These all-new 3CD ‘Essential’ ranges bring together from some of our most-celebrated artists. Packaged in a slick and glossy gatefold sleeve.

The Young Schumann, the new release by British pianist Charles Owen, is a musical narrative of Robert Schumann's early career, featuring works written in the 1830s when the composer was in his 20s. His first two published works, Abegg Variations and Papillons, the impetuous six Intermezzi, Op. 4, and the characterful Carnaval, Op. 9, are all fuelled by some of Schumann's compositional hallmarks: his imagination and attraction to the fantastical, his love of ciphers and cryptograms, and his frequent quoting of each work within the others.

Fathers, gods, philosophers, emperors, sorcerers … The bass voice is typically used on the opera stage to convey nobility and authority. Although it often represent the resting and pivotal point of an entire opera, and its depth, power, and softness were regularly highlighted already in the Baroque period, bass singers are usually not the focus of attention. In this recital specially tailored for Nahuel Di Pierro, the bass voice, accompanied by the Ensemble Diderot, takes center stage. Through a journey across 100 years of opera history, the program showcases the range and brilliance of compositions for this voice. With his spectacular vocal range of two and a half octaves, Nahuel Di Pierro interprets the great arias from Seneca's death to Polyphemus from Handel's Aci, Galatea e Polifemo with exceptional sensitivity and mastery. And it wouldn't be Johannes Pramsohler and his Ensemble Diderot if the program didn't also include some spectacular new discoveries.

This is a work tailor-made for a choreographer, and once again I am struck by how visually Kverndokk composes, and with what agility.The source of inspiration here is stated by the composer himself: it is a tribute to Leonard Bernstein, inspired by maestro Bernstein’s symphony “The Age of Anxiety”.But what is impressive and fascinating is this: despite the nod to his hero in his themes that touch upon scenes in “West Side Story, such as “Mambo” and “The Rumble”, it is Kverndokk through and through, and not Bernstein.When all is said and done, I would like to quote Stephen Sondheim, who also wrote the lyrics to “West Side Story”, and the protagonist of his musical, “Sunday in the Park with George”: Finishing the hat, mapping out the sky! That is always what it’s about.The work was written during the pandemic, but it would be inappropriate to associate it with this period, for the dramatic scope of the work is larger than what the lockdown of the country gave us.

Bruce Springsteen once said he intended to make an album with words like Bob Dylan that sounded like Phil Spector where he sang like Roy Orbison, a nifty summary of many, but not all, of his artistic ambitions and a key to his appeal. Unlike any other singer/songwriters saddled with the appellation of "the new Dylan" in the early '70s,

House Nation Ibiza 2024 is the latest electrifying album released by Milk & Sugar, available through their own label, Milk&Sugar Rec. This compilation features a curated selection of top-notch house music tracks that will transport you straight to the heart of Ibiza's vibrant party scene. Experience the essence of Ibiza's legendary club culture with tracks carefully chosen by Milk & Sugar, known for their expert curation and exceptional taste in house.

Journey Não pare de acreditar! Uma das bandas de maior sucesso no início dos anos 1980, o Journey voltou às paradas em 2009 graças à inclusão da música “Don’t Stop Believin” na série Glee. Criado em San Francisco em 1973, o grupo conquistou um contrato com a gravadora Columbia no ano seguinte. Em 1975 foi lançado o primeiro álbum de estúdio, autointitulado, com uma sonoridade que mesclava o jazz e o rock progressivo. No fim dos anos 1970, a banda mudou seu som e incluiu elementos de pop e hard rock, o que fez com que seu quarto disco, Infinity, vendesse mais e chegasse ao 20º lugar da Billboard 200. Em 1981, o Journey lançou seu álbum mais popular, Escape, com os hits “Who’s Crying Now” e “Open Arms”. Entre diversas mudanças de formação, a banda lançou 16 álbuns, sendo Freedom, de 2022, o mais recente.

Voodoo Circle A German power metal band, Alex Beyrodt's Voodoo Circle is unapologetically rooted in the 1970s and early-'80s bluesy heavy metal of Rainbow, Whitesnake, and Deep Purple. Founded by the Silent Force/Primal Fear guitarist, the band swaggered onto the European rock scene with a self-titled 2008 album that buoyed its vintage influences with 21st century production techniques. Voodoo Circle's incessant touring, combined with the support of German radio and music journalists, won them prime live slots across the continent, and 2011's Broken Heart Syndrome reached the German Top Ten. Despite lineup changes and shifts in the dynamic and textural elements of their sound, the band's modus operandi remained consistent on 2015's Whisky Fingers, 2018's Raised on Rock, and 2021's Locked & Loaded. Guitarist and songwriter Alex Beyrodt was already enjoying a successful career when he founded Voodoo Circle in 2007. He had created the globally renowned neo-classical prog metal outfit Silent Force in 1999, and had released three successful albums.

Marco Beltrami composed the score for Blade II, the 2002 action-horror film directed by Guillermo del Toro. Beltrami's work on the soundtrack is known for blending orchestral elements with electronic and industrial sounds, perfectly complementing the movie's dark, intense atmosphere.The score is highly dynamic, featuring dramatic crescendos and eerie motifs that align with the film's vampire-themed narrative. Beltrami's collaboration with del Toro on Blade II marked the beginning of a strong partnership, as the composer went on to score other films by the director.

Mark Isham's score to the 1998 action hit Blade derives its sensibility from the comic books that brought the title character to life. A loud, violent work defined more by its sound effects than by its melodies, its crazy quilt of sonic elements adds up to a fractured, often unpleasant listening experience. Isham employs everything from massive orchestral passages to bleak synthesizer textures to piercing Middle Eastern vocals, and none of it fits comfortably together. There's an undeniable sense of energy and action pulsing through Blade, but while the music works within the context of the onscreen narrative, as an isolated listening experience it's an absolute mess.

Sodom Considered one of German thrash metal's "Big Four" along with Kreator, Tankard, and Destruction, Sodom is one of the genre's longest running and most influential bands. Emerging in the early 1980s, the group took cues from Mercyful Fate, Accept, and Venom, among others, and from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, to create a tougher, leaner form of metal. Landmark albums like Persecution Mania (1988) and Agent Orange (1989) followed, with later offerings such as Tapping the Vein (1992), Sodom (2006), Epitome of Torture (2013), and Genesis XIX (2020) introducing elements of death, crossover, and groove metal into the mix. Despite enduring multiple personnel changes, the band has remained continuously active, with bassist/vocalist Tom Angelripper serving as the only constant member.

Alexandre Desplat's sophisticated orchestral film scores are informed by influences spanning Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Georges Delerue, Bernard Herrmann, and António Carlos Jobim, as well as jazz and world music.

Following the success of his recording of J S Bach's Goldberg Variations on Odradek, Vincent van Amsterdam returns with music by Bach's contemporaries, Francois Couperin and Domenico Scarlatti, and by one of his most famous sons, C P E Bach.

Dune: Prophecy is an upcoming American science fiction television series developed by Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker for HBO. Set in Frank Herbert's Dune universe, the series focuses on the origins of the Bene Gesserit, a powerful social, religious, and political force whose members possess superhuman powers and abilities by undergoing years of intense physical and mental conditioning. Dune: Prophecy is positioned as a prequel series to the 2021 Denis Villeneuve film Dune, which adapts the first half the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, and takes place some 10,000 years before the events of the film.

A treasure trove of rarities and alternate versions of familiar songs from folk icon Melanie, including "The Nickel Song," "Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)" and "Brand New Key!" Not only does Melanie reimagine her own works but also the works of others offering superb covers of The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and more! An essential addition to any folk music lover's library!