30 Apr 2024

Gnod announce the release of new album 'Spot Land'

Always an exciting time when we get to announce a new Gnod album to the world, so we are really happy to reveal that 'Spot Land' will be released on 31 May. 

Listen to a special taster of the albums tracks above.

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'Spot Land' is a 'Bandcamp Exclusive' release, available on Purple vinyl and comes with an insert. It can only be preordered via this link below from 8am (GMT) this Friday 3rd as part of the latest Bandcamp Friday:

Bandcamp

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See Gnod live:

27 August / Bristol / The Exchange
28 August / Utrecht / DB's
29 August / Nijmegen / Doornroosje
30 August / Rillaar / Down The Hill
31 August / London / Bush Hall
01 September / Todmorden / The Golden Lion

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GNOD, the ever-transient psychedelic musical unit from northern England with over 15 years and dozens of releases under their belt, return in 2024 with a recalibrated sound and a new sense of freedom. Spot Land’s five songs are tender and detailed, unfolding slowly with wistful guitar textures, brushed drums and interjections of lap steel, piano and kalimba.

As founder member Paddy Shine says, the results sound like old GNOD and new GNOD at the same time. On the face of it, Spot Land is a big step away from the intense, loud, sludgy offerings found on the group’s more recent studio albums, such as 2022’s Hexen Valley – nevertheless, these too are heady fogs to lose yourself in, with on-record personnel starting at different points and meeting on the same wavelength. Its exploratory sense might make seasoned GNOD heads think of 2014 triple LP Infinity Machines, or really early oddities like The Somnambulist’s Tale from 2008, but you can also jump in right here if needs be because Spot Land has its own unique vibe too.

The album was recorded in a Rochdale mill over four days in August 2023, with Paddy handling all the production and mixing – the first time he’s been fully in the hot seat for any GNOD release. He’s also the only member to feature on each of the five tracks, with others coming and going in suitably informal manner. Everyone – Paddy, fellow GNOD founder Chris Haslam, Alex Macarte, Raikes Parade and Al Wilson – plays at least two instruments over these 40 minutes. There are no vocal credits among them, but Spot Land is embellished beautifully by sampled voices, notably on the album’s opening and closing pieces. Benedictine monks intone hymnally on ‘Peace At Home’, gliding over the top of jazzy, graceful desert music, while during quarter-hour ambient rock frazzler ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ we hear – yes – Christian pilgrims chanting in a church in Azores.

These songs are unquestionably the product of jamming, improvisation and an open mind, with little of any of what you hear having much in the way of a preconceived structure, but don’t imagine this to be self-indulgent or bloated, thanks especially to Paddy’s judicious editing process. ‘Luz Natural’ is a beatific beatless wonder crafted from synth, piano and lap steel, a soundtrack for a rainforest located somewhere along the Pennines. ‘Dream On’ is Spot Land’s most rhythm-forward moment, alien-sounding synths snaking through sharply shuffling bass and drums, whereas ‘Kapal Bhati’ is its height of abstraction: thumb piano, bizarro dub treatment and distant voices that could be anyone, from anywhere.

Though GNOD’s shift in sound from album to album is rarely planned too far ahead, there’s been a quiet desire among the band to do something of this nature for a while. The results might confound the expectations of some listeners, but in the longer view Spot Land is liquid GNOD. The arresting cover artwork is a showcase for Chris Haslam’s illustrative skills; his process here, he says, was “starting on something, never knowing when it’s complete, just when it feels finished. Like the music, really.”



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29 Apr 2024

Watch Smote perform live in Blank Studios


Watch this great footage of Smote playing the track 'Drommon Pt.1' in the legendary Blank Studios with head engineer, Sam Grant from Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs at the controls.

The band are playing the always special Lubber Fiend on the weekend and then heading out for some festivals this summer:

04 May / Newcastle / The Lubber Fiend
28 June / Fell Foot Wood / Hyper Inverter Festival 
2-4 August / Oxfordshire / Supernormal Festival
1-3 Sep / Birmingham / Supersonic Festival

Smote are hoping to hit more stages later in the year, and are particularly looking for shows at these times:

UK: 23/08 to 01/09
Europe: 02/09 to 07/09

So, if you are a promoter and want to book this formidable live band – drop them an email at:
danielfoggin(at)gmail(dot)com

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Goat announce supports for Autumn tour


Goat have announced two support acts for their up-and-coming Autumn tour.

For the three October shows, fellow Swedes Maidavale, a band who supported Goat in their native Sweden in 2023 will be joining the tour.

Goat asked us if Alison Cotton could play some dates, as they are huge fans of her albums, so we are pleased to announce that Alison will be joining Goat at their Norwich, Oxford and Nottingham shows.

The full list of Goat's up-and-coming shows are:

20 Oct / Gothenburg / Pustervik
24 Oct / London / Troxy
(+ Maidavale)
25 Oct / Bristol / 02 Academy
 (+ Maidavale)
26 Oct / Manchester / Academy 1
 (+ Maidavale)
14 Nov / Norwich / UEA
 (+ Alison Cotton)
15 Nov / Oxford / 02 Academy
 (+ Alison Cotton)
16 Nov / Nottingham / Rock City
 (+ Alison Cotton)

Tickets

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26 Apr 2024

Shit & Shine's 'You Were Very High' EP is released today


The expanded reissue of Shit & Shine's mighty 'You Were Very High' EP is released today!

This 'Bandcamp exclusive' release has been remastered and recut and has never sounded better. The ltd 300 copy 12" features a brand new track and new artwork.

Buy/Listen here:

Bandcamp

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“‘You Were Very High’ – an hallucinogenic sonic miracle.”
Loud And Quiet

In 2018 Diagonal Records released an intriguing, three track, hand stamped, white label 12” of dancefloor sampledelia by Shit & Shine onto an unsuspecting world.

The lead track on this 12” ‘You Were Very High’ turned a lot of heads and became a club oddity, being played out by DJ’s around the world – and some movers and shakers have hailed the 12” as “Shit & Shine’s best ever release.” Strong words indeed, but one that some will find hard to argue with?

When speaking to Loud and Quiet in 2022 about this now legendary release, Craig Clouse, the man behind Shit & Shine said, “Humour is totally crucial, sometimes I want to throw in instantly recognisable reference points because it’s relatable, and just to bring a smile to people’s faces.”

So now in 2024, as the original 12” has become a bit of a collector’s item, trading hands for £60+ on Discogs – Shit and Shine and Rocket Recordings have decided ‘You Were Really High’ deserves a one off repress. 

This expanded version of the EP, which is housed in new art and ltd to only 300 copies, also features a mighty extra track called ‘Dave, Have You Ever Been To London.’ A certified banger that is destined to be blasted out in Berlin’s darkest and dankest techno basements.

So if you missed out before on acquiring this incredible release, or like many you simply collect everything the genius that Craig Clouse creates, then it is time to get high on Shit & Shine once again!

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25 Apr 2024

Discount tickets to Rocket-friendly three day/two stage Wiltshire music festival


Friends of Rocket Recordings John Doran of The Quietus and Mark Pilkington of Strange Attractor Press  are running a festival in Wiltshire on 24-26 May.

'Acid Horse 24' is a family-friendly two-stage, three-day party held in and around a beautiful canalside pub in rural Wiltshire under the Alton Barnes chalk horse and neolithic long barrows, a very strong line-up of bands, artists and DJs in attendance… including Rockets very own Teeth Of The Sea, Ex-Easter Island Head, Kavus Torabi and Steve Davis. 

Acid Horse are very generously offering all friends of Rocket 10% off adult tickets and 100% off kids tickets.

So tickets for anyone reading this message are £135 per adult, and kids under 15 for free (usual price is £150 and £10 respectively). Simply send the money to acidhorsewilts@gmail.com paypal and email the same address with ‘Acid Horse Rocket Offer’ in the subject line to let John and Mark know the names in your party. Feel free to  invite any mates (if they’re not wallies) whether they’re on this mailing list or not. If you say they’re OK, they’re welcome.

All of the details can be found here:
https://acidhorsewilts.wordpress.com

But here’s a quick guide to what’s on offer at the first good independent festival of the Summer:

Acid Horse is a three day music event held at The Barge Inn, Honeystreet, Wiltshire (one hour from London by train, 45 minutes from Bristol by car) on the bank holiday weekend of Friday May 24 to Sunday May 26. It’s kid (and well-behaved dog) friendly, there’s a wide range of food available including vegan and vegetarian options, tickets include three nights camping onsite, there are glamping tents available (email acidhorsewilts@gmail.com for details, first come first served), the local area is a joy to walk around and Avebury is a neolithic stone’s throw away. And that’s before we get to the crop circles… But don’t just take our word for how unique it is, stellar performers from last year Shovel Dance Collective praised a “special event” set in a landscape “imbued with magic”. 

The line up features the astonishingly good John Francis Flynn who was responsible for the recent magisterial album Look Over The Wall, See The Sky – the point where ancient folk meets horizon-expanding modern psychedelia. Also headlining is beautiful soul, the Irish-based, Syrian born, Kurdish party starter Mohammad Syfkhan, who will bring his Middle Eastern wedding party music and Turkish pop to Wiltshire for the first time. Also joining the line up are Rocket mainstays Teeth Of The Sea, augmented with Kath Gifford on vocals, who have promised attendees “something really special” as the final band of the weekend. 

The mainstage headline DJ roster includes once of Acid Horse 23’s clear highlights, Sophie Coletta who launched last year’s event past the Oort Cloud and into interstellar space by mixing The Fall, Chris & Cosey and Can into a set of liquid acid techno, Balearic industrial and EBM. We’re delighted that Judith Klempner aka Proteus is adding Pewsey,Wiltshire to a list of DJ locations that already includes Berlin, Oslo, New York and Milan. And, to be honest, we thought we were going to have trouble matching last year’s booking of Surgeon, but rounding things off on Sunday is none other than Justin Robertson – one of the best party-friendly acid house DJs of the last three decades. And trying out his new low-bpm ambient psychedelic experimental set for the first time, joining us once more is Steve Davis of The Utopia Strong. 

After a roof raising, joyous, kids version of Terry Riley’s In-C last year, Farmer Glitch and friends are going to be leading us all in a mass version of ‘I Feel Love’ and anyone who brings a synth, or a glockenspiel, or a djembe, or their own vocal cords can join in. Other returning stars include Queen of New Weird Everywhere Nat Sharp; the wild-haired man of Glastonbury Tor, Kavus Torabi [also of The Utopia Strong], just returned from a tour with Gong, playing tracks from his new LP, The Banishing; and featuring a stellar array of guest musicians Deyar Yasin, Agathe Max, Marion Andrau, Dali de St. Paul and Conny Prantera, UKAEA bring their impossibly heart-wrenching Birds Catching Fire In The Sky to the chalky downs of Wiltshire. 

We’re punching well-above our weight with sets from bucolic and beatific VALVE; Richard Dawson and Sally Pilkington lockdown project Bulbils; all the way from Poland, occasional Rocket Recordings musician with his astoundingly transportative Train Spotter project, Wacław Zimpel; legendary counter-cultural figure Nocturnal Emissions; newly signed to Rocket, north western guitar mallet minimalists Ex-Easter Island Head and one-woman gabber mayhem assault unit, Petronn Sphene. A superb last minute addition to the bill is Constellation records’ own honey-toned blue-eyed soul singer and guitar warper Eric Chenaux all the way from Paris.

And that’s before we mention the Welsh language languid goth elegies of Tristwch Y Fenywod (featuring members of Hawthonn and Guttersnipe); the garage rock explosion of Ubiquitous Meh!; sets of celestial synth transcendence from Action Group, Twilight Sequence, Hitliloma and Luminous Foundation; ecstatic d&b from Xylitol; Bristolian sci-fi prog action from ANTA; indefinable weirdness from Trans/Human, John Macedo and the Howling; plus youthful skronk rock action from Milkfiz and “coastal slurtronic folk” from Kemper Norton. 

For early risers and night owls we have a Warhammer 40k painting sesh, a Mario Karts-tournament, films for kids, impromptu campfire gigs, loads more DJs, the mysterious, heavily bearded and torrid ‘Naked Brunch’ duo and your chance to see the greatest ceiling mural in a pub ever… 

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Checkout the Acid Horse playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Ssz1stAbwLxIIRBMyozwO?si=47736e983cf7476c&nd=1&dlsi=09a2e8dd32d84ce1

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23 Apr 2024

The Janitors reveal 'Lies' – the second single from forthcoming album 'An Error Has Occurred'


Swedish drone-rockers The Janitors have released 'Lies' the second single from their new album 'An Error Has Occurred' is being released on Rocket on 24th May.

This is what the band say about the track: "It’s a bit of a double edged sword this song. It’s about lies by a specific person or the lying fat scumbags in power, your choice. Most songs on the album have that duality. It’s a pretty classic Janitors song. The one riff that just keeps going, and the old quiet/loud dynamic that we love from the Pixies."

'Lies' follows the huge success of first single 'Anger The World' - and it's video has attracted over 60K views in four weeks.

Now you can watch this strobetastic video for 'Lies', made by the uber talented Per Norman exclusively via Psychedelic Baby Magazine

Psychedelic Baby Magazine

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'An Error Has Occurred' can be preordered now via the Bandcamp link below on a lush Orange/Green Splatter vinyl, and housed in an third-eye opening gatefold sleeve:

Bandcamp

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For 'An Error Has Occurred' The Janitors rehearsed intensely together before laying down everything live, over two days and nights, in a converted missionary church.  

The resulting songs have the menace of Melvins, the swagger of The Stooges and the cosmic heft of The Heads. Though you will also find dronier numbers, drawn out with soundscapes and textures influenced by The Velvet Underground’s sonic experiments and the equally immersive atmospheres of electronic acts like Massive Attack. 

See The Janitors live:

24 May / Stockholm / Geronimos FGT
29 May / Bristol / The Crofters Rights
30 May / Northampton / The Black Prince
01 Jun / London / Peckham Audio



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18 Apr 2024

Obey Cobra return with second single from forthcoming album 'Mwg Drwg'

Genre pushing four-piece from Cardiff, 'Obey Cobra' have revealed 'Blue Hour' – the second single from their forthcoming album 'Mwg Drwg'.

The band say: "Blue Hour touches on the other side of Obey Cobra - a slow darker soundtrack lulling you through the early hours of morning. Exploring themes of loss, liminality and indifference." 

Watch the video for the 'Blue Hour' above.

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Preorder 'Mwg Drwg' on Ltd Edition 'Blue Vinyl' via the Bandcamp link below or from your favourite record shop: 

Bandcamp

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Reflective of a band operating by nobody’s rules but their own, Obey Cobra here are just as adept with bracing noise as sinister disquiet. Taking influences as diverse as Diane Arbus, David Lynch and Sonic Youth, they balance out heaviosity and grace on the likes of the majestically discordant ‘Ten Of Wands’ and the glacial yet pulverising ‘Blue Hour’. Meanwhile; on the title track, the band excel themselves by sculpting a Jesus Lizard-esque rhythmic pulse, eerie vocal abstraction and the crepuscular downtempo atmosphere of Massive Attack’s ‘Mezzanine’ into a uniquely haunting dreamscape.

Produced by Petbrick’s Wayne Adams, 'Mwg Drwg' is where the weird and eerie are amplified to intimidating proportions. It’s where grotesquely and beauty happily cohabit. It’s the eldritch chill of ‘Ghostwatch’ in which strange dimensions lurk in the suburbs. It’s an aural exorcism of William Friedkin proportions that demands your immediate attention.

See Obey Cobra live:

19 April / London / The Lexington
03 May / Cardiff /  Clwb Ifor Bach
21st June / Bristol / The Exchange



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9 Apr 2024

Ex-Easter Island Head reveal second track from forthcoming album 'Norther'


"You must see this group. They are minimalist noise art but come on like entertainment. Absolutely captivating, classy, beautiful and sublime. No-one could fail to think this was amazing and brilliant." Stewart Lee

On 17th May, Ex Easter Island Head are releasing a new album, their first for Rocket called 'Norther'. Which can be preordered on ltd edition LP here:


Watch the John O'Carroll made video for the second track to be revealed from the album, the hypnotic repetitions of 'Magnetic Language' above.

This is what the band say about this track: 
"Voices played back through phone speakers and amplified by guitar pickups create an emotive cut-up mosaic of breath and cascading harmonics. Melodic lines captured by the contemporary technology of the voice note and broadcast through the near-antique technology of the dual-coil guitar pickup. An ecstatic chorale of electromagnetic signals and gleaming tones."

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Watch Ex-Easter Island Head's mesmerising live show here:

17 May / Bristol / Cube Microplex
18 May / London / Stoke Newington Old Church (Matinee and Evening) 
24 May / Manchester / St. Michael's 
25 May / Sheffield / Sidney and Matilda
31 May / Hebden / Hebden Bridge Trades Club
07 June / Brighton / The Hope
08 June / Cambridge / Storey's Field Centre

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5 Apr 2024

Bandcamp Friday – New $hit & $hine, Goat and The Holy Family releases


It's Bandcamp Friday and we have some exclusives being released today:

$hit & $hine – You Were Very High 12"
Reissue of the classic 12 – expanded with an extra track and new artwork. Ltd to 300 copies. Available via Bandcamp only.

Goat – 2024 Tshirts
We have this 'made-to-order' shirt design available to preorder in 7 different colour options.
The preorder will close on 6 May and whatever is ordered, will be manufactured and will not be reprinted.

The Holy Family – Live Burning, Burning Live DL
The bands legendary performance at Roadburn in 2022 is now available to listen too...remixed and mastered.

Goat – World Music LP
Now available on ltd edition Acid Yellow vinyl in it's iconic diecut sleeve

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It is always the perfect time to pick up our latest presales/releases. 

The Janitors – An Error Has Occurred LP
Sweden's purveyors of drone-rock return with new album, on eye popping splatter vinyl and housed in gatefold sleeve

Obey Cobra – Mwg Drwg LP
New album on ltd blue vinyl by the mightily original band from Cardiff.

Ex Easter Island Head – Norther LP
This unique band's first album since 2016, and their first on Rocket.

Gnoomes – Uletai DL
Hypnotic two track EP by your favourite star gazers.

The Utopia Strong – The BBC Sessions LP/CD
You need this for the cover alone! Chuffed to be able to release this great session onto a physical format.

Alison Cotton – Engelchen LP
Alison returns with a new album of incredibly powerful songs, essential listening.

Thee Alcoholics – Feedback LP
Get intoxicated on this mighty album by The Alcoholics.

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Not only that, we still have ltd copies of the albums we released at the end of 2023 by Teeth Of The Sea, Bonnacons Of Doom, Yoke and Goat etc. 

Also our Bandcamp is stocked-up of lots of European distributor warehouse finds that we had shipped back. So as always, there's lots of great releases and t-shirts from many of your Rocket faves awaiting you:

Bandcamp

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4 Apr 2024

The Holy Family to release their infamous live set from Roadburn Festival


In April 2022 The Holy Family played the legendary Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands and enthralled a packed room. Now, two years on we are extremely happy to be able to share with you the live recording of this memorable event.

The digital release album 'Live Burning, Burning Live' will be available on all platforms from Friday 5th April, and as it is Bandcamp Friday there is no better time to buy it:

Bandcamp 

For those who are unfamiliar with The Holy Family – they are a collective of five musicians who conjure a sound that exhibits an affinity with great experimental totems down the ages, in a manner that is avowedly forward-facing and stamped with their own unique identity. All involved boast a pre Holy Family CV to turn clued-in heads: frontman and brainchild behind the project David J. Smith (vocals, percussion), Kavus Torabi (guitar, harmonium), Sam Warren (bass, backing vocals), Joe Lazarus (drums), and on this recording Craig Fortnam, of North Sea Radio Orchestra fame (piano & wem copicats), who was recruited to grace Emmett Elvin’s piano throne  in his absence.

The band performed tracks from their debut self-titled double album (released on Rocket Recordings in July 2021) at this show. Re-arranging and expanding on the studio recordings, weaving the pagan, kosmische folk vibes with heavier, darker, acid-fried motorik grooves, all set to the otherworldly psychedelia of Mike Bourne’s (Teeth Of The Sea) commissioned live visuals film.

David J. Smith said “We were over the moon to be performing at Roadburn in 2022 and couldn’t wait to bring The Holy Family’s psych dream logic to Tilburg. We have so much respect for this wondrous, creative, tour de force of a festival.”

As you can hear in these live recordings, The Holy Family’s musical inspirations are multitudinous, and rarely if ever obvious, but if you dig anything from Can to Boredoms to Oneida to Guapo then, step this way.

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2 Apr 2024

Rocket to reissue an expanded 'You Were Very High' 12" by Shit & Shine


“‘You Were Very High’ – an hallucinogenic sonic miracle.”
Loud And Quiet

In 2018 Diagonal Records released an intriguing, three track, hand stamped, white label 12” of dancfloor sampledelia by Shit & Shine onto an unsuspecting world.

The lead track on this 12” ‘You Were Very High’ turned a lot of heads and became a club oddity, being played out by DJ’s around the world – and some movers and shakers have hailed the 12” as “Shit & Shine’s best ever release.” Strong words indeed, but one that some will find hard to argue with?

When speaking to Loud and Quiet in 2022 about this now legendary release, Craig Clouse, the man behind Shit & Shine said, “Humour is totally crucial, sometimes I want to throw in instantly recognisable reference points because it’s relatable, and just to bring a smile to people’s faces.”

So now in 2024, as the original 12” has become a bit of a collector’s item, trading hands for £60+ on Discogs – Shit and Shine and Rocket Recordings have decided ‘You Were Really High’ deserves a one off repress. 

This expanded version of the EP, which is housed in new art and ltd to only 300 copies, also features a mighty extra track called ‘Dave, Have You Ever Been To London.’ A certified banger that is destined to be blasted out in Berlin’s, darkest and dankest techno basements.

So if you missed out before on acquiring this incredible release, or like many you simply collect everything the genius that Craig Clouse creates, then it is time to get high on Shit & Shine once again!

‘You Were Very High’ is released on 26 April but you can preorder from the 5th April, the next Bandcamp Friday from here:

Bandcamp

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