HHV Exclusives 367 Items

Kiasmos - Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds and Faroese musician Janus Rasmussen – are returning, renewed and restored, with II. The triumphant follow-up to their universally acclaimed self-titled debut in 2014, which re-envisioned minimal techno with orchestral flourishes and weightless production. They’d made most of that album in just two weeks; this time it’s been 10 years. The making of II was a test of their friendship, but also testament to how great musical chemistry can always go the distance and be just the same as it ever was.

They worked on a lot of II during the lost year of 2020-2021, including a trip to Ólafur’s studio in Bali. “We spent a month there and wrote a few songs that ended up on the record,” says Janus. The pair sampled traditional Balinese percussion like the gamelan and incorporated Janus’s field recordings of their natural surroundings – the sound of birds, crickets and, on standout track ‘Dazed’, echoing the sunrise over the lush landscape.

Kiasmos have an enviable knack for conveying complex emotions and evocative visuals with instrumental music. But this time they’ve got more experience as producers to draw on. The album’s expansiveness can be linked to Ólafur’s intervening years as a Grammy-nominated composer and prominent soundtracker in film and TV. And they’ve subtly shifted from four-to-the-floor to the frenetic broken beats of UK dance music, experimenting more with BPMs, echoing Janus’s time spent DJing in major venues worldwide. There are still those aching melodies that fans know and love but they’re catchier too: tracks like ‘Laced’ and ‘Bound’ have an irresistible, elastic bounce beneath the ethereal palette.

Limited to 200 copies. Transcendental outernational funk and psychedelic jazz from mystery L.A.- based collective Sun Atlas

Little is known about Sun Atlas. The group members are hidden behind masks and costumes to keep their identities secret and to put the focus entirely on the music and oneness. A sense of community and universal spirit as an alternative to idolization and individualism is heavily reflected in their eclectic musical style.

The sound of Sun Atlas is mystical and cosmopolitan, combining afrobeat, cinematic soul, spiritual & ethio jazz with space sounds, hiphop-breaks and a garage funk vibe.

Their cryptic first 45 single “The Mystic Parade” b/w “Grand Theft” sold out immediately after release and has often been mistaken for either “lost” hiphop samples, 70s habibi funk or another project in disguise from the inner circles of the Mocambo, Big Crown or Daptone families (which it is not).

Return To The Spirit picks up where Sun Atlas’ first single left off, with everyone wondering where the journey might lead. With the door to a colourful universe opened, the full-length format gives time & space for further exploration.

This colorway is limited to 150 copies and only available at HHV.

With the broader adoption of the internet around the turn of the century, how people would engage with and discover underground music would change forever. As a result of the new digital era, DIY was now worldwide, and no band embraced this new frontier better than Have A Nice Life. Formed in 2000 by duo Dan Barrett and Tim Macuga, the Middletown, CT-based pair would, throughout the 00s, self-release and share a number of demos and home recordings via early social media channels as well as establish its in-house label Enemies List Home Recordings. These first steps set in motion Have A Nice Life’s rise to renown as an icon of underground music in the internet age, culminating with the release of its pivotal 2008 debut album, Deathconsciousness. Through word of mouth and online discussion, Deathconsciousness became subject to viral praise thanks to its synthesis of bleak post-punk, lo-fi shoegaze, and carpets of hypnotic drone music. Eventually, this humble self-released project would attain the status of a post-internet cult classic, amassing Have A Nice Life a fervent online following that the band would interact with in kind.

In an effort to thank and continue to engage with Have A Nice Life’s internet cult following, Barrett and Macuga would regularly share links to old demos, works in progress, and outtakes from the recording of Deathconsciousness. Over time, a group of fans would compile these demos into an unofficial release. Dubbed Voids, this fan-made compilation several alternate takes of tracks from Deathconsciousness, as well as a handful of early versions of songs that would appear on Have A Nice Life’s two following albums, The Unnatural World and Sea of Worry. While undeniably reminiscent of their final album version counterparts, the earlier versions of these tracks each feel distinct in a way that makes the moody, decidedly lo-fi aura of Voids an essential slice of the Have A Nice Life discography. Hungry for more from the enigmatic duo, fans swarmed around this compilation, accompanied by loud calls for it to receive a physical release. Seeing that demand and with the band’s blessing, a pair of fan-made tape pressings of Voids would be released via Music Ruins Lives, a DIY label run by Have A Nice Life superfan Thom Wasluck, also known for his band Planning for Burial. Between both instances of the tape swiftly selling out and the compilation’s long absence from streaming services, Voids has historically been an elusive release to track down, only available in the obscurest corners of the internet or physically on the secondary market at eye-wateringly high prices. Over a decade since its initial, unofficial release in 2011, The Flenser is proud to reissue Have A Nice Life’s Voids for the first time ever in an official capacity in physical form. Originally released digitally in early 2023 and freshly remastered for the occasion, this reissue of the beloved compilation will receive its first-ever wide release on physical formats (CD/LP/Cassette). This release also marks the first time fan-favorite tracks from Voids “Sisyphus”, “I’m Doctor House”, and “Human Error” will be available on vinyl and CD. Like a symbolic passing of the torch, the physical versions of the 2023 Voids reissue come with a foreword essay written by Wasluck, the previous custodian of Voids during the Music Ruins Lives days.

HHV exclusive vinyl edition on yellow vinyl, limited to 100 copies. Onyl available at hhv.de!

When the U.S. State Department announced in the mid-1970s that they were sponsoring a South African tour for the Oklahoma-born, Paris-based saxophonist Hal Singer, producer Rashid Vally took note. Even though his nascent record label As-Shams/The Sun (established in 1974) was making waves on the local scene, the idea of commissioning a recording from an international artist was a ballsy idea. With a discography that stretched back to the 1950s, Hal Singer was already somewhat of a legacy artist by 1976. Vally was well-versed on Singer’s accomplishments and specifically enamoured by his composition “Blue Stompin’,” which appeared on a Prestige album from 1959 that had struck a chord in South Africa. With his irresistible charm, Vally managed to coax Singer into a studio in Johannesburg, South Africa, to record a new version of “Blue Stompin’” with South African sax star Kippie Moeketsi, which became the title track of a 1977 album by Moeketsi. The recording session also yielded an album’s worth of new material by Hal Singer and his quartet that took its name from a track inspired by Singer’s trip to South Africa entitled “Soweto to Harlem.” Released in 1976 and only available in South Africa, Soweto to Harlem captures a laid-back, cheeky and nostalgic rhythm and blues set from the Hal Singer Quartet that is unlikely to have emerged for a different target market. With her irresistible charm, Vally was able to convince Singer to enter a Johannesburg studio. The recording session produced this album of new material by Hal Singer and his quartet named after a song inspired by Singer's trip to South Africa, entitled "Soweto to Harlem." Released in 1976 and available only in South Africa, "Soweto to Harlem" captures a laid-back, unabashed and nostalgic rhythm and blues of Hal Singer's quartet that would hardly have been born for a different market. Cinedelic’s 2024 edition of this rare album is sourced from the original tape masters and presents it on vinyl internationally for the very first time. The reissue follows Singer’s passing at the 100 in August 2020 as we contemplate and celebrate his extraordinary contribution to jazz in the United States and beyond.

Limited edition of 300 copies, exclusively available at HHV!

Following his debut EP ‘En clair-obscur’ and a series of singles earlier this year cementing his place as a rising name in the world of cinematic soul & funk, Hamburg’s finest cinematic soul artist ‘The Offline’ announces his debut album 'La couleur de la mer'.

Reminiscent of film scores from the 60s and 70s, The Offline worked with co-producer Tim Liztenberger to channel the influence of film composers such as Francois de Roubaix and Brian Bennet, creating his own soundtrack on ‘La couleur de la mer’. Inducing images of manorial, fog-swept villas at the sea's edge, silhouetted sailing boats and cigar-chomping villains attempting to thwart the mission of an imaginary hero, the record is a masterfully composed sonic journey. Experimenting with themes and atypical song structures, the music moves from dramatic cues to fragile romanticism. It incorporates psychedelic spaciness, retro soul and hip-hop sensibilities informed by The Offline’s extensive record collection and crate-digger status.

“Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated by the soundtracks from the 60s and 70s, and I always wanted to make an album in the film score direction. I wrote about 30 demos, kicked half of it and stuck to the ones that felt right in the dramaturgical structure of the ‘movie'. Interestingly the main theme was set early on while writing the album, which made the writing process much easier.”

Aptly named, ‘Thème de la couleur de la mer’ opens proceedings, establishing the core motifs of the record. Haunting flutes and xylophones lead the way into Khruangbin-esque guitar lines, which sit against a hip-hop canvas that returns on boom-bap head boppers like ‘Quelque chose reste’. Retro soul revival takes precedence on deep cuts like ‘Un bout de chemin’, with wah-gated guitars interacting with emotive cello lines and symphonic string & horn sections.

The Offline came to life when composer and photographer Felix Müller travelled the Atlantic coastline in the south of France with his analogue camera, capturing beach life on film. After coming back to Hamburg, he started writing songs as the sonic counterpart to the analogue visuals. His Debut EP ‘En Clair-Obscur’ includes five tracks that capture the essence of his journey and the feeling of a cool summer soundtrack.

Limited to 200 copies.

It’s a producer’s dream: Being given access to a vast library of material to construct something completely new and exciting out of all of it—and when Blockhead’s at the controls, the results are a listener’s paradise, too. The New York City-based hip-hop production legend’s latest album, Luminous Rubble, is also the fifth release in the London-based label Def Pressé’s KPM Crate Diggers series, which hands the keys to the KPM Library’s storied collection—home to over 70 years of music and sound designs made for television, film, and radio—to some of the best behind the boards. The results are like witnessing a kid unleashed in a candy shop, as Blockhead unleashes his boundless creative mind on the KPM Library’s limitless potential—pure inspiration and joy, for your listening pleasure.

Luminous Rubble is the latest missive in a particularly busy period for underground hip-hop veteran Tony Simon, who’s spent the last decades lending his considerable talents to work from artists like Armand Hammer, billy woods, Murs, and Open Mike Eagle; in 2021, he released the critically acclaimed collab LP Garbology with rap legend and longtime collaborator Aesop Rock, just last year he unleashed his twelfth solo album, The Aux. Luminous Rubble had its origins in a chance meeting after a Hamburg show between Simon and a KPM rep, who explained the Crate Diggers conceit to him.

“For me, as a producer who uses samples, there’s nothing better than free rein,” Simon recalls. “I was like, ‘Are there any rules?’ And he said, ‘Just make whatever you want.’ That was so exciting for me. I don’t get that on my own releases, but in this case every sample is cleared and it’s all good.”

As is the case with many sample excavators, Simon already had a deep history with what the KPM library had to offer him as well—to the point where, while digging through the crates in the making of Luminous Rubble, he even came across records he’d sampled from in the past. “Their vault is the one I’m most familiar with,” he says with a laugh. “Back when I used to go record shopping a lot, I would pretty much buy any KPM record on sight. They were always a huge find at record stores. So to be able to tap into these records with no limitations was really nice.”

“The challenge for me was trying to boil down what I wanted to do,” Simon continues while discussing the genesis of Luminous Rubble, which came together over the course of 2022. “I thought about making an album of super-long songs, but it would’ve been a whole different undertaking. So I just went with what I knew, because it’s a foolproof approach to me.” Of course, Simon’s track record as Blockhead meant that the familiar path was tried and true—but as Luminous Rubble’s ten tracks prove, it’s foolish to assume that would mean any laurel-resting on his part.

“My music is always very quirky and melody-driven,” Simon states while talking about how he stretched his creative wings in the studio. “I took chances more than usual when it came to samples and how I used them for foundation.” Indeed, Luminous Rubble finds Simon using the KPM library’s vastness to craft new and engagingly twisted beat-driven shapes; “Dork Crystal” radiates a sinister ominousness, with streaks of strings rubbing against stabbing guitar chords, while a delightfully scuzzy horn line dances around a hi-hat shuffle in “Scumlord.” “There’s something dirty about the horn sample,” Simon explains while discussing the track’s title. “It reminds you of oil-slicked streets in an alley. I wanted to embrace that feeling.”

Glittering bells and a woozy gait to “Serious About My Fitness” makes the tune sound as if you’re sweating it out on the Stairmaster (in a good way), while there’s a distinct thousand-karat shine to “Oh You Fancy,” which nearly resembles a glitzed-out haunted house in its gilded spookiness. “It just sounds like royalty,” Simon exclaims, before going into greater detail about how the creative parameters of the Crate Diggers series proved its own inspiration.

“I’ve always appreciated working within limitations,” he says. “Having no boundaries can be overwhelming when it comes to the creative process. Working with these samples forced me to find middle ground in cases where I’d typically just walk away and look elsewhere.” After hearing Luminous Rubble, you’ll be happy he stuck around.

Limited to 200 copies in this color way, only available at HHV in Germany.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Brainstory's sophomore full-length album Sounds Good. Based in L.A. but hailing from the Inland Empire's own Rialto, California, two-thirds of Brainstory, Kevin and Tony Martin are brothers by blood, while Eric Hagstrom is a brother through their music and long term friendship. Since they started the band they have constantly faced situations that forced them to rise to the occasion. They got signed to Big Crown Records, they stepped up their game. Covid happened, they learned to record themselves. They started touring a ton sharing the stage with the likes of Lady Wray and they got their live show super tight. All of this time spent grinding and growing has certainly paid off. The path to take their art to the next level is clearer than ever, and once again, they are here for it. If there is one thing that is abundantly clear on Sounds Good, it's that Brainstory has leveled up. Part of this evolution is undoubtedly attributed to having access to and working constantly in their own studio in Long Beach. Another major factor is that their brotherhood has expanded. "I've been playing music with my brother all my life and now with Eric for a long time," Tony tells us. "Leon, though, is like another brother I've just met." Leon Michels, Big Crown's co-owner, produced this record and applied his unmistakable golden touch in crucial ways. The other member of the extended Brainstory brotherhood whose contributions were essential to the album, is studio engineer legend Jens Jungkurth who controls the tones and textures of the music. "That's what you're hearing, our connection, the fun moments, the little details," Kevin describes. "This record isn't half what it is without them_and it made us want to match that effort," and match that effort they did. Album opener "Nobody But You" is an uplifting, dance ¬oor burner, that shows off a new side of Brainstory's range. Drummer Eric Hagstrom's crushing back beat lays the foundation for an inspirational feel good banger that manages to take the uncomfortable truth that "nobody will save you but you" and turn it into pure blissful motivation. "Peach Optimo" is a laid back half time tune that blends the bounce of Down South Hip-Hop with California G funk and Jazz. They once again show off their B said ballad talents with "Gift Of Life" but this time taking the genre to a new place with lyrics about existentialism and a track that is drop dead gorgeous, haunting, and profound all at once. "NyNy" is an homage to Kev and Tony's recently deceased grandfather while "Too Yung" is a show stopping, deeply personal, stripped down number about being introduced to alcohol at a young age. They put another hit on the boards with "Hanging On," a Latin / Psychedelic Soul inspired banger featuring Claire Cottrill on background vocals while "XFaded" addresses the all too common vicious cycle of smoking and drinking too much over a trippy shuf¬e. "It's been four years since our last full length record, and with everything that's happened since, it's like we've been catching up to ourselves." That's one way to describe change: catching up to oneself. Each member of Brainstory has gone through shifts, both personally and musically, and all of that threads through Sounds Good. It's easy to say that the music industry can be short on lasting, genuine relationships. However, for Brainstory, from day one it's been about standing by each other, for each other.

Limited to 200 copies.

12 new songs by Berlin singer-songwriter Katharina Kollmann, which she recorded with her band and choir.

12 new songs about precarity, about necessary solidarity, about clans and necessary shelters.

12 ravishingly good songs that will certainly offer us a good, emotional home.

HHV exclusive vinyl edition on clear vinyl, limited to 200 copies.

Limited to 500 copies, only at HHV! Only 1 per customer!

For the first time ever since the digital-only release in 2011, the first "Minecraft" soundtrack is now released in physical form. The vinyl version contains twelve tracks! "Minecraft - Volume Alpha" is the work of German composer and musician Daniel Rosenfeld. Under his stage name C418, Rosenfeld created the sweeping soundtrack and vibrant sound design that brought the voxel-based universe of "Minecraft" to life. Fans and critics alike were blown away by his beatless, balanced electro pieces across the board. Popular gaming site Kotaku listed the soundtrack among its "Best Game Music" of 2011, calling the music "impressively soothing," while The Guardian compared Rosenfeld's fragile pieces of piano and minimalist ambient to legendary artists Erik Satie and Brian ENO. In an interview, Polygon distilled "Volume Alpha" down to its essence: "The soundtrack is not tied to the retro aesthetic of Minecraft graphics. The soundtrack overrides them. The album is an attempt to translate the combined game/music experience into something heavenly."

HHV exclusive vinyl edition on yellow vinyl, limited to 300 copies.

Sonor Music Editions is excited to announce this revived issue of Open Air Parade, one of the most sought-after artifacts from the golden era of Italian library music.

This holy grail was originally released in 1972 on the legendary Sermi Records label (often referred to as SR Records). It features ten tracks composed by Ennio Morricone’s whistler, Alessandro Alessandroni revealing his great talent and unrivaled sense of melody, and two by the brilliant Italian jazz bassist Giovanni Tommaso, also founder and member of the legendary prog-jazz-rock ensemble Perigeo.

Open Air Parade is a masterpiece and rightfully sits among the top five in its genre. It has a beautiful cohesiveness throughout and can only be described as sincere. The music ranges from superb psychedelic lounge funk, compelling groovy jazz beat tunes, and far-ranging mood music with lush arrangements.

It’s an essential album, officially reissued by Sonor Music Editions. This 2024 repress has been carefully remastered, and packed in a thick cardboard sleeve with fully restored artwork using the original painting by Ernst Wilhelm Nay in full fidelity.

Limited to 250 copies for the German market!

One of the most hotly-anticipated debut records in recent years, I Hear You will be released on 7th June 2024 via XL Recordings. The ten track album is the culmination of years of work for the Korean-born artist, who’s uniquely revered as both an underground icon and global sensation, sticking by her own unwavering vision to become one of the most in-demand electronic music artists and DJs in the world.

HHV exclusive vinyl edition on red in clear vinyl, limited to 500 copies

You Only Live 2wice is the third studio album from Freddie Gibbs. Following a tumultuous time in Gibbs’ personal life, the album focuses on Freddie overcoming his obstacles and rising from the ashes anew, as reflected in the album art depicting the resurrection of Jesus. At 8 tracks, the album has no features, instead using the space to let Gibbs bear his soul. The album includes the chilling violin-laced single, “Crushed Glass,” as well as standout hits, “20 Karat Jesus,” &”Amnesia.” Executive produced by Ben “Lambo” Lambert & Gibbs himself, the album sees production from BADBADNOTGOOD, Kaytranada, Speakerbomb, Dupri, Jay Nari, Teddy Walton, Blair Norf & more. Back in print for the first time since its initial release.

The trio's collective musical DNA, the years spent constructing it in Houston's local-meets-global cultural stew, ensures the band continues to sound like no one but itself. A cascade of crisp melodies emanates from Marko's reverb-heavy electric, dancing gently around Laura Lee's minimalist almost-dub bass triangles, while DJ's drums serve as the tightened-up pocket and unwavering dance-floor on which all this movement takes place. Yet there's a freshness to A La Sala's instrumental interactivity, less concerned with getting further out than going deeper in, a profound desire to celebrate the world's external wonders. Where prior albums strived towards music's polyglot edges, such inquiries now sound like beloved intimacies. Here, Khruangbin's sonic touch-points - whether spaghetti-western film scores (on "Fifteen Fifty-Three"), West African discos (on "Pon Pón"), G-funk fantasias ("Todavía Viva"), living room dancing moments (the first single, "A Love International"), or even ambient found-sounds (on "Farolim de Felgueiras” and throughout the album) - are ingrained characteristics. This is who they are! Unique and huge (and growing), ambitious and driven. Khruangbin's aspirations and commitment to playful creativity even extends to A La Sala's vinyl packages, of which there will be seven distinctive covers and color-sets. Designed by the band using Marko's multitude of travelog photos, the images are windows from the band's living room onto a set of daydreams, scenes of impossible skies, external glances that illuminate what is going on inside. Each cover image comes with a matching color vinyl. These too are all about looking out and looking back, in order to better look ahead.

HHV Exclusive orange colored run of this fantastic album. Don't sleep.

Excellent French library music / soundtracks album from Saint Tropez Orchestra. Recorded at Studio Des Fontaines in just 25 hours and using the very Hammond organ owned by a former member of one of the house bands at the Zoom Zoom nightclub in Saint Tropez (which almost certainly would have been used onstage for such icons as Brigitte Bardot, Michel Polnareff, Jacques Dutronc, Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, etc) this album is all killer, no filler.

Inspired by the classic library music sounds of 1968-75 (think The Mohawks, or even Booker T & The MG's on acid) this is the kind of collection that crate diggers, rare library fiends, and psychedelic funk fans dream of finding in some dusty old store somewhere for a dollar!

The album itself is stuffed with the kind of heavy drum-and-percussion breaks that b-boys and girls go nuts for, and the sort of sample source material that producers are constantly searching for. It's a masterpiece and you need it.

Limited edition of 300 copies of "Mad Izm" backed with the Easy Me Bee remix of "Reprogram" in sticker sleeve.

"Station Identification" marked the 1995 debut album by Channel Live with productions mostly handled by KRS-One next to Salaam Remi and Rheji Burrell. The duo comprised of Hakim Green and Tuffy created a certain impact on the scene with tracks like "Mad Izm" or "Sex For The Sport", and also remixes by the likes of Buckwild and Easy Mo Bee made the release a fan favorite amongst Hip Hop heads worldwide.

Available in a limited run on 2LP+7" ("Mad Izm Buckwild Remix b/w Buckwild '95 Remix"), extra 7" of "Mad Izm b/w Reprogram (Easy Mo Bee Remix)" in original sticker sleeve, CD in jewel case and cassette.

The cheekiest band in the land is back with Rockmaker, The Dandy Warhols' 12th studio album. Produced and recorded by the band at their studio/funhouse The Odditorium in Portland, OR, Rockmaker sees the "Bohemian Like You" hitmakers celebrate their 30th year together with a sprinkle of glitter on their grime. Accompanied by guests Debbie Harry, Slash, and Pixies' Frank Black, The Dandy Warhols wrangle paranoia, untangle anxious discontent, and lust after life while the dance grooves go deeper, heady drones get weirder, and riffage fit for bong rips hammers. Rockmaker is the Dandy's clearest statement yet, at no sacrifice to their outré leanings. This is the sound of outsider alt-psych fixtures looking in as the walls come down.

Limited to 200 copies, in this coor way only availabble at HHV.

Karate Boogaloo are proud to present Hold Your Horses, a mesmerizing new long-playing disc of original instrumental tunes from Melbourne, Australia’s most dedicated.

Sitting at the core of Melbourne’s burgeoning movement of cinematic instrumental soul, Karate Boogaloo’s roots go deep into the fabric of the DIY soul idiom. A mainstay of the Melbourne underground over the last decade, their now sought-after series of LPs delving into hip-hop sample culture and its relationship to funk music, The ‘KB’s Mixtapes’, are evidence of their long-standing contribution to the development of the Melbourne cinematic soul sound.

Henry Jenkins, Hudson Whitlock, Callum Riley, and Darvid Thor have been playing music together since their playground days. Meeting as high school preteens, these four friends explored the teachings of the great small combo instrumental bands à la Booker T & The MG’s and The Meters. With these lessons in one hand and their characteristic sense of goofy humor in the other, the ensuing 15+ years saw Karate Boogaloo develop the kind of shared musical language that can only be built through countless hours spent together existing as friends and musical allies.

Karate Boogaloo’s singular bond shines brightly on Hold Your Horses, the second album of original Karate Boogaloo compositions. Following on from the cult classic Carn The Boogers (College Of Knowledge Records, 2020), Hold Your Horses is a document of KB’s distinct interpretation of instrumental funk. A bona-fide journey from start to finish, each tune melds seamlessly into the next, deftly creating a world built on moments of cinematic tension, whimsical melodies and eerie discordance and underpinned by undeniable super heavy funk. Hold Your Horses respectfully builds on a legacy of soul music whilst remaining unimpeachably unique and authentic.

Limited to 300 copies on clear vinyl only available at HHV.

Special edition, two-disc, remastered version of Ghost Pop-Tape on Vinyl with updated artwork

Limited to 100 copies.

Dumbo Tracks returns with a second album Move With Intention – the anticipated follow up to 2022's eponymous debut. Philipp Janzen and collaborators deliver a varied collection of nine zoned-out grooves direct from Dumbo Studio in Cologne, with vocal contributions from Portable, Ada, Marker Starling, Rubee Fegan and nothhingspecial.

Looking back to his musical upbringing, Philipp Janzen switched up the recording process from the first record to incorporate more of a live band element. The result is a more eclectic sound which allowed more freedom to experiment, while keeping the collaborative spirit that is a vital Dumbo Tracks trademark.

The genesis of the record began in Italy, where Philipp and co-producer Julian Stetter traveled to jam out ideas on modular synths over the course of a few days. These ideas served as the basis for more instrumental tracks back at Dumbo Studio, where Philipp invited friends to develop the tracks further within a live dynamic. For the final phase of the record, Philipp enlisted the artistry of five vocalists: spoken word frontwoman Rubee Fegan, Canadian singer songwriter Marker Starling, house romantic Portable, Bonn-based haunted pop artist nothhingspecial and Hamburg's techno visionary Ada.

Rubee Fegan contributes her anecdotal observations to four songs, not least on the opening track "Daughter Of Flood" with her poetic remark "sip on the wave of her." It's a vocal style that Philipp had been looking for for ages, and finally found after hearing Rubee's band Smile. Long-time collaborator Christopher Cummings aka Marker Starling lends his lilting tenor to "Slow Despair", an uplifting drum machine and organ workout. Track three "What If" shifts the goal posts, as an acid bassline rises over a swung groove that wouldn't sound out of place in a Manchester warehouse, before we emerge into a clearing of heartbreak and expectation, courtesy of singer producer nothhingspecial.

The title track sees Philipp and crew slow the tempo down to a molasses dreamscape, a beatdown groove that's joined by Paris-residing artist Portable. Portable's emotive voice is the perfect foil for the tracks' invocation to mindfulness, aided by filtered hi-hats and widescreen sequencers. "Mica" takes the synths and drum machines out to the countryside, and finds producer and singer Ada supplying the most sensitive of vocals and flutes to a song that carries the kosmisch torch. Organs spill over rolling drums and dub reverb, underneath Rubee's cosmic voiceover on "A Naked Star", and the album concludes with "My Eyes Won't Close" a chromatic modular descent into despair, vividly described by nothhingspecial.

It all makes for a gloriously eclectic album, an anarchic pop record that follows its own rules. Move With Intention is both electronic yet alive, motorik and pastoral, filled with dancefloor grooves and a krautrock swagger. In this sense the intention is clear: to respectfully rip up the rule book and keep moving forward.

Limitierte Auflage von 500 Stück auf schwarzem Vinyl von DJ Stylewarz' neuestem Album "Hall Of Fame" mit Gästen wie Umse, Heliocopta, Ferris MC, King Kolera, D-Flame & Flo Mega und anderen.

Der letzte seiner Art ist immer noch da! Kein Corona, keine geschlossenen Clubs, kein Hamburger Weg bei der Rückforderung von Hilfsgeldern, keine Musikbranche in der Dauerkrise kann ihn aufhalten: Man hätte dem letzten Breitmaulnashorn Bullen Sudan die gleiche Resilienz gewünscht, die Michael Whitelov aka DJ Stylewarz bis heute an den Tag legt.

Seit Sommer 2023 versorgte der gebürtige Bremerhavener über die letzten Monate die deutschsprachige Rapwelt erneut mit monatlichen Singlereleases. Nach dem 2019er Album „Der letzte seiner Art“ und „Mein Weg“ aus dem Jahre 2022 bündelt Stylewarz diese Singles nun auf dem Album „Hall of Fame“. Blickt man auf die Tracklist, kann man sich einer Sache sicher sein: Stylewarz bleibt seiner Linie als Producer treu und pickt die gecoverten Artists nach der lieb gewonnenen Tradition „Style over Fame“.

Nach dem Intro wartet bei „Family Biz“ mit Umse bereits der erste Protagonist hinter dem Mikrophon, der dieses Castingkriterium vollständig erfüllt. Über einen von einem Streichersample getragenen Beat philosophiert Umse wiederum über die Castingkriterien seines Inner Circle, seiner Family, die mit ihm zusammen sein Rap Biz trägt. Eine Hommage an seinen Bruder, die mit der Refrainzeile „… ich habe jederzeit die allerbesten Menschen um mich!…“ im Ohr hängen bleibt.

So verwundert es dann auch nicht, dass mit Flo Mega und D-Flame zwei weitere Rapper auf diesem Album vertreten sind, die ohne weiteres zu den Best Buddies von DJ Stylewarz gezählt werden dürfen. „Wegweiser“ heißt das catchy Rootsreggaebrett und lässt die Augen von jedem Yardi leuchten. Stylewarz’ gemeinsame Gigs mit den Hamburger Reggaelegenden von Silly Walks haben hier definitiv ihre Spuren hinterlassen. Trockene Offrhythm Snares gepaart mit Hammondorgel-Sequenzen verleihen dem Hamburger Frühling einen Hauch von Kingston, während Flo Mega den Refrain im feinsten Singerstyle präsentiert.

Und während der Booty noch am Twerken ist, wartet nur einen Track später mit „Message“ eine physiotherapeutische Herausforderung für jeden Nacken. Heliocopta aka die eine Hälfte der Kölner Rapcombo Peti Free reißt ab. Zornige Punchline über einen trockenen BoomBap Beat funktionieren sowohl mit 50er Kurzhanteln in der Hand als auch in der Karre am Strip und versorgen einen mit ausreichend Energie für den Rest des Tages.
Lange her, dass „Mies, Digga!“ so auf einen Track zutraf wie hier bei „Message“!

Ähnliche Banlieus Vibes bekommt man im weiteren Verlaufs des Albums nochmal bei „Crier ou se taire“ serviert. Trocken an Pianomelodien spitten die Brüsseler Legenden CNN199 über den Beat, und auch wenn man des Französischen nicht mächtig ist, catcht einen der Flow der beiden belgischen MCs sofort und lässt den Kraftausdauertest der Nackenmuskulatur in die nächste Runde gehen.

Mit „Hall of Fame“ setzt Michael Whitelov sein nächstes musikalisches Ausrufezeichen. Ebenso vielfältig wie in seinen DJ Sets präsentiert sich der Wahlhamburger in seinen Producerskills. Von BoomBap über Reggae bis hin zu Uptemponummern ist alles dabei, was das „2 Turntables & a Mic“-Herz höherschlagen lässt. Denn auch die übrigen Trakcs wie „Fresh“ mit L.A.A.S oder „Hall of Fame - Bounce Edition“ mit Ferris MC reihen sich in dieses Album ein, das einen gute 45 Minuten euphorisch mitnicken lässt. Die Bremen-Bremerhaven Connection, die aktuell landauf, landab die Livebühnen der
Republik abreißen, hat sich hier noch eine kleine Besonderheit für ihre Fans einfallen lassen. Der HOF-Track ist ebenfalls auf Ferris’ neuem Album vertreten, hier allerdings als „Hall of Fame - Monster Edition“!

Hall of Fame ist ein Album, das sich mit „Fühl’ ich“ zusammenfassend beschreiben lässt: Rap, wie er sein muss. Wahlweise deep oder dreckig, aber immer straight und on point. Oder um es mit den Worten von Stylewarz zu sagen - I feel (Track 10)!

Limited Edition of 150 copies, coming with a hologram sticker.

Quantum Web is the new album from Discovery Zone, the experimental pop project of musician and multimedia artist JJ Weihl. Dipping into a pool of musically stylistic depth and flipping themes of omnipresence in advertising and corporate culture sterility into aesthetic guideposts for her omnivorous compositions, Quantum Web represents the next evolutionary phase of Discovery Zone while arranging the past, present, and future across the infinite, invisible web that interconnects us all. First edition vinyl includes a printed inner sleeve with album lyrics. Music and lyrics performed and written by JJ Weihl Produced and arranged by JJ Weihl and E.T. Recorded and mixed by E.T. at Phantom Studios, Berlin, Germany Additional music written and recorded at The Loft, New York City, NY, at home in Berlin, Germany and at Trixx Studios, Berlin, Germany (Thanks Tim!) Mastered by Heba Kadry, New York City, NY Lacquers cut by Josh Bonati, Bonati Mastering, Brooklyn, NY

Release Date is March 8th, International Women's Day.

Limited to 200 copies.

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, the mysterious steel pan out¬t hailing from Hamburg, Germany have amassed a cult following around the globe. With a slew of classic 7"s and three critically acclaimed full length albums, they set a high bar for themselves, one they clearly intend on pushing even higher with this new offering. On their fourth album Brsb, Bacao are back with more of the same, but more of the same with them is inherently different. Covering songs that span genres and range from mega hits to underground album cuts, they make them their own with their unique approach to the traditional steel pans of Trinidad and Tobago. While part of the allure of a new Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band album is ¬nding out what covers they do it is equally intriguing to see what original tunes they cooked upland this record is foul of stand out originals. The album opener, "In The Crosshairs" is a rough and tough mid tempo head nodder while both "Grilled" & "Treasure Quest" pick up the tempo with heavy African Funk in uences on both. Bacao goes deep with "Hazy Memories", a bass heavy slow burner that walks a line between hypnotic and hype. All these originals stand as testament that the term "cover band" is a shoe that could never ¬t Bacao. However, in the tradition of steel pan music, they do a heavy amount of covers. This time around there is a big West Coast Hip Hop in uence with covers of Game & 50 Cent's "How We Do", Dr Dre & Snoop Dogg's "Nuthin But A G Thang", and Tupac's "Got My Mind Made Up" all of which take on new energy and lend themselves to the Brsb steel treatment. Bacao puts another certi¬ed dance oor ¬ller on their resume with their cover of Claudja Barry's uber Disco classic "Love For The Sake Of Love" which they ip into a dubbed out affair aptly changing even the title to "Love For The Sake Of Dub". Pulling from the contemporary smash hit section of Hop Hop they cover Drake's "Hotline Bling" and "Love$ick" by Mura Masa & A$ap Rocky. Then they go very unexpected with "Stranger Things Theme" where they take the synth heavy theme song to the hit show and give it a more hypnotizing tone than the original. By the time Brsb is through, Bacao has taken the listener on a journey spanning a myriad of energies, tempos, and moods while keeping it all under one umbrella. For all that, these songs are alive, and they will be taken out of the context of this album and sewn into the fabric of DJ sets around the globe for many years to come. Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band continues building their legacy and pushing the boundaries of steel pan music forward with another rock solid musical offering. Enjoy.

HHV Exclusive edition on orange wax, limited to 200 copies worldwide.

A full tank of gas, the gentle glow from the radio dial, & stretches of open highway await, Forever Gamblin’ On You meanders through miles of soulful AOR, funky folk, & dusty soft rock obscurities. A follow up to Sky Dust Drifter, this compilation was gleaned from American private press oddities & rarities of the 70s & 80s, all of which are seeing their first official reissues on this album. A celebration of love, rebirth, and exploration radiating like the warmth of a loved one from the passenger seat.

Featuring “Feeling The Fire”, a jazzy, AOR grooving declaration of love and desire taken from the sole release from The Mad Brother. The compilations’ title track “Forever Gamblin On You” by Petroc And Pals, features an echo-laden folk rock recollection of hard feelings delivered with swelling guitar in a mournful soft psychedelia. Angie Pepper’s “Miss You Too Much” dwells on a past love, rolling along with an effortlessly cool rhythm section, while Roy McComas croons of his manifested “angel of love” on the swirling psych folk cut “Girl Of My Dreams”.

Forever Gamblin’ On You unfolds as a hopeful yet equally melancholic collection of nomadic anthems, primed for a memorable journey along the back roads of familiar American landscapes.

Original artwork by Arina Kokoreva. House in a case wrapped style jacket for a period correct look & feel. Includes a 12”x24” fold out poster insert.

Limited to 100 copies.

Coming-of-age heartbreak madness in 90s indie rock style from the Ruhr area! Here come EAT THEM, ladies and gentlemen. Behind it is the musician Johannes Hofmann, who has recorded more than 20 albums single-handedly to date. And don't worry, Johannes is only in his mid-20s, he just started recording music at the age of 14, which he then burned onto CDs for his grandma to play. A little later: The own Bandcamp account.
Now a kind of best-of collection from the first 10 years of his creative work will be released at the end of June: EAT THEM ALL!

12 tracks on vinyl with a small art zine included. Everything designed by Johannes Hofmann himself.

All songs remastered by Norman Nietzsche. Lo-Fi becomes Hi-Fi Lo-Fi in no time!

The LP is intended as an introduction to the inexhaustible EAT THEM multiverse. Because there is about as much to discover here as on the legendary Shimmy Disc label or the Guided By Voices: indie rock, lo-fi pop, shoegaze, krautrock, math rock, punk rock or heartbreaking power ballads! In the meantime, Johannes has found two colleagues to bring EAT THEM live on stage. Please don't miss this!

As (Tocotronic discoverer) Myriam Brüger recently said so beautifully after the first EAT THEM show in Berlin: “Finally a really uncool band again!” That was actually meant as a big compliment!

In keeping with the holistic aspect of the project - and complementing the band name - titled "ALL", the album covers the full spectrum: from drum machine and sonic youth guitar melange, nervous post-funk to anthemic lo-fi indie -Rock, everything an indie heart desires can be found here.

The first single released today is “Do You Love Me When I’m Dead?”, a catchy song that takes place sonically where it is most beautiful in the rich history of suburban pop: in the garage. The piece reflected the live line-up, which was expanded to include bass and drums. The beat clatters happily and the open guitar chords flow! However, Hofmann transcends the suburbs with reverberated singing about an emotional urge to move and flies into the city, the disco or even through clouds and the landscape.

Limited edition, 100 copies. exclusively at HHV

More than five years after "Unschuld & Verwüstung", Barbara Morgenstern returns with a new album in January 2024. It's called "In anderem Licht" and was recorded by Guy Sternberg at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin.

The chamber music double album tells of the impending climate catastrophe, the necessity of social transformation processes and the hope of liberation from the state of general paralysis: "Everything can be different", says the album opener "Die Wand" (The Wall) or in the song that gives the album its title: "Everything will hopefully be as it always has been, only in a different light" and finally: "Except the old world!". What reads somewhat didactically on paper is translated into mostly small miniatures on "In anderem Licht", from which Barbara Morgenstern and her ensemble create dramatic arcs of tension and surprising twists and turns. Strings, saxophone, double bass and drums follow Morgenstern's grand piano playing with impressive swarm intelligence. "I look around for alliances", she sings and states - struggling to find the right metaphors: "Time heals more than a thousand words". So she takes all the time in the world in her music, although she is unmistakably aware of the urgency of the questions and paradoxes raised in her songs.

In times of fiercely contested attention economies and clickbait logics that seem to permeate all areas of life, passing and emerging every second, this hour of music spread over 11 tracks is like a balm. A tender manifesto of change.

"Because I don't tell the joke to myself, but to you and me and then we're here", she sings in "Der Witz" and in the loop the music circles, like a bee that wants to settle tenderly on a flower, around a more pleasant now-state of the world, a space of possibility. Before the whole thing flies around our ears in the end and her ensemble makes the melancholy melodic arcs seem bigger and bigger with each round until they appear to us in a completely different light! When Barbara Morgenstern sings "This place will stay when we go, this place will never be the same again" in "Dein Name", it sounds as if she wants to conjure up the world for us. Or free us from a curse. "I always thought connection mattered, love for the cause, for the rest of the world!" she finally sings in "Die Liebe zur Sache", and wonders whether that still counts at all in the world out there. A justified question! Barbara Morgenstern has been one of the most independent musicians in Germany for over 20 years. From the Berlin living room scene of the 90s to the latest award-winning theatre productions with Rimini Protokoll, she has always followed her inner voice in her unbroken belief in the magic of music. John Cale, Mark Hollis, Hans Unstern, Robert Wyatt or Björk come to mind as possible kindred spirits: a certain oddness, paired with great virtuosity and a penchant for a certain minimalism, which can always be big and epic. For the moment. With this wonderfully enraptured, somnambulistic album, we can only wish Barbara Morgenstern and her courageous ensemble that they will play the big stages with it. Because as the song "Zwischen den Stühlen" (Between the Chairs) says so beautifully: "Leave me in peace, it's no use to me. I want to get out of here, between the chairs!". A documentary film by Berlin filmmaker Sabine Herpich, who has accompanied Barbara Morgenstern over the last few years and which traces the story of the creation of this extraordinary album, will also be released in 2024. The video for the first single "In anderem Licht" already shows footage from it, so this is more of a film trailer than a video. Incidentally, the cover motif of the album dates back to 1829 and was painted by Barbara Morgenstern's great-great-great-grandfather Friedrich Preller the Elder.

"In anderem Licht" will be released on 26.01.2024 via Staatsakt on LP/CD/Digital.

Limited edition of 300 copies of "Reachin (For My People)" backed with "When I Flow" featuring Jeru The Damaja.

Originally released in 1995, "Riverside Pictures" marked the debut album by Walkin' Large creating buzz far beyond Germany. O.N.O.'s lyrical talent paired with DJ Ara as well as Roe Beardie behind the boards still remains timeless, same goes for the features by Fabe and Jeru The Damaja.

Available in a limited run on 3LP, extra 7" of "Reachin' (For My People) / When I Flow" in original artwork sleeve, 2CD in jewel case, double cassette and digitally on all major platforms.

Signed to Tommy Boy Records on the strength of his powerful verse on Mobb Deep’s “Give Up The Goods,” Rapper Noyd’s plans for his debut album were waylaid by an unexpected trip up north. With only a handful of completed songs in the can, it was left to Havoc to piece together this album, enlisting the talents of the extended Infamous Mobb family to contribute the remaining thun language. Thanks primarily to the magic of Hav on the boards and the late, great Prodigy on vocal duties, Episodes of a Hustla plays as the perfect companion piece to Hell on Earth – evoking the finest in anti-social, cold weather Bridge music for your ears to fear.

Ol’ Burger Beats’s new opus, 74: Out of Time, is a multifaceted and stunning exploration of sounds and eras. In addition to every track being produced at 74 beats per minute, the album harks back to the year 1974; particularly the music, the records, the activism, the artwork, and the aesthetics. But it’s also incredibly current, as the Out of Time portion of the title very much refers to the present. It promotes a sense of urgency in the face of current affairs such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, as well as contentious politics sweeping across the US and Europe. Beyond those deeply resonating elements to the record, 74: Out of Time is a truly gorgeous representation of hip-hop through the lens of the Norwegian composer, which is undoubtedly his most ambitious undertaking to date. Using 74bpm as his basis, he constructs sublime, jazzy instrumentals that feature some of hiphop’s finest emcees and vocalists. And to say they all gel perfectly together is an understatement—and it would be underselling OBB’s meticulous approach here. Each song blends seamlessly from one to the next spread across the album’s 17 tracks, with the help from a standout supporting cast that includes Fly Anakin, Awon, Quelle Chris, Pink Siifu, Yungmorpheus, Lojii, billy woods, Tha God Fahim, Vic Spencer and Vuyo, among several others.

HHV exclusive vinyl edition on grey vinyl, limited to 200 copies.

Lyrically gifted, socially aware, and politically insightful, Talib Kweli is one of the most influential hip-hop artists of the last 25 years. His early collaborative albums with Mos Def and Hi-Tek were among the most important releases in the genesis of modern rap, forging a future for thought-provoking lyricism and raw soundscapes as mass commercialization threatened the soul of the genre. Now more than two decades into a thrilling solo career, Kweli has evolved creatively, whiling maintaining his artistic integrity. Known for classic collaborative albums with artists like J Dilla, MF Doom, and Freddie Gibbs, widely celebrated producer Madlib is a sampling savant and talented multi-instrumentalist. After releasing a groundbreaking joint project back in 2006, Talib Kweli and Madlib are reuniting for the highly-anticipated follow-up Liberation 2. Expansive in concept, the album is a vivid exploration of revolution, love, pan-Africanism, music, spirituality, and more, with Madlib’s jazz-inflected instrumentals providing the perfect soundtrack. A global call for unity through space and time, Liberation 2 features appearances by Q-Tip, Westside Gunn, Roc Marciano, Roy Ayers, Goapele, Wildchild, Pink Siifu, and more, plus a posthumous verse by Mac Miller. Not on traditional digital outlets, the album is now available in physical form for the first time ever.

Limited to 200 copies. Originally released on June 3rd, 1997, Coalmine Reissues in partnership with 420 Music is pleased to announce this first ever reissue of Teflon’s debut LP, My Will. As a member of M.O.P.’s First Family, Teflon first made his bones in the late ’90s New York rap scene, where he was first heard on M.O.P’s sophomore offering, Firing Squad. The following year, Teflon would go onto release his long awaited debut LP. Standing at ten tracks, My Will allowed for fans to further discover the artistic range of the gruff-voiced lyricist hailing from Brownsville. Surprisingly, the record offered a contrasting style from the hardcore sound listeners have come to from M.O.P. Nonetheless, the Brooklyn native provides plenty of roughnecks, braggadocio flavor and surprisingly meaningful rhymes. But it’s perhaps most notably the strength of his delivery that allows Teflon to carry My Will from start to finish. In “Sh*t Happens,” an incarcerated Teflon calls to check in with his girl over woeful strings coupled with a moody bassline. Never out of our sight are M.O.P.’s Lil Fame and Billy Danze, who spew their aggressive rhymes on a few tracks—most notably, the crunching “Rawness”—while adding their menacing voices to a number of the choruses, and supply the most punishing beats on the album (“My Planet,” “Ni**a What”). My Will is a promising first effort that preceded the Brooklyn rapper’s buzz, which would reach its pinnacle in 2000 for his appearance on M.O.P's "Ante Up (Remix)” alongside Busta Rhymes and then fledgling star, Remy Ma. This cameo led to a deal with Def Jam Recordings that was brokered by Teflon’s long time friend, DJ Premier. After a turbulent transition within the company, Teflon’s Def Jam debut failed to see the light of day, and the Brooklyn rapper took a much needed hiatus from the industry, where he would return in 2023 with his well-received sophomore LP, 2 Sides To Every Story, produced by both DJ Premier, along with talented up and comer, Jazimoto.

Austin musician Jason Butler returns as Thee Conductor, his musical alter-ego, on Ennoia, a new song cycle of poignant compositions and contemplative beauty. Known as an artist who frequently collaborates on his releases, Butler has again enlisted Will Oldham (as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy) to sing, this time on every track. Elsewhere, Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche makes a couple of appearances as do multi-instrumentalist Christopher Cox, longtime collaborator Kevin Shea, and GRAMMY-winning ensemble The Tosca String Quartet.

Standing tall against his best work, the record is a potent reminder of how Dizzee’s legendary status came to be, capturing him in incendiary form as he flows effortlessly through a collection of distinctly UK genres with unrivalled ease.

Centred by swaggering flows and formidable wordplay, Dizzee’s latest body of work is yet another victory lap on what is one of the defining rap music legacies, and as the bars continue to rain down, just remember - it’s nothing personal.