Recently Added Vinyl

It was four years into the swim ~ label’s history before Bastard arrived. Like my previous albums, it was another collaboration – although this time only with my partner in life and crime, Malka Spigel.

There was a point in the ’90s when British music journalists basically didn’t get dance music and would refer to it as “faceless techno bollocks”. It was that very attribute that Malka and I felt most attracted to. In instrumental music, you could be anyone from anywhere. The only thing that mattered was how good your tunes were. In fact, for the first Immersion album, we pretended to be from Germany and were photographed in wigs and masks. This had the unexpected result of the album selling more copies in Germany than anywhere else!

With Bastard, it took a while to get to the concept, which was essentially this: What if we subverted the whole ‘bloke from Wire’thing and had a Colin Newman album without any actual songs on it? These days, this is not such a big thing, but it was hugelytransgressive at the time. The language of Bastard is house, techno, breakbeat, drum and bass, and doubtless post-rock. The only singing is a one-line Malka sample on ‘Turn’.

Not only did the album not play by the rules of what would these days be called musicby a ‘heritage’ artist, but it didn’t play by the rules of dance music either. Back then, dance music artists didn’t mix up styles as theydo today. This is one of the reasons the album’s called Bastard.

Upon release, Bastard was modestly successful in comparison to the label’s other releases, although widely misunderstood. Thetitle is intentionally multifaceted, referring to several ways in which the album is a misfit – a cuckoo in the nest. But it never meant ‘Colin Newman is a bastard’ – even if Malka’s toy finger gesture on the cover tempted fate on that!

Malka and I have done more work together on swim ~ – and, of course, there has been plenty of Wire activity after its second hiatus during the 1990s – but I never felt the need to do another solo album. I don’t crave attention and certainly don’t feel I lack ways to express myself. In many ways, it’s more creative to collaborate with others.

There is joy and beauty in collaboration. And collaborating with Malka has become so effortless that we almost don’t know whodoes what in the work we create. This has led us to throwing open our partnership via Nanocluster events and albums where webuild musical bridges and make partnerships that transcend the art. Maybe that’s the point? Surely, art should be about human connection and diversity of expression?

Colin Newman, Brighton, 2023 (edited from album sleeve notes)

Tracklisting:
Vinyl LP & CD 1
1. Sticky
2. May
3. Slowfast (falling down the stairs with a drumkit)
4. Without
5. g-deep
6. Spaced In
7. Spiked
8. The Orange House & the Blue House
9. Turn

CD 2
1. Automation
2. Faq
3. Voice
4. Output
5. The Narrativ (with Corrado Izzo)
6. Blank Canvas
7. Time Will Allow
8. Tsunami
9. Cut The Slack (2001)
10. Found & Bound (2001)
11. Unbroken (2001)
12. Flight Mode (2008)


CD2 info:
Tracks 1–4 taken from 1995 EP Voice.
Tracks 5–8 originally appeared on swim team #1 and swim team #2.
Tracks 9–12 previously unreleased and exclusive to this edition.

Available on black vinyl 10”.

To coincide with the Brian Jonestown Massacre’s North American & Australasian tour 2023 is the release of two new exclusive tracks by the band.

Recorded in Berlin & remotely in 2023, the opening track “Abandon Ship (Martian Meltdown Mix)” runs at over 11 minutes and plays at 33 rpm, “Maybe Make It Right.” the B side is nearly 4 minutes & plays at 45 rpm.

With Anton Newcombe (Vocals/ Guitars) Hakon Adalsteinsson (guitar), & Uri Rennert (drums) playing on this offering. Emil Nikolaisen (Serena-Maneesh / BJM) & Ryan Carlson Van Kriedt (Asteroid #4 / BJM) on engineering duties.

The release comes in a heavyweight PVC bag with the artwork being a J card so you can see the vinyl

Tracklisting:
Side A
Abandon Ship (Martian Meltdown Mix)

Side B
Maybe Make It Right.

New Heavy Sounds is super stoked to announce a very very special team up between our favourite punk sisters, Shooting Daggers and Death Pill.

Both bands have recorded a brand new song, and what better way is there to present them (or any kind of punk) than a good old split single. 

So kicking off the Shooting Daggers/Death Pill split, is this never before recorded Death Pill track 'MONSTERS'.

Ukrainian punk trio Death Pill certainly made a stir when they hit the UK as part of their first ever European tour. Articles in the likes of the Guardian and Sunday, featured in all the music mags, plus the band showed that they were a pretty ferocious musical outfit, as those who were witness to the full on live experience can testify.

Whilst in London, the band also had time to cut 'MONSTERS'. Recorded live in the studio with Wayne Adams (Pet Brick, Big Lad and producer of Green Lung) at the helm, MONSTERS is a short, sharp shock. An angry, sardonic and skewed amalgam of riffs and full on blast beats … it growls and it rips.

The band says ..

“This track is about how our parents knowingly or unknowingly lose their children. As an example - here are the most painful things you could hear from your folks: "When will you finish your music games?”

"You will never achieve anything!”

"When are you finally going to do something useful?"

Therefore, when there was an opportunity to record a one live song in London, the choice of a song became obvious.

Just imagine the "surprise" on the faces of our mums...

Many thanks for Ged and Paul from the NHS label for supporting this idea, and to Wayne from Bear Bites Horse for the sick and fat sound”

What makes this release all the more exciting, is that Shooting Daggers are dropping their first new music since last year's EP 'Athames'. 

Sal, Bea and Raquel are most definitely on the way up, their exciting blend of hard as nails hardcore, punk attitude and a neat melodic sense have made them a much sought after outfit, for gigs and festivals here and across Europe. They are slowly but surely proving themselves to be one of THE bands to watch in 2024.

If the EP left their growing legion of fans gagging for more, new track 'NOT MY RIVAL' will not disappoint. It's a catchy, pogo-tastic, queercore punk banger, full of feminist grit and a killer earworm chorus.  

The band says ...

"Not My Rival, is a song about dismantling the male gaze, fighting against the internalised patriarchal messages that we all unconsciously absorb. It's about breaking the cycle of female rivalry. We want to encourage lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down"

The Shooting Daggers debut album is due in the new year .... you have been warned, this is the shape of things to come.

Special 7” single strictly limited to 250 copies.

The 7” comes in classic black vinyl, with a reversible foldover sleeve with artwork from each band on each side so you can choose your own cover,  full colour printed labels housed in a poly overbag. It's available only by mail order.

Limited edition random colour vinyl with silver metallic foil cover jacket & full colour double-sided sleeve with lyrics. Professionally manufactured, packaged & shrinkwrapped with download card.

Self-described by drummer Edley ODowd (Psychic TV, Toilet Boys) as “a band of monsters playing broken instruments,” Scorpion Tea formed through the bonds of friendship, having survived the New York City punk and hardcore scenes together.

Meshing cultural influences from Ecuador, Colombia, Eastern Europe, and Puerto Rico with their collective thirst for punk, goth, death rock, and city pop, Scorpion Tea has created a sound described by vocalist Anthony Diaz as “the phonic expression of a den of ravenous creatures.”

Fern Puma’s bass lines, dripping with dapper strength, smartly pair with songwriter and guitarist Christian Cruz’s delectable, unnerving riffs and the bold flavor of Edley’s thunderous, yet sensitive drumming while Anthony’s involute lyrical profile elicits an impending storm over a haunted forest.

The resulting noise is a harmonious blend with a rich and complex profile that anyone with an ear for the heavy will enjoy. The group’s debut album was recorded at Studio 22 in Los Angeles by Tomas Dolas (Osees) and Joo Joo (Air Bol Bol).

Tracklisting:
1. Take Solace in Suffering
2. Exacting Father
3. In a Vile Suit
4. They’re Thriving Without Us
5. Six Souls Afloat
6. Scarlet Misquote
7. Summer in the Shade
8. Obsidian Promises
9. Panic Attack

Second press limited to 300 on clear vinyl.

Skemer is a collaboration between singer Kim Peers, who's also a model for Vogue, Steven Meisel, Prada and guitarist Mathieu Vandekerckhove of post-metal band Amenra and his personal project Syndrome.

Two very different worlds collide and lead to minimalist dark wave deconstructions that are equal parts brutal and erotic. This duality is reflected in the name Skemer, which next to its obvious English meaning of 'intriguer' also stands for ‘dusk’ in Mathieu’s native tongue West-Flemish, as well as in their debut album.

Recorded just a few months after meeting, a sense of urgency shines through in the tracks that build Benevolence. The winding sensuality of Sunseeker juxtaposed with the pounding harshness of Best, the faint twirl of Call Me versus the solemn gait of Heartbreak.

Just like with their effervescent live performances where Peers seductive vocals coalesce with Vandekerckhove's austere beats to meld into a transcendent fury. Everything has a double nature in the hands of Skemer.

Tracklisting:
Side A
1 Shout Or Cry
2. Sunseeker
3. Rhoeas
4. Best

Side B
5. Call Me
6. Heartbreak
7. Wait For Me

The ultimate collection of Fu Manchu’s 30th Anniversary vinyl series, Fu30, Volume I-III, not only includes all 9 songs from the sold out limited edition 10”s released over the last 2 years, but features a bonus track of the new Scott Hill mix of the band’s cover of Rush’s “Working Man.”

They originally recorded the song in January 2020 in tribute to the late Neil Peart and released it as a digital only single benefiting Brain Tumor Research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. This limited edition release of 2000 units is packaged in a double platinum sleeve with embossing, spot varnish and includes a two sided insert with artwork from the original 10” series and new photos.

Like the band’s most recent album, Clone Of The Universe, these songs were recorded at The Racket Room in Santa Ana, California by Jim Monroe (Adolescents, Ignite) and co-produced with Fu Manchu.

In addition to the 6 new originals, the set features the band’s unique take on The Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It To The Streets,” the Surf Punks’ “My Wave” and The Plimsouls’ “A Million Miles Away” featuring lead vocals by Clutch’s Neil Fallon.

Tracklisting:
1. Strange Plan
2. Takin’ It To The Streets
3. As You Crawl
4. Orb
5. My Wave
6. A Million Miles Away
7. Time Is Going On
8. Low Road
9. Overblower
10. Working Man

Repress of The Sold out Record Store Day release this time on a different colour.

Black Spiders – Those Trusted And True Sons Of The North Are Back. “We knew the new album had to be special. We’ve been away for a while. The first album was a straight shot, the second on the rocks, with this new one we had to kick down the brewery doors!” Pete Spiby.

Back in June of 2017, Sheffield rock beasts Black Spiders waved goodbye to an army of loyal fans with some sonically charged shows before retreating into the shadows. And then, in November of last year, with the world in the grips of the Coronavirus pandemic and after a long year of very little fun from out of the silhouettes they returned with ‘Fly In The Soup’, the first new Black Spiders music in 6 years. Exactly the feel-good shot in the arm the world needed, while we await that other vaccine.

The seeds of the Black Spider return were actually planted last summer, when singer and guitarist Pete Spiby began taking to guitarist Ozzy Lister to start writing new material and before they knew it, they had amassed the best part of 40 songs in a very short period of time which they whittled down.

And then the pandemic hit. “It’s certainly been a strange process, in unfamiliar territory,” explains Pete. “We started to look at how we could do it given the restrictions and not only that, but we had to replace our original drummer too. For us and probably most other bands, we would usually take a riff or song idea to a rehearsal and thrash it out ‘till we either had something or it ended up in the song graveyard!

This time around we couldn’t do that, so myself, Ozzy and on occasion Adam Irwin (bass player) started to send ideas back and forth until we had something to work with in GarageBand. We got to a point where we had enough song ideas with basic structure to go into a studio. It was at this point when we had to look for a new drummer.” With former drummer ‘Tiger’ Si Atkinson unavailable to play, with a week or two of grooming, the band took a chance on Planet Rock DJ Wyatt Wendel to occupy the drum stool. “I've never joined or worked with a band in this way EVER,” laughs Wyatt. “2020 certainly made it surreal.

“A Pete/Ozzy writing session at the beginning of the year had produced some promising results, but it felt like barriers were popping up everywhere,” explains bassist Adam Irwin. “We started talking about how we could use technology such as GarageBand to help, and slowly but surely the song writing gathered pace.

It was time to hook up with our old producer Matt Elliss and try these new songs out in the studio. “Heading into the studio to record songs we’d written but never played together, with a drummer that we’d never met, is one of the stranger experiences I’ve had while being in a band.

Thankfully, Wyatt has turned out to be an excellent addition, who despite his faults (loud, southern) has fit right into the band dynamic. Covid has made life really tough for so many of us in our industry. And yet, this new way of song writing has been liberating, this is the most consistent and prolific we’ve ever been, and I am immensely proud of this album.”

Against all of the odds, Black Spiders have crafted an album that features 13 tracks of high-energy, feel-good rock n’roll contrasted by demonic doom that despite the disjointed, isolated way it was recorded. It sounds like a band, firing on all cylinders.

“We had to dig down deep to pull out some gems and what would we want from Black Spiders,” questions Pete. War, vengeance, mental health, death, conservation & climate change, where are we from? Relationships, friendships, our flaws. Where are we going? Alien life and Mother Earth - some of which made the record.”

Kicking off with the aforementioned ‘Fly In The Soup’ single, this 3^rd ST long-player wastes no time in grabbing you by the scruff of the neck and dragging you through an album where good times, hooks and riffs are not in short supply, but the doom-drenched likes of ‘Wizard Shall Not Kill Wizard’ and the psychedelic groove of album closer ‘Crooked Black Wings’ give us an album of many moods and dynamics and a reason to be cheerful in 2021.

And why does the album have no title? “It wasn’t hard picking a title for the album, as we decided that the focus should be on the band, not the album title, so we decided not to have one. Let the music do the talking....

Tracklisting:
1. Fly In The Soup
2. Stabbed In The Back
3. Wizard Shall Not Kill Wizard
4. Back In The Convent
5. Give Em What They Want
6. Good Times
7. Death Comes Creepin
8. Nothing Better
9. Rock And Roll
10. Free Ride
11. No Luck No Bones
12. Down To The River
13. Crooked Black Wings

In 1995 the album was an unexpected comeback and a lost classic. It was the first new material recorded by the band for years despite many of the songs being written a decade before. On release, though, the album disappeared into a void being out of sync with the times and before Poly got her deserved iconic status.

Bassist Paul Dean was equally shocked at the out of the blue recording.

‘I was very surprised, this was the mid 1990’s and 17 years since Germfree. It was the time of Britpop, Punk was now old news. Poly had 12 new songs and she said the album was going to be called Conscious Consumer and she wanted me on bass. I thought about and said yes of course’

Sax legend Lora Logic was equally surprised by the return of the band.

‘I was ensconced in mummyhood with a 3 year old and hadn't connected with Poly for a long time. She rang me out of the blue, and without any small talk, suggested I come and stay with her in her small London flat to record a brand new X-Ray Spex album.
Excited and without considering any repercussions, I found myself on the train with my tenor sax, (childcare sorted) which had been sleeping in it's case for years, and a soprano sax which I had not played since recording ‘Pedigree Charm’ in 1981.’

The band who also re-formed in 1991, 1995 and 2008 are now revered worldwide for sparking a new kind of attitude in music. The late Poly is now a pop culture pin-up for an originality and feminism that barely existed at the time. Her acerbic, witty and brilliant lyrics and distinctive voice have stood the test of time, and along with the band’s original sax player Lora Logic, she has become part of the punk rock narrative. The fuzzy snapshots of the brief early lineup see the sassy and sharp dressed teenager core oozing talent, originality and style in a freeze frame of pop culture punk rock perfection.

The X-Ray Spex story has been told over and over in books, films and online and yet the band’s second album seems to have slipped from view. Finally lovingly restored it’s getting its moment in the sun and its punky pop/noise songs that drip a punky sass with an added bubblegum melody with Poly’s sassy lyrical genius.

There is not a dud on the album that updates the debut’s kooky Day-Glo genius with a song cycle that are snapshots of the then contemporary culture. The tunes come wrapped up with Poly’s distinctive voice and, finally, Lora Logic who is unleashed on a whole album playing her exquisite sax on each track with her distinctive stand out style that is her trademark.

There is something magical about the way the voice and the sax slip around each other in their own individual perfection. Poly’s instinctive pop nous and Lora’s bleating sax give the songs their distinctive twists and turns.

Paul Dean remembers the recording.
‘It was Poly, Lora and me from the original band and we recruited Crispian Mills on guitar and Paul Winterhart on drums who were both brilliant and had a lot of input.

Some of the songs I was already aware of and had been around for years e.g. ‘Prayer For Peace’. We had a few rehearsals, there were 12 songs to work out. Poly had the lyrics and melody and the band worked out the chords, riffs and song arrangements into a recordable structure, it was a lot of work in a short time.

Sound wise it was the classic X-ray Spex set up with Poly’s unique vocals and raps and Lora’s trademark saxophone melodies swinging it along on top of the guitar, bass and drums. If I remember correctly, it was all done in a few weeks.’

For Lora Logic, it was initially an exciting experience.

‘My first studio memory was being struck by Crispian Mill's (or Red Spectre, his album pseudonym) impressive guitar presence and how tightly he played with drummer Paul Winterhart (or Pauli OhAirt, his album pseudonym), strengthened by a musical bond from years of gigging together. I had seen Crispian play in his first band in his early teens before Kula Shaker. Having previously made friends with his mum, Hayley Mills, from her Krishna Temple visits. It was awesome to find myself bumping into him again on an X-Ray Spex album!

Meeting up with original Spex bassist Paul Dean again, after nearly 20 years, was also wonderful. I very much enjoyed pulling sax flurries out of the ether after Crispian had arranged guitar to Poly's contagious new tunes.

However it was not easy to finish. Poly began suggesting that most of the sax should be taken out. Fortunately, the producer convinced her otherwise and the sax parts were subtly mixed in. Sadly, her emotional and mental decline became increasingly apparent as we went along. Completing Poly’s vocal over-dubs became a priority.’

Finally recorded, the album is full of lost classics like ‘Crystal Clear’ that revisits the tension and release of the debut album whilst ‘Cigarettes’ and ‘Junk Food Junkie’ are closest to classic Spex style with an added pop touch and see Poly still examining the crassness of consumer culture. There is the amusing nod to Iggy Pop in ‘Dog In Sweden’, which is an urgent punk rock missive just like the band had staked their reputation on years before.
There is the nod to T. Rex on ‘Prayer for Peace’ that featured on both this album and the recent Essential Logic Album ‘Land Of Kali’. or the hypnotic mantra like ‘Sophia’ that has the mystery of a Kate Bush in its exquisite grooves. ‘India’ is a paean to the holy nation of Poly’s dreams that embraces a spiritual serenity far away from the urgent rush of the debut album whilst ‘Hi Chaperone’ has the cheeky twist of Lora Logic’s own acclaimed post Spex band Essential Logic given the X-Ray treatment. Lora recalls the album fondly.

‘I am honoured to have been creatively involved with this unique collaboration of musicians and sound engineers and to have contributed to Poly’s extraordinary songwriting and performance’

Listening to the album again after a long break, Paul Dean is surprised.
“Conscious Consumer now sounds so much better than I remember. It wasn’t properly released at the time and so no one knows about it. If you love Germfree Adolescents you will love Conscious Consumer they are linked together. X-Ray Spex didn’t have just one great album it was two!”

The album rewrites the X-Ray Spex story. No longer can they be seen as a moment freeze framed in time back in the punk wars but a potentially longer term project that never lost their creative soul power. No mere flash in the pan, in many ways the album is even more frustrating and full of ‘what ifs’.

Of course, Poly made her own great solo records and Lora Logic was also on her own creative high with Essential Logic but the pair of them working in tandem was potentially one of the great sounds of UK pop culture. They had a rare magic that is the heart and soul of all great music, and the album is finally a reminder of just how much potential there was whilst also being a document of their innate brilliance.

Tracklisting:
1. Cigarettes
2. Junk Food Junkie
3. Crystal Clear
4. India
5. Dog In Sweden
6. Hi Chaperone
7. Good Time Girl
8. Melancholy
9. Sophia
10. Peace Meal
11. Prayer For Peace
12. Party

Release Date: 17/11/2023

Renowned Musician Andy Crofts Unveils Captivating New Album 'Live at the 100 Club' Featuring The Lunar String Quartet.

In an eagerly awaited musical event, celebrated artist Andy Crofts is set to release his latest album, 'Live at the 100 Club,' featuring the mesmerizing accompaniment of The Lunar String Quartet. Music enthusiasts can mark their calendars for November 17th, when this exceptional album will be available on limited edition red/blue transparent vinyl and all major digital platforms.

'Live at the 100 Club' captures the magic of Andy Crofts' dynamic performance at the historic 100 Club, renowned for its pivotal role in the British music scene. With his distinct blend of rock, pop, and orchestral elements, Crofts takes audiences on a sonic journey unlike any other.

Tracklisting:
1. Chinese Whispers
2. Sometimes
3. The Old Brigade
4. How Long?
5. Sleep
6. Westway
7. Far Away
8. Maybe I’m The Perfect Man (For You)
9. English Summer
10. Wondering
11. The Lone Wolf
12. Isolation
13. Jennifer (Sits Alone)
14. An Ordinary Romance

“Marjaa: The Battle of the Hotels” is a concept album born of the idea of merging singer & songwriter Mayssa Jallad’s two vocations: music and urban research/architectural history.

Written in collaboration with producer Fadi Tabbal, the music builds upon Tabbal’s spatial approach to sound and Jallad’s research on Beirut’s Hotel District.

The album is a reference to Jallad’s Historic Preservation master's thesis, in which she detailed the history of the “Battle of the Hotels”, a 5-months battle that took place in Beirut at the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War, from October 22nd, 1975 to March 29th, 1976.

Jallad saw architecture as a main protagonist of the battle, as she discovered it was the first high rise urban battle in the world. The close of the battle resulted in the 15-year Green Line, an urban rift which split Beirut into “East and West”, restricting movement and communication and creating a violent divide that still resonates today.

The album comprises two parts. Part A: Dahaliz, is a stroll in the city, where Jallad tries (and fails) to follow an old map. Musician Youmna Saba is a companion in this journey of remembering the once winding corridors (“Dahaliz”) of the city, destroyed by new developments since the 1960s. Empty skyscrapers propel her onto a past filled with the violence of snipers, and a present filled with the glamorous injustice of empty luxury real estate endorsed by powerful warlords-turned-politicians.

In Part B: Maaraka, Jallad inhabits the building of the Battle of the Hotels, as its events unfold. She calls the fighting militias the Blues and Reds, respectively the Lebanese Front (Christian Nationalists) and the Lebanese National Movement (Pro-Palestinian leftists), leveling the playing field, and drawing a map of the battle through songwriting.

Sary Moussa produces the conclusion of the battle in “Holiday Inn (March 21 to 29)”, which ends with the ultimate severance of the city of Beirut. The music caters to post-war youth who have never been taught this difficult history.

Once we consider the “Battle of the Hotels” as our common heritage, it provides an opportunity to teach the value of civil peace. It is also a call to protest for the renewal, rather than the recycling of the political class that has once destroyed the country and holds us, to this day, hostage of its violence.

Limited edition of 300 copies. 140gsm vinyl pressed at Microforum (Canada).
Jacket printed on 20pt board with aqueous gloss coating, with a 3.5mm spine and a black paper inner dust sleeve.

Tracklisting:
1. Etel
2. Kharita
3. Baynana
4. Mudun
5. Haigazian (October 22)
6. Burj Al Murr (October 25 to 27)
7. Markaz Azraq (December 6)
8. Markaz Ahmar (December 6 suite)
9. Al Hisar (December 8)
10. Holiday Inn (January to March)
11. Holiday Inn (March 21 to 29)
12. Al Irth