Forced Exposure New Releases for the Week of 4/1/2024

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: RANDB 135LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The Who's 1973 US tour saw the band focusing on their just-released Quadrophenia LP. The seven Quadrophenia songs presented here have a harder edge and a raw power missing from their studio counterparts. Recording quality is excellent throughout, the record comes with full recording details and extensive sleeve notes. Recorded live at The Spectrum, Philadelphia in 1973 and broadcast on The King Biscuit Flower Hour US FM. LP comes with extensive sleeve notes.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: RANDB 136LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Across seven scintillating tracks The Who revisit their history, from early singles such as "I Can't Explain" and "My Generation" through tracks from Tommy to John Entwistle's "My Wife." The set climaxes with a rare encore of fan favorite "Naked Eye." Recorded live at The Spectrum, Philadelphia in 1973 and broadcast on The King Biscuit Flower Hour US FM radio. Sound quality is exceptional.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: RANDB 138LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The Four Seasons were really hitting a creative sweet spot when the tracks on this LP were broadcast via music TV shows such as Popendipity, Hullabaloo, and the Mike Douglas Show. The Sandy Linzer/Denny Randell songwriting/production team crafted stomping, four-to-the-floor Motown-style productions on the hits "Let's Hang On" and "Working My Way Back To You" with the legendary Buddy Salzman creating the distinctive drum sound. Later in 1966, Bob Gaudio came up with an arrangement of Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" that made the song sound just like a Four Seasons track with its killer hook coda "Never win, never win" added at the insistence of producer Bob Crewe. Frankie Valli began his solo recording career by insisting that his composers provide material that did not require him to use falsetto and his first release was the Bob Crewe/Charlie Calello composition "(You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself." "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" was Valli's first number one, despite Philips having mothballed the finished record for almost a year because they feared it might break the group up. Here are two live versions of Frankie's Christmas 1967 single "To Give," both with full orchestral backing. For a live broadcast on NBC's Kraft Music Hall show in July 1968, the Four Seasons previewed "Saturday's Father," a track to be released on the 1969 psychedelic concept album Genuine Imitation Life Gazette. This LP also includes as a bonus track a hits medley from a 1971 transmission from BBC's Top Of The Pops.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: ACOLOUR 046LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

A Colourful Storm begins presents a luxurious suite of daydreaming introspection courtesy of Unchained, the longstanding solo project of Nathaniel Davis who was last seen on vinyl in the final Blackest Ever Black release. Recorded at home between 2020 and 2023, Gabbeh is the latest expression of Davis's guitar-based instrumental musings and represents a stylistic evolution of his self-released noise tapes and CD-Rs into romantic, bossa nova-influenced melody-making. He wrote the tracks sporadically, with minimal instrumentation and intervention. Electric guitar, bass improvisations and rhythms from an old drum machine are layered and given new life, the space between them softly breathing with minutiae of the everyday: the buzz of cicadas, the passing of cars, the whistling of passersby. The psychogeography of Grenoble, Davis' home since 2018, played a conscious role in the weaving of Gabbeh's fabric: "I think certain songs reflect, in ways, Grenoble's natural surroundings. 'Drac' is named after the river that flows from the mountains down to the city; 'Dru' is the name of a well-known peak near Chamonix." Opener "Largo" sets the mood, its primitive samba rhythm concealed by a cloud of saudade. The bebop sensibility follows suit, the tension between its angular picks and percussive shuffle a wondrous balancing act, while the intoxicating sway of "Rambler" is perhaps the most poignant expression of longing and loss in recent years. Highly recommended for fans of Durutti Column, Maurice Feebank, Toninho Horta.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: ACOLOUR 047LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Head X'Change is the new album by Scythe, a long-distance collaborative project of David West and R.A. Jones. First appearing on two cloak-and-dagger cassettes distributed by Low Company in 2019 and 20, Scythe's "expertly modulated space blues and isolationist architectures" betrayed a uniquely sleep-deprived, DIY take on kosmische atmospheres, where brittle, decaying synthesizer loops found solace in endless trails of feedback and reverb. Head X'Change was recorded with modest instrumentation but grand ambition, recounting a journey, a memory -- of leaving earth, a loved one, a body. Lifting off from tense, unnerving "Tennessee," an ode is made to Genevieve, for perhaps the last time. Landing in eerily familiar valleys and amongst the lunar debris of "Dawngarden" and "Superwillow," marveling back at Earth inflicts a feeling of tininess and innocence, captured in the stargazing blues of "Embryo." The titular track then marks a sudden inward trajectory and shift in mood: cool winds and amorphous bursts of black and deep blue emanate from fissures, ominously foreshadowing tunnelling paranoia. "Mark, Ring Me" is a distant plea for human contact, but it may all be too late, for the aching psychedelia "For Iris" grieves alone into the abyss. For fans of Cluster, Craig Leon, Pete Namlook.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: ACRSLP 1642LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Marion 'Little Walter' Jacobs was possibly one of the most important blues artists of the post-war era. He not only revolutionized harmonica playing by using amplification to compete with the growling guitars of the Chicago blues movement, he changed the way the harp was perceived and opened up a new world of instrumentation. Walter purposely pushed his amplifiers beyond their intended technical limitations to explore and develop radical new timbres and sonic effects previously unheard from a harmonica or indeed, any other instrument. This natural distortion opened musicians' ears to the possibilities of their own instruments and, in many ways, laid the foundations for the blues boom to come along in the sixties. Walter was the first, and to this point, only artist to have a No.1 hit with his self-penned, harp led instrumental Juke. He went on to have numerous R&B chart hits before succumbing to his wild, violent and hard drinking life-style. This LP features all Little Walters biggest R&B chart hits from his debut No.1 'Juke,' to his last chart entry in 1959, the ironically titled 'Everything Gonna Be Alright.'"

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: AR 163CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Rich in ancestral flows, between Ghana and Europe, powered by deep, conga led rhythms and seductive warm horn riffs come Jembaa Groove, whose new album and newly rendered sound, shows that jazz, in its contemporary, soulful form is not just a London "ting." "Highlife" is Ghana's colorful national tradition and is at the heart of Berlin based Jembaa Groove's groove. And this newly crafted follow up to their debut album Susuma (AR 155CD) from 2022, goes even further in provoking new perceptions of jazz and soul music helped by young and senior blood from Ghana and its diaspora. Vocal masterclasses come via Sheffield (UK) based K.O.G and original veteran of the '70s and '80s highlife scene Gyedu Blay Ambolley with Ghanian multi-instrumentalist and producer Kwame Yeboah (Kwashibu Area Band) also providing inspiration. Yet this is not a breakout moment. For the last two years, Jembaa Groove have been entertaining discerning dancefloors worldwide. They continue to ratchet up a solid and loyal fanbase buoyed by breakout performances at SXSW (USA), ESNS and Supersonic Jazz Festival (Netherlands).

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: BEWITH 159LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2024 repress. Bobby Caldwell's second album, Cat In The Hat, from 1980, is a work of soulful sophistication. Featuring the eternal "Open Your Eyes", sampled by J Dilla for Common's "The Light", it's about as essential as records get. Like its eponymous predecessor, it's been out of print for far too long. Whilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as "Mr California", native New Yorker Bobby Caldwell has always been "Mr AOR" to his Far-Eastern friends. His distinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He possessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances, was both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for genius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering the studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful, sweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his supple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted. Bobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of Cat In The Hat will be available on vinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans -- and soul music enthusiasts worldwide -- can radiate in the deep beauty of this seminal album. Remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed at Record Industry in Holland.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: BEWITH 062LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2024 repress; LP version. 140 gram vinyl; includes four-page insert with photos and liner notes. Three emotional years in the making, Be With and Efficient Space present Steve Hiett's Girls In The Grass. Pressed alongside the long-awaited reissue of his one-shot masterpiece, Down On The Road By The Beach (BEWITH 001CD/061LP), these ten Balearic soul instrumentals are of equal necessity; unrivalled beauty rescued from the fashion photographer-guitarist Paris Tapes (1986-1997). While recordings unintended for release should often be approached with caution, this is a rare case of unheard material being assembled as an indispensable and coherent piece. Girls In The Grass is something super special. The light and shadow that defines Hiett's music is arguably more compelling here. It speaks to us in a language that feels profound, yet entirely comforting and familiar. Girls In The Grass reintroduces Hiett's languid electric blues boogie, crafted on Saturday afternoons with fellow art director Simon Kentish. Kentish would cook, pour some wine, and then utilize his arsenal of technology. He'd dial up a chugging rhythm, together with some ambient pads or keyboard textures, and anchor the weightless gauze of Hiett's six-stringed touch. Hiett's guitar sings with the same clean, crisp tone as Down On The Road, animated by a carefree weekend groove. Unlike his defining album which was boiled under pressure, these subsequent sessions have all the time in the world. The na?ve melodies chart a missing link between Vini Reilly's ventures into electronica and Booker T, sounding like sun-warped takes on wordless, fractured non-hits from his heroes The Beach Boys. Remastered from the previously unreleased, original masters by Simon Francis. These private moments are adorned with Hiett's singular photography and feature typically idiosyncratic liner notes from Mikey IQ Jones.

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: BT 115CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Following on from 2023's acclaimed Vrindavan 1982 by rudra veena master Z.M. Dagar, Black Truffle present a pair of archival releases from the Dagar Brothers, among the most revered 20th century exponents of the ancient North Indian dhrupad tradition. The vocal duo of Moinuddin and Aminuddin Dagar (sometimes referred to as the "senior" Dagar Brothers to distinguish them from their younger siblings, Zahiruddin and Faiyazuddin Dagar), belonged to the nineteenth generation of a family of musicians in which dhrupad tradition has been kept alive through patrilinear transmission, each generation undergoing a rigorous education of many years' duration that can include singing up to twelve hours each day. Famed for the meditative purity of their approach to dhrupad, the Dagar Brothers helped to keep the tradition alive in the years after Indian independence in 1947, when the royal courts that had traditionally patronized dhrupad musicians were abolished. Many Western listeners were first introduced to dhrupad by the Dagar Brothers's tour of Europe in 1964-65 and their LP in UNESCO's Musical Anthology of the Orient collection, both organized by pioneering musicologist and scholar of Indian culture, Alain Dani?lou. Documents from this tour are especially precious, as Moinuddin Dagar passed away in 1966. Unheard until now, Berlin 1964 - Live (released alongside BT 114LP) documents a concert held at the Charlottenburg Palace in September 1964. Accompanied only by Moinuddin's wife Saiyur on tanpura and Raja Chatrapati Singh on pakhawaj (a large double-headed drum), the brothers present stunning performances of two ragas stretching out over 65 minutes, exemplifying what a journalist at the time called the "pristine severity" of their style. Much of each piece is taken up by the alap, the highly improvised exposition section where the notes of the raga are gradually introduced as the singing builds in intensity. As Francesca Cassio points out in her extensive liner notes, both performances are somewhat unorthodox in beginning with the raga scale being sung in its entirety, ascending and descending. Both ragas settle into alaps of breathtaking beauty, with the two brothers trading long solo passages that move gradually from extended held notes at the bottom of the scale to animated melodic variations as it ascends in pitch. Within the atmosphere of meditative attention, the range of melodic, rhythmic, and timbral invention is remarkable. Especially on the opening "R?ga Miy?n k? Tod?", the final moments of the alap find the voices at a peak of intensity, their microtonal ornamentation taking on an ecstatic, warbling quality. Only once the wordless, free-floating alap is over and the composition proper begins to the brothers sing in unison, joined by the pakhawaj for a rhythmic section that in both ragas develops gradually into a propulsive display of melodic invention and metrical nuance. Accompanied by detailed liner notes and striking archival images, Berlin 1964 - Live is a rare document of these masterful exponents of one of the world's most profound musical traditions.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: BJR 097LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. After a successful tour following the release of Alors Quoi (BJR 061LP, 2022) on Bongo Joe records, accompanied by a drummer/percussionist change, the prospect of what comes next naturally arose. Elements surfaced, including a desire for more low frequencies, a fascination with the marimba/vibraphone, and a liberating indifference to the difference between recorded and live performances. To evolve, the team collaborated with outsider Kwake Bass, known for collaborations with Kae Tempest, Tirzah, Mica Levi, and others. Despite aesthetic differences from Meril Wubslin's previous albums, this divergence was seen as key -- an enriching risk that resulted in a unique blend of influences. The acoustic core of Meril Wubslin now embraces electronic elements, revealing a more powerful and urban dimension. While maintaining a commitment to French lyrics, the themes explore the concrete yet remain grounded in the intimate and the sensitive, avoiding overly clear and univocal messages.

 

PRICE: $38.00

CAT #: BRED 897LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Never before released! Recorded in Paris -- nine urgent Dinosaur Jr classics performed at arguably the band's '90s peak as a live outfit. Produced in conjunction with the band and INA, France. A companion piece to 2022's best-selling Seventytwohundredseconds MTV EP."

 

PRICE: $45.50

CAT #: CORE 003LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Derek Bailey: guitar. Simon H. Fell: double bass. Recorded at Sound 323, London by Tim Fletcher on 15 August 2001. Remastered by Rupert Clervaux, September 2023. "Both Bailey and Fell are master musicians who improvise together at an intense and challenging level. This set bristles with focused energy. Both instruments sound closely mic'd so that we can hear each scrape, pluck and bow. At times, it seems as if Mr. Bailey is on the verge of exploding and then things calm do a bit only to flare up again. Mr. Fell sounds as if he is using a peg or wooden object on his bass at times and coaxing brittle percussive sounds. I found this set to be quite exciting, that edge-of-your-seat dynamic! Pretty incredible throughout!" --Bruce Lee Gallanter

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: ACV 4002LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2024 repress. "On May 12, 1963, Miss Simone gave her first concert in Carnegie Hall. Her impeccable piano mastery and her distinctive vocal stylings thrilled those present in the famed landmark of musical events (...) From her vast repertoire, including many numbers that have become 'her' songs, either because she introduced them or because she had recorded the definitive version, Miss Simone compiled an exceptional program for her Carnegie Hall concert. Some of the numbers in this album have been done on disks before, but none have ever sounded as well." --from the original liner notes; The COMPLETE Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall double LP in ACV (Audiophile Clear Vinyl) quality with an exceptional number of bonus tracks (side 3 and side 4).

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: ECHO 093EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Over the past decade Rising Sun has firmly established himself as a purveyor of the finest deep, dubby and cinematic leaning house and techno, consistently delivering a sound that is distinctly his through labels such as Fauxpas, Freund Der Familie and his own numerous imprints Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine, Kristofferson Kristofferson and Beautiful Things Don't Ask For Attention under a variant of guises such as The Ambientist, Rising Sun Project, Rising Sun Psyche, Rising Sun Melancholia, and simply Rising Sun under which he returns here for Echocord. As one has come to expect from a Rising Sun release The Eternal has a firm foundation in emotive melodies and atmospherics across six alternate versions. "Eternal 1" leads with muted drums, fluttering stabs and a preaching spoken word vocal. "Eternal 2" edges into darked realms, merging expansive dub echoes with swelling subs and tension building strings before "Eternal 3" dives head first into ethereal hypnotism via unfurling textures, soft stab sequences and a rounded kick. "Eternal 4" opens the B-side with a subtly unfolding construction as vocals, chords and swinging drums run in unison. "Eternal 5" then strips things back to a gritty statured feel with boomy percussion, enchanting strings and nuanced stabs before "Eternal 6" rounds out the release laying down murky, multilayered pads, widely dispersing reverberations and bubbling delays throughout.

 

PRICE: $12.00

CAT #: ESP 5085CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

This group evolves in leaps and bounds. You've never heard a jazz piano trio sound like this album -- not even this band on its previous album, the much-praised World Construct. That said, there is a through line from the first Matthew Shipp Trio album, 1990's Circular Temple (ESPDISK 4082CD, 2023 reissue) to New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz. Says Shipp, "Yes, we went there with that type of title this time. To anyone who thought the trio had reached its apotheosis on World Construct, you are in for a surprise -- this is light years ahead of World Construct. Of course each CD is its own world and valuable for that, but I am in complete and utter shock at what I am listening to. New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz sounds completely thoroughly composed and yet completely spontaneously improvised at the same time. This is a major album in jazz history. Newman Taylor Baker is one of the most profound percussionists ever. Michael Bisio sounds like God's angel on this album. He has dedicated himself to working in my vision for years now and I think this might be the ultimate of how we can read each other and hook up. This is one of the greatest trio albums ever. While creating a whole new cosmos we manage to escape every clich? that exists in jazz and in avant jazz. This really might be the last trio CD because it really cannot get better than this."

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: FARO 242CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Following Far Out's reissue of Agustin Pereyra Lucena Quartet's La Rana (FARO 227CD, 2022), the label continues its memorialization of the late, great Argentinian guitarist's music, with the first ever direct from tape, audiophile reissue of Pereyra Lucena's self-titled debut album from 1970. One of the outstanding South American guitarists, Agustin Pereyra Lucena commanded a unique position in Latin music history. He hailed from Buenos Aires, but was obsessed with the music of Brazil. A disciple of Ant?nio Carlos Jobim, Baden Powell, and Vinicius De Moraes, the nature of Agustin's Argentinian roots combined with the nurture of Brazil and its music to give Agustin a sound entirely his own. Agustin enlisted fellow Argentinian Brazilophiles Mario "Mojarra" Fernandez, who played bass, and drummer Enrique "Zurdo" Roizner. For vocals, Agustin brought in his old friend, a French teacher called Helena Uriburu, who at the time had (unbelievably) never sung in a studio before. The atypical bossas and spiritual swinging sambas, composed by many of Agustin's aforementioned heroes, were elevated to new heights by Agustin's dazzling arrangements and phenomenal guitar playing. The almost cosmic reaches Agustin achieved with his sound are balanced against the stylish sophistication and breezy nature of the music. Accompanied by Roizner's shuffling samba jazz drums, opener "O Astronauta" is Agustin's cover of the Brazilian guitar standard composed by Baden Powell. Another Baden Powell classic, "Consolacao" is an extended full-band set, which features Agustin's crisp guitar dancing around a hypnotic rhythm section. Upright bass is swapped out for a big, round-sounding electric one, which sits loud in the mix for almost seven minutes of deep, groovy, distinctively early-seventies magic. Agustin passed away in 2019, and it is only in recent years that he is starting to gain his plaudits as one of South America's greats.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: FARO 243CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Meaning "Hi" in Uruguayan slang, Opa are a South American jazz-funk phenomenon. Fusing Uruguay's native Candombe rhythms with North American jazz and pop music, Opa's space-age synthesizers, boisterous grooves and compositional magic expressed a distinctive Afro-Uruguayan voice within the global jazz vernacular: a voice which remains as vital and unique today as when it was recorded, almost half a century ago. Having migrated to New York from Montevideo in the early seventies, Opa were heard playing in a nightclub by renowned producer and label owner Larry Rosen. At Holly Place Studios between July and August 1975, Rosen oversaw Opa's first recordings using a four track TEAC 3340. The album would become home to some of Opa's hardest hitting funk jams, with moments of songwriting wonderment and soulful pop and rock progressions combining with the jazz-funk fusion Opa would become known for. Mysteriously (for reasons unknown to the band), Opa's debut was shelved and remained so until the mid-1990s. But the Back Home recordings were used as demos, gaining Opa a record deal with Milestone Records and the subsequent release of two cult-favorite albums: Goldenwings (1976) and Magic Time (1977). Opa would also collaborate with North American titans including bassist Ron Carter, producer Creed Taylor, and Brazilian icons Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Hermeto Pascoal, and Milton Nascimento. In more recent years Opa's music has found new audiences after being sampled by Captain Murphy (aka Flying Lotus) and Madlib. For fans of Azymuth, Weather Report, Cortex, and The Headhunters.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: FARO 243LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. Meaning "Hi" in Uruguayan slang, Opa are a South American jazz-funk phenomenon. Fusing Uruguay's native Candombe rhythms with North American jazz and pop music, Opa's space-age synthesizers, boisterous grooves and compositional magic expressed a distinctive Afro-Uruguayan voice within the global jazz vernacular: a voice which remains as vital and unique today as when it was recorded, almost half a century ago. Having migrated to New York from Montevideo in the early seventies, Opa were heard playing in a nightclub by renowned producer and label owner Larry Rosen. At Holly Place Studios between July and August 1975, Rosen oversaw Opa's first recordings using a four track TEAC 3340. The album would become home to some of Opa's hardest hitting funk jams, with moments of songwriting wonderment and soulful pop and rock progressions combining with the jazz-funk fusion Opa would become known for. Mysteriously (for reasons unknown to the band), Opa's debut was shelved and remained so until the mid-1990s. But the Back Home recordings were used as demos, gaining Opa a record deal with Milestone Records and the subsequent release of two cult-favorite albums: Goldenwings (1976) and Magic Time (1977). Opa would also collaborate with North American titans including bassist Ron Carter, producer Creed Taylor, and Brazilian icons Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Hermeto Pascoal, and Milton Nascimento. In more recent years Opa's music has found new audiences after being sampled by Captain Murphy (aka Flying Lotus) and Madlib. For fans of Azymuth, Weather Report, Cortex, and The Headhunters.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: GGC 001EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Seth Price's suite Coinos Driftos announces itself with the sound of a rolling coin -- a punctuation that repeats throughout the record -- before dropping the listener into a storm of harsh winds and far-away bells. When the storm abates, listeners find themselves in a desolate field of stuttering electric harp and electronic sub-bass. Side B emerges from a mist of gentle tones that soon give way to a juddering contraption of dropped coins and clacking noises, which itself seems to summon the arrival of a war machine -- a glorious squall of high tones, bristling with Helmholtz inner-ear sensations, all just barely kept in line by a loping, irregular bassline -- that resolves into a final, more personal, piece of field recording. Seth Price made the music in 2023 by improvising three straight-through takes on Arp synthesizer, bells, and electric Nagoya harp, often playing two instruments at once, with all signals routed through pedals and processors; these tracks were sequenced before the addition of overdubbed bass guitar and field recordings. Mastering by Giuseppe Ielasi. Clear vinyl with no labels. Silkscreen print on transparent PE sleeve. Signed. Released on the occasion of Seth Price: Before and After Writing at Zweigstelle Capitain V, C.A.S.A. -- Palazzo Degas, Napoli, Italy, March 23 -May 04, 2024.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: GODUNK 103LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Liverpool's long lost '90s indie rock noisemakers, compiling three singles and unreleased tracks. Back in the 1990s Playhouse were Liverpool's premiere "honey-souled indie rock band." They had a devoted following around the country after supporting the likes of Sleater Kinney, Unwound, Penthouse, Pavement, Sebadoh, Feeder, and Gary Numan. With three 7" singles under their belt and support from the NME and John Peel, the band were due to record their debut album until disaster struck when the drummer, Simon, broke his leg in a bizarre incident. Simon later went on to play with the rock band, Black Spiders, and now performs under the name of Blobb Ross. Singer and guitarist Pete continues to write songs. He is Liverpool's most prolific and enigmatic figure, writing some of the most beautiful songs around. Bassist Jason went on to perform with Mugstar, Sex Swing, Klamp, Domes, Twin Sister, and JAAW. Dynamo compiles the three singles they released, alongside unreleased tracks, including a cover of Sebadoh's "It's So Hard To Fall in Love."

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: GUESS 233LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Heavy-rock classic from 1971 now officially reissued for the first time. Samuel Prody was a British psychedelic hard-rock band which evolved from another group called Giant (originally with Viv Prince of the Pretty Things on drums). Led by bass player/vocalist Tony Savva and featuring top guitar player Derek Smallcombe (Jason Crest), they recorded their sole album in England but for some weird reason it was only released in Germany back at the time, making it a true rarity of the heavy prog era. Wild vocals, pounding drums, distorted guitars, psych effects -- culminating in the eight-minutes long "Hallucination." Bootlegged many times, Guerssen presents the first-ever band-sanctioned reissue with their amazing history told for the first time. Remastered sound with insert featuring liner notes by Klemen Breznikar (It's Psychedelic Baby) and photos. Includes download card. RIYL: Black Sabbath, Edgar Broughton Band, Pink Fairies, Orang-Utan, Jerusalem.

 

PRICE: $45.50

CAT #: GUESS 242LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Formed in 1977 by brothers Kim Chang-wan, Kim Chang-hoon and Kim Chang-ik, Sanullim are one of the fathers of Korean psychedelic rock. Evening Breeze is the first ever comp focused on their little known 1979-83 albums, selecting their most fuzzed-out, hard-psych-pop-funk (Korean style) tracks. Selected by (probably) Sanullim number one non-Korean fan Antoni Gorgues. Sourced from the original masters, featuring gatefold artwork designed by Spanish illustrator Mario Feal. Liner notes by Hugh Dellar and photos.

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: GUESS 243LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Debut album by Korean psychedelic fuzz masters and the perfect introduction to Sanullim's unique world. Formed in the early '70s by the three Kim brothers while they were still in University, Sanullim managed to release their first album in 1977 despite censorship, misunderstanding from their record company and rudimentary recording techniques problems. Fueled by piercing psychedelic fuzz guitars, Farfisa-styled garage organ, keyboards and sweet melodies, they created a very unique sound, unheard in Korea at the time. Includes some of their most iconic songs like "Already Now" and "Likely Late Summer" (famous for its inclusion on the Love, Peace & Poetry series). Featuring original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve and sourced from the original masters. Includes insert with liner notes by Hugh Dellar and rare photos/memorabilia.

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: GUESS 244LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Fuzzed out psychedelia of the highest order by Korean legends Sanullim. This is their second album, originally released in 1978. It opens with the incredible title track, featuring an extended noisy fuzz guitar intro and which would become one of their most famous songs, especially live. The Kim brothers also dwell into abrasive garage-psych ("Let's Sing") melancholic fuzz ballads ("A Flower Blooming In The Haze") and more. Featuring original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve. Sourced from the original masters. Includes insert with liner notes and rare photos/memorabilia.

 

PRICE: $35.00

CAT #: GUESS 245LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Legendary Korean psychedelic band Sanullim's third album, originally released in 1978. From heavy-fuzz psychedelic garage to slow burners, including the monster sidelong track "You Are Already Me," the title track (which sounds like a Korean "Blue Cheer") and more. Featuring original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve. Sourced from the original masters. Includes insert with liner notes and rare photos/memorabilia.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: HG 2401LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

Musique Infinie is the collaborative project of Manuel Oberholzer a.k.a. Feldermelder and No?mi Bu?chi. Their album Earth, released through the Hallow Ground label, is based on a spontaneously composed live score for Alexander Dovzhenko's groundbreaking 1930 silent movie Zemlya ("Earth") created for the 24th edition of the VIDEOEX festival for experimental film. Frequently cited as a masterpiece of early 20th century filmmaking, the movie deals with the collectivization of Ukraine's agriculture. The Swiss duo complemented it with atmospherically rich electronic soundscapes that are both deeply immersive and highly evocative. As a stand-alone music release, the two-piece Earth album captures the essence of Bu?chi and Oberholzer's collaboration that is marked by mutual trust and musical versatility that puts them in a state of "togetherness trance," as they call it. Oberholzer has been highly productive as a composer, musician, sound designer, and installation artist in recent years, releasing a slew of solo albums as well as a variety of collaboration records with artists such as Sara Oswald and Julian Sartorius. Bu?chi has recently debuted as a solo composer and sound artist working with electroacoustic techniques to create a ?symphonic maximalism for "the end of the world," as she dubs it. Both are prolific and versatile artists with a penchant for working conceptually, however their collaboration as Musique Infinie is an improvisational and thus by design an intuitive one. Their sessions start with an exchange on emotions and thoughts rather than theoretical questions or aesthetic debates. When they get to work, they rarely talk. They approached Earth the same way, improvising freely together and using only a few select samples from the film's original score in the process. Their open-ended approach is marked by an aesthetic ambivalence that perfectly corresponds with the movie's own inherent contradictions. Dovzhenko approached his socio-political subject with poetic imagery and philosophical rigour, juxtaposing notions of traditionality with the depiction of modernity. Bu?chi and Oberholzer accordingly work with motives that at once seem anthemic and elegiac, working with sounds and musical motives that evoke a sense of familiarity in one moment before transforming into something futuristic and uncanny in the next. Their score for Zemlya is not to be understood as a mere interpretation of the movie, but rather a re-narration or even re-negotiation of its aesthetic and emotional qualities under their very own terms.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: HG 2402LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Sound of Matter is the debut album by Romanian sound artist and composer Simina Oprescu. The two pieces draw on research conducted with 15 historical church bells at the M?rkisches Museum and the Stadtmuseum Berlin. After the artist had presented the results of her studies of the connection between matter and harmony in the form of a multi-channel installation, she has translated the underlying approach of this site-specific work into an album that unfolds slowly, consistently setting in motion subtle tonal changes that continuously change the mood of the two pieces. Sound of Matter is both minimalist and maximalist, creating an infinitely rich and multi-layered dronescape that modestly invites its audience to get lost in the sonic experience. Oprescu has been fascinated by church bells since her childhood spent in Transylvania since the instruments were shrouded in mystery, as she explains in an in-depth essay that accompanies the album. She started working with the archive of the M?rkisches Museum, which included 15 historical church bells that were built between the 15th and the early 19th century. Since every bell sounds different according to its shape, material, and density, Oprescu abstracted these qualities in a mathematical formula. This enabled her to recreate the harmonic tone of the individual bells with Max/MSP. She then composed a piece with semi-overlayed tones, i.e. overlapping frequencies. Naturally, this resulted in a beating effect that provided the music with a sense of urgency, though the five-second-long natural reverb of the M?rkisches Museum's Gro?e Halle turned it into a "warm blanket of sound," as the artist herself puts it. This is perfectly recreated on Sound of Matter due to the music being presented in mono, bringing out the intrinsic movement of the beatings with more nuance than a stereo version would. Sound of Matter feels warm and welcoming even when different frequencies seem to create friction between each other or when the subtle beating effects turn into throbbing rhythms like at the end of the record. It manages to explore both Oprescu's personal fascination with church bells and psychological and psychoacoustic questions relating to them as well as philosophical issues connected with them. This music is profoundly physical, but also intellectually stimulating -- perfectly at home in the catalogue of the Swiss Hallow Ground label between records by Kali Malone, Lawrence English, or Siavash Amini.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: HPS 299LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Acid Mammoth presents this brand-new full-length album, Supersonic Megafauna Collision. Get ready to be overtaken by a storm of pachyderm guitar riffs, wooly bass, explosive drumming, and witchy vocals! Supersonic Megafauna Collision is an unholy celebration of all things heavy, and as the album progresses it just keeps getting doomier! It is an evil and explosive album, with 666% fuzz! Recorded, mixed and mastered at Descent Studio. Drums recorded at Ritual Studios. Artwork by Branca Studio.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: HPS 299LTD-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Red color vinyl. Acid Mammoth presents this brand-new full-length album, Supersonic Megafauna Collision. Get ready to be overtaken by a storm of pachyderm guitar riffs, wooly bass, explosive drumming, and witchy vocals! Supersonic Megafauna Collision is an unholy celebration of all things heavy, and as the album progresses it just keeps getting doomier! It is an evil and explosive album, with 666% fuzz! Recorded, mixed and mastered at Descent Studio. Drums recorded at Ritual Studios. Artwork by Branca Studio.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: HFN 166LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Just when you thought you had Kasper Bj?rke figured out he comes back with another great musical surprise. His new album, Puzzles, which will be released on hfn music, follows two recent collaborative EPs on Live at Robert Johnson and Mule Musiq as well as his second Kasper Bj?rke Quartet neoclassical/ambient album Mother on Kompakt (KOM 456LP, 2022). Puzzles is Kasper's love letter to the sound of early 2000s New York -- merged with his Scandinavian sense of producing songs that goes beyond conventional club music; combining disco-tinged instrumentations mixed with elements of '80s funk, jazz and contemporary pop songwriting, creating something familiar yet, something very fresh and innovative at the same time. The album includes collaborations with a wide range of musicians and vocalists. From California-based, indie-disco troubadour Woolfy (DFA, Rong, Permanent Vacation, etc.) to the Icelandic dream-folk trio Systur aka S?s? Ey (who also featured on Kasper's 2014 single Apart, where the Michael Mayer remix became a timeless club anthem), as well as other longtime collaborators and artist friends: Toby Ernest, Jacob Bellens, WhoMadeWho's Tomas H?ffding on bass, Posh Isolation affiliate Frederik Valentin on guitar and the young, rising jazz star Oilly Wallace on saxophone and flute. Essentially, the majority of Puzzles is played and recorded live, including the drums by Rasmus Littauer (School of X, M?). Many of the songs emerged from chord progressions written during studio sessions between Kasper and Toby -- which Kasper then produced into a colorful and effective album, rooted in an expressive live feeling far from programmed patterns. Puzzles is a new step for Kasper as a producer and artist, showcasing his ability to move and flow freely between genres and expressions, however still deeply rooted in his love and affection for the classic disco groove -- which is only natural after more than two decades as an active DJ. Another piece has been added to the musical puzzle of Kasper Bj?rke. Also features Woolfy.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: HONEY 092LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Double bassist and composer Cachao Lopez was one of the greatest personalities in the history of Cuban music. A true innovator who already in the '40s pioneered a new exciting form of dance music subsequently worldwide known as mambo. Cuban Music in Jam Session stands as one of his classic albums from the late '50s. A great example of Cachao's innovative jam sessions called "descargas" where various legendary musicians such as tenor sax player Emilio Penalver and trumpeters Armando "Chocolate" Armenteros and Alejandro "Negro" Vivar, improvise over highly infectious grooves and rhythms laid down by Cachao himself on bass and a bunch of super tight percussionists. A great statement from the Latin music golden era!

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: ITR 384CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Meatbodies' latest undertaking and borderline lost album, Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom, is their most varied and realized work to date. It's a melodic, hook-filled rock epic in which frontman and lead guitarist Chad Ubovich faces the trials of sobriety, redemption, reinvention while literally learning to walk and play again. Resurrection not only accompanies the record, but its production as well, Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom examines themes surrounding love and loss, escapism, defeatism, hedonism, psychedelics and much more. By 2017, Ubovich had reached a crossroads. After years of increasingly insane shows playing to heaving crowds with an ever-evolving and rotating door of personnel, fatigue had taken its toll and he realized another change was on the horizon. Retreating to the seedy Los Angeles underbelly -- in search of meaning and a reset -- he escaped into that world, ignoring his own well-being, trying to forget his successes. It was at this point that Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom began to take shape -- a project built by a man searching for new beginnings and his own sense of self. After sobering up, sessions began with longtime collaborator Dylan Fujioka. However, due to discrepancies with the studio, tensions were high and the plug was pulled. And as the world took a back seat, so did the idea of Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom. Not wanting to sit still at home, Ubovich began to comb through his previous demos, and, with that, 333 was born, the now de facto third Meatbodies album. Yet Flora was never far from Ubovich's mind. When restrictions started to lift, Ubovich headed to Gold Diggers Sound in Los Angeles, backed by engineer Ed McEntee and a team of colleagues and friends, and completed the final act to the album. It recalls the searing Blue Cheer-meets-Iggy Pop-with-psychedelia that permeated previous releases, but adds new elements of shoegaze, classic alternative, Britpop, drone, and hints of country. Simultaneously an ode to '80s LA punk and the rise of indie/alternative music in the U.K., it plays like a radio station broadcasting from the void."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: ITR 384LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Double LP version. "Meatbodies' latest undertaking and borderline lost album, Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom, is their most varied and realized work to date. It's a melodic, hook-filled rock epic in which frontman and lead guitarist Chad Ubovich faces the trials of sobriety, redemption, reinvention while literally learning to walk and play again. Resurrection not only accompanies the record, but its production as well, Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom examines themes surrounding love and loss, escapism, defeatism, hedonism, psychedelics and much more. By 2017, Ubovich had reached a crossroads. After years of increasingly insane shows playing to heaving crowds with an ever-evolving and rotating door of personnel, fatigue had taken its toll and he realized another change was on the horizon. Retreating to the seedy Los Angeles underbelly -- in search of meaning and a reset -- he escaped into that world, ignoring his own well-being, trying to forget his successes. It was at this point that Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom began to take shape -- a project built by a man searching for new beginnings and his own sense of self. After sobering up, sessions began with longtime collaborator Dylan Fujioka. However, due to discrepancies with the studio, tensions were high and the plug was pulled. And as the world took a back seat, so did the idea of Flora Ocean Tiger Bloom. Not wanting to sit still at home, Ubovich began to comb through his previous demos, and, with that, 333 was born, the now de facto third Meatbodies album. Yet Flora was never far from Ubovich's mind. When restrictions started to lift, Ubovich headed to Gold Diggers Sound in Los Angeles, backed by engineer Ed McEntee and a team of colleagues and friends, and completed the final act to the album. It recalls the searing Blue Cheer-meets-Iggy Pop-with-psychedelia that permeated previous releases, but adds new elements of shoegaze, classic alternative, Britpop, drone, and hints of country. Simultaneously an ode to '80s LA punk and the rise of indie/alternative music in the U.K., it plays like a radio station broadcasting from the void."

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: ITR 388CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The ever poignant yet exceedingly elusive Chorg Dorgon speaks on the new album by Charles Moothart, entitled Black Holes Don't Choke: 'For the sake of clarity, and its clarity that we seek, Charles has been a pillar of our musical experience since he began playing eons ago in the various projects and countless albums he has contributed to. Charles is a musician who has been constantly on the road for years playing in Ty Segall's Freedom Band and Fuzz. When there has been a rare time away from those engagements especially in the post-pandemic scramble to catch up world of gigs and tours, he has been spending all of his time in his laboratory figuring out how to synthesize all of the info he has collected and musical ideas he has developed in the past few years since the last CFM record and subsequent shows for this new solo work. Just before the pandemic started, he was out playing solo shows in a project that revolved around an MPC sampler, just to give an example as to the wideness of his explorations. His result is Black Holes Don't Choke. Love songs for the apocalypse. A prayer toward optimism amid chaos. A plea toward nature. The themes on this album are the themes of today. Charles appeals for us to visualize evolution. And with a signature, the music sounds exactly as you want it to. It sounds like Charles Moothart's music only more evolved and with greater focus and direction. With greater textural dynamic and more sonic variation and realization, but never sacrificing the insane riff that he is clearly the master of. He gets to the point on this record. He is presenting a voice you can understand and rely on as you make your own journey into it. Create your own meanings. The record now belongs to the world. Because we all start a thought as that which is beginning-less and endless and at some certain point it becomes its own thought, takes it owns shape and becomes itself, separate from the thinker, separate from the observer. alive in the ether!'"

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: ITR 388LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. "The ever poignant yet exceedingly elusive Chorg Dorgon speaks on the new album by Charles Moothart, entitled Black Holes Don't Choke: 'For the sake of clarity, and its clarity that we seek, Charles has been a pillar of our musical experience since he began playing eons ago in the various projects and countless albums he has contributed to. Charles is a musician who has been constantly on the road for years playing in Ty Segall's Freedom Band and Fuzz. When there has been a rare time away from those engagements especially in the post-pandemic scramble to catch up world of gigs and tours, he has been spending all of his time in his laboratory figuring out how to synthesize all of the info he has collected and musical ideas he has developed in the past few years since the last CFM record and subsequent shows for this new solo work. Just before the pandemic started, he was out playing solo shows in a project that revolved around an MPC sampler, just to give an example as to the wideness of his explorations. His result is Black Holes Don't Choke. Love songs for the apocalypse. A prayer toward optimism amid chaos. A plea toward nature. The themes on this album are the themes of today. Charles appeals for us to visualize evolution. And with a signature, the music sounds exactly as you want it to. It sounds like Charles Moothart's music only more evolved and with greater focus and direction. With greater textural dynamic and more sonic variation and realization, but never sacrificing the insane riff that he is clearly the master of. He gets to the point on this record. He is presenting a voice you can understand and rely on as you make your own journey into it. Create your own meanings. The record now belongs to the world. Because we all start a thought as that which is beginning-less and endless and at some certain point it becomes its own thought, takes it owns shape and becomes itself, separate from the thinker, separate from the observer. alive in the ether!'"

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: KSCD 090CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Gregory Isaacs, the Cool Ruler as he became known, grew up in the ghetto district of Kingston Jamaica. His influences lay not only in the American singers he heard on the radio such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, but also local singers such as Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, and John Holt. His debut release Another Heartache was recorded for producer Winston Sinclair and was released under Winstons' name in the U.K. This saw Gregory move on to work with producer Rupie Edwards forming a vocal group called The Concords alongside two local singers Bramwell and Penros. Isaacs always had his sights on forming his own label, which he did in 1972 alongside Errol Dunkley, called African Museum. Gregory carried on working with various other producers throughout his career, work that helped fund his own label. One of these producers was Tappa Zukie. Tappa Zukie was also raised in the rough and tough areas of Kingston Jamaica, and very much like Gregory Isaacs found music as a way out of the tough environment in which he was surrounded. Music seemed like the only way out of a life of crime and gang culture. A path that Tappa Zukie found and by the mid 1970's was establishing himself as a named star on the DJ Roots circuit. Back home in Jamaica he was also getting a name for his production work for other local singers such as Prince Allah and the group Knowledge. To release his own productions, like Gregory Isaacs, he formed his own label called Tappa Records. These two artists working together was a match made in heaven and resulted in this set of songs. Nine of these songs originally saw the light of day in 1988, released on Tappa Zukie's Tappa Records initially called Red. Kingston Sounds has added some additional material also produced by Mr. Zukie around the same time to expand that release and make their work together more of a complete story.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: KSLP 090LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

LP version. Gregory Isaacs, the Cool Ruler as he became known, grew up in the ghetto district of Kingston Jamaica. His influences lay not only in the American singers he heard on the radio such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, but also local singers such as Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, and John Holt. His debut release Another Heartache was recorded for producer Winston Sinclair and was released under Winstons' name in the U.K. This saw Gregory move on to work with producer Rupie Edwards forming a vocal group called The Concords alongside two local singers Bramwell and Penros. Isaacs always had his sights on forming his own label, which he did in 1972 alongside Errol Dunkley, called African Museum. Gregory carried on working with various other producers throughout his career, work that helped fund his own label. One of these producers was Tappa Zukie. Tappa Zukie was also raised in the rough and tough areas of Kingston Jamaica, and very much like Gregory Isaacs found music as a way out of the tough environment in which he was surrounded. Music seemed like the only way out of a life of crime and gang culture. A path that Tappa Zukie found and by the mid 1970's was establishing himself as a named star on the DJ Roots circuit. Back home in Jamaica he was also getting a name for his production work for other local singers such as Prince Allah and the group Knowledge. To release his own productions, like Gregory Isaacs, he formed his own label called Tappa Records. These two artists working together was a match made in heaven and resulted in this set of songs. Nine of these songs originally saw the light of day in 1988, released on Tappa Zukie's Tappa Records initially called Red. Kingston Sounds has added some additional material also produced by Mr. Zukie around the same time to expand that release and make their work together more of a complete story.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: KOM 483EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

This 12" is the inauguration of a new split EP format on Kompakt. More hits on one record. Less environmental impact. Everybody wins. Deer Jade is hailing from the picturesque Lake of Geneva, an area about which the late Jean Paul Belmondo had to say a thing or two. Her infectious smile and uplifting energy behind the decks already made her a household name in clubs and festivals around the globe. This solo debut is an expression of her strong self-confidence and in-syncness with the world surrounding her. "Jukurpa" might be just one of the most flamboyant house tunes you'll come across this year, readymade for swaying to on an early summer morning dancefloor. "Cosmic Dream" is of a more introspective nature, putting gentle psychedelic synth movements to good use. There's a lot of heart in Deer Jade's music. David Hasert & Nicon? shed rays of sun galore with this lost in reverie deep house jam. Built around a catchy as hell soul vocal and occasional piano outbursts "Wasting My Time With You" will certainly be one of our favorite tunes to waste time to.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: LSE 051CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Moris Tepper, also known for his work with such luminaries as Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Frank Black, Robyn Hitchcock, and more is releasing his seventh offering in two decades of growth and maturation as a solo artist. Building A Nest finds him in a more intimate, reflective state. Like his past releases, this new album casts various emotions and styles. But, as the album's title suggests, a new path is blazed here; moving in a more 'homeward bound' direction. These songs reflect a large swath of Tepper's life, experiences, and adventures. Like a master cartographer, he has distilled much of it, creating an audible map leading him home and inviting us to follow. As expected from Tepper, the album is not without its surprises, humor, and despair. Tepper has never been one to create a collection of songs in the same set of colors and tones. His track orders are often filled with 'turn-on-a-dime' twists and Building A Nest does not disappoint. Intimate folk ballads like 'In The Morning,' reside next to the cardboard box delta blues, 'Blackbone Chicken,' seasoned and served with a McCartney/Stones style rocker, 'She Had To Run.'"

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: LPS PS015LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Although 30 years after its birth this fundamental electronic gem called Reflections has achieved cult status, it is worth remembering that it all started in 1993 in a small apartment in Waterloo, London, with the help of a mixer and a bunch of hardware synth and drum machines of hardware, with the mastodontic Oberheim OB-8 synthesizer as the main partner. While in the UK the vast majority of kids showed a certain rejection of what came from North America in the form of electro, Kirk Degiorgio, under his alias As One, embraced it openly and incorporated it into his productions along with influences from other genres that he had already adored since he was young, such as jazz, soul or funk, thus becoming one of the true early adopters of Detroit techno in the UK. Reflections is a challenge in itself, and even more so considering what the consumption pattern of electronic music was in the early '90s. This timeless album fits into the delicate border between being enough club to work on the dance floor, and still being musical and cerebral enough to be listened to at home. A milestone that, whether premeditated or not, Degiorgio more than achieved. Three decades later Lapsus Records has been able to access the pre-masters extracted from the original DATs to build a special 30th anniversary edition within its Perennial series. For the occasion, this reissue not only offers the tracks included in the first edition, it also adds the songs "The Priestess" -- never released on vinyl before -- and "Forgotten Memory" -- until now unreleased and rediscovered in one of the DATs dating back to 1992 from the Reflections recording sessions. This is the definitive edition of an album that, despite coexisting with the explosion of the rave movement, would pave the path for the UK-Detroit connection.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: LULLP 008LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Everything flows. Arutani's third album is a very personal note on change and life. The stories listeners see and create, the balance of hope and melancholia that accompanies every step they take. Calm, light, modest and mindful as the artist himself, with a glimpse of light in every aspect. Minimal in character and rich in detail. Luise is once again oh so happy to give a home to this masterpiece. Also featuring Sea Change.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: MAR 080LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Majoie Hajary is an atypical musician, born in Paramaribo (Suriname) to Indian parents and raised in Amsterdam. In 1970, in France, accompanied by the best jazz musicians and with arrangements by Roger Guerin, she recorded La Passion Selon Judas. The result was an incredible fusion of psych, funk, Indian and jazz elements -- deep religious jazz in the vein of Jef Gilson. Deluxe hard-cardboard sleeve cover. 180g-vinyl with obi.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: MAR 087EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

For the first time on 7", the reissue of rare groove masterpiece "El Bobo." Jazz-funk, disco, fusion and soul sounds from lesser-known American producer, arranger and key player Webster Lewis. His career started working alongside Stanton Davis, Tony Williams, and George Russell -- very much driven by super creative jazz piano playing. But, like many of his generation, he ended up in Europe as record deals in the US were getting harder to come by in the straight jazz world. So he ended in Oslo, where he made music for TV and one super cult album recorded live at Club 7. Webster had broken through at a time when The Headhunters and the rise of disco were fusing -- and as such, he became the go-to guy for arrangements, production and that magic coat of boogie jazz glitter! Several albums were signed to Epic, and some classic work with Gwen McCrae, Merry Clayton, Lamont Dozier, and Alton McClain. On the B-side is The Spirit Of Atlanta's "Freddie's Alive and Well." A cut from the album The Burning of Atlanta by The Spirit of Atlanta, a studio project produced by Tommy Stewart and Clarence Carter. "Freddie's Alive and Well" is the answer song to Curtis Mayfield's "Freddie's Dead" and is a huge funk classic.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: BT 5030LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The original Pussy Plays album was released in 1969. That album had a psychedelic and freaky, fuzz n' wah-wah guitar with swirling keyboards and a classic '60s production loaded with all the studio effects of the era. Pussy Plays is undoubtedly also one of the most obscure and beautiful psychedelic albums of the 1960s. So here at last the follow-up album to that first hugely iconic British psych album, Pussy Plays. The original Pussy drummer Steve Townsend and ex-Iron Maiden guitarist Bob Sawyer, along with friends Paul Jackson and Rick Cullen, came together for the follow up album Pussy Plays Again. The recording techniques were basic, the sound is lo-fi, and where this is less than puurrrfect, the quality of the music itself and the imagination and creativity shine through."

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: MUSIQ 291EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

The debut release of Italian producer now Berlin-based Luca Trentini aka Trent. He is a resident DJ of Cocktail D'amore and has released some unique records from Sound Metaphors label Bless You. "Drums Charmer" is dark, psychedelic slow-mo house. If you like slow stuff by Andrew Weatherall, you will love it. "Edenico Blues" is a modern interpretation of Afro cosmic sound. It's for the fans of Beppe Lota or Daniele Baldelli.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ON 505EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The June Brides debut single originally released in 1984 on The Pink Label. Both tracks are from fresh transfers from the master tapes which were then remastered by Jason Mitchell at LOUD Mastering in Taunton in early 2021. The June Brides are true innovators, hailing from the first wave of British indie, with fans that include Manic Street Preachers (who covered their song "The Instrumental" as a tribute), Morrissey, and Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch. They have always been regarded as pioneers, and one of the most beloved of the bands that formed the original UK independent music scene, which has since been tagged as C86. Part of The Optic Sevens 5.0 Reissue Series. Limited to 500 copies worldwide. Pressed on blue vinyl. Includes poster. Brand-new remastered versions.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ON 506EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Part of the Optic Sevens 5.0 Reissue Series. Limited to 1000 copies worldwide. Pressed on clear blue vinyl . Includes poster. The Wedding Present's third single originally released in 1986. Company card inner, re-printed copy of original promo poster. Sleeve is a copy of original 12" release. "This Boy Can Wait" is the unedited 12" version.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ON 507EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Part of the Optic Sevens 5.0 Reissue Series. Limited to 500 copies worldwide. Pressed on violet vinyl. Includes poster. Presented in the alternate 12" sleeve that was used for the original creation release and includes all three tracks on 7" for the first time. Originally released in 1986, this was one of the stand out tracks on the legendary C86 compilation. In 2023, Mojo magazine ranked the song "Therese" as the 37th greatest UK indie record ever, citing it "a breathless romantic gulp of twin guitar twirl."

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: ON 508EP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Part of the Optic Sevens 5.0 Reissue Series. Limited to 500 copies worldwide. Pressed on clear vinyl. Includes poster. Hard to find debut single originally released on Molesworth Records in 1988. The Charlottes formed in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire after drummer Simon Scott met guitarist Graham Garduilo in local band The Giant Polar Bears. They were tour buddies to Ride and most of the late 1980s shoegaze bands. Simon Scott was stolen by Slowdive after a gig at the White Horse in Hampstead in 1990, where the Boo Radleys opened the three-band bill. They split after releasing two albums. John Peel loved them and NME gave debut album Lovehappy 9 out of 10.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: ORGM 2121C-LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"The Spiritual, a free jazz album recorded by the Art Ensemble of Chicago in 1974, finds the group of stellar musicians at their creative peak. With various types of percussion, though the absence of a traditional drummer, the ensemble is able to create vivid, freeing compositions without the confines of conventional structure. The quartet, consisting of Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, and Malachi Favors, explore the depths of avant-garde jazz through a means that has yet to be touched on in a comparable capacity. The Spiritual is now widely available on 180gram coke bottle clear vinyl. Mastered by Dave Gardner at Infrasonic Mastering. Pressed at Pallas Group in Germany."

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: ORGM 2142LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Way Out Yonder is the second live release from Terry Riley & Gyan Riley, the duo comprised of iconic American composer and minimalist pioneer Terry Riley and his guitarist/composer son Gyan Riley. The album is comprised of spontaneous improvisations and compositions by both Terry and Gyan, captured during three performances in Canada, Japan and the US, and features the elder Riley on piano, voice, melodica and electronics. The album artwork was created by Barbara Falconer, who also painted the cover of Riley's landmark 1978 release, Sri Camel."

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: ORGM 2191LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Funky Chicken is the 1970 album from Willie Henderson and the Soul Explosions. As evident by the name, it is infinitely danceable from the moment you press play. The band's potent blend of soul and bayou funk makes for a very exuberant sounding record, where the grooves are endless. The record was initially released on the legendary Brunswick Records, famous for signing such artists as Jackie Wilson and The Chi-Lites. For the first time in more than a decade, Org Music is bringing the title back to vinyl in the US, mastered from original tapes and pressed on black vinyl. The long overdue reissue features two bonus tracks, 'Break Your Back' and 'Loose Booty,' the latter of which was famously sampled by Beastie Boys in their 1992 track 'Professor Booty.'"

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: ORGM 2270LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Psing Psong Psung is artist Raymond Pettibon's new collaborative rock band. Only Fan is the debut album. Raymond provided the musicians with original lyrics and texts to be set to music. Guitarist Ricky Sepulveda sings most of the songs. Raymond sings two of them. Influences range from Arthur Lee to the band Love, sixties crooners Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, pro-football player/wrestler Wahoo McDaniel, the Bobby Fuller Four to pop celebrity in the 20th Century."

 

PRICE: $21.00

CAT #: ORGM 2286CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"The Found Tapes: Live in Los Angeles is a box set from Tribe Records co-founder Phil Ranelin, celebrating a trio of LA club performances from 1978 - 1981 which remain especially significant to the visionary trombonist. Backed by a young Billy Childs on piano, Ralph Penland on drums, and Tony Dumas on bass, Ranelin was in peak form as a player and bandleader during this period. This is particularly true of one specific outing at the now shuttered Maiden Voyage in Los Angeles on July 19, 1981, which is presented in full within this set. The audio was restored from decades old cassette tapes which have never been heard until now. A master trombonist of the J.J. Johnson tradition, Ranelin's career has spanned over five decades with eleven records as a solo artist, four as a Freddie Hubbard sideman, session recordings for Motown, and work with artists ranging from Stevie Wonder and Ella Fitzgerald to Red Hot Chili Peppers and Telefon Tel Aviv."

 

PRICE: $35.50

CAT #: KICK 001LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

For the first time on double vinyl -- and 20 years after its first release on CD -- here is the compilation Garage Beat in Florence, basically a snapshot of Florence's 1966 "beat phenomena." All the tracks were recorded at Studio Due for the NET label and originally enclosed with the magazine Nuova Enigmistica Tascabile. Plus -- as bonus tracks -- a nice selection from the Ginco Records label, including previously unreleased acetate. The double vinyl contains 28 tracks, pictures, memorabilia and also the history of Studio Due and its innovative recording techniques, which became an integral part of NET's fame among collectors and lovers of Beat sounds. The activity of Studio Due was unfortunately abruptly interrupted by the Florence flood of the 4th November of 1966. Featuring Telstars, Danny, Billy & I Cani Fedeli, Spettri, Facce Di Bronzo, Tremendi, Noi Tre, and Fellows. RIYL: Pebbles, Highs In The Mid Sixties, Nuggets.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: PL 139LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"Moments Remixes began from a conversation with Jlin. We did an interview together for Talkhouse in fall of 2019, in season with the original Moments release on Unseen Worlds. Her poignant and effusive dialogue sparked the inspiration for us to do a remix together. That organically evolved into a full project idea. Xiu Xiu did the second remix in January 2020, and before things continued further -- the pandemic was upon us. During the course of the pandemic, it evolved more, and organically became a more focused project for the isolation and lack of in-person collaborative environments/performance halls. All of but one remix was completed by 2021, and then refined and curated further over the following (four) years. The highlighted dialogue across the album is how these sparse, melodic minimalisms in piano and vibraphone could manifest in a diversity of experimental subgenres: electronica, IDM, avant-rock, drone/ambient. The careful curation and illustrative collaborators elicit the transportive 'new moments' and permeable qualities of the core compositions, that discover uncharted life in this project." --Michael Vincent Waller, October 2023Michael Vincent Waller remixes by Moor Mother, Jlin, DJ Marcelle/Another Nice Mess, XiuXiu, Yu Su, Fennesz, Loraine James, Prefuse 73, Lex Luger, Jefre-Cantu Ledesma, Lafawndah, Carmen Villian, Levon Vincent, Tom VR, and Ka Baird. Presented on teal color vinyl.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: PL 162LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Is DJ Marcelle a masochist? She hates musicals and called her 2022 album DJ Marcelle: The Musical. She dislikes cheese and calls her new album A Different Fridge For Cheese. Probably the answer has more to do with her wicked sense of humor and her love for original track and album titles. This new album is like any Marcelle production (and DJ-set): it's hard to pigeonhole. Dub, techno and avant-garde influences are clearly present but the overall feeling is one of freedom, excitement, adventure and playfulness. Ideas bounce off another and Marcelle is certainly not content with one single formula. Each track becomes a new beginning, a new adventure. Bristling with possibilities, structures are pushed and pulled and explode excitedly. Album opener and closer "Muslimgauze Was Right Part I and II" are short pieces of rhythmic noise, "Big Room Techno Looking For A Room" is a weird and very danceable techno track and the bouncy "Nice Feet" is not only another great dance track but also the second tribute on the LP ("Muslimgauze Was Right" the other one); this one is an ode to the best female footballer in the world, Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati. "New Equipment" describes the mood of the track perfectly. For a The Fall fan the track title "You Don't Have To Be Weird To Be Weird" should ring a bell. Insect sounds dominate stop-start track "To Bee Or Not To Bee." "A Difficult Fridge For Cheese" (nearly the title track!) is a storming avant-garde track featuring voices of some of her (musical) friends like two members of avant dub outfit Holy Tongue and fans and friends she met whilst DJ-ing in amongst others Brazil and Portugal, asking in their native language to leave the cheese in the fridge, por favor. The title was inspired by a visit to her DJ-friend and fellow The Fall-fanatic Carlos Souffront in San Francisco. Souffront, in daily life a cheesemonger, does have a different fridge for the cheese in his house. Upon seeing this, Marcelle decided to name her new LP after this. For future album titles controversial phenomena like "pop choirs" and "DJ schools" are warned! After Explain The Food, Bitte (PL 113LP, 2021) and DJ Marcelle: The Musical (PL 126LP, 2022), A Different Fridge For Cheese is Marcelle's third album being released on the Berlin label 'play loud!'.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: MVD 15040LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"Last Of The Beats is Gray's second official album release, with beats and sounds from 1980s downtown New York to somewhere into the future. Founded in 1979 by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gray was at the cutting edge of conceptual, avantgarde music, noise and sound making. Inspired by John Cage, Stockhausen, and The Velvet Underground, with their new album, Last Of The Beats, Gray continues to push the boundaries of beauty and transcendence in music and art. Last Of The Beats is also loaded with exciting collaborations by former collaborators, including King Britt and Deantoni Parks, and adds new names to this list, including U.K. producer James Lavelle of Mo'Wax and UNKLE fame, legendary dance music producer Arthur Baker, Spike Lee actor Roger Guenvuer Smith, famed Tubes drummer Prairie Prince, and writer/Warhol & GQ publisher Glenn O'Brien. The design/artwork for the album's cover is a photograph of a noise-generating piece of kinetic sculpture that Jean-Michel Basquiat actually played, when Gray performed for famed art gallerist Leo Castelli's 78th birthday party, back in 1980, in New York City."

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: R-M 213CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Il Quadro di Troisi presents La Commedia. Four years after their eponymous debut, Il Quadro di Troisi return with a new album and a new line-up. The perfect circle traced by Eva Geist (aka Andrea Noce) and Donato Dozzy (aka Donato Scaramuzzi) becomes a triangle with the permanent addition of Pietro Micioni, who collaborated in the previous recordings and had been part of ll Quadro's live set. La Commedia is about turning a crisis into an opportunity and using change as a catalyst for rebirth. Much like the characters in classic Italian comedies, who are masters in using irony to face life's hardships, Il Quadro di Troisi explores the vast and unpredictable terrain between the lighter and darker sides of the human experience, matching the magical with the mundane. La Commedia marks the band's embrace of a more traditional song form, shaped by a very personal and distinctive musical style. The distinguishing elements of Il Quadro di Troisi's music -- classic Italian songwriting with an electronic spin -- meld into a unique mix that is both seductive and eerie, elegant and earthy, contemporary and timeless. La Commedia celebrates the band's cultural roots while constantly moving into new territory, balancing nostalgia with a forward-thinking approach. La Commedia is a rare gem that confirms Il Quadro di Troisi's relevance in the international music scene, as demonstrated by the number of top-level artists featured on the album: from Suzanne Ciani, a legend and a pioneer of independent music with a career spanning five decades, to Aimee Portioli, aka Grand River, a Dutch-Italian musician, composer and sound designer based in Berlin, along with Francesca Colombo's eclectic violin (the de facto "fourth angle" of Il Quadro di Troisi's frame), Fiona Brice's strings, cultural agitator and icon of the Roman underground scene Stefano Di Trapani (aka Demented Burrocacao and a member of Trapcoustic and System Hardware Abnormal, among other projects), Maestro Daniele Di Gregorio, an excellent musician and a longtime collaboration of songwriting legend Paolo Conte, and Tommaso Cappellato, whose professional description goes well beyond "drummer" and who has been working with artists like Rabih Beaini and Maurice Louca.

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: RER MUFG1

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"This box set (3 CDs and a 52-page book) collects and restores two legendary mid-'70s releases, both met at the time with extravagant critical acclaim but few sales outside of Spain. Presents for the first time a set of previously unknown studio recordings by the otherwise undocumented Trio Altisent, featuring members of both other projects -- alongside comprehensive book of background materials, newly conducted interviews, rare unpublished photographs, and overview of Barcelona's mid '70s music scene. On the first CD: Musica Urbana -- one of the most impressive albums of its time: uniquely infuses the languages of rock, jazz and formal composition with the Spanish folk tradition of flamenco and the sensibility of national composers (e.g. Manuel de Falla and Isaac Alb?niz). It weaves all these elements into a uniquely Spanish iteration of experimental rock. A work of luminous brilliance. On the second CD: Joan Albert I Felui Gasul, released a year later by Musica Urbana's keyboardist Joan Albert Amargos and flamenco virtuoso Feliu Gasul, a seamless fusion of styles, intensity, a high degree of musical intelligence, edge-of-the-seat playing, and mixture of compositional and improvisational flexibility, with a lightness and sense that conceal the compositions' fiendish complexity. Joan Albert plays acoustic piano, fender electric and clavinet, Jaume Cortadellus adds some perfectly judged flute on one of the tracks. All of Musica Urbana appear on another beautifully recorded and mixed album, with unusually clear, strong sound and exquisite separation, together capturing an explosive cultural moment On the third CD: Trio Altisent, unreleased recordings by Amargos, Gasul, and Cortadellus made in 1984, in a project that grew from their previous work together. Amargos and Gasul went on to become highly respected contemporary composers, later working with Paco de Lucia, Chick Corea, Miles Davis, and Maria del Mar Bonet. This box restores and expands an important moment in music, which rapidly faded as music industry values regained control."

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: RRS 065EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Following the success of his last Rhythm Section release, Ripples, the enigmatic Wallace returns to Rhythm Section after a series of stellar releases with a highly anticipated follow-up -- Papertrip -- that is destined to once again set the dance music community ablaze. Wallace's impact on the scene has been nothing short of extraordinary, and since Ripples he has gone on to play in the iconic Panorama bar, tour Japan and release a double LP on Mule Musiq. Wallace continues to cultivate a dedicated following among discerning listeners and industry tastemakers alike. Now, with the forthcoming release, Wallace is poised to ascend to new heights, continuing the undeniable Wallace-maina. For fans of: Chaos In The CBD, Kolter, Black Loops, Laurence Guy.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: RS 001LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2024 repress. Sprung up from his much-f?ted clubnight of the same name, Bradley Zero has enlisted fellow Peckham local Al Dobson Jr. to inaugurate Rhythm Section International with this: Rye Lane Volume 1, an 11 track mini-LP stuffed to the rafters with summery goodness. The importance of location on Rye Lane Volume 1 appears both tantamount and inconsequential: many of the titles on offer dot specific points of reference on the map (Peru, Grenada, Cameroon, Columbia, Peckham's Rye Lane), but Dobson Jr does his best to melt these heterogeneous influences down into something definably his own. Elliptical funkiness and nimble calypso grooves bob and weave through the melodic, soft-tone jazz stylings, all underpinned by a steady bump. This melange of warm styles mirrors the Peckham streets upon which it was cooked up, teaming with raw energy but quietly confident enough not to shout too loud about it. Tempos shift up and down at will as Dobson Jr shuffles through his strong pack at speed, maxing out the replay value. With it being almost impossible to define the sound of Rhythm Section in one record, Rye Lane Volume 1 perfectly fits the role of inaugural release by the way in which the album encapsulates the sum of Rhythm Section's influences into one coherent blend of experimental, percussive led jams. This selection of tracks, carefully curated from over 200 never-released works, is a concise statement from the Peckham based label as it confidently steps out from its humble suburban origins into the international arena.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SPIRITUAL 029LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"In Season 5, the long-awaited fifth full-length by beach-pop project The Tyde, frontman Darren Rademaker unveils his vision of an '80s-inspired Suave Nouveau, with a clutch of sweet, melancholic love songs evoking lush mustaches, mellow macho, the ghost of Jimmy Buffett, white sand beaches, flamingos swooping across a cerulean sky, speedboats cutting through the bay and pastel linen suits billowing in the breeze as the sun dips beneath the horizon. Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Le?n 'discovered' Florida in 1513, naming the peninsula La Florida, the flowering land. In Season 5, Rademaker reflects on his own return to the flowering land, and the artistic diaspora that caused him to quit California in 2020 in search of a New World of his own. 'I lived in Florida from the ages of ten to twenty-five, but never really got to explore it,' he says. 'When I came back, I decided to really embrace the whole Florida aesthetic. I moved into an art deco home in Sarasota with pink seashell lamps. I visited Key West, like seven times. I also quit smoking weed and cigarettes, and stopped saying shit like LOL and amazeballs. It felt different. It felt good.' The record features the talents of many good friends, including Dan Horne, Colby Buddelmeyer, Matt Correia (Allah-Las), Clay Finch (Mapache), Albert Hickman, Derek James (The Entrance Band), Alex Knost (Tomorrow's Tulips), and Adam MacDougall (Circles Around The Sun/Black Crowes), with artist/musician Matt Fishbeck (Holy Shit) designing the deco-inspired album artwork. And as much as they are inspired by the past, these songs are keenly aware of an uncertain future -- because there is no such thing as a time machine, and there is no going back. Ultimately, Season 5 asks the question -- where do we go after the sun sets on our dreams? Where the fuck is the New New World? In Rademaker's eyes, it no longer exists in any specific American geography -- rather, all hope remains in the timeless, unending power of music, and its power to take us to the places we wish we could be. Even if they don't exist anymore." --Caroline Ryder

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: BARN 094EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Stockholm boys Ari Bald & CJ Scott strike again on Studio Barnhus, following up their much-lauded 2023 EP for their hometown label. Once again they present a fabulously fuss-less four-pack of house music goodness, this time with a special ode to V?stertorp, encapsulating the essence and soul of the Stockholm suburb in this collection heartfelt, club-ready cuts.

 

PRICE: $22.50

CAT #: SOS 004LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Old friends Julian Bates and Alex Gray -- working together as Mighty Truth for the first time since 1995's From The City To The Sea -- filled a car with old analogue synths, kids' noise toys, and collected field recordings, took a road trip down to hole up in an old water mill in southwest England's bird-twittery, bee-loud Quantock hills. Things got cinematic: unequal measures of early Weather Report, Wim Wenders, and Serge Gainsbourg kept them wonderfully lost in their imagined world. Back in London with guest singers Allonymous (Paris via Chicago) and Wayne Paul (London), they completed the album and decided to just call it Mighty Truth. With an aim to present the live show at moonlight pop-up cinema venues, Mighty Truth are here for the next chapter in their epic saga. Julian Bates and Alex Gray first met through their shared obsession with classic cars. At the time, Julian's band Nightrains was signed to ACE Records in the UK whilst Alex worked first as a session keyboardist for the likes of Edwyn Collins, Billy Mackenzie, and Busta "Cherry" Jones, and later as a mixer and remixer working with S'express producer Pascal Gabriel, Malcolm McLaren, and soul DJ legend Dr Bob Jones. Working together in the studio for the first time producing Vanessa Freeman, Alex and Julian decided to embark on a drop-tempo jazz trip project they named Mighty Truth. Pressing of 200 copies on clear vinyl. RIYL: Zero 7, Plaid, Hot Chip, Weather Report, Isolee, Baby Fox.

 

PRICE: $11.00

CAT #: WIRE 482

FILE UNDER: Misc

"In the magazine: Darius Jones, Steve Roach, Clarissa Connelly, [Ahmed], Shovel Dance Collective, Arushi Jain, Kulku, Harmony Holiday, Richie Culver. Invisible Jukebox: Ka Baird. Global Ear: Dublin. Epiphanies: Aura Satz on the sound of sirens. Inner Sleeve: Raji Rags on D'Angelo. Unlimited Editions: Industrial Coast. Unofficial Channels: The Rest newsletter, plus 40 pages of reviews including Shabaka Hutchings, Eddie Pr?vost, Creation Rebel, Eugene S Robinson, hcmf 2023, and more. On the CD: 16 new tracks by Jac Berrocal, Elaine Mitchener, Derek Piotr, Heejin Jang, Lori Vambe, Shit & Shine, The Phereomoans, A Lily, Dream Skills & GW Sok, and more."

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: TOYT 161EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

A new Toy Tonics EP by label boss Kapote. Four tracks for the dancefloor inspired by Italo disco, new wave funk, and NYC '90s house. A perfect sound for the new Y2K vibes on 2024 dancefloors. Kapote and his friends release music that connects analogue and band vibes with digital production in a very fresh and unique way. Influenced by European underground disco and American house as well as afro beats, new wave, and soulful electronica.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: TRESOR 332EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2024 repress. The record follows a majestic appearance on the Tresor 30 anniversary compilation and his expert devotion to the Roland TB-303, Filo Loves The Acid. True to form, 124 meddles sharp rhythmic minimalism and diverse textures, each track pushing at the epiphanic threshold as the boss of Spazio Disponibile allows his deeply intuitive productions to take effect. "messy kafka world" introduces a frenetic and concentrated atmosphere of rhythmic forces, hallucinatory and euphoric in effect. Its dizzying staccato loops are given structure by strengthening beats and bleak synthetic pillars. "synthi chase" emits radical powers, as buzzing rhythms and monotone synths make raw gestures towards altered states. It shares a kindred spirit with "cassiopeia 36", seen in particular through its determined and primitive pulses, nested within wobbling wood percussion and nervous synth repetitions. "wooden dolls don't cry" stamps a warm groove, its tempered percussion taking center stage as shimmering melodic loops threaten spiraling feedback. These dark, hypnotic tracks are flawlessly programmed to cast mesmeric momentums onto club floors and into loosened limbs. 124 represents Donato Dozzy ever-expanding his powers and musical freedom. His innate groove and inventive sound design push minimal and serene techno with a substantial weight and voice that sets him apart from others.

 

PRICE: $11.95

CAT #: UT 065

FILE UNDER: Misc

"Ugly Things issue 65 top cover story: the Futuristic Sounds of the Yardbirds; writer Peter Stanfield explores their change of direction in 1965, their rivalry with The Who and lots more. Also featured: Detroit rock pioneers the Chosen Few, the band that spawned future members of SRC and the Stooges, the compelling story of UK '70s punk outsiders the Subway Sect as told by guitarist Rob Symmons; '70s power pop princes the Paley Brothers; Viennese proto-punk anarchists Novaks Kapelle; the sixties adventures of Matthew and Daniel Moore (the Moon, Colours, Matthew Moore Plus Four); and a fascinating study of the beat music industry behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. Plus: Moby Grape, the Ascots, Cyril Jordan on Little Richard, and the meticulous review sections, covering all the latest vinyl and CD reissues, and rock and roll-related books."

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: UNSPLP 001LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Suffolk-based singer songwriter James Varda's fourth and final album before his death from a long battle with cancer in 2015, Chance And Time, set for a vinyl only reissue on Unspun Heroes is an astonishing aural document of a creative, forward -thinking musician coming to terms with a life slowly evaporating away. There is hubris, melancholy and an undeniable weight of sadness in these ten songs but, miraculously, there is also a stoic realization and acceptance from Varda that is both heart-wrenching and deeply affecting. On Chance And Time, Varda reconnects the human spirit to the land, a heavy, fearful heart to an optimistic soul, and in a beautiful poetic flourish gives a real tangible sense of loving and hope to his family and friends offering genuine reassurance and even, at times, a green light for celebration. Carrying a certain air of mystique of say a Karen Dalton or a Jeff Buckley, Varda's delivery and tone carries huge emotional weight here and a unique ability to add an honest perspective and warmth to the starkest of realities. Chance And Time is both an extraordinary record and poignant study of life and living, of death and what comes after. James Varda released four albums between 1988 and his death in 2015.

 

PRICE: $30.50

CAT #: UIHR 020LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Snakes Don't Belong In Alaska have firmly established themselves as a prominent force in the underground UK psych scene, sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in the current generation of psych rock. Notably, they collaborated on a mesmerizing album with the legendary Japanese psych artist, Junzo Suzuki, and have had the privilege of performing alongside esteemed bands like Hawklords, 10000 Russos, and The Myrrors, among others. Originating from the vibrant city of Newcastle upon Tyne, SDBIA embraces an experimental genre non-conforming psych style, blending elements of stoner, kosmische, space rock, prog, and post rock. This captivating fusion of sounds creates a unique musical experience that continues to captivate audiences far and wide. Their latest offering Navegando Al Paraiso sees a slight change of pace from the band, but none less potent. The band invite you on a transcendent musical journey, effortlessly blending psychedelic rock with waves of folk and post-rock. This album immerses listeners in a dreamscape where ethereal melodies ebb and flow like the tides. Each track evokes a sense of wanderlust, drawing inspiration from timeless musical traditions while pushing the boundaries of sonic exploration. Snakes Don't Belong in Alaska paint an otherworldly soundscape that invites you to lose yourself in the euphoria of musical and introspective discovery. Available on super limited-edition green and clear vinyl, only 300 copies pressed.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: UIHR 021LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Ivan The Tolerable is the alter ego solo project of Middlesbrough based musical wizard Oli Heffernan. Aside from his solo work as ITT, Oli has played in numerous bands over the years including Year Of Birds, King Champion Sounds with members of the Ex, Detective Instinct, and Shrug, and has collaborated with icons like Mike Watts of the Minutemen, and J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. Ivan The Tolerable started by accident in 2013 when Heffernan recorded a bunch of songs for his band at the time (Year Of Birds). These were a bit too left-field for a speedy garage band, so Oli decided to put them out on tape himself, and hasn't looked back since with releases on Up In Her Room, Stolen Body Records, and Library of the Occult to name just a few. Up In Her Room brings you our next entry from the Ivan The Tolerable archive reissue series, 2019's Wild Nature! Originally released on CD by Ack Ack Ack Records back in 2019, the album has now been remastered and repackaged, and appears on limited-edition orange wax. Here's a bit about the album in Oli's own words: "Wild Nature was originally recorded sporadically during the first half of 2019. It started life in one house, then I moved and it was finished in another. I remember screen-printing the original CD artwork on the sly at my old job during my lunch breaks and hand-assembled a small run of about 50 that are all long gone. I also remember walking around Albert Park early one morning in thick fog with a field recorder to capture the sounds that were then processed to form '23 Minutes Over Albert Park' (condensed to four mins for the reissue due to time constraints). I think this was also the last album I recorded vocals on and also the last one I recorded completely by myself -- all instruments, recording, mixing, mastering and artwork done by me at home."

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: VAMPIC 45077-2

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Splatter color vinyl version. Few melodies have been played so many times on radio, movies, or TV commercials as these two compositions from the golden age of mainstream disco music. Top international hits and iconic milestones of an era, both songs are immediately recognizable after just a few chords by almost anyone on this planet. These two compelling tropical versions retain all the party spirit of the originals, guaranteeing some dancefloor heat each time the needle hits the surface of the vinyl. A perfect follow-up to the acclaimed previous singles in Vampisoul's Tropical 45s Series that so far has included recordings by the likes of Jimmy Salcedo and Sebastiao Tapajos/Pedro Dos Santos. In the rendition of Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" there is a playful mix of the old and the modern made by Pedro "Ramay?" Beltr?n, signed under his project La Cumbia Moderna de Soledad; a group from Barranquilla, Colombia that recorded a set of songs that exudes both tradition and innovation. Machuca Cumbia, a Colombian studio band under the direction of "Cachaco" Brando, add some unexpected cumbia arrangements to the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive," resulting a dancefloor winner full of hypnotic percussions and guitars that, at times, even recall other genres such as surf.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: WJCD 065CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Amirtha Kidambi has long affirmed that the role of music in the act of protest is pivotal. For an artist and activist who once cultivated community at defunct Brooklyn spaces such as Death By Audio and the Silent Barn, the 2020 protests became a place to publicly amplify the underground. That subversive spirit of collective dismantlement and reassemblage serves as the catalyst for the longform cuts that comprise New Monuments, Kidambi's third full-length recording with her band Elder Ones. As their leader writes in its accompanying liner notes, the title summons the "tearing down of old colonial and racist monuments and vestiges of power, in order to build new ones to the martyrs of struggle." Tracked at Figure 8 Studios above Prospect Park, the album is the work of an artist concerned with numerous interconnected sites of global conflict: among them, the farmers' protests over agricultural reforms in India, the evolution of the Iranian women's rights movement following the death of Mahsa Amini, and the continuous crescendoing call for Palestinian liberation. This time, the Elder Ones collective consists of saxophonist Matt Nelson, cellist Lester St. Louis, bassist Eva Lawitts, and drummer Jason Nazary -- all four of whom contribute their share of electronic textures and electroacoustic treatments. As a document of dissent, these four compositions give proof that improvisation is instrumental in the realm of resistance. Kidambi's voice hovers over a scorched sonic landscape equally informed by Black American liberation music, the devotional fervor of Indian Carnatic, and the unleashing of an inner scream listeners might associate with hardcore punk and harsh noise. The quintet then locks into a polyrhythmic pulse that conjures up the ghosts of free jazz past and present; throughout its runtime, there are flashes of Albert Ayler's love cry, Don Cherry's eternal rhythms, Alice Coltrane's ecstatic spirituality, and the fortissimo fearlessness of Kidambi's late friend and collaborator Jaimie Branch, to whom the album is partly dedicated. Above all, New Monuments is a call to action with nothing left unsaid: it demands that the drive towards change should not only be seen, but heard.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: WJLP 064LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Brooklyn-based artist Jonah Parzen-Johnson returns with the new album You're Never Really Alone. If you look at the label on the LP containing eight intimate compositions for baritone sax and flute, you will find the words, "we made this together." At first thought, this simple phrase may seem out of place on a solo record, but just like the compositions on this album, it was carefully crafted to cut to the core of what this music is all about. You're Never Really Alone arrives in stark contrast to Parzen-Johnson's 2020 We Jazz Records solo debut, Imagine Giving Up. Where Imagine Giving Up was celebrated for Parzen-Johnson's ability to assemble deeply evocative electro-acoustic sound worlds, You're Never Really Alone shows that Jonah can look you in the eye and say "my voice alone is enough." Across eight tracks, Parzen-Johnson, a Chicago native, explores the technical limits of his baritone saxophone and flute without ever making the listener feel like he has something to prove. You will find circular breathing, multiphonics, and explosive levels of sound, but more importantly, you will enjoy every moment of musical storytelling and compositional skill. This album is made for repeat listening.

 

PRICE: $44.50

CAT #: WE 006LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Jards Macal?'s biography is a testament to the electrifying energy of music and the unwavering spirit of artistic rebellion. Macal? has remained true to his vision, unapologetically embracing the unconventional and challenging the status quo. His music, a conduit of emotion and a mirror to society, continues to weave a sonic tapestry that resonates with the souls of listeners. In 2022, Macal? celebrated the momentous 50th anniversary of his debut solo album, a groundbreaking masterpiece released by Philips in 1972. This iconic record gifted us timeless tracks such as "Vapor Barato", "Mal Secreto", "Farinha do Desprezo", "Revendo Amigos", and "Hotel das Estrelas". Its sheer brilliance united the realms of Brazilian music, infusing samba and bossa nova with the fiery essence of rock, classical harmonies, and the improvisational spirit of jazz. As the years passed, a new generation of musicians and fans discovered this gem, fueling its resurgent popularity and inspiring fresh collaborations. In 2023, Jards Macal? assembled a formidable new band, igniting stages across Brazil with a tour that now sets its sights on Europe. Together with Gui Held on guitar, the Paulo Emmery on bass, and Thomas Harres on drums, Macal? conjures an exhilarating homage to his illustrious body of work. This live performance embodies the untamed spirit and boundless musical freedom that define this visionary artist, transporting audiences to a realm where the past intertwines with the present in a breathtaking display of artistic prowess. The record is shrink-wrapped but was opened due to a subsequent sticker on the insert.

 

PRICE: $31.00

CAT #: WWSLP 031LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2024 restock; LP version. Obi; includes four-page insert. Wewantsounds present the first official release outside of Japan for The Mystery Kindaichi Band's The Adventures of Kindaichi Kosuke, originally released in 1977. The "imaginary" soundtrack to the cult detective book series by writer Seishi Yokomizo is on many DJ want-lists. Arranged by soundtrack master Kentaro Haneda and featuring a mysterious group of the best '70s Japanese Funk musicians, the album is pure undiluted disco funk. Writer Seishi Yokomizo is an institution in Japan. He could be compared to Agatha Christie with his series of novels based on the adventures of detective Kosuke Kindaichi. The fictional character was born in 1946 with Yokomizo's first novel in the series and solved mysteries until the late '70s under Yokomizo's pen before the death of the writer in 1981. Yokomizo's novels have been a prime source for film and TV scenarios, so when, in 1977, Japanese label King Records decided to record a concept album based on the Kindaichi novels, it made complete sense. The writer was slightly surprised though. The concept album was arranged by pianist Kentaro Haneda, a key TV and film composer who has worked on many anime films and is also famous outside of Japan for composing the music for the video game Wizardry. For the album, he assembled a supergroup of some of the best Tokyo funk and city pop musicians. The long list includes jazz pianist Hideo Ichikawa who played on the 1971 Joe Henderson In Japan album, drummer Jun Moriya, who is on Joe Hisaichi's cult Wonder City Orchestra album (1982), percussionist Tadaomi Anai who played with disco singer Eri Ohno, trumpeter Koji Hadori who's featured on Haruomi Hosono's Pacific album (1978). Also present on the album are saxophonist Takeru Muraoka who plays on many Tatsuro Yamashita cult albums including For You (1982) and Spacy (1977), Kimiko Yamauchi (koto) who's on Akiko Yano's landmark 1976 album Japanese Girl (WWSCD 017CD/WWSLP 017LP), and last but not least, French hornist Koji Yamaguchi who plays on Yazuaki Shimizu's Kakashi (1982). Together they lay the funk on ten instrumentals filled with pure disco and funk breakbeats, making the album one of the highly-coveted Japanese LPs on international cratedigger scene. Remastered from the original tapes. Faithfully reproduced original artwork; Artwork by renowned illustrator Ichibun Sugimoto. New introduction by Anton Spice.

 

PRICE: $31.00

CAT #: WWSLP 034LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2024 restock; single LP version. Obi strip; four-page insert. Wewantsounds present the reissue of Ryuichi Sakamoto's third solo album Hidari Ude No Yume (Left Handed Dream), originally released in 1981 on the Alfa label. Save for a small-scale Dutch vinyl release in 1981, it is the first time the album's original Japanese edition is released outside of Japan (the European release on Epic Records included significantly different tracks and mixes). Hidari Ude No Yume was recorded at the legendary Alfa Studio "A" in Tokyo during the Summer of 1981. it came after B-2 Unit in 1980 and his debut album Thousand Knives Of... in 1978 (WWSCD 024CD/WWSLP 024LP), the very year Sakamoto was invited by Haruomi Hosono to join Yellow Magic Orchestra alongside Yukihiro Takahashi. In 1981, Sakamoto decided to record an album rooted in pop, following the more experimental B-2 Unit and his landmark electro debut. Sakamoto invited British producer Robin Scott to co-produce. They entered the Alfa studio in July 1981 with his fellow YMO musicians Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, keyboard programmer extraordinaire Hideki Matsutake who'd been on Sakamoto's first two albums and became YMO's unofficial fourth member, violinist Kaoru Sato, saxophonist Satoshi Nakamura, and American guitarist Adrian Belew (David Bowie, The Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club). Together, they created a fascinating mix of pop, ambient and electronic music with elements of avant-garde and traditional Japanese music, the whole firmly rooted in a solid groove. From the funk of "Rel?ch?" to the new wave feel of "Venezia" and the ambient minimalism of "Slat Dance," the album is remarkably consistent while displaying a wealth of global influences. The album was released in Japan in 1981 and Epic Records picked it up for Europe a year later but decided to release it in a significantly altered version. The sequencing was completely reshuffled and two tracks, "Saru No Ie" and "Living In The Dark" were completely dropped while three others, "Rel?ch?", "Tell 'em To Me", "Venezia" were heavily remodeled with English lyrics and different names. Last but not least, a new English-sung track, "The Arrangement," was added, making the album nine tracks instead of ten for the Japanese edition. Newly remastered from the original tapes by renowned engineer Bernie Grundman. Comes with original artwork featuring cover shot by famous photographer Masayoshi Sukita. Four-page insert with new introduction by journalist Anton Spice.

 

PRICE: $36.50

CAT #: WWSLP 040LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2024 restock; double LP version. Tokyo Dreaming is a superb selection picked from the highly collectible Nippon Columbia label and its Better Days sub-label. Wewantsounds have teamed up with journalist and Japanese music expert Nick Luscombe. The selection mixes electro, synth-pop, funk, and ambient and includes many sought-after rarities and hidden gems which have never been released outside of Japan and the set has been newly remastered by Nippon Columbia. Nippon Columbia, one of Japan's oldest music labels is also one of its most collectible thanks to its sub-label Better Days which, in the late '70s, became a hotbed for Tokyo's new generation of pop artists eager to experiment with ambient, electro, and funk. Armed with a string of new Japanese-made synthesizers and drum machines that would soon take the world by storm, they made cutting-edge music, which has since become highly sought-after by a new generation of Japanese music lovers. Nick Luscombe, who has long been a leading advocate of Japanese music from this era, has handpicked a selection of some of the sharpest music released on these labels at the time. Tokyo Dreaming starts with "The End of Asia" by Ryuichi Sakamoto from his 1978 ground-breaking debut Thousand Knives Of... (WWSCD 024CD/WWSLP 024LP, 2019). The track became a staple of Sakamoto and Yellow Magic Orchestra's live shows and was even re-recorded by the group for their 1980 album X Multiplies. The track is followed by Mariah's cult Armenian folk flavored synth pop classic "Shinzo No Tobira" (1983). Chika Asamoto's "Self Control" (1988) and Jun Fukamachi's "Treasure Hunter" (1985) are perfect songs in the synth-pop canon, while Yumi Murata's rendition of Akiko Yano's "Watashi No Bus" and Hitomi "Penny" Tohyama's "Rainy Driver" both from 1981, move closer towards the slicker, funkier sound of city pop. Tokyo Dreaming superbly showcases the breadth of '80s Japanese music and the way electro pop was a playing ground for musicians to experiment with many styles, as showcased by Akira Sakata's dub-infused "Room" from 1980, Kazumi Watanabe's discoid "Tokyo Joe" (1980) and Juicy Fruits' techno pop song "Jenie Gets Angry". The selection flows effortlessly between many shades of synth and ends with two cult classics in the form of Yasuaki Shimizu's "Semi Tori No Hi" and Shigeo Sekito's ambient-jazz masterpiece "The Word II" from his highly sought-after album Kareinaru Electone (The Word) Vol.2 (1975). Tokyo Dreaming showcases the groundbreaking sounds of a city turned giant sonic lab which was restlessly inventing the music of the future. Album designed by famed London-based designer Optigram. Also features Yumi Seino, Kyoko Furuya, Kazue Itoh, Haruo Chikada & Vibra-Tones, and Colored Music.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: WWSLP 053LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

2024 restock. Wewantsounds reissue Omar Khorshid's highly sought-after instrumental album Giant + Guitar originally released in 1974 in Lebanon and recorded at Polysound Studio by famed Lebanese engineer Nabil Moumtaz. The album features Khorshid's unique electric guitar sound mixed with Arabic melodies over superb psych arrangements. Omar Khorshid's life, if short (he died age 36 in a road accident), was extraordinary. Blessed with a great talent for music, the Egyptian musician and actor became one of the best guitarists of the Arab World accompanying the greatest stars of the '60s and '70s, including Oum Kalthoum, Abdel Halim Hafez and Farid El Atrache. To avoid the political troubles of the time in Egypt, and to fulfil his artistic ambitions, Khorshid moved to Beirut in Lebanon in 1973 and started recording a string of superb albums experimenting with oriental music. He recorded for several labels including Voice of Lebanon, one of the key Lebanese labels of the time. He released his first album Giant + Guitar for the label in 1974 and it was an instantly popular in the Arab world. The front cover sees Khorshid on his motorcycle in the busy street of Hamra, one of the most vibrant Beirut neighborhoods where he was playing most nights in residence. (The album was also released internationally as Rhythms from the Orient with a different artwork focusing on belly dance). The sound is both bold and accessible, displaying Khorshid's unique guitar sound, accompanied by a small band mixing traditional and modern fuzzed-up arrangements. The mesmerizing opening track, "Rakset El Fadaa", composed by Lebanese musician Nour Al Mallah, is a perfect example of Khorshid's artistry. Starting with a long, hypnotic guitar intro, it then speeds up with the backing of a groovy organ, Oriental percussion and the psych sound of an early synthesizer to great effect. The album continues on the same mode blending traditional oriental music with inventive arrangements as showcased by the Mohamed Abdel Wahab standard "Leilet Hob" popularized by Oum Kalthoum, which sees Khorshid and his musicians shifting pace several times over eight minutes. One of the peaks of the album in terms of sonic experiments is undoubtedly Korshid's own composition, "Taqassim Sanat Alfein", with Khorshid's superb guitar in full bloom accompanied by a few touches of synth. Wewantsounds' series of Arabic music reissues are curated by Mario Choueiry from Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. Newly remastered; includes original Voice of Lebanon artwork and a two-page insert featuring liner notes by DJ Ernesto Chahoud.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: YNFND 031LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Rekorder is "a kind of retrospective of myself", says M.RUX about his second, long-awaited solo album. For over 10 years, Marten Rux aka M.RUX appears as a DJ, producer, editor, remixer and multi-instrumentalist all over the world and has developed an idiosyncratic sound that opens up subtle fields of tension: M.RUX mixes a sound between experimental sound design and hooklines that stay in your ears forever. Between wild percussion and contemplative harmonies, between ecstasy and meditative calm. In his DJ and live sets, M.RUX usually steps up to the controls with a smile, discreetly bobbing his head, while the audience goes wild. He circumnavigates clich?s with trustworthy certainty and develops his very own guiding threads in his selection beyond BPM or genre straitjackets. One constant is his warm, often stoically slow kick drum, which holds all that playfulness together. Rekorder is a manifestation of this typical M.RUX sound. Similar to his concept album Vermonische Melodien from 2020 (PING 069LP), the artist's curiosity is directed towards the musical visions of the past. When new music technology projected great visions of the future and when new sounds had not yet solidified into clich?s. Rekorder refers to the recording device, spelled in a German way, because most of the recordings were made in Germany (and in England as well). Rekorder draws deeply from its own archive, which has flourished quite splendidly during the pandemic. Multi-instrumentalist M.RUX mixes his own recordings of banjo, guitar, auto-harp, synths, percussion and jews harp with fragments from sessions with friends that have accumulated since 2020. They unfold in the process of re-listening in the mix and transform into a solid musical tapestry. M.RUX bows deeply to the history of pop music -- especially the blues and its melancholy, coolness and shuffling groove. The harmonic framework of the album is based on blues scales throughout. Instead of conveying blue emotions via lyrics or the tone of the voice, as the original genre does, the synthesizer takes on this role on Rekorder. With his sound design, M.RUX achieves an ecstatic sorrow in his melodies, this gurgling portamento that is reminiscent of R&B (or even the ingenious title melody of the series Bojack Horseman). If voices are heard on Rekorder, then as hypnotic fragments that guide you through the groove as conjunctions. There are no lyrics, no literal weariness, no love-songs or storytelling, Rekorder processes all of this into timbres and groove as vessels for the album's individual, contemplative melancholy.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: YNFND 031RED-LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. Red vinyl. Rekorder is "a kind of retrospective of myself", says M.RUX about his second, long-awaited solo album. For over 10 years, Marten Rux aka M.RUX appears as a DJ, producer, editor, remixer and multi-instrumentalist all over the world and has developed an idiosyncratic sound that opens up subtle fields of tension: M.RUX mixes a sound between experimental sound design and hooklines that stay in your ears forever. Between wild percussion and contemplative harmonies, between ecstasy and meditative calm. In his DJ and live sets, M.RUX usually steps up to the controls with a smile, discreetly bobbing his head, while the audience goes wild. He circumnavigates clich?s with trustworthy certainty and develops his very own guiding threads in his selection beyond BPM or genre straitjackets. One constant is his warm, often stoically slow kick drum, which holds all that playfulness together. Rekorder is a manifestation of this typical M.RUX sound. Similar to his concept album Vermonische Melodien from 2020 (PING 069LP), the artist's curiosity is directed towards the musical visions of the past. When new music technology projected great visions of the future and when new sounds had not yet solidified into clich?s. Rekorder refers to the recording device, spelled in a German way, because most of the recordings were made in Germany (and in England as well). Rekorder draws deeply from its own archive, which has flourished quite splendidly during the pandemic. Multi-instrumentalist M.RUX mixes his own recordings of banjo, guitar, auto-harp, synths, percussion and jews harp with fragments from sessions with friends that have accumulated since 2020. They unfold in the process of re-listening in the mix and transform into a solid musical tapestry. M.RUX bows deeply to the history of pop music -- especially the blues and its melancholy, coolness and shuffling groove. The harmonic framework of the album is based on blues scales throughout. Instead of conveying blue emotions via lyrics or the tone of the voice, as the original genre does, the synthesizer takes on this role on Rekorder. With his sound design, M.RUX achieves an ecstatic sorrow in his melodies, this gurgling portamento that is reminiscent of R&B (or even the ingenious title melody of the series Bojack Horseman). If voices are heard on Rekorder, then as hypnotic fragments that guide you through the groove as conjunctions. There are no lyrics, no literal weariness, no love-songs or storytelling, Rekorder processes all of this into timbres and groove as vessels for the album's individual, contemplative melancholy.