‘Council Skies’ is also available on limited edition deluxe formats featuring a bonus disc including previously unreleased live sessions, instrumentals, and remixes from The Cure’s Robert Smith, Pet Shop Boys, and David Holmes.

each project taking audiences somewhere new and pushing the boundaries of what he is known for. The man is a river, not a lake and this time he takes his golden touch into the realm of hip-hop laying down a musical bed for one of the greatest to ever rhyme into a microphone: Black Thought of The Roots crew. Releasing on Big Crown Records, the LP is called Glorious Game and it is a remarkable debut partnership in more ways than one. Michels provides his bottom-heavy, soul-tinged production for Black Thought who gives us some of the more personal and transparent verses we've ever heard from him. Michels and Black Thought have been in each other's orbit for a while now. The two fi­rst met in the 2000s when Thought was fi­rst getting familiar with the contemporary soul scene. "Out of that whole world, Menahan Street Band was probably my favorite," recalling the funk and soul group Michels was a founding member of back in 2007. Fast forward a few years and musicians from that collective Dave Guy on trumpet and Ian Hendrickson-Smith on sax are now full time players with The Roots. This connection eventually led Leon and Thought to doing a few fundraising events around NYC and Philly together. "Before long, Black Thought was coming around the studio and would jam with us from time to time," Michels explains. "Then, fast forward to 2020 and COVID lockdowns, he just hit me up out of the blue, wanting me to send him stuff to write to. We both were looking to stay busy." Being that Black Thought is the co-founder and emcee for, hands down, the best live-band group in hip-hop. Michels took a decidedly different approach to this project and instead of sending recorded tracks of live compositions, he pulled out the sampler and sampled himself and some records from his collection. "I'm a big fan of soul music," as if Michels has to remind us. "And part of hip-hop's appeal to me has always been the sample-based production". For Glorious Game, Michels would make wholly composed and recorded soul songs in his studio, sample himself, then chop and/or loop up his sounds and create instrumentals for Black Thought. On some tracks he took a more traditional hip-hop approach, starting from samples of other people’s music but then adding live instrumentation on top. But for the most part, it's him reinterpreting his own compositions into something new. The result is an organic feel of loop-based tracks that breathe and fluctuate enough for Black Thought to ‑ex on. "What I write about is determined by the equation of the producer's energy and my energy," Black Thought says. "It's about where we meet." So armed with Michels sampled and re-sampled soul cinematics, Black Thought rhymes through personal memories and distinctive. Tracklisting: Side A 1. Grateful 2. Glorious Game feat Kirby 3. I’m Still Somehow 4. Hollow Way 5. Protocol (feat. Son Little) 6. The Weather Side B 7. That Girl 8. I Would Never 9. Alone 10. Miracle 11. Glorious Game (Reprise) 12. Alter Ego (feat. Brainstory)

sound that characterised Altin Gün’s first two albums, On (2018) and Gece (2019). But there’s development here too. Aşk is the closest the band have come so far to capturing the infectious energy of their live performances. “It’s definitely connecting more with a live sound – almost like a live album,” says bassist Jasper Verhulst. “We, as a band, just going into a rehearsal space together and creating music together instead of demoing at home.” “We didn’t record it like we did the last album,” agrees vocalist Merve Daşdemir. “We basically produced that one at home because of the pandemic. Now we’ve gone back to recording live on tape.” “We took a very traditional approach to recording a rock album, like in the 70s,” Verhulst adds. In this instance, that doesn’t just mean getting six musicians together in a room with a few microphones. “It’s also about the gear that we are using,” says Verhulst, “the tape and everything.” It’s this attention to detail in using vintage equipment and recording techniques that gives the album such a warm and welcoming sound. But, above all, this is the sound of friends and collaborators joyfully reconvening to make music together again in real time and space. There’s also a deliberate return to the source in the material they’ve chosen for this album. All ten tracks are new readings of traditional Turkish folk tunes, revealing how these ancient songs remain eternally resonant and ripe for reinterpretation. “These songs have been covered so many times, always,” says Daşdemir “But not really in psychedelic pop versions,” Verhulst adds. Fresh yet timeless. Rooted in antiquity yet yearning for heavenly futures. Aşk wants to take you places. All you have to do is strap yourself in. Tracks: 1. Badi Sabah Olmadan 2. Su Siziyor 3. Leylim Ley 4. Dere Geliyor 5. Çit Çit Çedene 6. Rakiya Su Katamam 7. Canim Oy 8. Kalk Gidelim 9. Güzelligin On Para Etmez 10. Doktor Civanim

originally released in 1985. It was their breakthrough and produced many singles including “Rain”, “Revolution” and the epic anthem “She Sells Sanctuary” - songs that still resonate today - in fact “She Sells Sanctuary” was recently featured in Season Two of the hit TV show Euphoria. The album eventually defined their career, but at the time, it flew in the face of everything that was going on in music. Tracklisting A1. Nirvana A2. Big Neon Glitter A3. Love A4. Brother Wolf;Sister Moon A5. Rain B1. Phoenix B2. Hollow Man B3. Revolution B4. She Sells Sanctuary B5. Black Angel"

by respected music writer Michael Hann. Tracklists 3LP LP1 - Side A 1. Musical Box - Paris 1972 2. Stagnation - Sounds of 70 1971 3. Harlequin - Peel Jan 1972 4. Harold The Barrel - Peel Sept 1972 LP1 - Side B 1. Get Em Out By Friday - Peel Sept 1972 2. Watcher Of The Skies - In Concert 1975 3. Dancing With The.. - Lyceum 1980 4. Carpet Crawlers - Lyceum 1980 LP2 - Side C 1. Behind The Lines - Lyceum 1980 2. Duchess - Lyceum 1980 3. Guide Vocal - Lyceum 1980 4. Dukes Travels - Lyceum 1980 5. Dukes End - Lyceum 1980 LP2 - Side D 1. Say It’s Alright Joe - Lyceum 1980 2. The Lady Lies - Lyceum 1980 3. I Know What I Like - Lyceum 1980 LP3 - Side E 1. Mama - Wembley 1987 2. That’s All - Wembley 1987 3. Throwing It All Away - Wembley 1987 4. Home By The Sea - Wembley 1987 5. Second Home - Wembley 1987 LP3 - Side F 1. No Son Of Mine - Knebworth 1992 2. Driving The Last Spike - Knebworth 1992 3. Turn It On Again - Lyceum 1980

each project taking audiences somewhere new and pushing the boundaries of what he is known for. The man is a river, not a lake and this time he takes his golden touch into the realm of hip-hop laying down a musical bed for one of the greatest to ever rhyme into a microphone: Black Thought of The Roots crew. Releasing on Big Crown Records, the LP is called Glorious Game and it is a remarkable debut partnership in more ways than one. Michels provides his bottom-heavy, soul-tinged production for Black Thought who gives us some of the more personal and transparent verses we've ever heard from him. Michels and Black Thought have been in each other's orbit for a while now. The two fi­rst met in the 2000s when Thought was fi­rst getting familiar with the contemporary soul scene. "Out of that whole world, Menahan Street Band was probably my favorite," recalling the funk and soul group Michels was a founding member of back in 2007. Fast forward a few years and musicians from that collective Dave Guy on trumpet and Ian Hendrickson-Smith on sax are now full time players with The Roots. This connection eventually led Leon and Thought to doing a few fundraising events around NYC and Philly together. "Before long, Black Thought was coming around the studio and would jam with us from time to time," Michels explains. "Then, fast forward to 2020 and COVID lockdowns, he just hit me up out of the blue, wanting me to send him stuff to write to. We both were looking to stay busy." Being that Black Thought is the co-founder and emcee for, hands down, the best live-band group in hip-hop. Michels took a decidedly different approach to this project and instead of sending recorded tracks of live compositions, he pulled out the sampler and sampled himself and some records from his collection. "I'm a big fan of soul music," as if Michels has to remind us. "And part of hip-hop's appeal to me has always been the sample-based production". For Glorious Game, Michels would make wholly composed and recorded soul songs in his studio, sample himself, then chop and/or loop up his sounds and create instrumentals for Black Thought. On some tracks he took a more traditional hip-hop approach, starting from samples of other people’s music but then adding live instrumentation on top. But for the most part, it's him reinterpreting his own compositions into something new. The result is an organic feel of loop-based tracks that breathe and fluctuate enough for Black Thought to ‑ex on. "What I write about is determined by the equation of the producer's energy and my energy," Black Thought says. "It's about where we meet." So armed with Michels sampled and re-sampled soul cinematics, Black Thought rhymes through personal memories and distinctive. Tracklisting: Side A 1. Grateful 2. Glorious Game feat Kirby 3. I’m Still Somehow 4. Hollow Way 5. Protocol (feat. Son Little) 6. The Weather Side B 7. That Girl 8. I Would Never 9. Alone 10. Miracle 11. Glorious Game (Reprise) 12. Alter Ego (feat. Brainstory)

Stone’s "best albums of all-time" lists for the next 50 years, the world now knew about the Dead. And remarkably, the Dead not only did it again less than six months later, by many accounts they outdid themselves with the follow-up release in November 1970 of American Beauty. The album's 10 tracks include many of the Dead's best-known, most-loved, and most popular songs both on record and in concert for the next 25 years. An album that includes Box Of Rain, Friend Of The Devil, Sugar Magnolia, Candyman, Ripple, Brokedown Palace, Attics Of My Life, and Truckin' looks more like a greatest-hits compilation than a second album of 1970, and yet American Beauty demonstrates a band unable to slow down in terms of the quality of its writing, recording, and performing. Track-listing Side One Box Of Rain Friend Of The Devil Sugar Magnolia Operator Candyman Side Two Ripple Brokedown Palace Till The Morning Comes Attics Of My Life Truckin’

originally released in 1985. It was their breakthrough and produced many singles including “Rain”, “Revolution” and the epic anthem “She Sells Sanctuary” - songs that still resonate today - in fact “She Sells Sanctuary” was recently featured in Season Two of the hit TV show Euphoria. The album eventually defined their career, but at the time, it flew in the face of everything that was going on in music. Tracklisting A1. Nirvana A2. Big Neon Glitter A3. Love A4. Brother Wolf;Sister Moon A5. Rain B1. Phoenix B2. Hollow Man B3. Revolution B4. She Sells Sanctuary B5. Black Angel

He would be seeing out his plan of ten albums and ten singles in ten years alongside a new partner in Creation Records. This compilation beautifully captures those years. Creation was beginning a rapid ascent at the time, with Alan McGee serving as its hyperactive mouthpiece and focal point. McGee was all in on the band. “Lawrence achieved pop perfection, a breathless rush of sensitivity and intelligence. It was too understated to be commercial, too art to go pop, too pop to go art—in other words it was a perfect combination of all the music I loved at the time.” McGee was thrilled to have what he considered a real star on the label, and Lawrence was equally thrilled to have such an enthusiastic cheerleader. He funneled that enthusiasm into some of the most focused songwriting of his career, as well as some of his wildest experiments, all of which are on display here. Tracks 1. I Will Die With My Head In Flames 2. Stained-Glass Windows In The Sky 3. I Didn?t Mean To Hurt You 4. Space Blues 5. Autumn 6. Be Still 7. There?s No Such Thing As Victory 8. Magellan 9. The Final Resting Of The Ark 10. Sandman?s On The Rise Again 11. Don?t Die On My Doorstep 12. Tuesday?s Secret 13. Book Of Swords 14. Female Star 15. Fire Circle 16. The Darkest Ending 17. Bitter End 18. Rain Of Crystal Spires 19. Voyage To Illumination 20. Ballad Of The Band

He would be seeing out his plan of ten albums and ten singles in ten years alongside a new partner in Creation Records. This compilation beautifully captures those years. Creation was beginning a rapid ascent at the time, with Alan McGee serving as its hyperactive mouthpiece and focal point. McGee was all in on the band. “Lawrence achieved pop perfection, a breathless rush of sensitivity and intelligence. It was too understated to be commercial, too art to go pop, too pop to go art—in other words it was a perfect combination of all the music I loved at the time.” McGee was thrilled to have what he considered a real star on the label, and Lawrence was equally thrilled to have such an enthusiastic cheerleader. He funneled that enthusiasm into some of the most focused songwriting of his career, as well as some of his wildest experiments, all of which are on display here. Tracks 1. I Will Die With My Head In Flames 2. Stained-Glass Windows In The Sky 3. I Didn?t Mean To Hurt You 4. Space Blues 5. Autumn 6. Be Still 7. There?s No Such Thing As Victory 8. Magellan 9. The Final Resting Of The Ark 10. Sandman?s On The Rise Again 11. Don?t Die On My Doorstep 12. Tuesday?s Secret 13. Book Of Swords 14. Female Star 15. Fire Circle 16. The Darkest Ending 17. Bitter End 18. Rain Of Crystal Spires 19. Voyage To Illumination 20. Ballad Of The Band

named Felt. Soon signed to Cherry Red Records, Lawrence’s achingly cool vocals and the group’s way with walking melodies were evident on their debut for the label, “Something Sends Me To Sleep.” This compilation collects material from Felt’s Cherry Red period of 1981 to 1985, kicking off with that confident start, assembling numerous high points, and closing with their biggest hit, “Primitive Painters.” This phase of the band is defined by the songwriting partnership and unique interplay of Lawrence and guitarist Maurice Deebank, with Deebank’s stylish and confident playing the envy of many of their counterparts. He delivers a constant string of shimmering hooks that wrap themselves around and over top of Lawrence’s more traditional beat combo song structures, as if trying to fit four songs worth of ideas into a pre-set radio friendly cutoff time. It works wonderfully as Lawrence always counters with a solid bedrock. In one of many brushes with the brass ring, in 1984 Felt recorded versions of “Dismantled King Is Off The Throne” and “Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow,” for the newly formed and Warners-backed label Blanco y Negro, in hopes that the band would follow their A+R man Mike Alway to the executive suite. Despite putting forward two of their finest songs, it was not to be. While major label dreams had to remain on the shelf, fans were delighted to be able to hear these beautifully stripped down and more direct versions when this compilation was released a few years later. By 1985 the Felt roller coaster was something Maurice Deebank was constantly getting on and off of. As Gary Ainge always kept the beat, and Lawrence never lost focus, they were joined by local teen prodigy Martin Duffy on keyboards, filling out the arrangements, and following Deebank’s racing six-string cascades in “The Day The Rain Came Down” you can even hear a tiny hint of the next phase of the band in Duffy’s organ before Maurice swoops to the finish. The newly expanded Felt would then put everything they had into making one of the defining releases of the 80s: “Primitive Painters.” Tracks 1. Something Sends Me To Sleep 2. Trails Of Colour Dissolve 3. Dismantled King Is Off The Throne 4. Penelope Tree 5. Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow 6. Crystal Ball 7. The Day The Rain Came Down 8. Fortune 9. Vasco Da Gama 10. Primitive Painters

named Felt. Soon signed to Cherry Red Records, Lawrence’s achingly cool vocals and the group’s way with walking melodies were evident on their debut for the label, “Something Sends Me To Sleep.” This compilation collects material from Felt’s Cherry Red period of 1981 to 1985, kicking off with that confident start, assembling numerous high points, and closing with their biggest hit, “Primitive Painters.” This phase of the band is defined by the songwriting partnership and unique interplay of Lawrence and guitarist Maurice Deebank, with Deebank’s stylish and confident playing the envy of many of their counterparts. He delivers a constant string of shimmering hooks that wrap themselves around and over top of Lawrence’s more traditional beat combo song structures, as if trying to fit four songs worth of ideas into a pre-set radio friendly cutoff time. It works wonderfully as Lawrence always counters with a solid bedrock. In one of many brushes with the brass ring, in 1984 Felt recorded versions of “Dismantled King Is Off The Throne” and “Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow,” for the newly formed and Warners-backed label Blanco y Negro, in hopes that the band would follow their A+R man Mike Alway to the executive suite. Despite putting forward two of their finest songs, it was not to be. While major label dreams had to remain on the shelf, fans were delighted to be able to hear these beautifully stripped down and more direct versions when this compilation was released a few years later. By 1985 the Felt roller coaster was something Maurice Deebank was constantly getting on and off of. As Gary Ainge always kept the beat, and Lawrence never lost focus, they were joined by local teen prodigy Martin Duffy on keyboards, filling out the arrangements, and following Deebank’s racing six-string cascades in “The Day The Rain Came Down” you can even hear a tiny hint of the next phase of the band in Duffy’s organ before Maurice swoops to the finish. The newly expanded Felt would then put everything they had into making one of the defining releases of the 80s: “Primitive Painters.” Tracks 1. Something Sends Me To Sleep 2. Trails Of Colour Dissolve 3. Dismantled King Is Off The Throne 4. Penelope Tree 5. Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow 6. Crystal Ball 7. The Day The Rain Came Down 8. Fortune 9. Vasco Da Gama 10. Primitive Painters

shop, as well as one fourth of cosmic ambient quartet UNKNOWN ME. Mutual fans of one another’s work, they began sharing stems in the latter half of 2020, which slowly blossomed into a collection of multi-hued compositions inspired by notions of connectivity and impermanence, translated for east and west: Flow | 流れ. Opener “Dusk Decorum | 黄昏 礼節” maps the mood of what’s to come, elegantly pirouetting and percolating through an expanding vista of looming stars and half-light horizons. Takahashi describes Edren’s arrangements as evoking “a strange feel, something we haven't heard much of before.” The sensation is one of “in-betweenness,” a restless current whispering beneath the beauty, like seasons seen in time-lapse footage: flickering but infinite, transience turned permanent. Takahashi’s signature sculpture garden tones plot spiral patterns over which Edren cascades dazzling pointillist synthesizer coloration. The pieces veer between delicate and dilated, micro and macro, their aperture forever softly in flux. From the oscillating orchestral lullaby of “Stalactime | 鍾乳石時計” to the sweeping, sparkling dream sequence closer, “Shift Register | シフトレ ジスタ,” the album achieves the elusive goal of being more than the sum of its parts. This is music of rare air, elevated and amorphous, shimmering just out of reach. Though Edren and Takahashi have yet to cohabitate the same room in person (a fact that should be rectified soon by an astute festival booker), their palettes and poise are perfectly paired, twin fragilities woven into seven radiant and regenerative vibrational states. The cover design of a beatific, beaded leaf rippling on the surface of a hidden pond aptly captures the record’s muted majesty. Takahashi’s quiet pride is justified: “We are very happy with this time-consuming and carefully crafted work.”

the listener’s mistake to make. What kind of record is a man with a punk past going to make when he’s been a mod, a rocker and a rare soul collector in between? One that draws on a familial history of activism, sacrifice and earnest hustling – the very same things we’re all being called upon to conjure as a society in this present moment. This is a body of work that lets neither performer nor listener off the hook, yet still understands the need for care and cause in the spaces between. Consider it: A band of fighters meant for the clear-eyed lovers of the world. Ben Pirani is not fooling around, and neither are the working musicians who agreed to make this record with him.” - Jocelyn Brown Colemine Records is proud to present the debut LP from Ben Pirani. A record that feels so very easy and familiar, but at the same time fresh and relevant. Like the hype sticker says, “Soul music that’s so positive it might just spark a revolution!” Tracks 1. Try Love 2. Not One More Tear 3. Light Of My Life 4. Art School Girl 5. Can’t Get Out Your Own Way 6. You Brought The Rain 7. It’s Understanding 8. Dreamin’s For Free 9. That’s What You Mean To Me 10. How Do I Talk To My Brother?

Sandbox is sunny, direct, has a bigger, crunchier sound, and zero instrumentals. Where Devil has a murky and impressionistic black and white photo of a rooster for a cover, Sandbox sports a full color photo of the band relaxing on a lawn on a sunny day. Let’s also recall that unlike today, in 1987 a full-color album jacket wasn’t just a little more expensive than a black and white one, it was way more expensive. Right up front, the band was communicating that this was a more commercially ambitious endeavor, while behind the scenes they rented better gear for a bigger sound, and tackled more sophisticated arrangements and honed in on the hooks and harmonies of the songs. Of all the band’s early self-released albums, Sandbox differs the most from the sound fans would later associate with the group, which is in itself a recommendation. Nowhere else will you hear the perfectly rendered three-part harmonies of “Long Distance Man,” direct Beatles quotes, or Robert Pollard reveling in his southern Ohio drawl. It’s also true that one of the more enjoyable aspects of the record is finding all the places where the band’s future is indeed foreshadowed. Simply put, Guided By Voices just can’t help but be a little weird, even when attempting something like a power pop album. At the close of the opening track, Pollard announces, “Ladies and gentlemen! Back by popular demand for your entertainment and spiritual enlightenment...Electric Jam Soul Aquarium!” a truly “wtf is happening here” moment. Or the stripped down gloom of “Trap Soul Door”—a track that could be right at home on nearly any later GBV album wherein Pollard intones, “Just one spark can start a hell of a fire.” Little did he know how true that statement would become.

began finding his own way to play it. Soon, he was hauling the finicky instrument around to perform improvised concerts at colleges and psychedelic ballrooms, as well as an ill-fated appearance on the bill at Altamont. Some of the performances were recorded, and the surviving tapes—never before released—capture a free-flowing, transportive sound that fills in the gap between the austere mid-century academic avant garde and the expansive cosmic suites of Tangerine Dream and the rest of the Berlin School in the ’70s. Vol. 2 captures a wider range of sounds and moods, encompassing austere sonic experiments, early sequenced pulses, and melodic etudes. “These pieces represent amazingly fully formed early approaches to the very idea of musical synthesis...arresting even to modern ears.” —Goldmine “Presages both Tangerine Dream’s soundtracks and, in its most grimy moments, Acid Tracks.” —The Wire Tracks 1. Search For An Honest Man 2. Meditation Moog 2 3. Glide 4. Live At The Family Dog 5. Gyre & Gimble 6. Moving 7. Mr. Toad?s Wild Ride 8. Rumble, Ramp, Explosion