Label

CR092 | RAGANA – You Take Nothing | 12″ LP

Queer antifascist black metal/doom from so-called oakland, ca & olympia, wa. The breathtaking second vinyl album (and fourth full-length) from Oakland’s RAGANAa, a female two-piece whose members alternate duties on drums, guitar, and vocals to produce some of the most unique and affecting dark music being made today. Originally coming togaether in the DIY punk scene of Olympia, Washington, Ragana draw upon a number of influences from the flora and fauna of their Pacific Northwest origins to the darkly nostalgic folk of Mt. Eerie and, yes, their Olympian forebearers Wolves In The Throne Room, synthesizing them into an experimental, highly idiosyncratic take on black metal. Held together by an intense focus on raw emotion and haunting atmospherics, Ragana shifts seamlessly from tender, mesmerizing vocal harmonies to piercing, heart-ripping shrieks and back again. Heavy, dark, beautiful and punishing.

Originally released by An Out Recordings in 2017

1^st Press: 500x Black 12” Vinyl / 180gr. (Dec 2022)

CR091 | RAGANA – Wash Away | 12″ LP

An expansive, stunning masterpiece of left-field black metal and doom, Wash Away is the first vinyl release from RAGANA, a female two-piece whose members alternate duties on drums, guitar, and vocals to produce some of the most unique and affecting dark music being made today. Originally coming together in the queer punk scene of Olympia, Washington, Ragana draw upon a number of influences from the flora and fauna of their Pacific Northwest origins to the darkly nostalgic folk of MT. Eerie and, yes, their Olympian forebearers Wolves In The Throne Room, synthesizing them into an experimental, highly idiosyncratic take on black metal. Held together by an intense focus on raw emotion and haunting atmospherics, Ragana shifts seamlessly from tender, mesmerizing vocal harmonies to piercing, heart-ripping shrieks and back again. Following up on two immensely popular full-length cassettes, Wash Away represents a major leap forward for the band, their first vinyl release complemented by the massive production of GREG WILKINSON (Brainoil, Noothgrush, Vastum) and mastering by JAMESPLOT KIN (Khanate).​

1^st Press: 500x Black 12” Vinyl / 180gr. (Dec 2022)

CR090 | POSY – Bongga Ka Dai | 12″

Posy is a Band from Olympia, WA. Uncomfortable Noisepunk that leaves you stunning and speechless. Crusty and crunchy. Bratty and brilliant.Fresh, inventive and constantly surprising, this is heavy music done right. Ffo:Cerce, Huggy Bear, Early 90s

1^st Press: 200x Black 12” Vinyl (Nov. 2022)

CR089 | MORGANA Contemporaneita | LP

Morgana is a four-piece post punk/cold wave band born prior to the pandemic. Originating
from the vibrant DIY counterculture that is the city of Firenze, Italy. Morgana’s vocals are in
both French and Italian- punctuating the melodic guitars with articulated, thought provoking
lyrics which encapsulate the post punk spirit; alongside a healthy distaste for the world as it
stands. The “Contemporaneità” album is a mix of re-recorded demo tracks, two singles and a
brand new track “Arianne”
Hate fascism – love punx

https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=102244620/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/

CR088 | INFANT SANCHOS Schäume | LP

Neukölln 2022. Der Rauch brennender Oszillatoren steigt über den Dächern auf. Es stampft,
schreit; in der Ferne nölt ein Saxophon durch die Straßenschluchten. Was die Welt jetzt
braucht, ist eine weitere Langspielplatte von Infant Sanchos, diesen sympathischen
Abstiegsfiguren ohne Festanstellung. Look no further, ihr erniedrigten, verächtlichen,
geknechteten und verlassenen Wesen: Belastende Musik ist wieder tanzbar.

http://infantsanchos.bandcamp.com

1 st Press: 300x DirtRose 12” Vinyl (November 2022)

CR087 | GLASSES Compendium | 2xLP

There was a time when there was no way around GLASSES. I think everyone who’ve been
involved in the European hardcore scene around the year 2010 was totally blown away by
their furious fast Hardcore Punk and their excessive live shows. In the short time of four
years they recorded two 12” Records and a split 7” with Comadre, which they shared the
tour van not only at one occasion. Formed by (ex-)members of Trainwreck, The F.A, Perth
Express and The 244GL they brought together the passion for dark and crushing Hardcore
with a good sense of metal infused still driving riffing, heavy drumming and powerful vocals.
With vocalists Sam moving to the US it became a bit quiet around the band in the last years.
During the months of the pandemic they started being creative again, writing and recording
new stuff. Contraszt! Records is excited to the bone to release their complete musical output
– now remastered and remixed as “Compendium” on heavy double 180gr. 12” vinyl with
stunning new artwork by Samantha Muljat and a limited edition on transparent vinyl.
Remastered by Brad Boatright and Remixed by David Deutsch

1st Press (June 2021):
150x Transparent / Clear Vinyl
350x Black Vinyl

https://glasseshc.bandcamp.com/

CR086 | CINDER WELL The Unconscious Echo | LP

Cinder Well is the project of multi-instrumentalist Amelia Baker. In the early twenty-tens
when she lived in Santa Cruz, CA, she played in the dark-folk group the Gembrokers and was
a member of Blackbird Raum. Both bands were touring the emerging anarcho folk scene in
Europe in 2013 when they met the folks of Lankum. This encounter proved quite influential
and after collaborating on an album together Amelia eventually moved to Ireland to study
Irish traditional music.

By the sound of it alone, a voice, two violins, resonator guitar, its folky instrumentation and
traditional feel ‘The Unconscious Echo’ could be described as a ’timeless’ folk record. But the
slower pace and drawing out of tones with a shruti box and long stretched string sounds,
make it a dark and modern variation on a traditional theme. It is also a record (and this
might sound hyperbolic, but just wait for it) that could have only been made after the
Holocaust. In the title track Amelia lets us in on what she has come to understand about the
passing down of generational trauma.

That is what the ‘Unconscious Echo’ is, and what it is echoing with is truly horrific.
Amelia describes herself and her music as antifascist, she shares a personal perspective
coming from a non-religious Jewish background with a keen understanding of
white/cis/privilege. This activist approach is very intrinsic to the kind of musical and political
scene she is a part of, like Vradiazei, and Anna Vo and her former Gembrokers’ band mate
Burl Wood of Byssus.

‘The Unconscious Echo’ is a beautifully arranged and very deliberate record. There’s parts
where you can almost hear the space surrounding the musicians. And there’s big
crescendo’s with Amelia’s voice filling the room right after it with the same intent. There’s so
much beauty and elegance in her painful storytelling, you feel like it’s not a safe place to go
at all, but it’s definitely safer with her.

‘This record is for you if you like your lyrics dark, your folk doomy, your melodies haunting
and your musicians outspoken.’

The Unconscious Echo’ is Cinder Well’s first full-length. It was recorded in 2018 by Nick
Wilbur at the UNKNOWN studio in Anacortes.

1 st Press: 300x Black 12” Vinyl / 180gr. (February 2021)
2 nd Press: 300x Black 12” Vinyl (June 2022)

https://cinderwell.bandcamp.com/album/the-unconscious-echo