Electro/Ambient

Artist: PRAYERS OF SANITY Label: Rastilho Records

A wacky burlesque punky Rock band Yiddish music meets the Marx Brothers The Jewish Monkeys are masters of identity play, knights of the absurd, musicians and comedians, who deliver an exhilarating show. They love breaking ethnic and religious taboos, combined with liberating salvos of satire.Their neo-Yiddish sound fusion swings between cirque-like chanson and energetically punk-driven pop, while the language alternates between English and Yiddish. They rarely fail to get people on their feet, dancing: from Syrian refugees in a Dresden transit camp to anti-Pegida protesters the next day. Or from culturally savvy music lovers in German, Czech or French clubs and concert halls, as well as to to hipsters in London or Tel Aviv. And now they’re touring with their latest album. Some of the songs on their new “High Words” album are real attention-getters and potential hits: the song “Alte Kacker” is a wry and cynically self-effacing take on the downsides of getting older, with a fresh and upbeat guitar rock staccato that is sure to get everyone on their feet. The other song, “High Words”, takes an anger-laden shot at the establishment that is dragging us into the demagogy of past world wars in this era of global warming, instead of focusing on equity and environmentalism. The selection of iconic Yiddish songs on the album is, as we might expect, light-hearted and socially critical. Wild instrumental capers resurrect the tone of circus and slapstick in new and modern vibes of klezmer and rock. Their new English song “Pupik” elicits tears of laughter, a tragicomic ode to the beloved one, starting with: “Zelda, why do you have this cousin, Zelda, she is much prettier than you”… The name of the band is not easy to digest. In some Arab countries it is used as a deeply offensive insult. Their comment: “We can do that as Jews! It’s always been our right to dare to be politically incorrect and mock our own Jewishness. But in the end, we are looking for what unites us rather than what divides us. We want to heal the rifts and build bridges – which is why we are so happy to play for people from Syria or Afghanistan.” Media reactions: “If Hitler hadn’t nearly won the war, Jewish music would sound like this: naturally stoned, fast, and madly melancholic.” Frankfurter Allgemeine (biggest German Sunday paper) // “Spririted, disrespectful, Jewish humor at its finest.” 3Sat-Kulturzeit (TV channel for Austria/Switzerland/Germany) // “Shades of cinematic heroes such as Woody Allen, with an added dose of high-calibre party mood.” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany’s leading daily) // “This post-Klezmer, post-Pop, post-Alija band from Tel Aviv has created an album brimming with love, rage and joy. Spiegel Online (German’s No. 1 political webpage) // “Their live performance is overwhelming in its furiously unchained attack on tradition.” Süddeutsche Zeitung (the other leading German daily) Videos, sounds, lyrics, press, rumours: www.jewishmonkeys.com Record Label: Greedy For Best Music Style: Pop

Artist: Joni Void Label: Constellation

Artist: Ifriqiyya Electrique Label: Glitterbeat GmbH

Artist: Jessica Moss Label: Constellation

Artist: FOREST SWORDS Label: Ninja Tune

Artist: TYRANEX Label: EU Import

Artist: Ifriqiyya Electrique Label: Glitterbeat GmbH

Artist: FOREST SWORDS Label: Ninja Tune

Artist: Umoja Label: Awesome Tapes From Africa

Artist: Joni Void Label: Constellation

Artist: Delia Gonzalez Label: DFA Records

Artist: KLAUS WEISS Label: Trunk

Double 180 Gram heavyweight with spined sleeve and printed card inners. There are people who thought Actress otherwise known as Darren Cunningham had retired. They were a bit premature. Hes ready instead to return with a new album and alter ego, both of them AZD released on Ninja Tune. AZD (pronounced Azid) is a chrome aspect journey into a parallel world. An artist who has always preferred to make music than to talk about it, in AZD he has achieved another remarkable landmark, one which is as resistant to interpretation as it is demanding of it. X22RME is a key note example of the influence the Black artists James Hampton and Rammellzee had on the creation of the album – a man who created art through Sourcing castaway materials from their environment and reinterpreting them into absolute majesty given from the fourth dimension. The simplest you could say about AZD is that its art – the unique creation of a unique mind. There will be few more distinctive, brilliant or visionary suites of music released in 2017. Call him what you will, this is the year that Darren ‘Daz Cunningham - aka Actress, aka AZD – asserts more clearly than ever before his complete independence. Record Label: Ninja Tune Style: Electronic

4 Page Digipak. There are people who thought Actress otherwise known as Darren Cunningham had retired. They were a bit premature. Hes ready instead to return with a new album and alter ego, both of them AZD released on Ninja Tune. AZD (pronounced Azid) is a chrome aspect journey into a parallel world. An artist who has always preferred to make music than to talk about it, in AZD he has achieved another remarkable landmark, one which is as resistant to interpretation as it is demanding of it. X22RME is a key note example of the influence the Black artists James Hampton and Rammellzee had on the creation of the album – a man who created art through Sourcing castaway materials from their environment and reinterpreting them into absolute majesty given from the fourth dimension. The simplest you could say about AZD is that its art – the unique creation of a unique mind. There will be few more distinctive, brilliant or visionary suites of music released in 2017. Call him what you will, this is the year that Darren ‘Daz Cunningham - aka Actress, aka AZD – asserts more clearly than ever before his complete independence. Record Label: Ninja Tune Style: Electronic

Artist: Miwon Label: N5md

Artist: Flatfoot 56 Label: Sailor's Grave Recs

Artist: AMIENSUS Label: Apathia Records

Artist: RAFAEL TORAL Label: Staubgold Germany