Forced Exposure New Releases for the Week of 12/18/2023

 

PRICE: $25.50

CAT #: AUK 004LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress; black vinyl. Gatefold 180 gram double vinyl version. Truth in advertising: the Brian Jonestown Massacre's sophomore album does, as promised, spring forth from the Rolling Stones' long-underrated 1967 masterpiece Their Satanic Majesties Request, copping not only Mick and Keith's leering bad-boy attitude but also their rock-and-roll-circus spirit. Opening with the brilliant "All Around You (Intro)," a tongue-in-cheek guide to the mind-altering journey ahead, the record is a kaleidoscopic, drug-fueled freakout -- like the Stones' namesake album, Second Request is painted by Eastern drones and psychedelic tangents, each track bubbling with dozens of sound effects including sitars, mellotrons, farfisas, didgeridoos, tablas, congas, and glockenspiels. Travelling through the past, darkly, the Massacre arrives on the other side unscathed; their music is too rich to be merely retro, and too knowing to be merely slavish -- the Stones themselves haven't made a record this strong or entertaining in years.

 

PRICE: $25.50

CAT #: AUK 023LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress on black vinyl. 2LP version. Aufheben is an album by The Brian Jonestown Massacre, recorded in Berlin in Anton Newcombe's studio and the infamous East German Radio Station "Studio East." Featuring Matt Hollywood, an original member of the band. It also features Will Carruthers (Spacemen 3, Spiritualized), Constatine Karlis (Dimmer) and Thibault Pesenti (Rockcandys). Plus vocal performances by Eliza Karmasalo (in Finnish). This album brings the traditional Brian Jonestown Massacre sound mixed with Eastern influences and brings it up to date with the benefit of all the additional weirdness that's been discovered in the past 40 years.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: NMN 167LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Alga Marghen presents the previously unreleased Collage 2 and Collage 3 (Dies irae) for magnetic tape, both realized at the Studio di Fonologia Muisicale RAI in Milan with the technical collaboration of Marino Zuccheri. These pieces are precious testimonials to Aldo Clementi's intense and ongoing interest in electronic music in the 1960s. The electronic composition Collage 2 dates from 1960. It was the first experiment with electronic music for Clementi whose original and consistent adherence to structuralism is reflected in several of his instrumental works written around that time. The first idea of Collage 3 dates back to 1966, in the form of a short electronic collage on the Beatles' song "Michelle." The composer wanted to replace old concepts and clich?s which had become popular and common, through the use of "natural wells of timbre, live and organic, springing from a world of symmetry and fixed blocks." This original idea underwent a drastic transformation when the RAI (the Italian radio) commissioned Clementi to write a longer work. To his initial desire to start from scratch was added the problem of a longer duration. It was only when Clementi had almost completed the piece that he gave it its final title of "Dies irae," owing to the extreme tension that accompanied its composition.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: NMN 173LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Boston/Tenor/Index, presents for the first time some of the earliest works by the American composer Phill Niblock, including three never before released pieces: "Index" (1969), "Tenor," and "Boston III" (both from 1972). Until now, it's been impossible to encounter Niblock's compositions from earlier than the 1960s, a reality thankfully rectified by the long overdue publication of this Boston/Tenor/Index LP on Alga Marghen. "Tenor" (1972) represents the first evolution of Niblock's musical thought towards the aesthetics of microtones, overtones, and drones which the composer would develop in following decades. The piece was recorded by the photographer Martin Bough on tenor saxophone and gradually dubbed back and forth by the composer in his New York studio. "Boston III" (1972) was recorded at the Intermedia Sound studio in Boston with Rhys Chatham (flute, voice), Martin Bough (tenor saxophone), and Gregory Reeve (viola, voice); the composer himself also contributed with his voice. The LP also includes "Index" (1969), an improvised sound performance by the composer himself. Guitar (both its body and strings), fingers and fingering fuse in a vehement action around which barely listenable sounds and resonances vibrate. Considering the extended pulsation as an organic blend of impulse, rhythm, drive, strength, vitality and passion, the end of this sole solo in Niblock's complete oeuvre is not defined by the fixed duration of the piece but as the consequence of the tiredness of the performer. The music changes according to the loudness of playback. The interaction of the upper harmonics changes especially, with much richer overtone patterns being produced at louder levels. Edition of 450 copies, including an insert with liner notes and photo.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: BS 075LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

After his participation in a masterpiece such as Popol Vuh's Hosianna Mantra, in the early 1980s Klaus Wiese produced a series of seminal works in the field of ambient-drone and healing music. The first of these, Baraka, was released on tape by Acquamarin in 1981, and already contained all the aspects of his future research into the mysticism of sound. Wiese shares the path with other German explorers such as Hamel, Fricke, Micus, or Deuter, but he focuses his attention on the most essential nature of sounds, on their acoustic purity, which is always infinite spiral, vortex of frequencies and cosmic bath. It takes only a few means (zither, tampoura, cmybals, singing bowls) to reach the absolute through vibration. Like the archaic mood of a great universal harmony, the sound suggests a complete state of otherworldly meditation, an enveloping cloud of peace in the eternity of the present. The musician is only the one who distributes and directs the thickenings of ethereal matter, microtonal agglomerates, cascades of celestial harmonics and emotional floods, petals and stems of devotion.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: BS 077LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Giovanni Di Domenico has now achieved a personal and unmistakable style within contemporary minimalism. His music always expresses a state of concentration, of recollection and contemplation toward a focal node. Repetition is experienced as alchemical state, as truth contained in the small nuances of change, in a crescendo that never reaches a climax. The atmosphere is intuition and is made up of a few compositional touches. To compose is to make synthesis, to unearth purity, simplicity and exactness. This new work for solo piano is almost an imaginary novel... the notes seem to tell of deserted streets, lonely walks in the night or runs down stairs. In this sense the musician is the writer of silence and the fleeting moment. And so, amid slow chords like Chopin or Satie, moods oscillate between brio and allegro, evoking the lightness of love, greater sadness and melancholy, as well as more restless and agitated ostinatos, the product of a more cathartic worldview.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: BS 081CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1975. In the late 1960s, Antonio Infantino linked his name to the beat world and to Italian performance and gestural music circles (Bussotti, Chiari, Curran). A poet and singer, a tireless devotee of the musical traditions of Southern Italy, he focuses his research mainly on the mysterious phenomenon of Tarantismo, a cultural syndrome of hysterical type found in the Mediterranean air and made famous by the studies of Ernesto De Martino. With his group, Infantino twists and reinvents the traditional repertoire of Basilicata, creating an entirely new and original songbook. The music reflects the states of trance induced by the bite of the spider tarantula, with obsessive and hypnotic rhythms characteristic of the incandescent blood of the peasant world. A deep and universal human sound, it also takes its cues from Dylan's folk revolution and the frenetic drums of North Africa.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: BS 081LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Reissue, originally released in 1975. In the late 1960s, Antonio Infantino linked his name to the beat world and to Italian performance and gestural music circles (Bussotti, Chiari, Curran). A poet and singer, a tireless devotee of the musical traditions of Southern Italy, he focuses his research mainly on the mysterious phenomenon of Tarantismo, a cultural syndrome of hysterical type found in the Mediterranean air and made famous by the studies of Ernesto De Martino. With his group, Infantino twists and reinvents the traditional repertoire of Basilicata, creating an entirely new and original songbook. The music reflects the states of trance induced by the bite of the spider tarantula, with obsessive and hypnotic rhythms characteristic of the incandescent blood of the peasant world. A deep and universal human sound, it also takes its cues from Dylan's folk revolution and the frenetic drums of North Africa.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: BS 082CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1976. Folk Magic Band represents one of the most interesting and original, yet lesser-known experiences of the Italian jazz scene of the 1970s. In the legendary alternative environment of the Folk Studio in Rome, an open 18-members lineup is inspired by the free jazz of its time, a music that encompasses the whole world and its polychromy of sound. The echo seems to resonate the pan-ethnic motifs of Don Cherry and his Organic Music Society, but also the spiritual jazz of Pharoah Sanders and the orchestrations of the Sun Ra Arkestra. The textures chase a Chinese melody, ignite with African scents and South American jungles, flow into fusion violin drifts a la Archie Shepp's Attic Blues or Mingus-like orchestral sections. The fascination of this collective affair still strikes for its playful and ironic nature, still impressing for its strength and willingness to open and influence new directions.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: BS 082LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. Reissue, originally released in 1976. Folk Magic Band represents one of the most interesting and original, yet lesser-known experiences of the Italian jazz scene of the 1970s. In the legendary alternative environment of the Folk Studio in Rome, an open 18-members lineup is inspired by the free jazz of its time, a music that encompasses the whole world and its polychromy of sound. The echo seems to resonate the pan-ethnic motifs of Don Cherry and his Organic Music Society, but also the spiritual jazz of Pharoah Sanders and the orchestrations of the Sun Ra Arkestra. The textures chase a Chinese melody, ignite with African scents and South American jungles, flow into fusion violin drifts a la Archie Shepp's Attic Blues or Mingus-like orchestral sections. The fascination of this collective affair still strikes for its playful and ironic nature, still impressing for its strength and willingness to open and influence new directions.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: BT 111LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Following on from the psychoacoustic concr?te of Outside Ludlow/Desert Disco LP (BT 075LP, 2021), Sam Dunscombe returns to Black Truffle with Two Forests/Oceanic. Dunscombe has been active in recent years on multiple fronts, including as a key member of the Berlin community of Just Intonation researchers and practitioners; working with composers like Taku Sugimoto, Mary Jane Leach, and Anthony Pateras; and the release of Horatiu Radulescu - Plasmatic Music Vol. 1 (the result of many years performance research into the thought and music of this seminal Romanian spectralist). "Two Forests" begins in a central Californian sequoia grove. Bird songs and buzzing insect life are treated with a variety of time-based processing methods (slicing and recombination, primitive granular synthesis, delay, and so on), which strip the field recordings of their linear, documentary character, reframing them in an enchanted web of traces and echoes. Analyzing the pitches found in the original recordings, Dunscombe used them to generate a large Just Intonation pitch set. These tones are woven slowly into the field recordings, gradually building in density and complexity until the forest has been transformed into an unreal space of infinite proportions. On "Oceanic," several recordings of different beaches fade in and out to create a texture both homogenous and constantly shifting in both the rhythm of the waves and each recording's sense of depth and distance. Tones relating in simple ratios to the average rhythm of each beach float over each other, coloring the white noise texture of the field recordings with shifting hues. In both pieces, Dunscombe forgoes the easy consonance that bogs down much contemporary ambient music for a richer harmonic array informed by extended tuning practices and spectralism. The end results suggest a hitherto undreamt-of meeting of Radulescu's undulating sonic masses and the discreetly processed location recordings of Irv Teibel's "psychologically ultimate" environments. Looking beyond the insularity that can afflict experimental music culture, Dunscombe's work is a moving argument for the healing power of expanded approaches to sound and music. Even outside of a psychedelics-assisted therapy, frequent immersion in Two Forests/Oceanic is almost guaranteed to produce beneficial psychological results.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: BT 112LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Black Truffle announces the first LP documenting master khene player Sombat Simla, the label's first collaboration with Japanese sound artist, field recordist, and researcher Yasuhiro Morinaga. Simla is known in Thailand as one of the greatest living players of the khene, the ancient bamboo mouth organ particularly associated with Laos but found throughout East and Southeast Asia. His virtuosic and endlessly inventive renditions of traditional and popular songs have earned him the title "the god of khene," and he is known for his innovative techniques and ability to mimic other instruments and non-musical sound, including, as a writer for the Bangkok Post describes, "the sound of a train journey, complete with traffic crossings and the call of barbecue chicken vendors." Aided by a group of Thai friends, in 2018 Morinaga travelled to the Maha Sarakham province in the Isan region, arranging to meet Simla in a remote spot surrounded by rice fields. Then and there, Morinaga recorded the solo performances heard on the LP's first side. To listeners unfamiliar with Thai music, the pentatonic scales and rhythmic chug of many of the pieces can have surprising echoes of the rawest American blues. The range of Simla's performance is astonishing, moving from compulsive rhythmic workouts on single chords and rapid-fire runs of single notes to gentle sing-song melodies, and using a fascinating array of techniques, including a rapid tremolo that sometimes sounds almost electronic. Later the same day, Morinaga followed Simla to a cattle shed where he met percussionist Mali Moodsansee to play some molam (folk songs found in Isan and neighbouring Laos), with Pattardon Ekchatree joining in on cymbal. At times, these molam songs have a wistful, romantic character quite different from the solo pieces. Backed up by the propulsive hand drums, Simla again dazzles with his melodic fluidity, rhythmic drive, and wild displays of unorthodox technique. As Morinaga writes, "It felt like they had been playing together so long that their breathing was perfectly in sync, and it was like listening to the precision of James Brown's funk." Accompanied by extensive liner notes by Morinaga detailing the day of recording, this is a stunning document of a master musician, seamlessly integrating tradition and innovation.

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: BB 340LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 restock; LP version. During the legendary Forst years, Roedelius had a private workspace with a Farfisa organ, a Revox-A77 tape machine, an echo device and a synthesizer which he borrowed from the Cluster studio next door now and again. Here he experimented, practiced, allowed his imagination to flow, at any hour of the day or night, whenever he was not in the studio with Dieter Moebius and/or Michael Rother at work on new Cluster or Harmonia material. Roedelius always let the tape run, in order to analyze the ideas thus captured more effectively on repeated listening. For the first time ever, this Roedelius audio sketchbook had been digitalized and available to the public in 2014 on a limited three-LP box set called Roedelius Tape Archive 1973-1978. The recordings offer a deep insight into the creative process of his music. Fleeting notes, slivers of ideas, so to speak, moments of inspiration. Finger exercises, experiments in harmony, studies in rhythm are also preserved on these magnetic tapes. Since the box set has been sold out for a long time, Bureau B decided to release the essence of those three LPs on a one-disc compilation: Roedelius Tape Archive Essence 1973-1978.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: BSR 841LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"1979 heavy dub album produced by Prince Jammy, reissued on 180gram vinyl."

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: CASTEL 003LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Recorded live on April 28, 2014 at Outside Inside Studio, Montebelluna. Featuring Alan Zignoto (bass), Dave Easlick (drums), Tom Greenwood (guitar, vocals), Jeffrey Alexander (synth, chalumeau), Michael Whittaker (saxophone, flute, trombone), and Dave Siebert (violin, lap steel). Mixed and mastered by Matt Bordin. Photos by Lorenzo Ferraro.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: CASTEL 004LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Recorded on September 6, 2021 at Outside Inside Studio, Volpago del Montello. Featuring Giovanni Di Domenico (electric and acoustic piano, electronics, percussion), Riccardo Marogna, (tenor saxophone, clarinet, live electronics, percussion), and Matt Bordin (tape loops, synth, electronics, lap steel guitar, soprano sax, percussions). Mixed and mastered by Matt Bordin. Pictures by Marta Rosso.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: CTLP 1045LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 restock; LP version. "Once again Clocktower bring you the massive and powerful tracks, such as 'Cloak & Dagger' DJ style led by King Tubby and Lee Perry. And they've also included the slow style of 'Cloak & Dagger' which you will never stop listening for generations to come, young and old. Then the following tracks of 'Blackboard Jungle' with two incomparable versions that will open up your ears to the greatest musicians on bass and drums, etc. We from Clocktower say listen, enjoy, party, and dance to all the fine production. We have compiled this for all who loves reggae music production beyond compare. Music of life." --Alfred Newman Not a reissue, a new compilation of early Lee Scratch Perry material, not previously issued in this form. With tracks recorded from the early '70s with material from Clocktower 7" only releases, etc.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: DF 002EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

After glowing reviews of Dreaming Forever 001 and club plays from Ben UFO, Skatebard, Michael Mayer, and many more, Dreaming Forever are announce Marie Lung's Ivy Blues EP. Berlin based DJ Marie Lung is a regular performer at some of the best venues in the house and techno capital. A spaced-out remix from the inimitable Vril and a super classy rework from Matthias Reiling, one half of Session Victim, makes up the release.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: DUST 117CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

The Black Dog's highly regarded album, Radio Scarecrow, is now remastered and re-issued on Dust Science, 15 years after its original release on Soma Records. Two years of constant development culminated in a masterpiece that flows delightfully and hits hard. Marking a true progression from the band's previous album, Silenced, the trio are keen to note: "The beats are faster and the bass is much heavier -- so much so, that it was making us ill, working with the low frequencies for hours on end. We could only do three hours at a time on some parts." Tracks like "Floods v3.9" and "Beep" are a testament to this. With throbbing basslines strong enough to make an impact on the Richter scale, these tracks are best played out on big sound systems. Radio Scarecrow unfolds gracefully, barely skipping a beat between tracks. The act have created an album that demands to be listened to in its entirety. With elements blending between tracks (the same kick drum being used to very different means in "Short Wave Lies" and "Siiiipher" for example) and with constant references to conspiracy theories and the supernatural, The Black Dog present more than a collection of tracks. Influenced heavily by their interest in Magick, Numbers Stations, and Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP), the act have hidden examples of these within their work.

 

PRICE: $42.00

CAT #: DUST 117LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double LP version. The Black Dog's highly regarded album, Radio Scarecrow, is now remastered and re-issued on Dust Science, 15 years after its original release on Soma Records. Two years of constant development culminated in a masterpiece that flows delightfully and hits hard. Marking a true progression from the band's previous album, Silenced, the trio are keen to note: "The beats are faster and the bass is much heavier -- so much so, that it was making us ill, working with the low frequencies for hours on end. We could only do three hours at a time on some parts." Tracks like "Floods v3.9" and "Beep" are a testament to this. With throbbing basslines strong enough to make an impact on the Richter scale, these tracks are best played out on big sound systems. Radio Scarecrow unfolds gracefully, barely skipping a beat between tracks. The act have created an album that demands to be listened to in its entirety. With elements blending between tracks (the same kick drum being used to very different means in "Short Wave Lies" and "Siiiipher" for example) and with constant references to conspiracy theories and the supernatural, The Black Dog present more than a collection of tracks. Influenced heavily by their interest in Magick, Numbers Stations, and Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP), the act have hidden examples of these within their work.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: EUDEMONIA 016EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Bohm is no stranger to the electronic music scene as he has made quite a splash with his latest releases on Dolly, PARTOUT, M>O>S and Undersound Recordings. His newest outing on Eudemonia acts as an ideal successor as he delivers a versatile EP with dreamy and old-school ravey moments resonating perfectly with each other.

 

PRICE: $27.50

CAT #: FTR 733LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

First Nod release from 1992, now on vinyl for the first time. Originally self-released as a CD, a subset of the recordings were perfectly re-mastered by James Plotkin for this slab of black vinyl. During the "year punk broke," this trio (and sometimes four-piece) were holed up in a Western NY enclave, perfecting their craft of imperfections. A combination of studio and home recordings, this self-titled gem perfectly introduces you to the charming shambly rock which Nod has been creating for the past 30+ years. And after many self-released CDs and singles, and while getting "this close" with a stint on Steve Shelly's Smells Like Records (Steve was the drummer of Sonic Youth), the band has been producing a solid string of releases for Rochester NY based Carbon Records. The release includes driving/catchy tunes like "Summertime" and "Running Into Trees," while "It Don't Bring Me Down" has a perfect overlay of strumming guitar, similar to the guitar interplay of Bowie and Ronson circa '72, on top of an intense groove, while then breaking down into a slow warble, giving you enough time to take a swig. The meat of the release consists of a great combination of scratchy-guitar rockers -- transitioning into the Dada-esque blues of "Hot Potatoes," and then finally ending with "Wooden Chair" and "Queens of Lattice," which could almost be cassette out-takes from Reed & co. Co-released with Carbon Records.

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: FTR 735LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Albany, New York's Sky Furrows -- guitarist Mike Griffin, bassist Eric Hardiman, drummer Phil Donnelly and poet/vocalist Karen Schoemer -- release their second album, Relect and Oppose. Recorded in 2022 with Justin Pizzoferrato at Sonelab Studios and Pete Donnelly at Katonah Sound, the album's eight songs crush and crunch, agitate and sprawl. All songs were written by Schoemer/Grifin and arranged by Sky Furrows, except for "Koba Grozny," with music by Grifin and words adapted by Schoemer from Martin Amis's 2002 book Koba the Dread. Sky Furrows formed in 2016 and released their self-titled debut album in 2020 on Tape Drift/Skell/Philthy Rex Records, but band members had been crossing each other's paths for decades. Schoemer and Hardiman overlapped in the late '80s at WCWM, a college radio station in Virginia. In the late '80s and '90s, Donnelly used to trek from his home in Saratoga Springs to Hoboken, New Jersey to see shows at the legendary club Maxwell's, where Schoemer was a regular. By the mid 2000's all four were living upstate. Grifin, Hardiman and Donnelly have roots in the local experimental scene and are longtime members of Albany psych band Burnt Hills. Schoemer, a former music critic for the New York Times, was developing her craft as a poet and began contributing to music projects around 2013. She has an MFA in creative writing from The Writer's Foundry in Brooklyn, NY and collaborates with Mike Watt in the bassvoice duo Jaded Azurites and with Oli Heffernan and his rotating cast of free-jazzers in Ivan the Tolerable. Grifin records and performs as Parashi and with the band Valley of Weights; Hardiman operates solo as Rambutan and plays in Century Plants and Spiral Wave Nomads. Sky Furrows' aggregated knowledge of, dedication to, and participation in postpunk, psych and experimental music scenes is vast and deep. This institutional commitment infuses every moment of Relect and Oppose. Grifin's razor shred and calamitous distortion and a foil in Schoemer's semi-spoken delivery and onslaught of observations and images. In "Shopping Bags" a woman doesn't realize the loneliness she's carrying around, while "No Cause for Concern" relentlessly builds into a mental and physical breakdown. Hang on the words or cruise on waves of sound -- Relect and Oppose melds both, forcefully.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: GUESS 230LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. One of the holy grails of heavy psychedelia, originally released in 1969 by this Canadian band. Basement garage-psych meets heavy rock. Echoing vocals, crashing drums, ultra-raw distorted guitar. Bent Wind formed in Toronto in 1969. Discovered by producer Merv Buchanan while they played at a 12-hourPop Festival in York, he signed them to his Trend label. A single was soon released, followed by the Sussex album in 1969. Titled after the street where the band had a rehearsal space in a building where local hippies and freaks hang out, Sussex was released housed in a cover designed by guitar player Gerry Ribas. According to band member Marty Roth, no more than 200 copies were pressed, making one the most sought-after psych albums ever. Original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve; remastered sound; insert with liner notes by Klemen Breznikar (It's Psychedelic Baby) and photos. "For intense guitar action I never tire of LPs like Bent Wind" --Paul Major. "One of the last gasps of garage-psychedelia" --Richie Unterberger (All Music Guide). "Monstrous heavy psych from Toronto. Great plodding songs and recorded-in-a-barn ambience" --Wayne Rogers (Twisted Village).

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: HOL 106RE-LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"I have worked together with sheep before," says Henning Christiansen, introducing the performance he did in front of the Brucknerhaus in Linz in July 1988. But this time he went beyond, building a "Concert-Castle" with hay blocks where thirty sheep could perform music. Another time the animals -- Christiansen's obsession and passion -- become the musical instruments used for his compositions. Schafe statt Geigen (Sheep Instead of Violins, 1988) and "Verena" Vogelzymphon (Bird Symphony, 1990) first appeared as a small CD edition issued by Galerie Bernd Kl?ser in 1991. Both works, each one occupying a full side of this LP edition, extend from one of Christiansen's long standing conceptual strategies -- deploying recordings of animals as stand-ins for musical instruments, sheep and birds respectively. While each work allows these sources to take the natural lead, at times masquerading as field recordings, both feature subtle tonal and electronic interventions by the composer, creating strange and brilliant compositions which shift the terms and subjects of music as they were long understood. Accompanied by a twenty-page booklet featuring drawings and texts by Henning Christiansen, as well as pictures of the performance by Ren? Block.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: HOL 112LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Coupla Triples is a collection of two recordings made by MP Hopkins in 2014. The first piece, "Spins, Groans, Tones," was previously self-released as part of a CDR/chapbook edition, while the second piece "Waves, Feedback, Thoughts," has remained unreleased until now. Both pieces were created using a simple compositional method, in which random word prompts were selected from a list of sounds and "interpreted' in an immediate manner with only basic recording equipment -- a microphone, a tape loop, a voice recorder and an amp. Three sounds, twice. Arranged carelessly but carefully. A coupla triples, nothing fancy. Recorded and mixed on the land of the Gadigal people, Sydney, 2014. Pressing info: 200 copies, black vinyl, A2 poster.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: HOL 125LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Mediterranean Music Water (Mare nostrum in moedium terrae) Op. 203, a never before issued tape composition, belongs to a body of work embarked upon during the 1980s and '90s connected to Sicily, the other most notable and available being Op. 201 L'Essere Umano Errabando, La Voca Errabando, issued by The Henning Christiansen Archive in 2020. These works were an extension of Ursula and Henning Christiansen's meeting and befriending the Sicily based couple Carlo Quartucci and Carla Tat?, with whom they regularly visited and collaborated. Like its predecessor, the aforementioned Op. 201, Mediterranean Music Water Op. 203 is a conceptualization of abstract theatricality at the connection of place and its relationship to the sea. Performed by Ursula Reuter Christiansen and Henning Christiansen and recorded at a small performing arts theatre in Erice, Sicily -- Teatro Gebel Hamed -- during December of 1991, the abstract for this work reads: "In the morning (after the storm), on the beach. The sea has thrown some things on the beach. Blue light -- some mist? On the ground. Ursula's slides on the wall. Henning is rolling from the background of the stage slowly, very slowly, towards, in a fish net. I come in looking for the things the sea has left and discover him. I roll him out of the net, he's nearly dead, and try to get life in him. Light in the background in rainbow colours. Ursula wears a partlett dress, as a siren." These images lay a foundation and context for the sounds that emerge over the album's two sides, a fascinating conjunction between the power of water and the human spirit. Through the processing of heavy delay and reverb, we encounter the howling utterances of violin tones, vocalizations, and countless unplayable instrumental and non-instrumental sound sources, gathering in a vast and sprawling serious of sonorous expanses that seem to echo the power, movements, and myths tied to the Mediterranean.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: HJR 018LP

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

2023 repress, originally released in 2005. Tremendous gatefold presentation and one of HJR's most impressive documents to date. Poet, composer, street musician and cosmologist Moondog (Louis Thomas Hardin, 1916-1999) learned rhythm from American Indians and counterpoint from J.S. Bach. Many of his recordings feature instruments he built himself: trimba, yukh, tuji, oo. Sometimes you can hear in the background the streets of New York, where Moondog often slept. In addition, he was blind, due to an accident when he was 15. Sometime in the 1950s, fed up with being mistaken on the street for Christ (his regular busking spot was uptown on Sixth) Moondog put on a Viking costume, with spear and horned helmet; and he dressed like this until the late 1970s (by which time he was working with orchestras in Germany). Moondog's renown was extensive: Igor Stravinsky lobbied a judge on Moondog's behalf. Charlie Parker wanted to play with him, Julie Andrews DID play with him, and he was feted by the likes of Bob Dylan, Marlon Brando, and Steve Reich. Andy Warhol's mother designed one of his covers, and Weegee took photographs of him (included in the booklet). Janis Joplin covered him, Mr. Scruff owes him badly, and Antony and the Johnsons covers his songs. This is the first retrospective of Moondog's music -- 36 tracks from 1949-1995, most of them exceptionally rare, all of them miraculous.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: HJR 052LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 restock; 2LP version, housed in a radiant full-color gatefold sleeve. An astounding compilation of the breakneck Shangaan dance output of the Nozinja studio in Soweto (an urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa), recorded between 2006 and 2009. From his small home studio in Soweto, Nozinja (aka Dog) sells more than 50,000 records a year (DVD, cassettes, CDs) -- without iTunes, without digital distribution. This is hyper?local music, all of it still considered traditional, all of it marketed through Shangaan radio and newspapers to a relatively small set of people who live between Johannesburg, Limpopo and Mozambique. Besides Dog himself -- or rather Zinja, Dog's performance name -- his label roster includes BBC, Tiyiselani Vomaseve, and Dog's famed mask?wearing, clown?dancing group, Tshetsha Boys. Dog often goes to the dances to scout for new talent. That's where he found Tiyiselani Vomaseve, two sisters who perform together as one of the most popular Shangaan traditional groups in South Africa...the real test comes every Sunday in Soweto. Groups like Tiyiselani Vomaseve and BBC compete regularly for the crowd's favor. "You must be prepared to see the fastest dance ever," Dog declares. The dances are wild, with films of them attracting more than half a million hits on YouTube. Shangaan disco ran at 110 BPM. Dog's music is around 180 and it's getting faster. Yet the lyrics seem to run counter to this rapidity. They read like African soap operas, tied up with domestic matters and a yearning for the slower life. This is country music. There's something distinctive in this Shangaan perspective: they are one of the more rural and traditional groups in the wealthiest African nation, yet "tradition" to them can also be living, electronic and nuanced. Just as Dog samples American phrases in his songs, his videos cut in shots of white joggers on a spring day, a foggy lakeshore reminiscent of Wisconsin, even a corporate office space -- mundane yet exotic images which become intriguing takes on the modern South African dream. Instead of African music becoming Americanized and re?framed for the global market, Dog's productions do the opposite. American phrases and foreign images become samples in his collage, in his traditional context. This album is the first release of its kind outside South Africa. Here is Dog's music as?is.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: HJR 071LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; gatefold double LP version. Includes full-size 16-page booklet. In 1977 Henry Stone invited Thomas Spann down to Florida. Spann was founder and leader of The Brooklyn All Stars, one of the most celebrated gospel quartets in the US; Stone headed T.K. Records, the biggest independent record company in the world. The All Stars' contract with Jewel Records just happened to be ending. "He called me and asked me would I meet him in Miami," recalls Spann. "And I flew down to Miami, and I met him and we went to this place that sold all these motor homes. He said, 'Pick out one, pick you out one that you want.' And I did so. I drove it off the lot that same day. I didn't take a plane back. I drove that motor home back to North Carolina."Christians Catch Hell is a scorching, sublimely soulful survey of the Gospel Roots label, subsidiary of the mighty T.K. Records, at the height of the Miami Sound -- 1976-'79. Includes tracks by The Brooklyn All Stars, Pastor T. L. Barrett, Camille Doughty, The Howard Lemon Singers, The Fantastic Family Aires, Jean Austin & Company, The Jordan Singers, The Phillipians, The Fabulous Luckett Brothers, Bright Clouds, The O'Neal Twins, The Original Sunset Travelers, Reverend Edna Isaac and the Greene Sisters, and The Fountain of Life Joy Choir. Mastered at Abbey Road.

 

PRICE: $27.50

CAT #: HOS 811LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

An infected journey through humid vine like enclosures and vicious leaf blades with a tangy serrated edge where one might observe a little too closely the multi-colored wandering spiders over oaks hanging and sucking the sharp edges of the razor, a sudden shine of reflected alumni light could perhaps enter the cornea and a dangerously precise interval pre-empting the reflex to shut your eyes. At last, crawling on hands and stone along a rocky and unstable footing -- the enormous shale mouth opens and a gust of ancient steam -- one letter at a time spells your name in front of you. The Devil. James Light's debut Wounded Son LP is of special note, containing a fresh self-mutilated otherworldly vocal performance convincing the dying now alive and the living now damned of their doom. Where others are trapped into a rigid sense of mechanical predicted outcomes, James has captured something largely missing from a dark pallet -- psychedelic without any of the pretentious BS of "expanding one's mind" but rather a very long small space to slip into with a forever out a reach horizon line with limited breaths. 180gram clear vinyl in deluxe jacket with metallic print and mini poster. Download code included. Also featuring Degloving.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: JUBG 003LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"The dissonance, the discord, is the tongue in the cheek of Ralf Schauff's music. Be it that the transverse flute, always underestimated as an instrument of torture, is used or slow synthesizer automations shift the tonality in an agonizingly and unnecessarily cruel way. Without this intention to challenge the listener, the music would have been there before. There are the soundscapes of NEU!, Harmonia, or Cluster, the modality of Can, Afrobeat and all kinds of electronics, but also the impression of 'Weltmusik' associated with folkloric instruments like the didgeridoo or the recorder. But it's none of these things. It only reminds us of them. And it reminds us listeners that music is also produced. The meta level comes into play and gets in the way of consumption. This is much more amusing, surprising and enriching than the mere description suggests. This is a must hear. It's just insanely fun." --Frank Spilker (Die Sterne)

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: KOM 480LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Dear gourmets of audio-aesthetic rapture, dear sound poets, please welcome -- Pop Ambient 2024. Twenty-four. Twenty-four can be divided by two, four, six, eight, twelve and itself. If something can be divided by itself, it is not really divisible. Truthfulness knows no formulas. Beauty knows no formulas. Beauty saves the world for no reason whatsoever. Featuring T.Raumschmiere, Mikkel Metal, Yui Onodera, Blank Gloss, Sono Kollektiv, Triola, Thore Pfeiffer/Niko Tzoukmanis, Joachim Spieth/G??s, Sono Kollektiv, Tetsuroh Konishi, Reich & W?rden, Alex Linster, Joel Jaffe, Segensklang, and ?mit Han.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: KOM EX129EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Speicher is going back to its classic double header split EP format. Hunter/Game are no strangers to Kompakt, having released a number of singles and the Adaptation album back in 2016. "Reload" was written in cooperation with Buenos Aires based U S H N U and it's a total corker of a proto trance inspired track -- the kind of trance that would have graced Dorian Gray's Sunday morning dancefloor. Kompakt welcome the ever-excellent Bawrut to the family. Hailing from Madrid, he has been one of the most creative forces in recent years, carving his own niche of percussion-heavy, psychedelic techno. "Clapa" is an unpredictable monster, taking so many twists and turns, causing such confusion that your synapses will give up making sense out of the chaos and book a flight to the Bahamas.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: KOM EX130EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

KOMPAKT presents the long-awaited "two-tracker," cold-pressed and remixed. The Voigt Brothers meet Helmut Geier and vice versa, or: K?lsch meets L?wenbr?u. So let's welcome the megahit "W.I.R." by Wassermann from 2000 in a brand new DJ Hell remix, and a remix by Voigt & Voigt of DJ Hell's "Anything Anytime" anthem from 2017. Two classics that go down like liquid gold. It comes from the heart.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: KOMP 180CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Dear gourmets of audio-aesthetic rapture, dear sound poets, please welcome -- Pop Ambient 2024. Twenty-four. Twenty-four can be divided by two, four, six, eight, twelve and itself. If something can be divided by itself, it is not really divisible. Truthfulness knows no formulas. Beauty knows no formulas. Beauty saves the world for no reason whatsoever. Featuring T.Raumschmiere, Mikkel Metal, Yui Onodera, Blank Gloss, Sono Kollektiv, Triola, Thore Pfeiffer/Niko Tzoukmanis, Joachim Spieth/G??s, Sono Kollektiv, Morgen Wurde, Tetsuroh Konishi, Max W?rden, Reich & W?rden, Alex Linster, Joel Jaffe, Segensklang, and ?mit Han.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: KM 580086LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; LP version. 180 gram vinyl. In 1974, the Cosmic Jokers were basically Klaus Schulze, Manuel G?ttsching, various Ash Ra Tempel and Wallenstein members doing late night jamming. Galactic Supermarket is one of them, and is more rock-oriented than many others. It's no surprise the music bears more than a passing resemblance to Ash Ra Tempel, because of Manuel G?ttsching and his guitar playing. Also, J?rgen Dollase gives some nice keyboard work, particularly the piano, Farfisa electric piano, synths, and even a little Mellotron. Klaus Schulze were more responsible for the more droning organ and synth end of things, it's pretty obvious when he plays it. The legendary producer Dieter Dierks plays bass on these nearly never-ending improvisations. The recording was transferred from the original analog tapes at the Dierks Studios in Germany. Carefully remastered for an incredible result. Released on the label Die Kosmischen Kuriere (The Cosmic Couriers)

 

PRICE: $11.50

CAT #: LCD 4921CD

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

2023 restock. Definitive CD reissue of this original Cramps label album from 1974, an early classic from Robert Ashley with music provided by Paul DeMarinis. This deluxe slip-cased version features a 110-page book, reproducing the original John Barton Wolgamot text along with fascinating liner notes explaining the whole project from Keith Waldrop and Robert Ashley. The CD features one long composition with Ashley reading a text by poet John Barton Wolgamot. The poem has 128 stanzas; each stanza is made up of the same phrase, into which are introduced four variables, three are names or groups of names or constructions of names, and the fourth variable is formed by the adverb of the active verb. The result is considered "one of the most unusual and difficult linguistic textures in the English language." The underlying music is supplied by Paul DeMarinis on Moog synthesizer. Ashley on DeMarinis: "[Paul] has elaborated seven different modular combinations, each of which can be controlled by programmed impulses. These derive from the sound of the reading of the poem passed through the regeneration high frequency filter and successively translated into a series of command impulses."

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: MAGAZINE 022LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

In late 2021 the JUBG gallery (run by Magazine's Jens-Uwe Beyer alongside Albert Oehlen and Alexander Warhus) showed the German brothers Schaufler. Matthias, a painter, and Aksel, a musician and DJ (Superpitcher), came up with an exhibition soundtrack that was released back then as one half of an ultra rare drawing/vinyl combination only. Subsequently, the music caught Barnt's and Crato's ears. The bittersweet pulsating ode to being an artist, sprawling and boundless, complete with voices from the sky, seemed perfect for our label. Magazine now announces the regular release of Schaufler vs Schaufler Part 1 & 2.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: MAGAZINE 023LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Started around a decade ago, Overcloseness has been a long time coming. It is Colorist's debut album on paper, but already has a magnum opus feel to it. The beginnings of Colorist lay in the Cologne music community. Being small, it was always influenced by the art and the film scene. (In fact, the label Magazine originates from the same crossing point.) The large cast of guest appearances underlines how much Antonio de Luca and Caroline Kox are in the center of that Cologne community. On Overcloseness intimate pieces for one or two instruments alternate with dense choir anthems ("Embody") and tracks built from ultra intense fabrics that conjure up the mediative hardness of Tool ("Blood Markers"). Driven by the otherworldly voice of Koxi and a larger-than-life bass line by Antonio, the album culminates in the unforgettable "Touch Me." Oscillating between a bad migraine and cathartic hypnosis, Colorist have created a genre defying universe of an album. Also featuring Echo Ho.

 

PRICE: $12.00

CAT #: MAGGOT 015

FILE UNDER: Misc

"This cover feature is a career-spanning piece by Tamara Palmer on Iceland's most noted export since the foundation of their parliament in 930, with a terrifically gorgeous cover image by our illustrator, Marly Beyer. Cassette tape reviews; Lucy Sante delivers a tribute to the olden days of MP3 blogs, because she writes in every issue and Maggot Brain is lucky AF for this fact; Mimi Lipson weighs in on cats versus dogs in her advice column; Andy Beta talks of Annea Lockwood in the Icons column; the reissue of the issue is a box set of Pauline Anna Strom, by Michelle Dove; Fred Thomas on 'why Sonic Youth's most underrated record deserves a second look' (guess which one it is!); an overview of reissue label Mesh Key for a new column on the people who run labels and stuff like that. In the new column Tracked (on music supervisors) Martin Douglas talks to Tiffany Anders, and it's largely about her work on RESERVATION DOGS! Then there's the column Physical Graffiti by editor McGonigal, an epic look at dozens of recent LP releases plus a few books (that's right, it's a bona fide multi-page record review column), plus the debut the new food column with a disastrous visit to the Russian Tea Room courtesy of noted genius Quintron."

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: MIND 715LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited 2023 repress. A real Velvet Underground rehearsal for their pending debut record, recorded at Andy Warhol's Factory in early 1966, and broadcast live on a local NYC radio station. An excellent quality recording and a legendary piece of musical history that every fan of the extraordinary VU will want to hear.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: MUSIQ 288LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Mule Musiq welcomes British producer Jimmy Wallace, presenting his debut album Red, Yellow, Black -- a nine-track strong record that partly leaves the dancefloor behind. Wallace has performed with artists like Ruf Dug, Mr Scruff, and Bradley Zero, heating up the dance floors. As a producer he has already released a handful of stunning eps, including one for Sweden's finest house label studio Barnhus, and one for London's revered Rhythm Section International imprint. Both feature house tunes with an edge, house tunes with a love for the roots of the genre along-side more reflective, ambient moments. He also runs the label Tartan Records, where he publishes dancefloor focused white labels. His music has been championed by titans of the scene such as Palms Trax, Ryan Elliott, DJ Tennis, Gilles Peterson, Dixon, and Hunee. Axel Boman even coined his debut EP as "one of the very best demo emails ever received at label Studio Barhnus HQ." An advance praise, that Wallace now acknowledges with an album full of deeply crafted music. Some tracks lean towards the dancefloor, like the swung sounds of "Bubbles", the hypnotic maelstrom of "Good Morning," or the epic, jazzy moments of "Labyrinth." The theme of nature is evident throughout, with field recordings and environmental sounds he recorded on the road, being fused with his own musical ideas. The result is a mesmerizing long player featuring an evocative, emotional story arc that avoids stereotypes and straight party orientated narration.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: OROOM 004LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress. World-renowned group GusGus have returned with their 11th studio album, the highly emotive Mobile Home, marking their first album release since 2018. The collective once again prove their commitment to pushing their artistic boundaries as they release one of their most ambitious and powerful albums in decades. For their latest record, GusGus call on V?K's lead singer Margr?t R?n to help expand their style, keeping the collective's sound as fresh as ever. The nine-track album features a concoction of electronic rock, ambient, darkwave, downtempo, and synthpop. After announcing a new album in October 2020, GusGus wowed fans with their first single "Higher," offering a first taste of how V?K's impactful vocals mesh seamlessly with GusGus' intelligent and powerful electronic production. "Higher" was soon followed up with the darker, downtempo "Stay The Ride" and the bright and energetic synth work on "Our World." The three captivating singles each received equally remarkable music videos courtesy of founding members Arni and Kinski, the directing team known for working with the likes of Sigur R?s, Kiasmos, ?lafur Arnalds, Of Monsters and Men, and more. Every track on Mobile Home doubles as a window into a futuristic dystopian world that has been overtaken by machines. A nod to the rise of technology and ever-growing uncertainty surrounding automation, the album explores themes of solitude, rebellion, science fiction, hedonism, pleasure, and anger. Swirling within this world is a disconnected, aching soul who is on the verge of slipping into complete dementia. In Mobile Home, GusGus challenge themselves like never before, resulting in a wonderfully chaotic reflection of the ongoing war between soul and machine. GusGus show the quality and sonic diversity of the singles pervades throughout the full LP, while preserving the melodramatic themes that tie its nine tracks together. "Simple Tuesday" showcases the group's aptitude for blending contemporary electronic production with pop sensibilities while keeping an optimistic tonality at the forefront. Meanwhile, "Love Is Alone" and "Original Heartbreak" offer a slower, more pensive take on synthpop, and evoke feelings of solitude and deep melancholia. "Silence" and "The Rink" boast some of GusGus's more experimental production, each alternating between radio-ready vocal verses with inventive and exciting synth elements. GusGus closes Mobile Home with "Flush," an instrumental score that leaves the listener riding high as they finish the LP.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: OROOM 005LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

The forever exploring electronical entity of a band, Gusgus, has opened yet a new era in their unique sonic multiverse. With their 12th album, the course is set to a strange mysterious place called DanceOrama. A rave-mall in a nostalgic future, DanceOrama is the place to be, where you can experience infinite freedom, genre, and gender free. Moving from the pulsating new-wave influenced techno pop of the last album Mobile Home (2019), Gusgus emits the vibe of DanceOrama on their new album as an arousing, melody-rich hybrid of '80s/'90s parties and raves. The release is evenly split up in euphoric fusioned pop anthems and genre-free instrumental journeys. Whereas on Mobile Home, the concept was stationed in a rural environment of a dystopian side reality, Gusgus now moves to the city. In this city of strange discomforting future omens, DanceOrama stands out as the rave-mall of freedom. Leaving the new wave influences, this album is a strange hybrid of the '80s and '90s parties twisted into a genre-free blend of arousing experiences. The album consists of five instrumental tracks and four vocal pop songs, ranging from 105-158 bpm and exploring various influences from the '80s and '90s and even the '70s in a strange fusion of techno, trance, Italo-disco, house and pop that emits the rawness and innocence of previous decades. The pop songs are quite strictly set as stories related to the mysteries and rumors of DanceOrama. Featuring Earth and H?gni.

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: ROKURE 001LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 repress. OTOROKU caps off the 2014 celebrations of saxophonist Evan Parker's 70th birthday with a vinyl reissue of The Topography of the Lungs, by Parker, guitarist Derek Bailey, and percussionist Han Bennink -- Parker's first recording as a leader. Originally released in 1970, this was the first LP issued by Incus, the label that Parker founded with Bailey and drummer Tony Oxley. This reissue has been produced from an original vinyl pressing from Parker's archives, carefully transcribed and restored by Andreas (Lupo) Lubich at Calyx Mastering, Berlin.

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: PALTO 007LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

New 2023 repress; LP version. "Originally released in 1982, Kakashi is another high water mark in the 80s Japanese underground. This album, which has gathered cult status in recent years, is the project of musical visionary Yasuaki Shimizu, and considered to be a highlight of his solo career. Shimizu was the bandleader of Mariah, who also saw their album Utakata No Hibi reissued by Palto Flats in 2015. Kakashi offers a similar blend of saxophone experimentations, jazz fusion and ambient dub excursions."

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: PC 1983LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited repress. Pink vinyl. Bauhaus live at Tiffany's, Glasgow, Scotland on June 27th, 1983. FM Broadcast recording.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: PC 1990LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited 2023 repress. The Cure, Disintegration In Leipzig, live in Germany on August 4th,1990. FM broadcast.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: PGM 162LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 restock. Dina ?gon's self-titled debut album. A collection of musical fantasies, permeated by an irresistible feel. Dina ?gon take you with them in a Cadillac going 40 mph straight toward the summer night sun. You will not have heard anything like it in a very long time. The band are experts at what they do. They do their thing, no messing around. They glue it together. One of them thinks nice shoes are important, another one thinks of gasoline and leather. Not as in black, studded leather, but rather soft, bright leather with a flowery, wood-like scent, and gasoline in a nice-looking bottle. No scent. They put a piece of themselves in good company into it. Reflections and thoughts. Ambition and curiosity. The lyrics and the music are for all people of every era. For your eyes, for all of us, we who are one with each other. For those who never take responsibility and for those who take too much. A lovechild of Fleetwood Mac, Khruangbin, obscure Motown singles, and hip-hop duo Eric B & Rakim, seasoned with a bit of Stevie Wonder, Elis Regina, and Ted G?rdestad. The mixture of influences -- from psychedelic rock to glittery pop, and onwards to funky soul -- says something about the band's base. Check out the album's closing track "Ficktjuven" for a clear example. Psychedelic and playful with choirs in a way you could never have imagined. Yellow vinyl.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: RRS 103LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

GBH live at the Showplace in Dover, NJ, July 17th, 1983.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: R-M 199LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Following up on their highly acclaimed debut release from 2020, Raster presents Il Quadro di Troisi's Remixes album, an eclectic collection of reinterpretations of eight of the duo's tracks. By inviting fellow label artists as well as friends and long-term collaborators to contribute to this, Remixes shows a broad spectrum of diversity, ranging from colorful, loop-based renditions by Toulouse Low Trax and Tropicantesimo, to (Italo) disco-inspired versions by Daniele Baldelli and Marco Dionigi and Chlo?, to more rhythmical and functional tracks by AtomTM, Dasha Rush and Front de Cadeaux. The album also includes a dub-infused reinterpretation of "Il giudizio" by the artists themselves. Remixes will be out on Raster on August 18, 2023 as a double LP and digitally. The record's artwork was contributed by Spanish graphic designer Alicia Carrera.

 

PRICE: $42.00

CAT #: TOR 001LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"Hey! After receiving so many requests as to whether the Tulpa Ovi releases could also be released on vinyl, we decided to just put almost everything out on record. There will also be an exclusive song called "Loss Breda" featuring Lysann Zander, and a damn brilliant edit of "Kapox Grap?n" by Jimi Jules." --Robag Wruhme

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: UGD 009LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Petra Hermanova and Unguarded announce In Death's Eyes, the debut solo LP under the artist's own name. This LP features nine tracks utilizing folk and sacred musical technique and instrumentation which drift between song and heavy distorted drones. In a disciplined display of beauty, pain, and astute musicianship, Hermanova brings forth a notable accomplishment of an album. In Death's Eyes confronts death from start to finish with a rare fervor that leaves one feeling it was utterly necessary for Hermanova to produce -- to survive. The transcendent impulse, or the influence of religious music, bears heavily on Hermanova's compositions in her choir arrangements, but is most apparent in her use of pipe organ. Having written organ parts for a significant portion of the record, she sought out the renowned organist Denny Wilke to record with her in the Merseburg Cathedral. Captivated by Wilke's profound skill as a player and knowledge of the Ladegast organ, Hermanova invited him to collaborate on In Death's Eyes, where he delivers an impressive improvisation. Like Hermanova's lyrics, the artwork, conceptualized by Enes Guc and Evelyn Bencicova, is riddled with symbolism and allusion.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: UGD 014

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"On For Annette, singer-songwriter ronja summons forth a certain unbridgeable void within our existence and the acceptance of the deafening silence that comes with it. Weaving the strands of her previous release something about us with multiple openings towards more abstract territory, this five-track EP marks her debut under the forward-thinking Unguarded label, astutely situating her music well beyond the confines of the genre. The opening track 'Nothing Makes Me Feel' beckons the listener into a discreet moment amid the early light of dawn, commencing with an up-close acoustic guitar, soon to be graced by ronja's hushed voice, softly whispering, as if to avoid waking someone near. 'Just Once,' with its weeping waltz, is about losing one's place in the world, about choosing the imaginary over the real. Behind the strummed chords hides a soft dither of sine tones that attempts to fill the gap that cannot be filled, only to transform into quavering distortion ever after. Where language may falter, ronja turns to choral-like instrumental pieces ('Light' and 'Grass from Below'), characterized by her distinctive and multi-layered flute arrangements. The absence of words here allows for a sensible stage of introspection, a fleeting and diaphanous pause, forging a passage to a more hopeful outlook. Yet, these pieces are not isolated; hints of fluttering air and cavernous depths are subtly alluded to in the earlier, more song-based tracks. In just under 18 minutes running time, the theme of loss, or the anticipation of its arrival, lingers solemnly before transcending intermediate states in 'Almost There.' Admirers of the dreamgaze band Roomer, which made waves in and around the Berlin music scene this past year, might detect faint resemblances. Nonetheless, ronja -- a pivotal presence in said band -- unveils a distinct effort here, striking subdued but enticing tones, a foreshadowing of what is yet to come from this luminary artist." --Luka Aron

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: UMA 019CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Prepare to immerse yourself once more in the chilling, dissonant realms of Kranivm, as Urashima prepares to unveil a double CD digipack reissue titled Post Fata Resurgam. This complete collection is a resurrection of Kranivm's harrowing odyssey, featuring his sole three iconic cassette tapes: Insanatorivm, The Brighter Edge of Death, and I - The Blood. Contained within meticulously designed digipack artistry, the essence of Kranivm beckons you to dive into the dissonant beauty of Marco Corbelli's creations. Traverse a spectrum of emotions ranging from discomfort to morbid fascination as you journey through the auditory labyrinth that reflects the mind of a visionary artist. Through this reissue, you'll honor Corbelli's enduring legacy, his influence forever etched into the industrial and experimental music tapestry. As you navigate the sonic landscapes of Post Fata Resurgam you'll bear witness to the very sonic entities that once haunted Corbelli's thoughts and fears. This limited-edition release extends an invitation to honor an artist who courageously delved into darkness and transformed it into a mesmerizing form of art, thereby shaping the trajectory of dark ambient and experimental death music's evolution.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: UMA 176LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Dive into the enigmatic world of raison d'?tre, a mesmerizing music project masterminded by the Swedish composer and sound artist, Peter Andersson. Renowned for his profound ability to conjure immersive auditory landscapes, Andersson's raison d'?tre has left an indelible mark on the ambient and dark-industrial genres. At the core of "raison d'?tre" lies a philosophy deeply intertwined with the exploration of existential themes and the mysteries of human consciousness. Andersson's sonic tapestries are intricate and multi-layered, weaving a delicate web of dark ambient, drone, and experimental sounds. The compositions are meticulously crafted, with each note and texture contributing to a greater narrative that evokes a profound sense of immersion and contemplation. The vinyl reissue of Apr?s Nous Le D?luge marks the beginning in the ongoing story of the project. Originally released on Sound Source in 1992, the album's title translates to "After Us, the Deluge," a phrase often attributed to Madame de Pompadour, suggesting an impending catastrophe. This sentiment echoes throughout the album, as it conjures sonic landscapes that are both foreboding and introspective. From the somber tones to the ethereal drone, Apr?s Nous Le D?luge encapsulates raison d'?tre's ability to evoke emotions that reside in the shadows of our psyche. Apr?s Nous Le D?luge is more than an album; it's a sonic meditation. The gradual evolution of sounds, the interplay of ambient elements, and the delicate nuances create an immersive experience that demands your full attention. Whether experienced through headphones or on a grand stereo system, the vinyl reissue breathes new life into this iconic release, allowing you to discover new dimensions within its familiar depths. Urashima Records' meticulous attention to detail is evident in the pristine audio quality and the exquisite packaging of this reissue. The vinyl itself becomes a portal to another world, inviting you to immerse yourself fully in raison d'?tre's evocative sonic universe. This reissue captures the essence of the original work while adding a touch of modern refinement, making it a must-have for both dedicated fans and those new to the world of raison d'?tre.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: UMA 177LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Immerse yourself in the mysterious and haunting world of Megaptera, a captivating music project that pushes the boundaries of industrial and dark ambient genres. Initiated by Peter Nystr?m alongside Mikael Svensson, with the participation of Magnus ?slund, Megaptera embarked on a sonic journey into the heart of darkness, where atmospheric textures and chilling soundscapes intertwine. Prepare to be transported to the edge of consciousness with the Urashima's vinyl reissue of Near Death. Originally released on Sound Source in 1991, this pivotal album not only marked the inception of the Megaptera project but also carved a niche for itself in the annals of dark ambient and industrial music. From the first notes, Near Death envelops the listener in an uncanny aura, a sense of foreboding that guides you through its enigmatic passages. The album is a testament to the trio's ability to manipulate sound, sculpting it into a chilling narrative that unfolds across its tracks. The atmospheric textures evoke a sense of unease, while the pulsating rhythms create a hypnotic rhythm that carries you along the journey. The layers of sound intertwine, creating an intricate web that seems to echo the labyrinthine corridors of the subconscious. Urashima's vinyl reissue captures the essence of Near Death in its purest form. The tactile experience of placing the needle on the vinyl and allowing the album to unfold as intended by the artists adds a new dimension to the sonic journey. The haunting melodies and unsettling textures resonate even more powerfully, making this reissue not just a reproduction but a revival of the album's visceral impact. Megaptera is not for the faint of heart; it is an invitation to confront the shadows that reside within us all. Through its intense sonic explorations, the project beckons listeners to embrace the darkness and embark on a journey that delves into the most primal aspects of human experience.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: UMA 178LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Step into the enigmatic world of Morthond, a captivating music project that took shape during the winter of 1990 under the creative guidance of the singular talent, BJ Nilsen. Unlike traditional projects, Morthond thrives on pushing sonic boundaries and challenging the norm. BJ Nilsen's craftsmanship lies in his ability to orchestrate sounds that immerse listeners in a realm where emotions intertwine with auditory perceptions. Urashima's vinyl reissue of Death Time is a mesmerizing portal to the project's formative years. Originally introduced on cassette through Sound Source in 1991, this album serves as the inaugural chapter in Morthond's sonic journey. Death Time not only showcases the debut of the project but also unveils a realm of experimental artistry that defies convention. It's an audacious fusion of experimental compositions and ambient soundscapes, a testament to BJ Nilsen's unrelenting quest to carve out an auditory path that transcends labels. This album stands as an embodiment of Morthond's early ethos: to defy the norm and venture into uncharted territories of sonic expression. The experimental nature of the album invites the listener to relinquish preconceived notions and embrace the unknown. Each sonic element serves a purpose -- from the echoing whispers to the evocative textures -- creating a composition that resonates with thought-provoking depth. Urashima's reissue transforms Death Time into a tangible experience. The vinyl format adds an organic richness to the album's soundscape, inviting listeners to immerse themselves fully in Morthond's world. Death Time isn't merely a collection of tracks; it's a passage through the creative psyche of BJ Nilsen and the birth of Morthond. It captures a moment of artistic inception, where experimental ideas are given voice, and darkly ethereal atmospheres are conjured. This reissue isn't a mere resurrection; it's an invitation to rediscover the avant-garde essence of Morthond. Death Time remains a testament to the enduring power of experimental music to provoke thought and emotion. BJ Nilsen's visionary approach is evident in every sonic layer, making this vinyl reissue a commemoration of artistic exploration and a testament to the ongoing evolution of Morthond's sonic legacy.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: UMA 179LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Step into a time capsule of industrial experimentation with Crematorius, an elusive music project created by the visionary Henrik Nordvargr Bj?rkk. Recorded on a portable four-track in 1987, Crematorius captures a raw and unfiltered glimpse into the early creative explorations of one of the genre's most influential figures. This project predates even the formation of the iconic black industrial group MZ 412, offering a unique perspective on Bj?rkk's artistic evolution. The soundscapes of Crematorius offer a glimpse into the formative years of industrial music. The tracks echo with a sense of urgency, reflecting the pioneering spirit of an artist who dared to push the envelope. Elements of distortion, manipulated samples, and unconventional rhythms intertwine to create an auditory experience that transcends time. The sonic imperfections add to the authenticity, taking you back to a time when artists sculpted sound with limited resources and limitless creativity. Urashima's vinyl reissue of Crematorius marks an unprecedented moment in industrial music history. This collection of unreleased tracks sheds light on Bj?rkk's formative years, revealing the origins of his artistic trajectory. With resonances reminiscent of the early releases on the legendary Cold Meat Industry label, Crematorius delves into the raw and unrefined sonic experimentation that defined the genre's infancy. These tracks serve as a sonic time capsule, preserving the essence of a period when industrial music was just beginning to take shape. As you listen, you'll hear the echoes of industrial pioneers who paved the way for a genre that would later resonate across the musical landscape. The vinyl format enhances the authenticity of these recordings, inviting you to experience the textures and tones in a way that pays homage to their original creation. The remastering process by Lasse Marhaug elevates these tracks to new heights. Every nuance, every sonic fragment, is revitalized, breathing fresh life into the recordings while preserving their original spirit. The vinyl medium adds warmth and depth, allowing you to immerse yourself in the intricate layers of sound. With Crematorius, Henrik Nordvargr Bj?rkk takes you on a journey to the genesis of his industrial exploration. These tracks are not just a glimpse into the past; they are a testament to the enduring impact of artistic innovation.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: WEX 011LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. A quintessentially sinister masterpiece by The Homosexuals founder Amos, reissued for the first time in an edition limited to 365 copies. A mysterious 1982 cassette masterpiece by Amos & Crew from the It's War Boys catalogue remastered from the original tapes by Amos himself. Sailored, Dutchwifed, and highly-refinedly laid-out by Studio Shitless. Art by Err o'. Large four-page full-color insert with an essay by Ed Baxter and a text translated by Derek Bentley from the original Japanese (1982). "Recorded in Tokyo, Japan on Mr Shiotas old four track cassette in Mr Kitamuras kitchen in sporadic three day binge," according to the original insert. Recorded by Amos while on tour with The Work in Japan. Not on the Nurse With Wound list! Existing exactly mid-way between the dropping of the atomic bomb and the time a moment ago when you opened this insensibly incendiary package, the throwaway aesthetic of True Tears now glows like a malevolent object in an ever-expanding universe. It's an emetic emissary from the senseless empire of the incredible shrinking man, an attack of a fifty-foot pylon into which The Three Stooges recklessly bang nails in the hope of a hereafter. It's above all an invocation of a truly plastic world. Nails are forced into each other's heads. Heels clatter on new vinyl steps, the apartment rents out at only slightly more than average, and this is a good neighborhood. We watch the traffic as if alert to the nuances of a symphony, the choreography at midnight might as well be some modernist masterpiece, and the descent of the planes in the darkness, tubes of incandescent cells, strikes terror into all the denizens of the deep. So when I say plastic, Douglas, I mean consider the landmarks that emerge from the fog in the landscape of the last two centuries. Ruin. Cot. Window. Corpse. Airplane. Aerial Photograph. Fossil. Groove. Pine grove. Hoover. Hoe. And so on. And then consider too the tools that allow for the forensic examination of all that matters in the last 100 years or so, the age of relativity that has thrown up parallel universes, murder mysteries, musique concr?te, detail, childhood, The Other, and a dismissal even by savants of consensus reality.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: YNFND 030LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

For eighteen revolutions of the sun, they have engaged in the ephemeral symphony of real-time discourse, sans pretentious airs. Two to nine illustrious ladies of Berlin, weaving through the rich tapestry of styles and narratives, have, over time, summoned forth nearly two hundred ensembles. Each performance, each musical troupe, irrevocably entangled in the prose and nomenclature of all participants, venue, and set-up. Repetition, though a rarity, has, in some instances, been grudgingly sanctioned. Yet, lo and behold, there exists now: Festplatte. A compendium. Upon the A-side, Spassbremse, possessed of an angelic voice, yearns for the elusive essence of liberty, whilst Die Abst?nde in somber, pulsating offbeat, smirkingly, critique the dominion of control. Pimmelbett, with lyrical poise, and epic reverie, expounds upon the "Infinite Nature of Dreams." Subsequently, as Die supersymmetrischen Teilchen indulge in elegiac ruminations on solitude, Leh Kokott jubilantly resurrects their 2015 summer opus, "un Bouton." On the B-side, Fr?uleinschein assumes a fourfold rhythm, contemplating, in the process, the ethereal sustenance of "Kartoffelp?ree", provoking an unknown ensemble to mourn their local tavern in Finnish tradition. The vigor of self-pleasure is exalted in the blues, and Puncik?k, in the manner of Balkan minstrels, melodiously intones a pressing yearning through the entirety of her available vocal range. Die Fl?he and the Drunken Sinkers, therein, finalize the anarchic symphony. In the ethereal cadence of the vocals, the very essence of each musician reveals itself, accompanied by the harmonious assembly of a classical musical ensemble, punctuated by playful ornamentations, and the enchanting resonance of that alluring cello. Festplatte -- an ode to the platter of revelry. In the heart of punk, a serpentine melody entwines itself within the confines of your auditory senses. Also featuring Polyzysten, Betonmascha, Bruchst?ck, Omas Jukebox f?r Andi, and Puncik?k.