EAR/Rational Update Week 45, 2008

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This week's CD update contains releases by:

Alan Sondheim * Alex Ward * Alexis Taylor * Alfredo Costa Monteiro (solo cymbal & resonating objects) * Angels of Light * Anthony Pateras & Robin Fox * Art Ensemble Of Chicago * Barbecue Bob * Bass Communion * Benge * Blevin Blectum * Charlie Parker * Chico Magnetic Band * Circus Devils * Config.sys/Ahnst Anders * Crazy Dreams Band * Danielson * Deaf Machine * Desolation Wilderness * Dim Dim * End of the World * Envy/Thursday * Fervent * FM3 * Free Blood * Frida Hyvonen * Gayle McCormick * Gish * Gore * Graham Day & The Gaolers * Grampall Jookabox * Guillaume Gargaud * Hypnoskull * Hysteresis * J Spaceman & Matthew Shipp * Jimmy "Duck" Holmes * Kazumasa Hashimoto * Klangstabil * Kranken * KTL * Loïs Laplace * Lodz * Luke's Anger * Lukestar * Makoto Kawabata & Michishita Shinsuke * Mark Fell * Mekons * Micha Blue Smaldone * Michael Gendreau * michaelthomasjackson * Mississippi John Hurt * Moctan * Morphon * Mt. Sims * Nikos Veliotis, Anastasis Grivas * No Choice * Oldman * Pari Zangeneh * Past Lives * Paul Bley Quintet * Paul Kalkbrenner * Peter Brotzmann/Fred Lonberg-Holm * Philip Glass * Port Royal/Absent Without Leave * Punk Rock Karaoke Band * Rasputeen/Catholic Boys In Heavy Leather * Red Snapper * Rev. Gary Davis * Sebastian Lexer (piano+) & Seymour Wright (alto sax) * Shaking Hands * Sinkwell * Skeletons * Skip James * Squarepusher * Steinbruchel * Subhumans * Suicide Inside * Sunken Foal * Sven Vath * The Four Fishermen * The Scene Is Now * Tim Barry * Tobruk * Underground Failure * Vetiver * Virgins * Virus Syndicate * Vromb * Wallpaper * Washington Phillips * Wicked Witch * Wilderness * Wino

...plus a sale item by:

Ricardo Villalobos

[ F E A T U R E D   R E L E A S E S ]

Alfredo Costa Monteiro (solo cymbal & resonating objects) - Centre of Mass CD-R (Another Timbre) [at-b01] $14.75
'centre of mass' is an astonishing work by Barcelona-based multi-instrumentalist Alfredo Costa Monteiro. Alfredo himself has described it as "quiet noise music", and the range of sounds he produces from such limited means is testament to his extraordinary individuality and creativity. "Playing solo seems to be the most free form of expression...When I'm playing alone, I'm the only one responsible for what's happening. It's very rewarding, because you learn a lot about yourself; no justification to a third person is needed. But this is also what can make it dangerous...Playing alone requires more honesty with oneself, but as long as one is able to recognise one's mistakes, it's fine."

Bass Communion - II/III 2CD (Beta-Lactam Ring) [MT182] $17.75
"II finds its ellipses crossing long, glowering belts of ambience and majestic rings of thick, bass-heavy electro-pulses. Miniature terrestrials appear as stringed acoustics and other Earth-bound instrumentation peeks up through the crackling electronic mists. Hardly a truer music of the spheres, but then there is still the brother to contend with. III began its days at the same time as its kin, originally as leftover pieces, tv music, and failed experiments recorded between 1995-99 from the first two BASS COMMUNION albums and then briefly released as a made-to-order CDR. III's lustmord for global communication moans out in a series of lonely alien drones." First edition of 1000 packaged in a full color gatefold sleeve.

Benge - Twenty Systems Book+CD (Expanding) [ECDB108] $21.25
Twenty tracks made on 20 synthesizers spanning 20 years, accompanied by a 60-page full-color book with a foreword by ROBIN "SCANNER" RIMBAUD. Twenty Systems is the latest release from electronica artist and Expanding Records founder BEN EDWARDS (aka BENGE). His tenth solo album, this ambitious project combines an audio CD of new music with a hard bound full-color book containing photos and diagrams of the electronic instruments used, along with a detailed history documenting the development of synthesizers between 1968 and 1988. The purpose of the record is to demonstrate the development of the the synthesizer from the first commercially available systems in the late 1960s to the introduction of fully digital systems in the late 1980s. Although not intended to be a comprehensive history of synthesizers, the listener will hopefully gain some insight into the character of each instrument, and on a more general level experience the evolving sound of synthesis over the years. "A brilliant contribution to the archaeology of electronic music."-Brian Eno.

Charlie Parker - Bird In Time 1940-1947 CD Box (ESP Disk) [ESPDISK4050CD] $59.50
Selected Recordings and Rare Interviews. "Bird in Time: 1940-1947 is a unique four disc set produced by bebop jazz historian Michael D. Anderson. This set chronicles the early developmental stages of the career of the artist from 1940 to the fall of 1947. This includes his performances in the Jay McShann band, his work as a sideman, collaborations with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, as well as his leadership of various groups. In addition to select recordings, the four disc set includes unique interviews by Mr. Anderson with artists who performed with Charlie Parker, or 'Bird' as they knew him, describing in detail their experiences with him during this period of time. These interviews provide, for the first time, a glimpse into the creative process that was engaged in making these song tracks. This is a 'must have' for serious Charlie Parker music collectors."

Chico Magnetic Band - Chico Magnetic Band CD (Nosmokerecords) [NOSMOKE003CD] $21.50
"Chico Magnetic Band's eponymous album, released by French Vogue subsidiary Box Office label in 1971, defines the term 'heavy Psychedelia.' These bunch of freaks, lead by Algerian born Mahmoud 'Chico' Ayari were clearly influenced by the Jimi Hendrix Experience but somehow they created a song of their own: violent, trashy, stoned as hell heavy psych featuring demented vocals, furious guitars, loud rhythm section and mindblowing studio effects including phasing, backward tapes, weird and groovy electronics. Eight killer tracks including their insane fuzzed-out deconstruction of Hendrix's 'Crosstown Traffic' and cult classics like 'Pop Pull Hair,' 'Explosion,' 'Pop Orbit.' This reissue includes a good number of bonus tracks (6 on the vinyl, and a total of 8 on the CD making their complete recordings). Features an insert with full band story and rare photos. Limited to 600 copies on vinyl and 500 papersleeve CDs, both including the insert."

Fervent - Irgendwo CD3 (Dirty Demos) [DirtyCDR034] $9.59
limited edition of 50 - Fragmented electronica is the name of the game here. Fervent disects sounds such as voices, guitar, wavestation etc and reassembles them into vast pieces of rhythmical computer glitch, complimented with particles of disoriented melody. Hand numbered edition, with handsprayed disc.

FM3 - Buddha Machine II (Burgundy) CD (FM3) [BUDDHA02-BURG] $21.75
The Beijing-based duo FM3 is back with an all-new version of their wildly successful 2005 release, the Buddha Machine. Introducing Buddha Machine 2.0: 9 new loops. 3 new colors. Pitch bend. Blurring the line between music box and musical instrument, the Buddha Machine 2.0 is an interactive album that lets users customize the listening experience. Drop the pitch and the music ebbs in a low ambient drone. Boost the speed and suddenly its alive with melody. Add a few more machines, set them at different speeds and you have an evolving audio perfume. Plug it into a mixer, add some beats or vocals or guitar... FM3 won't mind. In fact, they encourage people to use the Buddha Machine as inspiration. Since its release in 2005, the original Buddha Machine has sold more than 50,000 units worldwide and has won praise from artists as diverse as Daft Punk, Gorillaz, Low, Monolake, Sunn O))), Blixa Bargeld and Mike Patton. Legendary producer Brian Eno was the first customer for the original Buddha Machine and nearly 3 years later told FM3 he still "cherishes" his purchase! Similar in shape and design to the original Buddha Machine, but boasting more robust construction and improved sound quality, the 2.0 comes in three colors: burgundy, grey and brown. For those who haven't experienced the pleasure of the original, the Buddha Machine is essentially a small plastic box that plays ambient loops. The loops repeat endlessly until the "track" is switched or the two AA batteries (not included) run out. The machine has its own built-in speaker and there is also a headphone jack for a more personal experience. But the charm of the device isn't nearly as specific: the Buddha Machine has a calming presence in today's fast-paced world. Its charm mixes with FM3's innovative music to provide the owner with an experience that is hard to define. Essentially, it's a box with a life, a tool for living, and to many, it's a friend. Founded in 1999 by Christiaan Virant and Zhang Jian, FM3 are considered pioneers of electronic music in China. Inspired by Buddhist prayer boxes found at temples around Asia, the duo released the original Buddha Machine in April 2005, winning acclaim in publications including BoingBoing.net, The New York Times and Arthur magazine.

FM3 - Buddha Machine II (Brown) object (FM3) [BUDDHA02] $21.75

FM3 - Buddha Machine II (Grey) CD (FM3) [BUDDHA02-GREY] $21.75

FM3 - Buddha Machine (Black) CD (FM3) [BUDDHA01-BLACK] $21.75
This is the original Buddha Machine, first released to worldwide acclaim in 2005. Now available with barcodes and available to order by color choice: Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Pink, Red & White. FM3 present the Buddha Machine, a unique "soundbox" from China which is causing sensation worldwide. The Buddha Machine is a small musical loop player, built kind of like a little AM radio -- but without all the nonsense. Total genius from out of nowhere, it comes with an integrated speaker, a volume control, a mini jack-out and a switch to choose between nine different loops which are stored on a small chip and can be directly played by this mini soundsystem. A totally dazzling item which causes jaw-dropping delight everywhere -- Alan Bishop bought twenty-four of these on sight, Brian Eno bought eight (how's that for apocalyptical math?). FM3 are a duo of Christiaan Virant and Chinese keyboardist and computer musician Zhang Jian who create loop-based ambient electronic music. Based in Beijing, they came upon a small box used at Buddhist temples to chant or play prayers. Explains Virant: "...there are a number of different explanations of why they invented this box in China. Some people say it's because modern people are too lazy to go to the temples to say the chants to the Buddha like they used to, so they invented this small machine to do it for them." FM3 gave it a name and began manufacturing it in 2005. In two years, they sold nearly 50,000 of them. The Buddha Machine is not an iPod. It's not loaded with features. It's simply a small plastic box -- available in an assortment of colors -- that plays nine different loops. The possibilities of how you listen to it, however, are infinite. [Please note that the original Buddha Machine comes packaged with 2 double AA batteries, for now; this will be discontinued in the near future.]

FM3 - Buddha Machine (Orange) CD (FM3) [BUDDHA01-Orange] $21.75

FM3 - Buddha Machine (Green) CD (FM3) [BUDDHA01-GREEN] $21.75

FM3 - Buddha Machine (Red) CD (FM3) [BUDDHA01-RED] $21.75

FM3 - Buddha Machine (Pink) CD (FM3) [BUDDHA01-PINK] $21.75

FM3 - Buddha Machine (White) CD (FM3) [BUDDHA01-WHITE] $21.75

Gish - Making Clocks CD (Dirty Demos) [DirtyCDR033] $11.06
limited edition of 50 - Gish is a improvised guitarist based in London, UK. When not performing with Dirty Demos $un$hine Republic and Jack Nicholson, Gish can be found playing solo using guitar and sometimes a microphone, run through a mixing board and various electronics. 'Making Clocks' is a sweet display of sound textures, microsound and glitch. Think bleak, minimal and marvellous. Over sized cardboard sleeve with insert.

Guillaume Gargaud - Le Lieu CD (Dirty Demos) [DirtyCDR032] $11.06
limited edition of 150 - We are very proud to present Guillaume's debut solo album 'Le Lieu'. Here we have pure epic soundscape and hypnotic rhythmical pieces. Drone undercurrents drift and pulse, while dense waves of processed guitar morph into lush glitchy tribal atmos. Drift into another world. special. White digipak case.

Lodz - Heniek CD (Tsuku Boshi) [tskb003] $17.32
Lodz signs a unique and successful disk, which is not without evoking a sort of B.O of fantasy and dumb movie, taken out of some rubble of the XXth century. A singular artist to classify beside some francs-markswomen of the sound and the experiment, just like french Judith Juillerat, Eglantine Gouzy or Colleen. " (TSUGI Magazine)

Michael Gendreau - Voutes CD-R (Cohort) [CRCD125] $12.00
Les Voutes (Paris, France) 16 June 2004 - This installation performance integrated the unique layout of this group of arch-shaped vaults (photographs at lesvoutes.org) located under the rue Tolbiac in Paris. Due to the thick masonry, the vehicles on the road above are generally not audible in the performance space below, but they cause micro-vibration which is not perceivable without sensitive instruments. Several seismic accelerometers were installed in the brickwork to sense and then amplify the vibration to audible levels. Furthermore, the shape of the structure alters the frequency content of the vibration so that the amplified vibrations take on various characters depending on the measurement location within an arch. Vibration recordings were made throughout the day of the performance from different points in the structure, which were then organized and combined with a live feed from the (stereo) vibrations from the vaults on either side of the performance vault.

michaelthomasjackson - Little Village Suite CD3 (Dirty Demos) [DirtyCDR029] $9.59
limited edition of 50 - 'Little Village Suite' is a 3 track EP comprising of improvisations for prepared electric bass guitar. The nature of the sound here is loud, distorted and menacing, but also has quieter, more subtle rumbling moments which breaks up the tracks and gives them room to breath. Mini jewel case, handsprayed disc.

Morphon - OM Mars Venus CD (Klangwirkstoff) [KW003] $19.53
This CD contains spherical electronic ambientmusic with a philosophic background. With their project, Morphon is exploring artistically the mental and physical effects of natural vibrations and rhythms The tonal tuning of the music on this cd depends on planet tones based on the "cosmic octave". This tones are octave-analogue overtones of planetary cycles: Year-tone OM the relaxing, mental principle Mars the willpower and purposive energy Venus the harmonic principle and the love energy The ability to be in resonance with the vibrations of cosmic totality means to be in unison. It is by way of immediate experience and through the archetypical aspects of being, that tuning oneself to a cosmic coherence becomes possible.

Nikos Veliotis, Anastasis Grivas - Vertical CD (Low Impedance) [LoZVert] $13.50
Nikos Veliotis and Anastasis Grivas have quite a long history of dealing with drones, improvisation, electroacoustic composition and experimental sounds. In this release, 'Vertical', Veliotis' strings and Grivas' custom made guitars create a harmonically dense landscape that murmurs, howls, shrieks, sometimes even sings or just rests in silence. The key here is the experience of time, as the music brings a state of suspension and the frequency spectrum dissolves into a frozen uniform mass of pure tonal bliss. Veliotis and Grivas seem to approach the material both with an artist's passion and a surgeon's cold calculated movement as they methodically built an intense crawling soundscape.

Oldman - Two Heads Bis Bis CD (Low Impedance) [LoZTwoBis] $13.50
'Two Heads Bis Bis' is a twisted bedtime story, a dark poem, an alchemist's magic diary of secrets. Oldman (aka Charles Eric Charrier) employs the typical trio of 'rock' instrumentation (bass, guitars, drums) along with several rather atypical sound generating devices to sculpt a truly intense lo-fi masterpiece, a dreamy album drenched in fuzzy smoke: a dark, melancholic, weird and ultimately therapeutic experience. This is post-'something' in the true sense of the term, as Oldman transcends most musical genres to create something unique and exciting. Repetitive rock-inspired patterns, tribal percussive jams, improvisation, organic ambience and lots of dark humor. This is what popular music would be like in an ideal world.

Sebastian Lexer (piano+) & Seymour Wright (alto sax) - Blasen CD (Another Timbre) [at13] $14.75
'blasen' is the first duo disc by two of the rising stars of London's improv scene. Seymour Wright's recent solo disc 'Seymour Wright of Derby' was rapturously received by critics and was described by Dan Warburton as "the best solo sax I've heard for years". And Sebastian Lexer " a pupil of and collaborator with John Tilbury " has developed his own software to extend the sound of the piano electronically in live performance. They both emerged from Eddie Prevost's improvisation workshop, have played with musicians such as John Butcher, Keith Rowe, John Edwards and Evan Parker, and have released discs on the Matchless, w.m.o.r. & TwoThousandAnd labels.

Sinkwell - Tunnels CD (Angle.Rec) [.A.R.05.06.] $15.00
Doors cleverly concealed¦unexplored abandoned industrial sites¦.the angleREC and Mondes Elliptiques labels had the opportunity to work with many sound artists whose explorations are accompanied by a will to uncover on the field, in the abstract as well as in the concrete, different mysteries or secrets, or at least, to probe the enclave, the place they haunt. The SKINWELL project is no exception; its two protagonists, CHRISTIAN CORVELLEC and MARTIN DUMAIS, concoct music for TUNNELS, those places, where, at the end, one is beginnning to see the light, as the old proverb says, but in the present case, we do not really care; we can see the light in the distance, it also penetrates different interstices or fissures along the walls of the tunnels where we progress, but we prefer taking the time to pace the premises, to permeate ourselves with the sound echoes with which they fill our ears and head, and it should be mentioned that the ambiant-drone styling embraced by SKINWELL contains, like the music of some well-known artists of the genre (here we shall name CRANIOCLAST, TROUM or ZOVIET FRANCE with the unique goal of giving people a better idea as to where they are on the map of sonorities), a whole assortment of subtle electronic pulsations, concocted here by CHRISTIAN CORVELLEC, which always adequately support the sound fabrics woven by MARTIN DUMAIS, and which also are their starting point. One only has to imagine a minimal tech project gone the drone-ocean way ¦pulsations are there, always, but tinged with a sonic fog that is heavy, damp and fluid at the same time and which always suggests, in the end, uncertain twists and turns in this crossing of tunnels. But who would complain?

Steinbruchel - Sustain CD (Koyuki) [YUKI004] $10.08
koyuki is very proud to release the new work of the renowned swiss sound artist Steinbrüchel. This new introspective 22 mins. composition is built around melodic chord sounds, stratified gentle noise and beautiful resonances to slowly lull you into hypnosis. A minimal reinterpretation of his recent soundwork, as heard on the Basis and Stage cds.

The Four Fishermen - Fallen Oak CD3 (Dirty Demos) [DirtyCDR035] $9.59
limited edition of 100 - Debut release by The Four Fishermen. File under folk, psychedelica and drone. Here Ben McElroy receives help from a bunch of people on drums, double bass, clarinet, violins and cello. Beautiful. A4 folded cover + insert in pvc sleeve, each one numbered. Handsprayed disc.

Various Artists - Active Agent of Sound CD (Klangwirkstoff) [KW002] $24.57
Ambient music meets science - cosmic octave, quantum music & planettones. With this ambient double CD, Klangwirkstoff brings together 22 widely varied international music projects, all of which are working with a harmonical topic. The planet tones on this CDs are acoustical exponents from our natural cosmic surroundings and our focus on them brings us into harmony with the way of things. Music tuned to molecules, like planetary music, is composed in accordance with strict harmonical rules and is based on existing harmonic structures and the natural laws which govern the 'cosmic octave'. Music from: Coil, Mirror System (Steve Hillage), Susan Alexjander, Lutz Berger, True Frequencies, Sci-Rom, Star Sounds Orchestra, Orbital Dolphins, Brain Entertainment Laboratory, Morphon, Akasha Project, Devas, Toshra, Ruben, Motom, EPiOS, B. Ashra, Rainer von Vielen, Michael Reimann and a Text from Hans Cousto.

Vromb - Le Pecheur De Noye CD (Spectre) [09984] $30.00
CD box with postcards, stickers, newspaper and metal pin - limited edition 369 copies

Translation of 'Le pêcheur de noyés' is almost impossible, but 'The fisher of drowned ones' covers it quite good. Nautilus, the water based sub-division of Spectre Records, presents its tenth release and all honours go to Vromb. The Canadian sculptor of electronic sounds pictures life below water-level and sadly for us humans, the oxygen-level isn't high enough to survive ...

'Le pêcheur de noyés' is the story about Roger Girard who - as a scubadiver - searched for and found several corpses of drowned people. Not the most cheerful of stories to tell, but a fact of life. His stories have been well documented over the years and this CD add a new dimension to the archives.

The atmosphere and underwater sounds are amazingly well caught by Roger Girard's son Hugo, who happens to be Vromb. Deep rumbling sounds, oxygen masks producing waterbubbles and a cry for help which wasn't heard in time.

The characteristic rhythm based soundsculptures of Vromb are on this album accompanied by more ambient works; A bit compareable with the ones we have gotten to know on 'Jeux de Terre'. The result is an honest, sincere and very personal release which only one man could write.

This release comes in a deluxe-box with many additional items like postcards, stickers and a pin, but also copies of the actual newspaper clippings from the recoveries by Roger Girard.

The result is most impressive in more ways then one ...

[ . . . ]

Alex Ward - Cremated Thoughts CD (Treader) [TRD011CD] $16.00
"Extraordinary clarinetist Alex Ward in his first solo recording. In the tradition of 'For Alto' and 'Monoceros': one musician and one instrument."

Alexis Taylor - Rubbed Out CD (Treader) [TRD012CD] $16.00
"Exclusively tailored in places, planes, hotel rooms and at home. 15 bespoke songs and instrumentals by Alexis Taylor."

Angels of Light - Everything Is Good/please Come Home CD (Young God) [YG22] $13.25
No description available at this time.

Anthony Pateras & Robin Fox - End of Daze CD (Editions Mego) [DEMEGO006CD] $16.00
Melbourne-based electroacoustic improv duo Anthony Pateras & Robin Fox return with their second release for the Editions Mego label. This is a shredding album filled with Antipodean-blasted bliss that will get even the darkest of doomlords crawling out of their abyss of hatred and dancing like lunatics. End of Daze is a bulletproof testament to the duo's eight year history in the trenches of live electroacoustic music -- their messy, over-the top contact-miked beginnings now formed into a powerful and futuristic meta-language borrowing from the early electronic masters, with bizarre sound poetry, vintage synth festishism, the eternal patch tweak and good old fashioned Melbourne experimentalist brutality fueled by a poisonous love affair with sonic invention. A combination of materials forged live on stage alongside carefully considered studio mayhem, the audio contained on this disc is their finest vein-popping blend of chaos and order to date. Recorded beautifully by longtime engineer James "Wilkinsound" Wilkinson in Melbourne, combined with some sessions from WORM in Rotterdam, End of Daze promises a sonic range as wide as its genesis, complete with angry-boy artwork courtesy of Clare Cooper. Limited to 500 copies. Robin Fox: computer, controllers, ARP 2500, and programming. Anthony Pateras: computer, Doepfer A-100, voice, and Revox B-77.

Blevin Blectum - Gular Flutter CD (Aagoo) [AAGOO011] $13.75
Breaking a four year silence with her strongest album to date, BLEVIN BLECTUM's Gular Flutter confirms her gift for making electronic music that is allergic to cliche. Blectum's new songs throb with swarms of transient surface details, but they never come off as haphazard. Asked about her title, Blevin notes that "Gular fluttering is the pulsation of the upper esophagus in some species of birds in response to heat-stress," an oblique reference from avian anatomy that stems from her recently completed training as a veterinary technician. It's a title that perfectly captures the mysteriously organic shifts that pulsate across this heavily processed music.

Circus Devils - Ataxia CD (Happy Jack Rock Records) [HJRR19] $13.25
H.P. Lovecraft meets Devo on Ataxia, CIRCUS DEVILS' new collection of moonshine revelries and musical trips by torchlight into the mist-shrouded fields and forests of Ohio (aka: land of mystery). ROBERT POLLARD (GUIDED BY VOICES) and the TOBIAS brothers treat the listener to an intoxicating blend of jagged, insistent rock and uneasy lullabies. Formed in Ohio in 2001 by Pollard, Circus Devils create albums rich in atmosphere and imagery, filled with ferocity and gentleness. Their previous album, Sgt. Disco, was released on Ipecac Recordings in 2007. Ataxia is their sixth release. No exports to the UK

Circus Devils - Five CD (Recordhead / Fading Captain Series) [LUNA81/FCS34] $13.25
No description available at this time.

Circus Devils - Harold Pig Memorial CD (Recordhead) [LUNA62] $12.00
No description available at this time.

Circus Devils - Pinball Mars CD (Recordhead) [LUNA72/fcs29] $13.25
No description available at this time.

Circus Devils - Ringworm Interiors CD (Recordhead) [FCS15] $12.00
No description available at this time.

Config.sys/Ahnst Anders - Boiling the Ocean CD (Pflichtkauf) [09990] $17.25
rhythmic industrial power meets anders' ambient soundscapes, to be concluded on this concept album which has 'water' as main topic. packaging: cardboard sleeve.

Crazy Dreams Band - Crazy Dreams Band CD (Holy Mountain) [HOLY1977] $12.00
Grooves that confuse? CRAZY DREAMS BAND presents its guitar-free "thug pop" dirge with creeping crooning and brassless horn blasts. Like the best Giallo films, you'll be as turned on as you are terrified. As tender as Coco Rosie, as brutal as Magik Markers, and as cool as Royal Trux' Radio/Video vibe. Imagine if Bruce Springsteen and Martin Rev collaborated on songs for Patti Smith or Catherine Ribeiro. Channeled inner voices are expelled as cave anthems into neon text in Linear A, while bones poke through the skin atop a witch's brew of venomous sludge. Crazy Dreams Band is the urban tribal music that survives whatever "end is nigh" theory you choose. They're jamming this music outside the thunder dome, beneath the planet of the apes, and the day after tomorrow. LP version to be released in early December.

Danielson - Trying Hartz 2CD (Secretly Canadian) [SC180] $13.25
Trying Hartz samples the first decade of the DANIELSON/DANIELSON FAMILE/ BR. DANIELSON oeuvre (all the years before Ships), attesting generously to the movement of the work as a whole, from proto-minimalist eccentric gospel band to prog-metal-dread outfit to music hall choir to indie rock one-man band to outsider art celebrity to family man and family member. It's a perfect starter volume for listeners who have not had the pleasure of engaging with the evolution of this unusual, surprising, and incredibly moving musical consortium.

Deaf Machine - Transistor CD (Raubbau) [09991] $17.50
the german label raubbau have decided that the time is ripe to end the nearly two decades of severe under-exposure for deaf machine, the megaptera offshoot conceived by mikael svensson. previously in 2008 the 'found noises' cd was put out, a release that was met with great enthusiasm. a majority of listeners to industrial music were up until this year not even aware of the name deaf machine. only a minuscule fraction had ever heard the music. merely ten people can claim to actually own the original tape release. but certainly the extremely limited nature of an album does not automatically imply that its content merits another issue. in the case of 'transistor' any such fear of groundless hyperbole can be scrapped. while operating within the confines of death industrial, the sound of deaf machine clearly lacks antecedence in its more oppressive, minimal approach; a rhythm-less universe inhabited by the creaking noises of analogue devices and metallic artefacts, and fleeting voices leaking through from media broadcasts. svensson may have been a minor player in the scene, but his precious few moments of brilliance are now finally captured for posterity. what more semi-forgotten corpses from the heyday of swedish death industrial are waiting to be unburied?

Desolation Wilderness - White Light Strobing CD (K Records) [KLP198] $13.25
"The debut album of the band DESOLATION WILDERNESS. Recorded in the Winter of 2008, supposedly the dark months but there is a beauty hidden there, too. Sound waves transmuted through archaic vacuum tubes and dusty transistors, magnetized on to a playable medium. A rush of air pressure, a few more charged ions here and there. Somehow, out of chaos comes order, a record of an event at a specific time and place. White Light Strobing contains songs straight from the wide awake dream world about simple things (love, escape, the open road) which transform before your ears into something else entirely.

Dim Dim - Whip CD (Audio Dregs Recordings) [ADR072X] $12.25
RELEASE DATE: 11-17-2008
Dim Dim is back with its sixth full-length album and an obsession for all forms of sonic pop culture. Tossing fistfuls of guitar, ukulele, programmed beats, twisted synth and toy instruments into a blender, Dim Dim hits "liquefy", and surfs the sonic mixture as it spills across his musical universe. Deconstructing all things known and leaving a trail of brightly colored debris, Dim Dim has turned his back to the norm and rip-shredded a technicolored path to a genre unknown... and we have Whip! As Dim Dim, the Belgian producer, Jerry Dimmer started releasing albums in the 90's, producing tracks in his home-studio cave, though he began a career as illustrator, working mainly for comic books following study at the St.Lukas and Les Beaux Arts. He published several books in Belgium then moved to Paris where his work was picked up by the main comic publishers of the time: Heavy Metal, Albin Michel, Glenat, Dargaud. A few years later he left France for Portugal, where he made watercolors and had several exhibitions in Lisbon, Paris and Brussels. In more recent times he has done everything from producing songs for European pop bands, and crafting minor dance floor hits in Ibiza, to illustrating children's books, and creating music for video games. He has also created his own style of abstract "Pictoplastic" paintings, which have appeared on previous album covers (excluding "Whip" which was done by Belgiun illustrator Oreli). Being a colorful visionary it comes as no surprise that Crayola would feature a Dim Dim song in ads representing of their own colorful vision, and no surprise at all that his bright musical vision has attracted its own cult-like following, especially in the U.S. and Japan.

End of the World - French Exit CD (Flameshovel) [DIG051] $13.25
When you leave without saying goodbye, it's called a "French Exit." Suffice it to say, there has been an interesting cast of characters weaving in and out of the lives of THE END OF THE WORLD's STEFAN MAROLACHAKIS (vocals, drums) and BENJAMIN SMITH (guitars). Somehow, though, through fourteen bass players and one fistfight, the two of them have been able to stick together as best friends and band mates. With eleven songs of city stories, the band's second full-length, French Exit, addresses the growing pains of boys becoming men and transitioning into adulthood, or at least attempting to do so. Stefan's old school crooning underscores the earnestness in his lyrics, as he sings about people who have appeared and disappeared from his life. Meanwhile, Benjamin chimes in with shimmery, yearning guitar strums. The sound is minimalist and stripped down, calling attention to each song's emotion and tone.

Envy/Thursday - Split LP+CD (Temporary Residence Ltd) [TRR146] $16.25
More than two years after THURSDAY first put the idea in our heads, Temporary Residence is proud to finally bring together two influential bands from two very different places. Recorded in Spring 2008, both bands turn in some of their most inspired work yet. In addition, Thursday invited ANTHONY MOLINA of MERCURY REV to remix the dark instrumental "In Silence" into the pitch-black closing track, "Appeared And Was Gone," providing the perfect transition into the massive dynamics of ENVY. Beginning with the subtle electronics of the symphonic opener, "An Umbrella Fallen Into Fiction," Envy thrashes and burns through a trio of thoughtful face-melters. Pressed on audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl and featuring original artwork by acclaimed poster artist, DAN GRZECA, this deluxe set includes a free copy of the CD format beautifully incorporated into the exquisite package design.

FM3 - Buddha Machine (Blue) CD (FM3) [BUDDHA01-BLUE] $21.75
This is the original Buddha Machine, first released to worldwide acclaim in 2005. Now available with barcodes and available to order by color choice: Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Pink, Red & White.

FM3 present the Buddha Machine, a unique "soundbox" from China which is causing sensation worldwide. The Buddha Machine is a small musical loop player, built kind of like a little AM radio -- but without all the nonsense. Total genius from out of nowhere, it comes with an integrated speaker, a volume control, a mini jack-out and a switch to choose between nine different loops which are stored on a small chip and can be directly played by this mini soundsystem. A totally dazzling item which causes jaw- dropping delight everywhere -- Alan Bishop bought twenty-four of these on sight, Brian Eno bought eight (how's that for apocalyptical math?). FM3 are a duo of Christiaan Virant and Chinese keyboardist and computer musician Zhang Jian who create loop-based ambient electronic music. Based in Beijing, they came upon a small box used at Buddhist temples to chant or play prayers. Explains Virant: "...there are a number of different explanations of why they invented this box in China. Some people say it's because modern people are too lazy to go to the temples to say the chants to the Buddha like they used to, so they invented this small machine to do it for them." FM3 gave it a name and began manufacturing it in 2005. In two years, they sold nearly 50,000 of them. The Buddha Machine is not an iPod. It's not loaded with features. It's simply a small plastic box -- available in an assortment of colors -- that plays nine different loops. The possibilities of how you listen to it, however, are infinite. [Please note that the original Buddha Machine comes packaged with 2 double AA batteries, for now; this will be discontinued in the near future.]

Free Blood - The Singles CD (Rong DFA) [RONGDFA07] $13.25
Brooklyn's FREE BLOOD (featuring fromer !!! member JOHN PUGH), a band formed in 2003 with roots in the New York art, fashion, and music circles, unleashes their debut album courtesy of Rong Music's and DFA Records' new joint imprint. On The Singles' six original tracks and five remixes, Free Blood synthesizes pop and avant-garde leanings. The album opens with the first single, "Never Hear Surf Music Again," and later BARFLY contributes a head-turning remix of the track that calls to mind The Flying Lizards, another band that helped bridge similarly opposing worlds. The album also includes the "Royal Family" single and its B-side, "Grumpy." THE BROTHERS' remix their own production work on the former into a main room 4/4 floor-filler, and disco edit legend GREG WILSON twists some dark magic into "Grumpy." TIM "LOVE" LEE and SCOTTY COATS also contribute remixes. No exports to Japan.

Frida Hyvonen - Silence Is Wild CD (Secretly Canadian) [SC184] $13.25
On Silence is Wild, FRIDA HYVONEN continues to take an utterly modern approach to classic songwriting forms: blending the confessional with the fictional; mixing wit with a sexuality that shifts from the refined to the raw; all the while using language which dances effortlessly between the timeless and the contemporary, referencing high art and pop culture in a transcendent manner which masterfully put Hyvoenen at the top of a new international class of singer-songwriters.

Gore - Hart Gore + Mean Man's Dream 2CD (Southern Lord) [SUNN96] $16.75
An essential reissue of the first two albums from this seminal instrumental Dutch band who ruled in the '90s. Relentless, heavy pounding instrumental ROCK, whose influence on other instrumental outfits like Pelican, Don Caballero, Russian Circles etc.. is painfully obvious. With their use of repetitive heavy rolling rhythms and bombastic execution (sans vocals) GORE pioneered a new style of music for the time. Gore's sound is a monolithic one, uncompromising and seemingly singular in its vision. Although the music is exclusively instrumental the first two albums all contain lyric sheets-ostensibly meant to add a "horrorshow" element to the music and make it all the more ominous and hardcore. One can certainly hear elements of Gore's aesthetic in other like-minded outfits from the 90s' like Melvins, Helmet, the Jesus Lizard, and Godflesh. For the first time ever these recordings have been painstakingly remastered and are now available again to amaze, overwhelm and bewilder! Each disc of this double-cd set contains the remastered album in all its glory PLUS unreleased bonus material from the same era as the album. Includes a 32-page booklet that contains several never before seen photos plus meticulous liner notes from bassist: ROB FREY.

Graham Day & The Gaolers - Triple Distilled CD (Damaged Goods) [DAMGOOD319] $14.00
After a year of touring and the release of their Travelled And Unravelled EP earlier this year, THE GAOLERS returned to the studio in July 2008 to record their follow up to the critically acclaimed debut album Soundtrack To The Daily Grind with their second album Triple Distilled at Ranscombe Studios in Rochester, Kent. Triple Distilled is made up of twelve blistering new tracks with fairly autobiographical lyrics telling tales of their life on the road, drinking and smoking. As usual they are the amalgamation of GRAHAM DAY's (PRISONERS, MIGHTY CAESERS, BUFF MEDWAYS, etc.) tuneful and aggressive songs, driven with an energy and attitude, which has been perfectly captured in a simple no-frills studio recording. Features JOHNNY BARKER (ex-BUFF MEDWAYS) and DAN ELEKTRO (WOGGLES).

Grampall Jookabox - Ropechain CD (Asthmatic Kitty) [AKR51] $13.25
"Ropechain braids holy fear, schizophrenic inspiration, baroque pop-references, and deep, mystical love into a formidable work likely to leave aficionados of rock-n-roll trapped in an obsessive cycle of listening and re-listening."

Hypnoskull - Industrial Owes Us Money CD (Ant-Zen) [09983] $17.25
concept by hypnoskull: call me every name in the book. but don't count me into your carefully selected circle of so called 'fellow brothers and sisters'. subcultural lil' copies of the regular society which is out there. we die alone. and death is certain. don't regard my temporary presence to your group as some declaration. it is just a lucky or unlucky coincidence in space and time. i do what i am supposed to do? forget it. no one knows, not even myself. if your life is a movie i am playing a minor yet crucial part in it. passing into your screen for 23 seconds maximum. leaving nothing more but a short impression which will live under your skin and eventually will come out again like that alien in this movie which crawls out of someone's chest. i am not a messenger. don't expect my view on global warming. don't ask me to judge. do not expect anything. i pass by in these 23 seconds like some drive-by shooter. fast. violent. out of the blue. unexpected. my bullets don't kill though. they mark you. or don't. if they don't, i will be some footnote you will remember as some weird character of a freakshow. if they do, i will be influencing your mind forever with fake images of aesthetics, anti-fashionable audio combinations just made to provoke you. i will make you doubt about your own self. you will never be the same. you will question the next fashion someone will try to lay upon you. you will see that your lil' world is full of posers. f***ing posers. artists that live for one season only. hypes so big they die in the timespan of one of your own breathings. breath deep and slow. cash is the new god. money piles up so fast we need wings to stay above it. everybody who makes it wants to double it. you are only allowed into a group when you show enough of it. or pose enough that you have enough of it. the new reference. measured in piles. goods. 'style'. your new religion. 323 questions to ask a hypnoskull, and here are just 3 of them: "do you have enough to be part of my scene ?" and yeah, this one also: "what is your value?", and the main one: "how much am i worth for you?". industrial owes us money. word.

Hysteresis - Will + Representation CD (Spectre) [09987] $18.75
"the curse of the mummy began when many terrible events occurred after the discovery of king tut's tomb. legend has it that anyone who dared to open the tomb would suffer the wrath of the mummy..."

nobody knew where the rabbits went - one day they disappeared and were never seen again. only a few documents proved they even existed. years passed. there were rumours about a federation of ninjas overwhelming an unpremeditated audience, but before the legend became widespread there were more ominous tales being told: a congregation of mummies entering stages, taking no prisoners, making eardrums bleed... all these tall tales mentioned the same name: monokrom. after a long period of research, ant-zen obtained an aural and visual manifestation of these bandaged beings, and it is our duty to publicize it as a demonstration of the roughness and the savageness of ancient times: one fine day in the pyramid...

this very special artifact, packaged in a plaster bandaged sleeve, it will riddle scientists, musicologists and listeners for decades: a permanent breathtaking attack of contorted, cadenced noise, challenging your audio equipment to the highest peak. walls of grinding uproar, pulsating frequencies and warped, unknowable voices that add up to a primordial soup of sheer intensity. beware while listening! beware while watching! do you believe in the curse of the mummy? we will leave that for you to decide...

warning: this compact disc includes extreme aural frequencies. listen with extreme caution, at your own risk, and in the safety of your own pyramid dwelling

J Spaceman & Matthew Shipp - Spaceshipp CD (Treader) [TRD010CD] $16.00
"Spaceman and Shipp return to Treader with a collaboration first outed for Patti Smith's Meltdown festival. This is their studio corollary to that concert. Magic golden voice drone followed by celestial ecstacy."

Jimmy "Duck" Holmes - Gonna Get Old Someday CD (Fat Possum) [BLM0205] $13.50
Hailing from Bentonia-the same small southern Mississippi town that spawned country blues legends Skip James and Jack Owens - guitarist JIMMY "DUCK" HOLMES manages to conjure up the spirits of his predecessors while at the same time infusing his blues with his own stark and powerful voice. Critics are calling Back to Bentonia a contender for best traditional blues release of the year and hailing it as "a traditional blues masterpiece." Blues historian and Muddy Waters biographer Robert Gordon writes that, "I've never been to Bentonia, but whatever's in the water there, whatever's haunting the grounds at night, whatever gave the place its historical power, clearly lives on in these recordings."

Kazumasa Hashimoto - Tokyo Sonata: Original Soundtrack CD (Noble) [CXCA-1239] $16.50
RELEASE DATE: 11-24-2008
They were supposed to be leading a normal life. But something crept unexpectedly into their lives and turned this family into one of disharmony. Will there be a day when this family can ring in harmony again? TOKYO SONATA is a film portraying the typical family of modern day Japan and is an exploration into a new genre for world renowned director Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The widely acclaimed film which received the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2008 Cannes International Film Festival is also the first film score created by artist kazumasa hashimoto and noble is proud to announce the release of its original soundtrack. The minimal but heartwarming harmony created by the mellotron, piano, guitar and noise synchronizes brilliantly with the film to bring more strength to the world of Kurosawa. In addition to the film scores that brought colorful impression to the film, the album includes many unreleased pieces written for the film as well as a cover song of "clair de lune" by Claude Debussy, an artist much respected by hashimoto and a piece that can also be heard in parts of the film. It is a soundtrack and a kazumasa hashimoto original album that can be enjoyed by hashimoto fans and movie fans alike. As the title TOKYO SONATA indicates, music plays a central role in the film and kazumasa hashimoto took on this challenge with solid respect. The result is a collection of lean music that preserves the raw essence and core of the melody which help to guide the film to perfection, a monumental piece that celebrates the artist's entry into new horizons as a composer of film music. Kazumasa Hashimoto biography: Born in Tokyo. Composer/ Musician. kazumasa hashimoto has released 4 albums to present including Euphorium released from noble records in December 2007. Until now, the artist has received 5 stars in a review by Germany's DE: BUG magazine, his music has been used by the UK's BBC television, and his work has been taken up widely by Japanese and overseas media in Europe and the United States. June 2007, kazumasa hashimoto performed in Europe's largest festival of electronic music and multimedia art, the sonar festival in Barcelona, and has been spreading his music actively on a global scale. In addition to his own work, hashimoto created music for the movie TOKYO SONATA (director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa), an award winning film in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2008 Cannes International Film Festival and continues to unleash his spectrum of talent as a music producer for commercials, theater, and other artists.

Klangstabil - Math and Emotion CD (Ant-Zen) [09981] $17.25
the idea of producing a concept album about chess arose in the summer of 2005 when boris may started cultivating an interest in the game to find a way to overcome his growing mental laziness. maurizio blanco also liked the idea of turning chess into a musical concept. chessboards and relevant literature were aquired so as to get into to the spirit of the game. originally, the title of this album was planned to be "mindchess". later on, it was transformed into 'math & emotion' because this title reflects the way klangstabil learned how to play the game. "the concept 'math & emotion' became wider and overstepped the limits of a mere game of chess. it was projected on interhuman behavioral patterns in the everyday game of life." (boris may)

at the end of 2005, boris may was captivated by the idea to make a cover for 'math & emotion' in the dime novel/ghost story style of the german "gespenster geschichten" comics. these ghost novels were pulp fiction that was published in the 1970s and that impressed him deeply in his childhood. after some research he was able to contact the artist who did the cover paintings, ugurcan yüce (can). boris may: "since he is not only a painter but also a musician, we got on to the same wavelength very quickly when the concept of 'math & emotion' was explained. i explained how the chess theme should run through the whole album." this contradiction is visually realised by two archetypal spirits emanating from boris may's and maurizio blanco's bodies to fight the deadly match to the end.

the music on this album seems easily accessible, resuming the path klangstabil has been on for years. the first impression to the expectant listener might be undiluted dark electro-based pop, but this isn't an inaccurate evaluation, as they call it 'klangpop'. massive synth surfaces, pulsing sequencer patterns and intense vocals intertwined with precise computerized drum beats add up to memorable tunes. on closer examination oblique details become visible: elaborated rhythmical work, hidden sound fragments and the specific tension klangstabil are well-known for - all aided by significant lyrics in german, english and italian. the more you engage in 'math & emotion' the more the deepness of this release will develop - just like the seemingly simple game of chess and the game of life.

Klangstabil - Math and Emotion SPECIAL EDITION CD (Ant-Zen) [09982] $30.50
special edition of act216 with oversized 20page booklet (21x21cm) + poster (42x42cm), postcard & stickers incl. additional lyrics and special chess game - limited edition of 400 copies

KTL - IV CD (Editions Mego) [EMEGO089CD] $16.00
"And how things have evolved. Long awaited new album by the ongoing duo of Stephen O'Malley and Peter Rehberg. KTL's first full length release that is not commissioned work for theatre or film showcases their approach to composition and structure as a highly active live band. Whereas the Kindertotenlieder trilogy of 1, 2 and 3 were blurred washes of fog and noise polished in by ambient shine, IV is a more direct and demanding beast, referencing such diverse projects as: Volume era Swans, Mecca period Cabaret Voltaire, phase one Wire, Fushitsusha and This Heat. Developed and composed over the spring and summer of 2008, KTL brought the material to Tokyo the following September and worked with Jim O'Rourke at the desk and controls. IV is a stunning new direction and great addition to both artists' already impressive canon. The opening and shortest track, "Paraug" is a dark shadow of previous KTL sounds, with its blowtorch riffs and sub bass rumbles. This leads the way for the album's monster "Paratrooper." Over 21-minutes of driving bass pulse interwoven with razor sharp guitar from O'Malley and synth and organ blasts from Rehberg. Atsuo, from Japanese top-rockers Boris, glues it together with his arrhythmic and punishing drumming. "Wicked Way" is a breezy upbeat number, which if we were that way inclined would be the album's single. "Benbbet" on the other hand is a whole different ball game: a distant guitar loop is joined by slamming No Step beats and making way for a guitar riff to straddle all valleys and computer bass rattles. Possibly KTL's most detailed recording. "Eternal Winter" is an exercise in black frozen resonant harmonics, whereas "Natural Trouble" is a slowly evolving twister of a track which is both spontaneous and focused. KTL IV is issued on CD for the world (except Japan) on Editions Mego. Daymere will be releasing the Japanese version, with Inoxia issuing a special vinyl edition."

Luke's Anger - Funk Of The Rural Neverness CD (Tigerbass) [TBASS11] $13.75
The name arising from a recent re-location from London to the Norfolk countryside, Funk of the Rural Neverness is a collection of dancefloor-heavy tracks, many from strictly limited vinyl releases. Music previously being secret weapons of DJs and techno collectors alike, now becomes available to everyone on this exclusive CD/MP3 album courtesy of Tigerbass/Tigerbeat6 records. LUKE'S ANGER (aka LUKE SANGER) has been involved in electronic music since he started DJing in 1995. His involvement with music and machines began even earlier with an Amiga and tracker software. He started writing tracks using synthesizers, samplers, drum machines and computers in 2000. In 2005 he had his first vinyl release on Don't Recordings and hasn't stopped since, releasing on a wide variety of well-respected underground labels and starting his own imprint called Bonus Round.

Lukestar - Lake Toba CD (Flameshovel) [DIG049] $13.25
The men of LUKESTAR-JORGEN YNGVE, MARIUS, TORBJORN and TRULS- can be recognized by their Magnum, P.I.-esque facial hair and glowing expressions, which could only be the result of complete rock salvation or deep intoxication. Started in 2004, these Norwegians toured Europe and the UK relentlessly before disappearing without a trace from Oslo's surface in early 2007. When they suddenly reemerged three weeks later with a new incarnation of the band, they all agreed its name was Lake Toba. It's an album of otherworldly guitars, energetic drumming and Truls' ethereal, dreamy, power falsetto that truly defies the expected vocal range for a dude. Lake Toba has received rave reviews from countless Norwegian publications, all the while selling more than 4,500 copies in a country where 15,000 albums sold is a gold album. "A solid collection of pulsing indie-rock songs with half-shouted hooks and guitars unwinding like fractal art."-Pitchfork (7.0)

Makoto Kawabata & Michishita Shinsuke - Sex, Voyage, Echo... CD (Beta-Lactam Ring) [MT180] $16.25
Acid. Meet LSD. LSD. Meet Acid. The reigning lords of the new psychedelic church cross guitars for a super-electric cosmic jam that causes even hurricanes to don ear plugs. More like the paintings of crazed banshees than songs, this shape-shifting set's loud-quiet-loud transforms the spaciousness of the axe duel into a growling canvas of thunder. Walls of feedback and distortion moan like sinking U-boats. Fuzzed tones collide into cavernous micro black holes that seem to engulf the Earth. Bigger bangs birth savage suns of massive noise. A fierce metallic martini, best taken shaken AND stirred! Play loud!

Micha Blue Smaldone - Red River CD (Immune) [IMMUNE002] $13.25
The Red River is the fourth solo offering from Portland, Maine's MICAH BLUE SMALDONE and the first to be released on Chicago label Immune. Ears ringing from a once thriving New England punk scene, Micah withdrew at some point and emerged a few years later on the street corners of Portland, plucking frantic Ragtime and pre-war ditties on a resonator guitar. The Red River was mostly written upon returning from an 11 week, 50 show Euro tour in the winter of 2007, particularly around heavy experiences in the Balkan and Baltic countries. This album confronts the malevolence we've come to accept in our nature perhaps more out of cynicism than of true understanding. It tells hard tales gently, and in the end offers faith in our capacity for goodness.

Moctan - Come Closer CD (Spectre) [09985] $17.25
with 'come closer' andreas glöckner joins the ant-zen racing team for a second time - perpetuating what began years before and what was perfected with 'suspect'. still the target moctan has set is visible: creating a unique synthesis of atmosphere, aggression and rhythm.

after starting with the comparatively silent 'here and now', moctan increases speed and activates the supercharger on the subsequent tracks - making you move, just as intended. titles like 'come closer' and 'a new day' slow down the pace for a well needed pit stop by using dark synths and ceremonial voices which create a hypnotic trance - only to be followed by pulsing floor burners like 'long distance runner' and 'deja vu'. after having endured the abrasive noise attack of 'overkill' the listener will reach the finish line with the heavily grooved remixes by asche and bipol.

once again, moctan has created a perfect balance between hard technoid dance tracks with an industrial feel and disturbing soundscapes - all overlaid with a multitude of unsettling, fierce samples. come closer - join the race!

Mt. Sims - Happily Ever After CD (Hungry Eye) [EYE17] $12.00
MT SIMS returns to form after relocating from LA to Berlin with his eagerly anticipated third full length. Now with a full band with RANDY TWIGG and ANDR'E LANGE, Mt. Sims drops twelve new songs that bristle with nervous energy. Merging his signature electronic style with stark post-punk textures as first unveiled on his second album Wild Light, Happily Ever After's songs showcase the new band's versatility. Features guest appearances of JESSIE EVANS (VANISHING/ AUTONERVOUS) and TOBY DAMMIT (SWANS, IGGY POP). Crisp production work done by THOMAS STERN of CRIME AND THE CITY SOLUTION ensures that Happily Ever After is a future classic on par with the work of fellow travelers and collaborators Adult, the Hacker, Vitalic, or Ladytron.

Past Lives - Strange Symmetry CD (Suicide Squeeze) [S071] $9.00
Former members of THE BLOOD BROTHERS JORDAN, MARK and MORGAN have regrouped along with DEVIN (late of SHOPLIFTING) as PAST LIVES. The track "Beyond Gone" announces the band's arrival with "no curtain call." Guitars seethe and snarl. Contempt hangs in the air. "Strange Symmetry" recalls the hypnotizing lock-step of The Monorchid. Continually building. Increasingly frantic. Finally breezy. "Skull Lender" rides a feral gallop of desire for memory erasure. The plinky din of jackpot slots couches the fateful ascent of "Reverse The Curse." "Chrome Life" is a Neu-inspired run to the sun. Guitars and synths awake bleary-eyed and bleed within carefully considered lines.

Paul Kalkbrenner - Berlin Calling - The Soundtrack CD (Bpitch Control) [BPC185CD] $14.00
After the amazing success of its digital release, BPitch Control releases the Berlin Calling soundtrack on CD. Renowned Berlin-based DJ and producer Paul Kalkbrenner delivers the perfect music for this movie, which he also stars in. The film's synopsis: "Berlin electronic music composer Martin (Paul Kalkbrenner), known as DJ Ickarus, is touring with his manager and girlfriend Mathilde (Rita Lengyel) from club to club around the globe and is about to release their biggest album to date. However, all of his plans are thrown out of kilter after Ickarus is submitted to the emergency ward of a psychiatric clinic high on drugs after a gig - a tragicomedy in Berlin of today." The soundtrack contains nine exclusive tracks by Kalkbrenner, including the movie's hymn "Sky and Sand." In addition, the package holds five of Paul's previously released tracks -- among others "Gebrunn Gebrunn" and "Altes Kamuffel" -- as well as a remix of the title track from Sascha Funke's "Mango," also released on BPitch Control. This release comes in a high class digipack and holds, as a special bonus, two exclusive tracks that have not been released digitally before -- "QSA" and "Train" -- as well as a special large sized Berlin Calling poster.

Peter Brotzmann/Fred Lonberg-Holm - Brain Of The Dog In Section CD (Atavistic) [ALP186] $13.75
Peaked-out duo recordings from one of the founders of the form and his ever adventurous, cello-torque-ing protege. Recorded live in November 2007 at Chicago's famed Hideout destination, the duo combine for the first time ever in this penultimately intimate configuration. Although "Braindog" (as Atavstic affectionately refers to it) was recorded in an ultra-industrial urban warehouse district, the resulting music is ueber-organic, almost onomotopaeic at points.

Philip Glass - Soundtracks - Piano Transcriptions CD (Orange Mountain) [OMM051CD] $18.00
"Michael Riesman is the conductor and producer of nearly every Philip Glass soundtrack recording. Riesman has artfully served Glass' music as a producer, conductor, transcriber and pianist. This disc presents his own transcriptions for solo piano of some of the best Philip Glass film scores. Included are the entire scores to The Hours and the Glass score to Dracula, which in concert, he performs live-to-film. Philip Glass' Soundtracks includes many new suites and transcriptions including music which has never been heard before including No Reservations, A Brief History Of Time, Anima Mundi, Neverwas, Candyman and much more."

Port Royal/Absent Without Leave - Magnitogorsk split CD (Sound In Silence) [SIS004] $16.00
Limited to 500. Special packaging. Individual nature/landscape color print on each heavy brown cardstock container. Velum insert. Full color print on CD face. 8 exclusive new tracks, 4 tracks per artist. Each artist contributes 3 new unreleased tracks and there are also 2 collaborative tracks. In fact, these are two remixes as each artist has remixed an older track of the other artist. The split is packaged in a recycled cardboard with the front cover image printed on photo paper! It's a limited edition of 500 hand-made collectable copies and there is a total of 50 different front cover photos (10 copies with each photo). Each cd comes with a tracing (transparent) paper insert including the tracklist and the credits too. TRACKS: 1.port-royal - Ernst Bloch 2.port-royal - Agent 008 Codename Littlehorses (Aka The Lazybones) 3.port-royal - Severnaya 4.port-royal - Zobione Pt.2 (Absent Without Leave Remix) 5.absent without leave - On A Carousel 6.absent without leave - My Music Is Still Sad Though I Found My Happiness 7.absent without leave - Evening Walks 8.absent without leave - Blind (Port-Royal Remix)

Rasputeen/Catholic Boys In Heavy Leather - In Heavy Leather CD (Bazooka Joe) [09992] $15.00
info: rotor siffredi and joke stryker first met in 1989 as young recruits in the vatican city's swiss guard. after many years of serving and protecting the holy father they got a bit bored and discovered their mutual fascination for loud music and heavy leather. cbihl was born! enigmatically, cbihl professed to have cruised the realms of central europe 'to convert all the lost souls down the valley deep and up the mountain high'. within a few years they had gathered many enthusiastic disciples from their public appearances. at one of these occasions cbihl met a mysterious person who was semi-nude, had their face enshrouded by a paper bag and who was preaching about liverwurst sandwiches, bureaucracy, insect people, and calling himself rasputin. immediately they knew that this was a memorable coincidence - after all, wasn't the russian rasputeen often called the 'mad monk'? so they kept contact, and in a few years the metamorphosis from rasputin to rasputeen took place. eventually they decided to enter a studio to amalgamate their spiritual powers and release: rasputeen in heavy leather! what you are about to receive is a perfect symbiosis between cbihl's noise- and e-punk influences and rasputeen's minimal-breakbeat-electropop madness. distorted beats covered with a purgatory of pounding sequenced structures, multilayered samples and aggressive, claiming vocals. raw, wild and dirty - music for (the) masses - hallelujah!

Red Snapper - Pale Blue Dot CD (Lo Recordings) [LCD72] $14.50
RED SNAPPER returns from the outer reaches with six brand new tracks, and they are once again back to a rocking three-piece with a saxophone. As always, it's impossible to define the sound they make--afro-jazz, krautrock, rockabilly, hip hop, and funk all bubble in their dub melting pot. A Pale Blue Dot was recorded live in concert with DARIUS KEDROS on mixing/dub duty, and live in the studio with TIM HOLMES of DEATH IN VEGAS. New sax (and clarinet) man TOM CHALLENGER brings back the edge and makes these recordings truly sizzle. Anyone who has caught them live knows what unique and powerful performers they are. This CD is both a document and mission statement, and includes radical new reinterpretations of two tracks, one apiece by KELPE and SUBWAY, stretching the future-jazz vibe riiiiight out. No exports outside North America

Shaking Hands - Shaking Hands CD (Kiss of Death) [KOD021] $12.00
Featuring members of YOUNG LIVERS, don't be tricked by the preconceived notion of what you think of this band formerly known as THE HORROR sound like. This record delivers anthemic (dare I say) street punk with tinges of melodic pop punk. Lyrically tackling social and political issues, the songs are still loaded with sing along choruses and whoa-ohhhs galore. Overall, the record brings the energy and intensity of Strike Anywhere, Avail, and Rancid.

Skeletons - Money CD (Tomlab) [TOM123] $14.00
"Already up so early in the morning of 2008, SKELETONS were hibernating in the safest, quietest, warmest place in the world: Times Square, New York. In a haunted WWII-era ballroom they recorded through the wintry nights when the studio was on fire. Taking breaks at 5am, standing under heat lamps listening to Hot Jass outside the Time Warp Hotel, soaking up the the empty streets with the leftover creeps while the tourists sleep. It's just the same struggle any old human has to go through to make anything: make it to work on time, make an excuse, make babies, make war, make breakfast without getting into a fight. The child of this struggle is Money, pre-made, for you."

Squarepusher - Just A Souvenir CD (Warp) [WRP161] $14.75
"This album started as a daydream about watching a crazy, beautiful rock band play an ultra-gig."-SQUAREPUSHER. This very aptly sums up the latest full-length from the virtuosic TOM JENKINSON. Just A Souvenir is a sprawling gaze through the looking glass at Squarepusher's vast musical scope-ravers, noise heads, jazzbos and post-rock trainspotters alike can unite around his frenetic sound.

Suicide Inside - Dead Red CD (Pflichtkauf) [09989] $17.25
"Dead Red" supplies the eleven tracks plus three bonus-remixes with massive technoid beats, deeply distorted industrial noise, painful synth layers and Natasha' voice out of your speakers, which you feels by your skin. With "Dead Red" SUICIDE INSIDE invites you to a journey into the post-apocalyptic desert of iron and steel, where dead atoms has saved the souls, full of fury and love. From killing wall of sound in "Mechanics Of The Fall" to oppressive waltz in "Lick The Silence", from dancefloor blasts like "Dance In Emptiness", "Eternity Smells Like Skin", "Red Flower" or "Endless Suicide" to furious broken beats in "Aflame", from hypno-IDM in "Kidnapping Of Europe" to pounding rhythmic noise bolero "Leaving Your Body", from cold establishment of despair in psychedelic suite "Kill The Guilt" to noisy theater of death in "Dead Red" plus remixes by MOCTAN, CONFIG.SYS and BEINHAUS - this trip will doesn't kill you, but you will never could be the same person anymore. Are you experienced?

Sunken Foal - Fallen Arches CD (Planet Mu) [ZIQ218] $13.25
Dublin act SUNKEN FOAL consists of one DUNCAN MURPHY, accompanied when he records or plays live by various friends and collaborators. On Fallen Arches, the band's debut album of intensely evocative guitar-based electronic music, piano, strings, and occasional vocals build up and then collapse under the weight of digital rhythms that twist and turn at every juncture. Sounding not unlike an Irish Fennesz playing mandolin, these twelve organic-sounding compositions have a definite "plucked" feel, with subtly detuned instruments adding a slightly unsettling mood. In other words, Sunken Foal is right at home on Planet Mu. CD includes one extra track. No exports outside North America and Japan

Sven Vath - In The Mix: The Sound Of The Ninth Season 2CD (Cocoon) [CORMIX022CD] $21.25
Frankfurt-based Sven Vath is co-founder of the Cocoon label, and The Sound Of The Ninth Season is his musical trip through the year 2008. Listening to the mesmerizing grooves, you might browse through the memories of your own year. What were its special moments? It might be a trip, a relationship, or a party -- or a phrase in a track you danced to at a party. Rarely does electronic music manage to blend the personal and the public so perfectly: The Sound Of The Ninth Season is a compendium of the club music of 2008, but at the same time a very personal statement. Sven Vath passes his special musical message to everybody on this planet willing to celebrate what is exciting and fascinating about life. Simultaneously, it's a private statement about what is important to him artistically and socially. The two sets on this double CD could not be more different. The first CD is a techno hurricane, collecting the most energetic moments of 2008 including the most enigmatic and mysterious track released on Cocoon Recordings this year: "Subtellite" by Timo Maas. Although there have been a couple of mind-blowing club hits during 2008, it was not a year for explosive peaktime anthems. Instead, it was a year for subtle deep house grooves and quiet research within the textures and landscapes of electronic sounds. Taking these developments into account, the second set is a labyrinth of tender grooves and sweet and strange sounds. Vath's life long journey through electronic music continues and it brings us an excess of excitement, empathy, madness and beauty. Artists include Mathew Jonson, Ahmet Sisman, Styro 2000, Sasha, Alex Flatner, Smith & Selway, Flügel, Johnny D, Sven Tasnadi, Pigon, Microworld, Reboot, Robert Babicz, Luke Solomon, Bang Goes, Cirez, Joris Voorn and Prins Thomas.

Tim Barry - Manchester CD (Suburban Home) [SH92] $10.25
Suburban Home records is proud to announce singer/songwriter TIM BARRY's (AVAIL) brand new album, Manchester. Manchester features twelve songs which were recorded with LANCE KOEHLER and feature many of the same players who have played on his past releases.

Various Artists - Maschinenfest 2008 2CD (Pflichtkauf) [09988] $21.00

CD1:

  1. Hysterisis - Antimatter
  2. Kirdec - Art Mou Mortal
  3. P.A.L. - Gone
  4. Scorn - Guggled Part 2
  5. Enduser - Interruption 4 (Remix by Broken Note)
  6. Architect - Attack Ships On Fire
  7. Roger Rotor - Hadron Collider
  8. Iszoloscope - The Face Of Descent (MF08 Cut)
  9. Camanecroszcope - At Phlegethons Mouth
  10. Ah Cama Sotz - Bad Days (Meet The Cats-Mix)
  11. Mono No Aware - Shinizokonal (Live Version)
  12. Kraken - Nachtschade
  13. Rasputeen In Heavy Leather - Was Juckt Denn Da (Instrumental)
  14. Larvae - All Thumbs
  15. Empusae - The Blinding Of The Fast
  16. Xabec - Der Innere Kreis (Short)
  17. Ars Moriendi - Meinerselbst 2oo8 (RMX by Asche)
  18. Orphx - Vortex (Edit)
CD2:
  1. Imminent - Bardd
  2. Config Sys & Ahnst Anders - Disco Fish (Non Water Mix)
  3. Hypnoskull - Higher, Higher, Higher, Higher Now
  4. Ambassador 21 vs. Suicide Inside - Kill The Guilt
  5. Monokrom - Wunk (Version)
  6. Klangstabil - Math & Emotion - The Square Root Of Two
  7. Punch Inc. - Spanish Fly
  8. Mimentic Fake - 10to10
  9. Sonar - Plexi Cat
  10. The (Law-Rah) Collective - Dom
  11. Monolith - Satanic Ritual Abuse
  12. MS Gentur - Der Freak 4.11
  13. Proyecto Mirage - Barbacore
  14. Conatgious Orgasm - Moshimoshi
  15. Bong-Ra - House of Armageddon
  16. Vromb - Dictaphoneme
  17. Winterkalte - Structure 10


Various Artists - All Aboard: A Tribute To Johhny Cash CD (Anchorless) [ALR008] $15.50
What better way is there to pay homage to the spirit of Johnny Cash than a tribute filled with some of today's most honest and sincere acts who are able to merge punk rock with Americana? The only thing better than that is when it's done for a good cause! Anchorless Records will be donating all the profits of this release to the Syrentha Savio Endowment (SSE), a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to underprivileged women who cannot afford the expense of fighting breast cancer. Features GASLIGHT ANTHEM, FLATLINERS, RUSS RANKIN, BEN NICHOLS, BOUNCING SOULS, MXPX, and more.

Various Artists - Versatile 2008 CD (Versatile) [VER020CD] $16.00
After Versatile's first compilation ten years ago, the French electronic label returns and still surprises. Versatile is a rarity. A label that succeeded in creating a unique identity that puts instinct before genre. The high standards set by Versatile's boss, Gilb'R, remain intact. Trends come and go, the wind changes now and again, but rather than following the crowds along a given and inevitably ephemeral path, Versatile takes to the open road and allows its artists to release the kind of music they hold dear. Joakim, I: Cube, Chateau Flight and Zombie Zombie have made the most of this creative environment and this uncompromising artistic direction has let them gravitate towards the music they love -- music that's original, wild, elegant, mystical, quirky and a fertile mix of so much more. Truly engaging music is becoming an increasingly difficult feat these days, but what makes Versatile's music vibrate is their belief that good music simply deserves to exist even if it doesn't square with today's market. Rediscover here a heritage, from early American dance music to French and German experimentation, both the popular and the intellectual. After retracing Versatile's steps, you'll be dying for more. Artists include Quixote, Poni Hoax, DJ Ringardos, Etienne Jaumet, Texas Rangers, Fabrice Lig, The Cave Bear Cult and Karma.

Vetiver - More Of The Past CD (Gnomonsong) [GONG08] $6.25
Originally intended as a precursor to their acclaimed recent album, Thing of the Past, VETIVER's companion EP is finally released by Gnomonsong as the five-song More of the Past CD (along with the upcoming limited-edition 7-inch single, "Hey Doll Baby" b/w "Miles Apart.") Presented here are six more songs that inspired ANDY CABIC and friends, and once again, most listeners will be challenged to have ever heard the originals. These versions all possess the rich Vetiver treatment that makes the special songs the band's own. "See You Tonight" opens the EP with a flourish, presenting Vetiver in a new shade of the past as they tackle yet another impossibly obscure treasure of a tune, this time by the enigmatically named ensemble, The Wizards. "Hey Doll Baby" follows and is already an established concert favorite, beloved by Vetiver's burgeoning fan base as well as being the A-side of the 7-inch single. "Before the Sun Goes Down" is Vetiver going country rock with an old traditional classic. The EP closes with Vetiver's skillful redux of one of Grin's (Nils Lofgren's early '70s band) finest moments, "Just to Have You," and Gordon Bok's lovely "Hills of Isle Au Haut," originally covered by former Jerry Garcia cohort and folk music mainstay Jody Stecher.

Virgins - Miscarriage CD (Kiss of Death) [KOD027] $11.50
VIRGINS hail from Orlando, FL and feature Sam of New Mexican Disaster Squad. This record is not a rehash of NMDS, but a whole new animal, reminiscent of 80's hardcore punk like Adolescents and even the Stooges. Raw, snotty, and full of angst, this trio also adds a dose of southern fried dirt rockin' hooks and riffs that are guaranteed to have people singing along with the stereo blasting on ten. The record will either get you grounded or kicked out of your parents house as you mosh up your bedroom.

Virus Syndicate - Sick Pay CD (Planet Mu) [ZIQ219] $13.25
VIRUS SYNDICATE is DJ/producer M.R.K.1 (formerly MARK ONE) and MCs GOLDFINGER, JSD, and NIKA D-Manchester's foremost grime crew, represeting the Northwest UK scene in their inimitable style. This integral part of the UK grime scene has played numerous Sidewinder raves and countless shows on Rinse FM and Manchester's Unity, with radio support from Cameo, Semtex, and Mary Anne Hobbs. Their debut album, The Work Related Illness, was everything one could ask for-a cartoon gangsta movie of an album with a beginning, middle and end. All the tracks linked into each other in a narrative and the entire album told the story of the life of the Virus Syndicate! The follow-up, Sick Pay, is more of the same, with both Bhangra and electro influences coming to the fore in tracks such as "Dippin'" and "Vibrator." Additionally, the Syndicate revisits the Taxman with another tale of urban robbery, and the autobiographical "Live at the Apollo" rests on a surf guitar riff that will rock any party. * Sophomore full-length from Manchester's foremost grime crew. Features two remixes from VARIOUS PRODUCTION. No exports outside North America and Japan

Wallpaper - On The Chewing Gum Ground CD (K Records) [KLP194] $13.25
Keeping a steady sneer but subtracting angst and teenage romanticism WALLPAPER on their debut album On the Chewing Gum Ground captures the modern era that they ostentatiously do not feel a part of. Wallpaper's core members started working on music together in middle school, and On the Chewing Gum Ground represents much of their adult work over the past four years. The band mix '50s rockabilly and '60s surf with the crucial wave of '80s underground music. The strength allure of the album comes in the juxtaposition of pop sensibilities with lyrics sung like a sliding shimmy but written with a call for a pop-cultural reform.

Wilderness - Know Where CD (Jagjaguwar) [JAG127] $13.25
WILDERNESS' third full-length album entitled (k)no(w)here was conceived as one musical piece, and the impetus for this composition came from an invitation to collaborate with renowned visual artist CHARLES LONG at Long's exhibit at the Whitney Biennial in Spring of 2008. The eight identifiable parts of (k)no(w)here are not readily separated from each other, such is the flow from and into each part. Created in ways different than the previous Wilderness self-titled album (2005) and the Wilderness Vessel States album (2006), (k)no(w)here still retains the Wilderness sound, with some evolution.

Wino - A Bottle Of Pills With A Bullet Chaser 2CD (Temporary Residence Ltd) [TRR140] $13.25
At two hours in length, A Bottle Of Pills With A Bullet Chaser"compiles every song ever recorded by WINO. In addition to the many singles and lone album, the set includes six previously unreleased tracks, plus the live track "Dogs," recorded during one of their final live performances. Largely inspired by Swans, Crain and the Amphetamine Reptile roster, Wino were one of the loudest, darkest and most eclectic bands in Louisville during the 1990s, and their influence can be heard today in loads of Louisville bands.

[ D V D ]

Art Ensemble Of Chicago - Les Stances a Sophie DVD (Soul Jazz Records) [SJR191DVD] $22.75
"Soul Jazz Records are releasing for the first time-ever a long lost cult classic of French New Wave cinema on DVD. Les Stances a Sophie has been out of print for over 30 years and this is its first release ever outside of France. Filmed in Paris in 1970, this fully-subtitled film features killer music, groovy clothes and post-1968 revolutionary ideals. This super-rare film is now perhaps best known for its soundtrack from the legendary Art Ensemble of Chicago (who also feature in the film). The album (and DVD) features the epic 'Theme de Yoyo,' the Art Ensemble of Chicago's finest ever moment featuring the soaring vocals of Fontella Bass and the super-heavy funk drums of then current newcomer to the Art Ensemble Don Moye. The Art Ensemble of Chicago were living in Europe in 1970 when the film was made along with a host of other US jazz émigrés such as Archie Shepp, Ornette Coleman and more. The DVD also features an hour long interview with Art Ensemble member Joseph Jarman where he talks about the making of the film as well as the history of The Art Ensemble, The AACM in Chicago and more." Only available in European PAL format, region free.

Kranken - Nachtschade DVD+CD (Spectre) [09986] $29.75
CD+DVD - fullcolor sleeve with 8page booklet

After two aquatic adventures on the Spectre sub-label Nautilus and the emotional trilogy 'Amore', 'Chagrin' and 'Drift' on Spectre Records itself, you might have wondered if the guys from Kraken would be able to rise above the level of excellence they had already reached.

In all honesty and modesty, because we are the ones releasing it: "Yes, they are".

On 'Nachtschade' the Krakens take their creational possibilities a step further on a combined CD & DVD release. The CD part gives you over an hour worth of new music as dictated by the little voices in the twisted minds of Joris and Ricardo.

There are thirteen untitled tracks in which you are guided around the world with influences ranging from Belgium to India, spoken word in Dutch and Iranian and finally auditory visualisation from above and under sealevel.

On the DVD it looks like the men behind those little voices took over the camera, lightning and sound department of a professional filmset. The result is some truely astonishing video material with which Kraken annihilates every predefined thought in your head.

Sixty-five minutes of either new material - not even on the 'Nachtschade' CD - or reworked older tracks and visuals ranging from high quality art movies to Lynch-like mindscapes. And no, we are not joking about this ...

'Nachtschade' by Kraken is not just another Spectre release, it's a whole new dimension.

Loïs Laplace - To Semiturn DVD (Dirty Demos) [DirtyDVDR001] $12.54
limited edition of 100 - Loïs Laplace is something of a hero round these parts. Previously on Dirty Demos had been the - Inland' album, tracks on both the 'Observation Point' compilations, a collaboration release with Guillaume Gargaud under the name of Aarde, and now Loïs is back with a very personal and interesting new project. - To semiturn' is an abstract video filmed on a ship travelling around the world. A reflection of footage recorded on a four month journey at sea, floating the oceans. The whole film is made by Lois, including the experimental sound track, a haunting mix of rhythmical glitch and electronics. Screen printed disc in blue cases.

Mark Fell - Attack on Silence DVD (Line) [LINE037] $22.00
RELEASE DATE: 12-01-2008
LIMITED EDITION of 1000. Attack on Silence brings together a series of works by British artist Mark Fell exploring the relationships between geometry, color, and waveform. These works have been shown around the world as performances, installations, and in print.For the past decade Mark Fell has been one of the leading innovators in the fields of experimental electronic music and sound art. Combining interests in experimental music, contemporary art, computer technology and philosophy, his work has been performed and exhibited internationally to wide critical acclaim. Mark Fell is one half of SND.Sacred geometries, and their sonic equivalents, are said to mirror the micro and macroscopic structures of the physical world; the complex harmonies of the Tibetan singing bowl, like the patterns of the Mandala, allow access to the deepest levels of the consciousness inducing meditative states that transform the very being of their participants. In the modern reciprocals of these technologies the shift is one of teleology. The sacred metals and antique art of the singing bowls give way to the magic of digital synthesis as sacred geometry gives proxy to psychophysiology and the cognitive neuroscience of brainwave entrainment.Drawn from these sources­with mutual ambivalence­and realized through a distinct aesthetic minimalism, intricate combination of form, color and sound are projected through a series of transitions, sometimes gradual, sometimes abrupt, sometimes giving way to sustained tones and repetitions. In a process of ever-emerging horizon­an attack on silence and a space for silence­the potential arises to be ensconced or alienated, a space for enchantment, for anxiety, for profound boredom or for reverie.Are these phenomena affirmations or reconfigurations of the subject­routes to an authentic, spiritual or otherwise­or are they essentially physiological? Are they aesthetic distractions or intrusive technological interventions­pointers to dystopian possibilities? Are we being enlightened? Examined? Entertained? Enmeshed? Recorded at The Music Research Centre at the University of York (UK) and snd studio Sheffield 2007 and 2008. Digital coding and mastering by tez in NTSC. Audio presented in both stereo and 5.1

Punk Rock Karaoke Band - Punk Rock Karaoke DVD+CD (Punk Rock Karaoke) [MVDV4776] $17.75
This DVD/CD package (amaray) gives you the chance to wield punk rock powers of an extraordinary nature! It features punk rock classics performed by the one and only PUNK ROCK KARAOKE BAND-ERIC MELVIN of NOFX (PRK MC, Guitar), GREG HETSON of BAD RELIGION / CIRCLE JERKS (Guitar), STEVE SOTO of ADOLESCENTS / AGENT ORANGE / 22 JACKS (Bass, Backing Vocals), and DEREK O'BRIEN of SOCIAL DISTORTION / AGENT ORANGE / ADOLESCENTS (Drums, Backing Vocals). There's even an added "vocal option" to hear the songs with the guest singers.

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

Alan Sondheim - Ritual-All-7-70 CD (ESP Disk) [ESPDISK1048CD] $12.75
"Alan Sondheim was the young, exuberant leader of a pack of improvisers in their communal loft in Providence, Rhode Island. Undaunted by attempts to categorize electronic music as the province of academic tinkerers, a cold, unfriendly realm, with its own authorities, and audiences and mystique, they plunged fearlessly, joyously and unselfconsciously into the medium, discovering a new way to express their ideas. Their ESP CDs, ESP 1048, Ritual all 7-70 and ESP 1082, T'Other Little Tune, merge free improvisation and electronic instrumentation. New digipak format." "Ritual All 7-70 is a curious collection of short improvisations by the multi-instrumentalist Alan Sondheim -- who plays, among others, koto, English horn, electric and acoustic guitars, and various percussion and reed instruments -- and a bassist, percussionist (doubling on tabla and bongos), and drummer, with the wordless vocals of Ruth Ann Hutchinson echoing the horn lines and occasionally spiraling off into the ether on their own. Although they largely sound like live improvisations by a full band, the fact that Sondheim plays the majority of the instruments by himself suggests that these pieces were painstakingly overdubbed. Although Sondheim's 1968 follow-up, T'Other Little Tune, is a largely electronic effort with quite a bit of pioneering synthesizer and oscillator work, this album is much more traditional in its sound and format. Some of these short pieces -- all of them given numbers between 770 and 782 for titles, except for the almost traditional-sounding 'June' -- recall John Cage's occasionally harsh '40s and '50s vintage work, when randomness and indeterminacy were the primary focus of his composing method, while the more overtly jazz-oriented works, like the fascinating '780' (which features a rat-a-tat rhythm that may be of electronic or found-sound origin), are more in tune with the usual ESP ethos." - Stewart Mason, All Music Guide.

Art Ensemble Of Chicago - Les Stances a Sophie CD (Soul Jazz Records) [SJR191CD] $17.75
Previously released on Soul Jazz's subsidiary imprint, Universal Sound. Recorded in France, 1970. "To coincide with the release of the Les Stances a Sophie DVD, Soul Jazz are also re-issuing the Art Ensemble of Chicago's Les Stances a Sophie album on CD. The album features the epic 'Theme de Yoyo,' the Art Ensemble of Chicago's finest ever moment featuring the soaring vocals of Fontella Bass and the super-heavy funk drums of then current newcomer to the Art Ensemble Don Moye. The Art Ensemble of Chicago were living in Europe in 1970 when the film was made along with a host of other US jazz émigrés such as Archie Shepp, Ornette Coleman and more."

Barbecue Bob - Chocolate To The Bone CD (Yazoo) [YAZ2005CD] $15.25
1992 release. "Barbecue Bob of Atlanta was a great singer and powerful twelve-string bottleneck guitarist in the 1920s. His inventive and varied arrangements are compelling rhythms made him a musical standout. His percussive attack was totally unlike any of his peers and added a new dimension to Georgia blues."

Gayle McCormick - Gayle McCormick CD (Rev-Ola) [CRREV265CD] $15.00
"As a girl-about-L.A. and singer with the wonderful Smith, Gayle McCormick had it all. And here on her wonderful Lambert-Potter produced first album from 1971, you have it too! In the midst of producing The Four Tops, Evie Sands and Dusty Springfield, Lambert and Potter were on a roll, providing a glossy Hollywood take on Northern Soul which makes even the songs you might think are too well trodden absolutely vital! Possibly the best ever version of 'Superstar' too and you know how good that means! A classic pop/soul album, much in demand in DJ circles! Wonderfully mastered in top Rev-Ola style! Wonderful artwork by Pepperbox! A must for all fans of Evie Sands, Dusty Springfield and soulful femme pop of all sorts!"

Mekons - Mekons Story: 1977-1982 CD (Buried Treasure) [BURT5] $12.75
AVAILABLE NOW!!! Originally released in 1982, The Mekons Story (also known as It Falleth like the Gentle Rain from Heaven) is a collection of rare and unobtainable tracks from the UK punk legends JON LANGFORD describes as "our revenge on the world." This twenty-track CD includes brilliant outtakes, unreleased tracks, alternate versions, B-sides, as well as a handful of live radio sessions recorded between 1977 and 1982 during the first MEKONS incarnation. With a drunken sounding DAVID SPENCER providing a between cuts "history" of the band, this, more than any other Mekons recording, shows their crucial and comic post-punk development. From cacophonic punk, primitive disco, agitated funk and new wave, and synth pop, the consistent thread in this material is the sheer brilliance of the Mekons' literacy in songwriting.

Mississippi John Hurt - 1928 Sessions CD (Yazoo) [YAZ1065CD] $15.25
1990 release. "With his warm, gentle vocals and rhythmic guitar lines, Mississippi John Hurt's recordings represent a fascinating counterpoint to what is expected of Mississippi blues. His repertoire is a mixture of narrative ballads, traditional songs and blues."

No Choice - Anaesthetize This! Annihilate That CD (No Idea) [NIR222] $12.00
NO CHOICE started making noise in 1981 in Cardiff, Wales, UK after becoming switched on musically and politically by bands that included The Clash, Crass and The Ruts, to name a few. Very quickly they were signed up by Riot City records to do a 7" single titled "Sadist Dream". They split up shortly after, with Gagz and Martin (the main songwriters) getting the band back on its feet within weeks, and bringing Ada on board to co-write new songs. Ada and Gagz have done this ever since; nowadays, tho', everyone in the band has an input to what you eventually get to hear, pure punk energy!

Pari Zangeneh - The Series Of Music For Young Adults CD (Ks) [KS2011CD] $21.50
"Absolute mega-rarity, an incredible discovery and the ultimate folk-psych artifact unearthed directly from Teheran! Female vocalist Pari Zangeneh recorded this really amazing album in 1976 with a full backing band, covering a number of traditional Persian folk songs and giving them a lovely psychedelic flavour. Beautiful strings, flutes, really charming and tasty drumming, some organ and orchestration, percussions. A truly fantastic album, and one of the rarest folk-psych records ever to file along other obscurities as Book of Am or Mellow Candle! Limited papersleeve CD reissue, beautiful mini-lp replica and only 500 copies."

Paul Bley Quintet - Barrage CD (ESP Disk) [ESPDISK1008CD] $12.75
"Paul Bley recorded the compositions of Carla Bley with a quintet that included Eddie Gomez, on the evening of October 20, 1964, at Mirasound Studios, with Alfy Wade as engineer. His group included Milford Graves, Marshall Allen of the Sun Ra Arkestra, and Dewey Johnson. Today, Marshall leads the Sun Ra Arkestra." "Pianist Paul Bley's early ESP free jazz session combines the influence of the Jazz Composer's Guild with Ornette Coleman. On Barrage, Bley is joined by alto saxophonist Marshall Allen (in one of his few appearances outside of Sun Ra's Arkestra), trumpeter Dewey Johnson (who would go on to play on Coltrane's Ascension the following year), Eddie Gomez on bass, and Milford Graves taking care of percussion. All compositions are by Bley's former wife, Carla Bley, with a definite nod to Coleman's hyperactive stop-start punctuation (Paul Bley had fronted one of the earliest incarnations of the original Coleman quartet). Graves and Allen are especially irrepressible here, making Barrage a lost free jazz classic." -- Al Campbell, All Music Guide

Rev. Gary Davis - The Complete Early Recordings Of Reverend Gary Davis CD (Yazoo) [YAZ2011CD] $15.25
1994 release. Remastered from 78s, originally recorded in mostly 1935 (with a few tracks from 1949). "Reverend Gary Davis was one of the greatest guitar players of the 20th century, regardless of genre. His range of styles and repertoire encompassed the spectrum of black music from the early part of the century. His faultless and complex picking techniques gave his 'holy blues' an inimitable richness, complemented by his impassioned religious singing."

Skip James - The Complete Early Recordings: 1930 CD (Yazoo) [YAZ2009CD] $15.25
1994 release of newly remastered original recordings. "Certainly the most haunting and eerie sounding of all bluesmen, Skip James had a rare ability to draw upon his inner self for musical expression and an unmatched facility as an arranger to create a truly unique body of work. His playing on guitar and piano is unparalleled for rhythmic unpredictability and emotional effect."

Subhumans - Death Was Too Kind CD (Alternative Tentacles) [VIRUS391] $9.50
SUBHUMANS and DOA were the two pillars of the Vancouver, BC, Canada punk scene who caught Jello Biafra's attention and were spotlighted in the landmark Alternative Tentacles compilation Let Them Eat Jellybeans. The Subhumans, first active between 1978 and 1982, were the more elusive of the two, with many out-of-print releases fetching bank on eBay and making it difficult for present-day fans to connect the dots. Now, the Subhumans join the Alternative Tentacles "Reissues of Necessity" pantheon with Death Was Too Kind, a collection of material from the early years, lovingly remastered from original source material: the very first single Death to the Sickoids (only 500 were pressed); the Firing Squad single; the self-titled EP produced by BOB ROCK, who went on to work with Metallica, The Cult, Offspring, etc.; "Look at the Dawn" and "Pissed Off... With Good Reason," two virtually lost songs (only available on the 1996 collection CD released by Essential Noise in Canada), especially remastered for this reissue from the original tapes by JESSE GANDER at Hive Studios. Death Was Too Kind features the band's best-known lineup with WIMPY ROY, GERRY USELESS, MIKE GRAHAM, DIMWIT, and JIM IMAGAWA.

The Scene Is Now - Tonight We Ride CD (Lexicon Devil) [LEXDEV026CD] $12.25
Between the years 1984 and 1988, The Scene Is Now released three magnificent albums which have been out of print for a dog's age and have never seen the light of day on compact disk -- until now. This exclusive Lexicon Devil CD reissue of the band's third album, Tonight We Ride, has been fully remastered from original tapes by the band. Some folks compared them to the Red Krayola or Pere Ubu, some to SST outfits such as the Meat Puppets and Slovenly, and some people even hail them as the world's finest no wave jug band. The Scene Is Now (TSIN) were formed at the dawn of the 1980s by Philip Dray and Chris Nelson, a band born from the ashes of no wave trio Information (the third partner of that outfit being Rick Brown). The beauty of TSIN lies in their deceptive simplicity. What at first appears to be a straightforward, rootsy rock tune twists and turns throughout its lifespan into something completely different, keyboard lines and guitar licks darting out to and fro and seemingly pulling in different directions. The Scene Is Now remain -- as indeed they still exist -- one of the great post-Beefheart harmolodic American pop bands. Influenced equally by the ragged avant-folk sounds of the Holy Modal Rounders and the Fugs, the screech of DNA and Mars, and the traditional Americana of Bob Wills and Hoagy Carmichael, TSIN instantly set themselves apart from the pack. If you like the music of their fans -- Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo (who covered an old TSIN track on their Fakebook LP) -- the music of their peers -- Mofungo, Pere Ubu, dBs, Fish & Roses, The Feelies -- or the sounds of their acknowledged influences -- Sun Ra, Red Krayola, Minutemen -- you'll love the music of The Scene Is Now. Their music was an indefinable mixture of the old and new, the impenetrable and the accessible and the weird and wonderful. Certainly the most accessible of the three, this album features the added talents of ex-dBs Will Rigby and Pere Ubu wunderkind Tony Maimone, expanding the TSIN clan to a family of six. Playing it 20 years after its original release, it still stands tall as one of the great, virtually unknown albums from 1980s underground America.

Tobruk - Ad Lib CD (Cash Box) [CB501CD] $20.25
"Tobruk was formed by some North American guys living in Brazil, and this wonderful album got released in 1972 on the Cash Box label (sometimes you can see the album named as if Cash Box were its title). It's a pretty good psychedelic album with an astounding, original sound based in fuzz, organ, psychedelic effects and an eerie atmosphere. It's completely sung in English as well. 500 copies vinyl reissue and 500 papersleeve CDs, with remastered sound."

Underground Failure - Underground Failure CD (Black Light) [GS1002CD] $20.25
"Swedish underground counter-culture monster album from 1971, originally released as a private pressing of 150 copies, never sold at shops at the time. These bunch of freaks were clearly influenced by Dylan, early Velvet Underground and The Fugs but they came with a sound of their own. Stoned/druggy atmosphere alternating from acoustic/acid-folk tracks to devastating fuzzed out ones like 'Green Ocelot,' which was included at #38 in the recent 'Punk before Punk' top 50 list in Ugly Things magazine. Limited to 500 copies, with remastered sound in nice papersleeve mini-LP replica."

Various Artists - Messthetics #106 CD (Messthetics) [MESS106] $12.00
Messthetics #106 continues the labels fascination with the early DIY scene this time focusing on the Manchester Musicians Collective 1977-82. Features songs by the MUD HUTTERS, GOD'S GIFT, DISLOCATION DANCE, ELTI-FITS, DIAGRAM BROTHERS, THE LIGGERS, THE PASSAGE, BEE VAMP, SPHERICAL OBJECTS, GROW-UP, CONTACT, SLIGHT SECONDS, ARMED FORCE, THE MANCHESTER MEKON, THE SPURTZ, along with previously unreleased tracks by THE ELITE, THE HAMSTERS, MANCHESTER MEKON, and more.

Various Artists - Messthetics Greates Hiss: DIY Cassette Scene 1979-84 CD (Messthetics) [MESS110] $12.00
Messthetics Greatest HISS features the superstars of cassette culture-and plenty of others. You get tracks from THE JELLY BABIES, DANNY & THE DRESSMAKERS, STORM BUGS, COLIN POTTER, EVENT GROUP, THE GET, INSTANT AUTOMATONS, MISSING PERSONS, GRAVITY CRAZE, FARMING JIM & HIS HEPCAT GROOVSTAS, 391, THE CHROMOSOMES, MIKE JONES, THE LIVING DEAD NO. 5, DIGITAL DINOSAURS, THE TWIZLERS, ACONITE, CASUAL LABOURERS [BENDLE AND OTHER DIY HEAVIES], MIDNIGHT CIRCUS, MILKSHAKE MELON, FUNHOUSE, CULTURAL AMNESIA, STRIPEY ZEBRAS, CHIMP EATS BANANAS (pre-CHUMBAWAMBA) and DEAN JOHNSON.

Various Artists - Country Blues Bottleneck Guitar Classics 1926-1937 CD (Yazoo) [YAZ1026CD] $15.25
1991 release. "Bottleneck blues came from every region of the South; from Memphis (Memphis Minnie) to Texas (Black Ace) to Mississippi (Robert Johnson) to Georgia (Barbecue Bob), startling and imaginative creations were produced by a wealth of top-drawer bluesmen. Powerful, driving performances that utilize both clear single-note and barred chords will delight any listener." 1991 release of essential bottleneck classics from Barbecue Bob, Weaver & Beasley, Ruth Willis, Bukka White, Shreveport Home Wreckers, Robert Johnson, Black Ace, Jim & Bob (The Genial Hawaiians), Irene Scruggs, Kansas Joe & Memphis Minnie, Oscar Woods, Bo Weavil Jackson, King Solomon Hill, and Ramblin' Thomas.

Various Artists - Roaring Blue: Return Of The Instro-Hipsters Vol. 3 CD (Psychic Circle) [PC7028CD] $16.00
20 Groovy Instrumentals from the '60s and '70s. Neon, piccadilly, discotheque, debutante, wideboy, pulse, brash, distortion, MG, cocktail, boogaloo, Lord John, purple, diet pill, park, houseboat, party, laugh, fuzzbox, strobe, satin, flugelhorn, granny, Chelsea, haircut, typeface, miniskirt, minimoke, Biba, bunny, swinging, art, happening, country house, bedsit, gangster, dancehall, Pall Mall, jazz, modern, Victoriana, trip, Union Jack, revolving restaurant, basement, design, bombsite, shutterspeed, orange, pep, jacket, medal, tinted, blow-up, Hammond, throb, sex, cartoon, Jermyn Street, pirate, shake, beat, hip, to think we fought a war for people like you, belt, weed, Paisley, all-niter, upper, more, mind, sound, soaring, roaring, blue. Artists include The Sound Of Jimmy Nicol, The Des Champ Orchestra, Clubman, The Duke Of Burlington, Casey & The Pressure Group, Okko Bekker, The Keith Mansfield Orchestra, The Underground, The 4 Instants, Rajah, Ram Inn Junction, Shake Keane, Monty Babson, Johnny Howard Band, Electric Bird, The Jim Doherty Trio, The Cyril Stapleton Orchestra, Big Jim Sullivan, The Stormsville Shakers and The New Dance Orchestra.

Washington Phillips - The Key To The Kingdom CD (Yazoo) [YAZ2073CD] $15.25
Compiled from extremely rare 78s originally recorded between 1927-1929, remastered; originally released in 2005. "Washington Phillips is one of the most intriguing and delightful figures in American music history. His style is completely unique, both in his warm, plaintive singing and his use of zither for accompaniment. His treatments of early religious material is poignant and expressive and his zither playing backup is absolutely captivating. His complete output of 16 selections is presented here with brand new remastering that heightens all the irresistible characteristics of his performances. Included also are 4 bonus tracks of similarly touching early religious music by Mamie and A.C. Forehand."

Wicked Witch - Chaos: 1978-86 CD (Em Records) [EM1080CD] $17.25
"Evil psycho machine-funk from '80s Washington, D.C. Now is not the time to doubt your senses -- the Wicked Witch does exist. Born and raised in the musical magical cauldron of Washington D.C., Wicked Witch combines elements from alchemical mentors Parliament Funkadelic, Sun Ra, ESG, Run DMC, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix to cast a crazed spell on the innocent listener. An evil mass of machine-funk with lashings of rhythm and blues and fusion delivered direct from the heart of the Witch, misunderstood psycho-genius weaving his solo web deep within the dark studio walls. Trained by masters at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Wicked Witch is in full control of his art; he plays all, knows all, tells all. His message will not be denied. Believe your ears, believe your eyes: the Wicked Witch does indeed exist. First time ever re-issue. Remastered from original master tapes."

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Ricardo Villalobos - Alcachofa CD (Playhouse) [PLAY08CD] $13.75
RELEASE DATE: 09-23-2003
"Welcome to the New Profundity. In the last several years, Ricardo Villalobos has emerged as one of the foremost producers in that Zone That Has No Name -- minimalism that's too rosy-cheeked to be minimal, techno too slinky (and dare we say: feminine) to be techno, house too adamantly anti-anthemic to be called house. On singles for Playhouse, Perlon, Frisbee Tracks and more, Villalobos -- both under his own name and as half of Ric Y Martin, alongside Martin Schopf (aka Dandy Jack) - has broken open techno's crank-case and reconfigured its motor to run on nothing but pebbles and honey, silicon and grass. Less minimalist than profoundly, proudly, regally restrained, his music is full of pauses, patience and white space; he overlaps genres until only their outlines remain, like a kind of subtractive synthesis used to blot out all but the essence of a given combination of tones. Which brings us to Alcachofa, an album that, like its namesake -- the humble artichoke -- peels away in layers, stripping back rubbery leaves to reveal a sweet, pulpy interior crowned by a halo of thorns.."

This week's VINYL update contains releases by:

Angels of Light * Annelies Monseré * Bird Show * Castanets vs. Ero * Cheapers, The * Citta Frontale * Colossal Yes * Crystal Stilts * Daniel Haaksman * Dusty Springfield * Earth * Efdemin * Envy/Thursday * Fachmann * Flying Burrito Bros. * Free Blood * Jackmate * James Ferraro * Jamie Jones & Simon Baker * Jesse Rose/Oliver $ (feat. Deize Tigrona) * Lee Jones * Madera Limpia * Manteca * Marascia * Marc Houle * Martinez * Measure (SA) * Michal Ho * Michna * Monkey B * Monotax * P.A.R.A. * Pallers * Peace Division * Rhauder * Ricardo Villalobos/Carl Craig * Riva Starr * Samklang * Shaking Hands * Skull Defekts * Soccer Committee & Machinefabriek * Squarepusher * Sunken Foal * Svarte Greiner * Tecumseh * Terence Fixmer * Tim Paris * Tom Demac * Virgins * Virus Syndicate * Virus Syndicate vs. Various Production * Virus Syndicate/Mark One * Wara * Whitehouse * Wicked Witch

Angels of Light - Sing 'other People' LP (Young God) [YG27] $13.25
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! Another breakthrough for former SWANS frontman M. GIRA and company- short, sharply orchestrated, almost-pop songs that access a multitude of musical styles and references. These twelve finely hewn tributes to friends and heroes, stars and scoundrels make this easily the most accessible ANGELS OF LIGHT offering yet. Fiercely melodic, produced with crystal clarity and often bizarrely arranged, each song inhabits its own peculiar world, built up from Gira's intense and ultra-present acoustic guitar and vocal performances - poignant, uncomfortably personal, comical, deranged. Featured throughout are sometimes subtle, sometimes weirdly psyched-out instrumental and vocal contributions from Brooklyn's eccentric young avant rock savants AKRON/ FAMILY, making for yet one more rebirth for Gira. Once again, The Angels of Light sound like no one else.

Annelies Monseré - Somewhere Someone 7 inch (Morc) [morc49] $8.50
Limited to 185. All copies hand-numbered, hand-stamped and have handwritten liner notes by Annelies. "Somewhere someone" consists of 6 previously unreleased songs. Five out of six are brand new and written right after recording "marit" ~V Annelies' second yet to be released full length. One was written a long time ago for her band Zent One, but, completely reworked for this release. She recorded these songs over a short period of time in 2008 on an eight track cassette recorder at home. This ep features a Hammond organ for the first time. This instrument led to new approaches in songwriting. This release deviates clearly from previous releases, with a darker and harsher sound. Lyrically, these songs all touch the theme of absence, though this was not a conscious starting point. About Annelies Monseré: Annelies Monseré is a multi-instrumentalist from Gent, Belgium. Her debut record came out in 2005 on Bluesanct records. During a four year stay in the Netherlands, she toured Europe and the US and played on festivals like Tanned Tin and Primaverasound, leading to high expectations for her second record, due for release later. In the meantime, she has released several well received collaborations, with diverse artists as Jessica Bailiff, dREKKa and Birch Book. Press quotes: "An exercise in communicating the things in the darkest corners of your skull. Monseré does it magnificently." (Digitalis industries ) "When Monseré plays she allows each note to speak clearly and simply and toys with a childlike naivety which is impossible not to fall in love with." (Boomkat) Recommended if you like: Nico, Movietone, Richard Youngs, Hammond organs, Folk, Shoegaze, drones and/or minimal songwriting.

Bird Show - Untitled LP (Barge Recordings) [BRG006LP] $12.75
Limited LP version. "Bird Show aka Ben Vida has been a major force in the avant-rock underground for over a decade. From his work in the seminal Town and Country to his two previous offerings under the Bird Show moniker, Ben has managed to consistently challenge his fan base while staying true to his unique musical vision. Untitled finds Ben exploring a wide variety of ethnic and traditional instruments creating an album of unique rhythmic ragas that are at once experimental yet easily listenable. Ben effortlessly blends world music clatter with indie rock song structure to create a modern composition that would instantly please fans of Konono No. 1 and Tortoise as well as Kemialliset Ystävät, Keith Fullerton Whitman and Jackie-O Motherf***er."

Castanets vs. Ero - Dub Refuge LP (Asthmatic Kitty) [AKR42] $13.25
Dub Refuge turns a minimalist folk record (CASTANETS' City of Refuge) into a ghostly dub, subverting dub tradition while still nodding in the direction of King Tubby, Scientist, Burning Spear, and Sly and Robbie. Dub Refuge works because Castanets and ERO GRAY (aka PAPA ALABASTER, sometimes bass player for Castanets, and member of Brooklyn-based RAD UNICORN) are both preoccupied with ghostly, ephemeral and messy sounds. Ero and the Castanets share a haunted quality in their music, a unique dedication to risk, and a reverence for accident in folk music. At it's best, Castanets music accomplishes an eerie and very difficult balancing act between the disaster-surfing of experimental and noise music, and the sort of calm competence shown by classic country singers. The City of Refuge sessions exemplified this balance, and here on Dub Refuge, Ero has emphasized both aspects without destroying either.

Cheapers, The - Wilderness EP Part 2 12 inch (Upon You) [UY017EP] $12.25
"Once upon a time there was the Wilderness EP Part 1. What follows is the second band of this furturist music fairy tail-continuing the journey through the dark forests and gardens of The Cheapers in which the 'Hunter' on A1 claims his territory and eagerly is looking out for bass-devils in heat. Thereby the fun drunken rifleman shoots down the rave-bird and even a flock of house-sparrows are being stampeded into the underwood. On the other side of the forest play the busy intricate bees in the vaults of the 'Fortress' on its mystical fantasy plug ins and a bewitched quake is coming through the deep B1- cracks until the magic tree of dreams starts to flourish."

Colossal Yes - Charlemagne's Big Thaw LP (Ba Da Bing) [BING064] $12.00
After COMETS ON FIRE played Auckland, UTRILLO KUSHNER met one of his idols, the legendary DIY producer and songwriter CHRIS KNOX. The following day Knox invited Kushner and his bandmates over to his house for conversation and beers. The afternoon was spent in the kitchen (Knox was baking a cake for The Clean's Bangers and Mash anniversary tour) drinking while Knox spun stories of the New Zealand music underground of yore. From this experience, Kushner conceived of the initial idea for the second COLOSSAL YES album. Inspired by the Kiwi indie-pop formulas of Tall Dwarfs, The Clean, and The Verlaines, Kushner set out to write his own songs using piano as the main instrument. It was a reawakening of the pop aesthetic done Piano Man style. Recording of the basic tracks started in the summer of 2007 with KELLEY STOLTZ producing and KEVIN INK engineering. Songs were then fine-tuned over a series of nighttime and weekend sessions with MATT WATERS in early 2008. Finally, they were mixed with BEN CHASNY (SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE) and Waters almost a year from the starting point. The end result is unique yet similar to the epic pop bands of the past. Charlemagne's Big Thaw combines simple melodies and basic structures with lyrical territories such as expired youth, grand betrayals, overdrawn faculties, and dissolving empires. Features contributions from Kelley Stoltz, Ben Chasny (Six Organs Of Admittance, Comets on Fire), NOEL HARMONSON (Comets on Fire) BEN FLASHMAN (Comets on Fire), ELI ECKERT (DRUNK HORSE), GARETT GODDARD (THE CUTS, HOWLIN RAIN). CD version features a track on upcoming Judee Sill tribute comp both coming out in early 2009.

Crystal Stilts - Crystal Stilts + Shattered Shine 12 inch (Woodsist) [WOODSIST017] $12.00
CRYSTAL STILTS deliver a compilation of their self-titled 12-inch and the Shattered Shine 7-inch. Six tracks.

Daniel Haaksman - Who's Afraid Of Rio? 12 inch (Man Recordings) [MAN031EP] $13.25
Berlin-based DJ Daniel Haaksman (one half of Haaksman + Haaksman) established Man Recordings as the sole label outside of Brazil to focus exclusively on baile funk. His debut EP Who's Afraid Of Rio? features four DJ friendly club tracks that mix the best of baile funk with Euroland ghetto club sounds. Featuring vocals by baile funk songwriter MC Jennifer, Rio's MC Betta and the infamous SD Boys.

Daniel Haaksman - Who's Afraid Of Remix? 12 inch (Haaksman, Daniel: Who's Afraid Of Remix? 12") [MAN033EP] $13.25
Daniel Haaksman returns with four club ready remixes of his debut EP Who's Afraid Of Rio? "Parolar De Veso," remixed by Ku Bo (Stefan Mörth, aka Stereotyp), explores Afro-Brazilian music territories and mounts the lyrics of Rio De Janeiro's MC crew SD Boys onto an uptempo dancehall beat. Baltimore's Scottie B fits the track into his trademark minimalist breakbeat booty shape. The B-side features MC Jennifer, remixed by Italian producer Riva Starr and Hong Kong turntablist DJ Beware.

Earth - Bee Made Honey In The Lion's Skull 2xLP (Southern Lord) [SUNN090] $30.25
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!! Special 180-gram ultra-deluxe vinyl version of the new studio album from EARTH. Contains the exclusive vinyl only bonus track: "Junkyard Priest." Limited to 5,000 copies total pressing!

Efdemin - Carry On Sampler 1 12 inch (Curle Recordings) [CURLE016X-EP] $11.50
This is the first of two vinyl samplers with much sought after tracks from Efdemin's debut mix-CD Carry On, Pretend We're Not In The Room (CURLE016CD). This sampler features tracks from Brothers' Vibe, Minilogue, and Tony Foster.

Envy/Thursday - Split LP+CD (Temporary Residence Ltd) [TRR146] $16.25
More than two years after THURSDAY first put the idea in our heads, Temporary Residence is proud to finally bring together two influential bands from two very different places. Recorded in Spring 2008, both bands turn in some of their most inspired work yet. In addition, Thursday invited ANTHONY MOLINA of MERCURY REV to remix the dark instrumental "In Silence" into the pitch-black closing track, "Appeared And Was Gone," providing the perfect transition into the massive dynamics of ENVY. Beginning with the subtle electronics of the symphonic opener, "An Umbrella Fallen Into Fiction," Envy thrashes and burns through a trio of thoughtful face-melters. Pressed on audiophile-quality 180-gram vinyl and featuring original artwork by acclaimed poster artist, DAN GRZECA, this deluxe set includes a free copy of the CD format beautifully incorporated into the exquisite package design.

Fachmann - Fachmann 04 12 inch (Fachmann) [FACHMANN004EP] $11.50
"The next in minimal madness from Mr. Fachmann!"

Free Blood - Parangatang 12 inch (Rong DFA) [RONGDFA06] $7.50
This record is the finale in the three-part 12-inch single project from Brooklyn's FREE BLOOD. First up is the club-friendly "Parangatang." Broken house beats with increasingly hectic vibes are accompanied by an old-time piano melody as the duo continues their onslaught of head-scratchingly unique pop singles that maintain a fierce rhythmic consistency. The original is followed by TIM "LOVE" LEE's remix. Lee strips away all but the essentials and adds a heady analog synth melody in place of most of the vocals, creating a proper dance dub version. Finally, SCOTTY COATS and WES THE MES offer a punk-funk version of "Weekend Condition" that has risen to the status of "best remix ever made" at Rong's office. Super bad club music with a crafty, superb bass-line to drive it.

Jackmate - Malawi Dub 12 inch (Philpot) [PHILE2008EP] $11.50
"Jackmates strikes again on Phil E (Philpot Records) with this three track 12inch called Malawi Dub and delivers the perfect follow-up for Mont Blanc (Phile2007). The main title 'Malawi Dub' is full of rollin` drum and percussion sounds merging into an intense piece of (oldschool) techno. Both titles on the flip, 'In Flux' and 'S....Out,' are deeper, with charming harmonies and tricky grooves. This is a preview for Jackmate`s upcoming album in 2009."

James Ferraro - K2 - Chameleon Ballet LP (Olde English Spelling Bee) [OESB031LP] $16.50
"'In Chameleon Ballet I wanted to create a work of magic that simulates a dream atmosphere of post industrial landscapes, with the waking memory of a romantic alien encounter occurring in the dream. Dedicated to the mystery of night and the magic of dreams' -- James Ferraro. 'Debut limited edition album by this new sci-fi synth project of James Ferraro of The Skaters et al, with 1980s minimal wave moves bisected by the kinda keyboard patterns you might've found on an Edgar Froese solo album or post-Body Love Klaus Schulze then exploded with barbarous invocations, syruped-vocals and some black drone atmospherics. Or, as the cover art suggests, urban landscapes as visioned by showroom dummies illuminated under 3 am neon. Another killer.' -- David Keenan. Remastered and expanded version of the CD-R release on New Age Discs -- this has an additional previously unreleased track. Limited edition of 425 copies. Black & white printed covers."