NEW RELEASES 29.05.20

THE 1975 - Notes On A Conditional Form - 2LP €31.99 (Polydor) - Limited White Vinyl - The 1975 deliver the follow up to Brit Award Album of the Year winner A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. The band’s 4th album Notes On A Conditional Form is set to be already the most anticipated album of 2020 and features the lead single People and the Greta Thunberg call to arms album opener, The 1975.

THE 1975 - Notes On A Conditional Form - 2LP €31.99 (Polydor) - Clear Vinyl

BLANCK MASS - Calm With Horses (Original Score) - LP €25.99 (Invada) - White And Black Marbled Vinyl plus Download - Calm With Horses, Nick Rowland’s feature film debut, is a raw and beautiful tale of one man’s
struggle to navigate both crime and and family life in rural Ireland. Blanck Mass is the solo project of Benjamin John Power. The musician, also one half of Fuck Buttons, has been making music under the moniker since 2010

GLOK - Dissident - LP €23.99 (Bytes) -Limited Translucent Red Vinyl - GLOK is the electronic solo project from Andy Bell of shoegaze legends Ride (formerly of Oasis / Beady Eye / Hurricane #1). His debut album under the moniker, Dissident, was originally released last year on a limited edition cassette by Bytes, an offshoot of Ransom Note Records. That sold out in 24 hours, and was followed by a vinyl pressing of 500 copies, on transparent green vinyl, sold via Bandcamp and two online shops. However, with that edition now sold out pretty much on word of mouth, due to popular demand, Dissident is repressed and is this time being made available to a wider audience via a partnership between Bytes and Republic of Music / K7. The name GLOK is a misspelling of the German word for Bell. The German connection fits well as there is a strong Krautrock influence in the music, especially on the title track, Dissident, an epic clocking in just shy of the 20-minute mark, which blends synthwave, minimalism, trance, Detroit techno and John Carpenter soundtracks, with Andy even dropping in some killer John Squire-esque guitar licks.

CHOIR BOYS - Gathering Swans - LP €25.99 (DAIS) - Limited Indies Stores only Clear Ocean Blue Vinyl - Salt Lake City’s 80's inspired pop favourites Choir Boy return after four years with the release of their new cosmic album, Gathering Swans. An emotionally powerful record, full of poignant heartbreak and gently steeped in pop nostalgia, Choir Boy push their distinctive sound further, while tenderly romancing the unsuspected. Gathering Swans builds upon Choir Boy’s infectiousness with unique pop sensibilities and impeccable polish.

FLYING LOTUS - Flamagra (Instrumentals) - 2LP €37.99 (WARP) - To celebrate the anniversary of the original album Flying Lotus presents Flamagra (Instrumentals), shining a light on Flylo’s untouchable arrangements and production. The double LP comes with printed inners in wide spine outer sleeve plus download card. Packed in poly sleeve with custom turntable powered psychedelic zoetrope slipmat and labels designed by Drew Tetz.

IRMIN SCHMIDT - Nocturne (Live at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival) - 2LP €28.99 (MUTE) - comprises of three pieces performed live on a partly prepared piano, along additional pre-recorded soundscapes. The live performance of Klavierstück II is a pensive improvisation using essential elements of the original piece. Nocturne starts with the ambient sounds whilst the piano seemingly melts into the soundscape and eventually grows into a long meditative piano solo. Yonder is a much more dramatic piece, dominated by the overwhelming sounds of church bells, a sort of “dies irai”, radical, emotional and fiercely poetic.

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD - Chunky Shrapnel - 2LP €27.99 (KGLW) - Limited Gold Vinyl - Double live album to accompany the film. A musical road movie dipped in turpentine, Chunky Shrapnel is a point of view / on stage experience from the perspective of King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. Once a song begins, just like the band, you’re stuck in the adrenaline fuelled quick sand that there is no escape from. The film’s contention is clear from the outset, it’s going to be a “journey” not a “lecture”, an incurved experience rather than a linear one. At 96 minutes, Chunky Shrapnelmore than earns its length. At times gently holding your hand and at other times smashing a bottle over your head and dumping your body in a heaving crowd. There is an inevitability to the film, a driving, ever accelerating spiral that climaxes in a 15 minute medley that spans four countries.

MAC MILLER - Circles - 2LP €39.99 (Parlophone) - Clear Vinyl - Circles is the sixth and final studio album by Mac Miller. Conceived as a sister album to 2018's full length Swimming, the album was completed with the assistance of Jon Brion, with whom Miller worked on Swimming and had been working together on Circles at the time of his passing. While sonically distinctly different than its predecessor, Circles features many of the hallmarks for which Swimming was critically-acclaimed upon its release - Miller further realizing his singing voice in addition to rapping, live instrumentation and earnest, confessional lyrical content. Listeners will hear shades of some of the album's influences in its songs, from the T-Rex guitar tone of Surf to the Plastic Ono Band-era John Lennon feel of its production and the inspired cover of Arthur Lee's 1972 single Everybody's Gotta Live. It's a momentous final entry into the discography of an artist that remains at the centre of reimagining the limits of rap

THE WHITE BUFFALO - On The Widow's Walk - LP €24.99 (Snakefarm) - Limited Edition Grey Marble Vinyl - On The Widow’s Walk’ is the new studio album from The White Buffalo, the touring / recording persona of Jake Smith – singer, songwriter, guitarist, teller of tales; the Emmy nominee whose voice, a timber-shakin’ baritone, seems fuelled by a greater truth. Of the half-dozen albums released under The White Buffalo banner, this latest 11-tracker – a loosely linked collection of dark thrills produced by Shooter Jennings, who also provides piano and keys – is the most collaborative and organic.

THE COOL GREENHOUSE - The Cool Greenhouse - LP €22.99 (Melodic) - For fans of the Fall, I Ludicrous, Ron Johnson Records etc. Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but The Cool Greenhouse are about to shatter glass ceilings with their self-titled debut LP. Having caused a stir on the underground DIY label circuit with their inimitable, infectious brand of lo-fi post-punk in 2019, The Cool Greenhouse’s debut album shows off a newly developed, fuller sound, taking their signature style to previously unexplored heights while doubling down on their tried and tested formula of angular motoric riffs and no holds barred biting social commentary. The muffled 16-bit drum loops have been replaced with a full kit, the nonchalant vocal delivery has found a new edge and the sparse instrumentation has been augmented by the band’s finally agreeing to leave their bedrooms and enter the studio, yielding a fully-realised vision with fresh clarity and depth that makes their earlier recordings seem like mere blueprints.

SOFT CELL - Mutant Moments E.P. - 10" €21.99 (Big Frock) - Limited to 1000 copies on Clear Vinyl - To celebrate 40 years since the release of their very first recording, Soft Cell release their debut EP Mutant Moments. Originally released as limited run of 2000 7” singles in October 1980 on the band’s own Big Frock imprint, the EP sold out immediately. Aside of various unofficial bootlegs, the muchrevered release has been unavailable for nearly four decades.

BUSHWACKA - Listen Up! Vol 1. (1995 - 2005 ) -2LP €28.99 (Above Board Projects) - A stunning collection from the vaults of one of London's true maverick electronic producers - Matthew 'Bushwacka!' B.

TOMMY McGEE - I'm A Stranger - LP €29.99 (Numero) - Just as Al Green’s Back Up Train was pulling out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a whistle-stop tour to the top of the charts, producer Palmer James began eyeing another Furniture City branch line: Tommy Mcgee. The result was 1976’s Positive-Negative, the creative apex in a career littered with endless bottoms. Gathered for the first time are Mcgee’s timeless album, singles for Golden Voice, Mercury, TMG, and Tosted, as well as the complete output of his nascent mid-‘60s funk combo the T.M.G.’s.

CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS - La vita nuova - 12" EP €14.99 (Because) - Limited Edition Crystal Clear Pink Vinyl - Christine and the Queens unveils a surprise new EP. La Vita Nuova - a prospect for a new life - draws strength from extreme vulnerability. Produced by Christine and the Queens and Ash Workman is released via Because Music.

PRINCE & THE NEW POWER GENERATION - One Nite Alone… The Aftershow: It Ain’t Over! – 2LP €38.99 (Legacy) - Limited Purple Vinyl - This 2xLP release documents Prince’s mythic late-night after show performances. Never available as physical stand-alone release and only available originally on CD as part of the One Nite Alone box set exclusive to NPG Music Club members, the album features an hour of amazing jams and includes guest appearances by George Clinton and Musiq Soulchild.

PRINCE - The Rainbow Children – 2LP€47.99 (Legacy) – Limited Crystal Clear Vinyl - As the world greeted the promise of a new millennium, even Prince was experiencing a great sense of transformation. In 2000, he announced the reclamation of his birth name after seven years as an unpronounceable symbol. In 2001, after a period of study and debate with his friend and mentor Larry Graham (former bassist for Sly and The Family Stone), Prince converted to the Jehovah’s Witness faith. These transformations bore fruit with the release of The Rainbow Children at the end of 2001. Billed as “controversial” in its press materials for its open spiritual message, the jazz-inspired record was Prince’s first fully independent release, issued without any major label backing. One of its songs, The Work, Pt. 1, was released by Prince as a free download on the file-sharing service Napster; this move, along with direct-to-consumer stream and download options on the NPG Music Club, made Prince a digital music visionary. The Rainbow Children is a continued favorite among Prince’s most fervent admirers due to its complex musical narrative, its use of live drums and a full horn section, and the striking album art by artist Cbabi Bayoc, which still hangs in the hallowed halls of Paisley Park today. The CD has long been out of print and the original vinyl was incredibly limited and copies fetch hundreds of pounds.

PRINCE - One Nite Alone… Solo Piano And Voice By Prince – LP€25.99 (Legacy) -Limited Edition Purple Vinyl - Prince would follow The Rainbow Children with the stunning One Nite Alone… in May 2002. Featuring almost nothing but Prince’s acoustic piano and vocals (save for occasional rhythm from drummer John Blackwell and the ambient cooing of Divinity and Majesty, Prince’s pet doves), this intimate album offers favorites like U’re Gonna C Me and a cover of A Case Of U, written by one of Prince’s idols, Joni Mitchell. The original album never had a wide physical release as the CD was an exclusive to Prince’s NPG Music Club members and this marks it’s first time on vinyl.

PRINCE - One Nite Alone… Live! – 4LP €66.99 (Legacy)– Limited Edition Purple Vinyl - After The Rainbow Children release and before the release of the One Nite Alone… studio album, Prince embarked on a tour of the same name. However, as opposed to the intimacy of the largely solo One Nite Alone… album, this upbeat trek through theaters in North America featured the full talents of Prince’s ever-expanding New Power Generation band. Members at the time included drummer John Blackwell, keyboardist Renato Neto and longtime collaborators like bassist Rhonda Smith and a horn section that included saxophonists Eric Leeds, Candy Dulfer and Maceo Parker. Taken from the highlights of 9 different shows in March and April of 2002 and clocking in at over 2 hours, the resulting 4 LP collection One Nite Alone…Live! was the first official live album of Prince’s career and the 27 tracks included feature selections from The Rainbow Children as well as Prince’s extensive back catalog, played with the full NPG as well as several solo piano excursions (When U Were Mine, Raspberry Beret, Adore, The Beautiful Ones, Nothing Compares 2 U). This release marks the first time that it’s available on vinyl.

IGGY POP - The Bowie Years -7CD Boxset €69.99 (UMC) - Limited Edition - 1977 the story of Iggy Pop and David Bowies Collaboration on two of the most iconic albums of the decade is told in a new seven CD box set which features the albums remastered, a disc of out takes and Three discs of live recordings officially released (with the endorsement of Iggy Pop) for the first time. This set has been mastered from the best possible sources, and contains a 40-page booklet written by the Guardians Michael Hahn with contributions from the musicians who played on the records and fans who talk about the influence the albums had on them.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - LOADED - 2LP €21.99 (UMC) - 30 incredible tracks that defined an era of music. In the early ’90’s Indie and Dance music came together to produce some of the most incredible and genre-challenging hits ever. Defining tracks from Primal Scream, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Saint Etienne are featured. Club hits became anthems for a generation with Faithless, The Chemical Brothers as well as the incredible Born Slippy from Underworld (from the film Trainspotting) are all also included.

DEF LEPPARD - Hysteria Live - 2LP €31.99 (Eagle Rock) - Limited 180g Clear Vinyl - Recorded at the O2 Arena December 6 2018, Hysteria Live captures Def Leppard celebrating the ground-breaking Hysteria, one of their two diamond-certified 10x platinum albums (the other being Pyromania). Performed in its entirety before a ravenous sold-out crowd, this momentous homecoming event is made all the more powerful as it was their long-awaited debut at the iconic O2 Arena in London.

THE VAPORS – Together – LP €19.99 (Manmade Soul Ltd And TheVapors Own Records) – Together’ is the band’s first studio work since ‘Magnets’ back in 1981.

MAGNETIC FIELDS - Quickies - 5x7"Boxset €50.99 (Nonesuch) - Nonesuch Records release the Magnetic Fields’ Quickies, a set of five vinyl EPs that features twenty-eight new short songs by Stephin Merritt, ranging in length from thirteen seconds to two minutes and thirty-five seconds. Merritt explains his thinking behind the Quickies concept: “I’ve been reading a lot of very short fiction, and I enjoyed writing 101 Two-Letter Words, the poetry book about the shortest words you can use in Scrabble. And I’ve been listening to a lot of French baroque harpsichord music. Harpsichord doesn’t lend itself to languor. So I’ve been thinking about one instrument at a time, playing for about a minute or so and then stopping, and I’ve been thinking of narratives that are only a few lines long. Also, I had been using a lot of small notebooks, so when I reach the bottom of the page, I’ve only gone a short way. Now that I’m working on a different album, I’m enforcing a large notebook rule so that I don’t do Quickies twice in a row.”

CHRISTIAN LEE HUTSON - Beginners -LP €24.99 (Epitaph) - Newly signed to Anti- Records, Christian Lee Hutson releases his new album Beginners—produced by Phoebe Bridgers. On Lose This Number, featuring Phoebe on backing vocals Hutson reveals one of his greatest strengths as a songwriter: a rare ability to infuse his lyrics with myriad idiosyncratic detail, yet leave the narrative slippery enough for the listener to fill in their own meaning. Throughout the song, his storytelling is threaded with incisive turns of phrase

JOE SIMON - Two Sides Of Joe Simon - LP €24.99 (Charly) - Two Sides Of Joe Simon takes us back to his 1960s career with John Richbourgs Sound Stage 7 label. He was Richbourgs most successful artist with no less than fifteen hit singles to his credit between 1966 and 1977. These included the million-selling The Chokin Kind (side two, track two) a No.1 hit record on the US Billboard R&B Chart, (#13 Hot 100). All of them were Nashville recordings, and mostly reflected a Southern Soul style which brushed up against Country Music on occasion. Simons later disco hits for the New York based Spring label have, over the years, erased his earlier style from popular memory.

THE VASELINES - Son Of A Gun - 7"€10.99 (Optic Nerve) - Limited Edition Of 1000 - First appearance on 7" for The Vaselines classic debut single that was originally released on 53rd and 3rd Records in 1987. 2 of the 3 tracks that were on the 12" are included in this version.

XIBALBA - Anos En Infierno - LP €20.99 (Southern Lord) - The eight damaging new movements on XIBALBA’s Años En Infierno culminate into the band’s most brutalizing material to date, with more death metal energy than ever fueling the album, with their trademarks breakdown savagery fully on display in every track.