The Wire contributor and musician Noel Meek has announced he is launching a new label in partnership with Astral Spirits. Called God In The Music, it will be “a totally different feel” to his End Of The Alphabet imprint, says Meek. The first release will be From The Land Of The Wicked King, from the trio consisting of Meek himself, Arrington de Dionyso and Rodrigo Rico. It was recorded in Seattle “after a series of stonking gigs”, enthuses Meek. Future releases are all New Zealand/international collaborations, including one from Donald McPherson & Tetuzi Akiyama. “I like to think it's part of the internationalist strains of free music and it's definitely intended as an opening of musical borders while national borders are clamping down left right and centre (in all, it'll be a much more politically minded project),” concludes Meek.

From The Land Of The Wicked King will be released in early December.