Darkest Era - Wither On The Vine - VINYL LP

Featuring world premiere recordings of trios by Sally Beamish and Hugh Wood bookended by seldom heard works by Moeran and Finzi, The King's Alchemist showcases the sheer wealth of string trio repertoire by British composers. Although diverse in style and substance, the four works are bound together by the common strands of vivid storytelling and a shared musical language. Finzi's Prelude and Fugue - the composer's only piece of chamber music for strings alone - was composed in 1938 and conceived as a tribute to the renowned teacher R.O. Morris, with whom Finzi studied 16th century counterpoint. It is recorded here by the Eblana String Trio for only the second time, following it's premiere LP recording in 1983. Ithaka by Hugh Wood is described by the composer himself as a 'sort of mini-symphonic poem'. This one-movement work takes it's inspiration from Cavafy's meditation on Ulysses' homeward voyage, and vibrantly depicts the adventures, discoveries, and dangers encountered along the way. Sally Beamish's The King's Alchemist is similarly programmatic music, reflecting aspects of the extraordinary story of John Damian, a European alchemist who resided at the court of King James IV in the early 16th century. The album concludes with Moeran's String Trio, written in 1931 and deservedly counted amongst his finest works. Since it's formation in 2006, the Eblana String Trio has given countless performances throughout the UK and beyond, winning praise from audiences and critics alike for their powerful interpretations of this often-neglected repertoire.

Wolfram makes his triumphant return to DFA with Amadeus, a newly refined take on the Euro-disco pop he's become known for over the past several years. Released by Public Possession overseas, the record takes the spirit of his 2011 debut full-length and focuses it more specifically towards the dance floor, helped as always by a variety of collaborators Peaches, Haddaway, Egyptian Lover, Yung Hurn, and more. A singular producer and entertainer, but coexisting in many worlds, Wolfram embeds a good sense of humor throughout his music. From the artists he works with, to his distinctively gleaming melodies, as well as his DJ sets at the likes of Robert Johnson, Wilden Renate, and Griessmuehle, Wolfram is a presence like no other. On Amadeus, Wolfram zeroes in on the most earworm-y aspects of his past work, concentrating it down until we're left with succinct, dopamine-inducing bangers. Tracks like InchGraffiti in TehranInch and InchReinInch recall the hi-octane crunch of artists like Daft Punk, while InchAutomaticInch and InchMy Love Is For RealInch both make use of soaring disco piano, taking the listener on a dance floor odyssey. The world he creates is one of high-gloss and high spirits - low brow, high concept with an Italo tinge, creating a unique brand of anthemic futuristic disco. This album begs one to come along for an irresistible ride in a beat-up vintage Ferrari, faux fur-lined bucket seats not included.

A bastard child born of the mid 90s punk/metal/hardcore movement, Washington, DC's DARKEST HOUR combine the passion, energy, and soul of punk/hardcore with the style, speed, vengeance and fury of melodic speed/thrash/death metal. DARKEST HOUR have helped defined the entire New Wave of American Metal sound as one of the pioneers of modern metal/core. A sound that gave the metal and hardcore/punk world the revitalization it surely needed. This style blended the raw, hardcore punk of the 80s, with the Scandinavian death metal of the 90s and forged a sound that would later become the template for modern metal. Since their inception 21 years ago, Darkest Hour has released 9 studio full lengths (via 11 different record labels), appeared in major motion pictures and US television shows, video games, and have toured the world extensively.