Transcendence Sounds proudly presents 'Love is Here', a monumental archival release featuring - for the first time ever - the complete recordings of Pharoah Sanders at Maison de la Radio's Studio 104 in Paris on November 17, 1975. Transferred from the original stereo tape reels and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, these sessions stand as one of the last major unreleased treasures from the golden era of spiritual jazz. Performing with an extraordinary ensemble - Danny Mixon (piano, organ), Calvin Hill (bass), and Greg Bandy (drums) - Sanders offered a deeply expressive, stylistically expansive performance. The set opens with a meditative improvisation on pipe organ, followed by the sweeping three-part suite "Love is Here", the driving pulse of "Pharoah's 'Blues", and a transcendent reading of "I Want to Talk About You". Coltrane's influence is honoured through high-octane renditions of "Moment's Notice" and "Lazy Bird", before reaching an ecstatic, participatory climax with "Love Is Everywhere", shared joyfully with the audience. 'Love is Here' captures Sanders at a pivotal moment. After parting ways with Impulse! in 1974, he entered a period of reorientation. No longer tethered to label expectations, Sanders embraced full artistic freedom. His performance in Paris reflects a shift from the fiery energy of his early free jazz years to a more spiritual, cosmic voice - without abandoning his raw intensity. Available on deluxe 2LP + 2CD sets, which include a 20-page booklet with rare performance photographs by Christian Rose and a newly commissioned essay by Kevin Whitehead.

Ivy is one of those bands whose beginnings may sound humble and ordinary, but whose debut album Hush, surges with scale and ambition. Meeting at school in Ōtepoti Dunedin during Covid, James Michael Axton (guitar, vocals), Connor James Cooper (bass), Ocean Temple Wilson (drums), Louis McAuley Stevenson (violin, backing vocals), and Jesse Tod Rutherford Hanan (vocals, guitar) forged their bond in practice rooms and late-night jams before honing their craft on the local scene. Along the way they built momentum with a series of smouldering singles and marked their rise by winning Bring the Noise 2023. Now comes Hush: self-composed, self-produced, and self-contained. It marries the weight of progressive rock and heavy metal with a classical ear for structure, while drawing shades of Radiohead’s OK Computer. At the heart of it are vocals that are both controlled and otherworldly, shaping the emotional contours of the record as much as the violin, guitars and drums.

Included with the July 2025 issue of Uncut magazine (TAKE 340).

Two CD set. Hailing from Wolverhampton in the UK, The Montanas produced a string of singles, many produced and written by Tony Hatch for the Pye label from 1965 - 1969, before switching to MAM. Most 45s enjoyed strong airplay, particularly 'Ciao Baby' and 'You've Got To Be Loved' (which charted in the US), but in the UK they never reached the charts which, considering the strength of the material, is one of life's mysteries! Contains all the Pye recordings including the US 45 'I'm Gonna Change' and the MAM and Charisma recordings. Digitally remastered and slipcased, and with new notes.

Damiano David pubblica il suo album di debutto solista, Funny Little Fears (Sony Music Italy/ Arista). Dopo il suo ritorno sulla scena, il primo progetto solista di Damiano è stato accolto con un entusiasmo travolgente dai fan di tutto il mondo. Funny Little Fears contiene 14 brani straordinari, tra cui il successo globale Born With A Broken Heart e l’ultimo singolo Next Summer, una traccia potente e carica di emozione.

Perfectly Stoned - Then and Now - A Norwegian tribute to The Rolling Stones In 1995, a Norwegian tribute album to The Rolling Stones was released, featuring, among others, Jørn Lande, Casino Steel, Petter Baarli, Ottar Big Hand, Mads Eriksen, Morten Abel. Bjørn Nilsen and Casino Steel came up with the idea when it became clear that the Stones would visit Norway on the Voodoo Lounge tour. The after-party after the Stones at Valle Hovin took place at a packed Sentrum Scene, where, among others, Chris Jagger, Claudia Scott, Jørn Lande and the Backstreet Girls played in addition to Casino.

In Guadeloupe, many people think that jazz and ka music are like a ring and a finger. To some extent, the same could be said about so called Latin music and the music played in the French West Indies. Both aesthetics were born in the Caribbean and bear so many connections that they can easily be considered cousins. In constant dialogue, there are lots of examples of their fruitful alliance and have been for a while. The English country dance that used to be practiced in European lounges came to be called kadrille in Martinique and contradanza in Cuba. They both featured additional percussion instruments inherited from the transatlantic deportation. Drawing from shared feelings about the same traumatized identity – later to be creolized – it would be hard not to assume that they were meant to inspire each other.

Heinz Rudolf Kunzes 47. Album ist ein gereiftes, meisterliches Spätwerk über die großen Themen des Lebens: Liebe, Alter, Herkunft, Vergänglichkeit, Krieg, Identität. Aber auch der Zustand unserer Gesellschaft, der politische Diskurs, das Auseinanderdriften – Kunze bleibt nicht an der Oberfläche, sondern taucht tief. Dabei gelingt ihm der seltene Spagat: Nachdenklichkeit ohne Pathos, Kritik ohne Bitterkeit, Emotionalität ohne Kitsch. Musikalisch trägt ihn ein homogener, gewachsener Bandsound – mal kraftvoll, mal filigran, stets songdienlich. Produziert wurde das Album erneut von Udo Rinklin, mit dem Kunze in den letzten Jahren eine kreative Hochphase erreicht hat. Angebot und Nachfrage“ ist Reise, Rückschau, Kommentar und ein mutiges Bekenntnis zu Sprache, Haltung und Musik. Ein Werk mit Persönlichkeit und Relevanz – nicht nur für Fans, sondern für alle, die in Musik mehr suchen als nur Unterhaltung.

L’on pourrait croire que Paris Amour - le dixième album studio de Keren Ann - est une bande originale de film. Un film fait de sensations et de sentiments, d’ambiances solaires ou orageuses et où se croisent, s’entrecroisent, s’aiment, bien sûr, et s’ignorent parfois, toute une galerie de personnages au détour d’une phrase, d’une formule : amis, amours, enfants et même un chat qui ronronne.. Réminiscences sixties et surtout seventies d’une pop luxuriante mêlée aux sons électro ou acoustiques, la production de ce nouvel opus montre une recherche esthétique poussée, originale, où rien n’est trop fort pour que la musique sonne, et surtout, musicienne exigeante, la songwritrice a su s’entourer d’une pléiade de musiciens de très haut niveau.

Karate’s first five years, boxed in classic Numero fashion and annotated by frontman Geoff Farina. Collaging DC post-hardcore, De Stijl, and Django Reinhardt, this five LP set includes their self-titled debut, In Place of Real Insight, The Bed Is In The Ocean, period 7”s, and previously unissued 1993 demo. 41 late millennium accounts of 2AM bike rides, punk house floors, skinny dipping, regrettable tattoos, and Interstate 95 commuting, all remastered from the original tapes and housed in sturdy tip-on sleeves for the discerning Karate enthusiast. Don’t drown.

Recorded Live At The "Max-Schmeling-Halle", Berlin, Germany, September 22nd,2002. Superb Soundboard-Recording.

All but two tracks new to CD. Features numerous UK and European reggae hits.25 sought-after reggae classics from the Godfather of Ska. Finally, the cream of Laurel Aitken's post-Pama recordings from the 1970s are released once again, with all but two tracks on this essential set unavailable since their original release on vinyl. The collection kicks off with the Godfather of Ska's popular European singles from 1972 before featuring subsequent recordings for an array of celebrated British reggae labels, notably Harry J, Camel, Dip, Eagle, Eve, Horse, Punch and Lucky. Showcasing a variety of styles, from boss reggae and lovers rock to roots and soul, this compelling anthology reflects the ease with which Laurel adapted to contemporary trends and styles throughout his long and illustrious career, demonstrating a talent often overlooked. As a stand-alone compilation or a complementary set to previous Laurel Aitken releases on the Pressure Drop label, 'Reggae Serenade' is an essential purchase for the legendary singer's fans and all lovers of classic 70s reggae sounds.

Widely hailed as the Godfather of Ska, Laurel Aitken dominated Jamaica’s recording industry throughout its infancy, enjoying a series of hugely popular mento and Jamaican R&B hits during the latter half of the 1950s. Early the following decade he relocated to London, where, over the years that immediately followed, he recorded for every Afro-Caribbean record company of note. While his ska and rock steady recordings ensured Laurel remained a firm favourite among Jamaican ex-patriots, the reggae explosion of 1969 exposed his work to a wider audience, with productions for Doctor Bird, Pama and Trojan Records establishing him as a musical hero for many of Britain’s young, white working-classes, notably those that had adopted a fashion style dubbed by the national press as ‘skinhead’.

Broken Homes and Gardens, the final studio album from Michael Hurley, was completed in March 2025 just before Hurley left for his final shows in Asheville and Knoxville. He had been working on these 11 tracks for the past three years at The Rope Room studio in Astoria, Oregon with the same crew as his 2021 LP The Time of the Foxgloves (Kati Claborn and Luke Ydstei of The Hackles and engineer Brian Bovenizer). As was common with Hurley LP's: there are re-workings of older compositions ("Indian Chiefs and Hula Girls", "Abomidable Snowman") alongside new songs ("Fava", "The Monkey") making for a brilliant final collection, and capping off one of the most consequential bodies of work of any American songwriter.

Can you believe it? Devendra Banhart's 'Cripple Crow' - originally released by XL in 2005 - is turning 20 years old. This was the 5th album from the Venezuelan American artist who is considered the pioneer of the "Freak Folk" and "New Weird America" movements. To celebrate - Devendra has compiled a reissue of the out of print release that features a 3rd Bonus LP (on Clear Green Smoke!) featuring 9 bonus tracks, including 1 B-Side, 5 previously unreleased demos, 2 previously unreleased live tracks, and 1 unearthed smash hit from the recording sessions. This release is the first on his newly created Heavy Flowers label. The album received a "Best New Music" 8.4 review from Pitchfork upon its release. The release date will fall 1 day prior to the actual 20th Anniversary, which will be the first time Devendra is early for anything. Now THAT is something to celebrate!