"The folk music of the Croatian peninsula of Istria is as characteristic as it is extraordinary. Its melodies, harmonies and rhythms are unique, and sonorously expressed by the sopila - a traditional shawm instrument - as well as through choral singing and folk dances. The music with its asymmetrical rhythms is based on the so-called 'pentatonic Istrian scale', which consists of major and minor seconds and is thus clearly different from the other musical styles of Croatia.

SO THIS TAPE STARTED while the entire band was decamped at an undisclosed location working on the next Mountain Goats album, and I had brought books with me to read, and one of them was Pierre Chuvin’s A Chronicle of the Last Pagans, which I was reading as research material for another thing I’m working on; and it’s been a long time since I sat around playing music and thinking about antiquity, but I used to do it all the time, and several of you know that because the old tapes are all littered with stories about Ajax and Agamemnon and the cult of Cybele, stories which, when I was learning them, got me so fired up that as soon as I got out of class I’d drive home in my yellow 1969 Superbeetle and write songs about them.

Ivan Repušić made his debut as principal conductor of the Munich Radio Orchestra in September 2017 with Giuseppe Verdi's "Luisa Miller". It was followed by "I due Foscari" in October 2018 and "Attila" in October 2019 (the complete recordings have already been released by BR-KLASSIK on CD 900323, 900328 and 900330). His successful cycle of early masterpieces by the Italian opera composer continues with the recent concert performance on April 23, 2023 of Verdi's stage work "I Lombardi" – also at the Prinzregententheater in Munich.

Named after a very specific genus of edible mushroom, Craterellus Tubaeformis shares all the attributes of its nutritious counterpart due to how difficult both are to cultivate. Skinshape’s music is the product of a highly devoted and meticulous composer who uses some of the rarest analoge equipment out there. The product is such a definitive sound heard nowhere else but so easily identified as Skinshape.

Tenor Karim Sulayman and guitarist Sean Shibe present Broken Branches, a conceptual album with music ranging from Dowland, Monteverdi, Britten, Rodrigo, Takemitsu, Harvey, and Chaker to traditional songs from the Middle East, scrutinizing the close cultural and musical ties between East and West. This musical exploration ties in with the artists’ personal experience of a dynamic, in-between identity, as they grew up in the West having ethnic roots in the East (Lebanon and Japan respectively). Broken Branches explores the wood of the guitar and its relatives, as well as the splintering of history known as diaspora.

Goodbye To Language is the perfect joining of the dots, through the world-changing experiments of Daniel’s early days with Brian Eno, to his flights through the most rarefied atmospheres of the mainstream of music. Constructed entirely from the sounds of the pedal steel guitar, Daniel on the pedal steel and his mate Rocco Deluca on the lap steel with compositional rigour that recalls the 20th century dreamscapes of Ravel and Debussy, with a sense of sonic futurism and yet also with the naturalness that can only come from someone rooted in centuries of grassroots music.

“ ‘Piano Topography’ is deliberately not avant–garde. I wrote it to provide an uplifting and life-enhancing musical experience for an audience.

Hilang Child is the moniker of Welsh-Indonesian singer, songwriter and drummer Ed Riman.

“Poulenc’s piano works, like his other works, have always captivated me, both with their unrelenting honesty and their fearless formal certainty. Poulenc is brilliant at taking his listeners from one emotion to another, often without any transition. Poulenc’s language is often glibly described as ‘light’ even by the musical public. But this view is only correct to the extent that one can objectively observe his personal life from within the palpable proximity of danger. This ‘predatory’ gaze pervades the French composer’s work. The unvarnished honesty of Poulenc’s music, which brilliantly blends tradition and progression, makes it astonishingly direct for all of us.”

There are a few guarantees in life, one of them is that you’re going to fall in love with someone, whether it’s unrequited or its mutual.

Soliloquy is the third solo album by Jaco Liu and his first international release. The album features nine original compositions and two arrangements, blending elements of rock, pop, jazz, and East Asian music. It showcases his deep musical expression and unique artistic style. Jaco Liu is a rising acoustic guitar artist from China. He has performed at numerous international music festivals and won many competitions, including the 6th European Guitar Award. With over 100 solo concerts to his name, he has extensive performance experience. He is currently studying at the Dresden University of Music.

Polish pianist, claviolinist, composer, and instrument builder Sławomir Zubrzycki announces the release of his new album ‘Viola Organista: Monologues & Dialogues’, a landmark recording that brings to life one of the most enigmatic inventions in the history of music: the viola organista, a long-forgotten bowed keyboard instrument originally sketched by Leonardo da Vinci. Produced by Nils Frahm and featuring works by Dowland, Marais, J.S. Bach, and others, the album will be released on October 24 on CD and across all digital platforms.

Violinist Sylvia Huang has drawn inspiration from nature since her childhood, marvelling at its beauty, its cycles and its subtle harmony. Her Ode to Mother Nature project, in partnership with WWF-Belgium, is designed to raise awareness of the fragility of all living things. Pianist Boris Kusnezow partners Sylvia on this musical journey, which celebrates the cycle of the seasons with works by Gabriel Dupont, Lili Boulanger, Dora Pejačević, Edvard Grieg, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Camille Pépin and Eugène Ysaÿe. Each piece highlights an aspect of one of the seasons, as well as the deep connection between music and nature. Through this music Sylvia invites us to appreciate the deep bond that unites humanity to its environment, and the urgent need to protect it.

After a 10th anniversary tour, a best-of release, and the arrival of a new Dublin-born singer, The Celtic Social Club delivers its most direct and powerful record yet. Produced by Nick Davis (Genesis, The Pogues, Bjork, XTC), YOU SHOULD KNOW captures the raw live energy of the Franco-Irish collective with ten tracks recorded together, live in the studio. The result: sharp songwriting, haunting vocals, inventive basslines, chiming 12-strings, soaring fiddles, and unstoppable grooves. Moving beyond traditional Celtic themes, the band shapes an international Celtic pop sound - rooted in tradition but infused with rock and indie-folk. Think Clash, Pogues, and Fontaines D.C, but with their own unmistakable voice.

Sometimes there are discoveries that hit likethunderbolts! Matt Pascale & The Stomps areundoubtedly one of them-and a major one atthat. Everything here is simply perfect. Musically,the backbone of this album remains blues, butrock, funk, soul, and even hip-hop are never faroff. The compositions flow like a string ofpotential hits. It only takes listening to this albumonce or twice for certain melodies to lodgethemselves firmly in your brain. As for theperformance, it"s downright incredible. MattPascale has a raspy voice with a "more Italian youcouldn"t get" vibe, his guitar playing is a sheermarvel of precision and feel, and The Stomps area rhythmic and groovy powerhouse capable ofwaking the dead. Un-be-lie-va-ble!