Piano music forms a large part of the output of the Romanian composer Livia Teodorescu-Ciocănea (b. 1959), as you would expect of someone who has been playing the instrument since she was four. This first album of her music reveals a latter-day Impressionist, sensitive to half-light and petal-delicate tonal colour – but she can also generate powerful surges of energy, and her musical portrait of Charlie Chaplin testifies to an impish sense of humour.

An homage to some of the most famous musicians of the 16th and 17th centuries, this album pairs composers such as Barbara Strozzi, Claudia Sessa and Maddalena Casulana with two contemporary composers: Alberto and Leonardo Schiavo. Music from the past and the present, in dialogue. The idea is to discover (or rediscover) these works and mutually enrich them. The musical language adopted for these arrangements never strays too far from their original sonorities, but on the other had it is not a simple transcription, but an interpretation of a repertoire that is more relevant than ever, and consequently a source of inspiration and raw material for contemporary composers.

From the nature sounds of the opening to the edgy “heavy metal” of the conclusion: this GENUIN release by the Lake Brass Ensemble is a production full of good humor and meaty sounds! The young musicians under Norbert Stertz perform this richly orchestrated brass music with an impressive low brass group, with two tenor horns and a tuba providing a velvety, fleshy lining to the brilliance of their dazzling colleagues. In addition to two world premiere recordings – Kerry Turner’s Lake Constance Fantasy and Alexander Reuber’s Cerberus – the tracklist features known and unknown, but above all magically shimmering works: film music by Hans Zimmer and John Williams, symphonic selections by Gustav Mahler, and chamber music by Dmitri Shostakovich.

Galleon have made a giant step forward in the right direction with this album. Five long tracks, ranging from 8 up to 21 minutes, just show the band's ambitious ideas and the musicianship ended up to be very challenging and atmospheric with Galleon offering their most symphonic album up to date. Fantastic distorted guitars, seriers of excellent solos, huge synthesizer sounds, bombastic passages and endless breaks, all contained in one package full of passion and intensity. The style is very close to the likes of Collage or Flamborough Head, that is a perfect balance between superb atmospheric instrumental workouts with guitars/keyboards leading the ideas and very strong lyrical moments. And while the early Marillion influence is still present, Galleon manages to transform this 80's-styled Neo Prog to some great modern Progressive Rock with great respect for the past years but also a very refreshing approach.

Turilli / Lione RHAPSODY - the new group featuring original RHAPSODY members Luca Turilli and Fabio Lione, completed by former RHAPSODY members Dominique Leurquin, Patrice Guers and Alex Holzwarth - recently announced the release of their debut album »Zero Gravity (Rebirth And Evolution)«, for June 28, 2019 through Nuclear Blast. Vocalist Fabio Lione states, "'Phoenix Rising' represents the bridge between our past and our artistic future, including some elements of the traditional symphonic metal school combined with heavy guitars, the modern sounds we love nowadays and an ethnic interlude featuring the unique voice of Mongolian artist Uyanga Bold. Once recorded, 'Phoenix Rising' got immediately stuck in our head and we found ourselves singing the chorus all day long. For all these reasons we consider it as the perfect opener for our debut album and for our upcoming live shows!" Guitarist/keyboardist/pianist Luca Turilli adds, "Fabio's emotional performance underlines the intense lyrics inspired by sacred geometry, quantum physics and the secrets of the ancient wisdom, telling about a human being and his dramatic process of self-realization after experiencing an inner quake and the impelling need to move beyond the illusion of duality and the loops related with the material aspects of life in order to reach a higher level of consciousness and find his place in the geometry of existence."

The Norwegian giant returns, armed with a refined lineup and ready to strike with a sophomore effort that is sure to once again exceed the expectations of Abbath’s loyal fanbase. ‘Outstrider’ sees a maturation in sound, delivering a tighter, well-rounded offering from the band as they come into their own identity. The album delivers a full-on aural assault from start to finish with massive riffage and a robust pocket that are layered with vocals from one of the most identifiable voices in black metal. If you thought ABBATH came in hot with their first record, just wait until you hear this!

Represented on this release are two Swedish composers from the late 19th century, who despite contemporary recognition usually do not count among the still enduring and current. Joseph Dente, after having taken the position as Master of the The Royal Court Orchestra, reached the highest rank a composer could then get in Sweden, when he in 1882 became teacher in composition at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. In the case of Bengt Wilhelm Hallberg it was certainly quite simply his daily activities in the “small town” Landskrona (in the southern province Skane) – he was not visible from the out-look of Stockholm, where “everything happened”, and a few occasional successes in Copenhagen did not give any greater reputation further north. But above all, the opportunities to get their music noticed, performed and printed were extremely limited, particularly for those composers who wanted to write orchestral and chamber music – still there was only one single professional orchestra in Sweden, The Royal Court Orchestra. It is therefore hardly surprising that composers in symphonic format were comparatively few; both Hallberg and Dente remained “non-recurrent symphonists”.

Nostalgia and revolution: One of the most exciting cellists of the younger generation and the "Piano Discovery of the Year" team up for this GENUIN release: Benedict Kloeckner and Danae Dörken perform works by Robert Schumann, Dmitri Shostakovich, and Bohuslav Martinů. They have named their CD Nostalgia and Revolution, a title that applies to all three composers who, in a twofold manner, both mirrored and shaped their times. Splendid duo playing with long and sweeping lines together with a fair share of hooks and barbs – a fascinating chamber music production that gives us hope that we’ll be hearing more from this duo in the future!

The music of Brahms, regardless of tastes, trends or aesthetic currents, is already part of the whisper of history. It does not need defenders, it does not concern detractors. It just stays. This recording that is presented here breathes nobility. Nobility in the message of Brahms’s work and nobility in an interpretation that also starts from an absolute devotion to the music of two performers in a moment of full artistic maturity. There are no hesitations here either, the ideas are clearly and emphatically exposed, everything emerges and develops as if there were no other possibility of interpretation. Pure music that demands a total surrender and that parts from the deep knowledge of the Brahmsian language that the interpreters display at all times.

Collector's edition career retrospective from cult L.A. rockers Bang Tango! Features the band's best known numbers including the massive hit "Someone Like You" plus fan favorites "Untied And True," "Dressed Up Vamp," "Love Injection" PLUS bonus rare tracks! Only 600 CDs made and each comes packaged in a hand-numbered mini LP gatefold wallet while the vinyl pressing is limited to just 300 RED vinyls!