Dinked Special; Alongside a trio of new announcements, this week we have four new albums under the Dinked banner as part of the week’s new releases.
Having released three albums in Welsh and Cornish, Utopia is Gwenno Saunders’ first album recorded predominantly in English, and it is a proper swooner. Without ever playing out directly as a travelogue, it charts experiences across her life and how they have informed her. It is graceful stuff—calm, introspective, and delivered with such self-assuredness that there is much to discover on repeat plays. The deliciously opulent package really fits beautifully with the music too!
• Gold nugget vinyl*
• Gold mirror-board alternative artwork outer sleeve*
• Signed double-sided A4 playing card*
• Printed inner sleeve*
• 12” x 12” lyric sheet insert*
• Limited pressing of 1000*
All Smiles Tonight is the collaborative debut from Irish trio Poor Creature, and it's truly stunning stuff. Ruth Clinton, Cormac MacDiarmada, and John Dermody (of Landless and Lankum, respectively) have created something ancient yet weirdly modern and progressive, blending traditional drones with icy synth fills. Produced by the esteemed John ‘Spud’ Murphy, it honestly has so much going on. Highly recommended.
• Neon yellow LP*
• A5 booklet of lyrics / meanings / illustrations*
• Signed print - 21cm x 21cm*
• Numbered edition*
• Limited pressing of 600*
British singer, songwriter and producer Jessica Winter releases her debut album - My First Album - and it really is a happening in high pop maximalism! It takes sonic cues and inspirations from all sorts of pop of the last few decades, but it's the off kilter-moments of production that makes this one really stand out.
• Colour in colour, black & transparent vinyl*
• Rainbow gloss laminated sleeve with embossed artist name
• Signed unique Polaroid of Jessica in every album*
• Numbered edition*
• Limited pressing of 500*
London-based septet KOKOROKO return with their second LP - Tuff Times Never Last - and it really is a perfect summer banger. Pace wise it does get up to a real roll on occasion, but it’s more about the intensity and vibe that they keep going, like a hot sweaty club night with everything rasping. Everything down to Luci Pina’s lush artwork is just so vibrant, but that they can bring in that pensive energy too really is impressive. A shapeshifting album of jazz and soul vigour.
• “Hackney Sunset” purple/pink colour vinyl *
• Alternative artwork sleeve *
• A3 poster *
• Limited pressing of 700*
* EXCLUSIVE to Dinked Edition
A reminder that we made three forthcoming announcements this week for Home Counties, Hollie Cook and the maestro Mulatu Astatke. Keep those peepers peeled for more coming soon!