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FORCED EXPOSURE MAILORDER UPDATE
NEW RELEASES FOR THE WEEK OF 05/19/2025

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PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: 12XU 166LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Back in the mid-'90s the Dirty Three opened for Ed Kuepper in Melbourne. That's when Ed and Jim White first crossed paths. Jim of course was well-aware of Ed; who wasn't? This was an artist who had redefined Australian music not just once with The Saints, not just twice with Laughing Clowns, but was at it again for a third time, under his own name. Roll forward to 2020. Time became malleable, even these most industrious of artists found themselves with time to kill. Jim was unexpectedly back in Australia, in fact stranded in Australia. Despite all the complexities of the pandemic Ed recognized an opportunity to capture the collaboration he'd long had in mind. The original idea was for the two of them to do a few shows together. It would be 'casual'. But it proved to be anything but. Amidst the on-off restrictions and the threat of the virus the tour was a turbulent ride. They performed two sold out nights at the Sydney Opera House and fluked the only gig at Rising before the Melbourne Festival was cancelled. Other gigs were blown out and plans would be changed at the last minute. Touring was precarious with Ed and Jim unsure when restrictions would be announced, leaving them high and dry or forcing them to drive cross county late at night to cross state lines before the borders were closed. In amidst this turmoil a musical bond was forged. Ed appreciated Jim's "rhythmic intent. It's intuition based" he explains. The duo grasped an opportunity to enter Melbourne's Sound Park Studio. Working quickly over four days they captured the music they had been performing. The resulting album features eight tracks that provide, as Ed puts it 'The broadest representation of what we did, with the most variety.' The widescreen selection of songs gives a tracking shot of Ed's career to date. The earliest song reimagined here is The Saints' 'Swing For The Crime,' which originally appeared in 1978 on the Prehistoric Sounds album. Ed's early '80s band Laughing Clowns is generously represented and rewired with the songs 'Crying Dance,' 'The Year Of The Bloated Goat,' and 'Collapse Board.' Deep into their careers, at the top of their game, ever curious, changing and searching, Ed and Jim reach another high-water mark. After The Flood was recorded and mixed by Idge at Sound Park Studio, Melbourne, Spring 2023. Produced by Ed Kuepper and Jim White."

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: 12XU 167LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"I first encountered the Gotobeds in August 2014, at a benefit for the great rock bard Karl Hendricks in their mutual hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Gotobeds went on fashionably (if not voluntarily) late and proceeded to lay waste to anything else anyone tried to do that evening. I took an abnormal number of photos and was made a fan for life. This kind of instant affection happens to me, particularly in my jaded dotage, so very rarely that I feel it is worth noting. Almost inevitably, an attempt to describe an unnameable jolt will devolve into predictable cliches. I'm talking about old chestnuts like: Bouncing off the walls Spending about half an hour in a washing machine full of bolts and rose petals Having sand thrown in your eyes just before being kissed vigorously on the neck All of which are a) barely better than nothing on the word front but b) do apply, if lazily so, to the Gotobeds' various, terrific issuances: on 12XU (to which they have happily returned), their erstwhile label Sub Pop, etc. And the latter two apply perhaps most especially to their terrific new record...Masterclass. The Gotobeds have an unwavering commitment to bending and breaking things in the process of remaking them into something bolder and better (and, a couple of lineup changes to the contrary, not laying anyone off wantonly from critical government jobs). The Gotobeds are aggressive, cannily disjointed, occasionally raw propellent, with an ear for melody that leavens the entire enterprise with a reasonable, non-diabetes-inducing amount of sugar. The complements to this wrangling and strangling are warm and charming vocals (albeit semi-buried), with perhaps surprising heart and richness to them, plus (crucially) an insistent, melodic bass guitar and beguilingly slushy drumming that together invite that most welcome and rare of rock sense-memory tingles (The Clean). In closing, I will suggest: Apprise your ears, brain, and genitalia of this brazen, scabrous, lovingly made record -- the Gotobeds' fourth or fifth depending on how many fingers you have left on your counting hand. Masterclass was spat out during a low point of recent human history -- the Great Plague of 2020-2022 -- but as we should all know from watching the History Channel, there's always a sub-sub-basement. And beautiful art, great music, good books -- these things are necessary for survival, as well as being prime antidotes to the scourge of psyops-enabled doomscrolling." --Tim Midyett

 

PRICE: $21.50

CAT #: ZORN 093CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2025 restock. "Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy, x2 LPs of long-form, lyrical, groove-based free improv by acclaimed guitarist & composer Jeff Parker's ETA IVtet, is at last here. Recorded live at ETA (referencing David Foster Wallace), a bar in LA's Highland Park neighborhood with just enough space in the back for Parker, drummer Jay Bellerose, bassist Anna Butterss, & alto saxophonist Josh Johnson to convene in extraordinarily depthful & exploratory music making. Gleaned for the stoniest side-length cuts from 10+ hours of vivid two-track recordings made between 2019 & 2021 by Bryce Gonzales, Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy is a darkly glowing s?ance of an album, brimming over with the hypnotic, the melodic, & patience & grace in its own beautiful strangeness. Room-tone, electric fields, environment, ceiling echo, live recording, Mondays, Los Angeles. Jeff Parker's first double album & first live album, Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy belongs in the lineage of such canonical live double albums recorded on the West Coast as Lee Morgan's Live at the Lighthouse, Miles Davis' In Person Friday & Saturday Night at the Blackhawk, San Francisco & Black Beauty, & John Coltrane's Live in Seattle. While the IVtet sometimes plays standards &, including on this recording, original compositions, it is as previously stated largely a free improv group -- just not in the genre meaning of the term. The music is more free composition than free improvisation, more blending than discordant. It's tensile, yet spacious & relaxed. Clearly all four musicians have spent significant time in the planetary system known as jazz, but relationships to other musics, across many scenes & eras -- dub & Dilla, primary source psychedelia, ambient & drone -- suffuse the proceedings. Listening to playbacks Parker remarked, humorously & not, 'we sound like the Byrds' (to certain ears, the Clarence White-era Byrds, who really stretched it). A fundamental of all great ensembles, whether basketball teams or bands, is the ability of each member to move fluidly & fluently in & out of lead & supportive roles. Building on the communicative pathways they've established in Parker's -- The New Breed -- project, Parker & Johnson maintain a constant dialogue of lead & support. Their sampled & looped phrases move continuously thru the music, layered & alive, adding depth & texture & pattern, evoking birds in formation, sea creatures drifting below the photic zone. Or, the two musicians simulate those processes by entwining their terse, clear-lined playing in real-time. The stop/start flow of Bellerose, too, simulates the sampler, recalling drum parts in Parker's beat-driven projects. Mostly Bellerose's animated phraseologies deliver the inimitable instantaneous feel of live creative drumming. The range of tonal colors he conjures from his extremely vintage battery of drums & shakers -- as distinctive a sonic signature as we have in contemporary acoustic drumming -- bring almost folkloric qualities to the aesthetic currency of the IVtet's language. A wonderful revelation in this band is the playing of Anna Butterss. The strength, judiciousness & humility with which she navigates the bass position both ground & lift upward the egalitarian group sound. As the IVtet's grooves flow & clip, loop & repeat, the ensemble elements reconfigure, a terrarium of musical cultivation growing under controlled variables, a tight experiment of harmony & intuition, deep focus & freedom. For all its varied sonic personality, Mondays at The Enfield Tennis Academy scans immediately & unmistakably as music coming from Jeff Parker's unique sound world. Generous in spirit, trenchant & disciplined in execution, Parker's music has an earned respect for itself & for its place in history that transmutes through the musical event into the listener. Many moods & shapes of heart & mind will find utility & hope in a music that combines the autonomy & the community we collectively long to see take hold in our world, in substance & in staying power. On the personal tip, this was always my favorite gig to hit, a lifeline of the eremite records Santa Barbara years. Mondays southbound on the 101, driving away from tasks & screens & illness, an hour later ordering a double tequila neat at the bar with the band three feet away, knowing i was in good hands, knowing it would be back around on another Monday. To encounter life at scales beyond the human body is the collective dance of music & the beholding of its beauty, together." --Michael Ehlers & Zac Brenner

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: BTR 101EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

On their debut 45 for Batov Records, Indonesia-based Babon deliver two irresistible jams, cooked from a recipe full of Indonesian flavors, Afro-Latin funk, Morricone grooves, Bollywood breaks and blues, they call "Tropical Desert Music." A must-hear for fans of Surprise Chef, Khruangbin, or Sababa 5. Drummer Wahyudi T. Raupp and multi-instrumentalist Rayi Raditia, friends since high school in Jakarta, via university life in Melbourne, formed Babon in 2023 to address environmental issues through instrumental music, thus combining two mutual passions. Working in their home studio free of time restraints, Babon developed their "Tropical Desert Music" sound, mixing the energy and influences of Melbourne's vibrant music scene, with traditional Indonesian forms, from the pulsating rhythms of dangdut, and gamelan, the ritualistic percussion ensemble music native to Java and Bali, to keroncong, a popular and melodic folk style; while addressing environmental concerns and societal complexities, such as the impact of ruthless exploitation on tropical regions On the A-side, "Desert Rose" is a spaghetti blues dedicated to the widows marginalized and objectified by mine workers. Rayi's electric guitar gently wails with the cinematic effect akin to a Tarantino soundtrack, over a hypnotic groove that never grows tired. On the flip, "TNT" explores the moral dilemma faced by a miner torn between the destructive nature of his occupation and the dire financial needs of his family, leading to a downward spiral of alcohol abuse. Slowly raising tension levels, Babon pit somber organ riffs over bass guitar fuzz and Indonesian-sounding guitar motifs, leading to a final explosion of guitars and drums. Babon's "Tropical Desert Music" perfectly complements Batov Records' rich catalogue of Middle Eastern grooves and is an irresistible sound its own right with a poignant message.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: BTR 108EP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Sababa 5 collaborate with India born singer Sophia Solomon on their most exciting double A-side to date, merging Bollywood-style songs with their signature blend of Middle Eastern grooves. Renowned for their instrumental releases that fuse traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern music with psychedelic rock, funk, and disco, Sababa 5 have also pushed boundaries in collaborations with vocalists such as Shiran Tzfira, Yurika Hanashima, and Inbal Nur Dekel. These efforts have won them support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Cerys Matthews, and Jeremy Sole, on BBC Radio 6 Music and KCRW. Now, the band joins forces with Sophia Solomon for their latest musical exploration. Born in Bengaluru, South India, and trained in Hindustani classical music in Mumbai, Sophia Solomon is a versatile, multilingual singer, recording artist, and live performer, drawing inspiration from Bollywood legend Asha Bhosle. A standout moment early in her career -- a global tribute to Mahatma Gandhi -- ignited her passion for bridging musical traditions across cultures. "Shehzadi" ("Princess") is an Indo-disco delight. Solomon's Hindi vocals soar effortlessly across Sababa 5's finely balanced arrangement of hypnotic drums, pulsing electric bass, fanning electric guitar, and sparkling synths in a beguiling minor key. There's a strong hint of '80s nostalgia with a contemporary shine, evoking a Stranger Things meets Bollywood charm. "Ranjha" ("Lover") takes on a more Middle Eastern feel, with synth notes that undulate with longing and emotion, reminiscent of traditional instruments like the saz or baglama. The upbeat groove pairs seamlessly with Solomon's dynamic, hope-filled vocals. Well-timed pauses add dramatic flair, while Sophia's performance allows space for an exuberant synth solo. This exciting collaboration marks another bold turn for Sababa 5, infused with new life through Sophia Solomon's artistry. "Shehzadi" and "Ranjha" represent a fruitful exchange of cross-cultural musical exploration, destined to be played on repeat.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: BTR 119LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Romano, synthesizer wizard and a hidden creative force behind much of Tel Aviv's vibrant musical scene, unveils his debut solo album, G?le G?le, for Batov Records. A cinematic journey through groove, nostalgia, and diverse cultural soundscapes, the album showcases Romano's rich musical heritage and cutting-edge creativity, building a unique sound worldwide from influences as vast as funk, disco, reggae, to Latin America, the Balkans and particularly the Middle East. Lior Romano grew up in a Turkish-Egyptian heritage household, surrounded by music. Turkish and Egyptian, naturally, but also Greek, and the unique fusion of Greek and Arabic sounds common to the culturally diverse neighborhood he grew up in. At the same time, he gravitated towards global legends such as Stevie Wonder, Jackie Mittoo, Omar Souleyman, and Aris San, in love with sounds, increasingly the sounds of synthesizers. He eventually went on to tour with internationally renowned artists such as Ester Rada and Yossi Fine (David Bowie). These experiences saw him perform at iconic venues and festivals around the globe, opening for superstars like Alicia Keys and Sting. He also recorded with like-minds, such as Sababa 5 before launching his own group, Baharat, known for their distinctive take on Middle Eastern surf music. Romano's upbringing in a multicultural family certainly shaped G?le G?le into a crossroads of sound. From Turkish flatbreads to Ethiopian border rhythms, each track draws deeply from personal and global traditions. "Sandman," a collaboration with Tal Sandman of Sandman Project, herself a huge exponent of Ethio-inspired grooves, begins with a melody Romano playfully "stole" from her, resulting in an electric guitar-driven funk jam with a strong hint of Moroccan Gnawa, reflecting their deep camaraderie and shared artistic vision. "Hai Hai," a spirited reinterpretation of an Israeli Eurovision hit, featuring vocals by Rotem Bahar of the ?atellites, interweaves Hebrew, Turkish, and disco influences, revitalizing the original arrangement with a vibrant, modern feel. G?le G?le was never planned as an album, but as they worked together across various projects, Batov Records' DJ Kobayashi realized Lior was a "genius," who had perfectly captured the Middle Eastern groove sound he was searching for across the tracks he was sharing. Having adopted a much more personal approach to creating music, Romano created a special world of sound that moves the body, warms the heart, and takes the mind on an incredible journey.

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: BEWITH 092LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2025 restock. They say: "Contemporary scores for visual effect." Be With Records say: "Synth-heavy, low-slung space-funk masterpiece." The creator of the romping tunes that became the iconic themes to the BBC's Grandstand program and their televised Wimbledon Tennis Championship coverage, Keith Mansfield was perhaps KPM's most prolific artist from the mid-1960s right the way through the 1980s. As well as the sort of pop orchestral sound that is all over these classic library records, he could also turn his hand to raw, edgy rock and funk. Quentin Tarantino has included some of Keith's work on the soundtracks to Kill Bill and Grindhouse (2007). Mansfield's Vivid Underscores from 1977 is a sample freak's wet dream. "High Velocity" sets the tone with its aggressive horns, wah-wah guitars, funky baseline and wobbly synth refrain. "Crash Course" -- Stetsasonic horn refrain? Beautiful -- jazzy chase-funk, amazing warm keys, percussion, and funky horns -- all action. The more restrained "Matter Of Urgency" is an utterly amazing, brass-heavy underscore. The grandiose, uplifting "Dawn Of Aquarius" still sounds like the future with its tense, thundering drums, killer bassline and swirling synths. Version II loses the drums and percussion but is no less startling. "Staying Power" closes the first side with a relentless, pounding groove. "Trucking Company" is a pacey, synth-and-string masterpiece and its accompanying parts mess with the formula to great effect. "Hot Cargo" and "Espionage" are both tense spy-funk themes par excellence. "Interplay" is a quiet killer, with flutes over a glistening piano refrain just waiting to be looped. "Omen" is a mini-drama masterpiece, one only Mansfield could create. Even though it is a mix of short themes in-and-amongst longer, full-length tracks, Vivid Underscores is still thoroughly listenable from start to finish. Original analog tapes remastered for vinyl by Simon Francis. 180 gram vinyl.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: BEWITH 158LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

2025 repress. Known principally as a smooth titan of blue-eyed soul, Bobby Caldwell transcended genre tags with consummate ease; he was a musical icon of real class and versatility, cherished the world over. His double platinum self-titled album from 1978 is a timeless masterpiece of sophisticated jazzy soul brilliance and is strictly canonical. Whilst Ned Doheny is known in Japan as "Mr California", native New Yorker Bobby Caldwell has always been "Mr AOR" to his Far-Eastern friends. His distinct charm is an irresistible blend of soul, jazz, and pop influences. He possessed phenomenal songwriting prowess, smooth vocal performances, was both a great soul guitarist and dextrous keyboard player and known for genius chord progressions. It all added up to a multi-layered brilliance entering the studio, and the singular sound he landed on was laced with soulful, sweeping strings and funky horns, touching lightly on disco, while allowing his supple voice to carry the stunning tracks he'd crafted. Bobby sadly passed away on 23rd March 2023, after a long struggle with mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, due to an adverse effect from a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. The reissue of his eponymous album will be available on vinyl across the globe, ensuring that fans -- and soul music enthusiasts worldwide -- can radiate in the deep beauty of this seminal album. Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest quality at Record Industry in Holland.

 

PRICE: $36.50

CAT #: BEWITH 180LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Daniel O'Sullivan's transcendent new album, Eros, is one of the greatest things Be With has ever heard. A simply stunning song cycle of hypnotic, experimental contemporary chamber music composed for a 14-piece ensemble. Combining minimalism, complex syncopation, detailed acoustic textures, weird intervals and samurai precision, this record will elegantly blow your mind. Daniel first pitched it as "Liquid Swords meets Michael Nyman". A "unique hybrid orchestral music," it presents a confluence of Daniel's longstanding fixations; indeed, there's elements of Nyman, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Magma, Aaron Copland, and RZA. But this is wholly O'Sullivan's. Originally commissioned for the Sonoton Music Library in Munich, Eros now receives a deluxe vinyl release courtesy of Be With Records, bringing this meticulously crafted work to a wider audience. Limited to just 500 copies for the world, these are gonna fly. As a deep virtuoso and collaborator, O'Sullivan has also played in a number of influential projects, including Ulver, Sunn O))), This Is Not This Heat, Grumbling Fur, and Miracle (with Steve Moore), leaving an indelible mark on the contemporary experimental music landscape. O'Sullivan's first foray into classically informed chamber music, Eros is a culmination of his long-standing fixations and expansive musical influences. The album features arrangements that are as detailed as they are emotionally resonant, showcasing his unparalleled ear for intervals and mastery of counterpoint. The music brims with complex rhythmic syncopation and a sensitivity to texture and space, resulting in a soundscape that is both intoxicating and dauntingly precise. Recorded June 2023 and February 2024, in Brussels, London and Carmarthenshire, Wales, Eros features members of Echo Collective (Neil Leiter and Margaret Hermant), Thighpaulsandra (from seminal post-industrial band Coil), and jazz pioneer Oren Marshall. Mastering for this vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis, and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry. Truly, Eros is a work of extraordinary depth and sophistication. It invites listeners to immerse themselves in its intricate layers, to lose themselves in its hypnotic rhythms, and to marvel at the precision of its execution. With this release, O'Sullivan reaffirms his position as one of the most inventive and uncompromising voices in contemporary music.

 

PRICE: $23.50

CAT #: COSMR 032LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Repress. Sought-after compilation exploring the Group Sound movement that swept Japan in the mid-1960s. Under the influence of the Beatles, dozens of Japanese bands devoted themselves to exporting a wide genre that ranged from surf-rock, garage fuzz, psych and wild R&B. Featuring the influential The Mops, the Filipino band (relocated to Hong Kong) D'Swooners, The Golden Cups, The Beavers, The Carnabeats, The Spiders, The Voltage, The Bunnys, and The Spiders.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: CDBRED 915CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Over two years in the making, the brand-new studio album from The Residents featuring the story of Maggot and Mark -- two young heavy metal fans -- and the mysterious Doctor Anastasia Dark, a disgraced visionary who offers those who need it THE GIFT. Veering from blissed out electronica to thrash metal as only The Residents can, and produced with the San Francisco Conservatory Of Music alongside several familiar guests and collaborators, Doctor Dark is the latest masterpiece of storytelling from San Francisco's weirdest beat combo."

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: DE 327LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"French coldwave act Corps Diplomatique comes to Dark Entries with Dans Ta Nuit, a collection of tracks recorded between 1984-1987. Founded in Marseille by Olivier Aubin, Marie-Eve Bensussan, Patrick Loubet, and Nicolas P?lissie, Corps Diplomatique remain shrouded in mystery. The band only released one 7" during their time, 1988's Paradis I, in addition to appearing with three tracks on the La Muse V?nale compilation, a holy grail for devotees of the French coldwave. Dans Ta Nuit brings listeners nine tracks from this cult band, seven of which have never before appeared on vinyl. These cuts are raw and unembellished but not at the expense of dramatic tension. Tracks like 'Sin of Flesh' and 'Eros Phobia' deliver the kind of high octane mix of despair and ecstasy that coldwave enthusiasts crave. Comparisons are inevitably to be made with fellow Marseille act Martin Dupont, and the bands were indeed close; Alain S?ghir from Martin Dupont lent Corps Diplomatique synthesizers for their own recording endeavors. Cold hearts care for each other. The cover art for Dans Ta Nuit includes photographs of the band from a 1985 concert in Marseille, and the record includes an insert that includes a photograph of the band as well as lyrics and notes."

 

PRICE: $20.50

CAT #: DNR 010EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Remix EP of Viken Arman's album Alone Together. Featuring remixes from Acid Pauli, Session Victim, and Mano Le Tough.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: DIRTPL 008EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Repress of this classic EP by Marcello Giordani! This one was originally released on vinyl back in 2006 on the now defunct sub-label Players Paradise and was one of the first ever releases by Marcello Giordani who went on to become a household name in the scene and a man of many successes. Currently he is making waves with his Italo Deviance Music label and productions under his alias I/D. Get in these three fine cuts again in a superb re-mastered quality. From the Italo inspired "Narcos" to the deeper and darker B-side disco gems "Change Position" and "Prova 2."

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: DRUNKEN 183LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Stylistically, the band's roots in more traditionally street-punk and hardcore acts like Ataque Zero and Trampa are apparent from the get go, but tracks like 'Fracaso Molecular' draw upon west coast death rock and early UK peace punk. Hell, even the guitar solos crammed into the bridges of tracks like 'Hoy' speak to this hybridized heritage, connoting d-beat, crossover thrash, and first wave goth rock. Without ever letting the pace drop, 1186 find ways of carrying the mood and gothic atmospherics of deathrock through each of these territories. Like the earliest records by Belgrado and Spectres, Histeria does a fantastic job of zeroing in on what makes deathrock different from either original punk or pure goth, and makes that sense of swaggering doom its focus. But despite its real affinity for the roots of the genre, it never feels like a joyless exercise in neo-traditionalism, and its omnivorous approach to other genres and traditions emerges as one of the most invigorating and refreshing dark rock records you'll hear this year." --IDieYouDie

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: FAITBACK 001LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

2025 restock. Faitiche presents a long-lost vinyl album. Since 2003, Jan Jelinek's Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records, originally released in 2001 on ~scape, existed only as a download. Now the album is available again on vinyl, as a double LP with two bonus tracks, "Moir? (Guitar & Horns)" and "Poren", B-sides from Tendency EP (2000)."Don't be misled by the title, though for there isn't a finger-snapping rhythm bebop lead anywhere on the album. Instead, Jelinek chooses to explore the visual effect moir? - two shifting patterns creating an implied third dimension - in the audio realm." --Alternative Press"The title acts as explanation for the studio technique that provided the basis for this album, snippets of other people's arrangements deconstructed through a sampler into loops and then splashed onto an audio canvas." --ATM"Jelinek's sound evolved out of his dislike for (and inability to play) keyboards." --RPM"Jelinek has abstracted his sources beyond recognition, looping his millisecond samples into flickering patterns of sonic moir? laid atop a dub techno framework. . . . Jelinek might as well have sampled a horn player's hissing intake of breath - it would have been 'jazz' enough for his purposes." --The Wire"It's a perfect inversion of conventional music, a sonic negative. Everything that would typically be foreground is moved back or pushed off the screen altogether, and the flecks of sonic debris that would normally be covered by other sounds are left to carry the melody and rhythm." --Pitchfork"All you need to know is that these onomatopoeic non-specific songs . . . are warm, paradisiacal creations." --NME"Listen carefully and you'll hear textures slowly unfolding and mutating. Presuming you've not fallen asleep of course." --iDJ"At times, it's all a bit dripping tap Japanese water torture; so sedentary it drowns in its own motionlessness" --DJ"Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records is a genuine modern classic whose re-release is anything but a cynical mortgage repayment exercise. Consider this a second chance, then pretend you had it all along." --Boomkat

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: GME 979CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Which musical artists influenced David Bowie? Who were his favorite songwriters? And in the case of such an artist, unique in his own way from beginning to end, is the term "influences" the right one? In studying David Bowie's work, it has been learned that, although he was the kind of person who picked up a little bit of everything, he drew most of his inspiration from himself. Featuring Little Richard, Anthony Newley, Ken Nordine & The Fred Katz Group, Gerry Mulligan, Ray Koerner & Glover, The Stooges, The Beach Boys, Cream, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Pixies, Air, Scott Walker, Grandaddy, Tom Verlaine, Brian Eno, Kevin Ayers, The Mothers Of Invention, Roxy Music, The Langley Schools Music Project, and The Polyphonic Spree.

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: GREL 004LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"Recorded at Channel One and mixed at King Tubby's."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: GREL 018LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"This album showcases Michael Prophet, Roots Radics, and Junjo Lawes in their best form. Prophet's immaculate vocal performances backed by the militant riddims of the Radics makes for an incredibly pleasing listen and a must-have for any reggae collection. Released January 1, 1980."

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: GREL 038LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"The follow-up to Johnny Osbourne's 1980 Fally Lover album, and even though two years have passed, time seems to have stood still here, but that's not surprising considering this set was also overseen by Junjo Lawes and backed by the Roots Radics. Regardless, Never Stop Fighting has a brighter sound than its predecessor, especially on the first half of the disc. Across four love numbers the Radics offer up a series of breezy backings, or as breezy as the band can be when fired by Style Scott's militant beats and Errol "Flabba" Holt's thumping basslines. However, pianist Gladdy Gladstone and keyboardist Winston Wright keep the sound light and the melody flowing, reaching effervescent heights on the delightful 'Sister Mister.' Most of the album is themed around matters of the heart, and while numbers like the superb 'Curly Locks Girl' are declarations of love, there's also the emotional confusion of 'Over 31 Under 21' and the timeless romance of 'Love Is Universal.' In a totally different vein comes 'Baccara' (aka 'Backra'), a patois-heavy party piece with a carnival lilt. There's little for culture fans, but Osbourne makes up for quantity with quality, opening the set with the potent demand to end the violence of the title track, fueled by one of the Radics' most militant rhythms, and ending with the heartfelt sufferer's song 'Words of the Ghetto.' But the set's showcase is the extended 'Give a Little Love,' a soulful call to share the love, and boasting one of Scientist's most spectacularly militant mixes. The Radics are superb as always, Lawes' dubby production giving even the breeziest songs a deep roots feel, while Scientist gives every number the sharpest of edges. An excellent set." - Jo-Ann Greene

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: GREL 101LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"Recorded and mixed at Jammy's Recording Studio"

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: GREL 145LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"Classic 1980 collection of reggae rockers from Augustus Pablo. Melodica masterpieces, deep dubs and classic vocal sides from the likes of Delroy Williams, Earl Sixteen, Te-Track, Jah Iny, Jah Bull, Rockers All Stars, and Norris Reid, all built on Augustus Pablo signature rock solid drum and bass foundations."

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: GREL 2099LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"The sound of Capital Letters is deep roots -- UK style. Championed by influential BBC DJ John Peel, Capital Letters breakthrough single 'Smoking My Ganja' became one of the bestselling reggae records of 1978. The success of their debut album Headline News led to multiple tours across the UK and mainland Europe throughout the early 1980s. More than 30 years later, Greensleeves re-introduces the group's critically acclaimed follow up album, Vinyard. Originally released in 1982, the re-issue package captures the sound of the golden age of UK reggae."

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: GREL 2100LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"Punch for punch dub companion to the iconic Rasta Communication album. Recorded at Randy's, Channel One and Chalk Farm. Sly & Robbie and the Soul Syndicate band in full effect. Previously only available as a bonus disc on the 2012 double CD issue of the album -- never released on vinyl before!"

 

PRICE: $50.00

CAT #: GREL 2178LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"Building on the massive success of the Greensleeves and Channel One Soundsystem collaboration Down in The Dub Vaults, the label now joins forces with the iconic Iration Steppas for another deep exploration into the world of Dubs, the second release in the Soundsystem series. The masterful selector Mark Iration has been given full access to the Greensleeves archives, carefully curating a powerful selection of roots and dub treasures that have long been staples of the Iration Steppas soundsystem. This collection features legendary Jamaican vocalists such as Michael Prophet, Johnny Osbourne, and Wailing Souls, among others. The second disc takes you into the Echo Chamber, showcasing Dub versions from heavyweights like Roots Radics, Augustus Pablo, and The Revolutionaries -- complete with Tony McDermott illustrated inner sleeves and photos from the Iration Steppas archives in this gatefold package."

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: GREL 229LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"A collaboration between dub mixmaster/studio whiz King Tubby and dancehall tough Jah Screw, Dangerous Dub is a ten-track collection of some of the heaviest roots dub around. The two spent nights mixing tracks in King Tubby's studio located in the perilous, crime-rife ghetto of West Kingston -- hence the name Dangerous Dub. Pounding, mind-blowing basslines and supple guitar tracks are provided by studio mainstays Flabba Holt and Bingy Bunny, both of whom appear on countless reggae and dub recordings. They provide a nice balance to the rat-a-tat ratcheting sounds King Tubby is famous for." --Matthew Hillburn, AllMusic

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: GREL 314LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

"King Tubby meets Roots Radics for More Dangerous Dub."

 

PRICE: $15.50

CAT #: GRAM 2408CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

The new album of the Polski Piach trio is titled Anomalia ("Anomaly") and is the band's third album. After Poludnie and P?lnoc ("South/Noon" and "North/Midnight"), the band recorded a fully acoustic album, raw but brighter than P?lnoc. The songs contain the title anomalies and are narrative, even cinematic. They flow. The music of Polski Piach is a journey, both through the listener's imagination and musical styles. The album was recorded live in Piotr Zabrodzki's analog studio. The music was recorded on tape and mixed in analogue way. The cover was designed by Pawel Ryzko using drawings by Patryk Zakrocki.

 

PRICE: $37.50

CAT #: HPS 321ULTRA-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Splatter color vinyl version. After a nine-year hiatus, Sun And Sail Club are back and they've come back swinging! This album is more aggressive than the previous album, as if that was even possible. Same line-up as before featuring Scott Reeder (Fu Manchu/Smile) on drums, Scott Reeder (Kyuss/The Obsessed/Fireball Ministry) on bass, Bob Balch (Fu Manchu/Slower/Big Scenic Nowhere/Yawning Balch) on guitar and Tony Adolescent (The Adolescents) on vocals. The album starts with a mellow jazz guitar piece and then proceeds to rip your face off until the end of the album, which closes with another solo jazz guitar piece. Shipwrecked is their strongest album yet. Fully realized and to the point. Fast and dissonant. Recorded at Jim Monroe's The Racket Room, Casa De Balch, and Scott Reeder's The Sanctuary. Also available on CD (HPS 321CD), black vinyl (HPS 321LP), and red color vinyl (HPS 321LTD-LP).

 

PRICE: $38.50

CAT #: HPS 330ULTRA-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Alternate cover. Red/yellow/orange color vinyl. Remastered reissue of the legendary Pentagram sixth album with brand new artwork. Show 'Em How is the sixth album by American doom metal band Pentagram. It was released in 2004 by Italian label Black Widow Records. This album featured Bobby Liebling on vocals backed up by three members of Internal Void. Now it's time for a brand-new remastered version with new artwork designed by Luca Solomacello.

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: HEIST 092EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Europe's first lady of house is back on Heist with a massive new EP and a Demi Riqu?simo remix. Cinthie's 2023 Piano Heaven EP on Heist was a big release for both her and the label, getting tons of airplay and support from the likes of Pete Tong, Danny Howard, Chloe Caillet, and Blessed Madonna. The Dam Swindle remix of "Won't u take me" that followed on that year's Round Up is still among her top tracks on any platform. Cinthie now returns to Heist with an EP full of dancefloor weapons that range from classic grooving house to quirky rave. With her frequent plays at renowned clubs all over the world, as well as spots in her Berlin back yard like Panorama bar, Cinthie has the ideal testing grounds for new peak-time material. And that's exactly what the A1 "Deep inside love" is: an epic peaktime weapon. With a stomping beat and signature uplifting keys, she serves up themes of classic '80s and '90s house music with a modern aesthetic. With that, "Deep inside love" has all the ingredients to become an instant Heist classic. The A2 shows listeners Cinthie's rave side, where inspiration from the current dancefloor high octane energy shines. Or maybe it's just her early rave days that are finally back in the limelight after her well received Rave Baby release on Aus Music. Either way, "Higher" is a fun tune with an infectious beat, classic rave stabs and a female vocal telling listeners to take her higher. "Get up" is a lovely organ-led track with long ethereal strings and dubby vocal chops. The breakdown deepens the mood with some heavy chords tuned in true house style before a free-flowing drum roll (crashes and claps included) catapult you into back into the full groove. Enjoy the music and as always, play it loud!

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: ITR 403LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"For roundabout a decade now, The Lavender Flu has been pumping their inimitable, underground group-sound way past all manner of lesser modern muck, moving only and always as their varied inspirations prompt them. As players, Chris Gunn, Ben Spencer, and Scott Simmons remain open to where any given moment might take them, which has resulted in thrilling experiences both live and on record at every turn. Tracing The Sand By The Pool, their latest album for In The Red, finds The Flu firing at their most crisp and direct, a full-band collection of meander-free hits triumphantly captured to tape by the lads themselves. Moments will tug, others will stun, but there can be no doubt this new communiqu? is their mightiest. The record unfolds from 'Within,' born out of a Kiwi brightness that is methodically guided through a series of near-crashes and sly, inward moves, spotlighting the key pillars of the band's songcraft and tailored to convert the uninitiated. Gunn's guitar work continues to fascinate and marvel, boasting too many moments of both melodic sweetness and violent shattering to detail here. Their cover of the hangmen's 'I'm Gonna Love You' capably inverts Suicide's menace to a hopeful, romantic sheen. Of critical note are a pair of guest contributions from The Spatulas' Miranda Soileau-Pratt, who lends vocals to multiple songs including the deceptive '80s dosed pop of 'Snail On The Map,' and The Tube Alloys' Shelby Jacobson, who takes lead on a cosmos-injected cover of Fleetwood Mac's 'That's Alright,' as well as 'Patron Eyes (Cocoon 2069),' the most vicious, smashingly punk moment the band has unleashed to date. From the jump to its final rest, the album is boundless and full of gifts."

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: KALITA 012LP

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Kalita presents the third volume in their groundbreaking Borga Revolution! compilation series, exploring the revolutionary phenomenon of "Burger Highlife." This unique style fused West African melodies with synthesizers, disco, and boogie, a sound that took Ghanaian airwaves by storm in the 1980s and beyond. With previous volumes receiving strong support by tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, Antal, Tom Ravenscroft, and Hunee, Volume 3 takes a deeper dive than ever before into the world of Ghanaian digital dance music. This volume features rare, sought-after tracks from artists including Obibini Takyi, Osei Banahene, and Okyerema Asante, as well as Burger Highlife trailblazers George Darko and Lee Dodou. Borga Revolution! Volume 3 offers a curated mix of standout anthems and rediscovered gems, many of which are otherwise nearly impossible to find, making this collection a must-have for fans and collectors alike. The 1970s and '80s saw Ghanaian musicians begin to incorporate Western sounds like funk and disco into their music, reflecting the changing global musical landscape. However, the country's political instability and economic hardships, marked by military regimes and curfews, forced many artists to leave Ghana in search of better opportunities abroad. In Europe and the U.S., these musicians fused their traditional highlife roots with emerging digital sounds, using cutting-edge technology like the DX7 synthesizer and drum machines to create the genre now known as Burger Highlife. With Borga Revolution! Kalita offers a vivid exposition of this musical transformation, using rare interviews, archival photos, and detailed liner notes to bring to life the pioneering spirit of both well-known icons and unsung innovators of Burger Highlife, one of West Africa's most exciting musical movements. Also featuring King Solomon (Nii Mantse), Osei-Osarfo Kantaka, Classique Vibes, and Padmore Oware.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: KSPAN 003EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

From the same recording sessions as B?zier's first EP on K?rperspannung Records (Negative Velocity), Contraption channels a few moods and scenarios. On the A-side "Contraption" is an insignificant droplet darting through the sky. Soon it joins a disarray of objects positioned above the atmosphere, maneuvers in formation to reveal randomized, decentralized nodes packed for mayhem. On the B-side B?zier shows a slice of his lived experience. Back in 2004 he used to go to house parties around East LA with friends they grew up with every weekend to listen to music. Winding through the Southern Californian roadway sprawl they'd drive 1/2 an hour to an hour on the I-10 (sometimes diverting to Route 60 if gridlock is expected) to get to the location, usually in a residential neighborhood. Being respectful of the communities and the struggle of the progenitors of this music, B?zier presents "Blue Halo" as an homage to that sound with a twist: Cumbia-Synth to provide a little sauce for your ears. Dave Easlick joins the milieu to provide a percussive framework for this tune. Lastly, "Bit by an Electric Wire" showcases Easlick's drumming with an overlay from B?zier. As Dave rips and shreds through his drum kit the OCD machine living inside Yang's brain switches on and organizes, collates and files that dataset into a hardcore rhythm track.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: LDM 006LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Stripped of temporal markers, today's artists unabashedly draw from the past while boldly gazing into the future. Amid revivals and innovations, trends and undercurrents, the game is intricate, the nuances abundant. Orphia's music is no exception. Behind the synthesizers, the Genevan weaves a musical tapestry on a tightrope. Cold wave, synth-pop, post-punk, Eurodance, Indochine, Depeche Mode, Boards of Canada, Eurythmics -- it all blends in a grand synthetic ritual where the festivities happily don't stop at the first light of dawn. Charging forward, swiftly, strongly, into an uncertain future, no questions asked but with a quick glance in the rearview mirror, just to be sure. L'Aventure des Gens Modernes resides in this retro-futuristic melancholy, between nostalgia and a thirst for tomorrow. Without ever falling into foolish nostalgia or soulless revival, the album reflects an absolute urgency. Urgency to produce, first and foremost, as studio work has become a true raison d'?tre for Orphia. Urgency to also shout out a certain rage against a world devoid of hope, and this on stage where the artist performs alone, synths in hand and sharp beats for the dancefloor. In an era where the past enables facing the future, the five tracks of L'Aventure des Gens Modernes breathe a breath of fresh air into a scene in ruins. Cyberpunk or punk in general, Orphia wants to go fast and take everything in its path.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: LDM 009LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

With Beau Discours, Orphia dives deeper into the shadows, crafting a sound where cold wave and electronic music collide in a saturated whirlwind. Darker, more organic, this six-track album marks a major shift in her approach, designed as much for introspection as for the club. Far from a mere stylistic exercise, Orphia records on tape, pushes saturation to the limit, and lets the raw material breathe -- capturing rough, grainy textures. The vocals, buried under distortion, remain minimal and sharp. Balancing tension and nostalgia, Beau Discours captures a sense of urgency, reflecting a chaotic era where analog and digital intertwine in a relentless dance. Dancing on ruins, embracing sonic violence, channeling rage into razor-sharp beats -- that's what Beau Discours is about. A record that seeks not clarity, but impact -- between synthetic coldness and dancefloor fever.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: LMS 1725320

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Double vinyl version. Originally released in 1993, The Brown Album marked a significant evolution in Orbital's sound -- and was met with widespread critical acclaim. NME awarded it 9/10 in their review, and it was chosen as one of Mixmag's best albums of all time. Standout track, "Halcyon + On + On", became an instant classic, known for its ethereal atmosphere and haunting vocal sample from Opus III's "It's a Fine Day." The track's dreamy progression and uplifting yet melancholic tone made it a staple in film soundtracks and DJ sets, embodying the emotional depth electronic music could achieve. "Impact (The Earth Is Burning)" is another defining moment, an evolving journey of layered breakbeats and dynamic synth arrangements, reflecting the duo's ability to create both club-ready and introspective music. Meanwhile, "Lush 3-1" and "Lush 3-2" demonstrate Orbital's knack for crafting intricate, evolving grooves, balancing pulsating rhythms with melodic flourishes that keep the listener engaged. The Brown Album 2LP reissue has been cut at half speed, to ensure maximum audio fidelity for this landmark release, and is the first time the album has been pressed on vinyl for over ten years. 2LP version (LMS 1725320) comes in double black 140gr vinyl, in gatefold sleeve, with printed inners and sticker. Also available in limited edition, double gold and khaki vinyl (LMS 1725321).

 

PRICE: $45.50

CAT #: LMS 1725321

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Double vinyl version. Gold and khaki color vinyl. Originally released in 1993, The Brown Album marked a significant evolution in Orbital's sound -- and was met with widespread critical acclaim. NME awarded it 9/10 in their review, and it was chosen as one of Mixmag's best albums of all time. Standout track, "Halcyon + On + On", became an instant classic, known for its ethereal atmosphere and haunting vocal sample from Opus III's "It's a Fine Day." The track's dreamy progression and uplifting yet melancholic tone made it a staple in film soundtracks and DJ sets, embodying the emotional depth electronic music could achieve. "Impact (The Earth Is Burning)" is another defining moment, an evolving journey of layered breakbeats and dynamic synth arrangements, reflecting the duo's ability to create both club-ready and introspective music. Meanwhile, "Lush 3-1" and "Lush 3-2" demonstrate Orbital's knack for crafting intricate, evolving grooves, balancing pulsating rhythms with melodic flourishes that keep the listener engaged. The Brown Album 2LP reissue has been cut at half speed, to ensure maximum audio fidelity for this landmark release, and is the first time the album has been pressed on vinyl for over ten years. Comes in double black 140gr vinyl, in gatefold sleeve, with printed inners and sticker.

 

PRICE: $19.00

CAT #: LMS 1725323

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Originally released in 1993, The Brown Album marked a significant evolution in Orbital's sound -- and was met with widespread critical acclaim. NME awarded it 9/10 in their review, and it was chosen as one of Mixmag's best albums of all time. Standout track, "Halcyon + On + On", became an instant classic, known for its ethereal atmosphere and haunting vocal sample from Opus III's "It's a Fine Day." The track's dreamy progression and uplifting yet melancholic tone made it a staple in film soundtracks and DJ sets, embodying the emotional depth electronic music could achieve. "Impact (The Earth Is Burning)" is another defining moment, an evolving journey of layered breakbeats and dynamic synth arrangements, reflecting the duo's ability to create both club-ready and introspective music. Meanwhile, "Lush 3-1" and "Lush 3-2" demonstrate Orbital's knack for crafting intricate, evolving grooves, balancing pulsating rhythms with melodic flourishes that keep the listener engaged. The Brown Album 2CD includes a second disc of rarities, including the full 11:09 version of Halycon and the 13-minute Underworld mix of Lush. The Brown Album 2LP reissue has been cut at half speed, to ensure maximum audio fidelity for this landmark release, and is the first time the album has been pressed on vinyl for over ten years. 2LP version (LMS 1725320) comes in double black 140gr vinyl, in gatefold sleeve, with printed inners and sticker. Also available in limited edition, double gold and khaki vinyl (LMS 1725321).

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: LMS 1725330

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Goldie presents Rufige Kru's Alpha Omega album. Rufige Kru was Goldie's collective with no fixed members and including various drum and bass producers. This is the comeback and first new album of Goldie's iconic alias Rufige Kru since 2009's Memoirs of an Afterlife. This album was produced with James Davidson (Subjective). Rufige Kru now also features longtime collaborator Submotive alongside Goldie. CD comes in jewel case with 12-page booklet. Double black vinyl (LMS 1725331) comes in gatefold sleeve with embossed spot gold foil and 2x black dust inner sleeve. Double vinyl also available as color vinyl (LMS 1725370). Featuring CASISDEAD.

 

PRICE: $39.50

CAT #: LMS 1725331

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Double LP version. Goldie presents Rufige Kru's Alpha Omega album. Rufige Kru was Goldie's collective with no fixed members and including various drum and bass producers. This is the comeback and first new album of Goldie's iconic alias Rufige Kru since 2009's Memoirs of an Afterlife. This album was produced with James Davidson (Subjective). Rufige Kru now also features longtime collaborator Submotive alongside Goldie. Double black vinyl (LMS 1725331) comes in gatefold sleeve with embossed spot gold foil and 2x black dust inner sleeve.

 

PRICE: $43.50

CAT #: LMS 1725370

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Double LP version. Color vinyl. Goldie presents Rufige Kru's Alpha Omega album. Rufige Kru was Goldie's collective with no fixed members and including various drum and bass producers. This is the comeback and first new album of Goldie's iconic alias Rufige Kru since 2009's Memoirs of an Afterlife. This album was produced with James Davidson (Subjective). Rufige Kru now also features longtime collaborator Submotive alongside Goldie. Featuring CASISDEAD.

 

PRICE: $28.50

CAT #: LMS 1725456

FILE UNDER: ROCK

New collector blue turquoise vinyl repress. What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? is the eighth studio album by British post-punk legends Echo & The Bunnymen, released on April 16, 1999. The album saw the band continue a trajectory set with 1997's Evergreen, embracing more introspective themes and melodic approach to its arrangements. Featuring an inspired selection of collaborators including strings from the London Metropolitan Orchestra and two songs featuring the American rap rock band Fun Loving Criminals, What Are You Going to Do with Your Life? featured two singles, the title track, and the atmospheric fan favorite "Rust," which would mark the band's final Top 40 UK single. Celebrating 25 years of What Are You Going to Do with Your Life?, the album is issued on vinyl for the very first time.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: MIG 3352CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"K?nguru is the third album by Guru Guru, released in 1972 on the Brain label. It was produced by Conny Plank and features the 'classic' Guru Guru line-up of Ax Genrich (guitar), Uli Trepte (bass) and Mani Neumeier (drums, vocals). K?nguru is basically made up of the same ingredients as its two predecessors Ufo and Hinten, which were released on Rolf Kaiser's Ohr label in 1970 and 1971. K?nguru is pure Krautrock, the album contains 'only' four tracks, all between 10 and 15 minutes long. But the band moves away from the disorganized chaos of the previous two albums and gives the songs more structure, reducing the amount of heaviness. At the same time, the humorous component increases, see for example Mani Neumeier's spoken word in the introduction of 'Immer lustig.' In short, K?nguru is a Krautrock gem."

 

PRICE: $12.00

CAT #: MAGGOT 020

FILE UNDER: Misc

"On the cover: DEVO -- a comprehensive feature by Autin, TX-based music writer Joe Gross on why DEVO matters -- today more than ever, as cultural, political, and spiritual devolution seems to be the way of the world. The piece is perfectly illustrated with ephemera, buttons, t-shirts, and more. A conversation with Irvin Weathersby, Jr. by Sonya Lea on the occasion of the publication of his book In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art & Public Space. Sydney Salk talks to Horsegirl about their seemingly effortless garage-motorik sound. Leaders of the Pack: On the transformation of the Shangri-Las from clean-cut girl group to motorcycle street urchins, by Lisa MacKinney. Gorgeous images by Imam Sucahyo, a self-taught artist born in Tuban, East Java, 1978, with illuminating words by Randall Morris. A great piece about a recent musical obsessions, 'Talking jazz, prog, and Seinfeld with power-pop upstart 2nd Grade,' by Dan Weiss."

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: MG 143LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Limited repress. A groundbreaking collaboration between British experimental artist Pete Kember, aka Sonic Boom (Spacemen 3) and Swiss electronic duo SINNER DC, MAPS blends music, visuals, and interactive gaming (Mac/PC) into a multidimensional experience. Originally conceived for a one-off live performances in 2013 in Geneva, MAPS draws inspiration from Borges' meditations on the limits of representation, crafting a surreal auditory and visual journey.

 

PRICE: $18.00

CAT #: MET 1401CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"KMFDM presents HAU RUCK 2025! Kapt'n K has remastered, rebuilt and remixed this classic album from the ground up! Nothing stops The Ultra Heavy Beat!"

 

PRICE: $29.00

CAT #: MET 1401LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. "KMFDM presents HAU RUCK 2025! Kapt'n K has remastered, rebuilt and remixed this classic album from the ground up! Nothing stops The Ultra Heavy Beat!"

 

PRICE: $47.00

CAT #: MVD 16888LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Denton, TX indie folk-rock pioneers Midlake are reissuing a deluxe edition of their acclaimed album The Courage of Others. Originally released on February 1, 2010, this special pressing features two black vinyl records housed in a gatefold package, complete with the original artwork and labels from the first edition. Alongside the studio album, the release includes a second disc filled with B-sides and live tracks from that era -- finally available together on vinyl for the first time."

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: NMR 014EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Roberta's latest missive showcases her ability to craft a more immersive and jazz-forward EP while staying true to her reliable leaning towards a more-heady sound. Each track is an exercise in balancing the interplay between those two spaces. "Your Power" reveals a new complexity to her sound while evoking the sentimentality of her earlier productions. The EP closes out with a slow jam house groove that elevates as much as it captivates with its emotional melody and winding synths creating the perfect outro to her latest work, which implies her evolution as an artist is still slowly revealing itself.

 

PRICE: $20.00

CAT #: LSSN 091CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Sleep Now Forever is the second and final album released by Sorrow, the post-Strawberry Switchblade group fronted by singer Rose McDowall. Originally released in 1999 and long since deleted it is a cornucopia of pastoral, elegiac folk music, swirling atmospherics, hymnal compositions and above it all the alternating towering and fragile vocal performances of McDowall. Recorded in the late '90s with fellow band member and co-songwriter Robert Lee, Sleep Now Forever is the definitive statement by the now defunct group and Rose McDowall's most complete long-form work to date. Released through the group's own Piski Disk Records, Sleep Now Forever was distributed by World Serpent which struggled through the early 2000s with financial woes, eventually folding due to bankruptcy in 2004. Due to the company's troubles, Sleep Now Forever was never distributed widely and was a victim of the company's failure. Released on CD only, original copies are now rare and only traded on second hand channels. Remastered by Mikey Young for a limited vinyl release, on double vinyl format, with one side an exclusive etching by Glasgow artist Holly Allan. Recorded in home study Velvet Hole by Rose McDowall and then-husband Robert Lee, the album enlists an array of players from the underground Neo-folk / industrial scene: Nigel McKernaghan (Uilleann pipes, Whistles), Susan Franknel (Bassoon), John Contreras (Cello) and Lawrence Frankel (Oboe, Cor Anglais). The eleven songs here revolve around McDowall's instantly recognizable voice."

 

PRICE: $174.50

CAT #: NOTON 050CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

0.365 kg. Size: 19 ? 13.5 ? 3.5 cm. NOTON presents this box set of Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto's V.I.R.U.S. Pioneers in their own musical approaches, Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, began their exploration of sound in the evocatively titled V.I.R.U.S. series in 2002. After more than a decade from the release of the collection's final installment with Summvs in 2011, NOTON reissued all the five albums between May and November 2022. With its impressionistic atmosphere, in this collaborative project two generations met and shared the idea of electronic music as an inspiration source for new musical structures. Over a series of five albums, Vrioon (2002), Insen (2005), Revep (2006), utp_ (2008), and summvs (2011), the duo have explored blending electronic and acoustic sounds into a meditative whole that is at once expressive, breathing and precision-engineered. Remastered in collaboration with Calyx Mastering, the recordings of "Vrioon," "Insen," "Revep," "Utp_," and "Summvs" are made available under the title "reMASTER," accompanied by exclusive, unreleased compositions and housed in a beautifully designed sleeve with original cover art by Carsten Nicolai.

 

PRICE: $258.50

CAT #: NOTON 050LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

5LP box set version. 2.955 kg - Size: 33 ? 32 ? 5 cm. NOTON presents this box set of Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto's V.I.R.U.S. Pioneers in their own musical approaches, Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, began their exploration of sound in the evocatively titled V.I.R.U.S. series in 2002. After more than a decade from the release of the collection's final installment with Summvs in 2011, NOTON reissued all the five albums between May and November 2022. With its impressionistic atmosphere, in this collaborative project two generations met and shared the idea of electronic music as an inspiration source for new musical structures. Over a series of five albums, Vrioon (2002), Insen (2005), Revep (2006), utp_ (2008), and summvs (2011), the duo have explored blending electronic and acoustic sounds into a meditative whole that is at once expressive, breathing and precision-engineered. Remastered in collaboration with Calyx Mastering, the recordings of "Vrioon," "Insen," "Revep," "Utp_," and "Summvs" are made available under the title "reMASTER," accompanied by exclusive, unreleased compositions and housed in a beautifully designed sleeve with original cover art by Carsten Nicolai.

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: OM 086LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

"They had never played together before. They had never even met each other before this springtime 2024 concert at London's Caf? Oto. Evan Parker, circular breathing maestro of the saxophone, a legend in the universe that is free improvisation since the late 1960s and Bill Nace, one of the most intriguing experimental 'noise' guitarists of the 1990s/2000s underground scene. For those of us who have been enamored by the live and documented work of both these gents, this Caf? Oto duo was a must-hear event. It could have gone anywhere musically and that would have been totally fine. Particularly with Evan having a history of being thrown into a variety of challenging collaborations throughout his career, employing the learned elegance of trust in his own sensitivity to listening, responding, leading, following, sparring, intertwining, dialoguing, creating in the instant and, essentially, dignifying the non-hierarchical grace of chance? By the time Bill reached Caf? Oto in early 2024 he had relocated to Philadelphia all the while releasing a succession of collaborative LPs on his Open Mouth label to present his developing progression of solo and collaborative work. He also would find himself considerably engaged with playing the electric taish?goto, a keyboard-activated string instrument from Japan which can exist as a one, two, four, five, or six string oblong sound object. Bill's approach to the taish?goto would not be too unlike his approach to the traditional electric guitar, though no outboard implements such as files, sticks, and rocks are utilized. The similarity would lie wholly with Bill's full immersion of high velocity action-playing where, with the taish?goto, an electric drone beauty occurs. The flurry of sonics and resultant harmonics emanating from the amplifier (which Bill opts to dial into with borderline loud-as fuck volume settings) furthers the meta-mantra properties of the instrument in an astounding display of drone dynamism. This sound world of Bill's two-stringed taish?goto on this Caf? Oto night worked beautifully with Evan Parker's improvisatory saxophone conceptions. The duology achieved instant lift off at ground zero only to find its eventual finale as if it were organically ordained. Time seemingly morphed from its ancient human construct of control, rendered inconsequential to the torrential transcendence of the room wildly activated by the magic resonance of the multi-directional pan-spatial sonance of the music as if it were some beatific blessing. It was one of those nights where art as a liberating force of spirit gifted the listeners with an offering of exaltation and joy. It was entirely mystical and mind blowing. A night of Total Music." -- Thurston Moore, London, 2025

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: ROKU 038CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Sophie Agnel plays the whole piano. Its body matters as much as its strings. The keyboard's lid is just as good closed as it is open -- in fact it's best slammed open and closed rapidly. Joined by bassist John Edwards and drummer Steve Noble, Three on a Match explodes the piano trio -- each player sparking off the other so quickly that it's impossible to figure out who lit the flame. Recorded at OTO in 2023, this was the second two-night residency for a trio that has fast become one of the label's favorite improvising groups. Each individually brilliant, Agnel, Edwards and Noble's enduring connection is in their seriously playful approach to their instrument -- in their way of looking at it as a whole and then tearing it apart, breaking it down into its raw materials -- wood, brass, steel. Born in Paris in the '60s, Agnel is classically trained and had a turn in modern jazz. What frustrated her was the strange disconnect between the frame of the piano and its keyboard -- a weird boundary that seemed to form some hushed code of etiquette. If you see Agnel play now, the body of her piano is littered with fish tins, ping pong balls, wooden blocks -- not that you'd recognize their sounds. Steve Noble surrounds his drum kit with whistles, tubes and towels alongside gleaming brass cymbals and gongs. Their stage is a heady mix of high and low -- the grand piano and the gong alongside rubber balls and tiny bells; players half stood up, reaching in, bending toward -- relentlessly working their instrument to unburden its sound from genre. Free improvisation is always a leap of faith, a test of commitment, and these three players are completely unafraid. The music switches deftly from super taut string manipulation to extremely loud percussive collisions. The trio can play microscopic mutations on a bass note and then scale up on the turn of a pin to plunge into huge, black chords and ricocheting sonority -- dissolving the boundary between body and sound. The crescendo of Part Two is shaped by such cumulative repetition that it feels like a confrontation -- a controlled test for breaking point. It's a totally exhilarating, skittering reprise -- short and energetic -- delivered with the kind of grounded abandon you hope to see improvisers play with but rarely do.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: POL 009-2025CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"The music, like the titles of Fluorescent Grey, imparts an impossible reconciliation. The 'Nearly Remote,' a 'Muted Chromesthesia,' the pulse of a 'Still Current' or the dying light of 'Dull Flares.' These contradictions reconcile opposites to reveal an uncommon ground of perpetual but shifting stability. Sources linger in the background, emerge and then dissolve into a continuously growing soundstage. Calm embraces agitation, which in turn invites noise. Distortion manipulates the purity of sampled harmonics. Melody appears and struggles to apply the most cursory analgesic. This is a music fused from differing digital and sampled sources into a resonant beauty. A beauty -- not mere prettiness -- that unfolds slowly to reveal deep timbres actively defining their own space and time. On their two previous releases, Three Point Circle's compositional process willfully blurred individual identities in favor of a collective compositional technique. With Fluorescent Grey K. Leimer, Steve Peters and Marc Barreca established a genuinely distinct ensemble voice. Beginning with the most basic structural constraints, the material generated by an individual member is subjected to whatever degree of annihilation the other members deem appropriate; each successive iteration is then recirculated and further obliterated until consensus is reached. By then, the original gesture is radically altered or almost completely erased, making it nearly impossible to determine who originated what in a given piece. The sublimation of individual egos results in the unpredictably coherent identity of Fluorescent Grey."

 

PRICE: $17.50

CAT #: PP 048EP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Big Beat Manifesto is echoing across the globe, gaining followers by the minute. Join the tribe and help spread the message of the Big Beat! Beat moves feet. Feet do dance. Dance brings joy. Joy is life. Life is special. Transmission activated!

 

PRICE: $43.00

CAT #: RIP 120LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"During the holidays of 2023, Brigid Dawson and I got together at my house in Los Angeles and started transcribing a nice list of songs. Some new some very old that I've never been played live ever and put together a holiday set list which we performed two nights in a row at Permanent Records Roadhouse in Los Angeles and did a bit of it at a charity event at the Lodge Room. Seven tunings later -- It was a lot of fun and there was a lot of libation and celebration. We surrounded ourselves with good friends and came up with this charming off kilter set of recordings. I think they capture the casual energy of the evening in the mood of the crowd. Hope you enjoy." --JPD.Live Sounds by Cos The Casual Prince. Mixed By JPD. Mastered by JJ Golden. Artwork by Liorzh. Guest appearances on 'Block Of Ice' by Tom Dolas (electric piano), Nick Murray (drums) and Andres Renteria (percussion). Pressed on exclusive crystal-clear vinyl.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: RCD 2231CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Now in its 14th year, the unique and constantly evolving Fire! Orchestra is back with their largest line-up so far, counting an international cast of no less than 43 members that includes mainstay singer Mariam Wallentin as well as newcomers David Sandstr?m and Joe McPhee, both on vocals, McPhee also on tenor sax. The popular and widely praised Arrival (RCD 2205CD/RLP 3205LP, 2019) is a highlight in both our and the band's catalog, but this epic triple album ups the ante. While following in the great tradition of ensembles led by the likes of Carla Bley, George Russell, and Keith Tippett, Echoes is firmly placed in 2022 and takes in elements of rock, jazz, folk, electronic, classical, and contemporary music. Starting out with the working title Big Bang, the near two-hour piece had its concert premiere at Stockholm Jazz Festival in October 2022 to rapturous applause from a full house, with major national newspaper Dagens Nyheter calling it a feast for eyes and ears in their ecstatic review. The core elements of Echoes are the seven self-titled parts, each mostly over ten minutes in duration, interspersed with shorter pieces where you find a string quartet, an "African" stretch and generally music of an exploratory and experimental nature. Considering the size of the orchestra and the somewhat intimidating working title, this is a very open, breathing, organic, detailed and dynamic recording with a lot of space. As previously, a defining base element in the music is the repetitive and hypnotic grooves from the main rhythm section of bassist Johan Berthling and drummer Andreas Werliin. Needless to say, the hand-picked musicians are all on a very high level and on top of their game, conducted by Mats Gustafsson but given free reign when it's called for. And Jim O'Rourke was given free reign when it came to the selections and the mix and is a big part in how the final album turned out. The album closes with a vigorous tribute from Joe McPhee to one of the late, great masters, McPhee being a pretty decent finger wiggler himself, to say the least. Echoes was mostly written by Fire! founders Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling, and Andreas Werliin and recorded at the legendary Atlantis studio in Stockholm in March of 2022. It was mixed by Jim O'Rourke in Japan in the course of two autumn months. The mastering and vinyl cut was done by loop-o mastering in Berlin, making for a fantastic sounding album, especially the vinyl edition is a real treat.

 

PRICE: $40.00

CAT #: TEC 265LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

SCI+TEC celebrates a pivotal moment in its history with the release of I Feel Speed (2025 Remixes), a special project revisiting one of Dubfire's earliest solo works and one of the label's foundational releases. Originally released in 2007, Dubfire's cover of Love and Rockets' "I Feel Speed" marked a bold venture into uncharted territory, with the Grammy-winning artist taking on vocal duties himself to reimagine the iconic ballad. In Dubfire's own words, "Throughout my career, I've made no secret of my love -- bordering on worship -- for Love and Rockets (and, of course, Bauhaus). Tackling their soft ballad 'I Feel Speed' in 2007 was a daunting but transformative experience. Over the years, fans and colleagues have kept their love for that cover alive, which makes this new remix package even more meaningful." This release brings together a stellar list of artists, each offering a distinctive interpretation of the classic. Stephan Bodzin adds his signature emotive touch, while Yulia Niko dives deep into hypnotic textures. SNYL, whose admiration for the original track sparked the project, delivers a rework that strikes a balance between reverence and reinvention. Rafael Cerato and Laherte craft a dynamic reinterpretation, and indie dance pioneer Erol Alkan offers a genre-blurring remix full of energy and innovation. I Feel Speed (2025 Remixes) is a testament to Dubfire's enduring legacy, the timeless influence of Love and Rockets, and SCI+TEC's continued role as a beacon of innovation in electronic music.

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: SHR 218LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Samuel Locke Ward and Jad Fair are two of the most prolific musicians working today. Fair is a founding member of the band Half Japanese, and has released over 200 albums,?including albums with Yo La Tengo, Daniel Johnston, Moe Tucker, Kramer, Teenage Fanclub, The Pastels, R. Stevie Moore, DQE, Tenniscoats, The Tinklers, Naomi Ishimaru, Jason Willett, Mosquito, and Strobe Talbot. Samuel Locke Ward has released over sixty solo albums as well as a myriad of collaborations with Bob Bucko Jr, Miracles Of God, SLW cc Watt (with Mike Watt) and the cult new age noise group Boundless Relaxation (with Joe Jack Talcum and The Bassturd). He is a cartoonist for Little Village magazine and like Jad Fair, his style musically and visually is wholly his own. Pure Candy is the pair's third album together following 2023's Happy Hearts and Destroy All Monsters, both issued by Kill Rock Stars. Pure Candy is an album of love songs and is the feel-good album of the Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall. The music was composed and performed by Ward who's love of pop music and avant stylings offer seventeen unexpected turns over the course of a three-minute song. The vocals and lyrics are by Fair, lyrics overflowing with words of love, joy, happiness, tenderness, hope and inspiration. Uplifting words for a time dearly in need of some upliftings. As with the previous two albums by Fair and Ward, this album was mixed and mastered by Jonathan Hansen and is being co-released on LP by Shrimper Records (who last worked with Fair on his collaborative three cassette box set Wonderful World) and Chicago's Stationary (Hearts) Recordings."

 

PRICE: $32.00

CAT #: SMALL 018LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Margaux Gazur presents her debut album Blurred Memories on Smallville -- almost 70 minutes into a very special search for her musical origins. Margaux Gazur is a French-Vietnamese composer, musician, producer and DJ, now based in Berlin. Having lived in Vietnam for five years from 2012, she found herself searching for the sounds of her roots, played-back in form of field-recordings combined with traditional instruments and the sounds of her blurred childhood memories. The tracks of her debut-album unfold the magic in a very subtle way, filled with vivid rhythms of Hanoian street sounds, evolving layers of mesmerizing tones and organic textures to create an intimate and unique atmosphere. Each track offers yet another something to discover while listening -- mysterious voices and fragile elements next to beautiful melodies and trippy glitches, organic grooves and hypnotic wonkiness- and a lot of magic moments implemented. Woozy pads meandering and moving along -- there are so many things to discover within Blurred Memories. Margaux released her first track on vinyl on Smallville 55 back in 2019 and she has played endless live-sets and DJ performances at amazing spaces like Panorama Bar/Berghain, Heidegl?hen, Club der Vision?re, Berlin, La Station, Paris, Giegling events, Smallville, and Kann Parties as well as beautiful festivals such as Waking Life in Portugal, Fusion, Berlin Atonal, Meakusma Festival or Equation in Vietnam amongst others. Smallville is happy to present Blurred Memories, music to stay with you. LP number 18 on Smallville comes with a special gatefold cover artwork by Stefan Marx.

 

PRICE: $31.50

CAT #: STAUB 171LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Perpignan Burning: the Southern French capital of garage rock in search of the riff. Or as Lou Reed would put it: "You can't beat two guitars, bass, and drums." Content: 27 previously unreleased tracks on double LP. All tracks on this compilation were recorded in or around Perpignan, France, and go to the musical extremes of an extreme city. Whether garage punks or freakbeat mods, country punks or city rockers, whether pioneers or new to the scene: the only thing that counts is the riff. Pascal Comelade, infamous riff explorer since the 1970s, is the unlikely godfather of this bunch of punks and rockers. He opens the trip with his emblematic cover design and closes it with his own Riffifi orchestra to the ultimate riff of The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog." Featuring Le GORI, Johnny Tramuntana, Ghost Twist, The Hands, Henry, Yegg, Radiola, Jeune Senior Weekend, Monsieur Paul Et Les Solutions, No Cunt Act, Santa Maria Death Trip, The Madcap Dreams, The In-Fuzzed, Sea Urchin, L'Avant Garde, Dino Karper & The Shale, Lonely Nana, Lost Station, Minerves, Hugo Rich?, Fuckboy, The Nothing, Lords of Wags, L'Impasse Humaniste, Les Crotales, and Mammo?th.

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: SF 126CD

FILE UNDER: WORLD

Tsapiky music from Southwest Madagascar features wild ecstatic vocals, distorted electric guitars, rocket bass, and the amphetamine beat! Unlike anything else, this is THE high life music you've always wanted -- ceremonial music played with abandon and extreme intent, honoring the living and dead alike. In Toliara and its surrounding region, funerals, weddings, circumcisions and other rites of passage have been celebrated for decades in ceremonies called mandriampototse. During these celebrations -- which last between three and seven days -- cigarettes, beer and toaky gasy (artisanal rum) are passed around while electric orchestras play on the same dirt floor as the dancing crowds and zebus. The music, tsapiky, defies any classification. This compilation showcases the diversity of contemporary tsapiky music. Locally and even nationally renowned bands played their own songs on makeshift instruments, blaring through patched-up amps and horn speakers hung in tamarind trees, projecting the music kilometers away. Lead guitarists and female lead singers are the central figures of tsapiky. Driven as much by their creative impulses as by the need to stand out in a competitive market, the artists distinguish themselves stylistically through their lyrics, rhythms or guitar riffs. They must also master a wide repertoire of current tsapiky hits, which the families that attend inevitably request before parading in front of the orchestra with their offerings. This work, a constant push and pull between distinction and imitation, is nourished by fertile exchanges between various groups: acoustic and electric, rural and urban, coastal or inland. What results during these ceremonies is a music of astonishing intensity and creativity, played by artists carving out their own path, indifferent to the standards of any other music industry: Malagasy, African or global. Recorded live on location by Maxime Bobo, this CD edition includes three bonus tracks not on the LP plus an eight-page full-color insert with detailed liner notes and photos of the musicians and surroundings.Featuring Mamehy, Drick, Songada, Befila, Behaja, Mahafaly Mihisa, Meny & Ando, Rebona, Renitsa, Gorop Milalaza, and Mirasoa & Mahapoteke.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: SYR 004LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

2025 repress. "25th Anniversary Edition. Originally released 11/16/1999, Sonic Youth wrapped up the millennium with an adventurous double album of performances of works by some of the twentieth-century's greatest composers. Joined by an all-star cast of musicians -- William Winant, Jim O'rourke, Takehisa Kosugi, Christian Wolff, Coco Hayley, Gordon Moore, Christian Marclay, and Wharton Tiers. They take on the compositions of John Cage, Yoko Ono, Cornelius Cardew, Steve Reich, Takehisa Kosugi, Nicolas Slonimsky, George Maciunas, James Tenney, Pauline Oliveros and Christian Wolff."

 

PRICE: $16.50

CAT #: TR 584CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

Picture one of the greatest living singer-songwriters in a kitchen. He is on holidays, he's just had a swim. His wife is out on the beach, and he finds himself faced with a bowl of irresistible strawberries. They're meant to be shared, of course, but their taste is "out of the ordinary," so he just can't help himself. Minutes later all of the delicious fruit are gone, but there's the germ of a song as the phrase "Someone ate all the strawberries" has just popped into Robert Forster's mind, sounding "so weird, but normal". Thankfully, he has taken his guitar with him. As the story goes, his wife Karin B?umler not only forgave her husband, she actually joined him on a duet of what was to become the title song to his ninth solo album. Robert Forster has perfected the art of being outr? in a least ostentatious way, from his time in the Go-Betweens to his solo career, now spanning almost three decades, interrupted only by the old band's reformation in 2000 which ended with his songwriting partner Grant McLennan's untimely death in 2006. Strawberries follows a recent spate of deluxe reissues of four of his older solo albums as well as the third and final volume of the career-spanning series of G Stands For Go-Betweens boxsets with a much awaited helping of new material. Next to admittedly bigger names such as Bob Dylan or Nick Cave, Robert Forster is the rare case of an artist with a celebrated past whose current work evokes genuine interest among a faithful fan base. As a straight-up personal song, "Strawberries" is a bit of a red herring in the context of this new album that, unusually for Forster, deals almost exclusively in observational character studies or, as the author would have it, "story songs". Louis Forster, by the way, also makes an impressive appearance on lyrical lead guitar in "Such a Shame." As his slapback echo vocals tuck into a rockabilly vibe, you can hear Forster enjoying the company of his Swedish backing band: producer Peter Mor?n (of Peter, Bj?rn and John fame) on guitar, Jonas Thorell on bass, and Magnus Olsson on drums, crucially augmented by Lina Langendorf on various woodwind instruments and Anna ?hman on keys. The album's monumental closing track "Diamonds" starts off as a cross between Lou Reed and Buffalo Springfield, then takes off via Astral Weeks into an (almost) Albert Ayler direction, with Lina Langendorf given free rein on the tenor sax and Forster himself relinquishing his trademark understatement for some unexpected outbursts of falsetto.

 

PRICE: $26.00

CAT #: TR 588LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. The Hanoverian post-punk group Der Moderne Man made a splash with the 1980 release of their first album 80 Tage auf See (80 Days at Sea). The album quickly drew attention throughout Germany, later also in the UK and other international territories -- not least thanks to the support of BBC's John Peel. The second LP Unmodern was released in 1982. Tapete Records is now re-issuing the first two studio albums. This is accompanied by Jugend Forscht, a compilation of demos, EPs and singles with some unreleased tracks. All three releases are complemented by detailed liner notes and previously unreleased images."Although Unmodern is still the album of a bunch of amateurishly posing musicians demonstrating self-empowerment, alongside the simple arrangements, statements and songs that repeatedly define POP in three capital letters, it jangles and twinkles in every nook and cranny, and not just like that, but well thought out and in the same way that New Wave was defined and produced in the UK. The topics that Unmodern tackles have aged surprisingly well. I have to put it this way because it sounds good, but you could just as well say that they are quite conservative. Or you could tone it down and say that you must understand it in the context of the times. Abw?rts were afraid of the computer state, Der Moderne Man criticizes the fact that robots are now making music. With 'Nur Die', it's not entirely clear which language is being referred to. It could be German. 'Anakonda' and 'Blaue Matrosen' provoke with a proximity to the exoticism of the 1940s and 1950s: here, 'the faraway' invariably is a somewhat ridiculous world, and the songs do not clearly distinguish themselves from this part of German non-culture. All of this was justified against the backdrop of the hippie dogmatism of the 1970s, but as I said, it can often only be understood in the context of the times. In any case, Der Moderne Man achieved something here that hardly anyone else in Germany would have managed at the time, except perhaps Fehlfarben. A cutting-edge production of international standard. New Wave without caricaturing New Wave. 'Blaue Matrosen' was released around the same time as 'Enola Gay' without being left behind or anyone turning up their nose and saying something like 'Oh, the Germans are trying their hand at New Wave now too.' Hats off to that." --Frank Spilker

 

PRICE: $15.00

CAT #: FLENSER 151CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"In the spring of 2019, a new rock band consisting of four otherwise ordinary Okies would arise out of seemingly nowhere, swiftly turning heads with a grotesque new take on noise rock fueled by the existential anguish that has defined the 21st Century. Taking its name from the towering mounds of toxic waste that stand as monuments to capitalism's cruel hubris across its home state, Oklahoma City's Chat Pile made an immediate impression, soon culminating in the release of its landmark 2022 debut album, God's Country and Cool World full-length. While the massive success of God's Country would propel the quartet from the status of underground favorites to an international sensation, Chat Pile's mission to take rock music to new zeniths of intensity was part of the plan from the very start. In fact, during its first handful of months as an active project, Chat Pile began writing and recording some of the heaviest, hellish, and harrowing music of its entire catalog, laying the foundation of the themes and traits that would eventually manifest in the band's debut LP. The result of these sessions would be a pair of EPs, This Dungeon Earth and Remove Your Skin Please, released in the summer and winter of 2019, respectively. Initially put out by Reptilian Records in 2020, The Flenser is proud to present a special vinyl reissue of Chat Pile's pivotal first two EPs, each compiled onto a single disc. This dual EP compilation chronicles the earliest moments of the Oklahoma City quartet's discography, a snapshot of the band's pre-Flenser days and of the eight tracks of noxious, nihilistic noise rock that would propel the Midwest band to a globe-spanning, underground heavyweights. For this latest iteration of the dual EP release (and the first time via The Flenser), both EPs have been specifically remastered making this the ultimate way to experience This Dungeon Earth and Remove Your Skin Please."

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: THRILL 630CD

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Thalia Zedek's considerable body of work demonstrates a clarity of vision, a singular performance style, and an expansive range. Her ability to deliver raw emotions through her vivid stories of loss and hope, strife and triumph is unmatched. Zedek has long been a melodic songwriter in a series of heavy bands. That contrast, alongside her distinct blend of both direct and poetic lyrics, allows her to sing of the most difficult of life's moments in ways that are both elevating and devastating. Out and proud her entire career, Zedek never hesitates to speak truth to power. The Boat Outside Your Window finds Zedek contemplating absence and distance, with songs as spirited as they are profoundly moving. The band is guitarist and vocalist Zedek, bassist Winston Braman, and drummer Gavin McCarthy (Karate), now joined by newest member, pedal steel guitarist Karen Sarkisian. On The Boat Outside Your Window, Sarkisian's counter melodies and oblique augmentations created with non-traditional tools like an ebow, add an otherworldly quality to songs. The grit of Zedek's guitar and drive of Braman and McCarthy are met with synth-like swells and more harmonic density. The album features guests Nancy Asch (percussion) and Beth Heinberg (piano) whose subtle touches are added to 'Shoes' and 'Aliyah.' The record was recorded with Andy Hong, mixed by Seth Manchester, and mastered by Sarah Register. Throughout the album, Zedek deftly uncovers how external realities manifest in internal worlds. Zedek's mastery of songwriting is on full display on The Boat Outside Your Window. Her unique musical voice remains potent and pointed. Cultivating her sound with purpose and an unflinching view of humanity, Zedek's words and music are both invigorating, and capable of deep emotional complexities. The Boat Outside Your Window is Thalia Zedek reaching new heights, reinforcing her status as a peerless songwriter and voice."Ms.Zedek's songs (are)... more hard-nosed, delivered... in a raspy voice that backed by the band's folk-rock, sounded surprisingly like Bob Dylan's." --New York Times"she has rediscovered the energy that defined her work with Uzi, Live Skull, and Come, pouring imposing defiance into ten rocking cuts." --The Wire"This is someone getting better at something they were already incredible at." --The Quietus"her voice sounding like a cross between Nico and Patti Smith? musically she spans pedal-steel-laden country rock, punk menace and string-driven Velvets drones." -- Uncut

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: THRILL 630LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. "Thalia Zedek's considerable body of work demonstrates a clarity of vision, a singular performance style, and an expansive range. Her ability to deliver raw emotions through her vivid stories of loss and hope, strife and triumph is unmatched. Zedek has long been a melodic songwriter in a series of heavy bands. That contrast, alongside her distinct blend of both direct and poetic lyrics, allows her to sing of the most difficult of life's moments in ways that are both elevating and devastating. Out and proud her entire career, Zedek never hesitates to speak truth to power. The Boat Outside Your Window finds Zedek contemplating absence and distance, with songs as spirited as they are profoundly moving. The band is guitarist and vocalist Zedek, bassist Winston Braman, and drummer Gavin McCarthy (Karate), now joined by newest member, pedal steel guitarist Karen Sarkisian. On The Boat Outside Your Window, Sarkisian's counter melodies and oblique augmentations created with non-traditional tools like an ebow, add an otherworldly quality to songs. The grit of Zedek's guitar and drive of Braman and McCarthy are met with synth-like swells and more harmonic density. The album features guests Nancy Asch (percussion) and Beth Heinberg (piano) whose subtle touches are added to 'Shoes' and 'Aliyah.' The record was recorded with Andy Hong, mixed by Seth Manchester, and mastered by Sarah Register. Throughout the album, Zedek deftly uncovers how external realities manifest in internal worlds. Zedek's mastery of songwriting is on full display on The Boat Outside Your Window. Her unique musical voice remains potent and pointed. Cultivating her sound with purpose and an unflinching view of humanity, Zedek's words and music are both invigorating, and capable of deep emotional complexities. The Boat Outside Your Window is Thalia Zedek reaching new heights, reinforcing her status as a peerless songwriter and voice."Ms.Zedek's songs (are)... more hard-nosed, delivered... in a raspy voice that backed by the band's folk-rock, sounded surprisingly like Bob Dylan's." --New York Times"she has rediscovered the energy that defined her work with Uzi, Live Skull, and Come, pouring imposing defiance into ten rocking cuts." --The Wire"This is someone getting better at something they were already incredible at." --The Quietus"her voice sounding like a cross between Nico and Patti Smith? musically she spans pedal-steel-laden country rock, punk menace and string-driven Velvets drones." -- Uncut

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: THRILL 630X-LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

LP version. Clear vinyl. "Thalia Zedek's considerable body of work demonstrates a clarity of vision, a singular performance style, and an expansive range. Her ability to deliver raw emotions through her vivid stories of loss and hope, strife and triumph is unmatched. Zedek has long been a melodic songwriter in a series of heavy bands. That contrast, alongside her distinct blend of both direct and poetic lyrics, allows her to sing of the most difficult of life's moments in ways that are both elevating and devastating. Out and proud her entire career, Zedek never hesitates to speak truth to power. The Boat Outside Your Window finds Zedek contemplating absence and distance, with songs as spirited as they are profoundly moving. The band is guitarist and vocalist Zedek, bassist Winston Braman, and drummer Gavin McCarthy (Karate), now joined by newest member, pedal steel guitarist Karen Sarkisian. On The Boat Outside Your Window, Sarkisian's counter melodies and oblique augmentations created with non-traditional tools like an ebow, add an otherworldly quality to songs. The grit of Zedek's guitar and drive of Braman and McCarthy are met with synth-like swells and more harmonic density. The album features guests Nancy Asch (percussion) and Beth Heinberg (piano) whose subtle touches are added to 'Shoes' and 'Aliyah.' The record was recorded with Andy Hong, mixed by Seth Manchester, and mastered by Sarah Register. Throughout the album, Zedek deftly uncovers how external realities manifest in internal worlds. Zedek's mastery of songwriting is on full display on The Boat Outside Your Window. Her unique musical voice remains potent and pointed. Cultivating her sound with purpose and an unflinching view of humanity, Zedek's words and music are both invigorating, and capable of deep emotional complexities. The Boat Outside Your Window is Thalia Zedek reaching new heights, reinforcing her status as a peerless songwriter and voice."Ms.Zedek's songs (are)... more hard-nosed, delivered... in a raspy voice that backed by the band's folk-rock, sounded surprisingly like Bob Dylan's." --New York Times"she has rediscovered the energy that defined her work with Uzi, Live Skull, and Come, pouring imposing defiance into ten rocking cuts." --The Wire"This is someone getting better at something they were already incredible at." --The Quietus"her voice sounding like a cross between Nico and Patti Smith? musically she spans pedal-steel-laden country rock, punk menace and string-driven Velvets drones." -- Uncut

 

PRICE: $14.50

CAT #: THRILL 631CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

"Emptyset, James Ginzburg and Paul Purgas, explore both spatial and physical properties of sound; specifically the perceptible boundaries between it and noise. They have produced installations for Tate Britain and the Architecture Foundation in London. Emptyset's new album Dissever continues their exploration of the histories of 20th century electronic sound and media. Dissever delves into the intertwined evolution of cosmic rock, minimalism and electronic music, viewed through their prospective dreams and overlapping technological ambitions. Premiered at Tate Modern as a live performance, Dissever was part of the exhibition Electric Dreams, a large-scale survey of the global history of art and technology. The resulting album is astoundingly sublime, rich with sonics that are as thrilling and immediate as they are singular and dense with complexity. The compositions across Dissever draw threads from pioneering production methods emerging in parallel across the late 1960s, considering the cross talk between these fields and their radical intentions to carve out the future from differing paths, traversing the mystical and modern, while incorporating elements of the transformative, hypnotic, expansive and transcendent to define new principles within sound. The arrangements, performed live and captured in single takes, emerged across a series of sessions at long term collaborator Mat Sampson's recording studio in Bristol. This process revisited early hardware, spatial and multitrack recording techniques to create a dynamic body of material that could look back to these foundational musical forms and converge them through the lens of a reimagined timeline, cultivating a transmission from 1969 to the present and a sensory bridge to the past.""Emptyset are in a class by themselves when it comes to excavating brutality out of silence." --Pitchfork

 

PRICE: $25.00

CAT #: THRILL 631LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version."Emptyset, James Ginzburg and Paul Purgas, explore both spatial and physical properties of sound; specifically the perceptible boundaries between it and noise. They have produced installations for Tate Britain and the Architecture Foundation in London. Emptyset's new album Dissever continues their exploration of the histories of 20th century electronic sound and media. Dissever delves into the intertwined evolution of cosmic rock, minimalism and electronic music, viewed through their prospective dreams and overlapping technological ambitions. Premiered at Tate Modern as a live performance, Dissever was part of the exhibition Electric Dreams, a large-scale survey of the global history of art and technology. The resulting album is astoundingly sublime, rich with sonics that are as thrilling and immediate as they are singular and dense with complexity. The compositions across Dissever draw threads from pioneering production methods emerging in parallel across the late 1960s, considering the cross talk between these fields and their radical intentions to carve out the future from differing paths, traversing the mystical and modern, while incorporating elements of the transformative, hypnotic, expansive and transcendent to define new principles within sound. The arrangements, performed live and captured in single takes, emerged across a series of sessions at long term collaborator Mat Sampson's recording studio in Bristol. This process revisited early hardware, spatial and multitrack recording techniques to create a dynamic body of material that could look back to these foundational musical forms and converge them through the lens of a reimagined timeline, cultivating a transmission from 1969 to the present and a sensory bridge to the past.""Emptyset are in a class by themselves when it comes to excavating brutality out of silence." --Pitchfork

 

PRICE: $27.00

CAT #: THRILL 631X-LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

LP version. Blue color vinyl. "Emptyset, James Ginzburg and Paul Purgas, explore both spatial and physical properties of sound; specifically the perceptible boundaries between it and noise. They have produced installations for Tate Britain and the Architecture Foundation in London. Emptyset's new album Dissever continues their exploration of the histories of 20th century electronic sound and media. Dissever delves into the intertwined evolution of cosmic rock, minimalism and electronic music, viewed through their prospective dreams and overlapping technological ambitions. Premiered at Tate Modern as a live performance, Dissever was part of the exhibition Electric Dreams, a large-scale survey of the global history of art and technology. The resulting album is astoundingly sublime, rich with sonics that are as thrilling and immediate as they are singular and dense with complexity. The compositions across Dissever draw threads from pioneering production methods emerging in parallel across the late 1960s, considering the cross talk between these fields and their radical intentions to carve out the future from differing paths, traversing the mystical and modern, while incorporating elements of the transformative, hypnotic, expansive and transcendent to define new principles within sound. The arrangements, performed live and captured in single takes, emerged across a series of sessions at long term collaborator Mat Sampson's recording studio in Bristol. This process revisited early hardware, spatial and multitrack recording techniques to create a dynamic body of material that could look back to these foundational musical forms and converge them through the lens of a reimagined timeline, cultivating a transmission from 1969 to the present and a sensory bridge to the past.""Emptyset are in a class by themselves when it comes to excavating brutality out of silence." --Pitchfork

 

PRICE: $33.00

CAT #: TSR 051LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

On June 13th 2024, Joakim, along with six guest musicians performed Terry Riley's renowned piece "In C" at a sold-out Philharmonie de Paris. This is the recording of their live performance. The guest musicians were Amosphere, Apollo Noir, Canblaster, Narumi Herisson, Joseph Schiano di Lombo, and Frederic Soulard. Each musician used their own synthesizers, creating a synthetic chamber orchestra that showcased the evolution of electronic musical instruments. This included Amosphere's Philicorda from 1967, Joakim's Arp2600 (first launched in 1971), and contemporary instruments like Narumi's Osmose from Expressive, along with Eurorack modular systems from Canblaster and Apollo Noir. The performers were arranged in a circle at ground level with Joakim in the center. Each musician had their own speaker, making it seem as if the sound originated from their instrument. This setup encouraged the audience to move around the circle, experiencing a variety of sounds based on their position. The result is a uniquely reimagined version of "In C" that is both purely electronic and organically rich. Despite the relatively small ensemble, the piece feels immensely full, occasionally leading listeners to believe they hear a flute or oboe interspersed throughout. Limited pressing of 300 copies in heavy cardboard sleeve with an insert. For fans of: Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Philipp Glass, Max Richter, Caterina Barbieri.

 

PRICE: $11.00

CAT #: RELTIME 088CD

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Maintenant (meaning: Now) defines it all: A snapshot in time, 13 piano pieces, completely improvised by Rico Friebe in one take! Three years after recording The Silva Sessions, this new album serves as some kind of sequel to the improvisational and aesthetic characteristics -- presenting a vast and meditative soundscape solely on the piano with some subtle electronic maneuvering within. A truly unique moment that got captured here and a special album.

 

PRICE: $34.00

CAT #: VEYL 012X-LP

FILE UNDER: ELECTRONIC

Written and produced in a country house surrounded only by vast, empty landscapes and an endless sky, Suicide Disco is the fruit of a three-year-long collaboration and Years of Denial's debut LP for Veyl. Urged to escape from crowded cities and information overload, the duo sharpened their sound and working process through isolation and introspection, crafting 11 songs filled to brim with enormous hooks, new wave nostalgia and razor-sharp production details. Barkosina's voice echoes and oscillates against Jerome's snares, profound and wounded at once. Her expressionist narrative takes listeners to unknown yet familiar places, amplified by dub delays and otherworldly reverbs. Each track tells a story based on the intensity of relationships, a touching and distorted invitation into intimacy and complicity.

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: VHF 165LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"Second VHF solo LP from the Pelt/Black Twigs mainstay, following 2022's acclaimed Evening Measures. April is Passing builds on the striking solo Hardanger-style fiddle performances on the previous LP to take the music even further out, with deep drones and extended techniques defining a vocabulary that is Americana-adjacent, but a unique and special sound that Mike is pursuing almost alone. Joined on selected tracks by Cara Gangloff's Sruti and Kaily Shenker's sonorous Cello, the all-original, all-live performances are resonant with both overt melody and a cloud of thick string overtones, whether on the more upbeat tunes like 'Ironto Dancer' or the epic 11+ minute LP closer 'Helen's Song.' 'September Air' is a mournful slow build, the fiddle embroidering a minor-key melody over the drone of the Surti box and a low cello counter point. 'A Fallen Palace of Snowville' is a solo performance where the additional sympathetic strings of the hardanger fiddle are strongly heard as a ghostly accompaniment, as Mike's elegant melody switches back and forth from minor to major. 'Helen's Song' closes side 2 with a complex, ever-changing swirl of melodic and harmonic invention, with Mike's keening, languorous bowing leading the way through multiple moods and sounds."

 

PRICE: $24.00

CAT #: VHF 166LP

FILE UNDER: ROCK

"VHF debut and second widely-available LP by Liam Grant, part of a new generation of underground 'American primitive' guitar players serving the traditions and smashing them up simultaneously. Prodigal Son is a portrait of an artist on the road, changing fast, recording things as they spring from the fountain. The sound here is raw -- grass and dirt instead of pre-fab; homemade/handmade instead of high-tech, etc. There's a visceral quality and immediacy of culture that's being lost every day in modern life -- Prodigal Son is a chance to grab some of it back. 'Palmyra' has Liam on weissenborn-style lap steel, the sound fuzzed out and distorted by the guerilla recording technique. 'Salmon Tails Up The River' stretches out to nearly 13 minutes, a dense meditation on 12 string that sustains a dark and heavy mood for the entire duration. On the B side, 'Insult to Injury' reverses the mood, with an elegant and unhurried 12 string sequel of deep beauty. Liam's unexpected take on Loren Conners' 'A Moment at the Door' is a perfect translation of Loren's reverb-heavy electric drift to unadorned acoustic (and tape hiss) -- a frozen moment of absolute grace. Wrapping things up is a take on 'Old Country Rock,' with fiddle and banjo, just a brief taste of the barnstorming old-time sound of Liam's touring trio."

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: WJCD 074CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Timo Lassy, one of the leading lights in the current generation of Finnish jazz, releases a new live album with his hard-cooking trio on We Jazz Records. That's Lassy on tenor sax, Ville Herrala on double bass and Jaska Lukkarinen on drums -- each member a We Jazz recording solo artist on their own right. Recorded at G Livelab, Helsinki's premiere live music spot, in 2023 and including new versions of tracks all across the sax man's celebrated catalog, Live in Helsinki proves why Lassy usually packs the house when he plays a hometown show. For those familiar with Timo Lassy's studio work, especially his latest We Jazz release, Trio (2021), the sound of this live recording is likely to sound both familiar and delightfully new. The trio's live sound is rough around the edges, and the immediate rawness of the live situation brings out a new edge of the band. Timo Lassy, a remarkably strong tenor player with his own sound, pulls no punches while delivering his message live. He colors more outside of the lines than on his albums -- a fitting rationale for any live version released, and his highly potent combo follows suit. The underlying spirit of Timo Lassy Trio's music is the true friendship of the band members. It's evident all across the album that they play for their audience but also for each other, pushing and inspiring each other into new territory in a way that echoes togetherness in the stead of competition. This is a sold-out hometown show for a band that needs no hype. They play raw jazz from the heart -- a recipe enough for building an expanding fanbase.

 

PRICE: $16.00

CAT #: WJCD 076CD

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

Cosmic Ear is a new group bringing together Christer Both?n, Mats Gustafsson, Goran Kajfe, Kansan Zetterberg and Juan Romero. Their debut album Traces is presented by We Jazz Records, including six deep cuts. Traces is an album that sees Cosmic Ear tracking down the "traces" of the legendary Don Cherry's legacy while paving their own way in contemporary creative music expression. Christer Both?n, a collaborator with Don Cherry during his Swedish period in the 1970s, brings depth to the history of the band, while his bandmates each belong at the top of the game in Scandinavian jazz. Their music is meditative and deep, much recommended for fans of the likes of Don Cherry, Alice Coltrane, and Pharoah. That being said, listeners should approach Cosmic Ear only with openness and curiosity, without set stylistic boundaries, as it's the group's natural flow and togetherness that brings their music into a fresh territory of their own. As John Corbett writes in his liner notes: "The Cosmic Ear. Five souls, sometimes six, on the same road. The pied piper path of Mr. Cherry. Christer Both?n, one of Cherry's main collaborators in his Swedish period and one of the most beautiful bass clarinetists on planet earth, together with next-gen saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, who has carried so many torches in Cherry's procession, and younger Swedish stars trumpeter Goran Kajfes, bassist Kansan Zetterberg, and percussionist Juan Romero. Together a tempo is set, a path is charted. There are global grooves. A berimbau, a karignan (metal scraper from Guinea), donso n'goni. There are ET grooves. Synth, live-electronics, slide flute. The globe is a glove, a hand warmer that radiates with extraterrestrial power, returning the fingers to their place at the center of the galaxy; the Cherry path is a balm that restores essential moisture to the lips that blow life back into the megacosm. Let us all praise warm fingers and moist mouths." Featuring an insert with liner notes by John Corbett.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: WJLP 074LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. Timo Lassy, one of the leading lights in the current generation of Finnish jazz, releases a new live album with his hard-cooking trio on We Jazz Records. That's Lassy on tenor sax, Ville Herrala on double bass and Jaska Lukkarinen on drums -- each member a We Jazz recording solo artist on their own right. Recorded at G Livelab, Helsinki's premiere live music spot, in 2023 and including new versions of tracks all across the sax man's celebrated catalog, Live in Helsinki proves why Lassy usually packs the house when he plays a hometown show. For those familiar with Timo Lassy's studio work, especially his latest We Jazz release, Trio (2021), the sound of this live recording is likely to sound both familiar and delightfully new. The trio's live sound is rough around the edges, and the immediate rawness of the live situation brings out a new edge of the band. Timo Lassy, a remarkably strong tenor player with his own sound, pulls no punches while delivering his message live. He colors more outside of the lines than on his albums -- a fitting rationale for any live version released, and his highly potent combo follows suit. The underlying spirit of Timo Lassy Trio's music is the true friendship of the band members. It's evident all across the album that they play for their audience but also for each other, pushing and inspiring each other into new territory in a way that echoes togetherness in the stead of competition. This is a sold-out hometown show for a band that needs no hype. They play raw jazz from the heart -- a recipe enough for building an expanding fanbase.

 

PRICE: $28.00

CAT #: WJLP 076LP

FILE UNDER: JAZZ

LP version. Cosmic Ear is a new group bringing together Christer Both?n, Mats Gustafsson, Goran Kajfe, Kansan Zetterberg and Juan Romero. Their debut album Traces is presented by We Jazz Records, including six deep cuts. Traces is an album that sees Cosmic Ear tracking down the "traces" of the legendary Don Cherry's legacy while paving their own way in contemporary creative music expression. Christer Both?n, a collaborator with Don Cherry during his Swedish period in the 1970s, brings depth to the history of the band, while his bandmates each belong at the top of the game in Scandinavian jazz. Their music is meditative and deep, much recommended for fans of the likes of Don Cherry, Alice Coltrane, and Pharoah. That being said, listeners should approach Cosmic Ear only with openness and curiosity, without set stylistic boundaries, as it's the group's natural flow and togetherness that brings their music into a fresh territory of their own. As John Corbett writes in his liner notes: "The Cosmic Ear. Five souls, sometimes six, on the same road. The pied piper path of Mr. Cherry. Christer Both?n, one of Cherry's main collaborators in his Swedish period and one of the most beautiful bass clarinetists on planet earth, together with next-gen saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, who has carried so many torches in Cherry's procession, and younger Swedish stars trumpeter Goran Kajfes, bassist Kansan Zetterberg, and percussionist Juan Romero. Together a tempo is set, a path is charted. There are global grooves. A berimbau, a karignan (metal scraper from Guinea), donso n'goni. There are ET grooves. Synth, live-electronics, slide flute. The globe is a glove, a hand warmer that radiates with extraterrestrial power, returning the fingers to their place at the center of the galaxy; the Cherry path is a balm that restores essential moisture to the lips that blow life back into the megacosm. Let us all praise warm fingers and moist mouths." Featuring an insert with liner notes by John Corbett.