It’s amazing how the floodgates open when you shut out all the internal and external noise, stop pandering to stereotype, cease listening to your anxieties, and disregard the compartment society has built for you. I’m Not Your Man, the Charlie Andrew (Alt-J, Rae Morris)-produced second album from Marika Hackman, begins with an impromptu hearty laugh. It’s not the sound of silliness; it’s the sound of liberation, spontaneity, and joy. 24-year-old Hackman is feeling more herself than ever. Life isn’t necessarily funnier or happier, but when there’s cause for a joke or a big ballsy statement, she’s not holding back any more.
The album took almost 18 months to complete, during which time Hackman switched to a new manager and a new label, transitions that yielded new avenues for exploration, a lot of time, and a lot of distance – mainly, she insists, from self-imposed boundaries. “I used to be very self-conscious,” explains Hackman. “If something sounded a bit too pop or like I’d heard it before I’d mold it into something different. This time around I thought, ‘fuck it, I’ll just let it flow.’”
The results of this semi-anarchic approach are evident in the grungier, catchier sonics of I’m Not Your Man, and the lyrics, which reveal an unhinged and shamelessly free Hackman. There’s an open-ended nature to the lyrics, which delve into femininity, sex and sexual identity, millennial ennui, the pressures of living in a social media bubble, and the perils of being young in a fast-paced industry. “The record’s all about female relationships, romance and breakdowns, but there’s also a dim worldview going on. ‘I’m Not Your Man’ can either mean ‘I’m not your man, I’m your woman,’ or it can mean ‘I’m not a part of this.’”
Hackman cranked up the knobs in the studio, turning away from the quieter sounds of her past to realize her teenage fantasy of fronting a raucous band. “I wanted to let rip and lose control. When I was younger I wasn’t looking at Joni Mitchell. I was looking at Nirvana thinking, ‘I wanna be like that!’” To channel this feral female energy, Hackman recruited London quartet The Big Moon as her backing band. The results are a dynamic, multi-genre album tied together by razor-sharp wit. The sounds span from Cate Le Bon weirdness to Warpaint dirge jams to straight-up Britpop choruses. “People were saying it was a mash-up between Radiohead, Blondie and The Cure,” laughs Hackman, self-mockingly. “I can’t wait to see the reaction,” she says. “That’s the thrill of reinventing yourself. I might piss off a lot of die-hard folky fans but this is still my brain, it’s still my world, and I’m gonna create it how I want.”

Bear's Den are a British folk rock band from London, formed in 2012. The band consists of Andrew Davie and Kevin Jones. Joey Haynes left the band in early 2016.

The iconic Penguin Cafe join the Erased Tapes family and open a brand new chapter to their unique world with new album The Imperfect Sea – out May 5th 2017.
A penguin stands in the middle of a scorching desert, far away from its natural habitat. This mirrors composer Arthur Jeffes’ journey and exploration into a new musical territory. Penguin Cafe have evolved into something of their own at the hands of Arthur who started the band in 2009 with the continuation and homage to his father’s legacy, to the late Simon Jeffes’ Penguin Cafe Orchestra. Now, their upcoming album The Imperfect Sea echoes reminiscent sounds that embrace the new.
The album title refers to a saying by his father that “we wade in a sea of imperfections…”, reflecting upon the idea that beauty can be found amongst the chaos. “If there is a narrative to the album it’s coming to the acceptance of the imperfections in all aspects of life; moreover, the recognition that these imperfections and tiny randomnesses are in fact what make up the best parts”, Arthur explains.
This has also been highlighted by the striking cover artwork designed by FELD under the art direction of label founder Robert Raths, resembling a lone figure adapting to and accepting its surrounding environment.
Predominantly self-composed, the new album also features covers of electronic works by Simian Mobile Disco and Kraftwerk, along with a re-working of Simon’s Now Nothing. Arthur has developed from the traditional folk and jazz heritage Penguin Cafe Orchestra is known for into another realm of blissful ambience and dance music, recreated using strictly acoustic elements.
“For this album I wanted to effect a departure from where we’d been up to now. The idea was to create a musical world that would feel familiar to an audience more used to dance records but stay true to our own values. So we replaced electronic layers with real instruments: pads with real string sections, synths with heavily-effected pianos, and atmospheric analogue drones with real feedback loops ringing through a stone and a piano soundboard.”

Frontman Joe Newman describes his band’s third album as “a great landscape eliciting different emotional reactions”. It’s fabulously treacherous terrain, dotted with unpredictable twists, turns and rabbit holes. Even the most immediate track—“Deadcrush”, simmering space-funk inspired by deceased objects of desire—is dazzlingly rich in ideas. The band’s ambition reaches towering peaks on “Pleader”, which samples Ely Cathedral’s choir and its heating system while snaking through gentle folk, dystopian discord and symphonic majesty. A remarkable balance of invention and accessibility, Relaxer places alt-J in a lineage of great British rock innovators that stretches from Pink Floyd to Radiohead.

团名源于主唱名字JAM，以及印第安部落名称IROQUAI所合成新字的Jamiroquai，1993年甫进入歌坛，即以充满清新跃动旋律的处女作“EMERGENCY ON PLANET EARTH”专辑，令人目瞪口呆地在进榜第一周内即登上全英榜首位置。自此之后，这支年纪轻轻却拥抱复古曲风；虽为白人，创作和唱腔却酷似黑人的乐团，就以他们不同于其它同侪团体的R&B、Funk、加ACID JAZZ曲风，叱咤欧美甚至亚洲乐坛。第二张专辑“RETURN OF THE SPACE COWBOY”更确立了他们席卷全球的巨星实力，专辑不但在英国荣获白金唱片销售纪录，在日本亦造成销售狂潮。本张Jamiroquai的最新专辑“TRAVELLING WITHOUT MOVING”仍以主唱JAM为创作及表演中枢，虽然他舞跳得不怎么样，不过从他笔下流泻出来的旋律，却让人一听就忍不住地随之手舞足蹈。由JAM自己担纲制作的这张专辑里，显现出他更锋锐的创作触角，从活泼畅快的迪斯科式歌曲「VIRTUAL INSANITY」，到动人心弦的抒情作品「SPEND A LIFETIME」，处处展现Jamiroquai成熟驾驭诱人音乐元素的超凡功力。

比起主流的「英国流行乐团」，Jamiroquai标榜的是更纯正的英国放克乐风，因此，在不愿迎合以大肆宣传为导向的英国流行音乐市场的前提下，他们的唱片销售成绩可想而知并不算是顶尖的。 Jamiroquai 成军于1992年。他们的经典专辑“When You Gonna Learn?”，当时由伦敦一家独立厂牌“Acid Jazz”发行，立刻在地下音乐界引起广大的回响。当时在酒吧撑场面的乐手，所做出的作品可说俗滥不堪，且普遍自以为是行家，其实毫无思想；Jamiroquai 的出现，改革了当时三流酒吧乐团所造成的不良风气。不仅仅是那些混酒吧的人喜欢他们，一向热爱灵魂乐、放克音乐、狄斯可舞曲以及一般识才的乐迷都一致认同Jamiroquai的音乐成就。在一场唱片公司的争夺战后，Jamiroquai 最后选择和新力音乐旗下的S2唱片签下一只由其代为发行八张专辑的合同。他们的才华、独特的乐风及群众魅力皆受到肯定，这些条件也奠定了他们歌唱事业恒久不断的基础。 主唱Jay Kay性喜高谈阔论，有时也因他直率的个性而成为争议性人物。当首张专辑 "Emergency On Planet Earth"(地球警讯）一发行，立刻引起媒体的争相报导，并于1993 年 6月荣登全英专辑榜冠军宝座，也使得Jamiroquai成为该年度英国首张专辑销售成绩最佳的团体。

在'97年红透半边天之前，Jamiroquai就已是家乡英国当地最受欢迎的乐团之一。1993年的"Emergency On Planet Earth"专辑单单在英国就卖出五十万张，更以迅雷不及掩耳之势登上全英冠军王座，其销售成绩更勇踞全年所有新进艺人首张专辑销售纪录之冠。他们的第二张专辑“Return Of The Space Cowboy”（太空牛仔回城），再次证明了其充满灵性热情的音乐早已超越语言及文化的藩蓠，在欧洲其它国家及日本也同样广受欢迎，不仅延续了首张专辑的狂热销售量，在日本及欧洲其它地区造成一片流行风潮。这张专辑在英国本土并获颁白金唱片销售成绩证明。而在Jamiroquai 发行的第三张专辑”Travelling Without Moving”（心驰神往）里，显而易见的是主唱 Jay Kay延续以往的洋溢才华，及 Jamiroquai 对其音乐完整性的坚持与从不妥协的态度，这些因素促使他们一如预期擢升为全球音乐的新势力。席卷全球的热潮自是不在话下，叫好又叫座的佳绩让Jamiroquai俨然成为新生代最酷的灵魂舞曲代言人！

Jamiroquai的音乐取自许多不同世代人们的思想、多样的生活型态及音乐偏好，这种受到多方面影响所融合而成的折衷式乐风，也成为这个团体的特色。有些对非主流音乐市场乐风改变敏感度较高的人，根本漠视当时所谓主流的音乐趋势，而独钟情于Jamiroquai 独特的唱腔。那时居排行榜十名内的单曲，例如 「Too Young To Die」、「Blow Your Mind」以及「Return Of The Space Cowboy」等等，一直到现在，人们依然爱不释手，回响热烈。Jamiroquai 也是极少数被视为现场演出质量保证的团体之一，出身于酒吧／舞厅的现场表演场合的他们，摒弃在当时那个竞争激烈的环境中常期惯用的播放录音带或是音乐录像带的草率方式，而改以现玚演出的方式来带动气氛；这是他们的中心哲学，也是他们最终的企盼－马不停蹄的全世界巡回演出也为他们募集了不少热情的歌迷。

1997年以一首在移动地板上边唱边跳的「Virtual Insanity 」一举囊括MTV音乐录像带大奖９项重要奖项提名，最后更获「年度最佳音乐录像带」最大奖项的Jamiroquai，在歌坛五年的历练后，终于在该年度获得各界的高度肯定，不但唱片销售直破七白金纪录，更在1998年象征流行乐界最高荣誉的葛莱美奖上，以英国外来乐团之姿一举拿下「最佳流行乐团」大奖。Jamiroquai 突破了种族固有制式化成见，以白人乐团的身份创作出圆熟融合 放克、Acid Jazz、灵魂、节奏蓝调….等多样原本被视做黑色艺人所擅长的各式音乐元素，而主唱及创作中枢Jay充满浓郁灵魂味道的高音唱腔，更为Jamiroquai的音乐添入迥异于其它白人同侪团体的律动线。此外，乐团自出道以来即不断强调环保观念的歌词，也证明他们是新一代中少见的良心团体。Jamiroquai对自己风格的坚持，正反映出Jay对于音乐创作理念所怀持的极高热忱，和一向的诚实态度。 Jamiroquai的音乐成绩大家有目共睹，他们成熟驾驭诱人音乐元素的超凡功力，也的确是不同凡响!

20世纪末摇滚乐传世预言
★1998葛莱美最佳另类音乐专辑、Pitchfork九零年代百大专辑第一名。
★探讨人类集体内在世界，将「另类音乐」艺术化的指标专辑。
「摇滚乐在《OK Computer》里完结与重生，20年后，它仍像一则魔幻的预言。」――陈德政
《OK Computer》在1997年发行后，引起全球一片轰动，一举夺下1998葛莱美最佳另类音乐专辑，Pitchfork九零年代百大专辑更列为第一名。这张专辑将当年的「另类音乐」推向更艺术化的层次，谱写出20世纪人类集体的内在世界，如消费主义、社会疏离感，虽然乐团本身只是想再任性地制作一张新专辑，甚至完全没有想到这是否是一张「概念专辑」。
这张专辑产出了〈Paranoid Android〉、〈Karma Police〉、〈No Surprises〉等传世名曲，然而这些歌曲不是长度太长、就是气氛过于晦暗，唱片公司完全不认为具有商业潜力，结果这些歌曲不但成功打入排行榜，每一支在电视台强力放送的MV，也成为音乐与影像结合的经典范本。
二十周年纪念版除了原专辑的12首歌曲重新后制，还包括8首B-side歌曲、3首未发表歌曲。《OK Computer》不只是代表一个「另类音乐」世代，整张专辑唱出了整个世纪人们的心声，即使2017年的今天，人类还是同样地孤寂。
Featuring Remastered OK COMPUTER, B-Sides and Three Never Before Released Tracks: “I Promise,” “Lift,” “Man Of War” Rescued from defunc t formats, prized from dark cupboards and brought to light after two decades in cold storage… OKNOTOK will be issued June 23 on XL Recordings, coinciding (roughly) with the original 1997 release date(s) of Radiohead’s landmark third album OK COMPUTER. OKNOTOK features the original OK COMPUTER twelve track album, eight B-sides, and the Radiohead completist’s dream: “I Promise,” “Lift,” and “Man Of War.” The original studio recordings of these three previously unreleased and long sought after OK COMPUTER era tracks finally receive their first official issue on OKNOTOK. All material on OKNOTOK is newly remastered from the original analogue tapes. Digital formats, double CD, and triple 180g LP versions of the 23 track album will be released widely on June 23rd. OK COMPUTER was originally released on various dates ranging from May to July 1997. Produced by the band and Nigel Godrich, the album is widely cited as one of the greatest works of Radiohead’s--or any artist’s--catalogue and was the first Radiohead record to reach #1 in the UK and to be be nominated for the Album of the Year GRAMMY. The album features singles “Paranoid Android,” “Karma Police,” “Lucky” and “No Surprises.” In 2015, The National Recording Registry selected OK COMPUTER to be preserved in the Library of Congress as a recording that has proven “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

The project started simply because we were on tour with the band, had just finished FYF fest in LA, and had a week before picking up the rest of the tour in phoenix. on the way we stopped for a week near Joshua Tree National Park. the idea was to go somewhere fairly remote and setup to rehearse. it was peak summer, so we setup outside and would be playing throughout the day and night. (see super 8 footage). Whilst we were out playing and exploring the area around us - the sound reflecting from the rocks, the sound of the wind between them, complete stillness at night and packs of roaming coyotes in the distance, It became apparent that we could use this as its own unique recording environment.
Anna in our crew creates the projections for our live show, but is predominantly a film maker. We made a few calls to friends in LA and borrowed some film/sound gear and recorded some of the new music that came out of the rehearsals.
Through the process of making this record, we decided to start a series of musical & video explorations in interesting locations, where the music is a function of its surroundings. This first experiment only marks the beginning in this idea, and am currently seeking new interesting acoustic environments to explore. - Sam Shepherd (Floating Points)

Back from the Edge is the second studio album by British singer and songwriter James Arthur. It was released on 28 October 2016 by Columbia Records. The album includes the single "Say You Won't Let Go".

Every Valley is an upcoming studio album by British art rock band Public Service Broadcasting. The group's third original album, it is a concept album which focuses on a topic of modern history, much like the band's previous work. The album's story depicts the history of the mining industry in Wales, more specifically chronicling the rise and decline of the country's coal industry. The band's lead songwriter, J Willgoose, Esq., described the album's premise as an allegory for today's 'abandoned and neglected communities across the western world", which have led to a "malignant, cynical and calculating brand of politics."
Every Valley was recorded in situ in the former steelworks town of Ebbw Vale, in southern Wales. The band made use of a defunct hall formerly used as a convention space by the town's local workers' institute for the album's recording. It also features guest appearances by Celtic musicians James Dean Bradfield, Lisa Jen Brown and Tracyanne Campbell, and English band Haiku Salut. The album is due for release by PIAS Recordings on 7 July 2017.

Paul Elam returns to Home Assembly with a suite of immersive, pulsating, electronic reductions. Shifting arpeggios and minimal beats generate the forward motion, whilst the captivating violin playing of Elaine Reynolds helps to provide the narrative thrust.
‘We’ve All Been Swimming’ marks something of a shift for Fieldhead. Previous releases have seen Elam take a detached view from the hillsides of West Yorkshire and Western Canada, but with his latest full length release the subject matter is closer and more immediate.
Tensely wound synths lead throughout the album, shifting from the breathless momentum of the openingtrack through to pulses reminiscent of Colin Stetson on ‘Ton’. The unique violin playing of Elaine Reynolds glides sparingly across the record, tempering the constantly shifting arpeggios and accentuating the human elements within the record’s machine-like core. The haze found on previous releases still hangs, but now it’s the haze of a crowded street or the last train home.
‘We’ve All Been Swimming’ is a concise and inspired attempt to reduce electronica down to the things that matter, with a narrative and sense of longing pervading the album reminiscent of Clark or Boards of Canada. It’s the sort of work to be devoured in one sitting - that rarest of modern day beasts - where the tracks flow effortlessly into one another and finish leaving you wanting more.

Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri
Artwork by Dennis Huddleston