VA: Piano Cloud Series - Volume One CD (MDC 023CD)
No one should be too surprised to see a collection of acoustic piano pieces being issued by 1631 Recordings. After all, one of the label's co-founders is David Wenngren (Mattias Nilsson of Kning Disk label being the other co-founder), who's been making memorable music under the Library Tapes alias for more than a decade, much of it piano-based. Wenngren contributes a fine Library Tapes piece, "Running By The Roads, Running By The Fields", to the compilation, as do an impressive number of kindred spirits: Nils Frahm, Peter Broderick, Hior Chronik, and Schole main man Akira Kosemura among them. Also features: Fabrizio Paterlini, Joep Beving, Oskar Schuster, Dmitry Evgrafov, Anna Rose Carter, Stray Ghost, Matt Stewart-Evans, Lucy Claire, Heinali, Alice Baldwin, Endless Melancholy, Gabriela Parra, Daigo Hanada, Paddy Mulcahy and Benjamin Gustafsson.
Ceeys, the instrumental duo of Potsdam-based brothers Sebastian and Daniel Selke, perform an impressive hybrid of principally cello and piano, but also authentic electronic instruments from East Germany. The tracks on Concrete Fields present a sensitive array of nebulous melancholy moods, combining fragile cello-piano units, creeping synth pads, vivid field recordings, and fragmentary beats. Some tracks start with sparingly-arranged intros before developing into a tentative melody line. Other tracks simply concentrate on the sublime relationship between cello and piano. Deepening the exploration of the brothers' childhood in East Berlin and the interplay of their instruments, a particularly special feature is the use of some original restored electronic instruments made by famous GDR-based company Vermona back in the '70s and '80s. "Rueber" features Martyn Heyne.
LP version. Ceeys, the instrumental duo of Potsdam-based brothers Sebastian and Daniel Selke, perform an impressive hybrid of principally cello and piano, but also authentic electronic instruments from East Germany. The tracks on Concrete Fields present a sensitive array of nebulous melancholy moods, combining fragile cello-piano units, creeping synth pads, vivid field recordings, and fragmentary beats. Some tracks start with sparingly-arranged intros before developing into a tentative melody line. Other tracks simply concentrate on the sublime relationship between cello and piano. Deepening the exploration of the brothers' childhood in East Berlin and the interplay of their instruments, a particularly special feature is the use of some original restored electronic instruments made by famous GDR-based company Vermona back in the '70s and '80s. "Rueber" features Martyn Heyne.
Maniac released several EPs between 2008 and 2010 with an album entitled New Age Grime collecting his works in 2009. Maniac recommenced his production work in 2015 immediately reconnecting with Wiley for Outchea and other E3 resident Maxsta for the EP 100 Problems. He was also tasked with soundtracking the Noel Clarke movie BrotherHood (2016) and produced several tracks himself featuring the likes of AJ Tracey, P Money, and Chip. Homecoming EP is his first instrumental release after his return to the scene.
PALESTINE, CHARLEMAGNE: Strumming Music LP (SSH 003LP)
The classic minimal music album, available again on vinyl for the first time since the '70s. Primed with a glass of cognac, Charlemagne Palestine sits at the keyboard of a Bösendorfer Imperial grand piano. One foot firmly holds down the sustain pedal while both hands perform an insistent strum-like alternation on the keys. Soon Palestine and his Bösendorfer are enveloped in sound and bathed in a shimmering haze of multi-colored overtones. For 45 minutes, this rich pulsating music swells and intensifies, filling the air. When Strumming Music first appeared on the adventurous French label Shandar during the mid-1970s, it seemed a straightforward matter to place Charlemagne Palestine in the so-called minimalist company of La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass, whose work also featured in the Shandar catalog. Palestine too used a deliberately restricted range of materials and a repetitive technique, but as he has often pointed out in more recent times, the opulent fullness of his music would more accurately be described as maximalist. Strumming Music, recorded in Palestine's own loft in Manhattan, has no written score. In an age of recorded sound he still feels no need for traditional notation. The surging energy of this particular recording stands comparison with the improvising of jazz visionaries who impressed and inspired him while living in New York as a young man. But, as Palestine himself has made clear, primarily he brings to music-making the sensibility of an artist rather than a musician. Although the technique of the piece has roots in Palestine's daily practice, when a teenager, of playing the carillon at a church, hammering sonorous chimes from a rack of tuned bells, it also draws on his later work as a body artist, staging vigorously muscular, physically demanding and often reckless performances. In addition, Strumming Music can be heard as a sculptural tour de force, while its textures connect with the color moods, plastic rhythms, and tactile space of Mark Rothko's abstract expressionist canvases. Strumming Music remains the essential index of Palestine's singular creative vision. Fundamentally this fascinating piece is a collaboration between an artist and an instrument. Palestine had first encountered the Bösendorfer Imperial back in 1969. "The Bösendorfer at its best is a very noisy, thick molasses piano," he has remarked. Charlemagne Palestine embraced its clinging sonorousness, its clangorous resonance and out of that embrace came the voluptuous sonic fabric of Strumming Music.
Lichen Gumbo is a lo-fi underground rock band from Finland. Boilin' was recorded during a week of seclusion in a small cabin deep in the woods with no running water and at home during an exceptional heat wave hitting Finland in 2014, hence the Boilin' title for this album of hazy tunes. The selected songs range from Throbbing Gristle hits to a more noisy garage style. Mixing heavily distorted drums and guitars, vocals varying in style going from garage, no wave to totally deranged, and synth bubbles which sound like they're recorded straight from the water surface of hot springs (or perhaps they just borrowed a Moog from Acid Mothers Temple). Lichen Gumbo are Olli Aarni and Ville Oinonen. Olli has been recording under his own name since 2011 and mostly works with electronic sounds. He has released music as Ous Mal and Nuojuva. Ville joins him for the lo-fi ride that is Lichen Gumbo. Hand-assembled sleeves; Artwork by Olli Aarni, Ville Oinonen and Mia Tarkela; Mastering by Kris Delacourt; Edition of 150.
ENHET FOR FRI MUSIK: Inom Dig, Inom Mig LP (ZORN 049LP)
Folk unit originated in the Swedish underground Enhet för Fri Musik - featuring members of Sewer Election, Ättestupa, Neutral, Makthaverskan, and Blod - continually re-invent what music is about through free improvisation and lengthy folk meanderings. Embedded in the ever exciting Swedish underground scene, Enhet För Fri Musik continue the quest for innovation numerous legendary Swedish bands started during the '70s - such as, Pärson Sound, Trad Gras Och Stenar, and Arbete Och Fritid. Taking the ideas of communal music craft and experimentation, on Inom Dig, Inom Mig, the group comes to a unique combination of Jandek-like atonal guitar, organ, tape effects, field recordings, and saxophone, with Sofie Herner's amazing loner voice running over it. Adding another inspiring document to the world of open-minded music. Inom Dig, Inom Mig was originally release on cassette in 2015 on Forever United. Silkscreened sleeves by Marijke Loozen; Music by Dan Johansson, Gustaf Dicksson, Hugo Randulv, Sofie Herner; Mastered by Kris Delacourt; Artwork by Dan Johansson; Edition of 150.
A reissue of Antibarbarus, issued as a compact disc in 1998, was the first edition Walter Marchetti released on Alga Marghen. The Antibarbarus cycle of five pieces makes use of original tapes coming from the same recording sessions that originated some of Marchetti's major musical works realized in the '80s, collected in his two CDs: 1989's Vandalia (NMN 076-4CD/NMN 083-5LP) and 1984's Per La Sete Dell'orecchio (NMN 083-3LP). This former series of works presented some homogeneous and untouched sound sources in the "concrete" status of their inner - and necessarily chaotic - level of entropy. Nevertheless this operative and only in appearance "neutral" premise introduces an implicit mimetic transposition. This link between the "iconic" threshold of the acoustical material and its transposition literally deconstructs the prerogatives and the ideological categories of music composition. In Antibarbarus, the temporal continuum restores the mimesis of the phenomenal regression of musical time, crystallized in a framed-length which gets estranged from subjective domain. But the transfiguration of sound sources now deliberately intends to de-signify the analytical prerogatives of hearing. The sensorial perception is in such a way inhibited from an immediate comprehension of the acoustic reality so reproduced: canis reversus ad vomitum suum. In the late 1950s, Marchetti was able both to formalize a more critical aim towards the established lingua franca and absolutist ideology of musical avant-gardism and to expand the sense of artistic praxis, in line with an ethical and subtly political evaluation of aesthetic experience. Marchetti was inspired by Cage's poetics of indeterminacy and subsequently created, through a close and indissoluble association with Juan Hidalgo and José Luis Castillejo, an original and de-ritualized form of action-music which led in 1964 to the birth of ZAJ group. Marchetti's work relays, in its procedural level, upon a resolute de-functioning of the musical codes and impose this act as a reversed mimesis of the methodological statute of music composing. Namely, not a "degré zero de l'écriture", but its "reversal"; not a "denial of style", but "style of denial". In this perspective, Walter Marchetti's oeuvre condenses one of the rare examples of aesthetic radicalism consciously extended to music poetics. Comes in full color gatefold sleeve; Includes printed inner sleeves (with photos of "Musica da camera n. 182", London, Raven Row, 1989/2011 and "Music in secca", Milano, Fondazione Mudima, 2003); Liner notes by Gabriele Bonomo in English and Italian.
$31.59 UPC: 769791965485 CLASSICAL
A1. Il Coma Regna
B1. Coma Liquido
C1. Coma Vigile
D1. Uscita Dal Coma
D2. Antibarbarus
Sidestepping all normal expectations on this album, Ju Suk Reet Meate (founding member of Smegma) directly goes about casting musical spells, utilizing primitive "inner mind" techniques on hammered dulcimer, tape loops, thrift store records, a homemade synthesizer, electric guitar, saxophone, mouth sounds, and manipulated christian radio broadcasts. Recorded in Portland, Oregon, these previously unreleased recordings reflect a similar "inner-mind over limited technique matter" aesthetic as the acclaimed but seldom heard classic Solo 1978-1979, originally released on Pigface Records in 1980.
$20.39 UPC: 769791965768 ROCK
Something New (Opus I-IV):
A1. Don't Stop Now
A2. 10 77 #2
A3. 10 77 #2(3)
A4. Riffrub
In 1973, when Smegma (the band) was born they had only one rule: No Musicians! That way they could re-invent the musical wheel with a new primitive, suburban, anti-hippie approach. 44 years later perhaps the world is ready for the first full LP of this original, uncompromising sound. At the time, it seemed they thought they were on a solitary journey, but shortly after these recordings, it was discovered that there was another local group, The Los Angeles Free Music Society, that they shortly became a part of, and are a part of, to this day. Originally recorded in 1973-75 at the house in Pasadena they all lived in, these previously unreleased tracks feature vocals of a different kind. It includes the 1960s L.A. freak and street singer Wild Man Fischer reprising his dance tune "The Taster", a straightforward Memphis/rockabilly slow dance ballad "Red Cadillac And A Black Moustache", and examples of their unique "group singing" style that has to be heard to be believed. Opening and closing the LP are vocals by someone they had never met, a local C.B. radio operator whose handle was "Turkey Mon" and had such a hi-power transmitter that his signal was picked-up by the tape-head as they recorded! Several of these same folks (Dennis Duck, Ace Farren Ford, Ju Suk Reet Meate) are in the Smegma touring band as of 2017.
$20.39 UPC: 769791965775 ROCK
A1. Pick'n Sure
A2. Did You Cheak It Out?
A3. Pigface Speaks
A4. Red Cadillac And A Black Moustache
B1. The Taster
B2. Requiem
B3. Why?
B4. Crosscut Saw
CASTILLEJO, JOSE LUIS: Tlalaatala LP BOX/BOOK (VOCSON 099LP)
A killer reading of José Luis Castillejo's TLALAATALA book by Fernando Millan, recorded in Madrid in 2001. Modern or advanced writing is a direct and independent medium, i.e. it realizes and gives presence to a set of relationships without the need of further dependence (as it happened till now in literature) on other media. Words, syllables, stories, sounds, psychology, music, etc., are no longer needed: advanced writing can do without intermediate elements. Modern writing is neither symbolic nor descriptive. Its purpose is the purpose of all modern art: to reduce necessity. The freedom achieved by writing (as a "medium") may perhaps become an inspiration (a "metaphor") of what could be achieved elsewhere (in the "reality"), independently and without imitation. Writing, perhaps the art more subdued to avidity and ambition, an instrument of subjection since it was invented by priests and legislators, has been the last of the arts to seek for its liberation. Writing itself created the worst of our servitudes that still rules and dominates the world: literality. Because without literality, any servitude to being of metaphorical and reflexive freedom would be impossible. Servitude exists and grows within the bureaucratic and technocratic literality which dominates the world with its laws, rules, and mechanisms. Freedom of comprehension, and therefore the liberation of writing, can be accomplished through the restoration of the metaphorical character of the so-called "reality", through the destruction of textual literality and the restoration of all the imaginary figures and persons of the psyche in front of the divination of the soul or the spirit. As proved by TLALAATALA, the liberation of writing must go through the elaboration of vacuous structures that should be perceived without being captured, without being fixed through numbers and signs. It goes through a writing where you can no longer state that "the written, written is", since it establishes an imaginary and metaphorical reflection of the vacuity and of the mutual relation of processes and phenomena. Comes in cardboard box with stamp; Includes the original-2001-press 400-page-creative-book with the same title; Edition of 80.
Jan Barich, aka Map.ache, presents Perception Shift /A. For Perception Shift /A, Barich worked his way through the Altin Village & Mine catalog: Skeletons' "All I Want is You", Phoebe Killdeer & The Shift's "Let's Talk A Good Story", Urban Homes' "Tropical Jam", and Sven Kacirek's "Turkey Dance". Barich gently, but decisively, reworks their grooves into a collection of reverberating, feathery tracks that take cues from minimal music as well as house. He spreads Skeletons' "All I Want is You" into a polyrhythmic synth meditation, and the Sven Kacirek rework layers the original's percussive grooves into a melancholic house number.
In 2010, Brunhild Ferrari decided to make public some of Luc Ferrari's original sound archives by offering a selected collection of recordings to other composers who may wish to use the material for the creation of original musical works. Her desire was to open this sonic treasure to other artists without wanting to impose any aesthetic direction on them, and with the only purpose of encouraging new artistic inventiveness. This edition presents the "Presque Rien Prize" winners and other selected works of the first three biennial contests, the most recent contest having taken place in December 2015. Each of the competitions has been concluded by a concert including the winning and other selected works of the competition. While 109 new works were submitted to the three initial editions, Association Presque Rien are delighted to keep receiving many other works from over the world for the forthcoming competitions. Features the following performers, listed by year: CD 1 - 2011 edition: John Palmer (winner), Elsa Justel (mention), Daniel Blinkhorn (mention), DinaBird and J. P. Renoult; CD 2 - 2013 edition: Bryan Jacobs (winner), Ayako Sato (mention), James Andean (mention), Masashi Isai, Andrea Belfi, Donia Jourabchi, Takuma Kuragaki; CD 3 - 2015 edition: Hideki Umezawa (winner), Lisandro Barbato (mention), Johannes S. Sistermanns (mention), Manfredi Clemente, Manuella Blackburn, Laurence Bouckaert, Dimitris Maronidis, Yingzi Li. The slipcase edition includes three CDs in individual digipak sleeves as well as a 68-page booklet in English, French, and Japanese with liner notes written by the composers, their biographies, title tracks, photos, and an introduction by Brunhild Ferrari.
Shenoda presents his third release for Aus Music, Burn, backed with a remix from Juxta Position. Previous releases on Hypercolour and Electric Minds have seen Shenoda firmly on the ascent, but it's in his recent outings on Aus Music that his bold, rugged club music has really reached its zenith. "Burn" follows suit with its predecessors with its power being rooted in seismic, analog drums that are balanced against soft, allaying melodies. "Vista" then rolls out punching stabs and tight, shuffling drums before Marquis Hawkes dusts off his Juxta Position alias and delivers a pacey and forthright take on "Burn".
$9.79 EAN: 4012957111100 ELECTRONIC
A1. Burn
B1. Vista
B2. Burn (Juxta Position Remix)
MOVE D/REAGENZ: Roll Split/460 Melrose Ave 12" (AWAY 004EP)
Berlin collective Away ready the fourth release in their catalogue. They present a split two-tracker from label mainstay Move D and his pairing with Jonah Sharp under their collaborative guise of rEAGENZ. Harnessing this attitude and channeling the collective's Detroit influences, Away have developed their imprint which has so far taken shape over a set of three analog-heavy various artist releases. Next in line follows suit in melding tough drums with Motor City pads. Natural in their progression, both tracks spark ardor as they steadily develop adding another fine addition to a blooming catalogue.
LP version. Milky transparent vinyl. Edition of 300. Includes download code. Billow Observatory is the trans-Atlantic duo consisting of Detroit's Jason Kolb (Auburn Lull) and Danish producer Jonas Munk (Manual). II: Plains/Patterns departs from their self-titled debut's (2012) amorphous ambient haze with a more rigid, albeit subtle, underpinning of rhythm and pulse. Traces of shoegaze, modern minimal electronica, and kosmische appear on every track, but are mutated into something mysterious and new. "Pulsus", for example, opens the album with a driving Teutonic stutter and washes of serene guitar loops that are punctuated by bursts of filtered synth patterns. Centerpiece, "Plains", expands the ambient formula into an inspired epic in three parts, where swells of processed guitars, distant voices, and faint echoes of Detroit techno are weaved together to form a kaleidoscopic whole. "Vex" and "Plum" seem to pay as much homage to Slowdive and Eno's Harold Budd collaborations as to the modern minimalism from Cologne or Berlin. For ambient aficionados, II: Plains/Patterns is a gorgeous sounding full-length not to be missed.
Shlomi Aber is back on his Be As One label with Panix EP, this time joined by Swedish techno master Skudge. Keeping the no nonsense techno attitude of his latest Nonplus release, "Panix" keeps bearing Shlomi's relentless, dark and raw signature sound. Skudge strips down "Panix" into two separate remixes, taking the original into a deeper and back to basics mood, with his known trademark grooves.
ZEIT: Un Giorno In Una Piazza Del Mediterraneo LP (BS 032LP)
Black Sweat Records present a reissue of Zeit's Un Giorno In Una Piazza Del Mediterraneo, originally released in 1979. In the late '70s, the Italian music scene's renewed interest in sound research involved a stimulating fusion of popular elements, jazz improvisation, and suggestions of the middle-oriental classical heritage. Starting from the experience of Aktuala, the idea of a common "Mediterranean air" that could compare and harmonize rhythms and timbres of various regions, enlivened a large number of musicians. In this context, it also placed the short history of Zeit and one of their main member Andrea Tamassia, who played and recorded with Aktuala. Un Giorno In Una Piazza Del Mediterraneo, their first album, seems to be a continuation of Aktuala's music. It presents a compendium of styles and shapes, a collection of letters and visual notes from various places (Greece, Italy, Turkey, Hungary, Maghreb, Balcan Area, etc.), rearranged in the form of a hypothetical diary, in order to create an unknown narrative scenario. In the music of Zeit, there are no formalistic or philological purposes, but it triumphs with an attitude of imaginative incorporation that is always changing. The rich poly-instrumentalism brings the rhythms of dance and ancient melodies, but also results in a palette of more abstract and ecstatic sounds, with rare experimental lyricism that approaches the Florentine ensemble to the significant European experiences of The Incredible String Band or Third Ear Band.
ZEIT: Il Cerchio Degli Antichi Colori LP + 7" (BS 033LP)
Black Sweat Records present a reissue of Zeit's second album Il Cerchio Degli Antichi Colori, originally released in 1981. With Il Cerchio Degli Antichi Colori, Zeit re-propose their own vision of a new cultural multi-geographical mosaic without boundaries. The sound confirms the inspired and eclectic vein of previous work, suggesting a greater conviction and maturity of intent. The arrangements tend to dilate more alchemical and hypnotic sequences, while the range of inspirations (Balkan music, Greek, Turkish, Persian, African, etc.) and the poly-instrumentalism is more precious and varied. Decisively more experimental compositions such as "Gli Antichi Colori", "Nuovo Orizzonte", or "Kalimba", are indicative of an unparalleled executive expertise that flows into meditative and introspective delights by resonances now more obscure or solar. The compresence of popular European and Middle-East atmospheres act as a strong reminder to the world of dance, suggesting once again the charm of the meeting between East and West, in view of brotherhood and solidarity among peoples. So, the "Circle" relieves itself almost like a sound tale of distant and ancient Byzantine, Arab, and Christian novels, according to a nomadic spirit that finds in music the preferred journey to joy and love. This reissue includes a 7" with two unreleased live tracks, further enriching the repertoire of one of the most original group that Italy has ever known.
GRUPPO AFRO MEDITERRANEO: 1972 Blues Jazz Session LP (BS 035LP)
Unreleased recordings of future members of Aktuala and I.P. Son Group. The history goes back in the alternative Milan of the early '70s, to the flavor of the first jam-blues of that era where musicians from different parts of the world (India, Africa or South-America), and of disparate backgrounds and cultures, gathered together to experiment just with an authentic sense. These four tracks seem to retrace the path of that spirit with which great pioneers, such as John Mayall and Alexis Corner, the essence of the Afro-American music masters ferried from overseas. On 1972 Blues Jazz Session, the devotion to the blues roots remains strong but an aerial and wandering component, colored as if by a magic of exotic and spiritual accents, leaks into the compositions. Hypnotic patterns of guitars flowing almost like slowed raga-grooves, free-jazz horns blowing winds of the ancient seas of the south, while voices and percussions span distant Latin or African horizons. Gruppo Afro Mediterraneo throws its eye on a cultural dimension more extensive and composite and therefore constitutes a fundamental historical document for a crucial period of Italian underground.
Cocoon's Dots & Pearls is back once again. Frankfurt based Christian Burkhardt's "Karambolage" breathes spring air with playful and positive harmonies and a very subtle '80s synth-pop flavor. Argy's "How Late It Was, How Late" refers to an early '80s acid sound and is reminiscent of great productions such as "On And On" by Jesse Saunders. "Baroon" by Markus Fix is a deep tech house gem made for the first sunrises of the upcoming all-nighter open airs. Jim Jules's "Euphrasia" is a deep, slightly gloomy, and extremely hypnotic production. Four exclusive and previously unreleased tracks.
NICOLOSI, ROBERTO: Black Sabbath (I Tre Volti Della Paura) LP (RED 236LP)
Dagored present a reissue of Roberto Nicolosi's soundtrack for Mario Bava's super cult horror film Black Sabbath, aka I Tre Volti Della Paura, originally released in 1963. Lyrical pathos alternates with unexpected asymmetrical musical strings and some funereal organ chords mixed to more psychedelic musical moments and glorious chamber music orchestrations. Complete stereo version, including extra tracks, for the first time on vinyl. Comes on transparent vinyl; Includes plastic insert; Edition of 500.
$20.39 EAN: 8013252732362 SOUNDTRACK
A1. Black Sabbath
A2. Il Telefono
A3. Rose E Mary
A4. Frank
A5. Wurdalak
A6. Vladimiro E Sdenka
A7. Inizia La Strage
A8. Il Vecchio Gorka
A9. Nessuno Si Salverà
A10. Vampiro!
A11. La Maledizione
A12. Il Volto Della Paura
A13. Wurdalak (#2)
B1. La Goccia D'acqua (Sangue Viennese)
B2. L'infermiera E L'anello
B3. Il Cadavere Di Miss Perkins
B4. Tre Volti Della Paura (Titoli) I Tre Volti Della Paura
B5. Il Telefono (Mov 10 II)
B6. I Tre Volti Della Paura
B7. Wurdalak (M 16 VI)
B8. I Tre Volti Della Paura
B9. Wurdalak (M 20 IV)
B10. I Tre Volti Della Paura
B11. Wurdalak (M 27 IV)
B12. I Tre Volti Della Paura
B13. Wurdalak (M 28 IV)
B14. I Tre Volti Della Paura (Finale)
Hailing from Japan, Iori Wakasa proves what all the fuss is about with a stunning three track EP on Steve Bug's Dessous Recordings. "Be There" starts things off right - über deep vibes throughout, with bubbling synths and spacey effects, all tied together by a hypnotic Chandler-esque rhythm track. "Give Me" continues the vibe, deep and jazzy chords punctuate the shuffling rhythm and trippy vocal samples add a layer of wonkiness. "Feel It Dizzy" strips things down a notch, a bass heavy dancefloor filler with dubbed-out percussion, effects, and vocals snippets.
LILES, ANDREW: Diario De Un Monstruo LP (DPROM 237LP)
Diario De Un Monstruo is an homage to the 1981 album Diary Of A Madman by Ozzy Osbourne (1981). It is another - and some might argue, inevitable - addition to the ongoing monster series of releases. To say Andrew Liles's recording is a cover version of the original Ozzy album is far too simplistic and misleading. This recording adapts motifs and hooks from the original music but is in no way similar. It is a complex tapestry that is woven from many fine threads and at times, it is a confusing and incomprehensible monstrous interpretation of the classic album. Anyone expecting a hard rock LP will be sorely disappointed. Liles has been obsessed by the original album since its release 36 years ago and he has been collecting various LP pressings and ephemera associated with Diary Of A Madman for many years. Packaged in a high gloss laminated sleeve; Includes printed lined inner. Edition of 500.
$16.99 EAN: 5060446121320 ELECTRONIC
A1. Monster Mountains (11:38)
A2. Flying Monsters (3:17)
A3. You Can't Kill the Monster (3:41)
A4. Unbeliever (3:21)
B1. Little Monsters (4:06)
B2. Two Nights (1:53)
B3. M.O.N.S.T.R.U.O. (4:53)
B4. Diario De Un Monstruo (10:37)
ILLBILLY HITEC: One Things Leads To Another LP+CD (EB 120LP)
LP version. Includes CD. Edition of 500. iLLBiLLY HiTEC return with One Thing Leads To Another, after their first barn-storming single "Rude Boy Talk", a track that fuses break beat, hip hop, and dancehall, and is a tempting taster of the new album. The band's third album was produced in collaboration with Juno Award winner Jesse "Dubmatix" King in Toronto and Berlin. On the band's third album, the focus is again firmly on an amalgamation of reggae with the genre's elementary electronic facets. iLLBiLLY HiTEC grab reggae by the roots in their inimitable way and build a varied cocktail of roots, digital, hip hop, and dub. The Berlin-based band managed to lure the spearhead of Austrian MC culture, Kinetical, as lead vocalist. There are also many guests, including Lengualerta (Mexico), Horseman (UK), Promoe (Sweden), Gardna (UK), and Parly B (UK) from the international scene, all of whom contributed fantastically skilled flows to the album. One Thing Leads To Another is a mature album that fully deserves a place in the higher international echelons. Also features: Longfingah, Fli Supertramp, EmWan, HanIvan, and Daphne BlueBird.
Eremite present Byron And Gerald's Unity, a private press free jazz album recorded in 1969 at Howard University and the first release on Byron Morris's EPI label. It is the only hardcore free jazz record out of 1960s DC, and a viscerally powerful cultural dispatch on the sociopolitical upheavals of its time. From Byron's 2017 liner notes: "In the early spring of 1969, several months before moving to Poughkeepsie, NY, Gerald Wise and I, along with the recording engineer Len Jones, conceived of the idea to gather a group of musicians who were like-minded concerning 'The New Thing' (Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Booker Little). Most of the musicians we asked to be part of this experiment we knew from jam sessions or were already part of Unit Five. Eric Gravatt suggested we invite two of his musician friends from Philadelphia, Byard Lancaster and Keno Speller. I wrote a musical composition for the date dedicated to my father, 'JWM+53.' My friend Earl Snead wrote the other composition, 'Black Awareness.' Earl passed shortly after the session. The recording session took place at the studio of an experimental TV channel that leased space on the campus of Howard University. Gerry and I welcomed all the musicians and thanked them for being part of the session. The scene immediately took on a magical atmosphere, with everyone going about their tasks as if they had cue sheets. In the center of the room we laid out our instruments on two 4x8 tables. That way we could just pick up any instrument and play when the spirit hit us. I had two altos (one plastic) and a curved soprano. Jerry Wise had his trumpet and some hand rhythm instruments. Byard Lancaster had an alto sax, flute, trumpet, and some hand rhythm instruments. Vins Johnson had a tenor and a baritone sax. Keno Speller had a bell tree, tambourines, claves, drum sticks, felt-headed mallets, and a set of amplified conga drums. Inside the tables our two drummers, Eric Gravatt and Abu Sharrieff, sat face to face with two full drum kits and microphones all around them. Next to them were our two bassists, Fred Williams and a young man named Chris (whose last name, sadly, I cannot remember). To this day, I wish the proceedings had been filmed. The energy level was so high that Byard Lancaster did push-ups when not playing (I believe I remember Vins Johnson and Keno Speller also doing some). In spite of all of the excitement, everyone wanted to make a serious musical statement and cooperated in taking directions from Len Jones, Gerry, and me. It was orderly excitement, the collective 'We' caught-up in the moment. Ornette's Free Jazz (1961) and Trane's Ascension (1965) address much of what we were attempting in the studio that day in 1969. . . . In point of fact, most if not all of us had witnessed firsthand the physical excitement and, in some moments, pure terror of the urban riots set off in the spring of 1968 by the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Washington, DC, exploded with anger and the looting and burning of businesses throughout the city. U.S. Army troops, along with Air Force and Navy/Marine elements, were sent in to quell these massive urban disturbances. During the recording of Unity our collective emotions were still raw, to say the least. Here and now, nearly a half of a century later, I can still smell the tear gas and the burning tires. I get chills just thinking about it. But the music got us through that time... and the music gets us through now!"
ABRAMS AND NATURAL INFORMATION SOCIETY, JOSHUA: Simultonality LP (MTE 068LP)
Simultonality is the follow-up to Joshua Abrams's critically acclaimed 2015 album Magnetoception (MTE 063-64LP, 2015). Credited to Joshua Abrams and Natural Information Society (NIS), it is the first recording in the project's nine year, four album history made by a regularly gigging manifestation, rather than a special assembly of friends. Recorded in 2014 and 2015 in single takes by the full ensemble during and after tours of the US and Canada, Simultonality once more affirms the project's unique approach to joining traditional musics, American minimalism, and jazz with the Gnawa ceremonial instrument the guimbri. Stasis, continuity, and repetition, central qualities of Abrams language, defined Magnetoception, listed by many as one of the best records of 2015. These same qualities form the heart of Abrams's music on Simultonality. But where Abrams once said Magnetoception is about "winter and death", Simultonality, in Abrams's words, is an album of "pure motion". Without sounding frenetic it is the most explosive NIS music on record, and without sounding over-determined, it is Abrams's most structured and through-composed music yet. Much of it is also fast, a mass of densely patterned elements swiftly orbiting constantly reconfiguring centers that are variously harmonic and rhythmic, clearly stated or implied. The music is at no time any more disorderly than a colony of bees pollinating a vast garden. Its many moving parts function in mutualistic relationship toward fulfilling Abrams's long stated intention for the project: to help listener's achieve a meditative center and to consciously use music as a gateway to living. Abrams credits William Parker as an inspiration for this intention. The musicians on Simultonality date back to the nascency of NIS. Along with Hamid Drake, Mikel Avery and Frank Rosaly are Abrams first-call drummers for the project. On Simultonality, Avery is in the left channel, Rosaly the right. Astute heads may recognize the rhythm in "Sideways Fall" as Jaki Leibezeit's drum break in Can's "Vitamin C". At Abrams behest, the two drummers divided the beat into separate parts. According to Hamid Drake, the rhythm was popularized, if not originated, by John "Jabo" Starks and Clyde Stubblefield of the J.B.'s. Nearly ten years into its existence, Abrams and the NIS wear their influences with creativity and ease. Long standing NIS members, Ben Boye and Emmett Kelly, were previously together with Abrams, or not, in Bonnie Prince Billy's band, and Abrams and Boye have at different times played in Kelly's band The Cairo Gang. Harmonium player Lisa Alvarado contributes the large format pattern paintings used by NIS at concerts and for its album covers. Personnel: Joshua Abrams - guimbri, bass, small harp, bells; Lisa Alvarado - harmonium, Leslie, percussion; Michael Avery - drums and percussion; Ben Boye - chromatic electric autoharp, piano, Wurlitzer; Ari Brown - tenor saxophone (on "2128½"); Emmett Kelly - electric guitar; Frank Rosaly - drums and percussion, resonator bells. Pressed on premium quality audiophile vinyl by RTI, presented in replica audiophile dust sleeves and heavyweight Stoughton LaserDisc jackets screenprinted by Alan Sherry/Siwa. Edition of 825 copies.
GANDELMAN, LEO: Garrincha - Estrela Solitaria CD (FARO 147CD)
2010 release. Garrincha is a true Brazilian legend, one of the all-time great footballers, revered to this day. Focusing on his zenith, from 1953-1962 - during which time he twice inspired Brazil to World Cup glory - this soundtrack is suitably of the period. With beautiful Ipanemas-esque soulful samba sitting alongside carnival batucada, darker cinematic experimentalism, and playful jazz funk, this collection of Leo Gandelman scores mirrors and celebrates Garrincha's amazingly fast paced life; at times glorious, at others a car crash. This original soundtrack to Estrela Solitaria (2003) was directed, produced and in most cases composed by Leo Gandelman. Estrela Solitaria flashes between Garrincha as extravagant and triumphant footballer and his decent towards ruin. In the late '50s and early '60s, Garrincha was the most famous man in Brazil, dating and then marrying samba star Elza Soares while leading Brazil and Botofogo to glory on the pitch. The old school samba songs split the soundtrack, ("Samba Fantastico", "Samba Authentico", "Samba Latino", "Apito No Samba") perfectly stirring up the carefree side of Garrincha's life and a deeply atmospheric and timeless Rio. Performed by the Brazilian Saxambistas and in the vein of the Ipanemas, this is Latin music at its most evocative. The rest of the soundtrack was composed especially for Estrela Solitaria by Gandelman who has captured Garrincha's personality on and off the pitch perfectly: Garrincha is Gandelman's most impressive and significant work. This collection moves from quirky jazz funk as Garrincha darts around bemused players with his unique dribbling style, in glorious original black and white footage, ("Football Color", "Retirada Da Urca", "Drible De Cadeira", 'Dops'), in to heavy batucada samba ("Escola", "Bloca De Rua") beats of carnival (Garrincha, like many ex-footballers, was paraded as a carnival attraction; the exploitation of a sporting hero heartbreakingly depicted in the film). It's the dark, almost psychedelic jazz (encapsulated by "Decadente Psicodelico"), which depicts Garrincha's decent in to alcoholism and the money and health problems, which plagued the end of his life (Garrincha died aged just 50). Estrela Solitaria ends with "Abertura", remembering Garrincha, as Brazil does, in his glorious prime.
$9.79 EAN: 5060211500251 SOUNDTRACK
01. Abertura
02. Chile
03. Escola
04. Dops
05. Bloco De Rua
06. Bota Jazz
07. Drible De Cadeira
08. Retirada Da Urca
09. Samba Fantastico
10. Samba Authentico
11. Futebol Na Areia
12. Apito No Samba
13. Samba Latino
14. Decadente Psicodelico
15. Futebol Color
16. Eu To Gravida
17. Despedida Do Garrincha
18. Garrincha E Passarinho
19. Hospital
20. Nilton Santos
21. Love Total
22. Iraci
23. Tensao De Garrincha
24. Na Floresta
25. No Chuveiro
26. Abertura (Short Version)
2010 release. Joyce combines her wonderfully expressive swoop and soar vocals with special guest bossa legend Joao Donato's peerless pulsating piano and warmly-crafted rhythms. Injecting pure-quality jazz into bossa nova, old-school Brazilian samba and laid back Cuban vibes, Aquarius is intricate yet endlessly listenable. Blending breezy ease and elegant sophistication with Donato's unique stop/start groove this is a special roots session that sounds utterly fresh. Featuring true classics alongside stunning new compositions this gorgeous recording is testament to Joyce's standing as Brazil's greatest female singer-songwriter and celebrated international artist. Together, Joyce and Donato have produced their finest modern work. Aquarius radiates all the funky spirit of the crossover Brazilian jazz of '70s Brazil. Both Joyce and Donato have included new versions of their most famous tracks - "Feminina" and "Amazonas" respectively - while new tracks including the jumping "No Fundo Do Mar" and addictive "Xangô É De Baê" are true standouts. Joyce uses that voice in wonderful solo and memorable duet with Donato's golden vocal. Far Out Recording's reissue of Joyce, Nana Vasconcelos and Mauricio Maestro's 1976 lost classic Vision's Of Dawn (FARO 138LP) caught the imagination of the world's press and crossed over to become a cult record with beautiful ease in 2009 giving Joyce's profile a huge lift. With four decades of recording behind her Aquarius is Joyce's sixth album on the Far Out Recordings imprint. A Brazilian musician and composer of almost mythical proportions, João Donato is one of the surviving - and still prospering - members of a generation that produced Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, Luiz Eça and many other masters associated with the heyday of bossa nova. The impish pianist, known for his deliberate, single-note musings and catchy compositions is one of very few artists whose sound defines bossa.
$9.79 EAN: 5060211500268 WORLD
01. No Fundo Do Mar
02. Amor Nas Estrelas
03. Amazonas 2
04. Guarulhos Cha Cha Cha
05. Caymmi Visita Tom
06. Xango E Da Bae
07. Luz Da Cancao
08. Feminina
09. Aquarius
10. E Passa O Carrossel
11. E Muito Mais
12. Tardes Cariocas
13. Chama O Donato
MAURICIO MAESTRO FEATURING NANA VASCONCELOS: Upside Down LP (FARO 162LP)
LP version. 180 gram vinyl. 2011 release. Brazilian greats, Mauricio Maestro and Nana Vasconcelos, finally reconnect on the second part of their five decade psychedelic folk trilogy with Upside Down. Following Visions Of Dawn (FARO 138LP) - the 1976 acid-folk lost classic - Upside Down is a special new recording that stirs up a time when people dared to make liberated records. Nana and guest vocalist Kay Lyra - completing the modern folk trio - combine floating harmonies and delicate psychedelia. Maestro's moving compositions melt together hypnotizing strings with his darting guitar and wonderfully languid vocals. The master of percussion, Nana Vasconcelos brings an endless concoction of exotic instrumentation to stirring life as mind-bending vocals move in and out of focus. Together at the center of the underground '60s tropicalia and darker Afro-samba jazz movements (rising against a repressive Brazilian military regime) to the free '70s Brazilian acid-folk (that flourished in North American and European exile) Maestro and Vasconcelos have created eleven tracks that stir up this time, but in the backdrop of a liberated, prosperous Brazil. Recorded in 2010, the pair combined Maestro's classic and new compositions with modern folk ideas to outshine many current impressionists. Inspired by the success of Visions Of Dawn, Far Out Recordings label head Joe Davis encouraged Maestro and Nana to return to the studio to complete the long-time coming follow up. Mauricio Maestro began his career in vocal quartet Momentoquatro in the late '60s before he and Nana became friends in the great Luiz Eça's thirteen member band Sagrada Familia. The pair were also part of Milton Nascimento's Clube De Esquina scene along with Joyce and Marcos Valle.
2013 release. 4 Elementos, or "Four Elements", is a gem that comes as a follow up to Naná Vasconcelos's incredible Sinfonia & Batuques, winner of a Latin Grammy in 2011. This new offering breaks many boundaries and reveals Brazil's most revered percussionist in his best form yet. Naná Vasconcelos creates and shapes sounds and ideas in his original compositions, with inventive and provocative results. On 4 Elementos the listener is invited to join Vasconcelos on a deep and emotional musical journey. The album is released and sponsored by the Government of Pernambuco, through Funcultura, with the executive production of Isa Melo from Coco Produções in partnership with Morenana Produções Artísticas and Far Out Recordings. Inspired by the four elements of nature, the percussion legend Naná Vasconcelos has created a beautiful and hypnotic record. Flowing from the stunning lyricism of "Légua Tirana", a classic by the Brazilian legend Luiz Gonzaga, to "Coco Lunar", where Vasconcelos visualizes a party in the cosmos, showcasing Brazilian rhythm in all its color and vibrancy. In "Berimbando", Naná goes back to his beloved berimbau and pays a beautiful homage to the percussionist Airto Moreira. Nana Vasconcelos has previously played with artist such as Pat Metheny, Milton Nascimento, Joyce, Ron Carter, Don Cherry, Melvin Gibbs, Jack DeJohnette and many more.
VA: Amplificador - Novissima Musica Brasileira: The Brazilian 10's Generation LP (FARO 186LP)
LP version. 180 gram vinyl. Comes in gatefold jacket. 2015 release. Over the past few decades, there has been a seismic shift in Brazil's musical landscape. A plethora of varying musical undergrounds has developed across the nation. While Rio and São Paulo have been overwhelmed with networks of talented musicians for a long time, creative life is now bursting all over the country. Amplificador exists to document and propagate the wonderfully diverse music currently blossoming from Brazil's vivacious and geographically varied musical undergrounds. This compilation draws together some of the components of "Novíssima Música Brasileira" ("brand new Brazilian music"), ranging from Afro-grooves to rock, to modern samba and MPB. The music reaches back across Brazil's incredibly rich musical and cultural traditions, while also taking in influence from other movements around the globe. Abayomy Afrobeat Orchestra from Rio formed because of their shared love of the music of Fela Kuti. But what sets Abayomy apart from other groups of a similar nature is the fact that their sound also brings with it the songs and rhythms of candomblé. Similarly, Zebrabeat Afro-Amazônia Orquestra draw upon traditional guitarradas and carimbos from the state of Pará and fuse these with the poly-rhythms of Afro-beat to create another regional hybrid, which stays true to both its Amazonian and African roots, yet which results in a very fresh, Brazilian sound. From Belo Horizonte (the capital of Minas Gerais), Iconilli are another key band on Brazil's Afro-groove scene. With influences as varied as funk, jazz and psychedelic rock, congado, mining harmonies, maracatu, coco, ijexá, carimbó, Iconilli somehow manage to balance all of these sounds in such a way that makes it impossible to pin them down. From the Northeastern city of Joao Pessao, Paraiba, Burro Morto's psychedelic Afro sound leans more towards rock and funk influences, with a hint of regional Brazilian rhythms such as frevo and forro. They add another flavor to the Brazilian afro-groove scene: just one of the many exciting facets of Novíssima Música Brasileira.
SEARCH, JEROEN: Time Signature EP 12" (FIGURE 084EP)
A regular contributor to Figure SPC, Jeroen Search both started the series and also provided an end. Across Time Signature EP, the Dutch artist doesn't stick to one style, instead he lets his infamous machines roam about freely. They take the listener for a smooth ride along swaying dub chords and gentle ripples above a hypnotic groove. Search pulls out all the stops and barges right in with fidgety claps and whirling bleeps. Ensuing the sonic assault, a simple synth figure emerges stoically over an almost house-y bounce as nostalgic rave strings bring the EP to an epic ending.
Having made two superb psychedelic albums and gigged with The Doors, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, The Velvet Underground and many others, in June of 1969, The Mandrake Memorial came to London. The plan was to record with famed producer Shel Talmy (The Kinks, The Who, Pentangle), but when that fell through, they persevered alone. Long thought to be lost, 3 Part Inventions anticipates the woozy, dream-like vibe of their 1970 masterpiece Puzzle, combining eerie vocals, trippy guitar and otherworldly electronics to create a unique whole. Transferred directly from the master tape, it's released here for the first time, together with a detailed band history, rare images, two previously unheard outtakes from a 1969 acetate. LP version comes on 180 gram vinyl; Comes in a gatefold sleeve with a 16-page booklet; Includes a 7 inch with a picture sleeve.
SPIRIT: Live At The Ash Grove, 1967 Volume 1 2LP (FBLP 1009LP)
Flashback present a never before released, live recording from Spirit, titled Live At The Ash Grove, 1967 Volume 1. Lead vocalist Jay Ferguson talks about the recording: "The Ash Grove was a legendary venue for folk and early Los Angeles rock, and really the birthplace of Spirit. We brought in a younger, less inhibited crowd, a mixture of hippies and jazz freaks. Spirit, at its inception, was more of an improvisational jazz/blues group than anything else. Our first shows had very few structured songs, lots of free-form going on. We were constantly writing, trying out, and discarding songs. Getting to play in a major LA club, building a following, trying out new ideas, and forging what the group would become. It was a magical time for us." These are the first ever recordings of the band, recorded in the summer of 1967. Produced with the full co-operation of the Randy California estate. Mastered from original tapes. Includes comprehensive liner notes with rare photos. Double LP version comes on 180 gram vinyl; Comes in a gatefold sleeve with two inserts.
DJ LIL' TAL: Rhythm 4 Tha Dancefloor EP 12" (FJ 009EP)
Chicago's finest DJ Lil' Tal is responsible for the ninth Footjob release. The underground veteran brought attention to himself in the '90s by releasing on the legendary label Dance Mania. "Who Came To Boogie" on the A-side is a pretty disco loop combined with tight and uncompromising drums - undeniably an ear-piercing banger - followed by the label owner Phonk D's insane filtered remix version. The B-side consists of the rough, reduced-to-minimal drum track "Jack Your House" plus the funky sample tune "Buzz The Doctor" with a beat that makes your dancing feet run straight to the hospital.
MCBRIDE, WOODY: When Good Times Turn Sour 12" (FN 018EP)
Four 1993-1994 archival acid tracks, vintage analog gear used only (Roland TB303 and TR909). Releases on cult labels such as Communique, Plus 8, Magnetic North, Drop Bass Network, Analog, Missile, Synewave, Labworks, etc. "Pasture's Star Route" previously unreleased on vinyl. RIYL: Midwest acid, Thomas Heckmann, Tim Taylor, Cari Lekebusch, DJ Slip, Freddy Fresh.
Four archival mid '90s (acid) tracks, vintage using only analog gear: TR 909/TR 606 Roland System 100M, EMS VCS3, ARP 2600, TB 303, Jupiter 8, Korg DSS1. Freddy Fresh released on cult labels such as Electric Music Foundation, Labworks, Synewave, Drop Bass Network, etc. "Space Funk" previously unreleased on vinyl. RIYL: dark acid, Thomas Heckmann, Tim Taylor, Cari Lekebusch, DJ Slip, DJ ESP.
After more than ten years of making music with turntables, tapes, and loops, the Swiss based musician, artist, performer, and architect Christoph Hess started the project Strotter Inst. in 1998 to concentrate just on the manipulation of turntables, not using any records or sounds made by someone or something else. The anachronistic machineries have dual roles as objects and as instruments. The first live impact was as installations, then the sounds start to grab the listener's attention. The auditory level surpasses the visual one. Therefore, the optical comprehension of how the sound is generated plays an important role. Hardly using sounds from LPs - if used, they are cut or scotched - the main source of sound are the prepared pick-ups (i.e. sewing needles or strings instead of the diamond or the extended use of rubber bands). The treatment involves the unclean nature of the sounds as part of the music. Besides the work as a musician, Strotter Inst. creates sound objects and installations out of turntables. The abbreviation "Inst." can both mean "instrument" and "installation". Comes on white vinyl. "Absolutely fantastic stuff!" --Aquarius Records
$26.99 UPC: 727973174865 ELECTRONIC
A1. Aaadsty - "Spassreiz Beim Polen" (A Miscellany About Tasaday)
A2. Aabdmorrs - "Yaeh-Namp" (A Miscellany About Dar-Sombra)
A3. Aceeh Imnsssttu - "Artigst Nach Gutem Changiert" (A Miscellany About Asmus Tietchens)
B1. Beeeenqu - "Snijdende Tests" (A Miscellany About Beequeen)
B2. Dehin Nor Stuuww - "105 Humorous Print Diseases" (A Miscellany About Nurse With Wound)
B3. Giillmss U - "Juli Enteist Jute" (A Miscellany About Sigillum S)
C1. 146dp - "Typisch Ch-Hofpresse" (A Miscellany About P16d4)
C2. Ahmnot - "Ahnenreihe O.T." (A Miscellany About Mathon)
C3. Efostu - "Acid Hang" (A Miscellany About Foetus)
D1. Lrw - "Keilhirnrinde..." (A Miscellany About Rlw)
D2. Ädekl - "Seismic Sofa Gang .44" (A Miscellany About Dälek)
D3. Alrtu - "Mysterious Flowershirts" (A Miscellany About Ultra)
S S S S: Just Dead Stars For Dead Eyes LP (HG 1702LP)
The multi-channel sound work Just Dead Stars For Dead Eyes is the result of Samuel Savenberg's two-week-long artist residency at Lucerne's Südpol in the summer of 2015. Originally available as a small-run cassette release through the Italian Haunter Records imprint (2015), Just Dead Stars For Dead Eyes has been carefully mastered for a vinyl issue by Room40 founder Lawrence English. During his residency, Savenberg explored the sonic environment of Südpol, doing field recordings around the building or recording pianos and even another resident, an actor whose fragmented and distorted voice can be heard throughout the two parts that make up Just Dead Stars For Dead Eyes. While this particular work does not necessarily explore a theoretical framework like Savenberg's previous releases under his S S S S moniker, it is not to be understood as an experimental piece, but rather an extension of his singular approach to electronic composition. Black and silver cover artwork; Comes as 180 gram vinyl.
Includes remix by Roly Porter. Limited edition 180 gram red vinyl, with plain black labels; Packaged in a plain inner sleeve and hand screen printed covers.
Working on Trio Prosodico (HOL 093LP), Holiday Records met Arrigo Lora-Totino to go with him through his archive of reel tapes and unreleased material, bumping into these two pieces belonging to a completely different nature compared to his other works - less "acting" and much more "exercise" - where the voice is stressed to its limits in two opposite ways. "Toccata Vocale" is a boiling chorus of short vowel sounds - like hiccuping bullets of a jammed machine gun - while "Ursprache" is a creepy flow of stretched growling voices ending with a multilingual echoing scream.
LP version. Edition of 250. In the summer of 2015, A L'ARME! Festival invited Konstrukt to perform with William Parker and Holiday Records teamed up with Matt Bordin of Outside Inside Studio to invite the quartet to play two shows in Italy on their way to Berlin. Plans overlapped leaving two days off spent playing with no interruption at Matt's studio in Montebelluna, capturing four incredible tracks. Now, Konstrukt are well known for their many collaborations with key players and real giants of worldwide jazz scene, but - once again - having the chance to listen to the music they produce when they play "by their own" is something special. Their tribute to the past is paid with every single tune they play, but these recordings are something that can only be described as "new music".
KONSTRUKT & ALEXANDER HAWKINS: Live at Cafe OTO 2LP (HOL 103LP)
Istanbul-based free music ensemble Konstrukt perform alongside special guest Alexander Hawkins, building the perfect groove in a sweaty Cafe OTO on August 10th, 2015. Two sets from the same night, each a 40 minute long improvisation. The first set is a psychedelic warm-up where the Turkish quartet welcomes Hawkins in a whirlwind of hypnotic funky tunes going electric in the Miles way. The second set starts with Hawkins piano keys bouncing along a silent background soon to be filled with a groovy odd drum tempo leading to a wall of sound where all parts build a perfectly unpredictable dialogue. Edition of 200.
"Oh the joy of leaving you with this mystery. No one really knows exactly who the Pilgrims Of Peace are or how their music ended up in our hands. But this dubbed out two-tracker is so smokin' hot, we don't really care, the music will take you there..." --Prins Thomas. Horisontal Mambo is a new sublabel by Full Pupp in Oslo.
Following on from that hugely sought-after Green Graves issue by Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement (2016), Hospital Productions re-examine a longstanding tradition of industrial ambient music on this exceptional collaboration between two of the label's most consistently innovative, highly absorbing producers. Originally released in a private press run of handmade tapes in 2016, the collaboration was made in person with both Alberich and Lussuria making use of digital synths in homage to that distinctly European scene of the mid '90s that combined hardcore industrial textures with ambient pulses. It's a sound you'll be familiar with if you've immersed yourself in the most unnervingly quiet sections of the last few Prurient albums, building a kind of futuristic soundscape situated somewhere between David Lynch, Kevin Drumm, and a more dystopian variant of Brad Fiedel's distinctive soundtrack to The Terminator (1984). Alberich's instinct for harsh propulsive rhythms is tempered here by Lussuria's weird topography, the digital rendering adding a kind of artificial foundation quite removed from the throbbing earthiness you'd find on a hardware session. Instead, the more linear trajectory of so many dark ambient excursions is replaced with a constantly shifting landscape, veering from an oddly displaced vocal narrative into pounded, crumbling rhythms at some points, while those sinking sub bass sands keep things resolutely atmospheric for the duration. There are no concessions to that blackened aesthetic here, if you were into Green Graves or want to immerse yourself in one of the most brutally atmospheric albums you'll hear this year, check this out. Edition of 500.
Gary Gritness lays down more devastating funk and classy riffing over his trusty Roland 606 on the second volume of his Sugar Cane Chronicles. "Steady Choosin'" gets downright fusion-jazz and Gritness fires out seductive melodies and Latin piano playing of the highest order, whilst "Countin' Up With Starr" delves into a darker well of synth mania, with a sexual groove reminiscent of Rick James. "Runner Joe's Revenge" ramps up the hysteria for a gritty and colossal production that typifies his love of cyberpunk soundtracks. The low-slung "Pool Shark Loot" carries all the signature Gritness sounds, with P-Funk sleaziness on top.
LONDON MODULAR ALLIANCE: Home Grown EP 12" (HYPE 059EP)
Hailing from London, London Modular Alliance are a trio of modular enthusiasts, often performing live, completely on the fly using modular synths and live improvisation. Members include Koova, Yes Effect, and Pip Williams, but on Home Grown EP, Pip Williams, AKA Phil Venture, strikes alone with four devastating cuts. The production aesthetics across the four cuts are second to none; "Civic Society" pairs up dark atmospherics and driving electro beats, whilst "Home Grown" is a pacey and bustling burner. More forward motion electro vibes are in evidence on "Lucid", and "Saunton" combines dense ambience, broken beats, and acidic bass.
ROOTS RADICS: Dubbing At Channel 1 LP (JRLP 065LP)
LP version. As the 1970s turned into the 1980s, reggae's beat took another turn, slowing down to allow more space for the music to breathe. The new sound became reggae's focus, and the Roots Radics became one of Jamaica's finest session/backing bands at the forefront of this radical change. The Roots Radics were based around the nucleus of Errol "Flabba" Holt (bass), Lincoln Valentine "Style" Scott (drums), and Eric "Bingi Bunny" Lamont (guitar). Holt and Bingi Bunny had previously been involved in the Morwells label set up and had cut some popular tunes such as "Swine And Dine", "They Hold Us Down", and the great "Kingston 12 Tuffy". Before this, Bunny had played for one of the other great reggae sessions band, the Channel One based Revolutionaires. It was the demise of this legendary band, due to Sly and Robbie's commitments to their own Taxi label, that led to the formation of the Roots Radics. The Radics have worked with many different producers over the years including Linval Thompson, with the series of alums, Scientist's 1981 album Meets the Space Invaders (MIR 100738CD/LP) and 1982 album Scientist Wins The World Cup (MIR 100741CD/LP). They also worked as Gregory Isaacs's backing band and were responsible for the rhythms that made up his seminal Night Nurse set (1982). Jamaican Recordings have caught the Roots Radics for this set of cutting rhythms in their favorite environment, the famous Channel One Studios. On this occasion working with producer Ossie Thomas for his own Black Solidarity label. A match made in heaven.
Hailing from the Ruhr area in Germany, the Homewreckers have a long history to look back on. Numerous projects have involved the three band members Johannes Ehmann, Gregor Pottmeier, and Krischan Wesenberg in the past 20 years, always meandering between the realms of jazz, blues, soul, house, and techno. Their unique sound spans from deep dancefloor oriented electronic music to film soundtracks that, amongst others, underlined the infamous productions of the artist Harun Farocki. Confusion EP is an excerpt of their upcoming album Machine Kiss that sums up six years of research and work.
Cassette version. Comes in an individually hand-printed, silk screen cardboard case. Magamura's debut release Supernaturals. Comprised of Eril Fjord and Laurine Frost, the Hungarian duo have carved out their reputation through live performances at renowned festivals and venues like Arma in Moscow, combining the former's indie aesthetic with the electronic music prowess the latter has proved on work for the Nervmusic imprint. Despite its huge influence from '70s and '80s experimental music, Supernaturals is not so much retrospective as ominously dystopian. It captures and distills their well-known improvisational mutability into a testament to their promising potential, which will stand the test of time. This is Kebko Music's first instalment on vinyl. Kebko Music is Tokyo-based Akiko Kiyama's independent music label focusing on releasing avant-garde music which is not bounded by any specific genres but embraces the whole range of techno, experimental music, field- and live-recordings, and classical music. The label owner established her name by Richie Hawtin featuring her track in his well-known DE9 Transitions mix in 2005. Since then, her music style has gradually changed to explore the edge of electronic music. The core of the label is based on small, handcrafted editions of cassette tapes.
Totes Preesh, New York's Sean Marquand and Patrick Wood, have created these sounds, tooling them to perfection. They were featured on 2015's Mangiami (La Compilation) on Golf Channel Recordings, but this is their first 12". They are here to make you bump to a cosmic sound that is sexy and pristine, and yet, also feels exactly like two buffalo boys going round the outside. First up, "Head Shop Boys", a kicky, kinky, neon affair, perfect for late-night debauchery. "Haole" is a straight up trip, with some serious old school New York flavor.
REYNOLDS, ROGER: Voicespace I, III & IV CD (LCD 1801CD)
1992 release. Originally released on Lovely Music in 1982. Voices, language, and space interested Roger Reynolds since The Emperor of Ice Cream was written for the ONCE Festivals in Ann Arbor in the 1960s. In the 1970s, at the Center for Music Experiment in La Jolla, he heard the daily rehearsals of the Extended Vocal Techniques Ensemble and, in the evenings, read his my daughter to sleep, trying to capture an individual and consistent vocal behavior for each character in the story. A demanding critic, she stimulated Reynolds's reflections on vocal identity. Electronics offered rather precise control over auditory space (a particular sound's size, location, distance, the character of the host space in which it was heard). Choosing spare but evocative texts (Borges, Melville, Stevens, Coleridge), Reynolds conjures up unfamiliar yet appropriate vocal behaviors with which to present them. The five works in the series thus far share a concern with the potential of auditory imaging: this is a subject still only tentatively broached. They attempt to create a personal theater through the mind's ear. Yet they are distinct. Three of them are presented on this CD release: The Palace (Voicespace IV), Eclipse (Voicespace III), Still (Voicespace I). Personnel: Philip Larson, Carol Plantamura - voices; The Extended Vocal Techniques Ensemble; Roger Reynolds - recording.
$8.39 UPC: 745295180128 CLASSICAL
01. The Palace (Voicespace IV) (16:07)
02. Eclipse (Voicespace III) (16:10)
03. Still (Voicespace I) (21:35)
1991 release. Fast Forward's primary instrument on this Panhandling is the steel drum or pan, but he may use any percussion instrument: a coil of flat metal, a bathtub, temple bells. He rolls a ball around the concave surface of the pan, once after filling it with water. With relatively simple means, chosen by a playful and imaginative mind, Forward creates a sound that is rich and surprisingly delicate, unfolding engaging melodies that leave an acoustic afterglow -- like a shimmering veil, suggesting the mesmerizing appearance of the northern lights.
$8.39 UPC: 745295209126 CLASSICAL
01. Pomp and Circumstance (4:57)
02. Craftmatic (5:04)
03. Rollerball (1:28)
04. The Dream State (solo version) (4:21)
05. Red Dance (2:07)
06. Precious Metals (2:11)
07. Harpo (1:29)
08. The Big Wind (4:32)
09. Waterball (1:53)
10. Crusader in the Groove (Once Back) (4:25)
11. Stix (9:49)
12. Flip Flop (1:40)
13. The Bullroarers (2:11)
LA BARBARA/KENNETH GOLDSMITH, JOAN: 73 Poems CD (LCD 3002CD)
1994 release. Joan La Barbara's composition, 73 Poems, was commissioned, produced and recorded by Permanent Press (Brooklyn, NY) to accompany the publication of Kenneth Goldsmith's 73 Poems as a book and as a suite of lithographs. La Barbara's works often involve multiple layers of her own voice, creating a kind of sonic canvas on which she throws splashes of vocal colors. On this CD, her potent combination of vocal and studio expertise makes it possible for her to represent in music some of the most distinctive features of Goldsmith's visual texts. Joan La Barbara, voice; Joan La Barbara, Michael Hoenig, and Bradford Ellis, sound design.
DEMARINIS, PAUL: Music As A Second Language CD (LCD 3011CD)
1991 release. Speech melodies extracted from sources as various as language instruction recordings, hypnotists and televangelists are re-synthesized and applied to digital musical instruments, becoming eerily beautiful, "the singing of voices more ancient than language." Performed by Paul DeMarinis.
$8.39 UPC: 745295301127 CLASSICAL
01. Leçon par l'aiguille (2:53)
02. Fonetica Francese (3:59)
03. Odd Evening (3:13)
04. An Appeal (4:25)
05. The Sand Clock (2:56)
06. Cincinnati 1830-1850 (6:14)
07. The Power of Suggestion (9:17)
08. Beneath the Numbered Sky (16:10)
BUCKNER, THOMAS: Full Spectrum Voice CD (LCD 3021CD)
1991 release. Works by six composers from new music's acclaimed baritone, Thomas Buckner who's been called "the voice of the new". Works written by: Robert Ashley, Jon Gibson, Nils Vigeland, Peter Gena, Annea Lockwood, and Roscoe Mitchell. Personnel: Thomas Buckner - vocals; Tony Barrero - trumpet; Jon Gibson - clarinet, flute; J.D. Parran - bass clarinet, baritone saxophone; "Blue" Gene Tyranny - synthesizer; Joseph Kubera - piano; Tom Hamilton - synthesizer; Michael Pugliese - timpani, percussion.
$8.39 UPC: 745295302124 CLASSICAL
01. Robert Ashley - Odalisque (9:40)
02. Jon Gibson - Rainforest/Brazil (He Was Not Disappointed) (12:39)
03. Nils Vigeland - March, Hymn and Waltz (5:55)
04. Peter Gena - Mother Jones (9:45) Annea Lockwood, Night and Fog:
05. 1921 (9:21)
06. The Visitor (1979) (6:11)
07. 1923 (4:05) Roscoe Mitchell, Three Poems by e.e. cummings:
08. because it's (2:26)
09. this (5:08)
10. dim (5:25)
BUCKNER, THOMAS: His Tone Of Voice CD (LCD 3024CD)
2000 release. On His Tone Of Voice, Thomas Buckner offers three works about man's spiritual quest for truth and goodness. The central character in "Blue" Gene Tyranny's collection of songs, His Tone of Voice at 37, realizes something that he had always known, but forgot that he knew -- a secret that frees him to search for a place where there are no more wars or suffering. Mel Graves draws his inspiration for Mediations on Truth from the poems of the 15th-Century Sufi poet, Kabir, whose style was at once, irreverent yet intensely spiritual. Jacques Bekaert brings the story of the gentle Orfeo, who has become a symbol of marital fidelity, non-violence, and of the artist whose greatest ambition is to make the world a better place. Personnel: Thomas Buckner - baritone; Jeffrey Berman - vibraphone; Josef Bergstaller - trumpet; Jay Elfeinbein - contrabass; Ethel (Todd Reynolds and Mary Rowell - violins; Ralph Farris - viola; Dorothy Lawson - cello); Mel Graves - contrabass; Benjamin Herrington - trombone; Leroy Jenkins - solo violin; Joseph Kubera - harpsichord; Jacqueline LeClair - oboe; Ted Mook - cello; Bill Ruyle - bowed marimba; Stefani Starin - flute; "Blue" Gene Tyranny - piano; Christopher Berg - conductor for His Tone of Voice at 37.
$8.39 UPC: 745295302421 CLASSICAL
01. "Blue" Gene Tyranny - His Tone of Voice at 37 (15:13)
02. Mel Graves - Mediations on Truth (26:38)
03. Jacques Bekaert - Orfeo (24:06)
2002 release. The DownTown Ensemble was formed in 1983 by co-directors, Daniel Goode and William Hellermann. The Ensemble has several points of focus: music for open (unspecified) instrumentation, emerging composers, commissions, graphic scores, ritual/intermedia music, and large ensemble works. While the Ensemble has a consistent core of players, performances always involve a variety of other artists. There have been over fifty such collaborations since the group's inception. Downtown Only presents four of them. Features works by: Daniel Goode, William Hellerman, Mary Jane Leach, and Peter Zummo.
$8.39 UPC: 745295308126 CLASSICAL
01. Daniel Goode - Nod Drama (18:15)
02. William Hellermann - Postpone (27:02)
03. Mary Jane Leach - Bare Bones (7:07)
04. Peter Zummo - Fast Dream (15:25)
MANN AND THE USE, CHRIS: Chris Mann And The Use CD (LCD 3091CD)
2001 release. Chris Mann, an Australian poet, writer, performer and composer relocated to New York City, brings a recording of his signature works to Lovely Music. With the participation of Christine Bard, Anthony Coleman, Christian Marclay, Jim Pugliese, Mark Stewart, and David Watson. Chris Mann's works for voice are based on complex texts, freely composed to allow a play of wit and humor. He explores the textures and gestures of Australian speech, with its rhythms and qualities of color, pitch, intonation, and emphasis. He has collaborated widely with composers, film-makers, and electronic music composers. He has received commissions from Radio France, Paris Autumn, National Public Radio, Composers Forum, Australian Biennale, Ars Electronica, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and BBC. He has held residencies at the Shire of Healesville in Victoria, ABC Staff Union, Harvestworks, RPI's iEar Studios. He performs extensively worldwide with Machine For Making Sense, Chris Mann and the Impediments, and solo. "Language is the mechanism whereby you understand what I'm thinking better than I do. (Where 'I' is defined by those changes for which I is required)." --Chris Mann
$8.39 UPC: 745295309123 CLASSICAL
01. Or, Yellow (23:00)
02. Virtuoso Thinking For Several Invited Words (20:09)
03. Humility - On Eating Your Words (22:11)
1991 release. Robert Ashley's Perfect Lives has been called "the most influential music/theater/literary work of the 1980s." At its center is the hypnotic voice of Robert Ashley. His continuous song narrates the events of the story and describes a 1980s update of the mythology of small town America. Perfect Lives is populated with myriad characters revolving around two musicians - "R", the singer of myth and legend, and his friend, Buddy, "The World's Greatest Piano Player". They have come to a small town in the Midwest to entertain at the Perfect Lives Lounge. As Robert Ashley describes in the opera synopsis, "they fall in with two locals to commit the perfect crime, a metaphor for something philosophical: in this case, to remove a sizable about of money from The Bank for one day (and one day only) and let the whole world know that it was missing." The eloping couple, Ed and Gwyn, the old people at the home, the sheriff and his wife (Will and Ida) who finally unravel the mystery, and Isolde, who watches the celebration of the changing of the light at sundown from the doorway of her mother's house, are some of the characters who journey through the seven episodes of the opera. Derived from a colloquial idiom, Perfect Lives transforms familiar material into an elaborate metaphor for the rebirth of the human soul. It has been called a comic opera about reincarnation. Personnel: Robert Ashley - solo voice; Jill Kroesen, David Van Tieghem - chorus; "Blue" Gene Tyranny - keyboards; David Van Tieghem - non-keyboard percussion; Peter Gordon - music producer; Paul Shorr - soundtrack producer.
$24.39 UPC: 745295491729 ROCK
1.01. The Park (Privacy Rules) (24:25)
1.02. The Supermarket (Famous People) (24:53)
1.03. The Bank (Victimless Crime) (25:03)
2.01. The Bar (Differences) (24:48)
2.02. The Living Room (The Solutions) (25:07)
3.01. The Church (After the Fact) (24:44)
3.02. The Backyard (T'Be Continued) (24:45)
ASHLEY & PAUL DEMARINIS, ROBERT: In Sara, Mencken, Christ and Beethoven There Were Men and Women CD (LCD 4921CD)
2002 release. Definitive CD reissue of this original Cramps label album from 1974, an early classic from Robert Ashley with music provided by Paul DeMarinis. This deluxe slip-cased version features a 110-page book, reproducing the original John Barton Wolgamot text along with fascinating liner notes explaining the whole project from Keith Waldrop and Robert Ashley. The CD features one long composition with Ashley reading a text by poet John Barton Wolgamot. The poem has 128 stanzas; each stanza is made up of the same phrase, into which are introduced four variables, three are names or groups of names or constructions of names, and the fourth variable is formed by the adverb of the active verb. The result is considered "one of the most unusual and difficult linguistic textures in the English language." The underlying music is supplied by Paul DeMarinis on Moog synthesizer. Ashley on DeMarinis: "[Paul] has elaborated seven different modular combinations, each of which can be controlled by programmed impulses. These derive from the sound of the reading of the poem passed through the regeneration high frequency filter and successively translated into a series of command impulses."
$8.39 UPC: 745295492122 CLASSICAL
01. In Sara, Mencken, Christ And Beethoven There Were Men And Women (40:54)
Mannequin Records present an archival collection from the genesis of Orphx's sound. Inspired by early industrial music and new waves of noise from Japan and Europe, the compilation is gathering together some of the best material from their first two cassette releases, released in 1993 and 1994, along with previously unreleased tracks recovered from the original four-track tapes. Mastered by Rude 66; Graphic design by Alessandro Adriani. Edition of 500.
Mannequin Records celebrate their nine year anniversary with a reissue of Diaframma's Siberia, originally released in 1984. A masterpiece of '80s Italian new wave, and a cornerstone of Italian rock. At the end of the '70s Federico Fiumani, together with two classmates, gave life to CFS. The acronym is formed by the initials of the members: Gianni Cicchi (drummer), Fiumani (guitar and voice), and Salvatore Susini (bass). Later, Susini was replaced by Cicchi's brother, Leandro. The new incarnation of Diaframma was born, with the singer now replaced with Nicola Vannini. From their earliest moments, they shared the same stages as Neon, Pankow, and Litfiba, who all contributed transforming the Tuscan capital into the epicenter of post-punk in Italy. After their first single Pioggia / Illusione Ottica (1982), a split with Pankow (1982), and the mini-album Altrove (1983), the beautiful lyrics of the guitar player and leader Federico Fiumani exposed the band as one of the most popular in the Italian scene. In 1984, Diaframma signed onto IRA Records and Nicola Vannini was replaced by the painter and sculpturist Miro Sassolini. With Miro on board, Diaframma recorded Siberia, 3 Volte Lacrime (1986), and Boxe (1988), unwittingly laying the blueprint for the future generation of Italian alternative music scene. Siberia is one of the most successful attempts to combine derivative Anglo-Saxon musical styles and songs written in Italian. Siberia's title track is a masterpiece that highlights Fiumani's skills, drawing trajectories with his guitar in line with the metaphorical descriptions of a "big chill", reflecting the mood and social climate of Italy in the early '80s. Epoch-making is actually an adjective suitable for the album, filtered through the sensibility of memorable songs like "Neongrigio", "Amsterdam", "De Lorenzo", and "Specchi D'Acqua". An Italian breath, where the lyrics of Fiumani are totally lost in the symbolist poetry, represents a perfect model of harmony between the Italian metrics and the sound and rhythm of English post-punk. Siberia pictures Italy's first attempt to emerge from the exciting comfort zone of the "underground" to deal finally with the real market (IRA sold approximately 50,000 copies at the time), where the tradition of the Italian song-writing was merging with the musical forefather, such as Joy Division, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Television. In February 2012, Rolling Stone placed Siberia as #7 on their poll of the 100 most beautiful Italian records of all time. Edition of 600.
LP version. Includes a booklet and a download code. Luyando means "mother's love" in Tonga, a language that is spoken by the first inhabitants of the Zambezi Valley of Southern Africa. But beyond the word, Luyando goes to the heart of Mokoomba's music. Lyrical and beautifully breezy, Luyando is a spiritual journey into the heart of Zimbabwean society, culture, and tradition. On Luyando, Mokoomba modified their rock-band oriented line-up to record a more raw, acoustic album. The songs are rooted in the local traditions and life in their hometown of Victoria Falls, a town on the Zambezi River, named after the Victoria Falls. When the band first hit the music scene their blend of traditional rhythms and contemporary Zimrock took the country by storm. Mokoomba brought a unique flavor to a scene that was dominated by sungura, reggae, and dancehall, urban and Afro jazz bands. On Luyando, Mokoomba dig even deeper into their heritage: Luyando takes the listener back into the past to a vanishing world of traditions that used to be at the heart of Tonga and Luvale society, their customs, rituals, and even day-to-day life. There are the cautionary and instructive tracks like, "Njawane", which advises young hunters of how to act when faced with a dangerous lion. The haunting "Kumukanda" is inspired by a Tonga initiation ceremony and "Mabemba" speaks about the values of the Tonga people. The lighter, and more playful "Nyaradzo" is a song of cheeky courtship and "Kulindiswe" is a personal lament on the hardships of band life. Victoria Falls, a meeting point of a multitude of traditions, is the main inspiration for the lead singer and composer, Mathias Muzaza. While Tonga dominates as a language of composition and the native language of most members of the group, the songs are sung in at least three other languages: Shona, Luvale, and Ndebele. Most members of the group are ethnically Tonga one of Zimbabwe's (and Zambia's) smallest ethnic groups. The history of the Tonga is crucial to Luyando and central to the project is Kambowa the song that speaks of a key moment of Tonga history, the traumatic displacement of the Tonga from their ancestral lands in 1955 to make way for the Kariba dam. At present, Zimbabwe is in a state of economic turbulence and political uncertainty. Luyando is, in its own small way, a place where everyone who aspires for better is welcome.
Benjamin Fröhlich's 2016 EP Rude Movements (PERMVAC 151-1EP, 2016) gets the remix treatment by some of his favorite artists: Permanent Vacation long-time collaborator Lauer tugs "Amos" in with a very cozy Frankfurt trance blanket, while Running Back regular Shan pulls out the curls of "Holloway" thanks to his magic styling iron. The result: a pumping and string heavy affair. On the flipside Brussels's wunderkind Cleveland delivers an energizing and mesmerizing breakbeat version of "Ghost Orchid" for the magic moments in life. While Swiss finest Jack Pattern delivers a cosmic disco reinterpretation of "Spitting Image".
Having released your first recordings at the tender age of 14 - as Tim Engelhardt did in 2012 - might put you in a "wunderkind" category - a flattering, but ultimately risky proposition, finding many a prodigy overwhelmed with the dubious honor. Not so much this hero, who chose to put his skills to work: in only four years, he grew his portfolio with plenty outings on respected labels, but his breakthrough release was the 2015 EP Everything Is All You Have on Steve Bug's iconic Poker Flat imprint, followed by Enigmatism on the same label (2015). Something definitely clicked, as Poker Flat Recordings present Tim's debut album Moments Of Truth, the first full-length survey of his sonic savvy and a terrific listening experience to boot, which will find its connoisseurs in both the club and at home. "Eyes Closed" features Forrest. Includes a download code which includes four additional tracks.
Jonathan Baruc, in the guise of Death Qualia, makes his burnt offering to the undead rave with Intention Versus. The architecture of longing, styled by the black hand beyond. The record leaps from tectonics to tenderness as it meditates on the violence of creation, reincarnation and rebirth. Cascades of sheetrock peel away to reveal a private bardo. Though a student of technical finesse, Baruc drives listeners to examine their inner mythology and confront the golems they have raised. He does not speak of another world ... his is a journey in intensity.
I Musik marks the third piece from the duet of Hannes Norrvide and Frederik Valentin, aka Kyo. With each release, the pair shift the project's aesthetic equilibrium, forcing a new constellation of resonances, handing the listener a new beauty. The melodramatic pause that their previous album, Aktuel Musik (PI 174LP, 2016), circled with enthusiasm, is now considered from a greater distance. Perhaps it is because society has now arrived somewhere? There is a hopeful melancholia that has come with this distance, and it is put to use to describe a scene that feels as human as it is synthetic, as if the world you know is now behind glass. Futures imagined are being recalled, futures undiscovered are being explored - Norrvide and Valentin manage to encode a sense of endlessness to such processes quite casually. The acoustic surfaces brush electronic reflections with an understated sincerity, all of which feels whispered to you by a familiar voice in familiar phrases. RIYL: James Ferraro, Torn Hawk, Dean Blunt.
$16.99 EAN: 5055869543897 ELECTRONIC
A1. Universal Audio
A2. Azzurra
A3. Darkblue / Seagrey
A4. Life Digest
A5. Adding Patterns
B1. Johanna
B2. Urban Tactical
B3. Windbreaker
B4. Snap
B5. Data Carriers
CROATIAN AMOR: Love Means Taking Action Remixes LP (PI 192LP)
Remixes of Croatian Amor's most recent album, Love Means Taking Action (ALT 028CD/PI 180LP, 2016), as a one-off limited pressing. Features: Brynje, Age Coin, Why Be, Yen Towers, CTM, Félicia Atkinson, Drew McDowall, KYO, and Health & Safety.
$14.99 EAN: 5055869545242 ELECTRONIC
01. Värmland (Brynje Remix)
02. Refugee (Age Coin Remix)
03. Love Thirteen (Island Step) (Why Be Remix)
04. Any Lyfe (Yen Towers Remix)
05. Octopus Web (CTM Remix)
06. Ma Langue La Premiere (Félicia Atkinson Remix)
07. Love (Drew McDowall Remix)
08. An Angel (KYO Remix featuring Health & Safety)
Originally released on Gentlemen Cuts (Vol. 2) (QUINTESSE 050EP, 2016) and making rather big waves, "Grooff Machine" from Ponty Mython gets the remix treatment for some more dope grooffs! Chicago hotshot Chrissy (The Nite Owl Diner, Classic, Razor N' Tape) puts disco and acid in and offers a great clubby all-time classic. Ponty himself fuses lots of house, disco, funk, and 808 so that you can grooff to the max. And Soul of Hex (Vicario Ltd, Freerange) keeps it dark and loopy before adding some splendid riffs.
GNOD: Just Say No To The Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine LP (LAUNCH 109LP)
LP version. "It seems like we are heading towards even more unsettling times in the near future than we are in at present," reckons Chris Haslam of Gnod. "2016 is just the beginning of what I see as the establishment's systematic destruction of liberalism and equality as a reaction to the general public's loss of faith in their system." Charged by this outlook, Gnod's new album, Just Say No To The Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine, represents a hitherto uncharted level of antagonism and adversarial force for the band - an artistic statement as righteous, fervent and direct as its title. "On the surface it could almost seem like there's no political art movement out there to oppose what's happening, but there is - we know there is," adds the band's Paddy Shine. "Maybe that movement is struggling to find its voice as a cohesive whole right now but that will change." Fueled by their militant drive and unyielding ardor, Just Say No refracts Gnod's harsh and repetitive riff-driven rancor through a psychotropic haze of dubbed-out abstraction, with Paddy's incendiary vocal delivery to the fore. Gnod - fiercely independent, never comfortable in one place artistically for any duration of time, always with their coordinates set on uncharted territory and the next challenge ahead, and delivering a monument of ire and iconoclasm.
Manuela, the London-based project comprising vocalist and songwriter Manuela Gernedel and multi-instrumentalist and producer Nick McCarthy (Franz Ferdinand, FFS), present their self-titled debut album. Austrian Manuela and her British-born husband Nick have been making music together on-and-off ever since they first met at a youth club summer party in the late '90s in Bavaria, Germany, where they both grew up. They moved to Glasgow together some years later after Manuela was offered a place at Glasgow School of Art to study painting. While living in Glasgow, Manuela performed with the short-lived band White Nights, who released one 7" EP via Paul Thomson's NEW! label. Nick went on to join Franz Ferdinand, selling millions of records and touring the world, all the while continuing to make music with Manuela as Box Codax together with their long-term friend Alexander Ragnew, releasing two well-received albums Only An Orchard Away in 2006 and Hellabuster in 2011 (GOMMA 151CD). The album was recorded after Nick concluded touring the Franz Ferdinand and Sparks collaboration FFS at Sausage, Nick's studio in London, and was co-produced and mixed by Sebastian Kellig. The album features players and friends old and new including Jim Dixon (Django Django), William Reese (Mystery Jets), Roxanne Clifford (Veronica Falls), and Paul Thomson (Franz Ferdinand), among many others. Manuela is a joyous gem of addictive, eclectic, off-the-wall, and instantly refreshing DIY pop.
$14.39 EAN: 4260028155274 ROCK
01. Everything Goes (3:06)
02. Supermarket (3:44)
03. Farewell (2:50)
04. VVW (0:29)
05. Silent Dome (5:21)
06. Cracks In The Concrete (2:39)
07. Easy (3:43)
08. Invincible (2:43)
09. March Against It (3:15)
10. White Hotel (2:40)
11. Desolation Angels (4:10)
12. Invincible Dub (5:51)
DUBFIRE & MISS KITTIN: Ride Remixes 12" (SCITEC 180EP)
Dubfire and Miss Kittin scored another big hit with their second collaboration Ride (SCITEC 171EP, 2016). Here, they unleash a pack of remixes. Solomun's remix boldly displays his affinity for heads-down techno. It centers around ticking percussion and pulsating synth delays with a throbbing low end. Matthew Dear dons his Audion guise to remind the listener how instrumental he was in formulating that oddball techno sound a decade ago, making good use of the vocals in the heady breakdowns and matching them with unsettlingly wavering synth sirens and an almost tribal bass stomp.
AFRO SUPER-FEELINGS LED BY SEGUN OKEJI: I Like Woman LP (SPLP 002LP)
Soul Patrol Records present a reissue of I Like Woman. This is an album comprised of two super-rare Afro-beat disco/funk tracks from Lagos by the band Afro Super-Feelings, led the by artist/musician Segun Okeji. Segun Okeji was the tenor sax player in Fela Kuti's Koola Lobitos band in Nigeria in the late 1960s before changing their name to Africa 70, and this record, originally released in the late 1970s, uses that first-hand experience and influence to maximum effect with a pair of devastating sidelong saxophone-led jams. Up-tempo, chugging drums and a crack horn section, bass, guitar, organ, and backing vocals coordinate to achieve the hypnotic call/refrain/chant crescendo that was Fela's hallmark in his peak years. Players include Tunde Daudu on drums (The Benders), E. Ngomalloh on organ (Fela Kuti), Tutu Shoronmu on guitar (Fela Kuti), and others that played on releases by the C.S. Crew, Sonny Okosun, Orlando Julius, and Tony Allen. Edition of 500.
$16.99 EAN: 3700077617220 WORLD
A1. I Like Woman (14:57)
B1. Afro Super-Feelings In Disco (14:41)
Bucharest's Romansoff brings post-industrial heat on the second Sportiv release. With previous releases on Crème Organization, Mörk, and his own Raw Tools, Tudor cranks it to 11 and does crunchy, saturated beats under a killer analog riff on "Colonial Past". "Bodylock", on the flip, is equally intense but chooses a more stone-cold approach. Gripping, energetic material from a country at peak creativity. Sportiv is a dexterous white label operation that brings you heavyweight rhythmic performances from the world of techno athletics.
VA: Gunsmoke Volume 2: Dark Tales Of Western Noir From A Ghost Town Jukebox 10" (STAGO 098LP)
Stag-O-Lee present the second volume in a new limited edition series, Gunsmoke. This is a collection of oddball country weepers, moody rockabilly, and popcorn noir from the 1950s and early '60s. So turn out the lights, sit back and relax to the soundtrack from a jukebox in a ghost town. For best results: listen to after dark. Packaged in a nice 10" sleeve with hole; Edition of 666. Features: Billy Fury, Steve Arlen, Jerry Irby, Johnny Pelvin, Magnificent Seven, El Clod, Warren Smith, Steve King, Danny Welch, Ric Cartey, Johnny Bond, and Sons Of The Pioneers.
2017 repress. Originally released in 2006. Kékélé's third album Kinavana is a celebration of the musical bloodlines that have run between Cuba and Congo for hundreds of years. As the title hints, it's the spirited and sensuous sound of both Kinshasa and Havana. Along with Kékélé's original members, Kinavana features the grand old master-guitarist Papa Noel, the globetrotting saxophonist Manu Dibango, superstar chanteuse Mbilia Bel, and arranger Nelson Hernandez, best known for his work with salsa diva Celia Cruz. "Kinavana is not just the best African album I've heard in years; it's superior to most of the music I've heard lately, from any place." --All About Jazz "Kékélé make the most exquisite music." --The Independent "Unadulterated joy." --London Metro
Originally released in 1993. Bamba is a classic. Recorded in Dakar and released on a pair of cassettes in 1980 and 1981 in Senegal only, these tracks had become legendary well before Sterns Africa discovered the original tapes and reissued them on one CD in 1993. This set marks an early peak in the glorious history of Orchestra Baobab: the time when the band boasted five singers, including the magnificent Thione Seck (who soon embarked on a brilliant solo career) and the plaintive-voiced Medoune Dialo (who later went on to form Africando), and the time when guitarist Barthélémy Attisso was honing Carlos Santana's influence into a dazzling, multihued African psychedelia. "Bamba is simply a great album, and the perfect place for rock-oriented listeners to enter the realm of West African pop music." --AllMusic
Restocked; 2009 release. When the first volume of Francophonic was released in 2008, Mojo described it as "a treasure chest from the Congo" and concluded "It doesn't get much better ... until Volume 2." Well, here's Volume 2. "Thunderbolts and fireworks, start to finish." --Pitchfork "Extraordinary depth, drive, musicality and emotional power." --fRoots Over two hours of music, plus a 48-page booklet.
Unreleased material by Luc Ferrari, released here on Sub Rosa's Early Electronic series. Two tracks from the forthcoming three-CD box set devoted to Luc Ferrari's film music. Not only does the collection reveal a little-known chunk of Ferrari's oeuvre as a composer for the screen, it also sheds light on the ties between cinema and musique concrète, especially during the fruitful period that stretched from the 1960s to the 1980s. Tinguely (1967) is a musique concrète piece for a television program by C. Caspari. From recordings made by the composer in 1966 at an exhibition of Jean Tinguely's work. Once the 110V Liliput engine is turned on, the sculptures start moving instantly in unpredictable ways, as if they had suddenly become frantic. They move in disorganized and excited ways; each action brings them on the verge of self-destruction. Tinguely's "Balubas" illustrate how ephemeral and intangible art and life are. The "Balubas" carry joy and despair, fascination and disillusionment. Dernier Matin d'Edgar-Allan Poe (1964) is a musique concrete piece for a short 33mm black-and-white film by Jean Barral.
Babils are an atypical Brussels underground band, mixing rock, new wave, psych, kraut, experimental, and repetitive music. Ji Ameeto is the fourth album from Babils. From the duet formed in the late '90s by Gabriel Séverin and Michel Duyck, opening out over the years, the five current members of Babils meet monthly at the Central Laboratory to improvise freely, without any restraint. All the sessions are recorded and archived. The very first album by Babils, The Joint Between, made of a selection of improvised and reworked tracks titled, came out in 2007 on the label Stilll and was received positively by underground newspapers and many American college radios. This CD was nominated for the Qwartz, awarded by Radio France. In 2009, Stephan Barbery saw his friends on stage at Ancienne Belgique. Expressing his enthusiasm, he was invited to join the crew. The band, then made of six members, released two CDs: QTAB in 2011 and WAH! in 2013. Unfortunately, they will never play six on stage. Michel Duyck, after suffering, passed away on November 8, 2014. Ji Ameeto is the first album of Babils without Michel. Personnel: Gabriel Séverin, aka Rob(u)Rang (Jardin D'usure, Moonsanto, Silk Saw, Tremolo Dual, etc.) - many things + mix and production; Etienne Vernaeve (Isolation Ward, Tongue) - drums; Patrick Bellefroid - bass; Lukas Vangheluwe - trumpet; Stephan Barbery (Thrills, Digital Dance, Ink., Instead Of, Snowy Red, Inside Landscapes) - guitar.
MUMDANCE & LOGOS: Perc & Truss Proto Remixes 12" (TEC 097EP)
Perc & Truss rework two key cuts from Mumdance & Logos' debut album Proto (TEC 019CD/TEC 082LP, 2015) and deliver a pair of hard-as-nails techno bangers. "Move Your Body" is mutated from the hardcore-referencing original into a searing industrial belter. Perc & Truss' version makes use of distorted 808 drums and rising machine noise to ramp up the tension before eventually dropping out to the vocal sample and unleashing a terrorizing acid line. "Hall Of Mirrors" sees the pair re-route Mumdance & Logos' original into a 4/4 roller, peppered with metallic percussive hits and a robotic bass riff.
DREI FARBEN HOUSE: Fluency Fabrics 2x12" (TDPR 020LP)
Throughout his life, Berlin based musician Drei Farben House has been thrilled by the artistic concepts of repetition and modifying resemblances. Small but precise and perceptible variations of (musical) themes have fascinated him throughout his life, specifically as a lover of dance-infused pop. The artistic concept of handwriting has been questioned in the world of fine arts with some justification, but Michael Siegle, aka Drei Farben House, has remained a strong advocate of this artistic principle, which, in his view, has resulted in many impressive musical expressions in the history of soul and disco. Fluency Fabrics' sleeve shows the "Doris and Norman Fisher House" in Hatboro (a suburb of Philadelphia) designed by Louis I. Kahn from 1960-1967. Kahn was based in Philadelphia and was one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century. The almost spiritual sensibility of his buildings and his poetry of light created deep, fundamental connections between the spaces and their inhabitants. "Every building must have . . . its own soul," the famous quote of Kahn, can easily be seen in the modest and wonderfully warm Fisher house, which consists of two intersecting cubic volumes created from cedar wood - twenty miles away, at the same time, the newly founded Sigma Sound Studio was recording the Delfonics' first record, installing the basements of Philadelphia Soul which was later leading to Philly sound, disco, and house. Drei Farben House sees Fluency Fabrics as a piece of work using disco as a main inspiration source, but steers clear of aesthetically imitating the pioneering sounds of the '70s and '80s from New York and Philadelphia. Instead, Fluency Fabrics strongly emphasizes a claim to contemporariness and unmistakably locates itself in the house music scene of the present. Still, the references to the times of classic disco are all there: from the laid-back tempo which leaves room for the dancers to breathe and unfold to the traditional format of a vinyl record. Concept, art direction, and graphic design created by Till Sperrle of ITF Grafikdesign. Cover photograph by Tom Crane. Mastered and cut by Helmut Erler at Duplates & Mastering. Includes download code.
The third EP Toy Tonics' Mushroom House goes from Arabic guitars to Nubian chants and lots of percussions. All tracks are exclusive. The bass drum is four-on-the-floor, but switches from classic New York lo-fi disco grooves (Ponty Mython) to mid-tempo (Kiwi's "We Are Here"). The other two tracks feature an emptier vibe: Less toms - more drum machines. More Techno. Red Axes deliver probably one of their weirdest works. Their Munk rework is pure craziness. The melodies come from another space. The Barking Dogs team up with Tom Trago for an obscure groove with a sloppy bassline and stoned vocals.
This new edition to the everlasting Tresor catalogue marks the return of Pacou, more than five years after the release of his last full EP, Sense EP (TRESOR 246EP). Three recently produced tracks in the true sound that defines the work of the German techno expert, meet a remix of "A Texture". Initially released on his 1998 Symbolic Language album, "A Texture" is a distinctive interlude, so supreme that it remains a Tresor favorite.
NARDINI, NINO: Musique Pour Le Futur LP (WRWTFWW 013LP)
We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records present a reissue of Nino Nardini's e Musique Pour Le Futur, originally released in 1970. An experimental, musique concrete, sci-fi masterpiece, available for the first time since 1970. Originally recorded for Crea Sound Ltd., a sub-label of Louis Delacour's Neuilly imprint, Musique Pour Le Futur finds the French composer, arranger, producer, possible time-traveler, and all around music library legend Nino Nardini experimenting with synthesizers, percussions, prepared piano, echo, and special effects. Fans of electronic oddities, eerie cinematic audio-landscapes, Piero Umiliani, or Bernard Parmegiani, will rejoice at this full-length musical adventure that could very well be the soundtrack for a film in which characters from a '70s Italian horror movie visit a distant (forbidden) planet from a '50s sci-movie. It's bizarre, hypnotizing, slightly spooky, always out-of-this-world, and goddamn brilliant. Nino Nardini, also known as Georges Teperino, had a very fruitful career in library music, much like longtime collaborator Roger Roger. He composed a very large amount of works for French and British libraries which continues to be featured in numerous programs (radio, TV, films) all around the world. His passion for electronic music experimentations began in the late '60s and kept going until the '80s. Housed in a phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark, heavy cardboard sleeve.
VA: Nouvelle Vague: Pop, Mambo, Cha Cha, Jazz, Bossa Nova With A French Touch Vol. 1 LP (WWSLP 001A-LP)
Part one of two LP versions. Nouvelle vague is a mythical movement that redefined France's canons, not only in film but also music. A time - the late '50s and early '60s - when all the young musicians broke free from the older generation and created their own movement drawing from a large palette of influences. From jazz and soundtracks to bossa nova, folk and cha cha, this set brings you the unique sound of French pop during the nouvelle vague years. Featuring sophisticated pop songs by Serge Gainsbourg, Francoise Hardy, and Claude Nougaro as well as the crème of nouvelle vague soundtracks - including The 400 Blows (1959), Breathless (1960), Lola (1961), Cleo From 5 To 7 (1962) - and a cool mix of rare tracks by Rita Cadillac (an ex of Alain Delon), Christiane Legrand, and the jazz vocal groups Les Blue Stars. Tune up to the cool French sounds of the nouvelle vague - pop, mambo, cha cha, jazz, bossa nova with a french touch. The 40 track compilation comes with an essay, with track-by-track analysis, from French journalist Jacques Denis. Vol. 1 LP features: Serge Gainsbourg, Anna Karina, Jeanne Moreau, Martial Solal, Claude Nougaro, Francoise Hardy, Bob Azzam, Charles Aznavour, Jacqueline Boyer, Richard Anthony, Art Blakey, Henri Salvador, Zizi Jeanmaire, Les Double Six, Alain Romans, Gillian Hills, Jean Constantin, Jean Yanne, Michel Legrand, and Charles Trenet.
VA: Nouvelle Vague: Pop, Mambo, Cha Cha, Jazz, Bossa Nova With A French Touch Vol. 2 LP (WWSLP 001B-LP)
Part two of two LP versions. Nouvelle vague is a mythical movement that redefined France's canons, not only in film but also music. A time - the late '50s and early '60s - when all the young musicians broke free from the older generation and created their own movement drawing from a large palette of influences. From jazz and soundtracks to bossa nova, folk and cha cha, this set brings you the unique sound of French pop during the nouvelle vague years. Featuring sophisticated pop songs by Serge Gainsbourg, Francoise Hardy, and Claude Nougaro as well as the crème of nouvelle vague soundtracks - including The 400 Blows (1959), Breathless (1960), Lola (1961), Cleo From 5 To 7 (1962) - and a cool mix of rare tracks by Rita Cadillac (an ex of Alain Delon), Christiane Legrand, and the jazz vocal groups Les Blue Stars. Tune up to the cool French sounds of the nouvelle vague - pop, mambo, cha cha, jazz, bossa nova with a french touch. The 40 track compilation comes with an essay, with track-by-track analysis, from French journalist Jacques Denis. Vol. 2 LP features: Dario Moreno, Brigitte Bardot, Sacha Distel, Boris Vian, Miles Davis, Magali Noel,Leo Ferre, Jacqueline Dano, Les Blue Stars, Georges Delerue,Marie Laforet, Franck Barcellini, Christiane Legrand, Martial Solal, Serge Gainsbourg, Dalida, Corinne Marchand, and Rita Cadillac.
Double LP version. Hunting down the coolest sounds around the globe, the Wewantsounds crew have curated a special mix in Lazy Sundays. Dishing out a tasteful mix of new tracks from under the radar, this selection features a string of sunny pop, indie grooves, chilled electro and relaxed disco, the whole seasoned with a couple of leftfield cult classics and classy jazz tracks for good measure. Sunday Mixtape is the perfect sonic brew that will bring you back to life after a long night or hard partying. Many of the tracks in this selection have barely been heard outside of underground circles and feature young artists who have just sprung out to life with the exception of UK soul diva ALA.NI and the recent success of her melancholic jazzy album and L'Impératrice, the next disco big thing out of France, whose buzz is getting louder. Unveiling these fresh tunes, Parisian master curator Olivier Pellerin has cast a colorful and laid-back feel over the 16 tracks assembled for this mixtape. Here you'll find new French nouvelle vague singer Laure Briard, US groovy duet Bones & Beeker, minimal house producers Roscius and Shigeto as well as Domenique Dumont with a buzzing Balearic beat. Sunday Mixtape also features a few cult classics such as Mock & Toof's "Farewell to Wendo", Louie Austen's "Hoping" and Justine & The Victorian Punks' "Still You", a sought after NY avant disco 1979 tune led by French expat fashionista Justine and saxophonist (and frequent Arthur Russell collaborator) Peter Gordon. This relaxed trip ends with two jazz gems by Billie Holiday and Bob McFadden & Dor, putting the final note to a softly reinvigorating and sun-drenched selection. Sunday Mixtape will make you wish the day never ends. Also features: Los Porcos, Ruede Hagelstein & The Noblettes, Matthew Herbert, Polo & Pan Plage, and The Central Executives.
VA: Disco 2.0: Fever's Risin' Again 2LP (WWSLP 003LP)
Double LP version. From Paris to Melbourne, Berlin or Athens, a new blend of '70s inspired disco sound is currently taking the dancefloors by storm with artists like Monika, L'Impératrice, or Leon X Leon creating a stir on the international scene. Paying their dues to the pure form of disco, these new artists, far from mimicking the clichés, are adding an unmistakable millennium twist to the genre. This is Disco 2.0. It's all down to a few men in New York with a love for Philly Soul and hypnotic grooves. In the early '70s, they defined the club culture from scratch: DJs David Mancuso, Nicky Siano, Larry Levan, and Frankie Knuckles, label bosses Mel Sheren and Neil Bogart, and remixer extraordinaire, Tom Moulton, were instrumental in shaping a new sound that changed music forever and paved the way for house music and its many sub-genres decades later. Today, a new scene is shaping up, updating the classic sound of disco. Young artists like Marvin & Guy in Italy, L'Imperatrice and Leon X Leon in France, or Monika in Athens and the US are producing a fresh blend of disco-inspired music which is neither a copy of the past glory, nor totally in line of the popular nu-disco genre that has flourished primarily in Northern Europe. The Wewantsounds crew has carefully selected here the cream of this new disco wave with the coolest tracks around and added a little nod to the heydays in the form of a rare 1976 instrumental by Sounds Of Inner City from the cult West End Records label and mixed by the legendary Tom Moulton. This tasteful selection will give you a fresh insight into the disco rebirth, pouring into the mix a huge dose of sensuality, rhythms and an irresistible craving for love. That's Disco 2.0! Features: L'Impératrice, Bon Voyage Organisation, Marvin & Guy, Monika, Juan MacLean, Joakim, Todd Terje, No Zu, Sounds Of Inner City, Leon X Leon, Tensnake, Tiger & Woods, Bufiman, and S3A.
$20.99 EAN: 3700604712978 ELECTRONIC
01. L'Impératrice - La Lune (3:13)
02. Bon Voyage Organisation - Shenzhen V (5:57)
03. Marvin & Guy - Makin' Love (9:12)
04. Monika - Secret In The Dark (Juan MacLean Edit) (6:28)
05. Joakim - Nothing Gold (Todd Terje Remix) (9:03)
06. No Zu - Ui Yia Uia (6:38)
07. Sounds Of Inner City - Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (Inst.) (6:19)
08. Leon X Leon - Acid Disco (7:29)
09. Tensnake - Need Your Lovin (Tiger & Woods Remix) (7:37)
10. Bufiman - Running (The Chase) (4:22)
11. S3A - Theuz Hamtaak (5:52)
VA: Bossanova: Cool Bossa Nova And Hip Samba Sounds From Rio De Janeiro Vol. 1 LP (WWSLP 004A-LP)
Part one of two LP versions. The Wewantsounds collective present an impeccable selection of bossa nova sounds from Rio, featuring hip cult classics and rarities. Bossa nova revolutionized the world in the '60s, but the revolution was already bubbling from the late '50s. Featuring key artists like João Gilberto, Vinicius De Moraes, Elis Regina, and Elza Soares - who is making a highly-acclaimed come-back (MAIS 031CD/LP) -, as well as more cult musicians like Orlann Divo, Johnny Alf, and Celso Murilo. Bossanova is the perfect mix of early bossa and samba canção (with its more relaxed samba singing). Tune up to the cool Brazilian sounds of the Bossanova. Compiled by the Wewantsounds clique, Bossanova features 40 tracks and comes with an essay, with track-by-track analysis, from French journalist Jacques Denis. Vol. 1 LP features: Johnny Alf, Celso Murilo & Conjunto Drink, Leny Andrade, Tamba Trio, Walter Wanderley, Vinicius De Moraes, João Donato E Seu Trio, Alaide Costa, João Gilberto, Luiz Bonfa & Antonio Carlos Jobim, Elis Regina, Orlann Divo, Sergio Ricardo, Ed Lincoln, Maysa, and Agostinho Dos Santos & Rosana Toledo.
VA: Bossanova: Cool Bossa Nova And Hip Samba Sounds From Rio De Janeiro Vol. 2 LP (WWSLP 004B-LP)
Part two of two LP versions. The Wewantsounds collective present an impeccable selection of bossa nova sounds from Rio, featuring hip cult classics and rarities. Bossa nova revolutionized the world in the '60s, but the revolution was already bubbling from the late '50s. Featuring key artists like João Gilberto, Vinicius De Moraes, Elis Regina, and Elza Soares - who is making a highly-acclaimed come-back (MAIS 031CD/LP) -, as well as more cult musicians like Orlann Divo, Johnny Alf, and Celso Murilo. Bossanova is the perfect mix of early bossa and samba canção (with its more relaxed samba singing). Tune up to the cool Brazilian sounds of the Bossanova. Compiled by the Wewantsounds clique, Bossanova features 40 tracks and comes with an essay, with track-by-track analysis, from French journalist Jacques Denis. Vol. 2 LP features: Elza Soares, João Gilberto, João Donato E Seu Trio, Celso Murilo & Conjunto Drink, Elis Regina, Agostinho Dos Santos, Rubens Bassini E Os 11 Magníficos, Leny Andrade, Johnny Alf, Tamba Trio, Ana Lucia, Orlann Divo, Baden Powell, Alaide Costa, Norma Bengel, Os Cariocas, Luiz Bonfa, Sylvia Telles, Dorival Caymmi, and Carlos Lyra.
VA: Feeling Good: Funk, Soul & Deep Jazz Gems - The Supreme Sound of Producer Bob Shad 2LP (WWSLP 005LP)
Double LP version. Wewantsounds present Feeling Good, a compilation of rare spiritual jazz and funk grooves culled from legendary producer Bob Shad's Mainstream Records. The compilation features insightful sleeve notes by filmmaker Judd Apatow (who is Bob Shad's grandson), supervised by Matt Robin. Alice Clark's cult classic "Never Did I Stop Loving You" is featured here alongside many gems uncovered for the first time on this compilation, all remastered from the original tapes. From working with music titans such as Charlie Parker and Lightnin' Hopkins in the '40s, founding the EmArcy jazz label in the '50s, and discovering Janis Joplin in the '60s, Bob Shad has had an incredible influence. This handpicked selection gives you a little taster for the diversity of Bob Shad's sound from the early '70s when he turned to deep and soulful jazz alongside labels like Flying Dutchman and Strata East. Drenched in modal Fender Rhodes keys, spiritual sax and flute solos, deep percussions and funky beats, these albums have slowly been rediscovered by a new generation of DJs, hip hop producers and vinyl junkies all around the world. From Afrique's cult classic "House Of The Rising Funk" and its funky wah-wah frenzy to Hadley Caliman's deep jazz flute ode; From one of Clark Terry's famous "Mumbles" (Shad produced the original with Oscar Peterson) to Jack Wilkins's "Red Clay", sampled by both A Tribe Called Quest and Chance The Rapper. A soul music lover, Shad also excelled in soul divas and produced Ellerine Harding, Maxine Weldon and of course the mighty Alice Clark. To close the compilation in style, Carmen McRae, one of Shad's long time collaborators, gives a soulful, conga-led version of the classic "Feelin' Good", a song made famous by Nina Simone. It's a superb minimalist version showcasing the unique sound of Bob Shad, a passionate, spirited, and fiercely independent record producer who lived for the music. Features: Afrique, Blue Mitchell, Sarah Vaughan, Art Farmer, Shelly Manne, Alice Clark, Buddy Terry, Maxine Weldon, Barry Miles, Jack Wilkins, Clark Terry, Ellerine Harding, Hadley Caliman, and Carmen McRae.
Wilde Calm Records present a new EP of modern percussion edits from Brooklyn producer Boonlorm. This collection of reworks was started around the same time Boonlorm began recording String Figures, his album of prepared piano house music (SDGWC 1401CD, 2014). It shares a similar sound to String Figures' rich combination of tonal, atonal, and percussive timbres. By adding his raw drum programming to tease out the latent "techno" qualities in these modern percussion opuses, Boonlorm once again pays homage to Chicago, Detroit, and the 20th century avant-garde.
CELL/DON'T DJ/K-LONE, SIMO: On Line (Vol.1) 12" (WSDM 005EP)
On Line is a collaborative album in parts, focused on themes of repetition, poly-metrics, transformation, and abstraction. The record opens with Simo Cell's "Symmetry": a slow crescendo of whirring pads, melodic percussion and dotted rhythms, all underpinned by thick slabs of sub-bass. Next, Don't DJ follows with the oblique, discordant chug of "Übergang Zur Metrotram". As with all of Florian's works, the track pulses with an organic, animal quality that completely belies its mechanical origins. K-Lone's "Woniso" grows slowly out of a series of beautiful harmonic counterpoints - morphing patterns reveal their individual colors and contours.
Yore Records present BXT - a new super group from Detroit, consisting three legends: Eddie Fowlkes, Amp Fiddler, and Niko Marks. Talents which are no strangers to say the least. You know what to expect. Detroit in the house at its best.
LUCY: The Hermit/The High Priestess 12" (ZEHNIN 001EP)
The essential and ever-evolving !K7 collective is adding a new label to its family in the form of Zehnin. Taking charge of the first release is Lucy. "The Hermit" is eight minutes of spacious and cerebral techno. Rolling drums are buried deep as little flecks of sound design peel off the groove. Occasional bell hits bring a somber and languid feel despite the drive of the drums. "The High Priestess" is empty and eerie, with distant drones and yawning pads outlining a vast underground space. The drums here are again rubbery and rolling, but a little more prominent.
"Die Tödliche Doris was born out of West Berlin's lively post-punk community in the early '80s. Along with Einstürzende Neubauten, Malaria, Sprung Aus Den Wolken and Frieder Butzmann, Die Tödliche Doris ranks amongst the Geniale Dilletanten -- which roughly translates as 'ingenious dilettantes' -- who sought to democratize cultural productions beyond the grip of both Western capitalism and GDR socialism. The Geniale Dilletanten became synonymous with a free-for-all approach to music, film, painting and performance where participants encouraged raw expression through provocation and experimentation. Wolfgang Müller and Nikolaus Utermöhlen founded Die Tödliche Doris in 1980, presenting the public persona of Doris as a constantly shifting entity that deliberately engaged the contradictions of the human condition. The band often referenced themselves in the third person singular, alluding to Doris as a fully-formed female character with explosive, colorful emotions. For her debut album -- originally released on Zickzack in 1982 and playfully titled " " (that is, blank space surrounded by quotation marks) -- Doris most closely entertains the notion of a typical rock band with drums, bass and guitar. Produced by Neubauten's Blixa Bargeld, the thirteen songs presented here are disquieting lullabies of profound anxiety, savage and primitive deconstructions of German polka and manic lacerations of punk minimalism: all reflections of the many and fractured personalities of Doris. This first-time vinyl reissue includes a reproduction of the original 24-page booklet. Limited edition of 500 numbered copies on clear vinyl."
LE FORTE FOUR: Bikini Tennis Shoes LP (ETAT 004LP)
"The origins of Le Forte Four are those of the Los Angeles Free Music Society itself. Chip Chapman joined forces with Rick Potts (and shortly thereafter Tom and Joe Potts), taking up the LAFMS name in 1974. Ultimately baptizing themselves Le Forte Four, they began threading imagined lines between John Cage and The Residents, Cecil Taylor and Henry Cow -- generating sounds completely unlike any of these and anything since. The inaugural release on the eponymous LAFMS imprint with only 200 copies pressed originally, Bikini Tennis Shoes is a staggering piece of anti-music that remains as refreshingly ground-clearing today as it was when it first appeared in 1975. Its 40 minutes (parceled out across nearly as many tracks) chart forays into free improvisation, Buchla misuse, filtered noise, begrudging and damaged melodic sorties (from the Star-Spangled Banner to Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring') and healthy doses of basement pablum. Le Forte Four emerged out of the lethargic American '70s as a locus where, in their own words, 'gamelans and ragas merged with serial and chance compositions finally melting together with instructional records and Beatles bootlegs.' A wildly eclectic rummaging of postwar culture and 20th century sound, Le Forte Four's Bikini Tennis Shoes preempts punk's outsider ethos and DIY autodidactism. Limited edition of 500 numbered copies on clear vinyl."
"After studying with composers John Cage and Earle Brown, Joe Jones became a prominent figure in Fluxus, contributing to the movement's first 'yearbox' alongside La Monte Young, György Ligeti and Nam June Paik. Beginning in late 1961, Jones began constructing his own music machines -- drawing inspiration from the calliopes, automata and orchestrations of the 19th and early 20th century to create self-playing ensembles of stringed instruments, percussion and woodwinds -- 'played' through an elaborate (yet decidedly lo-tech) system of rubber bands, balls and tin foil. Christened the Tone Deaf Music Company, this battery of automated musical instruments generates the sounds on In Performance (originally released in 1977 on the Harlequin Art imprint). With exacting conceptual precision and varied subtleties of natural motion -- not unlike Harry Bertoia's sounding sculptures -- Jones' machines produce richly-textured strata of sound and serve as engines of paradox. While bringing the figure of the artist-composer to the foreground, the machines ultimately dispense with the need for the performer entirely -- a cunning subversion of the fetish for virtuosity and individual genius. Limited edition of 500 numbered copies on clear vinyl."
"Run-DMC's self-titled 1984 debut pushed the doors of pop music open, showing that hip-hop was not the fad that haters had prophesized. As they proved decisively on Run-DMC, rap was a legit art form, fully capable of producing long-players full of no-fast-forward cuts. By 1985, any doubters were running on fumes, as the group's King Of Rock blew the aforementioned pop doors off their hinges. Emboldened by their success (including the first rap album to ever go Gold); energized by worldwide touring and accolades; and given all the support they could want by a genius producer (Larry Smith), an open-minded label (Profile) and a charismatic manager (Russell Simmons, who also lent a hand on production), they ruled the charts and hinted at even greater things to come. The album's most fondly-remembered single set the album's tone perfectly: 'King Of Rock' was hard, full of charisma and tag-team vocal finesse, and had enough guitars to bring the suburbs into the rap fold. The song's video was equally popular and powerful, and the pioneering MTV exposure drove the group into a new stratosphere. But there was much more to King Of Rock than the title track, including more rock / rap hybrids -- 'Can You Rock It Like This' and 'You're Blind' -- as well as the additional singles 'Jam-Master Jammin'' and 'You Talk Too Much.' (The latter, incidentally, charted as high as 'King Of Rock' on both the Pop and R&B charts). Throw in the forward-thinking reggae/rap collab 'Roots, Rap, Reggae' (featuring the legendary Yellowman) and the live-throwdown-simulation 'Darryl and Joe (Krush-Groove 3)' and the album -- which went on to pass Platinum status -- is a winner from A1 to B4."
"Following the reissues of Brother Ah's three studio albums in 2016, Manufactured Recordings is proud to present Divine Music, a collection of three unreleased albums from this jazz visionary: The Sea (1978), Mediation (1981), and Searching (1985). Moving from rich spiritual jazz to more meditative ambience, Divine Music further explores Brother Ah's unique sound and musical vision. Released a 3xCD package, Divine Music includes an extensive interview with Brother Ah by Pitchfork and Resident Advisor contributor Andy Beta. Recommended for fans of Laraaji, Alice Coltrane, Terry Riley, Brian Eno, Popul Vuh, and the recent new age renaissance. The renowned French horn player known as Brother Ah (aka Robert Northern) is one of the most prolific and respected musicians in the history of jazz music, with a recorded output spanning more than 40 years. Born in 1934 and raised in the south Bronx, Brother Ah was playing jazz trumpet as early as fifteen years of age. Following a classical French horn education at Austria's Vienna State Academy, he emerged in the late '50s and established himself as a skilled and consistent session musician, playing with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, and numerous Broadway theater orchestras. Brother Ah recorded well into the '60s with some of the most illustrious names in the genre, including Donald Byrd, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Gil Evans and, perhaps most influentially, Sun Ra. In 1969, Ah formed his own group, The Musical Sound Awareness Ensemble, and released several works under his own name from 1974 onward. In the late '60s, his interest in non-western music developed, and his '70s and '80s recordings, incorporated elements of Eastern and 'Third World' music, fusing them with jazz structures."
Five LP box set version. "Following the reissues of Brother Ah's three studio albums in 2016, Manufactured Recordings is proud to present Divine Music, a collection of three unreleased albums from this jazz visionary: The Sea (1978), Mediation (1981), and Searching (1985). Moving from rich spiritual jazz to more meditative ambience, Divine Music further explores Brother Ah's unique sound and musical vision. Released as a 5xLP box set, Divine Music includes an extensive interview with Brother Ah by Pitchfork and Resident Advisor contributor Andy Beta. Recommended for fans of Laraaji, Alice Coltrane, Terry Riley, Brian Eno, Popul Vuh, and the recent new age renaissance. The renowned French horn player known as Brother Ah (aka Robert Northern) is one of the most prolific and respected musicians in the history of jazz music, with a recorded output spanning more than 40 years. Born in 1934 and raised in the south Bronx, Brother Ah was playing jazz trumpet as early as fifteen years of age. Following a classical French horn education at Austria's Vienna State Academy, he emerged in the late '50s and established himself as a skilled and consistent session musician, playing with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, and numerous Broadway theater orchestras. Brother Ah recorded well into the '60s with some of the most illustrious names in the genre, including Donald Byrd, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Gil Evans and, perhaps most influentially, Sun Ra. In 1969, Ah formed his own group, The Musical Sound Awareness Ensemble, and released several works under his own name from 1974 onward. In the late '60s, his interest in non-western music developed, and his '70s and '80s recordings, incorporated elements of Eastern and 'Third World' music, fusing them with jazz structures."
"The alt rock classic soundtrack featuring Folk Implosion back on vinyl! Color pressing limited to 2000 units, 500 each blue, green, yellow and red. Color selection will be random."
BIG L: Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous 2LP (TEG 78509LP)
2017 repress. "2015 was the 20th Anniversary of this undisputed New York classic from the late, great, Harlem MC, featuring production from D.I.T.C. legends Showbiz, Buckwild and Lord Finesse. The album itself was another shot across the bow of mid-90s pundits who were prophesizing the death of New York's boom-bap dominance. Alongside recent classics from Nas, Biggie, Mobb Deep and Smif N Wessun, Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous laid out the ascendancy of another visionary MC who could throw down brags punchlines with the best of them, but who never veered away from truly thoughtful lyrical dialogue. Most tracks on the album feature slower tempos, which gave the soon-to-be-immortalized MC the chance to fully explore a range of flows and approaches. Cases in point include the two commercial singles -- 'Put It On' and 'MVP' -- as well as the promo-only single 'Street Struck,' the latter produced by Lord Finesse and containing perhaps L's deepest rhymes on the album. There are also some great posse cuts here, starting with '8 Iz Enuff,' which was all about exposing L's crew (including Herb McGruff, Mike Boogie and Buddah Bless); and the amazing 'Da Graveyard,' which let established peers like Lord Finesse and Grand Daddy I.U. flow alongside another newcomer to the scene named Jay-Z. Less-renowned but no less crucial album cuts like 'All Black' and 'I Don't Understand It' help to tie it all up in a beautiful boom-bap package, with production by and from legends in the game that vaulted Big L into the national spotlight. L would be tragically taken from us in 1999, so this album -- along with 2000's posthumous The Big Picture -- will always be special to fans. Big L was a huge talent with the world in front of him, and it's only right to celebrate his life again on the 20th Anniversary of the album that started it all for him."
"500 press on black vinyl with insert. For the first time on vinyl legends of the early 70's UK psych monsters Dark return with a killer second offering. Many of the songs were written in the way back, some of them more recent but all Dark!"
Angus MacRae is a British composer and musician. Drawing on a broad range of influences, Angus write scores and releases records as a solo artist and in collaboration with other musicians. His music has accompanied award-winning films and animations, internationally touring dance shows, and global advertising campaigns. Always seeking to blur the lines between classical and electronic music, he was originally trained as a pianist and now lives and works in London.
$10.99 EAN: 7340149001999 ELECTRONIC
01. Holding Pattern
02. Mirror Lake
03. Cry Wolf
04. Spring Nocturne
05. Spindrift
06. Vespers
07. The Distance Between
KODA, MIYAKO: In The Shadow Of Jupiter LP (RFM 003LP)
Lovely release from Chee Shimizu's 17853 Records. In The Shadow Of Jupiter features re-workings of dip in the pool singer and lyricist Miyako Koda, from her first (and quite unknown) solo album Jupiter (1998). Jupiter featured productions from well-known Japanese artists, such as Haruomi Hosono, Yasuaki Shimizu, Towa Tei, and Gonzalez Mikami (Gontiti). In early 2016, the band's producer Tatsuji Kimura planned this new project with Japanese DJ Chee Shimizu. Together they produced this five track mini-album featuring the Amsterdam based Jordan GCZ and Dusseldorf's Wolf Müller. "Io" was created by Yasuaki Shimizu originally. Chee Shimizu makes a floating long edit here with minimal sequences of synthesizer and bird and insects sounds. Jordan Czamanski, aka Jordan GCZ, re-edited "Ndembu" for the second track. He creates an atmospheric soundscape using a previously unreleased version performed by the percussion unit Ochi Brothers. The third track "Butter" was the included original version by Towa Tei, also known as Dee-Lite. A remix of "Sleep In Peace" is the result of an unbelievable group session. The original was created by Haruomi Hosono and Tatsuji Kimura. Here, Jordan Czmanski adds some new synthesizer melodies, Tasuji Kimura plays synthesizer and adds a new line for bass, and Wolf Müller plays his metal bowl percussions. The last track, "A Sea Of Love", is a remix by Chee Shimizu. Shimizu creates layered sound with Miyako Koda's poetry reading and relaxing sea waves. Mastered by Seigen Ono, a top recording engineer in Japan, for sublimated superb sound.
BASIC HOUSE: I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have To Be Destroyed By Me LP (ALT 031LP)
The second album from Basic House for Alter takes a sober turn towards the thematic intersection of occult knowledge and globalized black operations, brokering a piercing anxiety throughout, from the tension between the scale of the politics being invoked and the familiarity of the covert identity tactics to music cultures, subcultures, and the like. The opening track to I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have To Be Destroyed By Me turns from a naive fatalism to an addled stream of consciousness that flirts, just about, with psychosis, establishing the record's push-and-pull between the local and the global, the personal and the public. Swarming, hinged string sections light the way ahead, barely hinting at the edges of a space with a rhythm, as if attempting to induce claustrophobia with the engulfing rush of total darkness. In moments of continually tapering collages, Basic House appeals to paranoia. Never sustained to the point of exhaustion, it frames the placid momentum of its quieter passages when seemingly domestic recordings collapse into cracked dub motifs. However, more critically, it signals the play between the hyper-vigilant mindset that seeks to protect itself and its order, and the intuitive processes by which we code the means for this into our social signaling and general communication.
$13.79 EAN: 5055869545426 ELECTRONIC
01. Procul Este Profani
02. Janet Terminal Blue
03. Pyxis
04. Scaled Composites
05. I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have To Be Destroyed By Me
Analog Africa present a reissue of Best Woman, Vincent Ahehehinnou's first post-Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou album, originally released in 1978. In early 1978, Ahehehinnou left the Poly-Rythmo without explanation. He had been one of their principal vocalist since 1968 and had helped transform them from a hard-charging nightclub band into a musical powerhouse and Africa-wide sensation. On a business trip to Nigeria, Vincent met with Ignace de Souza of Benin's Black Santiago band, who agreed to arrange Vincent's songs, assemble musicians, and book a session at the legendary Decca Studios in Lagos. With everything in place Vincent returned to Cotonou, gathered together all the money he had saved over the years and set out again for Lagos. The nine-piece band, handpicked by de Souza, learned the songs and set them to tape in the span of only a week ... but the results are as timeless and essential as anything to emerge from West Africa in the late 1970s. Vincent's Afrobeat credentials are in full evidence on opening track "Best Woman" (English) whose driving beat, focused horns, and intricate vocal melody recall the raucous intensity of Poly-Rythmo. But the deep funk of the title track turns out to be only a warm-up for album-highlight "Maimouna Cherie" (French), a moving expression of love and longing which kicks off with a hi-hat and wah-wah guitar workout, but shifts gears mid-way into a more concentrated and contemplative groove. The funk and Afrobeat gems on Best Woman are balanced by songs that draw upon Sato, one of the many Vodoun rhythms of Vincent's native Benin. Side one concludes with "Vi Deka" (Mina), an epic slow-burner propelled by some of the record's most soulful vocals, while album closer "Wa Do Verite Ton Noumi" (Fon) all but dares you not to lose yourself in its sublime hypnotic trance. Best Woman was released on Nigeria's Hasbunalau Records in 1978, and original pressings are now highly-prized collector's items. Reissued on Analog Africa's Dance Edition imprint -- newly mastered by Nick Robbins, cut by to vinyl by Frank Merritt at the Carvery, and approved by Vincent himself. 180 gram vinyl; Gatefold sleeve with liner notes and pictures; 30x60 inlay/poster.
The third and final installment of archive material from Tolouse Low Trax, selected by Antinote. You can trail away with it; it is easy to enter, but hard to drop out. Tolouse Low Trax just needs an MPC, a small synthesizer set up, and some effects to create subliminal hypnotic music trips, driven by dark synth lines and drunken shuffled patterns. Tolouse Low Trax explains: "The primitiveness in my music is linked to something simple, and that don't have to be obligatory minimal. For me it is enough to dance rough around the core. Music you don't shape till the end contains of a moment of beauty. A veil of secrecy. I work very simply. I rather reduce my possibilities. Limitations offer lots of liberties." He reveals about his work ethic. Even if his music sounds darker than any experienced night, he mostly produces it in the morning, in his highly inspirational studio home. During the dark times of the day Tolouse Low Trax mostly performs live around the globe. Or hangs out in his second home: the Salon Des Amateurs club bar in Dusseldorf, which he once founded and where he held until today two weekly DJ residencies. The moments and atmospheres he inhales during these lightless moments are mirrored in his shadowy music, about which he also confesses: "My art is more a cinematic, literally idea of a large to explore 'Megacity'. This is one of the pictures I would link to my music." On Decades Vol.III, he offers five sounding visions about that "Megacity". They listen to mysterious names like "Hidden Flat" or "Studies In Drama". They are nervous. They are ephemeral pieces of dub, industrial, wave, or Italian library music. And at times strange and alienated voice samples dance within his highly addictive arrangements. Words can't express their magic. But one thing is absolute: his hypnotic dance-not-dance tracks do not only illuminate so-called freaks!
COMELADE, PASCAL: Le Rocanrolorama Abrege CD (BEC 5156811)
Le Rocanrolorama Abrégé is a clear perspective on Pascal Comelade's musical universe; it can be considered an ultimate "best of" and a radical introduction to this chaotic and uncompromising instrumental music. Rocanrolorama Abrégé (abbreviated "rockandrolorama", in English) is the short version of the complete works and reworks of Pascal Comelade, published at the end of 2016 as a six-CD box set, in a limited edition of 1000, numbered and signed copies (BEC 5156515). Pascal Comelade made this album as if it was a new and separate album, with tracks that he considers to best represent his work, from 1993 to 2016, according to the principle applied with the Rocanrolorama box set: songs in their original form, alternative versions, reworks, additions. Le Rocanrolorama Abrégé was conceived with the double LP format in mind: four sides with six tracks each, which you can listen to in the right order, from start to finish, according to a logical, thought-out progression for each side (slow tempo, medium tempo, orchestrations, electricity, etc.), paying tribute to the concept behind the collection rhythm and blues formidable. CD version comes in a soft-pack with three panels.
$10.99 EAN: 5060421568119 ROCK
01. Arthur Cravan Was A Flor Fina
02. The Blank Invasion Of Schizofonics Bikinis
03. La Société Du Piano-Obstacle
04. Sardana Dels Desemparats
05. Il Luna-Park Galactico
06. Paganini Paga Tot A Nono
07. Le Fakir De La Chapelle
08. The Nothing-Twist
09. El Misteri Del Triangle Del Vermut
10. Rue Des Soeurs Noires
11. Europe Change Bad
12. Despintura (A) Fonica
13. Stranger In Paradigm
14. Sense El Resso Del Dring
15. I Put A Barbara Steele On You
16. Patafisiskal Polska
17. El Pianista Del Antifaz (= "Born In Candolle")
18. Vals Burlesco
19. Hydropathes Marchant Sur Les Os
20. The Halucinogenic Espontex Sinfonia
21. Spinoza Was A Soul Garagist
22. The Skatalan Logicofobism
23. Sans Les Mains
24. Ha Passat Un Angel (Version Instrumentale)
Jac Berrocal, David Fenech, and Vincent Epplay return with their first record since 2015's Antigravity (BLACKEST 011CD/LP). The title track is a louche but volatile art-rock panther-stalk... a cracked jazz ode on street hassle, pitched somewhere between Vince Taylor-in-exile and PiL's Metal Box (1979)... Berrocal on vocals, a slurring stream-of-consciousness that becomes a yowl of despair; drums loose and dub-delayed; Fenech's jagged guitar phrasing, and Epplay's electronics set to flay. "Ice Exposure" situates Bef's mournful, muted trumpet in the eerie deep-freeze ambience that characterized Antigravity, and "Alienor En Aout" coaxes a gloomy poetry from affectless cold war radio broadcasts.
PESSIMIST: Through The Fog/Peter Hitchens 12" (BLACKEST 063EP)
Album sampler from Pessimist; Edition of 350. The Bristol-based producer made an indelible mark on 2016 with an unmistakable signature sound that effortlessly bridges dnb, techno, and abyssal/industrial sound design. His forthcoming debut album will be out on Blackest Ever Black. To prepare the ground, the label have cut two of its heaviest weapons to white label: "Through The Fog", a slab of neo-junglist soundsystem pressure chopping bit-crushed breaks, clipped vocal licks, and bass drones and "Peter Hitchens", a "tribute" in broken techno to the columnist, driven by BMB-style dropforge drums and a tripped-out ARP synth line.
London's Casual Nun present Psychometric Testing By....
"Akin to blending the sonic freak outs of legendary krautrock pioneers Ash Ra Tempel with '90s Japanese noise mongers Up-Tight or Ohkami No Jikan, London's Casual Nun deliver some downright heavy psych -- a blown out slab of distorted, hypnotic guitar buzz, heady, effect-laden vocals, and plodding drums, everything bleary eyed, garage-y, intense and drugged out! Anyone who has been diggin' the aforementioned greats, GNOD, The Heads or Loop will definitely fall in love with Casual Nun."--Roadburn Festival
"That is what good music is supposed to do though, remove you from your everyday existence and move you in some way. Casual Nun use a hypnotic style of psychedelia which plays off both its pure noise and little moments of experimental bliss. It's unforgiving yet still approachable and that is what makes it all the more dangerous. This is the sound of the true under-ground of London at the moment." --Echoes & Dust
Ellen Allien's seventh solo album Nost, which comes from nostalgia, is the quintessential sound of Berlin. It has a sensibility which can only be found in the depths of the city's darkest underground clubs. The album begins with an expert lesson in hypnosis with "Mind Journey"; a warped vocal lures you into its creepy world, while a persistent beat, narcotic bassline, and spine-tingling eerie top-end builds an intense, immersive vibe. "Innocence" channels the loose atmosphere of a Berlin dancefloor, with its insistent energy conjuring up images of a clandestine warehouse soiree. "Jack My Ass" is a whirring, utterly captivating dancefloor treat with tension building rises in energy, built to create moments of pure exhilaration; techno from the 23rd Century, built by a modern-day master. "Call Me" sees Ellen inject sexy vibes but keeps it strictly jackin'; Berlin's unmistakable vibe is blended with the classic sound of Chicago. "Electric Eye" follows with its emotive riff, again transmitting a lucid, hypnotic rhythm. Ellen demonstrates her expertise in warping vocals, and combines it with deadly techno elements. "mma" is a snarling beast of a track with dramatic strings creating a hair-raising atmosphere and a mesmerizing riff. "Physical" is a message from future inhabitants of our universe -- the beats are crisp and powerful, while a symphony of analog effects cascade through the background. All the while a vocal clip appears once in a while, saying "Physical" -- adding a strange human element to proceedings. The penultimate track is "Stormy Memories", which opens with an extended, emotive intro, slowly building into a brooding acid-tinged workout with that classic 303 sound bubbling away in the low-end. Closing out this masterful selection is "Erdmond", a delicate, hazy soundscape that feels like the "morning after the night before", the sun blazing into your room through a gap in the curtain, a variety of electronic critters chirping and calling to one another and your head slowly shedding the layers of fuzz to reveal memories of last night. Like in all of her albums, Ellen uses her vocals like an instrument through alienation in many different ways. Nost is a homage to the feeling of nostalgia, that Ellen knows just too good, and that happens quite often to her, when she plays her DJ sets: This incredible, warm feeling, when she drops one of the old classic records, that she loves, and the people start smiling.
VA: Colombian Gold: The Best Of Felito Records 2LP (CG 001LP)
Tucked away deep in the heart of Barranquilla's infamous city center stands the remains of one of the most important record labels of Colombia's musica tropical scene: Felito Records. Columbian Gold is a best of compilation featuring a blistering set of heavy grooves with deep Afro indigenous undertones expressed in a stellar array of hybrid tropical sounds. Selected and dug out by Sanjay Agarawi. Established in the late 1970s by Don Felix Butron, Felito Records became a powerhouse for the recording and preservation of Afro indigenous rhythms in Colombia's Caribbean coast. From its conception to its heydays in the 1980s and '90s, Felito Records produced and recorded some of the most prolific music at the time, pioneering a new and innovative sound that captured the rich diversity existing in Colombia's Caribbean region. Features: Manuel Y Sus Dangers, Conjunto Son San, La Niñia Emilia, El Afrocombo, Calixto Ochoa, Los Alegres Del Ritmo, Miguel Beltran Y La Cumbia Moderna De Soledad, Emilia Herrera, Dolcey Gutierezz, Son Palenque, Ricardo Mendoza Y El Combo Los Integros, Lizandro Meza, Petrona Martinez, Calixto Ochoa, La Tromba, and Los Hermanos Agudelo.
$17.79 EAN: 8717127018949 WORLD
01. Manuel Y Sus Dangers - Rosa Rosalia
02. Conjunto Son San - El Polleron
03. La Niñia Emilia - La Penca
04. El Afrocombo - Recuerdos De Cumbia
05. Calixto Ochoa - El Africano
06. Los Alegres Del Ritmo - La Olla
07. Miguel Beltran Y La Cumbia Moderna De Soledad - El Sapo
08. Emilia Herrera - Empuja Empuja
09. Dolcey Gutierezz - Las Cuatro De La Costa
10. Son Palenque - La Zorrononona
11. Ricardo Mendoza Y El Combo Los Integros - La Gaita Del Negro
12. Lizandro Meza - Baracunatana
13. Petrona Martinez - Raton Bodeguero
14. Calixto Ochoa - El Jardinero
15. La Tromba - La Zafra
16. Los Hermanos Agudelo - Ponle El Coroncoro
Forever returns to Coyote Records for his first full EP, Hymn EP, which explores the myriad sounds, layers, and textures that have come to define his music. The delicate, slow-burning cinema of widescreen opener "Gweilo", the shadowy eeriness of "Hymn", and the crunchy, industrial club heat of "Swamped", each point to different reference points, but all feel interlinked by Forever's grip on atmosphere and tone. Chemist (Silk Road Assassins) turns in a booming edit of "Hymn", complete with re-booted, icy melodies that fire off like shards of glass and rude 808 patterns that nod to his work with SRA.
CYANIDE PILLS: Big Mistake/My Baby's Become A Right Wing Extremist 7" (DAMGOOD 474EP)
Fact #1: Cyanide Pills are a brilliant live band. Anyone who has seen them at Rebellion Festival or on one of their jaunts around Europe will agree. Fact #2: They write great songs. Fact #3: "Big Mistake" is the first single taken from their just released album Sliced And Diced (DAMGOOD 475CD/LP, 2017). Fact #4: You will love it! Keeping the spirit of '78 alive, the band's mix of punk blasts and melodic power-pop has never sounded better, with razor-sharp twin guitars, a pounding rhythm section, and unmatched lyrical barbs.
JUJU & JORDASH: What About Tuesday? 12" (DKMNTL 043EP)
Israeli hybrid house and techno masters Juju & Jordash return to Dekmantel Records with yet another outstanding release. A three-tracker and a fine display of Gal Aner and Jordan Czamanski's next-level, improv based way of painting records. "Monday Mellow" is a dubbed-out, twisted and subtly emerging house groover, while "Wednesday Something" continues the journey with a dense electronic jazz-tinged stomper. "Thursday, Heavy." demonstrates their full range, combining eerie melodic synth excursions with a jagged bassline -- an out of this world, destructive yet classy house bomb.
The best of DKMNTL X Patta on one disc. Dekmantel is happy to present the repress of the sought-after 2015 Patta anthem "The Best I Could Do (With What I Had)" by Young Marco. This time backed with Tom Trago, who serves up his gloomy and exhilarating house jam "Brutal Romance" in the TT Love Fix. And topping it off with Fatima Yamaha's timeless "The Creature From Culture Creation" taken from the first DKMNTL X Patta release.
Slick three tracker from Dutch producer Bas Bron under his popular Fatima Yamaha alias. The title track "Araya" is the absolute eye catcher of this EP. Already tested in Fatima Yamaha's highly anticipated live-sets, with great response, "Araya" is a dramatic curtain raiser that only he can make. Next to that, Bron effectively spills his keen ear for melody with his typical electro-funk on "Piayes Beach Bar And Grill". On the flip, crystalline synth drops, a classic piano and skipping drums are the main ingredients for "Romantic Bureaucracy".
VISIONS CONGO: Mulago Sound Studio LP (CREP 040LP)
Visions Congo is yet another moniker from Discrepant's head honcho, Gonçalo F Cardoso, taking Africa as a starting point to evoke the memories and re-imagined experiences of his six-month stay there in 2015. Most of the recordings and compositions were done in the great lakes of the African regions of Uganda, Congo (DRC), Tanzania, and the island of Zanzibar. Mulago Sound Studio is a series of surreal and augmented field recordings that try to brace the listener with fresh alien authenticity before toying, very pointedly, with antiquated constructs by mixing avant-garde dustbin synth music with concrete field recordings and humorous, tongue-in-cheek intersections -- never to be taken too seriously. Equipped with a brand new art collage by US artist Evan Crankshaw. Mastered and cut at Dubplates & Mastering by Rashad Becker.
$15.79 EAN: 5055869501200 ELECTRONIC
A1. Old Parrots Of Leper Island
B1. The Hoima Witch And The Songye Mask
BEHRENDSEN, PETER: Nachtflug / Atem des Windes LP (ET 628-05LP)
Peter Behrendsen (b. 1943) is a Cologne-based radio producer, performer, and composer of experimental music. He started concerning himself with electro-acoustic music in 1972. He was a member of Josef Anton Riedl's ensemble and an assistant to Klaus Schöning at the WDR radio play studio (Studio for Acoustic Art). In Cologne, he organized numerous concerts and festivals for experimental music, most notably BrückenMusik, a series of concerts in the box girder of the Deutz bridge. He regards John Cage, Alvin Lucier, Jackson Mac Low, and David Tudor as his most important teachers, with whom he also collaborated, and has performed his own live-electronic and text-sound compositions throughout Europe. This LP pairs a live-electronic and a text-sound piece: "Nachtflug" ("Night Flight", 1999) is based on electronic treatment of the sounds of bats made audible, and is performed by Hans W. Koch and Behrendsen. "Atem des Windes" ("Breath of Wind", 1999-2005) is a text-sound composition on the subject of the wind, inspired by a Taoist text by the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, and features the voices of Bettina Wenzel and Behrendsen. Full-color sleeve and inner sleeve; Edition of 300.
STIEBLER, ERNSTALBRECHT: Kanon / Torsi LP (ET 628-06LP)
Ernstalbrecht Stiebler (b. 1934) is a German composer of minimalist and reductionist contemporary music. His name is still most closely associated with his long-time position as radio editor and producer for New Music at the Hessian Broadcasting Corporation (Hessischer Rundfunk), but his own compositional oeuvre -- beginning in 1955 and continuing until now -- has, in recent years, attracted more attention with various concerts and several releases. Having attended the Darmstadt International Summer Courses for New Music from 1958 onwards, Stiebler decided in 1963 to leave serial music behind and opted instead for his own reductionist style built on minimalist structures and repetitions, though not in any way related to the so-called minimal music but rather influenced by minimalism in visual art. In terms of composers of his time, the closest stylistic relationship that could be drawn is to Morton Feldman. Stiebler's approach is best summarized in his own words: "Music is too important to burden it with emotions." This LP pairs two organ-based works: "Kanon" (1980) for organ, electric organ and wind instruments, and "Torsi" (2002) for organ in three movements: "Torso", "Organa minima", and "Cantus". The latter recording, made at St. Stephen's Church in Konstanz (organ: Hans-Peter Schulz), was previously released on CD by m=minimal (MINIMAL 017CD, 2013). "Kanon" is a previously unreleased recording. Includes an extensive interview conducted by Jens Strüver about Stiebler's compositional views and techniques. Gatefold sleeve; Edition of 300.
We Never Happened is the second release from Ssaliva on Ekster. Ssaliva (François Boulanger) works under the aliases Cupp Cave and Kingfisherg. "I am a vessel. A muffled mass. A bulk. Extent. A womb. I move. So I am neither here nor there. Always somewhere in between. To give substance to this frame, I carve out a piece of me. Sometimes a shape, sometimes a form. Into this space I pour the siege of me: words, pictures, you. So we can become me. Viscosity and temperature dictate the time it takes. When it is done, I break the mold I am. I take the cast inside and place it by the others. Choose one and take it home." 180 gram vinyl packed in a pantone printed outer sleeve with drawing by Charles-Henry Sommelette; Comes with printed inner-sleeves and silk screened plastic over-sleeve.
MYTHIC SUNSHIP: Land Between Rivers CD (EPR 038CD)
On their second album on El Paraiso Records, Copenhagen quartet Mythic Sunship drive even thicker grooves into their niche of extended cave-man fuzz voyages. Mythic Sunship cut a sharp edge into their ten-plus minute sagas, often churning out tracks with seemingly endless amounts of energy. It's all here: wild bursts of fuzzy and echo-perplexed guitars, thick Geezery basslines, and a galloping myriad of drums. What Mythic Sunship deliver in raw, untamed energy, is kept in place by their deeply grounded tone. Land Between Rivers was captured in a wooden cabin in the north of Sealand, Denmark, where the band secluded themselves, making their release as akin to earthy doom as to sprawled-out krautrock - the Götterdämmerung of Scandinavian heavy psych. Causa Sui's Jonas Munk took on mixing duties, amplifying the earth tone and adding his sense of space and depth to the recording.
Elektron Grammofon is the record imprint of Swedish music instrument manufacturer Elektron. EGR releases artists who push the boundaries of music of all kinds. All proceeds from the limited vinyl pressings go to charity. Swedish producer Varg has cooked up four tracks using Elektron gear. The first track is a probing, ambient and serendipitous take on soundscaping. The second is a hard-kicking, massive, and gently authoritative dance beat. Third, you have something out of a spacious mechanical workshop. The final track is an exquisitely mystical, moody, Twin Peaks-y closure.
$14.39 EAN: 7350049241241 ELECTRONIC
A1. No Borders (5:56)
A2. No Laws (Skorpion vz. 61) (6:50)
B1. Anti Government (5:42)
B2. Anti Everything (10:27)
Elektron Grammofon is the record imprint of Swedish music instrument manufacturer Elektron. EGR releases artists who push the boundaries of music of all kinds. All proceeds from the limited vinyl pressings go to charity. The dark knight of eerily appealing techno -- Headless Horseman -- is back with a vengeance. This time, he has chosen to recruit the Elektron Octatrack, Analog Rytm, Overbridge, and Machinedrum UW in order to pursue his modern-day arcane craft. His three tracks on this Elektron Grammofon release will have you dancing headless into the heady future.
Far Out Recordings present the ten-year anniversary of Arthur Verocai's Encore, originally released in 2007. Encore features 11 original compositions from Arthur Verocai with guest musicians including Azymuth, Ivan Lins, and a nine-piece string section. The highly anticipated follow-up to Arthur's eponymous debut album from 1972, Encore saw Arthur joining the dots over 35 years to create a modern classic of Brazilian music that, like his debut, combines Brazilian influences with his take on American soul and cinematic experimentation, and shows that Arthur's sound is as poignant as it ever was. In the mid-2000s, following on from Marcos Valle, Joyce, and of course Azymuth, Arthur Verocai joined the long-line of Brazilian musicians whose music was to be introduced to a whole new legion of fans by Far Out Recordings. The story of Encore begins with Joe Davis, Far Out Recordings' head honcho who stumbled upon Arthur's debut in a dusty record store in downtown Rio in the late '80s. At the time of its release in 1972, critics panned Arthur's debut and both the album and artist subsequently vanished into obscurity. Fast forward to winter 2004 and Joe's at the studio of Far Out Recording artists Harmonic 313 -- aka production duo Mark "Troubleman" Pritchard and Dave Brinkworth -- playing them some of his favorite Brazilian albums. Dave recalls the moment Joe put on Arthur's debut, "As soon as the needle hit the record and we heard the fantastic arrangements, songs and sounds, Arthur completely blew our minds." Three months later and Dave was in Brazil with Arthur Verocai, and the plans for what was to become Encore were being laid down. Produced by Dave, Encore sees Arthur on incredible form, the 35 plus years between the recording of his debut and this the follow-up just melting away as Arthur picked up the (conductor's) baton once again to create 11 epic tracks of stirring samba-soul and experimental cinematic movements that sees him creating a record to rival his debut.
$9.79 EAN: 5060211503382 WORLD
CD:
01. Tupã Tupi
02. Amor Na Contra Mão
03. Sucuri
04. Abertura
05. Bis
06. Dona Das Meninas
07. Filhos
08. Tudo De Bom
09. Eu Quero Paz
10. Caminho Da Roça
11. Preludio
LP:
A1. Bis
A2. Caminho Da Roça
A3. Dona Das Meninas
A4. Eu Quero Paz
A5. Abertura
B1. Tupã Tupi
B2. Sucuri
B3. Amor Na Contra Mão
B4. Tudo De Bom
B5. Filhos
B6. Preludio
BASSETT & SAMARA LUBELSKI, MARCIA: Live NYC LP (FTR 302LP)
"This is the third LP to feature the exquisite improvising duo, Marcia Bassett and Samara Lubelski. And as great as the first two were (on Kye and Golden Lab (ROWF 047LP, 2015), respectively), Live NYC is even better. It elegantly shows just how much brain damage you can do using only a guitar and a violin. The pair have deep deep roots in the East Coast sub-underground. Marcia's solo projects and work with groups (Un, Double Leopards, Hototogisu, GHQ, Zaika, etc.) has been exploding minds since the mid '90s. The same is true for Samara, except her history reaches even further back, with non-solo-aktion including bands like Tower Recordings, Hall of Fame, Chelsea Light Moving, Metabolismus, and too many more to name. But neither of them has really destroyed on the pure level they manage to sustain with this duo. The two sets were recorded on different nights, at different venues, and their sound is as variated as could be. The first side, recorded by Bob Bellerue at Knockabout Center, is a tale of twinned and lightly fuzzed tones, twirling and blending in the air like a lost track from Heldon's It's Always Rock & Roll (1975) (or maybe a Fripp & Eno radio broadcast from 1974). The threads of sound absolutely phosphoresce. It's an incredible mix of motion, stillness and power all wrapped up in a psychedelic diaper. The other side, recorded by Kevin Reilly at Trans Pecos sounds more like some crazy BBC Radio Workshop soundtrack to a Peter Cushing science fiction tragedy. The feel is pure outer space, with all the vast emptiness and glittering promise that implies. I'm having a hell of a hard time figuring out which approach I like better. But they're both incredible sonic shards. And the silkscreened cover art is pretty amazing in its own right. Hard to think of what more you could ask for. Except maybe a sandwich." --Byron Coley, 2017 Silkscreen printed covers by Neil Burke; Edition of 400.
$14.99 UPC: 752830263017 ROCK
A1. MMXVI - V - XIV Fifth
B1. MMXVI - III - XVI Day Of The Teutoburg Forest
FIRE MAGAZINE: Issue Four: Winter 2017 MAG (FIRE 004)
Fire Magazine present their fourth issue, Winter 2017. Features: John Garcia (King Of The Desert), Red Fang, Neurosis, The Wounded Kings, HP Lovecraft - Cosmic Horror of Doom - part II, Boris, Crowbar, Pelander, Sun Dial, Seremonia, Child, Fatso Jetson, Brown Acid - Heavy Nuggets, Monkey3, Glitter Wizard, Nightstalker, Varego, Sumolovers, Slap Guru, HORNSS, The Well, Crippled Black Phoenix, Vinum Sabbatum, Mother Island, From The Crypt - Pentagram - First Days Here (1971-1976), and Witchwood. File under: heavy psych, stoner, doom, sludge, occult, dark, '70s hard rock. Size: 210mm x 297mm; 84 pages.
London-based producer and DJ Tarquin returns to Gobstopper Records. "Grease" is a high-tempo example of the genre's more experimental side, using fragmented percussive samples set to a background of pitch-bent chord stabs and twisted melodic elements. Providing as much impact in the track's negative space as in its instrumentation, Tarquin's minimalist approach to production establishes its boldness and makes it a highly recognizable piece of deconstructed club music. As a counterpoint to the abstract starkness of "Grease", the release's flip side "Foxtown" utilizes ominous synths and distorted bass tones to tackle the more upfront sound of first generation grime production.
KRACH, PILOCKA: Sugar Cane & The Lost Amigos CD (GREAT 005CD)
Pilocka Krach still means nothing but Pilocka Noise. She's the charming queen of Berlin's post techno underground and a true recording and performing artist. Her new release on her very own imprint Greatest Hits International, Sugar Cane & The Lost Amigos, was conceived with the double vinyl format in mind. It is a journey diary of her last two years on tour around the globe, with Mexico, Detroit, and her hometown roots in Berlin, functioning as fix points on her never-ending agenda. Pilocka Krach is Sugar Cane and The Lost Amigos, her band, all at once. Her style is pure electro post rave simplicity, where each single sound is either raw sampling cuts or deep growling synthesis. Big basslines meet funky grooves and surprising hooks, grooving along with her voice and a lot of other vocal features. Each and everything gets the room it deserves and mingles all together to create so much more than just another stereo sum. There has never been an album so dry and wet at the same time with an overall fun and jam factor. It is truly touching. She took her original style more than just a few steps further and sharpened her skills in an impressive and straight-forward way, with raw funkiness and true storytelling -- You can't listen to it without moving. Pilocka is always surfing the right balance of how much, or better, how less it needs, to keep it going, get down to the point of no return, and beyond the miracle of repetition. Pure old-school sounds never sounded so fresh and never, ever have they been told this way before. CD version comes in a gatefold sleeve and includes a download code.
$10.99 EAN: 4260217561299 ELECTRONIC
CD:
01. Pilocka's Intro
02. Dogs Are In This House
03. Laughter In Cairo
04. One Day Left (I Would Not Dress)
05. Tear
06. Clarita'a Song
07. Last Amigos
08. Who's the Trigger (Dax Digger)
09. La Luna Y El Sol
10. Fresh
11. If This World
12. Outro Pilocka
2LP: Sugar Cane:
A1. If This World
A2. Gamecard
A3. Laughter In Cairo
A4. Toodrei
B1. Bird In A Cage
B2. Flight To Paris
B3. La Luna Y El Sol
B4. Tear
B5. Turn The Lost Amigos
The Lost Amigos:
C1. Clarita'a Song
C2. Who's The Trigger (Dax Digger)
C3. Dogs Are In This House
C4. One Day Left (I Would Not Dress)
D1. Future Car
D2. Move Your Ass
D3. Fresh
D4. Last Amigos
Headcount present the first ever vinyl pressing of Steve Jansen's debut solo album Slope, originally released on CD in 2007. Reaching its tenth anniversary in 2017, Slope still sounds as fresh and engaging as it did upon its initial release. Jansen collaborated with numerous artists to create this album including his brother David Sylvian, Tim Elsenburg (Sweet Billy Pilgrim), Joan As Police Woman, Thomas Feiner, and Anja Garbarek, among others. Mastered by Tony Cousins. Cut at 45rpm; 180 gram vinyl; Gatefold sleeve; Edition of 300.
$32.39 EAN: 5055300393166 ELECTRONIC
01. Grip
02. Sleepyard
03. Cancelled Pieces
04. December Train
05. Sow The Salt
06. Gap of Cloud
07. Playground Martyrs
08. A Way of Disappearing
09. Ballad Of A Deadman
10. Conversation Over
11. Life Moves On
12. Playground Martyrs (Reprise)
VA: Heavy Psych Sounds Sampler Volume II CD (HPS 054CD)
Here's the second chapter of the mighty Heavy Psych Sounds Sampler. This time you'll see songs taken from releases of the last part of 2016 and some unreleased gems from albums set to be released in 2017. The sampler also feature two brand new unreleased tracks, from Black Rainbows and Killer Boogie, recorded specifically for the compilation. Also features: Cachemira, Dead Witches, Doctor Cyclops, Duel, Farflung, Fatso Jetson, Giöbia, Glitter Wizard, Mothership, Nick Oliveri, The Clamps, The Golden Grass, The Freeks, and The Sonic Dawn.
$4.99 EAN: 4059251079200 ROCK
01. Black Rainbows - The Red Sky Above
02. Cachemira - Overpopulation
03. Dead Witches - Mind Control
04. Doctor Cyclops - Lonely Devil
05. Duel - Witchbanger
06. Farflung - You Will Kill For Me
07. Fatso Jetson - Wire Wheels And Robots
08. Giöbia - This World Was Being Watched Closely
09. Glitter Wizard - Mycelia
10. Killer Boogie - Eight Ball
11. Mothership - Crown Of Lies
12. Nick Oliveri - Anything And Everything
13. The Clamps - Must Destroy
14. The Golden Grass - Flashing Out Of Sight
15. The Freeks - Uncle Jack's Truck
16. The Sonic Dawn - Summer Voyage
Jean-Louis Huhta and Joachim Nordwall are High Boys. Together they share a deep interest in old school techno acid, as well as electronic experimentalism and insane electro-acoustics. They want to make music that will mess with your mind and make you move while your skull is melting. They have served in the ritual rock group The Skull Defekts for over a decade, but this is their first project together. Huhta also does his killer project Dungeon Acid, amongst other things, and Nordwall has run his iDEAL label since '98 and makes electronic music alone and with other heads.
$15.79 EAN: 7071245217846 ELECTRONIC
01. No Hope For a Sexual Revolution
02. Drunken Master
03. This Is The Captain Speaking
04. Down With Chaos
SPECIAL REQUEST: Stairfoot Lane Bunker 12" (HTH 073EP)
Special Request (Houndstooth, XL Recordings, Running Back) is the project that sees him continuing to defy expectation with a new EP on the Fabric-run label Houndstooth. Stairfoot Lane Bunker encapsulates this approach with five bold new excursions into the outer limits followed by a remix from Minor Science (known for his previous releases on Whities and The Trilogy Tapes). The eagle-eyed will notice five of these tracks appear on FabricLive 91 (FABRIC 182CD, 2017). This EP is issued as an addendum. 12" cut and mastered by Matt Colton at Alchemy.
$9.79 UPC: 802560207369 ELECTRONIC
A1. Redrum
A2. Stairfoot Lane Bunker
A3. Telepathic Dog
B1. Replicant
B2. Five Lane Ends
B3. Stairfoot Lane Bunker (Minor Science Remix)
Adrift is the beautiful debut album from UK composer-pianist Steve Gibbs. Acting loosely as a reissue of Gibbs's hugely popular Bandcamp release of a similar collection of pieces (2014), this expanded, re-mastered, heavyweight vinyl edition paints a clear picture of a composer mastering his form. That Gibbs's music has already been used in various film, TV, and dance productions, is testament to its immensely evocative qualities. Gibbs has clocked over one million plays on his SoundCloud page and has been recommended on social media by Ólafur Arnalds, Lowercase Noises, and Fabrizio Paterlini. Passages of soft microsound comparable to Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto's duet albums or Mika Vainio merging with lusher cinema-scapes akin to Clint Mansell and Max Richter. His instrumentation -- piano, strings, gentle electronics, occasional guitars -- is used with a similar sense of vision as Goldmund, Ólafur Arnalds, Dustin O'Halloran, Stars Of The Lid, and the piano solos of Arvo Pärt. 180 gram vinyl. "What just happened!? Emotion and ambience at its best, its very best... I'm overwhelmed... A masterpiece." --Echoes & Dust
TALAMANCA SYSTEM: My Past Is Your Future 12" (IFEEL 062EP)
Talamanca System are the unlikely trio of Gerd Janson and Phillip Lauer of Tuff City Kids, and Mark Barrott. My Past Is Your Future brings them back together, for the first time since their sole release in 2014 (IFEEL 034EP), and winks at a forthcoming album. "My Past Is Your Future" uses of delicate chords, cascading keys, and an effortless groove and it's paired with a "Beatless Stars Is Space" mix that strips it back to its core and the "Chukka Chukka Dance" mix which squares up to the dancefloor with an end-of-night classic.
Madam X's Kaizen label kicks things off with a sturdy three tracker from Manchester heavyweight Biome. Shady and sinister, "Griddled" kicks off the EP with a razor-sharp dive-bombing effect, flirting between mutant UK bass, sturdy dubstep, and Middle-Eastern condiments. "Squelch" fuses rim shots, acid, and down-pitched vocals while "Bush" experiments with subtle percussions, flipping between UKG, bleep techno, and high-energy rollers.
Silas & Snare offer up a killer two track EP, with a straight sub-heavy attitude made for darkened clubs. "Biometric" dominates the dancefloor with its sharply executed, big-room laser-like bassline as "Patience" demonstrates the duo's excellent percussive arrangement. With rolling snares, ragged syncopations, and brushed textures, this solid two-tracker makes a fine club tool.
Moving forward from 2016's well-received debut EP Becoming (N)one on Glacial Industries, v1984 releases his debut for Knives, the label founded by Jamie Teasdale (Kuedo) and Joe Shakespeare. v1984, aka Christopher Ramos, is of Korean/Filipino descent, and the title Pansori reflects his Korean heritage. It has the dual translation of a "gathering place for sound" and it specifically refers to traditional storytelling, which in turn is a neat description of the EP. Even when the music approaches noise its detailed and elegant rather than bludgeoning. Artwork by Berlin-based artist Maren Karlson.
$12.99 EAN: 5055300392510 ELECTRONIC
A1. SPfiNAL TAP re-JUVENescence
A2. Too Much
B1. False Awakenings
B2. Aria of Dawn
B3. beauty // IT5INYR-H3D
2014 release. Italian producer and Last Drop Records cofounder Roberto Bosco begins his four-track Sonorous Waves EP with the ambient intro of "Sonorous Waves Part 1," which creates the conditions for a mystical, celestial environment that pervades the whole release. "Sonorous Waves Part 2" is more dancefloor-oriented, with a multi-layered industrial techno structure. "Sonorous Waves Part 3" opens with spectral sounds that carefully develop into a full sci-fi ambience before the hypnotic, gentle 4/4 and syncopated bass of "Sonorous Waves Part 4."
Marco Bailey continuing his new, long-to-be journey in his mighty futuristic Materia techno train, returns to his Materia imprint with another solid EP titled Thorn. The package includes two exceptional techno gems from Marco Bailey himself, accompanied with a remarkable remix by the very charismatic fast-growing talent, Moteka. Jump on the Materia techno train and enjoy the best ride of your life.
Jon Gaiser returns to Minus with the full-length album III. Throughout his career, Jon Gaiser has been synonymous with forward thinking techno and sensory stimulating live audiovisual shows. Mixing up both analog and digital recording techniques, his abstract music never fails to be cerebral and cinematic, as well as fresh and physical, never ceasing to place you right in the center of his own special universe. Since 2014's False Light (MINUSMIN 032CD/LP), Jon has headlined shows around the world, constantly producing new material to test in his live sets. Always evolving whilst remaining true to his singular vision for techno, this trained percussionist and skilled drummer, once again, confounds expectation with his latest opus. The album kicks off with the introductory "Wirelife". Rolling beats underpin a percolating synth line and sci-fi sound effects that immediately get you in the groove. "Stringtest" and "Facefall" seamlessly round out the first chapter with oodles of pure minimal funk and rubbery bass, curious song details and subtle effects. The next chapter touches on darker, hard hitting rhythms with "Doorway", freaky dehumanized vocals with "Rubdown", and choppy house styles on "Out Too", but all exude humid atmospheres and an inviting sense of otherworldly charm. The last trio of tracks completes this fascinating story with the shuffling drums of "How's That", the colorful melodies of "For Balance", and playful widescreen vibes of "On The Way". When all the tracks here are added together into one musical experience, it makes for a fluid, expertly programmed ride that takes you somewhere new and exciting, as is always the case with the one and only Gaiser. Includes download code.
VA: Rocksteady: The Roots Of Reggae CD (MOLL 016CD)
Originally released on CD in 2009. Now available on vinyl for the first time. The sixteenth release on the Moll-Selekta label shares its title with a wonderful film, a heartwarming homage to the golden age of rocksteady. Rocksteady: The Roots Of Reggae documents the recordings being made for this very album at the Tuff Gong studios, Kingston, Jamaica in April 2008, telling the story of the original vocalists and musicians involved. Included are excerpts from an all-star reunion concert staged in Kingston alongside older archive material. Never before in the history of Jamaica, which already occupies a unique place on the world map of song, has such an illustrious collection of singers and players been assembled. The album showcases 15 rocksteady classics in sparkling, deeply inspired new versions, recorded in the studio which also played host to album sessions of a certain Bob Marley. Under the musical direction of Ernest Ranglin, a guitarist of considerable renown not only on the reggae circuit, and mixed by legendary engineer Errol Brown -- employ at Duke Reid's Treasure Isle studio in the sixties -- and freshly arranged by Lynn Taitt, each of the new versions was recorded using authentic instruments to capture the true rocksteady style. In the context of Jamaican musical history, rocksteady enjoyed a relatively brief, two to three year spell in the limelight, taking over from the faster-paced, predominantly instrumental ska sound of the early part of the decade and laying the foundation for reggae to come with an emphasis on bass, more intricate melodies, and bringing singers and vocal trios to the fore. Between 1966-1968, an unprecedented, and unrepeated, proliferation of marvelous songs moved many fans to call this the golden age. Hopeton Lewis, one of the creators of rocksteady, the great DJ U-Roy, an international pioneer of toasting, Stranger Cole, Derrick Morgan, and Leroy Sibbles are just a few of the legendary figures taking part, some having met to play together for the first time in forty years. This wonderful musical style from Jamaica and the great personalities behind it would certainly be deserving of similar belated recognition. A historical work in every respect. Features: Leroy Sibbles, Hopeton Lewis, Judy Mowatt, U-Roy, Ken Boothe, Derrick Morgan, Dawn Penn, Stranger Cole, Gladstone Anderson, Marcia Griffith, and Lynn Taitt. Includes a 16-page booklet containing extensive liner notes by the American music journalist Chuck Foster. CD version comes in a digipack.
Two versions of the track "On Retinae" by the Japanese pop duo Dip In The Pool. With support from friend Yasuaki Shimizu (AKA Mariah) on clarinet, the track is pure end of the night pop perfection and something of a lost classic. Originally appearing on Dip In The Pool's 1989 LP of the same name, Music From Memory have chosen to present both the "West" (English Version) and "East" (Japanese Version) from original 1989 promo pressed in Hong Kong. Dreamy minimal pop with the productions of Tatsjui Kimura and the ethereal vocals of Miyako Koda.
$12.39 UPC: 783024551160 ELECTRONIC
01. On Retinae (West Version)
02. On Retinae (East Version)
An mini LP of works by Denis Mpunga and Paul K., all recorded between 1980-1984. Combining elements of traditional African music with experimental electronics, the Belgian/Congolese duo released only a handful of tracks, scattered across a few rare LP and cassette compilations that were put out in the mid-eighties by obscure European labels. This release also includes a few previously unreleased songs that were found on the original master tapes. Relocating with his family from the Congo to Belgium in 1973 at the young age of 13, Denis Mpunga grew up in Liege and quickly became deeply embedded in its musical scene, forming the group Gomma Percussions in 1979; a percussive group driven by West African influences. A side project Eko-Kuango formed by the Gomma Percussion members also saw the release in 1985 of the now much sought after 12" Fura (1986), which also includes Denis Mpunga on vocals. Denis has continued to produce and compose music, perhaps most notably writing the soundtrack for the Dardenne brothers's La Promesse (1996). Patrick Stas, who would release with Denis under the "Paul K." moniker, was a well-known local musician in Liege and considered something of a luminary figure in the electronic and experimental music scene in Belgium. Patrick would set up the independent cassette and vinyl label Home Produkt. Both well-known figures in Liege's music scene, the two of them would join forces in 1980 to work together on a soundtrack for a children's animation company called CAMERA etc, recording the Intermezzo tracks which are included here. Keen to experiment further as a duo, Denis would propose the idea of combining some more traditional songs or percussive African elements with Patrick's experiments with drum computers and synthesizers. Working around more conventional instruments such as guitar and bass, Denis would also bring balafons, senzas, and a zither to their recordings whilst Patrick would work with an array of synthesizers and drum machines, such as the Roland MC 202, TB 303, and TR 808, and the Korg MS20 and Monopoly. The recordings set out to play with and challenge preconceptions and expectations of African music and African culture. Together, Denis Mpunga and Paul K.'s, if somewhat brief, musical adventure would create a fascinating new musical language: African music born out of an industrial European landscape. 180 gram vinyl.
Following 2016's compilation of archival recordings by Suso Saiz titled Odisea (MFM 009CD/LP), Music From Memory mark their 20th release with an album of new works by the Spanish electronic music pioneer. Recorded in Madrid between January and February 2016, this is Suso Saiz's first release of new music in nearly ten years. Titled Rainworks, this double LP release was originally part of a commission from a Canary Islands water company. The first ideas for the compositions developed from a documentary that Suso had seen suggesting the possibility of water molecules having their own memory. As Suso himself explains, he became fascinated with the possibility of an eternal being, changing its cyclical condition from solid to gaseous state, travelling through and between the Earth and the Sky, as a witness and keeper of the true history of Earth and Mankind. Suso, his son Emil Saiz, and pianist Raph Killhertz set out to explore this metaphysical process of cyclical movement through music in Rainworks. Developing from the original commissioned tracks into a much more elaborate project, the album's process became something of a mystical journey, drawing on aspects of minimalism and modernism. The music is also embedded in textured natural soundscapes and spoken word passages which were recorded and processed by Suso himself. Despite having the immediacy of an improvised piece, Rainworks was in entirely composed by Suso. Whilst on one hand it appears very much as an electronic album there are in fact many acoustic elements to the recording. A resonant piano (a grand piano re-amplified using its resonant box and harp to generate effects) as well as guitars (with simple effects) are played in Suso's inimitable hypnotic way, slowly drawing the listener into a transportive state or lucid dream.
Civilization, the debut album by Italian singer-songwriter Adele H, represents four years of thoughts, ideas, and melodies. Adele H is the solo music project of Adele Pappalardo, a singer-songwriter who uses just her voice and a Brazilian tambourine (and occasionally other percussion instruments) to create primordial experimental pop songs. The essential instrumentation creates primitive layers of music where the theme of spiritual awakening is celebrated. Each track was composed on several occasions in the space of four years, during which Adele left a stable job in Milan, Italy ("Everything Is Changing") to travel to America for three months, where she lived in Oakland. During those years she also read essays on civilization (especially Zerzan, Diamond) and expanded her understanding of Difference Feminism, Queer Theories, and Buddhist Philosophies. Civilization contains all these themes which have become a part of Adele H's artistic journey. The album traces a handful of years where Adele H experienced an awakening from a routine life in the city and represents a journey of liberation from societal coercions. This is most evident on the second track "Dogmas": a manifesto which states the desire to not be defined anymore, by anyone. At the same time, the appreciation for the little things in life is the vital statement which makes up Civilization; moments of solitude and rest in the woods after working for many hours in a mountain shelter in Italy. "This Silence" celebrates the nature which surrounded her after work, one late summer day. "Once A Day" tells the moment of an incredible sunrise that she admired from atop Cistella Mountain. The song reminds, that despite each of us alive on the planet, everywhere in the world (whether or not witnessed) there are great spectacles of nature (sunrises and sunsets), free sublime moments are happening continuously. Another big artistic breakthrough for Adele H was being part of the Civic Choir of Milan, where for a year she sang music in Latin with an 80 member choir. During that year Adele became dedicated to studying choral music. "I Wish I Was" was born out of her experiences with this sacred music and through the state of ego abolition that exists when singing as part of a choir. "Sun Walker" features Grant Corum.
Oscilla Sound's inaugural release from rising talent Wilhelm features intricate rhythms fused with synthetic ambiance and IDM tinged sound design, in a combination of beatless and syncopated cuts.
Dublin-based Percolator are Ian, Spud, and Ellie, who together play rock and roll music that is noisy, but always melodic, occasionally abrasive, but rarely harsh. Taking some cues from bands such as Neu! and Stereolab and the Creation Records, Cheree Records, Slumberland Records, and Sarah Records stables, their music comprises propulsive rhythms and gauzy synthetic textures, along with guitar work that is both muscular and delicate. Its subtle, detail-oriented production along with the use of much of their own custom-built equipment faithfully captures the gnarled beauty of their idiosyncratic vision.
$12.99 EAN: 5060366784506 ROCK
01. Spülmaschine
02. Squishy Future
03. Law & Order
04. Kim Chi
05. Crab Supernova
06. Yellow Fire
07. Usen't We
08. Binkle
"Phone Phoneys" immediately delves into familiar and focused textures, backed by woozy synths, dancing between glitzy euphonious melodies. The drums and rhythm section channel the energy of prior dance classics but still feel eager and are original in their deployment. On the flip side, "PLZ XX" diverts expectations by jumping between several frenetic moods, all whilst maintaining an energetic frivolity found throughout the record as a whole.
PMG present a reissue of Mansion's Devil Woman, originally released in 1976. "The eastern Nigerian city of Calabar in Cross River State was colloquially known as Canaan City -- a place of lush landscapes, alluring women and delicious cooking. When the Biafra War ended it became a land of milk and honey for bands as well, with jumping venues like the Taj Mahal and Luna Nite Club and a label called Clover, set up local entrepreneur Ben Okonkwo, releasing albums by bands like The Doves, The Visitors, Aktion and The Apostles. The youngest band on the Clover roster was Mansion, a teenage highlife group, led by singer and bassist John 'Holy Mountain' Ebiong. Okonkwo decked them out in flares, repackaged them as a funk band and put them in the studio with EMI super-producer, Kayode Salami. The result was Devil Woman, an astoundingly assured funk/rock album. The title track revels in a '60s psychedelic vibe. 'The Love Song' is a direct appeal to teenage hearts. 'Heaven Is Here On Earth' has an irresistible shuffling groove while 'You Can't Stop Us' is what James Brown would have sounded like if he'd been born in the Cross River State. Devil Woman is an album designed to set young hearts aflutter and draw approving nods from seasoned musicians. It succeeds in both." --Peter Moore
$10.39 UPC: 710473190770 WORLD
01. The Love Song
02. Devil Woman
03. Don't Take That Love Away From Me
04. Heaven Is Here On Earth
05. You Can't Stop Us
06. The Great Question
PMG present a reissue of Adolf Ahanotu's Sensation, originally released in 1986. "At a time when bandleaders in Nigeria used titles as an affectation, Dr. Adolf Ahanotu was the real deal. He had a PhD in music compilation and Master's degrees in education and communication. He also played a mean tenor sax, an instrument he mastered touring Owerri with the Mirabels. Ahanotu's scholarly background is apparent in the impeccable arrangements and the way each track is labelled with its musical type. The banging opening track, 'Sensation' is disco, notes the helpful doctor. The legendary 'Ijere' is to be considered Remire or Afro Jazz. 'Litany Of Freedom' is reggae, 'Cupid' is rock and 'Tropical Moonlight' classified as the blues. The mandatory ode to the nation, 'Happy Nigeria', is labelled as calypso. But these are not dry, scholarly pieces. 'Sensation' reeks of dance floor freakiness not the hallowed halls of academia. And listen to the pitch bend craziness on 'Injere'. Sure, Dr. Ahanotu had studied the rules. But he wasn't afraid to break them. From the freaked-out opening seconds of the title track you are left in no doubt: The doctor is in the house. Mastered and produced by Goddy Oku." --Peter Moore
OFO THE ROCK COMPANY: Live In Europe - Fonk Afrika CD (PMG 065CD)
PMG present a reissue of OFO The Rock Company's Live In Europe - Fonk Afrika, originally released in 1978. "OFO The Rock Company (originally known as OFO The Back Company) were Nigeria's first acid-rock band. Blending Hendrix and Deep Purple with shamanism and a pro-black philosophy, they cut their teeth at Fela Kuti's Afrika Shrine, developing a fearsome live reputation that intimidated every other band in Lagos. No one wanted to follow the guys from OFO, not even Fela himself. Led by the charismatic Larry Ifedioranma, OFO The Rock Company considered themselves a musical cult. Their live shows were a heady mix of mind-melting musicianship, mysticism and theatre. In 1973 the band tour Europe and Fonk Afrika gathers together the best of those performances. The moments captured range from small intimate gigs in London, where you can hear the conversation amongst the crowd, to an astonishing gig in East Germany where they played before 900,000 people. The undoubted highlight is the extended prog-rock wig out of 'Ayaya,' recorded at the Berlin gig, before an obviously delighted crowd. See if you can pick out the moment where the band were joined on stage by a long-haired hippy who insisted on playing guitar. They didn't realize it at the time but it was Carlos Santana. It was in Europe that the band fell apart, riven in two by Ifedioranma's increasingly autocratic rule. Fonk Africa remains as a precious testament to what the band did best -- playing loud and proud and putting on a show you would never forget." --Peter Moore
$10.39 UPC: 710473190930 WORLD
01. We Are Back
02. Don't Talk About Love, Just Do It
03. Adufu
04. Ayaya
05. Eni - Aro
06. Africa My Darling (Home Is Everywhere)
07. Okija
PMG present a reissue of Heads Funk's (Heads Funk Band) Cold Fire, originally released in 1976. "The self-proclaimed funkiest band on the west coast of Africa, the Heads Funk Band, could arguably make that claim for the whole continent. Featuring the slick guitar of Felix 'Feladey' Odey, the slinky drumming of Eddie Offeyi and the swirling keyboard chops of Kevin 'Fortune' Coburn, nobody was funkier. And that's not even taking into account the dance floor monsters they were releasing at the same time as Akwassa. Cold Fire was their second album as the Heads Funk Band. Where their first album, Hard World (PMG 013CD/LP), was in a hurry to get you on the dance floor, on Cold Fire the funk is given room to breathe. The title track has a dark ghetto groove, straight from the mean streets of New York. 'Got To Know' has a loose, feel good vibe. 'Put On Your Funky Shoes' and the instrumental, 'Funky Port Harcourt' live up to their names. With Feladey laying down a hybrid chicken scratch/wah-wah sound over Eddie Offeyi's assured drumming, and 'Fortune' Coburn supplying the free-range keyboards, this is a band at the height of their powers. Cold Fire is killer stuff and proof that in the mid-seventies Nigeria was producing the funkiest bands in the world." --Peter Moore
$10.39 UPC: 710473190947 WORLD
01. Out Of Sight
02. Cold Fire
03. I Need Your Loving
04. Got To Know
05. Funky Port Harcourt
06. Intro
07. Be With Me
08. Not Yours Anymore
09. Put On Your Funky Shoes
PMG present a reissue of Masisi Mass Funk's I Want You Girl, originally released in 1979. "In mid-seventies, Nigerian bands came and went with alarming regularity, rising meteorically from the slums to stardom and falling back again just as quickly. Masisi Mass Funk from Anamara State was one such band. But during their brief moment in the stratosphere, they produced a funk gem in I Want You Girl. The band was championed by Ebere Ikoro from the Hygrades. He took them under his wing after an ill-advised collaboration with Soly Dibong. They were originators not imitators, he said. He produced I Want You Girl and played on it as well. It's easy to see what appealed to Ebere Ikoro. The title track has a Manfred Mann sixties vibe. 'Care To Love Me' is a wonky, off-kilter reggae calypso number. And 'Ungrateful People' bounces along with a Sly And The Family Stone chirpiness. However, it's the gospel numbers that really stand out. 'Heavenly Father' rocks out with strident keyboards and plaintive vocals. And the relentless 'He Is To Be Praised' is an Afro-funk-rock-gospel monster, guaranteed to raise your eyes to heaven while keeping your feet firmly planted on the dance floor. Sadly, Masisi Mass Funk only released one album, their star burning as quickly as it did brightly. They went on to form First Planet, an Afro boogie band that tore up Lagos dancefloors in the '80s. But that's another story for another day." --Peter Moore
$10.39 UPC: 710473190961 WORLD
01. I Want You Girl
02. Care To Love Me
03. Re-Union
04. Heavenly Father
05. To Win Or Lose
06. He Is To Be Praised
07. Ungrateful People
08. Funky Music
BOWMAN, COOPER: The Isle Of Isms Cassette (PRTLS 011CS)
Cooper Bowman is a Melbourne-based visual and sound artist working in the margins of the Australian experimental and electronic scene. Following shows in Berlin, Warsaw, and Helsinki, Bowman swiftly recorded and assembled Isle Of Isms, a suite of short vignettes forming a cohesive whole. Made with minimal equipment (tape loops, synthesizer + effects) and recorded directly to tape, Isle Of Isms is largely informed by the processes associated with early kraut electronics and musique concrète. This release hints at the mystery of improvisation, wherein Bowman allows for chance-based encounters with sound, forgoing the stricter templates of his other projects.
CIRCULAR RUINS: The Thorned Maze Cassette (PRTLS 012CS)
Circular Ruins is the project of Netherlands-born, Berlin-based musician and visual artist Marijn Degenaar (b. 1987), whose "arcane, wistful and wishful ambient soundscaping" have been described by Boomkat as embodying "electronic music's potential for optimistic, dreamlike qualities." The Thorned Maze is a different, darker and more cerebral beast; one where the dreamy optimism is often interrupted by dissonant, atonal clusters, rattling textures, and rhythms that suggest subterranean infestations. The name Circular Ruins suggests the cyclical nature of being and time, and the atmosphere of his most cohesive release to date suggests a period of existential exploration; Touching on something eternal, conjuring images of fallen idols and ruined civilizations, past and present; an astral free-float through imagined eras and landscapes, as well as a hazy reflection on the cracked mirrors of the now, even hinting at the inner turmoil of a cyberpunk dystopia.
$6.39 UPC: N/A ELECTRONIC
01. Diamond Light
02. Undulations
03. Poison Oasis
04. F.E._E
05. Saqquara
06. Reversal
07. Time Without End
An assembly of choral traces and transmissions, these four new tracks are Croatian Amor's clearest move towards pop. At the same time, this is perhaps the weirdest record yet from Croatian Amor, introducing a complexity previously not seen. From the cut-up, granulated rhythm section and auto-tuned choir of the opener "Sky Walkers", to the duetting ballad of "Finding People" -- featuring additional vocals from new name Khalil -- the record never rests for long. The exploration is soothing, its search a tonic to the swarm of emotion it provokes.
$9.79 EAN: 5055869545464 ELECTRONIC
A1. Sky Walkers
A2. Keepers
B1. Breathe Into Me
B2. Finding People
Sierra Leonean-American multidisciplinary artist Yatta is based in New York and explores cultural, emotional, and identity histories through incantations born out of loop pedal drones and folk acoustics. Yatta describes Spirit Said Yes!: "Many of the samples within the EP come from recordings of burial hymnals and conversations. It was my way of mourning and trying to construct meaning from family. It helped me ground myself in who I am, what I have to offer, what the matriarchs in my family have offered, and who they are guiding me to be after their passing." Purple transparent cassette housed in hand-assembled, French cover stock packaging with letterpress print; Obi strip; Includes bonus track; Edition of 100.
$9.79 EAN: 5055300393197 ELECTRONIC
01. Intro
02. Heart2Home
03. Desert Song
04. Aint Misbehaving
05. Your Glory
06. Cyborg
07. Ritual
08. We Never Went To Church
09. Live Document
Radiation Roots present a reissue of Alton Ellis's Love To Share, originally released in 1979. One of Jamaica's most highly-rated vocalists, Alton Ellis made an incredible contribution to the island's popular music. Blessed with a particularly emotive voice that brings shivers to the spine, whether singing original material or cover tunes, Ellis was born and raised in Trench Town, the west Kingston ghetto area that gave rise to Bob Marley and the Wailers and countless other singers. Ellis and singing partner Eddie Parkins hit big in 1961 with the ballad "Muriel" for Coxsone Dodd, and after Parkins moved to the USA, Ellis teamed briefly with John Holt, and then began fronting the Flames harmony group. He excelled in the rocksteady style, christening the genre with "Rock Steady" and "I Have Got A Date", bouncing between Studio One and Treasure Isle for a number of years. From 1971, he spent increasing period in London, but continued to record hits in Jamaica for various producers. The 1979 release Love To Share was arranged by the great Studio One keyboardist Jackie Mittoo, who co-produced the album with Junior Lincoln, founder of the London-based Bamboo label; the disc straddles the line between lover's rock and roots reggae, remaining a lesser-known classic.
$10.99 EAN: 8592735006577 WORLD
01. Give Me Your Love
02. Pain In My Heart
03. Never Before
04. I Love You True
05. Goodnight Sweetheart
06. You, I Adore
07. Love To Share
08. Let Him Try
09. If You Love Me Still
10. Moments Of Sadness
Radiation Roots present a reissue of I Roy's Can't Conquer Rasta, originally released in 1977. Born Roy Samuel Reid in Saint Thomas in 1944, I Roy was one of Jamaica's all-time greatest deejays. A natural-born toaster, his rhyming raps always sounded effortless, whether describing the harsh realities of the inner city, or making light of nonsense nursery rhymes. A former employee at Customs and Excise, he was first active on a sound system called Soul Bunnies in the rocksteady era, moving to Son's Junior in 1968, and later, to the legendary Supreme Ruler of Sound, defecting to the rival Stereo sound system after that. Hits for Harry Mudie and other producers soon followed, and after the killer debut album Presenting I Roy (1973) impacted overseas, the toaster began spending frequent periods in London. His longstanding working relationship with hit-making producer Bunny Lee led to some of his most noteworthy albums during the mid-1970s; the 1977 set Can't Conquer Rasta is a superb "showcase"-style album, on which the toaster blows hard lyrics over five of Lee's killer "rockers" rhythms (recorded with the likes of Johnny Clarke), each complete with a corresponding Aggrovators dub on the flip, all mixed by Prince Jammy at King Tubby's studio.
$10.99 EAN: 8592735006584 WORLD
01. Jamaican Colley
02. Them Can't Conquer Rasta
03. It Rough Down Ya
04. Rasta Love Universally
05. Wise Man A Rasta Man
06. Big Eel
07. Jamaican Colley - Dub
08. Them Can't Conquer Rasta - Dub
09. It Rough Down Ya - Dub
10. Rasta Love Universally - Dub
11. Wise Man A Rasta Man - Dub
12. Big Eel - Dub
Radiation Roots present a reissue of Aggrovators' Rasta Dub '76, originally released in 1976. During the mid-1970s, the Aggrovators could do no wrong. This ace team of session musicians, forged as an off-shoot of the Soul Syndicate, were responsible for some of the biggest hits of the decade, recorded with Bunny Lee's rising stars, such as Johnnie Clarke and his rival, Cornell Campbell. Following on from the great Shalom Dub set of 1975 (RR 313CD/LP), Rasta Dub '76 is another truly magnificent dub set culled from Aggrovators hits (by Johnnie Clarke, Cornell Campbell and others); this time, the entire album was given a scintillating mix-down at King Tubby's studio by the great Prince Jammy, and the sonic excellence has stood the test of time. Another must-have for all connoisseurs of dub.
$10.99 EAN: 8592735006591 WORLD
01. None Shall Escape Dub
02. Fatty Boom Boom Dub
03. Dread Locks Bald Head Dub
04. Two Face Rasta Dub
05. Tradition Dub
06. Take It In My Hand Dub
07. Hold On Dub
08. Ja Ja In De Dub
09. Ites Gold Green Dub
10. No Woman No Cry Dub
11. Small Axe Dub
12. If You Should Loose Me Dub
KING TUBBY AND THE AGGROVATORS: Shalom Dub CD (RR 313CD)
Radiation Roots present a reissue of King Tubby And The Aggrovators' Shalom Dub, originally released in 1975. The house band of Bunny "Striker" Lee was formed in the mid-1970s by some of Jamaica's most prominent and musically expressive session players. The shifting core line-up spun off from the Soul Syndicate and thus typically featured Earl "Chinna" Smith and Tony Chin on guitar and Bernard "Touter" Harvey on organ. Carlton "Santa" was the main drummer, but Carlton Barrett of the Wailers band and "Benbow" Creary were sometimes featured. Most crucially, on bass, Aston "Family Man" Barrett shifted to Fully Fullwood (and occasionally, Earl "Bagga" Walker), until Robbie Shakespeare took over, becoming the bandleader. The band was responsible for the popular "flying cymbal" style that took Jamaica by storm, and you can hear it in abundance on this killer dub set from 1975. Its excellent cuts of Cornell Campbell and Johnnie Clarke material mixed at King Tubby's studio are a must for all serious fans of dub. CD version includes two bonus tracks.
$10.99 EAN: 8592735006607 WORLD
01. Natty Dub
02. Lee's Dub
03. Wonder Why Dub
04. I'm Gone Dub
05. Country Boy Dub
06. True Believer Dub
07. Care Free Dub
08. Rasta Train Dub
09. Move Out Of Babylon Dub
10. Give A Little Man A Great Big Hand Dub
11. Feel So Good
12. For The Rest Of My Life Dub
13. When You Will I Find My Way Dub
14. I'm Leaving Dub
15. Feel Lost Dub
16. Dawn Dub
17. Don't Cut Off Your Dub*
18. A Rougher Version*
Radiation Roots present a reissue of Dennis Alcapone's Guns Don't Argue, originally released in 1971. Cementing his reputation as the star toaster with the small but popular El Paso sound system, based in the Waltham Park area, Dennis Alcapone was one of the first deejays to rise to prominence following U Roy's breakthrough in the late 1960s. Born Dennis Smith in the rural district of Culloden, he became immersed in sound system culture after settling in western Kingston. Once El Paso became big on the sound system circuit, dental technician-turned-producer Keith Hudson brought him into the studio for his debut recordings, which led to a debut album for Studio One and hit material for Duke Reid, some cut in concert with his deejay sparring partner, Lizzy. Alcapone's longstanding links with Bunny Lee yielded the excellent Guns Don't Argue album, first issued in 1972, on which the toaster raps with style over some of Lee's all-time greatest rhythms, including Delroy Wilson's "Better Must Come", John Holt's "Left With A Broken Heart", and Slim Smith's rendition of the Temptations's soul classic "Ain't Too Proud To Beg".
$10.99 EAN: 8592735006614 WORLD
01. Alcapone Guns Don't Argue
02. It Must Come
03. Too Proud To Beg
04. Everybody Needs Love
05. If It Don't Work Out
06. Teacher Teacher
07. Left With A Broken Heart
08. You Got What It Takes
09. World Wide Love
10. Someone Dancing With My Girl
VASSILIADIS/VANGELIS PERPINIADIS, VASSILIS: Tsiftetelli 1969/Ego Den Emai San Tous Beatles 7" (MARTIKO 004EP)
Radio Martiko pass the crown of "Farfisa King" from Morocco to Greece! This killer 45 spotlights Vassilis Vassiliadis, the underdog from Athens who's now ranked as number one in Greek psychedelic laiko and tsiftetelli. The great flipside was not a difficult choice. A super rare, and highly sought after anti-mod anthem by Vangelis Perpiniadis, a renown singer, composer, and bouzouki player of the golden era of Greek laiko music.
$12.39 UPC: N/A WORLD
A1. Vassilis Vassiliadis - Tsiftetelli 1969
B1. Vangelis Perpiniadis - Ego Den Emai San Tous Beatles (I'm Not Like The Beatles)
OMARI, ABDOU EL: Nuits De Printemps LP (RMLP 003LP)
First issue of this previously unreleased Oriental psych monster from the organ king of Casablanca, combining traditional rhythms with spaced out modern sounds. Nuits De Printemps is the third part of Abdou El Omari's Nuits-trilogy. This album contains dazzling instrumentals, spiced up here-and-there with some traditional vocals. While playing his fine melodies, Abdou switches swiftly from his Farfisa Professional mothership to an analog ARP synthesizer. This new sound and some funky wah guitar riffs give his music an extra cosmic touch. Includes download code.
In Sweden in the early-to-mid '70s, the egalitarian spirit that many thought revolutionary to punks in the UK was nothing new for the heads to be found enjoying the cult Swedish psychedelia of bands like Träd, Gräs och Stenar or Älgarnas Trädgård. It's exactly this lineage, forty plus years later, where one can find Flowers Must Die. The six-piece Swedish outfit's full-length debut on Rocket Recordings, Kompost, is a landmark moment for an outfit pursuing an improvisation-based approach removed from the codified realm of contemporary psych. It explores the unhinged territory fueled by diverse record collections, yet it's unique to their own collective headspace. Kompost shows them honing their improvisatory excursions into coherent song craft, amidst spectral techno and cosmic disco shapes, as the angular post-punk pop of The Sugarcubes sits alongside the narcotic clangor of prime Royal Trux, and one-take spontaneity locks horns with nocturnal revelation. Here the outward-looking spirit of 1971, and the anything-goes mentality of the Scandinavian freaks of yore, is transposed elegantly to a modern era in need of new horizons, and in a manner refreshingly bereft of retro chic.
$18.99 EAN: 5055300389404 ROCK
01. Källa Till Ovisshet
02. Hit
03. After Gong
04. Why?
05. Hej Då
06. Don´t You Leave Me Now
07. Hey, Shut Up
08. Där Blommor Dör
09. Svens Song
TRENT, RON: Prescription: Word, Sound & Power 2CD (RH RSS20-CD)
Prescription: Word, Sound & Power presents the groundbreaking Chicago based house label's anthology, holding milestone songs. The legendary Prescription Records defined the 1990s deep house sound. This anthology holds numerous classics that have been out of press for years, along with previously unreleased tracks. Chez Damier and Ron Trent started the label in 1993, releasing some two-dozen singles in a four-year span, many of which attained legendary status on the underground scene. Ron Trent talks about the starting Prescription Records: "Chez Damier and I started the label, because we had the idea to take a certain level of fidelity and bring that fidelity to what people call tracks. Tracks being drum orientated Chicago rhythm tracks with a minimalistic melody. We were playing with that idea, expounding a point of that minimalistic aspect and making it more complex." Ron Trent was born in Massachusetts but raised in Chicago, listening to jazz and learning percussion. He began DJing in 1982, playing at area high schools. His first EP, containing the epic instrumental "Altered States", was released on Armando Gallop's Warehouse Records in 1990. Chez Damier (Anthony Pearson) grew up in Chicago, where he danced at the Warehouse as a youth. He left for Detroit in the 1980s, helping to open the Music Institute and working A&R for Kevin Saunderson's label, KMS. Damier and Trent met while Damier was visiting Chicago and immediately hit it off. Today, Prescription Records is cited by countless producers as a major influence. "It's a very dub experimental label... sound bites, samples, rhythms, and a lot of ethereal stuff, too," Trent expounds. "Not to mention. Prescription's embrace of heavy sub-bass," concludes Trent, "It was ahead of its time, definitely." In addition to Damier and Trent, Precription also features: Angora (Peven Everett, Roy Davis Jr.), Anthony Nicholson, USG (Anthony Nicholson, Ron Trent), Monica Elam, Konfusion Kidzz (Anthony Nicholson, Ron Trent), Ani, World, Sky & Universes (Trent), Harry Dennis, Noni (Anthony Pearson). Includes a download code with four more exclusive tracks.
Terrence Dixon returns as Population One, offering an unrivaled, dazzling excursion of late... The Move comes with an illustrious, energetic Orlando Voorn rework on the flip. Two esoteric portals into the Motor City mindset "Terrence Dixon side is super hot, the Orlando Voorn rework gives it the perfect hypnotic lost in the techno dungeon vibe. Very high minded, elements of the bizarre but still so hitting." --Brendan M. Gillen (Interdimensional Transmissions) "Population One is my favorite artist at the moment and these tracks are killer!" --Untold (Hemlock Recordings)
Remix session of the Scenario #5 release by DJ Honesty (SCENARIO 005EP, 2016), including Remixes by DJ Deep, Janeret, and label head Sebo K. Vinyl only; Hand-stamped white label.
Spellbound Music present a reissue of Paul Gonsalves Quartet's Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick, originally released in 1964. 1964 seemed to be a great year for jazz music, in general, and this special piece from a quartet, led by the great tenor saxophonist and long-time member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Paul Gonsalves, confirms this once more in an astonishing way. Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick is a typical instrumental post-bop album, not on the verge of progressive and free jazz, filled to the max with memorable, yet steaming compositions. Gonsalves nails it as a saxophone player and his backing crew -- consisting of piano, stand-up bass, and drums -- joins in to create a stream of sound that drags your soul away when you put the needle in the groove. The playing feels easy with sweet, but rather melancholic melody lines from piano and sax. It seems like they were singing love songs to each other while the rhythm section laid down the beat for both lead instruments dance to. The swinging sleaziness of a few passages heats up your blood to a simmering level; it's as if you were swallowed into a scene of Jack Kerouac's On The Road (1957), where a sax player goes wild in a small and dusty club somewhere on the West Coast. Paul Gonsalves and his guys take their listener onto a journey due with very expressive and strong melodies. This should have been a shining crown jewel of jazz where swing benignly turns into bop. The new and often more radical streams within the genre just oppressed this development and Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick, whose title was inspired by the name of Mr. Gonsalves's regular heroin dealer, became an underground classic for those who like to dig deeper into a genre to discover the real treasures. This is pure magic put into music.
$16.99 EAN: 8653106212185 JAZZ
01. Boom-Jackie-Boom-Chick
02. I Should Care
03. Village Blues
04. If I Should Lose You
05. Poor Butterfly
06. Blue P.G.
07. You Are Too Beautiful
08. Taboo
ELLIS (THE NITTY GRITTY GIRL), SHIRLEY: The Name Game LP (SPELL 4005LP)
Spellbound Music present a reissue of Shirley Ellis's (The Nitty Gritty Girl) The Name Game, originally released in 1965. A mid 1960s rock n' soul smasher, Shirley Ellis and her songwriting team went for a colorful album here, combining hard hitting rock n' roll with a slightly softened garage flavor and lush soulful pop. It presents smooth, yet striking vocal melodies on nearly ecstatic rhythmic patterns. Dance songs are thrown in for the good measure, putting an emphasis on the groove that shake and rattle your funky bones. Shirley Ellis knows how to put words together and sing them in a way that fuels the rhythmic fire. The Name Game will certainly appeal to soul aficionados, but it goes deeper and further, melting down the borders to beat and rock n' roll. Despite the singer's age, this album feels fresh and youthful, which is owed to her timelessly elegant voice that shows class and style, even in the naughty moments. A fantastic gem for certain and a must have for fans of black '60s pop, soul, and rock n' roll.
$16.99 EAN: 8653106212215 ROCK
01. The Name Game (2:40)
02. Don't Let Go (2:46)
03. Kansas City (2:12)
04. Shy One (2:36)
05. Stardust (2:36)
06. The Nitty Gritty (2:12)
07. Such A Night (2:22)
08. C.C. Rider (2:31)
09. I Never Will Forget (2:35)
10. Stagger Lee (2:11)
11. Whisper To Me Wind (2:21)
12. Bring It On Home To Me (2:28)
Eighteen months on from the release of their debut album Everything Forever (VAN 291LP, 2015), Birmingham's Victories At Sea follow up with A Place To Stay, inspired by a world battling with anxiety and uncertainty. Moving away from the familiarity of the live room to exchanging ideas through their respective home studio set ups saw the band naturally pick up from where the ambient electronics of the album closer for Everything Forever "Sirens", left off. With freedom to experiment with no constraints or time limits, the songs were allowed space to develop at a gradual pace. Sonically inspired as much by film and literature as the records from the band's growing love for the back catalogs of Chemikal Underground and 4AD, the result sees the band embracing more atmospheric sounds, alternative tunings, and rhythm structures to produce their most compelling and ambitious body of work to date.
Gonçalo F Cardoso and Alex Jones return to Discrepant under the new Sucata Tapes banner. Joined by Kenny "PL" Hosepipe on violin/effects -- bringing the do-si-do down your ramp. High puking their way through the desolate western sky, cackling all night long on the little house in prairie's backyard -- there were no stars on this perimeter, everyone was happy.
Last seen meddling with Portuguese workers chants on Antologia De Musica Atipica Portuguesa Vol. 1: O Trabalho (CREP 035LP, 2017), Portuguese artist Luar Domatrix sketches an eerie sci-fi inspired tape for the ever evolving Sucata Tapes imprint. Hesitant basslines conflict with lush distant drones and unsteady beats to present an alternate reality where anything is indeed what it seems.
Routing is Ctrls ninth solo EP. "The Shortest Path" starts with flitting high-end precision accompanied by a gracefully deviating tone. It takes on new life with a sparse and ultra-synthetic groove. "Rush Hour" is gripped by an acute yet almost-imagined drone that builds intensity before going all in. The oddball break takes it down and whips around to shuddering effect. "Crash" is a full-scale collision: strange and discordant percussive details, a fierce bass teased by semi-conscious accents. "Highway" comes in on a half-step, straightening up with a muted klaxon crescendo into hypnotic transit. Routing includes two staggering, driving locked grooves.
LYNN, BARRY: Taurus Tapes Vol. I Cassette (TOUCH 009CS)
After 2015's Esalen Lectures LP as The Host (TOUCH 003LP), Barry Lynn returns to Touch Sensitive Records under his given name with a twin set of ambient cassettes. The majority of the music on the Taurus Tapes results from live looping experiments using an electric guitar as the sound source, although a few tracks on Volume 1 were also created using synthesizers, and embellished with Loughshore bird-songs and fretless bass guitar. The result is an intimate and evolving sound, sculpted live in the moment. Shades of Fripp's experiments with Eno can be detected in the Gibson fuzz tone and drifting loops, as well as more Göttsching-styled exercises in tight repetition.
$7.79 EAN: 5055869545990 ROCK
01. Alcyone
02. Zeta Tauri
03. Atlas
04. Nu Tauri
05. Omicron Tauri
06. 88 Tauri
07. RV Tauri
08. T Tauri
09. The Pyramid Builders
10. V Asterism
LYNN, BARRY: Taurus Tapes Vol. II Cassette (TOUCH 010CS)
After 2015's Esalen Lectures LP as The Host (TOUCH 003LP), Barry Lynn returns to Touch Sensitive Records under his given name with a twin set of ambient cassettes. The majority of the music on the Taurus Tapes results from live looping experiments using an electric guitar as the sound source, although a few tracks on Volume 1 (TOUCH 009CS) were also created using synthesizers, and embellished with Loughshore bird-songs and fretless bass guitar. The result is an intimate and evolving sound, sculpted live in the moment. Shades of Fripp's experiments with Eno can be detected in the Gibson fuzz tone and drifting loops, as well as more Göttsching-styled exercises in tight repetition.
Twitchin' Beat Records present a reissue of The Savages' Live'n Wild, originally released in 1966. 1965 and 1966 were the years when the underground exploded and the first influences of psychedelia were showing up in the music of hardly remembered cult bands, such as The Savages originating from the Bermuda islands. Alongside three 7" singles, the band only released one full-length in 1966, Live'n Wild, recorded live at the Hub, a nightclub part of the Princess Hotel in Hamilton, Bermuda. The sound quality is awesome and the band's interactions with the audience offer quite a few entertaining announcements. The set features a collection of great tunes, three of which are covers. Live'n Wild, all in all, is absolutely rare. It is hard to find any original copy at all. But this reissue brings back the original album to all garage beat lovers. The strangest point here is the song "He's A Man", a cover version of Icelandic '60s rockers Thor's Hammer, with lyrics in English written by The Savages. "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" by The Animals was quite an obvious choice for a young garage band to include in their live set. The third cover version on this album is a more powerful rendition of The Drifters' "On Broadway". Nice choices, but the icing on the cake is the self-penned tunes, presenting a band that was up on the same level as most of the more popular garage beat heroes of the day, and with "The World Ain't Round, It's Square", The Savages had written one of the most wicked proto punk orgies of their era. It became a cult tune, proving to be one of the reasons the band survived in the memory of at least a few die-hards over the decades. It still sounds fresh and furious. The great "Quiet Town" is an early psychedelic pop tune. The overall mood of this record is certainly joyful, but you can feel the teenage angst and anger of these youngsters steaming from every note of their songs. If they got hold of a fuzzbox, their guitars would have been utterly distorted. Even with no distortion, they provide enough dirt here to make Live'n Wild an ultimate experience in 1960s garage rock on par with The Seeds, The Music Machine, or The Sorrows.
$16.99 EAN: 8653106212147 ROCK
01. Poor Man's Son
02. She's Gone
03. Gone To The Moon
04. Quiet Town
05. Oh My Soul
06. On Broadway
07. Nobody But You
08. He's A Man
09. I Believe
10. The World Ain't Round, It's Square
11. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
12. No, No, No
13. Theme
Twitchin' Beat Records present a reissue of Shankar Jaikishan's Gumnaam, originally released in 1965. This is the soundtrack to the classic 1965 Bollywood movie, of the same name, based on Agatha Christie's book And Then There Were None (1939). Originals in fine condition of the rare first Indian pressing score amazing prices among collectors of 1960s stage and screen music vinyl. It is exactly what you might expect from such a record: The musical elements span from classical Hindustani music, popular folk dances from India, lushly orchestrated screen music, exotica sounds, and the pop music of its era, with hints of country, Latin, surf, and swing. A colorful and all-over-the-place, joyful musical effort, featuring well-known vocalists such as Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, and Mohammed Rafi. Despite the delicately entangled arrangements of the songs, there is always a cool vocal line and harmony to attach the corresponding tune to the listener. A very entertaining record if you have an ear for exotic pop and screen music. Also features: Sharda, Usha Mangeshkar, and Mehmood.
$16.99 EAN: 8653106212161 SOUNDTRACK
01. Lata Mangeshkar - Gumnaam Hai Koi
02. Mohammed Rafi & Sharda - Jane Chaman Shola Badan
03. Asha Bhosle & Usha Mangeshkar - Pike Ham Tum Jo Chale
04. Mohammed Rafi & Mehmood - Khayalon Men
05. Sharda - Aayega Kaun Yahan
06. Mohammed Rafi - El Ladki Hai Jisne
07. Lata Mangeshkar - Gham Chhodke Manao Rang
08. Mohammed Rafi - Jan Pahechan Ho
Rat Columns is the mutable musical project of David West, an artist as prolific as he is diverse in his output. West is the driving force behind the groups Rank/Xerox, Liberation, and Lace Curtain, he was also a member of Total Control, and most recently debuted a solo album proper. Whether its forward-facing punk or turning his hand to crafting sleek prisms of pop, West's credentials check out. Rat Columns is no exception, always central to his vision and returned to many times since its inception in Perth almost a decade ago. A third album, entitled Candle Power, was recorded in Guildford, Western Australia, with the Perth crew of West, Amber Gempton, Louis Hooper, and Chris Cobilis, Candle Power sees the band's universe of chiming guitar pop explode into new worlds of color and shade. Candle Power tunnels further than ever before down the pop mainline, cutting in with moments of soul, disco, and experimental plots. West is a magpie-like musician, unafraid to assemble songs from a motley collection of influences and ideas. He weaves songs together with a deft hand and an acute grasp for the memorable yet momentary. A drumroll sputters to life kicking off the album with first track "Someone Else's Dream", a bittersweet remonstrance underscored by West and Gempton's shared vocals, vivid keyboards, guitar jangle, and a resolute beat. On "Time's No Vessel" West laments against a dreamy guitar refrain that's pure Johnny Marr. "Blinded By The Shadow" marks an about turn for the album, seeing the record start to flex its motorik muscles with a sequenced bassline and rock-solid drumbeat. "Is This Really What You're Like?" takes on a similar focused shuffle only with a more minimal demeanor. Whilst, "Candle Power II" takes the disco to the other side of the tracks with its shimmering synths, violin drones, and uniform beat. "Northern Soul" chases its own heartbeat through lush, sweeping synths and hushed refrains. "Dream Tonight" concludes the album with its propulsive drum machine, searching keyboard lines, and effusive bassline. It's a tour de force of pristine pop akin to New Order in its ability to capture this mercurial feeling, to listen through the music. Candle Power as an album is enamored with the fleeting, the difference between letting go and moving on.
$10.39 UPC: 828887008922 ROCK
01. Someone Else's Dream
02. She Loves The Rain
03. Blinded By The Shadow
04. Time's No Vessel
05. Is This Really What You're Like?
06. Candle Power II
07. You Don't Have To Try
08. Northern Soul
09. Dream Tonight
KAWAI, KENJI: Ghost In The Shell (Original Soundtrack) LP (WRWTFWW 017LP)
We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records present the first ever official vinyl pressing of the soundtrack for Mamoru Oshii's critically acclaimed and all around legendary science fiction anime film Ghost In The Shell (1995), adapted from Masamune Shirow's groundbreaking manga series of the same name. The haunting score is composed by Kenji Kawai, one of Japan's most celebrated soundtrack composers alongside Joe Hisaishi and Ryuichi Sakamoto, whose work includes Hideo Nakata's Ring (1998) and Ring 2 (1999), Death Note (2006), Hong Kong films Seven Swords by Tsui Hark (2005) and Ip Man by Wilson Yip (2008), and countless others. Kawai's compositions see ancient harmonies and percussions uncannily mesh with synthesized sounds of the modern world to convey a sumptuous balance between folklore tradition and futuristic outlook. For its iconic main theme "Making Of Cyborg", Kawai had a choir chant a wedding song in ancient Japanese following Bulgarian folk harmonies, setting the standard for a timeless and unparalleled soundtrack that admirably echoes the film's musings on the nature of humanity in a technologically advanced world. Ghost In The Shell is widely considered one of the best anime films of all time and its influence has been felt in the work of numerous movie directors, including James Cameron's Avatar (2009), the Wachowskis's The Matrix (1999), and Steven Spielberg's AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001). For fans of anime, manga, movie soundtracks, science fiction, ambient, folklore, Japan, Akira (1988), artificial intelligence, Midori Takada. Cut from the original master reels at Emil Berliner Studios (formerly the in-house recording department of renowned classical record label Deutsche Grammophon), the album comes in two versions: a standard LP and a limited collector's edition which comes housed in a sleeve with silver gilt printing and includes the LP, a bonus 7", Japanese obi, and extensive 24-page liner notes.
EL MICHELS AFFAIR: Return To The 37th Chamber CD (BC 017CD)
"The wait is over, Return To The 37th Chamber is El Michels Affair's highly anticipated follow up to 2009's underground cult classic Enter the 37th Chamber. Churning out classic records since then for the likes of Lee Fields, The Arcs, The Shacks, and tons more, it is clear that EMA's signature sound is stronger & sharper than ever. This time, in addition to re-interpreting the Wu compositions for a live band, EMA pays homage to the production and sonic fog that makes a RZA beat so recognizable. Producer and bandleader Leon Michels recorded the album completely analog, sometimes hitting 6 generations of tape before it was ready for mixing, giving the Return to The 37th Chamber its own hazy sound. Adding to the unique fidelity, the record is laced with psychedelic flourishes, 'John Carpenter' synths, heavy metal guitars, triumphant horns, and traditional Chinese instruments that make up for the lack of the Wu's superlative vocals. From start to finish it's a dark trip that walks the line between RZA's timeless hip-hop aesthetic and the cinematic soul EMA has become known for. El Michels Affair tackles some classics like '4th Chamber' and 'Wu Tang Aint Nuthin to Fuck Wit', as well as some deeper cuts like Ol Dirty Bastard's 'Snakes', Raekwon's 'Verbal Intercourse', and 'Shaolin Brew', Wu-Tang's contribution to the St. Ide's Hip Hop endorsement campaign from 1994. This time El Michels brings some of the Big Crown family along for the ride. Lee Fields handles vocal duties on 'Snakes' and is joined by Shannon Wise of The Shacks for their version of 'Tearz', which pays as much homage to the Wendy Rene sample as it does to the Wu-Tang Clan. Lady Wray makes an appearance on the cover of Method Man's hit, 'All I Need', lending her vocal prowess to what gave the Wu one of their biggest hits of all time. Interspersed throughout the record are some original interludes that are like the 'rug that ties the room together,' giving Return To The 37th Chamber a cinematic narrative that makes it a proper El Michels Affair record and not just a collection of covers. From the music to the presentation, this album is a perfect example of what can only be achieved through diversity. The end result is as much a kaleidoscope of influences and multiculturalism as the city it was recorded in. El Michels Affair is once again, 'sounding out the city' that raised them, pulling elements of art and culture from across the country and around the globe to create an album truly unique in its own right."
$13.00 UPC: 349223001723 ROCK
EL MICHELS AFFAIR: Return To The 37th Chamber Cassette (BC 017CS)
Cassette version.
$11.75 UPC: 349223001747 ROCK
EL MICHELS AFFAIR: Return To The 37th Chamber LP (BC 017LP)
LP version.
$17.00 UPC: 349223001716 ROCK
DISK (GERMANY):
PARADON'T: Thrd Mpct EP 12" (DISK 010EP)
"Don't DJ and Paraklang -- 'their vision of an alien club excess,' says Disk (formerly Diskant). 'The result draws heavily from both their traditions: rhythms all over the place and a dark psychedelic ambience with a viciously unsettling drive. Yet the tracks show a strangely intriguing characteristic of maintaining a vigorous groove while rejecting conventional structures of rhythms and tracks alike.' 'It's outlandish yet it's dance music!'"
$11.00 UPC: N/A ELECTRONIC
JALOPY RECORDS (UNITED STATES):
VA: Lost Train Blues: John & Alan Lomax and the Early Folk Music Collections at the Library of Congress LP (JMR 001LP)
2017 repress. "Lost Train Blues features 22 selections from the vast holdings of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, 13 of them have never been issued before. The record includes work songs, ballads, blues, political and union songs, guitar, banjo and fiddle music and Native American vocal music. These recordings were made between 1933 and 1950 and represent the birth of the folk music collections at the Library of Congress, now the largest repository of folk and enthographic holdings in the world. The record demonstrates the groundbreaking work of Alan Lomax and his father John Lomax, but also places them with the context of other important early field workers. The deluxe record includes liner notes by Alan Lomax archive curator Nathan Salsburg, as well as a 14 page booklet with photographs and original research about each song, artist and folklorist. The cover features an original lithograph by artist Jeff Tocci. Each selection has been retransferred from original discs and tapes at the Library of Congress and has been carefully remastered by sound engineer Don Fierro making for the best possible audio fidelity."
$14.50 UPC: N/A WORLD
ASHLEY, CLARENCE: Clarence Ashley - Live And In Person: Greenwich Village 1963 LP (JMR 004LP)
"Clarence Ashley - Live And In Person is the first all-new album in over 50 years by the legendary singer and banjo player who helped introduce old time country music to audiences throughout the nation. Clarence Ashley (1895-1967) recorded for Columbia Records in 1929, was featured on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music in 1952, and toured the US in the 1960s. Jalopy's vinyl-only release was produced in 2016 by Peter K. Siegel, from tapes he personally recorded in 1963 at the Greenwich Village folk club Gerdes Folk City. All 14 tracks are being released for the first time on March 1, 2017. John Cohen, founding member of The New Lost City Ramblers, wrote the liner notes and provided never-before-seen photographs of Ashley in Greenwich Village. A 16-page illustrated booklet includes additional notes by Peter K. Siegel and Eli Smith. Live And In Person is Clarence Ashley's first and only live album. He is accompanied on the album by guitarist Tex Isley, a member of Charlie Monroe's Kentucky Partners."
$14.50 UPC: N/A ROCK
MISSISSIPPI RECORDS (UNITED STATES):
VA: Sticks Over My Shoulder LP (MRP 023LP)
2017 repress. "A compilation of Georgia bluesmen who play all in a style of their own. Truly great recordings made by George Mitchell between 1979-1981. Features the hypnotic sounds of John Lee Ziegler, the incredibly rockin' drum and guitar music of James Davis, the hair-stands-up-on-the-back-of-your-neck voice and guitar of William Robertson (also known as Cecil Barfield!), the unique Doaist playing of Jimmy Lee Williams and the ragged and beautiful music of Jim Bunkley. Really just the best blues music you could ever hope to hear. Another testament to the brilliant ear of George Mitchell, who traveled the south in search of the real stuff and found it. Old school 'tip on' cover."
$9.50 UPC: N/A WORLD
VA: I Believe I'll Go Back Home (1906-1959) LP (MRP 106LP)
"A sequel (of sorts) to the I Don't Feel At Home In this World Anymore compilation. The stone cold beautiful African guitar playing and singing of Sabelo and G. Wayawaya, the intense Native American country music of Jenks 'Tex' Carman, the great Tex Mex of Lydia Mendoza, the heavy hypnotic Cajun sounds of Amede Ardion and Dennis McGee, the shimmeringly beautiful singing and playing of the Genial Hawaiians, the deep deep deep Rembetika of Marika Papagika, the soulful gospel of Blind Willie Davis, the sacred Indian sounds of T.R. Mahalingham and Khansahib Abdul Karim Khan, the early Jewish mysticism of Max Leibowitz, the dark Cuban rumbles of Sexteto Bologna and much more. Here we have a diverse cross section of the world's music - a unifying sound during divisive times. Old school 'tip on' cover."
$9.50 UPC: N/A ROCK
NEW WORLD RECORDS:
KING, JOHN: Free Palestine CD (NW 80786CD)
"Even before you've heard a single note of Free Palestine by the composer and instrumentalist John King (b. 1953), the work may well have made an impact for its title alone: a seeming reference to one of the more daunting, divisive sociopolitical conditions in modern global history. For King -- who became politically active during his late teenage years in Minneapolis during the Vietnam War era, participating in labor actions and protests, and later wrote music inspired by the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa -- the question of Palestine has been an issue of particular interest. It follows, then, that Free Palestine, a unified sequence of relatively brief string quartet pieces composed from May 2013 to August 2014, is to some extent politically motivated. Crucially, though, the work -- wholly instrumental and essentially abstract in nature -- does not convey a specific agenda. It is neither overt protest, nor a rallying cry. Instead, what Free Palestine ultimately represents is a kind of personal idealism, expressed in the action of a North American composer in the twenty-first century negotiating a new personal relationship with traditional Arabic music: experimenting with melodic modes (maqam'at) and rhythmic cycles (iqa'at), and transforming those elements for conventional Western instruments -- personalizing the music, in a very real sense, in order to embed it within his own cultural milieu. The work's lesson is not a blunt statement urging some particular form of action, but rather a simple acknowledgement of the invisible strands binding us in common humanity and intrinsic dignity, couched in a musical idiom invented not just to accommodate that commonality but to celebrate it."
$10.75 UPC: 093228078623 CLASSICAL
PACIFIC RHYTHM (CANADA):
FLORIST: DVOTE 12" (PR 000EP)
"Flørist returns to Pacific Rhythm with two versions of a track called 'DVOTE' that have been circulating around the Canadian underground for quite some time. You'll know exactly what to do with it! With a risographed insert on parma-violet card."
$12.50 UPC: N/A ELECTRONIC
REAL GONE MUSIC (UNITED STATES):
KEROUAC & STEVE ALLEN, JACK: Poetry For The Beat Generation LP (RGM 544LP)
"The story behind this album, which marked Jack Kerouac's debut as a recording artist, is almost as fascinating (but not quite) as the performances it contains. Kerouac had completely bombed in his first set during a 1957 engagement at the Village Vanguard when TV personality, comedian, and musician Steve Allen volunteered to accompany him on piano during the second. The results were so impressive that legendary engineer Bob Thiele then brought the duo into the studio to record an album for Dot Records. In true, stream-of-consciousness, Beat fashion, the entire album was cut in one session with one take for each track, Allen's piano weaving in and out and occasionally commenting on Kerouac's verbal riffs to great effect. However, when Poetry For The Beat Generation was ready for release in March 1958, Randy Wood, the president of Dot Records, was appalled by the then-daring language and subject matter and canceled the release . . . but not before 100 promo copies got out (and if you have one you're set for life)! Thiele then left the company over the dispute and got the master tape in the bargain, which he finally released on the Hanover label which he founded with Allen in June 1959. That release still stands as one of the most momentous spoken word albums not just of the '50s but of all time . . . and we at Real Gone Music are proud to bring it to you in a black and white 'beatnik smoke' vinyl version limited to 900 copies!"
$18.50 UPC: 848064005445 Misc
GINSBERG, ALLEN: Reads Kaddish - A 20th Century American Ecstatic Narrative Poem LP (RGM 545LP)
"Along with Howl, Kaddish stands as one of Allen Ginsberg's most illustrious creations. Always a follower of popular trends in music, Ginsberg had spent parts of 1958 digging into Ray Charles' 'I Got A Woman' -- occasionally doing so while on morphine and methamphetamine. One evening, in this drug-induced state while cranking some Ray, Ginsberg began discussing his mother Naomi with his pal Zev Putterman. Putterman in turn, began reciting the traditional Hebrew 'Kaddish' prayer for mourning the dead. Soon after, fueled by Dexedrine, LSD, and caffeine, Allen penned the majority of Kaddish. In early 1959, Kaddish received its debut performance at a poetry reading at Columbia University -- in which Allen shared the bill with his lover Peter Orlovsky and fellow beat poet Gregory Corso. Over time, the manuscript was tweaked and adjusted until publication in April 1961 by City Lights. Then, in November 1964, with Orlovsky and Corso in tow, the trio performed several gigs at Harvard and Brandeis Universities, and it was at Brandeis where this recording was made. Released in 1966, Kaddish turned out to be the only record in Atlantic's spoken-word Verbum series; but if label head Jerry Wexler changed his mind about the imprint, he remained a big fan of the work, later telling Los Angeles historian Harvey Kubernik that Kaddish had stirred 'the Yiddish currents in my own blood' and inspired 'joy and anguish . . . the exaltation that great poetry will bring on.' Indeed, Kaddish is an intensely personal and moving work, capturing the complex relationship between Ginsberg, his mother, and his faith, and concluding with a heartrending description of her death. Real Gone Music is very proud to present the first-ever vinyl reissue of this landmark performance, in its original gatefold packaging with an added inner sleeve featuring new liner notes by Pat Thomas and memorabilia provided by the Allen Ginsberg estate . . .over an hour of one of the towering figures in American poetry reading one of his greatest works. Limited edition of 1700 in red vinyl!" Gatefold sleeve.
$16.00 UPC: 848064005452 Misc
QUESTION MARK & THE MYSTERIANS: 96 Tears LP (RGM 552LP)
"By exclusive arrangement with ABKCO Music, Real Gone Music is proud to present the garage band to end all garage bands, Question Mark and the Mysterians! Hailing from Saginaw, Michigan, this group of Mexican-American teenagers had all the bona-fides collectors of '60s cool cherish -- the name, derived from a Japanese horror film; the sound, an insistent, three chord beat powered by that unmistakable Vox organ tone; and, of course, the sunglasses-shod Question Mark himself, who claims to have been born on Mars and lived among the dinosaurs in a past life. And their 1966 debut album hit the Top 100 on the Billboard charts thanks to its legendary title tune. We're presenting this all-time classic record on orange vinyl (cause after all, orange is Question Mark's color) limited to 600 copies and mastered at 45 rpm for maximum sonic effect!"
$16.50 UPC: 848064005520 ROCK
VA: Honeybeat: Groovy 60s Girl-Pop LP (RGM 572LP)
"Hey, '60s pop collectors . . . do you suppose there might be some killer rare tracks lurking inside the Sony archives? Yeah, that's what we thought, too . . . so we enlisted girl group expert extraordinaire Sheila Burgel (producer of the Grammy-nominated box set One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found and the Japanese girl pop series Nippon Girls among other prodigious collecting feats) to go tape spelunking and see what she could come up with. And man, was that a good decision -- cause Sheila (and Sony Legacy producer Rob Santos) have emerged triumphantly from their journey into the deepest nooks and crannies of the Sony vaults with 19 fantastic girl pop finds that sound like they should've been, could've been hits had anybody heard them the first time around! Just to give you an idea of how deep these tracks are, these 19 songs hail from no less than nine different labels (Columbia, Date, RCA Victor, Epic, Bell, OKeh, Sound Stage 7, Groove, and Amy); about a third of them have never been reissued anywhere (one, Dorothy Jones' 'Talk That Sweet Talk,' is previously unreleased), and the rest have only appeared on obscure imports, some of dubious origin. What's more, for her detailed liner notes, Sheila has whenever possible tracked down and interviewed the artist(s) in question, in some cases stirring up long dormant and emotionally charged memories of their days in the music business, with rare, never before seen photos lending color to their accounts. Remastered by Vic Anesini at Battery Studios in New York, Honeybeat: Groovy 60s Girl Pop offers a treasure trove of rarities for the girl group collector, a seamless listen for a vintage pop fan, and a much-needed journey back to a more innocent time in the record business. Special note for vinyl collectors: Sheila has also selected and sequenced 14 of the 19 tracks for a special 180-gram, violet vinyl gatefold edition limited to 1200 copies!"
$21.00 UPC: 848064005728 ROCK
SAHELSOUNDS (UNITED STATES):
GAO RAP: Hip Hop From Northern Mali LP (SAHEL 041LP)
"Blissed out electronic Hip Hop from the Sahara. Gao's hyper localized genre reinterprets Western Hip Hop into a sounds unlike anything else in the world. Autotune, melodic synth, and PC-based beats combine in abstract home studio experiments. Droning takamba meets Hausa synth pop, with a healthy dose of Ragga. Obscure music that thrives on the local MP3 trade, this compilation highlights some of the most ambitious recordings of the past 10 years. Limited to 500."
$16.00 UPC: N/A WORLD
SOUL PEOPLE MUSIC (UNITED STATES):
CAPT P: The Incredible Adventures Of Capt P: Escapism 2LP (SPMBLP 003LP)
"Seven years ago Fred P released the CD version of his classic cult album The Incredible Adventures Of Captain P. 2017 sees the second installment based on the concept of Escapism, a word that embodies a personalized experience. Smart phones combined with social media encourages beings to create their own realities, which is escapist behavior. Fred P embraces this state of mind and expresses both the need to tune out and the urge to tune in. This dialog of 11 tracks and interludes captures his surroundings, while reflecting the solitude of headphones. This is a constant stream of consciousness that takes you on a journey into a dimension of sound. It will evoke positive vibes and remind you that our changing world is always in state of flux."
$15.50 UPC: 711623742511 ELECTRONIC
SOUND SIGNATURE:
PARRISH, THEO: Gentrified Love Part 3 12" (SS 066EP)
On the A side is "Trust" and on the B side, "My Soul". Both tracks feature Amp Fiddler.
$8.50 UPC: N/A ELECTRONIC
SUPERIOR VIADUCT (UNITED STATES):
COLTRANE/ALICE COLTRANE, JOHN: Cosmic Music LP (SV 120LP)
"John Coltrane transformed the inner architecture of jazz, throughout the mid-1950s and 1960s and long after his premature death at age 40 in 1967. No other American musician could be said to be at the spiritual center of the '60s musical universe as Trane influenced Albert Ayler, La Monte Young, Jimi Hendrix and everybody in between. Cosmic Music, originally self-released by Alice Coltrane in 1968 and later issued by Impulse!, features two tracks ('Manifestation' and 'Rev. King') by John Coltrane's legendary final quintet that were recorded in San Francisco on February 2nd, 1966 and two more ('Lord Help Me To Be' and 'The Sun') from Alice Coltrane's very first session as a bandleader, recorded six months after her husband's passing. 'Manifestation' opens with the group already in mid-flight: Trane's fierce tenor leads the way with Pharoah Sanders' blistering sax and Alice's powerful chords hearing his call. On 'Rev. King,' Trane introduces a lyrical theme and then the composition erupts into fiery incantations, while Jimmy Garrison's bass throbs alongside the propulsive, gravity-defying drumming of Rashied Ali. Foreshadowing her majestic debut, A Monastic Trio, 'Lord Help Me To Be' brings Alice's celestial piano playing and inspired improvisations to the foreground with Sanders, Garrison and drummer Ben Riley rumbling in tow. 'The Sun,' a meditative ballad with subtle urgency, perfectly closes the album's contemplative circle. As John Coltrane recites on the final track, 'May there be peace and love and perfection throughout all creation.' "
$17.50 UPC: 855985006208 JAZZ
FALL, THE: Perverted By Language LP (SV 127LP)
"The Fall returned to Rough Trade in 1983 to release a pair of singles ('The Man Whose Head Expanded' and 'Kicker Conspiracy') and Perverted By Language, their sixth proper studio album. Perverted By Language hints at the band's shift towards a distinctly pop approach, one that they would perfect via their Beggars Banquet output that immediately followed. Yet again, the force and panic of their initial Rough Trade recordings remains the foundation for much of the album. A transitional recording in the absolute best sense, Perverted By Language is The Fall both as they were and as they would become. The emergence of Brix Smith is often cited as the impetus for The Fall's move toward outward pop, and she first makes her first appearance with the band on Perverted By Language. Nowhere is her presence felt more than on 'Hotel Blöedel,' where she handles lead vocal duties alongside Mark E. Smith whose mangled violin accompaniment roots the song's cold romanticism in his unmistakable brand of strange. 'Garden' provides a new take on The Fall's stretched-out tendencies -- using ringing, clean guitars to build a nearly 10-minute epic more subtly than ever before. The opener, 'Eat Y'self Fitter,' is wholly classic Fall: a playfully circular bass line drives the album's strongest vocal spout, complete with emphatic breaks where Mark E. Smith issues the song's spiteful decree with equal parts glee and scorn. Superior Viaduct's edition is the first time that Perverted By Language has been available on vinyl domestically."
$17.50 UPC: 855985006277 ROCK
THE TRILOGY TAPES (UK):
BASS CLEF: Interform Untunnel 12" (TRILOGY 052EP)
"A word to the wise from Will Bankhead -- 'I think Ralph's really underrated, his two records on TTT are probably the best records I've put out.' Both thrashed by Ben UFO and JO, too."
$12.50 UPC: N/A ELECTRONIC
DILLON WENDEL: Pulse 12" (TRILOGY 057EP)
"Beatrice Dillon and Kassem Mosse. You can't make sense of this, clicking through mp3s, on tin-pan computer speakers. Put the record on, though, and set the controls for the heart of the bloke next door, and it's terrific. The drum-less, throbbing, droning, wailing, sawing, twinkling reconnaissance of Nothing, with massive, unnerving swoops, throttling and surges. Great photos by Anne Tetzlaff on the sleeve."
$12.50 UPC: N/A ELECTRONIC
UGLY THINGS:
UGLY THINGS: #44 MAG (UT 044)
"Our headline stories this time include a candid, in-depth new interview with Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean, and a feature of '60s Southern rock 'n' soul heroes The Uniques. We also reveal the stories of Sloan & Barri pop protégés The Thomas Group, Australian shock rocker Geoff Crozier, Swedish R&B long-hairs Sooner Or Later and New York garage teens Johnny Farfisa & The Individuals. Meanwhile Mike Medina delves into the mystery of drumming genius Eddie Hoh, who played with MFQ, the Monkees, the Mamas & the Papas and others before disappearing into night and fog at the end of the sixties. Our story about Southern California garage psych cult heroes Things To Come concludes, and Hunter Bennett interviews Tony Kinman of The Dils and Rank & File. Plus much more, including a new installment in Cyril Jordan's ongoing Flamin' Groovies saga, and our extensive review sections, the ultimate consumers' guide to all the latest vinyl and CD reissues and rock'n'roll-related books."
