Unday Vinyl, CD & Tape 36 Items

Limited edition LP on Colored Vinyl. The band around Bert Dockx (Dans Dans, Flying Horseman) transformed once again and is now a quartet.They developped new compositions with an even richer language fluttering and wailing in jazz, impro, electronics and krautrock.

Ottla is a bird that not only sings beautifully but also vigorously flaps and squawks. Also known as a band that Bert Dockx formed to play together once to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Jazz Lab concert series. Fortunately, Dockx and the musicians he gathered for that anniversary sextet quickly found much enthusiasm and more opportunities to play together. In 2019, what initially seemed like a fleeting experiment transformed into composing, rehearsing, recording an album, and playing more. Ottla's fluttering spirit appeared to have cooled down, at least for a while. However, when Josse De Pauw asked Dockx to improvise during a monologue he was working on in 2021, an alternative version of Ottla quickly appeared by Dockx's side. The mystery and madness of Eduardo Galeano's "Chronicle of Fire" (1986), the monologue in question, found a musical counterpart. In addition to the requested improvisation, Dockx developed several new compositions, expanded by Ottla with lyrical guitar passages, improvised clarinet solos, rustling effects, and a sometimes cool, then warm, dark rhythm section. The result was a powerful performance (and live EP) and the clear insight that this new Ottla is no mockingbird.

A new repertoire was in the works, but performing it was temporarily out of the question. Bert's acute back problems in the fall of 2021 dampened the enthusiasm. All music was set aside but fortunately only for a while. Music has always been the language through which Dockx found meaning and order in the world, so this heavy physical and emotional setback would also find its response in music. From that dark period emerged the album "Ghosts," released under the new name Bert Dockx Band in October of this year. That album seems much more like a cage in search of a bird, to speak with a Kafkaesque aphorism (Ottla is also Kafka's sister's first name).

Ottla's latest album, "Vogel" (Bird), is the full awakening after "Ghosts." The window flies open, the sun burns. Fluttering and wailing in jazz-improv-electro-noise-prog-afro-blues-groove-punk-krautrock, Ottla, true to its Kafkaesque nature, transformed once again, and the quartet began further developing the compositions with an even richer language. The album showcases significant contrasts in strength and color between songs, often even within one song. There exists no rivalry between Thomas Jillings and Bert Dockx, but rather a playful dialogue. Jillings, the multi-instrumentalist, expanded his setup and plays saxophone, clarinet, and various synthesizers. The bass and drum parts of Gerben Brijs and Louis Evrard provide tension and thunder, with effects resonating from their amplifiers like mist in an enchanted forest.

To further explore the new music, the quartet performed a series of café concerts in 2022 and some try-outs in 2023. Finally, last summer, they entered the studio to capture "Vogel." In Studio Ledeberg, Peter Desmedt's cage, the spontaneity and dynamics of the performances were preserved, with room for overdubs to enrich the songs just a bit more. The result is an album full of exciting twists: a series of new songs that will undoubtedly continue to transform live. The bird is free.

The 2017 groundbreaking debut EP for Tamino-Amir Moharam Fouad, Tamino in short. The grandson of Egyptian actor/musician Moharam Fouad stormed the charts with the brilliant single 'Habibi', a song that envelops itself in a mist of melancholy and gloom. Tamino's phenomenal voice, ranging from a deep croon to a towering falsetto, goes right to the bone. He combines the tradition of the greatest singer-songwriters with his own Arabic roots. Belpop history was made right there.

Ivy Falls, the alias of singer-songwriter Fien Deman, will release her first full album in the spring of 2024. 'Sense & Nonsense' sounds mature, with a clear vision and direction. Fien wrote the album after a breakup and leaving her home; she witnessed cracks appearing in her life and found herself in a whirlpool of insecurities. Writing turned out to be the way to reorient herself and discover what she could fill her empty 'house' with. Everything changed: a new life, a new place, new people, and a new view of herself as a musician and writer. Bram Vanparys, aka The Bony King of Nowhere, makes his debutas a producer on Ivy Falls' first release. This unreleased duo impresses with 'the best coda for the confusing time that your twenties can be.'

Sometimes hitting a wall is inevitable. This occurred, partly even literally, in 2020: a broken nose, a painful breakup, and a series of chaotic events shook Fien's foundations. Losing her job, ending her relationship, leaving her home, and returning to her parental home, she hit rock bottom and started her quest to rebuild everything from scratch. After the tumult, Fien decided to shed the oppressive norms and ideas learned as a child and wholeheartedly pursue her own choices and projects.

In the years that followed, each aspect of her life gradually fell into its right place. This extended to her musical identity, themes, and sound. Acquiring some guitars and an upright piano, she endeavored to master them as a self-taught artist. Devoting ample time to her self-made home studio, she returned to the essence, distancing herself from the polished pop sound of her initial work and reconnecting with her first musical love - the singer-songwriters who had colored her teenage years. This rediscovered inspiration marked the first time in her musical career that everything felt perfectly aligned.

The album's artistic approach aligns with a fresh, expansive outlook on life and the future. Fien aims to challenge rigid societal concepts, including the notion of 'golden years.' She questions what and when exactly should be considered the most significant, joyful, and vibrant moments of life. The album delves into topics like the perceived superiority of extroverts, narcotic materialism, and toxic positivity. It's not a lament but rather an ode to what truly matters-the essence, love, and beauty. Fien's perspective encourages finding your inner child and immersing yourself in timeless and profound feelings.

Musically, Fien discovered her perfect match in Bram Vanparys (The Bony King of Nowhere), her newfound love. She wrote the songs, and he took on the role of album producer and co-arranger. Together, they crafted a metaphorical space where every small musical idea has room to flourish, and each insight and effort carries significance. Influenced by indie folk luminaries such as Julia Jacklin, Amen Dunes, Feist, Sharon Van Etten, Sufjan Stevens, and Nick Drake, Ivy Falls has set a high standard for her sound.

The main constant? Fien's distinctive voice commands every song, now revealing greater depth and nuance than ever. In live performances, Ivy Falls is joined by a talented ensemble: Trui Amerlinck (Tsar B, Mayorga), Jasper Morel (Black Box Revelation), Simon Raman (Steiger), and Anton De Boes (Philemon).

In the past, Ivy Falls has launched two EPs, received airplay on Studio Brussels and Radio 1, and shared the stage as supportfor artists like Balthazar, Jessie Ware, Sigrid, and Mabel.

The Bony King of Nowhere is the artistic alias of Belgian artist Bram Vanparys. He made a mark in 2018 with the release of his critically acclaimed album Silent Days. The record received consistent 4- and 5-star press reviews and was hailed as his best album to date. It also earned Vanparys a Music Industry Award (be) for 'best author-composer'. Silent Days revealed the full potential of the singer-songwriter and his commitment to never repeat himself and keep surpassing his creative abilities.

The new album, entitled Everybody Knows, has been a long time coming, partly due to Vanparys' aforementioned pledge to artistic evolution. The first two tracks he unveiled give a definite hint of what to expect from this album. 'Are You Still Alive' and 'Almost Invisible' carry the quality mark, known colour scheme and scent of The Bony King of Nowhere, but add many more hues and details. The new record showcases the new league Vanparys is playing in. Themes like rusted patterns in society, the obedience of the everyday man, the structural false ignorance of big shots, the toxicity of online communication and other very recognisable but not always pleasant subjects. Inspired by the observations of many sociologists, Vanparys dissects our society, the loneliest ever. This album is not just disconcerting though, in its strength lies a sense of hope and vigour.

The first singles promise a new album with lots of punch and energy, while Vanparys is unveiling the complete complexion of his voice whilst remaining vulnerable and honest. On the album, he is accompanied by multi-talent guitarist Vitja Pauwels (Naima Joris), pianist Hendrik Lasure (Tamino, Bombataz), drummer Simon Segers (Sylvie Kreusch, Stadt) and bass player Jasper Hautekiet.

While the songwriting legends, particularly Neil Young and Bob Dylan, have always kept Bram company, his latest compositions also draw inspiration from more contemporary artists. The influence of PJ Harvey, Blur and Nick Cave are unmistakable when you listen to his music. While staying true to his heartfelt songwriting style and captivating voice, The Bony King Of Nowhere embarks on a journey into uncharted musical and thematic realms.

The last time this band was on tour in support of 'Silent Days', they took a big leap forward while touring 75 shows across renowned venues and festivals in Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, and France, with a packed Ancienne Belgique in Brussels as one of the highlights. Now the five-man-band, consisting of Jasper Hautekiet, Simon Segers, Thijs Troch (Nordmann), Gertjan Van Hellemont (Douglas Firs), will start this tour with shows in Ekko, Utrecht on March 6 and Ancienne Belgique, Brussels on March 8.

LP in gatefold sleeve. Sam is a young songwriter, a singer and a musician, but he's a sketch artist at heart.Dawn/Dusk became the perfect sketch, loose yet meticulously crafted. Boundless, yet beautifully framed.

Limited edition on mellow yellow vinyl.Porcelain id makes their debut on Unday Records with an impressive acoustic EP. A year after Porcelain id first emerged with the DIY EP Mango, the Rwandan artist releases Reprise, a stripped-down retelling of that debut.

Standard edition on black vinyl. Dans Dans is back (already), with their most unfiltered, most spantenous, most 'punk' album to date. Three musicians, three days in the studio, one burst of energy.

After 'Transit', his successful solo debut, Safe is the second album Bert Dockx (Dans Dans, Flying Horseman, Ottla, Strand) is releasing under his own name. This collection of songs and instrumentals navigates between threat and dream, between silence and storm. Unlike 'Transit', 'Safe' mainly consists of original work and just two interpretations (of The Velvet Underground & Ornette Coleman tracks). This time Dockx is not flying entirely solo either, he gets musical assistance from Loesje and Martha Maieu (Flying Horseman, Blackie & The Oohoos) and Thomas Jillings (Ottla, Linus). Koen Gisen, Ghent based producer for connoisseurs, is back at the controls. Together with them, Dockx paints a richly variegated and adventurous soundscape with echoes of his other musical projects. We hear folk, psychedelia, ambient, introverted guitar rock, shaded jazz. Colourful vistas are contrasted with gloomy introspection. Careful listeners will also discover the narrative of a complex, painful, passionate love

You might know Bert Dockx from the inimitable alternative jazz-rock-trio Dans Dans; or from his moody, psychedelic rock formation Flying Horseman; or from his more intimate but equally special solo records. In 2019, the ever productive guitarist released an album with Ottla, a jazzy sextet blending different genres, textures and moods in wholly original ways, resulting in long, evocative pieces, brooding with tension and atmosphere. Recently, the band has transformed into a quartet, a tighter unit with a sparser and slightly more electric sound. This new Ottla is playing a mixture of reimagined tracks from the aforementioned album, and several brand new pieces. Ottla's music - like all music for which Dockx is responsible - is imaginative, intense and deeply felt.

In the spring of 2021, actor and writer Josse De Pauw contacted Bert with a question. He wanted to perform work of the Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano on stage, texts about the madness of colonialism and slavery, and about the beauty and mystery of the jungle, and asked Dockx to come up with a live soundtrack. Dockx invited two friends from his jazz band Ottla (Thomas Jillings and Louis Evrard) and a fourth musician (bass player Axel Gilain). He composed new material, adapted some existing Ottla pieces and could count on the improvisational talent of his fellow musicians for the rest of the soundtrack. In a handful of rehearsals, an impressive concert was put together that captivated the audience during a short run in August. This live EP contains two pieces recorded on one of these blistering evenings. Side A opens with the authoritarian voice of De Pauw, who recites the Song of the Fire, before making way for a scorching, almost apocalyptic version of 'Stofwolk'. On side B we hear Thomas Jillings perform an impressionist clarinet improvisation while De Pauw conjures up images of the unlimited sea and the winds, ships and slaves, heaven and hell.

Limited 2022 repress on apple green vinyl + insert.

Three years after the release of his magnum opus 'Sciencing', Tim Vanhamel is back with new album 'Applz Not Applz'. Sly & the Family Stone, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Public Enemy, Jimi Hendrix... Consider this a tribute to those kinds of records, with a tongue in cheek nod and celebratory flavour.

LP on Colored Vinyl in silkscreen printed sleeve.On 'Dear', Pauwel expands his musical universe considerably, without losing his characteristic melancholy and distinctive voice.

LP on lollipop red vinyl in printed innersleeve. For his take on a party album, Verstraeten picked up influences left and right. 'I watched every mafia movie on Netflix.. I had a bit of a triphop moment, and I took the beats and Portishead-like strings from there.

Standard version on black vinyl in gatefold sleeve.13 years and two more successful albums 'Little Heavy Burdens' (2014) and 'Exhale' (2017), the unbreakable foursome is ready to start the next chapter in the career of Intergalactic Lovers.

2LP on black vinyl. In these trying times, where intimacy and closeness are fraught with danger, Dans Dans (Dance Dance) brings you the sound of connection, communication, passion and togetherness.

Deluxe gatefold 2LP on Colored Vinyl, limited to 500 copies.The Bony King of Nowhere's critically acclaimed debut album finally gets its first release on vinyl in 12 years + second LP including a selection of home recordings.

2LP in gatefold sleeve with printed innersleeves. Oud Zeer contains ten piano tracks, each of which is named after epitaphs of graves.Musically, Oud Zeer is more bare boned than his previous albums. Piano, voice, some sparse guitar or strings: that's all there is.

On the band's third album 'In Velvet', Nordmann reinvent themselves, causing a profound shift in their distinctive sound.They trade in the rock influences in favour of synths, electronic textures and beats. The new music is more reflective, though without ever losing focus on the instincts.

Flying Horseman's staggering debut album from 2010. First ever repress, limited edition on gold Colored Vinyl. After building quite a live reputation for themselves, in 2010 Flying Horseman released their debut album 'Wild Eyes'. The rich interaction of deep souled vocals, incisive lyrics, hypnotic bass, obscure guitars, floaty synths, and tribal drums create a melancholic atmosphere that will most certainly grab the listener by the throat. The album was highly critically acclaimed by the press both in Belgium and abroad.

2LP in gatefold sleeve on clear vinyl. Opname van de integrale live show van Het Zesde Metaal in de Handelsbeurs - Gent in Februari 2020, net voor de pandemie toesloeg.Gemixt door de vaste geluidsman van de band als homage aan hun volledige live crew en hun fans.

Limited edition on coke bottle Colored Vinyl. 22 year old Sam De Nef has been in music for a while as lead singer of indie outfit 'Danny Blue and the Old Socks', but It wasn't until last year he started thinking of a solo career.His debut mini album is an inspired collection of visceral folk and singer songwriter tunes, drenched in nostalgia. He's inspired by the likes of Dylan, Jack Kerouac, Leonard Cohen and Karen Dalton.

Trixie Whitley presents 'Lacuna re-imagined'. She reworked six tracks from her 'Lacuna' album from 2019. Trixie recorded new versions and invited three talented musicians to her home studio in Brooklyn to provide strings and horn arrangements. Multi-instrumentalist Stuart Bogie (who previously collaborated with Arcade Fire, David Byrne and Run The Jewels) took care of the wind section, Emily Wells and Topu Lyo recorded the strings. The EP "Lacuna re-imagined" will be released on all digital platforms and limited edition vinyl November 13. All profits made from these recordings will go directly to The Callen-Lorde (clinic's health care and activism work), as Trixie explains in the letter below.

Black vinyl version in printed innersleeve. Multi-instrumentalist and composer David 'Dijf' Sanders combines a broad mix of styles with a boundless approach full of multicultural blends.Expect a sound trance where monk chanting, eclectic beats but also mantra style techno will be fused. Namaste!

LP in printed innersleeve. Hydrogen Sea expands, but does not bargain its intensity. Their new incarnation allows Birsen Uçar and PJ Seaux to lay down ties with the laptop, and to include two brand new band members.The new setup also has implications on the band's sound, the songs and textures on Hydrogen Sea's new album bring forth a more mature, organic and analog sound.

A download code is included. LP in gatefold sleeve. Never afraid to defy genres, her work on 'Lacuna' sees Trixie pulling classic soul into a future world through a fascinating, heady blend of hi-fi electronic sounds, hypnotic rhythms, and her trademark vocals with gut punching lyrics.

Clear vinyl in gatefold sleeve, including the album on cd format.On their new album 'Sexuality', the band challenge the cult of celebrity and self-promotion by displaying their ugly as well as their sexy. The tone is confusingly kinky.

After winning three leading Belgian music awards with Humo's Rock Rally, De Nieuwe Lichting and Sound Track, girl band Bluai is expanding its horizons. On their debut album Save It For Later, the trio leaves for a road trip through the sonorous areas populated by the likes of Big Thief, Pinegrove, Haim, and Alabama Shakes. Save It For Later is a record not unlike a Polaroid picture. Belgian songwriter Catherine Smet captures the memories of her youth in lyrics with a perfume of Americana, country pop, and indie folk. The stories areset in her native Flanders, but close your eyes, and galloping horses on a ranch in Mississippi form the backdrop of Bluai's debut album. Catherine Smet (vocals, guitar), Mo Govaerts (drums), and Caitlin Talbut (bass) joined forces with producer Willem Ardui (blackwave.) for this record. Bluai's instrumentation was expanded with banjo, twelve-string guitar, and lap steel. Engineer Tobie Speleman received 'Nashville tuning' as a briefing. Bluai thus shifts the focus from indie rock to Americana and breaks open the band's frame of reference, with influences ranging from Maggie Rogers to Alabama Shakes to The Japanese House. Save It For Later is the creation of a group that came together two years after the formation of Bluai, found a common drive, and is now cruising at full speed. Bluai is here to stay.

You just moved to the big city, you end up at a party where you don't know anyone and someone walks up to you and asks: "Hey, are you alone here?". That is exactly the feeling that Porcelain id describes on their debut album Bibi:1, short for the Arabic pet name Habibi. Porcelain id is the pseudonym under which Hubert Tuyishime (they/them/their) has been unleashing unique songs since 2020.

The album - inspired by their move from a quiet provincial town to Antwerp - is the soundtrack to walking into city traffic during rush hour and trusting to get out of the chaos in one piece. It is an ode to exciting encounters with complete strangers and to the friends you can come home to afterwards. A story about being a stranger in a city you've romanticized for so long, the rejection that comes with it, and the false nostalgia with which you look back on it all later on.

At first hearing, the completely English-language Bibi:1 may seem like a brusque farewell to the autobiographical intimacy and lo-fi singer-songwriter music on the previously released EPs Mango and Reprise, and especially on songs like Vlaanderen. But to Porcelain id it feels like an organic evolution. One towards more abstraction, experimentation and electronics, but never detached, and still building on the core of Porcelain id.

The new sound is the result of an intense collaboration with producer and partner in crime Youniss Ahamad, who, despite their different musical backgrounds, immediately felt challenged after Porcelain id's legendary elevator pitch: 'I want to make something that is situated between Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Yeezus by Kanye West'.

Together they drew the blueprint for Bibi:1 in Youniss' home studio. Track by track, without looking back. A sporadic, but rigid process that added to the intensity of the album. In the studio, the songs were taken to a higher level. The two invited a pack of talented friends and young musicians to the studio to add parts, a stark contrast to the solitary approach of previous EPs. Aram Abgaryan (recording engineer/synths/vocals), Nard Houdmeyers (guitar), Tim Caramin (drums), David Idrisov (bass), Alban Sarens (sax) and Emma Hessels (vocals) came by. Aram Santy was at the controls during the mixing sessions.

The result sounds like the ultimate symbiosis of Porcelain id and Youniss. Lofi, but ambitious. Fragile, but rough. Poppy, but disruptive. Sometimes challenging. Then welcoming again. Sometimes even danceable. Each song forms a small vignette that is part of a diverse, but coherent unity. Adam Coming Home and Low Poly are closest to the melancholy of Porcelain id's earlier work, while Lights! strikes a new path. First single Man Down, on the other hand, is inspired by the Antwerp students who drown every year and sounds like a wandering nightly stroll through the city. For Brilliant, David Idrisov was asked to 'play bass as if Chet Baker were not a trumpet player, but a bass player', a bizarre assignment that he accomplished with verve. And Cellophane flirts with emo trap and was sung with raspberries between the teeth, to simulate the effect of grills.

The Bony King of Nowhere is the artistic alias of Belgian artist Bram Vanparys. He made a mark in 2018 with the release of his critically acclaimed album Silent Days. The record received consistent 4- and 5-star press reviews and was hailed as his best album to date. It also earned Vanparys a Music Industry Award (be) for 'best author-composer'. Silent Days revealed the full potential of the singer-songwriter and his commitment to never repeat himself and keep surpassing his creative abilities.

The new album, entitled Everybody Knows, has been a long time coming, partly due to Vanparys' aforementioned pledge to artistic evolution. The first two tracks he unveiled give a definite hint of what to expect from this album. 'Are You Still Alive' and 'Almost Invisible' carry the quality mark, known colour scheme and scent of The Bony King of Nowhere, but add many more hues and details. The new record showcases the new league Vanparys is playing in. Themes like rusted patterns in society, the obedience of the everyday man, the structural false ignorance of big shots, the toxicity of online communication and other very recognisable but not always pleasant subjects. Inspired by the observations of many sociologists, Vanparys dissects our society, the loneliest ever. This album is not just disconcerting though, in its strength lies a sense of hope and vigour.

The first singles promise a new album with lots of punch and energy, while Vanparys is unveiling the complete complexion of his voice whilst remaining vulnerable and honest. On the album, he is accompanied by multi-talent guitarist Vitja Pauwels (Naima Joris), pianist Hendrik Lasure (Tamino, Bombataz), drummer Simon Segers (Sylvie Kreusch, Stadt) and bass player Jasper Hautekiet.

While the songwriting legends, particularly Neil Young and Bob Dylan, have always kept Bram company, his latest compositions also draw inspiration from more contemporary artists. The influence of PJ Harvey, Blur and Nick Cave are unmistakable when you listen to his music. While staying true to his heartfelt songwriting style and captivating voice, The Bony King Of Nowhere embarks on a journey into uncharted musical and thematic realms.

The last time this band was on tour in support of 'Silent Days', they took a big leap forward while touring 75 shows across renowned venues and festivals in Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, and France, with a packed Ancienne Belgique in Brussels as one of the highlights. Now the five-man-band, consisting of Jasper Hautekiet, Simon Segers, Thijs Troch (Nordmann), Gertjan Van Hellemont (Douglas Firs), will start this tour with shows in Ekko, Utrecht on March 6 and Ancienne Belgique, Brussels on March 8.

On their debut EP, Sam De Nef and Camille Camille delve into some of their most personal and introspective songwriting yet. These songs showcase their individual talents but also highlight the powerful synergy that arises when two gifted artists and unique vocalists join forces to create something truly special.

Sam and Camille are two unique and talented artists hailing from Belgium who share a gift for writing compelling contemporary folk and singer-songwriter songs. They both released acclaimed debut albums in recent years and have been crossing paths on numerous occasions. Camille appeared in duets on Sam's debut EP and his first album, Sam featured in Camille's live band, each time expressing a profound musical chemistry. This collab EP seemed the logical next step, uniting their talents to craft an EP embodying heartfelt, warm, and uncomplicated songs.

"In the collaborative journey of crafting the songs on Waving, our different creative approaches brought about a unique synergy. We feel the result transcends our individual styles. Each song resonates with our individual aspirations, which makes playing them very refreshing and challenging."

Stripped to their core, these compositions on their debut EP are defined by the gentle interplay of acoustic guitars and harmonious vocals. Only subtle percussion and the occasional cello add subtle layers to the sonic tapestry. The two recorded the six songs on their debut EP by themselves in the intimate atmosphere of Sam's home studio, opting for a DIY and back-to-basics approach. Their primary focus was on capturing spontaneity and the essence of live performance. Musical sparring partner PJ Decraene added the final touches and mixed the EP.

Tin Fingers takes on a darker, melancholic direction on their second full album. Felix Machtelinckx' weeping vocals, preaching, searching, and trying to understand God, form the leitmotif. With rich melodies, haunting piano sounds, improvisations, first takes and no overdubs, Tin Fingers is searching for pureness and keeping things human and simple. The band is playing together intuitively, without a computer, without ego, just for the sake of music

The creation of the album was very fluent and spontaneous. Singer Felix wrote the backbones of the songs and the lyrics on acoustic guitar and piano. He wanted to have songs ready in order to be able to record and write arrangements fast. With an eye for details but without overthinking, keeping the ideas fresh. 'I wanted to stay in love with the music.' he explains. 'It needed to go fast, very fast, in just two weeks the entire album was recorded and ready to be mixed.'

In the studio, the band especially focused on picking the right mood rather than playing the right notes.

They were fed up with working on a computer for many hours, overthinking production choices, and adding instruments on top of each other as if they were Lego blocks. This time they decided to work in a more traditional way, going for first takes, jams, and essentially working with analog gear. No computers, no screens, no distractions. Only four humans in a studio trying to make a sound together by keeping things spontaneous and raw. They said goodbye to perfection and worked towards an unfinished product, a snapshot.

Tin Fingers also didn't want to sound like any other artist on this record. They decided not to listen to music during the sessions, and to never express ideas by referencing other bands. Just before the studio session, however, bass player Simen Wouters broke the rules and shared Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's, I See Darkness. Its dark and searching sound ended up inspiring the band unmistakably.

Once the recording was finished, the band decided to keep the volatile rhythm going and asked reputable NYC-based mixer and producer D. James Goodwin to finish the job. Goodwin, known for his analog folk productions with a real American punchy sound but a tender touch, proved the right man for the job. He opened up the songs and kept things poetic, minimal but impressive.

Ever amazed by the external world and its natural surroundings, Belgian producer Dijf Sanders has a habit of turning himself towards the unknown for inspiration. After praised albums based on field trips to Indonesia (Java, 2017) and Nepal (Puja, 2020) he found himself challenged by the traditional chants from Georgia. Diving deep into its sounds, people and heritage with open eyes and ears, he traveled to the Eurasian land in the South Caucasus in 2022. The field recordings and impressions of this journey make the blueprint for new, meticulously crafted compositions that ripened in his studio and transcend its original source material in time and space.

Supra offers nine diverse explorations ranging from spaced-out folk, ethereal trance, ambient with a melodic sense of drama and lush electronica channeling 90's IDM energy fields. Bound by dynamic depth in sound design, this is electronic music with a heavy heart - for all tracks share a primal sense of nostalgia in which traditional music from the Georgian motherland baths. From a pastoral love song about a buffalo (Mingrelian Song) or a ceremonial wedding hymn (What You Give Away Is Yours, What You Don't Is Lost) to a lullaby (Bird's Milk)... Georgia is a land of contemplative singing and its music scene today is still dominated by modal vocalists and harmonic choirs with pride.

With the help and recording equipment of the Folklore State Centre (Tbilisi) and in collaboration with Europalia Georgia festival, Dijf Sanders found contemporary choirs willing to lend their voices for this project. Next to these voice samples, the Georgian countryside and nature delivered source material for more samples and textures as well. The name of the record refers to the traditional Georgian feast where a large table filled with food, drinks and singing.

For more than a decade, Bert Dockx has been one of the most prolific and versatile musicians in Belgium. A masterful guitarist, gifted songwriter, and innovative composer, crossing boundaries between avant-garde rock, customized blues, and instrumental jazz, with bands such as Flying Horseman, Dans Dans, and Ottla, singing in his native Dutch as Strand, or solo under his birth name, and now as the Bert Dockx Band. Ghosts is his fifteenth (!) album on the Ghent-based label Unday Records. Two years after the crash, Bert Dockx presents his new Bert Dockx Band and Ghosts, an album of rebirth and transgression, one of many firsts. Dockx never dedicated this much time to meticulously crafting each song. For the first time, he entrusts a finished record to a complete outsider. Never before has he reached out so far into the outside world. The relaxed and positive atmosphere during the recordings is magnified in what Dockx calls 'my best guitar playing ever', and the deep, powerful use of his voice in its natural range. 'I had fun making this album,' says Dockx, 'and I really hope it shows'. 'There's no escape now/ I'm inside of the storm', Bert Dockx sings on his new album, the first with the Bert Dockx Band. 'I smile, I cry/ I die, I'm born/ I'm in love'. Ghosts is the culmination of a two-year odyssey, from hitting rock bottom to flourishing into new heights. An album of rebirth and transgression, a record of milestones and many firsts. Never before has Dockx turned so deep inside in order to reach out to a world beyond himself. The album is mastered by US producer Philip Weinrobe. Weinrobe previously worked with Arianne Lenker, Indigo Sparke, and Kings of Convenience, and is praised by Dockx for his 'infallible intuition and great inventiveness'. This occasion marks the first time he hands over a finished record, permitting an outsider's perspective during the final mix.

Hydrogen Sea's third full album Creature Comforts is a luscious, fresh, and vibrant collection of new songs that explore everything that offers us, fragile creatures, physical and mental comfort, and makes us feel good. It's the duo's first collaboration with producer Luuk Cox. The record sounds unapologetically light and colorful but dares to look at the shadows. As the soft-spoken TV painter Bob Ross once said, 'You need the dark in order to show the light.'

Hydrogen Sea started out in 2012 as the brain and love child of the duo Birsen Uçar and PJ Seaux. For their most recent record Automata from 2019, they wrote and performed in full band formation alongside Steven Van Gelder, Joris Caluwaerts, and Patricia Vanneste. Forced by (but also pretty much enjoying) the solitude during the pandemic, Birsen and Pj huddled together in their studio and started to write and demo their Creature Comfort songs. It was an attempt to find some hope, softness, and joy in the slow apocalypses we live through. The duo wanted to explore sounds and themes that offer us, fragile creatures, physical and mental comfort, and make us feel good. On the other hand, Birsen's lyrics could never overlook the mechanism of instant gratification and toxic consumerism. Above all, the new music was Birsen and PJ's way of relieving their own stress and soothe their nervous systems. In February 2023, after having written and recorded the bulk of the songs in the solitude of their home studio, Birsen and PJ called in the multifaceted skills of Luuk Cox. He was welcomed into their creative process and produced and mixed the album, making it sound effortlessly bright, crisp, and filled with color.

After opening the album with the atmospheric Ammonite, Hydrogen Sea offers you their first sun-filled single Candy. It is deliciously addictive with catchy vocals, playful drums, guitar, and percussion. Wine, PJ and Birsen's second single, starts out with bouncy vocals but its sizzling synths and beat mark the darker side of things that ignite pleasure in the world, pointing out that some creature comforts can be addictive or toxic if repeated too often. Dragons kicks off gorgeously bare and evolves into a sweeping, heart-pounding song with Birsen encouraging you to breathe, even if there's smoke and fire coming out. Cherry Milk is an upbeat invitation to go beyond superficial comforts and to try to talk about it with others, because it's important to look at the unrest beneath the surface. Wolves is a call to 'cradle every weird idea', to connect with your body and your true wild self. Electrifying and hypnotic Mycelium dives into the comforting psychedelic notion of never-ending and all-encompassing interconnectedness. Appalachia paints a picture of desolate mountains and describes the pitfalls of staring into the darkness too long. It also reminds you of the importance of finding someone to crawl back up seemingly insurmountable hills with. The velvety synths and vocals of Watermelon transport you to magical 'butterscotch fields, under sangria skies'. Finally, Creature Comforts ends elegantly with the brilliant and hope-filled Earth.

With his surprising first solo album Edmund November, Edmund Lauret (Nordmann, Kosmo Sound, The Milk Factory) returns to his British roots and the music he grew up with. He also debuts as a singer. "I had been making solo songs for a while, but that process was accelerated during the corona period," he says. "I think there has always been a singer inside of me and now it has come out."

The idyllic setting of the southern English countryside where Edmund and his band recorded the album undoubtedly had an impact on the organic, vintage British character of the music.

The songs are open and expansive like the landscapes around the recording studio. The titles and lyrics also have an elusive character; Lauret prefers to leave them to the imagination of the listener.

What is also striking is that Edmund November is clearly influenced by music from the sixties and seventies, the songs Edmund grew up with. As a young guitarist, Edmund was enthralled by Jimi Hendrix, Donovan, early Pink Floyd and The Beatles.

His influences showed him how to master the balance between harmony and melody. This is how Lauret has always worked with his bands for the past fifteen years, and in that sense his solo work is no different.

Edmund November floats between psychedelic folk and melancholy pop. The songs were recorded live with minimal editing, which only adds to the liveliness of the record. Ten songs take the listener on a dreamy musical trip that showcases Edmund's singer-songwriter qualities.