This live recording of Georg Philipp Telemann's "Flavius 'Bertaridus" is a rarity: The performance at the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music has been hailed by critics and frenetic. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung described this world premiere recording under the direction of Alessandro di Marchi - one of the leading specialists in historical performance practice. As "a milestone in German music history," "Not a single scene, no aria want to miss it," the Neue Zürcher Zeitung writes to di Marchis spectacular interpretation with orchestra and chorus of the Academia Montis Regalis. The opera is entirely filled with wonderful singers like Maite Beaumont, Ann-Beth Solvang and Nina Bernstein.

Sem Moldura is a 2012 release by Ive, presenting a contemporary blend of Latin pop and MPB with modern production aesthetics and melodic songwriting. The album combines emotional vocal delivery with polished arrangements that balance acoustic instrumentation and subtle electronic elements. Across its tracks, the record explores themes of love, relationships, introspection, and personal transformation, delivered through a smooth and accessible musical style. The production reflects early 2010s Brazilian pop trends, where traditional MPB influences are often merged with pop structures and soft electronic textures. Songs like “Seu Olhar” and “Um Amor Assim” highlight the album’s romantic and reflective tone, while tracks such as “Conecte-Me To Play” introduce a more modern, digitally influenced sound. The reinterpretation of “Descobridor Dos Sete Mares” connects the album to Brazilian musical heritage, bridging classic influences with contemporary interpretation. Overall, Sem Moldura offers a cohesive and emotionally driven listening experience that sits between mainstream pop accessibility and MPB tradition.

Funkalicious is a groove-oriented compilation bringing together classic funk, soul-jazz, and Latin jazz recordings from a variety of influential artists and bands. Released by Small Potato Records in 2012, the collection focuses on rhythm-heavy tracks driven by tight percussion, brass arrangements, Hammond organ lines, and dancefloor-ready grooves. Drawing from the late 1960s and 1970s club scene, the compilation blends instrumental funk, boogaloo, Latin soul, and breakbeat classics that later became highly regarded among DJs and sample-based producers. Featuring cult favorites such as “Apache” and “Champ,” the album captures the raw energy and crossover appeal of vintage funk and jazz fusion styles.

Ultimae proudly presents the new remastered edition of Connect.Ohm's first album 9980 a subtle and emotive story born of the musical encounter between Hidetoshi Koizumi aka Hybrid Leisureland and Alexandre Scheffer aka Cell. The nine tracks on 9980 compose a serene ballad in atmospheric realms where finely chiseled rhythms and fluid melodies are sustained by discreet downtempo grooves and deep drones. Koizumi’s widely spread, otherworldly, organic, sustained wizardry, compliments Scheffer’s spiraling, liquid, delicate yet sumptuous acid ambient type architecture. This combination creates a kinetic and spacious tapestry that stimulates the mind and soul. A pure delight for vast soundscapes audiophiles.

Nikki Beach Miami mixed by Miguel Migs & Roman Rosati is a stylish double-disc house music compilation released by Defected Records in 2012, inspired by the luxurious atmosphere and vibrant nightlife of the famous Nikki Beach brand. The collection captures the sound of sophisticated beach clubs and late-night dance sessions through a carefully curated blend of deep house, tech-house, soulful grooves, and modern electronic rhythms. Disc one, mixed by Miguel Migs, focuses on warm melodic house textures, funky basslines, disco influences, and soulful vocal performances, creating a relaxed yet danceable atmosphere. Disc two, handled by Roman Rosati, moves deeper into underground territory with hypnotic tech-house grooves, extended club mixes, and energetic late-night rhythms. Featuring productions and remixes from respected names such as Solomun, Supernova, Chez Damier, Lisa Shaw, and Crazibiza, the compilation delivers polished club music with a smooth and elegant edge. Nikki Beach Miami successfully combines beach lounge sophistication with underground house energy, making it an essential release for fans of modern deep and tech-house culture.

Following the extremely warm reception given his self-named band's well-deserving debut album, Holy Diver, Ronnie James Dio figured there was no point in messing with a winning formula, and decided to play it safe with 1984's sophomore effort, The Last in Line - with distinctly mixed results. Although technically cut from the same cloth as those first album nuggets, fist-pumping new songs like "We Rock," and "I Speed at Night" curiously went from good to tiresome after just a few spins (a sign that the songwriting clichés were starting to pile up…read on); and the otherwise awesome, seven-minute epic, "Egypt (The Chains Are On)," inexplicably lost it's strikingly sinister main riff halfway through, in what sounds like a mastering snafu of some kind. On the upside, more dramatic, mid-paced numbers such as the title track, "One Night in the City," and "Eat Your Heart Out" - as well as the driving "Evil Eyes" - delivered enough compelling riffs and melodies…

The Complete 1970s Epic Albums Collection is a comprehensive seven-disc anthology documenting Stanley Clarke’s groundbreaking solo work throughout the 1970s, one of the most influential decades in jazz fusion history. The set captures Clarke’s evolution from an innovative bassist emerging from Return to Forever into a fully developed composer, bandleader, and fusion pioneer. Across these albums, Clarke blends jazz improvisation, funk grooves, orchestral arrangements, progressive rock energy, and sophisticated R&B influences into a distinctive and highly technical musical style. The collection includes landmark releases such as School Days and Journey to Love, both regarded as essential recordings in jazz fusion and electric bass performance history. Clarke’s virtuosic playing on both upright and electric bass is central throughout, but the albums also showcase his abilities as an arranger and composer. The inclusion of live recordings further highlights the improvisational power and dynamic interaction of his ensembles during this creative peak period.

MMXII is a symphonic power metal release by Phoenix Rising that combines fast-paced guitar work, orchestral arrangements, and melodic vocal performances within a conceptual and cinematic framework. The album features both English and Spanish versions of the material, highlighting the band’s ambition to reach an international audience while preserving its original identity. Musically, the record draws from classic European power metal traditions, incorporating soaring choruses, neoclassical keyboard passages, double bass drumming, and epic melodic structures. The lyrical themes revolve around prophecy, inner struggle, darkness, redemption, and spiritual conflict, matching the dramatic atmosphere created by the instrumentation. The dual-language presentation gives listeners two distinct interpretations of the same compositions, adding variety while maintaining thematic consistency. MMXII stands as a polished and ambitious example of modern symphonic power metal with strong melodic focus and expansive production values.

Arriving in 1967, Greatest Hits does an excellent job of summarizing Dylan's best-known songs from his first seven albums. At just ten songs, it's a little brief, and the song selection may be a little predictable, but that's actually not a bad thing, since this provides a nice sampler for the curious and casual listener, as it boasts standards from "Blowin' in the Wind" to "Like a Rolling Stone." And, for collectors, the brilliant non-LP single "Positively Fourth Street" was added, which provided reason enough for anybody that already owned the original records to pick this up. This has since been supplanted by more exhaustive collections, but as a sampler of Dylan at his absolute peak, this is first-rate.