'LIVE!', Dans Dans' first ever full length live record, features highlights from 3 memorable nights in 2023, offering exciting versions of several of the group's most beloved compositions from across their back catalogue. Here is Dans Dans at full flight, effortlessly blending different musical genres and painting fascinating sonic landscapes full of energy, mystery and contrast.
In the Summer of 2023, Dans Dans were nearing the end of a two-and-a-half-year-long period of intense creativity, during which they had released two celebrated albums, Zink and 6, and had toured extensively in Belgium and abroad. Feeling it was time for a well-deserved break in activity, they decided to play three final, intimate concerts before going into hiding: two consecutive nights at Trix in Antwerp (hometown of drummer Steven Cassiers and guitarist Bert Dockx) and one at Botanique in Brussels (hometown of bassist Frederic Jacques).
While the band is, at the time of writing, getting ready to start working on new material, these recordings from 2023 are a good reminder of the magic Dans Dans are able to conjur when they get together and play. Here is one of the most original instrumental trios of the last two decades in their natural habitat, on stage, performing for a live audience, speaking through their intensely personal music.

Tracklist
A1. Dans Dans - Naiad (Live)
A2. Dans Dans - Wolk (Live)
A3. Dans Dans - Au Hasard (Live)
B1. Dans Dans - Star (Live)
B2. Dans Dans - TV Dreams (Live)
B3. Dans Dans - Yesterday Is Here (Live)





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(including OBI strip) 'Balconies' is an urgent, physical record shaped by momentum and heat. The album takes its title from a recurring metaphor: a balcony as a place of exposure and distance. Elevated, visible, yet removed from the action below. Throughout the record, Tin Fingers explore feelings of observation, displacement and restlessness, moving through places without fully belonging.
Musically, 'Balconies' marks a clear shift for the Antwerp band. Where earlier releases leaned into intimacy and melancholy, this album is louder, more direct and built for movement. Sharp, energetic songs are balanced by the band's continued attention to atmosphere and imagery.
The album was written instinctively over three months by frontman Felix Machtelinckx before being brought to the band, with arrangements coming together quickly thanks to years of shared experience. Recording took place over four hot summer days at The Old Carpet Factory on Hydra, Greece. The warmth, the sea and the island's isolation shaped both sound and mood, while limited time encouraged live recordings that capture the album's raw energy and immediacy. 'Balconies' was mixed by D. James Goodwin (The National, Kevin Morby, Whitney).
Following the release, Tin Fingers will present 'Balconies' live, with shows at De Roma (Antwerp), Mezz (Breda) and Supersonic (Paris).



Tracklist

A1. Tin Fingers - Intro
A2. Tin Fingers - Waterpark
A3. Tin Fingers - Balconies
A4. Tin Fingers - Mural
A5. Tin Fingers - Legacy, Bones
A6. Tin Fingers - Sky To Valley
A7. Tin Fingers - Broken Melody Maker
B1. Tin Fingers - Infinite Red
B2. Tin Fingers - Graves
B3. Tin Fingers - Orange Juice
B4. Tin Fingers - You And Dawn
B5. Tin Fingers - Bedroom





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Black vinyl repress. Wie in het voorjaar van 2025 het voorrecht had om de theatertour van Het Zesde Metaal bij te wonen, kon daar op de koop toe genieten van een handvol gloednieuwe songs. Het resultaat is de EP Randgevallen: vijf songs, vijf vertellingen uit het persoonlijke en wereldse leven die andermaal bewijzen dat Het Zesde Metaal als geen ander kan beschrijven, beklijven en betoveren.



Tracklist
A1. Het Zesde Metaal - Service
A2. Het Zesde Metaal - Traagskes Groeien
A3. Het Zesde Metaal - Oud En Nieuw

B1. Het Zesde Metaal - Label
B2. Het Zesde Metaal - Duizend Soldaten




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Tracklist
A1. Aäron Koch - Tired
A2. Aäron Koch - Changes
A3. Aäron Koch - Weak
A4. Aäron Koch - Living the Dream
A5. Aäron Koch - To Know

B1. Aäron Koch - Longing
B2. Aäron Koch - Falling
B3. Aäron Koch - This House (That I've Built)
B4. Aäron Koch - For Once

Debut solo album from guitar player of Calicos. The result is a record that balances melancholy and raw intensity, where vulnerability is never far from power.Aäron Koch's voice cuts straight through, while the band builds a sound that feels both timeless and urgent, echoing The Veils, My Morning Jacket and Strand of Oaks.

For years, Aäron Koch was the guitarist in other people's bands. Writing intricate riffs and odd time signatures came naturally, but the thought of writing a simple song, a verse, a chorus, a melody that could stand on its own, felt out of reach. He tried and failed, discarded demos, and pushed himself through the humbling exercise of writing "bad songs" just to learn the craft.

'For Once', his debut album (out via Unday Records), is the unexpected outcome of that long struggle. What began as an exercise became a set of songs that refused to stay in the drawer. Months after recording rough sketches, Koch listened back and realized they weren't throwaways after all. With a small heart, he shared them with friends, musicians from bands like Calicos, Uma Chine and Tin Fingers, who immediately heard their potential and joined the project.

The result is a record that balances melancholy and raw intensity, where vulnerability is never far from power. Koch's voice cuts straight through, while the band builds a sound that feels both timeless and urgent, echoing The Veils, My Morning Jacket and Strand of Oaks.

"This music is about weaknesses and vulnerability," Koch says. "Autobiographical really, something I only realized once the album took shape."

That honesty struck a chord. In 2024, after only a handful of shows, Aäron Koch reached the finals of Humo's Rock Rally and was invited to open for Belle & Sebastian at a sold-out Ancienne Belgique. Now 'For Once' shows why: it's the sound of someone learning to write songs the hard way, and discovering in the process that he has something entirely his own to say.


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Tracklist

A1. Emma Hessels - Always Lost
A2. Emma Hessels - We Will
A3. Emma Hessels - Insular

B1. Emma Hessels - Aretha
B2. Emma Hessels - Woollen Women
B3. Emma Hessels feat. Jaspe Azabe - Breaking

Info
Belgian singer-songwriter Emma Hessels releases her debut EP 'Constant Distance' on October 24 via Unday Records. With a voice that lingers long after the song has ended and lyrics that feel like pages torn from a diary, Hessels has quickly carved out her place in the Belgian scene. She was named laureate of Sound Track in 2023, went on to play intimate yet arresting sets at Ancienne Belgique, Botanique, and the prestigious Cirque Royal, and appeared at Best Kept Secret this summer.

Milestones that signaled the arrival of a singular new voice in folk and soul.

'Constant Distance' gathers six songs bound by a recurring undercurrent: the presence of distance in its many forms - absence, longing, loneliness, the fear of loss, but also the desire for belonging. The songs weren't conceived around a single theme, but when brought together, a pattern revealed itself. Loss implies distance, longing implies distance, even love can. Yet the EP closes on 'Breaking', a gospel-tinged anthem of connection and alignment, written during a women's writer's retreat where community and music became inseparable.

Musically, 'Constant Distance' moves between folk and soul, carrying the feel of modern blues and occasionally leaning into gospel's call-and-response. The atmosphere is warm and nostalgic, drawing inspiration from Laura Marling, Damien Rice and Big Thief as much as from Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Richie Havens. Emma's voice remains the constant thread: soulful, unforced, quietly commanding. "I hope my songs can be like a warm blanket, something that keeps you company, that makes you feel a little less alone."

Though written solo on guitar, often during long train rides, the songs expanded into layered productions through collaboration with Aram Santy, Nard Houdmeyers and Fender Mackenson Rooms, with additional contributions such as Marthe van Droogenbroeck's evocative trumpet. Recorded over two intense days at Studio Beertje, the EP captures both intimacy and expansiveness. The result is music that carries the weight of Emma's fears and questions, but also the joy of collective creation.

With 'Constant Distance', Emma Hessels doesn't just deliver a debut - she opens a world where fragility and strength coexist, and where music becomes a way of closing the gap between people.



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Limited first pressing on silver vinyl. Flying Horseman returns with their first new album in five years. Experience their renewed but signature sound with a fresh line-up.

Flying Horseman is back! After a five year hiatus and with a new line-up, the band is ready to once again captivate headphone junkies and live audiences alike with Anaesthesia, their seventh album. It's an urgent and passionate work of intelligent rock'n roll, hazy psychedelia and cosmic folk. Anaesthesia is brooding, angry and dark but at the same time full of life, wonder and sophistication. It's an invigorating, fascinating, electric brew.

Flying Horseman is still centered around the intensely personal song writing, singing and guitar playing of Bert Dockx. The band's line-up has changed,with Louis Evrard (Pruillip, Ottla, Grid Ravage) and Maximilian Dobbertin (Calicos, Frankie Fame) replacing drummer Alfredo Bravo and bassist Mattias Cré. Bravo and Cré were long-standing members, beloved by fans and fellow musicians alike, and they have played an important part in establishing Flying Horseman's musical identity. Today Evrard and Dobbertin are adding a fresh and personal twist to the idiosyncratic sound of Flying Horseman: their groove, their intuition and sensibility, their soul.

Then there's Loesje and Martha Maieu, who have been part of the group for almost as long as its frontman has, and who offer essential ingredients to bring about Flying Horseman's signature flavour, their haunting vocals and atmospheric electronics contrasting beautifully with Dockx' more earthy vocal delivery and his restless, fiery plucking of the guitar strings.

The whole record is fiery, alternately smouldering and violently burning. These are musical sounds capable of setting the listener's heart and mind ablaze. Anaesthesia is very consciously, a political record born out of Dockx and his friends' bafflement at the state of the world, the new rise of fascism, the onslaught of injustice, barbarism and stupidity which we, inhabitants of planet earth, are witnessing day in day out.

How to guard one's sanity in such a crazy world? How to maintain one's dignity? How to feel useful and joyful when surrounded by confusion and hate? These are the questions Flying Horseman is struggling with, as are so many of us today. But there is joy and purpose in the asking; in the struggling; in staying critical of dominant systems of oppression; in thinking or saying: "I don't agree, this is not how it's supposed to be"; in coming together and connecting, sharing, mourning and dreaming. Joy and purpose; questions and confusion; burning hearts and tarnished dreams: it's allhere, in the transportive sound world of Flying Horseman.

Anaesthesia was recorded in Antwerp by Joris Caluwaerts (keyboardist of the inimitable avant-jazz group .STUFF) and mixed by Yves De Mey (one of Belgium's most prominent & avant-garde electronic wizards), two experienced collaborators who know a thing or two about capturing sound and transforming it into a rewarding listening experience. With their help, Flying Horseman has crafted a tight collection of eight art-rock tunes with a clear identity, a rich sound, an original vision and a joyful purpose in the face of encroaching sinister forces.



Tracklist

A1. Flying Horseman - Anaesthesia
A2. Flying Horseman - Engines
A3. Flying Horseman - Nomad
A4. Flying Horseman - Border

B1. Flying Horseman - Altered States
B2. Flying Horseman - Ocean
B3. Flying Horseman - Seasick
B4. Flying Horseman - Ticket


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Go March are an instrumental group based in Antwerp, Belgium. It is a new project born out of jam sessions that have resulted in their debut single 'Rise', an electronic, Germanic-infused, post-rock screamer that is a sort of Mogwai meets Kraftwerk synthesis yet with all the futuristic propulsions of a new, fresh and hungry band making music not just for 2015 but for beyond. This release comes with a series of remixes divided over 2 vinyls. Part 1 holds from Psychemagik and Dreems while part 2 contains Shigeto & Peaking Lights. Each of them adds their own indistinguishable imprint on the track, unpacking and expanding it to take it across a range of sounds and tones that weave from ambient dub to club floor filler. The original version of 'Rise' is included on each both parts.


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Go March are an instrumental group based in Antwerp, Belgium. It is a new project born out of jam sessions that have resulted in their debut single 'Rise', an electronic, Germanic-infused, post-rock screamer that is a sort of Mogwai meets Kraftwerk synthesis yet with all the futuristic propulsions of a new, fresh and hungry band making music not just for 2015 but for beyond. This release comes with a series of remixes divided over 2 vinyls. Part 1 holds from Psychemagik and Dreems while part 2 contains Shigeto & Peaking Lights. Each of them adds their own indistinguishable imprint on the track, unpacking and expanding it to take it across a range of sounds and tones that weave from ambient dub to club floor filler. The original version of 'Rise' is included on each both parts.

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Tracklist

A1. Spiral Deluxe - Society's Man
A2. Spiral Deluxe - The Soloist

B. Spiral Deluxe - Paris Roulette (Long Mix)

C1. Spiral Deluxe - Shapeshifters
C2. Spiral Deluxe - Uptown

D. Spiral Deluxe - The Drive


Demonstrating the poignant power of experience + human connection + innate musicality + operating in the present moment, Jeff Mills' Spiral Deluxe collective unveil their second album - The Love Pretender. Driven by the free expression and creativity of improvised performance, Spiral Deluxe is an electronic jazz fusion project comprised electronic music visionary Jeff, along with legendary keyboardist Gerald Mitchell (Underground Resistance/ Los Hermanos), Japanese rocker Yumiko Ohno (Buffalo Daughter/Cornelius) on Moog synthesizer and the Japanese bassist, adopted New Yorker, Kenji "Jino" Hino - son of Terumasa Hino, the world famous jazz trumpeter. Together, the four key players formed a band centred around completely improvised journeys through sound.

During their unrestrained performances, what Jeff describes as sonic "conversations" arose between the musicians, as they each contributed to full-length live shows, and studio sessions. Within the boundless parameters of freeform spontaneity, they developed an unspoken understanding of one another, finding balance and poise within the unplanned performances. The resulting recordings have been used for three releases so far: Two EPs, Kobe Session (2016) and Tathata (2017), and their debut album Voodoo Magic in 2018. With The Love Pretender, we're presented with another stunning collection of "tracks" extracted from one long improv session.

With each musician proficient in their specialism and, of course, an all-out music lover, the communication between the group members became almost telepathic. Very little preparation was needed, and their performances flowed naturally and organically. This can be heard, and felt, throughout The Love Pretender. Tracks like 'The Soloist' evolve effortlessly, each new shift subtly influenced by one of the musicians nudging the conversation into a different phase, and the rest responding accordingly, or vice versa. It's music that embodies the true nature of mindfulness and letting go of fear. In their unstructured, liberated cocoon the artists thrive and create musical moments that have, fortunately, been captured for us all to immerse ourselves in. Jazzy notes fill the air, combined with electronic bass, synthesised beats, sparkling keys and an all-round warm and welcoming atmosphere, with the slight edge you can only get from improvised performance.

Sylvain Luc's posthumous appearance on the album is of significance too. The French guitarist died in March 2024 at the age of 59. His natural flair adds another dimension to the album, bringing a touch of that laid back 1980s American California Coast feeling to tracks such as 'Society's Man'. These contributions to the LP, recorded separately, add character - a final sprinkling of humanity to complement the aliveness and presence of this body of work. Three other musicians also added their creative energy to the project. They were; TOKU, a Japanese jazz musician who specialises in wind instruments, especially the cornet, trumpet and flugel horn. And there's Masa Shimizu, who also has wide-ranging with the guitar, as well as being a producer.

Themes on the album include the optimism one can have by simply trusting the process and trusting that everything will work out in the end. By playing together in the way they do, Spiral Deluxe place their trust in the mystery of what will happen next. Getting comfortable with not knowing is key to a sense of peace with regard to the future and this energy is vital to their collective musical output. By embracing the notion of the unknown, you become an eternal optimist, living in the moment, rather than projecting into the future. This cultivates excitement, an antidote to anxiety.

Meanwhile, the title alludes to the shifts and changes that have occurred in today's society, whereby it's possible to achieve success through pretending. The superficiality, and falsehood, that can often be presented via social media, can lead to questions about what's real and what's not. From AI to the fake personas that populate the dominant platforms, The Love Pretender speaks to a process that is symbolic of the time we're living in. Behaviour that has become acceptable in today's world, which may not have been as welcomed a few decades ago. But this is part of the cycle of life...

Jeff's intention with this music is to present it in high-fidelity, to be listened to over and over and over again. In post-recording he worked for hours to ensure the audio quality was as high as it could be. The goal is to create music that people can live with their entire lives, from his solo work to these masterful improvisations. Music that comes to life, music that has a voice we can replicate with our own vocals. Expressive, unstructured, and alive...

With The Love Pretender Jeff Mills continues his mission to experiment with music outside the bounds of what is typically expected. It's freeing, enlivening, vibrant and uniquely human. As ever, Jeff's visionary outlook and bold approach to musical performance and recording has produced a body of work that epitomises his often revolutionary capabilities. There's no pretending here, just pure unadulterated sonic transmissions from a wonderfully daring, inspiring and optimistic ensemble...




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The recordings on Volume II were captured in Copenhagen, Denmark on January 18, 2020. Guided as much by human instinct as by musical intention, the ensemble moved through the evening with a shared sensitivity…listening, responding, and trusting the moment as it unfolded. Though Morten McCoy admits to having felt quite ill that evening, nothing in the music suggests restraint. Instead, what remains is a vivid, playful exchange, where McCoy and Johannes Wamberg carry both Part I and Part II as a flowing conversation, speaking through sound rather than words.

Part I begins abruptly, almost throwing the listener back in time to the exact moment the improvisation was born. Jonathan Bremer steps to the forefront, providing a solid, melodic bassline as Kristoffer and Eliel, perfectly in sync, lay down a steady foundation for whichever voice chooses to rise above the rhythm.

This is also one of the few I Am An Instrument recordings to feature two guitarists. Johannes Wamberg leads the way, shaping the harmonic direction, while Steven Jess Borth II adds subtle rhythmic textures through muted palm work, deepening the groove without ever stepping into the foreground.

Part II unfolds with Morten McCoy on his Moog One, delivering a beautiful, expansive solo. Using a carefully chosen patch, the sound pulses through the rhythm, moving with the groove rather than above it, riding the beat like a wave through the ocean.
Shaped by trust, presence, and collective improvisation, Volume II captures a group deeply attuned to one another, allowing intuition and momentum to guide the unfolding form.
——
Volume III was recorded in Copenhagen on March 5, 2020. Little did anyone know that only days later, the world would be placed on pause for years. Captured just before that moment of global stillness, this session carries a heightened sense of presence, a final gathering before silence reshaped everything. Recorded in a space more commonly associated with a club atmosphere, the music draws on a different kind of energy and immediacy. With Eliel Lazo unable to attend, the group invited Victor Dybbroe of Girls In Airports to join on percussion, subtly reshaping the ensemble while preserving its core spirit. Part I opens with Steven Jess Borth II calling out on tenor saxophone, answered by Morten McCoy on Wurlitzer electric piano. The piece gradually unfolds into a meditative groove, patient and expansive, carrying the listener through an eight-minute journey of layered rhythm and restraint.

Part II begins with Jonathan Bremer on stand up bass, slowly joined by the rest of the ensemble as each voice enters with intention. Midway through, an unexpected vocal melody from Borth emerges, drenched in reverb and delay, later reappearing as a melodic line on the tenor saxophone.

Part III is led by Morten McCoy on Wurlitzer electric piano. His signature melodic language sets the direction, guiding the ensemble while leaving ample space for the music to breathe and evolve through collective improvisation. Reprise returns to the closing moments of Part II, its title reflecting its origin. The familiar groove reappears, transformed into a distinctly Jamaican-influenced rhythm, over which Borth delivers a final tenor saxophone solo, bringing the conversation to rest.

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Repress!

Producer and bassist Huw Marc Bennett presents ‘Tresilian Bay’, a new project that draws from artists such as Tim Maia, Augustus Pablo and Idris Muhammed as much as the jazz scene and community he has found in south-east London. The languid, sultry sound fuses both modern and vintage, travelling from South London electronica, to Brazillian groove, Nigerian Afrobeat and Ghanaian Highlife along with a streak of Welsh psychedelia.

‘Tresilian Bay’ is a nod to hedonistic summer nights, whether spent on the Glamorgan coast or the hot Lewisham streets. The album is titled in honour of the bay near where Huw grew up, an area steeped in stories of ancient Welsh royalty, smugglers and pirates.

The album started out as a lost live session recorded at the Total Refreshment Centre studios, featuring Chelsea Carmichael (sax), Rosie Turton (trombone), Shirley Tetteh (guitar) and Jake Long (drums) with Huw at the helm on bass and compositions. With glorious vocal contributions from Miryam Solomon; Huw utilised his human style of production and multi instrumentality heard in his Susso project (Soundway Records, 2016) to mold these recordings into this mature and emotional debut.

The album was mixed and mastered by Albert's Favourites co-founder Adam Scrimshire with artwork by Jonny Drop.

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Black Vinyl LP (Record Store Day Exclusive)
Dear Children of Our Children, I Knew is a new EP recorded by Alabaster DePlume in the middle of his March 2025 US tour and in a sense serves as an epilogue to A Blade, which makes it all the more appropriate that the B side of its RSD-exclusive vinyl release contains the three song EP Cremisan: Prologue to A Blade, which was released (digital only) in fall 2024.
Listen: https://listen.k7.com/de8e6469-ea94-4fde-b576-435b650eabee


Side A - Dear Children of Our Children, I Knew
1) Bringing Up The Nakba
2) I Play A Role In It And I Know
3) It's Only Now Once (Elbit Systems Windowpane)
4) Glass
Side B - Cremisan
5) Honeycomb
6) Cremisan
7) Gifts of Olive
8) What Did The Child Say / Facing Reality

Info text
Dear Children of Our Children, I Knew is a new EP recorded by Alabaster DePlume in the middle of his March 2025 US tour. DePlume had been playing shows with bassist Shahzad Ishmaeli and drummer Tcheser Holmes, performing music of his critically-acclaimed album A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole (released March 2025). The trio's rapport was so strong that DePlume chose to use an off day in Brooklyn to record this collection of instrumentals, which were inspired by experiences he had sharing, performing and improvising off the music of A Blade for audiences across the US. Dear Children in a sense serves as an epilogue to A Blade, which makes it all the more appropriate that the B side of its RSD-exclusive vinyl release contains the three song EP Cremisan: Prologue to A Blade, which was released (digital only) in fall 2024. As with almost everything that DePlume has put forth in recent years, the connection of this work to Palestine is deep: the Cremisan EP itself was recorded in Palestine; Dear Children includes samples of children recorded in Bethlehem; and the album's cover art depicts wheatpaste posters of a drawing made by a 13 year old boy from Gaza (used with permission).

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Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl, and Macie Stewart are a trio who utilize string instruments, voices, and manual tape effect processing to craft compositions from alternately tranquil and disquieting improvised music. The three musicians are individually rooted in deep sound exploration, multi-disciplinary composition, and all manner of cross-genre collaboration. The musical ground covered by their solo practices is correspondingly expansive, and their individual recording and performance credits read as a veritable who"s who, ranging from DIY darlings to household names of experimental avant-garde, electronic, indie rock, and more.

Tracklist
1.1Dawn / Pulse
1.2Laundry / Blood
1.3Chewing Gum
1.4Door / Watch
1.5Stone / Piece
1.6Burning / Counting (Sleeping)
1.7Shadow / Mess
1.8Paper Folding / Disappearing
1.9Cough / Laugh
1.10Snow / Touch
1.11Fog / Mirror

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the first-ever reissue on studio mule of the debut album by japanese jazz legend and bassist yoshio ikeda.

having performed with such illustrious figures as sadao watanabe, masabumi kikuchi, and terumasa hino, ikeda’s first album as a leader features pianist and vocalist ichiko hashimoto—also known for her involvement with yellow magic orchestra—berlin-based jazz pianist aki takase, and leading japanese drummer motohiko hino.

avant-garde yet imbued with a distinctly japanese sense of melancholy, this is a work that resonates profoundly with the present moment.

the gem “whispering weeds,” highlighted by thrilling piano and hashimoto’s evocative scat vocals, was also included on a compilation by bbe.

remastered from the original master tapes by kuniyuki, the album has been revived with a richer, more lustrous sound in this definitive reissue.

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BCUC – Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness – have been channeling the spirit of Soweto for over twenty years. Indigenous funk, hip-hop consciousness, and punk rock energy fused into something utterly original and deeply rooted. Their mantra: Music for the people, by the people, with the people. From humble beginnings rehearsing in a shipping container, a stone's throw from the church where Desmond Tutu organized the escape of the most wanted anti-Apartheid activists, they kept believing in their dream of self-empowerment. Today they command festival stages worldwide: Glastonbury West Holts, Roskilde, Afropunk Brooklyn, WOMAD, Fusion, Sziget, FMM Sines, Beaches Brew, Boomtown, Colours of Ostrava, Couleur Café – to name just a few. In 2023, BCUC were honoured with the prestigious WOMEX Artist Award, an accolade usually reserved for more established artists, in recognition of their fearless work and transcendent live performances.

THE ROAD IS NEVER EASY

The Road Is Never Easy is BCUC's fifth album and their debut on Outhere Records. On this new offering, BCUC take listeners on another Afro-psychedelic journey into the soul of Soweto. It feels like a gospel sermon colliding with a punk concert, "guaranteed to touch untapped corners of your soul" (OkayAfrica). BCUC's music is deeply rooted in history and echoes the voices of the ones who came before. The road was never easy for the people of Soweto who originally came to work in the mines of Egoli, the City of Gold, Johannesburg. When apartheid finally ended after a long struggle, it was hoped that life would improve. But more than 30 years later, many of those initial hopes and dreams are still waiting to be fulfilled. This album is about that struggle. The album contains 10 brand new songs – a record for BCUC, whose previous albums featured an average of 3 songs. It represents the culmination of more than two decades of performing together and building a reputation as a powerful live act. These ten songs encapsulate that same live energy, each one building gradually and drawing you into BCUC's Afro-psychedelic stream of consciousness. It's a seismic tour de force through life in Soweto today. Songs like Amakhandela (Breaking All the Chains) connect history to daily life: "How is this precious metal inflicting so much pain in us," sing BCUC, "this government has been telling us we are free, but we don't benefit from being free." The album also talks about all the hopes and dreams that remain: "I have too many wishes and dreams in my head," BCUC sing in Um duma khanda, "I think I am losing my mind". The album ends with the soothing Matla a rona ke Bophelo, "our strength is life", praising the spirits and thanking the elders for protection. The Road Is Never Easy is about the harsh reality of life in Soweto, where "people always carry heavy loads". BCUC are street poets trying to deal with that burden: sometimes revolutionary, sometimes soothing, but always hopeful and compassionate. "When you are from Soweto you can't retreat nor surrender." (Sebenzela)

RECORDING

The album was largely recorded in Munich, Germany during tour breaks over two sessions, each three days long. It took place in a small studio located in a German WW II bunker converted into rehearsal spaces. The songs were recorded in one take altogether in one room, with only a few overdubs added, mainly backing vocals, by BCUC at Fourways studio in Johannesburg. BCUC have created their own distinctive way of writing, or rather, finding and creating their songs. The recording process is like an improvised live performance. They bring their ideas into a zone where the music, the rhythm and the spirits take over until the song starts to form. In this Afro-psychedelic zone BCUC create their unique poetry that feeds on the dreams still dreamt, the hopes, the fears and the temptations lingering everywhere. BCUC's songs need to breathe and time to build. The right take was the one when the song took over, and just like their live performances, no one knew beforehand where the song would take them. During the recording, BCUC just let it all flow out: inner turmoil, cries of rebellion, but also resilience and a search for healing, love, unity and compassion. You don't have to be from Soweto to feel the deep meaning and impact of this music. In these times of so much hate and division, BCUC are like a campfire for people to gather around.

PRODUCTION & ARTWORK

"BCUC have a unique magic," says Outhere's Jay Rutledge, who produced the album. "It blew our minds. It's like punk and pure gospel at the same time. Their music can make you dance and it can make you cry, all at the same time. And when the song is over, you feel you're not alone in this world anymore. We felt compelled to do this." The album cover is based on a matchbox design, matches being a common household item in South Africa even today. "These were the matches people used to burn government buildings and cars," explain BCUC. Little messages, addresses, or phone numbers used to be scribbled on the back of these boxes; each one a reminder of the strength, resilience, and resistance that once drove the struggle for freedom in Soweto. BCUC keep this flame burning. The Road Is Never Easy is a heavy spiritual road trip, a deep dive into the subconscious of Soweto and a quest for truth, justice and sanity in this crazy world. BCUC tackle the harsh realities of the voiceless, guided by the spirit world of their ancestors. Rather than reinforcing stereotypes of poverty, BCUC's portrayal of Africa is one rich in tradition, rituals and beliefs. "We bring fun and Afro-psychedelic fire from the hood," says vocalist Kgomotso Mokone.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

For Sofia Kourtesis, joy is a living practice. It's evident in her effervescent stage presence and bombastic sets, which confidently traverse through house, electro-pop and melodic techno. The Peruvian DJ and producer has forged a vibrant and illustrious career that has taken her to all corners of the globe. Kourtesis's debut DJ-Kicks mix is a potent blend of the beautiful, complex emotional soup that has made her connect so deeply with her fans."

Player: https://listen.k7.com/44e391d4-814c-4727-85db-e6b41d5bf7fb

Below tracklists with note which tracks are new / exclusives

VINYL TRACKLIST
A1 Jon Hopkins - Home Station (DJ-Kicks Version) **NEW
A2 Sofia Kourtesis, Novalima - Los Poemas No Siempre Riman **NEW
A3 Laurence Guy - Make Me Feel Better **NEW
A4 Sedef Adasi - Mermaids On Acid
B1 ???¦ - ? ? ??? ? ??? ? ??? ? ??? ? ??? ? ??? ? ??? ? ??? ? ??? ? ??? ? ??? ? ??? ? ?
B2 Sofia Kourtesis - A Brief Look in Your Eyes **NEW
B3 Dave DK - Lagoon 69 **NEW
B4 Aphex Twin - Flim
C1 Sofia Kourtesis - Texas Changing **NEW
C2 DJ GTi - Santa Teresa **NEW
C3 Myd - You’re a Star **NEW
D1 Axel Boman - Rock Top **NEW
D2 Sofia Kourtesis - It's You **NEW
D3 JOY (Anonymous) - JOY (Look Up Now) **NEW

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

I Am An Instrument Vol. 1 was recorded live in Copenhagen Denmark and what you hear is 100% improvised music. When the band performs there is nothing planned, except for which one of the members will start the song. After the initial note, it is everything goes. There were no edits in post production so what you hear is what you heard at the venue back in 2019.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More