Originally released in 1974, Promised Heights marked the final album in Cymande’s original trilogy — a powerful culmination of their unique sound and vision. Drawing deeply from their Caribbean roots, the band blended funk, soul, reggae, jazz, and African rhythms into a style they called “Nyah-rock” — spiritual, socially aware, and rhythmically rich.

Now remastered at Abbey Road Studios, this CD edition breathes new life into Cymande’s most expansive and mature work. Tracks like “Brothers on the Slide” and “The Recluse” showcase their tight grooves, mellow basslines, and conscious lyricism, while the album’s deep cuts continue to resonate with warmth and urgency.

Though under-recognized in the UK at the time, Promised Heights helped solidify Cymande’s cult status in the U.S. and beyond, especially within hip-hop and rare groove circles. Their music would go on to be sampled by legends like The Fugees, De La Soul, and Gang Starr — proof of their lasting impact across genres and generations.

More than just a closing chapter, Promised Heights is a soulful statement of resilience, unity, and transcendence — a timeless listen from one of the most sampled and influential bands in modern music history.

1. Pon de Dungle
2. Equatorial Forest
3. Brothers On The Slide
4. Changes
5. Breezeman
6. Promised Heights
7. Losin’ Ground
8. Leavert
9. The Recluse
10. Sheshamani

Following the groundbreaking success of their debut, Cymande returned in 1973 with Second Time Around — an album that further cemented their status as pioneers of black British music. Drawing from their Guyanese and Jamaican heritage, the band delivered another powerful fusion of funk, soul, reggae, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms — a genre-defying sound they proudly called “Nyah-rock.”

Now remastered at Abbey Road Studios, this CD edition brings new depth and clarity to the album’s hypnotic grooves and socially conscious lyrics. Tracks like “Fug” and “Willie’s Headache” showcase Cymande’s signature blend of laid-back funk and spiritual energy, while “Trevorgus” and “Bird” highlight their psychedelic edge and intricate musicianship.

Though underappreciated in their native UK at the time, Second Time Around found a cult following in the U.S., becoming a hidden gem among crate-diggers and hip-hop producers. Cymande’s influence lives on in the work of artists like De La Soul, The Fugees, and DJ Kool Herc, with their tracks endlessly sampled and revered across generations.

Whether you’re discovering Cymande for the first time or revisiting a classic, this remastered edition is the definitive way to experience the rich, rhythmic legacy of Second Time Around.

1. Anthracite
2. Willy’s Headache
3. Genevieve
4. Trevorgus
5. To You
6. For Baby Ooh
7. FUG
8. Crayshaw
9. Bird
10. Them and U

With the release of their self-titled debut album in 1972, Cymande emerged as innovators of the black British music scene. Taking influences from their Guyanese and Jamaican roots, the band fused reggae bass lines, Afro-tinged Nyabinghi percussion, psychedelic touches, and American-style funk into a unique sound they’ve since dubbed as “Nyah-rock.” While they were embraced in the US, back home they were largely ignored and soon forgotten by a music business beset by prejudice against homegrown black talent.

Cymande split in 1975 after releasing three albums in quick succession, but their music lived on as successive generations of artists and fans found and embraced their songs. Their far-reaching influence can be heard in the countless samples taken from their music over the last four decades, from pioneering DJs like DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash, to De La Soul, The Wu-Tang Clan, Gang Starr, EPMD, Sugar Hill Gang, Fatboy Slim, and The Fugees — to name a few. They stand today as one of the most revered and sampled bands in the history of Hip Hop, House, and Dance.

1. Zion I
2. One More
3. Getting It Back
4. Listen
5. Rickshaw
6. Dove
7. Bra
8. The Message
9. Rastafarian Folk Song
10. Friends
11. Mighty Heavy Load

Dance, No One’s Watching is an ode to the sacred, yet joyous act of dancing, an album that musically guides you through a night out in the city, from the opening of possibilities as a new evening spans out ahead, to dawn’s final hours as the night comes to a close.

Written during a blistering 2023 which saw Ezra Collective tour the world, and become the first jazz act to win the Mercury Prize, Dance, No One’s Watching is a documentation of the many dance floors they encountered. From London to Chicago, Lagos to Sydney, dance and rhythm connect us. These songs are a testament to that spirit.

The album was recorded at Abbey Road studios, where the band was surprised by a group of close friends and family, turning the sessions into a live communal celebration of love, music, and dancing.

Dance, No One’s Watching is a record that speaks to the unifying power of dance. Set for release in September 2024, it is a powerful and distinctive addition to a catalogue that continues to blaze a bold new trail in contemporary British music.

A1. Intro
A2. The Herald
A3. Palm Wine
A4. God Gave Me Feet For Dancing (feat. Yazmin Lacey)

B1. Ajala
B2. The Traveller
B3. N29

C1. No One’s Watching Me (feat. Olivia Dean)
C2. Hear My Cry
C3. Shaking Body
C4. Expensive

D1. Streets is Calling (feat. M.anifest & Moonchild Sanelly)
D2. Why I Smile
D3. Have Patience
D4. Everybody

Dance, No One’s Watching is an ode to the sacred, yet joyous act of dancing, an album that musically guides you through a night out in the city, from the opening of possibilities as a new evening spans out ahead, to dawn’s final hours as the night comes to a close.

Written during a blistering 2023 which saw Ezra Collective tour the world, and become the first jazz act to win the Mercury Prize, Dance, No One’s Watching is a documentation of the many dance floors they encountered. From London to Chicago, Lagos to Sydney, dance and rhythm connect us. These songs are a testament to that spirit.

The album was recorded at Abbey Road studios, where the band was surprised by a group of close friends and family, turning the sessions into a live communal celebration of love, music, and dancing.

Dance, No One’s Watching is a record that speaks to the unifying power of dance. Set for release in September 2024, it is a powerful and distinctive addition to a catalogue that continues to blaze a bold new trail in contemporary British music.

1. Intro
2. The Herald
3. Palm Wine
4. God Gave Me Feet For Dancing (feat. Yazmin Lacey)
5. Ajala
6. The Traveller
7. N29
8. No One’s Watching Me (feat. Olivia Dean)
9. Hear My Cry
10. Shaking Body
11. Expensive
12. Streets is Calling (feat. M.anifest & Moonchild Sanelly)
13. Why I Smile
14. Have Patience
15. Everybody

With X’s, Cigarettes After Sex finally takes center stage as not just one of today’s preeminent indie bands, but as one of the most globally accomplished acts across any genre, whose often unconventional path to superstardom has helped reshape the very definition of success for artists in the modern era.

Filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slowburn pop songs, bandleader Greg Gonzalez captures every emotion a romantic arc inspires. But where previous albums have drawn from an amalgam of relationships, for the most part, X’s centralizes on just one relationship that spanned four years. “The record feels brutal,” admits Gonzalez. “I could sit and talk about this loss to someone, but that wouldn’t scratch the surface. I have to really write about it, sing about it, have the music, and then I can start to analyze and learn from it. Or just relive it—in a good way. I don’t have that Eternal Sunshine-thing of wanting to forget.”

While continuing to observe classic pop song structures, Gonzalez has moved away from the prior sonic touchstones of the ’50s and ’60s, finding himself now drawn to a ’70s/’80s slow dance. While (in typical Cigarettes style) these changes may be subtle, the overall resulting energy is akin to disco ball-refracted tears on the dance floor.

A1: X’s
A2: Tejano Blue
A3: Silver Sable
A4: Hideaway
A5: Holding you, Holding me

B1: Dark Vacay
B2: Baby Blue Movie
B3: Hot
B4: Dreams From Bunker Hill
B5: Ambien Slide

With X’s, Cigarettes After Sex finally takes center stage as not just one of today’s preeminent indie bands, but as one of the most globally accomplished acts across any genre, whose often unconventional path to superstardom has helped reshape the very definition of success for artists in the modern era.

Filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slowburn pop songs, bandleader Greg Gonzalez captures every emotion a romantic arc inspires. But where previous albums have drawn from an amalgam of relationships, for the most part, X’s centralizes on just one relationship that spanned four years. “The record feels brutal,” admits Gonzalez. “I could sit and talk about this loss to someone, but that wouldn’t scratch the surface. I have to really write about it, sing about it, have the music, and then I can start to analyze and learn from it. Or just relive it—in a good way. I don’t have that Eternal Sunshine-thing of wanting to forget.”

While continuing to observe classic pop song structures, Gonzalez has moved away from the prior sonic touchstones of the ’50s and ’60s, finding himself now drawn to a ’70s/’80s slow dance. While (in typical Cigarettes style) these changes may be subtle, the overall resulting energy is akin to disco ball-refracted tears on the dance floor.

A1: X’s
A2: Tejano Blue
A3: Silver Sable
A4: Hideaway
A5: Holding you, Holding me

B1: Dark Vacay
B2: Baby Blue Movie
B3: Hot
B4: Dreams From Bunker Hill
B5: Ambien Slide

With X’s, Cigarettes After Sex finally takes center stage as not just one of today’s preeminent indie bands, but as one of the most globally accomplished acts across any genre, whose often unconventional path to superstardom has helped reshape the very definition of success for artists in the modern era.

Filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slowburn pop songs, bandleader Greg Gonzalez captures every emotion a romantic arc inspires. But where previous albums have drawn from an amalgam of relationships, for the most part, X’s centralizes on just one relationship that spanned four years. “The record feels brutal,” admits Gonzalez. “I could sit and talk about this loss to someone, but that wouldn’t scratch the surface. I have to really write about it, sing about it, have the music, and then I can start to analyze and learn from it. Or just relive it—in a good way. I don’t have that Eternal Sunshine-thing of wanting to forget.”

While continuing to observe classic pop song structures, Gonzalez has moved away from the prior sonic touchstones of the ’50s and ’60s, finding himself now drawn to a ’70s/’80s slow dance. While (in typical Cigarettes style) these changes may be subtle, the overall resulting energy is akin to disco ball-refracted tears on the dance floor.

A1: X’s
A2: Tejano Blue
A3: Silver Sable
A4: Hideaway
A5: Holding you, Holding me

B1: Dark Vacay
B2: Baby Blue Movie
B3: Hot
B4: Dreams From Bunker Hill
B5: Ambien Slide

With X’s, Cigarettes After Sex finally takes center stage as not just one of today’s preeminent indie bands, but as one of the most globally accomplished acts across any genre, whose often unconventional path to superstardom has helped reshape the very definition of success for artists in the modern era.

Filled with raw, imagistic, sometimes smutty vignettes set to entrancing, slowburn pop songs, bandleader Greg Gonzalez captures every emotion a romantic arc inspires. But where previous albums have drawn from an amalgam of relationships, for the most part, X’s centralizes on just one relationship that spanned four years. “The record feels brutal,” admits Gonzalez. “I could sit and talk about this loss to someone, but that wouldn’t scratch the surface. I have to really write about it, sing about it, have the music, and then I can start to analyze and learn from it. Or just relive it—in a good way. I don’t have that Eternal Sunshine-thing of wanting to forget.”

While continuing to observe classic pop song structures, Gonzalez has moved away from the prior sonic touchstones of the ’50s and ’60s, finding himself now drawn to a ’70s/’80s slow dance. While (in typical Cigarettes style) these changes may be subtle, the overall resulting energy is akin to disco ball-refracted tears on the dance floor.

1: X’s
2: Tejano Blue
3: Silver Sable
4: Hideaway
5: Holding you, Holding me
6: Dark Vacay
7: Baby Blue Movie
8: Hot
9: Dreams From Bunker Hill
10: Ambien Slide