Accordionist Théo Ould describes this new album as “my most personal — I had never allowed myself to feature the music of Astor Piazzolla. I wanted to raise the accordion above the clichés to concentrate on more classical repertoire”. Théo’s vocation became evident, however, when he heard Piazzolla’s Libertango at the age of 6. Now, 20 years later, this Frenchman from Marseille tackles this music with fervour and exaltation through tailor-made arrangements performed alongside the Quatuor Bilitis and the double bass player Blanche Stromboni, as well as mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti, who appears in a beautiful and heart-warming rendition of Balada para un loco, Piazzolla’s setting of a poem by Horacio Ferrer.

Electronic pioneers Propaganda follow up their acclaimed 2024 comeback with Remix Encounters, a broad and brilliant remix album featuring Moby, Tangerine Dream, Rhys Fulber, Schiller, and more. After the widely praised release of their self-titled comeback album in October 2024, Düsseldorf’s legendary art-synth auteurs return with Remix Encounters, a thrilling reimagining of their latest work. Released on Bureau B, this remix collection reflects the enthusiasm Propaganda’s return after three decades of silence has ignited among contemporary artists, who approached the project with fresh energy and creative freedom.

Something I discovered in that learning process was the delay effect and the way it could enhance sustain and the fullness of the tone. Very few people know I was the one who discovered that effect which is so common now. Delay was a problem I worked on for years to figure out, and it was so simple. It’s just a matter of chasing it until you realize it’s been right in front of you the whole time, but for some reason you can’t see it.

With A German Spirit, the Margaretha Consort completes the trilogy following A German Christmas (2018) and A German Passion (2023). This release, too, is more than a historical reconstruction: it is a living musical experience in which sound, spirituality and heritage meet. Through the combination of historical awareness, artistic curiosity, creativity and passion, this centuries-old music sounds fresh and contemporary, building a bridge between past and present.

No bicycle journey this time – unlike Duende in 2020 (which took Teo Gheorghiu to the Spain of Albéniz and the France of Debussy – Claves CD 3021), or Roots two years later (in search of paternal roots through the music of Enescu, Bartók and Mussorgsky – CD 3052). Instead, a third cardinal point guides this new discographic voyage: the North. First, the nearby Fribourg of Olivier Lattion – also Gheorghiu’s home since 2018. Then, Romantic Germany – embodied by Robert Schumann. Finally, the “true” North – of fjords and northern lights – through Edvard Grieg. At the close of the 19th century, Grieg – as a Norwegian – was seeking his own voice among the nations of Europe, and did not hesitate to sharpen it by drawing on the musical wells of the Old Continent (studying in Leipzig under Carl Reinecke and Ignaz Moscheles). A shifting thread, then – but one that, beyond geography, tells stories: of Teo Gheorghiu’s intimate bond with each of the three works on this album – stories of life, friendship, and (inevitably!) nature.

The Sauer organ in Saalfeld is one of the most significant Romantic organs in Thuringia. It was built in 1894 as Opus 624 by Wilhelm Sauer (Frankfurt am Main). Sauer constructed the organ according to the organizational principle evident in the facade, which was carried over from the previous instrument. During a comprehensive restoration in 1996, the original stop layout was largely restored. In 2022, the Scheffler Organ Workshop—which specializes in organs by Wilhelm Sauer—restored the instrument once again.

Bloc Party’s place in hearts & minds was never up for debate, but the past four years have reaffirmed that position and simultaneously ignited the a new passion with fans young & old. From touring the world with their friends Paramore to headlining a sold out Crystal Palace Park, performing songs from their seminal debut Silent Alarm through to the constant reinvention of their more recent work, before returning to Reading & Leeds last year to enormous crowds. Now, propelled by this renewed energy and buoyed by their biggest year of touring in two decades, Bloc Party are ready to release their next album; a narrative work examining a year-long relationship in intimate and often brutal detail, realised in the studio with the legendary Trevor Horn. Kele, Russell, Louise & Harry continue to stake their claim on people’s affections with a co-headline UK & Europe arena tour with Interpol this autumn as well as a run of massive outdoor shows in the US with Muse.

Eugen d'Albert was one of the great pianists of his age and wrote a series of exciting pieces for the instrument. The expressive, forward looking harmonies of the Suite are as notable as the work’s Baroque style. The Four Pieces – pyrotechnically brilliant as well as pensive – show some Lisztian influence, while the Albumblatt is a genial, reflective piece. In this recital Sofja Gülbadamova performs on d’Albert’s own 1898 Steinway, recently restored and now on display at his former home, Villa Teresa in Coswig. D’Albert’s Impromptu, which Gülbadamova discovered at the Brahmshaus in Baden-Baden, is heard here in a world première recording.

Award-winning harpist and composer Laura Hynninen takes her instrument’s expressive range to a new level. In Hynninen’s hands, the beautiful harp reveals menacing, animalistic, and fierce dimensions; electronics and Hynninen’s own voice are also part of this surprising soundscape. The themes of her works draw from nature and emotions that can only be expressed through music. Classical virtuosity, bold and imaginative use of sound, and an original musical language come together on this album to form a unique whole.

Continuing their 40th anniversary celebrations, Pixies announce previously unreleased songs dating from 1987 to 1991 as part of remasters of their albums Bossanova and Trompe le Monde being released on 11th September. In addition to being available on CD, digital and standard black vinyl formats, two special limited-edition vinyl pressings exclusive to Dinked’s newly launched Dinked International Editions will contain four unearthed songs – ‘Dig For Fire (Albini Version)’, ‘Go Man Go’, ‘Brackish Boy’, and ‘Punk Loop’.

Continuing their 40th anniversary celebrations, Pixies announce previously unreleased songs dating from 1987 to 1991 as part of remasters of their albums Bossanova and Trompe le Monde being released on 11th September. In addition to being available on CD and standard black vinyl formats, two special limited-edition vinyl pressings exclusive to Dinked’s newly launched Dinked International Editions will contain four unearthed songs – ‘Dig For Fire (Albini Version)’, ‘Go Man Go’, ‘Brackish Boy’, and ‘Punk Loop’.

The Symphony No. 9 in E♭ major, Op. 70, was composed by Dmitri Shostakovich in 1945. It was premiered on 3 November 1945 in Leningrad by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra under Yevgeny Mravinsky.

The Symphony No. 8 in C minor, Op. 65, by Dmitri Shostakovich was written in the summer of 1943, and first performed on 4 November of that year by the USSR Symphony Orchestra under Yevgeny Mravinsky, to whom the work is dedicated. It was briefly nicknamed the "Stalingrad Symphony" following the American premiere in 1944.

Leszek Kułakowski’s latest album, ‘Poland, My Homeland’, is a deeply personal account of the present day – not in a symbolic sense, but as it is experienced in everyday life. The composer does not produce a musical manifesto, but constructs a multi-dimensional narrative in which nature, human relationships and contemporary social tensions intertwine into a single form.

Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 60, nicknamed the Leningrad Symphony, was begun in Leningrad, completed in the city of Samara (then known as Kuybyshev) in December 1941, and premiered in that city on March 5, 1942. At first dedicated to Lenin, it was eventually submitted in honor of the besieged city of Leningrad, where it was first played under dire circumstances on August 9, 1942, nearly a year into the siege by German forces.