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FORCED EXPOSURE MAILORDER UPDATE
NEW RELEASES FOR THE WEEK OF 03/24/2025

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PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: AMI 062LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Over two days in July 2022, Michael Vallera and Lee Ranaldo improvised at 411 Kent in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a cozy place that felt more like a living room than a concert hall or recording studio. The sweltering July heat cloaked the place in a layer of sweat and humidity. Nevertheless, they took it over to record material and to perform one evening, their fuzzy guitars slicing through the thick air with both the precision of a razor blade and the gentleness of a cloud. Early New York Silver recaptures the renegade spirit and excitement of those days. The album presents material culled from those improvisation sessions, which were made possible by New York-based musician David Watson, who at the time was curating the Shift series at 411 Kent. 'Shift was dedicated to pushing boundaries and blessed with a miraculous empty space. A large open space, not made for music but with one of those great serendipitous room sounds,' Watson said over email. To record the music, Ranaldo and Vallera spread out throughout the area, taking over its every crevice. 'I was able to give Lee and Michael day and night access, and they hunkered down using different rooms as chambers, cords and mics running to the far end of the building, taking advantage of the relaxed vibe Their contrasting, yet similar, approaches to music offered ample space for exploration.' 'I really appreciate the way Lee approaches improvising because he really dives in immediately,' Vallera said. 'I tend to be very measured when composing solo or in collaborations, so I enjoy following and reacting to the vocabulary Lee is exploring in real time.' Early New York Silver highlights that effortless flow. At 411 Kent, the two guitarists were in sync, lost in the world they had created together out of shared curiosity on their instruments. Their melodies tumbled and intertwined into masses that seemed to shapeshift and morph with every strum. There was no inertia -- only motion, forward. That was the beauty of the Shift series, and that is ultimately the beauty of Ranaldo and Vallera's practice: It is always traveling, always open, always changing. 140gm black vinyl LP in matte black printing on silver board."

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: APRON 002EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

London-based DJ and producer Steven Julien returns to his Apron Records imprint with a double A-side 12", bringing together the new gospel and R&B-influenced EP Time and previously digital-only EP Wraap't. Bridging sonic worlds together, from the soulful anthem "Time" and the glossy rap hit "Ultra," featuring James Massiah to the old-school house sound of "UP" and Julien's driving club remix of "Wraap't," featuring Fatima. Rounding off the EP with the instrumental "Ballad," a dreamy jazz-inspired excursion, further highlights the unique contrast of Steven Juliens' work.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: ATA 001LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Originally released in 2023. This album is proof you can make a tripped out, psyche folk, pop record, that sounds like something unearthed by Andy Votel or Johnny Trunk, in a draughty garage in deepest, darkest Leeds in 2010. It shows that drive, inspiration and an unquenchable desire to create something original, can produce an album, with virtually no money and no backing, but still sounds just as good as anything that came out of a studio in the late '60s. Love Of The Brave's self-titled slice of swirling Brit-folk is a labor of belief, the believers in this case being ATA Records label boss, and bassist, Neil Innes and his band mate, vocalist Fuzzy Jones. This was the music being made at ATA Records studio before they were even really a label, now, of course, well respected for their funk, jazz and library music output. Inspired by the work of artists as diverse as: Pentangle, Rotary Connection, Richie Havens, the Kinks, David Bowie, and Joni Mitchell, they embarked on a brutal nine months of recording. Some of the pool of players included on this album became ATA regulars, playing extensively on the some of the label's most recent recordings. These include drummer Joost Hendrickx (the Sorcerers), guitarist Chris Dawkins, and Tony Burkill (Work Money Death) on sax. The unswerving strive for perfection in the studio has become synonymous with ATA, and Love Of The Brave is where it all started, the first project recorded in the studio.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: ATA 002LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 2019. Taking influences from Ethiopiques Ethiojazz as well as the soundtracks to the European horror films of the '60s and '70s, The Sorcerers seamlessly blend these disparate elements into one cohesive package. Based in ATA Records' home of Leeds, The Sorcerers are made up of the cream of the city's jazz and world scene. Forming the backbone of the ATA Records house band they incorporate bass clarinets, flutes, and vibraphone alongside bass, guitar organ and drums, providing Ellingtonian textures on top of a solid rhythmic foundation. After featuring on the Funk, Soul & Afro Rarities: An Introduction to ATA Records compilation, they set to work recording a full-length LP at the studios of record label ATA Records. Initially inspired by the work of Ethiopian composer Mulatu Astatke, the Sorcerers have deftly incorporated a wide breadth of musical influences from the creepy metallic textures and quietly insistent rhythm section of "Pinch Of The Death Nerve" through to the Moondogesque melodies of the Viking of 5th street and the KPM inspired orchestration of closing track night of the sorcerer. The LP also includes an alternate version of "Cave Of Brahma," a heavily Mulatu influenced track that featured on the ATA Records compilation. The album has a dark undercurrent that weaves throughout all eight tracks, underpinning the album with an unsettling and evocative theme. Support comes from Jazzman Gerald, Jimi Tenor, Shawn Lee, Nightmares On Wax, and Mulatu Astatke himself.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: ATA 012LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. Originally released in 2018. Led by saxophonist Rob Mitchell, Abstract Orchestra have been a consistent presence on the UK music scene, touring constantly in promotion of their debut LP Dilla and follow up 45 New Day featuring Illa J, steadily building a loyal and supportive fanbase. Inspired by the legendary live performances of The Roots with Jay-Z and the 40-piece orchestral arrangements by Miguel Atwood Ferguson of the work of J Dilla, classic arranging techniques underpin modern loop-based structures, breathing new life into familiar material. The band itself is based on the classic jazz big band instrumentation of saxes, trumpets and trombones and features the cream of the north of England's jazz scene who collectively have played with Jamiroquai, Corinne Bailey Rae, Mark Ronson, Martha Reeves, John Legend & the Roots, Roots Manuva, and Amy Winehouse. Madvillain Vol. 1 takes the template of their debut LP Dilla and applies the same approach to the collaboration of MF Doom and Madlib, aka "Madvillain" and their albums Madvillainy and Madvillain 2. Sampling the likes of Sun Ra, Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard, George Duke, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder gave the albums a jazz oriented feel and ethos which in turn lend themselves perfectly to the deconstruction and re-imagining of Abstract Orchestra. As with their debut, all the tracks were recorded live in the studio with very few overdubs. Abstract Orchestra's Madvillain Vol 1 explores the jazz, TV soundtrack and film score aspect of the original work, combining it with classic big band writing and a focus on improvisation. There is a strong influence of Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin and David Shire on the album, and the arranger Rob Mitchell crafts his own sound that inhabits the space between Madlib's production and Quincy Jones' writing.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: ATA 018LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 2020. The Sorcerers began working on a new album during the winter of 2018 and it was during the writing sessions for this album that the concept for the LP began to take shape. The name for the album was taken from the title of a National Geographic article read by bassist Neil Innes and was used as the starting point for the entire concept. The library music scene of the '60s and '70s has always been an intrinsic part of the sound of ATA Records and so it made perfect sense to envisage the album as a soundtrack, given the cinematic quality of The Sorcerers music. Each track was written with a particular scene in mind and the music was then shaped in the studio to best reflect the essence of that scene. Drums, bass and percussion provide the solid foundation onto which flutes, bass clarinets, xylophones, and vibraphones add the atmospheric and melodic counterpoint, deftly weaving between one another to conjure up images of the unforgiving environment of the dense jungle, unknown eyes watching the protagonists of the imagined film as they make their way towards their ultimate goal, their pursuit by unseen assailants, the arcane mysticism of undiscovered cargo cultists and the ancient ruins of long passed civilizations.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: ATA 022LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. Originally released in 2021. A transcendental journey that takes in meditative musical mantras, sprawling tenor sax improvisation and mesmeric percussion, the new album by Work Money Death seeks to reinterpret the sound of artists such as Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane over two tracks: the brooding tension of "Dusk" and the sanguine and uplifting "Dawn." Titled The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises, this LP was conceived and recorded by Tony Burkill and bassist Neil Innes during the spring/summer of 2020. Originally conceived as a large-scale group performance of a single extended piece, "The space in which the uncontrollable unknown resides, can be the place from which creation arises" was written by Tony and Neil through a series of extended improvisations similar to the extended meditation sessions that both musicians practice. These sessions enabled a state of flow through which Tony's compositional approach to improvisation yielded meaningful melodic fragments that would be returned to and developed in a way similar to someone returning to the mantra. Due to restrictions in the UK in the spring/summer of 2020 a different approach to the recording of the album had to be undertaken. Instead of the group recording at the same time in the studio, each musician would arrive and record their part separately as one continuous performance, reacting to the performances of each previous musician in an organic and constantly evolving way. It was in the midst of this process that the title was chosen, as a reflection of the understanding that from this new unknown way of working new creative avenues can be explored and should be embraced. "Dusk" begins with tanpura, harmonium, hypnotic percussion and bass onto which Tony Burkill (sax) and Adam Fairhall (piano) interweave improvisational ideas around Tony's recurring main theme until the piece melts into a fierce collective improvisation that resolves itself into the final minutes. "Dawn" begins with Tony's tenor sax saluting the coming of a new day before the rest of the band embark on a groove reminiscent of Pharoah Sanders gentler moments, played with a hopefulness that contrasts the chaos of the ending of "Dusk". Bells, drums, bamboo xylophones and woodblocks underpin the theme before Adam's piano solo builds into a launchpad for Tony's sax as French horn, flute and bass clarinet can be heard in the distance.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: ATA 026LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 2022. Over many backbreaking and expensive months in 2020, the beating heart of ATA records was stripped, monolithic bits of kit were pulled from dusty corners and into the light to learn their fate: resettlement in the new ATA or sold off, to pay for the studio's rejuvenation. Tough decisions were made but the end product was worth the sacrifice. ATA now has natural light, some very swish carpeting, new soundproofing and even a sofa, surprisingly tasteful, in the, now, spacious, control room. No more sitting on rickety stools and balancing a coffee on your knee. Once the studio began to take shape again and Neil Innes was finally able to take a breath he began rooting through the label's archives, pulling out reels that had been propping up tables, holding open doors and generally lurking in nooks and crannies for years. It didn't take long for Neil to realize how special some of these snippets of the past were, especially some of the vocal outings with his former Love of the Brave band mate Fuzzy Jones. As he wandered down memory lane he started to pair some of these rediscovered treasures with tracks by more recent artists, such as The Magnificent Tape Band and The Sorcerers, and the compilation began to take shape. Studio favorites The Mandatory Eight make another appearance, as do Ivan Von Engleberger's Asteroid. There is finally an opportunity to own "Bang Bang Boogaloo" by The Joe Tatton Trio on vinyl, a stone cold mover that only came out on 7". Also included is a track by long-time ATA collaborator Chris Dawkins, an artist Neil is effusive about. In this particular case Chris is recording under the name Earl Dawkins, a conscious move to separate his jazz output from his other work. As ATA studio moved into its next phase it seemed only fitting to celebrate the music birthed from the early days of its first incarnation. Old music to celebrate a new dawn. Also featuring The Harmony Society and The Disarrays.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: ATA 028LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 2022. Taking a short sabbatical from their journey into the spiritual stratosphere and beyond, Work Money Death landed on terra firma just long enough to record a follow up to the critically acclaimed The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises. Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction explores many of the meditative motifs that mold this unique group in their quest for the perfect sound and space. Those who are familiar with Work Money Death will know their output is as much an adventure for the listener as it was for the musicians. Recorded, as always, at ATA studios, a temple purpose built for the worship of all things analogue, Thought, Action, Reaction, Interactions is a salute to the now sadly deceased master of the spiritual sound Pharoah Sanders, and in particular the spontaneity of his recording process. Each of the four tracks on Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction were recorded in one take with no rehearsal and while the players may have known where they were starting off none of them were sure where they would end. As much as it is entertainment, and have no doubt this LP is an unctuous, spirit-smoothing joy from beginning to end, this is an experiment of making music in the moment. Spontaneous and spiritual in its truest sense, Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction is a work of innovation and unsurpassed beauty. Following in the same vein as previous Work Money Death releases, ATA studio boss Neil Innes conceived the album with tenor sax player Tony Burkill, a vehicle for the latter's improvisational chops, bolstered by sterling personnel. A stalwart of the Leeds music scene for the best part of three decades, Tony had maintained a low profile nationally, choosing to favor continued study and development on the instrument over attainment of success or recognition within the music industry. Also featured on the record are; Sam Hobbs (drums), Neil Innes (double bass), Gareth Wilkins (harp), Chris Dawkins (guitar), and K.O.G. (Kweku of Ghana) (vocals).

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: ATA 029LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

Originally released in 2023. Trying to put the enigmatic producer Ghostlife into words is no easy feat, for a start very few people have ever met him. Best way to describe Ghostlife is Kyser Soze with a keyboard, minus all the criminal bits, an anonymous tactician with an ear for a woozy beat. He may indeed have been the source of the above tall tales, writer of his own fiction if you will. It is perhaps then fitting that he should be pulled towards another artist who spent much of his career sowing the seeds of doubt in regard to his own identity, the much-lamented MF Doom. Respected rapper Doom not only hid his face from the public but was also well known for releasing music under a raft of different monikers adding further mystery to a canon of work that had reached a legendary status before his untimely death in 2020, and after. In this instance it is Doom's collaborations with Madlib, resulting in the 2004 ground-breaking album Madvillainy, that got Ghostlife's remix reflex twitching. He decided to further ramp up the subterfuge (this is dream within a dream stuff) and remix some choice cuts from Abstract Orchestra's interpretation of the record. For those who don't know, Abstract Orchestra, led by saxophonist Rob Mitchell, are based on the classic jazz big band instrumentation of saxes, trumpets and trombones and features the cream of the north's jazz scene. When you dig into Madvillainy you will note many of the samples (Sun Ra, Bill Evans, and Freddie Hubbard amongst others) lent a jazz-oriented feel to the record, an ethos that, in turn, lent itself perfectly to the deconstruction and re-imagining by Abstract. Ghostlife wanted peel back the next layer of this onion and, inspired by Kaytranada's organic synthesis of the hip hop aesthetic among slightly higher BPMs, Ghostlife began to pick tracks from Abstract's Madvillain 1 and 2 to play around with. This was all done above board of course. He made contact with Rob who was so intrigued by what Ghostlife sketched out that handed over the original stems with his blessing. All in all Ghostlife remixed ten tracks, including "Raid," "Fancy Clown," "Curls," and "Figaro," and has forgone the big arrangements. Rather he has coaxed out hooks, and sampled small sections, dipping into Abstract Orchestra's work with the steady precision of a watchmaker to create something new and exciting.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: ATA 030EP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 2023. ATA Records present this double A-side from The Sorcerers featuring, on the flip, the first release by The Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble. "Exit Athens" marks the start of a new era for The Sorcerers. Continuing their investigations of Ethio-Jazz and '60s and '70s European library music, the group is now formed around Joost Hendrickx (Kefaya, Shatner's Bassoon, Abstract Orchestra), Richard Ormrod (saxes, flute, and keys) and ATA label head, bassist Neil Innes. "Exit Athens" features a driving funk engine room combined with exotic percussion, vintage keyboards, and the classic Addis Ababa combination of vibes, flute and oh-so-solid horns. Channeling the maximal, saturated aesthetic of '70s exploitation thrillers, The Sorcerers hope this sound will have you on the edge of your seat throughout! On the AA side, "Beg, Borrow, Play" marks the debut of The Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble. The Outer Worlds series was conceived to feature visiting soloists who have made a beeline to ATA in search of a specific setting for their material. "Beg, Borrow, Play" kicks this off with ATA veteran Chip Wickham on baritone sax, and a slice of jazz exotica that owes as much to New Orleans Street Beat as to the Eastern moods of artists like Yusef Lateef and Ahmed Abdul-Malik. The result is loose and limber, with horns reminiscent of classic Art Ensemble of Chicago, and will appeal to fans of contemporary Afro-Futurist fusions as much as to devotees of the more esoteric side of '60s Blue Note, or early Hi-Life.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: ATA 031LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 2023. The funky, atmospheric, evocative and sometimes downright weird output of companies such as DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton, and the ubiquitous KPM have always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced in the spooky soundtrack vision of The Sorcerers, the big band brass of The Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even in the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express and Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble. It only seemed natural for the team at ATA Records to scratch their own library itch and so The Library Archive Vol. 1 was born in 2019. Recorded over a series of sessions in the Aladdin's Cave of vintage recording equipment that is ATA studios, it featured many of the ATA stable of performers. Released in 2021, The Library Archive Vol. 2 still had the golden age of European Library music squarely in its sights, but this time the focus was drawn more to the off-kilter soul organ sound of Italian quartet I Marc 4. These two volumes garnered praise from Library aficionado Shawn Lee and the Don of British Library Music himself, Alan Hawkshaw. And so to The Library Archive Vol. 3: taking heavy inspiration from Jungle Obsession 9 by Roger Roger, and The Feed-back, as well as Blaxploitation era composers such as Willie Hutch and Melvin Van Peebles, and the masterful and ingenious Roy Budd, The Library Archive Vol. 3 draws deeply from the well of library greatness. Each track has been lovingly crafted with a keen ear for authenticity and the same eye for detail shown on The Library Archive Vol. 1 & 2, recorded on the same instruments and equipment and with the same techniques as the music that inspired it, with a focus throughout on stripped-back rhythm sections topped by flute, vibes and vintage synths. With three volumes now out and another currently in R&D, The Library Archive will stand as a testament to the love the ATA producers and artists have for the original composers and performers.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: ATA 036LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 2024. Work Money Death's People Of The Fast Flowing River. Featuring Tony Burkill (tenor sax), Neil Innes (double bass, piano), Sam Hobbs (drums), Richard Ormrod (piano, harmonium, Wurlitzer, flute, alto flute, baritone sax, contrabass clarinet, tenor horn, euphonium), Danny Templeman (percussion), Sam Bell (congas), Johnny Enright (trombone, tuba), Olivia Cuttill (trumpet), Tom Sharpe (trumpet, flugelhorn), and James Hobbis (tuba).

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: ATA 039LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

ATA Records present their latest recording of The Lewis Express with Doo Ha! Featuring flautist Chip Wickham and recorded live to two-inch analog tape at All Things Analogue Studios, Leeds, UK, this album is a living, breathing tribute to the golden age of soul-jazz -- the electric alchemy of smoky clubs, Sunday afternoons at the record store, and the spiritual communion of groove and grit. Drawing inspiration from luminaries like Ramsey Lewis, Les McCann, and Galt MacDermot, ATA sought to channel the unmistakable energy of soul -- the kind of jazz that hits your feet and hips first. The core of the group is the rhythm section -- ATA luminaries Sam Hobbs on drums and label owner Neil Innes on bass, augmented by Sam Bell on congas and John Ellis on piano and Wurlitzer. It would be invidious to pick out any one of these, when the group sound is so unified, so well-educated in every aspect, and so tight (in the best possible way -- through an elastic, dynamic thread of sheer groove). Chip Wickham's flutes (in the usual concert pitch and the lower, huskier alto model) add melodic phrasing and tone shapes from whispers to wails, coming mighty close at times to the soul tones of the beloved vocals that defined the era. The album features seven shades of soul-jazz, from the downhome strut of "Walk On," through the New Orleans, prayer meeting influenced "Run Tell That" and the cooler, more detached soundtrack hipness of "Cold Catch," to the joyous "Sliced, Diced and Fried Twice" -- a reminder that music shares so much language and emotion with food, and the term soul applies to both. "The Saint And The Stranger" is yet another take on the more cinematic soul sound, with nods to the policier soundtracks of Cinevox, whilst "Snick Snack" gratifies our appetite for yet more hot, greasy blues. Finally, "How Long Before You're Gone" rounds out the album with a groove that wouldn't be out of place on a Nina Simone playlist, a reminder that there has always been more to soul-jazz than late nights and fried chicken. Doo Ha! is a reminder that music has always been about feel, not files. A testament to ATA's belief that sound -- real sound -- should be lived in, worn-in, and passed down like a well-loved record from one hand to the next.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ATACD 010CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Originally released in 2018. The Magnificent Tape Band are the alter egos of ATA Records founders Neil Innes and Pete Williams, who were the creative driving force behind the debut album by The Sorcerers, for which they wrote and produced all the tracks as well as contributing bass and guitar performances. Sheffield born, Rachel Modest developed her unique vocal ability within the churches and gospel choirs of her local community. Now based in Leeds she has developed a powerful and soulful vocal style that takes inspiration from artists such as Madeleine Bell, Dee Dee Warwick, Dusty Springfield, and at times delivers a performance that resembles the falsetto of The Delfonics' William Hart. Taking inspiration from the more abstract end of the soul spectrum that has been a richly tapped vein for hip-hop producers, The Magnificent Tape Band aim to create an evocative tapestry of sound that pulls together psychedelic soul with British library music to create a distinctly dramatic sounding record. Recorded on original '60s equipment, using vintage instruments, The Subtle Art Of Distraction immediately brings to mind the more experimental psychedelic soul records of the late-'60s/early seventies by incorporating driving clavinet, loping drums and swirling organ and Mellotron alongside Rachel Modest's ethereal vocals. Recorded in a disused garage on the outskirts of Leeds, The Subtle Art Of Distraction uses an array of vintage equipment to create a dark musical landscape that underpins Rachel Modests powerful vocal delivery.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ATACD 011CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 2018. Primarily based in Leeds, The Lewis Express is comprised of many of the musicians that have graced previous ATA releases: George Cooper (Abstract Orchestra), Neil Innes (The Sorcerers, The Magnificent Tape Band, Tony Burkill), Sam Hobbs (Dread Supreme, Tony Burkill, Matthew Bourne), and Pete Williams (The Sorcerers, The Magnificent Tape Band, Tony Burkill). Recorded over an intense two-day session by the band, The Lewis Express is a nod to the classic soul jazz recordings of The Young Holt Trio/Young Holt Unlimited and Ramsey Lewis, from who this group take their name. As with many of the classic Ramsey Lewis cuts this album was recorded live, capturing the rich inter-relationship between the players and leaving in some of that chunky room noise, lending the album a sound that's as thick as a steak and raw as a carrot. Pinned to the floor by Neil Innes' heavy work on the double bass and Chris Dawkins' guitar there is some fantastic slow stabbing piano. The overall feel is something funky but slightly sinister. ATA Records has a solid history of putting out releases with a cinematic feel, conjuring up the sort of imagery that coincides with the black and white spy thrillers of the 1960s. The final track, "Straight Seven Strut," is the only vocal track of the album. The staccato swing and French words lend it some of the qualities of '60s y?-y? music but with a far jazzier backbone, spiced with percussive handclaps.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ATACD 012CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 2018. Led by saxophonist Rob Mitchell, Abstract Orchestra have been a consistent presence on the UK music scene, touring constantly in promotion of their debut LP Dilla and follow up 45 New Day featuring Illa J, steadily building a loyal and supportive fanbase. Inspired by the legendary live performances of The Roots with Jay-Z and the 40-piece orchestral arrangements by Miguel Atwood Ferguson of the work of J Dilla, classic arranging techniques underpin modern loop-based structures, breathing new life into familiar material. The band itself is based on the classic jazz big band instrumentation of saxes, trumpets and trombones and features the cream of the north of England's jazz scene who collectively have played with Jamiroquai, Corinne Bailey Rae, Mark Ronson, Martha Reeves, John Legend & the Roots, Roots Manuva, and Amy Winehouse. Madvillain Vol. 1 takes the template of their debut LP Dilla and applies the same approach to the collaboration of MF Doom and Madlib, aka "Madvillain" and their albums Madvillainy and Madvillain 2. Sampling the likes of Sun Ra, Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard, George Duke, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder gave the albums a jazz oriented feel and ethos which in turn lend themselves perfectly to the deconstruction and re-imagining of Abstract Orchestra. As with their debut, all the tracks were recorded live in the studio with very few overdubs. Abstract Orchestra's Madvillain Vol 1 explores the jazz, TV soundtrack and film score aspect of the original work, combining it with classic big band writing and a focus on improvisation. There is a strong influence of Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin and David Shire on the album, and the arranger Rob Mitchell crafts his own sound that inhabits the space between Madlib's production and Quincy Jones' writing.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ATACD 016CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 2019. Primarily based in Leeds, The Lewis Express is comprised of many of the musicians that have graced previous ATA releases: George Cooper (Abstract Orchestra), Neil Innes (The Sorcerers, The Magnificent Tape Band, Tony Burkill), Sam Hobbs (Dread Supreme, Tony Burkill, Matthew Bourne), and Pete Williams (The Sorcerers, The Magnificent Tape Band, Tony Burkill).

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ATACD 022CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Originally released in 2021. A transcendental journey that takes in meditative musical mantras, sprawling tenor sax improvisation and mesmeric percussion, the new album by Work Money Death seeks to reinterpret the sound of artists such as Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane over two tracks: the brooding tension of "Dusk" and the sanguine and uplifting "Dawn." Titled The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises, this LP was conceived and recorded by Tony Burkill and bassist Neil Innes during the spring/summer of 2020. Originally conceived as a large-scale group performance of a single extended piece, "The space in which the uncontrollable unknown resides, can be the place from which creation arises" was written by Tony and Neil through a series of extended improvisations similar to the extended meditation sessions that both musicians practice. These sessions enabled a state of flow through which Tony's compositional approach to improvisation yielded meaningful melodic fragments that would be returned to and developed in a way similar to someone returning to the mantra. Due to restrictions in the UK in the spring/summer of 2020 a different approach to the recording of the album had to be undertaken. Instead of the group recording at the same time in the studio, each musician would arrive and record their part separately as one continuous performance, reacting to the performances of each previous musician in an organic and constantly evolving way. It was in the midst of this process that the title was chosen, as a reflection of the understanding that from this new unknown way of working new creative avenues can be explored and should be embraced. "Dusk" begins with tanpura, harmonium, hypnotic percussion and bass onto which Tony Burkill (sax) and Adam Fairhall (piano) interweave improvisational ideas around Tony's recurring main theme until the piece melts into a fierce collective improvisation that resolves itself into the final minutes. "Dawn" begins with Tony's tenor sax saluting the coming of a new day before the rest of the band embark on a groove reminiscent of Pharoah Sanders gentler moments, played with a hopefulness that contrasts the chaos of the ending of "Dusk". Bells, drums, bamboo xylophones and woodblocks underpin the theme before Adam's piano solo builds into a launchpad for Tony's sax as French horn, flute and bass clarinet can be heard in the distance.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: ATMV 124EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Cultured Dutch producer Milio returns to his home label to retool his last album Invisible Lands with the dance floor in mind. This new and club-ready 12" arrives via Atomnation and shows a superb new side to the artist. Invisible Lands was another marked artistic evolution for VIAVIA label head Millio who employed all new skills to translate the fantasies of his childhood into an immersive long player. As ever it was colored by his love of hardware and brimmed with life because of his on-the-fly approach to production. Now, four of those lush originals get reimagined for different moments in the club. These are four deep, stylish club cuts full of the sort of warm emotions that make a lasting impression.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: BALMAT 015LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

It took a village to create Le Motel's Odd Numbers/S? L?. Beneath its pulsing, shimmering tones, the record is alive with the sounds of everyday life -- purring mopeds, idle whistling, the din of kitchens and whisper of rain, voices joyful and contemplative, scenes of bustling cities and domestic intimacy. Le Motel -- who runs the Brussels-based record label Maloca -- gathered sounds, photographs, and videos while traveling in Vietnam in 2023. From Hanoi he ventured to Hmong communities in the mountains near the border with China, building out a network of contacts gathered from friends and friends of friends. But Odd Numbers/S? L? -- which takes its title from traditional Vietnamese numerological beliefs and customs -- is wholly unlike the extractive product typical of exploitative modes of Western tourism; the album's final shape was deeply dependent upon the participation of the people the artist met in Vietnam. Back in Brussels after his travels, as Le Motel began working with his materials, he sent early drafts to his contacts, inviting their input. This back-and-forth eventually yielded a dynamic collective effort in which nine of the album's 15 tracks feature multiple composer credits. Among the album's diverse collaborators are Yvonne Qu?nh-Lan D??n, an educator and ethnomusicologist; Chi Chi, the daughter of a Hmong shaman; and Phapxa Chan, who contributes three poems inspired by landscape and Le Motel's own music (and, in one case, psychedelics). The result is an album that is not about making sound, broadcasting it as a one-way communication, but instead about the empathic practice of listening -- about listening as an integral and even ethical part of musical creation, even (especially!) when that music is created on a computer, rather than conjured by a group of players sharing space in real time. It's an album that adopts many of the traditional trappings of ambient music while reminding us of the importance of intentional modes of creation. Brian Eno famously said that ambient music must be as ignorable as it is interesting, but Le Motel's Odd Numbers/S? L? suggests, to the contrary, the richness of experience available to us should we make the effort to open our ears.

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: BR 022CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Third album from Sheffield folk artist blending traditional songs and original compositions to remarkable effect. 180gram heavyweight black vinyl with download code and gatefold sleeve. On his new album Wasteland, Jim Ghedi has created something huge. Intense, brooding, bold, at times apocalyptic, and remarkably vast. A profoundly bold sonic statement that is some of the most rich, far-reaching and ambitious work that Ghedi has created to date -- pushing the boundaries of what folk music can be. Recorded over two years at Tesla Studios in Sheffield, with David Glover engineering and producing, it also features a wide cast of musicians such as David Grubb (fiddle), Daniel Bridgwood-Hill (fiddle), Neal Heppleston (bass), Joe Danks (drums), Dean Honer from I Monster (synths), Cormac MacDiarmada from Lankum (vocals), Ruth Clinton from Landless (vocals), and Amelia Baker from Cinder Well (vocals). Wasteland is a record that is unafraid to plunge into the darkness of the modern world and embrace the weirder, edgier and more unnerving moments that come from doing so. It is an album that captures all the enormity of life from the micro to the macro, zooming in on the personal as well reflecting on broader societal issues. As with previous albums, such as 2018's A Hymn for Ancient Land and 2021's In the Furrows of Common Place, Ghedi uses traditional folk songs as a means to explore contemporary issues via modern and experimentally-leaning music. Lead single "Wasteland" is a stunning piece of work that while rooted in an environment being corrupted and broken. The decision to incorporate more fuller sounds, such as electric guitar and huge drums, results in a notable shift and evolution in tone for Ghedi. What Ghedi has done in creating his masterpiece is construct a remarkable space where deeply intimate and personal feelings coexist with reflections on environment, place and society, while also interweaving historical context via traditional songs. Wasteland is as much of a world to explore and exist in as much as it is an album, with Ghedi carving out his distinctly unique sonic language and voice to explore that singular environment.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: BR 022LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Third album from Sheffield folk artist blending traditional songs and original compositions to remarkable effect. 180gram heavyweight black vinyl with download code and gatefold sleeve. On his new album Wasteland, Jim Ghedi has created something huge. Intense, brooding, bold, at times apocalyptic, and remarkably vast. A profoundly bold sonic statement that is some of the most rich, far-reaching and ambitious work that Ghedi has created to date -- pushing the boundaries of what folk music can be. Recorded over two years at Tesla Studios in Sheffield, with David Glover engineering and producing, it also features a wide cast of musicians such as David Grubb (fiddle), Daniel Bridgwood-Hill (fiddle), Neal Heppleston (bass), Joe Danks (drums), Dean Honer from I Monster (synths), Cormac MacDiarmada from Lankum (vocals), Ruth Clinton from Landless (vocals), and Amelia Baker from Cinder Well (vocals). Wasteland is a record that is unafraid to plunge into the darkness of the modern world and embrace the weirder, edgier and more unnerving moments that come from doing so. It is an album that captures all the enormity of life from the micro to the macro, zooming in on the personal as well reflecting on broader societal issues. As with previous albums, such as 2018's A Hymn for Ancient Land and 2021's In the Furrows of Common Place, Ghedi uses traditional folk songs as a means to explore contemporary issues via modern and experimentally-leaning music. Lead single "Wasteland" is a stunning piece of work that while rooted in an environment being corrupted and broken. The decision to incorporate more fuller sounds, such as electric guitar and huge drums, results in a notable shift and evolution in tone for Ghedi. What Ghedi has done in creating his masterpiece is construct a remarkable space where deeply intimate and personal feelings coexist with reflections on environment, place and society, while also interweaving historical context via traditional songs. Wasteland is as much of a world to explore and exist in as much as it is an album, with Ghedi carving out his distinctly unique sonic language and voice to explore that singular environment.

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: BEWITH 177LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis's Seven Deadly Sins is a hugely influential, synth-powered, atmospheric space-disco masterpiece. It's arguably the best American disco LP ever made. It's certainly one of the most important albums in the history of dance music. And, like its innovative producers, it's absolute genius. During the mid to late seventies the production team of Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis helped to define the disco sound that was coming out of Los Angeles with studio projects such as El Coco, Saint Tropez, Le Pamplemousse (with vocals from The Jones Girls), In Search Of Orchestra and many others. Like all of their work, Seven Deadly Sins comprises beautifully arranged and incredibly well produced deep disco that is revered by aficionados. A seven track, largely instrumental concept album covering each of the sins, it was recorded for AVI in 1977. It's a brilliantly conceived, groove-fueled album that layers moogy keys and druggy synths over club-ready rhythms. The idea that this record is celebrating rather than condemning the sins is said to be another factor that made the record a big one in the underground clubs. As Laurin Rinder recalled in an interview with Dream Chimney, the duo essentially lived in the studio: "we really had cots, beds and the whole thing, we were just pumpin' them out. 7 days a week, 3 different projects at the same time. I played drums on everything but had to play a little differently. I had to ask the engineer 'What's the name of this group?'." Evidently, their prolific output was the result of a crazy cocaine-fueled production schedule: "The amount of coke we did, to do all this, you can't even imagine. $300 a day. I had to have plastic inserts in my nose so I could do more." Looking at the frankly terrifying cover, you'd have never known! Be With is beyond delighted to present the first ever legit vinyl reissue of Seven Deadly Sins, carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francisco to ensure it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland.

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: BEWITH 186LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Born Bangalter in 1947, Daniel Vangarde is a French songwriter and producer. In 1975, Vangarde founded his label, Zagora Records, who Be With have worked closely with on this lovingly curated reissue. For years, Vangarde wrote and produced songs that remained underground, under several pseudonyms and for various artists. Dubbed "the secret father of French disco" this here groove-filled firecracker -- using his Who's Who moniker -- is for disco-funk, library music and cosmic beat lovers. The intense, evocative opener "Palace Palace" positively throbs with raw energy and sounds, honestly, like something off Daft Punk's Discovery. The title refers to the fashionable Parisian club Le Palace, essentially the Parisian Studio 54. The louche, slo-mo heater "Hypno Dance" is, in Be With's opinion, the deadly dancefloor track. A svelte slice of ace space disco again geared towards the roller skating dance mania of the day. The B-Side opens with the frankly enormous "Roll Jacky Roll" is another thrilling, high class roller-rink jam with beautiful melodies that's adored the world over. The wonky, abstract "Ad Libitum 80" is a super dope, swirling, staccato electro-funk bounce which sounds light years ahead of its time. This might be the real lowkey sleeper gem on this record. Who's Who really is a fantastic late-'70s-early '80s roller disco-funk essential. The audio has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland.

 

PRICE: $227.50

CAT #: FBS 005CD

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Reduced price, last copies! After two years of absence from Beat Records' catalog the label reveals a new edition of Fabio Frizzi's fans most beloved horror score, Zombi 2, with the American title of Zombie Flesh Eaters, a project Beat Records worked on for five years. Since ever paired with Un gatto nel cervello (1990), now finally alone in a version that is gifted with unreleased material which was recorded in a tape found in an old Ribot archive. One of the holy grails in Beat Records' catalog, since ever bitterly loved, because of its shortness: even if the older version featured a good portion of the score, it was largely incomplete. With the addition of the material transferred from this extra tape, and with the song "There's No Matter", which can be heard at the beginning of the movie, when the two protagonists investigate the sequestered ship, Beat Records can attest this is the definitive edition of this outstanding soundtrack which marks a significant style evolution of the maestro, aside the growth of his artistic relationship with Lucio Fulci. In this edition, Beat Records offer the score on CD in a deluxe hard paper box with the insane artwork by Graham Humphreys, both on the box and on the 40-page book; slim jewel case with a maxi inlay featuring the iconic photographic poster of the time and a crazy black-and-white artwork by Alexandros Pyromallis. Liner notes by Antonella Fulci, Fabio Frizzi, and Daniele De Gemini. Mastering by Enrico De Gemini. Includes LP; 180 gram vinyl in gatefold sleeve; includes printed inner sleeve; artwork printed in poster size; hand sculpted and painted 13cm resin bust of the iconic zombie of the gatefold cover.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: BEC 5772838

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2025 repress. Selah Sue is a young Belgian musician and songwriter who ignores her fate, and pours her anxieties into her songs and her guitar. She turns her doubts into soul, funk and reggae melodies, trying hard to be worthy of her idols, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and Bob Marley. After posting home recordings of her tracks on Myspace, thousands of fans responded and she attracted the attention of Because Music. This debut album features guest appearances from Meshell Ndegeocello and Cee-Lo Green. This ambitious debut is a smart melting pot of electric rock, organic hip-hop and soul-funk, shifting from poignant ballads to wilder styles. Like Janelle Monae, M.I.A. or Aloe Blacc, Selah Sue belongs to a new generation for whom music has no boundaries. Produced by Farhot (Nneka) and Patrice. Housed in a gatefold sleeve.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: BOND 12078EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

With "I Was Deep In My Last Life," Sascha Dive returns to Bondage Music once again for another deep frequency encounter, as usual as vinyl only release. Featuring Robert Owens.

 

PRICE: $36.50

CAT #: CHROMES 001LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Brainchild of British-Egyptian historian Hannah Elsisi (NYU AD, Cambridge), Chromesthesia -- aptly named "the color of sound" -- tracks Afro-diasporic rhythms from the Whole Mangrove World. Featuring a veritable avengers team of everyone's favorite producer: Sho Madjozi, Asher Gamedze, Nick Le?n, Deena Abdelwahed, Kelman Duran, GAIKA, Lord Tusk, Covco, Julmud, LYZZA, Maurice Louca, Baby Cocada, 3Phaz, LAFAWNDAH, Double Zuksh, Lamin Fofana, and DJ Babatr. In its first of more-to-come iterations, Chromesthesia launches its inaugural compilation mapping centuries of movement, resistance, and creolite as they have been inscribed in sound. From Rio to Cairo, Miami to Kampala -- Chromesthesia probes the audiopolitics of diaspora, tracking soundscapes of errantry and migration along 20 sites of what Elsisi calls The Whole Mangrove World. This compilation comes on transparent orange vinyl, adorned in a gatefold sleeve with printed inner featuring the original artwork Woven Chronicle.

 

PRICE: $17.00

CAT #: DIS 133LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The second full-length album by Q and Not U, released in 2002. The 12" LP was re-cut and re-issued in August 2009. This pressing is on clear vinyl."

 

PRICE: $17.00

CAT #: DIS 147LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Lungfish's 11th full-length album, released in 2005. This pressing is on blue vinyl."

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: CREP 093LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

On his Discrepant debut, memotone aka Bristolian Will Yates collects some unreleased recordings under a most aptly titled name -- Pruning -- following a healthy stream of releases for such esteemed labels as Black Acre, The Trilogy Tapes or Soda Gong. Considering the process of pruning as a practice of selective removal, the album takes its name at face value never falling into a mere collection of tossed off material or random B-side assemblage, making it a cohesive listen throughout its disparate timeframe and evasions. A statement about memotone's vision itself, Pruning veers closer to his Fourth World/ECM/Exotica meets Sci-fi transmutations in alignment with what would be expected from a memotone release on Discrepant. "Moss Zone" briefly sets the tone with a warm but queasy synth bedsheet that flows into the "Weird Figures" cyberjungle, all small twinkling percussions and rainforest pads slowly rising. "Riders" brings the synth-flute to an early Warp meets John Hassell's City: Works of Fiction scenario that pops up again in more disrupted form on "Wisdom [MOTHER]." "Not What I Thought's" skewed tropical guitar gets going on lo-fi percussion and dissonant synth chords while "Jim Starling and The Inverse Church" bring to mind Autoditacker era Mouse on Mars going jazz-fusion. "Beach Scene" is exactly it, as the sun sets into "Come In [Don't Mind the Ghost]" Summer night's stars with all the allure of Stereolab. Alluring, that's exactly it. Do come in. Artwork by Evan Crankshaw. Mastered by Rashad Becker.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: LPSPI 002LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Wild broken heart healing procedure through time distorted tape recordings by T. Delaunay (Panoptique), D.L. Byrne (Charmaine's Names) and J. Warmenbol (Kabaal). A new emanation from the Simple Music Experience collective (Fiesta en el Vac?o, Helen Island, Parasite Jazz...) Minimalistic mystery pop by the clue chasers De Klok, who recorded their spontaneous first album under one moon and one sun during an intense session of investigation, bribery, calculations, doubts, and beard-scratching. The result: 14 tracks recorded on tape -- including hazardous interludes. A glimpse into this post-spy-punk world, made up of croon-y voices, hypnotic basslines, and lo-fi drums, by the three international agents Charmaine's Name, Kabaal, and Constance Chlore/Panoptique. Originally released on cassette by Simple Music Experience, the vinyl version includes two new tracks, all remastered.

 

PRICE: $23.00

CAT #: DC 387LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2025 repress; LP version. "Their time in the studio was overseen by engineer Jim Vitti, whose work with Parliament/ Funkadelic seems to have informed his decision to record Death in raw fashion with little polish, showcasing the organic power relationships within the trio. The songs recorded there make up ...For the Whole World to See, which today blasts from the speakers as a fresh and inspired early entry in the category of punk rock. Death had a single pressed, Politicians In My Eyes b/w Keep On Knocking, selling them at their shows and on the street. Things weren't really going anywhere when they heard from Columbia Records' president Clive Davis. He was interested, but he had one demand -- they'd have to change their name. David, acting as the band's leader, would have no part of it, a decision that ultimately brought an end to Death. Moving to New England, David, Bobby and Dannis reconnected with their faith, forming the Christian rock-n-roll band The 4th Movement, whose self-released early-80s album joined Death's 45 as a sought-after obscurity for the next generation. 2009 is the time that Death is finally here ...For The Whole World to See. ...For The Whole World to See is the first full-length release EVER for the band called Death -- with only one 7" single to their name, and that usually goes for about a grand per. That's $1000! For those who do have the single, the remastered sound here will break you up."

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: DC 939LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The fragmented shards from the history of punk rock are still being sourced! Thanks to the rediscovery of a long-lost cache of cassette tapes, Bag People can now be counted, the sounds of their feral stink sitting perfectly in the grime-streaked canon of NYC's early-'80s post-punk/no-wave era. Their lore commences in Chicago's western suburbs. In 1977, Carolyn Master and Diane Wlezien were juniors at Proviso West High and rock 'n rollers, with a particular taste for English rock -- The Who, The Stones, The Kinks, Bowie, T. Rex -- they were wild for it. They put an ad out for a guitarist, Gaylene Goudreau answered, and they clicked right away -- but after a year or so trying to make it in LA as the Runaways-like girl group Lois Lain, they were back in Chicago, disillusioned. Gaylene joined DA!, when, opening for DNA at Tut's one night, her life was changed. She got back with Carolyn and Diane and they started over again, this time as Bag People. Algis Kizys saw them one night in early '82 at Chicago's infamous Space Place, then beat out some kid named Albini in a tryout for the bass spot. Pete Elwyn, working for the weekend at Poppin' Fresh Pies while drumming. Their line-up set, they played on the Chicago scene for a while, with bands like The Cadavers and The Functionally Illiterate. In late 1982, they decamped to Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood. Deep within NYC's atomized urban interior, with deserted and destroyed shit everywhere, dudes selling drugs on every corner, it was a zone of lawlessness and neglect. The amorphous horror of this scene echoes distortedly through these recordings, an onslaught converging Carolyn and Gaylene's scabrous guitar interplay, Algis and Pete's free-roaming rhythm and Diane's nihilistic gutter-siren vocal projections. A few songs were recorded at Hi Five Studio in the Gramercy Park neighborhood. They taped more at the practice space, and a set at CB's but, constantly fucked up on booze and the drugs being hawked around the Lower East Side, the chaos of the times was wearing them thin. By the end of '83, it was apparent that things were falling apart. Pete literally disappeared after Christmas, taking a large part of their recordings with him. They got other drummers, but in July of 1984, they dissolved. It would be nearly forty years before their lost recordings were heard again. After Carolyn finally found Pete (on social media, no less!), Algis drove up to Massachusetts to get them so they could be heard at last."

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: DC 950LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Mess Esque is an Australian duo who sound like they literally dreamed themselves into being, and might even still be in the dream that made them! Helen Franzmann (McKisko) and Mick Turner (Dirty Three, Tren Brothers) initially partnered on Mess Esque's shared inner plane circa 2020. Since then, they've taken their preferred path -- the one less traveled -- at an unhurried pace. Yet Jay Marie, Comfort Me is their third album in less than five years, and the new music feels a hemisphere away from their first efforts: a whole new atmospheric level above, with greater depths to descend into as well. Mess Esque first launched as a correspondence course. The two swapped tracks between Melbourne and Brisbane, experimentally pairing Mick's guitar, keys and loops with Helen's ruminative vocals. They released Dream #12 through Australian label Bedroom Suck in April 2021, with a self-titled album on Drag City following six months later. Then it was time to actualize in the same spaces for some touring: Australia, the US, UK, Europe, and New Zealand. Jay Marie, Comfort Me has an edge to it: that savage grace that comes from actually drawing breath and stepping up in the witness of others. The process of becoming, in all its aspects, has made Mess Esque's efforts ever more visceral and incisive, their music billowing up to the skies while drawing close to the bone in the same moment. Jay Marie, Comfort Me is co-produced by Helen and Mick themselves, along with Nick Huggins, who recorded the Dirty Three's acclaimed Love Changes Everything, Mick's Don't Tell the Driver, and McKisko's Southerly album. Along with Keeley Young and Kishore Ryan from the live band, the album features cellist Stephanie Arnold and a couple of Australia's living legends of percussion: Bree van Reyk and Mick's ol' Dirty Three partner in crime, Jim White. The title -- Jay Marie, Comfort Me -- is from a line in the song, 'That Chair.' That's Helen's sister in there, who died in her sleep unexpectedly. It feels right to have her name on the jacket. Jay Marie, Comfort Me reaches exciting new heights in the Mess Esque journey, propelling their uniquely twisted aural circus to a new level of dance-ability, exaltation and effect. Fitting the immediacy at their core with new dimensions, Mess Esque push themselves into more vivid states of being."

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: DC 951LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"For Translucence is the debut album from Whitney Johnson and Lia Kohl. Their dialogue, found initially in free improvisation on viola and cello, has evolved over time into (for the moment) this: a neophonic orchestral expression. A living, breathing meditation in which layers of acoustic strings, synthesizers, field recordings, radio and sine waves illuminate and change each other as they twine and grow. Lia and Whitney began playing together in 2018, exploring the space between Lia's cello and Whitney's viola, with their shared tuning one octave apart. There was an ease in weaving their instruments and voices, whether playing outside, with extended technique; or inside, playing melodic lines with rich tones. Several years passed before they considered recording, as the shared parts of their identities -- string players, composers, and sound artists based in Chicago; both interested in solo composition as well as improvisation and collaboration -- soaked the fertile ground. Then their individual concerns -- Lia, exploring the possibilities and dualities of mundane and profound sounds; Whitney (as Matchess and herself) presenting the listener with the effects of sound on bodies and minds -- were able to be more finely articulated and integrated in this finished work. Recording at Experimental Sound Studio, Whitney filled out the low end of her sound with sine waves, making binaural beats through function generators and her ARP Odyssey synthesizer. Lia added an AM/FM radio and her Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer. Using the open strings on both viola and cello to create the drones and establish a baseline of gravity, they improvised, building up phases of spontaneity before giving careful consideration to what they'd assembled, editing it to arrive at a final mix. The resulting sound isn't electro-acoustic, exactly; more like electronics and acoustics together, with each layer transforming the one next to it. Within the double layers of their four strings and added instruments, a symmetry emerges that is the key to For Translucence. The songs are two improvisations superimposed over each other, the titles derived from the two fundamental frequencies in which they improvise. The binaural beats form a sculptural structure of drone over which further improvisations are made. This is where surprise and laughter come into the focus; like all of time put together, both inside and outside history, their past and future selves unfolding with a flowing energy of fresh discovery breathing through it."

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: DRUNKEN 172LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Finally, an excuse to dust off the platform boots and denim overalls! New York City's LOOSEY is here with their Winter Promo '23. LOOSEY's sound falls somewhere between the Australian Sharpie scene where pub-rock bands like Coloured Balls and Rose Tattoo reigned supreme, and the Bovver scene from England which preferred the glammier side of rock'n'roll. After the right-on intro "Enter Planet Dust," LOOSEY treats listeners to three earworms that stomp, shimmy, and howl. Check out "There You Were (Alligator Song)" to hear LOOSEY at full-force; beginning with a glam stomp before bulldozing their way into "Exile on Main Street"-era Rolling Stones and even Big Star territory, it's pure bar-room boogie for lovers and fighters alike. This is the dawning of LOOSEY music, get into it!

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: DRUNKEN 181LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

If you feel like motoring down the highway at 100 miles per hour breathing in pure rock n' roll exhaust then look no further -- Rowdy is here to kick out the jams and rev up with their self-titled debut LP. These seasoned rockers are dealing out a heavy dose of song-forward classic garage punk that sounds like a mixed bag of Joan Jett singing for Teengenerate and Roky Erikson and The Aliens covering Oblivions. This is no surprise as Rowdy is formed by members of legendary Austin band Hex Dispensers and Scotland's Goldie Dawn, (Hex Dispensers, major contributors to the Texas garage punk scene). Rowdy's sound runs the gamut with catchy 77 punk tunes like "All in My Head"-- with its huge chorus, anthemic doo-wop tinged songs like "Fine Mystery", and bluesy garage rippers like "Cost Of It". The recording is raw and punchy, dripping with overdriven twangy guitars, a steadfast, tight rhythm section, and blown-out vocals. This record is pure rock n' roll madness! Pop this Rowdy on in your headphones, shotgun a Steel Reserve, and you'll be on your motorcycle doing donuts on your high school principal's lawn in no time.

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: EFFICIENT 012EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2025 restock. Almost four decades since its domestic release, Karen Marks's 1981 single Cold Caf? has finally reaped it's deserved international credit to become one of Australia's most recognized minimal wave recordings. Efficient Space now showcases the Melbourne artist's brief but entire discography, including two previously unheard demos, all produced with experimental synthesist Ash Wednesday (The Metronomes, Modern Jazz, Thealonian Music). A rarity in the then male-dominated industry, Marks found her footing in music, first through rock journalism and then in band management. Formally of Adelaide, newly arrived synth-punks JAB (Johnny Crash, Ash Wednesday, Bodhan X) approached her for representation, subsequently contributing tracks to seminal 1978 snapshot Lethal Weapons and playing the Crystal Ballroom's opening night. Wednesday and Crash would soon dissolve JAB, enlisting Mark Ferry and Sean Kelly to create Models. Still under Mark's management, Models became one of the fastest rising new bands of the punk movement, playing to full houses of dedicated and frenzied fans everywhere. Sadly, internal frictions forced Wednesday and Marks to leave after two years, with Crash following three months later. Her creative relationship with Wednesday fortified with the co-production of his 1980 machine-pop prank "Love By Numbers", her swooning chorus uplifting his deadpan count to 100, before the two collaborated on Marks's own recording persona. Immortalized by the icy Oz wave of Cold Caf?, her Astor issued 7" also boasted the caffeinated flip "Won't Wear It For Long" -- a should be hit with guitar from future Icehouse member Robert Kretschmer. Fans know of one more recording -- "You Bring These Things", a forlorn arrangement of an otherwise unreleased Paul Kelly song, gifted to her by the revered wordsmith. The track only ever appeared on the Astor promotional LP Terra Australis (1981), sinfully alongside "Up There Cazaly" and Joe Dolce -- hard proof that the label grossly misunderstood her talent (Marks recalls their persistent requests to show midriff and cleavage). Locked in a dissatisfying label arrangement and at this stage unwilling to follow her peers to greener pastures overseas, she felt her only way out was to cease all further activities. At the 11th hour of preparing this retrospective, two tracks unexpectedly surfaced via two cassettes -- a paranoid demo version of her signature tune "Cold Caf?", and a long-lost fourth song "Problem Page". Both living room recordings follow Marks and Wednesday's ingenious framework of minimal lyrics, minimal chord progressions.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: EFFICIENT 040LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Pierre Bujeau is an expert at creating temporary escape zones -- musical structures to evade the everyday. Sometimes he works collectively as part of the mysterious French groups Omert? and Tanz Mein Herz. But it's when he's on his own, performing as Megabasse, that he offers the most complete break from reality. His kit is simple: a few bottles of cheap lager, twin Fender amps, and his double-necked guitar. An instrument like this normally signals maximum rockist excess -- think Jimmy Page, Geddy Lee, or that dude from the Eagles. In Pierre's hands, it becomes more like a zither or a dulcimer, producing soft chiming patterns that build against themselves until the sound of the room, passed back and forth between his two amps, starts to blur everything, and we are away in another world. Wait, though -- let down your yoga bun and don't light the palo santo yet. The new space he creates has nothing to do with smug wellness. It's a rough, do-it-yourself psychedelia, scuffed but hopeful. Not a perfect blank space to be your best self in, but instead a communal dreaming, an uncanny place where all are welcome. Until now, without catching him live, the Megabasse experience has been difficult to find: CD-Rs, short-run tapes, and one blink-and-you-missed-it LP. Thankfully, this record on Efficient Space, a reissue of some pieces that were previously only available on a small cassette edition, will put that right. Here are two long, intricate pieces, and something new -- a shorter track that hints at a move toward beautiful, burnt-out guitar soli. Unless you are very lucky, wise, or rich, life imposes its structures on you. Maybe a record of shimmering, tranced guitar is all you need to get out from underneath?

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: WG 770980EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

German record producer and live act Monolink returns with his brand new single, "Mesmerized." From the very first note, "Mesmerized" draws listeners into a world of contrasts. Deep longing is intertwined with stirring instrumentation, as Steffen Linck's pensive lyrics glide over layers of pulsating percussion and moody synths, creating a track that's equally suited for moonlit dancefloors and reflective moments. It's a journey that balances vulnerability and groove, inviting listeners to get lost in its hypnotic embrace. On the B-Side Monolink presents a beautiful acoustic reinterpretation of the track. He takes listeners on a thought-provoking sonic journey with this acoustic version. The hauntingly beautiful rendition strips away the electronic layers of the original to highlight the raw emotion in Monolink's soulful vocals and acoustic instrumentation, breathing new life into the already poignant narrative.

 

PRICE: $12.00

CAT #: ESPDISK 5095CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

When Michael Bisio heard Korean pianist Eunhye Jeong's ESP-Disk 2021 album NOLDA, he expressed interest in working with her. After a successful and riveting duo concert in Kingston, NY showed what a good match they were, ESP was eager to document their musical affinity. One of the concert attendees was avant-jazz sax icon Joe McPhee, who guested with the duo at their subsequent studio session along with one of ESP's favorite drummers, Jay Rosen. Magical moments abounded, as you can hear on this album. Recorded March 8, 2023 at Park West Studios by Jim Clouse, who also mixed and mastered. Produced by Steve Holtje for ESP-Disk. Liner notes by Paul R. Harding. Cover art from "Shanghai Sunrise" by Dawn Bisio.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: FARO 122XX-LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Remastered from the original tapes, Encore features 11 original compositions from Arthur 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, combined Brazilian influences with his take on American soul and cinematic experimentation, and shows Arthur's sound is as poignant now as it ever was. In the mid-2000's, 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. The story of Encore of course begins with Joe Davis, Far Out's 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. 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. Born in Rio de Janeiro on 17 June 1945, Arthur Verocai began his professional music career in 1969 and over the next few years he was responsible for the orchestration of albums by Ivan Lins, Jorge Benjor, Elizeth Cardoso, Gal Costa, Quarteto em Cy, MPB 4, and Marcos Valle, among others. In 1972, following the success Arthur had with the production of Ivan Lins 1971 album Agora, Arthur recorded his self-titled debut album on Continental Records. Arthur Verocai challenged the musical conventions of the day, combining Brazilian influences with folksy soul and lo-fi electronic experimentations of American artists like Shuggie Otis or the orchestration of producer Charles Stepney.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: FARO 233BLUE-LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Blue color vinyl version. Macei?, 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 Macei? artists and musicians, (of which Berle and Batata Boy are vital members), Berle also recorded some of his friends' songs on the album, including Jo?o Menezes's "At? Meu Violao", the album's beautifully laidback sunshine soul opener, which has all the charm of early-70s Jo?o 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 ("? 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: $17.50

CAT #: JD 056EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Legendary Brazilian jazz-funk trio Azymuth present Arabut? (Daniel Maunick Dub), a vinyl-only 7" single. Arabut?, which takes its name from the Tupi Guarani word for the endangered Brazilwood tree, underscores Azymuth's fusion of timeless Brazilian jazz-funk and cosmic futurism. A symbol of both the value and fragility of Brazil's natural beauty, Araut? reminds listeners of the salience of indigenous wisdom to ecological preservation. In the hands of producer and long-time Azymuth collaborator Daniel Maunick, "Arabut?" is tweaked for a special mid-tempo 7", two-part, dancefloor dub mix.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: FIGURE X047EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Continuing the year strong, Figure is lining up the second release of Dutch newcomer Jancen. After his impressive label debut on FigureX45, the second part of his Inner Labyrinth EP draws from a variety of influences to display his refined image of modern techno. First off, "Dub Dissonance" sets the tone right with an immersive and heads-down track, determined synths stabbing away those layers of the mind. "F-Track" in contrast stands out with its deep swaying chords and beautiful dubby atmosphere, making for one stellar groove. On the flipside things get more intense as "Maze Chase" comes swirling all in colorful peak time arps. Straightforward and unrelenting, "Sassafras" closes the labyrinth with an unrelenting synth motif and captivating thump, turning the dial up to 10.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: FD 155CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Towards the Nocturnal Sun is the second album from Malaysian artist Siew Y'ng-Yin's Reverse Image. Earlier in 2024 she also had her debut album by her noise project Fallen Sun released by Fourth Dimension. Unlike Fallen Sun's proclivity for melding uncompromising and often abrasive sounds together with occasional rhythmic undercurrents, Reverse Image's approach to soundmaking is defined by measured crystalline shimmer, iridescent patterns formed on a Martian sunset, indiscernible clangs, gentle tones weaving in and out of each other, warm textural glaze, vast swathes of dilated hum, and undulating bridges that sometimes hint at the intensity of Yin's other project. Ranging from compositions that furrow a moody ambience to others that could either sit easily alongside contemporary academic music or soundtrack a thoughtful (or thought-provoking) film, the nine pieces presented on this album shine a light onto an artist possessed of a deep understanding of her craft and the many wonderful avenues it can explore. Overtly, the material forming this album takes everything on the 2023 debut, The Silence That Does Not Exist, to an even greater height where promises are fulfilled yet continue to suggest many more.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: FRB 015LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

In July 1983, the Hebrew Israelite vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Margeeah Aharon recorded her debut album Looking For Love with the Kingdom Sounds community band at P.C. Studios in Tel Aviv, Israel. Fittingly -- given the meaning of her Hebrew name, soothing, calm and tranquil -- it's a questing melange of devotional jazz, soul, funk and reggae. More than just that, Looking For Love is an album full of yearning and reflective songs of spirit, heart and inner solace. Margeeah was born and raised in the American capital of Washington D.C. She grew up in a Baptist family with Hebrew cultural underpinnings. She was accepted into the Howard University School of Fine Arts as a music major in classical voice and a minor in English. During her Howard years, Margeeah's musical and spiritual horizons began to evolve, by way of a love of Doug and Jean Carn, Keith Jarrett, Roberta Flack, and Donny Hathaway and stretch out towards the infinite. "Throughout my upbringing and training in classical music, my soul and spirit were on a journey," she explains. "I began to become aware of social dynamics, racism, injustice, homelessness, poverty and disparity. I started to study the isms -- Socialism, Communism, Buddhism. I was searching." Forty years after it was released as a private press LP, Looking For Love's central themes and music remain timeless and eternal.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: GLOSSYFL 005EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Glossy Mistakes presents Ecstasy Boys Selections, a carefully curated collection of three mesmerizing tracks from the pioneering Japanese electronic trio Ecstasy Boys. These tracks released originally between 1990 and 1994, curated by Glossy Mario, revisits the innovative sounds of the group that shaped underground Japanese club culture during the '90s. While their influence remained largely within Japan, their music resonates far beyond borders, standing as a testament to the creativity and innovation that defined an era of Japanese club culture. The Ecstasy Boys -- formed by Mitsuru Kotaki, Shiro Amamiya, and Tatsuro Amamiya -- were a driving force in the Japanese electronic music scene. Known for their eclectic productions and boundary-pushing performances, the trio captivated audiences and influenced a generation of local DJs, producers, and club-goers. Ecstasy Boys Selections pays homage to this vital chapter in Japanese dance music history, highlighting the trio's creativity. The compilation includes three tracks that exemplify their unique blend of Balearic, leftfield house, and progressive sounds. Remastered by Wouter Brandenburg in Amsterdam, Selections breathes new life into these timeless tracks while preserving their original character and depth. Licensed courtesy of Shiro Amamiya and Avex Inc. this release is an essential addition to the libraries of Balearic, house, and experimental music enthusiasts.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: HPS 330CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Remastered reissue of the legendary Pentagram sixth album with brand new artwork. Show 'Em How is the sixth album by American doom metal band Pentagram. It was released in 2004 by Italian label Black Widow Records. This album featured Bobby Liebling on vocals backed up by three members of Internal Void. Now it's time for a brand-new remastered version with new artwork designed by Luca Solomacello.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: HPS 335CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Repress of the legendary Nightstalker sophomore album. Recorded at Action Studios, 1995. Produced by Alex K. Engineered by Aris Christou. Assistant producer Jim Spliff. Remastered at SweetSpot Productions Studio. Also available on black vinyl (HPS 335LP), orange vinyl (HPS 335LTD-LP), and black/red vinyl (HPS 335ULTRA-LP).

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: HPS 336CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"As always, we decided to do our own thing. We're just so over the same old tired riffs and worn-out stoner vibes, like a pair of Birkenstocks at an indie concert, and let's not even start on those 'super interesting' lyrics about how to smoke weed (seriously, tell us more!). So here we are at a crossroad: should we just follow the crowd and do what everyone else is doing, or should we put in the hard work to create something that actually makes us happy while we play it? Well, here's Melting Pop! It's not stoner, it's not garage, it's not punk, it's not psych, it's not even a traditional album. It's melting, a blend of FVZZ POPVLI saying 'screw the labels' and just going with the flow, all natural, like grown-ups with no preservatives." --FVZZ POPVLI. Also available on black vinyl (HPS 336LP), blue vinyl (HPS 336LTD-LP), and yellow/red/purple vinyl (HPS 336ULTRA-LP).

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: HPS 337CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The Poison Touch delves deeper into atmosphere while maintaining the gritty undertone that defines the band. From start to finish, the listener is blasted with in-your-face raw energy while simultaneously feeling like a hauntingly beautiful experience. This record captures the essence of their live sound while exploring new realms, serving as both a continuation and evolution of their style. All music written and performed by Warlung. Recorded by Jacob Rodriguez at King Benny's House of Sound. Mixed and mastered by Travis Weatherred. Artwork by Laura Bennett. Also available on black vinyl (HPS 337LP), purple vinyl (HPS 337LTD-LP), and green/yellow vinyl (HPS 337ULTRA-LP).

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: HPS 345CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Buena Muerte is a concatenated anthem that explores death as a central theme, highlighting its benevolence towards a human being who cries out in all ways for its inevitable extinction. Buena Muerte is, in turn, an experiment in resurgent creativity where a vibe of the '70s, metal and chaos converge, on the dilapidating base of the heavy and crushing doom stoner that Ocultum sacredly cultivates. Submerge yourself into a pool of acid joy and find the subaquatic tomb where all gone souls dance. Sadness and drugs build character. Also available on black vinyl (HPS 345LP), purple vinyl (HPS 345LTD-LP), and yellow/black/red vinyl (HPS 345ULTRA-LP).

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: HRB 002LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Turmoil's From Bleeding Hands, in its first-ever reissue since the original 1996 release, unleashes an unyielding barrage of heavy riffs, powerful rhythms, and a raw, gritty atmosphere. The album is a testament to the band's signature intensity, expertly blending aggressive instrumentation with dark, atmospheric undertones. Each track is meticulously crafted, showcasing precision, heavy production, and relentless energy that captivates from start to finish. The album's dynamic range, shifting between thunderous breakdowns and hauntingly melodic passages, highlights Turmoil's evolved sound and attention to detail. This reissue solidifies From Bleeding Hands as a milestone in modern metal history.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: INCIENSO 027LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2025 repress. Six years after the release of the A Parade, In The Place I Sit, The Floating World (& All Its Pleasures) EP on anno Records, Brian Leeds, aka Huerco S., returns to the Loidis project with his debut album One Day on Incienso.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: KRXN 048LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Behind Pumuky are brothers Ja?r and No? Ram?rez, originally from Icod de los Vinos, a small town in northern Tene-rife, in the Canary Islands. For two decades, despite a tumultuous journey with multiple lineup changes and the challenges of island life, they have managed to build an extensive and highly personal discography with labels such as Jabalina, WeAreWolves, as well as Keroxen. Now, they present a new chapter in their story: their fifth album titled No sueltes lo Ef?mero (Don't Let Go of the Ephemeral). Since the release of their last full-length album, they released an EP titled Castillo Interior. The EP was later remixed by artists like Xiu Xiu and Dntel (Jimmy Tamborello of The Postal Service). During this period, they also collaborated with Elinor Almenara of VVV on the single "Metahackeo," part of the new wave of dark music that emerged after the Pandemic years. Pumuky also have an extensive live history, having played in Europe and Latin America, with appearances at major festivals such as Primavera Sound, WOMAD, and the Mexican NRMAL. No Sueltes Lo Ef?mero was recorded at La Mina Studios (Granada, Spain) with Ra?l P?rez, one of the most respected producers in the Spanish music scene, and then mastered by Rafal Anton Irisarri, a key figure in the ambient world who also appreciates the power of guitars. In No Sueltes Lo Ef?mero, Pumuky return to their signature sound, although they have never completely abandoned it: an abrasive slowcore with controlled crescendos and raw, unfiltered lyrics, sometimes bordering on the intensity of dirty shoegaze, at other times leaning into dream-pop passages, but always with the unique stamp that has characterized them from the start. A rare breed, difficult to categorize, Pumuky write songs as if performing escape tricks.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: KOM 479LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2025 restock. Dettinger's Intershop and Oasis have long been held, by many fans of ambient and electronic music, to be some of the finest albums in their field. Produced by the mysterious Olaf Dettinger, about whom not much is publicly known, they were some of the earliest full-lengths released by the then-nascent Kompakt, and in many ways, they both articulated and defined the sound that would come to be known as Pop Ambient, while also existing, somehow, to the leftfield of any clearly recognizable genre. Beautiful, sui generis works, it is a rare pleasure to see them being reissued on vinyl for a new generation of listeners to embrace. Oasis, released in 2000, refined the palette that Dettinger had explored on its predecessor, Intershop. A blurred crusade of ambient texturology, its unassuming patterns, and subtle, incremental dynamics, admit to real beauty, and a kind of abstract sensuality that you don't often experience with music that is, perhaps, similarly tooled, but not as poetic. Through seemingly simple gestures -- whether lushly expansive repetitions, hyper-acute tremolo tones, or ear-tickling rhythms -- it builds complex emotional resonance. It's no surprise to discover Oasis is held in high esteem by artists like Panda Bear of Animal Collective, who once said of Dettinger, "For us, he was the dude." There is, of course, other music to know Dettinger by, too -- his three excellent EPs for Kompakt, Blond (1998), Puma, and Totentanz (1999), the latter of which, Michael Mayer once argued, "invented dubstep." There is also a small, yet graceful run of compilation contributions, many of which can be found on Kompakt's Total and Pop Ambient series. All this music has plenty to recommend it, sharing a clarity of purpose, and a rare, human warmth and depth. But Intershop and Oasis are the releases that distil Dettinger's singular vision, and allow him, should he wish, to claim his place as a modern master of ambient and electronic music.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: LIB 2124LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The third and last of the Flamin' Groovies late-'70s albums for Sire, Jumpin' in the Night storms out of the gate with the title song, a top-shelf rocker that brings the muscle of the Flamingo-era lineup of the Groovies to the more style-conscious British Invasion sonics of Cyril Jordan's version. Though Jumpin' in the Night never rocks that hard or that well again, it does sound decidedly tighter and tougher than 1978's Flamin' Groovies Now, and guitarist Mike Wilhelm, a new addition to the Now lineup, is much better integrated into their wall of guitars, with the Groovies sounding more solid than they did a year before. But while Jumpin' in the Night finds the Flamin' Groovies sounding better than ever, the material unfortunately lets them down. It's no wonder why the Flamin' Groovies loved the Byrds -- both were American bands who fell in love with the sounds of British rock and crafted their own variation on the style -- but three Byrds covers on this album is about two too many (especially given how clunky David Wright's drumming sounds on '5D'), and though having the Groovies tackle 'Absolutely Sweet Marie' and 'Please Please Me' sounds good on paper, the audible results are a bit underwhelming. (On the other hand, their cover of 'Werewolves of London' is better than anyone had a right to expect.) The production and engineering by Roger Bechirian is crisp and flattering to the guitars, but lacks the resonance of Dave Edmunds' more layered approach on Shake Some Action and Now. A great band, the Flamin' Groovies often seemed to have a hard time reconciling their best qualities with the record-making process, and Jumpin' in the Night is probably the best example of this dilemma, though it has more than enough worthwhile moments to compensate."

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: LN 056LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Pierre-Alexandre Busson releases the second album under his Destiino titled ii. It was 2017 when Pierre-Alexandre Busson decided to add a new dimension to his already multi-faceted musical identity. After arriving home from Italy, having taken part in a unique sound installation at the 57th Venice Biennale, the producer felt compelled to begin something new. Breaking away from his otherwise tried and tested methods of making music, the Rheims-born sound craftsman recorded a collection of completely improvised pieces that featured a dark, melancholic edge which strayed from the French electro he was highly regarded for. It was with CHLO?'s imprint Lumi?re Noire, a label that is all about defying classification, that the project found an open ear. And, alas, the Destiino project was born. Pierre is not only affiliated with music for the dancefloors, but is an established and respected producer for movies and television, alongside running his own photography project, with a published photo book and exhibition on his work in Lebanon. The artwork for the album and singles is all based on a photo from his own collection. Since those formative recordings, Pierre-Alexandre Busson made his debut on Lumi?re Noire with two EPs, titled Afsila (2021), followed by his debut album titled Destiino (2021). Driven by a desire to expand and in some way reinvent himself and his sound via his Destiino alias, his ii album veers between downbeat, ambient house, a dark strain of disco and industrial electronica. Featuring I?igo Vontier.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: MACROM 079CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Imp?rieux (aka Alper Durmush) is a beatmaker extraordinaire hailing from K?rcaali/Kardjali: since antiquity a hub of mythical music, located at the crossroads of Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. Rezil is his stunning debut album, built on the ground cleared by his head-turning earlier releases for KiNK's Sofia Records and DJ Koze's Pampa. Its effortlessly mesmerizing ten tracks consolidate the outlines of forward-leaning club music. Experimentation is a well-established facet of Imp?rieux' approach to the adventurous techno (left)field, but more than ever on Rezil he seizes the opportunity to thrill with holistically captivating hooks, bass lines and rolling rhythms. A culmination of several years of exploration and refinement. Unpredictability lies at the heart of all this music, bound together by a consistent modernist glint. From the warped wobble of "Sword Fight" to the unhinged dair? excess of "Imana," from the drunken Casio bliss of "Rezil" to the hopeful euphoria of "Young."

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: MAGMA 004EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Belgian duo Borokov Borokov present their new EP on Magma Records. Inspired by a surreal, feverish dream by one of its members, World War captures the raw energy of the band's live performances. Incorporating live musicians, including the voices of Lara Chedraoui (Intergalactic Lovers) and Frankie Traandruppel, and co-produced with Youniss Ahamad, the EP showcases Borokov Borokov's distinctive blend of chaos and artistry while venturing into new dimensions of their sound. Departing from their signature DIY approach, the band enlisted Youniss Ahamad as a co-producer to bring out a visceral, live feel. Drums, bass guitars, and brass instruments layer over their electronic foundation, with guest vocalists adding depth to each track's unique intensity. World War is a molten blend of sounds and emotions -- a dance between chaos and order, built to radiate heat that pulls listeners into its burning core. Balancing raw analog sequences, mesmerizing chants, distorted effects and hypnotic synth loops, their new output embodies the sounds of a post-apocalyptic dream, influenced by DFA-inspired electro funk, echoes of the Italo disco era, angular post-punk, and trippy acid house.

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: MODERN 005LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2025 repress. The founder of Modern Obscure Music (MOM) presents Beautiful Things You Left Us For Memories which culminates a creative process that has led him to work over the years as one half of Aster, releasing on respected labels like John Talabot's Hivern Discs to Hieroglyphic Being's Mathematics Recordings. Pedro Vian surprises with an album that is impossible to categorize into a single musical style. BTYLUFM guides its audience through musical scenes typically attributed to the artist, with atmospheric tracks like "Pandora". But it also travels through abstract, sonic labyrinths in songs like "Maia" or "Nine Is Nine", accentuates the rhythm with techno tracks such as "Le Fou", "Invisible Objects", or "Indian Strings", and even submerges the listener into the depths of pop with "801 Nite", where Vian collaborates with the young and talented singer of Mourn, Carla P?rez Vas. This is a kaleidoscopic work, adamantly supported by artists like Gold Panda, Laurel Halo, Barnt, bRUNA, and the North American producer Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear, among others.

 

PRICE: $56.00

CAT #: OAZ 001LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

3LP clear PVC sleeve with flap. Includes eight-page poster fold (double-sided print) plus sticker (front, top right on PVC sleeve). Boys Noize presents ONES and ZEROS, a new experimental record label with the mission of breaking open the space of possibilities for techno and beyond. Reflecting new modes of subcultural circulation and integrating music, objects, and a pluralistic network of artists, OAZ debuts with the 22- track compilation, including two Boys Noize solo tracks, one of them "Bvrning," as well as tracks by Locked Club, Safety Trance & umru, DJ Babatr, Slim Soledad, Schacke, KFR, TINKERHELL, David L?hlein, MarcelDune, DJ G2G, Adame DJ, Manni Dee, ?tta, Anna Lann, Isaiah, Ilya Gadaev, SCNTST, Baseck, DJ WIFI, and ?RO NOVA.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: OP 081EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Delectable and on point dub techno, Advanced Surface Habitat is the debut EP by French duo Surface Access.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: PLE 65410EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2025 repress. Following his debut on Planet E Communications in 2023, New Jersey-born and-based house music legend Junior Sanchez now teams up with longtime friend, label boss and techno icon Carl Craig for a brand new Remix EP. Art-O-Fact (Detroit Remix) injects the futuristic sound of Carl's hometown. The EP also includes a "Beatless" mix and a "Bass" mix, which split the new "Detroit Mix" directly in half, with one focused on melody and the other on rhythm. Sanchez initially brought Art-O-Fact to Planet E with Detroit in mind. "I loved so many records by Carl Craig, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, and Juan Atkins," he says. "I let my inspiration guide me, and I thought about that city -- what it meant to me and what techno meant to my heart." To fully connect the dots, Carl Craig has hopped on the remix, reinforcing the eclectic synth work with a heavy new groove, a gritty bass line, and subtle, shadowy synth melodies. The result is a fortified connection between two scenes and eras that sonically toes the line.

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: PLZ 025LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double LP, single outer sleeve, 180-gram black vinyl wit printed inner sleeves. Not available on vinyl since 2022 and repressed to celebrate the five-year anniversary of its release in November 2019. Mastered by Matt Colton, featuring: JPEGMAFIA, Jeshi, Retro X. London-based producer and musician Vegyn presents the long-awaited repress of his debut album, Only Diamonds Cut Diamonds, in celebration of its five-year anniversary since its initial release in November 2019. Following the success of his recent sophomore album, The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions, Vegyn's groundbreaking debut will once again be available for fans to purchase on 12" vinyl, offering a renewed opportunity to experience his innovative blend of electronic music.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: RRS 149CV-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Color vinyl. Originally released in 1982 on New Underground Records. Featuring Descendents, Minutemen, Anti, Saccharine Trust, Redd Cross, Civil Dismay, Ill Will, or Zurich 1916, China White, Mood Of Defiance, 100 Flowers, Urinals, and Plebs.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: RBDC 010EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2025 repress. Running Back's Double Copy subsidiary for house music history returns with four musical masterpieces from Chicago, London, and an international cast from Italy on its first various artist sampler. Originally released on Roy Davis Jr.'s Undaground Therapy outlet, "Destination Heaven" by the enigmatic Earth Boys project delivers a piece of cloud-nine-deep-house that was a staple at Frankfurt's Wild Pitch Club and during the early days of its successor Robert Johnson. Produced by Cloudy Eyes and Cole Brooks, unfortunately the duo has never been heard from again. Luckily, Family of Few have been a little bit more productive. Also known as Mind Readers, Kevin Elliot and Billy "Jack" Williams produced some of the more tender moments on Detroits 430 West label. "Intervoles" is amongst the most peculiar and catchy tracks that slow-burning dancefloors can hope for. The flip side turns the attention to the conclusions that Europe drew from its US role models. Released in 1992 on Rena Records with the involvement of New York's JoVonn (a distinct genius of deep grooves himself), the keyboard skills of Pierre Audetat and the production work of I. Betti, M. Clemente, and W. Brown, Dummy Head is one of a kind. Swirly echoes, dubby textures and a heavy bass line mate on the "Edit Mix" of "I Have Been Wanting You" to create one of the very first examples of fully formed dub-house. Similar pioneering properties can be ascribed to the work of Rob Mello. There isn't enough room here to list all his merits, but rest assured that the UK's house scene wouldn't be the same without him (Luxury Service Records, Classic et al). Under the Karim guise, Mello delivered a unique stroke of genius. Distilling the essence of deep house, while looking far into the future, "In My Mind" is many things at once: broken beat, electro, house with embracing chords, and -- if you will -- a warm-up banger. and does, what all the tracks in here do: turning heads then, turning heads now. Hardcore deep house.

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: SAT 064LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2025 repress. More about the world has changed than not in the decade since dance production dyad Frank & Tony released their last full-length record, 2014's You Go Girl. Despite, or perhaps in spite of, this shifting landscape, house music has managed to stay fundamentally reliable (either a bug or its greatest feature, depending on who you ask). Where previously, Frank & Tony have been celebrated for their contemplative, studious approach to the genre, with 2024's Ethos, the Brooklyn/Biarritz-based duo return amidst metastatic cultural upheaval to prove out those scholarly credentials -- with an album that serves to remind listeners why dancefloors and liberatory politics consistently share the language of movements and revolutions. Undoubtedly, Ethos is tremendously influenced by the multitude of projects originating from, and supported by, the duo and their label in the decade since You Go Girl -- releasing records from a vast diversity of artists (including Nadia Khan, Gry, Villete, Darand Land, Alex Albrecht, DJ Sprinkles, and CCL), and Harris becoming curatorial voice of Brooklyn's premiere venue for audiophiles, Public Records, where he continues to amplify work across a global diaspora (and where the duo maintain a residency of wide praise). It is this bright energy and focus on the necessity of community and relationships that animates the aptly-titled Ethos. If past Frank & Tony releases have been lauded as "a coloring book in which someone has exclusively drawn inside the lines -- with extreme precision," Ethos deviates by inviting friends in for a game of exquisite corpse. From singer and pianist Eliana Glass, whose androgynous, double-reeded voice freestyles across album opener "Olympia," to distinct track features from fellow house masterminds DaRand Land, DJ Aakmael, and Lawrence over half of the album's nine tracks highlight artists in the larger Scissor & Thread circle.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: SEAL 030CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric is the third LP by Rudimentary Peni. Recorded in 1992 but not released until 1995, it was the first music the band recorded after their already leftfield Cacophony album. It is an underrated and difficult masterpiece of truly outsider music. Full of harrowing and morbid songs based on repetition, repetition and repetition, pushing the listener into a trance like mood. Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric shows the most experimental side of Rudimentary Peni testing the punk song concept, turning it into a mantra chant at times while sounding like only Rudimentary Peni could. The album opens with lead track "Pogo Pope," which sets the tone, with Blinko repeatedly singing "Pogo Pope" ad nauseam, and the whole of the album has a continual loop of the phrase "Popus Adrianus" running through its entirety. At the time Nick Blinko was experiencing severe delusions and believed that he was Pope Adrian the 37th and was detained in a psychiatric hospital under Section 3 of the 1983 Mental Health Act. The album is unhinged and challenging but 100% pure and idiosyncratic. This official reissue comes on a single sleeve with printed inner and 16-page booklet with Nick Blinko artwork and has been remastered from the original tapes by Arthur Rizk.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: SEAL 030LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric is the third LP by Rudimentary Peni. Recorded in 1992 but not released until 1995, it was the first music the band recorded after their already leftfield Cacophony album. It is an underrated and difficult masterpiece of truly outsider music. Full of harrowing and morbid songs based on repetition, repetition and repetition, pushing the listener into a trance like mood. Pope Adrian 37th Psychristiatric shows the most experimental side of Rudimentary Peni testing the punk song concept, turning it into a mantra chant at times while sounding like only Rudimentary Peni could. The album opens with lead track "Pogo Pope," which sets the tone, with Blinko repeatedly singing "Pogo Pope" ad nauseam, and the whole of the album has a continual loop of the phrase "Popus Adrianus" running through its entirety. At the time Nick Blinko was experiencing severe delusions and believed that he was Pope Adrian the 37th and was detained in a psychiatric hospital under Section 3 of the 1983 Mental Health Act. The album is unhinged and challenging but 100% pure and idiosyncratic. This official reissue comes on a single sleeve with printed inner and 16-page booklet with Nick Blinko artwork and has been remastered from the original tapes by Arthur Rizk.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: KASM 003EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Kasm returns for Part 3 of the 10" vinyl series. Skam Records present a Russell Haswell record. Russell Haswell is an artist, record producer, free improvisor, computer musician, noise aficionado and curator. Trained at Coventry School of Art, graduating in 1992, Russell's extraordinary conceptual oeuvre resists easy summarization, focused on the site-specific, performance and methodology of large-scale sound works, sometimes in surround sound. Russell has given solo audio presentations at major art and music festivals and events, in art galleries, concert halls, clubs, rock venues, and even squats in 30 countries, and counting. Most recently he has performed at Sonic Acts, Sonar, Pirelli Hangar Bicocca and Coventry Cathedral. As a curator, Russell has delivered projects for PS1/MoMa, All Tomorrows Parties, Aldeburgh Music, Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, and Cafe Oto. He now lives and works in Glasgow. Recorded in real-time (ADDAC System, ALM/Busy Circuits, Cwejman, Epoch Modular, FANCYYYYY Synthesis, Flight of Harmony, Instruo).

 

PRICE: $36.50

CAT #: STSLJN 441LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

As a common ligature to the OG free jazz scene of '60s NYC, with formative binds to its European offshoots and the experimental avant garde, Joe McPhee is a true force of nature who has represented jazz at its freest over a remarkable lifetime. In duo with Swedish free jazz and noise standard bearer Mats Gustafson, he upends expectations with an astonishingly vivid and upfront example of his enduring contribution to freely improvised music. In 11 parts he variously reflects on everything from the neon sleaze and scuzz of NYC to contemporary US politicians and laugh out loud imitations of his previous sparring partners such as Peter Br?tzmann, with a head-slapping immediacy that leaves you reeling, spellbound. McPhee's flow of rare, organic cadence, ranging from urgent to contemplative and dreamlike, is blessed with a unique turn-of-phrase that surely mirrors his decades of instrumental work. Gustafsson, meanwhile, dexterously takes up the mantle with a multi-instrumental spectrum of sounds, leaving McPhee unbound and able to float and sting on the mic. There's obvious wisdom in his perceptively penetrative observations, as derived from a rich cultural life well spent, but also a playful naivety and levity in his ability to veer from almost melodic speech to explosive aggression and a knowing, bathetic wit. It's perhaps hard to believe that McPhee only started incorporating and performing spoken word in his work in the past ten years, a half century since his declaration of "What Time Is It?" announced his arrival on a legendary debut Nation Time (1971), ushering in one of free jazz's most singular characters in the process. Oscillating between discordant reflections on life as a touring musician, set to Gustafsson's skronk and culminating in a snort-worthy imitation of Peter Br?tzmann's gruff German accent, on "Short Pieces" or the glowering growl and noise exhortations of "Guitar," he evokes a more sweetly consonant calm in "When I Grow Up" and eerie threat of "The Dreams Book," and viscerality of "Disco Death," where Gustafson's tonal versatility comes into hugely mutable play, whilst McPhee's extraordinary, unaffected voice is a constant. It's perhaps McPhee's balance of cool measuredness and wellspring of barbed energies that allows listeners, at least, to get the most out of this one; not stifling with mannered or manicured enunciation that can trigger certain icks; keeping close to the nature of spoken word in a way that avoids cliche and becomes inherently critical of it within his purposeful, non-hesitant clarity and unflinching approach.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: SM 2402CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Following Robin Guthrie's EP Atlas, comes the release of its much-anticipated companion Astoria. Astoria delivers another four powerful and captivating instrumentals recorded in 2024, taking further inspiration from his post-pandemic travels and produced in his studio in Bretagne. "My EP Astoria picks up where my release, Atlas, had set off towards, a conclusion of a journey, like an arrival at a far-off destination. I enjoy the continuity, and the EP format allows me to express these ideas in an episodic form." Guthrie, whose production style and signature guitar sounds are said to have shaped multiple genres was the co-founder and producer of Cocteau Twins. For over forty years he has produced and remixed countless artists, recorded instrumental albums, movie soundtracks and collaborated with many outstanding people. Written and performed and produced by Robin Guthrie.

 

PRICE: $12.00

CAT #: SCR 175CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Compilation album rounding up all of the tracks from Andy Bell's Ever Decreasing Circles EP, plus an acoustic version of "The Commune" exclusive to this release. Featuring remixes from Pye Corner Audio.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: SOUK 014LP

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

Istanbul-based producers Grup Ses and G?kalp K present their collaborative album on SOUK Records, showcasing a distinctive fusion of musical styles such as hip hop, grime, dubstep, and jungle. Two years in the making, their self-titled album features contributions from Cologne-based multi-instrumentalist Elektro Haf?z, Marseille-based DJ Syr from Scratch Bandits Duo and Ethnique Punch, a Turkish MC and producer now based in Bremen. Grup Ses project began in 2007, initially focusing on edits and breakcore mash-ups. By 2008, it evolved into a beat-making project incorporating elements of humor and local materials such as records, tapes, and radio broadcasts, which have become the signature Grup Ses sound. Grup Ses has previously collaborated with sub-labels of Discrepant, releasing two albums on SOUK and three mixtapes on Sucata Tapes. G?kalp K, the alias of composer and sound designer G?kalp Kanats?z, has been releasing music since 2011. Under this name, he has released two albums and performed as a DJ. Alongside his beat production, he also composes electro-acoustic music and collaborates with creative studios as a sound artist on various interdisciplinary projects. All tracks produced by Grup Ses and G?kalp K (Except 14 by Granul). Design and Artwork by Bora Baskan. Mastered by Kassian Troyer.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: SUBEX 164LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP on translucent green. Easing in like mist off the water on a summer's morning, String Treatments is Kuma's first album for the Subexotic label. With a previous history of focusing the sonic manipulation of everything from vocal looping to lapsteel guitars, the Canadian producer has turned strings as his point of focus. The album title says it all. Orchestral instruments have been looped, chopped and fed back on themselves to create a series of whirlpools of sound. If it feels like there's a lot of blurring of things, it's because there is. Some parts of the record don't sound exactly like they're supposed to. While you may find the edges are there, things are falling apart at the seams. If you've ever watched a Wong Kar Wai film, you'll get it. Focus and collapse in a single frame at the same time. The strings are the base from which the rest of the album expands, but this allows for a plethora of directions to be explored. A pioneer of the Canadian dubstep scene, Kuma's work delicately balances on the edge between a low-end theory influenced by Digital Mystikz as much as it is by Sunn 0)) and the secular transcendence of modern composition. But at the same time, it plows its own direction. Kuma's vast collection of field recordings leave their fingerprints across multiple tracks. A broken music box stakes its claim into the heart of the album while buried vocal loops set the tone. Play quietly and drift easy. Play loud and feel the vibration.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: SURVIVAL 005EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Survival Tactics label boss Tal Fussman starts 2025 with the Everybody EP, featuring two massive remixes by KiNK and Elisa Bee. Fussman's titular single, "Everybody," sees dub chords tumble over a steady beat, a vocal sample keeping pace before shimmering keys create a gorgeous dance-floor moment at the halfway mark. Stepping up to remix Tal Fussman's "Everybody," Sardinia's Elisa Bee infuses the track with swinging organic rhythm, resampling the original's chords into a playful stab bouncing off the drums while stripping back the vocal. Bulgarian lynchpin KiNK then flips "Everybody" into a strobelight-inducing cut complete with bubbling synths and rave-ready hoover sounds, contributing his tried-and-tested flair to an EP that is the complete techno package. Berlin-based DJ, producer, and label owner Tal Fussman is known for his varied discography on labels such as Innvervisions, Drumpoet, Dyinamic, Laurent Garnier's COD3QR, and Radio Slave's Rekids. He now returns to his Survival Tactics label with Everybody, a versatile offering that's already supported by the likes of Honey Dijon, Ben Sims, Dave Clarke, and many more.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: VWM 059LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double 10" version. Colin Newman and Malka Spigel's Immersion project sees the third volume of their Nanocluster collaboration series. The third album in the Nanocluster series is a mid-Atlantic melting pot of ideas that have created a brand-new third way. The album sees a collaboration between the European post-punk electronic discipline of Immersion meeting the American ambient country band SUSS and their big sky, new world, Americana cinematic soundscapes to create a perfect Nanocluster! It's a perfect combination that fits the Nanocluster vision. Immersion's open-minded approach sees their music spark new textures with the American band who were once described by UNCUT magazine as "Eno's Apollo Atmospheres crash-landed in America's Sonoran Desert," and by Pitchfork as "Neither rawboned nor ramshackle -- their elegantly composed brand of ambient country stands as tall and clean as a brand-new pair of cowboy boots." Suss are composed of veteran musicians Pat Irwin (the B-52s, Raybeats, 8 Eyed Spy), Bob Holmes (numun, Rubber Rodeo), and Jonathan Gregg (the Combine, the Linemen). SUSS combine pedal steel, national steel guitar, mandolin, harmonica, baritone guitar, and the harmonium, which they weave with synthesizers and loops to create their big, lonesome sound.

 

PRICE: $21.50

CAT #: SYNAPTIC 001EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Bad news: Not much is known about pdqb, and what is known is most likely either wrong or made up. The man who is credited for the productions is said to have gone insane due to being possessed by an alien parasite. His whereabouts remain unknown. Good news: Fortunately, Synaptic Cliffs owns about a dozen releases from whoever or whatever is behind the mysterious abbreviation and will publish every single one of them -- because they are ultra-awesome. With the original tapes of this mini-LP, pdqb left a fragmented note in the '90s stating that he decoded eight tracks originally produced with the NCO6.27 for test subjects who were all given some strange form of brain implants, and that a certain wetware could be unveiled in that manner, and that he conducted that research long before he developed a machine capable of hacking into the dreams of everyone who has ever lived. However, the music could best be described as playful and dark, old-school techno/electro/industrial blended with Chiptunes, IDM/braindance, and electronica. It is pressed on a beautiful green splatter vinyl.

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: LSD 69003LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2025 repress; yellow vinyl. '70s disco music wasn't just Abba or the Studio 54. Just like punk or glam rock were doing at the same time, the "disco" phenomenon generated a plethora of obscure and bizarre studio projects which remained in the unknown, despite being often more inspired and creative than the few ones that reached stardom and sold millions of copies. 45 rpm singles that remained unsold, sitting in junkshops all over the world for decades, hide forgotten gems, revealing genius and avant-garde only guilty of not being at the right place at the right time. Be it Moroder-oriented proto synth-wave, groovy space-disco or acid Afro funk, the first volume of the Cosmic Discotheque series is all about rediscovering those forgotten treasures while setting your dancefloor on fire. Features The Mystic Moods, Life, Alan Bown, Red Parish Group, Andr? Brasseur, Black Buster, Bil Tze, The People Next Door, Diabolic Man, Performance, Dance Machine, and Pharaoh. Edition of 500.

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: TR 394LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2025 restock; LP version. "I read a bit of Restoration poetry and listen to Leadbelly, and it comes out like that." (Bid, The Monochrome Set)Tapete Records present a reissue of The Monochrome Set's first album Strange Boutique, originally released in 1980. The casual prose of pop history is full of backhanded compliments, and The Monochrome Set have received a few, ranging from "should have been massive" to "influential", numbering the likes of Morrissey and Marr, Blur's Graham Coxon and Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos among their celebrity admirers. Released in February 1980, their first album Strange Boutique, featuring the band's percussion-heavy theme song (predating Adam & The Ants' "Kings of the Wild Frontier" by months) and the Johnny Marr-anticipating "Love Goes Down The Drain", caught the Monochrome Set in full flight, quickly followed by the equally taut, funny and adventurously dynamic Love Zombies (TR 395CD/LP).

 

PRICE: $11.00

CAT #: WIRE 494

FILE UNDER: Misc

"Includes Wire Tapper 67 CD. Raven Chacon: The Din?/Navajo composer foregrounds unheard and silenced voices in his radical works for ensembles, electronics and noise. By Esi Eshun; Ingrid Laubrock: The New York based reedist creates settings for koans and poems as part of a unique new compositional practice. By Stewart Smith; Bastard Assignments: The radical new music ensemble get lost in the woods with their satire of the English countryside. By Robert Barry; Infinity Knives: From Tom And Jerry to sociopolitics, rapper Tariq Ravelomanana keeps it unreal. By Lucy Thraves; Cleaners From Venus: Martin Newell's songcraft and wordplay across many DIY albums evidence a uniquely wired mind. By Mike Barnes; Lukas De Clerck: Brussels musician extends ancient pipe instruments into the present moment. By Antonio Poscic; Penelope Trappes: Australian artist voices griefs past and present. By Spenser Tomson; Ciaran Mackle: Sample manipulator twists folk song into cubist forms. By Daryl Worthington; Invisible Jukebox: Jeff Mills: Will Detroit techno's great conceptualist be a wizard IDing The Wire's mystery record selection? Tested by Chal Ravens; Unlimited Editions: Robert Ridley-Shackleton's Cardboard Club cutouts; The Inner Sleeve: Loraine James on Circa Survive's On Letting Go; Global Ear: Osaka's proto-industrialists revitalise the city's experimental music scene. By Jere Kilpinen; Epiphanies: Golem Mecanique rewinds to a treasured VHS tape of Pier Paolo Pasolini's Accattone; Against The Grain: Mosi Reeves takes on underground hiphop's gender imbalance."

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: THRILL 625LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"More Eaze and Claire Rousay's collaborations are effortlessly joyful; their music evoking the warmth and respect they have for each other. Their bond goes back to their youthful hometown of San Antonio, Texas where they played in country outfits and noise rock bands respectively. More Eaze (the moniker of violinist/multi-instrumentalist Mari Maurice) and Rousay have spent the past decade pushing boundaries, standing together at the vanguard of genre-shattering music that thrills and surprises with its vulnerability and creativity. no floor weds their prowess as sound designers and masterful skills as composers with their skills as acoustic instrumentalists. Eschewing the auto-tune inflected pop-psychedelia and found sounds of their previous collaborations, no floor is collage music as pastoral melancholia, a lush tour into their own version of Americana. On no floor the pair created their own elaborate sound world. 'It was a conscious choice to spend a lot of time making fucked up sounds and then figuring out how they could be beautiful in another context,' notes Maurice, 'With this record I had no idea what Claire would do on each track, and we were both trying to match each other's 'freak' in terms of sound design.' Rousay's ostinato guitar patterns and acoustic strums swim through tides of Maurice's pedal steel. Glitching electronics burble in dynamic fits as dramatic strings add waves of tension and release. No Floor's pieces are atmospheric, living biomes that breathe and grow with each passage, rewarding close listens with the revelation of its emotional core. The five tracks that make up No Floor were named for seminal bars in the pair's shared history, or as the duo humorously refer to them, 'Pillars of our debauchery.' No Floor is an introspective reflection on the emotional turmoil of youth as much as it is a celebration of a camaraderie forged in that turmoil. The album exemplifies the duo's shared skills in unearthing new and exciting sound arrangements, evoking the warmth and affection of their friendship and musical fearlessness.""Pop at its most fragile, attenuated and surreal." -New York Times, Best of 2024"The whole album flows like Brian Eno's Another Green World through the ears of a big Pedro the Lion fan." -Rolling Stone, Best of 2024

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: THRILL 625X-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Red color vinyl version. "More Eaze and Claire Rousay's collaborations are effortlessly joyful; their music evoking the warmth and respect they have for each other. Their bond goes back to their youthful hometown of San Antonio, Texas where they played in country outfits and noise rock bands respectively. More Eaze (the moniker of violinist/multi-instrumentalist Mari Maurice) and Rousay have spent the past decade pushing boundaries, standing together at the vanguard of genre-shattering music that thrills and surprises with its vulnerability and creativity. no floor weds their prowess as sound designers and masterful skills as composers with their skills as acoustic instrumentalists. Eschewing the auto-tune inflected pop-psychedelia and found sounds of their previous collaborations, no floor is collage music as pastoral melancholia, a lush tour into their own version of Americana. On no floor the pair created their own elaborate sound world. 'It was a conscious choice to spend a lot of time making fucked up sounds and then figuring out how they could be beautiful in another context,' notes Maurice, 'With this record I had no idea what Claire would do on each track, and we were both trying to match each other's 'freak' in terms of sound design.' Rousay's ostinato guitar patterns and acoustic strums swim through tides of Maurice's pedal steel. Glitching electronics burble in dynamic fits as dramatic strings add waves of tension and release. No Floor's pieces are atmospheric, living biomes that breathe and grow with each passage, rewarding close listens with the revelation of its emotional core. The five tracks that make up No Floor were named for seminal bars in the pair's shared history, or as the duo humorously refer to them, 'Pillars of our debauchery.' No Floor is an introspective reflection on the emotional turmoil of youth as much as it is a celebration of a camaraderie forged in that turmoil. The album exemplifies the duo's shared skills in unearthing new and exciting sound arrangements, evoking the warmth and affection of their friendship and musical fearlessness.""Pop at its most fragile, attenuated and surreal." -New York Times, Best of 2024"The whole album flows like Brian Eno's Another Green World through the ears of a big Pedro the Lion fan." -Rolling Stone, Best of 2024

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: HDYANEO 012EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Too Slow To Disco NEO is back with a (mellow) bang. A colored, strictly limited teaser 12" featuring two exclusive new tracks: Side A -- a warm, lazy dub-disco track by L.A.'s electronic-slow-disco musician TURBOTITO. Side B -- a funky Vibes4YourSoul Remix for mysterious New York artist 1-900. The tracks take the listener on a warm trip into a modern, laidback electronic sunset disco land, where groovy Westcoast-vibes meet dreamy Balearic sounds, mixed with a modern Nu-Disco/Daytime Disco style. Enjoy your bottled sunshine (responsibly)!

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: TB 014EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Blvck Spvde and Stefan Ringer -- two underground heroes of innovative heart music -- merge slippery four-to-the-floor, sample-based life lessons and voicemail-infused soul to sweet effect on this debut collaboration. Any fans of slick house will know that Atlanta's Stefan Ringer has been on red-hot form for a few years now. Releasing forward-thinking, soul-stepping projects for kinfolk labels like Eglo Records, NDATL, Black Acre, Dolfin Records (alongside badman, Ben Hixon) and his own FWM Entertainment (featuring Ash Lauryn). Each time heralding the US dance music tradition with a tinge of UK grit often thrown in. Missouri-based musician, bandleader and producer Blvck Spvde is a more than worthy spar mate. With a track record that moves from Hawthorne Headunters' mid-2000s beatsy, future soul and the spiritual jazz of Blvck Spvde & The Cosmos to lacing Theo Parrish's summertime jam "Chemistry" alongside Steve Spacek and Andreya Triana, he's easily one of Touching Bass's favorite male voices. The result is the Build A Temple EP, which also features friends Ari Lashell, Floyd Vader, and Marquinn Mason across its 30-minute runtime. One for those that like their music with plenty of imaginative spice, and the next edition within Touching Bass' dependable 12" series celebrating the eclectic, forward-thinking sounds of their dancefloor.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: TRILPFR 068LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Tricatel is releasing on gatefold vinyl a selection of tracks composed by Bertrand Burgalat for ?a, c'est Paris! the series directed by Marc Fitoussi, starring Alex Lutz, Nicolas Maury, and Monica Bellucci. Marc Fitoussi (extract from the sleeve notes): "After collaborating on my film Les Apparences, I knew he'd be the ideal man for this series. Someone who could make real revue music, like you'd hear at the Paradis Latin or the Alcazar, and who could also be resolutely contemporary, like when the troupe relaxes and dances in a bar to a hit of the moment." St?phane Lerouge (extract from the sleeve notes): "It's a genre that dates back to the thirties, that of the backstage musical, a genre with well-defined codes: the struggle of a collective, a troupe of singers and dancers, to put on a show that, despite a tsunami of obstacles, will end in triumph and reveal a new star. A broad spectrum of films can be linked to this, from Quarante-deuxi?me rue to Tous en sc?ne, from Chorus Line to Trois places pour le vingt-six. And today, the original link in this long chain is the series ?a, c'est Paris!, in which Marc Fitoussi strips away this tradition, reenchanting it, making it crackle with new energy. In the end, his mission is almost the same as that of his main character, Gaspard Berthille (Alex Lutz), heir to a cabaret, the Tout-Paris, for whom he must invent a present, or rather, a future. To carry out this delicate task, Gaspard Berthille needed an accomplice, invisible on screen: Bertrand Burgalat. His freedom, the way he juggles harmony and tonality, shines through in every measure, as if Marc Fitoussi's subject had triggered something decisive and essential in him."

 

PRICE: $14.00

CAT #: UAJ 14002LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2025 restock; exact repro reissue, originally released in 1962. Recorded live a year earlier at The Renaissance in Hollywood, CA. Features: Art Blakey, drums; Jimmy Merritt, bass; Cedar Walton, piano; Curtis Fuller, trombone; Wayne Shorter, tenor; and Freddie Hubbard, trumpet. Tracklisting, side A: "Three Blind Mice," "Blue Moon," "That Old Feeling." Side B: "Plexis," Up Jumped Spring," "When Lights Are Low."

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: UIHR 019LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Limited-edition sky-blue vinyl. Includes download code. Up In Her Room present the latest offering from US psych heads White Shape, in conjunction with US label Little Cloud Records! Hailing from Rockford Illinois, White Shape are a reverb-soaked experimental heavy psychedelic rock band that are able to create sublime ethereal soundscapes. Previous releases include the widely renowned 2019's Perfect Dark where the band deliver a heady and physical ride of tidal proportions. Whether you want cerebral psychedelic, body moving rhythm, or hard-hitting riffs White Shape caters to your every need. The record is an anthem to their collective vision, spreading out to showcase the various talents and specialties of each band member. With the departure of two of the founding members through covid, Josh Weidman and Alyssa Hall set the sails once again to the wind and from the tumult of those incomparable times, they brought into existence their latest album, Through the Lupine. It is decidedly White Shape, with its brooding atmospheres, Hall's iconic vocals that float and expand until they fill every physical space, and the classic narrative architecture that invites you to enter the music and with it create your own inner worlds. You can hear these in every track, and particularly in "Draped Urns." But as it has been said, no one came through those times unscathed, untouched. Within the quintessential White Shape sound there is something else, something new. It can be heard in the previously released first single from the album "Knives Down"; a shift in the barometric pressure, a sea change both profound and subtle. It's a defiance, a refusal to go quietly into that good night, but with undercurrents of something else, something not yet found in the band's prior work. Is it optimism? Hope? Or simply the resignation to create for the sake of creating. The true value of Through the Lupine is that it provides the listener with the space to craft their own interpretation. For the White Shape fan, there is everything you love and want. There's just more, and it's different, evolved. For the initiate, there is the beginning. The introduction to the next understanding of what it means to experience music. Long live White Shape!

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: UTR 169CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Nottingham duo Rattle's third album Encircle sees the duo expand their unique experiments in rhythm, meter and tension. Rattle are Katharine Eira Brown and Theresa Wrigley, formed in 2011 after meeting on the live circuit whilst both playing in other bands. Katharine was a guitarist who had recently started playing drums in the band Kogumaza, whilst Theresa was the drummer in Nottingham band Fists. Rattle have honed the four songs that make up Encircle by playing them live over the last few years, adapting and stretching them into endlessly inventive new shapes, playing with the concept of time and expectation. Encircle was recorded at Foel Studios, Wales, produced and mixed by Mark Jasper, and mastered at Liminal Audio by Shaun Crook. The stunningly colorful artwork was created by Martha Glazzard, who was also responsible for Rattle's other mesmeric covers. With Encircle Rattle have grown again, the songs alive with elemental power. They build-up and disintegrate, existing in two places at once, embracing the nuance, tracing the circle's edge. These are modes of song as pure gesture and eternal imagination, refined in mirrors after midnight. Rattle has performed at The Barbican, London and toured the UK with Animal Collective and Thurston Moore Group and Europe with The Julie Ruin and Protomartyr, and performed with Hot Snakes, Bill Orcutt Quartet, and Codeine. Also available on black (UTR 169LP) and pink color vinyl (UTR 169X-LP)."Quietly dramatic and loudly intimate." --The Quietus"Two drum sets. Two voices. One great idea." --MOJO

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: UTR 169LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Nottingham duo Rattle's third album Encircle sees the duo expand their unique experiments in rhythm, meter and tension. Rattle are Katharine Eira Brown and Theresa Wrigley, formed in 2011 after meeting on the live circuit whilst both playing in other bands. Katharine was a guitarist who had recently started playing drums in the band Kogumaza, whilst Theresa was the drummer in Nottingham band Fists. Rattle have honed the four songs that make up Encircle by playing them live over the last few years, adapting and stretching them into endlessly inventive new shapes, playing with the concept of time and expectation. Encircle was recorded at Foel Studios, Wales, produced and mixed by Mark Jasper, and mastered at Liminal Audio by Shaun Crook. The stunningly colorful artwork was created by Martha Glazzard, who was also responsible for Rattle's other mesmeric covers. With Encircle Rattle have grown again, the songs alive with elemental power. They build-up and disintegrate, existing in two places at once, embracing the nuance, tracing the circle's edge. These are modes of song as pure gesture and eternal imagination, refined in mirrors after midnight. Rattle has performed at The Barbican, London and toured the UK with Animal Collective and Thurston Moore Group and Europe with The Julie Ruin and Protomartyr, and performed with Hot Snakes, Bill Orcutt Quartet, and Codeine. Also available on CD (UTR 169CD) and pink color vinyl (UTR 169X-LP)."Quietly dramatic and loudly intimate." --The Quietus"Two drum sets. Two voices. One great idea." --MOJO

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: UTR 169X-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Pink color vinyl. Nottingham duo Rattle's third album Encircle sees the duo expand their unique experiments in rhythm, meter and tension. Rattle are Katharine Eira Brown and Theresa Wrigley, formed in 2011 after meeting on the live circuit whilst both playing in other bands. Katharine was a guitarist who had recently started playing drums in the band Kogumaza, whilst Theresa was the drummer in Nottingham band Fists. Rattle have honed the four songs that make up Encircle by playing them live over the last few years, adapting and stretching them into endlessly inventive new shapes, playing with the concept of time and expectation. Encircle was recorded at Foel Studios, Wales, produced and mixed by Mark Jasper, and mastered at Liminal Audio by Shaun Crook. The stunningly colorful artwork was created by Martha Glazzard, who was also responsible for Rattle's other mesmeric covers. With Encircle Rattle have grown again, the songs alive with elemental power. They build-up and disintegrate, existing in two places at once, embracing the nuance, tracing the circle's edge. These are modes of song as pure gesture and eternal imagination, refined in mirrors after midnight. Rattle has performed at The Barbican, London and toured the UK with Animal Collective and Thurston Moore Group and Europe with The Julie Ruin and Protomartyr, and performed with Hot Snakes, Bill Orcutt Quartet, and Codeine. Also available on CD (UTR 169CD) and black vinyl (UTR 169LP)."Quietly dramatic and loudly intimate." --The Quietus"Two drum sets. Two voices. One great idea." --MOJO

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: VLEK 038COL-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Clear color vinyl version. Vlek Records presents the release of Standing/Engraving, the latest LP from musician and video artist Jean D.L. This album features a blend of experimental folk guitar and field recordings, creating a distinctive soundscape. Each track combines guitar melodies with natural environmental sounds, producing a complex auditory experience. Standing/Engraving offers a meditative and immersive listening journey, evoking a range of emotions and memories. Jean D.L. has collaborated with the likes of Julia Kent, Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Margaret Hermant (Echo Collective), Mauro A. Pawlowski (Deus), Karen Willems, and more.

 

PRICE: $17.00

CAT #: VOID 068LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Void's 68th release Skyeros are from the St. Louis area and the album was recorded at Golden Voice Studios, which is in Pekin, Illinois (near Peoria). The studio is not a stranger to fans of the Midwest progressive crowd, as it's where Pentwater, Starcastle, and Styx (Man of Miracles) laid down their recordings. St. Louis based rock group Head East also recorded there. Musically it is progressive melodic rock with great playing and vocals. Originals now fetch $1000 so here's a legit 350 press reissue with insert on black vinyl. This reissue is taken from the master and the cover is identical to the original."

 

PRICE: $36.50

CAT #: WWSLP 071LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2025 restock; LP version, includes 7" with two extra tracks: "Replica" and "Ma M?re l'Oye." The first ever international release of Ryuichi Sakamoto's landmark 1984 album Ongaku Zukan, originally issued in Japan on his own School label in 1984. Remastered by Saidera Mastering in Tokyo. The early '80s were a turning point for Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. As a solo artist, the smash hit soundtrack he had composed for 1983's Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, had put him on the verge of becoming a global superstar. Meanwhile he had called a halt to his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra; the influential, globally successful pop trio calling it quits after the release of their 1983 album Naughty Boys. Against this backdrop, Sakamoto descended on Tokyo's Onkyo Haus Studio to record his fourth solo album, Ongaku Zukan ("Musical Encyclopedia") accompanied by a handful of musicians including his ex-YMO partners Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, and the prolifically talented Yasuaki Shimizu, Tatsuro Yamashita and Toshinori Kondo. It was on his return to the studio the following year that the album truly began to take shape. Released in August 1984 the album Ongaku Zukan proved a huge success, providing Sakamoto with his first top five hit in Japan. Filled with inspired melodies that showcase his unique gift as a composer, it offers up a fascinating mix of styles. Featuring remastered audio with bonus tracks and new liner notes by Andy Beta. This is the very first time that the two 1984 Japanese editions of Ryuichi Sakamoto's classic album have been released internationally in collaboration with the artist's management and Midi Inc., with remastered audio and the original artwork faithfully reproduced.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: WH 382LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"From Daggerboard and Erik Jekabson come The Axes. A series of four concerts each given on the day of their event. On June 21 2024 at The Hillside Club in Berkeley the first concert was performed and this recording is that performance and the rehearsal for it. The pieces were written for the celebratory nature of the summer solstice. Eight original works that begin with minimalist themes then develop in wondrous ways."

 

PRICE: $26.50

CAT #: WRWTFWW 030LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2025 repress; LP version. 350gsm sleeve with selected UV high gloss varnish. Liner notes by Midori Takada, Satoshi Ashikawa, and Gareth Quinn Redmond. WRWTFWW Records announce the reissue of Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way (Wave Notation 2). Initially released in 1982 as part of the Wave Notation series (which includes Hiroshi Yoshimura's Music For Nine Postcards), Still Way is, without a doubt, a seminal Japanese environmental/ambient/minimalism album, often mentioned alongside Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass (1983) (WRWTFWW 018LP, WRWTFWW 019CD/LP) and Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green (1986) as one of the genre's most important pieces. "Like the moment of stillness, after the wind passes through the garden, when the rain stops for a brief second..." Notably inspired by Erik Satie's Furniture Music and Brian Eno's ambient work, Satoshi Ashikawa aimed to compose music "intended to be listened to in a casual manner, as a musical landscape or a sound object -- not something that would stimulate listeners but music that should drift like smoke and become part of the environment." The result is simply phenomenal, subtle minimalism and emotional elegance exquisitely orchestrated by Satoshi Ishikawa and his team consisting of his wife Masami Ashikawa (on flute), Midori Takada (on vibraphone), Yuko Utsumi (on harp), Tomoko Sono (on piano), and Junko Arase (on vibraphone). In conjunction with Still Way, WRWTFWW Records is releasing Laistigh den Ghleo (WRWTFWW 039CD/LP), a companion album by Irish ambient/minimalist composer Gareth Quinn Redmond, inspired by Ashikawa's approach. Liner notes by Midori Takada, Satoshi Ashikawa, and Gareth Quinn Redmond.

 

PRICE: $39.50

CAT #: WRWTFWW 085LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

2025 repress. WRWTFWW Records is announces the first-ever physical release of Louisiana-based composer and producer Jammin' Sam Miller's full HD re-creation/restoration of the beloved Super Metroid video game soundtrack. The limited biovinyl double LP is packed with 27 tracks and features an exclusive artwork by French illustrator Pierre Thyss, as well as an obi strip. Composed by Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano, the soundtrack for 1994 SNES exploration/action-adventure/sci-fi/alien video game Super Metroid has always been a fan-favorite. A true masterclass in music storytelling, it beautifully evokes the epic and eerie adventure of the game's protagonist Samus Aran with superb use of atmospheric sounds, space-operatic arrangements, rumbling bass, oppressive techno-futurist moods, tribal drums, and airy synth themes, admirably balancing the ominous feel of a dark menace and contemplative, even soothing, ambient soundscapes. Jammin' Sam Miller assiduously recreated the soundtrack note by note, by finding the original equipment used to create it, translating the MIDI into a modern studio context, adding in keyboard samples, and re-mixing and re-mastering the whole score. He explains: "This was made possible by locating the original instrument samples from workstation keyboards and drum machines before they were put into the game and rebuilding the soundtrack from the ground up, applying some modern mixing techniques along the way to lift the veil of 16bit compression and create an updated listening experience." Super Metroid is pressed on biovinyl, a sustainable alternative to traditional vinyl. Biovinyl replaces petroleum in S-PVC by recycling used cooking oil or industrial waste gases, resulting in 100% CO savings in bio-based S-PVC production. Furthermore, it is 100% recyclable and reusable, embracing the circular economy ideology.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: XRP 2407LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

LP version. The Salmon is the project of a legendary trio of "soul men" brought together to celebrate a long friendship, musical freedom, and creativity. Inspired by the original sounds of reggae, country, blues, and soul, they swim upstream like salmon, against clich?s and norms. Their journey delights listeners and transports them to distant, soothing landscapes that reconnect them with the essentials: the love of music. The group consists of three friends with well-established careers: Kiddus I, the reggae legend with an enchanting voice, the "Last Crooner on Earth," hero of the 1977 film Rockers, and a member of the Inna De Yard project; Bazbaz, a French pianist singer-songwriter with nine albums to his credit; and Tchiky, an outstanding guitarist who has been accompanying De La Soul for about ten years. After a first EP released in 2020 featuring the tracks "Enough is Enough" and "The Long Road," and a pandemic later, The Salmon finally resurfaced in January 2022 from the hills of Kingston, where the trio, finally reunited, will make Jamaica vibrate alongside seasoned musicians, both French and Jamaican, such as Delroy Wormbass, Viryane Say, Sly Dunbar, Christianne Prince, Pam Hall, Fabrice Colombani, Fonso, Yann Cl?ry, David Hadjadj, Flabba Holt, and Style Scott. Their first album is a pure Franco-Jamaican gem imbued with the native land of reggae and reflects the trio's desire to return to the roots of their inspirations.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: XRP 2408CD

FILE UNDER: HIPHOP

French hip-hop producer Ugly Mac Beer, with over 20 years of experience in the industry, returns to his youthful passions and ventures into synth-punk production for the first time with his latest album titled Broken Ill. Three decades later, he brings to fruition an album he has dreamed of making since the age of 16, adopting a "Rick Rubin style" in its creation and production. Broken Ill transcends the boundaries of a typical album. It features a UK sound that seamlessly blends post-punk, electro-punk, darkwave, new wave, while still maintaining its roots in US hip-hop, with a significant touch of rap rock. Mac Beer's influences are clearly heard throughout the album, ranging from the Beastie Boys to The Cure, and including Kraftwerk and Sleaford Mods. In terms of collaborations, Ugly Mac Beer has enlisted a diverse array of rappers from various backgrounds. Among them is the iconic Princess Superstar, a prominent figure in the '90s underground scene, whose hit track "Perfect," released two decades ago, unexpectedly resurged on TikTok, sparking excitement and eventually securing a place on the 2024 Billboard Charts. It even underwent a remix by David Guetta himself. Additionally, Mac Beer has teamed up with French rapper signed to Kitsun?, Mynameisleonidas, who has contributed to a significant portion of the album. Other collaborators include the singer from the French punk band Frustration and Mac Beer's longtime collaborator and friend, The Real Fake MC a.k.a OP18. With Broken Ill, Ugly Mac Beer, hip-hop beatmaker par excellence, surprises and delivers a solid rap rock album with a pervasive UK influence, inviting listeners into his ever-evolving, creative, and audacious universe.

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: ZEDD 062CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

During the 35 years of making music, Dave Lee has constantly been searching for new singers and writers to work with. A search that's ended up with many fantastic collaborations and releases with the likes of Thelma Houston, Taka Boom, Dianne Charlemagne, and Seal. More recently this quest led him to Maurissa Rose and the creation of their album London/Detroit. After hearing Maurissa's voice on a Theo Parrish record Dave reached out to her and after a few long phone conversations and MP3 swaps they both agreed a visit to London would be much more fun than trying to work together remotely. Maurissa made the journey from her home in Detroit to write and record an album with Dave at his studio in March 2022 -- as they both feel that creating music together in the same room is always better. The fruits of their labor yielded 11 brand new songs (and one cover) tapping into their collective love of soul, disco and R&B, with a sprinkle of soulful house. This album is a special one for Dave Lee as it's the first time in his career he's recorded an entire album with same singer on every track. Dave's expertly crafted music is backed up with a deeply passionate yet effortless delivery from the Detroiter, a marker of someone who has honed and perfected their art. When it comes to the music side of this LP, Dave Lee is once again proving he's still at the top of his game and shows no sign of relenting. Drawing from his encyclopedic knowledge of all things soul/funk/disco, we are treated to a range of styles, BPMs and influences from 95bpm street soul to more up-tempo disco and boogie flavors. Be it the rippling synth voyage opener of "You Decide," taking the Johnnie Taylor classic "What About My Love" into a modern boogie realm, upping the tempo on the soulful houser "I Feel the Sun" or bringing the tempo back down to the bassy acidic chug of "You're Giving Me Life." Mr. Lee is truly adept at creating a modern disco soul sound without the usage of samples. London and Detroit might be two very different cities on opposite sides of the Atlantic but this album is proof that creative synergy knows no distance.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: ZEDD 062LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Double LP version. During the 35 years of making music, Dave Lee has constantly been searching for new singers and writers to work with. A search that's ended up with many fantastic collaborations and releases with the likes of Thelma Houston, Taka Boom, Dianne Charlemagne, and Seal. More recently this quest led him to Maurissa Rose and the creation of their album London/Detroit. After hearing Maurissa's voice on a Theo Parrish record Dave reached out to her and after a few long phone conversations and MP3 swaps they both agreed a visit to London would be much more fun than trying to work together remotely. Maurissa made the journey from her home in Detroit to write and record an album with Dave at his studio in March 2022 -- as they both feel that creating music together in the same room is always better. The fruits of their labor yielded 11 brand new songs (and one cover) tapping into their collective love of soul, disco and R&B, with a sprinkle of soulful house. This album is a special one for Dave Lee as it's the first time in his career he's recorded an entire album with same singer on every track. Dave's expertly crafted music is backed up with a deeply passionate yet effortless delivery from the Detroiter, a marker of someone who has honed and perfected their art. When it comes to the music side of this LP, Dave Lee is once again proving he's still at the top of his game and shows no sign of relenting. Drawing from his encyclopedic knowledge of all things soul/funk/disco, we are treated to a range of styles, BPMs and influences from 95bpm street soul to more up-tempo disco and boogie flavors. Be it the rippling synth voyage opener of "You Decide," taking the Johnnie Taylor classic "What About My Love" into a modern boogie realm, upping the tempo on the soulful houser "I Feel the Sun" or bringing the tempo back down to the bassy acidic chug of "You're Giving Me Life." Mr. Lee is truly adept at creating a modern disco soul sound without the usage of samples. London and Detroit might be two very different cities on opposite sides of the Atlantic but this album is proof that creative synergy knows no distance.