News & Events

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: 1972 001LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Lawrence Hayward knew that he wanted to be a pop star as a teen, and he devised a plan to release ten albums and ten singles over ten years to make that dream come true. A particular and determined individual, he would only be known as Lawrence from that day forward. His hopes for stardom would be pinned on his newly formed band, the succinctly named Felt. Soon signed to Cherry Red Records, Lawrence's achingly cool vocals and the group's way with walking melodies were evident on their debut for the label, Something Sends Me To Sleep. This compilation collects material from Felt's Cherry Red period of 1981 to 1985, kicking off with that confident start, assembling numerous high points, and closing with their biggest hit, 'Primitive Painters.' This phase of the band is defined by the songwriting partnership and unique interplay of Lawrence and guitarist Maurice Deebank, with Deebank's stylish and confident playing the envy of many of their counterparts. He delivers a constant string of shimmering hooks that wrap themselves around and over top of Lawrence's more traditional beat combo song structures, as if trying to fit four songs worth of ideas into a pre-set radio friendly cutoff time. It works wonderfully as Lawrence always counters with a solid bedrock. In one of many brushes with the brass ring, in 1984 Felt recorded versions of 'Dismantled King Is Off The Throne' and 'Sunlight Bathed The Golden Glow,' for the newly formed and Warners-backed label Blanco y Negro, in hopes that the band would follow their A+R man Mike Alway to the executive suite. Despite putting forward two of their finest songs, it was not to be. While major label dreams had to remain on the shelf, fans were delighted to be able to hear these beautifully stripped down and more direct versions when this compilation was released a few years later. By 1985 the Felt roller coaster was something Maurice Deebank was constantly getting on and off of. As Gary Ainge always kept the beat, and Lawrence never lost focus, they were joined by local teen prodigy Martin Duffy on keyboards, filling out the arrangements, and following Deebank's racing six-string cascades in 'The Day The Rain Came Down' you can even hear a tiny hint of the next phase of the band in Duffy's organ before Maurice swoops to the finish. The newly expanded Felt would then put everything they had into making one of the defining releases of the '80s: 'Primitive Painters.'"

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: 1972 002LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Following a run with Cherry Red Records that featured a potential major label jump, guitarist Maurice Deebank quitting and rejoining multiple times, several pop stardom carrots just out of reach, mixing battles with Robin Guthrie, and a shocking entry into the record charts, Lawrence (just 'Lawrence', like 'Cher' or 'Madonna' thank you very much) knew he would be making a change with his band Felt. He would be seeing out his plan of ten albums and ten singles in ten years alongside a new partner in Creation Records. This compilation beautifully captures those years. Creation was beginning a rapid ascent at the time, with Alan McGee serving as its hyperactive mouthpiece and focal point. McGee was all in on the band. 'Lawrence achieved pop perfection, a breathless rush of sensitivity and intelligence. It was too understated to be commercial, too art to go pop, too pop to go art -- in other words it was a perfect combination of all the music I loved at the time.' McGee was thrilled to have what he considered a real star on the label, and Lawrence was equally thrilled to have such an enthusiastic cheerleader. He funneled that enthusiasm into some of the most focused songwriting of his career, as well as some of his wildest experiments, all of which are on display here."

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: AKU 1036LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Akuphone present Fuji-Yuki's latest masterpiece, One Butoh. A musical immersion into the most exciting avant-garde dance style of the past century. Created in Japan in the 1960s by Tatsumi Hijikata, but? is the "dance of the obscure body". It broke with the traditions of classical Noh and Kabuki Theater, which, at the time, seemed outdated in the national context. Nourished by a European artistic avant-garde, but? stands out as a mirror of the socio-political turmoil of a post-World War II Japan. One Butoh resonates as a perfect acoustic introduction to this subversive art and propels the listener deep into his own soul. Fuji-Yuki is a Japanese vocalist who uses her voice like an instrument. With special vocal techniques, glossolalia and electronic pedals, she creates a wide variety of sounds. Inspired by the spirits of Buddhism and Shintoism, she creatively transforms her vocals into an ambient drone or prayers resonating in a church-like space. Her live performances are always different, depending on the place and space they take place in. She is also known as the vocalist of the experimental band Sarry. Reverse cardboard sleeve; 28-page A5 portfolio; edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $39.50

CAT #: ARTRL 001LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

On Spine, award-winning Danish composer SØS Gunver Ryberg considers a sustainable alternative, buoyed by interconnectedness, empowerment, and understanding. Channeling her dexterous sound design into advanced, time-bending music that fluctuates through techno, experimental ambient, and soundsystem-vibrating bass music, she maps out an artistic landscape that's futuristic and complex, but never oppressive. Ryberg is an accomplished producer who's developed her sound over many years, playing concerts and working tirelessly on video game soundtracks, film scores, dance, performance, and multichannel installation pieces. Her first solo album Entangled appeared in 2019 on Berlin's esteemed Avian imprint, and was praised for its sensitive approach to noise and abstracted techno, while its EP-length follow-up WHYT 030 was nominated for the Nordic Council's prestigious music prize this year. Spine is the inaugural release on Ryberg's own label Arterial, and stands as a thematically dense statement of intent. The label provides a platform to extend Ryberg's artistic goals and reflect not just her world but a world she wants to see develop in the future: somewhere connected and creative, where exploration and free expression is prioritized over genre division and petty compromise. This philosophy is central to the sounds on Spine, which have been carefully sculpted to accurately lay out Ryberg's worldview. Opening track "Unfolding" presents a sonic ecosystem that flourishes as it spreads itself out, and quivering kick drums vibrate alongside unstable atmospherics. There's the faint fingerprint of Chain Reaction's notional dub techno in there somewhere, but Ryberg interrupts the thought before it can coagulate, assuring the listener that her vision isn't ponderous but playful and optimistic. This mood flickers into view again on the title track "Spine", as fragmented breaks rumble beneath disorienting synths. "Mirrored Madness" meanwhile is warm, assertive, and optimistic, contrasting skittering cybernetic percussion with dense, enveloping harmonies. When she pushes rhythm into the background, like on the cinematic "We Tumble On The Edges", Ryberg's compositional skill is placed under the microscope. We're presented with the opportunity to examine another dimension of her work, the mystery beneath the stone, hearing saturated, alluring pads infused with hidden harmonies. In these moments, Ryberg implores all of us to consider the environment, asking us to think about the earth's essential nutrients. Ryberg's concern isn't chastising, it's laid out in a warm embrace. Recycled vinyl and cardboard; edition of 300

 

PRICE: $13.00

CAT #: 9781935950202

FILE UNDER: Misc

"From disenchanted Catholic schoolgirl and glam maniac to instigator on the 1980s hardcore punk scene, Nancy Barile discovered freedom at a time when punk music was new and dangerous. She made her place behind the boards and right in the front row as insurgents such as SSD, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys and Black Flag wrote new rules and made history. She survived punk riots and urban decay, ran the streets with outcasts, and ultimately found true love as she fought for fairness and found her purpose." "The old punk rock world was full of wanna-be contenders and straight up pretenders, and then there were those that you knew would rise above. Nancy was one of the latter -- she was there and solid and supportive, and over the years I've watched her take the grit of that old world and use it as a hammer to fashion this present place into a more livable space. I'm proud to say I know her." --Jack Grisham, T.S.O.L. Softcover edition; 192 heavily illustrated pages; Dimensions: 6? x 9? (150mm x 225mm); 2 lb. (.8 kg).

 

PRICE: $42.00

CAT #: BEWITH 123LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Balearic believers rejoice! Japanese tropical-fusioneers Coastlines are back with Coastlines 2. The follow-up to their classic debut (BEWITH 080LP, 2020), this is the sound of Coastlines' global influences. If the dedication to intricate sonic details is particularly Japanese, the overarching feel captures the sprawling grandeur of the international Balearic community. As they put it, Coastlines 2 presents "a more precise and beautifully polished magic hour." Takumi Kaneko and Masanori Ikeda don't radically alter their sumptuous template with this second LP. Yet with a more focused flow from first track to last, this is an even stronger album than their first. One thing that hasn't changed is the use of instrumentals instead of words to express their themes; namely, "the emotional expression of being soaked." Opener "Tenderly" is appropriately titled, a gentle Latin shuffle easing you back into the Coastlines sound. Their über-horizontal take on Hawkshaw & Bennett's "Mile High Swinger" evokes cocktails-by-the-pool as the sun slowly sets. The blunted deep jazz-funk swing of "Alicia" is a rearranged reimagining of the Gabor Szabo song from his classic Jazz Raga LP (1967). As the sun goes down, "Combustione Lenta" displays a beautiful new side of Coastlines, with "Moments In Love" vibes and melancholic guitar arcs. The piano-laden early morning wonder of "Night Cruise" is a sophisticated '80s instrumental soul groove. "Waves And Rays" is all undulating acid waves and lighthouse light. A chopped-and-screwed steel drum G-Funk with soaring synths and nods toward the squelchy machine soul of Mtume and Jam & Lewis. The bouncy future-boogie cosmic chug of "Sky Island" represents the beginning of the sunrise, casting images of '80s Japanese fusion. "Area Code 868" is the strutting staccato sound of Joe Sample waking up in the Caribbean to craft his piano funk drenched in sunshine. Accordingly, the tentative, naive melodies of "Sand Steps" represent that vivid feeling first thing in the morning, as you step on to the sandy beach in the sunshine and take a deep breath. The emotional, organ-piano-steel drum-driven "Song For My Mother" is a slo-mo show of sincere gratitude to all the great mothers. "Yasmin's Theme" is Coastlines' Brazilian homage, propelled laconically by the carnival beat of batucada's big bass surdo drum and complemented by sweeps of warm keys and radiant vocal harmonies. Blissful beatless closer "Asafuji" conjures a scene from a wonderful morning spent with the people of Shizuoka, the symbolic mountain of Japan, Mt Fuji and its inhabitants. It sounds like Dâm-Funk jamming with Sabres Of Paradise. Mastered by Simon Francis. Cut by Cicely Balston at Air Studios. Pressed by Record Industry.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: BFR 023LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Acid King is stoner doom royalty, and Beyond Vision is their first new album since 2015's Middle Of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere. Recorded by longtime producer Billy Anderson, the album's songs flow into each other without beginning or ending, propelled by an undulating, lysergic pulse that traces the winding path of interplanetary existence and takes listeners wherever they'd like to go. With blistering guitars and swirling power dirges aplenty, Beyond Vision began as an experiment and became the path to a silver future, marking the dawn of a new era for the band who built the template for thundering, swinging doom."

 

PRICE: $51.00

CAT #: BONF 017LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1973. Bachdenkel was an English rock band that started under the name The U (Don't) No Who in 1968. The three-piece consisted of band leader Colin Swinburne on vocals/guitars/keyboards, Peter Kimberley on bass/piano/vocals, and Brian Smith on drums, with Karel Beer as an additional musician, engineer, and producer. The group relocated to France to live, perform and record. Their first effort -- Lemmings -- was released on Philips France in 1973, showing their excellent musicianship and songwriting. Conceived as a three-sided album it was recorded during the summer of 1970. This double version includes three missing tracks originally conceived for the Initial Recording Company EP, a small label ran by Karel Beer. The album has an evident late sixties British psych-rock flavor, but comes with occasional harder moments and longer, more developed compositions in a proto prog rock manner.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: BONF 019LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1978. Brainticket was an obscure krautrock band born out of a '60s jazz group featuring Belgian born keyboardist Joël Vandroogenbroeck, based in Switzerland. The leader went for a fortunate solo career after the former group disbanded, reaching a cult status especially in Italy with a series of sought after libraries. Released in 1978 on Cenacolo, Images of Flute in Nature is pure magic translated in music. Conceived by Joel with a little help from vocalist Carole Muriel (an American performer already involved in Brainticket and Drum Circus), the album is literally a deep connection between kosmische music, ambient, and ethno-global rhythms.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: BJR 007LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Alain Péters is one of the best-kept secrets in the music scene of the Indian Ocean and beyond. His music is unique: a blend of Creole blues, Maloya, and international folk, it discretely takes hold of you and never leaves you. Péters travelled through the '70s and the '80s like a shooting star, alone or with a band, with his Sahelian lute, his reel-to-reel tape recorder, firewater, and ill-fated genius. He died in 1995, aged 43. Poet, musician, singer and melody-maker, he left behind a handful of sublime songs which are gathered here for the first time on vinyl. Full of dazzling beauty and sparkling darkness, his songs express the yearning homesickness of the Creoles' highly sensitive wandering soul, at the crossroads of African, Indian and European cultures. "Réunion" (literally "the gathering") is aptly named and over the course of his uncertain career, Péters continuously embodied the soul of this culturally hybrid land with a fusion of African instruments, Indian mysticism and European poetry.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: BJR 025LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2018 release. Alt?n Gün offer an exciting mix of Turkish folk, psychedelia, funk, and rock. After performing in Istanbul with Jacco Gardner, bassist Jasper Verhulst became fascinated by the Turkish sound of the '70s. At that time, artists like Selda, Bar?? Manço, and Erkin Koray combined traditional music with western rock influences. Along with bandmates Ben Rider (guitar) and Nic Mauskovic (drums), Verhulst searched for Turkish musicians to revive this sound. They found Merve Dasdemir (vocals) and Erdinc Yildiz Ecevit (vocals, saz, keys) through Facebook. Jungle by Nigaht's energetic percussionist Gino Groeneveld joined the group and the band was complete. Alt?n Gün play songs from the aforementioned artists from the '70s and their lesser-known contemporaries and also make their own arrangements of Turkish traditionals. This way, different worlds meet and form a refreshing danceable sound.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: BJR 062CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. Les Disques Bongo Joe presents Club Coco, a summery outernational Latin and Afro rooted music compilation curated by Coco María. An attempt to give back something to music lovers around the world and print on an object a piece of the essence of the community that has been gathering around her weekly radio show at Worldwide FM. Coco María is a DJ and radio host whose musical selection transmits the energy of the Caribbean, Brazil, and the rest of Latin America through records full of samba, jazz, charanga, and cumbia, whilst embracing an internationalist vibe that can also include the most eclectic influences. Her great music taste, charming personality, and unpretentious and intimate way of speaking makes her radio shows intimate and personal. Coco María was starting to extend her musical endeavors beyond her DJ and radio sets by throwing a series of parties called "Club Coco" at Berlin's "Sameheads" venue. This is where Club Coco, the album that you are about to listen to, comes into action. This LP gathers some of the inescapable artists that have been part of Coco María's shows. The list includes Nico Mauskovic, La Perla, Meridian Brothers y Grupo Renacimiento, Graham Mushnik, La Redada, Alex Figueira & A. Bechan, Frente Cumbiero, Les Pythons de la Fournaise, Romperayo, Malphino, Max Weissenfeldt, and even Coco María herself. The album stands out by the way it transmits an internationalist identity via Latin music and other Afro rooted influences. In many ways the tracks of the album showcase how these artists use music to reconcile both their pride for Latin American and Afro culture as well as their interest in being part of the cosmopolitanism of big European cities. Thus, each track adds a particular detail into building a perfect soundtrack for a community that is always traveling back and forwards between both regions, always looking for songs that explore the furthest frontiers of tropical music while staying true to the roots of their genres. With Club Coco, Coco María made a further step -- after hosting a club night in the beginning, then getting her weekly show on WWFM -- to create a sound-world of her own. Look, she brought such a variety of artists with such different backgrounds on a single record and the outstanding result is: you hear all the way through that unique Club Coco trademark vibe.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: BJR 079CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Outernational pop group Derya Y?ld?r?m & Grup ?im?ek unveil the second and final part of their double-album and collect both parts here on CD. Once again, their subtle and groovy Anatolian psych folk sound matches the powerful quality of the songs often led by Y?ld?r?m's sublime vocals and ba?lama (Turkish lute). With Dost 2, the band have broadened their songwriting horizons and refined their idiosyncratic arrangement skills. Most of Dost 2's material was composed by the band, with two notable tracks composed by guitarist flautist Antonin Voyant whose melodic work brings the music to a non-nostalgic, yet deep and meaningful place. The lyrics were penned by Derya Y?ld?r?m in collaboration with Berlin based writer Duygu A?al, adding another string to Grup ?im?ek's bow. Here they captured a lively, unique piece of interpretation which connects to the meaning of "Dost" as the text inserted inside explains: "Dost is a friend, a comrade, a brother, a sister and even more than that. Dost is the connection to keep this life and world meaningful". Derya Y?ld?r?m & Grup ?im?ek bring sounds, people, and emotions together.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: BJR 084LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Silkscreened cover. La Te?ne's long, hypnotic, wordless pieces are built from traditional folk instrumentation, wild percussion and blurred, subtle electronic embellishments, and feel as ancient and earthy as those millennia-old artifacts -- with all the metal, wood, dedication and craftsmanship they entailed. As on their previous release Abandonne?e/Maleja, a double set running to over 80 minutes, Cyril Bondi, Alexis Degrenier, and Laurent Peter expand to seven members in total. Cohorts Jacques Puech (cabrette -- a small bagpipe associated with the Auvergne region of France), Louis Jacques (cabrette, 23" bagpipe), Guilhem Lacroux (12-string guitar), and Je?re?mie Sauvage (bass) each return to add color, layers, and intrigue. Ecorcha/Taille?e was recorded in a barn converted into a ballroom and cultural center which exists to promote the folk music of region Auvergne. Both "L'Ecorcha" (eighteen and a half minutes long) and "La Taille?e" (just under a quarter of an hour, brevity by this group's standards) were recorded live and what you hear is a single take, with no editing after the fact. "L'Ecorcha" goes into space with simple, minimal tools. Beginning with a single, doomy chord circling in perpetuity and a metallic shaker by way of rhythm, a drone of unspecified provenance is joined a little under halfway through by Alexis's hurdy-gurdy, adding bucolic buoyancy while Laurent uses the wooden surface of his harmonium as an extra percussive source. "La Taille?e" is spikier, danceable even thanks to Cyril's insistent drumming and the harmonium and hurdy-gurdy moving in a glorious lockstep. If you were to think of the relationship between Lou Reed's guitar and John Cale's violin while taking in "La Taille?e", you wouldn't be OTT by any means. Inspirations, soundalikes and kindred spirits are elusive and fleeting in the case of La Te?ne. There are a couple specific to Ecorcha/Taille?e, both brought to the table by Alexis: a Christian song titled "La Passion", collected in 1883 by French folklorist Fe?lix Arnaudin, and a reggaeton hit single from 2022, "Saoko" by Spanish star Rosali?a. "Taille?e" adapts its crunchy central riff in La Te?ne's own image. It's that link between the past and the future that also rings out in the music of La Tène.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: BJR 091CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Armed with a thrift-store synth, bizarre wit, and arresting vocals, the intergenerational, all-female micro-choir Alice release their second album L'Oiseau Magnifique. Hailing from Geneva, Alice's music subverts French and Occitan folk music to create a playful and poignant blend of intricate harmony and storytelling lyricism -- a unique sound that is deep yet deceptively minimal. Formed in 2018, Alice is the brainchild of artists Lisa Harder, Yvonne Harder, and Sarah Andre?. Alice combines art-pop, folk song vocals and synth experiments to create a unique sound of their own that is captured on their mammoth 23 track album, L'Oiseau Magnifique (The magnificent bird). The group draws on their experience of intuitive singing at home and with friends and family, as well as Yvonne and Lisa's history of performance in choirs and Sarah's storytelling career as an author of graphic novels. With mother and daughter Yvonne and Lisa playing the keyboard in unison and all three of them singing along with intuitively harmonized words, Alice's music produces a choral polyphony from just three voices, while sharp lyrics reflect on universal emotions and the poignant moments of their everyday lives alike.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: BJR 091LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Armed with a thrift-store synth, bizarre wit, and arresting vocals, the intergenerational, all-female micro-choir Alice release their second album L'Oiseau Magnifique. Hailing from Geneva, Alice's music subverts French and Occitan folk music to create a playful and poignant blend of intricate harmony and storytelling lyricism -- a unique sound that is deep yet deceptively minimal. Formed in 2018, Alice is the brainchild of artists Lisa Harder, Yvonne Harder, and Sarah Andre?. Alice combines art-pop, folk song vocals and synth experiments to create a unique sound of their own that is captured on their mammoth 23 track album, L'Oiseau Magnifique (The magnificent bird). The group draws on their experience of intuitive singing at home and with friends and family, as well as Yvonne and Lisa's history of performance in choirs and Sarah's storytelling career as an author of graphic novels. With mother and daughter Yvonne and Lisa playing the keyboard in unison and all three of them singing along with intuitively harmonized words, Alice's music produces a choral polyphony from just three voices, while sharp lyrics reflect on universal emotions and the poignant moments of their everyday lives alike.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: BJR 12003EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Following on from the first edition released earlier this year, Les Disques Bongo Joe announce Ayiti Kongo Dub 2 by Chouk Bwa & The Ångströmers. Following on from 2020's acclaimed album Vodou Ale, Chouk Bwa turn up the heat for this exhilarating trip into their bush of ghosts by introducing a new stripped-down line-up to fire up the dancefloor, based exclusively on the drums and rhythms of the Haitian kongo rite and deep electronic dub expansions by their trusted Belgian counterparts, The Ångströmers. As Afro-Caribbean polyrhythms meet bass-weight dub electronics, the two-part EP has documented the group experimenting with a stripped back form which focuses on the dimension of trance. Opening with a ceremonial chant and designed to induce dancefloor delirium, the first track taken from the EP is the raw, high-octane, primordial techno of "Zemedo".

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: BJRA 001LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Bongo Joe Records announce the first official reissue of L'Éclair acclaimed first album Cruise Control, originally released in 2017. Almost impossible to find a fair price, this album is the roots of L'Éclair well known poly-groove vibe. Back in the days, the guys were obsessed by Afrobeat, funk, and psychedelic music. Recorded live by Vincent Hänggi, Cruise Control has a totally unique sound. With this, you'll understand everything you missed about the Geneva based crew! Released originally on Rock This Town, Bongo Joe Records have worked directly with L'Éclair to repress this gem. If you already missed it once, don't sleep this time. 45rpm.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BB 062LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 restock; LP version, on 180 gram vinyl. This is the tenth solo album by German keyboardist Hans-Joachim Roedelius, originally released in 1984 on Editions EG. On Geschenk Des Augenblicks - Gift Of The Moment, Roedelius broke away unequivocally from purely electronic music. If Lustwandel (BB 055CD/LP) and Jardin Au Fou (BB 023CD/LP) had seen the process set in motion, this was the album that completed the transition. Following the Selbstportraits, which had at least been created through the use of electric organ and synthesizers, Roedelius focused on the grand piano, sometimes accompanied by a cello, violin and guitar. Distant echoes of a not-so-distant musical past could only be detected in the occasional appearance of sparse chords played on a polyphonic synthesizer. Significantly, his arrival in Austria (having moved there a few years earlier) was much more than a geographical relocation. Roedelius responded to the musical culture of romanticism and the Biedermeier tradition, their influences seeping into his essentially modern understanding of composition in bewildering fashion on Geschenk Des Augenblicks - Gift Of The Moment. It was all too much for his listeners, reared on the more familiar sounds of Cluster and Harmonia. Moreover, the album wore a veil of delicate melancholy: no vibrant folk dances, no colorful carousels, no cheerful melodies. Instead, Roedelius offered a calm, almost detached form of music, openly acknowledging romantic heritage. Geschenk Des Augenblicks - Gift Of The Moment eluded contemporary definitions of the "experimental" concept, as Roedelius was now experimenting in new, eclectic areas, too weighty, too grainy to be labeled "proto New Age." Roedelius was not striving for perfection, but for authenticity -- a music stripped of disguise; and to this end he left little playing errors in the mix, fading out tracks rigorously to eliminate any bigger blunders. Such artistic honesty bears no relation to reality-free New Age music. Printed inner sleeve with notes by Asmus Tietchens.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: P 749311HLP

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

2023 restock; Gatefold 180 gram vinyl reissue, originally released in 1971. "In this long-awaited masterwork, Harry Partch rises above all attempts at descriptive containment and becomes quite simply heroic. Delusions Of The Fury, proceeding from tragedy to comedy, is nothing less than the full, ritualistic expression, in vocal instrumental and corporeal terms, of the reconciliation by the living both with death and with life. It is a total Partch statement, incorporating voices, mime, his celebrated instruments, dance, lighting and staging, all working to express this philosophical concept. Delusion Of The Fury, as is to be expected, is not cast in the common dramatic/musical mold." -- Eugene Paul

 

PRICE: $21.00

CAT #: P 749408HLP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. 180 gram exact repro reissue of this minimalist masterpiece, originally released in 1969. "All the music on this recording is played by Terry. In 'A Rainbow' he plays electric organ, electric harpsichord, rocksichord, dumbec and tambourine. 'Poppy Nogood' is for soprano saxophone and electric organ. The spatially separated mirror images were adapted for studio recording by Glen Kolotkin and resemble the sound Terry gets in his all-night concerts."

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: CTI E722

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Green vinyl. Reissue, originally released in 1984. Chris & Cosey's Elemental 7 -- available here for the first time in 40 years -- is the soundtrack to the film of the same name (on Cabaret Voltaire's Doublevision video imprint) that saw the duo working once more with John Lacey -- Lacey had previously worked with Cosey in COUM Transmissions and introduced Chris Carter to the collective. The album's highlight and one of their best loved songs, "Dancing Ghosts", sounds as fresh and relevant today as it must have on its original release. "Elemental 7 has cast a looming shadow of influence over almost all electronic music since it was made" --Boomkat.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: CTI FVOTSE22

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Yellow vinyl. Reissue, originally released in 2007. Feral Vapours of the Silver Ether available here for the first time on vinyl. This was the second release under the Carter Tutti name. On it, the electronic and the acoustic are merged in a seamless, crafted album that is awash with echoes of the sea, the moon, the open road, and flatlands. "... an album which shows that Carter Tutti are in a state of continuing evolution" --The Wire.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: CTI MF22

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Pink/purple vinyl. Reissue, originally released in 1993. Muzik Fantastique! receives its first ever vinyl issue. The album finds Chris & Cosey in one of their most dynamic and melodic periods with an album that slides towards subtler grooves and textures. "Muzik Fantastique! is another example of their hidden talents" --NME.

 

PRICE: $17.00

CAT #: DIS 181LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress; LP version. Includes download code plus a postcard set featuring photos of the band. "In early January 1988 and after only ten shows, Fugazi decided to go into Inner Ear Studio to see what their music sounded like on tape. Despite the fact that Ian, Joe, and Brendan had been playing together for nearly a year, it was still early days for the band. Guy had only been a full member of Fugazi for a few months and only sang lead on one song ('Break In'). It would be nearly another year before he would start playing guitar with the band. At that time, the studio was still located in the basement of engineer Don Zientara's family house. It was a familiar space as almost all of the members of Fugazi had recorded there with their previous bands (Teen Idles, Minor Threat, Deadline, Insurrection, Rites of Spring, Skewbald, Embrace, and One Last Wish). Joey Picuri (aka Joey P), who would later become one of Fugazi's longtime sound engineers, joined the band for the initial tracking. The sessions only lasted a couple of days, but tour dates and indecision about the tape would delay the final mix for another two months. Though the band was at first pleased with the results, it soon became clear that this tape would remain a demo as new songs were being written and the older songs were evolving and changing shape while the band was out on tour. It was decided that the session would be passed out free as cassette copies, with the band actively encouraging people to share the recording. In the spring, Fugazi went out on its first U.S. tour and a few weeks after returning from the road they went back to Inner Ear to record what would become their debut Dischord release, the self-titled 7-song 12" EP. The only song from the demo session that was formally released was 'In Defense of Humans', which appeared on the State of the Union compilation in 1989. Now, some 26 years later, Dischord is releasing the entire first demo including the one song ('Turn Off Your Guns') that wasn't included on the original cassette."

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: DM 013LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Peruvian Latin funk classic from 1971. Official reissue with original gatefold artwork; black vinyl. Black Sugar's first self-titled album is filled with the band own original songs. Hot percussions, excellent brass arrangements, superb keyboards, and great guitar work with a psychedelic shade. If Latin funk exists, it's thanks to pioneering bands like Black Sugar, a Peruvian group created in the early seventies that recorded two fundamental albums for the Afro-American and Latin genre. The roots of this band come from the Far-Fen (syllables for Farfisa and Fender), formed in the late sixties by guitarist Víctor "Coco" Salazar and Miguel "Chino" Figueroa on keyboards. One night they were spontaneously joined by the sensational voice of Carlos "Pacho" Mejía. In the seventies, in the Peruvian capital there was a shortage of "white" sugar and the darker cane sugar was consumed. Hence the group's name. Peru was in the midst of a dictatorship and the military were against music that did not come from Peruvian folklore. Rock n' roll with foreign roots languished due to the imposition of the established power, and Black Sugar emerged, whose main skill was to mix, with enormous passion and fascinating ability, Latin sounds and the funk that came from the United States. The result is two memorable albums, with a large part of their own songs and most of them composed by Pacho. The first, with an eponymous title, was released in 1971 by Sono Radio, whose musical director Jaime Delgado Aparicio was in charge of the fiery arrangements with generous brass and energetic percussion. Released with the credits in English, they managed to break into the Top Ten of the Miami charts with the song "Too Late". They even received an offer to record their next album in the United States, but decided to stay in their country. That second album was released in 1974 with a "quadraphonic" sound, taking advantage of the label's magnificent studios. From the mid-seventies onwards, the desertions began and it would not be until 2010 that the project would be recovered with some historical and younger musicians. To listen to Black Sugar is to go back to the Peruvian night of the seventies with fiery music, full of sensuality and rhythm. Brilliant songs by a cohesive band that knew how to materialize a memorable fusion project, very original and at an international level.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: MIR 100741LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress; LP version. Scientist's name can be found all over any dub record collection; he was a protégé of King Tubby, and many would say that when dub fell on quieter times it was Scientist who breathed new life into it. His pared-down mixing style suited the dancehall reggae sound that arrived as the '70s rolled into the '80s. This 1982 album includes the priceless dub of Johnny Osbourne's classic "Give a Little Love," as well as further cuts of the likes of Hugh Mundell and Wayne Jarrett. Scientist is always in control. This reissue includes the complete original album (which listed its tracks only as "Five Dangerous Matches" on each side), plus six bonus tracks.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: BEC 5772110

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress. Justice's highly-acclaimed debut album from 2007. French-only vinyl version, in deluxe gatefold sleeve. Retreating to their underground post-nuclear shelter/studio, French duo Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay worked on their first album as if their lives depended on it. The result is a mind-fuck of an album that proves that Justice's unique talent is to be found where least expected. Take for example "Let There Be Light" and its strident, angry electro, driven by a jabbing bassline; "D.A.N.C.E," a pure piece of vicious house sung innocently by a choir of children; "Newjack," a funky parody of the opulent times of the French Touch; "Phantom," taking over where "Waters Of Nazareth" left off to drift towards "Phantom Pt. II" and its head-swirling disco violins; "Valentine," an erotic, melancholic nursery rhyme, like a tribute to Vladimir Cosma and "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy," a pure electro-funk track where the sexy Uffie plays more than ever the cheeky Lolita. Justice have thrown established rules out the window (the notion of good and bad taste, the thin line between underground and pop music, the pigeon hole labeling between rock and electro, etc.) with a fantastic talent for synthesizing and mixing their influences with total candor, be it the cosmic disco of Larry Levan or Vladimir Cosma's panty-wetting romantics, Camel's prog rock or the anxious theme of Goblin for Dario Argento, to the flashy funk of the Brothers Johnson or "ABC" by the Jackson 5. Cross isn't a collection of random dancefloor singles. Cross is for listening at home or in clubs. Cross is a link between pop at its purest and experimental music. Cross brings together hardcore elements and cheese. Cross makes the Goths link arms with the rave kids. A generational manifest, ideally positioned on the side of the dancefloor, Cross, insolent with youth, is a testimony that the French electro scene is healthier than ever.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: EMEGO 299LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Dismantling the acoustic to feed the electronic, Editions Mego presents Telepath, the new album by Material Object. Born out of a single improvised recording session with a lone violinist, Telepath is a startling album of future electronic music, resulting in an LP of unique and timeless tracks that reimagine a classic sound for an endless future. Boldly departing from his previous canon of largely "ambient" work, Material Object's Telepath renders itself out as something much stranger, something more spacious, more subtle and gradual. Moments of bouncing minimalism meet moire?s of delayed pure tones phasing in and out of resolution, giving way to a series of strobing foreground gestures arranged and offset in disorienting landscapes which scatter themselves asymmetrically amongst crystal pools of reverb. Reveling in the creative dismemberment of the original source material, Material Object slowly and patiently induces the violin to undergo every category of torsion, pressure and rupture. Its vivid acoustic qualities pass over and across the event horizon of the digital domain. Shattering then crystalizing into points and coordinates, intersections, disjunctions, planes and reverberant figures. An uncanny geometry perceived only between the ears, at once dissolving and reconstructing itself. A hypnotic and time-dilated recapitulation of what's gone before as if looking back from beyond a mirror. When it finally resolves in the closing moments and returns you home, you realize you haven't really moved at all. Equally abstract, haunting and daring, Material Object's Telepath is a singular work that abandons all notions of genre. Erupting with a tension of opposites that unfolds as a truly unique story, told in four dimensions and draped in deafening color. Mastered by AtomTM. Cut by Andreas at Schnittstelle Berlin. Includes download code; edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $21.50

CAT #: EMEGO 307CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

In the early days of MEGO prior to its transformation into Editions MEGO, a most unexpected release appeared amongst the radical roster. Out of all the twisted hard drive activity from PITA, General Magic, Farmers Manual, etc. appeared a very different kind of release. One made from a computer, but one with a softer atmosphere, cloud-like in sonic shape and even containing discernible melodies. This was the debut release from Japanese artist Tujiko Noriko which not only launched her career to a larger audience but opened the doors of Editions Mego to a broader range of experimental musical forms. Noriko's particular synthesis of electronic abstraction, melody, voice, and atmosphere has few peers as sound gently circles her mystical words morphing into a succession of emotive aural experiments framed as songs. Noriko's evolution since her debut Mego release has seen further solo works alongside collaborations as well as a shift into cinema, both acting and as director. On Crépuscule, one can hear the influence the film medium has had on her music as visual insignia are invoked in the evocative audio at hand. Instrumental interludes further conjure a film landscape alongside the titles which also reiterate the cinematic form. This is synthetic music with a deep human presence. The mind of a human captured wandering the fantastic realms of the internal sphere is exquisitely rendered through machines which usually prompt one to disfigure such humanistic tendencies. The warmth, serenity, and dream-like environment that Noriko conjures from her tools is what makes her such a unique and outstanding artist and Crépuscule is an epic testament to these powers. The title Crépuscule perfectly encapsulates the somnambulant nature of the music where the nocturnal shifts evoke a broad sense of calm. Crépuscule I features a selection of shorter "songs" whilst Crépuscule II allows more room for these songs/moods to breathe with only three songs running at broader longer duration. Crépuscule allows the listener to view the world through Noriko's eyes. With her cunning ability to humanize machines a world of calm wonder is allowed to take focus in the frame. Double-CD version comes in heavy cardboard mini-gatefold; edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: ELPALMAS 023LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

El Palmas Music reissue an incredibly hard-to-find album by Venezuelan salsa bandleader and polymath. Few artists worked as hard at their craft as Ramón Urbina. At the age of 15, and in thrall to the Latin jazz and tropical music he was hearing on the radio, he learnt to play tres guitar. Then he learned bass. Then percussion, tumbadora, timpani drums, trumpet, trombone, piano, whatever instrument he could get his hands on. A true enthusiast and student of all the tropical music that was percolating through Venezuela and the rest of Latin America at the time, he wanted to understand the art of composition and arranging, and around 1972 he decided to put it to the test, forming his first group, Ramón y su Banda Latina. Taking inspiration from salsa ensembles like Sexteto Juventud, as well as Pastor López, a Venezuelan singer and bandleader who was having huge successes in Colombia for his mix of cumbias, guarachas and boleros, Ramón's group toured throughout Venezuela during the 1970s. Then one day, he went to see La Dimensión Latina in his home town of Charallave, and he saw the future. The age of salsa with its multi-trombone sound was here, and he wanted to take part, recruiting new members to form Moncho y su Banda. After road testing their material, the new group was ready to record an album in 1981, but finding a record label was not easy. Ramón loved music but he was a homebody too and spent most of his time in Charallave, at a distance from the thriving music scene in Caracas. This, combined with the fact that he'd yet to record an album and create any kind of international reputation meant that he initially struggled to find a label. Moncho y su Banda stepped into a recording studio and didn't rest until they'd got what they wanted. Once record label executives finally heard the album, titled Qué Bellas Son (How Beautiful They Are), they couldn't resist its energy and a release date was set. It's an album that captures the sound of a working band at ease, playing the kind of set that they would be knocking out at clubs around Venezuela at the time, full of life and passion. Whereas a formulaic salsa sound was forming in the early '80s, Moncho y su Banda bucked the trend, playing a mix of raw, unbridled salsa dura, as well as cumbias, merengues, boleros, and chucu-chucus, all with a heady dose of Caribbean spirit that sets the group apart from the more urbane salsa ensembles of the day. Qué Bellas Son is the only album that Ramón Urbina ever recorded, though he has kept performing to this day, where you can still find him in Charallave.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: EPR 068CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Members of Papir and Causa Sui travel through new musical realms. Three musicians with their own compass: Martin Rude and Jakob Skøtt have shared a wide range of musical quests: from Causa Sui's "Bitches Brew of stoner rock" crossing the folk meditations of Sun River and arriving most recently as members of the pre-fusion electric dealings of the London Odense Ensemble. Papir guitarist Nicklas Sørensen is not merely adding a new layer to an established duo, but his presence to the party have brought it into more meditative dwellings. These pieces move slowly, evolving like the slow growth underneath the ground. Whereas Causa Sui and Papir have always excelled at blistering panoramic and often sundrenched sounds, Edena Gardens takes a dive inwards and downwards rather than outwards. But there's also an electrically charged ecstatic rawness to the dealings. Like "Æther", the ten-minute opener's two guitars-and-a-drum kit improv, finding its way from tumbling drones into monolithic slow riffage. Elsewhere, we find trails of electronic vapors, misfiring bursts of noise and slow drones stretched out. Edena Gardens is a thing to be experienced first-hand -- it's not for everyone, but those who decide to stay are greatly rewarded. It's a debut unlike any other record on El Paraiso, perhaps unlike any you've ever heard. Welcome to Edena Gardens.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: EPR 068LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Members of Papir and Causa Sui travel through new musical realms. Three musicians with their own compass: Martin Rude and Jakob Skøtt have shared a wide range of musical quests: from Causa Sui's "Bitches Brew of stoner rock" crossing the folk meditations of Sun River and arriving most recently as members of the pre-fusion electric dealings of the London Odense Ensemble. Papir guitarist Nicklas Sørensen is not merely adding a new layer to an established duo, but his presence to the party have brought it into more meditative dwellings. These pieces move slowly, evolving like the slow growth underneath the ground. Whereas Causa Sui and Papir have always excelled at blistering panoramic and often sundrenched sounds, Edena Gardens takes a dive inwards and downwards rather than outwards. But there's also an electrically charged ecstatic rawness to the dealings. Like "Æther", the ten-minute opener's two guitars-and-a-drum kit improv, finding its way from tumbling drones into monolithic slow riffage. Elsewhere, we find trails of electronic vapors, misfiring bursts of noise and slow drones stretched out. Edena Gardens is a thing to be experienced first-hand -- it's not for everyone, but those who decide to stay are greatly rewarded. It's a debut unlike any other record on El Paraiso, perhaps unlike any you've ever heard. Welcome to Edena Gardens.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: EPR 069CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The second instalment from London Odense Ensemble digs deeper into the group's vision of what modern psychedelic jazz should sound like. Cut from the same sessions as Jaiyede Sessions Vol. 1, released last summer, Vol. 2 presents a more nuanced approach to the material. On this set the ensemble focuses on shorter, layered pieces -- traveling from deep spiritual jazz grooves to gorgeous free-flowing minimalism to full-on acid jazz. There's echo-drenched flutes being absorbed into layers of analog synth pads and guitars, bossa beats and double bass sequences merging with electronics. It's an intoxicating mélange of sounds and styles, spanning wide temporal and geographical distances. London Odense Ensemble came together when two of the finest exponents of London's flourishing jazz scene, flautist and saxophonist Tamar Osborn and keyboard specialist Al MacSween, came over to Denmark to explore new sounds with Causa Sui's Jakob Skøtt and Jonas Munk, as well as local bass player Martin Rude. For two days the group laid down grooves and ideas and experimented in the studio, and later the best segments were edited and mixed by Jonas Munk, who took a somewhat liberal approach to the mixing process, often dyeing the material with external effects and synthesizers. Jaiyede Sessions are the kinds of records that defy genre-terms, yet have its own instantly recognizable fingerprint. It carries a unique shared vision between the players of what modern psychedelic jazz sounds like.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: EPR 069LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. The second instalment from London Odense Ensemble digs deeper into the group's vision of what modern psychedelic jazz should sound like. Cut from the same sessions as Jaiyede Sessions Vol. 1, released last summer, Vol. 2 presents a more nuanced approach to the material. On this set the ensemble focuses on shorter, layered pieces -- traveling from deep spiritual jazz grooves to gorgeous free-flowing minimalism to full-on acid jazz. There's echo-drenched flutes being absorbed into layers of analog synth pads and guitars, bossa beats and double bass sequences merging with electronics. It's an intoxicating mélange of sounds and styles, spanning wide temporal and geographical distances. London Odense Ensemble came together when two of the finest exponents of London's flourishing jazz scene, flautist and saxophonist Tamar Osborn and keyboard specialist Al MacSween, came over to Denmark to explore new sounds with Causa Sui's Jakob Skøtt and Jonas Munk, as well as local bass player Martin Rude. For two days the group laid down grooves and ideas and experimented in the studio, and later the best segments were edited and mixed by Jonas Munk, who took a somewhat liberal approach to the mixing process, often dyeing the material with external effects and synthesizers. Jaiyede Sessions are the kinds of records that defy genre-terms, yet have its own instantly recognizable fingerprint. It carries a unique shared vision between the players of what modern psychedelic jazz sounds like.

 

PRICE: $17.00

CAT #: MVD 11772DVD

FILE UNDER: Misc

"A lonely ex-priest who, in the wake of his mother's death, replaces his belief in God with a faith in fungus. Dive deep into the psyche of Randall 'Junior' Rose (Dustin York), son of a recently deceased rock star and a former priest who has lost faith in the church. Convinced that a fungus is a threat to humanity, and accompanied by his only friend Cherry, an AI enhanced drone (voiced by Isabelle Barbier), Junior slowly gathers evidence to support his bizarre theory, spiraling out of control in the process."

 

PRICE: $21.00

CAT #: MVD 11773BR

FILE UNDER: Misc

Blu-ray. "A lonely ex-priest who, in the wake of his mother's death, replaces his belief in God with a faith in fungus. Dive deep into the psyche of Randall 'Junior' Rose (Dustin York), son of a recently deceased rock star and a former priest who has lost faith in the church. Convinced that a fungus is a threat to humanity, and accompanied by his only friend Cherry, an AI enhanced drone (voiced by Isabelle Barbier), Junior slowly gathers evidence to support his bizarre theory, spiraling out of control in the process."

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: FARO 233LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

LP version. Maceió, the capital of Brazil's Alagoas state on its sprawling east-coast, is home to pastel colored colonial houses, white sand beaches and a brilliant young composer, poet and multi-instrumentalist named Bruno Berle. With a voice of pure gold and a startling sensitivity for heartfelt pop songwriting, on No Reino Dos Afetos (In the Realm of Affections), Berle firmly embraces earnestness, through starry-eyed Brazilian love songs, ambient vignettes, warm, home-cooked beats and gentle strokes of MPB genius. "It's an album that was built from my desire to find beauty", Berle explains -- his simple, graceful words mirroring the graceful simplicity in his music. But amongst the simplicity, the compositions, arrangements and productions on No Reino Dos Afetos tingle with nuance and detail. On the contemporary R&B inspired lead single "Quero Dizer" -- produced by Berle and longtime friend and collaborator Batata Boy -- the swirling, lo-fi, kalimba, and guitar-fronted beat is turned into a feel-good hit by the ingenuity of Berle's honey-soaked vocal melody. Powerfully intimate, "O Nome Do Meu Amor" (My Love's Name) is a guaranteed tearjerker, with Berle's stunning voice soaring over gently plucked acoustic guitar and the textural flutter of soft movement, as if we hear him writing the song in the moment. Drawing upon a close-knit, collaborative scene of Maceió artists and musicians, (of which Berle and Batata Boy are vital members), Berle also recorded some of his friends' songs on the album, including João Menezes's "Até Meu Violao", the album's beautifully laidback sunshine soul opener, which has all the charm of early-70s João Donato. Having cut his teeth in soft-rock group Troco em Bala, and more recently finding himself embedded in both Rio and Sao Paulo's contemporary music scenes -- collaborating with the likes of Ana Frango Eletrico, who took the photo for the album cover -- No Reino Dos Afetos is as musically diverse as Bruno himself. It's hazy indie rock ("É Preciso Ter Amor"), calming ambient and field recording ("Virginia Talk") as well as Berle's own take on West African high life ("Som Nyame"). Instantly recognizable as a truly special artist, Berle's character fills every corner of the sound, which is unsurprising considering he played most of the instruments.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: FARO 235CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

The previously unreleased debut album from 1975. In 1975, under the oppressive military dictatorship in Brazil, brothers Lelo and Zé Eduardo Nazario invited bassist Zeca Assumpção to join their musical experiments in a basement under Sao Paulo's Teodoro Sampaio Street. As teenagers, the trio had already been playing together in Hermeto Pascoal's Grupo, alongside guitarist Toninho Horta and saxophonist Nivaldo Ornelas, and it was while working together under Hermeto's direction that the Paulista rhythm section (as they were then known) began to realize their own potential. With many nightclubs and venues closed in the mid-70s and government censors dictating the output of radio, TV, and art galleries, many Brazilian artists fled. But underground, Grupo Um were fusing avant-garde ideals with contemporary jazz and Afro Brazilian rhythm; making phenomenally free and expressive music -- in stark contrast to the sterile, conservative conditions being imposed above ground. Just like Hermeto Pascoal's Viajando Com O Som from the following year, Starting Point was recorded over two days at Vice-Versa Studios, by revered engineer Renato Viola. The studio was one of the best in Sao Paulo and musicians communicated with engineers through cameras and a monitor, allowing the group complete immersion in the process. They also made use of the studio's hemispherical tiled room, which served as an acoustic reverberation chamber. The album begins with Zé Eduardo Nazario's thunderous drum solo on "Porão da Teodoro", before clearing the clouds with the lone Berimbau which opens "Onze Por Oito". Built around a hypnotic electric bass line, heady Fender Rhodes improvisations, and more rip-roaring drums, it's a rapturous, electrifying freak-jam in 11/8. Like some invertebrate deep-sea curiosity, the free-form "Organica" is made up of Lelo Nazario's playfully eerie prepared piano, with Zé Eduardo's percussion flurries darting around Assumpçao's double bass. The equally non-conformist, percussion-only piece "Jardim Candida" features many of Zé Eduardo's homemade instruments, including a long saw blade played with vibraphone sticks and violin bow. While working with Hermeto, Zé Eduardo famously built his own all-in-one percussion set-up known as the "Barraca de Percussão" (Percussion Tent). "Suite Orquidea Negra" (Black Orchid Suite) was written by Lelo Nazario as the score for an imaginary movie about a rare, black orchid. The album closes with the triumphant "Cortejo dos Reis Negros" (Procession of Black Kings) -- a groovy variation on the Maracatu rhythm, with a two-note bassline underpinning piano improvisations, exultant wordless vocals, cuicas, slide-whistles and a very special guest appearance from Zé's dog Bolinha. Starting Point was to mark the inception of one of Brazil's most daring instrumental groups. Finally, almost fifty years later, this mesmerizing piece of history is here, and it was only the beginning...

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: FARO 235LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

LP version. Includes insert. The previously unreleased debut album from 1975. In 1975, under the oppressive military dictatorship in Brazil, brothers Lelo and Zé Eduardo Nazario invited bassist Zeca Assumpção to join their musical experiments in a basement under Sao Paulo's Teodoro Sampaio Street. As teenagers, the trio had already been playing together in Hermeto Pascoal's Grupo, alongside guitarist Toninho Horta and saxophonist Nivaldo Ornelas, and it was while working together under Hermeto's direction that the Paulista rhythm section (as they were then known) began to realize their own potential. With many nightclubs and venues closed in the mid-70s and government censors dictating the output of radio, TV, and art galleries, many Brazilian artists fled. But underground, Grupo Um were fusing avant-garde ideals with contemporary jazz and Afro Brazilian rhythm; making phenomenally free and expressive music -- in stark contrast to the sterile, conservative conditions being imposed above ground. Just like Hermeto Pascoal's Viajando Com O Som from the following year, Starting Point was recorded over two days at Vice-Versa Studios, by revered engineer Renato Viola. The studio was one of the best in Sao Paulo and musicians communicated with engineers through cameras and a monitor, allowing the group complete immersion in the process. They also made use of the studio's hemispherical tiled room, which served as an acoustic reverberation chamber. The album begins with Zé Eduardo Nazario's thunderous drum solo on "Porão da Teodoro", before clearing the clouds with the lone Berimbau which opens "Onze Por Oito". Built around a hypnotic electric bass line, heady Fender Rhodes improvisations, and more rip-roaring drums, it's a rapturous, electrifying freak-jam in 11/8. Like some invertebrate deep-sea curiosity, the free-form "Organica" is made up of Lelo Nazario's playfully eerie prepared piano, with Zé Eduardo's percussion flurries darting around Assumpçao's double bass. The equally non-conformist, percussion-only piece "Jardim Candida" features many of Zé Eduardo's homemade instruments, including a long saw blade played with vibraphone sticks and violin bow. While working with Hermeto, Zé Eduardo famously built his own all-in-one percussion set-up known as the "Barraca de Percussão" (Percussion Tent). "Suite Orquidea Negra" (Black Orchid Suite) was written by Lelo Nazario as the score for an imaginary movie about a rare, black orchid. The album closes with the triumphant "Cortejo dos Reis Negros" (Procession of Black Kings) -- a groovy variation on the Maracatu rhythm, with a two-note bassline underpinning piano improvisations, exultant wordless vocals, cuicas, slide-whistles and a very special guest appearance from Zé's dog Bolinha. Starting Point was to mark the inception of one of Brazil's most daring instrumental groups. Finally, almost fifty years later, this mesmerizing piece of history is here, and it was only the beginning...

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: FKR 044LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress; originally released in 2011. Fourteen slabs of the heaviest Thai funk and psych rockers ever committed to vinyl. The styles featured on this compilation fall somewhere between luk thung ("song of the countryside") and luk krung ("song of the city"). Bangkok was a melting pot for the evolution of these two genres, the former alluding to musical themes and lyrics aimed at the wider national population and the latter looking westward with a more urban audience in mind. Thai? Dai! collects experiments by both little-known groups and established figures like Plearn Promdan. Even within Thailand the majority of these tunes remain unissued outside of this compilation, making this a truly essential glimpse into the strange underbelly of Thai luk thung in all its unique, original, and outlandish glory; a small snapshot of an otherwise forgotten era, gloriously remastered from the original sources and officially licensed from the original label, Sound of Siam Co. Ltd. Includes performances by Sroeng Santi; Plearn Promdan; Rung Petchburi; Rung Fah Puping; Petch Burapa; Teungjai Bunpraruksa; Riem Daranoi; and Jalwal, Annie & Geerasak.

 

PRICE: $26.50

CAT #: FKR 079LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. "There was a time when the strength of a musician's vision transcended all labels; here is a chance to dip into that pool again, and emerge not just refreshed, but alive again with the sense that we all can live in that world again, but most importantly raise the flag for excellence. Fantastic." --Jim O'RourkeAn unholy grail of near-mythical status is finally now available in the form of this first-ever reissue. Masahiko Sato composed this elusive, sensual, psychedelic free jazz score for the stunning 1973 Japanese witchcraft animation Belladonna of Sadness (Kanashimi no Belladonna) directed by Eiichi Yamamoto. Since the mid-2000s, Belladonna of Sadness has risen from the ashes and now shines brighter than ever. Now, on the eve of its third or fourth global DVD release in 2015, fans no longer have to settle for third-generation VHS telecine dubs or stuff their wish-lists into the hands of lucky friends visiting Tokyo. Belladonna has been used as nightclub projections by clued-up VJs and been restored by discerning feminist folk singers and improv bands while influencing illustrators, fashion designers, and other creative types along the way. Original copies of the soundtrack, however, are much less likely to rear their heads, with prices literally doubling each time the original stock copies swap hands among the same Italian dealers at central European record fairs. Italian soundtracks are expensive anyway, but this one, originally released by the Italian Cinevox label in 1975, has extra credentials. Finders Keepers Records and Sato himself agreed that this record should finally be liberated among those who know the magic words. With the decision to keep this album "strictly Sato," a track from the original release has been removed -- the main orchestral love theme by Asei Kobayashi and Mayumi Tachibana -- which in all honesty is very much detached from Sato's psychedelic soundtrack. Kept intact, however, are the songs sung and penned by Sato's wife at the time, Chinatsu Nakayama, including the track titled "TBFS," which only appears on the master tapes and never actually made it onto the theatrical cut of the film (though the theme is briefly alluded to, with different instrumentation, in a cut-scene available on the German DVD release). This reissue project also marks the beginning of a longer intended relationship between Finders Keepers and Masahiko Sato, exploring his recorded work in film music, jazz, and avant-garde composition.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: FD 136CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Representing Ahad's Flux Worlds 1, the lengthily titled Memo Point Soundmap for Terrestrial Melanoheliophobics album is the very latest solo offering from this Hungarian sonic traveler now based in Berlin, Zsolt S?rés. Spread over the two discs are seven pieces that take a combination of viola, bass, piano strings, voice, mellotron, dictaphone, percussion, and all manner of other instrumentation and objects into a realm where inner space folds in on itself and unwittingly assumes the guise of multitudinous journeys to those far-reaching points many a shaman (sonic or otherwise) has attempted to draw from. Despite his background in academic music, Zsolt has always broken beyond this with the help of a deep-seated interest in kosmische music, psychedelia, and the kind of improvisational approach responsible for having produced artists as wide-ranging as AMM, This Heat, and Organum. Also, these days, a regular collaborator with Zappi of Faust, past credits include collaborative work with Jean-Herve Peron of Faust, Faust themselves, Franz Hautzinger, Christian Kobi, Adam Bohman, Theme, and many more. He also works with Hilary Jeffery in the fully immersive wall of stream-of-consciousness sound that is Inconsolable Ghost. If anybody could be heralded as a true practitioner of what could be best described as transitional music in its purest form, then Zsolt must be that artist.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: GET 51445LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

2023 repress. "Pressed on blue & white swirl vinyl! Housed in a high gloss jacket with each lp tucked into a printed inner sleeve. Nasir 'Nas' Jones' 2001 record Stillmatic was considered a major comeback for the 90s rap icon. It signaled a return to the gritty, urban chaos of his acclaimed debut album, after releasing record after record of gradually more mainstream material, and Nas' return to prominence in the highest echelons of hip-hop. In spite of this newfound critical clout, Stillmatic's release did nothing to squash his then ongoing feud with fellow New Yorker Jay-Z, who had gone so far as to challenge Nas to a pay-per-view rap battle. A challenge Nas rejected, stating 'If Jay-Z wants to battle, he should drop his album the same day I do and let the people decide.' Nas fans never would get the no-holds barred lyrical battle with Jay-Z many had speculated. What they got instead was one of Nas' most personal and introspective releases to date in 2002. Not long after Stillmatic's release, Nas spent much of his time away from the limelight to tend to his ill mother, who would pass on from breast cancer in 2002. His experiences with his mother's mortality as well as the fallout of his feud with Jay-Z, who continued to produce diss tracks as Nas tended to his mother, would inspire much of the lyrical material on his next record. God's Son was released in December of 2002, and like Stillmatic before it, was subject to major critical acclaim. On God's Son, Nas effectively took the battle-hardened demeanor he had cultivated and tore it down across 14 tracks that were emotionally insular, though still dusted in urban grit, and still finding time to shoot back at Jay-Z's potshots on tracks like 'Last Real Nigga Alive' and 'Mastermind.' Assisting Nas was a slew of top-tier producers like The Alchemist, Eminem, Ron Browz, and Salaam Remi, over samples of James Brown, the Incredible Bongo Band, Fela Kuti, and Beethoven, and guest vocals from Alicia Keys, Kelis, Claudette Ortiz of City High, and even a posthumous 2Pac. God's Son has been out of print on vinyl since its initial 2002 release, but Get On Down is excited to bring you this deluxe LP package for Record Store Day 2020, remastered from its original audio and pressed on exclusive colored vinyl!"

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: GET 51473LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

New lower pricing. "Pressed on crystal clear vinyl housed in a gatefold jacket with japanese stylized insert and deluxe obi strip. Remastered from the original analog tapes. A partner album to the previous Miles release Decoy this album is also produced by Miles and loaded with the synths of Robert Irving. You're Under Arrest has some surprising new looks at pop tunes by Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper and also features the return of John McLaughlin on guitar, and a guest performance from Sting. This is the final installment of the prolific and brilliant collaboration between Miles and Columbia Records. Also featured on this album are Al Foster, Kenny Garret, and Daryl Jones."

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: GLAM 040CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Glass label, two years late due to Covid etc., Glass Modern present, for your entertainment, a collection of old songs made new by old friends and new, for the kids, old and young. Featuring 20 versions of old Glass classics by The Pastels, Spacemen 3, The Jazz Butcher, Jacobites, and more from former Teenage Fanclub man Gerard Love, Stephen Duffy (The Lilac Time), David J (Bauhaus/Love & Rockets), Luke Haines (The Auteurs), Rolo McGinty (The Woodentops), Jowe Head (Swell Maps), BMX Bandits, and the late Jazz Butcher. Also features Snails, wor_kspace, Kirsten Strom, Heather Leigh & Future Pilot Family Orkestra, Raqia, Matthew Shaw, Astrid Swan, Deux Filles, Dark Globes, Fawns Of Love, Richard Youngs, Ben Edge, and The Venus Fly Trap.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: GUESS 176LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. "Hawkwind, Jefferson Airplane, and Tull all mixed together!" "the precursor to the entire 'The Cramps - Bad Music For Bad People'..." "predates the White Stripes by 20 years!" "this reminds me of early Kurt Vile demos in areas..." "sounds like something Jack White would do now" These are some of the comments you can find on YouTube by people who have just discovered Oliver's private press masterpiece Standing Stone (GUESS 065CD/175LP). That gives you an idea of how unique and ahead of its time Oliver's music is. Recording all by himself at a remote farm in Wales (within hailing distance of the real Standing Stone in the Preseli Hills, Pembrokeshire) and assisted by his brother Chris (a BBC engineer at that time) Oliver self-released in 1974 Standing Stone, now a cult album, reissued on Guerssen last year. Fans of Standing Stone will be blown away when they hear Stone Unturned, a previously unreleased second Oliver album, recorded also in 1974 at the farm and assisted by brother Chris. Performed by Oliver using a single mic, guitars and various effects devices, this is in the same vein as Standing Stone but even more loose and raw. Highly recommended to any acid folk/psych blues fan. Previously unreleased album from 1974 released for the first time. Master tape sound; insert with liner notes and photos; digital download card. "... anyone with a feel for psychedelic guitar, acid folk and mysticism could not deny that Oliver's work is unique in its own breath-taking way, an offering from the deepest point of his being."

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: GUESS 196LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Overdue vinyl compilation featuring non-LP singles and rare/unissued tracks recorded 1965-67 by the fabulous Los Shakers from Uruguay. Focusing on original songs written mostly by the magical tandem of brothers Hugo & Osvaldo Fattoruso and avoiding cover versions, this is a real fest of '60s beat-pop with infectious vocals, memorable hooks and jangly guitars. Compiled, mastered, and annotated by Grammy nominated producer, Alec Palao. Includes insert with liner notes in English/Spanish plus rare photos. "Los Shakers continue to tower over the history of South American rock and pop as a shining example of the deep passion and ability the region can bring to music of any kind." --Alec Palao

 

PRICE: $42.00

CAT #: GUESS 199LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1998. Formed in 1996 by Andy Morten, Mike Poulson, and Louis Wiggett, Bronco Bullfrog took their name from the 1970 British cult film of the same title. Combining their mutual love for '60s and '70s pop psych, power pop, country rock, sunshine pop, and beyond, the trio fashioned their own sound, full of loud guitars, refreshing vocal harmonies, and killer hooks. Imagine The Who circa Live At Leeds playing the Rubble songbook and you're there. Bronco Bullfrog was their magical debut, a CD only release from 1998 (although a vinyl release including a selection of tracks was also issued at the time). Now reissued for the first time on double vinyl and sequenced as originally intended by the band. Including some of their most iconic songs: "History", "Del Quant", "Greenacre Hill", "Down Angel Lane", "Together". RIYL: Who, Kinks, Move, Big Star, Byrds, Teenage Fanclub, Raspberries, Badfinger, Flying Burrito Bros., Small Faces... Gatefold sleeve with photos and liner notes; insert with photos; includes download card.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: GUESS 201LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Recorded at the now famous Liam Watson's Toe Rag Studios (White Stripes, Tame Impala, Billy Childish), The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker was the third album by British pop-psychers Bronco Bullfrog. For a band clearly influenced by late '60s/early '70s sounds, to be surrounded by vintage sixties equipment felt like a dream. As bass player Louis Wiggett recalls: "...the general 'old school' approach lent itself to our belief (probably a desire) that we sounded like some obscure noisy pop band who'd recorded one 45 for Immediate, and then one for Deram, and then a final one for Hit-Ton Schallplatten, all within three months in late 1966." Here you'll find the classic Bronco sound (inventive songwriting, memorable hooks, three-part harmonies, hard guitars) mixed with cool studio experimentation in the best '60s style (tape phasing, piano strings played with plectrums). Including iconic songs like "Barnaby Slade", "Octopus", "Look at Me", "Sunday". Originally released by Spanish label Mushroom Pillow in 2002 and out of print for many years, here's a welcomed vinyl reissue. Original artwork; Insert with liner notes, lyrics and photos. RIYL: Kinks, Badfinger, Hollies, Who, Move, Raspberries. "... vintage sounding technicolor power-pop..." Garwood Pickjon (Popdiggers)

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: GUESS 214LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Guerssen and Little Butterfly present the first long playing record from 1965 by the fabulous Los Shakers, the legendary band formed in Uruguay in the mid-1960s, in the wake of Beatlemania. Their songs had little to envy to those of their heroes from Liverpool. Tempo, chord progressions, and rhythms boiled in a magic, infectious sound! Get ready to enjoy the songs of Hugo, Osvaldo, Caio, and Pelin... Los Shakers! Remastered sound in mono; original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve; insert with rare photos.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: GUESS 215LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

First-ever vinyl release of the long rumored 1969 studio album (plus related acetate and 45 only tracks) from pre-Hotlegs/10cc duo Godley & Creme, during their days as Frabjoy And Runcible Spoon. Classic UK late '60s psychedelic/folk/pop sound recorded at Advision Studios with support from future 10cc colleagues Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart. In mid-1969, legendary British R&B/psychedelic entrepreneur Giorgio Gomelsky signed two Manchester-based art students, renaming them Frabjoy And Runcible Spoon. Envisaging the pair as a British Simon & Garfunkel, Gomelsky recorded an LP with them for release on his Marmalade label. A pre-LP single appeared, but sadly the album's release was aborted. 53 years later, Grapefruit Records released on CD this missing piece of the pre-10cc jigsaw puzzle. Now Guerssen Records present a vinyl version. RIYL: Pete Dello, Graham Gouldman, Bee Gees, Simon & Garfunkel, Beatles, Rubble and Fading Yellow comps. Insert with liner notes by David Wells and rare photos/memorabilia. "... fine and imaginative pop with a psychedelic edge that's a treat for fans of '60s sounds..." --AllMusic

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: GUESS 219LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Gold vinyl. The legendary 1967-68 recordings by UK mod band The Action, registered when they were in transition from mod-beat to full-blown psychedelia, just prior to becoming Mighty Baby. Originally recorded as a set of demos with the intention of obtaining an album deal which inexplicably never materialized, Rolled Gold is a collection of brilliant songs, melancholic yet powerful. The Action's classic line-up of Reg King, Alan "Bam" King, Michael Evans, and Roger Powell is augmented with the inclusion of new members Martin Stone on guitar and Ian Whiteman on flute/organ. All of them are playing their hearts out: superb harmonies, great guitar work, and clever arrangements which show the influence of bands like The Byrds and the psychedelic sounds that were coming from the west coast and UK as well as jazz giants like Coltrane. Always the stuff of legend, the Rolled Gold tapes were shelved at the time, not released until 1997 when the Dig The Fuzz label discovered them and did a limited LP/CD run. Out of print on vinyl for many years, Guerssen Records present a new vinyl edition. If you dig the psychedelic era of Small Faces, Pretty Things, The Who, Plus The Creation, Nazz, Tomorrow, Blossom Toes, The End, or Traffic -- look no further. Digitally remastered from the master tapes. Includes insert with photos and detailed liner notes by Jason Barnard (Shindig!)."It's as if Paul Weller time-travelled back to 1967 and wrote the best songs of his career. Every track is a fully realized melodic and lyrical statement." --Matt Collar, All Music"I could imagine, if they had been able to do them 'properly,' Rolled Gold stood to be thought of as their Ogden's Nut Gone Flake." --David M. Snyder (Popdiggers)"We were really excited about what we were doing and felt we were creating something fresh and new."--Alan "Bam" King"The Action never became stars, but Rolled Gold justifies the legend." --David Fricke (Rolling Stone)

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: HONEY 071LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue. Recorded in 1963 and originally released on Colpix, Highlife was one of Randy Weston's first declared homages to African music and heritage. A direct fruit of his first trip to Nigeria in 1961, the album is considered one the highpoints in Weston's long and articulated career. Beautifully arranged by the great Melba Liston, the music reveals the unbroken relationship between the African ancestral sensibility and the Afro-American jazz experience. Under the direction of Melba Liston and pianist Randy Weston here we have a first-class group of musicians including heavyweights such as Ray Copeland (trumpet), Jimmy Cleveland (trombone), Quentin Jackson (trombone), Julius Watkins (French horn), Aaron Bell (tuba), Budd Johnson (saxophone), Booker Ervin (saxophone), Peck Morrison (bass), Charlie Persip (drums), Frankie Dunlop (drums), Archie Lee (percussion), and George Young (percussion). One of the greatest Pan-African vision examples in music.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: HONEY 072LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1962. Here are the fabulous Mar-Keys, the Memphis based group, remembered to be the first house band at Stax Records. A bunch of talented, solid studio musicians who formed the foundation for the legendary Stax sound. Originally issued in early 1962, Do The Pop-Eye was the band's second album, a collection of minimal, infectious soul-funk-rock instrumentals. Among the players: guitarist and composer Steve Cropper, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, and organist Booker T. Jones. Just the right people to lay down the perfect groove for a quintessential album of instrumental music to dance to.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: HONEY 078LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released on Argo Records in 1962. At the very beginning of the sixties, almost every American jazz musician in the business had to somehow express his attraction for the exotic yet challenging Brazilian sound of the day. This is the album that shows Ramsey Lewis's trio embracing the light and infectious groove of bossa nova, a genre and a style in which Lewis's pop sensibility fits perfectly. The trio, here and there augmented by Brazilian guests, shines throughout a well-chosen tracklist of songs from the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá plus a bunch of originals in the same vein.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: IMPREC 506CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Razen's Postcards From Hereafter was recorded using a 17th century organ tuned at 398 Hz (meantone) in a Belgian cathedral erected in 1305. The ensemble explored, with rich results, the organ's strict and limiting tuning with an arrangement that included hurdy gurdy, recorders, chalumeau, violone and nyckelharpa. The pieces on Postcards From Hereafter explore the crossover between this world and the next with improvised spiritual, religious music. Brussels-based ensemble Razen use the unique timbral and drone characteristics of their chosen string and wind instruments in improvised, instinctive music that mixes pre-industrial, spectral and ethnic dreamtones with trance and medieval mysticism. The group includes Brecht Ameel and Kim Delcour as well as Pieter Lenaerts on five-string double bass and sarangi, Paul Garriau on hurdy-gurdy, David Poltrock on Ondes Martenot, Berlinde Deman on serpent, and Jean-Philippe Poncin on chalumeau and bass clarinet. RIYL: Olivier Messiaen, Sun Ra, Popol Vuh.Over the past twelve years, the Brussels-based ensemble Razen has been forging a singular path that rethinks the idiom of minimalism and pushes it toward a higher plane; tapping the primal root, while pushing toward the future. Founded in 2010 as duo of Brecht Ameel (organ and string instruments) and Kim Delcour (wind instruments), growing and contracting as an ensemble over the years, the band deploys improvisation and the unique timbral and drone characteristics of string and wind instruments to sculpt landscapes of intuitive long tones, combining the trance-inducing roots of music with a progressive vanguardism that seeks the intangible and the unknown. The band's releases are emblematic of the hybrid between psychedelic music, Early Music and contemporary spectral approaches. Razen has performed all over Europe on numerous occasions, on international festivals and well-known venues, from Fylkingen in Stockholm to Berghain in Berlin to the small church of Dranouter (Belgium)."... an intoxicating sauce of stark and tripped out ritual music... which conspires to keep listeners in a semi-permanent trance state" --Julian Cope (Head Heritage)."... a heady brew of deep listening music that is almost medieval in mood and wholly reverential in technique" --Edwin Pouncey (Wire Magazine)."Razen push the drone potential of medieval instruments like hurdy gurdy as well as shawm and recorders... into realms of total sensory overload" --David Keenan (Volcanic Tongue).

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: JMAN 136CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Ten years after our initial survey of Afro-Latin accented rhythm & blues from the mid-century, Jazzman Records presents a fourth installment, packed with as many musical surprises as the first. With music plucked from an era spanning the late 1940s into the early '60s, Jukebox Mambo Volume IV highlights yet again the unparalleled musical creativity of the post war era, and shows how the infusion of Afro-Latin rhythms was key to these revolutions. Lovingly and painstakingly researched and curated, the album boasts 23 tracks, many previously uncompiled, touching on jazz, blues, doo wop, calypso, rock n' roll, gospel, and more. Featuring individual track notes for every song along with some never seen before photographs of the artists, Jukebox Mambo Vol IV maintains the same high production values of each previous volume, and indeed the wider Jazzman catalog. Features Marie Knight and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Dundees, The Heartbreakers, Helene Polite, Oscar Pettiford, Bixie Crawford, Preston Love, Mamie Ree, Monchito, Betty Mattson, Effie Smith & Johnny Criner, Titus Turner, The Blasts, The Royals, Eunice Davis, Frank Butler, Mr Bo, Otis Smith, The Dukes Of Rhythm, Innocentay, Lawrence Stone, Lawrence Peel and The Filatones, and Kiki Williams.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: KK 127LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Die-cut sleeve, printed inner; edition of 300. Scottish composer and multi-instrumentalist Bill Wells and virtuoso tuba player Danielle Price once more team up for Karaoke Kalk under the name The Sensory Illusions. The two further explore the affinities between their idiosyncratic musical approaches across a variety of styles and genres while also expanding their sound palette. After its predecessor (KK 110CD/LP, 2019) saw Wells working strictly with his electric guitar, on the Sensory Illusions II the piano enters the mix on two of the eleven pieces. Much like his brass-heavy collaboration album Osaka Bridge with Japanese collective Maher Shalal Hash Baz (KK 044X-LP), this album injects melancholic atmospheres with a sense of playfulness. Picking up on elements from jazz, pop, blues, and classic songwriting while acknowledging their debt to techniques from the worlds of avant-garde and improv music, The Sensory Illusions weave together disparate elements into a colorful, imaginative suite of songs. Starting with the folky chords of opener "Four Chord Dream," the track titles spell out Wells's characteristic use of ideas that literally come to him in his sleep. The National Jazz Trio Of Scotland leader then fleshes them out together with Price, who again serves as a one-woman rhythm section, as she does throughout most of the album. When Wells enters 1960s spy movie territory with a swirling rendition of John Barry's "Theme from Vendetta" and picks up on those dynamics with a rolling riff in the next song, her versatile playing provides the backdrop for that. Once Wells sits down at the piano for the tender "Flotsam Bodes," however, their roles are being reversed and Price -- a seasoned and multifaceted musician who was one of only six applicants chosen to attend Chilly Gonzales's Gonzervatory in 2019 and who is currently working with acclaimed London-based trumpet player and composer Laura Jurd -- takes the lead. "I'm the Urban Spaceman" makes it even more apparent how seamlessly these two experienced players leave each other space to showcase their respective talent and expand on their individual ideas: Marked by Wells's soloing and exploring different sonic possibilities of the guitar, it also sees Price showcasing her reduced yet agile solos before they both return to the idea at the heart of the song. As the second duo record in their six years of working together, The Sensory Illusions II proves once more how much musical ground they are able to cover with their instruments and open minds alone.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: KRANK 176LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; LP version. "The third full-length release for Portland, Oregon-based Liz Harris. Harris might have achieved a significant fan base thanks to the whispering, near-ambient vocal crusades of her debut album Way Their Crept and its follow-up Wide, but those with a careful ear would have heard slightly more trapped beneath her fuzzy chain of effects. Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill marks a departure of sorts for Liz, which sees her turn down the fuzz boxes which caged (and to some degree defined) her sound and allows her voice to ring out above everything else. It is an album steeped in the world of dream-pop and far from shying away from the reference, Liz has instead grabbed on with both hands, creating an album's worth of perfect, left-field pop songs. Using delicate song structures which are at once both familiar and somehow alien, her vocals cry out hauntingly over stripped-down guitar lines and looped environmental recordings. These are the future soundtracks to love, despair and ultimately, hope." "This remarkable album is actually what I personally always wanted 4AD records to sound like, only they never quite delivered the hazy pleasures their beautiful sleeve art promised." --Pitchfork (8.2)

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: KRANK 217LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. "Received a 7.8 rating from Pitchfork. Not long after recording her tenth album Ruins, Liz Harris traveled to Wyoming to work on art and record music. She found herself drawn towards the pairing of skeletal piano phrasing with spare, rich bursts of vocal harmony. A series of stark songs emerged, minimal and vulnerable, woven with emotive silences. Inspired by 'the idea that something is missing or cold,' the pieces float and fade like vignettes, implying as much as they reveal. She describes them as 'small texts hanging in space,' impressions of mortality, melody, and the unseen -- fleeting beauty, interrupted. Grid Of Points stands as a concise and potently poetic addition to the Grouper catalog. 'Grid Of Points is a set of songs for piano and voice. I wrote these songs over a week and a half; they stopped abruptly when I was interrupted by a high fever. Though brief, it is complete. The intimacy and abbreviation of this music allude to an essence that the songs lyrics speak more directly of. The space left after matter has departed, a stage after the characters have gone, the hollow of some central column, missing.' --Liz Harris"

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: KRANK 223LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. "Out-of-print LPs from the critically acclaimed electronic experimental singer/songwriter. Unavailable since 2012.'This sound / synapse transposition is as haunting as it is beautiful -- surely Grouper's best.' --Tiny Mix Tapes. 'If past Grouper releases have inhabited abyssal trenches and damp backwoods, here Harris takes us journeying across constellations and stars. Two of the most beguiling albums of the year, exquisitely realized and singularly evocative.' --The Quietus. 'This music feels both spacey and expansive and also oddly intimate and grounded, the work of someone who has mastered her tools and knows how to get the most out of them.' --Pitchfork. 'Harris finds a way to dive deeper in simple and unassuming ways.' --NPR."

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: LAC 015CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

2020 release. "There is an endless abundance of variations that the clarinet can use in changing the color of a single note. As a privileged listener -- and -- experiencer, Ben Bertrand through his favorite instrument shared the musical blueprints with me, which resulted in this album. His music has become a vivid part of my almost daily thoughts -- allowing what I hear to clash and sing with the patterns and rhythms already established in my mind. A voluntary trip, an absorbing experience in our Brussels vibrant cultural life. With his instrument and countless machines, Ben creates a web of sounds that are hard to pin down but easy to absorb as a whole. Ben Bertrand happened to me. His music, full of beauty, is good to listen to and pleasant to follow. A sense and perception of continued growth too illuminated and overwhelming to resist. While I sense when a new composition is coming, Ben was able in our daily conversations, to progressively untangle a musical mystery and layout the puzzle of a new creation. Listening to his music is like sitting at the sea, watching a slow motion of our crazy life sailing by. You, as a listener, with this record stepped in an early stage of his career, with hardly any involvement of other people, composition wise. Besides composing alone, there have been countless hours when Ben Bertrand worked and interacted with Christophe Albertijn for the recordings. There is also the essence of our regular exchanges and the visions we knit. These are in my opinion just the starting points of plural interactions and musical endeavors to be. It is a matter of his artistic trust and let go, while Ben creates his own language, package and macrocosm. The excellence of Ben Bertrand's music lays in its involving and easily accessible nature, regardless of your personal or musical past experience. Ben Bertrand is all before you for you to dig, and nobody is asking you to file him away under any category." --Tommy Denys Personnel: Ben Bertrand - compositions, bass clarinet, electronics; Claire Vailler - voice on "The Manmaipo".

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: MAD 004LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue, originally released in 1971. This isn't just a seminal album. It is an estuary. All the black rivers that would form Brazilian funk/hip-hop flow through it. Led by Paulista pianist Salvador Silva Filho -- Dom Salvador -- Som, Sangue, e Raça from 1971, one year after the explosion of Tim Maia on the scene, catalyzed the bossa nova and jazz background of its leader with the rhythm and blues of its members like saxophonist Oberdã Magalhães, nephew of samba-enredo master Silas de Oliveira and future leader of Banda Black Rio, who since the group Impacto 8 (which had, among others, Robertinho Silva on drums and Raul de Souza on trombone) had already been trying to reconcile MPB with Stevie Wonder and James Brown. Add to all this a mixture of samba, Nordestino accent, and even the black side of the Jovem Guarda represented by the authorial presence of Getúlio Cortes (older brother of Gerson King Combo, the James Brown "cover") in "Hei! Você". Alongside these elements and the presence of Rubão Sabino (bass), who still called himself "Rubens", drummer Luis Carlos (another member of Black Rio), the record enlists the trumpet and flugelhorn of symphonic musician Darcy in place of the original Barrosinho (yet one more founder of Black Rio), who was traveling during the recording but would end up being a leading force of the band. The album Som, Sangue e Raça paves the way for future generations of musicians and producers of the Carioca scene at the beginning of the 1970s. The lyrics that dealt with the question of race and the explosive fusion of samba, soul, jazz, and funk, elaborated by Dom Salvador and his troupe, Abolição, established the bases for the development of new sounds and tendencies in Brazilian music. 180 gram vinyl; deluxe hard-cardboard sleeve; OBI; resealable outer sleeve.

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: MAR 069LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Official first-time reissue, originally released in 1979. The LP Um Grito de Guerra cover invites you to enter Pedrinho Sampaio's ship and embark on a series of sounds that reveal Amazonian jazz harmonies, groovy guitars, a funky swing, and progressive keyboard attacks. However, the musical journey is not unambiguous in its style, unveiling a walk over the treetops beyond the "southern seas". So, you must get lost in the immensity before even commanding words defining this sound. From his cabin, Pedrinho controls his keyboards (an instrument that became so commonplace in the following decades), extracting all his creative power and masterfully conducting a band that swells the musical stew, bringing a new song that was part of the creative process of the eponymous show. An authentic Brazilian gem. Ranging from funk to soul to boogie, jazz and beyond, this little-known album by Amazonas state native Pedrinho Sampaio titled Um Grito de Guerra is the collection of musical works created for a theatrical show by the same name. The presentation focused on a few points, but the primary focus was rescuing the Amazonian identity and protecting the environment against Trans-Amazonia. Pedrinho handles producing and arranging, along with keyboards and vocals. 180 gram vinyl; hardcover sleeve with OBI strip.

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: MAR 071LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1974. Obscure and rare album of spacey fusion grooves, played by a group that includes Robert Rockwell on reeds, plus Bobby Lyle on piano and electric piano. Lyle's presence gives the album a nice groove. Bob Rockwell, born in Miami, Oklahoma, is an American jazz saxophonist who emigrated to Denmark in 1983 and has lived ever since. 180-gram black vinyl; hardcover sleeve with OBI strip.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: MGART 904LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. 180-gram LP version with embossed chessboard artwork print and printed inner sleeve. In celebration of the 2016 35th anniversary of the December 12, 1981, recording of Manuel Göttsching's legendary E2-E4, one of electronic music's most influential recordings, Göttsching's MG.ART label presents an official reissue, carefully overseen by the master himself. Includes liner notes by Manuel Göttsching, archival photos, and an excerpt of David Elliott's review in Sounds from June 16, 1984."As the story is sometimes told, Göttsching stopped in the studio for a couple of hours in 1981 and invented techno. E2-E4 is the most compelling argument that techno came from Germany-- more so than any single Kraftwerk album, anyway. The sleeve credits the former Ash Ra Tempel leader with 'guitar and electronics', but few could stretch that meager toolkit like Göttsching. Over a heavenly two-chord synth vamp and simple sequenced drum and bass, Göttsching's played his guitar like a percussion instrument, creating music that defines the word 'hypnotic' over the sixty minutes . . . A key piece in the electronic music puzzle that's been name-checked, reworked and expanded upon countless times." --Mark Richardson, Pitchfork

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: BT 5002P-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. "180 gram audiophile vinyl edition of this much sought after 1969 Pussy album. This repress is on pink vinyl. A psych classic with a mint original copy fetching around $2000."

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: MORR 194CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Live recordings from the band's studio, the Alien Research Center, during lockdown times in 2021. The Notwist, centered around the core trio of Cico Beck and the Acher brothers Markus and Micha, usually takes its studio recordings as a mere starting point for their live performances, considering them to be possibilities that need to be explored further. This is especially true for Vertigo Days - Live from Alien Research Center, a live record made under unusual circumstances. The band members rearranged songs from their ambitious 2021 album Vertigo Days (MORR 180CD/LP/SUN-LP) in their studio in Weilheim to record and film a special performance. The songs took on a new life, becoming more psychedelic and intense when rearranged into a spontaneous, krautrock-esque collage. Vertigo Days was meant to transcend the conventional notion of a band as well as the creative and geographic boundaries inscribed into that concept. And even though life had other plans, this is precisely what the album did when it was released to both commercial success and critical acclaim in early 2021. Contributions by Tenniscoats singer Saya, Angel Bat Dawid, Ben LaMar Gay, Juana Molina, among others, as well as new member Theresa Loibl on bass clarinet, harmonium, and keyboard, expanded the band's sonic palette, stylistic range, and even lyrical focus through the addition of different instruments, artistic approaches, and languages. All of that was missing when the band retreated to their studio -- dubbed Alien Research Center in response to, and in spite of, a nearby church called Christian Outreach Center -- to further explore the possibilities of the source material. Vertigo Days - Live from Alien Research Center is at once a snapshot of a certain moment in the band's history and the quintessential Notwist live record: a unique performance that both explores the untapped potential of the Vertigo Days studio recordings while also serving as an inspiration for upcoming live shows. As with the studio album, the artwork for Vertigo Days - Live from Alien Research Center features photographs by Japanese artist Lieko Shiga, taken in the '00s.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: MORR 198CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

American singer-songwriter, poet, and photographer Thomas Meluch, known musically as Benoît Pioulard, returns with his most structured and vocal release to date. Titled Eidetic, a word denoting the ability to recall mental images with extraordinarily rich precision, the album presents unprecedented clarity and vitality for Benoît Pioulard. To access its thematic ground, Meluch looked inward with an affinity towards the people he loves during a period marked by his move from Seattle to Brooklyn in 2019. Eidetic is the culmination of Meluch's craft both as a producer and writer. An evocative sonic vocabulary meets deft lyrical introspection, articulated with the nuance, vulnerability, and confidence of a longtime artist hitting a stride. Meluch has continually refined, redefined, and adjusted the focus of his gentle pop project over the last 20 years. 2021 full-length Bloodless found Meluch deep in droning decay, expressive yet wordless. With Eidetic, he swings back to sharpened forms. Lush banks of treated guitar and synth brush against hushed percussion; there is mist in the distance, but everything up close is intricately constructed and radiant. Meluch's voice is notably forward in the mix -- a warm and calming tenor, a harmonic coo more than a whisper -- ever-observant and actively processing. To record much of the album, Meluch filled a cabin in rural Maine with his usual setup of simple percussion, a couple of Fender electrics, and a parlor guitar made by his friend who does bespoke luthier work. Eidetic opens in a swirl of familiar haze; "Margaret Murie" eases listeners in, as lush and verdant as the landscapes conserved by its famed namesake. With the setting established, Meluch, the narrator, enters the foreground with "Crux," a tender piece written about finding new motivations in a new city. Meluch's prose shines on the swiftly-moving "Nameless," inspired by the neurological effects that came with the antiquated practice of manufacturing mercury mirrors. Across the album, labyrinthine lyrical ponderings scatter with dazzling imagery, artfully blurring scenes from world history with Meluch's more personal, present-day. The propulsive and earnest "Thursday Night" catches his mind overly active and too stoned, riffing on black holes and songwriting itself. "Halve" references the splitting of the atom, what he considers "the beginning of man's downfall," and the unrealized initiative proposed by the US government that would have created "nuclear refuges" in its national parks. Meluch's loved ones weave throughout; "Tet" holds his father's experience in Vietnam and its lasting effects. "Lillian Isola" touches on his maternal grandmother's spinal curvature, and "Pastel Dust" navigates the wake of his cat, who died on New Year's Eve 2020.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: MORR 198LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. Includes printed inner sleeve and download code. American singer-songwriter, poet, and photographer Thomas Meluch, known musically as Benoît Pioulard, returns with his most structured and vocal release to date. Titled Eidetic, a word denoting the ability to recall mental images with extraordinarily rich precision, the album presents unprecedented clarity and vitality for Benoît Pioulard. To access its thematic ground, Meluch looked inward with an affinity towards the people he loves during a period marked by his move from Seattle to Brooklyn in 2019. Eidetic is the culmination of Meluch's craft both as a producer and writer. An evocative sonic vocabulary meets deft lyrical introspection, articulated with the nuance, vulnerability, and confidence of a longtime artist hitting a stride. Meluch has continually refined, redefined, and adjusted the focus of his gentle pop project over the last 20 years. 2021 full-length Bloodless found Meluch deep in droning decay, expressive yet wordless. With Eidetic, he swings back to sharpened forms. Lush banks of treated guitar and synth brush against hushed percussion; there is mist in the distance, but everything up close is intricately constructed and radiant. Meluch's voice is notably forward in the mix -- a warm and calming tenor, a harmonic coo more than a whisper -- ever-observant and actively processing. To record much of the album, Meluch filled a cabin in rural Maine with his usual setup of simple percussion, a couple of Fender electrics, and a parlor guitar made by his friend who does bespoke luthier work. Eidetic opens in a swirl of familiar haze; "Margaret Murie" eases listeners in, as lush and verdant as the landscapes conserved by its famed namesake. With the setting established, Meluch, the narrator, enters the foreground with "Crux," a tender piece written about finding new motivations in a new city. Meluch's prose shines on the swiftly-moving "Nameless," inspired by the neurological effects that came with the antiquated practice of manufacturing mercury mirrors. Across the album, labyrinthine lyrical ponderings scatter with dazzling imagery, artfully blurring scenes from world history with Meluch's more personal, present-day. The propulsive and earnest "Thursday Night" catches his mind overly active and too stoned, riffing on black holes and songwriting itself. "Halve" references the splitting of the atom, what he considers "the beginning of man's downfall," and the unrealized initiative proposed by the US government that would have created "nuclear refuges" in its national parks. Meluch's loved ones weave throughout; "Tet" holds his father's experience in Vietnam and its lasting effects. "Lillian Isola" touches on his maternal grandmother's spinal curvature, and "Pastel Dust" navigates the wake of his cat, who died on New Year's Eve 2020.

 

PRICE: $14.00

CAT #: MR 7328EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. "The archaeology of rock'n'roll is much like any other form of digging. Significant finds demand the re-addressing of previously considered certainty. You can hear direct links to both The Stooges and The Cramps here and several more equally enthralling combos. The latter spawned several generations of individuals who would dig deep to previously (mostly) unheard seams of music and other forms of culture that have since become part of the mainstream fabric. When Los Saicos' front man Erwin Flores was asked how aware he and his friends were of what was happening in Britain and the US at the time, here's what he had to say: 'We knew the Beatles, they were our idols. We heard the Rolling Stones after recording Demolición and also Bob Dylan and others. The primitive nature of our songs is something that came spontaneously out of my head. The band had no problem with assimilating and arranging it. We thought of ourselves as bad boys and that must have been a driving force.' Primitive to the point of primordial, Los Saicos are an important benchmark. Not were. Who ever thought there could be a combo out there in Peru that would make The Sonics sound like Simon and bloody Garfunkel? There is quite possibly some other music out there, someplace, that could well make us re-address this consideration, but until then, cherish this short course of Saicotherapy." --Lindsay Hutton

 

PRICE: $38.50

CAT #: MPI 010LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

A commissar with his hands tied and a gentleman godfather. A gang of ruthless kidnappers and a couple of parents ready to pay any amount to hold their missing daughter again. The evocative backdrop of Lake Como and the rare beauty of Piero Piccioni's music. Fatevi Vivi, La Polizia Non Interverra? (1974), also known as Kidnap, is a detective story directed by Giovanni Fago, with actors of the caliber of Henry Silva, Gabriele Ferzetti and Philippe Leroy. The film draws inspiration from the many cases of kidnappings recorded during the seventies. The first vinyl edition of the soundtrack, edited by Musica Per Immagini, offers the listener a selection of his most significant tracks, carefully remastered, already released on CD. The soundtrack is a fabulous mix of lounge atmospheres, explosive action music, and mysterious moments from which the sound of tubular bells emerge, as in the bittersweet pentaphonic opener "Lovely Mood". Synthesis of a different mood from that adopted by his peers, exemplary in "Ambushers, "played by bass, guitar and piano, plus the string section in counterpoint. True hip-hop break. Within the depths of the tracklist, it is easy to identify the third axis of the project, The Persuaders, thanks to the irresistible rhythm of the brass. The Sicilian mafia motif is also distinctive, punctuated by the traditional sound of the Jew's harp. Another distinguishable aspect of Piero Piccioni's work is the wealth of themes. The composer goes beyond the model that provides for the creation of a main theme and a secondary theme with related variations, because he creates leitmotifs and musical figurations tailored to each of the salient situations and related protagonists.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: MVD 5254CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. "Meat Puppets II was a 180-degree departure from its predecessor, confusing old fans and creating new ones. Kurt Loder gave it a four-star review in Rolling Stone, calling it 'one of the funniest and most enjoyable albums of 1984', while a bewildered Robert Hilburn proclaimed the Puppets 'far more of an acquired promising though willfully unfocused rock act' in the Los Angeles Times. For this reissue, the album has been expanded to include seven additional tracks."

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: NEOLIFE 002LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

The roots of Leo Anibaldi's sound. Pro Pop is his first instrumental hip-hop album, or an incredible mix of different musical genres, always among his favorite listens, as well as a constant source of inspiration during his "early life" as an electronic producer. The "second" starts now. Over the months of the pandemic, the historic Italian artist has literally centrifuged blues, funk, jazz, r n' b, and, of course, hip-hop sounds within eleven brand new songs. The idea behind the project entrusted to Neo Life Records is simple: create music that can be enjoyed by everyone and listened to in company in all circumstances. A choice that also coincides with an "old school" recording technique with old '60s microphones and tape recorders in order to obtain an apparently "dated" sound with a melancholy background. Pro Pop thus embodies a different style than the noisy glories of a rave past, revealing his desire to get back into the game once more and, above all, to continue experimenting. After branding the history of made in Italy techno, experimenting with acid, breakbeat, and house sounds, here is a more intimate Leo Anibaldi and, as always, against the tide.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: ND 011LP

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

"The stakes are high; if I mess up the last bar, the whole recording is ruined." As Dutch pianist Nicolas van Poucke acknowledges, there is an electricity in the room whenever the lathe is on. Direct-to-disc recording generates tension and release unlike other methods, not least in the final moments of a 20-minute solo piano recital. Described as "the young freethinker" of his generation, van Poucke relished the challenge. Having spent day one setting up to record works by Fre?de?ric Chopin, van Poucke changed tack on day two to perform two Beethoven piano sonatas -- "Sonata No. 12 Opus 26 in A flat major", and "Sonata No. 23 Opus 57 in F minor", also known as the "Appassionata". For many the latter is one of Beethoven's most important and challenging works. Recorded in a single continuous take, van Poucke's recital bristles with energy, control and improvisatory flair. The nature of the recording also sets it apart. Classical pianists have long negotiated the line between technical precision and emotional intent. Outside the rigors of the concert hall, live recordings of classical works are a rarity, and contemporary studio recordings tend towards the meticulously edited. The detail afforded by hi-fi digital clarity is often preferred to the warmth and feel of an analog process. This was not always the case. Drawing on his love for the playing of Cortot, Horowitz, and Fischer during the so-called "golden age" of pianists in the early-mid 20th century who would have likely recorded direct-to-disc before the advent of tape, van Poucke was inspired to follow in their footsteps. "When playing music, one goes from one place to another," he describes. "In a performance, everything that happens in the moment affects what will happen in the next bar or chord. A different nuance, shading, sound quality, inflection might put something that happened in a different light." The immediacy of the recording is striking, the resonant quality of the open Steinway grand delivering a sound as close to live as possible. Nicolas agrees: "In the end, it was a super intense, risky, highly-strung, but a beautiful and joyful experience." For fans of great jazz soloists like Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans as much as for classical aficionados, van Poucke's recordings make the best of the process in capturing a sense of timelessness in the music. Tip-on sleeve; 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: NK 202301LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The complete Peel Session recordings that Syd Barrett did for Top Gear (presented by Peel) on February 24, 1970, plus three unreleased songs recorded for a Bob Harris Sounds of the Seventies show on February 16, 1971. All paired with an historical Pink Floyd performance. Color vinyl; 45 rpm.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: FACTLIV 025LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited restock. For the first time, you have the opportunity to taste these creations in their rawest formats, alive and unleashed . More austere, more claustrophobic, and more haunting than the studio works, they show an impeccable encapsulation of everything the group sought to achieve in a crude version. Ruthlessly testing effective despite notorious lack of suitability, the live sets are also vital reminders that these purveyors of almost untamed sadness were human too. Recorded at various locations, A1, A5 and B2 Live at Paradiso - Amsterdam, 11/01/1980. A2 and B1 Live at Lyceum Ballroom - London, 29/02/1980. A3 and B3 Live at University Of London Union - London, 07/02/1980. A4 Live at Winter Gardens - Bournemouth, 29/02/1980. B4 Live at High Hall - Birmingham, 02/05/1979.

 

PRICE: $31.00

CAT #: NA 5213LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 repress. "The first ever issue of this spiritual jazz album. The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America's 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, 'Music is the healing force of the universe.' Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff 'Chairman' Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century. The booklet features never-before-seen archival photos and rare ephemera from Tribe's mid-1970s heyday. The Tribe Records co-founder's lost album, rumored to exist no more. Mastered from the original tapes and lacquered by Bernie Grundman."

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: OSR 096LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Born out from the ashes of legendary Florida garage band The Tropics (of "As Time's Gone" fame), Bacchus was a powerful psychedelic/hard-rock/boogie power trio influenced by Cream, Hendrix, Allman Brothers, et al. They only released four rare 45s, collected here for the first time. When Eric Turner (guitarist, vocalist and songwriter), grew into a more progressive form of rock music after a split from The Tropics, he teamed up with fellow Tropics bass player Charlie Souza and drummer Bill Peterson: Bacchus (named after the Roman God of wine) was born. In 1970, they opened for Cactus and Free and after the good response, they recorded their first 45, the fab hard-rock sounding "Carry My Load". From there they went on tour with Grand Funk Railroad around the state. After more 45 releases, Bacchus was also the opening act for Lynyrd Skynyrd, BB King, The Outlaws, Redbone, Edgar Winter, and Ted Nugent. They also had the privilege to open a Florida concert for Mahavishnu Orchestra and appeared on the free stage at the Atlanta Pop Festival, just before Grand Funk Railroad on the main stage. Famous also in the recent years for appearing on one the famous Brown Acid volumes, a compilation of their complete output was long overdue. Insert with liner notes by Klemen Breznikar (It's Psychedelic Baby) and rare photos. Remastered by Tony Reed at HeavyHead Recording Co. Includes digital download card.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: SONICS 002LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Damage and Their Slices is a collaborative album NVST and Théo Muller, in which they invite the listeners to a deep dive into an esoteric universe where dark magic meets political revolt. The Swiss artist NVST shouts, preaches, stirs up and questions the consciences of his audience with a deluge of words about this sick society, the capitalist infection and the abuse of power. In tune with this mantra of George Orwellian-rhetoric, the music by Frenchman Théo Muller turns the malaise of the content into form: paranormal psychedelia, arcane dub, industrial ectoplasms, esoteric ambient and paranormal drones. In short: a friction of electronic sounds that Kraftwerk, years ago, unwittingly defined as metal on metal. Live, this call to action to necromancy and revolution takes on an amphibious, organic, almost cathartic and revealing form. For fans of: Massive Attack, Shackleton, Muslimgauze.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: PRESH 017EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Transparent amber vinyl. The friendship between Al Cisneros (Sleep/OM) and Kevin Martin (The Bug/King Midas Sound) begun when King Midas Sound supported OM at the Scala in London in 2012. Subsequently the duo quickly realized via passionately animated conversations, that they shared a serous addiction to reggae 7", and in particular, a mutually insatiable appetite for roots and the deepest dub versions being consistently transmitted from Jamaica... This resulted in Cisneros, then inviting Martin to specifically drop hardcore dub sessions as support to Sleep in Berlin, and on tour with OM. It was during the European Om tour in 2019, that Cisneros offered to record an ep for The Bug's fledgling Pressure label. And now "Rosin" is the fulfillment of that promise. Al's side of the single, showcases the low-end specialist extending the bassbin pounding methodologies of those incredible bline masters who first inspired him to relentlessly explore the infinitely resonant worlds of bass and space. So "Rosin Immersion" and it's subsequent dub "Dabby You", echo "Flabba Holt's classic work with the Roots Radics or Robbie Shakespeare's tremendous output for Channel One with The Revolutionaries... These devastating mixes extend the hallowed roots tradition that Cisneros worships, and gleefully opts for an even lower, slower, grind... It's another fantastic example of Al's parallel dub world, that he has been tirelessly promoting with his incredible Sinai label releases for the past few years, as he simultaneously continues to reshape metal with Sleep and zoned "out" rock with OM too. On the flipside, Martin took up Al's invitation to remix his original song, but Kevin here opts for radical mutation instead of homage. What may have begun as a single remix, ends as two militantly distinct future dubs aimed straight at the body and dome... Echoing Kevin's recent collaborations with Will Bevan aka Burial, for their collaborative Flame series, as previously released on Pressure, this pair of thundering tracks reflect The Bug at his most immersive and psychedelic. "Fathoms" and "50 hz" revel in their otherness, and the sonic sorcery of his Brussels based sound lab. The twin rhythms are undoubtedly inspired by the spirit of The Bug's production heroes Scientist, King Tubby or Adrian Sherwood, but are set adrift in a futuristic sci-fi format for ambient heads and sound system disciples alike to get fully lost in.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: RLL 073LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The University of London Union show took place on February 8, 1980, just a few months before Ian Curtis's death. The 12-song set list was mostly based on songs that would end up on Closer (the band's second and final studio album) but also on classic singles such as "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Digital". The band was in fine form with Curtis leading the charge into their own gloomy, psychotic, atmospheres. A quintessential live album and a real treat for any Joy Division fan.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: EZRDR 143CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Featuring long-lost gems from ultra-rare 45s and private press singles -- plus one previously unreleased banger -- Scrap Metal Vol. 2 maintains a steady NWOBHM course. Packed with infectious outliers and supremely talented one-and-done metal warriors from the crucial British movement of the late '70s and early '80s (and some killer American obscurities inspired by them), this collection delivers all the fist-pumping, riff-mongering and flashy solos of heavy metal's golden age. As always, every track has been officially licensed and every artist gets paid. Some examples include: As a late entry into the NWOBHM sweepstakes, JJ's Powerhouse was formed in Merseyside, England, by guitarist Jon 'J.J.' Cox with members of his previous band, Quad. Much like the opener to the original Scrap Metal comp, one can hear early Metallica coursing through this legendary ripper. Coincidentally, this ultra-rare 45 was released in '83, the same year as Kill 'Em All. Taking their name from a 1978 sci-fi novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Welsh super troopers Storm Queen reveled in animal-print clothing and flying Vs. The Motörhead-meets-Priest anthem 'Raising the Roof' is the flipside to their only single, which the band self-released in 1982. Led by guitarist Dave Morse, Storm Queen's earliest lineup included bassist Bryn Merrick (RIP), who would go on to join The Damned. Roaring out of Birmingham, England, in 1975, Jameson Raid palled around with fellow Brummies Black Sabbath and named themselves after a failed 19th century attack that helped kick off South Africa's Second Boer War. Their three-song 1979 debut featured the infectious 'It's a Crime,' which comes across like a deadly hard-glam version of Budgie. Still fronted by vocalist Terry Dark, they're going strong as of 2022. Both sides of Metropolis' sole single bear the legend, 'Unauthorized duplication shall result in getting your ass beat.' This San Jose metal squad released their only single in 1986 and dedicated it to Metallica bassist Cliff Burton, who had recently been killed in a bus accident. 'The Raven' is the serpentine NWOBHM- and Edgar Allan Poe-influenced flipside to 'Time Heals Everything.'"

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: MPLP 306LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Considering the tight run of albums since the first part of the Gullvåg Trilogy in 2017 -- three double and a single album in less than four years -- the 16 months wait for Ancient Astronauts must feel like an eternity for the fans. Much of the music continue in the manner of Motorpsycho's popular long form "N.O.X." suite from The All Is One (MPCD 104CD/MPLP 304LP, 2020) album, including "Mona Lisa/Azrael" and "Chariot of The Sun", the latter clocking in at 22 minutes, being the band´s longest instrumental track to date. Most of Ancient Astronauts was recorded in Amper Tone studio in Oslo during five days in August with old compadre Deathprod at the helm. All four tracks are basically the band playing live in the studio, with the odd keyboards, some guitar and the vocals added afterwards. Some of it is in turns pretty frantic and angular or grandiose and hypnotic and is mined from the same sources as the band's more explorative music from recent years. Meaning there aren't many choruses to hang on to here, but plenty of mouthwatering music for the progheads. The album was mixed by Andrew Scheps.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: SEAL 012LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited 2023 repress; LP version. Recorded several years ago before Rudimentary Peni engaged in another mysterious hiatus, Great War has finally emerged to kiss the gas-tinged light of a mustered morn. Expanding on the skeletal sounds and subject of 2009's Wilfred Owen single the band has seen fit to concentrate on a more mechanized approach doing away with even more of the humanizing aspects in their music this time delivering ten painful familiar shards fraught with brittle anxiety and anguished simplicity. Great War cements new phase in the ever-crawling metamorphic madness that is Rudimentary Peni. The record comes with brand new Nick Blinko artwork.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: SEAL 014LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited 2023 repress; LP version. Sealed Records present a reissue of Rudimentary Peni's Death Church, originally released in 1983. The words legendary, seminal, and classic get thrown around at will these days, but Rudimentary Peni's debut album is all of them. Recorded over two days at Southern Studios by John Loder and originally released in 1983 by Crass off-shoot label Corpus Christi, Death Church showed a band moving away from the urgency of their two early 7"s and into their own realm. Creating a template that bands have been trying to replicate ever since, while ticking all the boxes to become a genre-defining album. Iconic artwork, a unique sound and their own lyrical universe. All merging seamlessly. Sonically the album is full of Nick Blinko's extraordinary vocals and equally remarkable guitar, Grant Matthews's big meandering driving basslines and Jon Greville's tight and relentless drum work which together made something intricate and hard hitting, with a sequence that makes the 21 songs on the album flow perfectly. Visually, the album is every outsider art lover's wet dream. A six-panel poster sleeve with every inch covered in Nick Blinko's claustrophobic black-and-white line drawings, while lyrically the songs deal with madness, religion, death, and questioning humankind from a dark poetic place rarely found in any art form. Remastered from the original master tapes by Arthur Rizk and housed in a replica poster sleeve, including the original insert, Death Church is back in print nearly a decade of no official reissues.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: SI 110BK

FILE UNDER: Misc

R.I.P. SPOT - "Glen M. Lockett" (1951-2023) "Legendary hardcore producer and engineer SPOT (Misfits, Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, Minutemen, etc.) is a master photographer. Sinecure Books are bafflingly proud to be the first to introduce the world to SPOT's photographic narrative. Edited by Johan Kugelberg and Ryan Richardson, Sounds of Two Eyes Opening is a narrative of Southern California chiaroscuro: all the shots of punkers and bands and clubs are dark swatches of blacks and grays with brief illuminations of white skin, bringing about a general claustrophobic cul-de-sac feeling. These images sit in contrast to the wide open event horizon of SPOT's beach photographs: beauty, youth and body worship, white teeth, big hair, the eternal triage of sun/sand/sea, and the promise of the unbroken horizon. Spanning the late 1960s through the early 1980s, Sounds of Two Eyes Opening offers an amazing portrait of Southern California coastal life: surfing, bikinis, roller skating, and skate boarding's fledgling days are set in contrast to iconic shots of all the core denizens of hardcore punk rock as it is being invented; candid shots of Black Flag, The Germs, Minutemen, etc. abut everyday punkers, fans, cops, clubs, and now shuttered rehearsal spaces. Sounds of Two Eyes Opening is presented as a hardbound, 272 page book, printed on matte art paper, with 4-color black-and-white printing, a lay flat binding, and comes with a silkscreened 7" vinyl record."

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: SODA 012LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Actoma is the new full-length record by New York-based musician James Emrick. Emrick may be best known for his work with Kinet Media, handling sound design and scoring for a number of their projects. He utilizes an array of granular and feedback processes within Max/MSP environments to arrive at an idiosyncratic form of computer music that feels willfully opposed to operating within the sediments of the genre. Techniques such as real-time granulation of samples, Shepard tones, grain diffusion, and complex windowing allow Emrick to dramatize his source material in fascinating ways, and each moment of Actoma teems with widescreen textural allure. Perhaps Emrick's greatest accomplishment is creating a music that remains rigorously committed to severe levels of abstraction while avoiding sterility and coldness entirely. It is a strange and otherworldly landscape indeed, but there is a consciousness there to perceive and record it. Die-cut sleeve, gloss laminate finish; 45rpm; includes download code; edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: SOMM 077LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

First ever vinyl reissue of this UK prog-psych, originally release in 1971. Recorded at George Martin's AIR Studios and originally released on the collectable Vertigo label. A great mix of pastoral prog, hard-rock, blues, and west coast/Americana: long tracks, soft vocal harmonies, dual guitar. Hokus Poke formed in London in the late '60s, consisting of Clive Blenkhorn of lead guitar and vocals, Roger Clarke on guitar, Smith Campbell on bass, and Jonnie Miles on drums. Managed by Kenny Lynch, they secured a deal with the legendary Vertigo label. Earth Harmony, their sole album, was housed in a fabulous die-cut sleeve with photos taken by John Kelly, famous for his work on the Beatles' White Album. One of the rarest albums on the collectable Vertigo label. Original artwork in gatefold die-cut sleeve. Insert with liner notes by Richard Allen and rare photos. RIYL: Wishbone Ash, Traffic, Cream, Pink Floyd, Bronco, Fantasy, Fleetwood Mac... "For once, a Vertigo album that's better than its reputation would suggest" --Giles Hamilton (Galactic Ramble). "... pastoral bluesy prog from the early '70s UK, occupying that comfortable niche somewhere between Humble Pie and Wishbone Ash" --Alex Gitlin.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: SOMM 080LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1970. Heavy-rock/bluesy sound with West Coast overtones and some devastating fuzz-wah guitar. Originally named Strawberry Dust, Ancient Grease was a hard psychedelic band from Wales, connected to Eyes Of Blue and Racing Cars. They were supported by John Weathers (Eyes of Blue) who also acted as producer and songwriter for their sole album, recorded in London. When eventually released in 1970, Women and Children First was credited to Ancient Grease instead of Strawberry Dust (one of those "great" ideas by major labels). The album was first issued in the US and later in the UK, both on the Mercury label but with different sleeves (being the UK one the most desirable and collectable). RIYL: Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Cactus, Captain Beefheart, Red Dirt... Remastered sound; original UK artwork; color insert with liner notes and photos. "An interesting proto-grunge album that wouldn't have been out of place in early '90s Seattle" --Giles Hamilton (Galactic Ramble). "The first thing that hits you in the very first seconds of the opener 'Freedom Train' is a booming, stomping fuzz guitar riff. Washed in wah-wah pedals, thinned in chorus or crunched with saturated tones, the guitar of Graham Williams is the main protagonist of the record." --Andrea Gelardini (It's Psychedelic Baby).

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: SOMM 082LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Includes digital download with two bonus tracks: the tracks on the Dilatation/Scale 45. Reissue, originally released in 1970. Cool library-styled French album. Psychedelic, proggy jazz-funk with Brazilian/bossa touches. Groovy flute by Bernard Wystraëte plus heavy bass, drums (by André Ceccarelli), violin, occasional fuzz-wah guitar and Urszula Dudziak-like scat vocals. In 1970, the AFA label asked flautist Bernard Wystraëte to register a "pop" album after the worldwide impact of progressive bands like Aphrodite's Child and Jethro Tull. Bernard recruited some of his friends who were professional musicians and Structure was born. He wrote a collection of songs influenced by progressive rock, jazz and Brazilian music. The Pop Music album was recorded live in the studio to give a "live show" feel. It was released later that year housed in a superb psychedelic sleeve. The band even toured across France and several countries at the same time that Bernard and other Structure members started backing famous French singer Marie Laforêt live. After the good reception given to the album, another label asked Bernard to record a Structure 45. Dilatation/Scale was released under a new line-up. RIYL: Jean Cohen-Solal, COS, Cortex, ZAO, Triode... Original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve; insert with liner notes and photos.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: PATT 012LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Innemuseum is the debut album by Danish composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Cisser Mæhl. The ten fragile compositions for vocals, sparse electronics, and a myriad of instrumentation illuminate a hushed charm unlike few other Sonic Pieces releases to date. The album sparked off while Cisser was working in a mountain lodge in mid Norway during summer 2019. In her spare time, she would find herself recording mountains, rivers, stones, plants, and animals in the beautiful scenery. After moving to Oslo shortly after, she rented a studio to further work on her own music, songs and sound processing. Through some friends she met Norwegian artist Jenny Hval who became an inspiration as she started taking solo classes with her. Jenny then pushed to contact producer Lasse Marhaug to work together. This became the last piece of the puzzle for Innemuseum to come to fruition as Lasse ended up putting the final touches on the album. When Cisser returned to Copenhagen after seven months in Oslo, the album was finished. The title Innemuseum refers to both the dark months in Oslo and the retraction towards the inner self. An inner museum -- music from within, both as a person and as in physical places. This is undeniably a very personal record that sounds like the musical embodiment of Cisser herself. She sings in Danish in a close-miked way like she's sitting right next to you, all while gentle rhythms and soft strings together create a sort of bright, minimal chamber music with hints of pop sensibility. It almost feels like a Scandinavian reflection of Colleen's work in her more quiet, vocal periods. A music box of weightless compositions for the conscious mind. Fulltone artwork with spot varnish and printed inner sleeve; includes download code; edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: SONOR 021EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Sonor Music Editions announces the first reissue ever of a Giuliano Sorgini's library masterpiece, originally released on the elusive Goldfinger Italian library-only promo label. Immagini Sospese was originally released on the very rare Panorami album in 1980, and specifically composed for the soundtrack of an obscure Italian RAI TV documentary. Also known as "Dolce Casa", this track is known to be one of the best-ever Sorgini's bangers, with an incredible drums groove, lush melodies over a soft chord structure made of airy strings. The B-side includes a killer new track composed by producers Alex Goose and Matt Zara, deeply inspired by the "Immagini Sospese" tune. Edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: SONOR 022EP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Sonor Music Editions unveils the previously unreleased soundtrack of the sexy-comedy film Chi Dice Donna Dice Donna from 1976 directed by Tonino Cervi. The music is signed here by the legendary Italian giant of film music, maestro Piero Piccioni, and it's just unbelievable. This rich EP reissue includes the sweet and romantic downtempo funk of "Svezia" theme, previously released on a very rare original 45 single, and three totally unreleased cuts from the session that swing between the refined and golden Piero Piccioni's music taste and the groovy, funky vibes of Commedia all'Italiana soundtrack music at his best. Edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: SOULG 007LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally formed in 1969. Formed in 1964 in Watts, California, U.S. and based in Los Angeles, the original members were the Texan twin brothers Wallace Scott and Walter Scott plus Gordy Harmon, Marcus Hutson, and Nicholas Caldwell. In 1973, Gordy Harmon injured his larynx in a driving accident and was replaced by Leaveil Degree. Planets of Life was the result of the /incoming change, a vocal soul-funk masterpiece from a renewed harmony group. Often compared to the Isley Brothers, due to Scotty Scott's vocal similarities to Ronald Isley, the band was an excellent R&B combo, turning lately into an electric funk vibe with a clear Temptations twist.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: SOW 041LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue, originally released in 1963. Elis Regina one of the greatest Brazilian interpreters of all time. Originally released in 1963 when she was not even 20 years old, this was her fourth album and second for Columbia Records. Still a few steps before she became a star, here Elis Regina's fresh and extremely ductile voice shines on top of sophisticated jazz arrangements by Astor Silva and a mixed repertoire based on charming romantic songs and vibrant sambas, all composed by Brazilian authors, among them a couple of highlights such as Baden Powell's "Se Você. Quiser" and "O Ben do Amor" the title track composed by guitarist Rildo Hora. This is an early and fine statement in Regina's fast way to the peak of Brazilian music history. Clear vinyl.

 

PRICE: $51.00

CAT #: SFTRI 815LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The groundbreaking album, Beauty and the Beat was released in 1980 ... Every track is a treasure, a mini teen drama immediately appealing, relatable and memorable ... From the very start they were instantly identifiable and maybe a little out of step ... They indeed had a unique vision ... It wouldn't be long till they would charm the pants off the entire world ... They had everything ... The Go-Go's seemed to be more talented than most of their peers and they were always a few steps ahead ... In 1982 they claimed the number one spot on the Billboard chart and stayed there for six weeks and of course it eventually went double platinum ... The Go-Go's were the first all female band that wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to achieve that massive distinction... They soon proved to be a blueprint and an undeniable inspiration for like-minded girls and they spearheaded a deluge of hopeful girl bands ... Pretty much any successful female artist of the past 40 years will swiftly site The Go-Go's as an important influence. Now Sympathy is releasing a tribute album to the girls who conquered a male dominated industry and essentially changed everything successfully rewriting the rule book... This tribute, If You Gotta Go-Go, Go-Go Now features 24 bands... Included in the line-up are a few big-hitters and others you'll likely be hearing for the first time... I've been working on this since last year with the rather amazing Travis Ramin and tirelessly he has helped turn it into an impressive reality... This was in fact a daunting task and sadly some artists we would of liked to have recruited were unable to participate... Produced by Travis Ramin and with the Mighty GEZA X at the helm tying it all together we are confident it will be an amazing/heartfelt artifact honoring the brilliantly talented and ever-lovely Go-Go's... The good news is that the project has The Go-Go's blessings (they each wrote a tiny note to be included) and it has turned out amazing! Gatefold cover, custom color vinyl, etc..." --Long Gone John xx

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: TDP 54080LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1973. Formed in 1971 by guitarist John Evan-Jones and his bassist brother Trevor, obscure British prog-rock act Jonesy had a shifting line-up and unusual elements, Chicago-born Jimmy Kaleth's battery of keyboards including a Mellotron. Sophomore set Keeping Up... saw Trevor return to the fold, along with drummer Plug Thomas, fresh from sessions with Supertramp; guitarist Ray Russell's lush string arrangements and Alan Bown's plaintive trumpet and flugelhorn add extra musical dimensions. Capturing the group at their most eclectic, Keeping Up... is a must for Mellotron fans and all lovers of pop, jazz, and blues-tinged prog. Includes one bonus track, "Every Day's The Same".

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: TDP 54082LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1969. Before joining Dick Cuthell in jazz fusion act Trifle, keyboardist Alan Fealdman and drummer Chico Greenwood formed Jasper with bassist Jon Taylor, guitarist Steve Radford, and singer/harmonica player, Nick Payne. On sole LP Liberation, released by Spark in 1969, Jasper skirts psychedelia, proto-prog, and blues rock, an unusual hybrid with a fluid sound that's difficult to place. Along with unusual arrangements of "Baby Please Don't Go," "St. Louis Blues," and Donovan's "Cuttin' Out," there are Baroque motifs of the title track, repeated at varying intervals. For fans of multidimensional prog and cutting edge blues-rock.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: TDP 54086LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1969. English blues outfit Tramp was a fleeting affair, active in the late 1960s and early 1970s on an on again, off again basis. Centered on former John Dummer Blues Band guitarist/vocalist Dave Kelly and his singing sister Jo Ann, the group benefitted from Fleetwood Mac mainstays Mick Fleetwood, Danny Kirwan, Bob Brunning, and former Savoy Blues Band keyboardist, Bob Hall. Produced for Spark in 1969 by Donovan's manager, Peter Eden, their sole LP featured tough blues originals, written by members of the group. This is a must-have for all Fleetwood Mac devotees, and for lovers of British blues albums.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: TDP 54089LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1970. Initially formed in southeast London in the mid-1960s as the Coloured Raisins, obscure black rock quartet Black Velvet infused their sound with soul and reggae undercurrents, a testament to the Caribbean origins of the group members, and the pervasive styles inspiring the black communities that inhabited London's marginal outskirts. Produced by Don Lawson for the Beacon label, which was launched by the Antiguan businessman and future politician Milton Samuel, Black Velvet's powerful debut is a snapshot in time of London's black underground that will appeal to anyone interested in the black British music scene of the early 1970s.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: TDP 54090LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1975. Following his tenure fronting British psychedelic rock act The Web, who cut a couple of likeable albums featuring his bluesy, soulful lead, US-born vocalist Mississippi John L. Watson went solo, working with Pete Wingfield on his 1970 debut, White Hot Blue Black. Superior sophomore set Let's Straighten It Out was released on Bob Kingston's Spark label in 1975 and credited to John L. Watson and White Mouse, with Watson headed in a funk direction; along with the potent title track, there's a fine cut of Gwen McCrae's "Rockin' Chair," making the set a sure-fire winner for Watson fans and lovers of British funk and soul.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: TDP 54099LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1970. By the time of East Of Eden's sophomore set Snafu, future Wings drummer Geoff Britton and Scottish bassist Andy Sneddon were in the fold, furthering the tough blues rock underpinning beneath Dave Arbus's electric violin, Geoff Nicholson's rocking guitar and Adrian Martins's meandering sax. Easily one of the most experimental albums to reach the UK top 30, this is a delightful excursion into experimental prog, with free jazz and dada elements at its margins. Their cut of the Skatalites' "Marcus Junior" and "Confucius" are astounding, and the rest of the disc is thoroughly excellent. Dig in and be awed. Includes "Jig-A-Jig" as a bonus track.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: VAK 065LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Not much is really known about the production process behind the sprawling works of Japanese composer Yosuke Tokunaga, nor about the artist himself. Whatever the process may be, its outcome yields unique soundscapes that lunge and retreat in near mechanical movement, while warm volleys of low flung claps and thumps disperse over a bed of textural hums and lingering chords. At times, Yosuke's work manages to somehow form an atmosphere that can both feel airy and yet dense simultaneously; it is this juxtaposed mélange of sonic fabric that is at the core of his unique creations, and once again it is beautifully displayed on Yosuke's latest outing, 8 Quadrants, where he continues his unique practice of figuratively interpreting language through a sequence of delicate sonic sculptures. 8 Quadrants follows 2021's 9 Mezzotints. Released via the Berlin based Vaagner label, and its offshoot Vaknar. Edition of 250.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: VAMPI 261LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. Vampisoul present a first time reissue of Los Kintos' self-titled album, originally released in 1970. In the late sixties, a generation of young Peruvian musicians, who were fans of tropical sounds, chose Cuban rhythms over the onslaught of boogaloo and Colombian cumbia. This musical movement attracted a legion of young followers, mostly from popular districts of Lima. In 1969, percussionist Domingo Guzmán Villanueva was commissioned by the MAG record label to get together a group to revive Cuban musical tradition. To lead the project he recruited, Francisco "Pancho" Acosta, founder and guitarist of the Compay Quinto. The new group was baptized Los Kintos, in a nod to their desire to carry on playing in the Compay Quinto style. The link between the two groups appears on this first album, as the group's name is written in two different ways: Los Kintos, on the front cover; and Los Quintos, on the back. Recordings began in 1969 and included the stunning "Descarga Kinto", Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz's original "Pancho Cristal" -- renamed here "Pancho Guzmán" -- and Cuban classics from the repertoire of the historic Trio Matamoros like "Lágrimas Negras" or "Mentiras", all with lead vocals by Kiko Fuentes. The success of their concerts would take them on tours across the country, always recognized as outstanding figures of Cuban music in Peru. This reissue brings back an album that marked a milestone in the history of Peruvian tropical music and revives the fame of the group's legendary live performances.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: V 25AH426

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Victory present a reissue of Pacific, originally released in 1978. Reuniting the best session musicians Japan had to offer to make an album that would evoke the atmospheres of the South Pacific islands, the kind of places Japanese people spend their vacations. Pacific is a treat to the ears; its theme of the southern Pacific ocean and its warm cerulean waters relax its listeners with a fusion of city pop, soft jazz, and that good old 1970s funk while remaining surprisingly fully instrumental throughout all contributions from artists Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, and Tatsuro Yamashita. A true cult LP and an inspiration for a lot of so called "vaporware" music. LP includes insert.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: V 25AH506LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Victory present a reissue of Haruomi Hosono, Takahiko Ishikawa, and Masataka Matsutoya's The Aegean Sea originally released in 1979. The album is somewhat of a companion piece to the previous year's Pacific (V 25AH426). A beautiful piece of Japanese smooth fusion-jazz with elements of traditional Greek music and Balearic grooves, it's one of Hosono's cleanest and most focused works to date. Long sought-after by collectors, this record is nearly impossible to find in original pressings outside of Japan and this is a welcome reissue of one of the greatest titles in Hosono's seemingly infinite catalog. Essential Japanese jazz fusion.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: VL 900082LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Transa is the fourth album by Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso, released on 1972 by PolyGram. Like its predecessor, it was recorded while the artist was exiled in London, though he returned to Brazil shortly after completing it. Evocative, eclectic, intimate, and rhythmically complex, Transa contains everything that has made Caetano Veloso the most distinctive and, arguably, most important voice in modern Brazilian music. The record was cut in 1972, shortly after Veloso's return from political exile in England. Though the songs are not overtly political, they seem allegorical, celebratory, and plaintive at once, and point to a tension between the artist's expressive impulse and the strictures of his native country. This tension is further heightened by the presence of lyrics in both English and Portuguese. The beautiful, desperate "You Don't Know Me" may be the world's first bilingual bossa nova/folk-punk anthem of identity. The jazzy "Nine Out of Ten" gives way to the gear-shifting "Triste Bahia," which features webs of accelerating Brazilian percussion. A spare treatment of the classic samba "Mora Na Filosofia," the cosmic ditty "Neolithic Man," and the 12-bar "Nostalgia," (ending with the wise line "That's What Rock 'n Roll Is All About") close out the set. Transa is a jewel in Veloso's discography and a must for anyone interested in Brazilian pop -- or brilliant, original pop in general. 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: VL 990236LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. 1982's Pornography, still considered by many to be their best, was the band's darkest album to date, cementing their role as beacons of the emergent gothic rock genre, with the band sporting their signature red lipstick and big hair look for the first time during this tour.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: WRJ 001LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 repress; New "regular edition" on 140 gram vinyl. We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records' new sister-label) presents its first release, the official reissue of Ryo Fukui's highly sought-after masterpiece Scenery, originally released in 1976. Unquestionably one of the most important Japanese jazz albums ever recorded, Scenery reveals Ryo Fukui as a miraculously brilliant self-taught pianist fusing modal, bop, and cool jazz influences for a very personal, dexterous, and game-changing take on classic standards made famous by Bing Crosby and John Coltrane among others. From "It Could Happen To You" and its serene and calm intro which magically flows into a jubilant and upbeat piece, to the out-of-this-world piano solo of "Early Summer", or the incredible teamwork of "Autumn Leaves" where Fukui leads Satoshi Denpo (bass) and Yoshinori Fukui (drums) into groove heaven, every single note on the album oozes precision, confidence, and flair and every single section slides seamlessly into one another, creating a supreme and elegant blend of jazz. Often compared to McCoy Tyner or Bill Evans, Ryo Fukui was a genius in his own right, a true master of his craft whose perfectionism gave birth to some of the greatest music ever recorded. Scenery is his magnum opus and an absolute must-have. The Hokkaido wizard-pianist followed Scenery with the soulful gem Mellow Dream (WRJ 002CD/LP/LTD-LP) in 1977. He then focused on improving his live skills, often performing at Sapporo's Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui) and releasing two live albums. Ryo Fukui sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that is sure to captivate jazz lovers for generations to come. Sourced from the original masters. LP version is mastered at half speed; 140 gram vinyl with sticker.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: WHP 1457LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

The Adderley brothers, Cannonball and Nat, respectively on alto sax and cornet, and both at the head of a top-flight quintet featuring Mr. George Duke on piano (acoustic and electric), Walter Booker (bass), and Roy McCurdy (drums). Recorded live in Vienna on November 4, 1972, this is a fine example of pure electric jazz-funk of the era. The album opens with an ecstatic twenty-minute long version of George Duke's "Black Messiah" and it goes on with equal intensity throughout five other tracks including three Joe Zawinul classic gems, "Directions", "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", and "The Scene".

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: WHP 1458LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

The so-called Special Edition was one of the most creative and successful coalitions created by Jack DeJohnette at the exact turn between the '70s and the '80s. A great combination of young talents such as alto sax genius Arthur Blythe, the hyper energetic tenor sax of Chico Freeman, and the super-solid bass lines of Peter Warren, last but not least the hard swinging drumming of DeJohnette, one of the greatest drummers in jazz history. Recorded live at The Famous Ballroom in Baltimore on May 4th 1980 for an NPR broadcast, this awesome performance is based on expanded renditions of two beautiful DeJohnette's compositions, "Zoot Suite" and "One For Eric" both from the group's first ECM release.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: WHP 1461LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

A marvelous double album as document of the historical collaboration between Don Cherry and Swiss pianist, composer George Gruntz, a central figure in European jazz who always showed a special interest in extending his solid post bop skills through other languages such as ethnic or even baroque music. This is North-African, deep-flavored jazz recorded live in Tunisia and Germany in May and September 1969, with Cherry (cornet, flute) and Gruntz (piano, celeste) leading a highly mixed line-up featuring multi reeds player Sahib Shihab, bassists Henry Texier and Eberhard Weber, and Swiss drummer extraordinaire Daniel Humair, plus four North African musicians on traditional instruments like bendir, ney, bagpipes, tabla and darbouka. A trance-inducing jazz ritual. Line-up: George Gruntz - piano, celeste; Don Cherry - cornet, flute; Sahib Shihab - flute, alto flute, soprano saxophone; Henri Texier - bass; Daniel Humair - drums; Salah El Mehdi - ney, flute; Moktar Slama - bendire, bagpipe, mezuette, soukra; Jelloud Osman - ney, bendire, mezzuette, bagpipe; Hattab Jouini - tabla, darbouka, bendire; Eberhard Weber - bass (tracks 7-9). Tracks 1-6 Recorded in Tunisia, May 1969; tracks 7-9 Recorded in Stuttgart, Germany at Beethovensaal der Linderhalle, September 5, 1969.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: WRWTFWW 031-2LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Limited repress. Volume Two. WRWTFWW Records announce a reissue of both volumes of Yoshio Ojima's superb environmental music project Une Collection Des Chaînons I And II: Music For Spiral, originally released in 1988. The twenty-track opus is sourced from original masters and includes liner notes in English and Japanese. This marks the inaugural release from the Esplanade Series by WRWTFWW Records, which focuses on the works of Ojima and friends. Une Collection... gathers selected music pieces conceptualized and produced for sound-designing the Wacoal Art Center in Aoyama (Tokyo) also known as Spiral, a hub for a wide range of sophisticated cultural proposals spanning visual arts, theatre, music, design, fashion, and lifestyle. Spiral is a monumental work of architecture by Fumihiko Maki, designed according to the principles of Metabolism, a movement advocating evolving designs and constructions, adapting to human needs naturally. The first volume flows from the eerie and levitating "Entrance" to the quirky "Esplanade (Live)", the gentle and reassuring "Flius", and the measured and ravishing escalation of "Mensis." On the second volume, the nanoscopic neoclassical lullaby "Les Trois Grâces" brings attention to the importance of small details, "Pulse at Soothe" starts with the minimalism of a Satoshi Ashikawa piece and slowly drifts into mystical landscapes and cavernous echoes, "Entomology" and its melancholic artificial forest evokes a Twin Peaks mirage, and "Atrium" literally feels like a floating visit of a gigantic open space structure. Sitting alongside Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass (WRWTFWW 018LP/019CD/019LP, 2017), Ashikawa's Still Way (WRWTFWW 030CD/LP, 2019), Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green (1986), or Yutaka Hirose's NOVA (WRWTFWW 028CD/LTD, 2019), as a pivotal work of Japanese environmental/ambient/minimalist music, Une Collection des Chaînons (which translates as a collection of links) is a delicately laid out sonic landscape connecting space and emotions, architecture and humanity, adjusting and transforming through the ears of the listeners. A note from Ojima: "Please listen to this album at around the same volume as daily life sounds such as air conditioners and refrigerators."Une Collection Des Chaînons I And II: Music For Spiral is presented as two separate double LPs, RIYL: Midori Takada, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Satoshi Ashikawa, Yutaka Hirose. 2LP versions in 350gsm gatefold with selected UV high-gloss varnish, liner notes, sticker.

 

PRICE: $21.00

CAT #: YAZ 1067HLP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; gatefold double LP reissue of Yazoo's 28 song collection of the Memphis Jug Band; on 180 gram vinyl. R. Crumb cover art. "The Memphis Jug Band is the most entertaining and historically important jug band of all time. Especially fascinating is the very wide range of American music that their repertoire covers: blues, rags, stomps, breakdowns, vaudeville, minstrel and more. They were the premier practitioner of the extremely popular Memphis style of the 1920's."