AKUSMI - 'LINES'

Formats

• TU003LP - LP

  4251804187053

Details

*REPRESSED ON BLACK BIO VINYL*London based composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Akusmi announces ‘Lines’, an exhilarating new collection of works born from the desire to take where the acclaimed debut album ‘Fleeting Future’ left off — in search of new forms. “ ‘Secant’, I must have listened to this tune 3 times in a row, this one soundtracked my night drive through the winding roads” – Benji B, BBC Radio 1 ‘Lines’ is presented as a Limited edition clear vinyl (500 copies only worldwide), printed in heavy-weight reverse board sleeve with a hand-numbered edition sticker. The vinyl edition also features 'Oblique' (A2), an exclusive version for the vinyl format, plus the now revered 'Longing for Tomorrow' – (Brandt Brauer Frick Remix), previously unreleased physically and now pressed on vinyl format, ending side B. The cover artwork features another collaboration with Dutch visual artist Sigrid Calon and design by label founder Adam Heron. Formed with a sense of urgency and a reductive approach ‘Lines’ is almost entirely comprised of alto saxophone, clarinet and piano with embellishments of ambience and minimal percussive elements. Recorded in full at his home studio in London, Pascal Bideau speaks about the process: “I wanted to go a bit more a bit more horizontal and ambient, work with layers of lines, might they be dotted or straight, and leave them to unfold and see where they would take me.” ‘Secant’ is the electrifying and cinematic opener, emerging with the main motif deriving from the recording sessions of ‘Fleeting Future’. It’s distinct sound echoes New York, a homage in part to the works of Steve Reich and inspired also by train travels across the English countryside. Rhythmical looping pianos unite with shifting strings that build to a symphony of hypnotic rich layers, towards a euphoric and filmic climax. ‘Oblique’ on the other hand is otherworldly and hopeful, a breathtaking musical meeting between Jazz and Ambient minimalist music. Rich layered saxophones sound a patterned melody, meshed with dotted piano, swirling electronics and percussive hits, before deep diving into shimmering ambient tones echoing like summer rainfall against windows. Akusmi uniquely finds the spaces in between experimental, crossover classical and ambient music. ‘Parallel’ is the ambient companion to the acclaimed title track ‘Fleeting Future’, featuring a stripped back chord progression constructed with less order and written render. ‘Tangent’ is a pointillist piece that stemmed from a session with friend and collaborator Daniel Brandt. Cyclical guitars loop ebb and flow reminiscent of Manuel Göttsching. Akusmi is the project moniker of French-born, London based composer, multi- instrumentalist and producer Pascal Bideau Akusmi — ‘Lines’ is released on Tonal Union on October 6th

Tracks

A1. Secant
A2. Oblique (LP exclusive version)
B1. Parallel
B2. Tangent
B3. Longing For Tomorrow (Brandt Brauer Frick Remix) ? (vinyl exclusive)

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HANNAH LEW - 'S/T'

Formats

• LSSN104 - LP

  5061041821394

Details

“One foot out the door, another in the otherworld...” So begins Hannah Lew’s debut, self-titled solo record, soaked in imperious, wide-eyed pop songwriting and a girl-group/post punk aesthetic that belies the artist’s history in the U.S. underground. A towering, hook-laden album, it’s infused with an optimism and surrealism that conversely deals with the times we find ourselves in. Recorded at home in Richmond, CA and in The Best House studio with Maryam Qudus in Oakland CA, with the assistance of a crack team of West Coast musicians, this album sees Hannah Lew stepping out from behind the legacy of her two groups Grass Widow and Cold Beat. While musically bearing similarities with her previous work, “Hannah Lew” is a bold leap into direct pop territory, making ample use of a vocal style that teases out the inherent melancholy in her melodies. Mastered by Sarah Register, each song is a perfectly honed nugget that frequently pulls the heart in two directions at once. Themes of change, breaking up, shattering old ways of being are shot through the record. For the front cover, a photograph of the artist’s face was printed, ripped up and re-assembled, resembling the creative process embarked upon by Lew for her first “solo” material. The album feels instinctual, almost dream-like in its assemblage of sweeping synths and pulsating, propulsive drum machine beat patterns with Lew’s vocal performances sensitive and caressing over the top. Increasingly relying on the subconscious and dreams to guide her creative process, Hannah Lew frequently abandons literal interpretations or linear narratives, the songs seeming to exist in a swooning, effortless flow-state while remaining emotionally hard hitting. On an album where every song could be a single, there are kaleidoscopic shades and varying emotional tones in abundance. First single Another Twilight is carried along a pumping, Italo-disco-style 4/4 beat and mono-synth bass line, the low end pulling at the heart and body. Lew’s vocal melody teases the track before swan-diving into a gorgeous chorus as she sings “it’s all over baby and I don’t mind... in decline, I take my time...” The album is suffused with moments like this. On slow builder Damaged Melody, an arpeggiated synth elongates the verse before a cascading synth showers down melodic glitter. The stunning Replica uses dual swirling synth patterns before a driving, synthpop chorus for the ages carries Hannah Lew’s vocal into the stereo field, sailing in on a high register singed with the embers of a break up. In a departure from previous groups, her solo songs are guided by dreams and free association inspired by Dada and the Surrealist movement and sculpted afterwards. As such, the songs reveal themselves on repeated listens, revealing traces of heartbreak inspired by both personal and global elements - Hannah Lew regards the album “a wartime album.” On Move In Silence, Lew intones “there’s a war outside, just out of view,” revealing the dichotomy at play throughout. With the songs evolving naturally and in a flow state, the pressures and sadnesses of the modern age bleed through, mixed in with Lew’s inherent love, sensitivity and fractured-but-intact optimism. On the swooning, sublime Sunday layers of Numanoid synths open up for the commanding vocal performance pontificating on grief, love, pain as she “feels the ache on Sunday...” As the chorus builds and Lew’s call-and-response vocal adds to the emotional tension, it almost feels like too much to take. Elsewhere, there are echoes of Hannah Lew’s previous work. On Time Wasted a bass guitar comes in with a heavy, punk attack before the synths and vocal harmonies reminiscent of later Cold Beat elevate everything. The glassy, sweetly resigned closer The Clock sounds like so classic it could be cover, a sweetened Jesus & Mary Chain tune perhaps, before it erupts into volcanic chorus that could only come from Hannah Lew in 2026.

Tracks

1. Time Wasted 2. Sunday 3. Another Twilight 4. Siloed 5. Replica 6. Damaged Melody 7. Move In Silence 8. Distance Of The Moon 9. The Clock

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TOMO KATSURADA & MISHA PANFILOV - 'ETERNAL ALMOST'

Formats

• FDR01 - LP (COLOURED)

  N/A

Details

“Eternal Almost” is a collaborative album by Japanese musician Tomo Katsurada and Estonian composer Misha Panfilov. Born from the simple joy of songwriting and creative exchange, Tomo and Misha had long admired each other’s music from afar. When the opportunity to collaborate finally arrived, it felt completely natural, and by the time the album was finished, it almost seemed as though the two had known each other always. United by a shared sense of humour and musical curiosity, Tomo and Misha poured a raw, honest energy into these songs — one shaped by their intuitive rapport. In an increasingly artificial world, “Eternal Almost” subtly celebrates the qualities that make music feel most alive. Amid the weight of our current times, the pair hope this album brings listeners a sense of lightness, joy, and of course—a gently surreal journey from beginning to end. The full album will be released on April 1, 2026, as a co-release between Funk Night (Detroit, US) and Future Days Radio (Amsterdam, NL). .

Tracks

1. Mostra 2. Boundless 3. Cymbal Symbol 4. Private Party 5. Yoyo 6. Mokuba 7. Fantastic World 8. Mosaic Memory 9. Hundreds Spirits 10. Slice Of Time

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TOMO KATSURADA - 'DREAM OF THE EGG'

Formats

• FDR02 - 10"

  N/A

Details

"Dream of the Egg" is the debut solo album by Tomo Katsurada, known for his work with the Japanese psychedelic band Kikagaku Moyo. This project is a unique fusion of music and visual art, inspired by the Japanese 1920s children's book “Yume No Tamago (Dream of the Egg)”. It reveals a deeply personal journey, reflecting Tomo's dreams and the numerous rebirths experienced in 2024—a year marked by profound new beginnings in every facet of his life. This mini album was driven by a passion for raw and immediate expression. Every song was crafted and recorded with only the materials available to him at the time, embracing an organic and handmade atmosphere. By eschewing rhythm clicks and standard instrumental tunings, a spontaneous sound emerged, capturing the essence of both uncertainty and immediacy. Adding to this distinctive sonic landscape, guest musician Jonny Nash (UK) contributed ethereal guitar sounds on the first and final tracks, enriching the record's dream-like quality.

Tracks

1. Moshimo 2. Zen Bungalow 3. Interlude 4. Inner Garden 5. Dream Of The Egg

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STEPMOTHER - 'ABSURDUS MANIFESTUS'

Formats

• LEG046X - LP (COLOURED)

  5061041822179

• LEG046 - LP

  5061041822162

Details

**ON RECYCLED COLOUR VINYL**Spearheaded by legendary underground guitarist Graham Clise, the trio return with a sharper blade and heavier boot following their 2023 debut, ‘Planet Brutalicon’… channelling raw rock’n’roll urgency into feral anthems for society’s poor, depraved, and proudly miscreant, ‘Absurdus Manifestus’ heralds the long overdue return of legendary Oz-outliers, Stepmother. Fusing high velocity Motor City proto punk with fuzz, feedback and electric psych, the band draw once more upon the spirit of Blue Cheer, The Pink Fairies, Nervous Eaters, The Damned, to wield hardened punk and nefarious nihilism, to confront the absurdity, violence, and dark comedy of modern existence. The first single from their latest call to arms is ‘New World’. Capturing the band at their most relentless and confrontational as Clise points out: “If this disappointing, hazardous sci-fi reality we live in wasn’t enough of a bludgeoning, here’s yet another boot up the arse with our take on a psych-punk dystopian anthem…” Additional tracks will further showcase the band’s unhinged range. ‘Slice Of Life’ blurs the fine line between total focus and all-out chaos, an unpolished stomper equally suited to shaking your ass or kicking holes in the wall, depending on your preference. Whereas ‘What’s New?’ is a pub-rock rager packed with unrelenting rudeness and rapid-fire, razor-slashing riffs, delivering hyperactive proto-punk that laughs at the absurdity and pointlessness everything. In support of the album, Stepmother also tour Europe throughout June and while there’s no doubt that the band will carve a mark in the annals of rock history with new LP, the big question is, will you be joining them along for the ride?

Tracks

01 Vacant State 02 New World 03 Gimmie Mine 04 Beast And Man 05 Dead Meat 06 What's New 07 Slice Of Life 08 End Of The Line 09 Don't Be Long 10 Sick Thoughts 11 Space Invader 12 Nothin' 13 Journey To The Center Of The Mind

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