Forced Exposure New Releases for the Week of 8/21/2023

 

PRICE: $21.00

CAT #: SD 7224HLP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Stereo reissue on 180-gram vinyl. Originally released in 1972. "Manufactured by Rhino Records. Produced under license from Atlantic Recording Corp." "In 1949, a brief flurry of interest in old-timey country blues resulted in this 15-song session by Blind Willie McTell for the newly formed Atlantic Records. Only two songs, 'Kill It Kid' and 'Broke Down Engine Blues,' were ever issued on a failed single, and the session was forgotten until almost 20 years later. McTell is mostly solo here, vividly captured on acoustic 12-string (his sometime partner Curley Weaver may have been present on some tracks), and in excellent form. The playing and the repertory are representative of McTell as he was at this point in his career, a blues veteran rolling through his paces without skipping a beat and quietly electrifying the listener. Songs include 'Dying Crapshooter's Blues,' 'The Razor Ball,' and 'Ain't I Grand to Live a Christian.'" --Bruce Eder, AllMusic

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: BEWITH 007-7

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

The best twist in music lyric history? On 7" for the first time ever, one of the most important rap records ever. It's Common's masterpiece. One of the best songs in all hip-hop history, "I Used To Love H.E.R." was the first single from Common's eternal 1994 LP, Resurrection. He personifies hip-hop as an ode to the art form he once loved, lamenting how the genre became too commercialized and, due to a mass influx of mainstream rap in the '90s, some of the purity and freshness of the culture was being lost. Common uses a first-person romance narrative to detail the history of hip-hop, resulting in an extended metaphor that's sophisticated, clever, and delivers a moral message that touched millions of people and still absolutely blows minds at the song's conclusion. Almost 30 years later, "I Used To Love H.E.R." remains one the most significant moments in hip-hop: a classic in every sense of the word. On the flip, Be With Records stayed faithful to the track used for the original 12" release. And what a track it is. Destined to be overshadowed by the behemoth on the A-Side, the frenetic neck-snapping jazz-rap "Communism" has it all -- those horns at the start, the lyrical dexterity, the beat. The striking original artwork recreated from the 12" and formatted for 7" sleeve.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: BEWITH 021EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Long Beach legend Scotty Coats links the West Coast eclecticism of Stones Throw to the NYC cool of DFA and Rong to the Balearic gods of DJ Harvey, et al. He personally introduced Be With to Ned Doheny 10 years ago and he was immortalized on Smith & Mudd's last LP. And he's the main man behind the mysteriously titled duo Todd Russell & The Dangerous Coats, alongside Erick "Todd" Coomes (Lettuce founder/bassist). In very real danger of being lost forever, Be With Records have unearthed two of their private recordings and present them as a double A-Side 12", adorned with stunning artwork, courtesy of Arizona artist Frank Gonzales.

 

PRICE: $42.00

CAT #: BEWITH 131LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

The Tony Williams Lifetime's Emergency! is a furious, stunning, seminal album. In 1969, it's explosive sound divided critics in both jazz and rock but is now rightly regarded as groundbreaking. A musical statement so bold and irreverent that it was revolutionary. With Emergency!, provocative percussionist Tony Williams unified the most vital sounds of the era and galvanized the creation of jazz fusion. A sprawling double-LP that shattered the boundaries between jazz and rock, it forged fresh frontiers by unleashing dense, courageous and fantastically mysterious music. The group was founded by Tony Williams, a member of Miles Davis's radical 1960s quintet, out of his desire to fuse the influences of modern jazz and rock music. To effectively meld the scorching bop of Coltrane with the raging rock of Hendrix. Like all the very best records, Emergency! takes multiple listens for your brain and body to decipher everything going on, to truly process and appreciate the details that our senses are throwing at us. It's a mesmerizing, rough sound yet the intuitive interplay of all three musicians is super-tight. The tunes are strung out and jamming but retain a tight rhythmic focus. The incendiary title track immediately presents jazz-rock's chaotic birth. After Williams's ominous snare-roll signals the brewing storm, the snarling band blasts its way through the gate in truly breathtaking fashion, fuzzed-up wahed-out guitar riffs vying for prominence with gnarled, insistent organ. Thrillingly, Williams manages to both acrobatically crash over every element of his drum kit while keeping the whole groove undeniably funky. "Beyond Games" is a gloriously volatile freeform, featuring Williams' bugged-out vocals, whilst the 12-minute "Where" is another deep, wild jam. With the buoyant "Vashkar", we begin to experience jazz-rock's many angles; imaginative melodics, taut dynamics and as torrent of searing heat. Perhaps the most economical track on Emergency!, it's the most instant. The laconic "Via the Spectrum Road", a brilliant pop-psych tune, was sampled by Showbiz & AG on their classic debut LP. It oscillates between a tranquil funk groove and strutting improv interludes. The pyrotechnic jam "Spectrum" wakes things up again with pure, molten jazz lava and crazy soloing from all involved. A breathtaking, kaleidoscopic 13-minute cycle through ferocious noise, "Sangria For Three" is a sublimely frenetic detonation of distilled (acid) jazz rock. Closer "Something Spiritual" finishes this jaw-dropping set with a driving, unrelenting heavy guitar and organ freakout, backed high in the mix by Williams's untamed funk before unsettled dissonance rides you out. Mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis and cut by Cicely Ralston for Alchemy at AIR Studios.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: BEWITH 137LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Mysteries Of The World is the stunning final studio album from legendary Philly supergroup MFSB. Expertly co-written and produced with the mighty Dexter Wansel, it features the untouchable, sparkling masterpiece Mysteries Of The World. The whole album is truly exquisite; a stylish, classy collection of pure Philly soul and orchestral jazz-funk. MFSB, an acronym for Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, was formed by producers Gamble & Huff of Philadelphia International Records. The band's roots can be traced back to the house band at the legendary Sigma Sound Studios, where they played on numerous hit records by artists like The O'Jays, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and The Stylistics. Mysteries Of The World comprises slick jazz-funk grooves, mostly penned by Wansel, who produced a fair chunk of the album in a similar style to his space-funk records. MFSB's smooth sound is retained but it receives a fresh, elegant and jazzy upgrade. While this album is as mellow as the rest of the latter-period MFSB recordings, it never forgets the group's soul music underpinnings. Swaggering, well-timed horn blasts, sweeping strings and a percolating, hard thumping slap-bassline combine to devastating effect on amazing opener "Manhattan Skyline". It's a sexy mid-tempo instrumental which sets us up for the title track, arguably the finest jazz-funk instrumental ever made. Featuring musicianship of the highest caliber, the band play with their trademark tight discipline and the track fuses classical, jazz, and funk. The profound elegance remains in abundance on the slinky, harp-laced "Tell Me Why"; Carla Benson's beautiful voice truly shines on this sophisticated cut. The side closes out in dramatic style with the string-drenched "Metamorphosis," a staccato, Blaxploitation groove workout featuring wah-wah guitar, creeping basslines, rich horn solos, and soulful vocals. The bouncy, irrepressible "Fortune Teller" opens the B side in the bass-heavy orchestral funk style before the beautiful "Old San Juan" glides in, a Balearic-adjacent track with intricate arrangements. Melancholy, guitar-led instrumental "Thank You Miss Scott" is a real highlight, whilst closer "In the Shadow" works an otherworldly synth line into its bossa nova groove. Mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis. Cut by Cicely Ralston for Alchemy at AIR Studios. Artwork by renowned illustrator Robert Giusti, restored at Be With Records.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BB 029LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress; Bureau B's 2009 reissue. LP version. Originally recorded and released in 1977 on Sky Records, the first collaborative album by Brian Eno and Cluster was the first ambient record produced in Germany, and is considered the seminal, defining work of the genre. Brian Eno was certainly instrumental in creating and popularizing the concept of "ambient music" -- but it was not his invention alone. The German musicians Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius (Cluster) were brothers in spirit. As so often in music, the idea of ambient was in the air -- both Eno and Cluster experimenting with the form in the 1970s, rendering any debate as to who influenced who redundant. What is certain, is that Brian Eno attended a Cluster concert in Hamburg in 1975, strategically positioning himself in the front row. Sure enough, he was invited on stage to jam with the band and, after the show, the participants arranged to meet up again. They did so two years later at the Old Weserhof in Forst, the domicile of the German duo. Eno and Cluster spent three weeks in Conny Plank's studio, resulting in two albums: Cluster & Eno and After The Heat (1978). In the liner notes, Asmus Tietchens (who also plays on the record along with Can's Holger Czukay) writes: "Clearly, all three musicians inspired each other during their three weeks together without any clash of personalities. Nevertheless, some tracks sound more like Cluster, some more like Eno. So it made perfect sense to collect the tracks with a Cluster flavor on Cluster & Eno." The importance of this record can never be overstated, nor can its elegance of diverse forms be matched. From Indian sitar and tamboura, to synth warbles and airy tributes to Western groove, it is a rare glimpse at what happens when masters meet.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BB 048LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Vinyl release. Dieter Moebius and Conny Plank got to know each other through their work on Cluster's 1971 album and remained close friends until Plank's death in 1987. They made a congenial pair as musicians, as amply demonstrated by their first album as a duo, Rastakraut Pasta, originally released on Sky Records in 1980. On this album, drums, electric guitars and bass are the cornerstones of every track; they provide the framework to which Moebius adds fresh color and life with his synthesizers. Thanks to the technical merits of Plank's studio, the keyboards sound barely distinguishable from one another. No samples -- strictly analog from start to finish. Holger Czukay (Can) plays bass on three pieces and his consummate professionalism sees his virtuosity finely-tuned to the concept of Moebius and Plank. Moebius has a predilection for surrealist cascades of noise, heard throughout the album, grotesque yet playful. An enigmatic form of pop music came into being on this LP, a breakneck, elegant mix of diverse elements: a touch of Krautrock, some avant-garde pop, new German electronica, even sporadic echoes of reggae. 180 gram vinyl LP housed in a printed inner sleeve with full-color photos and notes by Asmus Tietchens.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BB 314LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 restock; LP version. Bureau B presents a reissue of Bernard Xolotl's fifth album Last Wave, originally released only on cassette in 1982. This is French electronic music from California. He named himself after the Aztec god of lightning and death; his music is influenced by the Berlin school of electronic music. As a teen, Xolotl (b. 1951) was introduced to electronic music through the works of Musique Concrete composers like Pierre Henry and Pierre Schaeffer, although he found the early recordings of Pink Floyd to be more inspirational. During the early 1970s, Xolotl began creating music of his own, working in studios across Europe and the US before settling in California in 1974, where he built his own studio. Between 1978 and 1981, he recorded four solo cassette albums. On Last Wave, Xolotl expanded his musical palette with new instruments such as the Yamaha CS60 and the PPG. Includes previously unissued bonus track.Xolotl on the process of Last Wave: "The first Last Wave I started while still living in San Francisco, a simple and longish piece which could be used as a background for the concerts I was giving with Daniel Kobialka and Richard Horowitz. However, after I moved to the residential suburb of Marin to build up my studio, I kept adding tracks to it so it just became part of my next album. This was going to have more instruments; I got to do everything myself, playing and recording one track at a time. But mixing there was still out of the question; I had to wait for the right opportunity to use a San Francisco studio with the best reverb and acoustics. This took several years in the end and was the last album I didn't mix at home. It was also the last 'analog' album and the 'last' of many other 'things' which made the title very significant in my life."

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: CT 115LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. Originally issued in 1973, Blackboard Jungle Dub is considered a milestone in the history of dub. Tracks include "African Skank" -- based on Junior Byles' "A Place Called Africa" -- and "Dreamland Skank", "Moving Skank" and "Kaya Skank" which are dub versions of Wailers" "Dreamland", "Keep On Moving" and "Kaya".

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: CT 805LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. Reissue of Ital Dub, originally released in 1975. This is Augustus Pablo's first collaboration with King Tubby.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: CT 999LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. Tracks: "Militant Man," "Longer Way," "Kung Fu Man," "What Can I Do," "Silver Locks," "Episode 3," "When Notty Came," "Dread Locks," "Johhny Reggae" and "Golden Rocks."

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: P 757675HLP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 restock; 180 gram reissue, originally released in 1964. Featuring Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Butch Warren (bass), Ben Riley (drums) and Thelonious Monk (piano). "It's Monk's Time (1964) contains some of the best -- if not arguably the best -- studio sides that the pianist cut during his final years as a recording musician.... From four sessions in early 1964, It's Monk's Time gathers four quartet and two solo sides, presenting the pinnacle of what these musicians offered stylistically as well as from the standpoint of presentation. There is sense of mischievous playfulness in Monk's nimble keyboard work, especially notable on the beautifully off-kilter unaccompanied opening to 'Lulu's Back in Town,' and the same practically impish quality also drives the solo performance on 'Nice Work if You Can Get It.' Both pop standards are prime examples of the bop pioneer's inimitable approach to arranging, and also provide an uncanny insight to his influences." -- All Music Guide

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: DW 3182LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"When you drop the needle on Vocal Patterns, you are entering a world that is equal parts suave, smooth, cool, nostalgic, and kitsch. With haunting and beautiful vocals, upbeat numbers, and smooth sounds made for a late '60s summer holiday, let this cult classic transport you back to a simpler time. Released in 1970, Vocal Patterns features compositions by Roger Webb and vocal performances by Barbara Moore. This powerhouse duo has their own recognition outside of library music. Roger Webb worked as a musical director alongside the likes of Rex Harrison and Bette Davis and wrote songs for Shirley Bassey and Johnny Mathis. Barbara Moore, composer of the de Wolfe cult classic 'Vocal Shades and Tones,' collaborated with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, Dusty Springfield, and Tom Jones."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: DBA 304LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"Debby Friday's first two EPs brought together on vinyl for the first time ever, released in celebration of her recent signing to Sub Pop. Hard industrial beats and smooth, erotic vocals bring a unique power to Debby's work, only matched by her confident visual style."

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: STEP 011LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Double LP version. 2023 repress; deluxe Stoughton gatefold packaging. Singles and demos, 1964 to 1967. "Following the amazing success story of Vashti Bunyan's recent re-emergence as an artist after an exile of over 30 years, comes the release of Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind, a comprehensive compilation of early recordings dating from the period prior to Vashti's classic Just Another Diamond Day album which was originally released1970. Titled after Vashti's (Jagger/Richards-penned) debut single which opens the compilation, this double-album represents an attempt to both open out and draw a line under the past, and also to try to set the record straight about the disparity between how Vashti viewed (and still views) herself against the way she has been popularly perceived. Widely construed as a folk singer -- a tag she fundamentally disagrees with - these recordings instead reveal Vashti as a pop singer, however 'fragile' and unique."

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: DC 703LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. "Poke it with a Stick -- the only record by Louisville legends Your Food -- is a sui generis gem of the American underground, now faithfully reissued for the first time by Drag City. Recorded in 1983 by four scarecrows from Kentucky subsisting largely on cheap beer and baked beans, the album is a burbling burgoo of hypnotic rhythm, uncoiling tension, and sharp invective -- a proud bastard of post-punk royalty. In the fall of 1981, the residents of 1069, Louisville's original punk house, began to spy three teenagers lurking outside the decrepit environs. Eventually the teens grew bold enough to approach, and soon two, John Bailey and Wolf Knapp, were learning guitar and bass in the trashed rehearsal space within. 'Their practices seemed interminable at first,' remembers Charles Schultz, 'and then picked up confidence and momentum.' Charles had been the drummer for Louisville's recently defunct Dickbrains. He started playing with John and Wolf. Douglas Maxson, the Dickbrains male singer, was lured back from New York with the promise of beer and cigarettes, and soon Your Food was playing weekly shows at the local Beat Club, mostly for free beer. Financed by a Pell Grant and what little cash the band could scrounge, the album was cut largely live in the studio by a guy who usually recorded church groups, and self-released on the band's own Screaming Whoredog label. The prevailing themes of restlessness and isolation are palpable in songs like opener 'Leave,' where ennui morphs into dark comic fantasy. The punk funk of 'Don't Be' fits perfectly with the downtown NYC groove of bands like ESG and Bush Tetras. Doug's sardonic wit laces each song with trenchant, first-class put-downs. The band became big brothers and bad influences for prepubescent Slint project Languid and Flaccid."

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: DC 877LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"Following several releases over the past decade of archival Arnold Dreyblatt & The Orchestra of Excited Strings material and collaborations with other ensembles, on labels including Black Truffle, Choice Records, Megafaun and Superior Viaduct, Drag City is excited as well to be able to introduce Resolve, the first release of new Excited Strings music from Arnold Dreyblatt since 2002. Resolve acts in dialogue with the minimalist inspirations of the first Arnold Dreyblatt & The Orchestra of Excited Strings release, 1982s Nodal Excitation -- in effect, looking beneath the hood of several decades of progression, reviewing and renewing the revolutionary intent of their foundation credo. The reference points, then as now, include La Monte Young, Tony Conrad and Phill Niblock, as well as Jim O'Rourke, whose support for Arnold's music in the 1990s sparked new life. Konrad Sprenger, Joachim Schütz and Oren Ambarchi form the current Orchestra of Excited Strings, first initiated in Berlin in 2009. In the case of Resolve, each of the members, as composers, producers, D.J.s, and artists in their own right, brought their own unique angles. Konrad Sprenger (aka Jörg Hiller)'s treatments involved solenoids, sine waves and a computer-controlled multi-channel electric guitar (as well as a relentless style behind the drum kit and overseeing the sound production), while Joachim Schütz's individual conception of electronics and electric guitar and Oren Ambarchi's undeniable innovations with signal path work together with Arnold's Excited Strings bass as magnetic component parts of Resolve. Side one features three potent new compositions demonstrating the Orchestra's unique feel -- incorporating rhythmic accents that act as microbeats within Dreyblatt's microtones, implying shuffling funk and metallic rock at times, yet never deviating from the driving intensity of the harmonic play. Side two is taken up by the piece 'Auditoria,' in which Ambarchi and Sprenger's production methodologies turn the Orchestra inside out, working expansively backwards through harmonic overtones to Dreyblatt's original tempo in a mesmerizing spatial redistribution of the music. The music of Resolve uses a variety of vehicles to find avenues back to the inaugural intent of the Orchestra of Excited Strings. This effort is, in ways both tactile and inadvertent, a timely one. With over 40 years of work as a solo artist, collaborator, composer, educator and bandleader, and with his 70th birthday approaching, Resolve is an important expression for Arnold Dreyblatt. The album title's tendency to mean different things is an indicator of the dynamic qualities of his music with The Orchestra of Excited Strings -- an evolution that continues to produce new dimensions in acoustic sound with every new release."

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: ET 942CD

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

On the occasion of RT 30 (the celebrations of Right Tempo's thirty years of activity) the Italian record company has decided, among other things, to publish a new volume of this successful series. The Easy Tempo series, born in 1996, aimed to disseminate a sound linked to black culture (in its broadest meaning and most varied forms) with contaminations ranging from psychedelia to vintage electronics through soul, funk and jazz. Having drawn from the world of soundtracks did not arise from a specific passion in this area, but from the simple fact that that universe offered a vast repertoire, however submerged, of music suitable for the 'groove' vocation of Right Tempo, as well as a distinctive sign of national identity, considering the caliber of the composers and musicians involved in writing and performing the music featured in the different tracking lists of the series. To this respect, starting from Volume 11 that you are holding in your hand, Easy Tempo will expand its editorial horizons, including tracks taken from obscure, underrated and/or hard to find records that transcend the congested world of soundtracks. It should also be emphasized that, given the label international vocation, the repertoire from which we will draw will no longer be limited to Italian record production, but will have a global perspective. The sound journey you are about to embark on is steeped in soul, funk, jazz, Latin, psychedelia, with a pinch of electronics at times. Travelling flutes, tight and driving rhythm patterns and rich and colorful arrangements perfectly indicate Easy Tempo series new direction. The most intriguing and ubiquitous aspect is particularly incisive thanks to the "cinematic" cut given to the selection. We believe, upon a first check of the musical content, that this new chapter will meet the expectations of all those who have enjoyed the ten previous volumes of this collection of sounds and emotions over time. Enjoy Easy Tempo Volume 11. Features Roberto Pregadio, Soul's Soul, Orchestra Mustang, Genius, Gianni Marchetti, I Raffazzonati, Brooklyn Bridge Group, Hugh Bullen, Carlo Cordara e i Waterloo, Les Chakachas, Le Streghe, Ninety, Lara Saint Paul, Ivano Fossati, Sandro Brugnolini, Gianni Basso Quartet, Enzo Scoppa, Gino Marinacci, and The Gypsy-Gershwin Medley.

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: FORLP 001LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"For all those who relate 'maybe to the wind, because they can feel it, or dirt, because they can touch it. But nothing else.' Like Bobby Cornett (aka Shane), we are all trying to find where we belong. Belong To The Wind marks Forager Records' debut release: a lovingly curated collection of crooning psychedelic folk and soul songs gathered from American 45s of the 1970s. The compilation features 10 songs from 10 different acts, each with an indelible story of love, loss, loneliness, and an unrelenting desire to shed the confines of routine existence. Meet a man named Denny Fast, perched behind a tobacco-stained piano in a smokey Michigan lounge. He's singing of the faded memory of distant hope and better times past. Listen to a portrait of the heartless Texan, told in arrestingly angelic prose by Connie Mims of St. Elmo's Fire. Contemplate with Snuffy, the honest musings of a failed and misunderstood outsider, daring to hope for change. Belong To The Wind aims to shed light on the more opaque cuts of these brooding artists. Many of these songs were recorded at the early stages of a career, at a time when experimenting and searching are pursued with reckless abandon. As a result, these songs are aggressively honest and uncompromising. Many have a distinct sense of the lo-fi DIY variety. Others are polished in production. Some are minimal, tentative and vulnerable. What all of these songs share, is a transportive quality. An uncanny ability to take a captive listener on a search for the soul, and a journey into the bellowing fields of easy reflection. Sit back and enjoy a soft trip through the hazy milieu of a loner's mind."

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: GET 51310LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

2023 repress. 'Illmatic, the 1994 studio debut of Nasir 'Nas' Jones, was more than just a critical success for the Queensbridge-based rapper. At a time when East Coast hip-hop was increasingly being taken less seriously than their West Coast counterparts, Illmatic's raw jazz and soul-based production, dire atmosphere and lyrics, coupled with Nas' uncompromising flow was integral in restoring interest in the East Coast as a hotbed of hip-hop artistry. Along with key releases from Wu-Tang Clan and Notorious B.I.G., it shifted attention away from the funky, dayglo synth-based G-funk coming out of California and back to the grimy streets of New York. After such an unprecedented debut record, expectations were understandably high for Nas' follow-up. What came next threw critics and fans for a loop, but was no less influential than Illmatic, and would become the most commercially successful album in the entirety of Nas' discography. The 1996 sophomore follow-up was titled It Was Written, and in contrast to the urban bleakness of his debut, had Nas dipping his toes into the world of mafioso rap. Amidst production from heavy hitters like Trackmasters, Dr. Dre, L.E.S., Havoc of Mobb Deep, and Illmatic-collaborator DJ Premier, among others, Nas weaves evocative narratives of gang warfare, downtrodden neighborhoods, drug deals gone awry, and gangsta triumph, against a backdrop of samples from Sam Cooke, Etta James, the Isley Brothers, and even Chuck Mangione. It Was Written was not hard up for top-tier guests either, featuring major guest turns from Lauryn Hill and Joel 'JoJo' Hailey of K-Ci & JoJo. It also introduced the world to The Firm, the brief Nas-led supergroup featuring rappers AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. It even managed to cause some minor controversy in the hip-hop community for its collaboration with West Coast producer Dr. Dre, at a time when the East Coast/West Coast rap feud was reaching a fever pitch, briefly attracting the ire of one Tupac Shakur. Not only was It Was Written received warmly by critics, but became a major commercial success, reaching the top of the Billboard 200 charts, reaching platinum sales status four times, and alongside albums like Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, helped usher in the era of mafioso rap in the mainstream. It rendered chart hits out of singles like the Eurhythmics-mimicking 'Street Dreams', and the Grammy-nominated 'If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)', and proved to be a major influence on artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, and many more."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: GET 51319LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

2023 repress. "Up until Raising Hell, the rap juggernaut we know as Run-DMC was still in its building and breaking-down- doors phase. In 1986 that changed, and in a dramatic way. With their third long-player, the group had reached the mountaintop. It was THE record that proved hip-hop wasn't a fad. Raising Hell marked an important and significant new era for the group. Leaving producer Larry Smith for up-and-coming sonic innovator Rick Rubin (still co-produced by Run's brother Russell Simmons), they began to fully transition not only their own sound, but the sound of the entire genre. Less live playing -- with some exceptions -- and a slicker, tighter sonic attack. Musical aesthetics aside, though, at their core they stayed true to the essence of hip-hop: two turntables and a microphone, or two. It's impossible to talk about the album without its worldwide smash, 'Walk This Way,' which hit #4 on the Billboard pop charts and saw the group digging in the rock crates to summon Aerosmith in the flesh, combining Steven Tyler's and Joe Perry's musicianship with the group's own take on the '70s classic. The song's video cemented Run-DMC as legit MTV idols, and both groups rode its wave to new heights. Beyond 'Walk This Way,' the platter is full to the hilt with undeniable classic singles: 'You Be Illin''; 'It's Tricky'; 'Peter Piper' and the fashion-world shifting 'My Adidas.' Each song was new proof that Run-DMC's sound was indeed new, but still familiar, and full of the energy, charisma and innovation that drew fans to their first two LPs. Aside from the singles, the reason the album stands up so well is the fact that there is virtually no filler. 'Proud To Be Black' remains a pioneering and underrated cut when people talk about 'conscious' hip-hop. And to make sure they never lost the streets that gave them their start, 'Hit It Run,' 'Son Of Byford,' 'Is It Live' and 'Perfection' all bring it back to the group's early days in the park. Besides the triple platinum status the album achieved, it was more than just a pop smash. It signaled a new era for rap music, and it was the no-turning- back point for the entire genre. This was the beginning of what we now call the Golden Era, and it still sounds as fresh today as it did three decades ago."

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: GGRA 113CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Yasushi Ide, the Japanese street music icon unleashed Cosmic Suite 2 in a revolutionary blend of genres. This groundbreaking album features collaborations with esteemed pioneers including Afrika Bambaataa, Don Letts, Josh Millan, Jeff Mills, DJ Krush, Tony Allen, and more. By transcending the limitations of time, genre, and even mortality, Ide has crafted a truly unique and eclectic street music experience unlike anything seen before. Notably, Ide enlisted the expertise of Grammy-winning sound engineer Steven Stanley to embark on the reconstruction of Cosmic Suite 2 using his renowned dub mix techniques. The outcome of this collaboration is the birth of Dr. Steven Stanley Meets Yasushi Ide - Cosmic Disco Dub, a mesmerizing rendition that showcases the genius of both artists. Hailing from Jamaica, Steven Stanley is a highly regarded sound engineer and producer whose illustrious career spans several decades, primarily in the realms of reggae, dub, and rock music. Having worked with acclaimed acts such as Talking Heads, Black Uhuru, and Tom Tom Club, Stanley has solidified his status as a living legend within the industry. His contributions to Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" and his Grammy-winning work on Black Uhuru's "Anthem" further exemplify his unparalleled expertise. Additionally, Stanley has collaborated with notable artists including Grace Jones and B-52's. In Dr. Steven Stanley Meets Yasushi Ide - Cosmic Disco Dub, Stanley expertly integrates elements from the original Cosmic Suite 2 tracks, employing his unique dubbing techniques to enhance the sonic experience. Through the addition of his signature dubby reverb and other distinctive sound manipulations, Stanley elevates the album to an entirely new dimension. "The Battle Dub" featuring Emilie Chick is transformed into an enchanting disco dub experience, infused with Stanley's horn section effects for a smoky ambience. In the mesmerizing track "Galactic Beats," the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen's powerful drums take center stage. Another standout is the dub version of "LAVA," featuring acclaimed Japanese singer UA. "Outer Space" transcends time and genre with a dream collaboration between the late legendary reggae drummer Style Scott and Japan's turntablist extraordinaire, DJ Krush. "Sumimasen" is a track that exemplifies Stanley's mastery, transforming the piece into a psychedelic and deeply immersive dub journey. "Hear?There?Beyond" is a collaboration between Yasushi Ide, Kan Takagi, the pioneering figure of Japanese hip-hop, and Reck, the bassist from the legendary punk rock band Friction. A timeless dub reconstruction masterpiece. Also features Josué Thomas, Afrika Bambaataa, Emily Capell, Rebel Dread, and Josh Milan.

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: GUESS 073CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

B.F. Trike was a power-trio from Indiana who evolved from garage band Hickory Wind. They consisted of Mike McGuyer on guitar, Alan Jones on bass and Bobby Strehl on drums. This is their legendary, unissued at the time studio album from 1971. First released by the Rockadelic label in 1989 and out of print for many years, here's a long overdue official vinyl edition. Psychedelic hard-rock of the highest order with acid-fuzz guitar and melodic vocals. A must for fans of the genre."...a tough Indiana trio who puffed out clouds of hard-psych stug (à la mid-period Blue Cheer)..." --Byron Coley (SPIN)

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: GUESS 193LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. B.F. Trike was a power-trio from Indiana who evolved from garage band Hickory Wind. They consisted of Mike McGuyer on guitar, Alan Jones on bass and Bobby Strehl on drums. This is their legendary, unissued at the time studio album from 1971. First released by the Rockadelic label in 1989 and out of print for many years, here's a long overdue official vinyl edition. Psychedelic hard-rock of the highest order with acid-fuzz guitar and melodic vocals. A must for fans of the genre."...a tough Indiana trio who puffed out clouds of hard-psych stug (à la mid-period Blue Cheer)..." --Byron Coley (SPIN)

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: GUESS 225LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The Flow was a psychedelic hard-rock power-trio formed in New York by Pete Fine, Monte Farber and Steve Starer. It was the early '70s in NYC, the pre-glam/punk/new wave days, when Flow (who rehearsed next room to a band called Wicked Lester, later known as KISS) decided to start playing music without limits, developing their musical horizons. Their sound was based on hard-rock and heavy-fuzz guitars but adding psych/experimental touches. In 1972 they self-released a private album, The Flow's Greatest Hits, featuring their own songs. This is now one of the mega rarities and holy grails of the first psychedelic era. First officially reissued by the Shadoks label in the early 2000s and out of print for many years, Guerssen presents a new deluxe reissue. Original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve plus OBI. Includes insert with liner notes and photos.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: GUESS 227LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Magical UK folk-rock with psychedelic/West Coast influences. It was originally self-released by Mandy Morton in 1978, after the two Spriguns albums for Decca. "Magic Lady" was dedicated to Sandy Denny, who had just passed away that same year. It was available on black vinyl with a few copies (approximately 20) pressed on blue color, and both versions are very hard to find today. Terrific songwriting, superb musicianship and beautiful vocals. Recorded at Spaceward Studios, produced by Mike Kemp in conjunction with Mandy, mastered at Abbey Road and featuring guest appearances by Tim Hart (Steeleye Span) and Graeme Taylor (Gryphon, Albion Band). Original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve + OBI; sourced from the original masters; insert with liner notes by Mandy Morton and photos. RIYL: Sandy Denny, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Trees, Jefferson Airplane... "... one of the best things Mandy Morton did, perhaps the very best... " --Patrick Lundborg (Galactic Ramble) "... one of the most atmospheric releases in British rock-pop of the era. Indeed, this masterpiece is the equal of those electric folk classics from earlier in the decade, like Spirogyra, Fuchsia, Shelagh McDonald and Stone Angel..." --Ben Sumner

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: GUESSG 006EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

First ever band-sanctioned reissue of this legendary Pebbles garage-psych 45 from 1967. William Penn Fyve, aka William Penn & His Pals, were a regular presence on the early Bay Area scene, opening for the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Paul Revere & the Raiders, and Them. Their line-up included lead singer/organist Gregg Rolie, later of Santana/Journey. In 1966 they recorded their lone single, Swami/Blow My Mind, for the Thunderbird label. The A-side (written by guitar player Mike Shapiro and famous for being included on Pebbles-The Acid Gallery) is early acid-punk with fuzzed-out raga guitars and hilarious lyrics about a guru. The flipside is an energetic garage-punk number with swirling Vox organ and a fuzz rave up á la Yardbirds.

 

PRICE: $27.50

CAT #: IMPREC 141LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Limited restock... Pauline Oliveros's The Wanderer is available on LP for the first time since it was originally released in 1984. Cut at Golden and pressed at RTI for maximum fidelity. An utterly essential document of early American minimalism from Pauline Oliveros. The Wanderer is the sister record to Accordion & Voice (IMPREC 140LP). "The Wanderer" is based on a single modal scale (B C# D D# E F# G#) and rhythmic modes based on a meter consisting of ¾ and ?. Part I, "Song", is intended to explore the unique resonant qualities of accordion reeds through long sounds. Subtle variations come about from differences in tuning and air pressure. Part II, "Dance", demonstrates the sharp accenting power of the accordion bellows in a mixture of cross-rhythms characteristic of jigs, reels, batucadas, Bulgars, klezmer forms, Cajun dances, and music of other diverse cultures. The Wanderer was composed in November, 1982 especially for the Springfield Accordion Orchestra, directed by Sam Falcetti. This recording documents The Wanderer's world premiere, as it was performed January 27, 1983 at Marymount Manhattan Theatre. The orchestra consists of twenty accordions, two bass accordions, and five percussionists, with Pauline Oliveros as soloist, Sam Falcetti conducting. "Horse Sings From Cloud", written in 1975, is one of Oliveros' best known works. Like most of her Sonic Meditations, it can be performed vocally and/or instrumentally, solo or in collaboration. A solo version of "Horse Sings From Cloud" has been recorded on Accordion & Voice. An early version of the score reads, "Sustain a tone or sound until any desire to change it disappears. When there is no longer any desire to change the tone or sound, then change it." This time, "Horse Sings From Cloud" is performed in ensemble. Joining Pauline Oliveros on bandoneon are Heloise Gold on Harmonium, Julia Haines on accordion, and Linda Montano on concertina. This quartet version incorporates the microtonal differences in tuning of the selected instruments, creating shimmering reed sounds somewhat similar to the shimmering of a Balinese gamelan.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: FREUD 140CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The March Violets came from Leeds in the early '80s, label-mates of Sisters of Mercy. Constantly at the heights of the UK indie singles charts, the singles were the base for successful compilations in the UK and USA. Signing to a major, they had two songs featured in a John Hughes' movie -- but split up before an album was completed. Twenty-five years later they reconvened, making tours of the UK and USA. A single and video of 'Dandelion King' was issued in 2011. Unfinished business included an album, and Made Glorious was given a release in 2013 via an over-subscribed Pledge Music campaign. Fans got access to a very limited CD and download, but sadly events intervened to stymie the reunion and planned wider and vinyl release, much to the disappointment of their fans. Here at last is the long-awaited 'difficult first album' from The March Violets!"

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: KR 108LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

First ever, remastered vinyl version. The core duo plus guest collaborators expands its sonic palette of Rick Brown's elemental percussive patterns and Che Chen's ecstatic modal guitar style to a new musical richness. With some tape releases and their first album Wooden Bag, 75 Dollar Bill quickly introduced themselves as one of the hottest, most unique and essential groups at the heart of NYC's underground -- the following Wood/Metal/Plastic Pattern/Rhythm/Rock (GB 047CD, 2016) made the duo known internationally, and the 2019 double vinyl I Was Real (TW Q-LP) turned out a major success at the critics and audience alike with the #1 spot in The Wire's albums of the year list. Then came the pandemic, and in lack of opportunities to actually perform in public, the core duo of Rick Brown and Che Chen released several Bandcamp only albums in digital format, one of these being Power Failures. Brown's elemental percussive patterns (often simply played on a wooden box) and Che Chen's ecstatic modal guitar style (often under the influence of his studies with Mauritanian guitarist Jeich Ould Chigaly) are at the core of the tracks with guest collaborators like Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan (guitar), Sue Garner (violin), or Steve Maing (saxophone, guitar) expanding the sonic palette to a new musical richness. Trance-inducing psychedelia, "placeless, gripping grooves" (The Guardian), collaged rehearsal and field recordings, mantric percussion, microtonal guitar sounds -- 75 Dollar Bill sound as deeply rooted in traditions as they sound fresh-of-today, a kind of future music from the past. Hard to grasp by words, and impossible to resist! 180 gram vinyl; gatefold; includes download card.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: LR 177LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"Leaving Records presents Music For Living Spaces, the debut LP by non-binary Los Angeles-based artist Green-House. Olive Ardizoni helms the project, which made its debut with the charming 2019 EP Six Songs for Invisible Gardens. Music for Living Spaces represents an evolution of its predecessor's minimalist compositions into songs that move with winsome melodies and emotional arcs. Though recorded during a pandemic, the transporting nature of Music For Livings Spaces offers a remedy for dreariness. Music For Living Spaces' first single 'Sunflower Dance' sports a breezy, bucolic vibe. The track is intended to invoke the whimsical image of hamsters happily dancing in a field. Ardizoni brings an intentionality to these playful atmospheres. They state, 'In our culture, we prioritize profound artistic expression through emotions like sadness or aggression, but cuteness, silliness or fun, are the things that we trivialize in our culture. We say that they're childish and it gets invalidated.' The complex and radiant productions on Music for Living Spaces counter this view. Despite its general sunniness, however, Music For Living Spaces does not solely rely on exuberant, colorful moods. 'Royal Fern' is a sophisticated composition of voices calling and responding to each other in rippling waves, while towards the closing of the album Ardizoni's ethereal voice appears for the first time and carries a nuanced, contemplative aura that defies categorization."

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: LR 340LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. Originally released in 1969, this album is one of the most significant in Brazilian musical history, spearheading the musical Tropicalia revolution lead by Brazilian legends Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, not to mention Gal Costa and mutant rockers Os Mutantes. Not only were the artists experimenting with the music, they were also making a very strong political statement that spoke out very harshly against the military regime in Brazil at the time. This album helped land Veloso and Gil a brief stint in jail and eventually in political exile in the UK. Includes bonus CD of the album.

 

PRICE: $11.50

CAT #: LCD 2081CD

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

2023 restock; 2003 release. Originally released on Lovely Music in 1989. An aural journey from the source of the river, in the high peak area of the Adirondacks, downstream to the Lower Bay and the Atlantic Ocean; Annea Lockwood traces the course of the Hudson through on-site recordings of its flow at 15 separate locations. Annea Lockwood has recorded rivers in many countries to explore the special state of mind and body which the sounds of moving water create when one listens intently to the complex mesh of rhythms and pitches. The listener will find that each stretch of the Hudson has its own sonic texture, formed by the terrain, varying according to the weather, the season and downstream, the human environment whose sounds are intimately woven into the river's sounds.

 

PRICE: $11.50

CAT #: LCD 2082CD

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

2023 restock; 1999 release. Two of Annea Lockwood's dramatic works dealing with issues of spiritual wholeness. Duende (1997), about shamanic transformation, is written with and performed by Thomas Buckner. Lockwood selected sounds which reminded her of certain vocal transformations heard in recordings of shamanic ceremonies. In such singing, changes in the voice mirror and also help to bring about changes in the singer's mind and awareness. Within an improvisational framework, Buckner explores the possibility of change of state through such transformations, moving through three stages: preparation, a first flight, and a final flight, in which he moves beyond the self he knows. Thus, Duende is a not a prepared, performed work, but a vehicle for experience. Buckner is partnered by a tape drawn from the sounds of the cuica (an African and South American instrument), a large glass gong and other glass sounds, wind, a Cameroonian rattle, a kea (New Zealand mountain parrot), and a bullroarer. Delta Run (1979-81) is an expression of the thoughts and experiences of a sculptor who talked with Lockwood just over a day before he died in 1979, aged thirty. He knew that he was dying and wanted to communicate his perceptions of death as something "only natural, you know - now is my time", seeing this piece as a form of continuing creativity now that sculpture was out of reach. Interwoven with his voice are wind, water, ambient sounds from the hospice where they talked, and some of the ordinary sounds of daily living, embodying the sense that dying is a part of living, not separate from it, and that in dying we are incorporated back into the elements from which we emanate.

 

PRICE: $32.50

CAT #: LCD 2083CD

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

2023 restock; 2008 release. An aural tracing of the Danube, interleaved with the memories and reflections of its people. 59 sites and 13 interviews, from the Black Forest to the Black Sea. Includes large fold-out map, with translations of the interviews. 167 minutes, recorded and mixed by Annea Lockwood.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: MAR 070LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue, originally released in 1981. An essential album for lovers of Brazilian boogie. During the 1970s, Marcos Valle moved to the US, tired of living under the repressive military dictatorship in Brazil. He collaborated with musicians like Leon Ware and Chicago in Los Angeles. Upon returning to Brazil in the 1980s, he recorded Vontade de Rever Você where he explored all the musical influences he had received in the US, particularly boogie, soul, and funk. For this recording, he collaborated with musicians such as Sivuca, Peter Cetera from Chicago, Robson Jorge, and Jose? Roberto Bertrami from Azymuth. LP deluxe edition 180g. Vinyl plus hard cardboard cover, obi, and download card.

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: MAR 074LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue for the first time worldwide, originally released in 1981. Grupo Medusa was one of the best instrumental bands in Brazil during the '70s and '80s, blending jazz, African influences, and traditional Brazilian rhythms. Formed by Chico Medori, Claudio Bertrami, Amilson Godoy, and Heraldo do Monte. Gatefold; 180 gram vinyl; hard cardboard cover + obi.

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: MAR 075LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue for the first time worldwide, originally released in 1976. Jazz funk masterpiece. For every celebrated record in jazz, soul, and related music, there are probably thousands more with all the genius for which widespread recognition never came or was delayed. In 1976, Dana Kaproff released one of the most wanted jazz-funk albums recorded in Los Angeles. A jazz fusion record for the discerning connoisseur. Tight drums and well-programmed synths. Excellent production and recording. Fans of '70s Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Weather Report, funky library records... heads up. 180 gram vinyl; hard cardboard cover + obi; includes download card.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: MAR 084LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue, originally released in 1983. Leila Pinheiro is a legendary Brazilian singer, songwriter, and pianist. Over her 41-year career, she has released over 20 albums, showcasing her musical versatility and creativity. Her debut album, Leila Pinheiro, included the boogie anthem "Tudo em cima," which featured the participation of renowned musicians such as Tom Jobim, Ivan Lins, Francis Hime, João Donato, and Lincoln Olivetti. In 1970, Leila began her piano studies under the guidance of the legendary Guilherme Coutinho. As part of celebrating the 40th anniversary of this important milestone in Brazilian music, Mad About Records presents a worldwide vinyl reissue for the first time. Gatefold LP deluxe edition 180g. Vinyl plus hard cardboard cover and obi.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: MJC 129002CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1972. Recorded at the legendary Sound Work Shop studio in Rome by the most talented jazz flutist of the Italian Radio Television Orchestra. Featuring psychedelic cinematic jazz masterpieces "Meeting" and "Atom Flowers." The light of Gino Marinacci, the unforgettable talented jazz musician and illustrious citizen of Cittaducale, shines brightly again: his masterpiece Atom Flower's, the album with which he won the Armstrong prize at the 1971 Venice music festival as the best Italian jazzman, has just been reissued.

 

PRICE: $38.00

CAT #: MOV 1912COL-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"This classic album from 1973 saw its creator, Lee 'Scratch' Perry exploring synths and starting to develop his Black Ark sound -- the enigmatic producer was at the time in the process of building his famous studio and honing his ideas about dub as a musical form. The LP opens with the eerie 'Kentucky Skank,' Perry's ode to KFC, complete with frying chicken sounds, spliced between winding tapes, a ghostly trumpet, and futuristic moog synthesizer, overdubbed at London's Chalk Farm studios. U Roy's 'Double Six' and I Roy's 'High Fashion' & 'Hail Stones' illustrate just how strong The Upsetter's deejay material had become, while versions of the Chi-Lites' 'We Are Neighbours', Sam & Dave's 'Soul Man' and a re-working of Al Green's 'Love and Happiness' (retitled 'Jungle Lion') all betray the funky soul influence that was increasingly shaping his work. The backing tracks illustrate the producer at his best; the audio spectrum is fully differentiated while spatial placement an important component -- something it would take years for him to achieve at the Black Ark. Double Seven is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on silver colored vinyl."

 

PRICE: $38.00

CAT #: MOV 2474COL-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The pioneer of toasting Ewart Beckford, better known by his stage name U-Roy, is a Jamaican vocalist. He was bursting onto the Jamaican scene in the early 1970s with his typical rapping style of singing (toasting) over the rhythms and beats he created. Suddenly, Jamaica awoke one morning, and U-Roy was everywhere. He released his debut album Version Galore in 1970; it consists of his earliest songs, all recorded for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label. Most listeners will especially recognize 'Tide Is High,' originally by the Paragons and it was of course later recorded by Blondie. Version Galore is available as limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on gold colored vinyl."

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: NA 5123LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress, on double-LP, including the the "Reverb Mix" version. "Issued in 1975, this is the articulation of Zambia's Zamrock ethos. While other albums -- Rikki Ililonga's Zambia, Witch's Lazy Bones!! -- are competitors, it's hard to best this album as it covers each major quadrant of the Zamrock whole: it came from the mines; its musicians were anti-colonial freedom fighters, it envelops Zambian folk music traditions, and it rocks -- hard. Amanaz were serious, and they made a serious stab at an album. They titled their album Africa, according to original band member Keith Kabwe, 'because of how it was shared and how its inhabitants were butchered and enslaved, its resources stolen... all the atrocities slave drivers committed. ' Thus, their 'Kale,' a blues sung in Nyanja, that traced the continent's arc from slavery to Zambia's independence closes the album. Kabwe and rhythm guitarist John Kanyepa have a winsome softness to their vocals, which sit politely aside the feral growl of drummer Watson Baldwin Lungu, bassist Jerry Mausala and bandleader/lead guitarist Isaac Mpofu. Africa's vibe ranges from anxious ('Amanaz') to escapist ('Easy Street') to straight-up pissed-off. On the 'History of Man,' his voice whiskey-burned, his distorted guitar buzzing like swarming hornets, Mpofu indicts his species. There's a darkness to Africa not found on any other Zamrock records, and a melancholy drifts throughout, specifically on Mpofu's more restrained 'Khala My Friend,' which stands as an effective, bleak situation for the Zambian everyman, the average citizen of a struggling, new nation, who might have had relatives in conflict-torn countries on the horizon, who might have been struggling to find his next meal, who might have seen a bleaker future than his president promised. Then there's the clear Velvet Underground-influence on the nostalgic 'Sunday Morning,' which, as Kabwe recalls, was the first song written for the album, back in 1968, when Velvet Undergound and Nico was a new release -- and the underground funk of 'Making the Scene.' The album also tackles traditional Zambian music and early-'60s rock -- punctuated, of course by Kanyepa's wah-wah and Mpofu's fuzz guitars. But every time Amanaz get too deep, too violent, they come back with an accessible song and woo their listener back to the groove. 'Green Apple' is a civil song, featuring Kanyepa's sighing guitar. It is a perfectly arranged album, from the dichotomy of Mpofu's and Kanyepa's lead and rhythm guitars, to the vocal harmonies, to the rhythm section's sense of space and time, which allows Africa's funk to build. Inexplicably, Africa was given two separate mixes and two separate presses: one version is dry, with the vocals and drums mixed loud, the other slathered in reverb, with the vocals and drums disappearing into the mix, and with the guitar solos mixed much louder. We've presented them both here as they each have their appeal: it's up to the listener to pick the one he or she prefers. This is a highpoint of the Zamrock scene and we hope that this can be seen as its definitive reissue."

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: BNOW 2023CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Bholoja, born Mbongiseni Ngubane in 1979 in Hhohho, Kingdom of Eswatini (former Swaziland), is considered to be one of the most relevant figures of the contemporary African music scene. With an infectious sense of humor and optimism, Bholoja's voice has become a mouthpiece for the underprivileged. Singing in Siswati and English, his music, Swazi Soul, blends alternative soul, gospel, jazz, blues, and African traditional rhythms. After the success of his debut album Swazi Soul I, released in 2009, Bholoja became Eswatini's rising symbol of its native rhythms, melodies, and culture. In 2015, he completed Swazi Soul II in South Africa, setting him as one of the few genuine innovators on the Swazi music scene. Since his first gig at House on Fire 2004, Bholoja shared his music at numerous venues including festival performances such as MTN Bushfire, Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, Azgo Festival, and Moshito Festival. His African and European tour with Cameroonian artist Kareyce Fotso in 2010 placed him as an influential symbol of his home country. Appointed a member to the Entertainment Committee in Eswatini by King Mswati III in 2008, he founded the "Bholoja Arts Technology and Educational Foundation" (BATEF) in 2010. His powerful lyrics combined with a striking multi- colored voice has won respect and expanded his music internationally. Also featuring Wally Badarou.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: OSR 094LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Led by explosive guitar player Chris (later Christa) Bond, Thunder and Roses was a power-trio from Philly in the best tradition of Cream or the Jimi Hendrix Experience. This is their sole album, originally released in 1969. A cult psychedelic hard-rock classic, including "White Lace and Strange", famously covered by Nirvana. Thunder and Roses (named after a story from The Astounding Science Fiction Anthology) started to take form when genius 18-years old guitar player Chris Bond and bassist Tom Schaffer met heavy drummer George Emme (previously of The Electric Power House). Rehearsing six days a week the trio gelled quick and soon they were playing memorable shows at venues like Electric Factory and the Trauma. Recorded at Sigma Sound by Joe Tarcia, King of the Black Sunrise was released by United Artists in 1969. Dominated by Bond's outstanding fuzz-wah guitar playing, the album featured seven original songs plus a storming cover of Hendrix's "Red House". Sadly, the record label took a wrong decision when refused to release the killer "White Lace and Strange" as a 45 to promote the album, choosing the mockery "Country Life" instead. After Thunder & Roses split, guitar player and main songwriter Chris Bond had a successful career as producer, songwriter, arranger and session musician, working closely with Daryl Hall & John Oates as well as other top artists. Later in her life, Chris eventually transitioned from male to female and changed her name to Christa. She sadly passed away in 2019.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: PLANAM 028LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 restock. The 20 years-old young David Chesworth experiments with the gigantic Serge synth that occupies half the room of the Latrobe University electronic studio. On the traces of pioneers such as Tristram Cary or Warren Burt, a new avant-garde is blooming in Sidney and Melbourne with bands like Severed Heads, The Makers, The Loop Orchestra, and the like. David Chesworth will soon play a major role by coordinating the Clifton Hill Community Music Centre in Melbourne, by co-founding the cult label Innocent Records and by playing in acts such as Essendon Airport, The Dave And Phil Duo, ? ? ?, as well as conducting a solo career. He would later become one of the leading figures in contemporary sculpture and sound installation in Australia and abroad and a recognized and awarded composer with his The David Chesworth Ensemble. His first solo LP titled 50 Synthesizer Greats! was released in 1979 and recorded in the same period as the LP presented here. While his first LP is a compilation of very short and eclectic tracks, "Five Evolutionary Things 79" and "The Unattended Serge 78" are structured as suites. Drawing skeletons for pop tunes to come, these minimal electronic pieces are at times very experimental but never brutal, reminding of the best moments of Udder Milk Decay's Take a Teat or sharing the apparent naïve melancholia of Harmonia's Musik Von Harmonia. Hints of elegant musique concrète à la François Bayle can be heard, but also out of space blip-beats, as if Pietro Grossi or Erkki Kurenniemi went groovy. This beautiful, unknown gem of ozzy underground is now available for your ears in an edition limited to 300 copies.

 

PRICE: $14.00

CAT #: RS 025EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress. Peckham MC and DJ Pinty is set to release his debut EP City Limits on Rhythm Section International. Following the recent release of his debut single "Tropical Bleu", a laid-back broken-beat roller produced by friend and collaborator King Krule under his DJ JD Sports alias, Pinty has quickly become the talk of the town. "Nightcrawler" presents a simmering nocturnal dance cut, charged with glowing bursts of deep house and candid lyrics. With deeply personal lyricism and wry humor, "City Limits" adds color to a mostly grey city.

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: STAR 363332CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

You will instantly hear that it's Tiger Lou on Rasmus Kellerman vocals, the driven drums of Pontus Levahn and the charismatic typical Tiger Lou electric guitars. Tiger Lou fans, you get what you want!

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: SRWAX 020LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Following a string of beautiful digital albums and cassette titles, Stasis Recordings help deliver the first Glo Phase long-player on vinyl. Soft Gems captures Joseph's up-tempo arrangements for fans long pining to see and hear more of his sound presented on wax. Your record collection will immediately thank you.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: AS 7019EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Hailing from North-west UK, singer and producer Joe Yorke is classed as one of the most promising UK reggae artists of his generation. His exceptional and unique falsetto voice paired with his profound and poetic lyrics have caught the attention of some of the best producers and labels and an ever-growing fanbase. Joe has entered the stage with support from reggae/dub legends such as David Rodigan, Don Letts, Dennis Bovell, Nick Manasseh, and Stand High Patrol. His latest single comes via Steppas Records in collaboration with upcoming UK dub producer Yaksha, "Rocking Ship" is a poignant and compassionate commentary on the plight of refugees. Mixed by Alpha Steppa, featuring a heavyweight, stripped-back dub mix for company. A crucial 7" for collectors, home listening and sound systems alike.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: SSR 123CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Doomdelic instrumental space prog rockers L'ira Del Baccano are back with their fourth album on Subsound Records, Cosmic Evoked Potentials. The album release will be preceded by a video for the single "The Strange Dream of My Old Sun". Producer and guitarist Alessandro Santori says about the album: Cosmic Evoked Potentials is a rite of passage, the end of a cycle and already blooming of another. Surely their most instinctive effort so far. The band went back to their roots of live recording, this time instead of a stage they chose an old mansion from late 1700s outside Rome. The atmosphere there was so charming and stimulating that 13 minutes of a 45-minute-long improvisation ended up in the album.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: SVVRCH 043LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. Reissue, originally released in 1978. The only album by Althea & Donna, a Jamaican reggae duo active between 1977 and 1979, mostly known for the number one hit "Uptown Top Ranking". "Uptown Top Ranking" was a song by Jamaican teenage singers Althea Forrest and Donna Reid, recorded when they were 17 and 18 years old respectively. Released in 1977, the song comprises the girls ad-libbing to deejay track "Three Piece Suit" by Trinity.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: TAC 019LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Don't Stop is the third album retrospectively released by Ghia. As the subtitle Early Works & Artefacts 1984-1987 implies, it features some of their earliest compositions as well as tracks that were recorded during the same period as their Curaçao Blue LP. A range of genres, including electro, funk, soul, jazz-funk, synth pop, and even rap/hip-hop, all woven together as a cohesive, mostly instrumental work. As a whole, Don't Stop represents Ghia's funkiest and most experimental release to date. Notably, the LP features a rap version of Hermann Hesse's controversial German poem "Armer Teufel am Morgen nach dem Maskenball" (Poor Devil the Morning After the Costume Ball) from 1926, accompanied by a drum machine rhythm and funky guitar. The title track and the thrilling minimal electro-funk tune "3 A.M. at Moëf Gaga" both evoke old-school electro influences. The latter references the Spanish discotheque Moëf Gaga, located on the Balearic coast, which the dynamic duo of Lutz Boberg and Frank Simon frequented during their 1980s holidays. One of the key tracks of the album is "Message From The Other Side", which could easily be noted as one of the nicest European synth-funk instrumental pieces ever. The track is based on a sick synth bass line, sparkled with DX7 chord hits, funky guitar, and a delightful "marimba" solo. The solo was actually played on Boberg's keyboard, using a special sound cartridge. This particular track had to be edited and technically revised by Marian Tone and DJ Scientist as the existing demo version of the song could not be used as is. Listening to the complete album, there is more of Boberg's keyboard wizardry: the trumpet solo on "Jump In The Water" as well as the short but stunning slap bass solo on "Talk Too Much" were both played by on the DX7. However, Don't Stop is not about solos or virtuous playing -- it clearly shows the duo's direction towards more electronic composition and clear song structures. The versions of "September Garden", "When The Rain is Falling", as well as "Talk Too Much" are actually instrumental mixdowns of vocal songs. And again, you get a blissful take of "Close To You", here a version from 1986. Mastered and restored with great care, this is a perfect example of mid 1980s home-recording pleasures, tinged with a youthful spirit and providing a sound that cannot be recaptured anymore nowadays. Includes 30x30 cm insert with credits.

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: THR 050LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress; black vinyl. "1998: Tortoise's third studio album TNT is released. In and out of print over the past decade we are happy to finally give everyone what they have been asking for - TNT on vinyl again! Pressed on high quality virgin vinyl, the two LPs are packaged in a deluxe old-style tip-on gatefold jacket fully replicating the original artwork and includes a download coupon for the first time!"

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: TRESOR 137X-EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress. Just a month after the album release of Neptune's Lair in September 2022 (TRESOR 129X-CD/LP), its companion 12" Hydro Doorways will be second in the series. 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of James Stinson and the releases of the Transllusion and Shifted Phases albums. In recognition, the rightsholders, their families, and the label have commissioned Detroit-based contemporary artist Matthew Angelo Harrison to re-conceptualize the covers of Tresor's Drexciya-related catalog. 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $24.50

CAT #: KHZ 1007LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

A broken telephonic call to the future's past, Algae & Tentacles' The Mouth is a Resonant Field combines solo voice, intuitive free improvisation, minimalist endurance, and noisy accident in order to reimagine the sonic palette of American folk song. Through the filter of consumer grade pedal electronics, old songs become sites where new worlds can emerge. Always with an ear toward the vast, oceanic sonic confusion of these unknown spaces, Algae & Tentacles (John Melillo) works in the undersound of traditional song. Melillo works through old chants, ballads, and melancholic work-songs to create a sound that is both old-time and no-time. Imagine song as a resonating field of vocalization extending itself in shards of audibility passed from mouth to ear to text to recording machine, in a pluralized time and space that sings bodies as much as bodies sing it. Thrown out of the orbit of tradition, these songs are not nostalgic places of return but rather sites from which new worlds emerge. Algae & Tentacles is the sound work of John Melillo. It is an umbrella for an eclectic set of sonic outputs that often hover around song, including verse-chorus-verse constructions, digital sound art, sound poetry, and electro-acoustic improvisation. Algae & Tentacle's first album was released by Lightning Records in 2015. Melillo has released collaborative albums with Cecyl Ruehlen (Where Tremble Heart, Unsilent Desert Press, 2022) and Geoff Saba (Dry River, FREAKS, 2017).

 

PRICE: $24.50

CAT #: KHZ 1008LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

The first material object from Idol Ko Si references a life of musical investigation without distinct clarity for the derivation of those references. Yes, the group has devoured sounds from other times and lands, but never once do those influences announce themselves. It is a minimalist result with a maximalist intent. Every group does this to some extent, but Idol Ko Si seems to consciously avoid the "recommended if you like" syndrome. Idol Ko Si has been called an abstracted supergroup -- featuring as it does members of Aframes, Climax Golden Twins, Factums, Dreamsalon, AFCGT, Sublime Frequencies, and Yves SonAce. But supergroups tend to yield competing sounds and here Min Yee, Matthew Ford and Robert Millis congeal into something significantly distinct that is not immediately audible in any of their other projects -- fractured sounds, broken beats, cocaine ambiance... low key, lo-fi and hazy. Sinister has never had a more appropriate companion. A disorientation begins as you get further into the album. The sounds are crisp, but by "'ludes and words" the obfuscated vocals galvanize a confusion that lasts until the album's end. It wouldn't be surprising to learn this creation originated from a part of the psyche that we prefer not to acknowledge, or it may just be a result of present times. It seems these sounds wouldn't be out of place as a soundtrack to the Zone from Tarkovsky's Stalker.

 

PRICE: $24.50

CAT #: KHZ 1009LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Damage Mécanique thrusts the listener into a malfunctioning industrial sci-fi soundscape. Trance-inducing guitars beckon with haunting wails, high-tension wires spin and spit with a crackling hiss. Circular kosmische rhythms and anxiety-drenched beats destroy and rebuild around fractured melodies and noise. The band oxidizes and melts into experimental post-punk and acousmatic environments as hypnotic groove and vertigo copulate in cinematic assemblage. Drawing from elements of film noir, psychedelic exotica, experimental rock, deviant surf and musique concrète, Diminished Men refocus their influences into something entirely unique. Collaged with menacing electricity, the raw materials are broken up and reassembled in their crude private facility. The group has spent more than a decade crafting their style and have established themselves as an integral part of Seattle's underground music scene. Diminished Men are an instrumental group formed by guitarist Steve Schmitt, drummer Dave Abramson (Master Musicians of Bukkake, Climax Golden Twins, Secret Chiefs 3, Spider Trio) and bassist Simon Henneman. Their 2005 first full length Names of the Dead introduced the band's jagged, hard-charging approach and cinema obscura ethos. A bizarre series of cassettes American Volume Swells and their Six O' Clock Baby album revealed a raw and unchecked side of the band through live recordings, improvisations and collage. It was their 2009 Shadow Instrumentals LP on the Sun City Girls label, Abduction Records, that got the band wider recognition for their creative and distinctive sound. Followed by Capnomancy and Vision in Crime, they cemented their status as formidable figures, developing a dedicated audience of audiophiles who found themselves entranced by Diminished Men's high energy live performances.

 

PRICE: $24.50

CAT #: KHZ 1010LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

From the electrical entrance to the fragile departure, Derek Monypeny's Cibola is a continued exploration/distillation of the approach and methodology that Monypeny first introduced on The Hand As Dealt. The 15-string Indian electric banjo known as the shahi baaja again features prominently, and many of the tracks could be called "drone-based." The sound melds something new without the absence of the reference material, but Monypeny also wanted to expand further. Cibola marks the first time he has ever had drums on any of his solo records; his dear friend, the brilliant San Francisco-based percussionist and sound artist Kevin Corcoran, sent him a complete drum track and he played shahi baaja and guitar over it. The result is "Nala Gem," where Monypeny and Corcoran explore quasi-Southeast Asian bell tones, dynamics, and heavy wash. And Monypeny ends the record with "A Tin Tear Drop," where he introduces an electric autoharp, which he plays using mallets to create a multiphonic, glowing Fabrege sound-egg. Monypeny has recorded a companion piece to this record that 2182 has pressed in limited quantities available directly through mail order. Remote Duets is a seven-inch consisting of two open-source percussion tracks performed and recorded by Ted Byrnes in Los Angeles, CA. Derek Monypeny is a Joshua Tree, CA-based guitarist/multiinstrumentalist who has played in the bands ALTO!, Oaxacan, and Sir Richard Bishop's Freak Of Araby Ensemble. Don't Bring Me Down, Bruce, his album of solo oud recordings released in 2011, received international acclaim. He has performed and toured with artists such as Bill Orcutt, Jozef van Wissem, Eva Agulia, Arrington de Dionyso, and many others.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: TW 001LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

This outstanding and limited compilation of Turkish jazz-funk rarities is something to lend an ear to! Bosporus Bridges will is a journey to unknown and peculiar musical landscapes. Featuring Emin F?nd?ko?lu, Mustafa Özkent Ve Orkestras?, Erkut Taçk?n, Fikret K?z?lok, Erkin Koray, Aksu Orkestras?, Ferdi Özbe?en, Erol Pekcan, Okay Temiz, Erol Pekcan Orkestras?, and Durul Gence 10.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: UTR 151BLUE-LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. Blue vinyl. Me Lost Me, led by Newcastle-based artist Jayne Dent, announces a new album, RPG, via Upset The Rhythm. RPG (recorded in Blank Studios with Sam Grant of Pigs x7) is Me Lost Me's fourth outing as a collective. Having transitioned from an ambitious solo project in 2017, Jayne now regularly collaborates with acclaimed North-East jazz musicians Faye MacCalman and John Pope. Me Lost Me delights in experimenting with songwriting and storytelling, creating a beguiling mix of soaring vocals and atmospheric electronics that playfully weave together disparate genres, drawing influence from folk, art pop, noise, ambient and improvised music. Jayne Dent presents RPG as an homage to worldbuilding and the story as an artform, calling back to oral traditions around a campfire, bringing folk music into the present day as she does so. A central thesis of this album is the joy of creation, something which is paid homage to in the album's final track, "Science And Art." Crucially on RPG, Dent expands her songwriting and looks towards the unreal locations of worldbuilding in video games for inspiration. RPG upends the concept of the eternal return -- we may be in the midst of inevitable repetition, but we tell stories whilst awaiting the passage of time. LP version also available on pink vinyl (UTR 151PINK-LP).

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: UTR 151CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Me Lost Me, led by Newcastle-based artist Jayne Dent, announces a new album, RPG, via Upset The Rhythm. RPG (recorded in Blank Studios with Sam Grant of Pigs x7) is Me Lost Me's fourth outing as a collective. Having transitioned from an ambitious solo project in 2017, Jayne now regularly collaborates with acclaimed North-East jazz musicians Faye MacCalman and John Pope. Me Lost Me delights in experimenting with songwriting and storytelling, creating a beguiling mix of soaring vocals and atmospheric electronics that playfully weave together disparate genres, drawing influence from folk, art pop, noise, ambient and improvised music. Jayne Dent presents RPG as an homage to worldbuilding and the story as an artform, calling back to oral traditions around a campfire, bringing folk music into the present day as she does so. A central thesis of this album is the joy of creation, something which is paid homage to in the album's final track, "Science And Art." Crucially on RPG, Dent expands her songwriting and looks towards the unreal locations of worldbuilding in video games for inspiration. RPG upends the concept of the eternal return -- we may be in the midst of inevitable repetition, but we tell stories whilst awaiting the passage of time. LP versions available on blue (UTR 151BLUE-LP) and pink vinyl (UTR 151PINK-LP).

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: UTR 151PINK-LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. Pink vinyl. Me Lost Me, led by Newcastle-based artist Jayne Dent, announces a new album, RPG, via Upset The Rhythm. RPG (recorded in Blank Studios with Sam Grant of Pigs x7) is Me Lost Me's fourth outing as a collective. Having transitioned from an ambitious solo project in 2017, Jayne now regularly collaborates with acclaimed North-East jazz musicians Faye MacCalman and John Pope. Me Lost Me delights in experimenting with songwriting and storytelling, creating a beguiling mix of soaring vocals and atmospheric electronics that playfully weave together disparate genres, drawing influence from folk, art pop, noise, ambient and improvised music. Jayne Dent presents RPG as an homage to worldbuilding and the story as an artform, calling back to oral traditions around a campfire, bringing folk music into the present day as she does so. A central thesis of this album is the joy of creation, something which is paid homage to in the album's final track, "Science And Art." Crucially on RPG, Dent expands her songwriting and looks towards the unreal locations of worldbuilding in video games for inspiration. RPG upends the concept of the eternal return -- we may be in the midst of inevitable repetition, but we tell stories whilst awaiting the passage of time. LP version also available on blue vinyl (UTR 151BLUE-LP).

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: VL 900044LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress; 2008 release. While 1967's Velvet Underground & Nico was a part of Andy Warhol's global artistic vision, 1968's White Light/White Heat was free of all Warholian influence, so in a way it could be thought of as another debut album. Here the music was left to fester on its own, with no artistic visionary interfering or trying to create a soundtrack for his pop art, and the Velvets filled that void with an album that is an aural subway car full of drunkards, junkies and whores rumbling through the bowels of NYC with a one way ticket to oblivion. Includes 3 bonus tracks.

 

PRICE: $26.50

CAT #: WRWTFWW 039LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 restock. LP version. 350gsm sleeve with selected UV high gloss varnish; WRWTFWW Records announce the release of Irish ambient/minimalist producer Gareth Quinn Redmond's Laistigh den Ghleo, a companion album to Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way (Wave Notation 2) (WRWTFWW 030CD/LP). "Conceptually derived from the work of Japanese minimalist composer Satoshi Ashikawa, I have composed an album which hopes to engage, enrich and reflect the listener's surroundings, an Environmental Music" --Gareth Quinn Redmond. Working with Still Way as a base for inspiration, Gareth Quinn Redmond takes Ashikawa's meditative sound designs to more dramatic and lyrical landscapes, gracefully instilling his personal touch into the master's melodic patterns and presenting six pieces which blend and reflect the modern listener's ever-changing environment. As Midori Takada explains in the liner notes, "Even though Gareth is deeply influenced by Still Way, he looks above, toward the air and the sky. He pays respect to Ashikawa's approach, but adds bold elements from another dimension -- Satoshi Ashikawa aspired to crystallize the sound structure of nature that exists in the environment. Gareth tries to capture what flourishes out of it." Laistigh den Ghleo is released in conjunction with Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way (Wave Notation 2) reissue on WRWTFWW Records. Liner Notes by Midori Takada and Gareth Quinn Redmond. LP version comes in 350gsm sleeve with selected UV high gloss varnish.

 

PRICE: $26.50

CAT #: WRWTFWW 040LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress. WRWTFWW Records present the much-anticipated official reissue of Japanese duo Inoyamaland's quintessential ambient/environmental/electronic album Danzindan-Pojidon, produced by Haruomi Hosono and originally released in 1983 on his Yen Records label. Available outside of Japan for the first time, the new age classic comes as a limited LP with liner notes by band member Makoto Inoue. With Danzindan-Pojidon, Yasushi Yamashita and Makoto Inoue created what they describe as "a special place where the kingdom of summer vacation never ended." Playful and magical, it's a sonic landscape defined by tinkling synths, floating minimalist melodies, pastoral excursions, and mythical overtones. The ten-track adventure takes the listener on a joyful audio exploration of unknown but friendly territories, like childhood memories of an imaginary island where everything is vibrantly alive and peaceful. The original recording sessions for the album took place in an apartment filled with Inoyamaland's "favorite things and friends" and the wonders that came out of them were handed to master Harry Hosono who added his undeniable genius touch. And thus Danzindan-Pojidon was born, an absolute must-have, sitting in the pantheon of all-time '80s Japanese ambient greats alongside Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass (WRWTFWW 018LP/019CD/019LP), Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green, and Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way (WRWTFWW 030CD/LP) -- and holding that mysterious power of "music that makes life a little easier and happier." 350gsm sleeve with selected UV high gloss varnish.

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: WRWTFWW 048LTD

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

2023 restock; LP version. 180 gram vinyl; gatefold sleeve. WRWTFWW Records announce the release of Kenji Kawai's complete soundtrack to Mamoru Oshii's 1993 superb political thriller science-fiction mecha anime Patlabor 2: The Movie. Includes liner notes by the great Masaaki Hara. A true soundtrack maestro, Kenji Kawai is behind the legendary soundscapes of cult anime and movies such as Ghost in the Shell, Avalon, Ring, Ip Man, and Seven Swords among numerous others. Patlabor 2: The Movie (Original Soundtrack) is one of his most experimental offerings, an outstanding palette of emotion-filled ambient atmospherics and percussion mastery breathing beautifully through Kawai's minimalism meets modern classical approach. His symphony of moods paints a delicate picture of urban isolation, a central theme in the movie, but doesn't hide hints of hope for a joyful future. Patlabor 2: The Movie (Original Soundtrack) is an ideal companion to Kenji Kawai's Ghost In The Shell soundtrack (WRWTFWW 017LP/LTD, 2017).

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: YAZ 1005HLP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. 180 gram exact repro reissue of Yazoo's 1968 compilation of rare 78 rpm recordings from Blind Willie McTell. A record that put Yazoo on the map as an essential archival label of roots music. The very best of the magnificent Willie Samuel McTell -- aka Blind Willie aka Hot Shot Willie aka Georgia Bill -- exploring spiritual, ragtime, hillbilly, and above all, the blues.