New releases last two weeks: All genres

Review: Balkan Vinyl has a strong resume of releasing excellent 90s inspired IDM and electro since the first release in 2010. Veteran producers Posthuman (Cousins Richard Bevan and Joshua Doherty) own and run the UK label. For this release they call upon a legendary friend Luke Vibert, to make a staggeringly great, joint EP. 'Still In Love' kicks off the record and brings Luke's familiar acid techniques to the party while sampling classic 80s and 90s dance tracks and samples within it. 'Android Webber' is quintessential sound Vibert is known for that balances a quirky IDM grit and a downtempo slow jam. For the B-Side, Posthuman offers the futuristic electro stormer 'Grad' followed by the sexy, slow burner 'Forever Circles'. A match made in acid house heaven.

Review: Spasibo Records present a fresh 7" by the Vicious Seeds, hailing from St. Petersburg. With vibraphonist Pavel Chizhik taking centre stage (Chizhik isn't usually a member of the band), 'Village Hassle' makes for a cleverly collaborative rare groove and instrumental reggae-soul release. The titular A-side flaunts Chizhik's vibraphone via the mix alone, fleshing out its low-end elements against a driven instrumental backbeat; 'Monthly Rainfall', meanwhile, goes for all-out slow-jammed soul by way of cross-sticked snares and offbeat chord plucks run through short-release springs.

Notes: Following "Vintage Music T-shirt Scrap", The long-awaited third instalment of the scrap series is Jazz!

Focusing on jazz, focusing on original vintage posters, From flyers to booklets, calendars, and magazines of performances at the time!

There are many jazz record jacket books in the world, but this is the first poster book in the world.

Ide started by searching for materials for his autobiographical book "Rolling On The Road". Ninety percent of the items in the collection were collected intensively by Ide over a period of about a year and a half. "

Binding: 376 pages / A5 format

Review: Spasibo Records introduces a new 7" vinyl by St. Petersburg outfit the Vicious Seeds, this time on yellow and green wax. In an unconventional move, vibraphonist Pavel Chizhik takes the spotlight and the result is that he truly enhances the band's signature sound. 'Village Hassle' offers a unique blend of rare groove and instrumental reggae-soul - the A-side highlights Chizhik's vibraphone prowess, intertwining it with a dynamic instrumental backbeat. On the flip side, 'Monthly Rainfall' delves into a soulful journey, characterized by cross-sticked snares and offbeat chord plucks which create an atmosphere reminiscent of slow-jammed soul with a contemporary twist.

Review: West Coast rave scene specialists Michael Kandel and Tom Chasteen are Voodoo Transmission and they have one again plunged deep in their vaults to serve up this reissue EP. One side boasts two dynamic dancefloor renditions that blend rhythmic layers with dubbed-out effects - 'Crazy Jane' channels Debbie Harry's 'Heart of Glass' on LSD. The flip side intensifies with downtempo gabba vibes with raging synths and abundant cymbal action. Three versions incorporate samples from Jimmy Stewart's 1946 monologue in It's A Wonderful Life to add another vibe entirely.

Review: Waajeed is a top tier talent - a producer, DJ, expert beat maker and label head at Dirt Tech Rack who moved away from his deep house sounds to cook up this masterful hip hop record back in 2006. It now arrives on vinyl almost 20 years later but time has not diminished its quality. It finds the Detroit native, who thrives on breaking conventional boundaries, telling the story of the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst as an emblematic American tale that he pairs with a raw beat framework that taps into the vibes of artists like J Dilla and Slum Village. It is a serious work from a serious artist.

Review: The 1985 boxset is a comprehensive collection of The Waterboys' musical endeavors during that year. It features a diverse range of materials, including unreleased tracks, demos, outtakes, and live recordings. The set also includes a remastered version of their acclaimed album This Is The Sea. The boxset offers a glimpse into the band's creative process, with numerous alternate versions, song sketches, and covers. It also showcases the band's eclectic musical influences, ranging from traditional Irish folk to experimental rock. Despite its length, the boxset is a cohesive and engaging listen. The remastered This Is The Sea is a highlight, with Tom Verlaine's guitar playing adding a new dimension to the classic album. Other standout tracks include the previously unreleased instrumental 'Meridian West' and a cover of Bob Dylan's 'Sweetheart Like You.' Overall, the 1985 boxset is a valuable addition to the collection of any Waterboys fan. It provides a comprehensive overview of the band's creative output during a particularly fertile period. The boxset also offers insights into the band's musical influences and their commitment to their craft.

Review: Wave Arising is former Spiral Tribe man Sebastian Vaughan with vocalist Kynsie and they are a duo that likes to eplxore body, mind and soul "through intuitive listening of senses and inner energies by means of music , workshops and gatherings." This is their debut album and is an otherworldly mix of deep grooves and occult sonic landscapes. It has been made from various improvisations and avoids there use of sampling and as an album, this is one that feels very much alive. There are cinematic dub techno workouts, cascading synths and alien sound designs, menacing low ends and moments of majestic melodic beauty such as on 'Ronde Cinetique'. A brilliant debut.

Review: Chicago outfit Wavelength tap into the funk traditions of bands like Parliament here with a seductive and rather sleazy new EP for Soulistic 360. The whole thing has been arranged by Windy City soul innovator Rahaan and comes on white marbled vinyl 12". Opener 'Can You Handle This Funk' is slow, steamy, sensuous with its languid kicks, live, raw drums and drawled vocals all luring you into the groove. The remix is a subtle teak of the original and on the flip is 'Kemetic Dance Party' which brings more Afro style drums and some bold sax lines to get things going in a more energetic way.

Review: Hot on the heels of Blue Note's 2024 lineup announcement of their esteemed Tone Poet series - which reissues classic jazz albums for a contemporary audience hungry for audiophile quality editions - comes this eagerly-awaited new version of Anthony Williams' Life Time. A five-piece north star of free jazz and debut record by the expansive drummer, the album held a crucial repute throughout Williams' career as the inspirational namesake of his later band with John McLaughlin, the Tony Williams Lifetime Band. This one, however, pre-empts this movement and instead hears contributions from such greats as Richard Davis, Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter, riding high on the wave of divine-genius-by-proxy after already having performed with Miles Davis at the age of 18. Blast back to 1964 with this ideal free jazz intro.

Review: Originally part of the 2014 album I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me, 'Hit 'Em Like Ali' stands out as a vibrant and infectious track in Australian artist Chelsea Wilson's collection. Its energetic and riotous vibe has earned it a place as an unheralded modern deep funk classic. Spasibo Records now grants it a well-deserved single release on nice coloured vinyl. Co-produced by Jake Mason of Cookin' On 3 Burners, the heavyweight instrumental backing track, making its debut on the flip side, showcases Melbourne's top funk musicians. With blistering breakbeats, heavy horns, flanged guitars, and weighty bass, it's a track designed to captivate.

Review: It isn't too often that you can get two rare and desirable releases on one CD but that's just what we have here. Dr.Bird gives us these rare 70s examples of lesser known releases that have a strong cult following but are still being discovered. Delroy Wilson's Sarge from 1977 and Ken Boothe's Unlimited from 1977. Both releases are lauded for each singers soulful voice and music diversity with early ska and rocksteady infused into their reggae sounds. Both releases are hard to get original copies for a reasonable price so having them together is an added treat.

Review: American composer and sound engineer Adam Wiltzie, may not yet be a household name in electronic music yet but it's a safe bet you have heard projects that he has been involved in. Adam is one half of the highly regarded ambient and drone project Stars Of The Lid for the past 30 years and also worked with many popular rock and indie bands as an engineer as well as done composing for film and TV. Eleven Fugues For Sodium Pentathol is the name for his first all original material for a full album. Last year in 2023 brought the untimely death of Stars Of The Lid partner Brian Mcbride. However, Adam's relationship with Kranky records is as strong as ever and that's where his first solo album finds a home. The music is inspired by a recurring dream Adam had where the music he composes makes people die. The music blends heavy emotions from ruin to absolute beauty. A powerful album that has extreme depth and cinematic expansiveness. We hope this will be the start to a very productive solo career that will continue his excellent work that was done with Stars Of The Lid.

Notes: Inside our brand new issue:

Still House Plants: London's post-post-punk trio use deconstructed songform to tap emotions others cannot reach. By Frances Morgan

FUJI|||||||||||TA: Pulling out the stops with homemade pipe organs. By Antonio Poscic

Cheer-Accident: Thymme Jones's motley crew of Chicago outsiders flip the conventions of the rock band. By Peter Margasak

Lolina: One half of influential duo Hype Williams explores a comic book dystopia in new project Unrecognisable. By Claire Biddles

NikNak: The British musician turns the tables on sound art. By Tayyab Amin

Invisible Jukebox: Kristin Hersh: Will the songwriter and author find her muse in The Wire's mystery record selection? Tested by Emily Pothast

Unlimited Editions: Tripalium Corp

Unofficial Channels: Billdifferen

Ana Lua Caiano: Portuguese tradition made anew by the musician and audiovisual artist. By Shane Woolman

BBBBBBB: The Japanese trio present their scum manifesto. By James Hadfield

Fatboi Sharif: The Garden State Gargoyle raps a dance of the macabre. By Joseph Stannard

Angelica Sanchez: A set of monster jams from the East Coast pianist. By Stewart Smith

The Inner Sleeve: Lee Gamble on Various Artists' Decay Product

Epiphanies: Jlin maximises her creative potential with Philip Glass

Soundcheck: [Ahmed], Ancine, Andrea & Mud, Maria Bertel Et Nina Garcia, Alan Braufman, Anthony Braxton, Kyle Bruckman, Natalia Cappa, John Carpenter/Cody Carpenter/Daniel Davies, Cheer-Accident, Clarissa Connelly, Anastasia Coope, Viv Corringham, Alison Cotton, Couch Slut, Richie Culver, Elkhorn & Mike Gangloff, Phil Geraldi, Carlos Giffoni, Allen Ginsberg, Allen Ginsberg & Youth, Grackles, groundsound, Liz Helman, Julia Holter, Jack O'The Clock, Goran Kajfes Tropiques, Kowloon Spider Temples, Sean Ono Lennon, Magic Tuber String Band, DJ Marcelle, Melvins, Monopoly Child Nightlife, Monopoly Child, Star Searchers, NOUT, Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet, Organum Electronics, OU, Pye Corner Audio, Quiet Husband, Mikel Rouse, Bianca Scout, sinono, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Ches Smith, Kavain Wayne Space & XT, Guido Spannochi, Malini Sridharan, Luke Stewart Silt Trio, Sunburned Hand Of The Man, Thollem, Thollem & Ka, Thollem/Terry Riley/Nels Cline, tilt, Toadliquor, Alan Tomlinson & Lawrence Casserley, Alan Tomlinson Trio, Kamasi Washington, Larry Wish, Cody Yantis, Zombi, Various Resist Colonial Power By Any Means Necessary

The Boomerang: Amon Duul, As One, Cranes, Curve, Brian Eno, Brian Eno/Holger Czukay/J Peter Schwalm, NRG Ensemble, Pharoah Sanders, Linda Smith, Twelve Cubic Feet, Vile Cherubs, Mars Williams & Hamid Drake, Mars Williams/Darin Gray/Chris Corsano, Bernie Worrell, Bernie Worrell/Cindy Blackman Santana/John King, Various Aceh Punx Compilation, Various Groucho Marxist Record Co.Operative, Various Noise Of Cologne 3, Various Punk KS, Various Trouble Brews: A Belfast Punk Compilation

Print Run: Basta Now: Women, Trans & Non-binary In Experimental Music by Fanny Chiarello; Dream Machines: Electronic Music In Britain From Doctor Who To Acid House by Matthew Collin; Ears To The Ground: Adventures In Field Recording And Electronic Music by Ben Murphy; Ain't It Fun: Peter Laughner & Proto-Punk In The Secret City by Aaron Lange; 20 000 Words: Interviews With Antoine Le Bousse by Sylvain Darrifourcq; Switched On: The Dawn Of Electronic Sound By Latin American Women edited by Luis Alvarado & Alejandra Cardenas; The Future Of Songwriting by Kristin Hersh; Elizabethan Tape Loops by Drew Mulholland; The Notebooks Of Sonny Rollins by Sonny Rollins with Sam VH Reese (Editor)

On Screen: Neo Sora Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus

On Location: Andre 3000, San Francisco, US; Fred Frith & Susana Santos Silva, London, UK; FLEA Presents Random Gear Festival + Rashad Becker + Joanne Robertson + Callahan & Witscher + Nick Malkin, London, UK; Cassie Kinoshi with seed. + NikNak + London Contemporary Orchestra, London, UK; Fortuna 2024, Tokyo, Japan; Charlemagne Palestine, Amsterdam, Netherlands; On An Endless Road: It? Noe And The Women Composers Of Her Time, London, UK; Ustad Noor Bakhsh, London, UK; Glamorous Pharmacy, Shenzhen, China; ML Buch + Astrid Sonne, London, UK; Life After Death, London, UK; Brighde Chaimbeul, London, UK

On Site: Pan Daijing Mute, Munich, Germany; Ginsberg In London, London, UK

Review: Wots My Code has been back on our shelves recently with some of his most seminal EPs getting reissued. His self-titled effort from 1992 came back in October, as did his All Seasons EP also on Kiteforce, both of which sounded as good as they did back when first crafted. Now his The New Dubplates EP drops on Just Another Label with 'Dubplate' kicking off as a remix by Bay B Kane that takes no prisoners. A Sikka remix then tweaks the energy level and on the flip is 'Pass Me A Dubplate (92-3)' a short but sweet closer.

Review: Some 20 years on from the release of her debut album, acclaimed vocalist Lizz Wright releases another instant classic album, Shadow. The Southern American heart-tugger is a specialist of gospel and soul, first earning her spurs as part of a Billie Holiday tribute act before earning increasing stars under the banner of Verve Records. Weaving influences from the Great American Church Songbook to Wright's own personal experiences of love, grief and kinship, Shadow is a moving album statement, channelling the recent memory of her grandmother through stripped-back and unprescribed deployments of acoustic guitar and bare vocals.

Review: X-Ray Ted's 'Talkin' EP' finally hits vinyl, a format perfectly suited for its timeless classic vibe. On the A-side, 'Talkin' weaves strings, horns, and guitar riffs over rolling beats and bass, topped with soulful vocals. On the flip, 'So Much' exudes infectious energy, blending vocal refrains, guitars, and horns for a soulful groove. These tracks offer a glimpse into X-Ray Ted's upcoming debut album, showcasing his talent for blending old-school sounds with a modern twist. Limited to a run of 7"s on Bombstrikes, these vinyl grooves exude sunshine vibes and feel-good warmth, destined to fly off shelves.