"An intelligent, completely unique mix of sheer power and playfulness that really shakes things up“ Jazzpodium

Univers Zero's new album (since 10 years) follows the lineage of 'Phosphorescent Dreams', originally released only on CD in Japan in 2014, and reissued as an LP on the Sub Rosa label in 2019. Lueur is the fruit of two years' work and reflection, the foundations of which were laid by Daniel Denis (keyboards, drums, percussion…), then enriched by the contributions of Nicolas Dechêne (guitars), Kurt Budé (clarinet / bass clarinet) and Nicolas Denis (bass, percussion, vocals), all three present on Phosphorescent Dreams.

‘Trugschluss’ is the strong sequel to the much-acclaimed debut album 'Barkas' (2020) by Belgian instrumental trio Kameel. The new songs sound angry, sharp, menacing, crooked and angular ('Von Grund auf am Zweig', 'Trugschluss', 'Black Bag'), sometimes hauntingly beautiful ('Charlie Tango', 'Big L .'), or even infectiously danceable! (‘Tonny’, ‘Showgun’). Kameel plays music without compromises but with lots of humor.

After a hiatus since their last studio album in 2016, Luz de Riada is back with an exciting lineup and an upcoming album, ‘Rizoma’. The album title carries a dual meaning: in biology, it refers to “a form of root that can generate wholly, even from a small piece,” as explained by bass guitarist Luis Nasser. In the realms of psychology and philosophy, ‘Rizoma’ refers to “the structure of ideas in the form of a network (neural or the internet) that can reconnect in multiple ways rather than a top to bottom hierarchy,” Nasser adds.

Almost all bands do it backward and upside-down. They start with years of playing live, creating their music in the crucible of performance with all of its impurities and in-the-moment inspirations, before committing said music to a recording that fixes it into an ostensible, exemplary form that eternally serves as an ultimate reference. And then maybe, someday, a few albums down the road, when the tours are shorter and less frequent and the cupboard is looking a little bare, they excavate and massage some favorite board recordings into a live album to fill a gap in some capitalist imagining of “career.”

A year and 5 albums after he has brought the Manna/Mirage project to a close, ex-Muffins musician / composer Dave Newhouse has produced a new album under the moniker of…’Dave Newhouse’, this one titled “Natura Morta”, Latin for Still Life. Many of the same musical suspects (guest musicians) from around the world are involved, this one is a bit longer than the aforementioned Manna/Mirage albums clocking in at around 43 minutes. It still has that signature AmeriCanterbury / Muffins compositional ethic as well as fast and furious examples of fusion / jazz rock, RIO, World Music, Americana, and alt-jazz. Even John Greaves (Henry Cow / Kew Rhône / National Health) makes a lovely appearance here. as does Guy Segers (Univers Zero / Eclectic Maybe Band).

Avalanche Kaito: the exhilarating combination of Burkina Faso born urban griot Kaito Winse and fellow experimentalists Belgian guitarist Nico Gitto and French drummer/producer Benjamin Chaval. This transnational avant-rock trio created waves with their visceral self-titled 2022 debut, bagging notable festival appearances (Supersonic, End of the Road), a KEXP session and much deserved critical and audience enthusiasm.

In April 2022 The Holy Family played the legendary Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands and enthralled a packed room. Now, two years on we are extremely happy to be able to share with you the live recording of this memorable event.

The second album by underground rock-and-beyond shapeshifters The Holy Family comes complete with a heavy concept for the psychedelically inclined, and pairs this with music which does this justice and then some. Go Zero follows up the British group’s widely praised self-titled debut from 2021 and – says foundational member David Jason Smith – “is based on a hypothetical theory that there is no such thing as ‘the future’. We are continually moving forward into our past until we arrive at our birth – creation – the Tree Of Knowledge… or ‘Going Zero’, as I’ve termed it.” It figures, then, that over some 40 minutes the five musicians conjure a sound that exhibits an affinity with great experimental totems down the ages, in a manner that’s avowedly forward-facing and stamped with their own identity.

Despite it’s title, This is NOT the end, is, indeed, the final release by the legendary Rock In Opposition band Present, as founder and composer Roger Trigaux died during its recording.

After thirteen years of hibernation, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, the most gloriously uncategorizable American band in existence, has emerged from stasis to proudly announce the imminent release of their fourth studio album, of the Last Human Being. The album marks the first release of AVANT NIGHT - a new imprint headed by Nick Ohler and facilitated by Joyful Noise Recordings.

NeBeLNeST were one of the most adventurous and energetic young bands to emerge on the international post-rock / avant-progressive scene in the late 90s. The young French band was noted for its dark symphonic rock music influenced by King Crimson, Shylock and Univers Zero/Present, laced with psychedelia and improvisation, and played with a riveting level of energy and intensity derived from the hardcore and noise scenes. In the words of the Chicago Tribune: “these French sound sculptors chisel out large-scale instrumentals that pair up the weird sonics and improvisational bent of mid-period King Crimson with a Gong-like space fusion ambience…[They] borrow bits and pieces of old school art rock and arrange them into a singular sound awash in dissonance and strangely mutated guitar/keyboard tones.”

Spanning over a period of about 10 years (2013-2023), this collection of short pieces started as sketches, demos, ideas recorded for later. Some of them were presented to Miriodor (the band I’m a member/founder of), but did not develop.

Throughout their legendary, decade-long run, the Shadow Ring were an enigmatic force on the international musical sub-underground. Before their disbandment in 2002, this shambolic rock outfit, formed by a group of rowdy teenagers in southeast England, left behind a mighty run of eight LPs, a handful of 7"s, and a spate of raucous live shows and cryptic zine appearances on both sides of the Atlantic, all which have bolstered their enduring word-of-mouth mystique. Beginning this year with the first-ever vinyl pressing of the self-released pre-Shadow Ring tape The Cat & Bells Club (1992), Blank Forms Editions is conducting a systematic retrospective of the storied group, including a multi-year LP reissue effort and a forthcoming comprehensive CD box set and an over five hundred page book.

Due to COVID-19, the French avant-garde band Magma was unable to perform live, so they decided to dive into the studio to create new material. This resulted in a brand new album titled Kãrtëhl, a collective album such as they have not made in a long time. The band reformed in 2020 and added new musicians to the lineup, which created opportunities for new innovative compositions. After the rather dark 2019 Zëss, this new work Kãrtëhl features bright and resolutely optimistic collective new work, the result of an “Operation Kartëhl”.