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News
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LOGO GRID HOODIES DESIGNED by IMPORTANT
Check out the apparel page for a new hoodie design printed on black, red & maroon just in time for the cold weather.
And by the way, we're selling tons of these Rega P1's to very excited listeners....
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BACK TO SCHOOL SALE: FALL 2008 link
This is our biggest sale yet and a great opportunity to get Important releases for as low as $5 each. Click here for details. Sale orders can't be combined for shipping with regular orders.
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OCEAN "Pantheon Of The Lesser" CD/LP November 11, 2008
Finally after nearly 3 years of work and anticipation Ocean's Pantheon Of The Lesser will be released on November 11, 2008. Ocean's debut release Here Where Nothing Grows quickly became Important's highest selling record as Ocean crossed the country and the records received tremendous commercial praise. In all possible ways Pantheon is and will be a bigger record.
Click to see images, hear sounds and read words:
http://importantrecords.com/ocean_lesser/
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Christina Kubisch
Electrical Drawings
Christina Kubisch is one of the pioneers of sound art, with numerous sound installations, performances and compositions to her credit, along with an extensive body of accompanying material that actually forms the springboard for her work. Included are drawings, visual musical scores and text and image sketches from the last 35 years, most of which have never before been shown.Topics treated include architecture, acoustics, the composition process, electronic sound generation, electro-magnetic induction, observations on the listener’s behavior, studies on light phenomena in connection with acoustics and the »beauty« of the drawing itself as basis for translating an abstract idea into a three-dimensional sound installation. Kubisch received the German Sound Art Award in 2008.
Flexcover with dustjacket
23 x 27 cm
176 pages
148 color and 53 b/w ills.
German/English
ISBN 978-3-86828-013-5
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OM LIVE IN JAPAN CD/LP on Important & GRAILS BTP CD repress (finally!)
In an interview with Om at ATP Brooklyn Vegan has broken the news that Important will be releasing Om's Live In Japan CD/LP in mid Feb. Stay tuned for details.
In related news Grails Black Tar Prophecies CD is finally back in stock.
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BASS COMMUNION/PIG LP slideshow
This one should finally be available late next week along with the Coil/TNB/Vortex Campaign LP. While you wait please enjoy this slideshow of the beatiful jackets printed by Neil Burke at Monoroid.
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IMPORTANT RECORDS American Apparel TOTE BAGS!
You wouldn't believe how often people have asked us for tote bags. How often you ask? Practically never but we made them anyhow. Perfect for a trip on the yacht, a trip to the grocery store or a record buying adventure at Twisted Village. How much you ask? Just $10 and they're professionally screen printed too.
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NEW TITLES FOR FALL/EARLY WINTER:
Here's a little preview of what's coming on Important this fall/winter. It's one of the most active schedule's we've had in the last 7 years and every record is essential. We've finally got Ocean's follow up to the acclaimed Here Where Nothing Grows, the debut full length from Risil (Guillermo Herren, Zack Hill, Tyondai Braxton, John McEntire...), Conifer's debut full length for Important, Slomo, Dominique Leone, Tecumseh, Nadja, Pauline Oliveros, Eleh and so much more... Stay tuned.
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NOW OFFERING REGA AUDIOPHILE TURNTABLES:
Rega is highly regarded for manufacturing high end audiophile turntables. They're also well respected for offering them at sane, reasonable prices. Important Records has partnered with Rega to bring you their new P1 - the best possible turntable you can find for the price. Preserve your investment in vinyl and bring new life to your collection. |

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NEW IMPORTANT RELEASES FOR JULY 22, 2008
The following new titles will be available for mailorder next monday. We're not doing pre-orders for these but if you're on our mailing list you will be alerted the moment they're up on the site:
Bass Communion "Molotov & Haze" CD
Astro/Hiroshi Hasegawa "Live At Muryoku Muzen Temple" LP
Astro/Hiroshi Hasegawa "The Echo From The Purple Dawn" CD
*Please note that the Bass Communion LP will be available along with our August new releases. Some manufacturing concerns have caused a brief delay.
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IMPORTANT RECORDS NOW AN OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF BRAINWAVES:
This year's fest features old friends and family, local heroes, and a special day honoring Kranky's 15 years.
Matmos, Meat Beat Manifesto, Stars Of The Lid, Reformed Faction (Mark and Robin of Zoviet France, Rapoon, Dead Voices On Air), Andrew Liles and Jonathan Coleclough, Nmperign feat. Jason Lescalleet, Marissa Nadler, Glenn Jones, His Name Is Alive, Gary Wilson, Rivulets, Strategy, Nudge, Boduf Songs, To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie, Lichens and more TBA
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Christina Kubisch
Stromzeichnungen / Electrical drawings
Arbeiten 1973-2008 / Works from 1973-2008
15. Juli bis 5. Oktober 2008 / 15 July to 5 October 2008
Eröffnung am Dienstag, dem 15. Juli, um 18 Uhr / Opening on Tuesday, 15 July, at 6 pm
Kunsthalle Bremen
Am Wall 207
28195 Bremen
T 0421 329 08-0
F 0421 329 08-47
office@kunsthalle-bremen.de
www.kunsthalle-bremen.de
Anlässlich der Ausstellung wird ein Buch im Kehrer Verlag Heidelberg erscheinen.
On the occasion of the exhibition a book will be published by Kehrer Verlag Heidelberg.
www.artbooksheidelberg.com/html/de/programm/detail.html?ID=338
www.artbooksheidelberg.com/html/en/program/detail.html?ID=338
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update July 2, 2008 11am est
ELEH "Homage To The Square Wave" LP - SOLD OUT
*** head to http://www.taigarecords.blogspot.com/ to pick up copies while still available***
We've got a limited amount of copies of this brand new LP from Taiga Records in Minneapolis. Taiga has been doing super deluxe LP pressings and this one is certainly no exception. It's housed in a 2 color letterpress jacket but unlike every other letterpress jacket you've seen this one was actually cut and then hand glued so that it has a printed spine. It's a more rhythmic drone crafted by Eleh on vintage modular analog gear and made entirely out of square waves. The first 100 include a screen printed insert paying homage to Josef Albers and to Eleh. We only have 100 of these and expect that they'll all be gone within the next 24 hours.
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NEW GRAILS & IMPORTANT RECORDS SHIRTS AVAILABLE NOW!

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Click below to read the recent interview with James Blackshaw on Pitchfork where he discusses, amongst other topics, the recent Blackshaw currated/Important released compilation titled The Garden Of Forking Paths as well as his breakthrough release for Important.

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GLOWING REVIEWS FOR DAN FRIEL'S GHOST TOWN CD/LP
From Coke Machine Glow
Ghost Town contains within it the haunted forms of the most worn records on my shelves, specters of (yes) (seriously) Neutral Milk Hotel, New Order, the Dust Brothers at their best, the Chemical Brothers at their best, the Pixies, Is This It (2001) and pop music et al along with the resonant memories of those I’ve recently wiped with decided dissatisfaction from my cerebral RAM: the rhythmic puncture of Clark and Justice, the blissed-out fuzz of Times New Viking and No Age..............
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DAN FRIEL "GHOST TOWN" CD/LP COMING IN MAY ON IMPORTANT
Check out this Pitchfork write up and MP3 from the Dan Friel full length titled Ghost Town coming next month. Imagine Wolf Eyes covering In The Aeroplane Over The Sea and you're not even close...
"It blows up into a stomping instrumental ditty, a music-box melody shoved through the speaker cone of a subwoofer salvaged from the trunk of a totaled Jeep." Pitchfork
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NEW RELEASES:
april 22:
Acid Mothers Temple "Infinite Darkness...." CD/LP
Three Day Band (John Fahey/Ayal Senior) CD
Kluster "Admira 1971" CD
Kluster "Vulcano 1971" CD
may 13:
Dan Friel "Ghost Town" CD/LP (mp3)
Grails "Take Refuge In Clean Living" CD/LP
Cluster "Berlin 2007" CD
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BORED? Download this PDF of an interview with John Brien from a recent music publication in the UK. Also included is an overview of some Important releases from the last 7 years.
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GRAILS COMMERCIAL FOR TAKE REFUGE IN CLEAN LIVING CD/LP
On May 13th Important will be releasing the new Grails cd/lp titled Take Refuge In Clean Living. It's been on repeat here ever since the masters arrived and very soon you'll hear why. Click the clip to the left to check out a commercial for the new record on the Grails MySpace page.
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NEW IMPORTANT RECORDS "PUFF PUFF" PLATTER PADS
In the apparel section of the Important site we've got new double sided Important Records slipmats. Designed by Darryl Norsen these have his Puff Puff design on one side and the Important Mondrian 2 logo on the other side.
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A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS T-SHIRTS AVAILABLE
We've got limited stock of a couple of great APTBS shirts available right now. They're professionally printed on the highest quality American Apparel shirts.
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COIL BOX SHIPPING BEGINS
Despite the flu's best attempt to keep the Coil boxes from shipping (our entire staff had the same flu) we've finally started shipping out the boxes. Assembly is moving very slowly and we've only been able to ship about 100 a day.
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******* Important Records Podcast **********
Click on the link below for the recent Important Records podcast from Brainwashed Radio in its entirety.
This Mp3 link can be played directly on your computer without a subscription to iTunes.
http://media.brainwashed.com/podcast/podcast080210.mp3
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************************* NEW YEARS SALE *******************************
Our new years sale has been a massive success. It'll be available for about
one more month. It's a great way to explore titles in the Important catalog that
you've been curious about but haven't purchased at full price.
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**** COIL APE OF NAPLES/NEW BACKWARDS 4 LP BOX PRE-ORDERS NOW OPEN ****
Click here for pre-order instructions.
We've approved test pressings and hopefully the box set will start shipping in the next 30-40 days. Pre-orders will have to be closed shortly so if you've been procrastinating pre-ordering this now is the time
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Important Records has been voted the label of the year in the 2007 Brainwashed readers poll. For the last seven years of my life Important has been a 50-60 hour a week job, often more. 2007 was a big year for Important with a new office, a warehouse (actually, a big warebarn to be exact) & a full time employee. It was also the first year that I really felt as if the label was becoming worthy of it's name and it's great to know that so many other people agree.
Of course, the people who really make it possible are the tremendously creative artists who make up the Important roster. Here's to them, to 2007 & to 2008 which will make 2007 look like 2006. Thanks so much! |
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**A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS REPRESS**COIL BOX NEWS**
************************* NEW YEARS SALE *******************************
APTBS repress:
2nd pressing of the self titled A Place To Bury Strangers LP is back in stock
this time around we've got some white splatter on pink to ship to mailorder
while supplies last.
Coil "Ape" box news:
Click the image to the left to see the first look at this super lavish package. The
overall quality was even higher than expected. 4 lps packed in a tip-on style ultra-
heavy duty box set.
We don't have the vinyl here yet as there are some slight concerns with the test
pressings but should have that resolved soon. As soon as it is there will be an
update with some more information.
New Years Sale:
Get 15 Important Records releases for only $100 or 30 for $175.
See the list of available titles and shipping info here.
And last, but not least, we've got a new t-shirt design from Darryl Norsen
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Karlheinz Stockhausen held a strong
influence on the early musical consciousness that was the impetus
for the creation of Important Records. Recordings like Mantra,
Kontakte, Momente & Gesang Der Junglinege showed new ways
of thinking about music at a time when I desperately needed
it.
NPR
obituary
Biography |
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Click the album cover on the left for a mini-website including
a bio on Christina Kubisch, a link to an NPR piece
on Electrical Walks & information about the upcoming Kubisch
releases on Important.
On Novemer 20, 2007 Important Records will be releasing Christina
Kubisch's first collection of work sourced from recordings
made during her acclaimed Electrical Walks. At the same time
Important will also be reissuing, for the first time on CD,
her 1986 album Night Flights. Both are masterful works by
one of the most important first generation sound artists.
"the most consistently rewarding of the first-generation
sound-artists" Keith Fullerton Whitman
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SELDON HUNT HOODIES AVAILABLE
NOW
The fall chill is in the air and our response is a
new hoodie from Seldon Hunt. Seldon Hunt is a celebrated
graphic designer who has worked closely with Isis, Khanate,
Neurosis etc. Over the last couple of years he's done some
great work for Important including the Conrad Schnitzler
3cd box set titled Trigger Trilogy and the recent Acid
Mothers Temple Crystal Rainbow Pyramid cd/lp.
Printed electric blue on black and navy. Available in small,
medium, large & extra large. |
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COIL APE OF NAPLES BOX OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
In December 2007 Important will finally make available
the long rumored 4 LP box for Coil's Ape Of Naples
album. Ape will feature the full length album spread
out over 3 lps each with B-side laser etchings. The 4th lp
is a double sided exclusive full length album titled The New
Backwards which features backwards mixes of Coil. Each LP
is packaged in an offset printed single pocket jacket and
they're housed in a deluxe heavy duty box which was offset
printed w/ a 5th color spot UV gloss. A poster is also included
in the package. This will be limited to 1500 copies. More
info soon. Please
sign up for the Important mailing list to be notified immediately
upon release.
LP1: 1. Fire Of The Mind 2. The Last Amethyst Deceiver
3. Tattooed Man LP2: 1. Triple Sun 2. It's In My Blood
3. I Don't Get It 4. Heaven's Blade 5. Cold Cell LP3: 1.Teenage
Lightning 2005 2. Amber Rain 3. Going Up. LP4: The
New Backwards side A: 1. Careful What you Wish
For 2. Nature Is A Language 3. Algerian Basses side B:
1. Copacabbala 2. Paint Me As A Dead Soul 3. Princess
Margaret's Man in the D'Jamalfna |
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NEW OCTOBER RELEASES:
XBXRX "Sounds" cd/lp
LSD MARCH "Constellation Of Tragedy" CD *
SUISHOU NO FUNE "The Shining Star - Live" CD
*Limited edition LSD March t-shirts available
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UPCOMING IMPORTANT VINYL TITLES:
We will not be taking pre-orders for these titles. They will
be put up on the site when they're available for order. If
you'd like to be alerted when they're available please sign
up for our monthly mailing list here. |
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A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
Self Titled
IMPREC170 LP
available: October 23, 2007
First edition of 1000 copies. 300 copies on clear vinyl. First
150 to order via mailorder will receive clear.
While there are obvious reference points: Pornography-era Cure,
early Ride, My Bloody Valentine, and pre-1990s Jesus and Mary
Chain, the sound is all their own, in part due to singer/guitarist
Oliver Ackermann's day job of building custom guitar pedals
(see deathbyaudio.net). Coupled with the solid bass of Jono
Mofo and the relentless drumming of Jay Space, the APTBS team
is a force to reckon with.
Pitchfork 8.4 "Best New Music" |
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CITAY
Little Kingdom
IMPREC139 LP
available: Nov 6, 2007
500 copies. First 100 on transparent orange vinyl.
Inspired by the acoustic sides of 70s rock behemoths
Led Zeppelin, Heart and Black Sabbath, they've taken a detoour
into lush, baroque folk and sun-kissed Laurel Canyon jams;
blending those groups with more pastoral shades with the likes
of John Fahey, Pentangle and CSN&Y to very fine effect.---MOJO
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SUN
I'll Be The Same
IMPREC171 LP
available: October 23, 2007
Limited vinyl edition of the Staubgold full length cd. 500
made. 100 on white/100 on transparent orange.
Sun is the coupling of sound artist OREN AMBARCHI and musician-producer
CHRIS TOWNEND. The pair have been kindred spirits for many
years, |
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LARSEN & FRIENDS ABECEDA CD/DVD now available
OCEAN/CONIFER split LP also now available
Both of these long delayed and extremely elaborate releases
are finally available. Check the front page of the site for
a lot more info on both. |
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We've just started uploading videos to an Important Records
page on You Tube. If you've got any interesting footage related
to anyone who Important has ever worked with let us know!
Click on the logos on the left to link to the Important page
on You Tube. |
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SMEGMA "33 1/3" LP HANDMADE $30
We're fortunate enough to have a small quantity of Smegma's
33 1/3 lp in handmade packaging by the band. Every one is
a unique work of art as you can see by the images to the left.
More information about the record here.
The regular vinyl edition is still available as well. |
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HOTOTOGISU "Some Blood Will Stick" CD HANDMADE
$20
Click on the image to the left to see a larger image of this
beautiful handmade edition done by Hototogisu. We've only
got about 50 of these. The regular edition of the cd is still
available as well. More information here.
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AVAILABLE
NOW: $20
CD/DVD set in deluxe packaging
w/ custom die cut slip case & 20 page full color booklet.
DVD contains Karel Teige's original ABECEDA and
Larsen & Friend's entire performance w/ the film
material cleverly edited in. CD contains the audio recordings
of the performance. Larsen w/ David Tibet,
Johann Johannson, Julia Kent & Baby Dee.
More about the performance:
Larsen & Friends
ABECEDA
Concert/performance inspired by Karel Teiges artworks
(1900 1951)
Larsen:
Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo, guitar, electric viola
Marco il Bue Schiavo, drums, glokenspiel
Paolo Dellapiana, electronics, accordion
Roberto Maria Clemente, guitar
Baby Dee, harp, piano
David Tibet, vocals
Johann Johannson, electric organ, piano
Julia Kent, cello
Snejanka Mihaylova, lights and performance
Bellissimo, visuals
The title says it: at the center of attention is the alphabet.
In the sense of the single letters. Considered however
as elements in and of themselves, gifted in some way with
a true semantic individuality: the ideogram A - a hut, C -
symbol of the moon ... this is how they were understood by
Karel Teige: 1920's Czechoslovakian cultural radical, founder
and principle theorist of the Devetsil collective, largest
driving force of the local avantgard surrealists. Designer,
student of architecture and visual art, Teige attacked with
modern force in the exploration of the possiblity of an interweaving
of verbal art and optical expression, industrial technology
and mass media, inspired by the poem composed in 1923 by compatriot
Vitezslav Nezval: at that time involved in Devetsil: Abeceda
specifically. The same Nezval said on the subject of opera"It
is intellectual exercise around the most elemental poetic
object: the letters of the alphabet.". Language taken
back to its minimal terminology, to the essence of spelling
and fonetics of its building blocks in which derive the rhymeing
quarters of every letter - 25 in total - of the latin alphabet.
Ulterior developments of Abeceda made the ominous volume realized
three years after Teige, that applied the notion of "poeticism"
on the live body of Nezval's opera, that is, the symbiosis
between visual and verbal signs which position the same fundamentals
of Devetsil. In his words "The artistic fruit of Poetism
is negligent, fantastic, exuberant, playful, anti-heroic and
erotic.".
Conceived and built as a poetic dialogue between text and
images, Abeceda manifests still now the real extraordinary
expressive urgency. They are established elements, as well
as the verses of Nezval, the photography of Karel Paspa that
paints the suggested figuration from the original text on
the dancer and choreographer Milca Mayerova (she also, like
the same Paspa, adhered to the Devitsil movement). Factors
combined from Teige with imprint photomontage techniques,
"I have tried to create a photo-style of an exquistely
abstract and poetic nature, translating in graphic form that
which Nezval expressed in his verses as verbal poetry.",
chiosava the author. Drawn into cultural oblivion following
the annexation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, the memory
of Abeceda has resurfaced only recently. In 2001, when the
work was at the center of the exhibition Dreams and Disillusions
- Karel Teige and the Czech Avant-garde at the Grey Art Gallery
in New York (occasions in which were presented the video of
the subject of the year before at Wolfsonian-Florida International
University), and again in the last months, inserted in the
basic theme of the exposition Modernism - Designing a New
World (1914 - 1939) hosted by the London museum Victoria &
Albert.
Teige and the other members of Devetsil would have certainly
liked the ulterior declination of Abeceda built by Larsen.
The Turinian group, active for more than ten years (a passage
documented by six albums, the last and most recent being Seies),
that communicate an eclectic and multi-disciplined approach
to musical material. Specimen, in that sense, the work done
years ago by Winsor McKay with his cartoons, put to music
by Larsen under the wording of Cartoanimalettimatti (a project
premiered in 2002 during the festival Rimusicazioni) and in
general the stateless attitude with which the quartet measures
the codes of rock, after the zeroing of the same rock provoked
by punk, as such to make Larsen more appreciated abroad than
in their own country. Reasons for which the artistic interlocutors
of the Turinian group tend to place themselves beyond borders.
American are both the labels - Young God and Important Records
that have released their music so far, and many of
their partners seen often by their side, Jamie Stewart (Xiu
Xiu) - in the configuration called XXL, or Matmos and the
ex-Swans Michael Gira and Jarboe. All icons of the independent
music scene across the ocean.
Some of these accomplices will play with Larsen on Abeceda
: David Tibet, brain of the british apocalyptic
project Current 93, project that also involves Baby Dee, transgender
cult icon from the Manhattan off scene, same underground the
cello player Julia Kent, of Antony and The Johnsons, belongs
to, whereas Johann Johannsson, musician and producer that
has worked with Marc Almond and Barry Adamson, comes from
Island. Also on stage with the band will be the russian performer
and choreographer Snejanka Mihaylova; together with Larsen,
and the visuals by the Bellissimo team inspired by Tieges
Abeceda, they will set up a concert/performance in 25 movements,
one for each letter of the latin alphabet; elaborate and fascinating
staging, exclusive worldwide preview for the Torino Settembre
Musica festival and its audience.
Alberto Campo
www.settembremusica.it
www.larsen.to.it |


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VERY
LIMITED QUANTITIES NOW AVAILABLE:
Ocean "Here Where Nothing Grows" 2LP $20
double vinyl European pressing with mirror foil printed colors
and pressed on marble vinyl
Acid Mothers Temple/Je Suis France split LP $15
limited edition of only 350 #d copies on color vinyl. 1 monster
track from each group.
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New Important t-shirt on the apparel page....
There's a new t-shirt now up on the apparel
page. The print is an electric blue on a navy American Apparel
tee.
In the next week we'll be making the following June releases
available:
Astral Social Club "Neon Pibroch" cd
Astral Social Club "Super Grease" lp ltd500
- Two new full lengths from Vibracathedral Orchestra/ABand
man Neil Campbell
( r ) "In Pink" cd
2nd full length on Important from Larsen's Fabrizio
Modonese Palumbo
Black Magic Disco self titled cd
My Cat Is An Alien collaborating w/ Tom Greenwood
(Jackie O-Mother Fucker) & Ramona Ponzi
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A few Important things...........
"These are rare talents for someone so young, and,
given Poste e Telegrafi, Stefana sounds as if
he'll be wielding them among the heavyweights for a long time
to come. " Pitchfork
Pitchfork has just published a much deserved rave review
of Alessandro Stefana's debut full length on Important. Read
it here.
Pauline Oliveros has recently received a lifetime
achievement award.
Read all about it here.
There's a good chance we'll be releasing a comprehensive collection
of her unreleased early electronic work soon. |
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New releases now available from: Smegma, Asa
Irons & Swaan Miller, Pauline Oliveros, Merzbow
& Carlos Giffoni. More info on the release
page.
Also available is a limited edition Smegma t-shirt
utilizing the nifty cover artwork from the album. Click the
shirt image to link to our apparel page.
What's coming? New releases are on the way from Piano
Magic, XXL (Xiu Xiu Larsen), Astral Social Club, Acid Mothers
Temple, Eleh, Kawabata Makoto and loads more.
DELAYED:
Ocean/Conifer split LP. This is being manufactured
now but missed it's street date. It should be available in
30-60 days. Limited to 1000. Judging by demand for out of
print Ocean vinyl this will sell fast.
Larsen & Friends CD/DVD - Larsen live accompanied
by David Tibet, Julia Kent, Baby Dee
and Johan Johannson. Extremely elaborate and complex
packaging has caused this precious release to be delayed.
Should be ready in less than 30 days.
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