It’s with great pride that we announce this amazing album on Optimo Music from Portland-based duo Natural Magic. It was the final vinyl release that Keith McIvor aka JD Twitch put into production before his untimely departure in late September this year.

Having been a long time lover of everything krautrock, space rock, experimental and psychedelic it seems more than fitting that he leaves us this LP as his parting gift; because this sublime album is all these things wrapped up into one and much more.

The album’s opening track “Galaxy Builder”, with its driving tempo, monolithic bass and screaming guitars might give the impression we’re about to hear a Neu for the 21st Century, but no, by the 2nd track we’re already on the first of several wild detours into uncharted territories: part shoe gaze, part ethereal, part psychedelia it’s a unique piece of beautiful euphoria from start to finish. By the time we reach the end of the A-side’s closing track “Distant Bells” the whole place is in tears after hearing possibly one of the most poignant pieces of electronic music of the entire year.

The B-side takes us even deeper into this trip through the duo’s homeland in the Pacific Northwest opening with “Skyward Eye”. If the Orb had ever teamed up with Slowdive and gotten Andrew Weatherall on production this could be it. “Get It Right” is a fuzz-filled epic with heavy dub leanings and meanings...it soars high up into the beyond and prepares us for “Ride”; an unashamed space voyage in the true sense…cosmic guitars, laden with FX; before returning gently down to the rolling green hills of Earth with the closing track “Chugsby’s Theme”. Whoever Chugsby is, his vibe is organic, deeply grounded and beautiful.

In the duo’s own words:

“Natural Magic II is a west coast road trip soundtrack for the fading summer. Taking inspiration from the majesty and myths of their home in the Pacific Northwest, the seven track album is culled from the late night, dimly lit, live sessions of Mike McKinnon on keys/drums and Matthew Quiet on bass. Overdubs of guitar, synths and percussion followed. All this from the same space they throw their legendary Limited Edition parties - all-night free experimentation celebrations in their own right. The album art work is handmade flower pigments, opium poppy pollen ink and wood-scrap charcoal by their friend and collaborator Pith Cocomici. Roll the widows down, tilt the seat back and turn it up. Gas, grass or black mass... there's magic in the hills.

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(Platipus 30 Years vinyl part 12/12, remastered audio) Volume 12, the final chapter in the landmark anniversary vinyl series celebrating three decades of one of the UK’s most influential electronic music labels. This closing edition delivers four iconic works that capture the essence of the Platipus legacy: the hypnotic depth of Art of Trance – "Octopus (Original Mix)", the underground classic Praha presents Xian – "Pachinko (Part 1)", the driving force of Simon Berry – "Black Rainbow (Original Mix)", and the timeless journey of Terra Ferma – "The Adventures of… (Original Mix)".

Tracklist
A1. Art of Trance - Octopus (Original Mix)
A2. Praha presents Xian - Pachinko (Part 1)
B1. Simon Berry - Black Rainbow (Original Mix)
B2. Terra Ferma - The Adventures of... (Original Mix)


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International DJ and collector Elado is well known to edit lovers for his work on the likes of Funkyjaws Music, Razor N Tape and Eddie C's Red Motorbike. He has been digging in his vaults again, this time for Scruniversal, and turns out a pair of blazing Brazilian edits. First up is 'Sabor' ,which is a tight, funky sound that sways low with lush claps and wandering basslines, but the vocal harmonies are what make it, and your heart, soar. 'Debbie' then follows off with some soft, honours Portuguese soul vocals and instrumental disco-funk grooves that are super sophisticated and perfect to go with a cocktail at sundown somewhere nice.

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Tracklist:

1.1Neredesin Sen
1.2Gönül Dagi
1.3Öldürme Beni
1.4Nigde Baglari
1.5Benim Yarim
1.6Sucum Nedir
1.7Gel Yanima Gel
1.8Zülüf Dökülmüs Yüze
1.9Gel Kacma Gel
1.10Bir Nazar Eyledim

Altin Gün, the Grammy-nominated Turkish psych-groove quintet from Amsterdam, return with their sixth studio album Garip — their most ambitious and diverse release to date, and a heartfelt tribute to the legendary Turkish folk bard Neset Ertas.

Neset Ertas (1938–2012) was a beloved icon of Anatolian music; a gifted singer, lyricist, and baglama virtuoso who carried the spirit of the ashik folk tradition into the modern era. Garip ("Strange" in English) features ten of his compositions, each reimagined and richly expanded through Altin Gün’s distinctive lens.

An electrifying live band with an ever-growing global following, Altin Gün push their sonic boundaries even further on Garip — weaving in lush Arabesque string arrangements, bursts of saxophone, glimmering synth balladry, and a fresh surge of tightly wound rock ’n’ roll.

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Since bursting onto the scene in 2018 with their debut album, On, Amsterdam-based Altin Gün have been at the vanguard of the 21st century revival of Turkish-influenced psychedelic grooves.

Coming straight out of the gate with a wah-wah and organ heavy sound that effortlessly captured the spirit of Anatolian 70s psych-funk masters like Baris Manço and Erkin Koray, they deepened and expanded their palette with 2021’s Yol, which brought synths and drum machines into the mix for a more 80s-influenced dream-pop vibe.

But no matter how far out they’ve gone, they’ve always maintained a strong link to the same Anatolian folk traditions that inspired those early pioneers. Founder and bassist, Jasper Verhulst says: “We’re doing the same thing a lot of those artists were doing, which is playing Turkish traditionals and songs written by folk artists.”

Now, with their sixth album, Garip, they’ve brought that connection to the folk source front and centre, showcasing a collection of songs all originally written by Turkish folk legend Neset Ertas.

Ertas (1938-2012) was a revered and much-loved Turkish singer, lyricist and baglama player, and a modern-day embodiment of the ancient ashik tradition of the folk-bard-troubadour. Throughout his long career, he recorded more than 30 albums and wrote hundreds of songs – some of which were famously recorded by the likes of Baris Manço and Selda Bagcan.

For Altin Gün's vocalist, keyboardist and baglama player, Erdinç Eçevit, interpreting a suite of Ertas’s tunes is a chance to get back to his roots.

“Both of my parents are from Turkey, from the same area he is from,” he says. “It's the music that I grew up with. When I was five, six years old, my grandfather always had cassettes by Neset Ertas and I used to listen to it all day long. Then I was too young to really understand the lyrics and the meaning, but I really liked the melodies.

Now, years later, Eçevit has fully immersed himself in Ertas’s lyrics – messages from the heart that are, he says, “stories about what he’s facing in life. The Turkish traditional music is the blues of the Turkish people.”

Nowhere is this better exemplified than on ‘Gönul Dagi,’ one of Ertas’s most famous compositions, here brought to life by Eçevit’s yearning, sensitive vocals.

“‘Gönul Dagi’ is about the pain of love, the storms of the heart and the loneliness of longing,” says Eçevit. “He’s expressing what rural Anatolia has always felt – that love is both sacred and sorrowful, a force of nature.”

In Altin Gün's hands, the tune becomes a languid funk-rock crawl with watery guitar, a loping bassline and a palpable hint of mystery deepened by luxuriant string arrangements provided by the Stockholm Studio Orchestra.

The strings feature on several tracks, touching on influences including Egyptian popular music, Bollywood soundtracks and Turkish Arabesque. But, as Verhulst explains, there’s another touchstone underpinning the sound. “There’s definitely a French Italian influence in those arrangements,” he says.

It's a prime example of Altin Gün's urge to cast their net wide and incorporate a far-reaching set of magpie musical directions.

Album opener, ‘Neredesin Sen,’ is a throbbing, bass led vamp with a strong early-80s Indie flavour that showcases the fluid chemistry between drummer Daniel Smienk and percussionist Chris Bruining. The closing track, ‘Bir Nazar Eyeldim,’ is a breathtaking ballad with Eçevit’s pleading vocals playing out over lush synth arpeggios and a sparse electronic rhythm. Along the way, the band also touches on proggy vibes, with Eçevit getting down and dirty on the synth’s pitch-bend, and a laid-back west coast ambiance. Check out Thijs Elzinga’s gorgeous slide guitar on the smouldering ‘Gel Kaçma Gel’ to dig just how relaxed they can sound.

Fans of Altin Gün's past work will find much to love too.

The Anatolian element is still strong – and not just in Eçevit’s aching vocals. Eçevit’s tight baglama figures are woven throughout, making a direct link back to those earliest influences on tracks like the smoky ‘Nigde Baglari,’ with its off-kilter folk rhythm and cavernous sense of the Anatolian steppes stretching out for miles.

“It’s our most eclectic album,” says Verhulst. “There’s a little bit of everything. The songs are harder to label. We wanted to do something different than what we’ve done before. Less in your face, less poppy, less obviously psych-rock. More just vibing.”

Garip is the sound of a band that’s constantly evolving. A mature musical unit with nothing to prove. A band that’s having a whole lot of fun.

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Contact: [email protected]More