Forced Exposure New Releases for the Week of 5/30/2022

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: RANDB 088LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Eighteen tracks of prime Van Morrison from 1971, recorded live in front of an intimate studio audience in excellent quality. A nine-piece band perform a selection of Morrison classics, everything from "Friday's Child (Them)" to songs from the yet-to-be released Tupelo Honey LP (1971). Morrison himself is in relaxed good humor on covers such as "Hound Dog" and "Just Like A Woman". Comes with full credits and extensive sleeve notes. It's Too Great To Stop Now!, recorded live at Pacific High Recorders, Marin, California, September 5th, 1971, soundboard quality.

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: RANDB 090LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Fifteen tracks of prime live Free across four sides of vinyl, recorded for FM Radio on their early 1971 US tour. The original line-up of Rodgers, Kossoff, Kirke, and Fraser are at the height of their abilities in front of an enthusiastic Santa Monica crowd. Features many original songs not included on the Free Live LP (1971) plus their version of "Rock Me Baby". Good sound quality plus full credits and extensive sleeve notes. Recorded at Santa Monica Civic Centre, California and broadcast on Radio KUSC FM in February 1971.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: RANDB 092LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

At the height of their popularity in 1969 and 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young made a series of broadcast appearances and this compiles the best -- jamming with Tom Jones, folking with Joni Mitchell and electrifying the Fillmore East. Thirteen tracks in good quality, varying from an acoustic version of Stephen Stills's "4+20" to an extended full band workout on Neil Young's "Southern Man". Comes with full credits and sleeve notes.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: AUK 043C-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Unexpected restock of this long-gone clear, 180 gram vinyl version; Last copies in the word. Edition of 500. Something Else is the first full-length offering from The Brian Jonestown Massacre in 2018. A self-titled full-length album is to follow in the fall of 2018. This is the 17th full-length release from the band, and the style is less experimental and returns to the traditional sound of the band. Recorded between 2017 and 2018, this nine-track album will please old and new fans alike. In 2017 the band did a brief tour of the US and Mexico City to support the band's 2017 album release, Don't Get Lost (AUK 040CD/LP), a relatively quiet year for the Brian Jonestown Massacre.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: AR 155LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

LP version. Includes download card. Fresh Afro-soul music -- Ghana's highlife going by the heartbeat of '70s soul music. Jembaa Groove is a multicultural band founded in late 2020 by bass player and composer Yannick Nolting, and singer-percussionist Eric Owusu. Speaking the same musical language, they quickly realized the fruitful outcome of their musical encounter and decided to spend a couple of months composing their original music. Digging deep into both their backgrounds and musical identities, they came up with an organic result both like to label as Afro-soul. After seeking for the right companions for the upcoming journey and stumbling on a few of Berlin's finest musicians, they finally formed Jembaa Groove, a seven-piece band that combines fresh sounds from Berlin's underground music scene with traditional West-African sounds from Ghana and Mali, such as highlife, Adowa, and Wassoulou. Their aesthetic vision is inspired by soul music from the '60s and '70s and avoids overly-produced commercial arrangements while merging driving bass grooves and steady drum patterns with fresh horn lines and catchy melodies. Produced by Yannick Nolting. Composed and arranged by Yannick Nolting. Vocal arrangements and lyrics by Eric Owusu.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: ANIMALS 010EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Twisted percussion-forward kosmiche club brilliance from Düsseldorf's Niklas Wandt. Stepping cosmic house, new beat hypnotism, tribal piano breakdown madness and wavey vocoded synth make up the four track EP for the Animals Dancing imprint's first release of the year.

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: AD 009EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

This is the one! The legendary Gemini 12" that has been pushing Discogs prices up to £250 for years. One of the enigmatic producer's more obscure releases, Gemini's Get Down EP showcases some bumpy electronics on the title track, then rolls out some of his signature bassline and moody stabs on "A Tight Grip". The B-side sees the great man flip a disco sample with some spiky percussion on "Turn Da Music", and back to some classic Gemini beeps and noises on "Ca". This is one reissue you don't want to miss. Profits from this release will go directly to Spencer Kincy.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: ASH 707LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Repressed. "Michael George Henry (aka Ras Michael and, for this lone release, Dadawah) was born in 1943 in Saint Mary Parish, in northeastern Jamaica. Henry was raised in a Rastafari community when the religious movement was still in its infancy and marginalized within Jamaica. It was there that he began performing Nyahbinghi, the Rastafarian devotional music that combines the influences of African drumming and Black gospel. Henry found himself in Kingston in the late 1950s where he worked for Coxsone Dodd at the legendary Studio One. By 1968, he had formed the group Sons of Negus and the first overtly Rasta record label, Zion Disc. As Rasta filtered into the mainstream, Henry released more music including albums for Trojan, Dynamic and Grounation labels. Originally released in 1974, Peace And Love - Wadadasow is Dadawah's magnum opus. Produced by Lloyd Charmers, the album features slinky basslines, wah-wah guitar, hypnotic keyboards, dubbed-out studio trickery and, of course, the propulsive drumming and rhythmic chanting characteristic of Nyahbinghi. Antarctica Starts Here presents the first widely available domestic release of Peace And Love - Wadadasow. This reissue is part of an archival series that focuses on Trojan's essential '60s and '70s catalogue. Liner notes by JR Gonne."

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: AGMR 051LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

In 2011, Gazelle Twin self-released The Entire City, a debut album that gathered rapid acclaim and sparked a decade of creativity during which its creator, Elizabeth Bernholz has built big upon her foundation of dark, cinematic energy. The album is now set to be reissued on deluxe silver grey vinyl featuring the captivating photo collage artwork of British artist, Suzanne Moxhay, with newly designed artwork by Paul Agar and Gazelle Twin.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: AGMR 052LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

The Wastelands is an album of material made around the same period as The Entire City though never released commercially. The album expands on The Entire City's shadowy, future scape, featuring foreboding, percussive songwriting, with euphoric choral swells. The Wastelands also features the captivating photo collage artwork of British artist, Suzanne Moxhay. Translucent yellow vinyl.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: ATMV 093LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Awe Kid explores ideas of trans-humanism, evolution and digital immortality on Body Logic, a fantastically lush new album for Atomnation. The immersive ten track record plays with organic, breathing textures punctuated by moments of digital unreal-ness to result in an album permeated with a dream-like quality. This contrast is mirrored by the artwork from Portugal's acclaimed The Royal Studio. Awe Kid is an alias of Sine Language Records co-founder Rick Parsons. It is the product of years spent exploring a multitude of different music. From early days in post-hardcore groups and on to a love of '90s Warp, electronic jazz, and more experimental niches, the multi-instrumentalist has now settled on his own unique fusion of breaks, ambient and left-field dance music. This deft studio wizard mixes up melodic nostalgia with forward-thinking sound design using whatever he can get his hands on, from analog and modular hardware, to samplers, field recordings to digital techniques. Says Parsons, "I love working with digital processes because you get these unexpected moments where you dial something in, that somehow takes on a tangible, organic form in the real world. Searching for these sweet spots was the motivation for the album, contrasting natural textures against synthetic elements, and finding ways to create something that feels like it exists outside of the computer." While the album pays homage to dance music traditions, such as the broken beat of title track "Body Logic", and full-throttle breaks of "Zenith", these are assimilated and repurposed to create something that defies genre categorization. The listener's journey is perfectly paced, with broody but uplifting cuts of electronica giving way to shimmering, celestial melodies, and dusty breakbeats emerging from dense layers of atmosphere, only for the mood to be reset with soothing, suspenseful synths and haunting vocal samples. Elsewhere, devastatingly emotional ambient is followed by punchy grooves and propulsive melodies to make for a real ride.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: AUS 173EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Earth Trax's Afloat EP follows his third LP for Bristol based Shall Not Fade. Earth Trax aka Bartosz touches on trance, techno, and deep spacey electro. B's knack for building tension is infectious, here you see his production skills on full display each track has so much clarity you can feel the space it's broody and beautiful and always delivered with a unique touch of class.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: BTR 060EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

The 13th edition of Batov Records' essential Middle Eastern groove 45s series showcases the irresistible Mediterranean psych sound of Les Dynamites, backed with a heavyweight dub by Israeli digging and beats pioneers, Radio Trip, as they pay homage to the '70s band Lehakat Tzliley Ha'oud, who pioneered a fusion of Yemenite, North African, Greek, and Mizrahi styles with funk and rock, updating their cult song, "Neimat Pop Oud". Jerusalem's Les Dynamites have built a healthy reputation for their tight party-starting sound, a melting pot Dick Dale surf rock, Balkan brass, Anatolian and Greek psych, and the Yemeni folk music that soundtracks their day-to-day existence. Guitarist Roy Bar-tour (aka Dynamite Joe) overdubs his electric guitar to replicate the whirling effect of the Turkish oud or Greek bouzouki, over Adam "Arturo" Yodfat's resonating sousaphone bassline and the thunderous drums laid down by Atzmon Avrahami aka Luigi. On "No Oud", Israel's most influential digging duo, Radio Trip, re-center the song around the bassline, twinned with cavernous dub-echo drums. Radio Trip wrote the book for generations of record collectors and hip-hop producers to follow when it comes to digging and sampling obscure Israeli and Yemenite funk and psychedelic grooves. In turn they influenced the next generation of musicians who as a result looked further back into their own musical heritage, at least as much as the usual American and British influences. "Oud Two" and "No Oud" are destined to inspire aspiring belly dancers, break dancers and any curious music lovers interested in diving into the seductive grooves of Israel's ancient cities.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: BEC 5610510

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

The psychedelic French garage duo The Limiñanas and German-French music composer and sound engineer David Menke wrote two original soundtracks together for documentaries. The Ballad Of Linda L for the Arte eponymous documentary about the life of Linda Lovelace. And The Devil Inside Me for the Netflix series Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces Of Billy Milligan. 100% new music, fuzz guitars, and garage rock. This release collects the two OSTs. Gatefold sleeve.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: BR 001LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2022 repress "'I never wanted to ever start a record label. Ever. But there is something about her voice I couldn't let go of. It's an actual voice. An actual beautiful voice. This one's a classic sounding voice. Not to mention her song writing, recording and guitar playing. Jessica Pratt's music feels like I have found a lost LP of an old forgotten mystical folk singer, that feeling of discovering a record all by myself: Without the help of friends or the Internet. Like Stevie Nicks singing over David Crosby demos, with the intimacy of a Sibylle Baier. I am in love with it. So much, that I saved up and threw all my money to get it into this world. I actually care about it, no matter which way the winds blow.' --Tim Presley, White Fence"

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: BOSC 049EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Bosconi Records is arguably one of the most prolific labels in the Italian electronic music scene, always looking for freshness and innovation as well as undiscovered and rare gems thanks to the work of DJ and music researcher Fabio Della Torre. This time, Bosconi brings you to the special world of Sound Virus: the UK producer duo responsible for super rare EPs such as Swirl (1995) and Inverted Frequencies (1995). These highly sought-after records were released on their own imprint Lux Recordings back in '95, and are about to get a repress on Mint Condition. But you know how things work with Bosconi, the label always wants to be on the forefront and they have got four fresh and never released tunes: Scott James and Chris Hayne themselves recovered them from the very same '90s DAT tapes! Waveforms #1 EP opens up with "Wavey (Intro Mix)": a nine-minute long sonic journey featuring a non-stop subtle acid bassline and loopy bleepy synths, lifting off with ethereal pads and bringing you to fascinating proto trance landscapes: a pleasure for your ears and your deeper soul, that will keep you listening to this non-stop. 808 state fans won't be disappointed. "Wavey (Sine Mix)" follows, a dryer obscure and more driving version of the previous one, an after-hour essential groover for darker sessions. B side opens up with "Inter (3# Mix)", a floor killer with a trance progressive reminiscent bassline featuring a distant horn and a brilliant sharp-edged arpeggio, a super effective tool to test out any dancefloor. The EP ends with "Matte (7# Mix)", a true deep tech house masterpiece with brilliant and teasing melodic synth articulations, mingling together with a charming vocal sample and a swinging groove, for the fans of that unmistakable UK tech house sound from those years, the same you could find on labels like Headspace, Surreal, or Swag.

 

PRICE: $27.50

CAT #: BYTES 014LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double LP version. GLOK is the electronic alter ego of Andy Bell; best-known as the guitarist in venerated shoegazers Ride, alongside stints in other famous groups, with a noteworthy solo career too. His first album proper as GLOK -- Pattern Recognition -- is released via Ransom Note Records' sister label Bytes. Although usually renowned for purveying the finest quality jangle, drone and general guitar-based magic, Bell's foray into dance music should come as less of a surprise than immediately meets the eye. There are parallels between the genres within the sonically-deep layers, hypnotic sound and trance-like headspaces, or, as he puts it more succinctly: "GLOK is all about the push and pull between electronic and psych in my music." Although not a full-blown concept album, Pattern Recognition has a loose thread which takes in a week of life, from weekend to weekend, with each of the vinyl's four sides capturing different mindstates across that transition. Each side has a distinct feel that's different to the last but inherently cohesive -- much like the changes an individual goes through over seven days. Across the album with loving craft Andy weaves together throbbing dubbed-out acid, steamy jack trax, levitational psychedelia, sparkling Balearic, techno, Kosmische, shoegaze, art rock and Compass Point-style post punk -- with just a hint of ambient, new age and contemporary classical too. For fans of: Andy Bell, Ride, Andrew Weatherall, Death In Vegas, Daniel Avery, Pye Corner Audio, Underworld, The Lucid Dream. Features Shiarra, Shamon Cassette, Sinead O'Brien, and C.A.R..

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: BYTES 014X-LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double LP version. Orange vinyl. GLOK is the electronic alter ego of Andy Bell; best-known as the guitarist in venerated shoegazers Ride, alongside stints in other famous groups, with a noteworthy solo career too. His first album proper as GLOK -- Pattern Recognition -- is released via Ransom Note Records' sister label Bytes. Although usually renowned for purveying the finest quality jangle, drone and general guitar-based magic, Bell's foray into dance music should come as less of a surprise than immediately meets the eye. There are parallels between the genres within the sonically-deep layers, hypnotic sound and trance-like headspaces, or, as he puts it more succinctly: "GLOK is all about the push and pull between electronic and psych in my music." Although not a full-blown concept album, Pattern Recognition has a loose thread which takes in a week of life, from weekend to weekend, with each of the vinyl's four sides capturing different mindstates across that transition. Each side has a distinct feel that's different to the last but inherently cohesive -- much like the changes an individual goes through over seven days. Across the album with loving craft Andy weaves together throbbing dubbed-out acid, steamy jack trax, levitational psychedelia, sparkling Balearic, techno, Kosmische, shoegaze, art rock and Compass Point-style post punk -- with just a hint of ambient, new age and contemporary classical too. For fans of: Andy Bell, Ride, Andrew Weatherall, Death In Vegas, Daniel Avery, Pye Corner Audio, Underworld, The Lucid Dream. Features Shiarra, Shamon Cassette, Sinead O'Brien, and C.A.R..

 

PRICE: $36.50

CAT #: CMR 019LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double LP version. After composing for cinema, theater, multi-platinum French rap singles and French chanson albums, Gabriel Legeleux, aka Superpoze, continues his journey with electronic and instrumental music. He expands his intimate and singular work with a third dense and extensive album, where strings, flutes, and choirs join his trusty synthesizers, pianos and percussions."Nova Cardinale is an album conceived as a world rather than a story. A place made of sounds in which one can find a path, get lost or stay still and observe the surroundings. An album in which the tracks live on a grand scale, ranging from intimacy to emphasis. An album with perspective and vanishing points. It was an intimate and sensitive writing work, and also a real technical work of sound and production. Listening to the album, these two aspects seem to me indissociable today." --Superpoze

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: CORE 023CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

The trio's music creates a strong sense of place, yet you can't quite put your finger on the exact location. There are crescendos that remind me of the vibrant frenzy once experienced in the Amazonian rainforest. Jan Bang injects into the mix both snippets of his co-creators' performances and samples collected over time for deployment in just the right context. You hear faint orchestral swells and then voices, both spoken and sung, the recordings degraded so far as to be barely recognizable. These add a strange authenticity to this imagined territory, the acoustic purity of David Toop and Mark Wastell's instruments providing a counterpoint that expands the stage.Personnel: Jan Bang - live sampling, samples; David Toop - lapsteel guitar, flutes, whistles, small percussion, harmonica, elastic, paper; Mark Wastell - Paiste 32" tam tam, gongs, beaters, brushes, sticks, bow, autoharp. Recorded by Shaun Crook, London, November 22, 2019. Compositional structure by Mark Wastell. Mixed and mastered by Rupert Clervaux. Cover image by Crimson Wastell. Liner notes by David Nibloe. Design by Matthew Brandi. Produced by Mark Wastell.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: DPROM 154CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Fresh from their collaboration with Stewart Lee (DPROM 143LP, 2019), Capri-Batterie release the long-awaited release of their studio album Tanq. Six new pieces of instant composition that Full Blast drummer Michael Wertmüller describes as "more than music". What does Wertmüller mean by this? Music that crosses boundaries and transcends categorization is now an established tradition in its own right. What sets Capri-Batterie apart is their willingness to take the broken walls of genre as read and settle at once into building profound structures from the resultant dust and the debris. This truly authentic approach to music making produces surprising results that are at once bold, subtle, and questioning. A music that affords the listener another (an other) set of vanishing points. Hence Tanq. If Cecil Taylor and Blixa Bargeld sat down together and listened to this, they would understand it. This unique and incredible release is one of those rare occasions where Dirter are comfortable describing it as "unmissable". Full-color mini-LP gatefold sleeve, with a poster booklet, all with beautiful art by the band's own Matt Lord.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: DM 011LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Official reissue. 1967 Peruvian garage classic. After consecutive reissues of Peruvian garage and psychedelic rock from the sixties and seventies, Discos Monterey couldn't miss the chance to resurface two of the most emblematic records of the period: 1967's Segundo Volumen and 1968's Docena 3 (DM 012LP) by Los Shain's, the "conjunto de conjuntos" (the band among bands), as they were called back then. Those fifteen-year-olds started in mid-1964 and would go on to make an impressive musical career that would make history with just four records for the IEMPSA label. They recorded their first LP El Ritmo De Los Shain's (1966), halfway between instrumental rock and garage. Its main architects -- Enrique "Pico" Ego Aguirre, on guitar, and Gerardo Manuel Rojas, on lead vocals -- introduced psychedelia in their second work called Volumen 2 (1967). They were accompanied by Beto Tataje on second guitar, Juan Carlos Barreda on bass, and Carlos Manuel Barreda on drums. The album contains, for the most part, their own songs, standing out their luminous melodies and a certain beat they themselves considered to be a product of the "enfermedad" (sickness), immersed as they were in "la onda", the groove of the era. An impressive album that also stood out for its sound and for the pioneering presence of the "fuzz tone" among other effects such as the tape echo or a harmonic distorter that were revolutionary in their day and that today still have an impact due to their enormous power.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: DM 012LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Official reissue. 1968 Peruvian garage psych classic. Following 1967's Segundo Volumen, Docena 3 would see the light of day a year later, highlighting the LSD world on the cover, in which they added more accentuated lysergic moments, the use of the Indian zither, plus Jorge Pomar on rhythm, and other technical novelties such as reverse tape effects, including anti-war and love messages. The album brings together some captivating songs of their own, plus surprising covers with surrounding sound arrangements. Shortly thereafter, the band would break up, but not before leaving us with another album to fulfill their contract, entitled Instrumental's (1968). The members would go on to separate careers with Pico's Los Nuevos Shain's, and Gerardo Manuel's The (St. Thomas) Pepper Smelter. They would reunite again in 2007, but it was not until this year 2021 that, thanks to Discos Monterey, a late sixties Peruvian rock summit is again available with excellent sound and respecting the original artwork.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: DRUNKEN 122LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Debut LP from The Mark Vodka Group, Nova Scotia delivers again. FFO Coneheads, DLIMC, Buzzcocks, and sunshine in the city. More effortlessly catchy brilliance from Nova Scotia, Canada, that your ears, speakers and shelves simply cannot live without. You want a quality guarantee? Includes members of the Booji Boys? This is a different prospect to the Boojis, of course. While that group buries deceptively tasteful hooks in clouds of ear-lacerating distortion, the Mark Vodka Group opt for a more immediately accessible level of audibility, while still keeping things firmly in the box marked "lo-fi". They sound like a bare-bones Descendants at their most irritably bratty, stealing the Oblivians' homework and doodling stupid faces all over the most insightful parts. Or maybe the other way around. Point is, they do smart and stoopid simultaneously and they'll make you wanna dive onto a dancefloor to revel in both sides. As they're not ashamed to tell you, however, the band have been around this music long enough to grow pissed off with... well, what have you got? Scenester elitism ("Big Time Rocker"), the sudden trendiness of punk among previously skeptical normies ("Everybody's Punk Now", which also boasts a killer Buzzcocks homage at its peak) and everyone dumb enough to cross them. Truth be told, punk rock doesn't come out of these lyrical screes too well, but the Mark Vodka Group are too in love with the stuff to truly let go.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: EG 006LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Eargong Records present a reissue of Quincicasm's self-titled album, originally released in 1973. Saved from the dust of time, here is a truly rare and obscure piece of vinyl by one of the most enigmatic bands in the whole history of British progressive jazz. Originally released in 200 copies in 1973 and reissued here for the first time, Quincicasm's only release stands as a brilliant document of the '70s British underground electric jazz scene. Somewhere at the crossing of open form jazz and art rock explorations. Personnel: Ken Eley - saxophone; Dick Pearce - flugelhorn; Julian Marshall - vibraphone, keyboards; Malcolm Bennett - bass guitar, flute; Michael Ormerod - drums, percussion; Nigel Smith - drums, percussion; Katy Zeserson - vocals. RIYL: Soft Machine, Nucleus.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: BEC 5610502

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

White vinyl. Ed Banger Records presents Remedy, Breakbot's new EP. Creators of classic songs such as "Baby I'm Yours", Breakbot & Irfane are back with four new songs. Following "Remedy", the next single is "The Light".

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: ELPALMAS 017LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

If you define folklore as the passing on of traditions from a particular group of people, then there can be no denying that Acid Coco, whether consciously or not, are playing an important role in disseminating the folk culture of Colombia's Caribbean coast. Throughout their music there are links to tradition: the gaita flute typical of rural cumbia, the effervescent guitar licks that are such a big part of the coast's Afro-diasporic sounds, the teeth-rattling bass indicative of communities brought up on picó sound systems since the '70s, the unmistakable sound of the marimba wooden xylophone (each note like a rain drop on the jungle canopy), and then there are the lyrics. Tradition should not stand still, and in Andrea's words you find the oral traditions of the last 30 years: on "Hoy Como Siempre" she sings of the need for women to stick up for themselves, to not fall in love too easily; on "Cara Dura" the sentiment is even stronger, its lyrics picking out a male predator on the dancefloor who will not be tolerated; and then there's "Mundo de Mentira" where vulnerability peaks through, the story of a woman whose life has become a "world of lies" since their lover has left. They are stories that could have spilled out of Cali's salsatecas, Cartagena's picós or any club the world over, yet through Paulo's canny production there is no doubt where you are. Dembow, cumbia, reggaeton, even on the spiky Caribbean folk of final track "Por Las Venas" or chiptune melody of "Aquí y Allá", there is nowhere we can be other than on Colombia's Caribbean coast."We are inspired by our own experiences, as well as those of others. The last year was the beginning of a new era for all of us and it has left us with much to analyze and the need to rethink our priorities. There's been so many changes on this planet: the confinement, the constant looking back at the past, the struggle of many against endless injustices, love, all this leads to the fact that our new songs have very current themes but that also transcend time. They continue the characteristic sound of Acid Coco, with the undeniable influence of the Caribbean." --Acid Coco

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: ELPALMAS 018LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

El Palmas Music are back with a third instalment of rare Venezuelan sounds from the '60s and '70s, a wild trip through salsa, boogaloo, garage rock, jazz, and delinquent pop. This fertile musical period has always been the focus of the Color de Trópico series, and continues to be the case on this third instalment, though it should also be noted that the tracks are getting rarer and rarer, indicative of the curatorship of DJ El Palmas and El Drágon Criollo. Color de Trópico Vol. 3 starts with Un, Dos, Tres Y ... Fuera's "Aquella Noche", a song that's fully indicative of Venezuela's coastline with the much-loved group giving a llanero rhythm a fully Afro-Caribbean makeover with pulsating bass and an electric keyboard. It possesses some of that same mid-70s vitality and need to experiment as Grupo Vaquedanus, the band of sax maestro Santiago Baquedano, and their cover of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five", here fashioned as "Toma Cinco" (recorded as Grupo Baquedanu's). Girl group Los Pájaros hit hard with a boogaloo with simple instructions. Pop stars Geminis 5 were at it too with a fuzzy ballad "Tus 16 Años", and Junior Squad injected a bit of San Francisco hippy charm into affairs with their loose adaptation of The Turtles' "She'd Rather Be With Me", retitled as "Siempre Para Ti" and sounding as rough, ready and full of youthful vim as anything made north of Mexico. On the farthest end of the pop spectrum is The Pets with their cult hit "El Entierro de Un Hombre Rico que Murió de Hambre" ("The Burial of a Rich Man Who Died of Starvation"), a true countercultural anthem that even dips into "The Funeral March" for a minute. The salsa ensembles and their big band predecessors are always an important element of any Color de Trópico compilation. On Vol. 3, you find one of the earliest salsa groups in Venezuela, Los Megatones De Lucho, who recorded a pachanga, "Yo Se Que Tu", long before salsa was even a thing. Influenced by Venezuela's very own Los Dementes and Joe Cuba's sextet, Príncipe Y Su Sexteto were one of Venezuela's most prominent salsa ensembles. On their 1969 track "San De Manique" you get a different vibe altogether, it's a creeping son with just vocals, bass, and congas for its opening minute, before really kicking into action with a twisted guitar line and wild percussion, while always retaining a raw, Afro-Latin feel. One of Venezuela's most beloved salseros, Johnny Sede, pipes up with a classic salsa, "Guararé", showing how the style had developed in just a few short years. Also features Los Terrícolas.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: ELPALMAS 020LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

El Palmas Music present a reissue of the second album from Venezuela's Los Calvos, ... y Que Calvos!, originally released in 1968. This second and lamentably final album found the group creating a signature sound with the musicians given free rein and a stronger push to the dance floor, this is música bailable personified. The drum kit was instrumental to their image and sound; it was an instrumental unusual in salsa at the time. So much so that their own drummer Frank "Pavo" Hernandez had said disparagingly that "salsa with a drum kit is like pasta with avocado". Kudos then to "Pavo", along with fellow drummer Alfredo Padilla, who seamlessly integrated the instrument into the line-up, allowing its heavy hits to add energy and power to the group's sound. Vocal duties throughout are split evenly, five tracks a piece in fact, between Carlos "Carlín" Asicio Rodríguez and Carlos "Calaven" Yanes. It is Calaven who surprises the most, his mischievous delivery and ability to improvise and scat placing him in the higher echelons of vocalists, and not just within salsa. "José", which is also a showcase for bandleader Ray Perez to free wheel on the piano, is a perfect example of Calaven's ability to enliven any descarga (jam) with unexpected vocal turns; but then, even on the album's original single "El Moño De Maria" he shows that with a few variations on the chorus, he can elevate any song. His partner in vocals, Carlín, is no slouch either, leading the driving "Tiene La Razón" with ease and showing that he can get down and dirty on the percussion-heavy "El Tumbeleco". Perez was one of Venezuela's finest bandleaders, also helming the legendary Los Dementes, Los Kenya, and others, and he brings a number of famous friends and allies to the party. Professional lucha fighter turned composer Gustavo "El Chiclayano" Seclén contributes the playful "El Marciano y Yo" ("The Martian and Me"), which allows Calaven plenty of opportunity to improvise, his imitations of intergalactic beings a wonderful thing, with what sounds like the rim of a wine glass being used to create Mars-esque special effects. You can also hear Perucho Torcatt, a regular collaborator of Ray Perez's in Los Dementes, adding his voice throughout the album. ... y Que Calvos! is not for the idle, it's an album which does not allow you to sit down. Powerful, inventive, and abundant of rhythm. A lost salsa classic.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: EPR 066LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

After three albums based purely on synthesizers, the Danish duo Videodrones take a leap by adding live drums and guitars to their latest album. A natural step, considering that Jakob Skøtt, one half of the duo, spends his time drumming in Causa Sui, as well as a slew of jazz-infused projects on El Paraiso Records. All basic tracks were recorded in an improv session at Jonas Munk's studio in Odense, capturing both synths and drums live. The expansion of drums adds a natural '70s groove, maintaining a spontaneous vibe that also soaks into the analog synths of modular wizard Kristoffer Ovesen. The improvised sessions were later honed, edited, and layered, bringing forth the best of both spontaneous ideas, as well a multi-dimensional approach bringing a new depth to Videodrones' extensive cinematic undercurrent of sounds. With the addition of echo and reverb drenched guitars, the duo is tapping into sounds in new realms yet strangely familiar. After The Fall may conceptually nod it's head towards a gloomy state of affairs, but akin to the Italian post-apocalyptic movies of the '80s, doomsday never felt this heady and funky before.

 

PRICE: $36.50

CAT #: BMV 770325LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double LP version. 180 gram vinyl; gatefold sleeve; includes download card. In the years since their formation, WhoMadeWho have established themselves as one of the most important underground bands of their generation. The Danish group, consisting of Tomas Høffding, Tomas Barfod, and Jeppe Kjellberg, has an exceptional sense of emotional depth, heartbreaking melodies, and brilliant songwriting, boasting an expansive discography currently spanning a total of six albums and a plethora of EPs, singles and remixes released on labels such as Kompakt, Innervisions, and Life & Death. On the road, they are internationally renowned for their professionalism and outstanding live performances and have become regular fixtures at some of the world's most notable musical festivals, including Roskilde, Sonar, Melt!, and Burning Man to name just a few. The in-demand Scandinavian outfit now confirm details of their upcoming long player, UUUU. Set for release via long-standing German record label Embassy One, UUUU is the seventh full-length studio album from WhoMadeWho. A beautifully crafted record featuring thirteen original productions. Features Rampa, Kat Frankie, and AVA4K.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: FARO 230CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Between producing landmark albums with the likes of Azymuth, Marcos Valle, and Sabrina Malheiros, recent years have seen Daniel Maunick flourishing as a solo artist with acclaimed releases on Eglo Records, Mother Tongue, Visions, AKO Beatz (under his Dokta Venom alias), and of course, Far Out Recordings. His sophomore solo album Persistence is an exemplary culmination of the momentum Maunick has built since his 2019 debut Macumba Quebrada (FARO 214CD/LP), which earned support from Moodymann, Benji B, Gilles Peterson, Ron Trent, Palms Trax, Derrick Carter, and Moxie, to name just a few. Since collaborating with Shy FX for his first ever release at the age of fifteen (a now impossible to find single sided jungle acetate), Maunick has remained embedded in the fabric of the culture, from early work for the legendary Talkin' Loud label to notching credits with Terry Callier, Paul Weller, Ski Oakenfull, Brenda Russell, and his father's legendary brit-funk outfit Incognito. And for almost two decades he's served as producer for a long string of classic and future-classic Far Out albums, most recently Alex Malheiros' Tempos Futuros (FARO 228CD/LP). As on his previous Far Out opuses (most recently the Musica Encantada EP (JD 050EP)), Persistence sees Maunick continue to playfully use foundations of traditional Afro-Brazilian rhythms, heard in the sultry samba swing of "Arraiá", the pulsating batucada enveloping the bassy synth stabs in "Remnants of Joy", and spectral cuicas throughout the blissfully bumping "Illusions". But going beyond his trademark nods to Brazil, he reflects on his jungle-ist roots with the emotionally charged "Love Is Gone", and flexes his deep house muscles with the late-night magic of "Just Deserts" and "Addicted". The sheer variety on show is testament to the wide scope of influences and experiences Maunick has accumulated and absorbed in his career to date. It's also evident that after years spent with jazz funk masters like Azymuth and Incognito, as well as hitmakers like Marcos Valle, Maunick has reached a new caliber with his compositional prowess alongside his astoundingly accomplished studio skills. Persistence is a modern classic by a veteran at the peak of their powers.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: FARO 230LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Double LP version. Between producing landmark albums with the likes of Azymuth, Marcos Valle, and Sabrina Malheiros, recent years have seen Daniel Maunick flourishing as a solo artist with acclaimed releases on Eglo Records, Mother Tongue, Visions, AKO Beatz (under his Dokta Venom alias), and of course, Far Out Recordings. His sophomore solo album Persistence is an exemplary culmination of the momentum Maunick has built since his 2019 debut Macumba Quebrada (FARO 214CD/LP), which earned support from Moodymann, Benji B, Gilles Peterson, Ron Trent, Palms Trax, Derrick Carter, and Moxie, to name just a few. Since collaborating with Shy FX for his first ever release at the age of fifteen (a now impossible to find single sided jungle acetate), Maunick has remained embedded in the fabric of the culture, from early work for the legendary Talkin' Loud label to notching credits with Terry Callier, Paul Weller, Ski Oakenfull, Brenda Russell, and his father's legendary brit-funk outfit Incognito. And for almost two decades he's served as producer for a long string of classic and future-classic Far Out albums, most recently Alex Malheiros' Tempos Futuros (FARO 228CD/LP). As on his previous Far Out opuses (most recently the Musica Encantada EP (JD 050EP)), Persistence sees Maunick continue to playfully use foundations of traditional Afro-Brazilian rhythms, heard in the sultry samba swing of "Arraiá", the pulsating batucada enveloping the bassy synth stabs in "Remnants of Joy", and spectral cuicas throughout the blissfully bumping "Illusions". But going beyond his trademark nods to Brazil, he reflects on his jungle-ist roots with the emotionally charged "Love Is Gone", and flexes his deep house muscles with the late-night magic of "Just Deserts" and "Addicted". The sheer variety on show is testament to the wide scope of influences and experiences Maunick has accumulated and absorbed in his career to date. It's also evident that after years spent with jazz funk masters like Azymuth and Incognito, as well as hitmakers like Marcos Valle, Maunick has reached a new caliber with his compositional prowess alongside his astoundingly accomplished studio skills. Persistence is a modern classic by a veteran at the peak of their powers.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: FARO 231LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. Far Out Recordings present a reissue of José Roberto Trio's self-titled album, originally released in 1966. The late José Roberto Bertrami is best known as the keyboardist and bandleader of legendary trio Azymuth. In 1965, at the age of just nineteen, Zé Roberto recorded his first studio album with his group Os Tatuís, and the José Roberto Trio in the following year. These largely slept-on albums of beautiful, expressive samba jazz, and bossa nova stand as a testament to the prodigious genius of one of the most important musicians in Brazil's history. In his late teens, and around the same time as he was regularly sneaking off to São Paulo by train to perform in nightclubs, Zé Roberto, alongside his brother Claudio and other musicians from Tatuí's emerging jazz and bossa nova scene, recorded the first album under the group name Os Tatuís. The self-titled LP featured Zé Roberto on piano, Claudio on double bass, a horn section and an organist. With compositions by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Roberto Menescal, Carlos Lyra, Durval Ferreira, and Adilson Godoy, the album also featured Bertrami's own composition "A Bossa do Zé Roberto", a mesmerizing piece of bossa jazz, which proved that already -- even as a teenager -- Bertrami's compositions could stand alongside those by the bossa greats. A year later, in 1966, Bertrami went back into the studio, but this time stripping the format back to a trio set up. Again, featuring Claudio Henrique Betrami on double bass, and with Jovito Coluna on drums, the José Roberto Trio recorded their one and only album, featuring compositions by Baden Powell, Manfredo Fest, and Marcos Valle. The album also featured three of Bertrami's own compositions: the wistful "Lilos Watts", the groovy "Kebar", and the dazzling "Talhuama". In the vein of the pioneering Tamba Trio who had so inspired Bertrami in the few years' prior, the José Roberto Trio typified an emerging movement within bossa nova in the mid-sixties, with a distinctively Brazilian reimagining of the piano jazz trio sound conceived by the likes of Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson, and Ahmad Jamal, and further developed by Bill Evans. Following on from Tamba Trio, in Brazil, the mid-sixties saw a number of great Brazilian bossa jazz trios recording around this time, such as Bossa Três, Milton Banana Trio, Tenório Jr, and Bossa Jazz Trio, the latter another group helmed by Betrami. Across both of these historic albums, Bertrami's stunningly performed compositions are rich with harmonic complexity and rhythmic ingenuity, providing a precursor to some of Bertrami's futuristic fusion with Azymuth later in his career.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: FARO 232LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. Far Out Recordings present a reissue of Os Tatuís' self-titled album, originally released in 1965. The late José Roberto Bertrami is best known as the keyboardist and bandleader of legendary trio Azymuth. In 1965, at the age of just nineteen, Zé Roberto recorded his first studio album with his group Os Tatuís, and the José Roberto Trio in the following year. These largely slept-on albums of beautiful, expressive samba jazz, and bossa nova stand as a testament to the prodigious genius of one of the most important musicians in Brazil's history. In his late teens, and around the same time as he was regularly sneaking off to São Paulo by train to perform in nightclubs, Zé Roberto, alongside his brother Claudio and other musicians from Tatuí's emerging jazz and bossa nova scene, recorded the first album under the group name Os Tatuís. The self-titled LP featured Zé Roberto on piano, Claudio on double bass, a horn section and an organist. With compositions by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Roberto Menescal, Carlos Lyra, Durval Ferreira, and Adilson Godoy, the album also featured Bertrami's own composition "A Bossa do Zé Roberto", a mesmerizing piece of bossa jazz, which proved that already -- even as a teenager -- Bertrami's compositions could stand alongside those by the bossa greats. A year later, in 1966, Bertrami went back into the studio, but this time stripping the format back to a trio set up. Again, featuring Claudio Henrique Betrami on double bass, and with Jovito Coluna on drums, the José Roberto Trio recorded their one and only album, featuring compositions by Baden Powell, Manfredo Fest, and Marcos Valle. The album also featured three of Bertrami's own compositions: the wistful "Lilos Watts", the groovy "Kebar", and the dazzling "Talhuama". In the vein of the pioneering Tamba Trio who had so inspired Bertrami in the few years' prior, the José Roberto Trio typified an emerging movement within bossa nova in the mid-sixties, with a distinctively Brazilian reimagining of the piano jazz trio sound conceived by the likes of Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson, and Ahmad Jamal, and further developed by Bill Evans. Following on from Tamba Trio, in Brazil, the mid-sixties saw a number of great Brazilian bossa jazz trios recording around this time, such as Bossa Três, Milton Banana Trio, Tenório Jr, and Bossa Jazz Trio, the latter another group helmed by Betrami. Across both of these historic albums, Bertrami's stunningly performed compositions are rich with harmonic complexity and rhythmic ingenuity, providing a precursor to some of Bertrami's futuristic fusion with Azymuth later in his career.

 

PRICE: $11.50

CAT #: FTR 372CS

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"New cassette issue of the third LP by TBWNIS. This was the final album recorded by the original quartet iteration of the band during the Fall and Winter of 2009 in Ottawa. 100 copies were released by Birdman Sound in 2010, then Cardinal Fuzz did another edition of 100 in 2018, apart from the 100 to be included in the anthology box, II. The band at this time was Mark McIntyre, John Westhaver, Bill Guerrero, and Nathaniel Hurlow, and they were throwing down brain-thunderous instrumental thug-psych juice like maniacs. You can pick up small glimmers of lifted riffs in spots, but playing this album will make you feel like you're hearing the soundtrack to your own personal biker flick, whether you can smell the grease, sweat and gasoline or not. It's a magnificent racket TBWNIS conjure up here. The basic propulsion is pure dunt-rock, but they still manage to work in a bunch of completely freaked improv passages that keep their feet in hard rock sludge while allowing their heads to connect with deep space. And if that makes you think of bands like Hawkwind, well so be it. There are certainly more than a few parts of Biker Smell that could've emanated from a stripped-down version of that band. But the fact of the matter is, they didn't. It took the TBWNIS to actually create this wonderfully fevered stuff. Here's another chance for you to enjoy Biker Smell. Grab it now, or forever hold you own sad peace." --Byron Coley, 2022

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: FTR 574LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"No shortage of dune buggy up the canyon honey slide action here. The first tinges of sonic solvent action provide a loosened effect, but just as the tongue gets lazy, the swagger is spat gently from the tip as clarity bursts into the room with the urgency a hungry baby. Delicate without feeling soft. Brash without feeling harsh and at times Dimples swing fucking hard, like JJ and Leon without forcing it one bit. But if you don't like 'new music' this might not be your cuppa. Soul Chateau, isn't an updated prettied up throwback, it's all here and now, in the present time's glory, gore, majestic beauty, and glimmering perpetual urgency. Co-written, equally played, produced, and recorded by Greg Hartunian and Colby Nathan, Dimples is a truly collaborative project. After much of the album was tracked, Greg was involved in a near fatal car accident, rear ended in the right lane on California's treacherous Highway 5. This left Greg, normally an extremely active worker, in a back brace, and in chronic pain. A majority of the song sculpting was done while Greg was recovering. References to mortality, albeit not heavy handed, join the album's themes. Trialed seeds of brotherly music making; communion, collaboration and dedication. Forms of renewal through sonic therapy. Extracting the nuggets from their extended duo jams, Dimples shape these improvisations into luminous, hooky psychedelic electro camp fire sing-alongs, with the occasional guest spot from New England familiar shredders like Big Blood, Tom Kovacevic, and Keith Waters. "There's no waste, only composition. There's no time, only transition." Melding the dry Mediterranean subtropical climate of Glendale, California with the humid and sometimes frigid Continental climate of Maine, Greg, and Colby work the magic, whether it's in the Tropico Beauty studio of the San Fernando Valley, or South Portland's Laughable Recordings home studio. Topping off the listening experience is the incredible album artwork featuring a series of oil paintings by Salvador Charlí, Hartunian's alter ego with a paintbrush. The paintings depict the colorful and surreal inner workings of the world where the Soul Chateau stands tall on the hill. Through the spontaneity of improv and the deliberate and dedicated practice of song writing, what results is a diverse bouquet of carefully gathered fragrant blooms." --Dan Beckman-Moon, 2022

 

PRICE: $36.00

CAT #: FTR 623LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Amazingly psychedelic quartet session by two Japanese players (Junzo Suzuki and Mitsuru Tabata) and two Belgians (Bart De Paepe and Jan D'Hooghe.) Originally this was recorded as a trio, while Junzo was touring Europe in March 2020, but he passed the tape to Mitusri (his partner in the gorgeous acid folk duo, 20 Guilders) to add bass. And we're glad he did, 'cause the low-lunar notes Tabata generates kinda keep the music from floating off into space. We'd been trying to do something with Bart (who runs the Sloow Tapes concern, among many other projects) for a while. And we flipped out when we heard this session. The twinned electric guitars (from Bart and Junzo) are massive thrashing sky whales of sound. Both these guys are known for psychedelic vision mass, but they really take it to another level here. Urged along by D'Hooghe's rock solid percussion (which was a new one on me, since he's known more for his electro work) and Tabata's wonderful bass playing (which doesn't feel in the least like an add-on), the guitars explode like variations on all the best Japanese acid flash. Without really referring to any specific precursors, Macula Kuru (a name that refers to a goddamn eye disease of all things) really nail the open possibilities still available to guitar psych players who are willing to tug on the loose threads of the cosmos. Not sure what's going on with these guys right now. Junzo Suzuki was in a serious accident earlier this year, and we can only wish him a very full recovery. But if music is the healing force of the universe, he should be in good hands. Because Macula Kuru's music is on a par with anything he's ever done. And he has been in some HEAVY outfits. Nice one!" --Byron Coley, 2022

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: FIGURE X031EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

A year from his latest release on Figure, Arthur Robert clocks back in with two full EPs. The first one is a jam-packed five-tracker, sporting full-on peak time thrill rides such as electrifying elated opener "Mastermind" or its more brawny brother, the bellowing beast that is stab-driven roller Relentless. But Metamorphosis Part 1 features also Robert's more introspective side, be it the glowing experimental excursion of "What We Do With Our Time" or the dreamy half-time stepper "Cosmic Traveler". Fans of his more hypnotic techno productions will find joy in the modular magic of "Rising".

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: FIGURE X032EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Part 2 of Arthur Robert's most recent EP package showcases his atmospheric style of dubby, strong rhythms and rich, detailed sound design. On this EP, Robert explores his mastery of mesmerizing machines, looping bleepy signals into trance-inducing patterns on "Abundance", "Watchful", and "Homecoming". A welcome brief respite from the madness, delicate ambient interlude "You Cannot Hurt Me" twinkles soothingly, as does the warmth offered by subdued hazy chords on the almost house-y "Tunnel Vision". Such versatility not only further establishes Arthur Robert as one of current techno's most promising producers but also makes this EP package a strong contender for one of 2022's defining releases.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: FEP 030C-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Clear vinyl. Reginald Omas Mamode IV returns with his fourth solo album -- the resolute, soulful, confident, sonically sure Stand Strong, released via Five Easy Pieces. Reginald Omas Mamode IV stands strong in process, sensibility and message; speaking authentically against our collective future and the struggle of the Afro Diaspora people, the enslavement and colonisation of his and many others ancestors. His clear modus operandi focuses on a desire for peace, unity, love and a revised value system to insight a wider societal change. "Music, it's a beautiful, spiritual and powerful thing" says Reginald. "It transcends boundaries and cultures, brings people together, it can instigate the worst and the best in us." Running through Stand Strong are themes encompassing a distaste for humanity's collective responses to the hierarchical systems that the ruling classes have conjured, past abuses and present economic and physical slavery on our and our children's future. Throughout, the overall message remains of hope for a better future. There's a subtlety in delivering these ideas and concepts: Afro Mulatto expressions and inspirations of negro spiritual are articulated with clarity through intuitive instrumentalism, raw drums, natty funk bass, soulful Fender Rhodes, and Creole percussive patterns. "Through this powerful vessel we call music, my hope is to inspire love, unity, and raise a positive consciousness and vibration." Reginald Omas Mamode IV's three previous solo albums received continuing critical success from Mojo ("A brand-new-retro delight"), Mixmag ("Peckham beat brilliance"), Record Collector ("Equal parts D'Angelo to J Dilla"), The Wire ("Soul music turned all the way inward"), DJ Mag ("A masterpiece"), and more. He was nominated for "Album of the Year" at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards 2017. For fans of: J Dilla, Loyle Carner, Wayne Snow, Andrew Ashong, Slum Village, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, J Electronica.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: FEP 030LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reginald Omas Mamode IV returns with his fourth solo album -- the resolute, soulful, confident, sonically sure Stand Strong, released via Five Easy Pieces. Reginald Omas Mamode IV stands strong in process, sensibility and message; speaking authentically against our collective future and the struggle of the Afro Diaspora people, the enslavement and colonisation of his and many others ancestors. His clear modus operandi focuses on a desire for peace, unity, love and a revised value system to insight a wider societal change. "Music, it's a beautiful, spiritual and powerful thing" says Reginald. "It transcends boundaries and cultures, brings people together, it can instigate the worst and the best in us." Running through Stand Strong are themes encompassing a distaste for humanity's collective responses to the hierarchical systems that the ruling classes have conjured, past abuses and present economic and physical slavery on our and our children's future. Throughout, the overall message remains of hope for a better future. There's a subtlety in delivering these ideas and concepts: Afro Mulatto expressions and inspirations of negro spiritual are articulated with clarity through intuitive instrumentalism, raw drums, natty funk bass, soulful Fender Rhodes, and Creole percussive patterns. "Through this powerful vessel we call music, my hope is to inspire love, unity, and raise a positive consciousness and vibration." Reginald Omas Mamode IV's three previous solo albums received continuing critical success from Mojo ("A brand-new-retro delight"), Mixmag ("Peckham beat brilliance"), Record Collector ("Equal parts D'Angelo to J Dilla"), The Wire ("Soul music turned all the way inward"), DJ Mag ("A masterpiece"), and more. He was nominated for "Album of the Year" at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards 2017. For fans of: J Dilla, Loyle Carner, Wayne Snow, Andrew Ashong, Slum Village, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, J Electronica.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: TG 1001LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"GrooveNet/Treblephone Records is proud to announce the release of Palace of Sin, the first release in more than thirty years by Dallas band The Trees. Songwriter/vocalist Patrick McKanna and guitarist Matt Swaney have created a landmark LP which encapsulates rock, country and power-pop influences, combined with solid, insightful lyrics. Patrick McKanna has followed his own muse throughout his entire music career and has steadfastly refused to bow to current styles and influences. His work relies on classic songwriting skills. Matt Swaney's hookful, melodic guitar ensures that the songs stick in your memory after the album is over. Palace of Sin delivers on the promise of 1986's Locomotion Vs. Hittin' The Brake, a seminal record in the development of the Dallas, Texas 1980's Deep Ellum music scene. The band also appeared on the Island Records 1987 release The Sound of Deep Ellum, a musical snapshot of the fertile mix of styles and influences existing on the Dallas music scene. (Their musical pedigree goes back to the dawn of punk/new wave -- Patrick appeared on a local 45 rarity by the U.S. Mods, and Matt was a member of Dallas punk band The Assassins.) Proving that stellar songwriting and classic production values never go out of style, Palace of Sin will be an album that is destined to remain on 'repeat' on your playlist" Released August 2018, but being made available for distribution for the first time."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: TG 1002LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Psychedelic art-rock pioneering band from Texas, Lithium X-Mas, re-emerge from a period of relative sedation with a fresh outburst -- a new full-length limited-edition LP. This brand-new recording, which finds the legendary band's core line-up intact, is a culmination of recently resuscitated activity; final tracks were completed and mastered late last year. Lithium X-Mas has an influential history and heritage. Formed in Dallas, Texas, in 1985, it emerged from the punk scene that included the likes of Nervebreakers, Butthole Surfers, Vomit Pigs, and Horton Heat. The band played a diverse array of venues, from seedy warehouses to psychedelic theme parties to Dallas' legendary, upscale Starck Club. Lithium's first forte was the excavated cover song, bringing their own twisted spin to tunes such as Nilsson's 'Jump into the Fire,' Lemon Pipers' 'Green Tambourine,' and Ultimate Spinach's 'Hip Death Goddess.' While the new record maintains aspects of this distorted bliss, it also incorporates a more wide-ranging sonic palette. Instead of feeding every track through a chain of corroded Big Muff pedals, the new Lithium X-Mas uses a panorama of sonic crayons, from mystic Mellotron to ethereal theremin, fantasias of fuzz to freaked-out Farfisa. Forward looking -- but still informed by deep excavation of eclectic record collections. Lithium's fans included Sonic Youth, with whom they shared bills and who advertised them on their guitars; Nirvana, who were inspired by the name for some of their source material; the Butthole Surfers, whose drummer King Coffey signed them to his record label; and many others. This long-anticipated release, economically titled Lithium X-Mas, is on Texas label, GrooveNet Industries/Treblephone. Lithium X-Mas is pressed on clear 'windowpane vinyl' and encased in an elaborate and very-limited-edition foil-printed gatefold cover."

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: HG 2222LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

On Epiphanies, the first-ever "concept-compilation" to be released by Hallow Ground, artists such as Maria W Horn, FUJI||||||||||TA, Lawrence English, Siavash Amini, and Norman Westberg, who all have previously released music on the Swiss label, were commissioned to pursue a non-rational creative process in approaching the phenomenon of epiphany through sound. In very different ways, all of the compositions on the compilation draw on the unique emotional powers of certain acoustic instruments, obfuscating the borders between physicality and abstraction. The results, whether long-form, short vignettes, profane and concrete sounds, or spiritual and abstract pieces, perfectly encapsulate what Hallow Ground as a label has stood for since its inception in the year 2013: challenging not only conventional notions of what music is supposed to sound like but also the listeners' perception through the power of sound. On Epiphanies, Hallow Ground also welcomes artists including Magda Drozd, Akira Sileas, and Valentina Magaletti to make their first ever contributions to the label. For those who greet this compilation with open ears and minds, these 81 minutes will deliver on its title. Also features Remo Seeland (with Laya Ensemble), A Frei, Amosphère, Samuel Savenberg, Laurin Huber, Miki Yui, Reinier van Houdt, and Martina Lussi. White vinyl; gatefold cover; silver stamped, spotgloss-printed.

 

PRICE: $42.00

CAT #: HPS 161RE-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Neon magenta/black/blue striped vinyl; edition of 100. Heavy Psych Sounds announce a brand-new series of split albums that will be called Doom Sessions. They will release a bunch of compilations with doom bands from Heavy Psych Sounds roster featuring some of the heaviest bands of the world doom scene. Each volume will host two bands. The record you are holding is Vol. 4 -- a split album between the Wisconsin legendary Cannabeasts Bongzilla and the Italian heavy sludge weedriffers Tons. All the tracks are new and never released before. An impressive heavy doom and sludge, high trip! Awesome artwork by the mighty Branca Studio.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: HPS 205LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. The year 2019 marked significant changes for Baltimore psychedelic-doom trio, Black Lung. Following the release of their third album, Ancients, guitarist and founding member Adam Bufano amiably departed the band and in November 2019, was replaced by guitarist Dave Fullerton. Just four months later, the reconfigured trio's plans for touring in support of Ancients were canceled as the world entered COVID-19 lockdown. In the existential dread, loss and uncertainty of the global pandemic, with the backdrop of malignant fascism and cultural enmity in the USA, Black Lung began writing the songs that would comprise their next record. There is no question that Dark Waves was conceived in hostile times. Dave Cavalier's lyrics reflect this hostility. Songs like "The Cog" and "Mad King" lament the weaponized ignorance of the propagandized American citizen, while "Awaken" and "The Path" muse on escapism and the false protection of dreams. Despite the apparent darkness, Dark Waves is not a cold or desolate sounding record. The band leaps forward from their previous releases with warmer, brighter sound crafting and more audacious songwriting. There are passages with a tangible sense of jubilation and excitement, as the band members revel in the recording process after more than a year of uncertainty and frustration. While in some ways Dark Waves offers a departure from prior Black Lung records, the band stays true to their roots in doom and psychedelic music, delivering eight songs packed with the frenzied, fuzzed-out guitar breakdowns, booming drums, and soulful vocals that longtime fans will appreciate. The decision to bring bass guitar prominently into the mix on Dark Waves adds new levels of depth and heaviness to Black Lung's songs. For fans of: All Them Witches, Queens of the Stone Age, The Flying Eyes.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: HPS 205LTD-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Deep purple vinyl. The year 2019 marked significant changes for Baltimore psychedelic-doom trio, Black Lung. Following the release of their third album, Ancients, guitarist and founding member Adam Bufano amiably departed the band and in November 2019, was replaced by guitarist Dave Fullerton. Just four months later, the reconfigured trio's plans for touring in support of Ancients were canceled as the world entered COVID-19 lockdown. In the existential dread, loss and uncertainty of the global pandemic, with the backdrop of malignant fascism and cultural enmity in the USA, Black Lung began writing the songs that would comprise their next record. There is no question that Dark Waves was conceived in hostile times. Dave Cavalier's lyrics reflect this hostility. Songs like "The Cog" and "Mad King" lament the weaponized ignorance of the propagandized American citizen, while "Awaken" and "The Path" muse on escapism and the false protection of dreams. Despite the apparent darkness, Dark Waves is not a cold or desolate sounding record. The band leaps forward from their previous releases with warmer, brighter sound crafting and more audacious songwriting. There are passages with a tangible sense of jubilation and excitement, as the band members revel in the recording process after more than a year of uncertainty and frustration. While in some ways Dark Waves offers a departure from prior Black Lung records, the band stays true to their roots in doom and psychedelic music, delivering eight songs packed with the frenzied, fuzzed-out guitar breakdowns, booming drums, and soulful vocals that longtime fans will appreciate. The decision to bring bass guitar prominently into the mix on Dark Waves adds new levels of depth and heaviness to Black Lung's songs. For fans of: All Them Witches, Queens of the Stone Age, The Flying Eyes.

 

PRICE: $42.00

CAT #: HPS 205ULTRA-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Black/white/red vinyl. The year 2019 marked significant changes for Baltimore psychedelic-doom trio, Black Lung. Following the release of their third album, Ancients, guitarist and founding member Adam Bufano amiably departed the band and in November 2019, was replaced by guitarist Dave Fullerton. Just four months later, the reconfigured trio's plans for touring in support of Ancients were canceled as the world entered COVID-19 lockdown. In the existential dread, loss and uncertainty of the global pandemic, with the backdrop of malignant fascism and cultural enmity in the USA, Black Lung began writing the songs that would comprise their next record. There is no question that Dark Waves was conceived in hostile times. Dave Cavalier's lyrics reflect this hostility. Songs like "The Cog" and "Mad King" lament the weaponized ignorance of the propagandized American citizen, while "Awaken" and "The Path" muse on escapism and the false protection of dreams. Despite the apparent darkness, Dark Waves is not a cold or desolate sounding record. The band leaps forward from their previous releases with warmer, brighter sound crafting and more audacious songwriting. There are passages with a tangible sense of jubilation and excitement, as the band members revel in the recording process after more than a year of uncertainty and frustration. While in some ways Dark Waves offers a departure from prior Black Lung records, the band stays true to their roots in doom and psychedelic music, delivering eight songs packed with the frenzied, fuzzed-out guitar breakdowns, booming drums, and soulful vocals that longtime fans will appreciate. The decision to bring bass guitar prominently into the mix on Dark Waves adds new levels of depth and heaviness to Black Lung's songs. For fans of: All Them Witches, Queens of the Stone Age, The Flying Eyes.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: HPS 228CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Elusive Mojo finds Ecstatic Vision firing on all cylinders with this unhinged, raw, and dangerous new album. The band continues down their unique warpath mixing heavy psych rock, Detroit-rock, proto-punk, and world music. The album contains caveman grooves that would rattle the remaining teeth out of the Asheton brother's skulls, scorching saxophones that would make Nik Turner feel high on a potent mix of speed and Viagra, and basslines hot enough to melt down the Lemmy statue. Elusive Mojo was recorded live to 2" tape in their beloved hometown of Philadelphia by Joe Boldizar (Sonic Praise) with Bob Pantella (Monster Magnet), and mastered by their old drinking buddy Tim Green (Melvins). What emerged was a burly, timeless and unique sounding record that is hard to tell if it was recorded in 1971 or 2022.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: HPS 228LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Elusive Mojo finds Ecstatic Vision firing on all cylinders with this unhinged, raw, and dangerous new album. The band continues down their unique warpath mixing heavy psych rock, Detroit-rock, proto-punk, and world music. The album contains caveman grooves that would rattle the remaining teeth out of the Asheton brother's skulls, scorching saxophones that would make Nik Turner feel high on a potent mix of speed and Viagra, and basslines hot enough to melt down the Lemmy statue. Elusive Mojo was recorded live to 2" tape in their beloved hometown of Philadelphia by Joe Boldizar (Sonic Praise) with Bob Pantella (Monster Magnet), and mastered by their old drinking buddy Tim Green (Melvins). What emerged was a burly, timeless and unique sounding record that is hard to tell if it was recorded in 1971 or 2022.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: HPS 228LTD-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Gold vinyl. Elusive Mojo finds Ecstatic Vision firing on all cylinders with this unhinged, raw, and dangerous new album. The band continues down their unique warpath mixing heavy psych rock, Detroit-rock, proto-punk, and world music. The album contains caveman grooves that would rattle the remaining teeth out of the Asheton brother's skulls, scorching saxophones that would make Nik Turner feel high on a potent mix of speed and Viagra, and basslines hot enough to melt down the Lemmy statue. Elusive Mojo was recorded live to 2" tape in their beloved hometown of Philadelphia by Joe Boldizar (Sonic Praise) with Bob Pantella (Monster Magnet), and mastered by their old drinking buddy Tim Green (Melvins). What emerged was a burly, timeless and unique sounding record that is hard to tell if it was recorded in 1971 or 2022.

 

PRICE: $42.00

CAT #: HPS 228ULTRA-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Yellow/red/blue vinyl. Elusive Mojo finds Ecstatic Vision firing on all cylinders with this unhinged, raw, and dangerous new album. The band continues down their unique warpath mixing heavy psych rock, Detroit-rock, proto-punk, and world music. The album contains caveman grooves that would rattle the remaining teeth out of the Asheton brother's skulls, scorching saxophones that would make Nik Turner feel high on a potent mix of speed and Viagra, and basslines hot enough to melt down the Lemmy statue. Elusive Mojo was recorded live to 2" tape in their beloved hometown of Philadelphia by Joe Boldizar (Sonic Praise) with Bob Pantella (Monster Magnet), and mastered by their old drinking buddy Tim Green (Melvins). What emerged was a burly, timeless and unique sounding record that is hard to tell if it was recorded in 1971 or 2022.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: HPS 229CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

It's a rare band that finds its sound so engagingly, and with Stoned Blues Machine, the sixth Geezer album, they once again build on their accomplishments, working with producer Chris Bittner at Applehead Recording in Woodstock, NY, to harness the band's most expansive production to date. A vivid and bombastic album, Stoned Blues Machine is Geezer's response to the last few tumultuous years. Much of the subject matter deals with the fear, the literal and metaphorical isolation revolving around the pandemic, the resulting political turmoil, the disintegration of truth and decline of a shared, common good. The album, which serves as their second release for Heavy Psych Sounds, is yet another example of what can be done with classic songwriting in imaginative hands. Stoned Blues Machine puts the emphasis on the band's dynamic and the joy of playing and writing songs together -- more as a unit than ever -- and shows that even amid some of the darkest hours, you can always say screw it, go get high and cruise the cosmos.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: HPS 229LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. It's a rare band that finds its sound so engagingly, and with Stoned Blues Machine, the sixth Geezer album, they once again build on their accomplishments, working with producer Chris Bittner at Applehead Recording in Woodstock, NY, to harness the band's most expansive production to date. A vivid and bombastic album, Stoned Blues Machine is Geezer's response to the last few tumultuous years. Much of the subject matter deals with the fear, the literal and metaphorical isolation revolving around the pandemic, the resulting political turmoil, the disintegration of truth and decline of a shared, common good. The album, which serves as their second release for Heavy Psych Sounds, is yet another example of what can be done with classic songwriting in imaginative hands. Stoned Blues Machine puts the emphasis on the band's dynamic and the joy of playing and writing songs together -- more as a unit than ever -- and shows that even amid some of the darkest hours, you can always say screw it, go get high and cruise the cosmos.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: HPS 229LTD-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Purple vinyl. It's a rare band that finds its sound so engagingly, and with Stoned Blues Machine, the sixth Geezer album, they once again build on their accomplishments, working with producer Chris Bittner at Applehead Recording in Woodstock, NY, to harness the band's most expansive production to date. A vivid and bombastic album, Stoned Blues Machine is Geezer's response to the last few tumultuous years. Much of the subject matter deals with the fear, the literal and metaphorical isolation revolving around the pandemic, the resulting political turmoil, the disintegration of truth and decline of a shared, common good. The album, which serves as their second release for Heavy Psych Sounds, is yet another example of what can be done with classic songwriting in imaginative hands. Stoned Blues Machine puts the emphasis on the band's dynamic and the joy of playing and writing songs together -- more as a unit than ever -- and shows that even amid some of the darkest hours, you can always say screw it, go get high and cruise the cosmos.

 

PRICE: $42.00

CAT #: HPS 229ULTRA-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Yellow transparent splatter in blue/black/red vinyl. It's a rare band that finds its sound so engagingly, and with Stoned Blues Machine, the sixth Geezer album, they once again build on their accomplishments, working with producer Chris Bittner at Applehead Recording in Woodstock, NY, to harness the band's most expansive production to date. A vivid and bombastic album, Stoned Blues Machine is Geezer's response to the last few tumultuous years. Much of the subject matter deals with the fear, the literal and metaphorical isolation revolving around the pandemic, the resulting political turmoil, the disintegration of truth and decline of a shared, common good. The album, which serves as their second release for Heavy Psych Sounds, is yet another example of what can be done with classic songwriting in imaginative hands. Stoned Blues Machine puts the emphasis on the band's dynamic and the joy of playing and writing songs together -- more as a unit than ever -- and shows that even amid some of the darkest hours, you can always say screw it, go get high and cruise the cosmos.

 

PRICE: $7.50

CAT #: HPS 231CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Heavy Psych Sounds announce a brand new sampler. Features Alunah, B.U.S., Big Scenic Nowhere, Black Rainbows, Decasia, Duel, Endtime, Hazemaze, Hot Lunch, Josiah, Karma To Burn, Kadabra, Kylesa, Nebula, Sleepwulf, Solarius, Stöner, and Witchpit.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: HEIST 060EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Heist Recordings welcomes late '80s DMC World DJ Championship contender, techno veteran, and house royalty, Orlando Voorn to the label with his Heist Mastercuts EP. Orlando Voorn is a man who needs little introduction. He's played a pivotal role in the development of the electronic music scene in the Netherlands, as well as in the USA where he now lives. With countless aliases, he has released everything from old school hip-hop to sample heavy breaks, to banging Detroit techno to soulful house music. His recent outings as Frequency on Clone, as well as his latest EP on our sublabel Transient Nature, are proof that even after 30+ years, the man is still very much on top of his game. The Heist Mastercuts EP sees Orlando dig deep in his archive for some of his undercover hits from the nineties that have been remastered for this EP. On top of that, he delivers a new track in the form of soulful house bomb "Be With You". "Be With You" starts off with a hazy groove and distant pads. The steady beat and funky electronic chops set a steady foundation for a rush inducing string sample that works together with looping diva vocals for maximum dancefloor excitement. No heavy drumrolls, FX or other tools necessary here: It's clever sampling and Orlando's soulful touch that make this track tick. Next up is the vinyl only track "Love Feelings" -- originally released in '96 on Urban Sounds of Amsterdam. Think 130+ BPM vintage house grooves with hazy pads and you'll get an idea of what's coming. "Love Feelings" is an up-tempo dreamhouse track that, even though it's almost 25 years old, still ticks all the boxes of a contemporary festival groover. On the B-side you'll find two versions of "Tenderness": the original mix and the "Late Night Dub", both originally released on Clubstitute Records back in '95. The original has a '90s garage groove with male vocal chops, old school house keys and strings. The late-night dub is exactly that: a dreamy ethereal deep house groove with warm synth hits, introverted percussion some very on point sax loops. The Heist Mastercuts EP is the first EP of Orlando Voorn on Heist Recordings.

 

PRICE: $27.50

CAT #: HOS 706LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Born in 1996, Ames Sanglantes is known from numerous splits and massive amounts of cassette releases including work on Xerxes, Labyrinth Recordings, MSBR, The Rita, Hermit, Autoerotichrist, Alberich, Flutter, Bob Marinelli, and Guilty Connector, despite never having a proper vinyl release until now. In commemoration for the project's 25-year anniversary, Hospital Productions present an assaulting LP of madness clearly following a trajectory from Masonna "beauty beast" voice noise agony and damning it through the lens of the lesser-known deformed cassette world of the late '90s and early 2000 tape scene. Unreasonable filters, abusive wine bottle rattles, creepy spacey backgrounds interrupted by knife stabbing metal sheets twisted and gouging in tandem to broken tea cup vocals. Minimalist in palette but a dynamic self-destructive energy cut across a series of "crucifix noise" tracks. Includes download code; edition of 666.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: HC 074LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

A classic and essential highlife and Afro funk album from one of the greatest Ghanaian singer and composer, reissued for the first time. The legendary Alhaji Kwabena Frimpong's fantastic rare album was recorded in 1984 in Germany and originally produced and distributed from Hamburg. K. Frimpong was born on July 22nd, 1939 at Ofoase in the Ashanti Akim district, and died Oct 18th, 2005 in Kumasi (Ghana). He entered right into music after elementary school by joining Star de Republic and later Oko's Band after which he left to go to K. Gyasy's band where he worked for more than six years. As a prolific songwriter and singer, here's the reissue of his amazing album, a modern fusion of highlife and soul. The excellent background is given by the famous Cubanos Fiesta with members of Vis-A-Vis band, such as the famous Sammy Cropper on guitar or Slim Manu on bass. Originally produced by Atakora Mensah in Hamburg, this four song recording is a blend of danceable and spiritual soul and straight highlife. A must have vinyl of percussive Afro funk for all the music connoisseurs. LP is a true masterpiece that's hard-to-find and is nearly impossible to find a decent affordable copy. Remastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery. Fully licensed by the Alhadji Kwame Frimpong family.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: HUBRO 3572LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

LP version. 2018 release. Acclaimed trumpeter/soundscaper Hilde Marie Holsen follows up her critical hit mini-album debut, Ask (2015), with the dark and mysterious Lazuli, a suite of four compositions inspired by visual art and named after minerals used to color paint. Hilde Marie Holsen's Lazuli is an almost shockingly complete musical statement. It's as if an intense dialogue between the processes of composition and improvisation, and the interplay of sound and music, has led to the creation of experimental and often challenging work that nevertheless comes across as absolutely fully-formed; as inevitable, even. The result is a kind of monumentality, where to change just one element of the final text becomes impossible to contemplate, despite the whole thing remaining, at another level, entirely provisional and contingent, as immaterial as air itself, and perhaps closer to the idea of a sonic atmosphere than to most definitions of what constitutes music. "Element" is significant, too, for Hilde Marie Holsen's implicit thematic touchstones for Lazuli -- the chemical minerals used to create pigment in paint, and the idea of painting with sound, together with her own intuitive methods of production, continually working and re-working her material until the art reveals itself -- relate in some way to the notion of alchemy. If not quite turning base matter into gold, Holsen is taking the sounds made by her trumpet and refashioning them through a combination of breath and electronic processing, into vivid new life. The parallels with visual art are also evident in the way Hilde Marie Holsen has worked to develop each of the four pieces that make up Lazuli (whose epic title track forms the concluding part of the quartet, at sixteen minutes the longest by some distance; the other titles are, in order, "Orpiment", "Eskolaite", and "Lapis". It's as if the background of silence or gentle electronic flutter against which she begins, corresponds to a painter's preparatory white ground, which is then overlaid, sound upon sound, to create a thick impasto of textural detail heavy with potential meaning. In the palimpsest of the finished track, the clarity and immediacy of the recorded sound becomes almost three-dimensional, so real you feel you could reach out and touch it.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: HUBRO 3631LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. 2020 release. Old-school musique concrete interludes and electronic add-ons mark the revered Christian Wallumrød Ensemble's masterly album, which both summarizes their unique career so far, and jumps boldly into the unknown. Christian Wallumrød: "The material for this album has been developed over a four-year period. I wanted to somehow expand the sonic palette of the Ensemble and to look for different ways to make music for and with them. For me, the process with the electronic instruments on board has led to some unpredictable combinations of sounds, and to new approaches to improvisation."Christian Wallumrød (born 1971) is one of Norway's most internationally-recognized contemporary composers, and an important voice in European music. His principal performing group, the Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, has established a worldwide reputation for formally adventurous, beautifully appointed sound that spans the divide between jazz and new music, and between notation and improvisation. Over five highly acclaimed albums for the ECM label from 2001 to 2013, followed by 2016's equally esteemed Hubro debut, Kurzsam & Fulger, the Ensemble's work has traced an entirely consistent line of development. While the personnel has changed over time, and each particular album retains its own aesthetic integrity, the essential characteristics of the music have remained roughly the same, demonstrating a distinctive unity of style, theme and compositional approach. Rigorously reticent and philosophical in tone, Wallumrød's numinous sound-world seems to speak -- if it can be said to speak at all -- of how difficult it is for a composer to say anything outside of sound itself.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: HUBRO 3632LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Glødetrådar, the commissioned work for Vossajazz 2016, is a sort of "back to the roots" for Nils Økland. The area of Voss has been an important part of his musical development, in the '80s as a student and later as the musical leader at Ole Bull Akademiet (1989-95). His time at the academy gave him important impulses that inspired his characteristic, personal style: the mix between jazz, free improvisation, contemporary music, and folk music. In this work, Økland holds true to his unique style with simple melodies and a sincere tone that go straight to the heart. At one moment it's calm and meditative, the next you find ourselves in a rock universe with the distortion turned to max.

 

PRICE: $36.00

CAT #: IRSCD 017CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"What a time 1968 was for the burgeoning country rock scene! Gene Clark and Gram Parsons had introduced rock fans to some country flair with The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo. After Sweetheart, Parsons broke auspicious new ground with The International Submarine Band (just a year before he'd make The Flying Burrito Brothers' The Gilded Palace of Sin), while Gene Clark teamed with banjo genius Doug Dillard for this bluegrass classic, The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark. The picking virtuosity of Dillard, Bernie Leadon and others on this LP meshes beautifully with Gene Clark's soulful vocal presence and guitar. The repertoire is endlessly fun and engaging but punctuated with somewhat somber Clark offerings like 'She Darked the Sun' and 'Something's Wrong'. Country rock is familiar ground to Intervention fans, as we've already tackled greats from The Flying Burrito Bros., and Gene Clark's amazing solo effort White Light. This is the roots of the music that paved the way for the Eagles and countless others. The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark is Mastered Direct-to-DSD from the 1/4'' 15-ips Original Master Tapes by Kevin Gray at CoHEARent Audio. The tapes sound beautifully dynamic and alive, with tuneful bass, extended highs and three-dimensional imaging. The IR cut has better separation and punch than ANY previous version of this amazing record." "Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark is one of the first, inarguable classics of country-rock ... a work rooted in tradition while reveling in freedom and new ideas and making the most of them all." --Mark Deming, AllMusic

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: LIFE 015LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Life Goes On Records present a reissue of The Growing Concern's self-titled album, the sole album by US psychedelic folk rock unit. Originally released in 1968 on Mainstream, the label ran by famous jazz producer Bob Shad. After launching a young Janis Joplin with the Big Brother And The Holding Company, he tried to repeat his commercial triumph with The Growing Concern. However, the band was a different proposition altogether with its emphasis on beautiful vocal harmonies and fantastic guitar and organ work. Consequently, Shad only allowed the group into the studio on a single occasion, dropping them from the label after their eponymous debut. The support of vocalists Bonnie MacDonald and Mary Garstki are an intrinsic part of the band's distinctive sound, and the songs contributed by organist Dan Passaglia, bassist John Pedley, and guitarist Ralph Toms are more than equal to the offerings from more illustrious contemporaries such as Mike Hugg ("Mister You're A Better Man Than I") or Stephen Stills ("Sit Down I Think I Love You"). A true acid folk gem with distinctive progressive blues hooks that needs to be urgently rediscovered.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: LIVITY 052EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Continuing the theme of community collaboration sparked by Hodge and Simo Cell's recent 12" (LIVITY 050EP), Livity Sound Recordings presents the first joint works by Azu Tiwaline and Al Wootton. While they come from distinct settings (Azu in the Tunisian desert, Al in London's urban sprawl), their music shares a similar affinity for intricate percussion and dub-informed space. The four tracks on Alandazu EP deal in a variety of rhythms and tempos, veering from the propulsive intensity of "Blue Dub" to the sparse, skipping two-step framework of "Light Transmission". Azu and Al's refined, detailed approach blurs the lines between electronic sound design and earthy sonics, resulting in dynamic drum tracks loaded with weighty atmospherics and unrelenting tension.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: LOWEND 001EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

First release of the new Lowend Records label founded by Duncan Macdonald and Johannes Kloess.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: MAR 041LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Mad About Records present a first-time reissue of Leo Acosta's Acosta, originally released in 1970. Legendary Mexican psych Latin jazz funk. Leobardo Acosta Quintanar was born in Huetamo, Michoacán in 1925. He was a notable drummer, composer, arranger, and orchestrator. In 1970, he recorded a last LP for Capitol with a small combo formed with some of his closest peers. The sound engineer for these sessions, Rogiero Silva, recalls that it happened in the night time. Leo was always very demanding in his studio hours with all of his musicians and that he did not tolerate mistakes or setbacks, but he was fully relaxed and enjoying this one very much. For this last LP, entitled Acosta but known as El Leon, all the compositions are originals, unlike his previous albums where the labels required him to record at least six songs that were hits on the popularity charts. Deluxe hard-cardboard sleeve; OBI; includes two-page info sheet with Leo Acosta story in English and Spanish by Carlos Tropicaza.

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: MAR 055LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

First time worldwide reissue, originally released in 1965. British jazz masterpiece from 1965 featuring Neil Ardley, Ian Carr, Barbara Thompson, and John Hiseman. In the mid-60s London scene, the New Jazz Orchestra was one of those unavoidable big-band groups (originally started as Clive Burrows Orchestra), where almost everyone who was anyone on the scene or almost transited through the group, which was normally the vehicle for composer Neil Ardley. You'll find in the Western Reunion album, among others, stellar names like Ian Carr (of Rendell-Carr Quintet and Nucleus fame), Barb Thompson, Tony Reeves, John Hiseman (all three of future Colosseum fame), Trevor Watts (future Amalgam), plus a bunch more of lesser-known, but no-less gifted musicians like Paul Rutherford, etc. The line-up would fluctuate to include many other household names, The New Jazz Orchestra was formed in December 1963, its name reflecting both the youth of its members -- their average age was only 23 -- and their mission to perform the new kind of orchestral jazz that was then developing in America but still to be heard in Britain. The personnel included such (then) non-jazz instruments as flute, horn and tuba in addition to the standard brass, saxes and rhythm line-up of the big band. This is the NJO's first album, recorded in March 1965 before an invited audience to make the young band feel at ease. The NJO was the offspring of a popular weekend jazz club, the "Jazzhouse" based at the Green Man, Blackheath (demolished to make way for Allison Close) where the "house" band was the Ian Bird Quintet (initially comprising Ian Bird, tenor sax; Clive Burrows, baritone sax; Johnny Mealing, piano; Tony Reeves, bass and Trevor Tomkins, drums -- Mealing and Tomkins left to join the newly formed Rendell-Carr Quintet and were succeeded by Paul Raymond and Jon Hiseman respectively). The ensemble featured many London-based jazz musicians, such as Harry Beckett, Jack Bruce, Ian Carr, Dave Gelly, Michael Gibbs, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Jon Hiseman, Henry Lowther, Don Rendell, Frank Ricotti, Paul Rutherford, Barbara Thompson, Trevor Tomkins, Michael Phillipson, Les Carter, Tom Harris, Trevor Watts, and Lionel Grigson. Ardley, Gibbs, Carter, Rutherford, Michael Garrick, and composer Mike Taylor all contributed pieces and arrangements. Under exclusive license of Universal Music Portugal. 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: MAIS 039B-LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2022 repress on black vinyl. One of the most innovative artists working in contemporary Brazilian music, Kiko Dinucci offers an explosive take on 21st century Brazil, absorbing the lineage of Brazilian guitarists such as Dorival Caymmi, João Gilberto, Baden Powell -- yet filters it through his uniquely "punk" musical vision. His style is raw -- technically, he attacks the guitar strings, lyrically he explores Afro-Brazilian culture, slavery, Brazilian revolutionaries and candomblé. For fans of: Metá Metá, Juçara Marçal, Jeff Parker, Itamar Assumpação, M. Takara. Features Ava Rocha, OGI, and Juçara Marçal."Folk music textures with a chunky, percussive playing style that recalls Kiko's experience in the city's punk scene... vivid playing, with rhythmic, resonant thrums." --Pitchfork"My alternative album of the week... outstanding from start to finish." --Gilles Peterson

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: MAIS 047LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

On Delta Estácio Blues, São-Paulo-based singer, composer and actor, Juçara Marçal delivers an electric, unflinching take on contemporary Brazil where samba, tropicalia and maracatu are reimagined via hip-hop production techniques. Created under an oppressive political climate as Brazil suffered from the pandemic, pain, anguish, chaos and anger run through Delta Estácio Blues. Co-produced by Marçal with fellow Metá Metá founder Kiko Dinucci, the album was partly inspired by Danny Brown's 2017 leftfield rap masterwork Atrocity Exhibition. For fans of: Metá Metá, Moor Mother, Kiko Dinucci, Damon Locks, Neneh Cherry. "Melding industrial 808s with melodic softness, Marçal weaves disparate strands into a playful and powerful whole." --The Guardian

 

PRICE: $30.00

CAT #: MF 090LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

New 2022 repress; black vinyl. "This special edition 2LP package comes housed in an all new exclusive jacket featuring Doom's infamous metal mask icon embossed out of a metallic silver foil. An absolute must have for the Doom completist. The long awaited reissue of Doom's first solo gem, Operation: Doomsday. Remastered from the original Fondle 'Em 1999 issue. Side A is listed as 'Side Zero'. Side B is 'Side One'. And so forth. Underneath his mysterious metal mask, MF DOOM hides the cachet underground legends are made of. After KMD (his first group)'s 1994 sophomore album Bl_ck B_st_rds was shelved by Elektra in 1994 and his blood brother Subroc (one half of the sibling rap duo) passed away, surviving frontman Zev Love X mutated into the MC Avenger known as MF DOOM and the Rap world is better for it. This 19-cut deep album is ridiculously dope, in a bizarro Ol' Dirty Bastard kind of way. Doom sounds either high or drunk on most of the tracks, his self-produced beats are gritty, and his rhyme styles are almost indecipherable."

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: MF 1107CD

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

2022 repress. "Ask any true hip-hop fan and he can tell you exactly where and when he first heard MF Doom's Operation Doomsday. Against seeming insurmountable odds, the album - bootlegged mercilessly, floating in and out of print on various labels since its release in 1999 gained mythical status amongst music aficionados of all backgrounds as one of the landmark releases of the past decade. At its core, one man, a microphone, an MPC 2000 and a Roland VS 1680. By the time of Operation Doomsday's recording, DOOM was a transformed man: a veteran of hip hop's aging 'new school' reinvented as the masked, abstract wordsmith of the now. His pointed wit, subtly subversive lyrics and stream-of-conscious flow over adventurous sample-based production created the yard stick by which rappers in the coming decade would measure themselves. Now Doom's own Metal Face Records releases Operation Doomsday as a special remastered and expanded two-disc set, featuring a 32-page lyric book and a complete collection of alternate versions, B-sides and instrumentals. San Francisco-based artist Jason Jagel, who provided the painting for DOOM's MM...Food, was enlisted to create both an updated version of the album's iconic comic-book style cover art especially for this release. The entire set was produced under the watchful eyes of Doom himself. Expanded and deluxe, this is the complete Operation Doomsday experience."

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: MF 2002CD

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

2002 repress. "MF Doom's first group and their controversial sophomore release Bl_ck B_st_rds now available as a double CD containing the full the album with a second disc of bonus material including rare cuts, remixes and instrumentals, and a 32-page booklet of liner notes and rare photos compiled by Brian Coleman, featuring interviews with MF DOOM, Pete Nice, Dante Ross and Bobbito Garcia. The words 'lost classic' get thrown around from time to time, but KMD's sophomore album, Black Bastards, truly fits the bill. Originally scheduled for release in the spring of 1994, their label unceremoniously shelved it at the eleventh hour due to controversy over the provocative cover art. Surviving group member MF Doom (then known as Zev Love X) -- as fans know, his younger brother Subroc was killed in 1993 -- tried to release the album on other labels, but met more dead ends. Sadly, it languished in hip-hop purgatory until six years later. Even then, the album had only a limited release via small indie labels. Beyond the fact that the controversy surrounding the cover -- featuring the group's long-standing mascot being hanged by a makeshift gallows -- was unfair, the group's fans being denied access to this album only compounded the injustice. Because musically and lyrically, it was a truly amazing record, full of youthful creativity, tinged with the stress of growing up as black men in urban America. Unlike on the group's 1991 debut, Mr. Hood, Subroc had fully come into his own as both a producer and an MC on Black Bastards, and his untimely death made the album's shelving that much more tragic."

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: MIND 800LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Miles Davis, live in Tokyo, July 1985. FM broadcast recording.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: MOV 2787LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Doc at the Radar Station is the eleventh album by American blues rock band Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band. Released in 1980, this album resulted in a resurgence of Beefheart's (also known as Don Van Vliet) popularity. The album, which was self-produced by Beefheart, was critically acclaimed as well. It would be Beefheart's second-to-last album before his retirement from music. The album is now available on black vinyl. 180 gram audiophile vinyl."

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: MOV 2952COL-LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"To celebrate the 45th anniversary of iconic Dutch jazz label Timeless Records, Music On Vinyl is releasing a series that features albums that are part of the Timeless Records legacy and will be released mainly throughout 2021/2022. American jazz drummer Billy Higgins recorded his second album The Soldier in 1979. Featured on this album are Monty Waters on alto saxophone, Cedar Walton on the piano, Walter Brooker on bass and vocalist Roberta Davis. The track 'Peace' features guest performer Horace Silver and on 'Sonny Moon For Two', Higgins is accompanied by Sonny Rollins. Higgins mainly played free jazz and hard bop. He was one of the house drummers for Blue Note Records and played dozens of Blue Note albums of the 1960s. His drums were an important addition to many recordings such as Dexter Gordon's Go! and Herbie Hancock's Takin' Off. The Soldier is available as a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on translucent green colored vinyl and includes an insert with upcoming titles from the Timeless Records 45th Anniversary Jazz Series."

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: MOV 3044COL-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Magma has been one of France's most influential bands since their founding in 1969. They released their fifth studio album Kohntarkosz in 1974, which set them off in a completely new musical direction. The band used a more restrained approach, which resulted in every hit seeming to weight twenty tons by contrast. The result is a mysterious atmosphere which holds the listener in awe. For this recording, and in particular the track 'Coltrane Sundia', the band used John Coltrane as the main inspiration, creating a vibrant tribute. Kohntarkosz is housed in a gatefold sleeve and is available as a limited edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on yellow & red marbled vinyl."

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: MOV 385LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"In the psychedelic late sixties there was a lively music scene in the Canterbury area that revolved around the band The Wilde Flowers. They never recorded much themselves, however, but after they disbanded other influential bands were formed from their ashes: Gong, Soft Machine, and, most importantly, Caravan. Caravan's eponymous debut was released in 1968. It was considered a groundbreaking album capturing the freakish and exploratory moods of the times. Their sound went much further than the changing styles of the contemporary underground and that's what distinguished Caravan from other bands in their genre. 180 gram audiophile vinyl."

 

PRICE: $21.50

CAT #: NAKED 032LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

The great Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron makes his debut on Naked Lunch with a collection of his own compositions recorded in New York City during the early '60s in a trio formation with George Tucker on bass and Al Dreares at the drums. The composing skills of Waldron as a post-bop key figure are here on full display on both sides, although pieces like "Modal-Air", "Summerday", "Ollie's Caravan", and "Quiet Temple" really squeeze the creative juice off the trio's playing, with Tucker and Dreares laying the rhythmic textures on Mal's many piano's inventions.

 

PRICE: $43.00

CAT #: NM 030LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Denis Kaznacheev's first full-length album. Triple-LP in gatefold sleeve, artwork by Igor Skaletsky.

 

PRICE: $21.00

CAT #: MVD 10057CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"Andrew Liles (Nurse With Wound) presents the re-release of: All Closed Doors, first issued in 2003 and now re-released in a special edition triple panels CD gatefold (DVD format), numbered in 200 copies with extra material. The art of the sound collage and drone music create music that invokes images from other worlds; be those images frightening, sublime, or esoteric, it is impossible to deny their visceral impact. From the first moment All Closed Doors submerges into a universe unfamiliar with and perhaps slightly scared of. Furniture drifts through the air, children laugh and disappear down long hallways, shadows scream and laugh at each other when there is nothing to cast them, and the echo of something ancient pours down over me in the form of a vacant sky. The impact of Liles' sound worlds on this disc is unavoidable, his imaginative and spectral cadences whisper and glide through the air in ways that effect the brain; scary stories are told without the aid of a voice, heaven spills over from the speakers into the room even though such a thing is unthinkable. There's a strange light that bounces and reflects off of everything in this world; there are oceans of singing fish and mountains bellowing their hate onto the helpless below. An immediate and compelling album."

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: NOTON 051CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Pioneers in their own musical approaches, Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, began their exploration of sound in the evocatively titled V.I.R.U.S series in 2002. After more than a decade from the release of the collection's final installment with summvs in 2011, NOTON reissues all the five albums between June and October 2022. With its impressionistic atmosphere, in this collaborative project two generations met and shared the idea of electronic music as an inspiration source for new musical structures. Over a series of five albums, Vrioon (2002), Insen (2005), Revep (2006), utp_ (2008), and summvs (2011), the duo has explored blending electronic and acoustic sounds into a meditative whole that is at once expressive, breathing and precision-engineered. Remastered in collaboration with Calyx Mastering, the recordings are made available under the title Remaster, accompanied by exclusive, unreleased compositions and housed in a beautifully designed sleeve with original cover art by Carsten Nicolai. In November 2022, a dedicated, limited edition cardboard slipcase will be available as a separate item from the V.I.R.U.S.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: NOTON 051LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double LP version. Pioneers in their own musical approaches, Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, began their exploration of sound in the evocatively titled V.I.R.U.S series in 2002. After more than a decade from the release of the collection's final installment with summvs in 2011, NOTON reissues all the five albums between June and October 2022. With its impressionistic atmosphere, in this collaborative project two generations met and shared the idea of electronic music as an inspiration source for new musical structures. Over a series of five albums, Vrioon (2002), Insen (2005), Revep (2006), utp_ (2008), and summvs (2011), the duo has explored blending electronic and acoustic sounds into a meditative whole that is at once expressive, breathing and precision-engineered. Remastered in collaboration with Calyx Mastering, the recordings are made available under the title Remaster, accompanied by exclusive, unreleased compositions and housed in a beautifully designed sleeve with original cover art by Carsten Nicolai. In November 2022, a dedicated, limited edition cardboard slipcase will be available as a separate item from the V.I.R.U.S.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ODIN 9577CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The Source -- nearly 30 years in the tradition of the infinite peculiar. The Source is a quartet with a long history. Actually, started in 1993, with the founding members Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass), Per Oddvar Johansen, Trygve Seim, and Øyvind Brække, who all by then studied at the Jazz Course at the Trondheim Music Conservatory. The new quartet album ... But Swinging Doesn't Bend Them Down will be published on the legendary record label Odin Records. The title is an excerpt from the poem "Birches" by the American poet Robert Frost, a title that encompass a child's dream of climbing the treetops and swinging birch branches. It could be read as a reflection over the conflict between the free play in nature and the boundaries of adult life awaiting on the ground... But maybe the ground can wait? Just join the sheer joy of climbing the trees and the careful balance that is needed not to fall and be at one with the flexibility of nature. After several season-related albums, like The Source: of Christmas (1995) and The Source: of Summer (2013), it is now a pure quartet display out in the tube, only based on original music. The pieces are all signed by the quartet members and covers a vast register; raga, shuffle, swing, lyrical spots, improv and even a rough trombone/drum outing, and more. The Source: Øyvind Brække (trombone), Trygve Seim, (saxophone), Per Oddvar Johansen (drummer), Mats Eilertsen (bass).

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: ODIN 9577LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. The Source -- nearly 30 years in the tradition of the infinite peculiar. The Source is a quartet with a long history. Actually, started in 1993, with the founding members Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass), Per Oddvar Johansen, Trygve Seim, and Øyvind Brække, who all by then studied at the Jazz Course at the Trondheim Music Conservatory. The new quartet album ... But Swinging Doesn't Bend Them Down will be published on the legendary record label Odin Records. The title is an excerpt from the poem "Birches" by the American poet Robert Frost, a title that encompass a child's dream of climbing the treetops and swinging birch branches. It could be read as a reflection over the conflict between the free play in nature and the boundaries of adult life awaiting on the ground... But maybe the ground can wait? Just join the sheer joy of climbing the trees and the careful balance that is needed not to fall and be at one with the flexibility of nature. After several season-related albums, like The Source: of Christmas (1995) and The Source: of Summer (2013), it is now a pure quartet display out in the tube, only based on original music. The pieces are all signed by the quartet members and covers a vast register; raga, shuffle, swing, lyrical spots, improv and even a rough trombone/drum outing, and more. The Source: Øyvind Brække (trombone), Trygve Seim, (saxophone), Per Oddvar Johansen (drummer), Mats Eilertsen (bass).

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ON 401EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Part of The Optic Sevens 4.0 reissue series. The Bluebells have dug deep into their archive to give Optic Nerve the earliest recordings of these tracks, which have never been released before and are exclusive to this 7" "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" is longer and more vibrant containing an extra verse and guitar solo which are not on previous versions. This is the closest recording to the one that was originally intended to be released on Postcard in 1981. The sleeve, designed by Bobby Bluebell features two of the earliest photos of the band. The Bluebells were formed by songwriter/guitarist Robert Hodgens, aka Bobby Bluebell, in 1980. When deciding to form a group to start performing his songs, Hodgens remembered two punk musicians from Bothwell (brothers Ken and David McCluskey) he had interviewed for his fanzine, 10 Commandments. David (drums/backing vocals) and Ken (vocals/harmonica) joined Robert and The Bluebells started performing live in and around Glasgow. The Bluebells were soon involved in the burgeoning scene coalescing around Postcard Records in Glasgow, and it wasn't long before The Bluebells were sharing stages throughout the UK with some of the Postcard groups. A single ("Everybody's Somebody's Fool") was scheduled for release on Postcard, however after appearing on the front page on Melody Maker and in NME/Sounds etc., major record companies started making serious offers to sign the group. The Bluebells appeared on BBC music program The Old Grey Whistle Test, the first unsigned group to do so, and it wasn't long after this television appearance that the group signed a major record contract with London Records. The Bluebells were soon in the studio working on songs for their debut album, with Elvis Costello producing. Their fourth single "I'm Falling" resulted in commercial success, chart success, and appearances on Top of the Pops. The Bluebells released their debut album, Sisters, in 1984 to further commercial chart success, which was continued when their next single, "Young At Heart", gave the group their second big hit single. However, when "Young At Heart" was reissued in 1993, it reached number 1 in the chart for a month, making The Bluebells regular fixtures on Top Of The Pops. Blue vinyl; includes postcard and poster.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ON 402EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Part of The Optic Sevens 4.0 reissue series. Formed in post-Postcard Glasgow as Popgun, Kevin McDermott (vocals/guitar), Davie McCormick (drums), and Ross Drummond (bass/vocals) were joined by Roddy Johnson (guitar/vocals). In 1983, they changed their name to The Suede Crocodiles and released "Stop The Rain" on the NoStrings Records label. "Single of the Week" in both NME and Melody Maker, this jagged-edged, spiky pop-punk single caught the ear of many. The Suede Crocodiles went on to tour the UK with Nick Heyward. The band split before releasing their second single, "Paint Yourself A Rainbow" with songwriter and lead vocalist Kevin McDermott going on to form the Kevin McDermott Orchestra and having a successful solo career. Blue vinyl; includes postcard and poster.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ON 403EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Part of The Optic Sevens 4.0 reissue series. Two brief years at the dawn of the 1980s Josef K provided iconic Scots indie label Postcard Records with its sharpest cutting edge. Although outlived -- and outsold -- by labelmates Orange Juice and Aztec Camera, Josef K perfected a prescient blend of skinny funk and leftfield pop, an artful combination of style and substance that continues to exert an influence out of all proportion to the brevity of their career. When Les Disque Du Cre?puscule issued "Sorry For Laughing" on single in April 1981 it was widely hailed as the group's best offering to date, and established the definitive Jokay style of looping rhythms paired with incisive, angular guitar. Like Postcard itself, the best band in Edinburgh might have had the lifespan of a mayfly, yet they remain a revered icon of an indie golden age. Yellow vinyl; includes postcard and poster.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: WELLE 107LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2022 repress. Billy Harper is one of the great tenor saxophonists in the post-Coltrane mold. Originally from Houston, TX and with a degree from the venerable University of North Texas College of Music, Harper emerged on the New York City jazz scene in the late 1960s performing with Art Blakey, Max Roach, Lee Morgan, and others. Known for his soulful and propulsive tone, Harper was already a highly regarded and prolific session man before the release of his debut album as a leader on the cult favorite Strata-East label in 1973. Recorded in 1975, Black Saint was the second album for Billy Harper as bandleader and is the most acclaimed and fully realized of his long career. The inaugural release of the Italian label Black Saint -- to which the album lent its name -- is comprised entirely of Harper compositions; the peaceful and subdued opener "Dance, Eternal Spirits, Dance!," the swinging and fiery "Croquet Ballet" and the side-long epic "Call Of The Wild And Peaceful Heart." Harper's group features trumpeter Virgil Jones -- a graduate of Roland Kirk's mid-60s groups and session player for McCoy Tyner, Charles Tolliver, and others -- along with Joe Bonner on piano, David Friesen on bass, and Malcom Pinson on drums. Black Saint is too melodic and swinging to be free jazz but too forward-thinking to be described as modal post-bop; Harper's advanced compositional sense and galvanic tenor work make this an album of pure fire music. This is a beautiful album back into print on its original format for the first time in over 40 years.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: OSR 090LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Unissued recordings by this very loud power trio from San Francisco, modeled after Cream, Blue Cheer, or The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Including their fantastic studio demo from 1968 plus raw and wild live tracks from 1969. Boogie (or The Boogie) was probably the first hard-blues/proto-metal group that emerged from the San Francisco scene. This power-trio was formed by Barry "The Bee" Bastian (Canned Heat, Lee Michaels...) on guitar/vocals; John Barrett (The Rhythm Dukes) on bass, and Fuzzy John Oxendine (Roky Erickson & The Aliens, Jerry Miller Band...) on drums. Comrades of Moby Grape (who even let Boogie use their rehearsal space) and the Sons Of Champlin, they played at all the legendary venues (The Ark, Avalon, Fillmore...) sharing stage with bands like Buffalo Springfield, Quicksilver, Ace Of Cups, Flamin' Groovies, or Country Joe & The Fish. Their explosive show at the Sky River Rock Festival (August, 1968, the first outdoor multi-band Rock Festival held in the United States) to an audience of 150,000 people, is still remembered today. Sadly, their convulsed story, which includes undercover narcs and marijuana busts, left them with no record deal. But a studio demo -- recorded in 1968 at Pacific High Recorders -- including three tracks, "In Freak Town", "To Me" and a terrific, fuzzed out seven-minute-long cover of "Wade In The Water", plus some live recordings from 1969, survived. Previously available only as part of a private CD released by Barry Bastian, here's the first ever vinyl release. Hard cardboard sleeve; insert with rare photos and detailed liner notes by San Fran rock historian Bruno Ceriotti; includes download card with the full album plus three bonus tracks. "Arguably the greatest San Francisco's rock n' roll band of the '60s who never released anything" --Bruno Ceriotti.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: PERMVAC 246EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Completely new mastered vinyl re-issue of the classic and highly sought-after New Jackson EP from 2011.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: PHS 074LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

One of the hidden treasures from Venezuela, Grupo Geyser were pioneers in fusing psychedelic rock with Latin and Afro Cuban rhythms. Here's their first ever vinyl retrospective, including their four singles originally released between 1970-73. Los Geyser aka Grupo Geyser formed in Caracas, Venezuela, in the mid-60s by brothers Publio and Ebenezer García. Initially influenced by the British and American bands of the time, the band experienced different line-ups and they gradually incorporated Latin/Afro-Cuban influences to their music, along with instruments like bongos, tumbadoras, or sax, thanks to musicians like Roberto Monasterios. Led by Publio García, who was the main songwriter, Grupo Geyser always played their own songs, refusing to do covers. They got to release a few self-produced 45s during 1970-1973 and they were pioneers in not only fusing psychedelic rock with Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms but also in home-recording and multi-tracking with their song "La Súper Lombriz Atómica", recorded by brothers Publio and Ebenezer at their home studio playing all the instruments themselves. The band even caught the attention of famous singer Alfredo Sadel, who took them under his wing and received interest from the US market. This comp includes all their 45 sides: from heavy Latin-psych-fuzz-groove ("Óyeme Guajira", "Piénsalo Bien") to freak-beatish psych with Farfisa ("Tú Me Caes Mal"), bluesy acid psych ("Sodoma y Gomorra", and more. Includes color insert with detailed liner notes by band member Publio Garcia and photos.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: PINYON 003LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Like the Mimikoto Project's previous albums, also Blackbird's Philosophy can be described as a symbiosis of jazz with electronic music and other styles of groovy stuff. On this album the electronic elements melt into the acoustic sounds and rhythms on a quite subtle way, while the acoustic patterns partially adopt styles of electronic music reminding of deep house, ambient, and Detroit house. Jazzy Rhodes, bass, drums, and sax solos performed by jazz-rooted musicians like Darius Blair, Uli Schiffelholz, Johannes Schwarting, and Justin Zitt, play a more important role than on former releases and bring nuances of funk, modal jazz, free jazz, and bebop to this album. With Fabio Kumori's string orchestral sound created with upright bass, effects and looper in the track "Notes From Kirishima", even elements reminding of classical music and atmospheres from soundtracks become a part of this album. These elements merge with rhythmic sound arpeggios of analog synths and vibraphone, which create a maybe unknown style of new music. On the last track of the album, namely on the track "Blackbird's Philosophy (Part II)", you hear the soulful and expressive voice of Noomi Mae Coleman, who joined the Mimikoto crew in 2020. The Mimikoto Project was founded in 2019 as a collective of musicians related to jazz, funk, soul, and electronic music, after a certain period of composing and playing as duo, trio and quartet.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: PE 025LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

With her second album SODA, Belia Winnewisser continues on the path she has been following for quite some time. Few share the Swiss artist's knack for combining a sensibility to the enthusiastic potential of pop with an interest in niche references of experimental sound design. In recent years, her feel for this fusion brought Winnewisser to the attention of the electronic club music scene. This world and the various genres related to it leave their mark on SODA: sing-along anthems like "So Real" and the densely layered drone of "They Cry of the Sirens" stand alongside the feverish dance track that gives the album its name and rave bombs like "Solen". A year without club nights allowed Winnewisser to fully embrace her flair for pop and experimentalism, which resulted in more than a mere series of nods to different genres and acts. SODA -- both as a resonant title and as a collection of music -- is a direct call without hidden meanings or implicit references. It's simply the path she's on and the way she's going. Post-production together with Phillip Jondo. Cover design by Kaj Lehmann. White vinyl; edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: PE 027LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Kapriole is the debut album by Zurich- and Hamburg-based artist Leo Hofmann after working in music theater, sound art, and performance contexts. Central to the album, which refers in its title to a joyous jump, is the ambition to translate an ephemeral practice into recorded matter. Fixed but never static, Kapriole is informed by intimate and detailed listening situations and sound practices like ASMR or the acoustically sheltered world of noise cancelling headphones. And while it is apparent that Hofmann has a deeply rooted understanding of technology and its abundant possibilities, Kapriole is a tender and almost analog feeling affair. The human voice occupies a central role in the musical configuration of the album: quirky repetitions, hushed fragments, and poetic statements, circling topics like communication, mobility, and immersion occupy the album's eight tracks. The result is a sonorous sensation, which, in its scarcity, paves the way for meticulously crafted and delicate soundscapes. Kapriole as a joyous jump which is technological as much as it is emotional. Graphic design by Karan Kobel. Includes download codes; edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: PP 040EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Listening pays off. This is evident not least in the debut EP of Golden Pudel Club barman Paul Speckmann. Long years behind the bar of the Hamburg club pub made him a willing listener to the numerous and diverse events there - from start to finish, something that very few "regular" clubbers can claim. And these influences, from indie concert to electronica crunch, from jungle breakbeat massacre to dignified house groove, not only led to his varied DJ sets, with which Speckmann also made his house club happy, but certainly also served as inspiration for these wonderful tracks, which skillfully oscillate between deep-dusty house, angereak indie dance, and playful IDM jingling, often varying different elements in one track. There is, for example, the delicately dreamy house hit "On The Flip", the late-night funk of "Starships", which would not be out of place on the Sunday MFOC floor, or the blurred indie ambient tune "Return", which captivates with campfire guitar and Sophia Kennedy on the vocals. And these are just three of the seven tracks on the EP, none of which disappoint. Someone has listened carefully and learned his lessons. Chapeau!

 

PRICE: $9.50

CAT #: MALONE 006EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

For Mal-one's sixth single he has chosen to use what he calls his "Punk Art Poetry" to shine a light on one of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's most controversial/stylistic garment, the "Anarchy Shirt". Vivienne had made the prototype of the "Anarchy Shirt" on some stock of "Wemblex" shirts that Malcolm had acquired and had shown it to Malcolm who said it needed to say more. So, he added the text and the quotes from "Situationist" related saying's "Try Subversion" to quoting revolutionist Durutti "We are not afraid of the ruins". The text over the shirt front, made using their kids "letraset stencil" would say "Dangerously Close To Love" or "Only Anarchists Are Pretty"... sounds like a good chorus for a song. Only fifty of these shirts were originally made but like all design classics have been copied many times. "Some say only anarchists are pretty... or dangerously close to love" Edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: RADK 7018CS

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Radiation Records present a reissue of The Exploited's Troops Of Tomorrow, originally released in 1982. In the early '80s, British punk took a turn toward hardcore and the Exploited (along with G.B.H, Disorder, etc.) led the charge. The beat was fast and furious, the politics ferocious, and the magenta mohawk became state of the art. This album is blessed with great production, something many hardcore albums lack, meaning the froth and fury don't come across as a total muddle. Moreover, the machine gun beat comes with hooks that leave you humming along with the tunes. It's raw, loud, and a downright classic. This is a crucial album in the evolution of The Exploited.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: ROSE 003LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Rose Hobart announce the reissue of Jay Clarkson's 1999 masterpiece Kindle, available on vinyl for the first time. Clarkson is one of Aotearoa/New Zealand's most singular songwriters, with a history that includes membership of The Playthings and The Expendables, both groups who released records with the legendary New Zealand label Flying Nun, as well as subsequent solo albums, along with her bands Breathing Cage and (now) The Containers. Clarkson wrote and recorded Kindle after relocating from Christchurch to Dunedin in the mid '90s, settling into a new mode of music making and embracing the possibilities of home recording. Supported with funding from Creative NZ, Clarkson bought a four-track recorder -- the tried-and-trusted Tascam 424 Mark II, the cornerstone of any good, self-respecting home studio -- and set about to make perhaps her most hushed, gorgeous set of songs yet. For the songs on Kindle, Clarkson approached lyric writing differently -- for a number of songs, she used what she has called the "open a book at random and point your finger" method to get her creativity flowing, borrowing (with adjustments) from Graham Greene and Thomas Merton, amongst others, locating evocative potential in found language and then expanding outwards. Elsewhere, Clarkson's songs are sparked by people and events that coincide with her everyday life, or they become more philosophically reflective, as in the hypnotic "Wheeling", where a repeating, intricate web of guitar underscores a song reflecting life's dualities and circularity. The album's sound world is deep and dappled, with clacking drum machines (loaned to Jay by Robert Scott of The Clean and The Bats), richly wound guitars, and humming keyboards all providing a perfect setting for Clarkson's astonishing voice, which is at once generous and wry. Clarkson has previously reflected upon the "transitional head-space" she was in while writing and recording Kindle, and that certainly seems to have informed the emotional complexity of these songs and performances -- it's an album of grace and wisdom. Clarkson would go on to make more music, such as her lovely 2007 album, Over The Mountain, recorded with Johannes Contag, and a recent solo set, Spur, released on Austrian label Zelle in 2015. She continues to perform live when circumstances allow, with her group The Containers, and in 2016 was invited to perform at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow. But Kindle stands as singular in her catalogue and her career -- a moment of inwards reflection, things pared back to basics, Jay alone in the home studio, writing for the intimacies of the moment. Includes download code; edition of 250.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: RCD 2227CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

After five successful studio albums in 12 years, here is Espen Erisken Trio's first live album, by popular demand. A popular concert attraction in Norway through Europe, Russia, and South East Asia, the trio have constantly been asked when they will release a concert recording. Five of the seven tracks were recorded live in concert at Oslo's Nasjonal Jazzscene in 2018 and 2020, one at a special one-off intimate concert at Propeller Music Division in Oslo in 2020, and one in Poznan, Poland, in 2021. Six of the seven tracks are extended versions of Eriksen originals from four of the studio albums, adding instrumental vividness as well as dramatic and moving elements to the event. The seventh is a splendid cover of Krzysztof Komeda's iconic "Rosemary's Baby".

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: RCD 2229CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Who Do You Love The Most? is the young trio's third album in just over four years, and continues in the tradition of their two previous efforts; beautiful and evocative melodies, rich on harmonies, often rhythmically complex textures and a typically folk-like Scandinavian character with the occasional gospel feel. The album's ten songs are all Kjetil Mulelid originals, except for a gripping cover of Judee Sill's "The Archetypical Man". Two of the originals are the trio's versions of songs that first appeared on the pianist's much lauded solo piano album (Piano) from 2021 (RCD 2220CD/RLP 3220LP). Kjetil André Mulelid comes across as an exceptionally mature pianist and composer.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: RLP 3223LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Hedvig Mollestad must surely be one of the hardest working musicians on the Norwegian music scene at the moment, with Tempest Revisited being her third album in a mere 18 months, all at a consistently high artistic level. Her first solo album, Ekhidna (RCD 2215CD/RLP 3215LP, 2020), received a Spellemannpris (Norwegian Grammy), appeared on several jazz and rock best of the year lists and got her into Downbeat's "25 for the future" selection. Tempest Revisited draws lines back to 1998 and the very beginning of Rune Grammofon. This was the year the label released Electric (RCD 2002CD/RLP 3002LP), the collected electronic works of Arne Nordheim, one of Norway's greatest composers. It was also the year when parts of "The Tempest", possibly his most cherished and well-known work, was chosen to be performed at the opening of Parken, the new cultural house in Ålesund, birthplace of Hedvig Mollestad. To celebrate 20 years, the culture house was ready for a new storm, and the first name that came to them was Hedvig, a local artist that was already making waves on the international scene with her power-trio. Hedvig took inspiration from the front of the house, adorned with Nordheim's score for The Tempest, at the same time making a direct connection to the sometime heavy weather conditions of this coastal area in the northwest part of Norway. One could say it's a big paradox that over all this might be Hedvig's most lyrical and less aggressive collection of music. On the other hand, it's quite a dynamic record, lots of light and shade and enough sonic parts at work to evoke the elements, the mighty Gran Cassa drum only one of them. The music included here was adapted from the initial performance in 2018 and produced by Hedvig in the studio the following year for this album release. The musicians included are old friends Marte Eberson from the Ekhidna band, Ivar Loe Bjørnstad from her trio and Trond Frønes (Red Kite) on bass as well as three sax players.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: RLP 3225LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. The band describe themselves as a spaced-out, instrumental lounge rock outfit, with added vibes of folk music, jazzy surf, psychedelia, free improvised chill-out, jangly post-rock, and travelling bass. Not much to add here, apart from possibly a pinch of krautrock. Tellus is the quartet's fourth album, and their debut on Rune Grammofon. Being something of an all-star team from the fertile psychedelic space drone scene in Haugesund on the west coast of Norway, the members also pay their dues in bands like Electric Eye, Lumen Drones (ECM), Undergrünnen, and The Low Frequency in Stereo, whose album Futuro was released by Rune Grammofon back in 2009 (RCD 2082CD). On Tellus they are joined by Sigbjørn Apeland, a much-esteemed musician largely operating in a landscape of folk music, church music and improvisation. He is a member of Nils Økland Band (ECM and Hubro) and has collaborated with him for 30 years, also appearing on his two albums for Rune Grammofon; Straum (2000, RCD 2015CD) and Bris (2004, RCD 2042CD). Also appearing on Tellus is Ståle Liavik Solberg, a central force on Oslo's thriving improvised music scene. He has performed worldwide with numerous Norwegian and international musicians and curates the excellent Blow Out! festival. With Tellus, Action & Tension & Space heads into the Hardangervidda (the big plains connecting the eastern and western parts of southern Norway) terrain of wide-open spaces, spare vegetation and unruly weather conditions, especially during the winter. The album was recorded in a small studio in Haugesund during two days of heavy rain showers and stormy winds rumbling outside the windows. Personnel: Per Steinar Lie - lapsteel, electric guitar; Øystein Braut - guitar, organ, Mellotron; Julius Lind - double bass; Ørjan Haaland - drums; Sigbjørn Apeland - harmonium, Fender Rhodes; Ståle Liavik Solberg - percussion.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: RB 109X-EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

In the constant state of flux that house and techno are in since their inception, Berlin's Sascha Funke is at once a fixture and an emblem of the city's transformations. Probably best-known for his work on BPitch, Kompakt, or the evergreen MZ, Funke's EP for Running Back is an amalgamation of sounds, influences and atmospheres. Subdued rave euphoria, robotic disco-influenced techno-pop and hints of Berlin's long gone "Dubmission" party ethics get re-arranged, extracted and reconfigured with "German engineering" values. Take the ritual "QAM" for instance. Using a sample and the legendary morse melody of the weather forecast at the end of each "Tagesschau" and putting it in a completely different context, is a prime example of a free-form approach to making music and making nostalgia future-proof. That also holds true for the rest of the EP. While titles like "FEZ" (Freizeit und Erholungszentrum) or "SEZ" (Sport und Erholungszentrum) refer to lost places in East Berlin, the tracks are anything but. Yearning, precisely programmed and full of joie de vivre at the same time, they all lock into and complement each other. So much, that you will find a new favorite with every listen.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: RPTD 008LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Jawad Nawfal and Mazen El Sayed, better known by their stage names of Munma and El Rass, met for the first time in Beirut, during the summer of 2011. A common friend told Jawad wonders about an MC who rapped and slammed in the classical Arabic language, as opposed to the vernacular Lebanese dialect. The two musicians met in a small café in Beirut's Hamra neighborhood, spoke of music, argued about politics, and decided to collaborate at once. They began working on tracks the following day. A month later, they had already produced a dozen sketches, instrumental beds and acapella vocal tracks. These demos eventually landed in the hands of Ziad Nawfal and Fadi Tabbal, who set out to bring to life the duo's first recorded album. Kachf el Mahjoub (the title is from a Sufi master-work penned some 900 years ago) was eventually released as a limited edition of 500 CDs, during a launch event at then-budding alternative venue Metro al Madina in Hamra in 2012. These CDs went out of print in record time, as can be expected. El Rass & Munma collaborated sporadically during the next ten years, but never fully grasped the level of musical intensity and explosive tension attained on this first outing. It has been a longstanding dream of Ruptured's to produce a vinyl version of this album.Kachf el Mahjoub is a landmark album in Lebanon's alternative music scene, and the Mena region's hip-hop and indie scenes writ large. At the time of their collaboration, El Sayed was a prolific writer and musician, at ease with a variety of instruments, notorious for his masterful flow in the classical Arabic language, with lyrics tackling both social and political sensitive subjects; Nawfal has previously released an impressive number of albums and EPs, exploring downtempo electronica and ambient dubstep, for a number of Lebanese and international labels. The collision of the former's brazen, slammed vocals and the latter's harsh beats works wonders on Kachf el Mahjoub, Munma's sound-world perfectly fitting El Rass's agitated discourse, alternating between broken beats, elaborate percussion, and ambient layers of synths. At times reminiscent of mutant hip-hop outfit Shabazz Palaces, at others of the collaboration between dubstep producer Kode9 and the late vocalist The Space Ape, this album is an uncanny meeting of Arabic hip-hop and electronica, an exceptional event in the realm of contemporary Lebanese alternative music. Includes remix by Sary Moussa and a bonus track. Remastered for vinyl by Cedrik Fermont. Pressed by Mother Tongue in Verona.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: SPECTRES 001BK

FILE UNDER: Misc

Restocked, third printing. Published with the support of INA GRM. Composing Listening features texts by: Félicia Atkinson, François Bayle, François J. Bonnet, Drew Daniel, Brunhild Ferrari, Beatriz Ferreyra, Stephen O'Malley, Jim O'Rourke, Eliane Radigue, Régis Renouard Larivière, Espen Sommer Eide, Daniel Teruggi, Chris Watson. This book has been conceived as both a prism and a manual. Following the "traditional" arc of electroacoustic composition (listen-record-compose-deploy-feel), each of the contributions collected together here focuses in on a personal aspect, a fragment of that thrilling territory that is sonic and musical experimentation. Although the term "experimental music" may now have be understood as referring to a genre, or even a particular style, we ought to hold on to the original use of this term, which was based more on an approach than on any particular aesthetic line to be followed. The experimental is first and foremost a spirit, the spirit of the exploration of unknown territories, a spirit of invention which sees musical composition more as a voyage into uncertain territories than as a self-assured approach working safe within the bosom of fully mapped out and recognized lands. 228 pp; thread-sewn softcover; one color offset; Size: 135x200cm; Language(s): French, English.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: SMALL 014LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

It's been a long way. All seems to blend naturally with A Long Way, the debut album from Parisian duo Jacques Bon & Drux. Jacques is a long-term friend, who was running the Paris branch of the Smallville record store for 13 years (2006-2019). He made himself a name also outside of Paris as a DJ and with music released on Giegling, Kann, Mule Musiq, and of course Smallville. Jacques shares his studio in Paris with Vincent Drux, a producer and sound engineer, who recently started his own imprint Cabale Records. Both got together naturally in the studio for hour-long sessions to craft an album together. House music at its most meticulous form. First, as a short form, in which every track captures another time zone of the dancefloor experience. And then as longform, as a whole album with a narrative that combines futuristic aesthetics, classic ethos, and human warmth. From the rolling percussion and windy-city style bassline of opener "Distant Voices", with its cut yet longing distant voices, through deepy, dubby, and raw "Celeste", the haunting synths of "Mirage"; The snares that arrive mid through "Space Ways" and launch into another level; The techy vibe ride of "Radiance"; The late night chords and peak time beat programming of "Your Wings"; And then final couple stick the landing with enough energy, deepness and beauty - "Elevate", which channels Bon and Drux's inner Fred P, and "Sandstorm", a mastery percussive tale with a long, repetitive chord that opens and closes, teases until it disappears and remains nothing but a whispery dying effect.

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: SOMM 073CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Orang-Utan were in fact a London based band called Hunter, featuring vocalist Terry "Nobby" Clarke (of psych-pop legends Jason Crest), guitar player Mick Clarke, drummer and songwriter Jeff Seopardi and bass player Paul Roberts. They recorded their sole album in 1971 and DeLane Lea studios. In a bizarre twist of events, their producers/managers ran with the tapes to the US, where they placed the album on Bell Records under a new band name: Orang-Utan, without telling any of the band members. A lost classic of blazing, early hard rock with minor psychedelic hangover vibes, a twin-guitar attack, and waves of fuzz/wah, along with powerful vocals. Think Leaf Hound, Budgie, Bang, Sir Lord Baltimore, Hard Stuff... Legit reissue done in co-operation with the original band members. Insert with liner notes telling the bizarre story of the band, and rare photos. "Quintessentially British hard-rock, transforming the blues in a way American bands rarely did, and with a kind of vocal intensity that compares to Free, Humble Pie, et al." --Aaron Milenski (Galactic Ramble)

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: SOMM 073LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. New repress in hard cardboard sleeve with obi; includes download card. White vinyl. Orang-Utan were in fact a London based band called Hunter, featuring vocalist Terry "Nobby" Clarke (of psych-pop legends Jason Crest), guitar player Mick Clarke, drummer and songwriter Jeff Seopardi and bass player Paul Roberts. They recorded their sole album in 1971 and DeLane Lea studios. In a bizarre twist of events, their producers/managers ran with the tapes to the US, where they placed the album on Bell Records under a new band name: Orang-Utan, without telling any of the band members. A lost classic of blazing, early hard rock with minor psychedelic hangover vibes, a twin-guitar attack, and waves of fuzz/wah, along with powerful vocals. Think Leaf Hound, Budgie, Bang, Sir Lord Baltimore, Hard Stuff... Legit reissue done in co-operation with the original band members. Insert with liner notes telling the bizarre story of the band, and rare photos. "Quintessentially British hard-rock, transforming the blues in a way American bands rarely did, and with a kind of vocal intensity that compares to Free, Humble Pie, et al." --Aaron Milenski (Galactic Ramble)

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: SS 086EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Three track EP with "Weirdo", "Original Weirdo", and "Imaginary Thugfunk".

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: SWELL 001BK

FILE UNDER: Misc

First-ever official biography of Swell Maps, Swell Maps 1972-1980 penned by band member and co-founder Jowe Head. Swell Maps were formed in Jowe's home town of Solihull, England with various school friends in 1972.The group, also featuring the late Nikki Sudden and Nikki's brother, the late Epic Soundtracks, along with Phones Sportsman, John Cockrill, and Richard Earl emerged in the late 1970s, and are now known as legendary pioneers of what is now referred to as "alternative rock" or "post-punk" with their blend of punk rock mixed with experimental and psychedelic sounds. Together they released four 7" singles, the first in 1977 on their own Rather Records and two critically acclaimed albums in a brief but dramatic career, that led to them topping the UK independent charts, and influencing bands such as Sonic Youth, Nirvana, and Blur. After Swell Maps broke up in 1980, Jowe joined the Television Personalities. Ten years with the TVPs saw Jowe making more influential records, touring Europe regularly, and playing in Japan and the USA. Today he still regularly releases recordings, solo and with multiple groups, and is the steward of the Swell Maps legacy. In this 155-page biography of the band, Jowe takes us to each members' formative years and reveals what made them experiment with challenging music and eventually come together to form Swell Maps. Through his own recollections and utilizing interviews with former members, he explores the early days of the band, and details stories that bring the reader into the inner workings of the band as they traveled through the late '70s cultural scene in Europe. The last section of the book updates the whereabouts of all the key players. The book includes dozens of full-color images of band memorabilia from the author's personal collection, including photos, posters, flyers, artwork, original lyrics, and more. Contains 7" with six exclusive never-before-released tracks culled from the band and solo member archives. Packed with full color photos and images of posters, flyers, album art, and other assorted band ephemera. Detailed appendix contains a discography, notes on selected songs, concert dates, and set lists among other items. Full-color 152-page hardcover book, approximately 297mm x 210mm; edition of 1000."The first Swell Maps single I bought still to this day gives me a soul scorched buzz'n'rush... The Swell Maps had a lot to do with my upbringing." --Thurston Moore"Jowe Head spent time in two of the UK's coolest underground bands: Swell Maps and Television Personalities... a lovably skewed indie-pop tunesmith." --Time Out New York

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: SPITTLE 123LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Informations Of Death is a key single from the proto-EBM Florence band Neon, their 1980 official debut with an early duo line-up comprised of Marcello Michelotti and Stefano Gasparinetti. The single is now released on double vinyl, accompanied by Oscillator (a 1979 live performance recorded at the legendary Bananamoon Club in Florence).

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SPITTLE 133LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Spittle Records present a reissue of Negazione's Little Dreamer, originally released in 1988. Punk only hit Italy in 1980, and the hardcore scene followed straight after confirming itself as one of the most active and interesting scenes in the world. Back in the day most of the bands came from the north of the country, among them: Negazione, a Turin based band which soon became one of the crucial punk-hardcore realities in Europe. Originally released by German label We Bite Records in 1988, Little Dreamer was Negazione's second album. Compared to their debut release this second effort shows a first step towards a more eclectic sound approach where thanks also to an evident growth in terms of technical skills the band's original inflamed energy opens up to a wider expressive variety of speeds and dynamics.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SPITTLE 134LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Spittle Records present a reissue of Negazione's 100%, originally recorded in Holland in 1990 and originally released on We Bite in the same year. 100%, their third album came as a very strong statement from a band in full power. Eight explosive, highly articulated tracks able to keep tension between the band's pure hardcore origins and a new kind of creative energy. A wider sound assault against any rigid stylism, including a distinctive taste for melody mostly expressed in the two tracks sung in Italian. Guido Sassola aka Zazzo (vocals), Roberto Farano aka Tax (guitar), Marco Mathieu (bass), Jeff Pellino (drums), an extremely cohesive unit caught in the midst of a natural evolution.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: SSR 083LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Repress on white vinyl. Vancouver's Bootlicker are back with their first full-length. Experimenting with various line-ups and sounds since 2017, these 14 original tracks flesh out their most realized expression. Following four EPs and two demos, their self-titled debut stays true to the noise cultivated in the previous offerings. That raw, blown-out production countered with clean guitar sound and Internationally-informed take on a UK82 delivery remains. Everything that made the band what they were on their previous output is polished into a ball of fire that will not be contained. Their mid-tempo, menacing posture of tracks like "Herd The Sheep" and "State Of Fever" give way to the D-beat totality of "Master" or "Two Faced" proving there are still ideas in the tank. There won't be much left but scorched earth by the time it comes to rest. FFO: Mau Maus, Discharge, SSD.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: SUBEX 056LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Shadow Work is Alex Cargill's (The Central Office Of Information) debut solo album on Subexotic. Cargill is no stranger to the label, having previously released the co-written TV1 as Transient Visitor (SUBEX 024LP, 2021), as well as the split release Passing Cars In The Rain with Hyacinth. With previous titles on such highly prized cult labels as Castles In Space, Woodford Halse, and Colander, Subexotic get in on some COI action with this intriguing new chapter in Alex's musical journey. Describing his current influences, Alex cites genres including synth wave, vaporwave, early '90s hardcore and techno, as well as recent work from the likes of Dalham, Plone, Moon Wiring Club, Polypores, Field Lines Cartographer, The Night Monitor, and the Clay Pipe Music label. Features Bob Fischer and DJ Space Terrapin.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: SUBEX 098CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Simon Klee returns to Subexotic with his compelling new solo album, The Light Of Elevation. Charting its way through a sequence of disorientating themes, including invasive therapy, collective mental transcendency, and blissful states of consciousness, each section unfolds to reveal an overload of mind-bending altered states. Klee's take on mindfulness employs a jittering, yet euphoric energy, finely honed to mirror his subject. Synthesized lead lines and quick-fire drum machines snap and glimmer throughout, locking each motif into a pristine array of blister packed patterns. This fresh and daring twist on uplifting "synth-pop" proves to be an exhilarating evolution in Klee's ever expanding musical journey. Stirring stuff.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: TASTY 002EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

K-LONE is back for second helpings with Sweet N Tasty 002, presenting a mixed grill of 160bpm jungle and footwork delights. Take your pick from a mouthwatering platter of succulent 808s, crispy breaks, and sticky-sweet vocal chops -- all delivered to your door piping hot. Finger bowls at the ready.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: TDE 001EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Milanese producer Nelson of the East sets out on a deeper exploration of percussive house/techno on Sub Erotic, the first release on Tartelet Record's new dance floor-focused sub-label Dancemporium. Following his 2021 album release of Kybele (TARTALB 013LP), Nelson of the East (Nicolas Meyer) is embarking on a new area of sonic exploration rooted in club music motifs. His forthcoming EP, Sub Erotic, builds on his accomplished artistic imprint, balancing the urgent pulse of dance music with the rhythmic sensibilities of non-Western cultures. "After the release of Kybele, it took me a while to figure out what would be a good sequel, and I found myself deconstructing tracks from the album," says Nelson. "I came to the conclusion that the most important thing on the new EP would be the relationship between the different elements, while trying to use fewer layers." While the lilt and sway of organic musicality remains at the heart of his sound, the Berlin-based producer applies the sequalities in a variety of ways. On "Ellipsis", for example, live percussive patterns were recorded and recreated using synthesis, which Nelson found to be more effective than the acoustic originals. The result is three tracks that pivot around danceable structures while moving well outside the established norms of house and techno. From the pinging textures and staggered beat impulses of "Ellipsis" to the go go-flavored funk of "Sub Erotic" and the trance-inducing acid incantation of "Memoria"; Nelson's distinctive inspirations spill out of his music in intriguing formations. Danish mainstay Kasper Marott rounds out the EP, applying a seductive pulse to push "Ellipsis" towards a psychoactive peak. The perfect brooding partner to the original, while reinforcing Nelson's vision of an electronically minded album. Sub Erotic marks the first release on Dancemporium, Tartelet Records' new home for dance floor-oriented music. Having grown to become a broad church of musical modes and expressions, the label is now breaking out into more focused sonic spheres. With his use of rich timbres and adventurous spirit, Nelson of the East is the perfect inaugural candidate.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: TSE 001LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

War Island OST is the soundtrack to this complex and wide-ranging anthology of artwork by the multidisciplinary artist, GAIKA. It is a concept piece to be released as an international collaboration between GAIKA's own label TSE, NAAFI from Mexico City and, SVBCVLT from Shanghai. The soundtrack was installed at the ICA in London as a part room-sized audiovisual environment and will be released with a limited-edition album and art book on April 29th, 2022. At the time of increasing British isolation and political failure, GAIKA, the perennial internationalist, has turned the focus of his analytical lyrical approach directly to the place of his birth. Gone are the dancehall inflections and infectious rhythms of his Caribbean heritage. Instead, the focus is on London in 2022, a sprawling megacity city he poetically deconstructs with dense southside storytelling. The lyrics are set against futuristic urban production. The results are cinematic salvos from the global underground that demand investigation. Lyrically, War Island is GAIKA's attempt to analyze Britain's current geopolitical position in familiar terms. In It he considers the nation's capital by means of a conceptual construction he calls "The Good Ship Prosperity". It is a fictional public house that for him symbolizes the nexus of a multitude of thematic or emotive strands -- class struggle, crime and punishment, migration, and the politics of the built environment. From this position, War Island OST is the story of a braggadocious gravel-throated drinker lost in former glories and failed romances. War Island OST, like the country it chooses to satirize in its title, is a concept record bereft of moral compass in its leadership. GAIKA deliberately makes no direct philosophical musings in this record. Instead, its message is delivered matter of factly, often floating somewhere between spoken word, song, poetry, and road rap delivery. Touching moments are offset with bleak punchlines that leave little prisoners. By turns downtempo and decidedly industrial and by others anthemic soaring with fragile gothic beauty, The atmospheric soundtrack is a succinct demonstration of artists' sometimes contradictory aesthetic and testament to the collaborative nature of the work. Listened to in isolation War Island OST is an urban mixtape from the future, familiar yet somehow alien, hard yet intricate and emotive. Each song is structural and deliberate in nature, emotive pieces with a host of collaborators between London, Manchester, Mexico City, and Shanghai are poignant personal assessments of matters of power wealth and class in British Society and how these matters relate to the rest of the world.

 

PRICE: $10.00

CAT #: WIRE 459

FILE UNDER: Misc

"On the cover: Reynols. As one of the most singular groups in all of rock release their first western album in two decades, following drummer Miguel Tomasin's Henry Viscardi Award for achievement in the disability community, the Argentinian trio talk to Emily Pothast about their mission to include all sounds, experiences and abilities in their kaleidoscopic vision. Plus, inside the issue: the Global Ear section features reports from the musical undergrounds in Ukraine and Russia; UK dubmaster Dennis Bovell contributes the Inner Sleeve column; Phil Freeman meets freewheeling Brazilian saxophonist Ivo Perelman, and much more."

 

PRICE: $19.50

CAT #: THREAD 008EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The High Priestess and the Hierophant" is the new single from Burd Ellen, a Glasgow-based project featuring Debbie Armour (Alasdair Roberts, Green Ribbons) and Gayle Brogan (Pefkin, Electroscope). Debbie says: "I'm a long-time collector and lover of tarot, and I've recently become drawn to the idea of finding parallels between interpretation of traditional song and the art of divination. Gayle and I are bringing together a new collection of songs that reflect the ideas, archetypes and imagery of the Major Arcana. 'The High Priestess and the Hierophant' is the first of these works. It's a version of 'Fair Annie' (Child 62), a song which looks at patriarchy, arranged marriage, the complexities of maternal love and the bonds of sisterhood." The single follows Burd Ellen's second album, Says the Never Beyond, which was released in November 2020. A collection of carols and winter song from Britain and Ireland, the album was critically well-received, with The Guardian naming it "Folk Album of the Month" for December, and the sixth "Best Folk Album of 2020". Folk Radio named it as one of the "Best Folk Music Albums of 2020".

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: TOYT 134LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Who is Magou? All Toy Tonics knows is that, two years ago, the label released a 12" EP that created a little buzz on this artist without a face and social media. The only clue is that Magou is allegedly a mysterious side-project by an otherwise well-known Italian music maker, producer, and DJ. Who cares about fame? This one is all about the music, so Toy Tonics is now back with a sassy double-LP release of Magou's full album. Who Is Magou? contains eight killers and no fillers, all based on elements of disco vibes, acid, synthpop, new wave, electro boogie, deep house blended in a classy, understated manner which supersedes the cheese and sleaze typically associated with Italo disco or the "anything goes" pastiche of postmodern retromania. Just listen to "Sample Dream": a rolling groove monster that creates deep euphoria on dancers for sure. Also "Round Round" is a maybe odd but sharp DJ tool: a quirky Balearic synth-funk trip -- that sort of old school track that record collectors would be killing for, had it been released in 1984. "Pas Jolie" goes even further and probably as fat as disco can get: a beefy chunk of synth house/Italo dance fusion, powered by a throbbing, relentless bass line. Then, on "Dejarte" Magou goes deeper in the feeling with this hazier slab of dub disco, with a hint of Mediterranean flavor and Balearic beat. With "Heather's Body" Magou plays with early '80s fitness disco-boogie aesthetic, absorbed during endless Sunday afternoons spent in front of brash Italian TV revues. "Eco" is dedicated to the renowned Italian semiologist, popular cultural critic and novelist, Umberto Eco. The author is featured on an acid disco-funk number and Umberto's chopped voiceover appear to be lecturing dancer with a witty commentary. While the 1980s Italo was often quite cheesy and referencing shallow popular culture tropes, Magou nobilitates the dancefloor by "showcasing" some 20th century intellectuals, such as Eco and Borges. In fact, Magou dedicates a whole track to Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges -- the funkiest cut in the album, with bouncing bass licks and endless grooving joy. Italian maestro Ennio Morricone is given an homage on the final track: a great outro which combines city pop atmosphere, un-acid TB-303 sequences, and a highly cinematic children choir, reminiscent of Italian Giallo movies.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: VEYL 031LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Continuing its tradition of genre bending output, Veyl comes forth with one of its most innovative releases to date. Still III is a collaboration between Supreme Low (Jerome Tcherneyan of Years of Denial) and New York-based MC, Sensational, who has been pushing hip-hop's boundaries for over 30 years. Tcherneyan first saw Sensational in France in 1999 while meeting in New York in 2001. The two quickly connected and kept in touch throughout the years when they finally got the chance to record material together in London in 2016. With beats created mainly using an SP1200 (a sampler associated with hip-hop's golden age and raw techno), fuzz/distortion pedals and dub units like echoes/spring reverb, psychedelic modulations such as chorus/flanger/phaser and a modular synth, Sensational's rhymes were totally improvised on the spot in a 3 a.m. studio session under heavy influence. The result is a powerful fusion of sound and style that shatters all expectations and delivers an audio vehicle bridging past, present and future. While not lending itself to categorization, Still III packs narcotic beats, llbient, dub, noise rap, bass terrorist, freak style, raw poetry, and more into an 8-track release which is unlike anything out right now. Joining on the release are Tcherneyan collaborators Broken English Club, who appears on the ominous opener, "Doomed" as well as Years of Denial co-conspirator Barkosina, who, as always, mystifies with her vocal presence on "The World". Also appearing, Meanad Veyl remixing "Everybody Ready" and Belgian pioneer Hypnsokull finishes off the release in perfect fashion with a remix of "Raw Shit". Transparent blue vinyl; includes poster and download.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: WWSLP 059LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Gatefold sleeve with OBI. Wewantsounds present a first time reissue of Sunrise From West Sea, Stomu Yamash'ta's cult LP originally released in 1971. A deep, cosmic, at time ambient performance recorded live and featuring two other Japanese legends: Takehisa Kosugi from the Taj-Mahal Travellers and jazz pianist Masahiko Satoh. The line-up also included Hideakira Sakurai on electric shamisen. Stomu Yamash'ta has been hailed as one of the best percussionists in the world by John Cage. Yamash'ta and Satoh recorded the landmark album Metempsychosis for Nippon Columbia in 1971. 1971 was also the year Yamash'ta released his highly-acclaimed Red Buddha solo album which was released in Europe and in the US. Inspired by the Metempsychosis experience Yamash'ta set to recreate the flowing energy of the album in a live setting with a smaller line-up. Recorded live at Yamaha Hall in Tokyo on April 18, 1971, just a few days after the end of the Red Buddha recording sessions, the all-night concert was recorded in front of an invite-only audience consisting of friends and musicians. Yamash'ta enrolled Satoh on keyboards together Taj Mahal Travellers leader Takehisa Kosugi, whom he'd met through his mentor, Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu. Hideakira Sakurai on electric shamisen was also added the lineup. Edited down to fit two sides of an album that will become Sunrise From West Sea, the performance is both hypnotic and ethereal. It starts with Kosugi's distinctive electric violin and develops into a deep, spiritual free form conversation between the four musicians, giving them all the space they need to freely improvise and interact with each other, mixing electronics, percussion, electric organ, and shamizen without ever clashing. The interaction alternates between quiet, tranquil Eastern meditations and more paced parts, fuelled by Yamash'ta's extraordinary percussion playing. Later known for his involvement in soundtracks for Robert Altman's 1972 film Images -- collaborating with John Williams -- and Nic Roeg's 1976 classic The Man Who Fell To Earth, and also for his foray into fusion with his group Go, Yamash'ta never reached the creativity heard in Sunrise From West Sea again. The album was recorded during one of the most fertile periods in Japan where such groups as Les Rallizes Denudes and Taj Mahal Travellers and jazz musicians like Masahiko Satoh and Yamash'ta were revolutionizing the Japanese music scene. Includes new introduction by Paul Bowler. Remastered from the master tapes.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: WDSCS 010EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Bristol's Dundundun to release their second EP Future Hope featuring poet, visual artist and filmmaker Nadeem Din-Gabisi. The six-piece band return on Worm Discs following their sold-out self-titled EP. Originally conceived as a four-to-the-floor banger in a pre-pandemic-world, Future Hope was written in a small studio in NE Bristol. From the outset, what was originally a jam was quickly molded into shape with the emphasis on leaving space for a vocal -- awaiting someone like-minded who could use the piece as a platform to share our views as a collective. London-based artist Nadeem Din-Gabisi was the perfect candidate. His flow, charisma, and delivery combined with his own experience as a new father made him the obvious choice to breathe life into his conscious and conscientious lyrics, reflecting a mood of optimism in what seems to be a precarious world. Future Hope is a message of positivity. Forget about all the bullshit and corruption, there's beauty and love in things to be held on to. Make the most out of every situation to bring about positive change. The single is accompanied by the ecstatic Afro-Brazilian fusion of "Can Do" and the percussion-heavy transcendence of "Midnight Manouvres". A remix from the now Bristol-based world-renowned DJ and producer Red Rack'em completes the EP -- keeping the earthy, hopeful feel of the OG but taking it up a notch into a more jazzy, swingy place.Formed from a collective of Bristol's finest musicians, Dundundun combine thumping rhythms with jazz and electronics to create uplifting soundscapes and dirt infused dance music. Packed with a wealth of experience, Dundundun members have spent the past decadetouring the world and darkening studios with The Heavy, Alice Russell, Unforscene, DJ Die, Ben Westbeech, Pete Josef, Dele Sosimi, and Ishmael Ensemble to name but a few -- bringing a rich heritage of sound straight out of Bristol's thriving music scene. Electronic, arpeggiating multi-layered vibrations born from a mutual respect of past musical idioms and future musical legacy. Dundundun are: Justin Fellows (drums); Jackson Lapes (percussion); Benji Muscat (bass); Dorian Childs Prophet (keys, synths); Ben Plocki (baritone sax); and Brian Hargreaves (tenor sax).

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: XRP 2112CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue of Asian Dub Foundation's Tank, originally released in 2005. The fifth studio album by British alternative electronica band. Asian Dub Foundation are a genre unto themselves. Their unique combination of tough jungle rhythms, dub bass lines, and wild guitar overlaid by references to their South Asian roots and militant high-speed rap has established them as one of the best live bands in the world. Features Mad Mike, Perry Farrell, Adrian Sherwood, San J, and Shiva Sound System. Includes three bonus tracks.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: XRP 2112LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Double LP version. Reissue of Asian Dub Foundation's Enemy of the Enemy, originally released in 2003. The first ADF album to be released following the departure of rapper Deeder Zaman. Asian Dub Foundation are a genre unto themselves. Their unique combination of tough jungle rhythms, dub bass lines, and wild guitar overlaid by references to their South Asian roots and militant high-speed rap has established them as one of the best live bands in the world. Features Sinéad O'Connor, EOB, Mark Stewart, Adrian Sherwood, and The Bug. Includes three bonus tracks.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: XRP 2113CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

The Dizzy Brains are four musicians with a garage rock sound, spreading their militant music beyond their native Madagascar to make their anger against corruption, the inaction of the people, the politicians, and the lack of freedom of expression resonate. They have turned their raw, sometimes vintage rock into a weapon to denounce and make themselves heard. Fans of the Sonics, the Stooges or MC5, the two brothers, Eddy on vocals and Mahefa on bass, founders of the band, were brought up on good old '60s-70s rock by their father. After the band's revelation at the Trans Musicales de Rennes in 2015, they have played at the Printemps de Bourges, MaMA festival, Solidays and Festival d'été de Quebec. They have also played in France, Morocco, South Korea and Germany. Their first EP Vangy (2015) and their first two albums Out Of The Cage (XRP 1602CD/LP, 2017) and Tany Razana (XRP 1804LP/1805CD, 2018) set the tone: "Madagascar is not a cartoon!" The group is here to let people know that Vangy is still, and more than ever, relevant when we see the country sinking deeper because of the lack of action of corrupted politicians. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world without having experienced war and the first country to suffer famine due to global warming. Three years after Tany Razana, the group returns to shout its rage in a third album entitled Dahalo. A return to their roots with an album written almost entirely in Malagasy. The Dahalo are bandits who spread terror in the south of Madagascar, the traditional zebu theft which marked the passage to adulthood for the Bara (southern ethnic group) has become a violent and murderous business feeding a mafia system. For the band's members, the motto does not change, the love for their native land does not make them blind to corruption, poverty, abuse of men, rape and drought. Through a melodious and powerful punk rock, Dahalo offers a musical journey full of energy. The violence of the message is transcribed with accuracy and coherence, amplified by the guitar riffs of Poun and the drums of Alban. The four musicians from Tananarive are ready to set the stage on fire. The incredible stage presence of Eddy, the leader, and the virtuosity of the three musicians, will inevitably leave their mark on the audience during their next concerts in France and elsewhere.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: YEW 014LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Marcia Bassett on the release: "Past and present assimilated by the human mind invoke the invisible. A memory of standing at the edge of Brunnsviken as leaves the color of gold fall through my frame of focus. A season in transition set against a darkening sky, the rise and fall of repetitions stretch through and between time. I recorded Midnight Xpander at the EMS studios in Stockholm Sweden in late October, 2019. Further assembling and mixing took place during the very unsettling year of 2020. Working from my home studio, intuitive exploration drew abstractions and hallucinatory fueled celestial interactions. The Night-blooming Cereus, Queen of the night, blooms, departing as the sun rises at dawn. Variations of sensitive progression punctuated by delicate bells and field recordings meld into the Buchla-heavy thickness weaving a cyclical backdrop of a mechanical churning, programmable and manipulated by patches, connecting one point to the other. Jagged lines, explosive sound gestures, scraping, and resonance of open-faced piano strings brought to life by the Piezothing set against a dense buzzing drone open side two. Exploration variables both manipulated and discovered in real-time performance, cross over, an X, the light refractions between sky and water, myself in change, the changing season, a private world, continually revealed in contemporary restlessness." Full color jacket; hand embellished and numbered edition; edition of 200.