A stunning vocalist with incredible songwriting skills, Hannah Frances has announced the release of a new album. Entitled Keeper of The Shepherd, it will see the light of day on March 1st through Ruination Record Co.. “At times raucous and toiling, and at times hypnotizing in its softness”, as the press release describes, the upcoming record “is a careful excavation through the ruins of Frances’ past as she carves out what’s been lost and buried, praising the possibility of a life more whole”.
Frances is offering a marvelous glimpse into her new album with the first single, ‘Bronwyn’. Upon first listen, we became instantly captivated by the poignant and powerful beauty of this song. ‘Bronwyn’ comes with an accompanying video directed by Quinn Gundersen and you can watch it below.
Here we are in 2023, unearthing some 2024 releases that shouldn’t be overlooked like the upcoming second album from Sedibus, the collaborative project of Alex Paterson and Andy Falconer of The Orb. Entitled SETI, Sedibus’s new album will see the light of day on February 23rd through Orbscure Recordings. Speaking about the new album and their collaboration, Paterson comments:
“The first LP had a great reception and sold so well I couldn’t even get a copy myself. Andy is brilliant at making ambient music, and working with him is always rewarding. We understand each other’s brains – it’s easy and organic – so doing another made total sense.
SETI stands for Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence, but it’s also something you sit on, to chill out, which is why the album contains a Three-Piece Suite. This record is musical ambience, which is what we like to make, rather than drone ambience, which there’s a lot of these days.”
Falconer also had this to add:
“The first album ‘The Heavens’ was very much a reflection of our shared roots, and in many ways saw Alex and I simply picking up where we’d left off 30 years ago with Ultraworld. For ‘SETI’, we still wanted to keep a connection to the sound of The Heavens, but to also crack open that musical mould and explore new ground. Part of that aspect was to further expand the use of acoustic instruments in both recognisable and processed form.
We’ve always been very much on the same page creatively and one of the great things with working with Alex is that nothing is out of bounds, and we’ve just continued to build on that solid relationship of trust and shared curiosity.”
Sedibus had previously shared the beautiful and creamy lead single ‘Purgatory’ along with an accompanying video directed by Fast Mouse. Here it is.
Don Melody Club is the solo project of Amsterdam-based Donald ‘Donny’ Madjid, also known as a member of The Mauskovic Dance Band. The project first came to life in 2021 with his debut album, Pure Donzin, followed last year with his 7” single Zontimenteel / Maandag Motto. Madjid has a new release on the way in the shape of a 5-track EP titled Zonder Pardon. On the upcoming EP, and as the press release describes, “the listener is catapulted into a seductive underwater jungle of uptempo drum machine rhythms, pulsating bass lines and funky melodies.”
In tandem with the EP announcement, Madjid is previewing his first taster of the EP with ‘Tederheid’, a playful and sensual delight depicting “a celebration of the beauty and power of mutual affection”. Take a listen below and watch out for the EP release on January 19th through Bongo Joe Records.
Merengue Típico : Nueva Generación ! is the new compilation set for release on February 9th by Bongo Joe Records, exploring Dominican merengue produced from the late ‘60s to early ‘70s. The compilation features gems from pioneering female icons and revolutionary musical virtuosos, all sourced by Belgian vinyl connoisseur and compiler Xavier Daive AKA Funky Bompa. “This collection showcases blazing technical finesse and the non-stop, high-speed danceable rhythms that still mark the style today”, as the press release describes. “But although the music flies by at a pace that barely leaves time to catch one’s breath, it is also supremely catchy.”
We can already hear a taste from Merengue Típico : Nueva Generación ! with the first peppy single ‘Caña Brava’ by Fefita La Grande, an iconic and prolific accordionist and singer who began performing at the age of 9. Originally composed in the late 1920s as an ad commisions for a rum distillery, ‘Caña Brava’ is a staple merengue song and you can listen to it below.
After enticing us with the stunning and enveloping ‘Lunar Barge’, Canadian bowed guitarist and multi-instrumentalist C. Diab has shared a new single titled ‘Quatsino Sound’. The track is lifted from his upcoming album, Imerro, which arrives on February 16th through Tonal Union. ‘Quatsino Sound’ takes its name from an inlet on Northern Vancouver Island where Diab grew up and you can listen to it below.
Merengue Típico : Nueva Generación ! is the new compilation set for release on February 9th by 
