New Arrivals
the website has changed some - any of these new releases can be ordered by simply emailing us to see if the item is in stock, and then we will send you a paypal invoice for them. i have changed the new release section to reflect the limited availibility of many of the items we receive - things we will carry for longer will be added into the main catalog of items. thank you!!
my friend Honey O (valet) is in this band. honey o kicks ass! she is one tough little cookie, and i love her!
Jackie-O Motherfucker lp Blood of Life on Fire $17.99
Jackie-O Motherfucker cd Blood of Life on Fire $15.99
Contains two completely new versions of JOMF classics, "Hey! Mr. Sky" & "The Grave" as well as a reworking of last year?s "Valley of Fire." The record also features a traditional ballad "The Lost Jimmy Walen" & a brand new track "The Blood of Life" which is a ground breaking piece of new music for the band & marks a new direction
Blackout Beach cd Skin of Evil on Soft Abuse $13.99
Blackout Beach is the solo nom de guerre of Carey Mercer (FROG EYES/SWAN LAKE). Skin of Evil is remarkable in the sense that a. it contains a story, and b. that it sticks to the story; a rare occurrence in these free times. "Donna" is the subject, and each of her lovers (past & present) say their peace in song (Donna gets her song, too). Composed, played & recorded entirely by Mercer alone, these songs revel in the proto-punk darkness of the heady Cleveland axis (e.g. Peter Laughner, David Thomas) with a minimal, textural & almost Suicide-ish sense of pop form & the experimental nature of contemporary Scott Walker works
Bon Iver cd ep Blood Bank on Jagjaguwar $9.99
This four song collection continues down the path forged by 2008's critically acclaimed "For Emma, Forever Ago." From the title track's remembrance of the winter warmth we seek, to the summer love tribute of b-side gem "Baby," his snow-blanketed harmonies live across the seasons. Still, there is a reverence for sabbatical, solitude & the winding down of time. As much as Emma is about the cold, this is about the warmth that gets you through it. Like a fire you've been stoking for hours & finally got to sustain itself, the heat blisters your face while your back is frozen solid. He has grown to include more than what was available at the much-fabled Wisconsin cabin, such as piano, slide guitar, & vocoder. Both expansive & intimate, these four songs explore the darker & lighter natures of the seasons & what they signify, & offer a dynamic glimpse into the natural energy & refined craftsmanship that characterize his music
Connors, Loren & Jim O' Rourke - cd -Two Nice on Family Vineyard $14.99
...Catholic Boys" Together they unravel slow motion ghost blues across three extended pieces that evolve from the elder's martian style to the thundering, feedback splattered lead grooves of that whippersnapper. The spontaneous melodies shift from devastating, country road intimacy to hypnotic overamped rock. It's ferocious, epic, & an utter beauty
Gore lp Hart Gore/Mean Man's on Southern Lord $18.99
...Dream" An essential reissue of the first two albums from this seminal instrumental Dutch band. Relentless, heavy pounding instrumental rock, whose influence on other instrumental outfits like Pelican, Don Caballero, Russian Circles, etc. is painfully obvious. With their use of repetitive heavy rolling rhythms & bombastic execution, Gore pioneered a new style of music for the time. Remastered plus unreleased bonus material!
High on Fire cd Live At The on Relapse Relapse $15.99
...Contamination Festival" Captured at the legendary Relapse Contamination Festival in 2003. The band tears through a vicious 8 song set including classics "Hung, Drawn, & Quartered," "Blood From Zion" & the only official recording of them covering the Venom classic "Witching Hour"
Howlin Rain lp Wild Life on Three Lobed $25.99
Two fifteen minute plus monster jams - the first is an amazingly inspired & completely improvised wailing twin guitar, rock meditation on Paul McCartney's "Wild Life." "Black Sangria" rounds out the disc w/a completely improvised piece covered in heavy jazz fusion & free, latin jazz rock overtones. Features BEN CHASNY (SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE) on guitar. LIMITED TO 1,000 on 180g RTI vinyl
Parenthetical Girls cd (((GRRRLS))) on Tomlab $15.99
Compiling an innocent assortment of equipment (bass synthesizer, ill-tuned guitar, analog tape delay, & glockenspiel), Pennington & then-collaborator Jeremy Cooper embarked on a course to emulate the spirit of their mutual musical interests, which at the time primarily included the likes of Brian Eno, Pete Kember, Phil Spector, & the early Rough Trade catalog. In an attempt to maintain the distinct duality of the LP release, the CD version features both editions of the album - but in two different, enhanced CD formats: version "O" (as mixed by Dead Science's Jherek Bischoff) plays on any standard CD player like your average CD should, while the "X" version (as mixed by Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart), takes advantage of the near ubiquity of the iPod revolution by offering its tracks as super high quality MP3s, accessible via any computer
Parenthetical Girls cd Safe As Houses on Tomlab $15.99
"Love Connection, pt. 2" cements the somber, ostensibly sinister narrative tone that shrouds much of the album, while simultaneously establishing the tremendous sonic leap the band undertook in their two years of relative quiet. From there, the record leaps into an altogether different sort of narrative - one anchored in the surprising confidence of words-singer Zac Pennington's plainspoken & startingly corporeal apparitions. Unsettling & beautiful in equal measure, Pennington's a-linear narrative weaves the surprisingly evocative mythology that cradles the record's kitchen-sink experimentation. This embraces the group's shrewd attention to the awkward confluence of experimental & pop musics - creating a record that is at once more difficult & more intrinsically palpable (not to mention significantly darker) than anything so far bearing their name
Roach, Steve/Erik Wollo cd Stream of Thought on Projekt $16.99
With the combined experience of these two veteran electronic composers, this collaboration flows w/an agility of emotion & intellect in fluid interplay; minimalistinspired melodic tapestries, pulsing trance passages, deep drone drifts, & surreal soundscapes morph into cloud-like forms; a constant state of sonic evolution
Saeta cd Else Another Light Might on Tarnished $11.99
...Go Out" Saeta features Matt Menovcik on vocals, guitar & accordion, and Lesli Wood on vocals & piano. With Bob
Smolenski on cello, they have created a lush collection of songs, a hypnotic meditation on paradox & terror steeped in a lovely yet uncanny sense of Other. This album achingly explores seasoned songwriter Menovcik struggling with very real demons regarding the painful end of a long-term relationship & other dark circumstances. To transform this pain, Menovcik grasped desperately to the aesthetics of hope, love & beauty -- painstakingly recorded & mixed by longtime collaborator Kramer (Galaxie 500, Damon & Naomi, Palace Brothers, Low)
Six Organs of Admittance 3lp set RTZ on Drag City $22.99
Multi-faceted triple-gatefold LP!
Six Organs of Admittance double cd RTZ on Drag City $17.99
The double-CD, triple-LP epic called RTZ (named after the button on a Tascam 484 that “returns to zero”) fashions several lesser-known
pieces from Six Organs of Admittance?s early years into a massive prismatic arc, colossal & organic like some wonder of the ancient world. RTZ travels back to the dawn of this century to locate “Resurrection,” half of a Time-Lag split 12” with Charalambides. “Warm Earth, Which I?ve Been Told” is half of a Mental Telemetry split CD with Vibracathedral Orchestra & Magic Carpithans from 2003. “You Can Always See the Sun,” was part of Three Lobed Recordings? Purposeful Availments subscription CD series in 2002. And "Nightly Trembling" was released way back in 1999 in an edition of 33 copies, all given away for free! Combined with a never-before-released extended piece called “Punish the Chasm with Wings” from pre-millennial days & you?ve got yourself a deep, DEEP box set.
ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS - Crying Light cd $14.99
just got an 8.6 on pitchfork!!
Bird, Andrew cd Noble Beast on Fat Possum $16.99
New album of subdued, gentle & dreamily gorgeous folk-pop
Group Bombino lp Guitars From Agadez V.2 on Sublime Frequencies $27.99
...(Music of Niger) Vol.2"
Group Bombino is the latest salvo from the Agadez music scene. Led by the guitar virtuoso Omara Mochtar (Bombino), the group's debut LP -- volume two in the Guitars From Agadez series, represents the latest chapter in the modern sound of the Tuareg revolution. As of 2008, the Tuareg rebellion is in full force again, and Bombino is in exile to parts unknown. Agadez has been cut off from the rest of the country. The only road that connects this legendary city with the rest of the country is littered with land mines and the only escorts are the military. This music and its messages of hope, justice, and desire for validation of the Kel Tamachek way of life ring louder than ever. Group Bombino are gaining mythic status in and around the Tuareg community for their incendiary live performances. Coming from the same scene as Group Inerane and sharing some of the same musicians, Group Bombino showcase both sides of the Tuareg guitar style. Side one features the "dry guitar" sound, an unplugged selection of songs sung among the dunes, camels and stars of the Tenere desert. Side two showcases the electric fury of the full band, a melding of heavy, psychedelic guitar heroics with a raw, garage sound, back beat percussion, all swirling in extended trance rock moves. Recorded live and unfiltered in Agadez and the surrounding desert in early 2007, with the band's equipment powered by generators and an unflinching dedication to the rebellion, Group Bombino's music transcends any influence and ignites the raw passion of its message to the outside world. This is a one-time pressing of 1,500 copies. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl and housed in a gatefold full-color jacket stocked with great photos of the musicians and liner notes by Hisham Mayet.
Lithops cd Ye Viols! on Thrill Jockey $14.99
LTD ED OF 1000 comes packaged in matchbook flip-top style package printed on recycled paper w/ fold-out poster! On this release,
LITHOPS (aka JAN ST. WERNER of MOUSE ON MARS, MICROSTORIA, VON SUDENFED) presents a selection of installation soundtracks assembled from several recent exhibitions. This can be seen as background noise for a visual utopia: a recombined industrial iconograhy of spatial adventures, futuristic collages & phantasmagoric scenes. Full of fun danceable beats w/ plunderphonic complexity, textural density & layered details.
MV & EE with Bummer Road cd Drone Trailer on DiCristina $15.99
This is a consolidation of the previous musical high-life of the duo's space shanties for the 21st century. In other words, they explore their unique mix of lunar raga & astral string band music, w/ a couple deep-space burners/covert jams such as opening blast "Anyway" thrown in to bust it all open
Nadler, Marissa lp Ballads of Living and on Mexican Summer $21.99
...Dying"
Includes bonus unreleased 7" - limited to 1,000. Her first album on vinyl for the first time! This contains some of her most beautiful &
haunting tracks including "Mayflower May" & the Poe inspired/written "Anabelle Lee"
Of Montreal cd Jon Brion Remix EP on Polyvinyl $7.99
Grammy-nominated producer JON BRION has worked w/ Spoon, Kanye West, Elliott Smith & Fiona Apple, as well as scored the films Magnolia, Synechdoche NY, & Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. "An Elurdian Instance" is his most recent masterpiece & finds him reinterpreting two cuts from "Skeletal Lamping." These are by no means remixes, as he literally reinterprets the songs by taking the basic tracks & adding more instrumentation & backing vocals, including the work of NICKEL CREEK vocalist & mandolin-player CHRIS THILE
Of Montreal 12" Jon Brion Remix EP on Polyvinyl $11.99
ALSO ON 180g VINYL w/digital download code
Pollard, Robert lp Crawling Distance on Guided By Voices $18.99
From the stately Krautrock chug of the album opener, "Faking My Harlequin," to the schizo-frenetic closing trackI,n "cToo Much Fun," w/ its structural U-turns piled on top of tempo shifts, this is unlike any Pollard release yet
NASH/NAUTILUS, BEN: Split LP $18.99
"Nautilus is the solo project of Heidi Diehl of Vanishing Voice/Time Life, long-time BR transatlantic e-mail buddy who we finally got to meet just over a year ago on the very brief Vanishing Voice tour. Since then, she has begun recording solo material under this alias, and has self-released one CD-R which blew our minds, and likewise blew local long-time BR friend Ben Nash's cranium apart. The Nautilus side opens with 'Still Rings,' a far-out trip of weirdo outsider dripping mind-fuzz, like some kind of spatial insect gathering. 'Tallahasse Woman' rings more bells with the sound of Vanishing Voice and Heidi's psychedelic string playing, and subtle vocals buried below it. 'Jeans Theme' is another sweet track of tranced-out guitar with approaching percussion and waves of vocal drones. Ben Nash holds his side with two nearly 8-minute tracks, opener 'Plymouth Bredren Blues' has definitely got the blues -- as mentioned in the title, there's some serious woe in the wah right here, and some almost Paris, Texas moments. 'Interloper/Latch' also starts off pretty bluesy, but halfway through goes to a speaker-shredding guitar shaker, with some seriously serious riffs, that are almost breaking up as they begin, and then reverting back to the blues mediation of the beginning of the track. A great release, in an edition of 300 copies."
BASSETT/CARLOS GIFFONI, MARCIA: Organized Anatomy CD $11.99
"Collaborative release from No Fun creator Carlos Giffoni and Marcia Bassett of Hototogisu & Double Leopards. Edition of 300."
SUISHOU NO FUNE: The Gold Labyrinth CD $11.99
"Tokyo's Suishou no Fune deliver their latest masterpiece, The Gold Labyrinth. Featuring the four piece of Pirako Kurenai, Kageo, Takuya Nishimura & Kiyasu. Edition of 300 in gold digipaks."
PARSONS, DAVID: Earthlight CD $15.99
"With the exception of the track entitled 'The Winged Ones,' all of the music on this album was composed on four Novation synthesizers and one Emu Audity 2000 synthesizer running via a Mac computer in real time and then mixing to one stereo track on a hard disk recorder. I love to work this way, as everything is always in a fluid state, allowing me to edit and mix as the composition is evolving. Even when I am happy with every aspect, I still have several attempts at mixdown because many of the low frequency oscillators used for modulating filters and other parameters are free running -- this results in the sounds behaving differently every time the composition is played in real time. I have to create many versions of the mix until I have captured the one that I'm happiest with. The final mix on CD is therefore unique and would never be able to be recorded in the same way again. As with all of my electronic music, I like to use sounds that I have created from scratch. I consider this a very important part of the composition process when using electronic instruments. Many of the sounds inspire the composition process itself. I enjoy erasing all of the 'factory' sounds that synthesizers come with and replacing them with my own creations. Lately, I have also leaned heavily towards synthesizers and much less on samplers. All of the vocal, insect and forest-type sounds (in addition to everything else) are generated by oscillators and filters only. They sound almost like samples, but not quite. This, to me, gives surrealism unachievable with straight sampling or sound effects. I have treated the percussion/rhythmic parts in much the same way, creating them, again from oscillators and filters, as a kind of gamelan/Asian, but not in any literal sense -- a blurred imagery of sorts. An attempt, I guess, to create an atmosphere and unreal landscape that the listener can create their own thoughts and images upon. On the track 'The Winged Ones,' the only 'graphic' sampling I've used is a recording I made in 1975 of pilgrims crossing the Ganges in a boat in the holy Indian town of Rishikesh. This is mixed at a very low level in the final section of the composition." --David Parsons. Wellington, New Zealand.
"From his homeland in New Zealand, David Parsons travels frequently to Asia for spiritual and musical inspiration. After collecting musical samples and studying different musical and cultural traditions, Parsons returns to his studio to integrate these influences with his own experiences. In the process, he bridges disparate elements with seamless grace, and creates a unique musical affirmation of our common humanity and cultural endowment."
AKIYAMA/KEVIN CORCORAN/CHRISTIAN KIEFER, TETUZI: Low Cloud Means Death CD $13.99
"For years, I've counted Tetuzi Akiyama as one of my absolute favorite guitarists. He's been cranking out great records for ages, honing his style and skill in every possible way. Add in Christian Kiefer, who has also put out a string of magnificent releases, and a talented drummer/percussionist in Kevin Corcoran (who has appeared on releases on Weird Forest and played in Antennas Erupt!) and you've got a recipe for something magical. Low Cloud Means Death is a series of sea-inspired improvisations that are fighting a continual battle with the silence between each note. This is sparse music at its finest. Minimal notes float in the air as Corcoran lays a web of various percussion beneath the organic layer Akiyama and Kiefer weave. The instrumentation is varied -- Akiyama sticks to acoustic guitar while Kiefer splits time on accordion, piano, and other vices. What the trio produces ends up coming off like an all-improvised Morton Feldman or something of the like. This is a journey on salt-encrusted waves, traipsing through empty spaces in search of whatever aural mystery can be found. It goes something like this: Thump. Quiet again. Twang, thump. Quiet. Quiet. Still quiet. Distant blap. And let me tell you, it is one fantastic voyage. Limited to 500 copies. Artwork by Eden Hemming Rose."
OF: Rocks Will Open CD $13.99
"Loren Chasse is responsible for a whole host of vital albums. He was a founding member of the Jewelled Antler label and has sparked so many great moments from the likes of Thuja, The Blithe Sons, Softwar, and of course his main solo guise, Of. For years, this project has evolved into something of absolute magical grandeur. Rocks Will Open is the latest opus in Chasse's catalog. The music on this album is as organic as it gets. Each tone, each sound feels like it has been culled directly from the Earth's crust. Gentle drones arc toward the hazy sunlight, flickering like distant birds sailing out over the sea. Between the ghostly echoes rises a cacophony of plucked strings dancing toward oblivion. Loren Chasse's vision is perfectly expressed on Rocks Will Open. Limited to 500 copies."
TARENTEL: Live Edits: Italy/Switzerland CD $13.99
"Over the course of numerous dates in Italy, Tarentel (a trio on this tour of Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Danny Grody, & Jim Redd) improvised every set they played with often stunning results. This is not your grandfather's Tarentel. Live Edits: Italy/Switzerland is full of pounding tribal drums and walls of mixer feedback, floating guitar trips and walls of noise. This is a whole new world scattered across burned-out pages; a place to hide and get lost in for ages. These pieces are a tug-of-war between beauty and tension. Tarentel rarely sound better than this. This is the second in a series of ongoing 'live' releases from Tarentel, though they are, as the band says, 'live' in the same spirit that Werner Herzog makes 'documentaries.' Limited to 500 copies."
MCNEIR, RONNIE: Ronnie McNeir CD $13.99
"The first album from Detroit soul genius Ronnie McNeir -- a '70s mellow masterpiece all the way through! The record's an incredible blend of electric piano, soulful vocals, and flowing rhythms -- an amazing accomplishment for the young Ronnie, and a record that we'd rank right up there with '70s classics by Stevie Wonder, Leroy Hutson, and Donny Hathaway. Bits of dialogue are interspersed with some of the tracks, making the set a really unified full-length effort -- not just a batch of groovers and ballads, but a well-conceived album that's quite unique. McNeir's vocals are wonderful -- powerful, yet very personal, too -- and his keyboard work really supports the album's righteous vibe. Hardly a hit in 1972, the record's ripe for rediscovery these many decades later -- years ahead of its time, and finally getting its due! First time on CD -- and never reissued on vinyl."
INTRUSION: The Seduction Of Silence 12" $11.99
The title track "Seduction" is an epic beauty as deep as the sea. The bass line reminds of King Tubby or Lee Perry in structure but with the depth of Basic Channel or Rhythm & Sound. The song reveals magical analog frequencies with shards of dub skanks and blissful chords that you will get lost in. "Silence" leads into a succinct ambient piece and cv313 provides a near 12-minute mix of "Seduction." A spiritual journey of the space, bass and analog warmth we've come to love from the Echospace/Deepchord signature.
WICKED WITCH: Chaos: 1978-86 CD $18.99
First-time ever reissue of rare evil psycho machine-funk from '80s Washington, D.C., including previously-unreleased mixes. Now is not the time to doubt your senses -- the Wicked Witch does exist. Born and raised in the musical magical cauldron of Washington D.C., Wicked Witch combines elements from alchemical mentors Parliament Funkadelic, Sun Ra, ESG, Run DMC, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix to cast a crazed spell on the innocent listener. An evil mass of machine-funk with lashings of rhythm and blues and fusion delivered direct from the heart of the Witch, a misunderstood psycho-genius weaving his solo web deep within the dark studio walls. Trained by masters at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Wicked Witch is in full control; he plays all, knows all, tells all. His message will not be denied. Believe your ears, believe your eyes: the Wicked Witch does indeed exist. First-time ever re-issue, remastered from the original master tapes, including rare photos.
GEDO: Gedo CD $19.99
"Superb limited edition card digipak containing 4-page booklet with band info and photos. Gedo's first and self-titled album from 1974 was recorded live and is mostly hard rock with some psychedelic touches. A good mix of old-style rock'n'roll and heavier high-energy guitar rock with the occasional lighter, almost morose moment. A furious 'Born To Be Wild' rush of proto-Ramones. Gedo is a trio led by the charismatically androgynous guitarist/vocalist Hideto Kanoh, ex-The M, Masayuki Aoki ex-Too Much (bass) and Ryoichi Nakano (drums). Gedo had a big biker following and were a very popular act at the festivals that were a major feature of 1970s Japan rock culture. This album features at number 30 in Julian Cope's Japrocksampler Top 50."
KAWACHI & FRIENDS, KUNI: Kirikyogen CD $18.99
"After the release of the Challenge album in 1969 by the proto Flower Travellin' Band, Yuya Uchida brought in Kuni Kawachi, organist and leader of The Happenings Four. They spent the early part of 1970 putting together a series of recordings which were very melodic, but psychedelic and strung-out. This project surfaced as Kirikyogen by Kuni Kawachi & Friends, after the demise of The Flower Travellin' Band. Julian Cope rates Kirikyogen at number 25 in his top 50 Jap rock albums of all time: 'An entire album of classic songs, featuring the aforementioned Flower Gods in pole positions throughout. (Akira 'Joe' Yamanaka on lead vocal and Hideki Ishima on guitar). Moreover an early version of Flower's non-LP single 'Map' lurks within, hiding behind the title 'Music Composed Mainly By Humans.' While dry, spaced-out and highly original hard rocking ballads occupy side one, side two is possessed of a hitherto unseen acoustic side of Hideki Ishima's playing in the highly catchy 'Graveyard Of Love,' 'Classroom For Women' and the late Velvets-styled 'Scientific Investigation.' And while Joe's tonsils never get the same rigorous overhauling that his Flower cohorts demand, even his most gentle contributions herein showcase 'that' voice to perfection.'"
BUTTRICH, MARTIN/JONA: Stoned Autopilot (Carl Craig Mix) 12" $8.99
"A-side: Martin Buttrich - Stoned Autopilot (C2 Version) mixed by Carl Craig. B-side: Jona - Oblique (previously unreleased)."
SHINDIG: Shindig! Vol. 2, Issue 8 Jan-Feb 2009 MAG $8.99
"On the cover: The Flamin' Groovies: San Francisco ballrooms... hard rock... glam...power-pop classics...all in a day's work; The Zombies: the kings of baroque n' roll; The Scaffold: the scouse avant-garde pop/comedy/poetry trio reappraised; Apple Publishing: a psychedelic peak into the artists who made up The Beatles song factory; Fire: into the treacle toffee world of the Brit mod-psych heroes; Tim Rose: the dark singer-songwriter who gave us 'Hey Joe' and more; Dope: the great lost British underground drug movie. Plus a tribute to Yma Sumac, a piece on Stone Garden, a beginner's guide to psychedelic soul, and an exclusive extract from the new Sly & The Family Stone biography." 82 pages.
YUASA, JOJI: Obscure Tape Music of Japan Vol. 1: Aoi-no-Ue CD $28.99
Volume one of Omega Point's Obscure Tape Music of Japan series, featuring Joji Yuasa's "Aoi-no-Ue" (1961) and "My Blue Sky" (1975). Joji Yuasa (b.1929) is one of most important composers in Japan after World War II. "Aoi-no-Ue" was composed for experimental theater at Sogetsu Art Center. The sound of this work is made from the chants of Japanese traditional "Noh" theater. "The text is recomposed by me keeping the original words. And it was sung in the style of Noh-chant by three brothers ... This work is composed mainly based on the metamorphosed sound of Noh-chant. The other sound is concrete sound such as birds songs, water drops, glasses, the warped sound of a vibraphone, some generated electronic sound and others. These sound sources are diversely changed, metamorphosed through all the possible electronic techniques at that time, and finally mixed and reconstructed on stereophonic tape. This piece had taken almost half a year to complete, working with the excellent sound engineer Zyunosuke Okuyama at the Sogetsu Art Center." --Joji Yuasa. This package also includes his final electronic music piece "My Blue Sky No.1," made at NHK electronic music studio. This studio was the '60s and '70s mecca of Japanese electronic music. Yuasa explains: "In this work only clicks, pulses and the various kinds of beats induced from them, varying piches, width and their frequency of pulse are adopted. For example, I controlled successively occurring pulses of low frequency sine wave by means of triggering with the frequency of the square wave." This is the world premiere issue of both works, in a limited edition of 1000 copies.
YUASA, JOJI/KUNIHARU AKIYAMA: Obscure Tape Music of Japan Vol. 2: Music For Puppet Theatre CD $28.99
...of Hitomi-Za. This is volume 2 of Omega Point's newly-reissued Obscure Tape Music of Japan series. Hitomi-Za is an experimental puppet theater group that still exists today in Japan. This recorded performance took place from February 13-17th in 1962 at Sogetsu Kaikan Hall. The program consisted of three parts, and Joji Yuasa, Kuniharu Akiyama and Naozumi Yamamoto composed background sound for each part. This CD consists of two works made from magnetic tape from among the performances. This is the world premiere release of both works. Music for "Moment Grand-Guignolesques": "...all the puppets were made of cutting out thin and filmy paper, which gave me an idea of using all kinds of sounds out of various kinds of paper for this composition musique concrčte. The sound of tearing newspaper, of crushing brown paper and of shutting a thick telephone book, etc., were used as sound materials. --Joji Yuasa. "Noh-Miso" (A Brain) was composed by Kuniharu Akiyama (1929-1996), well known as a modern music critic, but also a composer of tape music (for example, soundtracks to experimental films and animation, tape music for John Cage's 75th birthday and more). "Noh-Miso" was the second part of this Hitomi-Za performance -- a combination of music concrčte and the modulated sound of inside-played piano by Yuji Takahashi. Limited edition of 200 copies.
GOLDSTEIN, MALCOLM: Early Electronic/Tape Collage Music LP $31.99
"Alga Marghen proudly presents an LP edition including some of the seminal electronic/tape collage pieces by Malcolm Goldstein, created in close connection to the sulphuric New York pre-Fluxus environment of the early 1960s. The 1960s downtown New York City, rich with activities, doors opening upon a world fertile with possibilities: the delightful unknown. Malcolm Goldstein first worked at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, then joined the Judson Dance Theater with dancers, musicians, poets, and visual artists all interacting in the common ground of improvisation/exploration. Most of the music on this recording was created for the Judson Dance Theater, 'Sheep Meadow' (1966), a collage of two musics, folk & court music, was realized on a very cheap single tape recorder that offered its own electronic distortion embellishments. It was created for an anti-war demonstration to be held in that meadow of Central Park, with a dancer on top of a flat-bed truck and with loudspeakers. 'Images Of Cheng Hsieh' (1967) was for a dance by Carol Marcy at Judson Church, simultaneously with an instrumental ensemble performing from the calligraphic graphic score, with the name of Cheng Hsieh. 'It Seemed To Me' (1963) was composed for a dance by Arlene Rothlein; a collage of traditional musics chosen by her to be incorporated with electronic sounds. 'Judson #6 Piece' (1963) was for Ruth Emerson, using only electronic sounds. Finally 'Illuminations From Fantastic Gardens' (1964), the only composition for a vocal ensemble on this recording, was composed for Elaine Summers' 'An Evening of Fantastic Gardens,' a multi-media event of dance, music, film and visual projections, as part of the Judson Dance Theater concerts. It is the first music notated by Malcolm Goldstein with graphic renditions of the words of Rimbaud and without traditional music notation. Two performers were trained singers, while the others were a visual artist and an actor; two women & two men, all in the spirit of the times, sources coming together, as art & life blended in an overflowing of exploration. Edition limited to 350 copies, also including a 12-page large booklet with the reproduction of the complete 'Illuminations From Fantastic Gardens' graphic score."
MORRICONE, ENNIO: Butterfly OST
cd $23.99
lp $26.99
"Dagored is proud to bring you maestro Ennio Morricone's soundtrack to the 1982 controversial cult thriller Butterfly, based on a novel by James M. Cain (The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity). The film is a sordid tale of father-daughter incest and murder involving Stacy Keach and renowned Hollywood sexpot Pia Zadora, as the temptress daughter, Kady. The film also represents the last screen performance of Orson Welles, who plays a judge attempting to convict Keach's character for incest. Welles was nominated for 'Best Supporting Actor' for his role here. Despite much criticism of the film itself and Zadora's relentless publicity campaign prior to the film's release, Zadora ultimately won a Golden Globe as 'Best New Actress' for her performance (and to commemorate this, she unbelievably went on to name one of her children 'Kady' after the character she played here!). The Morricone score itself is relatively quiet, compared to some of his more nail-biting works, but as always, Morricone is a master of transforming the psychology of the film's characters into music, which he does here with a subtle art that has made him THE undisputed maestro of film scores. The quality of his work was also recognized with the track 'It's Wrong For Me To Love You,' featuring vocals by Zadora, which were nominated for 'Best Original Song.' Thanks in no small part to Pia Zadora's steamy performance here, both the film and soundtrack have become cult classics, with fans all over the world clamouring for its re-release on DVD."
GOL & CHARLEMAGNE PALESTINE: Pandamoniahbleeummm!!!! LP $29.99
"Entering their 20th year of existence, the GOL orchestra, together with the label Planam, celebrates and starts a new program of collaborations: the Gollaboration series. Volume 2, Pandamoniahbleeummm!!!! marks the encounter with Charlemagne Palestine, pioneer of strumming music and piano maximalism, in the St. Eustache Church in Paris, known for its world famous church organ. The following battle, in the form of a long incantatory improvisation, Charlemagne Palestine playing the church organ and GOL doing the electronics, bass, guitar, and the flutes part, combines many attributes of a pagan ritual. Edition limited to 300 copies, also including a large insert with liner notes and great graphics by Jean-Marcel Busson who also designed the front and back cover."
DENDOSHI: Dendoshi 2 LP $29.99
"Dendoshi is Keith Connolly (No Neck Blues Band), Raymond Dijkstra (Asra), Dave Nuss (No Neck Blues Band) and Timo Van Luyk (Af Ursin, In Camera). Dendoshi: 'he who comes to propagate the ceremony' or 'missionary' (Japanese). There had actually been a previous incarnation of Dendoshi (hence Dendoshi 2), which was a large group performance in New York which concentrated on elucidating the memories of a dead tree which had been re-contextualized as a sculptural exhibit. Some thematic reference: The name 'Dendoshi' originates from the work of Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa, whose films also inspired the content of the first performance. When the opportunity presented itself for Connolly, Dijkstra, Nuss and Van Luyk to come together to make a session, it was the perfect opportunity to realize Dendoshi not as a one-off performance on a theme, but as a recurring ritual in development. The resulting music widened the conceptual reflection of the band, bringing to mind the history and ideas of Franz Mesmer. Mesmer, the 18th century Austrian spiritualist healer, was among the first to put forth the theory of what he termed 'animal magnetism,' regarding a universal fluid which permeates all matter and can be influenced by the will, not dissimilar to some of Eliphas Levi's concepts. What seemed to set Mesmer apart was an attention to mood and atmosphere, an aesthetic component to what were scientifically quite dubious theories, which lent his work an aura of portent -- thus the parallel with the music captured as Dendoshi 2. Reflecting the qualities that all four musical sensibilities had in common, the album is a statement upon the ephemeral nature of atmosphere and will, and the relation of reverie to oblivion as opposed to ecstasy. The symbol, or mark on the front cover created by Connolly came intuitively and without revision. Its applied function is that of distinction rather than that of protection or as a seal. It was first applied to the photograph by Clarence H. White form 1904, where the first resonant depiction or personification of reverie and oblivion as applied to Dendoshi was found. By applying the mark, Connolly is ceremonializing the image, thus rendering it distinct from its original form, not as an appropriation, but as a recognition. The other images followed, and each of them were recognized instantly without having to search. The last was Vermeer's image from Van Luyk's basement, and upon receiving this, the series of 4 inserts was complete. There is a trace of fear and a sensation of suspended time in these images which suits the music very well. Edition limited to 300 copies with a gold cover."
eno / byrne vinyl back in stock!! $24.99
MORRISSEY - refusal LP $$12.99
now in stock!!
Asobi Seksu restock on lp and cd!!
Pains Of Being Pure At Heart restock on lp and cd!!
SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN - Grand Tour On Tunisia $38.99 on three lobed
Massive double LP that touches on all of the best facets of the Sunburned oeuvre - dope rhythmic workouts, freeform bombast & experimental exorcisms w/ a taste of character-driven roleplay thrown in for good measure. Yeah - this record is that serious & one of the most significant entries in the band's entire discography. 2 1/2 hours of music pressed on 180g RTI vinyl. All copies packaged w/70+ minute "London Zero" CD (TLR-065)
Svarte Greiner cd Kappe on Type $16.99
Erik Skodvin's (DEAF CENTER) second full-length. His debut "Knive" was a milestone in doom music - kick-starting a sub-genre as he used cello, violin & rattling miscellanies to conjure up blood-curdling soundscapes. This continues his blackened underworld cruise, furthering his mysterious, cinematic sound. Four fated psalms in honor of the dark Northern lords
Gainsbourg, Serge vinyl L' Homme A Tete De Chou on 4 Men with Beards $17.99
180gm vinyl repress! Originally released in 1976 this is GAINSBOURG's 2nd "concept" record, after the stone classic 'Histoire De Melody Nelson,' & probably 2nd only in quality to that record in his deep, storied catalog. Translating to "The Man With The Cabbage Head," this is a brutal story of lust & obsession in which, over the course of the album, the narrator falls in love w/ a black shampoo girl (Marilou), beats her to death w/ a fire extinguisher & ends up in a psychiatric hospital. Feat. lush orchestration & a variety of influences, from reggae to rock to funk to country, this is a crucial part of the musical history of one of France's most famous, & certainly most controversial, stars
Gainsbourg, Serge vinyl Aux Armes Et Caetera on 4 Men with Beards $17.99
180gm vinyl repress! Originally released in 1979, this is the 1st (& best) of GAINSBOURG's 2 forays into reggae. Recorded in Jamaica w/ some of reggae's biggest names incl. players/producers SLY & ROBIE. Probably his last truly classic album, this is full of dubbed out trks & his signature speak-sing drawl. His reworking of the French national anthem in the title trk earned him death threats from members of the French right-wing, adding to his controversial image. Sultry, stony, dubby, jams from one of the '70s most important artists
Local Customs: Downriver Revival - V/A cd on Numero Group $19.99
Between 1967-81, Detroit's downriver neighbor Ecorse, MI had it's very own Moe Asch. Felton Williams chronicled the musical lives of Ecorse's citizins and issued them on the Solid Rock, Compose, & Revival labels. Compiled here are 24 of his most fascinating recordings, covering gospel, group soul, garage-punk, northern, jazz, & funk. Incl. DVD w/ over 200 sound recordings from Williams' archive and a 30-minute featurette on the making of this collection CD+DVD
Ambarchi, Oren cd Stacte.3 on Black Truffle $16.99
Originally released in 2000 as a limited-edition, vinyl-only album, now available on CD for the first time. Described by the Wire as "Alvin Lucier & Cluster collaborating for Mego," this featured his earliest explorations of the guitar & its sonic possibilities after a period when he was known as a drummer in post-punk, noise & free jazz outfits
Ambarchi, Oren cd Persona on Black Truffle $16.99
Originally released in 2000 as a limited-edition vinyl-only release, now available on CD for the first time. Utilizing a raw & spontaneous approach like the "Stacte" series of solo releases, this was recorded using only a guitar, a handful of effect pedals, & a boombox as a monitor. The pieces are hesitant & tense extended songforms located in the cracks between several schools: modern electronics & processing; laminal improvisation & minimalism; & hushed, pensive songwriting
Casiotone for Painfully Alone cd Advance Base on Tomlab $15.99
...Battery Life" Collection of rare material which also includes collaborations w/ Nick Krgovich (NO KIDS), DEAR NORA's Katy Davidson, & Gordon Ashworth (CONCERN). A must for both newcomers & long-time devotees to his morbidly vivacious micro-narratives
Flaherty, Paul & C. Spencer Yeh - cd New York on Important $14.99
...Nuts & Boston Beans" Violinist/vocalist C. SPENCER YEH & unrivaled saxophone elder-titan PAUL FLAHERTY, joined by bonkers Boston trumpeter GREG KELLEY & acclaimed drummer CHRIS CORSANO. This comprises of the best from two live sets from a short duo tour in the Northeast. With minimal editing, this is the sound of two people tearing at the limits of their instruments, hurling their respective accumulated life experience into one another, exposed & raw
ps - i love tim hecker!!!!
we have a promo - ask to hear it while you shop!
Hecker, Tim vinyl Imaginary Country on kranky $17.99
cd is $13.99
PITCHFORK 7.7! An Imaginary Country continues from the trajectory of his last album, while also showing a few new tricks. Tim has incorporated more pulses into this work & also works with a sound pallete including overdriven mellotron strings & synthesizer. At times this album is less overtly aggressive than previous works, but the notion that this is pastoral work would be dead wrong as there are plenty of the agitated crescendos that he is know for. This music backs off from the void of immensity in favor of a terrain of lushness & warmth
Weeks, Caroline cd Songs For Edna on Manimal Vinyl $13.99
Member of BAT FOR LASHES. The tracks on "Songs for Edna" are actual poems by the late American poet, Edna St. Vincent-Millay. This is majestic & minimal folk in the tradition of Fairport Convention, Karen Dalton & Vashti Bunyan
FAUST: C'est Com... Com... Compliqué CD $17.99
The Bureau B label breaks into new territory and presents a newly-recorded album by Krautrock legends, Faust. "There is no group more mythical than Faust." Thus wrote English musician and eccentric Julian Cope in his classic of the genre, Krautrocksampler. Which says it all really -- neither the habitus nor the music of the six-piece Hamburg group is easy to grasp. Formed in Hamburg in 1970, some lauded Faust as the best thing that ever happened to rock, others dismissed them as shameless dilettantes. Their collage of Dadaism, avant-garde rock and free improvisation radically divided opinion. Their legend was built on the fact that, in the early days, they addressed the media through their producer and manager Uwe Nettelbeck. Precious little was known about the musicians themselves. When the first LP was unleashed on the world in 1971, Faust were very much the prophets in their own land, as the saying goes: few were interested in listening to their music -- in Germany. Not so across the Channel: this is where Faust's career really kick-started. These monoliths of avant-garde rock sold a phenomenal 100,000 copies of their third album The Faust Tapes, one of the first releases on the Virgin label, then in its infancy. Now that Krautrock has been revived, Faust have become one of the biggest names to drop, worldwide. Their concerts in the USA, Middle East, Japan and Europe invariably sell out. Almost 40 years since they began, Faust are issuing a brand new studio album. Original members Jean-Hervé Peron and Werner "Zappi" Diermaier were joined in the Electric Avenue studio by Amaury Cambuzat (from the French post-rock combo Ulan Bator). Star indie producer Tobias Levin recorded. The results sound fantastic! Typically Dadaist lyrics (mostly in French) accompany repetitive, sporadically overflowing patterns. Faust's music combines seemingly contradictory elements: it rages, yet is gentle; it is monotonous yet melodic, earthy and still ethereal. Safe to say, it is unique. The Bureau B label have previously concentrated on re-releases and compilations, but presented with the opportunity of releasing new works by Krautrock gods Faust, the only possible outcome was to say YES.
NILSEN & STILLUPPSTEYPA, BJ: Man From Deep River CD $17.99
A collaborative release between Icelandic experimental duo Stilluppsteypa (Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson and Helgi Thorsson) and Sweden-born BJNilsen. Based on a found tape from 1975 which served as guidance for the compositions, Man From Deep River opens up a new development in these artists' sound. Melodic passages with sweeping electronics and analog synthesizers mix with field recordings and disturbed voices, creating a multifaceted piece. BJNilsen defines his work as "focused upon the sound of nature and its effects on humans, and the perception of time and space as experienced through sound." He has numerous recordings on Touch and has collaborated with the likes of Chris Watson, Christian Fennesz, and Z'ev. Stilluppsteypa's electronic abstractions engage absurd theatrics that mar the pristine surface of minimalism. These lovable Nordic heroes are back with more intense listening and shining, isolationist compositions. Man From Deep River quickly develops between two lonely, desperate individuals, and the savage natives around him who turn against their own mountain god. This "illness" is caused by several deeply depressing circumstances and by the intense difficulty of other sickening situations. The musical expression of this story is described by Stilluppsteypa as "an environment of high tension, but also with moments of temporary insanity and auditory hallucinations."
VA: Boogaloo Pow Wow: Dancefloor Rendez-Vous In Young Nuyorica CD $17.99
Originally released in 2006 on Honest Jon's, but not previously distributed in North America -- now fully available on CD here for the first time. A scorching compilation which features the brilliant, hybrid array of styles which burned up Latino dancefloors during the '60s in New York. The '60s were years of explosive transition for Latin music in New York: in tune with the times of strident political protest and cultural affirmation, new rhythms like the pachanga, boogaloo, tĂpico and salsa signalled significant changes in musical sensibility among a new generation. By the early 1960s, the heyday of the great mambo era was passing, and by the end of the decade, the catch-all phrase salsa had been implanted on the rich variety of styles and rhythms that made up the repertoire. In between, throughout the 1960s, a thousand flowers bloomed in the Latin music field, with the bands conversant in the traditional Afro-Cuban styles of son and guaguancĂł and cha cha chá, Latin jazz and bolero, while also trying their hand at a range of newly-emerging styles, beginning with the pachanga in the opening years through to boogaloo and shingaling, until the roots sounds of tĂpico as the decade ended. This array of styles came together in those heady years, and the eclectic tastes of those dynamic times are all here, from "Tanga," the first recorded example of Cubop and the classic "Descarga Cachao," to the jaunting guaguancĂł of Ray Barretto and Bobby Pauneto. But while some of the selections represent the preceding musical generation, and others anticipate the salsa sound of the key Fania years of the early 1970s, the focus here is on the boogaloo and Latin soul sound which was the most characteristic soundtrack of the period. Listen to the two Willie Rosario cuts, "Cool Jerk," and the pieces by Joe Loco and Willie Bobo, and you'll hear the trademarks of the style: the raucous hand-clapping, the party exhortations, the back-beat drumming, the African-American street English -- the result was a crazy, motley style named after the African-American dance craze of the moment, the boogaloo. Boogaloo and related styles of Latin soul were the first real crossover sounds that broke the language and style barriers, and the first to make it onto the Billboard charts as top sellers nation-wide. However, it was a genre not destined to last long, soon eclipsed by the more commercially-durable salsa boom of the early 1970s. But notwithstanding the brief life-span of boogaloo, to this day many of its top hits are loved by dancers everywhere. Other artists include: Manny Corchado, Macito, Tito Rodriguez, Kako, La Playa Sextet, Chuito Velez, Joe Loco, The La Playa Orchestra, Rene Grand And His Combo New York, and Dianne And Carole.
BORATTO, GUI: Take My Breath Away CD $15.99
This is the hotly-anticipated second full-length release from architect, producer, musician and composer, Gui Boratto, born in SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil. Two years have passed and much has changed since Gui Boratto shot to prominence with his Kompakt debut Chromophobia. A much-needed spot of color amidst the minimal milieu, Gui's mixture of fierce production skills and a blissful pop sensibility have characterized his trajectory to the techno heavyweight before us today. Amidst a rigorous touring schedule and busy family life arises Take My Breath Away. Laced with subtle critique and double-entendre, Gui's philosophical approach is adept at packaging the rough, smooth, bitter and sweet into a number of emotive and ultimately optimistic productions. Equally a statement of concern and call for solidarity, the title track conveys a sense of scale and immediacy with soaring melodic progressions and pounding bass. Epic and densely constructed, clattering metallic tones escalate to a howling climax before a deep-pulsed drive to close. "Atomic Soda" rasps with gritty, hovering synths and complex rhythms, phase transitioning into a monolithic bass stomp with staccato percussive modulation that was built to move. The bit-crushed melodies of "Colors" enters shimmering dream-pop territory, while "Opus 17" marks Gui's 17th album track, continuing the lineage of his debut with a mixture of droning Cologne, shuffling IDM beats and kaleidoscopic synth textures. "No Turning Back" jars with uneasy cyclical rhythms, developing a tension that breaks with a chorus as grandiose as it is energetic. Gui's wife Luciana Villanova provides the Midas touch yet again, contributing a stirring vocal reminiscent of her contribution to Gui's anthemic "A Beautiful Life." "Azzura" swings with delicate harmonic shifts, while "Les Enfants" features a tripped-out organ melody and live drum break to continue the brief descent in pace. "Ballroom" is strictly club material, probing with stabbed synth and the hardest kick on the record. Taken deep and destabilized with uneasy melodic tones, it provides a fitting introduction to closer "Eggplant." Patiently progressing from ascendant synth chords to a tightly-wound concoction of frenetic percussion and dissonant harmonic elements, "Eggplant" gathers enough momentum to make a vegetable move. Take My Breath Away is riddled with profound melody, layers of color, and modern deepness and is addictively danceable. It is also further proof that Boratto is worthy of any and all breathless adulation heaped upon him.
VOODEUX: Bones EP 12" $12.99
Like the alien skull that adorns its cover, Voodeux's Bones EP is certainly from another place and time. Reach for "Bones" if you want to rip the crowd's heads off. Burly slabs of bass rain down while crystalline atmospherics splinter. "Skeleton Key" broadcasts its spidery theme over an ever-evolving, increasingly paranoid chord sequence. Once the kick drops back in, the chords frost over with a layer of ice, smashing through the frame with all the subtlety of a Yeti attack.
VA: An Outbreak Of Twangin' CD $16.99
...26 Cool Early 60s Guitar Instrumentals, Phantom Guitars Vol. 2. For everyone who enjoyed Phantom Guitars Vol. 1, and also for those who never heard it, here's a great new selection of classic guitar instrumentals from the early 1960s. Most of the tracks are British, but there are a few European acts included as well. Welcome to 26 slices of music so evocative, you can almost taste the candy floss, almost feel the buffeting of the dodgems (trans. bumper cars), almost smell the perfume of the beehived beauties. If you ever wanted a fun-fair in your own living room, this is the next best thing. If, on the other hand, you never fancied a roller coaster in your residence, this is definitely a far better option. You'll swoon to a combo from Gloucester, part of whom ended up in an Israeli prog band, a solo outing from the guitarist of The Tornadoes, an early aggregation of The Peddlers, an Australian Hawaiian guitarist, a Frenchman who became the first-ever Caucasian to stand for the Japanese Parliament, Bristol's top guitar twangers, and many more. Me? I'm off for another go on The Waltzer. Compiled by Psychic Circle label-head and legendary psych musician Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond). Artists include: The Cliffters, The Boys, The Saints, Ahab & The Wailers, The Blackjacks, The Hearts, Rob E.G, The Eagles, Alan Caddy, The Gordon Franks Orchestra, The Saxons, Judd Proctor, Bert Weedon, The Sunspots, Mandrake, Teddy Vento & Dietrich Pregl, Richard Harding, The Volcanos, Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, Jim Gunner, The Cannons, Les Champions, The Ramblers, The Rapiers, The Runestones, and Nero & The Gladiators.
FAUST: Schiphorst 2008 2CD $21.99
This release documents Krautrock legends Faust live before an audience of friends, fellow artists and fans from all over Europe at 2008's Avant Garde Festival -- held quite literally in co-founder Jean-Hervé Peron's back yard in Schiphorst, Germany. A friendly audience yes, but one not easily impressed. Faust did not disappoint... from the spontaneous vocal improvisation during the soundcheck (preserved here as track 1), through the walk-about serenading of Peron's beloved pig with a firework backing, painting and power-tools amongst the crowd, to the blistering performance of the anthemic "Krautrock," this soon joined the list of legendary shows for this most legendary of bands. For those not fortunate enough to have been present, this 2CD package, housed in an LP-style gatefold sleeve complete with inner sleeves and lavishly illustrated with photos from the weekend, is the next best thing. As a bonus, and continuing the theme of collaboration from the Faust & Nurse With Wound, Disconnected (DPROM 061LP) and Andrew Liles & Jean-Hervé Peron, Fini! (DPROM 062CD) releases, the last track exclusively presents the finale of Nurse With Wound's festival set, featuring Jean-Hervé Peron and Steven Stapleton duetting on "Rock And Roll Session."
VA: Institute for Sonology 1959-1969 CD $16.99
Re-release of this classic Sub Rosa historical electronic music release, originally released in 2001. This is a collection of electronic works composed between 1959 and 1969 at the Institute for Sonology in Utrecht, Holland. Once again, Sub Rosa offers a chance to reflect upon a rare lineage of electronic music's origins, a revolution of the fifties and sixties when an art form was emerging without a base -- ex nihilo -- a new music produced by machines designed to construct the new. Utrecht University's large complex of studios that comprised the Philips laboratories housed an extensive collection of early electronic instruments and tapes. The Institute for Sonology was officially established in 1960, its founding instigated by academic and cultural initiatives in the field of electroacoustic music that had already begun years before -- among them, Edgar Varèse's construction of his famous "Poeme Electronique," presented at the Philips Pavillon at the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels. Comprised of the most basic components -- oscillators, filters, and tapes -- listening to these songs today offers rare insight into an important period in early electronic music, a cross section of primitivism and futurism. This collection features work by early Dutch electronic music pioneers Dick Raaymakers, Frits Weiland, Ton Bruynel, Konrad Boehmer, Gottfried Michael Koenig and Rainer Riehn.
VA: G Spots LP $17.99
LP version, limited 1000 copies. Subtitled: The Spacey Folk Electro-Horror Sounds of the Studio G Library. G Spots is the first-ever retrospective of Studio G, one of the smallest, but finest music libraries to come out of the UK. It was started in London, in the late 1960s by advertising man John Gale. He realized that most library music at the time was still very much "light orchestral," so he decided to change things: across 48 albums between 1969 and 1982, he made quite an extraordinary impact. With a small stable of talented and versatile musicians, Studio G produced albums covering all major library music genres: horror, pop, industrial, children, jazz, and avant-garde. Throughout production, Studio G were deliberately restricted to small budgets, so the musicians had to be creative with limited time and studio equipment to have any impact at all. The results were a stunning collection of stripped-down, simple but extremely effective compositions across a variety of genres, many employing heavy delay, reverb, echo boxes and early synthesis. G Spots begins with humble tracks with treated guitars and musical jaunts into outer space; we then move through jazz, easy-listening and oddball sounds into weird, dark and often quite unsettling future music. There are drifting synthesizer soundscapes, unsettling vocal tape-loops, even the odd bit of electro-voodoo. With music this interesting and different, it's understandable that bands like The Chemical Brothers and UNKLE have sampled some of the more obscure corners of the catalog. It will also come as no surprise that originals of the rarer Studio G albums fetch huge amounts of money when they come up for sale. In fact, it would take you years to find all these original albums, but here are the best and most interesting bits all together for the first time, which is so much easier. So welcome to G Spots, a stunning and occasionally deep collection of library music that will influence, educate and entertain.
BORBETOMAGUS: Snuff Jazz CD $15.99
Reissue of Snuff Jazz, a vicious installment originally released on LP in 1990, with one previously unreleased track and an untitled track previously released on COS tapes in 1990. Jim Sauter and Don Dietrich on saxophones, Donald Miller on guitar. "The first three selections were recorded at the art gallery and performance space ABC No Rio in New York's lower Lower East Side on November 24, 1988. The occasion for the concert was the opening night of an exhibition of paintings by Carl George and Valerie Caris. The fourth selection was recorded at DC Space, in Washington, DC on August 25,1989." "It is hard to believe that it has been twenty years since my ass warmed a bench in the dungeon at ABC No Rio. Back in the day, it was dicey on the streets of the dank and decaying Lower East Side, streets riddled with drug dealers and abandoned buildings. A couple of drinks at the opening, and it was high time for a good aural irrigation. The boys gently ascended to their cruising altitude, and the sonic bursts pierced the damp masonry walls and every human eardrum in reach. The fans drooled, and the uninitiated, like the soccer players of Chernobyl, stared in awe of this enfolding, life-threatening disaster and grit-crunching ass-kick machine. The dogs were howling this night! Remove all other living critters from the house, pour yourself a double single-malt scotch, turn the volume of your stereo to twelve, and enjoy as your ears are acid-etched." -- Michael Hanke
BORBETOMAGUS: A Go Go CD $15.99
Jim Sauter and Don Dietrich on saxophones and Donald Miller on guitar. Track titles include "We Were Done With The Judgment Of God Last Week" and "Gestapo She Wolf Barbie." "Live show at Pezner in France from 1998. Killer." Released for the first time.
AUN: Motorsleep CD $15.99
"AUN is the ambient doom project of Montreal's Martin Dumais, who describes his take on outsider metal meets shoegaze as 'blight metal'. He has been a crucial contributor to the Montreal music scene for years and has recently reinvented himself with some of his deepest and most contemplative work to date under the AUN moniker. Elements of AUN's sound can be traced to the classic period of ambient music marked by the likes of Cluster & Eno as well as to contemporary players such as Tim Hecker. On Motorsleep the intensity of the drone gently climaxes to the point where ambience gives way to power and grandeur. It is here that the influence of early industrial music is revealed and trace elements of bands such as Swans lie just beneath the surface. Motorsleep is the result of the better part of a year's work spent shaping and solidifying the body of compositions that make up the recording. There is a strong sense of structure, continuity and flow that breathes throughout the long player. The release is broken down into seven movements all of them blending into one another almost seamlessly. The intensity slowly picks up over the course of the first few movements and reaches full power during the third and fourth pieces. Here the sound is rather dense and saturated with grainy ambient noise that slowly subsides and eventually gives way to a series of closing movements that recall the likes of Fennesz or a more menacing William Basinski. In a live situation AUN crafts his sound through guitar and a bevy of effects, offering a far more engaging visual experience than your average laptop-based performance. AUN's live show has been steadily improving alongside his recorded efforts and Motorsleep is without a doubt his most mature work to date. Motorsleep was skillfully mastered by former Khanate member James Plotkin, who has created plenty of like-minded music of his own over the years. To date AUN has released three solo records as well as a collaborative effort with Allseits on Montreal-based label Oral and released another outing as AUN entitled Multigone for the American label, Crucial Blast."
DEAS, CAM: My Guitar Is Alive And It's Singing LP $18.99
"I am very pleased to be releasing the debut LP from Sheffield-London-Brighton guitar master, Cam Deas. This follows his two long sold out CDRs on Blackest Rainbow, and proves once again that he is off the chain! OK, so there's always gonna be the immediate comparison to James Blackshaw, but the sound is different, more aggressive almost and raw... this guitar playing has an edge -- it's deep and it's powerful. The LP consists of three tracks, the A side is an epic, almost 20-minute piece entitled 'The Waters Of Kvaloya' recorded by Ben Nash. The B side's and album's title track begins with almost a minute of near silent distant drone that develops with stomach-wrenching string twangs. The closing piece is 'As Spring Fell From The Leaves,' which was originally issued on the For The Silver Waters, Sing! CDR last year on BR, but has been considered by people who've bought his releases and seen Cam live as possibly one of the best things he has composed. Total genius, with a real blissful, but eventually dark, vibe. This track definitely deserved to be put on wax. Mastered by Ben Nash. Limited to 300 copies."
NACKT INSECTEN: Quantum Odyssey LP $18.99
"Amazing new LP from one of the UK's best psychedelic sci-fi drone blokes, total bliss drones layered repeatedly causing some truly stunning brain melting moments. Think ancient temples in the amazon being ravaged by thunderbolts of bright electric psychedelia. Totally amazing -- everyone who has heard this so far has been blown away. Paste on art, quite possibly the most awesome '70s/'80s b-movie inspired cover art I have ever seen. Edition of 300 copies."
SHINDIG: Shindig! Vol. 2, Issue 9 March-April 2009 MAG $8.99
"On the cover: The Pretty Things: UK R&B/psych legends' '60s heyday plus the story behind their newly released 'lost' 1969 artefact Phillipe DeBarge; Alice Cooper: Notorious shock rocker's early years exposed; Kevin Ayers: Cult hero, counter-culture darling and Renaissance man supreme; Count Five: There was so much more to these California garage heads than 'Psychotic Reaction'; Kippington Lodge: Nick Lowe's teenage pop-psych hopefuls tell their story; John Sebastian: Twenty questions for the Lovin' Spoonful leader and Woodstock figurehead; She Trinity: Whaddaya mean you never heard of these all-girl '60s rockers? Funkadelic: Their unreleased 1971 epic Toys finally sees the light of day."
MV & EE: Meet Snake Pass & Other Human Conditions LP $22.99
Limited 500 copies, on 180 gram vinyl. "This limited edition, heavyweight vinyl document captures an improbable but precious moment in time. Matt Valentine and Erika Elder are prolific mainstays of the psychedelic underground - their releases as MV & EE and with The Bummer Road fuse noise, raga and Americana to trace out misty ley lines and forgotten pathways with languid intensity. Although this live set is far more stripped down than recent Ecstatic Peace records like Green Blues and Getting' Gone, its wonderfully hushed quality only enhances the otherworldly resonance of their songs." -- Chris Sharp, The Wire
TIM HECKER!!!!
an imaginary country - in stock now.
cd $13.99
double lp $17.99
as i've said before - i love tim hecker.
Gull, Lee cd Burn'r on Rad $15.99
LITTLE WINGS lead guitarist Lee Gull, aka Baggett of BE GULLS, offers this blistering solo album. He sounds like a well grown teenager singing along in his car where no one can hear. For fans of Neil Young, Little Wings, Guided by Voices, Broken Social Scene
Harmonic 313 cd When Machines Exceed on Warp $16.99
...Human Intelligence" RECENT. Grumbling bassweight, glitchy traces of minimal tech, acid, dancehall & dubstep all combine to form a sound both cerebral & danceable. Transmitting his equal love for Detroit techno, Jamrock dancehall & space-age hip-hop, this album should prove to be one of the standout electronic releases of 2009
Mirah cd (a)spera on K Records $14.99
4th solo album & long awaited follow-up to 2004's highly acclaimed "C'mon Miracle." The songs strike a bold path across a landscape of dynamic & varied melody forms. Her strongest asset, her sincerity & the care she takes in placing herself w/in her music, is offered w/o compromise. Again teaming up w/ PHIL ELVERUM (MICROPHONES, MT. EERIE) for 3 of the 10 tracks, other featured musicians include Chris Funk (DECEMBERISTS), TARA JANE O'NEIL & LORI GOLDSTON
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN - BBC Sessions Colocho Edition - $12.99
this is a special edition limited to 500.
A while back we had a pretty cool contest for fans to design their own Belle And Sebastian album cover. The contest was a huge success and we got tons of entries and a lot of them were really worthwhile. The band had a look at them and chose a winner. And now we've got what surely will be one of the rarer Belle And Sebastian items in years to come. Strictly limited to 500 copies these CDs feature the new cover by the winner (French artist Colocho), everything else is the same as the regular edition. More information on the contest and the rest of the entries can be found here: http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/2009/01/28/belle-artwork-contest-winner/
DARK WAS THE NIGHT - red hot compilation on 4AD
double cd $14.99
triple lp $24.99
super comp with amazing people, all exclusive songs
FUCKED UP - No Epiphany 7" $4.99
you love em, we got em.
My Cat Is An Alien/Enore Zaffiri cd -Through the on Atavistic $15.99
...Magnifying Glass of Tomorrow" A freshly-minted collaboration with one of the pioneers of radical Italian electronic music, ENORE ZAFFIRI. Mr. Zaffiri, composer & founder of the legendary SMET (Studio di Musica Elettronica di Torino) in 1964, is 80 years old & has been a "reclused" artist for decades. After meeting Maurizio & Roberto Opalio, he decided to set up a collaborative project with them. Their recordings from the Western Alps of Bella Italia, a CD+DVD release running over two hours, is the haunting result from the gathering of these fellow musical cosmonauts
Monks Early Years 1964-1965 cd on Light In The Attic $17.99
Stop Smiling Issue 38 MAG + DVD $9.99
Third Annual "20 INTERVIEWS" Issue! DAVID LYNCH and R. CRUMB covers, & the last-ever interview w/ author ROBERTO BOLANO. Incl. DVD documentary about City Lights Books owner & beat poet extraordinaire LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI. RY COODER, STEPHEN MALKMUS, DAVID BERMAN, AL GREEN, & many more
Muslims S/T lp $16.99
Hot new garage-rock 4-piece out of San Diego drawing comparisons to Modern Lovers and Velvet Underground. This 10-song LP includes a coupon
for digital download, & feat. bonus tracks "Nightlife, "Bright Side," & "Extinction." The vinyl jackets & sleeves were silk screened by the band & the jackets were shot by a former NYC Police Officer. Wild. RIYL: Black Lips
Nobunny 7" Give It To Me $5.99
Speck Mountain cd Some Sweet Relief $13.99
Jay, Abner lp True Story Of Abner on Mississippi $14.99
Abner Jay “True Story of Abner Jay” (Mississippi) The approach here was to focus on the songs, & cut out the monologs which normally take up a bunch of space on an Abner Jay record (though actually the spoken intros are transcribed & included as an insert to this LP). I actually like the talking bits, which are more or less comedy routines, but after hearing this, I see the point – less talk, more music, & the music is the heart of it. Given the time limits of the LP format, it’s wise to cut out some window dressing. Cutting the chatter also seems to give this music more weight, more teeth – the comedy element changes the tone to the point where it threatens to undermine the intensity of the songs. Still there’s enough of the Abner Jay banter to get the flavor, & the monologs are sort of intrinsic in several songs. There a few cuts shared between this & the Subliminal Sounds CD comp of a few years back (the only other Abner Jay album you’ll be likely to find), but mostly different tracks. A couple tracks with a full band – still pretty minimal, but more than the one-man band setup normal for Abner Jay. These tracks are a little surprising – old school country ballads sounding almost in the vein of like Eddy Arnold or Marty Robbins. But mostly it’s Abner on his six string electric banjo (sonically, its basically a guitar with a nice, sharp attack) with vox & harmonica, kicking out time on a bass drum & high hat, in a style maybe closer to something like Leadbelly – not exactly blues, typically…I guess technically these would be considered folk ballads, but coming out of a dark, rural funk - deep, deep south. Drugs, depression, women, fishing, Vietnam – Abner Jay tends to weigh in on themes like these. Jay loved to go off on his background, playing & singing since he was a kid sharecropping on Georgia plantations (c.1930s), & this stuff is ancient, in form if not content, but I guess most of these tracks were recorded in the ‘60s or ‘70’s, while Jay was an entertainer in Atlanta bars. This stuff is the real deal, & as I’ve said before, one of a kind. No less than four inserts: a bio – repro of Abner Jay’s self penned onesheet, looks like – a nice looking promo photo, a little pamphlet advert from when Abner was playing the Steven Foster Museum Center in White Springs, FL, & the aforementioned transcription of the excised monologs. Incredible stuff (review by someone else - not a stormy employee - sorry!)
Last Kind Words V/A on Mississippi $12.99
2nd edition with regular printed jacket. "Incredibly well compiled '20s-'30s era blues comp. High quality of sound for the time period of its recordings. This compilation is filled with the most accessible blues songs made to be appreciated by enthusiasts and those new to the genre. Features Blind Willie McTell, Memphis Minnie, Geechie Wiley, etc."
Sultan, Mark 7" Hold On on Sub Pop $5.99
cool die cut sleeve, yellow vinyl
Various - Viva Negativa! - A Tribute To The New Blockaders Vol.1 $99.99
Label: Vinyl-on-demand
Catalog#: VOD 24
Format: 4 x Vinyl, LP Box Set, Limited Edition
Country: Germany
Released: Feb 2006
Genre: Electronic
Style: Noise
Credits: Featuring - New Blockaders, The
Notes: Viva Negativa! - A Tribute To The New Blockaders is the culmination of several years worth of commissioned remixes, extrapolations on and collaborations with the work of TNB, the UK’s most consistently feral noise group.
Limited to 500 copies.
Tracklisting:
A1 Asmus Tietchens Kranzniederlegung
A2 Keith Fullerton Whitman Sept. 27th 1960
A3 Nocturnal Emissions This Morphing Void
A4 Plethora Last Night I Dremt Of Anti-Fest, This Morning I Woke Up Deaf
A5 Silvum Discreet Charms
B1 SRMeixner The Church Of The Absurd
B2 Haters, The Mantra To Rot
B3 Daniel Menche Smoldered Blockaders
B4 Nobuo Yamada Prickle / Crevice
B5 Komafuzz Damage Ax
C1 Ashtray Navigations New Paint For Antisilence
C2 Zbigniew Karkowski Chopped Mod
C3 Anomali T.N.B.R.I.P.
C4 John Wiese Annul
C5 Benzo Nothing Controls Something
D1 Vortex Campaign The Black Box
D2 Evil Moisture New Kids On The Blockaders
D3 Cisfinitum Out
D4 Massimo (2) History Of Everything
D5 MSBR TNSBRupenus
E1 Jason Kahn Rille
E2 Controlled Bleeding The Latest Hole In My Head
E3 Pita TNB II53
E4 V/Vm What A Way To Go Shakey
E5 Treriksröset Negativt Fortroendekapital
F1 Grunt Saarto
F2 Thurston Moore Corion Sound For T.N.B.
F3 Richard Ramirez Cultural Blockade
F4 Scanner Kohekohe
G1 Oren Ambarchi Something From Nothing
G2 Emil Beaulieau Anti-Vartan
G3 Dieter Müh HOHL
G4 Z'EV Chips For The New Block
G5 Lockweld Catharsis Bomb
H1 Kraang Silvers On Glass And Steel
H2 K.K. Null Song X
H3 Prurient Majdanek Slaughterhouse
H4 Freiband Nichts
Various - Viva Negativa! - A Tribute To The New Blockaders Vol.2 $99.99
Label: Vinyl-on-demand
Catalog#: VOD 25
Format: 4 x Vinyl, LP Box Set
Country: Germany
Released: Feb 2006
Genre: Electronic
Style: Noise
Credits: Featuring - New Blockaders, The
Notes: Viva Negativa! - A Tribute To The New Blockaders is the culmination of several years worth of commissioned remixes, extrapolations on and collaborations with the work of TNB, the UK’s most consistently feral noise group.
Limited to 500 copies.
Tracklisting:
A1 Achim Wollscheid Asignificant
A2 Brendan Walls Viva Blockadres!
A3 Violent Onsen Geisha Tarot Arcana Major No. XVI
A4 Christian Renou Don't Do It
A5 AMK Phlegm Angst
B1 Damion Romero Broken Block
B2 Das Synthetische Mischgewebe Simphonie Amodal
B3 Spiracle Kundearistruct
B4 MNortham* Floating Course On The Field Of Nothingness (AKA FI RA OT IC (old lmbird insmo hvo e))
C1 Merzbow Oumagatoki Part 3
C2 Alexei Borisov Two Into One
C3 Government Alpha TaNgiBility
C4 Aaron Dilloway Machine Rape (Blitzkrieg)
D1 Putrefier Das Motifs De Mes Compositions Anterieures
D2 E-Shak MMS Bachtcha
D3 Bloxus Extrinct Raag
D4 Wolf Eyes Fisted Gadgets
D5 Incapacitants As Nonchalant As Possible
E1 Aube RELB
E2 Jim O'Rourke 407 Seconds Over
E3 Plexia Variahb
E4 Dave Phillips Metal-Klamauk
F1 Idea Fire Company Les Heros De La Barricade Finale
F2 Runzelstirn & Gurgelstřck Those Necrophile Birds
F3 Broken Penis Orchestra, The The Kill Lump
F4 Lasse Marhaug Good Blasphemy
F5 \\\ Windowpane
G1 Anla Courtis Happy Blockaders Time
G2 Sudden Infant New Simphonie In Sudden X Major
G3 Art Break Objective Ground Level
G4 Withdrawal Method Sans Regard
H1 Giancarlo Toniutti Rumrudada
H2 Embudagonn 108 Variations #0
H3 Cheapmachines Null Opus
H4 RLW Manifesto (For The Next Generation Of Blockaders)
LAFAYETTE AFRO ROCK BAND, THE: Malik LP $17.99
2007 release. "Between 1974 and 1975, a group of black American musicians from Long Island, New York recorded two albums while living in Paris under the name The Lafayette Afro Rock Band. They have attained legendary underground status as potent slices of Motherland-fortified funk-jazz. Though the LPs sold a mere 5,000-10,000 copies upon their release, key tracks have been sampled by rap stars from LL Cool J to Jay Z, blazing fresh interest in the mysterious septet. The band began in 1971 as Bobby Boy Congress. Sensing a saturation level of funk bands in the U.S., they figured they might have a better chance of breaking through in the European market. When success did not present itself fast enough, lead singer Bobby Boy returned home and was later replaced by Arthur Young. In the interim, two important things happened. First, the band settled in Paris' 80% African Barbesse district, jamming in all of the Paris clubs and marinating in a musical stew of Afro funk vibrations. Second, they encountered French producer Pierre Jaubert (aka 'Berjot'), who owned the Parisound recording studio and two rehearsal facilities, one of which he squired the band into with the admonishment to practice around the clock.... Their second album, Malik contained what would become their most galvanizing selection of all, 'Darkest Light.' Composed by guest guitarist Michael McEwan, the song is renowned for its haunting saxophone intro (sampled on Public Enemy's Bomb Squad-produced hyper interlude 'Show 'Em Whatcha Got' and Wreckx-n-Effect's double-platinum dance jam 'Rump Shaker,' produced by Teddy Riley, DJ Quik and a 16 year-old Pharrell Williams). Frank Abel added a secret ingredient to the magic bag (a precursor to the vocoder) -- a tube blown through a bag containing car horn parts into a keyboard for a funky gurgling effect. Also of note are the percussive 'Conga' (later included on the influential Ultimate Breaks And Beats compilation) and 'Raff' by Californian Leroy Gomez who'd contributed 'Hihache' to the previous LP. In addition to the remaining five body rockin' jams from Malik -- all penned by band members -- this special reissue includes two bonus tracks: 'Quick' (an outtake from the Malik sessions) and 'The Gap' (from Ice's Seven Americans In Paris LP)."
PAISLEY, DOUG: Doug Paisley CD $14.99
"An album of folk songs that represent the American malaise. Sure, Doug Paisley is Canadian (Toronto, to be exact) but so was Neil Young and four-fifths of The Band, and that didn't stop them from tapping into the collective psyche of the continent. It would be bold of us to say this debut is on the level of the aforementioned, but truthfully it does recall an era of songwriting that was more simple, more honest, more modest. A time before ipods and myspace, when making a good album was simply enough. Doug Paisley has been seen on tour with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy under the pseudo name Dark Hand and Lamplight; a collaboration between himself and artist Shary Boyle. Shary creates live drawings and animates pre-drawn images on an overhead projector. Choreographed to the lyrics and music, she projects her artwork onto a screen, the wall, Doug, and other available surfaces. The way the visuals complement the songs is quite amazing and the shows have been called an encompassing, mesmerizing and tranquil experience. It's probably one of the coolest things you'll ever see."
SUN ARAW: The Phynx LP $18.99
"Cameron Stallones' debut full-length was originally released on NNF in early 2008 as a CDR in an edition of 150. In the wake of his successful Beach Head LP and Boat Trip EP it was decided this needed the wax treatment. So here it is, fully re-mastered by James Plotkin and housed in nice matte jackets. One time edition of 500 copies."
HIGH RISE: Psychedelic Speed Freaks Live 1986 DVD $26.99
"First DVD by the kings of speed garage psychedelia, High Rise! Recorded live in Osaka in 1986, around the time of their second album by the all-time classic line-up of Nanjo (bass, vocals), Narita (guitar) and Ujiie (drums). Suitably grainy and colour-saturated visuals capture the group laying down their staggering brand of intense garage-psych with Narita's guitar ripping weird, devastating solo holes in the songs, and Ujiie and Nanjo laying down that exhilarating sense of reckless acceleration. Still some of the most effective rock qua rock ever recorded. Just unbelievable. Six tracks, 25 minutes." -- Alan Cummings. Stereo, 4:3, NTSC region-free DVD.
DETROIT GRAND PUBAHS: The Detroit Connection Pt. 4 CD $17.99
This is the fourth installment in Matrix Music's Detroit Connection series, which began with an album from Kevin Saunderson and continued with mixes by DJ-3000 and DJ Godfather. This time, the world's best, funkiest and weirdest techno duo Detroit Grand Pubahs deliver a mix; however, it is by no means just another mix CD. The Pubahs conceived it as a semi-live mix or "enhanced DJ set," a mix with live elements (sax and vocals) plus live music made on the fly during the process of mixing. It also features a previously-unreleased Pubahs' track "Blacula's Drack," an exclusive edit of long-unavailable "Black Arse" by Dick Track&Agent Orange (Jesper Dahlbäck and Cari Lekebusch in disguise) as well as special soundscapes composed by the Mysterious Mr. O. The subtle saxophone parts are a contribution of the talented Domgue, who is among their guest musicians during the Pubahs numerous PAs and live sets. The tracks used in the mix include recent club hits by The Shapeshifters and Benga, as well as classics by cult artists such as UR, Joey Beltram and Kirk DeGiorgio. Welcome to the world of Motor City musical madness. Other artists include: Paris The Black Fu, Nubian Mindz, KJ, Mark Broom, Laurent Garnier, UR, Dimtri Andreas, Ortin Cam, Radio Slave, D.Eeprom, Märtini Brös, Robag Wruhme, Martijn Ten Velden, Scan One, 4 Hero, Trillbass, Daedelus and Etan.
VA: Strike 100 3LP $28.99
Triple LP version. The Shitkatapult label celebrates their 100th release with a killer pack of 25 tracks on 2CD/3LP format, featuring an all-star line-up, including many exclusive tracks. Label-owner Marco Haas (aka T.Raumschmiere) ushered Shitkatapult into the world with 1997's Stormbow 10", and then with 1999's Cozmick Suckers Volume Orange compilation, hurling the label into the world with a bang, gritty crackles, expansive sounds, cool experiments and warm, optimistic boldness for the floor, the bedroom and everything in-between. Pan, zoom, cut: over a decade later, and a cool 100 releases down the line, this compilation takes the label back to its dreamy vision, a spiky, feverish, beautiful thicket, and throws together 25 "listening/electronica/ambient" highlights not a million miles away from, say, a Weimarian or Leningrad master class of electronic music. While the majority of the tracks are exclusives for this special occasion (The Orb, T.Raumschmiere, etc.), some were culled from previous records (Soap&Skin, Das Bierbeben, Judith Juillerat) or dug up and licensed from the classics vault for an overall oeuvre of unrivaled proportions. Take Apparat's stunning Johnny Cash remix, for example, or Bus reworked by AG Penthouse or Julia Hummer's heart-wrenching collaboration with Pluramon, "If Time Was On My Side," an apt motto for the assembled artists, dedicated to music despite all odds. But why do it? Because it makes sense, say the wistful woods that grace this record, caught in the delicious delusion of elves and fly agaric -- Bianca Strauch's exceptional cover art creates the right setting for Simona Danciu's beautiful woodland image, the winning entry in Shitkatapult's cover art competition. Other artists on this compilation include: Tom Thiel, Felix, Ismael Pinkler, Kero, Ben Lauber, Warren Suicide, Daniel Meteo, Jan Jelinek, Frank Bretschneider, Krater, DJ Flush, Schieres, Dalglish, Richard Lautenschläger, Anaphie, Shrubbn!!, Fenin, Peter Grummich, and Anders Ilar.
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE - Merriweather lp $29.99
well, here it is. can't say if it's any good myself, but the reviews have been amazing.
BRIAN ENO & DAVID BYRNE - Everything That Happens lp $23.99
this is a great record, and now you can have on lp!!!
KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW - Animal Party 7" $10.99
comes with a coloring book!!! super limited!!
Beirut double cd March of the on Zapotec & Pompeii $15.99
...Realpeople Holland" The first disc was recorded w/ a local band in a small city in Mexico, who was hired to play some new material. The six songs on "March" are only a part of what this release has become. Before recording as Beirut, Condon went by the name "Realpeople" for his bedroom recordings, & he has revived the name for the second half in this collection. This collects a series of songs conceived & completed at home. Whether he's being inspired by Balkan folk, French chanteuse, Mexican troubadour, '80s synth pop, or '90s house, the common thread remains Condon's ability to personalize the sound
Bird, Andrew lp Mysterious Production of on Grimsey $16.99
...Eggs" ** REPRESS w/full color, D-luxe sleeve w/fabulous art by Jay Ryan. Second solo album since dissolution of Bowl of Fire group is a magnificent, powerhouse of a record dealing w/the mysteries of childhood, creativity & modern science - both epic in scope & minute in detail. A singular talent. RECOMMENDED.
Christian Family Underground lp - For The on Woodsist $14.99
...Depth Of Your Union" Sweeping electronic sounds backed w/ wood & bone percussion spirit-conjure. However also harvested was some new and especially tasty crop: sung & spoken song, electric guitar/conga "rock" & an odd ghostly sheen coating the entire proceeding
Dead Machines lp Plays Invasion Of The on Arbor $17.99
...Body Snatchers" One-sided release. Michigan heavy domestic-electronic couple that are the forefathers of broken gear/appliance/wind instrument basement jamming & they have their niche dug deep. Twisting mixer feedback & found sound source into a twisted collage of life outside the 'Pod': harsh & awakening, but at times giving way to the trance of the machine lull. Limited to 450
Jazzfinger lp Mole and the Morning Dew on Spirit of Orr $17.99
Limited to 600, purple vinyl
Strotter Inst. cd Minenhund on Public Guilt $13.99
Christoph Hess creates music through the manipulation of old, Swiss turntables. Rubberbands, stretched to different tensions are affixed to the rotating turntable & plucked by needle to create warm, thick beats. Live wires carry electrical current to the stylus to create pulsing feedback. These sounds are channeled through effects pedals to create dense sound structures, looping rhythms & multilayered broken beats. The music has more in common w/ the anti-electronica of Pan Sonic or the early minimalism of Steve Reich, than to other experimental turntablists like Philip Jeck or Christian Marclay. His roots are not in improvisedmusic, but in industrial culture, the electronic avantgarde & electro-acoustic composition
Wilson, Steven double cd Insurgentes on K Scope $17.99
Solo album from Wilson (PORCUPINE TREE, BASS COMMUNION) contains 10 new tracks that range from ballads & anthems to all-out industrial noise assaults. The dark, cinematic & richly textured album inhabits a similar experimental realm as recent albums by Thom Yorke, Portishead, & NIN
2CD
Xela LP Illuminated on Dekorder $17.99
The alias of Type Records main-man John Twells, he has over the last decade moved through a dense fog of musical styles from abstract electronics to rusty soundscapes. In recent years his output has allied itself w/ darker realms, taking a liberal dose of influence from Norway's darker exponents, but retaining a deep & measured experimental focus. This was originally released on cassette, a format very fitting to the gloomy, waterlogged sounds - taking cues from the cracked black metal of Burzum & Striborg & fusing this w/ heavy, synthesized noise. Devastating & dark material. Listen if you dare...
SUN CITY GIRLS: Fruit Of The Womb/Polite Deception 2LP $28.99
"Fifth reissue in the Cloaven Cassettes series by Sun City Girls. Both cassettes were released in 1987. About Fruit of the Womb: 'Recorded 1984-85 between the first and second Sun City Girls LPs in mono. The performances on this tape are superb. Near Eastern instrumentals, extended improvisation, ostracized jazz plus impossible versions of Sun City Girls standards.' Like the other titles in this series, some tracks from the original tape releases have been removed for the LP versions and some unreleased tracks are included, too. About Polite Deception: 'Side one is a continuation of the previous tape listed (Fruit Of The Womb). And side two was described by an Albanian diplomat as: 'An industrial Mesopotamian environmental piece followed by Egyptian trance jazz.' Of course, we all know that this description is false.' Recordings are from 1984-1985. Limited edition of 950 copies in ultra thick gatefold sleeve with lots of pictures from the mid-80s. Series is back on track -- you won't have to wait 3 more years for the next one!"
CIRCLE: Triumph 2LP $25.99
Deluxe gatefold release. "Yet another vinyl-only release by Finland's finest export for Fourth Dimension, following an affiliation that takes in the now out of print Arkades LP and equally almost sold out 2CD reissue of it and, indeed, goes back to 1995, when we released a (now rare/collectable) 7", Ghatarian. As with the original Arkades LP, this release gathers recordings for a session at WFMU, this time recorded during their second US tour and captured live on the 25th September 2007. Spread over the four sides are the six cuts which made up Circle's second session for WFMU, once more capturing the self-proclaimed new wave of Finnish heavy metal outfit proving themselves to be almost everything but 'heavy metal' despite possessing the only too apparent ability to compete with the best amongst that world. Taking in operatic vocals, unearthly mulch, psychedelic splurge, nods towards folk and Krautrock, and mammoth riffs capable of knocking down nearby buildings, avant-rock has rarely arrived both so potent and in dire need of a straitjacket before. The new wave of Finnish heavy metal is positively bursting with ideas like nothing else."
GAINSBOURG, SERGE: Histoire De Melody Nelson CD $16.99
"Sex has always sold, but presented with a landmark musical backdrop, the combination is rare as finding the elusive 'G-Spot.' Quite often, attempts fall flaccid, missing the titillating mark by a mile. But French icon and national treasure Serge Gainsbourg is no stranger to sexual proclivities, and with his 1971 release Histoire De Melody Nelson he shared an erotic tale as seductive today as the day it was released. With help from actress, amour, and inspiration Jane Birkin, arranger/conductor and co-conspirator Jean-Claude Vannier (L'Enfant Assassins Des Mouches), not to mention a tight, hand-picked crew of top-shelf UK session musicians, Nelson is often cited as Gainsbourg's master work, an essential album for the discerning music lover. Light In The Attic's reissue of Histoire De Melody Nelson finally gives this still radical record the respect and attention to detail it so rightfully deserves. For the first time ever, this lavishly packaged and true-to-the-original artwork CD contains extensive English language liner notes and informative content explaining the times and tales behind the making of this passionate platter. Dispelling the countless myths, hearsay, and rumors surrounding Nelson, New York-based writer Andy Beta contributes a stylish essay for your edification while Finders Keepers' honcho and Twisted Nerve founder Andy Votel shares his deep knowledge of Gainsbourg and the Gallic and UK music scenes with great insight -- never before have these stories been told. The maestro himself even chimes in with a period Q&A interview from France's Rock N Folk Magazine, and printed lyrics (both with English translations). So as we said before, sex sells, and yes, we are buying. With Gainsbourg, Birkin, Vannier and company supplying the mood, it's our artistic pop-rock duty to explore Histoire De Melody Nelson with fresh ears, eyes, and hands. With its massive inspiration reaching out to the quintessential rap of De La Soul and The Beatnuts to like-minded and eclectic singer-songwriter Beck, Nelson continues to entrance. Light In The Attic looks forward to continuing to spread Gainsbourg's provocative message to thrill seekers the world over."
SCHNITZLER, CONRAD: Silver LP on QBICO $28.99
Recorded 1974/75. "Vintage Schnitzler, available here for the first time. This recording from 1974/75 was part of the legendary colored series of albums: Rot, Grun, Gelb, Schwartz." 180 gram black vinyl.
WIRE, THE: #301 March 2009 MAG $9.50
"On the cover of this month's issue: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (In a revealing interview, Will Oldham tells Derek Walmsley about his invented personae and the wild frontiers of alternative country). Features: Zomby (There's more to the London based dubstepper than hardcore nostalgia, argues Lisa Blanning); Menace Ruine (Edwin Pouncey hears how black metal is the inspiration for this Canadian duo's magick drones); Seymour Wright (The London based alto saxophonist tells Nick Cain how Art Blakey interferes with his dinner); Phnom Penh (Maria Bakkalapulo meets a survivor of the Pol Pot regime keeping Cambodian folk music alive); Sub Rosa Vocal Archive (Julian Cowley discovers Duchamp, Joyce and Burroughs in the Belgian label's vaults); Invisible Jukebox: Joe Morris, Joan La Barbara (The electronic vocalist details her extraordinary life in contemporary music with John Cage, Morton Feldman, Alvin Lucier and more); Andrew Cyrille (Cecil Taylor's rhythmatist of choice tells Andy Hamilton about the freedom movement in the 1960s and his more recent explorations of African roots)."
ZORN, JOHN: Filmworks XXIII: El General CD $16.99
"Eleven cues recorded for a striking documentary focusing on the life of controversial Mexican dictator Plutarco Elias Calles who was called everything from a nun-burner to the father of modern Mexico. Beautiful and dramatic, the music is scored for guitar, marimba, accordion/piano and bass and subtly draws upon Mexican, Spanish, minimalist and soundtrack traditions. Zorn's fifth film score in as many months is a pure delight. Moody and exotic music for a creative and revealing film dealing with truth and the complexity of history!"
XLR8R: #125 March 2009 MAG $4.99
"America's definitive electronic music magazine, #125. Cover: Junior Boys (Traversing an ocean of sound with the crown princes of intellectual electro-pop). Contents: Butch, Factozoid: Circlesquare, Pan/Tone, The Whip's Guide To Manchester, Mi Ami, Sparks vs. Pop Levi, Dan Deacon, Style: Primary, Reviews, Artists To Watch, In The Studio: Black Milk, Artist Tips: Telefon Tel Aviv, Components, Videogames, Vis-Ed: David Horvitz, TBC: Lost In Translation." 96 pages.
DAVIS, NATHAN: If lp $24.99
"Soul Jazz Records continues it's occasional re-issuing of seriously collectable deep jazz records from the 1970s, on their subsidiary Universal Sound label, with this seminal release from saxophonist Nathan Davis (current eBay price ÂŁ400!). The CD comes in full slipcase with sleevenotes, interview and pics and the vinyl edition is limited to 1000 copies worldwide - so be quick! The album If was released on Nathan Davis's tiny bespoke Tomorrow International record label in 1976 and only 1000 copies were ever pressed. Davis leads his super-funky group along the narrow path between jazz and funk that so many failed to navigate successfully in the second-half of the 1970s. It's an album by an artist who is a musician's musician. More importantly -- it's a killer! Nathan Davis's career has made him a connoisseur's favourite and his records are all extremely collectable. In the 1960s Davis was drafted into the US army, and was based in Germany and France (working with everyone from Art Blakey to Donald Byrd and Ray Charles). Davis also worked as musical director of a TV and radio station, wrote film scores, studied anthropology at the Sorbonne and released a number of important records. He returned to the US at the end of the 60s and continued to release a number of amazing jazz records -- all of which have now been long out of print. His avoidance of the major record industry, working instead with various small independent labels with limited distribution has made all his releases very collectible. But have no doubt; Davis is one of the most important jazz artists of his time with a 50-year career span that continues to this day. The early Tomorrow International releases, especially If have become serious collector's items, as indeed have most of Nathan Davis's catalogue of recordings. Today, more people want these records than when they were first made and demand outstrips supply. Those who own Nathan Davis albums don't sell them - and none more so than If."
GO - Tracking The Trail Of The Haunted Beat $24.99
this is a Gorgeous, 2 lp set in a gatefold sleeve that also comes with a compact disc of all the tracks. superb packaging - Bellyache Records really outdid themselves on this one!!! limited stock!!
DAS - Artfact lp $14.99
DAS - Non-Chalant lp $19.99
Azita cd How Will You? on Drag City/Twos $14.99
STREET DATE 2/17. A collection of songs that range from sun-bright & poppy to deep-focus, torrential. AZITA stuck to straight-ahead voicings in her chords to bring heaviness to the sound, working with bassist Matt Lux (Iron & Wine, Plush) and drummer John Herndon (Tortoise) to arrange her songs with the strength of a rock & roll band throughout the album. Compelling pop music, approaching in fun, with beats, and then sinking deep & growing within you. The songs of How Will You? take a new approach for AZITA, with more space in them, more room for the melody lines to echo out, haunted & haunting.
Azita lp How Will You? on Drag City $17.99
STREET DATE 2/17. Vinyl!
Death cd For the Whole World to on Drag City/Twos $14.99
...See" STREET DATE 2/17. Classic proto-punk from 1970s Detroit. Raw with little polish, the record showcasese the organic power relationships within the trio of brothers. The Hackneys were first influenced by soul & funk music but it all changed when they saw Iggy and the Stooges. Inspired by The Who, Alice Cooper & Led Zeppelin; the brothers finally see their first full length release, remastered & ready for the world to hear.
VINYL on this title is already sold out. we are not sure if there will be a repress, but for the time being we are out of the vinyl and so are the distros.
Mountains cd Choral on Thrill Jockey $14.99
STREET DATE 2/17. BRANDON ANDEREGG & KOEN HOLTKAMP seamlessly blend pastoral electronic sounds with both field recordings & a plethora of acoustic instruments. The resulting soundscapes are broad in scope & rich in detail, often compared to artists such as Brian Eno & Fennesz. CD version is presented in a 4-panel mini-LP style jacket
Mountains lp Choral on Thrill Jockey $16.99
STREET DATE 2/17. BRANDON ANDEREGG & KOEN HOLTKAM
P seamlessly blend pastoral electronic sounds with both field recordings & a plethora of acoustic instruments. The resulting soundscapes are broad in scope & rich in detail, often compared to artists such as Brian Eno & Fennesz. DOUBLE LP VERSION IS LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES WORLDWIDE, INCLUDES 2 VINYL-EXCLUSIVE TRACKS, AND A DOWNLOAD COUPON.
SUBMARINE RACES - Hard to Look At lp on In The Red $15.99
vinyl!!
VON BONDIES - Love, Hate And Then lp $17.99
vinyl!! woo hoo!!! hilarious interviews on webvomit!!
PAN AMERICAN - White Bird Release cd on kranky $13.99
PAN AMERICAN - White Bird Release lp on kranky $13.99
Mark Nelson continues his exploration of minimalism through dub-tinged drones on his latest full-length under the Pan•American alias, White Bird Release. Nelson has a long history with minimalist electronic music: The very first release for Kranky Records in 1993 was by Nelson’s former group, Labradford. The idiosyncratic trio was incorporating analog synthesizers and exploring electronica at a time when the American indie-rock underground was obsessed with distorted discord. After three albums in four years, Nelson moved to Chicago in 1997 to pursue a solo career while Labradford gradually slowed (and eventually stopped) recording.
In a dozen years, the basic formula for a Pan•American release has not changed dramatically. The biggest alteration in Nelson’s latest work comes from a greater emphasis on organic sounds, perhaps due to songwriting assistance and drum and vibraphone work from Steven Hess. Guitars take center stage over dub or glitch elements, which in the past might’ve made their presence better felt. On opener “There Can Be No Thought of Finishing,” the quiet tremolo and whispered vocals give way to a dominant white-noise. This six-string texturing is a common motif throughout the album, weaving together largely ambient tracks like “Is a Problem to Occupy Generations” and “There is Always the Thrill of Just Beginning” for a sound not unlike Pan•American’s closest contemporaries, Belong.
The exceptions to these My Bloody Valentine-influenced drone dazers are what make White Bird Release (and, by extension, Pan•American itself) as interesting as it is. “Both Literally and Figuratively” is an early exception, Nelson withholding noisier impulses for an even more restrained take than usual. Later, “How Much Progress One Makes” provides one of the highlights of the album through its return to what Pan•American made its name on: a combination of dub, downtempo and shoegazer minimalism. “In a Letter to H.G. Wells, 1932” also follows this blueprint for double the length, a pleasant closer to an album rich in sonic subtleties.
POP AMBIENT 2009 various cd on Kompakt $16.99
The bliss is finally back - once again curated by Kompakt co-founder WOLFGANG VOIGT (Gas). TIM HECKER joins in w/ a tremendous contribution that builds wave after wave of textured noise & melody. FUN YEARS take loop melody & turn it inside-out w/ an astounding guitar-based tune. SYLVAIN CHAUVEAU contributes two untreated works from the lovely "Nuage" full-length that straddles his work w/ a small ensemble & his own piano & guitar performances. Other artists include: MINT (Wolfgang Voigt), a Gas-eous remix of Jurgen Paape's "Ausking" by BURGER/VOIGT, POPNONAME, KLIMEK & HUSAK, MARSEN JULES & ANDREW THOMAS. RECOMMENDED!!!
AETHENOR - Faking Gold cd on VHF $15.99
AETHENOR - Faking Gold lp on VHF $23.99
3rd Earth-shattering full-length by Vincent De Roguin (SHORA), Stephen O'Malley (SUNN0))), KTL) & Daniel O'Sullivan (GUAPO)
BEIRUT - March of the Zapotec & lp on Obey Your Brain $18.99
...Realpeople Holland" Vinyl format. The 1st half was recorded w/ a local band in a small city in Mexico, who was hired to play some new material. The 6 songs on "March" are only a part of what this release has become. Before recording as Beirut, Condon went by the name "Realpeople" for his bedroom recordings, & he has revived the name for the 2nd half in this collection. Whether he's being inspired by Balkan folk, French chanteuse, Mexican troubadour, '80s synth pop, or '90s house, the common thread remains Condon's ability to personalize the sound
MI AMI - Watersports cd on Quarterstick $14.99
Members of BLACK EYES. Pulling from 60s free jazz, dub, minimalism, disco, & African music, the band manipulates rhythm, negative space, & the physicality of song
MORRISSEY - Years OF Refusal cd on Lost Highway $16.99
Mozz is back w/ more songs of woefulness and co-dependency. How reassuring.
PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART cd on Slumberland $15.99
PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART lp on Slumberland $12.99
Their distinctive style tidily distills all the great noise-pop precedents -- early My Bloody Valentine, House of Love, Pale Saints, Rocketship -- w/ exuberance & energy in every song. An instant classic, packed w/ brilliantly executed pop gems that blend the rush of youthful enthusiasm w/ crafty arrangements, well-honed tunes & buckets of guitar racket
Smegma/KK Rampage/Ghost Moth/Insect Joy - Tarant split 12" on Rampage $17.99
...ismo Summit Volume 1" 4-way split 12" limited to 400 copies. SMEGMA is a satellite of unspeakable deseRcreactioonrd inin tghse free-jazz stratosphere of the 70s underground. K.K. RAMPAGE thrive on sinister mechanical chaos & throbbing spastic drumming. INSECT JOY obliterate the tranquility of a Gulf Coast sunset w/ a barbaric & drilling groove of mindless gravel-toned noise. GHOST MOTH forcibly detract from the outer levels of humanity w/ unsettling sounds that can kill the weak & break the unbreakable
Yellow Swans/Devillock SPLIT 7" on Modern Radio $5.99
The recently defunct YELLOW SWANS utilize a variety of instruments, including 1/4" tape, guitar, voice, drum machines, microphones, & mixer
feedback. DEVILLOCK aka JUSTIN MEYERS, owner of the Tonefilth label, is responsible for dozens of small pressing noise recordings. His releases, including this 7", feat. hand-made packaging & artwork
DRONES, THE: Havilah 2LP $17.99
Gatefold double LP version; CD is released 3/3. This is the fourth full-length release by critically-lauded Australian mavericks, The Drones. The splendid isolation in which Havilah was created lies in the foothills of Mt. Buffalo, once goldfield territory, outside the town of Myrtleford in country Victoria, where Gareth Liddiard began writing new songs for the album there. Two months later, guitarist Dan Luscombe, The Drones' most recent addition, and drummer Michael Noga joined Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin to rehearse the new material. Then producer and engineer Burke Reid (The Mess Hall, Gerling) lugged his recording gear through the door and off they went -- two weeks flat out -- until it was done. Havilah, like everything The Drones have done, is an album of contradictions, where bombast meets beauty, melancholy wrestles with violent guitars and singer Liddiard's incendiary voice lights up his angular poetry, this time on the nature of, in no particular order, the moon ("Penumbra"), divorce ("The Drifting Housewife") and the acquisition of god-like power and the Vanuatu cult of John Frum ("I Am The Supercargo"). It's an album that's brimful of the innovation and artistic integrity that has made The Drones one of Australian rock's most critically-acclaimed acts here and overseas. There are vaguely familiar nods to Neil Young's paint-stripping guitar spasms on "Supercargo" and "Oh My," while the deliciously meandering pop dirges of Suicide and the Velvet Underground echo in "Careful As You Go" and "Luck In Odd Numbers." It's melancholic, certainly, but Havilah, in its tone and its delivery, is also a celebration. It's a more positive statement than its predecessor. Once you've been around these 10 songs for a few hours, it's not hard to make up your mind about them. They are bold, they are romantic, and they are dangerous.
CRANES: self titled cd $17.99
This is the long-awaited release of a new studio album by Cranes, the famed British dream-pop group whose creative output has spanned over 15 years and -- with this latest addition -- nine studio albums. Cranes has been three years in the making. It is a triumph of celestial atmospheric rock and metaphysical minimalist electronics, made instantly recognizable by Alison Shaw's child-like vocals and Jim Shaw's uniquely inventive compositions. There are themes of fractals, the mysterious mathematical patterns and shapes that can be found throughout nature and the universe beyond. Lyrics speak of the passing of time, of how cyclical things can be and of wanting to move forward. This is all woven into compositions that take in everything from Krautrock and folk, to intricate, almost extra-terrestrial soundscapes and David Lynchian melodies. Stand-out tracks include "Feathers" -- a filmic, Espers-like, underwater epic, and "High and Low"'s guitar-led waltz. There's "Panorama"'s dark Parisian vocal layering and "Wires"' soaring melody, textured with Four Tet-like blips. The Cranes have come a long way since their inception almost two decades ago, and their body of work can be split into two distinct eras. The music from the '90s had a peculiar intensity, which seemed incongruous at the time. Their early fans included John Peel, the legendary Joy Division producer Martin Hannett and Robert Smith, who asked them to open for The Cure on many an international tour. In 1997 came the first stirrings of a new sound and a new Cranes, one which still revolved around the sister-brother axis but left behind the industrial rock element, replacing it with their own compelling version of electronic-based songcraft. The band re-emerged in 2001 on their own Dadaphonic label and went on to release two more acclaimed albums in their new guise -- 2001's Future Songs and 2004's Particles and Waves. The current line-up includes Alison Shaw (lyrics, vocals and guitar) and Jim Shaw (multi-instrumentalist), who are joined by Ben Baxter (bass), Paul Smith (keyboards, guitar), and new drummer Dave Hirschheimer (drums). The new album's otherworldly tonal beauty will continue to see them existing outside of the mainstream, slightly disconnected, but able to offer a very beautiful, one-of-a-kind vision of life in the 21st-century.
SMITH, ELDER UTAH: I Got Two Wings CD/BOOK $19.99
Incidents And Anecdotes of The Two-Winged Preacher And Electric Guitar Evangelist Elder Utah Smith "Despite waxing three of the hottest electric guitar records of the pre-rock and roll years, almost nothing has been known about the life of the sanctified electric guitar preacher Elder Utah Smith. Until now. African-American music scholar Lynn Abbott's years of research has produced a remarkable biographical study finally shining a light onto the preaching, healing and guitar playing ministry of this path breaking performer, one whose revivals and appearances were as well known and anticipated in his time as any other sacred or secular musician or performer. I Got Two Wings firmly places Utah Smith within the Church of God of Christ tradition along with such COGIC contemporaries as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Elder Curry and the Rev F W McGee. Filled with fascinating anecdotes and first hand remembrances and testimonies, I Got Two Wings also features many rare and unpublished photographs and an 18-track CD produced by CaseQuarter's Kevin Nutt. The CD includes 5 previously unknown Utah Smith songs along with relevant performances by Tharpe, Curry, McGee and two rocking, sanctified performances by Utah Smith's daughter, Sister Sarah James and the Sanctified Six." 128-page perfect bound softcover book and 18-track CD sealed in pouch inside back cover.
J.T. IV: Cosmic Lightning LP/DVD $23.99
Repressed and still "rare as hen's teeth". "Like a bolt from the black, Cosmic Lightning has struck again -- but who felt the shock the first time around? The sounds of J.T. IV were too much for 1980s Chicago. Now they can be truly absorbed, 20 years after they first flashed. Rock and roll often grows out of harsh circumstances. John Timmis IV survived a broken childhood and a nightmarish adolescence, ending up homeless and hustling on the streets after being committed to a mental hospital by his mother in the mid-'70s. At New Trier High School on Chicago's North Shore, he obsessed over the Velvets and David Bowie and taught himself how to play guitar. Two years later, he recorded his first 45, Waiting for the C.T.A. backed with 'Song For Suzanne' and 'Death Trip.' Then came 'In The Can' (written during his institutional stay), which was included on the B-side of his second single, Destructo Rock. These singles were pressed in runs of a hundred or two -- and there are only two known extant copies of the first release. Both were recorded at Odyssey Studio on Michigan Avenue and released on J.T.'s Rock And Roll Records imprint. John did his best to publicize his work, giving away copies of Destructo Rock all around town. During the '90s, rare sightings were reported at record stores, and rumors persist that a few 45s can still be found in jukeboxes in Europe. Sadly, John's talents didn't include selling his records, and the copies he gave away haven't survived in any great numbers. After an odd absence in which he claimed to have been horribly disfigured in a car accident, John rebounded in 1987, and released his last single under the name Frankenstein. The Cosmic Lightning album was compiled from his singles discography. Additionally, he produced and directed the 85-hour film (longest film in history, according to the Guinness Book of World Records) entitled The Cure For Insomnia, which played once at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He finished a memoir entitled From The Inside, framing his life story inside a narrative of his time incarcerated at the Menninger Clinic. In 1988 he moved to Ohio, never to be heard from again. He died in 2002 after a long struggle with drugs and alcohol. Though his music was energized by the punk and glam movements, John was beyond style, feverishly (and unknowingly) meshing punk and classic rock sounds with dark psychedelic touches. He performed live only three times, at events that were almost make-believe concerts, showcasing his appeal in serendipitous fashion. The spirit of J.T. IV was a unique and damaged thing. He was a legend in his own mind, a mind that opened several times in his lifetime with thrilling results. His 1977 sophomore yearbook photo from New Trier graces the cover of Cosmic Lightning, as close to an official portrait as he ever came. This is what's left of J.T. IV -- and it rocks."
VA: Get Off My Back!: Unissued Sixties Garage Acetates Volume 1 LP $13.99
Four volumes of unissued USA sixties garage band mayhem! The ultimate shock and delight to all garage fans! From the pummeling fuzz assault of the Night Crawlers to the inept lo-fi crud of the Khuns, these originally unreleased recordings present a treasure trove of garage killers! All selections were recorded 1964-68 but none were released at the time. LP only!" Tracklisting: Cirkit - "Yesterday We Laughed"; Coachmen - "Too Many Reasons"; Hayze - "She Won't Come Back"; Thorns - "I Want You"; Unknown - "Blue Jean Man"; Unknown - "Look For Me Babe"; Hidden Charms - "The Hill"; Night Crawlers - "Want Me"; Muphets - "You Don't Worry Me"; Vampires - "Fire"; Unknowns - "She's In Another World"; Henchmen - "Get Off My Back"; Bedlam's Offspring - "The Thrill Is Gone"; Khuns - "Hey Baby
VA: She Was So Bad!: Unissued Sixties Garage Acetates Volume 2 LP $13.99
All selections recorded 1964-68 and not originally issued." Tracklisting: Loved Ones - "Life Of My Own"; Briks - "It's Your Choice"; Apparitions - "She's So Satisfyin'"; Others - "I Love You So"; Muphets - "My Money"; Loved Ones - "La Da Do Da Da"; Other Ones - "The Laugh's On You"; Fabulous Courdels - "And You Believe Me"; Unleashed - "My Flash On You"; Creations - "I've Paid My Dues"; Hollow Steps - "They Hear About Us"; Blue Embers - "She Was So Bad"; Half Beats - "Should I"; Sheep - "Thinkin' About It
WATTS 103RD STREET RHYTHM BAND, THE: Together LP $13.99
Exact repro reissue; originally released on Warner in 1968. "The standout cut is 'Do Your Thing,' a simmering call to the dancefloor that plays on the strengths of this very tight band, slowly building into an undeniable groove; the record-buying public thought similarly, pushing 'Do Your Thing' to number 11 on the Billboard charts. About a third of Together follows in this funky groove: 'Giggin' Down 103rd,' 'Sorry Charlie,' and the sax feature 'Phuncky Bill.' There are some covers here too, the mid-show cool down of 'Stormy Monday,' a tip of the hat to JB with 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag,' and a 200 mph run-through of Eddie Floyd's 'Knock on Wood.' The rest of the album is made up of mid-tempo soul with a loping, Southern feel that doesn't stand out so much because of what is played but how it's played. The Watts band was a monster with James Gadson on drums, Melvin Dunlap on bass, Al McKay on guitar, and a fearsome horn section too, with special mention going to Bill Cannon here for the previously mentioned 'Phuncky Bill.' Gadson and McKay would go on to join Earth, Wind & Fire while Dunlap joined Bill Withers' band. Together shows a band on the way to its peak..." -- All Music Guide
DEERHUNTER double lp Microcastle on kranky $17.99
PITCHFORK 9.2!! Now DOUBLE VINYL! Microcastle + Weird Era Cont. this used to be a single lp of Microcastle with a cd of Weird Era, but now it is a double lp set instead.
Architecture in Helsinki cd That Beep on Polyvinyl $7.99
This teaser single from the upcoming full-length is the most straight forward, 80's inspired pop tune the band has ever created. Includes 3 remixes of the song
Architecture in Helsinki 12" That Beep on Polyvinyl $9.99
Also on 180g vinyl. Includes digital download code
Asobi Seksu cd Hush on Polyvinyl $14.99
Known for their captivating live shows, this captures the energy & transforms it into something new - something different. Shimmering, dew-draped riffs & spiral staircase melodies are blurred by bits of guitar violence & sputtering drums bolstered by the ethereal vocals by Yuki Chikudate
Asobi Seksu lp Hush on Polyvinyl $16.99
Also on 180g vinyl
Azita cd How Will You? on Drag City/Twos $14.99
STREET DATE 2/17. A collection of songs that range from sun-bright & poppy to deep-focus, torrential. AZITA sFtuecwks to straight-ahead voicings in her chords to bring heaviness to the sound, working with bassist Matt Lux (Iron & Wine, Plush) and drummer John Herndon (Tortoise) to arrange her songs with the strength of a rock & roll band throughout the album. Compelling pop music, approaching in fun, with beats, and then sinking deep & growing within you. The songs of How Will You? take a new approach for AZITA, with more space in them, more room for the melody lines to echo out, haunted & haunting.
Azita lp How Will You? on Drag City $17.99
STREET DATE 2/17. Vinyl!
Brotzmann/Nilssen-Love cd Sweetsweat on Smalltown $15.99
Recorded live at Sting Jazzklubb in Norway during the Maijazz FSesutpivearl jianz 2z006. The godfather of European free-jazz, Peter Brotzmann, is joined by respected Scandinavian percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love to form a musical partnership of rare & beautiful balance.
Connors, Loren cd Curse of Midnight Mary on Family Vineyard $14.99
Recorded between his eight volume "Unaccompanied Acoustic Guitar Improvisations" LP series & the folk albums he would make w/ Tom Hanford & Kath Bloom, these 9 pieces meld those distinct forms. Singing in a trance like moan, he reforms the Mississippi Delta blues on his acoustic guitar w/ flashes of melodic hooks & a percussive guitar style that erupts into boogie-woogie riffs & other world spirituals
Death cd For the Whole World to on Drag City/Twos $14.99
...See" STREET DATE 2/17. Classic proto-punk from 1970s Detroit. Raw with little polish, the record showcaseFse twhes organic power relationships within the trio of brothers. The Hackneys were first influenced by soul & funk music but it all changed when they saw Iggy and the Stooges. Inspired by The Who, Alice Cooper & Led Zeppelin; the brothers finally see their first full length release, remastered & ready for the world to hear.
Final lp Reading All the Right on No Quarter $14.99
...Signals Wrong" Justin Broadrick (GODFLESH, JESU) has always made music which could one day serve as a soundtrack to the end of the world, should we ever need one. Themes of urban decay, corporate greed, & post-modern malaise often set the bleak tone. This new full-length is his first album released on vinyl, and its a one-time pressing of 1500. NO RETURNS
Haptic lp Medium on Flingco Sound $23.99
Creating densely textured works that can range from stark minimalism toS yvsiotleemnt, carefully directed chaos, Haptic
combines a rigorous attention to sonic detail with restless experimentalism. The Medium consists of two sidelong tracks & includes contributions from Boris Hauf, Olivia Block & Tony Buck. LIMITED edition 180 gram vinyl with download coupon
Horntveth, Lars cd Kaleidoscopic on Smalltown $15.99
Follow-up to the critically acclaimed debut album, Pooka, by JaSgau pJaezrsziosut lnedader. Kaleidoscopic consists of one 37 minute long composition & was recorded with 41 members of the Latvian National Orchestra (34 string players, 3 percussionists, clarinet, flute, bass trombone & one harp), with Lars Horntveth himself playing piano, horns & clarinets. Lars' dogma in creating this album was to write the music chronologically into an open, endless score, similar to a diary. Intending for the music to flow from idea to idea, Lars wanted the score to grow 7 develop along with his state of mind. The album is a journey in sound, its form fitting somewhere between Steve Reich's Music For 18 Musicians & KLF's Chill Out. It is a musical experience from start to finish, an auditory trip into very different rooms & moods, with great contrast & surprises from one musical genre to the next.
Lindstrřm cd Where You Go I Go Too on Smalltown $15.99
PITCHFORK 8.6!! NOW WITH BONUS DISC! Special edition bSounpuesr sdoisucn indcludes the Prins Thomas edits found on the LP version. Well known for his epic & ultra melodic disco, it might come as a surprise that this album only contains three long tracks, with the opening track being almost 29 minutes long! But when you listen to this album, you hear that it is still very much Lindstrřm... just more Lindstrřm-- bigger, longer, more epic & more melodic. Lindstrřm says, “I realized that working within 30 minutes instead of five minutes frames forced me to think very differently to what I was used to... when working on longer tracks, there?s so much more time to develop different themes & to let them evolve”
McPhee/Nilssen-Love cd Tomorrow Came Today on Smalltown $15.99
Recorded in Olso's Grandsport Studio, an analog studio that perfeScutlpy ecrajapztuzres the atmosphere & warmth of these improvisations. Free jazz legend Joe McPhee spent one day with drummer Paal Nilssen-Love in studio improvising direct to tape. The music is spontaneous, raw & groovy, but at the same time mellow, melodic & beautiful.
Miller, Niela lp Songs Of Leaving on Numerophon $16.99
Culled from a warped acetate cut in 1962, this is the complete songbook of NYC folkie Miller. Claim to fame: she wrote "Baby Don't Go To Town," a song that boyfriend Billy Roberts would steal and "rewrite" as "Hey Joe." Inaugural release on Numero Group's new LP-only imprint. Impeccably designed, housed in thick jackets, & pressed on durable 150g vinyl, you'll know a Numerophon album when you see it, the same way you knew Folkways after that 1st thrift store find. LIMITED TO 2000 COPIES
Mountains cd Choral on Thrill Jockey $14.99
STREET DATE 2/17. BRANDON ANDEREGG & KOEN HOLTKAMP seamlessly blend pastoral electronic sounds with both field recordings & a plethora of acoustic instruments. The resulting soundscapes are broad in scope & rich in detail, often compared to artists such as Brian Eno & Fennesz. CD version is presented in a 4-panel mini-LP style jacket
Mountains lp Choral on Thrill Jockey $16.99
STREET DATE 2/17. BRANDON ANDEREGG & KOEN HOLTKAMP seamlessly blend pastoral electronic sounds with both field recordings & a plethora of acoustic instruments. The resulting soundscapes are broad in scope & rich in detail, often compared to artists such as Brian Eno & Fennesz. DOUBLE LP VERSION IS LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES WORLDWIDE, INCLUDES 2 VINYL-EXCLUSIVE TRACKS, AND A DOWNLOAD COUPON.
Ward, M cd Hold Time on Merge $15.99
An eloquent & startingly beautiful album. Critics have compared him to John Fahey, Tom Waits & Howe Gelb, but its clear that M.WARD displays his now brilliant style of guitar playing w/ an innate sense of melody. Like a true American treasure, he cuts his own groove while fans continue to fall under his whispered spell.
Ward, M lp Hold Time on Merge $18.99
180gm vinyl LP format. Comes in triple gatefold sleeve w/ Poly-bag.
Telefon Tel Aviv Immolate Yourself BPitch Control $15.99
The band approach their newer, longer, more intimate synth-pop direction w/a cross-processed filter that makes everything saturated, grainy,
distorted, dusty & distressed. Arguably the album's standout track, "Helen of Troy" is a driving, moody & muddled piece, full of '80s aesthetics, vintage synths &
low, romantic vocals
PENDERECKI, KRZYSZTOF: Music For Chamber Orchestra CD $19.99
Featured works: "Adagietto From 'Paradise Lost,' A Version For English Horn And String Orchestra" (1979), "Chaconne In Memoria Del Giovanni Paolo II" (2005), "Intermezzo For 24 Strings" (1973); "De Profundis From 'Seven Gates Of Jerusalem'" (1998) "Serenade For String Orchestra" (1996-1997); "Sinfonietta Per Archi" (1992) Agnes Dei From 'Requiem', A Version By Boris Pergamenschikow For String Orchestra" (1994) "3 Pieces In Baroque Style After Sound-Tracks To 'The Saragossa Manuscript' For String Orchestra" (1963). Performed by: Albrecht Mayer, English horn; Artur Haufa, violin; Artur Paciorkiewicz, viola; Jerzy Klocek, cello; Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra/Krzysztof Penderecki. "The artistic vision of the world communicated by Krzysztof Penderecki in his compositions has fascinated successive generations of music lovers for half a century. Starting with the debut work Psalms of David (1958) up to his latest piece, the Concerto for Horn and Orchestra (2008), the music of Poland's most distinguished composer has never ceased to surprise listeners with its originality, the perfect balance of form and the careful selection of ideological message. It seems, however, that far more intriguing is the continuity of the aesthetic program that can be clearly traced in Penderecki's works marking the successive stages of his artistic development. They include experiments with the individual sound idiom as well as retrospective stylistic syntheses which are rooted in the natural laws guiding the development of an artist's personality. The deep aesthetic background of all these developmental stages, however, is constant. Indeed, it seems that gaining full insights into this background not only allows for the objective assessment of Penderecki's entire oeuvre but is also a precondition for its appropriate reception and understanding."
SLEEPY TOWN MANUFACTURE & UNIT 21: No Traces CD/3" CDR $17.99
"Long awaited full-length from this Beautumn side project, Sleepy Town Manufacture, in collaboration with Russian artist, Unit 21. This is a full-length travelogue into the hills and dales of a lush Russian landscape. AM radio crackles distantly with beatless waves permeating the still air. Alexander (STM) worked with Stanislavs' (Unit 21) library of sounds; he sampled some old vinyl records, pitch-shifted them down to a slow crawl, and then delved into a myriad of slow sounds, with an array of carefully layered sounds emerging. Deluxe packaging edition of 800 copies -- mini-LP Japanese style gatefold cover printed by California's own Stoughton printing, 5 separate art prints on 20 point chipboard stock. In addition, the first 210 copies will have a bonus EP 3" CD-R of unreleased material entitled Dalshe / 8 02 02 (Catalog number INFX 039). The bonus discs will be housed in a 6 panel tri-fold sleeve. Beautifully designed by graphic wunderkind Pyhai."
TOUKASEIBUNSHI: Meta-Inorganicmatter Meta-Newlon CD $20.99
"Volume 2 in the ongoing Japanese Avant-Garde Cassette Reissue Series. The 80s and early 90s saw a great deal of fascinating material released on cassette in the Tokyo underground. While some of the more noise-orientated stuff enjoyed a modicum of international distribution, the avant-garde material generally did not. This series, whose first release was Iro / Tamafuri (PSFD-180), aims to rescue the best of this music from historical oblivion. Toukaseibunshi (Permeable Molecule) was an ultra-mysterious solo unit created by Hironari Iwata. Iwata was a footnote figure in the world of Japanese avant-garde/noise from the mid to late eighties. As well as Toukaseibunshi, he also recorded under the name Haiginsha, ran the Angakok cassette label and wrote for various magazines. There's an unshowy stoicism to Iwata's investigation of drone, clank and crackling sustain, a deep seriousness of purpose that beguiles as much as it confounds. Six tracks, fifty-eight minutes. Gatefold papersleeve." -- Alan Cummings
SCHISTOSOMA JAPONICA: Kankei UFO From Zanryu-Shinen CD $20.99
"Volume 3 in the ongoing Japanese Avant-Garde Cassette Reissue Series. The '80s and early '90s saw a great deal of fascinating and exciting material released on cassette in the Tokyo underground. While some of the more noise-oriented stuff enjoyed a modicum of international distribution, the avant-garde material generally did not. This series, whose first release was Iro / Tamafuri (PSFD-180), aims to rescue the best of this material from historical oblivion. Schitosoma Japonica (AKA Nihon Juketsu Kyuchu) were a cracked avant-garde, recording-only offshoot of the freeform rock band Amanita. Formed around 1990, the group lived a communal existence in Saitama, on the northern borders of Tokyo, experimenting with music, magic and psychological experiments. 'Our basic performance style was completely freeform, utilizing prepared instruments and rejecting regular rhythms and melodic development. Our abiding themes were communication with the afterlife/cosmos and the manifestation of paranormal accidents. We would jam endlessly until our performance space was filled with the 'signs of blood and feverish becomings'. For us, performance was a kind of ritual.' The group released a clutch of barely distributed cassettes in tiny editions. This CD compiles the best of them, sifting through the detritus of a technological society to float between noise, drone and ritualized avant-garde gestures. Eight tracks, fifty-four minutes. Liner notes in English and Japanese." -- Alan Cummings
ATOM TM: Liedgut CD $17.99
This is Atom TM's (Uwe Schmidt, Señor Coconut, Atom Heart) debut full-length release for the Raster-Noton label. From a contemporary point of view, Liedgut may be considered a Romantic work. While researching his own past, the artist found himself in the Austro-German time, space, and way of thinking and feeling. Between Nietzsche, Helmholtz, Schubert, and many other guidelines, Atom TM absorbed a universe striving for clarity and simplicity, where science and irrationality, ornament and mathematic purity were the key elements of a (still) oscillating social and mental order. Liedgut therefore oscillates between those poles: scientific exercises on Schubert chord progressions, digital waltzes and romantic lyrics. This research consistently led him to the post-Romantic works of Oskar Sala, Kraftwerk and others, who could be seen as direct heirs of the Romantic movement. Upon completion of the album, Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk contributed a spoken epilogue, commenting that the leitmotiv of Liedgut lies in the track called "WeiĂYes Rauschen" ("White Noise"). For Atom TM, the phenomenon of "white noise" perfectly served as an analog expression of the Romantic dualism: scientifically defined on the one hand, it is also described in a poetic manner, seeking for a more profound meaning. "Wellen und Felder" ("Waves and Fields"), which directly connects to "WeiĂYes Rauschen," similarly refers to both scientific models and philosophic/poetic ideas. Consequently, Atom's research does not stop here, thus managing to convey Liedgut into the present. Both form and content appear to be explicitly new and contemporary, yet "ex-temporary" at the same time.
SQUAREPUSHER: Feed Me Weird Things CD $15.99
Repressed for the first time in a while -- all-time classic debut album from 1996. Squarepusher is the UK's Tom Jenkinson. Stunning, complex programming intertwined with fusion-flecked electric bass creating some of the most euphoric, havoc-wrecked sounds of the contemporary era. This is the album that put it all together (to be followed by a series of albums for Warp) and is, in simple terms, one of the cornerstones of mid-'90s sound recordings. "The next thing I felt was a fuzzy vibration, as monophonic sound waves that had travelled from the other side of the room at the speed of light, compressed the air and displacing the the smoke of ten spliffs, hit me in both ears simultaneously. It was Mr. Jenkinson who was turning my heartbeat into the sound of a ring piece modulated resonant phaselocked trapezoid backwards edit phlanged kick drum. He made the sound of ambulances turn into slide trombones and the sound of a secretary filing her nails into a 24-piece string section. Undoubtedly, Tom Jenkinson is the first man in history to orchestrate an Alka-Seltzer fizzing a two mega byte Simms memory upgrade chip (with 1 nanosecond access time) and a toilet flushing. When Mr. Jenkinson is conducting, the rest of the world is a pit. The Squarepusher is someone who wonders what the holes of a flute sound like without the flute. Sound like sound never sounded before. Richard Rogers and Julie Andrews gave us the Sound of Music, John Cage and Simon and Garfunkel gave us the "Sound of Silence" and now the Squarepusher gives the Sound of Sound." --PRichard.D.Jams
SVARTE GREINER: Kappe LP $18.99
This is Erik Skodvin's (one-half of Deaf Center) second full-length release for the Type label as Svarte Greiner. His debut Knive was a milestone in doom music. Taking a surprisingly acoustic route, he kick-started a sub-genre as he used cello, violin and rattling miscellanies to conjure up blood-curdling soundscapes. Kappe continues Skodvin's blackened underworld cruise, furthering his mysterious, cinematic sound. Through incessant touring, Skodvin has built up a distinctive live technique since the release of Knive and it is this which works as a spirit guide on Kappe. Travelling the dark corners of the world, Skodvin has explored every shadowed alleyway in his grasp, built up a collection of broken glove-puppets and potion-filled medicine bottles and trapped many a stifled scream in the process. Some of these disparate adventures were captured to cassette tape (Penpals Forever, Digitalis Limited) and wax disc (Til Seters, A Room Forever), but the most evil moments were set aside for this full-length record; four fated psalms in honor of the dark Northern lords. The album's opener "Tunnel Of Love" may be the noisiest piece Skodvin has produced to date with a death-rattle of chains accompanying his patented maritime bass drone. It sounds something like Death's gondola gliding through purgatory, gradually building into a dense, chattering cloud of torment before dropping into bleak stillness. Skodvin is joined by Ultralyd saxophonist Kjetil Møster who adds a disarmingly terrifying squeal to the horrifying detuned strings on "Candle Light Dinner Actress." The most startling change here is his incorporation of the electric guitar -- "Mystery Man" sees Skodvin harness the feedback into loops of distressing, pained melancholy, bringing to mind Skullflower or a slow-motion Sonic Youth at times. Kappe, however, is very much its own beast, and followers will already know that nothing sounds quite like Svarte Greiner. You won't find a more unsettling record this winter.
HAZEL, EDDIE: Maggot Brain/California Dreamin'/From The Bottom Of My Soul 12" $14.99
"Undeniably one of the most brilliant songs ever created, 'Maggot Brain' has rightfully achieved a place of eternal reverence in the history of modern music. Recorded in 1971 as Funkadelic was really coming into it's own, the track features the inestimable talents of then 21 year-old guitarist Eddie 'Smeero' Hazel. The original guitarist for the Parliaments and Funkadelic, Hazel recorded the breathtakingly mournful guitar solo featured in 'Maggot Brain' during a time when the aesthetic of P-Funk was really being mapped out and formulated proper. 'Maggot Brain' conjures up the same sensation each time its heard, regardless of what listener: the feeling that this song encapsulates all of the wallowing misery and deepest sorrow the universe over, as Hazel's guitar pours out his unparalleled expression of universal despair with such natural propensity it would appear the young man literally carried the entire world's sadness on his shoulders alone. Hazel was one of the few musicians that lived his instrument, capable not only of expressing himself through its medium, but the whole of universal spirit, a portal to the soul that only he seemed capable of unlocking through his invigorating delivery and range. In a way, Hazel's cover of 'California Dreamin' is the essence of his sound, as without effort Hazel morphs the restrained depression of this former pop hit into all-out, exposed despair, unafraid to confront his listener with the hardships of the human condition without concealment or dumbing aversion. The gorgeous, heart wrenching 'From The Bottom Of My Soul' leaves no doubt to the pain Hazel must have endured daily for reasons unknown to us. What we know with complete certainty is that his music speaks to us, manages to reflect back to us our own hardships in an act of grace, and continues to take our sorrow, perhaps unexpressed or concealed previously, and bare the burden of its oppression, to free us for that small moment of blissful relief as we drift into Hazel's uncontested domain of expressivity."
ALVA NOTO: Xerrox Vol. 2 CD $17.99
This is the second volume in the planned 5-volume Xerrox series by Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai), the follow-up to Xerrox Vol. 1, released in 2007 on Raster-Noton. With volume 1, Alva Noto manipulated melodic structures with the process of copying field-recorded sound samples beyond recognition into fragile, ambient soundscapes. Volume 2 undertakes an intense journey and affords the luxury to take its time. While Xerrox Vol. 1 referred to the "old world" with its tradition deeply rooted in classical music, Xerrox Vol. 2 tries to access a "new world." It works with samples that have been gathered and developed in the U.S.A., the so-called "new world" where the album was largely recorded. The dramatic and dynamic approach of Xerrox Vol. 1 has since been replaced by a structural density. Instead of working with individual musical entities, the new album develops an overall, linear aesthetic that refers to musical strategies of film music. Hence there are no implicitly singular pieces, but open musical structures -- a journey without a predetermined target. The first four tracks of Xerrox Vol. 2 actually condense into one track, using samples of Michael Nyman and Stephen O'Malley (KTL, Sunn O)))). They combine into a soundtrack, as if in a movie, before fading away in a swell of reverb feedback. "Sora" originated as a rudiment from his collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto, performed as an encore during the 2004 Insen tour. Continuing on from "Monophaser 2," the album creates a dense and interwoven complexity which only gradually unfolds its depth. While "Teion" dissolves in the process of copying into another sample rate, "Teion Acat" re-condenses its quality. Xerrox Vol. 2 seems to be more playful than Vol. 1; following the approach of a live set, it is not as much obligated to theoretical concepts, intending to break a static framework before it gets too restricted. The eleven tracks on Xerrox Vol. 2 serve as documents of an immediately experienced time or as attempts to unfold in an endless space. In this sense, this recording comes close to the idea of the Aleph-1 project that tried to disappear, rather than occupy an endless space. In the end, one might ask where the journey will go.
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