EAR/Rational Update Week 38, 2009

Click here to jump to VINYL update.

This week's update contains releases by:

Adamkosky * Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi * Alexis Gideon * Anti-Pop Consortium * Antye Greie (aka AGF) * Art Guys, The * Asobi Seksu * Billy Gomberg * Black Cobra * Black Heart Procession, The * Black Tape For A Blue Girl * Black To Comm * Blurt * Bo Marley vs. Disrupt * Brian Jonestown Massacre, The * Califone * Carlos Giffoni/Keith Fullerton Whitman * Cassy * Castanets * Celer * Chris Robison * Cluster * Connie Acher * Curse Ov Dialect * Digital Leather * Disrupt * Early Day Miners * Eddie Hinton * Embassadors, The * Fink * Fran Gayo * Freiband/Bass Communion * Furt * Gods Gift * Grutronic * Gunda Gottschalk/Xu Fengxia * Haruki * Hornet Leg * Hudson Mohawke * Isolation Ward * Jimi Hendrix & The Cry Of Love Band * John Blum * Josh Lay * Justine D * Kath Bloom & Loren Connors * Kim Doo Soo * King Cannibal * Kink Gong * Larry Conklin & Jochen Blum * Los Yetis * Luna City Express * Marek Hemmann * Matthew Friedberger * Midaircondo * Mikkel Meyer * Moebius Plank Neumeier * Morton Feldman * Mountain Goats * Mum * Music Go Music * Neon Indian * Nils Frahm * Noma/Rejectamenta * Non Toxique Lost * Norscq * offthesky * Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou * Owen * Parade * Paul Rutherford * Pens * Peter Weibel * Raydios * RFD, The * Rose Melberg * RSD * Rui Costa and Friends * Satyajit Ray * Seventh Dawn, The * Simon Whetham * Spiracle * Starless & Bible Black * Stellari String Quartet * Steve Roach * Stripmall Architecture * Sufjan Stevens/Osso * Supercluster * Sven Weisemann * Tangerine Dream * Thomas Köner * Three Mile Pilot * Tormentors, The * Turbo Fruits * Twilight Sad * Tyondai Braxton * Urichipangoon * Vic Chesnutt * Volcano Choir * Vom * White Out (with Spencer Yeh And Carlos Giffoni) * White Out with Jim O'Rourke & Thurston Moore * Z'ev

[ F E A T U R E D   R E L E A S E S ]

Billy Gomberg - Days CD (Land of) [LND007] $13.50
Days collects five studio pieces drawn from acoustic recordings of piano and voice, treated, amplified, and arranged. The arrangements are simple: long passages of sound material lay next to each other, their closeness and distance outlining a structure. The impressions of sound, and upon sound, color through the window influencing the acoustics. Transparency and a sense of architecture. Materials, once unique, begin to reflect each other, and that can be enough. Anne recorded herself singing a old folk song in both Swedish and English. She took the recordings and mixed them together in software. She liked the result and suggested that I work with these recordings. The piano recordings are of my own improvisations. On "exposures," I've done some singing as well.

Haruki - To Humble a Nest CD (land of) [LND008] $13.50
Haruki aka Boris Snauwaert lives and makes music in Gent, Belgium. "For this album I wanted to create a raw, free-floating, and amorphous kind of music where all kinds of sounds (acoustic and digital, dirty and clean, sweet and irritating) cling together to make up an abstract but somehow organic tangle. There's quite a bit of walking, breathing and ticking in these tracks. To me, the album feels like a walk through different types of spaces (be it cities, suburbs, non-spaces between countryside and the city, parks, houses or other kinds of buildings) with sounds floating in and out of hearing. Listening with headphones is recommended." — BS

offthesky - Creek Caught Fire CD (Land of) [LND006] $13.50
CREEK CAUGHT FIRE is the full-length follow up to the 12k.term ep 'Creek Studies'. It expands upon the popular idea of extracting subjective/objective inspiration and creative abstraction from vast natural space; but specifically that of the Appalachian (red river) area. The use of an EEG system served to drive different sonic dynamics on the record. A heart rate monitor captured an essence of loose time. Temperature sensors left out for days shaped volume levels. Through articulate consciousness cataloging on numerous media the compositions eventually followed suit over several seasons. A series of drawings, photographs, field recordings, and writings about the smells, weather patterns, and cultural climate all became source material for this release.

Thomas Köner - La Barca CD (Fario) [FARIOCD09] $19.12
German media artist Thomas Köner has been absent from the music scene for 5 years. For his numerous audio-visual performances and installations, he has travelled the world and crossed many flows of sound. La barca, named from one of his latest performances, is a record of brand new pieces where we can hear the landmarks of the unchallenged master of arctic soundscapes: rumbling basses and drapes of melancholic harmonics. La barca is also a world-crossing drift where Thomas Köner adds the experience of the blurred sounds he collected all over the continents (each track has a longitude / latitude title which refers to a different town): voices and field recordings are integrated from place to place, mirroring and disappearing, born from a dream or a souvenir. "In a barque she sails across the high lands of the past. The barque heads shimmer and glow at stern and bow, And that lights her unseeable passage. She calls to the spirits of this hour, and that is how we come to even hear her voice."

Various Artists - Warp20 (Recreated) 2CD (Warp Records) [WARP201CD] $21.25
"Double CD album, 2xCDs featuring twenty brand new cover versions of Warp songs by Warp artists past and present; including tracks by Autechre, Harmonic 313, Jamie Lidell, Plaid, Clark, Maximo Park, Leila, Seefeel, Luke Vibert and more. Packaged in deluxe case-bound 10" folder exclusive to this box set. Disc 1: 01.Born Ruffians 'Milkman/To Cure A Weakling Child' (Originals by Aphex Twin) 02.Jimi Tenor 'Japanese Electronics' (Original by Elecktroids) 03.Maximo Park 'When' (Original by Vincent Gallo) 04.Tim Exile 'A Little Bit More' (Original by Jamie Lidell) 05.Rustie 'Midnight Drive' (Original by Elecktroids) 06.Luke Vibert 'LFO' (Original by LFO) 07.Autechre 'What Is House? (LFO Remix)' (Original by LFO) 08.Russell Haswell 'Cabasa Cabasa' (Original by Wild Planet) 09.Clark 'So Malleable' (Original by Milanese) 10.Diamond Watch Wrists 'Fool In Rain' (Original by Pivot) 11.Hudson Mohawke ft. Wednesday Nite 'Paint The Stars' (Original by Jimi Tenor). Disc 2: 11.Mark Pritchard '3/4 Heart' (Original by Balil-Black Dog Productions) 12.Mira Calix with Oliver Coates 'In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country' (Original by Boards Of Canada) 13.Pivot 'Colorado' (Original by Grizzly Bear) 14.Bibio 'Kaini Industries' (Original by Boards of Canada) 15.Jamie Lidell 'Little Brother' (Original by Grizzly Bear) 16.Leila 'Vordhosbn' (Original by Aphex Twin) 17.John Callaghan 'Phylactery' (Based on Tilapia by Autechre) 18.Gravenhurst 'I Found The F' (Original by Broadcast) 19.Plaid 'On My Bus' Original by Plone) 20.Seefeel 'Acrobat' (Original by Maximo Park)."

Various Artists - Warp20 2CD (Warp Records) [WARP202CD] $19.00
"Double CD album. The definitive best of Warp on 2xCDs. Ten songs chosen by you (Warp20.net), ten songs chosen by Warp co-founder Steve Beckett. Packaged in deluxe case-bound 10" folder, exclusive to this box set. Your personal messages and memories from Warp20.net featured on pullout poster. Disc 1 (Chosen by fans on Warp20.net): 01.Aphex Twin 'Windowlicker' 02.Boards Of Canada 'Roygbiv' 03.Squarepusher 'My Red Hot Car' 04.Battles 'Atlas' 05.LFO 'LFO (Leeds Warehouse Mix)' 06.Plaid 'Eyen' 07.Luke Vibert 'I Love Acid' 08.Autechre 'Gantz Graf' 09.Jimmy Edgar 'I Wanna Be Your STD' 10.Clark 'Herzog.' Disc 2 (Chosen by Warp co-founder Steve Beckett): 01.Broadcast 'Tender Buttons' 02.Grizzly Bear 'Colorado' 03.Squarepusher 'My Sound' 04.Boards Of Canada 'Amo Bishop Roden' 05.Battles 'Race: Out' 06.Flying Lotus 'GNG BNG' 07.Black Dog Productions - Xeper 'Carceres Ex Novum' 08.Nightmares On Wax 'I'm For Real' 09.Mike InkAphex Twin 'Bucephalus Bouncing Ball' 09. 'Paroles (Original)' 10. 'Daddy's Car' 11.Jamie Lidell 'Daddy's Car' 12. Squarepusher/AFX 'Freeman Hardy & Willis Acid' 13.Seefeel 'Spangle' 14. Autechre 'Drane.'"

[ T A N G E R I N E   D R E A M ]

I decided to clean up the Tangerine Dream entries in our database and add everything I could find. Only problem is that I couldn't get descriptions when I exported the distributor's info. Too time-consuming to look up each one by hand and enter the descriptions by hand, I'm afraid.

Tangerine Dream - Atem CD (Castle) [822076] $12.25
2002 reissue of this quintessential Krautrock album, originally released in 1973, it's remastered from original tapes & repackaged with a slipcase & insightful sleeve notes.

Tangerine Dream - 220 Volt Live CD (Document) [1640312] $18.75
CD 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.

Tangerine Dream - Alpha Centauri CD (Sanctuary) [821107] $12.25
2002 reissue of 1971 album that's unavailable domestically. Includes the bonus track 'Ultima Thule Part 1 (single)'. Slipcase.

Tangerine Dream - 35th Anniversary Phaedra Concert DVD (USOD) [1528926] $18.25
For thirty-five years electronic music pioneers Tangerine Dream have been creating music that is both challenging and hypnotic. In this release of a concert staged at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire to celebrate the band's thirty-fifth anniversary, Tangerine Dream performs twenty-six songs from various points throughout their enduring career. In addition to featured material from their landmark 1974 release Phaedra, the band also performs such tracks as "Rubycon, Part I" and "Force Majeure" before closing the show with a stunning rendition of the Jimi Hendrix classic "Purple Haze". ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide Tangerine Dream, German-based purveyors of imaginative Electronic music, are known for their impressive live reputation. The band continues performing today led by founding member Edgar Froese. This DVD features the 35th anniversary concert where the band celebrated the recording of the landmark album "Phaedra." The concert was performed in front of a sell out audience and featured material from "Phaedra" alongside new material.

Tangerine Dream - Ambient Monkeys CD (Membrane) [232628] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Anthology-Journey Through CD (Sanctuary) [905982] $30.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Arizona CD (Membrane) [232658] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Atlantic Bridges CD (Membrane) [636359] $10.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Atlantic Walls CD (Membrane) [636354] $10.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Autumn In Hiroshima CD (Membrane) [232609] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Axiat CD (Membrane) [232663] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Booster 2CD (Cleopatra) [2412] $19.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Canyon Cazuma CD (Membrane) [232620] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Canyon Dreams CD (Membrane) [232653] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Cyberjam Collection CD (Membrane) [232611] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Cyclone CD (Virgin) [8402512] $10.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Dante Arias Collection CD (Membrane) [232612] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Dante Song Collection CD (Membrane) [232613] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Dream Encores CD (Membrane) [232638] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Dream Remixes 2.1 CD (Moonpop) [707] $23.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Dream Sequence CD (Virgin) [1132890] $13.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - East CD (Membrane) [232660] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Electronic Magic Of Tangerine Dream-The Anthology CD (Cleopatra) [2413] $20.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Electronic Meditation CD (Sanctuary) [915872] $13.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Electronic Meditation (Mini LP Sleeve) CD (Disk Union) [656069] $46.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Encore-Tangerine Dream Live CD (Emm/Virgin) [39443] $10.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Essential Collection CD (Metro Music) [586] $13.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Exit CD (Wea2) [557] $7.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Force Majeure CD (Virgin) [8402592] $10.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Goblins Club CD (Membrane) [232657] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Great Wall Of China CD (Nuntak) [858606] $44.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Green Desert CD (Castle Records) [36144] $14.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - High Voltage (4 Cd Set) CD (Membrane) [6293] $35.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Hollywood Lightning CD (Membrane) [232622] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Hyperborea CD (Virgin) [39446] $10.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Hyperborea 2008 CD (Membrane) [232634] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Independent Years CD (Membrane) [232621] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Inferno CD (Membrane) [232655] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Introduction To Tangerine Dream CD (Castle Records) [36194] $14.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Jeanne D'arc CD (Membrane) [232659] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Journey Through A Burning Brain CD (Castle Records) [36145] $23.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Kyoto CD (Membrane) [232614] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Lamb With Radar Eyes CD (Membrane) [676487] $20.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Le Parc CD (Castle Records) [36146] $14.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Le Parc CD (Sanctuary) [666298] $13.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Lily On The Beach CD (Membrane) [232616] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Live In Detroit-March 1977 CD (USOD) [959] $23.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Live Miles CD (Castle Records) [36147] $14.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Logos-(Live At The Dominion '84) CD (Virgin) [39445] $10.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Madcap's Flaming Duty CD (Membrane) [232623] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Mars Mission Counter CD (Membrane) [232617] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Mars Polaris CD (Membrane) [232648] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Melrose-The Re-Recordings 2003 CD (Membrane) [232662] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Miracle Mile CD (Camden) [771902] $14.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Mota Atma CD (Membrane) [232618] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Nebulous Dawn-Early Years CD (Sanctuary) [626501] $31.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Oasis CD (Membrane) [232643] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Ocean Waves Collection CD (Membrane) [232604] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Optical Race CD (Membrane) [232615] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Paper Sleeve Box CD (Disk Union) [836856] $293.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Paradiso CD (Membrane) [232619] $27.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Phaedra CD (Virgin) [8400622] $10.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Phaedra (Mini LP Sleeve) CD (Virgin) [649838] $25.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Poland CD (Sanctuary) [666256] $12.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Private Music Of Tangerine Dream CD (Sony/BMG) [803161] $19.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Purgatorio CD (Membrane) [232656] $27.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Quinoa CD (Membrane) [232644] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Ricochet CD (Virgin) [8400642] $13.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Rockface-Live At Berkley/San Francisco 1988 CD (Membrane) [232601] $27.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Rocking Mars 2CD (Membrane) [232661] $27.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Rockoon CD (Membrane) [232649] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Rubycon CD (Virgin) [8400632] $13.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Seven Letters From Tibet CD (Membrane) [232602] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Silver Siren Collection CD (Membrane) [232603] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Softdream Decade CD (Membrane) [232630] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Sorcerer-OST CD (Spectrum) [10842] $10.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Springtime In Nagasaki CD (Membrane) [232607] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Starbound Collection CD (Membrane) [232629] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Stratosfear CD (Virgin) [8400652] $13.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Summer In Nagasaki CD (Membrane) [232608] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Tang-Go-Best Of Tangerine Dream CD (Membrane) [232654] $27.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Tangerine Dream CD (Disky) [272122] $13.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Tangerines Scales CD (Membrane) [232627] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Tangram CD (EMM/Caroline) [1805] $10.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Tangram 2008 CD (Membrane) [232635] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - TD Plays TD CD (Membrane) [232605] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Thief-OST CD (Virgin) [8405202] $12.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Time Square-Dream Mixes Ii CD (Membrane) [232640] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Tornado-Live In Europe CD (Membrane) [636358] $10.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Tournado CD (Membrane) [232645] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Transsiberia CD (Membrane) [232606] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Turn Of The Tides CD (Membrane) [232651] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Tyger CD (Castle Records) [36149] $14.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Tyranny Of Beauty CD (Membrane) [232652] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Underwater Sunlight CD (Sanctuary) [666254] $13.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Valentine Wheels CD (Membrane) [232646] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Views From A Red Train CD (Membrane) [232633] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Vintage Vanguard CD (Membrane) [232664] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Vol. 1-Anthology Decades CD (Membrane) [232631] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Vol. 1-Dream Mixes CD (Membrane) [232639] $27.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Vol. 1-Hollywood Years CD (Membrane) [232641] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Vol. 2-Hollywood Years CD (Membrane) [232642] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - What A Blast CD (Membrane) [232647] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - White Eagle CD (Virgin) [39444] $10.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Winter In Hiroshima CD (Membrane) [232610] $18.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Zeit CD (Sanctuary) [937522] $12.00
No description available at this time.

[ . . . ]

Adamkosky - In Your Eye CD (Riverman Music) [BTR033CD] $16.00
First time CD-release for this rare, obscure and expensive private press album, now remastered in a 24-bit remaster. Adamkosky's In Your Eye is lonely, melodic folk that was recorded in an 11-hour recording session with no second takes. Laid-back but ethereal low-fi sound with vocals; some solo tracks, some with further instrumentation. Comes from a folk-blues tradition, but sometimes sounds like a '70s singer-songwriter channeled by a 19-year-old who can't afford to hire a band. Comes in a handsome paper sleeve that precisely reproduces the original LP sleeve in miniature form.

Akira Sakata & Chikamorachi - Friendly Pants CD (Family Vineyard) [FV66] $13.25
Friendly Pants is the first American release by legendary Japanese saxophonist AKIRA SAKATA in more than 20 years. It pairs the 65-year-old traveler alongside CHIKAMORACHI, the bombast rhythm section of drummer CHRIS CORSANO and acoustic bassist DARIN GRAY. Since the late 1960s, Sakata has been a constant figure in jazz and creative music scenes as an ever evolving and adventurous, multi-instrumentalist, and member of many classic groups. He has recorded with Chris Cosey, Peter Broetzmann in Last Exit, DJ Krush, Yoshimio, and others. Since 2005 Sakata has been aligned with Corsano and Gray-a duo equally informed by underground American rock, noise & free jazz. Sakata deliverers ferocious / highly lyrical approaches to the post-bop field and with Chikamorachi's recalls late-period John Coltrane or Pharoah Sanders during the early 1970s at times. While the three smear and tear at the edges, Sakata's massive tone and melodic sense reins in the chaos to create beauty and awe. Originally issued on producer JIM O'ROURKE's Japanese imprint Shakaijin Records.

Anti-Pop Consortium - Flourescent Black CD (Big Dada) [BD150CD] $14.00
"Fluorescent Black represents the group's best work yet, a seventeen track masterpiece that moves through moods, concepts, beats and rhymes with the mind-bending ease which has always characterized their output, but expands their work out further in every direction."

Antye Greie (aka AGF) - Einzelkämpfer (Lone Warrior) CD (AGF Producktion) [AGF011CD] $16.00
This is the sixth solo album by East German software musician, producer, label-owner and e-poet, AGF (aka Antye Greie), who is now based in Hailuoto, Finland. The artist herself on Einzelkämpfer: "As the title suggests, the work investigates lone warriors -- from the deep sea creatures to the human individuals, the woods, our earth, achievements through solitary action and considerations about this. I based my thoughts and research on scientific papers, ancient and recent literature, personal emotion and created poetry in my audio-composing technique, called 'poem producing.' While my recent releases were based around beats, the new album misses beats for most of it and turns its attention to ambient, noise, poetry and singing on experimental ground. This work is solely created and released on my own label. By doing so, I underline the concept of a lone warrior." Warning: contains irregular beats, noise and low frequencies (speaker system required).

Art Guys, The - Home on the Range 2xDVD (Microcinema) [MC989DVD] $32.00
"The Art Guys: Home On The Range is a DVD anthology of The Art Guys' performance and video works spanning their 25 years of collaboration from 1983-2008. Included in this 2DVD box set are selections from the The Art Guys' live stage performances, conceptual events in public, video works, and the ZenFilm documentary of Nothing To It: The Art Guys in Concert, filmed before a live audience at the University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. This is the first such compilation of The Art Guys' video and performance works."

Asobi Seksu - Rewolf CD (Polyvinyl) [PRC-190-2] $8.50
RELEASE DATE: 11-10-2009
One of the last albums ever recorded at London's renowned Olympic Studios (The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who), Rewolf finds Asobi Seksu's core duo -- vocalist Yuki Chikudate and guitarist James Hanna -- affording listeners a new glimpse into songs spanning the band's entire career. Here, Asobi Seksu replaces its sonic layer of guitars with beautiful new arrangements achieved through the use of mostly acoustic instruments.

Black Cobra - Chronomega CD (Southern Lord) [LORD109] $14.00
RELEASE DATE: 09-29-2009
***Smashing up from the Bay Area underground, BLACK COBRA is ready to take the heavy music world by storm! Formed in 2002 by RAFA MARTINEZ (ACID KING, 16) and JASON LANDRIAN (ex-CAVITY), this duo has been laying waste to audiences, taking on all comers, and leaving the remains to rot in their wake. Their sound is a crushing mix of High On Fire-tinged stoner metal and Buzzov*en's Southern-fried sludge, with a heaping dash of Melvins-style drone to wash it all down. Their first Southern Lord release, Chronomega, finds them treading in familiar territory; working with the sound that won them raves from fans and critics alike, while refining it to its sharpest point. No longer just another blunt object, Black Cobra's music is now a razor-sharp weapon and a true force to be reckoned with. Produced by BILLY ANDERSON (Melvins, Neurosis, Sleep, High on Fire), Chronomega is one of the heaviest records of 2009 or, for that matter, any year! It is a raging slab of pure, unadulterated heaviness.

Black Heart Procession, The - Six CD (Temporary Residence Limited) [TRR157CD] $14.50
"More than just a return to numerical album titles, Six is The Black Heart Procession's first album to be written and recorded simultaneously with a new Three Mile Pilot album. As both bands now coexist for the first time ever, co-conspirators Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel have steered The Black Heart Procession into a darker, more adventurous direction. Produced and recorded by the band over the past couple years, Six is without a doubt the group's most emotionally resonant album since Three. Brimming with pitch-black ballads of discarded loves and forgotten souls, the album paints a bleak yet strangely comforting portrait of heartbreak, self-destruction and religious allegory over some of their most inspired songs to date, drawing a clear line from here to soul-stirring visionaries such as Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash and Tom Waits."

Black Tape For A Blue Girl - 10 Neurotics CD (Projekt) [10627] $14.50
Originally released when Star Wars was just hitting the cinemas first time round, this collaboration between Brian Eno and "German synth pastoralists" Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius (aka Cluster) shares a similarily imperialistic view of the opportunities afforded us by technology; couched throughout by a distinct human touch. With Cluster's signature sound of intricate yet broad analogue treatise, it's no real surprise Eno sought a collaboration and it's also no real surprise that it works a treat; fusing both parties strengths into a formidably singular entity. With more than a hint of Vangelis in the likes of 'Fur Louse' and some bubbling synth jauntiness on 'Die Bunge', Cluster and Eno display the forming of a sound which would come to characterise the electronic fringes for decades to come whilst retaining a tacit link to the past which Eno explains in the sleeve notes as being "a sort of European alternative to the African route that most other pop music had taken". A brave new world...

Black To Comm - Alphabet 1968 CD (Type) [TYPE053CD] $14.00
This is the debut full-length for Marc Richter aka Black To Comm for the Type label. Richter is no newcomer to the experimental music scene. As the figurehead of the Hamburg-based Dekorder label, the musician and designer has brought countless oddities to the attention of rabid music fans in the last few years, but it is with his own compositions that he has made the biggest splash. Releasing for a plethora of labels including Digitalis, Trensmat, and of course, his own imprint, he has pioneered a new, organic drone sub-genre using tape loops, vintage organs and an inexhaustible swamp of found sounds. With this latest album however, it was Richter's intention to move away from the epic drones he had made his own and into something more "classic." The mission statement for Alphabet 1968 was to write an album of "songs" for want of a better word. Short tracks which represented genre points, the milestones which stuck in Richter's mind when he thought back to his favorite records. What we arrive at is a breathtaking 10-track album which, over the course of 45 minutes, explores world music, techno, noise, avant-garde, ambient music and even exotica. Each track is linked with a loose thread of radio static or environmental sound, dragging you through the album, as if tuning in to a stray broadcast or a particularly adventurous mix. Richter has pieced the album together from hours of recordings made at his studio with home made gamelan, small instruments and loops gathered from a collection of ancient vinyl and 78 records. The scope of the album is admirable, but ignoring this, it is simply a shockingly arresting collection of experimental oddities, with references ranging from Moondog to Basic Channel by way of Bernard Herrmann. It's not hard to fall in love with Alphabet 1968, far harder would be to place exactly where the record should fit into your collection.

Bo Marley vs. Disrupt - Bo Marley vs. Disrupt CD (Jahtari) [JTR002CD] $18.00
"Following on from their hit Bauhelm/Fleisch, get ready for the full length 18 track Bo Marley vs Disrupt masterpiece! A concept album filled up to its plastic rim with the craziest bass tunes, puzzling fun lyrics, Space Echo madness, overheated analogue gear basslines, Amiga tracker niceness, and flashing, detail-packed dub burners from end to end. The four Bo Marley boys create a highly unique style of dub and reggae, using battered analogue synths, weird drum machines, horns, African drums and the legendary Roland Space Echo machine, resulting in a very special sound not heard in this line of music before. On top of all that, crazy northern-German slang vocals and brilliant harmonic background choirs make for amazing tunes with haunting hit qualities."

Califone - All My Friends Are Funeral Singers CD (Dead Oceans) [DOC028CD] $13.50
"In an underground music landscape where 140 characters equals 'journalism' and lone MP3s propel bands to momentary internet stardom, bands are here today and gone tomorrow. Califone is a band that defies this blueprint. Their albums are full of layers and textures, offering endless depth, entire universes to lose yourself in - and beyond the thick spectrum of sound, they do something even more important: They write great songs. Califone is a band that will stand the test of time. The band is at the peak of its powers on All My Friends Are Funeral Singers, its sixth song-based album. The long-awaited follow-up to 2006's acclaimed Roots And Crowns, the album is the strongest collection of songs in a career with no shortage of strength. The subtlety and detail of Califone's previous work is present here - the atmospheres are carefully nuanced, the percussion is both rattling and melodic, the melodies are rich and soulful, interspersed throughout softly strummed folk and electrified blues. All My Friends Are Funeral Singers is a dense collage of sounds, expertly formed into fully realized pop songs."

Carlos Giffoni/Keith Fullerton Whitman - Techno B/W 070207 CD (No Fun Productions) [NFP52] $12.25
RELEASE DATE: 10-05-2009
Two very active modern electronic musicians who enjoy 20th century analog equipment deliver a document of mind expanding electronics with very different approaches. Giffoni's track 'Techno' is full of layered and perfectly synched synthetic rhythms matched with some very adhesive evolving sounds; Creating something that somehow ends up being a homage to both early techno and harsh Japanese electronics. Whitman's track is a beautiful exploration of synthetic tonality and space, like a sudden massage to several areas of the brain one by one but also all at once with a little spice of musique concrete . Both of these recordings share an expansive and psychedelic nature, as well as a nod to the past while moving into the future. Artwork by Maya Miller. Limited to 400.

Cassy - Simply Devotion - Cassy In The Mix CD (Cocoon) [CORMIX026CD] $16.00
Like hardly any other contemporary DJ, Berlin-based Catherine Britton aka Cassy is living at the interfaces between reduction and soul, jazzy deep house and geometrically-structured techno. In Berlin, she quickly gained a residency at the Panorama Bar, worked as a producer with such renowned musicians as Ricardo Villalobos, Luciano, Mathew Jonson and Swayzak, and has released her music on labels such as Perlon and Ostgut Ton as well as on her own imprint, Cassy. Simply Devotion is Cassy's second mix CD after the highly-acclaimed Panorama Bar 01 (OSTGUT 002CD) compilation, and it is proof of her love for deep house of a different kind, which has -- despite occasional flashes of soul vocals -- nothing to do with garage house. With unhurried charm and a secure sense of the seductive power of house music, Cassy enchants us with more than 70 minutes of sensual sound hypnosis and she starts with an exclamation mark: together with his Ifach buddy Ian Loveday aka Minimal Man, Baby Ford beguiles the listener with mantra house with hints of Italo-pop. Anton Zap recalls, with his purified form of percussive dub house, the best days of Chez Damier, and Danny Howells makes you speechless with "September," a breathtaking stringed furioso in the best tradition of Detroit trance, remixed by Future Beat Alliance. Cassy's own unreleased track "Magnificent Cat Won't Do" is powered by the kind of electrically-charged minimal dub soul that is so typical for her. The final track comes from Miami's house institution and Murk legend Ralph Falcon with his house mix of "Whateva," which sits somewhere in between R'n'B vocals and acid reminiscences. Other artists include: Trus'me, Jitterbug, DJ Qu, Kai Alce, Azulu Phantom, STL, Taho, Quince, Kassem Mosse, Linkwood, Inland Knights, Kezym, Pierre LX, and Alan T and Alex K.

Castanets - Texas Rose, The Thaw And The Beasts CD (Asthmatic Kitty) [AKR66] $13.25
With Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beasts CASTANETS' RAYMOND RAPOSA keeps one foot in the rustic country, folk, and blues of past records while taking it to the next level. Straddling the line between "out" and accessible, the RAFTER ROBERTS-produced Texas Rose is a full-band affair, a bent noise-country terrain of dissolving interludes and spaced-out electronic pop tracks up against songs that wouldn't be out of place on a Merle or Willie record.

Celer - In Escaping Lakes CD (Slow Flow) [WW1001] $13.50
RELEASE DATE: 11-09-2009
'In Escaping Lakes' is the sequel to 'Cursory Asperses', previously released on Slow Flow. Where 'Cursory Asperses' focused on the slow movement primarily of streams, and other field recordings, 'In Escaping Lakes' continues this pathway to expand into a deeper subject, of lakes and their surroundings. Inspired by a painting by Anthony Feyer, 'In Escaping Lakes' was made to demonstrate enclosure, depth, and closeness in still places.

Will & Danielle: Piano, Strings, Gong, Tingshas, Voice, Electronics, Hydrophone, Flute.

Connie Acher - Spray Me Down CD (Flipped Out Records) [FOR023CD] $9.00
"Amazing grace and beauty abounds on this fourth full length recording by Connie Acher. This time around Strawberry is the foil and he sweetens her stew with precise production and virtuosic instrumentation. Connie gushes forth streams of magic honey that slide right down to the sweet spot of the soul. Full cover covers, edition of 500 copies."

Curse Ov Dialect - Crisis Tales CD (Staubgold) [STAUB096CD] $16.00
This is the first full-length by Australian hip-hop mavericks Curse ov Dialect for Staubgold -- a dizzying, multi-dimensional carnival of conscious hip-hop. Inspired by surrealistic grappling with questions of identity and evolution, Curse ov Dialect have collectively created Crisis Tales: a psychedelic, kaleidoscopic scrawl of mercurial rage and spasmodic humor, flowing freely into the void of consumer culture. The alien yet familiar sounds of Crisis Tales reflect the psychological and geographical adventures of the five-strong Melbourne crew (MCs Raceless and Vulk Makedonski, vocalists August the 2nd and Aturungi, and DJ/producer Paso Bionic). This is the most impressive product yet of the band's restless creativity and degenerate mindscape. A hybrid gumbo of musical mutations and bending of genres and cultures, the album climaxes with an epic, 11-minute transnational posse track featuring guest rappers from Macedonia, Germany, Poland, Indonesia, Switzerland and the United States. Produced by Curse ov Dialect and mixed by DJ/producer Danielsan (Koolism), Crisis Tales sprawls a wide-spectrum, organic sonic palette with a solid hip-hop foundation. Special guests include Joelistics, Elf Tranzporter, Kaigen, RKS, Hugo 1, Eytan Messiah, and Trillion. Equal parts empathy and theatricality, Crisis Tales is at once a strident call to arms, challenging society's restraints of conformity, oppression and religion, and a dreamy contemplation of all things metaphorical and metaphysical. With an armory of lyrics both sharp and thoughtful, inscrutable and existential, and a mindblowing, hyper-authentic musicality, Curse ov Dialect is conclusive proof that Australian hip-hop is worth infiltrating and subverting.

Digital Leather - Warm Brother CD (Fat Possum) [FP1188] $12.00
RELEASE DATE: 09-29-2009
***SHAWN FOREE, better known as DIGITAL LEATHER, grew up on a Baha'i hippie commune in southern Arizona. As soon as he could, he left and started college to buy a 4-track tape recorder with some of his student loan money. Pretty soon after, he lost interest in school and opted instead to mess with synthesizers and old guitars. In his second year of school, he only left his apartment to go to class, the rest of of the time was spent taking acid and recording. Warm Brother is Digital Leather's first proper studio recording even though they self-released on Goner, FDH and Tic Tac Totally. The album was recorded with vintage synths and vintage guitars in a house converted into a studio.

Disrupt - The Bass Has Left The Building CD (Jahtari) [JTR003CD] $18.00
"The Bass Has Left The Building is the long-awaited sequel to Disrupt's debut album Foundation Bit, which appeared on the wonderful Werk Discs in 2007 and quickly became one of the classic works of modern bass culture. On this new epic voyage, Disrupt pushes the genre boundaries of 8Bit-ChipHop, roots dub and old-school gaming soundtracks into one big swirling black hole of low end mayhem. Raw, ultra-shuffling drum machine action and re-wired skanks create the gateway for a mind bending reference network of retro-SciFi movies, arcade classics and dub soundscapes in infinite loop mode. All riding on a non-stop wave of subsonic bass blasts to ensure an intense outah space blip-trip for all the 21st Century Planet Smashas out there."

Early Day Miners - Treatment CD (Secretly Canadian) [SC171] $13.25
When EARLY DAY MINERS loosen up, it's almost a different band. The complex layers and atmospherics are still there, but front-and-center on The Treatment are insistent basslines and straightforward melodies on multiple organs and guitars. One of the poppiest here, "So Slowly", manages to combine a buoyant Cure bassline, a wah-wah solo worthy of Robert Fripp, and yet still conveys the lazy drift of summer. You can even hear an echo of "Sympathy for the Devil" on the album's centerpiece "How to Fall." In some respects their most personal, subjective, and emotional album, The Treatment starts like every pop album should, with an invitation to join the band in enjoying The Treatment.

Embassadors, The - Coptic Dub CD (Nonplace) [NON027CD] $16.00
This is the second full-length album from The Embassadors, an international music collective formed by reed player/producer/collaborator, Hayden Chisholm. The artist himself elaborates on the creation of Coptic Dub this way: "...the instrumental sounds and mixing processes on this album have undergone so many levels of refinement they can easily defend themselves without the justification of the creators ... I believe the discussion of timbre and its degree of refinement, be it acoustic or electronic, is the only semi-objective criteria when it comes to judging music. How do I define refinement? I would say the gradual and careful removal of impurities. Mixed in with this, and complicating the process even more, is an aspect which has always been a part of my creations: the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi which views certain impurities, especially those occurring in nature, as beautiful. A good example of this is the saxophone sound itself with its strong air component when listened to or recorded up close. This aesthetic element is crucial in setting such works from the digital polishing applied in regular high end pop or even jazz productions. Burnt Friedman's style of applying dubs and effects is another way of breathing more life into the sounds. What is happening here is a complex layering upon layering within which the listener can find countless points of reference to navigate her way through the works. None of the sound sources are processed for the sake of it and there are deep metaphysical truths behind a simple space echo in the way our hallowed master "time" is played with and re-evoked. Sometimes it will approach the feeling of listening to music while in a dream, when individual elements are blurred in the passage of time which is no longer a simple arrow moving forward but rather an evolving and pliable cloud, inextricably linked to the perceiver." The follow-up to the acclaimed Healing The Music debut, Coptic Dub is pure lightness of deftly-executed jazz and dub, curling and twining in on itself in new forms and structures. Chisholm's tenor sax, Hammond organ, and steel drums are supported by Jochen Rueckert (drums) and Matt Penman (bass).

Fink - Sort Of Revolution CD (Ninja Tune) [ZEN146CD] $15.25
"Following the 2006 release of debut LP Biscuits for Breakfast, and 2007's Distance and Time, singer songwriter Fin Greenall, aka Fink, returns in 2009 with the self-produced Sort of Revolution. A beautiful fusion of jazz, blues and soulful acoustic rhythms."

Fran Gayo - Las Próximas Cosechas CD (Acuarela) [nois1094] $13.50
RELEASE DATE: 10-05-2009
Fran Gayo is Gijón's Film Festival programmer since 1997, writes articles in music and film magazines like Cahiers du Cinéma or Rockdelux, and is Público's newspaper official correspondent in Cannes and Venice Film Festivals. He used to combine this job with his work as a writer and musician in the band Mus until they split up in 2008. Now he comes back with a new identity, with a project under his own name and with his own voice, in a more intimate state of mind reminiscent of Leonard Cohen, Barzin, Serge Gainsbourg, Harry Nilsson or Randy Newman.

Las próximas cosechas [The next harvests] is the starting point of a renewed expression mode filled with clarity, candor and a renewed intimacy. The story of a second chance with which Fran Gayo has learned to look within to find the singer that was hidden inside, the owner of an unknown voice that now lightens everything he writes. Looking for a different way to discover music, Fran Gayo has now the courage to sing the songs he writes. And he sings in Spanish (not Asturian), turning the social issues that invaded almost everything in Mus into a more intimate, domestic, inner mood. A closeness reflected in an album recorded at home.

"Finding a way of singing is like looking into a mirror for ten minutes watching carefully each and every one of your features. This situation is embarrassing and you end up not even knowing who you are", explains Fran. "In that sense, the advice a friend gave me was key to the process. He recommended that I start thinking like a singer and not as a musician. That gave me an entirely different vision of how to face the recording of an album ".

So, these songs leave room to Fran's voice, which is given scope and illumination with a soft and clean music approach. They pass from fragility—"En 20 minutos me voy"-to tension and power ~V"El invierno sera bueno (o no sera)"; from the afternoon light—"En la siesta clara"- to a hidden world—"En las copas de los árboles"-in just one jump. It is a raw testimony, a tenderness impossible to fake, put on the lips of someone who sings in first person because he could not do otherwise. "Las próximas cosechas" is a record that draws the listener in its first notes, it soothes and balances, with the focus on melody and voice, the voice of Fran Gayo.

Freiband/Bass Communion - Headwind/Tailwind CD3 (Moll) [10620] $9.75
RELEASE DATE: 09-29-2009
EXPECTED TO ARRIVE LATE SEPTEMBER, 2009. PRE-ORDER A COPY TODAY. Any regular in-stock items ordered at the same time (in the same shopping cart) will be held aside and sent with your pre-ordered goods as one shipment. Orders with multiple pre-orders will be sent as one order, when all of the items in the order are available. If you want an order to ship immediately, or want your pre-ordered items to be sent out as soon as they arrive here, rather than in a group, you must order them separately. We won't charge your credit card until we ship the order. Please make sure your card's number and expiration date are up to date when before you complete the check-out process.

Last year My Own Little Label released 'Haze Shrapnel', a new piece by Bass Communion and a remix of that by Freiband as a 3"CDR. Already back then it was agreed that there should also be a release by Freiband with a remix by Bass Communion. Due to the immense success of that 3"CDR, the new one is now released as a factory pressed 3"CD. For 'Headwind' Freiband returns to the guitar playing by Martin Luiten (Pick-up, Uw Hyoptheekadvies) and produces a spacious computerized remix of his elaborate playing. Bass Communion takes matters further up the line in a likewise sizzling remix.

Furt - Sense CD (PSI) [PSI0908CD] $17.75
"Richard Barrett and Paul Obermayer (electronics) perform a semi-composed extended suite, plus an improvised tribute to Stockhausen. (2008/9). 'Too often, critics make an automatic separation between 'emotion' and 'intellect', a framework which will get one nowhere with Furt. Instead, their music shows graphically how fused, how inseparable are the two. As Richard Barrett puts it: 'The music is motivated by emotional and sensual considerations as much as by anything else. Without wishing to sound too pretentious I think it's concerned with finding and exploring (musical) states of consciousness to which the word 'ecstasy' might well be completely appropriate (at least in an etymological sense).'' -- >From the notes by David Grundy."

Grutronic - Essex Foam Party CD (PSI) [PSI0907CD] $17.75
Stephen Grew (keyboard, processing), Richard Scott (buchla lightning, analogue synthesizer, sampler, processing), Nick Grew (transduction, processing) & David Ross (drosscillator) + special guests Orphy Robinson (vibraphone) & Paul Obermayer (sampler). (2006-8) "Grutronic are a collective of free improvisers -- all have a past/present as acoustic ensemble players. In Grutronic they are re-incarnated as electronic musicians, extending technique through the development of personalised systems of sound production and control. Current intuitive and performance-oriented technologies put tools and techniques, once the preserve of the electronic music studio, into the hands of the players. Grutronic take on these new challenges with glee, aiming to surprise and delight the listener and themselves with unheard forms and sound-relationships, fixed during the act of performance."

Gunda Gottschalk/Xu Fengxia - You Lan CD (Victo) [VICTO117CD] $14.00
Gunda Gottschalk: violon, voix; Xu Fengxia: guzheng, voix. Enregistré au 25e Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville le 18 mai 2008. "'Impressive in its own way was the duo of violinist Gunda Gottschalk and guzheng virtuoso Xu Fengxia, in whose hands contrasting roots in Western and Eastern classical musics stretched to become a common fabric, an expressionist ground in which strings and voices could move from song-like repose to chattering, screaming nightmare.' - Stuart Broomer, Musicworks."

Hornet Leg - Ribbon Of Fear CD (K Records) [KLP209] $13.25
HORNET LEG has had many manifestations as both a bedroom and live project for CHRIS SUTTON (of C.O.C.O. and DUB NARCOTIC SOUND SYSTEM). In the past, Hornet Leg has been a solo acoustic guitar project, an electro-dance undertaking, a crushing two-person art noise assault, a melancholy pop outfit and a personal four-track recording enterprise. Now with Ribbon of Fear, the long-coming full-length debut, Hornet Leg is solidified as a three-man punk-blues powerhouse. Ribbon of Fear is heightened with a polyrhythmic jamboree of tambourine, piano keys, ghoulish laughter and female voice accompaniment. Punky twang meets doo-wop.

Hudson Mohawke - Butter CD (Warp Records) [WARP188CD] $15.25
"Megawatt R'n'B stars won't be the only ones to take note of Butter, as the ever-growing global network of bass-craving music fans have been clamoring for new material since Hudson Mohwake's lauded Polyfolk Dance EP earlier this year. On that record, HudMo's hyper melodic drum-and-synth sidewinders only hinted at the panoramic pop magic that was to come and with it he found himself name checked by the likes of Rihanna, Goldie, Sa Ra, Busy P, Flying Lotus, Mars Volta & Crookers."

John Blum - In The Shade Of Sun CD (Ecstatic Peace) [E#5D] $10.25
Featuring John Blum (piano), William Parker (bass) and Sunny Murray (drums); recorded May 14, 2008. "John Blum was born in New York City, April 15, 1968 and has been a mainstay of the free-jazz community there for over 15 years. 'I first heard John at Bennington (where I teach part-time in the college's Writing Seminars), affectionately kicking around some bebop and Thelonious Monk tunes with a bassist and a drummer. His chops, inventiveness and taste -- how many pianists would think to pull out Monk's 'Pannonica'? -- caught my attention immediately, but I didn't hear the real John Blum until he sent me the CD you now have in your hands. Not only is he a master musician -- if a pitcher were this fast and pinpoint-precise, he'd be out-earning Johan Santana and C.C. Sabathia combined -- but his playing seems to encapsulate the whole history of jazz piano: if you listen hard, you'll catch bits of Harlem stride, Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Monk and Taylor, all recombined in a flow almost -- but not quite -- too rapid for the ear to absorb and the mind to process. Like every great jazz improviser, from Louis Armstrong on, he's a self-portraitist, registering the play of his own thoughts and intuitions as they arise. His abundance of ideas -- and ideas springing from those ideas and morphing into yet other ideas -- suggests a teeming, almost Joyceian inner world. The titles of his pieces allude to the context of struggle in which this world exists; but the music itself, sometimes majestic, sometimes frightening, sometimes witty, many-colored and ceaselessly inventive, is an ideal universe of freedom. John Blum and his collaborators [William Parker and Sunny Murray] have created work of enduring value and endless fascination. As many times as I listen to these pieces, I always hear something fresh and surprising: further revelations, deeper interconnections. It's a gift from generous spirits, straight from their hearts and minds to yours.' -- David Gates, Senior Writer Newsweek"

Josh Lay - True Mask CD (Small Doses) [DOSE66] $11.75
The first compact disc release by CADAVER IN DRAG and SWAMP HORSEadaver in Drag and Swamp Horse dude. Four tracks, nearly 40 minutes, elements of black metal, harsh noise, power electronics and dark ambient. Twisted environments built from electronics, guitar, and guttural vocals. Handmade art work.

Justine D - RVNG Prsnts MX5 feat. Justine D CD (Metatronix) [MX005CD] $8.75
"Recorded during a summer visit to Optimo's Glasgow studio with Twitch watching the wavelengths, Justine opens her set with a sound bite from a Francis Bacon BBC interview (a freak obsession while studying Art History at FIT) while Eno & Fripp appregiate into an era of electronic music that The Orb, Nitzer Ebb, and producers like Andrew Wetherall would all align. Elegantly accented by a sample from Paris is Burning (a movie that perhaps best explains Justine's love of her work), the Turntablerocker and Daniel Wang house anthems turn synthetic 'pop' of then - Ministry, The Cars - and now - Hot Chip, Glass Candy. After the 808s & 909s, Delia & Gavin sedate the Chic Strings before exposing Visconti's on Bowie's 1984. It goes from dark to darkest when Justine builds the Crass Walls into crucial Death In June and Christian Death tracks and a full cut of Goblin's Suspiria. You can almost feel the glass breaking in said movie's opening sequence before Justine rescues us with a Madcap love song and The Zombies fade into a the end score from Truffaut's 400 Blows. This is the story Justine D: the starry-eyed teenager, the after hour wanderer, the bleeding heart of a community, and the constant believer in good music. If you believe in good music too, this life and mix are for you."

Kim Doo Soo - Free Spirit CD (Riverman Music) [RM001CD] $16.00
This is the 2002 fourth album by Korea's true cult folk/singer-songwriter hero, Kim Doo Soo. Kim Doo Soo is perhaps the deepest and most introspective of Korea's acid folk singers. Legends surround his songs -- political oppression, alcoholism, suicide, a 10-year period of mountain seclusion. In spite of four acclaimed albums in Korea, most Western listeners only became aware of Kim through his tracks on Damon & Naomi's compilation International Sad Hits Volume One: Altaic Language Group. On Free Spirit he mines productive veins of profound melancholy, animistic nature, and unfathomable, hermetic affection. These songs are couched in a veil of gorgeous, still melodicism, Kim's quavering vocals and guitar shaded with subtle accordion, cello, organ and harmonica. A reflective and unearthly masterpiece. Housed in a digipak, including a 19-page booklet with lyrics in Korean and photos.

King Cannibal - Let The Night Roar CD (Ninja Tune) [ZEN151CD] $15.25
"A warm welcome please for Ninja Tune's latest signing King Cannibal aka Zilla aka Dylan Richards. Coming through with a hard-edged, utterly uncompromising industrial mash-up of sounds and rhythms from dancehall to drum & bass."

Kink Gong - Electronic World CD (Atavistic) [ALP194] $15.00
After recording the indigenous music of countless Asian villages and releasing over 50 CDRs of these documents on his own label, LAURENT JEANNEAU debuts his own KINK GONG electro project on Atavistic. "Since 1995 I am involvedd in 2 complementary activities-first recording ethnic minority music, mostly in southeast Asia (India, Tanzania, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China); and second, composing electronic music that includes or transforms those recordings. Every country has a different context, so also my approach is different-depending on how much time I spend, how close I am with the people, the degree of acculturation, how easy it is to find musicians, the political situation, who I am working with. In many cases, I seem to be the first one to record those musicians; I am aware of this exclusive dimension, but this is not essential. I won't pretend that I'm doing it for saving endangered cultures, nowadays everyone is using those words..."-LJ, 2009.

Luna City Express - Hello From Planet Earth! CD (Moon Harbour) [MHR011CD] $16.00
This is the debut full-length release from Berlin's Luna City Express. For 10 years now, Norman Weber and Marco Resmann have been living out their love for house together both at the turntables and in the studio as Luna City Express. At 14, Weber heard his first Chicago house mix on tape -- a musical revelation and the beginning of his subsequent career. Resmann discovered electronic music in the early '90s in a friend's basement studio where he first started delving into drum machines and synthesizers. In 1999 he set up his Audiogain studio and established himself as a producer, producing as a solo artist under the pseudonym Phage and also in projects like Pan/Pot or Phage & Daniel Dreier, releasing on labels like Mobilee, Klang Elektronik and Highgrade. In 2007, he founded the label Upon You with Marcus Meinhardt and Hawks Grunert. At a millennium party in Italy, Norman and Marco crossed paths for the first time and clicked immediately -- two house nerds had found each other. When Norman moved from Jena to Berlin, they began to play as a DJ team, organizing their own parties and producing their first tracks together, a mixture of downbeat, trip-hop and deep house. Beside remixes and releasing on labels like Justified Cause and Enliven Music, Moon Harbour has truly become the home of Luna City Express, and at the same time, they've played an essential part in developing the label's sound. Hello From Planet Earth! brings together 13 outstanding tracks -- from techno to experimental, going from euphoric to quiet moments. It's an eclectic album that isn't just for the club, all held together by the unique Luna City Express house vibe.

Marek Hemmann - In Between CD (Freude Am Tanzen) [FREUDE004CD] $14.75
This is the debut full-length album from Germany's Marek Hemmann, as well as the first CD long-player from the house of Freude-Am-Tanzen. Hemmann has long been one-half of the duo Hemmann & Kaden, who for years have been the pillars of the new house & techno scene, both as producers and as a live act. Hemmann has also been responsible for innumerable remixes, from Dirt Novitzky to Chopstick & Johnjon to Dusty Kid. In Between is pure technoid material in an eclectic house-world, which offers a new discovery at every turn. From classic deep-droning dub epos over frizzy house with shots of bossa nova and demanding horn-action, up to highly complex sample tone-art, this is a long, rewarding trip through techno-land. With a round of wholly comprehensive melancholy and hypnotic bass lines, the tracks bathe you in a type of beauty that will come over you like a sunrise.

Matthew Friedberger - Winter Women & Holy Ghost Language 2CD (Thrill Jockey) [THRILL223] $11.00
RELEASE DATE: 09-29-2009
***REISSUED!!! The debut solo release from one-half of the brother/sister duo FIERY FURNACES. The first disc, Winter Women, showcases MATTHEW FRIEDBERGER's strength as a songwriter, and features some of the most accessible and infectious pop songs he's ever written. The second disc, Holy Ghost Language School, is more experimental-a 46-minute sonic novel with the requisite backwards guitars and strange samples that make his work so original. Includes guest drumming by JOHN McENTIRE (TORTOISE). Includes four new bonus tracks and new artwork.

Midaircondo - Curtain Call CD (Twin Seed Recordings) [TWINS001CD] $14.75
This is the second full-length album by Swedish duo Midaircondo, and the first release on their own Twin Seed Recordings label. The follow-up to their celebrated 2005 release Shopping For Images (TYPE 008CD/LP), Curtain Call is an exceptional pop record -- and make no mistake, this is a pop record; a heady mix of unexpected arrangements, acoustic and electronic sound sources, experimental music fused with the pair's undeniable pop sensibilities, that makes for an album which draws the listener in instantly. Reborn as a duo, Midaircondo's wonderful, original improvisational skills and innovative compositions have been developed into a new and more solemn sound. Classical instruments and delicate deliveries of poetic lyrics marry in Midaircondo's electronic world. Quirky field recordings from the band's travels around the world create backdrops that invite you to enter Midaircondo's unique musical sphere. From the shimmering opening moments of its title track, Curtain Call has such a peculiar pull, familiar in the most unique of ways. It's hard to categorize these songs -- equal measures of dark and light haunt the listener throughout. Delicate passages of recognizable instruments are suddenly thrown into unexpected territories, often revealing the duo at their most catchy. Midaircondo's evocative arrangements, plus their ability to gel the compositional and the improvisational, result in an album of incredibly forward-thinking music -- challenging but accessible to all. Making a guest appearance is The Soundtrack Of Our Lives' frontman Ebbot Lundberg, sharing vocal duties on standout track "Silk, Silver And Stone," a dark, layered song cycle with hazy, descending vocal layers and strings. Reminiscent of the best of Blonde Redhead, Björk's "All Is Full Of Love," and the electro allure of Bat For Lashes, Midaircondo's dark vision of electronic pop makes Curtain Call an album to return to time and time again.

Mikkel Meyer - Bacon CD (Statler & Waldorf) [S&W015CD] $16.00
This is the second release on Statler & Waldorf by Denmark's Mikkel Meyer. Since his debut, Meyer has moved from introverted jazzy electronica over spoken-word, to hard upfront dubstep. This is a solid meal, where freshness has beaten the jazzy flavors characterizing his previous work. The working method has become faster, and you can feel that time has been reduced dramatically from when the ingredient leaves the chopping board to when the dishes are served. Mikkel Meyer has put together a 9-course menu with inspiration from his grandmother's cookbooks, dating 40 years back to a time when you had to see a pharmacist to buy anything else than the three Danish standard spices: salt, pepper and bacon. With immigration in the '70s came exotic foods and spices, and Danish cuisine was never the same. In much the same way, Meyers' music has been spiced up with contributions from the USA and Tanzania. He has, so to speak, brought the world to his Danish melting pot, by inviting some of the greatest in the field to flavor this album: American Non from Shadowhuntaz in Chicago, who has been awarded numerous stars in the world's guidebook, and Lufu and Chidi Benz from Tanzania, who both deliver Swahilian herbs to the table. This is home-ccoked Danish dub, with a heavy dollop of thick techno, and sprinkled with grime and grit.

Morton Feldman - For Philip Guston CD Box (Bridge Records) [BRIDGE9078CD] $46.50
1997 release. Performed by the California EAR Unit (flutes, percussion, piano, celeste). "Here is the California EAR Unit's recording of the late Morton Feldman's monumental, four hour long For Philip Guston (1984). Included in this discount priced, four disc set is an enhanced multimedia track, which includes Feldman's remarks as well as a photo montage of the composer. Morton Feldman stands as one of our century's darkest and quietest musical poets. His music seems a muffled yet spiritually inspired reaction to the speed, noise and horror of the events of the 20th century -- much as in the work of the painter, Mark Rothko. For Philip Guston, a composition from Feldman's last years, is music that attempts to suspend time, but without the nervous 'sequenced' energy that dominates so much of today's 'process art.' In For Philip Guston, the gigantism of Feldman's time-scale is offset by the extreme intimacy and seductiveness of the composer's expression. As Bridge Records' annotato Alan Rich puts it: 'This is music of an outward immobility and inward irresistible propulsion, random yet purposeful-its construction, intricate and precise.' Four disc set includes an enhanced CD track, and Feldman in conversation."

Morton Feldman - Crippled Symmetry 2CD (Bridge Records) [BRIDGE9092CD] $14.00
1999 release. Performed by The California EAR Unit (Dorothy Stone, flutes; Arthur Jarvinen, percussion; Vicky Ray, piano/celeste). "Morton Feldman's music continues to exert its fascination on listeners and record companies alike. After releasing its highly successful recording of the more than three-hour-long For Philip Guston, Bridge once again returns to the California EAR Unit for Crippled Symmetry, at only 87 minutes a mere bagatelle in terms of Feldman's late output. Well, maybe not. Scored for flutes, mallet percussion, and piano/celeste, Crippled Symmetry does exactly what the title says: it toys with not quite exact repetitions of short melodic and rhythmic shapes. As each pattern exhausts itself, a new one takes its place. All of this happens at a slow tempo, at the lowest possible dynamic level. Only the composer's own exquisite sense of sonority and timing determines how the various musical patterns are organized, and how long they persist. What makes Feldman's music so fascinating is its complete honesty: it truly does create a series of sonic shapes moving through space, allowing the listener to literally 'see' with his ears the slowly changing patterns of sound. It's sort of like watching a mobile turn almost imperceptibly in a gentle breeze. And much as it may outrage the faithful, this is great music to fall asleep to -- the perfect cure for insomnia, in fact, not because it's dull, but because it's so hypnotic... Bridge's sonics are exactly as they should be: transferred at a high level so that you can set the volume low, relax, and watch the music." -- Classics Today

Morton Feldman - For Christian Wolff 3CD (Bridge Records) [BRIDGE9279CD] $46.50
2008 release. Performed by the California EAR Unit (Dorothy Stone, flute; Vicki Ray, piano, celesta). "For Christian Wolff is one of Morton Feldman's final compositions, and stands alongside the four-hours-plus For Philip Guston, the 70-minute For John Cage, and the six-hour String Quartet II. Writing about hearing this work, Christian Wolff says that 'I found the experience of listening to it beautiful and interesting -- it moves away partly from our (Morty's, John Cage's and mine) original preoccupation with just sound and sonority into areas of self-awareness about listening, being a listener, as such, because there's so much time to be thinking of this and that as well as just listening.' The California EAR Unit's performances of Feldman's For Philip Guston (BRIDGE 9078CD) and Crippled Symmetry (BRIDGE 9092CD) have received high praise from the international musical press."

Mountain Goats - Bitter Melon Farm CD (3 Beads of Sweat) [3BOS1002.2] $11.00
second in a series of three compilations of non-album Mountain Goats tracks. Includes all the songs from their Transmissions to Horace cassette, the Songs for Petronius and Songs for Peter Hughes 7-inches, as well as their tracks from a handful of compilation records on the Walt, Sing Eunuchs, Glitterhouse, Slowball, Union Pole, Pottery, WPRB, and Box Dog Sound labels.

Mum - Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know CD (Euphono) [EUPH01] $13.25
Two years (almost to the day) after their previous release, Iceland's eccentric pop maestros MUM have returned with their fifth studio album, Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know. Sing Along... recalls sand running through fingers or ripples on a lake; it's an ode to the light in its different shapes, from a fading bulb to the blinding sun. Alternately sunny and melancholy, Sing Along... flows like the tides: now ebullient, now brooding, cacophony resolving into tight melody. For Sing Along..., Mum work with their trademark variegated instrumental palette, this time including a lightly prepared piano, hammered dulcimer, a string quartet, marimbas, guitars, ukuleles-and in the background of a few tracks, a parent's pet parakeet singing along with the piano. Mum will embark on a worldwide tour to herald the release of Sing Along To Songs You Don't Know, with North American shows starting October 23.

Music Go Music - Expressions CD (Secretly Canadian) [SC186CD] $13.50
"'When people talk about the rebirth of disco, this is how it should be, manic zombifications reanimated from the Abba songbook, wired with Philip K. Dick paranoia and Donna Summer euphoria,' says the NME on Music Go Music's debut full-length Expressions. The Los Angeles trio recorded the album over the course of a year-and-a-half. They make pop music but, fortunately, the term means very little these days. What kind of pop music is it? Rock and Roll, disco, metal, boogie, trans-hand, psychedelic? Fader magazine perhaps put it best when they said, 'They begin with a bright-eyed Scandinavian sashay and end with a ten-minute Mediterranean disco romp featuring programmed drums, making detours along the way into rainy day ballads and guitar infernos. The cumulative effect plays like the greatest hits of dance saviors that never existed - and indeed, they probably should only be performed from inside an aquadome at the bottom of the Caspian Sea, or at least during a summer-long residency in Ibiza.' Indeed."

Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms CD (Lefse) [LEFSE001CD] $13.75
"An elusive new project from composer Alan Palomo (VEGA). Neon Indian delivers equal parts synthetic nostalgia, dream-pop lullabies, and grinding guitar noise to create something eerier than the sum of its parts. Forged after a hazy winter gathering in Texas, this initial batch of tracks were the result of field recordings, record samples, a collection of bizarre synth sounds. Soliciting the visual acrobatics of video artist Alicia Scardetta, this project is setting out to be a multi-media maelstrom. Orbiting around the themes of drug induced heart-break, weary afternoons, and lost chances, this music provides a lush soundtrack to the deadbeat exploits of teenage ennui. Neon Indian's bedroom ballads have already forged Psychic Chasms. They've been compared to New Order, Future Bible Heroes, and most recently said to sound like a saw-wave cutting a Doobie Brothers' song in half. Expect much racket to be had from this fresh faced crew."

Nils Frahm - Wintermusik CD (Sonic Pieces) [SONICPIE004CD] $18.50
"'I remember thinking to myself as I lay there stunned, that I could spend ten years trying to write an amazing piece of piano music, and still it would never be half as good as these improvisations!' -- Peter Broderick on Nils Frahm's demo piano improvisations. Limited to 333 beautifully handmade, hand numbered copies, Nils Frahm's Wintermusik was an album originally created as a Christmas gift to his friends and family. Recorded over two days in December, Wintermusik is an album of such incredible depth and beauty, that to limit its initial exposure in such a way, could seem now, almost criminal. Nils Frahm, born in 1982, had an early approach to music. During the younger years of his life he was taught piano by Nahum Brodski, and through this he began to immerse himself in the stylings of the classical pianists before him as well as the ECM-influenced modern composition. Nils is an accomplished pianist, composer and studio engineer -- these qualities are entirely apparent on Wintermusik. The three instrumentals which make up Wintermusik are piano led pieces, coloured with occasional celeste and reed organ parts. Perhaps the most stunning aspect of what appears on the surface to be an entirely pre-planned, composed and realized body of work, comes with the discovery that these pieces were in fact improvised. Frahm's fragile, haunting motifs rise and develop in ways reminiscent at times of the piano compositions of Rachel Grimes, in particular the stripped down Rachel's score for 'Music For Egon Schiele.' Wintermusik's equal measures of sorrowful refrains and uplifting passages, combined with an awesome production, make for an album that you'll want to return to again and again. Peter Broderick requested Nils to record an album of solo piano recently -- the result was The Bells, which was recently released on Kning disk, as part of a series of solo piano releases being curated by Broderick. These two friends share a common affinity in that they both possess an absolute mastery of melody, composition and performance, able to deliver with devastating effect. For a musician this early in his career, Frahm displays an incredibly developed sense of control and restraint in his work. As the praise continues to grow for The Bells, we are please to be able to offer a very limited number of copies of its predecessor Wintermusik, an equally incredible album, and one which will likely be much sought after in years to come."

Noma/Rejectamenta - Split CD (At War With False Noise) [ATWAR052] $12.25
Two long tracks of minimal drone (achieved by running household appliances through guitar pick ups) from NOMA, and one of full-on bizarre electronics from REJECTA. How do they do it? Circuit bent instruments and toys, horribly de-tuned guitars, feedback, and occasional outbursts of throat. Limited quantities available.

Non Toxique Lost - Z.O.R.N.: Live in Scheer 2008 CD (Klanggalerie) [10623] $16.25
A perfect companion to our "Wanton" CD-re-issue, this album is a recording of the whole NTL gig at last year's Klangbad Festival in Scheer hosted by Faust. Line up: Sea Wanton, Achim Wollscheid, Steffen Schütze and Christian Reichelt. If you've missed this extremely rare opportunity to see this band on stage, then grab this very limited album... like "Wanton", it comes in a hand-made sleeve with an original photograph of the band on stage. The songs the band played range from old to new, from noise to electronic beats. Mixing desk recording in perfect audio quality.

CD-R in a limited edition of only 100 copies.

Norscq - Gelatinosa Substancia CD (Staubgold) [STAUBDIG003CD] $12.25
Norscq, a Paris-based electronic musician, has been one of the key instigators of the French underground scene for more than 25 years. He founded the iconoclastic cult group The Grief in 1984, producing 10 exceptional releases. Norscq is a prolific artist with a fine ear for electronica that moves from ambient to rhythmically explosive with a sonic continuity uniting the extremes. His solo album on Staubgold is also the soundtrack to a movie directed by Véronique Ruggia. Gelatinosa Substancia is a strange curiosity. Firstly, the sound feels as though it had been recorded over a 50 year time span. The quality and sharpness of the recording fluctuates and evolves, seemingly improving along with the emergence of the newer recording equipment of the era. We sense that the musicians are always the same despite the radical changes in quality. As the artist describes, "They will play while they move, whether it be on a merry-go-round or a boat ... by way of this, the music will create the sensation of a voyage, that we are actually moving, even if the rhythm is slow and ebbing, or the drones leave us floating in space... the audience will rise to an unknown place. Out to the stars, as they watch the film." A decidedly French amalgam of musique concrète, found sounds, digital f***ery, sample collages, and electro-acoustic absurdist theater.

Owen - New Leaves CD (Polyvinyl) [PRC183] $10.50
Much has changed for MIKE KINSELLA (AMERICAN FOOTBALL, JOAN OF ARC, CAP'N JAZZ) since 2006's solo album At Home with Owen. As he began writing his fifth album, Kinsella became a husband and a father. New Leaves, like the title suggests, is a new beginning and retains elements of earlier OWEN material-but here, instead of lamenting failed relationships, Kinsella focuses on the new beginnings they allowed.

Parade - La Fortaleza De La Soledad CD (Jabalina) [JAB-2047] $18.50
Parade is back. In fact, he didn't really go at all, or even think about retiring to his Fortress Of Solitude, just like his favourite hero Superman, because he doesn't live there anymore-- Antonio Galvañ, the man behind the stage name Parade, is back for good with a brilliant new album, unusually original, an instant classic which will be officially released next 21st September under the title "La fortaleza de la soledad". This music teacher from Yecla, Murcia (Spain) has produced his fifth album, the first one for Jabalina, and undoubtedly his strongest outing so far, which showcases his music at its most rich and diverse.

"La fortaleza de la soledad" reveals itself from the first listen as an impressive display of sensitivity and brilliant compositions full of small and great stories (check out the "Rainbows Avenue" trilogy), with multicoloured arrangements which are just perfect for the rich variety of styles that the imagination and talent of Antonio Galvañ has created. This astonishing exhibition of talent should end the clichéd idea that Parade is an electronic pop artist and be evidence that, after a 10-year career, he has reached top form.

Parade's very particular way of understanding pop music is interweaved with the rich influences of many styles and artists that fall into this category. Thus, Parade sounds like piano-pop (Ben Folds Five or the best moments of Elton John...), like 60s and 70s soft-pop ("El desfile terminó", a Carpenters cover version, the album closer, is the perfect example) and like classics such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Hollies, The Zombies or singer-songwriters like Jimmy Webb or Paul Williams. But he's also indebted to country ("El aerolito Dylan"), to sunshine pop, to the sound of Curt Boettcher (The Association, Millenium, Sagittarius) --and many more which we probably haven't noticed yet! What is important is that Parade is still the same, but at the same time he sounds different on "La fortaleza de la soledad"—he doesn't hide his soft spot for 70s comic heroes, or for Phil Spector (as on the wonderful "Astrónomo melancólico") or even for classics like The Electric Light Orchestra, Todd Rundgren, The High Llamas, Solera or Vainica Doble, a set of influences that make his music even greater.

Further evidence of the fact that this is still our good old Parade are the lyrics, which maintain their usual magical and surprising spirit, avoiding the usual worn-out sci-fi clichés in favour of the unusual, interspersed among rock n'roll references (as on "El aerolito Dylan" where he retells the story of the Bob Dylan incident at Newport in 1965) and scientific mythology (vindicating Stephen Hawking and planning his own "Proyecto Genoma" from a brand new perspective). In any case, the songs tell day to day stories like the one which develops as the different parts of "Rainbows Avenue" unfold.

In short, "La fortaleza de la soledad" confirms that Antonio Galvañ is one of the greatest talents of the Spanish pop scene, as a composer, arranger and producer. We had been warned in his first promotional letter-- 'we didn't know this could be done until we listened to it-- they say genius is rare, but you can always find it - you just have to look for it in Yecla'. We can only add that reality usually beats fiction.

Pens - Hey Friend, What You Doing? CD (DeStijl) [CDPENSHEY] $13.75
NOW AVAILABLE ON CD!!! 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 snapped 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.

Raydios - Now CD (Mangrove) [DQC75] $12.00
"Our first release from a Japanese band, and we couldn't really ask for a better one than this. For those not in the know, THE RAYDIOS is FINK from the legendary TEENGENERATE and current member of FIRESTARTER. This is their 2nd album, coming about 10 years (!) after their Demo LP on Screaming Apple. The CD version of Now is released by Japan's Mangrove Records last year (and is being distributed by Dirtnap in the USA), and is just now seeing the light of day on vinyl. It's been remastered for vinyl and remixed by Fink himself, and sounds GREAT. Musically this is no frills, crunchy, mid tempo rock n roll. Less trashy than Teengenerate, but not quite as 'pop' as Firestarter, this is kinda a middle ground between the two. Total dream release for Dirtnap. Pinch us."

Rose Melberg - Homemade Ship CD (K Records) [KLP211] $13.25
The songs of ROSE MELBERG belong to her voice; its stark stillness is as hauntingly playful and familiar as the first days of fall. Similar to her work with previous bands TIGER TRAP and THE SOFTIES, her approach is always tender and hushed. Homemade Ship is a small masterpiece. Melberg uses just a guitar and vocals on Homemade Ship (with occasional harmony vocal and piano work provided by LARISSA LOYVA of THE CHOIR PRACTICE and P:ANO), offering helpful and insightfully delicate lyrics to perfectly ease out of sorrow and into contentment. At the forefront, her voice holds a warmth and generosity that adds strength and hopefulness to her aching lyrics. Set a table for two.

RSD - Good Energy (A Singles Collection) CD (Punch Drunk) [DRUNK001CD] $12.75
"RSD, perhaps better known as Bristol bass and drum music stalwart Rob Smith (one half of respected production duo Smith and Mighty), has been pushing bass heavy rhythms for more than two decades. He remains firmly at the forefront of Bristol's endlessly inventive music scene, with a staggering discography and a range of projects encompassing dub, jungle, 2-step and dubstep. >From his musical beginnings playing guitar in local roots reggae band Restriction, Rob's music has always had a strong dub aesthetic. Forming the now legendary production duo Smith and Mighty with collaborator Ray Mighty in 1987, the pair's early releases on the Three Stripe label were influential in laying the groundwork for both the trip hop and jungle scenes for which Bristol would become renowned. A period of chart success and major label involvement in the early nineties was followed by a return to their underground roots for Smith and Mighty. During this time Rob also worked with Peter D. Rose to release groundbreaking music on their More Rockers imprint. Rob Smith also went on to collaborate with local roots reggae producers Henry & Louis. This fruitful relationship culminated in 2001 with the release of the fantastic Time Will Tell LP. More recently, Rob Smith has found a new home as RSD, comfortably adapting to the rolling, sub-heavy rhythms of dubstep. With releases on internationally respected labels such as Punch Drunk, Tectonic and Earwax, RSD's sound is typified by impossibly heavy sound system testing sub-lines and junglist dub breaks. The irresistible energy of tunes such as 2007's infectious junglist roller 'Pretty Bright Lights' and 2008's speaker destroying dread-fuelled steppers 'Over It' & 'Jah Way' has rapidly cemented them as anthems. This Punch Drunk CD collection compiles tracks from many of the 12"s released in the past two years under the RSD moniker."

Rui Costa and Friends - Sightseeing For The Blind CD (1000Fussler) [10625] $16.25
The idea for the piece first came to me in 2005, when I was invited to develop a sound project with the city of Lisbon as its theme. I decided to wander through the city, making a series of sound recordings using a pair of binaural microphones. What I concluded from these recordings was that, more than capturing the sound of the place or its "atmosphere", they reflected a lot about me: my decisions of where to go, what places to avoid, how fast to walk, how long to linger in one place... preconceived ideas of what I wanted to be captured on tape. Later I followed up on this idea by introducing an element of "sonic sightseeing". I grabbed a tourist guide of Lisbon, walked along the recommended hiking routes and made recordings with binaural and shotgun microphones. I wrote down my impressions, states of mind, mental associations and decisions and then mapped the recorded sounds against these notes, considering them as "instructions" or "cues" for a sound composition. I suppose that the experience that tourists get from a city is in great measure determined by the randomness of these almost unconscious impressions, of a permanent mapping out of what they see against their desires, preconceived ideas, memories, etc. All in all, my intention was to convert this process into a method for sound composition using field recordings. (Rui Costa, 2009)

Satyajit Ray - The Masterworks Of Satyajit Ray CD (Navras) [NRCD1002CD] $17.75
2002 release. "Satyajit Ray (1921-1992) is known to the world as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. He was a man with many facets and was hailed by the cognoscenti as the 'Last Sentinel of the Bengal Renaissance'...One of the greatest pleasure Satyajit Ray's films give his audience is the beautiful music they contain. This has been true from the very beginning of his career, when he asked classical Indian musicians Pandit Ravi Shankar (The Apu Trilogy), Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (Devi and Ustad Vilayat Khan (The Music Room) to compose and perform the music for his soundtracks. These great maestros always worked within the framework of Indian classical music, that is, music based upon ragas. However, light classical and folk songs, as well as folk tunes, were also drawn upon and provide much intoxicating rhythm and lively orchestration for Ray's scores. Pather Panchali is unusually rich in such folk music. On the other hand, 'The Music Room' (Jalsaghar) is all about Indian classical music and dance; it is what the proud Zamindar played by Chabi Biswas lives and dies for. When Ray, the consummate cosmopolitan where any music was concerned, took to writing his own music for his films, he not only drew from the riches of Indian classical and vernacular music, of which he was a connoisseur, but from the Western musical tradition as well.. No other film composer in India ever quite attained his effects, or gave us film music so satisfying to the Western ear."

Simon Whetham - D/R CD (1000Fussler) [10624] $20.50
'October 2008, I join a group of UK based performance artists in Tallinn, Estonia, to produce new collaborative works as guests of Non Grata. The project, Co-LAB'08, is organised and run by Orion Maxted and protopPLAY. The theme of the project is ?Deconstruction/Reconstruction', appropriate as this reflects my composing using field recordings. The first performances are solo, showcasing existing work. I spend two days recording and composing in Tallinn, performing a 30 minute sound piece for the group. The second performance has barely begun when the power is cut and a hole is smashed in the wall of the performance space with a sledgehammer. The third performance is a group reaction to this, starting loud and intense, gradually becoming calm and peaceful. Throughout the fourth performance, individuals reacted to artists actions during the previous performance. My subject, Yoko Ishiguro, carried out the following: smoking, cooking, washing her hair, eating a banana, attempting all simultaneously. (Simon Whetham, 2009) 100 copies

Spiracle - Ananta 2CD (Helen Scarsdale Agency) [HMS017CD] $15.25
"Hitoshi Kojo (aka Spiracle) professes to have some difficulties in falling asleep. When sleep comes to him, it can often arrive at dawn, when the colors of the sun begin to break through the darkness of night and when some are just rising after their own good night's sleep. Ananta is a twin set of compositions that urge the listener toward a dreamless sleep-state, while reflecting the glowing warmth of a blossoming sunrise. In constructing the two variations of Ananta, Kojo began with finely tuned drones extracted from a Dilruba and a Sarangi, and applied a process of merging sympathetic field recordings and other tonal interferences alongside those instrumental sounds. The resulting pieces are elliptically static drone compositions that brightly shimmer with hues of gold, crimson, and aquamarine. One of the two variations of Ananta was published back in 2006 as a micro-edition CDR through Mystery Sea. In composing the Mystery Sea version, Kojo purposefully eschewed the representational sounds of the 'Night Ocean Drones' espoused by the label, opting for these aforementioned concepts. On this piece of tiny churning textures streaming along a linear path, Kojo's piece nearly achieves infinity, which happens to be the translation from Sanskrit of "Ananta." While other works from Kojo enjoy the darkly elegant arches found in select recordings from Organum and Lawrence English, the Mystery Sea Version of Ananta fits more of the tradition of the Roland Kayn, Yoshi Wada, and Charlemagne Palestine in constructing pieces which require endurance, lest you succumb to Kojo's audio hypnosis. The Strato Version of Ananta is a previously unreleased composition, that bends and undulates around a fundamental drone, all the while still maintaining the sun-flecked glints magnified in the Mystery Sea version."

Starless & Bible Black - Shape Of The Shape CD (Static Caravan) [VAN192CD] $16.00
RELEASE DATE: 10-12-2009
Female voice, guitars, synths and rhythm section meld to make dark folk rock with hooks and melodies. Moving on from their well-received eponymous debut, Starless & Bible Black have drawn together the sounds of '70s Topanga Canyon country-rock, '80s Mancunian jangle, and space-age psychedelic drones to make this dynamic, warm and woodsy second album. Gone are the dulcimers and banjos of the first record, replaced by an electrifying wall of Telecaster and Moog, and standing in the centre of this bold, widescreen sound resides the earthy and husky voice of Hélène Gautier. Recorded at Bryn Derwen within the wilds of the Snowdonian mountains, and during all night sessions in the relative tranquillity of their local village hall, Shape Of The Shape is an album of contrasting styles, themes and approaches that coheres beautifully into a seamless entity. We get guided through verses and choruses of swamp rock, gothic bluesy chanson and smoky acoustic ballads, as well as a jazz-folk tinged instrumental—after all the band take their name from the classic 1965 Stan Tracey cut—but the apogee of this collection is the driving drone-choral opus, Les Furies - sung in French, this is a very Gallic observation of after hours culture. And while this album traverses all these different styles, the band never deny the importance of a fine tune and a fine song. Starless & Bible Black were formed in Manchester in 2005 when Hélène Gautier, guitarist Peter Philipson and synth man Raz Ullah started performing live together and they were soon joined by Paul Blakesley on double bass and Brian Edwards on drums. Drum duties on recent recordings were performed courtesy of Karl Penney, another friend of the band. Their first record was released in 2006 to unanimous critical acclaim most notably from Pitchfork, Wire, CMJ and The New York Times and a seven-inch single Up With The Orcadian Tide was pressed up in summer 2007. Live shows have included playing alongside Vetiver, James Yorkston, Espers and The Earlies as well as performing at the Green Man and Moseley Folk Festivals. What they said about the first album--. "Starless & Bible Black perform each of their stylistic shifts with an effortless agility, resulting in a collection that captivates primarily through its graceful, almost nonchalant simplicity----idiosyncratic electronic drones, tape loops, and samples supply these songs with a crucial undercurrent of drama and dissonance" Pitchfork "they accomplish all this with a firm perception of their own powers, drawing on such varied sources without succumbing to self conscious classicism, and stamping their own personality on their material" Wire Magazine "reminds us of darker chanteuses such as Nico or Marianne Faithfull" Amazon

Stellari String Quartet - Gocce Stellari CD (Emanem) [EMANEM5006CD] $17.75
Philipp Wachsmann (violin), Charlotte Hug (viola), Marcio Mattos (cello), John Edwards (double bass). "If there were stars in the world of free improvisation, then the members of this quartet would surely be among them -- four very distinctive and fluent musicians, who also have the talent to work together to produce a fifth distinctive and fluent entity, namely an improvising string quartet. The whole of their performance at the 2007 Uncool Festival in Switzerland is included, as well as some studio recordings made near London the previous year. These unamplified performances prove that here is still plenty of life in the violin family. 69 minutes."

Steve Roach - Destination Beyond CD (Projekt) [10626] $14.50
Blending the two core aspects of his work, Steve ramps up for the fall of 2009 with the stunningly expansive Destination Beyond. This all-new release combines immersive atmospheric harmonic zones (like those recently experienced on Dynamic Stillness) into the setting of spiraling patterns and hypnotic rhythms (similar to those found on Arc Of Passion). Perfectly blending these two sonic qualities over the course of the continuous 71-minute piece, the flowing soundscapes on Destination Beyond propel the mood to a mesmerizing state which is unique from any of Steve's pure rhythmless immersive work while achieving a similar sensation that works perfectly in repeat playback mode.

Destination Beyond pushes electronic music to its highest level, living and breathing in the immediacy in which it was created. The album flows along an organic continuum. Clocked, synced and performed in unison within Steve's desert studio, it showcases his mastery of a life-long devotion to hands-on performance. Utilizing real analog synthesizers with knobs and sliders, a mixing console and real-time processing as an additional instrument results in soundscapes infused with a pure natural flow. It is an artisan approach to sound that is quite rare in today's cut and paste approach to electronic music.

Within an impressive body of work that spans nearly 30 years, certain stylistic forms evolve and reappear as significant signposts, as touchstones for both the listener and the artist. This release clearly draws from the heart and soul of Steve's sonic vision.

Destination Beyond is infused with breaths of life and forward momentum which draws the listener into a serene sense of physical and mental travel. The sound ebbs and flows in constant movement; the meditation of emotion in the music is a yearning for what is over the next rise. As Steve explains in the liner notes, "When the Destination Beyond calls the heart must go... The magnetic pull and drive towards the point on the horizon, towards the Destination Beyond. Never reaching this point - but always seeing it just ahead - remains a constant theme and impetus in my life."

This piece was recorded in Steve's new desert studio, not far from where the cover image was taken.

Stripmall Architecture - We Were Flying Kites 2CD (Stripmall Architecture) [SMA4] $12.25
RELEASE DATE: 09-28-2009
Last we checked in with Rebecca and Ryan Coseboom they had released albums under their R/R Coseboom project in 2007 as well as put their Halou project (with Count) to rest via a posthumous self titled album in 2008. Now the couple have created the new umbrella project Stripmall Architecture. Their debut album "We were Flying Kites" finds the duo enlisting help from Patrick Harte (the Rosemarys), Tim Hingston (Niles Lannon) , Roberto Burgos (Sweet Trip), and Erica Mulkey (unwoman) to create something far more organic, affecting and more refreshingly more rough edged than their previous efforts. The album which really could be seen more as a indie guitar album than the duo's previous efforts but We Were Flying Kites has an undercurrent of sheen and opacity that fans of their previous work will recognize and find comfort in. This limited 2 CD set also features a bonus CD "Object 3" which features alternative versions, outtakes and remixes from Near The Parenthesis and Bitcrush.

Sufjan Stevens/Osso - Run Rabbit Run CD (Asthmatic Kitty) [AKR049CD] $13.50
"In 2001, Sufjan Stevens followed up his debut album, A Sun Came, with Enjoy Your Rabbit, a series of fourteen instrumentals programmatically inspired by the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Much later, in 2006, Bryce Dessner (The National, Dark Was the Night compilation, Clogs) suggested that Sufjan re-arrange the entirety of Enjoy Your Rabbit for Osso, a string quartet that had previously contributed strings to Sufjan's Illinois and My Brightest Diamond's Bring Me The Workhorse. The result is Run Rabbit Run."

Supercluster - Waves CD (Cloud Recordings) [CLD012CD] $13.50
"Supercluster is an Athens super-group featuring members of Pylon, The Olivia Tremor Control, Circulatory System, Deerhunter, Casper & The Cookies, The New Sound of Numbers/Sound Houses, Instruments, Bob Hay & The Jolly Beggars, and The Squalls. It has been described as 'Appalachian Wave' because of the combination of an eclectic mix of elements - three female vocalists, upbeat rhythms, violin, cello, mandolin, clarinets, acoustic guitar, keyboard, and angular electric guitar. Bringing together many generations of Athens music, they have been developing their sound over the last couple of years through consistent practicing and live shows. They are going to be doing more shows in support of the album including a show opening up for the B-52s. This is also one of the last documents of the guitar skills of Randy Bewley (Pylon), who passed away earlier this year. Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, a longtime fan of Pylon, stepped in to help Supercluster in the studio after Randy passed away. Heather McIntosh of Instruments/Gnarls Barkley/Lil' Wayne also appears on the record and is playing live with the group now as well."

Sven Weisemann - Xine CD (Wandering) [1STVOYAGE] $21.25
This is the debut full-length release by Berlin's Sven Weisemann on Wandering, a sub-label of the seminal Mojuba Records. Weisemann's debut album is a true highlight. After some serious underground club-hits of Detroit minimal and deep tech house, Xine shows how wide his musical works really are, for the first time. After the early steps on labels like Mojuba, a.r.t.less, Meanwhile, Styrax and Essays, this album marks a new horizon for the artist, featuring various pieces with layered pianos, violins and breathtaking atmospheres comparable to the soundtrack of a film that hasn't been produced yet. Prepare yourself for a wonderful, harmonic and timeless musical journey through 20 different soundscapes that brush on epic orchestral mood pieces, to modern classical, to piano jazz, and even lounge music. Housed in deluxe, hand-made packaging.

Turbo Fruits - Echo Kid CD (Fat Possum) [FP1201] $12.00
RELEASE DATE: 09-29-2009
***From 2004 to 2008, JONAS, singer/guitar player for TURBO FRUITS, was the guitarist in the late, great BE YOUR OWN PET. The first Turbo Fruits album came out as a side project in August 2007 on Ecstatic Peace.

Twilight Sad - Forget The Night Ahead CD (Fat Cat) [FAT0077] $13.25
THE TWILIGHT SAD's much-anticipated follow-up to 2007's Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters is a dark and tumultuous listen. Produced by guitarist ANDY MCFARLANE with PAUL SAVAGE (of Delgados) at Glasgow's famed Chem 19 studios, Forget The Night Ahead retains the guitar-washed drama of their previous effort, with an added complexity both sonic and thematic. While lyrically darker than previous outings, Forget The Night Ahead retains vocalist JAMES GRAHAM's portentous knack for unsettling lines, forcefully delivered in his Caledonian burr. Musically, the new record is no less compelling: Andy MacFarlane's distinctive tremelo'd guitar creates seismic shifts between melancholic introspection and explosive release, the cacophony broadening to accommodate the band's most melodic and yet most thrillingly discordant moments to date.

Tyondai Braxton - Central Market CD (Warp Records) [WARP184CD] $15.25
"For more than a decade, Tyondai Braxton has fine-tuned his unique approach as 'quite literally' a solo artist. Working by himself on stage and in the studio, he employed guitar, voice, looping and delay pedals plus various found objects to create work that simulates the sound of a large ensemble. His live performances are as technically astonishing as they are sonically mesmerizing. However, on his Warp Records debut and second full-length solo album, Central Market, Braxton takes a radically different course from the 'orchestrated loops' that had become his trademark: For the first time in his solo career, he's composed for a real orchestra. The result is an exhilarating mix of acoustic and electronic instrumentation; surprisingly pastoral moments give way to more clangorous passages that will immediately appeal to fans of avant-rock quartet, Battles, of which Braxton is a member. There are plenty of ominous, unsettling sounds, particularly in its later tracks, but the sheer ambition of Central Market gives the album an uplifting, almost joyful quality. The spirit of the playing and the inventiveness of the arrangements make the entire experience exciting and fun, a word Braxton often employs when describing the process of bringing Central Market to fruition."

Urichipangoon - Sen CD (Okimi) [OKIMI-O14] $16.00
Urichipangoon­ a band whose second album released last year was hailed as the best pop album of the 2000s in Japan and who is also favored by the band Beirut. This is their first album, which is considered to be their origin. It is a masterpiece which the band prides itself on. Although the album was recorded entirely at home, it is a distorted mixture of various elements such as classical and ethnic music, sampling and live performance, computer and analog tapes, fairy tales and hums, contemporary and pop music, all contributing to a vast and unique world of Urichipangoon. However, such songs are all friendly to the ear, charming, and not at all difficult.This album is sure to re-configure the world's conventional music ecological system, broaden the form of pop music and invite listeners to a utopia they have never known before. It may well be a futuristic folklore music that crosses its path with the school of free-folk centered around Animal Collective's label Paw Track. I am now certain that primeval times and the future are an ouroboros. This music is like carefully digging up the Mongoloid's layers of history and reading the patterns of its earthenware. I hope Urichipangoon will solve the mystery of the bronze vessel. This is wonderful music. -Seiichi Yamamoto (The Boredoms, ROVO)

Various Artists - Music For Mentalists: Unexpected Sounds For The Connoisseur CD (Psychic Circle) [PC7034CD] $16.00
Perhaps the first question should be why? For what warped reason did some misguided record executive think that any of the music contained within this compilation was worth releasing on a commercial basis? Whose twisted vision saw these tracks racing up the charts? In fact, who thought that anybody, apart from those with an equally cracked view of the world, would rush to their local record shop to snap up even one of these bizarre items? But then again, perhaps it doesn't really matter at all, and we should just be grateful that these skewed slices of strangeness were pressed up and are still to be found lurking in dark corners of dust-shrouded record racks, thrift stores and flea markets. Mick Dillingham has devoted many years of vinyl hunting to unearthing the obscure, the peculiar, and in some cases, the downright disturbing. Here, Psychic Circle is delighted to present a selection of his personal favorites. Thrill to a Yiddish version of "Rock Around The Clock," groove to a song about aliens landing in Northampton, shimmy to a disco-ball version of Pink Floyd's "Arnold Layne," sit open-mouthed at the late Michael Elphick's deeply worrying paean to kidnap and date-rape (it can't be, can it?), weep along with the moving tribute to Sefton, the cavalry horse blown up by the IRA. Emotions you never knew you had will be brought to the surface. Will it change your life? Probably not, but it will bring some unusual and welcome color into it. Please join the Psychic Circle label in thanking Mr. Dillingham for his tireless endeavors in seeking out hidden gems that would otherwise have remained undiscovered. Artists include: Max Bygraves, Bali, Il Pirata, Laura Huxley, Linda Jardim, Balsara & His Singing Sitars, Reginald Bosanquet, Cadbury's Singers, David McCallum, Mickey Katz, Swingin' Thorn, Rusty Goffe, Rosebud, Martin Harvey, Al Hirt, Steve Bowley, Rene & Renata, Jim Bowen, Hylda Baker, Xaviera Hollander, Mavin James, Edd Byrnes, David Carradine, Paul Damian, Paul Frees, John Collier, Peter Anthony, Joe Loss, Michael Elphick, Tina Harvey, Bert Landers, The Barclay Supergroup, and Cathy Berberian.

Various Artists - Jahtarian Dubbers Vol. 1 CD (Jahtari) [JTR001CD] $18.00
"Featuring seven brand new tunes and three new artists, this 10 track selection catches the very spirit of Jahtarian deepness. Their site receives an insane amount of hits and downloads and is not only home to some of the freshest music around (free or not), but also hosts a library of information on reggae, digital synthesis and computers. And now they've decided to get with the physical release program too. Introducing masters like Julien Neto aka John Frum with his organ-driven, bass-heavy delay soundscapes. Or the mighty Afrikan Simba himself, who gives a stunning glimpse of his appearance on the kicking Rootah EP. Or dig Illyah & Ltd. Candy's new electrifying vocal killah, a fresh version of Disrupt's 'Selassi I Continually,' Pete Muder Tone's infinite Casio-Dub slammer, a re-worked version of Rootah's 'Holy Mount,' and Blue Vitriol's NET-classic 'Cryovolcano' in unknown quality. Repesenting low end pressure in all its forms, from the rootical to the digital, from 8-bit chip sounds to spacious techno delay, Jahtarian Dubbers defines new levels of dubness and offers higher learning for even the most advanced soundsystem students."

Various Artists - Geometry CD (Touchin' Bass) [TB039CD] $12.75
"It's been a while, since we've heard anything from the Touchin' Bass camp, but hopefully this nine track compilation of various artists will make up for the wait. Starting the compilation, is Berlin-based artist Bogger, who runs the Digital Gadget imprint. He also features on the Underscan Records compilation series. 'Mineral' is the perfect opening track to set the mood; with drawn out tones that insinuate themselves into the environment. An intense, sustained, melodic piece of brilliance. Portland-based producer Ben Milstein is up next. He has recorded for labels such as Outside, Pyramid Transmissions and Satamile. Bitstream have already recorded two killer EPs for Touchin' Bass. The two brothers from Northampton-shire have decided to go their separate ways now, so this compilation will feature their last two tracks. Two slices of electronic madness in the truest form. Back to Ben Milstein again, this time as his other alias Doctor Evil. 'Zissle' is an electro assault, with an arsenal of drums, analogue sounds, deep atmospheric synths and bowel bothering bass. Next is another new artist to appear on Touchin' Bass, but already known in the electro and IDM scene - b0t23, part of the Portland family who has been playing at electro jams for many years, flying the flag. Track six comes from Alpha 606 and Sync 24, a debut release for Armando Martinez and Phil Bolland as a duo. Their track 'Warped Juice' is a great crossover of dark moody electro with native Cuban influences and percussive sounds. Dave Paton a.k.a weedjs returns to the label again with his monster of a track. And to finish off we have yet another newcomer as mentioned already above, but this time going under the name of Jeff Pils with his uncompromising Berlin beats."

Vic Chesnutt - At The Cut CD (Constellation) [CST060] $15.50
At The Cut picks up where North Star Deserter left off, with the explosive opening tune "Coward" displaying all the epic soaring thrust this band is capable of. VIC CHESNUTT debuted this song as part of JEM COHEN's 'film hallucination' Empires Of Tin when it was performed live with the touring band at the 2007 Vienna Film Festival. Re-recorded for At The Cut, it certainly does cut to the chase, as Vic bellows "I am a coward" to trigger a massive unison instrumental line, reinforcing the tune's double-edged opening lyric (and Frank Norris quote) "The courage of the coward-greater than all others." From this bracing beginning, however, At The Cut quickly changes temperature and temperament, settling into what is arguably the most intimate, pensive and heartbreaking work of Vic Chesnutt's career. Cowardice, courage, mortality, tenacity, defiance, mourning and memory are its themes. Throughout the album, and even on the two tracks that blister and blast with this rocking band-"Coward" and "Philip Guston"-there is a lyrical intimacy and directness, a searing raw honesty to Vic's voice and words, that finds no parallel in his body of work to date.

Volcano Choir - Unmap CD (Jagjaguwar) [JAG156] $13.25
VOLCANO CHOIR is an assembly of Wisconsinites who also serve time in COLLECTIONS OF COLONIES OF BEES and BON IVER. The collaboration predates the meteoric rise of JUSTIN VERNON's Bon Iver, with original songwriting dating back to the summer of 2005, right around the time the Bees first toured with Vernon's previous band DEYAMOND EDISON. Unmap ultimately came together over a weekend in November 2008 in Fall Creek, Wisconsin, at Justin and Nate Vernon's recording studio. And while it is at its heart a record about the allure of being with people you need and making something with them, it is also a document created by musicians with rare gifts getting together to exorcise their ideas about beauty. This scaffolding of loops and off grid tempos for choral style vocals offers a state of continual surprise, call it unexpectation.

Vom - Primitive Arts CD (At War With False Noise) [ATWAR069] $12.25
A dark fusion of Siousxie And The Banshees, Killing joke and Ramleh. A loud, repetitive racket. Limited quantities available.

White Out (with Spencer Yeh And Carlos Giffoni) - Live at No Fun CD (No Fun Productions) [NFP48] $12.25
RELEASE DATE: 10-05-2009
Recorded live at No Fun Fest 2008. White Out(Tom Surgal and Lin Culbertson) are true pursuers of the mythical everlasting improvisational fire. With a style thats both oblique and right to the point Tom's dynamic poly-rhythmic percussion and Lin's dynamic electronics and voice are augmented in this scorching live recording by C. Spencer Yeh (Burning Star Core) on violin and Carlos Giffoni on analog synth. This was their first collaboration and is full of amazing interplay that covers a wide spectrum of sound, From other-world evolving sounds to furious free improvisation to thick layers of dense drones, this is a totally bombastic and essential document of ageless modern improvisation. Limited to 350.

White Out with Jim O'Rourke & Thurston Moore - Senso 2CD (Ecstatic Peace) [E#96C] $16.50
"White Out are indeed 'white' and, in transcendence of such inherent nothingness, most definitely 'out'. Linn Culbertson and Tom Surgal met in the still wild mania of 1986 New York City in front of CBGB during a Big Black show (Steve Albini's notorious Chicago trio of miscreant salutation). They were introduced by ex-Sonic Youth drummer Richard Edson and, after discovering mutual fascinations with the avant-garde marginalia of no wave, free jazz, noise rock etc., began to play music in a secret location on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Surgal had been playing drums his entire life informed by the majestic energy of Elvin Jones, as well as the primal insolence of Bradley Field (of Teenage Jesus & The Jerks 'fame'). Linn had come out of modern 20th XX composition studies in Madison, Wisconsin. By the mid-90s, White Out had become one of the more interesting and increasingly stunning lights on a downtown scene that had grown a keen and critical eye on contemporary moves in improvised music. (Early on in this scheme, Thurston Moore had introduced Tom to no wave guitar legend Rudolph Grey and the two men re-established Mr. Grey's incendiary Blue Humans project, incorporating Thurston on intermittent second guitar, alongside a young Alan Licht.) Ecstatic Peace released the first White Out CD Red Shift in 1995, and in 2001 released Drunken Little Mass, an amazing recording with acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and music theoretician (and, at the time, Sonic Youth member/ secret weapon) Jim O'Rourke. The UK based ATP (All Tomorrows Parties) label released the China Is Near CD in 2005, also with O'Rourke and employing the wizardry of William Winant, an acclaimed percussionist who has worked with John Cage, Iannis Xenakis, and Cecil Taylor as well as being involved in an infamous trio with Surgal and Moore, which rears its head when the demons beckon. Senso is a live recording from two shows at the heralded and, sadly shut, Tonic club in NYC December 18, 2004. It was a lovely evening when O'Rourke and Moore, both of whom had played with White Out, but never together, would set the controls for the heart of the universe. Each set was its own distinct drama and captured the four players in a unified mind meld bringing the audience with them on a spirit-high journey."

[ D V D ]

Alexis Gideon - Video Musics DVD+CD (Sickroom) [SRR055] $15.25
After his first two releases Welcome Song and Flight of the Liophant, ALEXIS GIDEON has broadened his already expansive musical vision with the creation of his genre-busting animated/claymated video opera Video Musics. A couple years ago, Gideon discovered that six of his eight great-grandparents were Hungarian. He soon was researching Hungarian Mythology and folk tales with a musical video piece in mind. The result is the CD+DVD release of Video Musics. Video Musics is a twenty-minute multimedia video opera based on Hungarian Mythology and Folk Tales. It consists of six individual songs/videos, each offering its own compact narrative while interlocking to form a larger whole: a mystical allegory that draws searing parallels to our own times. The music draws on influences as wide-ranging as Outkast, Brian Eno, Prince, The Residents, and Beck. The eerie, childlike animation recalls the work of Pee Wee's Playhouse, William Kentridge and Stan Brakhage.

Peter Weibel - Rewriter DVD (Microcinema) [MC1002DVD] $24.25
Subtitled: Early (conceptual) photographs, (expanded) films, (body) videos and (contextual) works, 1964-1975. "This video archive with accompanying essays traces internationally-renowned media and conceptual artist Peter Weibel's artistic developments from his beginnings through 1979. Weibel started out in 1964 as a visual poet, and was soon transferring the structures of the visual culture from the page to the screen, while still retaining the model of language as one of perception. Later, he developed a critical impulse that turned not only against art but also against society and the media itself. This specific development from the page via the screen to gallery space - all happening as early as the 1960s - anticipated many of the trends that were later to be described as conceptual art, context art, institutional criticism, and intervention. With an accompanying booklet featuring contributions by Boris Groys, Gnther Holler-Schuster, Aaron Levy, Osvaldo Romberg, and Christa Steinle."

Tangerine Dream - Dantes Inferno DVD (Membrane) [232691] $34.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Epsilon Journey DVD (Membrane) [232688] $34.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Inferno DVD (SNAPPER (UK)) [513] $12.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Live At Coventry Cathedral 1975 DVD (Music Video Distributors) [86964] $17.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Live At The Tempodrome Berlin DVD (Membrane) [232687] $34.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Live In America 1992 DVD (Eagle Vision) [30087] $17.75
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Madcap's Flaming Duty DVD (Membrane) [232686] $34.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - One Night In Space DVD (Membrane) [232689] $34.00
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Orange Odyssey DVD (Membrane) [232690] $34.00
No description available at this time.

Various Artists - Another Tomorrow DVD (Microcinema) [MC952DVD] $24.25
Subtitled: Young Video Art from the Collection of the Neue Galerie Graz am Landesmuseum Joanneum. "This exhibition is an attempt by the Neue Galerie Graz to provide a key outline of an important segment of its extensive video collection. The young and very youngest positions in Austrian video art have been brought together here in an exemplary summation of the work now being done in the field. The exhibition provides insights into the mechanisms of image perception today against the backdrop of film. The separate positions here exhibited speak for themselves by each posing their own detailed questions. They are inseparable from the developments of technological progress and are closely linked to the development of social power structures. This has found clear expression in very recent times through various strategies for dealing with the visual. While the exhibition Another Tomorrow makes formal reference to both TV (monitor presentation) and cinema (with projections on a large scale), the individual positions extend far beyond this limiting framework in being committed to the post medium condition. The curatorial approach of the Neue Galerie explores regional, national and international contemporary art production by means of exhibitions and symposia. Its program includes large thematic group exhibitions (e.g. Kontextkunst, 1993; Pittura Immedia: Painting from the 1990s in the USA and Europe, 1995; Beyond Art, 1996/97/98; Der anagrammatische Krper, 1999; Im Buchstabenfeld - The Future of Literature, 2001; In Search of Balkania, 2002) as well as focused individual exhibitions, such as Gianni Colombo: Ambienti, a retrospective of the late artist's work, on display through August 2008. Through a series of public programs and symposia, the curatorial program of the Neue Galerie has also created a discursive forum for national and international artists and critics about contemporary developments in media such as painting, sculpture, photography, digital media, video and film, object art, installations and architecture, providing focused positions amidst the arbitrariness of contemporary art production. Many artists who are today amongst the stars of the international art scene, such as Pipilotti Rist, Sylvie Fleury, and Olafur Eliasson, had their first exhibitions at the Neue Galerie."

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

Blurt - Blurt + Singles CD (LTM) [LTM2543] $14.75
RELEASE DATE: 11-02-2009
LTM is pleased to present the first CD release of the first album and singles by cult band Blurt, the unclassifiable punk-jazz trio led by Ted Milton.

Formed in Stroud in 1979, Blurt consisted of Ted Milton (sax, vocals), brother Jake Milton (drums) and guitarist Pete Creese. Following a brief period with Factory Records (one side of A Factory Quartet), the group moved on, releasing live album In Berlin and frenetic single The Fish Needs A Bike in 1981. Debut studio album Blurt followed in 1982, together with single The Ruminant Plinth.

Digitally remastered, Blurt + Singles combines all tracks from the Blurt album as well as rare singles My Mother Was a Friend of an Enemy of the People, The Fish Needs A Bike, The Ruminant Plinth and White Line Fever. The booklet features revised artwork, archive images and detailed sleevenotes. The CD runs for 79 minutes.

Ted Milton and Blurt still perform regularly in both Britain and Europe , and remain an undervalued national treasure.

Brian Jonestown Massacre, The - This Is Why You Love Me CD (A Records) [AUK018CD] $9.25
"Originally released on vinyl in 1997 now reissued on A Records, Anton Newcombe's own record label. This four track EP is available for the first time on CD and on 180 gram vinyl. The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a psychedelic rock band originally from San Francisco, California, led by guitarist/singer Anton Newcombe. Since 1995 The Brian Jonestown Massacre has released numerous albums. BJM has been essential in the development of the modern US garage scene, and many L.A. and S.F. musicians got their start playing with Newcombe, including Peter Hayes of The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club."

Brian Jonestown Massacre, The - Love CD (A Records) [AUK019CD] $9.25
"Originally released on vinyl in 1997 and now reissued on A Records, Anton Newcombe's own record label. This six track EP is available for the first time on CD and on 180 gram vinyl. The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a psychedelic rock band originally from San Francisco, California, led by guitarist/singer Anton Newcombe. Since 1995 The Brian Jonestown Massacre has released numerous albums. BJM has been essential in the development of the modern US garage scene, and many L.A. and S.F. musicians got their start playing with Newcombe, including Peter Hayes of The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club."

Chris Robison - Chris Robison And His Many Hand Band CD (Chapter Music) [CH067CD] $14.75
Chris Robison And His Many Hand Band, released privately in 1973 and reissued now on CD for the first time, was one of the world's first records by an openly gay songwriter. Coming just a few years after the Stonewall Riots of 1969, Many Hand Band is a dazzling feat of musical daring. But Chris Robison is not just a pioneering gay musician, he has been an all-pervasive presence in New York rock from the late-'60s onwards, having played with everyone from Elephant's Memory and Steam to Kiss, the New York Dolls, John Phillips and Bob Dylan. Not only that, Many Hand Band is a totally freewheeling and unique album, coalescing all the sensory overload of downtown New York City life in the early-'70s. It touches on folk, psychedelic rock, Latin funk and more, all filtered through Robison's sly and cheeky personality. There is no "woe is me" self-pity here, just an uplifting sense of fun and natural self-expression. Recorded almost totally by Chris himself late at night in a cut-rate studio, Many Hand Band is one of the few remaining undiscovered classics from the period, gay or otherwise. It's difficult to appreciate now, more than 35 years later, how daring and how groundbreaking songs like "Looking For A Boy Tonight" and "Italian Boy" were upon their release. In the album's comprehensive liner notes, filled with rare photos and a frank interview with Chris, he talks of RCA records turning him down because they didn't want another "faggot" on their roster (aside from Lou Reed and David Bowie). Meanwhile, he became a poster boy for the burgeoning gay lib movement, playing Washington Square Park with Bette Midler in front of thousands in 1973. Chris would go on to play with pre-Kiss group Wicked Lester, as well as join the New York Dolls for their Japanese tour of 1975. His later band Stumblebunny toured Europe supporting the Hollies and wrote their later hit "Stormy Waters." Bonus tracks come from a rare single released in 1974 on Buddah Records, featuring the all-time shoulda-beena classic "I'm Gonna Stay With My Baby Tonight," subsequently covered by Ronnie Spector and George McCrae. It's a wild and fascinating story, but Many Hand Band contains the seeds of it all -- all the hedonism, passion and beauty of Chris Robison's life condensed into one incredible record.

Cluster - Curiosum CD (Bureau B) [BB038CD] $16.00
Originally released on Sky Records in 1981, Bureau B reissues Cluster's Curiosum -- the sixth duo collaboration between Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius. Curiosum was to mark a departure to pastures new. Little did they know that this would be their last release for the next nine years. Curiosum was launched into an atmosphere of musical turbulence. Electronic sounds had become commonplace in pop music and the voice of Cluster could barely be heard through the noise of a new generation of music. Curiosum is a decidedly tranquil, almost melancholy album -- quiet being the operative word, as Cluster slipped out of the limelight. It was recorded in rudimentary fashion in Austria, now home to Roedelius. This is Cluster music at its most serene, a sense of profound humility running through the seven tracks of the LP. It says a lot about the state of mind of the two musicians, allied to the fact that this was the first time they chose to mix outside of Conny Plank's studio where, in the past, the finishing touches had been applied. Roedelius and Moebius laid their cards on the table for all to see, offering up Curiosum as an honest, unadorned selection of tracks, free of artifice and preconception. The album represented a return to the virtues of their early work (when Cluster was written with a "K"), random and spontaneous. Curiosum is nothing if not a curiosity, wholly resistant to the cacophonous zeitgeist of the early '80s, stripped down and keenly focused on perfect shapes. This is Cluster's swan-song to the past.

Cluster - Sowiesoso CD (Bureau B) [BB039CD] $14.00
Bureau B reissues the fourth full-length album by legendary German electronic music duo, Cluster -- originally released on Sky Records in 1976. Sowiesoso follows on from their most highly-acclaimed album, Zuckerzeit (1974). Michael Rother's influence was clearly audible on the latter, Cluster already having recorded two albums with him under the name of Harmonia. 1976 saw the duo looking for new musical forms. More than any other Cluster album, Sowiesoso represents the utopian vision of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Mobius, its mellow transparency evoking the landscape of the Weser Uplands where the two musicians lived at the time. Sowiesoso is not the work of fanatic dreamers who have fled the metropolis, but the reward for their tenacious search for a new musical language. The LP's seven cuts were recorded in their own studio with modest equipment -- a four-track tape machine, two Revox A77 stereo tape-decks and a simple 8-channel mixer. Cluster were thus completely independent, able to work where and when they wanted, at their own pace. With no guest musicians, sound engineers or producers to accommodate, Cluster thrived on their new-found autonomous freedom. Sowiesoso captures them at the peak of their creative development, with the limited range of recording equipment enhancing the clarity of their vision, allowing them to concentrate on the music without drifting into narcissistic muso territory. Minimalist, yet neither formulaic nor automated, the album is a rhythmic tapestry of otherworldly electronic and acoustic elements -- relaxed, organic and gentle ambience. This could only be Cluster music; its harmonies reaffirm the quality of song, in spite of eluding song structure as such.

Eddie Hinton - Very Extremely Dangerous CD (Reel Music) [REEL78016] $15.25
EDDIE HINTON is the stuff of which music legends are made. A prolific session guitarist and part of the Muscle Shoals Swampers, he played on countless hit records, including those from soul legends Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett and Joe Tex along with artists as varied as Boz Scaggs, Herbie Mann and The Staple Singers. As a writer he scored major hits with "Choo Choo Train" by The Box Tops and "Breakfast In Bed," first a hit for Dusty Springfield and later covered by reggae band UB40. This, his first solo album, was originally released in 1978 and recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and legendary producer Barry Beckett at the helm. It has been remastered in 24 bit and features a 16-page color booklet with essays from John D. Wyker and Peter Thompson, along with a personal contribution from David Hood.

Gods Gift - Pathology: Manchester 1979-84 CD (Messthetics) [MSS218CD] $12.00
"From 1979 to 1984 other bands on the Manchester scene played larger roles, but sooner or later almost everyone who was there mentions Gods Gift -- in tones of awe or amazement. Here's where the rest of the world finds out what all the racket was about. The early Manchester scene was anchored by The Fall, Joy Division, a few straightahead punks, and the more idiosyncratic denizens of the Manchester Musicians Collective. And Gods Gift out-did them all -- in diffidence, darkness, pure feral energy and gleeful musical anarchy. Their successes were epic, but their failures, too, left indelible impressions. Guitarist Steve Murphy: 'If things were going wrong, we'd make them go more wrong...' Singer Steven Edwards once shouted out to a baffled London crowd, 'Wotcha dancing for? -- it's tuneless, you pillock!' This was no pose. As much as can be said of any band in rock history, Gods Gift were the product of their day jobs: Murphy, Edwards, and at least five others who played in GG all worked 'inside' at Prestwich Asylum -- then the largest psychiatric hospital in the U.K. The hospital's grayness, hopelessness, and constant menace permeated not just GG's tunes and lyrics, but their very stage-presence -- Edwards in work-clothes, and Murphy playing (always!) with his back turned to some of the U.K.'s least cuddly audiences. GG recorded a fight onstage and used it in place of lyrics for their self-released first 45, 'People.' Gods Gift found a champion in New Hormones' owner, Richard Boon, who booked the band and put out the 12" Gods Gift EP and their landmark 'Discipline' single, but unfortunately, as New Hormones' finances crumbled, Boon's favorite track, 'Clamour Club,' remained unreleased. Messthetics' 17-song CD, Pathology, spans GG's career from 1979 to 1984, drawing material from their records, a Manchester Musicians Collective compilation, several demos and two full-length cassette albums. 12-page booklet with photos and extensive bio; 75 minutes of pounding, insistent, magnificent noise."

Isolation Ward - Point Final CD (LTM) [LTM2545] $14.75
RELEASE DATE: 11-17-2009
LTM is pleased to present the first CD release by cult Belgian cold wave band Isolation Ward, featuring classic song Lamina Christus.

Formed in Brussels in 1979, Isolation Ward centred around musicians Stéphane Willocq and Jean-Pierre Everaerts. Following gigs at venues such as Plan K, the sextet recorded haunting classic Lamina Christus as their first single, produced by Peter Principle of Tuxedomoon, and released by Les Disques du Crépuscule in April 1982. Following live dates with diverse artists including The Birthday Party, Antena, 23 Skidoo and Siouxsie and the Banshees, the band released their second Crépuscule single Absent Heart a year later. However line-up changes always troubled the band, and Isolation Ward played their final gig in May 1983.

Point Final features all tracks from the Crépuscule singles as well as tracks from the cassette album Point de Départ. The booklet features archive images and detailed sleevenotes. The CD runs for 71 minutes.

Jimi Hendrix & The Cry Of Love Band - Enjoy Jimi Hendrix 2CD (Audio Archive) [AA6928CD] $21.50
"Live at the Los Angeles Inglewood Forum, April 25th, 1970. 2 CD paper gatefold set. Originally on the legendary Rubber Dubber label. Original '70s album artwork. Numbered edition limited to 1000 copies only. Licensed from the estate of Hendrix's former manager, Michael Jeffery." Track listing: CD1: 01. Introduction 2:04 02. Spanish Castle Magic 4:19 03. Foxy Lady 4:22 04. Getting His Brother's Shoes Together (Here Comes Your Lover Man) 5:00 05. Getting My Heart Back Together Again (Hear My Train A' Comin') 10:00 06. Message To Love 5:18 07. Ezy Rider 4:40 08. Machine Gun 10:14 CD2: 01. Room Full Of Mirrors / 3:52 02. Hey Baby (The Land Of The New Rising Sun) / 4:53 03. Villanova Junction / Drum Solo / 6:40 04. Freedom 5:54 05. Star Spangled Banner / 3:03 06. Purple Haze 6:33 07. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) 9:07

Kath Bloom & Loren Connors - Restless Faithful Desperate/Moonlight 2CD (Chapter Music) [CH065CD] $16.00
Restless Faithful Desperate/Moonlight is the second of Chapter Music's double disc reissues by extraordinary early-'80s folk duo Kath Bloom and Loren Connors. Meeting in 1976 in their hometown of New Haven, CT, Kath Bloom and Loren Connors formed a creative partnership that has haunted psych-folk fans ever since, releasing six albums of fragile, avant-garde folk-blues in miniscule quantities, all of which now change hands for huge sums. At first, Kath would act out monologues while Loren played his free-form guitar, extrapolated from Mississippi Delta and Chicago blues, but gradually he and Kath's performances became more song-based. Kath began practicing guitar among the headstones of New Haven's Grove Street cemetery, while Loren's idiosyncratic style had been developing since the 1960s. After self-releasing two limited edition live albums, the duo recorded Sing The Children Over for tiny Boston label Ambiguous Records in 1982, and then in 1983, self-released fourth album Sand In My Shoe. Early on, their albums mixed traditional folk and blues songs with a handful of Kath's vulnerable, moving originals. But by the later albums, the songs were all Kath's -- her fragile voice and subdued finger-picked guitar set against Loren's abstract playing: skittering, sometimes atonal but always intuitively supportive. Together the duo created a sound almost impossibly emotional and haunting, unlike anything created before or since. Their last two albums Restless Faithful Desperate and Moonlight both emerged in 1984, in editions of 200-300 copies on Loren's St. Joan label. As her creativity accelerated, so Kath's songs became looser, more intuitive, with a darkening of tone and an eventual abandonment of intent to shape the music. The songs were still there, however -- Restless... contains one of her most gorgeous compositions, "Look At Me," while Moonlight includes an early version of Kath's signature tune "Come Here." After a quarter of a century, Kath Bloom and Loren Connors' incredible recordings are finally available again. The reissue includes extensive liner notes, original photos and artwork, and six bonus tracks taken from a rare 1982 compilation and an unreleased 1984 live session.

Larry Conklin & Jochen Blum - Jackdaw CD (Riverman Music) [BTR025CD] $16.00
This is the first-ever CD reissue of Larry Conklin & Jochen Blum's great Seattle private press album, Jackdaw, originally released in 1980, now remastered in a 24-bit remaster. About half the album is instrumental with Larry Conklin on guitar and Jochen Blum on violin and 12-string guitar. Jackdaw brings to mind Fahey, Basho, Hecht, and other great solo guitarists, with mellow, haunting vocals that are worthy of the loner-folk tag. This album also spawned the regional Pacific Northwest hit "River Of Stories." If you're on a mission to find lost, masterful acoustic guitar records, this is definitely one you must hear. Comes in a handsome paper sleeve that precisely reproduces the original LP sleeve in miniature form. Also includes biographical liner notes.

Los Yetis - Nadaismo A Go-go CD (Munster) [MRCD289] $20.50
A compilation of the wildest moments of the best 1960 garage-pop #and from Columbia. Twenty-one Nadaist (revolutionary pre-punk movement) tracks about war, revolution and girls. In 1966, a certain go-go fever takes over Medellin. The name of the virus: LOS YETIS. The city, one of the most conservative in Columbia, started to feel the shakes in its foundations as thousands of teenagers danced to the new sound, willing to distance themselves from the tango and bolero favored by their parents. Los Yetis would become the new idols of thousands of teenagers infected by the go-go craze that The Beatles had originated a few years earlier. Los Yetis combined covers of international hits with their own songs, which, even if a little tame, had a wild spirit and lyrics with attitude set to beat, surf and garage rhythms. 180-gram double-vinyl pressing limited to 1,000 copies.

Moebius Plank Neumeier - Zero Set CD (Bureau B) [BB037CD] $16.00
In 1983, Dieter Moebius (Cluster) and legendary producer Conny Plank teamed up for the third time, resulting in the Zero Set project, originally released on Sky Records. On this occasion, they were backed up by one of the best drummers on the German rock scene: Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru. Moebius had gotten to know and admire him as the live drummer for Harmonia (Moebius, Roedelius, Rother) and during the recording sessions for their second album (Deluxe). Plank, usually more of a background figure as producer, takes an equal share of the limelight alongside the musicians. His supermodern studio is brought into play like an instrument in its own right; Plank explores the full range of audio editing, pushing recording techniques to the limit to achieve maximum brilliance and plasticity. Neumeier uses all of his many years of experience as a drummer, demonstrating the precision and stamina of a drum machine, just infinitely livelier and more inventive. And finally, to Moebius: always one of the patriarchs of German electronic music, a creator of the most bizarre sound happenings, yet never sounding forced or arbitrary. On the contrary, he consistently worked within the context of the tracks themselves and their relationship to each other. The music on Zero Set flows both smoothly and energetically. No single idea is overplayed, and none of the tracks hits the 10-minute mark. Aural and musical structures are concentrated to the point of askesis, yet there is no mistaking just how much the musicians are relishing playing together -- these are the two very different, yet defining characteristics of the album. The trio is unsentimental in their use of technology, exploiting it as an effective tool in pursuit of their musical vision. Moebius Plank Neumeir are three musicians at the top of their game and far too smart to allow their efforts to drift into psychedelic meanderings. Infectious, tribal motorik rhythms chunder along to dark synth squelches and squeals, that all feels exquisitely-placed with factory-precision. An important and mystifying chapter in the legacy of Krautrock/Kosmische Musik and a historic moment in German electronic music. "Recall" features Sudanese vocals by Deuka.

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou - Volume Two -- Echos Hypnotiques CD (Analog Africa) [AACD066CD] $20.50
Subtitled: From The Vaults Of Albarika Store 1969-1979. Four years in the making, Analog Africa finally presents the highly-anticipated second volume of music from Africa's funkiest band, the mythical Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou. Volume One (The Vodoun Effect: Funk & Sato from Benin's Obscure Labels, 1973-1975), released by Analog Africa at the end of 2008, was a collection of amazing lo-fi recordings produced for various labels around Benin. Volume Two showcases superbly recorded tracks, courtesy of the EMI studios in Lagos, Nigeria, one of the best studios in the region. All tracks here were recorded for the mighty Albarika Store label and its enigmatic producer, Adissa Seidou. The idea for this compilation was born five years ago when Samy Ben Redjeb, Analog Africa's founder and compiler, first heard the addictive funk track "Malin Kpon O" (included here), which was originally released in 1975 on Albarika Store. That discovery triggered the compiler's curiosity and what followed was a long journey through the musical history of Benin and the history of its most important ambassador, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou. The result: approximately 100 pictures, 120 master tapes, 20 hours of interviews and a few hundred Orchestre Poly-Rythmo vinyl records -- 500 songs in total -- some of which previously unreleased. Almost half of those tracks were recorded for Benin's number one label -- Albarika Store. Fifteen out of 200 tracks were carefully selected for this compilation which comes with a massive 44-page booklet filled with amazing pictures of the band, a complete discography and a biography tracing the band from its foundation as Groupe Meloclem in 1964 via Sunny Black's band (1965), Orchestre Poly-Disco (1966), El Ritmo (1967) and finally, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou in 1968. During the period presented here -- 1969 to 1979 -- the mighty Orchestre was without any doubt one of Africa's most innovative groups. Capable of playing any style of music, the band moved from traditional Vodoun rhythms to funk, sato, Latin, sakpata, psychedelia and Afro-Beat seamlessly and quickly became the powerhouse of Benin's music scene. Some of the planet's most exciting rhythms are related to the complex Vodoun religion born in Benin. Those rhythms, supported by chants and dances, have been transmitted from generation to generation and are still being performed to this day, a few hundred years after they were created. The composers and arrangers of Orchestre Poly-Rythmo understood that they were surrounded by a gold mine of inspirational sounds which, if modernized and mixed in with whatever was in fashion at that particular moment, could have a strong impact on the urban population. Those astonishing combinations can be heard here, all mixed into a heavy hypnotic sound -- Les Echos Hypnotiques.

Paul Rutherford - Tetralogy 2CD (Emanem) [EMANEM5202CD] $25.25
"A 2-CD set containing four very different settings all featuring Paul Rutherford (trombone & euphonium): two festival solos -- one with electronics from 1981, and the other without from 1978; a 1981 festival brass quartet with George Lewis (trombone), Martin Mayes (French horn) & Melvyn Poore (tuba); and a 1982 studio trio with Paul Rogers (double bass) & Nigel Morris (drum set). The electronically enhanced solo and the brass quartet are unlike anything else in Rutherford's discography. All previously unissued. 141 minutes."

RFD, The - Lead Me Home CD (Riverman Music) [BTR018CD] $16.00
This is the first-ever authorized reissue of this 1971 Christian classic, now remastered in a 24-bit remaster. Housed in an exact reproduction paper sleeve. Pretty intensely amazing songs of devotion couched in lazy, laid-back, skillfully-crafted pop/country/psych tuneage, chock full of harmonies and vibes so mellow, you won't know whether they're singing about God or really good weed. "The RFD stands for Russ, Fred, and Dan and here's the deal -- these guys (and girl) put out a record in 1971 that went onto become universally-hailed by the thousand or so people in the world with an opinion on the matter as one of the five or ten best Christian records of all time. Now if you're like me, the initial thought of good Christian music seems like more than a joke than anything else. But then you hear artists like The Search Party or Marj Snyder or The RFD and you realize that these people are the real deal. Good Jesus music doesn't preach or even really announce itself as Christian music, at all. You have to listen real close to hear a message, and if you do hear it, you're free to ignore it and go on with your sinful existence. Good Christian, or Xian as we call it in the record biz, is good music whether you get it or not, no matter what you may believe. It usually has a beauty and a purity you can hear in secular records like Linda Perhacs or Wendy and Bonnie. But usually, as with these albums, there's also a darkness there, lingering and undenied, feeding the music with added complexity and gravity. This isn't glassy-eyed Jesus freak music, and the best records are by real people living real lives full of pain as well as joy and love. I won't lie and say it's anywhere as rich as the secular field, but there are some gems to be found and The RFD most definitely are one of them. --Douglas McGowan, Yoga Records

Seventh Dawn, The - Dreams CD (Riverman Music) [BTR030CD] $16.00
This is the first-ever CD release of The Seventh Dawn's Dreams, originally released in 1977, the follow-up to Sunrise, their 1976 debut. Now remastered in a 24-bit remaster, including six bonus tracks. Seventh Dawn recorded their second album at the Virginia Commonwealth University's electronic music department. It has a more ambitious, emotionally-driven energy that unexpectedly bursts forth on the first two tracks. Moody amplified guitars, bits of reverb on the vocals and second guitars, the male, female and dual vocals, the keyboard arrangements, and the minimal use of drums. The conceptualized, fragile creativity brings to mind the Ithaca album, and the beautiful analog, sometimes mellotron-like synthesizer arrangements recall Emtidi's Saat. The songs on Dreams move beyond the innocence of Sunrise, but a sense of optimism remains. Housed in a paper gatefold sleeve, including lyrics, original cover artwork insert, and liner notes written by member Heff Munson.

Three Mile Pilot - 1991-1999 Box Set CD Box (Three Mile Pilot) [CDTHREE1991] $23.75
THREE MILE PILOT unleash a six-CD collection of their entire studio-recorded output 1991-1999. You get it all-Disc 1: Na Vucca Du Lupu, Disc 2: Chief Assassin to the Sinister, Disc 3: Another Desert Another Sea, Disc 4: Gravity EP, Disc 5: An Old Town We Once Knew- Part A, Disc 6: An Old Town We Once Knew- Part B. These box sets were handmade by the band (but the discs themselves are quality CDs, not CDRs), include a sticker, and a sheet with the full track listing. Limited to 1,000 copies.

Tormentors, The - Hanging 'Round CD (Gear Fab) [GF240CD] $12.25
"A truly experimental psych/rock/pop album from 1967. Featuring some very good garage, psych, and British Invasion sounds. Fuzzed out guitar, great vocal harmonies, and some really bizarre background sounds."

Various Artists - Psych Funk 101 (1968-1975) CD (World Psychedelic Funk Classics) [WPFC101CD] $15.25
"Funky fuzzy psychedelic tracks from '60s and '70s Nigeria, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Korean and other exotic countries. Psych Funk 101 introduces students to the global phenomenon of psychedelic funk music, and covers the 'golden years' of the movement, from approximately 1967 until 1980. This compilation does not focus on American and British bands. Rather it focuses on the bands throughout the Global Village that were influenced by the innovation of American and British bands -- that many times one upped the heroes they sought to emulate. This compilation focuses on bands influenced by James Brown, The Meters, Sly and The Family Stone, Booker T and The MGs and The Bar Kays and unsung rhythmic forces such as drummers Bernard Purdie, Idris Muhammad, Earl Palmer, bassists such Carol Kaye and Jimmy Lewis. It focuses on bands who took that energy and combined it with the flair of psychedelic-rock musicians such as Jimi Hendrix and the ensemble known as Cream -- as well as pop-rock acts taken by the experimental side of psychedelia such as The Beatles. But these bands added their own, unique cultural flourishes. The result is mind-bending. Think about it for a second -- what musical forces were greater than that of funk and psychedelic music in the late '60s and early '70s? These forces, combined by bands happy to incorporate folk music and improvisational elements from other musical forms, lead to an amazing body of work still being unearthed by researchers the world over -- and still capable of inspiring new investigations into shapes of rhythm." Artists include: Husnu Ozkartal Orkestrasi, Kukumbas, Mulatu Astatke feat. Belaynesh Wubante And Assegedetch Asfaw, Kim Sun, Petalouda, Mehr Pooya, Staff Carpenborg And The Electric Corona, The Group, Armando Sciascia, Wadih Essafi, Omar Khorshid, Metin H. Alatli, George Garanian With The Melodiya Jazz Ensemble and Eskaton. Deluxe digipack with fully annotated 36-page booklet with liner notes and rare photos.

Various Artists - Freedom, Rhythm And Sound: Revolutionary Jazz 1965-80 CD (Soul Jazz Records) [SJR219CD] $17.75
"This album coincides with the release of the massive 200 page plus hardback deluxe book, Freedom, Rhythm and Sound, Revolutionary Jazz original cover art compiled by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker, released on Soul Jazz Records featuring the cover artwork of many seminal revolutionary jazz albums created between 1965-80. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and the civil rights movement of the 1960s loom large as self-determination, economic power and musical freedom led to revolutionary jazz artists finding new paths -- both musical and economic. Concurrent with the emergence of the counter culture and underground rock movement in the 1960s and years before the D-I-Y cultural revolution of punk in the 1970s, Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and others 'took control' of their own work by recording, releasing and distributing their own music themselves. This album that is released alongside the book features many of the major artists who make up the book as well as many hidden gems of records made on very small run cottage-industry jazz labels from this period -- the original DIY records! The album comes with extensive sleevenotes and photos and comes in luxurious two volumes of double vinyl."

Various Artists - Gozalo Vol. 3 CD (Vampisoul) [VAMPI113] $20.75
Vampisoul presents the third volume in the Gozalo series of tropical Peruvian music of the 1960s. Like the previous two volumes, this album captures a little known but dynamic moment in Peru's musical development that allowed the consolidation of new trends oriented towards what would become known by the early '70s as salsa, as well as forging a vibrant scene that incorporated cumbia, latin soul, rock, and jazz funk. 180-gram double vinyl pressing in an edition of 1,000 copies.

Z'ev - The Subterranean Years 2CD (Klanggalerie) [10622] $18.75
'We are proud to bring you a re-release of Z'ev's two albums on Subterranean Records. "Elemental Music" was originally released in 1982 and contains a live recording from the Savoy Tivoli, Los Angeles, 1981. "My favourite Things" came out in 1985, but the material is partially much older: ranging from 1979 to 1983, it collects a variety of early music by Z'ev. Both records have never been re-issued on digital format before and document some of Z'ev's best music from the golden age of Industrial. CD in a limited edition of 300 copies.

This week's VINYL update contains releases by:

:Take:/White/Lichens * Adam Port feat. Gigi * Af Ursin * Akira Kiteshi * Alo Girl * Andre Popp and His Orchestra * Anti-Pop Consortium * Asobi Seksu * Atlas Sound * Badfinger * Basic Soul Unit/Lerosa * Bear in Heaven * Berkson & What * Black Heart Procession, The * Black To Comm * Boris * Brian Jonestown Massacre, The * Bubblez * Califone * Celer * Claro Intelecto * Cloaks/Oyaarss * Cluster * Cold Cave * Coleco/Shamaji feat. Maggie Horn * Curse Ov Dialect * D1/Rusko * Dan Melchior and the Broke Revue * DJ T. * Dominik Eulberg * Efdemin/crc * El-G * Embassadors, The * Emeralds * Excepter * Falko Brocksieper * Felipe Venegas & Francisco Allendes * Fink * F*** Buttons * Fugazi * Fun Years, The/.Cut featuring Gibet * Gil Scott-Heron * Gil Scott-heron * Gil Scott-Heron * Gong * Haters * Heavy, The * Horns of Happiness, The * Hudson Mohawke * Hyetal * Indigo * Jagged * Jaybird * John's Children * Kevin Ayers * KMA * Korablove * Kryptic Minds * Lauhaus * Loco Dice * Los Yetis * Low Red Center * Luciano * Markus Homm * Marlow * Mendo * MF Doom * Michele Lombardelli * Midaircondo * Moebius Plank Neumeier * Mountainhood * Music Go Music * Muslimgauze * Mutant Ape * Nation of Ulysses * Neon Indian * Onde * Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou * Ost & Kjex (feat. Mung) * Panther * Philogresz * Quest * Raincoats, The * Raydios * Reggae Interpretation Of * Relocate * Rigas Den Andre * Roska * Rossi B & Luca/El-B * RSD/Evergreen & Landlord * Salem * Samara Lubelski * Seuil * Shinedoe * Shortstuff * Skatalites, The * Skream * SSHE Retina * Steve Gurley * Stimming * STL * Sufjan Stevens/Osso * Sully * Synkro * Synkro Faib & Indigo * Synkro/Indigo * T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo * Tangerine Dream * Timo van Luijk & Frederik Croene * Timo van Luijk/Kris Vanderstraeten * Tom Carter/Shawn McMillen/Starving Weirdos * Tyondai Braxton * Unknown * Vanity Fare * Will Saul & Tam Cooper * Yardbirds, The * Young Fresh Fellows * Zolex & Guss Carver

[ F E A T U R E D   R E L E A S E S ]

Muslimgauze - Uzi Mahmood 3xLP (Soleilmoon) [10621] $39.50
RELEASE DATE: 10-19-2009
Bryn Jones died January 14, 1999. The man best known as Muslimgauze was 37 years old, and at the peak of his career. During his short life he recorded an astonishing number of albums, some 200 at last count, a great many of them in years immediately preceding his death. Indeed, his output was so great that his labels couldn't keep up with the virtual flood of music he produced. It's no wonder new material continues to surface so long after his passing. "Uzi Mahmood" was recorded to satisfy a specific request. Soleilmoon wanted a 12 inch single that DJs could play in nightclubs. The idea was to introduce Muslimgauze to a potentially enormous new audience. The request was made in the autumn of 1999, in a phone call lasting less than five minutes; Bryn was never one for small talk. He was all business, and he could record a complete album in three or four days, sometimes faster. Two weeks after agreeing to record a disco album for Soleilmoon, "Uzi Mahmood" was delivered to the label. But instead of the agreed on two or three tracks, he sent an eleven song compact disc, followed a week later by a 90 minute digital audio tape containing the entire CD plus two more pieces. Four songs were eventually selected for the experiment, and in the spring of 1998 a dirty-and-dubby 12" EP was released. Two more songs were later used to replace a pair of corrupted tracks on the master tape for "Hussein Mahmood Jeeb Tehar Gass", released on CD in 1999. The music was well received by fans, but the hoped-for dance floor revolution never happened, and the little record with the unconventional beats went out of print a few years later. Fast forward to the present: The year is 2009 and the four song EP has been out of print for more than five years, seven more songs lie waiting in the vault, still unreleased, and the two tracks tacked onto "Hussein Mahmood Jeeb Tehar Gass" are the only ones in wide circulation. Which is why Soleilmoon is so very pleased to finally be releasing all thirteen songs together on one record. "Uzi Mahmood" is 90 minutes of the sexiest, most booty-shakin' Muslimgauze music ever heard. It stretches luxuriously across three LPs - two running at 33 RPM and one at 45 RPM - presented in an lavish, no-expense-spared gatefold jacket, and is limited to 500 copies. Shocking cover art and design has been furnished by the fine folks at Plazm, again, already, of course.

[ . . . ]

:Take:/White/Lichens - Three:Four Split Series - Volume 1 10 inch (Theory) [TFR001EP] $22.75
"The first volume of the Three:Four Records Split Series gathers two mesmeric drone guitar lovers, the newly arrived French project :take: coming from Paris and the Chicago based combo White/Lichens. Two different approaches of drone music: soft and melodic for :take:, loud and unbridled for the Chicagoans. The A-side is composed of two :take:'s tracks. 'Paysage avec Fer' evokes desert landscapes shaped by interlaced sine tone and minimalist guitar manipulation. It's a 5 minute abstract guitar drone and epic effort. 'Joie de Résistance' offers another side of :take:'s work. A bluesy guitar, melodic guitar patterns. The track ends with a repetitive beat leading to a hypnotic trance. The B-side is a massive 10 minute piece by White/Lichens. 'Tonight's the Night' is a growing deflagration, powerful and loud. The intensity is magnified by a psyche reverbed guitar. Listening to it is as fascinating as waiting for a hurricane to come." Numbered edition of 500 copies with download postcard.

Adam Port feat. Gigi - Enoralehu 12 inch (Liebe Detail) [LDS012EP] $11.50
"Berlin-based Adam Port, part of the Souvenir family and already a well known name in the capital, hands in a wonderful, rejoiceful slice of future afro-house for Liebe Detail Spezial. The tracks are based on the original 'Enoralehu,' performed by Gigi (Ejigayehu Shibabaw), which was released in 1996 on her Album Gold & Wax (produced by Bill Laswell). A: Adam Port feat. Gigi - Enoralehu (club mix). Featuring the haunting, near-angelic vocals of Ethiopian singer and songwriter Ejigayehu 'Gigi' Shibabaw, and a colorful handful of original percussion borrowed from Gigi's original, 'Enoralehu' is a richly woven treat for the senses. Uplifting, beautiful and solemn, the track begins with a long snaking intro capturing the unmistakable vocal hook, before unwinding and opening up into a dramatic tale of modern ethnic-inspired club music."

Af Ursin - Aika LP (La Scie Doree) [SCIE608LP] $94.50
"Edition of 150 signed and numbered copies in hand-assembled gatefold sleeve with stamps and original photos. Each cover is unique."

Akira Kiteshi - Boom N Pow 12 inch (Black Acre) [ACRE014EP] $10.25
"Edinburgh's prodigal son returns to the boards for another alchemic fusion of glitchy boom bap and tear out noise terror. 'Boom N Pow,' explodes out of the starting blocks with Akira's super fresh sound aesthetic. Solid battle hardened hip hop drums sway and tumble under the pressure of aquatic bass and citric stabs. Just as the b-boys heads are bopping, the beats shrink, normal gravity is restored and the barely audible rants of Akira's imaginary Japanese self begins the wind up to point where Akira Kiteshi justifies his new title as master of the 2nd drop. 'Boom N Pow (Raffertie Remix)' in an attempt to win most cutting edge banger of 09 we have employed the services of Planet Mu's hot boy Raffertie on the re-up. Here the Brum hardcore enthusiast bring bitch slap snares, degraded synths and his own unique brand drunken noise chaos. Keeping up the neck snapping pace Raff flips the script on the 2nd drop into the kind of chaos best described as Aphex Twin on a Ragga Tip. It's big and it IS clever.... Support: Mix Master Mike, Bobby Friction, Rob Da Bank, N Type, Reso, Raffertie, Joker, Starkey, MF GLK."

Alo Girl - Unsane LP (Urashima) [U002] $34.00
ALO GIRL is an obscure Italian noise project. Deep roaring, subterranean, obsessive and paranoid tones, tinged with sleaze and an airless atmosphere. For fans of C.C.C.C., Incapacitants and like that. Silkscreened cardboard sleeve, with insert. Limited edition to 120 copies.

Andre Popp and His Orchestra - Presenting Popp! LP (Columbia) [WL130LP] $10.25
Exact repro reissue of 1958's Presenting Popp! (also released as Popped!), an installment in Columbia's Adventures In Sound series. "...features marvelously comic and ingenious arrangements. Popp's ability to bring surprising new mixes of instrumentation to conventional melodies has led some to compare him to Esquivel, but Popp's style is less other-worldly than just plain odd." -- Space Age Pop Music

Anti-Pop Consortium - Flourescent Black 2xLP (Big Dada) [BD150LP] $20.00
"Fluorescent Black represents the group's best work yet, a seventeen track masterpiece that moves through moods, concepts, beats and rhymes with the mind-bending ease which has always characterized their output, but expands their work out further in every direction."

Asobi Seksu - Rewolf LP (Polyvinyl) [PRC-190-1] $12.50
RELEASE DATE: 11-10-2009
180 gm LP limited to 500 copies on white vinyl. One of the last albums ever recorded at London's renowned Olympic Studios (The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who), Rewolf finds Asobi Seksu's core duo -- vocalist Yuki Chikudate and guitarist James Hanna -- affording listeners a new glimpse into songs spanning the band's entire career. Here, Asobi Seksu replaces its sonic layer of guitars with beautiful new arrangements achieved through the use of mostly acoustic instruments.

Atlas Sound - I'll Be Your Mirror/Unicorn Rainbow Odyssey... 2x7 inch (Audraglint) [AG118/9EP] $12.00
...Requiem For All The Lonely Teenagers With Passed Out Moms/Cobwebs. 2008 tour releases packaged together. "Bradford picked these four songs from his blog to have us make 7"s for this year's Atlas Sound tour, and we have some left! One 7" is opaque pink vinyl and the other is opaque orange and they have color coordinated fabric sleeves."

Basic Soul Unit/Lerosa - Panorama Bar 02/Part 1 12 inch (Ostgut Ton) [OSTGUT028EP] $11.50
Along with Tama Sumo's Panorama 02 mix, Ostgut Ton will release a two-part vinyl set, including four exclusive tracks which feature on the CD. Part one presents a track from Basic Soul Unit with a Fingers-esque bass line -- a simple beat progressing and building into the pads and synths. Somewhere between Chicago and Detroit deep house via Toronto. Lerosa presents "Plesso," a fusion of eerie atmospheres created by artists like Theo Parrish, Omar-S and Stasis.

Bear in Heaven - Wholehearted Mess 12 inch (Hometapes) [HT033] $9.50
A classic remix 12-inch on limited edition colored vinyl, the "Wholehearted Mess" single features banging dance mixes of one of the standout tracks from BEAR IN HEAVEN's upcoming album Beast Rest Forth Mouth (Oct. 13, 2009). Featuring MAX BRANNSLOKKER, PINK SKULL and ARCLIKE, this will further define Brooklyn's Bear In Heaven, whose last album Pitchfork described as "...a true cohesive work in an era when the album-as-art form appears to be slowly dying. (7.8)" and who The Onion likened to "a powerful, functional mix of This Heat, '70s soft rock, early Genesis, and oddly, later Pink Floyd."

Berkson & What - Ghosts 12 inch (Poker Flat) [PFR107EP] $11.50
London's Berkson & What present another excursion into deep-flowing, hypnotic and modern house music. "Ghosts" is a strong, grooving, reduced house track in the purest sense. Chicago-style beats flare and snap as a mysterious synth motif dances around the funk-meets-dub bass sequence. Vocal passages intertwine in a complex narrative that fills the room with the ghosts of house and soul music past. Next up, they lay down a tribal house groover, full of thick keys, richly-embellished drums and spiritual vibes.

Black Heart Procession, The - Six 2xLP (Temporary Residence Limited) [TRR157LP] $16.50
"More than just a return to numerical album titles, Six is The Black Heart Procession's first album to be written and recorded simultaneously with a new Three Mile Pilot album. As both bands now coexist for the first time ever, co-conspirators Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel have steered The Black Heart Procession into a darker, more adventurous direction. Produced and recorded by the band over the past couple years, Six is without a doubt the group's most emotionally resonant album since Three. Brimming with pitch-black ballads of discarded loves and forgotten souls, the album paints a bleak yet strangely comforting portrait of heartbreak, self-destruction and religious allegory over some of their most inspired songs to date, drawing a clear line from here to soul-stirring visionaries such as Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash and Tom Waits."

Black To Comm - Alphabet 1968 LP (Type) [TYPE053LP] $17.25
This is the debut full-length for Marc Richter aka Black To Comm for the Type label. Richter is no newcomer to the experimental music scene. As the figurehead of the Hamburg-based Dekorder label, the musician and designer has brought countless oddities to the attention of rabid music fans in the last few years, but it is with his own compositions that he has made the biggest splash. Releasing for a plethora of labels including Digitalis, Trensmat, and of course, his own imprint, he has pioneered a new, organic drone sub-genre using tape loops, vintage organs and an inexhaustible swamp of found sounds. With this latest album however, it was Richter's intention to move away from the epic drones he had made his own and into something more "classic." The mission statement for Alphabet 1968 was to write an album of "songs" for want of a better word. Short tracks which represented genre points, the milestones which stuck in Richter's mind when he thought back to his favorite records. What we arrive at is a breathtaking 10-track album which, over the course of 45 minutes, explores world music, techno, noise, avant-garde, ambient music and even exotica. Each track is linked with a loose thread of radio static or environmental sound, dragging you through the album, as if tuning in to a stray broadcast or a particularly adventurous mix. Richter has pieced the album together from hours of recordings made at his studio with home made gamelan, small instruments and loops gathered from a collection of ancient vinyl and 78 records. The scope of the album is admirable, but ignoring this, it is simply a shockingly arresting collection of experimental oddities, with references ranging from Moondog to Basic Channel by way of Bernard Herrmann. It's not hard to fall in love with Alphabet 1968, far harder would be to place exactly where the record should fit into your collection.

Boris - Japanese Heavy Rock Hits 1 7 inch (Southern Lord) [LORD108] $6.00
RELEASE DATE: 09-29-2009
***For over 15 years BORIS has lead the charge as Japan's most exciting experimental rock act. This fall marks yet another first for the band as they release Japanese Heavy Rock Hits, a series of 7-inches showcasing their wide-reaching, genre-smashing sound. The band has been locked in the studio over last few months and in association with Southern Lord they are ready to bring to you their latest offerings. Over the course of the next three months three brand new exclusive vinyl 7-inches will be released. The first, Volume One, features two newly recorded tracks. On Side A, the title track "8" continues the spacy hard-rock sound established on their classic albums Pink and Smile, building from a mono, lo-fi wall of feedback into a ripping, slab of lush vocals, crunchy guitar and thunderous drums. Things get switched up on Side B with "Hey Everyone," a chewy bit of power-pop bubblegum that sees the band mining a much lighter source for their sound. Gorgeous tip-on, heavyweight cardboard jacket designed by STEPHEN O'MALLEY.

Bubblez - Ice Rink Remix/Ice Rink (Drum Ritual) 12 inch (Devotional Dubz) [ERZULIE003EP] $12.25
"Grievous Angel steps back up to the plate, fresh from smashing the summer with his 'Loser' and 'Move Down Low' versions. Ripe sense of timing as well -- revisiting the seminal grime rydim 'Ice Rink' from 2003 for rhythmic guidance looks as dapper as Savile Row on Rascal right now. The original's cold, arrhythmic arcade-game derived brutalism is reborn for the late 09 in 2 sensual and smart funky compatible versions . The Riko vocal lick 'pon a-side rocks the plasticized original into a bashment style funky crossover which will find favour with all baddaman and fill floors with gals dem. The alien 8 bit sounds are still present floating disembodied through the mix but are restrained and never allowed to throw the dancefloor off beam. Flip for a true object lesson in how to unlock the dizzy rhythmic potential of UK funky -- unlocking a Latinized carioca carnival feeling, huge instrumental swells of drums and layered chorus, building to massive slams of release ? 'Ice Rink (Drum Ritual)' is a giant rhythm for the scene once more. Bit of a hit on dubplate already with: The Heatwave, Kode 9, Ben UFO, Bok Bok, The Bug, Blackdown, Dub Boy, Steakhouse, Atki2 and lots of other people."

Califone - All My Friends Are Funeral Singers 2xLP (Dead Oceans) [DOC028LP] $16.50
"In an underground music landscape where 140 characters equals 'journalism' and lone MP3s propel bands to momentary internet stardom, bands are here today and gone tomorrow. Califone is a band that defies this blueprint. Their albums are full of layers and textures, offering endless depth, entire universes to lose yourself in - and beyond the thick spectrum of sound, they do something even more important: They write great songs. Califone is a band that will stand the test of time. The band is at the peak of its powers on All My Friends Are Funeral Singers, its sixth song-based album. The long-awaited follow-up to 2006's acclaimed Roots And Crowns, the album is the strongest collection of songs in a career with no shortage of strength. The subtlety and detail of Califone's previous work is present here - the atmospheres are carefully nuanced, the percussion is both rattling and melodic, the melodies are rich and soulful, interspersed throughout softly strummed folk and electrified blues. All My Friends Are Funeral Singers is a dense collage of sounds, expertly formed into fully realized pop songs."

Celer - Mane Blooms 7 inch (Low Point) [LP029] $8.50
RELEASE DATE: 10-19-2009
'Mane Blooms' is the very first vinyl release by Celer, the husband and wife duo Will Long and Danielle Baquet-Long. Seen by Celer as an 'outdoor' companion piece to 'Brittle', the duo's album recently released on Low Point, the music on 'Mane Blooms' was created by multiple layers of cello and piano, which were then processed and played back at differing speeds. Also contained within the tracks are field recordings taken whilst Dani rode horses along the Californian coastline, a weekly pursuit that acted as a form of self-therapy and enjoyment. With the music composed specifically with the vinyl medium in mind, the two sides of the record act as a mirror image. For the B side, Celer approached the music of the first track in reverse, inverting the structure and musical motifs established within the first piece. Altering the playback speed of the vinyl brings previously hidden textures to the fore, providing each of the tracks with a new identity and a different reflection of memory.

Claro Intelecto - Chadderton 12 inch (Modern Love) [LOVE057EP] $11.50
Mark Stewart aka Claro Intelecto presents three new tracks recorded in early 2009. "Chadderton" is an astonishing slice of deep and woozy midnight house, complete with sleazy chords and a frayed spine that's primed for peak-time narcosis. "Above" features relentless chords and a shuffling percussive line that never lets up, while "Great Day" closes the EP with a cathartic spell that ends almost as soon as it begins, letting in rays of sunshine through the dense thicket of sound.

Cloaks/Oyaarss - A La Holeage 12 inch (Abstractions) [ABSTRACT001EP] $11.50
"The excellent Creative Space label from Greece takes an away day for this extra - special release on their Abstractions imprint. Oyaarss are as broadly agreeable as their name may suggest, finding their original of 'A la Holeage' becoming a firm unreleased favourite of Mary Ann Hobbs, and rapidly becoming notorious amongst noise and experimental fans, not to mention the more sonically adventurous dubsteppers. Cloaks take the opportunity to put down their most sonically extreme material to date, as downright nasty certainly as anything yet emitted from their studios. A matching of like minds offers stunning and yet differing results -- where Oyaarss occupy an obliterated post-hardcore landscape, Cloaks almost allow you to experience the very elapsing moments of obliteration. Thoroughly invigorating and highly recommended!"

Cold Cave - Cremations LP (Hospital Productions) [HOS248LP] $16.50
"Cremations is a collection of early demo/live/and unreleased tracks from Cold Cave. From the project's isolated beginnings to the recent full band line-up, the development of this singular musical entity is documented here in its icy electronic glory. From Cold Cave's infancy, sexual identity and oblique existentialism have been expressed through biting lyrics and electronic minimalism. Rarely has the human condition been exposed so brazenly as in 'Sex Ads.' Melodies, noise and rhythms clash as stories from below the surface are retold. From the demo LP Coma Potion, which featured a rugged stripped down distortion, to the suggestive Electronic Dreams tour cassette (featuring the voice of Max Morton on the track 'Heavenly Metals'), Cold Cave has developed its own brand of genre defying electronic music, without ever betraying its dark roots. Love and pornography, industrial music and traditionalism, poetry and profanity all mix together in a hedonistic, cocktail of nihilistic nights and mournful mornings. Cremations collects all this work for the first and last time."

Coleco/Shamaji feat. Maggie Horn - Campfire Funk/Break Your Heart 12 inch (Soul Motive) [SMR003EP] $11.50
"Soul Motive wraps up two of the most innovative tracks you'll hear this year. Another storming double-A side brings you fresh distinctive tracks from Coleco and Sharmaji, two talented emerging producers creating truly unique music. Coleco is a fresh and more than welcome addition to the Bristol collective whilst Sharmaji hails from Brooklyn where he has made quite a name for himself through his work with Low Motion records and NYC's SubSwara, despite being a relative unknown to many on other shores. Coleco -- 'Campfire Funk': a fractured funk workout of epic proportions. Blurring the lines between progressive funk and sub heavy dance music. Atmospheric synths, samples and melodic guitar riffs captivate you while driving, organic breaks build into an absolutely biblical amount of raw funk. It's not often music this beautiful and progressive comes along so enjoy it when it does. Sharmaji ft Maggie Horn -- 'Break Your Heart': >From Brooklyn, New York comes a fresh and highly original take on the UK sound. Simultaneously dark, driving yet strangely elevating. Break Your Heart fuses 2-step swing with dynamic percussion alongside a storming, ever-shifting bassline juxtaposed with an emotive, haunting vocal courtesy of Maggie Horn. Sharmaji has created a deep, emotional banger that will hammer dancefloors worldwide!"

Curse Ov Dialect - Crisis Tales LP (Staubgold) [STAUB096LP] $16.00
This is the first full-length by Australian hip-hop mavericks Curse ov Dialect for Staubgold -- a dizzying, multi-dimensional carnival of conscious hip-hop. Inspired by surrealistic grappling with questions of identity and evolution, Curse ov Dialect have collectively created Crisis Tales: a psychedelic, kaleidoscopic scrawl of mercurial rage and spasmodic humor, flowing freely into the void of consumer culture. The alien yet familiar sounds of Crisis Tales reflect the psychological and geographical adventures of the five-strong Melbourne crew (MCs Raceless and Vulk Makedonski, vocalists August the 2nd and Aturungi, and DJ/producer Paso Bionic). This is the most impressive product yet of the band's restless creativity and degenerate mindscape. A hybrid gumbo of musical mutations and bending of genres and cultures, the album climaxes with an epic, 11-minute transnational posse track featuring guest rappers from Macedonia, Germany, Poland, Indonesia, Switzerland and the United States. Produced by Curse ov Dialect and mixed by DJ/producer Danielsan (Koolism), Crisis Tales sprawls a wide-spectrum, organic sonic palette with a solid hip-hop foundation. Special guests include Joelistics, Elf Tranzporter, Kaigen, RKS, Hugo 1, Eytan Messiah, and Trillion. Equal parts empathy and theatricality, Crisis Tales is at once a strident call to arms, challenging society's restraints of conformity, oppression and religion, and a dreamy contemplation of all things metaphorical and metaphysical. With an armory of lyrics both sharp and thoughtful, inscrutable and existential, and a mindblowing, hyper-authentic musicality, Curse ov Dialect is conclusive proof that Australian hip-hop is worth infiltrating and subverting.

D1/Rusko - Dubstep Warz/Get Your Cock Out 12 inch (Dub Files) [DFVINYL001EP] $11.00
"Wicked new 12" from D1 and Rusko!!! Both tracks appeared on the dubstep DVD documentary produced by the Dub Police camp, Dub Files! 'Dubstep Warz' is a deep, slo mo, haunting bass number! On the flip..Rusko..er hmm...asks you to get 'Get Your Cock Out' ...pure hyper party dubstep shizniz and bound to make the most timid of people shock out to this one!"

Dan Melchior and the Broke Revue - O, Clouds Unfold 2xLP (Hook Or Crook) [HOOK016] $28.00
Unreleased since its ill-fated recording in 2004, Hook or Crook is proud to announce the availability of DAN MELCHIOR AND THE BROKE REVUE's crowning achievement, the double LP O, Clouds Unfold! Though unreleased, O, Clouds has long been recognized as Dan's best work created during his fertile tenure in New York City. Twenty-three songs in all. Gatefold sleeve.

DJ T. - Shine On 12 inch (Get Physical Music) [GPM118EP] $12.25
This is the final single from DJ. T's The Inner Jukebox. T. and his studio cohort Thomas Schumacher aimed to create contemporary tracks that still contained the essence of good old body-jackin' house music. "Shine On" divulges light touches of Benelux house from the mid-'90s that only reveal themselves as sonic silhouettes, rather than as obvious tributes. Motor City Drum Ensemble does remix duty, with an attention to detail and soul that will have some people reminiscing and others raving.

Dominik Eulberg - Perlmutt 12 inch (Traum) [TRAUM116EP] $11.50
Dominik Eulberg presents two new songs on Perlmutt. "Daten Äobertragungs-Kļsschen" is a bittersweet melody, as fairy-like and gentle as a light snowfall. In contrast, "Schnertuppen-Regen" keeps an eye on the clubby side of things with rectangular, sawtooth sequences, dubby rhythms and back and forth sliding sequences that seem to stem from ancient string instruments and show traces of popular German folk.

Efdemin/crc - Metisse 05 12 inch (Metisse) [METISSE005EP] $11.50
Curle presents two mindblowing remixes on Metisse 05. Efdemin's "The Pulse" gets the remix treatment from John Beltran, and it's an ultra-funky mega-bomb. Convextion aka E.R.P. remixed CRC's amazing take on Detroit techno, "Vaskitsaherra," and the result ended up being nothing less than a timeless piece of art. This record comes pressed on beautifully marbled colored vinyl, limited to 500 pieces.

El-G - Tout Ploie LP (S.S.) [SS046LP] $13.50
"So...a couple years back, one of my favorite French labels -- Le Villain Chien -- released a single by a guy going by the name of él-g. I picked up a few -- record unheard - for our mail order and when they arrived, gave one a spin. The sound was a combination of world-weary French pop and mellow psych. The record lived on the turntable for a few weeks. When the Belgian label Kraak announced it was putting out an él-g album, I said sign me up for some. I got a very small handful and offered them for sale. Of course, one found its way to the record player and what came out of the speakers was one of the best records I'd heard in quite a while. Like the 7" I previously dug, this album strode through French pop styles and dreamy psychedelia, but this thing was much better than the seven inch. It had a classic sound. I wasn't alone in liking it. David Keenan of Volcanic Tongue called it 'Ass-flatteningly great' and said it 'combines the decadent French ballad style of Serge Gainsbourg with warped acid folk settings, industrial electronics and the kinda schizophrenic approach to genre that defines much of Thierry Muller and Philippe Doray's work.' Clive Bell at the Wire said él-g's'freak flag is exhilarating.' And the few people who got the record from me, wrote and asked for more. After spin number 50, I said to myself, 'Damn, there's a whole lotta people on this side of the Atlantic that are gonna miss out on this demon, one of the best records of the last five years, me thinks.' So I wrote él-g and Kraak and asked if I could do an American pressing and they said 'Sure good thing' and here it is. So what you get is all the above -- with guest performances by the lovely Charlene Darling and Ignatz and Phil Todd of Ashtray Navigations. This edition on S.S. Records was remastered excellently by Paul Gold of Salt Mastering and has a slightly different cover and insert. And it is available at a domestic price."

Embassadors, The - Coptic Dub LP (Nonplace) [NON027LP] $16.00
This is the second full-length album from The Embassadors, an international music collective formed by reed player/producer/collaborator, Hayden Chisholm. The artist himself elaborates on the creation of Coptic Dub this way: "...the instrumental sounds and mixing processes on this album have undergone so many levels of refinement they can easily defend themselves without the justification of the creators ... I believe the discussion of timbre and its degree of refinement, be it acoustic or electronic, is the only semi-objective criteria when it comes to judging music. How do I define refinement? I would say the gradual and careful removal of impurities. Mixed in with this, and complicating the process even more, is an aspect which has always been a part of my creations: the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi which views certain impurities, especially those occurring in nature, as beautiful. A good example of this is the saxophone sound itself with its strong air component when listened to or recorded up close. This aesthetic element is crucial in setting such works from the digital polishing applied in regular high end pop or even jazz productions. Burnt Friedman's style of applying dubs and effects is another way of breathing more life into the sounds. What is happening here is a complex layering upon layering within which the listener can find countless points of reference to navigate her way through the works. None of the sound sources are processed for the sake of it and there are deep metaphysical truths behind a simple space echo in the way our hallowed master "time" is played with and re-evoked. Sometimes it will approach the feeling of listening to music while in a dream, when individual elements are blurred in the passage of time which is no longer a simple arrow moving forward but rather an evolving and pliable cloud, inextricably linked to the perceiver." The follow-up to the acclaimed Healing The Music debut, Coptic Dub is pure lightness of deftly-executed jazz and dub, curling and twining in on itself in new forms and structures. Chisholm's tenor sax, Hammond organ, and steel drums are supported by Jochen Rueckert (drums) and Matt Penman (bass).

Emeralds - Emeralds LP (Emeralds) [LPEMERAS/T] $17.75
EMERALDS is MARK MCGUIRE, JOHN ELLIOTT and STEVE HAUSCHILDT. They are currently based in and around Cleveland, Ohio. Direct descendants of the history of adventurous punk, post-punk, whatever music spilling out of Ohio the last 35 years or so from Pere Ubu, Devo, Rocket From The Tombs, The Raspberries, The Cramps, Dead Boys, Great Plains, Fuzzhead, et al. Emeralds is the sound of exploration of space/time conundrums utilizing vintage synthesizer beauty and guitar experimentation. Unfolding sweet-leaf shifts and gorgeous curves of kosmiche abandon are played with devotion and desire. With a palpitating discography of cassettes, CDRs etc., both self-released and on righteous labels (Hanson, Gods Of Tundra, American Tapes, Chondritic Sound), Emeralds have already distinguished themselves as new yet timeless, young yet ageless. Pressed on assorted colored vinyl.

Excepter - FRKWYS Vol. 2 12 inch (RVNG International) [FRKWYS002EP] $15.25
"RVNG is proud to announce a new 12" series entitled FRKWYS. A play on the name of the legendary Folkways record label founded by Moses Asch in the late '40s to document sound and movement in music from around the world, our FRKWYS (think 'Freakways') 12" series pairs contemporary artists and their progenitors by way of remix, reinterpretation, and original collaboration. Like the Folkways releases, each installment in RVNG's FRKWYS series lives under a thematic banner (albeit sometimes loose) and explores a different facet of electronic music. The first release in the series features collaborations from NYC avant-pranksters Excepter with Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti of Throbbing Gristle and Chris & Cosey, JG Thirwell of Foetus and his many alter egos, and Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto. The result of this premiere series edition is a new and entirely relevant industrial revolution. Chris & Cosey draw from their early output (Heartbeat, Trance) and turn Excepter's 'Shots Ring' into a whip smart primitive techno mix while JG Thirwell orchestrates 'Stretch' as a wildly percussive, brassy acid track. Jack Dangers adds heavy bonus beats with a pitched down dub and bass dance dirge of 'Kill People.' We are housing these limited edition 12"s (900 copies / pressing) in a classic package using heavy stock jackets applied in leatherette and tip on adhesives, creating a truly substantial and archival feel. You have to see / hear this record to believe it."

Falko Brocksieper - Adobe 12 inch (Contexterrior) [CNTXT035EP] $11.50
Falko Brocksieper brings his rich sound to Contexterrior with the Adobe EP. On the title track, the stomping beat barges into the room and the stacked chords introduce a sense of mystery. "Adobe" has an impeccable sense of build-up and resolution. "South East" follows a Detroit-ish melodic motif as a pan flute keeps the high ends occupied as the low ends roll into the deep wilderness. Yet another example of Brocksieper's ability to keep the crowd lost in the groove.

Felipe Venegas & Francisco Allendes - Llovizna 12 inch (Cadenza) [CADENZA040EP] $13.25
Cadenza returns to its Chilean roots with a new EP from Felipe Venegas and Francisco Allendes who combine sturdy tech-house, classical minimalism, Chilean folk music and scads of Afro-Latin percussion into a fresh twist on the classic Cadenza sound. "Llovizna" wraps itself in velvety arpeggios while a muscular rhythm section gives the track its unusual power. The percussion grows in intensity, setting the scene for the track's finale -- a tour de force of lush, tender synthesizers.

Fink - Sort Of Revolution LP (Ninja Tune) [ZEN146LP] $17.25
"Following the 2006 release of debut LP Biscuits for Breakfast, and 2007's Distance and Time, singer songwriter Fin Greenall, aka Fink, returns in 2009 with the self-produced Sort of Revolution. A beautiful fusion of jazz, blues and soulful acoustic rhythms."

F*** Buttons - Surf Solar 7 inch (ATP) [ATPRSP09] $9.25
The first single to be taken from the album is "Surf Solar," the powerful but mesmerizing opening track from Tarot Sport. It displays an attitude of emotional urgency and striving that is prevalent in a lot of FUCK BUTTONS' music. HUNG puts it like this; "Without a conscious effort, this track acts as a bridge between 'Street Horrrsing' and 'Tarot Sport'.... it has an emotion attached to it that is unique to us: one of anxiety. It's an urgent track." As always, F*** Buttons remain faithful to the idea of hope as an inspiration.

Fugazi - End Hits LP (Dischord) [DIS110] $12.75
REISSUED WITH A DOWNLOAD!!! Thirteen tracks of pure FUGAZI magic. Back in print on vinyl at last.

Fun Years, The/.Cut featuring Gibet - Three:Four Split Series - Volume 2 10 inch (Theory) [TFR003EP] $22.75
"Here is the second volume of our split series that highlights 2 two-man bands living in two different cities. Whereas The Fun Years live in different parts of the United States, .cut is based in Montreal and Lyon, where Gibet, Albérick's accomplice, lives. Musically, this record gathers two of the most exciting laptop & guitar duets. On the A side, The Fun Years presents a particularly interesting score. Despite the short length of the support, their effort is presented as a real album, with an intro ('Am I Having A Stroke?') and an end ('We Don't Need No F***ing Theme Songs'). Between these two tracks, three various songs are unfolding, revealing The Fun Years' huge potential. On the B side, .cut featuring Gibet offer two tracks in different formats but with equal intensity. With their mix of meditative atmospheres leading to introspection and oppressive and violent elements against martial sounds. The band's radical approach glorifies the darkness, to the extent that it seems either sublime or unendurable." Numbered edition of 489 copies with download postcard.

Haters - Haters LP (At War With False Noise) [ATWAR051] $15.50
Recorded in 2001 but unreleased until now due to controversial content, THIS IS NOT the noise HATERS but a brutal hardcore band, one of the most brutal ever put to tape, formed after VOORHEES split up. Utterly single-minded in its relentless brutality, focused, hateful, taking influence from Brainbombs, maybe even early wave power electronics, but channelling it through the Negative Approach wringer. The results are utterly hideous. Artwork by RICHARD RUPENUS of THE NEW BLOCKADERS. Limited quantities available.

Heavy, The - How You Like Me Now? 12 inch (Counter) [COUNT026EP] $11.50
"The Heavy return with next single from their album, The House That Dirt Built, a widescreen funk epic, moving from JB's shuffle to crashing break, Animals guitar and horn fanfares, a huge build which is set to bring the house down wherever it's played. As if the original wasn't enough, The Heavy have compiled a superb package of remixes. Fellow West Countryman Joker, gives the original a huge dollop of Purple and comes up with something sounding like Timberlake smoking skunk in St Paul's. Sometime Mowgli-collaborator Solo goes more down a 4/4 route, building up the congas etc. into a perfect example of what he calls 'midget house.' Finally, Ghost takes the tempo down and emphasizes the mournful backing vocals for a suitably majestic finale. As if this wasn't enough, The Heavy have also thrown in a bonus track, 'Tell It Like It Is,' a country-fried hoe-down which emphasizes just how good Swaby's voice is."

Horns of Happiness, The - Weathering Alterations LP (St. Ives) [SAINT030LP] $14.50
"The Horns of Happiness return to the recorded world with their first release since 2007's What Spills Like Thread EP. Here we find the band in concept mode, balancing its pounding rhythms and airy melodies to create a soundtrack piece entitled Weathering Alterations. The band's normally speedy and structure-damaged tunes begin to stretch out, allowing repetition and space to create new moods. Originally performed as an accompaniment to the J. Shelley Harrison installation piece Don't Rain On My Parade, the recording focuses on the reaction of the psyche to unexpected changes in environment. While this is not the true follow-up to the band's only full-length album, 2004's A Sea As A Shore, the record is a moody, rocking, and nonsensical song cycle. As with all St. Ives releases, this album is only available digitally and as hand-made limited edition vinyl (only 200 copies)."

Hudson Mohawke - Butter 2xLP (Warp Records) [WARP188LP] $20.00
"Megawatt R'n'B stars won't be the only ones to take note of Butter, as the ever-growing global network of bass-craving music fans have been clamoring for new material since Hudson Mohwake's lauded Polyfolk Dance EP earlier this year. On that record, HudMo's hyper melodic drum-and-synth sidewinders only hinted at the panoramic pop magic that was to come and with it he found himself name checked by the likes of Rihanna, Goldie, Sa Ra, Busy P, Flying Lotus, Mars Volta & Crookers."

Hyetal - The Last Time We Spoke/Armour 12 inch (Formant) [FRMNT005EP] $11.50
"Presaging some mindblowing imminent science with Peverelist on the resurgent Reduction label out of Bristol -- Hyetal lands with aplomb at Formant. You can trace the stylistic foundations of this music -- Scuba's Hotflush excursions, Peverelist's wide ranging exploration, Pinch's Tectonic aesthetic. 'Armour' is a readymade dancefloor bomb while the top side runs it down with truly weighty low-end, deliberate sirens offset against dubbed out benign keys -- maximum vibes -- very good indeed."

Indigo - Not Alone 12 inch (On The Edge) [OTE008EP] $11.50
"Another bomb on the cards -- south Hulme dub star Indigo, moonlighting fom his own Mindset recording endeavours for a welcome solo outing here. 'Not Alone' dominates proceedings on the up side - a rigorous and deliberate work out - future steppers and original junglist working in tandem over a 'Not Alone' dominates proceedings on the up side - a rigorous and deliberate work out - future steppers and original junglist working in tandem over a total epic widescreen production. And for the down stroke: 'Arcane' is wonderfully developed future dub, settling down amongst dare we say it a certain old school balearic feeling -- poignant moving cosmic and down right essential sundown tune. 'Exhale' matches up with S.Y.N.K.R.O.'s 'Inhale' on Smokin' Sessions elsewhere this week, taming the open road euphoria of Joe's piece and watching it combust into a vapour space dub trail that is as luxuriant as its tempo is easy."

Indigo - Home/Cosmos 12 inch (On The Edge) [OTE009EP] $11.50
"A growing inspiration."

Jagged - Langenthal 12 inch (Quintessentials) [QUINTESSE009EP] $11.50
"After their Hello Kool Nice release, the Jagged boys are back with another fab production. The main track 'Langenthal' is, well, we dare to say 'tech-house with a disco feel' and ready for club use! 'New York' pumps it up even more and is more proof that Jagged are diverse. After Quarion and Harry Swinger on QE 02, it's now up to the mighty Brother's Vibe to do the remix - he delivered a monster mix! And let all of us know about his house and our house!"

Jaybird - Work Dat Box 12 inch (Kraken Recordings) [KRKN010EP] $10.25
"Kraken are rolling again and it's good to have the Denmark based don's back! Very little is known about A-side artist and LA resident Jaybird, but I'm sure plenty of people will be on the hunt for info after this little number drops. Absolutely relentless, crushing dubstep music, a refreshingly nasty little number reminiscent in atmosphere to one of Kraken's earliest releases, 'Eye Of The Demon' by Wolfman (JSL), this tune is currently tearing up clubs worldwide, with support from 2000F and notably featuring on Hatcha & Crazy D's Kiss FM radio show, you're gunna love this one! Legendary Kraken artist JSL pops up on the flip with a brand new beat, kept relatively under wraps this one comes out of nowhere and smacks is straight round the chops like Kimbo Slice! Act quickly on this one, it won't last."

Korablove - Pani Chacha 12 inch (Pro-tez) [PROTEZ012EP] $10.25
"Pani Chacha is Her Highness the Duchess of the southern party. Inspired by the drink that is lovingly regarded from Georgia to the Balkans, Korablove created a house tune with a drunk brass section, thus presenting an irresistible dance tune for the Gipsy autumn. Stripped down and extended with a SCSI-9 remix on the B-side. Bottoms up!"

Kryptic Minds - 768 12 inch (Tectonic) [TEC032EP] $10.75
With many a drum and bass producer jumping on the dubstep bandwagon only to get it embarrassingly wrong, it's refreshing to see darkside jungle pioneers Kryptic Minds side-stepping such issues, delivering only the finest quality rolling Metalheadz-vibe, dark-side, subbed-out 'steppers with an innovative twist of their own. Kryptic Minds have tailored a sound that makes it to the very the heart of half-step itself. Includes a Kryptic Minds remix of Pinch & Moving Ninja's track "False."

Lauhaus - Latenights 12 inch (Intacto) [INTAC020EP] $11.50
Amsterdam's boom-shakin' top-buzz Lauhaus drops sweatin', uplifting grooves on the Intacto imprint. "Latenights" is a master groove with top hook timbals. An instant hit. "Neue Welle" is deep and sleazy for the sexy ones out there.

Loco Dice - Untitled 12 inch (Desolat) [DESOLAT004X-EP] $11.50
Loco Dice returns to Desolat with a one-sided, vinyl-only release. This untitled track features tribal chanting, claps, and flute sounds accompanied by a solid, throbbing, addictive beat and hand-percussion.

Low Red Center - Low Red Center 10 inch (S.S.) [SS040LP] $13.50
"S.S. Records is really happy to release vinyl debut of Low Red Center. While their sound centers around electronics, to call them a minimal synth band or electronica or post-punk is selling them short. Low Red Center not only have a great sound, but they have great songs, and a couple of ace singers. Originally a studio project, in 2004 Low Red Center morphed into an improvised group. Containing members of Voxtrot, Oblong Boys, Pataphysics, Spoon, NonoBangBang, and other Austin bands, LRC staged shows that involved heavy costuming, theater, dance, and, of course, music. Eventually, many of these improvised pieces were molded into songs. In the words of Chad A., 'The object of Low Red Center is an exercise in improvisation and communication. Surprising ourselves as musicians by experimenting and discovering on stage, in front of an audience is of our goals. Restraint and listening are our approach to playing. A dedication to succinct presentation prevents unwanted jamming and convinces the audience that what we are performing are practiced, pre-written songs. The sound we have in mind is minimal and somewhat alien, with a vague film noir feel. This tension is frequently broken with a faster, more jagged post-punk approach. The recordings present a studio translation of our live principals, but with the luxuries of production embellishment and craft. Everything was performed (no sequencing) on analog electronic synthesizers, acoustic instruments, and electric guitar and bass. All the drum machines were actual individual organisms, breathing with us in the studio--nothing was sampled and rearranged. No computers were used.' Influenced by Cluster, John Foxx, Tuxedomoon, Bruce Haack, Crash Course in Science, Silver Apples, Raymond Scott, and Goblin, you can also hear Relando & the Loaf, Devo, the Plastics and others in their sound. With insert."

Luciano - Tribute To The Sun 3x12 inch (Cadenza) [CADENZA042LP] $24.50
Previously released on CD+DVD, now available in a special 3x12" edition, including full-length versions. On this format, you'll have the chance to get the full versions of "Celestial," "Conspirer," "Los Niños de Fuera," "Africa Sweats," and "Metodisma," which aren't available on the CD version of this album. Cadenza presents the second official studio album by Swiss-Chilean DJ/producer and Cadenza label-head Lucien Nicolet (aka Luciano, Lucien-N-Luciano). Since his first record Blind Behaviour in 2004, Luciano has earned his place among electronic dance music's most celebrated names, and with Tribute To The Sun, Luciano delivers one of the definitive highlights of his career. Not merely a "dance" or "electronic" record, Tribute incorporates musical styles from around the globe with Luciano's inimitable rhythmic sensibility. Its moods run from the heavenly grace of "Celestial" to the outright madness of "Metodisma" in a diverse mix of world and techno beats. Includes guest contributions from Keren Ann, Ali Boulo Santo, Bruno Bieri, and Omri Hason.

Markus Homm - Moving Image 12 inch (Ostwind Records) [OW025EP] $10.25
"We have been looking forward to Markus Homm's Moving Image EP for quite awhile. Some of you will probably remember that he celebrated with Frank Nova at the LTD007 debut with us! Mark is an avid sound tinkerer and an even more grandiose dancer. For this he is celebrated throughout the world. Tango, foxtrot, etc. (world class!). He can create a symbiosis between sound and dancing that many others never find. Mark loves the classic tech-house, surrounded by Detroit's chords, loose grooves and a touch of funkyness. This he shows us on the A side and during the EP in its entirety. 'Moving Image' and 'Break Free' are two tracks that belong to the dance floor, but also in every other genre. As a first remixer we are very pleased to have Lauhaus. He puts 'Moving Image' in a completely different light and structures the song into a dancefloor killer. His holländischer charm is on display again. The second remix 'Break Free' is by the boys from the 'Hermannstedt Collective.' What a really wonderful result! Sensitivity and a very big heart are also served here. Even the two can only respectfully thank you for this work. All around a very successful record, but some will be torn from the stool!"

Marlow - Bandwagon Junglist/Back 4 More 12 inch (Boka) [BOK021EP] $10.25
"Marlow is officially 'Back 4 More,' making his long-awaited return to Boka Records since 'Tremor' dropped back in 2007. Fresh from remixes on Southern Fried Records and Skint, BOKA021 showcases Marlow's brand spanking new beat along with arguably his most popular club tune. 'Back 4 More' has been supported by the likes of Toddla T, who most recently showcased the tune on a Radio 1 essential mix for Pete Tong. It's currently play listed on Ministry of Sound radio and Rob Da Bank is also on the case with a tune that see's Marlow on a euphoric garage tip. 'Bandwagon Junglist' is an epic club banger that has been doing the rounds for over a year now, a highly anticipated beat and easily the most requested tune in Marlow's ever expanding range of artillery."

Mendo - Remember 12 inch (Cadenza) [CADENZA041EP] $13.25
Mendo's Remember EP has been highly anticipated by many DJs. Luciano plays it live, and it always receives mad reactions from crowds. Mendo was first approached by producer George Morel in the late '90s, and signed a few releases on Groove On. "Everybody I Got Him" was previously released in 2000, and is now in a new mix, and there's another club burner on the flip. Supported by the Martinez Brothers, Luciano, Reboot, Loco Dice, Tobi Neumann, and others.

MF Doom - My Favorite Ladies 12 inch (Nature Sounds) [NS001] $7.25
REISSUED!!! Hip hop super villain MF DOOM (KMD) returns with a new single of gutter-flowing groove gold. The title track taken from High Times' THC Volume 1 compilation, backed with an unreleased exclusive cut called "All Outta Ale." Both are produced by DEV ONE (aka THE PROFESSOR), and are complemented with alternate versions.

Michele Lombardelli - Broken Guitars LP (No Label) [UMA000] $29.50
The debut recordings by this Italian visual artist. Sadness-tinged acoustic guitar improvisations a la Derek Bailey and John Fahey. Housed in a spectacular multi-fold cover. Limited edition of 150 copies.

Midaircondo - Curtain Call LP (Twin Seed Recordings) [TWINS001LP] $19.00
This is the second full-length album by Swedish duo Midaircondo, and the first release on their own Twin Seed Recordings label. The follow-up to their celebrated 2005 release Shopping For Images (TYPE 008CD/LP), Curtain Call is an exceptional pop record -- and make no mistake, this is a pop record; a heady mix of unexpected arrangements, acoustic and electronic sound sources, experimental music fused with the pair's undeniable pop sensibilities, that makes for an album which draws the listener in instantly. Reborn as a duo, Midaircondo's wonderful, original improvisational skills and innovative compositions have been developed into a new and more solemn sound. Classical instruments and delicate deliveries of poetic lyrics marry in Midaircondo's electronic world. Quirky field recordings from the band's travels around the world create backdrops that invite you to enter Midaircondo's unique musical sphere. From the shimmering opening moments of its title track, Curtain Call has such a peculiar pull, familiar in the most unique of ways. It's hard to categorize these songs -- equal measures of dark and light haunt the listener throughout. Delicate passages of recognizable instruments are suddenly thrown into unexpected territories, often revealing the duo at their most catchy. Midaircondo's evocative arrangements, plus their ability to gel the compositional and the improvisational, result in an album of incredibly forward-thinking music -- challenging but accessible to all. Making a guest appearance is The Soundtrack Of Our Lives' frontman Ebbot Lundberg, sharing vocal duties on standout track "Silk, Silver And Stone," a dark, layered song cycle with hazy, descending vocal layers and strings. Reminiscent of the best of Blonde Redhead, Björk's "All Is Full Of Love," and the electro allure of Bat For Lashes, Midaircondo's dark vision of electronic pop makes Curtain Call an album to return to time and time again.

Mountainhood - Mountainhood LP (Blackest Rainbow Records) [BRR135LP] $17.75
"Brand new one-sided LP from Michael Curtis Hilde following his recent LPs on Time Lag's Red Records sub division, as well as a string of ultra limited self-released CDRs and releases for Yod and Reverb Worship. This is a far gone trip that's totally out there and very hard to pin down. The closest categorization for this beast would be folk, but it's like some total mutated, distorted lurker mirror image. Wild psychedelic strings and heavy bedroom vibes run throughout this delicate beauty. Limited to 300 in pro-printed black and white wraparound sleeve featuring amazing artwork by Michael."

Music Go Music - Expressions LP (Secretly Canadian) [SC186LP] $14.50
"'When people talk about the rebirth of disco, this is how it should be, manic zombifications reanimated from the Abba songbook, wired with Philip K. Dick paranoia and Donna Summer euphoria,' says the NME on Music Go Music's debut full-length Expressions. The Los Angeles trio recorded the album over the course of a year-and-a-half. They make pop music but, fortunately, the term means very little these days. What kind of pop music is it? Rock and Roll, disco, metal, boogie, trans-hand, psychedelic? Fader magazine perhaps put it best when they said, 'They begin with a bright-eyed Scandinavian sashay and end with a ten-minute Mediterranean disco romp featuring programmed drums, making detours along the way into rainy day ballads and guitar infernos. The cumulative effect plays like the greatest hits of dance saviors that never existed - and indeed, they probably should only be performed from inside an aquadome at the bottom of the Caspian Sea, or at least during a summer-long residency in Ibiza.' Indeed."

Mutant Ape - Buried On't Moors LP (Urashima) [U003] $34.00
The wild noise project by Yorkshire, UK resident GEORGE PROCTOR delivers an intense and relentless discharge of cavemen electronics and obsessive noise with dirty male vocal textures in the upper layers. Silkscreened cardboard sleeve, with insert. Limited edition to 120 copies.

Nation of Ulysses - Plays Pretty For Baby LP (Dischord) [DIS071] $12.75
REISSUED WITH A DOWNLOAD!!! The beloved Plays Pretty For Baby album from Washington, D.C. heavyweights THE NATION OF ULYSSES-IAN SVENONIUS, TIM GREEN, STEVE KRONER, STEVE GAMBOA and JAMES CANTY.

Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms LP (Lefse) [LEFSE001LP] $14.75
"An elusive new project from composer Alan Palomo (VEGA). Neon Indian delivers equal parts synthetic nostalgia, dream-pop lullabies, and grinding guitar noise to create something eerier than the sum of its parts. Forged after a hazy winter gathering in Texas, this initial batch of tracks were the result of field recordings, record samples, a collection of bizarre synth sounds. Soliciting the visual acrobatics of video artist Alicia Scardetta, this project is setting out to be a multi-media maelstrom. Orbiting around the themes of drug induced heart-break, weary afternoons, and lost chances, this music provides a lush soundtrack to the deadbeat exploits of teenage ennui. Neon Indian's bedroom ballads have already forged Psychic Chasms. They've been compared to New Order, Future Bible Heroes, and most recently said to sound like a saw-wave cutting a Doobie Brothers' song in half. Expect much racket to be had from this fresh faced crew."

Onde - Purple LP (Ondemusic) [ONDE003LP] $24.25
"Vinyl only edition of 500 copies. Minimal electric psych inspired by tidal waves."

Ost & Kjex (feat. Mung) - Dirty Mind 10 inch (Curle Recordings) [LUNA007EP] $11.50
Ost & Kjex are aided by Mungolian Jet Set's Strangefruit aka Mung on a good-natured, fun, and rather raunchy take on Prince's teen lust classic "Dirty Mind." Already road-tested throughout the whole summer, this one surely gets the girls going, which is essentially what this tune is about anyway. Comes with a dub version for those who can't take the campiness of the vocals, and only available on this limited 10" vinyl.

Panther - Entropy 12 inch (Kill Rock Stars) [KRS513EP] $11.25
"Panther is back with Entropy, a 12" of new material from the prolific Portland originators of 'floor dancing.' This vinyl gem features more of the jerking rhythms and catchy hooks Panther fans remember from their 2008 full-length on KRS, 14kt God, but these new songs move in a Pinback-y way towards more piano-driven than guitar-driven melodies. Charles Salas-Humara and Joe Kelly create a lot of layers for a duo, building songs that allow Charlie's vocals to float ethereally into other realms, while firmly moored by Joe's solid drums."

Philogresz - Milestone 12 inch (Ware) [WARE082EP] $10.75
Ilker Soylu aka Philogresz is based in Dordrecht, Holland where he runs his label Team Records. He is a great aestheticist of the post-minimal world. His sound is both playful and intoxicating; his incredibly melodious tenderness corresponds with compulsory beats. The guitar and voice on "Vie" are not sampled, but performed by Philogresz himself. His sound is moody, melodic, jazzy and organically-composed; yet it is confidently-arranged techno with no boundaries.

Quest - Last Days 12 inch (Deep Medi Musik) [MEDI021EP] $10.25
"Well well....Who saw this one coming?! Brand new Quest beats on legendary dubstep label Deep Medi (ran by Mala - Digital Mystikz), the audio has been kept well under wraps so no long-winded track descriptions on this one. Suffice to say Silkie along with Quest and the rest of the Anti-Social Entertainment crew are knocking out some of the most inspiring and groovy dubstep on the planet right now, so this is auto-buy-on-sight business, act quick!!"

Raydios - Now LP (Dirtnap) [ZZZ85] $13.50
"Our first release from a Japanese band, and we couldn't really ask for a better one than this. For those not in the know, THE RAYDIOS is FINK from the legendary TEENGENERATE and current member of FIRESTARTER. This is their 2nd album, coming about 10 years (!) after their Demo LP on Screaming Apple. The CD version of Now is released by Japan's Mangrove Records last year (and is being distributed by Dirtnap in the USA), and is just now seeing the light of day on vinyl. It's been remastered for vinyl and remixed by Fink himself, and sounds GREAT. Musically this is no frills, crunchy, mid tempo rock n roll. Less trashy than Teengenerate, but not quite as 'pop' as Firestarter, this is kinda a middle ground between the two. Total dream release for Dirtnap. Pinch us."

Relocate - Hard Boogie For Dub Swingers 2 12 inch (Iberian) [IBR003EP] $10.25
"The new release from Lisbon/Barcelona based Iberian Records sees the second part of Relocate's Hard Boogie For Dub Swingers EP hit wax. First up are Lisbon's Kuduro warriors Buraka Som Sistema with a remix of Relocate's 'Dot Dot Dash.' Clever micro samples from the original rub are married to an absolutely slamming b-line to create a full on floor-filler full of original flava which very successfully merges UK bass to the Portuguese sound. On the flip we have 'Origins' from Relocate; which sees their unique stripped down sub-heavy bassline boogie to full effect. Relocate come up trumps once again with a full on roller of a track with trademark gliding bass dives and punchy stabs from a classic sidestepper Zed Bias sample and a very much house meets dubstep type of vibe. Both tunes are guaranteed to set the dance alight with their characteristic Iberian bass and groove flow. Support has come from the likes of Bunzero, Subsound, Markle, Blackdown, TRG, Ben UFO and Zed Bias."

Rigas Den Andre - Guilty Feet, No Rhythm LP (Flogsta Danshall) [FD003LP] $23.25
"What's wrong with Rigas den Andre? He's young, gifted and comes from a well-respected noble family and still his music speaks the ancient mournful language of the rocky Swedish archipelago. Because of this, RDA could be easily dubbed as the meister of melancholic electronic party music. Or 'blue funk' as the exact term should be in my opinion. Take my word and dive in to the sea of emotions provided by RDA's new album Guilty Feet, No Rhythm. I promise you confusion. Take a journey through the depressing digital funk of 'No Heaven' or reach for the joyous synthesizer excursions of 'W.A.S.P.' or 'Go, Rangers, Go!'.And don't forget to boogaloo to the epic title track which sounds like Timbalandand Björn Ulvaeus had a son. Because, in the end RDA's music is like life itself: Gloomy, mournful, slow, but oh so funky!"

Roska - Elevated Level 12 inch (Roska Kicks & Snares) [MR004EP] $11.50
"Amidst all the column inches expended on London's nascent 'Funky' scene there's been a notable shortage of quality releases to get excited about, but with Roska's new EP all a dat should be about to change. With echoes of the finest period Chicago house, hardcore continuum to ukg, bruk up beats and deadly drums, this is one definitive piece - if you're outside the m25 and still wondering what all the fuss is about -- this is exactly what we're talking about -- awesome twelve -- totally recommended."

Rossi B & Luca/El-B - Jah No Dead/Son De Cali 12 inch (Soul Motive) [SMR004EP] $11.50
"Well received new power moves from Bristol's Soul Motive crew, combining the significant pedigrees of El-B -- who is clearly back, and let's hope for good this time - and Rossi B & Luca, who've been been locking it down for some years now. The wood-blocked percussive bump of 'Jah No Dead' takes Winston Rodney's heart-rending beachside a capella from the Rockers movie and shakes it over some precision low-end science, indebted to the Ghost originator no doubt, but managing to make an entirely new flow for the 09. Lewis Beadle turns it out for 'Son De Cali' with primed UK bass values ramping it up under a twisted drum pattern which has got the f-u-n-k in no uncertain terms. Don't matter what you call it, two killers in any language."

RSD/Evergreen & Landlord - Jah Rain 12 inch (Ranking Records) [RAN007EP] $11.50
No description available at this time.

Salem - Frost/Legend 7 inch (Audraglint) [AG120EP] $8.75
"Two pop tracks from the unstoppable goth juke outfit, Salem. One side sung by Heather, the flip by John. Limited to 500 copies."

Samara Lubelski - Future Slip LP (Ecstatic Peace) [E#110LP] $13.50
LP version with glossy insert. "Samara Lubelski's 5th solo LP Future Slip serves up a gorgeous and friendly collection of bittersweet melodies, sinister basslines, gestural Polaroid lyrics, and spot-on drumming garnished with sprigs of fuzz, paired with a guitar Riesling. It is a record of knowledge and innocence, of truth and fairytale, of wonder and clarity. Envision France Gall performing the songs of Sterling Morrison and Mo Tucker with Ralph Molina on drums. The show is at a loft across Bowery from CBGB's and the only person in the audience at soundcheck is Jandek, cross-legged in the middle of the floor. Produced by Thurston Moore. And here is the result: Future Slip is a worldly record, a record which offers 'a taste of the new dimension' but warns of 'guru bummers'. To a sunny day it adds the shadows which allow the perception of depth. On a rainy day it offers a selection of cakes. Anyone who does not dig this record deserves our pity, as they know nothing about the joy or sadness of life."

Samara Lubelski - Did You See?/Spectacular Of Passages 7 inch (Time-lag Records) [TLR048EP] $8.25
"Two stunning exclusive tracks finally unleashed after (too many) years on the shelf, just in time to coincide with Samara's wonderful new album Future Slip on Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! label. A sweet little dose of hushed and fragile melancholy folk-pop-drone fluttering. Samara's unmistakable slow-bliss songforms are at their most stripped down and psychedelically entwined, with thick hovering violin tones, distant reverbed atmospheres and gentle swirls of quivering guitar feedback all lifting things just high enough. Totally bleary-eyed and beautiful, hitting that perfect spot just between your heart and gut. To these ears it's that golden zone where the sound of her past in bands like Hall Of Fame, Tower Recordings, Metabolismus, etc., merges effortlessly with her sublimely structured solo vision. Packaged in silver and black on bright red offset printed art paper covers, with simple hand stamped labels. Edition of 400 copies."

Seuil - Freak & Violence 12 inch (Freak n' Chic) [FNC043EP] $12.25
Alexis Bernard aka Seuil returns to Freak N' Chic with Freak & Violence, which sees the Parisian leader-of-the-new school take his impeccable sound into deeper, late-night territory. Warm synths and a spoken vocal dominate the title track. The synths have a trippy vibe but are balanced by ultra-groovy drums. On "Lost In The Soul Shower," sparse keys and complex drums give way to the ebb and flow of distorted, filtered organs. A wonderfully fresh take on deep house.

Shinedoe - No Boundaries Remixes Part 1 12 inch (Intacto) [INTAC0211EP] $11.50
Part 1 of 2. Tracks off Shinedoe's No Boundaries get a remix treatment by some of the hottest names around. For this 12", producer Martin Buttrich crafts a warm, deep, bass-y, layered groove remake of the title track, while Innersphere (Shinedoe's alias) drops a hypnotic, subtle Chicago dancefloor remix groover of "Bounce To This" that will bring you to a whole different level.

Shinedoe - No Boundaries Remixes Part 2 12 inch (Intacto) [INTAC0212EP] $11.50
Part 2 of 2. The second 12" remix package of tracks off Shinedoe's No Boundaries features the man behind the Hamburg-based label Liebe*Detail, Matthias Meyer, who makes a smooth percussive remix of "Finding A Balance" and a remix by rising Dutch star DJ Madskillz of "Higher (feat. Innersphere)."

Shortstuff - Progression 12 inch (Formant) [FRMNT006EP] $11.50
"Killer twelve from Shortstuff, really coming into his own now with good form to show already for Ramp, Berkane Sol and Pollen. 'Progression' shuffle steps in ridim wise, jittering over involving, game-derived riffage -- pretty much spot on. 'Relapse' rides uk hardcore indebted drums and boasting 2009 low-end values to go with -- a spry tune for mixing and holding the listener in an agitated yet reflective state almost simultaneously. 'A' rounds it on out with some awesome production, a rising bass-line which just keeps on moving under agile drums and surprisingly moving harmonics implied in the deceptivelty simple melodic refrain. Excellent."

Skream - Burning Up/Memories Of 3rd Base 12 inch (Digital Soundboy Records) [SBOY023EP] $9.00
"When Skream came up with his 'Lets Get Ravey' version of La Roux's 'In For The Kill,' he was inspired by the sound of early '80s rave days, and for his first contribution to Shy FX's Digital Soundboy label, the Croydon producer takes his homage further into jungle territory. 'Burnin Up' has got it all: female vocal sample, mid tempo amen breaks, booming bassline all combined to perfection, with an awesome switch half way. Skream has lovingly updated the exhilarating sound of early jungle to stunning results. If 'Burnin Up' is a tribute to jungle's debut, 'Memories of 3rd Base' is all about the birth of dubstep. A highly potent minimalist groove with technoid blips and mutating sub bass, it pays tribute to the club that shaped the scene in the mid '00s. With artists like Benny Page and Breakage constantly producing genre defying music, and high flying contributions by Caspa and Skream, DSB offers a unique insight into the incredible talent of the UK Urban scene."

SSHE Retina - Souls And Waltzes From The Telegraph Frontier LP (Urashima) [U004] $34.00
SSHE RETINA STIMULANTS stretches the conceptual and methodological framework of the Remote Aktion (Diophantine 2008) ever further; starting from acoustic guitar as the only source input, environmental feedback effects and real-time manipulation and sampling are applied to booze up the outcome and create a screaming thunderstorm of delighted noise. Dense bubbles inflate and burst like organic supernovas, exploring the forgotten areas of apocalyptic soundscapes. Four long tracks infatuated with repressed anachronisms as tools for liberation. Slow blasts, perpetual wails, soothing and distressed. Silkscreened cardboard sleeve, with insert. Limited edition to 120 copies.

Steve Gurley - Walk On By Remixes 12 inch (Groove Chronicles) [NGC004EP] $10.25
"Fresh rinses of the Gurley classic for increasingly diverse UK dancefloors and beyond - this time Steve G himself drops an immaculate VIP, chopping the vocal and re-editing the arrangement into a more oblique plate still packed with immense power to move the floor. Leaving it to fresh faced acolytes C J Reign and DJ Ski to stoke the UKG/ bassline fires a burnin some more - a bona fide anthem with fresh legs."

Stimming - Stormdrum 12 inch (Diynamic) [DIYNAMIC030EP] $11.50
"Actually, after his debut album Reflections this young man could use some time to relax, continue touring over the world or put his feet up during the week. But for Mister Stimming this is impossible. He just loves producing music too much. We have nothing to say about this and are very happy to present you with three fantastic new tracks. Funk with me!"

STL - Jungle Sometimes 12 inch (Something) [STL010EP] $13.50
"This four tracker comes deep and dirty. Tube amplified driven grooves with colorful shining percussion, unstoppable exciting melodies on top, plus the ever appearing bonus loops makes this a very exceptional and personal sounding twelve inch. The included dancefloor madness will shake your heads once you are down with it. House music that will move you, but also amaze your senses in relaxed listening situations. Play the track in moody places and this record brings you into other orbits. Finally this again has that typical STL vibe for which he is notorious. Buy Something - your turntable will be grateful!

Sufjan Stevens/Osso - Run Rabbit Run 2xLP (Asthmatic Kitty) [AKR049LP] $24.25
"In 2001, Sufjan Stevens followed up his debut album, A Sun Came, with Enjoy Your Rabbit, a series of fourteen instrumentals programmatically inspired by the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Much later, in 2006, Bryce Dessner (The National, Dark Was the Night compilation, Clogs) suggested that Sufjan re-arrange the entirety of Enjoy Your Rabbit for Osso, a string quartet that had previously contributed strings to Sufjan's Illinois and My Brightest Diamond's Bring Me The Workhorse. The result is Run Rabbit Run."

Sully - Track Side/Duke St Dub 12 inch (Mata-syn) [MAT003EP] $11.50
"Two further illustrations of the breadth of the dubstep parish -- here the man like Sully, recently dubbed by Blackdown the 'king of swing' reveals some very different vibes from some of his previous work, foregrounding the garage sound to righteous effect. Dark, swinging and tooled up for optimum floor detonation -- heavy."

Synkro - Everybody Knows 12 inch (Smokin Sessions) [SMOKE004EP] $11.50
A1. Everybody Knows B1. Dub Specialist B2. Empty

Synkro - Closer 12 inch (Synkro) [SYNKRO001EP] $10.25
A1. Closer B1. Just To See Her B2. Rooted

Synkro - Everyday/Tell Me 12 inch (Synkro) [SYNKRO002EP] $11.50
"Brilliant record -- second on his own label for Joe Synkro -- simply a must for all fans of the darker two step garridge 009 movement."

Synkro Faib & Indigo - Inhale 12 inch (Smokin Sessions) [SMOKE007EP] $11.50
"Our local Mancunian heroes Joe Synkro and Liam Indigo duke it out back to back over a shouldering desk, following prior top rate solo and duo work for their own labels Mindset and Synkro as well as smashing at anywhere from Fabric to genius Strange Fruit basement parties in Manc. These guys are truly from and of the scene, too ensconced in fashioning new directions in music to worry about whether they are dubstep, garage, techno, house, funky or jungle this week -- simply put -- great stuff. Joe runs it with two cuts -- 'Inhale' matches up with Indigo's 'Exhale' for On The Edge elsewhere this week, see what they did there -- post-Burial garage and ain't nowt wrong with that. Where 'Fire' is some rude and open future death steppers, someplace well away from bombast, formula or cliche. But perhaps its the weighty lady friendly uk garage bump funk step of 'Heaven' which typifies this twelve -- had the senior citizen types here busting a move."

Synkro/Indigo - Turning/Alabama 12 inch (On The Edge) [OTE007EP] $11.50
""Heavyweight plate for all the 2step009/dubstep-techno crew from two of Manchester's favourite sons -- Indigo & Synkro. All this last 18 months the pair have been ever so gradually producing a steady stream of quality tunes -- dubstep perhaps but with undeniable with affinities to soul, house, garage and techno continuums. This could be the best batch yet -- state of the art dubbed out technical steppaz post-garage, whatsoever you call it -- a positive must 23 / 25 techno continuums."

Timo van Luijk & Frederik Croene - Voile au Vent LP (La Scie Doree) [SCIE709LP] $24.25
"Vinyl only edition of 400 copies. Extended piano improvisations embedded in a freely arranged instrumentation."

Timo van Luijk/Kris Vanderstraeten - High Noon LP (La Scie Doree) [SCIE305LP] $24.25
"2nd issue of 200 copies, olive green silkscreen on white die-cut sleeve."

Tom Carter/Shawn McMillen/Starving Weirdos - Untitled LP (Blackest Rainbow Records) [BRR145LP] $20.25
"Crazy 3-way collaboration from some of America's best underground musicians. Charalambides' Tom Carter is joined by Shawn McMillen, sometime member of Warmer Milks and Ash Castles On The Ghost Coast, with the added power of Starving Weirdos. This two track collaboration has been around since 2007 and it landed in my mailbox a few months back, and man, it's a real beauty. Side A is a total hypnotic slice of ravaged drone, the four musicians seamlessly blend their own styles of underground bliss outs to sheer perfection. Side B opens with a crazy loop of applause, waving back and forth with a growing repetitive plug-in to then opening it up to create new levels of total sonic weirdness. Slow shimmering black chasms engulf the positivity until it's awash with lo-fi scrapes and buzzing electrical nightmare. The loop eventually drops back in with total far gone chimes, jingling away at acid burnt psychedelic keys and a thundering bass loop. A totally bizarre jam, which just opens more potential ventures up for these artists. Hopefully we'll see more from this collaborative team soon. Limited to 400 in pro-printed wraparound sleeves."

Tyondai Braxton - Central Market 2xLP (Warp Records) [WARP184LP] $32.00
"For more than a decade, Tyondai Braxton has fine-tuned his unique approach as 'quite literally' a solo artist. Working by himself on stage and in the studio, he employed guitar, voice, looping and delay pedals plus various found objects to create work that simulates the sound of a large ensemble. His live performances are as technically astonishing as they are sonically mesmerizing. However, on his Warp Records debut and second full-length solo album, Central Market, Braxton takes a radically different course from the 'orchestrated loops' that had become his trademark: For the first time in his solo career, he's composed for a real orchestra. The result is an exhilarating mix of acoustic and electronic instrumentation; surprisingly pastoral moments give way to more clangorous passages that will immediately appeal to fans of avant-rock quartet, Battles, of which Braxton is a member. There are plenty of ominous, unsettling sounds, particularly in its later tracks, but the sheer ambition of Central Market gives the album an uplifting, almost joyful quality. The spirit of the playing and the inventiveness of the arrangements make the entire experience exciting and fun, a word Braxton often employs when describing the process of bringing Central Market to fruition."

Unknown - Deleted Scenes 002 12 inch (Deleted Scenes) [DLS002EP] $10.25
"Deleted Scenes! Deleted Scenes is the label and production name for a new project forged by two big name producers from the dubstep scene. Both have released successful albums, run their own imprints as well as DJing worldwide on a regular basis. They sort of wanted to keep their identities secret but it hasn't been working out so far. It might be Pinch and Distance, but then again it might be Boney M and Vanilla Ice."

Unknown - Different Tingz 12 inch (War) [WAR012EP] $10.25
"Limited white label."

Various Artists - Err On The Good Side LP (Theory) [TFR002LP] $25.25
"Err on the Good Side is the first volume of a compilation series devoted to musicians, programmers, reviewers, disc sellers or whoever involved in music activities that we love. We offer them the opportunity to share their passion for it by curating a record. For this first volume we have asked ali_fib, the most interesting and adventurous gig promoter in Paris, to handle it. The result, Err on the Good Side, reflects their own musical tastes and friendships. Except 'Chambre 1,' Ilitch's introductory track (which was released in 2005 as part of Thierry Müller's limited-edition picture disc, Rainy House) and Amen Dunes' contribution 'Diane' (here offered in its extended version; an alternative take will be released by Locust Music), this record is made of previously unreleased material and has been compiled using a very simple idea of symmetry: most of the tracks here have been assembled as pairs based on musical affinities." Featuring Sir Richard Bishop, Duane Pitre, El-G, Steve Gunn, Ben Nash, Hitch, Mike Wexler and more. Numbered edition of 504 copies with glossy insert and download postcard.

Various Artists - Our Thing Vol.2/The Inner Circle (Part 1) 12 inch (Highgrade) [HIGH0661EP] $11.50
Highgrade brings the core group of label artists together with some recent newcomers on Our Thing Vol. 2/The Inner Circle. Part 1 features Marcus Homm with a funky and impulsive number, Tom Clark with a peak-time explosion, Asem Shama with an exhilarating rocker, and Demir & Seymen with some powerful orchestral stabs.

Various Artists - Our Thing Vol.2/The Inner Circle (Part 2) 12 inch (Highgrade) [HIGH0662EP] $11.50
Highgrade presents the second part of their Our Thing Vol. 2/The Inner Circle 12" series with tracks by Simon Beeston, Mihai Popoviciu, Todd Bodine, and veterans Phage & Daniel Dreier. This is not simply a Part 2, but a statement all its own.

Various Artists - Geometry 2xLP (Touchin' Bass) [TB039LP] $22.75
2LP version, limited to 300 copies.

Will Saul & Tam Cooper - Teddy's Back 12 inch (Simple) [SIMPLE943EP] $12.25
"Music partners and friends Will Saul & Tam Cooper are back collaborating on Simple for the second time in 2009. Will is the man behind Simple and Aus Music, a globe trotting DJ and A&R, and known as the UK's master of deep. Will Saul's latest project has been mixing and sequencing the latest in the renowned compilation series Balance, Balance 015. Features the original version of 'Teddy's Back.' He has also recently remixed the Juan Maclean on DFA and Cortney Tidwell for his own Aus Music. Tam Cooper has been producing for the past decade under a number of different guises. Experimenting with analogue kits is his main passion and he is also a talented drummer and percussionist. Once a teenage raver, Tam has found his way back to house and techno in recent years, enthused by a new wave of artists and sound exploration. Will and Tam went back to their roots and dusted off the sampler for 'Teddy's Back.' Strings and vocal cuts bring the soul and their trusty 101 delivers the bass line. As with many of their previous tracks together all the percussion is recorded live - 'because it sounds better and is fun to do.' They set out to achieve something that was heavy, rolling and organic yet with memorable moments that don't disappear into a never ending Ableton conga loop. The original is already a firm favorite with the Wolf + Lamb crew and Gilb'R' from Chateau Flight has also been supporting it for many months from an early version. Our Parisian friends dOP deliver the goods on a major level with their remix. A truly filthy yet undeniably infectious song penned after a recent gig at the infamous Berghain is backed by a surefire rhythm track and arrangement that is designed to move bodies. In Will's words, 'not one I'll be playing to my Mum.' Just how we like it!"

Young Fresh Fellows - I Don't Think This Is... LP (Munster) [MR290] $22.25
Seattle most-loved rockers and the reverends of the irreverent, YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS, are back with I Don't Think This Is... Young Fresh Fellows, their first full album since 2001, and 25 years after the release of their groundbreaking first LP, The Fabulous Sounds Of The Pacific Northwest. It doesn't matter that Fellow #1 SCOTT McCAUGHEY is on permanent duty with REM since 1994, THE BASEBALL PROJECT (since last year) and also leading his solo project THE MINUS 5, with famous guests such as Peter Buck (REM), Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer (The Posies), Bill Rieflin (REM), Chris Ballew (Presidents of the USA), his good buddies from Wilco, etc. For some die-hard fans Scott will always be 1/4 of Young Fresh Fellows, the greatest rock & roll band on the planet, and the most important export from the Pacific Northwest since The Sonics. The remaining three quarters of this explosive cocktail are TAD HUTCHINSON, KURT BLOCH (FASTBACKS), and JIM SANGSTER.

Zolex & Guss Carver - Mr. E Is Doing Fine 12 inch (Mbelektronics) [MBELEK052EP] $11.50
After the huge and amazing success of the Knowledge EP, the Portuguese masters of techno, The Advent & Industrialyzer are back on MB Elektronics -- this time, with a remix they did for two of Belgium's most legendary producers, Zolex & Guss Carver.

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

Badfinger - BBC In Concert 2xLP (Turning Point Music) [TPM201] $33.00
A double LP of the complete BBC sessions recorded during 1972 and 1973 featuring "Better Days," "Come And Get It," "Sweet Tuesday Morning," "Love Is Easy," "Blind Owl," and more. Fifteen tracks in all, 180-gram vinyl.

Brian Jonestown Massacre, The - This Is Why You Love Me LP (A Records) [AUK018LP] $19.75
180 gram LP version "Originally released on vinyl in 1997 now reissued on A Records, Anton Newcombe's own record label. This four track EP is available for the first time on CD and on 180 gram vinyl. The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a psychedelic rock band originally from San Francisco, California, led by guitarist/singer Anton Newcombe. Since 1995 The Brian Jonestown Massacre has released numerous albums. BJM has been essential in the development of the modern US garage scene, and many L.A. and S.F. musicians got their start playing with Newcombe, including Peter Hayes of The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club."

Cluster - Curiosum LP (Bureau B) [BB038LP] $16.00
Originally released on Sky Records in 1981, Bureau B reissues Cluster's Curiosum -- the sixth duo collaboration between Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius. Curiosum was to mark a departure to pastures new. Little did they know that this would be their last release for the next nine years. Curiosum was launched into an atmosphere of musical turbulence. Electronic sounds had become commonplace in pop music and the voice of Cluster could barely be heard through the noise of a new generation of music. Curiosum is a decidedly tranquil, almost melancholy album -- quiet being the operative word, as Cluster slipped out of the limelight. It was recorded in rudimentary fashion in Austria, now home to Roedelius. This is Cluster music at its most serene, a sense of profound humility running through the seven tracks of the LP. It says a lot about the state of mind of the two musicians, allied to the fact that this was the first time they chose to mix outside of Conny Plank's studio where, in the past, the finishing touches had been applied. Roedelius and Moebius laid their cards on the table for all to see, offering up Curiosum as an honest, unadorned selection of tracks, free of artifice and preconception. The album represented a return to the virtues of their early work (when Cluster was written with a "K"), random and spontaneous. Curiosum is nothing if not a curiosity, wholly resistant to the cacophonous zeitgeist of the early '80s, stripped down and keenly focused on perfect shapes. This is Cluster's swan-song to the past.

Cluster - Sowiesoso LP (Bureau B) [BB039LP] $16.00
Bureau B reissues the fourth full-length album by legendary German electronic music duo, Cluster -- originally released on Sky Records in 1976. Sowiesoso follows on from their most highly-acclaimed album, Zuckerzeit (1974). Michael Rother's influence was clearly audible on the latter, Cluster already having recorded two albums with him under the name of Harmonia. 1976 saw the duo looking for new musical forms. More than any other Cluster album, Sowiesoso represents the utopian vision of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Mobius, its mellow transparency evoking the landscape of the Weser Uplands where the two musicians lived at the time. Sowiesoso is not the work of fanatic dreamers who have fled the metropolis, but the reward for their tenacious search for a new musical language. The LP's seven cuts were recorded in their own studio with modest equipment -- a four-track tape machine, two Revox A77 stereo tape-decks and a simple 8-channel mixer. Cluster were thus completely independent, able to work where and when they wanted, at their own pace. With no guest musicians, sound engineers or producers to accommodate, Cluster thrived on their new-found autonomous freedom. Sowiesoso captures them at the peak of their creative development, with the limited range of recording equipment enhancing the clarity of their vision, allowing them to concentrate on the music without drifting into narcissistic muso territory. Minimalist, yet neither formulaic nor automated, the album is a rhythmic tapestry of otherworldly electronic and acoustic elements -- relaxed, organic and gentle ambience. This could only be Cluster music; its harmonies reaffirm the quality of song, in spite of eluding song structure as such.

Fugazi - Steady Diet Of Nothing LP (Dischord) [DIS060] $12.75
REISSUED WITH A DOWNLOAD!!! The classic 1991 Steady Diet of Nothing album from FUGAZI. Eleven tracks.

Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised LP (BMG) [DRL11798HLP] $12.75
Gatefold 180 gram vinyl collection of previously-released songs highlighting Gil Scott-Heron's career. Includes the title track, "Sex Education: Ghetto Style," "The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues," "No Knock," "Lady Day And John Coltrane," "Pieces Of A Man," "Home Is Where The Hatred Is," "Brother," "Save The Children," "Whitey On The Moon" and "Did you Hear What They Said?". Featuring Hubert Laws, Pretty Purdie, Brian Jackson, Ron Carter, Burt Jones, David Spinozza, Eddie Knowles, Charlie Saunders and Gerry Jemott.

Gil Scott-Heron - Pieces Of A Man LP (Flying Dutchman) [FD10143HLP] $12.75
Gatefold exact repro reissue on 180 gram vinyl of Scott-Heron's definitive album, originally released in 1971. "Pieces of a Man is an album of fine songs. Because most of the accompaniment by an excellent assemblage of musicians here calling themselves Pretty Purdie and the Playboys: (Purdie on drums; Ron Carter, an astounding bass man; Burt Jones, guitar, Hubert Laws, flute and sax, and Brian Jackson, Scott-Heron's collaborator, on piano) is in a jazz style, the songs have a loose, unanchored quality that sets them apart from both R&B and rock work. Scott-Heron sings straight-out, with an ache in his voice that conveys pain, bitterness and tenderness with equal grace and, in most cases, subtlety. Frequently the nature of the jazz backing is so free that the vocals take on an independent, almost a cappella feeling which Scott-Heron carries off surprisingly well. But what is most surprising about the album, especially after an exposure to the awkwardly fashionable poses of his poetry, is Scott-Heron's assurance and directness as a songwriter. There are occasional lines that seem to have slipped out of youthful poetry into mature songs ('Why should I subscribe to this world's madness?') and the long final cut, 'The Prisoner,' tends to get bogged down in its own 'heaviness.' But generally the material is tough and real, 'relevant' while avoiding, on the one hand, empty cliche and, on the other, fierce rhetoric, its own kind of cliché. -- Rolling Stone

Gil Scott-Heron - Free Will LP (Flying Dutchman) [FD10153HLP] $12.75
Gatefold exact repro reissue on 180 gram vinyl, originally released in 1972. "Gil Scott-Heron's third album is split down the middle, the first side being a purely musical experience with a full band (including flutist Hubert Laws and drummer Pretty Purdie), the second functioning more as a live rap session with collaborator Brian Jackson on flute and a few friends on percussion. For side one, although he's overly tentative on the ballad 'The Middle of Your Day,' Scott-Heron excels on the title track and the third song, 'The Get Out of the Ghetto Blues,' one of his best, best-known performances. The second side is more of an impromptu performance, with Scott-Heron often explaining his tracks by way of introduction ('No Knock' referred to a new police policy whereby knocking was no longer required before entering a house, 'And Then He Wrote Meditations' being Scott-Heron's tribute to John Coltrane). His first exploration of pure music-making, Free Will functions as one of Scott-Heron's most visceral performance, displaying a maturing artist who still draws on the raw feeling of his youth." -- All Music Guide

Gil Scott-Heron - Small Talk At 125th And Lenox LP (Flying Dutchman) [FDS131HLP] $12.75
Gatefold exact repro reissue on 180 gram vinyl of Scott-Herron's debut album, originally released in 1970. "Disregard the understated title; Small Talk at 125th and Lenox was a volcanic upheaval of intellectualism and social critique, recorded live in a New York nightclub with only bongos and conga to back the street poet. Here Scott-Heron introduced some of his most biting material, including the landmark 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' as well as his single most polemical moment: the angry race warning 'Enough.' Still, he balances the tone and mood well, ranging from direct broadsides to clever satire. He introduces 'Whitey on the Moon' with a bemused air ('wanting to give credit where credit is due'), then launches into a diatribe concerning living conditions for the neglected on earth while those racing to the moon receive millions of taxpayer dollars." -- All Music Guide

Gong - Peel Sessions 2xLP (Turning Point Music) [TNP202] $33.00
All the Peel Sessions recorded by DAEVID ALLEN and his group of musical space aliens between 1971-1974 and collected on one double-LP set with amazing BERT CAMEMBERT cover artwork.

John's Children - Smashed Blocked! LP (Vinyl Lovers) [VL900717LP] $6.00
180 gram vinyl. "An album collecting the material Marc Bolan recorded during his brief stint as lead singer of the short-lived (1966-68) mod psych band John's Children, although perhaps better known for their image and stage antics than their actual music (apparently managing to upstage the kings of stage antics, the Who, and inspire generations of punk rockers). Their debut single 'Smashed Blocked' was recorded by session men due to their lack of proficiency on their instruments, but by the time their second single 'Just What You'll Get' was released things were looking considerably up, featuring a solo by Jeff Beck on 'But She's Mine,' the single's B-side. Bolan joined the group soon after and recorded the single 'Desdemona' (banned by the BBC for its controversial lyrics). Of the 17 tracks present, a full 9 are either penned or performed by Marc Bolan. Although this band may only be a footnote in the annals of British freakbeat, original copies of the 'Midsummer's Night Scene' single have sold for

John's Children - Smashed Blocked LP (Vinyl Lovers) [900717] $21.75
An album collecting the material MARC BOLAN recorded during his brief stint as lead singer of the short-lived (1966-68) mod psych band JOHN'S CHILDREN, although perhaps better known for their image and stage antics than their actual music (apparently managing to upstage the kings of stage antics, the Who, and inspire generations of punk rockers). Their debut single "Smashed Blocked" was recorded by session men due to their lack of proficiency on their instruments, but by the time their second single "Just What You'll Get" was released things were looking considerably up, featuring a solo by JEFF BECK on "But She's Mine," the single's B-side. Bolan joined the group soon after and recorded the single "Desdemona" (banned by the BBC for its controversial lyrics). Of the seventeen tracks present, a full nine are either penned or performed by Marc Bolan. Although this band may only be a footnote in the annals of British freakbeat, original copies of the "Midsummer's Night Scene" single have sold for $4,000! Includes printed innersleeve with liner notes. 180 gram vinyl

Kevin Ayers - Radio Sessions 2xLP (Turning Point Music) [TPM203] $32.50
A twelve track collection featuring radio sessions from 1970 and 1972 with help from ROBERT WYATT, MIKE RATLEDGE, MIKE OLDFIELD, LOL COXHILL, MICK FINCHER, DAVID BEDFORD, and others. Gatefold sleeve, 180-gram vinyl.

KMA - Cape Fear/Phantasy Trip 12 inch (Groove Chronicles) [NGC003EP] $11.50
"Noodles' impeccably credentialed Groove Chronicles imprint comes correct yet again with this valuable re-issue of KMA's formative underground garage classic from 1996 'Cape Fear.' Sounding astonishingly contemporary and in fact more relevant than ever to the 2009 funky crowd, this is something of a must have. For fans of Burial, Kode 9, El-B, Todd Edwards -- very good indeed."

Los Yetis - Nadaismo A Go-go 2xLP (Munster) [MR289] $30.25
A compilation of the wildest moments of the best 1960 garage-pop #and from Columbia. Twenty-one Nadaist (revolutionary pre-punk movement) tracks about war, revolution and girls. In 1966, a certain go-go fever takes over Medellin. The name of the virus: LOS YETIS. The city, one of the most conservative in Columbia, started to feel the shakes in its foundations as thousands of teenagers danced to the new sound, willing to distance themselves from the tango and bolero favored by their parents. Los Yetis would become the new idols of thousands of teenagers infected by the go-go craze that The Beatles had originated a few years earlier. Los Yetis combined covers of international hits with their own songs, which, even if a little tame, had a wild spirit and lyrics with attitude set to beat, surf and garage rhythms. 180-gram double-vinyl pressing limited to 1,000 copies.

Moebius Plank Neumeier - Zero Set LP (Bureau B) [BB037LP] $16.00
In 1983, Dieter Moebius (Cluster) and legendary producer Conny Plank teamed up for the third time, resulting in the Zero Set project, originally released on Sky Records. On this occasion, they were backed up by one of the best drummers on the German rock scene: Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru. Moebius had gotten to know and admire him as the live drummer for Harmonia (Moebius, Roedelius, Rother) and during the recording sessions for their second album (Deluxe). Plank, usually more of a background figure as producer, takes an equal share of the limelight alongside the musicians. His supermodern studio is brought into play like an instrument in its own right; Plank explores the full range of audio editing, pushing recording techniques to the limit to achieve maximum brilliance and plasticity. Neumeier uses all of his many years of experience as a drummer, demonstrating the precision and stamina of a drum machine, just infinitely livelier and more inventive. And finally, to Moebius: always one of the patriarchs of German electronic music, a creator of the most bizarre sound happenings, yet never sounding forced or arbitrary. On the contrary, he consistently worked within the context of the tracks themselves and their relationship to each other. The music on Zero Set flows both smoothly and energetically. No single idea is overplayed, and none of the tracks hits the 10-minute mark. Aural and musical structures are concentrated to the point of askesis, yet there is no mistaking just how much the musicians are relishing playing together -- these are the two very different, yet defining characteristics of the album. The trio is unsentimental in their use of technology, exploiting it as an effective tool in pursuit of their musical vision. Moebius Plank Neumeir are three musicians at the top of their game and far too smart to allow their efforts to drift into psychedelic meanderings. Infectious, tribal motorik rhythms chunder along to dark synth squelches and squeals, that all feels exquisitely-placed with factory-precision. An important and mystifying chapter in the legacy of Krautrock/Kosmische Musik and a historic moment in German electronic music. "Recall" features Sudanese vocals by Deuka.

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou - Volume Two: Echos Hypnotiques 2xLP (Analog Africa) [AALP066LP] $23.00
Subtitled: From The Vaults Of Albarika Store 1969-1979. Four years in the making, Analog Africa finally presents the highly-anticipated second volume of music from Africa's funkiest band, the mythical Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou. Volume One (The Vodoun Effect: Funk & Sato from Benin's Obscure Labels, 1973-1975), released by Analog Africa at the end of 2008, was a collection of amazing lo-fi recordings produced for various labels around Benin. Volume Two showcases superbly recorded tracks, courtesy of the EMI studios in Lagos, Nigeria, one of the best studios in the region. All tracks here were recorded for the mighty Albarika Store label and its enigmatic producer, Adissa Seidou. The idea for this compilation was born five years ago when Samy Ben Redjeb, Analog Africa's founder and compiler, first heard the addictive funk track "Malin Kpon O" (included here), which was originally released in 1975 on Albarika Store. That discovery triggered the compiler's curiosity and what followed was a long journey through the musical history of Benin and the history of its most important ambassador, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou. The result: approximately 100 pictures, 120 master tapes, 20 hours of interviews and a few hundred Orchestre Poly-Rythmo vinyl records -- 500 songs in total -- some of which previously unreleased. Almost half of those tracks were recorded for Benin's number one label -- Albarika Store. Fifteen out of 200 tracks were carefully selected for this compilation which comes with a massive 44-page booklet filled with amazing pictures of the band, a complete discography and a biography tracing the band from its foundation as Groupe Meloclem in 1964 via Sunny Black's band (1965), Orchestre Poly-Disco (1966), El Ritmo (1967) and finally, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou in 1968. During the period presented here -- 1969 to 1979 -- the mighty Orchestre was without any doubt one of Africa's most innovative groups. Capable of playing any style of music, the band moved from traditional Vodoun rhythms to funk, sato, Latin, sakpata, psychedelia and Afro-Beat seamlessly and quickly became the powerhouse of Benin's music scene. Some of the planet's most exciting rhythms are related to the complex Vodoun religion born in Benin. Those rhythms, supported by chants and dances, have been transmitted from generation to generation and are still being performed to this day, a few hundred years after they were created. The composers and arrangers of Orchestre Poly-Rythmo understood that they were surrounded by a gold mine of inspirational sounds which, if modernized and mixed in with whatever was in fashion at that particular moment, could have a strong impact on the urban population. Those astonishing combinations can be heard here, all mixed into a heavy hypnotic sound -- Les Echos Hypnotiques.

Raincoats, The - The Raincoats LP (Kill Rock Stars) [KRS515LP] $15.25
"We all love our secret bands. Kurt Cobain came across a Raincoats album, and found there a bunch of soul mates whose honest emotions affected him so much that he tracked down founding member Ana da Silva somewhere in Notting Hill, persuaded DGC (Nirvana's record label) to re-issue The Raincoats back catalogue and encouraged the band to re-form. In 1977 da Silva and Gina Birch, inspired by the example of the Pistols and the Clash, of course, but also by the women of the Slits and X-Ray Spex, had responded to punk's DIY call to arms and eventually persuaded the Slit's drummer Palmolive to join their ranks. With the addition of the classically trained violinist Vicky Aspinall, The Raincoats were an all female band who owed nothing to male fantasy outfits like The Runaways, and produced a primeval punk-folk sound on original songs like 'Fairytale in the Supermarket' and 'In Love or deconstructing the Kinks' 'Lola' with cheek, fun and a pinch of salt."

Skatalites, The - Stretching Out: Vol. Two LP (Roir) [RUSLP8312LP] $12.00
"The heavily anticipated vinyl re-release of Volume Two of the Skatalites marathon ska-blowout -- Stretching Out. Come ye revelers to hear the original Skatalites, in their prime, in long extended jam sessions, recorded live in Jamaica in 1983 at the Blue Monk Jazz Gallery nightclub before their friends and fellow musicians. In 1983 Herbie Miller, manager of Peter Tosh brought the original Skatalites (minus the late Don Drummond) back to Jamaica from all over the world to perform at the 1983 Jamaica Sunsplash. The Skatalites had broken up 18 years earlier, after their short career of two years (1963-1965). Personal disagreements, conflicts and animosities had driven these inventors of ska and master musicians to seek their own future as individual artists. Miller, who became their manager, owned a nightclub in Kingston, Jamaica called The Blue Monk Jazz Gallery. Here, after 18 years of separation they reconciled their differences, (for a time), and rehearsed for Sunsplash '83 and performed live at the club before a crowd of local fans, friends, and fellow musicians. There were no restrictions on the length of sets, no barriers on solos or improvisational experiments, and no recording studio limits on how long each song should last. They stretched out, played out, and had a joyous 18th anniversary celebration and reunion. Fortunately, Miller recorded the rehearsals and nightclub performances and captured for history (and dance - mad ska mavens) all the spontaneity, fire, electricity, and good fellowship of that unique moment. ska at its best by the greatest ska musicians in the world!"

T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - The Kings of Benin: Urban Groove 1972-80 2xLP (Soundway) [SNDW004LP] $18.25
2LP version. Originally released on CD by Soundway in 2005, now available in a double-vinyl version. From the Republic of Benin, West Africa, T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo is one of Africa's least-known big-bands outside of their home country, despite the fact that they have released over 100 LPs and 50 singles. This release aims to redress the balance with a collection that reflects their many poly-rhythmic moods. A mixture of hard Afro-funk, driving Afro-beat, deep Afro-Latin and Cuban grooves, all with a unique flavor that ruled the dancefloors of '70s urban Benin. Includes sleeve notes, a detailed history and reproductions of the original sleeve art label scans.

Tangerine Dream - Autumn In Hiroshima 2xLP (Membrane) [232789] $49.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Electronic Meditation LP (Earmark) [42020] $22.50
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Summer In Nagasaki 2xLP (Membrane) [232788] $49.25
No description available at this time.

Tangerine Dream - Views From A Red Train 2xLP (Membrane) [232787] $49.25
No description available at this time.

Vanity Fare - Early In The Morning LP (Vinyl Lovers) [VL900649LP] $22.75
180 gram vinyl. "Formed in 1968 in Kent, England, the band is probably best remembered for its hit songs 'Early In the Morning' and 'Hitchin' A Ride,' which both became gold albums in the USA and reached the Top Ten. 'Hitchin A Ride' actually became a hippy anthem and dance craze. Going against the heavy acid rock trend of the late sixties with their brilliant melodies and harmonic singing, the band, still active today, is one of the true forgotten gems of the era. This version of the album -- originally released in 1970 -- features 10 bonus tracks from the period."

Various Artists - Psych Funk 101 (1968-1975) 2xLP (World Psychedelic Funk Classics) [WPFC101LP] $18.00
"Funky fuzzy psychedelic tracks from '60s and '70s Nigeria, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Korean and other exotic countries. Psych Funk 101 introduces students to the global phenomenon of psychedelic funk music, and covers the 'golden years' of the movement, from approximately 1967 until 1980. This compilation does not focus on American and British bands. Rather it focuses on the bands throughout the Global Village that were influenced by the innovation of American and British bands -- that many times one upped the heroes they sought to emulate. This compilation focuses on bands influenced by James Brown, The Meters, Sly and The Family Stone, Booker T and The MGs and The Bar Kays and unsung rhythmic forces such as drummers Bernard Purdie, Idris Muhammad, Earl Palmer, bassists such Carol Kaye and Jimmy Lewis. It focuses on bands who took that energy and combined it with the flair of psychedelic-rock musicians such as Jimi Hendrix and the ensemble known as Cream -- as well as pop-rock acts taken by the experimental side of psychedelia such as The Beatles. But these bands added their own, unique cultural flourishes. The result is mind-bending. Think about it for a second -- what musical forces were greater than that of funk and psychedelic music in the late '60s and early '70s? These forces, combined by bands happy to incorporate folk music and improvisational elements from other musical forms, lead to an amazing body of work still being unearthed by researchers the world over -- and still capable of inspiring new investigations into shapes of rhythm." Artists include: Husnu Ozkartal Orkestrasi, Kukumbas, Mulatu Astatke feat. Belaynesh Wubante And Assegedetch Asfaw, Kim Sun, Petalouda, Mehr Pooya, Staff Carpenborg And The Electric Corona, The Group, Armando Sciascia, Wadih Essafi, Omar Khorshid, Metin H. Alatli, George Garanian With The Melodiya Jazz Ensemble and Eskaton. Deluxe digipack with fully annotated 36-page booklet with liner notes and rare photos.

Various Artists - Ouaga Affair: Hard Won Sound Of The Upper Volta 1974-1978 2xLP (Savannaphone) [SAV001LP] $27.75
"The third release on Savannaphone and their first vinyl outing. Gatefold sleeve with photos, biographical information plus a trailer load of Upper Volta bangers."

Various Artists - Reggae Interpretation Of Kind Of Blue LP (Secret Stash Records) [SSR266LP] $16.50
"In the spring of 1981 a group of reggae studio musicians from Jamaica gathered in New York City under the direction of Jeremy Taylor, a music professor at NYU at that time. The result was this Reggae Interpretation of Kind of Blue. Though he was primarily regarded as a world-class jazz musician and educator, Taylor had taken several trips to Jamaica to study reggae music with some of the best performers in the world. In his 1979 book, A Space Between Taylor wrote, 'My first trip to Jamaica (May 1977) was the most eye opening musical experience of my life. I met so many incredible players who had been brushed off by the snobby musical establishment at institutions such as the ones I was affiliated with. They showed more musicality, taste, and rhythmic comprehension than some of the most revered musicians in the states. I knew that I had to find a way to showcase their unparalleled talent in a different medium in order for some of my colleagues to fully understand and learn from it.' This statement served as the basic concept behind this album. Taylor took the most loved, well-known modern jazz album of all time and put it in the hands of reggae musicians. It was in this context that he felt his contemporaries would be able to fully understand what it was he saw in these players. Unfortunately, weeks after directing the sessions Taylor passed away in his Paris hotel room while on a speaking tour of Europe. A final mix of the album was never made and it was never released. Collectors have long spoken of this album and in the late '80s lo-fi cassette tapes of rough mixes circulated. No official release was ever issued until now. In early 2009, Secret Stash Records began working with the Taylor estate to finally release this album. After creating final mixes, dub versions of all the songs were also made by Secret Stash producers. Now for the first time ever, this highly sought-after album is available. This vinyl-only release is a must have for any record collector."

Various Artists - Freedom, Rhythm And Sound: Revolutionary Jazz 1965-80 2xLP (Soul Jazz Records) [SJR219A-LP] $20.25
2LP version, part 1.

Various Artists - Freedom, Rhythm And Sound: Revolutionary Jazz 1965-80 2xLP (Soul Jazz Records) [SJR219B-LP] $20.25
2LP version, part 2.

Yardbirds, The - Roger The Engineer LP (The Great American Music Co.) [GA182LP] $19.00
"This limited re-release of a classic album by the band that fostered the careers of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page features a faithful recreation of the original LP sleeve, original packaging, and original liner notes. Roger the Engineer was The Yardbird's first real studio album, cut in 1966, yet was never initially released in the U.S. in its original form. In this album the band explores broad palettes of style, ranging from traditional blues, neomedieval turns, strange psychedelia, and outright pioneering fretwork. Roger also features an added download only bonus of the band's single 'Happenings Ten Years Time Ago'/'Psycho Daisies.' Don't miss this limited re-release of such a historically important title!"