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Recent Best Sellers
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7LP BOX
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FFLBOX 002LP
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Souffle Continu presents Byard Lancaster -- The Complete Palm Recordings 1973-1974, the definitive seven LP deluxe package of Philadelphia born jazz wizard Byard Lancaster, including his four legendary albums released on Jef Gilson's Palm Records in the 1970s: Us, Mother Africa, Exactement, and Funny Funky Rib Crib, along with the first ever standalone edition of "Love Always," a fifteen minute modal jazz beauty plus a 20-page booklet with rare photos and in-depth article about Byard Lancaster's Parisian years by Pierre Crépon. At the beginning of the 1960s, at the Berklee College of Music, Byard Lancaster met some feisty friends: Sonny Sharrock, Dave Burrell, and Ted Daniel. Once he was settled in New York, he appeared on Sunny Murray Quintet, recorded under the leadership of the drum crazy colleague of Albert Ayler. In 1968, the saxophonist and flutist recorded his first album under his own name: It's Not Up To Us. He would come back to France in 1971 and in 1973. This is when he met Jef Gilson, the pianist and producer who encouraged him to record under his own name again. On Palm Records (Gilson's label), he would release four albums: Us, Mother Africa, Exactement, and Funny Funky Rib Crib. Us, the first of the four records was recorded on November 24th, 1973 with Sylvin Marc on electric bass and the evergreen Steve McCall on drums. A few months after recording Us, Lancaster recorded Mother Africa along with Clint Jackson III, a trumpeter, partner of Khan Jamal or Noah Howard on other recordings. The recording of Exactement required two sessions in the studio: February 1st and May 18th 1974. Two names appear on the cover of Exactement: Lancaster (Byard) and Speller (Keno). Funny Funky Rib Crib is an unforgettable recording (made up of several sessions dating from the middle of 1974) of creative jazz overwhelmed by funk and soul. If Lancaster had already made successful albums in the same genre, this one is an homage to James Brown and Sammy Davis. The magnificent "Love Always" was originally released on the fourth (and last) volume of the Jef Gilson Anthology series released in 1975. Recorded on 8th March 1974, it is a beautiful 15-minute-long modal jazz piece. Four notes from the bass (the relentless Jean-François Catoire, who makes up the rhythm section alongside drummer Jonathan Dickinson and percussionist Keno Speller), and the group is up and running! On piano, Gilson shows the subtle tact of a sideman, leaving the lions' share of the place to the horns. And if further proof was required of the confidence that Byard Lancaster and Jef Gilson inspire, "Love Always" provides it on this one-sided release exclusive to the box set. Carefully restored and remastered by Gilles Laujol. Graphic design by Stefan Thanneur.
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WWSLP 096LP
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LP version. Wewantsounds presents the release of one of Japan's most coveted albums of the '70s, Mangekyou by singer-songwriter Yoshiko Sai. Produced in 1975 by Master musician Yuji Ohno, the album features Yoshiko Sai's superbly crafted songs and crystal-clear voice over Ohno's lush, funky sound and breezy arrangements. A strong buzz has been growing around the album over the years and original copies now change hands for large sums of money. This is the first time Mangekyou is available outside of Japan, featuring remastered audio, original artwork and a four-page insert including new liner notes by Paul Bowler. Yoshiko Sai holds a unique status in the Japanese music landscape. The Japanese singer songwriter made a strong impression with her blend of ethereal melodies, poetic lyrics and crystalline singing. A private, almost enigmatic artist, Sai only made four highly praised albums during the '70s and all but retired from the music industry in 1979, which adds to the mystic surrounding her persona. Only thanks to the persistence of Japanese guitarist Jojo Hiroshige from the noise group Hijokaidan did she come out of retirement to record new material in the 2000s. She was originally noticed by key record labels and swiftly signed to Black Records/Teichiku. This led to the recording of Mangekyou ("Kaleidoscope"), in the Spring of 1975. While she penned all the material for Mangekyou, the arrangements were assigned to Ace producer Yuji Ohno, one of the top arrangers in Tokyo at the time. Ohno helped craft the album's superb funk sound and also played keyboards. The album displays Sai's unique craftmanship when it comes to songwriting and alternates between mid and up-tempo songs such as "Yoru No Sei" (Night Spirit) and "Fuyu No Chikadou" (Winter Underpass) and more atmospheric ballads such as "Tsubaki Wa Ochita Kaya" (Did The Camellia Fall?) or "Yukionna" (Snow Woman). It's worth noting Ohno blended his rich arrangements with elements of Japanese traditional music, with the use of such instruments as the Shakuhachi (bamboo flute), Tsuzumi (hand drum), and Biwa (wooden lute), giving the music its unique twist. All in all, listening to Mangekyou is a unique experience and it's easy to see why the album and Yoshiko Sai garnered such a cult following over the years.
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2LP
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MTE 076-77LP
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2024 repress! "Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy, x2 LPs of long-form, lyrical, groove-based free improv by acclaimed guitarist & composer Jeff Parker's ETA IVtet, is at last here. Recorded live at ETA (referencing David Foster Wallace), a bar in LA's Highland Park neighborhood with just enough space in the back for Parker, drummer Jay Bellerose, bassist Anna Butterss, & alto saxophonist Josh Johnson to convene in extraordinarily depthful & exploratory music making. Gleaned for the stoniest side-length cuts from 10+ hours of vivid two-track recordings made between 2019 & 2021 by Bryce Gonzales, Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy is a darkly glowing séance of an album, brimming over with the hypnotic, the melodic, & patience & grace in its own beautiful strangeness. Room-tone, electric fields, environment, ceiling echo, live recording, Mondays, Los Angeles. Jeff Parker's first double album & first live album, Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy belongs in the lineage of such canonical live double albums recorded on the West Coast as Lee Morgan's Live at the Lighthouse, Miles Davis' In Person Friday & Saturday Night at the Blackhawk, San Francisco & Black Beauty, & John Coltrane's Live in Seattle. While the IVtet sometimes plays standards &, including on this recording, original compositions, it is as previously stated largely a free improv group -- just not in the genre meaning of the term. The music is more free composition than free improvisation, more blending than discordant. It's tensile, yet spacious & relaxed. Clearly all four musicians have spent significant time in the planetary system known as jazz, but relationships to other musics, across many scenes & eras -- dub & Dilla, primary source psychedelia, ambient & drone -- suffuse the proceedings. Listening to playbacks Parker remarked, humorously & not, 'we sound like the Byrds' (to certain ears, the Clarence White-era Byrds, who really stretched it). A fundamental of all great ensembles, whether basketball teams or bands, is the ability of each member to move fluidly & fluently in & out of lead & supportive roles. Building on the communicative pathways they've established in Parker's -- The New Breed -- project, Parker & Johnson maintain a constant dialogue of lead & support. Their sampled & looped phrases move continuously thru the music, layered & alive, adding depth & texture & pattern, evoking birds in formation, sea creatures drifting below the photic zone. Or, the two musicians simulate those processes by entwining their terse, clear-lined playing in real-time. The stop/start flow of Bellerose, too, simulates the sampler, recalling drum parts in Parker's beat-driven projects. Mostly Bellerose's animated phraseologies deliver the inimitable instantaneous feel of live creative drumming. The range of tonal colors he conjures from his extremely vintage battery of drums & shakers -- as distinctive a sonic signature as we have in contemporary acoustic drumming -- bring almost folkloric qualities to the aesthetic currency of the IVtet's language. A wonderful revelation in this band is the playing of Anna Butterss. The strength, judiciousness & humility with which she navigates the bass position both ground & lift upward the egalitarian group sound. As the IVtet's grooves flow & clip, loop & repeat, the ensemble elements reconfigure, a terrarium of musical cultivation growing under controlled variables, a tight experiment of harmony & intuition, deep focus & freedom. For all its varied sonic personality, Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy scans immediately & unmistakably as music coming from Jeff Parker's unique sound world. Generous in spirit, trenchant & disciplined in execution, Parker's music has an earned respect for itself & for its place in history that transmutes through the musical event into the listener. Many moods & shapes of heart & mind will find utility & hope in a music that combines the autonomy & the community we collectively long to see take hold in our world, in substance & in staying power. On the personal tip, this was always my favorite gig to hit, a lifeline of the eremite records Santa Barbara years. Mondays southbound on the 101, driving away from tasks & screens & illness, an hour later ordering a double tequila neat at the bar with the band three feet away, knowing i was in good hands, knowing it would be back around on another Monday. To encounter life at scales beyond the human body is the collective dance of music & the beholding of its beauty, together." --Michael Ehlers & Zac Brenner Pressed on premium audiophile-quality 140 gram vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing from Kevin Gray/Cohearent Audio lacquers. Mastered by Joe Lizzi, Triple Point Records, Queens, NY.
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LP
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BEWITH 165LP
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Parsley Sounds was the glorious debut album for Mo Wax by Parsley Sound. The album was one of the iconic label's final releases before it closed in 2003 and locating a clean copy has been extremely tricky of late, unless you're flush enough to drop 150 notes on it. Mercifully, the Be With reissue, put together with invaluable assistance from the group, should remedy this situation. It's a lo-fi, bass-heavy, blunted beat treat, warped with heat haze and dreamy soft-psych and has been criminally under-heard for far too long. As with most cult-like records, Parsley Sounds has many influential fans, far and wide. From Four Tet and Caribou to NTS's modern day breakfast hero Flo Dill, its reputation has only grown in stature. At the time, the notoriously hard-to-please Pitchfork garlanded it with a scarcely achievable 8.8 whilst the Numero Group's Rob Sevier described it as a "visionary bit of proto-Salvia Plath (or Steve Lacy)" via a Ghostly International missive. Parsley Sound comprised super-talented duo Preston Mead and Dan Sargassa. They released an early single on Warp Records as Slum, before signing to Mo Wax. Hidden behind a wall of sound -- fuzzy layers of beats, bleeps and symphonic synths -- they were convinced they made mainstream pop music. And, in many respects, Parsley Sounds really is a beautiful pop album. It overflows with memorable, gorgeous melodies and inspired songcraft. A melodic masterpiece, part Crosby, Stills & Nash, part proto-Koushik, it presents a melancholy falsetto, surging bass and blunted lead guitar. As it climaxes, gorgeous strings are ushered in to see listeners out. Under the watchful eye of Parsley Sound themselves, the audio for Parsley Sounds has been carefully mastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, with a few much-needed tweaks here and there, according to the artist's wishes. 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 the always stellar Record Industry in Holland. With the audio and artwork now approaching completeness after 20 years, this long overdue re-issue could be considered its definitive vinyl release.
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10CD BOX
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DIACD 926BOX
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Over the last few years, the Italian imprint, Dialogo, has showed a remarkable dedication to the history of experimental music via reissues of seminal artefacts from the Cramps catalog, and important albums by Piero Umiliani, Ennio Morricone, Bruno Nicolai, Enrico Rava, and others. This initiative now takes on a towering scale with the first ever box set gathering the entire ten album collection of Brian Eno's Obscure Records, originally issued between 1975 and 1978. A truly groundbreaking body of recordings - many of which have remained out of print and difficult to find for decades - it contains some of the most important, influential, and enduring music to emerge during the second half of the 20th Century, which collectively reconfigured the terms of minimalism and laid the groundwork for the emerging movement of ambient music over its short, three-year run. Issued in a deluxe CD edition of 1,000 copies, each box set contains all of Obscure's albums, completely remastered by Andrea Marutti and housed in faithful mini-replicas of their original covers and liner notes, as well as a 130-page booklet, this historic collection marks the first time such a seminal series has received a complete repress. This is certainly one of the year's most interesting, essential, and widely anticipated releases, stunningly produced with the complete involvement of all the artists or their estates. When viewed collectively, the Obscure catalog reveals a remarkable, and previously unexplored counterpoint -- bridging the United Kingdom and the American West Coast -- to the dominant threads of minimal and experimental music, centered in New York that had long dominated the public consciousness. This historic collection marks the first time the seminal Obscure catalog has received a complete repress; simply a dream come true. Featuring Gavin Bryars, Christopher Hobbs, John Adams, Brian Eno, David Toop, Max Eastley, Jan Steele, John Cage, Michael Nyman, The Penguin Café Orchestra, John White, Tom Phillips, Gavin Bryars, Fred Orton, and Harold Budd.
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BTR 103LP
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Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke joins the Hoodna Orchestra, Tel Aviv's number one Afro funk collective, melding his enchanting vibraphone playing with their brass heavy force across seven original compositions that play tribute to the classic Mulatu sound while forging fresh paths. Produced by and featuring Dap-King Neal Sugarman, the results are gritty, yet majestic, soulful and uplifting. Mulatu Astatke requires little introduction at this point. Born in Jimma, Ethiopia, Mulatu went on to live and study in London, Boston and New York. Initially drawn to and trained in jazz and Latin music, he developed the sound he called "Ethio-jazz" over a series of seminal albums combining jazz, Latin, funk and soul, with traditional Ethiopian scales and rhythms. Formed in 2012 on the south side of Tel Aviv, the 12 member Hoodna Orchestra is a collective of musicians and composers who initially bonded over a shared love of Afrobeat. They have gone on to incorporate psychedelic rock, hard funk and soul, jazz, and East African music into their sought-after releases, winning praise and airplay from the likes of Iggy Pop and Huey Morgan on BBC Radio 6 Music. The collective draws together a huge array of musical talents such as guitarist Ilan Smilan and organist Eitan Drabkin of Sababa 5 fame, Shalosh trio drummer Matan Assayag, and percussionist Rani Birenbaum of The Faithful Brothers, many of whom also contribute compositions to the orchestra, ensuring its collaborative environment. Since releasing a recording with Ethiopian singer Tesfaye Negatu, Hoodna Orchestra had been looking to find ways to collaborate with Astatke himself and in early 2023 the opportunity arose to invite Astatke to Tel Aviv, record an album and perform it live for their home audience. Stars aligned as Neal Sugarman, multi-instrumentalist member of the Dap-Kings and co-founder of Daptone Records, joined and produced the session with Smilan. On one hand, Tension is clearly a deeply personal tribute by the Hoodna Orchestra to iconic Mulatu Astatke, but at the same time the recordings emit a remarkable amount of chemistry, and together they have created an essential addition to Mulatu's rich discography that charts new directions in his Ethio-jazz trajectory and provides the Hoodna Orchestra with their strongest album to date.
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LP
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FW 1040LP
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On this new LP, Harry Bertoia shows why he may have been the first industrial musician. Bertoia often referred to his sound sculptures as a "collaboration with industry" and on this new LP Bertoia is intentionally creating heavy, rhythmic music he described as "mechanized," "mechanical," and "factory like." This first edition is packaged in a full color sleeve with metallic inks. Mastered by Tom Eaton at Sounds & Substance. Recorded in 1971, percussion and repetition emulate the pounding rhythms of machinery on this unique pair of conceptual Bertoia compositions. Bertoia utilizes innovative performance techniques to create new sounds unheard in his ouevre. Even in the busy factory of Bertoia's mind, distant stillness rises up as Bertoia exhibits the massive amount of control he possesses over his many looming sculptures. Mechanization is just one of the many sonic directions Bertoia took while composing and recording between the late 1950s and his death in 1978. He documented all of his ideas and directions in notes accompanying the hundreds of tapes discovered in his barn. This first edition of 500 is printed using metallic inks. Bertoia's recordings are as much a celebration of sustained tones, intervallic relationships, healing vibrations, deep listening and shimmering harmonics as Indian Classical music, singing bowls, The Well Tuned Piano or Benjamin Franklin's glass armonica. Through these rich harmonics and pulsing pure tone, Bertoia was able to more clearly articulate his inner spirit than he could with sculpture alone -- a point he made himself many times in interviews. Bertoia was an obsessive composer and relentless experimenter, often working late into the night and accumulating hundreds of tapes of his best performances; his brother Oreste, too, would explore and record the sculptures' sounds during his annual visits to his brother's home in rural Pennsylvania. Learning by experimentation was common for Bertoia and he mastered the art of tape recording, turning the Sonambient barn into a sound studio with four overhead microphones hanging from the rafters in a square formation. He would experiment with overdubbing by performing along to previous recordings, sometimes backwards, constantly improving his methods while also honing his performance skills. The story of Sonambient barn collection will slowly be told through the release of recordings from the archive as well as installations and performances built from Bertoia's own recordings, lectures and a book.
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GUESS 253LP
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US psych holy grail from 1969. Killer Doorsy organ and fuzzed-out guitars, including all-time psychedelic classics like "Colors," "Workshop," and "Mind Machine." Transplanted from Portland to the Sunset Strip, Hunger played at all the hip places, rubbing shoulders with bands like Hour Glass (pre-Allman Brothers), the Doors, and Steppenwolf. In 1969 they released Strictly from Hunger for the small Public label. Highly sought after, Guerssen is proud to present a straight reissue of such collectable album. Featuring original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve plus OBI, with remastered sound and insert with liner notes and rare photos by Clark Faville.
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LMS 1725246
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LP version. All Orbital's classic tracks across all albums in one release, as cult edit versions. Orbital's own words about A Beginner's Guide: "The package you are holding in your hands is your threshold to a transformational psychoacoustic experience. An experience that will take you to spaces familiar, sonic pathways opening different times and different sounds to the chronosonic method of Orbital."
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2LP
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VAMPI 303LP
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These two vinyl records showcase the legacy left by the boogaloo movement in Peru between 1966 and 1975. They comprise twenty-two songs by seventeen artists who recorded on the remarkable local label MAG more than five decades ago and now invite today's new generations to dance body and soul to these re-releases. You will find outstanding tracks by the likes of Tito Chicoma, Melcochita, Los Kintos, Otto Rojas, and Coco Lagos among many others. MAG was one of the most important and prolific labels in Peru and, though it also was involved in releasing a lot of other types of music, its specialty was the tropical variety, which coincidentally, DJs and collectors seem to crave most. Peru developed a major boogaloo scene in the mid-60s, far from the genre's place of origin, New York, where iconic songs like "Bang Bang" and "El Pito" fused soul and funk with Latin sounds, conquering dance halls and winning extensive radio airplay. The music trend soon spread to Caribbean countries and from there made the geographical leap to the city of Lima. Although Joe Bataan claimed that boogaloo was killed off at the end of the sixties by the labels and their veteran musicians (who conspired against the new generation of singers), Pete Rodriguez, Richie Ray, and the Lebrón Brothers continued to release boogaloo records in Peru, but salsa music soon took over. These two vinyl records showcase the legacy left by this movement in Peru between 1966 and 1975. They comprise twenty-two songs by seventeen artists who recorded more than five decades ago and now invite today's new generations to dance body and soul to these re-releases. Featuring Santiago Silva, Ñico Estrada, Beto Villena, Nilo Espinosa Y Su Orquesta, Pancho Acosta Y Sus Guaracheros, Karamanduka, Mag Peruvian All Stars, Joe Di Roma, Sonora Casino, Luciano Luciani Y Sus Mulatos, Mario Allison Y Su Combo, Coco Lagos Y Sus Orates, Laghonia/New Juggler Sound, , Sangre Joven, and Conjunto Los Rayos Del Ande.
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CD
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FFL 097CD
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At the beginning of the 1960s, at the Berklee College of Music, Byard Lancaster met some feisty friends: Sonny Sharrock, Dave Burrell, and Ted Daniel. It is easy to see why he rapidly became involved in free jazz. Once he was settled in New York, he appeared on Sunny Murray Quintet, recorded under the leadership of the drum crazy colleague of Albert Ayler. In 1968, the saxophonist and flutist recorded his first album under his own name: It's Not Up To Us. The following year he came to Paris in the wake of... Sunny Murray. He would come back to France in 1971 (again with Murray) and in 1973 (without Murray for a change). This is when he met Jef Gilson, the pianist and producer who encouraged him to record under his own name again. On Palm Records (Gilson's label), he would release four albums: Us, Mother Africa, Exactement, and Funny Funky Rib Crib. Funny Funky Rib Crib is an unforgettable recording (made up of several sessions dating from the middle of 1974) of creative jazz overwhelmed by funk and soul. If Lancaster had already made successful albums in the same genre -- notably New Horizons, under the name Sounds Of Liberation, which he co-led with Khan Jamal -- this one is an homage to James Brown and Sammy Davis enjoying the company of a host of guests including François Tusques (electric piano), Clint Jackson III (trumpet), François Nyombo (guitar), Joseph Traindl (trombone). Funny Funky Rib Crib's cover is a three-quarter profile portrait of the saxophonist (who can also be heard on flute, piano and even vocals), however, on the record, it is the whole group, inspired and frenetic, that tests the melodies of "Just Test," "Dogtown," or "Rib Crib" -- the two versions of which display leader Lancaster's art of nuance. On both sides of the album, the group also moves into a calmer groove, infused by blues and soul, "Work And Pray" and "Loving Kindness" are meditative tracks where listeners can lay back and relax before asking for more. Carefully remastered and restored by Gilles Laujol. Graphic design by Stefan Thanneur. Digipack CD.
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CD
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FFL 094CD
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At the beginning of the 1960s, at the Berklee College of Music, Byard Lancaster met some feisty friends: Sonny Sharrock, Dave Burrell, and Ted Daniel. It is easy to see why he rapidly became involved in free jazz. Once he was settled in New York, he appeared on Sunny Murray Quintet, recorded under the leadership of the drum crazy colleague of Albert Ayler. In 1968, the saxophonist and flutist recorded his first album under his own name: It's Not Up To Us. The following year he came to Paris in the wake of... Sunny Murray. He would come back to France in 1971 (again with Murray) and in 1973 (without Murray for a change). This is when he met Jef Gilson, the pianist and producer who encouraged him to record under his own name again. On Palm Records (Gilson's label), he would release four albums: Us, Mother Africa, Exactement, and Funny Funky Rib Crib. Us, the first of the four records was recorded on November 24th, 1973 with Sylvin Marc on electric bass (a Fender... Lancaster?) and the evergreen Steve McCall on drums. On the album, the trio works from the John Coltrane model; free jazz shook up by the timely contributions of the bassist, followed by a mesmerizing atmospheric music. Then, Lancaster delivers a sinuous solo path, which is a reminder of his unique tone. On the album's companion single, the trio launches into great black music of a different genre which would lead the clairvoyant François Tusques to claim that Byard Lancaster is an "authentic representative of soul/free jazz," to sum up this is Great Black Music! First ever CD reissue; carefully remastered and restored by Gilles Laujol; graphic design by Stefan Thanneur; digipack. Licensed from Palm / Geneviève Quievreux.
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FFL 095CD
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At the beginning of the 1960s, at the Berklee College of Music, Byard Lancaster met some feisty friends: Sonny Sharrock, Dave Burrell, and Ted Daniel. It is easy to see why he rapidly became involved in free jazz. Once he was settled in New York, he appeared on Sunny Murray Quintet, recorded under the leadership of the drum crazy colleague of Albert Ayler. In 1968, the saxophonist and flutist recorded his first album under his own name: It's Not Up To Us. The following year he came to Paris in the wake of... Sunny Murray. He would come back to France in 1971 (again with Murray) and in 1973 (without Murray for a change). This is when he met Jef Gilson, the pianist and producer who encouraged him to record under his own name again. On Palm Records (Gilson's label), he would release four albums: Us, Mother Africa, Exactement, and Funny Funky Rib Crib. A few months after recording Us, Lancaster recorded Mother Africa along with Clint Jackson III, a trumpeter, partner of Khan Jamal or Noah Howard on other recordings. On March 8th, 1974, Lancaster and Jackson headed up a group composed of Jean-François Catoire (electric and double bass), Keno Speller (percussion) and Jonathan Dickinson (drums). Together, they create an immediate impression. From the first seconds of "We The Blessed", they develop a free jazz which rapidly abandons any virulence under the effect of blues and soul based interventions. When Gilson's composition "Mother Africa" begins, listeners are transported into the studio, listening to the musicians setting up: chatting and joking... Then comes the melody: a dozen or so notes of a repeated theme which is accelerated and deformed according to their whims. This CD edition contains a bonus track, the magnificent "Love Always" that was originally released on the fourth (and last) volume of the Jef Gilson anthology series released in 1975. Recorded on March 8th, 1974, it is a beautiful 15-minute-long modal jazz piece. Four notes from the bass (the relentless Jean-François Catoire, who makes up the rhythm section alongside drummer Jonathan Dickinson and percussionist Keno Speller), and the group is up and running. First ever CD reissue; carefully remastered and restored by Gilles Laujol; graphic design by Stefan Thanneur; digipack. CD Licensed from Palm / Geneviève Quievreux.
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MR 464LP
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Aguaturbia (1970) is an essential album to understand the construction of Chilean rock. This very influential album is raw and dynamic, featuring heavy rhythms, distortion, and exceptional phased female vocals reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane. It comprises original compositions and electrifying renditions of songs brought to fame by the likes of Tommy James & The Shondells, The Beatles, and, of course, Jefferson Airplane elevating these classics to new heights of intensity and rhythmic allure. Aguaturbia's debut album was originally released in 1970 and showcases one of South America's most significant psychedelic bands from the late '60s and early '70s. Their influence in their native Chile -- and beyond -- was groundbreaking. It was played live in 1969 on three tracks, and it became an icon of transgression due to its unbridled musical aesthetics and cover art that -- for the time of its irruption -- meant a clear defiance of the conservative logics lived in Chile, which saw in the nudity of the cover a challenge to morality and good manners. The album is raw and dynamic, featuring heavy rhythms, distortion, and exceptional phased female vocals reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane. Guitarist Carlos Corales shines and when he played solos at the gigs, the effect on the audience was silence and euphoria at the same time, they couldn't believe what they heard. Everything was done with a professional attitude. In fact, Carlos Corales (guitar) and Willy Cavada (drums) were both professional musicians who had made a previous career in rock and roll bands. The LP showcases breathtaking moments, like Willy Cavada's masterful drum solo in "Ah Ah Ah Ay" captured flawlessly in a single take. Dive into the sensual psychedelic journey of "Erotica," where Denise's alluring vocals dance harmoniously with Carlos' electrifying guitar. Plus, don't miss their thrilling renditions of "Somebody to Love" and "Crimson and Clover" -- each track elevating classics to new heights of intensity and rhythmic allure. This album is more than music; it's an invitation to experience sheer auditory bliss!
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ROOTS 044LP
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Holy grail of US roots reggae released in 1979. Old-style tip-on sleeve replicating the original sleeve. More Relation started in 1977 in New York as a backup band for reggae artists such as Melodians, Larry Marshall, Carlton Coffee, and Ken Booth. They released many now sought-after singles and one self-titled album.
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2CD
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TONE 086CD
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With rpm, Touch wanted to join some of the dots of Philip Jeck's life and involve many other collaborators, early and more recent. Fennesz was a friend and kindred spirit on the same label. Claire M Singer formed a new chemistry and partnership and although their plans must now take a different form, Mary found some sketches Philip had laid out using Claire's organ recordings, for further development. Faith Coloccia and Philip had already released "Stardust" on Touch in 2021. Their live performance together at 2220arts + archives, Los Angeles in March 2022 celebrating Touch's 40th anniversary had to be shelved. And in September of that year Iklectik hosted a memorable tribute night with live work from Chris Watson, Liverpool Improvisation Collective, Claire M Singer, and others -- most of all a dedicated audience who knew and felt that this was a future event and not the end of the story. A work in progress at the time of Philip's death, Oxmardyke, a project with Chris Watson, saw the light of day as Touch Tone 83 in early 2023 -- working on recordings Chris had sent, Philip with laptop perched on hospital bed, almost to the end. There were other artists who wanted to actively contribute further, whether in performance or contributing to this album: Jana Winderen had already sent Philip her recordings of pilot whales and the track you hear was finished in March 2022. Cris Cheek was in Slant with Philip and Sianed Jones, who also sadly passed away that same year -- their work together predates Philip's with Touch. Philip owed much in his early years of composing and playing to his collaboration with dancers, theatre and film makers -- in particular, a ten-year working and performing partnership with Laurie Booth, Yip Yip Mix, and the 20th Century, which toured widely during the 1980s and early '90s. An early audio-visual work, Vinyl Requiem (1993) was created with visual artist Lol Sargent, using 180 record players, nine slide projectors and two 16mm projectors producing a live performance on a huge scale. Vinyl Requiem wasn't exactly about the end of vinyl, but the dawn of something else regarding sound recording and music. It was never a final statement but a testament to the work to come. Also featuring Gavin Bryars, Rosy Parlane, Cris Cheek, Faith Coloccia, David Sylvian & Hildur Guðnadóttir, Jah Wobble & Deep Space, Drums Off Chaos, Chandra Shukla, and Jana Winderen.
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2CD
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FFL 096CD
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At the beginning of the 1960s, at the Berklee College of Music, Byard Lancaster met some feisty friends: Sonny Sharrock, Dave Burrell, and Ted Daniel. It is easy to see why he rapidly became involved in free jazz. Once he was settled in New York, he appeared on Sunny Murray Quintet, recorded under the leadership of the drum crazy colleague of Albert Ayler. In 1968, the saxophonist and flutist recorded his first album under his own name: It's Not Up To Us. The following year he came to Paris in the wake of Sunny Murray. He would come back to France in 1971 (again with Murray) and in 1973 (without Murray for a change). This is when he met Jef Gilson, the pianist and producer who encouraged him to record under his own name again. On Palm Records (Gilson's label), he would release four albums: Us, Mother Africa, Exactement, and Funny Funky Rib Crib. The recording of Exactement required two sessions in the studio: February 1st and May 18th 1974 -- in between the two dates, Lancaster recorded, alongside Clint Jackson, the excellent Mother Africa. Two names appear on the cover of Exactement: Lancaster (Byard) and Speller (Keno). Byard Lancaster wanted to be precise, moving regularly from one instrument to another: first on piano, which was the first instrument he learned. On "Sweet Evil Miss Kisianga," his inspiration is first and foremost Coltrane (even if leaning more towards Alice than John), this announces the storm to follow. It is Lancaster's horn-playing which really stands out: on alto or soprano saxophones, as well as on flute or bass clarinet, the musician walks a tightrope making the most of all the risks he takes. Using the full register of his instruments, he has fun with the possibilities. Then, Lancaster invokes or evokes Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, and even Prokofiev, before going into a danse alongside Keno Speller on percussion. Above all, he has a unique sound. Byard Lancaster, on whatever instrument he plays and by continually seeking, always ends up hitting the right note. First ever CD reissue. Carefully remastered and restored by Gilles Laujol. Graphic design by Stefan Thanneur. Digipack 2CD.
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LP
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SAMIZDAT 004LP
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Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad musical genre that emerged in 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians moved away from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, adopting instead a broader, more experimental approach that included a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-rock influences. Here now is another enthralling volume in the Postcard series. The Postcards saga continues, discovering lesser known -- but no less significant -- names from the post-punk, new wave and D.I.Y. scenes around the UK and the US. Groups whose recording career was minimal and stopped, in 90% of cases, at the first and only 45 rpm (which is the cream of the crop here). Vol. 4 brings together five seven-inches, here presented in their entirety, released between 1979 and 1981 by cultish British bands. Original covers, labels and credits are fully reproduced on the back of the cover. Featuring Leopards, Monoconics, Eternal Scream, Look Back In Anger, and Academy One.
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SAMIZDAT 005LP
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Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad musical genre that emerged in 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians moved away from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, adopting instead a broader, more experimental approach that included a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-rock influences. Here now is another enthralling volume in the Postcard series. The Postcards saga continues, discovering lesser known -- but no less significant -- names from the post-punk, new wave and D.I.Y. scenes around the UK and the US. Groups whose recording career was minimal and stopped, in 90% of cases, at the first and only 45 rpm (which is the cream of the crop here). Vol. 5 is deliberately an Anglo-American issue. It covers the period comprised between 1980 and 1983 and features three American and two English bands. Original covers, labels and credits are fully reproduced on the back of the cover. Two more fundamental pieces of the movement history. Featuring Slow Children, Elements Of Style, Dizzy And The Romilars, Twisted Nervez, and European Toys.
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LP
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WWSLP 092LP
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LP version. Wewantsounds presents Ryuichi Sakamoto's classic LP Coda, issued in Japan in 1983 as a solo piano version of the Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence soundtrack. The album, which has never been released outside of Japan until now, sees Sakamoto on acoustic piano reinterpreting fascinating versions of his famous soundtrack including the classic theme and "Germination," which was later used in the Call Me By Your Name soundtrack. This reissue has been remastered by Seigen Ono's Saidera Mastering studio in Tokyo and boasts the original artwork plus a four-page insert with new liner notes by Andy Beta. When the film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence hit the cinema in Summer 1983, it was a worldwide instant success, due in no small parts to its renowned director, Nagisa Oshima, and to its superb cast including David Bowie, Takeshi Kitano, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. The latter, fresh from his success with Yellow Magic Orchestra and a thriving nascent solo career, was also enrolled to compose the score of the film. The soundtrack was released at the same time as the film in summer 1983. It became equally successful and made the Japanese composer a global icon as the instrumental theme became an instant classic all around the world and also Sakamoto's signature track from then on. That same year, his Japanese label decided to release an exclusive cassette book as the format was getting popular in Japan. The project, called Avec Piano, featured an audio cassette together with a beautiful 80-page book including illustrations and texts by various designers and writers. As for the music, Sakamoto re-recorded the Merry Christmas soundtrack on solo piano at the Onkyo Haus studio in Tokyo. This version of the theme which Sakamoto would re-record many times, is therefore the first ever recorded solo piano version of the composition. The cassette book's success led to an LP release a few months later under a new title, Coda, and with a different artwork by Japanese designer Tsuguya Inoue. The original orchestrated theme "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" was dropped, replaced by two new tracks, "Japan" and "Coda," recorded a couple of years earlier in 1981 and featuring Ryuichi Sakamoto's blend of ethereal ambient soundscapes and modern electronics. Coda is quintessential Ryuichi Sakamoto and an essential album in the Japanese composer's discography.
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BB 475LP
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LP version. It's hardly a secret that there was a lot of movement in German pop music during the late '60s and early '70s of the last century, and that many new things emerged then. Countless books have already been published on the subject of "Krautrock," and many LPs from this period have been re-released. Günter Schickert only released two LPs in the '70s: Überfällig (Sky Records, 1979/Bureau B, 2012) and Samtvogel (Brain, 1976). Now, exactly 50 years after its original release, Samtvogel has returned.
"Günter Schickert used only guitars, echo devices and a modest recording technique for Samtvogel. The album is a genuine DIY production -- radical in every respect and not at all in keeping with the zeitgeist of the time. It was perhaps this radicalism that made it difficult to find a suitable record label to release the album. In any case, Schickert initially self-released Samtvogel in 1974 in an edition of 500 copies. It wasn't until two years later that the album was released in a much larger edition on the Brain label. I am sure that Schickert was familiar with the minimal music of Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass. I don't know whether he had also heard Die grüne Reise (1971) by Achim Reichel. Inventions for Electric Guitar by Manuel Göttsching would not appear until 1976. With his version of minimal music, Schickert completely dispenses with electronic sound generators; neither synthesizers, sequencers nor rhythm machines can be heard on Samtvogel. Instead, he enters into a dialogue with the echo device and uses it and his electric guitar to create seemingly simple, almost rudimentary repetitive patterns that only reveal their minimalist nuances on closer listening. What sounds so simple requires a high level of concentration from the player, as he has to react to the relentless echo once it has been set up. If attention wavers for even a second, the piece immediately goes off the rails and chaos ensues. In the studio, you simply start all over again; in a live situation, it's a worst-case scenario. However, Schickert remains absolutely precise on Samtvogel, and yet his music does not have the coolness and/or artificiality found in the electronically produced music of other German musicians." --Asmus Tietchens, 2024
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3LP
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KOM 491LP
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Restocked! Triple LP version. Kompakt presents, finally, a reissue of the first, self-titled GAS album. Originally released on electronica imprint Mille Plateaux back in 1996, it's been unavailable in its original form ever since -- the version of GAS included in 2008's Nah Und Fern box featured several different tracks. Here, however, GAS is restored in all its glory, the debut full-length from Wolfgang Voigt's most enigmatic, quixotic project. There had, of course, been signs of what was to come. Back in 1995, Voigt essayed the first Gas release, a slender, yet remarkable four-track EP, Modern. Its center label featured a reduced symbol -- an overhead or lamp light, switched on, its glow radiating outwards in four bold black lines -- a perfect representation of the tight, stylized ambient electronic pop contained on that 12". A few curious compilation tracks were floating around, too, for Mille Plateaux's Modulation & Transformation and Electric Ladyland series. If you were attentive enough, you could tell something was up. But nothing quite prepared listeners for the languorous, effervescing loops and regular-like-clockwork beats that Voigt folded together on GAS. Its six long tracks, all untitled, neither begin nor end but hazily fade into earshot, vibrate majestically in your cochlea for fifteen-or-so minutes -- some a bit shorter, some longer -- and then meander away, reading the mise-en-scène for the next example of Voigt's drift and dream logic to unfold. The material is referential in the most distant way, and you can sense only the most evanescent of ghostly presences, haunting these six compositions. GAS feels, also, like a more pliable hint at what's to come, as the GAS concept really solidified on its successor, 1997's Zauberberg, and reach its apotheosis on Königsforst and Pop. Those three albums share a very similar palette -- blurred, hazy samples, often of classical music, stacked and cross-thatched across a muted 4/4 thud. GAS, then, is an outlier of sorts: it's more expansive in its remit, lighter in its mood, perhaps more fleet of foot. This, of course, is part of its charm. In clearing space for Voigt, by preparing the terrain, GAS sits both at the edge of the forest, and at the verge of an expansive, wide-eyed future; one where GAS would become truly eternal. Text by Jonathan Dale.
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LP
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VIA 009LP
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"While there has been plenty of precedent, regarding Alvarius B's fascination with the down and out of Anglo/American cultural refuse, That's How I Got To Memphis is certainly his most realized collection of paying homage to it. The fact that this whole album is a collection of covers that have invaded AB's current musical obsessions is testament to the timeless nature of the original artists songwriting prowess. Imagine Joe Meek coming back from the dead to produce a country western and northern album by a Saginaw miscreant fried up in the Orman botanical gardens of Cairo Egypt. That this album could be a perfect soundtrack to a Paul Lynch sequel to his portrait of failed ambition masterpiece The Hard Part Begins is irrelevant, because it stands alone as a sequel to another AB masterpiece, Baroque Primitiva. That this album also highlights actual OUTSIDER artists from the halcyon days of holy, rebellious, loner losers should give hope, cuz outsider these days means you don't have a gmail account or Meta colonized brain. That's How I Got To Memphis is a superb collection of songs about longing, love lost and found, curios picked up and dropped off, tragedy and hope, confusion and epiphany while stumbling around through back roads to nowhere." --HM
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2LP
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VAMPI 284LP
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2024 repress. The historical origins of cumbia in Colombia are nebulous and imprecise. The mythology surrounding it suggests an ancient past when Amerindian, African and European musical sounds were mixed together. The main record companies in Colombia such as Discos Fuentes, Discos Tropical, Sonolux, Zeida-Codiscos, Silver, Ondina, Discos Atlantic, Vergara, and Curro were created between Barranquilla, Medellín, Cartagena, and Bogotá from 1936 to 1954. All of them, without exception, recorded Colombian tropical music that over the years was given different names such as porro, gaita, fandango, paseaito, merecumbé, mapalé, bullerengue or, of course, cumbia. This first volume in the series Cumbia Cumbia Cumbia!!! comprises 24 Colombian cumbia bangers for the dancefloor from the deep vaults of Discos Fuentes, the most emblematic and best remembered label in the golden age of the genre. This is complemented by a selection of cumbias recorded by the label Discos Tropical, which sold most of its catalog to Discos Fuentes in 1990. Discos Fuentes concentrated on recording cumbias played on the accordion and by orchestras and ensembles. The label produced a prodigious number of albums devoted to cumbias between 1962 and 1979, which served to define ambiguous stereotypes, rooted as much in authenticity and modernity as in demure sensuality and joyful nostalgia. Cumbia Cumbia Cumbia!!! combines well-known classics and rarities that are difficult to find in their original formats. An invitation to enjoy and be amazed, above and beyond ethnographic and academic concerns. Features Juan Piña Y Sus Muchachos, Los Corraleros De Majagual, Aníbal Velásquez Y Su Conjunto, Cumbia Cipote Vaina, Calixto Ochoa Y Su Conjunto, Lucho Campillo Y Su Conjunto, La Sonora Del Caribe, El Sexteto Miramar, Pello Torres Y Sus Diablos Del Ritmo, Combo Los Galleros, Los Guacharacos, Combo Sampuesano, Conjunto Típico Vallenato, Pedro Laza Y Sus Pelayeros, Andrés Landero Y Su Conjunto, Los Golden Boys, Orquesta Nuñez, Los Candelosos, Morgan Blanco Y Su Conjunto, Pacho Galán Y Sus Sabaneros, Los Gavilanes De La Costa, Las Estrellas De Tolú, Los Warahuaco, Rodolfo Aicardi Y Su Tipica Ra7.
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LP
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SE 4617X-LP
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2024 restock. "The album was produced by the band themselves, and issued in two different stereo mixes. The more widely distributed mix is the one done by MGM/Verve staff engineer Val Valentin. The other mix was done by Lou Reed, boosting his vocals and guitar solos, while reducing the level of other instruments. This version was dubbed the 'Closet Mix' by Sterling Morrison, because it sounded to him as if it had been recorded in a closet. The most dramatic difference is that the two versions use entirely different performances of 'Some Kinda Love', both taken from the same recording sessions."
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LP
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RM 4237LP
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From Lawrence English: "It's hard to imagine that this year [2024] William Gibson's Neuromancer celebrates its 40th anniversary. Having recently re-read the book for the first time in a great many years, the world building Gibson undertook in that text and the lingering cultural specters he conjured, feel ever so evocative of moments of our contemporary lived experience. The books continued cultural resonance has resolved in a way that captured a future reading of an, at that time of its release, unknown internet era. It was an era of promise, and imagination, of speculative hope and down-right uneasiness in equal parts. In 1994, as the books 10th anniversary was on hand, New York duo Black Rain were commissioned to make a soundtrack to the audio book version of Neuromancer. Read by the author himself, this document, originally publish on a series of cassettes, would go on to be recognized as a unique glimpse into Gibson's sensing of the characters and places that make up the Neuromancer zone. Following a period of work as an expanded collective, Stuart Argabright and Shinichi Shimokawa, the two core members of Black Rain, decided to strip back their unit largely to a duet format. Their focus became more engaged around studio practice, and it was this refocusing that was ultimately serendipitous. As they started work on Neuromancer a number of new approaches and techniques emerged and with them came a new sonic language the pair had only imagined previously. The audio book was a huge success and the soundtrack too was recognized for its brooding and post-industrial electronic grind. Since that time however, the recordings have largely remained in obscurity. While a couple of the pieces have surfaced in various editions including an excellent compilation by Blackest Ever Black, the entire suite of pieces has remained unpublished until this moment. Working off the original master tapes, this edition (like the book), folds and morphs over itself in an episodic stratification. Pieces emerge, like strange architecture, from one another forming a sonic environment that feels almost tangible. I spent many weeks working on these tapes and also on the connections between the pieces. In collaboration with Stuart, our joint aim was to create a version of the soundtrack that speaks to the very atmosphere of the text itself. It's a delight to share this collection of work for the first time."
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LP
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LMS 1725111
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LP version. Clear vinyl. What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? is the eighth studio album by British post-punk legends Echo & The Bunnymen, released on April 16, 1999. The album saw the band continue a trajectory set with 1997's Evergreen, embracing more introspective themes and melodic approach to its arrangements. Featuring an inspired selection of collaborators including strings from the London Metropolitan Orchestra and two songs featuring the American rap rock band Fun Loving Criminals, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? featured two singles, the title track, and the atmospheric fan favorite "Rust," which would mark the band's final Top 40 UK single. Celebrating 25 years of What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, the album is issued on vinyl for the very first time, alongside expansive 34-track 2CD which feature B-sides, alternative versions and previously unreleased live versions of both tracks from the album and classic Bunnymen tracks.
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2LP
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LMS 1725203
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Double LP version. Synth pop trio Bronski Beat's 1984 debut The Age of Consent is a rarity in musical history -- an album that both defined a generation and challenged the status quo. Its four singles, and particular lead single "Smalltown Boy," have endured with astonishing resonance, offering home to all listeners dreaming of escape from their familiar surroundings and situations. Every track on the album places the listener "in the room:" they are in it, living it, rolling inside each song's thematic meaning. Through the blue-eyed wonder of singer Jimmy Somerville's vocal pirouettes, they too take the punch of hate in "Why?," question the bible with alongside a male voice choir on "It Ain't Necessarily So," and watch the same crappy TV advertising on "Junk." They are part of the trade-off between lust and commerce in "Love and Money" and the heated near climax of "Need A Man Blues." 40 years later and The Age of Consent remains as prescient and vital as ever as it did on its original release; truly transgressive -- defiant, queer, and laden with hooks. To celebrate this important anniversary, London Records revisit the album across a series of expanded formats, uncovering sonic archival gems, new mixes, essays and more. Includes 24-page booklet featuring rare and unseen photos, and essays by: Tom Rasmussen, Lesley Chow, Lucy Robinson, and Barnaby Ashton-Bullock. Also available as 4CD/DVD (LMS 1725202) and 2LP (LMS 1725203).
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LP
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WRJ 002LP
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2024 repress. "Regular edition" on 140 gram vinyl. We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records' new sister-label) present the official reissue of criminally overlooked Japanese jazz gem Mellow Dream by Hokkaido pianist wunderkind Ryo Fukui, originally released in 1977. Released in conjunction with the its legendary predecessor 1976's Scenery (WRJ 001CD/LP/LTD-LP). Firmly standing on the foundation he laid down with Scenery, Ryo Fukui continues his exploration of modal, bop, and cool jazz sounds with meticulous grace and absolute mastery. As its title suggests, Mellow Dream ventures into slightly mellower, more soulful, and sometimes more contemplative territories (the Bill Evans-reminiscent "Mellow Dream" and "My Foolish Heart") while still packing the commanding punch Fukui's work is loved for, as heard on the amazingly bombastic "Baron Potato Blues" or the gigantic McCoy Tyner/John Coltrane-influenced "Horizon" which sees each member of the trio -- Satoshi Denpo is on bass and Yoshinori Fukui is on drums -- demonstrating their virtuosity for nine exhilarating minutes. With his sophomore album, Ryo Fukui swings from melancholy to vibrant joy with ease, and reminds you that jazz is best served with a pinch of blues, and displays an immensely rare combination of pure talent, unique personal approach and focused discipline. The man undeniably deserves a spot in the pantheon of all-time great jazz pianists. After releasing the outstanding Scenery and Mellow Dream back-to-back, Ryo Fukui worked on developing his live skills, often performing at Sapporo's Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui), and even releasing two live albums. He sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that all jazz lovers should explore. Sourced from the original masters. Mastered at half speed; 140 gram vinyl; includes sticker.
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CD
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ESPDISK 5100CD
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"Duck Baker should be a national treasure. He should be an international treasure. Should be? In my book he already is. I first came across his work in the 1970s on early Kicking Mule LPs in my local library in the UK, which was his temporary base then, and is his permanent home now. Many years later I was astounded by Spinning Song, his CD of Herbie Nichols compositions. Around the same time, I made contact with him by way of thanks following a review he wrote of my work on Stuff Smith and, later, other historic violinistic books and CDs. Duck's knowledge and learning about the ancestry of so many musical genres is prodigious, whether jazz, avant-garde, improvisation in general, various forms of country music, Irish, blues, ragtime, swing, you name it. He draws on so much to make his own unique playing and composing. And none of it is to go by the troublesome term 'appropriation;' Duck absorbs, pays tribute, and is himself, wherever his fingers might move across his flamenco guitar, including, of course, its wood body. This previously unreleased collection consists of fourteen solos and two duos with Eugene Chadbourne. The performances are drawn mostly from demo sessions or live recordings, and were recorded at various locations between 1976 and 1998. They run the gamut of moods and tempos, from the reflective 'Peace' and brooding 'Like Flies' to burners that rank with Baker's most animated free playing on record, like the title track, 'No Family Planning,' and 'Buffalo Fire.' The only so-to-speak standards are Thelonious Monk's 'Straight, No Chaser' and Billy Strayhorn's 'Take the 'A' Train,' the latter featuring fascinating and humorous interplay between the two guitarists?. Duck's catalogue is now vast, including a recent CD release of Thelonious Monk compositions, which beautifully complements the aforementioned Nichols CD. As well as solo efforts, past records include collaborations with the likes of Chadbourne, Roswell Rudd, John Zorn, and John Butchers or, at the other end of the spectrum, Stefan Grossman, John Renbourn, Leo Kottke, Molly Andrews, and Maggie Boyle. I, for one, never tire of listening to Duck playing in whatever context. He is a master and every recording is a gem." --Anthony Barnett
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2CD
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IMPREC 535CD
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American percussionist and composer Michael Ranta is a legendary figure who has worked with some of the most significant names of 20th century music but despite this and impressive body of work of his own, he has remained an obscure figure. Important Records presents Transits Volume 1 the first in a series of releases by composer/percussionist Sarah Hennies documenting never-before-heard chamber works mostly composed in the 1970s while Ranta was living in Taiwan. Mastered by Tom Eaton at Sounds & Substance. Based overseas since the late '60s, Ranta is known primarily as a percussionist who worked closely with Harry Partch, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Helmut Lachenmann, Toru Takemitsu, and Jean-Claude Éloy but is also an accomplished artist himself with a vast body of work spanning improvisation, electronic music, and composition. The works in the Transits series comprise a dozen works of scored compositions for solo and chamber ensembles almost all of which are completely unknown with no known performances or recordings since their original premieres. Volume 1 includes "Mharuva," a 30-minute marathon tour-deforce for solo marimba, "Seven Pieces for Three Percussionists," and the 40-minute "Continuum II," a stunning display of virtuosity for two bass clarinets, percussion, and electronics. Transits, Volume 1 features performances by Sarah Hennies, NYC clarinetists Madison Greenstone and Katie Porter, and the Bard College Conservatory Percussion Ensemble.
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LP
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UMA 184LP
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Masonna, the brainchild of Yamazaki "Maso" Takushi, holds a revered place within the Japanoise scene alongside peers like Merzbow, Incapacitants, CCCC, Violent Onsen Geisha, and Hijokaidan. The project, named Mademoiselle Anne Sanglante Ou Notre Nymphomanie Auréolé, epitomizes the extreme end of the noise spectrum, intertwining cascades of electronic disarray with a distinct psychedelic touch and violent vocalizations. The new limited edition vinyl reissue of maso+onna=masonna, originally released on cassette by the Coquette label in 1989, breathes new life into this landmark recording, which has long been the subject of underground lore for its intense, almost mythical presence in the world of noise music. This reissue, limited to just 199 copies, captures Masonna at one of his most pivotal moments, offering two tracks that span roughly 20 minutes each. This format, with one piece per side, creates a compelling dynamic, allowing the listener to fully immerse themselves in the sprawling auditory landscapes that Masonna weaves. Side A delves into the tumultuous depths of distortion and feedback, showcasing the bracing intensity for which Masonna is famed. Here, Takushi's vocal manipulations become ferocious outbursts of sound, transformed through extreme distortion and delay into frantic bursts of static. The noise is relentless, taking the listener through a labyrinthine journey of high-pitched screeches, electronic burbles, and blues pulsations with disturbing whispers and hallucinating screams. Side B, in stark contrast, starts on a different trajectory. Opening with an incredible clutter of guitar and vocal, before the mayhem dissipates, buried under thick blankets of feedback and electronic distortion. This side is more organized yet still unrestrained, reminiscent of the controlled chaos in Steve Reich's minimalist compositions. The side's progression towards increasingly intricate and textured environments makes it a compelling counterpart to the more immediate assault of Side A. This album is not just an essential listen for seasoned aficionados of Japanoise but also for anyone beginning their journey into the world of extreme sonic art. Historically, maso+onna=masonna holds a monumental status, not just within Masonna's amazing catalogue but also within the broader genre of noise music. This vinyl reissue honors that legacy, offering a carefully remastered version that maintains the raw energy and emotional breadth of the original recordings. This limited-edition vinyl is a rare opportunity to experience Masonna's groundbreaking work in its full, remastered glory, and it is a must-have for any serious collector or enthusiast of noise music.
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SONIG 094LP
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In 2007 an Italian film festival invites Mouse on Mars to score a film of their choice. The organizers claim to be able to clear the rights for any movie the band chooses. Werner Herzog's fictional documentary Fata Morgana, which merges footage of several desert explorations by Herzog and his team into one continuous association, has long been a band's favorite. The film comes with a soundtrack by Mozart, Leonard Cohen, Third Ear Band and field recordings. Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner are sent a DVD to Düsseldorf and start working. The idea is to score the film in real time so instrumentation has to be readily at hand: guitar, percussion, electronics, mouth harp, pedals, software, tapes, samplers. Once the arrangement for the three-part film is sorted Mouse on Mars bring their score to stage. Herzog Sessions is performed twice: first when the band still thought the rights had been cleared, and a second time at London's Southbank Center knowing that Herzog would have never approved a new score. Filmed in 1971, Fata Morgana is perhaps not one of Herzog's best-known works, but then Mouse on Mars have never been ones to embrace the mainstream, quietly letting their modern, experimental take on krautrock do the talking over the years, thus producing some quietly brilliant electronica that far outweighs their modest profile. The film itself is not altogether dissimilar to the wonderful, Phillip Glass-scored Koyaanisqatsi, with sweeping landscape shots and no obvious plot or narrative, though Fata is concentrated purely in one place -- in and around the Sahara Desert, switching from images of barren wasteland to desert tribes and dead, skeletal cattle. The obvious thing to do when soundtracking such powerful imagery is to vie for dreamy electronic soundscapes which can be sustained for a long period, and whilst this ambient shoegaze approach was present and correct (also carefully constructed and highly effective), Mouse on Mars added a human element to the performance, incorporating a live dimension by using and looping guitars, harmonicas, processed vocals and even a live horn player for the final section of the film. Some of the most interesting points arose when the duo suddenly switched from solemn, ambient tones to glitchy, bouncing electro (reminiscent of their more upbeat work) whilst on the same film shot -- causing the audience mood to flick from tripped-out bliss to attentive semi-wired, utterly subverting any idea of a narrative the film may have possessed.
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LP
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SOW 011LP
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Limited restock. Sowing Records present a reissue of Joao Gilberto's self-titled third album, originally released in 1961. The fruit of the collaboration between Gilberto and the great composer and arranger Antonio Carlos Jobim and Walter Wanderley and his ensemble. This is one of the greatest pieces of work in the field of Brazilian music. Gilberto's delicate singing moves on top of extremely subtle, elegant orchestral arrangements of various songs from a classic repertoire, "Samba da Minha Terra" and "Saudade da Bahia" (Dorival Caymmi), "O Barquinho" (Roberto Menescal/Ronaldo Bôscoli) without forgetting essential numbers by Carlos Lyra, Vinicius de Moraes, and Tom Jobim. A timeless masterpiece. Clear vinyl.
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2LP
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FAITBACK 001LP
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2024 restock. Faitiche presents a long-lost vinyl album. Since 2003, Jan Jelinek's Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records, originally released in 2001 on ~scape, existed only as a download. Now the album is available again on vinyl, as a double LP with two bonus tracks, "Moiré (Guitar & Horns)" and "Poren", B-sides from Tendency EP (2000).
"Don't be misled by the title, though for there isn't a finger-snapping rhythm bebop lead anywhere on the album. Instead, Jelinek chooses to explore the visual effect moiré - two shifting patterns creating an implied third dimension - in the audio realm." --Alternative Press
"The title acts as explanation for the studio technique that provided the basis for this album, snippets of other people's arrangements deconstructed through a sampler into loops and then splashed onto an audio canvas." --ATM
"Jelinek's sound evolved out of his dislike for (and inability to play) keyboards." --RPM
"Jelinek has abstracted his sources beyond recognition, looping his millisecond samples into flickering patterns of sonic moiré laid atop a dub techno framework. . . . Jelinek might as well have sampled a horn player's hissing intake of breath - it would have been 'jazz' enough for his purposes." --The Wire
"It's a perfect inversion of conventional music, a sonic negative. Everything that would typically be foreground is moved back or pushed off the screen altogether, and the flecks of sonic debris that would normally be covered by other sounds are left to carry the melody and rhythm." --Pitchfork
"All you need to know is that these onomatopoeic non-specific songs . . . are warm, paradisiacal creations." --NME
"Listen carefully and you'll hear textures slowly unfolding and mutating. Presuming you've not fallen asleep of course." --iDJ
"At times, it's all a bit dripping tap Japanese water torture; so sedentary it drowns in its own motionlessness" --DJ
"Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records is a genuine modern classic whose re-release is anything but a cynical mortgage repayment exercise. Consider this a second chance, then pretend you had it all along." --Boomkat
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CD
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BB 475CD
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It's hardly a secret that there was a lot of movement in German pop music during the late '60s and early '70s of the last century, and that many new things emerged then. Countless books have already been published on the subject of "Krautrock," and many LPs from this period have been re-released. Günter Schickert only released two LPs in the '70s: Überfällig (Sky Records, 1979/Bureau B, 2012) and Samtvogel (Brain, 1976). Now, exactly 50 years after its original release, Samtvogel has returned.
"Günter Schickert used only guitars, echo devices and a modest recording technique for Samtvogel. The album is a genuine DIY production -- radical in every respect and not at all in keeping with the zeitgeist of the time. It was perhaps this radicalism that made it difficult to find a suitable record label to release the album. In any case, Schickert initially self-released Samtvogel in 1974 in an edition of 500 copies. It wasn't until two years later that the album was released in a much larger edition on the Brain label. I am sure that Schickert was familiar with the minimal music of Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and Philip Glass. I don't know whether he had also heard Die grüne Reise (1971) by Achim Reichel. Inventions for Electric Guitar by Manuel Göttsching would not appear until 1976. With his version of minimal music, Schickert completely dispenses with electronic sound generators; neither synthesizers, sequencers nor rhythm machines can be heard on Samtvogel. Instead, he enters into a dialogue with the echo device and uses it and his electric guitar to create seemingly simple, almost rudimentary repetitive patterns that only reveal their minimalist nuances on closer listening. What sounds so simple requires a high level of concentration from the player, as he has to react to the relentless echo once it has been set up. If attention wavers for even a second, the piece immediately goes off the rails and chaos ensues. In the studio, you simply start all over again; in a live situation, it's a worst-case scenario. However, Schickert remains absolutely precise on Samtvogel, and yet his music does not have the coolness and/or artificiality found in the electronically produced music of other German musicians." --Asmus Tietchens, 2024
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2LP
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ZEHRA 001LP
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2024 repress. Zehra present The Trance Of Seven Colors by master Gnawa musician Maleem Mahmoud Ghania and free jazz legend Pharoah Sanders, available on vinyl for the very first time. Originally released in 1994 on Bill Laswell's Axiom imprint, and produced by Bill Laswell, The Trance Of Seven Colors is the meeting of two true musical masters. Maleem Mahmoud Ghania (1951-2015), son of the master of Gnawa music Maleem Boubker Ghania and the famous clairvoyant and "moqaddema", A'isha Qabral, and a master of the traditional Gnawa style in his own right. Mahmoud learned this craft as a youth along with his brothers, walking from village to village, performing ceremonies with his father Boubker and was one of the few masters (Maleem) who continued to practice the Gnawa tradition strictly for healing (the central ritual of the Gnawa is the trance music ceremony -- with the purpose of healing or purification of the participants). With 30 cassette releases of music from the Gnawa repertoire with his own ensemble and performances at every major festival in Morocco, including performing for the King in various contexts, Mahmoud Ghania was also one of Morocco's most prominent professional musicians. In 1994, Bill Laswell and Pharoah Sanders went to Morocco equipped with just some mobile recording devices to record Ghania and a large ensemble of musicians (a good portion being family members) in a very intimate set-up at a private house. Sanders, the legendary free jazz musician, contributed the distinctive tenor saxophone sounds that gained him highest praise as a truly spiritual soul right from the days of playing with John Coltrane and his wife Alice and on seminal solo albums, like Karma (1969). The aptly titled The Trance Of Seven Colors ranks among the best Gnawa recordings ever released, making it onto The Vinyl Factory's list of "10 incredible percussive albums from around the world". 25 years after its original CD release, it is finally available on vinyl. Remastered for vinyl and vinyl cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. 180 gram vinyl; comes in gatefold sleeve; includes download code. "One of the most important albums of Gnawa trance music released in the '90s." --The Attic "first-hand access to Gnawa healing ceremonial music" --All Music
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2LP
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WRWTFWW 065LP
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Limited 2024 repress; double LP version. WRWTFWW Records announce the first official worldwide reissue of Satsuki Shibano's Wave Notation 3: Erik Satie 1984, the final album from the sound-defining Wave Notation environmental music series curated by Satoshi Ashikawa. Originally released in 1984 on the Sound Process label, Wave Notation 3 followed Ashikawa's own Still Way (1982) and Hiroshi Yoshimura's Music For Nine Postcards (1982). The highly sought-after album is sourced from the original master tape. Wave Notation 3 is a splendid tribute to seminal French composer and pianist Erik Satie, himself one of the main influences behind kankyō ongaku/environmental music (alongside Brian Eno, John Cage, to name a few). The alphabetically-sequenced album features 26 pieces showcasing Shibano's unique piano interpretation of Satie's works. The artist explains: "For this album, I sequenced the compositions in alphabetical order of each title, irrespective of the period of each composition or style. By doing this, I attempted to effectively create 'Music as an environment' and at the same time, allow the listener to genuinely experience Satie's music." Satsuko Shibano's minimalistic approach to ambient classical is simply perfect and offers a beautiful and tranquil listening experience, furniture music with extra comfort and soothing simplicity, relaxing to the mind and to the soul. This Wave Notation deserves a spot among the pillars of Japanese environmental music, next to Midori Takada's Through The Looking Glass, Hiroshi Yoshimura's Green, and Satoshi Ashikawa's Still Way. For fans of furniture music, environmental music, music as an environment for furniture, ambient, Midori Takada, Satoshi Ashikawa, Hiroshi Yoshimura, Erik Satie, Brian Eno, minimalism. Includes English and Japanese liner notes by the artist, was supervised by Japanese ambient legend Yoshio Ojima.
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LP
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BT 126LP
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Carrying on a string of stunning archival releases from major figures of Indian classical tradition (including releases from members of the Dagar family and Amelia Cuni), Black Truffle presents an unheard recording from tabla master Kamalesh Maitra (1924-2005). For over fifty years, Maitra devoted himself to the rare tabla tarang, a set of between ten and sixteen hand drums tuned to the notes of the raga to be performed. While the tabla tarang has its origins in the late 19th century, Maitra was the first to recognize its potential as a solo concert instrument, using the set of tuned drums to perform full-length raags. Seated behind a semi-circular array of drums, Maitra produced stunning waves of melodic improvisation enlivened with the rhythmic invention of a master percussionist. Across his career, Maitra performed in ensembles led by Ravi Shankar, collaborated with George Harrison, and led his own East-West fusion group, the Ragatala Ensemble. However, it is in the solo setting that his remarkable artistry and the otherworldly timbral qualities of the tabla tarang are most strikingly on display. Recorded during the same 1985 Berlin sessions that produced Maitra's self-released solo LP Tabla Tarang: Ragas on Drums, on Raag Kirwani on Tabla Tarang listeners are treated to Maitra stretching out for over forty minutes on the late-night Raag Kirwani, accompanied by Laura Patchen on tabla and Mila Morgenstern and Marina Kitsos on tanpura. The performance begins with the traditional free-floating exposition section, where Maitra's spacious melodic improvisation at times almost resembles a plucked string instrument (like the sarod, which Maitra also played). For the listener unaccustomed to the tabla tarang, the sound of these microtonally inflected melodic patterns played on drums has a magic quality. As Maitra begins to imply the rhythmic cycles more strongly, Patchen joins on tabla, beginning half an hour of rhythmic-melodic exploration, where virtuosity sits side by side with delicacy and meditative attention. Accompanied by beautiful archival images and extensive liner notes from Laura Patchen, for many listeners Raag Kirwani on Tabla Tarang will be the perfect introduction to the magical world of Kamalesh Maitra, released to coincide with the hundredth anniversary of the master musician's birth.
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CD
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CVSD 116CD
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Until now, the earliest recordings anyone has heard by Joe McPhee come from the period around his 1968 debut album, Underground Railroad. McPhee had just started playing tenor saxophone at that point. A couple of years earlier, the bassist featured on all of McPhee's early recordings, Tyrone Crabb, led a band of his own, the Jazzmen, in which McPhee was featured on his first instrument: trumpet. Indeed, McPhee was a trumpet legacy -- his father was a trumpeter. In the mid-'60s, Joe was a serious young player with deep knowledge and an expansive ear. Performing around Poughkeepsie and across the Hudson Valley, the Jazzmen were one of the very first ensembles recorded by Craig Johnson, who would go on to form the CjR label expressly to release McPhee's music. The fledgling audio engineer was clearly learning the ropes when he documented this incredible 1966 performance, but despite a few excusable acoustic blemishes, it's a beautiful window into McPhee's trumpet playing, suggesting that, had he stuck to that instrument alone, he might well have been considered a major figure on the horn (of course, he is such a figure on the pocket trumpet); the opening track, a version of "One Mint Julep" as arranged by Freddie Hubbard (on his Blue Note record Open Sesame) shows McPhee's lithe stylings to good effect. McPhee's musical cosmology was much bigger than a single axe, however, as is evident on the sprawling second track, which, over the course of half-an-hour proceeds from an excoriating yowl to a version of Miles Davis's "Milestones" taken at a sweltering tempo. A portent of the free jazz to follow and a marker of McPhee's foundations in hard bop and soul jazz, 1966 features the entire reel-to-reel tape long thought lost, simply labeled: "Joe McPhee, 1966, trumpet." Featuring Joe McPhee (trumpet, recorder), Harry Hall (tenor saxophone, recorder), Reggie Marks (tenor saxophone, recorder), Mike Kull (piano), Tyrone Crabb (bass, bandleader), and Charlie Benjamin (drums).
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LP
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ESPDISK 1014LP
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2024 repress! 180-gram black vinyl. The astonishing sessions that went light years beyond "free jazz" improvisation to create a music of deeply felt, explosive and gentle gesture made from sound itself without reference to previous notions of melody or harmony are now reissued on 180 gram vinyl with Sun Ra's original, self-created cover art. Recorded by Richard Alderson on April 20, 1965, this set of tunes finds Sun Ra breaking ground by using synthesizers and having the Arkestra musicians double on percussion. Remastered.
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LP
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SR 562LP
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The first ever publication of the original soundtrack composed by Alain Pierre for the Belgian cult film Vase de noces, directed by Thierry Zeno in 1974. Limited edition of 400 copies with screen-printed sleeve. Vase de Noces wasn't released in Belgium. The only distribution Thierry's films might have accessed here was the "Swedish distribution," a code for distribution around adult movie theaters. Films by major directors such as Bergman or Polanski were released this way. In memory of Alain Pierre (1948-2024).
"Vase de noces was made with very little money. Thierry used 16mm reversal film, utilizing the ends of reels he obtained from friends who worked as TV cameramen. Similarly, I salvaged magnetic tape from my workplace, the Équipe sound studio. Film professionals looked down on him because he filmed everything on his own, without relying on technicians. The remarks became even more disparaging when they saw the quality of the result. Thierry shot this film gradually, just getting by, progressing intermittently, but he had a precise idea and memory of the framing and sequences. He really did a great job, as if he had the entire edit in mind from the start. The first shot had to be the right one. He showed me the film sequence by sequence when the editing was over. This was how he worked, and that's why it took him so long getting the right splices, the right light, etc. Thierry handled the framing and the lighting himself. His black-and-white work is unique; he operated within constraints, which is how creativity often flourishes. Thierry had a story in mind, and in the end, he achieved exactly what he wanted. The performance of actor Dominique Garny, for instance, and his aptitude -- it helped a lot. They spent hours together in the cold, in the mud. As the shooting progressed, I suggested samples of sounds obtained from my machine. This was what he wanted: bottle sounds. There isn't a single direct sound in the film -- it's all dubbed. I never distinguished music from the rest of the soundtrack. The idea of a 'sound object' never left me, and I've always kept that direction in mind when composing. One day, Thierry stopped by while I was working on a documentary about Saint Augustine, for which I was using a tune by Monteverdi. He told me about a certain sequence from his film, and I had the feeling that this music would work wonderfully with that sequence if I slowed it down to the extreme, to the point that it would be unrecognizable. Very rudimentary special effects. I had manipulated music sung by castrati this way for O Sidarta (FKR 107LP), and he liked it. My suggestion was accepted." -- Alain Pierre
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2LP
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STUDIOMUL 001LP
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2024 repress; Double LP version. Mule Musiq announce their new label, Studio Mule. Midnight In Tokyo Vol. 1 is a compilation of Japanese disco, boogie, and soul music. The compilation starts off with the Afro disco classic "Mi Mi Africa" by harmonica player Nobuo Yagi. "Silver Spot" is a jazzy fusion disco track taken from composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist Nobuyuki Shimizu's first album (1980), released when he was 19. The track features singer Epo. "Samba Night" is by vocalist Keisuke Yamamoto and his band Piper, from their masterpiece second album Summer Breeze (1983) -- a delightful city pop number for fans of Tatsuro Yamashita. "Akogareno Sundown" is a Japanese soul classic, sung by singer Haruko Kuwana (sister of Masahiro Kuwana). Produced by Mackey Feary Band, known for the soulful classic "A Million Stars". "Koiwa Saiko (I'm In Love)" is a mellow and groovy track by singer Aru Takamura, the great-grandchild of sculptor Kouun Takamura. It can be thought of as Japan's answer to Cheryl Lynn's "Got To Be Real". "What The Magic Is To Try" is a cult electropop track by Honma Express, a project helmed by producer Kanji Honma. Hailed as Japan's Trevor Horn, he is also known as the producer of legendary techno pop band TPO. "Colored Music" is a song by Colored Music, a duo of pianist Ichiko Hashimoto and her partner Atsuo Fujimoto. Taken from their sole album (1981), the Japanese rare groove treasure is a mesh of new wave, synth pop, and jazz influences. The dubby electronic new wave disco "Electric City" is a B side of pop idol group Shohjo-Tai & Red Bus St Project's debut 12" single. "Love Is The Competition" is a breezy disco jam by Okinawa-born bilingual artist Hitomi Tohyama, originally featured on her album Next Door (1983). Taken from Mariah project's diva Yumi Murata's first album (1979), "Krishna" is a funky and soulful rockin' disco cut. Reminiscent of Chaka Khan's "I Know You, I Live You", "Live Hard, Live Free" is a song by jazz vocalist Eri Ohno who is known for her work with DJ Krush. "Rocket 88" is a melancholic disco number by singer Minnie originally released through Sapporo's independent label Paradise Records. Closing out the 13-track compilation is Japanese disco staple "Tokyo Melody", sung by Shoody and backed by Tetsuji Hayashi's disco band the Eastern Gang. Compiled by Toshiya Kawasaki. Mastering by Kuniyuki Takahashi. Cover photo by Mika Kitamura.
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LP
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WRWTFWW 017LP
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2024 repress. 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).
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2CD
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VISTA 015CD
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Mirror Phase concludes a trilogy of minimal ambient albums in Jonas Munk's own name. These eight compositions, based on guitar and synthesizer loops, marks a return to the warmer sounds Munk is often associated with. Sonic structures that slowly and gradually evolves and changes, like cloud formations in the sky. The title track "Mirror Phase" is Munk's most expansive drone opus so far. It's a carefully arranged piece where sounds that oscillates with the same interval, but at different phases, are continuously added, hence creating shifting patterns throughout the track's nearly 18-minute duration. Elsewhere, in "Transition," multi-layered guitars create the sonic equivalent of waves gently splashing on the shore. "At a Distance" creates a haunting, and hypnotic, soundscape by using slightly out-of-tune analog synthesizers, summoning the transcendent krautrock of Popol Vuh. "Rise," as well as the closing track "Return to Nowhere," recall the glistening sounds of his Manual releases. Mirror Phase might just be Munk's ambient oeuvre reaching its zenith. RIYL: Fripp & Eno, William Basinski, Christopher Willits, Stars of the Lid. CD comes with Munk's previous album Altered Light, vinyl is limited to 300 copies on milky clear vinyl.
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12"
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WE 015EP
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Arthur Russell first visited The Gallery in 1976 with his then boyfriend Louis, who introduced him to Nicky Siano. Arthur became a regular at the space and one night as Siano was playing "Turn the Beat Around," which had just been released, Arthur waved at him from outside the booth and asked to come in. Nicky opened the door and Arthur suggested they make a record like this together. This ended up being a huge step for Siano as it marked the first ever production by a DJ making a record from scratch. Arthur had written a song and had an arrangement for it so they assembled a band featuring Wilbur Bascomb who was one of Nicky's favorite bassists, as well as, Allan Schwartzberg, David Byrne, Miriam Valle, Peter Gordon, and Peter Zummo, who were all friends of Arthur's. Russell played the cello and piano -- and that was the band. They recorded throughout 1977 and the Kiss Me Again 12" was finally released in 1978 on Sire Records selling more than 300,000 copies. Week-End Records presents the first ever reissue by this outstanding disco production. Remastered from the original tapes. With liner notes by David Byrne, Nicky Siano, Peter Gordon and Peter Zummo.
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2LP
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INCIENSO 027LP
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Six years after the release of the A Parade, In The Place I Sit, The Floating World (& All Its Pleasures) EP on anno Records, Brian Leeds, aka Huerco S., returns to the Loidis project with his debut album One Day on Incienso.
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LP
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DMOO 081LP
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Clear color vinyl. Recorded September 20, 1963, at the Monterey Jazz Festival, this set featured Miles Davis's new quintet, with George Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams. This group, minus Coleman and with the addition of Wayne Shorter, would soon go on to make some of the most highly regarded jazz LPs of all time. This smoking set features a wonderful rendition of "So What," among others. Essential live jazz classic.
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LP
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DLS 016FE-LP
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LP version. USA exclusive cream color vinyl. The Daydream Library Series record label has confirmed Thurston Moore's new full-length album Flow Critical Lucidity, his ninth solo recording. Some of the songs were written and arranged in Europe and The United Kingdom and include lyrical references to their environments and inspired by nature, lucid dreaming, modern dance and Isadora Duncan. The album was arranged at La Becque in Switzerland and recorded at Total Refreshment Studios in London in 2022, and mixed at Hermitage Studios in London with Margo Broom in 2023. Flow Critical Lucidity comes from a lyric in the single "Sans Limites" and the album sleeve cover art features Jamie Nares' "Samurai Walkman" -- a helmet befitted with tuning forks. Jamie Nares (born in Great Britain) is a life-long friend of Thurston Moore from his New York No Wave days and the two have often collaborated in art and music. In 2023, Thurston released two singles: the energetic Isadora Duncan inspired "Isadora" with a music video starring Sky Ferreira. "Hypnogram," which press called "one of the most intensely cerebral cuts Moore has ever released, [in which] he blends the more melodic moments of his former band with the layered, heady flourishes of his bassist Deb Googe's main band, My Bloody Valentine. Emphatically conveying the feeling of dreams, the new material has fans excited for what the American has in store with his next album." In April of 2024, Thurston shared the stirring Earth Day anthem "Rewilding." The musician delivered chilling lines as he ruminated on the removal of the human hand from nature. Moore sang about renewal, and a period for friends of the Earth to sleep and realize a natural way by "coralmorphologically dreaming." The musician said the U.K.'s rewilding movement aspires to reduce human influence on ecosystems. The players on Flow Critical Lucidity: Thurston Moore (vocals, guitar); Deb Googe (bass); Jon Leidecker (electronics); James Sedwards (piano, organ, guitar, glockenspiel); Jem Doulton (percussion); Laetitia Sadier (backing vocals on "Sans Limites").
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LP
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BT 124LP
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LP version. Black Truffle presents a tenth anniversary reissue of Oren Ambarchi's Quixotism, originally released on Editions Mego in 2014. Recorded with a multitude of collaborators in Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA, Quixotism presents the fruit of two years of work in the form of a single, LP-length piece in five parts. Quixotism takes the driving rhythmic aspect of works such as "Sagittarian Domain" to new levels, with the entirety of this long-form work built on a foundation of pulsing double-time electronic percussion provided by Thomas Brinkmann. Beginning as almost subliminal propulsion behind cavernous orchestral textures and John Tilbury's delicate piano interjections, the percussive elements (elaborated on by Ambarchi and Matt Chamberlain) slowly inch into the foreground of the piece before suddenly breaking out into a polyrhythmic shuffle around the halfway mark, and joined by master Japanese tabla player U-zhaan for the piece's final, beautiful passages. The pulse acts as thread leading the listener through a heterogeneous variety of acoustic spaces, from the concert hall in which the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra were recorded to the intimacy of Crys Cole's contact-mic textures. Ambarchi's guitar itself ranges over this wide variety of acoustic spaces, from airless, clipped tones to swirling, reverberated fog. Within the complex web Ambarchi spins over the piece's steadily pulsing foundation, elements approach and recede in a non-linear fashion, even as the piece plots an overall course from the grey, almost Nono-esque reverberated space of its opening section to the crisp foreground presence of Jim O'Rourke's synth and Evyind Kang's strings in its final moments. Formally indebted to the side-long workouts of classic Cologne techno, the long-form works of composers such as Éliane Radigue and the organic push and pull of improvised performance, Quixotism is constantly in motion, yet its transitions happen slowly and steadily, often nearly imperceptible, the diverse elements which make up the piece succeeding one another with the logic of a dream. At the time of its first release, Quixotism was clearly a summation of Ambarchi's work in the years leading up to it. Now, listening back a decade later, it also seems like an arrow pointing to the future, suggesting paths that would be explored further in works to come: the pulsating guitar layers of "Hubris," the album-length collaboration with Jim O'Rourke and U-zhaan on "Hence," "Shebang"'s joyous layering and percussive drive. Now sounding better than ever in a new remaster by Joe Talia, the time is ripe to rediscover its quixotic charms.
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