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viewing 1 To 12 of 12 items
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LP
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SORC 1012LP
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2023 release. Melbourne-via-Adelaide musician Ash Wednesday's life in sound dates way back to 1977 in Adelaide when he was playing with the proto-punk rockers, JAB, known for their contribution to the Suicide Records comp', Lethal Weapons. They relocated to Melbourne, soon split up and then Ash went onto form The Models with Sean Kelly and others. Along with The Boys Next Door (with whom they released a split 7"), The Models were the darlings of the inner-city post-punk scene, and would later become a chart-topping pop band. But this was only the beginning of Ash's musical journey. This compilation puts together the best tracks from Ash's solo and collaborative releases from the extremely fertile sonic period of the early '80s. It has some rare solo tracks, his collaboration with minimal-synth songstress, Karen Marks (a demo version of her classic single, "Cold Cafe"), as well as multiple tracks from his coldwave synth-pop acts, Modern Jazz and The Metronomes. Somewhere in the sonic nexus of very early Human League, Suicide, and Cabaret Voltaire lies this musical universe Ash Wednesday inhabited, though his take on this new synthetic music was uniquely Australian. It was avant-garde, yet it strived for accessibility. For the first time on vinyl, a collection of the best musical contributions from this unique figure in Australian post-punk is put together for your listening pleasure.
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SORC 1014LP
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2023 release. Gonzo psychedelic synth/drum madness from Down Under ca. 1974. Contains the mega-rare 7" single and four previously unreleased tracks from the same session. RIYL Bruce Haack, Residents, Cramps and all points between. Born in the U.S. but raised in Newcastle, New South Wales, John J. Francis fronted popular r'n'b, pop and pop-psyche bands The Sorrows, The John Francis Collexion, The Ghosts Of Electricity, and Magic across the mid-late 1960s. In 1970 he was approached by Dave Gibson to engineer, produce (and eventually manage) his Copperfield Sound Studios in the old Corn Exchange Building near Pyrmont Bridge in Pyrmont, Sydney. Through pure happenstance his unadorned 1972 singer-songwriter ode to alternative living "Simple Ben" was placed in the iconic surfer film Morning Of The Earth and has since become something of an Australian standard. Across 1972-1974 John also recorded four acclaimed LPs and had a Top Ten hit with "Play Mumma, Sing Me A Song." Recorded in studio downtime with friend and drummer Jim Yonge (from prog-rock band Pirana and a multitude of session work), Brute Force And His Drum was Francis' somewhat bizarre 'caveman with an Arp 2600' alter ego. Grunts, shouts and bawdy hollers punctuate mad synth riffs and prehistoric percussion. Two sides ("Weird And Wonderful" and "Strange") were released on a house label Copperfield 45 in 1974 and received sporadic airplay (even charting briefly in Canberra). That 45 now trades for hundreds of dollars amongst knowledgeable collectors of '70s Oz Psyche-Synth ephemera. Four further tracks were recorded during the same sessions ("King Of The Konga" was slated to be second, but ultimately unreleased, 45) and they make their first ever appearance here. John J. Francis left Copperfield Sound Studios in 1974 and would resurface two years later as the midnight-to-dawn DJ on Sydney's youth-orientated 2JJFM (a position he held for over a decade) until fading from public view and pursuing his lifelong passion for painting. After a long illness, John J. Francis passed away quietly in 2022 and Australia lost one of its most unique and under-appreciated musical figures.
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2CD
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SORC 1015CD
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2023 release. The complete discography from Scotland's dawson, all in one handy place: a 2CD set! dawson existed from approx. 1989-1994, played extensively throughout the UK and Europe and even toured the US. They recorded and released three full-length LPs on their own Gruff Wit label, as well as several 7"s and a tape. Linked up with the Scottish-Dutch connection of The Ex and Dog Faced Hermans, both of whom they toured/gigged with, they were part of the vital Scottish post-punk/hardcore scene of the era, along with others such as Badgewearer, Archbishop Kebab, Whirling Pig Dervish, Long Fin Killie, etc. dawson were an incredible scattershot of sounds, blending political hardcore fury with scratchy post-punk, Afro rhythms, tape collage, manic noise, heavy-duty dub and much more. The Pop Group, Crass, On-U Sound, bIG fLAME, Minutemen and even the controlled chaos of the Boredoms could be mentioned, but this was Scotland's dawson. This 2CD has been fully remastered and comes housed in a three-panel cardboard wallet with a 20-page booklet containing extensive liner notes by the band's Jer Reid, photos, lyrics, flyers, etc.
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SORC 1010LP
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2022 release. LOU is Melbourne-based guitarist/singer Sarah Hardiman who has played in bands such as Deaf Wish, Brick Head, and Nightclub; as well as, Moon Rituals, a collaboration with Mikey Young. Recording under the alias LOU, their debut album presents something quite different. Written and recorded alone over two days in Beechworth in mid-2021, For The Morning features eight bucolic, instrumental, guitar-based tracks which combine a country morning flavor with lush and melodic lyricism. Perhaps the most obvious (or easy) musical comparisons would be the twang 'n' strum of William Tyler, Bill Frisell, or American instrumentalists, Pell Mell. Or perhaps Manchester's Durutti Column minus the Englishness. Sarah/LOU released For The Morning as a purely digital album on September the 1st, 2021, to great acclaim and regular spins on local stations, 3PBS and 3RRR. It soon caught the ears of Sorcerer Records' head stooge, Dave Lang, who decided that such an excellent release deserved physical form as some sort of mark of its quality and for folks to enjoy as a musical artefact. The album features stunning artwork from local artist-designer Carl Breitkreutz which perfectly complements its sonics: expressive and slightly sun-washed. Sorcerer Records have pressed up 300 copies on vinyl, housed in a lovely matte sleeve. All songs written and recorded by LOU. Extra guitar on "Painting for the Future" by Mikey Young. Mixed and mastered by Mikey Young. All songs written and recorded on the stolen lands of the Yorta Yorta peoples.
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SORC 1006LP
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2019 release. Previously unissued private recordings from this obscure Melbourne band ca. 1974/'77. Featuring Shane Cleary from cult proggers It Flew Away, as well as a teenage Paul Grabowsky on Fender Rhodes piano, it presents a selection of studio recordings the band made but were never released. Some jazz-rock fusion, some prog, even a bit of avant-jazz. The package includes detailed liner notes, previously unseen photos and an insert. Limited edition of 300 copies on 180-gram vinyl.
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SORC 1013LP
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2023 release. Sorcerer reissues -- for the first time ever! -- this classic slice of outsider Australian post-punk, originally issued by Ron Rude himself on LP back in 1979. Born and raised in Belgrave, an outer suburb of Melbourne which, 40+ years ago was basically a rural town outside of Melbourne, Ron and his band, The Unforgettables, were a rag-tag of hippie-punks who, under Ron's tutelage, recorded this album throughout 1978/'79 in a vague sort of isolation from the world surrounding it. Ron was inspired by everything from Stockhausen to the Stooges and made a kind of basement Iggy/Lou sound in step with the city's post-punk scene, but always one step removed. Ron was a regular fixture in the scene which coalesced around the Crystal Ballroom in St. Kilda and featured other luminaries like the Boys Next Door, The Models et al, sharing stages with all and sundry. He reached a certain hometown infamy when he staged a hunger strike in the window of Missing Link Records after the album's release in protest of local commercial FM radio station 3XY not playing tracks from it. He also released the equally fantastic Vorpal Blade LP under the band name Piano Piano in 1980, among other highly-coveted rarities. But for now, Sorcerer presents this fascinating, unique and thoroughly rockin' slice of Melbourne post-punk DIY history. Newly remastered by Mikey Young with the bottom end Ron always felt the original LP lacked, the album also containing extensive liner notes by Mr. Rude himself, as well as some previously unpublished photos from the era.
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SORC 1009LP
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Sorcerer Records present the first reissue of Jody Harris and Robert Quine's Escape, originally released on the New York based No Wave label Infidelity (Lust/Unlust subsidiary) label in 1981. Jody made his name on the NY scene mainly through his work with the legendary avant-funksters, The Contortions, while Robert Quine, who sadly passed away in 2004, was one of the most acclaimed guitarists of his day, noted for his work with Richard Hell & The Voidoids, Lou Reed, Tom Waits, John Zorn, Matthew Sweet, and many more. The two recorded Escape in Quine's apartment with a whopping budget of $7 (that's what it cost Quine for the tape). The album sees them both engaging in guitar duels over a primitive drum machine, a kind of skeletal minimal-synth with avant-guitar excursions overhead. Outward-bound yet wholly listenable, the five tracks represent a great lost gem of the NYC underground scene of the day. Recommended to fans of No Wave, Rhys Chatham, Suicide, and the music of Robert Quine and Jody Harris, of course. This edition also comes with an inner sleeve featuring liner notes from Jody Harris detailing the recording, as well as exclusive photographs of the two. Remastered by Mikey Young and fully authorized by Jody Harris and Robert's brother, Van. Edition of 600.
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SORC 1002LP
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2025 restock. Sorcerer Records present the reissue of Why Not Now?... Alan!, the debut LP from 1987 by Milwaukee space-rock gods, F/i. Available for the first time on vinyl since its initial release, it remains a holy grail item for lovers of cosmic rock n' roll sounds from underground Amerika in the 1980s. F/i had been churning out tape upon tape of experimental electronics since the early '80s. Influenced by krautrock (particularly Cluster, Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel) and the harsh noise of industrialists Throbbing Gristle and early SPK, by the mid '80s they morphed into a fully-fledged "rock" band, albeit one incorporating all of the above. This LP is the perfect synthesis of these sounds: grimy, lo-fi "rock" with elements of industrial clang and extended, Hawkwind-ish space-rock jams; from the two-step cosmic churn of "Electric Waltz" to the 'Neubauten-style bang and bash of "Zombie Theme". Remastered by Mikey Young. The sleeve replicates the original. Includes download card; edition of 500.
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SORC 1004LP
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Sorcerer Records present a reissue of Lubricated Goat's debut LP Plays The Devil's Music, originally released in 1987. It's been out of circulation for over two decades, and Sorcerer Records presents this classic slice of underground Australiana in all its glory. Recorded over two recording sessions in mid-1986, one in Perth and one in Adelaide, Plays The Devil's Music wasn't really seen by LG founder/mainstay Stu Spasm (ex-Beasts Of Bourbon, Salamander Jim, and much more) as a part of any grand musical plan. He recorded these tracks with his friends Martin Bland, Brett Ford, and Pete Hartley and went back to Sydney with the tapes. John Foy of Black Eye Records loved the results and the band known as Lubricated Goat was born. Over the course of several more full-lengths and an EP or two, the band made themselves a reputation as one of Australia's finest purveyors of post-punk noise-rock before relocating to the US. The musical scene centered around the Black Eye label in Sydney at the time, with bands such as the 'Goat, Thug (featuring a young Tex Perkins), No More Bandicoots, Box The Jesuit, etc. remains one of Australia's richest, weirdest and most inventive conglomeration of musicians and artists, and Stu and company were right in the thick of it. Lubricated Goat were (perhaps correctly) often compared to the Butthole Surfers at the time, and their mix of punk, post-punk, noise, and a taste for the absurd puts them firmly in the same camp. Throw in a little bit of Stooges/Birthday Party-style grunt and a distinctly Australian sense of humor and you're getting close to the magic of early Lubricated Goat. This edition comes remastered c/o Mikey Young. Comes in original artwork and inner sleeve; Includes download card; Includes new liner notes from Stu Spasm detailing the history of the recording. Recommended for fans of: Butthole Surfers, Killdozer, Pere Ubu, Big Black, Birthday Party.
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SORC 1007LP
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Sorcerer Records present a reissue of The Grifters' So Happy Together, originally released in 1992. Memphis's Grifters made some of the finest recordings of Clinton-era America, with a number of albums on labels such as Shangri-La (their second and third LPs) and then Sub Pop for their remaining two albums. Their mixture of Memphis blues/roots influences, classic pop songwriting, and lo-fi aesthetics saw them as one of the shining lights of the '90s indie-rock scene. Here, Sorcerer Records reissue their first full-length LP, So Happy Together, out of circulation for over two decades. Originally released in 1992 on the Chicago indie label, Sonic Noise, which ceased operations not long after the album was released (hence many Grifters fans having never heard this very recording), the Grifters' So Happy Together is an absolute masterpiece of lo-fi slapped-together rock & roll. Less "rootsy" than their subsequent music, it sees the band navigating their way through ten sublimely inventive, non-generic "rock" tracks which beggar comparison. Well, at the time they were compared to the likes of Pavement, Guided By Voices, Trumans Water, et al. and other practitioners of stumbling no-fi sounds, but the Grifters' deft grasp of song dynamics, mixing up quiet balladry with booming guitar explosions inhabiting the same song surely puts them in their own bracket, no? In a review of the album at the time, they were claimed to be the missing link twixt the Wipers and Mission Of Burma (stealing comparisons from others), and 25 years later, such a claim still doesn't seem totally ridiculous. Anyway! The time is ripe for the world to rediscover the sheer genius of the Grifters. The Fat Possum label reissued their second and third albums, and now it's time to hear where it all began. So Happy Together comes fully remastered from the original tapes by Mikey Young. Housed in the original artwork in a heavy 425gm sleeve; Includes an insert featuring exclusive photos from the time and new liner notes from the band's Tripp Lamkins.
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SORC 1003LP
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Sorcerer Records present a reissue of the very first LP by Scotland's Dog Faced Hermans, Humans Fly, originally released in 1988. This presents the first time it's been available since its release nearly 30 years ago, and this edition features the two bonus tracks which were only available on the German version at the time. Dog Faced Hermans existed from the mid '80s until the mid '90s and released five studio albums and several live discs in their time. Touring internationally, often with their friends The Ex (whom DFH member Andy Moor has played with since), they fomented a reputation for their dynamic live shows, uncompromising politics, and inventive music. Heavily influenced by no wave, free jazz, and Brit post-punk, and aided by an eclectic array of instrumentation and singer Marion Coutts's scorching vocals, they cut their own musical path. This edition is fully remastered by the band from the original analog tapes. RIYL: The Ex, Contortions, The Pop Group, The Fall. Edition of 600.
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SORC 1001LP
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2025 restock. Sorcerer Records present a reissue of F/i's Space Mantra, originally released on RRRecords in 1988. First time on vinyl for nearly 30 years for this classic slice of American space rock. Milwaukee's F/i have been an ongoing concern since 1981, pioneering a certain brand of experimental rock which encompasses elements of industrial and psychedelic space-rock sounds. Originally a purely electronic outfit heavily influenced by Throbbing Gristle and prolific in the underground tape scene, they made the transition to "rock band" in the mid '80s, and for many, 1988's Space Mantra LP remains the high point. With fuzzed guitars, metronomic rhythms, swirling synths, and occasionally bucolic forays into blissful acoustics, it's a masterful take on cosmic music during the Reagan years. It was previously only ever released on LP once by the famed RRRecords label. RIYL: Hawkwind, Amon Düül, Causa Sui, Cluster. Edition of 500.
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