EAR/Rational Update Week 37, 2009

This week's update contains releases by:

A Storm Of Light * Access To Arasaka * Aeterna * Alasdair Roberts * Alice Donut * Alvin Lucier * Atom * Beulah * Big Star * Book of Am, The * Brent Weinbach * C Joynes * Chihei Hatakeyama * Clean * Collie Ryan * Contagious Orgasm + Flutwacht * Crayon Fields, The * Crucifist * David Lang * Dead Voices On Air * Displacer * Espers * Firstperson * Frame Quartet * Golgotha * Hearts No Static * Holly Golightly * Horse Shoes * Hunt & Turner * J Rocc * J.A. Ceasar * Jesse Elder * John Jones * KZA * LCD Soundsystem * Lisa Germano * Litter, The * Lost & Found * Mai Lev * Mapstation * Matt Bartram * Mike Stax & Suzy Shaw * Mountain Bus * Nadja * Omo * OOIOO * Overmars * Pains Of Being Pure At Heart * Perry Leopold * Philip Glass * Polvo * Project Skyward * Quantec * Quicksilver Messenger Service * Rex Foster (with Don & Merrily) * Robert Ashley * Seventh Dawn, The * Shep Cooke * Singing Loins * Sister Iodine * Soft Machine * Steve Tilston * Strawberry Whiplash * Subarachnoid Space * Supersilent * Tangerine Dream * Tinariwen * Vertonen * Vowels * Why * Yura Yura Teikoku

[ F E A T U R E D   R E L E A S E S ]

100x Resealable Japanese CD Sleeve - 5 micron mylar CD (Made in Japan) [RJCS100] $12.00
50x Resealable Japanese CD Sleeve - 5 micron mylar CD (Made in Japan) [RJCS50] $7.00
25x Resealable Japanese CD Sleeve - 5 micron mylar CD (Made in Japan) [RJCS25] $4.00
These are the very best, from Japan. Resealable sleeves with the adhesive on the sleeve itself, NOT ON THE FLAP.

Atom - Muster CD (Rather Interesting) [RI065] $16.50
RELEASE DATE: 09-14-2009
"Muster", the German word for both "example/sample" or "pattern", welcomes us with an artwork that shows baroque garden ornaments, photographed from orbit. This 50 minute piece of permanently evolving structure and sound is a complex, well-thought and thoroughly crafted composition which is in fact inspired by the pheno- menon of the ornament itself. "Muster" in this sense can be understood as a large, meandering ornamental pattern or rhythmical figure that, most of all, does not refer to, or reproduce any musical structure heard so far. On "muster" you won't find melodies, harmonies, words, a message or reference to existing musical styles, since the accent was laid upon the deve- lopment of the musical particle (one may call it "atom" :) ) itself: rhythm and its sonic elements, being in permanent flow. At the same time this complex block of sonic information may sound "orbital" to us - a musical structure as conceived by a being not from this planet: an alien observer. While this work can be considered as a leap forward in atomtm's creation, it may resemble some of his earlier works, such as "schnittstelle", "the disk orchestra", "bund deutscher programmierer" or "cmyk", just to name a few, while it certainly shows that those works where just a step towards a far larger picture, which atomtm has begun to paint now. Matured as a composer, atomtm may indeed quote himself on this masterpiece, while he stands fairly alone in a vast desert called "electronic music".

Big Star - Keep and Eye on the Sky CD Box (Rhino) [1686606] $51.75
WE'RE CHEAPER THAN AMAZON ON THIS ONE...2009 four CD boxset from the influential Pop/Rockers formed by Alex Chilton (The Box Tops) and Chris Bell. Keep An Eye On The Sky spans 1968 to 1975 and the collection uncovers a trove of unreleased demos, unused mixes, alternate versions of songs, and a 1973 concert recorded in Memphis. The lavish packaging includes extensive liner notes, rare and never-before-seen photos, and insightful essays about the cult of Big Star and the band's history. Spotlighting the band's roots, the box set opens with several songs recorded before Big Star formed, including "Try Again," one of the first songs Bell and Chilton wrote together.

Book of Am, The - The Book of Am Part 1 & 2 CD Box (Belle Antique) [BELLE91587CD] $106.50
Japanese-only reissue of the Wah Wah cult release. "A unique combination of recordings and artwork which stands up as an enduring testament of the fertile hippie scene which flourished in the Baleric islands during the seventies. Known to record collectors and psych/folk/prog music aficionados alike, this multicultural band formed in the island of Mallorca in the mid-'70s and recorded a beautiful (and outrageously scarce) album which has gained cult status as years passed by. The Book Of Am was originally devised as a beautifully illustrated book focused on various world folklore and traditions, coupled with 4 LPs which would represent a musical. This (never completed) 4LP set would correspond to the four phases of day (Dawn, Morning, Afternoon, Night). Only the first of these records (Morning) would eventually see the light of day in a tiny private pressing which changes hands nowadays for obscene amounts of money. A round-the-world trip through the folklore, legends, lore and cosmogonies of some of the world's cultures, from ancient Egypt to Celtic traditions."

[ . . . ]

A Storm Of Light - Forgive Us Our Trespasses CD (Neurot) [NR071] $13.25
Brooklyn's A STORM OF LIGHT is back with their second full-length and the follow-up to 2008's And We Wept the Black Ocean Within. The record's power comes from a dense melding of melodies, moods, and textures. As heavy and cataclysmic as fans would expect, the devastating effects rely on interwoven melodies and graceful shifts in timbre instead of a stream of identikit riffs. A Storm of Light is comprised of JOSH GRAHAM (RED SPAROWES), DOMENIC SEITA (TOMBS, ASEA), ANDY RICE, and JOEL HAMILTON. On Forgive Us Our Trespasses, they are joined by a host of carefully chosen collaborators that includes vocalist NERISSA CAMPBELL (PRIMITIVE NORTH) and JARBOE (SWANS, WORLD OF SKIN, J2); the otherworldly spoken word segues of LYDIA LUNCH, and the mournful strings of CARLA KIHLSTEDT (BOOK OF KNOTS, SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM) and MARIKA HUGHES (2 FOOT YARD) only enhance the richness. Double-vinyl to be released later in the year. Upcoming tour in September. No exports to the UK/Europe

Access To Arasaka - Oppidan CD (Tympanik) [10609] $13.75
The long-awaited and highly-anticipated debut CD from New York's amazing young new talent Access To Arasaka has finally arrived. With a steady momentum of buzz from fans and critics over the past year, remix collaborations with Zentriert ins Antlitz, Aphorism, and Totakeke, and more-than-well-received compilation appearances for the Hymen Records and Tympanik Audio labels, Access To Arasaka now offers the true scope of his capabilities with his innovative new album 'Oppidan'.

A futuristic journey of a cerebral nature, demonstrating a virtual equinox of expert beatwork and densely-layered atmospheric explorations, 'Oppidan' transcends complexity and innovation in electronic music and seems to arrive at the very edge of its own inner space. Dark and cinematic and fascinating to no end, 'Oppidan' is truly full of life and genuine mystic, opening the imagination of the listener into epic new dimensions at the hands of a true master of modern electronic composition.

Aeterna - New Dawn CD (Cold Meat Industry) [10612] $15.50
Awake the New Dawn! Aeterna is a new apocalyptic folk outfit from Germany, born in 2007. In the beginning it was intended to be the strictly personal musical outlet for founding member Birthe Klementowski, well-known from her artwork for Cold Meat Industry's Desiderii Marginis, :Golgatha: and Dawn & Dusk Entwined, but the dynamics between Alpha and Omega brought forth something new. The dark and brooding atmospheres invoke the mood of decline and decay, a direct resemblance to the artist's photography. The album 'New Dawn' ultimately presents 11 songs about the decline and rebirth of culture.

Aeterna does not serve ideological pattern but presents the musical and visual output as an inspiration for the audience. Death is always the beginning of a new circle. Out of hopelessness arises a New Dawn. As the earth faces the end of resources and the destruction of nature, the loss of spiritual values and the total virtualisation of the all-day life, mankind experiences a self made inferno. We have to turn and find new ways... Aeterna is a prayer for these new ways. For new spiritual values to ignite the fire of enlightenment once more. To create something new out of the old roots. The Old Gods eventually may not return, but the Eternal Principle is still there.

The music of Aeterna is based on ritualistic and shamanistic structures, mainly acoustic sounds, and invoking chants - all based on the dualistic principle of male and female energy - Alpha & Omega. Aeterna is a trans-modern, neo-shamanistic, animistic art project. A Luciferian hymnus to awake the New Dawn...

Alasdair Roberts - The Wyrd Meme CD (Drag City) [DC394CD] $11.25
"At a dizzying peak of powers, Alasdair Roberts is knocking out tune after killer tune, all scored to the beat of his own weird drum, and we love him for it. This is why we choose to exist, to help cement the footsteps of musicians and eccentrics such as he, footsteps that will endure through into future days, just in case the music-buying public of our time somehow drops the ball. Imagine that! The Wyrd Meme is an EP occasioned by the aforementioned windfall of great music circa 2009 from our Alasdair -- the eight massive constructions on Spoils are succeeded by another four songs, this set comprising twentytwo minutes of pure aural Roberts: stimulating, colorful, melodic, and arresting, just for starters. At the time of Spoils (all those weeks ago), the press was inclined to toss around Alasdair's musical vision of syncretism quite liberally -- and it was well down of them to indulge. Of late, Ali has taken to stitching his lyrics together from a diversity of threads, weaving from line to line with myths and legends, verse and slang and old and new, bringing different schools together and wedding it all to his razor-sharp guitar and singing so precise and powerful as to make a groaning man cry. And the ladies like him, too. The syncretic style of this Spring felt so right for this new global village we're all in, The Wyrd Meme takes a dip in the pool as well. Really, it's kind of like a maxi-single, as each song stands in the spotlight afforded single tracks, each of them bidding to be the best song ever in the history of Alasdair Roberts. That's a long time, you know -- at least a couple thousand years just to start. The Wyrd Meme is an autumnal masterwork that'll sound great at any time of the year, every year for the rest of your life. Buy it for Christmas -- keep it to take with you in your burial box."

Alice Donut - Ten Glorious Animals CD (Alternative Tentacles) [VIRUS409] $13.25
Ten Glorious Animals is ALICE DONUT 'striumphant return to Alternative Tentacles. Formed in 1986, the band spent a decade touring relentlessly throughout North America, Europe, and Japan, building a perversely loyal following. One scribe at Creem Magazine described the Alice Donut live experience as "the most decadent punk rock-fueled all-out orgies I ever witnessed." Between 1987 and 1996, they released seven full-length albums and fifteen EPs and singles. The band's eclectic mixture of hard rock and post-punk has not diluted in its time away. Alice Donut's lyrics take on what they view as the perversities, odd details, and petty humiliations of life. Includes a cover of The Pixies' "Wher Is My Mind."

Alice Donut - Pure Acid Park CD (Alternative Tentacles) [VIRUS163] $9.50
No description available at this time.

Alice Donut - Revenge Fantasies CD (Alternative Tentacles) [VIRUS091] $9.50
No description available at this time.

Alice Donut - Untidy Suicides CD (Alternative Tentacles) [VIRUS115] $9.50
No description available at this time.

Brent Weinbach - Night Shift CD (Talent Moat) [YUX02] $10.00
BRENT WEINBACH's stand-up comedy is weird. He does a lot of characters, he's physical, and his humor is absurd. Here are some other words to describe Weinbach: deadpan, silly, obscure, unconventional, smart, stupid, post-modern, grass roots, Berlin, 1980's, tennis, bike riding, Virgo, Rygar, etc. The list goes on and on. A former substitute teacher in East Oakland, Brent began his comedy career in the underground San Francisco scene but now tours all over the United States at clubs, colleges, festivals, theaters, music venues and living rooms. The Night Shift, is not a traditional standup recording. A full year in the making, The Night Shift is more of a Joe Frank long-form radio-play comedy concept album-a 64-minute, interwoven mix of in-studio routines replete with Nintendo 8-bit influenced instrumental backing tracks (written and performed by Brent), live club material recorded at The Purple Onion, bent phone messages, interstitial flotsam, and three piano/vocals songs that have a surprisingly heartfelt, melancholy "Cole Porter meets Kermit the Frog" feel to them. "Obscenely, disturbingly brilliant."-L.A. Weekly. "The breadth, delight, and sheer magnitude of Weinbach's creativity makes me feel like a big, stupid toilet full of poo that isn't funny."-Patton Oswalt. Has received key press from Time Out NYC, SF Chronicle, LA Weekly, and more. National tour dates in September, October, and November 2009!

C Joynes - Revenants, Prodigies And The Restless Dead CD (Bo Weavil Recordings) [WEAVIL039CD] $14.75
This is the second release on Bo Weavil Recordings by UK guitarist C Joynes. Joynes is a musician whose playing has consistently invoked a broad and shifting stream of inspirations -- from the pioneers of the Takoma school, (e.g. John Fahey, Robbie Basho, etc.) to contemporaries such as James Blackshaw. As a guitarist, there is no doubt that Joynes has been influenced by some of the most idiosyncratic finger-pickers of the last 40 years and beyond, but his music goes far beyond simply this. His recordings have always offered many dimensions for the listener to explore, be it through solo acoustic pieces, larger ensemble work, or the intimate use of improvisations and hill recordings. Building on previous albums, Revenants, Prodigies And The Restless Dead is a more expansive affair. Joined on a number of these tunes by an assortment of friends and collaborators, a range of acoustic and vintage electronic instruments all make appearances, gradually fleshing out some of the ideas and directions that Joynes clearly has imprinted in his mind's eye, adding color and hue to some of these beautiful compositions. A self-described "Anglo-naive and contemporary parlour guitarist," Joynes' circular and mesmerizing compositions possess an expressive, mystical bend that lend a flushness to the traditional songs he interprets.

Chihei Hatakeyama - The River CD (Hibernate) [hb02] $14.00
RELEASE DATE: 09-28-2009
In his words, Chihei's productions can be described as "memory-evoking soundscapes" composed "with various recorded materials of acoustic instruments such as guitars, vibraphone, and piano...played by hand and processed time and time again via laptop." The River opens with Jade Green River, a track that builds with swaying tones in the higher frequencies, but with relief provided by a reassuring, resolving drone in the lower frequencies. This sets the fluxuating mood for the album. The music ebbs and flows, interspersed with soft, warm moments like light drizzle, to darker, mysterious pieces like a temple in the past. This is an engaging piece of work that satisfies greatly when listened to on headphones, but also provides an introspective atmosphere when listened to at low volume over loud speakers. This is a real gem of a release - a hopeful sign of what we might expect in the future from Chihei and from Hibernate recordings.

Contagious Orgasm + Flutwacht - Inspection of 1 Hour CD (Seeking Sensation Scale Music) [10611] $16.75
"This collaboration CD, 12tracks of sounds for 1 hour was made by the sound creator with the different type. German power electronics / industrial noise project Flutwacht japanese deep atmospheric / sampling collage project Contagious Orgasm

Both project create the deep environment of the sounds with electronics,field recordings,crushing machines,etc. the sounds makes threatening environment before the storm that resembled quietness. and, the sound that seems to be a thunderstorm sometimes jumps out. The very interesting work was done.

Limited edition of 300 copies in cardboard.

Crayon Fields, The - All The Pleasures Of The World CD (Chapter Music) [CH066CD] $14.75
This is the long-awaited second album by Melbourne, Australia's minor-key pop magicians, The Crayon Fields. In 2006, their airy, chiming debut Animal Bells (CH 056CD) was one of the year's most acclaimed releases, earning a 7.8 review on Pitchfork and voted #2 in Australia's Mess+Noise end-of-year critics poll (#4 in the general readers poll). They released a sneak preview of the new album in the form of a limited edition vinyl single, featuring the majestic pop ballad "Mirror Ball," which sold out almost immediately. "All The Pleasures Of The World" was also released as a single, earning another Pitchfork rave and "Single Of The Week" in magazines around Australia. The album is delirious, UK rainy-day melancholy psychedelic indie, with some Blue Oyster Cult, Stone Roses, Belle and Sebastian and Zombies thrown in for good measure, with its loping bass lines, swooning strings and eerie, hypnotic harmonies. Basic tracks were recorded at Head Gap studios in Melbourne with Neil Thomason (The Slits, My Disco, Ned Collette), and the album was then finished at home. Mixing and mastering was done with Lachlan Carrick (The Necks, Gotye, Architecture In Helsinki) at Moose Mastering. The album is a beyond-stunning development on Animal Bells, both poised and precocious. There's a newfound confidence and lyrical openness from vocalist Geoff O'Connor, and some of the most luscious backing ever heard on an Australian pop record from bassist Brett Hudson, guitarist Chris Hung and drummer Neil Erenstrom. Strings come courtesy of rising pop star Jessica Venables, aka Jessica Says, on cello, and her brother Nick on viola and violin. Crayon Fields have toured basically everywhere and have become a favored support band of choice in Australia, playing with the likes of Cornelius, Stereolab, Built To Spill, New Pornographers, Deerhoof, Mount Eerie, Electrelane, Unicorns and many more.

Crucifist - Demon Haunted World CD (Profound Lore) [PFL049] $12.00
Since their formation in 2004, Rochester, NY's old-school black metal band CRUCIFIST has established quite a reputation for themselves with a promising self-released demo and crushing live performances. Now, Profound Lore Records proudly unleashes their debut album on the hungry underground masses. Demon-Haunted World, which features bassist DANNY LILKER (of BRUTAL TRUTH / NUCLEAR ASSAULT / ANTHRAX / SOD fame) and members of thrash band ORODRUIN, is pure raw black metal headbanging fury that harkens back to the glory days of Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Venom, and Bathory, with a twisted glory that also incorporates elements of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and the doom 'n' gloom of Black Sabbath. This eleven-song masterpiece includes an Angel Witch cover and some of the coolest artwork to grace a Profound Lore release yet. No exports to Canada or the UK/Europe

David Lang - (Untitled) Soundtrack CD (Cantaloupe) [CA21050CD] $18.00
"'Lang, once a postminimalist enfant terrible, has solidified his standing as an American master,' wrote the New York Times. Indeed, David Lang won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for The Little Match Girl Passion and has joined the faculty at Yale University. Now Lang has scored (Untitled), a major independent feature about a composer's life. He writes, 'Most of the time film music is in the background, setting the mood or advancing the story in a supporting role. This project was different. Because the leading character is a composer, it is a film as much about musical development as it is about character development.' The soundtrack combines music composed especially for the film with excerpts compiled from Lang's discography on the Cantaloupe label. Edited and produced by former So Percussion member Lawson White, this soundtrack serves as perfect introduction to Lang's work -- a mid-career retrospective of sorts for this composer's composer.

Dead Voices On Air - Fast Falls The Eventide 2CD (Lens) [10605] $15.25
'Fast Falls The Eventide is aural provocateur Mark Spybey's 11th album as Dead Voices On Air, and across a multi-decade career stirring pots experimental, existential, and otherwise, his is a sound that summons any number of nocturnal beasties from the ether. Blink twice, listen carelessly and you'll fail to discern the minutiae Spybey meticulously works into every one of the 15 pieces sprawling across the first disc of this 2-CD set's eminent domain. Spybey works hard at his art so you don't have to: rather, as the listener, the participant, the absorber, it's more important to ignore categorical tags such as "industrial", "ambient", "soundscape", et al, and instead gorge deeply on a wriggling, sometimes confrontational puzzlebox of sounds erupting from a bevy of mysterious sources.

The title of this collection notwithstanding, Spybey's been having his way with rhythm and noise for so long that the motifs he's ascribed over the years are practically commonplace amongst the novice post-industrialist - or, hell, the post-whatever. Throughout the last 25-plus years, he's plied his trade and remarkable sonic mojo both solo and in the company of many a forward-thinking electronic engineer, from guitarists such as Michael Karoli and James Plotkin, to fellow artisans like Skinny Puppy's cEvin Key or Rapoon's Robin Storey (with whom he feints sounds as Reformed Faction). It's as Dead Voices On Air, however, that some of his most startling ideas emerge fully-realized and fully-armed; of course, to hear Spybey tell it, once art leaves the nest it's up to (once again) the recipient to assume the role of engager: "My work is created in isolation from external references. That is the ideal I strive for. Only in this way is it possible to allow the listener an opportunity to create their own understanding of the music, or, as the artist Joseph Beuys once said, 'One should resort to interpretation only in an emergency.'"

Perhaps. Still, there's much expressive bounty to be gleaned from these dark, dusky, evening-soaked works, from the first disc's mix of ethnological drum cabals, windswept electronics and scraped edits, up through the immense near-quarter-hour title track, which finds Spybey revisiting the mortal atmospheric coils of former colleagues :Zoviet*France:. And pulling the whole enterprise together is the second disc's first-time digital unveiling of Spybey's opening salvo, the 1994 cassette Abrader, in conjunction with two unreleased tracks originating from the artist's early gestations featuring contributions from the aforementioned cEvin Key. New or old, Spybey's continuing vitality ensures these Dead Voices remain gloriously alive and kicking.

Fast Falls The Eventide is a two CD set featuring the all new recording Fast Falls The Eventide on Disc 1. Disc 2 features the long out of print first release by Dead Voices On Air - Abrader - originally released in 1994 on cassette by Japan's G.R.O.S.S. label. This digitally remastered version of Abrader features two previously unreleased tracks featuring cEvin Key. Abrader and the two bonus tracks are only available on this CD release.

Displacer - X Was Never Like This CD (Tympanik) [10610] $13.75
Displacer is back with his newest audio concept 'X Was Never Like This...' on Tympanik Audio. A collection of 14 brand new tracks incorporating everything you've come to know and expect from this prolific Canadian electronic music icon. Fusing melodic guitar, catchy beats, heart-felt melodies, funk-driven basslines, and an air of sweet melancholy, 'X Was Never Like This...' captures the true essence of diversity in a genreless package that could only come from the mind of Displacer.

With guest appearances and collaborations by such artists as Mark Thibideau, Daniel Myer (Haujobb / Architect), Keef Baker, Broken Fabiola, Famine, Lucidstatic, Marching Dynamics, and featuring the heavenly vocals of Victoria Lloyd (Claire Voyant / HMB), all packaged in a unique design by Crime League, 'X Was Never Like This...' promises to be fond experience indeed.

Espers - III CD (Drag City) [DC416CD] $12.75
"Picking up the threads with ease, Espers III was intended to be an aural reversal of the layered sound of II. The goal was to record fewer tracks in order to achieve a stronger, more oxygenated sonic presence. Where II was almost claustrophobic in its density and darkness, III was envisaged as being somehow lighter, effervescent; perhaps even of a cheery disposition at times (whoa there! Don't go not breaking our heart, Espers). Under these auspices, recording started in late 2008 and spilled into the spring and summer of 2009. As more time passed in the recording process, a growing dementia within both song and lyrics emerged, making even the most ethereal songs on III seem oddly unwholesome to all involved. As with past releases (both by Espers and significant others), III was recorded with the vinyl LP in mind, playing as a whole divided into two equally weighted sides. Recorded to analog tape and mixed to analog tape again at the end, the songs ended up in a stippled, rippling, ever-flowing space, another important factor in the realization of III. "Space" is a core concept here -- each of these songs in some way access new space, whether they are envisioning, locating, or claiming and colonizing it. In fact, III's working title was Colony, owing to a subtextual thought process that encompassed aspects of Herzog's Aguirre, Heart of Darkness, cult groups, deep Amazonian treks, religious nation building, ritualistic drug ceremonies (taking drugs to take canoe trips to take drugs on) -- eg., escape from assimilation, surviving cultural wars by embedding themselves in the wilderness, among friends and fellow travelers. The cover aesthetic and Xavier Schipani's arresting artwork mirror these themes and Espers' desire to reach beyond what might be expected of an Espers album with metaphoric imagery and increased dimensionality -- not just a new Espers album, but indeed, a new Espers."

Firstperson - Issue 3: Realness Magazine (Firstperson Magazine) [FIRST003] $9.00
"FirstPerson Magazine is a contemporary culture magazine at the intersections of art, music, and style. The publication originated to provide access to the art world in a deeper way. We collaborate with our contributors to share their insights and projects in relevant forms. We mix the content like a symposium with endless possibilities from resources in various fields of media. Contributions: Billygoat, Crocodiles, DailyServing, Limi Feu, Sublime Frequencies / Omar Souleyman, Gemini Editons, Karl Haendel, William Kentridge, Sandy Kim, Magnolia Tapestries,Hitoshi Matsumoto, Agnes Montgomery, New High (M)art, Katja Rahlwes, Steven Shearer, Zoe Strauss, Wolfgang Tillmans." The Sublime Frequencies tour diary is by Alan Bishop and Mark Gergis. It has been described by the authors as "a 12-page indictment on humanity, the West, ethics, post-exoticism and, oh, a travel diary."

Frame Quartet - 35mm CD (Okka Disk) [OD12078] $13.25
RELEASE DATE: 09-22-2009
***Music as played, no studio edits! THE FRAME QUARTET's 35mm with KEN VANDERMARK (reeds), NATE MCBRIDE (bass & electronics), FRED LONBERG-HOLM (cello & electronics) and TIM DAISY (drums). "Jazz man, it's like a gas."

Golgotha - The Waste Land CD (Cold Meat Industry) [10613] $15.50
The German ritual-folk-formation :Golgatha: was founded in 2004 by Christoph Donarski. The first full length album 'Waste Land' after two compilation tracks appeared in an edition of 100 hand-numbered CD-rs. Published by the musician himself it shed first light on things to come. 'Waste Land' is the rare prequel to the acclaimed and successful 2008-album 'Sang Graal' (with Dawn & Dusk Entwined) and is itself inspired by T. S. Eliot's enigmatic grail-poem 'The Waste Land' which works as a key metaphor for a spiritually dying world. On "Waste Land" sinister and pessimistic soundscapes unfold and spread fragmented allusions and remarks on spiritual death and cultural clash. The symbolic name of :Golgatha: - which is the execution hill in Jerusalem where Jesus had been crucified - was never more fitting than in this early apocalyptic soundtrack for an Inner Cinema, carried by ritual drums, dark drones, mysterious sounds and sacred voices. For this re-release the original sound was totally re-mastered and appears more powerful than ever before. The original artwork is added by bleak photos from the same era to complete the image. This CD contains two original versions of tracks later remixed by Dawn & Dusk Entwined for 'Sang Graal'. Bonus tracks: two combined tracks from 'In the Crystal Cage'-compilation (2004) and 'Shred your skin' from the SAW II-soundtrack by Charlie Clouser (Trisol).

'Waste Land' is a terrifying soundtrack for the Kali Yuga, the darkest of ages.

Hearts No Static - Motif CD (Bureau B) [BB043CD] $16.00
This is the debut release by Hearts No Static -- a trio based in Stockholm. After only a few sessions of improvisation John Roger Olsson, Jens Pettersson, and Otto Johansson started recording Motif in their own studio in January 2009. The album is notably consistent -- a sign of the musical harmony between the members of the band, from the opening track, the slow and effect-pedal-drenched "Lowlands," to the massive, distorted title track. Equal parts ambient, Kraut and drone shapes the sound, and the broad variety in continuous throughout the record. Because all three musicians are members of other bands as well, they consider Hearts No Static to be the creative workshop for all of their ideas not appropriate for other projects. The trio has created their own Swedish way of painting with sound that belongs to the first decade of the new millennium. These are pictures of deep forests, dark seas, and stirring coastal scenery forming in the mind's eye. Then there are those recurring outbursts, the energetic but sagging drums, and the wall of sound that shakes you up. And then there is the silence, which is shortly followed by no silence at all. A motorik rhythm pushes you forward. But no matter how calm, loud, sluggish or propelling their music is, there is a special, majestic melancholy that lies within that is brilliant and profound. Hearts No Static rely on analog equipment. Besides various guitars (and a lot of effect pedals), bass and drums, they use vibraphone, reed organ, Fender Rhodes, piano, and trumpet, etc. This sound is plaintive and complex, but it's never crowded. The gap between ambient music and Krautrock couldn't have been filled better.

Horse Shoes - Imperial Schoo CD (Shelflife) [LIFE008] $19.25
RELEASE DATE: 09-22-2009
***HORSE SHOES obsession with strong melodies and perfect pop comes across loud and clear. Drowsy, unrefined boyish vocals and lo-fi production set the stage for the saddest and simplest three minute pop songs the world has ever known. If you're a fan of classic Sarah Records (The Field Mice, The Hit Parade) or current Swedish pop (The Embassy, Air France, The Legends) Horse Shoes' The Imperial School is something you won't want to miss. Having already played concerts in Stockholm and New York City, JACOB & DREW have big dreams and short attention spans. They're currently working on a full length release due sometime next year.

J Rocc - Taster's Choice Vol. 3 CD (J Rocc) [JRC013] $13.50
NEW PACKAGING!!! A vintage mix of hip hop, funk, and breaks from the funky president J ROCC of the WORLD FAMOUS BEAT JUNKIES. The art of the DJ is elevated every time he graces a set of turntables.

Jesse Elder - The Winding Shell CD (Off) [OCD013CD] $16.00
This is the debut full-length release by Jesse Elder -- a NYC-based professional jazz pianist, composer, and band leader. He studied at Interlochen Arts Academy, Oberlin Conservatory & New School University and is a 3-time winner of the national "ASCAP Young Jazz Composer's Competition." He has performed at top NYC jazz venues including the Blue Note, the Jazz Standard, Fat Cat, Small's, BargeMusic, Top of the Rock, Town Hall, Minton's Playhouse, and many others. He currently performs 7 gigs per week in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Fellow performers on this record include: Logan Richardson (alto saxophone), who has performed in major jazz festivals and venues all over the world. He has released two albums as a leader; the legendary Gary Thomas (tenor saxophone), who has played amongst the very best including Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, John Scofield, Sam Rivers, Pat Metheny, and countless others. For the last ten years, he has been the Director and Chair of Jazz Studies at The Peabody Institute in Baltimore, MD; Chris Cheek (tenor saxophone), who has appeared as a sideman on over 60 records and has released four of his own; Jeremy Viner (tenor saxophone), who has performed with some of the leading ensembles in New York City, including the Steve Lehman Octet, the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, and others. He has performed on Saturday Night Live, the David Letterman Show, Jay Leno and NPR's "From the Top"; Chris Tordini (acoustic bass), who is one of the most in-demand bassists in the New York City jazz and creative music scene, and has performed throughout the world with artists/bands such as Ari Hoenig, Jean-Michel Pilc, Dapp Theory, MK Groove Orchestra, and many others; Shawn Sorey (drums), a composer and performer who has worked with Wadada Leo Smith, Steve Coleman, John Zorn, Mario Pavone, among many others, and finally, Aya Nishina (piano), a composer of acoustic and electroacoustic vocal music who has worked with artists including John Zorn, Cyro Baptista and Lukas Ligeti.

KZA - Dig And Edit CD (Endless Flight) [EF004CD] $14.75
Endless Flight proudly announces the solo debut from KZA, a member of Japanese nu-disco super-duo Force Of Nature. KZA is one of the most popular DJs in Japan and well-known as one of the biggest vinyl collectors, and as a result, this album was made with many obscure old records. On Dig And Edit, he teams up with Kuniyuki aka Koss as a production partner. It all kicks off with mid-tempo jazz-funk-disco which segues into Italo synth-disco. The album shifts to his dance oriented sound with songs like the '80s body music-style "Gothenergy," to the uplifting Chicago house of "On&On&On," to the new wave disco of "Unfaithful." KZA also displays a knack for slow cosmic disco with tracks such as "Communication Satellite," "Transaction," and "Routine." The album comes to an end with his first solo track, "Open Up," which appeared on a Mule Musiq Japanese artist compilation. A remarkable release dedicated to the fun of nu disco.

LCD Soundsystem - 45:33 Remixes CD (DFA) [DFA2233] $13.25
One of the most unique pieces of modern dance music one will ever hear, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM's 45:33 was originally a one-off Nike collaboration for iTunes. However, due to overwhelming demand for a proper release, the work was subsequently expanded and made available on CD and vinyl in November, 2007. On 45:33 Remixes, segments of the record are lovingly and respectfully reinterpreted by some of dance music's most innovative players. With the remixes placed in a sequential order based on the section each artist chose to remix, the whole piece creates a perfect and refreshingly liberal interpretation of the 45:33 album. The global selection of remixers include everyone from Brookyn's RUNAWAY and Norway's PRINS THOMAS to Berlin's techno technician RILEY REINHOLD and Paris' celebrated PILOOSKI. However, nothing can compete with the special delivery that DFA got from Detroit when THEO PARRISH snail-mailed his "Space Cadet Remix"; it will undoubtedly prove to be the most celebrated remix of 2009. Its legend was immense before it was even released Vinyl forthcoming. Brand new full-length album set for release in 2010. No exports outside North America

Lisa Germano - Magic Neighbor CD (Young God) [YG39] $13.25
"Following the release of LISA GERMANO's last album for Young God Records, In the Maybe World, and a good deal of subsequent touring, she hid herself away for a long while, and I was beginning to despair-then suddenly this beautiful music started coming my way. I think this is one of her best albums yet. "Snow" is a jewel, ripe with her typical naked emotion-a gentle elegy, exuding warmth and healing. The depth of feeling in her words and singing on this album is truly remarkable, and she never fails to tug at my heart. Somehow it's sad, wistful, and hopeful, all at once. It's very private, solitary music. It's deeply engaging, and when I listen to it I often stop what I'm doing and drift off with it into its world. Time and troubles disappear for a short while. For some reason, her music reminds me of early Disney songs-fuzzy and dreamy. Thinking about it today, I also thought of the great-and neglected-music that Tom Waits did with Crystal Gayle for the movie One from the Heart. In any event, she's resolutely in her own space, and within that space she sculpts songs and miniature, delicate sonic environments like no one else. To sit down and spend some time inside her songs is a tremendously rewarding experience, and I hope you'll partake."-Michael Gira / Young God. Vinyl includes a copy of the CD

Litter, The - Emerge CD (Lilith) [LR157CD] $21.50
"1969 album by Minneapolis' most popular garage band of the '60s, and their first for a major label. By the time this album was released the band's sound had begun take an interesting new direction and towards psych and hard rock, but unfortunately the band broke up shortly after and the only fame they ever achieved was with fans of the Nuggets series."

Mai Lev - Birthday CD (Off) [OCD012CD] $16.00
This is the debut album by Israeli opera/pop vocalist, Mai Lev. Lev has been singing, playing and composing music since early childhood, and grew up listening mainly to Debussy, Ravel, Björk, The Beatles, Bach, Philip Glass, Nirvana, Kate Bush, Depeche Mode and Pink Floyd. By the time she was 14, she was leading a punk band, performing her music in clubs all over the Galilee. Later, she turned to performing classical music, and making electronic music with The Sweep. Their album Voicemail came out in 2006 on Hataklit Records in Israel. For Birthday, she focuses on the musical roots of her childhood -- classical music with rock, pop and electronic flavors. Mai Lev wrote and composed all the songs while Nir Maimon produced and arranged the album. Van Dyke Parks, well-known for his arrangements for the Beach Boys, The Byrds, Loudon Wainwright III and Joanna Newsom, became a fan. Theatrical, slanted orchestral pop/opera arias.

Mapstation - The Africa Chamber CD (Scape) [SCAPE059CD] $16.00
After three years of production, we welcome the sound of ?The Africa Chamber", the third album by MAPSTATION. Since 2001, Stefan Schneider has been working under this moniker. Nevertheless, this new release marks a premiere for the Dusseldorf-based artist: it is the first album produced by Schneider himself. Delving deeper into the sounds and subjects already explored on his previous outings "Map Of Africa" (2002) and "Loin D'Afrique" (2006), this record expands on MAPSTATION's tentative love and study of the African continent. Like his earlier aural collages, ?The Africa Chamber" treats this region not only as a geographic location, but more so as a symbol of unknown terrain, of distant shores awaiting our exploration. Indebted to myth rather than reality, this destination becomes an envisioned and visionary realm ? which in turn triggers responses in our body. Here, we find ourselves confronted by the unknown and unfamiliar, by things that might take us to uncharted territories. To this end, music serves as an enchanted means for getting seduced and whisked away by the unknown. Unfettered by the fetish of authenticity, but rather bolstered by various encounters on neutral, diasporic grounds like European Internet cafes (?Unitel"), African beauty parlours (?The Protector") or folkloristic kitsch figurines ("Return Of The Hunter"), Schneider prefers an associative approach to music that is firmly ? and deliberately ? rooted in speculation. His "Africa Chamber" becomes a fanciful wunderkammer of would-be African sounds. In this spirit, the album retraces the subconscious cultural amalgamations that shape our contemporary mainstream culture and reciprocal influences, from the digital replication and recreation of jungle ambience for the Antwerp Zoo ("Nocturama") to the illustrated Swedish porcelain gracing MAPSTATION's cover, heavily influenced by African art. In a fitting twist, Schneider's inimitable MAPSTATION sound ? conjuring up broad and expansive soundscapes from a bare minimum of synthesizer arpeggiators ? has started to incorporate more and more analogue percussion for a coarser, less predictably textured sound. Amplifiers are miked up. Distortion, overamplification and feedback claim their rightful space. Meaning: sounds are confronted, not neutralised. Besides a plethora of percussive hollowware like vases or pitchers and prepared piano passages ? recorded in the studio of Dusseldorf-based pianist and composer Volker Bertelmann aka HAUSCHKA ? the album relies mainly on digital synths, reawakened and injected with new warmth. Continuing his tradition of collaboration, Schneider also invited an eclectic range of master musicians to join him on this sonic journey. ANNIE WHITEHEAD, on-stage staple of a. o. Robert Wyatt, Afrika Express/Damon Albarn or James Blood Ulmer and a welcome addition to Schneider's previous album "Distance Told Me Things To Be Said" (scape 38), fleshed out two tracks ("Ensemble Of Four", "Carmel") with her spellbinding trombone. NICHOLAS ADDO-NETTEY, a vital addition to the "The Africa Chamber" since the early days (2006), also played percussion ? alongside Tony Allen ? for the seminal Fela Kuti Band in the 1970s. He has been living in Berlin since 1979 where he also music with his own band. Drummer THOMAS KLEIN completes MAPSTATION's trio of collaborators: When he does not provide driving rhythms to Schneider's quiet contemplation, he plays drums for Kreidler, the Dusseldorf band that started Stefan Schneider's own career between 1994 and 1999. In electronic music, Klein has few rivals when it comes to distinct and influential drumming. Looking far and between, inspiration strikes in the most unlikely places. Once fascination extends its grip, you will encounter it anywhere.

Matt Bartram - Left to Memory CD (Drifting Falling) [DRIFT015] $11.75
RELEASE DATE: 10-27-2009
Over the past nine years with his band Air Formation, Matt Bartram has proven to be one of the most prolific, consistent and respected songwriters of the next wave of shoegaze. Not one to sit still, always feeling the need to keep moving forward, Matt has also released music as The Static Silence (a collaboration with Rachel Goldstar: Experimental Aircraft, Eau Claire & All In The Golden Afternoon). In addition Matt has spent the last few years recording more experimental excursions at home on his eight track. These recordings generally spawn from improvisations based around simple rhythms and drone. His aim is to create hypnotic, mesmerising and uplifting tracks which reflect a more ambient feel. Matt Bartram's highly regarded debut solo album 'Arundel', was released in March 2008 by Drifting Falling. The follow up 'Left to Memory' features some of Bartram's most compelling work to date, solo or otherwise, and displays a jaw-dropping mastery of texture, melody and drive. For this latest outing Bartram also brought in his mate Christian Savill (Slowdive / Monster Movie) to help drive the point home. For fans of Air Formation, Flying Saucer Attack, Mahogany, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Spacemen 3.

Mike Stax & Suzy Shaw - Bomp!2 - Born In The Garage Book (Bomp) [BOMP002BK] $13.50
"A heavyweight celebration of the roots of rock fandom. Eye-popping cover art by the immortal William Stout. This is the ultimate anthology of rock 'n' roll fandom from its inception to its mid/late 1970s heyday. Book includes 300 pages of reproductions from Greg Shaw's pioneering 70s era zines Who Put The Bomp and Bomp! Essays BY Jon Savage, Alec Palao, Ken Barnes, Suzy Shaw and Mike Stax 60s garage and beat, surf music, British invasion, girl groups, rockabilly, acid punk, and psychedelia. Obsessively detailed discographies and label listings, plus reams of readers' letters and never before published material. The sheer volume of historical information is almost mind-boggling. Also included are reprints from Shaw's obscure personal zines, Metanoia and Liquid Love, circulated in 1970-72 to just a handful of friends and fellow writers. Aside from including a huge selection of Shaw's insightful writing, BOMP! 2 also includes rare early work by celebrated rock scribes like Ken Barnes, Lester Bangs, Lenny Kaye, Richard Meltzer, Dave Marsh, Mike Saunders, Phast Phreddie and more. Featuring Artwork by Underground Artists like Jay Kinney, William Stout and Tom Kirk."

Nadja - Under The Jaguar Sun CD (Beta Lactam Ring) [10617] $15.25
Packaged in a full color custom made book bound 10 panel sleeve. A double vinyl version, "Chalchiuhtlicue" will also be issued with three mixes by Nadja and one mix by Edward Ka-Spel from the 2xCD version. That's right kids! Yes you can mix your own Nadja album! "Night and day, you are the one. Only you beneath the moon or under the Jaguar Sun..." Now you're messing with a sun of a bitch. Let's count backwards. The second disc in this set "Quetzalcoatl" diffuses into the air an alien vocabulary of electronicesque gargles and hums. A soundtrack made from the residue left after a subterranean dowsing for the echoes of collapsing stars. These disembodied post-transmissions form up in a Minerva's Web of sunken Titanic ghosts, slow moaning as from distant caverns. Disc one of the set, "Tezcatlipoca" is the actual collapsing of stars. Or, perhaps the exploding majesty of every day's new sun being reborn, as it once again defeats those Xibilba's and rises to arc through its dominion again. This monstrous soul goes from grumbling angrily to mowing the heavens. Parts even cross into early Swans territory with aggressively fractured pacing. But all roads lead to the final track which is an epic length doom metal anthem of sweating proportions. Wave after wave of crushing fuzz slowly pummel speakers into diamonds and rust. A relentless solar rotorvating blasterpiece. Which brings us to part 3 of this 2 CD set. Both CD's have been composed to also be played simultaneously, in a much more useable fashion than the Zaireekas of the world. So, if "Tezcatlipoca" is overground and "Quetzalcoatl" is underground (or, more likely, the reverse) their combination must be all things....and no things. Maybe the sound of the end of things. The resultant juxtaposition is a colossal celestial being smiling down on all he tramples.

Omo - White Album CD (Loaf) [LOAF32] $13.25
OMO's The White Album is a record full of spikey little pop gems-like a collaboration between Laurie Anderson and Young Marble Giants, mixed by Ricardo Villalobos, occasionally joined by Enoch Light on vibes and Raymond Scott on synthesizer. There's something strangely emotional about Omo's music, something beautiful, sunny-but never twee. Full of surprising juxtapositions and lyrical dexterity, The White Album expands the listener's universe while he or she sits comfortably in his or her own space. Omo is a duo comprised of BERIT IMMIG (also a member of pan-European rockers THE CHAP) and DAVID MUTH, both previously members of the London-based KARAMASOV (Satellite Records). Together, they make music they describe as "domestic pop for domestic occasions"-not the kind of "pop" produced by Girls Aloud, nevertheless unforgettable once tasted. No exports outside North America

OOIOO - Armonico Hewa CD (Thrill Jockey) [THR222CD] $15.00
"Thrill Jockey is pleased to announce the arrival of Armonico Hewa, OOIOO's sixth full-length album and first record in over three years! Armonico Hewa continues the rapturous and frenetic celebration of nature that coursed through the veins of their 2006 album TAIGA. Where as TAIGA meant 'forest' in Russian and 'big river' in Japanese, Armonico Hewa is a combination of words ('armonico' is Spanish and 'hewa' is Swahili) that is defined by the band as 'air in a harmonious state'. Like the cross-cultural title, Armonico Hewa is a mind-melting combination of stylistic reference points that can only be described as some kind of tribal psychedelia that is oddly spiritual and alarmingly urgent. OOIOO leader Yoshimi began her music career in 1986 playing drums in UFO or Die with Eye and later joined him in the revolutionary noise-pop experimentalist Boredoms. While the group has featured different musicians in the past, the same all-female four-piece who created TAIGA is once again the driving force behind Armonico Hewa. Longtime OOIOO guitarist Kayan, bassist Aya and drummer Ai join Yoshimi to create one of the most enthralling, adventurous and unique bands in modern music."

Overmars - Born Again CD (Crucial Blast) [CBR77] $9.50
Previously released through Appease Me (the label run by members of Blut Aus Nord), Born Again is the latest full-length from French sludge band OVERMARS, a single album-long piece that descends deep into themes of horror, self-immolation, and rebirth. Overmars has already established their atmospheric, electronically tainted sludge-metal sound on splits with Donefor, Iscariote, Fuguee, and Icos as well as on their excellent 2005 album Affliction, Endocrine... .Vertigo, but Born Again is something entirely new for the band. This 40-minute epic moves from pulverizing, industrial dirge blanketed with heavily textured layers of guitar to passages of dark, haunting ambience and bottom-heavy churn, while fearsome, guttural roars alternate with captivating female vocals. A magesterial finale stretches gloom-ridden, moody riffage, vaporous electronics, and dramatic singing over the song's last fifteen minutes, building into an earth-shaking crescendo. Immensely bleak and heavy, Born Again brings together elements of death metal, black metal, psychedelia, Godflesh's industrial pummel, and the crushing nihilism of Swans for an austere sound of their own, moving Overmars even further from the Neurosis comparisons garnered by their past releases. This special US edition has different packaging than the original Appease Me CD. East Coast Tour This Fall. No exports to the UK/Europe

Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Higher Than The Stars CDEP (Slumberland) [SL105] $7.50
Not content to rest on the laurels of having one of the best and most talked-about albums of 2009, THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART are back with four brand new songs typical of what they do best-breathe fresh life into indie-pop with exuberance, charm, and of course quality tunes. "Higher Than the Stars" races along on arpeggiated keyboards and quickly strummed guitars, a perfect pop nugget that could have been ripped from Robert Smith's songbook. Its unstoppable energy is pure Pains, though, and there will undoubtedly be ear-to-ear grins when the band busts this one out on tour. The B-side features an exclusive remix. "Higher Than the Stars" is the start of the next chapter for The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and it looks to be just as exciting as the first. CD features five tracks, 12-inch features four tracks, and the 7-inch features two. Catch the band supporting this EP with a coast-to-coast tour in September. No exports outside North America.

Polvo - In Prism CD (Merge) [MRG360] $13.75
"It might be too soon to declare In Prism the best POLVO record eve, but it might be okay by the time you're done reading this. Only at this point in life would Polvo be so assured, so casually stormy and intensely calm, graceful and free with their power without setting aside anything that made them the rock artists they were during their first, unblemished run. There is not a thing on In Prism that they aren't doing better than before: the sidewinder guitars and the mighty roar and the moody atmospheres and the psychedelic explosiveness; the writing, the singing, the words you can understand, the ones you can't. Polvo spent 1990-98 giving voice to a chorus of discrete rock & roll ideas that really hadn't been heard before. And while there was nothing wrong before, it's now so much more right-perhaps because after ten years none of the peripheral stuff matters anymore. Now is for Polvo, and Polvo is for now. In Prism is the best Polvo record even before you get to the majestic "A Link in the Chain," serene and tempestuous like few other things you'll hear. The album was recorded with BRIAN PAULSON and Polvo has never sounded better. Don't you agree?"-Mike Wolf, NYC, 6/09

Project Skyward - Moved By Opposing Forces CD (Rocket Girl) [rgirl67] $13.50
RELEASE DATE: 11-02-2009
Project Skyward is primarily the vision of singer/songwriter/programmer Ryan Field, aka 'Skyward'. After obtaining a degree in holistic science and astronomy, Ryan sought to express ideas about the universe and their relation to human experience through music. Joined by Lana Fia (vocals, synth) Project Skyward have done a number of eps and a timeless debut album 'Strange Synchonicities' which blended spacial guitar ambiences and wispy vocals with minimal electronic beats. The single 'Distant Blue' quickly rose to the top 10 of the RPM charts and remained there for several weeks.

Project Skyward's second album, 'Moved by Opposing Forces', contains enough aural alchemy to propel your eardrums heavenward; however, the emotional intensity of the music ensures each wistful, seemingly weightless track remains firmly rooted to human experiences. It is this combination of ethereality and earthly accessibility which gives the music such character. Project Skyward are as much humanists as they are stargazers; tracks such as 'Sirius the Brightest Star' or 'Fairweather Friend' proclaim the innate symmetry and indivisibility of ourselves and the universe around us. We are all in the gutter, and we are all reaching for the stars. Like a chance meeting in space between Flying Saucer Attack and the Cocteau Twins, 'Moved by Opposing Forces' is as catchy as it is cosmic. Modulated guitars, sublime electronics and breathy boy/girl harmonies combine to create a boundless soundscape which is radical yet so recognisable, it could only have been hatched on planet earth!

Having been deeply inspired by electronic music of the late 90's; Project Skyward gained the attention of dance music mogul DJ Sasha. While playing lead guitar in Mahogany, Ryan was joined by Andrew Prinz on bass. Project Skyward did some legendary gigs opening for Ulrich Schnauss in South America, NY and the East coast. More recently he has had the pleasure of meeting guitar inspiration Robin Guthrie, who has also become involved with Project Skyward. Meeting and working alongside such respectable names has clearly been an influence and inspiration, yet Project Skyward continue to define their own unique, innovative and powerful sound. In addition to the cosmic soundscape and scientific metaphors, Project Skyward are not afraid to write what they feel which often results in great songs that tap into collective experiences. It is this unique approach to music that will give Project Skyward longevity and which will flourish it's evolution in years to come.

Quantec - Cauldron Subsidence CD (Echocord) [ECHO006CD] $14.75
This is the second album by the much-hyped German dub youngster Sven Schienhammer aka Quantec on Echocord. After releasing several 12"s on labels like Styrax Leaves, Meanwhile, Snapshot and Echocord, Sven is back with another full-length album. This album contains older tracks from the year 2001 and some of his newer works from 2009. On this album, you will hear many of Sven's personal favorites. Cauldron Subsidence is not entirely the typical Quantec sound -- and it's absolutely different than his last album on Echocord. This is brooding dub-techno, laced with the remnants of dubstep. "Absolute Level" combines a rolling crash cymbal with a trippy Detroit-ish melody (a la Kenny Larkin). The classic strings throughout "Satisfied" ripple with a rolling broken beat and strains of vocals throughout, shedding new light on the classic Chain Reaction sound of yesterday. Slo-mo dubstep crooner "Transmitters" glides and floats through the broken beat and smoky haze of dub infiltration. A true accomplishment from one of today's most accomplished electronic dub producers out there.

Singing Loins - Unravelling England CD (Damaged Goods) [DAMGOOD337] $14.75
THE SINGING LOINS are back with their tenth album, proving that genius is nothing more than gritted teeth and enduring patience. Unravelling England features twelve brand new songs recorded as demos over a period of 18 months on a mate's cheap digital machine. It was soon apparent that the energy and imperfection they'd captured should be released as it stood. Joined on Unraveling England by double bass player, JOHN FORRESTER, the Loins (CHRIS BRODERICK & CHRIS "ARFUR" ALLEN) Allen offer up another dozen short stories from the end of old England's pier. Songs of underdogs, suicides, circus freaks, the bereaved, frustrated and heartbroken, the washed up and mentally ill. The jealousies, violence, hypocrisy and religion of humanity. And some pretty good tunes, too!

Sister Iodine - Flame Desastre CD (Editions Mego) [DEMEGO009CD] $16.00
Edition of 500. Flame Desastre is the fourth release by French band Sister Iodine, and is probably the most straight-forward, concise and focused release by the trio. Its intense and rough attack leaves not much time for the listener to take cover, from its aggressively joyful violent orgy of lacerated guitars, meshed with primal and exacting heavy-laden drums. The production is kept deliberately raw, occasionally pierced by minimal electronic effects, creating a collection of burning brutality and elegant sonic devastation. Initially released in spring 2009 as a vinyl LP by Premier Sang, this special re-sequenced and remastered CD edition comes with two bonus tracks: "Lava Junkie" and "K."

Strawberry Whiplash - Picture Perfect CDEP (Matinee) [mr072] $7.00
Sensational sophomore release from Scottish pop sensations Strawberry Whiplash! Following a swell of positive feedback for their debut single 'Who's In Your Dreams' last year, the duo deliver four smash hits that unequivocally disqualify them from one hit wonder status forever.

Lead track 'Picture Perfect' is a shimmering song that sets Sandra's pitch perfect vocals and Laz' chiming and fuzzy guitars to a hip-shaking primitive beat. A flawless slice of pop reminiscent of classic indie singles from The Primitives or Darling Buds, it's a catchy burst of summertime neatly packaged for any time of the year.

'Hay In A Needlestack' is a reflective number featuring mellowed out tremolo guitar and glockenspiel, while 'Celestial' is Strawberry Alarm Clock meets The Popguns--jangling guitars leading to fuzzy stop-start choruses and sweet Doorsian organ bursts--and 'Falling Through' is a fuzzed up indie pop gem that ticks all the Strawberry Whiplash boxes to conclude the EP.

Four fantastic songs that prove the brilliance of the band's debut single was no happy accident, 'Picture Perfect' is an absolute triumph for Strawberry Whiplash and another notable release for Matinée. Limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket.

Subarachnoid Space - Eight Bells CD (Crucial Blast) [CBR81] $12.00
Eight Bells is the follow-up to The Red Veil (Strange Attractors) and the first new release from SUBARACHNOID SPACE in four years. Featuring the current line-up of DANIEL BARONE, MELYNDA JACKSON, LAUREN K. NEWMAN, and DANIEL OSBORNE plus guest musician STEVEN WRAY LOBDELL, the album continues in the same heavy, lysergic vein as their last couple of post-Release records, fusing wicked metallic crunch with ethereal, effects-laden guitar freakouts and some of their most narcotized jamming yet. The band's last couple of records pointed toward a heavier direction, and this new material continues on that trajectory, with blazing luminous axe-howl over hypnotic heavy acid riffage and dense squalls of sound. Eight Bells clocks in at just under 40 minutes and is packaged with stunning new artwork from STEPHEN KASNER. US tour this fall. No export restrictions

Supersilent - 9 CD (Rune Grammofon) [RCD2092CD] $16.00
This is the ninth release in the Supersilent series. After 12 years as a quartet, drummer Jarle Vespestad decided to call it a day before the start of recording sessions at Oslo's famous Rainbow Studios. This spurred two further sessions, one taking place at Henie Onstad Art Centre with all three members playing Hammond organs. This album is put together from that session, but it is debatable whether anyone would figure out the instrumentation without prior knowledge. It's also fair to say that 9 as a whole goes a long way towards being the most avant-garde and otherworldly recording the band has done so far. The album was mixed and produced by Deathprod (Helge Sten) and mastered by mastering guru Bob Katz in close collaboration with Deathprod, with a view to keep the dynamic range of the original recording intact. Supersilent have been going for 12 years, always moving forward with the greatest integrity. Supersilent music is collective work -- total group improvisation, and not a matter of individual grandstanding. They never rehearse as a group, and don't discuss the music with each other, meeting only to play concerts or to record. Every recording and every concert are unique occasions not to be repeated and their music lives in a no-man's-land between the genres, somewhere between rock, electronica, jazz and modern composition. Helge Sten (Hammond organ); Ståle Storløkken (Hammond organ); Arve Henriksen (Hammond organ).

Tangerine Dream - Video Dream Mixes CD (Document) [232693] $31.75
DVD reissue of this title from the innovative German Electronica outfit, one of the most influential instrumental outfits of the 20th century. Tangerine Dream has never produced anything calculated to make the masses jump off their chairs and start screaming Top 40 tunes, but they have managed to have an immense impact in the world of Electronic and soundtrack music. Their 107 (and counting) studio, live and soundtrack releases have their own driving hypnotic pieces that might differ from release to release, but they are all uniquely Tangerine Dream. 2009.

Various Artists - Crayon Angel: A Tribute To The Music Of Judee Sill CD (American Dust) [DAD109] $13.25
Crayon Angel: A Tribute to the Music of Judee Sill features new recordings by BETH ORTON, BILL CALLAHAN, RON SEXSMITH, FINAL FANTASY, NICOLAI DUNGER, MARISA NADLER & BLACK HOLE INFINITY, COLOSSAL YES (with members of SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE & COMETS ON FIRE), MEG BAIRD, FRIDA HYVOENEN, and DANIEL ROSSEN of GRIZZLY BEAR and DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES. Judee Sill was the first artist signed to David Geffen's Asylum Records and released two cherished cult LPs, 1971's Judee Sill and 1973's Heart Food, before vanishing from the music scene and eventually dying of a drug overdose in North Hollywood, California, in 1979. Though forgotten for years, her music has enjoyed a period of rediscovery since her two studio albums were reissued on CD in 2005. In addition to cover versions of songs from Sill's modest recorded output, Crayon Angel also features two new Sill-penned songs, for which sheet music, but no known original recordings, survive. Beth Orton brings to life the complex and lovely "Reach for the Sky," while Bill Callahan records the epic slow-burn number "Like a Rainbow," a co-write with Sill's onetime boyfriend LAL BAUM (great-grandson of Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum). No exports to Japan

Various Artists - Everybody Jive To The London Rock: 25 Jumpin'... CD (Psychic Circle) [PC7033CD] $16.00
...British Rock 'n' Roll Spins. In the mid-1950s, while the Western World was still immersed in the aftermath of World War II, a new concept was discovered. This concept, stroppy and rebellious, was the teenager. Up until then, you were a child until you became an adult. One minute you were in short pants, the next you were smoking a pipe. Now there was an intermediary stage, during which you could experience the nascent pleasures of adulthood without having to succumb to its more mundane disciplines. These new teenagers needed new idols. They couldn't relate to the polite swing of the dance bands. Some found modern jazz a bit too esoteric, while, to be honest, the heart-throbs of the early '50s mostly looked like they were in their early 50s! Suddenly a wild, new sound from the USA was being broadcast over select airwaves. Singers with exotic names like Jerry Lee, Elvis, Buddy and Gene were strutting their stuff. Hollywood was beginning to embrace this movement, and, over in The UK, jazzmen, dance band members, crooners and hopeful kids were suddenly buying guitars, greasing back their hair and rockin' like there was no tomorrow. Here's a selection of what was happening in the basements and coffee bars of Britain at that most wonderful and innocent of times. We've got lids to be flipped, joints to be rocked and rugs to be cut. So what are you waiting for? Artists include: Jimmy Crawford, Cal Danger, Danny Rivers, Art Baxter & His Rock 'N' Roll Sinners, Tommy Bruce & The Bruisers, Wee Willie Harris, Ricky James, Roy Young, Tony Crombie & The Rockets, Derry Hart & The Hartbeats, Mike Sagar & The Cresters, Danny Hunter & The Giants, Terry Dene, Don Lang & His Frantic Five, Vince Eager, Dean Webb, Clyde Ray, Janice Peters, Sharkey Todd & The Monsters, Jimmy Miller & The Barbecues, Dickie Pride, Duffy Power, Billy Sproud & The Rock 'N' Roll Six, Terry Wayne, and Vince Taylor & The Playboys.

Various Artists - Tokyo Flashback 7 CD (PSF) [PSF189CD] $18.25
"1. Le Son De L'os 'Still Water' : An improvising unit formed by Yuko Hasegawa from Onna-Kodomo, Masahiro Deguchi from Gendai Sokkyo, and Shizuo Uchida from Hasegawa-Shizuo. The group began playing together several years ago, concentrating on outdoor performances. Deguchi's flute and guitar swim freely creating circles of ma, while Uchida's bass and subtly profound voice and acoustic guitar knit together sounds that exist solely at their instant of creation. 2. Bon no Kubo 'Untitled' : Formed in 2007. An improvising trio consisting of guitar, contrabass and percussion. The group aims at the sublime, whispered in a uniquely Japanese sensibility. Drums, Percussion: Naoto Yamagishi; Contrabass: Shintarou Takasugi; Guitar: Masahiko Ota 3. Derakushi 'Red Shoes 303' : Formed in 2008 at Suzuki's instigation. The project aims to express everything that bubbles up during performance or is generated as its by-product, without hesitation or exception. The group had one track on Real Japanese Underground 2008 compilation on the Lost Rivers Project label. 4. Sabu Orimo Unit 'Inochi' : Natural-Bore Shakuhachi: Sabu Orimo; Harmonica, Drums: Tomohiko Namiki 5. Touyounomajyo 'White Light Spear' : Formed in January 2008 and active in live houses around Koenji. They have released several live recordings.Guitar, Vocals: Keisuke Kajiwara; Bass: Mitsu; Drums: A. 6. Hasegawa-Shizuo 'Gray Ray' : Improvising duo of Hirotomo Hasegawa and Shizuo Uchida. Their genre-less music blends ma (space) and drone, while internalizing noise, ethnic music and contemporary composition. Their performances are made up entirely of sounds produced in the live moment and space. To date they have released three albums, on PSF, Tiliqua Records and haang niap Records. Hichiriki, Voice, etc.; Hirotomo Hasegawa Bass, Voice, etc.; Shizuo Uchida."

Vertonen - We Had A Few Sprinkles Today, But Not Enough... CD (CIP) [CIP023CD] $12.00
...To Help Out In The Garden. These recordings are the fruit of a two-year process of extracting and modifying material originally recorded in 1978. All resulting audio was solely generated from this source material. The concept behind this CD stemmed from my interest in reassessing the idea of "brainwashing" and how misperceptions that are easier to accept can easily and dangerously corrode -- and, worse, override -- the realities of the original event. For fans of: John Watermann, John Duncan, Chop Shop, Nurse With Wound, Hafler Trio."

Vowels - Pattern Prism CD (Loaf) [LOAF33] $13.25
VOWELS is comprised of musician/producer JAMES RUTLEDGE and drummer CHRIS WALMSLEY. Like all Rutledge's other work, it's deep on the sonics, meticulously crafted, and truly mesmerising. Kraut-rock at heart, The Pattern Prism is a brutal, cosmic melange of sound and rhythm, where Terry Riley-like keyboard motifs entwine with intense, Battles-esque drumming, clouds of audio detritus, gamelan gongs, rewired synthesizers, and clashing feedback guitars. Oscillating between pools of crystal-clear ambience and miasmic clouds of dense noise, it spans entire decades of musical exploration: the fractured psych dreams of The United States of America, the dense weave of Stockhausen's Hymnen, the intensity of Conrad Schnitzler-era Tangerine Dream, the mind-altering drones of Growing, and the ferocious sonic assault of Boredoms. Epic in scope and faultless in execution, The Pattern Prism is a sure contender for one of the most intense and inspirational rock albums of the year. The record is already gaining a list of heavyweight admirers including Geoff Barrow, Julian Cope, and DFA. No exports outside North America

Why - Eskimo Snow CD (Anticon) [ABR0098] $13.25
A year and a half after releasing the acclaimed Alopecia, WHY? returns with their fourth album, Eskimo Snow. The two records are perfect foils: while last year's release delivered intricate rhymes, live loops, slurred hooks, and acerbic wit, Eskimo Snow offers a sung, sobering take on mortality that unfurls in lush waves of Americana and pop-infused psych-folk. Pre-mixed in Nashville by LAMBCHOP's MARK NEVERS (Silver Jews, Bonnie Prince Billy, Calexico) and worked over by Alopecia engineer ELI CREWS, this album is Why?'s most live-sounding yet-a shadowy and sprawling piece as intimate in subject matter as it is handsome in timbre. YONI WOLF and the gang actually recorded Eskimo Snow at the same time as Alopecia, at Minneapolis' Third Ear studio, with FOG's ANDREW BRODER and MARK ERICKSON rounding out a live quintet. No exports outside the US and Australia

Yura Yura Teikoku - Hollow Me / Beautiful CD (Death From Abroad) [DFA0119] $13.25
Japan's YURA YURA TEIKOKU are a bona fide institution at home, arguably the only "underground" psychedelic group there to have achieved "overground" success. They've gathered a huge following over the past 20 years, yet become progressively stranger and more experimental, cramming both weird and classic influences into a unique, potent form. The band has had a devoted following right from the start-early shows were packed with worshipping, tape-recorder-wielding art school kids who shaved their eyebrows to resemble striking, alien-esque singer / guitarist / leader SHINTARO SAKAMOTO. Hollow Me, their tenth studio album (and second for Sony Japan), abandons the ecstatic, blown-out psychedelia of their earlier work for a more subdued, streamlined trip into their strange pop world. The songs are more linear, and both the lyrics and music impart a general feeling of emptiness or "hollowness." Sakamoto's fierce guitar work is legendary in Japan, yet the album contains not a single guitar solo. As if to instantly prepare the listener for a different kind of ride, opener "Ohayo Mada Yarou," a timeless classic that comes off as a skewed Marvin Gaye track on downers, features a lead saxophone. Catch the group playing shows on the East Coast with Yo La Tengo this fall. No exports to Japan

[ D V D ]

Tangerine Dream - Loreley DVD (Document) [232692] $31.75
Electronic PAL/Region 0. At noon on July 18th, 2008 everybody was talking about umbrellas, rain coats, how to cover the laser equipment, short circuits, a quick look into the equipments' insurance policy analyzing the force majeure paragraph and some other very "pleasant" circumstances the band had to deal with. But as you can see here on this DVD, everything worked in TD's favor! The promoter did a very professional job (rare fact!), the rain stopped in time, all gear was working perfectly - so TD enjoyed a great summer night above the river Rhine supported by a wonderful international audience. So sit down and relax while watching a TD midsummer night dream. The DVD also contain some 'Behind The Scenes' footage.

Tinariwen - Imidiwan: Companions DVD+CD (World Village) [WORLD468096] $18.00
"In December of 2008, Tinariwen gathered in the Sahara to record a new album. The sessions took place in a rented house, out in the bush, in nomad camps and in other magical locations. The whole adventure was filmed by the French director Jessy Nottola and a DVD of that film is included with the CD. Imidiwan: Companions is the band's fourth release for World Village and it possesses all the elements that have made them so magnetic to western ears: raw simplicity, melodic beauty and songs ranging from the epic and universal to the intimate and personal. This fourteen track album, produced by Jean-Paul Romann, who had previously worked with Tinariwen on their 2001 debut album, The Radio Tisdas Sessions, was recorded in Malian village of Tessalit, home of band members Ibrahim Ag Alhabib and Hassan Ag Touhami. Since their debut, Tinariwen has picked up a number of awards and a raft of 'legendary' fans including the likes of Robert Plant, Carlos Santana, Brian Eno, Thom Yorke, TV on the Radio, Bono and The Edge."

Various Artists - Ouled Bambara: Portraits of Gnawa DVD+CD (Drag City) [DC403CD] $16.50
"In the first release of its kind, Twos & Fews and Drag City present Ouled Bambara: Portraits Of Gnawa -- a presentation in sound and moving pictures of several of Marrakech's most experienced Gnawa practitioners and their individual interpretations of the deep, esoteric, and powerful tagnawit tradition. Gnawa music has been considered a kind of Ur-blues, and has also been linked to the music of voodoo and santeria. It's often described with words like 'hypnotic,' which it is. The Gnawa have long signified (at least to the small portion of the public that's bothered to think of them) all that is mysterious and phenomenal about Morocco: mystical Sufism, trance rituals, possession rites, ecstatic music and dance. Brought north most likely from the West and Central Sahel region of Africa over several hundred years, the original Gnawa were black slaves who synthesized animist African religious ritual with classical Sufi practice. But nothing sounds quite like the music of the Gnawa, and their music and their practice have usually elided definition, if not description. They are healers who intercede with the fiercest of the djinn spirits -- the mluk (whom other Sufi orders avoid) -- on behalf of their suffering clients. Their rituals invite possession by these mluk, with the deep thump of the guinbri lute and ever-rattling, clacking percussive accompaniment whipping the dancers into states of trance in which they struggle with the powerful spirits. Ouled Bambara means literally, 'children of Bambara,' and the name of the musical suite that begins the nocturnal portion of the Gnawa ritual. The Gnawa are considered an underclass in Moroccan society, but they nonetheless play a vital role in its spiritual life. Ouled Bambara: Portraits Of Gnawa is an exploration of that role and some of its most talented actors." All-region format DVD, in French and Arabic with English subtitles.

[ H I S T O R I C A L ]

Alvin Lucier - Music On A Long Thin Wire CD (Lovely Music) [LCD1011] $12.25
All-time classic release, restocked. Alvin Lucier is one of American's quintessential minimalist innovators, composing & performing extreme music for pure tones, brains waves, the ""generation of visual imagery by sound in vibrating media," etc. Music On A Long Thin Wire is one of his all-time classic works of hovering tones & sonic phenomena, recorded in 1979. "A 50-foot length of taut wire passes through the poles of a large magnet and is driven by an oscillator; the vibrations of the wire are miked at either end, amplified and broadcast in stereo. The thin wire is set vibrating four times at four different frequencies; what results is not the low drone one might expect from a long, vibrating wire, but a complexity of evocative, ethereal chords. First released on Lovely Music in 1980, Music on a Long Thin Wire is a classic example of Alvin Lucier's investigations into the physics of sound and the sonic properties of natural processes."

Alvin Lucier - I Am Sitting In A Room CD (Lovely Music) [LCD1013] $12.25
All-time classic release, restocked. One of Lucier's most iconic works and a cornerstone in the world of resonant frequencies. Performed by Lucier on recorded voice, tape machines, delay. "In this fascinating exploration of acoustical phenomena, Alvin Lucier slips from the domain of language to that of music in the course of 40 minutes and 32 repetitions of a simple paragraph of text. In I am sitting in a room, several sentences of recorded speech are simultaneously played back into a room and re-recorded there many times. As the repetitive process continues, those sounds common to the original spoken statement and those implied by the structural dimensions of the room are reinforced. The others are gradually eliminated. The space acts as a filter; the speech is transformed into pure sound. All the recorded segments are spliced together in the order in which they were made and constitute the work. I am sitting in a room was composed in 1970; This recording was made by Alvin Lucier on October 29th and 31st, 1980, in the living room of his home in Middletown, CT."

Beulah - When Your Heartstrings Break CD (Sugar Free) [SF012] $13.25
WAREHOUSE FIND!!! The sophomore album from the San Francisco chapter of the Elephant 6 family BEULAH. When Your Heartstrings Break features eleven fantastic tracks of Beatles-esque, indie-pop magic, delivered with all the harmonizing and melancholic love parts you crave.

Clean - Mister Pop CD (Merge) [MRG325] $13.25
In 1978, THE CLEAN were the seeds of New Zealand punk. They carved out a big sandbox for everyone to play in, and their influence resonated not only in New Zealand but around the world. The Clean's sound is completely theirs but draws on everything from the psychedelic paste of Barrett/early Floyd to vintage Velvets propulsiveness. They created both full studio sound and lo-fi recordings before, during, and after the various waves of the 4-track revolution, making both recording modes work with no loss of the band's identity. As far as other influences, you can hear Arthur Lee, Shirley Collins, and the Rolling Stones, among others, but it's never a kind of forced appropriation; while some bands seem to say, "Look at my record collection," in the case of The Clean, it's organic, seamless, and inimitable. Mister Pop sees The Clean continue the great pop pastiche.

Collie Ryan - The Rainbow Records 3CD (Yoga Records) [BTR042CD] $28.75
Yoga Records, in association with Riverman Music, is proud to present this 3CD box set -- the first-ever CD reissue of these breathtaking obscure folk gems by Texas' Collie Ryan. Collie Ryan privately-pressed three albums in 1973, The Giving Tree, Indian Harvest, and Takin' Your Turn 'Round The Corner Of Day. These records were funded in part by Collie's friends at the New Age Farms carrot and fresh juice company in Lompoc, California, and shortly after their recording, Collie devoted her life to nature and moved completely off the grid. Collie's mesmerizing sound remained largely a secret until "Cricket," one of the tracks from Indian Harvest, surfaced on Numero Group's stellar Wayfaring Strangers: Ladies From The Canyon compilation in 2006. Collie's cosmic music is almost solely based around her high, bird-like voice and nylon guitar picking, and her lyrics reflect her lifelong study of theosophy and naturalist living. Even today, Collie lives largely outside of what would be considered "regular" society, residing in a converted 1930s school bus in the middle of a Texas desert and painting mandalas on hub cabs, while continuing to produce her very special and personal music. This 3CD box set, entitled The Rainbow Records, features a new painting by Collie, fantastic liner notes by partner-in-crime Tommie Zook, and never-before-seen photographs. The tracks have been completely remastered from the original master tapes in a 24-bit remaster, and are housed in a paper sleeve and slipcase. A sun-kissed bevy of quirky, circular, acoustic guitar-picked metaphysical song cycles, topped by Collie's unfailingly sweet, clear trill. Surely, Ryan belongs alongside such queens of the folk pantheon as Vashti Bunyan, Linda Perhacs, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Joni Mitchell, Sibelle Baier, Ruthann Friedman, etc. This is a haunting collection that simply should not be missed.

Holly Golightly - Up The Empire CD (Damaged Goods) [DAMGOOD325] $14.75
A reissue of HOLLY GOLIGHTLY's first live album originally released in 1998 on Sympathy For The Record Industry. Up The Empire features thirteen tracks recorded in the summer of 1997 at Bridgetown's premier nightspot, The Empire Ballroom and includes many live favorites she still plays today, including "Won't Go Out" and "You Ain't No Big Thing Baby." The band on this album consists of BRIAN NEVILL, MATT RADFORD, LITTLE GEORGE SUEREF, DAVE KRAFT, and DAN MELCHIOR.

Hunt & Turner - Magic Landscape CD (Riverman Music) [BTR017CD] $16.00
This is the first-ever CD reissue of this UK '70s contemporary folk duo, Ian Hunt & John Turner, originally released in 1972 by the acclaimed Village Thing label, now remastered in a 24-bit remaster. Hunt & Turner got together in the summer of 1970, after working as some of the most in-demand session musicians of the West Country. Turner was an accomplished string bass player, while Hunt was already a big name on the Bristol scene, playing great guitar and writing songs. They moved around Bristol's Troubadour Club, which Turner had run for several years, and once the duo was arranged, they expanded their art around the UK and Europe. They garnered a small amount of success with Magic Landscape, reaching #6 in the Melody Maker folk charts. Hunt & Turner sing and play acoustic & electric guitars, electric and string bass and bongos, and are occasionally augmented by John Merritt on bass guitar and Rod Matthews on percussion. Crystalline acoustic guitars and delicious vocals, at times reminiscent of CSN&Y and relatives. Includes covers of Randy Newman and Jerry Jeff Walker. A great discovery for fans of Bert Jansch, Nick Drake, Donovan, Wizz Jones, John Martyn or Davy Graham. Housed in a paper sleeve with a lyric insert and liner notes.

J.A. Ceasar - Kokkyo Junreika CD (Belle Antique) [BELLE61216CD] $1.00
"A legendary musician. He has made music for Shuji Terayama's performance group called 'Tenjo Sajiki.' This is solo album which features J.A. Caesar's name on the album. His style is often compared to Magma for the heaviness and religious sound. Original analogue disc is sold at more than

J.A. Ceasar - Shintokumaru CD (Belle Antique) [BELLE61217CD] $30.75
Fourth J.A. Caesar album, originally issued on Victor in 1978. More crazy theatrical prog, but less bombed than the above, and seemingly more reliant on missing visual imagery. "This is another J. A. Caesar's album. Though we can not find his name on the cover, he composed all the tunes. A recorded live album and the music in the album must be very magical. Now is the time you have to estimate his genius for this unknown Japanese artist."

John Jones - Collage CD (Riverman Music) [BTR021CD] $16.00
This is the first-ever CD release of UK cult singer-songwriter John Jones' 1971 obscurity, Collage, now remastered in a 24-bit remaster and including two bonus tracks. Prior to forming his own progressive rock band Jonesy, John Jones recorded this solo album for the German BASF label. Collage was cut at Command Studios in London, featured Australians Alan Tarney and Trevor Spencer (both ex-Quartet) and the British/American Jamie Kaleth. It was a textbook melodic singer/songwriter affair, peaking with "Live In 2," a track that proves Jones' skill with the guitar. This is a hidden gem for fans of mellow and dreamy acoustic folk, lightly Beatles-ish. Brilliant tunes and fantastic mastering. If you're in need of a good "silent" SSW rock album, this is the one. Housed in a paper sleeve, including liner notes written by the artist himself and rare photos.

Lost & Found - Everybody's Here CD (Charly) [SNAX608CD] $16.50
"Originally known as The Misfits, Lost & Found came together in Houston in 1965, changing their name just prior to undertaking a six-month residency at Houston's Living Eye Club -- one of the centres of the area's thriving psychedelic scene. Like anyone who frequented the club, smoked the odd joint and worshipped at the altar of The 13th Floor Elevators, they became friends with Roky Erickson. He in turn introduced them to Lelan Rogers of International Artists, who promptly signed them up. The group's sound displayed a marked Byrds and Love influence, which doubtless stemmed from the time they had spent in L.A. A planned follow-up album for International Artists unfortunately never came to fruition after the band disintegrated after a 30-day Texas tour with national garage gods The Music Machine. Band member Peter Black later joined Endle St Cloud." Comes in a deluxe digibook with 16-page booklet and International Artists catalog. Includes three bonus tracks: "When Will You Come Through," "Professor Black" and "25 MPH."

Mountain Bus - Sundance CD (Gear Fab) [GF115CD] $12.25
1998 release. "The Grateful Dead-sounding band that was sued by Windfall Music and Columbia Records for using the name Mountain, although they actually had been together for 4 years before Mountain was officially formed! Their classic Sundance LP from 1971 plus unreleased live and studio material off the master tapes from this Chicago band -- a total of 13 songs and 70 minutes of music. Don't bother with the French bootleg, the original pressing was poorly done and nothing the piraters did have helped the quality!"

Perry Leopold - Experiment In Metaphysics CD (Gear Fab) [GF122CD] $12.25
Year 2000 reissue of this heralded private press folk album, recorded in Philadelphia in 1970. Branded as the first "acid folk" album, this is one of the most rewarding discovers of semi-recent private press mania. "The 1960s generated a lot of great folk musicians: Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Tim Hardin, Tim Buckley, Eric Anderson, and Phil Ochs to name a few. And this music reflected the social and political commentary of their day. They also greatly influenced these developing musicians just a few years behind them in age -- Perry Leopold was one such example. He grew up in Philadephia listening to the songs of those days and began to write his own music at age 15. The music is splendid, fresh, and full of hte political and social arrogance many of us were feeling during those turbulent times. It is truly an historical bookmark in folk music."

Philip Glass - The Secret Agent CD (Orange Mountain) [OMM059CD] $18.00
"The Secret Agent is a watershed score in Philip Glass' career in writing for film. Based on a novel by Joseph Conrad, Christopher Hampton's independent 1995 film exposes the confused motives that lie at the heart of political terrorism. Glass' score for the film is lushly romantic and expressionistic. Christopher Hampton, the film's director and screenwriter, is also known for his stage and screen versions of Dangerous Liaisons and more recently for his screenplay to the award-winning Atonement. Hampton and Glass also collaborated on librettos for Waiting for the Barbarians and Appomattox."

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Castles In The Sand CD (Charly) [SNAP297CD] $12.00
"First authorized release of a one-off informal studio jam session by the classic later line-up of one of San Francisco's quintessential bands. One of the first studio sessions by Quicksilver's then new line-up of Dino Valente (vocals), John Cipollina (guitar), David Freiberg (bass & vocals), Greg Elmore (drums), with the British session pianist Nicky Hopkins. Mainly acoustic, it took place in Corte Madera, California in late 1969/early 1970. The sound and mixes are excellent. The songs are often spontaneous, spare and unfinished in places and were likely intended as references for later development by the group. As such they offer a fascinating work-in-progress glimpse of this highly-talented group of musicians re-inventing themselves and developing new material under studio conditions. Most of the songs, a couple of them running for nearly nine minutes each, were never to appear on album, although they featured in the group's concerts. As well as working on new songs such as 'Subway' and the rarely-performed 'The Fool,' the band run through several country, gospel and blues standards that they were familiar with, such as 'I Know You Rider,' 'Walk In Jerusalem,' Hank Williams' 'May You Never Be Alone' and Cindy Walker's 'Warm Red Wine.' The booklet's sleeve notes cover the group's circumstances at the time of the recordings and the featured songs."

Rex Foster (with Don & Merrily) - Roads Of Tomorrow CD (Riverman Music) [BTR020CD] $16.00
This is the first-ever CD reissue of this lost 1970 folk-rock classic by Rex Foster, newly remastered in a 24-bit remaster. Rex Foster began performing in 1963 and writing songs in 1965. One hears Dylan's influence, along with Ray Charles, Joan Baez, Buffy St. Marie, The Beatles, The Byrds, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Big Daddy Tom Donahue and falling in love with Joan's sister, Mimi Farina. Rex's first band Rachael's Children rocked Texas in 1966, before anyone in San Francisco knew what "psychedelic" meant. He came to California, worked with Curt Boettcher, and toured with Medicine Ball Caravan across the United States and Europe with the likes of Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Hot Tuna, and Rod Stewart and Faces. Rex was an important part of the progressive country uprising during the 1970s, and toured with Merle Haggard in 1976. The cult classic Roads Of Tomorrow album appeared on the famous Barclay Records label in France (only) in 1970. This 600 count limited edition is housed in a miniature replica paper gatefold sleeve reissue and features two bonus tracks. Insert includes lyrics, the original 1970 liner notes and an interview with Rex Foster himself.

Robert Ashley - Automatic Writing CD (Lovely Music) [LCD1002] $12.25
All-time classic release, restocked. A 1996 CD compiling three early Ashley works from the years 1967-79 -- some of his most experimental and out-there works. A seminal electronic music collection and an ideal intro into the somewhat foreboding oeuvre of Robert Ashley's recorded works. The title piece is a 46-minute classic from 1979, which rather famously formed the basis for Nurse With Wound's A Missing Sense. Steven Stapleton's commentary upon this summarizes the intense vibe of this recording: "A Missing Sense was originally conceived as a private tape to accompany my taking of LSD. When in that particular state, Robert Ashley's Automatic Writing was the only music I could actually experience without feeling claustrophobic and paranoid. We played it endlessly; it seemed to become part of the room, perfectly blending with the late night city ambiance and the 'breathing' of the building." The piece features the voices of Ashley and Mimi Johnson, with electronics and Polymoog backing, with a switching circuit designed and built by Paul DeMarinis. A fascinating and mysterious work focused on "involuntary speech". The second piece on this CD is "Purposeful Lady Slow Afternoon" from 1968. It features the voice of Cynthia Liddell, backed by singers, bells and crackle. Originally issued on the Mainstream label, as an excerpt for a theatre work for amplified voices and tape. The final piece, "She Was a Visitor" is from 1967, originally issued on the infamous electronic compilation Extended Voices (CBS Odyssey), featuring experimental vocals works. Performed by the The Brandeis University Chamber Chorus, directed by Alvin Lucier.

Seventh Dawn, The - Sunrise CD (Riverman Music) [BTR023CD] $16.00
This is the first-ever CD reissue of this 1976 folk obscurity from The Seventh Dawn, remastered in a 24-bit remaster, with four bonus tracks. Here's a strong U.S. eclectic folk album that calls to mind The Moody Blues or even Trees, but with spookier, more fragile feeling, with male vocals and female vocals that sound like Vashti Bunyan gone American. There is also a totally bonkers synth-fueled rocker that defies rational explanation. Sunrise mixes light progressive vibes with a unique mid-Atlantic folk sound. These recordings were made between 1970 to 1976 at the Virginia Commonwealth College, with just 200 copies released in 1976 on the Fantasy Worlds Unlimited label. This mega rarity was also released by Project Aquarius back in 1995 in a long-gone edition of 275. Comes in a handsome paper gatefold sleeve that precisely reproduces the original LP sleeve in miniature form. Includes liner notes, lyrics and rare photos.

Shep Cooke - Shep Cooke + Concert Tour Of Mars CD (Riverman Music) [BTR019CD] $16.00
This is the first-ever CD reissue of the 1976 and 1979 privately-released solo albums by Tucson, Arizona-based singer-songwriter Shep Cooke, now remastered in a 24-bit remaster. Cooke was a former member of '60s bands The Dearly Beloved and Stone Poneys with Linda Ronstadt, and he also played on Tom Waits' Closing Time. Shep Cooke is an extraordinarily excellent acoustic guitar player, songwriter, and singer, and both albums are smattered throughout with country-blues-fueled acoustic jams, crooning ballads, and some lite-rock groovers. This CD includes both Cooke's self-titled 1976 solo debut and 1979's Concert Tour Of Mars. Housed in a miniature replica paper sleeve, with extensive liner notes and photos.

Soft Machine - Live At Henie Onstad Art Centre 1971 2CD (Reel Recordings) [REELR014CD] $22.00
Born of the Beat Generation & Beat music, sacrificed on the clichéd tracks of jazz-fusion, the music in between by the classic quartet of keyboardist Mike Ratledge, saxophonist Elton Dean (1945-2005), bass guitarist Hugh Hopper (1945-2009) and drummer Robert Wyatt is mercurial genius manifest. That the recordings made of Britain's Soft Machine remain as rewarding and inspirational today as the moment of their making, qualifies the group's international stature as the most expressively intelligent of rock music's progressive epoch. Still and all, a creative apex where the music attained a "whole greater than its sum parts," occurred on the evening of February 28th, 1971 at the Henie Onstad Art Centre in Oslo, Norway. Here, the group was afforded a rare crucible for their collective creativity by virtue of an intimate concert space, accurate amplification, and an appreciative audience. Also in Henie Onstad for his own art exhibition was Soft Machine's friend Mark Boyle (1926-2005), who projected his sensory films during this concert. Thankfully, the performance was professionally recorded using classical ambient technique, and safely archived until the Henie Onstad Art Centre, and the musicians, granted Reel Recordings the honor and responsibility to present this magnificent recording for CD release. The results sound as demonstrably the finest stereo recording of Soft Machine ever captured on tape. To celebrate and contextualize this 2CD release, a CD-ROM including extensive notes and concert photographs is included, in addition to an extensive essay; The Soft Machine Sound: An Electronic Acoustic Experience Examined, chapters on Mark Boyle's light shows by Sebastian Boyle, a transcript of the Soft Machine's 1970 experimental BBC Radiophonic Workshop session, and numerous photographs of Mark Boyle's art exhibition and Soft Machine's concert at Henie Onstad Art Centre. Live At Henie Onstad Art Centre 1971 is not simply another fascinating addition to a series of archival Soft Machine releases; it stands as nothing less than a gift.

Steve Tilston - An Acoustic Confusion CD (Riverman Music) [BTR016CD] $16.00
Originally released by Village Thing in 1971, this is the gorgeous folk debut by the UK's Steve Tilston -- now remastered in a 24-bit remaster. On An Acoustic Confusion, Tilston crafts all-original songs in solo and group performances with echoes of Bert Jansch, Nick Drake, Clive Palmer, Wizz Jones and Donovan. Accompanying him on some tracks are Dave Evans (guitar & vocals), Keith Warmington (harmonica & vocal), John Turner (string bass) and Pete Finch (violin). A stunningly acoustic folk guitar album of great depth. Includes two bonus tracks, obi and extensive insert with history and descriptions of each song by the artist himself. Limited edition of 600. Housed in a paper sleeve in an exact miniature replica of the original.

This week's VINYL update contains releases by:

Alasdair Roberts * Alternative TV * Andrew Liles * Cheveu * Christian Burkhardt * Cousins of Reggae * Cuero * Dennes Deen * Destroy All Monsters * Devon Williams * DJ Fresh * Dr. John * Drones, The * Eater * Ekelon * El Jesus de Magico * Espers * Fairport Convention * Falko Brocksieper * Fever Ray * Finjarn & Jensen * Francesco de Masi * Frankie Flowerz * Gregor Tresher * Hawkwind * Hi-God People/Zond * Iggy Pop * It's A Fine Line * Jacek & Ricardo * James Ferraro * Jason Emsley * Jason Urick * Joris Voorn * Joy Orbison * Kaito * Kane Roth * Khate * Kleinschmager Audio * Laurel Aitken * Laurel Aitken/Girlie * Legendary Pink Dots * Lerosa & Donato Dozzy * Les Reed * Leyland Kirby * Litter, The * Ma Rainey * Magic Kids * Magnetix * Mantles * Mapstation * Marcus Sur * Matias Aguayo * Matty G * Maurizio Bianchi * Michael and the Mumbles * MIJ * Model, The * Moses * Motorhead * Mountains * Nucleus * Odd Machine * Omo/The Chap * One Little Plane * OOIOO * Ortin Cam * Ozric Tentacles * Pens * Pigeons * Ranaldo Morley/My Cat Is An Alien/Ponzini * Randy Barracuda * Ras G and the Afrikan Space Program * Ribn * Rills & Step * Robert Hood * Royal We, The * Russian Tsarlag * San Serac * Shed * Silkie * Skip James * Spacemen 3 * Spiders * Terror Danjah * Thank You * Tiga * Tim Xavier & Miro Pajic * White Hills * Who, The * Yesterday's New Quintet/Breakestra/Mr. Dibbs

[ F E A T U R E D   R E L E A S E S ]

100x Resealable Japanese LP Sleeve - 5 micron mylar LP (Made in Japan) [RJLS100] $29.00
50x Resealable Japanese LP Sleeve - 5 micron mylar LP (Made in Japan) [RJLS25] $16.00
25x Resealable Japanese LP Sleeve - 5 micron mylar LP (Made in Japan) [RJLS25] $9.00
These are the very best, from Japan. Resealable sleeves with the adhesive on the sleeve itself, NOT ON THE FLAP.

[ . . . ]

Alasdair Roberts - The Wyrd Meme 12 inch (Drag City) [DC394EP] $11.25
"At a dizzying peak of powers, Alasdair Roberts is knocking out tune after killer tune, all scored to the beat of his own weird drum, and we love him for it. This is why we choose to exist, to help cement the footsteps of musicians and eccentrics such as he, footsteps that will endure through into future days, just in case the music-buying public of our time somehow drops the ball. Imagine that! The Wyrd Meme is an EP occasioned by the aforementioned windfall of great music circa 2009 from our Alasdair -- the eight massive constructions on Spoils are succeeded by another four songs, this set comprising twentytwo minutes of pure aural Roberts: stimulating, colorful, melodic, and arresting, just for starters. At the time of Spoils (all those weeks ago), the press was inclined to toss around Alasdair's musical vision of syncretism quite liberally -- and it was well down of them to indulge. Of late, Ali has taken to stitching his lyrics together from a diversity of threads, weaving from line to line with myths and legends, verse and slang and old and new, bringing different schools together and wedding it all to his razor-sharp guitar and singing so precise and powerful as to make a groaning man cry. And the ladies like him, too. The syncretic style of this Spring felt so right for this new global village we're all in, The Wyrd Meme takes a dip in the pool as well. Really, it's kind of like a maxi-single, as each song stands in the spotlight afforded single tracks, each of them bidding to be the best song ever in the history of Alasdair Roberts. That's a long time, you know -- at least a couple thousand years just to start. The Wyrd Meme is an autumnal masterwork that'll sound great at any time of the year, every year for the rest of your life. Buy it for Christmas -- keep it to take with you in your burial box."

Andrew Liles - Anal Aura Gram LP (Beta-Lactam Ring) [MT186] $22.00
RELEASE DATE: 09-22-2009
***How many lives would be saved if every one had an Anal Aura Gram? ANDREW LILES does offer a sort of audio high-colonic by flushing unwanted polyps with his unpredictable attacks and decays. Liles has developed a compositional technique that makes individual sonic shifts as compelling as the music itself. The tones arise from submarine-crushing depths into the tails of comets, except when they are suddenly transported into the gut of a mountain. Inside every out-worldly dream-drone is a debris field of small, lovingly constructed noise stabs which strike like matches or coil like cobras. Features a bonus 7-inch featuring two remixes by STEVEN SEVERIN (SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES, THE GLOVE). Edition of 300 copies in custom book-bound sleeves.

Cheveu - Cheveau LP (Permanent Records) [PERM007LP] $15.00
"Metz, France seems to be teeming with great bands these days. Anals, Feeling of Love, Dreams, and A.H. Kraken are just the tip of this incredibly huge Metz iceberg. Many of these bands share members, but they all have their very own sound. Cheveu's sound is similar to the aforementioned bands in their abrasive, weird punk base, but this group more obliviously influenced by the Fall than any of their peers. Their debut LP on S-S sold very well and is currently out-of-print. Here's another LP full of previously unreleased tracks of weird punk greatness."

Christian Burkhardt - Boomerang 12 inch (Deep Vibes) [DVR010EP] $11.50
"After Christian Burkhardt's remix for Sascha Dive on the last release, now comes with an EP for all deep house lovers. You will find a remix from Mr. Rick Wade."

Cousins of Reggae - Quartz LP (Spanish Magic) [SM013] $20.50
AVAILABLE AGAIN!!! BLAKE HARGRAVES & LIAM THURSTON's dirty rock overdrives everything from under a sickening haze-guitar, drums, turntable, homemade feedback devices and homemade drum triggering systems. Volcanic Tongue admire "this Canada-based riot squad" for their "riffs that sound like 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' tied to streamrollers and dragged on their face through industrial warehouse [combined] with the deforming use of clotted effects [and] endless vistas of crunch." All covers are handmade (screen-prints, stencils, hand carved stamps). Australian import.

Dennes Deen - Skin Deep/Break It Up 12 inch (Mbelektronics) [MBELEK053EP] $11.50
Dennes Deen is one of the most important DJs in Austria. He already has some releases on Philipp Straub's Titanium label with his studio partner, and through that cooperation, Dennes got the offer to do a remix for the owner of the label. The remix of "Break It Up" is by Gary Beck, a fixture on labels such as Edit Select, Perc Trax and Soma. This one will go into the cases of Hawtin, Beyer and the likes in no time.

Devon Williams - Sufferer 7 inch (Slumberland) [SL107] $4.50
Over the last few years, Los Angeles-based musician DEVON WILLIAMS has worked with folk / performance band LAVENDER DIAMOND, played with up-and-coming power-pop sensations THE CHAMPAGNE SOCIALISTS, and developed and recorded his own baroque pop songs under his own name. On this excellent new single, a taster for his upcoming Slumberland album, "Sufferer" adds a bit of new wave flavor to the mix, the chorused and reverb-laden guitars reminiscent of mid-period Cure or even Teardrop Explodes. The tune is another future Williams classic, instantly memorable and charming with its driving elegance. "Who Cares About Forever" also impresses, a slow-dance simmer with a wonderful melody and soaring, spare guitar jangle. Both songs reinforce Williams' status as one of Slumberland's finest song-writers and arrangers, and are ample evidence that his next album will be something quite special indeed. On tour with Outrageous Cherry this fall. No export restrictions.

DJ Fresh - Heavyweight/Fantasia 12 inch (Digital Soundboy Records) [SBOY022EP] $9.00
"Digital Soundboy is proud to present DJ Fresh's debut production for Shy Fx's label. Taken from the forthcoming album Kryptonite, this is the first single from the new studio album by DJ Fresh. 'Heavyweight' by name, heavyweight by nature, this track is arguably the biggest tune of the year so far. Once again, Fresh has maximized his talent for massive, unforgettable hooks and shows why he is one of the most talented producers of his generation. Percussive vintage breaks and a looping bassline give 'Heavyweight' an instant impact. The clever addition of quirky vocal samples, deep percussions and bass stabs keeps the track rolling throughout. A smart revamping of classic vibes result in the equally impressive 'Fantasia'; a frenetic slice of vintage jungle complete with diva-esque vocals taking you right back to the legendary Fantazia raves of the early '90s."

Ekelon - Evidence/Freezeland 10 inch (Tube10) [TUBE10005EP] $11.50
"Tube10 returns to the scene again with a release to blow your minds away. This time its the Greek formation Ekelon. Their debut on Planet Mu with Headhunter on Mary Anne Hobb's Evangeline had us in our grasp so much that we couldn't help ourselves then to hit them up and see what would happen. Tube10 005 is the result of this encounter and it shows Ekelon flexing their crossover sound like no other.. is it techno? is it dubstep? We don't know but we sure as hell love both tunes to bits! The A side 'Evidence' is a steady tune in the Ekelon sets and lots of others as well.. Feel this tune filling up the speakers and rumbling up those subs we thought where lost. A perfect blend between all that is experimental while keeping it DJ friendly. Flip it over for 'Freeze Land,' a chilled out tundra of techno, that's how we like to call it. Frozen subs combined with defrosted stepping vibes ensures this to be a solid first release for the Ekelon boys."

El Jesus de Magico - Scalping The Guru LP (Columbus Discount) [CDR038] $12.75
BACK IN PRINT!!! Columbus Discount asked EL JESUS DE MAGICO for a new album this past summer and a few months later they submitted this unusual album that was the most Jim Shepard-like thing heard in a long time. While it doesn't necessarily sound like Shepard, its one of those dark records that lives within its own time and space, an epic work that couldn't be a further departure from their past (and more song-oriented) releases.

Espers - III LP (Drag City) [DC416LP] $16.50
"Picking up the threads with ease, Espers III was intended to be an aural reversal of the layered sound of II. The goal was to record fewer tracks in order to achieve a stronger, more oxygenated sonic presence. Where II was almost claustrophobic in its density and darkness, III was envisaged as being somehow lighter, effervescent; perhaps even of a cheery disposition at times (whoa there! Don't go not breaking our heart, Espers). Under these auspices, recording started in late 2008 and spilled into the spring and summer of 2009. As more time passed in the recording process, a growing dementia within both song and lyrics emerged, making even the most ethereal songs on III seem oddly unwholesome to all involved. As with past releases (both by Espers and significant others), III was recorded with the vinyl LP in mind, playing as a whole divided into two equally weighted sides. Recorded to analog tape and mixed to analog tape again at the end, the songs ended up in a stippled, rippling, ever-flowing space, another important factor in the realization of III. "Space" is a core concept here -- each of these songs in some way access new space, whether they are envisioning, locating, or claiming and colonizing it. In fact, III's working title was Colony, owing to a subtextual thought process that encompassed aspects of Herzog's Aguirre, Heart of Darkness, cult groups, deep Amazonian treks, religious nation building, ritualistic drug ceremonies (taking drugs to take canoe trips to take drugs on) -- eg., escape from assimilation, surviving cultural wars by embedding themselves in the wilderness, among friends and fellow travelers. The cover aesthetic and Xavier Schipani's arresting artwork mirror these themes and Espers' desire to reach beyond what might be expected of an Espers album with metaphoric imagery and increased dimensionality -- not just a new Espers album, but indeed, a new Espers."

Falko Brocksieper - Welcome To Wherever You Are 12 inch (Treibstoff) [TREIB089EP] $10.25
"He's back! Falko Brocksieper, one of the most influential artists on Treibstoff alongside René Breitbarth, returns to the label he helped shaping from its very beginnings. And he surprises us with unforeseen playfulness on the three winning tracks comprising this custom-made release. 'Wherever You Are' sits on both sides of the fence, fusing traditional techno-futurism with thrillingly tight sequences that keep on peaking, incessantly propelled forwards by Falko's very own trademark swing. Equally at ease with its roots seems to be 'The First Ones,' the track where Falko lets the machines sing as if he were the reincarnation of one Bobby Konders. The secret masterpiece however comes with 'Nevermind,' for which the producer descends to the basement, looking for the deepest sounds he can take hold of. Romantic static meets marvelous chords, sustained by succulent rhythms, but the true moment of hotness arrives with the vocals. These vocals are so divine that even Treibstoff's marketing personnel misses the words to describe them in a suitable manner. Lets's put it like this: it's a must-have, straight from Treibstoff to your heart."

Fever Ray - Triangle Walks 12 inch (Turbo Recordings) [TURBO072EP] $12.00
"Turbo is happy to offer up, exclusively on vinyl, Tiga and Seth Troxler's remixes of Fever Ray. Tiga's '1-2-3-4 Remix' of 'Triangle Walks' is, in his words, 'maybe my best remix ever.' It's got a hip hop inflected beat, an Altern8-style rave-airhorn breakdown, and of course the amazing vocals of Karin. Huge reactions on the floor. A 9 on the 'hands-in-the-air' index. Seth Troxler is amazing, incredible producer, DJ, and perhaps most crucially: personality. The sex-addict extraordinaire confesses this track was expressly designed 'to make girls wet.' It's a more melodic thing than he normally goes for, and though it's full of pretty arpeggios, the whole thing has a very unconventional feel, an end-of-the-night f***ed up quality that comes, in part, from the off-beat use of the vocal. It's one that has to be heard out to properly appreciate it, but it's a real standout. Both these tracks achieve the rare feat of being 100% effective played LAST in a set. So that's it. Rabid release it all digitally, but only Turbo have the balls to still press the best onto soul-wax for 800 of you to enjoy."

Frankie Flowerz - The Black 12 inch (Hypercolour) [HYPE015EP] $11.50
"Known for outstanding releases for Crosstown Rebels, Turbo and Prins Thomas' Internasjonal, veteran producer Frankie Flowerz returns to the ascendant Hypercolour imprint with The Black EP backed with remixes from Damian Schwartz and Zumo. Having been a DJ in his native Malaysia from 1984, Flowerz (aka Mohan Das) relocated to Europe in 1990 where he remains to this day, creating house music infused with influences ranging from Quincy Jones to Steve Bug. The lead cut of this EP, 'It's Funk, It's House' sees the wonderfully eccentric beatsmith deliver a piece of classic deep house. Originally recorded 7 years ago to be included on his album as Audio Royal on Funkhaus, Mohan held on to the track until the Hypercolour guys insisted on releasing it. Its spoken vocal was unrehearsed and recorded in one take, mirroring the straight from the heart musicality of the track overall and knocking cheap imitations out of the park. Mupa, Net24 and Oslo artist Damian Schwartz servers up an edit and a remix, with the former teasing out the arrangement and upping the original afrobeat break into 8 minutes of bliss while the latter treads a dubby yet relentless route reminiscent of his Oslo work. Ahead of releases on Hypercolour and Material Series, newcomers Zumo twist the original into walking house groove with razor sharp percussion and heavy bass beffiting of its 'Warped Warehouse Remix' title. Finally, Mohan delivers the parting shot with the rolling tech-house of 'I am not a?'. Throbbing, stab-laden and featuring a timely vocal sample which in summary, reminds us that we're all cut from the same cloth."

Gregor Tresher - The Life Wire Pt. 2 12 inch (Break New Soil) [BNS005EP] $12.00
"Break New Soil presents Part 2 of Gregor Tresher's album vinyl series, including a stunning remix by Martinez. 'Awaking Life Inside' on the A-Side is undoubtedly a true Tresher production, and has got everything an open air hymn needs. It has been played by Gregor on heavy rotation on the festivals this summer and went down like a storm everywhere he dropped it. Now it finally gets released on vinyl and comes with a second original track: 'Plutonian Shores' is an excursion into deep sci-fi tech-funk and another highlight of The Life Wire album. On the flipside we are more than happy to present the second remix for the album by one of the year's most exciting artists: Martinez from Stockholm has been producing music for over a decade and it's simply unbelievable how he delivers one floorburner after the other this year. He also picked the title track of the album for his remix and has put the original vocal effects over one of his signature monster grooves that will definitely work every dancefloor."

Hi-God People/Zond - Split LP (Spanish Magic) [SM011] $20.50
AVAILABLE AGAIN!!! The HI-GOD PEOPLE side was recorded around the same time as their recent split 12-inch with fellow NZers The Dead C; it has live snippets from their show at The Palace supporting Sonic Youth and recordings from a radio 3CR session. Their live shows vary from cosmic rock jams to evolution performance art epics. Pop stars doing the tango with some psychedelic monk. Named after a satellite of the USSR, Melbourne Australia's ZOND broadcast dark ecstasy from a place far below outer space, like a Rorschach blot or a Freudian analysis gone wrong. Their live shows vary from a screaming psychedelic car crash to ambient metal. With current and past members of ON, FONG, LIBRARY PUNKS, MUM SMOKES, NED & THE MEDS, and THE STABS. All covers are handmade (screen prints, stencils, hand carved stamps). Australian import.

It's A Fine Line - Never Go With A Hippie To A Second Location 12 inch (Live At Robert Johnson) [PLAYRJC004EP] $11.50
Vinyl addicts and DJ robots perk up your ears! Live At Robert Johnson announces the vinyl extraction of Ivan Smagghe's Live At Robert Johnson Compilation Vol. 3. The special super-sound single from It's A Fine Line, Smagghe's new project with Tim Paris, comes along with a special remix treatment by Roman Flügel and Ata Macias.

Jacek & Ricardo - Plgrim 12 inch (Unknown Label) [PILGRIM001EP] $15.25
"There seems to be a bit a mystery around this record. And let some of this mystery remain. These two remixes of a fairly obscure song are pretty well known to the public, as for the last year or so they were regulars both in live sets of Jacek Sienkiewicz, and DJ sets of Ricardo Villalobos. Right now these two artists share credits to this obviously outstanding release. 'Pilgrim' is a vital, mesmerizing, uplifting piece of magic. One can assume, telling from the unusual, muezzin-like chanting, that it comes from some forgotten Oriental library record. In fact, it was written in the seventies by a respected Polish composer and extraordinary vocalist to the words of 19th century Polish poet. Now you can hear its modern, not to say futuristic, interpretation by two of the most forward-thinking electronic musicians from two different sides of the globe. Jacek's version certainly has an epic feel, majestically developing hypnotic vocal line among a swooping array of unstoppable, driving beat. This is the prime cut of this song, guaranteed to draw attention of any listener and hold it through its full 12+ minutes. Ricardo's mix, on the other hand, drifts more towards its ethnic connotations, being heavier on percussion while retaining its evocation of a desert tribal chant. Already in heavy circulation with some of the most prolific DJs, this is a strictly limited release which gained a sort of a classic reputation far before it finally surfaced on vinyl. No doubt a timeless record, and a truly moving nod to the past by the artists of the future."

James Ferraro - Citrac 2xLP (Arbor) [ARBOR106] $23.00
The Citrac collection presents one of JAMES FERRARO's most cinematic visions; showing his recent mode of soundworld creation in top form. By shying away from pure musical creation and opting towards the organic birth of sonic universes James finds a new way to tell a story. Evoking vastly imaginative imagery, this 80-plus minute suite spanning two LPs, contains the previously released "Postremo Techno Mundus Symposium," excerpts and alternative edits from Liquid Metal's Alternative Soundtrack to "Digital Overdrive," and the all new "Digital Tribe." Presenting deep-nightmarish atmospheres of surveillance and captivity on through the rush of the open road; the hypnotic, lo-fi result is one that could only come from Ferraro's alien mind, eternally stuck in a 1980s vision of an impossibly archaic future. In an edition of 400 double LPs with full color printed inner-sleeves in pro-printed black and white cardboard sleeves and printed labels by James.

Jason Emsley - Limitiert #13 12 inch (Platzhirsch Schallplatten) [PLATZLTD013EP] $10.25
California's Jason Emsley busts out tunes that are timeless, emotional, perfect for peak-time and all that other stuff. Featuring "On" and "Parallels."

Jason Urick - Husbands LP (Thrill Jockey) [THR225LP] $13.75
"Husbands is Jason Urick's solo debut. Those well-versed in the Baltimore or experimental electronic music scenes might be familiar with his band WZT Hearts or his solo works as themoonstealingproject. Husbands finds Urick at a crossroads where his ideas are becoming more fully realized, and while still experimental in nature, the songs are envisioned as an honest attempt at 'pop'. There are similarities to his previous projects of course. Those familiar with WZT Hearts will feel that the tracks on Husbands are in-line with the more ambient pieces that the band produced. Ghosted, fragmented melodies, distorted tones and so forth. Compared to themoonstealingproject, Husbands has more depth sound-wise and the songs tend to take the longer route with tracks averaging around the 10 minute mark each. After spending four years in WZT Hearts where all the music was improvised, it was a relaxing and refreshing change of pace to take an idea, let it unfurl, and watch it burn slowly into extended soundscapes. The result is an album that is a complex study in subtlety and one that rewards patience."

Joris Voorn - Dusty House: Room 2 12 inch (Rejected) [REJ0072EP] $12.00
"Rejected's 'Dusty House' series got off to the finest of starts with its Room 1 EP by Joris Voorn. Featuring the tracks 'Empty Trash' and the stunning 'Sweep The Floor,' it instantly became a DJ favorite, finding support from the world's leading lights. 'Sweep The Floor' has gone on to become one of the biggest hits of the summer, and its strength has seen it ruling the current crop of charts, and has even been used as a music bed for features on the UK's Radio 1. How do you follow up such a big release? With another of course! It's time for us to check out Room 2. Two more choice cuts of Voorn at his best. Taking old skool samples and sensibilities, and matching them with new school muscle, he presents the incredible 'Chase The Mouse' and 'We're All Clean.' Which works best? Well that's for you to decide. But we know from Joris' road tests that these are set to follow on from the success of the first EP, and we'll be hearing them for many, many months to come."

Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo 12 inch (Hotflush) [HFT009EP] $10.25
"Massive massive massive record. For the ninth release on Hotflush Two, a new producer based in London steps to the fore: Joy Orbison, with two tracks resonating somewhere between dubstep, funky, and future soul. 'Hyph Mngo' is the year's most talked-about track in the blogosphere; championed by Martin 'Blackdown' Clark and maligned by Simon Reynolds, it has already become a smash in clubs across the world. On the flip, 'Wet Look' maintains the vibe."

Kaito - We Are Living Here 12 inch (Kompakt) [KOM201EP] $11.50
Kaito is one of Japan's biggest dance producers and a top 3 best-selling artist in Japan, USA and Greece for Kompakt. Here are two tracks from his Trust full-length (KOMP 074CD), both signifying a more meditative and mature pace for the artist. Fear not, the euphoria remains -- Kaito continues to flow through his melodies with a remarkable ease, grace and introspectiveness that is rarely heard.

Kane Roth - Kama Sutra 12 inch (Serie Noire) [SIN002EP] $12.00
"The Serie Noire continues. Kane Roth is working towards a mix of psycho-reactive minimal techno while Tim Xavier redefines 'Kama Sutra' with playful bass lines. Kane's 'Kama Sutra' is focused on a melodic Audion-like gimmick. The track is remarkable by the use of typically pitched down vocals and massive kicks, it viciously hooks the listener. Yearning begins with strange and dark sounds but after three minutes holds the line with simple yet magnificent synth layers. In this track, Kane is close to Robag Wruhme's delicate vision of techno music. The remix of 'Kama Sutra' constantly thumbs our nose. Tim Xavier's arrangements are mapped out with calculated intent, he pushes the track into a brilliantly fun and never-ending roller coaster."

Khate - Pareidolia LP (Smtg Limited) [SMTG017LP] $12.75
"Pareidolia is the first vinyl collection from Khate, Virginia's one woman orchestra of odd instruments and an artist who embraces the significance of random sound. Each sound is absorbed, enhanced by all the sounds that follow, until the listener is transported someplace supernatural. Circuit bent electronics, synths, and other devices buzz, throb, and fizzle in a fog of found sound. You become trapped in rhythmic hypnosis, dancing in the dark corners of a forgotten place with memories that aren't your own. Limited edition of 300 copies housed in silkscreened covers. Mastered by James Plotkin."

Kleinschmager Audio - Audiology - L.E. RMXS 12 inch (Rrygular) [RRY033EP] $11.50
These are the first remixes off Kleinschmager Audio's debut album, Audiology. "Helicotrema" is remixed by Sven Tasnadi in a functional minimal techno fashion. Drums and percussion push to the fore, but are then scaled down to build up to a suspenseful break. An energetic DJ tool. "Emphasis" gets a deep Detroit dub techno treatment by Marko Fürstenberg -- simply timeless. The single version of "Tuba Auditiva" features a remarkable saxophone hook line, making it one of the album's smashers.

Lerosa & Donato Dozzy - Snake At Number 2 12 inch (Apnea) [APNEA027EP] $10.25
"Stellar collaboration between Lerosa & Donato Dozzy!! Snakes at Number 2 is a beatiful exercise of deep and dark housey vibes. Four super-classy tracks builded on subtle rhythms for special dancefloors around the globe."

Leyland Kirby - When We Parted My Heart Wanted To Die 2xLP (History Always Favours The Winners) [HAFTW001LP] $22.00
Previously released on CD as part of a 3CD package, this is the first of three double vinyl editions of When We Parted My Heart Wanted To Die, Sadly, The Future Is No Longer What It Was, and Memories Live Longer Than Dreams. These pieces are the first released by UK to Berlin transplant The Caretaker's James Kirby under his own name, and are the result of an intense period of production aimed at encapsulating a deep feeling of loss and alienation. This is the soundtrack to a world in decline, the heroism of modern life, a document of loss, an essay in gloom, delivered with a brutally honest appreciation of the pitiful truth. Time-worn, ambient drone-hauntology.

Litter, The - Emerge LP (Lilith) [LR157LP] $22.75
Gatefold 180 gram vinyl version.

Magic Kids - Hey Boy 7 inch (Goner) [53GONE] $5.50
THE MAGIC KIDS are a mysterious band of pop pranksters from Memphis featuring members of THE BARBARAS and GIRLS OF THE GRAVITRON who, after they're banished from the kingdom, discover a secret bohemian forest shanty. There, they work tirelessly to create the magical sound that will lift the spell and grant them entrance back into the castle. The Kids channel Jan and Dean, Brian Wilson, and Phil Spector for Hey Boy, their first single. Will it be enough to appease the King and his court? Only time will tell. "These guys seem much too young to cram this much boy/girl-group-three-part-harmony-wall-of-sound-Phil-Spector-reloading madness into one song, but I guess that's the way they raise them in Memphis these days. Whether or not they've lived it, they've heard it, and ultimately that's half the battle. If you can't score the movie playing in your head to this song, consider getting a new movie."-RCRD LBL

Magnetix - Positively Negative LP (Slovenly) [70292] $10.25
It's finally happened! THE MAGNETIX, France's most prolific and distorted rock'n'roll band has finally teamed up with Slovenly Recordings for what is sure to be a match made in Heaven (or Hell, depending upon your definition of pleasure). With their newest LP, Positively Negative, The Magnetix embark on a slightly more mature trip than their usual blasts of revved up raunch, and go for an all out oozing set of fuzz drenched hog riding throbbers. Members LOOCH VIBRATO and AGGY SONORA (life partners and sole band members) are really going for it this time, concentrating equally on songwriting as well as displaying their pounding prowess. On transparent clear vinyl. No Export to Europe

Mantles - Mantles LP (Siltbreeze) [SB104] $13.25
With two acclaimed seven-inches under their belt, THE MANTLES answer the call for more with a stunning debut LP sure to please all who cross its path. The Mantles have been dead-on in distilling a contemporary pop / psych concoction that mixes equal parts early Chills with early Dream Syndicate-and really, who among us wouldn't want a bottle of that with which to quietly tipple the day away? Recorded by GREG ASHLEY, the LP taps said hybrid, and if anything, burrows deeper into the core of rock, extracting essential magma that fuses early SF Ballroom psychedelia, Byrds-ian jangle-pop, and the Velvet Underground's extraordinary ability for serpentine leads and bridges. And yep, that pretty much covers all the bases. The band is currently on their first US tour supporting Ty Segall coast to coast. LP includes free digital download.

Mapstation - The Africa Chamber LP (Scape) [SCAPE059LP] $16.00
After three years of production, we welcome the sound of ?The Africa Chamber", the third album by MAPSTATION. Since 2001, Stefan Schneider has been working under this moniker. Nevertheless, this new release marks a premiere for the Dusseldorf-based artist: it is the first album produced by Schneider himself. Delving deeper into the sounds and subjects already explored on his previous outings "Map Of Africa" (2002) and "Loin D'Afrique" (2006), this record expands on MAPSTATION's tentative love and study of the African continent. Like his earlier aural collages, ?The Africa Chamber" treats this region not only as a geographic location, but more so as a symbol of unknown terrain, of distant shores awaiting our exploration. Indebted to myth rather than reality, this destination becomes an envisioned and visionary realm ? which in turn triggers responses in our body. Here, we find ourselves confronted by the unknown and unfamiliar, by things that might take us to uncharted territories. To this end, music serves as an enchanted means for getting seduced and whisked away by the unknown. Unfettered by the fetish of authenticity, but rather bolstered by various encounters on neutral, diasporic grounds like European Internet cafes (?Unitel"), African beauty parlours (?The Protector") or folkloristic kitsch figurines ("Return Of The Hunter"), Schneider prefers an associative approach to music that is firmly ? and deliberately ? rooted in speculation. His "Africa Chamber" becomes a fanciful wunderkammer of would-be African sounds. In this spirit, the album retraces the subconscious cultural amalgamations that shape our contemporary mainstream culture and reciprocal influences, from the digital replication and recreation of jungle ambience for the Antwerp Zoo ("Nocturama") to the illustrated Swedish porcelain gracing MAPSTATION's cover, heavily influenced by African art. In a fitting twist, Schneider's inimitable MAPSTATION sound ? conjuring up broad and expansive soundscapes from a bare minimum of synthesizer arpeggiators ? has started to incorporate more and more analogue percussion for a coarser, less predictably textured sound. Amplifiers are miked up. Distortion, overamplification and feedback claim their rightful space. Meaning: sounds are confronted, not neutralised. Besides a plethora of percussive hollowware like vases or pitchers and prepared piano passages ? recorded in the studio of Dusseldorf-based pianist and composer Volker Bertelmann aka HAUSCHKA ? the album relies mainly on digital synths, reawakened and injected with new warmth. Continuing his tradition of collaboration, Schneider also invited an eclectic range of master musicians to join him on this sonic journey. ANNIE WHITEHEAD, on-stage staple of a. o. Robert Wyatt, Afrika Express/Damon Albarn or James Blood Ulmer and a welcome addition to Schneider's previous album "Distance Told Me Things To Be Said" (scape 38), fleshed out two tracks ("Ensemble Of Four", "Carmel") with her spellbinding trombone. NICHOLAS ADDO-NETTEY, a vital addition to the "The Africa Chamber" since the early days (2006), also played percussion ? alongside Tony Allen ? for the seminal Fela Kuti Band in the 1970s. He has been living in Berlin since 1979 where he also music with his own band. Drummer THOMAS KLEIN completes MAPSTATION's trio of collaborators: When he does not provide driving rhythms to Schneider's quiet contemplation, he plays drums for Kreidler, the Dusseldorf band that started Stefan Schneider's own career between 1994 and 1999. In electronic music, Klein has few rivals when it comes to distinct and influential drumming. Looking far and between, inspiration strikes in the most unlikely places. Once fascination extends its grip, you will encounter it anywhere.

Marcus Sur - Down With The Ship 12 inch (Trapez) [TRAPEZLTD081] $11.50
Marcus Sur lives near Cologne, and with this 12", he shows his love for minimal. His definition of minimal, though, has more in common with Robert Hood than with recent developments, due to his love for rare groove and deep house music. This EP is authentic and cool and speaks the language of Germany's coal-mining district, the Ruhrpott. House music has always been big there, and led to the founding of one of the first house distributers in Germany, NTT.

Matias Aguayo - Ay Ay Ay 2xLP (Kompakt) [KOM205LP] $17.25
2LP version. Previously released on CD by Kompakt, now available on double vinyl. This is Matias Aguayo's second full-length for Kompakt. Recorded in Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile and Paris together with Vicente Sanfuentes (Original Hamster), Matias has conjured an impossibly unclassifiable full-length that is certain to surprise and elate. Take opener "Menta Latte" -- countless layers of his voice revel in a psychedelic dream park together with a simple xylophone chord. The chorus of Matias' unpretentious first single "Rollerskate" is damned to stay on auto repeat in your head for days. His leanings to traditional African music resonate with the beautiful crooner "Koro Koro." Fans of his recent singles will rejoice to the rhythm of songs "Me Vuelvo Loca" and "Juanita" -- Latin harmonies embraced with Matias coaxing you to get up and dance. A landmark release for Kompakt.

Matty G - Rock Like This 12 inch (Argon) [ARG025EP] $10.25
"Old skool master Matt G returns after an all to long hiatus with 2 slices of b-boy infused dubstep. 'Rock Like This' takes vintage vocal samples and camouflages them in a production pinned together by slow, loping beats and steel drum hooks. Continuing in the chopped & screwed dub mode is 'The Scratch The Bass,' whose 808 cowbells bring a little electro heritage to an otherwise very modern urban sound."

Model, The - Vampire Funk 12 inch (International Deejay Gigolo) [GIGOLO257EP] $11.50
The Model has attempted to engineer his own genre dark-techno-baroque. Set against a backdrop of refined charm, there's something dark and brutal about "In The Night" -- poppy, but with haunting vocals underpinned by a driving techno rhythm. "Flex" is a pounding track that could have been played by Daft Punk in '96 and will find a home with a diverse selection of DJs. The Vampire Funk EP delves deeper into The Model's dark side and stirs the blood.

Mountains - Etching LP (Thrill Jockey) [THR226LP] $13.75
"To follow up the release of their highly acclaimed album Choral, Mountains is please to present Etching. Before embarking on tour earlier this year Mountains recorded Etching at Brendon's studio in real time with no overdubs. The band then sold the music on that tour as a limited edition CD-R with hand-stamped sleeves. The music on Etching parallels the live sets the band performed on that tour. To translate the recording to the vinyl format the band re-sequenced the recordings to fit more appropriately on the LP."

Odd Machine - Phase In 12 inch (Non Standard Productions) [NSP006EP] $12.25
"Odd Machine is an open-ended collaborative investigation whose first release featured Tobias Freund and Ricardo Villalobos (nsp o3); the project will expand over time to include a wide variety of musicians. This time Tobias Freund got together with his long time friend Uwe Schmidt aka Atom TM. Atom TM, whose musical friendship with Tobias goes back over 20 years, provided Linn 9000 / Lm-2 and Tenori-On rhythm programmings which were recorded at his studio in Santiago De Chile and during a brief jam at Tobias Freund's studio in Berlin. Tobias Freund was responsible for the production, additional sounds, beats and mixdown treatments. All in all a record that follows the idea of non standard productions."

Omo/The Chap - Split 7 inch (Loaf) [LOAF34] $7.00
LOAF is delighted to announce the release of a split 7-inch of unparalleled pop-portions. "Oversized" is taken from OMO's new White Album . On the flip are the kings of school teacher dada pop who never fails to entertain, THE CHAP. "Well Done You" is as smooth as baby food, spiky as a sea urchin and as fruity as Leslie Nielsen. Their tribute to achievement is a 'top notch' slice of noughties pop that will have you grinning all the way to the Bill Gates motivational speech. Limited to 500 copies.

One Little Plane - Lotus Flower 12 inch (Text) [TEXT007EP] $9.00
"This is a limited 12" vinyl release on Kieran Hebden's (Four Tet) Text records label. 500 only for the world. Two new remixes of one of the stand out tracks from the debut album by One Little Plane. The first mix is by Avus who is one of the artists on James Holden's Border Community label. A beautiful piece of melodic techno that has been getting lots of play at Border Community nights. The other remix is by Joe Goddard from Hot Chip. Techno with a strong UK garage influence. Following on from the amazing remixes he has done for everyone from Gang Gang Dance to Kraftwerk."

OOIOO - Armonico Hewa LP (Thrill Jockey) [THR222LP] $15.00
"Thrill Jockey is pleased to announce the arrival of Armonico Hewa, OOIOO's sixth full-length album and first record in over three years! Armonico Hewa continues the rapturous and frenetic celebration of nature that coursed through the veins of their 2006 album TAIGA. Where as TAIGA meant 'forest' in Russian and 'big river' in Japanese, Armonico Hewa is a combination of words ('armonico' is Spanish and 'hewa' is Swahili) that is defined by the band as 'air in a harmonious state'. Like the cross-cultural title, Armonico Hewa is a mind-melting combination of stylistic reference points that can only be described as some kind of tribal psychedelia that is oddly spiritual and alarmingly urgent. OOIOO leader Yoshimi began her music career in 1986 playing drums in UFO or Die with Eye and later joined him in the revolutionary noise-pop experimentalist Boredoms. While the group has featured different musicians in the past, the same all-female four-piece who created TAIGA is once again the driving force behind Armonico Hewa. Longtime OOIOO guitarist Kayan, bassist Aya and drummer Ai join Yoshimi to create one of the most enthralling, adventurous and unique bands in modern music."

Ortin Cam - Carnage 12 inch (Mote Evolver) [MOTE012EP] $12.00
"'I've been playing Ortin's track at big gigs for quite a while at peak times, with The Advent & Industrialyzer interpreting it its great to release these two fine pieces of work that have purpose and conviction,' says Luke Slater about the next release on his Mote Evolver label. The boundary-pushing mindset Slater brings to his own Planetary Assault Systems creations is a key characteristic of the music he selects for Mote Evolver. This release from Ortin Cam is a prime example. Being an influential player within Belgium's evergreen techno scene, Ortin Cam's music can best be described as rousing and straight-to-the-point. A regular contributor for leading labels such as Drumcode and Invasion, this single on Mote-Evolver represents another accolade in Cam's upwardly mobile career. The clue to what to expect from this record is in the title. 'Carnage' is a highly purposeful, no-holds-barred, full force techno record. Constructed around firing snares and alternating loops of jittery and then drawn out horn snippets the overall effect is a high-octane track with a fierce rhythm and lots of tense energy. The Advent & Industrialyzer (Kombination Research) present their combined force on the remix. The duo brings a groovier, more electronic vibe to the track; keeping the pulsing tension of the original and underpinning everything with a mechanical, hammer-like groove and multiple layers of undulating distorted acid."

Pens - Hey Friend, What You Doing? LP (DeStijl) [LPPENSHEY] $13.75
PENS live sets last about 14 minutes. The girls swap instruments in between tunes mainly because it appears none of them really know what they are doing. The whole shambolic thing seems on the verge of falling apart; it's swathed in so much static and reverb that it's like watching the YouTube clip of the kid kicking through the granite wall and snapping his ankle in half. They also do a cover of "Sex Beat" by The Gun Club that sounds like The Germs trying to be The Shangri-Las through a gauze of early K Records fuzz.

Pigeons - Lunetters 7 inch (Soft Abuse) [SAB036] $7.25
RELEASE DATE: 09-22-2009
***PIGEONS make sublimely blasted/incredibly hallucinogenic songs from their base up in Bronx, NY. The trio of WEDNESDAY KNUDSEN, CLARK GRIFFIN and CARTER THORNTON have been active for a few years, releasing miniature-run cassettes and lathe cuts for Griffin's sub-underground Moran Tape Label that dealt in skronk, warp and mystery. Their wayward song-based creations are just as ambitious, melding dissonance, crude electronics and chanson pop. One-time pressing of 400.

Ranaldo Morley/My Cat Is An Alien/Ponzini - Live @ Sensational Fix LP (Starlight Furn. Co.) [*25] $13.25
On June 17, 2008, the exhibition SONIC YOUTH etc.: Sensational Fix opened at LiFE in Saint-Nazaire, France, with a focus on their multi-disciplinary activities since 1981-collaborations with visual artists, filmmakers, designers, and musicians, as well as other works selected by the band. As part of the exhibition project, MY CAT IS AN ALIEN performed on stage with their long-time collaborator RAMONA PONZINI (PAINTING PETALS ON PLANET GHOST, BLACK MAGIC DISCO, Z'EV) singing Japanese, MICHAEL MORLEY of New Zealand's free noise band DEAD C, and LEE RANALDO of Sonic Youth. As a non-programmed live act, My Cat Is An Alien were supplied with two guitars from Sonic Youth's memorabilia wall of old guitars. No MCIAA show would be complete without sounds and beams generated by space toy guns, which they liberated from a local vintage toys warehouse (including a toy microphone for Roberto's vocals). Exhibition curator ROLAND GROENENBOOM recalls: "Michael Morley joined My Cat Is An Alien and Ramona Ponzini on stage for an improv piece. They were already way into developing [it] when, to their surprise, Lee Ranaldo picked up the guitar that Maurizio had left lying on stage when he moved on to playing percussion, [which only] made the already phenomenal sonic achievement even denser." Stills from the live footage shot by Groenenboom appear on the color insert. During the performance, Roberto shot photos with a Poloroid, which are front and back cover and labels of this LP. Side B features a collection of solo pieces by each of the five members of this extemporaneous ensemble. The perfect compendium to the unicity of this historical document. Limited edition vinyl-only release.

Randy Barracuda - Randy Barracuda LP (Flogsta Danshall) [FD002LP] $23.25
"Zap! The white horse of spastic computer funk and synthesized Scandinavian Afro-minimalism is back to burn! Randy Barracuda, best known as a member of the legendary elecro bassoutfit Imatran Voima and as one of the pioneers of the Skweee-movement, releases his solo-album after a decade of wait! Starkly named long-play is Barracuda's homage for his key influences: '80s analogue synthesizer funk, romantic modern soul and drugged out cosmic psychedelia. The musical spectrum of the album varies from the anthemic screeching of 'Ketamine Strut' and 'Skweee Like A Pig' to melancholic spacey moods of 'Hungry For Another Touch' and 'Love Axe/Heavy Metal.' Guest starring Michael Black Electro as 'the voice.' But, enough advertising now. (As Leonard Bernstein said: 'The joy of music should never be interrupted by a commercial.')"

Ras G and the Afrikan Space Program - Destination There 12 inch (Ramp) [RAMP024EP] $10.25
"Ras G returns to Ramp, after his extrasolar remix of Clouds' 'Timekeeper' and output on BFF Flying Lotus' digital-only Brainfeeder label, with a fresh EP of speaker-popping rasta-flecked hip hop sickness. Residing in the left coast, Ras has been godfather to the new post-Dilla instrumental hip hop movement, releasing various vinyl releases on his own Poobah label as far back at 2005. Being one of the most innovative and crazy characters in the scene, Ras' dusty bass humps are still bringing the realness in a massively stagnant field."

Ribn - Whirl Cloud 12 inch (Mule Electronic) [MULE063EP] $11.50
Ribn is a special project by Manuel Tur and Langenberg. They have already released on labels such as Ovum and Styrax Leaves. The title track is very deep, smoky techno dub, reminiscent of Minilogue and Beat Pharmacy, etc. "Lum Lum" is taken from the Mule Electronic compilation My Favorite Things Vol. 2, and in general, both tracks are dubby, electric, slow deep house.

Rills & Step - Bye Bye 12 inch (Esperanza) [ESPEXTRA001EP] $11.50
"Kicking off our new series called Esperanza Extra, which will showcase our favourite picks for strictly dancefloor-oriented music, we have no more than Rills & Step. The Turin suspects who already collaborated with us with some great digital releases are making their vinyl debut showcasing 3 stunning floor killers. On the A side, we have 'Rodeo Drive,' a deep burner with some disco infused sounds all over the place, already tried and tested this track can make serious damage, now it's time for you to test it. On the B-Side, 'Sunset Boulevard' is a Chi-Disco hypnotic driving track which we can even call futuristic house music and closing the EP, 'Costa Verde' a super solid track in a similar vein of Rodeo Drive but still showing its own character."

Robert Hood - Superman/Range 12 inch (Minus) [MPM003EP] $11.50
Robert Hood returns with the next release on his formidable M-Plant label. The rhythmical adventures of "Superman" immediately grabs your attention, with Hood's signature stripped-down beats and perfect blending of solid Detroit techno embellished with infectious, tracky Chicago claps. Alternatively, "Range" is a deeper ride through more acidic territories as Hood demonstrates why he's still the minimal master. Aimed directly at the dancefloor, this is sure to receive as much attention on the decks.

Royal We, The - Party Guilt 12 inch (Crosstown Rebels) [CRM053EP] $11.50
The Royal We is manned by Detroit's youngest prodigy, Seth Troxler. Co-produced with cohorts Shaun Reeves and Hector, this is a mischievous slice of Chicago style house that has a foot steadily on the gas, subtly edging up the energy levels. Dinky and Matt Styles' reworks are equipped with added humor in Tamara Dieke's humorous, poignant and cutting vocals. For girls who party too much.

Russian Tsarlag - Open Casket LP (Hot Releases) [HR011LP] $12.00
"Romantic low-fi death rock creepers from prolific Providence showman/illustrator/film-maker Carlos Gonzalez. Some of his catchiest tunes yet. It's got an X-Pressway feel, however unintentional. Reminds me of morbid childhood, the thing in the mirror, the AM rock n roll station and its chintzy announcers, hair collectors and men in heels -- # 1 pop hit of the year. To be listened at night on headphones."

San Serac - Music Never Ends 12 inch (Environ) [ENV033EP] $7.75
"San Serac has been bringing his blood house and wrong boogie funk to the clubs for a minute now. In the last few years he has toured extensively with Junior Boys, Wilderness and Shout Out Out Out Out, and his kinetic live show has disrupted every kind of venue including noted parties like Horse Meat Disco, Wierd and P.S.1 Warm Up in NYC. His self-released Professional album garnered many kind words from the underground, and his acclaimed Stereo Image project (with ex-Junior Boy Johnny Dark) made The Wire's top albums of 2008. After meeting Morgan Geist on tour the two got to talking, and the rest, as they say, is history. Music Never Ends is San Serac's first record for Environ, and it will burn a club hole in your soul with its catchy lyrics and no wave hip house style. Also on the A side is 'Night Work,' a manic depressive boogie track relaxing somewhere between the 80s funk of Aurra and the soul insanity of Station To Station. The B side is a remix of 'Music Never Ends' by Morgan Geist himself, a stripped down classic techno jammer guaranteed to rock the crowd."

Shed - Dub Sessions I 12 inch (Subsolo) [SUB005EP] $10.25
"Displaying his excellent production skills within techno, Shed moves over to straight up dub sessions with the Dub Shed Sessions I on SubSolo. Fierce bass meditative drops circles around the excellent atmospheric keyboard patterns, combined in a way that sounds both fresh and unique, but still rating 100% on Shed's own trademark sound. Leaning towards a bit of contemporary straight dub techno with 'Dub Shed - STP Remix,' the focus is on a more direct and present take on the tracks progression, rather than inviting the listener into an already set-up wall of sound. Shaking off the melody from the centre, the spacious patterns reveal themselves as the extreme basslines comes in, removing all doubt about the direction of the track. Taking the very straight up techno track from 'WAX No. 10001' B side, Shed displays yet another moniker(?) as Panamax, fusing the same linear groove from the original but taking the tempo down to inhumane tempo and filling the already colourful spectrum with wide percussion and even more slow building electric synthesizer swirls."

Silkie - Step Aside 12 inch (Cloqworq) [ASC003EP] $10.25
"DJ Silkie provides his debut single on Cloqworq Recordings, which consists of two tracks written especially for this in house label. This is the first release since this producer has proved his talent time and time again with a string of releases over the past two years on the infamous Deep Medi Recordings and not to mention the groundbreaking album City Limits Vol. 1. DJ Silkie And Anti Social Ent. as a collective are definitely ones to watch. 'Step Aside' is a clever combination of hard hitting bass and breaks with the synthy, melodic and soulful elements as expected from this producer -- dark and moody with a jazzy twist. This track drops into what can only be described as low end sub bass over a tribal beat pattern which is enough to shake up any dancefloor -- a real stomper 'Illegal Immigrant' comes with similar vibes on the b side, starting off with emotive, dubesque pads and dropping with low down sub stabs over another unconventional but highly effective beat. This represents the other side to the anti social sound which can only be described of as the liquid/deeper dubstep sound. Both tracks have had support on the highly acclaimed Rinse FM on a weekly basis and are receiving heavy rotation from DJs such as Skream, Mala And N-type in the clubs and not to mention major dubstep icons such as Hatcha from Kiss 100 and Maryanne Hobbs from Radio 1, this highlights the versatility of these tracks and the potential to cross into DJ sets from different genres -- a real must for all serious dubsteppers worldwide."

Spiders - Spiders 12 inch (Brainmath) [MATH003EP] $12.25
"Following up Zomby's Digital Flora, BRAiNMATH returns with Spiders by Spiders. As always, insanely limited!!"

Terror Danjah - Industry Standard Part 4 12 inch (Planet Mu) [ZIQ248] $7.00
Industry Standard Part 4 is a little taste of what's in store on the amazing Gremlinz, the forthcoming collection of TERROR DANJAH instrumentals due in October. The EP kicks off with a brilliant, synth-funk take on Terror's 2007 grime classic "Zumpi Hunter" from Swindle Productions, as well as a V.I.P. mix of the same track. The B side features two brand new tracks. First up, the unusual 4/4 of "Sidechain" sounds like grime meets trance in a computer game, but works unbelievably well-a testament to Terror's skills. The tough "Stealth Mode" is a dark and nasty mix of grime and dubstep with a savage, chest-tearing bassline. Industry Standard Part 4 is a big EP from one of grime's foremost talents. Just wait for the compilation! No exports outside North America and Japan

Thank You - Pathetic Magic 12 inch (Thrill Jockey) [THR01235EP] $16.50
"Thank You finally return after a year of touring both here (with the astonishing Mi Ami) and abroad behind their 2008 full-length Thrill Jockey debut Terrible Two. The new EP features two new tracks, 'Pathetic Magic' and 'Strange All,' and is the first recording to feature Emmanuel Nicolaidis behind the drum kit. The B side of the EP features three exclusive remixes from several Baltimore friends. Dan Deacon took time out from his hectic touring schedule to remix a track, Asa Osborne of Lungfish fame lent his minimalist aesthetic to a mix of 'Pathetic Magic' and 'Strange All' woven together, and Joe Williams (of White Williams) and Jason Urick (of WZT Hearts) collaborated together on a remix of 'Pathetic Magic.'"

Tiga - Beep Beep Beep Remixes 12 inch (Turbo Recordings) [TURBO070EP] $12.00
"Beep Beep Beep. Remix Remix Remix! On the A-side, the Loco Dice Dub is a perfect set-builder, one of his best remixes to date. Purist Loco fans might also be happy to hear that Tiga's vocal has been 99% extracted from this version, leaving behind only the echo of disco-pop in a solid, DJ-friendly groove. Kaine's mix keeps things closer to the original, emphasizing the pop punch-lines with staccato beeps and a chunky beat. Positive vibes here from a bright young UK producer. Finally, space-disco maestros Emperor Machine turn in another epic roller complete with a brilliant analog synth jam finale. Great job! Ciao!"

Tim Xavier & Miro Pajic - The Persian Eye 12 inch (Limited 400) [LTD400008EP] $11.50
"Another stellar release from Tim Xavier's imprint, this time featuring a collaborative work with German talent, Miro Pajic, and an Ambivalent (M_nus) remix! 'Persian Eye' is loaded with groovy minimal percussion, peak time atmospherics and a moody, Arabian oral cadence that takes the arrangement into another dimension. Ambivalent re-defines the vocal with a haunted alteration, changing the verbal concept into an eerie, trackie mixer great for fans of his unique and enchanting sound. Also available is an Acapella!"

Various Artists - Remixes 12 inch (Fear Of Flying) [FOF016EP] $11.50
"Remix EP action kicking off with ultra hot talent Martinez giving our recent release, Leif's Designed With That In Mind, his supa' teched up house treatment. Einmaleins starlet Chris Lattner is up next, polishing Pawas' 'Mac Dub' into a rolling groove tech houser. And finally, we employed one of our very own to remix, ahem, one of our very own, with Cally giving BLM & Pawas' 'Online' a techno'd up reboot." Savas Pascalidis - Figure SPC C ^12 inch [FIGSPCC:f] Figure Spc $11.50 "A true home for playful experimentation and a place for real fun to be had, Figure SPC proudly raises its hat to the latest dose of musical mindplay on offer. After the sensational trip that was his Vapors 12" on Len Faki's Figure label last year, the inimitable Savas Pascalidis returns with four unique club burners that are guaranteed hotter than the sun! 'Positive Force' throws us right into the party, introducing the bold, gutsy vibe of the EP with this sinister synthethiser jam. Using only a handful of elements to tell the tale, an addictive bassline and a psycho-disco groove throw energy all over the place in this reckless monster. But of course that was only the warm up for the mighty 'Let's Rough' that follows on the A2! Tripping, awesome analogue drums and a formidable bass end push this storming big-room-ready cut through all of its rebellious ups and downs."

Various Artists - Munich Disco Tech Vol. 4 12 inch (Great Stuff Records) [GSR089EP] $11.50
"The infamous Munich Disco Tech EP returns with its fourth installment with only tracks from duos, from No. 1 artists to rather unknown producers but from all around the globe. Spanish Beatport No. 1 duo Coyu & Edu Imbernon, already known from labels like liebe*detail and diynamic. Carlo Dall Anese & Fabio Castro from Brazil, Fuxblut from Vienna and last but not least the Italians Dariush & DJDa."

White Hills - Dead 12 inch (Thrill Jockey) [THR01236EP] $12.75
"Hailing from Brooklyn, White Hills were originally formed to help bring space rock into the 21st century and on October 6th, they'll be one step closer with the release of their limited edition Dead EP. Straddling the chasm between Hawkwind and Mudhoney, White Hills craft psychedelic swirls of feedback, bottom heavy bass riffs and soaring guitar solos that take listeners on journeys into the farthest reaches of the mind. This vinyl only release features three new tracks and a remix of 'Oceans of Sound' and is limited to 1,000 copies. Like all previous White Hills' releases, the demand for this EP is already foreshadowing that it will sell out instantaneously upon release! Title track 'Dead' was recorded at Oneida's Ocropolis studio in Brooklyn and features Kid Millions on drums. It's slated to appear on White Hills' forthcoming LP that is set for release in early 2010. 'Oceans of Sound' originally appeared on the Heads On Fire LP and has been remixed for this EP by Antrĸnhy Ä~H who currently plays drums in Julian Cope's Black Sheep Band. 'Another Coming' and 'Red Sun' are exclusive to the EP and were recorded and mixed at 60B in New York."

Yesterday's New Quintet/Breakestra/Mr. Dibbs - Suite For Weldon 12 inch (Stones Throw) [STH2055] $7.25
A tribute to the late jazz legend WELDON IRVING JR. from some of the biggest names in the underground. MADLIB aka YESTERDAY'S NEW QUINTET takes the first cut with a ten minute homage to one of Irving's best known works "Deja Vu." BREAKESTRA weighs in with a version of "Sister Sanctified," and MR. DIBBS does a cut and paste ode to "Divine Spirit."

[ H I S T O R I C A L ]

Alternative TV - The Image Has Cracked LP (Get Back) [GET705LP] $22.75
180 gram vinyl. "First album by seminal British punk band Alternative TV, originally released in 1978, The Image Has Cracked displays the broad minded Mark Perry's vision of modern music. The album is a crossover between dub, reggae, punk and kraut rock, bringing to life the musical ideas of the author of one of the earliest and most acclaimed punk fanzines, the infamous 'Sniffin' Glue' -- whose last issue also served to launch the band's first single on flexi disc in 1977."

Cuero - Tiempo Despues LP (Music Hall) [MUSIC2405LP] $28.25
"First time ever vinyl reissue of an obscure classic from the Argentinean '70s rock scene. Debut album by Cuero was released in 1973 and is a great heavy psych-rock & blues-rock album, very rare and hard to find as an original. Stunning guitar work and Spanish language vocals, seven long tracks, all original compositions. Limited reissue of 300 copies only, with labels replica as well."

Destroy All Monsters - Destroy All Monsters LP (Get Back) [GET706LP] $22.75
180 gram vinyl. "A collection of early stuff from the Detroit-based Destroy All Monsters, formed in 1973 and included Ron Asheton of Stooges fame. Includes their great singles 'Meet The Creeper,' 'Bored' and 'Nobody Knows'."

Dr. John - Anytime, Anyplace LP+CD (Lilith) [LR301LP] $24.75
"Dig-A-Log with Lilith! -- Now with this new line of 180 gram HQ vinyl albums featuring a bonus CD of the same album, you can have the 'analog' and the 'digital' for the price of one: no downloads, no internet connections -- just the big black disc in one hand and the little shiny one in the other so you can have your favorite music on both your turntable and in your car in one shot. For the first release in the series, a rare 1974 album by the incredible wizard of swamp music, Dr. John. Listen to the grooves of this high quality re-release and you will catch some of the finest voodoo freak blues ever to come out of Louisiana. This version contains 6 bonus tracks."

Drones, The - Further Temptations 2xLP (Get Back) [GET703LP] $30.25
180 gram vinyl. "Punk rock combo formed in Manchester in 1975, the Drones released their debut in 1977. This double LP version also contains 8 bonus tracks from the band's singles. "

Eater - The Album LP (Get Back) [GET704LP] $22.75
180 gram vinyl. "Early British punk rock act formed in London in 1976 by Andy Blade, Eater were influenced by the post glam / pre-punk scene, often playing punk versions of Marc Bolan, The Velvet Underground and David Bowie tunes. They were often headliners for bands that later made the history of punk like Buzzcocks, Damned, Sham 69 and the totally cult icon Johnny Moped. This reissue gives Eater the place they deserve in the history of modern underground music."

Fairport Convention - Maidstone 1970 LP (Vinyl Lovers) [VL900809LP] $22.75
180 gram vinyl. "Recorded at a family summer fair, the Maidstone gig was a true hippy event where the Convention played its best folk tunes in a happy and cozy atmosphere. This 1970 line up for Richard Thompson's band features Dave Pegg on mandolin and bass, Dave Swarbrick on violin, Simon Nicol on rhythm guitar and Dave Mattacks on drums."

Finjarn & Jensen - Finjarn & Jensen LP (Shadoks Music) [SHAD119LP] $41.25
Numbered edition of 500, glossy heavy sleeve on 180 gram vinyl with insert. Originally released in Norway, 1970. "Guitarist, vocalist, composer and artist, Svein Finjarn can be safely called a legend in American rock. He began playing guitar and acting before he was ten years old, and in the fall of 1961, he became the first Norwegian who played in a rock band with a fender Stratocaster. In autumn 1969 he helped put together super heavy rock group Jumbo with Freddy Lindquist, Leif Jensen and Tore Syvertsen. The group had two singles, but were dissolved during the work on their first LP. Finjarn and Jensen made the album complete with Lindquist, Arild Krosby, Arne Kvikstad and Grete Christoffersen. Yngvar Holm wrote an enthusiastic article that was published by the jacket. Briton John Mills was the producer for the album, which came out in autumn 1970, and that could be placed side by side with the hard, progressive rock from abroad. One of the coolest albums made in Scandinavia. The music follows a great underground concept and hits as strong a bands like Blossom Toes, July, Open Mind -- a real British Psychedelic flowerpower album made in Norway."

Francesco de Masi - Quel Maledetto Treno Blindato/Inglorious Bastards LP (Get Back) [GET708LP] $22.75
180 gram vinyl. "The soundtrack to the original 1978 Italian 'macaroni-war' flick Quel Maledetto Treno Blindato (or Inglorious Bastards as it was translated for the American market) by Enzo G. Castellari. Soundtrack composer De Masi's music fits perfectly into Tarantino's fixation for Italian B movies of the '70s. First 250 copies contain the CD of the album as a bonus."

Hawkwind - Live 1979 2xLP (Vinyl Lovers) [VL900816LP] $34.50
180 gram vinyl. "1979 gig for the space hard rock band that marked the transition between hard rock and the acid psych scene of the 80s. Astounding sounds, amazing music."

Iggy Pop - The Idiot LP (4 Men With Beards) [4M524LP] $16.50
180 gram vinyl. "Originally released in 1977, this was the first album Iggy Pop made after the dissolution of the Stooges, several jailings and a self-imposed stay in a mental institution. Produced by David Bowie, and including music written almost entirely by him, this is Iggy's most introspective and heavy work. Much more mechanical than the sleazy proto-punk of the Stooges, The Idiot was a huge influence on the post-punk sound of folks like Joy Division and Magazine. An absolute classic."

Iggy Pop - Lust For Life LP (4 Men With Beards) [4M525LP] $16.50
180 gram vinyl. "Released less than a year after The Idiot, Lust For Life is a return to the sloppy, sleazy, blues-y, swagger of the Stooges. Though the record is, again produced by David Bowie, he takes much more of a backseat musically, allowing for Iggy Pop to take center stage in his return to form. His best solo album and an absolute classic from this legend."

Laurel Aitken - The High Priest Of Reggae LP (Get Back) [GET710LP] $22.75
180 gram vinyl. "Cuban Born Lorenzo Aitken was the absolute and unforgettable King Of Ska. Among the myriad singles and albums released in his 78 years of life, this 1970 rare Pama release is now back in print for a sure successful dance party. Dust off your pork pie hats and fedoras and enjoy the 'madness'."

Laurel Aitken/Girlie - Scandal In A Brixton Market LP (Get Back) [GET709LP] $22.75
180 gram vinyl. "Ultra rare album released in 1969 on Pama now finally back in stock. The Godfather of Ska also definable as Mr. 'I-Have-The-Coolest-Fedora' is featured here at his best teaming with Girlie, a sound system queen of the era, and by Rico Rodriguez himself on trombone. Not to be missed!"

Legendary Pink Dots - Faces In the Fire PICTURE DISC LP (Soleilmoon) [10618] $29.75
'Warehouse find. Extremely limited. Their third CD, from 1984. New artwork, music same as the original Picture Disc.

Legendary Pink Dots - Brighter Now PICTURE DISC LP (Soleilmoon) [10619] $29.75
'Warehouse find. Extremely limited. Their first CD, from 1982. Music same as the original, but with new cover art.

Les Reed - The Girl On The Motorcycle LP (Get Back) [GET707LP] $22.75
180 gram vinyl. "Reissue of the soundtrack to 1968 flick based on the short story La Motocyclette by André Pieyre De Mandiargues and featuring a stunning Marianne Faithfull clad in total leather for an absolute pre-fetish manifesto."

Ma Rainey - Those Dogs Of Mine LP (Monk) [MOK318LP] $22.25
"Ma Rainey or 'The Mother Of The Blues' began recording in 1923 for Paramount, making her one of the first blues artists ever to record. Active since 1896 in vaudeville and minstrel shows, she was an incredible character, shocking the audiences with her odd lyrics and performances, often to the limit of decency and above all very uncommon for a woman of those times. This LP contains some of her greatest songs from those long lost recordings."

Maurizio Bianchi - Armaghedon LP (Hot Releases) [HR010LP] $13.50
"Reissue of the 1984 classic. Both sides mesmerizing time benders, ominous and beautific. 'This exuberant opus was conceived about one year in advance, during my final achievement to the so-called 'bionic music'. Originally was finalized for an apologetic movie directed by myself, but this cardiotonic objective was fallen into demagnetizated oblivion. Remained just the palpitating gait of this apocalyptic soundtrack.' -- M.B."

Michael and the Mumbles - Michael And The Mumbles LP (Destijl) [DESTIJL074LP] $12.25
"Before Michael Yonkers would revise the history of recorded music with the clarion chords of Microminature Love he was in a band called Michael and the Mumbles and they made this self-titled LP in 1966. Upon immediate spins, their would-be debut comes off as a naive, teenage trip thru the typified garage band moves of this era. But repeated spins reveal a darkness beneath what some dullard might be deceived by as it's crisp, winsome visage. It's only to a slightly less visible degree that the Mumbles LP has the same characteristics that would make Micro the singularly original piece that is; it's emotionally bleak themes, dissonant undercurrents, and recklessly wild performance. So, once again we have a Michael Yonkers LP that is going to turn the world upside down, make the college girls scream, and leave you wondering how many more times this can happen. Seriously, Pigeon Falls up here looks like a Riot on the Sunset Strip. Indulge yrself. PS. Michael and the Mumbles is on the king of all known formats (with a digital download coupon, natch). The mastertapes used herein are 45 yrs old and aside from the glitch on "Cold Town" they sound amazing."

MIJ - Yodeling Astrologer (aka Color By Numbers) LP (Jackpot) [JPR7105] $17.75
RELEASE DATE: 09-22-2009
***Yodeling Astrologer (aka Color By The Number) could be considered an anomaly, a one-off or a miracle of circumstance in the history of psychedelic pop music. MIJ (aka JIM HOLMBERG) was discovered by ESP owners while playing in Washington Square Park in the summer of 1968. His style and persona mesmerized the label heads, and he explained to them a recent auto accident had fractured his skull but left him changed. He perceived sound, color and vision differently and he had funneled this new world of perception directly into his music. All this was enough to warrant getting MIJ into the studio to lay down a record of his rambly, cosmic folk songs. The entire album was recorded in three hours, first-takes and impromptu production intact, then pressed up and introduced to the world shortly thereafter. To focus on the yodeling aspect of the Yodeling Astrologer would miss some of the depth of this album. Not just a hippie novelty act of the time, this is a truly thoughtful and somewhat frenzied document. Like Buffy St. Marie's Meditations, Linda Perhacs' Parallelograms or Cold Fact by Rodriguez, this is an album of sincere folk songs colored with subtle psychedelic touches. Uneasy reverberations and soft echoes glide over Holmberg's breezy songs, creating a consistent sonic environment as spontaneous as it is intriguing. Available on vinyl for the first time since an incredibly limited original pressing in 1969 on ESP Disk.

Moses - Changes LP (Shadoks Music) [SHAD120LP] $41.25
Numbered edition of 500, glossy heavy sleeve on 180 gram vinyl with insert. Originally released in Denmark 1970. "Moses was formed in 1969 in Esbjerg, Denmark by Sĸren Hĸjbjerg -- guitar / Jĸrgen Villadsen -- bass / Henrik Laurvig -- drums and vocal. Moses played their own heavy and punshy and stoned progressive blues. Their record Changes from 1971 has now become cult in the collectors market. By the end of 1969 the band got a contact with the independent record company Spectator Records in Denmark and in the summer 1970 they recorded the only album, Changes in 2 days in the Spectator Record Studio in Ä.lborg, Denmark. Finally the rarest and perhaps best album on the rare Danish Spectator label. The music is strongly influenced by the Cream and other hard psychedelic guitar bands. It took us quite a while to get a deal together and we are happy now to close the final chapter of the Spectator story with this great release of Moses. Extra heavy fuzz-guitar madness all over with strong bass and drums and great vocals."

Motorhead - Motörhead 2xLP (Devil's Jukebox) [DJB6-PURP] $32.75
"Motorhead's classic debut album, pressed on high-grade purple vinyl, with a bonus 12" of B-sides, wrapped in a full-on gatefold jacket! Numbered edition of 666 only!" One-sided bonus LP tracklist: "City Kids," "Beer Drinkers & Hellraisers," "On Parole," "I'm Your Witch Doctor" and "Instro."

Nucleus - Live In Europe 1970-71 LP (Vinyl Lovers) [VL900793LP] $22.75
180 gram vinyl. "British jazz trumpeter Ian Carr's pioneering jazz fusion band recorded live at its absolute peak, featuring the likes of John Marshall, Karl Jenkins (both later with Soft Machine) and guitar ace Chris Spedding."

Ozric Tentacles - Arborescence LP (Vinyl Lovers) [VL900625LP] $22.75
180 gram vinyl. "Brilliant 1994 release by these Gong-inspired gods of British ambient space rock, and the last to feature Peplar and Hinton before they permanently abandoned the Ozrics for Eat Static."

Skip James - Jesus Is A Mighty Good Leader LP (Monk) [MOK317LP] $22.25
"Born in Bentonia, Mississippi in 1902, Skip James began recording for Paramount in Grafton, WI in the 1930s after showcasing his unmistakable talent in a series of auditions in Jackson, Mississippi. Particularly interesting was his three finger picking technique, his high pitch voice and the rural blues tales that he put in music for a sub genre of blues that was later called the 'Bentonia school.' This LP includes some of his rarest early tunes from those lost 78 rpm from the Grafton period."

Spacemen 3 - Sound Of Confusion LP (Fire U.S.) [FRE015LP] $16.50
180 gram vinyl. "Originally released on Glass in 1986, Sound Of Confusion is the debut album from the Spacemen 3 led by Sonic Boom (Spectrum) and Jason Pierce (Spiritualized). Featuring covers of 13th Floor Elevators, The Stooges, and Juicy Lucy amongst some classic originals, this is the band's first foray into the deep, stoned, trance-inducing, psychedelic sound they would master on later albums."

Spacemen 3 - The Perfect Prescription LP (Fire U.S.) [FRE016LP] $16.50
180 gram vinyl. "This is the album on which the Spacemen 3 perfected their woozy, psychedelic drone-pop, moving beyond mere tribute to their influences into a world all their own. A concept record about a drug trip, from the euphoric high of album opener 'Take Me To The Other Side,' to the drowsy, disturbed finish of 'Call The Doctor,' Perfect Prescription is, arguably, this band's finest moment and the album that best represents the creative collaboration of main members Sonic Boom and Jason Pierce."

Spacemen 3 - Performance LP (Fire U.S.) [FRE040LP] $16.50
180 gram vinyl. "Recorded live in Amsterdam in 1988, on the Perfect Prescription tour, Performance is a fine document of the Spacemen 3's early, noisier sound, a hopped up version of the band's more woozy recorded output. Beautifully recorded and featuring the band at their live best."

Various Artists - D-Funk: Funk, Disco & Boogie Grooves Germany 1972-2002 2xLP (Marina) [MA074] $18.75
D-Funk presents 30 years of Teutonic funk power-eighteen block-rocking and distinctively eclectic funk, disco & boogie nuggets from Germany that range from sweaty JB-styled grooves, cooking fusion gems, up-tight post-punk funk, to slick urban disco anthems. It may be an unknown and as-yet unexplored territory, but some Krauts certainly knew how to cook up a serious groove. includes tracks from THE POETS OF RHYTHM, WHITEFIELD BROTHERS, LEE ARMSTRONG EXPRESS, TWEN, CHARLY ANTOLINI, VERONIKA FISCHER & BAND, ZATOPEK, FEHLFARBEN, GANYMED, and others. Compiled by STEFAN KRASSEL and accompanied by detailed track notes and reproductions of all the original record sleeves.

Various Artists - Thai Beat A Go-Go Volume 1 LP (Subliminal Sounds) [SUBL035LP] $23.75
Finally on vinyl the legendary Thai Beat compilation including two awesome previously unreleased tracks ! Incredible and ultra rare recordings from Thailand in the 1960s. The amazing Thai Beat A Go Go , which concentrates on red hot Thai curry rock n roll, Shadow music string bands, cosmic surf instros, mad garage/beat, mystic go-go organs, wild guitar rave-ups and psychedelic mind-benders, exotic female singers, funky and soulful with extreme sensuality and emotions, surreal and groovy, all with a totally otherworldly Thai flavor. Experience the blossoming Bangkok night club scene with the exotic bar and lounge go-go bands! These recordings have a sound that's completely inexplicable despite the use of standard rock instrumentation and song structures combining a fascinating and primal version of rock n roll, surf, r 'n' b- sometimes all in one song. Don't miss this ultimate wild rockin' Thai 60s compilation. Limited edition of 1,000 copies worldwide. Housed in beautiful full color gatefold sleeve.

Who, The - Live At The Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 3xLP (Lilith) [LR158LP] $41.50
"When the Who performed at 1970's biggest music festival, the band was at its peak, having just released their ground-breaking and critically acclaimed rock opera Tommy which catapulted the band into the stratosphere of rock stardom. This 3LP includes many of the songs from Tommy, but also many crowd-pleasing classics and a few obscure tracks as well. Great sound quality and band energy! Each lp will be on a different color: red, blue and clear."