News & Events

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: ACRSLP 1603LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Howlin' Wolf was one of the most charismatic and exciting performers in the history of blues music. Standing six feet three inches he was a mountain of a man whose menacing vocal and low down 'n' dirty delivery greatly influenced a whole generation of rockers who followed. Born Chester Burnett, Wolf was one of the most important and influential figures in Chicago Blues through the 1950s. Rougher-edged than Muddy Waters, the intensity of Wolf's performance prompted Sun Records impresario, Sam Phillips, to observe: 'When I heard Howlin' Wolf, I said: 'This is for me. This is where the soul of man never dies'.' Pressed on 140g black vinyl, this 16-track LP features the bluesman's best-loved songs from the first decade or more of his recording career, comprising songs from his 1951 debut recording for Phillips in Memphis, through to 1962 by which time commercial blues had become focused on the middle-class, white student market as much as its traditional black roots. A fitting tribute to one of the true greats of the blues."

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: BING 190LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The rawness of The Veils' Nux Vomica can be enjoyed to a degree never heard before, with Ba Da Bing's limited edition pressing of the records with the original mixes by Nick Rainey left intact. Originally released in 2006, The Veils sophomore album Nux Vomica was praised for its 'Herculean intensity' by The Guardian, and called 'a heady blast of gothic psychodrama' by The Observer, while Pitchfork praised leader Finn Andrews' 'magnetic, outsized persona.' Long out of print, the vinyl version was resuscitated by Music On Vinyl in 2017 and quickly sold out. Now, The Veils present the definitive version of their most heralded album to date, which dusts off the original mixes by legendary producer Nick Launay (Public Image Limited, The Birthday Party, INXS and Midnight Oil) and offers them to fans here for the first time. Taken from the original two-inch analog tape reels, each song was carefully remastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios in London. Nux Vomica was the first of many creative reinventions for Andrews, who at 22 had already released an album on Rough Trade, moved from New Zealand to London to form a band, then back to New Zealand where he once again started the band anew. The creative progression is clear in Andrews' incisive lyricism and knack for hell-fire dramatics. All intentions to release this dark and raw set of recordings were dashed upon submission to Rough Trade for approval, who didn't like the results. They hired mixing engineer Bill Price to adjust the sound and add additional instrumentation. Launey's mixes were shelved and forgotten about, while the album nonetheless went on to be a critical highpoint for the band and is much loved to this day. To celebrate the release of The Veils' massive new double album, ?And Out Of The Void Came Love, Ba Da Bing is issuing a limited-to-1200-LPs simultaneous run of Nux Vomica in a form one has never heard before. The brilliance of Andrews' talents come through clearer in this version, which strips his songs to the core and allows the holes to show. Here's where the seeds of a lifelong artistic talent really began to first take root."

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: BW 011CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Backwards announce a new Fabio Orsi and Alessandra Guttagliere multimedia release: a book with an audio CD. The primary inspiration for this new four-handed work between Fabio Orsi and Alessandra Guttagliere are colors. The title (Arcoiris) in fact means "rainbow". For the realization of this work, there was a constant dialogue between Alessandra and Fabio; while Alessandra proposed a color simply by naming it, Fabio created the sound compositions, vice versa Alessandra listening to the sound compositions let herself be inspired to create the drawings. The pictorial work is a light work, using natural colors sometimes made by the artist starting from flowers or plants. It is an organic work, in progress and in movement. Fabio's tracks are maybe his most "pop-oriented" to date, but made with the usual class by our artist. Comes with an A5 format deluxe booklet with drawings by Alessandra Guttagliere, printed on sturdy cardboard. Edition of 200.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: BW 018RE-LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Reissue of the one-sided vinyl picture disc, originally available with the Fabio Orsi box set with book of the same name. The vinyl has an exclusive long track that is a sort of "summa" of Fabio Orsi's musical world: like his early releases, Il Ricordo Improvviso Dell'Assoluto Stupore is deep drone ambient track, with distant guitars and a nostalgic touch. Hypnotic and melodic at the same time... One-sided picture disc including a small insert; edition of 200.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BW 043LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Flag of Breeze marks a new adventurous collaboration between Nicola Giunta/Lay Llamas and Gioele Valenti/JuJu, coming seven years after Lay Llamas' acclaimed album Ostro, released in 2014 by London-based label Rocket Recordings. This mini-LP is like a sort of radio tuning listening session among FM stations and mysterious shortwaves transmissions. The tracks come out like from a hazy ethereal dimension, melting with alien lo-fi sounds from the unknown. Luminous and peaceful psych pop melodies meet exotic and ritual percussions, recalling a strange surfer's tribe on the beach around a campfire. A cosmic kraut sonic trip through the solar system to reach a Verne-like underwater jungle. Here it talks about universal flags made of breeze, nocturnal burnings, mixtures, and potions for unknown fever, ancient sleeping plants. The album's artwork is an esoteric map of symbols and forms, the visual key of this sonic journey. Silkscreened cover with two inserts; single-sided LP; edition of 225.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: BANG 107LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. In My Room features the unreleased recordings of what would have been the very last album of The Gun Club. Recorded in the very last period of the band, between 1991 and 1993, the studio recordings that Jeffrey Lee Pierce did with The Gun Club, with maximum quality and excellence of sound and presentation. What Jeffrey Lee Pierce exposes here is the highest vocal and guitar performing, from sounds are reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix and Television, to truly intimate heartbreaking blues, going through soul and rock. Includes covers from The Who, Wilson Pickett, and more. A dream come true for all Jeffrey Lee Pierce/The Gun Club fans all over the world - absolutely necessary. Comes in a deluxe gatefold jacket; Includes lyrics; 150 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: BEWITH 121LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1979. Spatial & Co is a synth-drizzled, spaced-out bass-heavy discoid-funk masterpiece from French disco lord and Arpadys maestro Sauveur Mallia. Recorded for French library label Tele Music, in 1979, it's by turns cosmic funk and creeping crime funk, bursting with low slung, killer basslines, loping drum breaks, and sparkling percussion. It's so funky it hurts. Confidently swaggering out the gate is "Future Vision", with its loping yet dexterous bassline across strutting beats setting the scene. "Cosmic News", with its live crowd noises over killer bass work is reminiscent of Bernard & Nile's "Chic Cheer". The bass vs synth workout "Baby Bass" increases the propulsion whilst the dark and mysterious vibes of "Star Odyssey" serve as cosmic respite from being overpowered by funk. The temperature and tempo are raised with the bouncing sophisticated funk of "Meteor One", a slinky interstellar instrumental of the highest order before the sultry, melodic "Bass For Love" offers some attractive slow-mo sleaze to close out the first side. Opening up Side B, the menacing, beatless "Space Alert" sounds like all those sci-fi theme tunes from your childhood, synthesized into one glorious (black) whole. "Galaxy Wars" is next, another majestic cosmic gem, sans drums. The ultra-percussive flex of "All The Bass" sees the return of the frenetic funky bass and neck-snapping drums. The stretched-out funk of "O.V.N.I. Telex" is irresistible and cavernous in scope whilst the swirling, dramatic "Galactics" is an ominous yet melodic wonder. The throwaway funk-lite "Animals Bass" is a bit of a daft way to close out this otherwise flawless set but, hey, flirting with perfection is probably always more fun than actually achieving it. Sauveur Mallia is a crucial figure in the history of electronic and dance music and a hugely underrated French library bass player and composer from the Arpadys/Voyage crew. Remastered by Simon Francis. Cut by Pete Norman. Original and iconic sleeve restored by Be With Records.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: BEWITH 122LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1979. Spatial & Co Vol. 2 may well be the best album in the Spatial & Co series. It's absolutely flawless. Again, created by French disco lord and Arpadys maestro Sauveur Mallia for French library label Tele Music in 1979, it leans far more into the space disco sound than the clean cosmic funk of its predecessor. And it's all the more thrilling for it. Wide-eyed opener "Discomax" is starts as pure piano-disco brilliance with a bassline to die for before heading off into wigged-out territory, all acidic squelches and jaw-dropping percussive breakdowns. "Space People" follows, an eerie, half-beatless sci-fi synth workout played out against a hauntingly metronomic pulse for the first half -- proper slow-mo space disco business -- before the beat kicks in, the electric guitar solo wails beautifully and the bassline that emerges at its conclusion rides in on some other shit. Closing out the A-side, the six minute long "Bass Power" is, unsurprisingly, a deep, low-end roller with head-nod drums, whizzing synths, blissed out ambient vibes and Mallia's otherworldly bass playing super high in the mix. It's white-hot funk, make no mistake, and it sounds like a re-geared library version of Roxy Music. Side B is laced firstly by "Holidays Morning", an emotional disco-pop groover, all electric guitars, skipping drums and synthy bleeps with more than a few moments of pure driving funk. One for the deep heads, longtime favorite "Electric Maneges" follows, a bleepy, haunted dancehall gem, uncut tropical Balearic-funk from another dimension. The sophisticated digi-soul of "Loving Discovery" comes on like a weird, interplanetary Sade instrumental, all swelling synths, warm keys and syrupy guitar rhythms. Arguably saving the best 'til last, the fierce, proto-techno of "Exotic Guide" closes out this extraordinary set. The intro genuinely sounds like Detroit would a good few years later -- just wild -- before it glides into a driving percussive funk break complete with both stabbing, insistent synths and those of a more winding, laconic variety. The one complaint? It's over far too soon. Sauveur Mallia is a crucial figure in the history of electronic and dance music and a hugely underrated French library bass player and composer from the Arpadys/Voyage crew. This is just the beginning of Be With's Mallia -- Tele Music reissue campaign. Remastered by Simon Francis. Cut by Pete Norman. Original and iconic sleeve restored by Be With Records.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: BEWITH 124LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1985. Swing Family's Music Force is dramatic mid-80s synth-funk. From the maverick mind of Sauveur Mallia, it's thrilling and uniquely brilliant. It's undoubtedly known and revered for its unbelievable standout track, "Mission Africa". That track is the reason this record has been hugely sought-after for the best part of two decades. Originally released on Tele Music in France. Swing Family is basically a supergroup of French funk royalty. Led by French disco lord and Arpadys maestro Sauveur Mallia, they were augmented by trombonist Alex Perdigon from legendary French funk rock collective Godchild, trumpeter Kako Bessot from funky fusion group Synthesis and saxophonist Pierre Holassian, a member of Giant, Janko Nilovic's French jazz orchestra. So, about as heavyweight as it gets for funky French goodness. Mallia handles, of course, bass duties throughout, as well as utilizing his arsenal of synths including his E-mu, Yamaha Dx7, Roland MSQ 700, Mini Moog, and Oberheimm. The maximalist disco fusion of "Exorcistor" is perhaps a bit too '80s French cheese for most tastes, so either linger on its singular style or head straight to the soundtracky typo-funk of "Greewich Boulevard". A deep, swaggering powerhouse, it comes on like mid-80s Chic jamming on the set of Beverly Hills Cop with Kashif. It's followed by the vital "Music Force", a synthy, sleazy instrumental full of sax and flute and those '80s drum fills. "Mission Africa" is a rumbling, strutting, Afro-cosmic low-profile banger. The slick drums hit hard, the synth strings warm things up, overlapping horns add swagger whilst electric guitar flourishes and a chanted refrain sit in the mix quite perfectly. Cosmo-galactic. The B-side opens with "Musical Stars", an oh-so-80s funk-lite track which, at times, sounds like something Daft Punk may have left on the cutting room floor during their Discovery sessions. The druggy brilliance of "Gentleman & Musician" is made up of soaring, acidy synths, slick, heavy beats, and the irresistible interplay of the primo horn players create a real sleazy wonder. "Film Action" follows, a galloping horn-heavy synth romp with moments of extreme bass breakdown brilliance before the drama-synths of "Episode Double" take things up another notch as it oscillates between gorgeous funky horns and urgent bleepy magic. Super tense, super funky and super stylish. The electro-tinged horn workout "Fatal Lady" closes things out majestically. Remastered by Simon Francis. Cut by Pete Norman. Original and iconic sleeve restored by Be With Records.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: BNSD 074LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"Los Angeles musician Megan Mitchell returns with a new Cruel Diagonals album that resonates with maximum emotional impact. Constructed entirely with sounds generated by her own voice -- chopped up, warped, rendered unrecognizable, ringing out in hymn-like incantations -- Fractured Whole is a powerful and timeless exploration of vulnerability, resistance, and the freedom to be yourself. Megan Mitchell opens her latest album Fractured Whole in much the same way she did with her previous full-length 2021's A Dormant Vigor with the sound of her voice intoning a series of notes. But listening to them side-by-side, the differences between the two are stark. Not simply in the notes that Mitchell chooses to sing but in the emotion and depth and power behind that crystal clear mezzo-soprano. On 'Penance,' the first track on Fractured Whole, she bears the weight of hundreds of years of music written for singers and her own complex history with ease, evoking everything from the sacred music of Hildegard von Bingen to the satanic masses of Diamanda Galas with each intertwining melody. Mitchell's singing has been an integral part of her work as Cruel Diagonals from the start, but it has never felt so present as it does on Fractured Whole. That's simply because every piece of sound featured on this album was created using her voice. It may be stretched and twisted into unusual shapes, chopped up and shattered, or rendered unrecognizable by technology but it is still there, pulling at the corners of the conscious mind and conveying deeply felt emotions. This decision to use her voice as the only instrument was, according to Mitchell, a necessary step to move forward as an artist and composer -- a challenge that brought with it growth and confidence . . . Over the course of the 18 months it took Mitchell to compose and record Fractured Whole, she was working through a lot of emotional and psychological fragments, seeking better understanding of her life and her art. Though she had been receiving nothing but praise for her releases and live gigs, the accolades never sunk in. It was a disconnect steeped in trauma from her past and gendered socialization . . . Embracing that duality on Fractured Whole allowed Mitchell to produce art that feels unmistakably human and thrillingly alien -- an uncanny valley that she invites the listener to explore with her." --Robert Ham (excerpted from the liner notes)

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: BORNBAD 158CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

As soon as the pilots of the Space Oddities endeavor decided to tackle Yan Tregger's oeuvre, a major problem surfaced: where to begin? And where to end? Upon which side should one launch into the ascension of this body of work? It will have taken Alexis Le-Tan and Jess years to put up this selection, capturing the profusion and eclecticism of Tregger who, at 81 years old, has yet to lay down the arms and still defines himself as a "jack of all trades". Symphonies, library music, movie soundtracks, TV credits, advertisement, French variété, pop, disco, electronic, experimental, or relaxation music, Yan Tregger (born Edouard Scotto di Suoccio) took up all genres, styles, and formats through a career spanning from the end of the '50s to this day. How the Stakhanovist successfully went down so many different routes can be explained by his innate talent for composing melodies; they are the very basis on which his iconoclastic production was built. Ten years ago already, Yan Tregger had welcomed Born Bad in the studio of his Parisian suburb pavilion. There, sat in front of his machines and albums framed on the wall, he had delved into the midst of a life writing itself like would a rather unusual musical score. "I was born in Algeria in 1940, in a coastal town -- Algeria's Nice, Philippeville, (today Skikda -- author's note), to parents of Italian descent. People were unhappy in Italy and did as migrants do today. Still, there was some tendering. When France started colonizing Algeria, the government brought in people to constitute a work force: many Italians, but also some Maltese and Jews who were already established there. My father managed a balancelle, a dinghy which would deliver materials along the coast. My mother was a housewife, just like any Italian back then. I am an only child." CD version comes in digipack; includes 20-page booklet.

 

PRICE: $12.00

CAT #: BORNBAD 168CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Two social media posts out of three are about losing his phone, the last one is about him swearing he saw a dog making himself a sandwich. Paul Ramon (Bryan's Magic Tears, la Secte du Futur) has managed to finish his second solo album, Buvez le poison (Drink the Poison). Preceded by a reputation for being Defcon 1 -- level unmanageable on tour, while obviously being able to hold his own, it's no surprise to find the paradox in his music. Body search the record and you'll find chemical faves of the last forty years. Paul Ramon is doing 20 on the highway ("Hacienda", downhill dub with over-the-top bass), and 60 in the city ("Les victimes du roi", arpeggiated medieval-fantasy trip). Pleasure Principle obviously decided that traffic regulations just didn't apply to his vehicle. Sung in French (neither bellowed nor whispered, thanks), highlife guitars travelling light via the Caribbeans, '90s synths stabs, calculated MTV moments -- traces of everything, traces everywhere. A singer by obligation, by his own admission, he performs with a cheeky Madchester University alumni attitude. Happy to be there, but wishes nobody knew. Paul Ramon stuck his tongue out to write -- he deals generously in one-liners, as sharp as disposable razors. Can't wait to see him pull those out of his pockets, struggling to bleed everyone. Marc Portheau saves the day in his mix; "Heliopolis", psych-pop jam lost in heavy delay, could have gone astray but suddenly gets all sophisticated with winds and chorus -- as much appreciated as they never RSVP'd (Olivier Demeaux, Romain Vasset). This is a bear trap of an album. "La punition commence" (the punishment begins) and you'd expect a synth-wave dungeon moist with whispered confessions, when in fact it's more about wiggling arms in the air, and trampling the corpse of dance-pop to the sound of brain-dead synth, circa 1995. "Frappe le cuir" pays homage to the Happy Mondays, which you'd expect given the drummer's pedigree. "Buvez le poison" and "La sieste", a barely legal promotional campaign for narcotics, contain more than you asked for, if you can only listen. And "Rêves", chord-driven summer track gets turned over by the effects-laden guitar solo. Traps, again. So. when you get to "Plein de rancoeur je vis mon meilleur moment", successful attempt to remake "Loser" in 2022, you'll know that Pleasure Principle knows his business in a rather endearing way. This is not a collage, but tie and dye colors spread to be looked at, rubbing each other lewdly.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: BB 001LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited restock. Originally released in 1986. Gatefold sleeve. Features The Bostweeds, Ronnie Cook & The Gaylads, Link Wray And His Ray Men, Dwight Pullen, Glen Glenn, Roy Orbison, The Sonics, The Groupies, Ronnie Dawson, The Third Bardo, Warren Smith, Mel Robbins, The Novas, and Wanda Jackson.

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: BB 427CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"Gegenwelt (Parallel World) is the second LP by CEL, a duo Kubin and Zemler formed. More melodically-evolved than their eponymous 2020 debut (BB 334CD/LP), it is an even more explicit example of the syncretic impulse that impelled these guys to form the band. Their basic notion was to explore the juncture between two streams of German underground sounds -- the motorik 4/4 rhythms first posited by Can's Jaki Liebezeit and Kraftwerk's Klaus Dinger, and the sequencer-driven brain loops of early, experimental pioneers of the NDW, such as Der Plan. The opening track, "Tokamak", begins like the sequenced soundtrack to a brightly-colored animated nightmare before transmuting into a marimba fusillade that unspools like Steve Reich on steroids. The last track is 'Transformator Matki Polki', which sounds like a radical Viennese remix of random snippets from Wolfgang Dauner's Output. In between these poles are an array of wild and varied rides through cartoon landscapes, with side trips to the spy movie vibe of 'Gegenwelt', the thug/art rock hybrid of 'Eiweißangriff' and beyond. Gegenwelt is also a showcase for Kubin's latest invented instrument, the Mechatronikon. Built for him by engineer Lars Vaupel, the Mechatronikon receives CV or MIDI signals and translates them into commands for electromagnetic mini motors. In Felix's words, this allows 'sequencers to trigger kitchen gear or whatever we'd like to resonate. With this machine we can also create rhythms that a human drummer would hardly be able to reproduce in this precision.' The mechanical sound effect of this device can be heard, for example, in the piece 'Trippeltanz'. But the precision of the pure motorik impulse is not something Zemler is afraid to ignore at times. His grounding in free jazz emerges regularly (if subtly), displaying lateral moves that add another layer of complexity to music that's often moving in several directions at once. Even when the surface of CEL's melodies sound simple, a closer listening often reveals a wealth of subterranean activity. Mixed and coproduced by Hamburg's post-punk luminary Mense Reents, the music on Gegenwelt is a fine example of CEL's ability to compose pieces with a multivalent architecture listeners can appreciate in a variety of ways. Their music is partially shaped by whatever preconceptions you bring to it. So think good thoughts about Gegenwelt and your rewards will be bountiful." --Byron Coley

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BB 427LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. "Gegenwelt (Parallel World) is the second LP by CEL, a duo Kubin and Zemler formed. More melodically-evolved than their eponymous 2020 debut (BB 334CD/LP), it is an even more explicit example of the syncretic impulse that impelled these guys to form the band. Their basic notion was to explore the juncture between two streams of German underground sounds -- the motorik 4/4 rhythms first posited by Can's Jaki Liebezeit and Kraftwerk's Klaus Dinger, and the sequencer-driven brain loops of early, experimental pioneers of the NDW, such as Der Plan. The opening track, "Tokamak", begins like the sequenced soundtrack to a brightly-colored animated nightmare before transmuting into a marimba fusillade that unspools like Steve Reich on steroids. The last track is 'Transformator Matki Polki', which sounds like a radical Viennese remix of random snippets from Wolfgang Dauner's Output. In between these poles are an array of wild and varied rides through cartoon landscapes, with side trips to the spy movie vibe of 'Gegenwelt', the thug/art rock hybrid of 'Eiweißangriff' and beyond. Gegenwelt is also a showcase for Kubin's latest invented instrument, the Mechatronikon. Built for him by engineer Lars Vaupel, the Mechatronikon receives CV or MIDI signals and translates them into commands for electromagnetic mini motors. In Felix's words, this allows 'sequencers to trigger kitchen gear or whatever we'd like to resonate. With this machine we can also create rhythms that a human drummer would hardly be able to reproduce in this precision.' The mechanical sound effect of this device can be heard, for example, in the piece 'Trippeltanz'. But the precision of the pure motorik impulse is not something Zemler is afraid to ignore at times. His grounding in free jazz emerges regularly (if subtly), displaying lateral moves that add another layer of complexity to music that's often moving in several directions at once. Even when the surface of CEL's melodies sound simple, a closer listening often reveals a wealth of subterranean activity. Mixed and coproduced by Hamburg's post-punk luminary Mense Reents, the music on Gegenwelt is a fine example of CEL's ability to compose pieces with a multivalent architecture listeners can appreciate in a variety of ways. Their music is partially shaped by whatever preconceptions you bring to it. So think good thoughts about Gegenwelt and your rewards will be bountiful." --Byron Coley

 

PRICE: $38.50

CAT #: CNLP 067LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1970. "An ambitious, brand new album has reached the Japanese jazz scene. It is Bakimba: Memories of Africa." This is how Akira Ishikawa Count Buffalo Jazz And Rock Band's album was advertised by the Japanese press in 1970. The Japanese jazz artists were bravely approaching the rock scene, and their choice became an inspiration to jazz-rock groups like Takeshi Inomata & Sound Limited, Jiro Inagaki, and Soul Media, and more. The blending between jazz and rock was born in the United States, thanks to Miles Davis and orchestras like Blood Sweat and Tears and Chicago. This movement resulted in the empowerment of jazz and in the birth of a new musical genre: a perfect mix of jazz, Latin influences, and rock. Akira Ishikawa and Count Buffalo's jazz-rock band are reminiscent of Santana in the way they embody these energies in their album Bakimba. Yet, at the same time, they give life to even more impressive musical compositions. This is also thanks to Hiromasa Suzuki's innovative electric piano. Often defined as a jazz-rock band, Count Buffalo scales new heights in the context of jazz thanks to the strong rock influences that characterize this work. Gatefold cover with insert.

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: CNSV 004LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

First time on vinyl, from original master tapes. Recorded in Florence in October 1979, Asia represents Egisto Macchi's musical journey across the East. In this work, Macchi describes the many faces of Asia through his unmistakable, electric style. In Macchi's music, Asia acquires mystical, religious, naturalist, sacred, and adventurous connotations. Acoustic instruments dominate this album; among percussion, zithers, celestas, flutes, marimbas, sansas, and violins, the listener embarks on a musical journey outside the limits of space and time.

 

PRICE: $14.00

CAT #: NRT 003EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"'Beyond The Valley Of A Day In The Life' is a sound collage consisting entirely of The B*****s samples, created by The Residents in 1977 and first released as the A-side of the single 'The B******s Play The Residents and The Residents Play The B*****s'. It is accompanied by The Residents cover of The Beatles' instrumental 'Flying'. Alongside their 1976 album The Third Reich 'n Roll, it is often considered to be one of the earliest commercially released examples of what is now known as a "mash-up."

 

PRICE: $14.00

CAT #: NRT 004EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

7" single of "Monstrous".

 

PRICE: $48.00

CAT #: DE 300LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"The venerable Dark Entries celebrates its 300th release with Panoramic Coloursound, a triple LP from the Creative Technology Consortium. Traxx, Andrew Bisenius, and Jason Letkiewicz forged the CtC during the depths of pandemic isolation. Drawing from film and television music of the '80s/'90s and armed with a mighty array of vintage analog and digital synthesizers, they set out to explore heists, vices, and catastrophe. Panoramic Coloursound collapses sound and image into a neon blur throughout its 25 tracks. While retro scores were the starting point for the CtC, the project does more than pay dutiful homage -- these notes are warped and skewed, devolving into decaying digital soundscapes. EBM-inflected basslines pop up on tracks like 'Catastrophe' and 'A Retro Vice,' menacing numbers that recall Traxx and Letkiewicz's legendary work as Mutant Beat Dance (a project also featuring Beau Wanzer). 'Follow Our Kode' pairs heroic synths with funky bass, striking cosmic chords akin to the material that Traxx and Bisenius have released as An Anomaly. Krautrock-esque guitars slide along anthemic pads on 'Beautifully Polluted Sunset,' which comes across like an alien Miami Vice closing theme. The CtC channel corroded VHS vibes while making music for the future. Panoramic Coloursound was mastered by Frédéric Alstadt. The sleeve was designed by Eloise Leigh, and features a photograph by Jason Letkiewicz. Also included is a postcard featuring liner notes, a gear list, and a photograph by Maria Tzeka."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: JACK 027CV-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The Jesus and Mary Chain is a chaotic, noisy indie quartet formed in Scotland, blending the Beach Boys' sunny pop with the Velvet Underground's black-leather cool. Live at the U4 Club in Wien, great sound quality.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: JACK 028CV-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Red vinyl. An astonishing 1984 live set from Andrew Eldritch and his gang, Sisters Of Mercy. right before the release of their undisputed '85 masterpiece First And Last And Always.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: JACK 028LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

An astonishing 1984 live set from Andrew Eldritch and his gang, Sisters Of Mercy. right before the release of their undisputed '85 masterpiece First And Last And Always.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: JACK 030CV-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Green vinyl. Massive as Joy Division were becoming, they still played Shit-Holes like this former, partially demolished, cinema in Derby. The old seats were still in place, except for a few that were torn off of their perches to allow dancing, if required. Again, another cavernous sounding audience recording, and again they are treated to a joint band version of "Girls Don't Count" for the rarity value. Due to cancellations, probably due to Ian's failing health, this would turn out to be the penultimate Joy Division performance, before the loss of Ian Curtis.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: JACK 030LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Massive as Joy Division were becoming, they still played Shit-Holes like this former, partially demolished, cinema in Derby. The old seats were still in place, except for a few that were torn off of their perches to allow dancing, if required. Again, another cavernous sounding audience recording, and again they are treated to a joint band version of "Girls Don't Count" for the rarity value. Due to cancellations, probably due to Ian's failing health, this would turn out to be the penultimate Joy Division performance, before the loss of Ian Curtis.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: DMOO 010LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1962. Though she had been performing professionally since the late 1920s, as a teenager in Harlem, during its Renaissance, the immortal Billie Holiday didn't play a single night on the European continent until 1954. It was in that year that the great journalist and musician Leonard Feather, and a Swedish promoter organized the Jazz Club U.S.A. tour, named after Feather's wildly popular radio program. Featuring Red Norvo, Sonny Clark, and more, the centerpiece of Jazz Club U.S.A. was, undoubtedly, Lady Day. Recorded at various dates across the tour, Lady Love shows Holiday still had it, despite the turmoil, and drug and alcohol abuse, her voice remained strong, a stunning document of one of America's greatest treasures on her first ever tour of Europe. Clear vinyl.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: DMOO 029LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Recorded by the German WDR radio at the Apollo Theater in Düsseldorf on Monday, March 18, 1960 this session documents a precise step in John Coltrane's career. While on tour in Europe with the Miles Davis quintet, the young but already mature tenor saxophonist took the chance to lead a quartet session with the Davis rhythm section, a hard swinging combo with pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist extraordinaire Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb. This is very fine set based on a bunch of well selected standards, among them "On Green Dolphin Street", Miles Davis's "Walkin'" and a deep ballad medley including "Yesterdays", "Autumn Leaves", 'What's New", and "Moonlight In Vermont".

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: DMOO 030LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 1962. Recorded July 24, 1962 at the third International Jazz Festival D'Antibes/Juan-Les-Pins, this is classic 1960s Dizzy Gillespie. It's smooth and swinging without losing any of his patented power. Produced by Quincy Jones, and featuring piano and arrangements from Argentinian master Lalo Schifrin, Gillespie shines here alongside underrated reed man Leo Wright. A great early '60s Dizzy group absolutely slaying live to a receptive audience. Clear vinyl.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: DC 1121BK

FILE UNDER: Misc

"Shorty's Ark is a book for young readers, a collaborative effort between singer Will Oldham and graphic artist Lori Damiano, based on work by Oldham and musician Matt Sweeney. Drawing inspiration from the story of Noah, Shorty's Ark names and pictures a wild variety of species to inform and engage an equal variety of young minds with the diversity that can be found around this great planet of ours. The flood stands as metaphor for current impending changes in our planet, and the story works as a springboard for understanding concepts of interdependency, diversity and extinction. Colorfully illustrating as many creatures and their places as possible, Shorty's Ark is an earth-affirmative vision meant to stimulate the curiosity and passion of those who encounter it." 10x12". 22pp. Hardcover.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: DC 842LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Outsider freekz, make with the haste! It's time to get back to The Future -- the one promised back when rock and roll was king, remember? J.T. IV believed in the promise -- and now, the mystery man behind barely-released private press 7" records of the '80s like 'Destructo Rock' and 'Cosmic Lightning' and a film holding the Guinness record for worlds-longest -- 85 hours! -- has been called back to our mortal coil, to live out his glittering, rapacious dreams once again. The 2009 comp LP Cosmic Lightning cast his tragic silhouette up on the big screen for all to see: the lost boy, alone in the world, standing before the mic and releasing his inner star with glee and vengeance, his antisocial visions flying high atop a raging funnel of distorted guitars and blunt rhythms . . . The Future goes even further, excavating fifteen recordings from a previously unheard-of cassette entitled, The Best Of Johnny Zhivago Retrospective 1979-1993, and adding four more uncollected tracks from his slim (and impossible to find anyway) discography. Of these nineteen tracks, eight are covers -- and J.T. IV's picks, from Velvets to Mott the Hoople, Roxy Music, Lee Hazlewood, The Kinks, Eno and Stephen Sondheim, sharpen our image of the misfit adrift; on the outside looking in, but maybe just a few steps away from his goal. The Future unfolds like an epic, as both sides of J.T.'s persona -- the street-smart, damaged rocker and the heartstruck poet of the scene -- live on together in the best performances of his short career . . . Now 20 years on from his passing, The Future is ever farther away from the world in which he struggled so mightily -- but his stinging iconoclasm, whether screamed from Marshall amps or mic'ed up close, feels ever more powerfully infused with his unique breadth of illness and essence. The album is called The Future for several reasons. The title track extols the virtue of being an independent thinker, which scans with our data on J.T. But it's also an optimistic, even anthemic, call for a better tomorrow, giving the next generation a world of love and hope! John's scathing cynicism melts away showing his pure soul underneath. Then, 'My Fellow Americans' closes the album with another future-oriented song, though this time it's a dystopian landscape where the president, a Reaganesque war monger, delivers an ominous and bizarre State of the Union address to the American people, suggesting that he replace Congress with clones of Adolf Hitler to mandate the extermination of all welfare and social security recipients in the US. These songs represent the two sides of J.T. -- and while they emanate from the '80s, they find themselves potently renewed in the polarized world of today, making The Future a worthwhile destination for everyone who ever had a heart touched by the transgression and freedom promised by rock and roll."

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: DC 867CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Once you have set the needle down on the record and heard for yourself the intimacies and impressionism, abstraction and unfiltered emotion found in The Forest In Me, Xylouris White's fifth album release (and first since 2019's The Sisypheans), you may wonder what was the mood of the room in which this music came to be. Only three people can say for sure, and even then . . . Guy Picciotto: In late 2019, we had begun taking steps to working on new material. In a haphazard fashion, Jim and I started tracking drums in my basement, cutting them up into shapes with no set landing in mind. Some of it we sent to Giorgos in Crete -- he responded with his lyra and his lute. Without intention we had initiated a process that would soon become more ruthlessly mandated by the world events that separated and isolated us to three corners of the globe in the following year. Giorgos Xylouris: Every harmonic is a fallen tree trunk that I climb over. I'm stepping in muddy waters in the woods or coming to a clearing -- that is part of the journey I take whether I am playing music with an audience or recording alone. It's a journey around the forest of my inner self . . . Jim White: I ended up in the pandemic in rural Australia on care duty and then back in Melbourne alone in a house with an imminent, ultimately very long lock down. Giorgos: The past several years created a very particular situation that none of us had ever lived through, in such seclusion in our homes and within ourselves. In the isolation I found other wrinkles/folds in my inner being. That helped create this music, as did the unusual way we went about recording. Jim: The night before the curfew I acquired some mics from a studio and bought an interface. And learnt to record. And tracked. George tracked in Crete. Guy, in New York, helped assemble the structures and find combinations. Giorgos: So every note, every phrase, every instrument came from in and around our inner forests. Guy: On previous projects our customary way of working was to be in one room all together; an inward facing triangle of instant communication leading to marathon sessions from which we would build an archive from which to sculpt the records, finding the binding lines that connected the statements we were trying to make. Giorgos: Using whatever instruments I had with me in the studio at home, in the silence I discovered things I hadn't had the peace to uncover previously. I saw that music isn't static, moving only in its usual ways within the parameters of its centrifugal force -- it can move a long way further in other directions. Guy: With this record we still had that stash to draw from but now we were also adding material composed from this enforced new geometry; this different, wider triangle where we each assumed different roles than we had previously with writing, engineering, arranging all mixed up like finger paints..."

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: DC 867LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. "Once you have set the needle down on the record and heard for yourself the intimacies and impressionism, abstraction and unfiltered emotion found in The Forest In Me, Xylouris White's fifth album release (and first since 2019's The Sisypheans), you may wonder what was the mood of the room in which this music came to be. Only three people can say for sure, and even then . . . Guy Picciotto: In late 2019, we had begun taking steps to working on new material. In a haphazard fashion, Jim and I started tracking drums in my basement, cutting them up into shapes with no set landing in mind. Some of it we sent to Giorgos in Crete -- he responded with his lyra and his lute. Without intention we had initiated a process that would soon become more ruthlessly mandated by the world events that separated and isolated us to three corners of the globe in the following year. Giorgos Xylouris: Every harmonic is a fallen tree trunk that I climb over. I'm stepping in muddy waters in the woods or coming to a clearing -- that is part of the journey I take whether I am playing music with an audience or recording alone. It's a journey around the forest of my inner self . . . Jim White: I ended up in the pandemic in rural Australia on care duty and then back in Melbourne alone in a house with an imminent, ultimately very long lock down. Giorgos: The past several years created a very particular situation that none of us had ever lived through, in such seclusion in our homes and within ourselves. In the isolation I found other wrinkles/folds in my inner being. That helped create this music, as did the unusual way we went about recording. Jim: The night before the curfew I acquired some mics from a studio and bought an interface. And learnt to record. And tracked. George tracked in Crete. Guy, in New York, helped assemble the structures and find combinations. Giorgos: So every note, every phrase, every instrument came from in and around our inner forests. Guy: On previous projects our customary way of working was to be in one room all together; an inward facing triangle of instant communication leading to marathon sessions from which we would build an archive from which to sculpt the records, finding the binding lines that connected the statements we were trying to make. Giorgos: Using whatever instruments I had with me in the studio at home, in the silence I discovered things I hadn't had the peace to uncover previously. I saw that music isn't static, moving only in its usual ways within the parameters of its centrifugal force -- it can move a long way further in other directions. Guy: With this record we still had that stash to draw from but now we were also adding material composed from this enforced new geometry; this different, wider triangle where we each assumed different roles than we had previously with writing, engineering, arranging all mixed up like finger paints..."

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: EF 102CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

2008 release. "Throughout the 1970s, legendary American composer Terry Riley toured regularly in Europe, performing solo organ concerts. In October 1978, Riley's personal technician Chester Wood built a stereo digital delay out of an ancient computer he had procured from Don Buchla, and the subsequent tour was the maiden voyage to try it out. Riley's specially modified two-manual Yamaha YC-45D portable combo organ had a Just Intonation setting and allowed him to feed stereo signals to the digital delay. The Yamaha had been manufactured with single mono output, but now with the modification it had a separate output for each manual eventuating in four channels (two live and two delayed). During a residency as a Fellow at DAAD in Berlin, Riley fine-tuned the delay speeds and experimented with different stereo combinations so that by the time of this Paris concert, the tape delays worked well with the tempos he was using. This all came on the heels of the Shri Camel recording Riley had just made in San Francisco for CBS. The musical materials of The Last Camel in Paris are second generational, belonging to the Shri Camel family while manifesting their own distinct shape and flavor."

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: FTR 146-4LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress; black vinyl. The debut LP by Montreal's Myriam Gendron is one of 2014's signature releases. Feeding Tube had previously been made aware of Myriam when she performed at the Michael Hurley cover tune showcase at the Casa del Popolo. That event, tied to l'Oie de Cravan's publication of The Words to the Songs of Michael Hurley, introduced Myriam as a wonderful if spectral guitarist and singer, whose signature sound was as light as it was intoxicating. Her next performance was an event including the American poet Charles Plymell, and she debuted a set of material based on the poems of Dorothy Parker. Everyone was blown away. Plymell and Gerard Malanga were effusive in their praise of her work, and when a tape fell into the hands of Richard Meltzer, he agreed that Myriam's approach to the material attained a singularity of loss that had not yet been approached. The set was a stun gun, set on its highest possible notch. It blew away anything similar, and achieved a wordy beauty that both buggered description and celebrated itself. Parker's poetry -- though little-known in comparison to her prose -- offers many possibilities of both beauty and humor. Myriam grabs every edge availed to her, and does so beautifully. This album glows with holism and is one of the most beautiful evocations of times past and present and future you will hear.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: FTR 671LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Vinylization of what was something like the sixth release by Big Blood, originally issued on cassette and CDR in the year 2008. At the time, Big Blood was still a quartet comprised of two flesh and blood humans, along with their two spirit animals, and the sound here maintains some of the acid-folk-witchiness (ala Comus or early Spires That in the Sunset Rise) that marked the band's pre-Quinnisa era. Recorded at Big Blood's South Portland Maine headquarters during the winter of 2007, the instrumentation is largely acoustic (or at least acoustic sounding) apart from the album's closer, 'Low Gravity Blues,' which is built around a big electric slide riff from frequent guest, Nixsa Polosa. But the blaring guitar and harmonica on that track are more than balanced by the weird-yet-delicate approach to most of the other tunes. Even when tracks get stacked up, the effect is akin to a Dionysian fire pit party you might attend at some super enlightened youth camp. Acoustic guitars lay down thick chorded rhythm patterns, upon which vocals and other instrumental events are piled. The results display a very particular kind of ecstasy, and an approach to open joy that will get deep under your skin. Some of the tunes use banjo and ganged vocals for a futurist/primitive hybridization that resembles a geodesic dome made of twigs and feathers. Others mix bluesy guitar tones with vocals that sound more like bits heisted from a space opera being performed in a cave. There are a lot of textures here, but the shifts between them are subtle and supple. So everything slides into you ear like an old friend playing a trick on you. And that is a good feeling to know. Get it here. Now!" --Byron Coley, 2023

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: FTR 672LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Vinylization of the seventh (I think) album by Big Blood on which they are abetted by the Bleedin' Hearts -- Tom Kovacevic and Micah Blue Smaldone (who were Caleb and Colleen's bandmates in Fire On Fire) and Kelly Nesbitt (a Portland-based musician/performance artist.) Not sure if the Bleedin' Hearts ever did anything on their lonesome, but here (serving as a kind of pre-Quinnisa secret weapon) they deliver the goods. Recorded at home in South Portland Maine 'at various times through various means,' this session was originally released on CDR in 2008. For about half the album Big Blood retains its duo/'ghost quartet' profile, with the core participants generating copious gusts of the avant/rural fog that was their early trademark. Tunes range from the 'Graceless Lady' (with tense vocals recalling Nick Cave's 'Weeping Song') to the cracked Americana twangin' of 'Night Lighter.' It also includes idiosyncratic tracks, such as 'Tease It Like a Cop,' pared down to Colleen's treated vocals and piano, and a rare (and beautiful) cover tune -- Syd Barrett's 'Terrapin.' For the other (rough) half of the album, Tom, Micah and Kelly add instruments and voices that fit smoothly with everything else. But their presence provides varieties of additional sonics, veering into areas that actually resemble something like the Beatles' most fully freaked instrumental moments, crossed with the Third Ear Band's soundtrack music for Polanski's Macbeth. It's pretty incredible and 'rollicking' in a totally unorthodox way. All of which makes me think Big Blood should record an album with Van Dyke Parks. Until then, this one's about as close as we'll get to that. And if that don't get your heart beatin', then I'm not sure you have one." --Byron Coley, 2023

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: FIGURE X035EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Dropping as the second standalone EP ahead of Len Faki's highly anticipated debut album Fusion (due late 2023), this release provides a new outlook on the producer's sounds, going far beyond the confines of techno that he previously has been known and lauded for. Opening the record in bold yet sensible style, "Gamma" subtly transcends the dancefloor functionality by anchoring its driving momentum in a wistful and enigmatic melody; a regular of Berghain, Faki also occasionally plays the upstairs room -- where the bumping house of his own "It's Time (To Move Your Body)" could well go down as the highlight of a long night, whizzing with of colorful synths and anthemic vocals. "Yantra" then is a reminder of the powerful, loopy and trippy techno, which Faki (amongst all the newfound sonic explorations) has still not lost his appetite and knack for. A genuine counterpart, "Shri Yantra" then picks up elements of its predecessor, reframed in an enveloping breakbeat journey through time and space. Going past the constraints of his previous work, Faki's signature style is still very much audible on this EP, while also showing how there are still endless possibilities to develop.

 

PRICE: $73.00

CAT #: FPE 038LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"dragonchild's BLACK from FPE Records is meditative, spiritual Ethio-futurism, spread across four one-sided LPs designed to be played simultaneously. D.A. Mekonnen is a saxophone player, and the longtime leader of Debo Band, the acclaimed Ethiopian-American new-music ensemble. He is also an artist who thinks in cosmic terms, and for decades he has been thinking about the long and twisted history of the saxophone, and the noises it makes. BLACK, the first record he has produced as dragonchild, is the monumental result of that exploration: four one-sided albums, designed to be played simultaneously, creating an immersive and disorienting swarm of sound. BLACK was inspired by a trio of Black visionaries: the Ethiopian filmmaker Haile Gerima, the nonconformist American artist Lonnie Holley, and the American activist and author adrienne maree brown. It is dedicated to Alice Coltrane, the American jazz visionary, but perhaps you can also hear in it echoes of Getatchew Mekurya, the Ethiopian jazz visionary. In BLACK, these currents cross and combine, creating a mighty roar, ferocious but also meditative. You can't really listen to BLACK, but you can perform it. First, of course, you will need four turntables, and a space to set them up. (The album includes a diagram showing optimum placement.) You will also need three accomplices, so that all four tonearms can be dropped at once. 'Debo,' the name of Mekonnen's band, is an Amharic word meaning 'communal labor'; to truly experience BLACK, you need a community, too. BLACK comes in an innovative, immersive package, with artwork by the Ethiopian photographer Michael Tsegaye, depicting an active volcano in Eastern Ethiopia. Each vinyl record is translucent, with music on one side and a topographic map of lava fields on the reverse. This is a beautiful and audacious project: an artistic landmark, and an important addition to the long history of African-American cultural exchange."

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: HONEY 079LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1957. A Drum Is A Woman is a musical allegory by American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington and his long-time musical collaborator Billy Strayhorn. It tells the story of Madam Zajj, the personification of African rhythm, and Carribee Joe, who has his roots firmly in the jungle with his drums. Zajj travels out into the world seeking fame and sophistication and melds with the influences of cultures she weaves through the story, which gives a brief history of the rise of jazz and bebop. Originally recorded for the Columbia label in 1956, it was produced for television on the US Steel Hour on May 8, 1957.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: HRB 001LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 2013. Chicago's Broken Hope shook up the US death metal scene with a series of transitional releases, during a time when the genre was shifting from the styles of old vanguards to themes of heavy gore, with a matching visual aesthetic. Sixth album, Omen Of Disease, was the sole LP to feature Gorgasm's Tom Leski on vocals, with new drummer Mike Miczek and guitarist Chuck Wepfer of the Rise & Fall joining mainstays Jeremy Wagner and Shaun Glass for gloriously gory excursions. High-speed guitar blasts galore and a few slam elements, along with sci-fi synth interludes. Brutally excellent -- and not for the faint-hearted! Includes two bonus tracks. Color vinyl.

 

PRICE: $52.00

CAT #: HH 3160745LP

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

Limited restock. Chicago-based Australian vocalist Jessica Aszodi is a performer of notated and improvised music, a researcher, and curator. She bridges the worlds of contemporary art music and the experimental with total conviction. In her genre-bounding career Jessica has premiered over 70 new pieces of notated music, performed works that have lain dormant for centuries and collaborated with a constellation of artists. She is co-director of the vocal festival Resonant Bodies Australia. Prayer for Nil is a composer/performer experiment for electronics and voice. Each piece is its own microcosm of unfolding connections, decisions and influences, negotiating varying degrees of control and freedom. If there is a common thread amongst them, it is that they all push her vocalic body towards its limits. The voice on this record is not the voice of a unified and cogent human, it is the mutable voice of someone wailing unrestrained in passionate argument. The composers are Anthony Pateras (Mike Patton, PIVIXKI, Pateras/Fox), James Rushford (Oren Ambarchi, Golden Fur), Alexander Garsden (Erkki Veltheim, Melbourne Symphony), and Jeanette Little (Speak Percussion)."In Anthony Pateras' "Prayer for Nil" the electronics are a swell of voices so dense they seem inhuman, amassed like a threatening cloud. As the piece unfolds the masses thin to a taper. By its conclusion the solitary singer is left brutally alone, though it's hard to tell if she wasn't alone the whole time - every voice in the throng was my own. In "[ja] maser" Alexander Garsden deals with relationships between groups of pitches and non-traditional vocal utterances to create cresting swarms of vocality that grow, splinter and re-germinate. In the second half of the piece, a more vulnerable voice emerges, broken and crumpled in the low depths of my range. James Rushford's piece is the most overtly inspired by composer-performer relationship. Composed material was conveyed to me though an audio-score, piped point-blank into my ear. In Jeanette Little's "Mechanical Bride", my singing voice represents anima in an automated world. The text comes from Enrico Cavacchioli's 1914 poem, Let the moon be damned, in which he describes a decaying environment where humans entwine with machines. The dystopic picture painted in this poem still convinces. As I perform this piece, I stage inside myself a battle between flaw-filled human expressivity and savage, ancient machines. Jeanette's sound world pays homage to an analog era, mid-century modernist instrumental and electronic techniques in a milieu that is something like a space-western."

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: KEYSYS 003CD

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

30th anniversary definitive issue of legendary hip-hop crew The Freestyle Fellowship's landmark 1991 debut, To Whom It May Concern..., mixed from the original 4-track tapes by Cut Chemist. Grammy Nominated for Best Historical Album 2022/23!"Freestyle Fellowship -- the legendary rap crew from Los Angeles made up of Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., and Self Jupiter. The 'Best Historical Album' nomination is the first ever for any rap album in Grammy history, and comes a little over 30 years after the group released their solo project as a grassroots, independent effort. In a time and region underscored by gangsta rap, G-funk, and record sales, the Freestyle Fellowship was largely built on collaborative community, long term friendships, and artistic willpower. What most defined the group is not only their lyrical dexterity, but their commitment to an authentic, do-it-yourself spirit that can often elude the most commercially successful rappers. Highlighted by their free-flowing, jazz-inspired cadences and multi-rhythmic flows delivered in obtuse ways -- whether rapping slightly off beat, meandering in and out of alternating patterns, or coming in at rapid fire bursts -- the Freestyle Fellowship helped to build the West Coast's underground movement, drawing inspiration from East Coast boom bap, spoken word poetry, and the socially explosive world around them." --OkayPlayer

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: KEYSYS 003CS

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

Cassette version. 30th anniversary definitive issue of legendary hip-hop crew The Freestyle Fellowship's landmark 1991 debut, To Whom It May Concern..., mixed from the original 4-track tapes by Cut Chemist. Grammy Nominated for Best Historical Album 2022/23!"Freestyle Fellowship -- the legendary rap crew from Los Angeles made up of Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., and Self Jupiter. The 'Best Historical Album' nomination is the first ever for any rap album in Grammy history, and comes a little over 30 years after the group released their solo project as a grassroots, independent effort. In a time and region underscored by gangsta rap, G-funk, and record sales, the Freestyle Fellowship was largely built on collaborative community, long term friendships, and artistic willpower. What most defined the group is not only their lyrical dexterity, but their commitment to an authentic, do-it-yourself spirit that can often elude the most commercially successful rappers. Highlighted by their free-flowing, jazz-inspired cadences and multi-rhythmic flows delivered in obtuse ways -- whether rapping slightly off beat, meandering in and out of alternating patterns, or coming in at rapid fire bursts -- the Freestyle Fellowship helped to build the West Coast's underground movement, drawing inspiration from East Coast boom bap, spoken word poetry, and the socially explosive world around them." --OkayPlayer

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: KEYSYS 003LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

Double LP version. 30th anniversary definitive issue of legendary hip-hop crew The Freestyle Fellowship's landmark 1991 debut, To Whom It May Concern..., mixed from the original 4-track tapes by Cut Chemist. Grammy Nominated for Best Historical Album 2022/23! Mastered for vinyl by Daddy Kev; includes an insert with full credits, rare photos from the archives of Brian "B+" Cross and producer J. Sumbi, as well as copious liner notes by David Ma and Nate LeBlanc of DadBodRapPod. Manufactured entirely in the USA. 30th anniversary definitive issue of legendary hip-hop crew The Freestyle Fellowship's landmark 1991 debut, To Whom It May Concern..., mixed from the original 4-track tapes by Cut Chemist."Freestyle Fellowship -- the legendary rap crew from Los Angeles made up of Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., and Self Jupiter. The 'Best Historical Album' nomination is the first ever for any rap album in Grammy history, and comes a little over 30 years after the group released their solo project as a grassroots, independent effort. In a time and region underscored by gangsta rap, G-funk, and record sales, the Freestyle Fellowship was largely built on collaborative community, long term friendships, and artistic willpower. What most defined the group is not only their lyrical dexterity, but their commitment to an authentic, do-it-yourself spirit that can often elude the most commercially successful rappers. Highlighted by their free-flowing, jazz-inspired cadences and multi-rhythmic flows delivered in obtuse ways -- whether rapping slightly off beat, meandering in and out of alternating patterns, or coming in at rapid fire bursts -- the Freestyle Fellowship helped to build the West Coast's underground movement, drawing inspiration from East Coast boom bap, spoken word poetry, and the socially explosive world around them." --OkayPlayer

 

PRICE: $46.00

CAT #: KEYSYS 006LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Oakland CA, 1981: Hijrah, a vocal group formed from a small Sunni Muslim community in East Oakland, independently releases an album called Truly Free. Locally successful but without distribution, it quickly goes out of print, falling into obscurity. Now rare, prized and sought-after for its beautiful combination of multipart harmonies, soul-jazz backing, and uplifting spiritual message, Key System present this first-ever reissue, licensed directly from the group, and coupled with their 1985 follow-up Time -- a funky and eclectic update of the Hijrah sound which sadly never saw the light of day. Mastered by Jessica Thompson, with exhaustive historical listening notes by John Morrison. Pressed at Gotta Groove in Ohio; edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: KOO 007LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

An imaginary train journey between Bologna and Moscow. The original recording of the entire experimental electronic session performed at the audiovisual festival "Geometry of Now," Moscow (2017) curated by Mark Fell, reworked in Bologna (Italy) with custom analog equipment in 2022. Alexei Borisov, the Moscow underground legend who has spanned new wave, electronic noise, and constructivist experimentation, measures up with artist and curator Sergey Kasich, a sound and media artist originally from Sevastopol, Crimea, founder and main curator of the SA)) community for experimental sound artists from the post-Soviet regions, as well as the SA))_gallery and SA))_studio in Moscow. The deconstruction of that live performance is meant to underscore the evidence of the lie of the end of history and the inadequacy of theories produced by the relativist burden of postmodernity with its illusory recombinations, revivals, and remixes, lead to the search for a misaligned and alt-modern subjectivity that concretely emerges from an imaginary journey into the era of the materialization of the unexpected, like the sudden concreteness of a window that no longer squeaks, but slams... The "Petroni apartment session" was recorded in Bologna, by also mixing concrete elements of environmental recording to emphasize the sudden impending immediacy of the real dimension.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: LANR 026LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1984. Mandatory reissue for British dub-roots combo. Co-produced by On U Sound and Cherry Red, the album shows the masterful production of wizard Adrian Sherwood and a series of sublime vocal performances by stalwarts Bim Sherman, Mikey Dread, and Prince Far I. The sublime line-up is completed by master musicians Crucial Tony, "Deadly" Headley Bennett, Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, and Evar Wellington. Enjoy the purity of this aquatic sound 1. Fully remastered and licensed; edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: LPS PS005-LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress. From its creation in the late '90s until its closure in 2009, the Toytronic label witnessed a digital revolution that transformed the record industry, turning glitch into a production tool for a whole generation heir to the of bleep 'n' bass sound. Thanks to their impeccable A&R credentials, its head honchos, Martin Haidinger and Chris Cunningham, created an incredible IDM label catalog, as well as producing their own material under pseudonym Abfahrt Hinwil. Their only album to date Links Berge Rechts Seen (Toytronic, 2002) was released as a compilation featuring tracks from their brief career that over the years has become a benchmark for the Toytronic sound. This album included their first -- and only -- three releases signed to Expending Records and Toytronic, and also included two previously unreleased songs: "Planquadrat" and a hidden track at the end of the CD version. Lapsus presents Links Berge Rechts Seen, which will be released on vinyl for the first time as part of its Perennial Series. Originally released on CD in 2002. The collector's format double-LP is accompanied by a double-sided lithographic print, which includes a unique and exclusive interview from Martin and Chris, talking to prestigious electronic music journalist Philip Sherburne; marbled vinyl (solid silver & black) double-LP.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: LION 104N-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Transparent sun yellow vinyl. "A new edition of this Canadian folk/psych classic -- perfect dreamy, sunshine-infused-yet-with-clouds-passing-by pop psychedelia with a folk bent, originally released by independent Canadian label Allied Records in 1968. When we first issued this terrific album many many years ago, our booklet featured the few scraps of information on the band we could find. We challenged 'anyone out there' to find some information on this elusive and intriguing band. Well, we're pleased that someone took us up on that offer, and that the specific someone was band leader Tom Waschkowski (credited on the album as Tom Martin). He graciously offered us a band history, lyrics, and some terrific photos. This allows us to offer up as perfect a reissue of this album as humanly possible. The Folklords' Release the Sunshine is a captivating album, a notion shared by the many collectors world-wide who fight for original copies, which are few and far between. Strange thing is, if someone were to say to us that the Folklords album was released by Creation Records in 1987, it would be difficult to argue. You may well ask, why? Our answer: the chiming guitars, the rattle of tambourine, the dreaminess, the sometimes dark lyrics, and the harmony vocals of Martha Johnson place the Folklords closer to Biff Bang Pow, the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Revolving Paint Dream, or even My Bloody Valentine's debut, 'Ecstasy and Wine' (granted, at a much slower speed, and without the rampant fuzz guitar) than it does to sunny 1960's poppiness. Glorious newly remastered sound -- sourced directly from the master tapes. Dreamy sunshine-infused-yet-with-clouds-passing-by pop psychedelia with a folk bent and a futuristic sound."

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: MACROM 070CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Death ambient: Lucaslavia operates on the outer rings of metal, melting its constituent elements into vicious torrents of fury. Furnace resembles a field recording from the sixth circle of hell. Despite its deceptively calm initial form, ancient hatreds seem to rage in violent currents just below the leaden surface. Disembodied voices range from whispered malediction to screams of utmost anger, stretched into purgatorial eternities. Gargantuan sonic fortification walls composed of drums, ripping sheets of distorted guitar, hissing residue of steel and stone blasted apart build threatening levels of intensity. The only deceptive respite comes from what appears to be the faint mechanical creaking emanating from the inexorable and towering installations found in the engine rooms of boundless pain. Lucaslavia was written and produced by Stefan Goldmann. Stefan Goldmann has performed electronic music in 45 countries across six continents, with formats ranging from DJ sets to a four-hour opera with ensemble and a room-spanning installation. He has developed special formats for Berghain in Berlin, LACMA in Los Angeles and Kyoto's Honen-in Temple and is currently artistic director of the Berlin Philharmonic's Strom Festival. Mastered by Rashad Becker.

 

PRICE: $12.00

CAT #: MAGGOT 012

FILE UNDER: Misc

Crazy Doberman ? Erick's Bradshaw delivers an epic, well-illustrated tour diary of a brief jaunt with these noise greats. Composer TAYONDAI BRAXTON by Katy Henricksen! A meaty, beautiful feature on DR. PETE LARSON by Fred Thomas, worlds collide! An amazing LUCY SANTE column! Cassette tapes! Reissue of the issue is the 'Southeast of Saturn 2' comp of obscure Midwestern '90s shoegaze! The Bay Area's deliriously good new band GALORE by Jessica Beard! A beloved celebrity writes in to Mimi Lipson's advice column! A lengthy excerpt from a great unpublished novel by DAVID GORDON! Editor Mike McGonigal's tribute to Tom Verlaine! And we think that's everything, hard to really know, as we always pack so much into every issue because we love you!

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: MGDC 012LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Pink Floyd, live at Concertgebouw, Amsterdam on September 17, 1969. FM Broadcast.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: MG 134LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited restock. Two guitars heard, one played that listens to the second. Two superimposed timelines that are replayed through the disc. "Libellule": One side with use of drone. "Ébouli": a side where the guitar is detuned as the piece progresses. Guilhem Lacroux designed this disc so that it could be listened to in 45rpm and 33rpm. The 45rpm, as a version of real time -- I live -- and the 33rpm version that of the state of suspension, the invitation to slow time. For fans of France (the band), Tanz Mein Herz, guitar improvisations, electroacoustics.

 

PRICE: $38.00

CAT #: MOV 1904COL-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Juicy Lucy formed after the demise of The Misunderstood. Steel guitarist Glenn Ross Campbell, and Blackburn saxophonist Chris Mercer recruited guitarist Neil Hubbard, bassist Keith Ellis, and drummer Pete Dobson to complete the band. Their eponymous debut album was originally released in 1969, and is a heavy form of blues-rock, often played at break-neck speed. The album's cover features Burlesque dancer named Zelda Plum. The band immediately notched a UK Top 20 hit with a cover version of Bo Diddley's 'Who Do You Love?'. Juicy Luicy is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on translucent yellow color vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve."

 

PRICE: $37.00

CAT #: MOV 2650COL-LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"The album The Skatalite was originally released in 1969 and contains some of the best tracks from the Skatalites cut for producer Duke Reid. It was recorded with the classic line-up, featuring Don Drummond on trombone, Jackie Mittoo on piano, and Jonny 'Dizzy' Moore on the trumpet. This 12-track set includes 'Eastern Standard Time', 'Dan-De-Lion' and 'Yard Broom' amongst others. The Skatalite is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on turquoise colored vinyl."

 

PRICE: $47.00

CAT #: MOV 3272COL-LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"Pharoah 'Farrell' Sanders was a leading figure in the world of jazz and his tenor saxophone playing earned him a legendary status among jazz circles. This 2LP compilation Welcome To Love features the master saxophonist playing straight-up jazz ballads and includes the bonus track 'Moonlight In Vermont'. Sanders is accompanied by William Henderson on piano, Stafford James on bass and Eccleston W. Wainwright on drums. Welcome To Love is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on yellow color vinyl."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: NK 202303LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Aired on 06/05/1969. Line-up: Michael Giles (drums, vocals); Greg Lake (bass, vocals); Robert Fripp (lead guitar); Ian Macdonald (alto saxophone, flute, keyboards). Color vinyl; 45rpm.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: PAL 069LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Limited double-LP version of the 2008 CD originally issued on Load, compiling the best live and studio recordings by the final iteration of this group."60 second bursts of chaotic rock 'n' roll that barbarize whole histories of freakout style, from free jazz through classic hardcore, boogie, blues, Black Flag, Germs, most explicitly through Beefheart, but all hyper-condensed into ultra-kranky riffs that Orcutt plays at hallucinatory speed, compressing Zoot Horn Rollo style avant confusion into lighting runs and metallic two note knock-outs. Hoyos's style is so primitive that it's wildly avantgarde, with an instinctive feel for time that confounds the most advanced improvisatory strategies with the most hysterical. And her vocals are post-Yoko in the truest sense, not directly informed by her but sharing the same spontaneous energy and a-musical appeal, sometimes breaking from songs completely to expand on barely articulated vocal rants and fever pitched bouts of screaming. The whole group existed in a zone that was constantly beyond technique. The arc of their career was perfect, the mission truly accomplished, and all that's left is this amazing series of recordings, a body of work that has had a disproportionate effect on the minds, if rarely the actual sound of the underground." --David Keenan, The Wire, December 2008

 

PRICE: $47.00

CAT #: 9783907236543

FILE UNDER: Misc

"A glorious design herbarium of marijuana ads from the great underground magazines of the 1960s and '70s. The youth uprising now simply known as the Sixties was fed by one of the greatest booms in publishing history. The Underground Press Syndicate (UPS) began as a loose confederation of five papers in 1966, and within a few years swelled to over 500 across the world, including Kaleidoscope, International Times and the East Village Other. They 'spread like weed,' said the UPS director, weed dealer and eventual founder of High Times Tom Forcade. The metaphor was apt: the UPS spurred the legalization movement, and weed became its totem -- and a helpful means for government agencies to crack down on the UPS, since weed permeated UPS pages, with gaps in text crammed with weed-inspired 'spot illustrations.' Heads Together collects these drawings, shining a light on lesser-known names in the stoner-art canon, and many who weren't names at all since no signature was attached. It also compiles guides for growing weed from the period that were treated like contraband by the CIA. Activist-oriented, psychedelic rolling papers are showcased too. As pot now fast-tracks toward legalization in the US and beyond, its once-incendiary status is brought into odd relief. Pot's contemporary corporate profiteers do not reflect those who fought for legalization, or the Black and Latino populations strategically criminalized for pot well before hippies were targeted and long after. The art in this book speaks to a time when pot was smoked with optimism, as something capable of activating transformation in the face of corrupt and powerful forces." Contributor(s): David Jacob Kramer (text by - art/photo books), Rembert Browne (text by - art/photo books), Melania Gazzotti (text by - art/photo books), John Sinclair (contribution by), Ishmael Reed (contribution by), Marjorie Heins (contribution by), Mariann Wizard-Vasquez (contribution by), Abe Peck (contribution by). 566 pages. Paperback. 7.5 x 9.75 in.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: PC 481LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress. Long standing influential British experimental group Coil began performing live again in 1999 after a 15-year hiatus. These now legendary performances included many pieces that were never released on album, including this album-length epic version of "The Universe Is A Haunted House", captured live on October 12th, 2002 at London's Convay Hall.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: RR 377LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Recorded in the 1982. Roots Radics backing in a dancehall style with the drums and bass of style Scott and Errol Flabba Holt on extended 12" mixes. Produced by Jah Thomas at Channel One Studio.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: RR 378LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue of this 1982 release. Recorded and mixed at Channel One and King Tubby's studios. Includes killer songs such as "Reggae Dance," "Unwilling Baby Mother," "Sweet Reggae Music," and "This Kind Of Way." A dancehall classic!

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: RR 382LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue. Legendary Jamaican songsmith Gregory Isaacs's 1995 album Private Lesson on Radiation Roots. The set includes laidback cuts "Preacher Boy," "Feeling Sad Tonight," "Diplomatic Fool," "She Doesn't Want Me," "Slave Master," and many more.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: MVD 12373CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"A 2CD set of rare, early Hüsker Dü live recordings, featuring original flyers and artwork. Drawn from the historical Hüsker Dü recording archives compiled by Terry Katzman, this double disc live set is an essential companion piece to the band's Savage Young Du Box Set. While the SYD release principally featured studio demos, the 28 tracks presented here are the aural and enchanting equivalent of a time machine that vividly thrusts the listener straight back to Husker Du's embryonic unsheathing on stage. Side A dates to July 1979. Side B gives us a full year's evolution to July 1980, while Sides C and D land the listener in September 1980. Perhaps 120 people in total saw these three Longhorn performances. Until now, a handful at most have heard the playbacks. So, rare and fresh, it's all here: the songs, the driven performances, the small club intimacy of being in front of select friends, fans, and peers, with one fair shot at getting it right. These four sides compellingly document that you can't doubt that they did."

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: ROTOR 060LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 restock. A reissue of Brume's Autoportrait, originally released in 1991 on cassette. C. Renou on the album: "Emergency and compression ... it is the climate in which this 50-minute material was recorded. Comettre, a Self-Portrait is not nothing! ... This is a sensitive exercise, deep, must find the note, must sustain his own honesty ... well so, do not crash! This project, in 1990, took ten hours! (execution, post production, and mastering ...). I privileged a direct and rapid expression so essential to squirt! But I confess some 'literary verbages' essential in my view have been borrowed. It's almost live, as the set was 'sloppy', and made in just a day and a night! There's practically raw material, thick, rusty metal (beware Tinnitus ears ...!), performed without concession and without cerebral onanism ... but only by pure nihilism!" Black vinyl version comes in an edition of 400 (numbered).

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: SEAL 015EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited restock. Reissue of Rudimentary Peni's stunning debut 12-song 7". Recorded in 1981 at Street Level Studios and originally released on their own Outer Himalayan label. From the first track Rudimentary Peni pull you in and aurally assault your ears. It's abrasive, sharp with supreme musicianship. They created a perfect, demented universe of twisted, poetic and needle in the red punk that has never been bettered. This reissue comes with a fold-out replica sleeve with the iconic Blinko fetus artwork and booklet.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: SOULG 010LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1973. Reissued for the very first time on a limited vinyl edition, here's the fifth work of the godfather of ska, Laurel Aitken. Originally released on Count Shelly Records, Moria Sofia was completely written, arranged, produced, and sung by Aitken himself. The album is a skillful blend of soul and calypso tunes with a splash of rocksteady. A mandatory gem to be rediscovered by all Jamaican music fans. Fully licensed; edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: SOW 043LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1961. Looking Ahead is the debut album by American jazz musician Ken McIntyre, recorded with fellow alto saxophonist Eric Dolphy in 1960 and released on the New Jazz label in January 1961. From the beginning Mr. McIntyre considered himself part of the avant-garde or "new thing" movement in jazz, as spearheaded by musicians like Ornette Coleman, Bill Dixon, and Cecil Taylor, although his own music was considerably more traditionally melodic than theirs. He played a whole fleet of reed instruments, including oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet, and saxophones. In 1964, on the album Way, Way Out, he recorded bouncing, urgent jazz tunes with chilly, dissonant string arrangements; in 1966, he accompanied Mr. Taylor on the album Unit Structures, a landmark recording of the jazz avant-garde. Clear vinyl.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: FLENSER 136LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Midwife's Madeline Johnston has gone through several different iterations of her music project. In 2015, she moved into Denver's premier DIY space Rhinoceropolis, where she began learning recording on her own and primarily focusing on Sister Grotto, a long-form ambient based project. Working alongside artists like Colin Ward and Dani Rev, she was inspired by her roommate's tenacity and artistic outpouring. Madeline recorded Born to Lose / Born to Leave, Blindside, and Song For An Unborn Sun during the first half of her residency (before she started the project that would soon become Like Author, Like Daughter). Time is a major element in this group of recordings. Tracks were played in real time, slowed down, and played on top of, repeatedly, and has been referred to as an ambient sludge record. Components like the Casio SK-1, endless loop cassettes, delay and pitch shifters distort the passage of time -- layers, repetition, and analog delay fold it back in on itself. Not unlike the sentimentality and difficulty distinguishing landmark moments of this time period for Madeline, the music itself is a sort of frenetic and meditative blur. Some of the tracks on Song For An Unborn Sun were later re-worked for the first Midwife album. Most importantly, 'Song For An Unborn Sun' and 'Placeholder' which became the song 'Way Out.' Song For An Unborn Sun was originally released as a split in 2016 on the small run cassette label Terrible Pleasures. Side A was by Sister Grotto, and Side B was by Devin Shaffer (who at the time was releasing music under the name Yarrow). The Flenser 2023 reissue will solely highlight the Sister Grotto material, remastered, along with previously unreleased songs that serve as a timestamp of that particularly magic creative era. 'Placeholder (Slide Edit)' is a postcard from Madeline Johnston and Tucker Theodore's early collaboration. 'Live at Wazee Union' is a recording of a guerrilla show in a former co-op art studio in the process of being demolished and replaced. It was presented and played with the help and additional instrumentation of Braeyden Jae and H Lite's Anton Krueger. The group created a shrine with about 50 votive candles to set the scene: a temporary refuge from the growing pains of gentrification. 'ESP' is a play on Song For An Unborn Sun's closing track, 'Hex,' and was made using modified tape loops and field recordings from the industrial neighborhood where Rhinoceropolis once stood."

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: TROST 230BK

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Limited restock. Schwarzwaldfahrt is a magical document of a moment out of time, a moment when the saxophone player Peter Brötzmann and percussionist Han Bennink made a journey deep into the heart of the Black Forest with early portable recording equipment and cameras. The recordings that they made there were released as the Schwarzwaldfahrt album by FMP in 1977 and it remains a free music classic, recorded completely in the open air, with Bennink and Brötzmann duetting with the birds, playing in the water, drumming on great natural xylophones made of logs and catching the sounds of airplanes strafing the skies. It is a music of eternal expansion, of elemental communion. This new book comes with the original recordings on a CD and is assembled round a treasure trove of newly discovered photographs taken during the trip by both Brötzmann and Bennink -- photographs of each other, of their lodgings, of their ritual communions, of their route into, and out of the forest. "It's so lonely, this music, these two friends, making music on their own, in all of this space, and back of time, now, too, a document of a world that seems less populated -- by people, by ideas, by demands, by the tyranny of modern time, itself." --pre-liminal poetic text by David Keenan Peter Brötzmann & Han Bennink: e-flat clarinet, b-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, birdcalls, viola, banjo, cymbals, wood, trees, sand, land, water, air. 120 page book; 20x20cm; edition of 1000.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: VAMPI 234LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. Reissue of the first album by Brazilian musician, poet and plastic artist Manduka. Originally released in 1972 on IRT, the album is a sought-after collectors' item, especially among those who seek in its cultural richness, fundamental episodes of Chilean popular musical history. An essential record almost entirely written by Manduka during his exile years in Chile, away from his home in Brazil. It includes improvised jams and songs about Brazilian history, his own exile and the new cultures he got exposed to. A sublime combination of acoustic guitar sounds, percussions and delicate songwriting that may remind you of some other Brazilian artists like Os Novos Baianos or even Caetano. It includes a special cover version of Violeta Parra's "Qué dirá el Santo Padre" and features guest artists like Soledad Bravo, Patricio Castillo, Baltasar Villaseca from Congregación, brothers Gabriel and Eduardo Parra, members of Los Jaivas, and Numhauser himself.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: VG+ 007CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"CD format contains both volumes! In 1968, Bay Area native Doug McKechnie got hold of one the very first modular Moog synthesizers ever made and began finding his own way to play it. Soon, he was hauling the finicky instrument around to perform improvised concerts at colleges and psychedelic ballrooms, as well as an ill-fated appearance on the bill at Altamont. Some of the performances were recorded, and the surviving tapes -- never before released -- capture a free-flowing, transportive sound that fills in the gap between the austere mid-century academic avant-garde and the expansive cosmic suites of Tangerine Dream and the rest of the Berlin School in the '70s." "These pieces represent amazingly fully formed early approaches to the very idea of musical synthesis...arresting even to modern ears." --Goldmine "Presages both Tangerine Dream's soundtracks and, in its most grimy moments, Acid Tracks." --The Wire

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: VHF 152LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Third in a trilogy of albums of library music miniatures from composer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel O'Sullivan (Æthenor, Ulver, This Is Not This Heat, etc.) following 2020's Electric M?y? and 2021's Fourth Density. For heads, the term 'library music' in 2021 might evoke dodgy Italian gray market LPs and crate-diggers hunting for 'funky breaks' -- but London's venerable KPM Music is working with groundbreakers like O'Sullivan to open up new avenues for composers to experiment. The fifteen tracks on The Physic Garden are fully-formed and orchestrated compositions, which would be highlights on anyone's release, never mind as incidental music. Of the music, O'Sullivan says: 'The Physic Garden is an album of diverse instrumentals inspired by a swathe of verdant vistas from manicured gardens and follies to urban common land, overgrown and forgotten. Convalescent memories in the shape of psychedelic auditory botanics.' Key tracks include the droning acoustic folk of the title song; the Canterbury-esque rolling horn and woodwind melody of 'Return The Heart' (with expert drum kit from Frank Byng); the prog-ish odd meter interlude 'Buttercup Tea'; The quiet ambience and delicate melody of 'Dusty Feather'; and the Eno-like drift of 'Vapourer Larvae.'"

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: VHF 158CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"A genuinely sprawling collection of high-fidelity mutation music that suits the compact disc format perfectly, Hypnotape is the third consecutive Sunburned Hand Of The Man album of studio assemblages following 2019's Headless and 2021's Pick A Day To Die. Recorded throughout 2021 and 2022, it's an album possessed with a peculiar runaway locomotion which jump cuts feverishly between unusual atmospheres yet maintains a beguiling consistency -- throbbing, twisting, undulating rhythmic blast-offs suddenly kick the door down into serene realms of nuanced acoustic privacy which are unexpectedly plunged back, face first into a miasma of shirtless, raging thuggery, ad infinitum. The album is notable in the group's monstrous catalog for a few reasons: first, it showcases founding member Conrad Capistran stepping out from behind the keyboards and electronics to spread his smooth, buttery baritone atop the majority of the tracks. From his velvet cooing above the pulsing whirlwind of opener 'People Person' to his vivid and febrile musings as a trip reporter on the frontlines of the meltdown zone on 'Roger' his honeyed vocals guide the listener Virgil-like through the inferno all the way to the album's finale where he duets with Ron Schneiderman on the old Dino Valenti/Quicksilver chestnut 'What About Me'. Secondly, it features the recorded debut of Sunburned's longtime friend and collaborator Mark Perretta after years of touring with the group. Some may remember Perretta from his days stomping across the primordial Boston underground of the late '80s/early '90s with the mighty Subskin Cables or his solo career as Deluxx but most, no doubt, will be familiar with his stint with Lou Barlow, John Davis and Bob Fay as Deluxx Folk Implosion, most notably when Perretta's whimsical ode to fatherhood 'Daddy Never Understood' was used in the opening sequence to Larry Clark's beloved coming of age tale Kids in 1996. Finally, with Hypnotape, Sunburned steps into the hallowed VHF arena after decades of hovering along adjacent corridors!"

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: MRSSS 539LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock, new lower pricing. Vinilisssimo present the first vinyl reissue of Tim Maia's 1977 self-titled album. Tim Maia was born in 1942 in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro and started his musical career at an early age, along with close friends such as Roberto Carlos or Jorge Ben. Carlos would eventually help him to get a deal for his first single at CBS. During the '70s, Maia started to incorporate soul and funk elements into his style. After a two-year period involvement in the Cultura Racional in Brazil, Maia's funky style was still at its best when he released this album in 1977. It was his first and only recording for Som Livre, the legendary label that became extremely popular due to the many soap operas soundtracks in its extensive catalog. This self-titled LP deserves to be shortlisted among Maia's top records. It features killer tunes like the anthemic "É Necessário", undoubtedly one of the best songs in his career, and also boogie gems such as "Verão Carioca" or "Venha Dormir Em Casa" that show obvious influences by some of the biggest American soul artists of the time. It also contains intimate vocal delights as in the lovely smooth tune "Música Para Betinha" or even straight funky instrumentals like "Flores Belas". The string arrangements, wah-wah guitars, horns, deep vocals make this recording a milestone in the so-called "Black Movement" in Rio, where artists like Toni Tornado, Banda Black Rio and Maia himself were bringing in the funky sounds of America and mixing them with local rhythms like samba. Presented in facsimile artwork and pressed on 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: VL 900372LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Reissue, originally released in 1973. "When the New York Dolls released their debut album in 1973, they managed to be named both 'Best New Band' and 'Worst Band' in Creem Magazine's annual reader's poll, and it usually takes something special to polarize an audience like that. And the Dolls were inarguably special -- decades after its release, New York Dolls still sounds thoroughly unique, a gritty, big-city amalgam of Stones-style R&B, hard rock guitars, lyrics that merge pulp storytelling with girl group attitude, and a sloppy but brilliant attack that would inspire punk rock (without the punks ever getting its joyous slop quite right). Much was made of the Dolls' sexual ambiguity in the day, but with the passage of time, it's a misfit swagger that communicates most strongly in these songs, and David Johansen's vocals suggest the product of an emotional melting pot who just wants to find some lovin' before Manhattan is gone, preferably from a woman who would prefer him over a fix. If the lyrics sometimes recall Hubert Selby, Jr. if he'd had a playful side, the music is big, raucous hard rock, basic but with a strongly distinct personality -- the noisy snarl of Johnny Thunders' lead guitar quickly became a touchstone, and if he didn't have a lot of tricks in his arsenal, he sure knew when and how to apply them, and the way he locked in with Syl Sylvain's rhythm work was genius -- and the Dolls made their downtown decadence sound both ominous and funny at the same time. The Dolls were smart enough to know that a band needs a great drummer, and if there's something likably clumsy about Arthur Kane's bass work, Jerry Nolan's superb, elemental drumming holds the pieces in place with no-nonsense precision at all times. 'Lonely Planet Boy' proved the Dolls could dial down their amps and sound very much like themselves, 'Pills' was a superbly chosen cover that seemed like an original once they were done with it, and 'Personality Crisis,' 'Trash,' and 'Jet Boy' were downtown rock & roll masterpieces no other band could have created. And while New York Dolls clearly came from a very specific time and place, this album still sounds fresh and hasn't dated in the least -- this is one of rock's greatest debut albums, and a raucous statement of purpose that's still bold and thoroughly engaging." --AllMusic

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: WHP 1463LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

In 1983 Herbie Hancock's glorious career in jazz (and fusion) experienced a resounding mainstream breakthrough thanks to the extraordinary success of the transcendent "Rockit," a single taken from the Grammy award-winning album Future Shock (1983) that has gone down in history as the first crossover between jazz, hip-hop, and scratching (breakdancers elected it in those years as their world anthem). The piece, in a nearly 11-minute version, is included in the radio-originated live performance culled from a concert that the legendary keyboardist and his band -- including Anton Fier, Bernard Fowler, D.ST., J.T. Lewis, Jeff Bova, and Wayne Brathwaite -- held on July 24, 1984 at the Yomiuriland Open East Theatre in Tokyo: synthesizers and electronics characterize a set that includes versions of other pieces from the Future Shock album (the title track, "Earth Beat," "Autodrive," "Rough"), "Stars In Your Eyes" from Monster (1980) and the final 17 minutes medley of "Crazy Cuts/Chameleon".

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: WHP 1464LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Here's the historical Rome concert recorded at Radio Rai studios in Via Asiago, with extended versions of four original compositions, including a fantastic interpretation of the already popular "Lonely Woman."

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: WRWTFWW 079CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

WRWTFWW Records present the first official worldwide reissue of the debut album from fabled Japanese folk singer-songwriter/actress/writer Hako Yamasaki, Tobimasu. Originally released in 1975 on legendary independent label Elec Records, Tobimasu is a masterpiece of melancholy carried by one of the most beautiful, moving, melodic, and haunting voices in the history of Japanese music. An extraordinary singer and guitar player, Hako Yamasaki wrote the album at only 18 years old, showing incredible emotional maturity and music making skills, and creating, out of nowhere, a downright classic of folk music, brilliantly arranged and sequenced. Hako Yamasaki's folk is bluesy, psychedelic, soft, and poetic, perfectly fitting the themes of nostalgia, love, and nature she covers with heartbreaking intensity. Her songs capture sorrow ravishingly, offering glimpses of empowering hope and uplifting wisdom. A unique voice, a unique approach, and nothing less than magnificent music. Hako Yamasaki, a pioneer in both the creative boom and the rise of feminism in 1970s Japan, went on to release over thirty albums, building an impressive discography and a fascinating career filled with ups and downs. Her work, inimitable and timeless, deserves the utmost recognition and should be celebrated. Again and again and again. Tobimasu is released in conjunction with Hako Yamasaki's beautiful follow-up Tsunawatari, also available on WRWTFWW Records (WRWTFWW 080CD/LP). CD version includes one bonus track.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: WRWTFWW 079LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. 180 gram vinyl. WRWTFWW Records present the first official worldwide reissue of the debut album from fabled Japanese folk singer-songwriter/actress/writer Hako Yamasaki, Tobimasu. Originally released in 1975 on legendary independent label Elec Records, Tobimasu is a masterpiece of melancholy carried by one of the most beautiful, moving, melodic, and haunting voices in the history of Japanese music. An extraordinary singer and guitar player, Hako Yamasaki wrote the album at only 18 years old, showing incredible emotional maturity and music making skills, and creating, out of nowhere, a downright classic of folk music, brilliantly arranged and sequenced. Hako Yamasaki's folk is bluesy, psychedelic, soft, and poetic, perfectly fitting the themes of nostalgia, love, and nature she covers with heartbreaking intensity. Her songs capture sorrow ravishingly, offering glimpses of empowering hope and uplifting wisdom. A unique voice, a unique approach, and nothing less than magnificent music. Hako Yamasaki, a pioneer in both the creative boom and the rise of feminism in 1970s Japan, went on to release over thirty albums, building an impressive discography and a fascinating career filled with ups and downs. Her work, inimitable and timeless, deserves the utmost recognition and should be celebrated. Again and again and again. Tobimasu is released in conjunction with Hako Yamasaki's beautiful follow-up Tsunawatari, also available on WRWTFWW Records (WRWTFWW 080CD/LP).

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: WRWTFWW 080CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

WRWTFWW Records present the first official worldwide reissue of the sophomore album from fabled Japanese folk singer-songwriter/actress/writer Hako Yamasaki, Tsunawatari. Recorded right after her outstanding debut Tobimasu (WRWTFWW 079CD/LP), Tsunawatari was released in 1976 on Elec Records, one of the first independent labels in Japan, and solidified Hako Yamasaki as one of the most gorgeous voices of the country and an exceptional musician and singer. A truly perfect follow-up, it immortalizes the bitter beauty of heartache with tearful performances and nostalgic empowerment. The beauty of melancholic songs reaches heartbreaking heights in Tsunawatari, a magnificent ode to the sorrow of lost love and the time that passes offered to the world with a very unique brand of folk music. The kind of folk that goes for the guts, folk that shamelessly flirts with tearful blues, contemplative soft pop and psychedelic nostalgia. Put the needle on "Help Me" -- there's simply no holding back. Hako Yamasaki, a pioneer in both the creative boom and the rise of feminism of 1970s Japan, went on to release over thirty albums, building an impressive discography and a fascinating career filled with ups and downs. Her work, inimitable and timeless, deserves the utmost recognition and should be celebrated. Again and again and again. Tsunawatari is released in conjunction with Hako Yamasaki's classic debut album Tobimasu, also available on WRWTFWW Records.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: WRWTFWW 080LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. 180 gram vinyl. WRWTFWW Records present the first official worldwide reissue of the sophomore album from fabled Japanese folk singer-songwriter/actress/writer Hako Yamasaki, Tsunawatari. Recorded right after her outstanding debut Tobimasu (WRWTFWW 079CD/LP), Tsunawatari was released in 1976 on Elec Records, one of the first independent labels in Japan, and solidified Hako Yamasaki as one of the most gorgeous voices of the country and an exceptional musician and singer. A truly perfect follow-up, it immortalizes the bitter beauty of heartache with tearful performances and nostalgic empowerment. The beauty of melancholic songs reaches heartbreaking heights in Tsunawatari, a magnificent ode to the sorrow of lost love and the time that passes offered to the world with a very unique brand of folk music. The kind of folk that goes for the guts, folk that shamelessly flirts with tearful blues, contemplative soft pop and psychedelic nostalgia. Put the needle on "Help Me" -- there's simply no holding back. Hako Yamasaki, a pioneer in both the creative boom and the rise of feminism of 1970s Japan, went on to release over thirty albums, building an impressive discography and a fascinating career filled with ups and downs. Her work, inimitable and timeless, deserves the utmost recognition and should be celebrated. Again and again and again. Tsunawatari is released in conjunction with Hako Yamasaki's classic debut album Tobimasu, also available on WRWTFWW Records.

 

PRICE: $17.00

CAT #: YAZ 1043HLP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. 180 gram reissue of Yazoo's scholarly 1974 collection of "bawdy and vaudeville-inspired" songs from the '20s and '30s. Classic Robert Crumb cover art. Artists: Whistling Bob Howe & Frankie Griggs, Tommie Bradley & James Cole, Buddie Burton, Georgia Tom & Tampa Red, Rufus & Ben Quillian, Hokum Boys, Papa Charlie Jackson, Butterbeans & Susie, Robert & Charlie Hicks, Yazoo All Stars, Memphis Minnie, Leola B. Wilson & Kid Wesley Wilson and Bo Carter.

 

PRICE: $24.50

CAT #: SNT 032LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Primitive Motion is Sandra Selig and Leighton Craig. Over the past decade and a half, they have gently unlocked out a uniquely divergent soundworld that haunts the fringes of folk, krautrock, lo-fi pop and foggy electronics. Their sound worlds are effortlessly deep and rich, and even when greatly reductive the pair manage to create a sense of harmonic energy that is enveloping and deeply affective. Portrait Of An Atmosphere is one of their most free-floating editions. Each piece casts out a wide net, capturing their intimate sound interplays, song forms, and melodic frameworks in a shifting palette of field recordings, radio materials, spatial elements, and free roaming improvisations. At times almost drifting into methodologies of musique concrete this edition expands their musical languages well beyond any previous works, offering an ever more porous and generous reading of their evolving musical project.From Leighton Craig: "Portrait Of An Atmosphere was recorded with the intention of crafting a long duration work of constituent parts; a suite of related compositions to be listened to as a singular narrative. It focuses on acoustic elements to achieve the kind of sound immersion that is central to our practice, without using the typical palette of reverb and delay . . . The title of the album has been taken from one of Sandra's cut-poems, an ongoing series of work where she reduces/cuts the text on the page of a found book to arrive at a poetic denouement. In this context it seems fitting that some recordings on the album also have the sense of being cut together, although perhaps more as collage than reduction. Most obviously 'Portrait IV' joins a piano track with fragments of studio improvisation, a drifting fog that finally clears by restating the single-string guitar motif of 'Portrait I'. The beginning at the end; mirror in a mirror. The final track on the album, 'Trenches of Time' (another cut-poem title), sits outside the 'Portrait' suite but shares the same path of call and response intra-studio exchanges and acoustic intervention. But this album is more than a recording project. It represents the ongoing thread of non-verbal conversation that passes between sound makers, and has been exchanged between these band members for over a decade, captured here in an evolving dialect. It's a peculiar language that can be understood through the bowing of a cymbal and the wheezing of a reed organ. It's this conversation that is the joy and otherness of making music.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: AGIT 065LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. "Carlton Melton, from Northern California, are now a practicing four-piece in the arts of melted-minds psychedelia. With the added kraut-oomph and sike-flutter of fellow Californian Anthony Taibi (whom you may know as being a member of White Manna, and also DDT with Andy) Rich Millman, Andy Duvall, and Clint Golden have now embellished the Carlton Melton sound. Pushing forward as a quartet, the band recorded Resemble Ensemble in July 2021 at Anthony's home studio, 3D Light in Freshwater, CA. Anthony did all the recording and mixing. The Melton Magick Karpet settled, and our favorite contemporary sikedelic warlods plugged in, amped up and let it flow -- and flow it does -- from the krautrock fuelled pszych-raga of 'Prescribed Skies,' the fluid dronescape of 'Elsewhere' that welcomes you into its arms with a warming tone, almost a missing Spacemen 3 demo at the feast here. 'So The Story Grows' has the drone scraping through a murk of dazzling feedback and pummel, with the fuller sounding Melton giving the genre a proper wobble, hold on to your brains people. 'High Alert' -- whas this? Synth and guitar interplay jambusting, this is the Melton wigging out and almost interweaving 70s high table rock with some odd and downright perverse synthfunkpunk rhythms. Get weird or get wired -- or both. Easily done here. Closing out the album with 'Route Thirteen' is the road trip home. They've been, they've massaged and mangled your synapses, plug in the satnav and take the higher-route home, if you get our drift."

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: ZORN 099CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The next chapter of the Natural Information Society is here. Since Time Is Gravity, credited to Natural Information Society Community Ensemble with Ari Brown, presents a newly expanded manifestation of acclaimed composer & multi-instrumentalist Joshua Abrams nearly 15 year, 7 albums- &-counting flagship ensemble. Joining the core NIS of Abrams (guimbri & bass), Lisa Alvarado (harmonium) Mikel Patrick Avery (drums) & Jason Stein (bass clarinet) are Hamid Drake (percussion), Josh Berman & Ben Lamar Gay (cornets), Nick Mazzarella & Mai Sugimoto (alto saxophones & flute), Kara Bershad (harp) & Chicago living legend of the tenor saxophone Ari Brown. Recorded live to tape at Electrical Audio & The Graham Foundation, cover painting Vibratory Cartography: Nepantla, by Lisa Alvarado."Since first developing Natural Information Society in 2010, Joshua Abrams has been gradually expanding the group's conceptual underpinnings, its musical references & the sheer number of the group's members. Its music is, in a sense, an expansive form of minimalism, based in repeated & overlaid rhythmic patterns, ostinatos & modality. Its roots, its scale & its meaning become clearer in time. If time is gravity, it also allows us to carry more. Having begun as fundamentally a rhythm section with Abrams' guimbri at its core, the version here can stretch to a tentet, including six horns. Abrams has been expanding his minimalism gradually, but he has long understood a key to minimalism's potential: the breadth of its roots in the late 1950s & early 1960s, ranging from the dissatisfaction of young European-stream composers with the limitations of serialism to the simultaneous dissatisfaction of jazz musicians with the dense harmonic vocabulary of bop & hard bop. The former began exploring rhythmic complexity & narrow tonal palates in place of harmonic abstraction (Steve Reich's Drumming, Philip Glass' Music with Changing Parts; perhaps above all Terry Riley's In C & his late '60s all-night organ & loop concerts); the later reduced dense chord changes to scales (signally with Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, but rapidly expanding with John Coltrane's vast project). In the 1950s the LP record opened the world with documentation of Asian & African musics, key influences on both minimalists & jazz musicians. If John Coltrane's soprano saxophone suggested the keening shehnai of Bismillah Khan, the instrument was rapidly taken up by two key minimalists, LaMonte Young & Riley, similarly appreciative of its flexible intonation, the same thing that kept it out of big bands. If the guimbri, the North African hide-covered lute that Abrams plays with NIS, involves a rich tradition of hypnotic healing music associated with the Gnawa people, Abrams' music also touches on other musics as well --other depths, memories & healings, different drones, rhythms & modes. As the group expands on Since Time Is Gravity, he has made certain jazz traditions in the same stream more explicit as well. If there is a mystical & elastic quality involved in the experience of time, both in direction & duration, you will catch it here. The parts for the choir of winds expand on the roles of Abrams' guimbri, Mikel Patrick Avery & Hamid Drake's percussion & Lisa Alvarado's harmonium: at times, the winds are almost looping in the tentet version, each hitting a repeating note in turn, at once drone & distinct inflection on temporal sequence. The brilliance of the work resides in Abrams' compositions, the NIS' intuitive execution & in Ari Brown's singular embodiment of the great tenor saxophone tradition, including the oracular genius of Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, & Yusef Lateef..." --Stuart Broomer, April 2022

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: AUS 184EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Otik drops the four-track Xoul Trap EP on Will Saul's Aus Music. Otik, aka Ashley Thomas, has been steadily making himself known as one of the finest exponents of leftfield UK club music since his debut in 2013 through a string of heavy releases on the likes of Midland's Intergraded, Martyn's 3024, and his own Solar Body imprint. Arriving now on Aus Music, the London-based DJ/producer brings a set of atmospheric, breakbeat-laden techno tracks for his first appearance on the label. "Xoul Trap" kicks off the A-side with moody vocal chops, emotive pads, and thunderous kicks combining to form a hair-raising late-night affair. Following is the shuffling "Temptress", which sees sharp and detailed percussion fuse with dusty chords and speaker-rattling subs. On the flip, "Inertia" begins with a pumping 4/4 pattern as washed-out synths reverberate alongside shining plucks and warm, inviting low end. "Unorthodox" sees shimmering leads swirl around choral samples and UK Funky-tinged drum hits, rounding out yet another standout record from both Otik and Aus Music.

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: BANG 150LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Acclaimed second album by The Drones finally reissued by Bang! Records, originally released in 2005. Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By draws influence from the likes of Neil Young and The Birthday Party, though it has been described by lead singer/guitarist Gareth Liddiard himself as a punk rock album. The lyrics, penned by Liddiard, deal with issues such as death, depression and alcoholism in its depiction of Australian working-class life. The album received critical acclaim upon release, regarded later on as the band's "break-out" and one of their most popular releases. The track "Shark Fin Blues", in particular, went on to become a concert staple and was voted by contemporary Australian songwriters as the greatest Australian song of all time in October 2009. The album itself was performed live in its entirety many times, even as a part of the acclaimed Don't Look Back concert series. In 2008, The Age ranked it the best Australian album of the 21st century. Three years later, the band's contemporaries and "industry experts" would vote it the 24th best Australian album of all time. Gatefold sleeve.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: BCD 17688CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Charlie Feathers Rocks -- and here's the ultimate 31 track Bear Family Records CD to prove it! --The first label and decade spanning compilation covering the 1950s to 1990s. No overlaps with the Bear Family Records CD Rock-a-Billy. Rockin' music from 1956-77 including classics like 'Get With It', 'One Hand Loose' and 'Tear It Up' plus supreme tracks from later years, including 'That Certain Female' a later Rollin' Rock recording which became comet-like popular worldwide by Quentin Tarantino's blockbuster Kill Bill! Recordings made for Sun, Flip, Meteor, King plus sides he made after his rediscovery in late '60s and early '70s rockabilly revival, a.o. some recordings for the label Barrelhouse Records. As a bonus, there is the very rare track Adamsville by Bill Privett, with Charlie Feathers on guitar about a spectacular bank robbery in Adamsville (the hometown of Sheriff Buford Posser), Tennessee. Detailed liner notes by Martin Hawkins, roots music expert and author of the book Sun Records - The Brief History of the Legendary Record Label. Carefully re-mastered for the best possible sound quality. The long overdue tribute to a legendary uncompromising artist in our Rocks series! The rocking music here is mostly from the 1950s and '60s (classics such as 'Get With It', 'One Hand Loose', 'Tear It Up') but some later tracks remind us that Charlie Feathers was playing and recording his own version of rockabilly in Memphis for over 40 years. Feathers was one of the very few artists who really did have a style all his own. His rock was not the same as anyone else's. It was more country, yet also more bluesy, and with a pulse all its own; more about rhythm than anything. Charlie only had a short '50s career -- but on iconic labels like Sun, Flip, Meteor, King -- then was rediscovered in the '70s rockabilly revival and beyond."

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: CFS 007CD

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

An homage to the Eurospy genre by releasing on CD the complete edition of Riz Ortolani's music for the spy film Tiffany Memorandum, directed in 1967 by Sergio Grieco. As this is the seventh volume of the label, in reference to the film genre this CD here has, not by chance, the catalog number CFS007, also in honor of the sixty years of James Bond, Secret Agent 007. For this CD, the label was able to use the mono tapes of the original session which allowed them to discover unreleased material, for a length totaling just over 55 minutes. Riz Ortolani composed a brilliant score based on danceable music (as was in vogue at the time) which you can hear in "Beat Fuga Shake," which is frequently reprised throughout the score. This OST features wild "shake" rhythms alternated with suspenseful pieces for electric guitar, winds, and percussion. Generally, a secret agent is always in the company of beautiful women, and this glamorous side of a spy is underlined by sensual and refined romantic themes. Dedicated to the musical art of the great maestro Riz Ortolani and is an essential addition to the collections of those who love the espionage genre, from James Bond, Matt Helm, and Derek Flint to all of the Eurospy secret agents. Mastering and liner notes by Claudio Fuiano. Graphic layout by Claudio Fuiano and Daniele De Gemini.

 

PRICE: $12.00

CAT #: BFR 025CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"A fiery, amp-splitting rumble of a record, this is a gravitational mass of space-tripping grooves, massive sludge and red-eyed psychedelics! Formed in the sleepy town of Borlänge, Sweden, Dozer led the first wave of European-style stoner/desert rock, an impactful fusion of proto-metal, riff-rock and punk that blasted forth in response to the sun-baked fuzz and tectonic heft of American bands Kyuss and Fu Manchu. More than a decade since their last outing, Dozer have reawakened with a vengeance, and return with an impassioned, amp-splitting rumble of a record. Drifting In The Endless Void is a gravitational mass packed with dense instrumentation, arena-ready melodies, and contemplative restraint. Dozer still brings the tumultuous grooves that longtime fans expect, but they also pull in massive sludge, fuzzed-out doom, space-tripping grooves, red-eyed psychedelics, and whatever else they find floating in the vast cosmic expanse. Dozer's return to the musical landscape they helped shape is cause enough for celebration, but the explosive playing and fiery purpose is what makes Drifting In The Endless Void a truly unmissable experience."

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: BFR 025LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Translucent purple vinyl. "A fiery, amp-splitting rumble of a record, this is a gravitational mass of space-tripping grooves, massive sludge and red-eyed psychedelics! Formed in the sleepy town of Borlänge, Sweden, Dozer led the first wave of European-style stoner/desert rock, an impactful fusion of proto-metal, riff-rock and punk that blasted forth in response to the sun-baked fuzz and tectonic heft of American bands Kyuss and Fu Manchu. More than a decade since their last outing, Dozer have reawakened with a vengeance, and return with an impassioned, amp-splitting rumble of a record. Drifting In The Endless Void is a gravitational mass packed with dense instrumentation, arena-ready melodies, and contemplative restraint. Dozer still brings the tumultuous grooves that longtime fans expect, but they also pull in massive sludge, fuzzed-out doom, space-tripping grooves, red-eyed psychedelics, and whatever else they find floating in the vast cosmic expanse. Dozer's return to the musical landscape they helped shape is cause enough for celebration, but the explosive playing and fiery purpose is what makes Drifting In The Endless Void a truly unmissable experience."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BFR 025X-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Transparent teal vinyl. "A fiery, amp-splitting rumble of a record, this is a gravitational mass of space-tripping grooves, massive sludge and red-eyed psychedelics! Formed in the sleepy town of Borlänge, Sweden, Dozer led the first wave of European-style stoner/desert rock, an impactful fusion of proto-metal, riff-rock and punk that blasted forth in response to the sun-baked fuzz and tectonic heft of American bands Kyuss and Fu Manchu. More than a decade since their last outing, Dozer have reawakened with a vengeance, and return with an impassioned, amp-splitting rumble of a record. Drifting In The Endless Void is a gravitational mass packed with dense instrumentation, arena-ready melodies, and contemplative restraint. Dozer still brings the tumultuous grooves that longtime fans expect, but they also pull in massive sludge, fuzzed-out doom, space-tripping grooves, red-eyed psychedelics, and whatever else they find floating in the vast cosmic expanse. Dozer's return to the musical landscape they helped shape is cause enough for celebration, but the explosive playing and fiery purpose is what makes Drifting In The Endless Void a truly unmissable experience."

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: BBI 034LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Furnishings is the third solo album from Narrm via Wagga Wagga musician Lachlan Denton (The Ocean Party, Partner Look, Pop Filter). Furnishings documents the shift in Lachlan's life and focus from music to furniture making, and in some ways back again, in the aftermath of the loss of his brother, Zac Denton. Containing 12 original songs, it accompanies and expands on Lachlan Denton's wonderful previous record (with Studio Magic), A Brother (BBI 010LP, 2019), dedicated to the recent tragic passing of Zac Denton. Zac, Lachlan's little brother, was also his partner in his musical adventures with the cult group The Ocean Party. Furnishings is Lachlan's most diverse album to date. Half the songs on Furnishings are dedicated to different members of Lachlan's immediate family in an attempt to say the things that could so easily go unsaid before you ever get the chance. The other half are reflection on self, the environment, and life in an ever-changing world. From lo-fi keyboard musings of "Bookshelf" to the '80s infused pop of "You" and back to the jangling guitars of "Lose" it is an album that twists and turns but still has all the songwriting hallmarks of a Lachlan Denton album. To record the album, Lachlan enlisted help from friends Anila Hasnain (Partner Look) and Dom Kearton (Skydeck), on bass and guitar respectively. The producing of the album was split up between sessions with Liam Halliwell (The Ocean Party, Snowy Band), Liam Parsons, and Stefan Blair (Good Morning), Dainis Lacey (Cool Sounds), and Tori Holleman (Douglas Fur, Retiree). For each session the engineers became quasi members of the band, playing singing and arranging collaboratively. Furnishings also accompanies Lachlan's first furniture collection, which will be on display in Melbourne to accompany the launch of the record.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: BOND 12068EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

German label Bondage Music delivers the ninth instalment of its Bondage Games series. Another vinyl only release, this time with four fresh tracks from Mihai Popoviciu, Pornbugs & Cristina Lazic, NTFO, and Rhadow. 180 gram vinyl; vinyl only release.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: BJR 083LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

LP version. Deluxe silkscreened cover. Bongo Joe Records announce the release of Yalla Miku's debut album. It is a new way of combining African, European, electronic, acoustic and electric music and cultures. The project was launched by Cyril Cyril duo, then joined by Simone Aubert and Vincent Bertholet from Hyperculte and three musicians with migrant backgrounds: the Moroccan Anouar Baouna, the Eritrean Samuel Ades, and the Algerian Ali Bouchaki. For its initiators, the idea was not to appropriate a non-European heritage and to interpret it in the company of musicians from these countries. They opted for a more radical approach: to propose a base of compositions on which the migrant musicians then worked with their instruments, which range from the derbouka to the guembri via the krar, the Eritrean lyre. The album, nourished by these stage performances, was recorded in autumn 2021. The result is full of vibrations, unusual sounds and life experiences. Sung in Arabic, Tigrigna, and French, the lyrics glide over throbbing rhythms, borrowing from gnawa, krautrock, and electro trance. Their eponymous debut album sounds like a call to travel beyond the barriers of sound, a call to a horizon without a visa.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: BORNBAD 158LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Includes printed under sleeve and download code. As soon as the pilots of the Space Oddities endeavor decided to tackle Yan Tregger's oeuvre, a major problem surfaced: where to begin? And where to end? Upon which side should one launch into the ascension of this body of work? It will have taken Alexis Le-Tan and Jess years to put up this selection, capturing the profusion and eclecticism of Tregger who, at 81 years old, has yet to lay down the arms and still defines himself as a "jack of all trades". Symphonies, library music, movie soundtracks, TV credits, advertisement, French variété, pop, disco, electronic, experimental, or relaxation music, Yan Tregger (born Edouard Scotto di Suoccio) took up all genres, styles, and formats through a career spanning from the end of the '50s to this day. How the Stakhanovist successfully went down so many different routes can be explained by his innate talent for composing melodies; they are the very basis on which his iconoclastic production was built. Ten years ago already, Yan Tregger had welcomed Born Bad in the studio of his Parisian suburb pavilion. There, sat in front of his machines and albums framed on the wall, he had delved into the midst of a life writing itself like would a rather unusual musical score. "I was born in Algeria in 1940, in a coastal town -- Algeria's Nice, Philippeville, (today Skikda -- author's note), to parents of Italian descent. People were unhappy in Italy and did as migrants do today. Still, there was some tendering. When France started colonizing Algeria, the government brought in people to constitute a work force: many Italians, but also some Maltese and Jews who were already established there. My father managed a balancelle, a dinghy which would deliver materials along the coast. My mother was a housewife, just like any Italian back then. I am an only child." LP version includes printed under sleeve and download code.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: BORNBAD 168LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Two social media posts out of three are about losing his phone, the last one is about him swearing he saw a dog making himself a sandwich. Paul Ramon (Bryan's Magic Tears, la Secte du Futur) has managed to finish his second solo album, Buvez le poison (Drink the Poison). Preceded by a reputation for being Defcon 1 -- level unmanageable on tour, while obviously being able to hold his own, it's no surprise to find the paradox in his music. Body search the record and you'll find chemical faves of the last forty years. Paul Ramon is doing 20 on the highway ("Hacienda", downhill dub with over-the-top bass), and 60 in the city ("Les victimes du roi", arpeggiated medieval-fantasy trip). Pleasure Principle obviously decided that traffic regulations just didn't apply to his vehicle. Sung in French (neither bellowed nor whispered, thanks), highlife guitars travelling light via the Caribbeans, '90s synths stabs, calculated MTV moments -- traces of everything, traces everywhere. A singer by obligation, by his own admission, he performs with a cheeky Madchester University alumni attitude. Happy to be there, but wishes nobody knew. Paul Ramon stuck his tongue out to write -- he deals generously in one-liners, as sharp as disposable razors. Can't wait to see him pull those out of his pockets, struggling to bleed everyone. Marc Portheau saves the day in his mix; "Heliopolis", psych-pop jam lost in heavy delay, could have gone astray but suddenly gets all sophisticated with winds and chorus -- as much appreciated as they never RSVP'd (Olivier Demeaux, Romain Vasset). This is a bear trap of an album. "La punition commence" (the punishment begins) and you'd expect a synth-wave dungeon moist with whispered confessions, when in fact it's more about wiggling arms in the air, and trampling the corpse of dance-pop to the sound of brain-dead synth, circa 1995. "Frappe le cuir" pays homage to the Happy Mondays, which you'd expect given the drummer's pedigree. "Buvez le poison" and "La sieste", a barely legal promotional campaign for narcotics, contain more than you asked for, if you can only listen. And "Rêves", chord-driven summer track gets turned over by the effects-laden guitar solo. Traps, again. So. when you get to "Plein de rancoeur je vis mon meilleur moment", successful attempt to remake "Loser" in 2022, you'll know that Pleasure Principle knows his business in a rather endearing way. This is not a collage, but tie and dye colors spread to be looked at, rubbing each other lewdly.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: BR 174LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Thank You Lord For Satan is the musical project of Paloma La Hoz (a former member of 12 Garras and Mitad Humana) and Henry Gates (known for his work as Resplandor), two musicians with a long history in the independent scene of Lima, Peru. In 2021, and after the confinement caused by the pandemic, they began to work together on new songs, with a unique mix of psychedelia, folk, soul, and synthpop, for fans of bands like the Velvet Underground or The Brian Jonestown Massacre. As a result, eight songs emerged that now make up the self-titled debut Thank You Lord For Satan, an album that portrays the everyday story of two people living and discovering a moment of creative euphoria. Not only does the duo exhibit a great talent for composition, but also for performance. The way in which both voices interact gives their sound a personal as well as a mysterious quality. Listening to them is like accessing a secret exchange. On songs like "A Million Songs Ago" and "Wet Morning" they immerse themselves in the sound of neo-psychedelia. Delay effects, distortion and tremolo on the guitar are combined with the whispering and melodious voice of Paloma La Hoz. While on "Sad Song" and "Text Message" they show a crooner side, with Henry Gates on lead vocals, paying homage to some of his musical heroes, with arrangements that grow from an acoustic format to a chamber pop sound. "Isolation" is a melancholic experimental song, where the naked voice of Paloma La Hoz is accompanied by a discreet instrumentation which includes field recordings. In a related style, although with a gospel orientation, is "Devine Destinity". In "Conversations al Amanecer" and "When We Dance" the duo explores more unclassifiable paths within the pop song format. The first song makes soul and dub coexist, while the second mixes neo-psychedelia and synthpop, with an unexpected arrangement of trumpets and a vocal exercise by Paloma La Hoz, between spoken word and rapping. And although the references manage to give an idea of the path that the duo is traveling, the results are rather personal and work as a mosaic of sensations. The songs on the album have been composed and recorded by Paloma La Hoz and Henry Gates. Mixed by Jorge Balbi and mastered by Francisco Holtzman. Cover art by Goster. Edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: BB 426CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Morphing Polaroids is the debut album by Japanese born Saeko Okuchi, alias Saeko Killy, for Hamburg-based Bureau B. After moving to Berlin in 2018, Saeko Killy found herself in the orb of Club Sameheads, where she made herself known as a DJ and live performer. After releasing her first EP ???????? ?? - Dancing Pikapika with the label Chill Mountain from Osaka in 2021, followed a fruitful Jam session during the pandemic lockdown, resulting in the eleven titles collected together here for the album Morphing Polaroids, produced by Brussels DJ and selector sofa elsewhere. The LP is a contemporary leftfield club sound, effortlessly combining elements of dub, post-punk, and kraut with electronic beats. Back in Japan, Saeko Okuchi started to learn the piano as early as four years old and at sixteen she started to play the guitar. Through her parents influences, Saeko discovered jazz and Brazilian music. Visiting techno parties in Tokyo awoke her interest in the spheres of electronic dance music. Through those DJs, Saeko discovered artists such as Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle, who greatly inspired her with their industrial sounds. During her time traveling in Brazil, she played at underground parties, organized by the artist collective VOODOOHOP in São Paulo. Alongside DJing, different band projects in Tokyo and Berlin became her way of experimenting vocally. A lo-fi-improv-snapshot of her krautrock-post-punk-esque voice is found on the Vax! EP (2021) by des Sameheads on the track "Die in Seconds" by the group Automattenfall. To produce music herself, for her either English or Japanese lyrics, she began to experiment with Synthesizers. After the release of the first Saeko Killy EP (2021), the Belgian scene DJ and producer soFa elsewhere asked her to contribute vocals on his song "The Dream" (2022). The musical collaboration worked out so well that he invited Saeko for an improv Session at his home studio in Brussels. Saeko Killy identified a meandering during the production process which is reflected in the album title as well as in the lyrics and sound of the entire record especially the lyrics to "Sun Shower" and "Intimate Flame". The two found out that they complement each other delightfully and had much fun recording many tunes, from which this album came into being. This interplay virtually challenges the intuitively emerging lyrics. Morphing Polaroids casts a spell as psychedelic dance music, which unfolds its magic through a certain form of opposing disturbance, similar to the Japanese avant-garde.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BB 426LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. Morphing Polaroids is the debut album by Japanese born Saeko Okuchi, alias Saeko Killy, for Hamburg-based Bureau B. After moving to Berlin in 2018, Saeko Killy found herself in the orb of Club Sameheads, where she made herself known as a DJ and live performer. After releasing her first EP ???????? ?? - Dancing Pikapika with the label Chill Mountain from Osaka in 2021, followed a fruitful Jam session during the pandemic lockdown, resulting in the eleven titles collected together here for the album Morphing Polaroids, produced by Brussels DJ and selector sofa elsewhere. The LP is a contemporary leftfield club sound, effortlessly combining elements of dub, post-punk, and kraut with electronic beats. Back in Japan, Saeko Okuchi started to learn the piano as early as four years old and at sixteen she started to play the guitar. Through her parents influences, Saeko discovered jazz and Brazilian music. Visiting techno parties in Tokyo awoke her interest in the spheres of electronic dance music. Through those DJs, Saeko discovered artists such as Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle, who greatly inspired her with their industrial sounds. During her time traveling in Brazil, she played at underground parties, organized by the artist collective VOODOOHOP in São Paulo. Alongside DJing, different band projects in Tokyo and Berlin became her way of experimenting vocally. A lo-fi-improv-snapshot of her krautrock-post-punk-esque voice is found on the Vax! EP (2021) by des Sameheads on the track "Die in Seconds" by the group Automattenfall. To produce music herself, for her either English or Japanese lyrics, she began to experiment with Synthesizers. After the release of the first Saeko Killy EP (2021), the Belgian scene DJ and producer soFa elsewhere asked her to contribute vocals on his song "The Dream" (2022). The musical collaboration worked out so well that he invited Saeko for an improv Session at his home studio in Brussels. Saeko Killy identified a meandering during the production process which is reflected in the album title as well as in the lyrics and sound of the entire record especially the lyrics to "Sun Shower" and "Intimate Flame". The two found out that they complement each other delightfully and had much fun recording many tunes, from which this album came into being. This interplay virtually challenges the intuitively emerging lyrics. Morphing Polaroids casts a spell as psychedelic dance music, which unfolds its magic through a certain form of opposing disturbance, similar to the Japanese avant-garde.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: CLEPTO 002LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The demos and alternative mixes from one of the most important and groundbreaking British albums of all time, 1979's Cut by The Slits.

 

PRICE: $17.00

CAT #: MVD 11858DVD

FILE UNDER: Misc

"Presented from the point of view of Mister X, the quintessential unreliable narrator, God In 3 Persons relates the story of his involvement with a pair of conjoined twin faith healers. As the increasingly improbable story unfolds, ending with Mister X's destruction of the mysterious Holy Union, the audience never knows how much of the dubious tale is fact, fiction or the fading reminisces of an aging Lothario. Operatic in its vision and profound in its implications, God In 3 Persons examines the controversial concepts of difference and diversity, while also passionately revealing the secret soul of gender identity. Originally premiered in 2020 at New York's Museum of Modern Art, the piece features elaborate projections created by world renowned video artist John Sanborn, as well as a live six piece musical ensemble and three additional live performers. This video of God In 3 Persons was shot at the newly remodeled and spectacular Presidio Theater in San Francisco and directed by John Sanborn; it was directed for performance by Travis Chamberlain; music director was Joshua Brody; primary designer was Leigh Barbier; the producer was Steve Saporito. The DVD and BluRay both contain bonus demos showing how portions of the God In 3 Persons material was developed for performance."

 

PRICE: $21.00

CAT #: MVD 11859BR

FILE UNDER: Misc

Blu-Ray version. "Presented from the point of view of Mister X, the quintessential unreliable narrator, God In 3 Persons relates the story of his involvement with a pair of conjoined twin faith healers. As the increasingly improbable story unfolds, ending with Mister X's destruction of the mysterious Holy Union, the audience never knows how much of the dubious tale is fact, fiction or the fading reminisces of an aging Lothario. Operatic in its vision and profound in its implications, God In 3 Persons examines the controversial concepts of difference and diversity, while also passionately revealing the secret soul of gender identity. Originally premiered in 2020 at New York's Museum of Modern Art, the piece features elaborate projections created by world renowned video artist John Sanborn, as well as a live six piece musical ensemble and three additional live performers. This video of God In 3 Persons was shot at the newly remodeled and spectacular Presidio Theater in San Francisco and directed by John Sanborn; it was directed for performance by Travis Chamberlain; music director was Joshua Brody; primary designer was Leigh Barbier; the producer was Steve Saporito. The DVD and BluRay both contain bonus demos showing how portions of the God In 3 Persons material was developed for performance."

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: DAMGOOD 587CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"It's been 22 years since the last Headcoats album, but now Billy, Bruce, and Johnny return with a brand-new studio album. The undisputed kings of garage rock are back! It's been 22 years since the last Headcoats album, but now Billy, Bruce, and Johnny return with a brand-new studio album! Recorded last year at Ranscombe Studios in Rochester. Billy, Bruce, and Johnny kindly answered some pertinent questions... You got back together recently as Thee Headcoats Sect to make the 'Tribute to Don Craine' EP. What was it like working with each other again after all this time? BILLY: It was 'fab' and 'gear.' BRUCE: The weirdest thing for me was how weird it wasn't. It was like time compressed, but to the 'good old days', early on. I was wary that it 'wouldn't be like Thee Headcoats', but it was. JOHNNY: I'm with Bruce and Billy on that one. I think we were all surprised how it all just worked. If I remember correctly, we kicked off role playing like we detested each other. Then we got started and well, you can hear the result. You've also paid tribute to Don with a track on the Irregularis album -- Oh Leader We Do Dig Thee. He was, along with the other members of Downliners Sect, a big inspiration to Thee Headcoats. When did you first become aware of his music and what was he like to work with? BRUCE: We were given (or possibly lent) a reissue of the Sect's first LP around 1977, marketed as Punk From The Vaults, which certainly floated our boats and definitely popped our corks, due to the somewhat aggressive yet carefree nature of the tunes and sound in general. Ollie, our old bassist, found an ad in a trade magazine for them with a contact number for a Michael O'Donnell, which I excitedly called almost immediately. T'was none other than Don his'self and we managed to convince him into venturing down to Rochester to record some tunes with us which became the first Headcoat Sect EP. We were fairly starstruck and presented him with a brand new 'dearstalker' (or 'Headcoat', as they were now known)."

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: DMOO 025LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1963. The versatile singer, songwriter, pianist, musical arranger, and civil rights activist Nina Simone was one of the most iconic of all jazz performers. Operating in a range of genres, from folk, blues, and rhythm 'n' blues to pop, gospel, and classical, Simone issued over 40 albums during a long and successful career, though bipolar disorder dramatically affected her later years. Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in 1933, she was one of eight children in a poor black family. Colpix Records' 1963 release, Nina's Choice, was titled in reference to the fact that Simone chose the entire contents, drawing from a range of pop, folk, blues, and show tunes, all interpreted and delivered in her uniquely expressive style. Clear vinyl; numbered.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: DMOO 026LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1966. The singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone came to prominence in the late 1950s after she signed to the Bethlehem label for her debut album, Little Girl Blue. Her move to Colpix Records, the audio subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, allowed her near total artistic control of her material and her lengthy tenure with the company brought plenty of popular album releases. The 1966 oddity Nina Simone With Strings was issued by Colpix a couple of years after she left the company to begin recording for Philips; a strange mix of live recordings and studio outtakes, released without her knowledge or permission where the presence of orchestral strings on several tracks gives the album its title and overriding theme. Clear vinyl; numbered.

 

PRICE: $38.50

CAT #: DIG 009LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Trash Rock Archives present... Schnitzelbeat Vol. 3. An insight into the final convulsions of the roaring '60s, guiding you through the throes of the upcoming '70s. In the alpine banana republic of Austria in the '60s, the city of Vienna blissfully dozes in the stale air of the postwar era. Occasionally the sound of an accordion or a yodel from the countryside is brought in by the old-fashioned breeze. The initiated listeners of the Schnitzelbeat series, however, already suspect it: there was something else, something wild, outrageous. A booming fist punch in the smug faces of the petty bourgeois. But who would have guessed that the most impressive approach to the proto-punk of Blue Cheer or the MC5 would be issued on a conservative folk music label named Alpenton? (Albatross, "I Am Dead"). You can already hear the lederhosen hunting party scream in agony. And the mindless yelp of wild enthusiasm escaping the throats of open-minded Beat afficionados. The Seals also prove to be worthy fighters in the generation conflict. "You know nothing about the new generation/ because you live in the subway station": a surprising insight the young psycho punks from Vienna reveal in their number "Stop this War". And war is a common theme elsewhere, too: World War Two (The Cop Stigh, "War History"); the Vietnam War (Maybe Hair, "War"). On the other hand -- what would the age of the hippies and communards be without free love, flower arrangements and substance-induced states of perception? Manufactured boy group share the public's interest in love and so do The V-Rangers ("Make Love"). And the four members of Salzburg based Beat outfit Les Marquis, who bring a love-stoned California dream to life on the beaches of the Salzkammergut ("Sand on the Shore"). Schnitzelbeat Vol. 3 adds numerous fascinating chapters to the forgotten early history of Austrian rock music. Join Al Bird Sputnik and the labels Konkord and Digatone on another dive into the shimmering depths of dusty record crates. Follow them on a psychedelic pilgrimage to the place where the mountains are made of ice cream, with deadly nightshades doted on their slopes. Until you completely got lost in the faraway regions of vintage Austrian pop culture. Also features Novaks Kapelle, Charles Ryders Corporation, Expiration, Rocky F. Holicke, The Beatniks, Jack Grunsky, Les Sabres, The Hush, and Generation 2000.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: LPDM 041LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

LP version. This album would not have been possible if Edipan hadn't conserved two mono masters in good conditions in its archives (stereo mixes have gone lost). Unfortunately, it was not possible to cancel some magnetic flaws. Digitmovies have brought to life an original soundtrack that contains all the popular and well-respected music elements of maestro Nicolai: dissonant strings segments, experimental effects of an evocative classical main theme, ambiguous and mysterious, accompanied by pop rhythms. Directed by Peter Collinson in 1974 and starring Oliver Reed, Elke Sommer, Richard Attenborough, Gert Fröbe, Herbert Lom, Charles Aznavour, Maria Rohm, Adolfo Celi, Stéphane Audran, Alberto de Mendoza, Orson Welles (just voice). A stranger that calls himself U.N. Owen invites ten people to stay at an isolated house in the Iran desert, drowning them with weird excuses. The nearest town is two hundred miles away and there are no phone in the house. Once arrived, they don't meet the house owner but they hear his voice recorded while he accuses them of several homicides still unpunished, for which they would pay with their lives. From this moment on, they will start to get killed one by one. Only two of them will save themselves: Vera Clyde and Hugh Lombard, who didn't commit the crime Owen accused them of, since they were mistakenly called to the house.

 

PRICE: $11.00

CAT #: SLWCD 001CD

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

To take something classical -- a mass for the dead -- a requiem, something most are familiar with as old church music and reinvent this as something new -- a requiem with synths, could just be a stroke of genius. Schlindwein has done exactly that Ein elektronisches Requiem, quite literally translates to "An Electronic Requiem", is the first and only one of its kind.Schlindwein is a pianist, composer and music producer from Berlin. His music has been used on multiple major TV series like Grey's Anatomy or How To Get Away With Murder and his songs have been occupying some of the biggest editorial playlists. His debut LP Piano and Electronic Ensemble Op.1 has received much critical acclaim. Classically inspired compositions and electronic sounds merge into his own world of dreamy, lush atmospheres while creating seamless transitions between neoclassic, electronica, and deep house. After now multiple albums and EPs, Schlindwein is going into more brave and ambitious musical directions while cementing his vision of contemporary electronic music beyond fixed genres.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: FARO 236CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Far Out Recordings presents the self-titled debut album by Rio de Janeiro born multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger Tunico. Honing Brazilian roots rhythms like maracatu, xanadu, and samba, to combine with a global contemporary jazz outlook, the newcomer adds a modern classic to the rich vein of Brazilian instrumental music. Consider it a natural evolution from the legacies of greats like Quarteto Novo, Hermeto Pascoal, Banda Black Rio, Tamba Trio, and Dom Um Romão, Tunico's debut brings together an eye catching ensemble of talents from the Rio jazz community, with whom he performs on a weekly basis at celebrated live sessions and jam's at venues like Macuna and Comuna Lapa, which often go on all night. Released in 2022, the album's rip-roaring lead single "Galope" features the effervescent vocals of Katerina Assef, as well as consummate solos from all over the band, as Sounds & Colours put it "...it exudes distinction and promise." "Sambola" calls on the signature swagger of Far Out favorite Antonio Neves, indulging you in irresistible swinging samba-funk, undeniably reminiscent of the aforementioned Banda Black Rio in their late '70s heyday. Born and raised in an artistic Rio household, Antonio Secchin aka Tunico's father was the painter Guilherme Secchin, whose original work is lovingly repurposed to create the album's cover. Antonio learned his trade on guitar from a young age, which remains his primary method for composition, but at the age of eighteen he started to gravitate towards the saxophone, and in particular the soprano sax, from which he now leads bands despite being entirely self-taught. He would develop his skills busking on curbsides and metro stations before becoming a mainstay player in venues and clubs around the city. When the pandemic struck, Antonio retreated to his family home in the Rio countryside. With time and space to breathe and reflect in a natural environment, he set to work at fleshing out the compositions he'd written throughout his musical life into full bodied works. His affinity with his rural surroundings is reflected in the luscious, blossoming feel of this groovy, mystical and poignant instrumental debut album.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: FARO 236LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

LP version. Far Out Recordings presents the self-titled debut album by Rio de Janeiro born multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger Tunico. Honing Brazilian roots rhythms like maracatu, xanadu, and samba, to combine with a global contemporary jazz outlook, the newcomer adds a modern classic to the rich vein of Brazilian instrumental music. Consider it a natural evolution from the legacies of greats like Quarteto Novo, Hermeto Pascoal, Banda Black Rio, Tamba Trio, and Dom Um Romão, Tunico's debut brings together an eye catching ensemble of talents from the Rio jazz community, with whom he performs on a weekly basis at celebrated live sessions and jam's at venues like Macuna and Comuna Lapa, which often go on all night. Released in 2022, the album's rip-roaring lead single "Galope" features the effervescent vocals of Katerina Assef, as well as consummate solos from all over the band, as Sounds & Colours put it "...it exudes distinction and promise." "Sambola" calls on the signature swagger of Far Out favorite Antonio Neves, indulging you in irresistible swinging samba-funk, undeniably reminiscent of the aforementioned Banda Black Rio in their late '70s heyday. Born and raised in an artistic Rio household, Antonio Secchin aka Tunico's father was the painter Guilherme Secchin, whose original work is lovingly repurposed to create the album's cover. Antonio learned his trade on guitar from a young age, which remains his primary method for composition, but at the age of eighteen he started to gravitate towards the saxophone, and in particular the soprano sax, from which he now leads bands despite being entirely self-taught. He would develop his skills busking on curbsides and metro stations before becoming a mainstay player in venues and clubs around the city. When the pandemic struck, Antonio retreated to his family home in the Rio countryside. With time and space to breathe and reflect in a natural environment, he set to work at fleshing out the compositions he'd written throughout his musical life into full bodied works. His affinity with his rural surroundings is reflected in the luscious, blossoming feel of this groovy, mystical and poignant instrumental debut album.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: FATXXIV 003EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Freude am Tanzen is back for a very special occasion. In 2022, three Various Artists EPs will be released, celebrating the 24th anniversary of the label from Thuringia. Whilst occasions like this would normally be celebrated on the quarter century, this release makes sense not only on the mathematical level. Three compilations with four tracks provide the half of 24. The release however also makes sense in terms of history. Freude am Tanzen is showcasing a broad range of electronic music, never neglecting their history but also looking into the future. The last installment of the anniversary-compilation starts with the upcoming effgee reminiscing about something that's most likely happened to everyone once or twice, packed into a classic yet fresh house track. Beautiful chords combined with a proper baseline. Sharing the A-side with him is d.m.s., who's production is settled somewhere between the urban and the jungle, incorporating elements of both worlds. Some groove to it, with vocals that stimulate to think! The B-side on this release focusses on variation. Lauer combines lush deep house vibes with some acid elements into his track "Janitors", while LoYoTo have opened their whole toolbox for their contribution. A wide array of samples and a meticulous drum arrangement.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: FS 4472LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Repressed; Future Shock present a reissue of Pink Fairies' Kings of Oblivion, originally released in 1973. Kings of Oblivion is one of the best-kept secrets of hard rock -- and an important part of its history. If you like your rock and roll "real", it doesn't get much more real than this. Just don't go expecting Judas Priest, AC/DC, or Black Sabbath; This is high-energy rock that truly belongs on the streets, and a landmark album in its genre. Truly a classic.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: FS 4475LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited repress; reissue of Flower Travellin' Band's debut album Anywhere, originally released in 1970. Anywhere is the first album from the legendary Japanese rockers fronted by Yuya Uchida. Although an album consisting mainly of cover versions, Anywhere still exhibited many of the musical traits that were to come to the fore on the band's next release, the classic 1971 album Satori, an album of original material delivered with panache by the increasingly confident Uchida. An album made memorable by its risqué cover as well as its ground-breaking approach to Western rock music. Orange vinyl.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: GPM 700EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Get Physical Music strides into its 21st year with a reissue of one of its most iconic tunes. M.A.N.D.Y. vs Booka Shade's Body Language has been remastered for the occasion with new remixes from HOSH and Patrice Bäumel. M.A.N.D.Y. aka Patrick Bodmer and Philipp Jung, and Booka Shade, aka Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier, are Get Physical co-founders alongside DJ T., and "Body Language" is one of the label's, as well as dance music's, biggest ever tunes. Released in 2005, it defined an entire generation of house music and spawned myriad copycats in its wake as well as making household names of the artists behind it. It became an instant classic that worked as well in cozy clubs as it did on festival main stages and it has remained an ever-green house anthem. The influential track has been sampled many times over the years but nothing beats the original. The chunky house drums still sound from the future today, with fleshy hits and warming bass. What makes it such a standout track, though, is the gorgeous melodic hook that rides up and down the scale. Those soft-focus notes are full of subtle but playful soul that never fails to unify a crowd, bring smiles to faces, and get hands in the air. The first to remix is acclaimed German artist Patrice Bäumel. He is a master of stylish and deep house and techno with expressive synth work on labels like Kompakt and his own HALO. His superb version is a complete overhaul with deeper drums and a sense of late-night tension that is released in glorious fashion when the iconic melody comes in. It's the sort of tune that is suited to 4am dancefloors and will take things to the next level. The second remix comes from fellow German HOSH. For many years a core part of the Diynamic family he is also the founder of the fryhide imprint and an assured underground talent. He layers in some fresh and airy breakbeats to power along an expansive remix. After a long and atmospheric build with plenty of cosmic synth work, the original melody arrives during a breakdown and then plays out over the suspensory grooves. This is a superb package that brings a widely loved favorite back to the fore with contemporary remixes and a fresh remaster.

 

PRICE: $37.00

CAT #: GGR 2021LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 restock, 2nd edition. "Black Unity Trio - Al Fatihah quite possibly was the first independently released free jazz record ever. Originating in Oberlin, Ohio as the Black Unity Quartet, and ultimately becoming the Trio (Abdul Wadud, Yusuf Mumin, and Hasan Al Hut), the group recorded Al Fatihah in December 24, 1968 at Agency Recording Studio (which was located upstairs in the building housing the legendary Agora Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio). The album ultimately was released in May 1969 in an edition of 500 copies. The album has been legendary among collectors, producers, and DJs in the past several decades, and has been sampled numerous times on other releases. Much mystery surrounded the origins of the album, as well as the status of the musicians, until 2020 when The Wire published an interview with Hasan. Many underground jazz purists know about the intense, though relatively short-lived hotbed of avant-garde jazz in Cleveland, Ohio during the mid-to-late 1960s. Clubs such as Leo's Casino, Jazz Temple, The Doan Club, Le Cave and a few private clubs saw many young avant-garde jazz acts during this time period. I first learned of Black Unity Trio when seeking out tapes of Albert Ayler playing at Le Cave. From that point forward, I had a mission to seek out the members and see if they would be interested in making a vinyl reissue of Al Fatihah. Most of my efforts ran into dead ends, and it did not take very long to learn that the members, perhaps, were content with letting the record fall into the annals of crate digging history. Then in 2019, I received a phone call from someone referring to himself as 'Ron'; who wanted to bring some tapes by the pressing plant. Whenever I get a call on the subject of tapes, my first question is 'how old are the tapes?'. The caller replied 'late 1960's''. Of course, this perked my interest even more, so I asked what sort of material was on the tapes, to which he replied 'Oh, spiritual jazz''. 'Really?'; I replied, even more interested than ever - particularly since the caller id showed a 216 area code phone number. Then he proceeded to say 'it's called the Black Unity Trio''. I about dropped the phone; 'Are you serious, I have been trying to get a hold of you guys for a year!' I replied. Ron (Abdul) was surprised by that statement. But, it led to months of additional conversations with both he and Yusuf about how to get the record back into the world, and eventually I was introduced to Hasan as well. After many phone conferences, we were able to come to an agreement to reissue this seminal free jazz record via Gotta Groove Records' OHWax series. Yusuf personally brought the original 1968 master tapes to Cleveland in early 2020, and we have been working on the audio restoration and package details ever since. We have spared no expense in making this reissue. Our friend Grammy-Award recipient Paul Blakemore's restoration and remastering work cleaned random ticks from the original source, as well as greatly improved the balance to bring out some of the instrument subtleties which were barely, if at all audible, in the original pressing. We also used Gotta Groove's proprietary GrooveCoated stamper plating technology -- This involves an additional electroforming step in the creation of the metal stampers used to press the grooves into the records. GrooveCoated stampers have a lubricious surface which helps high frequencies in particular to be held more intact during the course of manufacturing, verses traditional stampers. This is a record I am truly proud and excited to be working on, and I look forward to a new generation of vinyl listeners to have access to it." --Matt Earley, Executive Producer. The musicians of Black Unity Trio are paid at least 70% of the profits from this release by Gotta Groove Records, Inc.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: GUESS 157LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Guerssen Records present a reissue of Tapiman's self-titled release, originally released in 1971. First reissued on vinyl by Guerssen in 2003 and long out of print, here's a new, deluxe edition of this Spanish monster rarity. Legendary psychedelic hard-rock album from 1971 with prog and blues influences by this extremely underground hard-rocking power trio from Barcelona. Line-up features Max Sunyer on killer guitar (later in Iceberg), and Tapi on drums (just after leaving pioneering psych band Maquina). Newly remastered sound; Hard cardboard sleeve and obi; Includes reproduction of the original promo poster and four-page insert with an interview with Max Sunyer plus many unseen photos. RIYL: Black Sabbath, Cream, Mountain, Thin Lizzy, Amboy Dukes.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: HPS 252ULTRA-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Yellow/green/brown vinyl. Reissue. Arch Stanton is the sixth studio album released by the instrumental stoner rock band Karma to Burn, released in 2014. Unlike their previous release V, this album returns to their exclusively instrumental roots, although the final track features dialogue snippets from the classic spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: SUBURBIA 015LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Originally released on CD only on the glorious Lookout! label in 1998, this six-tracker shook the punk rock world. Featuring members of Screeching Weasel and the Queers together in a surf-inspired punk rock project, recorded at Sonic Iguana and produced by the one and only Mass Giorgini. Double-sided lyrics insert included. One-sided color vinyl.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: SUBURBIA 023LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1999. Risen from the ashes of Home Alone, Retarded hailed from Voghera, Italy, and debuted in 1998 with three singles and this self-titled LP of pure Ramones-inspired madness, reissued on vinyl after 25 years. One of the best Italian punk albums of the '90s, according to Rolling Stone. Splatter vinyl; one bonus track; double-sided insert.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: HIKI 073LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released on CD in 1998. Tim "TV" Smith is best known as the front man and songwriter of the legendary The Adverts. The legend of Adverts began when Smith moved to London at the end of 1976 with his girlfriend Gaye and started putting together a band. Adverts played their first gig on January 15, 1977 at the newly opened punk sanctuary Roxy. The band gained fame with their sharp lyrics and good shows. It soon had a record deal and with it the top 20 hit single "Gary Gilmore Eyes". The classic LP Crossing the Red Sea was released in January 1978. Instead, the following year's Cast of Thousands was a flop. The band reached for a new direction, but failed. The next band TV Smith's Explorers had a minor hit with "Tomahawk Cruise" and made the LP The Last Words of the Great Explorer in 1981. This band didn't last long either and Smith tried his first solo career in 1983, when the Channel Five album appeared. The next band is TV Smith's Cheap. A few singles resulted and RIP... Everything Must Go! In 1998, TV Smith started his solo career again. The result was the Generation Y CD, which was released in Germany as well as in Britain. With the album, Tim started gigging first in Germany, then in Europe more widely; soon also in Finland and in 2000 TV made a five-song EP The Future Used To Be Better together with Punk Lurex OK. New records appeared at a steady pace, the latest of which was Lockdown Holiday in 2020. Now, Hiljaiset Levyt is releasing Generation Y on vinyl for the first time. The album includes such songs as "Expensive Being Poor", "Generation Y", "This Year Next Year..." and "Happy Homeland", which are still in the man's concert set. The record comes with an insert with a story written by TV Smith himself about how the record came to be.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: HRB 005LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1989. Featuring one of the most iconic personalities in the extreme metal world, Dan Lilker (bassist for Nuclear Assault, Anthrax, SOD, Brutal Truth, to name but a few) on drums, Extra Hot Sauce's Taco of Death was a one-off album of 100%-fun, old school grindcore, somewhere between Lawnmower Deth and Spazztic Blur. 14 hyper-short, demented HC/grind gasps, including cover versions of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Lynyrd Skynyrd songs, squeezed down to less than 30 seconds. Originally out on the legendary Peaceville label, it was about time for a vinyl reissue of this forgotten grindcore classic! Red vinyl with OBI strip.

 

PRICE: $36.00

CAT #: IMPREC 373LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress. "Deluxe double LP. Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails/How To Destroy Angels) composed the Forse series using a Buchla Music Easel. Forse, meaning 'maybe' In Italian, is a series of three double LP releases Cortini recorded for Important to release in 2013. 'All pieces were written and performed live on a Buchla Music Easel, in the span of one month. I found that the limited array of modules that the instrument offers sparked my creativity. Most pieces consist of a repeating chord progression, where the real change happens at a spectral/dynamic level, as opposed to the harmonic/chordal one. I believe that the former are just as effective as the latter, in the sense that the sonic presentation (distortion , filtering, wave shaping, etc.) are just as expressive as a chord change or chord type, and often reinforce said chord progressions. Of all the years with Nine Inch Nails the period spent writing and recording the instrumental record Ghosts I-IV is probably the one which changed my approach to music making the most. After that record I started getting more into instrumental composition, although I tried to approach it in a different way. While we had a vast array of tools and instruments at our disposal then, I decided to approach my pieces limiting myself to one instrument only, as I found myself being more decisive when faced with a limited creative environment.'"

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: IMPREC 460LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress .Born Again In The Voltage is an astonishing collection of electro-acoustic pieces for Buchla 200 system, cello, and voice composed and produced by Caterina Barbieri at Elektronmusikstudion (SE) between 2014 and 2015. Cello by Antonello Manzo. Images by Giovanni Brunetto; Photography by Angelo Jaroszuk Bogasz; Layout by Important Records. Mastering by Giuseppe Ielasi.

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: ITR 235LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress; available on clear with white and gray swirl. Originally released in 2012. "Received an 8.1 rating from Pitchfork. What's the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Thee Oh Sees? Probably their riot-sparking live show, right? Visions of a guitar-chewing, speaker-smothering, tongue-wagging John Dwyer careening across your cranium, chased by a wild-eyed wrecking crew that drives every last hook home like it's a nail in the coffin of what one thought it meant to make 21st century rock 'n' roll? Yeah, that sounds about right. But it misses a more important point -- how impossible Thee Oh Sees have been to pin down since Dwyer launched it in the late '90s as a solo break from such sorely missed underground bands as Pink and Brown and Coachwhips. That restlessness extends to everything from the towering, thirteen-minute title track of 2010's Warm Smile LP to the mercurial moods of 2008's The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In. And then there's the home-brewed symphonies of Castlemania and the high-wire hooks of Carrion Crawler / The Dream, which dropped a second drum set among sunburnt organs, dovetailing guitars and rail-jumping rhythms. If one prefers a slightly more subtle musical awakening, there's always Putrifiers II, the latest in a long line of Oh Sees albums that expands the group's sound well past your friendly neighborhood garage band. So while the space-odyssey nods of 'Wax Face' actually sound like they're meant to melt one's ears straight off, the record's full of deviant detours, from the poison-tipped string parts and Eno-esque engineering of 'So Nice' to the groove-locked Krautrock inclinations of 'Lupine Dominus.' The most noticeable element may be Dwyer's melodies, however, as they reveal a softer side to his songwriting, one that makes perfect sense considering just how disparate his dust-clearing influences are. Scott Walker, The Velvet Underground, The Zombies and the experimental Japanese act Les Rallizes Denudes are but a small taste of what informed Thee Oh Sees this time around, as Dwyer returned to the multi-instrumental ways of Castlemania -- full-band sessions for another record are already underway -- and rounded out a fuller, drier sound with drummer / engineer Chris Woodhouse and special guests like Mikal Cronin (sax), Heidi Maureen Alexander (trumpet, vocals) and K Dylan Edrich (viola)."

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: JPR 055COL-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Not only the greatest Poison Idea record, but the greatest punk album of all time! Formed in Portland, OR in 1980, Poison Idea's debut record features 13 songs in 13 minutes. Poison Idea were one of the first hardcore bands to inspire artists across multiple genre lines. On limited edition white vinyl w/ sticker and inserts."

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: K7 423EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

As a self-described "sponge for club music", London-based Bristol transplant Ian DPM has cut a singular figure in both the West Country and the capital in just a handful of years. Already situated as the tastemaker behind music curation platform Definite Party Material, co-owner of Scuffed Recordings, and Noods Radio and Rinse FM resident, Ian DPM's emergence as a producer has marked him as an expansively curious, bass-forward figure at the bleeding edge of genre boundaries. After retreating to his hometown of Portsmouth during lockdown to absorb the blueprints of '90s techno, Ian emerged with a new phase of experimentation: techno-inspired and indebted, yet eschewing loops and grids for a loose-limbed, open-minded engagement of the form. Taking inspiration from the iconic carnival rides that are inseparable from their high-octane happy hardcore soundtrack, "One For The Waltzers" begins with a distant rumble of muffled breakbeats that inch ever closer. But rather than dizzying lights and in-the-red maximalism, "One For The Waltzers" gradually reveals its knowingly deep shimmy and groove. It is a drum-heavy and rhythmic production, masterfully using negative space to showcase every contour of its slowed-down rave horns and acid house synth lines. "KE01" inhabits the flipside of the same sonic world "One For The Waltzers". Here, feverish percussive energy contrasts against pensive melodic synth chords. It's a heady warehouse affair, familiar and complex, referential yet contemporary, and only adds to the momentum that Ian DPM is gathering. 45RPM.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: SCIE 2822LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Timo van Luijk on the album: "Playing with Kris [Vanderstraeten] always reminds me of doing expeditions in a lake. Some kind of underwater sound fiction observing sonic creatures. This album is a live recording (28-01-2012, Kunstencentrum Belgie, Hasselt, Belgium) which to me always felt like one of the best concerts we did. As with our previous album Arrêt au Lac Chimère Vincent de Roguin put his heart in editing and mixing the recordings, extending the dimensions of exploration to the deep bottom of the lake." Edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: SCIE 3022LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Reissue, originally released in 1989. Nikolaus Utermöhlen was a founding member of Die Tödliche Doris and this is his sole solo release. A collection of 23 witty oddball compositions for clarinet, accordion, percussion, recorder, violin, guitar, organ. It definitely has a Doris dose but even more so it shines for its totally singular mélange of tribal dada chamber folk, dilettante dissonant poetry, hard to compare with anything else. A slice of flamboyant wellness. The recordings of this album were made for the Georgette Meunier film by Tania Stöcklin and Cyrille Rey-Coquais. Issued from the original master tapes and includes the eight-page booklet with engravings from the Karlsbad spa era. Edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: LAPSUS 035LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Valencian producer Pépe's love of iridescent melodies, velvety pads and complex rhythms has seen him skillfully combine house, bass music and breakbeat in recent years. His music is globally reaching, having garnered attention from top artists including Ben UFO, Peggy Gou, Shanti Celeste, Moxie, Mount Kimbie, and Disclosure. His heartfelt, mercurial and emotive sound is ever present on his new album for Lapsus, which also incorporates a lush sonic forest, resplendent in detail and jam packed with influences. The album Reclaim opens the door to experimentation and sound design, while embracing the braindance and hyper-pop sphere with surprising maturity. It is an amalgamation of electronic sounds and pulsating structures in which orchestral sounds, folk music, ambient textures, and a strong vocal presence, both synthetic and authentic, sparkle. Reclaim imagines a post-human future, where nature once again reclaims lost ground and is free to flourish and take root around manmade structures. Pépe exhibits his personal reverence for the work of Antonio Cortés Ferrando, the architect behind the Espai Verd building, which broke architectural and urban planning norms by using computation to create structures that promote the organic growth of foliage. It is a building designed for the future, where flora cultivates indefinitely. In Pépe's own words, "At a time when we have witnessed how nature strives to regain ground, once humans are removed from the streets, it is important to start thinking critically about new techniques in the creation of art and design, and imagining a future where posterity is embodied in the rejuvenation of a greener world."

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: LIB 5143CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"A 1971 performance from Muddy Waters from one of the most important singer-songwriter/guitarists of the post-modern blues era. Rock and roll hall of fame inductee Muddy Waters is one of the most important singer-songwriter/guitarists of the post-modern blues era. His early 1960s touring of the UK inspired many British musicians including the Rolling Stones that took their name from his classic song, 'Rollin' Stone'. Over the '60s into the early 1970s Waters became an international force performing on various bills and artist pairings on club, concert hall and festival stages. This eight-song never before released set was recorded at the legendary Ash Grove club in Los Angeles over the Blue Summit weekend (with Freddie King and Lightnin' Hopkins) over July 27-August 1, 1971. The show was recorded not long before his infamous London sessions recordings. That album was one of his six Grammy winning Traditional Folk recordings throughout the '70s."

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: LION 199LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Transparent green vinyl. "Psychedelic improvisational spiritual avant-rock/jazz featuring the legendary Larry Young on organ and equally astounding Joe Gallivan on drums, steel guitar, Moog synth, and percussion; the mysterious Nicholas wailing on guitar synthesizer and ring modulator; and Jimmy Molneiri on drums and percussion -- recorded live at an anti-war rally in Washington D.C., in June 1972. They aimed the speakers at the Nixon White House, and blasted away as an anti-war protest! (The music so completely freaked out President Nixon that he demanded his chief of staff H.R. 'Watergate' Haldeman to shut off the band's source of electricity.) Includes eight-page booklet with rare photos, bios of the artists, drawings and liner notes all created by legendary artist/author/musician Alicia Bay Laurel." "After establishing himself as a leader on Blue Note in the 1960s, Young played on Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana's Love Surrender Devotion, and the first three Tony Williams Lifetime albums. He emerged from those sessions at an exalted level of inspiration and with a formidable fire in his belly, and these traits helped shape Love Cry Want into a sui generis classic -- a tone poem expressed with a flamethrower. Using a self-built guitar synthesizer, Nicholas stuns throughout the disc with brash flashes of Hendrix-ian extravagance. Gallivan displays both inventive exoticness and cyclonic power as he and Molneiri deftly guide the group through its furious paces." --Dave Segal, Jazz Times

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: LBR 063LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue. Los Problems' rockier album, originally released in 2014, revitalized the music scene of the Rio de la Plata (Uruguay and Argentina). A release that moves from urban intimacy to barricade epic, from ballad to punk, with a rare flow that combines different moods and paces to form an indivisible whole. The Uruguayan singer-songwriter tradition, like Fernando Cabrera and Eduardo Darnauchans, is a standing reference in this work. If the first album by Los Problems, Malditos Banquetes (2007), already introduced Eté as a unique character with a fierce energy and sound, and Vil (2011) is proof of his skills as a hitmaker that should be mainstream in a more sane world, El Éxodo appears as best of both worlds. It's an album that was (and is) in a way, an intimate catharsis during a period of changes, expressed throughout songs with lyrical finesse that evoke Tabárez's obsessions (from basketball to Steinbeck's work or the religious overtones of The Whobut with Uruguayan poetic identity of Darnauchans, Zitarrosa, Fernando Cabrera -- all recurrent references in his work and interviews). Finesse aside, the album is also considered a shamelessly charged-in rock piece, that started to be considered, both locally as internationally, like a zombie genre, incapable of expressing anything relevant in these present times. An album that emerged from a personal crisis, climbing in the opposite direction of the intimate and light path of the indie genre, to shout and rasp, even in the single that broke through, "Jordan", paradoxically made famous on that same indie audience, with a mix of post-teenage desolation, pop melodies, and some Montevidean imagery, this track helped Eté Y Los Problems and El Éxodo album to establish themselves as one of the last standing groups of Rioplatense rock scene. Electric blue vinyl.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: MMU 001LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Assassins did what many bands do: they grabbed a moment out of the air and slammed it onto tape machines and hard drives with relentlessness, cunning, and an attitude. It was in Chicago, mid-2000s, and though there was energy in the music scene, it wasn't coalescing into anything you could use as a heading in the musical encyclopedia. Drag City, Thrill Jockey, Bloodshot, Tortoise, Andrew Bird, 90 Day Men -- amazing labels and bands, but discrete and siloed and separated by boundaries that weren't very real. In the midst of that complicated morass, Assassins generated a collection of songs that became the album You Will Changed Us. And it did. There was confidence built into the fabric of the project: five members, two singers, massive synced video walls, and samples streaming from laptops swirling in three dimensions around the stage. They could go from subtle atmospheric moments to a gargantuan wall of sound instantly. It was hard to do -- months in cold practice rooms troubleshooting sections of songs or reworking synthesizer patches put the band through a self-imposed boot camp. And it brought them together as a sort of hive-mind focused on one thing: that these songs could connect. It was fun, loud, drunken, and rewarding -- that time together, before the record deal, before the tragic let down of being traded and gobbled up by the major label system. The years after that got more difficult, more complicated, more human. The musical journey of the Assassins has ended. With the release of their second and final album, The Year That Never Came, you finally get to hear, and feel, the final statements of their inspiring chemistry. In July of 2021, founding member, songwriter and singer Joe Cassidy unexpectedly passed away. The Year That Never Came is the culmination and end point of a collaboration that started in the early 2000s with a chance meeting and excited conversation with Aaron Miller at a gig in Chicago. Quickly joined by David Golitko on keyboards, Merritt Lear on vocals and guitar, and Alex Kemp on bass. It was Miller who saw Joe Cassidy's song writing in a new context. Cassidy had been known for his beautiful, post-pop inflected Butterfly Child, a thoughtful, regal project where Joe's emotions could soar. Miller saw a different context for that voice -- not dreamy, but immediate, not just hopeful, but demanding. 180 gram red vinyl; includes digital download card.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: METAPHON 014LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

What was supposed to be a soundcheck for this session became the session itself: a haunting 50-minute séance of intense avantgarde improvisation using a large instrumentation and live processing (tape echo, ring modulation, phasing). A trident travelogue of the momentum masterfully controlled by the ensemble spirit, transcending the boundaries of psychedelic underground. Official reissue of this underground classic from 1975, originally released in a tiny edition on the small Japanese Iskra label. As the original master tapes of these recordings seem to be lost, the master had to be taken from an unplayed original LP copy. Carefully restored and mastered by Jos Smolders. Includes text sheet.

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: MMLP 019LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Les Idoles is a mythical record of sixties psych rock prefiguring punk. A work which in style had no equivalent in France at the time. Thanks to the performance of the Rollsticks, a rock band created from scratch with musicians from different musical worlds, to accompany the erratic vocalizations of actors Pierre Clémenti, Bulle Ogier, and Jean-Pierre Kalfon. The band consists of Patrick Greussay (later of Calcium) on the drums and guitars, Stephane Vilar (later of Calcium, PLVG), Didier Léon (future accomplice of Barney Wilen), Didier Malherbe (later of Gong and Clearlight, amongst others), Jacques Zins (later of Calcium), and with the participation of Yvan Julien (jazzman, composer, trumpeter, conductor), and Michel Portal (jazzman, composer, saxophonist). The recording of this album is different from the album Les Idoles published in 1967, recorded in June 1966 in Barclay studios. The record company needed to make the record when the film was released to have the music recorded six months in advance, as it was practiced at the time. The unreleased recordings offered here were made during the shooting of the film, in 1967 at the Davout Studio to use in the film. During these sessions, the musicians really knew the repertoire inside out and the music is more intense, more powerful, which makes it very interesting. Made from master tapes found in the archives, this new album with the exception of "Et floc c'est la tasse" and "Chanson de l'archevêque" dispensable titles whose tapes have been definitively lost, includes practically the same titles as the 1967 album, but in different interpretations to which unreleased instrumentals have been added. No film captures the glittering, zombified world of yé-yé pop royalty with as much style as Marc'O's 1968 musical Les Idoles. Seen today, this flamboyant tale of complicity and revolt yields multifaceted readings -- as backstage drama, as denunciation of consumer capitalism, and as the historical record of a crucial meeting between commercial auteurism and the avant-garde. He quickly attracted a motivated troupe of almost-unknowns and built up a repertoire of original works like Les Bargasses. The stage version of Les Idoles was among the group's last and most successful productions. Teetering on the verge of chaos (there was a standing offer of free tickets to anyone who rode into the theater on a motorcycle), its open structure and physically demanding roles recalled the confrontational performance ethic of The Living Theatre... Color vinyl; gatefold; includes three inserts.

 

PRICE: $21.00

CAT #: M 1316CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"Despite Manfred Schoof's various activities over the years, the number of recordings he released under his own name has remained fairly limited. That could be an indication of the high standards he applies to his publications. All the more delightful that Schoof has agreed to a publication of this performance by his second quintet on May 2, 1978 in the Bremen music club 'Römer'. This music club still exists today, albeit with a different program focus. On bass and drums, the lineup shows Günter Lenz and Ralf Hübner, members of the original Mangelsdorff quintet. Michel Pilz on the bass clarinet provides uncommon impulses in the wind section and as a soloist (his bass clarinet, rarely heard in productions of this kind, chimes wonderfully together with Schoof's trumpet). Rainer Brüninghaus on piano, e-piano and synthesizer completes this quintet. Schoof later worked with him time and again on various projects. The inclusion of keyboards and synthesizers shows parallels to later solo works by Brüninghaus, of which there are far too few. The recording of this concert by Radio Bremen is technically of high sound quality and thus offered a welcome basis to undertake a consistent remastering. The whole band is clearly enjoying the performance, this is captured very dynamically and directly; the production is extremely vivacious and timeless -- as if you were right at the concert."

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: MUSCUT 024CS

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Transplant Rejection is the second in a trilogy of cassette albums released via Muscut in the latter half of 2022. The work of Estonian artist and IDA Radio co-founder Robert Nikolajev, this collection of seven "almost" dark ambient tracks embody the melancholy of autumn whilst hinting at the forthcoming eternal winter. A man with many hats, Nikolajev operates on the fringes of the leftfield house underground for labels such as Incienso, Collect-Call, and Sad Fun as well as being one half of the sporadic DIMA DISK act with Ragnar Rahouja. Eschewing the more rhythmic side of his productions for this Muscut tape, Nikolajev taps into the fictional soundtrack atmospheres the label is known for and brings his own brand of wistful, introspective world-building by way of machine harmony to the now Tallinn based imprint. There's a lo-fi, grainy quality running throughout the collection, a kind of sepia-toned nostalgia that envelops the listener and disorientates any perception of time or place. Buried vocal fragments sit in the mix on "Stifled" alongside decaying synthesizer drones whilst "DDM" channels an edgy post-rock dirge with its use of sagged bass guitar. Overall, an inspired look into the more 'at home' side of this increasingly prolific Estonian artist.

 

PRICE: $37.00

CAT #: MOV 2347COL-LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"Desmond Dekker recorded some of his best-known songs together with his backing group the Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard). Their debut album 007 (Shanty Town) includes their single of the same name, which made him Jamaican music's first 'outernational' superstar, reaching #14 on the UK charts. You'll hear how the ska music from the mid-60s developing into the rocksteady sound. This is where it all started before Desmond became the international star, famous because of his international hits, such as 'Israelites' (1968) and 'It Miek' (1969). 007 (Shanty Town) is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on magenta color vinyl."

 

PRICE: $37.00

CAT #: MOV 3268COL-LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"Mr. B is the album recorded in 1983 by Chet Baker and is considered one of the best from that period. Baker plays compositions from 'Dolphin Dance' (Herbie Hancock), 'Strollin' (Horace Silver) and 'In Your Own Sweet Way' (Dave Brubeck). The sadness of the songs is felt throughout, in a lazy sometimes slow and sluggish tempo. The album includes two bonus tracks 'White Blues' and 'Father X-mas' and band members include Michel Graillier (piano) and Ricardo Del Fra (bass). Mr. B is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on translucent red colored vinyl. The album sleeve contains liner notes by Wim van Eyle."

 

PRICE: $47.00

CAT #: MOV 3323COL-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The Fall were an English post-punk group, formed in 1976 in Prestwich, Greater Manchester. They underwent many line-up changes, with vocalist and founder Mark E. Smith as the only constant member. A journalist once described them as 'a kind of Northern English magic realism that mixed industrial grime with the unearthly and uncanny,' voiced through a 'one-note delivery somewhere between amphetamine-spiked rant and alcohol-addled yarn.' It was the favorite band from the legendary BBC disc jockey John Peel. The Light User Syndrome is The Fall's 18th album. The crisp live edge to the recording is very well done, and it's one of their most abrasive and hard-hitting albums of the '90s. It features the popular tracks 'Spinetrap', 'Oleano', 'Hostile', and 'He Pep!'. In addition, they recorded a cover version of Johnny Paycheck's 'Stay Away (Old White Train)'. The double-LP set The Light User Syndrome is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on silver color vinyl."

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: MYE 124LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1973. Los Sacros were a recurrent band of schoolchildren in school festivals. The year 1968 was their consecration in the student festivals. The song that always defeated their competitors was called "Goodbye", original folk rock by the quartet The Byrds. In fact, Panussis was one of the few musicians on the fledgling scene who played with a twelve-string electric guitar. The rest of his bandmates, all painting aficionados (Gana and Valdovinos would become renowned painters years later), consolidated a neat visual aesthetic with a wardrobe that generally included black pants and lace shirts. As their name indicates, Los Sacros had a special fascination with religious motifs. They rehearsed for a long time in the premises of the Church of Divine Providence, provided by Father Correa, who even entrusted them with the task of setting a mass to music with their electric guitars. The approach to the church also extended to the themes of their songs. "We became friends with several priests, we talked and that's where the themes of the songs came from." After many changes of members, they managed to record their first LP for IRT, influenced by religious themes, with a more mystical sound that highlights the use of the guitar with some Andean touches. This LP had a release date of September 18, 1973. The proposal of Los Sacros is inspired by American folk-rock, characterized by its compositions and lyrics full of content, whose main exponents were the group The Byrds and Bob Dylan. Members: Patricio Panussis - guitar, vocals; Hernan Valdovinos - bass, vocals; Tomas R. Herrera - percussion. From the original IRT masters.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: 12MUTE 645EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Berlin-based modular synthesist and Berghain resident JakoJako returns with her Mute debut, Verve EP. Although newly-signed, JakoJako is not a new name within the Mute catalog with appearances on both Martin Gore's The Third Chimpanzee Remixed and New Order's Be a Rebel Remix 12". This release follows her immersive debut album Metamorphose, and presents four brilliant new songs including the icy techno track "Auris", released exclusively on Beatport in November 2022. Violet vinyl.

 

PRICE: $17.00

CAT #: MVD 10898DVD

FILE UNDER: Misc

"Documentary about the legendary nightclub Max's Kansas City and the New York rock scene of the 70s. Nightclubbing is the first ever documentary about the renowned New York City nightclub Max's Kansas City (1965-1981) which had an indelible impact on the world of music, fashion, art, culture and the creation of the New York City punk rock scene. Featuring Alice Cooper, Jayne County, Billy Idol, Lenny Kaye, Steve Stevens, Elliott Murphy, Sylvain Sylvain, Penny Arcade, Alan Vega, H.R., Dr. Know, Harley Flanagan, Bob Gruen, Jay Jay French, Jesse Malin, Peter Crowley, Jimi LaLumia, Neon Leon, Leee Black Childers, Marty Thau, Ruby Lynn Reyner, Frank Infante, Jimmy Zero, Cynthia Ross, Peter Jordan, Donna Destri, Sonny Vincent, Mickey Leigh, Phillys Stein, Phil Caivano, Denise Mercedes, Nick Marden, John Holmstrom, Louis X. Erlanger, and Steven Blush."

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: NSD 640EP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

"Known to keep a low profile and cause pandemonium with each reemergence, rhyme writer extraordinaire Your Old Droog recently debuted the appropriately-titled single 'The Return Of Sasquatch', a collaboration with legendary producer Madlib. A brash, kinetic masterpiece, the track marks a historic encounter between two of the biggest names in independent hip-hop. Not included on any of Droog's albums, 'The Return Of Sasquatch' is now available on vinyl for the first time. This 7" pressing also includes an exclusive live rehearsal performance of the 'The Unknown Comic' on the B-side, produced by Edan."

 

PRICE: $25.50

CAT #: NRC 002LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Munehiro Narita, the original "psychedelic speed freak," is for many people the undisputed king of acid-fuzz guitar. Active since the late '70s, Narita is a Japanese psychedelic underground legend. After playing in cult bands like Kyoaku no Intention, he founded the brutal heavy-psych power trio High Rise in the '80s. His furious guitar playing, which involves lethal doses of fuzz-wah at earsplitting volume, can also be heard on his current band Green Flames (featuring Mitsuru Tabata from Acid Mothers Temple). In 2014 Narita released a Japanese-only CD titled Psyche De Loid, doing heavy guitar fuzzed-out covers of classic psych songs from the '60s/'70s. But Psyche De Loid was also the first-ever psychedelic album recorded using Vocaloid technology. Very popular in Japan, Vocaloid is a software/singing synthesizer -- one enters the lyrics of a song into the program and adds music to generate a Vocaloid -- or "Vocal Android" -- which sing in bizarre, mostly female, android-type vocals. Vocaloid is often associated with J-pop but on Psyche De Loid Narita smashes this genre into a wall with the contrast of killer, Ron Asheton-like piercing fuzz-wah guitar and child-like android vocals, featuring surreal covers of tracks by The Stooges, Hendrix, Blue Cheer, Shocking Blue, Pink Floyd, MC5, Jefferson Airplane. . . . Previously available as a Japanese-only CD, this is the first-ever vinyl edition with new artwork.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: PRTL 12017EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Bass-heavy spiritual vibrations from dub duo Alpha & Omega featuring a mysterious uncredited singer on vocal duties. "Yemenite Chant" originally surfaced on the classic King and Queen LP in 1990. Along with the original cut, this 12" features three previously unreleased mixes.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: PRTL 12018EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

A classic roots instrumental from the late 1970s from legendary trombonist Vin Gordon, who played on numerous Studio One classics, as part of the in-house band Soul Vendors as well as countless sessions with Joe Gibbs, Lee Perry, and many more. Vin played on Aswad's classic "Warrior Charge", which from that recording session, "Kojo Hoy" was born. Featuring Aswad Riddim Section -- Tony Gad on bass and keys, Angus Gaye on drums, and "Bammie" Rose on flute. Previously released by Partial in 2015 on 10" which rapidly sold out. This issue features an extended dub version.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: PFL 296LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"In the summer of 2020, the seeds for what would become The Infinity Ring were planted by Cameron Moretti, drawing together many musicians long active in the Boston metal, punk, and electronic scenes. The initial endeavors of the band started as an experimental take on dark folk music with added elements of drone and noise. The band eventually grew to be an alchemical fusion of experimental rock with many disparate strains from the post-industrial continuum, all delivered with a spiritual and mystic bent. The band's output sits at the crossroads of many different styles, such as ominous folk, no wave, industrial, and black metal, with elements of occult and ethereal antiquarian sonics laced throughout. The band spent most of 2020 and 2021 experimenting in various studios around New England, deeply immersed in open-ended musical R&D. These sessions would eventually lead to the collaborative Ohr EP with Jarboe. In early 2022, the band set out in earnest to record its debut album, Nemesis & Nativity, at God City Studios in Salem, Massachusetts with Kurt Ballou. The album built on much of what came before, but with a more pronounced sense of ritual, atmosphere, and heaviness. During the creation of the album, genre conventions fell by the wayside and extreme experimentation was channeled, resulting in a sonic palette that morphs from elegantly haunted atmospherics to mystic ritual drone, brutalist industrial rhythms to passages of hallowed melancholy. In the live setting, the band is dedicated to bringing the same experimental and spiritual energy, often incorporating several guest musicians into the ensemble. In certain live contexts, any semblance of a traditional band is abandoned in favor of a more freeform collaboration with other artists, or even in favor of a solo acoustic performance. Ultimately, The Infinity Ring is a collective united under a banner of experimentalism and hermetically-aligned creative practice, all in an effort to channel the intangible otherworldly qualities present in many different styles of underground music. At times, the band has been said to invoke sounds such as Swans, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Dead Can Dance, all particular to their sonic worldbuilding."

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: PP 079EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Tubbs & Burns finally return! Four massive, percussive house tracks dubbed-out, sax'd up, and driven by large baselines, these tunes will not miss to lighten up any dancefloor.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: RADCD 012CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1980. Non-standard Californian punk band United Experiments of America was formed in San Francisco in 1978, centering on frontwoman Denise Semiroux, alias De De Troit, and guitarist Michael Kowalsky, who tragically died of a heroin overdose that same year. Debut album Illusions of Grandeur, released by Posh Boy in 1980, captured the tense atmospheres and in-between nature of the group's sound, part hardcore and part dirge-rock. With original pressings trading at sky-high prices, this reissue comes with rarities "Social Circle" and the angst-ridden theme song "U.X.A.", from the esteemed Tooth And Nail compilation. Intense! Digipack with OBI strip.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: RADK 7024CS

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue, originally released in 1970. Easily one of the greatest roots reggae albums of all time, Soul Rebels resulted from the intensive partnership brokered by the group and maverick producer, Lee "Scratch" Perry. It was the first Wailers "concept" album, conceived as a long-player based on a rebellious theme, rather than a collection of isolated singles, and the presence of the Barrett brothers in the rhythm section pointed the way for greater glories to come. The Wailers first formed as an unruly five-piece in 1963, with Junior Braithwaite as lead singer and Beverley Kelso an early member, sometimes replaced by Cherry Green. During their long tenure at Studio One, Bob Marley gradually shifted to the lead vocal role and the robust core of Marley, Peter Tosh, and Neville Livingston, aka Bunny Wailer, soon emerged as the mainstays of the group. Perry was involved with the Wailers at Studio One, using their talents for backing vocals on some of his solo work, but the partnership that yielded Soul Rebels was in an entirely different league. The title track, Tosh's anguished "400 Years and "Corner Stone" are legendary for their intense power; "It's Alright" set the template for the later "Night Shift," "My Cup" was an individual barebones reading of James Brown's "I Guess I'll Have To Cry Cry Cry," while the playful "Try Me" and "No Water" are suggestive odes. Tosh's dejected "No Sympathy" and the spirited "Soul Almighty" are other winners and the "Cloud 9" revamp "Rebel's Hop" is another joy. All killer, no filler.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: RADK 7025CS

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue, originally released in 1971. Classic Wailers recordings done with Lee Perry early '70s. Tuff roots rhythms with early stripped-down versions to later well-known tracks such as "Sun Is Shining", "African Herbsman", "Keep On Moving", and many more.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: RRS 183LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

First vinyl reissue, originally released in 1987. All the way from Kreuzberg, Berlin. This is a fully remastered reissue of the Jingo De Lunch debut album, one of the undisputed classics of European '80s hardcore punk. Originally released on the We Bite label from Germany, this relentless 11 tracker of the punk inspired metal/hardcore crossover five-piece band, still sounds as tight and aggressive as it did 35 years ago. Released in full cooperation with the band's original members, this first-ever vinyl reissue comes in limited color vinyl. 2023 remaster by Danilo SIlvestri at Green Mountain Audio Studios, in Rome Italy. Orange Vinyl; includes OBI strip, poster, and double-sided original insert replica; edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: RRS 210LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1988. Hailing from the former northern mining town of Wigan, between Manchester and Liverpool, the short-lived Electro Hippies were a band like no other, saluted as icons of crust punk and proto-grindcore. Following some cassette demos, a shared LP with Newcastle's Generic and a Peel session, debut LP The Only Good Punk... ...Is A Dead One surfaced on Peaceville with twenty songs, all clocking in at under two minutes (around half being less than 60 seconds). Highly political, deeply ironic, and with a snatch of Black Sabbath in the mix, The Only Good Punk is the band at their blistering best, the peak that preceded their ultimate downfall. Clear vinyl.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: RRS 213LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1983. Formed in 1981 in suburban Martinez, east of San Francisco, second-wave punk act Pariah struggled to find acceptance until future Green Day engineer Kevin Army produced a demo, placing "Up To Us" on the Rodney On The Roq Vol. 3 compilation. Their sought-after debut album for Posh Boy, Youths of Today, was the breakthrough that saw them backing the Ramones, UK Subs, and Suicidal Tendencies, the hit "White Line" an anti-cocaine anthem; this edition includes the great "Learning Process" from esteemed compilation Not So Quiet On The Western Front. Red vinyl.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: RADK 7019CS

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1981. 77-Early Years-79 is a compilation of the band's first four singles, all originally issued on Step Forward Records. One album track ("Dice Man" from Dragnet) is also included, and a CD reissue in 2000 adds two tracks from the various artists compilation Short Circuit: Live at the Electric Ballroom, from the same time. 2002's Early Singles drops "Dice Man" and adds three singles recorded for Kamera Records in 1981 and 1982, with their B-sides. In 2003, tracks from the Step Forward singles and two albums recorded for the label were selected for It's the New Thing! (The Step Forward Years). The first of multiple Fall compilation albums and certainly one of the most valuable.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: RADK 7020CS

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1979. Founded by its only constant member, Mark E. Smith, The Fall formed in Manchester in 1976 and were one of the most prominent post-punk groups in the world. Musically, there may have been several stylistic changes over the years, but it was often characterized by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, always underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics. Dragnet is the second studio album -- released October 26th, 1979. Originally released through record label Step-Forward, it predicated two major factors in the group's career -- high productivity and high group turnover. The album has historically garnered excellent reviews. Featuring the one-and-only Mark E. Smith alongside Steve Hanley (bass), Marc Riley (guitar), Craig Scanlon (guitar), Mike Leigh (drums), Kay Carroll (backing vocals), and Yvonne Pawlett (keyboards).

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: RADK 7021CS

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in March 1979 through record label Step-Forward. The debut studio album by The Fall. Despite its title, it is not a live album. The album was recorded at Camden Sound Suite on December 15th, 1978 and mixed by producer Bob Sargeant the next day. The group had been booked into the studio for a week but Mark E. Smith had fallen ill, leading to the cancellation of the first three days. Some songs dated from earlier incarnations of the group with both Tony Friel and Una Baines featuring on the writing credits.

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: RS 057LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Wallace has been something of a behind the scenes phenomenon. Having just two official releases at the time of writing, alongside a few white-labels on his own Tartan imprint -- the man known as Wallace has somehow worked his way into the record bags of the world's biggest DJs: Gilles Peterson, Hunee, Moxie, Ruf Dug, Gideon, and beyond. It's only a matter of time before the wider dance music community catches on and it wouldn't be surprising if by the time this record hits the shelves, Wallace-mania is in full effect. An artist like this only comes along once in a blue moon. Wallace has been quietly perfecting his craft for the last decade, and has a deep understanding of club dynamics that can't be taught. Bradley Zero himself has been playing four to five Wallace tracks per set within the last year alone. Luckily for you, the secret is out! For fans of: Kerri Chandler, Henrik Schwarz, Dixon, Black Loops, Laurence Guy, Barry Can't Swim.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: EZRDR 141CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Late in 2021, Slow Season announced they'd become Westing, and that Ben McLeod (also of Nashville's All Them Witches) was now in the four-piece on lead guitar alongside guitarist, vocalist and keyboardist Daniel Story Rice, bassist Hayden Doyel and drummer / recording engineer Cody Tarbell. Their new LP (fourth overall for RidingEasy), Future, is not coincidentally titled. Says Rice, 'We wanted to hit the reset button on some things and so we included a new band name to that list. Fresh start, for the psychological effect of it. We first met Ben in 2014 opening for All Them Witches in San Diego, and we did that again in 2016 and he and Cody corresponded about tape machines, music production, and other similar nerd stuff. We started swapping a few ideas early in 2021 and then flew him out for four days in August 2021. We got Future mostly down in that short span and did some remote stuff for overdubs, but nothing major. Obviously, our creative processes jelled pretty well to allow for such an efficiently productive session.' So the story of Westing, and of Future, is about change, but the music makes itself so immediately familiar, it's so welcoming, that it hardly matters. For about ten years, the Visalia, California, outfit wandered the earth representing a new generational interpretation of classic heavy rock. The tones, warm. The melodies, sweet. The boogie, infectious. They went to ground after supporting their 2016 self-titled third album, and clearly it was time for something different. Is Future the future? Hell, we should be so lucky. What Westing manifest in these songs is schooled in the rock of yore and theirs purely, and in that, Future looks forward with the benefit of the lessons learned across three prior full-lengths (and the accompanying tours) while offering the kind of freshness that comes with a debut. No, they're not the same kids who released Mountains in 2014, and the tradeoff is being able to convey maturity, evolving creativity and stage-born dynamic on Future without sacrificing the spirit and passion that has underscored their work all along." --JJ Koczan

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: RMVL 019LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

Double LP version. The long-awaited official release of Thy Kingdom Come. Originally set to be released by Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment on June 30, 1998, Thy Kingdom Come is King Tee's fifth studio album. Recorded at the same time as the multi-platinum albums Dr. Dre's 2001 and Eminem's The Slim Shady LP, Thy Kingdom Come features guest appearances by Dr. Dre, MC Ren (N.W.A.), DJ Quik, Too $hort, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, Ice-T, Kool G Rap, Dawn Robinson (En Vogue, Lucy Pearl), to name a few. Production duties on the album are handled by Dr. Dre (Eminem, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit), Mike Dean (Kanye West, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Jay-Z), DJ Quik (2Pac, Snoop Dogg), Bud'da (Aaliyah, Ice Cube), and Dr. Dre's Aftermath producers DJ Battlecat, Stu B Doo, Chris "The Glove" Taylor, and Fredwreck as well as Ant Banks, Step One, and SLJ. Also features Baby S, Frost, El Debarge, Playa Hamm, Sharief, RC, Crystal, Tray Dee, and Whoz Who. The album is mixed and overseen by Dr. Dre. Remastered in high-resolution 24-bit 44.1 kHz audio in 2022.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: ROOTS 046EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Heavy classic roots reggae double-sider produced by Niney The Observer.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: ROOTS 049EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Dub anthem from 2011 by Ethiopian vocalist Wellette Seyon. Comes with three dubs including some stellar melodica play. Produced by Ras Kush and mixed by Jonah Dan.

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: ROTOR 1006LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; 2017 remastered edition, with new standard glossy jackets. Texture and feeling of 1974 with boosted audiophile sound quality. Black vinyl version. Originally released in 1974. German trio Sand's first album, Golem, is a legendary work of cosmic psychedelic genius. There is something magical and inexplicable in creation, and Sand absolutely manifest these mysterious phenomena. Storytellers, musicians, shamans, geniuses -- Sand were known, at the end of the '60s, as P.O.T. (Part of Time). Then Sand -- Ludwig Papenberg, his brother Ulrich Papenberg, and Johannes Vester -- developed a more avant-gardist, proto-industrial, visionary, experimental approach, becoming a truly unique entity in the history of music. Factory-noise, riveting hammers from the dockyards, agricultural machines, starfighters low level flights, land manoeuvre by the British Forces in the mountainous countryside along the winding river were the culture medium for extended sound aesthetics. Sand was born and created Golem. Not dependent on a classic krautrock style, Sand is nevertheless part of this movement of German cosmic/psychedelic bands, in addition to being the originators of proto-industrial musics. Black vinyl version comes in an edition of 2000 (numbered); Blue vinyl version (ROTOR 1006BLULP) comes in an edition of 500 (numbered); Clear vinyl version (ROTOR 1006CLRLP) comes in an edition of 300 (numbered).

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: ROTOR 1007LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. 2017 remastered edition, with new standard glossy jackets. Texture and feeling of 1975 with boosted audiophile sound quality. Black vinyl version. Previously unreleased album by German trio Sand, recorded 1973-1982. Live events in the quarry and an archaic sound formed the background music of the young atomic age. In the meantime, after endless trance garage sessions, Sand drifted from the mythical landscapes to Berlin and mingled with various oriental influences. Vultures were scudding along the urban canyons while burning houses illuminated the skyline. Sand navigated in obscure spheres and discovered Tendrara. There is something magical and inexplicable in creation, and Sand absolutely manifest these mysterious phenomena. Storytellers, musicians, shamans, geniuses -- Sand were known, at the end of the '60s, as P.O.T. (Part of Time). Then Sand -- Ludwig Papenberg, his brother Ulrich Papenberg, and Johannes Vester -- developed a more avant-gardist, proto-industrial, visionary, experimental approach, becoming a truly unique entity in the history of music. Not dependent on a classic krautrock style, Sand is nevertheless part of this movement of German cosmic/psychedelic bands, in addition to being the originators of proto-industrial musics. Live events in the quarry and an archaic sound formed the background music of the young atomic age. In the meantime the desert storm accumulated in endless trance garage sessions. Then Sand drifted from the mythical landscapes to Berlin and mingled with various oriental influences. Vultures were scudding along the urban canyons whilst burning houses illuminated the skyline. Sand navigated in obscure spheres and discovered Tendrara. Johannes Vester - lyrics, vocals, synthesizers, guitar, organ, harmonium; Ludwig Papenberg - synthesizers, organ, generator, guitar, bongos; Ulrich Papenberg - bass; Guests: Christa Schunke - chorus; Claudia Utke - synthesizer; Dietmar Burmeister - drums; Jörg Hahnfeld - acoustic guitar; Klaus Pankau - electric and acoustic guitars; Martine Rossi-Merue - vocals; Michael (Micky) Westphal - bass. Graphic design by Frédéric Tacer, 2011. Cover painting by Babs Santini, 2009. Black vinyl version comes in an edition of 1000 (numbered); Clear vinyl version (ROTOR 1007CLRLP) comes in an edition of 300 (numbered); Orange vinyl version (ROTOR 1007ORGLP) comes in an edition of 500 (numbered).

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: RB 115X-EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Running Back welcomes Firas Waez and his studio character 9th House for a flock of heartfelt and intuitive house tracks. Centered around uplifting chords and joyous melodies, upbeat drums and shuffling hi-hats, it feels like being in a circle dance, watching flowers turning into fruits or caterpillars into butterflies. Made with the tools of today, but with a burdening love for the ancient magic and positivity of this music. The results being highly contagious. Whether it's any of the 9th House's solo works like Reuben or the collaboration with Matrefakt, it's impossible to hold still. But as no one can live off love alone, there is also an odd one out. The eponym Midas swaps vintage techniques and the love potion of its counterparts for sharp and exact peak-time magic that makes endorphins rush and cheeks blush. Whichever you finally pick of the five tracks, any of them are an amulet against bad times. A Midas's touch indeed! Happy house painting artwork courtesy of Luciano Calderon via ruttkoswki;68.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: SEAL 020CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1988. Cacophony is the second Rudimentary Peni album. Released after the band returned from their first hiatus following a series of personal events that changed the band forever. The thirty-track LP keeps turning heads 34 years after its release. Far from writing another Death Church, the band embarked on a truly bizarre quest -- to record an album based on the life and writings of horror's absolute king H.P. Lovecraft. A dense cacophony of total free songwriting. Dark, gothic, intricate, unexpected head-scratching punk. The short bursts of music twist and turn at every corner -- the vocals are part classic Blinko and part spoken word, the guitar is full of distorted awkward tones and the very inventive bass and drums are locked together creating a truly unique album. Cacophony is the benchmark of outsider punk and the influence and cult nature of this album grows with every passing year. This reissue stays close to the original version, with Nick Blinko's incredible cover art, including a 11" x 11" eight-page lyric booklet.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: SEAL 021CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Sealed Records reissue Alternative's 1985 album If They Treat You Like Shit - Act Like Manure, originally released on Corpus Christi Records. Recorded at Southern Studios and Co-produced by Pete Wright from Crass and featuring Annie Anxiety and Pete Wright on backing vocals. The album is full of provocative protest songs with intelligent lyrics, effective use of samples, melodic tunes, and dual female/male vocals. It's urgent, passionate, and memorable. A must own release from that classic mid '80s UK anarcho punk era. Remastered from the original tapes. CD version includes five extra songs: unreleased track "What Revolution?" plus four radically different versions/mixes of album tracks recorded in the same session.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: SEAL 021LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Sealed Records reissue Alternative's 1985 album If They Treat You Like Shit - Act Like Manure, originally released on Corpus Christi Records. Recorded at Southern Studios and Co-produced by Pete Wright from Crass and featuring Annie Anxiety and Pete Wright on backing vocals. The album is full of provocative protest songs with intelligent lyrics, effective use of samples, melodic tunes, and dual female/male vocals. It's urgent, passionate, and memorable. A must own release from that classic mid '80s UK anarcho punk era. Remastered from the original tapes.

 

PRICE: $57.00

CAT #: SECDLP 283LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Triple LP set of classic tracks from the Fall pressed on white vinyl. Compilation of classic tracks from across the Fall's career now available on triple LP set, 140 gram white vinyl. Gatefold sleeve. Featuring extensive sleeve notes."

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: SPIRITUAL 025LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Driving up the coast highway from LA, once you hit Santa Barbara you are struck with a noticeable change in landscape. It is the gateway to the Central Coast, where the contours of the land begin to take on more dramatic inclines and feelings burn like wildfires. This was the childhood home of Lauren Barth, ranch-living and horseriding amongst the golden and dusty open ranges that still expand through parts of California. It is at these gates of change that Lauren Barth explores on Stormwaiting, her second solo effort and first on the Spiritual Pajamas label. Behind the musical landscape of Stormwaiting, Lauren drew from a backstory she created as inspiration. A young woman and spiritual leader of a commune, blind yet finds her way by a heightened sense of awareness, is caught between the physical world of 'Rialto' and the spiritual -- 'Morian.' 'Stormwaiting' is slang for living in Rialto and the storm is the tempest within Morian. The cult's most important message is one of Awareness. Like her protagonist, Lauren steps through these contemplations of change coming, treading one step at a time between the physical and spiritual realms, in a bittersweet anticipation of something upon us. Each song is like a deep breath in, an exhale, a pondering of the past and a wonder about the future with an acute awareness of each passing moment. Barth is a true seasoned folk music player, evoking the California folk movement of the late 1960s like David Crosby (who also hailed from the Santa Barbara area), while also calling upon British influences such as Bert Jansch, Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, and Pentangle, and the later American progressive folk music of Jeff Buckley, Joni Mitchell, and early Bonnie Raitt. In the time since her last solo record in 2017, she picked up the bass with Farmer Dave and the Wizards Of The West, and with her own music gained experience with the process of composing, recording, arranging, and ultimately the confidence to allow her creative instincts to flourish. She found the perfect partner with producer Lewis Pesacof, recording in his Echo Park home studio and has worked with artists such as Pearl Charles, Best Coast, Fidlar, and also works in the world of classical and world music. Tellingly, Stormwaiting has an expansive spirit, a document of a woman and creative spirit finding and embracing her voice beyond folk music and into her own spiritual universe." --Scary Flowers

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: SQM 019LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

On his debut LP, Impromptu, Julian Klaas presents a stunning work of sonic ambivalence inspired by the beauty and potential of the Wurlitzer piano. "I didn't attempt to pursue grand feelings like ultimate happiness or deep sadness, I'm much more fascinated in the in-between: the moments you might not otherwise write down, and that you might have forgotten if you hadn't recorded them." With Impromptu, Klaas has found a way to honor these moments, revealing the depth and richness that underpins the present.

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: ASLP 011-12LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Double LP version. The anticipated fourth album from Dub Dynasty -- UK dub pioneers Alpha & Omega (Greensleeves) meet son and nephew Alpha Steppa (Steppas Records). With three critically-acclaimed albums and an extensive worldwide touring schedule, Dub Dynasty are quickly becoming a household name within the international soundsystem community and beyond. Traveling the world with their heavyweight and uplifting sounds underpinned by a conscious message of peace, love, and unity. Features Wellette Seyon, Joseph Lalibela, Fikir Amlak, Echo Ranks, Cologne, Yehoud-I, Nish Wadada, Ras Hassen Ti, Cian Finn & Ras Tinny, Earlyman, Nai-Jah, Joe Pilgrim, and Setondji.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: SVT 327EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Following in the footsteps of Mind Palace and Lost Spirits, respectively issued in 2018 and 2021, Hidden Empire return to Stil vor Talent with their eagerly anticipated third studio full-length, Momentum. Going the same route that came to define their sound throughout the years, Branko Novakovic and Niklas Schäfers cook a savvy mix of deep electroid flavors and prog techno magnitude which flourishes in the long-playing format. Orbiting the frontier between proper no-nonsense, floor-focused effectiveness and a trademark exploratory take on electronics, Hidden Empire here delivers one of their most accomplished slices to date, which not only spans the largest span of their many-faceted influences, from tribal anchorage to hypermodern escapology, but breathes a truly epic wind into it. Featuring Felix Raphael on vocals, "Who We Are", is a pop-influenced chugger that perhaps best defines Hidden Empire's ambivalent style, both hi-NRG and innervated with a melancholy that infuses down to the bass and most functional elements. Geared up for big-room traction with its seesawing synths and clinical drumwork, Raphael's moving timbre does more than offer a sensible counterpoint to the track's overall sturdy backbone, it takes it to a whole other dimension completely. "Repeat The Good" featuring Wolfson balances out a fast-ticking groove with those subtle melodic lines Hidden Empire champion to astounding vibrancy, offering a particularly satisfying glimpse into their vortical imaginarium, whereas "Last Call" has you journeying to straight out Moroder-esque territories, flush with the aptly configured palette of fuzzy space disco bass, fast-paced Italo churn, and vocoder talk for good measure. Encompassing all of the pair's idiosyncratic merger of styles -- from pop-laced Italo to spaced-out techno wares, through jagged motorik and heavily mecched-out jacking house, "Alright" shows off Hidden Empire's wide arsenal of pyrotechnics under the most compelling of lights. A more openly jagged and quirky weapon that hatches into a full-fledged solar number around the half, "Momentum" roars up the club's highway at full throttle. A stroboscopic eclipse is predicted as "Dark Sun" enters the room. Its brittle piano lines and heart-wrenching vocals cutting a path into the crowd's pulsating hearts. Graceful as Hidden Empire's music can be, a moment of utter exhilarating beauty. A piece of elusive nature, clearly designed for the club and yet telling a tale of off-piste initiation through twelve fascinating movements, Momentum will undoubtedly etch on the listeners' mind as one of the German pair's most strikingly powerful emanations. Includes download code with full 13 track album.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: SUE 027EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Cosmic tonebank musik from Dresvn.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: SH 007EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Super Hexagon Records present Leaving Time, a new EP by Christoph de Babalon. The EP has all the menace and grit that the Hamburg-born, Berlin-based producer is known for, but packs a potent, dance-ready punch that breaks new ground. Leaving Time begins with the snarling subs of "The Upper Hand", and momentum builds through the panoramic breakbeats of "I Trusted You" and dubwise groove of "Steps Into Solitude" to reach the symphonic release of "Got to Let Go". This record is doom-laden, introspective and crafted with intent. In short, it's CDB on a 140 / fwd tip -- fuck the chairs! Christoph de Bablon first became known for his work on Alec Empire's Digital Hardcore Recordings in the early 1990s and has championed a misanthropic take on drum and bass that has stood the test of time. A punk-influenced fusion of jungle, breakbeat and dark soundscapes, his signature sound has become the stuff of legend -- Thom Yorke once said Christoph's pioneering debut album If You're Into It, I'm Out Of It was the "most menacing record" in his collection. After a brief hiatus composing music for theater, recent releases on labels such as A Colourful Storm, V I S, and AD93 have sparked renewed interest in the German producer, and with much excitement from his loyal following of die-hard supporters. Full color printed sleeve.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: SHLP 001CS

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Speaking Things, the new album from Isabassi, is a collection of highly detailed industrial music examining her singular perspective on rhythm and texture. Through brittle percussion, supernatural atmospheres, and astonishing bass power, the Brazilian composer and artist explores a conversational narrative on the first full-length Super Hexagon release. Slime green c75 cassette; clear case and double-sided J card.Isabassi is a Brazilian electronic music composer and DJ based in Berlin. Highly influenced by industrial and rough sounds from the surroundings of Sao Paulo and the German capital, her musicality translates this aggressive environment through harsh and erratic drumming and dark textures. Aiming a sort of ritualistic experience, she explores different rhythms patterns to move body and soul, letting visceral impulses come to the surface.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SV 050LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. "San Francisco's first and only rock 'n' roll band, Crime loomed over the entire Mabuhay Gardens scene with their blistering 1976 single 'Hot Wire My Heart.' The group's loose, damaged rock 'n' roll was as immediate as it was controversial. They were punk by any definition, yet shunned the label with a guttersnipe sneer. Their meticulously cultivated aesthetic of S&M graphics and police uniforms produced some of the era's most indelible imagery. One of their finest moves was playing in the San Quentin prison yard. Formed by guitarists / vocalists Johnny Strike and Frankie Fix, Crime enlisted bassist Ron the Ripper and drummers Ricky "Tractor" Williams (later of The Sleepers), Brittley Black and Hank Rank. Joey D'Kaye later joined on keyboards and bass duties. For the first time, this LP release collects the sick energy of Crime's three singles along with nine previously unreleased studio recordings from 1976 to 1980. The visceral churn and unwieldy leads on tracks like 'Frustration' and 'Piss On Your Dog' make Murder By Guitar the definitive statement from this prescient American underground band."

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: SVVRCH 079LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1972. After playing in psych act Tangerine Peel, bassist Warwick Rose formed Ro Ro with frontman Alan Ross, filling out the line-up with former Animals guitarist John Weider, ex-Jeff Beck/Juicy Lucy drummer Rod Coombes, and the expressive keyboardist Neil Sheppard to craft the masterful debut Meet At The Water, released on EMI's Regal Zonophone in 1972. Despite the excellence of the material, which ranges from blues ballads to introspective prog, it soon became unjustly obscure as Ross and Sheppard joined forces with John Entwistle and Coombes joined Stealers Wheel. This is a rare and refined prog/blues-rock LP.

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: TR 530CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Robocop Kraus were formed in 1998 in Hersbruck, Germany. They have played more than 800 shows in clubs, squats, concert halls and on festival stages all over Europe, in the US, the UK, Japan and Russia. They have released (about) five albums on L'Age d'Or, Epitaph, Anti, Day After Records. Robocop Kraus are back! Incredibly, Smile is the first new Robo album in fifteen years. Germany's answer to "The Make Up / Franz Ferdinand / Talking Heads / The Rapture / Devo" have their own inimitable sound. How did the band manage to come up with the best album in their history, some 25 years after the debut performance in a Hersbruck youth centre? An album that leaves the anaemic, success-obsessed indie scene in its wake and one that we can already say will be among the most invigorating releases of the year, even though 2023 has only just begun. Smile is an aptly chosen title. The Robo's gallop fiercely and fearlessly through an array of musical styles and themes. No false modesty, no malice, embracing the spirit of "Innocent Fun". Not in the slightest, in an age of meticulously plotted musical paths (and life plans), such naive exuberance and inventiveness are more than just charming, they are positively subversive. Smile fizzes with impetuous energy and shines with the serenity of a band who have played over 800 gigs all over the world and yet play every single song as if their lives depended on it. "Young Man" is fueled by drums and bongos. Then comes the "Innocent Fun", a touching coming of age story, flaunting a euphoric power pop shiny suit. "On Repeat" floats on dreamy synthesizer waves before drifting into the kraut-disco. "World/Inferno" is dedicated to the group of the same name, with whom the Robo's toured Europe and the USA in the 2000s. The New York band's vocalist died last year. "Under Control" is a new wave banger that sets the emotional state of too much sentiment to music. A state which is swiftly reined in on the next track, thanks to the great rationalist Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Another highlight is the pop ballad "Cradle of Filth" which recounts an episode with the eponymous metal band on the night train to Saint Petersburg. There are flashes everywhere of that innate, idiosyncratic, unmistakable Robocop Kraus sense of humor, never ironic, never detached. On Smile, Robocop Kraus have succeeded in eluding the downward spiral that would see them end as a tiresome cult band or, perish the thought, a dusty legend. Produced by Jan Philipp Janzen (Die Sterne, Von Spar etc.)

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: TR 530LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Robocop Kraus were formed in 1998 in Hersbruck, Germany. They have played more than 800 shows in clubs, squats, concert halls and on festival stages all over Europe, in the US, the UK, Japan and Russia. They have released (about) five albums on L'Age d'Or, Epitaph, Anti, Day After Records. Robocop Kraus are back! Incredibly, Smile is the first new Robo album in fifteen years. Germany's answer to "The Make Up / Franz Ferdinand / Talking Heads / The Rapture / Devo" have their own inimitable sound. How did the band manage to come up with the best album in their history, some 25 years after the debut performance in a Hersbruck youth centre? An album that leaves the anaemic, success-obsessed indie scene in its wake and one that we can already say will be among the most invigorating releases of the year, even though 2023 has only just begun. Smile is an aptly chosen title. The Robo's gallop fiercely and fearlessly through an array of musical styles and themes. No false modesty, no malice, embracing the spirit of "Innocent Fun". Not in the slightest, in an age of meticulously plotted musical paths (and life plans), such naive exuberance and inventiveness are more than just charming, they are positively subversive. Smile fizzes with impetuous energy and shines with the serenity of a band who have played over 800 gigs all over the world and yet play every single song as if their lives depended on it. "Young Man" is fueled by drums and bongos. Then comes the "Innocent Fun", a touching coming of age story, flaunting a euphoric power pop shiny suit. "On Repeat" floats on dreamy synthesizer waves before drifting into the kraut-disco. "World/Inferno" is dedicated to the group of the same name, with whom the Robo's toured Europe and the USA in the 2000s. The New York band's vocalist died last year. "Under Control" is a new wave banger that sets the emotional state of too much sentiment to music. A state which is swiftly reined in on the next track, thanks to the great rationalist Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Another highlight is the pop ballad "Cradle of Filth" which recounts an episode with the eponymous metal band on the night train to Saint Petersburg. There are flashes everywhere of that innate, idiosyncratic, unmistakable Robocop Kraus sense of humor, never ironic, never detached. On Smile, Robocop Kraus have succeeded in eluding the downward spiral that would see them end as a tiresome cult band or, perish the thought, a dusty legend. Produced by Jan Philipp Janzen (Die Sterne, Von Spar etc.)

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: FLENSER 137LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"In 2017 The Flenser released a CD collection of material from Planning For Burial's early period entitled Matawan - Collected Works 2010-2014. Named after the bands long-term home-base in Matawan New Jersey, the collection included many of Planning For Burial's beloved rare tracks that originally appeared on seven inches, cassettes, or online. Since 2017, the band's own Thom Wasluck has re-examined the material found on the Matawan collection with the intention of releasing a vinyl version. This vinyl version of the second volume of the Matawan collection includes much of the first disc of the CD version tirelessly remixed and edited, and the inclusion tracks not found on the original edition specially prepared for the vinyl format."

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: TPG 010LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Rupert Marnie's debut album Evocative Rhythm Experience is a singular object to begin with. Split over two parts, each one working as an individual piece and under seemingly endless configurations when played together on a pair of record players, "Evocative Rhythm" is an elusive piece of musical abstraction you will play a crucial role in shaping, fashioning it as you dabble with it -- certainly curious and cautious at first, then manipulating its raw clay more firmly as you envision it with a clearer idea of where to go with it. Or is that just a mirage? Fruit of geographical meanderings through Hamburg's tentacular architecture, Rupert Marnie's maiden full-length effort reflects that of the city's tonal, rhythmic and harmonic structures in a uniquely vibrant way: dance-y and not, ethereal and full-bodied, oneiric and anchored. From field recordings garnered here and there across town, then either truncated, morphed, stretched out beyond recognition via a wide palette of technical means (granular synthesis, time-stretching, use of resonators, delay, reverb, pitch-shifting...), Marnie weaves a narrative that bridges the gap continually betwixt non-formulaic beatless meditation and proper club-focused functionality, plus the countless possible creations that will emerge when combining both sides of the disc to form your own story out the battery of elements at reach. Evocative Rhythm Experience is much more than the sum of its parts. A mirage of ambient, techno, electro, whatever style and labels that could be stuck all over it, yet never managing to say a true word of it.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: RELTIME 005CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

After 36 years without singing one word, unforeseeable tragedy and its consecutive challenges made Rico Friebe finally find his voice, suddenly and fluently starting to write songs full of intimacy and subtle storytelling -- now presented on his debut singer album, Word Value. Processing the encounter with a special person and the lasting aftermath, all songs are perfused by an emotional sincerity and serenity, dealing with a rise and fall of depression and hope while furthermore exploring forgotten chasms and grievances from his further past. Word Value is tracing an arc as the first of four albums that are deeply connected, based on one another, followed next by the second LP Faces Meets later in 2023. In times of fast rising technology, artificial intelligence, social deconstruction, inflation of language and morality, the most basic and natural human needs haven't ever changed -- re-find them while closing your eyes, opening your soul and putting on Word Value...

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: RELTIME 005LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. White, 180 gram vinyl. After 36 years without singing one word, unforeseeable tragedy and its consecutive challenges made Rico Friebe finally find his voice, suddenly and fluently starting to write songs full of intimacy and subtle storytelling -- now presented on his debut singer album, Word Value. Processing the encounter with a special person and the lasting aftermath, all songs are perfused by an emotional sincerity and serenity, dealing with a rise and fall of depression and hope while furthermore exploring forgotten chasms and grievances from his further past. Word Value is tracing an arc as the first of four albums that are deeply connected, based on one another, followed next by the second LP Faces Meets later in 2023. In times of fast rising technology, artificial intelligence, social deconstruction, inflation of language and morality, the most basic and natural human needs haven't ever changed -- re-find them while closing your eyes, opening your soul and putting on Word Value...

 

PRICE: $19.50

CAT #: TDP 54042LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Trading Places present a reissue of Sir Lord Baltimore's self-titled album, originally released in 1971. Fresh from their US tour supporting Black Sabbath, Brooklyn-based heavy metal trio Sir Lord Baltimore expanded to a quartet for the recording of their self-titled sophomore album, released by Mercury in late 1971. The new addition was guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Joey Dambra, brother of guitarist co-founder, Louis Dambra, adding a dual-guitar element to their hefty sound. The album begins with the epic "Man From Manhattan", a symbolic allegory of a resurrected Christian icon in a new setting; in contrast, "Where Are We Going" captured the rawness of the group in live glory and "Chicago Lives" a twin-guitar attack. Somehow, the band did not survive long after its release, though Joey later recorded with John Lennon; this reissue spins at 45 RPM for maximum fidelity. Licensed from Cherry Red. Gatefold sleeve.

 

PRICE: $19.50

CAT #: TDP 54043LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Trading Places present a reissue of Bridget St. John's Thank You For..., originally released in 1972. The English singer and guitarist Bridget St. John was introduced to the London folk scene by guitarist John Martyn, her rich and unusually deep voice making John Peel one of her greatest champions, and when Peel formed the Dandelion label in 1969 with former Elektra record plugger Clive Selwood, the original intention was to issue St. John's music. Following debut album Ask Me No Questions (1969) and follow-up Songs For The Gentle Man (1971), 1972's Thank You For... had Martyn's stunning guitar on "Fly High" and an individual reading of Buddy Holly's "Every Day", along with plenty of beautifully-moving St. John originals. Licensed from Cherry Red. Gatefold sleeve.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: TRZ 6465LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Tracks sourced from the Three Imaginary Boys deluxe reissue bonus disc.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: TRZ 9651LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

All tracks sourced from the Pornography deluxe reissue bonus disc.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: TRZ 9658LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

All tracks sourced from Disintegration deluxe reissue bonus disc.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: CF 027LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released on FMP in 1983. Recorded live by Jost Gebers on September 11th,1982 at the Quartier Latin in Berlin. Personnel: Evan Parker - soprano and tenor saxophone; Alexander von Schlippenbach - piano; Alan Silva - double bass; Paul Lovens - drums, percussion. Vinyl remastering 2022 by Martin Siewert. 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: TROST 228CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Recorded at ADA in Peter Brötzmann's hometown Wuppertal as part of his 80th birthday concerts, Naked Nudes brings together two of his most unusual collaborators, Heather Leigh (pedal steel guitar) and Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), for one of the most elegiac releases in his discography. The relationships between the players are tonally odd: woozy, mournful, almost baroque blues or even more chamber music in feel, the quality of the interplay is subtle and natural, like modern ballads. In the recordings, Peter is pushed more to the front and it's astounding to hear him playing with such strength after almost two years of inactivity; this is one of the first concerts he played while the world was still in the midst of the pandemic. You can feel the weight of the moment in these recordings and can imagine a captive audience under the spell of this strange music that never feels overstated, hurried, frantic or finding. Recorded on August 28, 2021 at INSEL | Kultur im ADA, Wuppertal. Produced by Brötzmann; Mastering 2022 by Martin Siewert. Design: Brötzmann/Untiet. Personnel: Peter Brötzmann - alto/tenor saxophone; Heather Leigh - pedal steel guitar; Fred Lonberg-Holm - cello/electronics.

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: TROST 236CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

The alter ego, Gomberg, created by Austrian trumpeter Franz Hautzinger is a tool for him to "overcome his own limitations". Gomberg serves as a foil on which a second personality comes to life and does what he wants. The recordings on Gomberg III-V were made between 2006 and 2018, recorded in Vienna and Brest. Some of the tracks are occasion-related compositions or commissioned works, e.g. a signature for an art space or short works for films, some are the results of collaborations for theatre, performance artists, writers, and poets, others are understood as space- or site-related works, and finally, based on musical diary notes. Gomberg III-V is a monumental work of trumpet art, whether it is a big orchestral piece or a delicate rhapsody, Hautzinger's trumpet work simply serves as a vehicle for crossing borders. Personnel: Franz Hautzinger - quartertone trumpet, electronic devices, zither, voice, percussion. Liner notes by Burkhard Stangl. Mastered by Martin Siewert. Cover design and artwork by Lasse Marhaug.

 

PRICE: $9.95

CAT #: UT 062

FILE UNDER: Misc

"On the cover are the Petards, one of Germany's most creative and idiosyncratic bands of the late '60s and early '70s. Also, sunshine pop icon Sandy Salisbury, who talks about his '60s musical adventures with Curt Boettcher in the Ballroom and the Millennium. Mark Taylor talks about his adventures with seminal Australian punk rock 'n' roll animals the Psychosurgeons and the Lipstick Killers, and we reveal for the first time anywhere the remarkable saga of Charging Rhinoceros of Soul, Grande Ballroom regulars and soul brothers and sisters of the MC5 and the Stooges (Charging Rhino sax man Steve MacKay played on Funhouse). Also in this issue: Swedish '65 teenbeat pinups the Flippers, UK '70s DIY/punk renegade Auntie Pus, the Fifth Estate, the Inferno, Stourbridge Lion, an interview with Luis Rego of '60s French beat group Les Problemes, and the post-Jefferson Airplane exploits of bass player Bob Harvey. All this and more, including our acclaimed review sections, covering all the latest vinyl and CD reissues, and rock 'n' roll-related books."

 

PRICE: $9.50

CAT #: UTR 153EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

If Es's debut album for Upset the Rhythm explored the "tension between intent and interpretation", the London group's 2023 EP, Fantasy, constructs a coda for resistance against the distorted gaze. A four-track contact-high anxiety amid fact and facsimile, the new release attempts to define a sound that still resonates in an increasingly confused public theatre, where cerebral dreams manifest in corrupt fascination. Echoing the legendary Pylon or the later, disco-inspired releases from PIL, tracks like "Emergency" and "Unreal" blend the band's established disjunctive style of gothic restlessness with brighter, poppy, and danceable tones. These stylistically unwind in transition with the increasingly claustrophobic pieces like "Too Late" and "Swallowed Whole", syncopating a parallel design of the frantic and the fashionable. Paired with a lyrical intricacy which emits a desire to break the fetish of false representation, "Fantasy" is a reminder that worthy punk records, like any manifesto of neurotic suspicion, balance testimonial, speculative-fiction, and social critique. Indebted to the past but pointed sharply to the future, Es deconstruct our modern wreckage of personhood and self-deceit, granting a sense of solidarity inside alienation. Inside Fantasy you can visualize your own estrangement, and it is only when this mirror fades that we find the tools to fight back. 180 gram, curacao color vinyl.

 

PRICE: $57.00

CAT #: VUAS 1966LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited restock. "November 4, 1966 recording of a performance at Valleydale Ballroom in Columbus, Ohio. So its Velvet's classic 1st line up, with Nico Banana album. Almost perform entirely. On top it contains complete un-edited takes of 'Melody Laughter' and 'The Nothing Song' (it clocks 23 minutes something!) where the band performs free into previously unknown passages. Mastered from recently sourced tapes not comparable with any previous versions. Black vinyl edition. Gatefold sleeve audiophile vinyl bags. Limited edition numbered 300 units."

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: VAMPI 250LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 restock, new lower pricing. Vampisoul present a reissue of Jorge Ben's Bem-Vinda Amizade, originally released in 1981. Jorge Ben is someone who needs no introduction. Since his first hits in the '60s, this artist has become one of the greatest icons of Brazilian pop music. His anthems "Mais Que Nada" or "Pais Tropical" are probably two of the most ever-listened Brazilian songs of all time. After being involved in the Tropicalia movement and incorporating the influences of Afro-American funk into his repertoire, with the support of his backing band -- Trio Mocotó --, his very personal samba sound also opened up to the new musical trends coming from the States at the edge of the '70s. Boogie and disco music were making headway and soon became popular in the Brazilian market. Jorge Ben's albums recorded at the beginning of the '80s reflect this trend and deliver a good number of outstanding tunes. Bem-Vinda Amizade is one of those albums. Recorded in 1981, it is a solid album, start to finish. It comprises the usual samba funk numbers, so characteristic of Jorge Ben, with killer boogie and disco tracks ("Oé Oé (Faz O Carro De Boi Na Estrada)", "Ela Mora Em..."). And it also contains downtempo soulful slow burners like "Lorraine" or "Katarina, Katarina", funky as hell! An essential addition to any Brazilian music collection.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: VAMPI 252LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 restock, new lower pricing. Vampisoul present a reissue of Jorge Ben's Dádiva, originally released in 1983. Jorge Ben is someone who needs no introduction. Since his first hits in the '60s, this artist has become one of the greatest icons of Brazilian pop music. His anthems "Mais Que Nada" or "Pais Tropical" are probably two of the most ever-listened Brazilian songs of all time. After being involved in the Tropicalia movement and incorporating the influences of Afro-American funk into his repertoire, with the support of his backing band -- Trio Mocotó --, his very personal samba sound also opened up to the new musical trends coming from the States at the edge of the '70s. Boogie and disco music were making headway and soon became popular in the Brazilian market. Jorge Ben's albums recorded at the beginning of the '80s reflect this trend and deliver a good number of outstanding tunes. This masterpiece includes the great boogie joint "Rio Babilonia" as well as the all-time classics "Taj Mahal/Pais Tropical", the soulful opener "Eu Quero Ver A Rainha" featuring Tim Maia, and many other samba funk jams arranged by Lincoln Olivetti. An essential addition to any Brazilian music collection.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: MRSSS 556LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Limited restock, new lower pricing. Reissue of Djavan's debut LP, A Voz, O Violão, A Música De Djavan, one of the milestones in Brazilian music from the post-bossa nova years, originally released in 1976. MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) has often been a no-go zone among those inclined to approach Brazilian music only from a crossover perspective. That would explain why this outstanding Djavan's first album is usually overlooked by those who aim to find a pinch of acid guitars, bars of jazz improvisations or funk beats in every Brazilian record they own. A Voz, O Violão, A Música De Djavan should be a mandatory purchase for anyone with the slightest interest in Brazilian music. The beauty of the undoubted classic "Flor De Lis" alone should be encouraging enough to add this gem to any record collection, but the entire album is magnificent. Although some of the arrangements of the album may fall into the jazzier side of things and, yes, there are funky moments here and there, on this LP Djavan showcases acoustic samba music in full effect. Who has yet to hear "Maria Das Mercedes", "Para-Raio", "Muito Obrigado" for the first time will be gladly surprised by the happy and endearing melodies written by the artist and the musical sonority of his lyrics. Djavan is backed here by the magnificent flute of Altamiro Carrilho, one of the most representative "choro" musicians in Brazil, and the subtle keyboard licks played by Edson Frederico, who at the time was often performing with artists such as Maria Creuza, Sonia Santos or Jorge Ben, and had just recorded a solo album one year earlier. Decades after its original release date in 1976, "A voz, o violão, a música de Djavan" remains one of the milestones in Brazilian music from the post-bossa nova years, encompassing a wide range of traditional local sounds next to Djavan's own personal style. Presented in facsimile artwork and pressed on 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: VL 900199LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Wheels of Fire is the third album by the British rock band Cream. It was released in August 1968 as a two-disc vinyl LP, with one disc recorded in the studio and the other recorded live. It reached number three in the United Kingdom and number one in the United States, becoming the world's first platinum-selling double-album. The band's drummer Ginger Baker co-wrote three songs for the album with pianist Mike Taylor. Bassist Jack Bruce co-wrote four songs with poet Pete Brown. Guitarist Eric Clapton contributed to the album by choosing two older blues songs, For the second disc, Felix Pappalardi chose "Traintime" because it featured Jack Bruce performing a harmonica solo, and "Toad" because it features Ginger Baker's drumming while "Spoonful" and "Crossroads" were used to showcase Eric Clapton's guitar playing. Gold sleeve; 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: ASH 707LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. "Michael George Henry (aka Ras Michael and, for this lone release, Dadawah) was born in 1943 in Saint Mary Parish, in northeastern Jamaica. Henry was raised in a Rastafari community when the religious movement was still in its infancy and marginalized within Jamaica. It was there that he began performing Nyahbinghi, the Rastafarian devotional music that combines the influences of African drumming and Black gospel. Henry found himself in Kingston in the late 1950s where he worked for Coxsone Dodd at the legendary Studio One. By 1968, he had formed the group Sons of Negus and the first overtly Rasta record label, Zion Disc. As Rasta filtered into the mainstream, Henry released more music including albums for Trojan, Dynamic and Grounation labels. Originally released in 1974, Peace And Love - Wadadasow is Dadawah's magnum opus. Produced by Lloyd Charmers, the album features slinky basslines, wah-wah guitar, hypnotic keyboards, dubbed-out studio trickery and, of course, the propulsive drumming and rhythmic chanting characteristic of Nyahbinghi. Antarctica Starts Here presents the first widely available domestic release of Peace And Love - Wadadasow. This reissue is part of an archival series that focuses on Trojan's essential '60s and '70s catalogue. Liner notes by JR Gonne."

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: BWZ 779CD

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

"An alloy is a mixture of chemical agents which forms a new substance that retains the characteristics of a metal. The mechanical properties of alloys often differ significantly from those of its individual constituents. It has been more than two years since ShrapKnel's debut album, during which time the duo of Curly Castro and PremRock have individually released successful solo albums with Backwoodz Studioz. Fittingly, these two albums were nothing alike; Castro's incendiary Little Robert Hutton is a high octane soundclash, a stark contrast to the knotty intimacy of PremRock's Load Bearing Crow's Feet. A new ShrapKnel album means a return to foundry and forge, the alchemy of turning two into one. Carbon and Iron make steel, rest assured, there will be no sophomore slump. Metal Lung is the evidence. The bulk of the production is provided by Steel Tipped Dove, who has worked with Nosaj, billy woods, SHIRT, R.A.P. Ferreira and just put out an incredible album of his own on Backwoodz last year (Call Me When You're Outside). Additional production comes from Child Actor (ELUCID, Serengeti, Armand Hammer) & Olof Melander (Moor Mother, Project Mooncircle). Mixed and mastered by the incomparable Willie Green."

 

PRICE: $31.00

CAT #: BWZ 779LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

LP version. "An alloy is a mixture of chemical agents which forms a new substance that retains the characteristics of a metal. The mechanical properties of alloys often differ significantly from those of its individual constituents. It has been more than two years since ShrapKnel's debut album, during which time the duo of Curly Castro and PremRock have individually released successful solo albums with Backwoodz Studioz. Fittingly, these two albums were nothing alike; Castro's incendiary Little Robert Hutton is a high octane soundclash, a stark contrast to the knotty intimacy of PremRock's Load Bearing Crow's Feet. A new ShrapKnel album means a return to foundry and forge, the alchemy of turning two into one. Carbon and Iron make steel, rest assured, there will be no sophomore slump. Metal Lung is the evidence. The bulk of the production is provided by Steel Tipped Dove, who has worked with Nosaj, billy woods, SHIRT, R.A.P. Ferreira and just put out an incredible album of his own on Backwoodz last year (Call Me When You're Outside). Additional production comes from Child Actor (ELUCID, Serengeti, Armand Hammer) & Olof Melander (Moor Mother, Project Mooncircle). Mixed and mastered by the incomparable Willie Green."

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: BALMAT 005LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double-LP version. The British producer ?-Ziq has been an inspiration to label co-founders Albert Salinas and Philip Sherburne since the 1990s. In fact, his album-length remix project The Auteurs Vs ?-Ziq was one of the very first pieces of electronic music that Philip bought, way back in 1994. To have the opportunity to release his music now feels like a real full-circle moment. Paradinas, of course, needs no introduction. Under a slew of aliases, chief among them ?-Ziq, the British artist revolutionized leftfield electronic music in the 1990s -- coincidentally, this year marks the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Tango N' Vectif, for his friend and sometime collaborator Aphex Twin's Rephlex label -- and his label Planet Mu has built up a formidable catalog of visionary, forward-looking records, mapping virtually every corner of the electronic spectrum. With 1977, he turns the clock backward in a sense, and not just with the album's title: Rooted in classic ambient and electronic sounds, these 15 tracks evoke the anything-goes spirit of the early '90s, before the tools and tropes had calcified into cut-and-dried styles. There's no shortage of familiar sounds on 1977. There are echoes of raves and chillout rooms and transmissions from the fringes of techno; there are detuned synths and glistening reverb tails and, above all, gauzy vox pads, the eerie glue that holds it all together. The title, he says, is meant to invoke a general sense of nostalgia, bookmarking a year in his boyhood when he became more self-aware. More than anything, 1977 sounds like ?-Ziq distilled: Stripped of his signature breakbeats and customary chaos, Paradinas's first-ever strictly (well, mostly) ambient album presents the essence of his music in a whole new light. Along the way Paradinas touches on dark-ambient drones ("Marmite"), horror-film themes ("Belt & Carpet"), jungle breaks ("Mesolithic Jungle"), and even house music ("Houzz 13"), which marks the first bona fide dance-floor moment on Balmat to date). Yet the album never feels expressly retro. Rather, Paradinas plucks timeless sounds out of the ether and gives them a gentle tap, spinning them into unexpected new orbits. At times, 1977 feels like an experience of extended déjà vu: When we first listened to it, we had the sense that we already knew this music. It was as though we had heard it years ago, perhaps on a battered cassette tape lent to us by a friend, and been searching for it ever since. "1977" features Meemo Comma.

 

PRICE: $36.50

CAT #: BAUHAUS 004LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Homage to Tarab is a journey between cultures, times, places and of course sounds that were molded within the Middle Eastern orient that had shaped The Hallways' musical perception. All out of tremendous respect to their legacies. Described in one short sentence, experimental Arabic drone music. Picture dark synths, alienated rare drum machines meet ancient organ lamentations, beats the bubble from deep within and such that floats around spaces in circles while constantly changing. Ones that feel like flying on top of a magic carpet ride over deserts, mosques, ancient prayer books while in the background the dimming lights of a mysterious asphalt and concrete covered city.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: BCM 9594CD

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Beat Records present the world premiere CD release of Space: 1999, featuring the original motion picture soundtrack of the Italian theatrical version composed by two-time Oscar-winner Ennio Morricone. Space: 1999 premiered in Italian theatres on January 14, 1975, and was created through the process of editing together three episodes from season one of the TV series: Breakaway, Ring Around the Moon, and Another Time, Another Place. The theatrical release of Space: 1999 predated the series' debut on Italian television by a year, with the first six episodes being broadcast from January 31, 1976. Six more episodes followed in July and the remaining twelve episodes in the fall of the same year. The series' original iconic score was not used for the Italian theatrical version (the series originally premiered on British television on September 4, 1975), instead being replaced with a fascinating score by Ennio Morricone, who composed original material featuring frantic jazz themes and futuristic electronic sequences reminiscent of Barry Gray's work on UFO. This release also includes avant-garde material by Morricone that was carefully selected as background music for various scenes in the movie, taken directly from the RCA promotional series of library vinyl LPs titled Dimensioni Sonore, performed by symphonic orchestra and presented here in full stereo. Also included is the final large orchestral theme heard over the end credits, featuring vocals by Edda Dell'Orso and I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni. This theme was reused for the 1979 mini-series Orient Express, again scored by Ennio Morricone. Comes with a full-color, 20-page booklet containing double cover, archive stills, a foreword from Fanderson chairman Nick Williams (the official Fanderson UK fan club) and plot synopses and credits for the three original episodes. This release was officially approved by ITV Studios and will be available from September 13, 2016, the day in which the moon separated from Earth's orbit in Space: 1999. Mastering by Claudio Fuiano and Daniel Winkler. Graphic layout by Daniele De Gemini.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: BCM 9613CD

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Beat Records reissues a classic original soundtrack by Ennio Morricone for the Giallo film Le foto proibite di una Signora per bene (aka The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion), directed in 1971 by Luciano Ercoli starring Dagmar Lassander, Nieves Navarro, Simón Andreu, Pier Paolo Capponi, Osvaldo Genazzani, and Salvador Huguet. Ennio Morricone composed a solid OST for a genre for which he had written many memorable scores. For this film he penned an orchestral score in which the crystal voice of Edda Dell'Orso intervenes as an additional instrument in the main theme "Le foto proibite di una Signora per bene," performed in a bossa nova tempo that opens and closes the CD. "Amore come dolore" is a romantic-mysterious theme with beat rhythms, contrasting with numerous dissonant themes and the tense atmosphere in which the female protagonist is immersed. Beat dance music is not lacking with themes much loved by fans such as "Allegretto per Signora," "Intermezzino pop", and "Secondo intermezzino pop," which have also been included in various lounge music compilations. For this CD, Beat Records used the stereo master tapes from the original recording sessions. Mastering and liner notes by Claudio Fuiano. Graphic layout by Daniele De Gemini.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: CDOSTPK 046CD

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Cinevox Record, in collaboration with Pick Up Records and Beat Records, present the CD featuring the original soundtrack of Squadra Antigangsters, composed by Goblin, the fifth movie with Tomas Milian in the role of commissioner Nico Giraldi. At the time speaking Cinevox released an album with eight cues, included two songs singed by Asha Puthli that bring the listener into late '70s American discotheques. Goblin (Fabio Pignatelli, Claudio Simonetti, Agostino Marangolo, and Carlo Pennisi) composed a brilliant OST, with different styles. This new edition on CD has been remastered and includes the original album program and the three bonus tracks already featured in the preceding version, booklet has been structured with a double cover featuring the two original posters of the movie. Digital remastering by Claudio Fuiano. Liner notes by Roberto Attanasio and Fabio Capuzzo. Graphic design by Daniele De Gemini.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: BE 015LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"On September 6th, 1993, I felt a stranger's presence flow through me. 'The end of material civilization is near. Man will soon transcend the physical realm. But when this day comes, many souls will be lost forever,' she announced and then swiftly disappeared. She has since visited me occasionally, and with her help I've witnessed stars align to form a cross, and a golden country filled with waves of tremendous rapture. She says I have a divine duty to impart through my music a sense of the waves of delight I have experienced, even if I can only reach one other person." --Shizuka, 7/23/94Reissue, originally released in 1994. Few artists have left behind a legacy as enigmatic and captivating as Shizuka Miura. Amidst the Tokyo underground, she was a spectral figure, creating ghostly, childlike dolls and writing haunting, other-worldly songs. She formed Shizuka in 1992 with Maki Miura, known for his staggering guitar work in legendary groups Fushitsusha and Les Rallizes Dénudés. Their music bloomed with a fragile, yet explosive mystical power; an atmospheric alchemy of psychedelic rock, folk and noise with Shizuka's ethereal vocals invoking loneliness, yearning and dark providence. Since her passing in 2010, the group has steadily gathered a cult following. Black Editions presents their sole studio album, 1994's Heavenly Persona, a monumental, transcendent work originally issued by P.S.F. Japan on CD in 1994; Now newly remastered and in its first ever vinyl edition on double-LP with a laser etched fourth side. Presented in a deluxe tip-on tri-fold jacket with ink pigment foil stamping, gloss film laminate finish and printed inner sleeves and mounted booklet. It includes her extensive, heart wrenching final interview, translated for the first time to English alongside high-resolution archival images.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: BONF 018LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1971. Another underground folk masterpiece back on the map. Forerunner of the British revival Ian A. Anderson licensed the album on his own The Village Thing on December 1971. Besides a couple of excellent cover -- "Black Uncle Remus" penned by Loudon Wainwright III and a minor Bob Dylan classic as "One Too Many Mornings" -- the album shows a more forward-thinking production, with several bucolic progressive arrangements.

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: BOSC 050-5EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Here you have the second EP part of Minimono Half Way Trough mini saga. Follows the sound of the previous one serving four most exciting electro, Italo-disco, and acid-infected floor-burners. "Run it Back" is a simple and dry tune, has those big cutting edge sounds typical of the early 2000 '80s contaminated electro... perfect for your starting set or in recreating that unique atmosphere. On the A side follows "Half Way Trough", an effortlessly driving tech-acid house tune, strangely compelling, with a timeless feeling... looking like an essential weapon for any dancefloor. B-side starts with the spicy electro-disco tune "Over The Machines" epic and functional at the same time with evocative arpeggios and a mechanical vocoder-ed speech. The EP ends with the cyberfunk stomper "Revolution", a twisted electro funk groover in typical Minimono vein.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: BR 173EP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

José Javier Castro (1965-2022) was a Peruvian artist and musician who emerged in the 1980s, and is known for being the leader, guitarist, and singer of the experimental rock group El Aire, as well as an emblematic figure of the Lima underground. He also developed, starting in the early '90s, various projects centered on electronic experimentation, and oriented towards ambient and cosmic music, both for soundtracks, sound installations, as well as for his own rock band, leaving an important archive of recordings unpublished. "Melodía a Gianni Toti en dos partes" (Melody for Gianni Toti in two parts) constitutes a first publication that seeks to disclose that other creative side of José Javier Castro, who was also an active promoter of the experimental music scene in Peru. José Javier Castro encountered the work of the Italian artist Gianni Toti as an active collaborator of the Túpac Amauta project, directed by Toti and produced at the Centro Internacional de Creación de Video (International Center for Video Creation) (CICV). In 1999, for the second part of the Túpac Amauta project, he was invited as a resident artist at the CICV, establishing a first-hand link with Toti, with whom he shared ideas regarding syntheatronic creation. The sound piece Melodía a Gianni Toti en dos partes was composed in 2021 and is inspired by Toti's various visions of music and aesthetics. This project led Castro to a long reflective process in search of a coherent definition of both the process and the aesthetics. It is a spontaneous and heartfelt evocation as a tribute and thanks to Toti. White/translucent blue vinyl; edition of 250.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: BR 176LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Berlin-based Peruvian musicians Alejandra Cárdenas, AKA Ale Hop, and Laura Robles present their debut album together, released via Buh Records. With a foundation informed by decolonialism and organology, Agua Dulce is a radical deconstruction of traditional rhythms of the Peruvian coast, in which the cajón instrument plays a central role. Agua Dulce is named after the most popular beach in Lima, near where both artists lived during their childhood, houses apart, without ever meeting one another. Now, years later, the pair have joined forces, with Robles on a self-built electric cajón and Cárdenas on electric guitar and electronics. Together they explore rhythmical structures that form the backbone of the complex Afro-Peruvian music and dance traditions -- a broad term used for the various musical developments that occurred in the last two centuries, at the shores of the Peruvian Pacific. The cajón originated in coastal Peru as a percussion instrument that the black slaves created from wooden fruit boxes, when foot drums were banned at the end of the Spanish colonial-era, in the 19th century. From its birth the cajón was a symbol of resistance, experimentation and transformation, so Robles and Cárdenas strive to maintain the instrument's spirit and qualities by pushing the boundaries of its sound into the future. However, although buzzing with an intense voltage and proffering a fresh contribution to modern experimental/noise/lo-fi/percussive music, the duo's mission isn't merely capturing something sonically futuristic, but is primarily concerned with shaking off the dust: "These rhythms have become ossified nowadays, heard in Peruvian folklore shows, and on the 'global music' circuit, but our desire is to experiment and do something more radical with them, connecting to the instruments more radical past", comments Cárdenas. The two musicians take the pulses of dances like Landó, Zamacueca, Festejo, Alcatraz, Lamento and Son de los diablos, electrifying and mutating them into pure textures, or reinforcing the physical character of the cajón through repetition and distortion. Cover art by Eduardo Yaguas. Edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: BB 429CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"In 1984, four years after the release of my first solo album Synthesist on Sky Records, I wanted to produce a new solo album. At the time I was operating on the fifth floor of a former backyard factory on Graefe-Str. in Berlin Kreuzberg with my Neue Deutsche Welle Band Lilli Berlin. We'd turned the space into a small music and rehearsal studio where we set up a Tascam 8-track tape recorder, a 12- channel MM mixer that roared like hell, a Mini-Moog and a Roland Jupiter-6 synthesizer. This is where the basic recordings for Oceanheart were made. Essentially sequences and chords, which I then added piano, drums, Indian tablas and solo voices to in Christoph Franke's (Tangerine Dream) studio in Berlin Spandau. It was then mastered on a Betamax video recorder -- at that time the non-plus-ultra of modern stereo recording technique. Oceanheart was released on Sky Records in 1985. At the beginning of 2022 Gunther Buskies, owner of Bureau B label, had the inspired idea to expand the planned re-release of Oceanheart with a remix album and to call it Oceanheart Revisited. Around the same time, I met Tobias Stock through my friend Chris Mick. Tobias, a qualified electronics engineer and musician, had put together a complex, top-class analog studio over 20 years of meticulous and passionate collecting -- bringing each of the numerous component parts back into the best technical state with his own hands. There are only few studios of this kind and quality in the world and it was here, in his 'On TAPE' Studio, we created the analogue mixes of Oceanheart Revisited on a NAGRA 2-channel tape machine. I really enjoyed working on Oceanheart Revisited and I'd like to share this experiment with you." --Harald Grosskopf, January 2023

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: BB 429LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double LP version. "In 1984, four years after the release of my first solo album Synthesist on Sky Records, I wanted to produce a new solo album. At the time I was operating on the fifth floor of a former backyard factory on Graefe-Str. in Berlin Kreuzberg with my Neue Deutsche Welle Band Lilli Berlin. We'd turned the space into a small music and rehearsal studio where we set up a Tascam 8-track tape recorder, a 12- channel MM mixer that roared like hell, a Mini-Moog and a Roland Jupiter-6 synthesizer. This is where the basic recordings for Oceanheart were made. Essentially sequences and chords, which I then added piano, drums, Indian tablas and solo voices to in Christoph Franke's (Tangerine Dream) studio in Berlin Spandau. It was then mastered on a Betamax video recorder -- at that time the non-plus-ultra of modern stereo recording technique. Oceanheart was released on Sky Records in 1985. At the beginning of 2022 Gunther Buskies, owner of Bureau B label, had the inspired idea to expand the planned re-release of Oceanheart with a remix album and to call it Oceanheart Revisited. Around the same time, I met Tobias Stock through my friend Chris Mick. Tobias, a qualified electronics engineer and musician, had put together a complex, top-class analog studio over 20 years of meticulous and passionate collecting -- bringing each of the numerous component parts back into the best technical state with his own hands. There are only few studios of this kind and quality in the world and it was here, in his 'On TAPE' Studio, we created the analogue mixes of Oceanheart Revisited on a NAGRA 2-channel tape machine. I really enjoyed working on Oceanheart Revisited and I'd like to share this experiment with you." --Harald Grosskopf, January 2023

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: CAMUS 33015LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Many things have been said about Reynols over the past 30 years but altogether seem not yet enough to properly describe the unclassifiable Argentine group formed by Miguel Tomasin, Roberto Conlazo and Anla Courtis. Now Calar Music is proud to present Peloto Cabras Mulusa Olve, an album appeared at the very end of the XXth Century bringing a vivid sonic portrait of one of the wildest periods of the band. After a whole year playing Monday-to-Friday as house band of a Medical TV show broadcasted on Argentine's National Channel [ATC], the group recorded these remarkable tracks back in 1999 at their own Ornitivo Studios in Buenos Aires. Based on a trio line-up, with Tomasín's verbal laboratory in all its glory plus his chunky drums and a playful pair of sharp guitars jumping electrically all around, the band reached an intense trademark distorted sound. Recorded in a complete analog mood -- due to magnetic tape's magic -- and without overdubs of any kind, this music remains as a milestone of a savage era. Raw, powerful, vital, oneiric and beyond description, this obscure gem was originally released as a 1999 ultra-limited tape, which sold-out that same year. This LP brings the album to the new century carefully remastered by Vyles Boisen (who worked with artists such as: Fred Frith, MX-80 Sound, Daevid Allen, Malcolm Mooney, Anthony Braxton or David Lynch) and also expanded with two unreleased tracks from those epic sessions. Decades before appearing on the cover of The Wire Magazine, receiving the Henry Viscardi Achievement Award or becoming a one-of-a-kind brand name in the field of global experimental music, Reynols were already active and certainly on fire: Peloto Cabras Mulusa Olve stands as an historic sound document to prove it."

 

PRICE: $11.00

CAT #: COS 121EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Betty Griffin's 'Free Spirit' was previously released on the 2016 compilation -- Greg Belson's Divine Disco Volume 1. This 7-inch comes with two epic remixes of the track. These remixes are being released as a celebration for the 10 Year Anniversary of Greg Belson's significant radio show -- 'Divine Chord Gospel Show' on Dub Lab. Both tracks were remixed by the Divine Situation featuring Paulo Fulci and Greg Belson. The A-side remix, Divine Situation NYC Downlow Rework is influenced by their DJ appearances at Glastonbury's Downlow Club Room while the B-Side is more of an instrumental version. Both are pure fire for the dancefloor!"

 

PRICE: $27.50

CAT #: DLC 004LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Limited restock. The first ever vinyl release from the archives of Music of Transparent Means, the constantly evolving minimalist ensemble of up to 21 players active in Adelaide, Australia from 2002-2007. Long celebrated by a tiny circle of initiates and hardcore minimalism aficionados, Music of Transparent Means shaped the sound of its native city to its most euphoric and immersive state with a series of terrifically intense concerts of original compositions. After its leader Alex Carpenter was lured to New York in 2007, the surviving artifacts -- coveted CDr editions handmade by Carpenter himself -- were circulated only among the most trusting fans. De la Catessen Records presents "Chord From The Second Delphic Hymn" alongside Music of Transparent Means' anthem "Emerging Like An Infant From The House Of Truth", recorded live at an evening performance at De la Catessen Gallery in 2007. Lovers of the music of La Monte Young, Phill Niblock, Tony Conrad, and Arnold Dreyblatt will discover much on this album to rejoice.Alex Carpenter is an Australian-born artist and researcher living in New York City. His large-scale minimalist orchestra Music of Transparent Means won notoriety in the early 2000s for its experimental live marathons, with as many as 21 players and as few as one."Joyous sensory over-stimulation (...) a kind of blissful, obliterated exhaustion (...) the music is, quite simply, a head-fucking blast to listen to and swim through" --Jon Dale."Staggering... one of the records of the year" --Shame File Music."'Chord from the Second Delphic Hymn' shimmers and undulates clangorously like some freshly awakened metallic beast... textures chime like an orchestra of dulcimers ... controlled thunder ... a kind of inner euphoria ... the result both a mutating organism and volcanic forcefield" --Textura

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: DLC 006LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. In Last Blues, De la Catessen Records presents a mysterious folio of sonic snapshots, as much recaptured as composed, by Jon Dale's project, Moth, in Adelaide in the late '90s and early '00s. We're invited to tune in to these liminal frequencies, to observe and inhabit them, and relish the glowing sensual overdrive of their manifestation. From the ready means and at-handedness of guitar, amp, and tape, a congruous but diverse selection of unnamed tracks emerge -- musical moments borrowed from oblivion with the as yet unfulfilled good intention of returning them. Their sounds evoke abstract Polaroids of winter seascapes flecked with spare, brittle detail, or the scaly-winged flutterings of elusive nocturnal insects. Here, a homely hum like a vacuum cleaner on sunny childhood's weekend morning; there, suburban power lines buzzing gently in the mist. The last track of Last Blues is like a reverent vision of lava-flow for harmonium, the slow-motion eruption of a single chord, which echoes in the mind for hours. Last Blues comes from somewhere that doesn't exist anymore, and shows us something that may never have happened there."Jon Dale collapses old dichotomies (such as organic vs. inorganic and heavy vs. light) into a pure horizon of tone with only guitar and a little harmonium. Sonically, it makes me think of a middle point between if Organum snuck into the studio to remix Glenn Branca, and what I imagine the electric synapses firing off in Raymond Roussel's brain would've sounded like if committed to wax cylinder. Which is to say, it sounds rad." --Ben Chasny, Six Organs Of Admittance

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: DLC 007LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Limited restock. Selected Live Recordings is the third release De La Catessen Records has divined from the archives of New-York-via-Adelaide minimalist composer Alex Carpenter, and the second in this series for his shape-shifting collective, Music Of Transparent Means. It follows the two side-long fantasias of 2021's self-titled album; this time, we pan out slightly, to grant the listener a varied and yet more complex understanding of the material Carpenter was writing and performing when this music was happening, during the noughties. On this album, you can hear the results of some intensive explorations of the possibilities of minimalism both at its most delicate, and at its most feverish. The heavenly stasis of "Disappearance #1", for massed wine glasses and bowed guitars, feels like being jettisoned in a water tower filled with ether; the wooziness of "Burial Music" captures something of the spirit of Fripp & Eno's (No Pussyfooting), but as though the tape is slowly disintegrating; the music is blurred at the edges, warped and sidereal. Perhaps the centerpiece of Selected Live Recordings, though, is the simple, yet ravishing, "Rose Street Womb". With its performers given a simple set of instructions -- to continually repeat and elongate a series of phrases, while listening and responding to the overall sound of the ensemble -- its pastoral psychedelia recalls the gentle slippages of Arthur Russell's landmark composition, Tower Of Meaning. Elsewhere, "Mountain Piece #2" is a thunderstorm for massed drums, while "Second Presencing" uses delays as a structuring device to paint an "audio canvas" from a clutch of damaged tones. Throughout, you can hear Carpenter's knowledge and deep study of the history of minimalist composition -- he has written extensively on the work of La Monte Young, and there is certainly some aesthetic and ideological crossover with the likes of Phill Niblock, Terry Riley, and Arnold Dreyblatt. But it is also very much his own thing, the result of an intensive period of study and exploration of the possibilities, not just of minimalist composition, but also of Just Intonation. With the material long whispered about in reverent tones, and circulating on CD-R only amongst a small group of like-minded souls, De La Catessen's ongoing series of releases of Carpenter's music is a major development, bringing to light one of minimalism's hidden histories.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: DELI 026LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Golf Trip is the new solo project of Gautier de Bosredon, former member of the Camel Power Club that he cofounded in 2013. The tracks he co-produced and co-wrote have now accumulated over 50 million listens on streaming platforms and the project is now touring all over Europe to present them. Resulting from a writing that was done since his departure from the group, the music of Golf Trip is groovy and solar. The will to make a record which is soft and positive was the thread of all its realization. Long sessions allow the elaboration of a musical framework based on straight rhythmics, funky guitars and soft synthesizers. A quiet fleet on board which the listener embarks for six tracks whose arrangements and mixing were realized by the Norwegian Olefonken (aka Hubbabubbaklubb).

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: CDDM 320CD

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

This album would not have been possible if Edipan hadn't conserved two mono masters in good conditions in its archives (stereo mixes have gone lost). Unfortunately, it was not possible to cancel some magnetic flaws. Digitmovies have brought to life an original soundtrack that contains all the popular and well-respected music elements of maestro Nicolai: dissonant strings segments, experimental effects of an evocative classical main theme, ambiguous and mysterious, accompanied by pop rhythms. Directed by Peter Collinson in 1974 and starring Oliver Reed, Elke Sommer, Richard Attenborough, Gert Fröbe, Herbert Lom, Charles Aznavour, Maria Rohm, Adolfo Celi, Stéphane Audran, Alberto de Mendoza, Orson Welles (just voice). A stranger that calls himself U.N. Owen invites ten people to stay at an isolated house in the Iran desert, drowning them with weird excuses. The nearest town is two hundred miles away and there are no phone in the house. Once arrived, they don't meet the house owner but they hear his voice recorded while he accuses them of several homicides still unpunished, for which they would pay with their lives. From this moment on, they will start to get killed one by one. Only two of them will save themselves: Vera Clyde and Hugh Lombard, who didn't commit the crime Owen accused them of, since they were mistakenly called to the house.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: CDDM 323CD

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Manuel De Sica wrote an orchestral comment based on a recurring symphonic tarantella, which is the main theme retaken in symphonic version or with a solo guitar, alternated with lounge tracks like "Rough", sung by De Sica himself, who was 23 years old back then, with the fabulous "Bossa Nova Boss", with the extravagant "Casa da gioco" and with the "Anna e Tonino" love theme. RCA printed a promo LP (SP 8046), put together by De Sica. In 1994 the same material was printed on CD (original soundtrack - OST 125), paired with The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (aka "Il giardino dei Finzi-Contini"). Digitmovies were able to access the original session mono masters, which brought them to discover some unpublished material, that results in a 46:38 minutes long CD. A sincere homage to the Musical Art of the dear departed Manuel De Sica. Directed by Pasquale Squitieri in 1972 and starring Fabio Testi, Jean Seberg, Raymond Pellegrin, Lilla Brignone, Charles Vanel, Germana Carnacina, Enzo Cannavale, Ugo D'Alessio, Paul Muller, Enzo Turco, Salvatore Puntillo, Marcello Filotico, Alberto Farnese, Nino Vingelli, Leopoldo Mastelloni. Tonino Russo, son of a humble and honest cobbler and engaged to Anna, just released after two years in prison for personal injury, gets challenged by a neighbor. Member of the Camorra Don Mario Capece witnesses the duel, from which Tonino comes out as winner. Impressed by the young man, Don Mario offers him a job in his organization. From that moment on, motivated by an insatiable thirst for power, Tonino only aims to go higher and higher. Greeted by Don Capece, thanks to his services and to his control over two gambling houses, after bringing to his side even the boss's partner, Tonino tries his big shot: take the boss's place in a deal of real estate speculation. Found out the betrayal, Don Mario kills Tonino's ex fiancée and tries to make him make a faux pas: murder an untouchable boss of the Camorra. Failed, Capece, knowing that Russo will try to kill him, moves the attack up by kidnapping his little brother. Tonino still manages to kill the boss, then, convinced by his father not to shoot the cops arrived there, turns himself in.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: CDDM 324CD

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Composer and conductor Vito Lo Re signs the soundtrack of Io Sono L'abisso, the new film by Donato Carrisi -- based on the novel of the same name. "It is an atypical soundtrack," says Vito Lo Re, "It is essentially based on a single piece that has the task of accompanying the most important and most difficult scene of the film. And the director had told me that he was going to shoot it without sound, relying only on the music. It was a huge responsibility because the emotional effect of the ending depends on that scene and that piece." Vito Lo Re is a conductor, composer, author of musical comedies, musicals, music for short films, documentaries, films and television programs as well as an orchestrator and arranger, an activity that has made him range through the most heterogeneous musical genres.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: DOC 144LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

2023 repress. Akira Ifukube's mighty score to the legendary monster movie that started it all, Godzilla! Ifukube's visionary music is super dark reflecting the horror of Ishiro Honda's film. This incredible score music alternates between brass and strings as we witness the death and destruction that comes in Godzilla's wake.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: DOC 145LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

2023 repress. Akira Ifukube's score to the legendary 1962 monster movie King Kong vs. Godzilla. Ifukube's visionary music is tense and violent, a perfect complement to Ishir? Honda's film. This incredible score alternates between brass and strings as you witness the death and destruction that comes in the wake of these two classic film monsters' battles.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: DC 049LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. LP version with bonus 7"; one of the great Drag City releases (and one of the great American music solo albums) finally on vinyl again. "In 1970, Mayo Thompson (once-and-future leader of The Red Krayola) recorded an album entitled Corky's Debt To His Father. Walt Andrus' Texas Revolution label released the record -- but just barely, selling a few hundred LPs with no promotion to speak of. The copies that made it into shops became the treasured objects of taste-makers around the globe -- which made Corky's Debt To His Father an influential record down the years. As punk rock, new wave, post-punk and all the rest came along, it was inevitable that this lost classic of independent music would be discovered by a wider audience. In 1988, the album was reissued on the UK Glass Records imprint but went out-of-print again in short order. Then in 1994, Drag City brought Corky's Debt To His Father back to the USA, as well as to the CD format for the first time. Additionally, a third pressing of the vinyl was made. The CD has been a perennial favorite ever since -- but after just a few months of robust sales, the LP artwork and jackets were destroyed in a fire, thus putting the end to the life of Corky's Debt To His Father on vinyl once again. Wrapped in a jacket that recalls the halcyon days of solid LP dominance, this new pressing comes with a 7" single featuring the instrumental 'Woof,' which was recorded at the same sessions but not released until The Red Krayola's 2004 compilation CD Singles. The B-side of this single is a never-before heard take on John Cage's '4'33"' played by fellow traveller Sergei McUgly."

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: DC 161LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. LP version. "The only thing familiar about Knock Knock is the now familiar Smog sensation of being somehow completely unfamiliar! At this point in his illustrious career, there certain styles he feels comfortable with. But who'd've guessed that super-sexy space cowboy would be one of them? Several ballads on Knock Knock are of the spirit of Bill Callahan...a record with a divide of hard and soft ones, a record with a torn curtain inviting you to look inside. It is a real-life opera, a story told in song -- the story of a kid named Smog. A real tour de force."

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: DC 450LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. LP version. "Essentially an ensemble recorded live in the studio, Bill Callahan's Apocalypse is the corpus delecti. Something happened here! If tape is like meat, this record is the whole hog! No cuts! Delectables and guts! In the opening salvo 'Drover,' the cattle is herded. Everyone is in this roundup -- this is the big one! Listeners! Laughers! Pundits! Wags! Haters! Hausfraus! Mr. Memory and Mrs. Future! Callahan, riding on the back of his band, corrals them all and guides them single-handedly through the Valley with love and ferocity. 'Drover' is the universal gathering, but 'Baby's Breath' is one man's plot of land. The focus turns again outward, next, in 'America!' Looking at 'the last 100 years,' -- which we reckon is about the narrative age of this LP -- 'America!' is a love letter if we've ever had the privilege to read one over someone else's shoulder. 'Universal Applicant,' then, is the looking deep within. The flame in the mirror. Canyons can look like cartoons even when they are real. Side two begins with 'Riding for the Feeling.' Saying goodbye to a mass, an ice floe. A wave that sweeps away and away and keeps coming back. It is breath. 'Free's' is the song of the truly free, the ones that know being free means being kept by the free. 'One Fine Morning' ends it all. The mountains that create the valleys of Drover bow down. 'Hey! No more drovering!' This record makes us wonder what has really happened in the last 100 years. And what will happen in the next 10. The soul of your country called and left you a message. Seven messages."

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: DC 600LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Gatefold double LP version. "The Segall has landed. And it's fully loaded, with everything that Ty Segall (and you and me) are gonna need in the world to come. Heads up! It's coming down fast. Soursweet declarations featuring freaks and creeps alike: 'The Singer,' 'The Faker,' 'Mister Main,' 'Susie Thumb,' the 'Connection Man,' and 'The Crawler,' to name but a mutant fistful. To see these peeps, to realize their dreams and visions, Ty kept working, kept writing, laying down more tracks than ever. New musical expressions pop and surprise relentlessly throughout all the knockout tunes of Manipulator with many sounds in the mix ? but most of all, SO many guitars! So many. And different kinds of strings ? the strangled-neck solo of 'The Singer,' recalling the good old days down by the river with Neil. Numbed and- unplugged discursions spiraling away from the funk on 'Mister Main.' Three-quarter quartets raising their din in a few key places. Waves of sparkling acoustics with ominous, Love-ly undertones ? and then, torrents of filthy git-grunge, exploding into the chorus, washing everything away, fusing the blackness of Sabbath with the grime and grab-ass of the Stooges and the sweet swinging tones of the Stones. All in the name of getting higher on the music. Why have one guitar solo when you can have a few in the same space? There's so little time, and a lot to say."

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: BEC 5610879

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Born Jephté Mbisi in Genève, Varnish La Pisicine is a 25-year Swiss rap author, composer, and producer. After his former works under the name Pink Flamingo who made him work with Sébastien Tellier and Philippe Zdar, Varnish La Piscine also became a movie director and realized his first film Les contes du Cockatoo whose original soundtrack enhanced with bonus tracks was released by Color Records under the name Metronome Pole Dance Twist Amazone. After they met, Pedro Winter signed him on Ed Banger Record for his next works. This Lake Is Successful is the brand new seven song mini-album. Features Snubnose Frankenstein.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: HE 68002LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Endless Happiness present a reissue of Muddy Waters's Electric Mud, originally released in 1968. Electric Mud is the fifth studio album by Muddy Waters, with members of Rotary Connection serving as his backing band. Released in 1968, it imagines Muddy Waters as a psychedelic musician. Producer Marshall Chess suggested that Muddy Waters recorded it in an attempt to appeal to a rock audience. The album peaked at number 127 on Billboard 200 album chart. It was controversial for its fusion of electric blues with psychedelic elements.

 

PRICE: $27.50

CAT #: FTR 546LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Turner Williams Jr. is a string-player out of the same Alabama surrealist scene that gave us Rev. Fred Lane & the Say Day Bew gang, Davey Williams & LaDonna Smith's Trans Museq universe, and the Sweet Wreath madmen (who have been working with Johnny Coley, Silica Gel, and others). Some crazy shit has gone on down there, and Mr. Williams soaked it all in before heading up to NYC, where he fell in with some of the Sound @ One scene. Which added another layer to the freak potential of his playing. After drifting around the East Coast for a few years, Williams packed up and moved to Marseilles, but not before cutting this session with Jason Meagher at Black Dirt. And it's a monster. Turner plays electric shahi baajas, gaz, and perhaps other ostensibly Eastern instruments, which he uses the create amazing clots of improvisational flow. He cites Michael Flower's work on bulbultarang, and the entire oeuvre of the late Davey Williams as inspiration, and manages to create music as fresh, wild and original as anything either of them has done. The sounds here are generated by just strings and effects, but the way he toggles back and forth between known and unknown tongues demonstrates a conceptual mastery that matches his ace technique. There are bits of this you might think were Paul Metzger, or maybe one of the guys from the World of Pelt, but not many other folks would be able to pull off something so seamlessly syncretic. The tangled fusion of East/West, traditional/post-modern, inside/outside displayed on Briars on a Dewdrop makes the album a brilliant puzzle to try and unravel. Turner Williams? Just say oui! You'll be glad you did." --Byron Coley, 2023

 

PRICE: $27.50

CAT #: FKR 101LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. After years of mythology, misinterpretation, and procrastination Nurse With Wound's Steven Stapleton finally chooses Finders Keepers as the ideal collaborators to release "the right tracks" from his über-legendary psych/prog/punk peculiarity shopping list known as The Nurse With Wound List, commencing with a French specific Volume One of this authentically titled Strain Crack Break series. Featuring some Finders Keepers' regulars amongst galactic Gallic rarities, this double-vinyl dossier demystifies some of the essential French free jazz and Parisian prog inclusions from the alphabetical "dedication" inventory as printed the anti-bands 1979 industrial milestone debut. When Steven Stapleton, Heman Pathak, and John Fothergill's anti-band Nurse With Wound decided to include an alphabetical dedication to all their favorite bands on the back of their inaugural LP the notion of creating a future record dealers' trophy list couldn't have been further from their minds. By adding a list of untraveled European mythical musicians and noise makers to their own debut release of unchartered industrial art rock they were merely providing a suggestive support system of existing potential like-minded bands. Many of the rare, obscure and unpronounceable genre-free records on The Nurse With Wound List have slowly found their own feet and stumbled in to the homes of open-minded outer-national vinyl junkies, mostly without consultation of the enigmatic NWW map. Via vinyl vacations, on cheap flights and interrail tickets, buying bargain bin LPs on a shoestring while oblivious to the pending pension worthy price tags after their 40-year vintage, Stapleton and Fothergill, even if you've never heard of them, were at the bottom of the pit before "digging" became pay dirt. The List has been mythologized, misunderstood, and misconstrued. It's also been overlooked, overestimated, and under-appreciated in equal measures. Bolstered by the sub-title "Categories strain, crack and sometimes break, under their burden," all bands on the inventory (many chosen on the strength of just one track alone) were chosen for their genre-defying qualities. Forty years after Nurse With Wound's first record, Finders Keepers, in close collaboration with Steve Stapleton remind fans of this kind of "lost" music, that there once existed a feint path which was worn away decades before major label pop property developers built over this psychedelic underground. A collaborative attempt to officially, authentically, and legally compile the best tracks from the list, succeeding where many overzealous nerds have deferred. The first volume of the series focuses exclusively on individual tracks of French origin, the country that unsurprisingly hosted the highest content of bands on the list. Comprising of musique concrète, free jazz, Rock In Opposition, Zeuhl School space rock, macabre ballet music, lo-fi sci-fi, and classic horror literature inspired prog.Features Jacques Thollot, Philippe Besombes, Igor Wakhévitch, Mahjun, Lard Free, Etron Fou Leloublan, Jean Cohen-Solal, Z. N. R., Red Noise, Pierre Henry, Horrific Child, Dashiell Hedayat, and Jean Guérin.

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: FKR 108LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. With his ongoing commitment to like-minded archivist label Finders Keepers Records, industrial music pioneer Steven Stapleton further entrusts the label to lift the veil and expose "the right tracks" from his uber-legendary and oft misinterpreted psych/prog/punk peculiarity shopping list known as The Nurse With Wound List. Following the critically lauded first instalment and it's exclusively French tracklisting both parties now combine their vinyl-vulturous penchants to bring you the next Strain Crack & Break edition which consists of twelve lesser-known German records that played a hugely important part in the initial foundations of the list which began to unfold when Stapleton was just thirteen-years-old. From the perspective of a schoolboy Amon Düül (ONE) victim, at the start of a journey that commenced before phrases like kosmische and the xeno-ignant krautrock tag had become mag hack currency, this compendium is devoid of the tropes that united what many would accurately argue to be the greatest progressive pop bands in Europe (namely CAN, Neu! and Kraftwerk) and rather shatters the ingredients across a ground zero landscape. This record includes the music that skulked behind krautrock and perhaps refused to polish its backhanded name belt. Including lesser-known artists like the late Wolfgang Dauner whose career proceeded and outlived the kosmische movement while consistently informing and outsmarting 'em whenever they got stuck in their metronomic ruts, or Fritz Müller, the man who was to Kraftwerk what Stuart Sutcliffe was to The Beatles but had more in common with Yoko and quite rightly couldn't give a shit about the Fab Four's Hamburg roots. Elsewhere there's a plethora of German bands made for German audiences as they try and shed second hand flower power Americanisms and feel the benefits of much harder drugs and the realizations of difficult second album budgets. Bonzo Cockettes show off their Big Muffs and drummers ask for extra mics while Conny Plank goes for parliamentary office and gives babies good firm handshakes for the camera. Tracks by Mr. and Mrs. Fuchs (aka Anima-Sound) who played their instruments completely naked throughout their anti-career alongside previously unpressed tracks by the scene's leading Detroit-born African American drummer Fred Braceful (Exmagma). Finders Keepers and Nurse With Wound continue to sing from the same hymnal with this ongoing collaborative attempt to officially, authentically and legally compile the best tracks from Steve's list, where many overzealous nerds have faltered (or simply, got the wrong end of the stick). Volume Two focuses exclusively on individual tracks of German origin -- the country whose music forged the prototype of the NWW inventory in the form of his secondary school vinyl want-list in the early 1970s. Features Wolfgang Dauner, My Solid Ground, Association PC, Fritz Müller, Exmagma, Anima-Sound, Tomorrow's Gift, Out Of Focus, Brainstorm, Thirsty Moon, Gomorrha, and Brainticket.

 

PRICE: $21.00

CAT #: FLIES45 045EP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"Cocktail and power-bossa vibes meet shots of clavinet-funk in the new single by Milan-based producer Larry Manteca, a relentless creator of soundtracks for imaginary films in various genres -- from the erotic to the spaghetti western, from crime to zombie-horror. Manteca's debut on 7" vinyl could happen under the aegis of Four Flies Records, whose team went and hand-picked two of the grooviest tracks in his bulimic output, both recorded in 2015 for the sci-fi/erotic-themed album Mutant Virgins From Pluto (the title says it all!). 'UFO Bossa' is a delicious, up-tempo bossa-jazz number cast in an ultra-lounge style and spiced up with references to Les Baxter and Martin Denny's exotica, as well as to pop/erotic sci-fi soundtracks like Bob Crewe's Barbarella, with the added bonus of Yasmine Zekri's sexy scat singing. On the flip side you have 'Intergalactic Porno Scene,' a typical poliziottesco theme where clavinet and flute interweave into a super-funky groove, before synths come in and send us into erotically-charged space orbit."

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: FS 4462LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited repress. 180 gram reissue of Rita Lee's (Os Mutantes) debut solo album, originally issued in Brazil in 1970. Orchestral arrangements by Rogerio Duprat and production by Arnaldo Baptista, with a cover of The Beatles' "And I Love Her". Mustard yellow vinyl.

 

PRICE: $25.50

CAT #: GUESS 142LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Bolder Damn's 1971 album Mourning is an absolute monster among U.S. hard rock private pressings. Hailing from Florida, Bolder Damn boasted an ultra-heavy, "raw-in-your-face" sound with devastating fuzzed-out guitar, a solid rhythm section, and manic vocals. First discovered and reissued by the legendary Rockadelic label in 1990, the album has gained a cult status among new fans of '70s proto-doom and hard rock sounds since then. Bringing it back into print after many years, Guerssen presents the definitive vinyl reissue of Mourning, featuring original artwork and fold-out insert with liner notes, interview with singer John Anderson, and rare pictures. Remastered sound. Highly recommended if you like Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Pentagram, MC5, Sainte Anthony's Fyre...

 

PRICE: $25.50

CAT #: GUESS 164LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Guerssen Records present a reissue of Forever Amber's The Love Cycle, originally released in 1969. A holy grail item for psychedelic pop aficionados, Forever Amber's The Love Cycle is, along with Dark and the first Complex album, one of a triumvirate of must-have private pressings from the UK. Sounding like a blend of Pet Sounds (1966) and Odessey & Oracle (1968) but with a charming, homemade, lo-fi vibe, The Love Cycle was a concept album masterminded by talented songwriter/arranger John M. Hudson (a kind of Brian Wilson figure), who found in Cambridge band Forever Amber the perfect vehicle for his songwriting ideas. The Love Cycle was recorded in the summer of 1968 at a makeshift studio, located in the basement of a music shop. Consisting of a song-suite revolving around the meeting, courtship, and break-up of a young couple, the result was a stunning album filled with heavenly vocal harmonies, electric harpsichord and memorable hooks, including some intense psychedelic moments (the heavy phasing of "The Dreamer Flies Back" and more). Released in 1969 as a private edition of 99 copies, The Love Cycle remained buried until its discovery in the late '80s by psychedelic collectors. Bootlegged several times, the first official reissue came in 2007 thanks to David Wells/Tenth Planet. Out of print for several years, Guerssen Records a new vinyl reissue of this essential psych album. Original artwork in backflaps sleeve; includes color insert with rare photos and detailed liner notes by David Wells. RIYL: Zombies, Beatles, Beach Boys, Left Banke, Honeybus, Bee Gees.

 

PRICE: $38.50

CAT #: GUESS 187LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; black vinyl repress. If you are looking for raw, psychedelic hard-rock, look no further. Guerssen Records present the complete recordings (1968-1972) from Wicked Lady, the legendary UK underground power trio leaded by ace guitarist Martin Weaver, later a member of Dark on their Round The Edges album (1972). Here's the first volume of our Wicked Lady collection, double vinyl of The Axeman Cometh. Guerssen Records' new edition features gatefold cover with liner notes by doomy psychedelic guitar god in person, Martin Weaver, who tells the real (and bizarre!) story behind Wicked Lady. The stuff of a legend, this is a real fest of fuzz, wah-wah and heavy riffs that will blow the mind of any hard-psych collector.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: GUESS 194LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Reissue, originally released in 1971 on the Triangle label. Excellent vintage hard-rock made in Belgium. Irish Coffee's sound was clearly influenced by Deep Purple or even Uriah Heep, with killer guitar all over and good use of organ. This has been considered as a key album in the hard-rock field since the early days of collecting, with originals fetching really some money. Hard-cardboard cover with original artwork; OBI and resealable sleeve; insert with liner notes and photos.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: HSRSS 004LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"Reggay Undercover is an exciting musical kaleidoscope of Jamaican and Reggae music from the early '60s through to the mid-70s. In the 1950s, Jamaican dancehall regulars were crazy about the haunting sounds of American Rhythm & Blues. But in the mid-1950s, Rock n' roll began to replace R&B in America, and Jamaican dancehall owners like Duke Reid and Clement Dodd turned to local musicians to record their own versions of American R&B. The trend of covering foreign hits exploded during the Ska heyday of the early '60s and continued through the Rocksteady and Reggae eras. Jamaican musicians have covered virtually every genre of music, from jazz and rock to film scores, television soundtracks, pop, classical music and more. Over the years, they have also recorded many 'versions' of already existing covers. Cover of cover of cover... Admittedly, some of these covers were futile but many were sublime as this new and eclectic collection of Ska, Rocksteady and Reggay nuggets, compiled by the very competent and very charming DJ Helea, brilliantly demonstrates. Attention we are here 'undercover', there are no well-known covers. Some of the tracks selected are rare, others unknown or forgotten - but all are excellent and blended in an impeccable mix, in line with previous Harlem Shuffle compilations... All killer, no filler!"

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: HONEY 069LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1962. Trumpet Africaine was Hugh Masekela's debut album, recorded in New York and released in 1962, two years after Masekela had left South Africa in reaction to the increasing inhumanity of the apartheid regime. Masekela's trumpet shines on top of Hugo Montenegro's fine orchestral arrangements while the track list includes, among others, five fresh instrumental versions of Miriam Makeba's songs. Trumpet Africaine was an important early statement from one of the most representative South African musicians of its time.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: HONEY 075LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1960. Ahmad Jamal's contribution to the expansion of the jazz art form is undeniable. A true genius and a source of inspiration for other jazz greats, one for all: Miles Davis. Jamal's piano style and music aesthetic come as a unique blend of sophistication and taste. Recorded in Chicago and first released on Argo in 1960, Happy Moods is the result of a happy studio date and lush production featuring his great trio with Israel Crosby on bass and Vernel Fournier on drums.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: HONEY 076LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1957. Modern Jazz Perspective is a highly swinging straight-ahead bop infused album by two great modernists of the '50s. Recorded and first released on Columbia in 1957 this album sees trumpeter Donald Byrd and alto sax player Gigi Gryce teaming up and leading a group of strong partners such as Jimmy Cleveland (trombone), Julius Watkins (French horn), Sahib Shihab (baritone sax), Wynton Kelly (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), and Art Taylor (drums), plus the guest appearance of Jackie Paris on banjo on one track and vocals on two others.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: HONEY 077LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1963. Jon Hendricks one of the greatest jazz singers of all time as well as one of the originators of vocalese style in a declared tribute to the unique art of Joao Gilberto. Hendricks's inspired rendition of Gilberto's sophisticated repertoire shows love and devotion for the Brazilian tradition through a series of accurate and faithful arrangements. Needless to add that Hendricks's hyper smooth singing is perfectly baked by a hi-class line-up featuring among others: Pete and Conte Candoli (trumpets), Buddy Colette (flute), and Laurindo Almeida (guitar). In one word: superb!

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: INC 022EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Berlin-based producer Buttechno (a.k.a Pavel Milyakov) returns to Incienso for the second edition of his "minimal cuts" series with four house bangers full of style and class.

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: INC 031CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

The first two pieces "Cleveland "and "Akron" were recorded in 2022. These dark, long form, hypnotic drone pieces reflect the current state of America. The third piece "American Landscapes" was commissioned and performed by Stephen Petronio Dance Company in New York. According to the New York Times "the piece is a spare, almost soothing composition by Jozef Van Wissem and Jim Jarmusch -- it's a combination of lute, acoustic guitar and electric guitar. Jim Jarmusch and Jozef Van Wissem met on the streets of New York in 2006. They shared a lot of interest and background so a collaboration and a friendship was born. Jarmusch was looking to have Van Wissem compose a score for a film he had been trying to make for years, what he described as a "crypto-vampire film" about two lovers, outsider types who have been in love for hundreds of years. Van Wissem's work comes from a tradition of avant-garde minimalism and lends itself well to the director's stark cinematic works. Jarmusch has played guitar in bands on and off since the late '70s. Van Wissem's compositional style involves hypnotic circular musical phrases that allow for a lot of contemplative space between the notes. Their first live performance was in Issue Project Room in Brooklyn in October 2011, where they appeared together for a Van Wissem curated concert program called 'New Music for Early Instruments.' The idea for their first album, Concerning the Entrance Into Eternity (Important Records) developed from their live performance. Jarmusch has said that he considers these songs as Van Wissem's compositions, and sees himself as someone filling in the background to Jozef 's foreground, like the 'scenic' on a film shoot, the one who paints the backdrops. The sound of the lute is as bright as the sun, a beautiful red color and my stuff sounds sort of like the moon, more like blue, like mercury." Jozef Van Wissem - lutes, condensator drones, electronics; Jim Jarmusch - acoustic and electric guitars. All compositions by Jozef Van Wissem and Jim Jarmusch. Produced, mixed by JVW. Front cover by Robert Longo.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: INC 032LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

LP version. The first two pieces "Cleveland "and "Akron" were recorded in 2022. These dark, long form, hypnotic drone pieces reflect the current state of America. The third piece "American Landscapes" was commissioned and performed by Stephen Petronio Dance Company in New York. According to the New York Times "the piece is a spare, almost soothing composition by Jozef Van Wissem and Jim Jarmusch -- it's a combination of lute, acoustic guitar and electric guitar. Jim Jarmusch and Jozef Van Wissem met on the streets of New York in 2006. They shared a lot of interest and background so a collaboration and a friendship was born. Jarmusch was looking to have Van Wissem compose a score for a film he had been trying to make for years, what he described as a "crypto-vampire film" about two lovers, outsider types who have been in love for hundreds of years. Van Wissem's work comes from a tradition of avant-garde minimalism and lends itself well to the director's stark cinematic works. Jarmusch has played guitar in bands on and off since the late '70s. Van Wissem's compositional style involves hypnotic circular musical phrases that allow for a lot of contemplative space between the notes. Their first live performance was in Issue Project Room in Brooklyn in October 2011, where they appeared together for a Van Wissem curated concert program called 'New Music for Early Instruments.' The idea for their first album, Concerning the Entrance Into Eternity (Important Records) developed from their live performance. Jarmusch has said that he considers these songs as Van Wissem's compositions, and sees himself as someone filling in the background to Jozef 's foreground, like the 'scenic' on a film shoot, the one who paints the backdrops. The sound of the lute is as bright as the sun, a beautiful red color and my stuff sounds sort of like the moon, more like blue, like mercury." Jozef Van Wissem - lutes, condensator drones, electronics; Jim Jarmusch - acoustic and electric guitars. All compositions by Jozef Van Wissem and Jim Jarmusch. Produced, mixed by JVW. Front cover by Robert Longo.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: JPR 037LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. "Etta James debut LP originally released in 1960, featuring the classic hit song 'At Last'. Blues, soul, jazz, R&B and rock vocalist Etta James needs no introduction. An icon from early rock'n'rolls pantheon of divas, she has inspired five decades of listeners and fellow artists with her vocal stylings. From Janis Joplin to Beyonce, her expressive and guttural style has been imitated, but never quite matched. Jackpot Records is honored to release this momentous record with the original album artwork and 4 bonus tracks (previously only available on CD)."

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: KEYSYS 002EP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2020 release. Lost two-song 7" jazz EP by NYC session drummer Tee Holman. Holman allegedly got his start sitting in on "Heat Wave" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, and eventually landed the drummer's seat on Eddie Gale's legendary Ghetto Music LP for Blue Note. These songs, commissioned by Holman with some of New York's best emerging jazz cats including Sonelius Smith, the Arkestra's Ahmed Abdullah, and singer Joe Lee Wilson whose B-side interpretation of Gershwin's "Summertime" is a hazy, soulful, psychedelic masterpiece. A-side "The Rudie" is a jazz funk workout only the five boroughs could produce. 7" with pocket sleeve; handstamped and numbered; edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: KK 2258003LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Restocked; double LP version. Poly-lined inner sleeves; gatefold. 180 gram, black double vinyl. The original analog master tapes were transferred with higher resolution and remastered with great care. Remastered by Dieter Dierks and Dennis Flüchter. Walter Wegmüller (1937-2020) was a Swiss-Jenish artist who grew up in difficult circumstances in Bern. After training in Basel, Bern, Paris, and London, he began his artistic career. In addition to painting and sculptural works, Walter Wegmüller occupied himself with the entire spectrum of art. He gained widespread international attention, especially from 1974 onwards, with the publication of his Zigeuner Tarot. He was successful at countless exhibitions in Europe and overseas and was repeatedly awarded prizes and distinctions. However, he never forgot his origins as a Verding child and "Rome child from the Kalderasch tribe." In 1973, he released the album Tarot with an all-star band. Successful musicians such as Klaus Schulze, Manuel Göttsching, Harald Grosskopf, Dieter Dierks, Hartmut Enke, Jürgen Dollase, and Walter Westrupp played in the band. It remained Walter Wegmüller's only foray into the world of music. The album was last released on vinyl in 1976, the CD in 2000. This version here is the first remaster ever.

 

PRICE: $36.00

CAT #: KRANK 114LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. "Atlas Sound is the solo moniker of Deerhunter frontman/provocateur Bradford Cox. Here on his debut album, Cox/Sound moves out of dank nightclubs filled with eternal existential drone punk, and relaxes at home in his Grant Park, Atlanta bedroom. And this is, essentially, a bedroom album, a collage, mixing the garage rock and ambient electronic influences previously explored with Deerhunter in a new context, with newly-explored recording techniques, mainly laptop-based, learned with guidance from Kranky artist Nudge's Brian Foote. This is a true solo album, entirely created and produced by a single person. That is certainly not unique, especially in the contemporary scene. But Bradford Cox's unusual talent is the ability to take a wide variety of seemingly incongruous sound elements, and seamlessly meld them into a cohesive pop narrative...This is the first vinyl release for the acclaimed solo debut from Bradford Cox. To make the 4 sides of the album complete, there are six new songs added. Rest assured, these are not mere 'leftovers' from the mixing of the album. In fact, most of them were recorded after the album had already been completed. And two of the new tunes, 'It Rained' and 'Stained Glass Swan' are of such high quality that they would be considered centerpieces on most albums." Deluxe gatefold packaging.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: LIFE 031LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1961. "This jazz musician of Sudanese descent shows up here and there on recording sessions from the '60s, including a stint as a member of Thelonious Monk's combo. He also played oud and took part in a variety of attempts to blend his roots music with jazz, out of which this is one of the most successful. Indeed, one might overlook the entire fusion nature of this record and look at is as a prime example of how much brilliant jazz is created often by relatively unknown players, despite traditional historical attempts to credit most of the best jazz to a certain pantheon of so-called 'giant' players. The best-known player here is drummer Andrew Cyrille, recorded here early in his career, playing in a more traditional style then he would eventually become known for and playing very well to be sure. The leader's original tunes are catchy and refreshing, revealing new delights with each listen. The version of the standard 'Don't Blame Me' is a wonderful showcase for another undersung player, cellist Calo Scott. Of course, the usual credit should go to recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder, whose efforts recording small combo jazz have never been matched." --Eugene Chadbourne, All Music

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: LIFE 032LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1962. Sounds of Africa is the fourth album by double bassist and oud player Ahmed Abdul-Malik featuring performances recorded in 1962 (with one track from 1961) and originally released on the New Jazz label. This early '60s Afro-jazz jam with Middle-Eastern and Latin flavors is one of the first in its genre. The album also features Bilal Abdurahman, Andrew Cyrille, and Chief Bey. Seminal!

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: LSD 154CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"The Dream was a return to form and leans towards the earlier Orb sound and aesthetic. Dr. Alex Paterson reunites with Martin 'Youth' Glover and is also joined by Tim Bran of Dreadzone. Listeners are treated to the magical guitar flair from none other than Steve Hillage (Gong, System 7) as he joins in on several of the albums tracks. The Dream is the eighth studio album by The Orb released in 2007 on Liquid Sound Design Records and is the only Orb album yet to be released on vinyl."

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: MAR 050LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 repress. Mad About Records present a reissue of Tete Mbambisa's Tete's Big Sound, originally released in 1976. South African jazz holy grail. Tete Mbambisa has performed and recorded with many of the giants of South African Jazz (Bazil "Manenberg" Coetzee, Johnny Dyani, Dick Khoza, Duku Makasi, Gideon Nxumalo, Dudu Pukwana, etc...), and is one of the very few South African jazz musicians that can claim to have played with the three jazz generations of the last fifty years. His work as a pianist, vocalist, composer and arranger is a landmark on South African jazz history. After a recording hiatus, Mbambisa returned in 1974 with an octet album, Tete's Big Sound released on a newly formed label, As Shams (or "The Sun"), established by South African record store owner and independent producer Rashid Vally. Tete's Big Sound included tracks like "Unity" and the "Black Heroes Lamentation", now considered a classic in the South African jazz underground. The sound that Mbambisa carved in this period was wholly acoustic, and is a style that now is often loosely labelled spiritual jazz, a sound that alludes to deep African textures and rhythms balanced with clear nods to American hard bop and modal jazz, sometimes edging toward free improvisation in echoes of John Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders. 180 gram vinyl; deluxe hard-cardboard sleeve with OBI and resealable outer sleeve.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: MAR 061LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 restock; reissue, originally released in 1983. One of the rarest boogie jazz records ever. The private press album includes the rare groove classic "Searchin' For The Soul". Corky McClerkin's early career follows It follows in the wake of the infectiously funky, blues-based keyboard music exemplified by hard-bop paragons Horace Silver and Bobby Timmons in the '50s and '60s. Not surprisingly, McClerkin listened to those pianists while growing up on Chicago's south-side; he also heard plenty of Ahmad Jamal (who then lived and worked in Chicago), and Jamal's trademark airiness occasionally works its way into the mix as well. Since the 1960s, Corky has performed professionally throughout the Chicago area, guided by his mentor, jazz tenor great Von Freeman, he developed his talents throughout the 1970s while also discovering his passion for writing. As a featured columnist for the Chicago Courier, he was inspired to write Undercurrents (1978), a collection of short stories about the black experience. In 1981, Corky strengthened his talents by taking on the position of musical director and arranger for the Chicago production of Sasha, Sing Dinah! and wrote "a play, Life Cycles," performed at the Chicago Cultural Center. In 1983 he built on his experiences by releasing his first album, Searchin' For The Soul on WinCor Records in 1983. Hard-cardboard sleeve; obi; 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $25.50

CAT #: MENT 006LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Mental Experience present a reissue of Golem's Orion Awakes. Orion Awakes was recorded and produced circa 1976 by Toby Robinson, aka Genius P. Orridge, while he worked as second engineer at the famous Dierks Studio in Cologne. Memories from those hazy times are sketchy, but all evidence leads you to believe that the musicians featured here were well-known names from the kraut scene working under pseudonyms, recording 100% underground, non-commercial music under Toby's guidance, just for fun. Apparently, Orion Awakes was released as a very limited hand-made pressing housed in a silver foil sleeve on the Pyramid label, which was run by Toby and his friend Robin Page, the Fluxus artist. No original copies have ever been found. The fascinating liner notes by kraut expert Alan Freeman talk about seeing an original copy of Golem at a record shop in Germany many years ago and he also sheds some light on who could be the real musicians involved, as well as discussing the controversial story of the Pyramid label and the accusations of Golem being a manufactured '90s "fake" instead of a real vintage '70s recording. A glorious blend of space-rock, kraut, and psychedelia, courtesy of the mysterious Golem -- Plenty of Hammond organ, analog synths, ripping guitar, effects, trippy jams. RIYL: Gila, Mythos, Guru Guru, Cosmic Jokers, Novalis, Neu!, Hawkwind, Brainticket, My Solid Ground, Pink Floyd. "Legitimately tripped out, fans of the Cosmic Jokers could certainly get behind this one." --Angela Sawyer (Weirdo Records) Includes download coupon; 24-bit domain remaster from the original tapes; Housed in a silver foil sleeve; Insert with liner notes by Alan Freeman (Ultima Thule/The Crack In The Cosmic Egg (1996)).

 

PRICE: $30.00

CAT #: MKY 024LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; LP version. Stoughton tip on jacket. "A true desert island disc, criminally out of print for nearly 40 years. This seminal, eponymous post-punk album by Japanese group Aunt Sally, fronted by experimental singer Phew (Mute Records), was first released by the iconic Vanity Records label in 1979. Over the past forty-plus years, Phew has forged a singular path through a wide range of styles -- from free improvisation to pop -- and has collaborated with the likes of Ryuichi Sakamoto, members of Can, DAF, Einstürzende Neubauten, The Raincoats, and more. But Aunt Sally is where she got her start and, despite the members' young ages (still in college at the time), Phew and the band delivered a mature, timeless take on minimalistic punk. Remastered from the original analog tapes."

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: MIND 804LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Limited repress. 1975 was the year in which Kraftwerk's live shows took off and you can hear that on this record. Kraftwerk developed a progressive robot pop style by mixing electronic sounds and hypnotic rhythms with pop melodies. Kraftwerk was the birthplace of electronic music and is still an example for great artists. This registration includes the world hit Autobahn.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: MR 437LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

MAG has been, since its foundation in 1953, an essential label in the music scene of Peru, allowing the development of the careers of both tropical artists and musicians of other genres. At the head was Don Manuel Antonio Guerrero, its founder, whose name comes from the acronym of the label itself (M.A.G.). In 2021 MAG was acquired by the Spanish company Distrolux SL, owner of the Munster and Vampisoul record labels, after years of previous collaborations in which some of the most emblematic titles in the catalog were already reissued for the international market: Nils Jazz Ensemble, Sonora Casino, Traffic Sound, Al Valdez, Pax... Following 14 MAGníficos Bailables (VAMPI 260LP), comprising some of the best tropical music on MAG, this new compilation brings together 12 songs recorded between 1971 and 1976, reminiscent of sunshine pop, folk psych, and soft rock but with Peruvian touches. The lyrics range from youthful reflections, environmental awareness, paradigm changes to all shades of love that the youth of the day experienced. Unusual instruments and exceptional vocal play also feature in the ten original songs and two cover versions, all performed by Lima-based groups. In chronological order, the earliest song comes from Telegraph Avenue, who recorded their debut album on the MAG label in 1971. Next comes "Tiempo de sol" (1972), by the Peruvian-Argentinean band Tarkus, which included in its line-up the bass guitarist and drummer of Telegraph Avenue. Again from 1972, We All Together (WAT) is the project that Saúl and Manuel Cornejo started after their last album with Laghonia, together with Carlos Guerrero, the son of MAG's owner. WAT originally intended to cover McCartney, taking advantage of the fact that the Wings records took a long time to be released in Peru. The female vocals on this album are provided by Monik, the artistic pseudonym of Mónica Guerrero, MAG's A&R director and Carlos's sister, who encouraged her to record some "test" songs that were soon released, including the anguished "The World Is Getting Worse", written by Carlos. "Estoy Brillando" is a gem of sunshine pop in Spanish recorded by FE 59 in 1973. Grupo Amigos also recorded an LP that year with their own songs in English and Spanish, again with the collaboration of the Cornejo brothers. "Mujer" is a nostalgic slow rock song accented by a melodious synthesizer. "Cariño Grande" is a blistering huayno-milonga with Moog synthesizer by Miguel Ángel Ruiz Orbegozo, known as Zulu. And the list goes on and on... Also features Innovations, Sudamérica, Traffic Sound, Telegraph Ave, Monik, Illicit, Grupo Amigos, and Cerro Verde.

 

PRICE: $38.00

CAT #: MOV 3396LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"Donald Byrd was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter, vocalist, composer and bandleader. In his early career he was one of the few hard bop musicians exploring funk and soul while remaining true to his jazz roots. His 1973 album Street Lady was produced by Larry Mizell and contains the classic jazz-funk tracks 'Lansana's Priestress' and 'Street Lady'. Personnel playing on the album include Fonce Mizell (Larry's brother) on clavinet, trumpet, vocals and Harvey Mason on drums. Some of the songs on this record were later sampled by artists like Jungle Brothers, Del the Funky Homosapien, and Theo Parrish amongst others. Street Lady is regarded as classic jazz-funk album and is available in the original replica gatefold sleeve."

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: MYE 113LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue, originally released in 1967. Los Bric a Brac is a very special band within Chilean pop because of the diversity of its members: its leader and founding member, Luis "Chino" Urquidi, came from Los Cuatro Cuartos, one of the most successful Chilean neo-folk bands of the time who were joined by the two most recognizable faces of the band, and Antonio Zabaleta was from Los Red Juniors, and Paz Undurraga, formerly of Las Cuatro Brujas. With such diverse influences the group achieved a sound closer to international pop, but with touches of bossa nova, vocal groups like The Mama's and the Papa's, or the most direct reference to the British beat. The convulsive times in Chile made Bric a Brac approach the social commentary, but not from the sidewalk of militancy, but with a more distant look, almost as an impartial observer. Given the popularity of its members, TV was important for the massiveness of success, which came very soon for the band, who after their debut single immediately released their first LP, which is the one we present here, and the most representative of a band that as the interpretation of its name seems to indicate -- a little bit of everything -- moved in a wide range of styles. Their life was very short, and after a second LP called Nuestro Show, equally successful, came the separation and the end of one of the most popular pop groups of the late '60s in Chile. The single "Sacale las balas a tu fusil" (Take the Bullets off Your Rifle) is an anti-war song, originally recorded by Argentinian duo Barbara & Dick. "Alma joven" (Young Soul) was a second single, but their biggest hit was "Nunca Jamas" (Never Ever), the song that gave the band the chance to be included in the prestigious Viña de Mar Festival. From the original IRT masters.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: MYE 114LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1967. In the '60s, in Chile there were two styles of pop music that were very popular: one was the "new wave", something like the descendants of the Anglo-Saxon pop soloists; the other, naturally, were the groups that, under the influence of the British invasion by the hand of the Beatles, played rock and roll. With Juegos Prohibidos, Beat 4 begin to detach themselves a little from that current that was limited to copying and covering especially British hits, and began to sing in Spanish, and to risk more in the production of their songs, approaching psychedelia and experimentation. With its own personality and a fresh sound, Juegos Prohibidos is a key piece to understand the first steps of Chilean rock, an album that although it keeps winks to the greats of rock, especially the Stones ("Encontrarás otro amor"), also gives original steps ("Quiero fugarme con ella a una isla solitaria (donde haya paz)"), and mystical experimentation with psychedelic touches already influenced by the hippie generation ("Viaje fantástico"). One of the jewels of a pioneer band of the Chilean rock of the '60s. The band was at first called Los Electrodos and they started playing "nueva ola" songs. With the arrival Beatlemania they changed their name to Beat 4 and began playing song of their idols, The Beatles, The Kinks and The Animals. Soon the band began to write and play their own songs in Spanish. By the beginning of the ´70s they have already released 4 albums with great success, but as key members quit the group, Beat 4 was over. From the original IRT masters.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: MYE 115LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue, originally released in 1972. In days of high politicization of music, the so-called new song was undoubtedly the one that monopolized the media. In that environment appears the Combo Xingu, a band far from the Latin Americanist line and political ebullition, took elements of soul and funk to build this jewel mostly ignored at the time, which is his only legacy. Stevie Wonder and James Brown are their most notorious references, but they also bring their own personality and elements, especially in the song "Black Power", as the band's position. It is also worth mentioning a memorable interpretation of Led Zeppelin's classic "Moby Dick". Far from the conjunctural, the band dissolves with only two years and one album to their credit, separated from the mainstream by a style that although it was very popular in the north, was of null diffusion in Chile, but they leave this unique piece as a sample of other bands that would come years later to continue their legacy, ahead for the times. Combo Xingu was a short-lived band formed by students of the Chilean university of music, and ex members of the Beat Combo in 1971 and their career ended in 1973. They left two very original albums, being the first band to play soul and funk in Chile, with influence of the "nueva canción" and pop-rock touches. And a very powerful sound. From the original IRT masters.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: MYE 117LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1973. The group was a vocal trio formed by the sisters Dolores, Soledad, and Patricia García, which imposed on radios and nightclubs at least three singles of enormous popularity: "Cállate (Ya no me mientas)", "Duele, duele", and "Yo soy una dama". The band started as a family and adolescent project, with the four García sisters (Macarena left soon after) rehearsing in the family living room under the orders of their father, who had no problem in taking over as their manager and promoting the musical career of his daughters, who had not yet finished high school. Their first name was Las Incógnitas ("because they were unknown", according to them) and they reinforced it by performing under masks. Their recitals highlighted a strong stage organization, which always included dance steps and vocal harmonization. Kermesses and school festivals were their first showcases, which soon expanded with tours to the provinces. The girls received dance lessons from Paco Mairena and agreed on flashy outfits, indebted to the provocative New York disco wave that was already known in Chile. The enormous success of their music led them to foreign promotions that left them for a while in Germany, thanks to an exclusive RCA contract. However, in Europe it was impossible for them to keep the attention, and the group disbanded in the mid-80s. The García sisters have lived in Germany ever since, and have made very sporadic visits to Chile. Their careful vocal harmonies and neat arrangements bequeathed a sound that still sounds elegant, far above similar danceable efforts of the time. Although, at the time, Frecuencia Mod defended a music of apparent evasion, it is impossible not to recognize its pioneering value for Chilean pop of high quality. From the original IRT masters.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: MYE 121LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1967. Los Mac's were formed in 1962 in Playa Ancha, initially as a cover band. In 1965 they moved to Santiago, with their experience on their backs, and with their own songs they attracted the interest of RCA, who quickly signed them. In their career the band would record six albums, four in their heyday in the '60s, and two more after their reunion in 2010. Kaleidoscope Men is the most important and successful of this Valparaiso quartet, and was produced at RCA by Carlos Gonzalez. Kaleidoscope Men is a psychedelic album clearly influenced by the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's, and by the groups of the then called Californian sunshine pop. A mature album, with excellent vocal and instrumental arrangements that flies from the confines of the world to a universal sound with fluidity and elegance. The elegant "Degrees" shines with its own light, psychedelia with vocal touches of great bands of the '60s like The Turtles, The Association, or the incomparable Byrds. "El evangelio de la gente sola" is a progressive instrumental cut with the peculiar sound of a church organ, while "Dear Friend Bob" uses the technique that George Martin used with the Beatles in their most experimental stage of using the tapes in the opposite direction, with which the sound of the instruments "upside down" gives the special touch popularized by the four from Liverpool but used assiduously by bands of the time. The acid baroque of "A través del cristal" is close to "Strawberry Fields Forever", while "La muerte de mi hermano" enters the anti-war current of the Vietnam War era; a poignant song structurally supported by the Byrds' guitar sound. Originally released in 1967, Kaleidoscope Men is the penultimate and most respected album by the Mac's, who would record their last album in 1968 and then move to the United States. A jewel to rediscover through this careful release that honors the original with an excellent remastering and artwork. From the original IRT masters.

 

PRICE: $50.00

CAT #: NA 5218LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"Del Jones, a poet, and proto-rapper, recorded Court Is Closed in 1973. It was underground Philadelphia's response to Amiri Baraka's and Gil Scott-Heron's indictments of the Black American experience -- a call to action not just for his city, but for the nation. Court Is Closed, equal parts psychedelic rock and deep funk, had a limited release of 500 copies and was rarely heard before Jones overdubbed horns on the album, remixed and augmented it with additional music, and issued it as the better-known Positive Vibes. Here we present both versions of the album on the 23rd release in the deluxe Now-Again Reserve Edition series. Jones' story, and that of his family, is like his music: a loud, vital voice long silenced. Understanding it now is not just a visceral musical experience, but an essential dissection of racism and classism in America. The set includes an oversized ten-page booklet by Jeremy Cargill, with contributions by Now-Again founder Eothen "Egon" Alapatt which delves into Jones' music, milieu and life as an author, activist and orator, shining a light not only on his prescient awareness of hip-hop, but also on the struggles he confronted, and his urgent, current mandate."

 

PRICE: $50.00

CAT #: NA 5222LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; double LP version. "Morgen's self-titled 1969 album is the sole release by the NYC band led by songwriter/vocalist Steve Morgen. Now-Again's Reserve edition of the release pairs the album with previously-unreleased songs, alternate takes and instrumentals for a de¬finitive triple CD reissue. That casual listeners have never heard of this late 60s masterpiece is by any measure a musical injustice. Morgen offers a portal to a dream space where the expansive, artful touches never prevent the band members from pummeling their instruments like their lives depended on it. Paul Major, perhaps the first Morgen evangelist, likens the album's immediacy to that of Hendrix, stating 'Morgen was one of the records that came closest to giving me that same kind of thrill on that level. It blew my mind!' Geoffrey Weiss, Now-Again's nomination for World's Greatest Record Collector, states '...unlike 95% of the rare psychedelic records that people celebrate it sounds like they were good musicians who were well rehearsed and had worked out this sound very intentionally. Morgen has a kind of power -- you really can't compare it to anything.' The band, and Morgen's arc were -- cribbing Kurt Vonnegut -- unstuck in time. It took 50 years for Steve Morgen's belief, for instance, that an alternate, superior version of his stellar 'Purple' was recorded in 1968. It sees release here, alongside other takes of songs from the album, including a version of 'Beggin' Your Pardon (Ms. Joan)' on which Morgen's fiery guitarist Murray Shiffrin sings lead and songs the band recorded as possibilities for the album, before settling on their dense, hazy vision and etching an indelible entry into the psychedelic canon."

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: NOW 017CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

This comeback is nothing other than the first step towards the new Fakear. This new wave can be expressed in one word: Talisman, his new album. The first tracks "Moonlight Moves" and "Altar" have mesmerizing and intriguing sounds. It also features "Voyager," with a music video mixing gorgeous mountain views and a feeling of weightlessness. Today, Fakear is above all Theo: with his emotions and his battles, one of them being for climate change, and the importance of our planet. For his new album, he collaborated with Camille Étienne, a known climate change activist, on his track "Odyssea." Ten years after his first steps in the industry, Fakear now returns to his roots, without looking to the past with nostalgia or contempt; but rather by contemplating his past self with kindness, and a tap on the shoulder. "I found myself," he admitted. Also features Dana Williams, Thylacine, and Hannah Yadi.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: NOW 017LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. This comeback is nothing other than the first step towards the new Fakear. This new wave can be expressed in one word: Talisman, his new album. The first tracks "Moonlight Moves" and "Altar" have mesmerizing and intriguing sounds. It also features "Voyager," with a music video mixing gorgeous mountain views and a feeling of weightlessness. Today, Fakear is above all Theo: with his emotions and his battles, one of them being for climate change, and the importance of our planet. For his new album, he collaborated with Camille Étienne, a known climate change activist, on his track "Odyssea." Ten years after his first steps in the industry, Fakear now returns to his roots, without looking to the past with nostalgia or contempt; but rather by contemplating his past self with kindness, and a tap on the shoulder. "I found myself," he admitted. Also features Dana Williams, Thylacine, and Hannah Yadi.

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: PAL 022LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress, 1999 release. Will Oldham's first release as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. "Like Oldham's best work, I See A Darkness is alternately baffling and revelatory, revealing more with each successive listen. Terrific." -- The Onion A.V. Club

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: RR 380LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Reissue. Crucial set of dubs from Scientist. Barry Brown Meets The Scientist features twelve extra-heavy Scientist mixes of Barry Brown tracks originally cut and played at King Tubby's by the legendary Roots Radics. Six vocal mixes and a further six dubs, where the peerless Scientist really cuts loose on the mixing board, nudging the EQs and royally dubbing Brown outta sight.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: RAJATON 002B-EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Sasu Ripatti presents the second volume in his Dancefloor Classics series with five 10" releases coming throughout 2023. Music for imaginary dancefloors, released on Ripatti's own label Rajaton. Second 10" in a series of five EPs by Sasu Ripatti aka Dancefloor Classics. 45rpm; includes download code; edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: RAJATON 003B-EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Vladislav Delay presents the second EP in his Hide Behind The Silence series with five 10" releases coming throughout 2023. Intuitive and raw music, momentary and reflective, released on Sasu Ripatti's own label Rajaton. Second 10" in a series of five EPs by Sasu Ripatti aka Vladislav Delay. 45rpm; includes download code; edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $21.00

CAT #: RLV 001-7

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"With the release of Piero Umiliani's Discomania Four Flies launched RELOVED, a vinyl series where contemporary DJs and producers rework tunes from Italian golden age soundtracks and library music. The aim of the series is to spark a conversation between past, present and future, joining the dots between Italy's great film and library-music tradition and a global scene of forward-thinking producers. The 7" releases are co-curated by fellow independent label Little Beat More -- in their own words: 'We're giving new life to music from some of the greatest Italian composers of the past. It's all about sampling, and that's why we decided to involve not only electronic producers but also highly talented beat makers, and we decided to focus mostly on the 7-inch format which is so popular among hip hop lovers. First in line is the 7" Autumn 2001/Autumn 2021, with an original track from Italian jazz pianist and electronic music pioneer Gianni Safred and a rework from Free The Robots. 'Autumn 2001' comes from the 1978 Italian library LP Futuribile (The Life To Come), a retro-futuristic masterpiece by Gianni Safred, one of the great pioneers of Italian electronic music. Chris Alfaro, aka Free the Robots, is a musician, beat maker and DJ known for his ability to jump in and out of different sonic worlds, creating a unique signature sound blending electronic, hip hop, jazz and psychedelia. Free The Robots says about the release: 'The sounds used back in the '60s and '70s are partly where I model my own sound and many Italian bands from the era played a big role in the inspiration of my music.'"

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: RER VHC2

FILE UNDER: ROCK

20213 restock. ReR Vinyl present a reissue of Henry Cow's Unrest, originally released in 1974. Dating from 1974, and following on from the re-release of Leg End, this is the second in the label's series of vinyl reissues of the original Virgin albums. Geoff Leigh had left the group and Lindsay Cooper joined on bassoon, oboe, flute, and soprano sax. The mix was more "live" than Leg End, with the drums much more up front. The first half is highly composed material, with some of the Cow's best loved tunes, like "Half Asleep Half Awake" and "Bittern Storm Over Ulm". For the second half the material was all written in the studio, using loops, varispeed tapes and electronics, and superimposing live improvisation and composed passages.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: EZRDR 136LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; LP version. "Here's just a few of the gems on Brown Acid - The Fourteenth Trip, the much beloved series that is the Nuggets of proto-metal, pre-stoner rock: The Legends' 'Fever Games' is a 1969 fever dream of heavy psych on par with Blue Cheer at their heaviest, featuring an incredible intro with whammy-bar gymnastics through an Echoplex. This Harrisburg, PA power trio, featuring Dan Hartman (Edgar Winter Group, et al) and his brother Dave, also name-checks Jimi Hendrix Experience in the midst of the song's most blatant Hendrix rip. Perhaps that's how Fever Games work? Transfer's velvet smooth groove has an almost proto-punk feel like a mashup of the Velvet Underground and The Flamin' Groovies. But the lyrics referencing tokin' reefer and the twanging surf lead situate them closer to their heavy rock brethren. This very rare 1974 self- released 45 is this lone archive of the band's existence -- assume they just kept right on playin' it cool into oblivion. Cox's Army deploy the grungy rocker 'I'm Tired' which sounds like if Jimi Hendrix fronted Mudhoney. Yes, please! Though they hailed from Aurora, IL, it sounds like there's definitely some Pacific Northwest in their blood. Particularly in the gritty production, which hints at The Sonics' 'bustin' outta lo-fi' style. Not much is known about the enigmatic Columbus, OH musician known as Raven, whose 'Back to Ohio Blues' closes this edition. The mantra-like droning riff of this eight-minute jam is a Black To Comm-style epic, driven by Raven's hostile, no-bullshit diatribe until it all busts open for an insane two-minute long drum solo soaked in odd effects that sounds like it was copped from a Melvins album."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: EZRDR 139LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; LP version. "Lo and behold, Brown Acid - The Fifteenth Trip is here, and it's another mind-melting dose of brilliant long-lost, rare, and unreleased hard rock, heavy psych, and proto-metal tracks from the 60s -70s. Riding Easy's crate-digging mining expeditions, and growing network of the original artists keeps on giving with more and more incredible discoveries every time they go back for more. Like they've done throughout this series, all of these tracks were painstakingly licensed legitimately and the artists were paid. Make oneself comfortable and prepare for yet another deep, deep dive into the treasure trove of dank, subterranean, wild-eyed and hairy rock n' roll of yesteryear. Some key examples include: As usual, this Trip opens strong, as 'Take The Time' swaggers along with switchblade stabs of guitar twang and frantic drumming that sounds like Nick Cave's '80s post-punk barbarians The Birthday Party on this 1969 single from the mysterious Boston area band The Looking Glass. Negative Space toil in the dark web of The Seeds, and dwell in the mystic haze of working-class suburbs in Camden, NJ circa 1970. Their angry, nasty guitar sounds and frustration-bogged frontman Rob Russen ensure that the aggro fueled 'Forbidden Fruit' -- in which he confesses his love for his sister-in-law -- will hit one right in the face. Truth & Janey might be familiar from their 45-only 'Midnight Horseman' single heard way back on the Sixth Trip, and/or their incredible 1976 album No Rest For The Wicked. Their super-driven soul leaning cover of 'Under My Thumb' is almost like The Who had penned the track, with relentless drums, jackhammer rhythm guitar and near-falsetto vocals."

 

PRICE: $59.50

CAT #: ROTOR 080LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

The long-running and infamous project known as Nurse With Wound -- essentially Steven Stapleton joined by a rotating cast of characters -- mixes the overly serious chin-scratching of the contemporary avant-garde with a healthy dose of absurdist humor and wit. Often unfortunately branded with the industrial's tag, Stapleton's music actually reflects elements of musique concrète, ambient, and free improvisation juxtaposed against more traditional forms. No one pigeonhole can adequately describe this diverse and immense catalogue: only by diving in can one truly appreciate the varied sonic possibilities of Stapleton's unfettered imagination. He's that weird, and he's that good. In the mid-1980s, Nurse With Wound existed as a live band for only eight shows, of which only five were in front of an actual audience. Live at Bar Maldoror, released in 1991, documents these various live incarnations. Having been remastered by Andrew Liles, the diverse and lengthy pieces (which were actually recorded in disparate locales, none of which are named "Bar Maldoror") sound rather contemporary. Sparse percussion, tape manipulation, loops, noise, dark drones, improvised semi-musical instrumentation and strangled glossolalia all expose the many facets of Stapleton's oeuvre. In 2023, as part of the silver editions, Rotorelief Records released Bar Maldoror as a double vinyl album, in a luxurious gatefold with four panels of artwork by Babs Santini.

 

PRICE: $70.00

CAT #: ROTOR 080SIL-LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Double LP version. Silver vinyl. The long-running and infamous project known as Nurse With Wound -- essentially Steven Stapleton joined by a rotating cast of characters -- mixes the overly serious chin-scratching of the contemporary avant-garde with a healthy dose of absurdist humor and wit. Often unfortunately branded with the industrial's tag, Stapleton's music actually reflects elements of musique concrète, ambient, and free improvisation juxtaposed against more traditional forms. No one pigeonhole can adequately describe this diverse and immense catalogue: only by diving in can one truly appreciate the varied sonic possibilities of Stapleton's unfettered imagination. He's that weird, and he's that good. In the mid-1980s, Nurse With Wound existed as a live band for only eight shows, of which only five were in front of an actual audience. Live at Bar Maldoror, released in 1991, documents these various live incarnations. Having been remastered by Andrew Liles, the diverse and lengthy pieces (which were actually recorded in disparate locales, none of which are named "Bar Maldoror") sound rather contemporary. Sparse percussion, tape manipulation, loops, noise, dark drones, improvised semi-musical instrumentation and strangled glossolalia all expose the many facets of Stapleton's oeuvre. In 2023, as part of the silver editions, Rotorelief Records released Bar Maldoror as a double vinyl album, in a luxurious gatefold with four panels of artwork by Babs Santini.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: ROTOR 081LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Camizole's first unreleased album Erahtic, recorded in 1972, released 50 years later on vinyl by Rotorelief. These are the very first recordings of Camizole made in 1972 with a cassette recorder. The main instrument used is a self-built zither, a primitive lutherie supplemented from time to time by an alto violin and a flute. "The goal was to obtain new, dissonant, noisy sounds. The following year, when I bought my first synthesizer, I considered the instrument now useless and destroyed it. In 2016 I wanted to rework these recordings with tools that appeared later, asking myself a decisive question: if I had had access to this material at the time, what would it have given? That's why I didn't remove anything, nor add anything, the pieces are delivered whole and without any editing. I only ran the original sound through pitches, delays, harmonizers, harps, reverse, and then mixed the resulting new tracks." Dominique Grimaud - zither, viola, flute, electronic. Pre-mastering by David Fenech. Mastering by Andreas Lubitch. Artwork by Frédéric Tacer.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: RBACID 001EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Dial 303! The new and hopefully also durable sampler series on Running Back is here. Dedicated to the twang of Roland's silver baseline box with a varied string of artists: DVS1, Marko East & Jordi Chu (whose collaboration sparked the idea of a whole series), Like A Tim via Prins Thomas, Katerina, and I:Cube. The Parisian put it in a nutshell, too: "Although rinsed to death to the point of becoming a parody of itself, acid will last forever." Therefore, his "Folie Noire" is combining the original recipes with hypnotic European influences, while Marko and Jordi present a rough and direct 303-909 live jam, Prins Thomas puts his wickedest smile on Like A Tim's "Wonderline" from 2005 and Katerina sets a lucid dream to sanguine music. Finally, there is a rare and much desired musical outing by the unique DVS1. A direct ode to Chicago's acid and beatdown styles and its Midwest companions, it is a heads-down-lights-down late-night track made for driving up and down "Lower Wacker Drive". Trippy trip artwork by the inimitable Gasius. Trivia: If the piano is the bread of house music, the acid line is its butter!

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: SCAT 035LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. "Little introduction should be required here. Let it suffice to say that Bee Thousand is arguably the best, or at least among the top Guided By Voices albums in a copious discography. Accordingly, the album has stacked up accolades over the years, including being voted #1 on Amazon.com's '100 Greatest Indie Rock Albums of All Time.' It's a staple of such lists, and has also placed highly on those curated by Spin, Pitchfork, Mojo and Rolling Stone. This new LP pressing, the first since the late '90s, honors the album's 20th anniversary. It features new (and definitely improved) mastering from John Golden, a substantial gatefold jacket with a previously unpublished Robert Pollard collage, and high-quality virgin vinyl from RTI. We've also included a free download card."

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: SCAT 049LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress; LP version. "Propeller was the fifth album by Guided By Voices, and was intended to be the group's last. Released as a limited edition of 500 LPs in 1992, the album featured handmade covers and blank labels to keep expenses as low as possible. Their other albums hadn't sold much, why would this one? Robert Pollard had a family to support and his musical aspirations had not exactly been a boon to their bank account. As fate would have it, the band wound up releasing an album chock full of gems Pollard had stockpiled, and for the first time sounded distinctly like the band that fans have since come to love. Propeller also marks the return of Tobin Sprout to the GBV fold, along with an increased songwriting presence. From anthem-to-be 'Over the Neptune' to the effortless melodies of closer 'On the Tundra,' Propeller is a hell of a ride, and remains one of the most important albums in the band's discography. The vinyl edition has been out of print for a decade, and features different cover art than previous pressings. The CD edition has been out of print for a minute as well, and is now housed in digipak format, also with a new, unique cover from one of the original pressings. And for the first time Propeller is available on cassette."

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: SAT 055EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

JVXTA is a DJ and producer based in London (UK). He also co-founded the label Hardmatter. Here, Scissor And Thread, the Brooklyn imprint headed by Francis Harris and Anthony Collins share JVXTA's new EP -- Euston Blues. Elements of free improvisation and experimentation pepper the album, while a strong thread of atmospheric cohesion winds its way through the eight tracks -- making Euston Blues a truly rewarding and rich listening experience. "Euston Blues synthesizes deep chords, classic house rhythms and jazz laden influences to chronicle an intimate journey of physical and psychological isolation," says Charles Field, the man behind the JVXTA project. "Scope is relative and this transposition is explored from the seclusion of a single room to the expanses of the Beyond."

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: SDBANU 032CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Belgian junk jazz trio schroothoop (which translates as "junk yard") bring together multi-instrumentalists Rik Staelens (wind and string instruments), Timo Vantyghem (bass and thumb piano) and Margo Maex (percussion). Their new album called MACADAM will be out via Sdban Records, home of many strongholds in the lively contemporary Belgian jazz and groove scene. In 2020, schroothoop first emerged with their much-acclaimed and infectious debut album Klein Gevaarlijk Afval (Small Hazardous Waste). On their second album, schroothoop explore the vast sounds of discarded objects found on the macadam streets of Brussels. Wooden crates turn into guitars and lyres. Scrap metal becomes a thumb piano, a cimbalom, or percussion bells. Their compelling collection of semi-improvised songs is born out of several fruitful residencies and live performances during which Margo Maex, Rik Staelens, and Timo Vantyghem dive deeper into the possibilities and unique timbres of their DIY instruments. The junk jazz trio find inspiration in traditional Afro-Cuban and North-African rhythms, New Orleans second line grooves, and Arabic Hijaz scales. On MACADAM, the band also explore the realms of electronic music, not shunning hints of drum and bass, dub riddims and ambient soundscapes, using pitch shifting delays or gauzy reverbs. The album delivers a mesmerizing trip through the most diverse capital of Europe, mixed and post-produced by none other than sound wizard Dijf Sanders. The trio originally met in the Brussels street orchestra scene. One night they found themselves jamming on trash cans, buckets and other illegally dumped materials. Soon after, they started building their own DIY instruments from street trash. Imagine flutes made out of PVC pipes, a scrap metal drum kit, thumb pianos made out of old kitchen knives, a tin can violin, worn-out cutting discs as gongs, and a washtub bass. Delivering their own brand of "junk jazz", schroothoop literally gives junk a second life by immortalizing a whole range of lost and found objects through music. The Brussels-based group effortlessly incorporates jazz, Northern African music, and Afro-Cuban rhythms, resulting in a danceable and hypnotic trip through the city's melting pot.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: SHUKAI 006LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

2023 repress. Following the unpublished works of the Ukrainian/Estonian musician Valentina Goncharova, Volume 2 of Shukai's archival project sits in direct contrast to the solo works of Vol. 1. Vol. 2 1987-1991 completes Shukai's dive into the sound world of an important yet overlooked artist working within Soviet era electroacoustics. This long player of duets casts a light on Goncharova's experiences with early free jazz, democratic improvisation and introductions to pure electronic sound. Where Vol. 1 explored her home studio experiments and flirtations with musique concrete and new age, this volume seeks to give audience to similarly DIY recordings developed in collaborative environments away from the conservatoire. Properly documenting sessions revolving around smoky jazz cafes, art galleries, salons and theatre venues across Riga and Tallinn, these seven pieces add to the historical narrative of the Soviet-era avant-garde and show the broader spectrum of Valentina's work. It begins in Riga with an adapted score for a delicately unfolding violin drone, voice and saxophone performance produced by Valentina and Alexander Aksenov. Valetina's bond with the multi-instrumentalist and theater director Aksenov led to decades of close friendship and several demo recordings such as "Reincarnation II". Across the rest of the disc are collaborative duets with Sergei Letov and Pekka Airaksinan respectively, the three tapes with Letov an example of recordings as a "rehearsal process". Atypical violin/saxophone techniques and light, difficult to place percussive textures interplay across the three duets with Letov, the sense of spatiality alluding to the very nature of the recordings. They strike ultimately as private, freeform experiments with sound, never intended for the listener but documenting a practice which explores the dichotomy of improv's "non-professionalism" and its potential freedom from trained performance. They are included as a deliberate variance to the tapes with Pekka Airaksinen, an already well-regarded composer, early synthesizer fanatic and Finnish radical. At their time of meeting, Pekka had diverted his attention from punk-indebted noise and free jazz groups to a pursuit of spiritualism via contemporary electronic technologies. Already familiar with the Buddhas of Golden Light LP, Valentina found in his work an attraction to the sacred and, after an encounter at a 1988 Helsinki festival dedicated to futurist art and literature, she prepared to visit his studio. After a failed attempt to record a joint album, fragments of the tapes are presented here, highlighting Goncharova's first real experience of electronic music making in a compositional sense. Fragmented guitar and additional keyboard patterns push and pull through delay units in unison with Valentina's two violins, at times mimicking the howl of the wind or even the human voice.

 

PRICE: $41.00

CAT #: SNS 024CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

This four-CD box edition collects all concert music by Michèle Bokanowski, a composer of electroacoustic music living in Paris, France. Passionate about music from childhood, it wasn't until later, at the age of 22, after reading À la recherche d'une musique concrète by Pierre Schaeffer, that she decided to study composition. After classical training in harmony, she met Michel Puig, a pupil of René Leibowitz, who taught her writing and analysis upon Schönberg Theory. In 1970, she began a two-year internship at the Research Department of the ORTF under the direction of Pierre Schaeffer. Between 1973 and 1975, she took part in a research group on sound synthesis, studied computer music at the University of Vincennes as well as electronic music with Éliane Radigue. She mainly composes for concert and for cinema (music for Patrick Bokanowski's short films and for his feature films L'Ange and Un Rêve solaire). She has also composed for television, theater and dance. In her music, often infused with a mysterious atmosphere, she uses evocative and poetic concrete sounds, with a mastery of looping and feedback techniques and with an art of cinematic editing. "Why musique concrète is so attractive to me, as opposed to written music? To write music implies that an idea or a thought is at the origins of the composition and that the final thing is the sound rendering of this thought. The sound is at the end of the line, in other words. Musique concrète is the exact reverse of this process: you start from sounds... sounds that will perhaps lead you to a constructive thought. Here, it's the material that induces the thought, or the writing. The possibilities of finding or inventing new sounds and, therefore, new forms are tremendous, infinite... Moreover you can use chance to a much greater extent." (Excerpt of an interview with Michael Karman for Asymmetry Music Magazine, 2007)

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: FFL 081LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

After the experience of Camizole, Dominique Grimaud began a new (and different) adventure in 1979 with Monique Alba. Alongside Gilbert Artman (Urban Sax), Guigou Chenevier (Etron Fou Leloublan), Jean-Pierre Grasset (Verto), and Cyril Lefebvre (Maajun), Vidéo-Aventures is composed of instrumentals capable of reconciliating Captain Beefheart, Henry Cow, Suicide and... John Barry. All with the backing of Rock In Opposition, which enabled this Musiques Pour Garçons Et Filles to become known worldwide. "Let us enter your hearts": is the request made by Vidéo-Aventures, and how can we refuse? Especially as Musiques Pour Garçons Et Filles, recorded by Dominique Grimaud and Monique Alba fifty years ago along with handpicked colleagues, is as fresh as ever. 1979: having improvised a huge amount (and how!) with Camizole, Grimaud tried his hand at composition and studio recording with Alba. Their first instrument was the AKS synthesizer, with which the duo recorded the instrumental tracks that were then offered to their comrades Guigou Chenevier (Etron Fou Leloublan), Gilbert Artman (Lard Free, Urban Sax), Jean-Pierre Grasset (Verto) and Cyril Lefebvre (Maajun). At the end of the year, they all came into the studio for a week to record the eight tracks of this mini-album that Chris Cutler would issue a few months later on his label, Recommended. In France it was the beginning of the agitation around Rock In Opposition, to such a point that Musiques pour Garçons et Filles would rise to second place in the NME independent Charts. And this is hardly surprising... For these instrumental miniatures (here with the bonus of rare archives, some of which are previously unpublished) are uncontrollable: electronics augmented by lap-steel guitar ("Tina"), cunning pop ("Zazou Sur La Piste"), mechanic sound ("Une Vie Modern"), street piano ("French Kiss"), disturbing atmospheres ("La Ballade Des Cardiaques") or something like a TV theme tune capable of adjusting all the colors ("Telstar")... With such promising ingredients, why stop Vidéo-Aventures from entering... Originally released in 1981; expanded reissue. Carefully remastered from the master tapes by Gilles Laujol. Graphic design by Stefan Thanneur. Licensed from Dominique Grimaud.Eight-page booklet; 180 gram vinyl; 425 gsm brownboard outer sleeve.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: FFL 082LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

The axolotl is a species of salamander native to Mexico, living in a state of larva and having the capacity to regenerate damaged organs. This brief introduction doesn't tell us if the axolotl sings. But, for the one that concerns us here: yes indeed. In Paris, at the end of the 1970s, Etienne Brunet and Marc Dufourd would improvise regularly, inspired by some other saxophone-guitar duos: Claude Bernard-Raymond Boni firstly, then Evan Parker-Derek Bailey. When Jacques Oger (a saxophonist whom Brunet had met at a workshop given by Steve Lacy at the Châteauvallon festival in 1977) joined the duo Brunet-Dufourd, Axolotl was born. Iconoclastic, the trio was bound to please Jac Berrocal, and he proposed to record their first album on the label D'avantage. In spring 1981 three days were just enough for Oger (tenor and barytone saxophones), Brunet (alto saxophone, bass clarinet and "things"), and Dufourd (electric guitar) to complete Axolotl, the first album by a group which would record -- two. If there was a collective of iconoclasts, the trio would be there with some relatives: Alterations, Fred Frith, John Zorn, the ROVA Saxophone Quartet... and then because there was mention of a collective, Axolotl steps (considerably) beyond the domain of free improvisation to lean towards jazz ("Illusion", "Paris, Froissé"), no wave ("Ombre Pilée", "Trottoirs Défunts"), contemporary ("Oreiller", "D'autres Seuls"), and even what you could call -- acid fun ("Dehors"). Above all, Axolotl wanted to really get to grips with sound via an expression as direct as it was liberating, as can be heard on "Ozone, Flocon, Torsion", producing a noise that, even today pierces the brain. Carefully remastered from the master tapes by Gilles Laujol. Graphic design by Stefan Thanneur. Licensed from Etienne Brunet. Eight-page booklet; 180 gram vinyl; 425 gsm brownboard outer sleeve.

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: SOW 005LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 repress. Sowing Records present a reissue of Dorothy Ashby's debut album, The Jazz Harpist, originally released in 1957 by the Regent label. Recognized as the woman who gave the harp a jazz voice, here, Ashby is at the head of a highly distinctive combo featuring Frank Wess on flute, Eddie Jones or Wendell Marshall on bass and master Ed Thigpen on drums. The Jazz Harpist is an unprecedented mix of evocative classic sounds and jazz soul, awarded by AllMusic as her first and best album, period! Clear vinyl.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SQM 020LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. 180 gram vinyl. On his debut album, Childish Mind, guitarist Jonathan Bockelmann presents a series of light, serene acoustic guitar vignettes. The Munich-born musician has studied classical guitar for about two decades, perfecting his technique and gaining mastery of the instrument. Childish Mind sees him explore a new compositional path by crafting delicately interwoven melodies for the acoustic guitar. From the gentle webs and patterns Jonathan creates, there's a sense of meditativeness throughout the album -- his music radiates out, filling moments with a sense of ease and calmness.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: SVT 323LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Following up to his maiden transmission for the label, Cosmic Silence, issued in 2022, Italian producer Alessandro Cozzolino AKA Cioz resurfaces on Stil vor Talent with his longed-for debut album Supermassive Whole, a ten-track cosmic odyssey in sound percolating staple elements of Cioz's palette of choice, from otherworldly techno to Latin-inflected house, via the obvious injection of kosmische and electronica soundscaping. The lead single "Wachaka" -- recorded in collaboration with Cape Town producer Ryan Murgatroyd, exemplifies Cozzolino's electrifying approach to a T. An inch-perfectly balanced mix of Afro-infused polyrhythmic bravura and seesawing synth moves, the track swells with a blazing fire at heart that keeps on sprawling infectiously with each and every bar. Trading the linear buildup for most sensuous levels of syncopation, "Me Monkey" serves up a warmer kind of funk, perfect for getting snug and cozy before an avalanche of seesawing chords up the ante towards space-opera-esque amplitude. All in elusive sinuosity and processed machine talk, "Harakat" dwells the confines of wonky house templates and polyamorous EBM, while "I Always Wanted To..." goes the slo-burning, counterclockwise route, primed for languid moments in the alcove. "B1" is perhaps the most spitting avatar of the Italian whiz's hybrid rolling-and-pounding rhythmic style, nicely embodying both its quirky, hip-swaying and fanfare-like percussive aspects. The ecstatically bouncy "Do It The Way You Feel" showcases Cioz's more rousing, floor-friendly facet with a killer combo of hi-octane electro dynamics, pop-rock motif'd hooks and slashing breaks taking the controls. The mood also happens to be melancholic at times, such as on the beautifully understated "Is This Real", which bridges the gap betwixt piano-house déjà-vu - here tweaked to distinctively soul-wrenching effect, and a prog buildup glossed under a thick sauce of FX, similar to that of the inflating saturation of "Sudpol Birgit" in the post-prod treatment. Somewhat brushed with Balearic shades in mind, "Pace e Amore" follows a more classic curve, slowly veering off onto ambient-laced territories, while "Lost in Space" evokes a certain idea of gravity-defying plenitude through that ever intuitive and subtly arranged collage of tender wistfulness and endless attraction towards the groove, which defines Cozzolino's phraseology so fittingly.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: STREAM 1035LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 restock. "From the Host of Late-Comers represents the latest challenge manifested by Plastic Palace People, the duo of Jim O'Rourke and Christoph Heemann, who have been collaborating continuously (even though in a largely unnoticed fashion) since 1989. Previous Streamline releases from Mimir contain some of their earlier work; Plastic Palace People first saw release in 2011. After two releases in quick succession, it has been a long wait for more, and finally here is a recent piece of work from them, recorded at Super Deluxe in Tokyo, Japan, in August 2013. After all these years of contact, friendship and collaboration, the collective strength and mutual understanding of this duo has grown into a state where it is almost impossible to distinguish who is responsible for an utterance directed at the other at any given time, at a fast, almost speed-of-light succession of soundscapes chasing one another. The build seems to be never ending, but what about the descent? It's all about sitting back and enjoying the ride giving it a try while spinning the grooves of this high fidelity platter mastered and manufactured to the highest standards for you, dear listener."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: SSR 122LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Songs Of Stone is a musical project based on several epigrams, elegies and laments that Gabriele Tinti composed inspired by epigraphs from the ancient world. It arises from the wish to sustain the necessary link that joins us to the rituals of the past. The inscription on durable material was one of the languages the ancients used to oppose the transience of oral expression, wishing to conserve their words in time. Tinti gathers these ideas to create verses he entrusts to the actor's interpretation, thus combining the impression of the spoken word and the visual participation of the words in stone. The readings are made by Malcolm McDowell, star of numerous cult films including A Clockwork Orange, If..., and Caligula. Tinti's words and the actor's vocal performance are put together by Massimo Pupillo in a work intended to transgress the confines between reality and ancient mythology. Massimo has created an imaginary landscape, creating a visionary theater for Gabriele Tinti's words, a sound world born and based on the precise and eloquent vocal timbre of Malcolm McDowell. Using a plethora of different sources, various synthesis, samples of Eastern European choirs, processing McDowell's voice, Songs Of Stone will bring the listener in a twilight zone between dreams and mythology, where remote past and future horizons meet.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: SCR 017EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Fantastic Man continues to gain momentum as he presents the second instalment of his series Visions of Dance. Featuring four new tracks, each a harmonious blend of euphoria, made for use at every stage of your nocturnal journey.

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: TOYT 146EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Toy Tonics presents a new producer team: Sound Support consists of two enthusiastic synth and house aficionados that everybody knows (in the scene): Lars Dales from Dam Swindle and Lorenz Rhode (keyboard wizard and producer genius). Together they are doing extremely groovy, jazz infected dance music that connects the good things of 1990ies house with the indie disco of the 2000s. Lars Dales and Lorenz Rhode connected through their mutual love for all things musically unusual. After years of having worked together on several projects, such as the Dam Swindle live show, they finally got around to making music together. The result has been nothing less than an avalanche of tracks, mostly made in four-day coffee fueled studio sessions in Lorenz' studio in Cologne. All reminding the big funk house tracks of the early 2000s. Yes, a lot of Daft Punk is here, a lot of NYC disco influences. Larry Levan and Laurent Garnier, DJ Harvey and Masters at Work... all influences on this record. After their first two Sound Support EPs on Prins Thomas' label, Internasjonal, they've ventured out to House of Disco and other labels with a wide array of immensely enjoyable synth heavy tracks. 2023 sees these two venture more into house territory with releases on AUS music and Toy Tonics, two labels that have cemented themselves deeply into the underground scene. In any case, it's clear that Sound Support have found its signature sound and there is much more of that to look forward to. Toy Tonics is the key label for the wildstyle house scene and Sound Support fit perfectly.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: TDP 54061LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Trading Places present a reissue of Mighty Baby's A Jug Of Love, originally released in 1971. Evolving from London Mod act The Action, Mighty Baby signed to Parlophone on the reputation of their live sets, featuring guitarist Alan King, bassist Mike Evans, and drummer Roger Powell, with former Savoy Brown guitarist Martin Stone and keyboardist/sax player Ian Whiteman joining after. Their 1969 debut moved into heavy psych and sophomore set A Jug Of Love took semi-acoustic form, blending bluesy folk and a touch of North African spice into their psychedelic prog, the style reminiscent of the Grateful Dead, but very much their own. An unsung masterpiece, feted by Julian Cope. 180 gram vinyl; includes lyrics insert. Licensed by Cherry Red.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: TDP 54067LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. Born to an African-American opera singer and a Jamaican footballer who played for Celtic in Glasgow, Gil Scott-Heron was a ground-breaking musician and writer whose melding of poetry, soul, and political activism paved the way for the arrival of rap and prefaced neo-soul by some decades. In live performance, Scott-Heron was always a force to be reckoned with, especially with his Amnesia Express behind him, with Jamaican percussionist Larry McDonald and saxophonist Ron Holloway. This album collects four exceptional moments of their 1986 tour, with excellent versions of landmark "B Movie" and substance-misuse epics "The Bottle" and "Angel Dust", as well as an extended "Alien (Hold On to Your Dream)". 180 gram vinyl. Licensed by Prestige.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: VAMPI 273LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

First time vinyl reissue. Originally released in 1976."The human voice is more than just a musical instrument; it is ally to the thought. Vocal art is one of the most beautiful forms of musical expression and an endless resource. It's a shame that so few devote themselves to it in our popular music. I would therefore like to congratulate Aquarius and Continental for the release of this LP and may it be received by all with the same affection and attention than those who dedicated themselves to making it" --Paulinho Tapajos.These notes, originally printed on the back cover of this 1976 beauty, are a perfect introduction to the vocal harmonies and arrangements and excellent guitar work that are masterfully combined creating a joyful journey that features the undisputed talent of Raymundo Bittencourt, Octávio Burnier, and Paulo Moura. An amazing bit of Brazilian samba funk that also touches on MPB, bossa nova, jazz... This sought-after gem opens with the beautiful version of Burnier & Cartier's "Só Tem Lugar Prá Você" (one of the two B&C versions included on this album, with a pitched-down "Europanema" sparkling on the B-side), building up a mellow, airy vibe that stays throughout the entire album.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: VAMPI 279LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

First time vinyl reissue of this awesome Latin jazz-funk gem by Venezuelan guitarist Alex Rodríguez -- originally self-released in 1978. Rodríguez is a classical and jazz trained guitarist who in the early days of his career joined some of the best orchestras in Venezuela, including Aldemaro Romero's Onda Nueva. He put together a brief project, La Retreta Mayor, in 1976 which only released one album and would later move to New York where he had the opportunity to record his own songs with renowned musicians of the city at that time, like Víctor Paz, Charlie Camalliari, Sam Burtis, Mario Bauza, Guillermo Edgil, Bernard Purdie, Jorge Dalto, among others. It took him a little more than a year writing the songs and preparing the material for Búsqueda but in 1978 Alex Rodríguez would return to New York City. Jorge Dalto had spoken with Dennis Davis (drums), Stanley Banks (bass) who played together with George Benson, and Víctor Paz contacted Alex with Ronnie Cuber (saxes), an excellent saxophonist, who later recorded "Cumana" on his own album The Eleventh Day Of Aquarius. Before going to the recording studios they did a rehearsal to review the music, and the next day Dalto, Banks, Davis, Cuber, and Alex Rodríguez were recording in the CBS studio on 52nd street in Manhattan. The production and mixing of the album were finished in Caracas, at Sono 2000 studios, with the participation of excellent Venezuelan musicians such as Nené Quintero, Lucio Caminiti, Edgar Saume, Carlos Acosta, Alberto Naranjo, Rolando Briceño, Leo and Frank Quintero, among others. The resulting album contains quite a few heaters for the dancefloor, like "El Mercado", and tight, keys and guitar punctuated fusion jams! (just check the groovy opener "Cumana".) Búsqueda was then self-released and distributed in tiny quantities, becoming over the years a very sought-after collectors' item, probably one of the most obscure albums from Venezuela. It now gets reissued on vinyl for the first time, including notes by Alex Rodríguez. 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: VAMPI 280LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

First time reissue. Aníbal "Sensación" Velásquez is one of Colombia's most innovative and prolific Costeño musicians, known as "El Mago del Acordeón" and "El Rey de La Guaracha". Velásquez grew up hearing Cuban music as well as the local rhythms of his region, and this led him to tinker with and transform the beats and melodies of the regional music encountered in his home city of Barranquilla during the 1950s and '60s. By 1960, after being a sideman in several groups, Velásquez formed his own conjunto with his elder brother Juan, a talented musician in his own right, and his younger sibling José. Aníbal Velásquez En Tremenda Salsa is a perfect example of the musician's wanderlust and restless creative spirit. A pioneer of the adventuresome mixing of rhythms, genres, and styles that was happening at the time in Barranquilla and the rest of coastal Colombia, in retrospect one can say that Velásquez was quite daring in combining the music and instrumentation of his native country with other Caribbean forms. In 1968, when he made this album, very few Colombians were attempting to record an accordion-led session of descarga, guaracha, boogaloo, guajira, guaguancó, and mambo, and for that Velásquez should be recognized as a forerunner of various other records by Lisandro Meza y su Combo, Los Corraleros de Majagual, Los Caporales del Magdalena, and Chico Cervantes y su Conjunto Internacional. The album kicks off with an intense and mesmerizing descarga featuring the guaguancó bass line, hot Cuban style piano and a heavy timbales solo, reminding one of the Tico-Alegre or Fania All-Stars jam session records. And yet, the accordion and caja are there throughout the tune, giving it plenty of "sabor colombiano" and distancing it from the New York or Havana sound. It bears repeating that for this album Velásquez and Fuentes added a crucial ingredient in salsa, the piano. Overall, the feeling on the album is of the loose, improvised jam session implied in the genre term descarga. Although En Tremenda Salsa is just one of many such records that Velásquez cut with his Cuban and Puerto Rican influences writ large on his sleeve, it is perhaps his most consistent and well-recorded, certainly only one of a few of his featuring prominent piano played in a salsa style, and this is why it is a highly sought after record by collectors in the know. Remastered from the original tapes, with original artwork intact. Includes two bonus tracks. 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: VAMPI 281LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

The two-volume collection Fruko Power is not an homage, career overview, greatest hits or "best of" collection showcasing the evolution of Fruko (Julio Ernesto Estrada Rincón), the Renaissance man of Colombian tropical music. Instead, this compilation series shines a light on a lesser-known side of the bassist and band leader's work during the early 1970s with Fruko y Sus Tesos, reissuing in physical form many of his rare or hard to find salsa 45s as well as a few deep album cuts from the first half decade of his career, assembled in chronological order. There are interesting cover versions as well as originals, some of which never appeared on an LP. All of Fruko's classic vocalists are represented, from early collaborators Humberto "Huango" Muriel and Edulfamid "Píper Pimienta" Díaz to golden-era stars Joe Arroyo and Wilson "Saoko" Manyoma. Fruko Power is less for the newcomer and more for the serious salsa collector, DJ, and dancer who may have a few of the maestro's albums or hits but wants to dig deeper and have all these obscure rarities in one place. However, it also serves as an excellent compendium of powerful Latin dance tracks by Fruko y Sus Tesos that have stood the test of time, so even those who do not know much of his work will be sure to feel the power of Fruko. Includes insert with photos and liner notes by DJ Bongohead (of Peace & Rhythm).

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: VAMPI 45092C-EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Splatter vinyl. Back in 2004, Vampisoul played a role in the return to recording of the legendary Joe Bataan, which fully materialized in the acclaimed album Call My Name, written and produced by Daniel Collás (The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Incarnations). Now, the song that marked the return of Joe Bataan finally makes it into a 7" single for the first time. "This whole project grew out of a song called 'Cycles of You', which I had written around 2000-2001 with the guitarist and bassist of my band at the time, Easy. The chord progression and vocal melody really reminded me of Bataan, and it occurred to me that it wouldn't be impossible to get him into the studio to do a guest vocal if we ever recorded it. I had met Bataan a few years before at a small, family-reunion style show at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in my neighborhood, where he not only still sounded great, but was also gracious and easy to talk to. By the time we got around to recording with Easy, the band was about to break up but we still had the studio booked. We all agreed that we didn't want to continue as a band, but at the same time, it would be a shame to never record what we had been working on. Around this time Bataan was playing out again, so I went to the show to see him and find out if he'd be interested in doing some vocals with us. He was agreeable, so we decided to turn it into a Joe Bataan session and do 'Cycles of You' . . . The rhythm section was a band called TransLove Airways that I formed in 2002. We got really tight and developed a great sound that was, to me, equal parts Heart, Shocking Blue, Brian Auger, and Rare Earth. To this core group I added pieces from a few other local bands: The Middle Initials, who are a great Temptations/Main Ingredient-style vocal group, and members of an incredible Latin band called Grupo Latin Vibe, who were responsible for almost all the percussion. There was also some fine trombone playing by Aaron Johnson of Antibalas and great flute work by Neal Sugarman and my cousin Sonny . . . The 'Call My Name' sessions took place when Daptone had just moved to Bushwick, its classic location..." --Daniel Collás, producer of "Call My Name".

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: WRWTFWW 017LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

2023 repress. We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records present the ?rst ever official vinyl pressing of the soundtrack for Mamoru Oshii's critically acclaimed and all around legendary science ?ction anime ?lm Ghost In The Shell (1995), adapted from Masamune Shirow's groundbreaking manga series of the same name. The haunting score is composed by Kenji Kawai, one of Japan's most celebrated soundtrack composers alongside Joe Hisaishi and Ryuichi Sakamoto, whose work includes Hideo Nakata's Ring (1998) and Ring 2 (1999), Death Note (2006), Hong Kong ?lms Seven Swords by Tsui Hark (2005) and Ip Man by Wilson Yip (2008), and countless others. Kawai's compositions see ancient harmonies and percussions uncannily mesh with synthesized sounds of the modern world to convey a sumptuous balance between folklore tradition and futuristic outlook. For its iconic main theme "Making Of Cyborg", Kawai had a choir chant a wedding song in ancient Japanese following Bulgarian folk harmonies, setting the standard for a timeless and unparalleled soundtrack that admirably echoes the ?lm's musings on the nature of humanity in a technologically advanced world. Ghost In The Shell is widely considered one of the best anime ?lms of all time and its in?uence has been felt in the work of numerous movie directors, including James Cameron's Avatar (2009), the Wachowskis's The Matrix (1999), and Steven Spielberg's AI: Arti?cial Intelligence (2001). For fans of anime, manga, movie soundtracks, science ?ction, ambient, folklore, Japan, Akira (1988), arti?cial intelligence, Midori Takada. Cut from the original master reels at Emil Berliner Studios (formerly the in-house recording department of renowned classical record label Deutsche Grammophon).

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: WRWTFWW 068LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

WRWTFWW Records announce Ar Ais Arís, the third album by Irish producer Gareth Quinn Redmond, following his amazing Satoshi Ashikawa-inspired Laistigh Den Ghleo (WRWTFWW 039CD/LP) released in 2019 and 2023's ambient-meets-Irish-traditional-music soundscape Umcheol (WRWTFWW 069LP). Ar Ais Arís is Gareth Quinn Redmond's fortuitous love affair with the art of tape loops -- a practice he discovered while performing with Ross Chaney and Myles O'Reilly in late November 2020. Fascinated, he spent months experimenting with the technique: "By cracking open the shell of a cassette, cutting the tape and splicing the ends together, I created repeating sound loops of varying lengths. After reassembling and slotting the cassette into the Tascam Portastudio, I recorded and played back the sounds of the tape loop. These sounds were then manipulated using the pitch wheel to make subtle and warbly inflections to the recordings. This is achieved by speeding up or slowing down the playback speed of the tape, which offers dynamic contrasts in both mood and texture." The result is eight deliciously enchanting minimalistic tape loops creating a very rare kind of daydreaming environmental music full of accidental miracles and dusty soothing backdrops. It's a very pleasant listening experience inspiring a feeling of enveloping warmth and gentle coziness, with an uncanny touch of spellbinding magic. Artwork by Dublin artist Barry Gibbons. Liner notes from Gareth Quinn Redmond. Edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: Y 019LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Lusty, urbane, should've been-top 40 pop from NPR classical critic/secret genius Tom Manoff and master vocalist Jill Talvé. Thought to be lost in the wake of epic legal acrimony, this 1983 collection, rescued from safety copy cassettes, easily qualifies as one of the most incredible musical discoveries of the 21st century. It can be left to some intrepid music reporter to uncover the whole sordid mess behind the making of this incredible album. Yoga Records just wants to share the music. It's incredible and it's a hit. Listen to ten seconds of "I'm A Nobody" and understand that it's a mainstream pop music hit almost too good to actually exist. It's that good. Marvel at tossed off verses like "you just crossed the line/ from being snake/ to being slime" or the casual brilliance of the way the last chorus glitches in "Delayed Reaction". In the overfished world of music reissues stuff like this does not come around every day. Like any great musical discovery, the record seems to point a way to an escape hatch to an alternate, better dimension where this got the release it deserved, and Manoff and/or Talvé made a dozen more records. Naked In The Park is that good. RIYL: Pat Benatar, Madonna, Blondie, The Motels.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: AX 107LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Metropolis Metropolis three vinyl set is an abbreviated version of the most recent Electronic Music soundtrack for Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) by the Techno music producer and cultural icon Jeff Metropolis Metropolis album is an abbreviated version of the most recent electronic music soundtrack for Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) by the techno music producer and cultural icon, Jeff Mills. Unlike his first soundtrack where tracks addressed specific segments of the film in a track listing form, which was created and released in 2001, this version is more a symbiotic mix of compositions that proposes a nuanced representation of the plot and storyline. As an electronic symphonic music creation, Mills proposes a few interesting points in the schematics of this album: 1. the positioning and role of the listener as the soundtrack is based on the environment of the scenes, rather than pure transcription; 2. as a storyline that takes place in the year 2000, the choice of sound elements refer to some future commonality and foresight between the genres of classical and electronic music -- between man and machine; and 3., in many parts of the soundtrack where sounds are played in unison. This is symbolic of the hopefulness the storyline works towards.From the back cover of the album: "Creating music for Fritz Lang's masterpiece film Metropolis over the many years has been and continues to be a great experience. The film is a story about 'man vs man' with the help of a machine. Its dramatic theme is as relevant now as it was when the filmed debuted in 1927. A film to enjoyed, but also noted and examined." --Jeff MillsMills. Unlike his first soundtrack where tracks addressed specific segments of the film in a track listing form, which was created and released in 2001, this version is more a symbiotic mix of compositions that proposes a nuanced representation of the plot and storyline. ---------------------------- Metropolis Metropolis three vinyl set is an abbreviated version of the most recent Electronic Music soundtrack for Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927) by the Techno music producer and cultural icon Jeff Mills. Unlike his first soundtrack where tracks addressed specific segments of the film in a track listing form, which was created and released in 2001, this version is more a symbiotic mix of compositions that proposes a nuanced representation of the plot and storyline. As an electronic symphonic music creation, Mills proposes a few interesting points in the schematics of this album. 1- the positioning and role of the listener as the soundtrack is based on the environment of the scenes, rather than pure transcription, 2 - as a storyline that takes place in the year 2000, the choice of sound elements refer to some future commonality and foresight between the genres of Classical and Electronic music - between man and machine. And 3, in many parts of the soundtrack where sounds are played in unison. This is symbolic of the hopefulness the storyline works towards. "Creating music for Fritz Lang's masterpiece film "Metropolis" over the many years has been and continues to be a great experience. The film is a story about "man vs man" with the help of a machine. It's dramatic theme is as relevant now as it was when the filmed debuted in 1927. A film to enjoyed, but also noted and examined." - Jeff Mills

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: BEWITH 102LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 restock. Be With Records present a reissue of Ian Carr's Nucleus' Roots, originally released on Vertigo in 1973. From the wild cover to the iconic breakbeats, Roots is thick, funky-prog jazz-rock heaven. Genius trumpeter and visionary composer Ian Carr was a true pioneer and saw the potential in fusing the worlds of jazz with rock, just as Miles Davis and The Tony Williams Lifetime did in the US. In late 1969, following the demise of the Rendell-Carr quintet, and tiring of British jazz, Carr assembled the legendary Nucleus. Under bandleader Carr, Nucleus existed as a fluid line-up of inventive, skilled musicians. Working together with producer Fritz Fryer and engineer Roger Wake, the seven compositions by Carr, Brian Smith and Dave MacRae that make up Roots flirt with perfection, and Nucleus at that time made up of the cream of 1970s UK jazz with Brian Smith on tenor saxophones and flutes, Dave MacRae on piano and electric piano, Jocelyn Pitchen on guitar, Roger Sutton on bass, both Clive Thacker and Aureo De Souza on drums and percussion, Joy Yates delivering the vocals and of course Carr on trumpet. The title track is a low-slung, doped-out heist-funk. It was sampled by Madlib for Lootpack and Quasimoto's "Loop Digga". The soothing vocal fusion delight of "Images" follows. Meticulously constructed, with gorgeous flute work from Brian Smith, with Joy Yates' silky vocals and Dave MacRae's Rhodes never sounding better. The cool, driving "Caliban" closes out the first side. Originally the third movement in a four-part commission to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday it stands up on its own, all robust rhythms and blended brass. Keyboard color and Carr's trumpet are splashed across the funk drums and basslines (and there's even some bamboo flute). Side two opens with the short, thrilling samba of "Wapatiti". Next up, "Capricorn" forms a smoothed-out, jazzy constellation. Mellow and dreamy, its twinkling percussion and languid horns slowly build the vibe before head-nod drums and a killer bassline enter the fray. With a distinct heaviness that Black Sabbath would've envied, "Odokamona" is a venomous slice of riff-soaked jazz metal, elevated by Carr's wah-wah horns. The album closes with MacRae's exceptionally cosmic "Southern Roots And Celebration". Very much in conversation with Weather Report, it opens as a languorous, spiritual jazz of chiming keys and serene guitar that turns slowly, gorgeously into a mid-paced, brass-laced banger. Keith Davis's cover art for Roots is an acid-tinged airbrush dystopian/utopian living-room party scene. Remastered by Simon Francis from the original Vertigo master tapes. Cut by Pete Norman.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: BC 031LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

2018 release. "Lacrau is the first U.S. release of music featuring the legendary Portuguese guitarist's guitarist Manuel Mota. Mota's mysterious, uncompromising, resolutely personal approach to the instrument has most often been captured on solo recordings -- and typically of an immersive length, such as Rck, a 5-CD release from 2013. Lacrau captures the ambience of a warm Sunday afternoon in late fall in Lisbon when longtime friends Mota and David Grubbs sat down for this waking dream of a first duo performance. The session unfolds with a real-time, documentary feel in which athematic, non-repeating musical gestures are rendered with an extreme sensitivity to microscopic soundworlds brought about by fingertips, strings, and tube amplifiers. These explorations are as apt to find emotional weight in the solitary note in all its fret-buzzing glory as they are in unexpected turns of phrase briefly referencing blues and jazz. 'Lacrau' is an older Portuguese word for 'scorpion' (predating 'escorpião'), as well as the name of a good, cheap restaurant in Manuel's hometown of Ericeira, on the west coast of Portugal. Its quality of being out of time, its rough texture, and its multiplicity of meanings make it as good a name as any -- and better than some -- for this beautifully unconventional and unconventionally beautiful album, one that occupies a unique place among the recordings of Mota and Grubbs. Apart from his solo performances and recordings, Manuel Mota is known for his collaborations with a range of musicians including Phill Niblock, Noël Akchoté, Margarida Garcia, David Maranha, Okkyung Lee, Tetuzi Akiyama, and Toshimaru Nakamura. David Grubbs has played in Gastr del Sol, The Red Krayola, and Squirrel Bait and performed with Tony Conrad, Susan Howe, Pauline Oliveros, Eli Keszler, and many others."

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: BFR 021LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Spacey and dreamy yet grimly propulsive, Force From Free sees Dead Meadow continuing to explore transporting, astral-gazing heavy psychedelia. Force Form Free, the new record from Dead Meadow, is spacey and dreamy at times, grimly propulsive at others, and captures one of the most important bands in modern heavy psych continuing their effortless exploration of the transporting, astral-gazing form they've spent their entire existence pushing forward."

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: BJR 083CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Bongo Joe Records announce the release of Yalla Miku's debut album. It is a new way of combining African, European, electronic, acoustic and electric music and cultures. The project was launched by Cyril Cyril duo, then joined by Simone Aubert and Vincent Bertholet from Hyperculte and three musicians with migrant backgrounds: the Moroccan Anouar Baouna, the Eritrean Samuel Ades, and the Algerian Ali Bouchaki. For its initiators, the idea was not to appropriate a non-European heritage and to interpret it in the company of musicians from these countries. They opted for a more radical approach: to propose a base of compositions on which the migrant musicians then worked with their instruments, which range from the derbouka to the guembri via the krar, the Eritrean lyre. The album, nourished by these stage performances, was recorded in autumn 2021. The result is full of vibrations, unusual sounds and life experiences. Sung in Arabic, Tigrigna, and French, the lyrics glide over throbbing rhythms, borrowing from gnawa, krautrock, and electro trance. Their eponymous debut album sounds like a call to travel beyond the barriers of sound, a call to a horizon without a visa.

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: BB 416CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Christoph Dallach, Andreas Dorau, and Daniel Jahn present Echo Neuklang, a compilation which explores the question of how krautrock has influenced generation after generation of musicians since its inception. A contentious genre at the best of times, the music within its spectrum is essentially intangible. The common thread running through it is a compulsion to seek out the new. Beginning in the year 1981 and extending as far as 2023, the music in this collection demonstrates how the idea of what passed for krautrock in the 1970s has been interpreted or reinterpreted by a diverse array of artists with distinct approaches in the decades which followed, without recourse to any generic conventions. Features Stefan Thelen & Olek Gelba, Burnt Friedman, Haindling, Conny Frischauf, Moebius & Renziehausen, Deutsche Wertarbeit, Kreidler, Workshop, Love-Songs, To Rococo Rot, Härte 10, Schlammpeitziger, and Rheingold.A conversation between Dallach, Dorau, and Jahn: A: Goodness, I'm freezing, it is wintertime in 2019. Here we sit, smoking in a railway station bar to discuss our compilation and the irksome topic of krautrock. Such a stupid word, krautrock. The three of us all agree on that, do we not? D: Indeed we do. There's no rock in krautrock. A: Rock's just as stupid, we can agree on that as well! C: Not one of the interesting, so-called krautrock bands has anything to do with rock. A: The million-dollar question has to be: what is krautrock anyway? I would say that krautrock is a genre which defies description. Think about the rhythms, the music, the instrumentation, there are no recurring elements at all. It must be the freest genre of all time. D: The only common denominator is that it's free music, different music, neither experimental in the classic sense, nor is it pop or rock. C: There has never been a "krautrock sound" as such, it's more of a unifying attitude, a drive to search for something genuinely new. That's how it was back in the early 1970s. A: It was an attempt to find "other" music! But has it crossed into this millennium, is that same spirit in evidence in newer music? C: Absolutely, like the music on this compilation, because it is so hard to classify. A: So what do we call it? D: Neo-kraut? A: I like it, you've left out the rock. D: And so the story continues.

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: BB 416LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Double LP version. Christoph Dallach, Andreas Dorau, and Daniel Jahn present Echo Neuklang, a compilation which explores the question of how krautrock has influenced generation after generation of musicians since its inception. A contentious genre at the best of times, the music within its spectrum is essentially intangible. The common thread running through it is a compulsion to seek out the new. Beginning in the year 1981 and extending as far as 2023, the music in this collection demonstrates how the idea of what passed for krautrock in the 1970s has been interpreted or reinterpreted by a diverse array of artists with distinct approaches in the decades which followed, without recourse to any generic conventions. Features Stefan Thelen & Olek Gelba, Burnt Friedman, Haindling, Conny Frischauf, Moebius & Renziehausen, Deutsche Wertarbeit, Kreidler, Workshop, Love-Songs, To Rococo Rot, Härte 10, Schlammpeitziger, and Rheingold.A conversation between Dallach, Dorau, and Jahn: A: Goodness, I'm freezing, it is wintertime in 2019. Here we sit, smoking in a railway station bar to discuss our compilation and the irksome topic of krautrock. Such a stupid word, krautrock. The three of us all agree on that, do we not? D: Indeed we do. There's no rock in krautrock. A: Rock's just as stupid, we can agree on that as well! C: Not one of the interesting, so-called krautrock bands has anything to do with rock. A: The million-dollar question has to be: what is krautrock anyway? I would say that krautrock is a genre which defies description. Think about the rhythms, the music, the instrumentation, there are no recurring elements at all. It must be the freest genre of all time. D: The only common denominator is that it's free music, different music, neither experimental in the classic sense, nor is it pop or rock. C: There has never been a "krautrock sound" as such, it's more of a unifying attitude, a drive to search for something genuinely new. That's how it was back in the early 1970s. A: It was an attempt to find "other" music! But has it crossed into this millennium, is that same spirit in evidence in newer music? C: Absolutely, like the music on this compilation, because it is so hard to classify. A: So what do we call it? D: Neo-kraut? A: I like it, you've left out the rock. D: And so the story continues.

 

PRICE: $14.00

CAT #: BYG 333LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 restock Originally issued in the historic BYG Actuel series, around 1970. Title translated: "One Morning I Waked Up Very Early." "One of the first trombonists to explore free jazz, Grachan Moncur III recorded this album at the Studio Saravah in Paris on September 10th and November 4th, 1969. Featuring Fernando Martins (piano), Beb Guerin (bass) and Nelson Serra De Castro (drums). 4 tracks."

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: COR 172X-EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

After the limited splattered one-sided vinyl edition, this 12-inch pressing comes with the remastered original mix on the B-side. The original, the second release on the label Harthouse at the time, is an all-time classic and went down in the music history of Frankfurt. Thirty years later, the track by Sven Väth and A.C. Boutsen has not lost its shine and will certainly continue to provide goosebump moments. Techno is all too often described as timeless but while most of it eventually evaporates into the ether, there are some riffs, melodies, and breakdowns that remain etched into our collective consciousness forever. Legendary Frankfurt label Harthouse is home to more than its fair share of such moments, but you must go all the way back to 1992, the opening strains of the Metal Master classic "Spectrum" to locate the source for this special single-sided remix release. The common denominator and catalyst to all this is of course Sven Väth, co-creator of "Spectrum" and founder of both Harthouse and Cocoon Recordings, while the independent variables in the equation are Bart Skils and Weska, who lend their considerable talent and vision to this sublime makeover. Coming on like rolling thunder, sparks fly immediately as crackling vocoder licks, silky ride cymbals and soaring arpeggios build an atmosphere taut with anticipation before giving way to that iconic melody -- a love letter from Frankfurt to Ibiza, wrought from metal, drenched in distortion yet pulling at the heartstrings -- the perfect soundtrack to any chemical sunrise. It's a powerful re-interpretation that pays the warmest respects to the original and, despite the relentless groove, there is still room for sentimentality -- an invitation to momentarily pause for thought and reflect on the journey so far as the sumptuous breakdown washes over the dancefloor. But not for long, the simmering bass line soon emerges from the euphoria and the track kicks in again, driving you forward towards a new, uncharted spectrum of possibilities. Cover with rainbow silver foil.

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: CSR 323CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

The sound of the classic period of Psychic TV -- featuring Peter Christopherson and Geff Rushton (John Balance) of Coil, this full show is interspersed with recordings of the Pagan marriage between Genesis and Paula P-Orridge conducted by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson Allsherjargodi. Psychic TV at their most esoteric, their most ritual, and often most extreme, a perfect accompaniment to the legendary Dreams Less Sweet album of the same year. These recordings of a live disconcert by Psychic TV in Reykjavik, Iceland that took place November 1983 organized by HÖH and GRAMM Records. Out of print for 23 years, this is the ultimate edition for Psychick Youth. Meticulously remastered, with the track order finally arranged into what was the original show.

 

PRICE: $36.50

CAT #: CSR 323COL-LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Double LP version. White vinyl. 180 gram vinyl; gatefold. The sound of the classic period of Psychic TV -- featuring Peter Christopherson and Geff Rushton (John Balance) of Coil, this full show is interspersed with recordings of the Pagan marriage between Genesis and Paula P-Orridge conducted by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson Allsherjargodi. Psychic TV at their most esoteric, their most ritual, and often most extreme, a perfect accompaniment to the legendary Dreams Less Sweet album of the same year. These recordings of a live disconcert by Psychic TV in Reykjavik, Iceland that took place November 1983 organized by HÖH and GRAMM Records. Out of print for 23 years, this is the ultimate edition for Psychick Youth. Meticulously remastered, with the track order finally arranged into what was the original show.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: CSR 323LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double LP version. Black vinyl. 180 gram vinyl; gatefold. The sound of the classic period of Psychic TV -- featuring Peter Christopherson and Geff Rushton (John Balance) of Coil, this full show is interspersed with recordings of the Pagan marriage between Genesis and Paula P-Orridge conducted by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson Allsherjargodi. Psychic TV at their most esoteric, their most ritual, and often most extreme, a perfect accompaniment to the legendary Dreams Less Sweet album of the same year. These recordings of a live disconcert by Psychic TV in Reykjavik, Iceland that took place November 1983 organized by HÖH and GRAMM Records. Out of print for 23 years, this is the ultimate edition for Psychick Youth. Meticulously remastered, with the track order finally arranged into what was the original show.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: CONICROSE 001CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Heller Tag is the debut album of Berlin-based jazz collective Conic Rose. The young musicians come from the most diverse musical backgrounds: their other projects include names such as arena-filling German pop stars Clueso or Samy Deluxe, but also jazz legends such as Michael Wollny or Joy Denalane. What connects them is their love to explore, create, redefine, and effortlessly move between abstraction and accessibility, high quality sound, and the beauty of the imperfect -- interweaving electronic elements, cinematic jazz, vibey soundscapes, and hints of art rock with eclectic, zeitgeisty influences. Their releases so far as well as the few shows they played on the back of their debut EP (2020) exceeded all expectations, attracting the attention of industry professionals all the way from the UK or USA. All songs are written, recorded, and produced by Conic Rose in their own recording studio in the Wedding neighborhood of Berlin.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: CORTIZONA 023LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Genesis P-Orridge and The Hafler Trio: do these two legends still need any introduction? Genesis P-Orridge was the founding person of COUM Transmissions in 1969, Throbbing Gristle in 1975, Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth and Psychic TV in 1981. Andrew McKenzie started The Hafler Trio (together with Cabaret Voltaire's Chris Watson) in 1982 and since then released all his work under this moniker and collaborated with William S. Burroughs, Autechre, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Nurse With Wound, and Jónsi from Sigur Rós, to name a few. And he constructed the first kit Dreamachine in 1989 together with Brion Gysin. The impact and influence of these pioneers of the industrial underground, visionary thinkers and open minds, anti-heroes of the misfits and the outcasts is hard to underestimate. On Dream Less Suite, the first new album by The Hafler Trio since 2016, Andrew McKenzie unearths, resurrects and completed recordings he made through the years with Genesis P-Orridge. This double-LP features soundtracks to unfinished films, live performances and the real versions of tracks you know and love, released for the very first time and mastered from the original reel-to-reel tapes. Expect the unexpected and be prepared for the unprepared. File under: Subliminal soul music for the very faint-hearted; Demented disco for insecure insomniacs; Asymmetric acid for hoovering hipsters; Immersive polka for naughty night nurses; Soothing sounds for crying babies; Liberating Latin for lesbians on xtc; Transcending tribalism for jogging junkies; Frenetic freakbeat for nihilistic numerologists; Jiving jazz for tyrannic transgenders; Hypnotic exotica for corrupt gymnastics; Indescribable sounds for angry journalists; Endless entertainment for everyone and the rest of the family; All f#cks given 2.0 Masters at work. Includes two inner sleeves with extended liner notes.

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: DAMGOOD 587LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: BWR 004LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Once again, following the first three volume in the Blues With A Rhythm series, Doghouse & Bone Records are giving the incredible voices of rhythm n' blues the ability to shout! These recordings are carefully compiled in their rare original 45 rpm glory mastered to LP format. Hey! Hey! The blues are alright! Features Lloyd Price and His Orchestra, Lloyd Price, Billy Lamont, Ricky Allen, Joe Mayfield, Big "C" and The Galaxies, Al "TNT" Braggs, Bob Mackey, The Fames, and Dave "Baby" Cortez.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: BWR 005LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Once again, following the first three volume in the Blues With A Rhythm series, Doghouse & Bone Records are giving the incredible voices of rhythm n' blues the ability to shout! These recordings are carefully compiled in their rare original 45 rpm glory mastered to LP format. Hey! Hey! The blues are alright! Features Arbee Stidham, Kip Anderson, Dossie (Thunderbird) Terry, Paul Gayten and His Band, Earl Gilliam, The Five Fleets, Katie Webster, Billy Lamont, Roy Brown, Larry Hart, Billy Bland, and Big John Demarcus (And Sons).

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: BWR 006LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Once again, following the first three volume in the Blues With A Rhythm series, Doghouse & Bone Records are giving the incredible voices of rhythm n' blues the ability to shout! These recordings are carefully compiled in their rare original 45 rpm glory mastered to LP format. Hey! Hey! The blues are alright! Features Larry Darnell, The Lovers, Johnnie & Joe, Jim And Monica, Johnny Jenkins and The Pinetoppers, Barbara Greene, Louise Brown, Harold Burrage, The Premiers with Sonny, and Roscoe Shelton.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: DGRGD 002LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

A beautiful continuity in the exploration of the composer Grand David known for his sound illustrations but here accompanied on the entire project by the female singer Emma Lamadji. A talented project and an immersion into Tamla Mowton sound, by Grand David, the "touche à tout" wizard!

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: DGRGD 003LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Big Bazounga Boogaloo was originally Gil "Bill" Nasal's radio show, hosted by "Radio Beton" since 1999 in Tours, France. Compilation contains many highlights and evergreens from his show. Features Hal Blaine, Casey Jones and the Governors, Vanusa, The Surfers, Human Beinz, The Locos, Jimmy Williams, The Titans, Dewayne and the Beldettas, Harlow Wilcox and the Oakies, Bohanna, The Turtlenecks, The Phaeton, and Ultimates.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: DC 690LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

2017 release. "Sapropelic Pycnic is the Drag City and world debut of music presented under the name of Ka Baird. While this record is a commencement of many sorts, it is in no way a mere beginning. Ka's ritual is well underway here, her craft clearly already a dedicated mastery; it finds her on the hunt for new discoveries with a humble desire for the transfigured, the sublime. This has been among the goals since early times, when Ka was one of the founding members of experimental psychlings Spires That In the Sunset Rise. Formed in 2001 out of the Chicago scene, and described by late guitar legend Jack Rose as a 'female Sun City Girls,' Spires' sisterhood of sound deepened the New Folk slant with an array of avant- and world-flavored directions drawing them ever-farther into the source. Ka relocated to NYC in late 2014 and immediately embarked upon new directions -- exploring piano improvisations, electroacoustic intervention, extended vocal technique, physical movement, and the electronic processing of her flute playing. The singular force that is Ka is represented on two releases under the Sapropelic Pycnic name -- the improvised piano album See Sun Think Shadow (released in November 2015 on Brooklyn's Perfect Wave imprint) and the Coltrane tribute A Love Supreme (on Chicago's No Index label in January 2016). With the release of Sapropelic Pycnic, Ka manifests an evolving selfhood, expanding upon the essence of her first two albums' artist name, while replacing and thus becoming that name on her own . . . Emphasizing breath, via voice and flute, Sapropelic Pycnic is a possession, a physical catharsis, a transformation, comprised of burry, guttural rhythms, loops and clusters of flute figures with gliding vocal and synth melodies. Reaching toward the ancient roots of music, Ka utilizes electronic manipulation to take the ear past preconception, combining the linearity of the physical with the abstraction of the cerebral, crafting textural rhythmic noise alongside lush operatic passages, containing multitudes. Conceived live as a series of solo vignettes and played that way by Ka (featuring contributions from Max Eilbacher (electronics), Sandy Gordon (vibraphone) and Troy Schaefer (violin)), Sapropelic Pycnic draws from primordial ooze and raises high a sacrifice to the immemorial concept of the sacred..."

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: DC 755LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2019 release. "A pulse, humming forth from the speakers. Rhythms fracture and divide themselves, intersecting, diverging. The pounding of a heartbeat emerges, so stressed...this is a feeling of dread. Thus passes the first couple minutes of 1 Minute 2 Midnight, Russ Waterhouse's second solo release. It's been several years since Russ participated in new music-making as part of the duo Blues Control, now on an open-ended hiatus. Their four albums (plus one collaborative record with Laraaji) are much-heralded sonic journeys, processing observations on community and environment to produce a diverse set of instrumental modes. In the past couple years, Russ's solo work has coalesced as the relationships that had created Blues Control fell apart, making almost unconscious commentary on a disillusioned state of mind. This brought him back to the noise idiom that he'd started with, making cassettes as Rheum in the early aughts. Last year's cassette release, Amaro, recorded live and mostly improvised, was a relative expression of desolation compared to the verdant collaborations of Blues Control, but an evolution of his earlier work. 1 Minute 2 Midnight rides that forsaken vibe into waves of anger and frustration over lack of agency, emoted via encroaching overlays of noise and mixed with an ear for small details scattered among the big sounds, then patterned into two long-form pieces. Living in Richmond, Virginia during this time, Russ found himself in a void, with a variable response to the sense of dissipation -- resistance and surrender, outreach and retreat. Eventually, something had to happen to lead him out of it. A trek to locate bodies of water led him to the intersection of the Appomattox and the James rivers -- but there, the potential clarity that nature might provide was drowned out by the sounds of industrial machinery emanating from the stark environs around the city of Hopewell. Suddenly, here was something that resonated. Upon returning home, Russ did a bit of research and found that Hopewell had been the site of a disastrous chemical spill. The sounds of this place, implying calamity, needed to be captured. 'Hopewell' disperses the collected sounds in a live mix that extends over nineteen minutes through a series of increasingly forbidding moments. Using field recordings, a Sears Rhythm-Matic drum box, Roland TR-505 drum machine, Korg synth and percussion (marbles in a glass jar with a contact mic!), all of it tuned to the ground hum of the drum box, Russ's mix embodies an immanent doomsday. On side two, 'Too Many People' grows out of the first piece, and structures itself more readily. Based around field recordings gathered while wandering through Richmond's Regency Square mall, and climaxing with a corrosive guitar performance, the piece finds Russ employing tactile methodology with a greater sense of equilibrium and organization compared to the organic clamor of 'Hopewell.'..."

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: DC 769LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2020 release. "Five years after Tangier Sessions, Sir Richard Bishop, we presume, is back from his travels around the world. With Oneiric Formulary, he's dug deeper into his bag of extra-musical gestures from the eternal and unknowable, along with a few sounds we might recognize, all transmuted for our mortal ears' enjoyment. The last couple of Sir Richard Bishop releases on Drag City were genre exercises of sorts -- The Freak of Araby explored the musical legacy of late Egyptian guitarist Omar Khorshid while Tangier Sessions explored the sound of an obscure 19th century guitar that Rick had acquired from a mysterious Swiss luthier. The title Oneiric Formulary, may sit contrarily on the tongue -- but we may refer to it as representing 'a collection of dream states' -- which means we like it! With such a lofty goal in mind and at his fingertips, Sir Rick returns to the approach of his DC debut, Polytheistic Fragments -- a different sound, a different instrument, for nearly every track, drawing from the music of all nations, including and especially that infamous republic with only one person on the census roll (initials SRB). It's got mad variety, the kind you don't see much of anymore -- an Ed Sullivan kind of evening out, with some spinning plates, dancing mice, and of course, an appearance from Zippy the Chimp. What it means is that when you drop the needle/raise the laser/press the head to tape/or do whatever happens when you stream it, you've got sounds that don't sound at first like guitars -- because they're not! Then you've got sounds that sound initially like guitars -- because they are! Sir Richard found joy in not only finding unlikely sounds, but also writing a fake jingle, soundtracking an unreleased film, reflecting on Southern origins, going concrète (Beatles-style!), using computers (Sir Rick, no!), and accidentally juxtaposing Frippian electric guitar drone against the grit of ol' school acoustic guitar while thinking of sci-fi, as well as revisiting (t)rusty old forms such as Americana, classical, gypsy and raga. It's all trotted out to phantasmic effect, as it brings to us with the freshness, the roar of the old crowd as they see, smell and hear the greatest show on earth."

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: DC 780CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"It's 2023, and even the turn of century seems a long time ago now -- but oddly, Purling Hiss's guitar-band ethos feels ever more timeless, even as time accelerates and passes us in the outside lane. The Hiss aren't just a simple part of the tradition going back 50-odd years. Their DNA, pulsing in waves of punk and classic radio rock, grunge and slacker, is ineffably, re-singably music -- but their signature crushed guitar harmonics, fused with deep soulfulness, meld into something that cuts us with fresh heartbreak, an eternal recurrence that seems to be happening right now today, as it pours off the turntable and runs down the street. Drag On Girard, the first Purling Hiss album in six years, cruises through these states of mind and places in time -- dreams from the past and the future, careening lawlessly as they slide around loose on the road, an ever-present youth in their roll. As before, but with new twists, Mike Polizze and his gang let loose with the chaos and noise implied by their name, applying high-end splatter and slow-rolling low end to eight vehicles, running the gamut from gleaming pop gems to head-cleaning epic jams before they're done. The Polizze-on-Polizze prototype for Purling Hiss -- roiling, space-eating layers of guitars draped atop the muted thump of freedom rock, all of it squeezing through the spectrum in a mad dash to be heard -- was established way back in the Hissteria/Public Service Announcement days of the early teens. Now in a fourth album iteration of full-band Hiss, the genius of Mike Polizze's music, beyond the obvious -- his singing/screaming guitar leads, classic song construction and vivid hope-and-dream feels -- is the shifting layers of Hiss that make up the dynamic personalities of each album, from the major-label alternative rock sheen of Water On Mars to the slip-siding chaos of Weirdon and the shadowy 1980s club depths of High Bias. This time out, the colliding circles of time seem to have inspired both the songs and the band, and the sentiment-drenched mood explodes in a wild tangle of guitars that seem constantly about to overwhelm the room. One of the unique qualities of Drag On Girard is a specific lead-rhythm arrangement of the guitars, emitting the expected formidable roar while setting a certain type of rhythmic strut for the band. The two guitars style also trips power-pop impulses in the tunes, with sung-along harmony vocals that evoke classic collective magic and burnish the tunes one by one. Once this vibe's established, side two turns around and stretches out with the molten flow of Purling Hiss at their very most epic; couched within loose improvisatory structures, the title track and 'Shining Gilded Boulevard' play further with the yin/yang of nostalgia and truth as they trade places looking meditatively back to them old days and all their harshness and beauty..."

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: DC 780LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. "It's 2023, and even the turn of century seems a long time ago now -- but oddly, Purling Hiss's guitar-band ethos feels ever more timeless, even as time accelerates and passes us in the outside lane. The Hiss aren't just a simple part of the tradition going back 50-odd years. Their DNA, pulsing in waves of punk and classic radio rock, grunge and slacker, is ineffably, re-singably music -- but their signature crushed guitar harmonics, fused with deep soulfulness, meld into something that cuts us with fresh heartbreak, an eternal recurrence that seems to be happening right now today, as it pours off the turntable and runs down the street. Drag On Girard, the first Purling Hiss album in six years, cruises through these states of mind and places in time -- dreams from the past and the future, careening lawlessly as they slide around loose on the road, an ever-present youth in their roll. As before, but with new twists, Mike Polizze and his gang let loose with the chaos and noise implied by their name, applying high-end splatter and slow-rolling low end to eight vehicles, running the gamut from gleaming pop gems to head-cleaning epic jams before they're done. The Polizze-on-Polizze prototype for Purling Hiss -- roiling, space-eating layers of guitars draped atop the muted thump of freedom rock, all of it squeezing through the spectrum in a mad dash to be heard -- was established way back in the Hissteria/Public Service Announcement days of the early teens. Now in a fourth album iteration of full-band Hiss, the genius of Mike Polizze's music, beyond the obvious -- his singing/screaming guitar leads, classic song construction and vivid hope-and-dream feels -- is the shifting layers of Hiss that make up the dynamic personalities of each album, from the major-label alternative rock sheen of Water On Mars to the slip-siding chaos of Weirdon and the shadowy 1980s club depths of High Bias. This time out, the colliding circles of time seem to have inspired both the songs and the band, and the sentiment-drenched mood explodes in a wild tangle of guitars that seem constantly about to overwhelm the room. One of the unique qualities of Drag On Girard is a specific lead-rhythm arrangement of the guitars, emitting the expected formidable roar while setting a certain type of rhythmic strut for the band. The two guitars style also trips power-pop impulses in the tunes, with sung-along harmony vocals that evoke classic collective magic and burnish the tunes one by one. Once this vibe's established, side two turns around and stretches out with the molten flow of Purling Hiss at their very most epic; couched within loose improvisatory structures, the title track and 'Shining Gilded Boulevard' play further with the yin/yang of nostalgia and truth as they trade places looking meditatively back to them old days and all their harshness and beauty..."

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: DC 838LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

2023 repress. "It was early in 2019 -- no, November 2018! -- that Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin met at Studio Rymden, in a quiet, pretty suburban district of Stockholm, to make the music that became Ghosted. They can't remember exactly when it was made because that time -- the when and where that it was recorded -- doesn't really matter anymore. Now the music of Ghosted exists in the intention of a shared moment of playing, a clearly delineated time, put forth with a steady flow of small details on bass, guitar and drums, in a remarkable display of rhythmic flexibility within a minimal framework. Oren and Johan have met many times onstage and off since 2003, with several duo recordings to their credit, as well as additional encounters in the group Fire! with Mats Gustafsson and drummer Andreas Werliin. A while back, Oren and Johan decided to reconvene in the studio for a furthering of the thought process that they'd come to on the second Ambarchi/Berthling collaboration, 2015's Tongue Tied. As Andreas had mixed that session, it felt right to have him on kit -- he'd already been intimately involved in the process. The music they all play together in Fire! is, to put it mildly, loud. This session, they sensed an opportunity to explore different dynamics -- to tap, perhaps, a shared inner ECM space. Studio Rymden sits on an upper floor of the building it's located in, and the light coming through the windows was pleasant on that day. They set up, picked out some amps (including the best-sounding Leslie speaker Oren's ever heard) and got started. Rooting in the rich tonality and repeating figures of Johan's acoustic (and sometimes electric) bass, the four tracks that make up Ghosted act as variations on a theme, unspooling continuously over the course of 39 minutes with the terse flow of krautrock jams -- closely observed percussive riffs and repetitions that build continuously with subtle shifts as they move forward, with the small details flying expansively in and out across the stereo spectrum. Oren's guitar often sounds with an organ-like tone, with notes of fire and glass wafting out over the percolation and permutation in Johan and Andreas' rhythms..."

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: DC 862CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Critically-acclaimed, criminally-overachieving Glasgow-based singer and guitarist Alasdair Roberts is known as a superlative original songwriter as well as an interpreter of traditional songs from Scotland and beyond. For the past twenty years, his recordings have alternated between these two complimentary poles, with 'pop' records such as The Amber Gatherers and A Wonder Working Stone nestling in his expansive back catalogue alongside 'folk' albums such as No Earthly Man and What News (with Amble Skuse and David McGuinness). Additionally, all of these records possess a further dimension, derived from their collation of songs together into one album-length statement. This is part of Alasdair's great achievement in his career -- for him, this thing of music and song hasn't come the eons it's travelled to simply entertain. These impulses fully present and well honed, Alasdair returns to his roots with Grief in the Kitchen and Mirth in the Hall, his fifth full-length collection of traditional song. Recorded live in the studio, it is an entirely solo collection of twelve traditional ballads and songs sparsely arranged for acoustic guitar, piano and voice. The majority of the songs originate in Alasdair's homeland of Scotland, with a couple from Ireland and one from Prince Edward Island on Canada's eastern seaboard too . . . Collectively the songs treat of various conflicts and tensions -- those of gender; of class, status and position; and of geography and tribal belonging ? and the roles and responsibilities expected at the various intersections of these constructs . . . As with many of Alasdair's recordings, Grief in the Kitchen and Mirth in the Hall contains ballads aplenty: tragic ('Bob Norris'), supernatural ('The Holland Handkerchief') and dramatic ('Eppie Morrie'). There are love songs ('The Lichtbob's Lassie') and anti-love songs ('Kilbogie'). There are rare, seldom-heard pieces ('Young Airly') and much more well-known ones ('Mary Mild,' a version of 'The Queen's Four Maries'). Woven through all of this -- a thread of levity, perhaps -- is a triptych of zoological allegories -- a panegyric to a mystical steed ('The Wonderful Grey Horse'), a lament for a lost cow ('Drimindown') and a paean to a regal waterbird ('The Bonny Moorhen'), which serves to highlight the intersection of the mythic, the eternal and the mundane at which we all find ourselves in every day of our life on Earth. Grief In the Kitchen and Mirth in the Hall was masterfully recorded by Sam Smith at Green Door Studios, Glasgow over an economical two days, and mixed in one day..."

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: EB 165LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. Dubmatix has taken his time working on his new album. Sly & Robbie meet Dubmatix Overdubbed was released in 2018 (EB 125CD/LP). It scooped the Juno Award for "Reggae Recording Of The Year 2019", marking the second time the Canadian producer and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto had received this coveted award. ReWired is his first studio album in years and it's already abundantly clear that the wait has been more than worth it. The album offers a dazzling, masterful kaleidoscope of modern sounds of dub-oriented bass music that is enormous fun. The Canadian could be in with a great chance of winning another Juno Award. Features Lone Ranger, Sr Wilson, Exile Di Brave and Kazam Davis, Joe Publik, The Hempolics, Lasai, Ras Kayleb, Jman, Duane Stephenson, Rootwords, and Barry Ashworth.

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: EMEGO 264LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited restock; LP version. After a trilogy of spectacular explorations of relentlessly driving rhythms -- Sagittarian Domain (EMEGO 144CD/LP, 2012), Quixotism (EMEGO 202CD/LP, 2014), and Hubris (EMEGO 227CD/LP, 2016) -- Simian Angel finds Oren Ambarchi renewing his focus on his singular approach to the electric guitar, returning in part to the spacious canvases of classic releases like Grapes From The Estate (BT 036LP/TO 061CD) while also following his muse down previously unexplored byways. Reflecting Ambarchi's profound love of Brazilian music, Simian Angel features the remarkable percussive talents of Cyro Baptista, a key part of the Downtown scene who has collaborated with everyone from John Zorn and Derek Bailey to Robert Palmer and Herbie Hancock. Like the music of Nana Vasconcelos and Airto Moreira, Simian Angel places Baptista's dexterous and rhythmically nuanced handling of traditional Brazilian percussion instruments into an unexpected musical context. On the first side, "Palm Sugar Candy", Baptista's spare and halting rhythms wind their way through a landscape of gliding electronic tones, gently rising up and momentarily subsiding until the piece's final minutes leave Ambarchi's guitar unaccompanied. While the rich, swirling harmonics of Ambarchi's guitar performance are familiar to listeners from his previous recordings, the subtly wavering, synthetic guitar tone you hear is quite new, coming across at times like an abstracted, splayed-out take on the '80s guitar synth work of Pat Metheny or Bill Frisell. Equally new is the harmonic complexity of Ambarchi's playing, which leaves behind the minimalist simplicity of much of his previous work for a constantly-shifting play between lush consonance and uneasy dissonance. Beginning with a beautiful passage of unaccompanied percussion dominated by the berimbau, the side-long title piece carries on the first side's exploration of subtle, non-linear dynamic arcs, taking the form of a gently episodic suite, in which distinctive moments, like a lyrical passage of guitar-triggered piano, unexpectedly arise from intervals of drifting tones like dream images suddenly cohering. In the piece's second half, the piano tones become increasingly more clipped and synthetic, scattering themselves into aleatoric melodies that call to mind an imaginary collaboration between Albert Marcoeur and David Behrman, grounded all the while by the pulse of Baptista's percussion. Subtle yet complex, fleeting yet emotionally affecting, Simian Angel is an essential chapter in Ambarchi's restlessly exploratory oeuvre. Personnel: Oren Ambarchi - guitars & whatnot; Cyro Baptista - percussion & voice.Recorded by Randall Dunn, Joerg Hiller, Iuri Oriente, and Oren Ambarchi. Photography by Traianos Pakioufakis. Design by Lasse Marhaug. Edited by Joerg Hiller and Oren Ambarchi at Choose Studios, Berlin. Mixed by Joe Talia and Oren Ambarchi at Good Mixture, Tokyo. Cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. Executive Producers: Konrad Sprenger and Dick Wolf.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: EMEGO 295LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress, black vinyl. Nik Colk Void is well established with her work -- using modular systems, voice and guitar -- as one half of Factory Floor, one third of Carter Tutti Void (alongside Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti) and with the late Peter Rehberg as NPVR, but perhaps surprisingly, Bucked Up Space is her first solo album release. Void explains, "When Peter Rehberg initially asked me to produce a record for Editions Mego, I didn't feel quite ready and asked if we could make a record together instead. Collaboration is so ingrained into what I do, I only felt ready to make this album after working through ideas live, using the audience in place of the collaborator." Bucked Up Space combines Void's love of improvisation with the driving force of beat-driven music absorbed from performing in galleries, residencies, and clubs across the UK and Europe. She goes on to say, "You find out more about yourself when you explain your ideas to others, and that's how I felt the live performance worked for me." The process steadily teased out a language and Void employed a variety of tactics in the recording process including a methodical approach of collecting data at her home studio in a manner not dissimilar to keeping a diary. Her microscopic focus on raw instrumental noise, layered and reformulated, resulted in a sound catalog that Void divided into groups for their tone, density, and texture. These initial pieces were taken to a studio in Margate to put them into a more cohesive compositional context. Something that pragmatically started as cold and detached was given warmth, unity, and emotion in the studio. Via improvised repetition co-existing alongside organized production, Void conjures new sonic muscle with tracks such as "Interruption Is Good" and "FlatTime". Initial recordings are rendered into sequences initiating the organic rhythms, triggering awkward jerks of hi-hats and percussion, or used to activate the margins of post effects detectable in the tracks like "Demna", "Big Breather", and "Oversized". Void explains: "It was important to me that the simplicity in the work disguised a lot of complexity, I want this work to be absorbed instinctively." The sleeve image is a still from We Are City by Brazilian artist Maria de Lima. Engineered by James Greenwood, mastered by Rashad Becker. Tracks 1, 4, 5, 7 and 9 were mixed by Marta Salogni. Bucked Up Space is the result of the ideas and resulting sounds of free exploration morphing into a personal structured album that fearlessly molds patience, listening, and restraint.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: ENV 008R-EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Autumn of 2022 marked 20 years since the initial release of Metro Area's first and only album, Metro Area. Environ had already remastered and re-released this essential LP for its 15th anniversary. So, this time around, the label is doing something a bit different. To celebrate two decades of Metro Area, Environ has partnered with renowned mastering engineer Matt Colton (Metropolis Studios) to remaster and recut the first four Metro Area 12"s: Metro Area, Metro Area 2, Metro Area 3, and Metro Area 4. Unlike the album reissue, these records include the original, extended 12" versions of all songs, including some which have never been re-released. Metro Area is the duo's first 12" EP, originally released in 1999.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: ENV 014R-EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Autumn of 2022 marked 20 years since the initial release of Metro Area's first and only album, Metro Area. Environ had already remastered and re-released this essential LP for its 15th anniversary. So, this time around, the label is doing something a bit different. To celebrate two decades of Metro Area, Environ has partnered with renowned mastering engineer Matt Colton (Metropolis Studios) to remaster and recut the first four Metro Area 12"s: Metro Area, Metro Area 2, Metro Area 3, and Metro Area 4. Unlike the album reissue, these records include the original, extended 12" versions of all songs, including some which have never been re-released. Metro Area 4 is the duo's first 12" EP, originally released in 2001.

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: ECLEC 22827CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"This new Esoteric Recordings edition gathers together these recordings from 1973 and presents them in remastered form as a double CD set, which also features an illustrated booklet with new essay."

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: ECLEC 2801CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Newly remastered and expanded edition of Bright City, the classic solo album by guitarist and vocalist Miller Anderson. Remastered from the original master tapes and featuring an additional six bonus tracks previously unreleased on CD. Includes a session for BBC Radio One's Sounds Of The '70s show recorded in September 1971."

 

PRICE: $21.00

CAT #: EXM 029CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Two rare solo albums from the late Hugh Hopper former member of Soft Machine. Jazzloops and its sequel The Stolen Hour features Hopper with special guest appearances by his fellow Soft Machine members and friends; Robert Wyatt, Elton Dean, revered jazz drummer John Marshall, Gong alumni Didier Malherbe, and French guitarist Patrice Meyer. Both discs have been remastered and the booklet features the original comic for The Stolen Hour."

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: FAITICHE 017LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress. Faitiche release a short version of the radio play Zwischen (German for "between"). Devised and produced by Jan Jelinek for German public broadcaster SWR2, Zwischen brings together twelve sound poetry collages using interview answers by public figures. Each collage consists of the brief moments between the spoken words: silences, pauses for breath, and hesitations in which the interviewees utter non-semantic sound particles. These voice collages also control a synthesizer, creating electronic sounds that overlay and merge with the voices to make twelve acoustic structures. We all know the speaker's fate: you falter, you mispronounce, there are breaks, silences, and false starts. This results in delays, a language noise compared by Roland Barthes to the knocks made by a malfunctioning motor. Such gaps can be disconcerting, standing as they do for a failure of the speaker's rhetorical skills. But what happens when they become a constitutive, poetic factor? Zwischen consists of twelve answers to twelve questions. The answers were all recorded in interview situations. From the speech of the interviewees -- all eloquent public figures -- the pauses are extracted and edited together. The result is a series of sound collages of silence. But this silence is deceptive, as it is only meaning that falls silent. What remains audible is an archaic body language: modes of breathing, planning phases, seething word particles in search of sense that can break out into onomatopoeic tumult or drift off into sonorous noise. In a further step, each of the twelve collages controls a modular synthesizer via its amplitude and frequency. Supposedly defective speech acts conduct synthetic sounds and the speakers regain their composure -- not via the spoken word, but through sound. The opening questions in the various interviews are answered by: Alice Schwarzer, John Cage, Hubert Fichte, Slavoj Zizek, Joseph Beuys, Lady Gaga, Ernst Jandl, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Marcel Duchamp, Friederike Mayröcker, Yoko Ono, and Max Ernst. Jelinek extends his thanks to Frank Halbig and SWR2. Includes download code; Edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: FARO 122X-LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. Heavyweight vinyl. Far Out Recordings present the ten-year anniversary of Arthur Verocai's Encore, originally released in 2007. Encore features 11 original compositions from Arthur Verocai with guest musicians including Azymuth, Ivan Lins, and a nine-piece string section. The highly anticipated follow-up to Arthur's eponymous debut album from 1972, Encore saw Arthur joining the dots over 35 years to create a modern classic of Brazilian music that, like his debut, combines Brazilian influences with his take on American soul and cinematic experimentation, and shows that Arthur's sound is as poignant as it ever was. In the mid-2000s, following on from Marcos Valle, Joyce, and of course Azymuth, Arthur Verocai joined the long-line of Brazilian musicians whose music was to be introduced to a whole new legion of fans by Far Out Recordings. The story of Encore begins with Joe Davis, Far Out Recordings' head honcho who stumbled upon Arthur's debut in a dusty record store in downtown Rio in the late '80s. At the time of its release in 1972, critics panned Arthur's debut and both the album and artist subsequently vanished into obscurity. Fast forward to winter 2004 and Joe's at the studio of Far Out Recording artists Harmonic 313 -- aka production duo Mark "Troubleman" Pritchard and Dave Brinkworth -- playing them some of his favorite Brazilian albums. Dave recalls the moment Joe put on Arthur's debut, "As soon as the needle hit the record and we heard the fantastic arrangements, songs and sounds, Arthur completely blew our minds." Three months later and Dave was in Brazil with Arthur Verocai, and the plans for what was to become Encore were being laid down. Produced by Dave, Encore sees Arthur on incredible form, the 35 plus years between the recording of his debut and this the follow-up just melting away as Arthur picked up the (conductor's) baton once again to create 11 epic tracks of stirring samba-soul and experimental cinematic movements that sees him creating a record to rival his debut.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: FARO 210-1LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress; LP version, Volume 1. 180 gram vinyl; includes download code. Since their debut in 1975 (FARO 117X-LP), Azymuth have risen to rank alongside the world's greatest jazz, funk and fusion artists. As young men in Rio de Janeiro, they stood out for both their exceptional talent as musicians, and their wild rock 'n' roll antics in the predominantly middle-class worlds of bossa nova and jazz. Their signature "Samba Doido" (crazy samba) sound ruptured the tried and tested musical structures of the day, resulting in what can only be described as an electric, psychedelic, samba jazz-funk hybrid. Before they became Azymuth, José Roberto Bertrami (keyboards), Ivan 'Mamão' Conti (drums), Alex Malheiros (bass) and Ariovaldo Contesini (percussion) played backing band to just about every major artist in Brazil. Azymuth's name can be found on record sleeves by the likes of Jorge Ben, Elis Regina, Marcos Valle, Ana Mazzotti, and countless others. But at the dawn of the seventies, fascinated by developments in improvisational music -- from jazz in the US, to progressive rock in the UK and of course samba, bossa and tropicália on home turf - the energetic young group were inspired and ready to move forward; these previously unheard recordings took place between 1973-75 at Bertrami's home studio. At the time of recording, there was nothing in Brazil, less the world, that sounded anything like them, so it's unsurprising that when Bertrami presented his demos to the record companies he had been working for, he was turned away, told in effect that the music was 'wrong'. When English producers Joe Davis and Roc Hunter arrived in Brazil in 1994 to record the first Azymuth album in over a decade, Bertrami dug out the demos which had sat virtually untouched for over twenty years. Beginning a long and fruitful relationship, "Prefacio" would be the first track Azymuth recorded for Far Out Recordings and was released on the Carnival album (1996). Only a handful of these demos were ever professionally recorded and released, making this the first opportunity to hear many of these early Azymuth compositions in their raw, original form. On every track the frenetic energy in the studio is palpable, giving the recordings a beautifully personal feel and a sense of the phenomenally creative vision Bertrami, Malheiros, and Conti were realizing at the time. Fifty years on, Azymuth's earliest recorded music retains an ineffable, futuristic quality, standing amongst their most captivating and moving work.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: FARO 210-2LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress; LP version, Volume 2. 180 gram vinyl; includes download code. Since their debut in 1975 (FARO 117X-LP), Azymuth have risen to rank alongside the world's greatest jazz, funk and fusion artists. As young men in Rio de Janeiro, they stood out for both their exceptional talent as musicians, and their wild rock 'n' roll antics in the predominantly middle-class worlds of bossa nova and jazz. Their signature "Samba Doido" (crazy samba) sound ruptured the tried and tested musical structures of the day, resulting in what can only be described as an electric, psychedelic, samba jazz-funk hybrid. Before they became Azymuth, José Roberto Bertrami (keyboards), Ivan 'Mamão' Conti (drums), Alex Malheiros (bass) and Ariovaldo Contesini (percussion) played backing band to just about every major artist in Brazil. Azymuth's name can be found on record sleeves by the likes of Jorge Ben, Elis Regina, Marcos Valle, Ana Mazzotti, and countless others. But at the dawn of the seventies, fascinated by developments in improvisational music -- from jazz in the US, to progressive rock in the UK and of course samba, bossa and tropicália on home turf - the energetic young group were inspired and ready to move forward; these previously unheard recordings took place between 1973-75 at Bertrami's home studio. At the time of recording, there was nothing in Brazil, less the world, that sounded anything like them, so it's unsurprising that when Bertrami presented his demos to the record companies he had been working for, he was turned away, told in effect that the music was 'wrong'. When English producers Joe Davis and Roc Hunter arrived in Brazil in 1994 to record the first Azymuth album in over a decade, Bertrami dug out the demos which had sat virtually untouched for over twenty years. Beginning a long and fruitful relationship, "Prefacio" would be the first track Azymuth recorded for Far Out Recordings and was released on the Carnival album (1996). Only a handful of these demos were ever professionally recorded and released, making this the first opportunity to hear many of these early Azymuth compositions in their raw, original form. On every track the frenetic energy in the studio is palpable, giving the recordings a beautifully personal feel and a sense of the phenomenally creative vision Bertrami, Malheiros, and Conti were realizing at the time. Fifty years on, Azymuth's earliest recorded music retains an ineffable, futuristic quality, standing amongst their most captivating and moving work.

 

PRICE: $25.50

CAT #: FTR 660LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"On a hot night in Philly -- Saturday August 9, 1998 -- Brooke Sietsons's backyard hosted the No More Bush tour. The line-up that evening was Zaïmph, Jack Rose, MV+EE, Tom Carter & Willie Lane, 50 Foot Women with Axolotl, and the sole known appearance of the Mike Watt/Charles Plymell duo. Plymell and Watt had met a year earlier at the Festival Ecstatique in Western Mass, and they hit it off like crazy. So, when this tour was coming together, and Charley agreed to reprise the work he did on the More Hair Less Bush tour in '94, we noticed Watt's path with the Stooges might intersect around the Philly area. As always, Watt was chuffed to not have to take a day off, and excited to team up with one of his literary heroes. Plymell was stoked as well, and the two were spieling and laughing from the moment they hooked up. When it was time for them to perform, they were ready to fucking rock. Watt starts things with a couple of his own poems (which were published as a booklet for this appearance) then Charley rolls into it, with Mike shifting to bass. Starting with classics -- "Song for Neal Cassady," "Was Poe Afraid?," etc. -- Plymell adds a couple of new ones at the end, while Watt pulls spectral bass lines from the aether, and the dark hot night soaks it all in. The whole event was pretty amazing, but this meeting of the minds, was really the high point for most of us. You might not have been there, but thanks to the recording made by Laki Vazakas and the pics taken by Dan Cohoon, you can now lie and say you were! Just remember -- we were all sweating. Even Charles Burns!" --Byron Coley, 2023

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: FKR 013X-LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

2023 restock. Back in the latter half of the 1960s the burgeoning idiosyncratic group of alternative filmmakers coming out of (then) Czechoslovakia known as the Czech new wave were taking art house cinemas in western Europe and America by storm. The hour-long films that came out of the infamous Barrandov Studio production house played a competitive rival to that of the French and Italian new waves with their very own immaculate and spellbinding takes on cinema verité, film noir, surrealism and cinema concrète. But after the Soviet Union invaded Czech in August 1968 the clampdown on non-conformist creative arts saw over seventy films either banned or withdrawn from production in a mass culling of film reels until 1970. It is not until recent years that the genre has become widely recognized as a veritable and virtually untapped source of inspiration for fans of experimental cinema, psychedelic cinematography, baroque costumes and scenery, music and graphic design. Daisies pulls together what you might call the "Holy Trinity" of the Czech new wave -- director Vera Chytilová, costume and set designer Esther Krumbachová, and cinematographer Jaroslav Kucera -- arguably the three most forward thinking and truly experimental minds in the whole of the CNW collective. Witness Les Petites Margeurites (original French theatrical title) as they mischievously flutter through Prague's finest restaurants accompanying middle-aged men on flamboyant double dates in gastronomic ménage à trois -- "If the world spoils itself, then we shall be spoiled as well" decide the two bikini clad button-cute Maries in the film's opening scenes. The radical and experimental nature of Daisies is further enhanced by its erratic score which consists of the juxtaposition of various non-melodic elements and sound effects, laden with a broad palette of samples and snippets of choral and classical vintage recordings spliced with concréte effects, traditional brass band music, Disney style exotica, Charleston dance standards, and token '60s beat tracks. Originally prepared for public consumption by Finders Keepers in 2007 and available once again this immaculate release was taken from the original reels and compiled in close accordance to the original storyline and comes complete with unseen archive images, original international poster designs and new and extensive sleeve notes. Compositions by Jiri Sust & Jiri Slitr, Eva Pilerova, Jan Klusák, and Marie Cesková. Available on standard black vinyl and a strictly limited edition white and yellow yolk vinyl pressing (edition of 500).

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: GET 51506LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

"Green vinyl. Originally released on July, 20th 1987 on Dangerous Music, Born To Mack is Too $hort's fourth studio album and re-released as his first major label release in 1988 on Jive Records. Long out of print on vinyl, this West Coast classic contains the nine+ minute track 'Freaky Tales' which Snoop Dogg would state was highly influential, to such an extent that Snoop covered the song in '97 for the hip-hop covers compilation In Tha Beginning. Too $hort is one of the pioneers of West Coast Hip-Hop, commemorated with a street named in his honor -- Oakland's Too $hort Way dedicated in December of 2022. Too $hort continues to make music and plays West Coast classics and upcoming artists on his Rock The Bells radio show Don't Stop Rappin and is a member of West Coast Pioneers super group Mount Westmore."

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: GGGR 125LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"A follow-up to the duo's LP, CCTK Music (2021, Gilgongo Records), Performances features three sets from Fella and Isaac, from Gilgongo Records' 15th Year Anniversary celebration in Phoenix, AZ -- December 2019. Like the event, the record starts with a recreation of the second side of CCTK Music, using six reference lacquers of CCTK's A-side as source material to make a live collage. Following this are solo sets from Isaac (using her laptop as a feedback loop/sound source/physical device) and Fella (offering a slow-moving electro-acoustic/tape-machine based piece). Includes a sketched layout for the CCTK installation and a reproduction of the event's flier. Recorded and mastered by John Wiese."

 

PRICE: $10.00

CAT #: GGGR 128CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"Strega Beata is the third full-length album from Sam An's dark electronic, genre-bridging solo project under the semi-notorious moniker Lana Del Rabies. After a brief hiatus, this record is her first full-length release since the gothic, industrial noise of 2018's Shadow World (on Deathbomb Arc). Strega Beata, which loosely translates to 'Blessed Witch,' is an apocalyptic myth told through dense, textural compositions pulling from the vast corners of dark genre music. The title's meaning is appropriate for the existential, cathartic, and otherworldly themes explored. The record is told through the evolving perspective of a cryptic and obscure 'Mother' creator figure, specifically echoing the mother and crone goddess archetypes. This figure is vocalized through LDR's eerie harmonies, spoken words, pleading howls, and frenetic screams aimed towards another archetype, the chosen one. These vocalizations sometimes hover above trip-hop low tempos and unnerving atmospheres ('Mourning,' 'Hallowed is the Earth'), sink through vintage horror movie darkwave synths ('Master,' 'Apocalypse Fatigue'), weave through art metal distortions and relentless drone bass tones ('Mother'), or blast through unconventional industrial rhythms ('Prayers of Consequence,' 'A Plague'). Lana Del Rabies is the solo dark electronic, genre-bridging solo project of Phoenix based musician, producer and multimedia artist Sam An. With origins as an experimental project that re-contextualized the more ominous aspects of modern pop music made by women (like that of Lana Del Rey), Lana Del Rabies' music incorporates industrial, gothic noise and metal, with experimental, darkwave and ambient elements. Her work thematically embodies discordant spaces between the occult and the political, personal trauma and collective grief, and brutality and benediction."

 

PRICE: $30.00

CAT #: GGGR 128LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Double LP version. "Strega Beata is the third full-length album from Sam An's dark electronic, genre-bridging solo project under the semi-notorious moniker Lana Del Rabies. After a brief hiatus, this record is her first full-length release since the gothic, industrial noise of 2018's Shadow World (on Deathbomb Arc). Strega Beata, which loosely translates to 'Blessed Witch,' is an apocalyptic myth told through dense, textural compositions pulling from the vast corners of dark genre music. The title's meaning is appropriate for the existential, cathartic, and otherworldly themes explored. The record is told through the evolving perspective of a cryptic and obscure 'Mother' creator figure, specifically echoing the mother and crone goddess archetypes. This figure is vocalized through LDR's eerie harmonies, spoken words, pleading howls, and frenetic screams aimed towards another archetype, the chosen one. These vocalizations sometimes hover above trip-hop low tempos and unnerving atmospheres ('Mourning,' 'Hallowed is the Earth'), sink through vintage horror movie darkwave synths ('Master,' 'Apocalypse Fatigue'), weave through art metal distortions and relentless drone bass tones ('Mother'), or blast through unconventional industrial rhythms ('Prayers of Consequence,' 'A Plague'). Lana Del Rabies is the solo dark electronic, genre-bridging solo project of Phoenix based musician, producer and multimedia artist Sam An. With origins as an experimental project that re-contextualized the more ominous aspects of modern pop music made by women (like that of Lana Del Rey), Lana Del Rabies' music incorporates industrial, gothic noise and metal, with experimental, darkwave and ambient elements. Her work thematically embodies discordant spaces between the occult and the political, personal trauma and collective grief, and brutality and benediction."

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: GUESS 066CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"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: $28.00

CAT #: GUESS 180LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress, LP version. Reissue. Originally released as private pressing in 1971, the Farm album is highly sought-after and revered by collectors. Recorded by this Southern Illinois band in 1971 at the legendary Golden Voice studios, it's chock full of jammy, bluesy guitar psych with heavy dual guitars, organ, congas, harp... Recommended if you like Quicksilver, Allman Brothers, Canned Heat, Ten Years After... Remastered sound; original artwork; includes booklet with photos and extensive liner notes by Kevin Rathert (It's Psychedelic Baby) LP version includes download card. "A vital album for fans of vintage guitar action." --Patrick Lundborg (Acid Archives).

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: HAB 021CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"Blisteringly groovy collection of completely off-the-radar songs by Libyan composer/producer Najib Alhoush's group The Free Music, circa 1976. Releasing an astonishing ten albums, all impressively strong and equally infused by soul, funk, disco, and reggae, The Free Music created a distinctly infectious groove that unfortunately didn't make an impact outside of Libya due to the complex political situation at the time. There is a reason it says 'Part 1' in the title. Avid Habibi Funk listeners may be familiar with Libyan composer/producer Najib Alhoush, who's track 'Ya Aen Daly' -- the Bee Gee's 'Stayin Alive' cover -- was included in our second compilation. While the original track never excited us, Najib's version managed to strip it from its pop approach that had taken over disco during the genre`s peak. At that time, disco tracks mostly were aiming to appeal to the widest audience possible. Najib had turned the original track into something different and very unique. Upon further research we found that Najib was actually the singer and founder of The Free Music band alongside Fakhreddin, Salim Jibreel, Abdulrazzak 'Kit-Kat', Mukhtar Wanis and Mohameed Al Rakibi. Initially, we only licensed Najib Alhoush's "Ya Aen Daly" from Yousef Alhoush, Najib's son, who was pleased to hear that there was interest in his father's music form someone abroad. In the process of exchanging and learning about Najib's music and career, our understanding was that The Free Music only recorded the one album. This couldn't be further from the truth, in fact, there were ten albums produced by the group, all impressively coherent with a clear influence from disco, soul, funk and reggae. The Free Music album was probably the longest it ever took us to gather information, photos and musical source material in a good enough quality to be reissued. This is largely due to the complicated political situation in Libya, compounded by the fact that Libya is still largely cut off from international payment systems, so getting an advance payment to the right person can be a process that takes weeks. The same goes for getting master tapes to a studio abroad and afterwards back to Libya. When we look for music that works under the umbrella of Habibi Funk, we often come across albums where bands experimented with influences from soul, jazz, funk, disco and more, usually on a single track or two but then they often go down to a different path for the rest of the album. This was not the case for The Free Music. All their albums are fully dedicated to their unique blend of disco, reggae and funk and it feels that when we made the selection for this album, we could have chosen a completely different number of tracks and the album would be been equally strong."

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: HAB 021LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

LP version. "Blisteringly groovy collection of completely off-the-radar songs by Libyan composer/producer Najib Alhoush's group The Free Music, circa 1976. Releasing an astonishing ten albums, all impressively strong and equally infused by soul, funk, disco, and reggae, The Free Music created a distinctly infectious groove that unfortunately didn't make an impact outside of Libya due to the complex political situation at the time. There is a reason it says 'Part 1' in the title. Avid Habibi Funk listeners may be familiar with Libyan composer/producer Najib Alhoush, who's track 'Ya Aen Daly' -- the Bee Gee's 'Stayin Alive' cover -- was included in our second compilation. While the original track never excited us, Najib's version managed to strip it from its pop approach that had taken over disco during the genre`s peak. At that time, disco tracks mostly were aiming to appeal to the widest audience possible. Najib had turned the original track into something different and very unique. Upon further research we found that Najib was actually the singer and founder of The Free Music band alongside Fakhreddin, Salim Jibreel, Abdulrazzak 'Kit-Kat', Mukhtar Wanis and Mohameed Al Rakibi. Initially, we only licensed Najib Alhoush's "Ya Aen Daly" from Yousef Alhoush, Najib's son, who was pleased to hear that there was interest in his father's music form someone abroad. In the process of exchanging and learning about Najib's music and career, our understanding was that The Free Music only recorded the one album. This couldn't be further from the truth, in fact, there were ten albums produced by the group, all impressively coherent with a clear influence from disco, soul, funk and reggae. The Free Music album was probably the longest it ever took us to gather information, photos and musical source material in a good enough quality to be reissued. This is largely due to the complicated political situation in Libya, compounded by the fact that Libya is still largely cut off from international payment systems, so getting an advance payment to the right person can be a process that takes weeks. The same goes for getting master tapes to a studio abroad and afterwards back to Libya. When we look for music that works under the umbrella of Habibi Funk, we often come across albums where bands experimented with influences from soul, jazz, funk, disco and more, usually on a single track or two but then they often go down to a different path for the rest of the album. This was not the case for The Free Music. All their albums are fully dedicated to their unique blend of disco, reggae and funk and it feels that when we made the selection for this album, we could have chosen a completely different number of tracks and the album would be been equally strong."

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: SUBURBIA 021LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1995. Originally released on the legendary No Tomorrow label, Radio Surf is one of the absolute classics of the '90s Spanish Ramones-inspired pop punk resurgence. Includes their 1993 single and four demo versions as bonus, with double-sided insert. Blue vinyl. "If you want to listen to good pop punk listen to Spanish bands" --Ben Weasel, Maximum RocknRoll, 1995.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: SUBURBIA 025EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 2013. The debut EP from New England's garage punk group, Wimpy & The Medallions featuring Wimpy Rutherford, the original front man of the cult pop-punk band The Queers. A strong line-up behind him, featuring ex Queers/Nobodys guitarist Geoff Palmer, Kurt Baker from The Leftovers, and members from The Connection. Still Headed Nowhere was recorded and written in 48 hours during Memorial Day weekend 2012. Revisited artwork for this Hey Suburbia limited edition 7".

 

PRICE: $14.00

CAT #: IMPREC 260CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

2023 restock. Originally released in 2009. "Back to music after three years of silence... On the suggestion of Robert Ashley, Douglas Dunn commissioned this piece from Éliane Radigue for choreography. Only the first part of Triptych was staged at the premiere at the Dancehall/Theatre of Nancy on February 27 1978. Recorded in the composer's studio in Paris. After the premiere of Adnos I (IMPREC 028CD) in San Francisco in 1974, a group of French students introduced Éliane Radigue to Tibetan Buddhism. When she returned to Paris, she began to explore this spirituality in depth, which slowed her musical production up until 1978. Triptych marks her return to composition, and draws its inspiration from 'the spirit of the fundamental elements,' water, air, fire, earth... Éliane Radigue likes to add that this has often been useful to her in her moments of research and transitions. This three-part composition, with its great humility and contemplative simplicity, heralded a new period of work and was the first in a series of masterpieces inspired by Tibetan Buddhism: Adnos II (1980); Adnos III (1981) [both included on IMPREC 028CD]; Songs of Milarepa (1983), with the voices of Lama Kunga Rinpoche and Robert Ashley; Jetsun Mila (1986); as well as the Triologie de la Mort (XI 119CD): Kyema (1988), Kailasha (1991), and Koumé (1993). Archival images included in the accompanying booklet." --Manu Holterbach

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: IF 1009X-LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Reissue. In 2010, electronic composer Arandel quietly released his first album In D on the then young InFiné label. At the time, the artist was strictly anonymous, put in the forefront its strict methodology of composition, and unleashed to the world what was destined to eventually break ground as a classic debut. The original pressing of that record sold out more than ten years ago, and at long last is finding new life on gold limited edition vinyl (including an enamel pin of the doodle that adorns the album cover). The record covers immense ground despite the strict "sonic dogma" put in place (every song in the key of D, and no samples allowed beyond what Arandel played himself). With these limitations aside, the record traverses a wide sonic map that covers classic, pristine leftfield house, ambient experimentalism, and even mind-expanding psychedelia. As stated by The Line of Best Fit in 2010, "In Dis an exciting, occasionally intoxicating and spirited album that owes as much to the spirit of its influences as it does to the desired mystery of its creator."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: JPR 061LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"Exotic Moog is a much sought after title in our Martin Denny reissue series. Great music for synth, exotica, experimental, '60s rock and psych hunters. Classic black vinyl."

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: JPR 068X-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The Dead Boys debut studio album, Young, Loud and Snotty, was recorded and released in 1977 and quickly became one of the definitive US punk rock albums! Sourced from the original master tapes. Pressed at RTI for Maximum Fidelity. Rolling Stone -- Best Top 10 Punk Albums of all time. Black vinyl."

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: PROJR 10-03

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. Two excellent Revolutionaires cuts. Sly and Robbie at their best. An unreleased dub from the Bunny Lee produced "2 Bad Bull" track originally vocal by B. Simpson. These early tracks were recorded at Channel One and produced by Bunny Striker Lee. Rare and raw.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: N 77123CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"A great live recording on Vinyl & CD on Jazzline! This release in a series of live recordings of concerts from the 'Fabrik' in Hamburg-Altona, one of those hidden treasures from the archive of the NDR, was intended to bring back the memory of changes and revolutions in the world of jazz of more than four decades ago. It has now turned into an obituary -- at the end of September 2022 the tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders passed away at the age of 81. This recording of the Sanders Quartet from 6 June 1980 is so far the oldest from the 'Fabrik', predating the great jazz-epoch of the venue. An era, which even today Thomas Engel, the first program planner of the 'Fabrik', describes as a very special period for popular and not-so-popular culture in Hamburg and far beyond. Furthermore, this concert formed part of the then fifth edition of what was still called the 'New Jazz Festival', a summit of German, European and US-American musicians. Only thanks to the NDR Bigband, top-class jazz was performed at the old industrial site on Barnerstrasse in Altona at all. In the mid-1970s, the band was brave enough to leave its familiar recording studio and perform rousing concerts at the 'Fabrik'. Since 1976, the 'New Jazz Festival' organized by Wolfgang Kunert, the program planner of the big band, institutionalized jazz music at this exceptional location."

 

PRICE: $53.00

CAT #: N 78123LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Double LP version. "A great live recording on Vinyl & CD on Jazzline! This release in a series of live recordings of concerts from the 'Fabrik' in Hamburg-Altona, one of those hidden treasures from the archive of the NDR, was intended to bring back the memory of changes and revolutions in the world of jazz of more than four decades ago. It has now turned into an obituary -- at the end of September 2022 the tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders passed away at the age of 81. This recording of the Sanders Quartet from 6 June 1980 is so far the oldest from the 'Fabrik', predating the great jazz-epoch of the venue. An era, which even today Thomas Engel, the first program planner of the 'Fabrik', describes as a very special period for popular and not-so-popular culture in Hamburg and far beyond. Furthermore, this concert formed part of the then fifth edition of what was still called the 'New Jazz Festival', a summit of German, European and US-American musicians. Only thanks to the NDR Bigband, top-class jazz was performed at the old industrial site on Barnerstrasse in Altona at all. In the mid-1970s, the band was brave enough to leave its familiar recording studio and perform rousing concerts at the 'Fabrik'. Since 1976, the 'New Jazz Festival' organized by Wolfgang Kunert, the program planner of the big band, institutionalized jazz music at this exceptional location."

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: GG 432CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"New album by UK electronic music pioneers Nocturnal Emissions together with Italian designer and composer Barnacles. Nocturnal Emissions was founded in 1980 by Nigel Ayers together with collaborators Daniel Ayers and Caroline K. They have released numerous records and CDs in music styles ranging from electro-acoustic, musique concrete, hybridized beats, sound collage, post-industrial music, ambient and noise music. The sound art has been part of an ongoing multimedia campaign of guerrilla sign ontology utilizing video art, film, hypertext and other documents. Early albums on the band's own Sterile Records were harsh noisy affairs, until Songs Of Love And Revolution turned to near synth pop melodies. Matteo Uggeri is an Italian visual designer and composer from Milan. He invests himself in sound poetry of everyday life, organized around a vast array of personal field recordings and melodic compositions meticulously arranged in a story-telling way. He has been active in music since 1996 and has collaborated with many groups from the Industrial scene. This new album finds him working with UK's electronic music pioneers Nocturnal Emissions. Together, they create dub-oriented beats with cut-up vocals that are hard to fit into a genre. It's a playful affair and a pure pleasure to listen to."

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: KM 180122CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue of the original 1974 album by Gille Lettmann aka Sternenmädchen/Star Maiden. Live in the Quadro Studio: Gille and Klaus Schulze. Music inserts from the LPs Seven Up (Ash Ra Temple and Timothy Leary), Lord Krishna von Goloka (Sergius Golowin), Tarot (Walter Wegmüller). Statements by Sergius Golowin, Timothy Leary, Brian Barritt, Walter Wegmüller, Liz Elliot, Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser. Recorded at the Zeitschiff Studio Dierks. Carefully transferred and remastered from the original analog master tapes by HaGü Schmitz at Dierks Studios in Pulheim-Stommeln in 2022.

 

PRICE: $39.50

CAT #: KYNEX 003LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

For the first time in more than a decade, Paul St. Hilaire (AKA Tikiman) presents a solo album -- 100% Tiki. Over his 30-plus year career, St. Hilaire has become one of dance music's quietly legendary figures. Born and raised in Dominica, he moved to Berlin in 1994 and has lent both his voice and his musicianship to some of the most iconic electronic music from the German capital -- and beyond. Renowned for his collaborations with Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus (AKA Rhythm & Sound), he has also appeared on records with Deadbeat, Rhauder, Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers and Stereotyp (G-Stone Recordings), amongst others. However, few know the extent of St. Hilaire's compositional and technical mastery. From his home studio in Kreuzberg, which includes an extensive collection of vintage hardware, self-built instruments and notebooks scribbled with endless lyrics, he has created a vast archive of material spanning ambient dub, avant-jazz, lush techno, and lovers rock. Tikiman Vol. 1 is a heady, downtempo tour de force of patois metaphors on education, displacement, and personal vs. global histories, as is evident on slippy album opener "Bedroom In My Bag": "Mister, mister / Where are you going? / I'm heading for a faraway land / What are you having in the bag in your hand? / Help us to understand / He said, I've got my bedroom in my bag." Overall, the album's lyrics reflect on life between Berlin and Dominica, specifically St. Hilaire's hometown of Grand Bay, where he has worked with various musicians famous for the island's different genres of carnival music. St. Hilaire himself always favored the island's more "discrete" music, developing a sonic synergy between two different geographical strains of groove and minimalism, and combining them with foundational Caribbean mixing techniques, which provide the basis for his songwriting and distinct baritone. Tikiman Vol. 1 offers a rare insight into St. Hilaire's complex artistry, from the eyes-down grooves of "Little Way" and the guitar-heavy digi dancehall experiment "Keep Safe," to the subtle hypnosis of "Ten To One" and the softly crashing synth waves of closer "Three And A Half," evoking not only beaches but also coasts and borders. It's a fitting expression of both the breadth of St. Hilaire's work, as well as his history as one of the few black, Berlin-based artists who, despite remaining largely overlooked, has influenced the city's electronic music culture since its beginnings. Gatefold; includes download card.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: 9788793659568

FILE UNDER: Misc

"Key works and writings from six decades of pioneering image-text works in celebration of Eros. For six decades, Dorothy Iannone (born 1933) has developed an iconography that is at once epic and intensely personal. Often her works bear a close resemblance to graphic novels: hand-lettered texts and images work together to tell the story, bluntly and with humor in both verbal and visual details. Liberated sexuality and romantic relations are central themes. Iannone's erotic scenes stem from historical representations of ecstatic unions across times, cultures and religions, with references to antiquity, Greek vases, Egyptian art, Roman and Pompeian murals, the Kama Sutra and Tantra, Icelandic sagas, Christianity, Buddhism, world literature and film history. Serving as muses, the artist's lovers appear in her narratives: several works feature the artist Dieter Roth, who was Iannone's partner from 1967 to 1974. This richly illustrated catalog presents some of the artist's most important work, alongside an introduction by Italian art historian Barbara Casavechia, the artist's own writing and an illustrated biography."

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: LPDR 011EP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Born in Milan to a Cameroonese father and a Polish/Lithuanian mother, Nathan Dawidowicz moved at the age of six to Jerusalem. He was spending his childhood in a Jewish ultra-orthodox environment playing the piano and dreaming of being a fashion designer and musician. After waking up from the reality he was raised in, he moved to Venice and started to explore the "outside world" of the mental barriers of religion. Music and fashion were his medicine, and he quickly became addicted to musical textures and vinyl. Sanctuary of Ideas is a very personal and optimistic journey by Nathan Dawidowicz. His first solo album is a spiritual path, as cosmic and adventurous as Nathan's trajectory, with beautiful twists and psychedelic twirls into Dawidowicz personal rabbit hole. A record full of memories and positive affirmations, filled with jazzy yet psychedelic cosmic and krautrock elements. A fusion of inspiration -- and a perfect reflection of Dawidowicz heritage. "Idea's Eve" is a stargate to ancestral power. Dawidowicz leaves a lot of space to breathe in this magical opener. Enchanting melodies and bubbling sounds surround the listener while his voice keeps repeating a mantra of an ancient love spell. A track where you feel your DNA spiraling up the ladder of evolution. Yet so natural and healing. "Full Moon Dance" is the spiritual continuation of the first track. A swirl of magical melodies, yet jazzy but truly cosmic walking up the ladder to another dimension, where warm moon rays and fluffy clouds surround love. The synth lines represent the playful and smooth moon rays reflected on a rhythmical heart-beating ground where tears can be joyfully spent to honor emotions usually oppressed. To close the EP, Nathan Dawidowicz worked a half a year to finalize the last track in full detail. 23 minutes and 18 seconds long is "Capricorn Rising Over Jerusalemite Temple". This story is where the listener is brought to a higher level of consciousness. Against the rules of our consumerist world, Nathan Dawidowicz focuses on a dramaturgy full of patience for our own lifetime. Acidic lines come and go, powerful synth solos trigger unknown brain parts, and an epic melody accompanies the listener and lets dark emotions melt in a brass-filled part where a voice tells you that time is on your side.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: MH 020LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

"... Vision Board is a focused affair that found him stretching his creativity farther and challenging himself to write in a way he's never written before. Recorded primarily in New Orleans and produced by Rob Mercurio of Galactic (who also produced 2015's Real People and 2018's Quite a Life), it posited him in a new environment that helped his creative juices flow even more fluidly . . . 'I'm so proud of this album. I'm in a different space. The world is in a different space, and I wanted to celebrate that, loosen up and really create some imagery and share some emotion that I never have. I was listening to a lot of Shuggie Otis; a lot of obscure psychedelic soul and later Temptations,' he explained. 'This is like if Alice in Wonderland was Japanese.' Vision Board was also inspired by another Bay Area rap luminary, although one who's no longer with us -- Gift of Gab. The dexterous Blackalicious MC and fellow Quannum Projects alum had a profound effect on Lyrics Born's life, both creatively and philosophically . . . Lyrics Born's vulnerability shines through on the nine-track effort, something he's not ashamed to admit (nor should he be). At one point during the pandemic, he was losing one friend, peer or family member every other week -- from Zumbi of Zion I to Gift of Gab to Digital Underground's Shock G. While many of the songs are deeply introspective, he had to 'write some fun shit,' too. Celebratory horns, up-tempo rhythms and fiery bars pepper the project from start to finish, and truly encapsulate Lyrics Born's evolution of not just a groundbreaking Asian-American MC but also a human being. As the only Asian-American MC to release ten studio albums, the first Asian-American to play major music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza and the first Asian-American to release a greatest hits compilation, Lyrics Born has been breaking barriers his entire life - and he's not going to stop anytime soon. From the bombastic and tribal 'I'm the Best Rapper in the World' with its self-winking boastfulness to the playful scat of 'Bang Bang Bang' that slinks like an outtake from West Side Story, to the smooth and seductive 'Who's The Best? (Dear Young LB),' to the psychedelic and swoony 'Alligator Boots' with it dreamy 'Walk on the Wildside'-esque reverby sway, Vision Board sees Lyrics Born tackling different tones, textures and genres without fear and making them completely his own. It's an eclectic body of work that boasts more synths, more psychedelia and is generally more abstract."

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: MORR 177LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; double LP version. Gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves; includes three bonus tracks; 28-page booklet; includes download code; edition of 500. Following in the footsteps of the pathbreaking Minna Miteru (MORR 168CD/LP, 2020) compilation of Japanese indie music, Morr Music and Alien Transistor have again joined forces to release The Fruit Of Errata, a compilation introducing the world to the intimate DIY pop of yumbo. Led by songwriter, pianist, and occasional vocalist Koji Shibuya, the Japanese band has released four albums since forming in 1998. This compilation draws from those albums, and some ancillary releases, to uncover a biographical narrative of yumbo, showing how Shibuya's songwriting, and the group's limber, sensitive playing, has developed over the decades. It also places them squarely within a tradition of home-spun but ambitious Japanese pop that takes in Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Tenniscoats, Nagisa Ni Te, Yuzo Iwata, Kazumi Nikaido, and more. There's the playful seriousness of Maher Shalal Hash Baz's Tori Kudo here, but also the flexibility of freely improvised music. You can also hear Shibuya's fondness for Mayo Thompson and The Red Crayola in both the idiosyncrasies of the writing and the egalitarian looseness of the playing. The great achievement of yumbo and Shibuya, though, is translating all of this into beautiful, unpredictable pop songs. There's a gorgeous soul-inflected lilt to "A House"; the swaying brass on "Storm"; the nakedness of "The Sweetest Mass" slightly reminiscent of Carla Bley's more pop-focused writing. Throughout, Shibuya renders pop a deeply personal experience; you can hear musings here on friendship, family, intimacy, the complexity of relationships, mortality, and imbalances of power. These musings are also shadowed by real-life events: the effects and impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 are captured in songs like "Umbrella People" from Onibi. Throughout the performances on The Fruit Of Errata, Shibuya and the group play with tenderness; they also often draw on other players to flesh out the music even further, two such guests being the aforementioned Tori Kudo (on "Umbrella People") and Olympia, Washington's LAKE (on "The Devil Song"). Community-minded and generous in approach, the writing of Shibuya and the music of yumbo is never less than lovely, and The Fruit Of Errata is a welcome introduction to their world. Open and gentle, confident and generous, these pop songs are filled with charm and spirit.

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: OM 074LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"At last! The long-promised duo LP by two undisputed masters of post-tongue instrumental gesticulation and invention. Augured by their eponymous 7" from 2019, Off Motion is a full-length exploration of the previously unknown aural destinations these two guys continually discover as they move beyond the borders of music-as-it-is-played. Often, when writing about music, it's possible to draw comparisons to players' stylistic relationships to what has gone before. But the music on Off Motion (to quote a William Burroughs chestnut), 'buggers comparison.' Nace's style on electric guitar may have its roots somewhere in the playing of Keith Rowe, but the sonic scapes he conjures are so nimbly freaked, I can rarely figure out what the hell he is doing (if anything) to generate what I'm hearing. And White's avant garde approach to the jaw harp (as well, I think, nose flute and maybe even bird call) has so few precedents apart from random Fluxus events, it's impossible to make any inferences as to possible influences. This duo lives up to the promise of ESP-Disk's motto as much as anyone I can think of. You have never heard such sounds in your life. The seven pieces on Off Motion are hard to unravel. Chik sent recordings to Bill. Nace added his own bits. Then he and Emily Robb screwed around with everything until it pulsed with sheer mystery. I took a lot of notes on the tracks, but the best ones are hard for even me to decode. For 'Pathways' -- starts with pixie twinkle guitar, then evolves into a duet for Taish?goto and nose flute that sounds as though it was designed to drive dogs nuts while they search for phantom, mocking squirrels. For 'Erasing' -- like a troubled pigeon visiting a guy who uses an electric razor while bouncing around on Slinky-shoes, before switching into carillon-based boots and breaking into a human pinball routine he's been practicing since he was a boy. I repeat these descriptions only to show how entirely Bill & Chik's music resists easy categorization. There is a sense at times the studio/mixing board itself is being used as an instrument, which is very cool. But I am still jonesing to see these guys do some live shows. Both Bill and Chik have the ability to mix jocularity and seriousness into a strangely compelling whole. Their music is bizarre as hell without being off-putting or sterile, and anyone who has a taste for weird thrills is gonna love Off Motion to death. Tell Alice Cooper the news." --Byron Coley

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: PRTL 10030EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Two brand new instrumental thrillers from the UK's premium dub outfit The Disciples. Both tracks -- "Sabotage" and "Steppers Nah Sleep" -- are followed by their respective dub versions which have both been tried and tested on various sound systems throughout Europe. Highly regarded for their custom built dubplate cuts for Jah Shaka. The Disciples have a sizable following worldwide, particularly in the UK, France, Germany and Japan.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: PRTL 10033EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

A couple of highly-sought after UK roots/dub classics, originally released on Nucleus Roots' own imprint back in 2002. Vocals and heavy-weight dub cuts from the Manchester-based Nucleus Roots crew with guests Simon Dan and Moses on mic duties.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: PRTL 7075EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Originally released on a Riz 12" in 1994 and produced by Nick Manasseh and Jeremy "The Equalizer". Poignant reflection from Jamaican vocalist Mikey Mystic on the days of Apartheid on a moody head-nodding mid-paced rhythm. Backed with a sparse and deep dub cut from Manasseh, which differs from the version on the original 12".

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: PJ 017LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

"When Ruff Draft saw its initial release in 2003, J Dilla possessed production skills on par with anyone in hip-hop -- technically and creatively. 'At the top of his game,' says longtime friend and collaborator, Karriem Riggins. After years of building while modestly deferring to others of both greater and lesser notoriety, Dilla finally completed the first solo endeavor on his own label, entirely on his own terms. The significance of such an autonomous success often gets overlooked, and partly accounts for why Ruff Draft is one of the lesser-referenced entries in Dilla's oeuvre. 'It's a mysterious little project,' says his mother, Maureen Yancey. 'But out of his entire career, that was the happiest time.' Prior to recording the EP, Dilla found himself at a crossroads. Estranged from his label, MCA, and separated from the mother of his youngest daughter, frustration abounded both personally and professionally. Dilla spent parts of 2002 and 2003 working on an album for MCA that featured his rapping over contributions from other producers with whom he had connected and whose music he respected. At the time, he was known primarily for his beats, yet reviled for his MCing by most anyone not from his hometown of Detroit. The project was to be an intentional freak of the industry. The project would go on to spur his collaborative album with Madlib, Jaylib, and would first showcase the template that he would take to his greatest heights with 2006's Donuts. The Stones Throw reissue of Ruff Draft from 2008 featured remixes of the songs from the album, done without Dilla's involvement. This version of the album takes Dilla's mixes of the album and restores his vision for the project. 'Straight from the mothafuckin' cassette,' as he phrased the sound he was going for on the EP's intro."

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: PILZ 2021103CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1971. McChurch Soundroom was founded in 1970 in Switzerland and was able to get a record deal with the PILZ label shortly after. Musically the influences range from bands like U.F.O, Black Sabbath, and Jethro Tull. In 1971, the first and only album of the formation, Delusion, was released. Produced by Jürgen Schmeisser and Conny Plank in only two days in the Star-Studios in Hamburg. Carefully remastered.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: PILZ 2021103LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. 180 gram vinyl; gatefold sleeve. Reissue, originally released in 1971. McChurch Soundroom was founded in 1970 in Switzerland and was able to get a record deal with the PILZ label shortly after. Musically the influences range from bands like U.F.O, Black Sabbath, and Jethro Tull. In 1971, the first and only album of the formation, Delusion, was released. Produced by Jürgen Schmeisser and Conny Plank in only two days in the Star-Studios in Hamburg. Carefully remastered.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: PGMLT 165EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"This release is my way of celebrating the memory of one of the most important figures in early blues and gospel -- the great Blind Willie Johnson -- who would have turned 125 this year. The recording of his masterpiece 'Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground' (recorded in my favorite recording year, 1927) can be found on the golden records onboard Voyager I and II and was added to the National Recording Registry in 2010, which selects recordings annually that are deemed 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.' Although his music is often very hopeful, when you look back at his life, hope is not the first word that comes to mind. Willie wasn't blind at birth but became blind at seven years old. Exactly how it happened is uncertain, but one statement is that his aunt accidentally threw lye in his eyes. In his older years a fire took his house, but him being poor and blind and black he wasn't left with much else of a choice than to stay and live in the ruins of his old home. Living in this environment gave him pneumonia which subsequently led to his death. But his beautiful music just might live forever -- forever floating in space."

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: PE 026LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

The new album of Swiss artist Martina Lussi joins what no longer is conjoined. Conceived and realized over a period marked by major changes in both the private sphere and the world at large, Balance brings together the before and after. The album is held together by a common feature: Lussi's voice, with which every composition began. Her singing, modified by effects, is supplemented by other sounds, which are light at times, bittersweet at others, and sometimes replace her voice altogether, like on the album's fulcrum "Fragments of Attention". On the first half of Balance, Lussi's singing plunges "Meditation on the Multitab" into a cosmic soundscape; occasionally a rhythm irrupts into it. On "Time Laps", a track from the album's second half, the artist's singsong articulates rhythmical elements and propels them towards a reluctant euphoria. Balance appears open and fragile, at times even vulnerable, but Lussi's relentless openness derives from the immense strength needed to weather changes both small and large. Cover design by Dorothee Dähler. Features scented inner record sleeve, scent by In'n'Out Fragrances. Edition of 200.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: 9781737797944

FILE UNDER: Misc

"A long-awaited facsimile of Lawrence and Hujar's legendary '60s magazine documenting artists and photographers from Diane Arbus and Yayoi Kusama to Paul Thek and Lucas Samaras. Published by Steve Lawrence and edited alongside Peter Hujar and Andrew Ullrick, Newspaper was issued in New York City between 1968 and 1971. A wordless, picture-only periodical that replicated the scale of the New York Times, Newspaper ran for 14 issues and featured the disparate practices of over 40 artists. With an editorial focus on placing appropriated material alongside new artworks, the periodical sought to codify a visual language of high and low culture that represented contemporary society in the late 1960s. While largely overlooked in art-historical discourse, Newspaper showcased many of the most revered artists working in the United States at the time, as well as an emerging coterie of queer artists. All issues of Newspaper are collected and reprinted here for the first time. Artists include: Diane Arbus, Art Workers Coalition, Richard Avedon, Clyde Baines, Sheyla Baykal, Peter Beard, Brigid Berlin, Richard Bernstein, Ann Douglas, Paul Fisher, Maurice Hogenboom, Peter Hujar, Scott Hyde, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Ray Johnson, Edwin Klein, Yayoi Kusama, Gerald Laing, Dorothea Lange, Steve Lawrence, Jeff Lew, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Mercado, Duane Michals, Jack Mitchell, Forrest 'Frosty' Myers, Billy Name, Stephen Paley, Warner Pearson, Warner Piepke, Charles Pratt, Joseph Raffael, Mel Ramos, Lilo Raymond, Ruspoli-Rodriguez, Lucas Samaras, Alan Saret, Bill Schwedler, Leni Sinclair, Norman Snyder, Elizabeth Staal, Stanley Stellar, Terry Stevenson, Paul Thek, Andrew Ullrick, Andy Warhol, William T. Wiley and May Wilson." 416 pages. Paperback. 9.75 x 13.5 in.

 

PRICE: $17.00

CAT #: PRO 407CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"Turning shadows into sonic emotional rivers, synthesist and composer Jeff Greinke's A Thousand Year Flood skirts the edges where modern classical, electronic and ambient music converge. Working with cellist/violist Heather Bentley, Greinke's first record for Projekt in 26 years is a hybrid of ambient chamber music and electroacoustic beauty. Throughout the near-hour-long set, atmosphere is critical to the impact as Greinke locates his paired-back minimalism within a setting of spaciousness and sensitivity. 'A Thousand Year Flood,' Greinke explains, 'represents further explorations in composing electroacoustic music which I began over a decade ago. This time rather than working with an ensemble I focus on one instrumentalist -- cellist/violist Heather Bentley. Whether working with scored parts, improvising under my direction, or freely exploring her own ideas over my sketched-out sections, Heather's thoughtful expressions fit seamlessly within my own. Heather's voice is unique, lending a more expansive breadth of harmonic richness and emotional body to these compositions.' 'In the last four-plus decades my work has veered in a few different directions, the exploration of raw sound itself and the treating and layering of such sounds to create complex and interesting textures, moods and atmospheres, has always been my primary focus.' On his 23rd release, Jeff Greinke realizes an engaging balance between consonance and dissonance, timbre and shade, ambience and aura. His impressionistic ambient chamber music shimmers in the passing light of melodic stringed textures and shifting electronic shadow. CD in four-panel digipak, limited edition of 300. RIYL: Olafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, Johann Johannsson, Max Richter, Hania Rani."

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: PP 041EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Poetry written and performed by Georg Heunoske. Mastered by Andreas Lubich in memory of Andrew Weatherall and Genesis P-Orridge. Features Thee Church Ov Acid House, Thee Orchyds, Glow, Elektra, Thee Church Ov Acid House, Northsyde, and G..

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: QUINTESSE 086EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

It's about time for the first release of this true master of deep jazzy house, Shaka! Shaka has an impressive list of releases, ranging back to the mid '90s with some raw techno up to now with releases on Local Talk or his own label Vibes and Grooves for some serious deep house. His Four Flowers EP has plenty of soul soothing jazz-funk grooves nailed to a deep house beat and you just feel that Shaka is a real musician. These four tracks are hot ingredients!

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: RADCD 009CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, compilation originally released in 1990. Legendary punk trio the Dils formed in San Diego in southern California and when they moved to San Francisco, bassist Tony Kinman found himself living with the Avengers, but once they hit Los Angeles in 1977, they began recording frantic singles for fledgling independents such as What? Records, Dangerhouse, and Rogelleti for more melodic, country-influenced songs, pointing to their further reincarnation as Rank & File. Ace compilation Dils Dils Dils gathers early studio work and live recordings. This edition featuring two bonus tracks, recorded in LA in 1979. Crucial listening for all Dils fans!

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: RRS 157LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Known as the "bad boys of the Ulster punk scene," Belfast quartet the Outcasts was formed in 1977 by bassist/vocalist Greg Cowan, with brothers Colin and Martin on drums and rhythm guitar, along with Getty Getgood on searing lead. With their debut gig descending to a riot, the group began a long tenure of local notoriety, shifting members and styles as their sound evolved, before imploding in 1985. This ace compilation gathers early singles for the IT, Good Vibrations, and GBH labels, as well as later work for Anagram, New Rose, and their own Outcasts Only imprint, presenting the fearsome foursome at their very best. Includes replica of Outcasts' 1979 full-length debut promotional poster.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: RRS 193LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Pink vinyl. Trail-blazing female punk band Tozibabe was the first girl group in Slovenian to play their own instruments and write their own material, and one of the few female hardcore acts of Eastern Europe. Their furious, uncompromising songs had scathing, shouted vocals, and its members tackled different instruments, making them the stuff of legend. This wide-ranging compilation gathers material from the Hard-Core Ljubljana compilation (1985), their groundbreaking mini-LP, Dezuje, live tracks from their appearance at Novi Rock in 1985, plus previously unreleased work from their 2015 reunion show. Raw hardcore, Tozibabe style!

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: RLL 052LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Janis Joplin, San Francisco Radio Sessions 1963-1967. Three sessions recorded between 1963-1967. Side A: KPFA-FM session in 1965. Side B1-B4: KQED-FM session in 1967. Side B5: KPFA-FM session in 1963.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: RLL 077LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

The first side of this fine album features three tracks ("Tanzmusik", "Kometenmelodie", "Klingklang") from a live show in Denver (Colorado) during Kraftwerk's first tour of America in spring 1975. The second side is occupied by a 26-minute version of their first robotic big hit "Autobahn," recorded in Köln in March of the same year. Another great document from one the groundbreaking electronic music bands of all times.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: RLL 082LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited 2023 restock. In March 1969, the Velvets (with Doug Yule now on bass) embarked on a nationwide tour. One of these included a stint at the "End Of Cole Avenue" club in Dallas -- one of the Velvets' few live performances where a professional sound engineer was actually on hand to record the sets. Some of the songs recorded over those few nights showed up in 1974 on their 1969: Velvet Underground Live album, but the sound quality was not great due to the use of third or fourth generation tapes. However, the first-generation tapes have since resurfaced, and the difference in sound quality (heard here) is a welcome one.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: ROG 126CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"Steve Swell's Fire Into Music -- For Jemeel: Fire From The Road -- Steve Swell (trombone), Jemeel Moondoc (alto saxophone), William Parker (double bass), Hamid Drake (drums) at their best on tour on 2004 and 2005. This album is tribute to Jemeel Moondoc who passed away August 29, 2021."

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: SDBANU 031CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

As rookies in the thriving Brussels scene, jazz fusion quartet L?p?GangGang have been making waves the last couple of years. After the EPs Stalingrad and Urban Detox, they are now releasing their debut album Dopamine Overdose via Sdban Ultra. Lyrically the inspiration for the album comes from growing up in a digital world and the constant dopamine everyone has to deal with because of that. Musically their sound is rich, diverse and hard to pin down, looking at Yussef Dayes, BADBADNOTGOOD, and even Black Country, New Road for inspiration. L?p?GangGang started out as a jazz/funk cover band in 2017. Anton, Miel, Lena, and Rob all met at a jam session summer camp while still in school. Over time, the band started writing their own songs and released two EPs to critical acclaim. Due to the band's desire for creative expansion over genres, they have been able to perform on various Belgian stages for the past three years including Ancienne Belgique to Flagey, Gent Jazz and Handelsbeurs in support of label mates, Black Flower. The album title Dopamine Overdose is a quote from the track "Dada Data", a track about the influence social media tends to have on our lives. The album's recurring theme is definitely the struggle with today's hyper virtual society and the overwhelming influence tech is having on society. With unbridled enthusiasm the band tackle relevant themes and combine striking observations with a highly contagious and very diverse sound. From "Out the Light", a smooth track about being stuck in the image we all try to create of ourselves, to "Wanderer", a jazzy tune about the road to self-acceptance, and from "Candy", combining a punk attitude with infectious hand claps, to 'Time Faded', about the difficulty of finishing your artistic work, L?p?GangGang constantly showcase their genre-defying versatility. As a whole, the album is a very balanced collection of tracks, ranging from brooding atmospheres to punky explosions with a constant drive, social criticism and an indomitable energy binding it all together. A promising debut, indeed. LP version includes printed innersleeve.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: SDBANU 031LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. Includes printed innersleeve. As rookies in the thriving Brussels scene, jazz fusion quartet L?p?GangGang have been making waves the last couple of years. After the EPs Stalingrad and Urban Detox, they are now releasing their debut album Dopamine Overdose via Sdban Ultra. Lyrically the inspiration for the album comes from growing up in a digital world and the constant dopamine everyone has to deal with because of that. Musically their sound is rich, diverse and hard to pin down, looking at Yussef Dayes, BADBADNOTGOOD, and even Black Country, New Road for inspiration. L?p?GangGang started out as a jazz/funk cover band in 2017. Anton, Miel, Lena, and Rob all met at a jam session summer camp while still in school. Over time, the band started writing their own songs and released two EPs to critical acclaim. Due to the band's desire for creative expansion over genres, they have been able to perform on various Belgian stages for the past three years including Ancienne Belgique to Flagey, Gent Jazz and Handelsbeurs in support of label mates, Black Flower. The album title Dopamine Overdose is a quote from the track "Dada Data", a track about the influence social media tends to have on our lives. The album's recurring theme is definitely the struggle with today's hyper virtual society and the overwhelming influence tech is having on society. With unbridled enthusiasm the band tackle relevant themes and combine striking observations with a highly contagious and very diverse sound. From "Out the Light", a smooth track about being stuck in the image we all try to create of ourselves, to "Wanderer", a jazzy tune about the road to self-acceptance, and from "Candy", combining a punk attitude with infectious hand claps, to 'Time Faded', about the difficulty of finishing your artistic work, L?p?GangGang constantly showcase their genre-defying versatility. As a whole, the album is a very balanced collection of tracks, ranging from brooding atmospheres to punky explosions with a constant drive, social criticism and an indomitable energy binding it all together. A promising debut, indeed.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: SDBANU 032LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. Belgian junk jazz trio schroothoop (which translates as "junk yard") bring together multi-instrumentalists Rik Staelens (wind and string instruments), Timo Vantyghem (bass and thumb piano) and Margo Maex (percussion). Their new album called MACADAM will be out via Sdban Records, home of many strongholds in the lively contemporary Belgian jazz and groove scene. In 2020, schroothoop first emerged with their much-acclaimed and infectious debut album Klein Gevaarlijk Afval (Small Hazardous Waste). On their second album, schroothoop explore the vast sounds of discarded objects found on the macadam streets of Brussels. Wooden crates turn into guitars and lyres. Scrap metal becomes a thumb piano, a cimbalom, or percussion bells. Their compelling collection of semi-improvised songs is born out of several fruitful residencies and live performances during which Margo Maex, Rik Staelens, and Timo Vantyghem dive deeper into the possibilities and unique timbres of their DIY instruments. The junk jazz trio find inspiration in traditional Afro-Cuban and North-African rhythms, New Orleans second line grooves, and Arabic Hijaz scales. On MACADAM, the band also explore the realms of electronic music, not shunning hints of drum and bass, dub riddims and ambient soundscapes, using pitch shifting delays or gauzy reverbs. The album delivers a mesmerizing trip through the most diverse capital of Europe, mixed and post-produced by none other than sound wizard Dijf Sanders. The trio originally met in the Brussels street orchestra scene. One night they found themselves jamming on trash cans, buckets and other illegally dumped materials. Soon after, they started building their own DIY instruments from street trash. Imagine flutes made out of PVC pipes, a scrap metal drum kit, thumb pianos made out of old kitchen knives, a tin can violin, worn-out cutting discs as gongs, and a washtub bass. Delivering their own brand of "junk jazz", schroothoop literally gives junk a second life by immortalizing a whole range of lost and found objects through music. The Brussels-based group effortlessly incorporates jazz, Northern African music, and Afro-Cuban rhythms, resulting in a danceable and hypnotic trip through the city's melting pot.

 

PRICE: $41.00

CAT #: SHUKAI 003LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2023 repress! Historically informed violin player, prize-winning street musician, new age experimentalist, chamber ensemble performer and conservatoire deviant. The career of Valentina Goncharova (b. Kyiv 1953) shares parallels with those associated with the broader new music movement of the 20th century and the dissemination of home recording technologies. Valentina's was a youth spent immersed in the world of classical music study under soviet rule, first in Kyiv and later in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) from the age of 16. With the supervision of professors M. Vayman and B. Gutnikov she learned concert violin and developed alternate playing styles alongside skilled pianists. The improvisatory nature of free jazz and then-budding experimental rock circles also intrigued Valentina. Departing from the rules of the conservatoire, she briefly performed in underground rock clubs alongside future members of the industrial group Pop-Mechanika (Popular Mechanics). This perpetual state of flux is central to the variety found within Recordings Vol. 1, though as opposed to any degree of uncertainty Valentina's practice is one in flux by way of earnest curiosity. Pushing further into an exploration of solo electro-acoustic sounds, she took to home taping on a modified Olimp reel-to-reel recorder. Intrigued by the manipulability of dubbing and the fresh sounds of DIY effects chains, Goncharova developed pickups alongside her husband Igor Zubkov. Her infatuation with the music of Stockhausen, Xenakis, Ganelin Trio, and Pierre Boulez channels through considerations of space and erratic sound design, the three movements of "Metamorphoses" embodying this textural approach to musique concrete. The compositional skills developed in Leningrad unfold in the romantic gestures of "Higher Frequencies", whilst manipulated cello combines with synthesizer keys across "Passageway To Eternity". The slow, pulsating drone soundscapes recall the likes of Robert Rutman's US Steel Cello Ensemble or even deep listening pioneer Pauline Oliveros. The juxtaposition of written notation and improvisatory flare is central to Goncharova's sound world. This period of home recording documents a confluence of minimalism, free form and flirtations with new age tropes (including bell chimes and cavernous vocal mantras). Experimenting with unusual performance techniques, such as shouting into amplified cello strings, Valentina's home studio functioned as a place to foster full artistic and creative freedom away from any academic strictures. Relocating to Estonia in 1984, in a sense, the recordings on these discs offer only a glimpse into her lifelong body of work. Private experimental home-tapes unheard for thirty years.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: SOF 008EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"It's like nothing I have ever done before." For the past ten years, the Bulgarian-Turkish artist Alper Durmush aka Impérieux has been carefully developing his artistic style and building strong momentum with a high-profile following. Now the young Berlin-based producer enters a fresh chapter with his EP named Extensions on Sofia Records's eight release. It is filled with brisk, forward-looking breaks, raw jungle attitude and highly combustible house. In all this you can still trace Impérieux's emotional signature interwoven into delicate soundscapes and ethno antics. The place to kickstart this new direction is a symbolic one, and in a way -- coming back home. In his five-tracker, Impérieux keeps consistent with Sofia Records' establishment as a breeding ground for hyper-energetic, yet intelligent sound. And to do the honors, a signature stomping remix has been added by the label headmeister himself -- KiNK.

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: SOMM 082CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

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. CD version includes two bonus tracks: the tracks on the Dilatation/Scale 45.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SV 024LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. "Few moments in pop music history can match the grinding, pent-up energy of 'Mongoloid' and the spastic bounce and sputter of 'Jocko Homo' (two anthems presented in their earlier and superior versions here). Cult favorites like 'Mechanical Man' and 'Auto-Modown' make Volume 1 essential listening."

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SV 188LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"Cluster was the pioneering German duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius. Formed on the cusp of the 1970s, they were a part of West Germany's nascent Kosmische Musik scene. The group would use restrained improvisational techniques similar to Gruppo Nuova Consonanza, working with both electric and acoustic instruments (organ, guitar, tone generators, cello, etc.) to create a singular sound that Julian Cope called 'a huge beating heart, planet-sized and awesome.' Originally released in 1972 on Brain, Cluster II features six pieces of atmospheric, proto-ambient drones -- a step forward from Cluster's 1971 self-titled debut, which had all untitled songs. On 'Im Suden,' hypnotic bass pulsations and repetitive guitar patterns flow serenely, while side two opener 'Live In Der Fabrik' dives deep into Roedelius and Moebius' foreboding industrial soundscapes and synergistic textural interplay. As Roedelius told Uncut magazine in 2022, 'This feels like a breakthrough? Well, we were just getting more into it, and getting more experienced at being able to elaborate it. Conny (Plank) was working with us again -- as well as being a multi-talented artist, he was a very experienced sound master and great human being. He contributed as a fellow musician, adding sounds with his mixing table such as reverb, delay and other effects enriching the whole pieces so that they finally became somehow unique.' It's no surprise that when Neu! guitarist Michael Rother first heard Cluster II, he suggested a collaboration with the band -- resulting in the supergroup Harmonia who would make their first album together the following year."

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SV 189LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"Cluster was the pioneering German duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius. Formed on the cusp of the 1970s, they were a part of West Germany's nascent Kosmische Musik scene. The group would use restrained improvisational techniques similar to Gruppo Nuova Consonanza, working with both electric and acoustic instruments (organ, guitar, tone generators, cello, etc.) to create a singular sound that Julian Cope called 'a huge beating heart, planet-sized and awesome.' Following the release of Cluster II, the duo relocated to the village of Forst where they built a home studio and began to collaborate with like-minded artists such as Michael Rother and Brian Eno. 1974's Zuckerzeit, Cluster's first album made in their countryside studio, marked a major shift in their music from experimental noise to avant-pop. 'Hollywood' starts things off with infectious loops, analog drum machines and sweeping synth. 'Caramel' seems to pick up the pace even more; its sugary groove promptly dissolves into a sea of ethereal keyboards, amorphous layers and sparse chords. For Zuckerzeit, Roedelius and Moebius developed the tracks individually. They recorded in separate rooms on different days, although each piece flows into the next seamlessly. While Rother is listed as producer on the original Brain release, he was reportedly not present at the sessions and simply loaned the band some equipment. Bringing together Cluster's haunted melodic sense and motorik rhythms, Zuckerzeit reveals not only how much the band grew from their experience in Harmonia, but also how instrumental they were in their later collaborations with Eno."

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: SV 198CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"La Monte Young was born in Bern, Idaho in 1935. He began his music studies in Los Angeles and later Berkeley, California before relocating to New York City in 1960, where he became a primary influence on Minimalism, the Fluxus movement and performance art through his legendary compositions of extended time durations and the development of just intonation and rational number based tuning systems. With wife and collaborator, artist Marian Zazeela, they would formulate the composite sound environments of the Dream House, which continues to this day. Seeing reissue for the first time since its initial 1969 release, Young and Zazeela's first full-length album is often referred to as The Black Record due to Zazeela's stunning cover design, complete with Young's original liner notes in magnificent calligraphy. Side one was recorded in 1969 (on the date and time indicated by the title) at the gallery of Heiner Friedrich in Munich, where Young and Zazeela premiered their Dream House sound and light installation. Featuring Young and Zazeela's voices against a sine wave drone, the recording is a section of the longer composition "Map of 49's Dream the Two Systems of Eleven Sets of Galactic Intervals Ornamental Lightyears Tracery" (begun in 1966 as a sub-section of the even larger work The Tortoise, His Dreams and Journeys, which was begun in 1964 with Young's group The Theatre of Eternal Music). According to Young, the raga-like melodic phrases of his voice were heavily influenced by his future teacher, the Hindustani singer Pandit Pran Nath. Side two, recorded in Young and Zazeela's NYC studio in 1964, is a section of the longer composition Studies in the Bowed Disc. This composition is an extended, highly abstract noise piece for bowed gong (gifted by sculptor Robert Morris). The liner notes state that the live performance can be heard at 33 and 1/3 RPM, but may also be played at any constant slower speed down to 8 and 1/3 RPM for turntables with this capacity." "La Monte Young is the daddy of us all." --Brian Eno

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: SV 198LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

LP version. "La Monte Young was born in Bern, Idaho in 1935. He began his music studies in Los Angeles and later Berkeley, California before relocating to New York City in 1960, where he became a primary influence on Minimalism, the Fluxus movement and performance art through his legendary compositions of extended time durations and the development of just intonation and rational number based tuning systems. With wife and collaborator, artist Marian Zazeela, they would formulate the composite sound environments of the Dream House, which continues to this day. Seeing reissue for the first time since its initial 1969 release, Young and Zazeela's first full-length album is often referred to as The Black Record due to Zazeela's stunning cover design, complete with Young's original liner notes in magnificent calligraphy. Side one was recorded in 1969 (on the date and time indicated by the title) at the gallery of Heiner Friedrich in Munich, where Young and Zazeela premiered their Dream House sound and light installation. Featuring Young and Zazeela's voices against a sine wave drone, the recording is a section of the longer composition "Map of 49's Dream the Two Systems of Eleven Sets of Galactic Intervals Ornamental Lightyears Tracery" (begun in 1966 as a sub-section of the even larger work The Tortoise, His Dreams and Journeys, which was begun in 1964 with Young's group The Theatre of Eternal Music). According to Young, the raga-like melodic phrases of his voice were heavily influenced by his future teacher, the Hindustani singer Pandit Pran Nath. Side two, recorded in Young and Zazeela's NYC studio in 1964, is a section of the longer composition Studies in the Bowed Disc. This composition is an extended, highly abstract noise piece for bowed gong (gifted by sculptor Robert Morris). The liner notes state that the live performance can be heard at 33 and 1/3 RPM, but may also be played at any constant slower speed down to 8 and 1/3 RPM for turntables with this capacity." "La Monte Young is the daddy of us all." --Brian Eno

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: SVVRCH 067LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1970. Adventurous rock trio Glass Harp formed in Ohio in 1968 by guitarist/vocalist Phil Keaggy, drummer John Sferra, and bassist Steve Markulin, who was soon replaced by Dan Pecchio. After topping a "Battle of the Bands", producer Lewis Merenstein signed them Decca Records for this unusually diverse debut LP, comprising country rock, prog-rock, boogie-rock, Christian rock, folk rock, and more. Fingerpicking genius Keaggy is a major creative force, though, Pecchio and Sferra are also great players whose vocal contributions aid the range. Full of surprises, this long overdue reissue is highly recommended for all discerning rock fans.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: SVVRCH 069LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1975. During the late 1960s, Japanese band Blues Creation was formed from the ashes of an earlier group, the Bickles. Beginning as a covers act and then switching to original material, they had several line-up changes before calling it quits, only to be born again as Creation in 1973, touring the US with heavyweights Mountain. The self-titled Creation LP from 1975 saw guitarist Kazuo Takeda and drummer Masayuki Higuchi intact from the former incarnation. It captures this version of the band at their freshest with Takeda's excellent guitar work firmly in the lead and often with heavy doses of fuzz -- the best Creation album by a longshot.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: TPTDD 004CS

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Tracks A1 to B3 recorded at the Arrow Studios, Manchester, England, May 1978. Track B4 recorded at Britannia Row, March 1980. Tracks B5 to B9 recorded at Pennine Sound Studios, Manchester July 18, 1977.

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: TR 526LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress.... Double LP version. Since the historiography of punk is a male-dominated one, a Revenge of the She-Punks was long overdue. This feminist reckoning was written by none other than post-punk pioneer Vivien Goldman, who has an insider's perspective due to her work as a musician and one of Britain's first female music writers. Along four themes -- Identity, Money, Love and Protest -- the "punk professor" traces empowering moments that punk holds especially for women. This compilation is inspired by the book, originally released by University of Texas Press in 2019. Compiled and with liner notes by Vivien Goldman."We're not talking a mean-spirited gotcha! revenge here. As both my book that inspired it and this recording prove, us She-Punks' revenge is about our complex survival in an all too often hostile environment. The book offers a template to finding a way through the patriarchal labyrinth of the music industry by telling the backstories of thirty-eight songs by women from not only the Anglophone countries, but Africa, the Caribbean, Asia and Eastern and Continental Europe. Together, they demonstrate how girls around the world, with no or few role models, found ways to thwart blockages and become self-expressive musicians, breaking traditions and expectations, setting new standards with every chord . . . We open with Identity featuring Fea, Big Joanie, The Raincoats, Blondie, and Poly Styrene with X-Ray Spex. Then comes Money with Patti Smith, Shonen Knife, Malaria! and the Slits; followed by Love/Unlove: Crass, Cherry Vanilla, Grace Jones, Rhoda Dakar with the Special AKA, Alice Bag (The Bags), Tribe 8 and the Au Pairs, the Mo-Dettes, Neneh Cherry from the UK/Sweden/US and this writer/musician. The closing chapter, Protest, features Sleater-Kinney, Jayne Cortez and the Firespitters, Skinny Girl Diet, Vi Subversa and the Poison Girls, the Czech Republic's Zuby Nehty, Colombia's Fertil Miseria, and Jamaica's Tanya Stephens. Many people have questioned how I arrived at those four themes (answer: thinking,) and so far, no-one has disagreed. However, in sequencing this compilation, the important thing was to sonically flow through the breadth of our creativity, led by the rhythms and sound, rather than the lyrics; they, I already knew, formed a compelling whole, an implacable critique. My perspective on punk is based on spirit rather than adherence to the venerated concept of the genre as only a frenetic full-frontal sonic attack (though that is also represented here). Having been involved with the movement at the start in mid-1970s London, as Features Editor of the punk rock weekly, Sounds, I understood it to be a front line, inclusionary genre, with DIY at its core, which is why it was the first genre to give anything approaching an equal platform to women musicians. Especially for the less conventional, all too often the path for women artists is still steeper than that of male peers. Despite the massive success of today's female superstars, there remains a quota perception in an industry that still largely lives in boystown (though always factor in that it's not the men, it's the mentality,) who are less receptive to forceful females; like the sort of bookers who say, 'Well, we've done our bit, we've booked our female artist' -- as if booking women were some grim post-MeToo duty. But as heard in these tracks, in all its forms, whether sounding strident or soft, punk is a music of resistance; women's punk specially so..." Also features Bush Tetras and The Selecter.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: VEYL 036LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Years Of Denial is back on Veyl with their second LP, Suicide Disco Vol. 2. The follow-up to 2019's Suicide Disco (VEYL 012LP), the duo makes a triumphant return, elevating their distinct sound which fuses dark wave, goth, new beat, post-punk, EBM, and techno. 12 tracks all written and produced at Ark of Noise studio, located miles away from the polluted noise of social turbulences, immersed in isolation, creative indulgence, and poetic writing. From the start, "Art Break" provides the perfect warm-up, gently cleansing the palette and re-introducing us to Barkosina's lustful vocals with a slow-burning pace that only marks the beginning. "Wrong" picks things up, injecting a dose of body music for an infectious piece that bleeds into "La Pendue" which keeps the energy rising. Next up, "Mr. Guillotine" delivers a razor-sharp edge, carving out a fresh post-punk feel which then brings you to the brooding, 'Never Satisfied'. 'Lover's Crime' marks the halfway point of the record and one of the album's standout tracks. Undeniably seductive with an ominous feel, the pair keep this mood going with "City Lights" and then smash things open with "Dancing With Demons". After the devious message sent with "The Letter", you are submerged in the romantic melancholia of "Death Of A Lover" and "Regarding the Pain of Others" before closing things out with "Social Anxiety" which features vocals by longtime collaborator Broken English Club. The result is an immersive journey through the pair's self-described, "Suicide Disco" sound, and further builds on the Years of Denial form and legacy. Gatefold; includes poster and download.

 

PRICE: $41.00

CAT #: VL 990137LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress; light pink and light blue vinyl. Reissue of the fourth Allman Brothers album, originally released in 1972. During the recording of this album, band leader Duane Allman was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. Still reeling from their loss, the band nonetheless managed to complete this classic album with Dickey Betts on guitar. In tribute to Duane, however, they chose to bring the album to a close with a 34-minute jam taken from the Fillmore East sessions, which showcased what an amazing guitar player and force to be reckoned with Duane really was. Includes three bonus tracks and a replica of the original insert.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: VL 999051P-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. 180 gram picture disc in clear plastic sleeve. The Velvets legendary debut album with the Warhol's Banana cover art printed on vinyl. Although Warhol, who was listed as producer on the album, allegedly gave the Velvets free reign over their sound, it was on his insistence that Nico performed on this album. However, this does not detract from the fact that when this album was made the Red Sea parted, and the Velvet Underground crossed into the Promised Land.

 

PRICE: $21.50

CAT #: WG 097EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Gorje Hewek follows up 2022's impressive Life EP, with a new five-track package brimming with collaborative spirit. The work also marks the Watergate label debut of the legendary Hernan Cattaneo. The artist is a mainstay of the All Day I Dream collective and a master of intricately woven electronic compositions, which also transfix the dancefloor. For his return contribution to Watergate Records he brings a string of cohorts in toe -- Dulus, Polo, and Molac from his excellent Shanti Records imprint, alongside ADID affiliate Roy Rosenfeld and Argentinean great Cattaeno. The opener "Altitude" is a dreamy bass-driven heater that unfolds beautifully over an eight-minute period and is highlighted by a key driven melody that's both playful and emotive. "Astro World" is an eclectic slice of organic house that captivates with a string-laden break before dropping down into a rhythmic second half. The EP's title track is a silky sunset cut resplendent with twinkling pads that has enough groove to seduce a dusty dancefloor. "Vida" begins life as a slinky percussive jam, before the dam breaks and a colorful river of melody drives the track home. A delight. "Kaleidoscope" stays true to its name driven by a lush chord melody that cascades throughout. A gem made for big moments. Includes download.

 

PRICE: $27.50

CAT #: WRJ 005LTD-LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Limited 2023 restock. We Release Jazz presents its fifth release, the first ever live performance and recording by Marc Moulin's sought-after jazz-funk band Placebo, captured at Casino Kursaal during the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1971 and never released before. June 17th, 1971, the Montreux Riviera, its delightful microclimate and postcard scenery, its fabled music history and the luscious wines of the region. A dream setting for Marc Moulin to lead his ensemble on a 26-minutes+ jazz adventure -- Nick Kletchkovsky on bass, Freddy Rottier on drums, Johnny Dover on bass clarinet, Alex Scorier on soprano saxophone, and Richard Rousselet on flugelhorn. The magic of that night is dripping through Placebo's sumptuous "Showbiz Suite", a soulful piece in two parts in which every instrument gets enough room to shine, smoothly navigating between cozy cognac-by-the-fireplace funk and heartfelt grittiness, served with a pinch of Soft Machine vibes. It's the night Placebo was born, when foundations were laid for three classic albums: Ball of Eyes on which you can hear a shorter studio version of "Showbiz Suite" (1971), 1973, and their final self-titled album (1974). Born in 1942 in Ixelles, the multifaceted Marc Moulin had one of the most fascinating careers in the history of Belgian music, from his jazz roots and Placebo to founding electronic disco pop band Telex ("Moskow Diskow", "Rock Around The Clock"), producing a vast array of French and Belgian hits (notably for Philip Catherine and Lio), pioneering downtempo and electro jazz with three albums on Blue Note, and exploring other avenues of expression such a radio hosting and comedy. He sadly left us in 2008. His incredible legacy shall live on. 180 gram vinyl mastered at half speed; housed in a 350gsm sleeve with UV coating and an obi strip.

 

PRICE: $57.00

CAT #: WRWTFWW 076-1LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Cover variant 1. WRWTFWW Records announces the first ever vinyl release for the remarkable soundtrack of HBO® hit series The White Lotus by Chilean born composer, arranger, music producer, multi-instrumentalist Cristobal "Cristo" Tapia de Veer (Utopia, Smile, Black Mirror, and more). This limited-edition release is packed with 28 tracks, showcasing the complete music score of the cult series' first season. Shamanic, feral, mysterious, sexual, sometimes very danceable, sometimes slightly frightening (in the best ways), and always insanely enjoyable, The White Lotus soundtrack is a roaring beast of its own and one of the most visceral listening experiences in recent memory. Tapia de Veer's haunting score sensually blends tribal percussion with charango, bass, atmospherics, and organic vocals from humans and animals, bringing to life the tension, the wildness, as well as the rare but precious serenity and romance felt throughout the guests' adventurous stay at The White Lotus Resort -- with grace and a just the right amount of insolence. It's big, wonderful and audacious music, sure to captivate a wide array of melomaniacs, from soundtrack collectors to exotica adventurers, library diggers, ambient dreamers, sorcerous dancers, and experimental pop bon vivants. Included in the release is the series' iconic theme song (S01 version), a bonafide hit and spellbinding sensation. Cristobal Tapia de Veer's work has been celebrated with numerous award wins, including two Emmy Awards for The White Lotus.Available in three sleeve variants, each based on the series' brilliant opening sequence concept by Plains of Yonder and illustrator Lezio Lopes (WRWTFWW 076-1LP, WRWTFWW 076-2LP, WRWTFWW 076-3LP). 180 gram white vinyl; heavy 350gsm gatefold sleeve; inside out sleeve printing; Obi; 12x12" art print inlay.

 

PRICE: $57.00

CAT #: WRWTFWW 076-2LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Cover variant 2. WRWTFWW Records announces the first ever vinyl release for the remarkable soundtrack of HBO® hit series The White Lotus by Chilean born composer, arranger, music producer, multi-instrumentalist Cristobal "Cristo" Tapia de Veer (Utopia, Smile, Black Mirror, and more). This limited-edition release is packed with 28 tracks, showcasing the complete music score of the cult series' first season. Shamanic, feral, mysterious, sexual, sometimes very danceable, sometimes slightly frightening (in the best ways), and always insanely enjoyable, The White Lotus soundtrack is a roaring beast of its own and one of the most visceral listening experiences in recent memory. Tapia de Veer's haunting score sensually blends tribal percussion with charango, bass, atmospherics, and organic vocals from humans and animals, bringing to life the tension, the wildness, as well as the rare but precious serenity and romance felt throughout the guests' adventurous stay at The White Lotus Resort -- with grace and a just the right amount of insolence. It's big, wonderful and audacious music, sure to captivate a wide array of melomaniacs, from soundtrack collectors to exotica adventurers, library diggers, ambient dreamers, sorcerous dancers, and experimental pop bon vivants. Included in the release is the series' iconic theme song (S01 version), a bonafide hit and spellbinding sensation. Cristobal Tapia de Veer's work has been celebrated with numerous award wins, including two Emmy Awards for The White Lotus.Available in three sleeve variants, each based on the series' brilliant opening sequence concept by Plains of Yonder and illustrator Lezio Lopes (WRWTFWW 076-1LP, WRWTFWW 076-2LP, WRWTFWW 076-3LP). 180 gram white vinyl; heavy 350gsm gatefold sleeve; inside out sleeve printing; Obi; 12x12" art print inlay.

 

PRICE: $57.00

CAT #: WRWTFWW 076-3LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Cover variant 3. WRWTFWW Records announces the first ever vinyl release for the remarkable soundtrack of HBO® hit series The White Lotus by Chilean born composer, arranger, music producer, multi-instrumentalist Cristobal "Cristo" Tapia de Veer (Utopia, Smile, Black Mirror, and more). This limited-edition release is packed with 28 tracks, showcasing the complete music score of the cult series' first season. Shamanic, feral, mysterious, sexual, sometimes very danceable, sometimes slightly frightening (in the best ways), and always insanely enjoyable, The White Lotus soundtrack is a roaring beast of its own and one of the most visceral listening experiences in recent memory. Tapia de Veer's haunting score sensually blends tribal percussion with charango, bass, atmospherics, and organic vocals from humans and animals, bringing to life the tension, the wildness, as well as the rare but precious serenity and romance felt throughout the guests' adventurous stay at The White Lotus Resort -- with grace and a just the right amount of insolence. It's big, wonderful and audacious music, sure to captivate a wide array of melomaniacs, from soundtrack collectors to exotica adventurers, library diggers, ambient dreamers, sorcerous dancers, and experimental pop bon vivants. Included in the release is the series' iconic theme song (S01 version), a bonafide hit and spellbinding sensation. Cristobal Tapia de Veer's work has been celebrated with numerous award wins, including two Emmy Awards for The White Lotus.Available in three sleeve variants, each based on the series' brilliant opening sequence concept by Plains of Yonder and illustrator Lezio Lopes (WRWTFWW 076-1LP, WRWTFWW 076-2LP, WRWTFWW 076-3LP). 180 gram white vinyl; heavy 350gsm gatefold sleeve; inside out sleeve printing; Obi; 12x12" art print inlay.

 

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."

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: 2MR 078LTD-LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Kosaya Gora (English translation: Oblique Mountain), a new indie project from acclaimed electronic producer/singer Kedr Livanskiy and experimental producer/visual artist Flaty, have announced their first full-length album, Kosogor. Kosaya Gora is an entirely new sonic direction for them both. The debut is a multilingual foray into guitar-based folk, haunting dream pop, and moody synth, underpinned by Livanskiy's signature hypnotic vocals. The two recorded Kosogor in a mobile studio which they took through remote villages in their native Russia. Having worked together on each other's solo electronic projects in the past (Flaty co-produced Livanskiy's Your Need and features on her most recent album Liminal Soul), the two artists found themselves exploring new territory during a period of experimentation between 2020-21. With a spirit of curiosity and no specific plan, they took inspiration from all over during these sessions, likening their process to that of Gray, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Michael Holman's experimental band of nonprofessional musicians and artists. As a result, Kosogor contains echoes of '60s psychedelic folk, underground rock, country, DIY, and experimental electronica tapes, '00s and '90s indie and trip-hop, dub, and more. Though these touchpoints may be new to fans of both artists' solo work, they're deeply familiar to Livanskiy and Flaty themselves, echoes of their youths spent traversing Russia's underground music scenes. It makes sense, then, that a free-spirited approach to music-making would naturally resurface these familiar sounds. The resulting album is fittingly expansive: traditional folk guitars swirl alongside moody synths and '90s-era distortion. "V Pole Na Vole" has an upbeat, infectious melody and glitchy electronic production, while "Musika Voln" has a danceable trip-hop beat. All of the songs on Kosogor seem to dart between eras in a way that would be dizzying if it weren't so skillful. This sense of timelessness is underscored by the lyrics, which borrow from ancient folklore, 18th century German poetry, contemporary American writing, and more. The otherworldly "Empty Realm" is even written in an entirely invented language, an elvish dialect which Livanskiy describes as "a language of dreams." Channeling both the vibrant sounds of their city-dwelling youths and the more ancient atmosphere of the forests and small towns they traversed in their mobile studio, Kosogor is an enchanting debut from a group that, though brand new, feels oddly timeless. Clear vinyl.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: ALT 051COL-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Clear vinyl edition. Alter presents a remastered edition of Cremation Lily's second album. Recorded whilst living in Hastings and originally released as a double cassette on his Strange Rules label in 2017, The Processes And Instruments Of Normal People forms a trilogy of albums in the Cremation Lily canon that were influenced by the life and atmospheres within British coastal towns. Composed using a rudimentary set-up of synth, drum machine and two modified walkmans, Cremation Lily draws upon a broad range of influences from the underground electronic music spectrum. Noise, tape music, and ambient techno are all referenced and align to form a cohesive collection of tracks, flowing fluidly in sequence. Melancholic synth pads and deep kick drums intersect with crude field recordings and occasional bursts of feedback, evoking a claustrophobic uncertainty that feels more like being pulled under than carried above. Features additional piano and violin by Theodore Cale Schafer.

 

PRICE: $10.00

CAT #: BING 186CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"It's been seven strange years since The Veils' last studio album Total Depravity, and Finn Andrews has a new double album to show for it. ...And Out Of The Void Came Love is the result of this tumultuous period of injury, isolation and new life. Following the release of Total Depravity, Andrews released a solo album and began a worldwide tour. One night, while lashing out at a particularly intense moment on piano, he broke his wrist on stage. He played on and finished the rest of the tour, but it wasn't until he got it examined much later that he realized what a bad move that was. The convalescence that followed meant a lengthy hiatus from touring, so he did what he does best and stayed at home and wrote songs. Just when his hand had healed sufficiently for him to play again, The Veils found themselves in need of a new record label, but Finn set about starting to make a new record regardless. Producer Tom Healy invited Finn to his small studio underneath the old Crystal Palace ballroom in Mount Eden, and they listened through the legions of songs he had amassed throughout the previous year. Following another two years of intermittent recording between lockdowns, Finn's wife became pregnant, and yet more songs started coming. By the time the songs had been recorded, it was clear that arranging the album into two halves best suited such varied material -- but the meaning of the songs as a whole still eluded Andrews. The result of all these years of questioning, confinement and precarious uncertainty is this magnificent new double album. It is an album intended to be listened to in two sittings with a short break in the middle. Composer Victoria Kelly's soaring string arrangements play an integral role in bringing the songs to life, as do musicians Cass Basil (bass), Dan Raishbrook (lap steel, guitar), Liam Gerrard (piano), Joseph McCallum (drums), the NZTrio and special guests the Smoke Fairies on backing vocals. The Veils have toured consistently throughout their twenty-year history and garnered a formidable reputation as one of the world's greatest live bands. They have also been praised by film directors Paolo Sorrentino, Tim Burton and David Lynch who have all used their music on their soundtracks."

 

PRICE: $36.00

CAT #: BING 186LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Double LP version. "It's been seven strange years since The Veils' last studio album Total Depravity, and Finn Andrews has a new double album to show for it. ...And Out Of The Void Came Love is the result of this tumultuous period of injury, isolation and new life. Following the release of Total Depravity, Andrews released a solo album and began a worldwide tour. One night, while lashing out at a particularly intense moment on piano, he broke his wrist on stage. He played on and finished the rest of the tour, but it wasn't until he got it examined much later that he realized what a bad move that was. The convalescence that followed meant a lengthy hiatus from touring, so he did what he does best and stayed at home and wrote songs. Just when his hand had healed sufficiently for him to play again, The Veils found themselves in need of a new record label, but Finn set about starting to make a new record regardless. Producer Tom Healy invited Finn to his small studio underneath the old Crystal Palace ballroom in Mount Eden, and they listened through the legions of songs he had amassed throughout the previous year. Following another two years of intermittent recording between lockdowns, Finn's wife became pregnant, and yet more songs started coming. By the time the songs had been recorded, it was clear that arranging the album into two halves best suited such varied material -- but the meaning of the songs as a whole still eluded Andrews. The result of all these years of questioning, confinement and precarious uncertainty is this magnificent new double album. It is an album intended to be listened to in two sittings with a short break in the middle. Composer Victoria Kelly's soaring string arrangements play an integral role in bringing the songs to life, as do musicians Cass Basil (bass), Dan Raishbrook (lap steel, guitar), Liam Gerrard (piano), Joseph McCallum (drums), the NZTrio and special guests the Smoke Fairies on backing vocals. The Veils have toured consistently throughout their twenty-year history and garnered a formidable reputation as one of the world's greatest live bands. They have also been praised by film directors Paolo Sorrentino, Tim Burton and David Lynch who have all used their music on their soundtracks."

 

PRICE: $36.50

CAT #: BEWITH 028LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 repress. Be With Records present the first ever official reissue of Kimiko Kasai with Herbie Hancock's Butterfly, originally released in 1979. The positively sublime and very rare Butterfly LP, recorded in Tokyo in 1979 by Japanese songstress Kimiko Kasai and jazz legend Herbie Hancock. Due to its super-rare status as a Japan-only release, this exquisite collection of covers never got the recognition it deserved at the time, despite incredibly inspired performances from Kimiko, Herbie, and the supremely talented musicians assembled for the project. From heavenly drummer Alphonse Mouzon and renowned organist Webster Lewis to bassist Paul Jackson, reedman Bennie Maupin, and the master percussionist Bill Summers, the legendary performers crafted amazingly good vocal versions of Herbie/Headhunters jazz-funk. Unsurprisingly, it has been heavily in demand for many years. The LP opens with Kimiko's highly desirable version of "I Thought It Was You", an elegant take on Herbie's own anthem. Other superb re-workings include the delicately soulful "Butterfly", jazzy groover "Sunlight", the smooth and sexy "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", and the beautiful ballads "Maiden Voyage" and "Harvest Time". A wonderful example of perfectly understated and masterful jazz-funk soul fusion that shouldn't be missed, the set closes with a jaw-dropping version of Stevie Wonder's "As". This lovingly curated reissue enables a long overdue reappraisal of this hitherto unavailable masterpiece. The stunning artwork which adorned the original jacket -- complete with obi strip and sumptuous four-page folded insert -- has been faithfully restored. Mastered by Simon Francis, and pressed on 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: BEWITH 037LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress. Be With Records present the first ever officially licensed vinyl reissue of Buari's self-titled album, originally released on RCA in 1975. A surefire Afro-funk classic, long treasured by collectors across the globe, the fantastic self-titled LP from Ghanaian singing/percussion sensation Sidiku Buari nevertheless remains a criminally hard-to find gem. This super-rare album boasts an all-star cast of top funk instrumentalists playing alongside Buari as he blends heavy African rhythms with American soul-funk grooves. The arrangements and the playing are incredibly tight and the album is stacked with killer tracks including "Advice From Father" (sampled brilliantly by Kenny Dope) and "Ku Ka Maria", with its intense, neck-snapping breaks and funky drumming from legend Bernard "Pretty" Purdie. Purdie is in the pocket for the entirety of this stunning LP -- the drumming is just straight out of hand; so varied yet so precise. It's not hard to fathom why these tracks have always been huge on the b-boy/breaking scene. Other standouts include the wonderful disco-tinged Afro monsters "Karam Bani" and "Iro Le Pa" plus the cool laidback groove of "Them Yebtheyet". With access to the original analog tape transfers, the stellar mastering by Simon Francis elevates the sound throughout and. 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: BEWITH 066LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress; Be With Records present a reissue of Samuel Jonathan Johnson's My Music, originally released in 1978. My Music is a stellar spiritual soul/jazz-funk gem, recorded by keyboardist-singer Samuel Jonathan Johnson in 1978. The epitome of a cult classic, it didn't do much upon its release but steadily found an audience over the decades that followed. This is music that shares the jazzy R&B DNA of contemporaries like Roy Ayers and is an intoxicating blend of mellow moments and more groove-heavy tracks. Spacey keys and lush production give it a luxurious, enveloping warmth. My Music opens with the gorgeous title track: an indulgent slow jam opus. Introducing you to Johnson's compelling musical vision, it features a rich mélange of production techniques. Dripping in strings, horns, backing singers, popping funk bass lines and swooshing synth waves, it's an unusually structured cosmic two-stepper that has an irrepressible groove. Accordingly, it's been a favorite with the diggers and it was sampled by The Alchemist for Jadakiss's "We Gonna Make It". The up-tempo "Sweet Love" bubbles over with joy, its uplifting lyrics backed by infectious bass and jazzy Fender Rhodes lines. It follows a cover of "What The World Need's Now Is Love", taken at a funereal pace that transforms it into a heartfelt plea for love and understanding. After a full-minute-long opening of lush cinematic strings and horns, "Because I Love You" makes space for Samuel's voice, accompanied by some keys and just a sprinkle of guitar. It builds back up and then mellows its way out to a jazz lounge finish (in all the right ways). The feel-good ebullience of the Stevie Wonder-esque "It Ain't Easy" closes out the LP's first side. The second side bursts open with the heavy bounce and disco-funk basslines of "You", a slightly off-beat string-laden dancer with insistent horns and a piano-assisted groove. Next up is "Just Us", a legendary steppers track that could be heard oozing out of deep soul radios and funk sound systems back in the late '80s. "Yesterdays and Tomorrow" is a moving original ballad that is followed by an exquisite high-stepping paean to mom in the form of "Thank You Mother Dear". The thumping easy-glide of "Reason For The Reason" brings the album to a close. Mastered by Simon Francis and cut by Pete Norman. Sleeve artwork restored by Be With Records. 140 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $36.50

CAT #: BEWITH 061LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress; LP version. 140 gram vinyl; gatefold sleeve; includes 16-page insert with photos and liner notes. For the first time since its inception in 1983, Steve Hiett's elusive Down On The Road By The Beach is finally made available outside of Japan. Most recognized in the fashion sphere as an English photographer and graphic designer, Hiett's transportive audio portraits amplify his serpentine guitar to the infinite blue, recorded across Paris, Tokyo and New York. A career devotee of Brian Wilson's groundbreaking harmonies, Hiett shot The Beach Boys for Rolling Stone -- as well as The Doors, Miles Davis, and Jimi Hendrix -- while establishing himself as a fashion photographer. Decamping to Paris in 1972, he began what would become 20-year collaborations with Vogue Paris and Marie Claire. In 1982, representatives from Tokyo's Galerie Watari visited him to propose a solo exhibition. Asking if he could insert a 7" of original music into the back of the exhibition catalogue, Hiett laid down "Blue Beach - Welcome To Your Beach" in a Parisian radio station, playing all of the instruments himself, and two more cuts in New York with Yoko Ono, The Doobie Brothers, and Steely Dan hired-gun, Elliot Randall. Once dispatched, there were requests for him to fly to Tokyo to record; it wasn't until he arrived that he discovered CBS/Sony had facilitated an entire album. Heitt hastily gripped some petty cash, bought a guitar, and retreated to his hotel room to start writing. Entering the studio the following day, he was further surprised by a waiting room of session players known as Moonriders -- one of Japan's most acclaimed rock bands of the 1980s. Intimidated by their indecipherable sheet music, Hiett suggested Randall join them and with money being no object for major labels at the time, his wingman was on the next plane out of New York. Near-ambient arrangements that float in a space between The Durutti Column, Steve Cropper, and Ashra, Down On The Road By The Beach also crowns Hiett the master of recontextualization with his zero-gravity blues visions of "Roll Over Beethoven", Santo & Johnny's "Sleep Walk" and the 1967 Eddie Floyd soul hit, "Never Found A Girl". Produced in coordination between Be With Records, Efficient Space and the artist, this definitive reissue is restored from original masters; extensive liner notes penned by Mikey IQ Jones.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BEAT 042LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. The Partisans were formed in South Wales in 1978 with the original line-up of Phil Staton (vocals), Rob "Spike" Harrington (guitar and backing vocals), Andy Lealand (second guitar), Mark "Shark" Harris (drums), and Mark "Savage" Parsons (bass). This line-up changed after one year as Parsons and Staton left the band and Rob took the vocal position and Louise Wright became the bass player. Basically influenced by The Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Ramones, The Partisans started to cover those bands and play some of their own sounds, too. In September 1981, they released their first 7" under the label No Future Records, a fantastic single that helped the band to tour with the likes of Blitz, The Ejected and Peter And The Test Tube Babies. In May of 1982 they released their second 7" and when 1983 arrived, the band's debut LP was out. This debut LP is one of the seminal steps in British punk, for sure -- a record that still sounds fresh and strong after 30 years. Beat Generation is more than proud to announce the reissue of this legendary record on 180 gram vinyl with the original cover and inside artwork -- strictly limited to 500 copies.

 

PRICE: $21.50

CAT #: BEC 5611342

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Don Cavalli has just done four brilliant covers of reggae classics he loves in his own blues and rockabilly way.

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: BMR 129LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Finally, we get some of the finest artistic results of the awful, forced hibernation zones we all were forced to bubble ourselves into during the COVID era. It [Infinite River's Prequel] sounds like the soundtrack to a space desert film you can't wait to watch. There are so many of the sounds you already like that might come from guitars and drone elements, but it's subtly put together here in ways that remove all sense of ego. These are sort of slowed-down post-rock songs, but it's not overly interested in math, and it is way too cosmic to be post-rock. Sorry we even said 'post-rock.' These perfect, first instrumental recordings here were made in a home studio in Birmingham, Michigan by three longtime friends and compatriots who were slowly starting to go nuts as lockdown started. Later, another friend shuttering in place in the U.P. added percussion elements. 'All our friends were doing yoga, so we made this yoga music for them,' Gretchen Davidson explains half-seriously. But this music contains multitudes. It exists in a curious space between improvised music and subtle songs that fall apart the closer you get to them. There is a lot of space in between these notes. No one will call this a 'Detroit supergroup,' and we implore you to follow suit. However, the group curiously brings together disparate yet friendly threads of the fertile Detroit underground: garage, weirdo indie, and the noise scene?from its very top practitioners, no less. Gretchen Davidson (Slumber Party, Terror At The Opera, Universal Indians), Warren Defever (ESP Beetles, His Name is Alive), special guest drummer Steve Nistor (Sparks, Ural Thomas, Seedsmen To The World), and Joey Mazzola (Detroit Cobras, Sponge, Sugarcoats) -- this combination is deeply unfuckwithable. We are so excited to release these recordings. This might be music that exists to bring back the chillout room at serious raves. Whatever its use, we all know that ex-hippies made the best postpunk; do ex-postpunks make the best neo-hippie music? That's a question perhaps only you can answer." --Mike McGonigal

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: BJR 062LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

LP version. 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: $13.50

CAT #: BJR 45023EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Cansu Ak, Tolga Horasanl?, and Mehmet Koray Erol came together in 2019 to produce their own music with creating the band "oldu o zaman". Since they gathered as a band, two songs written, composed, and arranged by them have been released by Avrupa Müzik. After that, the band decided to make their mutual dream which is covering and arranging Turkish traditional well-known folk songs with psychedelic and electronic elements to create a unique sound with their own touch. There was a psychedelic music trend in '70s used in traditional Anatolian folk songs. Oldu o Zaman rearranged famous tavern song "Sigaras? Yald?zl?" and a well-known Turkish gipsy song "Mastika" by using this trend in electronic form.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: NT 015EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

J. Albert's config EP for Couldn't Care More is one more step into his very own microcosm of electronic music wizardry: There is the flickering groove of "Armor", myriads of cut-up sonic pieces morphed into a glorious track somewhere next to techno and house and there's the distorted quiet beauty of slowly breathing "config4", ambient-esque but filled with tension like Huerco S does it. There are the holographic breakbeats of "config5", with voice samples and synth stabs melted in New York's fiercest heat and there's the sped-up ambient groove of ghostly "config2". The last track "Court" sums it up, a breathless groove mutation topped by spheric keyboard sounds. J. Albert gets it all together and he does it with a quite uncanny certainty. A different level.

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: COUNTER 034LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Magna Pia, aka seasoned producer, DJ, and composer Hüseyin Evirgen, announces his second full-length album, QUT, arriving on Inland's Counterchange label. After two steamrolling EPs of club tracks on the label -- now entering its tenth year of action -- Magna Pia presents his most complete and advanced body of work to date, weaving a dense narrative of drone, figurative synthesis, bass-heavy electronica, and abstract techno. Over eight tracks each referencing his rich cultural and musical background, you are treated to a unique overview of a producer at the crest of his art. The word "Qut" is an ancient positive affirmation, in one short word encompassing all that is scared, pure and good. The Old Turkic term meaning not only "good fortune" and "joy", but in shamanic circles, the "wonder of the heavens", permeates the roots of Evirgen's multi-heritage history. That Evirgen expresses his interpretation of this central theme through the marriage of bewitching melodies with atonal, experimental and rumbling electronics is a conscious comment on the distortions and mutations of our Modern Era. We now exist in the digital age of the Technosphere for better or worse, and must seek beauty where-ever possible. The opening "Prologue" invites the listener into a futuristic yet organic sound world, where lush stereo processing goes hand in hand with rumbling bass and subtly detuned drone languages. From the echoes of traditional Uyghur folk music, translated via synthesizers into a glistening slowdiving opus ("Qizil"), to churning dub-techno adorned with a symphony of evolving sine-waves ("Venus M"), Evirgen then deploys "X" -- a haunting experimental piece composed predominantly with his voice and electronic processing. The interweaving synth lines of "Gudanna" pierce the fog with a radiant and transcendent club techno bounce before the ode to the ancient Bronze Age goddess "Astarte" unfolds its snare-driven broken-beat formations. The title track "Qut" embodies by far the heaviest club track of the album, in a deadly, stripped-back moment of future-techno hypnotism. Dancing flames of purple-tongued synthesis are held (just) in line by a wonderfully tough throb of drums. With his "Epilogue", Magna Pia allows the spectral ideas and concepts laid out across the LP to connect and travel full circle, confirming our suspicions that this could be one of the most coherent and exciting works to emerge in the brave new field of introspective, and sensitive techno-electronic language.

 

PRICE: $17.00

CAT #: DIS 120LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock. "Instrument Soundtrack is a mainly instrumental soundtrack for the documentary (Instrument) about the band produced by the band and filmmaker Jem Cohen. The soundtrack mostly consists of previously unreleased songs and studio outtakes culled from Fugazi's history to that point, as well as seven demoversions of songs from their proper albums (six from 1998's End Hits and one from 1993's In on the Kill Taker)."

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: CREP 095LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

By now a regular and esteemed presence among the Discrepant sprawling household via releases with projects such as Alförjs or Jibóia, Mestre André "resurrects" his O Morto alias (bad pun somewhat intended) after 2016 The Forest, The People And The Spirits. With a diaristic approach where field recordings function as remnants of his surrounding reality and subsequent memories to be processed and recontextualized into an expressionist whole, O Morto expands that previous Discrepant release sonic palette unto uncharted cartographies. Based on a number of field recordings taken during a life-changing trip to Morocco that felt like a fever dream, Dans la Gorge d'un Monstre reenacts that hazy and hallucinatory mind frame through five tracks where no vivid recollection persists, tainted by the extrasensory feeling of not being quite there. A sonic fiction that goes from the processed cymbals and pummeling drums of "The Gorge" with Andrés's mates in Jibóia, through Moroccan Gimbri player Ayoub El Ayady and Khalid Boulhaman's rattling Krakebs on "Lila" and the slowed down Eccojams vibes of "Out of the Atlas" to the dreamy aquatic soundscapes and arpeggios of the appropriately titled "Princesas Batráquio". Comprising the whole of the B side, "A Desert of Rain" is a slow evolving wonder where gong-like tones drift beneath scrambled transmissions of unknown origin, eventually giving way to synapse inducing drone motifs and scraps of realities col-lapsing among themselves -- fire into water, a jetstream into steps, maybe none of this. Along with the LP, the release comes with a companion piece tape titled "Iffrits Habitent", a more impressionistic and unadulterated account of the same travel that could well be this side of the mirror. Then again, maybe he never made it from the other side. Who's to know?

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: EFFICIENT 022LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress! Double LP version. Includes printed inner sleeves. A North American road trip of coming-of-age garage soul mapped by Ivan Liechti, Ghost Riders is Efficient Space's latest narrative compilation, hovering in a liminal emotional ravine between moonlight melancholy, teenage heartache, and unchecked, unrealized ambition. Across seventeen open hearted ballads recorded 1965-1974, the album collects and connects dots between British Invasion fanatics, child prodigies, the loners and the luckless, in a kind of trans-continental survey of those swept up in rock n' roll mania and buoyed by local newspaper ads promising fame and gold records. From the tangerine dreams of eight grade all-girl combo The Mod 4 to the tri-state jukebox aspiring echoes of The Tempters, The Yardleys' poetic Farfisa vamp and lilting folk pop, and The Landlords' weepy break up B-side blues, these are mostly one shots by dreamers whose experience was brief before being checked back to the reality of suburban normality and realistic career options. Hailing from the regional backwaters of Illinois, Arkansas, Nevada, Massachusetts, Ohio, Idaho, Texas, and beyond, the licensed artists were scouted by way of local fire departments, spiritualist fellowships and animal welfare centers, often barely a stone's throw from where their contributions were originally laid. A barely teenage Dennis Harte's "Summer's Over" perhaps best taps the collection's essence. A gut-wrenching lament of the passing of the season as if it was the last on earth. Flanked by players from The Left Banke, Harte, a now-piano tuner to the stars, is from the minor segment that found longevity in showbiz. Likewise with Michigan icon Lyn Nowicki who cast her ghostly voice over Beatles cover song chameleons The Common People and Jerry McGee, The Ventures member and conduit of Dr. John's "Twilight Zone". Ghost Riders simmers with the scent of youthful summers, the pang of schoolyard romance, and the excitement (and disenchantment) of teenage naïveté, delivered via a deceptively simple and frequently wonky garage band set-up. The vision of record collector and graphic designer Ivan Liechti, these eternal psych-folk howlers are further crystallized by Colin Young's fastidious audio restoration, the original artwork of Elise Ganebin-de Bons and an aptly penned forward from Sonic Boom. Also features Decompressed Impossibility, The Living End, The Newports, The Landlords, The Prisners Dream, The Fortels, The Bohemians, Tresa Leigh, WM. Penn & The Quakers, Carroll, and Toe Head.

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: FTR 565LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Co-release with UK Shagrat label. "Because he is a relentless seeker of strange truths (especially as they relate to music), Nigel Cross was the gent who uncovered the fact that the London-based artist, Jill Tipping, had been a member of a Sunforest-style folk-rock group back in the day . . . Here are some notes from Jill on what's what. It's early '70s London and in a small all-girls grammar school a band is born. There had been an extant group of sixth-formers -- The Folk Group -- who provided musical filling at morning assemblies and religious services, but they were moving on. The spot became vacant, so up stepped Janice, Kim, Lesley, and Jill, with Barbara for moral support. Like many teens at the time, they had guitars and teach-yourself books, so they started strumming their way through religious songs, folk tunes and Beatles songbooks and attempted the music that was all around them. Some was pop charty -- Monkees, Kinks, Faces; some was folky -- Pentangle, Steeleye Span, Simon and Garfunkel; some rocky -- King Crimson, Pink Floyd, David Bowie; some singer/songwritey -- Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell, and Elton John to name but a few . . . The quartet played in their teen bedrooms, as well as a couple of churches, school assemblies and events. They also had a very small taste of fame in the shape of an appearance on London education TV, which earned them a feature in the local papers. And luckily, there were recordings. Surviving house moves and dusty lofts for nearly 50 years, the tapes finally made their way into the hands of Shagrat's Nigel Cross . . . here are some songs from a previously unreleased girl group in all their genuine and sweetly harmonized innocence. A snapshot of '70s teenage-girlhood, an era predating TV talent shows and the internet. Along with traditional tunes "Sovey" and "Sinner Man," are covers of Lesley Duncan's "Love Song" (by way of Elton John's version on his Tumbleweed Connection album) and an endearingly scratchy "Moonchild" (courtesy of King Crimson), plus six lovely original songs of happiness, sadness, love, loss, anxiety, hope, yearning . . . The cover and inner sleeve are a collage of photos and ephemera with generous notes telling the story of The Folk Group/Saffron/Saphron/Red Amber -- they never quite settled on a name -- while the label (and badges) are by ace artist Savage Pencil." --Byron Coley. Edition of 450.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: FKR 112LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Wipe your blade clean. The bloodline of Eastern European kosmische and groundbreaking, grinding cinematic psych rock finally emerges from fifty years of forbidden forestland to fill your thirsty grails. Poland's prime progressive provocateurs Andrzej Zu?awski and Andrzej Korzynski finally expose the jagged roots of Possession and The Silver Globe and give the devil his due via this historical vinyl release. If an opening strapline that reads "Forget everything that you thought you knew about the history of psychedelic rock and horror movies" appeals to you, then further potentially hyperbolic phrases like "Lost Grail" and "Banned Forever" will surely clinch the deal, leaving the hugely significant wider context of this dream come true release surplus to requirement. But as we hope you have come to expect from Finders Keepers releases "The devil is in the detail" and the fact that any mention of the perpetually elusive original master tapes to a 1972 project entitled Diabe? and the phrase "Holy Grail" have become synonymously associated only adds the twisted irony that surrounds this genuine masterpiece of both aforementioned fields. For those fastidious enough to pursue the hunt, these unearthed recordings represent the crowning glory of the lifelong unison of maestro Andrzej Zu?awski and filmmaker Andrzej Korzynski, two genuine mavericks of Polish experimental cinema who challenged artistic and societal norms, on both sides of a politically restricted regime and on an international artistic stage, without compromise. Friends since childhood, Korzynski and Zu?awski may have become divided by limelight and geography (Zu?awski the intrepid emigre), but they remained united in their kaleidoscopic creative vision, resulting in a fractured stream of troublesome and mind-bending golden era collaborations such as Possession, The Silver Globe, and Third Part Of The Night. This long-awaited liberation of the psychedelic masterpiece known as Diabe? finally completes the duo's full vista with what many consider the most vital piece of the prism. Sourced from the elusive original master tapes with the full cooperation of the CeTA archives in Warsaw. Released alongside The Devil Tapes (FKSP 022EP) the original off-kilter psychedelic score rejected by Andrzej Zulawski.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: FKSP 022EP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

It has been exactly ten years since Finders Keepers first intrepidly entered Andrzej Korzynski's cavernous musical vault, but the label now announces the safe retrieval on a true heavy psych holy grail of the Polish composer's mind-bending oeuvre. The comprehensive elusive archive of the deeply psychedelic soundtrack to Andrzej Zu?awski's forbidden film Diabe? (The Devil) (FKR 112LP) is perhaps the most detailed dossier one could wish to find -- including audio sketches, rejected proposals and pre-butchered variations that play out like an intense and veritable creative conversation between the director and the maestro, both widely recognized as true mavericks of socialist-era Poland's fertile artistic landscape. Never intended for anything as conventional as a straightforward movie tie-in promotional disc (state owned Eastern European record labels rarely did this), the music in this archive has required special forensic inspection. The 7" here is more than just a companion piece, and it is far from a selection of the (non-existent) poppy title themes to promote a full feature-length album. This standalone release is wholly unique in its own right, giving Finders Keepers listeners a final access all areas snoop into the mind of one of the pillars of our alternative musical community. As those familiar with Zu?awski and Korzynski's long-running relationship will understand (a methodology best exemplified in the schizoid soundtrack to the film Possession), their exchanges were deeply nuanced and often complicated, with lots of artistic "tennis" thrown into the mix. The key plot in this behind-the-scene fable is that after delivering his original off-kilter psychedelic score to the director, maestro Korzynski was asked to make the music "totally unique, like something from another planet", to which Korzynski took his tapes, pulled down the vari-speed to a guttural grind and continued to recompose over the top using avant-garde electro-acoustic techniques while deploying psychedelic skills of guitarist Winicjusz Chróst. This limited record release proudly boasts Korzynski's original uptempo awkward psychedelic pop music prior to the doom-laden growls that make the official films soundtrack a true Goliath of Eastern European soundtrack composition. Released alongside long-awaited liberation of Andrzej Korzynski's full psychedelic score for Diabe? (FKR 112LP). Sourced from the elusive original master tapes with the full cooperation of the CeTA archives in Warsaw Transparent red vinyl; edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: HMLLPV 004LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Creating an introverted version of restrained electronic music Berlin-based artist Constantijn Lange releases his second album Liquide on Heimlich Musik. The album is based on sketches created in isolation during the second pandemic year. The compositions are characterized by self-reflection and an attempt to translate the abstract experience of listening to oneself into a concrete form. The sound of personal isolation, the necessary withdrawal from the world and the restriction of all social contacts is, therefore, less club oriented and focused on functionality than an expressive concept of ideas, rather oriented on trip hop, breakbeat, ambient, and jazz. The collective rediscovery of shared experience results in arrangements of melancholic but optimistic melodies recorded with vintage synthesizers, supported by complex drum patterns and diverse percussions that create a signature sound as a new liquid amalgam.Constantijn Lange is an electronic music composer originally from Ostfriesland now based in Berlin. Besides several releases on Laut & Luise since the early days, his productions appear on labels like Get Physical, Traum Schallplatten, Sinnbus, Platon Records, Egoplanet, and many more. His passion for thick layered synth melodies, jazzy and kraut -- like vibes, atmosphere recordings, deep basslines and self-made percussion designs give his music a recognizable vibe which can be heard on nearly every production he was involved in so far. He spends a lot of time in his studio in Berlin, working on new music, remixing other artists and also engineering for other sound projects in the art scene. On top of that, he performs as a live act in clubs and on festivals all over the planet where his music can be described as very emotional and personal. Repeatedly this amazed people in countries like Germany, Russia, Poland, Switzerland, South Africa, Austria, Belgium, Mexico, and many more. Constantijn's ambition as an artist is to constantly evolve his productions and create music which carries emotions and energies into the clubs, to festivals and living rooms alike.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: HEIST 068EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Orlando Voorn is back on Heist after his 2022 Heist Mastercuts EP and comes in with a heavy dose of soulful machine funk. Heist Mastercuts Pt. 2 has the techno and house veteran showing his eclectic style with the vocal cut "Soundsystem", Midwest inspired sample jam "High" and his Boo Williams collaborative drum workout "909". On the first Heist Mastercuts, Orlando dove deep into his archives and presented a collection of old and new tracks, showing that his music has aged well and reminding us that he's a producer still on the top of his game. He kept busy in 2022 with releases on our own label Transient Nature, Kompakt, a handful of Bandcamp only tracks, and a self-released album. The EP kicks off with "Soundsystem": a masterclass in simplicity. A steady and minimalistic groove guides you through the track, where silky vocals and woozy chords take you on a trip through Orlando's sonic universe. "High" is Orlando's take on what could easily be an old Andrés track. Here, he samples a female vocal and cleverly adds his own vocals to add depth and originality to the track. The percussion on high grooves in an effortless way and underlines the feel of this track: It's fun, cool and incredibly funky. There's a bit of Dam Swindle sauce on the mix to make sure this track hits the right spot on any dancefloor. "Day By Day" is a classic Orlando Voorn cut with a live bassline, plenty of chopped samples and a Rhodes loop that could have come straight from a B-roll of a "First Choice" recording session. It ends with a collab with Orlando's close friend Emil and legendary Chicago producer Boo Williams. The producers take a monologue from Boo Williams about working the 909 and deliver a drum workout that keeps on building energy, showing exactly what Boo is talking about. The digital package also includes an instrumental mix of Soundsytem and an alternative mix to 909, just for good measure.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: IMPREC 493CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"Greg is one of the pioneers of electronic music and these pieces are unique opportunities to discover how intricate and dynamic early synthesizers are." --Kaitlyn Aurelia SmithVeils Of Transformation 1972-1980 is a collection of the earliest works of Gregory Kramer, one of the 20th century masters of textural electronic music. Liner notes from Gregory Kramer and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, who first brought this fascinating work to the attention of Important Records. Kramer developed a musical language focused on continuous transformation of timbre, yielding a continuity of attention. This musical language, formed of timbral change, is a compelling aesthetic in its own right and a source of meditative experience. The four works on this album share a deep sense of order derived not from organizing pitches or rhythms, but from the evolution of timbre itself. Gregory Kramer (b. 1952) is a pioneering electronic composer, inventor, researcher, teacher and author. In 1975 he founded Electronic Musicmobile, a synthesizer ensemble later renamed Electronic Musicmobile, a series of synthesizer concerts in New York from which he formed the Electronic Art Ensemble. His work extended to developing synthesizers and related equipment. Kramer also co-founded the not-for-profit arts organization Harvestworks in New York City. He is recognized as the founding figure of the intensely cross-disciplinary field of data sonification. Since 1980, Kramer teaches Buddhist meditation. The four compositions collected here each represent Kramer's unique approaches: The structure of "Meditations on 32 Parts of the Body" is derived from the means of its production. Recording five people chanting an ancient meditation text, then layering to gradually achieve more than one million voices. The layering was all done using analog tape recorders. The decomposition of the sound reflects the anomalies of tape machines out of sync, and the build-up of artifacts from the audio tape itself, such as uneven response curves and tape hiss, are all engaged as musical materials. "Role" was generated using one complex patch on a large hybrid Buchla 200/100 system. Emerging from a zeitgeist that valued pure synthesis as a combined artistic and technological research. At the time this piece was realized it's as exceedingly difficult to produce electronic sounds that were internally complex. "Blue Wave" is built on Kramer's timbral development technique "Veils Of Transformation" which allows for disparate timbres to be woven into a continuously developing sound. "Monologue" is a virtuosic performance of a massive patch on a Buchla/Electron Farm hybrid electronic instrument. Built into the patch is a pathway for continuous transformation of voice and voltage-controlled synthesizer.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: IMPREC 493CS

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Cassette version. "Greg is one of the pioneers of electronic music and these pieces are unique opportunities to discover how intricate and dynamic early synthesizers are." --Kaitlyn Aurelia SmithVeils Of Transformation 1972-1980 is a collection of the earliest works of Gregory Kramer, one of the 20th century masters of textural electronic music. Liner notes from Gregory Kramer and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, who first brought this fascinating work to the attention of Important Records. Kramer developed a musical language focused on continuous transformation of timbre, yielding a continuity of attention. This musical language, formed of timbral change, is a compelling aesthetic in its own right and a source of meditative experience. The four works on this album share a deep sense of order derived not from organizing pitches or rhythms, but from the evolution of timbre itself. Gregory Kramer (b. 1952) is a pioneering electronic composer, inventor, researcher, teacher and author. In 1975 he founded Electronic Musicmobile, a synthesizer ensemble later renamed Electronic Musicmobile, a series of synthesizer concerts in New York from which he formed the Electronic Art Ensemble. His work extended to developing synthesizers and related equipment. Kramer also co-founded the not-for-profit arts organization Harvestworks in New York City. He is recognized as the founding figure of the intensely cross-disciplinary field of data sonification. Since 1980, Kramer teaches Buddhist meditation. The four compositions collected here each represent Kramer's unique approaches: The structure of "Meditations on 32 Parts of the Body" is derived from the means of its production. Recording five people chanting an ancient meditation text, then layering to gradually achieve more than one million voices. The layering was all done using analog tape recorders. The decomposition of the sound reflects the anomalies of tape machines out of sync, and the build-up of artifacts from the audio tape itself, such as uneven response curves and tape hiss, are all engaged as musical materials. "Role" was generated using one complex patch on a large hybrid Buchla 200/100 system. Emerging from a zeitgeist that valued pure synthesis as a combined artistic and technological research. At the time this piece was realized it's as exceedingly difficult to produce electronic sounds that were internally complex. "Blue Wave" is built on Kramer's timbral development technique "Veils Of Transformation" which allows for disparate timbres to be woven into a continuously developing sound. "Monologue" is a virtuosic performance of a massive patch on a Buchla/Electron Farm hybrid electronic instrument. Built into the patch is a pathway for continuous transformation of voice and voltage-controlled synthesizer.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: IF 1080LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. On Al Hadr, Sabrina Bellaouel taps into myriad influences: from spirituality, astrology to club culture, romance, the body and self-love. Creating a balance between places, identities, and sounds is a huge part of the charm of Al Hadr. As a true Libra, she's finding a balance between honoring her roots and carving out her future. Following two solo EPs, also on InFiné -- 2020's We Don't Need To Be Enemies and 2021's Libra (IF 2081LP) -- the French-Algerian producer and vocalist's unique style of electronic R&B blossoms with Al Hadr, a 13-track album featuring collaborations with dance producer Basile3, experimental club DJ and writer Crystallmess, jazz musician Monomite, and pop singer Bonnie Banane, among others. Born, raised and based in Bagneux, outside the southern périphérique of Paris, Bellaouel lives between worlds. At home, her Algerian heritage and Muslim faith have fused tight familial bonds and a keen sense of history and culture; as "Berbers", she speaks French and Arabic. In her headphones, she finds comfort in the sparse experimentalism of Radiohead and romantic tales of Jill Scott. On the hot club dance floors of Paris, driving house beats connect her to her body. In swirling these private and public passions together on Al Hadr -- which translates from Arabic as "the present time" -- Bellaouel is the most vulnerable she's ever been on record. Classic neo-soul and silken R&B blend with club electronics. Tender harmonies are sung and rhymes are spoken in English, French, and Arabic, exploring love, faith, and identity. Samples of drum machines are the backbone for wisps of woodwind, strings, keys and environmental "found sounds", including Bellaouel's own live recordings.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: IF 2082EP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

The two pieces Gaspar Claus brought together on Scaphandre form an abstract and mysterious B-side of Tancade, released in the fall of 2021. Both composed during the long, initial period of his first album's conception, this mini album's two episodes, each tinged with minimal and noisy abstractions, unfold more than ten minutes of total immersion into the abyss of experimental music on the first, and drone for the second. In their own way, these tracks are a form of raw, unadorned escape, a film negative of the cellist's surface creations, which we know are bathed in sunshine and fresh air. "Inside" is a moment of distraction while Gaspar worked on a film soundtrack. The title took time to mature in the musician's head, abandoned then picked up again and modified until it found its signature progression of strings where time seems suspended. The reverberations dress its fourteen-minute sound canvas in a way that is reminiscent of endless, sub-marine darkness. "Beyond" was recorded in three takes during a writing session for his first album with David Chalmin in the Basque Country. The post-production phase required a long process of refinement to obtain this invasive sound material that cuts the listener off from their real environment and films them with a hypnotic feeling of depths and apnea. Taken in 1898 by Louis Boutan a few dozen kilometres from the beach of Tancade in Banyuls sur mer -- Gaspar's family village -- the photographs of Scaphandre seal the vinyl sleeve with a unique auditory experience presenting the submerged side of the cellist. Obscure, dense, haunting, excitingly weightless.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: JR 7001EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Finally, the original Jamaican version of the 1970s classic "Money In My Pocket" gets a 7" release. The unsweetened and slightly slower cut to its first UK release that?came on the Joe Gibbs?label.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: JR 7002EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Tappa Zukie's classic "M.P.L.A." and its dub version, originally cut at Channel One studios in 1976. Still sounds as fantastic today.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: JR 7003EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Horace Andy's timeless cut "Money Money" even more relevant today, alongside it's rare dub cut. "Money money money... The root of all evil"!

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: KALITA 010LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Kalita Records unveil the second volume in their Borga Revolution! compilation series, focusing on the phenomenon of "burger highlife", a crossover of West African melodies with synthesizers, disco, and boogie that took over Ghanaian airwaves during the 1980s and beyond. Featuring both highly sought-after recordings by artists including Atta Frimpong and D.J. Lawyer Okyere, as well as seminal performances by greats such as Pat Thomas, A.B. Crentsil, and Alan Cosmos And His Bam-Baara Soundz, Kalita once again come to the rescue of audiophiles, DJs and music-lovers alike with Borga Revolution! Volume 2. The 1970s had witnessed an increased Western airtime and physical presence in Ghana introducing funk, soul and disco sounds to the region. By the turn of the decade the country was also enduring economic turmoil, with rising poverty, military dictatorships and long periods of enforced curfews (amongst other factors) making it impossible for artists to survive. As a result, many Ghanaian artists with a broader outlook began to pursue their careers in the West, moving to both Europe and America in search of stardom. It was here that Ghanaian musicians developed a digitized version of highlife music which fully embraced Western contemporary music styles and newly introduced technology such as the DX7 synthesizer and various drum machines. It is in this context in which the evolution of Ghanaian dance music and the emergence of "burger highlife" was born. With the Borga Revolution! series Kalita endeavor to tell this story, with prominent and lesser-known musicians' accounts and documentary evidence providing a comprehensive understanding of this shift to the digital age. Also features Pope Flyne Ackah, Mawuli Decker, and Nana Aboagye Da-Costa. Double-LP housed in a gatefold sleeve. Accompanied by a 12-page booklet featuring extensive interview-based liner notes on each artist and never-before-seen archival photos.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: KK 127CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

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: $29.50

CAT #: KOM 458LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. Sacramento, CA duo Blank Gloss's third album, Cornered, is an exquisite statement of pop ambient starkness, an album that oscillates between lush beauty and spare melancholy. It follows from their 2021 debut for Kompakt, Melt (KOMP 174CD/KOM 437LP), an album that saw Morgan Fox (piano, synths) and Patrick Hills (guitar) aligned, loosely, with the cosmic pastorale of the "ambient Americana" movement. Cornered feels like a significant step forward, though -- by peeling back the layers of their music, they've revealed both its restful core and its solemn gravitas. It is unendingly lovely, but with something disquieting at its center. Cornered was recorded quickly, over two days in December 2020. There's nothing rushed or haphazard about the album, though; everything has its place, with each sonic element contributing profoundly to these nine miniature dioramas. It signals change, quietly but perceptibly, through the way the duo sculpts their material, building out of loose improvisations that morphed into songs. While there was no plan in mind when Blank Gloss settled into the studio, Fox recalls that "right away we realized that things were sounding and feeling a bit different than any of the sessions we had previously." That difference can be heard in the increased amount of space Blank Gloss gift to their sound sources. Some of the most moving moments on Cornered come when Fox and Hills strip everything back -- see, for example, "Crossing", which sets pensive piano across a shyly humming drone and quiet arcs of guitar, recalling the driftworks of Roger Eno. Curiously, the album's distinctive shape and mood develops, at least in part, from a change in instrumentation, with Hills using a MIDI pick-up on his guitar. Elsewhere, on songs like "Salt", the piano tussles with flecks of guitar, single tones sent out to mingle with the stars, like Morricone at 16 RPM, while Cornered's centerpiece, the eleven-minute "No Appetite", lets long arcs of electronic texture breathe and sigh, tangling together in a cat's cradle of bliss. Throughout, it feels as though the music is blossoming as you hear it, like watching time-lapse footage of flora in bloom. But perhaps the most seductive thing about Cornered is the sense you get, listening, that the music was something unexpected, a visitation.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: KOMP 175CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Sacramento, CA duo Blank Gloss's third album, Cornered, is an exquisite statement of pop ambient starkness, an album that oscillates between lush beauty and spare melancholy. It follows from their 2021 debut for Kompakt, Melt (KOMP 174CD/KOM 437LP), an album that saw Morgan Fox (piano, synths) and Patrick Hills (guitar) aligned, loosely, with the cosmic pastorale of the "ambient Americana" movement. Cornered feels like a significant step forward, though -- by peeling back the layers of their music, they've revealed both its restful core and its solemn gravitas. It is unendingly lovely, but with something disquieting at its center. Cornered was recorded quickly, over two days in December 2020. There's nothing rushed or haphazard about the album, though; everything has its place, with each sonic element contributing profoundly to these nine miniature dioramas. It signals change, quietly but perceptibly, through the way the duo sculpts their material, building out of loose improvisations that morphed into songs. While there was no plan in mind when Blank Gloss settled into the studio, Fox recalls that "right away we realized that things were sounding and feeling a bit different than any of the sessions we had previously." That difference can be heard in the increased amount of space Blank Gloss gift to their sound sources. Some of the most moving moments on Cornered come when Fox and Hills strip everything back -- see, for example, "Crossing", which sets pensive piano across a shyly humming drone and quiet arcs of guitar, recalling the driftworks of Roger Eno. Curiously, the album's distinctive shape and mood develops, at least in part, from a change in instrumentation, with Hills using a MIDI pick-up on his guitar. Elsewhere, on songs like "Salt", the piano tussles with flecks of guitar, single tones sent out to mingle with the stars, like Morricone at 16 RPM, while Cornered's centerpiece, the eleven-minute "No Appetite", lets long arcs of electronic texture breathe and sigh, tangling together in a cat's cradle of bliss. Throughout, it feels as though the music is blossoming as you hear it, like watching time-lapse footage of flora in bloom. But perhaps the most seductive thing about Cornered is the sense you get, listening, that the music was something unexpected, a visitation.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: KRIMKRAM 006CD

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

Recording of the premiere performance of the Weihnachtsoratorium (Christmas Oratorio), an organ concert composed and played by the four hands of Daniel Löwenbrück and Fabian Löwenbrück. Performed December 26th, 2006 at the Hugo Meyer organ of the Evangelische Kirche in Lebach, Germany. Published by Krim Kram, Cork (Ireland). Full color six-panel digipak; edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: LG 003EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Decapitated Lovers was a short lived Washington D.C. side project from the late 1990s that featured Myra Power (Slant 6) on guitar and shirtless local she-thug Speck Brown on drums, along with Aaron Montaigne (Heroin, Antioch Arrow), Andy Coronado (Monorchid), and the elusive North Carolina prop-comic Paul Swanson aka 'Carrot-Bottom' (In/Humanity) who each took turns filling various duties within the group. The band never practiced all together at the same time and played only once at a not-so-legendary birthday party for Allison Wolfe in her urine-soaked living room sometime in 1998. Recorded under forgotten circumstances, the demo has been fermenting patiently for 25 years on a dubbed-over copy of Fidelity Jones's 1989 masterpiece 'Piltdown Lad'. Unearthed by the band after a quarter century, LG Records is proud as can be to present this lost 'gem' on a 200 gram one-sided 45 RPM 12" vinyl pressing housed in a sturdy tip-on style cardboard jacket and printed inner sleeve. The rediscovery of the Decapitated Lovers' hard-core demonic cranium-crushing yet easy going sound will finally legitimize the historically overlooked and underrepresented DC punk scene on the grand musical chessboard and put the city on the map once and for all. Perchance."

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: LIVITY 059EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Kouslin returns to Livity Sound Recordings with a second collection of slippery club tracks after the 2020 Vision EP. With an emphasis on head-twisting sound design and a detailed line in percussive programming, the London-based producer continues to reach into intriguing new areas without forsaking soundsystem-ready physicality. The tracks which make up the Patterns EP stemmed from a period of personal experimentation, where Kouslin returned to making music for its therapeutic benefits rather than a fixed purpose. The loops and sketches he returned to and expanded upon for this EP bristle with originality at every turn. There is a continued exploration of dancehall rhythms on "King", while "Five Four" toys with time signatures for a jagged, fast-paced abstraction of techno. "Why Don't You Don't" is harder to pin down thanks to its knotty beat and mutant synthesis, and "Michael" flips the script further with an unexpected swerve into pearlescent melodic lead lines -- the perfect demonstration of the honest and instinctive approach Kouslin took when making these tracks.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: LMS 5521725

FILE UNDER: ROCK

London Records celebrate the 30-year anniversary of Shakespears Sister's seminal album Hormonally Yours, originally released in 1992. A double platinum and top 3 UK album, Hormonally Yours secured Siobhan Fahey and Marcella Detroit a place in British pop history, spawning the single "Stay" -- which spent a staggering eight consecutive weeks at the top of the UK charts -- and winning the duo an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection. Hormonally Yours also features singles "Goodbye Cruel World" and "I Don't Care", tackles friendships gone wrong on "My Sixteenth Apology", powerful, dangerous attraction on "Emotional Thing" and documents a friend's coming out on "Are We In Love Yet?" Fan favorite "The Trouble With Andre", the full-throttle glam-blues of "Catwoman", and "Hello (Turn Your Radio On)", the album's glorious finale: an exhalation; a glorious, earth-shuddering moment that recalls the epic melancholy of David Bowie's "Five Years" and The Beatles' "A Day In The Life". Shakespears Sisters second album, Hormonally Yours, provided the perfect encapsulation of Shakespears Sisters' musical ying and yang; a deftly delivered balance of pop melody with a spikey alternative darkness. Remastered. New sleeve notes.CD version includes three bonus tracks; also includes DVD with all videos from the album shot by legendary producer Sophie Muller, live recordings of album tracks from the bands 2019 tour, and previously unseen footage shot during the making of the album (NTSC format - Region 0, Aspect Ratio mixed, Audio Format - 2.0 PCM).

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: MACROM 071EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

One of techno's most joyous experimenters delivers two intriguing up-tempo tracks. Instead of hitting hard and heavy "In Aggregate" and "Carob" float delicately, with explosive detail blooming freely and high above what feels rather like a bass-laden undercurrent than a persistent kick drum foundation. Both tracks expand on Stefan Goldmann's extensive polyrhythmic research and integrate tonal and metric functions within the same units of sound. Somewhat radically, the central sound of "Carob" is all in one: beat, bassline and single-note melody. By contrast, "In Aggregate" unfolds lush layers of exuberant percussion, countered by rounded drops of bass and an occasional vocal snippet ricocheting off of claustrophobia-inducing walls of glass. As future-forward as they are organic, these offerings come with appropriately idiosyncratic artwork by Jorinde Voigt. Printed on inside-out heavy paper cover; includes printed inner sleeve.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: LOVE 079LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Limited 2023 repress, transparent violet vinyl. Gatefold double LP version. Following on from a pair of extended players released in 2011 (Passed Me By/We Stay Together) Andy Stott returns to Modern Love with Luxury Problems, an eight-track album of new material recorded over the last 12 months. Five of the tracks on the album feature the voice of Alison Skidmore, Andy's one-time piano teacher whom he hadn't seen since he was a teenager back in 1996. There was no grand gesture in mind, it just sort of happened -- but after almost a year of studio work, the result is really quite unlike anything you'll have heard from him before. "Numb" opens the album with Alison's voice; layered and looped, but essentially left bare and exposed, tumbling into a dense shuffle, sort of somewhere between Theo Parrish and Sade, but more fucked. "Lost and Found" follows and deploys a growling rave bass line and a disturbed vocal, the beat assembling itself around a squashed Linndrum like a submerged Prince/Cameo production, haunted and impenetrable, but full of funk. "Sleepless" started life as an African drum edit that sooner or later succumbed to Stott's intense rhythmic shifts. It's a sound that's been imitated countless times since the release of Passed Me By, here re-tooled and re-built for its next evolutionary phase. "Hatch the Plan" ends the first half of the album with some heavily treated location recordings and a low-end grind that probably doesn't quite prepare you for the vocal arrangements that follow -- it's just a beautifully inverted pop song. The second half opens with "Expecting," the most recognizably "Stott" moment on the album: a wrecked, deliriously knocked-out 4/4 shuffle deployed at half-speed; those heavy kick drums sucking in everything around them. "Luxury Problems" offers up the album's most quietly euphoric moment; conventional arrangements and drum loops are disrupted by sharp disco bursts that mess with what you know: it's straight and beautiful and unbalanced and damaged, somehow all at once. "Up the Box" fucks with the narrative and goes somewhere else entirely, an extended intro that seems to build continuously for 3 minutes before breaking off into a slowed-down amen edit, creating a kind of narcotic jungle variant that fragments everything and ends just at the point you think it's going to go off, before "Leaving" finishes the album with an almost unbearably-beautiful arrangement of voice and synth and a final key-change that takes you from joyful to forlorn in an instant. Mastered and cut by Matt Colton at Air Studios.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: MBS 2303LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. White vinyl; gatefold; edition of 500. Connected by mutual friend Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff) after a YouTube music video binge, the unlikely pair pool their disparate influences and experiences to break new ground. Described by a supporter as "21st Century '90s indie", the combination of Rat's iconic guitars with Laura's widescreen arrangements make for a refreshing rampage through themes of isolation, frustration and a craving for community. Laura says: "The title track 'One In A Thousand' sums it up. In a potentially very disconnected and lonely world, I hold onto the idea that every single one of us can hold a valuable place in our communities, offering the best of ourselves and receiving love and support in return. Instead of clawing our way up to a lonely pedestal to be one in a million, we can stand together and be one in a thousand." In spring 2020, as her previously busy world reduced to the size of her attic studio, The Launchpad, Laura started creating cut-up collages from Rat's intense, melodic guitar parts, building new sound spaces to voice her hopes, fears and frustrations but, more importantly, to offer a hand to the uncertain. In May 2021, her debut Penfriend solo album Exotic Monsters reached #24 in the Official UK Albums Chart, setting the stage for "One In A Thousand" to blossom into its final shape. As Rat considers the magnitude of releasing an album of new material 32 years after Ned's Atomic Dustbin's "God Fodder" blazed into the UK Charts at #4, he adds -- "I never thought I'd be sitting here again saying the words 'we've got an album coming out' -- and I can't tell you how utterly amazing it feels to say just those words, knowing what both of us have been through over the last three years. It's been a long time since I've done this, and I had to do a lot of soul-searching about whether I wanted to do this again." Mastered by Katie Tavini at Weird Jungle, Brighton.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: MBS 2306CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Connected by mutual friend Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff) after a YouTube music video binge, the unlikely pair pool their disparate influences and experiences to break new ground. Described by a supporter as "21st Century '90s indie", the combination of Rat's iconic guitars with Laura's widescreen arrangements make for a refreshing rampage through themes of isolation, frustration and a craving for community. Laura says: "The title track 'One In A Thousand' sums it up. In a potentially very disconnected and lonely world, I hold onto the idea that every single one of us can hold a valuable place in our communities, offering the best of ourselves and receiving love and support in return. Instead of clawing our way up to a lonely pedestal to be one in a million, we can stand together and be one in a thousand." In spring 2020, as her previously busy world reduced to the size of her attic studio, The Launchpad, Laura started creating cut-up collages from Rat's intense, melodic guitar parts, building new sound spaces to voice her hopes, fears and frustrations but, more importantly, to offer a hand to the uncertain. In May 2021, her debut Penfriend solo album Exotic Monsters reached #24 in the Official UK Albums Chart, setting the stage for "One In A Thousand" to blossom into its final shape. As Rat considers the magnitude of releasing an album of new material 32 years after Ned's Atomic Dustbin's "God Fodder" blazed into the UK Charts at #4, he adds -- "I never thought I'd be sitting here again saying the words 'we've got an album coming out' -- and I can't tell you how utterly amazing it feels to say just those words, knowing what both of us have been through over the last three years. It's been a long time since I've done this, and I had to do a lot of soul-searching about whether I wanted to do this again." Mastered by Katie Tavini at Weird Jungle, Brighton.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: MYDEAR 1001CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Exclusive dance hits by your favorite artists for the most intense club moments in the early morning hours. Compiled by Denis Stockhausen (Kompakt) for the 11th anniversary of his renowned party series, My Dear, at Gewölbe, Cologne. "Hello My Dear, Thank you so much for your visit and this unforgettable night at my favorite club. Dancing with you and losing not only all sense of time but also all disturbing thoughts was very refreshing and precious for my soul and mind! I still carry the beautiful memories in my head and so many tracks I cannot forget -- they are playing on repeat! The peak of the night was fun, but once the end of the rave loomed and the morning slowly dawned, the music and atmosphere became even more wonderful. Everything seemed so liberated and true to me and I had the impression that the people around us felt the same way. We were all immersed in this mad rush of music with our longing to finally sink into it unconditionally. Rarely have I had such intense moments of happiness on a dance floor. Pure magic! Good thing a club night also has an end, otherwise my heart would have been lost forever that morning. That's the soundtrack of my life and I'm dying to listen to it again! See you soon and don't forget: after the rave comes sun! Much love from Cologne." My Dear is a party series at the infamous Gewölbe club in Cologne, brought to life in 2012 by Kompakt's very own Denis Stockhausen. His favorite live-acts and DJs are invited to play or perform the best music in this intimate venue for a passionate audience. It's only about love for the music and the wide-open space of romantic pop techno and dream dance. To celebrate the 11th anniversary of the party series, a compilation with exclusive dance hits by your favorite artists for the most intense club moments in the early morning hours will be released on the new record label My Dear. Features Rising Sun, DJ Koze, Wassermann, Fantastic Twins, Pom Pom, Robag Wruhme aka Bogdan Marx, Samo / Kamo, Sascha Funke, Jürgen Paape, Damh, and Superpitcher.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: NW 80827CD

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

"Unsettled in more senses than one, these fourteen choral works, reaching across the central third of the 20th century, represent some special moments in the story of music for voices, and within the creative musings of their composers. Generations later, they remain as outliers, but also as bearers of central truths about musical materials of their times, evading common categorizations -- radical or moderate, experimental or formalist, Stravinsky or Schoenberg. The eight composers are eminent figures -- each represented in other productions of New World Records. Their pieces here, however, have found no settled place in the choral culture, let alone in recordings -- excepting Pauline Oliveros's Tuning Meditation and Ernst Toch's Geographical Fugue. Yet there could be something special about these choral cases. In their individuality and diversity -- a small cauldron of mid-20th-century energies -- they might raise questions still not settled in our 21st century. At the least, they seem to offer fresh experiences among the more conventional tonalities of recent choral creation, and the more uniform notions of what constitutes good choral sound. Since the earliest chant, choral singing has been poised between two poles of expression, both of great interest to modern composers: a meditative state of pure sonority -- humming, melismas on vowels, drones -- and a discursive state of phonetic movement -- words projected through collective utterance. Through our fourteen choruses, emanations from the poles of humming and phonetics lead to a sense of musical 'language' itself in a state of re-thinking, not by notions of post-tonal styles replacing 19th-century harmonic grammar, but more by combinations of different sonic materials available on the terrain -- chromatic, 12-tone, modal, neo-classic, noise, drone, sound poetry. This is choral music 'unsettled' by its own times and embracing the situation with creative enthusiasm." --John McCaughey (from liner notes)

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: LSSN 083LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

"Slovak-Hungarian musician Adela Mede explores the interplay between voice and technology with field recordings. She sings in three languages (Slovak, Hungarian and English). Intimate ambient utterances with themes of spiritual growth accompanied by experimental electronics with a wide scope of influences; from minimalism to folklore. Initially released in early 2022 to universal acclaim on digital and cassette, Night School is extremely excited to share Szabadság on vinyl. Mastered by Rupert Clervaux for vinyl, the clearer format teases out new nuances in the music, revealing a physicality and permanence to Mede's first masterwork. Szabadság is a navigation. This debut by Adela Mede, recorded in her family home on the Slovakian border with Hungary, searches through the personal, familial, cultural, folkloric and geographic of her past and present. Examining both the vulnerability and determination of her voice -- as it leaves the lips, raw, and in the ways it can be transformed with digital processing -- the embodied memories of language, of utterance, are explored. Airy, open sound worlds and tentative strings of improvised naked vocal transform themselves into insistent repetition. Fizzing, sparkling electronics are set against the beautiful grainy depth of field recordings. The locations, these places, are found and lost - home is found and lost -- in a dance of fragmented vocal harmonies. Three languages (English, Hungarian, Slovak) weave a song of spring, nature, forgiveness, togetherness and rebirth." --Lisa Busby

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: NA 5191LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress; LP version. "Ayalew Mesfin stands aside the likes of Mulatu Astake, Mahmoud Ahmed, Hailu Mergia and Alemayehu Eshete as a legend of 1970s Ethiopia. Mesfin's music is some of the funkiest to arise from this unconquerable East African nation. Mesfin's recording career, captured in nearly two dozen 7" singles and numerous reel-to-reel tapes, shows the strata of the most fertile decade in Ethiopia's 20th century recording industry, when records were pressed constantly by both independent upstarts and corporate behemoths, even if they were only distributed within the confines of this East African nation. Though Mesfin was forced underground by the Derg regime that took control of Ethiopia in 1974, he has returned almost 50 years later with this triumphant set albums -- the first time that his music has been presented in this form. These albums give us a chance to discover a rare and beautiful moment in music history, in anthologies built from Mesfin's uber-rare 7" single releases and from previously unreleased recordings taken from master tapes. Good Aderegechegn gives us a chance to discover a rare & beautiful moment in music history, in an anthology built from his uber-rare 7" single releases."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: NA 5192LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2023 repress; LP version. "Ayalew Mesfin stands aside the likes of Mulatu Astake, Mahmoud Ahmed, Hailu Mergia and Alemayehu Eshete as a legend of 1970s Ethiopia. Mesfin's music is some of the funkiest to arise from this unconquerable East African nation. Mesfin's recording career, captured in nearly two dozen 7" singles and numerous reel-to-reel tapes, shows the strata of the most fertile decade in Ethiopia's 20th century recording industry, when records were pressed constantly by both independent upstarts and corporate behemoths, even if they were only distributed within the confines of this East African nation. Though Mesfin was forced underground by the Derg regime that took control of Ethiopia in 1974, he has returned almost 50 years later with this triumphant set albums -- the first time that his music has been presented in this form. These albums give us a chance to discover a rare and beautiful moment in music history, in anthologies built from Mesfin's uber-rare 7" single releases and from previously unreleased recordings taken from master tapes. Che Belew gives us a chance to discover a rare & beautiful moment in music history, in an anthology built from his uber-rare 7" single releases."

 

PRICE: $31.00

CAT #: NA 5214LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2023 repress. "Originally planned for issue on Strata-East, Hammond took his collaboration with Durrah to Detroit and issued his masterpiece. Lacquered by Bernie Grundman. Now-Again presents the defi¬nitive Tribe Records reissues. Deep, spiritual jazz of the highest order. 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."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: O0 008LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Never Cursed is an unpredictable introduction to skins' ethereal, drifting meditations. A onetime producer for Metro Zu and Goth Money, his early, collage-style productions are here mixed with a palette of piano, organ, violin, guitar, and washed-out effects. The flux of styles reflects a life in transit from his parents' home in Jaffna, Sri Lanka to Toronto, CA, where the instrumental parts were recorded at St. James Cathedral, and ultimately to London, where he is now based, and whose mutant underground patently informs his nods to the post-everything scuzz, the radical ends of rap, and ambient-pop-noise. As debut statements of intent go, Never Cursed leaves a heady impression. The plangent, instrumental blooz of "my life, my soul, and all that i sacrifice" sounds like some Sade breakdown wafting over a Cocteau Twins instrumental from another room; harmonized, cascading guitar and whirling sax -- blissed and immeasurably sad. From here, the album runs like a downbeat mixtape, submerged hip hop drums, melancholy, psychedelically-activated texturing. "Thick skin" could almost be Honour jamming with Grouper, and the grungy swag of "tidying a tide" feels like Yves Tumor on a downer, while "skin extract" or "hide" land in the midst of Oxhy or Felix Lee's emo-tronica. The final transition from "when will the leaves at my window turn green" to "my looking glass" and the heart-in-mouth denouement of "at the altar" exemplify a knack for harder-to-place, mutant ambient chamber musick á la the c.a.n.v.a.s. label or even James Ferraro. Like pretty much everything we've heard from the shadowy O___o? stable, it comes shrouded in a peculiar fog of mystery and romance. Cover art by Rosita Evelyn C. and her son. Mastered by Amir Shoat. Clear vinyl; edition of 300.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: OPT4 053LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The origins of power pop. In these songs you'll find the DNA of The Direct Hits. Although very Elvis Costello-like in both style and vocal delivery, these early recordings, dating from 1979 show a remarkable pop sensibility that had come on leaps and bounds since the release of the band's first single, the now highly sought after Fashion Plague/Cheam released a year prior to these being recorded. Songs like "We Broke Up Today" have all the hallmarks of classic Merseybeat, while out and out power pop like "Holiday Shots" and "Fool To Fall In Love" encapsulate perfectly the sheer exuberance of the genre. More than a few steps ahead of several of their contemporaries, the band's built-in tunesmiths Buckmaster and Swan were writing catchy songs that carried a powerful punch performed with the energy and excitement of the period. The Exits left behind a wonderful set of recordings that are worthy of a comprehensive vinyl retrospective release. These recordings first saw the light of day on a CD-only release back in 2007 when Cherry Red released the CD The Legendary Lost Exits Album through its Rev-Ola offshoot. Reportedly the band members were disappointed with the overall mix on the finished release for being a little lo-fi. There are no such issues with this specially remastered version for vinyl. The tracks sound fresh, punchy, and full of annoyingly great hooks. Optic Nerve add yet another great addition to their catalog with the long-since undisturbed sleeping giants, the Exits. Remastered and pressed on gold vinyl. Includes printed inner sleeve.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: WELLE 111LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Reissue, originally released in 1982. Deux Filles was not, in fact, two girls despite what the group name and its elaborate hoax of a backstory suggest. No, they were not Gemini Forque and Claudine Coule, French women who met as teenagers under tragic circumstances and became fast friends, recording two albums together before disappearing into the ether. In reality, Deux Filles was Simon Fisher Turner and Colin Lloyd Tucker, a UK duo who first worked together in an early incarnation of The The. Straddling the line between experimental and pop, Turner was an actor and teen singing star who later composed soundtracks for the iconic queer filmmaker Derek Jarman while Tucker's career began as an engineer for the famed UK library music studio, De Wolfe, before forming experimental wave group The Gadgets. In Deux Filles, the duo found an outlet for their least commercial tendencies, combining lo-fi proto-dream-pop instrumentals with samples, tape experiments, ambient textures, and drum machines. Even in the vibrant, seemingly endless well of UK DIY, Deux Filles stand out. Silence & Wisdom -- the duo's 1982 debut -- is a series of musical vignettes, like the score of an unrealized arthouse film. Blending processed guitars, sheets of synthesizers, echo-ey pianos, and washed-out vocal snippets to surprisingly varied effect, the album is recommended for fans of Durutti Column and Virginia Astley's From Gardens Where We Feel Secure (1983).

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: WELLE 112LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Reissue, originally released in 1983. Deux Filles was not, in fact, two girls despite what the group name and its elaborate hoax of a backstory suggest. No, they were not Gemini Forque and Claudine Coule, French women who met as teenagers under tragic circumstances and became fast friends, recording two albums together before disappearing into the ether. In reality, Deux Filles was Simon Fisher Turner and Colin Lloyd Tucker, a UK duo who first worked together in an early incarnation of The The. Straddling the line between experimental and pop, Turner was an actor and teen singing star who later composed soundtracks for the iconic queer filmmaker Derek Jarman while Tucker's career began as an engineer for the famed UK library music studio, De Wolfe, before forming experimental wave group The Gadgets. In Deux Filles, the duo found an outlet for their least commercial tendencies, combining lo-fi proto-dream-pop instrumentals with samples, tape experiments, ambient textures, and drum machines. Even in the vibrant, seemingly endless well of UK DIY, Deux Filles stand out. Double Happiness is the duo's second album, originally released in 1983 on their own imprint, Papier Maché. Full of meandering guitar and with a more ominous tone than the debut, the album is recommended for fans of Durutti Column and Thomas Leer & Robert Rental's The Bridge (1979).

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: POL 001-2023LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"'These things happen,' says K. Leimer of LUYU. Listen Until You Understand is a test drive through an obstacle course designed for new instruments, arrangements, juxtapositions, and real-time experiments dedicated to leaving the original impulses untouched and unadorned. Joined at times by digital percussionist Dolphie Stein, the music throws itself against itself without loyalty to genre or form, mashing granular particles into a tremulous spectrum of soundwalls, transitions, noise, distortions, and the occasional clearing. As close to live improvisation as one can get in a multitrack studio setting, LUYU takes generative techniques and drops them into short-form events by building its soundstage in thickets of shifting elements, collapsing phrases, broken signatures, and implied patterns. An outlier in Leimer's catalog of general stillness and subtle detail, LUYU revels in the bare sound of things usually hidden in the mix. Kerry Leimer founded Palace Of Lights in 1979. Leimer's work has also been issued by Abstrakce, Autumn, First Terrace, Les Giants, Invisible Inc., Origin Peoples and RVNG. His work is included in the Cherry Red Noise Floor compilation series and his early cassette work is featured in the critically acclaimed VOD box set, American Cassette Culture. Leimer has been actively producing music since the mid-1970s -- his current catalog includes twenty solo albums plus collaborative albums with Savant, Marc Barreca, and Three Point Circle. Recent soundtracks include work for video artists Cristiane Bouger and Fred Birchman, HBO's How To With John Wilson and the Netflix documentary John Was Trying to Contact Aliens. His work is included in the collection of The British Library."

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: PAL 068LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress... "In a trajectory full of about-faces, Music for Four Guitars splices the formal innovations of Bill Orcutt's software-based music into the lobe-frying, blown-out Fender hyperdrive of his most frenetic workouts with Corsano or Hoyos. And while the guitar tone here is resolutely treble-kicked -- or, as Orcutt puts it, 'a bridge pickup rather than a neck pickup record' -- it still wades the same melodic streams as his previous LPs (yet, as Heraclitus taught us, that stream is utterly different the second time around). Although it's a true left-field listen, Music for Four Guitars is bizarrely meditative, a Bill Orcutt Buddha Machine, a glimpse of the world of icy beauty haunting the latitudes high above the Delta (down where the climate suits your clothes). I've written before of the immediate misapprehension that greeted Harry Pussy on their first tour with my band Charalambides -- that this was a trio of crazed freaks spontaneously spewing sound from wherever their fingers or drumsticks happened to land -- but I'll grant the casual listener a certain amount of confusion based on the early recorded evidence (and the fact that the band COULD be a trio of crazed freaks letting fly, as we learned from later tours). But to my ears, the precision and composition of their tracks were immediately apparent, as if the band was some sort of 5-D music box with its handle cranked into oblivion by a calculating organ grinder, running through musical maps as pre-ordained as the road to a Calvinist's grave. That organ grinder, it turns out, was Bill Orcutt, whose solo guitar output until 2022 has tilted decidedly towards improvisation, while his fetish for relentless, gridlike composition has animated his electronic music (c.f. Live in LA, A Mechanical Joey). Music for Four Guitars, apparently percolating since 2015 as a loosely-conceived score for an actual meatspace guitar quartet, is the culmination of years ruminating on classical music, Magic Band miniatures, and (perhaps) The League of Crafty Guitarists, although when the Reich-isms got tossed in the brew is anyone's guess. And Reichian (Steve, not Wilhelm) it is. The album's form is startlingly minimalist -- four guitars, each consigned to a chattering melody in counterpoint, repeated in cells throughout the course of the track, selectively pulled in and out of the mix to build fugue-like drama over the course of 14 brief tracks. It's tempting to compare them to chamber music, but these pieces reflect little of the delicacy of Satie's Gymnopedies or Bach's Cantatas. Instead, they bulldoze their way through melodic content with a touch of the motorik romanticism of New Order or Bailter Space ('At a Distance'), but more often ('A Different View,' 'On the Horizon') with the gonad-crushing drive of Discipline-era Crimson, full of squared corners, coldly angled like Beefheart-via-Beat-Detective. Just to nail down the classical fetishism, the album features a download of an 80-page PDF score transcribed by guitarist Shane Parish. And while it'd be just as reproducible as a bit of code or a player piano roll, I can easily close my eyes and imagine folks with brows higher than mine squeezing into their difficult-listening hour folding chairs at Issue Project Room to soak up these sounds being played by real people reading a printed score 50 years from now. And as much as I want to bomb anyone's academy, that feels like a warm fuzzy future to sink into." --Tom Carter Recorded Winter/Spring 2021 at the Living Room, San Francisco. Mastered by James Plotkin.