experience of playing an instrument you don't actually touch, with a powerful sound engine derived from Moog's award winning synthesizer, Animoog. The Theremini guarantees immediate success to anyone at any skill level or physical ability, while also providing new ways to experiment with music, education, and gestural control.

Assistive pitch correction allows each player to adjust the instrument's level of playing difficulty. When activated the Theremini will play every note in a selected scale perfectly, making it impossible to play a wrong note. As the assistive pitch correction is decreased, more expressive control of pitch and vibrato becomes possible. When deactivated, the Theremini will perform as a traditional Theremin and there is absolutely no pitch correction.

A built-in tuner supplies real-time visual feedback of each note as it is played, as well as its proximity to perfection. This is useful for correcting a user's playing position, and for educating younger players about pitch and scales.

The Presets section of the Theremini allows you to select from 32 wave or wavetable-based presets, store a selected scale, set and recall a specified playing range, and specify settings for the included stereo delay and more.

Recessed in the top of the Theremini is a compact speaker perfect for private rehearsal and quick setup anywhere. Silent rehearsal is also possible via the front panel headphone jack. Simply plug in ear-buds or headphones and the built-in speaker becomes silent.

For live performance and gestural control, the rear panel of the Theremini features stereo line level audio outputs, a Pitch CV output with selectable range, and a mini USB jack for MIDI connectivity to the free Theremini Mac / Windows software editor and Theremini iPad editor.

Specifications

Pitch detection: Heterodyning analogue oscillator
Synthesis engine: Animoog-derived wavetable
Presets: 32
Display: 128 x 64 pixel backlit LCD
Internal speaker: 2-inch, full-range
Headphone jack: 1/8" (3.5mm) TRS headphone jack
Audio outputs: 1/4"TS Mono/Stereo; Line Level

Review: Moor Mother (Camae Ayewa) delivers her latest album of import, The Great Bailout, using ironic economic terminology to satirise the British slave trade and its subsequent elision by the history books. A collaborative project that expands her original experimental hip-hop horizon, the likes of 'GUILTY' and 'ALL THE MONEY' hear new instrumental contributions from both canonical jazz artists and fresher faces, be they Lonnie Holley in the former camp and Mary Lattimore and Alya Al-Sultana in the latter. Moor Mother's revision is critical, calling out hidden ballasts such as the V&A Museum as purveyors of historical violence, while indulging a well-thought-out palette: no sound or texture is used here without careful thought as to its signification, whether wateriness to evoke the sense of drowning, or muted cacophony to recall the storms endured by victims of the trade in ships' hulls.

Review: Camae Ayewa AKA Moor Mother has long talked about wanting to work with an orchestra, applying her verbal Afro-futurism and free-jazz experimentation to the classical domain. She recently did just that, delivering a grandiose live interpretation of her ninth album, The Great Bailout, alongside the London Contemporary Orchestra. It makes perfect sense: while the album itself is not fully orchestrated, it's a conceptual work dissecting the British slave trade, slavery and colonialism. Musically, there are two central focal points: her spoken word vocals and the beautiful singing of Lonnie Haley. These two vital voices weave in and out of sound worlds rooted in dark ambient, lo-fi hip-hop beats, free jazz instrumentation, out-there samples and clandestine aural textures. It's naturally raw, moody and weighty, but more importantly it's also a genuine masterpiece that deserves your attention.

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


Over the course of his long and successful career, Ennio Morricone composed many dance songs in step with the fashions of the late 60s and early 70s. These were themes not necessarily directly connected with his films' synopses, but which were nonetheless played in disco clubs, on jukeboxes, turntables and on the radio. This collection contains a selection of pieces such as the brilliant main theme from Grand Slam (1967); the shake rock (opening credits) from Dario Argento's classic Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971) the danceable from the noir film Violent City (1970); the beat version of the opening credits of 'Pioggia Sul Tuo Viso' by the Sorrows, from How I Learned to Love Women (1966); 'Per Vittorio (Bossa)', an elegant bossa nova with flute and percussions from The Success (1963); the tribal shake from I Cantori Moderni, which winks at the dies irae from Garden of Delights (1967); 'Scuola di Ballo al sole', a wild surf piece from the Hawks and the Sparrows (1966); the supreme bossa nova from One Night at Dinner (1969) with the super iconic voice of Edda Dell'orso; the shake music of "'Ostinazione al Limone from What Have you Done to Solange? (1972); and 'Donnabossa' from Full Hearts and Empty Pockets (1964), a delicate bossa nova piece with a prominent harpsichord.

Notes: ***B-STOCK: Box opened, product unused & in perfect condition***


Equipped with the same ESS Sabre32 Ultra DAC Technology found in audio interfaces costing thousands, the M4 delivers an astonishing 120 dB Dynamic Range on its main outputs. ESS converters also drive the headphone output, which rivals dedicated headphone amplifiers costing hundreds. Ultra-clean preamp circuits produce a measured -129 dBu EIN on the mic inputs. Capture and monitor your audio with pristine clarity.

The M4 provides best-in-class speed for monitoring live inputs (mic, guitar or keyboard) through your computer, thanks to MOTU's expertly engineered USB drivers, which deliver class-leading, ultra-low 2.5 ms Round Trip Latency (at 96 kHz with a 32 sample buffer).

When recording and mixing, nothing is more critical than achieving optimum levels. The M4 is the only audio interface in its class with a full color LCD featuring clear, detailed level meters for all inputs and outputs. Enjoy professional-level volume control and feedback to get your sound just right.

The M4 driver provides convenient loopback channels to your host computer, so you can easily route computer output back to the computer, where you can mix it with live mics and/or guitar inputs from the M4 in your host software for live streaming or podcasting. Streaming and podcasting has never been easier and better-sounding!

Decades of award-winning product engineering for hit songs, mega tours, primetime shows and blockbuster movies goes into every MOTU audio interface.