‘Into The Gap’, initially released in February 1984, was the fourth album by Thompson Twins.

It was a multi-platinum album on both sides of the Atlantic, staying at number one in the UK for three weeks and being top ten in the US. The album produced four massive hit singles: ‘Hold Me Now’, a top-five smash in the UK and the US, ‘Doctor Doctor’, ‘You Take Me Up’, and ‘Sister Of Mercy’.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of ‘Into The Gap’, the album has been remastered at Abbey Road by Frank Arkwright and will be reissued as a comprehensive 3-CD set featuring new sleevenotes with interviews with all three band members, a limited edition red vinyl LP, a digital deluxe version and Dolby Atmos digital and Bluray. David Kosten mixed the Dolby Atmos version.

In the 40 years since their commercial peak, Thompson Twins have finally been recognised as quiet visionaries. The band was multi-gender and multiracial, taking on Middle Eastern and Jamaican influences and melding them with cutting-edge technology alongside producer Alex Sadkin (Grace Jones, Robert Palmer, Bob Marley And The Wailers) at the famous Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas.

After an early seven-piece version of the band dissolved, the remaining threesome, Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway, recorded the groundbreaking ‘Quick Step & Side Kick’ album, which broke the top 40 in the US and reached number 2 in the UK. Remarking on the time Tom Bailey remembers “We were no longer a band, Instead, we were designers of pop music. We divided ourselves so that Alannah wrote our lyrics, I wrote our music and Joe, who had come from the theatre, was in charge of our live side, working with Alannah on how we presented ourselves visually.”

The shift to a trio also meant a change in sound, looking back Alannah says ‘The whole reason we were able to make those tracks was because we discovered the synthesiser and drum machine so suddenly we were able to make big sounding records with only three of us in the studio. Marrying traditional instruments and percussion with big synth sounds to get the human warmth with cool machines was what we aimed for. We were constantly accused of it not being ‘real music’, especially in America, because we rejected the who concept of rock and roll and guitars in favour of synthesisers and percussion.”

Tom notes that Alannah’s lyrics were key in making the music resonate “Alannah writing the lyrics was a gift for making our music universal. The words had to mean something to me, but they also had to mean something to the person you don’t know who’s dancing on a Saturday night. Alannah’s lyrics fitted how she was thinking and how I performed. I was able to fully inhabit her ideas.” Joe Leeway also recognises Alannah’s trailblazing spirit “Things are done differently now. All the way up to Doja Cat, women have their own audiences and their own authority. Generations now don’t remember how different it was. I learned a lot from Alannah, who brought a lot about respect for women in a male-dominated world. Alannah writing our lyrics was part of that.”

Once the album was completed, Thompson Twins took to the road In support of the album. The band toured the US extensively, playing their own shows and massive stadiums in support of The Police. All of the trio’s hard work paid off in the USA in 1984 when ‘Into The Gap’ entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #10, and the band, including two future members of The Cure, played a 50-date tour, including sold-out shows at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

There would be further highs in the band’s career, including having Madonna and Nile Rodgers perform with them at Live Aid and the underrated ‘Here’s To Future Days’ album, but ‘Into The Gap’ was the moment that Thompson Twins captured the Zeitgeist on two continents. It was a very long way from the squat in Clapham, London, where the band had formed just seven years earlier. To bring the album full circle, Tom Bailey has recently toured the world playing the album in full to rapturous audiences eager to hear these classic songs live once more.

The post THOMPSON TWINS ‘INTO THE GAP’ – 40th ANNIVERSARY appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Gamemusic Records label is pleased to announce that pre-orders for the Baldur’s Gate 3 vinyl albums are now, in both Standard and Deluxe editions.

Gamemusic Records team joined forces Larian Studios and the composer of the score, Borislav Slavov, to deliver this outstanding musical experience to you in a way that does justice to both the game and the soundtrack itself: all remastered for vinyl and full of new original artwork.

The Standard Edition includes three 12-inch vinyl discs (3x 180-gram LP) packed in a gatefold jacket with antistatic sleeves. Each side of the cover is decorated with meticulously designed artwork by Magdalena Katańska – a trusted, long-time associate of the label. The inside presents a stunning panoramic painting. Ripe with references to the world and characters from the game, it is a delight for fans of the game and its music alike. Discs are made in mix of black and purple, invoking the association to Mind Flayers – dreaded enemies from the Forgotten Realms universe.

The limited Deluxe Edition, available only during the pre-order campaign, changes the inner sleeves to six original paintings of Origin Characters, paying homage to beloved heroes from the game. Based on the idea of duality, each disc in this edition also presents a different mix of colours, all coherently representing the pairings, relations, and depth of those characters. Deluxe Edition is presented as a magnetic closure box set, resembling an ancient grimoire. A booklet featuring the piano score of one of the game’s famous tracks, as well as extended liner notes, is also included.

The Standard Edition will remain available for sale, with the limited Deluxe Edition being available exclusively during the pre-order period. The worldwide shipping of both versions is estimated to begin in the Summer of 2024. Previous releases from Gamemusic Records (such as Heroes of Might & Magic III OST or Frostpunk Complete OST) were praised among game fans and audiophiles alike, all selling out quickly and becoming a prized collector’s item – also thanks to careful mastering of the audio material by the label’s seasoned sound engineer, Matthias Adloff, who worked also on this album.

The post Baldur’s Gate 3 OST Goes Vinyl appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

BMG announces Year of the Devil a multi-configuration celebration of the 40th  Anniversary of Mötley Crüe’s landmark second album,

Shout the Devil is the centrepiece of Year of the Devil and it is a Limited Edition Super Deluxe Box Set which features the newly remastered album on LP, CD and Cassette.

Also included are reproductions of the original 7” singles of “Too Young To Fall In Love” and “Looks That Kill” alongside a Pentagram Séance Board, Devil Board w/Metal Planchette, Metal 7” Adapter, album art lithographs, tarot cards, devil candle holder and more.  In addition, 7 rare demo tracks have been resurrected and are included as Shout at the Demos & Rarities.

Originally released in 1983 at the height of the Satanic Panic, Shout at the Devil catapulted Mötley Crüe to superstardom. Delivering on the hype and promise of their platinum debut, Too Fast For Love, Mötley Crüe’s second album hit the US Top 20 and was certified 4x platinum. For many music fans, Shout at the Devil was the first time they witnessed an album with this imagery and lyrical content on mainstream retail shelves.

Shout at the Devil continues to be a cornerstone of Mötley Crüe’s live set, with the band playing up to 4 songs from this iconic album at every show of the World Tour which is currently underway. Fittingly, the original touring cycle for this album saw Mötley Crüe jump from opening act to full on arena headliners.

The ground-breaking music videos for “Looks That Kill” and “Too Young To Fall In Love” set the standard for countless MTV moments. Those two singles, combined with the sinister title track, reckless cuts like “Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid”, “Bastard” and “Red Hot”, their frenzied take on “Helter Skelter” and the haunting nearly instrumental “God Bless The Children Of The Beast” helped create this era- and genre-defining album.

40 years later, Mötley Crüe is still going strong, bigger than ever and headlining stadiums around the world

Shout at the Devil, the  40th Anniversary is available as a streaming / digital deluxe edition and comes in the following physical Limited Edition configurations:  Super Deluxe Box Set, Picture Disc, Red / Black Vinyl, LP Replica CD, and Lenticular CD.

The post MÖTLEY CRÜE & BMG CELEBRATE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF BAND’S ALBUM appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The special box set collection, releasing to celebrate the pioneers of New Zealand music Herbs, is extremely limited.

Delving into the rich potpourri of sounds and ideas the early Herbs collection contains – it will include five studio albums: Whats’ Be Happen’ (1981), Light Of The Pacific (1983), Long Ago (1984), Sensitive To A Smile (1987) and Homegrown (1990).

Each studio album has been pressed onto 180-gram beautifully coloured vinyl, and packaged into a limited edition numbered box set which also includes a special fold out poster and liner notes for fans.

Herbs were among New Zealand’s first reggae bands to explore important Aotearoa New Zealand issues, standing up as a voice for people that weren’t getting heard.

Throughout their career and journey as artists, Herbs were important figures in New Zealand’s anti-nuclear stance, the Rainbow Warrior affair, and Māori land rights, most notably Bastion Point.

At the time of the release of their debut EP/mini-album WHAT’S BE HAPPEN? the cover of their recording debut displayed a black and white photo of the infamous police eviction of the Bastion Point protestors on May 25 1978.  It set the tone for where Herbs were coming from and that they weren’t afraid to use their music to make social commentary on issues affecting them.

This year marks 45 years since the occupation at Bastion Point.

“Herbs was the voice that rose- up from The Streets of Auckland, that called out the injustices of South Africa, identified the misery of the dawn raids. This was the band that called out for one brotherhood in Aotearoa – NZ, where the different races that existed in this country could come together to sing and dance in the one place. This is a beautiful collection. And when I sit down and think about the journey of the band indeed, this is the time to celebrate”.  Hugh Lynn – Herbs Manager

The band welcomed many musicians throughout their active years, resulting in a rich line-up totalling some 27 members across their catalogue. Current members Dilworth Karaka, Maurice Watene and Tama Lundon, have been instrumental in getting this significant project off the ground.

Herbs were inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame at the 2012 APRA Silver Scroll Awards, where seventeen of the band members past and present came together onstage, and Dilworth made a short and moving speech honouring his band members including those who had passed away.

2023 is also a special year for the album collection release, as it marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the album LIGHT OF THE PACIFIC (1983). The 1983 mini album featured the hugely popular single ‘French Letter’, a song that stayed in the singles chart for 11 weeks in 1982, with almost no radio airplay.

“This is exciting to be acknowledged and release this album after about 50 years of work.  The introduction of pacific reggae brought a new flavour to the mix back then, but things weren’t so easy for a group of brown boys from the Pacific, central Auckland, Aotearoa to be “heard”, even in our own country.  We wanted to get our message out there through the only way we knew how, for everyone to listen to and enjoy.  Things have changed somewhat in regard to the protection of our whenua, moana and people, and we are humbled that our music continues to be enjoyed to this day. Some of the brothers aren’t here to share in this celebration, but we thank you for laying the foundations, and we thank you all for your support and love over the years. Chur…” – Dilworth Karaka, HERBS

Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua

(I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past)

The Herbs repertoire includes albums that are nothing short of iconic.

The post HERBS ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF THEIR BACK CATALOUGE appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Spooky season is upon us and that means being immersed in scares, scarfing down oodles of candy and listening to your favorite sinister soundtracks.

With a Halloween sale set for October 24th to November 1st the Materia Store is showcasing some of its scariest video game music albums. From Resident Evil to The Last of Us, there’s something for every type of horror lover who needs a chilling soundtrack to get them through to Halloween.

Released in 1996, the original Resident Evil defined the survival horror genre. Countless horror games that followed took inspiration from Resident Evil’s clever puzzles, terrifying monsters and eerie atmosphere. This Resident Evil Original Soundtrack from the Capcom Sound Team Masami Ueda, Makoto Tomozawa and Akira Kaida is pressed on an audiophile heavyweight, deluxe double-vinyl 180g LPs, in standard black and housed in striking gatefold sleeves. The tracks featured on the album are intense, brooding and encapsulate the unnerving soundtrack players fell in love with all those years ago.

The Resident Evil series started a hugely successful reboot series back in 2019 with the release of the Resident Evil 2 remake. As players entered into the new Raccoon City Police Department they were greeted by horrific zombies, beautiful yet sinister looking rooms, brand new character designs and more to create an award-winning gaming experience. The 46 tracks in the Resident Evil 2 2019 Original Soundtrack, specially mastered for vinyl by Joe Caithness, shifts between dark, ambient, electronic music, thumping cinematic percussion and orchestral and choral passages. Tracks are pressed onto audiophile-quality, heavyweight 180g discs. The Standard Edition features traditional black LPs, which come in printed inner sleeves all housed in a rigid box.

Among one of the Sega Dreamcast’s most memorable titles, The House of the Dead 2 is a light gun shooter arcade game where players must fight their way through seemingly endless hordes of undead zombies. The original House of the Dead hit arcades in 1996 with the sequel following in 1998 and it soon received its own ports to the Sega Dreamcast (1999) and PC (2001). This House of the Dead 2 Original Soundtrack features pulsing drums, ear-splitting guitar and a variety of haunting melodies. The album has a special 2XLP press with all-new artwork and newly mastered sound.

Released in 2019, Days Gone is an open-world action adventure game set in post-apocalyptic Oregon two years after the start of a pandemic that has turned humans into zombie-like creatures. The game features a stellar performance from actor Sam Witwer as the quiet and brooding protagonist Deacon. The Days Gone Original Video Game Soundtrack from Nathan Whitehead features 25 tracks including four original songs performed by Jack Savoretti, Billy Raffoul, Lewis Capaldi and Zander Reese. It is pressed on 2X 180 Gram colored vinyl (also available on 2X 180 Gram Black vinyl).

Death Mark, also known as Spirit Hunter: Deathmark for its 2019 Western release, is a horror visual novel based in Tokyo’s H city. Anyone bearing a certain mark is said to be about to die due to coming in contact with spirits or ghosts. Throughout the game the player must avoid encounters with terrifying entities in order to survive. The Death Mark Original Soundtrack features sounds and songs from this horrifying title with 10 tracks pressed on a black 12” vinyl.

A beloved game in the survival horror genre to be sure is 2013’s, The Last of Us. Taking place in a post-apocalyptic United States, players follow Joel and Ellie, two survivors in this frightening and cruel world. Known for its fantastic storytelling and terrifying infected creatures, The Last of Us Original Soundtrack Vol. 2 reflects the game’s chilling atmosphere in these 25 beautiful tracks.

The Medium is a psychological horror game that was released just last year in January of 2021. In the game, players must use the protagonist’s power as a medium, uncover disturbing secrets and survive encounters with the horrific entity known as The Maw. The Medium Original Soundtrack features tracks that encompass the game’s oppressive atmosphere and comes pressed on an audiophile 180g black vinyl edition with a gatefold sleeve featuring art by Bloober Team.

One of the first games ever released on CD, The 7th Guest was a groundbreaking puzzle horror game that paved the way for future games in the genre. 7/11: Music from “The 7th Guest” and “The 11th Hour” (the sequel to The 7th Guest) include tracks from these unique computer games with gothic sounds, jazz tunes and more. Materia has partnered with The Fat Man to bring these two soundtracks to you on CD.

October is the perfect time to pull out your spooky music albums and get fully immersed in the terrifying.

The post Celebrate Halloween w. albums from Resident Evil & The Last of Us appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Kiwi rock band Shihad are today celebrating the 20th anniversary of their iconic record PACIFIER.

To mark the occasion and to fan’s delight, Shihad have announced the pre-order of the first ever vinyl release of the record, set for February 17th, 2023.

At the time of its release in 2002 – and prior to their name change – the band were known as Pacifier and their self-titled album was quick to gain huge success and hit #1.
At the time singles ‘Comfort Me’, ‘Run’ and ‘Bullitproof’ from the album went on to be hit singles nationwide, with ‘Bullitproof’ peaking at #27 on the global Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and #37 on the global Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

“Finally! To celebrate its 20th anniversary, we’re releasing our Pacifier album on vinyl!! This super deluxe version is a thing of beauty and has been remastered to sound awesome! (Especially at high volume!) This very limited edition is gonna go quick so make sure you grab yours before they’re all gone!” Lead Singer, Jon Toogood says.

 The news of the special edition vinyl comes off the back of the recent announcement of the Shihad tour. With New Zealand’s return to the live music scene, Shihad will soon be touring their recent #1 2021 album OLD GODS; a long overdue opportunity for the band to reconnect with their fans. Ready to rock n roll – the band has a lot to celebrate.

The post SHIHAD CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF ‘PACIFIER’ appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Morcheeba announce the release of an exclusive Record Store Day 12″ Vinyl, ‘Blackest Blue – The Remixes’, which will include a progressive electronica / chill house remix of ‘Sounds Of Blue’ from producer Gui Boratto, whilst upcoming prolific producer and multi-instrumentalist  Kutiman reworks The Moon.

British giants of electronic music Orbital have also switched up the signature Morcheeba ‘chill’ vibe of ‘Namaste’ to an electronic drum and bass dancefloor stomper, with eccentric French musician and produer Voyou providing another take on The Moon.

The upcoming 12″ Vinyl follows the acclaimed release of Morcheeba’s 10-track Blackest Blue album in May 2021,.

Re-imagined by an impressive array of international producers and remixers, ‘Blackest Blue – The Remixes’, is the perfect accompaniment and extension of the full-length project This package, and signifies the enduring legacy of Morcheeba.

After having to postpone their live tour dates, Morcheeba will finally be able to celebrate the release of their latest studio album Blackest Blue.

The Blackest Blue UK tour, a celebration of 25 years of Morcheeba, will see the band headlining Birmingham’s O2 Academy on Wednesday 4th May 2022, Manchester’s Academy on Thursday 5th May, London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Saturday 7th May and Brighton’s Chalk on Wednesday 11th May.

This summer Morcheeba will play festivals across UK and Europe, In the UK Morcheeba will perform at High Tide Festival in Bournemouth, Readipop Festival in Reading, Sin City in Swansea, Mid Wales Pavilion in Llandrindod Wells, Cheese & Grain in Frome, The Great Estate Festival in Cornwall.

Morcheeba’s global reach is impressive, taking them to every corner of the world.

Their signature chilled electronic / organic sound has been border-hopping ever since the London-based band emerged as a household name. Their latest album Blackest Blue is a refined collection that fuses previous incarnations and sound of the band – such as downbeat, chill, electro-pop & soul – into one cohesive record that delves into the soul of the band’s genre-mashing musical heritage.

Morcheeba will release Blackest Blue – The Remixes as an Exclusive Record Store Day 12″ Vinyl available on 18th June 2022 at independent record shops globally.

The post MORCHEEBA ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE RECORD STORE DAY 12″ VINYL appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Experimental psych-rock-synthwave trio MCP are releasing their debut self-titled EP via streaming platforms and a physical vinyl edition.

The vinyl package, with a limited run of only 150 records, is a throwback to the iconic newsagency and comic book store record/book combos of the 70’s and 80’s, and will be available only at independent record stores across the country.

Included in the package is a ten-page graphic comic-style novel (written by Wes, the bass-player of the band, that tells the story of a great battle to save planet Earth, leading to alien abductions, secret underwater pyramids, a giant she-hulk warrior and the greatest concert never performed). A car air freshener (with artwork by Sindy Sinn), and a sticker pack including artworks by artists from each previous MCP release (Sindy Sinn, Nick Potts, Ben Toupein, Jeremy Lord, Jeswri, Steven Dai).

The six track EP is best described as a cinematic space odyssey – mysterious, genre-defying and retro and futuristic at the same time. It includes two unreleased songs: ‘Master Control’, a Stranger Things meets Star Wars epic banger, showcasing the band’s genetic make up: drums, bass and a tonne of synth.

The second is ‘The Blade’, a Samurai’s delight, an homage to the classic 80’s Chinatown, Kung Fu and Karate action movies. Both new songs were mixed and mastered at Studios 301.

Wes explains, “I watched American Ninja 1 and 2  hundreds of times as a kid, so I wanted to make a song that paints a picture of Ninjas dressed in black, gearing up to do some bad shit – it’s the bad guy song, a song for the villains reaping revenge”.

MCP releases Friday, 22nd April, 2022 and record stores on Record Store Day, Saturday 23rd April, 2022.

The post MCP RELEASE DEBUT SELF-TITLED EP appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The post CRAFT RECORDINGS ANNOUNCES 12 EXCLUSIVE VINYL RELEASES appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Since erupting onto the NZ music scene in the early 2000’s, Elemeno P have amassed fans the length of the country, who will be thrilled at the news that the band are finally releasing their first three hit albums on vinyl.

In celebration of the announcement, the band will also be embarking on The HIGH FIDELITY VINYL RELEASE TOUR spanning 14-dates around New Zealand and kicking off on Waiheke Island Saturday February 6th, 2021.

Taking you back to your early 2000’s, Elemeno P will bring their fans all the hits, including legendary tunes such as Verona, Every Day’s A Saturday, Fast Times in Tahoe and “11.57” followed. Fronted by the charismatic Dave Gibson, along with Scotty Pearson, Justyn Pilbrow and Lani Purkis, Elemeno P make a welcome return to the stage this summer.

Love & Disrespect, Trouble in Paradise and Elemeno P will all be available on vinyl from February 2021.

Here’s where you can catch ELEMENO P:

– Saturday 6 February 2021 at the Artworks Theatre in Waiheke Island
– Sunday 7 February 2021 at the Waihi Beach Hotel in Waihi Beach
– Thursday 25 February 2021 at San Fran in Wellington
– Friday 26 February 2021 at The Royal in Palmerston North
– Saturday 27 February 2021 at the Cabana in Napier
– Thursday 4 March 2021 at The Tuning Fork in Auckland
– Friday 5 March 2021 at the Howick Club in Howick
– Saturday 6 March 2021 at Totara St in Mt Maunganui
– Saturday 13 March 2021 at the Wild Food Festival in Hokitika
– Friday 19 March 2021 at The Factory in Hamilton
– Saturday 20 March 2021 at The Brownzy in Browns Bay
– Thursday 25 March 2021 at the Mornington Tap House in Dunedin
– Friday 26 March 2021 at the Oamaru Club in Oamaru
– Saturday 27 March 2021 at the Good Home in Christchurch

Everyone that works on STG is a volunteer. If you like the site and its contents please think about donating. Even a small amount helps keep the servers running.

The post ELEMENO P TO RELEASE ON VINYL appeared first on Shane the Gamer.