From These Green Heights

The EVA labels were a group of sisterlabels made for compilations and Best-Of albums released as joint ventures between the national divisions of EMI, Virgin and Ariola. The label became active in 1984 but is now defunct in all countries. Early EVA albums were released with the logos of the three individual labels. Sometimes the label name EVA was not mentioned on those releases. Active from 1985 until 1997. In 1990 the labels Warner Music, Sony Music and Phonogram/Polydor founded Magnum as its counterpart.

It’s always interesting to see how instrument choices and production techniques can have such a strong effect on dating a band or album. Whether it’s the arena-sized, cannon-shot snare drums of the 1980s or the hyper-compressed, extended-range guitars of today, there are a host of characteristics within rock and metal that can instantly transport a listener into another landscape. Hexvessel, however, seem to have been frozen in time, specifically 1973. With their third LP, When We Are Death, this Finnish sextet have come back after four years with an organic and somewhat convincing throwback record that suffers from an unfortunate predilection for exact simulation of the past.

Sessions is Union Square Music’s 2CD urban and dance music range. Aimed at both the hardened dance music fan and the impulse purchaser, each Sessions title is packed full of hit singles, big club tracks and a choice selection of forgotten gems and underground classics picked out by our expert crate-digging compilers. Strong generic packaging including an outer slipcase, informative sleeve notes and a low price in the shops have made Sessions one of our most popular labels.