This week's update contains releases by:
[ F E A T U R E
D R E L E A S E S ]
Adam Trainer - Twice Worn CD-R (Hello Square) [cube030]
$12.50
One of hellosQuare's closest friends brings us his first solo album
after a
3" on Wilting Flower and a split CDR with Shoeb Ahmad on Frosty You Haunt
Me. A beautiful collage of acoustic room tones and dirty electronics that
takes cues from the likes of Philip Jeck in his approach to composition
with the most minimal of technology. Awesome!
Ahab Rex - Queen Of Softcore CD (Lens) [LENS0004] $13.00
1. Album Version ~ From the forthcoming Lens Records album 'Blood on
Blonde' a glimpse at the new record featuring the fem fatale Brooke Cassell
offsetting Ahab's gruff bark and Martin Atkins' (NIN, Killing Joke, PIL)
boom, crash, whack. 2. Ahab Rex Remix ~ Sped up funky version, featuring
additional "atomic dog" inspired vocals and beats. 3. Press Remix ~ fresh
from remixing The Damage Manual, Press turns in a groovy dance mix with
tongue and cheek nods to Chicago's rich house heritage. Label mate of Ahab
Rex. 4. The Countdown Remix ~ Nothing short of electric Lust! Invisible
Records artists The Countdown wow with their fierce Punk/Electronica blend
that sweats all over this mix. 5. Nookleptia Remix ~ Another Chicago
native, Nookleptia's unique Non Musical approach brilliantly cuts up the
original.
Ahab Rex - Rollin' With The Ahab Rex Quintet CD (Lens)
[LENS0009] $13.00
What would happen if Tom Waits joined Velvet Revolver? Genre hopping
streetwise rock, bare-boned and aggressive with a touch of swanky jazz -
young, punky and hungry. This IS alternative! "A band to be reckoned with
and worthy of greater attention" - Illinois Entertainer "Will interest even
the most jaded rock fans" - Exclaim! "Sounds like a rhyme-sayin' Tom Waits
spouting gibberish" - Splendid Magazine "Shame on you Ahab Rex" - Re-Gen
Magazine "As sensual as the best Bowie and as aggressive as Nine Inch
Nails." - Heathen Harvest
Ahab Rex - Blood On Blonde CD (Lens) [LENS0011] $13.00
Fresh on the heels of The Queen of Softcore ep, Ahab Rex delivers Blood
on
Blonde - a diverse collection of raw and energetic rock songs. Hard yet
lyrical, the music is sometimes caustic but surprisingly catchy. Ahab's
gripping lyrics and heartfelt melodies explore the emotional underbelly of
life. Sometimes dark and gritty, sometimes sweet and full of promise but
always real. Ahab Rex is unapologetic, he combines aggressive rock vocals
with smooth refrains along with killer pop sensibility. Also features bonus
remixes by Pigface and Assassins.
REVIEW: Dirty rock with a guy that
has a very gravelly voice. Occasional female vocals add the bright clarity
on top of the sludgey music. Mild vocal effects are sometimes used to make
the male voice even grittier. Strong grooves give the songs extra punch and
movement. Think of maybe a blend of surf rock and industrial - the band
will probably beat me up for saying that. It doesn't have the silly twang
that surf rock does, but the fun, propelling nature with good breaks and
bridges and strong basslines leading the songs. If I had to apply a genre,
I would say this falls into the new breed of industrial that other bands
that have joined in with Pigface would be associated with. Chris
Connelly(Vocals on 1 song's chorus) and Martin Atkins appear on a couple
tracks. Dark lyrics, and gloomy upbeat music.--Don Poe
Amnon Wolman - Sustains CD (Interval) [IL00] $19.00
Sustains is the debut release from Interval Recordings, made by the
sound
artist and composer Amnon Wolman. Sustains is an hypnotic journey to Mr.
Wolman's musical personality, a journey into sound and silence, thoughts
and feelings, mixed together in a unique way. And the journey sustains,
fades in and out of a dream like state where the music is no longer only
define notes and sound structures. It is a whole living form. Sustains
contains sound pieces, samples and original sound synthesis structures
which has a strong sense of orchestral and classical music being digitally
processed, experimental drones in form of dark matter, sound of the inner
life of machines, instruments, and humans, creating gentle fragments of
existence to produce a coherent creation of fine art. Music at its most
pure moments as a form of art where there is no need for images or
expressive symbols to generate a process. Yet the music, on top of being a
musical inspiration per se, creates musical moments as cinematic as an
avant-garde film.
Asmus Tietchens - Flachen mit Figuren CD (Non Visual Objects)
[NVO019] $19.71
No description available at this time.
Austin Benjamin Trio - Amalgama CD (Hello Square) [cube026]
$15.00
The debut album for this young jazz trio from Canberra, Australia
featuring
Evan Dorrian of Spartak fame. Full of group interplay and beautiful
melodies, Amalgama is nine pieces of modern jazz that explore moods and
textures inspired by nature. A must for fans of Bill Evans, Band Of Five
Names and Uri Caine alike.
Austin Benjamin Trio - Unraveled, Rewoven CDEP (Hello Square)
[cube028] $12.50
Following on from the release of their debut 'Amalgama', this mini
edition
features reworkings and versions of four pieces from the album by some very
revered and unique artists in electronic music today - The Remote Viewer,
Mapstation and Andrew Pekler as well as the up and coming Australian artist
C.S.K.A.
Avagami - Metagami CD (Lens) [LENS0018] $13.00
Hailing from Chicago - Avagami began writing music in 2005 after
meeting
through a rather peculiar Craigslist posting. Eric (vocals, saxophone,
electronics, see: unusual drawings) wasn't quite what Matt (drums,
electronics, see: Atombombpocketknife, The Reputation) was expecting but a
musical connection was made none the less. Both were looking to push the
pop envelope, and incorporate improvisational techniques into a song
structure. Their music combines elements of Prog, New Wave, Noise, and
Krautrock, as well as Burlesque, Lounge, and Psychotherapy (Gestalt).
Metagami marks Avagami's debut release on Chicago's Lens Records. Avagami
keep themselves busy gigging in and around Chicago and plans are in the
works for a Midwest tour in the Fall.
REVIEW: I don't know what to make
of this, maybe an acquired taste, but for those of you that dig it... read
on. This feels very filmic and soundtrack-like in the sense this feels like
a musical CD akin to The Who's Tommy or Pink Flyod's The Wall. Except
instead of coming from the 70's this is electronic circus music, from sax
to breakbeats mixed with real drums to lots of synth programming. Very big
music, lots of unique vocals, and a very uplifting energy. Take Rock, mix
with lots of electronics and replace the vocalist with Bozo on acid. --Don
Poe
Catastrophic Mermaids - Ukulele Compositions for the Sleep
Deprived CD-R (Urckarm) [UrckSleep] $13.00
Catastrophic Mermaids on Parade's 2nd release, Ukelele Compositions for
the
Sleep Deprived, is another twisted space coaster ride through the annals of
Hermit the Flog's surreal cosmic underworld. The ride's engulfed in a
strange warm synth bed home to the type of super existentialist psychostic
sampling and humor you might find on a Residents or Negativland album. The
hypnotic echoing of this album will bind you to your melting headphones for
hours. Definitely a head heavy adventure!
Christian Vasseur - Poemes Saturniens CD (Humming Conch)
[Conch002] $18.30
flamenca guitar by Antonio Sanchis, ten nylon strings guitar by
Dominique
Field, eleven nylon strings alt guitar by Philip Woodfield, Simon and
Patrick parlor steel strings guitar, anonymous indian zither Recorded,
mixed on September 2003 and mastered on March 2009 by Benjamin Mraz at
Studio Ka, Fâches-Thumesnil
Delicate Noise - Diversion CD (Lens) [LENS0008] $13.00
Diversion is the debut release from Chicago's own Delicate Noise.
Layered,
plodding backbeats and textured synth washes and a human voice all blend
together to create a diverse form of electronica. Mark's musical influences
are evident as well - Massive Attack, Depeche Mode, Air and Recoil - all
mesh to form an interesting blend of electronic music that is engaging,
lyrical and atmospheric. With tracks featured on both CMJ's NMM and Magnet
Magazine's promotional CD's, Delicate Noise is sure to catch the ears of
many fans across the country.
Delicate Noise - Filmezza CD (Lens) [LENS0107] $13.00
Delicate Noise returns with their second CD - Filmezza - an honest,
optimistic and weighted electronica record. The album unfolds like the
telling of a dream - warm and sentimental songs wash in and out with
lullaby-like melodies, augmented with disembodied voices of children
playing. "Butterfly Envy" acknowledges a Boards of Canada influence with a
haunting and emotional sound evoking an image of old home movies.
"Roundlake Beach" continues the theme while adding a feeling of dusk and
darkness falling. A slow motion wave of disorientation populates "We Like
Mercury" - the sound of crickets interrupted with pregnant pauses add to
the subtle unhinging sensation. Periods of longing and reflection shimmer
over the title track looking for a sense of forgiveness. Delicate Noise
eloquently phrases personal, thought-provoking, emotional questions with a
satisfying richness. And Steven Seibold (Hate Dept.) mixes these songs with
kid gloves on, always allowing the delicate and childlike to come through
unclouded. Emotive and beautiful, Filmezza provides a soundtrack befitting
an old photo of a loved one or a cherished memory with a warmth and
satisfaction returning the ears to a sense of wonder.
Emulsion - Blue Sky Objective CD (Lens) [LENS0010] $13.00
Emulsion's full-length debut CD brings together elements of 80's
electro,
cutting-edge IDM, and bouncy melodies steeped in indie influences. Blue Sky
Objective is electronic pop music: an accessible and appealing mixture of
pretty, emotive melodies and lo-fi electro beats. Thanks to an NES-lit
eighties childhood, Emulsion's Nathan Koch never lost his obsession with
the eight-bit aesthetic and its resulting digital artifacts - leading to
his immersion in San Francisco's gaming industry, with a Game Boy planted
firmly in his palm. With the prior release of a single and an EP, Emulsion
spent over a year touring and promoting across the US with strong support
from niche press and college radio.
Encomiast - Winter's End CD (Lens) [LENS0003] $13.00
Debut full-length CD from this trio explores the inner depths of the
minds
eye, encapsulating in sound all that one has experienced and foreshadowing
all that one will encounter. The eagerly anticipated full-length CD
winter's end from encomiast represents the culmination of 2 years of hard
work writing, recording and promoting their music to the masses. Since
first posting original compositions to MP3.com in April of 1999, encomiast
have established themselves as one of the up and coming artists in the dark
ambient/electronic genre. encomiast have been featured several times on the
famous MP3 website including the Halloween 2000 newsletter and special
genre page features. Inclusion on a Riffage.com CDRom distributed through
the October 2000 issue of SPIN magazine enabled them to reach an even
broader audience — an audience that has placed them on the top of the dark
ambient radio charts on MP3.com several times. Contributions to several
compilation CD releases in the near future only help to confirm that
encomiast are a trip everyone wants to take. "A master piece of dark drone
walls of ambience." - Nephilius Webzine "…a strong ambient CD" - Vital
Weekly "an excellent and varied album, with subtle and complex ambience" -
Ampersand Etcetera "This CD will take you on a journey you'll never forget.
This is a definite recommendation." - www.smother.net "encomiast paint a
richly layered audio matte, full of depth and interesting texture." -
www.raw42.com
REVIEW: An ambient trip. Sometimes a little menacing,
sometimes a little brighter. Think intersection of Robert Rich and Lull. In
the song "If I dream I have you" it sounds like a kid singing has been
slowed down and in the process, saddened. The track names here are cool -
"Without fear of Wind or Vertigo" a lilting woman's voice floats on a
lighter background melody while the deeper tones still pull at the feet,
bringing in tension to an otherwise very pretty song. Overall, relatively
droney with plenty of openess and space, uplifting darkness would maybe be
a good way to say it. A great exploration of time and relaxing energy.--Don
Poe
Encomiast - Encomiast CD (Lens) [LENS0016] $13.00
Encomiast have been harvesting an audience of enthusiastic music fans
for
almost a decade now. With six full-length releases, 2 EP's and half a dozen
compilation appearances, Encomiast are one of the most highly regarded and
prolific artists in the dark ambient/drone genre. For this Self-titled CD -
Encomiast mined their extensive early recordings and un-released material
to compile, edit and re-master six tracks that give a glimpse into where it
all started. Lens Records released Encomiast's Winter's End CD in 2001 - a
release recently described as 'a delirious blend of dark dreamy blackened
drones and shimmering cinematic ambience' - the tracks on Self-titled
revisit much of the same sonic territory.
Frozen Rabbit - 26,000 CD (DE) [DE001] $13.00
Frozen Rabbit's debut CD represents sonic futurism at its most epic.
26,000
pits gradually unfolding analogue synth drones against monumental walls of
reverb while flickering, ghostlike voices emerge from the ether. This is
nocturnal psychedelia; simultaneously languid and intense. Frozen Rabbit is
a new project from renowned Vancouver musician and engineer Phil Western,
in collaboration with Tim Hill. Western is best known as a member of Skinny
Puppy and offshoot project Download - and the new project with Mark Spybey
(Dead Voices on Air, Zoviet*France, Reformed Faction) called Beehatch.
Western was also a full-time member of Off'n'Gone, Floatpoint and Plateau,
and has worked with an excessively long number of artists. Previous
collaborations between Western and Hill have been rooted in
dancefloor-ready techno. Here they drop the beats and focus on the darkly
meditative, expansive potential of pure, resonant sound. This admirably
adventurous new approach takes the style of the ambient disk from Western's
solo CD World's End to a whole other level of ornate abstraction. The
artwork for the CD comes courtesy of renowned Vancouver artist Jim Cummins
aka I, Braineater. Cummins has provided cover art for many a Vancouver punk
rock album as well as a number of projects for Nettwerk.
Hans van Eck - BassBox CD (AudioBulb) [AB021] $14.81
A BassBox is an electronic air pump which pumps wind in measured
quantities
through flutes, giving rise to rhythmically fascinating sounds. In contrast
to what might be expected, the Bass Boxes do not produce bass sounds;
rather, one hears rhythmically overblown bamboo flutes which are provided
with air from the powerfully vibrating bass loudspeakers. At the moment
that the cone of the loudspeaker moves forward the foremost flute sounds,
while a small amount of air is drawn into the hindmost flute. As the cone
moves backwards the process is reversed. This explains the percussive
nature of the sound; there is a constant inhalation and exhalation of air,
which moves swiftly through the mouths of the flutes. This creates superbly
refined combinations of sounds. The rhythmic patterns can shift with
extreme subtlety, but a strict pulse is also possible.
Heal - Extension CD (Sound On Probation) [sop002] $15.49
Downbeat/breakbeat, closed to earlies scorn, massive attack, dj krush
Heal - Starting Back CD (Sound On Probation) [sop007]
$15.49
"With "Starting Back," minimal electronic authority and Sound on
Probation
label founder Laurent Perrier returns to the Heal moniker after a
several-year hiatus, delivering a polished and effortless excursion into
laidback techno rhythms, dub grooves and stripped-down jazz. Full of
instrumental blips, nervous tones and velvety textures, "Starting Back"
stays true to its minimal roots while exploring edgy and engaging melodic
tendencies. On first listen, the album is impressive in its smoothness, and
with each successive encounter, "Starting Back" only increases in
mysterious and fluid listenability. Perrier's carefully selected and
sculpted instruments (from trumpet and saxophone to xylophone and piano)
are full of warmth and introspection, tracks are fresh in flavor, and
dynamic elements of light and dark balance nicely throughout the disc. Heal
differs most notably from Perrier's other projects in its potential for
wider appeal. While it retains the production quality and minimal aesthetic
synonymous with his name, Heal provides an intriguing musical tangent of
jazzy melodies cross-pollinated with influences from techno, trip-hop and
acid electronics."
Heribert Friedl - Recherche_00 CD (Non Visual Objects)
[nvo_o20] $19.71
As my previous work this work is also an intense examination of one
specific instrument. With the album TRAC_[K]T I was trying to define my
musical boundaries on the „Hackbrett". In this work I am approaching the
analogue synthesizer Yamaha CS-40M. I built up the research in a
journalistic kind of way. At first I made a plan of procedures, gave myself
a problem formulation. In my first step I was looking for sounds that
represent the „soul" of this instrument. The next step was abstracting
these sounds without losing the specific character of the instrument. An
unconventional click sound was the result. This sound was then fed with
additional information, field recordings, that supported that original
sound and put it into new and different contexts. The third step was the
analysis of the total information. I tried to maintain a basic sound
character in all three tracks and also put it into form by overlapping the
basic sound with field recordings and, despite my strong conceptual
approach, let arise a musical structure that connects three tracks.
Klumpes Ahmad - In Bed We Trust CD (Hello Square) [cube027]
$15.00
Adrian Klumpes ('Be Still' - The Leaf Label and formerly of Triosk) and
hellosQuare's Shoeb Ahmad come together as a duo tracing their way through
minimal composition, bathed in electronic noise and analogue systems to
bring us ten pieces of shimmering beauty, loop studies and kosmische drone.
Lab
Report - Classical Atmospheres CD (Lab Report) [LAB00] $13.00
Classical Atmospheres sees Lab Report venturing into new sonic and
compositional territory. Very much in the soundtrack vein but still with a
healthy dose of the otherworldly drone that is signature Lab Report.
Features Matt Schultz with Johnny Polonsky and Tom Slattery.
REVIEW:
Matt Schultz from Lab Report is back with some music that I recognize.
Looks like he takes existing songs, like the theme from Cape Fear(the
original) and plays on top of/manipulates it. This is the one I recognize,
I assume some of the others are tweaked songs from other sources. This is a
good release! Dark! Moody! Musical and menacing. I sometimes think of Lab
Report as aggressive dark-industrial music, but this release pushes into
new and interesting territory. Heavy and ready for placement into a horror
movie soundtrack. I have been deadlocks on reviewing this one - I just keep
listening and enjoying and don't get to writing about it... then I would
have to take it out of the CD player. A great mix of real sounds with the
undertow of a demented mind pulling me under. I feel strong and proud after
listening to this. David Lynch - find this guy and put him in your
soundtracks!--Don Poe
Lab
Report - All Your Little Pieces Make Me A Whole CD (Lab Report) [LAB98]
$13.00
This album was created using samples taken entirely from Sound Cube.
Those
sounds were manipulated in Pro Tools. The entire album was sculpted or
pieced together, as opposed to being played live. The dialogue is from
Jeffery Dahmer's defense attorney. This CD is sound support for a gallery
opening for Matt Schultz's one man show (of the same title) at the Oskar
Friedl Gallery, featuring his sculpture, hand made instruments and his Anti
Tank Guitars.
REVIEW: Crystalline sound - cut up and chopped apart
sounds are reconstructed, manipulated and changed into what could be mic'ed
crystals emitting their half-life decay sounds. Occasional slowed and
warped vocal samples from Jeffery Dahmer's attorney. There are some musical
elements here - the untitled Track 5 has some sort of stringed instrument
plucked with an ominous melody. Overall - that could be the feeling of the
music - ominous, heavy, claustrophobic, the soundtrack to a disturbing
psychological movie. This is was a major departure for the Lab Report sound
when it came out. It holds up well since it's release.--Don Poe
Laurent Perrier - Downfall/Disperse 2CD (Sound On Probation)
[sop006] $19.01
"This latter work is comprised of two pieces composed for modern dance
performances at festivals in Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis, respectively.
Both appear here in what I understand to be slightly reconstituted form, so
as to play as long, single tracks. Solely electronic and wordless, they are
dark works, although some light does indeed shine through. "Downfall" is
dull and dank, like an otherwordly music box muffled by a blanket. Only
after fifteen minutes does a distant crash rouse one of it a lull, as
arhythmic clickings herald a more agressive, though not intrusive, change
in the proceedings, with cycles of distortion coming to the fore, making
for a long sophisticated (un)ambient drone. And then off it goes: Hold on,
there's a full half-hour left to enjoy On "Disperse", echoes of Rapoon,
Alva Noto, Oval and oddly, the natural world are heard - the whole thing
has a very organic feeling about it, like listening to the wind erode the
cliffs or the sound of busywork in the beehive magnified by a hundred. And
even the insides of the human animal's brain, synapses firing away. Both
pieces work extremely well without dancers to watch; listening to them
evolve is quite an engrossing experience"
Laurent Perrier - As Far As CD (Sound On Probation) [sop010]
$15.49
"Most of the tracks are based on minimal variations of orchestra
strings/choir section and on most cases the final result is quite
anxiety-inducing. For example "As far as Pt.1" starts with drones loops
creating hypnotic sounds. After ten minutes sampled violins start to play
dissonant chords which little by little become more insidious. The second
part continues with the hypnotic loop approach using strings but this time
we have also treated choirs sounds. The result is quite good and
experimental if you think that this has been used on a theater. The third
part is the quieter one having slow string variations. The fourth part is
one of the scariest of the lot with its use of female choirs and looped
strings. Try to imagine opera female vocals reversed and mixed with drones
made of choirs and strings. All in all AS FAR AS is an interesting work
that will be appreciated by experimental and open minded dark
ambient/industrial lovers."
Mem1 - +1 CD (Interval) [IL03] $19.00
'... unlike trees or their roots, the rhizome connects any point to any
other point, and its traits are not necessarily linked to traits of the
same nature; it brings into play very different regimes of signs, and even
non-sign states. The rhizome is reducible neither to the one not the
multiple. It is not the One that becomes Two or even directly three, four,
five...' [Deleuze & Guattari (1980): A Thousand Plateaus] +1, Interval
Recordings' second release by Los Angeles-based electro-acoustic duo Mem1
(Mark + Laura Cetilia), introduces listeners to a series of collaborations
between the duo and nine guest artists as listed here. Whether the
collaborations took place in an old cabin by the lake, on a hot and hazy
day in a painter's studio, or floating through the infinite void of virtual
space, the resulting works act as transportive vessels. Removing us from
our surroundings, they deliver us to a place that cannot exist in our daily
lives, a transformative space in which impossible realities collide and
time ceases to exist. Comprised of lush tapestries, fuzzy dissonances,
echoed rhythms and waves of electronic wash, +1 is electro-acoustic chamber
music for the twenty-first century.
Mia
Clarke & Andy Moor - Guitargument CD (Hello Square) [cube033] $12.50
RELEASE DATE: 09-01-2009
Mia Clarke of Electrelane and Andy Moor from The Ex conduct a couple of
'guitarguments' that work more like a intuitive connection with only two
electric guitars, something that moves through rollicking interplay and
corrosive riffs to more busted textures.
Miss Autopsy - The Hill CD (Lens) [LENS0021] $13.00
Miss Autopsy is an acquired taste. And Steve Beyerink, the
Iowa-born/Chicago based member of the band — is a unique acquired taste. A
sound culled from acoustic and electric guitars, stripped down drum beats,
tense Americana blues vocals and lyrical content that runs the gamut of
social isolation, broken hearts, depression and innocence lost. The Hill is
his third release and it is beautifully captured and sculpted by the return
of the Grammy nominated producer/engineer/mixer John Congleton (Explosions
In The Sky, Polyphonic Spree, 90 Day Men). This time around Beyerink is
also accompanied by The Paper Chase's Jason Garner on drums.
REVIEW:
This is fairly unique rock. Musically, it reminds me a little of backwoods
music you might hear in Deliverance or something equally homey and
disturbing, simultaneously. The melodies and production are clean and open,
not heavy and distorted. The lyrics and signing is what really sets this
apart. I wonder how long the fellow has to be off his meds before he starts
to come up with this stuff! Ha, I mean that is a good way. All the lyrics
are in the insert to the CD case. And he may speak better about what it is
all about: "Princess, your a long way from home. If they don't get the
ransom they'll drop you in the park." "Last night I killed a man.... and I
hope he has his revenge on me." "I dreamed of organ transplants on the poor
side of the world."--Don Poe
Miss Autopsy - Sweet Killers CD (CT) [CT001] $13.00
Iowa-born, Chicago-based singer/songwriter Steve Beyerink has been
releasing music and performing under the name Miss Autopsy since 2003. At
that time he released an album of home recordings called "Ruhr," which
mixed loud, thrashing guitars with heavy drum machine beats and a lo-fi
recording aesthetic. It went mostly unnoticed, due in part to the sound
quality and the unsettling nature of the songwriting and vocals. He played
a few scattered shows over the next two years, playing solo while a drum
machine ran percussion loops through the PA. The second album, "Sweet
Killers," released in November 2005, benefits from better production in a
real studio. It was recorded and mixed in Dallas, TX by Grammy nominated
engineer John Congleton over the course of four days. Taken as a whole,
it's a bit quieter than "Ruhr," but the lyrics still mostly deal with the
darker side of things like serial killers ("A Quiet Night Tonight"), crime
sprees ("Do Not Hit the Brakes"), and nuclear holocausts ("Premonition"),
although not always in an in-your-face way.
REVIEW: To attain a
slightly rockier version of Miss Autopsy, take demented vocals and delivery
and add solo guitar. Shake well, poke him in the side and tap on the glass
to annoy him and you'll get some odd singer-songwriter music. Occasionally
there is other instrumentation, like a simple drumbeat. If you dig unique
yet understandable vocals delivered in way that will either draw you in, or
repulse you.... maybe even doing both of these simultaneously. I want to
turn it off, but keep listening to the disc - kinda like driving by a car
wreck, so good you just gotta check it out.--Don Poe
Mr
Russia - Teething CD (Lens) [LENS0023] $13.00
- MR RUSSIA will release their pounding, pure rock debut album,
Teething on
Lens Records. Knowing there will certainly be some missed steps, the band
utilize the title to compare themselves to a sometimes fussy, teething
infant. Bucking conventional wisdom, MR RUSSIA has made few actual
missteps, proving so by sharing the stage with acts such as The Reverend
Horton Heat, Girl In A Coma, Thrones (Earth/Melvins), Two Ton Boa, 31
Knots, Earl Greyhound and have been featured along with the Arcade Fire and
the Dresden Dolls on the FTC Records' David Bowie tribute album .2
CONTAMINATION, as well as the lead track on Eye For An Eye : A Tribute To
Nick Cave.
Novisad - Funkel CD (Flau) [FLAU10] $17.50
The third novisad collects songs that were made during a timespan of
more
than 7 years. Each song tells it's own story and describes a distinct
emotion. I think that each also represents a special part in my life.
novisad is very personal music that comes from heart. That may is the
reason why I can't tell much more about it, because you just can't talk a
lot about emotions. So why not let the music tell the story for you and
discover it for yourself. The album starts with the song funkel that
originally was made for a live performance with Jürgen de Blonde at the
kraak festival back in 2001. The sounds on untitled 2 came from Aaron &
Sandra from the Lucky Kitchen. At this time I figured out that a guitar is
an instrument with infinite ways of sound. So you can see this novisad also
as a concept album that was made only out of guitar samples I collected
from here and there. From an experimental start the album gets more and
more intense. For me this novisad will mostly be music for the time after
that reminds myself that all things must come to an end - eventually.
Orla Wren - The One Two Bird and The Half Horse CD (Flau)
[FLAU11] $17.50
The One Two Bird And The Half Horse' is the second album from Orla
Wren.
Recorded over the last two years in the environs of an isolated cold water
cottage in the Scottish hills, it develops Tui's happy obsession with
rendering the minutiae of nature into sonic form, combining the oldest,
wonkiest most organic of possible sound sources, instrumental or otherwise,
fashioned into textures of pinprick detail. A wide array of stylistically
disparate musical and vocal collaborators, from places as varied as Japan,
the Georgian Republic and 'down-home' U.K., lend their weight to the
process, alternately spooking and soothing the music, filtered through
Tui's "wires" into an intensely colorful democratic weave. Orla Wren is a
dream child. It's surfaces may be brilliantly modern, but it's soul is
ancient and gently unfolds itself in a contemplative manner, revealing the
antiquated isolation of the environments that have inspired it.
Press - The Fine Art of a White Label CDEP (Lens) [LENS0005]
$11.00
On Press's debut you'll hear an artist picking up where much of the
breakthrough electronica of the decade past has left off. Listening to this
disc, you can forget about the bedroom musician and the latest software
we're all mad about. Unlike many recent Electronic releases, Press has a
way, of melding and crafting a multitude of samples, live instrumentation,
a well-used drumkit, softsynths, hardware synths, voices, and who knows
what else into some of the most exciting electronically processed audio
collages you're likely to hear. Audiences and DJs have been exclaiming
"Groundbreaking", "Leftfield meets Underworld" & "Blew my clubs roof off!"
This one won't disappoint. Enjoy!
REVIEW: The song "1000 Tiny
Footprints" on this release reminds me of "We Have Explosive" from Future
Sound of London, except with a little more Euro-beat sound to it. Big happy
beats with a smile come across the speaker. The smile comes from the joy
the music brings - it isn't silly and over the top, but the chords and
structure let me know this was a happy composer. Elements of The Prodigy
also creep through a smidgen. Solid and strong music, I wonder what would
happen if he teamed up with someone to make this even deeper music. I
really dig the artwork on the case.--Don Poe
Pylone - Black Grains CD (Sound On Probation) [sop004]
$15.49
"This project for which Laurent Perrier is responsible offers a
rhythmic
approach. Some tracks (Ohm 05 part 1) remind of Pan Sonic, due to a
distorted pulse that gets stronger all the time, whereas other pieces can
be compared to early Taylor Deupree (clicks & cuts). Laurent Perrier's
approach is sophisticated, the music changes slowly,sounds are added over a
long period and are put together with utmost care. A few more floating
ambient tracks can be found on this album as well, for instance the
18-minute long Equation part 3, which slowly develops in volume and
tension."
Pylone - Grounded Hands CD (Sound On Probation) [sop009]
$15.49
"Grounded Hands shows the more mechanical facet of this artist's music,
based on reiterative rhythms and pulses more than anything. This kind of
mechanism does possess a heart, although camouflaged under an apparent
coldness: Perrier devises in fact sonic radiations that definitely furnish
the record with an analogical (but not anachronistic) aura, its five tracks
linked without interruptions just like in a suite. This "warmth" is indeed
much welcome, especially in the sub-bass frequency sector that represents a
cocoon-like wrapping under which the listener's certainties get some
comfort despite a few not really expected occurrences. The general stance
is one of "techno-minimalism" scarred by a degree of abstractness, with
several enjoyable episodes." "A new masterpiece from France which will
definitly appeal to people with Raster Noton in their collection, but who
also know the music from The Anti Group Communication and Kontakt der
Junglinge (the Koner / Tietchens collaboration)."
Pyramids on Mars - Lines CD (Urckarm) [UrckLines] $13.00
Here's a re-stock of this lost POM masterpiece. These are probably the
only
copies available anywhere. We picked these up directly from the artist.
"PYRAMIDS ON MARS the revolution, or revelation completely reinvents the
hardcore genres of the past three decades, utilizing recently designed
exotic electric stringed instruments and by drawing almost exclusively on
Eastern and tribal styles. The result, a primitive assault on large drums
along with sitars, ouds and cellos being propelled into Marshall amplifiers
to accompany earthy and dirgy chants and raggas employed by an attacking
tribal army. "Gazing out to us the enigmatic face on the desolate Cydonian
plains, now Earth will never be the same."
Reptilica - Chrome Feather Future CD (Lens) [LENS0001]
$13.00
Music is made in sunny Humboldt Park, Chicago, U.S.A. - - minimal
equipment
and gallon doses of electricity are used and enjoyed on each of the 12
tracks on the album Chrome Feather Future - - a rotating cast of characters
stitch sounds into songs that itch but never truly heal - - no loyalty is
paid to any one musical style - - sounds spark ideas spark sounds - -
kittens licking faces, limousines crashing, busy shoppers shopping for that
special someone - - these are the daily events that inspire what Reptilica
does - - no far reaching theories or philosophies - just music best heard
on a waterbed in the back of a van. Started in 1997, Ed Creagan branched
Reptilica from Chicago band Cheerleader - - he participated in and drew
inspiration from related music projects Skarekraü Radio, 30/30 Vision, The
Pushers and Wilderness. "An eclectic genius with an innovative knack for
blurring musical boundaries" — Rockpile
Reptilica - Nurse CD (Lens) [LENS0002] $13.00
Nurse is Reptilica's second album - its rough foundation is detuned
plink +
plank with white washed skeeze - there is some verse/chorus/verse elements
but straight pop + rock has never been a desire - accidental noise and
constant motion are the sonic prize - the entire record was done on old
school equipment with minimal processing - the sounds are true to their Pig
Nosed source and captured on your favorite flat black analog tape. "...a
fine release of experimental post-rock adult-angst music, worth checking
out for its adventurous spirit." - Incursion Music Review
REVIEW: Rock
with a twist. Sounds like some Cure influences in there, with an indie and
grungy side, like Sonic Youth. Rock isn't my normal thing so I may be
missing some major influences. The vocals are often through effects, like
distortion. Relatively upbeat songs without being poppy, with Sex Drugs and
Rock and Roll the first themes I sense, with track titles like "Ketamine,"
"Sexs Drug," and "Smack in your Ass through Airports." There are some
things that do really catch my ear, like their use of odd electronic loops
as the foundation of some of their songs. The songs presented here are far
better than I can relate - after looking back at what I have written I need
to convey this is actually a fairly fun release. Looking for something a
little new and different in your guitar music... then check this out.--Don
Poe
Richard Chartier - Untitled (angle.1) CD (Non Visual Objects)
[NVO018] $19.71
Untitled (angle.1) is a stereo composition based on the eight-channel
installation Untitled. First exhibited February 11 — March 13, 2009 at the
Art Gallery of the University of Maryland (USA), Untitled is the unique
first collaborative project between visual artist Linn Meyers and sound
artist Richard Chartier, in an installation where optical and sonic
patterns intersect. With an architectural transformation of the space, two
fifteen foot long by eight foot high walls meet in an enfolding chevron,
creating both a sound chamber and a drawing surface. The swirling pale
lines and implied forms of Meyers' delicate ink drawing, made directly on
the surface of the walls, fuse together with the sound piece by Chartier,
juxtaposing the organic and the digital into unified sensorial space. With
eight audio transducers applied directly to the back surface of the walls,
Chartier's stark composition modulates and transfers through the surfaces,
echoing the seeping ink and visually vibrating and reverberating patterns.
The extended separated audio channels loop in and out of sync over an eight
hour period creating new sonic variations.
Seth Nihil - Flock & Tumble CD (Sonoris) [sns-06] $14.08
Seth Nehil is an American artist involved in various projects ranging
from
compositions for dance, installations, multimedia performances,
publications and visual art. Over the years, he has collaborated with other
significant sound researchers (John Grzinich, Olivia Block, Michael
Northam, Matt Marble and Brendan Murray) and has released many CDs on
international labels such as Kaon, Alluvial and ...Edition. It's not so
easy to describe the music of Seth Nehil: like a compound of several
substances, ob- tained by capturing natural and urban sounds, manipulated
instruments, as well as by electronic treatments and textured objects.
Flock & Tumble is another fine example of his new direction : shorter
tracks with an almost song-like structure and a large sound palette that
includes the human voice as material. Flock & Tumble explores haphazard
clusters, abrupt shifts, percussive rattles and gentle clouds.
Spartak - Tales From The Colony Room CD (Hello Square)
[cube023] $15.00
Recorded at home in the summer of 2008, Tales from the Colony Room is
Canberran duo Spartak's debut full-length album. Both a departure from and
an encapsulation of their work up until this point, its seven tracks meld
free jazz, microsound, post-punk and shoegaze into a meditative and
occasionally explosive mix. Beautifully packaged in white Arigato Paks with
inserts designed by Traianos Pakioufakis.
Spartak - No Signal CD (Hello Square) [cube034] $12.50
'No Signal' is a new statement of intent from Spartak, the first since
2008's 'Tales From The Colony Room'. Featuring three pieces from a
recording session in January 2009 plus one recorded live in Singapore in
2007, these pieces see the boys explore the studio as an instrument,
working with post-processing techniques and bringing their interest in
early electronics and free improvisation to the fore.
Various Artists - 74x13 CD (DTA) [DTA005] $13.00
Another great compilation from DTA Records. This CD features 74 minutes
of
dark underground electronic/industrial/noise music from 13 artists : 15
Degrees Below Zero, Bloodflowers, Chaos As Shelter, Emulsion, Forma4, Lux
Mammoth, Manherringbone, Narc, Nihil Est Excellence, Screening,
Stelladrine, Stillstand and Wilt. A must-have collection - hear it for
yourself!
REVIEW: Dark ambient music, in the general sense. I am a fan
of the genre, and this is done well. Lots of metallic textures and action
in these songs, which adds a real organic texture to the tracks. I haven't
heard any of the bands but any one of these would probably put out a good
solo album. These all fit well on the album into a cohesive whole, some a
little more understated, while the track by Narc and some of the others are
a lot more intense. A good emotional journey here. They do a good job in
this area, and I don't recall hearing any samples. Plenty of spooky times,
and a little more aggressive than droney.--Don Poe
Various Artists - Tonal Destruction 2CD (DTA) [DTA001]
$16.00
The first release that started in all for DTA Records. This excellent
2xCD
compilation of dark underground electronics/industrial/noise music features
tracks from Recluse, Re:Con, Muted Logic, Knar, Hypnoskull, Scrape[dx],
Radial, Conure, A.C. Dryk, Wilt, Aural Blasphemy, Tape, O-Drik, Sickrobot
and more. A must-have collection - hear for yourself!
REVIEW:
Aggressive beats, distortion and snippets of noise. Love it! This is an
amazing compilation of you dig dirty-in-your-face-techno that steps on you
and just grinds you into the dirt. Momma! Make it stop! Don't... stop...
Hands in the air pumping! This would be great to dance to in the basement
of your favorite club, or to blast with subwoofers driving down the road.
Can you smile and cry blood at the same time? The music here will teach you
how in 4 on the floor easy steps. ha! Can you tell I like it? Wanna see my
bruises from the cutting beats? Remember when the US Government played some
god-awful music to try to get the Panamanian dictator Noriega out of his
stronghold? This would have done the trick to get him to come out with his
teddy bear and his slippers begging for it to stop. The second disc is a
little less techno based and ranges more between odd noise stuff to
experimental strangeness. Cool comp!--Don Poe
Various Artists - Tonal Destruction II 3CD (DTA) [DTA017]
$18.00
An excellent 3 CD collection of dark underground
electronics/industrial/noise packaged in a deluxe digipak. Tonal
Destruction Vol. II includes exclusive tracks from Emulsion, Encomiast,
Defragmentation, Pneumatic Detach, Cdatakill, Exclipsect, Proyecto Mirage,
Hypnoskull, Mlada Fronta, Defragmentation, Cell Auto Mata, Dither, NTT,
Wilt, Cordell Klier, and others. Disc 1 is packed with aggressive rhythmic
noise material with straight up beat crunching from the likes of Hypnoskull
and Exclipsect to the more break beat styles of Scrapedx and Cdatakill.
Disc 2 is an experience in dark ambient music ranging from droning darkness
presented by Chaos As Shelter and Metanemfrost to the dark electronic
rhythms of Cell Auto Mata and LAN Formatique. Disc 3 delves into the realm
of experimental electronics with harsh power electronics from NTT giving
way to blip and glitch material from Cordell Klier. A must-have
collection!
REVIEW: 3 discs of distorted happy electronics. Is the
music happy though? Not so much! The first disc is a great dense mass of
hard electro beats grinding away at all of my atoms. Disc 2 is a laid back,
near ambient at times, other times it is more atmospheric and dark,
approaching the bridge of ambient techno with distortion. The third disc
presents the odd song contructs, melody and rhythm, but nothing Britney
Spears would ever sing along to, and other tracks are near-noise giants of
power. I see a few names on here I recognize and already have the full band
releases for, and a bunch of new bands that present well.--Don Poe
Various Artists - Eye For An Eye : A Tribute To Nick Cave CD
(FTC) [FTC006] $13.00
The first in a new series of tribute albums from Failure To Communicate
Records. This time the tribute is to one of the greatest songwriters of the
modern era - Nick Cave. Eye For An Eye - A Tribute To Nick Cave features 13
tracks from some of underground music's brightest up and coming stars -
like Mr Russia, Ahab Rex, My Ruin, The Brides and Sheriff Scabs. Eye For An
Eye features songs spanning Nick Cave's entire career - from early songs by
The Birthday Party up to some of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds latest releases.
If you are a Nick Cave fan - this is a must have addition to your
collection.
REVIEW: My only exposure to Nick Cave is through Blixa
Bargeld's contribution, and that is due to my love for Einsturzende
Neubauten. I have no qualifications to review this. So... here it goes. I
like the artwork, it has a guy in a devil mask posing around town, and that
draws me in. The songs do all sound quite good, though. Nice low paced but
energy filled rock. I do recognize the Weeping Song, and enjoyed the cover
of that. Sorry I don't have more to say!--Don Poe
Various Artists - Nothing Works As Planned CD (Interval) [IL02]
$19.00
This double CD presents diverse approaches to the phrase 'nothing works
as
planned' by nine composers and sound artists. Each and every one of them
captures a singular moment which was compiled together to create an
esthetic sonic statement of reason and beauty. Nothing works as planned is
comprised of live recordings of concerts in Tel Aviv and New York. The
double CD is a documentation of a series, entitled Nothing Works as
planned, which held at the above mentioned cities and was premiered at the
Tel Aviv Biennale of New Music hosted by the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. The
premier took place in a large suite of galleries that was between
exhibitions and therefore void of art work. The high ceilings, long
reverberation and departure from conventional concert seating made for a
cathedral-like setting and proved to be an ideal site for the concert of
works featuring electronics, small ensembles and large video projections.
The series continued with a concert at the Issue Project Room in Brooklyn,
New York. IPR is located in a circular tower that was once a silo situated
on the Gowanus Canal. Again, the unconventional setting and the unique
acoustical space made an ideal venue for the performance of experimental
music.
Zonk't - Trope CD (Sound On Probation) [sop008] $15.49
"Summing up my experience of the album, the result could be described
a:
"nicely layered, very well produced, IDM-sounding tunes with a twist". The
"twist" in this case is the use of sounds. They are a bit different then
what one could expect on IDM releases. No sudden bass- patterns and filter
sweeps, but more towards the sound-use of for example Vromb. And maybe that
part of the sound is what triggers you to replay the CD and enjoy it
again." "At a first listening I heard echoes of early Biosphere mixed with
i.d.m. and techno intuitions. He alternates tracks based on ambient
rhythmical layers to others focused on bleeps and rhythms creating in this
way a good album which is able to balance different sounds and atmospheres.
Tracks like "Disruption" and the following "Look part.5" are a sort of
i.d.m. music coming from outer space (along with the web of intricate
rhythm there's also a certain surrounding sidereal cold feeling) while the
first three tracks "Somersault", "Throb" and "Spark" are sounding more
ambient techno."
[ . . . ]
A
Hawk and A Hacksaw - Delivrance CD (Leaf) [BAY64] $13.25
The journey of A HAWK AND A HACKSAW-JEREMY BARNES (vocals, accordion,
drums) and partner HEATHER TROST (violin)-embraces the sounds of myriad
places and people. From the midlands of England and France to the Czech
Republic, Romania, and Hungary via the pair's hometown of Albuquerque, New
Mexico, this evolving musical story continues to enthrall. Delivrance
forges deeper into the culture of the old East and comes back with a suite
of euphoric melodies for times of revelry. Recorded in Budapest during
mid-2008 around the core of the HUN HANGAR ENSEMBLE (a group of
extraordinarily talented Hungarian folk musicians), Delivrance proves that
months of submersion in the local culture and making music the focus of
daily life has seeped right through Barnes and Trost's songwriting and
playing. This is by far their most vivid, intense, and confident work to
date. Rated 7.8 by Pitchfork. US Tour this August.
A-Trak - Fabriclive 45 CD (Fabric) [FABRIC090CD] $16.50
"On Fabriclive 45, A-Trak proves exactly why he is one of the world's
most
exciting selectors. Try and fathom how a mix with a tracklist that lurches
from Boys Noize and Baltimore edits to Aeroplane and Todd Terje remixes to
a nine year old scene-altering UK garage anthem actually fits together. It
is this that makes this one of fabric's most distinctive and jaw-dropping
mixes yet - rarely has there been a disc that so epitomizes the style and
ability of the DJ in question. A-trak loops, layers, scratches, doubles-up,
re-edits, re-tweaks and does God knows what else to make this mix both
cohesive and breathtakingly brilliant."
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO - Dark Side Of
The Black Moon CD (Important) [IMPREC253-2] $13.00
RELEASE DATE: 06-23-2009
Dark Side Of The Black Moon is the Acid Mothers Temple's follow up to
the
much loved Recurring Dream And Apocalypse Of Darkness. LP version includes
bonus track and is packaged in a heavy duty tip-on style gatefold LP with
artwork by Seldon Hunt. Focused riffing, super fidelity recording & proffy
psych sounds mixing Pink Floyd, fuzzed out wah guitars and sounds from the
cosmos.
Ad
Ombra - Magna Charta Illusorum CD (Rage in Eden) [10441] $18.00
One year after his debut, George D. Stanciulescu returns with a neatly
distinguished opus, this time reaching the heights of malignant Drama, in a
suite of 12 tracks of majestic excess and voluptuously carven diversity.
Elegant and compelling orchestral densities full of sophisticated charm,
profound recesses, heart wretching scents of tragedy, viciously intense
sopranos effusions, all morphed into a dynamic and ingenious set of
cinematic impulses, elite livresque allusions and selected grains of
madness. Ultimately emotional dramatic art with an excellent production,
not to be missed by the admirers of (post)modern classical masters,
industrial, dark ambient, opera/ethereal voices , Elend, Devil Doll or The
Protagonist. 12 tracks, 45 minutes, 3 panel glossy digipack.
Ad.ver.sary - A Bright Cut Across the Sky CD (Tympanik) [10453]
$13.75
After the critically-acclaimed debut album 'Bone Music', Ad·ver·sary
returns on Tympanik Audio with a stunning collection of remixes titled 'A
Bright Cut Across Velvet Sky'. Where 'Bone Music' planted new seeds in the
rhythmic noise field, this new collection cultivates the Ad·ver·sary crop
even further with excellent renditions by some of the world's most
respected electronic artists including Stendeck, Iszoloscope, ESA,
Cyanotic, Synkro, Phylr, Autoclav1.1, Salt, and many more.
'A Bright
Cut Across Velvet Sky' is harnessed within a unique packaging, designed by
the artist himself, hand-assembled and limited to 1000 numbered copies.
Aethere - In Coma CD (Rage in Eden) [10443] $18.00
"In coma" is the last work of Aethere, an act of Emanuele Ratti from
Milan
who in the last 4 years brought to perfection his dark ambient - space
music hybrid, starting from a Cold Meat Industry style and finishing with
sophisticated personal music, binding dilated atmosphere, typical for space
music, with the more compact, oppressive style, characteristic for swedish
masters. "In coma" is the end of Aethere, an album created on the really
feeble equilibrium between life and death: the EEG sound walks through the
six tracks until the acme of the mass-sounds. When the EEG becomes a flat
line, Aethere dies. 6 tracks, 49 minutes, 3 panel glossy digipack, limited
to 500 copies.
Ain
Soph - Oktober (2nd Edition) CD (Old Europa Cafe) [10464] $0.25
Finally we are going for the re-edition of this great Ain Soph album !
This
new edition will come with a completely new designed art-work and an
additional 3" mini CD containing a new audio track recorded in 2008 + a
video track !
The come back of the Roman masters with the AURORA follower album : "OKTOBER" ... ! A unique blend of Italian cabaret and true Italian folk songs ! All is singed on Italian with Ain Soph's usual acoustic instrumentation and their typical keyboard ...
Songs in the
way of Aurora but with an additional rocking electric guitar ... Once more
a work out of all standards ! Tales about a Russian soldier during the
October revolution .... Probably even more "surprising" & "politically
incorrect" than the "incredible" AURORA ...
Alastair Galbraith - Orb CD (Nextbestway) [NBWAY3] $13.00
BACK IN PRINT!!! The Orb album from New Zealand's spine-tingling master
of
deeply personal song soothing, and a wondrously fulfilling lo-fi affair.
Brim-filled with melody, experimentation and deep-hearted emotion. New
Zealand import.
All
My Faith Lost - In A Sea, In A Lake, In A River ... ... Or In A Teardrop CD
(Infinite Fog) [10440] $19.50
"In a sea, in a lake, in a river ... ... or in a teardrop" was composed
and
recorded by "all my faith lost .." in it's original line-up (Francis,
Federico, Viola and Raffaella) as a first full album.The songs included in
this album are inspired by spirits and fairies somehow releated to water.
There is Grageth-Anoon, a fairy that can be seen near small lakes, there is
Argea,that comes out from a river to tell your destiny and Anja, a fairy
hidden in a tear. The sound of the album is just more acoustic than recent
releases of the band and almost all songs are following the
verse/chorus/verse rule. Acoustic and Classic guitars are the main
instruments at the base of the compositions, flutes and delicate synths
create, then, light arrangements giving that ethereal mood that will be
more present in the following releases of the band. The vocal parts are
equally divided among the male one (Federico) and the female ones (Viola
and Raffaella) creating a perfect balance between heavenly/frail and
profound/dark atmospheres.
Altz - Escape: The Reconstruction of Isophonic Boogie Woogie CD
(Em Records) [EM1084CD] $17.25
Intergenerational gene-splicing from EM Records. Roland P. Young's
classic
Isophonic Boogie Woogie (EM 1045CD/HJ-JP) is tripped-out, minimalist,
spiritual free-jazz from 1980, and is here mutated, masticated and machined
by Altz, the hotly-tipped renowned "organic electronicist" and
producer/remixer from Osaka, Japan. Maintaining and magnifying the cosmic
bliss-vibe of the original release, Altz lovingly massages Young's sounds
into the year 2009 (as experienced through Altz's patented acid-disco
filtration system). Sounds are layered and treated, atmospheres extended,
and propulsive elements from Young's original recordings are bolstered
(there is some fine drumming here from former Boredoms member, Muneomi
Senju). Altz also respects Young's more abstract side, following the elder
master into atmospheres of freedom, unrestrained by the gravity of the beat
and the conventions of the dancefloor. Rather than a mere roughshod remix,
this release is a meeting -- Young's San Francisco of the late '70s
encountering Altz in Osaka in 2009. Young is respectfully and playfully
transformed, but not trashed, and we all go home happy. Editing,
programming, electric bass, guitar, synthesizer, noise and drum machine by
Altz and disc-scratching by DJ Kensei.
Aluk Todolo - Finisternis CD (Utech) [URCD022] $14.75
ALUK TODOLO are a recondite creature. Part okkult black metal fiend and
part vindictive kraut menace. Somehow the doppelganger works and Finsternis
proves for a second time there is brilliance in the absence of light. Dry,
spare percussion grievously mines the scrapes, shrieks and shimmer of
mutated guitar and bass. Finsternis is the German word for eclipse, mimetic
of cyclic elements, phases and unphases, endless rebeginnings, broken
circles and perfect circles. A dangerous, noxious coil of all things black.
Edition of 750.
Anchiskati Choir, The - Polyphonic Voices Of Georgia CD (World
Audio Foundation) [WAF002CD] $16.00
"The second release on World Audio Foundation features the deep sacred
and
spiritual vocal music from the Georgian Republic in Eastern Europe -- at
the border between Europe and Asia. Dating back to pre-Christian times,
Georgian polyphonic chants are uniquely complex polyphonic melodies and
comprise music sung for the Georgian Orthodox liturgical services. In 2001,
Georgian polyphonic singing was proclaimed by Unesco as one of the Oral and
Intangible Masterpieces of Humanity. The aim of this proclamation is to
help sustain cultural diversity and human creativity in the face of the
perceived effects of globalization. The Anchiskati Choir is the world's
leading exponent of Georgian polyphonic music. Recorded in Tbilisi, the
members of the choir are both celebrated musicians and ethno-musicologists
performing the task of documenting the history of this unique music. The CD
comes with accompanying text, postcards and poster as well as coming in a
distinctive WAF CD casing!"
Animal Collective - Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've
Vanished/Danse Manatee 2CD (Fat Cat) [FATSP007CD] $13.50
2003 release on Fat Cat's Splinter series; 2CDs for the price of one.
"This
double album serves well as an introduction point to the group, repackaging
their first two releases. The Collective's first offering was a stunning
collaboration between Avey Tare and Panda Bear called Spirit They're Gone,
Spirit They've Vanished, released on their own label (Animal) in August of
2000. Chiming laments for a childhood's end, the album opens with the
phrase 'want to hear a secret, I know one', suggesting these secrets just
might be buried deep within the flocks of high frequencies, electronic
glitches, bleeps and swells that follow. The duo's approach is similar to
Love's (circa Forever Changes), with Avey Tare's picked acoustic guitar
flowing in perfect syncopation with Panda's tumbling drum kit. But the
layers of tonal and atonal electronics that fatten the thinner pulse of the
songwriter's vision make this album resemble something closer to modern
electronic composition. The band's second album, Danse Manatee was released
by Catsup Plate in July 2001. A 'live' sound permeates the surface audio
aesthetic here, but the more intriguing development is the music itself:
Geologist contributes live electronics and incidental vocals; Panda is
singing more; the whole thing is more organic."
Anodyne - Salo CD (Init) [INIT15] $4.50
The CD version of the Insolito Records 10-inch. This has a completely
different mix of the four 10-inch songs plus extra material exclusive to
the CD including two bonus ambient/noise tracks and a Huesker Due cover.
The CD version also has an alternate layout/design by RYAN PATTERSON
(Coliseum, Black Cross). Members are now serving time in TOMBS (Relapse
Records) and DEFEATIST (Level Plane).
Antikaroshi - Crushed Neocons CD (Exile On Mainstream) [EOM039]
$13.75
Crushed Neocons is ANTIKAROSHI's debut album. Nine songs in length
THEA,
NTIK and AROSHI travel through emotional landscapes, break out, catch back
together, get focussed, swim in melodies and crawl through disharmonics.
The album is everything and nothing-it's freestyle and a too tight
pigeon-hole. It's shoreless hedonism and structural self-restriction at the
same time. They rock hard but stay away from typical rock codes.
Aquadorsa - Cloudlands CD (Glacial Movements) [GM006]
$16.00
Aquadorsa is a new ambient project from Enrico Coniglio and Oophoi.
Their
first work Cloudlands is a perfect mix of glitch, classical and glacial
ambient soundscape. Enrico Coniglio is a guitar player and composer and his
research has increasingly focused on the relationship between 'music' and
'landscape ', in an attempt to represent the contemporary crisis of the
territory, the loss of nature and identity of places, and the unknown in
the evolution of post-urban and post-industrial territory. He has
collaborated with various artists including: Nicola Alesini, Joachim
Roedelius and Elisa Marzorati. He has produced releases such as Areavirus
-Topofonie vol.1" (2007 Psychonavigation), "dyanMU" (2008 Psychonavigation)
and digital releases Sapientumsuperacquis on Touch Radio (Touch records)
and CrIJnicaster (CrIJnica Electronica). Gianluigi Gasparetti better know
as Oophoi started his own music experiment in 1995 to explore the shores of
deep space-ambient. His live album The spirals of time, released in 1997 by
Amplexus, was voted as one of the best ambient albums of all time. Oophoi
uses traditional instruments as synths and sampling machines and his music
is recorded using analog-only devices in The Kiva. He has released CDs for
many International labels such as Amplexus, Hypnos, Nextera, Prikosnovénie
and Glacial Movements and he has collaborated with Louisa John Krol, Alio
die, Mathias Grassow and Klaus Wiese.
Batrider - Why We Can't Be Together CD (Low Transit Industries)
[LTID094] $13.50
RELEASE DATE: 11-09-2009
Batrider was formed in 2002 in Wellington, NZ. We lived in Melbourne
for
3.5 years, and are currently based in London. Few line up changes,
currently Sarah Mary Chadwick, guitar vocals, Sam Featherstone, bass,
Stephanie Crase, drums. Recorded 'why we cant be together' over two
recording sessions totalling about 40 songs, with Kynan Lawlor (hit the
jackpot) in Urtext, an old ballroom/bandplace in Adelaide. Batrider have
toured heaps, all through NZ, Australia and Europe. We always try to make
our recordings sound as 'live' as possible. Batrider do all their own
artwork, produce their own albums, and book all their own gigs. We have
never played at a wedding. but we would, if someone asked. The album is
about lots of things, and inspired by lots of things, but all those things
are in the album and not really to be spelled out. What do you say really?
We tried to make something that we like, and we did. We are all over
Facebook. Personally, not band-ally.
Battlefields - Entourage Of The Archaic CD (Init) [INIT46]
$5.25
An epic 13-minute song that shows you where the band is headed with
their
unique blend of hardcore-infused doom metal. This is a special release is a
limited edition pressing of 500 copies.
Battlefields - Stained With The Blood Of An Empire CD (Init)
[INIT40] $9.00
Nothing is stacked crooked about BATTLEFIELDS brand of doom metal
infused
hardcore. With circular, tightly bound percussion accentuated by opaque,
razor sharp riffage, Battlefields have crafted a mature, well-balanced
blend of Sabbath drones and mammoth breakdowns with stirringly abrasive
screams. Primarily inspired by epistemology, Battlefields compose rich,
archaic themes of natural catastrophe, omitted human history, and
geographical landscapes, condensed into crushing, layered brutality.
Billy Bao - Sacrilege CD (Afterburn) [ATB000] $14.50
Sacrilege is a collection of 2007 vinyl releases from bleak noise combo
BILLY BAO. Includes the tracks from the Accumulation 7-inch, the F***
Separation 10-inch and the Dialectics of Shit LP. Packaged in sandpaper and
duct tape, just 'cuz. Imported from Australia.
Billy Gomberg - Comme CD (mOAR) [moar3] $11.50
Billy Gomberg (b 1979, Chicago ) is a musician and video artist living
in
Brooklyn, New York. His studio practice incorporates analog synthesis,
digital treatments, acoustic recordings and custom programming that gives
rise to electronic sound caught gazing at its own physicality, acoustics in
love with their own abstraction.
Billy's debut CD release displays abstract and complex dimensions of texture and tone that might make more sense at first on a subconscious level before it will on a conscious one. Therefore, it is advised to first approach this music from a pure listening standpoint, free from preconceived notions of musical structure and form since it can defy such prosaic logic.
Billy has exhibited work or
performed in New York, Boston, Providence, London, Lisbon, Graz, and Zurich
to name a few, plus he was one of the artists featured at the first and/OAR
label showcase event in New York City during February of 2009.
Bird Names - Sing The Browns CD (Upset the Rhythm) [UTR029]
$15.50
Officially the band's fifth full-length album, Sings The Browns, is
typical
in its scope. Escaping the acute lo-fidelity of previous efforts this
record takes you to places which you never see coming. It is a sky's the
limit album scribbled in loose, intuitive musicianship, reinforced by an
ethos of radical unconscious play. Inspired by street level living,
emotional complexities and a quest to find a language to express the
inexpressible, BIRD NAMES like to cover a lot of ground. Such breadth is
felt with a snapshot of the band's musical influences too, which draw on
early female vocal pop, Fela Kuti, old folk, Patti Paige, honky tonk
country, Dolly Mixture, doo wop, Bob Wills, swing, classic dub, kraut rock,
'80s college rock, Beefheart and their friends' many bands.
Black Lung - Full Spectrum Dominance CD (Tympanik) [10455]
$13.75
Tympanik Audio is proud to release Black Lung's new album 'Full
Spectrum
Dominance'. The prolific mastermind of David Thrussell offers our listeners
his fantastic new work ranging from funk-laced rhythmic noise to eerie dark
ambient soundscapes.
Black Lung's new album 'Full Spectrum Dominance'
is not only a controversial mind-bending spectacle, but a virtual feast for
the aural senses.
Blacklist - Midnight Of The Century CD (Weird) [VR006]
$12.00
It is with great pleasure that Wierd Records presents BLACKLIST'S debut
album Midnight Of The Century. NYC's lone iconoclastic practitioners of the
very rare lost art of bombastic, hedonistic, intellectual rock and roll,
the band and its humanistic spirit has occupied a significant role in the
tightly-knit community that is the Wierd world since its inception.
Midnight of the Century is a record full of loud hymns and manifestos of
hope for and belief in a world of human interconnectedness, expressed
through an authentic melancholy that refuses to separate the dreamer from
reality. These eleven songs of loving hate for the post-everything epoch
form the soundtrack to a truly uplifting journey that is as personal as it
is universal. Blacklist takes the listener on a wild midnight ride with the
black flag flying high in an intensely complex journey of pure
pleasure-seeking rock and roll maximalism.
Blay Tritono - Clot 20 CD (Picap) [PICAP908489CD] $18.50
"Catalan jazz-funk album from the mid '70s, one of the lesser known
bands
of the 'Rock Laietô scene."
Brighter Death Now - Where Dreams Come True CD (Cold Meat
Industry) [10428] $15.50
On Friday the 13th of June 2003, the Swedish aggressor penetrated a
virginal North America and left its sick stain inside the city of Chicago.
The assault lasted for just over sixty agonizing minutes, intimidation of
power the only lubrication. Sometimes slow and accompanied by whispered
threats, other times hard and gratuitously painful. Always overbearing and
unrelenting. Isn't that what LOVE is supposed to feel like? Moans of
pleasure in the throes of violation. The amplification of obsession within
an ongoing "abusive" relationship. The evidence of trauma conveniently
packaged and presented as commodity. Feel dirty and ashamed over and over
again. Remember, you're a victim, not a survivor.
Build an Ark - Dawn CD (Kindred Spirits) [CDBUILDDAWN]
$19.25
Beautiful new album by BUILD AN ARK, the collective out of Los Angeles
led
by CARLOS NINO. Dawn is a ten-piece album which is a wonderful listening
experience all the way through. With input from such legends as DWIGHT
TRIBLE, NATE MORGAN, PHIL RANELIN, BIG BLACK, DERF REKLAW (to name just a
few of the large group that Build An Ark is) this cannot go wrong.
Beautifully packaged & designed in gatefold sleeves by Machine. Limited
Edition.
Build an Ark - Peace With Every Step CD (Kindred Spirits)
[CDBUILDPEAC] $19.25
REPRESS!!! The first pressings flew out back in 2004 and Kindred
Spirits
has had demand forit ever since. BUILD AN ARK is a Los Angeles based
creative music ensemble that was formed as an immediate peace action.
During the hysteria after the events of 9/11/2001 the band came together to
promote calmness and peace in the world. The band is led by producer CARLOS
NINO and vocalist DWIGHT TRIBLE and includes members such as PHIL RANELIN,
NATE MORGAN, ADAM RUDOLPH, DERF REKLAW, ALAN LIGHTNER, LESA TERRY, JOSHUA
SPIEGELMAN, PETER HARRIS, TREVOR WARE, BABA ALADE, ANDRES RENTERIA, TRACEY
HART, AND GABY HERNANDEZ amongst others.
Building Better Bombs - Freak Out Squares CD (Init) [INIT42]
$12.00
Freak Out Squares is the long-overdue full-length from Minneapolis'
BUILDING BETTER BOMBS, who have been an active part of the Minneapolis punk
scene over the past several years. Building Better Bombs plays catchy
screamy hardcore/punk rock, inspired by their surroundings. Features
Rhymesayers' P.O.S. on guitar/vocals as well as members of indie-hip-hop
group MEL GIBSON AND THE PANTS and DIGITATA. Includes guest vocals from
TRAVIS BOS of SONG OF ZARATHUSTRA & CHARIOTS, ANNIE AWESOME of THE
SOVIETTES and KAT NADEN of THE GOD DAMN DOO WOP BAND. CD comes packaged in
a digipak with 12-panel fold-out poster. LP has alternate artwork from the
CD version, comes with a sticker, and pressed on purple vinyl, limited to
500 copies.
Cadaver In Drag - Abuse / Breathing Sewage CD (Bloodlust!)
[B!120] $13.00
This release brings together essential and hard-to-find tracks from the
utterly repugnant noise-era of Lexington, Kentucky's CADAVER IN DRAG, a
shadowy period prior to their mutation into a filthy,
free-sludge-doom-psychedelic behemoth, as heard on their critically
acclaimed album Raw Child (Animal Disguise 2007). The first two tracks on
this new disc come from the landmark Abuse CD (Husk Records 2005);
Breathing Sewage (Animal Disguise 2005) is the A-Side of the ultra-limited,
tour-only cassette of the same name. The sinuous and turbid connection
between these three affiliated tracks comprises lurking danger, darkness,
discomfort, dissonance, deviance, and dread. The fourth and final track is
a long-discussed collaboration between Cadaver In Drag and MARK SOLOTROFF
(BLOODYMINDED, THE FORTIETH DAY, ANATOMY OF HABIT, ex-SUPER EIGHT LOOP,
ex-ANIMAL LAW, ex-INTRINSIC ACTION). They created a bass-heavy bedrock
foundation, over which he delivers feedback-laced vocals.
Candy Now - Candy Now CD (MVD Audio) [MVDA4886] $9.75
Producer BLAG DAHLIA is proud to announce a brand new band called
CANDY
NOW. Three years in the making this retro lounge recording full of original
pop, garage and country tunes will delight and confound anyone who loves
good music played with style and grace with tongue held firmly in cheek.
Featuring the vocals of Dahlia and ANGELINA MOYSOV (PERSEPHONE'S BEES),
these light and funny duets bring a whole new flavor to the smorgasbord of
sounds you've come to love from Dahlia and fellow travelers BRADLEY COOK
and TOM AYRES. Look for vocal cameos by BART DAVENPORT (HONEYCUT, LOVED
ONES) and NASH KATO (URGE OVERKILL).
Carlos Nino & Friends - High With A Little Help CD (Kindred
Spirits) [NINOHIGH] $19.25
CARLOS NINO's latest electroaccoustic work, a beautiful album on a
ambient
/ LIFE FORCE TRIO tip. Sublime stuff. High With A Little Help started
production after the completion of The Life Force Trio Living Room. It was
then, in early 2006, that Nino got to work on new tracks with members of
BUILD AN ARK and his other ensembles, (including TLFT.) Over the last
couple years, he kept a collection of these pieces, knowing that they were
comprising a whole idea that he wanted to express. One of the main things
the album features are samples from a variety of live and studio recordings
he made. The concept, that the source of many of these works, was based on
moments captured from sessions for other projects, was very interesting to
him. On High With A Little Help, he shows the continuum of his work as an
organizer, producer, arranger, composer, and musician by mixing it all up
into one hearty stew. With African rhythms, ambient, experimental and funk
based electronic sounds, string arrangements, freak flag flying folk
flavors, improvisational soul-jazz, and cinematic score cues, Nino has
woven a masterful quilt of influence and inspiration.
Catalyst - Marianas Trench + 9 CD (Perpetual Motion Machine)
[PMM022] $8.25
Richmond, Virginia's THE CATALYST compile thirteen tracks of filthy,
feedback-soaked, noisy, rockin' hardcore/punk, taken from 2007's Marianas
Trench 12-inch EP, their split 7-inch with Brainworms, and split 12-inch
with Mass Movement of the Moth. Recorded in sessions over 2006 and 2007,
Marianas Trench + 9 captures The Catalyst's signature, melodic-yet-noisy
hardcore sound as they continue to draw influence from the pure power and
intensity of bands like Nirvana, the Jesus Lizard, the Melvins, Born
Against, and others.
Conga de los Hoyos - Carnival Music Of Eastern Cuba CD (World
Audio Foundation) [WAF001CD] $16.00
"World Audio Foundation is the new mid-priced label from Soul Jazz
Records
releasing creative, roots-based music from the four corners of the world.
The first release on this new label features the music of Conga de Los
Hoyos -- an amazing Afro-Cuban musical institution from the Los Hoyos
district of Santiago, in Eastern Cuba. The music here features a riotous
mix of over 50 drummers, singers and the distinctive Chinese cornet (a bit
like a Cuban bagpipe!), all brought together to make a noise that Sun Ra
would be proud of. The drummers play everything from car brakes and hubcaps
to frying pans! This is the music of the yearly Carnival in the eastern
part of Cuba performed by competing groups featuring hundreds of musicians
parading through the streets through 100-degree plus heat and crowds of up
to 100,000 people -- Afro-Centric rhythms, majestic songs. Recorded in
Santiago at EGREM studios, the legendary Cuban state studios, this is a
unique record of a fascinating part of Afro-Cuban heritage. The CD comes
with accompanying text, booklet and exclusive photography in a distinctive
WAF CD casing. Wild -- play loud!"
Conrad Schnitzler - Windvogel CD (Waystyx) [10419] $16.25
There are 33 testpressing copies of this CD that come in a red fold-out
gimmick cover. Now available here for the first time.
Damiano Mercuri - European Music and Ballads from Renaissance
and Baroque Era CD (The Eastern Front) [10449] $18.00
Edition of 500 copies. Special 3 panels folded cardboard packing.
Released
on CD format. Release date: December 2008. First release on Folk Division -
folk and classical music division of The Eastern Front label.
Renaissance/Early music
Damiano Mercuri (Rose Rovine E Amanti) plays
Renaissance and Baroque epoch ballads and courtesy music. Damiano Mercuri
is known as neofolk artist but being a professional classical musician
Damiano virtuously played and recorded famous in Renaissance and early
Baroque era ballads and classical pieces. Pressed CD in quantity of 500
copies. Comes in 3 folded glossy packing with Renaissance painting themed
artwork.
Dark Castle - Spirited Migration CD (At A Loss) [AAL030]
$13.50
The City of Saint Augustine, Florida has the distinction of being the
oldest city / port in the United States and the home of the duo DARK
CASTLE. Dark Castle released an amazing demo entitled Flight of the
Pegasus and have already played numerous shows all over the eastern half of
the USA. Spirited Migration continues the metallic doom-psych journey that
Flight Of The Pegasus began. Guttural howls, towering volume, are broken-up
with post-rock interludes. Exotic scales and haunting rhythms further
pulls one in the atmosphere that Dark Castle creates for the listener.
Recorded by PHILLIP COPE (Kylesa) and mastered by SCOTT HULL.
Das
Synthetische Mischgewebe - Le Vide Pour Appui CD (Waystyx) [10420]
$16.25
Limited edition, 424 copies. plastic cover, covered by two-sided silk
screen with leather inserts.
David Berman - Portable February Book (Drag City) [DC386]
$9.25
DAVID BERMAN has spent the last two decades in the public eye, stalking
out
his own territory as the leader of the rock band SILVER JEWS as well as
poet and writer of the book Actual Air. In both cases, his address to the
world has been marked with a singular touch; a literate, yet low-budget
approach to communicating the beauty and absurdity of Earth-based life.
Over the course of this time, his drawings have accented lyric sheets,
enlivened autograph sessions and eventually provoked more than one request
for a collection of the same. This accounts for The Portable February, a
cheaply-priced but handsomely appointed hardcover compendium of the Berman
visual sensibility. Running the gamut from faux-political to faux-New
Yorker, Berman's cartoons incorporate strains of high comedy and low
comedy, wistful Americana, contemporary art, dream visions and a visual
analog to the semi-penetrable personal allusions that have comprised his
writing over the years. Hardcover book, 97 pages.
Desire - II CD (Italians Do It Better) [IDIB016] $11.75
The highly anticipated new album from this new Italians Do It Better
supergroup comprised of JOHNNY of GLASS CANDY & CHROMATICS, NATTIE from
Chromatics and vocalist MEGAN from Montreal. Eight tracks.
Die
Weisse Rose - A Martyrium of White Roses CD (Cold Meat Industry) [10426]
$15.50
It might seem strange that a band without a single release to its name
has
played concerts and festivals all over Europe. But anyone who has ever
experienced Die Weisse Rose on stage knows why.
More than concerts, Die Weisse Rose's performances are elaborate rituals, caleidoscopic (or even psychedelic) experiences. Elements such as uniforms, burning torches, snippets of old schlägers, segments from documentary films and philosophical proclamations are wowen together by orgies of live drums and electronic sounds.
Die Weisse strives towards what Wagner called "Gesamtkunstwerke" - total works of art. When most other bands talk about Gesamtkunstwerke, it sounds pretentious. When Die Weisse Rose do it, it makes sense.
Die Weisse Rose also like to think of their songs as "audiodocumentaries". Again, such a seemingly pretentious term makes sense, as Die Weisse Rose's art is just as indebted to the History Channel as to Throbbing Gristle.
To bolster Die Weisse Rose's lineup (which really consists only of the band's mastermind, Thomas Bøjden) over the years the unit has recruited collaborators to its ranks that makes DWR smack of an Industrial supergroup. From Marco Deplano (Foresta di Ferro), Gerhard (Allerseelen), Kim Larsen (Of the Wand and the Moon) to name but a few.
In return, Thomas Bøjden has returned the favour and played with a who's who of of the Industrial and Neofolk underground, from well-established outfits like Rome, Blood Axis and Foresta Di Ferro to up-and-coming Austrian neofolk band Klammheim.
Now, Die Weisse Rose are for the first
time available on record. If you fear that we have another "martial" clone
band on our hands, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. The music is
painstakingly crafted and orchestrated to perfection to include electronic
elements, field recordings and real instruments, and its creative merits
really stand out in an underground culture where bands of far lesser
talents than Die Weisse Rose would release three albums in the time Die
Weisse Rose have patiently worked on theirs.
Dinosaur Jr. - Farm - Deluxe Version 2CD (Jagjaguwar)
[JAG151DX] $13.50
If Beyond was DINOSAUR JR.'s return to form, Farm is proof that this
band
continues to deliver that which makes rock worth cranking to 11. At times
wholly '70s guitar-epic, at times perfect for sitting by a babbling brook
with Joni and Neil, Farm encompasses Dinosaur Jr.'s signature
palette-soaring and distorted guitar, unshakable hooks, honey-rich
melodies-songs that get into your head and, bouncing around happily, stay
there. The ear-catching "Plans" is nearly 7 minutes of classic
whipped-topping rock dessert, while "I Don't Wanna Go There" is a
meat-and-potatoes main dish, mixing unapologetic lead guitar with
straight-ahead delivery a la James Gang or Humble Pie. These two tunes
round out twelve tracks propelled by the unique energy of one of America's
greatest living rock bands hitting their stride. Limited deluxe version
includes a bonus disc with four extra songs.
Diskjokke - Discolated Remixes 2007-2008 CD (Smalltown
Superjazz) [sts168cd] $15.00
RELEASE DATE: 08-04-2009
In-between travelling to support the successful "Staying In" album &
making
new music Diskjokke also made himself a name as a great remixer. On this
album you'll find a compilation of remixes from 2007& 2008 of well knows
artists such as Bloc Party, Foals, Lykke Li & Metronomy, dance/electronic
acts such as his friend Lindstrom, Ost & Kjeks & Spektrum, as well as the
lesser known Norwegian acts Harrys Gym & National Bank.
DOGR - In Korean Wilds And Villages CD (Sonig) [SONIG77]
$13.25
In Korean Wilds and Villages is the debut album by DOGR, a young New
York-based conceptual artist / instrumentalist / vocalist who explores
unheard musical ideas and conducts webbed experiments, not only for the
sake of discovering and exploiting a great art, but to speak in a clear and
beautiful language, accurate in its contraction and original in its musical
quality. Moreover, Dogr maintains his curiosity, the exotic eclecticism of
his idiosyncratic musical arrangements, and his beatnik bare
experimentalism. The production of MOUSE ON MARS's ANDI TOMA adds an analog
thrill to this spiraling, epic record. Many of the pieces that comprise In
Korean Wilds and Villages come from the series of musical / visual /
theatrical storytelling performances conceived by artist SUNG HWAN KIM.
Their collaboration resulted in music made by a single person using
multiple voices. Many of the instruments on the album are also used in the
performances-the broken, wheezing harmonium on "Things Are Not More
Exciting Than They Are"; the bell sound recorded in Seoul on " Fiks It Up";
the makeshift slide guitar on "Grows on Top of the Old One" and "O How This
City Has Changed." In "My Must Needs Over There," Dogr remakes Kim's lyrics
by recording the song using only his voice as instrument. On In Korean
Wilds and Villages, melodic phrases wind into journeys and the text pulls
the listeners out to the realm of storytelling in a macroscopic sense;
meanwhile, the winding melismata and grains of voice, like detailed veins
under the skin, draw the listener microscopically into the music as it is
in progress. No exports outside North America
Dreher & Smart - Wandertag CD (3000 Grad Records)
[3000GRAD001CD] $17.75
"There is for sure no lack of electronic music producers in the German
capital. But in contrast to most of their colleagues, Dreher & Smart were
really born in Berlin what becomes obvious already after the first verbal
exchange. In the beginning of February they left their urban sphere and
headed towards day. Through snow-covered forests and past frozen lakes,
they finally arrived at the cozy Dacha on the ground of Fusion festival
where the Fortschritt3000 crew welcomed them very heartily. Little by
little, more and more guests arrived and the evening became more and more
frisky and social. And so, Dreher & Smart soon unpacked their music
machines and serenaded the audience. They set all the experiences from
their eventful day to music and so also the recording became very
entertaining and exciting. On a continuously forcing groove, varied sound
constructions unfold, which lead from trippy-minimal deepness over hypnotic
melodies and through huge reverb rooms to distinctive percussive take offs.
The unobtrusive reactions from the dance floor mixed into confer Wandertag
its authentic live atmosphere and increase the anyhow very strong pressure
of this recording."
Es
- Kesämaan Lapset CD (Fonal) [FR064CD] $16.00
This is Fonal label-head and filmmaker Sami Sänpäkkilä's fifth solo
album
under the name Es. Recorded during a 3-year period, it is a mixture of pop
and sacred soundscapes with influences varying from contemporary indie-rock
to ancient classical music. The name translates to "The Children Of The
Summerland," and is an homage to Finnish cult folk legend Pekka Streng's
album Kesämaa ("Summerland"), which is one of the artist's favorite Finnish
albums ever made. Various quirky instrumentation is used on Kesämaan
Lapset; from high-end analog synthesizers and upright pianos to cheap flea
market Casios. A few special guests make an appearance on this record,
including Laura Laurila (violin), Tuomas Eriksson (Risto) (trombone) and
Elissa Määttänen (vocals). On "Ennen Oli Huonommin," squiggling, rapid-fire
synth noises battle a chorus of angels against a droning and static-y
backdrop. On "Haamut Sun Sydämestä," high-pitched cries ride on top of a
melancholy piano line, while what seems like thousands of pitched-shifted
orchestras and bleeps multiply and rise atonally. The title track is a
stunning, epic drone-piece with chanting vocals in a golden forest of
sound: strings and horn lines, sinuous, ethereal synths and organ mantras.
Recorded at home in the bedroom and abroad on various travels, Es has
crafted a haunting summer album that evokes a strange, nostalgic, visceral
response, like gazing at childhood photographs.
Exocet - Grotesque Consumer CD (Ant-Zen) [10401] $17.25
for their second album exocet has transformed from two persons into
one.
Beyond realizing his own creativity, r. klimaczewski was also responsible
for the translation of dave kean's ideas and inspirations into this
project's music - the result was their first cd in 2008. unfortunately mr.
kean passed away last year before any new tracks were implemented. now, in
loving memory, klima is getting on with exocet as a solo project - a
challenge he has masterly succeeded in. exocet's sound can be described
best as the missing link between present day noise industrial and
intelligent dance music. repetitive industrial roughness is backed by
complex beats, pulsing bass and crystal clear ambient spheres. samples
sometimes serve as part of the cadenced foundation, f.e. in 'like hot and
bad dreams' samples are perfectly embedded to yield the uniqueness of this
project. on the other hand, tribal rhythms and harsh electronics clash
during the true floor burner 'sensitive size'. grotesque consumer's spirit
is acherontic and menacing, taking the listener into a virtual arena where
the enemy can be anywhere - there is no safety, keep wide awake, and no
time to rest... move!
Falty DL - Love Is A Liability CD (Planet Mu) [ZIQ232]
$13.25
FALTY DL aka DREW LUSTMAN is no stranger to making music, with releases
on
Napalm Enema and Ramp Records, and his signature style is drawing attention
from plays on Mary Anne Hobbs' BBC Radio 1 show. Love Is a Liability is
fresh like a Glade Plug-In in a room of smokers: post-garage ambience;
round, warm melodies; and skippy two-step beats like it's 1999 again. This
nostalgic record is immersed in the old New York and Chicago sounds.
Lustman, a former sushi chef, has created a more subtle, futuristic Big
Apple version, mashing together influences from hip hop, dubstep, soul, and
electronica. Opener "Human Meadow" is a prime example of Falty's bouncy,
two-step, melody-driven style. "The Shape to Come" shows off his electronic
infulences with Jega/u-Ziq-esque melodies, while tracks like "Paradise
Lost" and "Our Loss" display his melancholy side, with bittersweet
yearnings of chopped-up vocals and bleeps. "One of the best albums of the
year."-Drowned In Sound. No exports outside North America and Japan
Foreign Born - Person To Person CD (Secretly Canadian) [SC182]
$13.25
An album of dense pop that justifies FOREIGN BORN's place among top
songsmithing contemporaries like Cass McCombs and James Mercer. But the
band is able to bypass the "songwriter" label by delivering a much more
collective sound. African high-life guitars are countered with new wave
wash; the sound of a band daring to keep its pallet open to most any
influence-from U2 to The Feelies and beyond.
Foust! - Jungle Fever CD (Swill Radio) [SWILL030CD] $13.50
"Foust! is my first ever solo project in all these long years. Through
most
of these years, since The XX Committee days, a constant supporter and
champion of my work has been the journalist Oskar Spee. I think his email
sums up Jungle Fever quite well. Dear Scott, I received Jungle Fever
yesterday. Many thanks. I first played it while I was cooking dinner and
found it very odd and perplexing. Later, I sat down in a more relaxed set
and setting and gave the recording my full attention at good volume.
Astounding! Simply one of the most hallucinogenic recordings I have ever
heard. All three 'acts' have a monotony to them, but the shifting patterns
under the surface are superb. I can certainly see this as a drama involving
a late 19th century British explorer contracting a tropical disease. The
drama is palpable. The three acts, if I may call them that, 'Train Journey/
Restless Natives,' 'Delirium,' and 'Demise' are perfect. Really fine work.
The strange and obsessive attention to detail of Jungle Fever really
reminds me of your film. Another stone in your mighty edifice. My (our)
mission continues. We should get together soon. We have much to discuss.
Here's To Love! Oskar Digipak. Edition of 300."
Fred Anderson - Staying In The Game CD (Engine Studios)
[E029CD] $12.75
"Staying in the Game starts off with the 24-minute explosion 'Sunday
Afternoon' with Fred Anderson weaving in and around the active rhythm
section of Harrison Bankhead and Tim Daisy. The energy starts slow and
builds to the fire Fred Anderson is know for. To highlight Fred's melodic
prowess in different contexts, the second tune 'The Elephant and the Bee'
duo piece finds Fred playing off the low end thunder and high scratches of
Bankhead's bass. '60 Degrees in November' shows the trio at full speed
again, followed by a re-working of one of Fred's tunes, 'Wandering,' done
here with a delicate thumb piano intro by Harrison Bankhead who jumps to
the cello for the second half of the song. 'Springing Winter' is another
duo, this time with Tim Daisy's drums bubbling up from beneath Fred's sax.
The album closer, 'Changes and Bodies and Tones,' starts with a Tim Daisy
solo, followed by a feverish high string bass idea, upon which Fred drops a
majestic and blues melody. And they roll out on that vibe, a hot and
thoughtful set recorded two days before Barack Obama's election victory."
German Measles - Demos Sorry cassette (Captured Tracks) [CT011]
$8.75
Eight tracks of killer Bartlebees/Pooh Sticks-esque party pop from
these
Brooklyn goofballs. Strictly limited to 300 copies, this is one of the few
Captured Tracks releases that will not stay in print. All 300 copies will
be hand colored by the GERMAN MEASLES and their goofy friends. None of
these recordings will appear on their forthcoming LP and only about half
the songs will not be re-recorded for the LP. Featuring 2/4ths of CAUSE
CO-MOTION! and 2/4ths of BEACHNIKS.
Gog
- Mist From The Random More CD (Utech) [URCD037] $14.75
GOG is the musical device of guitarist MICHAEL BJELLA, and Mist from
the
Random More is a raw, psychedelic platen. An opaque, finespun paragon of
heavy. Built around a lengthy track recorded live at KFJC, Mist becomes a
hallucinogenic chimera of drums, guitar, keys and FX pedals that subdues
and batters with the same hand. Pressed in a heavy, black paper sleeve
screen printed with white ink. Illustration by JOHN ROCKWELL. Edition of
500.
Golden Sores - A Peaceable Kingdom CD (Bloodlust!) [B!126]
$13.00
This Chicago ecstatic drone duo began in 2007 as an exploratory
collaboration between software engineer, visual artist, and composer STEVE
FORS (UNSEEN|UNKNOWN, UNITED STEELWORKERS UNION, BLSTR) and schoolteacher,
label proprietor, and experimental musician CHRIS MILLER (NUMBER NONE, TH'
EXCEPTIONAL CHILD, REBIS). Bound by a shared love of red wine, the Kranky
aesthetic, and the eclectic recordings of off-beat Christian rock
visionaries Daniel Amos (aka D. A., Dae), the two indulge their more
experimental impulses. Utilizing a combination of electric and lap steel
guitar, salvaged thrift store keyboards, pedals (both broken and boutique),
obscure analogue synthesizers, and other obsolete noise-making esoterica,
Fors and Miller have forged deep into the realms of drone-continuing to
pursue the perfect marriage of harsh and beautiful sounds, simple melodies,
and song structures through spontaneous and ecstatic improvisation.
Gong - The History And Mystery Of The Planet Gong CD
(Eastworld) [EW2502CD] $12.00
"This 22-song collection of material is a rare find for fans of the
long
running Australian-born band. Obscure material from '60s pre-Gong
recordings, radio sessions, and more, the album further includes a history
of the band written by Babs Kirk."
Haboob - Haboob CD (Long Hair) [LHC075CD] $22.75
"First official CD-release of mysterious one-off project, co-led by 3
US
expatriots living in Munich, Germany: Keyboardist Jimmy Jackson, drummer
George Green and Guitarist William Powell. Major point of interest for most
progressive and psychedelic rockfans is Haboobs very significant connection
with Amon Düül II. Bandleader Jimmy Jackson plays organ on Amon Düül's
albums Dance of The Lemmings and Wolf City. He also played organ on many
LPs of Embryo (Embryos Rache, Steig aus, Rock Session) and has further
numerous studio credits (for example: Doldinger's Passport, Tangerine Dream
Electronic Meditation). On Haboob, Jackson's effects-laden organ and
mellotron (here called 'choir-organ') are quite prominent. LP is comprised
of a free improvisation, a very Hendrix-inspired blues and some pretty
straight forward funk-rock pieces. The end result is a collaboration
between Amon Düül II and early Funkedelic. The music has a lot of appeal
and those who are interested in a fusion of Euro-psychedelic rock with
hints of funk should definitely seek this one out. Digitally remastered
from original mastertapes and with bandstory. Great stuff!"
Handful of Dust - Panegyric CD (Nextbestway) [CDHANDFPANE]
$13.00
The latest from New Zealand great ALASTAIR GALBRAITH under his HANDFUL
OF
DUST moniker. "I cannot help but feel swindled-I can hear no passion, no
giving, no magic, no sharing, no dynamics, no vulnerability. Just the
airtight armour of arrogance... It doesn't sound like any striving is going
on at all. Musically this is obnoxious, and not in a good way."-from the
one-sheet text. New Zealand import.
Hassan Haffar - The Aleppo Suites 3CD (Institut Du Monde Arabe)
[IDMA321082] $55.25
"Hassan Haffar's Aleppo Suites consist of various poems in free form
that
are set to music and sung. Each suite has its own flavor. Interpretation
varies according to the different schools and singers, who evoke three
separate aspects of existence in love poems, bacchic songs and poems about
nature. These may be used alternately, but they all express a single
emotion: yearning for the beloved. Haffar's musical and vocal skills blend
introspection and sensuality and these three albums confirm him to be a
master of the genre."
Hatred Bruit Kollektiv - Aktion One CD (New Nihilism) [10439]
$16.75
HBK is an ephemeric project held among musicians behind Genetic
Transmission, Moan and Nojsens. Three minds, three individualities, tree
artists sharing one inspired vision. These are people we know for years so
it became somehow natural to invite their bastard child to our NN therapy
group finally, starting the "Harsh Kontakt" series of relases from now on.
The sound sculpture presented hereby has been captured at Bez Kontroli
Fest 2007 as probably HBK's best gig to date. Expect the unexpected, as
they have gone the whole hog, without no mercy to the audience or
themselves. OK, it's all there: refreshing traditional industrial, warming
harsh noise, stoned bruitist plunderphonics, and last but not least--good
taste and the f***ing clue, VSOP.
Hennes Siste Host - Host CD (Init) [INIT43] $12.00
Praised in the pages of Decibel Magazine and metal websites across the
globe as one of the best albums of 2008! Utilizing the hostile atmospheres
of black metal, while promoting the honesty and rawness of grunge and punk,
HENNES SISTE HOST push the boundaries with their own hybrid of those
genres, currently unheard in today's underground. Written entirely by
frontman ZANDER, the album expresses diverse character, yet keeps the
listener close with catchy melodies, exotic vocals, and strong, aggressive
rhythms. One will not find any wasted tape or novelty here; only untouched,
unprocessed originality in the form of Hennes Siste Host. First pressing
limited to 500 copies
Human Quena Orchestra - Politics Of The Irredeemable CD
(Crucial Blast) [CBR76] $9.75
HUMAN QUENA ORCHESTRA first took shape as a solo project from RYAN
UNKS,
who had previously played guitar in CREATION IS CRUCIFIXION. The Politics
of the Irredeemable incorporates elements of black metal, crushing drone
music, extreme psychotropic noise and psych/krautrock influences into a
sound much heavier than his previous work. Six tracks of nightmarish,
punishing doombience and earthshaking riff tectonics.
Ilyas Ahmed - Goner CD (Root Strata) [RS30] $13.00
Portland, Oregon bedroom wanderer ILYAS AHMED emerges from the shadows
and
offers up his first new batch of songs in some time. Over a year in the
making, Goner sees Ahmed telescoping his previous acoustic wanderings into
fuzzed out rockers and a hypnotic set of beautifully tight knit nocturnes.
The whole things kicks off with a massive rush to the head called "Earn
Your Blood," which has Ilyas effortlessly channeling any number of stoned
out trajectories found in a Topanga Canyon ditch circa mid '70s. Massive
waves of hiss still penetrate the mix, and so do the smeared vocal trails,
it's just that it's all a little more in focus this time around. The
comedown into "Exit Twilight" with GROUPER at the helm is a haunting
broadcast that will for sure knock around in your skull for days. Edition
of 1,000 CD's in an offset buff case with maroon ink.
In
The Country - Whiteout CD (Rune Grammofon) [RCD2086CD] $16.00
Ambitious, epic and grand in scale, the third album by Norway's piano
trio
In The Country could very well be their magnum opus. Most of the music was
performed and written as a thank you, as is the tradition, after leader
Morten Qvenild (Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, Shining) was awarded
Kongsberg Jazzfestival's prestigious Musician's Award. Along with bass
player Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hausken, on Whiteout, Qvenild allows
themes to develop and terrain to broaden, as in exploratory jazz and
classic progressive rock music. For example, "Ursa Major" starts out as an
almost space-jazz expedition, which then crescendos and decrescendos into
over 9 minutes of intertwining piano and post-rock guitar stratospherics.
It's also a highly personal album, coming to an emotional and dramatic
conclusion with the touching last track softly sung by Morten himself --
all gossamer and hazy brushstrokes of circling piano melodies, cymbal wash,
and distant percussion. In The Country has been selected as among Norway's
best musicians, reaching critical acclaim with their previous albums This
Was The Pace Of My Heartbeat (RCD 2045CD) and Losing Stones, Collecting
Bones (RCD 2059CD): Downbeat called their debut "one of the finest and most
arresting albums to come out of Europe" that year, Mojo said "startling,"
Straight No Chaser said "fantastic," and a host of others followed.
Whiteout is set to eclipse all previous praise, with its epic, masterful
scope that shows this trio at the absolute peak of their compositional and
performance powers. Recorded in the legendary Atlantis Studio in Stockholm,
home of the first classic Abba recordings and full of vintage analog
equipment. Engineered by Janne Hansson and mastered by Bob Katz, with a
striking sleeve design by Kim Hiorthøy. In The Country are: Morten Qvenild
(grand piano, synthesizers, Rhodes, programming and vocals), Roger Arntzen
(double bass and vocals), Pål Hausken (drums, percussion, Dynacord Percuter
and vocals), with Andreas Mjøs (Jaga Jazzist) (guitars, vibraphone,
marimba, violin, programming and percussion).
James Johnston & Philippe Petit - Fiends With A Face CD (Dirter
Promotions) [DPROM065CD] $16.00
This is the first collaborative work from James Johnston and Philippe
Petit
(Strings Of Consciousness). As the track titles suggest, it is a homage to
the golden era of horror movies. These two fiends wanted to conjure up
blood-curdling and haunting soundscapes, playing with an unsettling
ambiance of strings, piano, organ, electronics, guitar drone and feedback
screech in order to create a contemporary soundtrack for those who like to
be frightened. They strive to elicit responses of fear and terror from
listeners, not, however, in the style of grotesque, blood-soaked slashers,
but rather, from that kind of presence lying in the dark behind you or
before you. This music is a creature that slowly bores its way into your
body, instead of violently exploding in your face. The more attention you
bestow on this record, the more unsuspected new paths you'll be invited to
wander down. Philippe Petit's first solo album, Henry: The Iron Man
originated from a dream that Japanese film director/actor Shinya Tsukamoto
was working on a blurred remake of David Lynch's Eraserhead, and he was to
soundtrack the grotesque mutation of Henry into an "Iron Man." As
tantalizingly surreal as that sounds, Fiends With A Face is far more
sinister, and acts on every single fight-or-flight instinct the listener
may possess... each track the sonic equivalent of heart-pounding,
stomach-churning dread.
Jason Kahn - Vanishing Point CD (23five) [23FIVE015] $13.00
The American sound-artist JASON KAHN is an exacting technician when it
comes to the principles of noise. However, his application of noise in
composition is not that of Merzbow or Masonna, with teeth-gnashing
explosions of distortion, feedback, and volume; rather, Kahn's
psychoacoustic techniques employ the specific frequencies of white, pink,
brown, and blue noise in works that reflect the ideals of minimalism. These
are sounds that regularly occur through the constant vibration of
machinery; and Kahn is more than happy to appropriate such events through
field recording. He also generates complementary noises through systems
that involve the rattling architecture of a drum kit and an analog
synthesizer. For all of the phenomenological studies and stoic mesmerism
attributed to much of Kahn's catalogue, Vanishing Point is a subtle and
hypnotic elegy for rattling metals, timbral vibration, gossamer static,
hissing field recordings, and those aforementioned colored noises.
Joan of Arc - Flowers CD (Polyvinyl) [PRC176] $13.50
Despite being written over the course of a year in four different
sessions
with four different lineups, the first listen reveals the songs on Flowers
as a more cohesive unit than those on its predecessor Boo Human. As the
record neared completion, TIM KINSELLA and the latest incarnation of JOAN
OF ARC entered the studio one last time with hardly any songs written and
no instruments. Instead, the group simply did what felt right, using what
was available to all the musicians who had recorded there
previously-pianos, acoustics, and synthesizers-to create a new batch of
music after only two days.
Jody Diamond - In That Bright World: Music For Javanese Gamelan
CD (New World Records) [NW80698CD] $14.50
Musicians from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Surakarta,
Central
Java, Indonesia with Jody Diamond, voice. "This CD is both a tribute to the
profound musical influences that Javanese gamelan traditions have had on
Jody Diamond (b. 1953) as a musician as well as an exploration of their
impact on her compositional creativity. What she has done is not so much to
create a hybrid tradition, but rather to do the work of translation. The
aim of the translator is not to be original, but to make transparent to an
outsider what was formerly opaque. The translator approaches his/her job
with humility, and must be steeped in the original language. The translator
reveres the original, it gives her joy and moves her to the point of
wanting to share her joy with others. Some non-Indonesian composers of
gamelan music have been accused of the musical equivalent of colonialism,
appropriating a musical style from elsewhere into their own particular
style. Diamond, on the contrary, and on this recording in particular, has
allowed her native musical tradition to be appropriated by Javanese music.
Although the first performances were in the United States, these recordings
were made in Java, with Javanese musicians playing all the parts (except
for Diamond herself, who is the female singer). Her 'American' pieces are
elaborated upon with gusto by Javanese musicians, in Javanese idioms. What
does it mean when a translation is returned to its homeland and then
elaborated upon in the idiom of the original? This is globalism gone wild
in joyful, enthusiastically realized performances of Diamond's pieces by
Javanese musicians." Includes 32-page booklet with detailed notes about
each composition.
Julie Peel - Near the Sun CD (American Laundromat) [ALR0019]
$12.25
RELEASE DATE: 09-22-2009
Julie Peel is preparing to unleash her debut full-length album "Near
the
Sun" on American Laundromat Records (ALR) this fall. Previously featured on
ALR compilations including Just Like Heaven (a tribute to the Cure),
Gigantic (a tribute to Kim Deal), Dig for Fire (a tribute to the Pixies),
and Cinnamon Girl (a tribute to Neil Young), this will be Julie's first
solo full-length release. She counts Aimee Mann, Kim Deal, Neil Young and
Joni Mitchell among her influences and their impact is not hard to discern
on Near the Sun. Julie's lo-fi, guitar-driven pop recalls the likes of Ida,
Anna Ternheim, Caithlin de Marrais, and Mirah, but bears her own
distinctive indie sensibility and style.
Born in Cannes, Julie was raised between France and Canada, and sings entirely in English on this album. As a child, she tended toward self-determination. "At 5," she explains, "I would take my bike and go for long rides in the countryside... Sometimes I would go fishing by myself." Though her mother worried, Julie always came home "like it's normal a 5-6 year old kid would go out all day so far away." That independent spirit is evident throughout Near the Sun, which Julie recorded, mixed, and produced on her own. She plays most of the instruments as well, though she is also joined on bass, cello, and upright bass by Cyrille Catois (who she met in 2005 and has worked with consistently ever since) and on drums by Andreas DahlbĤck (drummer and producer for Anna Ternheim).
Spontaneity was key in the creation of this album, as evidenced by tracks such as â~@~XInnocence.' "I composed it and wrote the lyrics in under an hour, and recorded it very quickly right after," she reveals. "... I guess this song is what represents me the most." The swell of the cello under her honest, melancholy lyrics turn this stand-out track from simple to understatedly sophisticated. "Most of the tracks were first takes," Julie notes, which manifests itself in a sense of both immediacy and intimacy throughout the album. The undeniably catchy track â~@~XLiving in a Movie,' replete with irresistible handclaps, seems sent straight from the soundtrack to a film by Michel Gondry or Sofia Coppola. A sweet and somehow cinematic tune that demonstrates Julie's capability to craft pop songs at once familiar and dream-like, deceptively minimal, â~@~XLiving in a Movie' is just one of the songs off Near the Sun that compels repeated listens.
Though her contributions to the ALR
compilations were noteworthy in their own right, this collection of
original material bears testimony to Julie Peel's own dynamic pop
sensibilities. Keep an eye out for Near the Sun, and look for her hitting
the road across the US in 2009.
K.
Meizter (Beyond Sensory Experience) - Tetraphobia CD (Old Europa Cafe)
[10458] $20.25
After channelising all his musical energy into Beyond Sensory
Experience
for the past two years, K. Meizter finally returns with a new solo
exertion. Spawned during the sinister last months of a northern year,
Tetraphobia scans through the kafkaesque layers of human anxiety, and
continues K. Meizter's distinctive manipulation of sound, melody and pulse.
Following Travelling Light, Dark Matters and the Horologium collaboration
Eight Studies in Transition, K. Meizter's new release develops even more
unsettling atmospheres of reflection and alteration. With 10 tracks and
over an hour of foreboding avant-garde, Tetraphobia is K. Meizter's most
convincing work this far. Dark and solemn.
K11
- Voices From Thelema CD (Aurora Borealis) [ABX029] $15.50
K11 is a project of Italian sound/installation artist PIETRO RIPARBELLI
that deals with the world of radio signals, trans-communication and other
invisible phenomena, to create a dimension where the only sound sources are
signals from shortwave radio receivers. When constructing works under the
K11 project, Riparbelli uses only sounds from the atmosphere and from
invisible, unknown sources. Voices From Thelema is an instrumental
trans-communication action with short wave radio receivers realized inside
Thelema Abbey in Cefalu, October 14, 2007. The ruined building stands
derelict and on the verge of collapse, though still holds many secrets and
has been a focus for much counter cultural activity since its foundation by
Aleister Crowley in 1920 as a religious center and commune where he could
instruct disciples in his emerging Thelemic religion and systems of magick
in a rural atmosphere, far from the overpowering prevailing morality of
England.
Kiila - Tuota Tuota CD (Fonal) [FR065CD] $16.00
This is the third full-length album by Finland's Kiila. Born of
peaceful,
focused work and intense rehearsals with friends, interspersed with sleep
and meal-times, Tuota Tuota ("Well, Well") features an eight-strong core
line-up -- but, as always, the composition of the group varies according to
need. This is an album that consists of many details: the sound is full,
the web of acoustic and electric instruments more varied and carefully
orchestrated than before, and now, it is completely unnecessary to separate
the electronic from the non-electronic components. Different traditions of
folk, psych and pop music intermingle with electronic music and
improvisation, tones and sounds. >From Incredible String Band-ish
folk-troubadour jams to gentle acoustic fireside ballads rendered in
plucked guitar and scratchy fiddle lines ala Vetiver or Espers, to freakier
space-jazz meanderings, this album's ultimate reward lies in its commitment
to solid, glorious song-structure rooted in a long-established folk-rock
tradition. The motifs in the songs are not easy to convey in English, but
the titles reveal some clues: master of the house, elk antlers, tree bark,
sound of rapids, fog, letters, calves, fingers. The words sound archaic,
anachronistic or timeless, the language of myth, even -- but can it be
something else, too? Tuota Tuota is an excellent culmination of Kiila's
history and cultural landscape, proving them to be among Finland's finest
founders of the new-growth forest sound.
King Automatic - Upside Down World CD (Stained Circles) [SC13]
$9.50
KING AUTOMATIC is a French one man band incorporating swampy garage
skuzz,
moonstomp ska and high energy punk rock, and this is a compilation CD of
the "greatest hits" so far, including a couple of freaked out cover
versions of Kraftwerk and Rolling Stones. Described as a cross between
Howlin' Wolf and Devo. Australian import.
Kreuzer - In Hoc Signo Vinces CD (The Eastern Front) [10452]
$18.00
Edition of 300 copies. Special 2+ panels folded cardboard packing.
Pressed
CD. Release date: November 2008.
Martial/Industrial/Ambient
New
album of very young Israeli project Kreuzer. Martial dark ambient sounds
mixed with industrial elements. Feel spirit of the Crusades and medieval
Jerusalem in Kreuzer new album - "In Hoc Signo Vinces"!
Kreuzer/Surma - Viltis CD (The Eastern Front) [10450]
$18.00
Edition of 300 copies. Special 2+ panels folded cardboard packing.
Pressed
CD. Release date: December 2008.
Industrial/Martial/Dark ambient
New split of two young projects - Ukrainian Surma and Israeli Kreuzer.
Viltis in spite of being composed by two different musicians, sounds as a
whole-hearted album... Like the full-length albums of both musicians, here
music flows in industrial and dark ambient music space and complete the
nostalgic atmosphere by the samples of old records in Lithuanian language.
Krikor & The Dead Hillbillies - Land Of Truth CD (Tigersushi)
[TSR018CD] $16.00
Finally, after 10 years of music-making, this is the debut full-length
album by France's Krikor, featuring vocal contributions by The Dead
Hillbillies aka Nicolas Ker (Poni Hoax), Chloé Raunet (Battant), and Chloé
(Plein Soliel). Krikor's musical style has become more hybrid than ever --
a personal synthesis of his musical obsessions: the fat groove and old drum
machines of Chicago house, the abstract sounds of minimal techno, the urge
and energy of rockabilly, the harshness of industrial music, the dark
romanticism of folk anti-heroes from the '60s, and the forward thinking of
Groupe de Recherche de Musique Concrète lab rats (Pierre Schaeffer, Pierre
Henry). An ambitious album of 11 cinematic songs and electronic smacks that
will drown you in a 40 years' flood of sound waves. Like a hired killer on
mescaline sent after pop music heritage, he rushes from guitars to drum
machines, leaving marks as deep as machete scars, crushing all labels and
developing his own interpretation of shoegaze, old-school electro,
blue-eyed funk, electronic, pop, house and ambient, with stand-out track
"God Will Break It All" sounding like some sort of hydra-headed beast of
clashing '80s dance-beats, post-punk caterwaul, and groove-bass. Land Of
Truth is a subtle combination of slaughtered beats and milky keyboards,
indecipherable layers, guitar laments, gritty bass lines, space echoes,
menacing synths and crystalline pianos, revealing Krikor as a musical
dandy, with his fingers in all pies.
Lights - Rites CD (Drag City) [DC408CD] $12.75
"In past lives, who says we were actually anyone special, or even
anyone at
all? We could have been inanimate household objects, cookies or candles. Or
perhaps we were star-beings, not even of this earth, breathing in silver
and drinking gold in order to survive. Nothing would give greater pleasure
to the earth people known as Lights than to have lived any of these former
lives. Like the Queen of Cups, they've got a feeling and a compassion for
everyone and everything. It's in their blood. Once you've started spinning
their new record, Rites, you'll understand their feeling. Any band that
mutates the powers of Jimi Hendrix, unicorns, Stevie Nicks, glowsticks,
Prince, Indians and cowboys, Yoko Ono, red wine, Jem and Beyonce into their
own smoothly flowing sound, they're acting from the heart -- or the dark
side of their Id. Lights are a Brooklyn musical troupe that have shaped
psychedelic mojo Pop into a serpentine smoke ring, floating over both New
York's forbidding urban scapes and the West Coast's sunshine vibes. By
which we mean that their songs are the lovechild of American soul music,
country, metal, psychedelic rock, disco and new age. Together, Sophia
Knapp, Linnea Vedder and Andy Macleod create Lights, a gang of
outside/insiders with a multicolored, multitrack mind. Lights come through
the visual spectrum. They see the aesthetic value of luxury items, the
power of the object. For Lights, the Funkadelic diaper is an essential part
of the P-Funk experience. There are no extraneous details. The look is as
much of the encounter as the music. Whatever they were in a previous life,
Lights aren't rocks or seaglass, beautiful but incapable of perception.
They've got eyes and ears, they're human. No wait -- they're more than
that! They're like a pool that everyone comes diving in and climbing out
of. And algae gathers over time. And the sun and the moon shimmer on their
surface. Lights will also be known for their raucous wild live shows that
swirl with soft colors and night shapes provided by the one and only Wizard
Smoke and her paint box of analog light show techniques. Lights just keep
growing. They were born in rhythm, chanting their message -- but with
Rites, Lights are passing into a more encompassing sense of what their
music can be, a collage of the old and the new, where the American East
meets the American West in a sexy fairytale world of magic, mirrors and
white light."
Like A Stuntman - Original Bedouin Culture CD (Bureau B)
[BB033CD] $16.00
This is the second full-length release by Hamburg, Germany's Like A
Stuntman (Matthias Gros, Christian Fleck, Tobi Ullrich & Sven Fritz). In
2005, the quartet released their debut album, made available almost solely
in the UK, with touring activities similarly focused in the UK as well.
Four years on, Like A Stuntman are ready to take it well over and beyond
the Isles with Original Bedouin Culture, an exhilarating celebration of
eclectic instrumentation and the blending together of past and future
influences that span an incredibly diverse roster of genres and eras. Fan
Schneider TM on Original Bedouin Culture: "The album traces an arc from the
sounds and spirit of late '60s psychedelia, the class of 1968 and a little
later, The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, Silver Apples, bands from Brazil's
Tropicália movement such as Os Mutantes, etc., through the musical
influences and laconic humor of some early '90s post-post-punk indie-rock
bands like Sebadoh and Pavement up to a personal take on
turn-of-the-century 'weird folk,' with a nod to Krautrock and the
liberation of electronic music by artists from Cologne, Düsseldorf,
Frankfurt, Berlin or the Warp label." Das Bierbeben's Rasmus Engler
describes the album as such: "Shy vocals, possibly recorded under
bedcovers, duet with warm banks of synthesizer; acoustic and electric
guitars speak up and buzz through subtly-crafted songs. Original Bedouin
Culture succeeds in building a bridge from Matador to Warp, with ECM and
free-folk communes visible from its center. A fantastic record that could
make you lose your mind!"
Little Claw - Human Taste CD (Ecstatic Peace) [E#104D]
$10.25
"Little Claw was born in Detroit, Michigan during the Great Eastern
Seaboard blackout of 2003. Having nothing to do, nowhere to go, Heath
Heemsbergen and Kilynn Lunsford began playing their acoustic guitars and
singing into the darkness. An auspicious beginning to be sure. Even now,
Little Claw are still strumming and screaming into the void. Formed
originally with Jamie Easter from the Piranhas on drums, the band played a
string of shows, starting with their debut performance with legendary Ohio
art-punks the Bizarros, which then led to the recording of the first Little
Claw LP with Warn Defever (His Name Is Alive) The album was released by
Ypsilanti records in 2005. Jamie left the band in the summer of 2005 and
after one show as a duo, Hendrik Deherder joined up on the drums. A second
LP was recorded with Matthew Smith (Outrageous Cherry) in his Hamtramck
living room mid-2006 and was subsequently released by Thurston Moore's
Ecstatic Peace label in 2007. Later that year, there was a release of a
split 7" single with Michael Yonkers on X! records. Little Claw's move from
the urban nightmare of Detroit to the more subtle cloudy terrors of
Portland, Oregon prompted some more augmentations to the line-up: Adam
Svenson (of Seattle improv band Du Hexen Hase) took over the caveman beat
on the drums, freeing up Henrik to bang the synth and add additional
percussion. On the road and on recordings, the Little Claw sound is graced
by the touch of Toledo native, Damon Sturdivant (Puffy Areolas, Tyvek) on
additional percussion and synth." "But what do they sound like anyway? They
sounded like the greatest godammned f***ing band on the planet the time we
saw 'em. Two minimalist drummers, a guitar dude with a nice underhook
rhythm rip and a girl with a badass no wave slather tongue tearing hell out
of her slide guitar given half the chance. And not all hellbent rage either
-- some nice licorice melt drizzle crud groove too. Fuckin' awesome." --
Thurston Moore
Luke Top - Friends CD (Slow Death) [SD001] $9.00
LUKE TOP was born in Tel Aviv, Israel to an Iraqi refugee and a
Russian-born aviator. Music making was adopted at an early age, serving as
the buffer between a distant home turf and a newly adopted land of milk and
honey: Southern California. Balancing the collision of identity, religion,
and western culture was (and is) a process that has found an artistic
culmination on Luke Top's first full-length musical album, Friends. Mostly
self-recorded in a backyard bungalow, it stays true to Luke's formative
roots in California while expanding its imagery beyond the simple evocation
of one particular time and place. Up to this point, Luke could be seen and
heard in a number of musical configurations throughout the world. Most
notably, longtime touring and recording collaborations with friends like
CASS MCCOMBS, THE PAPERCUTS, FOREIGN BORN, and also as co-founder of the
L.A. based Afro-Hebrew dance band FOOL'S GOLD.
Lull - Like a Slow River CD (Glacial Movements) [GM004]
$16.00
Glacial Movements is glad to announce the return of one of the most
important representatives of ambient isolationist music ever: the wonderful
English artist Mick J. Harris aka LULL (Scorn, Painkiller, Napalm Death).
Like a Slow River is characterized by sharp and minimal atmospheres and
dark, cold and huge bodies of ice which slowly move by an endless river.
The five compositions of Like a Slow River reach the high expectations of
the previous works such as Cold Summer, Continue and Murder Ballads trilogy
with Martin Bates. With no doubt this is the coldest and darkest work ever
composed by this pioneer of industrial-ambient music. You will be led to
oblivion.... the freezing darkness of glacial night comes down on your body
and mind.... you'll fall into your deepest sleep with the far echo of
glacial runnings ...the way to eternity is in front of you.
Masada Quintet feat. Joe Lovano - Stolas: The Book of Angels
Volume 12 CD (Tzadik) [TZ7375] $14.50
"For this very special release in The Book of Angels series, Zorn has
brought together five of the most acclaimed musicians in modern jazz to
perform nine of his most distinctive and lyrical compositions. Truly a jazz
supergroup, these five master musicians explore Zorn's beautiful and exotic
tunes with profound melodic and harmonic knowledge and a depth of feeling
that is a joy to hear. One of the most breathtaking CDs in the entire
Masada series -- a touch of the sublime from the beautiful new Masada
Quintet!"
Matt Shoemaker - Erosion Of The Analogous Eye CD (Helen
Scarsdale Agency) [HMS015CD] $12.75
"The studio of Matt Shoemaker is alive with electricity. Impossibly
complex
wirings channel signal in and out of analog synth modules, an array of
curious aluminums boxes with unmarked knobs, slinkies strung from ceiling
to floor creating a set of giant spring reverb units, accelerometers
attached to consumer electronic errata, and even a few conventional tools
like guitar stomp boxes and a bruised computer. For all of the convoluted
engineering that goes into Shoemaker's equipment, the resulting mesmerism
in sound appears effortless and strangely organic. Shoemaker has enjoyed a
semi-obscure career through his polymath activities that bridge such
electronic experiments with a choice library of globe-trotted field
recordings and a broad knowledge of avant-garde cinema. For Erosion of the
Analogous Eye, Shoemaker waves his hands about his laboratory to construct
an ever-evolving album for mutant dronemuzik. His electrical seas of
synthetic bristling undulate with placid regularity, only to find Shoemaker
contorting these brain-melting psychedelics into cancerous, atonal bellows.
Out of his allotropic shifts, one can find swells of irradiated static
transform into the graceful chime of temple bells; and electrical phase
patterns slip into deep forest murmurings dotted with narcoleptic birds
calls. On one hand, this album is prescient of the revival for progressive
electronics currently underway in the flood of US post-noise projects; it's
easy to triangulate this between Emeralds and Heldon. But on the other
hand, Erosion of the Analogous Eye is the continuation of where Shoemaker
had begun with his early work on Trente Oiseaux with its grotesques
exaggerations of field recording into this beguiling piece of art. The
artwork on Erosion of the Analogous Eye features unique hand-dyed
abstractions mounted onto letterpressed paper. This has warranted a very
small pressing of 300 copies."
Maxine Funke - Lace CD (Nextbestway) [NBWAY06] $13.00
"Delicate yet strong real, yet hypnotically beautiful, the songs of
MAXINE
FUNKE are dangerously addictive. After a few listens they'll play
themselves in your inner ear for days."-Alastair Galbraith. "Top 10 of
2008"-Brian Turner (WFMU). New Zealand import.
Meatmen - Cover The Earth CD (Meat King) [MVDA4838] $14.50
After a 12 year lapse, THE MEATMEN bounce back big with a 24-track ode
to
the tuneage of yore with Cover The Earth, which features all of TESCO VEE's
favorite musical blasts of the last 40 years. Some are obvious-Fear/GG
Allin/Johnny Thunders-and some are real headscratchers-Jimmy Dean/10CC/The
Temptations. All delivered in reverential but irreverent form by the latest
and greatest men of Meat! Features a full color 12-page booklet and all the
between song schtick one comes to expect from a new Meat platter. Also
features a return of the legendary Hebrew pitchman SHECKY SCHPILKIS in "Sex
Mart 2010." Sure to please those hardcore Meat fanatics as well as suck in
many new converts into their scatologically delightful web of sin.
Meil Noir - Der Honigflügel CD (The Eastern Front) [10447]
$18.00
Edition of 500 copies. Special 3 panels folded cardboard packing.
Released
on CD format. Release date: 25th of January 2009
Apocalyptic Chanson
Doctrine Another, absolutely different project of Dimo Dimov (Svarrogh,
Sturmpercht, Allerseelen, Saggitarius). Brilliant piano symphony with
industrial elements and samples from Russian movies inspired by classical
Russian novel «Crime and Punishment» written by Fyodor Dostoevsky and
Goncharov's novels.
Merzbow - 13 Japanese Birds Vol 6: Kamo CD (Important)
[IMPREC256] $13.00
RELEASE DATE: 06-23-2009
Merzbow's 13 Japanese Birds is a 13 month series of releases inspired
by
Olivier Messaien's Catalogue D'Oiseaux. Beginning in January 2009 one
volume of 13 Japanese Birds will be released each month. The 13th and final
volume will be released January 2010. Each volume will be a one time
pressing of 1000 copies. Available from Important Records is a deluxe hand
made numbered bamboo box to hold the 13 cd collection. Cover art by Jenny
Akita.
Merzbow - 13 Japanese Birds Vol 7: Kujakubato CD (Important)
[IMPREC257] $13.00
RELEASE DATE: 07-28-2009
Merzbow's 13 Japanese Birds is a 13 month series of releases inspired
by
Olivier Messaien's Catalogue D'Oiseaux. Beginning in January 2009 one
volume of 13 Japanese Birds will be released each month. The 13th and final
volume will be released January 2010. Each volume will be a one time
pressing of 1000 copies. Available from Important Records is a deluxe hand
made numbered bamboo box to hold the 13 cd collection. Cover art by Jenny
Akita.
Metros, The - Sweetest One CD (Dusty Groove) [DGA3021CD]
$11.50
"All killer, no filler -- an incredible soul album from The Metros -- a
Detroit group who rivaled the best that Motown had to offer in the '60s!
These guys are amazing -- incredible harmonies, razorsharp timing, and a
depth of soul that really raises the bar for the Motor City scene. This
album's their one and only full length effort, and it's a doozy all the way
through -- filled with original tunes and a few key covers -- all produced
to perfection by the legendary Pied Piper team, who were also known for
their work with The Hesitations and Freddy Butler. The grooves are
fantastic -- played by a lineup that includes Jack Ashford on vibes and
percussion, Joe Hunter on piano, and Dave Hamilton on guitar -- all Detroit
studio legends, making wonderful music for this set! The album's a
legendary Northern Soul set -- and original copies of the singles fetch
hundreds on Ebay. First time on CD, and first reissue anywhere in the world
-- remastered from original tapes, presented with full liner notes and
vintage photos too."
Mi
and L'au - Good Morning Jokers CD (Borne Recordings / Acuarela) [br005]
$13.50
RELEASE DATE: 06-29-2009
Mira Anita Mathilda Romantschuk is an ethereal looking Finnish girl who
sings like an elf, with a sharpened, chilly voice. She used to work as a
model in Paris when she met Laurent LeclĨre, the composer and guitar
player to whom Devendra Banhart dedicated "Gentle Soul".
Laurent had composed music for some films, and was plenty of inspiration, but he still had not been able to channel it. When he met Mi he found his own intense and indescribable musical language, as indescribable as the fire crackle or a January blizzard. The combination was perfect: "Imagine a glacier with ember inside", Michael Gira said when he produced their first work with Young God Records.
Mi & L'Au stayed for a while in Paris until they decided to get lost in nature and lock themselves with their guitars in a hut, surrounded by snow, in the lost boreal moors. Cold, loneliness and music inspired such sonorities that the castrating marketing labels canÂ't define, as many other times when it comes to real creators.
L'Au declares that his roots are in the European classical music which is true in comparison to all Northamerican pop, rock and jazz, but donÂ't expect an expert display or academic formalism from Mi & L'Au, but soul, strength and feelings. Such strong feelings expressed with so much harshness that can even make you feel pain while listening to the duo.
They've been 4 years around the World, visiting any place where people were well-disposed towards their tender, queer and ghostly music. They've finally landed in the Mediterranean. Valencia, the hyper-cheerful and comfortable capital of the Spanish East coast, is their home now and it's been there where Mi and L'Au have recorded their new work, "Good Morning Jokers". DonÂ't you think that because they're in the bright flower's land, their work lacks melancholy and darkness of their characteristic sound.
Mistery and intelligence, tenderness and fear, beauty and misery combine in a disturbing and queer potion that is listened with pleasure, but at the same time makes the listener become uneasy, finding that suddenly is hidden away in somebody else's world, filled with an irresistible and unlikely beauty and ambiguous as sirens songs and fairies tears.
"Good Morning Jokers"
is a deep and demanding new musical experience that won't leave anybody
indifferent.
Mika Vainio - AÄneen Musta Puhelin (Black Telephone Of Matter)
CD (Touch) [TO072CD] $14.00
Finland's Mika Vainio presents his fourth solo album for the Touch
label,
after Onko (1997), Kajo (2000) and In The Land Of The Blind One-Eyed Is
King (2003). He is one-half of Pan Sonic with Ilpo VĤisĤnen, and also
records solo as Ä~. Vainio's solo works are akin to meditative sound
installations -- ruminations on the inner-working heart of machine-made
music. Sometimes juxtaposing warm analog sounds with harsher electronics,
or isolating and diminishing sounds into ambient gauziness, Vainio is an
important technician who has firmly established himself in the cadre of
minimal, carefully-sculpted electronics.
Mochipet - Bunnies And Muffins CD (Daly City) [DCR129]
$10.00
Hot off the heels of MOCHIPET's Microphonepet banger which gained him a
spot on NBA2k9 Videogame along side acts such as Beastie Boys, N.E.R.D.,
and The Cool Kids, comes a more melodic and subtle record. Cozy enough for
an afternoon stroll but still intricate enough for any hard core music
aficionado. Bunnies & Muffins bounces you all the way from glitch-hop to
symphonies. Tracks like "Prolonging Forever" and "Fool" bring elements of
Ratatat and Prefuse73 with a more harmonic organic feeling. While "Anthem"
bangs you over the head like a Bon Jovi on Kraftwerk. Tracks from this
album are surely going to add Mochipet's appearances to more movie
soundtracks, and radio playlists. There might be a reason why he was
nomimated as one of the Best Electronic Act of 2008 by many publications
such as The Clash Magazine (UK), Bay Guardian, and The SFWeekly. Kid Koala
says: "Mochipet is hilariously funky, he should score the next Katamari
video game, you can quote me on that."
Mount Eerie - Dawn Book+CD (Buenaventura Press) [BPB19]
$27.50
NOW AVAILABLE ON CD!!! The music of MOUNT EERIE and THE MICROPHONES has
always been a very personal, almost voyeuristic, view inside the mind of
PHIL ELVERUM. Dawn is an archival core sample from an intensely creative
period of Elverum's life, the winter of 2002/2003 spent in arctic Norway, a
kind of "lost album" finally properly recorded on just guitar and singing.
This version of Dawn features a 144-page hardcover book of journal writing
chronicling a winter spent alone in a cabin, wrestling with ghosts,
gathering wood, acting out the myths; thre months of unfiltered brain
torrents interspersed with drawings and including a nineteen track CD of
songs written during that time, as well as sixteen color photo cards. It is
bound in simulated "wood" paper. It feels like holding a piece of wood.
Mum
- Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy CD (Fat Cat) [FAT046CD] $13.50
"The album was recorded in a number of different places, one of them
being
the music school in the small fishingtown of Ä~MsafjĶrÄ°ur in the west
fjords of Iceland, making use of the schools various instruments. The drums
were mostly recorded in an old school house on the island of NĶtĶ west of
Finland. The songs on this multifarious album were conceived over a long
period in many a different fashion, one song even dating back to the period
of Yesterday Was Dramatic, Today Is OK."
Mungolian Jetset - We Gave It All Away, Now We Are Taking It
Back 2CD (Smalltown Supersound) [sts158] $22.50
RELEASE DATE: 08-17-2009
The Mungolian collective mixes all of their work, remixes, covers,
collaborations & originals into not just one, but in true prog rock manner,
two albums (each counting in at 59:15,) as they are intended to be heard.
The flavors cover everything from house & disco inspired cheekiness via
shameless dabblings with soft rock/Norwegian west coast, balearic, dub &
ambient, psychedelia & techno, all melted into one giant wormhole of sound.
Here you will find Mungolian Jetset hanging out with Mari Boine and Ronny
And Renzo in a lavo within the centre of the earth, the bizarre
Lindstrĸm/Dominique Leone encounter aka 16th Rebels Of Mung, as well as
journeys with norwegian jazz-kraut legends Eivind Aarset & Nils Petter
Molvaer, psychedelic meetings at the mixing desk with The Shortwave Set and
They Came From The Stars, excessive trippings at an italian nightclub with
LSB, hanging out in L.A. June 1984 with Athana, and taking Ost & Kjex to
some cabaret show in a giant barber-shop, meeting the ghost of Michael
Jackson, reuniting with Lindstrĸm in a turkish bath as well as a couple of
exclusive originals & last but not least, their beyond zonked-out cover of
"Could You Be Loved" under the moniker Pizzy Yelliot.
My
Cat Is An Alien - Mort Aux Vaches CD (Staalplaat) [MAV061CD] $22.75
Lenticular cover, limited 500 copies.
My
Cat Is An Alien/Mats Gustafsson - Cosmic Debris iV CD (A Silent Place)
[10445] $18.00
CD re-issue of the fourth volume in the ongoing "Cosmic Debris" series
of
split ART-LP releases set up by the Opalio brothers, aka MY CAT IS AN ALIEN
(MCIAA), on their own Opax Records. This time the space improv duo from
Torino, Italy, shares one side of the vinyl with Swedish radical
saxophonist MATS GUSTAFSSON, whose twenty-year career boasts collaborations
that range widely over the contemporary improvised music world, from
masters of the free jazz such as Peter Brotzmann, Derek Bailey, Joe McPhee,
to famous members of the noise scene such as Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke,
Yoshimi & Yamataka Eye among others. In every personal message exchange
between MCIAA and Gustafsson, their own respective 'ALIEN FAITH!' & 'PEACE
& FIRE!' mottos always occur, often combined by the artists themselves into
new formulae & meanings: 'ALIEN FIRE!' / 'PEACE & FAITH!' / 'ALIEN PEACE!'
/ 'FAITH & FIRE!'. Needless to say dear gents, this is not a joke, yet each
of these words' combination assumes a deep rule in describing this new
exciting adventure in the 'Cosmic Debris' saga. In fact both artists'
tracks represent an exemplary encounter between open-minded artists,
resolute in creating something to go beyond limits and their own goals too,
looking for something truly alive and free: 'Peace & Fire!' and 'Alien
Faith!' indeed. In his track 'I Have Not Set Any Time Limits For The
Attempt' Mats Gustafsson plays tenor and slide sax, weevil sax, and
electronics. In MCIAA's 'Everything Burns Like Cosmic Debris' the space
brothers play astral and cosmic guitars, vocals, mouth harmonica, space
toys and burning percussions. The five-volumes series "Cosmic Debris"
features My Cat Is An Alien alongside Text Of Light, Steve Roden, Keiji
Haino, Mats Gustafsson, Loren Connors & his Haunted House band.
Najma Akhtar & Gary Lucas - Rishte CD (World Village)
[WORLD450008] $18.00
"Najma Akhtar born in the UK, is an English singer of South Asian
ancestry.
Her unique and distinctive styles ranges from fusions of jazz with Indian
ghazals and bhajans (love songs and spiritual songs), Indian semi-classical
vocals and the occasional Bollywood hit. Gary Lucas is an American
guitarist, a Grammy-nominated songwriter, and an international recording
artist with over a dozen solo albums to date as well as a soundtrack
composer for film and television. He has been described as 'one of the best
and most original guitarists in America,' a 'legendary leftfield
guitarist,' and one of 'the most innovative and challenging guitarists
playing today.'"
New
Risen Throne - Crossing the Withered regions CD (Cold Meat Industry)
[10427] $15.50
The sole member of New Risen Throne is known as Stielh, and is one of
the
Grand Masters of the blackened dark ambient coming from Italy recently (see
also Vestigial). His exceptional black foreboding ambient creations is
wellknown in the scene by now. The previous NRT release "Whispers of the
approaching wastefulness" (Cyclic Law) represented the steps leading to the
acknowledgment of the approaching end of all things... This new chapter
"Crossing the withered Regions" is the journey thru wasted "regions" of our
inner self, withered by our doubts, thoughts and fear about the end. This
is the soundtrack to the world we live and experience at the very present.
This is utterly dark! and there is certainly no sun in the horizon. Slit
your wrists and float away...
The CD is an enhanced CD with a special
video-track and comes in a 6-panel digipak.
Nick Curly - 8Bit Reasons Part One CD (8Bit) [8BIT001CD]
$16.00
The Mannheim-based label 8Bit Records releases its first CD
compilation,
8Bit Reasons Part One. 8Bit was established in 2005 by Nick Curly and
Gorge, whose aim was simply to release the music they love. These days, the
label is focused on deep, minimal house. Now, after four very successful
years, which have included the signings of artists such as Audiofly, Peace
Division, Johnny D, Sis and Brothers Vibe, 8Bit is ready to gather up the
best of their brightest. 8Bit Reasons Part One is mixed by Nick Curly and
features 15 tracks from artists such as Johnny D, Joris Voorn, Nima Gorji,
Gorge & André Hommen, Markus Fix, Alex Celler, as well as some new,
exclusive Nick Curly tracks. Other artists include: Oleg Poliacov,
Veitengruber, Liapin & Eduard Hartter, Alex Niggemann, Till Von Sein, Catz
'N Dogz, Ethyl & Huxley, 2020 Soundsystem, Matthias Meyer & Patlac, and
Spencer Parker & Diesel Co.
Niobe - Blackbird's Echo CD (Tomlab) [TOM125] $14.00
Blackbird's Echo is the title of the fifth full-length album by
Cologne,
Germany based NIOBE. Recorded and produced at Studio G by TONY MAIMONE
(Pere Ubu, Home & Garden) in Brooklyn, New York with AKI ONDA acting as
guest producer. Features collaborations with DAVID GRUBBS and DJ OLIVE.
Nisennenmondai - Destination Tokyo CD (Smalltown Supersound)
[sts157] $15.00
RELEASE DATE: 08-11-2009
First full-length album was recorded in one take at Peace Music in
Japan in
the fall 2007. Compared to "Neji/Tori", Destination Tokyo sounds more
clean, and more minimal & repetitive than the EP collection, leading to a
truly intense, brain-melting, hi-fi experience. The repetitive nature of
the album will make people dance! A mix of the groovy krautrock of Neu! and
New York 1980's no wave/disco created by bands such as Sonic Youth, DNA,
and ESG, infused with elements of the instrumental Black Flag of The
Process Of Weeding Out & the avant/post-punk of This Heat.
Num9 - El Baile CD (Acuarela) [NOIS1099] $13.50
RELEASE DATE: 09-07-2009
The second album by Num9 means the return of Coque Yturriaga (ex
Migala,
Emak Bakia) to the forefront of electronic left-field pop laced with warm
found sound, glowing textures, rewarding details and challenging
arrangements. "El Baile" ("The Dance") is dance music for people scared of
the dance floor. "El Baile" is the constant sensation of being about to
reach the end of a party in which the music of Matmos, AR Kane, or Four Tet
has filled the gaps between indie torch songs. With "El Baile" you will
want to continue dancing while the music has stopped completely and you're
left alone. Includes a duet with US singer songwriter Dawn Landes.
Nurse With Wound - Huffin' Rag Blues CD (United Jnana) [UJ444]
$13.25
No description available at this time.
Nurse With Wound - Alice The Goon CD (United Jnana) [UJ2002]
$13.25
"Alice the Goon was previously a vinyl-only issue of 500 pieces,
available
to a lucky few at the Nevers Festival in France. It was hard to come by and
selling for high prices on auction websites. Fortunately, for the NURSE
WITH WOUND fans not so lucky to be in France, STEPHEN STAPLETON has agreed
to allow everyone a chance to hear this music again. The CD features the
two songs from the original release plus an additional, untitled piece
which many call simply 'Alice the Goon.' The first track sounds like it
would fit right in on the Sylvie and Babs release; imagine an old
phonograph player belting out a brass-laden instrumental. The second track
is a little less involved. The third track, however, sounds right out of A
Missing Sense. There is little movement and many drones in this song that
could certainly lull you to sleep."-Paul Kustos. Packaged in beautiful
four-panel digipack with artwork by Stephen Stapleton. No exports to the
UK/Europe
Nurse With Wound - The Surveillance Lounge CD (Dirter
Promotions) [DPROM072CD] $16.00
In 2007, Nurse With Wound were invited by the Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau
Foundation via In Famous to perform a live soundtrack of the 1922 Murnau
film, Der Brennende Acker ("The Burning Soil") at La Cité de la Musique in
Paris. The new sounds that were generated and the musical parts recorded
for the film became rudimentary building blocks for The Surveillance
Lounge. Nurse With Wound never fail to surprise, and just when you maybe
thought you could second guess how this might sound, they completely shift
the direction. In contrast to 2008's Huffin' Rag Blues, this release
focuses on the darker side of Nurse With Wound. While keeping a fresh,
contemporary feel, it nods towards some of the older, more sinister
material. For example, "The Golden Age Of Telekinesis" is driving,
contrapuntal, tribal percussion mixed with distorted vocal samples, low
drone, a scrabbling electronic auctioneer, and feedbacked guitar. Current
93's David Tibet is featured on the disc along with the mainstay of Steven
Stapleton and Andrew Liles. Also featuring Nadja Belabidi, Lynn Jackson,
Ollie Mathura O'Keeffe, Freek Kinkelaar, Miranda Kinkelaar, Melon Liles and
Maude Swift.
Oophoi - Wurm Series 1 CD (Glacial Movements) [WSGM001]
$16.00
Wurm is the name of the world's most recent glaciation which ended
around
10,000 years ago. The term WÄ~\rm comes from a river in the Alps where the
glaciation was first identified. During the height of glaciation most of
Europe and Eurasia was open steppe-tundra, while the Alps presented solid
ice fields and glaciers. Scandinavia and much of Britain were under ice.
Immense white expanses...infinite silences...sunrays reflected by eternal
icefields...every release of this new series will be a circular,
slowly-unfolding and ethereal long-form musical piece in which the artist
will describe this endless Ice Age, it's eternal ice, the blinding white
light, the abyssal silence. Music will transport the listener to peaceful
and unexplored lands.
Gianluigi Gasparetti aka Oophoi started his own
music experiment in 1995 to explore the shores of deep space-ambient. His
live album The spirals of time, released in 1997 by Amplexus, was voted as
one of the best ambient albums of all time. Oophoi uses traditional
instruments as synths and sampling machines and his music is recorded using
analog-only devices in The Kiva. He has released CDs for many International
labels such as Amplexus, Hypnos, Nextera, Prikosnovénie and Glacial
Movements and he has collaborated with Louisa John Krol, Alio die, Mathias
Grassow and Klaus Wiese.
Pan
sonic/Haino Keiji - Shall I Download A Blackhole And Offer It To You CD
(Blast First Petite) [PTYT014CD] $16.00
"The complete live recording from the 15th November 2007 concert at
Berlin's Volksbu-hne. Music. Mystery. Magic Finlandian straight-men dual a
last waltz with stand-up shamen, Mr Haino. All bow. Deluxe Packaging
Designed by Stephen O'Malley."
Pandora's Black Box - Black Brothel CD (Tympanik) [10454]
$13.75
In between composing the harsh, uncompromising mayhem of his main
project,
Lucidstatic, Alaskan native James Church utilizes his prolific side-project
Pandora's Black Book to focus on more secular dark Industrial rhythms and
dense ambient atmospheres, all carefully wrapped up in alluring beats and
meticulously crafted synthwork.
With careful attention to cohesiveness
and alluring dark ambiance, 'Black Brothel' commands an air of maturity and
function, expertly merging shadowy melodies, haunting pads, rich
atmospheres, and infectious beatwork to arrive at a solid collage of
intelligent down-tempo, yet abrasive Industrial works that will not soon be
forgotten.
Patric Catani/Chris Imler/Jorinde Voigt - Lemniscate CD (Sonig)
[SONIG78] $12.00
Lemniscate is a unique collaboration between the artist JORINDE VOIGT
and
composers PATRIC CATANI (aka CANDIE HANK) and CHRIS IMLER. Fundamentally,
the "lemniscate" is a mechanism for the infinite-a "ribbon" that chases
itself in a figure eight describes the repeated and unending journey of the
unbounded. Voigt draws structures energized by real and imagined
possibilities to investigate finite boundaries of systems. She frames and
moderates these investigations with spatiotemporal data, information on
speed, volume, and an overlaying of sequences. In 2008, following Voigt's
concepts, Catani and Imler developed the "lazy eight" of the infinity motif
at the Watermill Center, NYC, a laboratory for performance, in the form of
an acoustic "cluster." The looped composition, comprised of sixteen
chapters, snakes around seven points using a multi-channel arrangement of
six loudspeakers and thus describes the shape of a lemnsicate through pure
sound. The two composers created moving musical structures with synthesized
and live recorded material (field recordings) that build up rhythmic
melodic structures and dissolve in a swarm-like behavior similar to that of
Voigt's drawings. To enable home listening, the multi-channel installation
has been mixed down by the artists as a stereo version. No exports outside
North America
PBK
- Under My Breath CD (Waystyx) [10421] $16.25
Limited edition, 500 copies. All tracks mixed by PBK with exception of
3(John Wiggins) and 4(Christian Renou)
Pekka Streng - Kesämaa CD (Love Records) [LRCD067CD] $16.00
No description available at this time.
Pekka Streng & Tasavallan Presidentti - Magneettimiehen Kuolema
CD (Love Records) [LRCD028CD] $16.00
No description available at this time.
Per
Aspera - Nil Desperandum CD (New Nihilism) [10438] $16.75
The third and the most complete release by one of the most tallented
ambient artists hailing from Poland these days. Unifying vast array of
elements, Per Aspera once again achieves remarkably introvert but vibrant
style.
Eerie industrial atmosphere seamlessly blends with serene harmonies of almost orchestral form. Cinematic, monstrous drone formations morph into pulsating abyss of dissonant disturbances and uncompromised sonic experiments, overlaid by subtle beauty of human voice and minimalist acoustic instrumentation.
All those skillful, multiformal explorations
establish Nil desperandum one of those albums of complex yet stable musical
concept--reflecting the incoherencies of human nature and its immanent
affection to chaos and order merged together. Per Aspera tends to render
tragically compound heritage of the mankind, being constantly shaped by
cultural, ethnic and religious or ideologic discrepancies.
Phallus Die - Osmose CD (Dark Vinyl) [10434] $13.00
compiles material from the extremely successful PONTIFEX
MAXIMUS-sessions,
but all in NEW and previously unreleased versions and totally remastered.
PONTIFEX MAXIMUS ( 1992) was a milesone in its genre and influenced
countless artists. A timeless work of sheer beauty with such classic (new
versions!) tracks as RUSTY NAILS , O Sacrum Convivium.. or RULE AGAIN...
Plastic Crimewave Sound - Painted Shadows CD (A Silent Place)
[10444] $18.00
The latest Plastic Crimewave Sound album 'Painted Shadows' (the title
inspired by a practice used in german expressionist films) has a more
cosmically devotional vibe than past LPs, touching on eastern folk-blues
and elongated kraut-like soundscapes, with new elements of banjo, violin
and female voice added to the stew. However, there is still some trademark
PCWS rocking, as they still deliver blasts of motor city-type acid-punk,
japanese-style skree, and waves of tension and release. This is the last
PCWS album to feature ace leadsman Nick D'vyne, with the always-solid
backbone of PCW(guitars, chants/howls) Mark Lux (bass, electronix) and
Lawrence 'Skog Device' Peters (drums). Features rarely seen fully painted
artwork by Plastic Crimewave.
Polly Scattergood - Polly Scattergood CD (Mute) [MUTE9412CD]
$14.50
"Polly Scattergood -- and what a name that is -- is that rare talent, a
musician and songwriter who can make the disturbing sound delightful. She
might sing on her eagerly anticipated debut album about suicidal
tendencies, sadness in the air, spitting on her French knickers and being
called a whore, but she does so in such an idiosyncratically alluring, soft
little-girl voice, one of ravaged innocence, and she places her startling
images in such pretty pop contexts, that you can't help being seduced."
Powell St. John - On My Way To Houston CD (Tompkins Square)
[TSQ2233CD] $12.75
"Powell St. John cut his teeth at Austin's Threadgill's Bar, performing
with Janis Joplin and Lanny Wiggins in a trio called The Waller Creek Boys.
Later, in answer to a request for material from Tommy Hall of the 13th
Floor Elevators, St. John wrote five songs for their two first albums. In
the late '60s, Powell formed the blues/rock band Mother Earth with Tracy
Nelson, releasing several albums on Mercury. Among the legendary musicians
who have sung and recorded Powell's songs are Janis Joplin ('Bye, Bye
Baby'), Boz Scaggs ('I'll Forever Sing'), Roky Erickson ('Right Track Now')
and Doug Sahm ('You Don't Know'). The Texas Music Hall of Fame inducted
Powell in 2005. On My Way to Houston was recorded in Oakland with members
of Roky Erickson's former band, The Aliens, and features an unrecorded Roky
composition, 'Hardest Working Man.' Austin fixture Ralph White contributes
as well. Longtime fan and wellrespected publicist/journalist Bill Bentley
wrote liner notes for the package. The digipak also includes a mini-poster
of one of Powell's psychedelic visual works, which have hung in the South
Austin Museum of Popular Culture."
Puppenhaus - Jazz Macht Spazz CD (Long Hair) [LHC076CD]
$22.75
"No progressive rock music fan should be misled by the album title Jazz
macht Spazz, a bowdlerization of 'jazz makes fun,' this is progressive
jazz-rock at its best. Büdi Siebert (flutes and saxes), Herbert Binder
(gt), Frank Fischer (bass), later with Release Music Orchestra, Thomas
Rabenschlag (keys) and drummer Bea Maier (later with Zomby Woof and Moira),
all well trained on the instruments, played a varied, inventive, melodic
and often furious kind of music with lots of Krautrock magic influenced by
Frank Zappa, King Crimson, Soft Machine and Weather Report. 5 titles on
this CD were recorded at German radio station SWF, 2 titles are live
recordings (taped from the soundboard), all in all 77 minutes of great
flute and sax playing, furious and lyrical guitar and bass work, hypnotic
rhythm patterns and perfect keyboard sounds. Hard to believe that
Puppenhaus never recorded an album. Digitally remastered from original
master tapes. CD comes with comprehensive booklet, band story by the
musicians, many photos and especially with a wonderful cover based on a
painting by drummer Bea Maier. Highly recommended."
Raghunath Manet - Veena Dreams CD (Iris) [IRIS3002002]
$19.00
"Acclaimed Indian artist Raghunath Manet is equally skilled in both
dance
and music. Born in the former colony of Pondicherry, Manet studied dance
with Pondicherry M.S Nathan, Kalakshetra and Ram Gopal, vocal music with
Gnanamani Pillai and veena under Gurus Chidambaran Kaumati Sankara Iyer,
Rajeshwari Padmanaban and Ranganayaki Rajagopalan. His technique and the
purity of style have made him one of the finest exponents of Bharata
natyam, India's most ancient dance form. An excellent musician, he knows
how to create a perfect fusion between music and dance, which is the secret
of his great classical artistry. Manet has released more than 20 CDs, 4
DVDs and has written 3 books. He was the first Indian choreographer to
perform in Opera de Paris in France and at the Grimaldi Theatre in Monaco
for the Royal family, on the occasion of the first "Nijinsky" dance awards
-- a historic event in the world of dance."
Rapoon - Melancholic Songs of the Desert CD (Soleilmoon)
[10422] $13.00
The Melancholic songs of the desert... These songs were composed during
the
last days of the Bush/Blair era and reflect the feeling of isolation and
disconnection from any part of the political process and any sense of
identification with the prevailing air of hos- tility and intolerance
generated by this pair of religious xenophobes. The unjustified war in
Iraq and the subse- quent lies and propaganda engendered a feeling of
revulsion and powerlessness. Once again it was "unpa- triotic" to
criticize or protest against the government's actions, and there was a
rise in nationalism and extrem- ist views. These songs are a retreat into
the one place that no government has yet found a way into, the free and
open spaces of the mind. They are spontaneous and mediative reflections
looking for an inner peace in a world made ugly by hatred and war. They
symbolize a kind of "walkabout" and a reconnection with a lost sense of
belonging spiritually, intellectually and physically with the world we
inhabit. In a broad- er sense they also re-affirm long held sympathies
with the thoughts of writers and philosophers such as Camus, Sartre and
Burroughs, and the profound wisdom of eastern philosophies such as Taoism
and Zen. The music here looks for a sense of inner being that one can only
find in quiet isolation.
Robin Story, Newcastle upon Tyne, 5 June 2009
Melancholic Songs of the Desert is Rapoon's first new release for
Soleilmoon since the "Alien Glyph Morphology" tryptich (DVD, 2x 10 inch,
CD) released between 2005 and 2008. It's presented in a hand made, screen
printed folder and is limited to 500 copies.
Rational Academy, The - Swans CD (Room40) [RMSG006] $14.75
RELEASE DATE: 06-29-2009
After a year of touring, countless collaborations and time spent in
hibernation writing, Australia's psychedelic avant-pop collective The
Rational Academy return with their sophomore release Swans. With Swans The
Rational Academy set fire to the edges of deconstructed pop, producing a
record that typifies their unique vision of richly textured song. Colliding
their trademarked harmonic density with a shimmering blur of distinct
sonics, this collection is alive with luminous psychedelic anthems, acidic
space-dirges, and depth-charged pop experimentation. It is an album that
delivers a compelling journey through the outer rim of song-form and
melody. Swans also sees the Academy working closely with producer and
arranger, Lawrence English - a collaboration that sought reinvention and
transformation, each of the songs being built up and peeled back numerous
times to reveal hidden melodies, unusual rhythms and delicate processing.
It also features contributions from post-everything musician Mike Cooper
and Australian icon Heinz Riegler. Swans, the second release in Someone
Good's â~@~X!0 Songs In 20 Minutes' series, glows with a charismatic energy
and organic playfulness that confirms The Rational Academy's place as one
of Australia's most progressive pop outfits.
Press: "This album reaches the parts Sonic Youth can't quite..." - Everett True, Plan B (UK)
"A meticulously crafted album that will have you begging for more - until then, the repeat button will have to do. 4.5" - Time Off (AU)
"There is
a fundamental difference between the motivations of experimental artists
and a pop band: While the former demand respect, the latter want to be
loved. The Rational Academy might see both dreams fulfilled at the same
time with their very first album." - Tokafi (GER)
Refuse To Die - Collection Of Agnostic Flies CD (The Eastern
Front) [10448] $18.00
Edition of 500 copies. Special 3 panels folded cardboard packing.
Pressed
CD. Release date: September 2008.
Neo cabaret/Industrial/Avant-garde
This album is a hidden treasure of Israeli underground scene.
Industrial cabaret. Industrial Dada! Futuristic collection of Refuse To
Die music shadowed by operas samples, noisy and heavy sounds alternated
with cabaret tradition accompanied by ironical verses on mix of English,
German and Hebrew languages.
Rene Lussier/Martin Tetreault/Otomo Yoshihide - Ä?lektrik
Toboggan CD (Victo) [VICTO115CD] $14.00
"3 Musiciens. 2 Guitares Ä?lektriks. 3 Tourne-Disks. 1 Spy-Mikrophon.
201
Spektateurs."
Resignation (Nordvargr) - 1897 CD (Old Europa Cafe) [10459]
$20.25
Icy winds blowing in from the north as a blizzard is approaching. An
old 78
rpm acetate record stuck in a scratch. Fading memories of brave men and
grand ideas. The relentless beat of a lonely drummachine. All these
elements are important parts of the unique soundpalette of Resignation.
Consisting of Sweden's most prolific musician Henrik Nordvargr Björkk
(MZ.412, Folkstorm, Toroidh, HH9, Econocon, Vargar, Marvargr...) and
debutant N-G Ekholm, the newly formed constellation is pushing the
boundaries of what both ambient and techno is all about.
"We are
inspired by the final word in the Swedish hero SA Andrée's diary
-"Resignation" and want to recreate the sound of that era of great
exploaration and bravery, but in a modern way." "NG Ekholm"
Rio
en Medio - Frontier-Deluxe Edition CD (Manimal) [mani012] $11.25
RELEASE DATE: 06-29-2009
Written in the snow solitude of the woods - its subject imagines an
awakening & an evolution through human spiritedness, the raw choosing of
life in the face of wonders, terrible & sublime, dreamed & actual.
Traversing wildernesses, imaginary & tactile, mystical & cinematic, a
transformation occurs from star matter to actual human heart. This deluxe
edition CD includes three previously unreleased bonus tracks & a video for
the track "The Umbrella".
Risil - Non Meters Vol. 1 CD (Important) [IMPREC218-2]
$13.00
RELEASE DATE: 06-23-2009
Function: adjective. Etymology: Latin resilient, resiliens, present
participle of resilire to jump back, recoil, from re-salire to leap.
Characterized or marked by resilience: a: capable of withstanding shock
without permanent deformation or rupture. b: tending to recover from or
adjust easily to misfortune or change Risil is a collective of musicians
that are all somehow connected to each other in some form or fashion.
Risil's membership includes Guillermo Herren (Prefuse 73/Savath &
Savallas), Zach Hill (Hella), Tyondai Braxton (Battles), John McEntire
(Tortoise), Alejandra Deheza (School Of Seven Bells), Eva Puyuelo Muns
(Savath & Savalas). The project started as a chance for a large number of
people to freely collaborate without a set goal for the end result or
achieving a certain sound.. This turned into about 50 songs with possibly 5
different versions of each within a year. Therefore, this is the first
volume of Risil recordings, they are split into three volumes based on the
time each piece was made and the players who worked together the most
during each period of open time.
Robin Guthrie - Songs to Help My Children Sleep CDEP (Darla)
[DRL228] $7.25
RELEASE DATE: 09-28-2009
Available 10/1/09. Limited to 1000. Digipak. Tracks: 1. Laughter in the
Dark 2. Fireflies 3. White Bear in Honolulu 4. Misty
Royal City - Royal City CD (Asthmatic Kitty) [AKR47] $13.25
For a generation of Guelph music fans, ROYAL CITY was something akin to
a
supergroup. From his early teens AARON RICHES had been a figurehead of the
city's hardcore punk scene, fronting numerous politically charged punk
bands and promoting DIY gigs (including one of Fugazi's first Canadian
shows). Tracing punk's spiritual heritage back to Woody Guthrie and Bob
Dylan, Aaron found himself drawn to the acoustic guitar and began writing
softly strummed songs about streetlights and Shakespeare and dogs and
broken hearts, all sung in his creaky, distinctive voice. This previously
unreleased collection of songs tells the story of "Royal City."
Rusted Shut - Dead CD (Load) [LOAD123] $14.25
RELEASE DATE: 06-30-2009
***Houston's RUSTED SHUT has been at it in one form or another since
1986
at least. This record is the work of a band determined to work out some
difficult shit, so bear witness. Dead is not for the faint of heart or
those with weak kidneys. DON WALSH spins a negative vortex of such power
that clothing, food wrappers and other loose items are easily sucked into
its encompassing downer orbit. The music backing this maelstrom references
hard rock superheroes with no sense of fidelity: The tinittus of Lemmy
Kilmeister and the cochlea pain of GG Allin.
Samara Lubelski - Future Slip CD (Ecstatic Peace) [E#110]
$10.25
"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. Our story is already in progress
as of the late '90s. NYC native Lubelski's howling,
droning/pizzicato/Psycho violin rides atop Neu! inspired beats and
alongside budget guitar arpegiations in the group Hall of Fame -- a band
excellently obsessed with the second Red Krayola LP, Gamelan orchestras,
and amassing bewildering piles of equipment and cables onstage.
Occasionally she picks up the guitar and sings a 'proper' song, though it
is only partly discernable among the rumble and flicker. Like some sort of
two-way prism, all of the components of what would eventually be called the
New Weird America passed through the Hall of Fame/Tower Recordings
bottleneck in New York. The beardo folk, the freeform improvisation, the
krautrock, heavy psych, 20th century avant-garde, ethnographic field
recordings, the Godz, the Fugs. This rainbow of influences was all turned
into a single blistering white light on free Monday nights at the Cooler
and gallery parties. The scattered releases made by Hall of Fame/Tower (the
latter of which Samara joined) were glued to turntables from Atlanta to
Brattleboro, and their influence passed outward into a variegation of
likeminded fellow-travelers. After those bands ended, Samara made the
crucial In the Valley album (with M.V. producing) and then announced she
was going to make a pop record. Over the course of 3 LPs on the Social
Registry label, the occasional murmur from the Hall of Fame days became a
full-blown songwriting affair. Samara found a working method that she
continues with to this day: Cutting basics in her second home of Stuttgart,
Germany with members of psych-freakers Metabolismus and bringing the tracks
back to New York to collaborate with her U.S. cronies, which this time
includes PG Six, Helen Rush, Steve Shelley, Willie Lane, Nicolas Vernhes,
Werner Notzel, Moritz Finkebiner, and Thilio Kuhn. In 2007 longtime fan
Thurston Moore recruited Samara and her violin skillz for his Trees Outside
the Academy album and tour. Familiar with the solo work, Thurston wanted to
hear a new type of record from her: more confident, bolder. He offered an
Ecstatic Peace! release if he was allowed to produce. Samara poached
drummer Steve Shelley for her band, adding the missing backbeat to a swarm
of overdubs. Thurston produced the mix sessions; lying sick on the couch
calling out for more and more elements to be louder until a wonderfully
aerodynamic version of the songs flew forth. 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."
Satanismo Calibro 9 - Supernova CD (Old Europa Cafe) [10463]
$16.75
Here comes the new Italian cult project for Infernal Industrial !
Supernova" is the third full album by Satanismo Calibro 9. First on Old
Europa Cafe. It's a new start after "Satan Makes Me Pregnant" (on
OpenWound) and "The Decline ". Drones, dark heavy beats, rotting and
noisy,deep distorted guitars, bleak ambient, all mixed with obscure vocal
lines. "Supernova" is a morbid and cold ritual, walking through paths close
to a world below, down there where humanity shows its worst faces. This is
just an apetizer for the forthcoming real official CD album.
Satanismo
Calibro 9 started its activity during fall/winter 2005/2006 as solo project
of Doktor Pery, later, also Lara, Gnosis, Henker, Plague and Ciano joined
the band. Let's tell the band : "We don't need particular inspirations from
occult readings and believes: we play in the same way we live." On stage
Satanismo Calibro 9 wears long black tunics covering faces and bodies,
erasing every personal identity. Only hands are (sometimes) visible: it's a
way to concentrate attention on the long disturbing session performed on
stage.
Savath & Savalas - La Llama CD (Stones Throw) [STH2215CD]
$14.50
"Guillermo Scott Herren's albums as Prefuse 73 brought him a worldwide
audience, critical praise, and inspired a generation of producers whose
names are now commonplace on 'Year End Best' or 'Names to Watch' lists. But
Herren's first album on Warp, a label synonymous with Prefuse's signature
sound, wasn't a 'beat' album, but a key introduction to a most intriguing
portion of Herren's multi-faceted musical persona: Savath and Savalas.
Following two albums over five years on Warp, Herren has chosen to take a
fresh approach with Savath and Savalas, releasing La Llama with Los
Angeles-based Stones Throw Records. Herren, with Eva Puyuleo Muns and a new
addition to the band, Roberto Carlos Lange, were inspired on La Llama by a
shared love for South-American psychedelic music and the early '70s
independent music scene that had briefly flourished in Recife, Brazil."
Serengeti & Polyphonic - Terradactyl CD (Anticon) [ABR0094]
$13.25
SERENGETI & POLYPHONIC's Terradactyl is about place-losing place,
mostly,
struggling to find it again, and succumbing to the fact that it's cold, and
surprisingly lonely, dressed in the human condition. Serengeti, heretofore
a master of on-record character acting, appears as his most vulnerable
self: wedged between a dream and a series of day-jobs, between a failed
marriage and raising new life, inside of a large family with fractured
ties, and split between two distinct racial/economic paradigms. His cracked
abstractions (this is no "poor-me" man's hip hop diary) paint him as
homeless, at times literally, while weaving their meaning into the much
larger loom of universal displacement. And as on this duo's 2007 debut,
Don't Give Up, worldly beat-maestro Polyphonic makes beauty out of so much
madness. Features guest ADAM "DOSEONE" DRUCKER, SUBTLE, THEMSELVES and BUCK
65. Live shows planned, including support dates for Themselves, Why? LP
version to be released 7/14/2009. No exports to Canada, UK/Europe, or Japan
Siena Root - A New Day Dawning CD (Rockadrome) [ROCK025CD]
$13.50
"We are proud to be able to bring you the fantastic 2004 debut album
from
one of Sweden's most talented hard rock groups. Their finely honed sound is
firmly planted in the classic heavy rock of the early '70s and draws on
influences from groups like Led Zeppelin, Captain Beyond, Jethro Tull,
Blind Faith and Deep Purple! These guys sound so convincing you'd be hard
pressed to tell them apart from those that influence them or early '70s
rock groups like Aunt Mary, November, Host, Kalevala, Young Flowers and
others with that vintage Scandinavian heavy prog style. These guys are pure
old school, right down to the fully analog recordings and tasteful use of
organ and flute. Everything they release is of high quality, but this is
probably their heaviest album overall and a good starting point because it
just truly is a total and complete monster from start to finish! It's a
no-brainer that fans of Witchcraft, Dead Man, Graveyard, Dungen, etc..
should check this out, but also just about anyone into classic '70s hard
rock and prog would being doing themselves a disservice not to give this a
listen. You'll be glad you did. This will be the band's first North
American release!"
Sinking Steps Rising Eyes - Majestic Blue CD (Init) [INIT18]
$4.50
SINKING STEPS RISING EYES present their long awaited debut full length,
a
collection of songs, it's more inline with a musical composition; with
traces of their roots in hardcore. Clocking in at over 40 minutes, the
album feels organic and life like, songs seem to have personality. Vocals
are few but each song seems to speak volumes. The album is as brutal as it
is serene, with comparisons to bands like Denali, Isis, Mogwai, and the
Blackheart Procession. The songs are crafted with guitar, bass, piano/keys,
flute, melodica, vocals and drums.
Six
Finger Satellite - Half Control CD (Load) [load125cd] $13.00
RELEASE DATE: 06-29-2009
Archival 2001 recordings from Providence's finest square peg. Half
Control
veers sharply away from the krautrock stylings of 1998's Law Of Ruins with
a lineup that is hotwired. The band is now a bastardly other brother,
including LANDED's most regular rhythm section grafted onto SFS's singer
Jay Ryan and drummer Rick Pelletier.
Skare - Solstice City CD (Glacial Movements) [GM005] $16.00
Skare is the collaboration of Mathias Josefson (Moljebka Pvlse),
Fredrik
Olofsson and Per Ä--hlund -- all fascinated by the circulation of water,
snow and ice. The metamorphosis from gas to floating liquid to snow to
solid ice through freezing, the light reflecting from the snow and filtered
through the ice as a prisma and most of all the sound of this ever ongoing
circle. Skare's first album, Solstice City, is an interpretation of a
journey through a shifting landscape where the city meets nature. Departing
from a distant and foreign shore, the traveller embarks a ship, uncertain
of his destination. This prelude, introduced vividly in "To the other
shore", releases this pilgrim to further explore yet unchartered
territories. Leaving all man-made conventions, the second track "Through
Wind and Broken Ice" takes us where the city imitates nature. Finally, a
factory appears in the whiteout; a place where angels are manufactured as
presented in the final track "The Snow Angel Factory"... The vehicles used
by Skare on this journey are field recordings, found sounds and treated and
manipulated instruments. All sound material has been digitally processed
and arranged at Studio 3, EMS in Stockholm, Sweden.
Sleep of Oldominion - Hesitation Wounds CD (Strange Famous)
[SFR023] $13.25
RELEASE DATE: 06-30-2009
***SLEEP (CHRIS TAFOYA) grew up in the old-school Mexican community of
Farmington, NM. By the age of 9 he was writing and performing his own raps.
Co-founder the OLDOMINION CREW, a conglomerate of hip hop artists based out
of the Pacific Northwest, Sleep and his people have been putting it down
for Seattle and Portland for the past decade. Sleep first made a name for
himself with his lighting-quick delivery and dominant stage presence, but
after releasing two solo albums (Riot by Candlelight, Christopher) it was
the strength of his songwriting that earned him a devout following in the
underground scene. Hesitation Wounds features guest appearances by DEL THE
FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN and GRAYSKUL, and boasts the production credits of
REANIMATOR, ZEBULON DAK and SMOKE. The album contains a mix of samples,
live instrumentation, and a myriad of styles that all assist in the
storytelling of a lifelong hip hop veteran who has much more to offer the
game than brag raps. This is real life in all its complexities, compressed
into thirteen solid tracks, and delivered in a way that only Sleep could
do. No Exports Outside of The USA.
Sleepy Sun - Embrace CD (ATP Recordings) [ATPR033CD] $14.00
Formed in Santa Cruz and now based in San Francisco, the intense sextet
of
Sleepy Sun release their breathtaking debut album, Embrace. Whether droning
madly, spiralling into cascades of infinitely-echoing vocals or kicking
back with their blissed-out take on classic Americana rock, Sleepy Sun are
a band that has made many sit up and take immediate notice. Recorded in
Vancouver, British Columbia, in January 2008, the album embodies the
quintessential sound of West Coast psychedelia updated for the late
noughties. "Golden Artifact" was conceived in the band's Santa Cruz living
room, nicknamed The Dungeon for its low ceilings, low lighting, and various
smells, and sounds like a dark incantation, "Lord" is a beautiful,
melancholy, shuffling piano-tinged ballad, warmed by the light of the sun,
and "New Age" harkens Brightblack Morning Light's hazy harmonies, ending
with a thunderous freakout, written after watching every Hellraiser and Jim
Henson film in succession. Comprised of Brian Tice (drums), Jack Allen
(bass), Rachael Williams (vocals, haberdashery & interpretive dancing) Bret
Constantino (vocals & harmonica), Evan Reiss (guitars) and Matt Holliman
(guitars), the band met in the counter-cultural hub city of Santa Cruz,
California, citing pizza, horticulture, and Neil Percival Young as common
interests. Drawing musical inspiration from Black Sabbath, Creedence
Clearwater Revival, Can and Creation Records, they forged their sound in
intense jam-sessions, as heavy and as beautiful as redwoods meeting the
ocean.
Slumberwood - Yawling Night Songs CD (A Silent Place) [10456]
$18.00
a meditation on the possibilities of today - the good, the bad, and the
hideously weird. For all the bizarre forays into psychedelia, weird folk,
and instrumental rock, Slumberwood is most effective at their most simple.
Soccer Committee & Machinefabriek - Redrawn CD (Machinefabriek)
[mf01] $16.50
Soccer Committee & Machinefabriek's 'Drawn' album remixed and covered.
Tracks:
Delving deeply into the history of the earliest recording methods through mechanical phonographs, Stephan Mathieu created a method using wax-cylinders, the predecessor of records, as well as 78s, which have a larger frequency range, to create his music through playback of these pieces of musical history. With a setup consisting of playing the cylinders through two portable gramophones, and then sending them directly into the computer by microphone, Mathieu was able to record the sounds, and perform software processing in realtime, rendering a resulting flow of deteriorated angelic elegance, decomposed beauty, and reborn awakenings.
From this result, Taylor Deupree worked with the recordings, adding acoustic instruments and vintage synthesizer; adding-to, while still maintaining the physicality of the 78s, opening the range of the tracks through unalloyed analog contributions. Upon first listening, it might be thought that the contributions of Taylor Deupree were merely additions to original material, but when listening further, once the music has breathed openly, it can be heard actually how much the cylinder recordings of Stephan Mathieu shape the open pathways of Deupree's acoustics, allowing for a breadth of incredible range. Not merely a compliment, but a modern counterpart.
Through nearly 48 minutes of music, self-described as warm and enveloping, these sounds represent the pivotal movements of the unique, the saturated, and the exploratory, all colliding in what may be sometimes a wave of revolving fuzz, swirling melodies of the supernatural and the human, the delicate echoes of single revolutions, and gentle plucks of the guitar. It is both a conversation, and a translation of both sides. Transcription, after all, means notating the unnotated.
The result of the century-apart sources combined with the methodology and talent of these two leading experimentalists creates an immutable, impressing magnetism, while still balancing so gently on the vibrations of the decayed, and the frail humanity of the past.
(text by Will Long / Celer)
Stephan Moore - To Build A Field CD (Deep Listening) [DL040CD]
$12.25
"Stephan Moore has spent the last five years touring with the Merce
Cunningham Dance Company as a core member of their live band, alongside
such notables as Christian Wolff, Takehisa Kosugi, David Behrman, John
King, and William Winant. At the same time, he has been collaborating with
a number of younger choreographers to create sound scores for their
performance works. To Build A Field collects the best of these pieces,
drawn from six of his commissions by four very different choreographers.
The CD's title refers to Moore's view of his role in these collaborations:
designing and executing sonic structures that define the emotional and
rhythmic topography of time. Each track negotiates a balance between
acoustic sound sources and electronics, live performance and studio
composition, and human vs. algorithmic control of sound materials. Time is
continually bent into new shapes, challenging the listener, and his
collaborators, to think beyond the easy comforts of a regular tempo, and
confront rhythm as texture instead of a reliable grid. Brooklyn-based sound
artist Stephan Moore's recent musical work centers around the collection
and use of real-world sound, the creation and perception of sonic
environments, and technological manifestations of improvisation and
interactivity. He develops his own performance software and builds
point-source loudspeakers for use in his performances and sound
installation work. His current ongoing collaborations include the
Xenolinguistics performance project with visionary video artist Diana Reed
Slattery, projects with choreographers Yanira Castro and Kimberly Young and
performance artist Kyle DeCamp, sound design for the Nerve Tank theater
collective, and the performing/recording duo Evidence with sound artist
Scott Smallwood. He curates a concert series at the Merce Cunningham Dance
Studio called Experiments in the Studio, and co-curates an annual
month-long Floating Points festival of performances and sound installations
at the ISSUE Project Room in Brooklyn, pairing the permanent
sixteen-channel installation of his Hemisphere speakers there with diverse
artists."
Steve A Roach - Deeper Silence CD (Timeroom Editions) [10413]
$15.25
This new long-form zone billows out like a big sigh of time, breathing
steady and strong. Minimal and infinite in its essence, like all of Steve's
long-form zones this is a functional soundworld specifically created to
enhance the atmosphere of your personal sanctuary, your living environment
and beyond. Lower volume playback increases the potency. This sound space
serves as a kind of portal to states of subtle awareness, and is perfect
for the support of deeper sleeping as well.
Steve Roach - Landmass CD (Timeroom Editions) [10412]
$15.25
LANDMASS is a surreal shape shifting grand adventure in sound, morphing
through a constantly altering perspective giving witness to the creation of
iconic landscape formations, stone monuments and massive alluvial desert
plains, and the occasional pyroclastic flow.
This is the 20th release
on Steve Roach's Timeroom Editions, which marks its 10th anniversary this
year. LANDMASS was selected especially for this occasion, and is presented
in a beautiful six-panel Digipak.
Stone Breath - Silver Skein Unwound Expanded CD (Hand / Eye)
[H/E045] $13.75
Rural acid folk, informed by the furrowed fields and green forests,
shaded
by falling leaves and falling dreams; time-worn, weird, blood-red, rattled
and ragged. Sparse in places with thick tangled drones in others, aged in
mouldy oak barrels for flavor, hidden from the sun, decayed, withdrawn.
Here expanded with a previously unreleased song from the same
sessions-includes the original illuminated color lyric booklet housed in
special packaging.
Stratvm Terror - Pain Implantations CD (Old Europa Cafe)
[10460] $20.25
Formed by aggression and pain the aptly titled CD 'Pain Implantation'
is
probably a good description of the music, given the focus of the approach.
Sparse and suffocating atmospheres float forth while distorted sicken tones
are injected. The opening track lulls the listener into a false sense of
relaxation before the distorted frequencies leap out to reek havoc on the
listeners cerebral area. The music throughout the disc pounds on your skull
without mercy and then slows down before the next eruption, ripping through
your ears jamming them with feedback and beats tearing the mind apart.
Every track has a nerve grating, tympanic membrane agitating attraction,
sonically careens off of the interior fortress of the body.
Stratvm
Terror is Peter Andersson of Raison d'être, Necrophorus, Bocksholm, Atomine
Elektrine etc. and Tobias Larsson of Ocean Chief. 'Pain Implantations' were
originally released in 1998 on Malignant Records as the second CD album
release of the band. This re-release from Old Europa Cafe, totally
refurbished from the original master and added with two more songs, is
presented with complete new artwork. Total disc duration is 77 minutes.
Stratvm Terror - Genetic Implosion CD (Old Europa Cafe) [10461]
$20.25
Long time sold out and very requested album, finally here comes the
re-print. The powerful side project by Peter Andersson aka "Raison D'Etre".
7 studio tracks & for the first time on digital format 3 live tracks
recorded in 1998 during the Nursery Injection Festival in Stockholm. The
sound is getting more harsh & powerful than on the two previous cd
releases. 56 minutes of great and uncompromising power-electronics. Dark
and painful sounds with few filtered voices coming from a cold hell. All
implosions treated by: Peter Andersson and Tobias Larsson between 1997-1999
Stratvm Terror - Fixatrion CD (Old Europa Cafe) [10462]
$20.25
Full length album for this great Sweden power industrial duo & Raison
D'Etre side project, 3rd ST album produced on OEC! Fixation is in our mind,
and the world may be a cruel place just as reflected in "Fixation". This
album mainly contains unreleased material recorded in 1998-1999, in the
vein of the earlier CD album "Genetic Implosion" but way more harsh and
brutal, there are also two completely new tracks recorded in 2004 showing a
change in direction by combining doom metal and industrial elements in a
masterful way, moreover there is a live track recorded at "Nursery
Injection Festival" in Stockholm 1998 ... "Fixation" may damage your health
but that won't kill you, only for an hour. And maybe you have learnt
something afterwards.
Sun
Araw - Heavy Deeds CD (Not Not Fun) [NNF169] $13.25
SUN ARAW (aka CAMERON STALLONES of MAGIC LANTERN) delivers a new album
to
coincide with an extensive European tour with Pocahaunted. CD includes the
bonus track "Hey Mandala!," and is limited to 500 copies. Vinyl is limited
to 600 copies.
Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer CD (Jagjaguwar) [JAG140]
$13.25
SUNSET RUBDOWN was once the moniker under which SPENCER KRUG released
low
fidelity solo recordings. The project has long since evolved into a full
band, and Dragonslayer is the third full-length recorded by the whole
group. With the new album, Krug wanted to try something completely
different. It was a very conscious decision, and not a "natural
progression." The result is an album that feels honest, natural, and
straightforward. The musicianship is left in the open, unassisted by studio
magic, and the songs are left to justify for themselves their own screwy
pop-rock existence.
Surma - Allocutio CD (The Eastern Front) [10451] $18.00
Edition of 300 copies. Special 2+ panels folded cardboard packing.
Pressed
CD. Release date: December 2008.
Neofolk/Dark ambient/Martial/Industrial
New album of very young Ukrainian project
Surma. Martial ambient sounds mixed with industrial elements and nostalgic
old samples.
Tarab - Take All The Ships From The Harbour, And Sail Them
Straight Into Hell CD (23five) [23FIVE014] $13.00
Corroded locations where mankind has scarred the surface of the Earth
feature prominently in the work of Melbourne based sound artist EAMONN
SPROD, documented through field recording and sympathetic actions with
found objects from those sites. One such location that features prominently
in Take All of the Ships... is Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay. Once
the home of an immigration station at the turn of the 20th Century and
later a Nike Missile site for the US military, Angel Island now rests in
the hands of the US National Park Service, which has left some of the
buildings to succumb to the forces of decay. From the sounds culled from
this site and others closer to his antepodean home, TARAB diligently
overlays and stitches together a highly tactile composition with very few
digital treatments. As the opening ominous rumble, with its frequencies
appearing to emerge from the center of the Earth and liquefying the surface
upon impact, ebb and flow, Tarab unveils a revolving series of exaggerated
details from a hyperbolic gash of two heavy pieces of metal grinding
against themselves to a toxic chorale of nighttime insects to sand, wind,
and surf detourned into sedimentary white noise.
The
Last Hour - The Last Hour CD (Intuition) [10442] $19.50
The Last Hour is the solo project of Roberto Del Vecchio ex-well known
Cold
Meat Industry act Gothica. The music is cold dark wave, played in an
atmospheric and romantic way (this is Italian!) with touch of harsh
industrial elements and modern electronica, combined with neo-classical and
soundtrack-like tunes. In some parts it reminds me a lot of classic
Hyperium releases ( Stoa, Anchoarge, Manic P) as well as such Projekt bands
as Lycia and Soul Whirling Somewhere or recent CMI signers like :Golgatha:,
Atrium Carceri , or even 4AD icons like This Mortal Coil , Dead Can Dance
and Clan of Xymox. Roberto creates music which paints an atmospheric
pictures in the listeners head. The whole album is true masterpice of art
somber
Thunderwheel - Credo CD (The Eastern Front) [10446] $18.00
Edition of 500 copies. Special 3 panels folded cardboard packing.
Released
on CD format. Release date: December 2008.
Surrealistic Industrial Instrumental Romance
This is a new project of Vadim Gusis a mastermind
of acknowledged Israeli project Chaos As Shelter and member of Agnivolok.
Thunderwheel musically differs essentially from Chaos Of Shelter and
Agnivolok and may surprise for the best. Igor Krutogolov (Kruzenstern &
Parohod, Agnivolok, Igor Krutogolov's Carate Band) and Slava Smelovsky
(Grundik + Slava, Crossfishes) feature on the reco
Tim
Olive - The Specialist CD (Em Records) [EM1085CD] $17.25
This is the debut full-length solo CD from Osaka, Japan-based
experimental
electro-acoustic musician, Tim Olive. The Specialist was recorded in
December 2008 and January 2009 in Osaka. Featuring Olive's microscopic,
meticulous sounds, produced with his electric guitar/bass hybrid machine --
essentially, a piece of wood with two magnetic pick-ups, a bass string or
two, and occasionally an unwound guitar string. No effects, just an analog
preamp. All reverb sounds are from springs and/or metal plates applied
directly to the pickups. Everything was recorded in real time, with
overdubs on only two tracks. There are no song titles, as the music is not
programmatic and the artist does not wish to impose any interpretations on
the listener. Inspired by the challenges he encountered during solo live
sets in Japan, Australia and Singapore, and with recording and performance
collaborations with artists such as Alfredo Costa Monteiro, Shinichi
Isohata, Katsura Mouri (BusRatch), Joel Stern, Adam Sussmann; plus
long-running duos with Jeffrey Allport, Bunsho Nishikawa and Kelly Churko,
The Specialist is the culmination of Olive's long artistic history; first
in his homeland of Canada as an improv guitarist, and into the heart of
Japan's experimental music scene. There is a fairly wide variety of dynamic
ranges, densities and approaches here, though all pieces are concerned with
texture and implied pulse, rather than tonality and metrical rhythm --
which the artist admits could be construed as a kind of specialism. The
title refers to the gentleman on the cover (the photograph looted from
negatives found in an abandoned building in Nagoya, with added color map
transparencies in slide frames) and not necessarily to the artist himself,
though the extraordinarily high level of work on this record implies long
years of specialized work with the smallest and most compelling of
resonances deconstructed from the guitar.
Tim
Sparks - Little Princess - Tim Sparks Plays Naftule Brandwein CD (Tzadik)
[TZ8143] $14.50
"Another fabulous CD of traditional Jewish music arranged for
fingerstyle
guitar and performed by the wonderful trio of Tim Sparks, Greg Cohen and
Cyro Baptista, whose CD Tanz was released in 2000 to great acclaim.
Focusing this time on the traditional repertoire of the great Klezmer
clarinetist Naftule Brandwein, the arrangements are delightful,
highlighting Tim's elegant guitar style and fine ear for detail and
harmonic sophistication. Naftule features colorful and lyrical music that
takes the Jewish tradition into the 21st century with style, originality
and a charming sense of wit."
To
Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie - Marlone CD (Kranky) [KRANK135CD] $12.75
"Marlone is the second album release from the oddly monikered duo To
Kill a
Petty Bourgeoisie. They are a pop band of sorts, in that their songs can
worm their way into your head and not leave, but they are certainly not a
group to be lumped in with the top 40 prattle that dominates the airwaves
nor the mediocrity that smothers the interwebs. Quite different from their
other releases, Marlone is a more organic and open work, allowing breathing
space for the songs to unfold and evolve; witness the slow, sinister burn
of both 'Villain' and 'Turritopsis.' And in quite a change of pace for the
group, they even deliver a straight ahead pop song with the brisk romp of
'In People's Homes.' What they assuredly are is a group that continually
explores the union of the light and the dark, the sweetness of the female
voice set against the salty backing tracks, always searching for the fine
balance between the calming and the equilibrium challenging."
Tom
Abbs & Frequency Response - Lost & Found CD (Engine Studios) [E031CD]
$12.75
"In his third outing leading the Frequency Response group, Tom Abbs
(Yuganaut, Cooper-Moore's Triptych Myth, Andrew Lamb Trio) takes you
through a mesmerizing mix of free-jazz, groove, third wave and noise. From
the heart wrenching title track 'Lost,' which congers the spirit of Albert
Alyer, to the Afro-rhythms and pentatonic melodies of the title track
'Found,' the music flows from one spectrum to another with ease. Harnessing
the power of percussionist Chad Taylor (Chicago Underground, Mark Ribot's
Spiritual Unity Band), violinist Jean Cook (Gena Rowlands Band, Ida), and
reed man Brian Settles (Tomas Fujiwara & The Hook Up), Abbs' haunting
compositions will pull at your heart strings and make you want to dance."
Tom
Brosseau - Posthumous Success CD (Fat Cat) [FAT0081] $13.25
TOM BROSSEAU's third full-length for Fat Cat marks a huge stylistic
shift
away from the spare, acoustic arrangements of his previous releases. Two
producers, ADAM PIERCE (Mice Parade) and ETHAN ROSE (Small Sails), helming
alternate tracks-along with a small army of guest musicians-help Brosseau
flesh and clothe his songs' sturdy skeletons, lending them breath,
presence, and limb-stretching immediacy. Unchanged, however, are Brosseau's
earnest wit, near-unearthly emotional grasp, and captivating,
vibrato-soaked voice. With Posthumous Success, Brosseau brings his best
group of songs into a sonically rich environment, and the result is
buoyant, well-crafted, and sprawlingly lovely-his most accomplished and
accessible effort to date.
Tomoko Sauvage - Ombrophilia CD (either/Oar) [either/3]
$11.50
"Sauvage, a Paris-based Japanese musician, uses water-filled porcelain
bowls for her electro-acoustic performances and compositions. The use of
hydrophones (underwater microphones) allows her to capture the subtle sound
of water waves and drops resonating in porcelain bowls. The serene,
contemplative aquatic soundscape is woven from these fragile materials." --
Wire magazine
"The music I love most right now is a preview of
Ombrophilia, the debut album by my friend Tomoko Sauvage, due from Seattle
label and/OAR later this year. Ombrophilia means 'an abnormal love of
rain'. Tomoko uses wooden cooking spoons to strike and stir Chinese rice
bowls filled with water. The wobbly, chiming vessels turn tuned water into
a sort of natural synthesizer, complete with organic forms of envelope,
modulation, pitchbend and decay. Track titles like 'Amniotic Life' reveal
that she's drawn inspiration from the fluid sounds of her recent pregnancy
- her own internal 'waters' and the new life moving within them. This is
super-quiet music, filled with something sweeter and sexier than rock's
morbid, normative love of pain. When Tomoko plays it live, water dripping
from a pierced polythene bag hung from the ceiling not only adds a kind of
random percussion, but scatters reflections off the lit water surface
across the walls and ceiling. The result is soothing, seductive and
sensual, like a long hot bath. I could soak in it forever." -- Momus, Wire
magazine
Tomutonttu - Tomutonttu CD (Fonal) [FR066CD] $16.00
Fonal Recods re-releases this long sold-out debut by Tomutonttu,
originally
released in 2007 by Beta-lactam Ring and previously only available in a 400
copies-only 220 gram vinyl format. Tomutonttu ("Dust Gnome") is a human
called Jan Anderzén, a visual artist and the leader of respected
avant-garde sound group Kemialliset Ystävät. Toy reed streams, mutilated
vocals and groovy loops of animal noise are some of the colors used to
create the whirling mess that is the lonely song of Tomutonttu. It is like
a confused and confusing detail of the Kemialliset Ystävät freedom-flow --
a microcosmos of strange sound creatures and dirt flying around in the
stereo space, interacting with a logic all of their own. Harkening early
electronic experimenters and avant composers of the past such as early Die
Tödliche Doris and Meredith Monk, this album is like listening to 500
library records all at once, or walking through a labyrinth of
motherboards, or laying on a scientist's table with electrodes attached to
your body while you are exposed to every noise, light, and color in their
various range of spectrums. Tomutonttu has collaborated live with Mike
Bernstein (Double Leopards, Religious Knives), Joshua Burkett, Tara Burke
(Fursaxa), The Skaters, Glenn Donaldson (Jewelled Antler), Sami Sänpäkkilä
(Es) and Clay Ruby (Davenport), and has recently played a series of
concerts for school kids at the planetarium in his home town of Tampere,
Finland.
Tomutonttu - Tomutonto CD (Fonal) [FR067CD] $16.00
Fonal re-releases Tomutonto, a long sold-out gem by Finland's
Tomutonttu
(Jan Anderzén), previously released on LP in 2006 by the Ultra Eczema
label. Anderzén is a visual artist and the leader of respected avant-garde
group Kemialliset Ystävät, whose primitivism and tribal noise inclinations
are reflected in these recordings. Echoed, chanting vocals, ethnic flutes,
droning or rushing electronics, ritualistic mantras, low intonations,
oscillations, ululations, sped-up tape squiggle, blistered bass tones and
thudded percussion are just some of what you'll encounter here, creating a
pastiche of sound of that will accompany you as you delve further and
further into the neon cave.
Tony Allen - Lagos No Shaking CD (Honest Jon's Records)
[HJR020CD] $12.25
The Honest Jon's label reissues this 2006 classic from Afrobeat
co-creator
and master drummer Tony Allen. The much-lauded Lagos No Shaking pays
tribute to the powerful sounds and rhythms of Allen's homeland of Lagos,
Nigeria, marking a return to the classic percussive stylings which harken
back to his seminal contribution to Fela Kuti's Africa 70 and Egypt 80.
This is the real thing -- raw and uncut, recorded in Lagos over 10 nights
with a 20-piece band, including the finest musicians in the city, not least
deep horn-blasting from Lekan Animashaun (Baba Ani) and Show Boy from the
killer Fela line-ups, and the palm-wine veteran Fatai Rolling Dollar, who
adds his throaty, commanding tones and throbbing agidigbo thumb piano to
four tracks. There are the R&B sensibilities of Yinka Davies and Omololu
Ogunleye; and Muritala Adisa adds touches of ewe, a form of spoken
praise-singing rooted in ancient Yoruba tradition. But the key element is,
of course, Allen's powerful, yet magnificently relaxed drumming, which
keeps everything in perpetual rocking motion, tempering the hard funk edges
of classic Afrobeat with earthier Lagosian flavors. Indeed, while the
album's observations on Lagos life are aptly tough and sardonic, this is a
warmer, more down-home, perhaps more humane album than anything Fela ever
produced. Afro-funk, stone-classic dance music in 6-minute chunks. The 2LP
version includes an extra track.
Tucker B's - Nightmares In The Key Of CD (((((WOW))))))
[LTID092] $13.50
The world's best Fantasy/Bi-sexual Hipster Rock Band return with their
new
record â~@~XNightmares in the key of (((((WOW)))))'. The album is the
band's fifth long player and was recorded with Burke Reid (The Drones, Jack
Ladder, Mess Hall, Gerling) at Big Jesus Burger Studios in Sydney.
Commencing with a caterwauling cacophony of doom, the album delves deep into the band's wide-eyed wonder of relationships. Candid and disturbing revelations set against a diverse backdrop, â~@~XNightmaresâ~@¦' at times re-visits the guitar thuggery of previous albums â~@~XChubby' and â~@~XBish Bosh II: The Bosh Bosh'. At other times the band strips away just a little of the sludge to reveal beautiful yet strange pop melodies, and weird, unsettling lyrical observations. For this is an album made by MEN.
Introducing to the world the band's newest member (and 27th drummer), Matthew Blackman (Charge Group, Purplene, Palace of Fire), â~@~XNightmares in the Key of (((((WOW)))))' also features synthesizer and jazz-saxophone performances by Chris Ross (Palace of Fire, ex-Wolfmother), and the vocal work of the limited yet talented Jack the Cockatiel (Satom â~@" the little bugger has been trying to work his way onto a Tucker B's album since 2002. You'd better comment favourably on his efforts or he will come to your house and peel your f***in' paint).
Tucker B's are celebrating their
fifteenth year together (sheesh!), and now find themselves at the peak of
their fantasy rock powers. Nightmares in the key of (((((WOW)))) wraps the
band's warped vision in pristine production and allows the strangeness to
shine.
Tulsa Drone - Songs Fom A Mean Season CD (Perpetual Motion
Machine) [PMM016] $9.00
NOW AVAILABLE!!! Richmond, Virginia's TULSA DRONE follow up their
acclaimed
2004 debut No Wake with ten blistering new songs of sonic invention and
emotional force. Songs From A Mean Season offers a volatile mix of bass
hammered dulcimer, electric guitars, bass, and percussion with subtle
brass, late-night organs and more. The soundtrack for a yet to be made film
about trains and rivers. Produced and engineered by SCOTT MINOR of
SPARKLEHORSE, who also guests on a few tracks. For fans of Dirty Three,
Mogwai, Grails, etc. Comes packaged in jewel case with a full color layout
and marketing top spine.
Various Artist - Zaum Vol. 1 CD (Psychonavigation) [PSY029]
$13.50
A selection of Italian ambient works, specifically composed for this
release. Compiled by Enrico Coniglio & Emanuele Errante, this is a stunning
mix of beat & non-beat pure ambient tunes that shift between isolationist &
glacial atmospheres. The album features music from internationally
much-admired artists such as Netherworld (Glacial Movements label owner),
Oophoi, Arlo Bigazzi (Materiali Sonori label), Alturo Stalteri, Luca
Formentini, IllÄ chime quartet, Con_cetta, as well as other brilliant
unreleased artists.For fans of Pole, Biosphere, Fennesz...
Various Artists - 300% Dynamite! CD (Soul Jazz Records)
[SJR043CD] $17.75
2009 repress. "Third installment in the immensely popular Dynamite
series
and, as you'd expect, it's packed with top tunes from the cream of
Jamaica's producers and artists. Here you'll find super heavy reggae funk
from the likes of Shark Wilson, Randy's Allstars, Lee Perry and Jackie
Mittoo (whose track 'Jackie's Theme' has never previously been released),
ska from Toots and The Maytals and Prince Buster, rocksteady from Byron Lee
and Hopeton Lewis, classic dancehall killers from Wayne Smith and Sister
Nancy, roots from Johnny Clarke and Augustus Pablo, calypso from Lloyd
Price and a sweet reggae version of Al Green's soul classic 'Here I Am
Baby'."
Various Artists - Miwak Twelve 2CD (Hymen) [10402] $17.25
the german project THE_EMPATH has been active since 1993 and he has
released several cd-rs and various compilation tracks. both calm and
powerful, his track is a beautiful introduction to miwak twelve; melodic
electronica with a krautrock feel combined with a pumping, sub-bass beat.
SLAM52 is a rising young star, presenting his blend of vicious dubstep,
dark amen breaks and industrial mayhem with 'frosd'. SOMATIC RESPONSES,
from wales, do not require a grand announcement to hymen records - as they
have been with us since the beginning; 'takayama' combines sharp electro
beats with relaxed soundscapes and energetic sequential work. while don
hill from chicago has been creating dark ambient music under the moniker
porteur de l'image since 1998, he recently formed MILLIPEDE. 'concevoir' is
a great example for what this project is up to: beat-oriented, dark, harsh
idm - a soundtrack for contemplation... watch out for his release on hymen
records in autumn 2009! DEFRAG (an acronym of defragmentation) is active
both as a musician and sound designer. his music features elements of
jungle, industrial and hard noise. 'the old growth' displays powerful
breakbeats, mighty pulsing bass and threatening soundtrackish synth layers
- a mesmerizing mixage! TONIKOM's 'the source' features a d'n'b basis
enriched with angelic choirs, an exotic theme and well-placed samples -
hello! 'sunurb' is a captivating dark ambient piece that only NEBULO can
create - thomas p. leads the listener into a parallel world where
everything is possible, nothing is real, and everything might happen...
DERU is benjamin wynn from los angeles who has released music with ghostly
international, merck, neo ouija, and mille plateaux, amoungst others. his
music is best described as an amalgamation of hip-hop, electronica and idm,
perfectly demonstrated on 'between you and me'. go dance on the volcano, as
long as it is not too late! thus spoke david thrussell... 'the hostman of
tyne' - a heavy distorted electro tune by BLACK LUNG. enjoy, while you can!
LOWFISH, a.k.a. toronto's gregory de rocher, has released six albums and
many singles on some of independent dance music's most influential labels -
he has also charted in north america and is noted for his punishing sets of
live electronics. his clinical production style is both very modern and
built on the dna of early new wave/idm. sometimes dark, often melodic and
multi-layered. 'wreckage' is pure intelligent electro, fast and impulsive -
let go! and keep moving with HPC's 'phoenix', where hard beats are balanced
with saturnine ambiance - another great strike from the norwegian project.
ACCESS TO ARASAKA from rochester, n.y. is a one man project who has
released several albums in digital format (so far). 'xt10.20zp9' is
excellent electronica, combining densely-layered atmospheres with complex,
intelligent beatwork and massive bass. since hymen records' early years
daniel myer a.k.a. ARCHITECT has known how to trigger a lower lip response
- 'awake' features complex, dense beats while keeping clicks, cuts, synths
and voices together. there is no other! DRYFT is a solo project of former
gridlock member mike cadoo, who is active since 1999 under that moniker. on
'vector step' melodious keyboard layers are pushed by varied rhythmic
patterns that induce relief and tension. cd1 is concluded by ben HECQ's
'sleep through the day', a mellow and slightly melancholic combination of
piano tunes, field recordings and gentle background strings...
cd2
opens up with COMBUSTION (marcelo baldin), an art director and sound
designer from brazil. 'building the house of vanity' is a soulful slow tune
featuring gentle guitar work and caro roth's feeling vocals. 'arrive with
eyes ablazed', a slow distorted electronica jewel shows GINORMOUS' ability
to melt tension and relaxation into one emotion. david thrussell appears
for the second time, now as SNOG, introducing a melancholic view about 'the
end of the world' as he sees it - backwards guitars, acoustic drums and
thrussell's distinctive voice result in a pop song with a spike only he is
able to create. dave tipper and mike wallis are active as CRUNCH since
2000. for miwak twelve they chose a remix by vent (dan havers a.k.a. dj
samurai / dc breaks and sam ashwell a.k.a. diagoro / abstrakt knights). the
vent mix of 'karot' - a bassy electro shuffle enriched with clicks, cuts
and chopped voices. 'breakstuff' is a collaboration between MAD EP AND
BRYCE BEVERLIN II, a multidisciplinary artist residing in minneapolis where
he explores various forms of art including free improvisational music, film
and video, poetry, public/private installation, and conceptual composition.
this alienated hip hop based track forces movement - in many different
directions... 'sacrifice' is a post-rock electronica anthem by KEEF BAKER,
where symphonic keyboard layers and distorted guitars amalgamate into an
enthralling wall of sound. his face and his real name are hidden but even
more interesting questions arise when somebody attempts to get into
BLACKFILM's complicated music structures. starting off in a somewhat
soundtrack perspective, blackfilm slowly builds up an incredibly dark
environment, in which fearsome ambiences co-exist with film-noir
references. evolving from downtempo electronic music to orchestral
paroxysms and, insanely, passing from down-pitched nothingness to frozen
urban landscapes - it becomes impossible to resist. let yourself sink in
the abyss... together with slam52, KARSTEN PFLUM represent the cutting-edge
of danish electronic music, paying with his music a tribute to the glorious
times of idm, without losing the focus on the future of the genre. recently
he became addicted to the wobble sounds of dubstep, and with 'capstone
switch' he even includes a pinch of slight breakcore - fast and dark, you
will love it! swiss project ABS6 uses his influences from d'n'b to hip hop
to breakcore without limiting himself to one style. 'premiers traitements'
is a great mixage of euphonic synth textures and click'n'cut broken beats.
with 'the bard', reid dunn a.k.a. WISP presents a beautiful straight but
complex track where well-placed drum and bass patterns meet orchestral
samples - the mood is atrabilious and sanguine at the same time. JEROME
CHASSAGNARD features a soothing piece of electronica with a lovely melody
line. 'timeless travelers' - a wonderful sound experience. a friendly
visitor from ant-zen: MIKA GOEDRIJK. the belgian one man project known from
his 'pellicules' release explores the borders between tribalistic body
music and electronic sound explorations with impulsive and dark 'sore
eyes'. a slow gloomy darkhop tune is showcased by s.talada a.k.a. MARCHING
DYNAMICS - a moving, actuating, threatening almighty bomb! 'intercession'
by ORPHX from canada, a techno-infused rhythmic dance track, displays the
ability of c.sealey and r.oddie to give extensive structures a value.
electronica pushed towards the dancefloor... did we say dancefloor? BIT
SHIFTER explores high-energy, low-bit music composed and performed on a
nintendo gameboy. the result is an unapologetically fun foray into an
evocative and distinctive sound set, executed on a console generally
misperceived as being technically limited. the lo-fi disco burner 'easy
prey' is a perfect example of how to get this console to groove! 'back in
town' by DEAD HOLLYWOOD STARS leads the listener to a cotton field in the
mississippi delta with shuffling drum beats and acoustic slide guitars -
but it might be possible an u.f.o. has landed just as alan lomax has made
this recording for the library of congress, because there are irritating
synthetic sounds here which definitely do not belong to the delta blues...
'jailbait rock' by END adds the big twang to this compilation - just
exactly what was missing - fast, dirty electrock'n'roll! and our party has
come to an end with TWENTY KNIVES - after entering the 'royal vomitorium'
and being attacked by a phalanx of beats, superposed melodies and
hysterical classic-influenced e-piano there is nothing left to say, except
for: change to cd1 and start all over again!
Various Artists - Mongolia: Songs And Morin Khuur CD (Ocora)
[OCORA560224] $18.00
"This selection of music from Mongolia features 'Long' songs (where the
voice covers a very wide register in a single breath), 'short' songs (very
lively in expression), Khoomii diphonic singing (where the performer sings
at least two notes at the same time) and works with the emblematic Morin
Khuur 'horse head' fiddle. They are all remarkable examples of artistic
expression, at times stupefying, from a fascinating nomadic culture with a
long and rich cultural tradition."
Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation I CD (Cocoon) [COR021CD]
$16.00
Cocoon's hotly-anticipated letter series of inspired dance-music
compilations reaches letter "I." Like each year, Cocoon and Sven Väth set
standards and cement reputations with a collection of the hottest and most
exclusive tracks in contemporary techno, having generated smash hits from
the likes of "Geht's Noch?" or "Mückenschwarm," as on previous installments
of the series. This edition is particularly focused on house, beginning
with the debut of eMT, a collaboration between Tobi Neumann and his partner
Matthew Styles, who will enchant the dancefloor with their warm, organic
sound. Lauhaus present their percussive and Detroit-dub style "Back To
Ipanema," while Secret Cinema lift hands in the air with the
highly-harmonic house tune "Kurzweil." Detroit's M_nus ambassador Gaiser
takes the path of reduced deepness with his hypnotic trip-house in "Am I,"
and this is not the only surprise: Matthew Edwards' aka Radio Slave's
highly-anticipated first track for Cocoon is a glorious Wild Pitch revival
with constant layers of sound, a pumping bass kick and an organ that would
even make DJ Pierre proud. And once again, Timo Maas lets you totally lose
yourself for 11 minutes with his space-y, alarm siren disco-funk. Twelve
more tracks reveal the best and brightest artists of this year, and those
who are sure to shine far into the future. Other artists include: Tim Green
& Emerson Todd, Chymera, Johnny D, Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts, Kabuto &
Koji, and Kollektiv Turmstrasse.
Various Artists - An Anthology Of Chinese Experimental Music
1992-2008 4CD (SR 265CD) CD (Sub Rosa) [SR265CD] $28.75
Sub Rosa presents a 4CD anthology of experimental music (1992-2008)
from
Mainland China (Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guilin, Hangzhou, Shenzhen,
Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Shanxi, Harbin), and from countries within the Chinese
area of influence, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Featuring 48 diverse artists, this collection is designed as a journey
through what is currently happening underground in these regions, tapping a
seemingly endless wellspring of new, hidden talent. It also looks at the
recent past and the key role of pioneers like Wang Fan, Dajuin Yao, and
also Hong Kong-based Li Chin Sung aka Dickson Dee who, for almost two
decades, has been spreading the word about experimental music in Mainland
China. This album was curated by Dickson Dee on Guy Marc Hinant's
invitation and includes an enlightening presentation on the short yet
intense advent and history of the Chinese noise explosion, co-written by
Zbigniew Karkowski and Yan Jun, The Sound of the Underground: An Overview
of Experimental and Non-Academic Music in China. The Chinese Cultural
Revolution (1966-1976) in one way or another eradicated most of the
existing and emerging culture in China. At the same time as intellectuals
were sent to rural labor camps, countless ancient buildings, antiques,
books, paintings and various artifacts were destroyed. This period created
an enormous intellectual, cultural and artistic vacuum in China --
destruction that in a sense, time is still healing. So the tradition of
music culture and especially non-academic, purely experimental music,
started from scratch sometime in the '80s. With the market economy
introduced in that decade and further media developments in the '90s, there
was an explosion in youth culture that had been held back for decades.
Movements and music scenes that previously never reached China -- for
instance, psychedelic music, punk or neo-Dada -- started to appear and
expanded at an astonishing pace. The birth of these alternative rock and
punk music scenes that later developed into even more experimental trends
is a direct result of global capitalism and profound change in China's
position within the World Order. Documented for the very first time, this
release provides a complete panorama of the roots and buds of an
ever-growing, promising experimental community in China and beyond, with
nearly 5 hours of music.
Various Artists - Tiny Mix Tapes Vol. 1: Darfur CD
(Tinymixtapes) [TMT001CD] $13.25
"It's been over six years since the War in Darfur officially began. The
UN
states that up to 300,000 lives have already been lost, with an additional
2.7 million driven from their homes. But while figures continue to rise,
awareness of the conflict has declined, with no significant improvements in
the area either. In fact, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an
arrest warrant in early March for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, which
resulted in 13 international relief agencies being kicked out of Darfur.
The consequences of this decision have been dire. So, it is with a sense of
urgency that we and 11 of our favorite artists present Tiny Mix Tapes Vol.
1: Darfur. This extremely limited-edition CD/LP compilation features 11
exclusive tracks recorded specifically for the comp and/or tracks that have
not been released elsewhere. 100% of the profits will be donated to the
International Rescue Committee, an 'independent, impartial, and secular aid
organization,' who are currently aiding Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad,
southern Sudan, and the Central African Republic. The LP version comes on
heavyweight vinyl, housed in a beautiful jacket designed by artist Keith
Kawaii, while the unique CD jacket was lovingly crafted by Stumptown
Printers, an environmentally responsible Portland-based print shop. The
comp was mastered by Carl Saff. We're not selling this compilation to make
an overt political comment on the situation in Sudan; our aims, like the
IRC, are humanitarian in nature. So, hopefully you'll take as much pleasure
in purchasing the comp as you will in listening to it." Featuring Jim
O'Rourke, Balroynigress, WHY?, Frog Eyes, Burning Star Core, Xiu Xiu, Mount
Eerie, Wooden Wand, The Flying Luttenbachers with Henry Kaiser, nmperign
and Dan Deacon.
Venetian Snares - Horsey Noises CD (Planet Mu) [ZIQ233]
$8.50
Hot on the heels of his new album, Filth, VENETIAN SNARES aka AARON
FUNK is
back with a new four-track EP entitled Horsey Noises. The title track
includes a vocal, and the B-side includes a remix of the song. Venetian
Snares has just completed a European tour with more than 15 shows promoting
the album and EP, including a headlining date collaborating with John
Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist) as "Speed Dealer Moms" at the
Bangface weekender. No exports outside North America and Japan
Warren Smith and the Composer's Workshop Ensemble - Old News
Borrowed Blues CD (Engine Studios) [E027CD] $12.75
"On Old News Borrowed Blues Warren Smith gathers the Composer's
Workshop
Ensemble to explore his approach to music, which he refers to as 'a little
bit inside, a little bit outside.' Starting the album out with an energetic
big band opener, 'Lock the Toilet Door,' the band follows up with 'Rivers
State Suite,' a polyrhythmic multi-segment tone poem inspired by a trip to
Nigeria. 'The Hungarian Gypsy Song' features a haunting melody on soprano
sax with tasteful backup from the rest of the band. After another more
traditional big band number, 'One More Lick for Harold Vick,' the album
closes with the sprawling avant 'Free Forms 1-4,' a less structured open
piece with intro bass work, a over the top baritone sax solo followed by
solos from other horns and vibes, and a closing poem read by Warren Smith."
We
All Want To - Back To The Car CDEP (Low Transit Industries) [LTID095]
$8.50
In 2007 Tim Steward from Brisbane's Screamfeeder released a solo album
and
put a band together to play the songs live. 2 years later the band had
written a whole set of new material and needed a new name. WE ALL WANT TO
was born.
The band consists of Skye Staniford, Dan McNaulty, Paul Daly, Todd Hutchinson and Tim Steward. All members swap instruments frequently which makes for a chaotic - but fun - live show.
WE ALL WANT TO spent 2008 touring and recording, getting ready for a big year in 2009. The band will release their debut EP Back To The Car in May, and their first full length album later in the year on Melbourne's boutique indie rock label Low Transit Industries.
WE ALL WANT TO is an Australian supergroup put
together by Tim Steward (Screamfeeder) after one of the songs from his solo
album won song of the year AND best indie song of the year at the 2007 Q
Song awards. Two members are teachers, one is a computer game designer, one
is a landscaper, and one does a bit of this and a bit of that. The band
runs on heavy fuel only. Almost all members play almost all instruments.
Recording of their debut pop masterpiece has commenced & is set for release
later in 2009.
Ween - All Request Live CD (Chocodog) [CDR1005] $14.50
WEEN and their touring band, recorded live in the studio, doing songs
requested by their fans. All Request Live was recorded in 2003 and features
tracks from the very beginning up to the now, including some tracks (Part 4
and Part 5 of "The Stallion") that were recorded especially for the CD.
From the the classic old school jam "Reggaejunkiejew" to the
should-have-been-a-hit "Stay Forever" to old Pod favorites like "Awesome
Sound" and "Demon Sweat," the sound and playing is fantastic. The highlight
for most Ween heads is the six minutes of "Where'd The Cheese Go," the
band's rejected Pizza Hut jingle turned filth fest.
Woolfy - If You Know What's Good Ya!! CD (Rong DFA) [RONGDFA10]
$13.25
If Ya Know What's Good For Ya! eloquently brings together varying
styles
and sounds to great effect. WOOLFY's vast knowledge and influences produce
a seamless blend of funk, pop music, dirty disco, rare grooves, and new
wave full of epic guitar lines and infectious lyrics. As an added bonus,
the CD includes classic nu-disco remixes by CARLOS HERNANDEZ and LEE
DOUGLAS, perfect for beach parties and late night sessions. Serviced to
Rong's and DFA's international promo lists. No exports to Japan
Yellow Swans - Mort Aux Vaches CD (Staalplaat) [MAV060CD]
$22.75
Cardboard cover, limited edition 500 copies.
Yeti - Issue # 7 Magazine+CD (Yeti) [YETI07] $10.25
Yeti returns with a 200-page perfect-bound book featuring interviews
with
artist JIM WOODRING, author LYNNE TILLMAN, SF-based band the NODZZZ, author
and screenwriter RUDY WURLITZER, also SF-based band the WOODEN SHJIPS, and
fiction by MIMI LIPSON. Plus a look at JOE BRAINARD's remarkable cover
illustration and design, a rare manuscript by ABNER JAY detailing his time
at the antebellum-fetishizing Stepehen Foster Center in Florida, GROUPER
talking to ILYAS AHMED, an account of the life and work of poet and
educator NANCY DUPREE, comics drawn by clients at Portland's Full Life
center for developmentally disabled adults, drawings by J. BRADLEY EARL of
WOODS/ Woodsist/ F*** It Tapes, and a look at the collaborative music of
BLACK TWIG PICKERS and JACK ROSE. JESSE STUDENBERG, and MICHAEL NEAULT. On
the 80-minute CD, there is rare and previously unreleased music from:
GROUPER, ABNER JAY, DUM DUM GIRLS, WOODEN SHJIPS, DUTCHESS AND THE DUKE,
JACUZZI BOYS, GREAT UNWASHED, NODZZZ, ZOLA JESUS, CRYSTAL STILTS, FINALLY
PUNK, 39 CLOCKS, THE BIBLE AIRES SPIRITUAL SINGERS, FRESH + ONLYS, MOON DUO
(AN AWESOME W. SHJIPS "OFFSHOOT" BAND), EXPLODE INTO COLORS, LIMES, ETERNAL
TAPESTRY, WOODS, CHRISTMAS ISLAND, some Jamaican gospel, and more.
[ D V D ]
Dee
Dee Ramone - History On My Arms DVD (Extinkt) [MVDV4818] $17.75
History On My Arms includes LECH KOWALSKI's 2003 documentary Hey Is Dee
Dee
Home? about the life and times of RAMONES bassist and all-star burn out,
DEE DEE RAMONE(1952-2002), with new bonus short films-History on My Arms
and Vom In Paris (each clocking in at just under half an hour), plus a
bonus CD. In Hey Is Dee Dee Home, Dee Dee recounts the now infamous story
about what happened between him, JOHNNY THUNDERS and STIV BATORS when they
got together in Paris in 1989 to form a super punk group. But what really
did happen? Kowalski invited VOM RITCHIE (now of DIE TOTEN HOSEN) to come
to Paris to explain the story as he remembers it. He was the drummer on
those sessions and affectionately and vividly differs with what Dee Dee
said, but somehow you get the impression that both of them are right. The
bonus CD entitled Dee Dee Blues is a re-mastered collection of guitar
recordings Dee Dee made in the early '90s, just for the fun of it with one
microphone.
Ione/Pauline Oliveros - Io And Her And The Trouble With Him DVD
(Deep Listening) [DL041DVD] $16.50
"Written and directed by Ione. Music and sound design by Pauline
Oliveros.
A collaborative venture among artists of all types, this 'dance-opera' is a
multimedia panorama of experimental theatre and technical virtuosity that
includes aerial ballet, masks, video projection, a sinister thousand-eyed
monster, and a highly imaginative electronic soundscape. The one-act story,
set in primeval time, retells the myth of Io from a matriarchal
perspective. Io, Argivian priestess, is transformed by a terrible spell and
roams the world, lovely but tormented. While enduring entrapment by Argus,
the terrible monster, she is befriended by the brilliant Bird who helps her
discover the key to her escape. Only upon her arrival in Khemt (Ancient
Egypt) does she begin to understand the true mystery of what her journey
has been about and its meaning for the future of the world."
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - From Her To Eternity DVD+CD
(Mute) [MUTE9401CD] $15.25
"Debut album that mixed the frenzy and power of his Birthday Party days
with dank, moody atmosphere. 2 CD collector's set featuring digitally
re-mastered album plus a DVD with a new 5.1 surround mix, corresponding
b-side tracks and a specially commissioned short film and extensive sleeve
notes."
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - The First Born Is Dead DVD+CD
(Mute) [MUTE9402CD] $15.25
"On his 2nd album, Nick Cave embraced the sound and feeling of rural
blues,
which had been an undercurrent in his Birthday Party days. 2CD collector's
set featuring digitally re-mastered album plus a DVD with a new 5.1
surround mix, corresponding b-side tracks and specially commissioned short
film and extensive sleeve notes."
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Kicking Against The Pricks DVD+CD
(Mute) [MUTE9410CD] $15.25
"On his 3rd album, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds teamed up with former
Birthday Party members and other guests for a covers album, paying tribute
to everyone from Johnny Cash to the Velvet Underground. 2CD collector's set
featuring digitally remastered album plus a DVD with new 5.1 surround mix,
corresponding b-side tracks and a specially commissioned short film and
extensive sleeve notes."
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Your Funeral My Trial DVD+CD
(Mute) [MUTE9411CD] $15.25
"Your Funeral... further explored Nick Cave's varied musical interests
and
also cemented The Bad Seeds as one of the most dynamic groups of this
generation. 2 CD collector's set featuring digitally re-mastered album plus
a DVD with a new 5.1 surround mix, corresponding b-side tracks and a
specially commissioned short film and extensive sleeve notes."
Phoenix Bodies - Too Much Information DVD+CD (Init) [INIT44]
$10.25
This CD collects all of the pre-Raise The Bullshit Flag recordings from
Indiana's PHOENIX BODIES. Included here is the tracks from the split CD/LP
with Enkephalin, the song from The Pacemaker Says To The Microwave
compilation, and their split 7-inches with Shikari, Tyranny Of Shaw, Raein,
and The Dream Is Dead, as well as a full live set from Dude Fest 2004 and
the seven-song demo. Also included is a bonus DVD of live sets from Dude
Fest 2004 and Summerslam Festival 2004 and a mini interview with the band.
This is the US version of this collection, packaged in a double disc jewel
case with an 8-panel booklet.
Various Artists - Punk In London DVD (Odeon Entertainment)
[MVDV4882] $17.75
This acclaimed feature length music documentary comes to special
edition
DVD featuring incredible live performances from: THE CLASH, X-RAY SPEX, THE
JAM, BOOMTOWN RATS, THE ADVERTS, THE LURKERS and many more! Digitally
remastered to the highest standard from the original 1978 negatives by BBC
Post Production, this access-all-areas documentary really captures the punk
phenomenon in all its raw power and energy. Featuring early live
performances and interviews with those who strived for anarchy in the UK,
Punk in London is a unique and powerful record of punk life as it really
happened in the late 1970's. Includes previously unseen bonus footage of
The Clash in Munich. Also included is with a retrospective interview with
director, WOLFGANG BULD and trailers for other Odeon documentaries.
[ H I S T O R I C A L ]
Barcelona Traction - Barcelona Traction CD (Picap)
[PICAP908601CD] $18.50
"1975 album, jazz-rock fusion."
Blind Blake - Bahamian Songs CD (Megaphone) [MEGA022CD]
$16.00
"Summer starts here with this absolute gem of a release from Megaphone.
Blind Blake's first ever CD including tracks that later went on to be
covered by everyone from The Beach Boys to Johnny Cash!. As label owner
Stephane Bismuth explains: 'I was introduced to Blind Blake's music by Joe
Loop, the man who for almost five decades hung onto Karen Dalton's earliest
known recordings (1962 private recordings now known as The Loop Tapes). Joe
had a cassette made from his heavy vinyl Blind Blake LP that had broken in
two halves. This broken LP is now bound by Scotch tape and gets played
whenever Joe needs a new cassette. I am glad I can now offer Joe the first
CD ever made out of Blind Blake's LPs, recorded in the 50s for the tiny ART
label.' Blind Blake was from the 30s to the 60s the singer and leader of
the house band at the Royal Victoria Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas. His music
was a strange mix of old island classics, more recent calypso compositions
and American ballads. His musicians combined jazz guitar licks with vocal
harmonies and West Indian rhythms, with the result that his recordings have
an easy humor and swing that few musicians from any continent can match.
This CD is drawn from a series of recordings made in the early 1950s. His
band The Royal Victoria Hotel Calypsos featured Dudley Butter (guitar,
maracas), Chatfield Ward (guitar), Freddie Lewis (lead guitar), George
Wilson (bass fiddle), and at times Lou Adams on trumpet. Its popularity
with tourists led to them being widely heard in the US, and they became an
inspiration to many folk revival musicians. Josh White and Johnny Cash
covered 'Delia,' Pete Seeger 'Foolish Frog,' Dave Van Ronk 'Yas, Yas, Yas,'
and 'Run, Come See Jerusalem' was done by dozens of groups, not to mention
Blake's influence on Harry Belafonte."
Cain - A Pound Of Flesh CD (Rockadrome) [ROCK024CD] $13.50
"Brand new reissue of this Minnesota band's classic collectable 1975
hard
rock debut album featuring an expanded 12-page booklet containing liner
notes, lyrics and photos! Includes 4 previously unreleased bonus tracks
from 1978 recordings that were to be a part of their never released third
album! No self-respecting '70s hard rock collection is complete without
Jiggs Lee's powerful raucous vocals and Lloyd Forsberg's stunning guitar
work. Heed the call all '70s rock fiends! Jiggs Lee is easily one of my
all-time favorite hard rock vocalists! For fans of '70s hard rock like
Aerosmith, Bad Company, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Truth and Janey, Granicus and
so on."
Christian Vasseur - Alam CD (Humming Conch) [Conch003]
$18.30
Christian Vasseur: archlute and voice 14 strings archlute by Anna
Radice
Recorded and mixed by Jacques Deregnaucourt in 1993. Mastered by Benjamin
Mraz at studio Ka, Fâches-Thumesnil in 2009
Cultural Decay - Eight Ways To Start A Day (singles & Demos) CD
(Sacred Bones) [SBR3002] $13.50
CULTURAL DECAY existed from 1980-1982. During their brief life span the
band released less than 20 minutes of recorded music. Pressed in editions
of 1,000 each on their own Sexy Robot Records, the band's collective
discography is comprised of a highly sought after 7-inch single and
two-song 12-inch EP. The latter was produced and features additional
accompaniment by future REVOLTING COCKS co-founder LUC VAN ACKER. The band
played a total of 15 gigs in local clubs-with like minded Belgian acts such
as Struggler, De Brassers, and Siglo XX-before disbanding. Sacred Bones
Records presents Eight Ways To Start a Day, the first official release in
close to three decades from this fabled Belgian coldwave band. Their sound,
a collision of ethereal one-note synth lines and dark post-punk aggression,
recalls the controlled ferocity of Crisis and The Southern Deathcult at
their best. The recordings on these releases comprise the band's entire
recorded output. Includes an extensive booklet including photos, liner
notes and a comprehensive band history from member JOSEPH V. Includes eight
bonus tracks.
DAF
- Das Beste von D.A.F. CD (Mute) [MUTE9414CD] $15.00
"DAF's 1980 album, Die Kleinen Und Die Bösen, Mute's first ever album
release, featured Robert Görl, Gabi Delgado-Lopez, Chrislo Haas and
Wolfgang Spelmans. Following the departure of Haas and Spelmans, the core
members of drummer, composer and programmer Robert Görl, and vocalist,
lyricist and strategist Gabi Delgado-Lopez continued as a duo and signed to
Virgin. It was at this time that DAF released their 3 most commercially
successful albums within an 18 month period, Alles Ist Gut, Gold Und Liebe
and Für Immer. Though operative for only a short time, the DAF sex machine
was extraordinarily productive and its impact on electronic music is deep
and lasting. In a whirlwind 18 months they released this trilogy of best
selling albums whilst pushing the boundaries of experimental and dance
music. Robert Görl and Gabi Delgado-Lopez briefly got back together in 1985
for 1st Step to Heaven and again in 2003 for Fünfzehn neue D.A.F-Lieder,
the 2009 tour is the first time they have toured extensively since the
early 80's and the first UK date for more than 25 years. While British
electronic pop pioneers were still mired in alienation or camp futurism,
DAF presciently combined disco and electronics in a new, distinctive
variant of the electro scene which was then current in groundbreaking New
York clubs. Either leathered up or stripped to the waist and glistening
with sweat, DAF looked as they sounded, all pumping muscle and sinew, the
very physicality of their music upturning the then current cliché that
equated electronics and alienation. DAF were the precursors of the
electronic body musics of Die Krupps and Nitzer Ebb, while their musical
reductionism gave techno minimalists the courage to pare music back to
beats and atmospheres."
Edgar Broughton Band - The Best Of The Edgar Broughton Band:
Out Demons Out CD (EMI) [EMI31067CD] $15.00
2001 reissue, originally released in 1986. "Though they're not as well
remembered as some of their contemporaries, British cult faves the Edgar
Broughton Band played a key role in the late-1960s/early-'70s U.K. rock
underground. As this compilation makes clear, they combined the unhinged
freakiness of Arthur Brown with early-Pink Floyd space-cadet tendencies and
raw, Stooges-like proto-punk for an arresting, idiosyncratic sound. Much of
the angular, blues-inflected material here would sound at home on an early
Captain Beefheart album, but there are also numerous low-key folk-rock
moments providing crucial contrast. The roots of everything from the
Birthday Party to the Swell Maps can be found here."
Fitz Gore & The Talismen - Fitz Gore & The Talismen CD (Plastic
Strip) [PSPCD714] $20.75
Jazzaggression and Plastic Strip Press are proud to present the rare
recordings of Jamaican born saxophone player FITZ GORE and his group THE
TALISMEN recorded in Europe between the years 1975-1979. The selection is
carefully picked by Gore's wife GISELA together with JOHAN FREDRIK LAVIK,
and LARS MOERCH FINBORUD and the material is sourced from three extremely
rare private pressed LP's Soundmagnificat (1975), Soundnitia (1975),
Soundmusication (1976), and the EP Soundnova (1979), all originally
released by Gisela's and Fitz's private label Gorbra Records, based in
Bonn, Germany. With one foot in the modal jazz tradition and the other one
deep in Jamaican and Ethiopian music, Gore and his Talismen created some
amazing spiritual afro-jazz which reminds of Mulatu Astatke, Dr. Lloyd
Miller and Pharoah Sanders or to put it in Gore's own category, Lion Rock.
Folkstorm - The Forgotten Tapes CD (Old Europa Cafe) [10457]
$20.25
After searching for an old Folkstorm recording in his vaults, Nordvargr
discovered more unreleased material than he was looking for: old recordings
from 1997 and 1998, all previously unreleased ! Now, after more than 10
years, these old recordings see the the light (?) of day. This is all harsh
gritty oldschool Folkstorm (the one we like the more !), served up fresh
and carefully remastered from the original analogue tapes. Also included
are the four tracks that was intended to be released as a spilt CD with
LHD.
Gordon Jenkins - Seven Dreams CD (Basta) [BASTA9190] $17.75
"Gordon Jenkins (1910-1984) was a renaissance music figure: composer,
arranger, conductor, and musician; recording artist, label executive,
producer, talent scout, and hitmaker. He worked with such legends as Frank
Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Nat 'King' Cole, and Harry Nilsson. Yet one
resume entry has remained quietly entombed: the 1953 concept album Seven
Dreams. An extended philosophical oratorio, the work is both powerful and
strikingly idiosyncratic. It is also immensely entertaining, and its wry
observations are timeless. This Basta Essential Reissue contains the entire
1953 album as it was originally released. The CD booklet includes passages
from Goodbye, a biography of Jenkins by his son, journalist Bruce Jenkins.
With Seven Dreams, Jenkins arguably emerged as the godfather of what became
later known as 'concept albums,' a program of musical compositions
thematically linked in storytelling fashion on a long-playing record. While
music-cum-plot defines Broadway and occasionally Hollywood (as well as
opera), original cast albums are audio derivatives of theatrical or
cinematic productions. Seven Dreams existed on a 12" vinyl platter and --
other than on the composer's written score -- nowhere else. Until now, it
hasn't even appeared on CD. Seven Dreams was radio theater on record--seven
symphonic playlets composed, authored, arranged, and conducted by Jenkins.
In contrast to the gloss and frothiness of the composer's earlier Manhattan
Tower suite, Seven Dreams is haunting, in parts even disturbing. Where the
former gazes outward at the glittering spires of Gotham, the latter glares
inward at the dark night of the soul. Seven Dreams explores Big Issues
sound-staged as cower-under-the-blanket hallucinations, segueing from
fantasy to fantasy, and sometimes veering into confusion and surrealism.
The libretto is fraught with cynicism (blustery politicians; cocktail party
braggadocio), existential emptiness (a cemetery caretaker; atheism), and
sneering social satire. The seven vignettes are termed 'dreams' only
because the word 'nightmares' in the title was probably deemed a marketing
turnoff. Seven Dreams has long been overlooked as a little-referenced entry
in the Jenkins discography, overshadowed by a Gibraltar-scale catalog of
monumental works. That it has remained a footnote in the Olympian legacy of
such an influential figure is an inexplicable historical oversight. On the
eve of the Jenkins centennial, behold the work; listen and draw your own
conclusions. Seven Dreams is not dreamy, and it won't induce slumber. Its
underlying moods may actually interfere with a good night's sleep.
Composed, arranged, and conducted by Gordon Jenkins. Produced for reissue
by Irwin Chusid."
Harold Budd - The Pavilion Of Dreams CD (EG Records) [EG030CD]
$11.50
1992 release. "In 1978, The Pavilion Of Dreams marked Harold Budd's
arrival
on the international music scene. Decades removed, this release is still
unique given its compositional grace and clever mixture of musical styles.
On this album, Budd's music blends minimalism with contemporary classical
and jazz balladry. The result is the emerging sound of ambient music, a
style that was still new at the time. The Pavilion Of Dreams includes four
pieces. Unlike most modern ambient music, Budd's compositions feature
chamber ensembles. Moreover, his work never falls back on electronics or
washy keyboard patches. The longest composition, 'Bismillahi 'Rrahman
'Rrahim,' draws on the music of John Coltrane. Here, saxophonist Marion
Brown plays with great restraint as Budd's plaintive melody floats over the
rolling mallet percussion and cascading electric piano arpeggios. Other
pieces feature the gentle harp playing of Maggie Thomas and an array of
singers. 'Two Songs' is the closest Budd comes to composing lieder, while
the exploratory 'Juno' requires the percussion ensemble to sing as they
play. A hallmark in the ambient genre, this music will always sound fresh
and compelling."
Hawkwind - Hawkwind CD (EMI) [EMI30028CD] $12.00
Mid-line EMI reissue from 2007 (originally released in 1970), with
12-page
booklet and four bonus tracks. "Over the course of the 1970s, British
freaks Hawkwind came to be known as the ultimate space-rock band, with
trippy, science-fiction-themed songs full of far-out electronic effects.
Their first album, though, released at the tail end of the hippie era,
finds them still hanging onto vestiges of both psychedelia and even
folk-rock. 'Hurry on Sundown,' an acoustic strumfest left over from leader
Dave Brock's busking days, is as far as one can imagine from the Hawkwind
that fans would come to know. The rest of the record, extended
improvisations built around simple, riff-based structures, sounds like a
lysergically enhanced collision between Can and contemporaneous Pink Floyd.
While all the electronic bells and whistles had yet to be firmly affixed to
the Hawkwind spaceship, the mindset of these cosmic warriors was already
very clearly focused on the farthest reaches of the galaxy."
Hawkwind - In Search of Space CD (EMI) [EMI30030CD] $12.00
Mid-line EMI reissue from 2001 of the second Hawkwind album (originally
issued by UA in 1972), with deluxe 24-page booklet of photos & credits,
plus a complete repro of the original album booklet: The Hawkwind Log ("a
collage of texts and photos -- supposedly a found log-book of a spaceship,
containing the cryptic last notes and contemplations of it's travellers
through space - another seed of Calvert's concept of the soon to come Space
Opera - Space Ritual"). With three bonus tracks: original single versions
of "Seven By Seven", "Silver Machine" & "Born To Go". "ISOS established
Hawkwind's style of hypnotic free-flowing improvisations, accompanied by
tribal rhythms - in contrast with some acoustic guitar based pieces,
remnants of Brock's busking days, often with a melancholic touch." Line up
of: Nik Turner (saxophone, flute, audio generator, vocals); Dave Brock
(vocals, electric & acoustic guitar, audio generator); Dave Anderson (bass,
electric & acoustic guitar); Del Dettmar (synthesizer); Terry Ollis (drums,
percussion); Dik Mik (audio generator); Robert Calvert (vocals).
Hawkwind - Space Ritual DVD+2CD (EMI) [EMI94071CD] $31.50
"2007 special three disc (two CDs + PAL/Region 0 DVD) Collector's
Edition
of the veteran UK space rockers' 1973 live opus. The CDs in this edition
feature the original album with some extended tracks (they were originally
edited due to the time restrictions of vinyl) plus three bonus tracks. The
DVD is more a DVD album than DVD video; it allows the listener to enjoy the
album as it was originally recorded: as one long continuous piece of live
music. There is a brand new 5.1 mix as well as the standard stereo mix and
a visualizer will appear on screen while the music plays. The DVD also
features two promo videos which are previously unreleased -- 'Silver
Machine' and 'Urban Guerilla'." Includes 32-page booklet and Collector's
Edition clearcase.
Henk Badings - More Electronic Music 2CD (Basta) [BASTA9172]
$24.00
"Upon his death in 1987, composer Henk Badings (b. 1907) left behind an
eclectic oeuvre: symphonies, operas, sonatas, cantatas and compositions for
brass bands. He also earned the distinction of having composed what is
considered the first electronic music composition in Dutch history, the
'radiophonic opera' Orestes (1954)."
Jesse Fuller - Move On Down The Line CD (Fledg'ling)
[FLED3074CD] $16.00
Jesse "The Lone Cat" Fuller (1896-1976) was one of the great American
blues
troubadours. A remarkably expressive singer and fine 12-string guitarist,
Fuller developed his unique Bay Area street performance one-man-band around
his fotdella (a foot-operated hammer-and-pedal string bass) and
harmonica/kazoo/cymbals/washboard-rig, and would later go on to record for
labels such as Cavalier, Good Time Jazz, and Prestige. This CD includes his
earliest recordings, including the original version of his classic "San
Francisco Bay Blues," together with a splendid session taped in London in
1965 for Topic Records. One track, "John Henry," has been unavailable since
the early 1960s. In the 1960s, the decade when the wider world reached out
to embrace him, Fuller's "San Francisco Bay Blues" became one of the most
popular numbers in the standard repertoire of blues and folk singers at
that time. But Fuller was not a blues musician, although he played the
blues. Neither was he strictly-speaking a folk musician, as the term was
then understood, for his act incorporated elements of minstrelsy and
vaudeville -- in other words, show business -- and he'd travelled far
beyond the "rurals" to work in Hollywood. His own term "folk songster" best
describes who he was and what he did. This record is just as important as a
document of an oft-neglected historical aspect of American music as it is a
tribute to the peculiar talents of a quite remarkable musician. Housed in
stylish digifile packaging, including extensive sleevenotes by legendary
producer Joe Boyd and acclaimed UK photographer Val Wilmer.
Joe
E. Neubauer - Love Got In My Way CD (Eabla) [EAB101] $14.50
The first release by the reissue-only label Eabla Records fetches an
offbeat masterpiece back from the grave in search of the audience it was
denied 33 years ago. Construction worker and stock car racer by day,
polyester-clad musical powerhouse by night, JOE E. NEUBAUER risked
everything to create Love Got In My Way, originally released in 1975 on an
enigmatic, ill-fated vanity label from South Florida. A profusely
illustrated 16-page booklet tells the shocking story of the $20,000 gamble
that gave birth to this lounge-pop Pet Sounds for the middle-aged
melancholic. Joe E.'s brooding music sounds more sensational than ever,
having been lovingly remastered from the original tapes that Neubauer
himself pulled out of his label's dumpster in 1976.
John Watermann - Denial of Crocket CD (Waystyx) [10417]
$16.25
Limited edition, 500 copies. Remastered at Brume Rec., October 2007.
Originally released on Nightshift Records 1990
John Watermann - RAM Slot CD (Waystyx) [10418] $16.25
Originally released on Nightshift Records (NR005) in 1990.
Jonathan Harvey - Bhakti CD (Nmc Records) [NMC001CD] $20.25
First release from NMC, originally released in 1989. Performed by
Spectrum
(conductor Guy Protheroe). "A mystical exploration of the Sanskrit Hymns of
the Rig Veda for chamber ensemble and quadraphonic tape by Jonathan Harvey,
whose long-standing connections with IRCAM and studies with Pierre Boulez
are perfectly demonstrated here." "Anybody who is genuinely concerned about
the future of British music should unhesitatingly add Bhakti to their
record collection." -- Tempo 1989
Loop - World In Your Eyes 3CD (Reactor) [REACTOR02] $18.75
The World in Your Eyes and A Gilded Eternity are the final two releases
in
a series of long-overdue and definitive reissues by British primal psych
band LOOP. Originally a 1987 singles collection, The World in Your Eyes has
now been re-released as a remastered triple-CD set. All the band's
12-inches and compilation appearances are in chronological order, with some
tracks from the very first Loop demo, the "16 Dreams" single, Nick Drake
and Neil Young songs, the Prisma Uber Europa live promo 12-inch, and even
the Godflesh cover from their split on Clawfist. In all, twenty-seven
tracks from six 12-inch releases and four compilations, packaged as three
CDs in wallets in a slipcase. No exports to the UK/Europe
Lydia Lunch - Queen Of Siam CD (Atavistic) [ALP501] $15.25
Queen of Siam, LYDIA LUNCH's solo debut, was originally recorded in
1980.
Featuring the noted talents of guitarist ROBERT QUINE obert Quine (LOU
REED, THE VOIDOIDS), multi-instrumentalist PAT IRWIN (B-52's, EIGHT EYED
SPY) and the big band sound orchestra of BILLY VERPLACK (of Flintstones
theme fame), the work proved to be a slap in the face to those critics
awaiting a new TEENAGE JESUS-type of album from Lunch. Dirty,
sophisticated, literary and raw, the album is today seen as the jewel in
the crown of the "no wave" underground movement. Lunch created a sensual
and hard-hitting musical landscape that startled even the most hardened of
critics. After being out of print for years, Lunch's masterpiece returns
with the original LP cover "breasts of nails" pic for the first time on CD.
Enhanced features on the disc include a live video performance of "Knives
in the Drain," recorded live in London in 2004. Also included is a rare
video directed by LINDA DI FRANCO, filmed in 1980, of "Gloomy Sunday."
Mammut - Mammut CD (Long Hair) [LHC070CD] $22.75
"First official CD release of one of the most legendary German small
label
pressed albums. Originally released in 1971, this album is an intense and
bombastic hybrid between heavy fuzz acid guitar, instinctive free rock
improvisations and some lyrical, classical influenced interludes/fragments.
Mammut played in an impressive and convincing manner their conception of an
psychedelic rock opera. For that each title includes the name Mammut. The
opening track 'Bird Mammut' is a groovy, percussive, crazy psychedelic
affair featuring an avalanche of drums, trippy organs, bluesy e-guitar and
wistfull flute passages. 'Classical Mammut' delivers a short piano
interlude, a pleasant melodic moment. 'Mammut Ecstasy' is a fuzzy heavy
psychedelic composition with furious rhythms, an efficient bass guitar
leading theme and some nice keyboard moves. 'Foot Machine Mammut'
alternates a bluesy pop song with free guitar jams accompanied by Hammond
organ. Perhaps parts of the first Embryo album are comparable to this.
'Nähgarn Mammut" is their attempt to be more lyrical and melodic, while the
album closes with 14 minutes of 'Mammut Opera,' which show Mammut at their
best. Dark sounds with hints of Amon Düül II, heavy blues rock with all
sorts of strange, ethnic and gothic touches combined in their music.
Altough the band themselves quoted Deep Purple in rock as a major
influence, their spirit was purely Krautrock. Their sole album is a
legendary rarity. CD comes with 1 bonus track, comprehensive booklet,
digitally remastered. A classic! Don't miss it!"
Musica Urbana - Mĺsica Urbana CD (Picap) [PICAP908496CD]
$18.50
"This Catalan outfit was founded by two original Maquina! members,
Enric
Herrera and Luigi Cabanach, in 1975, together with Carles Benavent and Joan
Albert Amargijs, who actually wrote all these compositions. This is their
debut album, from 1976, originally on the Edigsa-Zeleste label. Brilliant
jazz-rock and one of the top names in the so called 'Rock Laietô scene
formed in Barcelona at the time."
Nurse With Wound - Spiral Insana CD (United Jnana) [2004]
$13.25
"Spiral Insana is one continuous piece of music, indexed over three
tracks
(on the compact disc), with 20 track titles listed on the cover. Such is
STEVE STAPLETON's NURSE WITH WOUND. And it's just as well, because the
music inside, more ambient and user-friendly than on other NWW outings, is
still just as surreal and avant-garde as the rest of the catalog. Here,
Stapleton and guests ROBERT HAIGH, DAVID JACKMAN, and CHRIS WALLIS mix
bowed piano, percussion, a radio, loops, and what is credited on the sleeve
as 'stuff' together into an hour-long collage of mashed-up sounds, jarring
juxtapositions, buzzsaw distortion, and even a pipe organ. If that sounds
disorienting, that's because it is, both in description and execution.
Nurse With Wound has always had a unique sound and vibe on their records,
and Spiral Insana carries on in that tradition. While not as ambient and
single-minded in tone as the drone masterpiece Soliloquy for Lilith or as
jarring as the industrial Dada of Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table of a
Sewing Machine and an Umbrella, Spiral Insana is as good a place as any to
start with the Nurse with Wound catalog."-All Music Guide. Packaged in a
four-panel digipack that replicates the original 1986 LP art. No exports to
the UK/Europe
Rail Band - Belle Epoque Volume 1: Soundiata 2CD (Sterns
Africa) [STCD3033CD] $16.75
"Mali's legendary Rail Band, so named because they were initially
sponsored
by one of Mali's largest railroad lines, were one of the finest West
African pop combos of the 1970s. Unlike their peers in countries like
Nigeria and Ghana, the Rail Band eschewed the frenetic rhythms of American
soul and funk to concentrate on pioneering an electrified version of
traditional Malian manding music. Their sound is dominated by the relaxed,
tremolo-laden guitar work of Djelimady Tounkara, who embarks on masterful
guitar excursions over the flawless grooves of the Rail Band's gently
propulsive rhythm section. This two-disc retrospective contains the
entirety of The Rail Band's 1975 masterpiece, Soundiata, and includes a
host of other stellar Rail Band tracks from that era."
Rail Band - Belle Epoque Volume 2: Mansa 2CD (Sterns Africa)
[STCD3039CD] $16.75
"The second volume in Stern's three-volume Rail Band retrospective,
Belle
Epoque Volume 2: Mansa contains a number of rare recordings made by the
Rail Band in the early '70s, featuring the talents of the Malian
songwriting prodigy Salif Kieta, as well as a host of other selections
featuring Malian singers like Sekou Kante and Magan Ganessy. Though these
compilations provide an admirably thorough overview of the Rail Band's
discography, they are not arranged chronologically. On this volume, early
'70s cuts featuring the golden-voiced Kieta often sit somewhat uneasily
beside equally stellar, but stylistically distinct, offerings from later in
the Rail Band's career. Despite its potentially confusing sequencing,
Stern's Belle Epoque series offers the listener unparalleled access to the
Rail Band's sprawling and influential body of work."
Rail Band - Belle Epoque Volume 3: Dioba 2CD (Sterns Africa)
[STCD3043CD] $16.75
"With Belle Epoque Vol. 3 - Dioba, the estimable Sterns Africa label
has
completed another definitive archive project documenting West Africa's
post-colonial 'belle epoque' of the 1960s and 1970s. The three two-disc
volumes in the series present the hits, highlights and lesser known
treasures made by the Rail Band, the era's pre-eminent Malian modern-roots
band -- which featured world music stars-to-be Salif Keita and Mory Kante,
both winningly represented -- in a collection that is both as scholarly and
as vibrant as the label's The Syliphone Years series, showcasing the
contemporaneous bands of neighbouring Guinea. Dioba showcases the Rail Band
in all its splendid moods and colours: from Keita's spiritualised and
virtuosic 'Maki' and 'Soyomba,' through Ganessy's fierce going on feral
'Kadia Kandian' and 'Djamban,' the re-Africanised Stax-Volt soul of Kante's
'Mariba Yassa' and his mesmeric take on Afrobeat, 'Sinsimba,' spacier and
nimbler than originator Fela Kuti's style, on to the rumba-infused 'Foliba'
and 'Talassa.' Two 1982 tracks, 'Diby' and 'Diabate,' feature the
psychedelicised keyboards of Alfred Coulibaly, a late but valuable addition
to the line-up, inhabiting adjacent territory to that being explored by the
American keyboard player Marco Benevento on Me Not Me (The Royal Potato
Family, 2009), two and a half decades later. 3rd and final volume in the
critically-acclaimed Belle Epoque series that tells a 13-year story -- from
1970 to 1983 -- of Mali's legendary group. Full-colour, 20-page booklet
with notes detailing the history of the band and full-page reproductions of
original album covers."
Ralph Vaughan Williams - Sinfonia Antartica/Scott of the
Antarctic CD (CD41) [CD41-024] $14.75
RELEASE DATE: 09-07-2009
CD41 is proud to present an evocative new audiobook CD, Sinfonia
Antartica/Scott of the Antarctic, combining polar music by Ralph Vaughan
Williams as well as historic sound recordings from the â~@~Xheroic age' of
British antarctic exploration.
The digitally remastered CD combines two related works by Vaughan Williams for the very first time: his acclaimed soundtrack for the 1948 Ealing film Scott of the Antarctic, starring John Mills and others, together with the longer 1953 work based on the film score, Sinfonia Antartica (Symphony No. 7). The version of Sinfonia Antartica included here is the 1953 performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Adrian Boult and featuring narration by Sir John Gielgud.
The CD also features two versions of a rare Captain Robert Scott tribute song recorded in 1913, â~@~XTis A Story That Shall Live For Ever, sung by Robert Carr and Stanley Kirkby.
Listeners will also hear the voice of fellow polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. In addition to his HMV recording made in June 1909, a transfer of his exceptionally rare March 1910 recording is also included, careful restored from an original Edison blue amberol cylinder.
The CD runs for 68
minutes and features a booklet with detailed recording notes and archive
images. The cover image shows Scott and Shackleton on the Discovery
expedition in January 1902, and is reproduced courtesy of the Royal
Geographical Society.
Russ Garcia and His Orchestra - Fantastica CD (Basta)
[BASTA9191] $17.75
"Fantastica is a 1950s exotica classic that stylistically defines the
genre
'space age pop.' The era of manned space travel began in 1959, but in
musical terms, composers had been exploring interplanetary vistas for
centuries. Garcia's accomplishment was to merge compositional
sophistication and the technology of the modern transistorized recording
studio with cleverly created special effects. From the first track, 'Into
Space,' Garcia sets the controls for interstellar overdrive and never looks
back. His pan-galactic portraits shuttle the listener from planet to
planet, as moods shift from mysterious to exhilarating. This Basta
Essential Reissue contains the entire 1959 album as it was originally
released. The liner notes include remembrances written in 2008 by the
composer Russell Garcia (b. 1916, Oakland, California). Garcia explained,
'We had no computers to make effects, so I recorded a musical saw struck
with a soft mallet; blew a straw into gelatin water; vibrated a kitchen
knife off the edge of a table; tapped wood blocks; hit a gong while moving
a microphone from the center to the edge. I recorded these sounds at
different speeds, some of them backwards through feedback echo. Then I
wrote them into the orchestral score.' Garcia has had a long, distinguished
career in music as a trumpeter, songwriter, bandleader, conductor,
arranger, TV and film score composer, teacher, and theorist. He has worked
with Henry Mancini, Harry James, Oscar Peterson, Louis Armstrong, Quincy
Jones, Stan Getz, and Ella Fitzgerald, among others. In 2005 the L.A. Jazz
Institute honored Garcia for his over 60 years of contributions to jazz."
Screamfeeder - Kitten Licks (Deluxe Reissue) CD (Low Transit
Industries) [LTID097] $13.50
In 1996 Brisbane's Screamfeeder released what was to become their
breakthrough album, the hit-fuelled KITEN LICKS. The band had parted with
original drummer Tony Blades the previous year, and the drum stool was
filled by a newcomer on the scene Dean Shwereb. Still cited to this day as
one of Australia's top drummers, Dean's arrival sparked a whirlwind of
inspiration for the songwriting team of Tim Steward and Kellie Lloyd. The
new songs came in a rush and were fresh, fast and melodic as the band
stepped up from their grunge and low fi indie rock roots to a new plateau
of punk pop perfection.
The album was recorded by Paul McKercher over a rainy fortnight in the Northern NSW hinterland and released shortly afterwards. The first single was Dart, a song the band had been showcasing live to rapturous response, and with its off kilter beat and playground chant chorus it was an instant classic. The song flooded the airwaves, shortly followed by subsequent singles Static and Gravity.
Screamfeeder toured for almost 2 years solidly on the back of Kitten Licks and became media darlings and festival favourites in the process. Kitten Licks secured the band an international record contract, with Time Bomb records in California, and the album was released worldwide in 1998. Kitten Licks still tops many peoples' Top Australian albums of all times lists, and the band still holds a special place in the hearts of Australian music fans who came of age during the frantic and exciting days of the mid 90s.
Screamfeeder will play the entire Kitten Licks album, as well as selected b sides. Along for the ride will be 90s heavyweight indie gods MIDGET. Both bands were part of the explosion of Brisbane noise-makers who dominated the touring and live scene back when indie rock was king.
Screamfeeder went on to release two more critically acclaimed albums, Rocks On The Soul (2000) and Take You Apart (2003), and have subsequently released a singles album and an EP of new material, in 2005. The members are involved with a host of other musical activities, but the band haven't split up, and are considering writing a new album this year.
· Brisbane's best loved and longest running indie rock band has played in 10 countries & produced 8 albums, countless singles and Eps.
· Screamfeeder are a 3 piece noisy pop / indie rock band from Brisbane Australia. Lovers of loud and beautiful music since the day they were each conceived, they have been compared to all the greats; Husker Du, The Jam, GBV and The Who. Comparisons aside they rock in their own unique / sublime / chaotic way. Contradictions and dualities abound within Screamfeeder, and therein lies their beauty.
· Their 6th studio album, 2003's "take you apart" prompted a whirlwind of activity for the band; dates in the UK and US, an appearance at SxSW in Texas, and a US release for the album [through In Music We Trust in Portland Oregon], and they undertook their first tour to Japan in September 2005.
Screamfeeder may be old dogs on the Australian music scene but
their pedigree remains impeccable - 2004 saw the release of their 21 track
"singles and more" album, demonstrating their furious work ethic and
consistent stream of great output from over a decade and a half.
Subhumans - Time Flies/Rats CD (Bluurg) [FISH25] $14.50
Bluurg records are proud to announce the reissues of the SUBHUMANS back
catalog. Remastered and presented in a deluxe digipacks (CDs) and gatefold
sleeves (LPs) with all original artwork, these re-releases give you another
chance to hear one of the original UK punk bands at their very best. Time
Flies/Rats is the third release by the Subhumans. It was originally two
7-inch EPs which were later combined to make this album, released in 1983
on Bluurg records.
Subhumans - Worlds Apart CD (Bluurg) [FISH12] $14.50
World's Apart is the fourth album by the Subhumans. It was originally
released in 1985 on the band's own label, Bluurg records. Combining
elements of ska, reggae and punk this will send you out fighting!
Subway - Subway II CD (Soul Jazz Records) [SJR202CD] $16.00
"Subway II, the debut album by Subway on Soul Jazz Records, is a
startling
cosmic marriage of influences -- German electronic rock music from the
1970s (Cluster, Kraftwerk, Neu, Harmonia, Ash Ra Tempel), '80s Detroit
science fiction techno (Carl Craig, Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills) and a hint of
Italian and European disco (Danielle Baldelli meets Cerrone, Space, Moroder
and Jean Michel Jarre). Subway are Michael Kirkman and Alan James and have
been releasing music since 2000. Subway II was recorded at home in East
London using a plethora of analog equipment and techniques that enabled
them to create sound reflecting cityscapes such as Berlin, Dussseldorf,
Detroit and Paris whilst at the same time creating a contemporary musical
commentary of London in 2009. This album is a cosmic progression of
post-dance music, focused more on meditative thought and space than one
made for the dancefloor, yet still encompassing the rhythm and constant
beat at the heart. Their most recent appearance is on Soul Jazz Records
Singles 2008-9 alongside Kode9, Digital Mystikz, Tetine, Secondo,
Ramadanman and other forward thinking electronic pioneers. With three
previous sell-out singles on Soul Jazz Records (Simplex, Satellites and
4410), an album Empty Head (released in 2005) as well as a string of
one-off projects, the group are currently name-checked by everyone from Hot
Chip to DFA, Prinz Thomas to Carl Craig with good reason. Subway II is a
fitting conceptual statement of their current sound. Cosmic, post-dance,
organic, meditative and hypnotic."
Timothy Leary - Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out CD (ESP Disk)
[10414] $16.50
This CD release of Dr. Leary's "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out" is the
first
ever reissue of the ESP-Disk' vinyl edition originally released in1966.
This unadorned spoken word recording of the 60's icon, Timothy Leary ("the
most dangerous man alive"), was recorded at the famous Millbrook, New York
estate just before his famous residency was ended by repeated raids and
arrests by G. Gordon Liddy. Though the album title, Turn On, Tune In, Drop
Out, became a clichéd rallying cry for a whole generation, it was presented
to the public here for the first time. In this document he presents his
ideas on drugs, current events and cultural phenomena, with recollections
of earlier experiences and experiments; all delivered in a straight ahead,
quiet manner even though the content is downright subversive and
confrontational. An absolute must for anyone interested in the 1960's or
countercultural thinking of any era.
Various Artists - Rag & Stomp: A Retrospective On 1930s Western
Swing LP (Monk) [MOK401LP] $21.50
"During the 1930s in the vast region of the American Southwest,
particularly in Texas and Oklahoma, a younger generation gave birth to a
new form of popular dance music. In the hard years of the depression, both
rural enthusiasts who played by ear, and others who had basic notions of
written music joined together and participated in the development of the
so-called 'western swing'. The elements which flow into this music are
easily detectable on recordings by western swing groups, melting white and
black swing across the country (Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Count Basie,
Cab Calloway, etc.), together with blues, fiddle music and ragtime, which
was particularly strong in the regional heritage of Texas. Packaged in 78
rpm style deluxe plain cardboard sleeve."
Various Artists - Si, Para Usted: The Funky Beats of
Revolutionary Cuba, Vol.2 CD (Waxing Deep) [WAX003] $17.75
RELEASE DATE: 06-29-2009
Volume 2 of the first ever fully licensed compilation of Cuban funk
from
Castro's golden years.
Various Artists - Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair CD
(Plastic Strip) [PSPCD712] $20.75
A collection of the early folk jazz scene in Norway between the years
1971-1977, when the Norwegian folk song heritage was interpreted in
different progressive ways by some of Norway's top musicians. This
compilation contains music from the different folk jazz LP releases by ANNE
KARIN TONSET & HARALD GUNDHUS; OSTERDALSMUSIKK; EGIL 'BOP' JOHANSEN SAMSE
TAK!; ROY HELLVIN; ARNE DOMNERUS SEKSTETT; SOYR SOYR; CHRISTIAN EGGEN
UFUGE, as well as unreleased recordings by EGIL KAPSTAD and HELGE HURUM &
BIRGITTE GRIMSTAD taken from the NRK Radio Archives.
Various Artists - Io CD (New World Records) [NW80665CD]
$14.50
Flute Music by Johanna Beyer, Joan La Barbara, Larry Polansky, James
Tenney, and Lois V Vierk. "Margaret Lancaster has burst onto the scene as
our leading proponent of the avant-garde flute . . . What distinguishes
Lancaster is her versatility, her willingness to let her flute be the focus
of anything from technopop to theater to tap dancing, along with a
breathless fluidity of line that raises every performance above the merely
technically correct." -- Kyle Gann, Village Voice. "This gathering of music
by five composers spanning more than 70 years demonstrates the richness and
possibility of the stylistic freedom that is sometimes called the American
experimental tradition. Timelessly potent for their careful exploration of
musical material, these are works which have no cause to be esoteric, by
leading American composers who deserve much higher regard. And in the hands
of a performer and new-music advocate, Margaret Lancaster, who curates her
repertoire with an attention to a continuum which composer Johanna Beyer
calls 'future, present, past,' we are given the opportunity to gain a
deeper understanding of how this tradition lives. These are all, with the
exception of 'Seegersong #2,' world-premiere recordings."
Various Artists - Funky Fräuleins CD (Bureau B) [BB031CD]
$16.00
Subtitled: Female Beat, Groove, Disco, Funk In Germany 1968-1978. The
Bureau B label offers up 18 glistening pearls of Germanified groove,
federal funk and imperial beat from the '60s and '70s, all with one common
denominator: swinging Fräuleins holding the microphone. Most of them are
genuine locals. Some, however, had the most fleeting guest appearances as
Fräuleins, while others arrived from different countries to carve out a
career in Germany and ended up staying for decades. When they start to sway
their slim hips and flutter their eyelashes, no man is safe. Famed the
world over for their charms and allure, in-bred elegance and, of course,
for the groove which courses through their veins -- from Hamburg to Vienna,
from Cologne to Dresden, from the swinging '60s beat and Austrian black
humor of Topsy Küppers, to the lascivious eroticism and fluffy funk of
Heidelinde Weis, to wild rock moments from Heidi Brühl (ostensibly with
Jimmy Page on the guitar), to the hippie vibes of Renate Kern with the Kai
Warner Orchestra, to Caterina Valente's ridiculously memorable version of
"Blueberry Hill," these are the groove girls and beat queens of yesteryear
who won't fail to get you schlagered. Other artists include: Su Kramer,
Marianne Mendt, Roberta Kelly, Vicky Leandros, Olivia Molina, Hildegard
Knef, Evelyn Künnecke, Peggy March, Sandra Haas, Jane Morel, Shirley
Thompson, Marianne Rosenberg, and Lotte Und Leherb.
Various Artists - Vile Vinyl Vol. I: Rare, Wild, Primitive
Mid-Sixties Garage CD (Past & Present) [PAPR2102CD] $16.00
Originally released in 1985 on the High Noon label, this is volume 1 of
the
highly-collectable, 2-volume Vile Vinyl series. Garage-punk aficionados
around the world, rock critics, distributors, store dealers and collectors
dedicated to the snarling '60s: this one's for you. Rock culture loves
obscurity and mystery and often zealously guards them well, but this comp
gives you all you want. From Stones-influenced rarities, complete with raw,
rasping vocals, to ants-in-your-pants teen-angst groovers, with some
downright wild, crazy ravers thrown in for good measure, these obscure cuts
are now available on CD for the very first time. So, engulf your cranium in
lysergic emanations -- this is as fine a slice of garage-psych-pop dementia
as they come. With fully-remastered, superior sound, including detailed
liner notes. Artists include: Night Crawlers, The Lincolns, The Dirty
Shames, The Jolly Green Giant, The Triumphs, The Paniks, The Shy Guys, The
Nomads, Bobby Roberts & The Ravons, The Changin' Times, The Belles, Thee
Wylde Main-iacs, The W.C. Dorns, The Cult, and The Carpetbaggers.
Various Artists - Monty Python's Flying Circus - Unreleased TV
Soundtrack CD (De Wolfe Music Library) [DWCR003CD] $16.00
"De Wolfe Records is proud to release the long lost incidental music
from
the most seminal and cult comedy television series ever -- Monty Python's
Flying Circus The Unreleased TV Soundtrack 1969-1974. 30 hand-picked (and
newly remastered) tracks chosen for their musical merit and importance to
the show's history, including these legendary sketches: 'The Liberty Bell
(Monty Python 'Theme'),' 'Blackmail,' 'Dennis Moore,' 'Spot The
LoonyMosquito Hunters,' 'Blood, Devastation, Death, War and Horror' and
many more. Packaging includes official quotes from the 'Pythons' themselves
on their thoughts regarding the de Wolfe music and features exclusive liner
notes by the Sergeant of the Monty Python internet fan-club,
www.pythonfan.com. De Wolfe Music is the longest running and most important
production music resource library in the World. This is the second in the
de Wolfe reissue series (although these albums are technically not
'reissues' as the music contained has never been available to the general
public), collecting classic cues from the legendary 'Monty Python's Flying
Circus' BBC TV series. What the Pythons themselves think about this new
compilation: Michael Palin: 'De Wolfe was the music track to Monty Python.
They always seem to have the right music for the right occasion.' Terry
Gilliam: 'We couldn't keep de Wolfe away from the door. They kept offering
us great music at ridiculously low prices. We never asked where they got it
your honour.' Terry Jones: 'The only record you can play 'what sketch was
that?' with.' 'A totally brilliant and inspired con.'"
Various Artists - We're Gonna Change The World CD (Sundazed)
[SC11209CD] $17.25
..The 60's Chicago Garage Sound of Quill Records. "During the peak
years of
the '60s garage band wave, Pete Wright was one of the nation's top
independent record promotion men. His records were not only hits on
Chicago's crucially important WLS but also in small markets throughout the
Midwest. Whether in the Windy City or in these smaller outposts, he was
tipped off to tons of untapped local talent. So much so that launching a
record label was the next logical step. Thus was born Quill Records, a
short-lived but supremely cool label heavily indebted to the garage band
sound. This definitive overview collects only the most rockin' sides from
the label; from the Malibu's who manage to outdo their idols the Animals,
at least in pure unbridled energy, to the Skunks who, on their overdriven,
fuzzed-out cover of 'Do the Duck' could be mistaken for a UK mod/freakbeat
act. And that's just for starters in a set of teen rave-ups from the likes
of the Delights, the Commons, Ltd., Chances R, the Riddles and more. If the
appearance of the Don Caron Orchestra in the track listing causes serious
head scratching amongst the more discerning of you garage connoisseurs,
well, we couldn't help ourselves. Their 'Hot Pastrami' may be the most
scorching sax 'n' reverb instrumental you hear all year. This set also
includes rare photos, label scans and extensive liner notes (with
interviews from both Pete Wright and many of the bands)."
Various Artists - Up All Night: 20 Heavy Nuggets From The
Golden Age... CD (Past & Present) [PAPR2104CD] $16.00
...Of Hard Rock. Anyone who thinks the hippie era was all about peace,
love
and flowers will have a rude awakening when they hear this blistering
collection of frenetic proto-psych-metal. Culled from some of the best
underground American hard rock albums of the late '60s and early '70s, it's
a bone-shaking, blood-curdling trip from start to finish, featuring some of
the toughest riffs and finest guitar solos you've never heard. Featuring
"Kingdom Come" from Brooklyn's heavy-metal distortion progenitors Sir Lord
Baltimore from their 1970 debut, Cleveland's Granicus with their 1973
screech-boogie proclamation, "You're In America," Detroit's Power Of Zeus
with the loose-limbed organs and snaky guitars of "In The Night," and
Euclid (from Maine!) with their absolutely chundering, fuzzed-out
blues-troll version of "Gimme Some Lovin'" off 1970's Heavy Equipment, and
so much more. Guitar stomp, brain-scrambling solos, aerial vocals, thudding
bass, and thunderous drums satiate pretty much any craving for
skull-pummeling rock heaviness. As one sleeve puts it: RECORDED LOUD TO BE
PLAYED LOUDER. Other artists include: Liquid Smoke, Tin House, The Litter,
The Finchley Boys, Highway Robbery, Damnation Of Adam Blessing, SRC, Bang,
Dragonfly, Steeplechase, Jamul, Haystacks Balboa, Third Power, Yesterday's
Children, Head Over Heels, and Landslide.
Various Artists - Women Blue: Passionate Love Songs From The
'60s CD (Past & Present) [PAPR2105CD] $16.00
This superb new compilation from the Past & Present label gathers
together
16 beautiful ballads performed by overlooked American female singers of the
late '60s and early '70s. Featuring California's Penny Nichols with the
"Salton Sea Song," a jazz-inflected folk track off her 1968 Buddah debut,
Oklahoman Anna Black with her smoky blues rendition of the suicide-inducing
"Gloomy Sunday," Chicago's Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Koloc, with her
heart-rending and haunted 1971 folk ballad "Devil's Nine Questions," the
soporific dream-haze of New York's Lily & Maria with their 1968 rarity,
"Morning Glory Morning," and more, these mellow tracks exemplify rare,
unpolished beauty. Touching on folk, blues, pop and psychedelia, with an
emphasis on the acoustic guitar, this collection is culled from some of the
best unknown singer-songwriter albums of the era, and features some of the
loveliest songs you've never heard. Other artists include: Kathy McCord,
Kathy Smith, Penny Nichols, Karen Beth, Emily, Susan Pillsbury, Michele,
Judy Roderick, Dayle Stanley, Amanda Trees, Mary McCaslin, Rosalie Sorrels,
and Leonda Zono.
Various Artists - Wednesday Morning Dew - Realistic Patterns
Volume 2 CD (Psychic Circle) [PC7032CD] $16.00
Subtitled: Orchestrated Psych from the USA. The Psychic Circle label
presents a second volume in their Realistic Patterns series. For the first
volume, they delved into the relatively uncharted waters where American
psych and lush orchestration flow seamlessly together, carrying the
listener on a fantastic voyage that was both pleasing, eye-opening, and
loudly praised. It is now time to take another cruise through similar
oceans, with 20 tracks during which one can visit the house band at Sammy
Davis Jr.'s Hollywood club, an ex-member of The Leaves getting rather
groovy, the lead singer of The Third Bardo doing his solo thing, a song
from the man behind The Banana Splits, and an old bandmate of a pre-Byrds
Chris Hillman. Come aboard, the anchor's up and the sea is like a millpond.
Compiled by legendary psych musician Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond).
Artists include: Bloomsbury People, Erik, Majic Ship, The Fallen Angels,
The Shambles, Wayne Stewart, Summerhill, Stony Brook People, The Bag,
Secret Agents Of The Vice Squad, Peter Courtney, Green Lyte Sunday, Hearts
& Flowers, Five By Five, Jeff Monn, The Second Time, The Nova Local, Silk,
The Hook, and Peppermint Rainbow.
Various Artists - Cazumbi Vol. 2 CD (Mt. St. Mtn.)
[NOSMOKE004CD] $21.50
"'60s garage rock and jerk out of South Africa, Angola, Mozambique,
Ghana,
Madagascar and Cameroun! Yes guys, there's still much more to offer! If you
were raving on Cazumbi Vol. 1, wait to hear the second. I swear, it's much,
MUCH better than the first! Absolutely stunning collection of 21 tracks,
ranging from the more sophisticatedly produced (but hell, WILD!!!!) fuzzy
garage sounds of South African groups like The Gonks, Birds of a Feather,
Them or The Invaders, to the primitive raw garage, beat and jerk of Tall
Emma & His Skipper (from Ghana with their killer Hammatan),Vum Vum and Os
Rocks from Angola, Les Kilts from Cameroun, Les Safari and Les Jokers from
Madagascar, and a good number of Mozambique combos. This brilliant release
comes with great artwork, and an insert is included with photos and
information on some of the groups and the African '60s rock scene. Limited
release of 500 papersleeve CDs. Fully remastered sound."
Yahowah 13 - Magnificence In The Memory CD (Drag City) [DC393]
$13.25
Skimmed from the riches in SOURCE FAMILY member Isis AQUARIAN's vaults
(by
DAVE NUSS of NNCK fame), the nine tracks on Magnificence in the Memory run
the gamut of YAHOWAH 13's rainbow of styles, from the whispered funk of
"Camp of the Gypsies" to the screaming and stomping of, well, "Camp of the
Gypsies." Storming through moments with abandon, Father and his Sons never
repeated themselves, committing everything they did to tape in a single
take. The capacity of their riffs and grooves to sound like German prog
bands of the same era, psychedelic rock bands of several years previous or
the as-yet-uncreated avant sounds from the indie rock movement a decade
away is testament to their ability to tap the source of human inspiration.
Adds OCTAVIUS, "these cuts will always be a source of inspiration." The
songs on Magnificence in the Memory were chosen to provide a nonstop
exciting listening experience for Source fans and neophytes alike-and as
SUNFLOWER has stated, "Father's music is our legacy and represents the
voice of the times."
This week's update contains releases by:
[ F E A T U R E D R
E L E A S E S ]
Bringing strict
discipline, control and patience they're able to achieve densely
transcendental focus in their work. Imagine taking three notes from Terry
Riley and stretching them out into pulsating 20 minute sublime pieces. An
obvious reference point might be the recent Yoshi Wada Earth Drones
reissues but somehow even more transcendent. Fine drone. Acoustic &
analogue. Deceh.
While his solo efforts are often austere formal works (yet
never lacking a twisted humour),Hematic Sunsets is a different beast
altogether. Reminiscent of his Sky-era attempts with rhythm and melody, the
Aroma Club series is Tietchens warped, almost parodic (per)version of
lounge music. Each record of the series is based on the sounds and rhythms
of one particular (preferredly cheap) organ/keyboard, usually a Yamaha
product (this time it's the PSR 36). While the last Club LP was recorded
with several guests (Felix Kubin, Michael Rother...) and the 2007 X-mas 7"
was a collaboration with long-time "producer" Okko Bekker, "Aroma Club
Paradox" is another solo effort (collaborating with several fictitious
anagrams/characters though). The result is a timeless and completely
unique take on muzak using cheap keyboard sounds usually associated to
drunk wedding bands or your grandmother's home organ family music.
Tietchens elaborately transforms the cheesy associations into cold,
bloodless, almost unhuman pop tunes totally lacking the sensationalism and
pseudo-fervour of most music, especially modern pop music.
The final outcome sounds like recordings made by aliens who have
received transmissions about House Music but never listened to the music
itself. The album reminds of the sound of hallways/corridors inbetween
large House parties where you can hear the music from several floors
collide. While it's an emulation, interpretation or replica of House Music,
it's still managing to evoke similar feelings even though some might find
it difficult to dance to the music. In the past, Youngs has released
several albums on a dozen labels such as VHF, Jagjaguwar, Table Of The
Elements, Gipsy Sphinx, Majora, Chocolate Monk, Celebrate Psi Phenomena,
Fusetron and his own No Fans outlet. He has collaborated with Neil Campbell
(aka Astral Social Club), Matthew Bower, Simon Wickham-Smith and many
others and was a member of the A-Band and has performed live and in the
studio with Sunroof! And Skullflower. Additionally, Youngs played bass for
Jandek, appearing on three of his live records/DVD's.
Function: adjective. Etymology: Latin resilient,
resiliens, present participle of resilire to jump back, recoil, from
re-salire to leap. Characterized or marked by resilience: a: capable of
withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture. b: tending to
recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. Risil is a
collective of musicians that are all somehow connected to each other in
some form or fashion. Risil's membership includes Guillermo Herren (Prefuse
73/Savath & Savallas), Zach Hill (Hella), Tyondai Braxton (Battles), John
McEntire (Tortoise), Alejandra Deheza (School Of Seven Bells), Eva Puyuelo
Muns (Savath & Savalas). The project started as a chance for a large number
of people to freely collaborate without a set goal for the end result or
achieving a certain sound. This turned into about 50 songs with possibly 5
different versions of each within a year. Therefore, this is the first
volume of Risil recordings, they are split into three volumes based on the
time each piece was made and the players who worked together the most
during each period of open time.
500 copies, colour-vinyl, full
colour artwork by Oliver Jakobi"
2Raumwohnung * 6Blocc * Aaron Lightman * Acid Mothers
Temple
& The Melting Paraiso UFO * Agent Ribbons * Al Green * Altz *
Andre Lodemann * Andreas Jornvil * Andy Ortman * Arsenal *
Asia Nova * Asobi Seksu * Astro/Family Battle Snake * Atavist
* Audio Werner * Audision * Azoto * Baaz * Bad Cop Bad Cop *
Benoit Pioulard * Big City Orchestra * Black Meteoric Star *
Black Moth Super Rainbow * Blithe Sons, The * Blue Sabbath Black
Cheer/Dried Up Corpse * Bobby Beausoleil * Bobby Ubangi * Book Of
Black Earth * Boys Noize * Budos Band * Burial Hex/Zola Jesus *
Burnt Hills * Canson * Carlos Nino & Friends * Cecil Barfield
* Charley Patton * Chopstick & Johnjon * Chris McGregor Septet,
The * Chris Wood & Frank Leicher * Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi
Family * Chubby Checker * Circuit des Yeux * Cisfinitum *
City of Ships/Souvenir's Young America * Coffins/Otesanek *
Connie Case * Cooly G * Cortney Tidwell * Cotti feat. 2NICE *
Cough * Current Value & Rodell * D.R. Hooker Band, The *
Darko Esser * Death Cab for Cutie * Deceh * Deep'a & Biri *
Digitaline * Dinosaur Jr. * Diplo * Dock Boggs * Duijn &
Douglas * Dusty Kid * Earth * Edward Ka-Spel * Ekkohaus *
Eleh * Elizabeth Cotten * Es * Etalon * Eyerer &
Namito * Fabio Giannelli * Face Plant * Falty DL * Fiery
Furnaces, The * Fitz Gore & The Talismen * Frank Leicher *
Frankie Francis and Simbad * Ganglians * Genghis Tron * Giddle &
Boyd * Golden Triangle * Grey Man, The * Guido Schneider *
Gus Gus * Hackman * Hans Condor/Silver Lion's 20/20 *
Hauschka * Head Over Heels * Heavy Winged * Heldon * Hematic
Sunsets * Henning Christiansen * Here We Go Magic * Holy Modal
Rounders * Horacio * Hrdvsion * Hum * In The Country *
Incogdo * Inxec & Matt Tolfrey * J.D. Blackfoot * Jack Rose & The
Black Twig Pickers * Jakob Hilden * James Pants * Jamy Wing *
Jandek * Jaqee * Jason Lescalleet * Johann Johannsson *
Johannes Volk * John Fahey * John Roberts * John's Children *
Jonny Rock & Luke Solomon * Ju Suk Reet Meate/Oblivia/John Wiese *
Junior Rafael * Jus Wan * Kai Alce * Kemialliset
Ystavat/Sunroof! * Kenny Knots/Mikey Murka * Kiila * Kirk
Degiorgio * Krikor & The Dead Hillbillies * Kris Wadsworth *
L-VIS 1990 * Larry Jon Wilson * Larry Levan * Li Jianhong *
Lights * Like A Stuntman * Lion Dub feat. Jah Dan & Sotto Bless *
Little Girls * Loops * Loren Connors * Lucinda Williams *
Luke Hess * Malik Flavors * Mandrake Memorial, The * Mantles,
The * Marcin Czubala * Marissa Nadler * Mark Du Mosch & David
Vunk * Mark Durgen * Mark Henning * Martinez * Mauthausen
Orchestra * Michael Northam * Mike Bloomfield & Al Kooper *
Millie & Andrea * Mirko Loko * Mirrors * Mordant Music *
Morgion * Mrtyu * Mugwump * Mum * Muslimgauze *
Nachtmystium * Nadja * Nick Dewitt * Noise Makers Fifes *
October * Of Montreal * Oophoi * Orange Wedge * Otto von
Schirach * Patric Catani/Chris Irmler/Jorinde Voigt * Patrick
Specke * Patua * Pelican * Peter Fish * Phonogenic *
Piemont * Plasmik * Polyphonic Size * Psycatron * Public
Image Ltd * Pygmy Lush * Queen Atom * Ramon Tapia * Richard
Skelton * Richard Youngs * Risil * RLW * Rodriguez *
Roger23 * Roscoe Holcomb * Salvatore Freda & Volta/Langenberg
* Santos * Sasse * Secret Abuse * Seuil * Shumi * Shuta
Hasunuma * Sidwho * Silkie feat. Mizz Beats * Silver Apples *
Since By Man * Six Finger Satellite * Slam * Sleepy Sun *
Slim Harpo * Solotempo * Something Fierce * Soulphiction &
Move D * Spirit * ST37/Vocokesh * Stephen Stills Mike Bloomfield,
Al Kooper * Strawberry Alarm Clock, The * Subway * Sugar Minott
* Sunn O))) & Pan Sonic/Alan Vega/Stephen Burroughs * T.I.T.S. *
TG * Thomas Schumacher * Tommy Four Seven * Ton Vlasman *
Tongues Of Mt Meru * Tony Allen * Tony Conrad & Tovah Olson *
Tony Lionni * Tortoise * Tristram Cary * Truth * Two
Armadillos * Ugly Ducklings, The * Unborn Unicorn * Unknown *
Varoslav (feat. Dop) * Veitengruber * Vincenzo * Voice of Eye
* Voks * Voodeux * Wave Pictures, The * White Hills * Wilde
Flowers * Wildildlife * Willie Graff & Tuccillo * Windy &
Carl * Wormsblood * Wyrd * Young Widows/Pelican * Zig Zag
Bobby Beausoleil - The Lucifer Rising Suite LP Box (Ajna)
[FLAME053LP] $56.75
""Now, for the first time, all of the music composed for the soundtrack
project has been compiled into a single public release. The Lucifer Rising
Suite begins with the 1967 version of the soundtrack and continues through
a logical sequence of the recordings made in the years spanning 1976-79.
With respect to the latter, the original master tapes were mined for music
that had not been heard by anyone in nearly three decades. The newly
unearthed recordings were then restored, cleaned up and combined with those
previously released to make the anthology as complete as possible. The
compositions that comprise the Suite are sequenced in an order that tells a
story, after a fashion. It is a story that may be impossible to tell in a
strictly literary manner, one that -- like a mirror's reflection into
another -- is both personal and allegorical. A complete anthology of the
recordings made for the Lucifer Rising motion picture soundtrack by Bobby
Beausoleil with The Freedom Orchestra and The Magick Powerhouse Of Oz. This
fully authorized and definitive release will include: - Remastered
recordings spanning 11 years, from the '67 recording to the Tracy Prison
recordings of '78. - 4 full-length LPs worth of Lucifer Rising material
with half being never-before-heard sessions personally selected by Bobby
BeauSoleil. - 9 new pieces of art from Bobby: 8 record sleeve panels and
one 2' x 3' poster. - 2 posters: one by Bobby BeauSoleil and one by Dennis
Dread. - A much-extended version of the 'Fallen Angel Blues' piece by Bobby
that originally appeared in the Kenneth Anger DVD set. - 'Hymns to the
Solar Temple' -- impressions on a visit to Bobby at the Oregon Correctional
Facility in Pendleton, Oregon by Dennis Dread. - The Saga of a Soundtrack
by Michael Moynihan. - Art from Dennis Dread for the back of the LP box,
also to be included as a 2' x 2' poster. - Art from Dennis Dread for the
front lid of the box which will provide a window into the works of Bobby's
to be found within. Remastered by Robert Ferbrache, well known for his work
with Blood Axis, 16 Horsepower and others. All art has been created
specifically for this release."
Charley Patton - You're Gonna Need Someone When You Die: The
Recorded Works LP Box (Monk) [MOK300LP] $106.75
"An absolute collector's item, this box features Patton's recordings
from
1929 to 1934 all in one extremely limited treat. Four albums, four
different colored slabs of vinyl and all you want to hear from the
incredible king of Delta blues. If you're not already a blues maniac,
you'll become one when you see this in record stores. Ultra limited edition
of 275 copies: each record on a different color of vinyl. Includes a poster
and a booklet. Contains the 3 different volumes of the Electrically
Recorded trilogy (Prayer Of Death, High Water Everywhere and Jesus Is A
Dying-Bed Maker) plus a forth LP available only in this box."
Tristram Cary - Trios for Synthi VCS3 Synthesizer and
Turntables LP (Artkillart) [AKA002LP] $22.75
"Composed in 1971. First performed at the Cheltenham Festival, 1971,
the
composer taking the VCS3 part and Messrs John and Robert Cary (the
composer's sons) the turntables parts. Trios associates improvisation
within a set of defined paramaters. Trios was played for the first time in
France since its creation, at the occasion of the Sonorité Festival in
Montpellier, September 2006. This record includes a notebook of 4 b/w pages
with original score notes, instructions for playing, 16 VCS3 patches, and
two 33RPM records on which 2x16 sound events are recorded. About the
composer: Tristram Cary (1925-2008) was a pioneering English electronic
composer. With Peter Zinovieff and David Cockerell he founded Electronic
Music Studios (London) Ltd which created the first portable synthesizer,
the VCS3 (1969) and was then involved in production of such distinctive EMS
products. About the performers: Vincent Epplay is a visual and sound artist
who also composed music for films. His main purpose is to create situations
for listening by staging sound and interrogating its mode of distribution
and reception. Samon Takahashi is a visual and sound artist based in Paris,
France. His practice is devoted to visual art, sound art and music. His
work is so-called 'transdisciplinary' using all types of media. His main
interests or obsessions concern language, means of communication, pseudo
science, architecture, isolated landscapes and classification. There is not
a clear style that links his different works but a methodology, a sort of
empirical logic, a common skeleton."
[ . . . ]
2Raumwohnung - Wir Werden Sehen/Lasso 12 inch (It's) [ITS031EP]
$11.50
"2raumwohnung is back with their new single Wir Werden Sehen taken from
their longplayer Lasso hitting the stores in late July. Inga Humpe and
Tommi Eckart aka 2raumwohnung are definitely the most successful German
club / pop duo to date. Although their previous albums have always topped
countless mainstream charts over the last years they never forgot where
they're coming from: the club scene! That's why they always keep on putting
out groundbreaking dance remixes of their songs by top notch producers.
This time it's up to Paul Kalkbrenner, lately starring in the techno movie
Berlin Calling and Goodgroove & Yapacc. Early morning extravaganza!"
6Blocc - I Dubs Volume 2 12 inch (6DUB) [6DUB002EP] $9.00
"More dubs from his private stash. Certified kllers that bring it on,
every
time he plays them out. Dubstep remixes of some true classics. Simon Says -
Pharoahe Monch. Punjabi Dub - Punjabi MC. Back to Cali - LL Cool J. No
Freaks - Funkmaster Flex featuring Mad Lion and Rayvon."
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO - Dark Side Of
The Black Moon LP (Important) [IMPREC253-1] $21.00
RELEASE DATE: 06-23-2009
Dark Side Of The Black Moon is the Acid Mothers Temple's follow up to
the
much loved Recurring Dream And Apocalypse Of Darkness. LP version includes
bonus track and is packaged in a heavy duty tip-on style gatefold LP with
artwork by Seldon Hunt. Focused riffing, super fidelity recording & proffy
psych sounds mixing Pink Floyd, fuzzed out wah guitars and sounds from the
cosmos.
Agent Ribbons - Your Love is the Smallest Doll 7 inch
(Acuarela) [LONE002] $9.50
RELEASE DATE: 06-29-2009
Limited to 1000. Acuarela singles club series release. Agent Ribbons
are
Natalie Gordon (guitar and vocals), Naomi Cherie (violin) and Lauren Hess
(drums), a Sacramento trio whose music has been described as "Victorian
punk" or "White Stripes locked in Wonderland". Their sound is truly a
reminiscent of the fifties and sixties blues, something like Nina Simone
fronting The Raincoats. They're shiner in small format, as in this 3 song
release in which they talk about love, despair and the urgency and anger
for life. Forthcoming releases in the series include Darren Hayman, Spain,
Chris Brokaw, Tara Jane O'Neil, El Hijo (ex Migala), Nick Castro, Inca Ore,
Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu), The Drift, Bracken, Mount Eerie, Windsor for the
Derby, Ben Wetherill, Barzin, The Wowz.
Altz - Escape: The Reconstruction of Isophonic Boogie Woogie LP
(Em Records) [EM1084LP] $19.00
Intergenerational gene-splicing from EM Records. Roland P. Young's
classic
Isophonic Boogie Woogie (EM 1045CD/HJ-JP) is tripped-out, minimalist,
spiritual free-jazz from 1980, and is here mutated, masticated and machined
by Altz, the hotly-tipped renowned "organic electronicist" and
producer/remixer from Osaka, Japan. Maintaining and magnifying the cosmic
bliss-vibe of the original release, Altz lovingly massages Young's sounds
into the year 2009 (as experienced through Altz's patented acid-disco
filtration system). Sounds are layered and treated, atmospheres extended,
and propulsive elements from Young's original recordings are bolstered
(there is some fine drumming here from former Boredoms member, Muneomi
Senju). Altz also respects Young's more abstract side, following the elder
master into atmospheres of freedom, unrestrained by the gravity of the beat
and the conventions of the dancefloor. Rather than a mere roughshod remix,
this release is a meeting -- Young's San Francisco of the late '70s
encountering Altz in Osaka in 2009. Young is respectfully and playfully
transformed, but not trashed, and we all go home happy. Editing,
programming, electric bass, guitar, synthesizer, noise and drum machine by
Altz and disc-scratching by DJ Kensei.
Andre Lodemann - Coming Home 12 inch (Best Works) [BWR003EP]
$10.25
"Coming Home EP is the third installment of the Andre Lodemann Trilogy
on
Best Works Records. This release includes remixes by Berlin-based Norman
Nodge (Berghain Resident DJ and MDR Artist) and Pikaya also from Berlin,
who might be known to many due to their single releases on Cadenza Records.
Both Norman Nodge and Pikaya are old friends of Andre Lodemann and Daniel
Best, who run Best Works Records together. With his 3rd release and of
course the previous ones, Andre strives to proove his abilities in
electronic production capturing very different sound-scapes that go from a
classic vocal deep-house feeling (bwr001) over to what you could call
'musical journeys' with a story-telling character (bwr002) and then moving
back to a sample-loop based production style in this release. Also again
Lodemann delivers his typical slow build-ups for those who prefer the long
mix in the DJ-booth. Both remixes featured here give Lodemann tracks a new
twist. Norman Nodge in his more dubby minimal techno style reminiscent of
Basic Channel in the old days and Pikaya with their more sophisticated
'dope' - house production."
Andreas Jornvil - OMG! 12 inch (Lomidhigh Organic) [LMHO007EP]
$11.50
"Supported by the known, not so known and the unknown DJs. Copenhagen
local
kid Andreas Jørnvil supplies Organic with this explosive EP."
Andy Ortman - Provocative Electronics LP (Pan) [PAN2]
$27.75
As in the days of musique concrete and the beginning years of
synthesizer
development, ANDY ORTMAN (PANICSVILLE, PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND, Nihilist
label) experiments with tones and his own brand of electronic tweakage. Not
a homage, but yet another document in the ongoing history of electronic
music. For fans of Xenakis, John Cage, Pierre Schaeffer, Mort Garson,
Milton Babbitt, Tom Dissevelt, Ruth White, Delia Derbyshire, Lejaren
Hiller, Raymond Scott, Jean Jacques Perrey. Limited edition of 330
hand-numbered copies, pressed on 140-gram vinyl, jacket housed in a
two-tone silkscreened PVC sleeve with interweaving geometric designs.
Arsenal - Estupendo 12 inch (Play Out! Music) [PLAYOUT001EP]
$11.50
"Launching into summer with the swirl of a bundle Pakistani kites come
two
new 12" releases of Arsenal -- not Arsène Wenger's troupe of Gunners but
Belgium's finest purveyors of multicoloured, versatile worldly pop. First
up is Estupendo, a catchy little number with hints of '80s synthpop,
including a chorus that's equally catchy as breezy and a stupendously
addictive hook (see what we did there?) that sounds like a pastel tinted
rival to MGMT's Electric Feel. Next to the album version there's three
different mixes on offer: young Belgian producer Compuphonic stretches the
original into a dubby, synth heavy electro-house trip that criss-crosses
between glitzy melancholy and restraint euphoria. Brazilian button pusher
Gui Boratto, of Kompakt fame, keeps most of the vocals (courtesy of Scott
Mason from Chicago indie-popsters Office) intact and performs his trademark
minimalistic, feverish bleeps for a bouncy yet easygoing makeover. Kid
Gloves (or the joined forces of Freelance Hellraiser's Roy Kerr and Anu
Pillai of Freeform Five) recently chopped up tunes for Ladyhawke, Santigold
and Riosin Murphy -- here they add some Afrobeat flavour to a deep house
mix before letting it drift off into frantic territory for a Nathan
Fake-ish finale. Pretty intense stuff!"
Asia Nova - Magnamnemonicon 10 inch (Drone) [10403] $17.25
?Substantia Innominata" is the brand new release-series from Drone
Records.
We are proud to present this as a 10" VINYL series along with subsequent
re-releases on CD. This new series doesn't focus on a special concept or
ideology regarding the music, but on a certain theme. The theme for this
10" series is based on "The Un-known, The Un-nameable, The Un-speakable,
The Un-thinkable, etc.: Various aspects related to "The Unknown". Basically
the grey matter (psychic or physical, which are bound to result the same)
surrounding us / within us, but can't be understood or recognized through
the normal senses (though some may perceive it on a subconscious level). We
could name it "The Unconscious". The chosen name for this series,
"Substantia Innominata", was inspired to the fact that this Latin name
represents a certain region of the brain which has unknown functions and
remains a mystery for its role and existence. Therefore this name reflects
well the intense fascination for this impalpable concept of "the unknown".
The invited artists for this series were asked to work around this theme,
to let themselves be inspired by its abstraction. The artwork for this
series will be created by the various visual & graphic artists. All in
full-colour or silkscreen covers. The 10" vinyl pressings will come in an
edition of 500 copies for each title."
Asobi Seksu - Transparence 10 inch (Polyvinyl) [PRC-186]
$9.25
RELEASE DATE: 08-25-2009
Transparence is a limited edition four-song 10" featuring two
unreleased
songs from the same Gigantic Studios sessions during which Asobi Seksu
recorded its 2009 Polyvinyl debut LP, Hush. The lead track "Transparence"
is taken from this release, but appears here with a new introduction. The
10" also features a remix of "Transparence" by the hypnotic percussive
group Aa. Promotional support: Limited edition of 1000 on clear vinyl. â~@¢
Vinyl includes digital download code. â~@¢ Critically acclaimed band that
has been featured in â~@¢ Filter, SPIN, New York Times and XLR8R to name a
few. Includes "Transparence" and 3 previously unreleased tracks. â~@¢ Asobi
Seksu â~@¢ will tour nationwide in support of this release with label mates
loney Dear.
Astro/Family Battle Snake - Split LP (Pan) [PAN1] $27.75
A fine document of pure Japanese sonic nihilism and fresh,
deconstructed
electronic frequencies. Delving into the realm of deep listening,
transported by way of analog synthesizers, FAMILY BATTLE SNAKE (aka BILL
KOULIGAS of SUDDEN INFANT) weaves an electronic web that cocoons the
listener in warm cascading frequencies, calling to mind classic electronic
composers such as Charles Dodge, Eliane Radigue and even a hint of NWW.
ASTRO (aka HIROSHI HASEGAWA of the defunct C.C.C.C.) melds waves of
squealing feedback and oscillating waveforms with biting distortion.
Enveloped by haywire electronics and burbling loops and skree, Astro has
constructed an impressive piece of modern electronic music of devastating
magnitude. Limited edition of 330 hand-numbered copies, pressed on 140-gram
vinyl, jacket housed in a two-tone silkscreened PVC sleeve with
interweaving geometric designs.
Atavist - II: Ruined 2xLP (Aurora Borealis) [ABX033] $18.75
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! One of the most prominent doom/sludge bands
today
(heirs to the throne of Khanate, Iron Monkey and Corrupted) release one of
the most dominant albums in said genre of the year. Epic, unforgivingly
heavy and atmospheric, ATAVIST have delivered a crushing and memorable
journey through decay, isolation, depravity, and triumph. Gatefold sleeve,
limited to 500 copies.
Audio Werner - A.S.A.P. 12 inch (Minibar) [MINI018EP]
$11.50
Audio Werner and Cabanne first met in Paris' suburbs a long time ago.
Eighteen years later, they were performing a stunning live set in Paris.
Today, Audio Werner and Minibar, founded by Cabanne and Eric V., team up to
present two killer house funksters that will burn dancefloors. A Minibar
milestone.
Audision - Avenger 12 inch (Mule Electronic) [MULE059EP]
$11.50
This is the second release by Hamburg-based producer Audision on Mule
Electronic. The original version of "Avenger" is dark, Detroitish
tech-house and Mark August (who has previously released on labels such as
Cocoon, Connaisseur, Curle, and Innervisions) made a modern minimal house
remix.
Baaz - Pass It On 12 inch (Quintessentials) [QUINTESSE007EP]
$11.50
"Introduced to dance music in 1997 by Daft Punk's Homework, Baaz
started
DJing and he soon became a well-known figure in the south German club
scene. Things really started to make sense when Baaz encountered music from
US artists like Moodymann and Theo Parrish in 2000. They remain his biggest
influences. Baaz already released his subtle yet pumpin' deep house tracks
on fab labels like Agnes' Sthlmaudio, Sasha Dive's Deep Vibes or Dan Bell's
Elevate. The Pass It On EP on Quintessentials is again the Baaz trademark
sound: 4 proper subtle deep house cuts! Yeah!"
Bad
Cop Bad Cop - Rerooting To Dusty 12 inch (Mnx Recordings) [MNX010EP]
$11.00
"As MNX Recordings reach double figures, they welcome the legendary
Alex
Cortex and longtime collaborator Lopazz AKA Bad Cop Bad Cop to the fold
with a blistering 4 tracker of live, raw electronics aimed squarely at your
frontal lobe aswell as the dancefloors! This work covers the finest
elements of deep minimalism, industrial and acid, and keeps it fun with the
feeling of a live performance -- if anyone can try this approach and pull
it off it's these guys! All the tracks are joined together by abstract
field recordings from the London underground which add to the murky
strangeness of this release! Alex Cortex has been putting out quality
underground music for over a decade with notable and now highly sought
after releases on Source, Klang, and PAL SL, with more recent bombs being
delivered on Platzhirsch, Pomelo and of course our very own Wireblock!
Lopazz too has been busy releasing gems on labels such as Trevor Jackson's
Output and more recently Get Physical, were he has been getting a lot of
attention, but it's when these two guys team up in the studio that the
magic really starts to happen, so waste no time in getting this release
because as always it's gonna be highly limited!"
Benoit Pioulard - Flocks 7 inch (Blueflea) [BLUEFLEA016EP]
$8.25
"Tour-only single! Two new long tracks on a 33rpm 7". 'Maginot'
features
gorgeous vocals & acoustic guitar. 'Alaskan Lashes' is a smear of found
sounds & ambient tones. Housed in a heavy card sleeve, a mini LP-style
sleeve, complete with title on the spine. Pressed on very pretty, pale
yellow vinyl. Limited to 500 copies!"
Big
City Orchestra - Drone Gnomes 10 inch (Drone) [10406] $17.25
Acoustic trance by San Francisco's great masters of obscure atmospheric
noises... artwork by well-known illustrator Mike Dringenberg !!! Light blue
colour vinyl with special marmor-effect, 4-colour covers & labels ! 5th
part in the new 10 CDseries by Drone Records ... lim. 500. sealed copies.
Black Meteoric Star - Dominatron 12 inch (DFA) [DFA2201]
$7.50
BLACK METEORIC STAR is the latest project by longtime DFA alumni GAVIN
RUSSOM. The project is inspired equal parts Euro-disco, wonky early
electronic body music from America's Midwest and an always present
fascination with the outer reaches of global psychedelic rock. One of
three 12-inch singles featuring extended original tracks to be released in
2009, along with a CD with edits of all six singles. These releases will
follow a narrative line and the six pieces of music tell a story of
clubbing and the long journey through the night and into the next day. In
this project, Russom carries his ability to create rich sonic landscapes to
the dance floor using minimal but intense arrangements and high-energy
repetition. The second single "Dominatron / Anthem" takes place after
midnight. The animal energy encountered in "World Eater" is released and
splits itself into female and male parts. This 12" is the story of their
struggle for power over one another. "Dominatron" is the feminine side and
"Anthem" is the masculine side. As in a possession ritual, each side
appears and does its dance.
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Don't Want To Be... PICTURE DISC 12
inch (Mexican Summer) [MEX009] $17.25
NOW AVAILABLE!!! Two brand new, exclusive cuts from a revitalized BLACK
MOTH SUPER RAINBOW, presented on an eye-searing picture disk. Both tracks
take cues from both German synth/ambient pioneers like Cluster and
Harmonia, as well as Italian soundtrack legends Ennio Morricone and Fabio
Frizzi, effectively building off of the hazy, Technicolor acid dreamcoat
this Pittsburgh-area group has been weaving from the get-go.
Blithe Sons, The - The Great Orthochromatic Wheel LP (Family
Vineyard) [FV062LP] $14.75
"The Great Orthochromatic Wheel is The Blithe Sons' first full-length
release since 2004. In the years since the California duo of Loren Chasse
and Glenn Donaldson may have traversed poppy fields and swam to aqua cities
though mostly they've remained active with their Jewelled Antler offshoots:
Ov, Of, and Child Readers (Chasse) or Skygreen Leopards and Flying Canon
(Donaldson) and both in Thuja. These five songs combine nature's melodic
pull and minimalist song forms summoned by a miniature backyard orchestra
of acoustic guitar, vocals, harmonium, drums, and a whispering sea breeze.
Each LP side flaunts a different depth of the Sons, one recorded outdoors
and the other inside; one organic slow-motion folk and the other a thick
honeycomb drone. Each 500 copies contain a download coupon for MP3 version
of the album."
Blue Sabbath Black Cheer/Dried Up Corpse - Split 10 inch
(Gnarled Forest) [LPBLUEDRIE] $12.75
Originally released as a C16 on What We Do Is Secret in an edition of
50
copies. Two bleak and desolate trips to Despairsville are what await you
here, BSBC take a more minimalist approach to horror than the usual roar,
sure to make you a bit uneasy as your led into the fog. DUC ride a slow
drone of death into the winds of the end. Comes housed in a screen printed
jacket, front and back, with a double sided insert.
Bobby Ubangi - Bobby Ubangi LP (Rob's House) [RHR053]
$12.75
The first solo album from BOBBY UBANGI (THE LIDS, GAYE BLADES),
Atlanta's
best craftsman of the three-chord garage sing-a-longs. Features guest
appearances from OLD KING COLE YOUNGER (BLACK LIPS) and JARED SWILLEY
(Black Lips), KING KHAN, GENTLEMAN JESSE and many others.
Book Of Black Earth - Feast LP (Kreation) [KR005] $10.25
AVAILABLE AGAIN AT A LOWER PRICE!!! "Seattle's BOOK OF BLACK EARTH
formed
out of the smoldering ash of TEEN CTHULHU in 2003. The Feast is the band's
first full length album. Punishing blackened death metal (or deathened
black metal if you prefer) is the order of the day. Subtle and unintrusive
keyboard strains throughout give an epic and vast quality to the memorably
brutal songs on display. Vocalist TJ COWGILL's menacing guttural delivery
coupled with the assault of JOE AXLER's (SKARP) double-bass drum march
propel the songs to sit comfortably alongside far more experienced and
noteworthy bands in the genre. And unlike most death metal, The Feast is
precise and over soon enough to leave you wanting much more."
Boys Noize - Starter 12 inch (Boysnoize Records) [BNR034EP]
$11.50
Alexander Ridha aka Boys Noize was busy touring the globe and producing
bombs for U.S. artists and Gonzales; now the boss is back home with a
2-track appetizer in anticipation of a full-length album. He presents his
first new tracks on BNR -- 2 bangers to destroy the summer festivals. The
single is a double-A salute featuring "Starter," a classic Boys Noize
banger in oi style, and "Jeffer," an all-time-fresh disco-hammer to fall in
love with.
Budos Band - Budos Band LP (Daptone) [DAP1202] $12.75
Daptone is one of the hottest labels around, and they're far from a
one-trick pony. One of their most exciting acts is THE BUDOS BAND, and
they're whetting the appetites for the upcoming Budos Band III full-length
with a vinyl-only EP that gives the trademark horn-driven and bass-heavy
Budos funk another slot in your collection. Includes the previously 7-inch
only classic "The Proposition," as well as a free MP3 download card.
Burial Hex/Zola Jesus - Split LP (Aurora Borealis) [ABX037]
$18.00
Aurora Borealis is very proud to release this split LP by two of
Wisconsin's finest exports, BURIAL HEX and ZOLA JESUS. Burial Hex presents
two works here. The first track "Go Crystal Tears" is the first outing for
the new Burial Hex sound and highlights influences such as '80s horror
synth master John Carpenter and Goblin coming to the fore and blending with
the almost black metal vocal style and "horror electronics" so successfully
developed on Initiations. The second track "Temple of the Flood," clocking
in at a more usual 14 and a half minutes, is one of the final old-style
Burial Hex tracks and and features heavily processed analog electronics and
synths up until around seven minutes in where things take an unexpected
turn with eroding layers of primitive percussion, water drops, and almost
Martin Denny-style exotica piano runs before ending in a deluge of sub bass
and redemptive church organ. Zola Jesus offers a 19-minute track that
blends all the trademark sounds of this young Madison genius. NIKA (aka
Zola Jesus) is joined here by DEAD LUKE, who also plays as part of the Zola
Jesus' live sound.
Burnt Hills - Herb Saint LP (Flipped Out Records) [FOR025LP]
$19.75
"Take a headfirst dive into a boiling pool of wild vibes. Side A was
vibrated into being on 3/2/09 at the Helderberg house with five heads
shredding to live. Side B was vibrated into being on 3/19/09 at Bard
College with nine heads living to shred."
Canson - Risiko/Hot Sunday 12 inch (Grubenstrasse Zurich)
[GS005EP] $12.25
"Following the high-flying release of Mathias Kaden on GS, Canson
celebrates his stunning comeback on the Zurich-based label! Two years after
releasing Gueti Sach, he drops another dance floor killer for the crazy
morning hours. 'Risiko' is mysterious and provocative! On the B-side, 'Hot
Sunday' inspires with its cheerful dramaturgy. This is the perfect
soundtrack for a dancing Sunday in the park!"
Carlos Nino & Friends - High With A Little Help LP (Kindred
Spirits) [LPNINOHIGH] $20.75
CARLOS NINO's latest electroaccoustic work, a beautiful album on a
ambient
/ LIFE FORCE TRIO tip. Sublime stuff. High With A Little Help started
production after the completion of The Life Force Trio Living Room. It was
then, in early 2006, that Nino got to work on new tracks with members of
BUILD AN ARK and his other ensembles, (including TLFT.) Over the last
couple years, he kept a collection of these pieces, knowing that they were
comprising a whole idea that he wanted to express. One of the main things
the album features are samples from a variety of live and studio recordings
he made. The concept, that the source of many of these works, was based on
moments captured from sessions for other projects, was very interesting to
him. On High With A Little Help, he shows the continuum of his work as an
organizer, producer, arranger, composer, and musician by mixing it all up
into one hearty stew. With African rhythms, ambient, experimental and funk
based electronic sounds, string arrangements, freak flag flying folk
flavors, improvisational soul-jazz, and cinematic score cues, Nino has
woven a masterful quilt of influence and inspiration.
Chopstick & Johnjon - A New Day 12 inch (Baalsaal)
[BAAL009A-EP] $11.50
"Right at the point where everyone stopped believing that the label
owners
themselves would do a release on Baalsaal, it comes flying right around the
corner! Finally, at catalogue number 009 Chopstick & Johnjon decided to put
their best horse into the race and team up with no other than Fritz
Kalkbrenner -- the voice behind the early summer anthem 'Sky and Sand' with
his brother Paul Kalkbrenner. The beat of the original mix bounces from the
first minute on, supporting the chords and the bassline while they work
their changes. At the point when Fritz starts the first verse you get this
feeling that 'this is gonna be special' and indeed it will be. The catchy
chorus and the beauty of everything surrounding it makes you wanna sing
along, dance and dream away the night and we didn't get to the break and
the strings yet -- yes, there will be strings. So get ready and breathe in
11 minutes of deep feelings and emotions! On B1 is a remix by Marek
Hemmann, who had great impact with his productions and remixes on labels
such as Freude am Tanzen, Raum Musik and Resopal. You can see how much fun
he had working with these vocals! By chopping them up and rebuilding
everything with plain piano chords and a rather unique melody line, he
converts the emotional original to a dancefloor killer! Till von Sein was
our first choice when we thought about a fluffy summer-remix and, as you
can hear on B2, he delivered. Spacey vocals, beautiful sounds and the music
takes this release into a totally different vibe and direction: Smiling
faces on a Sunday afternoon dancing in the sun at an afterhour location or
on your own balcony. The baal009a has it all -- the 11 minutes journey with
the full vocals on it, the bouncy maintime killer and the summer tune."
Chopstick & Johnjon - A New Day Pt. 2 12 inch (Baalsaal)
[BAAL009B-EP] $11.50
"Yes, we clearly can't get enough of this track. After showing 'A New
Day'
to some friends everyone wanted to do a remix so we picked our favourites
and throw them at you with another vinyl. Listen closely, here are the
interpretations by Stil vor Talent label boss Oliver Koletzki, Mood Music
Mascot Sasse bringing along his new artists Penner + Muder and a dub
version by Chopstick & johnjon. Starting on A1 is 'A New Dub' -- the dub
version by Chopstick & johnjon themselves, taking just a snippet of Fritz'
voice to create a house monster. Using a dirty beat and loopy sequences to
build it up -- up to that break, where everything finally makes sense.
Clearly something for the masses. Sasse on B2 does it a little bit more
disco. Using all the melodies from the original with new sounds, he takes
the track into a whole new direction. The vocals enjoy a beautiful reverb
in this one, dropping off Fritz somewhere far far away. It's funky, it's
housy and a little dirty -- that must be that guy from Finland. On A2 we
enjoy a mix by Oliver Koletzki giving us a little sneak peak on the style
he will bring us with his upcoming album. Amazing chords and melodies put
the song on a new level -- may I say on 'a pop level!?' This is so catchy,
it won't let you go for a long time. Another remix, another different
direction showing how diverse this song is. And last but not least we find
Penner + Muder on B2. After some great remixes on Stil vor Talent and Mood
we thought we have to let these guys work on this. And we got what we
wanted. A house loop that makes you move, building sloooowly up to a
magnificent break. Hands up in the air and there we go... That's all we've
for this one -- promise!"
Chris Wood & Frank Leicher - Moving Out 12 inch (Level Non
Zero) [LNZ028EP] $11.50
"Chris Wood & Frank Leicher present there next EP on levelNONzero
called:
Moving Out. The main track is a straight house mover with nice percussions
and vocal samples. Play it loud and see the crowd go crazy on the
dancefloor. On the flip, the shooting star of the moment (Groove charts
Place one), Robert Dietz, did a fantastic remix in his typical groovy
stile, with a massive break to see all the hands up in the air."
Circuit des Yeux - Sirenum LP (Destijl) [DESTIJL070LP]
$16.50
"From a small town in the middle of the land of milk and honey, where
the
air is filled with the blossoming of the fruit trees for a big part of the
year, comes these perfect little lilies of bands that make perfect little
records that reflect this fertile and flowery region. It's a timeless land,
and making records there is possible during this surely short period of
history wherein the youth of this era feel as if they've solved the mystery
of life and love and it's really loving that is the answer to everything.
All of which has nothing at all to do with Circuit Des Yeux and Sirenium,
which was made in Indiana, and there aren't exactly pipers at the gates of
Lafayette. Sound? It's the sound of 'issues,' and the sound of 'troubles.'
You don't get but one phone call and honey, the girl's voice makes this
message a bit rubbly anyway. Take the manic snorts of captain liberty,
dissonant as chalk and the next moment as melodic as sharp yet slick, metal
teeth. Take the mermaid, 1988, turn the tides, gently, gently away.
Selected breath / silences / selected feedback. Take an argument you have
here with an empty street while the memory of high traffic is leaking back.
Sirenum has a real 'spiritual food' vibe and it's f***ing pain and pleasure
relief in this real met en zonder sort of way. This world is her world, and
pipe if you like it."
Cisfinitum - Devotio 10 inch (Drone) [10405] $17.25
The fourth volume in our new series comes from one of the currently
best
projects of the russian experimental-atmospheric / drone /
post-industrial-scene. Main force behind CISFINITUM we find Evgueny
Voronovsky, an educated violinist from Moscow. CISFINITUM is a notion by
russian poet & writer DANIIL CHARMS, meaning the ?logic of the infinite
non-existence", that ?something" that is beyond all rational things.
DEVOTIO uses monumental bell-sounds that build complex overlappings &
hypnotic drone-waves in various layers, dissolving into pure vibrations. To
us It sounds like a journey into the heart of the sacral, pointing at a
sphere of transcendence where all questions end. Or begin again. Comes on
white vinyl and with great artwork by Berlin-based artworker TILMANN
BENNINGHAUS.
City of Ships/Souvenir's Young America - Split 12 inch
(Perpetual Motion Machine) [PMM020] $9.00
This split 12-inch features Richmond, Virginia's CITY OF SHIPS and
SOUVENIR'S YOUNG AMERICA. SYA follow up their critically acclaimed album,
An Ocean Without Water (Crucial Blast) with two shimmering instrumentals of
beautifully arranged western-doom, that will appeal to fans of Earth and
Grails alike. Recent Richmond transplants, City of Ships follow up their
impressive debut EP, Live Free Or Don't (Forcefield) with two stunning
tracks of heavy, melodic and atmospheric rock, that draws influence from
bands such as Cult of Luna, Isis, and Hum. This is the second pressing of
this limited 12" which quickly sold out last year. Limited to 200 copies,
this comes with beautiful hand-screened fold-over covers, colored vinyl,
and a free digital download card included.
Coffins/Otesanek - Split LP (Zion's Gate) [LPCOFFIOTES]
$12.00
AVAILABLE AGAIN AT A LOWER PRICE!!! COFFINS features members of DOT and
CHURCH OF MISERY so prepare your head for the most impressive, devastating
and crushing death doom on earth in the form of an agonizing hybrid between
Corrupted with early Celtic Frost/Hellhammer. OTESANEK's sparse guitars and
slow tempo are akin to Khanate and Unearthly Trance. The pounding
percussions bring you back from the suspension of time. This is a brutally
crushing and heavy split!
Connie Case - Get Down/Flowing Inside 12 inch (Konduko)
[KOND2022EP] $12.25
"Reissue of the original Konduko Records release of early '80s Miami
producer Noel Williams' sleazy disco funk classic 'Get Down' with its
awesome post disco/pre electro sound. This in-demand track, which was the
standout on the hugely successful Disco Not Disco series, literally has it
all -- a compulsive hypnotic combination of killer electronic bassline,
catchy funk vocals and dirty in-ya-face synth stabs that positively wreck
the dancefloor! Ultra-rare and near-impossible to get hold of in the
original, so grab one of these limited edition reissues while you can."
Cooly G - Narst/Love Dub 12 inch (Hyperdub) [HDB020EP]
$10.75
Hyperdub introduces South London house producer, Cooly G. A producer,
singer and DJ, her productions caught the ear of Kode9 for their mix of
tough, complex tribal drums, dubbed-out feel, and Cooly's occasional gentle
vocals. "Narst" is cold and martial, the urgent strings, soca beat, and
sub-bass all referencing classic grime. In contrast, the two versions of
"Love Dub" are dubbed-out, offbeat, warm and sexy with loose percussion,
swelling bass and vocals. Championed by Mary Anne Hobbs and highly-rated in
The Guardian.
Cortney Tidwell - Watusii 12 inch (City Slang) [SLANG9550016]
$10.25
"Cortney Tidwell has confirmed details of the first single to be taken
from
her forthcoming album Boys which is, according to Tidwell, 'about two kids
in love, fighting, and they eventually kill themselves. It's a modern day
Romeo and Juliet.' Undeniably one of the most electronic songs she's
written, it calls upon diverse influences like New Order and Depeche Mode
and packs a typically impressive melodic punch. The track will be available
as a special single edit, and is accompanied by exclusive mixes and an A
Cappella version. After the success of Ewan Pearson's remix of the title
track to her debut album Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up (a Pitchfork
Track Of The Year 2007) duties are this time handled by Simon Baker and
Daphni. Baker's remixes for Radioslave and Simian Mobile Disco have
confirmed his status as one of the most exciting DJs and producers around,
and he gives the track a technicolor tech-house workover perfect for summer
twilight. Daphni - aka Dan Snaith, aka Caribou - has meanwhile turned in
a fourteen minute monster, a trippy techno bastard that sneaks up gently,
growing relentlessly until it leaves listeners dizzy and euphoric."
Cotti feat. 2NICE - Warrior Charge/Lost And Found 12 inch
(Studio Rockers) [STUDR009EP] $10.25
"Hailing from Brixton, Cotti is an established DJ, MC & producer and is
fast becoming one of dubstep's new breed of rising stars. With an already
enviable repertoire of releases to his name including Sensi Dub, Legacy & I
Don't Give A Dub, 2009 sees him release his debut 12" for Studio Rockers
entitled 'Warrior Charge.' For this track, Cotti teams up with well
respected reggae dancehall artist 2Nice who has worked alongside the likes
of Ricky Ranking & Horseman as well as such producers as Curtis Lynch,
Seani B and Mafia & Fluxy. 'Warrior Charge' sees Cotti conjur up another
hook-laden anthem. The track kicks off with haunting strings rising over
piano stabs & deep subs that combine subtly to draw you in. Stuttering
hi-hats then ghost their way into the mix beneath the soaring reggae vocal
before the sound flips with heavy synth stabs that signal the 'Warrior
Charge' for 2Nice to take his flow in a fresh direction. Certain to make an
impact both in the clubs and on the radio, this future dubstep anthem truly
provides something for everyone. On the flip is a straight-up dancefloor
killer in the guise of 'Lost & Found.' Ominous horns combine with deep bass
stabs & a churning synth line to create an edgy sound that grips you from
the off and never really lets go. With the dubplate already doing some
serious damage worldwide 'Lost & Found' will surely continue to devastate
dancefloors for months to come."
Cough - Sigillum Luciferi 2xLP (Forcefield) [FF08.2] $25.25
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! This six track, hour long debut full length
is
finally getting it's proper due. Encased in beautiful gatefold packaging
this double LP from Richmond's heaviest, ugliest, and slowest band will
leave you with a knot of discomfort in your stomach. This effort, which was
released previously only via CD last May on Forcefield, was recorded in
September 2007 at Volume Studious in Chicago, IL with SANFORD PARKER
(Buried At Sea, Rwake, Minsk, Unearthly Trance, Lair Of The Minotaur) and
mastered by COLLIN JORDAN (Minsk, Buried At Sea, Nachtmystium, Yakuza) of
Boiler Room Mastering also of Chicago, IL. This album is doom that stays
true to the definition of doom and doesn't try to do too much or add in any
unnecessary flair. dirty, slow, hateful, and most of all heavy. This is a
co-release with United Kingdom's Feast of Tentacles and Belgium's Electric
Earth. Packaged in double pocket gatefold sleeves with UV gloss finish,
black dust sleeves, and an insert.
Current Value & Rodell - Sparse Land 12 inch (Subtrakt)
[SUBT006EP] $10.25
"Techno titan Dean Rodell teams up with one of DnB's most respect
producers
Current Value to bring you a first taste of their shared vision of dubstep,
Sparse Land. 'Requiem' has a deep old skool vibe, with rich synth pads that
make the hair on you neck stand up and a piano to tug on the strings of
your heart. Tight, techy percussion and meaty drums bind the melodic
atmospheres to form a package that is tighter than a virgins daughter.
'Requiem' is a step beyond the average; class dubstep meets old skool
electronica, the finest in the underground. For the 'Requiem' remix we
welcome Balkansky (aka Cooh) back to the fold. His mix brings Dean and CV's
concept piece straight back to the dancefloor. A hard hitting dub fuelled
beast that punches in all the right places and a further example of the
masterful audio manipulation skill of Balkansky. If 'Corridor' were a film
it could only be described as Event Horizon meets Blade Runner. The cold,
sterile ambiances and bleak 'sci-fi' cynicism breed with a bassline that
haunts the very kit it dances with. 'User Error' is a collaboration with
new Subtrakt signing 'Underhill.' Perhaps the most dubby cut of the EP, but
still with a sense that a little techno and DnB may lurk beneath. This is
the first of many huge Underhill tracks lined up for Subtrakt over the
coming months, keep your ears open and you shall not be disappointed!"
Darko Esser - Relieve/Running Far Behind 12 inch (Dieb Audio)
[DIEBAUDIO009EP] $11.50
"Our next release, Relieve EP, comes from Darko Esser, owner of
Wolfskuil
Records and with releases on Josh Wink's Ovum and DJ Yellow's Pousezz!
records. This EP contains two original tech house tracks, 'Relieve' and
'Running Far Away' and two remixes. Regarding the originals, Darko delivers
two tech house/melodic peaces of art, with an old school feel in to them.
On the remix front, for the A side, we bring you Gregor Tresher, who needs
no introduction. Gregor remixed 'Relieve,' and by keeping it simple, he
delivered a techno bomb for the dance floors. On the B side, Wollion,
Sandrino & Adryan aka Lemon Popsicle, deliver an absolute emotive tech
house remix of the original 'Running Far Away.' Once again there is a wide
variety of mixes on offer here, sure to find favor with a diverse spectrum
of listener and/or DJ."
Death Cab for Cutie - Something About Airplanes LP (Sonic Boom)
[SBR002] $13.75
BACK IN PRINT ON VINYL!!! Still considered by many fans to be DCFC's
best
album, but criminally unheard by many newer converts other than in the form
of the handful of songs that remain staples of the band's live set
("Amputations," "Pictures in an Exhibition," "Fake Frowns"), Something
About Airplanes is not just a document of a particular time in the band's
history or of a bygone era of indie rock, it's an enduring work featuring
some of the band's finest songs ("Champagne from a Paper Cup," "Your
Bruise"). Limited edition, so don't sleep.
Deceh - Deceh LP (Important) [IMPREC258] $18.50
RELEASE DATE: 07-28-2009
Limited edition of 400. Handmade letterpressed covers. Deceh is a fine
drone quartet utilizing traditional ethnic drone instruments as well as
vintage analog synthesizers. This record was recorded on a centered room
microphone as the group sat in a perfect square around it. This method of
recording perfectly captured the focused intimacy of the moment complete
with the crackling bellows of an ancient harmonium.
Deep'a & Biri - Fragile 12 inch (Rotary Cocktail) [RC017EP]
$11.50
"Neo Detroit techno from Deep`a & Biri (Kammer Musik / Tel Aviv) --
includes an EDIT by youANDme (Platzhirsch / Dekadent Schallplatten)."
Digitaline - Seeking Attention 12 inch (Cityfox) [CITYFOX002EP]
$11.50
"Digitaline, the Swiss experts in organic grooves and trippy rhythms,
are
releasing the second record of Zurich based label Cityfox. The vinyl
features 2 long tracks, both telling their own story. The title track,
'Seeking Attention,' builds up slowly, a perfect tool to integrate in DJ
sets, and starts its full power towards minute 5:00. With the catchy vocals
and perfectly simple percussion, 'Seeking Attention' is for sure one of
this year's summer anthems. It has one thing in common with the B-side
track 'Altra' -- smart vocals combined with an undeniably tricky groove
that makes all of you dance, with no exception."
Dinosaur Jr. - Farm 2xLP (Jagjaguwar) [JAG150LP] $16.50
"If Beyond was Dinosaur Jr.'s return to form, Farm is proof that this
band
continues to deliver that which makes rock worth cranking to 11. At times
wholly '70s guitar-epic, at times perfect for sitting by a babbling brook
with Joni and Neil, 'Farm' encompasses Dinosaur Jr.'s signature palette --
soaring and distorted guitar, unshakable hooks, honey-rich melodies --
songs that get into your head and, bouncing around happily, stay there. The
ear-catching 'Plans' is nearly 7 minutes of classic whipped-topping rock
dessert, while 'I Don't Wanna Go There' is a meat-and-potatoes main dish,
mixing unapologetic lead guitar with straight-ahead delivery a la James
Gang or Humble Pie. These two tunes round out twelve tracks propelled by
the unique energy of one of America's greatest living rock bands hitting
their stride. Farm was recorded in J Mascis' Bisquiteen studio in Amherst,
Massachusetts, and was produced by Mascis."
Diplo - Blow Your Head 12 inch (Mad Decent) [MAD087] $9.00
"DIPLO's first proper solo release on Mad Decent is major. He finally
delivers his version of the JB classic 'Blow Your Head.' We first heard
this mutant-half breed-mongoloid a couple years back on a Mad Decent Radio
mix, but it's been under wraps since. Wicked wicked drums is all I have to
say. 'Must Be A Devil' has a spaghetti western feel about it, another one
of Diplo's strange concoctions that creeps into your brain. On the flip we
get four remixes of 'Wassup Wassup' featuring rising bmore vocalist RYE
RYE. I think DJ SEGA takes the honors amongst the big names (CROOKERS, BART
BMORE), watch for this kid."-Turntable Lab
Duijn & Douglas - Cat Concrete 12 inch (Nowar) [NOW002EP]
$11.00
"Nowar has the privilege to introduce this new producer duo from the
Netherlands, Duijn & Douglas, composed of Esther Duijn and Steady Douglas.
Their very first outing on the wax comes with a solid deep house monster,
pounding steady beats, hip shaking chords and sexy sweet percussion. Cat
Concrete will have you dancing and sweating in no time. Close your eyes and
lose yourself in the infectious rhythm of this brilliant track. It's house
music in its purest form. On the flipside you can find Baaz's remix which
takes the track in a more stompy direction. Slow jacking beats, a gripping
sub bass with a deep old skool touch. It's a deep but slow Chicago stomper
for both warming up the early birds and easing out the afterhour creatures.
This record is solid, deep, raw and comes in a very nice artwork sleeve!"
Dusty Kid - America 12 inch (Boxer Recordings) [BOXER071EP]
$11.50
"America" is the ultimate road-movie soundtrack for a sunny journey
through
the Midwestern United States. Open your window, feel the breeze, and listen
to a perfect song. It's surprising and thrilling, it's relaxing and deep,
it's graceful and full of beauty. After a long day riding, you deserve a
great track for a wild party at your favorite motel. "Train No. 3" takes no
prisoners, so freak out and let yourself go. Tomorrow, you can relax again
by listening to "America."
Earth - Radio Live LP (Southern Lord) [LORD104] $18.25
In the interest of documenting exceptional and vibrant live
performances by
Southern Lord artists, the label is proud to present a exclusive, vinyl
only live album from EARTH. Comprised of two tracks from a live radio
broadcast on KFJC (New Years Eve 2007) and two track from a live
performance in Vienna on there 2008 European tour. Of particular note is
that TREY SPRUANCE (SECRET CHIEF 3, FAXED HEAD) plays Baritone Guitar and
sitar on the KFJC recordings. The sound quality is incredible and crystal
clear! RANDALL DUNN (SUNN O))), BORIS, KINSKI) was the live sound engineer
and the recordings were ultimately mastered by MELL DETTMER. The 180-gram
black vinyl comes housed in a beautiful cloth-like textured heavy-weight
cardboard sleeve with metallic silver foil printing! This release is
limited to 3,000 copies and as with all Southern Lord vinyl it is highly
collectible and they will go fast!
Edward Ka-Spel - Painted River Of Regrets LP (Beta-Lactam Ring)
[MT169] $20.75
"Three decades of sound tracking the secret psychedeli-sphere has found
EDWARD KA-SPEL scoring an imaginary film. Edward's music for the movie
flows with measured, stygian force; the groaning rises punctuated by that
old black magic that only Ka-Spel can conjure with the smallest of sounds
permeating every wave. Loops trill and sigh within virtuoso keyboard
cameos. A myriad of miniature minuets thread backwards and beneath the main
thematic pulses."
Ekkohaus - Not Trying To 12 inch (Brut! Records) [BRUT009EP]
$11.50
"Brut! is delighted to present the new EP of ekkohaus, a release we've
been
working for quite a while. During this time, the man has been spoiling
other labels such as Morris Audio, Cargo Editions, Liebe*Detail and Circus
Company with some great house releases! on this occasion he has taken it
further. He has chosen the risky path, merging the sounds of be-bop and
jazz with techno and house and plunging deeper than he ever did before.
Rest assured, floor damage is part of the equation. Hard work and patience
has paid off, and we'd like to think this is Ekkohaus' most ambitious
release to date! Prove us wrong if you can."
Eleh - Homage To The Sine Wave LP (Taiga) [TAIGA007LP]
$20.50
The elusive Eleh project resurfaces from the depths with another
release on
Taiga. Homage To The Sine Wave is the second release in their sound
waves-based Homage To... series, following 2008's sold-out LP, Homage To
The Square Wave. In a similar fashion, the elemental approach to the
construction of the pieces on Sine Wave is influenced by Josef Albers, the
German-born U.S.-based abstract painter and theorist best known for his
color studies embodied in paintings of geometric abstraction. Both faces
feature side-long compositions at just over 20 minutes each. Side A holds
"Together We Are One," a piece that begins floating in the ether, but
gently lands on a field of rhythmic bass pulses before dipping below the
horizon. "Beneath The Silver Sun" on the B-side is a meditation on the
nighttime, with a consistent delivery and subtle transformation that is
dually tranquil and exhilarating. Volume reveals detail. Sine Wave was
mastered by James Plotkin, cut direct to metal and pressed on 200 gram
virgin vinyl in a hand-numbered edition of 500. The LP comes housed in a
custom 2-color letterpressed jacket that was designed by John Brien of
Important Records and printed by Studio On Fire in Minneapolis. The jackets
were printed flat, die-cut, folded and glued, resulting in a letterpressed
jacket with a printed spine. Eleh was formed to pay tribute to the pioneers
of audio minimalism such as La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Eliane Radigue,
Pauline Oliveros and Charlemagne Palestine. They use vintage modular gear
to produce recordings of pure tone, pure sound, pure volume and pure
analog. This is two-tone drone targeted towards absolute, meditative bliss.
Es
- Kesämaan Lapset LP (Fonal) [FR064LP] $16.00
This is Fonal label-head and filmmaker Sami Sänpäkkilä's fifth solo
album
under the name Es. Recorded during a 3-year period, it is a mixture of pop
and sacred soundscapes with influences varying from contemporary indie-rock
to ancient classical music. The name translates to "The Children Of The
Summerland," and is an homage to Finnish cult folk legend Pekka Streng's
album Kesämaa ("Summerland"), which is one of the artist's favorite Finnish
albums ever made. Various quirky instrumentation is used on Kesämaan
Lapset; from high-end analog synthesizers and upright pianos to cheap flea
market Casios. A few special guests make an appearance on this record,
including Laura Laurila (violin), Tuomas Eriksson (Risto) (trombone) and
Elissa Määttänen (vocals). On "Ennen Oli Huonommin," squiggling, rapid-fire
synth noises battle a chorus of angels against a droning and static-y
backdrop. On "Haamut Sun Sydämestä," high-pitched cries ride on top of a
melancholy piano line, while what seems like thousands of pitched-shifted
orchestras and bleeps multiply and rise atonally. The title track is a
stunning, epic drone-piece with chanting vocals in a golden forest of
sound: strings and horn lines, sinuous, ethereal synths and organ mantras.
Recorded at home in the bedroom and abroad on various travels, Es has
crafted a haunting summer album that evokes a strange, nostalgic, visceral
response, like gazing at childhood photographs.
Etalon - Common 12 inch (Caravan) [CVAN007EP] $10.75
Etalon have been producing and DJing across a number of genres with
various
productions on labels such as Global Underground, EMI, Players Paradise and
more. Working almost-tangible melodies together with an irrepressible
groove, "Uniqueness" provides a full body and mind workout. On the flip is
an unusual re-work from label boss October. With his attempts at original
sonic design and experimentation, this is his most uncommon work to date.
Stiffen your neuro-synapses, open up your frontal lobe, and enjoy.
Eyerer & Namito - Pitch & Toss 12 inch (Systematic) [SYST058EP]
$12.25
"Martin Eyerer and Namito have once again teamed up to finally present
their debut 12 inch single on Systematic Recordings! After their
contribution "Blind date" on the "5 Years Of Systematic Recordings" this
dirty and ass kickin piece of club shit is going to sneak into your ears
and brain. Mister Tuning Spork Jay Haze from Berlin has made his personal
interpretation of the main track and hey, this tune sounds really classical
and Balearic! Why? Because of the 90s piano chords we have recently missed
so much, wow! On the B2 you can find "Shibuya", a track for deep tech house
Connaiseeurs and nobody else who does not feel tech music."
Fabio Giannelli - 100 Years Later 12 inch (Off) [OFF007EP]
$11.50
"Known by releases on labels as Thirty One Twenty, his own District
Raw,
OFF001 and his recent hit Growing on Supplement Facts, young Italian Fabio
Giannelli presents his next strike for OFF! A1 is for sure the deepest
A-side the label has seen so far, a unique and moody slice of oldschool-ish
deephouse with a great sound design and soulful synth-voice pads. On
'Crossline,' Fabio stays true to his string tradition of driving
techhouse-tracks, a sure peaktime-dancefloor-mover. Einzelkind deliver a
great interpretation of '100 Years Later,' deep but driving at the same
time, looping a vocal slice over and over and using the synth-voice of the
original as a driving rave-signal sound, all in their trademark outstanding
sound quality. 'Channel Strip' completes the vinyl as a deep groove-tool
with a cool atmosphere, perfect for the earlier or later hours of the
night. Düsseldorf-based DJ, producer and promoter Cess created a deep remix
of '100 Years Later' with an organic, warm and sophisticated groove, an
endless trippy tool topped by the organ and vocal samples of the original."
Face Plant - Face Plant LP (Heard Worse) [HW06] $15.75
On this solo project-a textural wash of psychedelic flat-lining-AARON
COYES
(RAHDUNES, PEAKING LIGHTS, UNBORN UNICORN) utilizes a homemade modular
synth, homemade three-head delay, hand-cut records, store-bought cymbals
and additional guest oscillations by RATS WITH WINGS.
Falty DL - Human Meadow (boxcutter / U-ziq Remixes) 12 inch
(Planet Mu) [ZIQ231] $7.00
"Human Meadow" is the stand-out track from New York garage / 2-step /
dubstep / hip hop / electronic artist FALTY DL's debut album Love Is a
Liability, and on this remix 12-inch he gets the Planet Mu treatment by
some of the biggest names on the label. BOXCUTTER steps up to the
challenge first. Belfast's BARRY LYNN's impressive discography includes
four albums on Planet Mu as well as releases on his own Kinnego Records and
the Hotflush label. Remixed during the period of writing that led to his
new release Arecibo Message, his version of "Human Meadow" has the same
lush sound as that album. Second to take the remix stand is label owner
u-ZIQ aka MIKE PARADINAS. The half-Spanish Paradinas, who has been
releasing tunes since 1993, gets back to writing after a hiatus that
followed his 2007 album Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate Devastation Technique.
The final mix comes from Mu veteran LUKE VIBERT, whose discography includes
releases on Mo Wax, Ninja Tune, Rephlex, and Warp Records as well as two
albums on Planet Mu (soon to be three). No exports outside North
America and Japan
Fiery Furnaces, The - The End Is Near 12 inch (Thrill Jockey)
[THR01232EP] $9.75
"The End Is Near is a limited edition 12" EP. Fans and critics alike
have
long been waiting for the Friedbergers to make their 'simple' record, as
it's always been clear they had a knack for the infectious melodies and
great arrangements that classic pop requires. The title track, a catchy,
melancholic pop song, kicks off the single, instantly giving tantalizing
affirmation that the new album I'm Going Away is set to be the most
exciting, accomplished and consequently accessible album The Fiery Furnaces
have ever made. A radio edit of 'Lost At Sea' and a slower version of
'Charmaine Champagne' (both album tracks in their original forms) underline
the masterful melodic work of the album's new songs to breathtaking effect.
'Teddy's on Kent' is an otherwise unavailable new recording."
Frank Leicher - Boogie Nights 12 inch (Brouqade) [BQD009EP]
$11.50
"Yehaa! After releasing a remix for Dana Ruh's 'Nolana' on the Vochi
Vochi
EP and an amazing track on the Itchy Feet EP, Frank Leicher honors us again
with an own EP on Brouqade. With 'Boogie Nights' he presents a strong track
with a heavy bassline, filled with lots of percussions and a nice delayed
vocal sample. First part of 'Senkel' comes with deep subs and is more dry
until the break. Beware of the nice clap, that excels impressive, in every
drumfree second! Excellent work! Patrick Reith's remix of 'Boogie Nights'
is a rollin, massive submonster. He used only a few cutted vocal snippets
from the original track for his breaks. Perfect for the prime time!"
Frankie Francis and Simbad - Fiesta Angola 12 inch (Sofrito
Specials) [SOFR004EP] $13.50
"The second summer scorcher from the Sofrito crew covering the hottest
tropical dancefloor sounds from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean!
Fiesta Angola sees Sofrito's resident studio wizard Frankie Francis go head
to head with Simbad (Raw Fusion) to sprinkle a little magic on some classic
'70s Angolan sounds -- inimitable Semba and merengue rhythms with a little
twist. Housed in heavy manila sleeves with stickers and on 180 gram vinyl."
Ganglians - Monster Head Room LP (Weird Forest) [WEIRD0099]
$17.75
Sacramento's GANGLIANS want an island somewhere where they can soak in
the
sun and prowl the canopy by night. It's not often that they do get out, but
they can get down for that. Recording sometimes as one, sometimes as four
it's a real game to figure out where the entity comes from and where it's
going. First and foremost it's about uncertain pleasures. It's a bit like
choose your own adventure. There's "Codeine Balladry" a slightly upsetting
tempo that is quickly flushed into an aural high, the next moment you're in
the toy strewn abyss of the bedroom and then out to the tribal caves of the
natives. The planets align and the sun beats down, palms tingling, and you
are on the island they've built, the scenery constantly shifting for a
better view, of you. "All completely new songs. This album is pure naive
headphone acid pop to drive to, at least that's what was going through our
heads."-Ganglians. Limited edition vinyl (500 copies) includes a bonus
7-inch. CD version to be released by Woodsist.
Genghis Tron - Board Up The House Remixes 5 LP (Crucial Blast)
[CBR75] $14.00
Part five in the five-volume Board Up The House remix series produced
in
cooperation between GENGHIS TRON and five different labels (Relapse,
Lovepump United, Anticon, Temporary Residence, and now, Crucial Blast).
Volume five features remixes by TIM HECKER-turning the title track "Board
Up The House" into a fuzz-entombed bliss-scape-and AIDAN BAKER/NADJA-who
delivers a massively glacial version of "I Won't Come Back Alive." Edition
of 1,000 copies pressed on colored vinyl with cover art by JON BEASLEY.
Giddle & Boyd - Going Steady With Peggy Moffitt LP
(Discriminate Audio) [VN05] $23.25
The debut release from BOYD RICE's latest project is heavily influenced
by
male and female duos of the '60s-Nancy & Lee, Sonny & Cher, Serge &
Brigette, et al. Boyd's counterpart is GIDDIE PARTRIDGE of the infamous
TV-based religion The Partridge Family Temple. Together they create
stunning covers of Gainsbourg's "Bonnie & Clyde" and Suicide's "Rocket
USA," along with four other gems not entirely unlike Boyd's Spell album
from the early '90s. Limited to 1,000 copies, hand-numbered sleeves printed
on glossy silver foil cardstock, and pressed on bubblegum pink heart-shaped
10-inch vinyl.
Golden Triangle - Golden Triangle LP (Mexican Summer) [MEX010]
$17.00
NOW AVAILABLE!!! A confluence of talent from Memphis, Austin, and
Atlanta
that's converged in Brooklyn, GOLDEN TRIANGLE is the definitive
garage/post-punk/show band for these trying times. A forceful, graceless
slam-together of dark, strummy pop with party atmospherics and a coldly
serious streak of idol worship, Golden Triangle is a cramped vehicle for
ideas, in which the B-52's, the Fall, the Birthday Party, and the Cramps
are forced to co-exist. They get in and out quickly enough that you won't
know what hit you, but you'll be coming back for more. Features current and
ex-members of ANGRY ANGLES and VIVA L'AMERICAN DEATH RAY MUSIC, and
includes a smoking cover of "Anette's Got the Hits" by Redd Kross.
Golden Triangle - Golden Triangle LP (Golden Triangle) [GT001]
$13.25
STILL AVAILABLE!!! Featuring ex-Memphians NICK DIABLO (VIVA L'AMERICAN
DEATH RAY MUSIC) and ALIX BROWN (LIDS, ANGRY ANGLES). A blast of blurry
basement psychy experimental-ish rock. Limited edition six-ong EP, packaged
with silk-screened original RAUL DE NIEVES print covers. Hand-numbered
edition of 500 copies previously availalble on the band's To Thirsty For
Love Tour.
Grey Man, The - Aquatic Life 10 inch (Consume) [CSM004EP]
$11.00
"Not content to be defined by the 'dark' turn the consume label has
taken
of late, label boss, Gunjack enlists the help of techno/electronica don,
Mark Broom, of Warp, R&S, BPitch fame. While 'dubstep' artists are fiending
over tunes that sample Detroit classics and have that 'techno' vibe, third
wave techno-heads The Grey Man aka Mark Broom and Gunjack seem determined
to show them all how it should be done! Aquatic Life is a two tracker on
grey, ten inch vinyl. In the A1 slot, 'Slimy Tench' by Mark Broom, is a
gritty, freaky journey into techno soul, that conjures images of Basic
Channel having tea with AFX twin in the belly of a sea monster circa 1996!
Smoked out techno dub pads hover over squelchy, echo-plexed drums. Freaky
subs clash with ugly drones and bass warps, making 'Slimy Tench' into more
than just 'techno - dub,' this is the true sound of diversity, brought to
us by one of the most pivotal figures in the industry! On the flip side, in
the b1 slot, Gunjack gets his head nod on with 'Aguas Negras,' a tune that,
while retaining the break-ish elements typical of recent Gunjack
productions, makes use of subs and deep, b12-esqe melodies to create a
whole new breed of rich, emotional funk. It's no wonder why Consume is
rapidly becoming a 'musician's label,' with famous fans like The Flying
Lotus, Scorn, The Detroit Grand Pubahs, Rob hall of Gescom/Skam, Darren
Emmerson of Underworld and techno demi-god, Ben Sims, etc. Essential."
Guido Schneider - Under Control 12 inch (Tuning Spork)
[TS047EP] $11.50
Guido Schneider returns to Tuning Spork with more concoctions of
haunted
house music, adding layers of spooky atmosphere over thumping beats to cast
a spell on the dancefloor. "Under Control" is a fresh slice of demented
funk -- a combo of skittering percussion, moaning ghosts and atonal chimes.
"Lay Lie Lay" features a heated match of ping-pong between poltergeist sea
monkeys, recorded live from the abyss inside Keanu Reeves' skull during the
filming of The Day The Earth Stood Still.
Gus
Gus - Add This Song 12 inch (Kompakt) [KOM196EP] $11.50
Since their founding in 1995, Reykjavik's Gus Gus have been tagged by
the
press as the next big Icelandic music export after Björk. With their
highly-infectious, metrosexual, multimedia pop, they secured themselves a
deal with the prestigious 4AD label, and are set to release their 7th
studio album on Kompakt, who are honored to present the catchy harmonies of
"Add This Song," with remixes by Lopazz & Zarook, Gluteus Maximus, and
Patrick Chardronnet.
Hackman - Loophole 12 inch (Studio Rockers) [STUDR010EP]
$10.25
"Born in Winchester and now based in Leeds, Ben 'Hackman' epitomizes
all
that is fresh and exciting about the dubstep scene in 2009. First up is
'Loophole'-- a slice of futuristically industrial music. Melodically
unsettling synth stabs set the tone early, whilst snippets of a seductive
pitch-shifting vocal teamed with atmospheric pads lead us further into the
mix. A frenetic bass-line breaks the tension as the track takes hold and
leads us into darker territories. Simultaneously unnerving and undeniably
catchy 'Loophole' refuses to conform to our already formulaic
preconceptions of this genre yet remains infinitely more rewarding as a
result. Next 'Illusionz' delves into Hackman's more melodic side and truly
demonstrates his versatility as a producer. A deep Balearic piano riff
takes us beyond the boundaries of dubstep and it's not before the bass-line
wobbles its way through the speakers that we begin to find ourselves back
on familiar ground. A dense percussive tapestry is woven into the mix
before that hypnotic riff takes off once again and invites us to forget
everything and embark upon a journey to new sonic territories. 'Nocturne'
arrives in stark contrast to its predecessor and seems designed to cause
havoc on any dance-floor it finds. An eerily atmospheric intro lulls us
into a false sense of security whilst dark synth stabs seem almost to hint
at what is to follow. A drop of epic proportions ensues, deep subs and bass
strains multiplying within a monstrous soundscape sure to test even the
biggest of sound systems."
Hans Condor/Silver Lion's 20/20 - Split LP (Classic Bar Music)
[CBM004] $10.25
Three new songs from IMMORTAL LEE COUNTY KILLERS founder THE CHEETAH
CHET-MASTER GENERAL and CRAIG "SWEET DAWG" PICKERING (PAUL WINE JONES, T
MODEL FORD). Named after the now defunct bar in Oakland, CA "Biggum's
Silver Lion Buffet," SILVER LION'S 20/20 play broke down f*** skillet
blues! Classy suits and shitty gear from Tennessee and Alabama. HANS CONDOR
are a pre-futuristic three-piece goodtime boogie rock band from Nashville.
Rip-roaring solos, excellence and love-this young rock'n'roll trio is
Teenage Danger at it's sexiest in the vein of Hendrix, T Rex & MC5!
Recorded by and sleeve artwork by the legendary TIM KERR. Includes full
digital download with bonus tracks.
Hauschka - Snowflakes And Carwrecks 12 inch (Fat Cat)
[FAT075EP] $13.50
"This is the companion piece to Ferndorf. With Snowflakes And
Carwrecks,
Hauschka further explores Ferndorf's themes of nostalgia and rootedness,
bolstering his delightful, percussive piano melodies with strings and
appealing sonic textures."
Hauschka - Ferndorf LP (Fat Cat) [FAT1308LP] $14.50
Limited vinyl release. Originally released on CD late 2008. "Bertelmann
takes an approach to piano founded in mid-20th century avant-garde, brings
along a few other instruments form the classical world, and pushes the
whole in the direction of simplicity, remaining unapologetically musical
and getting over on chords, melody, and a little bit of texture. How
appropriate that the record comes to us from the Fat Cat label, home of Max
Richter and Mice Parade. Like these artists, Bertelmann has a way of
pulling aspects of several genres not necessarily known for their
accessibility into an instantly likable whole. Ferndorf is the sort of
record that can brighten any room." -- Pitchfork
Heavy Winged - Shaking, Waking LP (Aurora Borealis) [ABX036]
$18.00
The Shaking, Waking LP consists of two lengthy tracks: "Tidal
Blackness" is
a 23-minute cloud of improvised guitar and bass drone, underpinned with
sparse percussive elements and dappled with the rays of ethereal melodies.
This track, recorded live in Oakland in 2008, represents the more gentle
side of HEAVY WINGED in some ways and is largely soothing. The second side
harbors "Morning Flesh," 18 minutes that veer towards the caveman Krautrock
of the recent Alive in my Mouth LP, drums pounding, Neanderthal guitar
chugging, though with a melodic haze drifting across the musical landscape
like a lysergic mistral, leading the listener ever further into the
shifting sands of the forbidden zone. Pressed on 180-gram transparent pale
gray vinyl, limited to 500 pieces in a heavyweight matte sleeve.
Hematic Sunsets - Aroma Club Paradox LP (Dekorder)
[Dekorder032] $14.75
RELEASE DATE: 08-03-2009
Hematic Sunsets is an alias (an anagram to be exact) for German
Soundartist
Asmus Tietchens from Hamburg. Tietchens is a self taught artist with more
than 50 LP and CD releases on numerous labels (Nurse With Wound's United
Dairies, Sky Records, the Mille Plateaux sub-label Ritornell, Staalplaat,
Selektion, recent albums on Richard Chartier's Line label and a massive
reissue series on Die Stadt, to name but a few). His solo works are mainly
concerned with the manipulation of concrete sounds and (most recently) pure
sine waves (on his Mengen series) and their placement (assemblage?) in time
and space.
Here We Go Magic - Here We Go Magic LP (Western Vinyl)
[WEST057LP] $14.50
"Now available on vinyl! Developed over a two-month period of
stream-of-consciousness recording in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Luke Temple's
self-titled debut under his new moniker Here We Go Magic is a remarkable
departure from his signature singer-songwriter material. Luke recorded the
album at home using analog synths, a cassette 4-track, and his trusty SM-57
mic, coloring the sound with warmth and creating textures you want to wrap
yourself in. The album opens with the trance-inducing polyrhythms and
gorgeous multi-layered vocals of 'Only Pieces.' What follows is an album
oozing with sounds maternal and subconscious, like floating in amniotic
fluid, ripe, hiccup-y and desperate to emerge. Many of the songs pulse with
infectious Afro-beat and Krautrock influenced grooves, calling to mind
classic albums like Remain in the Light and Graceland. Despite the album's
murky aquatic underpinnings it's hard to resist shakin' what you got to
ebullient blissed-out tracks like 'Fangala' and 'Tunnelvision.' Vinyl
version includes an exclusive bonus track 'Your Eyes Spit.'"
Horacio - Horacio 12 inch (Raum Musik) [RAUM072EP] $11.50
"Please welcome a new artist on raum musik. Horacio is a new project
from
Massimo Di Lena better known as Massi DL together with Dario Di Pace. They
both live in Italy and the tracks on this EP are definitely guaranteed to
blow the roof off. All tracks are perfect for the upcoming summer season
and festivals and we hope that you enjoy them as much as we do."
Hrdvsion - The Mohana 12 inch (Wagon Repair) [WAG051EP]
$11.50
Wagon Repair's 51st release features Hrdvsion's chopped melody and
effervescent invention. "The Mohana" explores a central chord progression
with intermittent, squeaked melodic static, reverberant pad echoes and
crisp, swinging percussion. Dueling hook lines dance between pounded kick
and hat in one of Hrdvsion's most floor-ready tracks. "Sliding Into Air
(Edit)" takes matters deeper as soaked pads loom over lively harmonic
sparks. Melodic holes are punched through a compressed mix, their impact
adding rhythm to an infectious, percussive motor. Epic and uncompromising.
Hum
- The Spectral Ship 10 inch (Drone) [10409] $17.25
"Two great new pieces by this russian artist from the Moscow-area, most
sensible & emotional drone-ambience, a graceful dance of acoustic
reflections & resonances. "Spectral Ship" and "Tidal Fire" appear like
universal mantras, revealing the basic HUM of the universe. These works
seem to represent perfectly the concept of the SUBSTANTIA-series: Sound
that exists but which is not originating from the impact of two subjects in
contact. Sound that is simply "there", with no beginning or ending. Edition
of 500 copies on silver-coloured vinyl, with a full colour sleeve design by
DANIEL CROKAERT / MYSTERY SEA."
In
The Country - Whiteout 2xLP (Rune Grammofon) [RLP3086LP] $24.50
Ambitious, epic and grand in scale, the third album by Norway's piano
trio
In The Country could very well be their magnum opus. Most of the music was
performed and written as a thank you, as is the tradition, after leader
Morten Qvenild (Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, Shining) was awarded
Kongsberg Jazzfestival's prestigious Musician's Award. Along with bass
player Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hausken, on Whiteout, Qvenild allows
themes to develop and terrain to broaden, as in exploratory jazz and
classic progressive rock music. For example, "Ursa Major" starts out as an
almost space-jazz expedition, which then crescendos and decrescendos into
over 9 minutes of intertwining piano and post-rock guitar stratospherics.
It's also a highly personal album, coming to an emotional and dramatic
conclusion with the touching last track softly sung by Morten himself --
all gossamer and hazy brushstrokes of circling piano melodies, cymbal wash,
and distant percussion. In The Country has been selected as among Norway's
best musicians, reaching critical acclaim with their previous albums This
Was The Pace Of My Heartbeat (RCD 2045CD) and Losing Stones, Collecting
Bones (RCD 2059CD): Downbeat called their debut "one of the finest and most
arresting albums to come out of Europe" that year, Mojo said "startling,"
Straight No Chaser said "fantastic," and a host of others followed.
Whiteout is set to eclipse all previous praise, with its epic, masterful
scope that shows this trio at the absolute peak of their compositional and
performance powers. Recorded in the legendary Atlantis Studio in Stockholm,
home of the first classic Abba recordings and full of vintage analog
equipment. Engineered by Janne Hansson and mastered by Bob Katz, with a
striking sleeve design by Kim Hiorthøy. In The Country are: Morten Qvenild
(grand piano, synthesizers, Rhodes, programming and vocals), Roger Arntzen
(double bass and vocals), Pål Hausken (drums, percussion, Dynacord Percuter
and vocals), with Andreas Mjøs (Jaga Jazzist) (guitars, vibraphone,
marimba, violin, programming and percussion).
Incogdo - Simply Just A Ventage 12 inch (Spiritual Records)
[TR1001EP] $12.25
"An ultra-rare uncredited production from Derrick May and Carl Craig
originally released on Spiritual Records in 1992. Unleashed on John Rocca's
'I Want It To Be Real (Farley's Hot house Piano Mix),' May and Craig ripped
it up, went crazy with the dubs, fades and filters and inserted a awesomely
heavy bassline to create this magnificent house/techno hybrid. Pulled from
the market due to lack of sample clearance, this release is now super hard
to get hold of. Get it now with this superb quality remastered replica
reissue."
Inxec & Matt Tolfrey - Mile 569 12 inch (Murmur) [MUR010EP]
$11.50
"Mile 569 is a debut release on murmur from two huge UK talents --
Inxec &
Matt Tolfrey, with the follow up to their recent high profile release on
Cocoon. 'Jerk' is a spine-tingling creation, with an irresistible bassline
which pulls on the sensations of the listener. 'Bring It' is a lethal
dancefloor weapon, made for peak time moments and etching a groove into
your skin. Chopping up samples and infectious beats, this is the sound of
coming summer moments. 'Both these tracks came together pretty quickly,
some great ideas at first with vocals and groove ideas, and then just some
solid work in the studio. They are both pushing towards the new sound we
are after and everytime we both play them the reaction is pretty special. I
am sure they are going to be the main players in our live set being
organised for after the summer!!!' The second co-production from Matt
Tolfrey & Inxec, two best friends that have emerged as hot producers on the
techno radar, follows a huge release on Cocoon earlier this year. The
follow up is yet more enticing, made for murmur due to a strong friendship
with the label figurehead, Geddes, while also giving their own strong
support to their home UK scene. Cutting a two metre shadow, with blue eyes
and red hair -- it's not hard to miss the sky scraping figure of Inxec.
Inxec produces music from his beloved house right through to heart
breaking, thought inspiring mood sections for national radio plays. There
is no stop button in sight. Early signings included releases for labels
such as Distinctive and Renaissance before settling as Inxec on Jay Haze's
Contexterrior records. Now a frequent DJ and live act across the globe, and
with a recent residency at Munich's Harry Klein club, Inxec is becoming a
definitive name worldwide. Matt Tolfrey is a workaholic with a seemingly
tireless dedication to forging his own unique style and bringing life to
the scene around him. An energetic DJ, talented producer and manager of the
Leftroom label, he is not afraid to put his soul into his goals and his
enthusiasm shines through. The youngest DJ to ever play at Fabric, he
continues to push boundaries and conquer more than many would dream of.
Drawing on everything from deep house and techno, through to stripped down
beats and melodic mayhem, Matt has spawned his own hybrid strain of
electronic funk."
Jack Rose & The Black Twig Pickers - Jack Rose & The Black Twig
Pickers LP (Klang) [KLANG008LP] $18.00
"Raw and rocking collaboration between Jack Rose and the Black Twigs
with
some of the most swinging, hard-hitting string music waxed in many a
decade. Rose's solo playing has always had a tough edge, with his
prodigious technique often employed in the service of dropping right-hand
bombs -- his use of a thumbpick originates from his years of duets with
Twig Mike Gangloff, struggling to make his guitar heard over Gangloff's
crashing banjo. The front line of Rose and Gangloff's strings are joined by
Isak Howell's no-nonsense guitar and harmonica and Nate Bowles' variety of
expert percussion. The four players lock together with a sure-footedness
honed by frequent touring and a singularity of intent to rock. Gangloff
takes the vocals, howling out standards like 'Little Sadie' firmly in the
old-time tradition -- without reserve. A few of the tracks here are updates
of Rose & family classics, with the group turning the stately 'Kensington
Blues' upbeat and an issuing an assured take on 'Bright Sunny South,' first
recorded by Pelt (w/Rose and Gangloff) back in 2001 on their gonzo classic
double Ayahuasca."
Jakob Hilden - Glamouflage 12 inch (Trapez) [TRAPEZ099EP]
$11.50
Jakob Hilden is one-half of Format:B and part of the project Red Robin
&
Jakob Hilden. His new solo project involves his vocals and band skills from
the past, which he fuses here with his honed production skills.
"Glamouflage" is a cool and mighty organ grinder with catchy vocals by the
artist himself. "Ground N Pound" moves like a rattlesnake with its strong,
driving percussion, and its dark synth-lines make it a nighttime
soundtrack.
James Pants - Cosmic Rap (egyptian Lover Remix) 12 inch (Stones
Throw) [STH2214] $7.25
Yet another piece of vinyl from the prolific, versatile, and dangerous
JAMES PANTS. This time, the popular electro album cut "Cosmic Rapp" becomes
the latest single with an exclusive remix from the legendary EGYPTIAN
LOVER, with four brand new non-LP cuts (of variable lengths) rounding out
the latest release from the ever-eclectic Stones Throw Records.
Jamy Wing - Sierra 12 inch (Einmaleins) [EINMAL045EP]
$11.50
"After his last records on Sonido and Off, up and coming Jamy Wing is
back
with more tasty stuff ! What you get is a strong two tracker with smooth
sunsets, deep vibrations and funked up stripped down tech house grooves."
Jaqee - Kokoo Girl LP (Rootdown Records) [RDM13065LP]
$16.00
Previously released on CD by Rootdown Records, now available on vinyl.
This
is the fourth album by Uganda-born, Gothenburg, Sweden-based Jaqee. Her
first two albums, Blaqalixious (2005) and Nouvelle D'amour (2007), each
received a Swedish Grammy nomination and several appearances on Swedish
national television increased her profile as a passionate and soulful
singer. For her fourth effort, Jaqee combined her talents with producer
Teka, co-founder of Rootdown Records and Koalas Desperados. The results are
heard on Kokoo Girl -- a refreshing mix of old school reggae sounds from
the '70s combined with up-to-date beats, electronic twists and turns, and
of course, Jaqee's amazing and distinctive voice.
Jason Lescalleet - Electronic Music LP (RRRecords)
[LPLESCAELEC] $18.25
Xenakis-referencing masterwork by DUE PROCESS member JASON LESCALLEET,
created with analog gear (old reel-to-reels, tape effects and guitar
effects). An appropriately thick tapestry of sound.
Johann Johannsson - Englabörn LP (Touch) [TO052LP] $14.75
Englabörn is the highly-acclaimed first solo album from consummate
Icelandic musician, composer and producer Jóhann Jóhannsson, originally
released on CD by Touch in 2002, now issued in a gatefold vinyl edition.
Derived from music he wrote for an Icelandic play of the same name (written
by Hávar Sigurjónsson), the music recorded for this album was revised and
restructured to make it stand as a work on its own and not simply function
as a collection of cues. Written for string quartet, piano, organ,
glockenspiel and percussion, these organic elements were processed and
manipulated, adding delicate electronic backgrounds to the otherwise
entirely acoustic recordings. "Odi Et Amo" casts Catullus' famous poem as a
computerized counter-tenor vocal singing a Latin text. Set for the final
scene in the play, the text fit the melody perfectly and was also
thematically perfect for the play. Says Jóhannsson, "What I really like
about it is the harsh contrast of the computer voice and the strings, the
alchemy of total opposites, the sewing machine and umbrella on a dissecting
table." What is achieved here is spine-tingling -- a sense of cold
detachment set against powerful melancholy and gorgeous, emotional
instrumentation. Jóhannsson continues: "The play is extremely violent and
disturbing and basically when faced with the script, I decided to work
against it as much as possible and just try to write the most beautiful
music I could." Even outside the context of theater, Englabörn is a
stunning achievement, taking compositional leitmotifs and sparse,
non-intrusive, well-chosen electronics to paint dramatic, ice-rimmed scenes
and portraits that could just as easily be invoked from the theater of the
imagination.
Johannes Volk - When We Lost Contact 12 inch (Snapshot Records)
[SNAP007EP] $11.00
"As Snapshot's catalogue grows, so too does the quality. The modest
label
hits us with five new tracks by Johannes Volk with a heavy Detroit minimal
feel, instantly reminding us of vintage Robert Hood productions built of
only the bare essential elements required to move ones' body. Johannes is
currently pounding the floors across Europe with his live sets and has
released on labels such as Jeff Mills 6277 imprint (an Axis sub label) &
Gerd's Life World Records."
John Roberts - Mirror 12 inch (Dial) [DIAL046EP] $11.50
"John Roberts creates music that is meticulous and loose, evocative and
innovative. Raised in the so-called heart of America, John's parents, both
amateur pianists, exposed him to classical and jazz music at an early age
and encouraged his fifteen-year training on drums and violin. During this
formative period in Cleveland, Ohio, John discovered ghetto house music
through bootleg cassettes imported from Chicago. Slowly he began collecting
records and eventually chose to relocate to Chicago, where he developed a
taste for the city's highly influential 80s house music. As he began to
gain interest in contemporary European house and techno, John felt it
necessary to contribute his own production efforts. Setting out to recreate
the energy and experimentation of the mix tapes and records from his past,
John began working with analog synthesizers, antiquated sequencing
software, and reel to reel tape recorders at The School of The Art
Institute of Chicago. Four years later he temporarily relocated to Berlin
to be amongst fellow producers, DJs, and the city's thriving music
community. Soon after, John found himself in New York City where he spent
most of his time continuing to perfect the production of his rhythmically
challenging, melancholic tracks."
Jonny Rock & Luke Solomon - It's In The Rhythm 12 inch
(Playhouse) [PLAY152EP] $11.50
Playhouse presents Luke Solomon and Jonny Rock's "It's In The Rhythm,"
originally released in 2000, now including an extraordinary remix that
transforms the sound of the early Music For Freaks records into the
freshest sounds of 2009. On the original version, overjoyed house collides
with the winking interpretation of funk that has been Luke Solomon's
trademark for years. The remix is an old-school acid version of that will
definitely cause some unforgettable wild party memories.
Ju
Suk Reet Meate/Oblivia/John Wiese - Inside And Out 7 inch (Helicopter)
[H52] $6.75
A trio with JU SUK REET MEATE and OBLIVIA (of SMEGMA), recorded in the
backyard and living room of their infamous pink house in Portland, Oregon.
Very surreal and organic mix of electronics, recordings, percussion, and
unidentifyable sounds. Edition of 300. Off-set printed cover.
Junior Rafael - Junior Rafael Presents Darkroom Traxx Vol. II
12 inch (Mighty Robot) [MRR012EP] $11.00
"After the amazing response to his first release on Mighty Robot
Recordings, Junior now feels he's ready to unleash further tracks from his
Darkroom (man, this room must be pretty dark). Once again Junior uncovers
more of his early/mid '90s hard jacking cuts -- house music with serious
girth. Darkroom Trax II touches on early nu groove and the freaked-out
works by Steve Poindexter but it's still pure JR. There's also a shout-out
track on here with a difference! This record should really come with a
parental advisory sticker, but we couldn't find any. Definitely NSFW."
Jus
Wan - Submersive 12 inch (Naked Lunch) [NL003EP] $10.25
"You all know the drill by now with these bloody promo blurbs -- a
short
hagiography on the producer, a badly punctuated run down of the tracks on
offer followed by a list of DJs who are supposedly 'supporting' them. The
same old, same old shite you've been reading ever since you first spent
your week's pocket money on some gash white label the crusty old dude with
the dreads and the wonky teeth palmed off on you the first time you set
foot in a record shop all those years ago. In fact, here at naked lunch HQ
we pride ourselves on doing things differently, we believe this ethos
shines through every aspect of our work, from the music we release to the
sleeves we release it in. Don't like it? Then it's probably not for you in
the first place. The future is naked."
Kai
Alce - Polyester Static 12 inch (Real Soon) [RSOON019EP] $11.50
"Kai Alcé returns to Real Soon with a new 3-track EP -- his third
release
on the label following Corner Manuvers (2006) and Broken Headlights (2007).
Polyester Static features two tracks at either end of Kai's stylistic
spectrum plus a driving remix by house music legend Chez Damier. The title
track is a classic mix of jacking synth bassline, Rhodes piano chords,
pitched up cowbells and scat vocals. At the other end of the spectrum,
'Born A Day After' is another great example of Kai's deep, drowsy,
beautifully constructed minimalism. On the flip, Chez Damier remixes
'Polyester Static,' heading straight for the dancefloor with a rolling
bassline, stabbing chords and submerged vocal -- irresistible pure house
music in the best tradition! Kai Alcé is an Atlanta-based DJ and producer
with roots in Detroit and New York. He has previous releases on Track Mode,
Late Night Essentials, Real Soon & Moodymann's Mahogani Music and in 2008
launched his own label NDATL Muzik."
Kemialliset Ystavat/Sunroof! - Split Series #19 LP (Fat Cat)
[FAT076LP] $13.50
"The 19th installment in FatCat's acclaimed split series features
Finnish
noise/folk collective Kemialliset Ystavat and Sunroof!, the current project
from Skulllflower's Matthew Bower." Comes in a hole-punctured outer sleeve
with glossy innersleeve.
Kenny Knots/Mikey Murka - Watch How The People Dancing 12 inch
(Honest Jon's Records) [HJP001EP] $10.75
"Kenny Knots is the 12" sampler from the LP Watch How The People
Dancing.
It has two tracks not featured on the album - Watch How The People Dancing
Version & dub plate version."
Kiila - Tuota Tuota LP (Fonal) [FR065LP] $16.00
This is the third full-length album by Finland's Kiila. Born of
peaceful,
focused work and intense rehearsals with friends, interspersed with sleep
and meal-times, Tuota Tuota ("Well, Well") features an eight-strong core
line-up -- but, as always, the composition of the group varies according to
need. This is an album that consists of many details: the sound is full,
the web of acoustic and electric instruments more varied and carefully
orchestrated than before, and now, it is completely unnecessary to separate
the electronic from the non-electronic components. Different traditions of
folk, psych and pop music intermingle with electronic music and
improvisation, tones and sounds. >From Incredible String Band-ish
folk-troubadour jams to gentle acoustic fireside ballads rendered in
plucked guitar and scratchy fiddle lines ala Vetiver or Espers, to freakier
space-jazz meanderings, this album's ultimate reward lies in its commitment
to solid, glorious song-structure rooted in a long-established folk-rock
tradition. The motifs in the songs are not easy to convey in English, but
the titles reveal some clues: master of the house, elk antlers, tree bark,
sound of rapids, fog, letters, calves, fingers. The words sound archaic,
anachronistic or timeless, the language of myth, even -- but can it be
something else, too? Tuota Tuota is an excellent culmination of Kiila's
history and cultural landscape, proving them to be among Finland's finest
founders of the new-growth forest sound.
Kirk Degiorgio - ART 8 12 inch (Applied Rhythmic Technology)
[ART008EP] $11.00
"ART finally returns! After collaborating with the now defunct New
Religion
label for most of the past decade, ART productions once again have their
own imprint. ART 8 sees label founder and owner Kirk Degiorgio follow-up
his recent techno EP for Abstract Forms with another 3-tracker covering
peak-time club material all the way to his trademark, deep emotional
electronica. ART Records returns when we need it most. Limited vinyl."
Krikor & The Dead Hillbillies - Land Of Truth LP (Tigersushi)
[TSR004LP] $27.00
Deluxe gatefold LP version on 180 gram vinyl. Finally, after 10 years
of
music-making, this is the debut full-length album by France's Krikor,
featuring vocal contributions by The Dead Hillbillies aka Nicolas Ker (Poni
Hoax), Chloé Raunet (Battant), and Chloé (Plein Soliel). Krikor's musical
style has become more hybrid than ever -- a personal synthesis of his
musical obsessions: the fat groove and old drum machines of Chicago house,
the abstract sounds of minimal techno, the urge and energy of rockabilly,
the harshness of industrial music, the dark romanticism of folk anti-heroes
from the '60s, and the forward thinking of Groupe de Recherche de Musique
Concrète lab rats (Pierre Schaeffer, Pierre Henry). An ambitious album of
11 cinematic songs and electronic smacks that will drown you in a 40 years'
flood of sound waves. Like a hired killer on mescaline sent after pop music
heritage, he rushes from guitars to drum machines, leaving marks as deep as
machete scars, crushing all labels and developing his own interpretation of
shoegaze, old-school electro, blue-eyed funk, electronic, pop, house and
ambient, with stand-out track "God Will Break It All" sounding like some
sort of hydra-headed beast of clashing '80s dance-beats, post-punk
caterwaul, and groove-bass. Land Of Truth is a subtle combination of
slaughtered beats and milky keyboards, indecipherable layers, guitar
laments, gritty bass lines, space echoes, menacing synths and crystalline
pianos, revealing Krikor as a musical dandy, with his fingers in all pies.
Kris Wadsworth - Dig 12 inch (BOE) [BOE005EP] $11.00
"After a winter break and a with new focus on original and forward
thinking
house, boe is back for 2009 with one of the hottest Detroit artists to
break onto the scene in years. Kris Wadsworth is a man who truly has his
own unique production style. For years the term 'minimal' has been banded
about for music with little soul, originality and that essence of dance
music, a groove. Kris is a guy whose interpretation of minimalistic music
oozes all of these qualities and much, much more; Stripped down, funked up
house that takes the listener back to when house was raw, full of energy
and brimming with soul. His production resembles that of an early Herbert,
crunching and twisting his way though drum samples and polished chords to
create a sound that is simple and intoxicating yet difficult to copy. Less,
it seems, is most definitely more. Dig is Kris' first four-track EP and
showcases his sound through four slices of deep, groovy late night house.
The first track 'The Depths Of' is Kris' sound summed up in just under nine
minutes. The first three minutes belong to a long intro that builds and
builds through vox snippets, stab samples, synth chords and h-hats that
ride the groove. The track breaks down only to kick back in with a chunky
snare and trippy pads to whip the listener into a frenzy. 'Macrotones' is a
wonky late night rhythm synth track that wouldn't sound out of place at
Fabric at 7am. On the flip, 'White Bread' kicks off where 'The Depths Of'
left off, a catchy rhythm with swinging stabs and moody chords. A growling,
gut-moving baseline makes the track a real dance floor favourite. The final
track on the EP is 'Haunted House' a deep houser with a delayed bassline
perfect for those late-night moments."
L-VIS 1990 - United Groove 12 inch (Mad Decent) [MAD099]
$9.00
L-VIS 1990 is quickly solidifying himself as a bass-prodigy. You're
forgiven if you're unfamiliar with the name but pay attention-this 25 year
old from Brighton has stormed on the scene and is making some of the most
singular dance music we've heard of late n this stuff is truly standout.
With the ever-building epic "Come Together" and the floating then
undeniably face smashing "United Groove," we're hearing a heavy sound with
a new and refreshing take on structure and style. He has upcoming releases
on Kitsune & Dim Mak as well, plus a busy club schedule with his Night
Slugs monthly in London, and one offs at the biggest European clubs (Fabric
London, Social Club Paris, Scala Berlin, etc). Oh and did we mention that
with all that he still finds the time to make videos for the likes of Dance
Area and Riton!? Definitely one to keep your eye on. In the meantime, these
two tracks form a serious weapon.
Larry Jon Wilson - Larry Jon Wilson LP (Drag City) [DC399LP]
$14.75
No description available at this time.
Li
Jianhong - Lovers with Cloisonné Bracelet LP (Tipped Bowler Tapes)
[TBT009LP] $18.00
"Hangzhou's Li Jianhong has been performing alone and in the duo
D!O!D!O!D!
for several years, but he only caught Western ears last year with the
monumental San Sheng Shi, released by Philadelphia's Archive CD. Oceanic
and desolate, Lovers with Cloisonné Bracelet cements Li as a distinctive
voice in modern noise. The two halves of this record are an ideal
introduction to Li's music: 'Lovers in Misery' offers a restrained,
electric swell; 'Time in the Mirror' wallows in Hototogisu-an guitar hell.
Without sacrificing pacing for density, Li has crafted an album that
decimates the retrograde psychedelic guitar landscape and trivializes the
petty violence of much harsh noise. Edition of 350 180 gm. LPs in
heavy-stock linen-paper sleeves hand-screened, -cut, and ?glued by Reuben
Little of 43rd Parallel Press."
Lights - Rites LP (Drag City) [DC408LP] $14.75
"In past lives, who says we were actually anyone special, or even
anyone at
all? We could have been inanimate household objects, cookies or candles. Or
perhaps we were star-beings, not even of this earth, breathing in silver
and drinking gold in order to survive. Nothing would give greater pleasure
to the earth people known as Lights than to have lived any of these former
lives. Like the Queen of Cups, they've got a feeling and a compassion for
everyone and everything. It's in their blood. Once you've started spinning
their new record, Rites, you'll understand their feeling. Any band that
mutates the powers of Jimi Hendrix, unicorns, Stevie Nicks, glowsticks,
Prince, Indians and cowboys, Yoko Ono, red wine, Jem and Beyonce into their
own smoothly flowing sound, they're acting from the heart -- or the dark
side of their Id. Lights are a Brooklyn musical troupe that have shaped
psychedelic mojo Pop into a serpentine smoke ring, floating over both New
York's forbidding urban scapes and the West Coast's sunshine vibes. By
which we mean that their songs are the lovechild of American soul music,
country, metal, psychedelic rock, disco and new age. Together, Sophia
Knapp, Linnea Vedder and Andy Macleod create Lights, a gang of
outside/insiders with a multicolored, multitrack mind. Lights come through
the visual spectrum. They see the aesthetic value of luxury items, the
power of the object. For Lights, the Funkadelic diaper is an essential part
of the P-Funk experience. There are no extraneous details. The look is as
much of the encounter as the music. Whatever they were in a previous life,
Lights aren't rocks or seaglass, beautiful but incapable of perception.
They've got eyes and ears, they're human. No wait -- they're more than
that! They're like a pool that everyone comes diving in and climbing out
of. And algae gathers over time. And the sun and the moon shimmer on their
surface. Lights will also be known for their raucous wild live shows that
swirl with soft colors and night shapes provided by the one and only Wizard
Smoke and her paint box of analog light show techniques. Lights just keep
growing. They were born in rhythm, chanting their message -- but with
Rites, Lights are passing into a more encompassing sense of what their
music can be, a collage of the old and the new, where the American East
meets the American West in a sexy fairytale world of magic, mirrors and
white light."
Like A Stuntman - Original Bedouin Culture LP (Bureau B)
[BB033LP] $16.00
This is the second full-length release by Hamburg, Germany's Like A
Stuntman (Matthias Gros, Christian Fleck, Tobi Ullrich & Sven Fritz). In
2005, the quartet released their debut album, made available almost solely
in the UK, with touring activities similarly focused in the UK as well.
Four years on, Like A Stuntman are ready to take it well over and beyond
the Isles with Original Bedouin Culture, an exhilarating celebration of
eclectic instrumentation and the blending together of past and future
influences that span an incredibly diverse roster of genres and eras. Fan
Schneider TM on Original Bedouin Culture: "The album traces an arc from the
sounds and spirit of late '60s psychedelia, the class of 1968 and a little
later, The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, Silver Apples, bands from Brazil's
Tropicália movement such as Os Mutantes, etc., through the musical
influences and laconic humor of some early '90s post-post-punk indie-rock
bands like Sebadoh and Pavement up to a personal take on
turn-of-the-century 'weird folk,' with a nod to Krautrock and the
liberation of electronic music by artists from Cologne, Düsseldorf,
Frankfurt, Berlin or the Warp label." Das Bierbeben's Rasmus Engler
describes the album as such: "Shy vocals, possibly recorded under
bedcovers, duet with warm banks of synthesizer; acoustic and electric
guitars speak up and buzz through subtly-crafted songs. Original Bedouin
Culture succeeds in building a bridge from Matador to Warp, with ECM and
free-folk communes visible from its center. A fantastic record that could
make you lose your mind!"
Lion Dub feat. Jah Dan & Sotto Bless - Heartbroken (Noah D
Remix) 12 inch (Earwax) [EAR010EP] $10.25
"Earwax steps to the USA for this monster plate from New York City
roots/dub veteran Liondub who collaborates here with Jamaican rising stars
Jah Dan and Sotto Bless. Fellow stateside producer Noah D takes the dubstep
refix duties with a floor smashing b-line. The result is an outstanding
roots/dubstep crossover that is -- for once -- totally original.
'Heartbroken' sees Jah Dan & Sotto Bless take up the mic and, bouncing
between each other, lay down a vocal that is measured equally between deep
and energizing. With a laid back delivery they catch a flow that rolls
perfectly over Liondub's wicked instrumental that sounds like a dubstep
flavoured take on Berlin veterans Rhythm & Sound ocean deep dub style. Noah
D takes the original and charges the already excellent vocals with a more
dancefloor friendly re-fix. The swooping bassline that hits when the chorus
drops will turn your insides out -- cutting through the full sub frequency
range to guarantee it will hit the right spot in any dance, any room with a
system in. Drop heavy and stand proud -- this is a huge version. Support
from: Pinch, Plastician, N-type, RSD, MRK1, Appleblim and many more."
Little Girls - Thrills 12 inch (Mexican Summer) [MEX013]
$18.75
Mexican Summer is proud to announce the debut release from Toronto pop
band
LITTLE GIRLS. Originally conceived as a solo project from JOSH MCINTYRE's
other band PIRATE/ROCK, it wasn't long before these five tracks made their
way across the blogosphere. Now they make their way to you, on vinyl.
Little Girls' sound rests comfortably into a modern lo-fi demographic,
stirring up shoegaze, bedroom goth, and memorable riffage into tiny, murky
little packages of joyful release. Drum machine, hazy vocals and plenty of
thick guitar strum are what's in store. For fans of Blank Dogs, Dum Dum
Girls, the Pink Noise and Times New Viking.
Loops - Dinsdagmiddag 12 inch (Wolfskuil Limited) [WLTD006EP]
$11.50
"We are proud to present the up-and-coming Dutch producers of Loops on
Wolfskuil Ltd. These young talented producers from Amersfoort are turning
heads as we speak. Their debut EP on the infamous Outland Records from
Amsterdam gained massive support worldwide and we expect exactly the same
with their sun and fun filled EP on Wolfskuil Ltd. They are taking their
music to melodical regions with this release and with the summer season
ahead, filled with festival and Ibiza-styled clubbing experiences, this is
a perfect soundtrack. The moody, string-based title track is making some
serious damage whenever played live and BHB shows some serious
jazz-influenced chord craftsmanship! Closing the ranks is the nice
techhouse groover 'Benchsittin'.' Summervibes all over this EP, so all you
happy campers: don't miss it."
Loren Connors - The Curse Of Midnight May LP (Family Vineyard)
[FV064LP] $14.50
"Now available on vinyl! In 1981 guitarist Loren Connors took his tape
recorder to the graveyard where the legendary Midnight Mary's grave lies in
New Haven, Connecticut. The curse is: Anyone who gets caught in her
graveyard past midnight will die the next day. But Connors, like a young
fool, taped in that place, making this album. Lost and forgotten, a
cassette of this music -- made at Evergreen Cemetery -- was found by chance
in 2008. Recorded between Connors' eight volume Unaccompanied Acoustic
Guitar improvisations LP series and the folk albums he would make with Kath
Bloom, these nine pieces meld those distinct, haunting styles. Connors,
singing in a trance like moan, reforms the Mississippi Delta blues on
acoustic guitar with flashes of melodic hooks and a percussive guitar style
that erupts into boogie-woogie riffs and other world spirituals. Connors
always wished this album was available on LP but at the time he never
issued it on his Daggett imprint -- now it is. Pressed in a 515 edition,
the LP's packaging mirrors the Daggett-style with paste on cover art by
Connors, back liner notes and hand stamped labels. Each LP is hand
numbered."
Luke Hess - Ignite The Dark - Remixes 12 inch (Echocord)
[ECHO038EP] $11.50
"After the debut album of Luke Hess here comes the luxurious remix ep.
Its
remixed by no one else than CV313 aka Stephen Hitchell from Echospace
Detroit, Marko Fürstenberg and our own Mikkel Metal. The CV313 Rmx is a
long upbuilding dubby, floating track with a lot of warm and deep sounds.
For the fans of Intrusion and Echospace. The Marko Fürstenberg Rmx is a
powerfull Dub-Techno track perfect for all dancefloors, quality dancemusic
as we know it from Marko. Mikkel Metal again brings us his unique sound
with this excellent remix, very funky grooves with deep dubby sounds. Luke
Hess creates deep Detroit techno with a focus on soul and experimentation
over prevalence and trends. Born in 1980 in metro-Detroit and subject to
the city's mid-90's warehouse parties, Luke has harnessed a deep
appreciation for the underground movement and electronic dance music. His
faith based music production has given him the desire to reach out to
others, in the hope that electronic music can be a bridge for restoration
and not an avenue for destruction. After acclaimed releases on FXHE, and
other successful releases on Beretta Grey, Echocord Colour, and
Kontra-Musik, Luke's sound is beginning to take root. His Debut Album,
"Light in the Dark" on Echocord further explores deep Detroit dance music
through field recordings, live percussion sessions, analog experimentation,
and dark cavernous melodies."
Malik Flavors - Ugly Beauty 12 inch (Stones Throw) [STH2072]
$11.50
BACK IN PRINT!!! The third installment in Stones Throw's series of solo
EPs
from the individual members of YESTERDAYS NEW QUINTET designed to focus on
each member's individual strengths. This time in you get the goods from YNQ
percussionist MALIK FLAVORS. Seven groove-loaded tracks featuring Flavors
on percussion, organ, and synth; TYRONE FOSTER on guitar; KAMALA WALKER on
flute, Arp, and congas; JUNIOR TAYLOR on piano, RMI, and Moog; KAY
HENDERSON on electric fuzz bass and muffled acoustic bass; and DUMA
PETERSON on drums and drum loops. All tracks produced by YNQ leader MADLIB.
Mantles, The - Trust 7 inch (Mt. St. Mtn.) [MTN005EP] $8.75
"With the deceptively determined surge of a sleepy glacier, The Mantles
have been quietly and slowly perfecting their trademarked dark n' dirge pop
sound over the past few years. Starting as a trio, the band recorded their
Dulc-i-Tone single with the mysterious & unreliable Cram-Ro production
team. The band then dug themselves out of the Cram-Ro shit-morass for a
batch of sunnier sounds courtesy Papercuts' Jason Quever, two songs of
which make up their forthcoming Mt. St. Mtn single. Soon after this
session, the band lost a bass player but simultaneously absorbed both
halves of the Cram-Ro team (including the half that sometimes gets
'Personal' wink-wink), and it's this current four-piece incarnation that
recorded the upcoming Siltbreeze full-length album with Gris Gris' Greg
Ashley. Reviewers & showgoers alike regularly struggle without success to
pin down the Mantles sound, though the Paisley Underground scene somehow
seems to come up a lot, and though reviewers have an affinity for the words
'New' and 'Zealand' when describing the Mantles, band members insist that
Mantles songwriting mainman and Graeme Downes-lookalike Michael O. has no
idea what Flying Nun is other than a goofy TV show, nor is he familiar with
that 'Slitbree' label people keep talking about."
Marcin Czubala - Mezcalinna 12 inch (Mobilee) [MOBILEE053EP]
$11.50
Marcin Czubala returns to Mobilee with Mezcalinna, featuring his
unmistakable signature marks -- slinky, undulating grooves full of bizarre
twists and turns that surprise the listener. "Day 1" begins with a heavy
bass line, a stuttering percussive beat, vocal chants and kick drum drop.
Accented by drum fills and cymbal crashes, the track reaches its climax
with the entrance of a lone piano chord. "Day 2" is a contrasting,
night-time dancefloor stormer with a darker sound and haunting,
reverb-laced vocals.
Marissa Nadler - Ballads Of Living And Dying LP (Mexican
Summer) [MEX005] $19.75
Hailed as a smoky chanteuse both sultry and captivating, MARISSA
NADLER's
songs are mostly mournful dirges and melancholic ballads. Delving into
influences of old-timey Americana folk, Portuguese fado, psychedelia, and
country, the songwriting is gripping and unique, as Nadler pursues the
persona poem, with most of the songs being stories of tragic deaths,
forbidden fates, jilted love affairs, and stormy suicides. Marissa's
intricate fingerstyle guitar comes through on six string, twelve string,
banjo, ukulele, and autoharp. Her voice is velvety and resonant and soaring
with ethereal reverberations.
Mark Du Mosch & David Vunk - Dreams 12 inch (Lunar Disko)
[LDR003EP] $11.00
"Lunar Disko Records returns with an eagerly awaited split EP from two
of
Rotterdam's hottest new talents. The A side features 3 more summer time
tracks from Mark Du Mosch, who is undoubtedly one of the top new producers
in Holland at the moment, and has already appeared on labels such as
Keynote, Moustache Records, and SD Records and will now unleash his
uniquely styled synth-jams on Lunar Disko Records. The opening track on the
A-side, 'Blanche Dreams,' is an outstanding John Carpenter-inspired intro,
that will hypnotise you with its melancholic sounds and beautiful melodies.
A2 'Spring Affair' is a typical analogue Du Mosch cut, stamping his
trademark beats, highs and sweeping synths all over this track. The final
track on the A-side, 'Sunshine,' is pure summer bliss, made for lazy days
in the sun, a super smooth production to complete an A-side which is sure
to keep the Du Mosch fans happy! David Vunk, the main man behind Moustache
Records makes his solo debut [after a previous collaboration with Alden
Tyrell] on the flip with two Italo influenced gems -- made deep in the
Rotterdam suburbs! Vunk's opening track 'Synthetic Dreams' is an
electro-disco track inspired by the Hague and Rotterdam. 808 beats, a
killer bassline and deep strings make this track an instant favourite.B2
'Disco Voltage' is a dancefloor monster and is sure to be a super-hit! An
infectious bassline takes control of this track alongside some clever drum
programming and a devastating lead synth, a certainty to burn up the
dancefloor!"
Mark Durgen - Ploughing Furrows Into Rotten Burrows LP (Pan)
[PAN3] $27.75
Made up of acoustic and electronic junk sounds Ploughing Furrows into
Rotten Burrows is informed by a caustic patience and steady pacing. With a
concentrated approach, MARK DURGAN (PUTREFIER, Birthbiter label) makes the
space and silences between sounds an integral part of his constructions. He
builds tracks with loops, samples or acoustic sounds, which then become
automated from the influence of the feedback generated from the electronic
devices. For the past twenty years, Durgan has influenced the directions
of musique concrete, improvisation, electroacoustic music, power
electronics and early '90s Japanese noise. Limited edition of 330
hand-numbered copies, pressed on 140-gram vinyl, jacket housed in a
two-tone silkscreened PVC sleeve with interweaving geometric designs.
Mark Henning - Jilted Love 12 inch (Clink) [CLINK016EP]
$11.50
"Clink captures the summer vibe with an installation by British
tech-house
talent, Mark Henning! This rising star is on fire after a successful album
project last year on Soma, as well as recent releases on Frankie, Trapez
and Tic Tac Toe. Mark is undeniably 'hot' right now, and gaining a lot of
attention for his hip, bouncy and melodic tunes that are becoming essential
late night/open-air hits. With his packed release schedule there is no
doubt that Henning is putting a permanent imprint on quality dance music,
and his unique layering of delicate synthesizer stabs, swinging percussion,
and funky, irresistible bass lines makes his releases a commodity on the DJ
market. Mark's consistent sound maintains a true 'underground' feel, and it
has been earning him performances on line-ups with iconic artists like Baby
Ford, Cassy and Ben Klock. His music is a true hybrid of his UK roots and
Berlin influence, and it shines through on this EP, titled Jilted Love."
Martinez - Symphony Of Bliss 12 inch (Love Letters From Oslo)
[LLFO009EP] $11.50
"With Symphony Of Bliss by Martinez, the OSLO sublabel presents an EP
as
hot as the upcoming summer weeks. The A-Side starts with 'Symphonie Of
Bliss,' a housy peak time track, that's going to lift the spirits on every
summer rave dancefloor, emotional fireworks included. On the flip side, a
typical Martinez monster-of-percussion is waiting to devour the crowd.
Sneaking, filtered monotony at its best. An extraordinary EP!"
Michael Northam - Suhina 10 inch (Drone) [10411] $17.25
Brilliant new recordings by the prolific cosmopolitan (currently
residing
in Berlin) MICHAEL NORTHAM. "Suhina" is a notion for the sound of the wind
moving through the trees. Instead of doing field recordings of wind MICHAEL
NORTHAM tried to capture this feeling & the essence of this process through
instrumental recordings from Indonesian flute & keyboard. Nature phenomena
seen as the true manifestation of the Unknown. Stunning full colour artwork
by Indian artist ROHINI DEVASHER. White vinyl, edition of 500 copies, incl.
inlay with text by M. NORTHAM.
Millie & Andrea - Temper Tantrum/Vigilance 12 inch (Daphne)
[DAPHNE003EP] $12.25
This is the third release by Millie & Andrea on the Daphne label --
here to
balance out ruffage with a bit of a feminine touch. Strictly-limited white
label style!
Mirko Loko - Seventynine 2x12 inch (Cadenza) [CADENZA038EP]
$21.25
Mirko Loko (one-half of Lazy Fat People) presents a cross-section of
tracks
off his debut solo album Seventynine on double 12" vinyl. These tracks
celebrate the communal ideal of dance music with spirited, percussive
melodies that present a clear distillation of the Cadenza sound. But Mirko
also diverges from the dancefloor, ducking into shadowy corners. Rather
than scattering energy, that tension between moods binds the album into a
coherent whole, bridging the gap between classic Motor City and Cadenza's
nomadic aesthetic.
Mirrors - Something That Would Never Do LP (Violet Times)
[RRJ001LP] $18.00
"Finally! The classic Cleveland, OH sounds from the '70s all on one
handy
full length- 15 trax, including both sides of the Hearthan 7" single, all
but one of the Those Were Different Times Scat 10" cuts, and others from
Hands In My Pockets CD on Overground. It's solid, some might say a 'best
of' even. All trax recorded '74 and '75. Officially licensed from the band
and remastered for the ear by John Golden, includes those cool old school,
tip-on jacket covers that most of the record nerds I know love, but don't
seem to know what they are. 800 copies, worldwide."
Mordant Music - The Tower 12 inch (Mordant Music)
[MORDANT032EP] $10.25
"Lord Klattr & Baron Mordant smelt their previously imagined concrete
forest dystopia on this final installment of The Tower series into four
gelatin club hoofprints. Culled from the MeMbranous fibres of the two
previous albums, parts I-XVIII have been dug up from respective hard drives
and smothered in low-end alchemy. From its original inception, The Tower
project has lived somewhat of a 'black metal' lie insomuch that the music
had been produced by two questing Liverpool & Derby fans who peddled
secondhand vinyl at the Music & Video Exchanges in cut-price TK Maxx
trainers. The cover image was not some dank Bavarian castle but a former
water tower in Stoke Newington now used for poncing & climbing -- hardly
the stuff of a blazing Fantoft. These four final death throes emanate
musically from somewhere closer to home and dovetail the intended
continuity to rest. The trajectory was always distorted. Lord Klattr (Alan
James) has sensibly retired to Melbourne in his 'Subway' (Soul Jazz) guise
and Baron Mordant whiles away the hours feebly convincing himself of
Mordant Music's relevance in today's digital realm or indeed any other. Buy
this hollow vessel, daub corpse paint on a passer-by and join them for the
last spannered waltz in The Tower ever."
Morgion - Among Majestic Ruin LP (Kreation) [KR26] $12.00
AVAILABLE AGAIN AT A LOWER PRICE!!! To those who don't know, MORGION
play
strongly death metal-influenced doom. Guttural vocals and up-tempo sections
occasionally come into play during the epic compositions, but for the most
part, this is a fine doom metal offering, combining extremely heavy riffing
at times with slow, majestic, keyboard-laden atmospheric flourishes.
Hauntingly beautiful while still being massively heavy. Morgion weave out
five anguished offerings on this album, every one of them an amazement in
itself, each one sorrowfully adept at proving that Morgion are an awesome
band and deserve more recognition than they currently garner. Includes a
bonus track from a 1995 demo that is quality.
Mrtyu - Ornate Shroud LP (Tipped Bowler Tapes) [TBT010LP]
$18.00
"Hopefully Mrtyu requires little introduction, because the project
evades
easy description. An odd compound of Vedic imagery, metal misanthropy, and
violin agony, this music moves away from any particular fan base in pursuit
of its distant, darkened idols. Ornate Shroud is Mrtyu's most potent spawn
to date. Hewing closer to song form than previous releases, the album
conceals Antony Milton's violent guitar and violin work behind Mrtyu's
characteristic murk. Its pieces transition from jagged riffs to eerie
ambient scrapes through wooly feedback, approaching the uncanny. Although
the year is yet young, 2009 will likely not produce a bleaker aggraga
record. Edition of 350 180 gm. LPs in heavy-stock linen-paper sleeves
hand-screened, -cut, and ?glued by Reuben Little of 43rd Parallel Press.
Available from Tipped Bowler in the US and Faunasabbatha in France."
Mugwump - Tellakian Circles 12 inch (Endless Flight) [EF014EP]
$11.50
"Belgian disco house producer Mugwump's debut release on endless
flight.
Mugwump have released from the excellent label from Ewan Pearson's
Misericord, Kompakt,Moodmusic and his own label. Original version of a side
is a uplifting percussive disco house and b side of runaway remix is deeper
than original but still very playful. If you like the disco feeling house
stuff, the both version will be your weapon!"
Mum
- Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy LP + 7 inch (Fat Cat) [FAT046LP] $14.50
Gatefold LP version with bonus 7". "The album was recorded in a number
of
different places, one of them being the music school in the small
fishingtown of Ä~MsafjĶrÄ°ur in the west fjords of Iceland, making use of
the schools various instruments. The drums were mostly recorded in an old
school house on the island of NĶtĶ west of Finland. The songs on this
multifarious album were conceived over a long period in many a different
fashion, one song even dating back to the period of Yesterday Was Dramatic,
Today Is OK."
Muslimgauze - Cobra Head Soup 2xLP (Staalplaat) [ARCHIVE008LP]
$30.75
BETTER PRICE! Unreleased material. Gatefold 2LP black & white cover
limited
to 500 copies. LP1: 33 RPM; LP2: 45 RPM. Tracklist: side 1A 1. Muslim
Brotherhood 2. Arab United 3. Kashmiri Queens 4. Zion Junkie side 1B 5.
Egypt Needs More Rain 6. Cobra Head Soup 7. Dogheadgod 8. Gaza Strip 9.
Rabid Zionist Dog Muzzle side 2A 10. Elect Izlamic Jihad side 2B 11. Dimple
Kapadia Mumbai
Nachtmystium - Worldfall 12 inch (Mexican Summer) [MEX002]
$17.00
NOW AVAILABLE!!! Limited-edition recordings of excellence and a
ceaselessly
grim pallor have pushed Chicago's NACHTMYSTIUM to the limits of black metal
intensity, and beyond the coal-smeared walls of the genre. The Worldfall EP
continues along the group's all-consuming path, combining technical
metallic precision with an ashen demeanor, forging epic songcraft with
layered production that embraces the misery of their material as it
thrashes against it. An elegant seven-minute title track serves as the
focal point for this release, from which Nachtmystium pivot into
flesh-rending rage ("Depravity"), and two covers which help to define the
group's bleak yet inviting worldview, bordered on the neo-folk of Death in
June's solemn "Rose Clouds of Holocaust" and Goatsnake's beer-bonging
anthem "IV." Pressed in an edition of 500 copies, this chapter of
Nachtmystium's pushes beyond the coal-smeared walls of black metal to
unearth the roots of this group's caustic approach.
Nachtmystium - Demise LP (Kreation) [KR20] $12.00
AVAILABLE AGAIN AT A LOWER PRICE!!! "Pure black emotion (or the denial
of
it) and the invocation of darkness with no regrets. Music aficionados and
novices alike cannot dispute the sincerity and quality of this work.
NACHTMYSTIUM manages to stand alone in a highly over-saturated US metal
scene. This album contains some very introspective songwriting. Without
expulsing torrents of rage, without waging auditory or lyrical/ideological
war, Demise brings sorrow into its own definable dimensions. With each
guitar passage, the melodic structures drone on in heavy sadness, leaving
the thick, entrancing atmosphere to waft into your senses. The real
crowning glory in the riffs is the minimalism and intensity of their
presence. The vocals are filled with honest pain and the emotion will
penetrate the darkest of souls. What makes them even better is the fact
that they are used sparingly and with lots of reverb. With a release as
melancholic as it is atmospheric, the use of pain-stricken screeches in the
key places is essential."
Nadja - Belles Betes LP (Beta-Lactam Ring) [MT170] $20.75
Warning: not recommended for listening in buildings without earthquake
retrofitting: NADJA's doom-fuzz may crack foundations and/or reduce nearby
objects to jelly. However, Nadja, here performing a quartet of solo AIDAN
BAKER covers, maintains a certain melodic balance within the
throat-clearing guitar lurches which levitates the heavy, like the most
graceful pterodactyl-flying-off-with-a-dead-baby-Icthyasaur you have ever
seen. Especially when his voice cuts in, the low-end maraud transforms into
a sweet continuo that seems like stoner-metal chewing on 4AD's ear. A
grinding thump into the clouds which proves there ARE beautiful uglies.
Edition of 500 copies, packaged in a heavy book bound LP sleeve and pressed
on 180-gram vinyl.
Nick Dewitt - Supernatural Punishment 12 inch (Teenage
Teardrops) [TD019LP] $12.00
"Far off instrumental far away land music. Lost Americana and Ennio
Morricone. I don't know. It's beautiful and it wouldn't be out of place if
it was on the soundtrack to Eraserhead. Amazing cover photos by Thatcher
Keats. 300 pressed. Lavender vinyl. Comes with download." "This record is
brief, but is full of solid and honest songs which both embody the LA
zeitgeist and reach threateningly past it. Evident here are some sunny
tropes, the small stories and subtle triumphs of life are cast in beautiful
relief. But what is truly remarkable about the record, and what sets it
firmly apart from others in its ilk are the downright serious moments.
There is a confrontation with human solitude (what would have been called
'the existential question' by our grandparents' generation) on the last and
longest track on the album, which borders on timeless. Not timeless in a
'too drunk to f***' way. Timeless in a 'bolero' way. Clearly it's too early
to tell, but I feel less hesitant predicting that the oeuvre of Nick Dewitt
will continue to bear fruits that seem to come from distant times (forward
and/or back). If purchasing an album, on vinyl of all things, feels like an
anachronism to you (which, let's face it, if you're reading this, it
probably does not), then you should certainly buy this one. If you are
accustomed to buying current LPs with full-bleed color photograph covers on
lavender vinyl, then you also might benefit from picking up this record,
because in this case, the art direction is an afterthought to a carefully
ministrated work, and is matched (if not surpassed) by the actual music it
makes when played." -- Brother Reade
Noise Makers Fifes - Zona Incerta 10 inch (Drone) [10404]
$17.25
"NOISE-MAKER'S FIFES is an experimental performance group from Brussels
who
do impressive shows with many selfbuild instruments and surrealistic
sound-theatre-choreographies. The first side on "Zona Incerta" is based on
the choreography "Dyonisos' Last Day" from 2003 and uses various
live-material from this and other different performances. The second side
is created from insects field recordings made in Kenya. ZONA INCERTA builds
a very dimension of its own, totally hazy and foggy sounds ebb and flow in
and out...water and metal-sounds are recognizable in the sound-field, high
insect-frequencies intertwine with all kinds of strange noises and animal
sounds... The Unknown is also the world of other creatures who perceive a
totally different world. Listen with new ears, with different neurons."
October - Houston 12 inch (Caravan) [CVAN005EP] $10.75
Back for another outing, Caravan label-boss October takes the vibe of
his
previous releases and twists them further leftfield. It's out there with
the finest: "Houston" (we have a problem) is one for all the audio
astronauts. "Listen, Move, Dance" is more of a straight-forward dancefloor
affair -- sleek and sexy, but deep and intelligent. Already hammered by DJs
in the know.
October - Recession Sampler 12 inch (Caravan) [CVAN008EP]
$10.75
This is a stunning, limited October missive, drawn from the
well-received
Caravan: Recession Vol. 1 mix CD. Already making waves throughout the
dubstep and techno communities, these tunes make the nifty stealth
connection between well-conceived and executed warehouse moves and the
grime-y realities of low-end pressure in evidence here.
Of
Montreal - Id Engager Mad Decent Remixes 12 inch (Mad Decent) [MAD092]
$7.25
You remember what happened when DIPLO's crew got their hooks in Peter
Bjorn
& John's "Young Folks," so what remix terror have they unleashed upon this
year's twee-disco crossover hit from OF MONTREAL? The Mad Decent remix gets
it done with a kicking house beat, surging bass and perfect cooing vocal
samples, before the young gun DJ SEGA puts his hyper stuttering Bmore touch
on it. Also includes the original version. Limited pressing.
Oophoi - Potala 10 inch (Drone) [10408] $17.25
first ever vinyl by the italian deep ambient master! Two long
contemplative
tracks into the center of holy places (may it be physically or mentally),
opening endless spaces with low humming & reverberating meditation-drones!
Edition of 500 copies pressed on luminous green vinyl, full-colour artwork
by 1000SCHOEN aka ex-MAEROR TRI-member HELGE SIEHL !
Otto von Schirach - Bass Low 12 inch (Basshead) [BASSHEAD002EP]
$10.25
"Take electro bass noise, gore grind, IDM glitch, calliope, breakcore
gabber jungle, gangsta rap, mix them all together and what you get? Otto
Von Schirach . For 'Bass Low' the oddball shreds hip-hop ('I always felt
that hip-hop beats need shark-bite rhythms or chain-saw sounds'), corrupts
Miami bass and perverts techno, saturating his hard drive with sonic
detritus. Otto Von Schirach (half Cuban / half German) was born in 1978 in
the swamp infested refugee world of Little Havana Miami. As a child, his
grandmother practiced Santeria and White Magic, which opened his eyes to
the strange and bizarre. Otto grew up listening to Miami bass, gore grind,
gangsta rap and afro cuban noise. In 1995, Otto bought his first drum
machine from a crack-head just 2 blocks from his mom's house. Right away he
recognized his passion for grimy diamond soaked kick drums through
distorted fuzz muck. In 2003, Otto worked on the Skinny Puppy album The
Greater Wrong of the Right which scored him a 57 show tour opening for them
across the USA. He scared the living shit out of all the Skinny Puppy fans
night after night with his 35 minute, 3 costume change, ear punishing dance
party. After 8 albums, 10,000 shows, a 4 Gigabyte Sound Library and 7
computers, what else do you want? Otto is currently working on a bunch of
new collaborations with Venetian Snares, Doormouse, Gut, Ebola, Gouch and
is also in the studio working on new ideas for the next Skinny Puppy
record. Otto is a true Gang Banger. A true slave to the sound wave, he will
always make love to speakers worldwide. BassHead Music is a label from
A-Sides and Juan BassHead. The label is based in Miami, Florida and intends
to focus on bass-heavy dancefloor music."
Patric Catani/Chris Irmler/Jorinde Voigt - Lemniscate LP
(Sonig) [SONIG078LP] $30.75
"The lemniscate is, fundamentally a mechanism for the infinite. A
lemniscus
or 'ribbon' that chases itself in a figure of eight describes the repeated
and unending journey of the unbounded. Jorinde Voigt draws structures
energized by real and imagined possibilities to investigate finite
boundaries of systems. She frames and moderates these investigations with
spatiotemporal data, information on speed, volume, and an overlaying of
sequences. Her notations embrace the concept that elements of equal value
co-exist in a logic and proportion of their own. In 2008, following Voigt's
concepts, composers Patric Catani and Chris Imler, developed the 'lazy 8'
of the infinity motif at Watermill-Center, NYC, a laboratory for
performance, in the form of an acoustic 'cluster.' The looped composition
formed of 16 chapters, snakes around 7 points realized using a
multi-channel arrangement of 6 loudspeakers and thus describes the shape of
a lemniscate through pure sound. To enable home listening, the
multi-channel installation has been mixed down by the artists as a stereo
version. LP in a limited edition of 260 copies."
Patrick Specke - G(oing) C(oncern) P(rinciple) 12 inch
(Desolat) [DESOLAT008EP] $11.50
DJ/producer Patrick Specke is dedicated to the machines that he uses to
craft his metallic, shimmying tunes -- but he's equally committed to
collecting the best pieces of vinyl available. You can hear it in his
tracks: a solid understanding of the space between the beats and the subtly
textured samples that help make up a fine groove. "Get Me Out" and
"Bitchual Linestepper" use tight, dancefloor-damaging drum loops and
"Naggin' Me" reshuffles the classiest 4/4 recordings.
Patua - Macaista/Chapado 12 inch (Vakant) [VA029EP] $11.50
"Hailing from the southeast Asian jungle, globalization, diaspora, and
the
unchecked native baboon explosion have all seriously endangered Patuá, so
we are afraid that poor Patuá has very few brothers and sisters left in
this world. Lucky for you, as the Vakant freak out bus has transversed the
planet so many times now, we have indeed found (gasp) Patuá and present
Patuá here for your delight and revelry. All it took to lure Patuá onto the
bus was some animal crackers and a 1989 Game Boy. Truly momentous, yes we
feel like Noah. Once onboard we immediately put Patuá to work and this
double A-side is the result. Apparently house is big everywhere. Smooth and
warm, A-side 'Macaista' reaches out to the remaining Patuá of this world
and says, I am here, do not fret. If Patuá reaches out with 'Macaista',
AA-side 'Chapado' is the reach around. Much like his newfound masters,
Patuá is quite cheeky. Thick and spacey 'Chapado' is the Patuá mating call
to all the remaining tribe members earthbound and beyond."
Pelican - Ephemeral LP (Southern Lord) [LORD105] $14.00
The latest from Chicago heavy rock instrumental icons PELICAN.
Ephemeral
was recorded at Red Room Studios in Seatlle by CHRIS COMMON of THESE ARMS
ARE SNAKES. The new material is heavier, darker and very riff-oriented.
Joining the band on the EARTH cover "The Geometry of Murder" is none other
than the song's author DYLAN CARLSON.
Phonogenic - Bass Were The Days 12 inch (Turbo Recordings)
[TURBO066EP] $11.50
"Two excellent tracks of bassy, ballsy, bigroom tech-house. A deal was
made
via video-sauna and all-of-a-sudden Turbo 066 be done... Enjoy!"
Piemont - Black Smoker & Carbonat Rmxs 12 inch (My Best Friend)
[MBF12056EP] $11.50
The two biggest hits by Piemont, "Black Smoker" and "Carbonat," are
remixed
by four German artists. Nils Nilson has added a smooth, house-y deep note
and rising chords to the original, creating a laid-back, cool atmosphere.
Goldfish & Der Dulz create a heavy afterhour burner, while Soukie & Windish
keep it deep and add a bit of an edge. Finally, Helge Kuhl's electro-house
remix adds a cool bass line and a wonderful melancholy melody to the
original.
Plasmik - Colors 12 inch (Connaisseur Recordings) [CNS030EP]
$12.25
"The brothers are back and present their latest wax on Connaisseur,
and, as
we think, the best they have ever made. Three true Plasmik cuts, timeless
grooves between deep house and techno with a strong US american twist. Real
Connaisseur music. Night Bell is a rather trippin track, dominated by a
psychic wobbling bell theme. Its oldschool feel becomes intensified by a
subtle, almost disco like melody, which creeps up like fog, unexpected and
appearing from nowhere. Sneaky Dee is not only one of Marcel's favorite
bars he visited regularly while he lived in Toronto, it is also a brilliant
deep house tune with a slightly techy touch and a sticky theme. Red Tension
is a pure beauty. Acoustic instruments appear sporadically and guide you
through a wonderfully laidback sound universe. Definitely the track with
the strongest musical approach."
Psycatron - Deeper Shades Of Black 12 inch (Planet E
Communications/Guilty Pleasures) [PE65309EP] $7.75
"From Belfast to Detroit is next, with the legendary Carl Craig picking
up
'Deeper Shades Of Black' through hearing it on Myspace, for his new Planet
E sub-label Guilty Pleasures. Psycatron tunes have been supported by some
of the finest DJs in the world, from Deep Dish to Sasha. Independent in his
own right -- Paul has presented the respected BBC radio show 'Across the
Line' for the past 5 years."
Public Image Ltd - Second Edition 2xLP (4 Men With Beards)
[4M517] $21.25
The second album from JOHN LYDON's post-SEX PISTOLS group is widely
considered to be their magnum opus. Combining such diverse influences as
krautrock, dub, post-punk, and the avant-garde, Second Edition is four
sides of harsh and uncompromising, yet danceable, music. While not the
immediate influence and sensation that Never Mind The Bollocks was, this
record is certainly John Lydon's finest artistic achievement.
Pygmy Lush - Mount Hope LP (Lovitt) [LOV57] $11.25
BACK IN STOCK!!! PYGMY LUSH, whose members have cut their teeth in some
of
Northern Virginia's most influential hardcore bands of the last decade
including PG.99, MAJORITY RULE, MALADY, CITY OF CATERPILLAR and
CRESTFALLEN, return with their much anticipated second full-length, Mount
Hope. Their first record, Bitter River (Robotic Empire), featured
noise-punk tracks mixed in with some of the quieter songs. Those more
restrained songs, which had at first been an aside, began to over take the
set, and now make up Mount Hope. The sound suites them. The songs feel
haunted. Still filled to the brim with a sense of abandon, only here they
have put down their angst for introspection, traded their aggression for a
slow grit. Limited Color Vinyl Version!
Queen Atom - Enemy Of Time 12 inch (Dirt Crew) [DU045EP]
$11.50
Dumb-Unit makes way for London's Cesar vs. Disorder aka Queen Atom. "Q:
Here is a model of a calcium molecule. Do you recognize the triple helix?
A: The protons feed electrical information to the core of the molecule,
where we find the central atom, or "Queen Atom." Were the Queen Atom to
leave the molecule, or nest, the effects would be disastrous, as the entire
structure would come tumbling down. This is known as the Helvetica
Scenario." Queen Atom has no face. You have been warned.
Ramon Tapia - What's Next 12 inch (Herzblut) [HERZ015EP]
$12.25
Belgium-based producer Ramon Tapia presents more dramatic, up-rising,
driving beats on What's Next. With previous releases on labels such as
Yellow Tail, Definitive Recordings, Craft, Great Stuff, and Flash
Recordings, Tapia is hotly-tipped as the next spark to light the minimal
flame.
Richard Skelton - Marking Time LP (Type) [TYPE049LP] $17.25
Originally released on CD in 2008 on the Preservation label, and now
available on vinyl for the first time, Marking Time might be the first
release under Richard Skelton's own name, but it is far from the
Lancashire, UK musician's debut recording. Using a plethora of creative
monikers (A Broken Consort, Harlassan, Carousell, Landings, and more),
Richard has slipped graciously into avant-garde folklore. Each gorgeous,
hand-made record appears (usually on his own Sustain Release imprint) and
then disappears in a matter of hours, leaving the baying hordes to spend
their lives on Ebay and Discogs if they want to collect them all. Marking
Time is available once again, and is the most perfect distillation of his
sound universe. Using a selection of bowed string instruments and lavishing
these sustained howls with the most delicate of fingerpicked guitar and
gentle piano, he takes us through a most harrowing journey. These short
songs are deft and deeply touching musings on loss and on the importance of
time. Comparisons could be made to plenty of Richard's modern-classical or
avant-folk contemporaries, but few imbue their music with such a deep sense
of humanity and patience. This is a haunting, affecting album which truly
rewards those who give it the time it commands.
Richard Youngs - Like A Neuron LP (Dekorder) [Dekorder034]
$14.75
RELEASE DATE: 08-03-2009
Richard Youngs is a prolific British musician (located in Glasgow) with
an
extremely diverse output. Dusted Magazine once wrote he is "defying strict
genre classifications since the early nineties, swapping labels, styles,
partners, motifs, and recording techniques as the desire has struck him".
So his new album for Dekorder might not be a surprise to anyone following
his career. Still, a self-proclaimed all-electronic "ecstatic House record"
comes somewhat unexpected. With a line of distinctive synthesizers often
used for Techno/House Music Youngs recreates the energy, euphoria and
frenzy of these styles without ever trying to recreate the music note by
note.
Risil - Non Meters Vol. 1 2xLP (Important) [IMPREC218-1]
$17.25
RELEASE DATE: 06-23-2009
LP is limited to 1000 copies. Cut at Salt and pressed at RTI for a pure
audiophile sound.
RLW
- Contours Imaginaires 10 inch (Drone) [10407] $17.25
"After a break SUBSTANTIA INNOMINATA is back with a terrific 3-track
^10
inch CD by the prolific german composer RLW (who started his activities
back in the early 80's and was the main member of the legendary german
experimental outfit P16.D4). The full title is: CONTOURS IMAGINAIRES. The
whole composition is based on only few seconds of piano-sounds and vocals
(the rest is "imagination") and the track-titles & pieces offer strong
inter-relations in a complex way. The used sounds develop through
imagination & decay ("denaturing transformations") and appear in the pieces
with different emphases. The "classical" piano-sounds and its highly
processed permutations are set in contrast with the highly emotional
voice-material, like entering a convoluted labyrinth of voice-frazzles,
drones & fragmented strange sounds...... Being on a microlevel
("phantasized cell"), judging the decay of shadows. Are these the memories
of single cells? The shadow of abrasion-processes? The slow decay of
imaginations? A fantastic work where conceptual thoughts and emotionally
driven acoustics merge in a perfect way.
Roger23 - Room With A View Pt. 1 12 inch (Baud) [BAUD001EP]
$11.50
"The first release of the label Baud from Roger23, who until now was at
home at Playhouse and Volt Musik, but also shined with his contribution to
the Rüts series on Meakusma. Room with a View Pt.1 is a very conclusive and
consequent EP, but never seems trivial. Side A, 'Conversation,' is an
exceptional piece of music, for which the expression 'opus' would be more
appropriate. In more than 10 minutes Roger builds the vision of an urban
techno opera. Carried by a number of chord sequences and a driving groove,
'Conversation' surrounds the listener with powerful sounds. A deep and
pumping bass provides the pulse, while the chords build up, turn into
breaks, oscillate and 'choke.' The magic of this piece unfolds through the
dimension of the sound, which almost can be caught through the echo.
'Conversation' wants to be celebrated and rebelliously danced to. The
flip-side offers the title track of the EP (Room with a View Pt.1), which
globally concentrates on the groove. Almost every sound serves to complete
the rhythmic theme. The piece builds up a lot of tension with short and
reversed sounds, until the first base drum hits shortly after the minute
mark to connect them. So to speak, the big break is at the beginning. Then
the rhythmic elements increase and each one changes the emphasis of the
groove, to complement the interaction. A rough techno groove, that shows
its abilities on the dance floor, emerges. An atmospheric and beat less
piece with the pragmatic name 'Ambient I' rounds off the overall impression
of the EP. Chords serve as the base, which remind of brass instruments in
sound and brilliance and transport an optimistic mood into the harmonies.
Overall 'Ambient I' is kept minimalistic and primarily builds on 2 basic
themes, which change in a subtle manner, and gain depth through the use of
effects. Ruminant moments may occur through the relative calmness. This
track could serve as a signal in the mix, or mark a new beginning to
musical realms."
Salvatore Freda & Volta/Langenberg - Wild Beach/Ideosami 12
inch (Liebe Detail) [LIEBE028EP] $11.50
"Swiss residents Salvatore Freda & Volta return to the pleasant shores
of
harbour city Hamburg's liebe*detail. After their mesmerizing first
appearance; Bombolone, for the label last year (liebe025), and fresh from
their stunning Western Spaghetti EP on Freerange, the duo have cooked up
another real burner here in their new track 'Wild Beach.' Rolling
percussion and classic house-club rising strings propel the energy forward
over 8 minutes of intense, modern hybrid-house delights. On top of this,
its distinctive lead riff and totally solid club-assured production gives
us something rather exciting to lift our hands up to...! Whisking us away
into the dizzying heights of their electro-organic world, the two very
promising producers once again make their mark. Essen's Langenberg marks
his debut on liebe*detail with a brilliantly constructed moment of house
that not only works very well as a functional tool, but whose complex,
swelling atmospheres full of vocal snippets and of course the wonderful
rising synth melody convince us that this is an artist with real talents.
After his warming, diverse releases on Dessous, Sthlm Audio and Drumpoet,
'Ideosami' marks a new level of maturity for Langenberg, successfully
creating a vibe that could happily continue for hours, as we dance away
into the blissful morning."
Santos - Hold Home 12 inch (Moon Harbour) [MHR044EP] $12.25
"Hold Home" by Italian producer Santos has been causing mayhem in the
sets
of DJs like Luciano, Ricardo Villalobos, Loco Dice and Timo Maas, and it is
officially released by Moon Harbour. This is a classic house track --
elegant, hypnotic and timeless -- based on a short sample-loop of beats,
chords, and a distinctive vocal sample. Luna City Express add percussion,
deepness, and their own vocal sample, giving the track a new flow with more
soul, geared to the dancefloor.
Sasse - Toinen Remixes 12 inch (Mood Music) [MOOD073EP]
$11.50
Mood Music rolls out another remix pack of tracks off Sasse's Toinen
album,
featuring the artist's favorite remixers. Pied Plad's remix presents
bass-shakin' beats and slow techno-funk mixed with the Detroit sound.
Taking a turn into early '90s deep house inna UK style, Daso's remix
features mesmerizing synths, bubbly bass, and drum-programming. Paulo
Olarte revs up the bass line and keeps the percolator running. Penner+Muder
add vocal snippets, bouncy beats, and a low-slung bass line to "Wrapper,"
keeping the groove intact.
Secret Abuse - Immeasurable Gift LP (Arbor) [ARBOR75]
$12.00
The Immeasurable Gift is a testament to cathartic possibilities and the
role of creation/release as a means of understanding. Recorded throughout
the past three years in a variety of locations and personal moments;
encapsulated by a common, unrelenting concern. Beautifully delicate,
elegiac melodies concealed within curtains of dense electronic ambiance
reveal themselves like the light at the end of the tunnel; a signifier of
the temporary vessel form. Balancing recklessness with care and coming to
terms with the inevitable; encountering the man on the shoulder, reminding
us that we are all just weary travelers. In an edition of 425 records in
full color pro-printed cardboard jackets with printed labels and an insert;
all design by JEFF WITSCHER.
Secret Abuse - The Immeasurable Gift LP (Arbor) [ARBOR075LP]
$12.00
"The Immeasurable Gift is a testament to cathartic possibilities and
the
role of creation/release as a means of understanding. Recorded throughout
the past three years in a variety of locations and personal moments;
encapsulated by a common, unrelenting concern. Beautifully delicate,
elegiac melodies concealed within curtains of dense electronic ambiance
reveal themselves like the light at the end of the tunnel; a signifier of
the temporary vessel form. Balancing recklessness with care and coming to
terms with the inevitable; encountering the man on the shoulder, reminding
us that we are all just weary travelers. In an edition of 425 records in
full color proprinted cardboard jackets with printed labels and an insert;
all design by Jeff Witscher."
Seuil - Musm 12 inch (Moon Harbour) [MHR043EP] $12.25
Alexis Benard aka Seuil dishes up 3 top-notch house tracks for Moon
Harbour. "Musm" has a sharply-accented rhythm, underlined by a catchy vocal
sample. A rising trumpet fanfare shows off Seuil's feel for the dancefloor.
"Unexpected Night" is a builder. During the breakdown, a half-dissonant,
half-driving sound emerges, giving the track a new dynamic. "Ohohah" builds
on an elegant bass line and reveals a friskier side to Seuil, while still
capturing his catchy, deep and funky style.
Shumi - Jump For Joy 12 inch (Kompakt) [KOM194EP] $11.50
"Just before celebrating our 200th release this August we're happy to
announce a new face on Kompakt. We're especially delighted because we're
talking about one of our dearest homies. Shumi is known all over town as a
great DJ and promoter and his infamous Grüzi Club. It's difficult to
imagine Cologne's nightlife without him. He's one of those 'unsung heroes'
without which a lot of cities would be sadder places. He's been producing
in the closet for quite some time and now finally he's ready to share his
musical visions with us. 'Jump for Joy' turned out to become a classic
Kompakt release in many ways. It's a very versatile 3-tracker covering some
of the most recognizable Kompakt styles... Raw, hypnotic minimal techno
(The End with no Beginning), dreamy romantic techhouse (The Wind and the
Sea) and a euphoric pop-tinged 'end of the night' track (Jump for Joy).
Shumi's a real allrounder, genre limits are not his thing. For him there's
only good music and boring music. The latter will be hard to find on this
record."
Shuta Hasunuma - Pop Ooga 2xLP (Western Vinyl) [WEST058LP]
$18.00
"On Pop Ooga, Shuta Hasunuma lets loose an endless array of gorgeous
and
restless rhythms and melodies. Throughout the album he seamlessly folds
funky bass and synth lines, graceful guitar, and breathy vocal harmonies
into his web of glitch-pop-concrete. The result is intellectually engaging
and fervent music, that reminds us of our urgent need to celebrate our time
together. It's on the LPs bonus track 'Go Pacific' that Hasunuma's
impeccable balance between the technological and deeply personal resonates
longest. Literally blending bells and whistles into an infectious, breezy
dose of melodic sunshine, expect to be caught in an addictive, vinyl trance
that will have you eagerly resetting your stylus again and again"
Sidwho - Vote Bowie For President 12 inch (The Walls Have
Ears/adult Arts Club) [EARS3006EP] $12.25
"Our first release on TWHE that doesn't directly involve Cage & Aviary
hails from Adelaide in Oz. We met Sid on myspace, and very quickly signed
him up to be one of our 6 remix victims for a series that we're putting
out. We became good friends with Sid, and on hearing his other tracks we
soon realised that he's got bags of talent. 'Vote Bowie' is an instant
winner -- call it funky rock, call it cosmic, call it Balearic, call it
plain brilliant. Straight into a killer groove, the superb vocals, live
instrumentation and analogue arpeggiators keep the intensity going for all
of 8 mins. Imagine if David Bowie was your president! As if that wasn't
enough, we have another classic-in-waiting nestled on the b-side. Sounding
like some long lost '80s b-side, haunting strings and live bass push the
floating vocals along, before giving way to more analogue arpeggiated
niceness. The track has been re-arranged by Jamie Paton from Cage & Aviary,
taking the middle section into dubbed-out territory, before returning to
the stunning strings and bass for the pay-off."
Silkie feat. Mizz Beats - Purple Love 12 inch (Deep Medi Musik)
[MEDI018P-EP] $11.50
"Super LIMITED edition one sided Purple vinyl."
Since By Man - Pictures From The Hotel Apocalypse LP (Init)
[INIT34] $9.00
Milwaukee's favorite sons SINCE BY MAN are rising once again with their
sophomore full length. Pictures From The Hotel Apocalypse seamlessly
transitions from the A Love Hate Relationship EP, building upon those
elements in a gradual, progressive style that has become synonymous with
Since By Man. Never allowing themselves to stagnate or fall victim to
pigeonholing, Since By Man's dedication to growth has made each release
mandatory listening. A frantastically crafted album packaged in a beautiful
heavy gatefold jacket with alternate artwork than the CD version (on
Revelation Records) and pressed on 140-gram vinyl.
Six
Finger Satellite - Half Control LP (Load) [load125lp] $13.00
RELEASE DATE: 06-29-2009
Archival 2001 recordings from Providence's finest square peg. Half
Control
veers sharply away from the krautrock stylings of 1998's Law Of Ruins with
a lineup that is hotwired. The band is now a bastardly other brother,
including LANDED's most regular rhythm section grafted onto SFS's singer
Jay Ryan and drummer Rick Pelletier.
Slam - Paragraph 03 12 inch (Paragraph) [PARAGRAPH003EP]
$11.00
"Slam bring us the third chapter in their devastating Paragraph series,
following up their dancefloor destroyer, Hot Knives that was played by the
biggest DJs around and dubbed as one of Carl Craig's favourites of the last
few months. The label's previous releases have already had big support from
the rest of the techno fraternity, including legends Richie Hawtin, Adam
Beyer, Dubfire, Anja Schneider, Len Faki and Francois Kevorkian. Paragraph
number 3 delivers some deep, bass-heavy electronic funk on the A-side, with
'One Note Samba.' Grooving from the off-set, the percussive elements of the
track wind around a solid and heavy sub bass, introducing dubbed-out horns
reminiscent of Slam's Freelance Science days. Hypnotic and tripped out,
Slam return to their house roots. On the AA 'Room 2,' dedicated to one of
the world's best clubs, Fabric, where Slam hold a residency, keeps with the
stripped-down, rhythmic and gritty sound of Paragraph. Whilst constantly
fluctuating echoes and delays control the rhythm of the track, a swirling,
yet straight to the point synth creates some frenzied and panic-inducing
builds throughout, leading to a wholesome and satisfying ride cymbal. 'Room
2' is a killer, peak-time track that will be sure to induce some serious
convulsions on dance-floor."
Sleepy Sun - Embrace LP (ATP Recordings) [ATPR033LP] $16.00
Formed in Santa Cruz and now based in San Francisco, the intense sextet
of
Sleepy Sun release their breathtaking debut album, Embrace. Whether droning
madly, spiralling into cascades of infinitely-echoing vocals or kicking
back with their blissed-out take on classic Americana rock, Sleepy Sun are
a band that has made many sit up and take immediate notice. Recorded in
Vancouver, British Columbia, in January 2008, the album embodies the
quintessential sound of West Coast psychedelia updated for the late
noughties. "Golden Artifact" was conceived in the band's Santa Cruz living
room, nicknamed The Dungeon for its low ceilings, low lighting, and various
smells, and sounds like a dark incantation, "Lord" is a beautiful,
melancholy, shuffling piano-tinged ballad, warmed by the light of the sun,
and "New Age" harkens Brightblack Morning Light's hazy harmonies, ending
with a thunderous freakout, written after watching every Hellraiser and Jim
Henson film in succession. Comprised of Brian Tice (drums), Jack Allen
(bass), Rachael Williams (vocals, haberdashery & interpretive dancing) Bret
Constantino (vocals & harmonica), Evan Reiss (guitars) and Matt Holliman
(guitars), the band met in the counter-cultural hub city of Santa Cruz,
California, citing pizza, horticulture, and Neil Percival Young as common
interests. Drawing musical inspiration from Black Sabbath, Creedence
Clearwater Revival, Can and Creation Records, they forged their sound in
intense jam-sessions, as heavy and as beautiful as redwoods meeting the
ocean.
Solotempo - New Ears 12 inch (Spezial Material) [SM030EP]
$11.00
"Solotempo's new EP basks shamelessly in catchy harmonies, indulges in
bassdrums and wallows in the beauty of analog sounds processed with
precision. 'New Ears' is firmly rooted on the dancefloor. On this
particular dancefloor, you're plunged into discreetly arranged, hypnotising
house and minimal tracks, which don't simply sit on their beat, but
gracefully summersault again and again, creating those unique moments of
eternity. Fittingly, Solotempo's sounds should work best on springy forest
soil, at around four or five in the morning when dawn breaks and the sun
rises."
Solotempo - Chamber 12 inch (Spezial Material) [SM031EP]
$11.00
"In Solotempo's latest effort, there's more than just a faint echo of
the
irresistible grooves of warm, soulful Detroit house. It's highly danceable
stuff that won't hit you in the face, but will bathe you in sensual
analogue sounds. Every single tone on this record is of analogue origin,
all mixed in real time to what essentially is an electronic live album."
Something Fierce - There Are No Answers LP (Dirtnap) [ZZZ82]
$12.75
Young kids from Houston with a rock-solid work ethic who like to tour.
This
band fits in perfectly on Dirtnap: it's catchy, poppy punk that's not
really pop-punk, and rocks a little too hard to fit in with the power-pop
crowd. Unbelievably catchy, well written, well played poppy punk with
heart, brains, and hooks. Lots of hooks. For fans of Marked Men / Buzzcocks
/ The Briefs / Clorox Girls / Pointed Sticks. LP includes a download code.
Soulphiction & Move D - In The Limelight 12 inch (Philpot)
[PHP039EP] $11.50
SoulPhiction and Move D pair up to bring you some deeply-rooted,
funkified
house music. "The Limelight" is a subtle, shiny piece of neo-disco for the
believers, rolling along with funky licks and a demanding bass.
Manchester's Trus'me delivers a fantastic remix, adding his trademark
sonics as well as a new bass line, played by Tom "Boom Boom" Johnstone.
"The Essence" is a nod to a great jazz label and a blueprint for further
things to come from this pair.
ST37/Vocokesh - Derobe LP (RRRecords) [LPST37VOCO] $18.25
RICHARD FRENECKI's epic trio VOCOKESH is heavily acid-drenched,
guitar-driven space rock with nods to Ash Ra Tempel, Bevis Frond and
Hawkwind. The long-lived Texas group ST 37's crafted weirdness is full of
blazing guitars and odd percussive sounds.
Sunn O))) & Pan Sonic/Alan Vega/Stephen Burroughs - Che/13
Crosses, 16 Blazin' Skulls/Goodbye Darling 10 inch (Blast First Petite)
[PTYT021EP] $14.00
Another release in Blast First Petite's series of limited edition 10"
vinyl
EPs celebrating Alan Vega's 70th birthday, and this one is as serious as a
heart attack. The hooded ones of Sunn O))) touch branch wands with the
unsmiling Finlanders of Pan Sonic for six epic minutes. Joe Preston intones
the incantation as inscribed by the seer, Vega. Thunder cracks and rumbles,
lightning bolts rend the sky, Valkyries ride the storm. Flip the disc, and
you'll hear a live-in-hell version of "13 Crosses, 16 Blazin' Skulls,"
sci-fi electronic metal-machine music first heard on Vega's cruelly ignored
2007 album, Station. Lost soulman of the Black Country and previous head of
Head Of David, Stephen Burroughs presents a Gira-esque acoustic version of
"Goodbye Darling" -- his first visit to a recording studio in nearly a
decade. Twisted tunes in an inside-out package. Beautifully-rendered
"hidden" drawings by Coulter Jacobsen: drawn and re-drawn from memory.
Limited edition of 3,000.
T.I.T.S. - Second Base LP (Upset the Rhythm) [UTR024]
$16.25
Second Base is San Francisco's T.I.T.S.' sophomore release, following
on
from their split album debut with Leopard Leg. It's an album that draws
similarly from metal and doom, but in which individual songs are stripped
down to an icy core. Chanted vocals, sparse, jarring guitars and a
drum-centric focus all lend to a compelling sense of drama and impending
ruin. Tracks like "Childs" and "Octopus" certainly show how the band's
sound has moved on from their first record, not afraid to push the songs to
the end of the road and into oblivion. There's also a greater use of
cyclical narratives both in the group vocals and song structures shown best
with "Void," which seems to draw on a compulsion to unlock the hypnotic and
instinctual. Songs move into and out of chaos, regimented rhythms
collapsing into squally feedback like a '60s freakout taken to almost
parodic extremes.
TG
- Feign 12 inch (Caravan) [CVAN006EP] $10.75
Caravan presents their 6th release with TG's Feign EP. "Rene" is a
journey
of epic proportions that starts out circling the Earth's orbit before
slowly burning through the Van Allen Belt into our planet's cooling
atmosphere, where we find the solace of TG's groove and voice. Bearing a
great vocal hook, an unstoppable 4/4 groove and an arsenal of cool,
squelchy melodies and sounds, "Rene" is a great jam that avoids all the
trademark tech-house pitfalls. Also includes a remix of "Feign" by Markus
Guentner.
Thomas Schumacher - The Ooh 12 inch (Get Physical Music)
[GPM113EP] $12.25
Thomas Schumacher's "The Ooh" is a hypnotic relay race of instruments
--
the rapid plucking of an upright bass followed by piano and trumpet
continuously filter, warp and modulate to the finish line. "The Ooh" remix
comes courtesy of M.in, featuring Harold Todd, who adds some serious
low-end rumble. "Sunset" features more trumpet, this time laid upon a bed
of finger-snaps, claps and percussion. A minute-long Balkan-style jam band
bursts out in the middle of the track, creating an exciting and unexpected
juxtaposition.
Tommy Four Seven - Surma 12 inch (Electric Deluxe) [EDLX005EP]
$11.50
Electric Deluxe welcomes Tommy Four Seven to the family. Both Chris
Liebing
and Speedy J have been playing "Surma" as a highlight in almost all of
their sets, building alternate versions on the fly. Both spontaneously made
mixes, and Tommy added a kick-ass tool. "Surma" is both beautifully dark
and instantly catchy. Rave alarm signals whip up a steady, pushing groove
with a fat bottom-end. Techno, ambient and house are utilized for one
sinister intention -- to drive the crowd mad.
Tongues Of Mt Meru - The Ocean Of Milk LP (LP) [793447523927]
$18.50
RELEASE DATE: 06-23-2009
Limited edition of 400 copies. Deluxe heavy duty screen printed
jackets.
New project of Lasse Marhaug and Jon Wesseltoft; Marhaug is known from the
noise scene, Wesseltoft for his work with black metal legends Thorns. As
Tongues Of Mount Meru they join forces to pursue a mutal passion for drone
music. Their debut album "Sea Of Milk" is two side-long tracks of pure
elevated long-form bliss. On vinyl only.
Tony Allen - Lagos No Shaking 2xLP (Honest Jon's Records)
[HJR020LP] $19.00
2LP version. The vinyl version includes an extra track and sounds even
more
stunning than the disc. The Honest Jon's label reissues this 2006 classic
from Afrobeat co-creator and master drummer Tony Allen. The much-lauded
Lagos No Shaking pays tribute to the powerful sounds and rhythms of Allen's
homeland of Lagos, Nigeria, marking a return to the classic percussive
stylings which harken back to his seminal contribution to Fela Kuti's
Africa 70 and Egypt 80. This is the real thing -- raw and uncut, recorded
in Lagos over 10 nights with a 20-piece band, including the finest
musicians in the city, not least deep horn-blasting from Lekan Animashaun
(Baba Ani) and Show Boy from the killer Fela line-ups, and the palm-wine
veteran Fatai Rolling Dollar, who adds his throaty, commanding tones and
throbbing agidigbo thumb piano to four tracks. There are the R&B
sensibilities of Yinka Davies and Omololu Ogunleye; and Muritala Adisa adds
touches of ewe, a form of spoken praise-singing rooted in ancient Yoruba
tradition. But the key element is, of course, Allen's powerful, yet
magnificently relaxed drumming, which keeps everything in perpetual rocking
motion, tempering the hard funk edges of classic Afrobeat with earthier
Lagosian flavors. Indeed, while the album's observations on Lagos life are
aptly tough and sardonic, this is a warmer, more down-home, perhaps more
humane album than anything Fela ever produced. Afro-funk, stone-classic
dance music in 6-minute chunks. The 2LP version includes an extra track.
Tony Conrad & Tovah Olson - Let There Be Music LP (Tovinator)
[TOV013LP] $12.25
One-sided release. "YES!!! Finally!! Angus and Bon Scott would def
label
this knockout collab as grade A T-N-T!!! Here's how it went down: The
Machines were kicking it Brooklyn style last January for some jam time with
Burning Sess Core, and the Tovinator had a solo slot in Glasslands on Super
Bowl Sunday. Seeing how we both were worked up from the Pitts power plays
and amazing Puck and Queen B quality time, Thurston added fuel to the fire
and suggested that Conrad hit the stage with Tovah. Seeing how Tony only
had his pajamas and an rusty old auto harp in tow, the aural jam scape was
destined to be stripped down and tense. So here are the results!! Tovah on
tin can 'voice,' tapes, and the sheet metal/spring 'mailbox' sculpture and
Tony on unprocessed auto harp. No drone sound in sight, just a clanging,
echoed, tangled sharp barbed nasty JAM. Super duper, like nothing else in
either discography. Could be seen as a celebration in real time to the
STEELERS, with STEEL and STRINGS. Amazing!!!! Edition of 200 in super weird
covers, hand numbered." -- John Olson
Tony Lionni - The Brain 12 inch (Polymorph) [PPH003EP]
$11.50
"Toni Lionni (Oston, Mule, Waves) produced an absolute hypnotizing
floor
burning club techno track!"
Tortoise - Beacons Of Ancestorship LP (Thrill Jockey)
[THR210LP] $16.50
Gatefold LP version on 180 gram vinyl.
Truth - Terror Planet 12 inch (Aquatic Lab) [LAB006EP]
$10.25
"Aquatic Lab's sixth release comes in form of a massive package from
New
Zealand' highly regarded bass production trio Truth. Kicking it off is
'Terror Planet,' a big room darkside journey displaying the lavish
production techniques that have won Truth much accolade thus far. 'Terror
Planet' is built around a tech intensive drum break, and fires up with a
pulsating sub bass line that will destroy any dancehall. The flipside
features 'Disappear,' a meditative stepper that evolves to unleash a deadly
sub, layered with a hoover edged bassline. Riding over are bold and bashy
beats that will get any floor moving. An essential release receiving DJ
support from a number of big names already."
Two
Armadillos - Je Suis Différente 12 inch (Sthlmaudio Recordings) [SA022EP]
$11.50
"Two Armadillos are sure not to be presented; the UK duo is gifting us
with
a stunning house track featuring the incredible voice of Barbara Alcindor.
The result is a dance driving summer filled monster. Groovy, reduced &
deep, the track will teleport your crowd to a sunny place. On the flip, we
are delighted to have Nick Holder as the remix wizard. He comes all in a
wonderful groove and achieve a remarkably Nick Holder signed track while
keeping the essence of the original. It's groovy, it's sparkling & deep. We
hope you like it, thanks for your time!"
Unborn Unicorn - Unborn Unicorn LP (Heard Worse) [LPUNBORS/T]
$13.75
AVAILABLE AGAIN!!! Bay Arean AARON COYES (MUMMERS EYPE, HEART OF SNOW,
GROMSKULL, HISSEATERS and the Common Oracles label) fills your
psych-folk-fuzz cochlea with echoes of Beefheart, Velvets, Spacemen 3, Dead
C, and Kenneth Higney. Limited edition, imported from the big island of
Australia, handmade recycled classical jackets.
Unknown - Freak For You/Point And Gaze 12 inch (Thriller)
[THRILLER003EP] $12.25
Thriller features the work of a group of well-known South London
producers
with links to wonky, dubstep and techno. Thriller is an anonymous imprint
involved with low-end reconfigurations of R&B, disco and hip-hop. All
releases on the label will be made available in pressings of 300 copies for
the world. This third release offers a squashed and woozy take on classic
R&B, with well-worn synths frayed so much that the tracks sound like
they're about to fall apart.
Unknown - Seldom Felt 6 12 inch (Seldom Felt) [SELDOM006EP]
$11.00
"Seldom Felt bring the euphoria like no other, with two more unknown
techno
killers just in time for the long hot sex nights. Put your hands and the
air and feel the ecto rush. Pure belters only."
Various Artists - Tape Projects LP (Tape Projects) [LPV/ATAPE]
$15.75
More than 60 ten-second tracks all ending in locked grooves. Each
track is
designed, or not, to provide a soundtrack to a series of 15 flip books by a
diverse range of Australian visual artists. With contributions from CHRIS
ABRAHAMS (NECKS), ERNIE ALTHOFF, MU CHILD, JOEL STERN, SUMUGAN SIVANESAN
(ANTIPAN), HARRY WILLIAMSON (GONG), MONICA BROOKS (SPLINTER ORCHESTRA),
MOFFARFARRAH, THEMBI SODDELL, LAWRENCE ENGLISH, TARAB, PHILIP SAMARTZIS
(GUM), ANTHEA CADDY, WERNER HOECK (VOLVOX), SEVERED HEADS, DAVE PHILLIPS
(FEAR OF GOD), TOECUTTER, DJ RAINBOW EJACULATION and many more.
Various Artists - The Very Best Of Stil Vor Talent Digital 12
inch (Stil Vor Talent) [SVT033EP] $11.50
SVT number 33 features 4 tracks from SVT digital on vinyl. First up,
there
is electro-popping, deeply thumping, fast, minimal from AKA AKA. Chroma &
Inexcess present a piece of epic string-techno that wobbles over a groovy
tech-bass. August & Bachert offer two tracks: "Misssophie," an artful house
production with honey-sweet drops of melody, a super-fresh groove, and some
little claps and effects, and "Rosemarie" -- a tech-house anthem with a
simple, yet effective breakdown.
Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation I LP Box (Cocoon)
[COR021LP] $90.00
6x12" box version.
Various Artists - Radio Free Robots LP (Artkillart) [AKA001LP]
$22.75
On white vinyl. "Radio free robots (RFR) is a radio show entirely
conducted
by robots (spoken through synthesized voices). The moderator, Macha, runs a
set of highly selected guests (robots). Robots specialists but also the
everyone robot are discussing topics as diverse as robots' sociology, cyber
terrorism, computer linguistic, biocomputing, the place of human being
within society, the weather, autonomous objects. The radio show being
located in an undefined future, the topics are debated on a prospective or
historical point of view; meaning that the era where the show takes place
allows a historical sight over the contemporary topicality and as well
anticipates a future of the future. The name Radio Free Robots refers
cynically to the infamous US propaganda program fomented by the CIA : Radio
Free Europe."
Various Artists - Cultivated Electronics EP 004 12 inch
(Cultivated Electronics) [CE004EP] $11.00
"After a storming year for this new London-based electro label,
Cultivated
Electronics is proud to present its 4th and final compilation release.
EP004 has a guest appearance from the electro legend Carl A Finlow under
his Silicon Scally Moniker, a track from the label's head Sync 24 as well
as fresh material from Signal Type and Matt Whitehead. A1 is Silicon
Scally's 'Process.' A super deep and techy electro piece whose design is as
much for the dancefloor as it is the mind. Carl Finlow's electro output has
been somewhat slow in the last year so it is a real pleasure to have him
onboard! A2 is a fresh track from label head, Sync 24. Rolling, funky,
robotic electro is the order of the day. A solid addition to the CE
catalogue. This is the second of several releases for Sync 24 this year.
The flip side of the 12" opens with a new track from Signal Type, a duo
made up of Sync 24 and Matt Whitehead. 'B-14' gives a nod to the is an old
school with bubbly analogue basslines, Kraftwerk style pads and rolling 808
beats. So far this year has been a good one for Signal Type, with them just
having a track licensed to the seminal '80s electro label Street Sounds.
The final track of the release sees Cyantific's Matt Whitehead appearing
with his first solo track since EP002. 'Conveyor' has an old school edge
with a future twist and as always Matt's sequencing & production are on top
form!"
Various Artists - The Owl In Daylight 12 inch (Frigio)
[FRV001EP] $12.75
"For the first time, Chicago artists Traxx & Josh Werner come together
as
J/M Strap and they are responsible for the A side of this record. We
proudly present 'The Owl In Daylight,' an amazing track that brings back
the Chicago jakbeat sound with an incredible bassline that seems alive,
weaving all around the song to take it to the next level with a simple but
intriguing dark pad and brilliant solid drums. On the flip we have 'Play
Error' by Juanpablo. This Madrid-based artist is responsible for the Frigio
label and his track was composed on the phrygian scale. The result is a
dark and rhythmic tune with a sweet melody and background voices. Like the
other tunes on this record, 'Mute City' by Lektoluxe remains at the
underground level with galactic melodic synths and a fat deep bass that
switches to acid tones at points. An amazing song with clear influences of
electro and acid house but the final result is very particular. This artist
is really shaping his own sound and this will be confirmed on his upcoming
releases in a near future." On gray-colored vinyl.
Various Artists - Rüts 2/3 12 inch (Meakusma) [RUTS002EP]
$12.25
2008 release. Second in a series, featuring Morthen Kiang - "Dubfunk
050,"
Rezkar - "Vivid," Valyom - "Mermaids" and Roger 23 - "No Movement In A
Cycle."
Various Artists - Rļts 3/3 12 inch (Meakusma) [RUTS003EP]
$12.25
2008 release. "The third part of the Rļts vinyl mini compilation
series
features 4 tracks, searching for common and less common grounds between
functionality and abstraction. A courageous release and a confrontation
between newcomers and more established producers, the A-side here is
reserved for the lesser known artists. Immer.Chic kicks things off with a
genuine techno trip called 'The End Of Eternity'. A dark and futuristic
track, with a stumbling groove that stands out because of its atmospheric
density and its unconventional sound design. A buzzing bass, warm analogue
chords and a moaning synth contrasted with harsh loops and machine-like
sounds. It's an interesting piece of music that, despite its electronic
core, has a warm spirit. Vakula is a man of rhythm, musically raised by his
grandmother, who introduced him to African American soul and jazz music.
This education has had its consequences, as is shown on 'We Shall Dance'.
Basically an amalgam of jittering and spacy sounds, Vakula layers different
grooves and soulful samples over a house rhythm that directly aims for the
legs. With a few rhythmic traps inside, this is sophisticated and very
danceable stuff. On the B-side, two more established producers step into
the limelight. Paul David Rollmann is a man of many trades. Here, under his
Even Tuell moniker, he delivers an easy but also unsettled track. 'Thanden
Strakk' is a mid-tempo shoegazer of a house track. Softly tapping beats, an
organ playing chords in the background as well as a light but dissonant
synth chord form the framework of this psycho-trip of a track. The
atmosphere of the track breaks open over and over again with a hard synth
hit, whereas, by the middle of the track, a naive but mysterious melody
once again intensifies things. Move D & Benjmin Brunn are clearly
soulmates. After superb releases on Smallville and Bine, they are featured
here with a track that fully exploits the possibilities of stereo. A
wonderful piece that communicates a spatial deepness, echoing Basic
Channel. With a certain, almost spiritual quietude 'Vorhaus' builds up like
waves and, at the same time, calms itself down. Wonderful!"
Various Artists - Cazumbi Vol. 2 LP (Mt. St. Mtn.) [NS004LP]
$27.75
"'60s garage rock and jerk out of South Africa, Angola, Mozambique,
Ghana,
Madagascar and Cameroun! Yes guys, there's still much more to offer! If you
were raving on Cazumbi Vol. 1, wait to hear the second. I swear, it's much,
MUCH better than the first! Absolutely stunning collection of 21 tracks,
ranging from the more sophisticatedly produced (but hell, WILD!!!!) fuzzy
garage sounds of South African groups like The Gonks, Birds of a Feather,
Them or The Invaders, to the primitive raw garage, beat and jerk of Tall
Emma & His Skipper (from Ghana with their killer Hammatan),Vum Vum and Os
Rocks from Angola, Les Kilts from Cameroun, Les Safari and Les Jokers from
Madagascar, and a good number of Mozambique combos. This brilliant release
comes with great artwork, and an insert is included with photos and
information on some of the groups and the African '60s rock scene. Limited
release of 500 papersleeve CDs. Fully remastered sound."
Various Artists - Tropical Discotheque Volume 2 12 inch
(Sofrito Specials) [SOFR003EP] $13.50
"The first of two summer scorchers from the Sofrito crew covering the
hottest tropical dancefloor sounds from Africa, Latin America and the
Caribbean! After the success of Tropical Discotheque Volume 1 (rated as one
of the re-edits of 2008 by Gilles Peterson), the second volume unleashes
some heavy afro funk, deranged highlife disco, bumping Latin and hot
Caribbean boogie -- all on one 12! Housed in heavy manila sleeves with
stickers and on 180 gram vinyl."
Various Artists - Tiny Mix Tapes Vol. 1: Darfur LP
(Tinymixtapes) [TMT001LP] $19.00
"It's been over six years since the War in Darfur officially began. The
UN
states that up to 300,000 lives have already been lost, with an additional
2.7 million driven from their homes. But while figures continue to rise,
awareness of the conflict has declined, with no significant improvements in
the area either. In fact, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an
arrest warrant in early March for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, which
resulted in 13 international relief agencies being kicked out of Darfur.
The consequences of this decision have been dire. So, it is with a sense of
urgency that we and 11 of our favorite artists present Tiny Mix Tapes Vol.
1: Darfur. This extremely limited-edition CD/LP compilation features 11
exclusive tracks recorded specifically for the comp and/or tracks that have
not been released elsewhere. 100% of the profits will be donated to the
International Rescue Committee, an 'independent, impartial, and secular aid
organization,' who are currently aiding Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad,
southern Sudan, and the Central African Republic. The LP version comes on
heavyweight vinyl, housed in a beautiful jacket design