Hurricane, The Music of the Scorpions – Buffalo, NY

Hurricane Promo video for the June 12th show w/Octane V2 at Iron Smoke Distillery, Fairport NY

Promo video for the May 9th 2025 show at The Stage in Williamsville, NY

Though they initially struggled to follow up The Dark Side Of The Moon, Pink Floyd proved they were up to the task in 1975 with Wish You Were Here. Like its predecessor, a 50th anniversary celebration is in order, with respect to new mixes, previously unreleased tracks, and enough goodies to fill three LPs, two CDs, a box set, and a single Blu-ray Disc. Together and separately, this is Wish You Were Here 50.

In addition to the original album, you get 25 bonus tracks — nine studio outtakes and 16 live tracks from Floyd’s Los Angeles Sports Arena concert on April 26, 1975, captured by DYI taper Mike Millard. This is the first time Millard’s recordings are seeing official release. If you pick up the deluxe box set, you’ll get all the extras, plus a fourth clear vinyl LP, Live At Wembley 1974, a replica Japanese single of “Have A Cigar” and “Welcome To The Machine,” hardcover book with photographs and liner notes, comic book, Knebworth concert poster, the usual accoutrements. The 2011 Immersion box set of Wish You Were Here had much of the same material, with added swag like marbles (!) and a scarf. There’s always a trade-off.

Wish You Were Here is arguably the last Pink Floyd album where Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason were in total synchronization. There was disagreement early on about what it should be — a regular collection of songs or a conceptual piece? Inevitably, an idea around the demands and futility of the music business was adopted. The group’s former frontman Syd Barrett was cast as the ultimate victim. He even made an appearance at the sessions to confirm it.

Waters’ lyrics addressing the plight of his old friend and bandmate framed by Gilmour’s four-note motif and Wright’s multi-layered keyboards turned “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” into an instant classic. The nine-part opus is split in half with Parts I-V beginning the record and Parts VI-IX finishing it off. In between, there’s Waters’ dystopian “Welcome To The Machine” whirling around layers of synths. “Have A Cigar” kicks in with a snarl that only an outsider like Roy Harper could muster. The album’s title track is a simple Gilmour acoustic piece with succinct lines from Waters like “We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl” that encapsulate the entire essence of the record. As poetic and hopeful as it is melancholic and sad.

On the Wish You Were Here 50 Blu-ray Disc, the album’s 1975 stereo mix, 1976 quad mix, and 2009 5.1 mix, which were all featured in the Immersion box, are joined by Steven Wilson’s 2025 Atmos mix. If you have the right system, sampling the three multi-channel mixes provides insights you may not have heard before. They each successfully enhance the album’s ambience and sonic blast to infinite possibilities.

Wilson took on a second assignment of cleaning up the live recordings. Pink Floyd apparently didn’t bother to properly record any of their shows from 1975, so the underworld was scoured for a decent audience recording. Mike Millard’s tape from the Los Angeles Sports Arena is regarded by Pink Floyd fans and bootleg enthusiasts as one of the best (though strong arguments can be made for tapes from Boston Gardens and Ivor Wayne Stadium in Hamilton, Canada, the final stop on the tour). Millard’s stealth taping methodology, meticulous nature, and reputation within the bootleg community loom large over the legacy of this particular show, so it only made sense for Wilson to apply what he calls a little “fairy dust” without the aid of gimmicky AI on a low-generation recording sourced from a TDK 90-minute cassette tape. The results are impressive. An A/B test between the original Millard recording (see YouTube) and the Wilson upgrade reveals a wider stereo spread, heavier bass, more clarity on the drums, and a general improvement on the overall aural atmosphere. Not having to suffer through the three minutes of tuning that appears on the original tape is a nice bonus.

Two sets of rarities offer alternate, demos, and different takes of each of the album’s songs. The “Wine Glasses” portion of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” is the first of two other versions — an early instrumental mix and a new stereo mix with all nine parts joined together. Novel as it is, the original album’s fade out of the first half into “Welcome To The Machine” and then from “Wish You Were Here,” a fade into the second half is a tough cycle to break. Especially if you listen to the album with any frequency.

The alternate of “Have A Cigar” with both Waters and Gilmour cojoined on the lead vocals explains the line in the sand over who in the group should have sang it. It’s just not that easy to shake off Harper from the final product. The demos for “Welcome To The Machine” represent the song’s development, while the instrumental mix of “Wish You Were Here” with a touch of pedal steel is a strong reminder of just how tightly balanced the melody and structure are. You could almost say the same about the other version featuring violinist Stéphane Grappelli.

The Immersion box set has three additional live tracks — “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” “Raving And Drooling” and “You’ve Got To Be Crazy” — originally recorded for the BBC in 1974. The Wish You Were Here 50 deluxe box set has a fourth LP with the Wembley “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” on one side and “You’ve Got To Be Crazy” on the other. It’s another trade-off to keep Pink Floyd hardcores scrambling to fill gaps in their collections.

The Blu-ray is rounded out with videos that include concert films of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and “Welcome To The Machine,” plus a short film by Storm Thorgerson, one half of the Hipgnosis design group responsible for many of Pink Floyd’s album covers and iconic imagery. Even though the films are dated, they provide a visual element to music already blooming with cinematic tendencies. Without any actual watchable concert footage from 1975, it’s about the best you can expect.

Wish You Were Here 50 is the last entry for 2025 in the continuing stream of Pink Floyd reissues. As Atmos mixes seem to be all the rage, the next logical multi-channel release is The Wall. James Guthrie’s 5.1 mix has been standing on deck for years, and one can only imagine what sort of Atmos “fairy dust” Steven Wilson could add to the album’s bluster and thrust. Add that and whatever else they might do to Meddle or Obscured By Clouds. Even The Final Cut is a viable candidate for expansion if Roger Waters has his way. If Sony has their way, the Pink Floyd catalog will keep “riding the gravy train” for as long as there’s an audience.

~ Shawn Perry

Purchase
Wish You Were Here 50

Good Day Noir Family,
Encountering Visions Through Amber for the first time feels like stepping into a carefully lit corridor between eras, cultures, and inner states.

Visions Through Amber is Noctæra’s Album Out Now

Right away, Noctæra establishes a distinct artistic identity, and the listener understands that this album is meant to be experienced as a whole rather than sampled casually.

The title track, Visions Through Amber, opens the album with a gentle yet evocative presence. The melody carries medieval and fantasy undertones, and consequently, it feels suited to a cinematic narrative. Soft instrumentation supports a vocal performance that balances sweetness with restraint, which in turn creates a sense of fragile intimacy. Rather than overwhelming the listener, the song invites patience and attention.

Soon after, A Little Peek introduces a more contemporary structure. While the verse leans toward accessible pop phrasing, the overall arrangement remains refined and controlled. As a result, the track feels modern without sacrificing depth. The chorus lifts gracefully, and therefore it reinforces Noctæra’s ability to merge clarity with elegance.

One of the album’s most striking moments arrives with La Machine Vibre. Here, violin lines bring in a subtle Balkan influence, and the song feels rooted in movement and place. The use of the French language adds theatrical tension, while the vocal phrasing feels expressive and deliberate. Moreover, the chorus unfolds with ritual-like intensity, drawing the listener deeper into the album’s emotional framework.

Later, Lalasomnia slows the pace again. The track unfolds like a nocturnal meditation, and it feels suspended in moonlight. Vocal ornaments appear sparingly, yet they shape the atmosphere with precision. Similarly, L’Inavouée explores a different palette, introducing Middle Eastern tonal colors. As the song builds gradually, the imagery becomes vivid, almost cinematic, like a desert journey seen through half-closed eyes.

The album closes with Requiem for the Lonesome, a piece that feels introspective and quietly unsettling. The vocal delivery is intimate, almost whispered. The song leaves a lingering impression. It reflects on isolation and routine, yet it avoids melodrama.

Overall, Visions Through Amber stands as a cohesive artistic statement. Although AI tools are part of the production process, their presence never feels cold or mechanical. On the contrary, Noctæra uses them with intention, and as a result the album communicates emotion, vision, and coherence.

Visions Through Amber is Noctæra’s Album Out Now!

Ethereal!

Visions Through Amber is Noctæra’s Album Out Now

Noctæra is an independent French artist who oversees every stage of her projects, from writing to final production. Her experimental style blends folk, pop and rock, oscillating between power and fragility. Passionate about emerging tools, and both a storyteller and motion designer, she creates the visual identity of her projects and draws on her sense of aesthetics and rhythm to develop hybrid variations integrating AI, which she mixes using professional digital tools, followed by a remastering process, to create tracks that merge innovation and emotion.

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Good Day Noir Family,
House Of Sweets by Izakman feels like an invitation into a strange, scented room where time bends and familiar rules quietly dissolve.

House Of Sweets is Izakman’s Single Out Now

Instead of easing the listener in, the track moves forward with urgency, driven by a restless rhythm that establishes a psychedelic tension.

Consequently, the mood turns vivid and slightly disorienting, as if the ground beneath your feet has shifted without warning.

The vocal entrance arrives with a ceremonial weight. Moreover, the delivery carries a prophetic tone that suggests guidance rather than narration. While subtle echoes of late-’60s psych rock surface, especially in the phrasing, the song never feels trapped in nostalgia. Rather, it balances vintage references with a modern edge, creating a bridge between eras. Meanwhile, the instrumentation continues to pulse, reinforcing the sense of movement and internal momentum.

As the song unfolds, the chorus introduces a surprising contrast. Instead of escalating the tension, it opens into something more pastoral and hypnotic. Therefore, the listener experiences a moment of suspended calm, similar to stepping into a clearing after a dense forest. This shift feels intentional and thoughtful, giving the track emotional depth without softening its core identity. Additionally, the harmonic choices add a ritualistic quality that hints at trance-like traditions rather than standard rock structures.

Theatrical expression plays a central role throughout. However, it never crosses into excess. The vocal performance remains controlled, expressive, and immersive, guiding the song’s narrative arc. Likewise, the instrumental layers interact with purpose, each element supporting the overall vision instead of competing for attention. As a result, the track feels cohesive and deliberate.

Izakman delivers a bold, immersive piece that rewards attentive listening and repeated spins.

House Of Sweets is Izakman’s Single Out Now!

Hypnotic!

House Of Sweets is Izakman’s Single Out Now

Izakman is a singer-songwriter, composer and multidisciplinary artist blending psychedelic folk, theatrical rock and cinematic storytelling. Drawing inspiration from 60s–70s British psychedelia, folk mythology and modern sound design, his music explores inner worlds, desire, spirituality and the fragile relationship between humans and nature.
Alongside his artist work, Izakman composes for animation and children’s series, bringing narrative depth and emotional nuance into every project.

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Good Day Noir Family,
Listening to When U Were Mine by Ratfink! for the first time feels like stepping into a small, dimly lit room where every sound choice matters and nothing is wasted.

When U Were Mine is Ratfink!’s Album Out Now

This duo operates with instinct rather than rules, and that decision shapes the album’s identity in a very direct way.

Instead of chasing scale, they focus on feel, texture, and mood, and therefore the record pulls you in through subtle insistence rather than force.

The album opens with Won’t Wait Forever, driven by loose guitar strumming and a drum sound that immediately stands out. The snare is wide and open, while the kit leans heavily into high frequencies and sits low in the mix. As a result, the rhythm blends into the music rather than dominating it. Then the vocal arrives, intense and shadowy, carrying a presence that briefly recalls Lou Reed’s detached gravity, even though the voice belongs to Liv. That contrast works because it sets the tone early: familiar references filtered through a different lens.

About Ya shifts gears slightly. The tempo relaxes, and the song breathes more space into its rhythm. Meanwhile, layers of reverb stretch the sounds outward, creating the sense of a mirage forming and dissolving as you listen. It feels softer, yet it still holds tension. Plastic Bits then moves closer to the listener, placing the vocal right in front of you. The track leans into an alternative, retro character, and yet it avoids nostalgia for its own sake.

One of the strongest elements of this project is how Ratfink! play with space and production. The instrumentation remains minimal; however, the choices are deliberate and refined. As a result, the energy never drops. Keep Ya Dreams brings a heavier emotional weight, with the male vocal taking the lead. The atmosphere grows denser, still aligned with the duo’s aesthetic, but more urgent in tone. You might imagine the Ramones colliding with the Velvet Underground, then pushed into a slightly avant-garde direction that favors dusk-like moods over excess.

Marigolds opens with folk-leaning arpeggios and gentle strumming. Here, the interplay between male and female vocals creates something tender and fragile. The title track When U Were Mine closes the album with an engaging groove. The snare carries a hint of electronic white noise, the guitar strums with nervous energy, and the vocal builds gradually. By the end, emotion accumulates naturally rather than exploding all at once.

Ratfink! exist in a world of their own. There are no fixed boundaries here, only intuition guided by strong technical awareness. The result is an album that stays with you because it trusts atmosphere, restraint, and feeling above all else.

When U Were Mine is Ratfink!’s Album Out Now!

Instinctive!

When U Were Mine is Ratfink!’s Album Out Now

Ratfink! are Liv and Raph, high school friends turned housemates making DIY pop from their share house in Brunswick, Melbourne. Blending indie folk with dreamy textures, their music is both heartfelt and unfiltered. WHEN U WERE MINE was recorded with a fifty-dollar mic, a hundred-dollar guitar, and a laptop that permanently looks like it’s underwater after surviving a spilled beer. He swears the accident gave the recordings a little extra character.

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Good Day Noir Family,
There is an immediate sense of movement in Fires At Dawn, a track that refuses to sit still or play it safe.

Fires At Dawn is Crá Croí’s Single Out Now

 Crá Croí introduce their world with a driving rhythm that feels ritualistic rather than aggressive.

The bass steps forward early, confident and physical, while the drums follow with a steady pulse that suggests purpose instead of chaos. The song establishes tension without relying on excess volume.

However, what truly defines this single is its atmosphere. The guitars drift in with reverb-heavy lines that hover rather than strike, creating a hazy environment that feels nocturnal and slightly unsettling. Meanwhile, the production keeps everything grounded, never allowing the mix to become cluttered. Because of this restraint, every element earns its place, and every sound feels intentional.

When the vocals enter, the track shifts again. The delivery is low and minimal, almost prophetic in tone. Rather than dominating the arrangement, the voice blends into it, becoming another instrument in the ritual. Consequently, the lyrics feel less like a narrative and more like fragments of a larger emotional statement. This choice enhances the mystique and keeps the listener leaning in.

The chorus opens the space with layered harmonies that lift the mood without dissolving the darkness. The contrast works effectively, because the energy increases while the atmosphere remains controlled. Moreover, the bass continues to play a central role, sitting nearly level with the vocals and driving the track forward with quiet authority.

Later, subtle shifts in texture maintain interest without breaking immersion. The rhythm remains danceable, yet introspective. Therefore, Fires At Dawn succeeds as a physical experience and as a contemplative one. It invites movement, but it also rewards stillness.

In the end, Crá Croí present a song that feels ceremonial, modern, and deeply intentional. Rather than chasing trends, the duo carve out a space that feels personal and fully formed.

Fires At Dawn is Crá Croí’s Single Out Now!

Ritual!

Crá Croí (Irish for heartache or vexation of spirit, pronounced Craw Kree) is an Irish duo crafting cinematic, emotionally charged music rooted in ruin and renewal. Formed by RG (music, instruments, production) and CD (vocals, artwork, co-production), the project embraces a stark DIY ethos and a strong sense of atmosphere.

Their sound is spectral yet visceral—brooding synths and fractured guitars beneath vocals that drift through themes of despair, defiance, and survival, inhabiting the space between darkness and awakening.

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