From Depeche Mode to Ultimo: the week of live records

A week marked, in terms of record releases, by the return to the essence of music: the one that vibrates live, that breathes together with the public and that is imprinted on records destined to become testimonies. Among the most important releases this week, three live albums stand out, those by Depeche Mode, Nick Cave and Ultimo, which bring the energy of the stage back to the centre. Alongside them, new studio releases from Maneskin guitarist Thomas Raggi and Emis Killa. To complete a heterogeneous but coherent mosaic, the reprint, with remastered and unreleased audio, of “What happens in the city” by Vasco Rossi.

Vasco Rossi – “What happens in the city – 40th RPlay Edition”

After those of “Vado al massimo”, “Bollicine” and “Okay, okay like this”, the “40th RPlay Edition” series dedicated to the reissues – with remastered audio – of Vasco’s most iconic records continues with “What happens in the city”. The release moves the hands of time back forty years and takes fans of the Zocca rocker back to 1985, the year in which the Komandante released the album of “Toffee”, “T’immagini” and “Ti taglio la throat”. Inspired in part by his prison experience (in 1984 during a search of a farmhouse in Casalecchio, where he lived with his band, he handed over 26 grams of cocaine to the police and spent 22 days in prison on charges of possession of cocaine and non-profit dealing), the album returns in the form of a box set with remastered audio from the original tapes, an unreleased one (i.e. the new version of one of the nine songs originally included in the disco), a new book-interview by Gianni Poglio with over 100 pages of exclusive and unpublished photos from the time and a card to access the exclusive contents.

Depeche Mode — “Memento Mori: Mexico City”

“Memento Mori: Mexico City” is the new live album by Depeche Mode recorded during the world tour dedicated to the album “Memento Mori”. The project captures the Mexico City stop, among the most popular and warmest of the entire tour. The tracklist combines classics and recent songs, offering a broad picture of the band’s current sound identity. The release also includes a selection of bonus tracks from the tour sessions, previously unreleased material that expands the project beyond the purely live dimension. The result is a document of the band’s artistic moment, between memory, continuity and renewal.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — “Live God”

“Live God” documents The Wild God 2024-2025 tour, capturing the energy of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ most recent concerts. The setlist includes eighteen songs that mix the historical repertoire and pieces taken from the latest studio album. The project aims to restore the emotional power of live performance, with dry arrangements and a lot of attention to the intensity of the performance. Cave described the album as an attempt to capture on tape “an antidote to despair,” reflecting the cathartic power of his shows. The album will be available on digital, double CD and double vinyl.

Thomas Raggi – “Masquerade”

Victoria De Angelis has given herself to techno, Damiano David has rediscovered his pop essence. Among Maneskin, Thomas Raggi takes care of remaining anchored to the roots of the band, the sacred fire of rock. The guitarist releases his debut solo album, “Masquerade”. It is produced by none other than Tom Morello, guitarist of Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave and Prophets of Rage, who promises: “Maneskin’s young audience has already been exposed to the charms of rock’n’roll. This project takes it a step further, helping Thomas bring new and exciting rock into 2025.” The project is huge. The eight songs that compose it were recorded together with artists such as Serge Pizzorno of Kasabian, Nick Chester of Jet, Luke Spiller of the Struts and Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, the singers of the most loved and influential bands in world rock. Not only that: Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Guns N’ Roses Matt Sorum also play on “Masquerade”, as well as Prodigy singer Maxim, Japanese bassist Hama Okamoto and American rocker Upsahl. On paper it will be one of the most talked about rock records of recent years.

Ultimo – “Last live stadiums 2025 – The fairy tale continues”

Second live album in ten years of career for Ultimo. “Ultimo live stadi 2025” is the recording of the concerts that this summer saw the Roman singer-songwriter perform in front of over 400 thousand spectators in total. The album arrives just six months after “Ultimo live stadi 2024 – La favola continua” and represents a further step forward in the maneuvers leading up to the mega event which on 4 July 2026 will see the voice of “I Tui Particulars” enter the history of Italian music, becoming the artist to have performed in front of the largest number of paying people in a single event, the 250,000 for whom he will sing in Tor Vergata.

Emis Killa — “Sad Music”

The album marks the return of Emis Killa with a new album over two years after the last release “Effetto notte”. The project, the thirteenth of his career including albums, mixtapes and EPs, is presented as a synthesis of his most recurring themes: anger, melancholy, introspection and a direct approach to writing. The rapper anticipated a “sharp” mood, perhaps more faithful to his rap language than to his pop incursions. Will it be like this? The release follows the concert at Fiera Milano and several collaborations, which brought attention back to his path. The album arrives in multiple formats, including special vinyl and collector’s versions, a sign of the importance also attributed to the physical dimension of the project.