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Johnny Sais Quoi releases his debut release on Music From Memory - a 7-track LP entitled ‘Love On Ice.’ Channelling the spirit of Italo-pop and New Wave, ‘Love On Ice’ was crafted in the whirlwind of spontaneity and energy that changing circumstances often bring. Born from transition and exploring themes of leaving, arriving, coming together, and breaking up, ‘Love On Ice’ serves as an outlet to process, escape, and celebrate the challenges of a new life.

Johnny crafts exquisite dancefloor-focused pop—familiar yet unique, imbued with his own touch, a distinctive sensibility, and a knack for infectious hooks. The opener, ‘No Guilty Pleasures,’ sets the tone immediately as Johnny works his magic with a palette of synths, drum machines, picked guitar, and processed vocals. The title track, ‘Love On Ice,’ delivers a classic Italo-infused dancefloor bomb, featuring a driving synth bass line overlaid by hypnotic arpeggios. There is much here for the dancer, but ‘Love On Ice’ also ventures beyond the dance floor; the closing tracks ‘Ref 23’ and ‘Let's Find A Home’ are prime examples, both showcasing Johnny’s depth and range with their melancholic, mellow atmosphere.

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Music From Memory are thrilled to announce the forthcoming release of ‘Pastoral Blend,’ a new album from the duo of N Kramer and Magnus Bang Olsen (The Zenmenn).

Recorded in Berlin between August 2023 and March 2024, ‘Pastoral Blend’ combines Kramer's improvisational process and mastery of contemporary production techniques with Bang Olsen’s emotive pedal steel guitar playing. The creative process was anchored in capturing various phrases and patterns from the instrument, which were then reshaped, reversed, and layered intricately. This meticulous approach allowed a foundational track to emerge, upon which further arrangements and developments were sculpted. This process, which builds on Kramer's earlier work as Habitat (with J. Foerster, released on Leaving Records), gives the music a gentle asynchronous flow that feels uniquely live and organic.

Merging the warmth and intimacy of instrumental Americana with the glitchy, textural processing reminiscent of early 2000s Max/MSP and influential artists such as Fennesz and Alva Noto, ‘Pastoral Blend’ is a textured drift between analog warmth and digital fragmentation, a delicate equilibrium that duo navigate with remarkable finesse and an air of effortless charm. With titles like ‘Harvest', ‘Agrarian Dawn’, ‘Grasslands’, and ‘Weathered’, Kramer and Bang Olsen evoke a musical vocabulary steeped in themes of landscape, memory, and tradition; a vocabulary that gently alludes to the more familiar and traditional musical structures lying beneath the rich layers of sound. Herein lies the essence of the 'Pastoral Blend’.

Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.

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Music From Memory is delighted to announce a new album from Son Of Chi entitled ’We Carry Eden’, an immersive long-form composition in two parts that seamlessly blends a collage of spoken word, field recordings and drones with elements of dub, jazz, fourth world and ambient music.

Son Of Chi is the latest project of Rotterdam-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Hanyo van Oosterom. Van Oosterom’s prolific career spans multiple decades and genres; among countless projects he has been involved in, he is known for founding the Dutch ambient collective CHI in the early eighties, and in recent years for his prolific collaboration with CHI co-founder Jacobus Derwort as Chi Factory. Following Derwort’s passing in 2019, van Oosterom decided to close the CHI circle with the birth of Son Of Chi.

Sonically, the world of ‘We Carry Eden’ is fully immersive; it ripples with depth and shimmers in detail. Motifs, ideas and fragments, arise and disappear like passing thoughts, drawing the listener deeper and deeper inwards. For those familiar with Oosterom’s work as Chi Factory, the depth and meditative nature of the work will come as no surprise; however it is Oosterom’s skill with grooves that shines equally bright here; his infectiously dubby basslines and percussion rise up from the ether, grounding the listener to the earth. ‘We Carry Eden’ at times invokes the fourth world landscapes of Jon Hassell, (with whom Oosterom has collaborated) but as a whole, it remains the unique work of an artist fully in tune with their vision.

Thematically, storytelling traditions lie at the heart of ‘We Carry Eden’, with van Oosterom’s long-time collaborator Omar Ka playing a central role. Ka, who hails from the West African nomadic Fulani tradition of storytelling, responds to the collage of field recordings and sounds collected by Oosterom. His voice is woven throughout ‘We Carry Eden’, creating a narrative that binds the multiple sound sources of the album together.

As with much of van Oosterom’s musical output, inspiration is drawn from the Greek Island of Patmos and the wisdom and prophecies of the Native American Hopi Tribe. Since his work with CHI in the early eighties, van Oosterom has often incorporated quotes from Hopi Elders into his music. Gods, spirits, animals and humans, all existing in one unchangeable relationship tied to nature; ‘We Carry Eden’ is rooted in this philosophy, serving as a peaceful message of beauty, harmony and respect for the wisdom of the Elders and ancient traditions.

‘We Carry Eden’ will be released on LP and digitally on May 16th 2025. Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.

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‘SUN SHONE’ is a multidisciplinary music and art project of Istanbul-born, Amsterdam-based Deniz Omeroglu AKA Loradeniz,. ‘SUN SHONE’ marks the arrival of her debut full-length album: eight tracks of ambient electronic music painted masterfully with a palette of synthesizers, effects, percussion and ethereal voice.

‘SUN SHONE’ was conceived in two parts: the first tracks coming spontaneously to life in the aftermath of heartbreak, with Omeroglu trusting the creative flow and using it as a method of self- healing. What was initially planned as an EP release grew into a full-length album as she spent one month consciously working on the perfect B-side to complement the music.

Omeroglu wrote, performed and produced everything on the album, drawing on her deep knowledge of music theory and production; in addition to studying classical piano in the Conservatory from an early age, she holds both a Bachelor’s degree in Composition Studies and a Masters degree in Sound Design.

Many of the compositions on ‘SUN SHONE’ centre around interplaying synth arpeggios, oscillators expertly tuned for an equal degree of menace and sweetness that balances on a knife-edge. This ambiguity is echoed lyrically across the record, with its recurring themes of love lost and memories revisited. From the spoken word of opener ‘Saint Odds’ and ‘Swimmer’ to the layered choral swells of ‘No Moon’ and the melodic hooks of ‘Brick House’, Omeroglu’s voice is central to ‘SUN SHONE’, employed with impressive versatility. At times, it feels simultaneously fragile and powerful, perhaps nowhere more so than in the yearning swells of “Cloud Sofa’, a healing lullaby for lost love that offers up one of the most delicate moments on the album. ?

Whilst this may loosely be referred to as an ‘ambient’ album, Loradeniz’s knowledge of modern day production techniques and experience as both a sound designer and seasoned DJ (both in clubs and on radio) makes its presence felt throughout; echoes of Artificial Intelligence-era IDM appear in the dancing arpeggios and rhythmic pulses of ‘Sea Serpent’ and ‘Waterbear’, while the album closer ‘Aftersun’ could easily be imagined working as the euphoric last tune of a club set at sunrise. ?

With her debut album, Loradeniz weaves together an impressive breadth of styles and sounds, all held seamlessly together by a feeling; a cathartic desire to bring out all the melancholia from within. The album opens with the words ‘The search of love continues in the face of great odds’ a suitable mantra for a record that manages to combine melancholy with intense rushes of positivity and hopes for the future.

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*140g vinyl repress... 2025 - no poster & no sticker in this edition.
**this is the last ever repress of this title.

Music From Memory is delighted to be turning 50 with a special release: MFM050 - V/A - Virtual Dreams: Ambient Explorations In The House & Techno Age, 1993-1997 (3xLP/2xCD). The first in a series of compilations, alongside more in depth artist-focused releases, Virtual Dreams will delve into music produced during the 1990’s that redefined the boundaries of ‘Ambient’. This was music that explored the possibilities of Ambient music within a new setting, created often by House & Techno music producers for a world beyond dance floors but made very much with the pre and post-clubbing listener in mind.

When House and Techno exploded out of America in the mid 1980s a whole generation was redefined not only musically but also culturally and chemically speaking. Peaking, quite literally, with a second ‘Summer of Love’ in 1988, millions of young people across the world would experience the life-changing ups of a brave new world but with it of course came the downs; enter the concept of a ‘Chill-out’ room. Whilst early Chill-out rooms lacked a specific sound and were often soundtracked by music such as reggae and soul, slowly young Techno and House producers themselves would become increasingly interested in developing a futuristic ‘Ambient’ soundtrack to a world beyond the thud of the main room.

‘Ambient’ in this new age now though had sharper teeth than in Brian Eno's key text for ‘Music for Airports’, instead here the sounds were the mode of transport rather than the backdrop. While the melodies were pretty, the soundscape steered away from the pastoral, dreaming of outer-space and technology as opening up exciting new dimensions. Much like in the first Summer Of Love; the musicians were again exploring psychedelic, mind-altering and transcendental possibilities of music. And also much as in the first Summer Of Love, a psychedelic visual language would accompany the music. Though now the tracks could be accompanied by music videos, utilising early CGI techniques, they would look almost entirely to the future: envisioning technology, nature and humanity intertwined in a new Utopian future. Virtual Dreams of a better world.

From Ambient and early Chill-out classics, to lesser known one-off projects, as well as Ambient deviations by some of House and Techno’s leading producers, Volume One of Virtual Dreams features tracks by Bedouin Ascent, LA Synthesis, LFO, Marc Hollander, Mark Pritchard & Kirsty Hawkshaw, Richard H. Kirk and more.

To celebrate our 50th release the first 1000 copies include a holographic 'Virtual Dreams' sticker plus a special insert poster with artwork by Victoria Pacheco and design by Steele Bonus.

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Ocean Moon - alias of producer Jon Tye (MLO).

In addition to running the long-standing label Lo Recordings, Tye has recorded under various names and been involved in numerous projects over the past three decades. Keen fans of the label may also notice that this isn't Tye's first collaboration with MFM; his work during the 1990's as part of UK ambient group MLO captured our attention years ago, leading to the release of their retrospective album 'Oumuamua' in 2021.

Releasing archival work alongside new material from an artist has been a fundamental aspect of Music From Memory's identity since we began the label, and is something that continues to bring us immense joy. With Jon continuing to produce work under a wide range of names to this day, the short step to releasing this new work was organic and natural. Working under the name Ocean Moon Jon carries echoes of his work with MLO into the modern day, weaving an ambient electronic music that radiates gentle positivity.

The title 'Ways To The Deep Meadow' is inspired by the poem 'Universal Solar Calendar' written by poet, mystic, shaman, and visionary Angus Maclise. Maclise began as the percussionist in an early iteration of La Monte Young's Theatre Of Eternal Music and later played with the Velvet Underground before moving to Nepal, where he wrote and published an impressive collection of poetry and music.

Side one of the album was created at a time when Tye had been exploring ideas around artificial intelligence, delving into books such as 'The Physics Of Immortality' by Frank J. Tippler, 'Novacene' by James Lovelock, and '12 Bytes' by Jeanette Winterson, seeking an alternative to the prevalent, negative views of AI. He was also inspired by the Buddhist perspective of AI as an integral part of consciousness evolution, as evidenced by the creation of a Buddhist robot that preaches in the Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto.

Side two consists of two long-form pieces, one composed for Janine Rook's 'Made In Dreams' exhibition and the other for Vix Hill Ryder's 'Wild Edges' film. For 'Made In Dreams', text from the exhibition catalogue was processed via the Holly Herndon Holly + app to create an environment that is simultaneously otherworldly and warm.

As with much of Jon's work, this music seeks to nurture an optimistic outlook in the listener, something he achieves here with subtlety and a truly delicate touch. The immersive ambient music of 'Ways To The Deep Meadow' reaches out to the listener like gentle trails of light, offering it's spells,invocations and enchantments to all who choose to listen.

'Ways To The Deep Meadow' will be released on 31st January 2025 on LP as well as digitally. Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.

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'Distorted Clamor', the latest full-length album from legendary Spanish ambient composer Suso Saiz. Marking his eighth release with our label, the album showcases Saiz at his spellbinding best, continuing a prolific creative phase in a career that spans over 40 years.

Building upon 'Resonant Bodies' and 'Nothing Is Objective', his most recent full length releases for Music From Memory, Saiz's dedication to experimentation and conceptual approach to sound lie at the centre of 'Distorted Clamor'.

Discussing his process and the concept behind the album, Saiz says: “Thousands of beings cry out for their lives, for the sustainability of their habitats, for their future.

Their clamouring together generates a distorted, deafening and incomprehensible noise. Trying to go deeper into that distortion and understand all the voices and discover the strength and beauty in all of them. This was the first image I had when I started composing Distorted Clamor. Can distortion and all those sounds (clicks, clips, ticks, tocs, pluks, crashes) that we normally discard, generate beauty? This question has also accompanied the entire whole project.”

The transit of sound through various materials is also central to the work, with Saiz using water, wood, and metals as filters and sound-transforming pedals. The album was created without the use of synthesizers, relying entirely on acoustic sounds that were transformed in an unnatural way to achieve something completely new.

Spanning eleven compositions, Saiz's mastery of timbre and ability to paint layers of sound with the subtlest of touches stand out unmistakably to the listener. As always, his radiant drones are a nest of hidden feelings; they glisten with complex emotions and textures, teasing out moods of vulnerability and hope.

Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.

Snippets follow soon.



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Music From Memory return with a further six tracks from Dutch musician Richenel. Continuing with recordings taken from his debut album 'La Diferencia’, originally released in 1982 on the cult Amsterdam cassette only label Fetisj, the tracks on Music From Memory’s second EP ‘Perfect Stranger’ includes alternate takes drawn from Richenel’s personal copy of the album alongside a further composition which didn’t make it onto the original Fetisj cassette.

Studying set and costume design whilst making a name for himself as a singer and performer in Amsterdam’s underground clubs, Richenel played with several disco acts and cultivated an extravagant cross-gender stage persona before connecting with members of the local label. Hooking up through their time together at the Rietveld art academy in Amsterdam, Fetisj was an experimental multi media collective which revolved around a loose mix of various young artists and musicians. Having developed a house band with artists going by a number of different pseudonyms the label set up their own small makeshift studio and would produce and sell the cassettes through their distribution network and at events across the city. Recorded amongst the turmoiled punk and squatter scene of Amsterdam against a backdrop of drugs and social unrest, the ‘La Diferencia’ sessions reflect a unique mix of punk aesthetics with a synthesized bedroom funkiness.

A somewhat illustrious figure in Dutch pop history with his flamboyant appearance as well as having one of the more exceptional male voices to come out of the country, Richenel would go on to record a number of successful albums and hit singles in the Netherlands and beyond. This largely unknown album on Fetisj however, seems to embody the spirit of another time; a particularly unique and richly creative moment in Amsterdam’s musical and cultural history and one that is deserving of a much wider audience.

‘Perfect Stranger’ is co-compiled by Orpheu De Jong

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Music From Memory is thrilled to introduce Dead Sound, the collaborative project of Marco Sterk (aka Young Marco) and Berlin-based pop-auteur John Moods. Both artists are no strangers to the label; Sterk forms one third of the trio Gaussian Curve, while Moods released the 2022 album ‘Hidden Gem’ with The Zenmenn.

Their collaboration was both planned and spontaneous; Sterk initially reached out in 2022 expressing his desire to work with Moods. The pair finally got together in 2024 to produce ‘Into The Void’, an album that burst into life over the course of a few creatively charged days in each other’s company.

Moods’ dream-like, emotionally charged music wears its heart on its sleeve; its very human vulnerability makes it a perfect match for Sterk’s strong sense of melody and textural sonic visions.

‘Into The Void’ carries these psychedelic traits in its DNA, but they exist layered deep amongst the shadows. Painting on a wide canvas that effortlessly skips between genres, the pair weave anything that inspires them into a truly unique tapestry; a bold attempt to touch at the beyond.

Exploring the space between perception (level of the mind) and the nature of the universe (actual level of reality) seems traditionally like an impossible task. But there’s gotta be a time and a space for the profound and this album invites the listener to go deep, letting go of concepts such as love and opening oneself up to one’s own authentic journey. This transformative force of healing is a central theme of ‘Into The Void’, a path that is lined with light and darkness in equal measure. But, as Moods says, “do not skip the darkness, let that door open and swallow you. And maybe you’ll find, it's not as dark as you perceived at first."

Sleeve art by Michael Willis.

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The next installment of MFM's popular multi-artist compilation Virtual Dreams: 'Virtual Dreams - Ambient Explorations In The House And Techno Age, Japan 1993-1999'. As with Part One, released in 2020, 'Virtual Dreams II' shines a light on house and techno-adjacent music that helped redefine the definition of ambient music during the 1990s.

The focus of Part One heavily fell on music from techno and house producers in Europe, eagerly exploring new soundtracks for chill-out rooms and re-imagining the potential future of club culture from new perspectives. For Part Two, we narrow the lens to focus on a unique time and place, namely Japan between 1993-1999. Despite missing out on the 'Acid House Fever', club culture was beginning to take shape in Japan during the early '90s. In contrast to the rest of the world, where ambient techno / IDM emerged as a by-product or response to the scene, 'listening techno', as it is known in Japan, was a central pillar of the culture right from the start.

'Virtual Dreams II' aims to shine a light on this unique moment in time where the thread of ambient music weaved its way through the music of an emerging club culture. This period saw the birth of many great Japanese techno labels such as Sublime Records, Transonic Records, Syzygy Records, Frogman Records, and Form@ Records, following in the late '90s. 'Virtual Dreams II' features ambient, chill-out, and intelligent techno from these leading labels alongside other lesser-known but equally influential imprints, as well as ambient deviations from Japanese house producers. Much of the music featured has only ever been released on CD.

'Virtual Dreams II' is compiled by Eiji Taniguchi and Jamie Tiller, who have worked closely together on previous Music From Memory releases such as 'Heisei No Oto' and 'Dream Dolphin - Gaia'. It is also the final project Jamie Tiller worked on before his tragic passing in 2023. Jamie had been researching, planning, and compiling this version of Virtual Dreams even before the first chapter was released, believing that there were many great tracks in Japan that fit the concept of the series. Knowing how much love and energy he put into compiling it gives it an extra special place in our hearts.

Compiled by Jamie Tiller and Eiji Taniguchi with artwork by Kenta Senekt, design by Steele Bonus and liner notes by Itaru W. Mita,

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The return of Gaussian Curve - Gigi Masin, Jonny Nash and Marco Sterk’s much-loved trio are back for the first time since their 2016 sophomore album 'The Distance', presenting two new tracks entitled 'Winter Sun' and 'Fever Dream'.

Both tracks originate from recording sessions that took place in Amsterdam in 2016 for 'The Distance'. Despite not finding a place on the final album and being left as unfinished sketches for six years, the tracks represent an important part of the Gaussian Curve story which the band felt compelled to complete. Coinciding with the decision to perform a handful of live shows in 2022, they finally revisited the sketches, mixing and arranging them with the goal of giving them the full release that they deserve.

The trio’s trademark sound hits from first moments of 'Winter Sun'; a lush slow builder with all the classic GC ingredients; Nash’s airy and spacious guitar lines interplay with Masin’s warm rhodes, underpinned by Sterk’s subtle use of electronics and the minimal rhythm of a CR-78 drum machine.

On 'Fever Dream', the trio subtly expand their palette; a gently building 303 bass line and 808 rhythm form the foundations of the piece, with Masin’s vocals adding to a slow-burning intensity. Arguably a fuller sound hinting at new areas of exploration for the trio, but unmistakably Gaussian Curve.

Graphic art by Qiu Yang, design by Steele Bonus,

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2024 Repress!
Music From Memory continue their 12? series with the release of an EP. This 4 track comp holds 3 tracks from the LP and one unreleased.. Tip!

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Repress!

Music From Memory is excited to announce a special compilation that they’ve been working on for some time now; MFM053 – VA – Heisei No Oto – Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age (1989-1996). Compiled by long-time friends of the label, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, Heisei No Oto delves into a world of music released almost exclusively on CD and brings together a fascinating selection of discoveries from a little known and overlooked part of Japan’s musical history.

The last ten or so years have seen a global wave of interest in Japanese music encompassing ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records from the 1980s, some of which is increasingly considered the most innovative and visionary music of that time. Although some music from this period, in the form of ‘City Pop’ or ‘rare groove’ records, had been coveted by collectors and DJs for a number of years, most Japanese music from the time was little known outside and often even within Japan.

Sometime around the mid 2000s, two Osaka record store owners, Eiji Taniguchi of Revelation Time and Norio Sato of Rare Groove, along with a handful of deep Japanese diggers such as Chee Shimizu of Organic Music records in Tokyo, began to explore beyond the typical ‘grooves’ or ‘breaks’. Much like their counterparts in Europe and the US, they began delving into home-grown ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records, discovering visionary music, often driven by synthesizers or drum computers, that broke beyond the typical confines of their genres.

Spending tireless hours in local record stores and embarking on digging trips across the country, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, much like Chee Shimizu, have been at the forefront of unearthing and introducing many of the very Japanese records now loved and sought after around the world. Yet as YouTube algorithms and vinyl reissues would transport such music into the global consciousness and demand and therefore scarcity intensified for such records, so Eiji and Norio have recently begun to turn their attention to CDs.

The title of the compilation Heisei No Oto refers to the sound of the Heisei era, which began in 1989 and corresponds to the reign of Emperor Akihito until his abdication in 2019. Marking the culmination of one of the most rapid economic growths in Japanese history, 1989 also coincided with the music industry’s final shift away from vinyl in favour of CDs. And, although compact discs were first introduced seven years earlier it wasn’t until late into the ‘80s that, beyond dance music labels, CDs became the exclusive format for major and independent labels in Japan and throughout the world.

This however didn’t signal the end of the innovation in Japan. Many of those same musicians who have become known for their work in the ‘80s would continue to produce outstanding music well into the mid ‘90s, as greater innovation and advances in musical equipment allowed Japanese musicians and producers to refine and explore new sounds. While musicians such as the seminal Haruomi Hosono, whose productions feature on a number of tracks, would continue to push the boundaries of these new technologies, these technological advances also meant less established musicians were able to make use of increasingly affordable but state-of-the-art equipment.

Including music by Haruomi Hosono as well as Yasuaki Shimizu, Toshifumi Hinata and Ichiko Hashimoto who have become known and loved around the world in recent years, Hesei No Oto also features Japanese pop star Yosui Inoue, producers Jun Sato and Keisuke Kikuchi in aaddition to less established artists from the contemporary, jazz, new wave, pop and dance music scenes. Bringing together a selection of tracks that seem to define these specific genres and in fact move fluidly between a number of them, the music on the compilation is again underscored by experimentations with synthesizers and drum computers though with something of a gentle Pop sensibility. Reimagined here then under the encompassing term ‘Left-field Pop’, this is an exciting chapter in Japanese musical history that has only just begun to be fully explored.

VA - Heisei No Oto - Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age (1989-1996) is a 2xLP/2xCD that includes liner notes by Chee Shimizu and artwork by Hagihara Takuya and is released on February 28th.

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Music From Memory is pleased to announce the upcoming release of ‘Salt And Sugar Look The Same’, a collaborative album from Tim Koh and Sun An.

Tim Koh is an American multi-instrumentalist and visual artist born and raised in Los Angeles. He has been touring, releasing music and showing art works internationally for nearly two decades. Sun An is a Southern California-based graphic designer, art director, and sound designer who has self-released music since 2012.

‘Salt And Sugar Look The Same’ plays somewhat like a dreamlike collage; across 18 short compositions, finger-picked guitars melt with electronics and warped samples to create a form of American Primitivism bent and refracted through Tim and Sun’s unique lens.

Their collaborative journey unfolded gradually, exchanging snippets via email over the span of a year or so, Sun in LA and Tim in Berlin. Amidst personal struggles and uncertainties, the act of recording and composing became a refuge, a safe space where they could navigate life's complexities together. Though they didn't converse much, mostly just sending music, their musical dialogue spoke volumes, shaping a narrative that evolved naturally over time. As they shared their musical ideas, they discovered a profound sense of connection and understanding with one another. The music became a conduit for healing, bridging the gaps between them and offering comfort in times of need.

Their musical influences and backgrounds anchored them. From reminiscing about past scenes to exploring cultural intricacies of being Korean American in Los Angeles, infused with a natural sense of shared identity, their collaboration reflected a mergence of old and new memories into a hallucinatory, dream-like experience. Across the 18 compositions that make up the album, incense emerges as a poignant motif, symbolizing the passage of time. Each incense stick becomes a vessel carrying the essence of moments gone by, while the holder becomes the custodian of these ephemeral memories.

‘Salt And Sugar Look The Same’ invites the listener on a boundary-transcending journey of introspection, joy, and pain, creating an experience that lingers long after the last note fades.

Sleeve art by Brian DeGraw, design by David McFarline.

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Music From Memory is delighted to present ‘Elevations’, a new album from Manchester based artist Tom Burford, aka Contours.

Drawing heavily on his background as a drummer and percussionist, ‘Elevations’ began as an exploration of the Balafon, a Malian tuned percussion instrument, before organically growing into its final form; a delicate suite of compositions centered around rhythmical interactions of percussion, synthesizer and strings.

Recorded during the pandemic and the period following, the album reflects a desire to lose oneself in the expanse of nature - the title ‘Elevations’ being a direct nod to the mountainous area of Cumbria where Tom grew up. The album also represents the joy of creating with friends; it features performances from several of his musical contemporaries, many of which were recorded at his home in Manchester. Slowly taking shape, the final result is a record that seamlessly blends electronic and acoustic, operating at the intersection of Minimalism, Jazz, Fourth World and Contemporary Classical music.

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Repress!
Uneven Paths: Deviant Pop From Europe, 1980-1991 is the second multiple artist compilation on Music From Memory and is compiled by record connoisseur Raphael Top-Secret and label man Jamie Tiller. The compilation brings together twenty one tracks from across the continent; exploring the more unusual and unexpected sides of Pop music produced during that period.Drawing material from cult experimental artists such as Steve Beresford, Brenda Ray and Bill Nelson alongside one-off independent musical projects rescued from the fringes, ’Uneven Paths’ focuses on a selection of tracks that go beyond the confines of mainstream pop music but which also transcend expectations of much of the ’experimental’ music of the time. This is music with one foot in the avant-garde and another foot firmly rooted within the sensibilities of Pop; where Jazz musicians detour into Synth-Pop, Punk bands break into Boogie jams, and student doctors jam out on odd melodies with synthesizers and drum machines during their night shifts.

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Staying on the Mediterranean coast for their third release, Music From Memory this time shift their attention to the work of Mallorcan musician Joan Bibiloni. TIP!

Primarily a guitarist, Bibiloni was creating music at an early age, releasing his first single at the tender age of 15. In his twenties he formed Spanish progrock outfits Zebra and Euterpe where he would meet Pepe Milan, the two of them becoming the bluesy folk duo 'Milan & Bibiloni'. Bibiloni himself would later go on to play with a number of luminary musicians such as Larry Coryell, Daevid Allen and John Cage to name but a few.

In 1982 Bibiloni set up his own label Blau in order to highlight the muchoverlooked work of musicians not only on his home island of Mallorca but across the Balearic Islands. In doing so he created a platform not only for
local talent but also for his own music to breathe a new life, much influenced by the landscape and life that surrounds the islands.

Whilst Bibiloni's first solo releases on his Blau imprint have stronger echoes of contemporary Jazz fusion of the time, it is on the album known as 'Una Vida Llarga I Tranquila' where Bibiloni really began to experiment with new soundsand technologies; fusing tape loops, drum computers and synthesizers.

Taking these more electronic infused works as a departure point for the compilation and drawing on material from across his following five albums, El Surï sets out to highlight Joan Bibiloniïs unique ambient fusion and sun-drenched Mediterranean beach boogie.

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On February 28, 2025, Stereolab are making seven of their studio albums available again as 2LP editions. These utilise the same remasters as the 2019 expanded album editions, cut from the original 1/2" tapes by Bo Kondren at Calyx Mastering and overseen by Tim Gane, but without any of the bonus material from the 3LP versions (which have now been discontinued), the idea being to make more cost-effective versions of these sought-after titles available to fans and shops. Each record comes housed in a single 5mm printed sleeve with printed inner sleeves, and a protective PVC outer bag.

Albums:
1. Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements (1993)
2. Mars Audiac Quintet (1994)
3. Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996
4. Dots And Loops (1997)
5. Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night (1999)
6. Sound-Dust (2001)
7. Margerine Eclipse (2004)

Remastered from original tapes.
Co-released by band’s own label Duophonic UHF Disks and Warp Records.

Specs 2LP in 5mm spine sleeve with printed inners with a protective PVC outer sleeve

Tracklisting:
A1. Metronomic Underground
A2. Cybele’s Reverie
A3. Percolator
B1. Les Yper-Sound
B2. Spark Plug
B3. OLV 26
B4. The Noise Of Carpet
C1. Tomorrow Is Already Here
C2. Emperor Tomato Ketchup
C3. Monstre Sacre
D1. Motoroller Scalatron
D2. Slow Fast Hazel
D3. Anonymous Collective

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWNlrII31rU&t=22s

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Caribbean-Belgian composer, producer and musician Nala Sinephro announces her debut album Space 1.8 with lead track “Space 3”. Space 1.8 will be released on 3rd September via Warp Records.

The instrumental “Space 3” is a short clip from a 3 hour improvised session with drummer Eddie Hick (Sons of Kemet) and producer/multi-instrumentalist Dwayne Kilvington on synths bass (Wonky Logic, Steam Down) culminating in a synth driven, particle-splitting, rapture. Speaking about the track, Sinephro explains: “We recorded it in the start of spring, it was a magical day. The day after recording I collaged the drums, added fifteen synths, produced and mixed it at home and it was all done.”

Sinephro’s music fuses meditative sounds, jazz sensibilities, folk and field recordings. Her musical practice is rooted in the study of frequency and geometry and guided by the premise that sound moves matter. Her debut album Space 1.8 takes shape as a metaphysical structure, where each curative space is a womb-like cocoon created by Sinephro in service of relief and affirmative, ecstatic freedom. Space 1.8 was composed, produced, performed, engineered, recorded, mixed by Sinephro at age 22. On the album, she plays modular synths and pedal harp alongside her friends James Mollison, Shirley Tetteh, Nubya Garcia, Eddie Hick, Dwayne Kilvington, Jake Long, Lyle Barton, Rudi Creswick and more.

Following electrifying live performances across the London scene, word of Nala Sinephro’s playing quickly spread throughout the UK jazz scene, consequently landing her performances as part of the celebrated jazz night Steam Down, alongside playing with and supporting the likes of Demae, Eun, Coby Sey, Rosie Turton, Robert Ames, London Contemporary Orchestra, Touching Bass, Spitfire Audio, Nadeem Din-Gabisi. She was touted as one of The Guardian’s artists to watch in 2020, has garnered support from the likes of Gilles Peterson; and is a resident DJ on NTS sharing monthly selections of celestial sounds. In 2021, she joined the innovative Warp Records roster where she continues to weave her unique sound world.

- Specs Black vinyl 12" in printed inner in printed 3mm spine outer with download card insert

TRACKLIST:
A1. Space 1
A2. Space 2
A3. Space 3
A4. Space 4
A5. Space 5
B1. Space 6
B2. Space 7
B3. Space 8

QUOTES:
“A benchmark in ambient jazz featuring outstanding players and delicately woven arrangements” - 8.3 - Pitchfork (Best New Music)
“Space 1.8 is a healing sound bath full of rigorous psychoacoustic knowledge and elegant playing” - The Observer (One to watch)
“Very few records have this capacity to make you temporarily fearless, but on Space 1.8, Sinephro harnesses the power of sound to move and heal the listener in ways that are real, and expansive.” - 9/10 - Loud & Quiet
"What sticks with Space 1.8 is the focus of its vision: precise like mathematics but imbued with a rich cosmic breadth." - 9/10 - UNCUT
'Her debut album sits at a slight angle to anything else you may have heard coming out of the UK in recent years” - Stereogum
"A calming, restorative and mind-expanding blend of jazz and ambient" - Resident Advisor (RA Recommends)

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Novisad's sophomore album on vinyl for the first time in more than 20 years
Incl. previously unreleased bonus track
Edition of 300 copies
incl. download code

Originally published by Tomlab in 2001, “Seleya” is the second full- length issued by Kristian Peters’ Novisad project. Twenty-four years after its initial release, the album’s thirteen loop-based arrangements continue to resonate with striking clarity. Keplar presents Seleya with a previously unreleased bonus track from 2004 and a fresh vinyl cut by LUPO.

These evocative miniatures feel haunted with the passage of time, bearing traces of the exploratory studio workflows, tactile imperfections, and emerging technologies that would have given birth to them: plain DAW manipulations, aliasing digitalia, the tones and timbres of the “misused” equipment ambient musicians utilized before Ableton, Eurorack, and the rise of the boutique electronics that have streamlined electronic music production.

In our present epoch, these compositions feel almost eerily nostalgic, documenting the sort of trembling, wide-eyed spirit and enviable naivety that characterizes cultural production as it ventures into new waters, unfettered by the sediments of established methodology and trend. This tendency to avoid aesthetic orthodoxy results in music that refuses to settle into predictability. Subtle frequencies drift and collide, counterpoint loops run in quiet opposition, and elegant dissonance gives rise to unexpected harmony. The album’s emotional power lies in these tensions, in the way it balances melancholy with beauty and familiarity with complexity.

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'Altera Vita' is the first studio album by World renowned multi-award winning artists Tony Kofi (tenor saxophone) and Alina Bzhezhinska (harp) as a duo. The album is saxophone and harp in perfect harmony with Tony and Alina also providing the bulk of the percussion to accompany their recordings. Tony Kofi is widely recognized as one of the leading Jazz saxophonists in the UK and his duties include regularly lending his skills to legendary group Cymande for their live performances. Alina has been heralded as the "New Sound of Europe'' and the duo’s innovative and refreshing approach to recording is apparent on this album. The namesake and inspiration for this album; ‘Altera Vita’ (2023) was named in Downbeat’s jazz albums of 2023, which is very rare for a single release!

'Altera Vita' mirrors the human experience, from conception through to the inevitable end or new beginning. Throughout the journey the appreciation of our environments is paramount, 'Altera Vita' guides us through an intensified refocus on our senses through the medium of sound.

This homage to the ethereal is dedicated to the influential Pharoah Sanders —a lynchpin in the creative and personal lives of Tony & Alina. Sharing a platform during the 2017 EFG London Jazz Festival at the Barbican in a concert honouring Alice & John Coltrane, Pharoah's influence was profound. Riding the wave of inspiration following Pharoah's passing, Tony channeled his gratitude into the creation of 'Altera Vita (for Pharoah Sanders)' (single). With Alina's harmonious harp in counterpoint, a serene musical dialogue was born, echoing the grandeur of Pharoah's legacy. This track released in 2023 to critical acclaim was a major catalyst for the creation of 'Altera Vita' as an album.

'Altera Vita', the album, is a spontaneous response to a world in dire need for a reset. In a reality where billions find themselves hostage to the ‘doom-scroll’, where topics are disproportionately centred on the darker shades of our existence, and where our attempts to foster connection have only yielded deeper factionalism, 'Altera Vita' surfaces as an aural oasis. An audioscape that personifies tranquility, spirituality and peace — abstract concepts essential to the restructuring of our collective consciousness. 'Altera Vita' was designed by Tony & Alina to provide the listener with an opportunity to sit still and be aware.

The heart of 'Altera Vita' took shape during a busy summer schedule over the span of two electrifying days at Fish Factory Studios, London, The synergy between Tony & Alina underpinned these rapid-fire recording sessions. The ebbs and flows, the improvisational dance of saxophone and harp intermingled with the percussive beats also from the pair, with the phenomenal Muriel Grossmann contributing tanpura from her Ibiza base – all demonstrated the effortless energy harvest of a creative partnership seasoned over years of performance and practice. Their achievement is a testament to music as our communal solace and our binder.

Encapsulating the interplay of West African and Eastern European sonic traditions, notably expressed through jazz, Tony Kofi and Alina Bzhezhinska become symbols of our shared human fabric —a powerful reminder that our commonalities vastly overshadow our differences.

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Repress alert! For the first time since its initial release in 2019, Voyage proudly present a repress of Huerta’s debut album Junipero. With copies changing hands on the second-hand market for £90, here’s a chance to own this cult classic!

Huerta’s debut album for Voyage is a righteous journey along the coast of California; a psychosomatic blend of melodic rhythm, natural sounds and ambient textures.

Recorded throughout 2019, Huerta combines a blissful wash of west coast inspired ambient with the more affable, rhythmic house cuts he has been previously known for. Drawing on the surrounding landscapes of his upbringing, Huerta’s ode to the Juniper tree is an immersive and introspective experience; a long player capable of taking you to an elevated state of mind.

Composed, arranged and recorded by Steve Huerta at Diesel Studios Berlin, 2019

Sleeve Design: Sam Donaldson / sam-donaldson.com

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apan has produced some exceptionally talented jazz drummers and among them is Tatsuya Nakamura, who joins the BBE Music J Jazz Masterclass Series with his album ‘Locus’ from 1984, a session covering several bases, from heavy percussive samba to meditative avant-ambient. This is the album’s first ever reissue, although a track from ‘Locus’, ‘1/4 Samba’, was included on J Jazz vol. 3.

Nakamura began his drumming career as a teenager, inspired after seeing the documentary film “Jazz on A Summer’s Day” and listening to his idols Art Blakey and Miles Davis. By his early twenties, Nakamura was working with such luminaries as free jazz guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi, pianist Masaru Imada and band leader & composer Mitsuaki Kanno. In the mid-70s, like several other Japanese jazz players, Nakamura decided to make the move to New York where he studied drumming with Roy Haynes, and performed with members of the AACM and players from the loft and free jazz scenes including Richard Davis, George Adams, John Hicks, and Pharaoh Sanders. Returning to Japan, Nakamura continued playing as leader of his Japanese band The Jazz Fellows and in 1979, he went into the studio as leader for the classic “Where Is The Quarter” session featuring Masaru Imada, Hideto Kanai and Kenji Mori... more

A1. Locus (12:16)
A2. Wow (07:50)
B1. ¼ Samba II (11:43)
B2. Ballad (07:58)

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Joy Spheres Rees is the coming together of three essential innovators in contemporary music, who have fused their distinct individual sounds into a definitive collaboration for their debut album, ‘Solina’. Allysha Joy, Hidden Spheres and Finn Rees together forged a new sonic landscape which draws on vast inspirations from Balearic House to Street Soul, Alternative RnB and Jazz. This is an album that is conceptually driven from beginning to end, as overarching melodic themes and lyrical mantras weave in and out of hard hitting grooves to create a deeply moving and meditative experience for the listener. Combining Allysha Joy’s potent lyricism, effortless musicianship, unique production & incredible vocals with Hidden Spheres' production values and Djing sensibilities, honed in over a decade's worth of music across different labels, genres, and highly revered releases, alongside the final ingredient of synths, keyboards and skilled musicality of Finn Rees, renowned for his new wave Jazz and dance music output and heavy involvement with acts from the Melbourne/Naarm scene. Personal and poetic, ‘Solina’ speaks to both the intimate and collective desires for connection, through the differing lenses of romance, spirituality, connectivity to nature and the self. It is the culmination of each member's deeply honed skill set, with Hidden Spheres as lead producer, Finn Rees guiding the harmonic synthesis and Allysha Joy’s unmistakable vocal sound, intimately interweaving to create this rich, textural masterpiece ~ a collaborative magnus opus. Solina is released by London's world renowned label BBE Music, with a limited edition gate fold vinyl release this is sure to be a must in the collection.

Tracklisting

1. When Will The Day Come
2. Caught in a Wind
3. Trust the Feeling
4. Promised Me Love
5. Delta Spirit
6. Cave Sands
7. Surrender Love
8. Always Leaving
9. Surrender Love Reprise

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Originally trained in architecture and architectural acoustics, Japanese sound artist Yosi Horikawa has long explored the boundaries of music and space. His fascination with natural sound continues to shape his distinctive approach—crafting lush, textured electronic compositions from his field recordings and found sounds, from birdsong and city noise to the clatter of kitchen utensils After early acclaim for his EP 'Touch' (released via Eklektik Records), Horikawa joined the Red Bull Music Academy in 2011, collaborating with artists like Dorian Concept and Jesse Boykins III and earning support from tastemakers including BBC Radio 1's Benji B. His 2013 debut album 'Vapor' (released via First Word Records) was hailed by Japan Times, FACT Magazine, and Bandcamp as one of the year's best. Full of potent life energy, 'Impulse' weaves organic foley together with glistening futuristic production into a cohesive quilt of sound. Surging synth lines collide against propulsive rhythm sections, as sparkling melodies slowly illuminate overhead. The album is presented in Dolby Atmos Immersive Audio (as well as Stereo Sound), with the field recordings captured by a 360 Degree microphone, and arranged using a system of 10 speakers in Yosi's studio, using three dimensional skill and expertise. The resulting listening experience is one brimming with subtle movements and living, breathing tactility as waves crash, leaves crunch under foot and thunder growls in the misty distance. On where he found his creative force during the creation of this album, Yosi explains: 'Looking back, one big influence on the album was the loss of my good friend. I now feel that the enormous difference between life and death is what creates the various contrasts in my album. I think I was unconsciously searching for a strong, lively sound, and at the same time I was trying to find a sound coming from afar.' Brisk, bright and sprightly, 'Impulse' is an undulating record of immeasurable depth and endless expanse, this album pays tribute to the majesty of nature, and encapsulates what it is to be a part of the circle of life and death turning amidst the spinning blue marble we all inhabit

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