Grails - Chalice Hymnal - VINYL LP

MRCY are producer Barney Lister and vocalist Kojo Degraft-Johnson.Hailing from different ends of England and disparate cultures, theirsis a space of soulful self-expression that combines the timelessmusical warmth and social consciousness of Marvin Gaye with thegenre-melding, modern sensibility of Anderson.Paak and SAULT.InchIt's like hearing a distant memory,Inch Barney says. InchBut one thatspeaks to where you are now.InchMRCY first connected over Instagram in the pandemic beforemeeting up IRL in Brixton, where they immediately found commonground in their time spent hustling behind the scenes. Hailing fromHuddersfield's thriving soundsystem culture, Barney has establishedhimself as one of the UK's most in-demand producers, withcollaborations ranging from Ivor-Award-winning work withObongjayar to Mercury-nominated records with Joy Crookes andOlivia Dean. South London-raised Kojo, meanwhile, earned hisstripes in church as well as singing with equally-illustrioushomegrown artists like Cleo Sol and Little Simz. MRCY's musicreverberates with individual perspectives, but also reminds howthose common experiences of graft, grit and abandon have alwaysbeen able to bring crowds - or a new band - together through toughtimes.Debut single 'Lorelei' exemplifies MRCY's method of viewing Soulthrough the contemporary looking glass. Their upcoming project,VOLUME 1, artfully combines musical weight, commanding vocalsand otherworldly touches to produce songs that feel as personal asthey are deeply universal. For Barney and Kojo, the band is as muchabout putting yourself first as it is the spirit of compassion, empathyand m(e)rcy that has never felt more needed. Soul, says Barney, isInchgood people making music that matters.Inch And from the very firstline of standout single 'R.L.M.' - InchLondon rain on the window / I don'tcare where we're gonna go / I'm good with youInch - MRCY offer

Long considered a Holy Grail of Latin vinyl, 'The Booga Mambo Beat' (1967) by Steve Hernandez y Su Orquesta Latinoamericana returns.This LP has puzzled collectors for decades who *was* Steve Hernandez, the shadowy figure behind this powerful orchestra including top Puerto Rican and New York musicians?Arranged by Ray Santos and featuring vocalist Vitin Aviles, the album delivers a unique mix of mambo, boogaloo, descarga, proto-salsa, and 1950s big-band swing. A rare bridge between the Palladium sound and the emerging salsa era. Originally self-released and barely promoted, the record became a cult favorite among DJs and collectors.Sourced directly from the original master tapes, discovered in outstanding condition, this edition is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and includes extensive liner notes by Pablo E. Yglesias (DJ Bongohead) and a digital download code.Tracklisting A1. Steve's Boogaloo (5 04)A2. Me Gustan Todas (3 00)A3. Mi Propia Condena (2 35)A4. Chocolate (2 53)A5. Booga Mambo (2 14)B1. Boogalypso (3 00)B2. No Te Vayas (2 15)B3. Guaguanco Pa' Borinquen (2 55)B4. Steve's Impact (5 27)B5. Fuerte Como Un Roble (1 44)B6. Se Que Eres Suave (2 24)

Anches en Maat is the first new album from Grails in over a half-decade - following the masterful Chalice Hymnal in 2017 - and their first album recorded with all members in the studio together since Doomsdayer's Holiday in 2008. With every Grails album released since Doomsdayer's Holiday being a sprawling double-album endeavor, Anches en Maat was conceived as a return to the comparatively efficient single LP runtime. With that, Grails set out to craft the same sonically dense world that their longer albums showcased, while trading singular indulgences for live collaborative interplay. The core group of founding members Alex Hall and Emil Amos (Om, Holy Sons) joined Jesse Bates, Ilyas Ahmed, and AE Paterra (Zombi, Majeure) in Atlanta, GA to record Anches en Maat together - a novel event for a band who had become so accustomed to recording separately and then laboring in post-production for months or even years on end. An improbable blend of melted 1980s softcore and daytime soap opera soundtracks, cosmic minimalism, aching Westerns, melancholy electronic pulses, and massive soul-disco strings, Anches en Maat is one of Grails' most ambitious albums of their 20+ year career. Album Tracks 1. Sad & Illegal 2. Viktor's Night Map 3. Sisters of Bilitis 4. Pool of Gems 5. Evening Song 6. Black Rain 7. Anches en Maat