Forced Exposure New Releases for the Week of 1/23/2023

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: ALGA 040-2LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

2022 repress. Alga Marghen very proudly presents a remastered version of the complete documentation of Eliane Radigue sound installations from 1969-1970, including the broad tectonic vibrations of "Omnht," the celestial voices of "Usral," the massive chant of "Stress Osaka," and more -- the works of this artist's feedback period finally revealed. It is amazing that Radigue could build such formidably organic sonic edifices in her home studio with the primitive machines given to her by Pierre Henry: three tape recorders, a mixing board, an amplifier, two loudspeakers and a microphone. Eliane previously worked for Henry at the Studio d'Essai of the R.T.F. from 1955 to 1957, after having met Pierre Schaeffer almost by chance, who invited her to learn the techniques of musique concrète. Created 10 years after her Studio d'Essai experience, the feedback works of Eliane Radigue immediately take a new direction from the explorations of musique concrète. Her adventure intuitively goes towards flux, towards contemplative stasis -- a music of continuous sounds, of apparently simple structures, which permits the revelations and expansion of rich acoustic phenomena. It is as if her musical work was in some way a martial art -- as if she meditated for 10 years before striking the first blow, with impressive precision. This is the context in which Eliane composed "Omnht" in 1970 for the architectonic spaces of the visual artist Tania Mouraud titled "One More Night," presented at the Gallery of the Rive Gauche in Paris; "Usral" (the title comes from a phonetic compression of ultrasounds slowed-down, in French "ultra-sons ralentis") is one of the first works by Eliane Radigue to be given in public as a sound environment for a sculpture by Marc Halpern in the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs at the Grand Palais of Paris in 1969; "Stress-Osaka" was conceived when the artist was invited to create a sonic environment for the International Fair in Osaka in 1970. There is no doubt that Eliane Radigue's vocabulary is based on observing and entering into dialog with the fundamental behavior of sounds: pulsing, beating, sustained, very light -- a subtle and delicate evolution. When she moved from feedback sounds to the ARP synthesizer, she naturally continued the same music, a continuity where the original use of feedback sounds stands out for its cruder and more savage inner character. One could say that somehow it's the very texture of the sounds, which leads the form of her compositions. Includes a 16-page LP-size booklet with original photos, scores and liner notes.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: ALGA 041LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

2022 repress. Alga Marghen very proudly presents a remastered version of Vice-Versa, Etc..., an LP originally included in the first 400 copies of Eliane Radigue's Feedback Works 2LP. Vice-Versa, Etc... was originally a small handmade box, signed and numbered and released on the occasion of a show at Lara Vincy's gallery in 1970. The box contained a reel of magnetic tape and the instructions for use. It indicates that all playback speeds are possible, forward or backward, as well as any combination of two channels, on several recorders, ad libitum. This LP presents two versions done by Emmanuel Hoelterbach following the indications of Eliane Radigue to the letter, respecting her composition methods. There is no doubt that Eliane Radigue's vocabulary is based on observing and entering into dialog with the fundamental behavior of sounds: pulsing, beating, sustained, very light, a subtle and delicate evolution. When she moved from feedback sounds to the ARP synthesizer, she naturally continued the same music -- a continuity where the original use of feedback sounds stands out for its cruder and more savage inner character. One could say that somehow it's the very texture of the sounds, which leads the form of her compositions. At the same time, this approach favors an intense sensuality in the listening.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: TES 159LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Limited 2022 repress. One afternoon in 1975, friend and fellow music traveler, Harold Schroeder, showed up at Poo-Bah Record Shop where Tom Recchion worked selling records and experimental music to people, forcing them to buy albums that he swore would change their lives. Harold asked if Tom wanted to share in a studio space close to the shop. After seeing it Tom immediately said "YES!". They moved in and divided the space in half. On Tom's half he made drawings, paintings, performances, video, sculptures, installations, and music. Harold had his all set up for music with his newly acquired Steiner-Parker synth and guitars and things. At the beginning they played under the name The Two Who Do Duets. Soon the late-night jam sessions that took place in the back of Poo-Bah moved over to the fourth floor of 35 South Raymond. It was pretty beat up and derelict, the way one imagines an artist's studio to look. They could make all the noise they wanted. No one else was on their floor. The music heard on this LP has remained unheard since it was recorded and was created just before and right after the inaugural concert by the Los Angeles Free Music Society (LAFMS) groups Le Forte Four, Doo-Dooettes, and Ace & Duce. That concert took place in late January 1976. The sessions on this release feature members of the newly formed and expanded Doo-Dooettes, which now included Dennis Duck, Juan Gomez, Harold Schroeder, and Tom Recchion, as well as Ju Suk Reet Meate from Smegma and Ace, of Ace & Duce. 35 S. Raymond eventually became a sort of LAFMS headquarters, with Chip Chapman of Le Forte Four, artist and future Extended Organ vocalist/guitarist Paul McCarthy, and soon to become singer for Nervous Gender, punk/folk artist Phranc, who along with many other artists and musicians, moved into the building. 35 S. Raymond allowed for free expression and explorations of all sorts. Some wild parties ensued, not to mention the luxury of endless hours of experimentation. Parking was free and so was the art and music. Ace found the tapes for side one ("Tom's Studio") in his archive and Ju Suk Reet Meate found the tapes for side two ("50 Of Every American Are Machines") and edited them both for this release. No overdubs or remixing was employed. Luxury gatefold sleeve; Edition of 200.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: ARMA 469CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

not received, no longer available? Especially in a world as volatile as ours, it's important to have something to fall back on, a guiding light that drives away the dark. That's what trance music is to millions of people. It elevates, it excites and it brings people together to the point where differences don't matter. It's what Armin van Buuren reflects upon with another highly anticipated A State Of Trance mix album: A State Of Trance 2021. Once again taking listeners from the beach to the club with 39 awe-inspiring cuts, A State Of Trance 2021 radiates that feeling of togetherness so many fans have come to cherish. Including collaborations between Armin van Buuren and Maor Levi, Tom Staar, and Giuseppe Ottaviani, a fresh "Rising Star Remix" and exclusive new tracks from creators such as Alexander Popov, Aly & Fila, AVIRA, Craig Connelly, and Giuseppe Ottaviani, the track list of the mix album shows that the artists are able to transcend stylistic limitations in the same way trance music helps fans transcend the things that make them different. The key word here is unison: between the two parts of the mix album, between the tunes on the track list and between fans. Also features Sam Bagira, Ocata, Ahmed Helmy, DRYM & Evan Henzi, Shapov & Nerak, Sarah Reeves, ReOrder & Jordan Tobias present Crowd+Ctrl, York, PROFF, ReOrder presents RRDR, Franky Wah, AETHO Sian Evans, Tinlicker, Sunlounger, Chris Howard, Dan Soleil, Kitone, Third Party, JES, Orjan Nilsen, Maywave, Rub!k, DIM3NSION & DJ Nano, Adam Taylor, Jorn van Deynhoven, Alex M.O.R.P.H., Andrea Ribeca, Andy Moor, Somna & Linney, Ciaran McAuley, Bogdan Vix & Claudiu Adam, Cari, Avalan, Thomas Bronzwaer, Luke Bond presents BOND, ilan Bluestone, Ellen Smith, Doppenberg, David Forbes.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: BEWITH 018LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Be With Records present a reissue of Willie Hutch's Soul Portrait, originally released in 1969. Soul Portrait is a slice of Southern-fried soul, a blend of beat ballads and dancers. Increasingly rare, this reissue is most welcome and showcases the early work of a soul legend. Officially licensed and remastered by Simon Francis, it's pressed on 180 gram vinyl for the first time and features the original artwork and liner notes. A monumental force firmly rooted in the soul canon, Willie Hutch is most notable for recording two of the best Blaxploitation soundtracks, The Mack (1973) and Foxy Brown (1984). Yet his legacy is much greater. Outside of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson, Hutch was arguably Motown's top male solo artist of the '70s. Prior to his association with Gordy et al, Hutch crafted his opening statements for RCA, two vital LPs. His debut, Soul Portrait (1969), is an incredible slice of gritty, Southern-fried soul. Think Stax with a touch of Detroit sparkle. As a whole, the album demonstrates the self-contained act Hutch was; he wrote every tune on the album while also arranging and conducting for it. The album's centerpiece is undoubtedly the iconic, brooding minor-key masterpiece "A Love That's Worth Having". The album's most recognizable track, it's a towering ballad drenched in stylish, sliding horns, and elevated by its stunning backing vocalists. It was famously sampled by Madlib to augment his soundtrack for Stones Throw's Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton (2013) as well as 9th Wonder for the Murs classic "Dreamchaser". Horn-heavy opener "Ain't Gonna Stop" is a funk-fueled monster, Hutch's fatback vocal aided by a vicious drum 'n' conga rhythm whilst the bumping uptown soul of "You Can't Miss Something That You Never Had" anticipates the Motown-vibe that Hutch went on to create. Supple guitar licks propel the loping, head-nod breaks of "Good To The Last Drop" whilst "That's What I Call Lovin' You" features gospel piano and plaintive, tender vocal turn. The blazing horns of "You Gotta Try" hints at the Blaxploitation that was to come. The thundering proto-70s-Motown rhythm of "Let Me Give You The Love You Need" segues neatly into the bouncing Northern soul favorite "Lucky To Be Loved By You" whilst Hutch's gutbucket guitar stylings are all over the smoldering "Keep On Doin' What You Do". "Your Love Keeps Liftin' Me Higher" is not a rendition of the Jackie Wilson classic; rather, it's a powerhouse original that indicates where Hutch would take his sound on The Mack. Closing the album, the anthemic "Do What You Wanna Do" name-checks contemporary dance fads before instructing the listener to just get up and dance. Brilliantly supported by a heavy roster of studio cats who combined to create a winning combination of horns, strings, and gorgeous female background vocalists, Soul Portrait is as complete a soul album as the decade's very best.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: BEWITH 019LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 repress. Be With Records present a reissue of Willie Hutch's Season For Love, originally released in 1970. A monumental force firmly rooted in the soul canon, Willie Hutch is most notable for recording two of the best Blaxploitation soundtracks, The Mack and Foxy Brown. Yet his legacy is much greater. Outside of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, Hutch was arguably Motown's top male solo artist of the '70s. Prior to his association with Gordy et al, Hutch crafted his opening statements for RCA, two vital LPs. Often-overlooked, his second album Season For Love is a must for all deep soul fans and has been sought-after by collectors of different stripes for decades. Whereas his debut featured thundering, gritty numbers, Hutch treats you to a mellower soul here -- sumptuous, warm and string-led. He compared his approach to that of Otis Redding and there are definite parallels; from the raspy, rough-hewn vocals that tend to roam between sweet and deeply impassioned to the horn-heavy, emphatic sonic backdrops. With flawless originals presented alongside a few well-chosen classics (his stunning cover of "Wichita Lineman" arguably bests the original's splendor), it's easy to see why sample-based musicians have been falling over themselves to plunder from this album. Witness the sweeping strings that grace "The Magic Of Love" and the heartbreaking "Walking On My Love"; the mellifluous guitar work on the contemplative instrumental "The Shortest Distance" and gorgeous single "When A Boy Falls In Love". Whilst the arrangements and playing are subtly jaw-dropping throughout, Hutch's uncontrived voice has a certain warmth to match a Nat "King" Cole and a purity of tone that even recalls the great Sam Cooke. Indeed, a few numbers are almost in a jazz vocal territory reminiscent of artists Lou Rawls. That's not to say that others lack the righteous energy and undeniable groove of Willie's later sound. Remarkably consistent throughout -- a rare commodity for many '70s soul albums -- the lack of one signature song likely hindered its progress. Mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis. Original artwork. 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: BNSD 072LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

As Beacon Sound enters its tenth year as a label, the label's first release of 2023, by Cincinnati-based composer Tristan Eckerson, represents a change of palette for both label and artist, and a blissfully meditative one at that. Journey Test is Eckerson's first album under the moniker Purple Decades and his first foray into immersive ambient music. While Tristan's past work has focused largely on solo piano, his Purple Decades project is an exploration into soundscapes, electronic textures, and immersive musical environments. While many tracks on the album still feature piano or keyboards in some form, the compositional approach is accompanied by extensive work with reverb, foley, and orchestral electronic arrangements, and some tracks have eschewed the piano completely, opting instead for immersive and texturally rich auditory journeys. Each of the eight songs on Journey Test convey a sense of serene movement and cinematic scale, conjuring the horizon line of landscapes both distant and internal, a wordless dialectic between contentment and nostalgia. Tracks like the piano-driven "Kagami" and the slow-building title track (whose crescendo brings to mind Sigur Ros) emphasize beguiling and cyclical melodies while "Pathway" leavens the mood with a glacial sweep, all the while drinking from the same sense of wonder and openness that pervades the entire album. By the time "A Strange Dream" comes along to pull the curtain closed, the listener may be nagged by the sensation that something has been lost as well as gained along the way, that perhaps you've been leaning into the dying of the light all along -- a strange dream indeed, one that never turns dour as it weaves its tale of light and shadow. In the artist's own words: "After many years of writing nothing but music for solo piano, I was ready for something new when I began the process of creating Journey Test. I wanted to take the same vibe and overall aesthetic that I had created with my solo piano work, but really strip down the compositional approach into something that focused on the sound itself. Basically, bringing the background to the forefront. And instead of traditional instruments, I wanted to use electronic sounds, but still in a way that it sounded very organic, almost to the point where you didn't know if you were listening to an orchestra or a bunch of synthesizers. I didn't use a lot of different electronic instruments for the album, but rather I focused on what each instrument could bring to the table in terms of texture, noise, organic sounds, and subtle details..." RIYL: A Winged Victory for the Sullen, Helios, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jon Hopkins, Oneohtrix Point Never.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: BFMB 066LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2022 repress. Booka Shade reveal their ninth studio album with the arrival of Dear Future Self on Blaufield Music. Leaders, purveyors, and pioneers within the emotive, melodic realms of house and techno, German duo Booka Shade have remained at the forefront of the scene for over 25 years. Following the long-player Cut The Strings in 2018, the iconic duo deliver their latest extended body of work as they unveil the thirteen-track Dear Future Self on home turf -- a project which welcomes an emphasis on club-ready sounds. Recorded across the globe as the band continually tour the worldwide circuit, the album takes in recorded sessions from New Zealand to their home city of Berlin, and features collaborations with artists from Iceland, South Africa, England, and Germany to deliver a collection of dancefloor-focused cuts that capture the band's current club output. Title cut and opener "Dear Future Self" alongside South African spoken word artist Lazarusman and the bubbling "Red Medina" provide early examples of this ethos, with both tracks featuring previously on the label but equally finding their place within the project with ease, a nod to their approach within their ever-evolving live sets. "Polar Lights" featuring fellow Berlin based artist Joplyn and "Perfect In A Way" with Icelandic vocalist Kaktus Einarsson combine smooth vocal melodies with darker synths to balance light and dark to offer some trademark Booka Shade soundscapes, whilst previously released tracks such as "Sacred", "I Go, I Go", and "Torch" undergo slick re-worked interpretations, with the resulting productions providing a fresh take for the new decade. "Acid Brain" and "Rigera" up the energy via sweeping leads and crisp percussion, whilst "To The Sea" featuring Eli & Fur provides yet another dynamic as slow blooming melodies and organic percussion go to work alongside further infectious vocal work. "Plexus 3AM" offers up playful tones backed by more menacing and hypnotic bass licks, whilst "NZ Modular" takes cues from its title as off-kilter analog synths go to work amongst crunchy drums and sweeping atmospherics, before closing proceedings with "Atlantic Beam". A body of work showcasing the duo's ever-evolving and forever refining palette, Dear Future Self delivers an experience that looks set to become a must-have for fans of the band, new and old, and continues their ongoing status as one of the most celebrated acts within electronic music. 180 gram vinyl; gatefold.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: BPX 019EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Nocow is back on BPitch Control with a multi-faceted EP full of rousing energy and scintillating sonics. Across four delightful cuts he explores a range of moods and styles, all equipped with the power to move the dancefloor, physically and emotionally. "Noski" has a Detroit "jit" kinda vibe to it, with its clipped hip-hop samples and repetitive claps. Though the atmosphere evokes an air of mystery, with an unnerving riff. This is followed by "Pose", a gnarly juggernaut of a track featuring a pulsating b-line and breathless vocal clips, which add a human element. Retro synths lines take us back a couple of decades, adding an energizing layer of dancefloor nourishment. Then you have "Space 1999", which, as the title suggests, evokes a very cosmic feel... slightly reminiscent of Jeff Mills. Nocow's musicianship really shines through on this cut, with expertly balanced light and dark elements creating an immersive atmosphere. Finally, the title track, "Youth", invites us to bounce around in the playground for a while. A mesmerizing riff enchants the mind, while the beats tantalize the body. With the addition of soothing pads, this one is bound to invoke a multitude of out of body experiences...

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BPX 022-4LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Ellen Allien and the We Are Not Alone collective are back with a second edition of the We Are Not Alone series. A 36-track compilation split into three parts, each consisting of 12 cuts, dedicated to the infamous We Are Not Alone event series and the best of Berlin's underground techno talent. Ellen Allien's innovative party series We Are Not Alone was launched in 2016 and remains committed to inviting an exciting crew of artists to perform at the 36-hour events, now in a new home at RSO.BERLIN, where they returned with bang over 36 hours and three floors in May. The We Are Not Alone compilation features artists that have played at the parties, as well as those who will join the line-up for future events. The fourth, fifth (BPX 022-5LP), and sixth (BPX 022-6LP) parts include music by Ellen and established names. Part 4 features Reka, SDBX, Ellen Allien, Francois X, Wallis, Thomas P Heckmann, Crystal Geometry, Matasism, Asec, Uncrat, Karl Kave, and Dollkraut & DJ Europarking.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BPX 022-5LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Ellen Allien and the We Are Not Alone collective are back with a second edition of the We Are Not Alone series. A 36-track compilation split into three parts, each consisting of 12 cuts, dedicated to the infamous We Are Not Alone event series and the best of Berlin's underground techno talent. Ellen Allien's innovative party series We Are Not Alone was launched in 2016 and remains committed to inviting an exciting crew of artists to perform at the 36-hour events, now in a new home at RSO.BERLIN, where they returned with bang over 36 hours and three floors in May. The We Are Not Alone compilation features artists that have played at the parties, as well as those who will join the line-up for future events. The fourth (BPX 022-4LP), fifth, and sixth (BPX 022-6LP) parts include music by Ellen and established names. Part 5 features Julian Muller, L.F.T., DJ Mell G, Brutalismus 3000, Phase Fatale, UR Trax, UFO95, Gotshell, False Witness, Callum Magnum, Einsiedler, and Stephanie Sykes.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BPX 022-6LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Ellen Allien and the We Are Not Alone collective are back with a second edition of the We Are Not Alone series. A 36-track compilation split into three parts, each consisting of 12 cuts, dedicated to the infamous We Are Not Alone event series and the best of Berlin's underground techno talent. Ellen Allien's innovative party series We Are Not Alone was launched in 2016 and remains committed to inviting an exciting crew of artists to perform at the 36-hour events, now in a new home at RSO.BERLIN, where they returned with bang over 36 hours and three floors in May. The We Are Not Alone compilation features artists that have played at the parties, as well as those who will join the line-up for future events. The fourth (BPX 022-4LP), fifth (BPX 022-5LP), and sixth parts include music by Ellen and established names. Part 6 features Lokier, Etapp Kyle, AnD, Imchaos, Blush Response, Shaleen, Nur Jaber, Nene H, Denise Rabe, Deepneue, Metaraph, and Rosa Anschuetz.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: BPX 023EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Frenchman Crystal Geometry arrives on BPitch with his first full EP Promised Lands. After debuting on BPitch's We Are Not Alone compilation, Frenchman Crystal Geometry arrives with his first full EP for the label. Showcasing his diversity across four distinct cuts, this is Crystal Geometry in playful and experimental mode, utilizing his modular synth skills to bring you a powerful selection of tracks. "Everlasting Ghost of an Acid Trip" is a self-explanatory cut that dives deep into themes around death and LSD. With lyrics inspired by the early Norwegian black metal scene, he goes all out with the 303 line and hardcore-inspired beats. "Alien Abduction" was made especially for BPitch, the modular synth taking center stage as '80s percussion and washed-out vocals do the work. "Drink My Blood" is one for the hardcore goths, allowing Crystal Geometry to express the depths of his dark soul. The lyrics say it all, "Drink, drink my blood! It's dark, like my soul. Feed! Feed on me, don't waste a drop of that gold." Finally, "The Promised Land?" addresses the dire situation in the Middle East, redefining the so-called Holy Land. The melancholy atmosphere is potent, reinforced by somber choir vocals and the trusty 303.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: BPX 026LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. Dillon's fourth LP, 6abotage, captures today's zeitgeist like few others. A work of sore desperation but also reassuring devotion. Her fourth, and perhaps boldest, album project, 6abotage, marks Dillon's first full-length since 2017's Kind. Described by Dillon herself as "a love letter, a cry for help and a consequence, all in one," 6abotage is the unapologetic manifestation of Dillon's latest artistic excursion with artist and producer Alexis Troy. Together Dillon and Troy have created a lyrically and sonically captivating and genre-bending body of work. The unmistakable soreness of Dillon's voice surrounded by and embedded within Troy's decisive and, at times, almost cinematic production defeats all genre stereotypes. Written, produced, and recorded in complete isolation, 6abotage reflects today's zeitgeist. It is sore and desperate but also reassuring and devoted. 6abotage is a successful protest. A successful protest against stereotypes and preconceptions. A protest against excessive suffering. A protest for selflove. A protest for patience and vulnerability. A protest for forgiveness and growth.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: BUBBLES 002LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Bestselling second album from 2009 with eleven songs recorded in Mexico, no overdubs, no effects. Rules followed the successful debut album Dreams from 2006. The song "1517" was used in the video game FIFA 10.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BB 026LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2023 restock; LP version. Formed in Germany in 1971 when Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius left Conrad Schnitzler's group Kluster, Cluster can be counted among the most important protagonists of the electronic avant-garde. Some credit them with having invented ambient music, others as pioneers of synthesizer pop, while to others they are firmly embedded in the Krautrock universe. There is some truth in all of these notions. Although Cluster and "rock music" are seldom mentioned in the same breath, their early works in particular are marked by a lack of structure and futuristic, cold soundscapes typical of the Krautrock variation known as "kosmische." Recorded and released in 1979, Grosses Wasser was Cluster's fifth album as a duo. The cover art is the first indication of minimalist tendencies, reflecting the concentration, transparency and maturity of the content, almost like chamber music. While nothing is left to chance, each of the six Cluster pieces effervesces with a certain joie de vivre, providing ample scope for artistic spontaneity. Grosses Wasser was recorded at Paragon Studio, which had been set up by Peter Baumann (Tangerine Dream) not long before. Baumann had set aside plenty of time for the recording sessions, enabling Cluster to experiment with sequencers for the first time and explore some of the most up-to-date (for that period) studio gadgets on offer. Moebius and Roedelius made intelligent, measured use of the latest paraphernalia without being overwhelmed by it. New technology was deployed with an exactness designed to refine their sophisticated and fully-developed musical ideas. More than ever before in Cluster's history, acoustic elements can be heard, with the dulcet tones of Paragon's Steinway grand piano taking center stage. Electric bass, guitar, percussion and voice are all embraced. Consequently, Grosses Wasser is anything but a solely electronic album. It is, however, one of those rare LPs whose musical substance transcends its age, never sounding outdated. Grosses Wasser is the first in a series of 23 albums to be reissued by Bureau B, comprehensively documenting the superb electronic/ambient/Krautrock history of the Hamburg label, Sky Records, from whom the material has been licensed. Cluster (in their various guises) will feature heavily in the series (solo albums as well as collaborations with Brian Eno, Conny Plank, Gerd Beerbohm, Mani Neumeier, etc.). Printed inner sleeve includes liner notes by Asmus Tietchens.

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: BB 398CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

With Leave Me Alone, Detlef Weinrich presents his fifth album under the moniker Tolouse Low Trax. Weinrich, who has meanwhile turned his back on Düsseldorf and lives in Paris, has long since ceased to be an insider tip and is a guest in renowned clubs and festivals all over Europe. With his new album, he succeeds in an exciting, unforeseen new direction. The velvety heaviness and rawness of earlier records seems to have given way to a new playfulness. A playfulness perhaps in the sense of an electronica reminiscent of the late 1990s, which in its idea of deconstruction and reduction is currently enjoying a new appreciation in the clubs. But also, in the sense of an urban vibe of hip-hop and dub references, which are woven into a very unique mix in Weinrich's tracks."Nervous mechanical murmurs, drifting comic-like through razor-sharp rhythm cliffs: welcome to Leave Me Alone, a loop meta-level dreamland of styles and mental meteorology. A repetitive notion on the overwhelming speechlessness towards the world, its clocking, and all the despairs that come along with it. Wholly veiled in a sharp sonorous language, that brings a complete agreement of the expression with the idea, a sense of harmony, of a secret beauty, that often escapes the judgment of the crowd. It marks the latest long player by Tolouse Low Trax. After his stunning collaboration with French singer and hurdy gurdy player Emmanuelle Parrenin and myriad remixes for artists like Aksak Maboul, Ex Ponto, or Sebastian Tellier, he sharpened his artistic skills for a fresh musical treasure hunt. Leave Me Alone is a renunciation from the industrial slow drone zones, waving into spectacular deconstructed style collages. 13 veiled drum machine experiments, featuring dubby jazz districts, hip-hop flair, haunting little melodies, and the TLT signature funk . . . For a wonder, this time almost no pocketed vocal samples in the TLT creations. Instead, freshly recorded spoken words and singing by Brooklyn based producer Chris Hontos aka Beat Detectives, poet and multidisciplinary artist Fran from Paris, and Italian synthesist and singer Andrea Noce aka Eva Geist, chanting introspective verses and Pier Paolo Pasolini poems over rugged grooves and suggestive sounds, opening his creative universe into a crisp manic eroticism. A cluster of genres, dancing in a rebellious, blistering swing, whirling styles upside down with an overall atmosphere that is flourishing on a positive spirit..." --Michael Leuffen

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: BB 398LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. With Leave Me Alone, Detlef Weinrich presents his fifth album under the moniker Tolouse Low Trax. Weinrich, who has meanwhile turned his back on Düsseldorf and lives in Paris, has long since ceased to be an insider tip and is a guest in renowned clubs and festivals all over Europe. With his new album, he succeeds in an exciting, unforeseen new direction. The velvety heaviness and rawness of earlier records seems to have given way to a new playfulness. A playfulness perhaps in the sense of an electronica reminiscent of the late 1990s, which in its idea of deconstruction and reduction is currently enjoying a new appreciation in the clubs. But also, in the sense of an urban vibe of hip-hop and dub references, which are woven into a very unique mix in Weinrich's tracks."Nervous mechanical murmurs, drifting comic-like through razor-sharp rhythm cliffs: welcome to Leave Me Alone, a loop meta-level dreamland of styles and mental meteorology. A repetitive notion on the overwhelming speechlessness towards the world, its clocking, and all the despairs that come along with it. Wholly veiled in a sharp sonorous language, that brings a complete agreement of the expression with the idea, a sense of harmony, of a secret beauty, that often escapes the judgment of the crowd. It marks the latest long player by Tolouse Low Trax. After his stunning collaboration with French singer and hurdy gurdy player Emmanuelle Parrenin and myriad remixes for artists like Aksak Maboul, Ex Ponto, or Sebastian Tellier, he sharpened his artistic skills for a fresh musical treasure hunt. Leave Me Alone is a renunciation from the industrial slow drone zones, waving into spectacular deconstructed style collages. 13 veiled drum machine experiments, featuring dubby jazz districts, hip-hop flair, haunting little melodies, and the TLT signature funk . . . For a wonder, this time almost no pocketed vocal samples in the TLT creations. Instead, freshly recorded spoken words and singing by Brooklyn based producer Chris Hontos aka Beat Detectives, poet and multidisciplinary artist Fran from Paris, and Italian synthesist and singer Andrea Noce aka Eva Geist, chanting introspective verses and Pier Paolo Pasolini poems over rugged grooves and suggestive sounds, opening his creative universe into a crisp manic eroticism. A cluster of genres, dancing in a rebellious, blistering swing, whirling styles upside down with an overall atmosphere that is flourishing on a positive spirit..." --Michael Leuffen

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: BSR 869LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"1980 reggae album reissued on vinyl. Produced by Phil Pratt at Channel One and featuring Sly and Robbie, Tommy McCook, Ansell Collins, and more."

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: CPT 588LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Born and raised under the sun of Provence, Arno E. Mathieu spent most of his time riding his grandfather's old motorcycle in the hills, listening to the most psychedelic Doors songs, and eating his grandmother's traditional eggplant and tomato Mediterranean dishes. He starts a new project called Contemplation, totally dedicated to his lifestyle and to the landscapes and environment that make it possible. A tribute to the "sublime" of nature and the moments that creates. Surrounded by his parent's jazz records, young Arno watch classic sci-fi movies like Blade Runner or Star Wars, and the Italian western, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, getting lot of influences from Vangelis or Morricone soundtracks, and developing a special taste for epic music and stories, and romantic characters. Around 17 years old, Arno gets a real interest for electronic music through his elder brother's mixtapes of Laurent Garnier, Saint-Germain's house music, then Nuyorican Soul album and Masters At Work club tunes. He buys two turntables and vinyl, and quickly organizes his first parties and club events with his brother. In 2000, straight out from his daily MPC sessions, Arno E. Mathieu releases his track "Call It Jungle Jazz" as Matt'Samo, for a Yellow Production project called Africanism. He then moved to the French capital where he spent lot of time exploring club scene and witnessing studio sessions of his new friend DJ Gregory, who introduces him to Parisian house music leaders like, Julien Jabre, Next Evidence, and DJ Deep. In 2005, Arno E. Mathieu creates his own Clima Records label. Since his first release on Clima, Arno's music finds supports from many leaders of the underground scene such as François K, DJ Harvey, Jeff Mills, Dixon, or Laurent Garnier, and are getting a special attention from Joe Claussell. Arno E. Mathieu has also produced tracks and remixes for labels such as Deeply Rooted, Real Tone, Yoruba, Tribe, Compost, and has released a first album in 2018 called Circumstances Of Chaos, also appreciated by the underground scene. After many years going back and forth between Paris and his beloved Provence, Arno has finally got back home in the south, and made a last move for a real Mediterranean lifestyle, cooking fig jam, growing tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplants, and finds the right balance for his creative process.

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: CPT 602EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Kenny Dixon Jr. acuminates it deep and groovy, well, it's his holy trademark sound. Potatohead People from Vancouver have releases on Jellyfish Recordings and NY label Bastard Jazz. On top Moodorama's remixes are trippy dubby jams. Inkswel & Colonel Red started out writing together more than decade ago and over the time have developed quite a unique sound when recording together... a chemistry that blends music melody and lyric into every verse chorus and hook. So, when Inkswel approached Colonel Red to create the Holders of the Sun album (CPT 601LP), Redz response was to move his hectic schedule around and start immediately. Inkswel dropped the beats Colonel Red dropped the vocals and some fine musical tuning and Holders of the Sun Vol. 1 was born... while they promise a Vol. 2. Colonel Red is a groundbreaking soul singer, musician, producer and performer, often referred to as one of the most powerful voices in the UK soul music community, a champion in equal parts of the original broken beat scene, as well as the UK soul scene. Working with and writing for the likes of Teddy Pendergrass, Amp Fiddler, Maurice White, Bugz In The Attic, Tony Allen, and countless others. His track "Belive In Me" was awarded the "worldwide" award from Gilles Peterson in 2014. Colonel Red's foray into the music industry began when Epic Record company giant Sylvia Rhone signed the then lead singer, Nikki Romillie, of Pride n' Politix, to Atlantic Records. An accompanying publishing deal with Warner Bros. established the artiste, now known as Colonel Red, as one of the UK's top cutting-edge singer/songwriters. Inkswel has been heralded as one of the busiest and most prolific beat-based producers from Australia, a true master of his craft he has worked with the likes of Talib Kweli, Lee Scratch Perry, Andrew Ashong, Dwight Trible, Amp Fiddler, and countless others as well as putting out timeless musical projects on labels such as BBE, Sonar Kollekiv, Rush Hour, Warner Music, Boogie Angst and others. He hovers evenly between hip-hop and club sensibilities, blending new age approaches with nostalgic leans. Holders of The Sun is the audio melting pot of two musical aliens, future directive soul music drenched in the nostalgia of what once was. Remixes by Moodymann, Potatohead People, and Moodorama.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: CPT 604LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Ströme's long-player debut Ströme Nr. 2 is a characterful, wonderfully warm and sensitive yet powerful body of work. It's loaded with the ultra-rare and cult Moog IIIp modular synthesizer sound and features other analog synths almost equipoised live-, or session-like with the modular system A100 by Doepfer. The A100 is Ströme's main live equipment. An album that fulfills all your dance needs, lets you relax to ambient spacey tracks, as well as serves pop and a booster dose of '60s/70s injected krauty songs. For the latter, Ströme (Mario Schönhofer and Tobias Weber) have hit pure gold here, as they team up with Nick McCarthy of Franz Ferdinand for "Right Now", "Das Modul", and the beautiful "Stadlberg". Nick was born in Lancashire, England in 1974, but moved to Bad Aibling, Germany in 1977 because of the "sad and bad economic situation in England," says Nick. Then he studied upright bass, piano and composition at the Richard Strauss Conservatoire in Munich, joined the krautrock band Embryo during his studies, and he played bass for the art school band Kamerakino. Then he moved to Glasgow in 2001 and was a founding member of Franz Ferdinand, which had a worldwide hit with "Take Me Out" (written by Nick and Alex Kapranos), from their Mercury prize winning and Grammy nominated debut album, they toured several times around the globe and recorded four albums. He is also a member of Box Codax, Manuela, The Nix. Nick accidentally met Mario and Tobias at his London studio: Sausage Studio... with the machines. Nowadays, Nick is back in Munich working in a studio complex with Ströme. Before Mario Schönhofer (bass player) and Tobias Weber (drummer/percussionist) founded Ströme in 2015, they were members of the very popular brass band LaBrassBanda. Ströme are a unique act, performing live with analog modular synthesizer systems, as well as the Cirklon sequencer, Emulator 2, and Mini Moog. Their music is in the vein of raw analog techno, electro, synth-pop, while the sound identity is reminiscent and has ingredients of the early krautrock and synthesizer music scene from the late '60s like Popul Vuh, Amon Düül, Tangerine Dream, Embryo, Guru Guru, Cluster, Eberhard Schoener, Kraftwerk, and onwards to the more experimental analog techno live outfits of the '90s (Sähkö, Panasonic, Air Liquide, etc.)

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: CPT 605LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Double LP version. Gatefold. Includes download. Felix Laband's The Soft White Hand is the masterwork of an artist who expresses himself through musical and artistic collage acting together to reinterpret his sources and to express significant elements of his own personal story. Released by Munich-based Compost Records, the 14-track album is Laband's first full-length offering since the critically acclaimed Deaf Safari in 2015 (COMP 470CD/LP). In The Soft White Hand, Laband works with source materials that will be familiar to those who know his previous four records. However, the disengagement he felt from his homeland during his latest album's creation -- an abiding sense of untethered-ness to place and space, exquisitely rendered in tracks like "Death of a Migrant" -- is perceptible in Laband's desire to illuminate instead aspects of his own life. Few artists have managed to air these intimate aspects of their life so luminously as Laband does in tracks like "5 Seconds Ago", "They Call Me Shorty", and in the strange and meditative "Dreams Of Loneliness". Yet, as in all of Laband's recorded output, the delineations between emotions are never starkly drawn and The Soft White Hand is also shot through with beauty. Nature appears in recordings made in his garden in the intimate early morning hours, whether as in the calls of the Hadada Ibis and other birdsong in "Prelude" or of the vertical-tail-cocking bird in "Derek And Me". The last is a wonderful track with Derek Gripper, the South African experimental classical guitarist of international renown, whose 2020 song "Fanta And Felix" imagines a meeting between Fanta Sacko and Laband. Laband's eloquence in reinterpreting classical composers such as Beethoven in "We Know Major Tom's A Junkie" is another thrilling aspect of the new record. A fresh quality comes to his work through this sonic adventuring: the tender manipulation of the mundaneness of the computer's AI voice to reimagine and reinvent iconic lyrics and melodies in strange and unexpected configurations. The Soft White Hand is Laband's most cohesive body of work to date. Yet it remains, in its sheer artistic scope, impossible to describe fully. Darkness abuts the gossamer light. His music reflects a primal artistic impulse that is also visible in Laband's considerable visual art output as seen in several solo exhibitions. With The Soft White Hand, Laband is confirming his singular ability to achieve this in both art and music, melting the divisions between the two creative disciplines until they become one.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: CPT 610EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Beanfield's mega classic re-release in a double 12" pack with old and new remixes by Toto Chiavetta and Art Department and a new Beanfield track. "Tides" was originally released in 2004 and evolved into an all-time club anthem by means of Carl Craig's huge remix (C's Movement #1), followed-up by the stunning Ripperton remix.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: DECCA 4769494LP

FILE UNDER: SOUNDTRACK

2016 release. "The Hateful Eight is the soundtrack album to Quentin Tarantino's motion picture The Hateful Eight. The soundtrack includes the first complete original score for a Tarantino film and is composed, orchestrated and conducted by Ennio Morricone. Morricone composed 50 minutes of original music for The Hateful Eight. The Hateful Eight was the composer's first score for a Western film since Buddy Goes West (1981) and the first for a Hollywood production since Ripley's Game (2002). The score features notable horror references including Morricone's repurposed score from John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) and 'Regan's Theme' from The Exorcist II, which serve the sinister mood."

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: FTR 654LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Spiral Joy Band are one of the descendants of Richmond VA's legendary musical juggernaut, Pelt. Active and mutating for nearly 20 years, the iteration of the Spiral Joy Band who recorded this session in Madison Wisconsin in 2011 was a trio. Troy Schafer, Patrick Best and Mikel Dimmick play an array of instruments -- violin, viola, harmonium -- to produce lush tapestries of the multiphonic drones for which they are known. I remember Pelt getting called 'The Hillbilly Theatre of Eternal Music' at the '98 Terrastock Festival in San Francisco. And indeed, that was a definite part of Pelt's sound at that point in their evolution. But since 2004, Spiral Joy Band have focused on and explored that particular niche with firm resolve. All versions of the group have reveled in the use of acoustic instruments to create tones to saturate the air with colors, while avoiding the technical shortcuts offered by electronics. The two sidelong pieces on In the River, reportedly inspired by Ka Baird (from Spires That in the Sunset Rise) and the Minneapolis string genius, Paul Metzger, are open-ended musical discussions about the existence of infinity, and how portions of infinite space might be corralled in ways that suggest continuously expanding horizons. Both the pieces are exquisite and function equally well as Furniture Music (as defined by Eric Satie) or active meditation fields, unveiling endless spools of drone in which a listener can wallow deeply. The closer you listen, the more you'll be able to hear. But even as a 'mere' soundtrack to the day, In the River offers the kind of textural beauty that makes everything feel better. Spiral Joy Band are sonic explorers dedicated to very specific corner of the universe, but it's one that contains the sort of magical powers we all need more than ever. If I were a doctor. I'd prescribe a daily dose of their music as an antidote to the rigors of reality as we know it. As Pink Floyd once suggested, 'Take Up Thy Stethscope and Walk.' Words to live by, eh?" --Byron Coley, 2022 Edition of 450.

 

PRICE: $27.50

CAT #: FTR 700LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The Human Hand live combo comprises Joe Hollick (Wolf People, Jagjaguwar Records, solo), Karl Eden (John Peel favorites tRANSELEMENt), and Jonathan Dickin (MUMS, Honey Spider, Bleak). Joe and Karl met at an Acid Mothers Temple show in 2012 before realizing they both lived minutes away from each other in neighboring sleepy Lancashire Pennine villages. They performed a number of shows together as a wig-out loose improv duo channeling heavy motorik grooves, Anatolian suffused lead lines, a general layer of Northern skuzz tied together with Joe's signature guitar work. Early HH recordings were juxtaposed by being captured at extremely low volume due to necessity as the only available opportunity was to work on material late at night to avoid waking their young children. Human Hand were augmented and given a live makeover by the addition of Jonny on drums, a former student of Karl's and all round music and literary geek. The trio recorded their debut LP Tremor in a hasty eight-hour session. Tremor is the debut album from Human Hand: a core-trio and broader collective based in the shadow of Pendle Hill, Lancashire, UK. Recorded during two days of post-lockdown cathartic noise. Tremor was created using instant composition, 4 track tape manipulation and immediate overdubs. Personnel: Karl Eden - guitars, monosynth, drums; Joe Hollick - guitars, tape effects, percussion; Johnathan Dickin - drums; Andrew Hargreaves - drums.

 

PRICE: $27.50

CAT #: FTR 706LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Twelve years after this French trio's last LP (the mind-ripping Manifesto Zero), guitarist Gregory (GR) Raimo, bassist Matthieu Canaguier and drummer Antoine Hadjioannou have released an album of material recorded back in 2012 (from the sessions as the Massacre-Rock Deviant Inquisitors EP). And it is another wild brew of destructo rock madness played with a timeless ferocity that lends it the sort of proto-punk MASS that defies its actual date of creation. GR has released other nutsloid records in the interim -- The GR Record Head (Cardinal Fuzz) and the mysterious Electric Rockin' Chair LP by Hôpital De La Conception -- but there's a special, uniquely strange grit to the way the Gunslingers put together their material. Parts of Supreme Asphalt Doser have a tightly wound dynamism that makes me imagine what the Groundhogs might've sounded like if they'd been founded by three speed freaks in Detroit in 1974. It's like the most insane power choogling you've ever heard. One spin of the first side would have sent Lester Bangs straight to hog heaven. The flip is equally messed-up, but with more experimental detailing. The component pieces are still, thick raw slabs of blood-rock, but they're assembled in a way that is pure freakery. 'Be-Bop-A-Lula-Louie-Loua' is like something Rudolph Grey and Von LMO might have come up with if they'd had a sense of humor back in the Red Transistor days. And the collage piece, 'Rebop From Arthur Lipsett's Fluxes,' is a great collision between avant-garde techniques and the band's Brutalist tendencies. I doubt here will ever be another combo quite like the Gunslingers, so everyone should thank their lucky goddamn stars this archival treasure was pulled out of the darkness. It is indeed the Supreme Asphalt Doser. I don't think any other Asphalt Doser even gets close." --Byron Coley, 2022

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: GET 51471LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

New lower pricing. "The return!!! After a nine-year hiatus from recording studio albums, Miles Davis returned in 1981 with a bang. Continuing the abstract improvisational funk pioneered by the Miles Davis live electric band, Miles came back with a fresh cast. While there are plenty of new players on this recording it captures the moody long-song format from the mid-70s live electric band. The album features R&B legend Marcus Miller on bass, Mike Stern on guitar, electric band alumni Al Foster on drums, and many more. Produced and edited by long term Miles Davis collaborator Teo Macero. Pressed on crystal clear vinyl with Japanese stylized insert and deluxe obi strip. Remastered from the original analog tapes."

 

PRICE: $106.50

CAT #: GODREC 050X-LP

FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL

Limited restock; 6LP box with black cover. Excerpt from liner notes by Sebastian Claren: "When Morton Feldman wrote his second string quartet -- or String Quartet II, as he titled it in the score -- in 1983, he found himself at the height of his career: prior to this, his long form compositions, of which the majority lasted around one and a half hours, had not isolated him or let him disappear from concert and festival programming, as he had expected, but were on the contrary celebrated as a major 'breakthrough' and a big 'step forward' . . . Like the long pieces that preceded it, Feldman's String Quartet II consists of repeated patterns, which usually surface at a certain point in the composition without preparation, are maintained over a given period, and then abruptly abort to possibly return later. In this context, Feldman has always emphasized the interplay of 'reiteration' and 'change' in his music -- two aspects that in his mind had been decisive criteria of the music of the twentieth century as 'repetition' and 'variation' (Stravinsky and Schoenberg). He even claimed Schoenberg's concept of 'developing variation' for his composition technique..." Live Recording! 317 minutes over six LPs. Personnel: Morton Feldman - composition; Pellegrini Quartet: Antonio Pellegrini - violin; Thomas Hofer - violin; Fabio Marano - viola; Helmut Menzler - violoncello.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: GODREC 060CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2022 repress. 2021 release. We Forge The Future is a document of a Laibach show, held in Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, on November 26th, 2017. For this museum occasion, Laibach re-enacted the historic performance that was initially staged on April 23rd, 1983, as part of the XII Music Biennale Zagreb in Croatia -- then still a part of Yugoslavian federation. The performance caused furious public/media campaign against the group, whose result was a formal ban on Laibach in Slovenia and Yugoslavia, that lasted until 1987. Musically, the record documents Laibach revisiting their noise/industrial roots, including their famous pieces of that period, such as "Smrt za Smrt", "Boji", and the title song...

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: GODREC 070CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

This new Laibach album, through a new/fresh interpretation, examines the conflict-ridden genesis of the band's formation in the industrial town of Trbovlje in 1980 and questions the band's aesthetic, sonic, and ideological roots from the distance of time. Includes 16-page booklet.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: GBVI 117CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"La La Land doubles down on the intricate proggy-pop displayed on Guided By Voices's last album Tremblers And Goggles By Rank. On a hot streak of critical acclaim, Robert Pollard continues expanding his songwriting towards extremes of prettiness, heaviness and poeticism. As always, unforgettable hooks are everywhere. But with this latest, it seems Pollard is playing with the extremes of his abilities as a songwriter, emboldened by the power of this lineup now on their fourteenth album together since 2017. The prettiest stuff is prettier than ever ('Queen Of Spaces') and odder, more complex songs like 'Slowly On The Wheel' combine minimalism, whimsy, and cinematic inclinations. There are the exquisite power pop bangers that fans come to expect like 'Ballroom Etiquette' and 'Pockets.' Tracks like 'Instinct Dwelling' and 'Caution Song' effortlessly display a cranked-up weight and complexity most bands could never muster. Celebrating forty years in 2023 with their thirty-eighth album, GBV has lately been garnering rave reviews from Rolling Stone, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, Uncut, MOJO, Shindig, Paste, Popmatters, The Quietus and many more."

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: SUBURBIA 028LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue. Originally issued on Thirteen Records from Sao Paulo in 1997, Back To Basics is the second album by Rio De Janeiro punk legends Carbona. Widely considered the peak of the whole Ramones-core made in Brazil movement, this groundbreaking album is released on vinyl for the first time ever. Features one bonus track and includes double-sided lyrics insert. White vinyl.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: ITR 368CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Step into a sick rhythm. And I mean sickly. Surgery Channel is a constructed world where everything is piercing and pinpointed. Every single word brings confrontation. With an intro as intimate and uncomfortable as this, The C.I.A. make you question what could be happening here...or what they're after. Denée Segall (vocals, lyrics) is both haunting and seducing us at once with her voice. Something unhinged might be about to happen and they're calmly dangling it over your head. Is it the possibility of dismemberment? Revenge? There is something about Surgery Channel that is sterile and covered in dirt at the same time. Maybe it's the feeling of simultaneous anger and defeat. Maybe it's what comes after. Or maybe it's about the ever-so-brief silent spaces between notes and words. Rhythm would be nothing without empty space. Words are rhythm at The C.I.A. There's nothing wishy washy about The C.I.A. or the way they sound. It's all about precision and aim. But really, it's a warning... amplified by the suspense of tick-tocking drum machine beats that resemble a hospital room. Ty Segall (bass, percussion, back-up vocals) and Emmett Kelly (bass, synth, back-up vocals) have painted a jarring and dissonant landscape behind Denée's story. Their basses could easily be swapped for bone drills and you might not be able to tell the difference. Emmett's modular synth envisions an environment reminiscent of the instrument itself, a mess of wires and pulsing red lights. Ty's subtle use of electronic and analog percussion fluctuates between the sound of a metal tray hitting the floor ('The Wait'), and the swish of an ultrasound scan ('Bubble'). Both Surgery Channel and The C.I.A's first self-titled record are ripe with straightforward conviction. However, this most recent installment reveals a new side of their personality. Now The C.I.A. is communicating from an electrified, pulsating, metallic playpen that wants you to strut. Surgery Channel shows punks a new way to move while remaining loyal to the traditions of catharsis and social commentary. This record is an astute observation and blunt critique. Both inward and outward. It is an exploration into how harshly intimate that process can be. It was written in 2021 by Denée Segall, Ty Segall, and Emmett Kelly. It was recorded at Harmonizer Studios and mixed at Golden Beat by Mike Kriebel." --Sofia Arreguin

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: ITR 369CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Hard-hitting new collection succeeds the trio's rampaging 2019 In The Red Debut EP Death Buy! Proving once again that 'power trio' isn't just a descriptive handle from the distant past but a louder-than-God 21st-Century reality, the devastating New York band Skull Practitioners bow Negative Stars, their first full-length album for In The Red Records. The eight-track collection is the second release for Los Angeles-based trio -- guitarist Jason Victor, bassist Kenneth Levine, and drummer Alex Baker -- who collectively produced the record, with Ted Young engineering (and Baker handling engineering on vocal sessions). Brooklyn Vegan said, 'If you dig early '80s L.A. dusty punk like Gun Club, X and Flesh Eaters, or the many works of Jon Spencer, you will want to check out these four ripping, ripped-up tracks.' Rock And Roll Globe described the music as 'Gun Club fugues played by anxious Amphetamine Reptile Records ghosts deciding they'd prefer to continue to walk the earth.' Negative Stars is the culmination of years of work in New York's clubs and studios. 'I don't like to say the date we started working together,' says Levine, 'but the second Bush was still president.' At the time, Victor had already established himself as the dazzling co-lead guitarist for Steve Wynn and the Miracle Three; when Wynn revived his '80s L.A. Paisley Underground consortium the Dream Syndicate in 2017, Victor took the guitar chair previously occupied by Karl Precoda and Paul Cutler. Baker had only recently arrived from Cincinnati. With their album finally complete and the pandemic lifting, Skull Practitioners have begun to take to the stage more regularly: in 2022 they have played shows with Lydia Lunch, Live Skull, the Art Gray Noizz Quintet, and In the Red label-mates the Wolfmanhattan Project (Kid Congo Powers, Mick Collins, and Bob Bert). They plan to get on the road in the near future."

 

PRICE: $22.00

CAT #: ITR 369LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. "Hard-hitting new collection succeeds the trio's rampaging 2019 In The Red Debut EP Death Buy! Proving once again that 'power trio' isn't just a descriptive handle from the distant past but a louder-than-God 21st-Century reality, the devastating New York band Skull Practitioners bow Negative Stars, their first full-length album for In The Red Records. The eight-track collection is the second release for Los Angeles-based trio -- guitarist Jason Victor, bassist Kenneth Levine, and drummer Alex Baker -- who collectively produced the record, with Ted Young engineering (and Baker handling engineering on vocal sessions). Brooklyn Vegan said, 'If you dig early '80s L.A. dusty punk like Gun Club, X and Flesh Eaters, or the many works of Jon Spencer, you will want to check out these four ripping, ripped-up tracks.' Rock And Roll Globe described the music as 'Gun Club fugues played by anxious Amphetamine Reptile Records ghosts deciding they'd prefer to continue to walk the earth.' Negative Stars is the culmination of years of work in New York's clubs and studios. 'I don't like to say the date we started working together,' says Levine, 'but the second Bush was still president.' At the time, Victor had already established himself as the dazzling co-lead guitarist for Steve Wynn and the Miracle Three; when Wynn revived his '80s L.A. Paisley Underground consortium the Dream Syndicate in 2017, Victor took the guitar chair previously occupied by Karl Precoda and Paul Cutler. Baker had only recently arrived from Cincinnati. With their album finally complete and the pandemic lifting, Skull Practitioners have begun to take to the stage more regularly: in 2022 they have played shows with Lydia Lunch, Live Skull, the Art Gray Noizz Quintet, and In the Red label-mates the Wolfmanhattan Project (Kid Congo Powers, Mick Collins, and Bob Bert). They plan to get on the road in the near future."

 

PRICE: $38.00

CAT #: 9781941753378

FILE UNDER: Misc

"Milford Graves has been a revelatory force in music since the mid-1960s, liberating the drummer from the role of 'timekeeper' to instrumental improviser and giving rise to the Free Jazz movement, with groundbreaking performances alongside Lou Reed, Min Tanaka, and John Zorn. But musical practice cannot contain the energies of his creativity and intellect. Milford Graves' kaleidoscopic genius led him to develop an unprecedented body of interests -- from medicine to botany, stem cell regeneration to martial arts. A Mind-Body Deal is an attempt to open the doors of his habitat and spark curiosity in our own minds, so we too may learn to weave our mind-bodies with the rhythms of the world around us. A Mind-Body Deal gathers the intricate, multifaceted work of Milford Graves, exploring the practices and predilections of this extraordinary 'jazz mind.' Fully illustrated, this catalogue includes documentation from the eponymous show at ICA Philadelphia, exhibiting a collection of Graves' hand-painted album covers and posters, idiosyncratic drum sets, recording ephemera, multimedia sculptures, photographs, and costumes, with elements from his home and scientific studies." 256 pages. Paperback. 0.7" H x 10.4" L x 7.6" W (1.85 lbs)

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: ITA 119LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Dumbo Tracks is the project of Cologne-based producer Jan Philipp Janzen (Von Spar, Die Sterne, Urlaub in Polen). His self-titled debut album features contributions from Markus Acher (The Notwist), Portable, Roosevelt, Marker Starling, Wir Sind Die Sonne, Julian Knoth (Die Nerven), Indra Dunis (Peaking Lights), Eiko Ishibashi, Julene, and DJ Koze. Together they explore the different facets of dub and its musical horizons. Sometimes it sounds like it comes directly from the Black Ark Studios, but much more often it is Transatlantically transmitted via The Specials and DJs like Don Letts, Andrew Weatherall, or Adrian Sherwood.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: LION 191LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The first time I saw the SilverBeats... the band took the cramped stage at the window near the front door. Fronted by James Tessier, who appeared to be the missing link from The Standells, the band's sound was simple, fuzzy and perfect. These cats were no strangers to reverb. Tess' original compositions came to life with electrical transmissions from Dan Mullen's lead guitar. The primal garage rock sound of 'Over and Over' was balanced by Tess' soft-spoken vocals. 'You Did Here Wrong' could have been plucked from any top shelf album of lost nuggets. 'In the Sound Room' points to endless possibilities of mind expansion. This is the good stuff. LSD before it was cut with strychnine." --Blaine Schultz "First reissue of rare cassette-only underground neo-psychedelic punk steeped in Pebbles-era rock, from this Milwaukee band which featured Dan Mullen (Plasticland) on guitar and the talents -- songwriting and otherwise -- of iconic underground maven Tess (James Tessier). 'I Want Speed' shows The SilverBeats' affinity to West Coast psychedelia. And it's no coincidence that they cover the Human Expression's 'Calm Me Down,' rich with harmony vocal, and The Pretty Things' 'Midnight to Six (Man),' replacing the original's rough R 'n' B-edge with a slight psychedelic tinge -- a real showpiece for drummer Mike Hughes. Another killer is 'Over And Over,' penned by Tess (like all the other originals on this album). It layers beautiful, trippy guitar, a catchy vocal melody, lots of echo, strange effects, and weird sounds before it closes, and we move on to the jolly, jumping 'Love Comes Knockin.' Comes with an 8-page booklet featuring a description by journalist David Luhrssen of the Milwaukee underground music scene which produced Plasticland, Daszu, the band Ör, and the Violent Femmes, among others."

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: LION 197LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Color vinyl. "Quintessential underground anarcho-hippie, anti-establishment private press blast by a band (and commune) from Chicago c. 1970, with poetic, sometimes vicious lyrics (Dylan-esque, or Arthur Lee and Love... you decide), and funky, hard-edged bones. Yama & the Karma Dusters, a.k.a. the Euphoria Blimpworks Band, were inter-racial, anti-war, 'Stop the Bomb', free love hippies, the wildest of the wild kids. They really cook on the up-tempo tracks, sounding like a cross between The Blues Project and Dylan's early electric period band circa 1966, augmented by a violin player. On the hard rockers, founding member Howard Berkman, formerly of morose garage punksters the Knaves, spits out sharp-tongued protest without becoming precious, while the band simmers and sizzles in sympathy. There are melodic folky ballads too, culminating in the gorgeous 'Hello Big City.' The band's ability to mix these elements into a coherent statement -- recorded in surprising fidelity -- solidify this an overlooked gem of the period. An underground counterculture classic, if ever there was one. Need to know more? Check out the massive 16-page gonzo memoir of their hippie commune -- you can find out what happened when Crazy Steve spiked the Gallo jug with acid! First legitimate reissue of this anti-establishment private press gem. Comes with an 16-page booklet gonzo memoir of their hippie commune, w/ tons of photos."

 

PRICE: $12.00

CAT #: MAGGOT 011

FILE UNDER: Misc

"On the cover: This issue is dedicated to the memory of astral traveling saxophone colossus Pharoah Sanders, with a tremendous evaluation of his most important work by the great music writer Andy Beta as the cover feature, rare images by Leni Sinclair, and a brief remembrance by film director Jeff Feuerzeig. Columns: Lucy Sante - New column is about her collage practice, which was unknown until recently. Unsurprisingly it's great work; Mimi Lipson - Returns with another advice column filled with warmth, humor, and even advice; Jazz Roundtable - with Ben Jaffe, Sam Cohen, Bekah Flynn, and Makaya McCraven: New Orleans' entire history as refracted through the work of Charlie Gabriel of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, an absolutely deep and important piece; Thinking Fellers - An overview related to new reissues, written by none other than your favorite writer from Bananafish; Some Churches - Amazing images of small churches, rural and urban, from the collection of the Library of Congress. Also featuring: Mick Collins - Tremendous career-spanning feature on the Gories/Dirtbombs frontman by the great RJ Smith; Lambchop - A great new album for Merge and an expansive theater piece Kathy Lindenmayer goes deep with leader Kurt Wagner; XV - Detroit's new no wave supergroup deconstructs an interview, with musician Adam Taub; Ghost Riders - '60s/70s North American downer psych-pop/ garage 'Coming of Age Garage Ballads,' Glen Morren turns in a lengthy overview; Ernest Hood - A feature on the heralded Pac NW ambient composer, amazing ephemera to choose from courtesy the RVNG peeps; The HI Rhythm Section - Tennie, Charles, and Leroy! An often hilarious feature by Jason Gross from Perfect Sound Forever; Edel Rodriguez - Contemporary Cuban-American graphic artist interviewed by Britt Daniel from Spoon --they've collaborated together; Wednesday Knudsen - An overview of the work of this genius rural Massachusetts-based contemporary zone folk goddess, by Michelle Dove; Alpaca Brothers - In depth feature by Matt Goody (whose new book on Flying Nun's history is a must); Matthew Dickman - The great skater poet and poet/skater, introduced by Alex Behr;¬ Charles Gillam Sr. - Gabe from Desert Island interviews the New Orleans-based music obsessive and folk artist; King Kong - Former Homestead Records honcho Ken Katkin is here with ten trenchant observations on a reunion show by Louisville's finest."

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: MOTOWN 28723LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Reissue, originally released in 1972. 2018 release. "Imamu Amiri Baraka's Pan-African manifesto It's Nation Time -- African Visionary Music, out of print since 1972, repressed in 2018 via Motown/UMe. The spoken-word jazz album, originally released on Motown Records' Black Forum subsidiary, has been repressed on 150g black vinyl with tip-on jacket in a faithful reproduction of the original packaging." "In the liner notes for Amiri Baraka's 1972 album It's Nation Time (Motown-Black Forum), Baraka asserts, 'This recording is an institution.' Recording on the heels of the 1970 Congress of African People, Baraka felt that the establishment of a pan-African nation was paramount, but where ought such a nation to be established? Could a recording be an institution? What does a nation sound like? The album, which received a limited release under Motown's progressive Black Forum label, mixes poetry with free jazz, African drumming, and R&B -- melding together the popular with avant-garde and traditional forms of black music. In doing so, It's Nation Time attempts to re-inflect black life with a proud African ancestry and spirituality... It was a call to action for black people to imagine new futures for themselves -- an album that put into action his ideas about black music and Black Nationalism by creating new black sonic space within the dimensions of the stereo LP." --Jessica E. Teague, from Sound Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal (2015)

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: PC 1990LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The Cure, Disintegration In Leipzig, live in Germany on August 4th,1990. FM broadcast.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: PGM 164CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The music from his teenage years rekindled Eagle-Eye Cherry's energy when he sat down to write his sixth studio album, Back on Track. In these past couple of years during which the entire world has felt lost, Eagle-Eye Cherry started to question his profession. He saw health care workers struggle with something that really mattered and wondered what his own role was. At the same time, however, he missed getting to share the live experience of music with other people and came to the conclusion that what he does is indeed important. Hence the title of his sixth studio album: Back on Track. Many of the songs were recorded right before the pandemic escalated, but when the process was delayed, more songs came to life. When Eagle-Eye spent most of his time at home and had time to elevate his cooking skills, he once again started listening to the music he used to love when he was a teenager and got into buying records of his own: Talking Heads (his family's neighbors on Long Island during the 1980s), Blondie, The Clash, Modern Lovers. The influences might not be obvious, but there was something about the energy that Eagle-Eye found incredibly inspiring. Most of the album tracks were recorded at the Atlantis studio, a few of them in Peter Kvint's studio and one at Strawberry Studios in Töreboda. Eagle-Eye collaborated in the songwriting with Peter Kvint, Anders Pettersson, David Lindgren Zacharias, and Joel Sjöö, and a song Eagle-Eye wrote back in 2007 with Cameron McVey came back to life thanks to British singer/songwriter Will Varley. CD version includes one additional track.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: PGM 164LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. The music from his teenage years rekindled Eagle-Eye Cherry's energy when he sat down to write his sixth studio album, Back on Track. In these past couple of years during which the entire world has felt lost, Eagle-Eye Cherry started to question his profession. He saw health care workers struggle with something that really mattered and wondered what his own role was. At the same time, however, he missed getting to share the live experience of music with other people and came to the conclusion that what he does is indeed important. Hence the title of his sixth studio album: Back on Track. Many of the songs were recorded right before the pandemic escalated, but when the process was delayed, more songs came to life. When Eagle-Eye spent most of his time at home and had time to elevate his cooking skills, he once again started listening to the music he used to love when he was a teenager and got into buying records of his own: Talking Heads (his family's neighbors on Long Island during the 1980s), Blondie, The Clash, Modern Lovers. The influences might not be obvious, but there was something about the energy that Eagle-Eye found incredibly inspiring. Most of the album tracks were recorded at the Atlantis studio, a few of them in Peter Kvint's studio and one at Strawberry Studios in Töreboda. Eagle-Eye collaborated in the songwriting with Peter Kvint, Anders Pettersson, David Lindgren Zacharias, and Joel Sjöö, and a song Eagle-Eye wrote back in 2007 with Cameron McVey came back to life thanks to British singer/songwriter Will Varley.

 

PRICE: $29.50

CAT #: POTOMAK 919821

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2022 restock; LP version. Einstürzende Neubauten's Potomak label reissues their classic 1996 release, Ende Neu -- originally released on the Mute label, now reissued for the first time on vinyl. On this release, the quintessential scientists of the post-avant-garde abstain from focusing on listener disintegration tactics as they did on prior albums, but opt instead to hone their craftsmanship in new compositional areas. Some followers of their earlier material might object to the obvious and comparatively conventional song structure and style that is displayed on Ende Neu -- picking up a power tool to highlight a piece rather than centering the entire work around it, or leaving a stage before setting it ablaze -- but the destruction has already been performed, and here they erect a brave new anti-building of musical art. Exploring intricate processions of time and toying with melodious harmonies, this album reveals Blixa Bargeld and company maturing gracefully. The opening cut, "Was Ist Ist," is a furious, fast-paced slander of the greediness of mankind while simultaneously serving as a tongue-in-cheek remark on how absolute, scientific power overrules impossibility. From there, Ende Neu continues to musically rewrite the band's style, using familiar topics such as ethereal chaos ("Die Explosion Im Festspielhaus"), cosmic complacency ("The Garden"), revolt ("Installation Nº.1"), and even a Kafka-esque piece, "Der Schacht Von Babel." This was the band's first release after the departure of founding band member Mark Chung, and it is obvious that the remaining members took the time to contribute to the void left by his departure. Ende Neu delivers a precision-fed matrix of audio-encrypted knowledge in a manner not like the chaotic Neubauten of the early '80s, but more strategic, and more mature. Dark, focused explosions, with theatrical strings and tightly-wound vocal structures. This reissue includes reworked artwork.

 

PRICE: $13.50

CAT #: RADCD 013CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Trail-blazing female punk band Tozibabe was the first girl group in Slovenian to play their own instruments and write their own material, and one of the few female hardcore acts of Eastern Europe. Their furious, uncompromising songs had scathing, shouted vocals, and its members tackled different instruments, making them the stuff of legend. This wide-ranging compilation gathers material from the Hard-Core Ljubljana compilation (1985), their groundbreaking mini-LP, Dezuje, live tracks from their appearance at Novi Rock in 1985, plus previously unreleased work from their 2015 reunion show. Raw hardcore, Tozibabe style! CD version comes in digipack with obi strip.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: RRS 053CV-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Reissue, originally released in 1983. Probably the first experiment in mixing hardcore attitude with OI! songwriting ever made within the UK punk movement, Attak were born as a four piece in New Mills in 1981, but immediately reversed to a trio when their singer left for school commitments and released two incredible singles on the No Future label in this form, right before recruiting a new guitarist and record Zombies, that came out in 1983 on the same label. Known for featuring Mackie from Blitz's sister on drums, (and sounding a lot like his band), Attak definitely split up in late 1983. This criminally underrated classic gets reissued on vinyl with his original artwork and fully remastered. Includes 40x60 folded poster.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: RM 4138CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

Long Drove, the title of Simon Scott's first edition for Room40, is a location in the Fens close to the home of British composer, multi-instrumentalist, and mastering engineer. It is the connective pathway between two nature reserves, called Holme Fen and New Decoy, and both sites are part of a habit restoration project called The Great Fen Project and is close to where Scott grew up as a child. This area first became a location of compositional inspiration over a decade ago, when Scott created Below Sea Level on 12k (later reissued on Touch). His return to the Fens has produced a number of new works, presented here on Long Drove, that are intimate sonic narratives of place and rural trauma. Long Drove is a site-specific sound study which shifts the Anthropocene discourse from spectatorship to musical participation, accountability, and creative engagement. The near future of the Fens, with concerns of further subsidence and threat of flooding, remains a palpable concern. One can almost hear Scott's thought processes within these five compositions, of what the Fens would sound like if submerged and flooded by water again, returning to its original marshland state as a result of climate change, as the field recordings dissipate and unfurl with melancholic washes of decaying tape loops and digitally processed textures of Fenland sonorities. "Holme Fen Posts" traces out looped recordings taken from one of two of the famous steel Holme Fen nature reserve posts, which are located at the lowest cartographical location in England (six feet below mean sea level). The posts were driven into the ground in 1851 to take ground readings of subsidence by local landowner William Wells. Metal placards were attached to the posts to depict the subsequent dates of the level of the ground and Scott wedged two contact microphones in between the horizontal posts to capture its sonorities. The recordings reveal not only the slow and deep vibratory sounds of the steel sculptures but also the rhythmic dynamics created by natural phenomena, such as the downpour occurring as Scott recorded, and the resonances within the surrounding area. The natural phenomena of wind became aeolian sound characteristics, as heard in "The Whistling Wire", and the soft rhythm of the bridge being struck became the long-pitched drones and reverberant textures that these vibrations produced reveals the complex sonic topography of the Fens. From capturing the symphonic glory of the wind which, without any human intervention, ignites the holes in the wires. This triggers shifting planes of transmissible climate change induced musicality. "The Black Fen" traces sound fields through cassette tape loops of aeolian field recordings which are manipulated when fed into Scott's modular synth system to gradually tease out submerged hidden melodies.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: RM 4198CD

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

From Cat Hope: "This is the second Room40 release of collaborations between Australian chamber ensemble Decibel, and French music concrète composer Lionel Marchetti, after The Last Days of Reality in 2018. This release consists of two pieces: 'Inland Lake (le lac intérieur' (2019), and 'La Patience' (2020). Working with Lionel is magical. 'Inland Lake' was devised with the ensemble when Lionel visited Australia in 2019. As he sometimes does, he came with a 'partition concrète' that was part score, part ensemble member, part fixed media. The music is coaxed from the ensemble, without score, but with discussions, listening and experiments. In the live performances, Marchetti efficiently and imaginatively positions speakers in strange directions, heights and places and somehow, the sounds melt together, intertwining and indiscernible -- as on this recording. Marchetti adapts the partition concrète after first rehearsals and performances, integrating recordings of the acoustic instruments with synthesizers, tape, and electronic manipulations in his home studio. The recording of 'Inland Lake' occurred in two places at once: at the Digital Hub, Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance at Monash University, Melbourne and Soundfield Studio in Perth, Western Australia. Marchetti joined from France. Determined to make this recording despite the ongoing border closures within Australia and the world, the group came together telematically -- using software to reduce the perception of latency and improve the sound quality 'down the line' for the performers. The ensemble was split in half between the east and west coasts of Australia, listening together over the Internet, recording locally. Marchetti later mixed and mastered the track in his own studio. Listening to the piece once the recording and mixing process was complete was like hearing it for the first time, again..."

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: RUMP 002-1LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2022 repress. Blurring the lines between folk, funk, and wonky slo-mo disco, and shares as much in common with Tom Waits as it does Luke Solomon. Sacha Winkler aka Kalabrese is a curious tastemaker and bold musical force that dares to tread the murky waters between indie and electronica, playfully emphasizing vocals on song-based productions and presenting an album that pushes the limits and portrays dance music in a peculiar and natural way. Inspired by blues, funk, and all those beautiful dancers and tragic heroes of the night, Independent Dancer is laced with curiosity and fever-inducing productions. Following his 2007 debut album Rumpelzirkus (STATT 002CD), a critically-acclaimed project that was followed by performances at infamous festivals like Sónar, Mutek in Montreal, and Transmediale in Berlin, as well as playing nearly every club basement in Europe with his live-project Rumpelorchester, Kalabrese returns with a masterpiece. Sounding like a soundtrack from James Murphy (in fact Kalabrese played back-to-back with the LCD Soundsystem lead man in 2012) and Nicolas Jaar, who featured his epic blues solo "Desperate Man" on his own Resident Advisor podcast, Independent Dancer commences with an almost euphoric and certainly unpretentious spirit. "Purple Rose" steps out downbeat with Sarah Palin, the newest Rumpel discovery, singing an astonishing duet with Kala, an almost country-like creation with ringing bells from the Alps and a hypnotic house beat crashing behind. Kalabrese recruits friend and mentor, A.C. Kupper (who also designed the cover) to sing "Let the Good Times Roll," taking his falsetto voice and overlaying chunky beats and a captivating synth-line, inspiring the urge to dance in only the most sincere way. Independent Dancer varies in tempo and rhythm throughout, from the wonderful airy ballad of "Stone On Your Back" with its cello parts played by Dominik Löhrer and light bossanova rhythm, juxtaposed with "Wanzka," an active, swinging Afro-groove gem with mind-blowing, lyrical brass parts courtesy of Michael Flury and Benjamin Danech. Guest singer Khan from Berlin can be heard on the hypnotic, Arabic-inspired bonus track "Feeling Me" and also on "Desperate Man," on which Rumpel-member Marton di Katz rocks a crazy groove with bass line sensations. Towards the conclusion, Kalabrese extols the Sihl Valley with "Sihltal," a punchy disco tune spiked with melancholy and expressing a soft wish of togetherness. At all times, Independent Dancer orbits the moment, encapsulating where the dancer unites with the music and forgets the rest of the world. "An album bursting with personality, soul and delicious grooves" --MixMag.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: SNDST 103EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

BEC returns to Second State Audio with another earth-shattering release containing four raw and atmospheric cuts. The Berlin by way of Brighton producer BEC has been a member of the Second State family since her first release with the label in 2016. Since then, BEC has dropped four EPs with the Berlin imprint, and regularly appears at the likes of Awakenings, Amnesia, Warehouse Project, Fabrik, Watergate, and Burning Man, to name a few.

 

PRICE: $12.50

CAT #: SNDST 111EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Berlin's Michael Klein drops heavy duty five-tracker EP on Second State Audio. A mainstay of the Second State label, Michael Klein's back catalog has now expanded to include 11 releases with the Berlin imprint. Opener and title track "Golden Hour" kicks off with strong synergy between the kick, bass and percussion. Moving and rising at controlled pace, Klein brings in off kilter keys and a smooth arpeggio. Next up is "Voice Interrupt" which uses twisted melodies and pitch distortions to create a tense but energetic energy. Minimal shakers and a solitary hi-hat add texture to the track, whilst keeping the arrangements tight and bouncy. "In My Own Eyes" starts off minimal and subdued, with a rotary synth that eventually breaks through and takes command. Subtle industrial elements are used but hidden under shakers, coming to the forefront during a brief interlude of the main synth-line. Following is "Howlip" with a uniform kick, hi-hat and a jagged synth combo that dance menacingly throughout. A sample of the cut's name chimes in at varied volumes, at times battling against the main groove and recurring electro twinged synth. A driving and peak-time dancefloor weapon. The finale of the EP "One Eyed Master" is dominated by piping, high-frequency keys that bubble under the main kick and sharp single hi-hat. Varying in intensity as the track drives on, the keys create a dystopian yet uneasy atmosphere. Klein again plays with the balance of percussion and pitch to manipulate the mood created in the track, an obvious theme and technique applied throughout the EP.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SNS 021LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

LP version. Full title: One Day I Was So Sad That The Corners Of My Mouth Met & Everybody Thought I Was Whistling. Bladder Flask's debut (in fact only) LP, originally issued by Orgel Fesper Music in 1981, is one of the most eclectic albums of the post-industrial era. It is both challenging and perplexing... So, put down your puny instruments of normality and breathe in the frenzied fungal spores of Bladder Flask. The fact that Steven Stapleton of Nurse With Wound is a big fan of this album is testament to its greatness: "I love Bladder Flask's One Day I Was So Sad That The Corners Of My Mouth Met & Everybody Thought I Was Whistling and what a great title, perhaps my favorite ever. I must have listened to the album so much in the '80s. I listened to it again recently and it was like welcoming an old friend." Personnel: Richard Rupenus, Philip Rupenus + Sean Breadin, John Mylotte, Nigel Jacklin. Recorded at Wrongrong Studio and Spectro Arts Workshop 1980-1981. Audio restoration and mastering: Colin Potter @ IC Studio.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SNS 022LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

LP version. Reissue, originally released in 1984. P16.D4 was a German electronic noise music collective, active primarily from 1980 to 1988. P16.D4 embraced tape cut-ups, musique concrète, endless recycling, and transformation of previously published material, and many long-distance collaborations with like-minded artists such as DDAA, Vortex Campaign, Nurse With Wound, and Merzbow. Their active participation in the international industrial tape scene yielded collaborative output such as their release Distruct, where bands such as Nurse with Wound, Nocturnal Emissions, Die Tödliche Doris, and The Haters provided the source material. The longest-term collaboration was with the installation and conceptual artist Achim Wollscheid, who used P16.D4 sounds as the basis for LPs he recorded under the name SBOTHI. Ralf Wehowsky, the only constant member of the group, later released solo material under the alias RLW. Members of P16.D4 were also involved with Selektion, a collective of people involved with sound as well as the visual arts. Selektion published LPs, CDs, books, visual art and design. The collective worked in a strongly improvised, spontaneous and anti-professional way, using acoustic and electronic instruments, using existing sound fragments, duplicating and alienating them, using repetition, distortion, changes in speed and playing direction. For this they used not only sounds of other artists but also their own material from earlier productions. Late works of the collective are associated with musique concrete."This music is staggeringly original and innovative, and while it's possible to locate it in a chain of circumstance that links it to 'industrial' music, P16.D4 indulged in none of the empty cliches associated with the genre, worked incredibly hard, and seem to have been aiming at a form of sound art that was much more profound, varied, subversive, and potentially dangerous. Kühe In 1/2 Trauer's accompanying credits indicate their radical approach to making music: lots of improvisation, lots of live electronics, extensive use of tape-loops, some conventional instrumentation, and much that isn't -- like the milk churn on 'Paris, Morgue' or the use of baking tray and washing machine elsewhere. Even when guitars, drums or keyboards are used, they're played very weirdly. It's not even made clear who was doing what; the main credit is 'Concept,' which I assume means that one of the three devised the framework in which the noise would operate itself, and while RLW gets the lion's share of these credits, a lot of the cuts are evenly divided among the team and I have no doubt that the group operated in a very democratic or libertarian manner. None of this prepares you for the insane and troubling sounds that reach your ears, composed with scant regard for conventional logic and following an exciting, absurdist path, especially in the matter of tape edits and juxtapositions of recordings." --Ed Pinsent, The Sound Projector

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SNS 023LP

FILE UNDER: EXPERIMENTAL

LP version. Reissue, originally released in 1984. P16.D4 was a German electronic noise music collective, active primarily from 1980 to 1988. P16.D4 embraced tape cut-ups, musique concrète, endless recycling, and transformation of previously published material, and many long-distance collaborations with like-minded artists such as DDAA, Vortex Campaign, Nurse With Wound, and Merzbow. Their active participation in the international industrial tape scene yielded collaborative output such as their release Distruct, where bands such as Nurse with Wound, Nocturnal Emissions, Die Tödliche Doris, and The Haters provided the source material. The longest-term collaboration was with the installation and conceptual artist Achim Wollscheid, who used P16.D4 sounds as the basis for LPs he recorded under the name SBOTHI. Ralf Wehowsky, the only constant member of the group, later released solo material under the alias RLW. Members of P16.D4 were also involved with Selektion, a collective of people involved with sound as well as the visual arts. Selektion published LPs, CDs, books, visual art and design. The collective worked in a strongly improvised, spontaneous and anti-professional way, using acoustic and electronic instruments, using existing sound fragments, duplicating and alienating them, using repetition, distortion, changes in speed and playing direction. For this they used not only sounds of other artists but also their own material from earlier productions. Late works of the collective are associated with musique concrete."On this, their second LP, P16.D4 solicited tapes from several artists from Europe, England, the U.S., Canada, and Japan, and mixed that with their own material. Though in the current digital age collaborations from artists thousands of miles apart is quite normal, this was a quite radical approach back in 1982, when work on this LP began -- an interesting concept that actually works quite well, since these artists, which include Bladder Flask, DDAA, the Haters, Merzbow, Nocturnal Emissions, Nurse With Wound, and several others -- work in a similar free-ranging experimentalism as P16.D4, and their particular elements, usually just vocals or one instrument or noise implement, blend well without diluting P16.D4's own peculiar brand of avant-garde post-industrialism, but merely give it another facet. One of the best tracks, 'Aufmarsch, Heimlich,' consists of a choir submitted anonymously from Eastern Europe phasing in and out of static while a skronky alto sax bleats away. Most of the pieces exist somewhere just beyond the borders of free jazz, industrial, and even classical avant-garde, full of jarring noises and strange transitions and with a heavy overlay of electronics. What started out as an experiment yielded one of P16.D4's best albums." --Rolf Semprebon/AllMusic

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: ZEHRA 007CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Zehra present the debut album Istehlal by the Mohamad Zatari Trio, consisting of musicians from Syria, Iran, and India. The trio merges traditional Middle Eastern sounds with contemporary vibes including interpretations of Hossein Alizadeh and Riad Al-Sunbati classics. In a contemporary globalized world where music has lost its borders and is fighting a constant --yet particular -- stream of Western commodification, the Mohamad Zatari Trio stands out as an original cultural artifact, aiming at transcending the boundaries between different music worlds. Founded in 2019, the ensemble had its first public appearance in 2020 at the Outernational Virtual Festival. Comprising the performers Sara Eslami (Iran) on tar, Avadhut Kasinadhuni (India/Romania) on tabla, and Mohamad Zatari (Syria) on oud. Their debut Istehlal plunges into its own aesthetics, politics, and sound intricacies and represents the combined efforts of three musicians hailing from different, yet deeply rooted cultures. Over the course of eleven songs, the album transcends stylistic, ideologic, and geographic boundaries and reflects on the human condition in an interconnected and interrelated technological world. The repertoire includes not only original compositions in different stylistics but also rearranged traditional pieces by influential composers Riad Al Sunbati (Egypt) and Hossein Alizadeh (Iran). The Mohamad Zatari Trio introduces itself as a strong new voice within a new generation of young musicians that carry the musical heritage of great masters like Ravi Shankar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, or Zakir Hussain with a fresh and contemporary approach.Mohamad Zatari is a composer and oud player from Aleppo, Syria, currently based in Bucharest, Romania. His artistic effort is devoted to deconstructing stereotypes and blending various musical genres. He has been taught traditional and regional music by Tarek Al-Sayed, and has a Bachelor's in classical composition at the National University of Music Bucharest (2021). His compositions were used for short films as well as educational courses. He performed in various ensembles and groups, in countries such as Syria, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Italy and Austria.Sara Eslami is an Iranian composer, tar and setar instrumentalist, and improviser. She has a Bachelor's in musical Performing at the Tehran University of Arts (2011). Romanian/Indian Avadhut Kasinadhuni has a Master in Musical Performing / Violin at the National University of Music Bucharest (2022) and started studying tabla intermittently in India with Prof. Kamal Kant (2008) and Prof. Durjay Bhaumik (2017).

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: ZEHRA 007LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

LP version. 180 gram vinyl. Includes download card. Zehra present the debut album Istehlal by the Mohamad Zatari Trio, consisting of musicians from Syria, Iran, and India. The trio merges traditional Middle Eastern sounds with contemporary vibes including interpretations of Hossein Alizadeh and Riad Al-Sunbati classics. In a contemporary globalized world where music has lost its borders and is fighting a constant --yet particular -- stream of Western commodification, the Mohamad Zatari Trio stands out as an original cultural artifact, aiming at transcending the boundaries between different music worlds. Founded in 2019, the ensemble had its first public appearance in 2020 at the Outernational Virtual Festival. Comprising the performers Sara Eslami (Iran) on tar, Avadhut Kasinadhuni (India/Romania) on tabla, and Mohamad Zatari (Syria) on oud. Their debut Istehlal plunges into its own aesthetics, politics, and sound intricacies and represents the combined efforts of three musicians hailing from different, yet deeply rooted cultures. Over the course of eleven songs, the album transcends stylistic, ideologic, and geographic boundaries and reflects on the human condition in an interconnected and interrelated technological world. The repertoire includes not only original compositions in different stylistics but also rearranged traditional pieces by influential composers Riad Al Sunbati (Egypt) and Hossein Alizadeh (Iran). The Mohamad Zatari Trio introduces itself as a strong new voice within a new generation of young musicians that carry the musical heritage of great masters like Ravi Shankar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, or Zakir Hussain with a fresh and contemporary approach.Mohamad Zatari is a composer and oud player from Aleppo, Syria, currently based in Bucharest, Romania. His artistic effort is devoted to deconstructing stereotypes and blending various musical genres. He has been taught traditional and regional music by Tarek Al-Sayed, and has a Bachelor's in classical composition at the National University of Music Bucharest (2021). His compositions were used for short films as well as educational courses. He performed in various ensembles and groups, in countries such as Syria, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Italy and Austria.Sara Eslami is an Iranian composer, tar and setar instrumentalist, and improviser. She has a Bachelor's in musical Performing at the Tehran University of Arts (2011). Romanian/Indian Avadhut Kasinadhuni has a Master in Musical Performing / Violin at the National University of Music Bucharest (2022) and started studying tabla intermittently in India with Prof. Kamal Kant (2008) and Prof. Durjay Bhaumik (2017).