This week's update contains releases by:
Abyssal * Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. *
Aidan Baker * Akron/Family * Altar Of Plagues * Autumn of
Communion * Beacon * Bed Rugs * Boards Of Canada * Calvin
Keys * Carla Olson * Cesaria Evora * Chandeliers * Charlie
Poole with The Highlanders * Cleveland Eaton * Colin Stetson *
Coliseum * Congregacion * Conrad Schnitzler * Coyote Clean Up
* Curtis Harrington * D33J * Daniel Higgs * Date Palms *
Derdiyoklar Ikilisi * DJ Sprinkles * Doug Carn * Eluder *
Fielded * Five Times Of Dust * Frausun * Guided By Voices *
Haxan Cloak, The * Henry Franklin * Housemeister * Human Eye
* Iggy and The Stooges * Ishqamatics * Jahcoustix * Joseph
Minadeo & Curt Brown * Kaiserdisco * Kalabrese * Karocel *
King Tubby * Kr!z * Lee Perry * Leonardo Rosado * Les Trois
Psychologues * Living Room, The * Markus Suckut * Marsen Jules
Trio * Material Object/Phonaut * Matias Aguayo * Matt John *
Merky Ace * Michael Hurley * Michael Nyman * Mika
Vainio/Joachim Nordwall * Mikal Cronin * Nkengas * Ocoeur *
Off Land * Ohanami * Orlando Voorn * Pascal Comelade * Peter
Hawkins * Philip Glass * Photodementia * Pure Evil * Rabih
Beaini * Ravi Shankar * Roland Haynes * Rollin Hunt * Roshi *
Royal Trux * Ruxpin * Saburo Ubukata * Sam Willis *
Samiam * Scrimshire * Secret Circuit * Sense * Shahram
* She & Him * Simon12345 & The Lazer Twins * Solar Bears *
Sole * Steve Gunn * Steve Roach * Steve Roach & Bryon Metcalf
* Suishou No Fune & Numinous Eye * Tav Falco & Panther Burns *
The Body * Troc * Warm Soda * White Fence * Wire, The
* With Lumps * Xenia Rubinos
...plus sale items by:
Moss
Garden [ F E A T U R E D R E L E A S E S ]
Living Room, The - Armchair Education CD (Psychonavigation)
[psy073] $16.00
RELEASE DATE: 08-26-2013
Orlando Voorn aka The Living Room is one of the first Dutch musicians to
establish a vital connection between Detroit and Amsterdam in the early
90's. Voorn has long been recognized as one of the Netherland's most
original and ingenious producers in the world of electronic dance music. He
began DJing at the early age of 12 years old and later went on to win his
first scratch competition at Amsterdam "Club Flora Palace". Subsequently he
made a name for himself under the alias "Frequency" with a classic label
known as Lower East Side Records with titles such as "Where is Your
Evidence" "Kiss the Sky" and "Industrial Metal".
As a result of these tracks Voorn was introduced to Juan Atkins and they later started to collaborate & produce tracks together at Voorn's home studio.Soon after they would join forces and produce the well know track called "Game One" which became a classic record on Atkin's label "Metroplex" and later it reprised on Voorn's imprint "Nightvision" double CD Compilation 1996.
Voorn also did recordings for a legendary Detroit label "KMS" an imprint of Kevin Saunderson using yet another alias known as "Fix" where he created a dance floor destroyer track called "Flash" which remains in many DJ's crates at this moment. "Flash" became a hit in the Detroit clubs first before the record had broken out internationally. Voorn has a well know history of working with Detroits originator's including Derrick May's imprint "Fragile" under yet another alias "Complex" entitled "Midi Merge".
For his latest album under the guise of the Living Room Voorn showcases his more gentle Ambient Techno side on 'Armchair Education'
Produced,
mixed & Arranged by Orlando Voorn Recorded in Amsterdam, Detroit & Seattle.
Pure Evil - A New Dawn CD (Psychonavigation) [psy069]
$16.00
RELEASE DATE: 07-29-2013
Charles Uzzell-Edwards born in South Wales in 1968 is a graffiti artist
known by the moniker "Pure Evil" and is a stablemate of Banksy. He is also
the son of Welsh painter John Uzzell Edwards. Uzzell-Edwards has exhibited
globally. In the early 90's he was one of the designers for Anarchic
Adjustment with Alan Brown and Nick Philip and released electronic ambient
music on Pete Namlook's FAX label, recording "Octopus" 1, 2 & 3 and "Dada"
(under the pseudonym Drum Machine Circle) solo, producing "A New
Consciousness" and "Create" 1 & 2 with Pete Namlook, recording "Supergroup"
with Thomas Bullock, and "Audio" with Tetsu Inoue and Daimon Beail. The
Pure Evil Gallery is run by Uzzell-Edwards and located in Shoreditch,
London.
A New Dawn is the result of many long night jams in the
basement of Pure Evil Studios.
Various Artists - An Anthology of Noise & Electronic Music
Volume 7 3CD (Sub Rosa) [SR300CD] $19.00
Sub Rosa presents the seventh and final volume in their An Anthology of
Noise & Electronic Music series. These seven volumes represent a strong
listening base, as incomplete as it may be -- the basis for a near-infinite
exploration through one's self, in the present tense. All in all, there are
176 tracks, created between 1921 and 2012, for a total of almost 18 hours
of music. The sphere of geographical propagation was kind of programmed at
the start (between 1952 and 1970 there have been over 100 national studios,
mostly tied to radio, on all five continents), but it accelerated
exponentially with the appearance of the first home studios, and later with
the advent of the laptop computer. Following the spread with each surge of
emerging creators, 42 nations are represented. In Europe: United Kingdom,
Ireland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland,
Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Poland, Hungary,
Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Russia. In the
Americas: United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chili, Brazil. In
the Middle East: Israel, Iran, Turkey. In the Far East Asia: Japan, China,
Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia. In Africa: Egypt. In Oceania:
Australia, New Zealand. This triple CD of concrete, destructured and
electronic music contains rare or unpublished works by Henry Jacobs, Tziga
Vertov, Bebe & Louis, Luciano Berio, Bļlent Arel, Don Preston, Slawek Kwi
+ Siobhan McDonald, Benjamin Thigpen, Helmut SchĤfer, Novi_sad, Saule,
Bebe & Louis Barron, E-L Scott de Martinville, John Oswald, Sin:Net, Israel
Quellet, Alan Courtis, Fausto Romitelli, Justin K. Broadrick, Storm Bugs,
E.A.R., Henry Cow, Osso Exotico, Eugeniusz Rudnik, Eduardo Polonio, Cabaret
Voltaire, Mika Vainio, Alma Laprida + Juan Jose Calarco, Klangkrieg, Gintas
Kraptavicius, Warong Rachapreecha, The New Blockaders, The Haters, The
Rita, To Die, Agro, Jamka, Erin Sexton, Gustavo Serpa , and Anonymous
Noise. It also includes a 84-page booklet of critical and biographical
notes.
Moss Garden - Understanding Holy Ghosts CD (Kaico) [kcx001]
$13.75
RELEASE DATE: 03-05-2013
CD limited edition of 300 copies. Custom made 138 x 138 mm sleeve using 420
gsm board. CD comes in custom black floppy disk sleeves.
Moss Garden is a duo of Lee Anthony Norris (better known as Metamatics, Norken, Nacht Plank) and Dimitar Dodovski (a techno producer from Macedonia) formed in October 2012, which is a logical result of friendship over the few years, sharing mutual views on ambient music. Their name derives from the David Bowie's track produced by Brian Eno on his "Heroes" album, which is a non-vocal, gentle journey into the ambient world. Their first album "Understanding Holy Ghosts" is an ethereal album, consisting of introspective and almost tactile, moss textured tracks.
"Moss Garden is deep and cinematic. It reminds me very much being in the thick, wet undergrowth of a plant world where beauty, danger and uncertainty wait around every corner." -- Taylor Deupree
"I wonder if they have recorded the sounds on casettes, as these hiss sounds are providing extra beauty to the drone sounds. As if a deep sea with an outstanding view, the transparent water like block of sounds sink deeply into your soul." -- Chihei Hatakeyama
Kaico was established in 2013 by Tomoki Takeuchi as a
sub label of SPEKK. His focus is to explore new ways of spreading music
under the concept "kaico" meaning "unexpected discoveries" in Japanese.
[ . . . ]
Abyssal - Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius CD (Profound Lore)
[PFL114] $12.00
ABYSSAL are a mysterious trio from the UK that plays death metal in a
twisted, avant-garde manner, encapsulating pure dread and inevitable doom.
Their self-released 2012 debut full-length, titled Denouement, seemed to
come out of nowhere, flying mainly under the radar of the metal scene, yet
its angular, unorthodox take showed immense promise. On January 1st, 2013,
Abyssal unleashed Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius on an unsuspecting
public. A true vision of death metal horror, it takes the inverted hypnosis
of Blut Aus Nord and filters it through the likes of Mitochondrion, Portal
and Antediluvian. The self-distributed album caught the ear of
forward-thinking metal label Profound Lore, who agreed to make it widely
available for the first time with a proper release, putting the obscure
trio within the elite circle of UK death metal dread alongside Grave
Miasma, Curciamentum and Indesinence. One-time pressing limited to 1000
units. No export to Canada or the UK/Europe.
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - In Search of
the Lost Divine Arc CD (Important Records) [IMPREC383CD] $13.50
"Deluxe double LP pressed in an edition of 1000 copies, the first 200 of
which are on color vinyl. Acid Mothers Temple's In Search of the Lost
Divine Arc heads in a completely different direction from 2012's Son of a
Bitches Brew. Harder, faster, and more riff-rock oriented, this record is
here to slay. AMT skews their vibe between Zeppelin and Beefheart, coming
out with another classic Acid Mothers ripper in the process. "
Aidan Baker - Souvenirs Of The Eternal Present cassette (Anthem
Records) [12235] $11.00
It is hard to find another contemporary artist as prolific as Aidan Baker.
Since the year 2000, and across a multitude of aliases, Aidan, often
accompanied by a revolving cast of collaborators, has unveiled recording
after recording at a rate of productivity which makes even a year in the
life of Aidan Baker (or his most prominent alias Nadja) look like the
entire discography of many other well documented artists. That in itself is
quite a feat, but taking that into account along with the clear, stylistic
sovereignty of each of his recordings makes Aidan Baker that rare
combination of multitudinousness and creative reinvention, where regardless
of what elements and instruments make up a recording, they simultaneously
sound unlike anything else before, yet somehow clearly possess the artistic
DNA of Aidan Baker. An aspect of this is his fondness of ethereal elements,
which is a distinctive thread running through Souvenirs Of The Eternal
Present. In this incarnation, and in juxtaposition to the ~Sslow grow~T of
recordings more akin to the Nadja moniker, these atmospheric builds and
layers are intertwined within a framework of pace quickening rhythms, akin
to the end result of some parallel universe where Godspeed You Black
Emperor and Bohren and Der Club of Gore are somehow commix. In terms of
art, and its relationship to its complimenting artifact, each side of this
cassette (which is made up of a total of 5 separate passages in total) is
meant to be taken in as a side as a whole, as one would a diptych or
triptych. Thus, as a cassette presentation, one side gives way to the other
at exactly the rate the reels spool, and is meant to be taken as such, as
opposed to a collection of tracks in of themselves.
Akron/Family - Sub Verses CD (Dead Oceans) [DOC078CD]
$13.50
"The album started with visions of large monumental sounds inspired by
Heizer and Turrell; American works on a grand scale, monuments, dirty hands
and an epic American masculinity. Dust, stone, sky, earth. These broad,
bold strokes would come to pass but not quite as expected. A sci fi
aesthetic narrative emerged. Tackling distant pasts and future humanism,
the pain and idiocy of our contemporary culture. How to deal with it open
heartedly? The boredom, the sadness and speed. The plots within plots of
Dune mirrored in many layers of sound. Creating 3D sonic atmospheres that
our songs and singers inhabit. Our story, a story, all stories. Told in
verses, in underground language, in sub frequencies. Not audible, only
felt, intuited, imagined in some deepest psychic space that you are yet to
know. A strange story. Of the future, of yourself. Of everyone. We are all
we are, only this and yet we move forward. Along some line to somewhere.
And who knows?"
Altar Of Plagues - Teethed Glory And Injury CD (Profound Lore)
[PFL115] $12.00
Ireland's ALTAR OF PLAGUES released their debut album White Tomb in 2009,
garnering widespread acclaim as one of the most prominent contemporary
groups merging the genres of black metal, post-metal, experimental and
ambient. Refining their sound even further with 2011's Mammal, the band
distanced themselves from the post-black metal stereotype, delivering
something darker, bleaker and more singular. Now, Altar of Plagues emerges
with Teethed Glory and Injury, their most accomplished work to date. The
nine-track album is unlike anything the group has done before, pushing
further into new sonic terrain. Realized primarily on analog equipment in
the studio, it incorporates more ambient, noise and electronica elements in
the signature Altar of Plagues sound, distancing them further from the
so-called post-metal movement. A true exploration of sound rather than
simply a collection of riffs backed by a steady rhythm section, Teethed
Glory and Injury is the product of a band in their own league, aeons beyond
the work of their contemporaries. No export to Canada or the UK/Europe.
Autumn of Communion - Autumn of Communion 2 CD (Anodize)
[ADI302] $15.00
RELEASE DATE: 06-05-2013
A sequel to the final release on the late Pete Namlook's legendary Fax
label, this finds erstwhile UK collaborators Lee Norris (Metamatics,
Norken, Nacht Plank, etc.) & Michael Gainford (Mick Chillage) on an
exploration into the space between your ears, where silence and motion
assume grand proportions, rhythms arise, pulse, then dissipate, and
tranquility is found at the murky intersections of shadow and substance.
More of a headrush than its predecessor, an aural snapshot recalling
the pioneering early 90s heyday of ambient dub and IDM hybrids, "Autumn of
Communion 2" does both its creators and Namlook's legacy proud.
Beacon - The Ways We Separate CD (Ghostly International)
[GI180CD] $13.50
"Beacon's debut album The Ways We Separate both consolidates and develops
these ideas: the album focuses, as the title suggests, on the idea of
separation -- both within the context of relationships and in a more
intimate, psychological sense. As Thomas Mullarney explains, 'The narrative
contained inside The Ways We Separate deals with two kinds of separation:
one where two entities grow apart, and the other where we grow apart from
ourselves. Over the course of a relationship, the two sometimes happen
together, one being the result of the other.'"
Bed Rugs - Rapids CD (Ample Play) [AMPLACD060] $11.00
RELEASE DATE: 05-20-2013
Four young Belgians filed in the same catalog as Tame Impala, Deerhunter,
The Paperhead and The Sufis.
Last year's release of their first album '8th Cloud' got them rave reviews & healthy radio plays at home and in The Netherlands. They played over 40 shows in less than a year, including Pukkelpop, Ancienne Belgique and Crossing Border.
In November they spent 5 days in a local church to record 6 new songs with Niels Hendrix resulting int the album 'Rapids', mixed by Paul Butler (from The Bees, producer for Devendra Banhart & Michael Kiwanuka), who sums it up: '
this band are on point, the concept of psychedelia rubbing together with
glorious song craft was very appealing for us to work on.'
Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest CD (Warp Records)
[WARP257CD] $15.50
"The idolized and enigmatic duo is back. A series of cryptic clues dropped
in various formats, from a one-off 12" on Record Store Day, to hidden
messages on YouTube, NPR Music's All Songs Considered, fan forums, and even
a video premiered on Adult Swim, all led their fans on a wild chase to
reveal the album details. Now that the world knows - the anticipation is at
a fever pitch for one of the world's most revered and mysterious electronic
acts. Musically, the album is somehow dark yet positive, with atmospheric
dissonance and mind bending melodic creations."
Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest CD (Warp Records)
[WARP257XCD] $15.50
Limited art card edition. "The idolized and enigmatic duo is back. A series
of cryptic clues dropped in various formats, from a one-off 12" on Record
Store Day, to hidden messages on YouTube, NPR Music's All Songs Considered,
fan forums, and even a video premiered on Adult Swim, all led their fans on
a wild chase to reveal the album details. Now that the world knows - the
anticipation is at a fever pitch for one of the world's most revered and
mysterious electronic acts. Musically, the album is somehow dark yet
positive, with atmospheric dissonance and mind bending melodic creations."
Calvin Keys - Proceed with Caution! CD (Snow Dog Records)
[SDGBJ1218CD] $14.75
Whereas the earlier black jazz album Shawn-Neeq had its share of riff-based
funk, Calvin Keys' second outing Proceed with Caution! (1974) sticks close
to straight-ahead jazz verities with the 30-something guitarist in the
studio with seven similarly young, on-the-rise musicians including Charles
Owens (saxophones, flute), Oscar Brashear (trumpet), Al Hall Jr.
(trombone), Kirk Lightsey (electric piano), Henry Franklin (bass), and Leon
"Ndugu" Chancler (drums). Keys can really play the guitar, easefully and
intelligently with unfaked feeling. The man rivets our attention at all
times. "Proceed with Caution," like the other tracks an original
composition, is a veritable feast of organized craftmanship, with a dreamy,
chord-based Wes Montgomery mode at the song's start and finish bracketing
long passages of fast, driving licks originating in bebop. Rendering flute
and electric piano solos almost superfluous, Keys conjures up musical drama
that invites multiple listens. Next up, "Tradewinds" finds the Omaha native
treasuring the piece's attractive melody before embarking on creative
flights that herald his certainty of purpose. A similar assurance marks his
urgent playing in aptly-titled "Effulgence," which also benefits from
trombone, electric piano, and soprano saxophone solos. Startlingly, about a
minute into this song, emanated revelations beginning channeling through
his fast fingers on the strings; Something similar can be heard from
transcendentalist Carlos Santana in parts of his Welcome and Love Devotion
Surrender albums, both released around the same time as Proceed with
Caution!.
Carla Olson - Have Harmony, Will Travel CD (Busted Flat)
[BUSTED067] $13.25
CARLA OLSON co-founded the critically acclaimed group THE TEXTONES (with
future Go-Go's bassist Kathy Valentine), of which Mikal Gilmore said,
"Carla Olson (who, wouldn't ya know, comes from Texas, where many wonderful
things come from) combines John Fogerty-style, working-man populist
politics with a grand, Rolling Stones-inflected bent for hellfire rock 'n'
roll, then manages to make both influences seem secondary, with a raw,
growling irruptive vocal style that owes acknowledgement to no influence
other than its own zeal and compassion." The Textones' 1985 major-label
debut included Ry Cooder, Gene Clark and Barry Goldberg, and was followed
by 1987's Cedar Creek. Olson worked on albums with Don Henley, John
Fogerty, Eric Johnson and Sky Saxon, and released her solo debut in 1988.
Her latest album, Have Harmony, Will Travel, follows 2002's The Ring of
Truth and consists of twelve cover songs, each featuring a duet with a
guest vocalist-RICHIE FURAY (Poco, Buffalo Springfield), JUICE NEWTON, JOHN
YORK (Byrds), PETER CASE, JAMES INTVELD, ROB WALLER and more. Instrumental
backing on the album is provided by CLEM BURKE, CINDY CASHDOLLAR, MIKE
CLINCO, SKIP EDWARDS, TOM FILLMAN, BARRY GOLDBERG, RICK HEMMERT, TONY
MARSICO, TOM JR MORGAN, RICHARD PODOLOR, MARTY RIFKIN, PAT ROBINSON AND
GREGG SUTTON. No export to Canada.
Cesaria Evora - Mae Carinhosa CD (Lusafrica) [LUSA662502]
$19.25
"From 1995 on, each time Cesaria Evora went into the studio, her producer
José da Silva requested that she record more tracks than were actually
needed for the new album. The aim was to choose a set of songs that fitted
together naturally, forming a record that would delight listeners from
start to finish. Now, a year and a half after her death, Lusafrica's MÄ£e
Carinhosa ('Mother Affection') offers thirteen previously unreleased
tracks, spanning the period from the recording sessions for Cabo Verde in
1997 to Rogamar in 2005. As always, her backing musicians provide brilliant
accompaniment, allowing Evora's voice to sweep us away on yet another
voyage of nostalgia."
Chandeliers - Founding Fathers CD (Captcha Records (HBSP-2X))
[HBSP2X029] $12.00
NOW AVAILABLE ON CD!!! CHANDELIERS is what happens when a quartet of dudes
from Chicago art-rock bands (ICY DEMONS, KILLER WHALES and MICHAEL
COLUMBIA, among them) decide to escape the city's notoriously brutal
winters by making nothing but shimmering, beach-ready electronic jams.
Holed up in the studio with racks of analog gear and classic synths-and
guided by the spirits of Can, Kraftwerk, and Herbie Hancock-they've created
three albums full of startlingly lush soundscapes, along the way receiving
praise from XLR8R, 20 Jazz Funk Greats and The Wire, who called them "music
for a perfect world, the soundtrack for a club where the dawn never comes
and the lights are never turned on." Founding Fathers, is the fourth jewel
in chandeliers' lovingly hand-crafted crown: 10 tracks of luminous Balearic
electro-funk for the Nintendo generation. While deeply inspired by their
involvement in artist loft/punk collective the SHAPE SHOPPE, the
Chandeliers take a diy aesthetic and marry it to smoothed-out arrangements
that are perfectly ready for your avant-disco dancefloor. It's clear this
foursome has deep record collections-you can hear echoes of rhythm from
Liquid Liquid, acid house, and Arthur Russell, as well as soaring synth
melodies plausibly inspired by Roger & Zapp or Tangerine Dream. Founding
Fathers is a warm, luxuriant joyride of an album, the Xanax-like antidote
to a robot world of overblown anthems and blog-house bangers. Breathe deep,
and dive in. Japanese import CD with obi strip.
Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light
CD (Constellation) [CST092CD] $14.50
"Colin Stetson established himself as an intensely original solo composer
and performer in 2011 with the release of the widely acclaimed New History
Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, which ended up on countless year-end lists. Anyone
who has seen Stetson in solo performance can attest to the stunning
physicality of his circular-breathing technique and capacity to produce a
seemingly impossible palate of multiple voicings simultaneously in real
time. New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light is the final
installment in a trilogy of solo albums, again recorded live in single
takes and again mixed by groundbreaking producer Ben Frost. Colin's
membership in Bon Iver has also led to vocal contributions from Justin
Vernon for this record, who appears on four songs, and whose voice
constitutes the only overdubbing on the album. New History Warfare Vol. 3:
To See More Light is the most cohesive and fully realized of Stetson's solo
albums to date. It should reliably stand as the apotheosis of the New
History Warfare trilogy, and certainly signals the full flourishing of
Stetson's unique talents as both composer and performer, pressing his
arsenal of virtuosic techniques into the service of vivid, impassioned and
conceptually astute songcraft."
Coliseum - Sister Faith CD (Temporary Residence Limited)
[TRR219CD] $13.50
"Celebrating their 10th year as one of independent music's most substantive
bands, Louisville's Coliseum return with their fourth full-length, the
stunning Sister Faith, to be released on April 30 on Temporary Residence
Ltd. Expanding on the anthemic direction the trio veered toward on 2010's
highly acclaimed House With a Curse, Sister Faith's 13 songs are the most
dynamic and immediately captivating of the band's career, bristling with
galvanizing melodies at the collision point between punk and noise-rock.
The first album to be recorded in producer J. Robbins' recently relocated
Magpie Cage Studios, Sister Faith is also the first Coliseum recording to
feature new bassist, Kayhan Vaziri, in addition to contributions from some
of the groups' closest friends and musical peers: Wata of Boris, J. Robbins
(Jawbox, Burning Airlines), and Jason Loewenstein (Sebadoh, The Fiery
Furnaces), Jason Farrell (Swiz, Bluetip) all make small but memorable
contributions."
Conrad Schnitzler - Conrad & Sohn CD (Bureau B) [BB133CD]
$16.00
"Conrad Schnitzler is undoubtedly one of the founding fathers of German
electronica. And his son, Gregor Schnitzler, matched the father's
extraordinary level of creative output. They appear to have settled any
musical differences amicably. After all, how else could they have 'shared'
an LP released by Conrad Schnitzler himself? One half of Conrad & Sohn
features music by Conrad Schnitzler, the other, his son Gregor. Two
mini-albums on one disc, so to speak. An ideal opportunity to compare them.
Judging by the similarities in sound, Gregor clearly had access to his
father's music equipment, but the way he uses electronics and his voice
could not be more different. Industrial (e.g. Cabaret Voltaire) influences
are apparent. The dry minimalism of German new wave (NDW) also left its
mark on him. A sense of the end of days in some places gives way to
highly-charged hysteria in others. For young, modern musicians in the
frontline city of West Berlin, a mix of depression and anger was the
natural prerequisite for their uncomplicated, unsentimental and yet
emotional music. And the "No Future" claim had not yet lost its validity.
Gregor unequivocally took sides; he was with the young. Conrad's music on
this album also shows some signs of contemporary influence. As a veteran of
the avant-garde and an experienced performance artist, he adopted a
different aesthetic stance to that of his son, Gregor. Leaving the bleak,
cryptic text of the first track aside, Conrad speaks to the knowledgeable
listener in a familiar musical language: sequencer shapes with no end and
no beginning, then an uncommonly humorous miniature with a Donald Duck
voice, followed by electronic particles travelling from anywhere to
who-knows-where. Total abstraction. Father and son certainly offer up
drastically opposing musical concepts to our ears." --Asmus Tietchens
Coyote Clean Up - 2 Hot 2 Wait CD (100% Silk) [SILK044]
$12.00
Metro Detroit frisky / risky dreamer DJ COYOTE CLEAN UP serves up a heart
'n' hardbody emotional saga with 2 Hot 2 Wait, his deep-debut freaky
full-length on 100% Silk. Headphone-house grain-the fuzzy gut-bump on "The
Least U Could Feel" is like warm breath whispering in your ear.
Hot-under-the-collar horniness-a woman simply counts to three on "Zebra Go
Seek" and you start to undress. Out-of-time mash-ups-"Double Dip" is a
memory overlapping with classic '95 dial-tone under and over contempo EDM
knob-twists. Skrewed R&B freestyle strip-hop-stuttering layers give
hopeful, life-affirming energy to the lover-lost "Awesome Luv." These
elements blend blissfully, fashioning a sentimental journey through a
sex-love-loss odyssey. 2 Hot 2 Wait is a sensua-stellar standout:
beckoning, daring, colorful and celebratory in its exhibitionism and lust.
LP to be released 5/14/2013.
Curtis Harrington - Nice Guys Don't Work in Hollywood: The
Adventures of an Aesthete in the Movie Business Book (Drag City) [DC407BK] $17.25
"What other film director has a) created avant-garde films and was part of
Kenneth Anger's inner circle, b) directed critically acclaimed and
cult-adored horror films like Night Tide and Games, and c) directed
episodes of Charlie's Angels and Dynasty? The answer can only be Curtis
Harrington. Nice Guys Don't Work in Hollywood is a fast-paced view of
Harrington's journey through the kaleidoscope of the movie business, acting
alternately as personal memoir and cultural history from a veteran of the
entertainment business. In addition, Harrington was living as a gay man in
Hollywood and the book gives a rare peek into the hidden world of what was
then an elite subculture. What sets this memoir apart is Harrington's
unusual career trajectory. Starting in 1940s avant-garde heyday, Harrington
made several deeply intuitive and evocative films which were heralded by
the likes of Maya Deren and Anaįs Nin. Against all odds, he then became a
Hollywood insider, working as assistant for the infamous Jerry Wald. Nice
Guys Don't Work in Hollywood chronicles this strange arc with wit and campy
style. It is both a serious study of film aesthetics, and a gossipy
tell-all. Along the way, an unlikely cast of characters including Dennis
Hopper, Christopher Isherwood, Shelley Winters, Marilyn Monroe, Stanley
Kubrick, and Aaron Spelling share space with the machinations of the film
and TV business making this a truly unique look at the Hollywood dream."
D33J - Tide Songs cassette (Anticon) [ABR0130] $7.50
*Ever heard a beat bloom? In the hands of producer DJAVAN SANTOS, aka D33J,
what should be computer-quantized or staid is given light and life. Colors
change over the course of a song-cool blues melt to hearthy reds- and
melodies wind their way through shifting textures while new forms are
created at every turn. The five tracks contained on Tide Songs offer an
inventive, brightly budding intro to an artist who's only just begun to
blow. Upcoming tour dates Baths & Houses.
Daniel Higgs - Surrender To Love cassette (Wild Sages) [WSR5]
$9.50
Wild Sages presents DANIEL HIGGS' hypno-poetry Surrender To Love and the
door opts to open & blow off the hinges revealing the Milky Way. Drone
riffs & banjo tide pools are the musical instrumentation a amidst reverbs &
vintage Depression era EQs. Recorded by NATHAN BELL and remixed by N.
SHINEYWATER. Two-sided cassette.
Date Palms - The Dusted Sessions CD (Thrill Jockey) [THR336CD]
$13.75
"Date Palms revolve around the core duo of Gregg Kowalsky (keyboards,
electronics) and Marielle Jakobsons (violin, flute, electronics). They
employ traditional rock instrumentation to create music informed by Indian
classical music, country, minimalism, and spiritual jazz, arriving at a
style that is wholly their own. On their third album, The Dusted Sessions,
the duo expanded the line-up to include Ben Bracken on electric bass,
Michael Elrod on tanpura, and Noah Philips on electric guitar (a first for
the band). Kowalsky and Jakobsons are both accomplished solo musicians in
their own right: Kowalsky has released ambient albums on Kranky as well as
a collaborative release with Josef Van Wissem on Amish, and Jakobsons has
released music on the Digitalis and Students of Decay labels. Date Palms
uses the sound and imagery of the dustbowl and the American West to express
something truly cosmic and unique within the already highly individualistic
Bay Area underground."
Derdiyoklar Ikilisi - Coban Mamos CD (Pharaway Sounds)
[PHS012CD] $16.00
Turkish Bar or Bengi folk dancing requires approximately 100 people to do
properly, and it helps if a lot of them are eating wedding cake. You put
your arms around the shoulders of the people on either side of you, and
then stomp around in a circle, facing in and kicking the air, until
everybody is exhausted and happy. Far away from any folklore festivals,
Derdiyoklar Ikilisi hand-built the soundtrack to this dancing as it was
drunkenly executed by luckless German-Turkish immigrants in the
fashion-insensitive '80s. And though the band had only two members, they
decided electric saz, synthesized drums, cimbalom, and sheep sound effects
were all needed to get the job done. Who could argue? This tinkly and
psychoactive album, full of uniquely odd overdubs and buzzy, flanged-out
guitar solos, can now be yours. First time-ever reissue. Sound taken from
master tapes, insert with liner notes, 180 gram vinyl.
DJ Sprinkles - Queerifications & Ruins: Collected Remixes by DJ
Sprinkles 2CD (Mule Musiq) [MUSIQ042CD] $21.50
Call it a new DJ Sprinkles album, call it a collection of his latest, most
thrilling remixes -- whatever you name it: Queerifications & Ruins is a
close meeting of 14 tracks that will lift your spirits. They all bring
different elements into a natural flow with DJ Sprinkles' typical trippy
sound signature: airy piano melodies, cool congas, echoed vocal samples,
haunting chords, pounding bass lines, some hidden melancholy, some poetic
spoken words as well as soft beatless ambient parts for your relaxation.
Terre Thaemlitz, world-wide known and awarded writer, public speaker,
multimedia producer, DJ, audio producer, and head honcho of the label
Comatonse Recordings -- released under his deep house alias DJ Sprinkles
the mix CD Where Dancefloors Stand Still (MUSIQ 041CD) -- a grooving house
music critique on Japan's strange fuzoku law that currently is threatening
Japanese clubs with a curfew. Now he spreads some timeless spiritual
grooves with a collection of his own productions based on originals by
artists like Kuniyuki, Ducktails, Matt Tolfrey, and Hard Ton. They are all
deep as house can be and their spirit is rooted in the unique life story of
the American in Japan that originally DJed in the heydays of the gay clubs
of midtown Manhattan and New Jersey in the late '80s and early '90s -- a
time when deep house began to take air. After the New York scene went
world-wide and lost its family spirit, he embarked to Japan, where he held
a three-year residency at Tokyo's Club Module from 2003-2006. In January
2009, he released his album Midtown 120 Blues (MUSIQ 009CD that was hailed
as one of the most essential house albums of the last few years and was
voted by Resident Advisor as the best album of the year. The 2CD
Queerifications & Ruins now features almost all remixes he had done between
2010-2013. Four of the 14 reinterpretations are previously-unreleased. Two
are done for the mysterious, former West-London, now Berlin-based acid
house and new wave producer June, one for the queer Venice disco outsiders
Hard Ton, and one for Corbie, a chilled-out newcomer from Vilnius,
Lithuania. Epic reworks for such artists such as Area, Hardrock Striker,
Jorge C, Oh, Yoko, Adultnapper, and Marco Bernardi have been released on
such labels as Arma, Ojo De Apolo, Will Saul's Simple Records, Normal
Cookie, Comatonse Recordings, and Mule Musiq. Some of them are hard to find
on vinyl and now they are back on black wax and the CD edition features two
more tracks full of wonderful off-kilter ideas.
Doug Carn - Revelation CD (Snow Dog Records) [SDGBJ1216CD]
$14.75
Doug Carn's third album for Black Jazz, Revelation (1973), is as
compulsively listenable as his previous outings. The
keyboardist-composer-arranger-bandleader is on top of his game -- Jean Carn
returns to handle the vocal parts, the hired jazz players (including rising
saxophonist René McLean and trumpeter Olu Dara) are more than capable, and
Carn's songs convey altruistic messages that he deemed vital to the success
of his distinctive brand of soul-jazz music. René McClean (alto saxophone,
tenor saxophone, flute), Walter Booker (bass), Buddy Williams (drums),
Nathan Page (guitar), Olu Dara (alto horn, trumpet, vocals), Doug Carn
(piano, vocals), Earl McIntyre (bass trumpet), and Jean Carn (vocals).
Doug Carn - Adams Apple CD (Snow Dog Records) [SDGBJ1221CD]
$14.75
Further distanced in time from John Coltrane's spiritual new-jazz and the
influential second Miles Davis quintet, Doug Carn showed a close affinity
with R&B when recording his fourth and final Black Jazz album Adam's Apple.
Sharing his interest in R&B was a platoon of committed, resourceful jazz
musicians including young star-in-the-making Ronnie Laws, who had worked
with Earth, Wind & Fire before that band's big commercial breakthrough. Of
the others, ace guitarists Nathan Page and Calvin Keys had acquired
intimacy with the soulful properties of African-American music of the time,
performing with the premier jazz organist Jimmy Smith. Musicians include:
Gerals Brown (acoustic bass), Darrel Clayborn (Fender bass), Big Black
(congas, percussion), Harold Mason (drums), Calvin Keys, Nathan Page
(guitar), Doug Carn (keyboards, vocals), Dick Schory, Gene Russell
(producer), Ronnie Laws (saxophone), Thurman Green (tambourine), John
Conner, and Joyce Greene (vocals).
Eluder - The Stains of the Embodied Sacrifice expanded edition
CD (Infraction) [12234] $15.00
Edition of 400 copies. Japanese style mini-lp gatefold cover with printed
inner sleeve. Design and layout by Timothy O'Donnell. Images by NASA
Fielded - Ninety Thirty Thirty CD (Captcha Records (HBSP-2X))
[HBSP2X043] $13.50
Born from dreams of science-fiction and a desire to decode a whirlwind of
experience, FIELDED's sophomore album Ninety Thirty Thirty is a freaky
cosmic pop opus. Each song is an installment in a series from some
cinematic drifter's wasteland. They are outer space transmissions, but also
quite intuitive and direct with stories and melodies unfolding at the same
time. The current project of LINDSAY POWELL (of GA'AN and SKYBLAZER),
Fielded's music is led by and built around Powell's vocal operatics. On her
debut release Terrageist and recent split with Alex Barnett, Powell's vocal
layering and manipulation provided the song's foundations, as well as much
of the instrumentation and textures. On Ninety Thirty Thirty, Powell's
arrangements went from a'cappella soliloquies to fully arranged
mood-melters adding collaborators into the mix. It's Fielded's first album
that works more than just the voice, embarking on a more fulfilling journey
of musicianship, songwriting, and divadom. Throughout the record she
explores her side of the song utilizing thick, warped vocals, synth
arrangements, and drum programming-while simultaneously inviting others to
come up with their own parts with very little guidance, allowing for that
exciting element of chance. The result is futurist vocal-driven pop steeped
in the heavily arranged art-rock structures of the '70s and '80s; each song
pulls you in upon first listen but the instrumentation leaves much to
unravel and repeatedly return.
Frausun - Wasteland Devastation Love Songs CD (Offshoot)
[off006] $16.00
RELEASE DATE: 05-14-2013
Kurtz and DJ Paloma Frausun create their Dark Ambient/Gothic/Industrial
music and compose experimental videos that utilize religious, historical,
horror themes and social issues both on stage and online. They draw
inspiration from bands such as Dead Can Dance, Joy Division, Depeche Mode,
Death in June and film directors Leni Riefenstahl, Fritz Lang, David Lynch,
as well as the literary works of Rumi, Nietzsche, and William S. Burroughs.
Unconventional tones are utilized, including screams from a mad house,
Latin invocations, classical strings, and ambient chants, with hard beats
and noise assault.
"My inspiration is as varied as the elements in our music. A pounding Industrial beat will be mixed with a Call to Prayer and sitars. A blend of the organic and electronic."
When the duo take stage, they bring not only their music, with live experimentation and effects, but unique guests: BDSM performers, burlesque dancers, painters, poets, torture and shock talents to make every show a totally unique experience. Each show also includes Kurtz Frausun enduring a blood-letting ritual, performed by Paloma.
"Our shows become Total Environments:
Billowing incense, hypnotic videos, subliminal audio/video messages, etc.
The audience is either entranced or repulsed. Either way, I consider the
show a success. A number of venues in D/FW have refused to book us because
we scare the crowd too much." Kurtz Frausun.
Guided By Voices - English Little League CD (GBV Inc) [GBVI34]
$13.25
English Little League-the fourth album from the reunited "classic" GUIDED
BY VOICES lineup of ROBERT POLLARD, TOBIN SPROUT, GREG DEMOS, MITCH
MITCHELL and KEVIN FENNELL-hums like angry birds along the full spectrum of
rock's highways and byways (especially the byways), from rock to roll and
back again. Pollard's rebus system of songwriting (sounds made visible,
abstract concepts symbolized) strung like fairy lights from the opening
song "Xeno Pariah" to the galvanic closer "With Glass in Foot," kettles
along at full steam throughout, punctuated by the airier constructs of
Sprout ("The Sudden Death of Epstein's Ways," with its sweet / creepy
emphatic refrain of "Jesus," is a particular standout). The Guided By
Voices project, as any fan knows, both requires and rewards effortful
listening, and lazybones who dismiss the volume of Pollard's output as
(basically) impossible misunderstand the care with which he assembles his
dreamscapes. Whiny types will thus be dismayed to learn that Pollard has
recently installed a studio in his house (first fruits can be found on "A
Burning Glass," among others here), the better to transform his oneiric
musings to immediate art, but converts to the clubhouse will be
overcome-some will, in fact, faint-at the news. The plan at present is to
release three Guided By Voices albums per year until the end of time, but
in the world according to Robert Pollard, "plans" does not mean what it
means to you and me. "Plans" to him are moving ideas caught momentarily in
stasis, and subject as often to revision as to fruition. Which is to say
only that you never know what the future will bring, only what the past has
brought, and the past has now brought you the fourth Guided By Voices album
in little more than a year. You should probably buy someone a drink to
celebrate. You should definitely celebrate. Life is short. Guided By
Voices is long. No export outside North America.
Haxan Cloak, The - Excavation CD (Tri Angle) [TRIANGLE018CD]
$13.50
"In 2011 with the release of his debut, self titled album, The Haxan Cloak
(solo project of multi instrumentalist Bobby Krlic) appeared seemingly out
of nowhere with an impressively fully formed sound that blew away most
anyone who heard it. Recorded over the space of three years The Haxan Cloak
was a wildly ambitious fusion of malevolent strings, junkyard found-sounds
and primitive percussion. In the two years since the release of his debut,
Krlic relocated to London and began working on its epic follow up, and Tri
Angle Records debut, Excavation. Bolstered by the concept he was
developing for his follow up and a desire to challenge himself into new
terrains, Krlic has evolved his sound to incorporate more of his electronic
influences. The result is an album awash with serrated beats and cavernous
sub-bass, meshing with the classical drones and ghostly details The Haxan
Cloak fans will have already been accustomed to. Whereas The Haxan Cloak
was a dense, and at times, suffocating listen, Excavation finds Krlic
confidently adopting a more minimalist approach, experimenting with space
and silence without forsaking any of the intensity that made his debut such
a powerful statement of intent."
Henry Franklin - The Skipper at Home CD (Snow Dog Records)
[SDGBJ1217CD] $14.75
Jazz-man Henry Franklin, widely respected for his service to the finest
jazz players, brought that ineffable quality called soulfulness into play
when he made his first record for producer George Porter at Black Jazz, The
Skipper. Not unexpectedly, his follow-up affair titled The Skipper at Home
teems with the same jaunty uplift. In sync with Franklin's musical spirit
on the second recording are returnees Charles Owens on saxophone, Oscar
Brashear on trumpet and Kenny Climax on guitar along with several new
faces: trombonist Al Hall, Jr., soprano saxophonist Kemag Sunduza, drummer
Leon "Ndugu" Chancelor and keyboardists Kirk Lightsey (a Black Jazz
regular) and David Durrah.
Housemeister - OP-1 CD (Boysnoize Records) [BNR018CD]
$14.75
Housemeister is back and guess what -- this time he only needed a handy
little OP-1 synthesizer to make you feel giddy. But rewind: who is this
master again? One of Berlin's long-standing techno maniacs. By the tender
age of 17 he had been hit hard by punk, rap, grati, turntables, basement
parties, Love Parade, Mayday, weed, 150 bpm, and legendary clubs like
E-Werk, Tresor, Wal-sh, and Electric Ballroom. A heavy rave virus sucked up
his body and soul, and in 1995 he moved to Kreuzberg to start producing
high-energy music right from the middle of rave capital, Berlin. Some time
later he released four albums with the BPitch collective and subsequently
he seduced Europe with his intense techno. From then on, Housemeister kept
riding the wave -- playing everywhere and every weekend. Finally he
released his debut album Enlarge Your Dose on Boysnoize Records in 2005. In
between he produced several EPs for BNR, launched the label All You Can
Beat, and dropped on it with Who's That Noize?, another album that proved
his party-crazy skills. Instead of resting, Housemeister continued to
produce like a well-oiled machine and with 2011's Music Is Awesome album,
he delivered overdriven arpeggios, punk rage, acid house psychedelic, and
hard-style attacks. And now, he's back again to pad his heavy discography
with another killer. Everything on OP-1 was made during his tour adventures
with only his portable laboratory of sounds. The tracks on this concept
album are called "Tokyo," "Berlin," "Paris," or "New York" and represent in
sound the big city lights in whose shadow Housemeister tuned his brand-new
tunes while being on the go: on airplanes and in hotel rooms. He recorded
everything only with a little OP-1 synthesizer and made sure that his
creativity bleeps like hell. Go ballistic to Housemeister's unique design
of musical frenzy that wants nothing more than to drive you crazy.
Human Eye - 4: Into Unknown CD (Goner) [95GONE] $12.00
People of Earth, take heed: The year is 2013 AD, and TIMMY VULGAR has
graced our squabbling kind by returning to terra-dwelling humanoids the
intergalactic, transcendental cyber-organism that is the twitching HUMAN
EYE for a fourth revelation. Prepare, peopleoids, as the Human Eye casts
its gaze Into Unknown. Over the course of 4: Into Unknown, the listener
rides along rising and falling cascades of fuzz. Mindless twist-and-jive
anthems entice, but ultimately abandon false friends in psychedelic realms
while remote melodies tickle and torment the cerebellum. In many ways, 4
presents longtime fans with a reverent re-education in Human Eye's style,
as it pulls influences from way back-the epochal decades of the 1960s and
'70s, when groovin' was the law and the mind a nebulous thing. Full of
Sabbath-esque sludge-bass, trash-incinerating guitars and blown-out organs,
these songs convince any would-be afficionado that the throbbing heart of
rock 'n' roll, Detroit City, while currently on life support, can still
produce. LP to be released 5/14/2013.
Iggy and The Stooges - Ready To Die CD (Fat Possum) [FP12962]
$12.00
Better 40 years later than never: The follow-up to the first record ever to
bear the IGGY AND THE STOOGES logo-the immortal proto-punk masterpiece Raw
Power-as Fat Possum Records releases the all-new Iggy and the Stooges
studio album, Ready To Die. Ready To Die finds IGGY POP, guitarist JAMES
WILLIAMSON and drummer SCOTT "ROCK ACTION" ASHETON reunited for a full
album of all-new material for the first time since the legendary Raw Power
sessions, with MIKE WATT filling in for the late RON ASHETON on bass. The
results are the closest thing to a time capsule to 1973-or at least to
Iggy's subsequent efforts with Williamson, including 1977's Kill City and
1979's New Values-that rock 'n' roll is likely to proffer in this
millennium. The new album's opening one-two of "Burn" and "Sex & Money"
pair sublimely blunt and self-explanatory subject matter with back alley
razor-blade guitars and a troglodytic rhythmic stomp as intensely
single-minded as Iggy's lyrical statements of intent. Elsewhere on the
album, anthems abound in the form of the most dead-on rallying cry for the
lower-working-class dispossessed to date--the succinctly and aptly titled
"Job"-as well as a title track that mixes a signature Iggy Pop mission
statement of angry desperation with guitar pyrotechnics that recall those
halcyon opening salvos of "Search & Destroy." Just as Iggy exhumed the
original Stooges name when he reunited in 2003 with the Asheton brothers,
the revival of the Iggy and the Stooges moniker that first appeared on the
cover of Raw Power heralded the return of guitarist James Williamson to the
fold in 2009, or as Iggy put it then "although 'the Stooges' died with Ron
Asheton, there is still 'Iggy and the Stooges'."
Ishqamatics - Ishqamatics CD (Anodize) [ADI303] $15.00
Collaboration between Ishq & Metamatics, two of the finest electronica
outfits of the past 15+ years.
Jahcoustix - Frequency CD (Irievibrations) [IRIE060CD]
$14.75
The album is a tribute to traditional Jamaican music from the early days:
modern produced, heavyweight roots -- reggae meets Jahcoustix' signature
vocals. Frequency is an authentic record with unique features. Jahcoustix's
youth was a nomad's life, spending years in Mexico, Liberia, New York,
Kenya, and Egypt. He discovered music in Kenya where he began writing his
first songs. After returning to Germany at the age of 20, Jahcoustix fully
dedicated his life to music and ever since has been on a journey that has
taken him and his songs halfway around the world. Jahcoustix has released
five studio albums and played 1,000 live concerts over the last decade. His
musical diversity, his steady development, as well as the recognition he
receives for his work are all signs of moving towards a bright future. On
Frequency, Jahcoustix provides his fans with uncompromising roots reggae.
The idea and approach to this album is different from all the previous
records. Instead of recording the album with his band, Jahcoustix teamed up
with Irievibrations Records and also worked with some other producers to
get a more diversified sound. For his 10th anniversary year of 2013,
Jahcoustix will be out there to reach out to the world with his new songs
and a strong lyrical message. Referring to the question about the featured
track with Apple Gabriel, former singer of the legendary reggae band Israel
Vibration, Jahcoustix answered: "I wanted to make a pure roots reggae
record with a focus on collaborations with some of my favorite singers of
the past 30 years of reggae music. Making this album was my dream and a
truly heartical matter."
Joseph Minadeo & Curt Brown - Woodland CD (Infraction) [12232]
$15.75
Woodland is a story of a nameless worker caught in the mundanity of placid
bureaucracy. Wood Land is a story of buried towers and subtle rebellion.
Wood Land is a story of unsubtle rebellion and totalitarian overthrow. Wood
Land is a story of deep space awakening and astronaut spiders. Wood Land is
a story of return and reconciliation. Wood Land is a story. Scored by
Joseph Minadeo and written by Curt Brown with imagery by both. Sonically,
'Wood Land' was an extension of Joseph Minadeo's first foray into ambient -
'sounds from a photograph', a 'Pearl'-esque LP of Lanois affected piano and
placid drones. 'Wood Land' extends that premise and gives a hazy nod
towards Noto and Sakamoto's collaborative soft digital clicks and sustained
piano. Airy atmospheres are constructed with multiple piano layering plus
guitars dissolving into despondant organ, synth sequencing and minimal drum
padding. Slow cadences of hope and light are countered with ominous
sonatas. Indescernible Vocals, courtesy of Gabriela Kropf, are mixed into
the mellotron choirs. 'Wood Land' features deluxe packaging with a perfect
bound booklet of 28 pages, matte digipak, housed in a slipcase. Joseph
Minadeo is a composer behind the former Akron, Ohio (now Los Angeles) based
Patternbased label. He is also a member of the post-rock outfit Low in the
Sky. He recently moved to California to dig deeper into art and music. Curt
Brown is an Akron, Ohio based artist and is a co-founder of Rubber City
Noise, a collective that runs a record label and arts space in Akron.
Current projects include Black Unicorn and Cane Swords among others.
Several tracks from 'Wood Land' were used in the global collaborative
documentary film 'One Day on Earth' (along w/ Sigur Ros, Beirut, Cut
Chemist and Mum). Design by Kevin Carr and Charlie Wagers.
Kaiserdisco - Meet Me on the Floor CD (Kd Music) [KD003CD]
$16.00
Returning to the album format with a fresh perspective, the Hamburg-based
duo Kaiserdisco delivers a varied but free-flowing record that encapsulates
their affinity with uninhibited, underground electronic music. Meet Me on
the Floor is dedicated to all the great people Kaiserdisco's Frederic
Berger and Patrick Buck have met on their travels in the recent past. These
meetings have, for the most part, been intrinsically linked to the club
environment, the atmosphere in which the guys are most at home, hence both
the album's name and dancefloor focus. Ranging from deep house to groovy
techno, stripped-back electronica and beyond, the album provides a perfect
snapshot of the modern Kaiserdisco sound. Club-ready but peppered with
subtle idiosyncrasies that unveil a real depth of personality within their
music, their sound is as addictive as it is individual. Meet Me on the
Floor is released via the guys' own label, KD Music. 2013 has seen KD Music
come into its own, unveiling a consummate mix of international and rising
talent. The imprint has already seen killer releases from the likes of
Danny Serrano and Darlyn Vlys, Hollen, F.Sonik, Kernel Key, Anil Chawla,
Fabian Argomedo, Arjun Vagale, and of course, Kaiserdisco themselves. The
new era of Kaiserdisco and KD Music has well and truly begun. Guest
appearances by Navid Izadi and Cari Golden.
Kalabrese - Independent Dancer CD (Rumpelmusig) [RUMP002CD]
$14.75
Sacha Winkler aka Kalabrese is a curious tastemaker and bold musical force
that dares to tread the murky waters between indie and electronica,
playfully emphasizing vocals on song-based productions and presenting an
album that pushes the limits and portrays dance music in a peculiar and
natural way. Inspired by blues, funk, and all those beautiful dancers and
tragic heroes of the night, Independent Dancer is laced with curiosity and
fever-inducing productions. Following his 2007 debut album Rumpelzirkus
(STATT 002CD), a critically-acclaimed project that was followed by
performances at infamous festivals like Sijnar, Mutek in Montreal, and
Transmediale in Berlin, as well as playing nearly every club basement in
Europe with his live-project Rumpelorchester, Kalabrese returns with a
masterpiece. Sounding like a soundtrack from James Murphy (in fact
Kalabrese played back-to-back with the LCD Soundsystem lead man in 2012)
and Nicolas Jaar, who featured his epic blues solo "Desperate Man" on his
own Resident Advisor podcast, Independent Dancer commences with an almost
euphoric and certainly unpretentious spirit. "Purple Rose" steps out
downbeat with Sarah Palin, the newest Rumpel discovery, singing an
astonishing duet with Kala, an almost country-like creation with ringing
bells from the Alps and a hypnotic house beat crashing behind. Kalabrese
recruits friend and mentor, A.C. Kupper (who also designed the cover) to
sing "Let the Good Times Roll," taking his falsetto voice and overlaying
chunky beats and a captivating synth-line, inspiring the urge to dance in
only the most sincere way. Independent Dancer varies in tempo and rhythm
throughout, from the wonderful airy ballad of "Stone On Your Back" with its
cello parts played by Dominik LĶhrer and light bossanova rhythm,
juxtaposed with "Wanzka," an active, swinging Afro-groove gem with
mind-blowing, lyrical brass parts courtesy of Michael Flury and Benjamin
Danech. Guest singer Khan from Berlin can be heard on the hypnotic,
Arabic-inspired bonus track "Feeling Me" and also on "Desperate Man," on
which Rumpel-member Marton di Katz rocks a crazy groove with bass line
sensations. Towards the conclusion, Kalabrese extols the Sihl Valley with
"Sihltal," a punchy disco tune spiked with melancholy and expressing a soft
wish of togetherness. At all times, Independent Dancer orbits the moment,
encapsulating where the dancer unites with the music and forgets the rest
of the world.
Karocel - Plaited CD (Freude Am Tanzen) [FREUDE008CD]
$16.00
Freude Am Tanzen presents the debut album from Karocel. What do you do when
a live project exceeds its own ambitions? Just keep doing the wonderful
concerts and eventually head to the studio. Sounds simple and conclusive.
In the case of Karocel, that was exactly how they went about it and
surprisingly, all six band members made it happen. Though the four members
of Marbert Rocels, Mathias Kaden, and Michael-Mitchi-Nagler have known each
other from their hometown along the Gera-Jena-Erfurt corridor, and the
Karocel live shows have been well-received, an album is an entirely
different beast. In the fall of 2012 everyone got together in Marbert
Rocel's studio for three intense jam sessions. With a single click it all
began -- after a while everything was knotted together only to be woven
through the mixer where it then lay. Post-production vocals and overdubs
weren't needed. The 10 pearls that emerged from those sessions glistened in
their raw form and now, the multifaceted nature of a Karocel event is now
available in album format. In various dramatic curves Plaited prances over
the dancefloor. Right smack in the middle there are tracks like "This One,"
"Tease You," and "Undo" and the bar-shaking "Vox," "Watts," "Boys," and
"Don't Play," the kissing-on-the-sofa "Without" and the one for on the way
home, "Parallels." Plaited is a complete work of art, no question.
Kr!z - Token Introspective CD (Token) [TOKEN001CD]
$16.00
First label compilation from Belgian techno imprint Token, mixed by founder
and A&R Kr!z. This mix brings together label highlights such as Inigo
Kennedy's devastating "Obsidian," Phase's massive "Binary Opposition" and
Mark Broom's "Two" alongside remixes by techno figureheads Surgeon, James
Ruskin, Ben Klock and Oscar Mulero while also nurturing new global techno
talent such as Xhin, Ctrls, Makaton, and Go Hiyama. Narrowing down the
track selection from over 100 productions meant that some tough decisions
had to be made -- a few of Kr!z's favorites wouldn't fit the flow or just
wouldn't fit the format but ultimately what you have is an unfolding story
of a label presenting a sound that stands clear of music fashion with an
uncompromising statement of intent. Other artists include: Dimitri Andreas,
Rĸdhĥd, and Grovskopa.
Leonardo Rosado - Washed Away Memories CD (Pure Wave
Recordings) [wave1303] $16.00
RELEASE DATE: 05-14-2013
Leonardo Rosado's main musical focus explores the collision between sound,
poetry and everyday life by using automatic expressions what he likes to
call - wordsoundscapes. The construction of his music pieces expose daily
life happenings that are individual and at the same time universal: it has
a strong sense of suggesting a pause to think about our actions and our
surroundings. Words and sounds have different meanings, depending on the
listener, but only if s/he takes some time to delve into the complexity of
his or her own stimuli. link. http://subterminal.tumblr.com
washed away memories, as described with leonardo rosado's words:
"everybody has
memories, fragments imprinted that recur occasionally like a burst of
nostalgia or like passionate fire explosions, and they might appear to the
world as a smile or an irrational fear. but the truth is most of this
cannot be pinpointed to an exact scene, an exact date. and that is I think
irrelevant, as what counts is not the specificities of what passed but its
manifestations in the present.??some of these moments are captured in a
snapshot, a film, or a replicated recipe. but what underlie them is the
sense of the inexplicable background, a detail, a set of fragments under
the surface, lost in the vividness of colors, or the sweetness of
spices.??the favorite toy or the grandmother's special dessert, an open
mouth with a fly inside or the kiss of ones lips."
Les Trois Psychologues - Daft Aurora CD (Psychonavigation)
[psy070] $16.00
RELEASE DATE: 09-02-2013
Maurizio Olmo Giuca born in 1977 in Modica,Italy. His father,a musician
fostered Maurizio's passion for music from an early age. At the tender age
of 16 the artists first musical instrument was the guitar. In 1999 he moved
to Rome and founded several groups where he continued to play the guitar
and incorporated lush electronica.
In 2012 began a solo project by
abandoning the guitar and experimenting just with electronics.For three
years the artist also volunteered in assisting patients with
schizophrenia.This experience had a profound effect on the way he creates
music. He is also heavily influenced by many kinds of music from Krautrock
to his love of the music from Berlin label Raster-Noton. In his music you
will hear similarities to the works of Byetone, Alva Noto,Seefeel,Lindstrom
and Prins Thomas.
Markus Suckut - DNA CD (Figure) [FIGURE001CD] $16.00
German producer Markus Suckut has built quite a following, thanks to his
distinctive, raw and reduced modern techno sound. After several singles on
the label, Markus now announces his debut full length, DNA. Rather prolific
with his output of 12''s and remixes, Suckut's previous releases on Figure
stood out, really developing his command of intensely-focused and powerful
kick drums. A true follower and advocate of the more refined side of club
techno, he has recently set up his own SCKT label, and travels more and
more as a DJ. DNA now goes even further in making a statement on his sound.
There's something of the classic German minimal techno lifeblood flowing
through this album, and over 11 tracks we are guided through very precise,
tense and effective exercises in basement techno minimalism. From the moody
synths of "Path," a fitting intro to the album, we are then dropped
head-first into "Dissociation," where only a handful of elements resting on
a weighty kick drum build a certain sci-fi tension. This tension is
maintained over the course of the whole album. Heading into more trippy
zones, "Dust" and the acidic jack of "Rigid" both demonstrate Suckut's
skills at telling a story with a very strict economy of elements. As
paranoid tension establishes itself as a major theme further still,
"Shatter" unfolds in a dreamy, if not rather apocalyptic dub track of the
highest order. "Doomed" presents a brief respite from the tunneling bass
frequencies, as serene synths float across a smoky backdrop, but then it's
back to business as "Stranger" takes us deeper into the fog with its
tripping beauty. The more aggressive thump of "Vibrant," with its urgent
synth voices and dramatic arrangement are pure Suckut -- taught, carefully
executed and intoxicating on the dancefloor. We are then guided into a more
heady, psychedelic mood with "Remains," before the true dub of "Places"
eases us down, working glorious space between the groove. Finally the last
stand arrives in the form of "Mirage," where an undulating acid line and
freakishly-timed percussion shake and rattle around a wonderfully submerged
throb. Markus Suckut shows us his true colors and talents with DNA - a very
focused, mature and honest portrayal of his take on techno for 2013 and
beyond.
Marsen Jules Trio - Presence Acousmatique CD (Oktaf)
[OKTAF005CD] $16.00
German ambient connaisseur and sound poet Marsen Jules (aka Martin Juhls)
is well-known for his releases on City Center Offices, Kompakt, and his own
label, Oktaf Records. On stage he often combines his atmospheric
soundscapes with live musicians. A steady formation is the Marsen Jules
Trio, which features the twin brothers Anwar Alam and Jan-Philipp Alam on
piano and violins accompanied by Jules' restrained live-sampling, bowed
percussion and singing wine glasses. With their debut album Présence
Acousmatique on Oktaf Records, the musicians bring their "acoustic
presence" to CD for the first time. It features six highly atmospheric
sound sculptures between ambient, avant-garde, classic and modern jazz.
Whereas the opening "OEillet Parfait/OEillet Sauvage" is still a variation
of a track from Jules' Les Fleurs album, all other tracks are composed for
the trio or developed out of the cooperation itself. Two tracks also
feature saxophone player Roger DĶring (Dictaphone) as a guest musician.
The combination of dark soundscapes and saxophone on "Histoire de la nuit"
and "Ä?clipse" makes one think of an ambient version of Bohren & der Club
of Gore. The abstract "Excalibur" and "Maison en Vitre" are reminiscent of
early avant-garde classic and twelve-tone music, and the closing "Les
trains stortent de la gare" is a bittersweet composition for piano and
violin held together by sparkling percussion.
Material Object/Phonaut - Indiana Drones CD (Carpe Sonum)
[SEIZE002] $15.00
RELEASE DATE: 06-15-2013
Dedicated to Pete Namlook "Indiana Drones is the first collaboration
between Material Object and Phonaut. This project was recorded in November
2012 and was originally intended to be released on Pete Namlook's Fax +
49-69/450464 record label. Immediately after completing the recording I
tried to get in touch with Pete which led to the tragic discovery of him
having passed away. Pete Namlook / Peter Kuhlmann had an immeasurable
impact on the electronic music world, as an artist and curator, as well as
on my own life both as a mentor, collaborator and most importantly as a
friend. Now his memory lives on through us. Each of the five parts of this
project feature individual artwork comprised of photos from Pete Namlook's
home town of Traben Trarbach in Germany." Recorded November 2012 in Berlin,
Germany Written by Material Object & Phonaut Produced by Material Object
Mastered by Man Made Mastering, Berlin
Matias Aguayo - The Visitor CD (Comeme) [COMEME003CD]
$16.00
To those of you unfamiliar with Matias Aguayo, he remains a core Kompakt
recording artist and one of today's most ambitious music makers and
collaborators. Be it from his early days as half of the now-legendary
techno act Closer Musik, to singing for Battles on their recent hit "Ice
Cream," Aguayo makes Cijmeme his platform to work with fellow musicians
from around the world and continues to push all notions away of what
dictates trend in order to create his own. Matias returns with his third
solo full-length, The Visitor -- recorded over the course of five years in
various places around the world including Buenos Aires, Ciudad de México,
Vitry-Sur-Seine, Rionegro (Antioquia, Colombia), Sternhagen Gut, and his
studio -- The District Union in Berlin. As with his previous albums, Matias
Aguayo unveils a perplexing and unexpected offering. Rather than appealing
to a specific genre, he considers rhythm as a core influence in The Visitor
and delivers what could be his most purposeful music to date. A
collaborative process plays a dominant role on this album, articulating
Aguayo's attentiveness to the community that surrounds him. Mixed and
co-produced by Scott Monteith aka Deadbeat upon first hearing The Visitor,
long-time fans of his music will be immediately aware how the songs sound
natural and immense. The secret is not just in the mix but due to the fact
that there are numerous musicians and vocalists performing on each track.
By utilizing so many layers of analog and acoustic instrumentation, The
Visitor as a whole provokes a distinct listening experience that contrasts
the ease of digital processing techniques and the styles of most modern
dance music out there today. Guest artists include: Juliana Gattas
(Miranda!) and Aérea Negrot (Hercules & Love Affair), Luis Miguel
"Cucharita" Jaramillo, Philipp Gorbachev, Alejandro Paz, Ana Helder, Julia
Bande, Julia Kasprzak, Amelia Bande, Rodrigo OlavarrÄa, and Daniel Maloso.
Matt John - The Keys CD (Cocoon) [COR034CD] $16.00
This is Matt John's debut for Cocoon Recordings. This is Sheffield, Warp,
and the early Hacienda and LFO-days that are shining through here. No
massive 909-programming, no Chicago and no New York house revival, and
finally, not just another London and Berlin hipster soundtrack. We are
talking northern sound-inspired techno here, dark but hedonistic analog
synths and for those who remember: A Certain Ratio feeling all over the
place. The style and vibe of Matt John's collection is defined right from
the start: "Interview" is built around slim analog drums and shouts out
loud that you won't find loop-house and over-polished drum-sounds in here.
"Angel Dust" will show many youngsters how effective a clean and banging
808 can be. The classic backwards strings on top lead to that special dark
but hedonistic vibe that is almost dying for some cool MC Tune rhyme. Matt
John continues with his very own bleeps and plonks revival and with
"Monogramm" it is almost undeniable that master John must have been a big
fan of the "Sweet Exorcist" and all the other Warp legends. With "The
River," Matt John shows his jazzy side and introduces more warm organ
sounds and heavy beats and even a guitar joins the game. "The Ocean Inside"
sounds far more contemporary and way more up-to-date then the rest of the
album. A dry bass line, dub-echoes, warm strings, and a pretty cool groove
makes it a nice connection to the techno of today. "My Pocket" follows this
and more jazz vibes are spread, almost in a soundtrack-style. "The Keys"
features banging beats and the vocals call us to "enter the signs of
today." "Britz Wind" slows down the tempo again and has a nice summer
sound. "The Surf Owl" is a bizarre melting-pot of heavy beats, ocean surf
and synthesizer bird-sounds. On "Today" a New Order bass line and vocals
that appear to be recorded through DJ headphones meet a funky guitar and
create a great piece of music. Last but not least, "Froydish" possesses a
hypnotic beat and sounds that follow a more contemporary direction, forming
a soft and warm ending for a heavy album.
Merky Ace - All or Nothing CD (No Hats No Hoods) [NHNH1006CD]
$12.25
No Hats No Hoods continue their busy release schedule with the first of a
two-part series from South East London's Merky Ace. While embracing a wave
of musical styles from hip-hop and trap, production from the likes of Faze
Miyake, Rude Kid, Splurt Diablo, and Deeco keep the roots of grime at the
forefront of the tracks. Alongside the booming 808s, rapid-fire hi-hats and
snare rolls featured across the release, tracks such as "Give It Up" pay
homage to the new wave of dark electronic music coming from the UK and
specifically London. The package is topped off by Merky's intense lyrical
flow, stamping each track with originality and confidence that only the
most of seasoned MCs possess. Recognized for his intelligent wordplay and
catchy adlibs, Merky Ace has been MCing both by himself and with his
collective Family Tree (other members include Ego, MIK, TKO, and Shif Man,
along with producers Splurt Diablo and Faze Miyake), for nearly 10 years.
Over 12 releases later and he's garnered support from the likes of BBC
1Xtra and Radio 1's Tim Westwood, 1Xtra's DJ Cameo, and Kiss FM's Logan
Sama. His notable appearances on Logan Sama's After Hours alongside P
Money, Blacks and Footsie have shown off his variety of flows while proving
that he can consistently hold his own amongst some of grime's biggest
names. Alongside radio appearances, he's honed his presence with PAs at
Prague's The Roxy, Lovebox, and Hip Hop Kemp festivals and Boiler Room
while featuring on productions from heavyweights Starkey, Rude Kid,
Preditah and more. To top it off, he's featured on Dizzee Rascal's "Dirtee
Stank TV 2" and Baauer's Day of the Dead mixtape, helping to expand his
ever-growing fan-base that stretches from the UK to the Czech Republic,
Japan, and Australia.
Michael Hurley - Armchair Boogie CD (Future Days) [FDR603CD]
$15.00
"Recorded with Jesse Colin Young, Armchair Boogie is Hurley's debut album
proper, and the one in which he set out his stall as purveyor of charming,
homely, folksy songs. It is essentially 14 songs about love and strange
things -- werewolves ('Werewolf'), institutionalized English gentry
('English Nobleman'), and aquatic birds ('Penguin') all appear. Credited to
Michael Hurley and pals, Young is among the friends who appear. Largely
acoustic, it features little more than the sound of Hurley's guitar and
voice and the occasional mouth trumpet. This is the highly sought-after
album sounding better than it ever has. It comes with a 36 page facsimile
reproduction of the cartoon book drawn by Hurley, who does all his own
artwork, this time following the exploits of two hick wolves named Jocko
and Boone. It's housed in a deluxe, gatefold tip-on jacket."
Michael Hurley - Hi Fi Snock Uptown CD (Future Days) [FDR604CD]
$15.00
"Featuring 14 twisted songs produced by 'Banana' and Joe Bauer, Hi Fi Snock
Uptown saw Hurley amplifying some of Armchair Boogie's willfully esoteric
qualities and delivering an album that explores the full range of his
sound, from blues to country and folk to playful sounds -- like his crow
impressions on 'Old Black Crow.' As 'Twilight Zone' neatly puts it,
'everything is weird.' It also features some of his most loved songs such
as 'Water Train,' 'Eyes, Eyes,' and the gorgeous traveling track 'Blue
Driver.' This is the highly sought-after album sounding better than it ever
has, complete with Hurley's own unmistakable sleeve art. It's housed in a
deluxe, gatefold tip-on jacket."
Michael Nyman - Collaborations 3CD (Mn Records) [MNR205CD]
$34.25
"Collaborations is a new, specially priced boxed set from MN Records
featuring three albums from the label's back catalog, focusing on
partnerships between Michael Nyman and other artists and traditions.
Included are 'The Glare,' 'Acoustic Accordions,' and 'Sangam.'" Performed
by David McAlmont (vocals); Motion Trio; U. Shrinivas (mandolin); Rajan
Misra (vocals); Sajan Misra (vocals); Michael Nyman Band; Michael Nyman.
Mika Vainio/Joachim Nordwall - Monstrance CD (Touch) [TO088CD]
$14.00
Mika Vainio was a member of the legendary minimal electronic duo Pan Sonic.
Emerging from the Finnish industrial and rave music scene in the early
'90s, they became one of the most important electronic music acts. Vainio's
solo work goes from abstract drone to minimal and experimental techno,
under his own name or as Ä~ for labels like Touch, Raster Noton, SĤhkĶ,
and Editions Mego. He has worked with Alan Vega, Keiji Haino, and many
others. His music is always extremely physical and present. Mika Vainio
lives and works in Berlin. Joachim Nordwall has run the iDEAL Recordings
label since 1998, releasing intense electronic music of various kinds and
organizing club nights and festivals around the globe. He started making
electronic music as a teenager in the late '80s in the psychedelic drone
duo Alvars Orkester (Ash International), drifted off to sweaty avant garde
punk rock with Kid Commando in the late '90s and formed the ritual rock and
electronic drone group The Skull Defekts in 2005. He is also recording solo
works under his own name and works with Mats Gustafsson, The Gagmen (with
Aaron Dilloway and Nate Young), Mark Wastell, and The Sons Of God. Nordwall
is based in Stockholm. Monstrance is their first album together and
consists of drone works and pulsating electronic minimalism, but also
guitar, acoustic elements, organs, and metal percussion. It was recorded in
Einstļrzende Neubauten's Berlin studio during an intense session in early
summer of 2010. Monstrance is a place where Vainio's and Nordwall's
backgrounds as musicians and composers meet, and something new and
extremely powerful is born. Something deep, raw, and direct. Artwork &
photography by Jon Wozencroft.
Mikal Cronin - MCII CD (Merge) [MRG475] $12.75
RELEASE DATE: 05-07-2013
***MIKAL CRONIN's self-titled debut from 2011 was all about endings: the
end of college, the end of a serious relationship, and the end of his time
in Los Angeles, where he grew up. So it's no surprise that his sophomore
release MCII-and first disc for Merge Records-is all about new beginnings.
"Since the first record came out, my life has changed quite a bit," Cronin
says, referencing his move to San Francisco and tours with Ty Segall as
well as with his own band. "I was presented with a whole new slew of
problems and situations that I was trying to work through." "Am I Wrong"
and "Shout It Out" dissect his fears over a new relationship, while "I'm
Done Running from You" and "Weight" find him freaking out about what it
means to grow up in the 21st century. Recorded in late 2012 by ERIC BAUER
at Bauer Mansion in San Francisco (except for "Don't Let Me Go" which was
recorded by Cronin at home), MCII includes guest appearances by K. DYLAN
EDRICH (viola and violin), CHARLES MOONHEART (drums), TY SEGALL (guitar
solos), and PETEY DAMMIT (slide guitar). Other than these few exceptions,
Cronin played all of the instruments. No Export.
Ocoeur - Light as a Feather CD (n5MD) [md210] $12.25
RELEASE DATE: 05-27-2013
'Light as a feather' is the sophomore album from French electronic musician
Ocoeur. The man behind Ocoeur (which loosely translates as "to the heart")
Franck Zaragoza creates an amalgam of leftfield IDM, downtempo and
electro-acoustic musics that effortlessly ebbs and flows between light and
dark moods without ever getting to emotionally burdened. While other
musicians may find such contrast enough Zaragoza also weaves in youthfully
delicate melodies that add a childlike playfulness to his songs. Zaragoza
says of the album: "My concept for Light As a Feather was to conjure up
memories and feelings from the insouciant dreams of youth, The album should
elevate its listeners to externalize their most internal dreams and
emotions, where everyone is free to embrace their ambitions".
Off Land - Tidewater Pulse CD (Psychonavigation) [psy071]
$16.00
RELEASE DATE: 09-16-2013
Off Land was formed in 2004 by Tim Dwyer, an artist and musician from New
England whose sound was originally shaped by "net" label culture's
collaborative atmosphere of experimentation and peer feedback. The music on
'Tidewater Pulse' his debut album, has been influenced by meditative music
such as Javanese gamelan and minimal drone. Dwyer's music is sparse yet
texturally intricate, lying in some sort of electro-acoustic limbo between
Namlook's more dusty ambient collaborations, literal Phonography and
contemporary classical experimentalism.
Ohanami - Agapanthus CD (Wonderyou) [WNDU011CD] $16.00
RELEASE DATE: 06-10-2013
Ohanami is a magical instrumental duo from Tokyo, Japan. Steelpan player
Yoshio Machida (who is also the member of the dub band Miimo, and runs the
Amorfon label) teams up with a renowned drummer Tatsuhisa Yamamoto who play
drums in Jim O'rourke band, Kahimi Karie etc. Together, they use drums,
crotales, gongs, percussion, steelpan, toy piano, electronic steel pan,
metal slit drum, EMS synthi AKS (analog synthesizer) to create their one
and only Ohanami sounds. At first, they sound playful like kids jamming
with toy instruments, but if you listen to them a little closer, you will
be amazed by how deep and detailed they are, and will realize yourself
heavily addicted to their world.
Orlando Voorn - Presents La Cliqa CD (Vital Force) [vf003]
$16.00
RELEASE DATE: 09-23-2013
No description available at this time.
Orlando Voorn - Divine Intervention CD (Subwax Excursions)
[SUBWAXEXC001CD] $16.00
Subwax Excursions proudly presents a brand-new album from Orlando Voorn.
Orlando is a highly-respected living legend, and one of the true pioneers
of European electronic music. He started off in the early '90s releasing on
classic labels such as KMS, R&S, Fragile, Buzz, International Gigolo
Recordings, ESP, Spiritual, and Nightvision under multiple aliases such as
Fix, Baruka, Format, The Nightripper, etc. Special artwork by Abdul Haqq
from Third Earth Visual Arts.
Pascal Comelade - El Pianista del Antifaz CD (Because Music)
[BEC5161394] $16.00
French-Catalan musician Pascal Comelade's world is atypical and his
inspirations come from many different sources -- from contemporary music to
The Cramps -- making him one of the most creative and original artists of
our times. At the crossroads of many different arts, never where he's
expected, he never ceases to surprise his audience, taking the listener on
poetic paths of primitive perception. El Pianista del Antifaz is the latest
album in Comelade's galaxy. The artwork was designed by Dutch illustrator
Joost Swart.
Peter Hawkins - Love and Anarchy: The Songs of Leo FerreBook+CD
CD (Hoxa) [hs1301cd] $25.25
RELEASE DATE: 05-27-2013
2xCD (25 songs) + 54 page hard cover book.
A new recording of English language versions of songs by Leo Ferre, made by a researcher at the University of Bristol (UK), aims to brings the work of this famous chanson artist to a wider audience.
Chanson is a song tradition dating back to the Middle Ages and the troubadours of the 12th and 13th centuries and is part of the texture of everyday life in France, part of the national identity and a barometer of popular taste. Leo Ferre (1916-1993), anarchist poet, musician and singer-songwriter, was a prominent figure in the world of French song throughout the second half of the 20th century.
To mark the 20th anniversary of Ferre's death, Dr. Peter Hawkins, Senior Research Fellow in the Department of French, has recorded English language versions of many of Ferre's key songs.
The songs of Charles Aznavour, Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel and Charles Trenet have all been successfully interpreted in English versions by figures as diverse as Marc Almond, Bobby Darin, Jake Thackray and Scott Walker, and enjoy a cult reputation. Yet the work of their equally successful contemporary Leo Ferre remains little known in the Anglophone world. To illustrate his significance in the context of French popular culture, even the newly-elected French President Francois Hollande has identified himself as one of several generations of admirers of Ferre's music.
His project, Love and Anarchy: The Songs of Leo Ferre, aims to make this remarkable singer-songwriter a household name in the English-speaking world and to underline his significance as an artist through people hearing, recognizing and re-interpreting his songs.
Peter Hawkins researches French popular culture, particularly popular
chanson, and is the author of the ground-breaking book Chanson (Ashgate,
2000) in which Ferre features extensively. He has made English adaptations
of many classic French songs and performed at concerts in the UK and
France, and in folk clubs, music festivals and open mikes around Bristol.
The bands previous release have
been highly acclaimed including two experimental records of the month in
Mixmag plus great reviews in the Wire, Froots, Rock and Reel etc plus radio
play including BBC Radio 3, 6 music, resonance fm, NDR, Record Collector,
Quietus etc. Ahead of the album the band released the single " Don't
Breathe It to a Soul..." with a remix from David Thomas from legendary band
Pere Ubu which sets loops and layers of vocals in a primrodial soup of
industrial percussion. This track was taken from a score Roshi was
commissioned to create for Birds Eye View which was premiered at London's
Purcell Room. The band regularly perform at prestigious venues across the
country , cool clubs and at select festivals. "Stunningly beautiful
Welsh-Iranian electronica Torch songs" (Joe Muggs) "Other world dream
pop - stunning" (Byron Coley) "Magnificent alt-pop" (Mr Delire)
Once again Scrimshire has hooked up
with two of his favourite vocalists, Resonators front woman Faye Houston
and long-time collaborator Stac, but it's on this album that his voice
really comes into its own. Scrimshire himself takes centre stage on vocal
duties on the current single, "Convergent", the melancholic "Drift" and
haunting "Siren", as well as dueting with Stac on the captivating "Beached"
and with Faye on the rousing "Blister".
Psychonavigation are truly excited to be able to share this lovely album
with you. Adam says : New Abum The Dream In a perhaps darker ambient
mood, I present an album which for me is about the constant realisation of
"reality" and the "dream".. Limited to only 100 copies worldwide.
Winter 2011, the three members of Simon12345 & The Lazer
twins rented a home on the outskirts of northern Denmark to initiate
several weeks of recording in their self-made studio. This was followed by
1.5 years of arrangement and post production work in Germany. The sound
source created in this process was released exclusively on the analogue
version of their album released by Praezisa Rapid 3000 label doumen in
November 2012. The upcoming piece is a CD edition of this 1st sound source
combined with three remix tracks. The album features a variety of
music styles from IDM, minimal music, ambient, film scores, and post-rock;
scattered with different voice samples from scat to poetry readings. The
ennui and spectacular tracks are finished with superb editing taste founded
upon the latest bass music. Furthermore, the track 6 features rap by MC
Beegs Alchemy of the Californian unit, "Coaxial." On remix, Serph joins
as his experimental dance music alter ego "Reliq" to unveil his remix for
the first time ever. He is also joined by Praezisa Rapid 3000 member
Guschling and his solo project, ";.." as well as rising track maker
Taquwami who together bring glitter to the original tracks through unique
interpretations. This is a melancholic and textured soundscape that
seeps in to the crevices of sound; building on those open spaces through
deep and carefully refined sound processing. Enjoy this ultimate left field
pop resonating with the talents of Four Tet, James Blake, and Jami XX. We
bring you Simon12345 & The Lazer twins in "If I stay here, I'll be alone."
Titanic collaboration
between Tokyo's dark and drifting psychedelic geniuses Suishou No Fune and
San Francisco's tripping, free jamming guitar/drums duo Numinous Eye, lead
by no other than Mason Jones, long-running Japanese psych specialist and
formerly of space rockers Subarachnoid Space. "Black Flowers Of The
Forest In The Cosmos" is what I would call a perfect meeting. Do not expect
a random afternoon jam here, but a late night, perfectly crafted mystical
experience. The drums and sometimes two of the three guitars of the
line-up set the rhythmic foundation for the dream-like, fragile abyssal
cries and distressing harmonica of Pirako, while gentle echoes and languid
strings, spaced-out distortion and amp hums float around all corners slowly
building a rich and tranced-out world of droney magic. Not ever so
gently - loud and distorted amp-frying blissful crescendos are capable, at
times, of bursting the air -, but always so hypnotic, you will be
transported beyond traditional time/space conventions into the jammy,
semi-motorik "Space Cruising" goodbye track to finally touch the black
flowers of the cosmos. Stunningly mastered by James Plotkin, "Black
Flowers Of The Forest In The Cosmos" is presented on a beautiful and
totally handmade and handpainted - yes, piece by piece, each copy is unique
- sturdy tip-on gatefold packaging with an art technique mixing natural
collages and watercolor. Includes a printed OBI strip.
With a
generous playing time of 145 minutes, this deluxe double CD set is
presented in a handsome 6 panel digipack, containing an illustrated booklet
with detailed historical notes. Disc 1: Disc 2:
This week's update contains releases by:
Last year's release of their first album
'8th Cloud' got them rave reviews & healthy radio plays at home and in The
Netherlands. They played over 40 shows in less than a year, including
Pukkelpop, Ancienne Belgique and Crossing Border. In November they
spent 5 days in a local church to record 6 new songs with Niels Hendrix
resulting int the album 'Rapids', mixed by Paul Butler (from The Bees,
producer for Devendra Banhart & Michael Kiwanuka), who sums it up: '
this band are on point, the concept of psychedelia rubbing together with
glorious song craft was very appealing for us to work on.'
'An Idea And
Its Map' marks a refined leap forward in Drape's sound. While less space
music, there is certainly more expansion. It is a smudged and blended
orchestra of drones on the opener 'Solo in High Dreary' and those drones
are split apart in slow-motion - eventually revealing a single guitar tone.
Moments of sublime resonance as on 'The Visible The Untrue' anchored by
piano, and notes that float, seemingly carried in on a breeze. All is not
as it seems with an undercurrent of ground swelling, oscillating air -
somewhere in the distance there is a storm assembling. Ebb and flow between
light and dark - silver lined black clouds converge on the B side opener
'fanfare for lake flies'. The strings, guitar, siren calls are assembled
and plastered to one another. A thick blanket of overwhelming beautiful
cacophony results. The album's close is as much filtered white noise as it
is heavenly chords. The dual slow-motion treated guitar present thoroughout
'An Idea...' diverges between pools of dissonant feedback, howls of wind,
and melodic drones.
The organ is often protagonist
in Mushnik's music, and the predominant cinematic atmosphere guides the
listener through an eclectic array of rhythms and harmonies. Although
Mancini, Cinecitta and Bollywood aren't far off, hip-hop and funk breaks,
Afro-beat or even North-Brazilian tones find their place in this epic, yet
light-hearted LP. "On the Phone with Graham Mushnik" is a modern
tribute to both past and future, a spicy mixture of loops, fiery keyboards,
samples and exotic sounds - enough to fill your dancefloor and soul with
interplanetary vibrations!
When Linda
Draper was a little girl, she thought Gene Vincent's "Be-Bop-A-Lula" was
written by her Dad. "It was my favorite song in the whole world," she says.
"I was five-years-old, and he would sing and play it on the piano." Raised
just north of New York City, Draper describes the scene, saying: "I'd dance
around the room in the way that only little kids who are too young to be
self-conscious know how to do." While growing up in a musical household
with parents and siblings who are all musicians (father Frederick is a
classical guitar virtuoso who studied with Andres Segovia), Draper listened
to everything from Bach to "Bop" from an early age, soon moving on to the
church choir and then to writing her own songs on the guitar as a teenager.
Draper's musical path led to tours throughout the US and UK where she
performed with Regina Spektor, Teddy Thompson, Kimya Dawson, Jesse Malin,
and Mike Doughty of Soul Coughing among many others, and her varied
influences were reflected in the half-dozen records that she released over
the years, including four LPs recorded with legendary cult-icon, music
producer Kramer (Ween, Low, Galaxie 500). Now, Draper gets back to basics
with her upcoming album Edgewise, scheduled for release on May 21st, 2013.
"With this album, I feel I've come full circle," she says. "I feel
myself returning to the roots that originally sparked my enthusiasm for
music." Produced by fellow singer-songwriter Matt Keating, Edgewise will
find fans in those who are equally as enamored of Leonard Cohen, Joni
Mitchell, and Nick Drake as Draper is. "One of my personal faves on the
record is called 'Hollow,' which was actually partially inspired by Nick
Drake," Draper says of the album's first single. On another album track,
the dark "Shadow Of A Coal Mine," Draper takes inspiration from Johnny
Cash. The song is a favorite of her producer, Keating. "I was humbled
when Matt told me that he wanted to cover this song someday," Draper says
of Keating, the man she first worked with when they recorded a cover of
Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" together. "On the way to that
recording session, I found out that my Great Aunt had passed away at
103-years-old," Draper remembers. "I didn't want to be a downer on the
session, so I kept the news to myself, but I put all of my feelings of loss
into the song that day." The story is a microcosm of Draper's passion
for singing and writing. "I feel like I'm better able to connect and convey
what I am thinking, feeling and observing through music," she says.
"Sometimes things that are so close to the heart get lost in regular
conversation, like trying to describe a dream." While Edgewise contains
the serious overtones that once moved Time Out New York to compare Draper
to Joan Baez, overall the record is generally more rock-n-roll oriented
than previous efforts. "I've reconnected with the fun of recording, and
have moved away from that cliché of the self-pitying folk-singer with a
guitar," Draper candidly jokes. "It's a pitfall that countless
singer-songwriters fall into, but misery is a bore." The record still
maintains the gentle sway of Draper's earlier recordings, but the elements
of rhythm that came about when she was writing the album have compelled her
to rock out a little more. Before she began recording Edgewise, Draper
tried the tunes out on tour, becoming meticulous in her song selection, and
spending time working to better her guitar playing in preparation for the
studio. "The album took nine months to make," she says. "In a way, it's
my baby!" This familial description of Draper's relationship with her music
isn't just for effect. Her earliest musical memories of dancing around the
room with Dad on the piano inspire her to this day. "I write songs to
connect and to continue, through the music. For the odd-ball, the loser,
and the loner that exists within us all. It's a lot cheaper than therapy
without any of the side-effects of medication," she notes of the practical
nature of her work, before adding more philosophically, "Someone once asked
me if music is what I do for a living, and I responded, 'No, but it's what
I do for my life.'" "Channeling the finger-plucked folk music of Joni
Mitchell and Nick Drake...haunting...dark lyrics...she sings like a siren"
- AMERICAN SONGWRITER
This is their
first "studio" effort—recorded live at Catapulte's basement on a 2-track
tape machine—featuring 3 original instrumentals and 3 beautifully sung
vocal tracks (including José Barros's classic "Navidad Negra"). While
Alex Barrow's accordion and Graham Mushnik's organ deliver their merciless
riffs, the rhythm section—percussion, acoustic guitar and a mad tuba ~V
keeps the groove going. Rather than opting for the trendy psychedelic
sounds of echoey guitars and synths, Malphino went for a more primitive
approach with clear influences from early jazz, 50's mambo and film
soundtracks (live, they often cover Nino Rota and Piero Piccioni). A
catchy, soulful and butt-shaking 10" vinyl that will keep your hips busy
"hasta Lunes"!
Ample Play were set to go to
a small festival that The Sudden Death of Stars were playing at, but
weren't able to make it. However, we were so intrigued with the music that
we arranged to meet them the next time we were in France. The rendez-vous
was a vinyl record fair, rather than having any difficulties finding them,
they popped as an instant group. After lengthy discussions over lots of
French drinks, the band and Ample Play decided to collaborate.
Initially the label was drawn to the integration of the sitar as displayed
on 'Supernovae', but listening to tracks like 'I'll Be There' we realised
that they could turn their hands to anything. " Excellent musicianship,
lovely twangy sitar touches and some excellent vocal harmonies" Norman
Records "These songs are full of hooks which are outside the norm, yet
sound entirely natural and get stuck in your head for days on end." The
Active Listener Blog
Philip Glass - Cello Concerto No. 2: Naqoyqatsi CD (Orange
Mountain) [OMM087CD] $19.25
In 2001, Philip Glass composed the music for the film Naqoyqatsi: Life as
War. It was the last film in a trilogy by director Godfrey Reggio that
featured only images and music. When the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
invited Glass to be a creative director for its Boundless Series during the
2011-12 season, Glass thought of his cello concerto and its possible life
beyond film. The CSO commissioned the Cello Concerto No.2 - Naqoyqatsi and
gave the composer the opportunity to have it reborn as a proper concerto.
The resulting recording is drawn from the live performances. This dynamic
seven-movement work is conducted here by long-time Glass champion Dennis
Russell Davies with soloist Matt Haimovitz."
Photodementia - Fig. 04c CD (Photodementia) [FIG004CCD]
$14.75
Common knowledge to some, and not others, Fig. 04c is the second album from
Dave Barnard aka Monolith (Bernard Davies) under the pseudonym
Photodementia, in collaboration with '90s funk legends Victor Beaudet and
Ellen O'Maly. This album is a darker, edgier follow-up to Dave's previous
braindance masterpiece Welcome, that was released on Rephlex (2011). This
new album is a compilation of two recently re-released, well-noted EPs,
with a few extra tracks for good measure. It's a journey of moody
electro-fuelled techno and soulful analog grooves. Just over an hour of
entertainment that will impress you.
Rabih Beaini - Albidaya CD (Annihaya) [END007CD] $26.50
Albidaya in Arabic means "the beginning," which in the case of Rabih
Beaini's, might be the return to the beginnings, or the start of the path.
The album is conceptually a revisiting of the traditional and early
psychedelic Arabic music, all through distorted paths and instruments,
remashed and deconstructed sounds, recreating patterns with diverse
instruments to give a different perspective of the sound itself. Includes
musicians from Upperground, Piero, Bittolo, Bon, and Tommaso Cappellato.
Commissioned by Annihaya in Lebanon, by Sharif Sehnaoui, Raed Yassin, and
Hatem Imam -- includes artwork by Maria Kassab. "Dips into the ethnically
charged concepts and neo-traditionalisms of Annihaya, traversing through a
panorama of sounds and textures. Eastern twang, Middle Eastern thematics
and jazz all play a role in Albidaya, as do tribal drums and marketplace
noise with the introduction of live and off-the-cuff synth experiments,
arpeggiated space transmissions and eerie Wu-Tang-like vocal samples
entrapped in a gurgling soup of analog beef." --Juno Plus Blog
Ravi Shankar - The Living Room Sessions Part 2 CD (East Meets
West) [EMWM1009CD] $19.25
"In October 2011, at the seasoned age of 91, Ravi Shankar invited his
longtime tabla accompanist Tanmoy Bose to his home in Encinitas, California
for an informal recording session. Over four days, they worked in Shankar's
living room recording seven different ragas. The resulting music is pure
Shankar -- a pairing of deep musical experience and brilliant technique
performed with the energy and passion he brings to his live concerts. The
first four of these sessions, released in 2011, won a Grammy for Best World
Music Album. The Living Room Sessions Part 2 is no less noteworthy, with
three of the last session recordings made by Maestro Ravi Shankar before
his death in December 2012. Shankar's playing is characterized by such
intensity, clarity, and delight that it reveals, once more, the maestro's
musical genius as something to reckon with, even in his tenth decade."
Roland Haynes - 2nd Wave CD (Snow Dog Records) [SDGBJ1219CD]
$14.75
In a fair and reasonable world, Roland Haynes would have compelled more
attention than he did when his jazz-funk record 2nd Wave appeared on Black
Jazz in the mid-1970s. Not to say the keyboardist was totally neglected
back then, but he and other plugged-in pianists of his stylistic
inclination (such as label-mate Doug Carn, Hampton Hawes, Don Grolnick,
Larry Willis, and Gordon Beck) existed in the deep shadow cast by
jazzman-turned-jazz-funk powerhouse Herbie Hancock, whose records with the
Head Hunters lit up the R&B and pop charts. Also eclipsing Haynes were
other widely-known wizards of the electronic keyboards: Chick Corea (Return
to Forever), Joe Zawinul (Weather Report), Bob James, and Ramsey Lewis, all
sponsored by major record companies. Musicians include: Henry Franklin
(bass), Carl Burnett, Kirk Lightsey and Roland Haynes (keyboard).
Rollin Hunt - Phoney CD (Moniker) [MNKR014] $14.25
In the 27 years since arriving here from the fifth dimension, cosmic
pop-singer ROLLIN HUNT has learned a great deal about human emotion.
Incredibly, he's almost become one of us: walking the streets of our
cities, admiring our women, dancing in our nightclubs-and finally
understanding us, crying big, salty tears over our species' violent
destiny. And now he's dropping one of the first Major Albums of the 2010s,
bringing the message of celestial love that's already earned him a
cult-following in England and Canada. Fans of Rollin's far-out R&B
("Unearthly shoo-be-doo," Jessica Hopper has called it) know him as a lo-fi
underdog, an oddly-charming savant who recorded some of his best material
on an answering machine. But The Phoney, his first real LP, finds Rollin
working it in panoramic, technicolor hi-fi that's light years from the
bedroom studio. The not-so-secret weapon is whiz-kid producer and
multi-instrumentalist DONI SCHROADER, who worked for months with Rollin in
manic, all-night studio binges, bringing his songs to lush and lavish life.
The gorgeous production that emerged from that west-side Chicago
warehouse-jaw-dropping orchestral arrangements and pyrotechnic studio
wizardry, an awesome synthesis of organic and electric that's both warm and
futuristic--is as inventive as anything this side of Frank Ocean, with whom
cddark who the Phoney shares a kind of Tumblr-era sense of digital
melancholy. Most shocking of all, The Phoney has what might be called
crossover potential--that is, it speaks not only to the human experience
but to intelligent life across the space-time continuum. Unlike, say, Ziggy
Stardust, Rollin is the type of otherworldly messenger that you can imagine
having a drink with; as a messiah, he's remarkably accessible-one of
us!-and for a 'phoney' he seems awfully real. Still, this is a big and
important album that threatens to launch Rollin right back through the
galactic portals --let's hope it doesn't, he's urgently needed here on
earth.
Roshi - 3 Almonds and a Walnut CD (Geo Record Label) [geo024]
$13.50
RELEASE DATE: 07-08-2013
3 Almonds and a Walnut is the 2nd album from Roshi featuring Pars Radio,
the band built around Welsh-Iranian songstress Roshi and her collaborator
Graham Dowdall (Gagarin, Pere Ubu, Nico etc ). Roshi's music includes her
own very individual take on song Iranian songs she grew up listening to
together with her own personal songs in arrangements of keyboards,
electronics, cello and found sounds.
Ruxpin - This Time We Go Together CD (n5MD) [md211]
$12.25
RELEASE DATE: 05-27-2013
n5MD is very proud to announce "This Time We Go Together" the 8th album
from Icelandic electronic stalwart Ruxpin. This album is the follow-up to
2010's "Where Do We Go From Here?" and those keeping track it's remix
companion "I Wonder If This Is The Place". Although Jonas Thor Gudmundsson
(a.k.a Ruxpin) seemed to take a bit of time out to work with fellow
Icelander Fannar Asgrimsson to work on the recently released Asonat album
and EPs "This Time We Go Together" is straight on the heels of the "Forever
We Ran" EP by the aforementioned duo. This leads us to believe he's been
working on this album all along as no one could make an album this good in
such a short time. This new album finds Gudmundsson adding a few more
vocals to his signature brand of manipulated melodic electronica. This
gives the album an even greater humanistic backbone that was only
moderately displayed on previous outings. A wonderful album of 16
electronic vignettes to get you "there"... wherever that may be.
Saburo Ubukata - Reflection Primal CD (Kaico) [kc004cd]
$16.00
RELEASE DATE: 06-10-2013
"Reflection Primal" is the debut album of Saburo Ubukata, a Japanese
electronic artist and composer from Tokyo, Japan. He is also an expert in
the field of acoustics, and is involved in the developement of acoustics
systems. Piano is the instrument which brung him into sound and music, and
is the instrument which he mainly used to create this stunningly beautiful
album. He aims to give listeneres an experiece which would enable them to
recall each of their scenic memories by blending field recordings (which he
recorded the nature sounds all over Japan) and music under the concept
"reverberation, reflection and afterimage". An elegant audible tale
comprised of "imagined sound" and "daily sounds".
Sam Willis - Winterval + Remixes 2CD (Arlen) [ARLEN004CD]
$18.25
The debut album from London's Sam Willis, one-half of Kompakt's visionary
electronic duo Walls, sees the light of day on CD, with a bonus disc of
remixes and exclusive versions from an eclectic collection of like-minded
individuals. Walls, who have released two critically-acclaimed and adored
albums on Kompakt, have created quite a reputation in house/techno circles
in recent years, and Sam's solo work builds on that, resulting in an
expansive and uplifting album that stands up next to classic artists in the
field of electronic music while bearing comparison with contemporaries such
as Blondes, Four Tet, and Nathan Fake. Remix artists include: Drums Off
Chaos, Wesley Matsell, Pictish Trail, Harald Bjork, Not Waving, Kate Wax,
Ramesses, Refleksie, and Ghosting Season.
Samiam - You Are Freaking Me Out CD (No Idea) [NIR309]
$12.00
The SAMIAM record that never saw a proper vinyl release in the USA finally
occurs, fully remastered and better than ever!! In the words of an
upstanding band member, "hmmm....shitty old band of losers....how can we
effectively promote that....." Yes indeed, No, wait a minute-this record is
crucial! Come and get it!
Scrimshire - Bight CD (Wah Wah 45s) [wahcd021] $16.00
RELEASE DATE: 05-27-2013
Scrimshire's highly anticipated third opus, "Bight", exemplifies
progressions made both as a singer-songwriter and producer, pushing forward
from his acclaimed second album, "The Hollow". It's an album replete with
references to one man's love for the deep blue sea, songs about being
adrift and conversely "Beached".
Secret Circuit - Tactile Galactics CD (Rvng International)
[BIS006CD] $13.50
"Delivered from its celestial womb to the human world for inevitable
elevation, Tactile Galactics is the new album by Secret Circuit, the
experimental dance music moniker and cosmic interface for Los Angeles
artist Eddie Ruscha Jr."
Sense - The Dream CD (Psychonavigation) [psy068] $16.00
RELEASE DATE: 06-24-2013
Adam Raisbeck aka Sense follows up the success of his previous album
'Selected Moments Volume 1' with another trip into a world of beautiful
Ambience. This time around there's a darker edge to the melodies but as
ever the quality of his recordings remains exceptionally high.
Shahram - Shahram CD (Pharaway Sounds) [PHS011CD]
$16.00
You know how record nerds are. They'll gladly tell you that a dawdling
Moldovian choir of 70 year-old grandmothers is the next brick in your
psych-funksplosion journey. But Shahram Shabpareh is the real thing.
Colorful arrangements of blurting horns, evil bass grooves, cheesy organs,
and thick strata of overlapping percussion instruments going off like
microwave popcorn. As the leader of an Iranian '60s garage band, The
Rebels, and later a '70s solo singer, Shabpareh was never happy just
tossing a few moves from Abba in front of whatever was on the local charts
already. He wrote and recorded hard rock and funky piano riffs that were
built bulldozer-tough and would've stuck out in an American trailer park or
a London pub just as easily as they did in Tehran. Not that he wasn't
afraid to put someone else's idea to good use, as he certainly makes superb
use of The Kinks' chords from "You Really Got Me." It's more that Shahram's
rock cojones have caused him to make blistering music again and again over
the years, with little regard for where it comes from. Here's a
well-deserved compilation of his best tracks, with insert/booklet with
liner notes, on 180 gram vinyl.
She & Him - Volume 3 CD (Merge) [MRG474] $13.25
RELEASE DATE: 05-07-2013
***With fourteen songs-eleven ZOEY DESCHANEL originals and three
covers-Volume 3 is an effortlessly effervescent, bleached-out-in-the-sun
pop record. The album features some of the most dynamic, complex songs
Deschanel has ever written, allowing for tempo shifts, disco grooves,
string arrangements on multiple tracks, and horn flourishes that perfectly
suit the SHE & HIM sound. Produced by M. WARD and recorded in Los Angeles,
Portland, and New York City, Volume 3 features guest contributions from
NRBQ's JOEY SPAMINATO, MIKE WATT, TILLY AND THE WALL, PIERRE DE REEDER from
RILO KILEY and TOM HAGERMAN from DEVOTCHKA. Since the release of the band's
album Volume Two in 2010, much has happened to both She and to Him.
Deschanel, whose television show New Girl has cemented her status as a
sitcom star, continued to hone her songwriting skills, writing the theme
song for her new show in addition to being nominated for a Grammy for Best
Original Song for the movie Winnie the Pooh. She wrote songs for Volume 3
during small pockets of downtime while filming New Girl, as Ward toured the
world behind his latest solo creation, A Wasteland Companion, which was
released to massive critical acclaim last year. First LP pressing on
limited blue vinyl. No Export.
Simon12345 & The Lazer Twins - If I Stay Here, I'll Be Alone CD
(Noble) [NBL208] $18.50
RELEASE DATE: 05-14-2013
Leipzig's new generation trio, Praezisa Rapid 3000 released their 1st album
last September as noble's first-ever european band. Today, we are happy to
introduce the first sound collection of another trio band, Simon12345 & The
Lazer twins led by none other than Praezisa Rapid 3000's core member,
Simon12345.
Solar Bears - Supermigration CD (Planet Mu) [ZIQ334]
$13.25
A real sense of drama runs through SOLAR BEARS' music, and Supermigration,
their second album following 2010's critically lauded She Was Coloured In,
is full of all kinds-from the intimate to the psychedelic, from the chase
to the suppression. Supermigration is the result of a year and a half spent
on / off in a state-of-the-art studio in the Wicklow Mountains (a far cry
from the bedroom setup where they produced their debut). Compositions were
road-tested through a steady stream of live performances that saw JOHN
KOWALSKI and RIAN TRENCH expanding Solar Bears from a duo into a full-scale
band featuring members of I AM THE COSMOS, JAPE, SHIPS and GREAT LAKES
MYSTERY. And don't overlook the two vocal-led highlights of the album
featuring special guest appearances from SARAH P of KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS
and the legendary BETH HIRSCH (whose work here recalls her appearance on
Air's Moon Safari). Supermigration proves that despite the strong acclaim
around their debut, this Ireland-based duo was simply warming up. Received
a 7.2 rating from Pitchfork. No export outside North America or Japan.
Sole - No Wising Up No Settling Down CD (Black Canyon) [BCR012]
$12.00
The second installment in the Ruthless Criticism of Everything Existing
series, No Wising Up, No Settling Down focuses more on the personal and
social aspects of philosophy and class conflict and abandons overtly
political songwriting for a more subtle, honest, experimental and poetic
approach. Although the album contains pop elements seen in the past few
SOLE releases, it also harkens back to his classic stream-of-consciousness
poetry and noise styles. No Wising Up, No Settling Down features
collaborations with GOLD PANDA, SEAN BONETTE of ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD, THE
HOOD INTERNET & SHAPERS, MAN MANTIS, DOSH, LODEN, CARS & TRAINS, SKYRIDER,
SPENCERTRON and SNUBLUCK. A decent chunk of the production is handled by DJ
PAIN 1, who's produced tracks for Young Jeezy, Gucci Mane and 50 Cent and
pushes Sole's Nuclear Winter aesthetic into new, exciting and uncharted
territory. Coming mere months after the successful release of A Ruthless
Criticism of Everything Existing, this album is a testament to what can be
accomplished by truly DIY artists when they own their own time and labor.
Steve Gunn - Time Off CD (Paradise Of Bachelors) [POB007CD]
$13.00
"In the city we're all angling for quittin' time, laboring along and among
the hours, searching and scheming for the sweet sound of those two easy
words: Time Off. It's something you take -- or sometimes steal, like a
thief or a baserunner -- but seems you can never get enough of it. It's
regulated, rationed, and billed by volume, like water or electricity or ice
cream. Sometimes you have to beg the boss for more, or even for a trifling
taste. So let's make time! Let's roll the dice and get these old bones out
on the road again. Steve Gunn's new album imagines the fugitive moments
afforded us during time off, out, and away as occasions for dilatory
investigations into our immediate environments and interiors. Time Off
showcases the virtuosic guitarist and songwriter's oblique character
sketches and story-songs, some of which, like 'Lurker' and 'Street Keeper,'
portray specific denizens of his Brooklyn neighborhood. 'Old Strange'
celebrates Jack Rose, a dear and departed friend and muse. Those
contemplative studies frame Gunn's most affecting, accessible and
articulate work of pure song-craft to date. His definitive statement as a
songwriter, Time Off represents the culmination of nearly fifteen years of
stylistic experimentation as a solo artist, a member of GHQ and the
Gunn-Truscinski Duo, and more recently, as a guitarist in fellow
Philadelphia-bred troubadour Kurt Vile's touring band the Violators. Gunn's
first eponymous album with a full band, Time Off harnesses a core trio
format to launch his compositions into new, luminous strata; the songs have
evolved through disciplined trio interplay with longtime collaborator John
Truscinski on drums and Justin Tripp (formerly of Aspera and Favourite
Sons) on bass and guitar. Helena Espvall (Espers) also guests on cello.
Steve's keen baritone voice features more prominently than ever before on
these tunes, each of which feels both more rigorous and expansive than
previous efforts."
Steve Roach - Future Flows CD (Projekt) [12236] $15.00
"He~Rs completely defined the genre of 'drone zone' electronic music." --
John Diliberto, Echoes Radio The evolving, inexplicable nature of Steve
Roach's musical soundworld is fully realized on his new textural
electronic/ambient release, Future Flows. Within the eight tracks on this
seventy-minute album, a renewing, contemplative mood emerges by way of the
shifting interconnected sonic forms that emerge from a constant source
somewhere in the near future. Artists and athletes arrive in 'flow states'
via immersion in the present moment. It is an immediate occurance where
preparation meets a willful surrender to everything in the now. The
combination of a singular focus and a relaxed, centered presence is a
merging of action and awareness nourished through years of immersion in the
creative zone. Working in Arizona in his Timeroom Studio, Roach approaches
the creative impulse by connecting to the flow within the studio
environment and recording these moments as they occur. Future Flows is
created from a palette of hand-crafted timbres and techniques that are
unique within his world of shapeshifting auralscapes. Enveloping the
listener in his signature sound cocoon, these tracks stimulate a sense of
complex emotional resonance with a radiant, organic quality. On each
listen, there's a renewed sense of immediacy, as if something living and
generative exists within the music. "For over three decades and with nearly
100 releases to his name, composer Steve Roach has been an influential
voice in the world of ambient electronic music. Whether you listen to his
solo projects or his numerous collaborations, it~Rs easy to recognize
Roach~Rs signature sound." -- Gino Robair, Mix Magazine As with related
works Mystic Chords and Sacred Spaces, Magnificent Void and Back to Life,
there is an evolving - almost symphonic - quality to Future Flows.
Engaging, capativating and calming, thought-provoking and serene, the
sheets of sound breathe and recede with meditative silence placed on equal
ground with the music. Future Flows creates an expansive yet elegant
balance point, placing the listener immediately and definitively within the
flow.
Steve Roach & Bryon Metcalf - Tales From The Ultra Tribe CD
(Projekt) [12237] $15.00
After two years pushing the creative edges, Tales From the Ultra Tribe
emerges as a fire-breathing life form. The deep trance-shamanic-atmospheric
collaboration between Steve Roach and Byron Metcalf evokes the primordial
caverns and aeon-blasted landscapes of their groundbreaking The Serpent's
Lair (Projekt, 2000). And yet on Tales From the Ultra Tribe, a new sound
emerges. It's a lucid trance-groove experience, a searing combination of
acoustic percussion and hyper-dimensional electronic rhythms. The Ultra
Tribe are the future primitives: the future-tech foundation wrapped by the
organic. It's no longer clear where the human ends and the machine begins.
The elements of this sound are Steve's complex hybrid-grooves overlaid by
Byron's primal, fluid and organic - yet precise - frame drums and
percussion. It's an atmosphere of shifting soundworlds in which the forms
of the Ultra Tribe exist. An alchemy of electronic sequencers, drum
machines and percussion locks in the groove, while the human element jumps
in and out of the steady pulse, giving the music a passionate intensity.
The elements are deftly shaped to a point of complete integration where the
final result is transformed into a living breathing body with an
electro-organic soul. As one the original architects of the tribal-ambient
genre, Steve Roach's innovations are mapped out on the landmark albums
Origins, Artifacts, and Dreamtime Return, along with releases from the
Suspended Memories trio and the more recent Fever Dreams series. Similarly,
Byron Metcalf~Rs tribal-shamanic albums Helpers, Guides & Allies, Not
Without Risk, The Shaman~Rs Heart, and A Warning From the Elders, serve as
a benchmark for deep journey exploration. In the late 90's, Steve teamed up
with Byron, and over the span of a dozen years they've created an array of
releases that explore and push the outer edges of shamanic-electronic
tribalism. The eight pieces on Tales From the Ultra Tribe are built into a
seamless 74-minute deep-journey experience. Adding to the overall impact is
a high resolution sound achieved through masterful recording and mixing
techniques. With a multi-dimensional trance-groove trajectory, the sound is
a tribal-electronic well of experience. A continuous kaleidoscope of
visionary power, mystery and visceral awe envelops the listener. The
synergistic alchemy of Steve~Rs and Byron~Rs work fuses to new levels of
audio-induced, mind-expanding music.
Suishou No Fune & Numinous Eye - Black Flowers Of The Forest In
The Cosmos CD (Essence Music) [ess019] $16.75
RELEASE DATE: 05-13-2013
This edition is limited to 170 copies only.
The Body - Master, We Perish CD (At A Loss) [AAL043]
$10.00
THE BODY return with three brand new tracks pushing their experimental
dooomed and blackend heavy sound ever forward! Since the release of 2010's
critically lauded All The Waters Of The Earth Turns To Blood, The Body have
toured as the stripped down duo and the added ensamble, and collaborators
on various releases, of the ethereal voices of the Assembly Of Light Choir
and the orchestral drone of Braveyoung. The blackened punk / hardcore burst
of "The Ebb And Flow Of Tides In A Sea Of Ash" with the contrast of CHIP
KING's screeches and LESLIE WEITZ's (OTESANEK) growls cumlminating in noise
and feedback. Beautfiful yet erie sound of CHRISSY WOLPORT (ASSEMLBY OF
LIGHT CHOIR) and REBA MITCHELL's (WHORE PAINT) vocals contrast with a
women's saddened confession of mental anguish. A pump of a shotgun, a
sludgy foreshadow moves to a explosion of sound and tortured screams.
Hypnotic tribal rythms, feedback and noise erupts into the slow crush of
low end and the bellowing of "an end to beliefs and an end to these
truths"!
Various Artists - Freedom Jazz France CD (Heavenly Sweetness)
[HS076] $18.00
A compilation featuring a wide spectrum of jazz styles from late '60s to
early '80s France covering free, Caribbean, modal, spiritual, hard bop and
a focus not only on rare and obscure tracks but also on unheard and
unspotted gems by famous or less famous name like FRANCOIS TUSQUES, EDDY
LOUISS, OCTET DE DREUX, CHENE NOIR, SYLVAIN KRIEF, NOAH HOWARD, MICHEL
ROQUES, and more.
Various Artists - The Ceremony of the Bektashi Djem/The
Tradition of Abdal Musa CD (Ocora) [OCORA560248] $18.25
"This release celebrates the Bektashi ceremony of the djem, which features
semah sacred dancing and sung poetry accompanied on the saz lute. The djem
is both a liturgy commemorating the founding myths of the Bektashi faith
and a fraternal agape (ritual feast) uniting an entire community. Music,
listened to with great intensity, is a link between all that permeates this
entire ritual. In these recordings from the Turkish region of Antalya, two
'choirs' are present: one, conducted by Mļzaffer GĶrgļlļ, recorded in
2004; the other, conducted by Sļleyman Can, in the 'mother' house (the
house of the ancestral djem) in 2011." Oversized hardbound packaging with
booklet.
Various Artists - 50 Weapons of Choice #30-39 CD (50 Weapons)
[50014CD] $14.75
Annual label showcase featuring the latest 12" single highlights by Marcel
Dettmann, Atoms For Peace, Cosmin TRG, Benjamin Damage, Phon.o, Bambounou,
and more, as well as two additional unreleased exclusive bonus tracks by
Truncate and datei42. The vinyl version features mostly out-of-print
titles, plus the two unreleased exclusive bonus tracks by Truncate and
datei42. 2012 was 50 Weapons' most successful year so far. Voted as the #1
label of the year by XLR8R, #2 label of the year by the readers of De:Bug
and ranked in the top 10 of Top Labels 2012 by Resident Advisor, amongst
listings in many other "Best of the Year" categories in media around the
world, never before has the label gained so much attention. 50 Weapons of
Choice #30-39 aims to present some of the 12" single highlights of the past
months in a cohesive manner. Label regulars Cosmin TRG, Phon.o, Anstam,
Bambounou, Dark Sky, Addison Groove, Benjamin Damage, and Marcel Dettmann
are accompanied by A Made Up Sound and Thom Yorke-led group Atoms For
Peace. On its fourth installment of the series two new guests contribute
exclusive bonus tracks: U.S. techno veteran Truncate and mysterious
Berlin-based youngster duo datei42. Dive into the colorful worlds of 50
Weapons with this action-packed adventure tale.
Various Artists - King Size Dub: Germany Downtown Chapter II CD
(Echo Beach) [EB096CD] $9.00
Second volume of the compilation sub-series, featuring German reggae
artists. The release of King Size Dub: Germany Downtown Chapter II is
another impressive display of how a musical style has progressed: dub as a
style with all its reference points between commerce and innovation. The
subtitle "file under logical dubgression" shows the way and the
tracklisting fulfills all expectations. The variety of styles (reggae,
dubstep, pop, dancehall, trip, and dope beats) is the pivot for more
"logical dubgression" with all the usual -- and some very unusual --
suspects of the remixer and artist set. Artists include: Aldubb (feat. Ras
Perez), Giotto, Chassy Wezar (feat. Onejiru), SEEED, iLLBiLLY HiTEC,
Longfingah, aDUBta, Melissa & The Big Crash, Cornell Campbell (feat. Lisa
Imuze), The Senior Allstars, AudioArt (feat. Birthe Bendixen), Dub Spencer
& Trance Hill, Robo Bass Hifi, Jazzmin Tutum & Hey O Hansen, Braintheft,
Symbiz Sound, Rob Smith aka RSD, TACK>>HEAD, Dubvisionist, Ken Boothe,
Dubblestandart, Marcia Griffiths, and Victor Rice.
Various Artists - Daora: Underground Sounds of Urban Brasil:
Hip-Hop, Beats, Afro & Dub 2CD (Mais Um Discos) [MAIS016CD] $19.75
Daora is a 2CD collection of the freshest hip-hop, leftfield beats,
Afro-beat, and dub-influenced sounds from Brazil. Compiled by respected
SÄ£o Paulo beat-head Rodrigo Brandao -- who has collaborated with members
of The Roots, Afro-beat master Tony Allen, producer Prince Paul (De La
Soul), and artists from the Ninja Tune and Big Dada stables -- it features
32 tracks that represent the musicians, MCs, and beat-heads making some of
the most thrilling urban music in "the alternative lanes of Brazil's third
world megalopolis." Rodrigo explains: "Blending both the foundations of
boom-bap and Brazilian rhythmic and melodic heritage, Daora (SÄ£o Paulo
street-slang for something that's 'f*cking cool') is an introduction to the
most cutting-edge beat culture plus percussive-oriented music coming out of
Brazil today." Rodrigo Brandao is one of the Brazilian beats movement's
most respected generals whose career has been pegged to the scene he loves.
An in-demand producer, collaborator and MC, he's been crowned the official
MC of the Zulu Nation, Brazil by none other than the father of hip-hop,
Afrika Bambaataa. He rose to fame in Brazil as one-half of acclaimed
Brazilian hip-hop pioneers Mamelo Sound System and, alongside Mike Ladd and
Scotty Hard, recently featured on Ropeadope's acclaimed Brazilian-US
collaboration Ekundayo. He has brought international acts like De La Soul,
Mos Def, and Talib Kweli to SÄ£o Paulo and Brandao's mission is to discover
and join the dots between Brazilian music and its American and African
families.
Various Artists - Oliver Koletzki Presents Stil vor Talent 100
2CD (Stil Vor Talent) [SVT100CD] $19.75
With their 100th release, Stil Vor Talent looks back on lots of fantastic
music -- music by artists who have become part of a close-knit family of
friends. On this compilation of 22 exclusive, previously-unreleased tracks,
Stil Vor Talent celebrates those who have made the label what it is today
-- their core group of artists. Kellerkind and Murat Kilic provide two nu
disco tracks that both re-contextualize classic strings and harmonies in a
contemporary framework, with the former showcasing his trademark sound and
a catchy vocal sample, while the latter pairs filter house elements with a
soulful, sunny guitar. BjĶrn StĶrig collaborates with all-rounder Meggy
to create a piano-driven vocal house track with a classic feel. Equally
classy and understated, Sascha Braemer shines on both of his contributions.
While "Need Someone" featuring Stevo is laidback, subtle and utterly
beautiful, Niconé & Sascha Braemer's "Wish U" will cause a stir on the
dancefloor: bright synths, cheerful vocals, and a '90s rave piano. Speaking
of the '90s, Animal Trainer's "Mental" has a comparably old-school vibe and
will make for an epic set closer at the end of a long night. Similarly, the
thunderstorm break of Oliver Koletzki's remake of Erich Lesovsky's "One
Word" will leave you breathless. While HVOB and Jan Blomqvist both
represent their signature styles -- melodic, driving, intelligent -- some
of Stil Vor Talent's artists aim for a darker sound than usual. Dan Caster
proves how versatile he is with "You and I," a bass-driven monster. Ryan
Dupree targets the peak-time with menacing synths and acidic bass-lines,
while Niko Schwind presents us with a sweaty beast. On top, Dapayk Solo and
Aka Aka (feat. Thalstroem) and Channel X provide energetic tracks that
reference house and techno in equal measures, while appearing futuristic
and otherworldly. There are also some new faces: the Berlin-based duo of
Marlon Hoffstadt & Hrrsn kick off the compilation with the positively poppy
"Once Again," and Severin Borer, who relies on a contemporary, uplifting
bounce and a naughty bit of sampling, while Katjuscha's vox works perfectly
within Jakob Faber's clever arrangement on "How to Describe." Also included
are Boy Next Door Oliver Schories, and Pete Oak (feat. Natalie Conway) as
well as Jonas Mantey.
Warm Soda - Someone For You CD (Castle Face) [CF016]
$12.00
MATTHEW MELTON previously of the spontaneously combusted BARE WIRES, has
created a lean, mean gang of masterful power pop tunes with just the right
blend of studio sweetness, teenage angst, and gritty bubblegum. All killer,
no filler. Twelve hot-to-trot tracks.
White Fence - Cyclops Reap CD (Castle Face) [CF019]
$12.00
NOW AVAILABLE ON CD!!! Received an 7.7 rating from Pitchfork. A whole new
LP from TIM PRESLEY, will be sure to please fans of last year's Family
Perfume Vol.1 + 2. Heavy on the warp, mellow to the yellow, with perhaps
even more earworms this time around, shoe-strung together and laced with
adenoidal whimsy as only Mr. Presley can pull off.
Wire, The - #352 June 2013 Magazine (The Wire) [WIRE352]
$9.50
"On the cover: The June issue will be a special issue looking at the use of
language in experimental and underground music. No, we're not (just)
talking about lyrics here, more about how words and language are/is
requisitioned, recycled, disrupted, enhanced, used, abused and mis-used by
the kinds of sounds covered by The Wire, from global glossolalia to
auto-tune, sound poetry to battle rhymes, cut-ups to sampling, scat singing
to verbal notation, folk tales to machine voices, and most points in
between. Inside this issue: Invisible Jukebox: Oliver Lake; Collateral
Damage: Numero Group; Cross Platform: Foghorn Requiem; Global Ear:
Newcastle, New South Wales; Unofficial Channels: Echo: Women In Sonic Arts;
Mississippi Records' Alan Lomax tour; London Posse: Gangster Chronicle
Sachiko."
With Lumps - Lumps For Lovin' CD (Never Come Ashore) [NCACD1]
$13.25
Named after a mishearing of the lyrics to "Got To Have Loving" by Don Ray,
Lumps for Lovin' documents Glasgow residents FRITZ WELCH (on percussion,
amp, voice, electronics) and NEIL DAVIDSON (on guitar and amplifier)
collaborating in the studio and live with HELHESTEN, MAYA DUNIETZ and LIENE
ROZITE (MURIS). A fusion of batshit blustering mayhem with a precision
normally associated with micro house, adumbrated by just a hint of
adolescent breathlessness, this surprisingly danceable disc synthesizes
noise and acoustic improvisation into a gurgling diaspora of juice.
Xenia Rubinos - Magic Trix CD (Ba Da Bing!) [BING082]
$9.50
On initial listen to Magic Trix, the first album by Brooklynite XENIA
RUBINOS, one might feel as though one is being tased (bro). Little compares
to the sharp, thick spine of keyboard sound that shoots out from the very
first moments. An oblique assemblage of uncommon rhythms, forceful singing
and dance-'til-you-puke styles combine to make Magic Trix one of the most
exciting debuts in years. Surprisingly, the record's aggressive sound is
achieved without the use of guitars. Rubinos, with the assistance of
drummer / sound magician MARCO BUCCELLI, creates a dozen songs that bring
to mind the adventurous spirit and whacked-out mentality found in the best
moments of Rip, Rig and Panic, DNA and The Contortions. Rubinos expands on
her Cuban, Puerto Rican and American roots, and while the songs shoot off
to new stratospheres, they never lose the sense that the music is at its
core two people banging on things, making a racket. It was such a racket
that their home production of the album was often interrupted by paintings
falling from the walls of their apartment as they recorded. Magic Trix
takes all its diverse origins and combines them into an aggressively
danceable dozen tunes. Ponder it. Shake your booty to it. However you hear
it, Rubinos's songs will get things moving. No export to Spain, Portugal or
Italy.
[ D V D ]
[ H I S T O R I C A L ]
Charlie Poole with The Highlanders - Complete Paramount &
Brusnwick Recordings, 1929 CD (Tompkins Square) [TSQ2875] $13.50
From 1926 to 1930 one of the most popular rural string bands on record was
CHARLIE POOLE & THE NORTH CAROLINA RAMBLERS. Through their 78 RPM discs and
their various performances, Charlie Poole was second only to Gid Tanner and
His Skillet Lickers. Poole's uniquely syncopated three finger banjo picking
style coupled with his Piedmont vocal inflections eventually colored and
defined much of what we consider "old-time" music. The classic
configuration of banjo, fiddle and guitar with vocals was encouraged by the
main label that promoted Poole but he also wanted to record instrumentals
featuring twin-fiddle and piano. As renaming his group THE HIGHLANDERS,
Poole was able to actualize this musical vision. This collection contains
all of the sides that Poole made with ROY HARVEY, LUCY TERRY, and
twin-fiddlers LONNIE AUSTIN and ODELL SMITH. Remastered in beautiful sound
by CHRISTOPHER KING and with notes written by old-time musician and scholar
KINNEY RORRER.
Cleveland Eaton - Plenty Good Eaton CD (Snow Dog Records)
[SDGBJ1220CD] $14.75
Cleveland "Cleve" Eaton is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame,
right there with Nat Cole, Wilson Pickett, Martha Reeves, Jerry Wexler, The
Blind Boys Of Alabama, and a few dozen other notables. "I don't play like
nobody else," he told The Birmingham News when inducted in 2008. "I do my
own thing. It's absolutely Alabama." Eaton's Plenty Good Eaton, recorded in
Curtis Mayfield's soul Chicago at Chess Recording Studio with local
hired-guns and first out in 1975, belongs to the R&B genre, even though
there are side paths into soul-jazz. The lushly arranged "Chi-Town"
proceeds from a cloned "Shaft" introduction into a lushly-produced funk
romp with Eaton's upright bass guiding a chicken-scratch funk guitar,
electronic keyboards, strings, horns, and a female singer or two. With
Eaton's acoustic bass typically prominent in the mix, and with Ed Green's
violin steering its melodic course, "Keena" exists as a happy union of R&B
and disco. In spite of lame repetitive chants of its title, "Moe, Let's
Have A Party" makes the right dancefloor moves with a funk groove that
popular bands like Rufus and the Ohio Players wouldn't mind claiming as
their own. Cleveland Eaton (bass), Kenneth Prince (electric piano), Ernest
Johnson (guitar), Odel I Brown (organ, electric piano), Morris Jennings
(percussion), Derf Raheen (percussion, flute), Arie Brown (tenor
saxophone), Artee "Duke" Payne, Edwin Daughtry (tenor saxophone, flute),
John Watson (trombone), Steve Galloway (bass trombone), and Bobby Christian
(vibraphone).
Congregacion - Viene... CD (Lion Productions) [LION668]
$15.00
CONGREGACION was the most legendary of the many excellent bands of the
early 1970s Chilean music scene-one could easily say that for many people,
this album has had the impact of a religious experience. There is good
reason for that: Congregacion's music has a highly evocative sense of
space, using natural sounds, native Andean instruments, and acoustic
textures to foreground ecologist and mystic ANTONIO SMITH's soaring
melodies and deeply felt, philosophical lyrics. The results make this one
of those perfect albums that works just as well on a Sunday morning as it
does late at night. If things had worked out differently for Smith and
Congregacion, this album might be as well-known (and well-loved) as
comparable albums-comparable masterpieces-Milton Nascimento's Clube de
Esquina, and Joyce and Nelson Angelo's eponymous album. Unfortunately,
Smith's lyrics earned him the enmity of the Chilean military dictatorship;
he was forced to flee the country and Viene... (IRT, 1972) proved to be the
band's only release. Still, we're lucky to have this album, with its
perfect sequence of gentle, undulating, heavily-textured arrangements
supporting Smith's plaintive, intimate and searching vocals. The result is
an atmosphere of peace and enlightenment, with deep and introspective
moments of great quality; incredibly beautiful. Deluxe, mini-LP gatefold
jacket edition comes with a bi-lingual 32-page booklet, which explores the
story of Congregacion in the context of the rich Chilean rock music scene.
Conrad Schnitzler - Contempora CD (Bureau B) [BB134CD]
$16.00
"Contempora (1981) is a sort of collection of sketches, reflecting Conrad
Schnitzler's inexhaustible creative powers in condensed form. Like light
refracting through a multiple prism, shapes and colors constantly change,
backgrounds shift through brightness and darkness. Each track on the album
could easily double or triple in length without relinquishing any of its
magic or indeed becoming boring. Schnitzler grants us the merest glimpses
into his diverse soundscapes and sonic armories. He opens one door ever so
slightly, only to close it again and open another for just a few minutes.
Improvised sonic comets shimmer over Schnitzler's inimitable sequencer
patterns, fleeting melodies fade away. Everything happens at breathtaking
speed, miniatures without frames or tangible borders. In the early '80s
Schnitzler worked primarily with the EMS Synthi A and Korg MS 10
synthesizers, an analog sequencer and analog rhythm machine. All in all,
this was neither a particularly complex nor exotic array of equipment for
the period. Many electronic artists used these inexpensive instruments, or
something similar. Nevertheless, Schnitzler succeeded in setting himself
apart from others in the fraternity, in both sonic and compositional terms.
Not so much gripped by the need to occupy a unique position, he was simply
unable and unwilling to divert from his creative path. Contempora again
underlines Schnitzler's noble ethos." --Asmus Tietchens
Five Times Of Dust - The Dadacomputer cassette (Minimal Wave)
[MW046CS] $11.25
"Limited edition reissue of one of our favorite cassettes, The
Dadacomputer, the first incarnation of what would later become Five Times
of Dust. It was the result of collaboration between Robert Lawrence and
Mark Phillips who came together during the summer of 1981 living between
Bristol and Cardiff, UK. They collaborated by sending tapes back and forth
through the mail and also worked together in their respective home studios.
Later that year, they self-released The Dadacomputer on both MAP tapes and
Quick Stab. Roughly 100 copies were made in total and soon sold out."
King Tubby - Hometown Hi-Fi Dubplate Specials 1975-1979 CD
(Jamaican Recordings) [JRCD051CD] $13.25
King Tubby's Hometown Hi-Fi was one the great sound systems in Jamaica. It
also proved a fantastic outlet for the Dub Plate Specials cut at Tubby's
studio, providing exclusive cuts to be played out, enticing the dance's
audience. The tracks at the time were mainly cut over producer Bunny
"Striker" Lee rhythms, that Bunny stored at Tubby's studio which was in
fact his home, 18 Drumilly Avenue in Kingston, Jamaica. The versions were
given exclusive plays at Tubby's before some finding their way on to vinyl,
as the B-side version cut to its A-side vocal, proving so popular, that the
records were often bought for its version side over its vocal counterpart.
King Tubby and Producer Bunny "Striker" Lee are intertwined in the birth of
dub music. Tubby's vast knowledge of electronics and Bunny's vast catalog
of rhythms would lay the foundations of what today is taken as a
standard... the remix/version cuts to an existing vocal tune. Tubby and
Striker were at Treasure Isle Studios one day while Ruddy from Spanish Town
was working with the engineer Byron Smith. "Tubby and myself was talking
when Ruddy was cutting some dub but Smithy (engineer) made a mistake and
forgot to put in the voice. It was a two-track recording in those days.
Ruddy said 'No Man! Make it stay!' And so they cut the rhythm. When I went
over to Ruddy's that Saturday night a dance was in progress and when they
played the vocal to the tune... then he said we're going to play 'Part
Two.' They never called it 'Version.' And then he played the rhythm track.
The song was a catchy song and everybody started to sing along and the
deejay started to toast so everything went down well. On Monday morning I
went up and I said 'Tubbs the mistake we made was a serious joke. It mash
up Spanish Town!' The people went wild. So you have to start to do that now
'cause when the man put on the 'Part Two' everyone started singing this
song. It played about 20 times. I said you try Tubbs!' Well the next
Saturday night now when Tubby strung up down the farm U Roy said he's going
to play 'Part Two' but Tubby did it different now. He started with the
voice then dropped it out and let the rhythm run and then he brought in the
voice in the middle and from there Tubby started to get really popular.''
--Bunny "Striker" Lee. Dynamic Sounds upgraded to 16-track recording in
1972 and Tubby purchased, again with the help of a deal brokered by Bunny
Lee, the old 4-track equipment and the MCI console from their Studio B. The
four tracks now gave him far wider scope to work with and he began to
create a new musical form where the bass and drum parts were brought up
while the faders allowed Tubby to ease the vocal and rhythm in and out of
the mix. Jamaican Recordings has compiled a selection of cuts that were all
tried and tested on Tubby's hometown hi-fi sound system and worked a great
set of Bunny Lee's rhythms in fine style. All killer no filler.
Lee Perry - At WIRL Records CD (Kingston Sounds) [KSCD044CD]
$13.25
Lee Perry's time at WIRL Records, later to be renamed Dynamic Sounds
Studios, was a very productive time in his career. A run of great singles
and the shaping of a new sound, the beginning of what we know today as
reggae . Lee Perry (b. Rainford Hugh Perry, March 28, 1936, Hanover,
Jamaica) began his entry into the music business at the age of 16. He moved
up to Kingston Town and working around various sound systems, before
finding employment at Coxonne Dodd's Studio One, in the late '50s early
1960s. Perry started out as a record scout, organizing sessions and
supervising auditions at Dodd's record shop on Orange Street, helping to
make hits for Delroy Wilson and the Maytals, which would lead to his own
vocal records released through Studio One, the musical backing for which
came from legendary Studio One house band The Skatalites. Another important
relationship for Perry, his first recordings with Bob Marley, came in the
form of the Wailers, also providing backing, alongside the Soulettes who
featured Rita Marley, cutting such tunes as "Chicken Scratch" around
1965/1966. This tune was also to provide him with one of his future
nicknames, "Scratch." A dispute over credits and money saw Perry leave
Studio One and work with various producers including Clancy Eccles and J.
J. Johnson, before arriving at the door of producer Joe Gibbs in 1967. Here
he would write songs and produce hits for artists such as Errol Dunkley and
the Pioneers. A tune cut during his time with Gibbs voiced a snipe at
fellow employee Dodd, a trademark that would become an outlet for his
frustrations in the business. This particular tune "The Upsetter" would
also provide another moniker and a name for his label. Again, lack of
musical credit and financial reward saw Perry move on to WIRL (West Indies
Records Limited) Records, working alongside manager Clifford Rae, who would
provide studio time and pay for pressings in return for helping to promote
and distribute WIRL product. This period at WIRL saw some inspired work
from Perry. "Run for Cover" was another musical blow to a previous
employer, Coxonne Dodd, and featured the Sensations on backing vocals and
Lynn Taitt's guitar-picking skills. "People Funny Boy" was a massive hit
for Perry going on to sell over 60,000 copies. Perry worked up a new style
with Clancy Eccles, who would come under attack himself on "You Crummy."
"Set Them Free" was an answer recording to Prince Buster's "Judge Dread"
(which had featured Perry on it) -- a plea to the judges in Jamaica that
handed out extremely harsh sentences. The track was cut on the same rhythm
as "Run for Cover." "Django Shoots First," inspired by the Spaghetti
Western film of the same name, features Sir Lord Comic. "Night Doctor" was
a hit instrumental that featured the organ talents of Ansel Collins and
"Something You Got" was a cover of a USA R& B track by Chris Kenner and
"Wind Up Girl" was cut at the same session. "Water Pump" was a rude-style
track that was cut later and originally released in 1974, as was "People
Sokup Boy," a later version of "People Funny Boy." "Labrish" was one of the
first great talk-over tunes that features Lee Perry and producer Bunny
"Striker" Lee talking about the political situation in Jamaica, originally
released in 1973. Bunny Lee would play a major part in Lee Perry's career
around this time and they were very close, often sharing sessions and
rhythms. Here we have a collection of music born out of a time spent at
WIRL Records, providing an important chapter in Lee Perry's career and
indeed to the story of reggae itself.
Michael Nyman - Piano 3CD (Mn Records) [MNR206CD]
$34.25
" Piano is a new, specially priced boxed set from MN Records featuring
three albums from the label's back catalog. It focuses on Michael Nyman's
special connection to the keyboard. It includes the first album released on
MN Records, The Piano Sings, Nyman's score for Jane Campion's 1993 film The
Piano and Nyman's 'Piano Concerto,' one of the most exciting and inspiring
pieces he has written." Performed by Michael Nyman (piano); Kathryn Stott
(piano); Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; Michael Nyman Band.
Nkengas - Destruction CD (Secret Stash Records) [SSR293CD]
$14.50
"Destruction by the Nkengas originally hit streets in 1973, overflowing
with heavy Afro-beat, Afro-rock, and gritty highlife. Few copies were
pressed, and today it can take months of searching to find a copy of this
coveted gem. It came about during Osita Osadebe and His Nigeria Sound
Makers's UK tour. Financial hardship led members of the Nigeria Sound
Makers to break off and form another group while in London, the Nkengas.
Next, the Nkengas were introduced to Jamaican born Sonny Roberts, well
known in London for his Orbitone record store and label. After the
recording sessions, the band returned to Nigeria and became known as the
Ikenga Super Stars of Africa, finding much success in West Africa. Despite
their later popularity, the heights of funky rawness in this early effort
were seldom duplicated. Working in coordination with Orbitone Records and
the leader of the Nkengas, Chief Vincent Okoroego, we are proud to present
the first ever reissue of this funky rarity. Available on CD and vinyl,
each contains detailed liner note inserts with never before seen photos. As
always, the LP version includes a free digital download of the entire album
and the CD version comes in a premium digipack."
Royal Trux - 3-Song EP CD (Drag City) [DC154CD] $11.25
"1998, and according to the press, Royal Trux were back in action. Given
the powerful response to Accelerator, an EP would be needed soon -- and
with a long European tour impending, what better time than the present? In
short order, the three songs were recorded, along with a fourth, a cover of
Dire Straits' 'Money for Nothing' which was set aside to be used as a
B-side for a planned UK single release. The songs were a funky bunch --
'Deafer Than Blind' was a sweet 'n' sour ballad built off a drum loop,
'Run, Shaker Life' was a Richie Havens cover with spiritual overtones and
'The United States of America vs. One 1974 Cadillac El Dorado Sedan' was a
proggy group jam that featured an extensive libretto and comprised one of
the longest Royal Trux song yet. The static-crisp high end of Accelerator
was abandoned in favor of a smeared, bottom-heavy sound, showcasing the
thunder in the stomping rhythm section and a darker tone in Hagerty's
bent-neck histrionics. This was something that one might almost regard as
straight-up rock in Royal Trux terms, and Neil and Jennifer harmonized in
their own unique way throughout the record. 3-Song EP is now available
again for the first time in almost a decade."
Tav Falco & Panther Burns - Sugar Ditch Revisted / The Shake
Rag 2CD (Stag-O-Lee) [STAGO036] $20.00
The TAV FALCO & PANTHER BURNS reissue/remaster series, part two. This one
contains the Sugar Ditch Revisited EP (1985) and The Shake Rag EP (1986).
Plus a previously-unreleased 11-song/45 minute live show from the
Messepalast Vienna from 1989. Sugar Ditch Revisited-a modest album with a
huge cast of the creme of Memphis musicians joining Panther Burns. JIM
DICKINSON produced the record alongside ROLAND JAMES, pioneer guitarist on
the early Jerry Lee Lewis sides, twirling the knobs at the control board.
This record featured two songs Dickinson had found on tapes discarded by
Stax during the last days of the studio's existence. Sir Mac Rice an
ex-Falcon penned "Tina, The Go Go Queen" and "Money Talks." For these
numbers ANDREW LOVE and BEN CAULEY were brought in from the MEMPHIS HORNS
to add that lush and signature lilt of the laid-back "Memphis sound." ALEX
CHILTON played his new guitar-a rusty Mosrite, the bassist RENE COMAN came
up from New Orleans for the sessions, ROSS JOHNSON whipped the skins, and a
bevy of girlfriends sang backing vocals. Shake Rag-Panther Burns recorded
this dark and lugubrious mini-album at the Sam Phillips Recording Service
in Memphis in 1986. While this was the boom period for lavish alternative,
new wave, and no wave music productions, there were only three stalwarts
responsible for this record: Jim Dickinson producer, keyboardist,
guitarist, Ross Johnson on percussion, and Tav Falco on guitar and voice.
There is a raw primitivism howling from these tracks and an unbridled
intensity not heard from the band in recorded form since their first record
Behind the Magnolia Curtain. Live at Messepalast is a collection of songs
cut from a wild and wooly two-hour show on Panther Burns' second tour of
Europe in 1989. ORF (Austrian National Radio) was there recording the whole
mess in ultra high-fidelity, and the result is what you will hear on this
record. Two CDs in 12" replica sleeves, the live show is added to the Shake
Rag EP. CD Includes a 32-page booklet featuring extensive liner notes by
Tav Falco himself.
Troc - Troc CD (Fremeaux) [FA576CD] $19.25
"In the tradition of Miles Davis, Weather Report and others taking jazz to
new shores in the early seventies, Troc was a legendary yet short-lived
quintet whose only album was issued in 1972 -- a rough diamond from the
seams of jazz/rock and other hallucinatory experiments. Drummer André
Ceccarelli recently reformed the band to record Troc 2011 for Universal and
its success prompted this reissue by Frémeaux of the band's epic first
album -- now available for the first time on CD -- together with two bonus
titles recorded at that same historic session."
Various Artists - Imaginational Anthem VI CD (Tompkins Square)
[TSQ2851] $13.50
RELEASE DATE: 04-30-2013
***If American Primitive Guitar begins with John Fahey and the Takoma
School, then the actual origins of this sound is found within this
collection of fourteen solo guitar performances. Recorded between 1923 to
1930, this set is the "Rosetta Stone" of style and repertoire tapped into
deeply by Fahey, Basho & Rose, among many others. SAM MCGEE, RILEY PUCKETT,
BAYLESS ROSE, SYLVESTER WEAVER, LEMUEL TURNER, FRANK HUTCHISON and DAVEY
MILLER are the rural artists included in this anthology. Each one of these
showcases a particular technique and sensitivity sourced from the earlier
19th century parlor guitar tradition. Several of these sides are reissued
for their first time including Sylvester Weaver's "Guitar Blues," which is
the first solo finger picked guitar solo ever recorded. Stunningly
remastered and annotated by CHRISTOPHER KING.
Various Artists - A Young Person's Guide to the Avant-Garde 2CD
(LTM) [LTM2569] $15.75
RELEASE DATE: 06-24-2013
A Young Person's Guide to the Avant-Garde is an accessible, comprehensive
primer that surveys modernism and music in the 20th century, offering
Futurist noise, dreamy Surrealism, Dada tone poetry, serialism, prepared
pianos, musique concrète and early electronic composition.
2000 and One * Aaviko * Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso
U.F.O. * Actor, The * Akron/Family * Al Cisneros * Andre
Bratten * Andrew Hill * Anja Schneider * Anno Stamm *
Antorcha * APC * Apt J(ext)ie Irrchie * Aquarius Heaven *
Ariel Pink * Arjuna Schiks * Audio Werner * Beacon * Bed
Rugs * Belaboris * Benny Johnson * Black Heart Rebellion *
Blawan * Boards Of Canada * Bobby Hutcherson * Bodo Molitor *
Bone Sickness * Bonny Prince Billy & The Marquis De Tren * Brand
Nubian * Cast King * Church Whip * Colin Stetson *
Coliseum * Conrad Schnitzler * Cool Ghouls * Counter Intuits
* Daniel Menche * Date Palms * Deep Magic * Demdike Stare *
Derdiyoklar Ikilisi * Deviation Social * Die & Addison Groove
* Digable Planets * DJ Die & Jenna G * Donald Byrd * Drape *
Eeek! * Erb * Fumio Hayasaka * Galax * Glimpse * Grace
Slick * Graham Mushnik * Gravetemple * Gregory Isaacs * Grim
Tower * Grisha Shakhnes * Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova
Consonanza * Guardate * Guided By Voices * Gummihz *
Gummihz/John Dimas * Haxan Cloak, The * Heinrichs &
Hirtenfellner * Holy Ghost * Housemeister * Hreno * Human
Expression, The * Human Inferno/Lasse Marhaug * Huxley * Hvob *
Illute * Inland * Jackie McLean * Jan St. Werner * Jared
Wilson * Jaw & Kevork Keshishian * Joe Bataan * John Lee Hooker
* John Tejada * JTC * Kaap De Goede Hoop * Kalabrese *
Kareem * Karocel * King Tubby * Kink & Sierra Sam * Kisk &
Jacky O * Kitchen and The Plastic Spoons * Koreless * Kuniyuki
(feat. Henrik Schwarz) * KVB, The * Las Antorchas * Laura
Stevenson * Lee Perry * Legs * Lightnin' Hopkins * Lightning
Hopkins * Linda Draper * Locust * Loren Connors * Major
Lazer * Malphino * Marc Houle & Miss Kittin * Marisa Anderson *
Mark Broom * Mark Ernestus Meets Ben Zabo * Marko Furstenberg
* Marvin Zeyss * Mathias Kaden * Matias Aguayo * Matt John *
Max Roach/Clifford Brown * Memphis Slim * Michael Hurley * Mikal
Cronin * Mitsuaki Komamura * Mm/Km * Mungo's Hi Fi (Feat.
Yellowman & Mr Williamz) * Naum Gabo * Nicholas Bullen *
Nkengas * Null & Void * OK Vancouver OK * Pablo Tarno &
Anthony Constans * Pali Meursault * Pascal Comelade * People Of
The North * Peter Buck * Physics * Plates Of Cake * Professor
Longhair * Prommer & Barck * Psyk * Q4U * Rabbits * Rabih
Beaini * Rain * Real Numbers * Robert Johnson * Rolando *
Rollin Hunt * Royal Trux * Royal-T * Rupert's People *
Rusty Bryant * Ruts DC * RVDS * Saboten * Sabu
Martinez * Sam Rivers * Samiam * Sante & Frank Lorber * Se
Rogie * Secret Circuit * Seitz vs. Michael Gendrau * Shahram *
Shampoo Boy * She & Him * Skip James * Solar Bears * Some
Stranger * Sonic Aesthetic, The * Sorcerer * Stephen Brown *
Steve Gunn * Steve Lacy/Joe Mcphee * Sudden Death Of Stars, *
Sun Ra * Sun, The * Tar Halos * Teenage Moods * Teo Laura
Amao * The Body * The History Of Colour TV * The/Das * Theo
Parrish and Tony Allen * Tiga & Jori Hulkkonen * Tomoko Sauvage *
Toody/Western Front * Truth * Tunabunny * Unknown *
Vedomir * Vernon Felicity * Vertonen * Victoria * Vince
and His Lost Delegation * Vita Nova * Walo Shatan Gwari * Waze &
Odyssey * Whiles * Window Twins * Wold * Wrekmeister
Harmonies * Xenia Rubinos * Xiu Xiu + Eugene S. Robinson * Yes
Wizard * Yong Yandsen * Youandewan * Zoot Sims Quartet
2000 and One - Toronto 12 inch (100% Pure) [PURE090EP]
$13.25
2000 And One (aka Dylan Hermelijn) has been on the forefront of electronic
dance music since the late '80s. His pioneering vision across more than two
decades of music genres ranks him as one of the most versatile, in-demand
international artists, commanding weekly performances on the house, techno,
and tech-house global club and festival circuits. His childhood experiences
in Toronto inspired him to produce this killer single. Includes a B-side
with the 1984 "Electro Synth Pop Mix" he made of Bart Skils' "Midnight
Moving."
Aaviko - Planet Fun-Fun LP (Muysic For Peoples) [MUYSIC008LP]
$23.25
The legendary electronic synthesizer music group from Finland, Aaviko,
return with a new mini-LP. Aavikko is a trio comprised of Tomi Kosonen,
Tomi LeppĤnen, and Paul Staufenbiel. Between them, these three also share
membership in Finnish groups Circle, K-X-P, Astro Can Caravan, and Pharaoh
Overlord. This mini-LP contains electro-acoustic desert light-rock and pop
music, also some jazz and so-called funky music, while also combining
classical music's scales. Aavikko (meaning "the desert" in Finland's Suomi
language) has existed since 1995. LeppĤnen's incredibly precise drumming
combines with analog electronic sequences, and Kosonen and Staufenbiel's
synthesizers form catchy sounds. Planet Fun-Fun also features Swedish
singer Slobyn and Dr. Albania as a background singer. And for the first
time in Aavikko, the electric guitar is also heard, from rising young
talent Tero Holopainen. Recorded in STINK studio, and mixed by Ilari
Larjosto.
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - In Search of
the Lost Divine Arc 2xLP (Important Records) [IMPREC38€] $23.00
"Deluxe double LP pressed in an edition of 1000 copies, the first 200 of
which are on color vinyl. Acid Mothers Temple's In Search of the Lost
Divine Arc heads in a completely different direction from 2012's Son of a
Bitches Brew. Harder, faster, and more riff-rock oriented, this record is
here to slay. AMT skews their vibe between Zeppelin and Beefheart, coming
out with another classic Acid Mothers ripper in the process. "
Akron/Family - Sub Verses LP (Dead Oceans) [DOC078LP]
$17.25
"The album started with visions of large monumental sounds inspired by
Heizer and Turrell; American works on a grand scale, monuments, dirty hands
and an epic American masculinity. Dust, stone, sky, earth. These broad,
bold strokes would come to pass but not quite as expected. A sci fi
aesthetic narrative emerged. Tackling distant pasts and future humanism,
the pain and idiocy of our contemporary culture. How to deal with it open
heartedly? The boredom, the sadness and speed. The plots within plots of
Dune mirrored in many layers of sound. Creating 3D sonic atmospheres that
our songs and singers inhabit. Our story, a story, all stories. Told in
verses, in underground language, in sub frequencies. Not audible, only
felt, intuited, imagined in some deepest psychic space that you are yet to
know. A strange story. Of the future, of yourself. Of everyone. We are all
we are, only this and yet we move forward. Along some line to somewhere.
And who knows?"
Al Cisneros - Ark Procession/Jericho 10 inch (Drag City)
[DC558EP] $11.75
"Here are two songs I wrote (through the blessings and the grace of God)
upon the completion of Advaitic Songs and the start of our next album.
Thank you for listening. And thank God for music."
Andre Bratten - Be a Man You Ant 2xLP (Full Pupp) [FP009LP]
$19.75
André Bratten was born in Oslo and grew up in a suburb of the Norwegian
capital, which borders on the deep, dark Scandinavian forest. Like most
kids in the late 1990s, he was bitten by the hip-hop bug, but he also got
turned on by the Led Zeppelin records he picked out from his father's
record collection. He's broadminded enough to be into everything from the
Norwegian electronica masters Rĸyksopp to Metro Area, Sigur Rijs, Eno,
Cluster, and Weather Report. Currently dwelling in the heart of the city,
his efforts with the synthesizer coincided with a huge boom in Norwegian
electronic music, his productions recently came to the attention of
Norwegian cosmic disco mogul Prins Thomas and his Full Pupp colony. Andre's
tracks share the exploratory vibe of the '80s synth-pop pioneers, and
misfit electronic pop musicians like John Foxx, who were forced to learn to
sculpt new sounds with new tools. Yet he updates those sounds to a
contemporary rhythm matrix, in parallel with the day-glo analog dance music
of Lindstrĸm, Todd Terje, and Prins Thomas himself . His debut album, Be a
Man You Ant, computes almost infinite variations on the sounds he could
extract from a single modular synthesizer. So you'll find squelchy bugs in
the bass-bin, weird analog squeegee smears, bright drum machine splats and
the occasional significant pause. The spaces in his music are at least as
important as what fills it. Listen to the movement of "I Am Square," how he
gets a yearning effect from a few vapor-trail synth wipes. Or the vivid,
neon synth solos in "Aegis" and "Second Steepest." "Libra" is as
stripped-back as a late '90s Cologne minimal joint. André Bratten's music
rejects coziness and whimsy, and steps away from pleasing the crowd.
Anja Schneider - Diagonal EP 12 inch (Mobilee) [MOBILEE111EP]
$13.25
Anja Schneider is the Mobilee Records founder, broadcaster,
internationally-renowned DJ, and producer once labeled a "perpetual motion
machine," and one of the hardest working individuals in the business.
"Imagination," a co-production between Anja and And.Id, featured on Heidi's
Jackathon compilation for Get Physical Music in early 2011, was her last
output. After hiding in the studio for a while with Nyma, she is finally
back on Mobilee with her new EP Diagonal.
Anno Stamm - FragmentsA 12 inch (All City Dublin) [ACOS1X12]
$12.25
All City Dublin presents a three-track 12" from Anno Stamm, an alias of
Berlin producer Lars StĶwe. Original with a capital "O," Anno Stamm allows
him to fiddle about in the undergrowth even further: raw and twisted, dark
with a dash of color, and heavy on the drums. Those of a certain vintage
should be able to spot the sample on lead track "I Still Have the
Photographs." Includes the usual full-color shrink-wrapped artwork with a
download code.
Antorcha - Antorcha LP (Vam) [VAMLP1] $19.50
Official limited edition vinyl from the original masters, featuring
incredible late '60s / early '70s anarchistic acid/psych rock tracks with
fuzz, organs and all around great vibe. After the split of LAS ANTORCHAS,
VICTOR MOTTA AVILES and band mate OMAR CORTES GAVINO Cortes teamed up
with Victor's brother GUILLERMO and continued as ANTORCHA. Along with
Nahuatl and Toncho Pilatos, Antorcha were one of the few groups in Mexico
that managed to break the influences of foreign bands-and government
oppression-and find their own (demented) sound. In fact, Antorcha set out
to cerate an anarchist awareness among young people in the era; they
understood anarchy as "respect to youth, the right to free-thinking, and
breaking political and religious taboos." And the music-acid psychedelic
rock, with intelligent use of fuzz guitar and a strong rhythm section.
Greats stuff from start to finish-all originals-that we can easily rate as
some of the best psych rock ever made in Mexico! This LP has all of the
band's EP and single tracks, plus one from their only album, which came out
at the end of their career. Housed in nice gatefold cover, with liner
notes, pictures, discography and poster insert.
APC - APC Edits Vol. 1 12 inch (No Label) [RHEDITS001APC]
$12.25
Three very fresh and gleaming edit/not
edit/loop-out/overdub/who-knows-whats-going-on-here tracks from Analog
Players Clubs (aka APC aka Aaron from Peaking Lights).
Apt J(ext)ie Irrchie - Night Wearing Feathers / Sunshine Bus
Rider LP (Black Horizons) [BH36] $16.50
The A-side of this LP was originally released as a 3" CDR on the PsychForm
Records label in 2006, the B-side is a new recording from 2012, both sides
in the format of collaboration between JENNIE RICIHIE and IRR. APP (EXT).
Wonderful surreal concrete assemblages. Rhythmic and spacey, and of course
dada inspired weirdness. Cover art by MATT WALDRON. Packaged in a handmade
euro-style top loading sleeve, in black metallic card stock with gold
offset printing. Black with gold labels and black vinyl. Edition of 234.
Aquarius Heaven - Parallela Mundi 12 inch (Circus Company)
[CCS076EP] $11.50
The collaboration between dOP's resident beatsmiths Damien and Clement is
reignited, sending Brian's gravelly vocals in a myriad of directions that
make for one of the most ambitious singles Circus Company has ever shared.
"Slow Love" welcomes the legendary princess of electro, Miss Kittin, to
inject her icy, new-wave vocals into a brooding, sensual repartee with
Brian over the simmering, late-night stomp of the 4/4 beat. This EP sees
dOP return to their hip-hop production roots without forsaking the
dancefloor.
Ariel Pink - Thrash & Burn 2xLP (Human Ear Music) [HEMK001LP]
$19.75
Double LP version. Comes on ultra-clear vinyl. An absorbing look at Ariel
Rosenberg's early musique concrĨte epic. "As with stored memories one has
acquired early in life, Thrash and Burn survives for me less as a finished
piece of music in/itself or even a moment captured in time; more a catalog
of lifetimes, each piece unique and unnamed, together they recall glimpses
of forgotten future-pasts; in cosmology, as one peers ever deeper into the
void, first beyond the fixed population density of stars nestled in a
'suburb' at the outer edge of our galaxy, into an evermore all-encompassing
blackness surrounding a thin lane of galaxies, one heads off in one
direction, floating along a lonely string of Christmas lights which recede
with the distance. Much further downstream, a giant wall of light
scaffolding fades into view. That is destiny's orphan multiverse inhabiting
a single frame in its infancy. In time, we would transcend it. From where
we stand our footsteps recede and fade into the darkness. But our
beginnings are not lost; for someone standing off and above our horizon, in
a human ear much more young, the secret of our coming of age shall be
preserved revealed and discovered yet once again...." --Ariel Pink,
November 2012; Thrash and Burn dates from a time when Ariel Rosenberg, then
a few years from turning "Pink," first proclaimed himself a "20th Century
Composer" without a trace of irony in his voice. Appropriately, this early
work takes the form of a musique concrĨte epic forged from Rosenberg's
late-'90s faux-primitif, garage-punk, and tape-loop experiments. At 94
minutes and 36 tracks, Thrash and Burn displays the symphonic ambitions of
his genre-devouring pop saga, Haunted Graffiti, but with little in the way
of fastidious album-oriented constructions. Rather, Thrash and Burn is a
free-form tape ramble that uses gauzy atmospherics to strike up a wicked
dialogue with the likes of Rosenberg's non-pop influences, like Iannis
Xenakis, Pierre Schaeffer, and Luc Ferrari. (In particular, Schaeffer's
"Symphonie pour un homme seul" seems to get plenty of nods here.) Thrash
and Burn was discovered in 2005, in an ankle-deep pile of cracked cassettes
and scratched CD-R's in Rosenberg's Beverly Hills flat. Grier and Rosenberg
then made an initial reconstruction attempt, and Thrash and Burn became a
4-cassette box set for the inaugural release of Human Ear Music, in 2006.
The Wikipedia page for Thrash and Burn places its origin sometime in 1998.
It was remastered in September 2012 in Berlin, Germany. The final master
was brought up to 24-bit resolution, dynamically and tonally balanced on an
Apogee Rosetta and two solid-aluminum monoblock amps.
Arjuna Schiks - Storyteller 12 inch (Burlesque Musique)
[BUR012EP] $11.50
Listening to Arjuna Schiks' first release on Burlesque Musique is like
remembering a fairytale. The complex sound structures of "De Lege Naturae"
open wide fields of unexplored territories to the listener. Letting him
graze through these sound fields, the warm bass of "Regenboog"
re-familiarizes the hearer's more acquainted dominions. Accompanied by the
ardent sounds and fairy vocals of "Birds," the "Storyteller" ends his
narration with a hymn which could last forever.
Audio Werner - Balances EP 12 inch (Galdoors) [GAL001EP]
$12.25
The Balances EP sees UK imprint Galdoors kick off with a three-track work
of art from Audio Werner. The EP itself sees Werner express a range of
stylistic influences and moods that compliment and contrast to create a
rounded piece of work. The opening two tracks see Werner slam down his
interpretation of the Chicago-style groove with German precision, guiding
the listener through epic expeditions in deep and playful euphoria. The EP
concludes with "Balance 3" -- a more angular groove.
Beacon - The Ways We Separate LP (Ghostly International)
[GI180LP] $15.50
"Beacon's debut album The Ways We Separate both consolidates and develops
these ideas: the album focuses, as the title suggests, on the idea of
separation -- both within the context of relationships and in a more
intimate, psychological sense. As Thomas Mullarney explains, 'The narrative
contained inside The Ways We Separate deals with two kinds of separation:
one where two entities grow apart, and the other where we grow apart from
ourselves. Over the course of a relationship, the two sometimes happen
together, one being the result of the other.'"
Bed Rugs - Rapids LP (Ample Play) [AMPLALP060] $19.25
RELEASE DATE: 05-20-2013
Four young Belgians filed in the same catalog as Tame Impala, Deerhunter,
The Paperhead and The Sufis.
Black Heart Rebellion - Har Nevo LP (Adagio 830) [ADAGIO83093]
$15.50
Musically The BLACK HEART REBELLION (members of AMENRA) have evolved into a
tribalistic beast. Guitars lower in the mix, drums and additional
percussive elements compliment PIETER UYTTENHOVE's impassioned vocals.
Opener 'Avraham' demonstrates this beautifully. Chimes, bells, cello and
percussion blending until Uyttenhove's breathless vocals begin. Then the
feeling of being chased through the woods by an axe-murderer takes over.
Something about TBHR reminds me of the much missed The God Machine, but
more in the grandiose delivery rather than a direct musical comparision
perhaps. There is also a shared vibe with fellow Belgian titans Amenra, but
without their crushing heaviness. Indeed the friendship between them
extends to a collaborative sharing of artistic and musical philosophies and
mutual appreciation.
Blawan - His He She & She 12 inch (Hinge Finger) [HF8674EP]
$18.00
Small repress. "Blawan has always packed menace into his tracks -- his
percussion doesn't just smack you in the face; it toys with you in a
bear-about-to-break-his-fast kind of way -- but he's never really sounded
as psychotic as he does here. Noisy, dissonant and packed with funhouse
screams..." -- Resident Advisor.
Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest LP (Warp Records)
[WARP257LP] $26.75
"The idolized and enigmatic duo is back. A series of cryptic clues dropped
in various formats, from a one-off 12" on Record Store Day, to hidden
messages on YouTube, NPR Music's All Songs Considered, fan forums, and even
a video premiered on Adult Swim, all led their fans on a wild chase to
reveal the album details. Now that the world knows - the anticipation is at
a fever pitch for one of the world's most revered and mysterious electronic
acts. Musically, the album is somehow dark yet positive, with atmospheric
dissonance and mind bending melodic creations."
Bodo Molitor - Hits Internacionales LP (Vam) [CSM230]
$19.50
Official master-tape reissue of this ultra-rare Mexican garage psych record
that's a holy grail for collectors. Globe-trotting artist BODO MOLITOR may
have been born in Germany, but he'll forever be associated with the
psychedelic scene in Mexico. In addition to creating the zoomorphic art for
his own bizarre album, he also created the psychedelic art for the
Kaleidoscope album, for La Libre Expresion, and for his brother Reinhold's
solo album. As for Hits Internacionales, it has all the ambience and
psychedelic delirium of the time, full of devastating fuzz and wacked out
rhythms. And then there is Bodo's raspy and savage voice. Impressive. As
Antonio Malcara says in his book Catologo subjetivo y segregacionista del
Rock Mexicano, this LP and that of Kaleidoscope are the two most important
and representative pieces of Mexican garage rock-psychedelia. Collectors
offer thousands of dollars to be able to get an original copy of "Hits
Internacionales" in good condition.
Bone Sickness - Alone In The Grave 12 inch (20 Buck Spin)
[SPIN054] $14.50
The death metal resurgence of the last five years has birthed an
ever-expanding spectrum of styles collecting under the genre's umbrella.
Slower and mid-paced death metal has typically been the road for American
bands lately-at least those adhering to the original ideals and not the
modern tech-mech bastardization that the more stubborn among us choose to
ignore. But the American scene has been severely lacking in bands that play
the fast 'n' loose style at which the original US bands were most adept.
Enter BONE SICKNESS, who, after releasing a demo tape and an EP on Detest
Records, now offers up their debut 12-inch Alone in the Grave. Bone
Sickness are local to Olympia, WA (also the HQ of 20 Buck Spin) and have
the relentless energy and ferocity of a young band that's lived their lives
in a smaller American town away from big-city trends. Not having the luxury
of performing at city venues on a regular basis, the band cut their teeth
in the Oly punk scene playing as many house shows with non-metal bands as
they have clubs opening for "name" bands. The maelstrom of death metal
savagery Bone Sickness conjures on Alone in the Grave recalls Repulsion's
Horrified LP and early Master / Deathstrike recordings, and exhumes Napalm
Death when still commanded by domineering, barbaric drummer Mick Harris. No
Incantation worship or goats 'n' gasmasks posing; just American death metal
disfigured by grindcore. Artwork by Chips & Beer mag's in-house illustrator
Hand of Beaver.
Bonny Prince Billy & The Marquis De Tren - Get On Jolly 12 inch
(Palace) [PR24] $11.75
REISSUED ON VINYL!!! A joyous collection of prince-and-pauper song dreams
as BONNY PRINCE BILLY (WILL OLDHAM) hooks up with THE MARQUIS DE TREN (MICK
TURNER of DIRTY THREE) for some tri-continental religious jolly. A sweet
and lovely blend of both artists' unique musical poetry with lyrics adapted
from Bengali poet RABINDRANATH TAGORE's book of devotional odds-and-ends
Gitanjali.
Cast King - Saw Mill Man LP (Mississippi Records) [MRP051LP]
$14.50
"Cast King of Old Sand Mountain was a great country singer/songwriter. His
songs sound as if they have been here since the beginning of time. Some
might say he sounds like the working man's Johnny Cash. For fans of Hank
Williams and Townes Van Zandt, Cast will satisfy. Unique and soulful home
recordings not to be missed. Old school 'tip on' covers. A one time limited
pressing."
Church Whip - Psychedelic Nightmare LP (Vinyl Rites) [RITES36]
$13.50
Heavy metallic d-beat, mixing Broken Bones, Discharge, Venom and other
classics. Features all of DIVISIONS switching some instruments up and
adding D. VASSALOTTI (of previous Vinyl Rites fame) on drums. Members
pedigree also include all great Tampa bands of the last few years, CULT
RITUALS, HORRID CROSS, etc. All copies on black vinyl with large
Crass-style poster cover.
Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light
LP (Constellation) [CST092LP] $24.50
"Colin Stetson established himself as an intensely original solo composer
and performer in 2011 with the release of the widely acclaimed New History
Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, which ended up on countless year-end lists. Anyone
who has seen Stetson in solo performance can attest to the stunning
physicality of his circular-breathing technique and capacity to produce a
seemingly impossible palate of multiple voicings simultaneously in real
time. New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light is the final
installment in a trilogy of solo albums, again recorded live in single
takes and again mixed by groundbreaking producer Ben Frost. Colin's
membership in Bon Iver has also led to vocal contributions from Justin
Vernon for this record, who appears on four songs, and whose voice
constitutes the only overdubbing on the album. New History Warfare Vol. 3:
To See More Light is the most cohesive and fully realized of Stetson's solo
albums to date. It should reliably stand as the apotheosis of the New
History Warfare trilogy, and certainly signals the full flourishing of
Stetson's unique talents as both composer and performer, pressing his
arsenal of virtuosic techniques into the service of vivid, impassioned and
conceptually astute songcraft."
Coliseum - Sister Faith LP (Temporary Residence Limited)
[TRR219LP] $16.75
"Celebrating their 10th year as one of independent music's most substantive
bands, Louisville's Coliseum return with their fourth full-length, the
stunning Sister Faith, to be released on April 30 on Temporary Residence
Ltd. Expanding on the anthemic direction the trio veered toward on 2010's
highly acclaimed House With a Curse, Sister Faith's 13 songs are the most
dynamic and immediately captivating of the band's career, bristling with
galvanizing melodies at the collision point between punk and noise-rock.
The first album to be recorded in producer J. Robbins' recently relocated
Magpie Cage Studios, Sister Faith is also the first Coliseum recording to
feature new bassist, Kayhan Vaziri, in addition to contributions from some
of the groups' closest friends and musical peers: Wata of Boris, J. Robbins
(Jawbox, Burning Airlines), and Jason Loewenstein (Sebadoh, The Fiery
Furnaces), Jason Farrell (Swiz, Bluetip) all make small but memorable
contributions."
Conrad Schnitzler - Conrad & Sohn LP (Bureau B) [BB13€]
$19.75
LP version. Comes on 180 gram vinyl. "Conrad Schnitzler is undoubtedly one
of the founding fathers of German electronica. And his son, Gregor
Schnitzler, matched the father's extraordinary level of creative output.
They appear to have settled any musical differences amicably. After all,
how else could they have 'shared' an LP released by Conrad Schnitzler
himself? One half of Conrad & Sohn features music by Conrad Schnitzler, the
other, his son Gregor. Two mini-albums on one disc, so to speak. An ideal
opportunity to compare them. Judging by the similarities in sound, Gregor
clearly had access to his father's music equipment, but the way he uses
electronics and his voice could not be more different. Industrial (e.g.
Cabaret Voltaire) influences are apparent. The dry minimalism of German new
wave (NDW) also left its mark on him. A sense of the end of days in some
places gives way to highly-charged hysteria in others. For young, modern
musicians in the frontline city of West Berlin, a mix of depression and
anger was the natural prerequisite for their uncomplicated, unsentimental
and yet emotional music. And the "No Future" claim had not yet lost its
validity. Gregor unequivocally took sides; he was with the young. Conrad's
music on this album also shows some signs of contemporary influence. As a
veteran of the avant-garde and an experienced performance artist, he
adopted a different aesthetic stance to that of his son, Gregor. Leaving
the bleak, cryptic text of the first track aside, Conrad speaks to the
knowledgeable listener in a familiar musical language: sequencer shapes
with no end and no beginning, then an uncommonly humorous miniature with a
Donald Duck voice, followed by electronic particles travelling from
anywhere to who-knows-where. Total abstraction. Father and son certainly
offer up drastically opposing musical concepts to our ears." --Asmus
Tietchens
Conrad Schnitzler - Contempora LP (Bureau B) [BB134LP]
$19.75
LP version. Comes on 180 gram vinyl. "Contempora (1981) is a sort of
collection of sketches, reflecting Conrad Schnitzler's inexhaustible
creative powers in condensed form. Like light refracting through a multiple
prism, shapes and colors constantly change, backgrounds shift through
brightness and darkness. Each track on the album could easily double or
triple in length without relinquishing any of its magic or indeed becoming
boring. Schnitzler grants us the merest glimpses into his diverse
soundscapes and sonic armories. He opens one door ever so slightly, only to
close it again and open another for just a few minutes. Improvised sonic
comets shimmer over Schnitzler's inimitable sequencer patterns, fleeting
melodies fade away. Everything happens at breathtaking speed, miniatures
without frames or tangible borders. In the early '80s Schnitzler worked
primarily with the EMS Synthi A and Korg MS 10 synthesizers, an analog
sequencer and analog rhythm machine. All in all, this was neither a
particularly complex nor exotic array of equipment for the period. Many
electronic artists used these inexpensive instruments, or something
similar. Nevertheless, Schnitzler succeeded in setting himself apart from
others in the fraternity, in both sonic and compositional terms. Not so
much gripped by the need to occupy a unique position, he was simply unable
and unwilling to divert from his creative path. Contempora again underlines
Schnitzler's noble ethos." --Asmus Tietchens
Cool Ghouls - Cool Ghouls LP (Empty Cellar) [EMP016]
$15.00
"First things first: COOL GHOULS are not a retro act. If you seek musical
salvation in the form of mop-topped mannequins with vintage riffs and
hand-me-down rags, please stop reading. Yes, the Cool Ghouls borrowed their
name from George Clinton's Funkadelic-era pre-show banter. Yes, they dwell
penniless in the storied hills of culturally resurgent San Francisco. But
these boys have their feet firmly planted in the soil of the now. They look
not backwards for approving nods of hipster forebears, but rather skyward,
hoping that the 'supernatural forces' they yodel for, guide them to all
corners of a half-deserving world. Truth be told, this being their first
official release, they may even be a bit naive in their dogged pursuit of
the true-blue, home-spun, rock and roll lifestyle. If one were to ascribe
to them a 60's-reverent description, as one often does in the case of San
Francisco bands, one would most likely find an artistic kinship with some
the most inimitable, idiosyncratic, yet unmistakably influential bands of
the retro-fitting oeuvre. The Troggs, The Monks, Sir Douglas Quintet come
to mind immediately. Like the aforementioned, the Ghouls are natural heirs
to the folkloric lineage which precedes them, adding dashes of weirdness
where needed. These young men have honed their three-headed vocal attack in
front of ambitious and unexpected chord progressions, an unrelenting rhythm
section, and a keen ear for harmony."-Tim Cohen
Counter Intuits - Sheets Of Hits LP (Pyramid Scheme)
[LPCOUNTSHEE] $15.00
Not-totally-French-existentialist RON HOUSE (GREAT PLAINS, THOMAS JEFFERSON
SLAVE APARTMENTS, PSANDWICH) teams up with
eater-of-the-free-chicken-of-Bob-Petric JARED PHILLIPS (TIMES NEW VIKING)
to hit all the lo-fi indie-punk buttons of The Columbus Sound-loose,
clever, catchy, intense, and wrong. Silkscreened and paste-on jackets.
Edition of 500.
Daniel Menche - Vilke 2xLP (Sige) [SIGE019LP] $26.00
"For over 25 years, northwest native Daniel Menche has been involved with
innovative methods of composition and sound experimentation. His formative
work being rooted in noise has since developed into highly idiosyncratic
and sophisticated forms, while remaining integrated with the genre's
emotionally visceral core. Vilké is another step forward in this ongoing
evolution, and a formidable experience for the listener. Animality is a
recurrent theme in Menche's work, displayed prominently within four long
form compositions that comprise the album. An avid and voracious hiker,
Menche found great inspiration in the beautiful lament of howling wolves
during his overnight expeditions; and ultimately chose these sounds as the
core sonic elements for Vilké. By layering and distending wolves voices, a
choir of howls was constructed -- a massive sound wall colliding with
layers of poly-rhythmic drums, abstracted guitar, and piano. Fluctuating
from somber ambiance to a seemingly endless cascade of noise, the songs
lure the listener into a darkened forest of howling serenades, propulsive
rhythms, deconstructed instrumentation, and mother nature's primal
cacophony."
Date Palms - The Dusted Sessions LP (Thrill Jockey) [THR336LP]
$17.25
"Date Palms revolve around the core duo of Gregg Kowalsky (keyboards,
electronics) and Marielle Jakobsons (violin, flute, electronics). They
employ traditional rock instrumentation to create music informed by Indian
classical music, country, minimalism, and spiritual jazz, arriving at a
style that is wholly their own. On their third album, The Dusted Sessions,
the duo expanded the line-up to include Ben Bracken on electric bass,
Michael Elrod on tanpura, and Noah Philips on electric guitar (a first for
the band). Kowalsky and Jakobsons are both accomplished solo musicians in
their own right: Kowalsky has released ambient albums on Kranky as well as
a collaborative release with Josef Van Wissem on Amish, and Jakobsons has
released music on the Digitalis and Students of Decay labels. Date Palms
uses the sound and imagery of the dustbowl and the American West to express
something truly cosmic and unique within the already highly individualistic
Bay Area underground."
Deep Magic - Reflections of Most Forgotten Love LP
(Preservation) [PRE037LP] $19.00
The Preservation label presents Reflections of Most Forgotten Love, the
third album from Los Angeles' Deep Magic. The solo project for current Sun
Araw live band member Alex Gray, Deep Magic's work has tended towards a
meditative ambient realm, crafting a cosmic sound described by Uncut as
having "a sort of calm and organic grandeur that recalls Popol Vuh." Indeed
like Popol Vuh, pursuit of a kind of spiritual grace has proven to be the
measure at the heart of Deep Magic. Reflections of Most Forgotten Love
finds a new urgency, an ever-shifting puzzle of sound that breathes vital
new life into Gray's lyrical vision. Dynamic and unrelenting, yet somehow
beautifully spacious and patient in its unfolding, this epic work thrives
on equal parts pulse and poise, an essence held within a thrilling
multiplicity of ideas. Skittish techno, rolling pianos, warm pedal steel,
foggy dub drifts and microscopic sonics play out a hypnotic movement of
moods with magnetic compulsion. Throughout its stirring, blissful way,
intimacy is its keynote. As the title suggests, this is an album of
emotively raw presence with a singular take on solitude as a
many-splendored thing.
Demdike Stare - Testpressing #002 12 inch (Modern Love)
[LOVE086EP] $15.75
Demdike Stare presents #2 in their Testpressing series. "Grows Without
Bound" is a noisy analog session resurrected from the burning embers of
industrial and noise, harnessed into an unstable growl that makes room for
a barely-there percussive stumble -- think somewhere between Vainio and
Nate Young. "Primitive Equations" takes inspiration from the bare-boned,
hyper-tense production of Photek's "Ni - Ten - Ichi - Ryu," slugging out
feral, steely noise and 'ardcore torque forged by calloused hands and
burning minds to cruel, propulsive effect.
Derdiyoklar Ikilisi - Coban Mamos LP (Pharaway Sounds)
[PHS012LP] $24.00
Turkish Bar or Bengi folk dancing requires approximately 100 people to do
properly, and it helps if a lot of them are eating wedding cake. You put
your arms around the shoulders of the people on either side of you, and
then stomp around in a circle, facing in and kicking the air, until
everybody is exhausted and happy. Far away from any folklore festivals,
Derdiyoklar Ikilisi hand-built the soundtrack to this dancing as it was
drunkenly executed by luckless German-Turkish immigrants in the
fashion-insensitive '80s. And though the band had only two members, they
decided electric saz, synthesized drums, cimbalom, and sheep sound effects
were all needed to get the job done. Who could argue? This tinkly and
psychoactive album, full of uniquely odd overdubs and buzzy, flanged-out
guitar solos, can now be yours. First time-ever reissue. Sound taken from
master tapes, insert with liner notes, 180 gram vinyl.
Die & Addison Groove - Keyhole/HydroPump 12 inch (Gutterfunk
Recordings) [GF005EP] $12.25
This is what happens when two scientists of the Bristol bass continuum
collaborate. "Keyhole": Have you ever stayed awake for three days straight?
This track runs in a parallel universe to our own, a bit like being in a
hole you can't get out of. "HydroPump": Die & Addison Groove force-fed the
SP1200 with a secret '90s nutrient formula, creating the pair's first-ever
collaboration. No spider mite here.
DJ Die & Jenna G - 1000 Soul Songs/1000 Soul Songs (Addison
Groove Remix) 12 inch (Gutterfunk Recordings) [GF006EP] $12.25
Die & Jenna G are both OGs of the D 'n' B scene and here they are with
added penmanship from William Cartwright. The first remix has a healthy
sprinkling of Addison Groove's magical 808 wonderdust and has made it to
the BBC 1xtra B playlist, as well as receiving over 50,000 views in the
first two days on the UKF Drum & Bass YouTube channel. Support from Goldie,
Mistajam, and Skream, etc. The extended mix of the tune is only available
on vinyl.
Donald Byrd - Chant LP (Heavenly Sweetness) [HS077VL]
$27.00
A DONALD BYRD treasure-and an album that was almost left in the vaults by
Blue Note, until they briefly released it at the end of the '70s! The cover
and title are a bit unfamiliar, but the music is right up there with Byrd's
classic sessions with baritonist PEPPER ADAMS-a great player here, with a
deftness on his horn that's incredible-matching all the sharp changes and
soulful undercurrents of Byrd's sparkling trumpet! There's a nice hard
sound to the whole thing-almost the raw power of the pair's albums for the
Warwick label-and as with those, HERBiE HANCOCK is on piano-giving the
whole thing an excellent soul jazz groove that really kicks the main
soloists into action!
Drape - An Idea and its Map LP (Infraction) [12233]
$18.75
Drape is an ambient duo comprised of Ryan Gracey and Spencer Williams. They
have been crafting soundscapes since 2004. Their debut, 'dream words'
(Gears of Sand) saw a limited CDR release in 2009. It was well received and
garnered comparisons to Stars of the Lid, early 70's Tangerine Dream as
well as late 80's space ambient. Their follow-up was an interesting pairing
on cassette - a split w/ experimental artist Odd Nosdam.
Eeek! - Move Real Slow 12 inch (Kingfisher Bluez) [KFB6001]
$10.75
A brand new six-track EP from this excellent Vancouver group. Scrappy
fun-loving indie rock for fans of Midwest emo a la Promise Ring and
Japandroids, with a west coast vibe. Limited to 500 hand numbered copies.
Fumio Hayasaka - Seven Samurai Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack LP+CD (Doxy) [DOK22€] $24.75
"Fumio Hayasaka's original soundtrack to Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece Seven
Samurai (1954). The friendship that emerged between Hayasaka and the
legendary Japanese director marks one of the great artistic partnerships of
the last century, with Kurosawa often commenting how Hayasaka transformed
his vision of how music could be used for cinema. Here, the well-known tale
of a group of farmers who hire seven samurai to protect their village from
raiders is masterfully told through Hayasaka's musical tour de force.
39-track CD included, featuring nine bonus tracks." Comes on 180 gram
vinyl.
Galax - Mysterious Smile of a Buddhist Image 12 inch (Room Full
Of Records) [RFOR005EP] $18.25
Room Full Of Records edition of Japanese space jams: Galax includes a
member of Acid Mothers Temple in it ranks. 180 gram vinyl. Originally
recorded live at Penguin House on December 17th, 2006. A-side rearranged by
MANDOG and remastered by Kazuyuki Onouchi in December 2012. Members:
Hiroshi Hasegawa (synthesizer and ring modulator), Hiroshi Higashi
(synthesizer), and MANDOG (guitar and tape echo). B-side mixed and remixed
by Numb.
Glimpse - True South EP 12 inch (Aus Music) [AUS1347EP]
$12.25
Aus Music continue to push further forward into 2013 with another
collection of carefully-curated tracks from the London-based producer,
Christopher Spero. Over the course of the past 10 years, Glimpse has
established himself as one of the most unique, versatile and imaginative
producers around, gaining support along the way from Carl Craig, Levon
Vincent, DJ Koze, Scuba, and Jackmaster, amongst others. The UK producer is
back with a five-track EP titled True South, with remixes from Tom Demac
and South Soul Project.
Grace Slick - Manhole LP (Floating World Records) [FLOAT6095LP]
$19.75
"The first solo album from the Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick. In keeping
with the spirit of the times, the musicians and composers were all part of
the West Coast 'family' of the day. Co-produced by the Airplanes' Paul
Kanter who also performs on the album along with David Crosby, Pete Sears,
Quicksilver Messenger Services' David Freiberg (who also co-produced) and
Gary Duncan who join Jack Cassidy & John Barbata from Jefferson Airplane on
this West Coast classic."
Graham Mushnik - On The Phone With... LP (Catapulte)
[CATALP012] $17.25
RELEASE DATE: 05-14-2013
After the release of his 1st effort "A Distant Wildlife", Graham Mushnik's
back with a long-awaited full-length LP. Loaded with more funky grooves and
to-the-point themes, Graham's new cosmic conversations deliver a
constellation of fresh original tunes.
Gravetemple - Ambient / Ruin 2xLP (Ideologic Organ) [SOMA015]
$29.75
GRAVETEMPLE was formed in 2006 as a side-project of the band SUNN O))) by
OREN AMBARCHI, STEPHEN O'MALLEY and ATTILA CSIHAR. The group formed
initially to tour in Israel in the summer of '06, creating several
recordings which eventually became The Holy Down album, which was released
on Southern Lord Recordings in 2007. At the time of the Israel tour, the
Lebanon War started and was in action. In summer '08, the trio reformed
together with the addition of Australian drummer MATT "SKITZ" SANDERS for a
short European tour culminating in a headlining performance at Supersonic
Festival in Birmingham. In late 2009, the original trio reconvened for a
special one-off concert at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts. April
2013 marks the first set of live action since that period, and a new
chapter in the ongoing system of the related network. Ambient/Ruin was
created with the 2008 quartet-elements of tape collage, concrete, and field
recordings blend within a strong, geographically-diverse (parts were
recorded in Japan, Australia, Paris and Israel) suite of heavy
minimalist/maximalist music, black/death metal and drone. The culmination
of these efforts become the music, literally, of Sadistik Exekution meeting
Phill Niblock. Gravetemple clearly adapted the more abstract and
experimental aspects related to Sunn O))) and have continued from that
point, with ongoing focus on metaphysical construction of free music and
will. The music became a geographically and metaphysically-based effort.
Grim Tower - Anarchic Breezes LP (Outer Battery Records)
[OBR006LP] $18.00
"Grim Tower is the collaborative project of Stephen McBean
(vocals/guitar/synths) and Imaad Wasif (vocals/guitar). The album, called
Anarchic Breezes, was written around the central idea of a new acoustic
death folk, yet could be heard as equal parts Harry Smith and Harry Pussy.
Both songwriters, Canadians now based in Los Angeles, come together on
Anarchic Breezes to explore a mutual interest in the darker traditions of
song and detuning found in the American primitive archives. The album
features the ancillary rhythm section of Rob Barbato (bass) and Dan Allaire
(drums), also L.A. musicians with roots deep in the modern psych movement.
Anarchic Breezes was recorded by S. McBean at his home studio, with
additional recording by Rob Campanella at the Jonestown Studios. It
contains nine originals and one cover, the obscure 'Leaving My Old Life
Behind' by Jonathan Halper as featured in Kenneth Anger's Puce Moment. It
was mixed by Mark Nevers (Will Oldham, Silver Jews, Calexico, Vic Chesnutt)
at Beech House Studios in Nashville. The two voices on this album serve as
mediums to a yet unheard music. Let the free ride the breeze."
Grisha Shakhnes - Leave / Trace LP (Glistening Examples)
[GLEX1301] $18.50
Formerly operating under the name MITES, GRISHA SHAKHNES has been recording
and performing in Tel Aviv since 2008, releasing work in private handmade
CDR editions, and internationally though Alamut, Mystery Sea, and Copy For
Your Records. Leave / Trace blends field recordings from peculiar and
mundane origins into sumptuously detailed and surreally original new forms.
Shakhnes captures and juxtaposes otherwise overlooked details of
commonplace events, placing his work at the fulcrum of contemporary tape
music.
Guardate - Would I Lie 12 inch (Love Harder Records) [LHR008EP]
$19.75
You have to repeat the truth always -- because of the error around, it is
preached, not by individuals, but by the masses. So the madness is in
visible when it gains sufficiently large proportions. In this case, we are
connected: I am you and you are me! Would I lie to you? Who does not know
the truth is a fool. Do you want to be a part of the silly people?
Available as a limited edition red vinyl 12".
Guided By Voices - English Little League LP (GBV Inc)
[GBVI34LP] $14.50
English Little League-the fourth album from the reunited "classic" GUIDED
BY VOICES lineup of ROBERT POLLARD, TOBIN SPROUT, GREG DEMOS, MITCH
MITCHELL and KEVIN FENNELL-hums like angry birds along the full spectrum of
rock's highways and byways (especially the byways), from rock to roll and
back again. Pollard's rebus system of songwriting (sounds made visible,
abstract concepts symbolized) strung like fairy lights from the opening
song "Xeno Pariah" to the galvanic closer "With Glass in Foot," kettles
along at full steam throughout, punctuated by the airier constructs of
Sprout ("The Sudden Death of Epstein's Ways," with its sweet / creepy
emphatic refrain of "Jesus," is a particular standout). The Guided By
Voices project, as any fan knows, both requires and rewards effortful
listening, and lazybones who dismiss the volume of Pollard's output as
(basically) impossible misunderstand the care with which he assembles his
dreamscapes. Whiny types will thus be dismayed to learn that Pollard has
recently installed a studio in his house (first fruits can be found on "A
Burning Glass," among others here), the better to transform his oneiric
musings to immediate art, but converts to the clubhouse will be
overcome-some will, in fact, faint-at the news. The plan at present is to
release three Guided By Voices albums per year until the end of time, but
in the world according to Robert Pollard, "plans" does not mean what it
means to you and me. "Plans" to him are moving ideas caught momentarily in
stasis, and subject as often to revision as to fruition. Which is to say
only that you never know what the future will bring, only what the past has
brought, and the past has now brought you the fourth Guided By Voices album
in little more than a year. You should probably buy someone a drink to
celebrate. You should definitely celebrate. Life is short. Guided By
Voices is long. No export outside North America.
Gummihz - Alles Claap Vol. 1, EP1 12 inch (Claap) [CLAAP012EP]
$11.50
With the first compilation titled Alles Claap Vol. 1 label-head GummiHz has
invited some of his favorite producers to remix songs from the label's
catalog. This is the first single in the series, featuring two great
remixes from two constant forces in the club scene -- Jimpster and D'Julz.
Jimpster gives a totally new spin on "White Flowers" by GummiHz and Nikola
Gala. D'Julz has cut, flipped and reversed all essential elements in
GummiHz's "Ruff Passage" to a groove that keeps rolling non-stop.
Gummihz/John Dimas - Alles Claap Vol. 1, EP2 12 inch (Claap)
[CLAAP013EP] $11.50
Second single of the upcoming Alles Claap Vol. 1 mixed by label head
GummiHz. Features a remix from cosmic house phenomenon Oskar Offermann, and
one from GummiHz himself. GummiHz treats "Self Control" to new and dubby
heights while keeping things elegantly tight. On the flip, Offermann gives
"Rejuvenation" a totally new spin, bringing out the cosmic side of the
original. Classy Detroit house made in Berlin. Music for the body and the
soul.
Haxan Cloak, The - Excavation LP (Tri Angle) [TRIANGLE018LP]
$19.75
"In 2011 with the release of his debut, self titled album, The Haxan Cloak
(solo project of multi instrumentalist Bobby Krlic) appeared seemingly out
of nowhere with an impressively fully formed sound that blew away most
anyone who heard it. Recorded over the space of three years The Haxan Cloak
was a wildly ambitious fusion of malevolent strings, junkyard found-sounds
and primitive percussion. In the two years since the release of his debut,
Krlic relocated to London and began working on its epic follow up, and Tri
Angle Records debut, Excavation. Bolstered by the concept he was
developing for his follow up and a desire to challenge himself into new
terrains, Krlic has evolved his sound to incorporate more of his electronic
influences. The result is an album awash with serrated beats and cavernous
sub-bass, meshing with the classical drones and ghostly details The Haxan
Cloak fans will have already been accustomed to. Whereas The Haxan Cloak
was a dense, and at times, suffocating listen, Excavation finds Krlic
confidently adopting a more minimalist approach, experimenting with space
and silence without forsaking any of the intensity that made his debut such
a powerful statement of intent."
Heinrichs & Hirtenfellner - Lenz 2xLP (Supdub) [SUPDUB031LP]
$19.75
DJ duo Heinrichs & Hirtenfellner present their second album called Lenz. In
defiance of breakup rumors, their latest stroke of genius promises to
arouse spring feelings for all electronic music fans. In the summer of
2011, acclaimed DJs Alfred Heinrichs and Sascha Braemer had already
conceived the initial ideas of their new album. In the meantime, the pair
kept busy working on solo projects and remixes for various DJs and labels
as well as keeping active international careers. In spring of 2012, in
order to increase and intensify the creative process of the project, the
two Berliners expelled themselves from the noisy and restless metropolis to
an isolated timberland bungalow. Leaving all forms of communication behind,
they were delivered pure inspiration from the soft sounds and impressive
backdrop of Mother Nature herself. An intimate bond was forged with her,
bringing to life the tracks, "Sunrise," "Nature," and "Firewood," all of
which evoke a vestal semblance, emulating the place of their conception.
The debut album Dark Orbit (HIGH 062CD/LP) was characterized by penetrating
underground techno combined with scattered dark elements. In contrast, Lenz
shines in a whole new light with a more mature sound stemming from their
previous natural limits of minimal and house, inspired by their tireless,
yet motley work over recent years. Guided by the idealistic beauty of their
setting, Heinrichs and Hirtenfellner knowingly combined their ideas and
inspirations into a collaborative project, dyeing the color of their
signature sound anew. Lenz arises more pleasant, reflective and brighter
than its predecessor, with multifaceted and impulsive beats as well as a
harmonious and melodious sound. The album also features collaborations with
the soulful voices of Viviana Alvarez and Fabian Reichelt and masterfully
harmonizes elements of genres ranging as far as soul and pop to create an
atmospheric melody to mesmerize every ear.
Holy Ghost - Holy Ghost 2xLP (DFA) [DFA2267LP] $22.00
OFFICIAL LP ISSUE PRESSED ON COLORED VINYL!!! Over the last few years HOLY
GHOST! has grown from a promising duo with merely a single, nearly perfect
song to their name ("Hold On"), into esteemed producers, internationally
recognized DJs and sought-after remix artists-and, with the expansion of
the band into a live touring act, widely respected musicians. Holy Ghost!'s
ten-track eponymous debut album brims with pop melodies, striking rhythms,
vintage analogs and altogether timeless music. Opener "Do It Again" feels
simultaneously familiar and unheard, laying down robotic funk with a nod to
"The Safety Dance." Standout "Wait and See," a breezy electronic pop song
packed with musical and vocal hooks, is as thoroughly catchy as they come.
"It's Not Over" has thunderous drum fills, hints of New Order and backing
vocals by LUKE JENNER of THE RAPTURE; "Some Children" opens with the
angelic voices of the BROOKLYN YOUTH CHOIR, then doubles back with rubbery,
deeply funky bass, spacey keys and the always fluid vocals of MICHAEL
MCDONALD (THE DOOBIE BROTHERS, STEELY DAN!). The album is rounded out by
vocal and guitar contributions from both CHRIS GLOVER of PENGUIN and JUAN
MACLEAN. Issued on colored vinyl with a barcode and new lower pricing. On
Tour Summer 2013 With New Order. No exports to the UK/Europe or Australia.
Housemeister - OP-1 LP+CD (Boysnoize Records) [BNR104LP]
$19.75
Housemeister is back and guess what -- this time he only needed a handy
little OP-1 synthesizer to make you feel giddy. But rewind: who is this
master again? One of Berlin's long-standing techno maniacs. By the tender
age of 17 he had been hit hard by punk, rap, grati, turntables, basement
parties, Love Parade, Mayday, weed, 150 bpm, and legendary clubs like
E-Werk, Tresor, Wal-sh, and Electric Ballroom. A heavy rave virus sucked up
his body and soul, and in 1995 he moved to Kreuzberg to start producing
high-energy music right from the middle of rave capital, Berlin. Some time
later he released four albums with the BPitch collective and subsequently
he seduced Europe with his intense techno. From then on, Housemeister kept
riding the wave -- playing everywhere and every weekend. Finally he
released his debut album Enlarge Your Dose on Boysnoize Records in 2005. In
between he produced several EPs for BNR, launched the label All You Can
Beat, and dropped on it with Who's That Noize?, another album that proved
his party-crazy skills. Instead of resting, Housemeister continued to
produce like a well-oiled machine and with 2011's Music Is Awesome album,
he delivered overdriven arpeggios, punk rage, acid house psychedelic, and
hard-style attacks. And now, he's back again to pad his heavy discography
with another killer. Everything on OP-1 was made during his tour adventures
with only his portable laboratory of sounds. The tracks on this concept
album are called "Tokyo," "Berlin," "Paris," or "New York" and represent in
sound the big city lights in whose shadow Housemeister tuned his brand-new
tunes while being on the go: on airplanes and in hotel rooms. He recorded
everything only with a little OP-1 synthesizer and made sure that his
creativity bleeps like hell. Go ballistic to Housemeister's unique design
of musical frenzy that wants nothing more than to drive you crazy.
Hreno - Frank Barns 12 inch (Meander Music) [MEANDER012EP]
$13.25
Excellent vibrant rhythm adventures from promising new Canadian artist
Hreno. He serves us far-out North American techno trax and feel-good Larry
Levan disco-induced house bliss. Frank Barns can be found in music,
incarnated through restless rhythms, obscured samples, recordings from the
field, and timeless interludes. Cinematic hands are extended, so as to
reach maximum centrifugal force. In the artwork, you will find analog
forms. Full-cover handmade silkscreen prints and nature's reflection
surround the release, completing it.
Human Inferno/Lasse Marhaug - Split LP (Sonmoi) [SONMOI7]
$15.00
LASSE MARHAUG has all kinds of sounds working for him in a very unfriendly
way; a piano, humans, a chair, somebody's wife, junk found in the street; a
reactor of some sort marked #23. HUMAN INFERNO, a resident, sings of the
strange emotions connected to his brother's death. The intensity is
overwhelming. Colored vinyl in a printed polyvinyl bag.
Huxley - Love Love 12 inch (Rinse) [RINSE023EP] $10.75
Huxley's name has been on everyone's lips in the house scene, following a
string of deep house and garage-infused tracks for labels like Hypercolour,
Tsuba, and 20:20 Vision. His sound is incredibly distinctive, its swung
rhythms rooted in UK garage, accompanied by diced vocals and chords that
hark further backward toward originators like MK and Todd Edwards. This
offers three subtly different takes on his sound.
Hvob - Always Like This 12 inch (Stil Vor Talent) [SVT102EP]
$12.25
HVOB's Always Like This has been #1 in the iTunes Dance Charts in Austria,
#3 in Germany, and #3 in the Beatport Deep House Charts. HVOB's cover of
the track by British indie rock band Bombay Bicycle Club mixes warm synth
pads with soft beats, while Anna Mļller's distinctive voice puts an
entirely new spin on the original. Oliver Koletzki and Andhim have both
made powerful remixes of their version as well.
Illute - Kargow EP 12 inch (Acker Records) [ACKER038EP]
$11.50
Acker Records presents three remixes of a German-Spanish song by Illute.
This title, originally released on Las Vegas Records, comes with the
organic sound of wind players, vivacious guitars, and hand-made rhythms.
The result is an intriguing mélange of verses, refrains, and catchy
electronic grooves, taking the listener to a wonderland of bubbling bass
lines, bouncy delays, and playful filter modulations. Also Dingdongdilly, a
duo from Berlin, manages to create a seamless connection of song structure,
crunchy beats, and high-octane club boost.
Inland - The X EP 12 inch (Vidab) [VIDAB003XEP] $11.50
Tracks from Inland you will only find here on colored vinyl. No digital
release. If you're one of those Rapidshare upload motherf***ers who steal
the food out of our fridges and spit on our kids' educations, beware: our
Caucasian friends will find you.
Jan St. Werner - Blaze Colour Burn LP (Thrill Jockey)
[THR338LP] $17.25
"Blaze Colour Burn is a new work from electronic music pioneer and
innovator Jan St. Werner (Mouse on Mars, Lithops, Microstoria) inaugurating
Fiepblatter, a series of genre-dismantling releases on Thrill Jockey that
will encompass electro-acoustic experimentation, algorithmic elements,
scored music, digital signal processing, field recordings, improvisation,
public performance, and graphic works. These pieces aren't just about
sound; they're about location, structure, time, aesthetics. Stories that
overlap and interact with each other. The five pieces gathered here find
the Mouse on Mars co-pilot giving full vent to his wired, witty and wildly
ambitious artistic practice, and constitute a radical new approach to
sound, one that does away with traditional hierarchies."
Jared Wilson - A Little Moonlight Dancing 2x12 inch (Skudge
Records) [SKUDGEPT006EP] $20.75
Double 12" of Jared Wilson-style Skudge.
Jaw & Kevork Keshishian - Hazihi Laylaty 12 inch (Circus
Company) [CCS077EP] $11.50
Somewhere in between his day job in dOP and the folky, organic
instrumentation of Les Fils Du Calvaire, JAW shares a new venture with
Lebanese musician Kevork Keshishian. The dusty crackles and haunting
strings that begin "Hazihi Laylaty" instantly call to mind the mystery of
traditional Arabic music, and the track as a whole fuses this spirit with a
subtle wielding of modern electronics to create a thoroughly moody piece of
pop-noir. The Sorry Entertainers and Soul Clap embark upon unusual
approaches for their remixes.
John Tejada - Somewhere 12 inch (Kompakt) [KOM264EP]
$11.50
Once again, John Tejada ups the ante, delivering highly nourishing chows
for your daily shellacking needs, with a powerful 12" that starts to nestle
in your ears the very moment you drop the needle. "Somewhere" dispatches a
robot sleuth to hunt down the ghost in the machine. However, what started
as a simple recon mission quickly evolves into a deliciously pumping affair
set for utter dancefloor destruction. "Elsewhere" is a slow-burning
heartcore stepper hiding its massive bass line in full sight.
JTC - People Mover 12 inch (Ansatz) [ANSATZ1001EP]
$14.75
With the exception of the title-track, the People Mover EP is comprised of
new tracks recorded by JTC especially for Ansatz. The tracks here represent
JTC's ever-expanding repertoire: live synth and vocal-work dance above
solid rhythms which JTC is known for. "People Mover" is anthemic, while
"Solutions" is a solid, mellow dancefloor track with subtle build. "Banter
Block" is a chaotic Afro-jazz carnival ride. "Juvenile Conversation"
highlights some live synths over a techno Roland rhythm. Housed in a heavy
cardboard sleeve with raised lettering and paste-on artwork.
Kaap De Goede Hoop - 363A EP 12 inch (Gem Records) [GEM026EP]
$12.25
"When we were putting together 363A everything just fell in to place," Kaap
de Goede Hoop's Bobby van Putten says. "We spent an entire evening
programming the equipment and tweaking with Robbert van der Bildt (also
Kaap De Goede Hoop) John Mood and Eversines in the studio. All we changed
afterwards was cutting a piece out to keep the energy up." "Mi Fella" (as
in Fela Kuti), was created with Afrobeat in mind. Ramon Tapia contributes a
controlled yet equally energetic remix.
Kalabrese - Independent Dancer 2xLP+CD (Rumpelmusig)
[RUMP002LP] $21.50
Double LP version. Comes with a CD of the album.
Kareem - Porto Ronco (Vinyl Edits) LP (The Death Of Rave)
[RAVE00€] $17.25
The Death Of Rave is proud to present the first album-length beat-less
composition by Patrick Stottrop aka Kareem. Since 1996 the now-legendary,
Berlin-based artist has produced nearly 20 singles and albums for both his
Zhark Recordings and Ramadan labels, Kanzelramt's K2 0 subprint, and Paris'
Fondation Sonore, forging a strong identity split between uncompromising
industrial techno and RZA-like instrumental hip-hop, all with a blackened
streak of Gothic finesse. Following a hiatus during the late '00s, in 2012
Kareem was prompted by the death of a relative and the need to retreat,
spiritually and mentally, into writing "Porto Ronco." Borrowing its title
from a village by Lake Maggiore on the Swiss/Italian border where his
grandfather bought a house in the '60s as refuge from potential war, and
"in case the Soviets would march into Berlin," it manifests marked
detachment and evolution from his previous work, abandoning all but traces
of rhythm to concentrate and expand upon the downcast atmospheres and
Brutalist structures which always lurked behind his beat-driven
compositions. In doing so, it implies intrinsic psycho-geographic and
hauntological resonance between the place and the piece, opening a space
for stoic sehnsucht, elegiac reflection in classic tradition. The original
piece is an unabridged 45-minute composition, but for this release Kareem
made a 30-minute vinyl edit split over two sides of an LP. Primed for
sequestered solo listens, it captures an elusive Berlin spirit which has
been lost with successive tides of weekending dunces in the easyjet age; a
metaphysical feeling or spectral presence that has long lain brooding in
the city since Conrad Schnitzler's earliest invocations and since
percolated everywhere from Christina Kubisch's radiant electromagnetic
recordings to the gothic industrialism of Einstļrzende Neubauten, thru the
monotone ecstasy of Basic Channel and the etheric romance of Leyland Kirby
in his Friedrichshain period. Ultimately, it's a deeply-personal piece of
work bound to capture the imaginations of depleted ravers in the after
after-hours. Vinyl cut by Rashad at Dubplates + Mastering.
Karocel - Plaited 2xLP (Freude Am Tanzen) [FREUDE008LP]
$19.75
Double LP version. Includes a download coupon for the album. Freude Am
Tanzen presents the debut album from Karocel. What do you do when a live
project exceeds its own ambitions? Just keep doing the wonderful concerts
and eventually head to the studio. Sounds simple and conclusive. In the
case of Karocel, that was exactly how they went about it and surprisingly,
all six band members made it happen. Though the four members of Marbert
Rocels, Mathias Kaden, and Michael-Mitchi-Nagler have known each other from
their hometown along the Gera-Jena-Erfurt corridor, and the Karocel live
shows have been well-received, an album is an entirely different beast. In
the fall of 2012 everyone got together in Marbert Rocel's studio for three
intense jam sessions. With a single click it all began -- after a while
everything was knotted together only to be woven through the mixer where it
then lay. Post-production vocals and overdubs weren't needed. The 10 pearls
that emerged from those sessions glistened in their raw form and now, the
multifaceted nature of a Karocel event is now available in album format. In
various dramatic curves Plaited prances over the dancefloor. Right smack in
the middle there are tracks like "This One," "Tease You," and "Undo" and
the bar-shaking "Vox," "Watts," "Boys," and "Don't Play," the
kissing-on-the-sofa "Without" and the one for on the way home, "Parallels."
Plaited is a complete work of art, no question.
Kink & Sierra Sam - My Space (feat. Hollis P. Monroe &
Overnite) 12 inch (Upon You) [UY070EP] $11.50
Super-powers are uniting on this 12". One track, four versions, and all
magic. "My Space" -- the floor monster -- was created by Sierra Sam. KiNK
is also on here and he managed to get American house legend Hollis P.
Monroe and Overnight into the boat as The Black 80s. Besides the original
-- a very unique "hardcore interpretation" from KiNK and a "home studio
mix" by Hollis P. & Overnight, Luna City Express also breads one out.
Kisk & Jacky O - Upside Down EP 12 inch (Pro-Tez) [PROTEZ030EP]
$11.50
Kisk and Jacky O make a smashing debut on Pro-Tez records. The duo
previously released their music on the Apparel label run by Kisk. This
limited to 300 copies 12" has prime examples of their lushly spirited,
sincerely grooving productions with a lovely identity of their own. With a
brilliant Roy Gilles' treatment of the track and Kjofols' minimal version,
the Upside Down EP is sure to satisfy you on long walks in European
metropolises, basement clubs and intimate home-listening alike.
Koreless - Yugen EP 12 inch (Young Turks) [YT088EP]
$14.00
May 20th, 2013 will see Koreless release his debut solo EP Yūgen on
Young Turks. Existing somewhere between soulful electronica and Eno-like
ambience, the emotion-filled soundscapes of Yūgen give the listener a
glimpse into the vast concepts imagined by Koreless and presented through
his music, artwork and performance. Remarkable in its restraint,
sophisticated despite its simplicity, and almost entirely beatless,
Yūgen is a bold statement that deserves to be listened to and lost in.
Kuniyuki (feat. Henrik Schwarz) - The Session 2 12 inch (Mule
Musiq) [MUSIQ160EP] $14.00
Kuniyuki and Henrik Schwarz collaborate once again. The original version of
"The Session" features Henrik's trippy melody and Kuni's musical flute.
It's a new style of jazzy deep house. On the B-side, Cologne-based Kraut
rock-oriented band Von Spar deliver an excellent remix.
KVB, The - Immaterial Visions Remixes 12 inch (Cititrax)
[CITI009EP] $17.25
Remixes from Silent Servant, In Aeternam Vale, and more.
Laura Stevenson - Wheel LP (Don Giovanni) [DG68LP]
$13.50
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! LAURA STEVENSON's new album Wheel features
strings by Grammy award winning violinist ROB MOOSE (BON IVER, ANTONY AND
THE JOHNSONS), brass accompaniment from KELLY PRATT (BEIRUT, ARCADE FIRE,
DAVID BYRNE, ST. VINCENT) Pratt (Beirut, Arcade Fire, David Byrne and St.
Vincent), and was produced and mixed by KEVIN MCMAHON (Swans, Titus
Andronicus, Frightened Rabbit, Real Estate). On Wheel, Stevensonpours
geography and heritage into the record, tackling family dynamics of
dependence and support, and the feelings of isolation and insignificance
that she has experienced while growing up surrounded by a vast body of
water on a planet surrounded by an endlessly expanding universe. The album
is also about coming to terms with these relationships and feelings, as
well as her own and other's mortality. Many of the lyrics on the album
explore these themes before coming back to an understanding and acceptance
of our place in the world, the short time we will spend here, and the
people we end up sharing it with.
Legs - Pass The Ringo LP (Loglady) [LL012] $14.50
Oakland, CA-based JEFFREY HARLAND and New Zealand native MATT BULLIMORE
began LEGS in a cold, concrete practice space in West Oakland, California
during the winter of 2011. While remaining a personal recording project for
a year, the pair busied themselves finishing a batch of songs informed by
their love of jangly guitar pop dispatched during the early '80s by labels
like flying nuns and creation records, with some simple cord progressions
and rudimentary drum beats filtered through the haze of obsolete reverb
units and dirty tape machines; vocals float, cymbals crash and guitars
scratch. With the help of many friends and the addition of vocalist AMELIA
ADAMS, the group put together Pass The Ringo, their debut LP. Edition of
500 copies. Includes a download.
Linda Draper - Edgewise LP (Planting Seeds) [PSREC084]
$13.50
RELEASE DATE: 06-03-2013
Limited to 200. Comes with a code for a free download.
Locust - You'll Be Safe Forever Remixes 12 inch (Editions Mego)
[EMEGO162XEP] $13.25
Limited 12" with remixes of material from the Locust album You'll Be Safe
Forever. Features Ulrich Schnauss, COH, and Nicholas Bullen.
Major Lazer - Free the Universe 2xLP (Secretly Canadian)
[SC292LP] $18.50
"After releasing their landmark LP Guns Don't Kill People? Lazers Do in
2009, the heroic production duo of Diplo and Switch found themselves boldly
marching forwards toward the end of the aughts, conquering major
milestones. Now, as the sole executive producer of Major Lazer, Diplo
continues to spearhead the current dancehall revival movement with Free the
Universe. The recording includes exciting collaborations with Bruno Mars,
Tyga, Flux Pavillion, Wynter Gordon, Shaggy, Wyclef, Ezra Koenig from
Vampire Weekend, Dev, and more. Spin called the LP's first single 'Get
Free' featuring Amber Coffman of Dirty Projectors, 'a meeting point between
Jamaica, West Africa, and Brooklyn.'"
Malphino - El Lava De Gabacho 10 inch (Catapulte) [CATAEP013]
$13.25
RELEASE DATE: 05-14-2013
Initiated by DJ & visual artist Yu Sato (Lex Records), the devilish
Malphino have been spreading their raw, earthy blend of Cumbia, Forró,
Samba and cinematic Exotica throughout London since 2010.
Marc Houle & Miss Kittin - Where Is Kittin? 12 inch (Items &
Things) [ITEM022EP] $11.50
A collaboration between Items & Things label boss Marc Houle and
techno/electro legend Miss Kittin. This six-track EP features two original
tracks, as well as remixes from Dubfire, John Foxx & The Maths, and with
two further edits from Miss Kittin herself. Building on the
disco-not-disco, industrial and new wave influences of Houle's Items &
Things album Undercover, the two originals on Where Is Kittin? demonstrate
the wide-ranging influences and potent pairing of the production duo.
Marisa Anderson - Mercury LP (Mississippi Records) [MRP049LP]
$13.00
"Portland guitar virtuoso Marisa Anderson is back with a new set of home
recorded instrumentals. This time around we find Marisa exploring
structures more based on the Appalachian folk tradition. The bluesy
cadences of Marisa's other Mississippi release -- Golden Hour -- are still
there but more in an emotional sense than a structural. It's rare to find a
record that has just one instrument with no vocals that can achieve real
emotional communication -- but here 'tis. Marisa thoughtfully composed and
recorded this LP over the course of the last two years. It was worth the
wait. A contemporary record that can hold its own against the various
re-issued folk music on our label."
Mark Broom - Two 12 inch (Token) [TOKEN029EP] $12.25
Token re-releases a forgotten gem by Mark Broom, techno's most famous
beardman. "Two" is simply Token's favorite Broom track, ever. Released over
10 years ago, this track never really got old. Instead, it aged with grace.
The track has now been remastered and is available again on a limited
marbled vinyl. It will also be available digitally for the very first time.
Syntax created the perfect moody companion for the B-side.
Mark Ernestus Meets Ben Zabo - Wari Vo Dubwise/Dana Dubwise 12
inch (Glitterbeat) [GB002EP] $12.25
The debut release by Glitterbeat Records is a limited edition 12" with two
dubbed-up remixes by electronic music explorer, Mark Ernestus. The tracks
are pulled from Glitterbeat artist Ben Zabo's self-titled and highly touted
2012 debut album of frenetic, Malian Afro-rock. By paring down Zabo's
tracks to their rhythmic, hypnotic essentials, Ernestus has created an
inspired soundscape. These "dubwise" mixes somehow succeed in feeling both
organic and reinvented. They are not dogmatic; they are a real-time
conversation between two music-makers adept at stretching boundaries.
Marko Furstenberg - Amethyst 12 inch (Ornaments) [ORN026EP]
$13.25
Atmospheric and raw dub-techno cuts from Marko Furstenberg on clear,
marbled vinyl.
Marvin Zeyss - Whatever EP 12 inch (Colourful Recordings)
[COLOUR010EP] $11.50
Marvin Zeyss is no stranger to fans of quality deep house music, making his
debut on Colourful with an array of warm-sounding grooves. From the
playful, percussive title-track "Whatever" through the uplifting "Thinking
of You," to the sheer beauty of "Solitary Life," Marvin showcases his
strong songwriting skills and innate sense of rhythm. Mario Aureo, keeping
it in the family, brings a tech-y, layered take on "Solitary Life" with a
huge bass line to drive the floor.
Mathias Kaden - Tentakle EP 12 inch (Desolat) [DESOLAT020XEP]
$12.25
Desolat welcomes the hugely-respected German producer and DJ Mathias Kaden
with his four-track Tentakle EP for the Desolat X series. Kaden delivers
four killer tracks which are as expertly programmed as one would expect
from the veteran producer, and designed to get the dancefloor moving. The
EP builds throughout with crisp hi-hats which drive the tracks' infectious
rhythms. The Tentakle EP also generously comes with two deadly FX tools for
all DJs to build into their set.
Matias Aguayo - The Visitor 2xLP+CD (Comeme) [COMEME00€]
$26.50
Double LP version. Comes with a CD of the album. To those of you unfamiliar
with Matias Aguayo, he remains a core Kompakt recording artist and one of
today's most ambitious music makers and collaborators. Be it from his early
days as half of the now-legendary techno act Closer Musik, to singing for
Battles on their recent hit "Ice Cream," Aguayo makes Cijmeme his platform
to work with fellow musicians from around the world and continues to push
all notions away of what dictates trend in order to create his own. Matias
returns with his third solo full-length, The Visitor -- recorded over the
course of five years in various places around the world including Buenos
Aires, Ciudad de México, Vitry-Sur-Seine, Rionegro (Antioquia, Colombia),
Sternhagen Gut, and his studio -- The District Union in Berlin. As with his
previous albums, Matias Aguayo unveils a perplexing and unexpected
offering. Rather than appealing to a specific genre, he considers rhythm as
a core influence in The Visitor and delivers what could be his most
purposeful music to date. A collaborative process plays a dominant role on
this album, articulating Aguayo's attentiveness to the community that
surrounds him. Mixed and co-produced by Scott Monteith aka Deadbeat upon
first hearing The Visitor, long-time fans of his music will be immediately
aware how the songs sound natural and immense. The secret is not just in
the mix but due to the fact that there are numerous musicians and vocalists
performing on each track. By utilizing so many layers of analog and
acoustic instrumentation, The Visitor as a whole provokes a distinct
listening experience that contrasts the ease of digital processing
techniques and the styles of most modern dance music out there today. Guest
artists include: Juliana Gattas (Miranda!) and Aérea Negrot (Hercules &
Love Affair), Luis Miguel "Cucharita" Jaramillo, Philipp Gorbachev,
Alejandro Paz, Ana Helder, Julia Bande, Julia Kasprzak, Amelia Bande,
Rodrigo OlavarrÄa, and Daniel Maloso.
Matt John - The Keys 2xLP+CD (Cocoon) [COR034LP] $20.75
LP version. Includes CD version of the album. This is Matt John's debut for
Cocoon Recordings. This is Sheffield, Warp, and the early Hacienda and
LFO-days that are shining through here. No massive 909-programming, no
Chicago and no New York house revival, and finally, not just another London
and Berlin hipster soundtrack. We are talking northern sound-inspired
techno here, dark but hedonistic analog synths and for those who remember:
A Certain Ratio feeling all over the place. The style and vibe of Matt
John's collection is defined right from the start: "Interview" is built
around slim analog drums and shouts out loud that you won't find loop-house
and over-polished drum-sounds in here. "Angel Dust" will show many
youngsters how effective a clean and banging 808 can be. The classic
backwards strings on top lead to that special dark but hedonistic vibe that
is almost dying for some cool MC Tune rhyme. Matt John continues with his
very own bleeps and plonks revival and with "Monogramm" it is almost
undeniable that master John must have been a big fan of the "Sweet
Exorcist" and all the other Warp legends. With "The River," Matt John shows
his jazzy side and introduces more warm organ sounds and heavy beats and
even a guitar joins the game. "The Ocean Inside" sounds far more
contemporary and way more up-to-date then the rest of the album. A dry bass
line, dub-echoes, warm strings, and a pretty cool groove makes it a nice
connection to the techno of today. "My Pocket" follows this and more jazz
vibes are spread, almost in a soundtrack-style. "The Keys" features banging
beats and the vocals call us to "enter the signs of today." "Britz Wind"
slows down the tempo again and has a nice summer sound. "The Surf Owl" is a
bizarre melting-pot of heavy beats, ocean surf and synthesizer bird-sounds.
On "Today" a New Order bass line and vocals that appear to be recorded
through DJ headphones meet a funky guitar and create a great piece of
music. Last but not least, "Froydish" possesses a hypnotic beat and sounds
that follow a more contemporary direction, forming a soft and warm ending
for a heavy album.
Michael Hurley - Wildegeeses/West Virginia 7 inch (Mississippi
Records) [MRP040EP] $7.00
"1993 recording of one of Michaels greatest songs of all time. Unreleased
version featuring just Michael and his guitar. 'Wildegeeses' is a heavy
little ballad about love and loss and all that kind of thing. The B side,
'West Virginia,' is a recording from around the same time -- a song that's
never come out until now. Both killers. Full color picture sleeve painted
by Michael. One time only limited edition. A co-release with our friends at
Secret Seven."
Mikal Cronin - MCII LP (Merge) [MRG475LP] $16.50
RELEASE DATE: 05-07-2013
***MIKAL CRONIN's self-titled debut from 2011 was all about endings: the
end of college, the end of a serious relationship, and the end of his time
in Los Angeles, where he grew up. So it's no surprise that his sophomore
release MCII-and first disc for Merge Records-is all about new beginnings.
"Since the first record came out, my life has changed quite a bit," Cronin
says, referencing his move to San Francisco and tours with Ty Segall as
well as with his own band. "I was presented with a whole new slew of
problems and situations that I was trying to work through." "Am I Wrong"
and "Shout It Out" dissect his fears over a new relationship, while "I'm
Done Running from You" and "Weight" find him freaking out about what it
means to grow up in the 21st century. Recorded in late 2012 by ERIC BAUER
at Bauer Mansion in San Francisco (except for "Don't Let Me Go" which was
recorded by Cronin at home), MCII includes guest appearances by K. DYLAN
EDRICH (viola and violin), CHARLES MOONHEART (drums), TY SEGALL (guitar
solos), and PETEY DAMMIT (slide guitar). Other than these few exceptions,
Cronin played all of the instruments. No Export.
Mitsuaki Komamura - Butterfly Effect EP 12 inch (Terpsichore)
[TER007EP] $12.25
Mitsuaki Komamura (one of the most interesting Japanese electronic
musicians of late), known for his releases on his own imprint Weedis,
crosses the continents and lands a splendid EP on Terpsichore. Inspired by
nature (the slanted butterfly way of flying), early Chicago house, dub, and
experimental music, the Butterfly Effect EP is the combination of all the
aforementioned. Atmospheric pads combining heavy kick drums, raw Rhodes
keys and dark ambiances, Mitsuaki Komamura manages a sublime and subtle
mixture.
Mm/Km - MM/KM 12 inch (The Trilogy Tapes) [TRILOGY003EP]
$21.75
Mix Mup and Kassem Mosse. Six track mini LP on The Trilogy Tapes.
Mungo's Hi Fi (Feat. Yellowman & Mr Williamz) - Dubplate Master
12 inch (Scotch Bonnet) [SCRUB007EP] $14.00
Mr. Williamz has been in high demand since appearing on Mungo's last album
Forward Ever. Those clamoring for more will not be disappointed with his
brand-new lick, this time a combination with Yellowman, and when the bass
line drops and the vocals kick in, it's like cool runnings all over. The
flipside carries a straight carnival-style dancefloor instrumental, along
with a half-time swing version with a totally different groove and a dutty,
dutty bass line.
Naum Gabo - Embargo Barco 12 inch (Correspondant) [CORR015EP]
$11.50
Well-known for its highly idiosyncratic blend of hard-hitting prime time
movers, Glasgow-based production duo Naum Gabo returns to the international
dancefloors with Embargo Barco, a dripping slice of raw club activism sure
to split many a forehead. With impelling vocals by electronic flaneur
Capablanca and a surprising funk remix by mutant disco revivalist Daniel
Maloso, this makes for a slick package more than ready for mayhem.
Nicholas Bullen - Component Fixations LP (Type) [TYPE115LP]
$19.00
To this day, Nicholas Bullen is best-known as a founding member of arguably
grindcore's most important act: Napalm Death. Although he decided to call
it a day before the band slipped into the mainstream circuit, his sonic
fingerprints were all over their influential debut Scum, and he's been
breaking boundaries ever since. A key figure in Birmingham's experimental
scene, Bullen was also a founding member of Scorn and has been involved in
a variety of projects since. Over 30 years later we arrive to Component
Fixations, an album that Bullen has been contemplating, working, and
reworking for some time. It is, after all, his solo debut proper, and as
such is a work that absolutely represents him as an artist both visually
and aurally. Taking influence from the early electronic artists of the
1960s, Bullen has fused this passion with his own musically explorative
past, resulting in an album of beguiling tape-manipulations, drones and
noise. Component Fixations is far more than a simple exercise in academic
sound, and Bullen has injected his long-form pieces with a rare mortal
sense of corruption and failure. Every single sound on the album was taken
from field recordings captured in the confines of Bullen's house and
garden, and this only serves to confirm the unshakable humanity of the
record. Component Fixations might be a long way from Scum, but dig deep and
you'll find the same curious mind, desperate to pull apart sounds and give
them a brand-new meaning. Extreme doesn't have to mean loud, after all. Cut
at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin.
Null & Void - Possibilities (discoverable Thoughts) LP
(Bunkerpop) [BP02] $19.50
The third, previously unreleased album by this early '80s
Culturcide-damaged crew from Fullerton, California, led by WILLIAM
SHIFFLETTE is an avant pop post punk experimental acid masterwork, a truly
endless piece of music by an overlooked band headed in a decidedly warped
direction, or, as mutantsounds said, "Half Machine Lip Moves meets Here
Come The Warm Jets." Yellowgreenred ruminates, "Either they were always
this strange, or by the third album they had completely lost touch with
reality ... when it comes to wildly insane and single-minded musical
experiments no one in their right mind would want to hear.... [L]ike a
synth-wave band who despised their own genre, or a Ralph Records band that
refused to be funny..., [this] group [doesn't] bow to any musical or
societal constraints, which of course is just as fascinating as it is
difficult." Includes 24 x 36 double-sided color poster and lyric booklet.
OK Vancouver OK - Food. Shelter. Water. LP (Kingfisher Bluez)
[KFB6002] $13.75
New LP from Vancouver's pro-sustainable agriculture/anti-capitalism indie
rock behemoths. Recorded by ELIMOORE (of LAKE and K Records). Throughout
the album's 10 tracks, frontman JEFF JOHNSON shows a brilliantly singular
vision for his band of nearly a decade, as he decries capitalism, pollution
and abuse of natural resources through every looping guitar riff, every
handclap and every hungry yelp. Johnson still has time to get existential
too, on album standout "What's My Memory For?" he asks "What's my memory
for, if I can't die once and come back for more?" Food. Shelter. Water.
might be written as an immediate political statement, but it has all the
makings of a classic Canadian indie rock album. Limited to 500
hand-numbered copies.
Pablo Tarno & Anthony Constans - Back 2 the Roots EP 12 inch
(Serialism Records) [SER020EP] $11.50
Super-elegant four-tracker EP bringing together Detroit influences and '90s
raw minimal with a dubby edge by up-and-coming artists Pablo Tarno and
Anthony Constands. Includes Tolga Fidan epic house remix. A little gem
marking release #20 in the Serialism catalog.
Pali Meursault - Offset LP (Doubtful Sounds) [DOUBT11]
$21.25
Composed from field recordings made in French printing facilities, Offset
is a sound document about the over-determined environment of a work place,
a journey into the depth of the mechanical and industrial energy of rotary
presses, and electroacoustic re-composition and manipulation. Both damaging
and alienating by-product of the production process, the musical dimension
of the recordings are marked by a hundred years of mechanical fantasies,
(as cultivated by the Futurists, industrial music, and techno). The first
side explores rhythmic patterns of five mechanical cycles; the second
focuses on two fluxes and continuous phenomena. Edition of 300.
Pascal Comelade - El Pianista del Antifaz LP+CD (Because Music)
[BEC5161397] $21.50
French-Catalan musician Pascal Comelade's world is atypical and his
inspirations come from many different sources -- from contemporary music to
The Cramps -- making him one of the most creative and original artists of
our times. At the crossroads of many different arts, never where he's
expected, he never ceases to surprise his audience, taking the listener on
poetic paths of primitive perception. El Pianista del Antifaz is the latest
album in Comelade's galaxy. The artwork was designed by Dutch illustrator
Joost Swart.
People Of The North - Sub Contra LP (Thrill Jockey) [THR337LP]
$17.25
"People of the North is Kid Millions (drums) and Bobby Matador (keyboard,
synth, vocals) of Oneida, and Sub Contra is their Thrill Jockey debut.
While their sound, like Oneida's, is constantly shifting and absorbing new
concepts and ideas, Sub Contra is a work that fully embraces tumult and
darkness in startling and dramatic ways. People of the North have been an
active entity since 2003, but it wasn't until 2010 with the release of Deep
Tissue on their own Brah imprint and Steep Formations, which followed in
2012, that recordings became an important part of the duo's identity. Sub
Contra also features contributions from Shahin Motia and Barry London of
Oneida."
Peter Buck - Peter Buck LP (Mississippi Records) [MRP031LP]
$16.75
"By popular demand, a repress of Peter's debut solo LP. This version is the
same as before but the track 'L.V.M.F' has been removed. First solo LP by
none other than former REM guitarist Peter Buck. Believe it or not,
released on vinyl only by Mississippi Records (no CD or download available
anywhere), and it gets weirder. This LP was cut pure analogue -- straight
from tape to disc. A real old fashioned freak out record filled with
Stooges like crunchy guitar riffs, strange atmospheric sounds, far out dark
lyrics, and some catchy pop hooks here and there. Peter and various friends
you've probably heard of, gathered at Type Foundry Studio here in Portland
and laid out this record fast and furious. A real madcap journey of a
record put together with nothing but love and a sense of immediacy."
Peter Buck - You Must Fight to Live on the Planet of the
Apes/The Monkey Speaks His Mind 7 inch (Mississippi Records) [MRP047EP] $7.25
"Peter Buck of REM and Baseball Project fame grinding out a garage rocking
cover of the Mummies evergreen hit 'You Must Fight to Live on the Planet of
the Apes.' Loose and raw -- don't forget that Peter produced the
Replacements Let It Be LP. The B side is a rollicking quasi political song
keeping with the primate feel of things. Two songs about monkeys on a
limited one time pressing 7". Full color picture sleeve featuring photos of
Peter in a monkey mask and pajamas wandering the streets of Mexico."
Physics - Spectramorphic Iridescence LP (Digitalis) [DIGI051LP]
$19.00
Resident Los Angeles android, [PHYSICS] unveils his debut LP Spectramorphic
Iridescence for the Digitalis label. Glazed electronics and polymorphic
beats run through wetware enhancements left behind by future civilizations.
Even with the neuron-popping hooks from opener "Anodyne Dream" or the
crystalline "Isosceles Trapezoid" acting like sandman for your brain,
there's a dark undercurrent running throughout Spectramorphic Iridescence.
Death-march rhythms snake through "Emerald Forest," adding an extra
sinister layer to all the cryptic stabs. As it bleeds deftly into "The
Keep," it's the ghost trapped in the machine, tortured into obsolescence.
[PHYSICS] continues pounding the electricity, waiting for the last voice to
drown beneath the bloated, cybernetic waves. Moments of sonic ecstasy
filter in when they can, though, finding heavy tranquility cycles with
"Realization" and album closer, "Ultimate L." Its over-the-top, sugary
synthetics laced with all aural opiates you need. "Ultimate L," especially,
achieves maximal catharsis through countless layers of slowly-evolving
tones. [PHYSICS] have crafted an album steeped in cyberpunk lore, complete
with neon death rays and jacked-in viruses. Spectramorphic Iridescence
weaves a singular narrative through thoughtful sequencing and impressive
songwriting. Before the end it manages to sing its dystopian hymns like a
mythic artificial intelligence finally freed from its VR prison. Cut to
vinyl by Lupo at Dubplates + Mastering, Berlin.
Plates Of Cake - Teenage Evil LP (Uninhabitable Mansions)
[UM027] $13.25
Teenage Evil is the second album from the band PLATES OF CAKE. The band is
composed of four gentlemen from New York City. They all met in Colorado,
where three of them went to high school together. A lot of people have said
some very nice things about Plates Of Cake, including Tiny Mix Tapes,
Popmatters, My Old Kentucky Blog, and AM New York, many going so far as to
forge neologistic phrases such as "slow-punk," "sore guts," and
"Episcopalian upbringing." WMFU said, "Plates of Cake stopped by to punch
WFMU in the face with their wise old songs and swirling stately rock,
mining the wintry rock/punk mix (Lou Reed, The Soft Boys, Television).
Their new album Teenage Evil is full of poise (and a Soft Boys cover)."
Professor Longhair - Rockin' with Fess LP (Rumble Records)
[RUM2011049LP] $21.00
"Often credited as the father of New Orleans rhythm and blues, Professor
Longhair is considered one of the most characteristic piano talents to come
out of Louisiana. His hybrid 'rumba-boogie' piano style, with a heavy,
pounding left hand, forever changed the sound of rhythm and blues piano. In
the words of Dr. John himself: 'All New Orleans pianists today owe "Fess."
He was the guru, godfather, and spiritual doctor of all that came under
him.' Rockin' with Fess gathers most of his standards and classics
(originally issued on singles for labels such as Atlantic, Mercury and
Federal) including 'Tipitina,' 'Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand,' 'Mardi Gras in
New Orleans,' and more gems of New Orleans popular culture."
Prommer & Barck - The Machine EP 12 inch (Derwin) [DERWIN008EP]
$11.50
"I Want You" and "The Machine" are recordings that emerged from Prommer &
Barck's live gigs. Their passion for details and enchanting playfulness are
evident in every aspect of their work. For "The Machine" they invited
Berlin singer Flinte Voss, who's the voice behind the project Neve Naive.
The slo-mo drum and bass mix is a real outstanding hybrid and a dance-genre
connector. "I Want You" is a slick house smash with gusto. Finally, there
is a slow-motion house remix by Paskal & Urban Absolutes.
Psyk - Arcade EP 12 inch (Mote Evolver) [MOTE035EP]
$12.25
On his second Mote-Evolver release Psyk aka Manuel Aıos delivers yet
another standout effort with four tool-oriented tracks of clean, tight, yet
powerful minimalistic approach. "Arcade" contrasts a high-energy thumping
drumbeat with a hypnotic layer of syncopated rhythm. Surface" will stay in
your mind with its obsessive singularity of monotone balanced with the
groove of a muted heavy beat. "Intern" is meshed with lighter elements like
beeping sounds and clapping, and "Somewhere" tames the energy into a
relaxed atmosphere.
Rabbits - Lower Forms LP (Eolian Empire) [ELN12] $13.50
REISSUED!!! Lower Forms, the debut LP from Portland's sludge-punk weirdos
RABBITS confused and polarized the punters at the get-go when it was
originally released by Relapse in 2011. Now the band's own Eolian Empire
label is pleased as punch (of course) to be able to release this 180-gram
vinyl re-press of Lower Forms from the original masters. The initial
pressing, now out-of-print, was limited to 300 with very limited
distribution (the band bought almost all of them and sold them at their
shows), so this is the first time more than just a few people outside of
Portland will be able to get a vinyl copy of their/our debut LP. One of the
rawest hi-fi albums you're likely to hear, Lower Forms was recorded and
mixed in six days with four amps, three men, two guitars, and one drum set
tortured together in one room, live, straight to tape, all first or second
takes, with just a few fixes and flourishes here and there-'old school'
some might say. So get dug deep into the dirt with this sprawling ten-song
sludge-punk cycle, a heavy meditation on man's struggle against-and
inevitable crushing by-nature, a masterpiece of misanthropy and menace.
"Crude, brain-damaged, and cacklingly mean-spirited, the disc is a twisted
riff-fest of almost Jesus Lizard-ish proportions." (The A.V. Club)
Rabih Beaini - Albidaya LP (Annihaya) [END007LP] $27.25
Albidaya in Arabic means "the beginning," which in the case of Rabih
Beaini's, might be the return to the beginnings, or the start of the path.
The album is conceptually a revisiting of the traditional and early
psychedelic Arabic music, all through distorted paths and instruments,
remashed and deconstructed sounds, recreating patterns with diverse
instruments to give a different perspective of the sound itself. Includes
musicians from Upperground, Piero, Bittolo, Bon, and Tommaso Cappellato.
Commissioned by Annihaya in Lebanon, by Sharif Sehnaoui, Raed Yassin, and
Hatem Imam -- includes artwork by Maria Kassab. "Dips into the ethnically
charged concepts and neo-traditionalisms of Annihaya, traversing through a
panorama of sounds and textures. Eastern twang, Middle Eastern thematics
and jazz all play a role in Albidaya, as do tribal drums and marketplace
noise with the introduction of live and off-the-cuff synth experiments,
arpeggiated space transmissions and eerie Wu-Tang-like vocal samples
entrapped in a gurgling soup of analog beef." --Juno Plus Blog
Real Numbers - Only Two Can Play 12 inch (Three Dimensional)
[3D008] $9.00
"Only Two Can Play sees the REAL NUMBERS further refine their UK
DIY-inspired pop approach, resulting in their best batch of songs to date.
There's an adventurous air to this one -from the softer edged title track
to the ominous tension of "Ordeal"-but the first class songwriting remains
eminently catchy throughout. There are moments of genuine melodic splendor
on here that Ed Ball would likely give a kidney to have penned. If you were
a fan of their previous 12" on Three Dimensional or their excellent 45 on
Florida's Dying then guaranteed you will be spending a lot of time with
this record. Limited to 300 copies.
Rolando - D & N's EP 12 inch (Ostgut Ton) [OSTGUT066EP]
$12.25
Rolando releases his second 12" for Ostgut Ton, serving up three new tracks
that solidify his reputation as someone who still pushes forward. "D & N's"
proves that the loop-master is still true to his Detroit heritage, even
though he resides in Scotland now. "We Will" embodies a mantra-like magic
-- nervous, penetrating and restless, it's a stirring techno gem. "Filthy"
is an elaborate devil of a club track that puts a deep final marker onto
this well-rounded EP.
Rollin Hunt - Phoney LP (Moniker) [MNKR014LP] $17.25
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! In the 27 years since arriving here from the
fifth dimension, cosmic pop-singer ROLLIN HUNT has learned a great deal
about human emotion. Incredibly, he's almost become one of us: walking the
streets of our cities, admiring our women, dancing in our nightclubs-and
finally understanding us, crying big, salty tears over our species' violent
destiny. And now he's dropping one of the first Major Albums of the 2010s,
bringing the message of celestial love that's already earned him a
cult-following in England and Canada. Fans of Rollin's far-out R&B
("Unearthly shoo-be-doo," Jessica Hopper has called it) know him as a lo-fi
underdog, an oddly-charming savant who recorded some of his best material
on an answering machine. But The Phoney, his first real LP, finds Rollin
working it in panoramic, technicolor hi-fi that's light years from the
bedroom studio. The not-so-secret weapon is whiz-kid producer and
multi-instrumentalist DONI SCHROADER, who worked for months with Rollin in
manic, all-night studio binges, bringing his songs to lush and lavish life.
The gorgeous production that emerged from that west-side Chicago
warehouse-jaw-dropping orchestral arrangements and pyrotechnic studio
wizardry, an awesome synthesis of organic and electric that's both warm and
futuristic--is as inventive as anything this side of Frank Ocean, with whom
The Phoney shares a kind of Tumblr-era sense of digital melancholy. Most
shocking of all, The Phoney has what might be called crossover
potential--that is, it speaks not only to the human experience but to
intelligent life across the space-time continuum. Unlike, say, Ziggy
Stardust, Rollin is the type of otherworldly messenger that you can imagine
having a drink with; as a messiah, he's remarkably accessible-one of
us!-and for a 'phoney' he seems awfully real. Still, this is a big and
important album that threatens to launch Rollin right back through the
galactic portals --let's hope it doesn't, he's urgently needed here on
earth.
Royal-T - I Know You Want Me EP 12 inch (Rinse) [RINSE024EP]
$10.75
Royal T's first release for Rinse since 2012's Rinse Presents: Royal T
finds the young grime producer in fine, rowdy form. "I Know You Want Me" is
a powerful, future-shocked hybrid that melds the swing of speed garage and
two-step with grime's bumpy bass blasts. "Saints" is a classic,
handclap-led grime tune, driven along by pirouetting synth arpeggios.
"Inside the Ride VIP" inverts "Inside the Ride," turning it into a chaotic,
scattergun version of the focused original. "Koopa Shell" is where grime
atmospheres meet trap rhythms.
RVDS - Summer EP 12 inch (It'S) [ITS011EP] $13.25
RVDS' Summer EP is the soundtrack for the summer of love 2013. It starts
with a great acid track with Tin Man, then comes a very kitten-ish, catchy,
Casio track, the simple "Trip to Sun." "Beat the Heat" is a kind of
Italo-percussion weirdo and "Love on the Beach" is soulful, electronic
Barry White on acid. All tracks are fresh with great percussive delay.
Artwork drawn by RVDS himself in comic style and in color.
Sam Rivers - Fuschia Swing Song LP (Heavenly Sweetness)
[HS079VL] $27.00
One of the greatest modern moments on Blue Note-ever! From the cover, to
the compositions, to the playing on the set-the whole album crackles with
an unbelievable fire that was hardly ever matched again. A young SAM RIVERS
leads a quartet that includes JAKI BYARD on piano, RON CARTER on bass, and
ANTHONY WILLIAMS on drums-coming together in a sound that's got lots of
sharp edges, yet which also beats with an undeniably swinging heart. Rivers
blows incredibly on the session-held in check by the rhythm section, and
never getting too free (or sloppy, as on some later sides)-and instead
hitting these hard tones that really push the envelope of '60s jazz without
rewriting the rules entirely. Brilliant all the way through.
Samiam - You Are Freaking Me Out LP (No Idea) [NIR309LP]
$13.50
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! The SAMIAM record that never saw a proper vinyl
release in the USA finally occurs, fully remastered and better than ever!!
In the words of an upstanding band member, "hmmm....shitty old band of
losers....how can we effectively promote that....." Yes indeed, No, wait a
minute-this record is crucial! Come and get it! LP on colored vinyl with
download.
Sante & Frank Lorber - Resistance EP 12 inch (Cocoon)
[COR104EP] $11.50
Cocoon presents an EP from Sante & Frank Lorber. "Share" is built around a
cool and modulating bass line and the drums are spiced up with some
old-skool flavor. "All About" is like the good old "dub" you used to know
from the high times of vinyl DJing. Finally, "Resistance" features banging
drums, loud and kicking hi-hats, claps and those Detroit-like backward
vocals beam us back to the Motor City-techno-age.
Secret Circuit - Tactile Galactics LP (Rvng International)
[BIS006LP] $18.25
"Delivered from its celestial womb to the human world for inevitable
elevation, Tactile Galactics is the new album by Secret Circuit, the
experimental dance music moniker and cosmic interface for Los Angeles
artist Eddie Ruscha Jr."
Seitz vs. Michael Gendrau - Seitz Versus Gendrau LP
(Misanthropic Agenda) [MAR037] $17.50
A collaborative experiment by a former member of TAXODIACAE and the
CRAWLING WITH TARTS dude, who use concrete music compositional strategies
on found sound captured in San Francisco. On "Chorus After Rains," both use
the same raw sound clips and meld their individual results together into
one piece of music. "Things Lost That Will Never Be Found," a composition
with live instruments, moves from a toy piano to various invented motor
instruments. "Trains Will Not Stop" uses sounds from records, composed by
Gendreau and re-mixed by Seitz using accelerometer recordings collected in
San Francisco during 2005. Edition of 90, packaged in tip-on jacket.
Shahram - Shahram LP (Pharaway Sounds) [PHS011LP]
$24.00
You know how record nerds are. They'll gladly tell you that a dawdling
Moldovian choir of 70 year-old grandmothers is the next brick in your
psych-funksplosion journey. But Shahram Shabpareh is the real thing.
Colorful arrangements of blurting horns, evil bass grooves, cheesy organs,
and thick strata of overlapping percussion instruments going off like
microwave popcorn. As the leader of an Iranian '60s garage band, The
Rebels, and later a '70s solo singer, Shabpareh was never happy just
tossing a few moves from Abba in front of whatever was on the local charts
already. He wrote and recorded hard rock and funky piano riffs that were
built bulldozer-tough and would've stuck out in an American trailer park or
a London pub just as easily as they did in Tehran. Not that he wasn't
afraid to put someone else's idea to good use, as he certainly makes superb
use of The Kinks' chords from "You Really Got Me." It's more that Shahram's
rock cojones have caused him to make blistering music again and again over
the years, with little regard for where it comes from. Here's a
well-deserved compilation of his best tracks, with insert/booklet with
liner notes, on 180 gram vinyl.
Shampoo Boy - Licht LP (Blackest Ever Black) [BLACKEST016LP]
$21.50
Licht is the debut album by Shampoo Boy, a new guitar, bass and electronics
trio from Vienna, comprising members Christian Schachinger, Christina
Nemec, and Peter Rehberg. Schachinger and Rehberg have played together in
various projects over the last 25 years, most notably Peterlicker -- see
Last Slave (2010) and Nicht (2011), both released on Editions Mego.
Schachinger was also involved in Der Scheitel, their album In einem Haus
das Liebe heiÄYt being a classic of German "Schlagermusik." Rehberg
currently operates the Editions Mego family of labels and is a member of
KTL, R/S, and Fenn O'Berg as well as working on theater productions with
Gisele Vienne, and with choreographer Margret Gudjonsdottir. Nemec's
background is in avant-rock and industrial outfits such as Bray and her own
performance group SV Damenkraft. She remains highly active as a solo
artist, both as Chra and under her own name, and she has performed on
several occasions with Lydia Lunch. Licht is made up of four improvisations
recorded and mixed at Twisted, Wien between April 2012 and January 2013.
Mastered by Noel Summerville at 3345, London. Artwork by Stephen O'Malley.
She & Him - Volume 3 LP (Merge) [MRG474LP] $17.25
RELEASE DATE: 05-07-2013
***With fourteen songs-eleven ZOEY DESCHANEL originals and three
covers-Volume 3 is an effortlessly effervescent, bleached-out-in-the-sun
pop record. The album features some of the most dynamic, complex songs
Deschanel has ever written, allowing for tempo shifts, disco grooves,
string arrangements on multiple tracks, and horn flourishes that perfectly
suit the SHE & HIM sound. Produced by M. WARD and recorded in Los Angeles,
Portland, and New York City, Volume 3 features guest contributions from
NRBQ's JOEY SPAMINATO, MIKE WATT, TILLY AND THE WALL, PIERRE DE REEDER from
RILO KILEY and TOM HAGERMAN from DEVOTCHKA. Since the release of the band's
album Volume Two in 2010, much has happened to both She and to Him.
Deschanel, whose television show New Girl has cemented her status as a
sitcom star, continued to hone her songwriting skills, writing the theme
song for her new show in addition to being nominated for a Grammy for Best
Original Song for the movie Winnie the Pooh. She wrote songs for Volume 3
during small pockets of downtime while filming New Girl, as Ward toured the
world behind his latest solo creation, A Wasteland Companion, which was
released to massive critical acclaim last year. First LP pressing on
limited blue vinyl. No Export.
Solar Bears - Supermigration LP (Planet Mu) [ZIQ334LP]
$14.50
A real sense of drama runs through SOLAR BEARS' music, and Supermigration,
their second album following 2010's critically lauded She Was Coloured In,
is full of all kinds-from the intimate to the psychedelic, from the chase
to the suppression. Supermigration is the result of a year and a half spent
on / off in a state-of-the-art studio in the Wicklow Mountains (a far cry
from the bedroom setup where they produced their debut). Compositions were
road-tested through a steady stream of live performances that saw JOHN
KOWALSKI and RIAN TRENCH expanding Solar Bears from a duo into a full-scale
band featuring members of I AM THE COSMOS, JAPE, SHIPS and GREAT LAKES
MYSTERY. And don't overlook the two vocal-led highlights of the album
featuring special guest appearances from SARAH P of KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS
and the legendary BETH HIRSCH (whose work here recalls her appearance on
Air's Moon Safari). Supermigration proves that despite the strong acclaim
around their debut, this Ireland-based duo was simply warming up. Received
a 7.2 rating from Pitchfork. No export outside North America or Japan.
Some Stranger - Some Stranger 12 inch (Robotic Empire)
[ROBO104] $17.00
Striking out from the wastelands between indie and experimental rock, SOME
STRANGER emerges with an incredibly catchy debut release. Blissful, melodic
vocals soar over a powerful and driving rhythm section and the guitars run
through one of the largest vintage pedal collections in the world; the five
haunting tracks are the work of seasoned veterans combining forces to yield
amazing results. Formerly of emo-rock outfit DAYTRADER, vocalist TYM joined
friend and acclaimed visual artist / guitarist DANIEL DANGER to form Some
Stranger with a mutual affliction for left-of-center angular rock. The duo
enlisted DERRICK FLANAGIN (Daytrader, CAPSULE) to track drums and promptly
hammered out their first set of recordings with engineer GARY CIOFFI
(Transit, Misser) also handling bass duties. VINCE RATTI (Circa Survive,
Balance and Composure) mixed the session, which was then mastered by WILL
YIP (Title Fight, Blacklisted). Finally, JACOB VAN LOON contributed
artwork. This 45 RPM vinyl 12-inch has a first press limited to 500 pieces
and includes a digital download.
Sonic Aesthetic, The - New Districts 12 inch (Sonic Aesthetic)
[SONICA001EP] $14.00
After years of hiding behind multiple aliases and all-too-clever back
stories, International Feel head honcho Mark Barrott finally slid back the
curtain at the start of the 2013 to present his new moniker The Sonic
Aesthetic. This EP continues the mission to further the agenda of guerilla
resistance and maverick thinking against what he calls "the sausage
waveforms" of overly compressed 21st century production &
hermetically-sealed life. New Districts consists of three sultry cuts that
move with elegance and grace through mellow house and Balearic templates.
Sorcerer - Step Pyramid / Universal Vision 12 inch (Catune)
[CATUNE049] $14.75
DAN JUDD (WINDSURF) is SORCERER. Side A's "Step Pyramid" works perfectly on
dance floors keeping the melodies minimal, but with bright synth sounds and
vocal cut up loops lock you into a breezing groove, and also features a
remix by TRAKS BOYS. Side B's "Universal Vision," also a DJ friendly cut,
features vocals & synth, and a remix by THE BEAT BROKER. Vinyl only
release. No Export to Japan.
Stephen Brown - Pablo/Playpark 12 inch (Subwax Excursions)
[SUBWAXEXC1201] $12.25
Subwax Excursions is the new sister label of Subwax Bcn. Excursions is all
about the journey within electronic music, no fixed genre or style. Stephen
Brown is a well-respected producer who has been producing quality music
since the mid-'90s with classic releases on labels such as Djax-Up-Beats,
Transmat, Scandinavia, Subject Detroit, etc. Here he delivers two great
tracks, starting off with "Pablo," which is a hypnotic techno track with
bangin' chords. "Playpark" is a more melodic, Detroit-like journey with
beautiful synths.
Steve Gunn - Time Off LP (Paradise Of Bachelors) [POB007LP]
$21.75
LP version. Features a matte, tip-on jacket and full-color inner sleeve.
Comes with a digital download coupon. "In the city we're all angling for
quittin' time, laboring along and among the hours, searching and scheming
for the sweet sound of those two easy words: Time Off. It's something you
take -- or sometimes steal, like a thief or a baserunner -- but seems you
can never get enough of it. It's regulated, rationed, and billed by volume,
like water or electricity or ice cream. Sometimes you have to beg the boss
for more, or even for a trifling taste. So let's make time! Let's roll the
dice and get these old bones out on the road again. Steve Gunn's new album
imagines the fugitive moments afforded us during time off, out, and away as
occasions for dilatory investigations into our immediate environments and
interiors. Time Off showcases the virtuosic guitarist and songwriter's
oblique character sketches and story-songs, some of which, like 'Lurker'
and 'Street Keeper,' portray specific denizens of his Brooklyn
neighborhood. 'Old Strange' celebrates Jack Rose, a dear and departed
friend and muse. Those contemplative studies frame Gunn's most affecting,
accessible and articulate work of pure song-craft to date. His definitive
statement as a songwriter, Time Off represents the culmination of nearly
fifteen years of stylistic experimentation as a solo artist, a member of
GHQ and the Gunn-Truscinski Duo, and more recently, as a guitarist in
fellow Philadelphia-bred troubadour Kurt Vile's touring band the Violators.
Gunn's first eponymous album with a full band, Time Off harnesses a core
trio format to launch his compositions into new, luminous strata; the songs
have evolved through disciplined trio interplay with longtime collaborator
John Truscinski on drums and Justin Tripp (formerly of Aspera and Favourite
Sons) on bass and guitar. Helena Espvall (Espers) also guests on cello.
Steve's keen baritone voice features more prominently than ever before on
these tunes, each of which feels both more rigorous and expansive than
previous efforts."
Sudden Death Of Stars, - The Getting Up, Going Down LP (Ample
Play) [AMPLALP059] $18.50
RELEASE DATE: 06-10-2013
The Sudden Death of Stars. Think The Byrds, Fairport Convention, Velvet
Underground, Spacemen 3, made in Brittany.
Sun, The - Tristan LP (Shadoks Music) [SHAD156LP]
$38.50
"The time is anytime for this love story. A ship is dipping trough the
sparkling blue sea, sitting on deck are Tristan and Ysolde. We have never
seen or heard an album like this before. The music is stunning, the
original package was outstanding, the whole presentation just beautiful. I
am sure this album Tristan was not produced to sell. It came in a
hand-laminated 10" tape box, a booklet with all the lyrics, and two 10 inch
hand-cut acetates. The concept of the rock opera Tristan reminds me a lot
of the two 12" acetates of Shuttah - The Image Maker Part 1+2. I am sure
both albums were produced in an excellent studio with pro-musicians to help
seal the deal for a release on a big label. So some promo guys out there
should have some original copies. The music is electric folk with a
progressive touch, much better than most albums we have heard from Britain.
Male and female vocals, a wide range of instruments, great percussion and
first class guitar, plus organ parts. Some songs are more acoustic, some
electric. A well balanced mixture of an underground concept album which
beats most other UK albums of the same kind. This album is a pure surprise.
We just love it." 500 numbered copies on 180 gram vinyl. Comes with a four
page insert.
Tar Halos - Wine Hand LP (Volar) [VOLAR25] $12.75
Like the sound of Salton Sea-creatures, dried in Death Valley, TAR HALOS is
an all-encompassing entity; this San Diego based psych-rock iteration of
"the sound" being comprised of five desultory elements, each crudely
assimilated to one another in a broodingly raw aural mix. The resultant
entity lacks conventions and so exists in a constant state of irreality,
their presence being compared variously to that of a pig-dog in heat or a
dark stare to the back of a head. Reverb and screeching synths swell and
echo, unabashed sound that seduces listeners away from their own cherished
realities. Wine Hand marks the entity's vinyl debut, its intentions still
ambiguous. For fans of Psychic Ills, Moon Duo, Chrome, Spacemen 3,
Throbbing Gristle, Pere Ubu, Syd Barrett and Ghost.
Teenage Moods - Grow LP (Twenty Five Diamonds) [25D006]
$13.50
The second LP by TEENAGE MOODS for the 25 Diamonds label; this time the
band recorded as a 5 piece, making for a huge recording and finding them at
their most pop oriented and catchiest yet; seriously, the hooks throughout
this record are insane. Drawing equal influence from the Rough Trade
Records catalog-The Raincoats, The Vaselines, etc.) as from the K
Records/Kill Rock Stars scene of the Pacific Northwest. I cannot say enough
good things about this band, and could not be happier to be releasing
another LP for them. Pressed in an edition of 300 hand numbered copies on
colored vinyl. Includes a digital download code
The Body - Master, We Perish LP (At A Loss) [AAL043VLP]
$13.50
THE BODY return with three brand new tracks pushing their experimental
dooomed and blackend heavy sound ever forward! Since the release of 2010's
critically lauded All The Waters Of The Earth Turns To Blood, The Body have
toured as the stripped down duo and the added ensamble, and collaborators
on various releases, of the ethereal voices of the Assembly Of Light Choir
and the orchestral drone of Braveyoung. The blackened punk / hardcore burst
of "The Ebb And Flow Of Tides In A Sea Of Ash" with the contrast of CHIP
KING's screeches and LESLIE WEITZ's (OTESANEK) growls cumlminating in noise
and feedback. Beautfiful yet erie sound of CHRISSY WOLPORT (ASSEMLBY OF
LIGHT CHOIR) and REBA MITCHELL's (WHORE PAINT) vocals contrast with a
women's saddened confession of mental anguish. A pump of a shotgun, a
sludgy foreshadow moves to a explosion of sound and tortured screams.
Hypnotic tribal rythms, feedback and noise erupts into the slow crush of
low end and the bellowing of "an end to beliefs and an end to these
truths"!
The History Of Colour TV - Emerald Cures Chic Ills LP (Saint
Marie) [SMR021LP] $18.50
RELEASE DATE: 06-17-2013
Solid white vinyl limited to 300 copies.
The/Das - Outfashioned 12 inch (Life And Death) [LAD010EP]
$11.50
Anton Feist and Fabian Fenk of The/Das is back with three new songs that
move mysteriously around the edges of the club. The EP opens with
"Outfashioned," whose thin, melancholic vocal line connects the crowded
dancefloor to the individual headphones. "Suburban Drugstore" is a song
that pays attention to small details and opens a space that is filled with
the haunting vocals of The/Das singer Fabian Fenk. "Akimbo" takes place at
the outskirts of the dancefloor, with gazes floating around and fixating on
a figure.
Theo Parrish and Tony Allen - Day Like This/Feel Loved 12 inch
(Wildheart Recordings) [WHR001EP] $15.50
"Wildheart Recordings is Theo Parrish's new London-based label. 'Sound
signature releases for the body, Wildheart is for everything else" is
Theo's pithy summary of his two labels' aims and compatibility. 'Day Like
This' and 'Feel Loved' are the first fruits of Parrish's work with the
legendary Lagosian, Tony Allen. They met initially at the Red Bull Academy
in 2007 in Toronto and linked again in 2010 when they spent a couple of
days together in London, again courtesy of the RBA. (Their bond was forged
further when they participated in the Honest Jon's Chop Up shows in London,
France and Ireland at the end of 2011). Final work on the tracks was done
in 2012 when Theo brought on board vocalist Eska, Andrew Ashong (following
up from Flowers with another stellar contribution here, singing and playing
bass), and guitarist David Okumu. 'Day Like This' is masterful modern soul
music. At the point where Parrish's synth stabs into Tony's groove beneath
a swirl of falsetto vocals, you know it -- this is a big tune. 'Feel Loved'
goes deeper and for some will hit harder. An epic sweep of synth this
time, around which Tony plays with growing freedom and excitement --
showing again that he is the best drummer on the planet -- before a
majestic coda brings things to a close. Music for everything else indeed,
but by all means for the body as well. For its first release, Wildheart is
giving birth to a monster."
Tiga & Jori Hulkkonen - Trust Your Body 12 inch (Turbo
Recordings) [TURBO145EP] $14.00
Tiga reunites with Jori Hulkkonen for a shared love of late-night
dancefloor sleaze. "With this song, I wanted to get my music into some of
the darker clubs, the kind where you see obese goth kids drinking Red Bull
out of goblets and somebody's uncle wearing one of those weird studded
strap things. Remixers include joeFarr, Danny Daze, and John Roman. Also,
Turbo Recordings presents what is hopefully the world's first 100 micron
film condom wrapper record sleeve.
Tomoko Sauvage - Ombrophilia LP (Aposiopese) [LPSAUVAOMBR]
$26.75
With the influence of Terry Riley and Alice Coltrane already internalized,
TOMOKO SAUVAGE's encounter with the jalatarangam (a traditional south
Indian instrument-porcelain bowls filled with water tapped with bamboo
sticks) brought her to the idea of recording with underwater microphones,
and using simple electronics to weave an aquatic soundscape. Additional
audio feedback from loudspeakers creates drones that sway with water waves.
Uncontrollable elements such as sensitivity to room acoustics and
irregularity of water movement play an important role in the unstable,
fragile and site-specific nature of her music.
Truth - Devil's Hands/I Belong 12 inch (Tempa) [TEMPA076EP]
$10.75
New Zealand's Truth -the duo of Andre Fernandez and Tristan Roake -- put an
expansive, cinematic twist on the deeply-rooted sounds of pure dubstep.
Crushing bass pressure and all-pervading sensations of dread remain the
hallmarks of their sound. This is the duo's second release for Tempa, and
offers a pair of intricate, smoky and ocean-deep dancefloor riddims.
"Devil's Hands" plays off a delicious tension between sweet and sinister,
and "I Belong" pushes that dichotomy to even further extremes.
Tunabunny - Form A Line 12 inch (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
[HHBTM154] $10.50
TUNABUNNY from Athens, Georgia take their most dance oriented track "Form A
Line" from their recent and third album Genius Fatigue and give it the
remix treatment and have a dream come true with having VANESSA HAYof the
legendary post-punk band PYLON, one of Athens' most iconic voices doing her
own version of the song with the band backing her. Edition of 200 copies.
Unknown - New Wave Of 12 inch (Unknown Label) [UNK50276EP]
$13.25
New Wave Of is the new wave of house experience that will not be unveiled.
Various Artists - Freedom Jazz France 2xLP (Heavenly
Sweetness) [HS076LP] $28.50
A compilation featuring a wide spectrum of jazz styles from late '60s to
early '80s France covering free, Caribbean, modal, spiritual, hard bop and
a focus not only on rare and obscure tracks but also on unheard and
unspotted gems by famous or less famous name like FRANCOIS TUSQUES, EDDY
LOUISS, OCTET DE DREUX, CHENE NOIR, SYLVAIN KRIEF, NOAH HOWARD, MICHEL
ROQUES, and more.
Various Artists - In the City #3: Part 2 12 inch (Souvenir
Music) [SOUVENIR055EP] $12.25
Souvenir presents part 2 of the third edition of their In the City
compilation, presenting exclusive tracks from some of the best talents on
the Souvenir stable. In the City #3 -- Part 2 includes artists Re.You,
Sierra Sam, Special Case, and Philip Bader.
Various Artists - Pudel Produkte 22 10 inch (Staatsakt)
[AKTSIE044EP] $11.50
Limited 10" on Pudel Produkte (500 copies worldwide). These tracks will
only be released on vinyl. No digital release. Cloud Boat from London remix
Me Succeeds from Hamburg and Christian Naujoks plays a beautiful guitar
meditation on the B-side. Cover artwork by Alex Solman. Beautiful tracks --
check it out.
Various Artists - Nightingales and Canaries Vol. 1 LP
(Mississippi Records) [MRP044LP] $13.00
"Aching and radiant songs from 78 RPM discs dating from the '30s and '40s.
Canaries and Nightingales Vol. 1 is our first collection of the voices of
women from the Middle East during the first half of the 20th century. Side
one of the album includes outrageously flirtatious and rocking performances
by Christian and Jewish immigrants from Anatolia, Istanbul, and Roumelia.
Side B includes more demure and artful performances by some of the greatest
Turkish stars of the first generation of Muslim women to sing on records.
Liner notes by Ian Nagoski with phtographs of the artists. A co-release
with Canary records."
Various Artists - Panorama Bar 05 12 inch (Ostgut Ton)
[OSTGUT067EP] $12.25
An esteemed selector, producer and Panorama Bar resident DJ, Steffi
presents the fifth mix in the Panorama Bar series. Reflecting all the
angles of her classically-inspired, raw and profound sound, we are treated
to a rather grand lesson in house music. This 12'' features three new and
exclusive tracks selected for the mix, from New York's Fred P (aka Black
Jazz Consortium), Amsterdam's Juju & Jordash, and Detroit's Big Strick.
Various Artists - 50 Weapons of Choice #30-39 2xLP (50
Weapons) [50014LP] $23.25
Annual label showcase featuring the latest 12" single highlights by Marcel
Dettmann, Atoms For Peace, Cosmin TRG, Benjamin Damage, Phon.o, Bambounou,
and more, as well as two additional unreleased exclusive bonus tracks by
Truncate and datei42. The vinyl version features mostly out-of-print
titles, plus the two unreleased exclusive bonus tracks by Truncate and
datei42. 2012 was 50 Weapons' most successful year so far. Voted as the #1
label of the year by XLR8R, #2 label of the year by the readers of De:Bug
and ranked in the top 10 of Top Labels 2012 by Resident Advisor, amongst
listings in many other "Best of the Year" categories in media around the
world, never before has the label gained so much attention. 50 Weapons of
Choice #30-39 aims to present some of the 12" single highlights of the past
months in a cohesive manner. Label regulars Cosmin TRG, Phon.o, Anstam,
Bambounou, Dark Sky, Addison Groove, Benjamin Damage, and Marcel Dettmann
are accompanied by A Made Up Sound and Thom Yorke-led group Atoms For
Peace. On its fourth installment of the series two new guests contribute
exclusive bonus tracks: U.S. techno veteran Truncate and mysterious
Berlin-based youngster duo datei42. Dive into the colorful worlds of 50
Weapons with this action-packed adventure tale.
Various Artists - Keysound Allstars Vol. 2 12 inch (Keysound
Recordings) [LDN037EP] $10.75
This EP presents four fresh tracks from this emerging collection of new
producers. Leading off the EP is the first release on Keysound from Etch.
Pitched somewhere between garage and dubstep, "Scatta" draws from the
elastic b-lines of mid '90s jump-up jungle, littered with touches of
Metalheadz' noir city-soundscapes. Walton's "Homage" is a skippy swung funk
of two-step garage with a nod to hardcore. Visionist rethinks grime from an
abstracted position, and Fresh Paul's work is full of neon, synth-led
color.
Various Artists - Brontosaurus 2xLP (Permanent Vacation)
[PERMVAC107LP] $19.75
This is a retrospective on the life and work of the mighty Brontosaurus
label. Although it was only meant to live for four years (2006-2010), its
work was quite influential, and Brontosaurus managed to become a reference
of its own. Enough reasons to raise Brontosaurus a monument to reminisce
him in his full glory. Permanent Vacation are also very happy to get an
inside view by fellow paleontologist and Tuff City Kid Gerd Janson, who
contributed liner notes to this double gatefold LP. Born out of boredom
rather than a desire for stardom (or ability for that matter), the
Brontosaurus label was the playground of three don't-wanna-be-grown-ups:
Phillip Lauer, Thomas Saap Sabrowsky, and the man formerly known as CB Funk
aka The Citizen's Band. A label from and for friends that claimed to
release so-called proto dance music long after its emersion, misspelled
"mayhem" as "mayham" and met ennui with excitement and a DIY ethos that
wasn't very far away from the snotty nose that is hardcore punk. Baptized
by a guy named Popowicz, Brontosaurus managed to lighten up the mood in a
scene that is sometimes too serious/too stubborn/too conventional, while
independently keeping the aural quality standards of Frankfurt's
larger-than-life label persona, Playhouse. With releases by Lauer himself,
Extra Produktionen, Exile Missile, and the Lauer & CB Funk house music hoax
Arto Mwambe that turned into a major player of its own, the label released
exactly 13 12"s, before it stopped and the protagonists went on to other
adventures. Those singles include melancholic first-timers like Zachary,
remixes from the likes of Move D and Osborne, chart-storming deep house
anthems ("Mudhutma!," "Greatest Love," "Love Lifted"), euphoric piano
madness by Lauer (Delta NRG) or slow-motion cosmic funky by The Exile
Missile (Ray Rider) -- some of them housed in hand-crafted limited sleeves
portraying the inviting homes of dictators and all of them strictly bound
to the vinyl format. Consigned for posterity by Munich's music machine
Permanent Vacation, the label's momentum and those moments can now be
relived again and again. Brontosaurus collects the label's brilliance for
the first time on digital formats and for the last time makes it obtainable
on vinyl again. Here you have all the ingredients that make dance music
enjoyable, elating, staggering, shrewd, heroic and, most of all, fun.
Various Artists - Drive Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
2xLP (Mondo) [MOND005LP] $29.50
"Nicholas Winding Refn's neo-noir love story Drive first hit theater in
September 2011 and was instantly revered as one of the best films of the
year by both audiences and critics alike. A signature component of the
film's success is credited to an eclectic soundtrack comprised of various
retro '80s pop songs and an eloquently blended synthesizer score composed
by Cliff Martinez. When Refn had first approached Martinez to compose the
score, the Danish director gave the former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer a
collection of moody songs which would eventually find a permanent home
within the movie. Martinez set out to create a score that blended these
songs into a homogenous aural tapestry. One of the signature sounds he
employed is a rare and unique instrument called the Cristal Baschet. It's a
large contraption featuring a metal frame with 54 chromatically tuned glass
rods protruding from its base. Each individual glass rod is delicately
rubbed with moistened figures that cause the rods to vibrate. The result is
a hauntingly beautiful sound that beguiles the listener's ear. The Cristal
Baschet can be heard throughout the score including the track 'Rubber
Head,' 'I Drive,' and 'Wrong Floor.'" 180 gram vinyl, comes in a gatefold
sleeve.
Various Artists - Interpretations on F.C. Judd 2xLP (Public
Information) [PUBINF010LP] $27.25
"In January 2012, Public Information released a 35 track compendium of F.C.
Judd's music and sound, called Electronics without Tears. Fast forward to
spring 2013 and they are back with Fred for a very special LP to re-ignite
his legacy. For their tenth release, Public Information asked some of
their favorite artists working today to submit a reinterpretation of the
greatly undervalued electronics pioneer, Frederick Charles Judd. With the
entire archive of Fred's sounds, tone experiments, field recordings and
lectures to work from, they were left to produce an audio artifact
befitting of Judd himself. The players invited: Chris Carter, Perc, Pye
Corner Audio, Holly Herndon, Mordant Music, Peter Rehberg, Bandshell,
Ekoplekz, The Boats, Leyland Kirby, Karen Gwyer, and Ian Helliwell.
Interpretations on F.C. Judd opens with Fred himself, welcoming us into his
world before Ian Helliwell takes us into a fractured loop of radio static
and gargled musique concrete. From here we lurch through pure tape trips
(Leyland Kirby, Chris Carter) dubwise refractions (Karen Gwyer, The Boats
PCA), haunted never-zones (Ekoplekz, Mordant Music, Perc), sublime vocal
deconstructions (Holly Herndon) and frightening slashes of electronic
deviance (Peter Rehberg, Bandshell). Throughout inspirations, Fred is
never far away, reminding us how important visionaries like him stalk even
the most future-bound of electronic music."
Vedomir - Marcel Dettmann Remixes 12 inch (Dekmantel)
[DKMNTL012EP] $12.25
Marcel Dettmann turns over two album tracks from Vedomir's killer
self-titled album (DKMNTL 009LP) on Dekmantel.
Vernon Felicity - Dawning 12 inch (M>O>S Recordings)
[MOS019EP] $12.25
Boris Bunnik is back, this time as Vernon Felicity, with a 4-track EP for
M>O>S Recordings. "Dawning" is slow and purposeful, with acid pricks and
twitches peppering a churning groove. "Breaking Silence" is more kinetic,
with claps, hits and squiggly melodies as pronounced bass lines strike a
melancholic note. "Wrong Notion" boasts eco-systems of analog lines and
acid belches, all weaving their way around each other. Finally, "3"
explores wide-open cosmic synth spaces with lingering pads, mournful Blade
Runner-style synths, and gently churning rhythms.
Vertonen - Hace / 26,250' B/w 11*22.4'n 142* 35.5'e LP
(Misanthropic Agenda) [MAR038LP] $17.50
Inspired by early explorations of extreme locations-and the clash between
the will of humans, the limits of their bodies, and the immutable laws of
the natural world-the latter which can easily destroy both of the first
two-BLAKE EDWARDS' primary device is a Russian Polivoks synthesizer. The
"11* 22.4'N 142* 35.5'E" side (based on the 1960 dive by Jacques Piccard
and Don Walsh in the bathyscaphe Trieste to the Challenger Deep in the
Mariana Trench, the deepest known point on earth) mirrors the combination
of analytic scientific preparation and calibration that the team did, and
the inherent and unavoidable human concern of dying should anything go
wrong. The "HACE/26,250'" side (named after High Altitude Cerebral Edema,
which has the greatest potential for striking in the Dead Zone [26,250
feet], where available oxygen cannot sustain human life for more than three
hours) is a soundtrack for a body closing down; heart rate slowing, blood
flow slowing, everything once moist and carrying life slowly becoming
brittle, dry, and unable to function due to duress. Edition of 200 copies,
packaged in tip-on jacket.
Victoria - Kings, Queens & Jokers LP (Shadoks Music)
[SHAD065LP] $41.75
"Local New Jersey demo release (200 made), beyond rare fantastic concept
psych beauty, maybe five or six known copies; three girls, one guy. They
tried to get attention from big labels but this never happened. They wanted
him to sound like Blood Sweat & Tears. But this was not Greg's idea of
music. The music has everything you need, like a wild version of early Moby
Grape combined with New Dawn and C.A. Quintet, sometimes dreamy sometimes
totally wild underground-psych, with female vocals and splattering leads,
Titanic horns and distorted guitars. Sweet tunes turn into dark psych
power. Totally stoned. A previous Little Indian release, but this time with
insert, three bonus tracks, and many pictures." 400 numbered copies on 180
gram vinyl. Comes in a heavy red-velvet sleeve with engraved artwork and
insert.
Vince and His Lost Delegation - Vince And His Lost Delegation
LP (SDZ) [SDZ015] $18.50
SDZ goes full circle with the release of VINCE AND HIS LOST DELEGATION's
debut 12" EP. This band is the brainchild of VINCE POSADSKI, longtime
friend and collaborator of the label. SDZ's first release was a single by
one of his previous bands, LES VIPERES, back in Quebec City, Canada in
early 2000. When he moved to France a few years later, Vince formed the
infamous garage-trash outfit THE FATALS. Later on he joined several other
devastating groups: BOBPOPKILLERS, THE CHIMIKS and DESTINATION LONELY.
Additionally he drummed for AQUA NEBULA OSCILLATOR's acid-drenched album
Under the Moon... and started composing more and more songs on his own,
including the mind-blowing "I Want Go To Your Brain" for our 10th
anniversary comp LP a few years ago. When asked about a solo record, he
booked Lo Spider's Swampland Studio in Toulouse and called his buddies
SIMON and ADRIAN, current members of Aqua Nebula. Recorded in 3 days with
Lo'Spider as engineer and fourth member, this record is Vince's best and
most personal work. The songs subtly transcribes his love for Quebec's '60s
rock'n'roll and psychedelic obscurities (Serge Blouin, Les Sinners, Les
Habits Jaunes, Les Lunours, Aut'Chose, Peloquin/Sauvageau, etc.) while
staying true to his Oblivians/Cheater Slicks roots with some juvenile
savage outbursts. Kick back, relax and eat your brain like a 3-am poutine
with the 6 deviant jams of this fine little platter.
Waze & Odyssey - Please Don't Dance EP 12 inch (Dirt Crew)
[DIRT070EP] $12.25
Waze & Odyssey are currently one of the most talked-about electronic acts
on the musical landscape, and their vinyl label W&O Street Tracks has been
consistently topping the Juno sales charts. None other than the Detroit
Swindle boys are on remix duties with a true underground deep house
interpretation of "Please Don't Dance" that has been road-tested to set any
dancefloor on fire.
Whiles - Somber Honey LP (Anyway) [AW068x] $12.00
THE WHILES' Somber Honey weaves a five-year track through the interruptions
of adulthood, doubts and uncertainty-somewhat like the history of the band
itself. Formed shortly after graduation from high school in the late '90s,
The Whiles have persevered through friendship, death, and the birth of
children. Built around the strong songwriting of JOE PEPPERCORN, The
Whiles' construct songs that, at times, have taken years to finish ("Somber
Honey" went through four different recording sessions). At one point in
their career, they appeared to be the indie band to break out of Columbus,
with press coming from Rolling Stone and Paste and a tours planned with The
National, Andrew Bird, and My Morning Jacket. The curse of 614 entered and
a member quit, thus putting the brakes on the group. After the release of
2007's Sleeper's Wake, they collectively retreated to careers, family and
the recording studio. Somber Honey displays Peppercorn's strong sense of
melody and sharp song craft, with orchestral arrangements courtesy of
violinist SAMANTHA KIM (GHOST SHIRT). The album recalls hints of Colin
Blunstone's finest work, Eric Matthews and the pop sensibilities of Tommy
Keene, early Cat Stevens and The Byrds. Limited to 300 hand-screened LPs
with download included, Somber Honey is as majestic as the sun cutting
through the gray Midwestern din of February. The Whiles will play select
dates in support of the album's release.
Window Twins - Wish LP (Volar / Crash Symbols)
[VOLAR24/PBUH046] $12.75
"Though TIM COHEN (THE FRESH & ONLYS, MAGIC TRICK) and JON BERNSON
(EXRAY'S, RAY'S VAST BASEMENT) have been longtime collaborators, WINDOW
TWINS is the primary outlet for their shared visions; a cyclical
partnership, struck up when the animus moves both Bay Area staples. With
the support of KEVIN EARL TAYLOR, the duo advances on the strength of two
distinctive voices at play in their recordings. Though the two musicians'
equally distinctive vocals have a central role, they act in tandem with
meticulously orchestrated loops and potent but minimal instrumentation.
Wish is the group's second album together and it deftly focuses the
parameters of its predecessor, I'm This Tall City. Famous genre-busters,
Cohen and Bernson conjure an endless range of sensation in their
collaboration, their dry wits finding outlets in drowsy psych-soul,
shambolic rhapsodies; anxious meditations given further character by WARREN
HUEGEL's layered percussion, AARON ROCKER's moody horns and AMANDA
HALLQUIST's solitary wurlitzer. To all of this, add an experimental beat
sensibility, beyond and often in tandem with live drums, that really seems
to define the collaboration and the core of its shared experiment."
Wold - Freemasonry 2xLP (Ideologic Organ) [SOMA014]
$29.75
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! Received an 8.3 rating from Pitchfork. Notorious
and extreme Canadian band WOLD, hailing from the vast, desolate prairies of
the frozen northern wastelands, returns with their most powerful offering
to date. Entitled Freermasonry, the new album is a raging blizzard of
darkness and death whose harsh sounds of psychotic hypnosis are a haunting
alien presence slowly waiting to reveal its true nature. The group's
deepest and most thought-provoking work yet, Freermasonry is an intriguing
and in-depth look into Wold dictator Fortress Crookedjaw's observations on
religion, the occult and the Servant of the Light. Always polarizing, never
for the weak of heart or mind, Wold is the most unique and bizarre extreme
music enigma of our time.
Wrekmeister Harmonies - You've Always Meant So Much to Me LP
(Thrill Jockey) [THR339LP] $18.50
"J.R. Robinson has been writing and recording music as Wrekmeister
Harmonies in various incarnations since 2006. In 2012 he brought together
some of the most revered musicians in the black metal and experimental
music worlds (Jef Whitehead of Leviathan, Sanford Parker and Andrew
Markuszewski of Nachmystium, Jamie Fennelly aka Mind Over Mirrors, Mark
Solotroff of Anatomy of Habit, Bruce Lamont of Yakuza, and more) to perform
You've Always Meant So Much to Me at the Museum of Contemporary Art in
Chicago to much acclaim and a sold out theater. The collaborators for the
live performance joined Robinson at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio later
that year to record the composition in full. The 38 minute composition was
written to accompany a film Robinson shot in decimated Detroit locations,
the desert of Joshua Tree and decaying forests of Tasmania. The beauty and
darkness of the visuals are reflected in the music, which seeps from the
ether with great melancholy. Reflective drones grow and decay, forming
waves of overlapping sound that evolve into a gigantic roar of distorted
guitar. Searing, disembodied howls and pummeling drums signal a shift from
mournful to harrowing as Robinson and his ensemble lurch forward into the
abyss. As the metal elements dwindle, electronics return to the fore,
accompanied by a softly plucked harp signaling gentle finality."
Xenia Rubinos - Magic Trix LP (Ba Da Bing!) [BING082LP]
$14.50
On initial listen to Magic Trix, the first album by Brooklynite XENIA
RUBINOS, one might feel as though one is being tased (bro). Little compares
to the sharp, thick spine of keyboard sound that shoots out from the very
first moments. An oblique assemblage of uncommon rhythms, forceful singing
and dance-'til-you-puke styles combine to make Magic Trix one of the most
exciting debuts in years. Surprisingly, the record's aggressive sound is
achieved without the use of guitars. Rubinos, with the assistance of
drummer / sound magician MARCO BUCCELLI, creates a dozen songs that bring
to mind the adventurous spirit and whacked-out mentality found in the best
moments of Rip, Rig and Panic, DNA and The Contortions. Rubinos expands on
her Cuban, Puerto Rican and American roots, and while the songs shoot off
to new stratospheres, they never lose the sense that the music is at its
core two people banging on things, making a racket. It was such a racket
that their home production of the album was often interrupted by paintings
falling from the walls of their apartment as they recorded. Magic Trix
takes all its diverse origins and combines them into an aggressively
danceable dozen tunes. Ponder it. Shake your booty to it. However you hear
it, Rubinos's songs will get things moving. No export to Spain, Portugal or
Italy.
Xiu Xiu + Eugene S. Robinson - Sal Mineo LP (Aagoo) [AGO057]
$12.00
Sal Mineo is a JAMIE STEWART/XIU XIU and EUGENE S. ROBINSON/OXBOW
production. Now sleep tight. Sitting at the crossroads between Robinson
(lyrics/voice) and Stewart (music), Sal Mineo is a pure/impure distillate
of experimentalism based on 30 second to 3 minute long focused bursts of
sonic crime, that plumbs the cooling depths of a pleasure cruised death
trip. These two undisputed heavyweights of musical and emotional
non-compromise, whose music leaves tender bruises by whatever sweet blow it
is rendered, are ready to crack rooms in two with their high precision
silencer of a duo show, combining the best and most free-roaming of both
their artistic domains.
Yes Wizard - Generator 12 inch (Crowdspacer) [CRWD002EP]
$12.25
The mysterious producer from Ubatuba, Brazil, Yes Wizard, who released two
12" EPs on Tigersushi comes back through Crowdspacer with his unique blend
of dark tropical vibes and impressive modular synth programming. Voodoo
techno at its best.
Yong Yandsen - Disillusion LP (Doubtful Sounds) [DOUBT10]
$21.25
Debut solo effort by the tenor sax-player from Holy Mountain recording
artists KLANGMUTATIONEN and member of the collectives EMACM and SICKL,
which promote avant-garde and experimental music in Malaysia. Seven
untitled tracks of free improv where Yandsen's strong breathing, pitch, and
lyrical style recall Ayler, Abe or Urabe. Edition of 300.
Youandewan - Times EP 12 inch (Secretsundaze) [SECRET009EP]
$12.25
Secretsundaze presents a sublime EP from Yorkshire-bred Younandewan.
"Times" is deceiving with its melodic flourish and sweet vocal samples, yet
lurking underneath are techno undertones with a heavy, dusty and almost
industrial kick. "Be Dark" also has the same thuddy kick but this time,
moody synths and mysterious spoken words wash over the groove. "Squared"
goes for a more soulful and garage-y sound, and "What You Mean" illustrates
Ewan's deft touch, combining sweet vocal snippets and classy sound design.
[ H I S T O R I C A L ]
Actor, The - Unreal Personality 7 inch (Minimal Wave)
[MW044EP] $7.00
"The Actor is a well known but simultaneously quite obscure minimal wave
project that emerged from the Dutch home taping scene of the early 1980s.
The duo was formed by Marcel Reimer (vocals, keyboards) and Sander
Horsthuis (keyboards) in Breda, The Netherlands in late 1981. Influences
were DAF, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode and Fad Gadget. Guitars were no option,
'because the amplifiers would mar the stage.' The Actor caught the
attention of cult cassette label Trumpett through their powerful live act
and were signed to the label in April 1982. Their first, self-produced
album was released in September 1982 as Exploded View (an exploded view of
a cassette tape was featured on the sleeve): ten quite simply arranged
synthpop tracks that were dynamic and danceable, with lyrics sung both in
English and German, relating to the modern world, fashion, dancing, fame,
appearance, and self-image. The track featured on this flexi-disc, 'Unreal
Personality,' is the opening track of Exploded View and the archetypical
The Actor song, with lyrics directly referring to the band's name. It has
been remastered from its original analog source tape for best possible
sound reproduction. Flexi printed on clear flexible vinyl with silver
embossed ink, edition of 999 number-stamped copies accompanied by matte
printed postcard of 'August 1975' by Jennifer Griffiths."
Andrew Hill - Dance With Death LP (Heavenly Sweetness)
[HS080VL] $27.00
A wonderful session by ANDREW HILL-recorded in 1968, but issued only
briefly in 1981-and out of print for years! The session is a key one in
understanding Hill's work, as it's a bridge between the arch modernism of
his early Blue Note sides, and the more soul-oriented playing of the Grass
Roots album. The group features JOE FARRELL and CHARLES TOLLIVER on
horns-both of whom open up the sound at the same time they're giving it a
nice bottom-and the rest of the combo includes VICTOR SPROLES on bass and
BILLY HIGGINS on drums. The album's an enchanting one-lighter than earlier
years, but still with a compelling vision that's all Hill's own.
Belaboris - Once Upon A Time LP (Dark Entries) [DE041]
$16.25
BELABORIS was born in 1982 as the brainchild of Finnish producer KIMMO
MIETTINEN. What Malcolm McLaren had been to The Sex Pistols, Miettinen was
to Belaboris. He would put together an all-girl band that looked great in
photographs but were backed by professional musicians. The first line-up
was VILMA VAINKAINEN, SISKO VAINKAINEN and RITA on back-up plus JAKE and
MARI who did not sing at all. The backing band behind Belaboris was a local
New Wave group called TYHJAT PATTERIT. The main songwriter was ESA IJAS
(guitar, synthesizer) along with his bandmates ARI IJAS (bass) and MARTTI
JALONEN (drums). Belaboris' debut 12" single "Kuolleet Peilit" was released
in November 1982. It was followed by the "Odotus" 7" single in February
1983. The band broke up and posthumously released a mini-LP called Olipa
Kerran in 1984. WIthin a few months, an all new Belaboris line-up was put
together. This version was a trio consisting of SAARA SOISALO, SALLAMAARI
MUHONEN, and MINNA SOISALO. They released a 7" single "Rakkauden Jaelkeen,"
an atmospheric electronic version of '60s Scandinavian pop hit by Carola.
Shortly thereafter this line-up was quietly shelved and no further efforts
were made. Once Upon A Time collects songs from all three EP releases and
the "Olipa Kerran" mini-LP as well as two unreleased demos never before on
vinyl. The vinyl comes housed in a full color jacket and includes an insert
with liner notes, lyrics and photos.
Benny Johnson - Visions of Paradise LP (Today Records)
[TLP101€] $13.00
"Originally released in 1973 on New York label Today Records. Features the
Julius Brockington United Chair Band. Classic Memphis-style soul. Includes
'I Just Got to Know' and 'Visions Of Paradise.'"
Bobby Hutcherson - Oblique LP (Heavenly Sweetness) [HS082VL]
$27.00
One of BOBBY HUTCHERSON's greatest records ever-and a session that never
got released at the time! The album's an excellent quartet session, one
that's very much in the best spirit of Bobby's great Happenings album on
Blue Note-and it features a similar group that includes Hutcherson on
vibes, HERBIE HANCOCK on piano, ALBERT STINSON on bass, and JOE CHAMBERS,
one of Hutcherson's best accompanists from the '60s, on drums. The format's
a bit more modal than Happenings, and the set features six wonderful little
tracks that mix together the "new thing" sound of earlier Hutcherson Blue
Notes, with some of the nascent soulfulness that started creeping into his
work at the end of the '60s. The album was recorded in 1967, but only first
issued in Japan in at the end of the '70s-and then later in the US, and
even then only briefly-but we'd still rank the set as one of Bobby's best
for Blue Note!
Brand Nubian - One for All 2xLP (Traffic) [TEG7550€]
$19.25
"When released at the end of 1990 Brand Nubian's One for All emerged into
musical landscape yet to be littered with disposable hip hop. The
politically charged and socially conscious material brought acclaim to the
project, both critically and commercially. The Source granted the album a
full on Five Mics saying Brand Nubian's debut 'overflows with creativity,
originality, and straight-up talent.' Even Robert Christgau of the Village
Voice, who's reviews often read like a riddle penned by a hater, laced One
for All with a solid A-. By the late '90s the record had been named one of
The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums with the single 'Slow Down' on their list
of Top 100 hip hop singles of all time. Sure, militant five percenter
beliefs (among other things) stirred controversy. Yet the music found here
remains relevant and has stood the test of time. Besides, some of us miss
the days when inflammatory rhetoric in hip hop could cause controversy.
Long out of print on vinyl, Traffic Entertainment now proudly presents this
fresh pressing of one of hip hop's most crucial releases. A moment in time
captured in the grooves of the double vinyl pressing for the world to
remember how great the genre can be."
Deviation Social - From End to Beginning Vol. 2:
Tempus/Deathwatch LP (Dais) [DAIS044LP] $19.75
"One-man industrial outfit, Deviation Social left a scar on the face of the
American 80′s experimental/noise scene that has mysteriously been
left to legend and rumor. Dais previously released the first authorized
reissue of Deviation Social's compilation tracks dating back from the early
'80s. Here within, Volume 2 compiles the two proper 'studio' releases of
Deviation Social's checkered past. The destructive Tempus Purgatio Part 7
single and 1982 album cassette Workforce/Deathwatch are finally collected
and reissued as a single LP in a edition of 500 with zine booklet with
writings and archival images from Deviation Social."
Digable Planets - Blowout Comb 2xLP (Modern Classics)
[MCR906LP] $24.50
"We are finally set to reissue Blowout Comb, the 1994 second album by cult,
Brooklyn-based hip hop trio Digable Planets. The album is named for the
combs used to maintain an Afro hairstyle, and that's significant. The
group's Ishmael 'Butterfly' Butler said it summed up what they wanted to do
with it: 'It means the utilization of the natural, a natural style,' he has
said. Like with 1993's debut Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space),
'utilizing the natural' meant creating hip hop that blended jazz with the
formidable rap skills of the aforementioned Butterfly, Craig 'Doodlebug'
Irving, and Mary Ann 'Ladybug Mecca' Vieira. Unlike that debut, it meant
broadening to include guests such as Gang Starr's Guru, Jeru the Damaja,
and Jazzy Joyce. Following the gold-selling commercial success of their
debut, they here set out to prove their artistic prowess. This is
intelligent, alternative hip hop that sounded like party music. Its lyrics
are dense with wit, social commentary and politics -- and its original
inner sleeve was modeled on the newspaper of the Black Panther movement.
Its instrumentation includes sax, vibraphone, and flute. Its samples --
gathered from global crate digging trips while touring the first album
around the world -- included Grant Green, Eddie Harris, Shuggie Otis, and
jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers (whose 'We Live in Brooklyn, Baby' became
'Borough Check' here). And yet at the same time its beats are infectious
and its spirit undeniable."
Erb - The Weekend 12 inch (Rush Hour) [RHRSS9EP]
$12.25
The official reissue of ERB, a collaboration between Braxton Holmes and Ron
Trent on Clubhouse Records from Chicago, originally released in 1992.
Gregory Isaacs - Gregory Isaacs Remixed LP (Necessary Mayhem)
[NECMAY007LP] $26.50
LP version. Curtis Lynch, the legendary record producer and driving force
of Necessary Mayhem, has reworked 10 of the very best tracks from the
Gregory Isaacs and Gussie Clarke era, from 1984 to 1999. Curtis was
inspired by the works of Clarke & Isaacs during his school days, and his
selection of tracks may surprise many fans, as they are not the obvious
choices. The attention to detail made Lynch fall in love with Isaacs, and
he has selected his personal favorites, saying that "the clear unmixed
vocals and instruments were bliss for me to work on." These masterpieces
have been remixed and reworked by some of the planet's finest musicians and
audio engineers. Featuring contributions from artists such as Dennis Brown
& Macka B, Shabba Ranks & Josey Wales, and Da Grynch.
Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza - Musica Su Schemi
LP (Superior Viaduct) [SV015] $14.50
In the early 1970s, FRANCO EVANGELISTI assembled GRUPPO DI IMPROVVISAZIONE
NUOVA CONSONANZA, a collective of Italian composers that included ENNIO
MORRICONE on trumpet. Gruppo aspired to revolutionize composition through
group improvisation and-like their peer, Karlheinz Stockhausen-musique
concrete, aleatory (controlled chance) techniques and early electronic
music. One significant influence in the studio was their use of chess to
define key parameters of their music. Musica Su Schemi is unpredictable,
fluid and always marked by a tension between the performers and their
conscious rejection of traditional forms. Each member of Gruppo would
establish themselves as important figures in 20th century music, though no
others gained the notoriety of Morricone. Nonetheless, Gruppo's influence
on modern composition endures. As composer / saxophonist John Zorn
explains, "[They] were instrumental in founding a radical tradition of
Western musical improvisation that owed little or nothing to anybody and
created some of the strangest music ever made." Packaged with new artwork
and a digital download card.
Human Expression, The - Love at a Psychedelic Velocity LP + 7
inch (Mississippi Records) [MRP04€] $16.75
"Unbelievably great psychedelic garage rock from 1966-1968. Up there with
the Thirteenth Floor Elevators, Love, and the Seeds in quality but with an
outsider edge to it. Tough as nails deep heavy group who never got the
exposure they deserved back in the day. A few songs leaked out on vinyl on
psych comps ('Optical Sound,' 'Love at a Psychedelic Velocity,' and
'Reading Your Will') but the rest has not been on vinyl until now.
Beautiful singer/songwriter ballads and frantic rockers sit side by side
creating a truly great lost classic of the 1960s. We couldn't be happier
with this record. Easily one of the best Mississippi releases ever. Comes
with liner notes and a bonus 7". Old school 'tip on' cover with gold ink
imprint on it. Co-release with our friends in Europe - the great Moi
J'Connais."
Jackie McLean - Hipnosis LP (Heavenly Sweetness) [HS081VL]
$27.00
New thing meets funk on this rare session from 1967 with GRACHAN MONCUR
III. The title track 'Hipnosis" is a snake charmer kind of vamp that is an
excellent showcase for both the rhythm section and the soloists. Of
particular note is the way drummer BILLY HIGGINS and pianist LAMONT JOHNSON
interweave the basket out of which emerge the serpentine horn lines of
Jackie and Grachan. Some might call this a super sophisticated
"Sidewinder". One of McLean's most accomplished works of the '60s.
Joe Bataan - Riot! LP (Fania Records) [SLP354LP]
$10.50
"Joe Bataan's 1968 album Riot! blends Latin rhythms, '60s soul, and jazz
into instrumental funk and mellow ballads. A deep and heavy-hitting record
that sees Bataan working in top form with a large and talented band."
John Lee Hooker - Burnin' LP (Vee Jay) [VEEJAY104€]
$13.00
"A great album for the king of the endless boogie (originally released in
1962 on the Vee-Jay label). John lee Hooker was the genuine blues superstar
whose droning and hypnotic one-chord grooves are at once both
ultra-primitive and timeless. Contains the storming 'Boom Boom' (an
infectious r&b dance number that cracked the pop airwaves)." Exact repro
reissue.
King Tubby - Hometown Hi-Fi Dubplate Specials 1975-1979 LP
(Jamaican Recordings) [JRLP051LP] $13.25
King Tubby's Hometown Hi-Fi was one the great sound systems in Jamaica. It
also proved a fantastic outlet for the Dub Plate Specials cut at Tubby's
studio, providing exclusive cuts to be played out, enticing the dance's
audience. The tracks at the time were mainly cut over producer Bunny
"Striker" Lee rhythms, that Bunny stored at Tubby's studio which was in
fact his home, 18 Drumilly Avenue in Kingston, Jamaica. The versions were
given exclusive plays at Tubby's before some finding their way on to vinyl,
as the B-side version cut to its A-side vocal, proving so popular, that the
records were often bought for its version side over its vocal counterpart.
King Tubby and Producer Bunny "Striker" Lee are intertwined in the birth of
dub music. Tubby's vast knowledge of electronics and Bunny's vast catalog
of rhythms would lay the foundations of what today is taken as a
standard... the remix/version cuts to an existing vocal tune. Tubby and
Striker were at Treasure Isle Studios one day while Ruddy from Spanish Town
was working with the engineer Byron Smith. "Tubby and myself was talking
when Ruddy was cutting some dub but Smithy (engineer) made a mistake and
forgot to put in the voice. It was a two-track recording in those days.
Ruddy said 'No Man! Make it stay!' And so they cut the rhythm. When I went
over to Ruddy's that Saturday night a dance was in progress and when they
played the vocal to the tune... then he said we're going to play 'Part
Two.' They never called it 'Version.' And then he played the rhythm track.
The song was a catchy song and everybody started to sing along and the
deejay started to toast so everything went down well. On Monday morning I
went up and I said 'Tubbs the mistake we made was a serious joke. It mash
up Spanish Town!' The people went wild. So you have to start to do that now
'cause when the man put on the 'Part Two' everyone started singing this
song. It played about 20 times. I said you try Tubbs!' Well the next
Saturday night now when Tubby strung up down the farm U Roy said he's going
to play 'Part Two' but Tubby did it different now. He started with the
voice then dropped it out and let the rhythm run and then he brought in the
voice in the middle and from there Tubby started to get really popular.''
--Bunny "Striker" Lee. Dynamic Sounds upgraded to 16-track recording in
1972 and Tubby purchased, again with the help of a deal brokered by Bunny
Lee, the old 4-track equipment and the MCI console from their Studio B. The
four tracks now gave him far wider scope to work with and he began to
create a new musical form where the bass and drum parts were brought up
while the faders allowed Tubby to ease the vocal and rhythm in and out of
the mix. Jamaican Recordings has compiled a selection of cuts that were all
tried and tested on Tubby's hometown hi-fi sound system and worked a great
set of Bunny Lee's rhythms in fine style. All killer no filler.
Kitchen and The Plastic Spoons - Screams To God LP (Dark
Entries) [DE039] $16.25
KITCHEN AND THE PLASTIC SPOONS formed at a basement rehearsal studio in
Stockholm, Sweden during the spring of 1980. The band consisted of ANNE
TAIVAN (vocals), HELENA LONGQVIST (synthesizer), IGGO KARLSSON
(synthesizer), JACIE PAZDA (bass), and MATS WIGERDAL (drums). After a few
concerts, Kitchen booked some free studio time and recorded their first
single "Serve You!" in two days. Six months later PATRIK LINDVALL (guitar)
joined the group and the band recorded their second single "Ice Cream To
God" in early 1981. Kitchen's sound was getting darker and heavier and so
was the mood in the band. Anne shortly left and was replaced by IODINE
JUPITER on vocals. This new line up recorded a few songs for local
compilations. The band broke up in November 1981 before recording their
debut LP. Screams To God collects Kitchen And The Plastic Spoons two 7"
EPs, two compilation tracks as well as three demos from 1980 never before
released on vinyl. Kitchen were part of the new DIY generation starting
bands, making self- produced singles and rapidly breaking up. Their sound
echoes the speedy chaotic energy with the synthesizer as its driving pulse.
Anne's vocals are barely understandable but they have a sense of urgency.
They didn't' sound like any other band in Sweden at the time, having more
in common with American bands, Devo, The Screamers and Pere Ubu. Packaged
in full color spot gloss jackest with a photo of Anne with bright magenta
hair. Each LP includes an insert with liner notes, song descriptions and
photos.
Las Antorchas - Las Antorchas LP (Vam) [CSM205] $19.50
LAS ANTORCHAS were formed in 1965 by five college students in Mexico City.
They released only one EP on Orfeon, but had recorded enough material for
an album. They split around 1968/69, but after a line-up change they
continued under the name of Antorcha. Thanks to the persistence of Vam
Records and record producer MANUEL ALVAREZ VALDEZ, we now have all known
material of Las Antorchas, including their Orfeon material. Their early
sounds are rock/beat influenced, with most relying on organ and vocals. But
the excellent 'Dime' is a really great acid-punk track. Truly underground
Mexican rock, waiting to be discovered. This edition has liner notes, and a
poster insert that replicates the Orfeon EP art.
Lee Perry - At WIRL Records LP (Kingston Sounds) [KSLP044LP]
$13.25
Lee Perry's time at WIRL Records, later to be renamed Dynamic Sounds
Studios, was a very productive time in his career. A run of great singles
and the shaping of a new sound, the beginning of what we know today as
reggae . Lee Perry (b. Rainford Hugh Perry, March 28, 1936, Hanover,
Jamaica) began his entry into the music business at the age of 16. He moved
up to Kingston Town and working around various sound systems, before
finding employment at Coxonne Dodd's Studio One, in the late '50s early
1960s. Perry started out as a record scout, organizing sessions and
supervising auditions at Dodd's record shop on Orange Street, helping to
make hits for Delroy Wilson and the Maytals, which would lead to his own
vocal records released through Studio One, the musical backing for which
came from legendary Studio One house band The Skatalites. Another important
relationship for Perry, his first recordings with Bob Marley, came in the
form of the Wailers, also providing backing, alongside the Soulettes who
featured Rita Marley, cutting such tunes as "Chicken Scratch" around
1965/1966. This tune was also to provide him with one of his future
nicknames, "Scratch." A dispute over credits and money saw Perry leave
Studio One and work with various producers including Clancy Eccles and J.
J. Johnson, before arriving at the door of producer Joe Gibbs in 1967. Here
he would write songs and produce hits for artists such as Errol Dunkley and
the Pioneers. A tune cut during his time with Gibbs voiced a snipe at
fellow employee Dodd, a trademark that would become an outlet for his
frustrations in the business. This particular tune "The Upsetter" would
also provide another moniker and a name for his label. Again, lack of
musical credit and financial reward saw Perry move on to WIRL (West Indies
Records Limited) Records, working alongside manager Clifford Rae, who would
provide studio time and pay for pressings in return for helping to promote
and distribute WIRL product. This period at WIRL saw some inspired work
from Perry. "Run for Cover" was another musical blow to a previous
employer, Coxonne Dodd, and featured the Sensations on backing vocals and
Lynn Taitt's guitar-picking skills. "People Funny Boy" was a massive hit
for Perry going on to sell over 60,000 copies. Perry worked up a new style
with Clancy Eccles, who would come under attack himself on "You Crummy."
"Set Them Free" was an answer recording to Prince Buster's "Judge Dread"
(which had featured Perry on it) -- a plea to the judges in Jamaica that
handed out extremely harsh sentences. The track was cut on the same rhythm
as "Run for Cover." "Django Shoots First," inspired by the Spaghetti
Western film of the same name, features Sir Lord Comic. "Night Doctor" was
a hit instrumental that featured the organ talents of Ansel Collins and
"Something You Got" was a cover of a USA R& B track by Chris Kenner and
"Wind Up Girl" was cut at the same session. "Water Pump" was a rude-style
track that was cut later and originally released in 1974, as was "People
Sokup Boy," a later version of "People Funny Boy." "Labrish" was one of the
first great talk-over tunes that features Lee Perry and producer Bunny
"Striker" Lee talking about the political situation in Jamaica, originally
released in 1973. Bunny Lee would play a major part in Lee Perry's career
around this time and they were very close, often sharing sessions and
rhythms. Here we have a collection of music born out of a time spent at
WIRL Records, providing an important chapter in Lee Perry's career and
indeed to the story of reggae itself.
Lightnin' Hopkins - Autobiography In Blues LP (Tradition
Records) [TLP1040LP] $13.00
Candid recordings of the songs, commentary and guitar of Houston's unique
blue minstrel Lightnin' Hopkins', recorded just as the 1960s American folk
/ blues revival was beginning to get underway. Inspired by great Texas
bluesmen like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Hopkins was known to improvise blues
masterpieces at the drop of a hat, often using semi-autobiographical tales
to describe life in the segregated South. Songs include "Trouble In Mind,"
"The Foot Race Is On," "Short Haired Woman," "So Long Baby" and "Santa Fe
Blues." Exact repro, originally released in 1960.
Lightning Hopkins - Dirty Blues LP (Mainstream) [MRL326LP]
$13.00
"Twelve songs from Texas's Sam Hopkins, recorded between 1949 and 1951.
First released in 1962 as Blues-Folk Volume 3. Mainstream's 1971 reissue
featured new cover art and a new title."
Loren Connors - The Departing of a Dream LP (Family Vineyard)
[FV011LP] $14.50
"Vinyl reissue of master guitarist Loren Connors' modern classic The
Departing of a Dream -- the first of what would become a three volume
series based loosely as tribute to Miles Davis' "He Loved Him Madly." This
album finds Connors exploring slowly churned darkened hues -- each
collapsing onto themselves like echoes of Miles' muted trumpet and Connors'
signature ghost melodies. Since the late 1970s, Connors' use of haunted
delta blues, minimalism and compositional underpinnings have become an
avant-garde style synonymous to him. When The Departing of a Dream was
released as a CD in 2002 it signaled a dramatic growth in Connors' sound by
combining electric, acoustic and bass guitar with the unsettling ménage of
subtle percussion and ambient hiss. Remastered from the master tape this
180 gram LP extends the closing two part suite 'For NY 9/11/01' with a
bonus track. Comes with download code."
Max Roach/Clifford Brown - Daahoud LP (Mainstream) [MRL386LP]
$13.00
Exact repro of this 1977 release, featuring Clifford Brown (trumpet), Max
Roach (drums), Harold Land (tenor sax), George Morrow (bass) and Richie
Powell (piano). Housed in a gatefold sleeve.
Memphis Slim - I Find the Blues Everywhere LP+CD (Doxy)
[DOK328LP] $24.75
"Rare Memphis Slim LP, recorded in Paris in 1961, and never reissued on
vinyl or CD. Although Slim was an incredible vocalist, here the Memphis
bluesman chooses to let the piano be his voice, leading the audience
through various moods?from the sombre 'Bluesnik' to the lively 'The
Hustler.' Without so much as a single drum to keep the beat, Slim's tempo
never falters as transitions from one genre to the next, for a dizzying and
awe-inspiring performance of which only the very best are capable." 180
gram vinyl. Comes with a CD of the album.
Nkengas - Destruction LP (Secret Stash Records) [SSR029LP]
$18.00
LP version. Includes a free digital download of the album. "Destruction by
the Nkengas originally hit streets in 1973, overflowing with heavy
Afro-beat, Afro-rock, and gritty highlife. Few copies were pressed, and
today it can take months of searching to find a copy of this coveted gem.
It came about during Osita Osadebe and His Nigeria Sound Makers's UK tour.
Financial hardship led members of the Nigeria Sound Makers to break off and
form another group while in London, the Nkengas. Next, the Nkengas were
introduced to Jamaican born Sonny Roberts, well known in London for his
Orbitone record store and label. After the recording sessions, the band
returned to Nigeria and became known as the Ikenga Super Stars of Africa,
finding much success in West Africa. Despite their later popularity, the
heights of funky rawness in this early effort were seldom duplicated.
Working in coordination with Orbitone Records and the leader of the
Nkengas, Chief Vincent Okoroego, we are proud to present the first ever
reissue of this funky rarity. Available on CD and vinyl, each contains
detailed liner note inserts with never before seen photos. As always, the
LP version includes a free digital download of the entire album and the CD
version comes in a premium digipack."
Professor Longhair - Mardi Gras in New Orleans LP (Rumble
Records) [RUM2011050LP] $21.00
"Fusing diverse elements of blues, barrelhouse boogie-woogie, funk, and
gospel, with mambo, rhumba, and second-line street parade rhythms,
Professor Longhair's contribution to today's musical vocabulary is
immeasurable. You can't listen to Fats Domino, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint,
James Booker, or Huey Smith without recognizing the unique 'Fess'
imprinting. This compilation of B-sides, rarities, and alternate takes,
recorded between 1949 and 1957, honours one of the great and unique talents
in rock and roll history."
Q4U - Q1 Deluxe Edition 1980-1983 LP (Dark Entries) [DE040]
$16.25
Q4U was born the winter of 1980-1981 in Reykjavik, inspired by the British
punk movement. By early 1982 they self-released a full length cassette,
Skaf I Dag and appeared in the documentary Rokk I Reykjavik, which
showcased the Icelandic punk scene. This version of the band ended and only
two members continued on. In the summer of 1982 their drummer was replaced
by a Roland TR-808 drum machine they named "Elisabet II", signaling a
change in the group's sound toward synthesizer-driven post punk. In August
1983 they recorded a final set of demos and then called it quits. This
compilation collects 16 songs from 1980-1983. SIde A features the original
six songs from the Q1 EP, plus two songs from the Rokk i Reykjavik
soundtrack. Side B collects four demos from 1982 and four demos from 1983,
all presented on vinyl for the first time ever. Q4U began with a stylish,
aggressive punk image before experimenting with drum machines and
synthesizers, which almost nobody did in Reykjavik at the time. The later
sound had gothic leanings,often compared with Siouxsie and the Banshees and
Xmal Deutschland. Their body of work is united by the powerful vocals of
Ell', who mostly sings in Icelandic about controversial, political
experiences, much like Ari Up of The Slits. Each LP includes a double
sized fold-out poster with lyrics, photos and drawings by the band plus a
Q4U sticker!
Rain - Make the Day Break LP (Shadoks Music) [SHAD157LP]
$38.50
"Rain, Norway's most well kept secret. But not anymore. After the first
release of the Rain album Norsk Suite we all know how good this band
sounds. Very much like Frank Zappa and The Mothers, Rain's complex
compositions are based on the skills of modern classic composers such as
VarĨse and Strawinsky. As a strong influence they've mentioned Vanilla
Fudge. Rain was Carl Jĸrgen Kiĸnig on drums, percussuion , Knut Heljar
Hagen on organ, synthesizers, and vocals, and Ä.smund Feidje on guitar and
vocals. This album Make the Day Break was recorded live in a studio in
1974. After Norsk Suite, the music of this album takes you a step further.
Four more years developing musical skills, great composition sense, and
strong instrumental abilities. The title song of the album is just superb,
the whole album simply stunning. We wish we had more recordings of this
great band. But that is all there is. A big surprise they have never been
released before. We love it and the music scene in Norway can be proud of
this recording." 500 numbered copies on 180 gram vinyl. Comes with a two
page insert.
Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues Singers, Volume II LP
(Columbia) [C30034HLP] $19.75
180 gram reissue of this 1970 collection. "....a collection of 16 songs by
the greatest downhome blues singer of all time." Tracks: "Kind Hearted
Woman Blues," "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom," "Sweet Home Chicago,"
"Rambling On My Mind," "Phonograph Blues," "They're Red Hot," "Dead Shrimp
Blues," "Preachin' Blues," "I'm A Steady Rollin' Man," "From Four Till
Late," "Little Queen Of Spades," "Malted Milk," "Drunken Hearted Man,"
"Stop Breakin' Down Blues," "Honeymoon Blues" and "Love In Vain."
Royal Trux - 3-Song EP 12 inch (Drag City) [DC154EP]
$11.75
"1998, and according to the press, Royal Trux were back in action. Given
the powerful response to Accelerator, an EP would be needed soon -- and
with a long European tour impending, what better time than the present? In
short order, the three songs were recorded, along with a fourth, a cover of
Dire Straits' 'Money for Nothing' which was set aside to be used as a
B-side for a planned UK single release. The songs were a funky bunch --
'Deafer Than Blind' was a sweet 'n' sour ballad built off a drum loop,
'Run, Shaker Life' was a Richie Havens cover with spiritual overtones and
'The United States of America vs. One 1974 Cadillac El Dorado Sedan' was a
proggy group jam that featured an extensive libretto and comprised one of
the longest Royal Trux song yet. The static-crisp high end of Accelerator
was abandoned in favor of a smeared, bottom-heavy sound, showcasing the
thunder in the stomping rhythm section and a darker tone in Hagerty's
bent-neck histrionics. This was something that one might almost regard as
straight-up rock in Royal Trux terms, and Neil and Jennifer harmonized in
their own unique way throughout the record. 3-Song EP is now available
again for the first time in almost a decade."
Rupert's People - Hold On LP (Guerssen Records) [GUESS11€]
$24.00
Evolving from The Sweet Feeling, a band who rubbed shoulders with The
Beatles and most of the stars of the nascent swingin' London scene (due to
band member Steve Brendell's work for Brian Epstein's Nems Enterprises),
Rupert's People were the quintessential UK '60s mod-psych band. They had
the look, they had many famous friends (Paul McCartney was one of their
biggest fans) and a set of terrific tunes. But somehow, they never made it
big-time. On this vinyl compilation (1966-1969), you'll find most of their
legendary 45 sides, from freakbeat/mod-psych anthems - "Hold On" and "Dream
in My Mind" -- to amazing psych-pop numbers: the phasing-fuelled "I Can
Show You," "Charles Brown," and "All So Long Ago" (the later taken from
their first 45 under the Sweet Feeling name). Plus delicious
flower-power/baroque psychedelia: "Prologue to a Magic World" and
"Reflections of Charles Brown." Some rare recordings have also been
included: "Flying High" is a previously-unreleased instrumental taken from
a demo acetate that makes it here on vinyl for the first time. "Reflecting"
and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" are live tracks recorded in 1969
and show the most progressive sound of the band with long guitar/organ
passages. The confusing Rupert's People story (with links to bands like Les
Fleur De Lys and The Iveys/Badfinger) is set straight on the extensive
liner notes by band member Rod Lynton, included on a four-page insert along
with many unseen pictures. Remastered sound, old-styled backflap sleeve.
180 gram vinyl.
Rusty Bryant - Returns LP (Prestige) [PRESTIGE7626LP]
$11.00
Alto saxophonist Rusty Bryant with Sonny Phillips (organ), Grant Green
(guitar), Bob Bushnell (fender bass) and Herbie Lovelle (drums). Exact
repro, originally released in 1969.
Ruts DC - Rhythm Collision Vol. 2 LP (Echo Beach) [EB086LP]
$20.75
When Malcolm Owen joined his mates of the disbanding pub rock gang Hit &
Run in 1977 to form The Ruts, their obvious sound outfit was nasty, pub
rock-ish punk. But the current Jamaican sound called reggae was also buried
deep in the group's DNA. It was soon to fully unfold when UK reggae band
Misty In Roots discovered the angry talent of The Ruts and encouraged them
to produce their first single on their own label People Unite. In a Rut
sold an astonishing 20,000 copies. It was followed by a John Peel Session
and a deal with Virgin Records that left the band in debt for ages. But it
also led to a seminal album,The Crack, and a bunch of classic singles such
as "Staring at the Rudeboys," "Jah War," and the much-covered "Babylon's
Burning" that the remaining members of the band just re-recorded with the
fittingly casted Henry Rollins on vocals. This heavy rock anthem with
embedded rasta philosophy mirrors the Bad Brains' efforts to merge the
energies of reggae and rock, meanwhile in DC. But in 1980 The Ruts
themselves were forced to turn DC when Owen died of a heroin overdose -- DC
in this case standing for "Da Capo," a restart. Sadly enough, this second
phase of the band keeps being underrated by rock history. However, for
those who know, an album called Rhythm Collision Vol. 1 became a major
object of worship. This dub set was cut in 1982 in the brand new Ariwa
studio, set up and run by Neal Fraser, better known as the Mad Professor.
On this day in '82, reggae and punk rock, with a little help from funk,
came together in a ying and yang harmony rarely ever heard. The basic mood
is melancholic tranquility, a floating dubspace without too many crazy but
still highly effective effects. If dub can be described as the art of
impression by subtraction, this classic example gave an idea of where dub
as a recording technique could potentially go -- and where it subsequently
went. Despite its nearly obscure status, the album has not done too badly
over the years -- it stayed underground but there it became massively
viral, selling 100,000 copies of its various incarnations on the band's own
label Bohemian, punky reggae U.S. imprint ROIR, Danceteria, and -- in the
CD age -- Echo Beach. The second generation went to work, when Zion Train
first re-versioned "Babylon's Burning" and finally the whole set, which was
also released on Echo Beach. So in its third incarnation: deconstructed,
reconstructed, tuned, pimped and dubbed out by today's disciples of bass.
Even though the postmodern world offers zillions of ways to recontextualize
archive material, they all left the sacred tracks relatively intact,
ignoring the easy way out. After 31 years, Ruts DC are still very much
alive and kicking, just like the major rocksteady and reggae riddims they
organically developed with a lot of great artists and friends, such as:
Tenor Fly, Molara, Segs, Aynzli Jones & Rob Love, Smokes, and Seamus
Beaghen. Recorded at Ariwa Studios, London by Mad Professor. Mixed by
Prince Fatty at Prince Fatty Studio.
Saboten - FLOOR et SATiE 2xLP (Em Records) [EM1114LP]
$25.75
Formed in 1981 in Tokyo, Saboten must now be considered one of the great
lost post-punk bands. Rejecting the traditional rock group hierarchy of
lead guitar and/or preening vocalist supported by a rhythm section, Saboten
were true masters of band-as-unit, with the trio meshing and melding in a
non-grandstanding manner that wonderfully emphasizes their individual
contributions to the group sound. One of the original impulses that led to
the formation of the group was a desire to hear the results of an electric
rock combo playing Erik Satie, and the French composer's sense of whimsy
and feeling of openness are well-represented. There are even a number of
Satie "covers" here, but far from being pastel homage, they are imaginative
reconstructions, aided by the late Lol Coxhill on several pieces. The band,
despite the Satie influence, are most definitely a rock unit of the
post-punk variety, masters of a tight, brittle funk and a supple sense of
propulsion and interlocking instrumentation that will appeal to fans of
groups like The Slits, The Raincoats and even ESG, but with a unique
element that is all their own. FLOOR et SATiE is available on vinyl only,
and provides an excellent overview of an excellent band. Disc one is a
newly re-mastered version of their first album, Saboten, which was
originally produced by the late great Eiichi Tsutaki of Totsuzen Danball
and issued as the first release of Tsutaki's own label Floor Records in
1982. Disc two ranges from the charmingly lo-fi Satie pieces, to some
selections from a D.I.Y. self-released 7", two songs from their second
album Awake, and a piece produced by Fred Frith. Saboten means "cactus"
and, like their namesake, they are spiky and yet oddly beautiful.
Sabu Martinez - Safari with Sabu LP (So Far Out) [OUT5005LP]
$24.25
"One of the most prolific conga players in the history of Afro-Cuban music,
Louis 'Sabu' Martinez spent his childhood beating rhythms on tin cans on
111th Street in New York City's Spanish Harlem. In 1946, he began a long
association with drummer Art Blakey, and joined Dizzy GIllespie's band by
1948, following the murder of the influential conga player Chano Pozo.
Despite being such a much-in-demand session player, he struggled with
heroin for years until he overcame his addiction in 1956, formed his new
quintet and recorded three history-making albums in less than three years.
Safari with Sabu, probably the most celebrated of Sabu's works, combines
both African and Latin elements with the American jazz tradition, resulting
in the missing link between bop and Sun Ra. Recorded with three congas
(including Ray Barreto), bongos, timbales and tympani, along with
complementary tenor and baritone sax, trombone, and an unobtrusive bass
presence by Oscar Pettiford, 1957's Safari with Sabu is now back on shiny
180 gram vinyl again for your listening pleasure."
Se Rogie - The Sounds of SE Rogie LP (Mississippi Records)
[MRP050LP] $13.00
"At last, a reissue full LP of the legendary Palm wine guitarist SE Rogie's
early work. Truly beautiful songs from the 1960s ranging from sweet
acoustic solo numbers to blazing full band electric music. SE Rogie had a
very long and pioneering career in Sierra Leone. His songs are some of the
most beautiful ever - gentle and lilting timeless melodies. One of the
greats. A co-release with our friends at the Domino Sound label."
Skip James - The Complete 1931 Session LP (Yazoo) [YAZ1072HLP]
$16.75
180 gram repro of this 1986 release from Yazoo. Some -- but not all -- of
these tracks appeared on Mississippi's now out-of-print 1931 Sessions LP.
Steve Lacy/Joe Mcphee - The Rest LP (Roaratorio) [ROAR28]
$18.25
In June of 1977, when they shared a double bill in Basel, Switzerland,
STEVE LACY invited JOE MCPHEE to join him for a duet to close his set, for
which McPhee elected to bring out his own soprano saxophone. The main part
of Lacy's performance was issued on the classic Clinkers LP (Hat Hut 1978);
after thirty-six years, Roaratorio delivers The Rest, a one-sided LP
marking the first and only time they've played together. The simpatico
meshing of their distinctly individual voices points toward a shared
history on a different plane. Includes download coupon.
Sun Ra - Continuation LP (Saturn) [ESR520LP] $12.00
Recorded in the 1960s with Marshall Allen featured on Jupiterian flute and
Danny Thompson on Neptunian libflecto. "...Continuation is an interesting
late-'60s date with a nice mixture of styles (ranging from) great slow
blues, creepy space voice, very cool space-exotica, crazed circus fanfare
and a cacophonous romp..." -- All Music Guide
Teo Laura Amao - El Sonido de la Carretera Central LP
(Masstropicas) [TROPIC012LP] $18.25
"Masstropicas brings you another installment from 'the sound of the
Carretera Central' with the king of that style, Teo Laura Amao. El Sonido
de la Carretera Central brings 12 more rare essential tracks, spanning from
1973 to 1985, featuring various groups that Teo wrote and arranged songs
for. Bands like Los Sanders, Los Blue Kings, Costa Azul, and of course, Los
Jharis, with their hard rock and soul-influenced cumbia songs, are
mainstays in the neighborhood known as ôaôa, as well as various other
working class barrios in Lima, and Teo worked with all of them. Compiled
from various 45, LP, and cassette releases, this is just the tip of the
iceberg for the uninitiated. We're sure this compilation will get you
hooked on Teo's unique guitar slinging and his often imitated but never
equaled 'estilo Carretera.'"
Toody/Western Front - Toody/Western Front 10 inch (Mississippi
Records) [MRP045EP] $13.00
"In 1985, between the country punk band the Range Rats and the mystical
psychedelic punk band Dead Moon lay these six songs released originally in
very limited batches spread between three 7" records. Fred Cole and friends
are the Western Front -- a shit kicking country band with a sensitive side
too. They bring us the excellent ballads 'Looking Back at Me' and
'Clementine' and the raucous 'Orygun' and 'Stampede.' The two other tracks
are the same band backing up Toody Cole, singing two incredibly perfect
songs -- 'Rather Be Your Lover' and 'Coming On Strong.' This record is a
must for fans of Fred and Toody Cole of Dead Moon, Pierced Arrows, the
Rats, The Range Rats, Lollipop Shoppe, The Weeds, and so on. A lost
treasure. One page insert included.
Various Artists - Psychedelic Rock Mexican LP (Vam) [CSM207]
$19.50
Stunning heavy psychedelic rock from 1971 by three virtually unknown
Mexican groups! Four tracks from the amazing hard-driving and funky EP by
LOS PAPOS (released by Orfeon in 1971); four previously unreleased tracks
by LOS FREE MINDS, and the only two extant songs by POLVO, an amazing heavy
psychedelic rock group from Nuevo Laredo. Los Free Minds was a Mexican
psychedelic rock trio, formed in 1970 by JORGE AGUILLERA (guitar, vocals),
JESUS PEREZ [El Jali] and drummer ERNESTO ONTIVEROS. Although invited, the
band could not take part in the legendary rock event the Festival de
Avandaro held in September 1971; after that, rock music was banned for many
years in Mexico, which killed the careers of many bands. In the same year,
shortly before their disbandment, Los Free Minds recorded an LP for Orfeon,
but only four tracks from it were released as an EP, leaving tracks in the
can which debut here. This limited edition LP comes with an insert.
Various Artists - Which Way Does the Blood Red River Run? LP
(Mississippi Records) [MRP046LP] $14.25
"Compilation of some of the best songs recorded for the Testament label
between 1961 and 1967. Here we have the deep spirituals of Fred and Annie
McDowell, the haunting music of Peg Leg Howell, the long form lonesome
blues of Skip James contemporary Jack Owens, the pretty drifting tunes of
Elijah Brown, and the plaintive ballads of Jimmie Tarlton. A really intense
and strong record. No filler allowed - just the heaviest stuff we could
find. Old school 'tip on' cover. A co-release with our friends at Sutro
Park, the king of all contemporary blues reissue labels."
Various Artists - Five Days Married & Other Laments: Song and
Dance from Northern Greece, 1928-1958 LP (Angry Mom Records) [AMA00€] $20.75
Featuring sublime and unhinged music rarely heard outside of Northern
Greece and Southern Albania, the performances presented in this collection
span the range of plaintive, ancient dirges to hypnotic, droning dance
pieces. The style, repertoire, and songs from this isolated region are
unearthly in their euphonic appeal. Most of the sides on this LP have not
been issued since they were originally pressed on 78 rpm disc. A deep set
of notes is accompanied by comprehensive lyrical translations as well as
original artwork by R. Crumb. Respectfully crafted by Christopher King and
Susan Archie for Angry Mom Records. Original artwork by Robert Crumb.
Fourteen songs housed in a deluxe gatefold LP.
Various Artists - The Ecstasy of Gold: 22 Killer Bullets from
the Spaghetti West Vol. 2 2xLP (Semi-Automatic Records) [SA002LP] $22.25
Semi-Automatic Records presents volume two in their five-volume Ecstasy of
Gold series, selected from one of the most complete Spaghetti Western audio
archives. Digging deep to excavate a treasure trove of obscure and
rarely-heard tracks by some of the genre's greatest composers and
vocalists, The Ecstacy of Gold is the definitive series for aficionados of
the Euro-Western films and the music that they created. The most famous of
all the Italian soundtrack composers is Ennio Morricone and his music for
the Italian Western is guaranteed to inspire and amaze until the end of
time itself. But there were many other great and legendary maestros who
scored their share of Westerns and this second volume presents
transcendent, brilliant and challenging tracks from the 1960s and 1970s
from the likes of: Bruno Nicolai, Gianni Ferrio, Francesco De Masi,
Marcello Giombini, Luis Bacalov, Stelvio Cipriani, Alessandro Alessandroni,
Nora Orlandi, Riz Ortolani, Piero Umiliani, and many others. 2LP gatefold
in a limited edition pressing of 750 copies.
Various Artists - Molam: Thai Country Groove from Isan Vol. 2
2xLP (Sublime Frequencies) [SF03€] $24.75
Molam is a multi-faceted folk country music native to Laos and the
collection of rural Northeastern Thai provinces called Isan. Molam is an
umbrella term used for numerous Lam styles. It literally translates into
"expert singer" or "expert song." Featured here on volume two of this
series are Lam Phun, Lam Thuy, Lam Plern, Lam Dern, and Lam Sing styles of
Molam recordings from the 1970s and 1980s. All of these forms are built
from a tradition that is centuries-old. A few examples of Molam/Luk Thung
(Thailand's national country music) hybrids are also featured here. In the
late 1960s, at the onset of Molam's modern genesis, electric guitars and
organs were introduced alongside the extant folk sounds of the khaen
(bamboo mouth-organ) and Phin (Thai lute). Hybrid styles were formed with
an electrified sound that jived with tradition while creating something
entirely new. Much of the music relies on stock formulas, designed
primarily to showcase the stylings of various singers from the region. But,
as this brilliant collection demonstrates, the rules tend to bend a bit as
more adventurous groups experiment with the genre and the production. Sound
effects, flamboyant vamping, odd vocal styles, and trick intros and finales
based on popular rock themes show up now and then, among other playful and
dynamic shifts, making for some exceptional listening. So join us now in
our perpetual and confounding love affair with Thai Isan Molam. Enjoy this
rarely-heard music, culled from vintage cassette and vinyl recordings,
rescued from the silent places in which they've rested for the past
decades. Compiled by Mark Gergis and Alan Bishop. Beautiful 2LP limited
edition vinyl release in a full-color heavy-duty gatefold jacket of the
long out-of-print CD from 2007.
Various Artists - Je Suis Punk: The Very Best of European
Punksploitation LP (No Label) [FAUX077LP] $17.25
"Limited edition complilation LP featuring 12 tracks of European fake punk
from 1977-1980. Total punksploitation. Selling out never sounded so good.
Comes on pink vinyl. Featured artists: Benny Blue, Geiger, Stefan, Too
Much, Fancy Rosy, Chrys Alice, Soda Fraise, Sexe A Pile, Les Marylenes,
Marie Marie, Arlequin, Edith Nylon, Johnny Palermo, Douce Violence, and
Classy Punk."
Vita Nova - Vita Nova LP (Garden Of Delights) [GOD014LP]
$29.25
"Very exceptional art rock/underground album featuring a Hohner clavinet
and Latin lyrics. Played by real talents and professionals and neatly
recorded at the well-known Munich Union-Studio. Eddy Marron had been a
professional musician since 1958, had performed in Innsbruck on the
occasion of the 1964 Winter Olympics, and later made a name for himself
with Dzyan and Missus Beastly. He died on February 6th, 2013. Keyboarder
Sylvester Levay had a musical degree and was a professional musician as
well. He would later write some highly successful musicals. He and the
third man, drummer Christian von Hoffmann, were members of the same
orchestra. Besides their professional duties, the three of them wanted to
realize their dream and recorded this one LP in 1971, calling themselves
Vita Nova and never having had any live gigs at all. It was an edition of
only 500 copies, which is today traded at about 1,000 Euros in mint
condition. The new edition contains two bonus tracks which were then
planned to form a single that wasn't, however, released. Just listening to
the smashing "Whirl Wind" makes the LP worth its money. The four-page
LP-sized insert was accidentally folded the opposite way round by the
printery. Simply turn it down and it adds up."
Walo Shatan Gwari - Drumming for Creation LP (Touch)
[TO033€] $14.00
Limited edition of 300 copies. 12" vinyl only. A new series of vinyl-only
releases, From the Archives. Islands Inbetween was originally released on
cassette in 1983. The second in this series, Drumming for Creation,
originally released on cassette in 1985 is now available. Walo Shatan
Gwari: the ensemble, led by Malam Walo, belongs to the Gwari people of
Niger State, West Africa. The performances, at London's Commonwealth
Institute, also encompassed drumming sessions and instrument-making
workshops.
Zoot Sims Quartet - Zoot LP (So Far Out) [OUT5006LP]
$24.25
"Owner of a badge of distinction only worn in the lapels of three other men
(Stan Getz, Herbie Seward, and Serge Charloff), until late '50s 'Zoot' Sims
was mostly known as one of the original member of the 'Four Brothers' (the
saxophone section for the Woody Herman orchestra back in 1947) and for his
later prolific collaboration with Al Cohn. Recorded in Chicago in 1956, and
originally issued on the Argo label, Zoot is the first of his works to give
him sufficient blowing room to show his qualities and merits the full
rating as one of the more sustained examples of hot jazz improvisation."
Comes on 180 gram vinyl.