"Primitive Art Group 1981-1986 is presented on gatefold 2LP, and is a combination of the group's only two albums, consisting of one LP of Five Tread cuts plus 'Cecil Likes to Dance' a never-before-released live recording from Thistle Hall (1984) and the full 1985 LP Future Jaw-Clap. This material that has been unavailable since mid-1980s. It is well documented that in the early '80s, New Zealand was awash with adventurous new music. Though sharing the kind of happy isolation and the DIY ethic with contemporaneous outfits like Flying Nun, South Indies, and Xpressway, one band cut a decidedly different path. The Primitive Art Group, formed in Wellington, devoted itself to collective improvisation coming out of a jazz tradition. With the line-up of Anthony Donaldson (drums), David Donaldson (bass), Neil Duncan (saxes), Stuart Porter (saxes), David Watson (guitar), and originally with Pam Grey (on cello), the group's relatively brief existence left a lasting impression on the New Zealand's free music scene. Musically, there was no precedent in New Zealand for their combination of noise, collective playing and compositional freedom. The band's five-year lifespan was non-stop activity: rehearsing, touring, the creation of Braille Records (their own record label which released ten LPs), dance and theater work, appearances at music festivals, and hosting two hugely influential national festivals of improvisation at Thistle Hall, Wellington. In 1984, Primitive Art Group spent a week making their first recording, an ambitious double LP, Five Tread, which had only a single pressing and sold-out locally. One year later they were back in the studio making their second album, Future Jaw-Clap. This outing contained tighter pieces, as the band widened its repertoire with nods to broader influences and antecedents. In 1986, The Primitive Art Group gave their last concert at the Wellington Town Hall, just a half mile from Rawa House and the legendary Thistle Hall where their first shows had taken place. The band's Braille Records' recordings have never been released outside of New Zealand, nor have ever been available digitally. The group's brief tenure has continued to inspire new generations of improvisers, but nothing has ever quite matched the visceral blast of the Primitive Art Group's arrival on the scene. Every member of the group has carried on doing creative work at the highest levels: scoring films, making art, mentoring, organizing, touring and always playing."

Steve Leach's Balearic beach-funk beast Ocean Potion, recorded with the Crystal Grass Orchestra is an absolutely ace, Ned Doheny-adjacent funky AOR/blue-eyed soul BBQ classic from 1976. A French-only release on Philips, it's a hugely immediate, pop-funk firecracker. It features a wonderfully lush, full orchestral sound throughout, underpinning Steve's gorgeous voice and an army of brilliant backing vocalists. The supporting cast is phenomenal and is arguably the salient reason this is such a fantastic record. Featuring legendary players from the French scene (think Arpadys, Voyage, Kongas, CCPP, Giant, Swing Family) such as Don Ray with his arranger-conductor hat on as well as synths, Marc Chantereau on percussion, Slim Pezin on guitar, André Ceccarelli on drums, Christian Padovan on bass, and Pierre Halation on flute. With these snakes behind the scenes, it remains a mystery how Ocean Potion is so relatively unknown. Hopefully, this long overdue reissue rectifies this and puts a stop to people dropping $200 on it. Triumphant, horn-forward opener "The Light Of The Mind" has that uniquely Ned Doheny fidgety funk feel with a fantastically irresistible chorus and great harmonies. Just magic. Coming off like something off The Beach Boy's Surf's Up or Holland is the brilliantly ominous, driving wall of sound of "Take Strength". Cavernous drums, urgent strings and a staggeringly good vocal performance make this a real highlight amongst an album of highlights. Glacial ballad "All Love's Children" has a deep New Orleans soul feel that truly soars whilst the breezy "Get Out In The Sun" owes a debt to "Crocodile Rock". It's pure pop for now people and wouldn't have been out of place on a late '70s Nick Lowe effort. Pastoral closer "I Meditate Each Day" is just beautiful, and likely the reason this reissue is giving you that special feeling. As ever, the audio for Ocean Potion has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve featuring a topless Steve reclining next to his piano on a flatbed truck on the beach has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

"Record Time No 2 hits the bargain bins and neglected corners of the local record store to find great records that are still affordable to average folks. And, as with the first issue, we dig into the back stories of these records and artists, with a focus on good writing. This time around we do a deep dive into the life and career of Ray (Rae) Bourbon, a pre-Stonewall drag artist and comedian; jazzman Charles Lloyd's 'wilderness' albums; Catalan folk legend and politico Lluis Llach; oddball rockers the Hampton Grease Band; finding the South African country music holy grail; Canadian cabaret rocker Louis Furey; the weird world of Polka; hard rocking should-have-been-huge Birtha; actor and music pusher Jack Webb; Sex Pistols and Pistols-inspired novelty records; patron saint of smart asses Rick Johnson; and more! Contributors this time are Tom Hyland, Owen Maercks, Stella Beratlis, Steve Silverstein, Nathanel Amar, Adam Taub, Nate Knaebel, Laurent Bigot, Mike Trouchon, Greg Pshaw, Johnny Sunshine, Dennis Worden, Fred De Vries, Stan Appleton, Billups Allen, and Todd Trick Knee, with guest appearances by Lali Donovan, Larry Hardy, Tony Coulter, and Dana Katharine. Edited by S Soriano."

Moin is a three-piece group consisting of Joe Andrews and Tom Halstead of Raime alongside longtime collaborator Valentina Magaletti of Tomaga, Shit & Shine & CZN. Released on AD93, Moot marks a creative left turn for the label and a pared-down studio approach for the artists involved. According to Moin, "the record was made as an experiment really, it felt like the right time to play on the fringes of this kind of music. The priority was to be direct at first and then change the edges perhaps. Make something to experience rather than something as a spectacle." Made using traditional live recording techniques with some sparingly applied sampling and postprocessing in the studio afterwards, it's a heady interpretation of the mist between post-punk, hardcore and down-tuned US stoner rock. There's flashes of Slint in the hollow locked in percussion and ominous bass interludes, there's elements of the various influential projects of Justin Broadrick, Steve Albini, or even Kevin Shields with the warm distortion across tracks like "It's Never Goodbye" and the rhythmic complexity in the tightly wound, menacing time signatures. A no-frills rediscovery of the music which informed their youth, Moot! is the culmination of three visionaries stripping things back to the essential elements. A visceral and timeless experience that's highly recommended.

Paste is the second album by Moin, released on the October 2022 via AD 93. The follow up to their well-received debut album Moot!, the record draws influences from alternative guitar music in its many forms, using electronic manipulations and sampling techniques to redefine it's context, not settling on any one style but moving through them in search of new connections. By exploring these relationships, Moin delivers another collage of the known and unknown, punctuated by words that are just out of reach.

Limited 2024 repress. Before the Khmer Rouge took power in 1975, unleashing a horrifying genocide, Cambodia had one of the most vibrant and exciting music scenes in Asia. With a mixture of traditional Khmer music and a myriad of western genres (from French and Latin music, to rock-and-roll, rhythm-and-blues, surf, psychedelia, soul, and many more) the few pre 75 Cambodian recordings that survived -- most of them were destroyed -- are enough to make anyone with a taste for good music shocked by the amazing quality of the sounds created during those golden years. Gathered on Cambodian Nuggets are some of the most talented and unique musicians from that amazing era with an explosive collection of tracks sure to blow the mind of the listener. A celebration of some of the best music ever made. Features Ros Serey Sothea, Yol Aularong, Pan Ron, Tet Somnang & Meas Samon, Houy Meas & Dara Chom Chan, Choun Malai, Sinn Sisamouth, Liev Tuk, Thra Kha Band, Yol Aularong & Liev Tuk, Eng Nary, and Baksey Cham Krong + Mol Kamach. Edition of 500.

2024 repress. "Now freshly remastered and restored with original press artwork complete with inner disco sleeve. Heart of the Congos is a roots reggae album by The Congos, produced by Lee 'Scratch' Perry at his Black Ark studio with a studio band including Boris Gardiner on bass and Ernest Ranglin on guitar. The album was released in 1977. It is noted as being one of Perry's masterpiece productions of the Black Ark era."

"For the first time this century, two missed masterpieces are coming available on vinyl. The band Souled American formed in Chicago in 1986 and recorded a total of sixty-six songs between 1988 and 1996. Though not ever popular themselves, their evolving hybrid of roots/rock music heavily influenced many more popular bands to come, among them Wilco, The Jayhawks, The Feelies, Califone, Counting Crows, The Mountain Goats, and Cracker. Their records became legendary, unavailable for decades. Some got to the Internet in 2023. Their last two albums Frozen and Notes Campfire are now re-issued in limited, hand-crafted, 30th Anniversary Editions with a fresh abundance of stories, technical information, musician credits, and cartoons that detail the unexpected origins surrounding these two early classics of 'ambient Americana.' These records sound at once both old and new with brilliant melodies and profound performances stacked in unusual patterns like soft-hued bricks."

"To say that the vinyl release of Ostraaly's Misery Guests has overcome monumental challenges isn't hyperbole, but fact. The label had been in cahoots with principal band members Katharine Daly and Leonie Brialey as far back as the Luggs CD-R in 2016. Initially this release was to see vinyl action, but a series of setbacks prevented that from happening and when we next caught up w/each other it was 2019. Ostraaly was now a full-on unit and a new set of tracks entitled Misery Guests was slated for a cassette issue by the estimable Tenth Court label. Katharine was quite keen for Siltbreeze to release it on vinyl and both sides set about to make it happen. Tenth Court released the cassette in Jan of 2020, vinyl to follow. However, a series of mechanical issues-a new track was added, artwork needed to be revamped-reared up and by the time it was off to press, Covid slammed shut the world. Diligence was the key here, as was hope. And as the world began to come out of its pandemic cocoon sometime in 2021, the project was on once more. But in the midst of retrieving new masters and artwork, Katharine Daly passed away unexpectedly, and that shock naturally put everything into what seemed to be a perpetual limbo. The years passed, but never the desire to see this album fulfilled. It was through the tenacity of the surviving band members, relocating and getting Siltbreeze the new masters and jacket art, that this LP finally sees the light of day as it was meant to some five years prior. What you'll find within the grooves of Misery Guests is a band assuredly zoned into what they're laying down. It woozily rollicks in a way that's fetchingly out of step and swings in a rural-like, rough-hewn manner that's unimpeachable. To say nothing of the out-of-time folk ruggedness stitched in, which makes these tracks seem almost plucked out of some mid-'70s time warp that contemporary alt/retro bands could only dream of conceiving. And while its existence will forever remain bittersweet that Daly isn't here to embrace its ultimate fruition, her spirit is forever locked into every nuance of this stone-cold masterpiece. Dedicated to the memory of Katharine Daly and all who sailed w/her. FFO: Fairport Convention, Etchingham Steam Band, Patti Smith Group, The Garbage & The Flowers. Edition of 400."

Cardinal Fuzz and Feeding Tube Records have the pleasure of unleashing the sizzling contact high sounds of Yerba Mansa's new LP release -- Gravity's Joke. As the heppest of you undoubtedly know, Yerba Mansa are Edwin Stevens (Irma Vep, Klaus Kinski, The Web of Lies) and Andrew Cheetham (Richard Dawson, Jane Weaver, Waterless Hilss). Both have been members of Desmadrados Soldados de Ventura, and are purveyors of raging, mind-bending primitive garage infused Middle-Eastern free-rock psychedelia. Showcased here is Edwin's mesmerizing guitar playing, capable of conjuring sonic specters from thin air and Andrew's limitless drumming, rooted in jazz and totally mesmerizing in fluidity and movement. Within Gravity's Joke, the grooves are some of the fiercest apocalyptic and heady jams you will hear this year. Yerba Mansa whirl up demonic raga meltdowns which showcase their individual chops and duo telepathy; the guitar vernacular is pure Sharrock/Flower/Quine -- indeed the tuning sounds like it could be ostrich, and the drumming is more octopus. Side two is a near 20-minute mystical freak out. The whole shebang could and should implode at any time, but doesn't. It hangs together somehow as melodies appear out of the chaos, and the title track relentlessly builds up to a shamonic climax, akin to stumbling across a Voodoun ritual in the American Plains. Sizzling, stifling and ever so slightly ear-scraping -- this is a must for any lover of untamed music.

2024 repress. "Keith Hudson's Pick A Dub is a classic album by many standards; released in1974, the session features performances from reggae legends Augustus Pablo, Big Youth, and Carlton and Aston Barrett. The 1994 re-issue on the Blood & Fire label introduced a new generation to its 'austere sonic qualities' and genre defining techniques. Pick A Dub showcases the enduring strength and pivotal importance of the rhythm to the development of reggae and dub music. Keith Hudson's complete mastery of the genre and the unqualified praise that followed its release was fully justified."

Holy Beat! A collection of '60s Italian Christian beat from the vaults of Ariel Records. Presenting nine tracks from three amazing Italian bands, Angel and the Brains, I Barritas, and The Bumpers. Originally released as La Messa dei Giovanni in 1966 and recorded live the same year, this record has been the stuff of legend for deep cut Pop connoisseurs and '60s beat archeologists, a beautiful and mesmerizing gem that goes way beyond the Christian novelty. This is not just a Christian pop record, this is a collection of beautifully crafted beat that will blow the mind of anyone remotely interested in '60s music, a must!

2024 restock. Because Music reissues on LP (with bonus CD format added) the 1977 album Supernature by French disco legend Marc Cerrone. Big hits can be the result of a combination of circumstances. Massively popular at the time, crowned with the success of Love in C Minor and Cerrone's Paradise that made him a disco hero of the '70s, the musician started working on his new album differently. This time, the inspiration came from a synthesizer, an instrument he never used before. ARP, an American manufacturer, provided him with it. "I was given this machine and didn't know how to use it," he remembers. "I twiddled a few knobs, trying to get some sounds out of it. Then, as I was playing on the keyboard, a bass line came to me that I immediately recorded on my Revox. It was 'Supernature!'" Lene Lovich, future queen of the punk and new wave English scene, wrote the lyrics. It was a science fiction story, similar in spirit to The Planet of the Apes. Once the track and album were finished, Cerrone asked the record company to focus on "Supernature," rather than the rest of the record, in the vein of his previous work. History would prove him right. This track, the more iconic of his catalog, would turn out to be his biggest hit. This third album (also called Supernature) would also sell eight million copies. Always a funny guy, Cerrone can be seen on the cover of the record, but without naked women. Creatures with animal-heads in a surgery room replaced them. It meant a mutant and more synthetic kind of disco was born. Pressed on pale green vinyl + CD. Includes a 4-page booklet with a 30cm x 30cm poster-booklet with photos and biographic notes.

2024 repress. "Hold your breath -- now let it go. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's Greatest Palace Music is back on vinyl for the first time in a generation. In 2005, it followed the release of Bonny's Master and Everyone. It may have seemed a novel idea at the time, but the 'Prince' was simply taking a page from the old masters of country and western music, addressing a swath of old favorite numbers with new performances. He's done something similar several times since, with Now Here's My Plan, Singer's Grave a Sea of Tongues, and (under the nom-de-vie, Will Oldham), Songs of Love and Horror. The Greatest Palace Music recordings were done in Nashville with a studio full of session cats old and new, addressing only the pre-Bonny material released as Palace Brothers/Songs/or Music, the originals of which can be found on the albums There Is No One What Would Take Care of You, Days In the Wake, and Lost Blues and Other Songs. As befits an album of 'Greatest' whatever, the tunes were given plush, enormous, near glacial treatments as they were played and sung again, and sound, even at a distance of nigh-twenty years, to be bigger than ever."

To Celebrate its 25th anniversary, Cardinal Fuzz and Feeding Tube Records present the lost classic that is Outrageous Cherry's Out There In The Dark, presented for the very first time on vinyl. Originally released via the DF2K (the contemporary sister label of Del-Fi), one of the classic labels of the '50s and '60s (Richie Valens/Bobby Fuller) and in Europe via Poptones. While earlier records shared a love of The Turtles, The Troggs, and Television Personalities (among a host of other stuff), Out There In The Dark feels like Eno and Hawkwind filtered through Petula Clark's hit singles and Spectorized via Matthew Smiths' wonderful analog production. Recorded at Jim Diamond's Ghetto Recorders Studio, this release makes use of a huge ancient reel to reel machine that provides that superb tape echo effect employed across this LP. Like Guided By Voices, Outrageous Cherry's affection for this kind of music never sounds retro, and their experimental touches make Out There In The Dark plays like a jukebox full of forgotten hits, a time machine with its controls set for the past and the future. Across 13 tracks, sweet melodies and harmonies soar over vicious urban Motor City guitar workouts. Motown-fueled bass and drums throb hypnotically as Matthew Smith sings as though Brian Wilson had been an honorary Ramone. Beatle-esque pop numbers like "Tracy", "Corruptable," and the made-for-AM radio "Where Do I Go When You Dream?" balance moodier songs like the album's narcotic centerpiece, "Easy Come, Uneasy Glow." Their trippy side comes to the forefront on the excellent, backwards guitar-driven "Only the Easy Way Down," as Larry Rays solos cut like a jagged knife, and in the title track's drifting guitars and shifting tempos. Smith's ultra-faithful, vintage production style sparkles on "A Bad Movie." The album closer "There's No Escape From the Infinite" ends in a trance-inducing guitar apocalypse that would make Spacemen 3 and The Jesus And Mary Chain proud. Presented in a gloss laminated outer sleeve and with a four-page folded A4 insert and download code.

2024 restock. "Transamorem - Transmortem was premiered on March 9, 1974 at The Kitchen in NYC, where the music programmer at the time was Rhys Chatham - this was right before his guitar phase. During this period, Transamorem - Transmortem was presented along with other compositions by Eliane Radigue in a linear mode of listening, although the piece had originally been conceived, during its composition, as a sound installation. Of course, both modes of listening are possible, and each works marvelously in its own way."

The Zeros are a pioneer punk rock band formed in 1976 in Chula Vista, California. Comparisons with The Ramones are often made when describing the energetic and fierce guitar driven sound of the group. The first singles recorded by the band instantly catapulted The Zeros into a top draw on the local scene and have become legendary. Unfortunately, the band never cut an album during these days. This release compiles all their early singles, some rare tracks (including the previously unreleased "Left to Right") and songs taken from a 1978 live show. Munster are thrilled to reissue this essential '80s power pop gem as part of a series of releases celebrating Bomp! 50th anniversary. Their debut single was released in 1977 on Greg Shaw's very own Bomp! Records. It included "Don't Push Me Around" and "Wimp," two of the greatest punk rock songs of all time, both written by Javier Escovedo. It was followed by another single in 1978, "Wild Weekend" and a third one in 1980, "They Say That (Everything's Alright)." The first singles recorded by the band instantly catapulted The Zeros into a top draw on the local scene and have become legendary. Unfortunately, the band never cut an album during these days.

2024 repress. An authentic '70s USA proto-punk gem by Nervous Eaters, one of the key groups of the rich late-'70s Boston rock scene along with The Real Kids, DMZ, etc. A long-awaited reissue of their second single, originally released on Rat Records in 1979. Recorded in 1975 during the same sessions as their debut, Loretta (PENN 45005EP), this 45 was their last release for an independent label; the following year they signed with Warner. Both songs display the class and bad attitude that saw them included in the best punk compilations and incited many covers of their material in the years since.

2024 repress; reissue. First released in 1963 on Phillips Records, this was Jorge Ben's debut album. Samba Esquema Novo ("New Style Samba") deliberately sets a new standard in Brazilian music. A beautiful, fresh and vital combination of Ben's percussive guitar and smooth/rough voice backed by big band style horns, percussion (the great Dom Um Romao), and strings. In 2007, it was listed by Rolling Stone Brazil as one of the 100 best Brazilian albums in history. But it's important to remind you that this is the album that contains the first original version of "Mas Que Nada", one of the most popular songs in the world. Clear vinyl.

LP version. Silver color vinyl. "Black Pus is the guttural, raw, freeform project of singular drummer, vocalist, and artist Brian Chippendale. A heavy drum foundation and distorted electronics anchor Black Pus' sound, and remain directly connected to the intensity of Chippendale's legendary duo with Brian Gibson, Lightning Bolt. Recorded at Machines with Magnets by engineer Seth Manchester, Terrestrial Seethings is pure energy, pure Black Pus, capturing the precision, frenzy, and ecstatic performance in all its glory. After more than a decade playing and improvising, Chippendale's imagination and curiosity continue to push his world of twisted joy in expressive new directions. While known primarily for his iconic style of drumming with Lightning Bolt, Chippendale has also worked alongside artists such as Björk, The Flaming Lips, Boredoms, Andrew W.K., and Lee "Scratch" Perry. Outside of music related endeavors, Chippendale has made a name for himself as a renowned painter and painterly silk screen artist. Known for his frenetic color work, for Terrestrial Seethings Brian created striking black drawings that, like its title, pervert assumptions. Chippendale's approach to crafting music as Black Pus mirrors his restless and indomitable spirit as a creator. His daily practice of making music and art on his own is both as meditative and cathartic, as it is inquisitive and spontaneous. 'This art is a river of energy that I jump into and ride along with,' he says. 'It's not really music made to tell written stories. It's energy music first and foremost.' The pieces that shape Terrestrial Seethings brim with his preternatural ability to unearth new ideas and explore them with abandon while maintaining a sense of cohesion and a kind of alien musicality."

"drum-and-bass-meets Jackson Pollock rhythms provide the foundations for Black Pus"--Pitchfork

"This is noise rock at its most animalistic: punkish rhythms allied to untamed sweeps and swoops of brutal electroracket." --the Quietus

"Taken altogether it's a physically overwhelming experience" --LA WEEKLY

2024 repress. "This whole project grew out of a song called 'Cycles Of You', which I had written around 2000-2001 with the guitarist and bassist of my band at the time, Easy. The chord progression and vocal melody really reminded me of Joe Bataan, and it occurred to me that it wouldn't be impossible to get him into the studio to do a guest vocal if we ever recorded it. I had met Bataan a few years before at Nuyorican Poets Cafe in my neighborhood. Around this time Bataan was playing out again, so I went to the show to see him and find out if he'd be interested in doing some vocals with us. He was agreeable, so we decided to turn it into a Joe Bataan session and do 'Cycles Of You'. When I got the opportunity from Vampisoul to do a full album, I was hoping Bataan and I could write some songs together, but our schedules proved tough to coordinate. I figured the best way to go about it was to do most of the work and just have him come sing on it. The rhythm section was a band called TransLove Airways that I formed in 2002. To this core group I added pieces from a few other local bands: The Middle Initials, who are a great Temptations/Main Ingredient-style vocal group, and members of an incredible Latin band called Grupo Latin Vibe, who were responsible for almost all the percussion and the vibraphone solo on 'I'm The Fool Pt. 2'. There was also some fine trombone playing by Aaron Johnson of Antibalas and great flute work by Neal Sugarman and my cousin Sonny. Preparing for Call My Name, I listened to a lot of different records from the mid to late '70s. It has now been over ten years since the completion of this record, and so much has changed. The Call My Name sessions took place when Daptone had just moved to Bushwick, its now-famous current location. Gabe Roth was my first call whenever I had any recording to do. He was yet to become the legendary figure at the center of the Daptone/Truth & Soul universe. He was just a humble guy with an incredible talent and an impeccable ear who made authentic sounding records with inexpensive analog gear." -- Daniel Collás, producer of Call My Name

"On the cover: Grace Jones by Tamara Palmer: Palmer delves into the entire history of this remarkable artist, who will naturally deliver us a stunning cover image. Jones is even more of a one-of-a-kind musician and persona than most of us realize, so we're extra excited to feature her on the cover of this issue. Deep Archival Dives With Living Luminaries -- PULP: Peeling back the onion of time, we are graced with a fine selection of ephemera and rare images from the forthcoming Hat + Beard book on the cult band's cult band: I'm With Pulp, Are You?, by Mark Webber; Mayo Thompson: Jasper Leach has delivered a stunningly good and very deep dive into the genesis and long life of Thompson's masterpiece Corky's Debt to His Father; REDD KROSS: They've already had a great double album and documentary readied for summer but in the Fall there's also a definitive RK book so we enlisted Jen B. Larson to do a career-spanning feature on your favorite teen babes from Monsanto. Larson wrote Hit Girls: Women of Punk in the USA 1975-83; MARY TIMONY: Mary Timony is one of the great guitar luminaries and songwriters of the indie era, but rarely does she get the credit she deserves. Audrey Golden, author of I Thought I Heard You Speak: Women at Factory Records, not only went into every nook and cranny of Timony's career, but the first question she asked Timony is one for the ages: 'Is that a lute?'"

In the early '80s, an anthropologist left his recording equipment and tapes behind in a remote Wakuénai (Curripaco) village along the Upper Río Negro in Venezuela. When he returned almost a year later, he discovered that the village headman and his sons had used the equipment to record 12 hours of tape documenting a bewildering array of local narrative and musical genres -- sacred chants, place-names, spirit languages, and, as featured here, the astonishing and mesmerizing sounds of trumpet and flute ensembles. Recorded in a wide range of settings -- during all-night sessions in and around the village, while paddling on the river by canoe, and at various locations deep in the surrounding forest, including the mythical homes of the ancestors and animal spirits, these tapes are not only a stunning artifact of indigenous ethnomusicology, they also reveal the deep connection between sound and the shape-shifting animism of Wakuénai (Curripaco) society. As you will hear here, the music of Wakuénai (Curripaco) wind ensembles range from the deep bass drone of handmade trumpets to the high-pitched dissonance of various flutes. Sometimes the trumpets and flutes produce distinct rhythmic and melodic patterns associated with animal species, ancestors, and spirits -- the hissing sound of jaguars; the low-frequency sounds of the river filled with spawning fish; or the "voices" of birds, frogs, and spirit animals. At other times, they are played together to produce cacophonies representing the undifferentiated chaos of primordial space-time -- "the [cosmic] sound that opened the world" associated with the mythic trickster-creator. The anthropologist in this story was Jonathan Hill (1954-2023), who spent many years studying the music and culture of the Amazonian lowlands. This LP is dedicated to him and his legacy. The first two recordings here were made by Jonathan and feature catfish trumpets and ceremonial flutes performed during ceremonial exchange (pudáli) at Gavilán, Río Guainía, Venezuela, October 24, 1981. The remaining tracks were recorded by Feliz López de Oliveiros and focus on the trumpet and flute ensembles performed during a rite of passage in a remote village along the Tomo River, Colombia, 1985. These recordings are presented here for the first time. Produced by Radio Is A Foreign Country.

Those in the know are well aware of Bobby Marin's work, and the fact that he was behind the scenes for some of the best boogaloo and salsa of the '60s and '70s. Yet, until now, no one has explicitly put Bobby's name in the headline and given him his due on the cover of a properly credited Latin soul compilation. This compilation comprises 24 essential boogaloo, Latin funk, rock and afro disco gems, each one bearing the mark of quality: "A Bobby Marin Production," including songs by Ricardo Marrero, the Ghetto Brothers, Ocho, Louie Ramírez, and more. A freshly curated overview of his fascinatingly complex back catalog in these genres. Generally, when discussing the "first wave" of Latin soul and boogaloo, it's the bands and their leaders, the singers and the songs that get all the recognition. But what of the producers, composers, and arrangers behind the music? Over the years, one of the best old-school New York Latin music producers, Bobby Marin, has occasionally been given some well-deserved credit and popped up sporadically in articles or liner notes (Wax Poetics, Fania, Gladys Palmera). However, to the casual public, he is not a household name, even among some fans of boogaloo and salsa. Thankfully, those rare few who are in the know are well aware of his work, and the fact that he was behind the scenes for some of the best boogaloo and salsa of the '60s and '70s. There are even some contemporary Latin soul compilations that contain mostly material licensed, produced and/or written by Bobby, and a tip of the hat must go to Bobby's friend Dean Rudland for all his work in this area, as well as to Rocafort Records for digging up the long-lost Nitty Gritty Sextet album. This collection aims to change that and give the man his Latin soul "props" for the first time on a freshly curated overview of his fascinatingly complex back catalog in this genre. Also featuring Richie & The Ps 54 School Yard, 107th Street Stickball Team, Louie Ramírez & His Orchestra, Johnny Rodriguez & Angel René Orchestra, La Cucaracha Brass, Herbie Olivieri & The Latin Blues Band, Los Africanos, and La Crema.

Clear color vinyl version. "Discovering the wealth of Cambodian recordings was like falling into a parallel universe, complete with its own Elvises, Patsys and Jimis. You can recognize some of the anonymous outstanding instrumentalists as they appear on record after record and marvel at their uncanny blend of Western and Far East, a pure synergy Western musicians have never accomplished. Of course, looming over every recording is the tragic end of the music and the musicians themselves under the axe of the Khmer Rouge, a cloak of darkness hovering over some of the most joyous, festive music ever made. In a world of instant global communication and mass pop culture, Cambodian rock remains one of the few undiscovered secrets of music. Not content with killing the musicians, the government further ordered the destruction of their records, implicitly understanding the power of pop music to create community. It is a testament to the power of Sinn Sisamouth's music that it has survived all that has been done to vanquish it." --Joel Selvin, author/journalist. The first official reissue of these recordings since their initial release as singles. Comes with an 8-page full color booklet with info and photos supplied by Sinn Sisamouth's surviving family.

From Lawrence English: "This recording was, in many ways, a critical one for me. In some respects, it rounded out a period of work that was focused on a particular marriage of thematics and harmony. Like For Varying Degrees Of Winter, it dwelled on old world impressions of the seasons, something that, in the southern hemisphere, isn't intrinsically part of our way of approaching place. I think it was this incongruity with my own lived experience that kick-started the interest in making these recordings. The intention had originally been to take Vivaldi head-on, as the holder of the Four Seasons terrain (I jest of course), but shortly after completing this album, it became resoundingly clear that even in the old world, seasonality was a thing that was known 'then', and unknowable 'now'. Climate change, as a lived experience and not merely as a 'possibility', suddenly came into focus with reports flooding in about the climatic dynamics since the turn of the century and events like the Black Saturday fires here in Australia. It felt like, and continues to feel like, seasonality as some predictable measure of our world is relegated to the 'before' times. This record is not about these climatic shifts however, more a recognition of how we have used patterns and predictability to guide us over the centuries and perhaps a realization that the way forward is not the path we have known historically. Listening back to the record with fresh ears, a process made completely delightful by Stephan Mathieu who has carefully remastered it, I am struck by how minimal some of the structures were. There are moments that strike me as uncharacteristically patient and even generous, allowing one element to hold without interference. I'm grateful to still feel a deep connection to this edition and to the people and places that helped shape it. I hope you find some sense of your place here. It's offered with that intention and invitation."

LP version. First-ever reissue of this elusive private pressing from 1970 by British singer/songwriter Keith Noble (a founding member of pre-Pink Floyd bands Sigma 6/The Abdabs and co-composer of Chad & Jeremy's hit "A Summer Song"). Mr. Compromise, originally released as a tiny demo pressing on the custom Eden label (home also of other psych-folk rarities like Mourning Phase), showcases the versatile songwriting talent of Noble: jazzy-bossa pop, Kinks/Hollies/Byrds styled full electric numbers and haunting psychedelic folk not unlike Al Stewart or Incredible String Band. Featuring Keith's friend from the pre-Floyd days Rado Klose (one of the earliest members of Pink Floyd) on lead guitar. After the album release, Keith Noble dedicated his life to architecture and teaching and he also wrote several musicals. Sadly, he passed away in 2014. This long-awaited reissue of Mr. Compromise has been possible with help from the Noble family. Featuring remastered sound with original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve. Includes insert with detailed liner noted by Richard Allen and photos, as well as download card.

LP version. Contains download card. "Legend of e'Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) is the powerful new work by composer and alto saxophonist Darius Jones. Both of his tremendous artistic strengths are to the fore here in a fully committed trio communion with longtime collaborator Gerald Cleaver (drums) and Chris Lightcap (bass). Five potent new Jones compositions, and a striking arrangement of 'No More My Lord' (the prison song recorded by Alan Lomax at Parchman Farm). Legend of e'Boi is the seventh chapter (of nine on completion) in Jones' expansive Man'ish Boy epic, begun with AUM Fidelity in 2009. Includes liner notes by acclaimed writer and poet Harmony Holiday, cover art photography by Jesse Ponkamo, and additional artwork by Risha Rox. Typical of his work, Legend of e'Boi serves as a larger creative vehicle for artistic exchange. This project is about Black mental health and healing from personal and collective trauma through therapy, community and creative expression. In addition to the liner notes, CD/digital editions include booklets with contributions from seven writers and artwork which also address this theme. Jones has received wide acclaim not only for his albums featuring music and images evocative of Black Futurism, but also for his commissioned work as a composer throughout the U.S. and Canada. Jones' fLuXkit Vancouver (i̶t̶s̶ suite but sacred) was ranked #3 in The Wire's Top 50 Albums of 2023 and chosen among NPR's 50 Best Albums of 2023."

Accurately described by Thurston Moore as "great for meditating to the cosmos," Terry Riley's classic Descending Moonshine Dervishes is available again in a limited edition repress. Originally recorded live in Berlin in 1975 and released by Kuckuck in 1982, Beacon Sound reissued the album in 2016 to widespread acclaim. Using just intonation and a modified organ, Riley conjures forth a rich and layered sound that challenges the Western ear, reflecting his associations with Indian classical singer Pandit Pran Nath and La Monte Young, whose Well Tuned Piano was well underway. Descending Moonshine Dervishes is a virtuosic and kaleidoscopic performance, standing as one of the finest works of a revolutionary composer and musician at the height of his powers. Recorded in concert November 29, 1975 at Metamusik Festival in Berlin. Originally mastered by Stephen Hill. Remastered in 2016 by Rafael Anton Irisarri. Front cover painting by Helmut Zimmermann. Back cover photography by Roberto Masotti.

"Descending Moonshine Dervishes' dates from 1975 and it belongs to a larger Dervish series of compositions whose origins predate Riley's two signature works of minimalism, 'In C' (1968) and 'A Rainbow In Curved Air' (1969)? (the piece is) structured around just intonation, which stretches the listening experience into new areas. Played on a Yamaha organ with a bit of tape delay that allows Riley to duet with himself, the music of Descending Moonshine Dervishes is an ear expansion that goes through skittering arpeggios and long, droning notes that indicate something of the many levels that it operates on." --Louise Gray, The Wire Magazine (2017)

"Terry Riley has become a totemic presence in music over the past half-century." --The Guardian

Essential collection of demos and acetates (1968-69) by psychedelic hard-rock/proto-prog British band Andromeda, mostly done by their original line-up: John Cann on guitar and vocals, Mick Hawksworth on bass, and Jack McCulloch (brother of guitar player Jimmy McCulloch) on drums. Raw psychedelic hard-rock with John Cann's guitar on fire. Out of print since 1990, this new, improved edition fixes some credits/tracklisting mistakes of the original release and includes a new insert with liner notes and photos. Cover illustration by Micah Ulrich.

Décima Víctima were a Spanish band that, during their short-lived career between 1981 and 1984, developed a very personal sound reminiscent of Joy Division, The Cure, and other British post-punk bands. Despite commercial success evaded them, rarely has any Spanish band achieved such a high degree of quality and coherence in their music and personality. Although included in Munster's past release MR 305 (2010) as part of a limited-edition boxset, this is the first time their debut album gets an official reissue in its original single LP format. For this edition, the sound of the original tape recordings has been cleaned and improved and the artwork has been slightly modified following the band's original idea. Despite only being active for under three years, Décima Víctima left a long-lasting legacy, and their influence would later be heard in Spanish bands such as Family, Los Planetas, and Sr Chinarro. In 1981, brothers Lars and Per Mertanen formed the instrumental band Clausula Tenebrosa. After a show they started talking about the possibility of rehearsing with Carlos, a friend at the time and ex-singer of the recently split Ejecutivos Agresivos. That's how the story of Décima Víctima started, rehearsing with a drum machine in the cellar of the Mertanens' house in Madrid. The first single came out in 1982, with Lars playing drums on it. Soon after, Los Esclarecidos introduced them to Jose Brena and he joined Décima Víctima as drummer. The second single was also recorded in 1982. A few months later they went to Vigo for a week to try out their repertoire live, in order to see which tracks the audience liked best and choose 12 for the record. The studio sessions were no short of joy and experimentation. Paco Trinidad, the producer, understood what the band wanted and managed to achieve it technically. Despite commercial success evaded them, their first LP was acclaimed by the press, especially by El Pais, one of the biggest-selling newspapers in Spain. Unavailable for years and always in high demand, this is the first time their debut album gets an official reissue in its original single LP format. For this edition, the sound of the original tape recordings has been cleaned and improved and the artwork has been slightly modified following the band's original idea.

LP version. Monster tripped-out Floydian psychedelia/krautrock by this band from Düsseldorf featuring visual artist Gabor Baksay. This is their sought-after album originally released in 1972. Dark, atmospheric, hypnotic sound with percussion, flute, organ, guitars and early electronics/proto-industrial sound collages. DOM (Gabor and Laszlo Baksay, Rainer Puzalowski and Hans-Georg Stopka) evolved from a beat/psychedelic band called the Early Birds, later Set Mind, who were in a sort of sporty competition with another group called Spirits of Sounds, featuring Michael Rother's Pre-NEU and Kraftwerk drummer Wolfgang Flür. DOM were regulars at underground clubs from Düsseldorf such as the Creamcheese, where they rubbed shoulders with early Krafwerk and Can. Edge Of Time was recorded at the legendary Neubauer Studios and subsequently released on the tiny Melocord label in 1972. Its enigmatic cover was designed by a friend of the band, Jutta Keime. Remastered sound with original artwork in cardboard sleeve and OBI. Includes insert with liner notes by Klemen Breznikar and rare photos. RIYL: Pink Floyd, Tangerine Dream, Mythos, Kluster, Popol Vuh, Yatha Sidhra.

"Originally released in the UK by Tad's Record label and Vista Sounds in 1982 and 1983 respectively as Shank I Sheck Vol. 1, this one-riddim LP has been reissued by Tad's Record. Produced by Ranking Joe and Tad A. Dawkins, the 12-track album has been released under the new title King Tubby's Shank I Sheck. The track order has been rearranged, but the artists and their songs remain the same. The album features classic tunes from reggae greats such as Dennis Brown, Sugar Minott, Horace Andy, Linval Thompson, Ranking Joe, and Tristan Palmer. The Shank I Sheck riddim showcased on this album is a reinterpretation of a ska instrumental by trumpeter Baba Brooks, produced by King Edwards."

Crafted by UK-based Italian composer Alessandro Baldessari, Dario Argento PANICO is the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for the documentary retrospective and intimate portrait of Italian giallo master Dario Argento. Premiering at the prestigious 2023 Venice Film Festival, this evocative soundtrack immerses listeners in a diverse array of styles, conveying a rich spectrum of emotions and enhancing the narrative arc of the film. The soundtrack was commissioned by Giada Mazzoleni, film producer and head of Paguro Film. The collaboration between Alessandro Baldessari and director Simone Scafidi started with a conversation, during which Simone articulated his vision for the documentary and invited Alessandro to explore the theme of the doppelganger. Written and recorded between 2022 and 2023, Baldessari's compositions preceded much of the filming process, enabling him to craft a musical narrative that offers a distinctive perspective. The music serves as a parallel reflection on the film's themes -- duality, love, grief, family dynamics, anxiety, suicide, and, notably, panic - profoundly enriching the storytelling experience. Baldessari's meticulous approach to composition is evident in the soundtrack's cohesion, achieved through recurring melodic and rhythmic motifs, rather than using a single sound palette. A notable example is the use of Dario Argento's name transformed in a musical motif and subtly integrated into the piano pieces that underscore many pivotal scenes. The soundtrack features a diverse range of tracks, from the pulsating energy of "Panico Titles" to the tender introspection of "Suicide and Memories" and the haunting melodies of "Ominous Doppelganger." Notably, the film ends on the notes of the entirely string-based composition "Partenza," offering a stirring conclusion to the sonic journey. The album includes two bonus tracks and the track "Tre," from Baldessari's previous work, Nostalghia. The music has been written, played, and mixed by Baldessari, who, for his first full-length film, wanted to curate every aspect of the soundtrack.

Reissue of the Californian psychedelic band's only album released on Acta records in 1968. Their sound was influenced by early Rolling Stones and Yardbirds (not coincidentally, guitarist Randy Holden, later on also in Blue Cheer, was offered to replace Jeff Beck). Their name gained attention after their single "Mr. Pharmacist" was included in the famous Nuggets collection.