BLACK STAR (yasiin bey and Talib Kweli) Announce 'No Fear of Time' Vinyl & CD Release

BLACK STAR The duo of yasiin bey (formerly Mos Def) and Talib Kweli ANNOUNCE NO FEAR OF TIME  AVAILABLE ON VINYL & CD FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER OUT NOVEMBER 22ND ON RHYMESAYERS ENTERTAINMENT

Black Star Press Photo by Mathieu Bitton “Black Star proves that there’s no category for timelessness” - Rolling Stone Today, Black Star announces the physical release of their 2022 sophomore album No Fear of Time, available on vinyl and CD for the first time ever, November 22nd via Rhymesayers Entertainment. Pre-order available at blackstarkeepshining.com. “The initial release of this album in itself was an artistic statement,” stated Rhymesayers CEO Siddiq Sayers. “To be bold enough to bring this highly anticipated album to fans in a non-traditional way that centers the art and artist first is exactly what artistic independence is about. That spirit is at the core of what we’ve done at Rhymesayers for close to 30 years, and we’re proud to bring this album from a group so important to the culture into the world in the physical form.”  No Fear of Time finally reunites one of the greatest hip-hop duos of all-time nearly a quarter century after their debut. Group members yasiin bey and Talib Kweli, both enormously influential hip hop artists in their own right, first joined forces as Black Star to deliver their iconic 1998 breakout, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, which quickly became one of hip-hop's most revered works and launched both already-rising stars into the stratosphere. After years spent nurturing their respective solo careers, the duo returned with the Madlib-produced No Fear of Time in 2022, recorded guerrilla-style around the globe in hotels and in dressing rooms at Dave Chappelle’s shows over the course of four years and released exclusively via the podcast platform Luminary. Luminary is also the home of The Midnight Miracle podcast, which the duo hosted with Chappelle. An official video was produced for album highlight “So Be It,” which the duo also performed during their SNL debut, as well as a lyric video for “o.G.”  The album will be available on single-LP vinyl, CD, and cassette, along with a limited deluxe double-LP that includes both the main version and the instrumentals, each pressed on 180-gram vinyl in unique color treatments blending opaque white and opaque gold with translucent black ice and a metallic star effect. This deluxe vinyl edition is limited to 2000 units and features a foil stamped and numbered matte gatefold jacket, two full-color printed record sleeves, an 8-page matte lyric booklet, and an exclusive silver foil laminated heavyweight insert. Additionally, 300 units of the deluxe vinyl will be available as a premium bundle, which will include everything in the deluxe 2xLP vinyl package, with insert hand-signed by all three artists – yasiin bey, Talib Kweli and Madlib – along with a No Fear of Time t-shirt and a pair of Black Star slipmats. An exclusive collection of apparel and accessories is also being offered in conjunction with the announcement. All items are available for pre-order at blackstarkeepshining.com and rhymesayers.com, with a portion of proceeds going to savethechildren.org benefiting relief efforts in DRC, Sudan, Haiti and Gaza.

Tracklist: 0. o.G. 1. So be it 2. Sweetheart. Sweethard. Sweetodd. 3. My favorite band 4. the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing 5. Yonders 6. Supreme alchemy 7. Freequency w Black Thought 8. No fear of time w Yummy Bingham Connect with Black Star: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Xeno & Oaklander Reveal “O Vermillion,” Share North American Tour Dates

Xeno & Oaklander Reveal “O Vermillion"

Share North American tour dates (T.O., MTL, CLE, STL, CHI, SLC, PDX, SEA, LA, DEN, NYC, PHL + more)

New LP Via Negative (in the doorway light) out Nov. 15 on Dais 

Photo by: Liz Wendelbo.

The eighth and latest slate of refined retro-futuristic synth-pop by Liz Wendelbo and Sean McBride aka Xeno & Oaklander is named after and inspired by "the study of what not to do, a negative image of a positive, the other side, the other: ‘Via Negativa (in the doorway light).'"
 
With the bilingual odes to bloodstones on "O Vermillion"— which premieres today— Xeno & Oaklander re-prove themselves masters of the axis of technology and poetry, snaking cables and synesthesia, mining melodies and myths across 15 years of focused artistry. Theirs is a muse still gilded and gleaming, burnished red and silver, attuned to "the unobservable, the unfamiliar, that which you don’t see directly."

Listen / share "O Vermillion" on YouTube

Listen / share on DSP's.

Recorded in the Autumn of 2023 at their modernist Connecticut home fashioned into a two-story synthesizer laboratory and mixing studio, Via Negativa (in the doorway light) is uniquely visionary in spirit yet precision in execution, a contrast central to the duo’s enduring chemistry. Embryonic piano sketches were translated to nuanced modular systems, which McBride weighted with "harmonic padding," tuned percussion, and a spectral transfer device capable of "rendering spasms of rhythmic overtonal filigree." Despite the technological complexity of their craft, emotively the songs require no deciphering– these are technicolor widescreen anthems of the cybernetic age.  
 
Via Negativa (in the doorway light) will be released on November 15^th via Dais and is available for pre-order here.  See Xeno & Oaklander on the road in North America this November and December.  More soon.

Xeno & Oaklander, on tour:

Nov 17  Pawtucket, RI - Machines with Magnets
Nov 18 Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz PDB
Nov 19 Ottawa, ON - House of Targ
Nov 20 Toronto, ON - Ground Control
Nov 22 Cleveland, OH - No Class
Nov 23 Indianapolis, IN - Black Circle
Nov 24 St Louis, MO - The Sinkhole
Nov 26 Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
Nov 27 Milwaukee, WI - X-Ray Arcade
Nov 29 St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
Dec 1 Salt Lake City, UT - The International
Dec 3 Portland, OR - Dante's
Dec 4 Seattle, WA - Substation
Dec 5 Vancouver, BC - The Cobalt
Dec 8 Los Angeles, CA - The Paramount
Dec 9  San Diego, CA - Soda Bar
Dec 10 Landers, CA - Retreat Center
Dec 12  Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
Dec 14 Kansas City, MO - MiniBar
Dec 16 Louisville, KY - Whirling Tiger
Dec 17 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
Dec 19 Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery
Dec 20 Brooklyn, NY - TV Eye [Record Release Party]
Dec 21 Philadelphia, PA - Milk Boy

Feb 8 Den Haag NL, Grauzone Festival

Gang of Four's JJ Sterry fronts Rear WIndow on Head Above Water - a song about living on the edge

Rear Window / Head Above Water (single) Gang of Four frontman JJ Sterry teams up with Canarian producer Santi Arribas to produce this alt-pop gem about modern living. Label / Imprint : Dharma Records Streaming (LinkFire) "Sounding excellent!" - John Kennedy / Radio X “You’re doing OK aren’t you? You’ve achieved something in life & are consequently feeling safe… or are you?” – such is the premise of  latest single from alternative duo Rear Window, the aptly named Head Above The Water. Following the release of their debut single Running Away, Gang of Four’s JJ Sterry & The Roadside Bandits’ Santi Arribas, collectively know as Rear Window, now come with Head Above Water – a tight four-to-the-floor groove with staccato synths & looping guitars, over which Sterry’s confrontational vocals propound his thoughts on the illusion of security we may feel in our lives. There’s a video too with stark graphics that add to the record’s feeling of vulnerability & illusion. With early supporters like Radio X’s John Kennedy, BBC Introducing & Amazing Radio the track is turning heads & causing a commotion. Sterry explains: “As much as we’d like to think otherwise, our fate isn’t really in our own hands. Your boss might be having a bad day, family issues, health, wealth, whatever - one small thing can set off a chain reaction & it all comes crashing down.” The idea flips on its head within the verses: “Even with the bits we can control, we still have to rely on ourselves not to screw things up… to bite our tongue & set aside our moral objections to keep our place at the table.” Arribas states: “I think the lyrics are quite relatable as everything feels kind of up in the air right now, people are just about getting by - but the song is somehow still kind of uplifting. ‘I’m doing my best…’ Rear Window is quite liberating for both of us as there’s not really any musical avenues we won’t go down. There’s no shortage of ideas so we can just cherry pick what we like, rather than trying to fit into any kind of preconceptions of what we should be doing”. Citing Talking Heads, The Cure, Baxter Dury & XTC as creative influences, Rear Window was formed in the aftermath of a writing session between two London-based musicians; former Gang of Four vocalist John (JJ) Sterry & Canarian producer / guitarist Santi Arribas (of The Roadside Bandits Project). The pair met when Sterry was invited by the late Andy Gill to join his influential post-punk outfit Gang of Four as their front man, with whom he toured extensively. At the time, Arribas was working with Gill at his recording studio Rear Window until his passing in Feb 2020 after which Arribas took the helm. The duo sat together in early 2023 to write a song for Arribas’s 2nd album & decided to ‘write a couple more songs for fun...’. which then evolved into an entire album made up of eclectic & sometimes uplifting songs. Sterry pens the lyrics while Arribas leads on the production & for them, it felt only natural to name their new project after the studio they work in. With differing influences & bringing their skill sets from different angles, Rear Window meet in the middle to create exciting music, unconstrained by genre. Definitely one to check! Connect with Rear Window Facebook     Instagram     X/Twitter     Spotify     Youtube

The Smashing Times shares title track from forthcoming K Records LP

The Smashing Times shares title track from forthcoming K Records LP (out Nov. 1)

STREAM: "Mrs. Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys" -
YouTube / Bandcamp

FFO: Pentangle, The Move, The Kinks, Mods Mayday ‘79, Cleaners from Venus, Television Personalities, The Jam, The Pastels

 

Today "Mrs. Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys" are your new favorite MOD heart throbs. 
Is there REALLY a new Merseybeat Revolution?
How many times can you really REALLY watch The Blow-Up alone in your room?
 Why don't you venture out the front door and take a bite of the real thing?
The Smashing Times are a mainstay in the indie pop underground. 
The group mistrals the new modern life perfectly, 
the sharper world.
collaged with 12 string guitar and mallet on the floor tom.

The Baltimore band recently announced the release of its 5th album, Mrs. Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys on K Records / Perennial, due Nov. 1, 2024. Today they have shared the third single from it, which happens to be the title track from the LP. 

Featuring Thee Jasmine Monk and Zelda-Anais (The Smashing Times, Midden Heap) as well as scene stalwarts Britta Leijonflycht (Almond Joy, Children Maybe Later, Linda Smith), Paul Krolian (Expert Alterations, Linda Smith), Blake Douglas (Corduroy, Midden Heap)
Written and recorded by Jaz at Druid House. Produced by Hayes Waring and Thee Jasmine Monk. Mixed by Capt. Tripps Ballsington. Mastered by Amy Dragon.

When you call your band The Smashing Times you can’t help instantly getting the flavour of the Television Personalties and Dan Treacy, but on their second album, the band deliver that and so much more. This really is a fusion of psychedelic, twee and freakbeat  that will make your heart skip and your head smile. The guitars shimmer, strum and jangle whilst the vocals float effortlessly on top of the efficient rhythm section. Every song is a bundle of energy with hooks that come both instantly and after multiple plays. Without doubt, if it had been recorded in the 80’s would have been released on Whaam or Dreamworld but luckily for you pop kids this 2023 and K have the honor of releasing it. (Sean Forbes)

Also it's Great. Really.

US TOUR DATES:

Oct. 15 - Ridgewood, NY - TV Eye w/ Sharp Pins

 

The Smashing Times
Mrs. Ladyships And The Cleanerhouse Boys
(K / Perennial)
[click here to pre-order]
Street Date: Nov. 1, 2024

Track List:

1. Mrs. Ladyships and the Cleanerhouse Boys
2. June Rabbit
3. A Taste Of Honey
4. Rupert Tingle, Button Thief
5. Can I Have Some Tea?
6. Wednesday, On a Hummingbird's Wing
7. Good Spring Morning
8. I Paint The Picture
9. Chooning Song
10. Ben Jimeny The Green Grocer
11. Moon Viewing Party
12. Tarts and Vicars
13. You Know It In Your Heart
14. Saturn and Janus

THE SMASHING TIMES LINKS:

Instagram
Bandcamp

Orbital To Release "Beginners Guide" Out November 8. North American Tour Approaching

ORBITAL: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE – OUT NOVEMBER 8 AVAILABLE ON LP/CD/DIGITAL PRE-ORDER/SAVE [LONDON RECORDS]   US LIVE DATES CONFIRMED IN SAN FRANCISCO NOVEMBER 16 & AUSTIN AT SEISMIC DANCE EVENT ON NOVEMBER 17  TICKETS ON SALE NOW

PRE-ORDER/SAVE ORBITAL: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE   Available on LP, CD and digitally on November 8, A Beginner’s Guide is the perfect introduction to the groundbreaking musical world of Orbital. For both the new and the initiated, A Beginner’s Guide provides the key moments in the seminal career of the UK electronic music duo composed of brothers Paul and Phil Hartnoll.   A one-stop-shop for Orbital which spans the breadth of their 30-year plus catalog, A Beginner’s Guide traverses everything from their early chart hits ‘Chime,’ ‘Belfast’ and ‘Halcyon,’ fan favorites such as ‘Lush 3.1,’ soundtrack moments like ‘Beached’ (their collaboration with film score maestro Angelo Badalamenti) and more recent cuts like ‘Ringa Ringa’ and ‘Dirty Rat’ (with Sleaford Mods). The CD version features five further tracks (including ‘Doctor?’, their breaks-flecked version of the Doctor Who theme) in addition to the eleven featured on the vinyl version. Both formats are housed in newly commissioned sleeves inspired by the designs and illustrations of 1970s technical manuals created by Julian House at Intro, a long term Orbital collaborator, plus new sleeve notes.   Since reuniting with London Records, Orbital have released the 2022 anthology 30 Something, which contained reworks, remakes, remixes and re-imaginings of their many landmark tracks, and last year’s critically acclaimed studio album Optical Delusion which gave Orbital their first UK Album Chart Top 10 album since 1999’s Middle Of Nowhere.   Earlier this year Orbital reissued their eponymous 1991 debut album, known as The Green Album, to great acclaim. The accompanying ‘Green + Brown Album Tour’ saw Orbital headline shows across the globe including festival performances in New York City, Chicago, rousing festival sets at Coachella and Miami’s Ultra Festival and a rapturously received performance at Glastonbury, where they were joined by special guests Melanie C and Tilda Swinton as they celebrated 30 years since their landmark 1994 performance.   The Green + Brown Album Tour resumes later this fall with upcoming US dates at The Medway in San Francisco on November 16 and at Austin, TX’s Seismic Dance Event on November 17, where they will play alongside guests including other dance and electronic legends, Carl Cox, Eric Prydz, Disclosure and Gesaffelstein. The tour continues into 2025 with European dates culminating in a London show at O2 Academy Brixton on April 5. For a list of upcoming live dates and to purchase tickets, please visit Tickets from https://www.orbitalofficial.com/live/.   ORBITAL - THE GREEN + BROWN ALBUM LIVE 2024 11/16 – The Medway – San Francisco, CA 11/17 – Seismic Dance Event @ The Concourse Project – Austin, TX   2025 03/20 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, Netherlands 03/21 – Paradiso – Amsterdam, Netherlands 03/22 - Elysee Montmartre – Paris, France 04/02 – Mandela Hall – Belfast, United Kingdom 04/03 – O2 Academy Glasgow – Glasgow, United Kingdom 04/04 – O2 Academy Leeds – Leeds, United Kingdom 04/05 – O2 Academy Brixton – London, United Kingdom   ORBITAL: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE - TRACK LISTINGS   LP Side 1 01  Chime (Edit) 02  Halcyon (Edit) 03  Belfast (Edit) 04  Satan (Spawn) 05  The Box (Edit)   Side 2 06  Lush 3.1 (Edit) 07  Beached (Edit) 08  Are We Here? (Edit) 09  Are You Alive? (Feat. Penelope Isles) (Edit) 10  Style (Edit) 11  Dirty Rat (Edit)   CD 01  Chime (Edit) 02  Halcyon (Edit) 03  Belfast (Edit) 04  Satan (Spawn) 05  The Box (Edit) 06  Lush 3.1 (Edit) 07  Beached (Edit) 08  Are We Here? (Edit) 09  Are You Alive? (Feat. Penelope Isles) (Edit) 10  Style (Edit) 11  Dirty Rat (Edit) 12  Funny Break (One Is Enough) (Single Version) 13  Ringa Ringa The Old Pandemic Folk Song - Featuring The Medieval Baebes (Edit) 14  Remind 15  Illuminate 16  Doctor 17  The Girl With The Sun In Her Head

ORBITAL ON SOCIALS WEBSITE | X / TWITTER | THREADS | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | TIKTOK

Maribou State Announce New LP 'Hallucinating Love'

MARIBOU STATE ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM HALLUCINATING LOVE, OUT JANUARY 31 ON NINJA TUNE  WATCH + LISTEN TO LEAD SINGLE “OTHERSIDE” FEATURING HOLLY WALKER, OUT TODAY, HERE

Photo by Rory Dewar

Maribou State — the duo made up of Chris Davids and Liam Ivory — today announce their highly anticipated new album Hallucinating Love, set for release on January 31st 2025 on Ninja Tune. Alongside the news comes brand new single “Otherside” featuring long-time collaborator and vocalist Holly Walker. Listen to "Otherside" and preorder Hallucinating Love HERE.  “Otherside” follows last year’s standout “Blackoak” single, a classic slice of signature Maribou sound, blending intricate electronics with organic live instrumentation and vocals, built around the kind of enticing hooks that have earned them their dedicated fan base. The new track today perpetuates the instinctual forward motion inherent to Maribou State.    Watch the music video for "Otherside" here. With Hallucinating Love, the duo wanted to reflect the lineage of great British electronic music, from jungle and UK garage to IDM and trance, and celebrate its influence as well as their place in that history. “We’ve always been very hidden in the project, and revelled in the ambiguity and anonymity,” admits Liam. “But as we've gotten older, we've wanted to show who we are much more. And naturally it made sense to then point towards British dance music culture because it's something to be really proud of.” There are some left-turns too you might not expect from the pair: the kosmische groove of Ekos (say it echoes) stands out, and was the first song that Chris wrote for the album, sampling his father’s old Eko guitar. “It's the first time I'd sung on anything of ours that's been released,” he says.  Maribou State were first propelled onto the world’s stage with their 2015 debut album Portraits, followed by 2019’s equally acclaimed Kingdom In Colour, both redefining soulful, downtempo electronica for a new generation. Their collaboration with Khruangbin, "Feel Good," earned them many artist of the year accolades. Their music has been celebrated by the likes of NME, Complex, GQ, Clash and Crack Magazine, with Mixmag naming Maribou State as one of their "Artists Of The Year," and BBC 6 Music hailing Kingdom as their "Album Of The Day" alongside huge support from the likes of KCRW, KEXP, Annie Mac, Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft, Steve Lamacq, and many more.  They've toured the world, selling out dates at O2 Academy, and playing Sydney Opera House, Glastonbury, and more. This November, they'll play a sold-out one-off performance at London’s Islington Assembly Hall The show will also be a poignant moment, following the news shared earlier this year by Chris Davids that he had undergone a major operation for a rare brain condition in November 2023, the Islington show will mark both his and Liam’s returns to live performances since they wrapped up their Kingdoms In Colour Tour in 2019. Even during their darkest days, Maribou State found a way to challenge themselves and push themselves creatively forward. And they’re entering this new phase stronger than ever before – not just as producers but as artists too. “We’re so much more connected as a duo now,” says Liam. “We’re more grounded and resilient.” "Otherside" is out now, buy/stream it here. Hallucinating Love is out January 31, preorder it here. Hallucinating Love TRACKLIST  1. Blackoak  2. Otherside (feat. Holly Walker) 3. II Remember  4. All I Need (feat. Andreya Triana) 5. Dance on the World (feat. North Downs) 6. Bloom (feat. Gaidaa) 7. Peace Talk (feat. Holly Walker) 8. Passing Clouds  9. Eko’s 10. Rolling Stone  Stay connected with Maribou State: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter