LP version. "Martin Rev's eponymous debut solo record was released in 1980, not long after the second Suicide LP appeared. It is one of the most seminal albums to have emerged in the early years of electronic music?. The tension between his hypnotic drum machine salvoes and Alan Vega's irrepressibly expressive voice on stage or in the studio created an electrifying mix, and yet these six supremely minimal compositions were no less impactful without Vega's voice. There is an enchanting simplicity to the beautiful bubblegum melodies of the opening pieces 'Mari' and 'Baby Oh Baby' (the only track with a Rev vocal, everything else is instrumental). Like a clandestine heart, embedded in dissonant textures and infinite rhythm loops, echoing the doo-wop and rock and roll songs at the tempestuous epicenter of New York, the place which had such a profound influence on the youthful Martin Rev, there is also an incongruousness to Rev's own music, etched into the DNA he shares with the city?. Above all, there's a sense that Suicide's records and the solo works of Martin Rev could not be any more different to those of their European contemporaries such as Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream or Jean-Michel Jarre. If this is music as dystopian psychedelia, it glows nevertheless with substantial warmth. Sounds grab you instantaneously and, by virtue of endless repetition, never let you go. Rev's 1980 debut thus offers us something of great value: an insight into the beginnings of an impressive solo career which would play such an important role in the development of successive generations of artists. It is as enthralling today as it was when it first appeared." --Daniel Jahn, July 2023
2024 repress. With the demise of the group Wire in 1980, founder members Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis joined forces to create Dome. With the assistance of engineer Eric Radcliffe and his Blackwing Studio Dome took the ethic of "using the studio as a compositional tool" and recorded and released three Dome albums on their own label in the space of 12 months: Dome (July 1980), Dome 2 (October 1980), and Dome 3 (October 1981). A final fourth album, Will You Speak This Word: Dome IV was released on the Norwegian Uniton label in May 1983. These albums represent some of the most beautifully stark and above all timeless exercises in studio experimentation from early 1980s alternative music scene. Previously issued in the out-of-print Dome 1-4+5 box set in 2011. Now available as standalone LP; Includes download card. New artwork by Dave Coppenhall. B.C. Gilbert: voices, guitars, bass, percussion, tapes, drums; G. Lewis: voices, guitars, bass, percussion, tapes, synthesizer; A.M.C. - voice on "Cruel When Complete". Recorded on March 10th & 16th, 1980 and April 1st, 1980; Produced by B.C. Gilbert and G. Lewis; Engineer - Eric Radcliffe; Asst. engineer - John Fryer; Floating-point re-master by Russell Haswell, August 2011; Cut at Dubplates & Mastering by Rashad Becker, August 2011.
Bahamadia's 1996 debut album Kollage is rightly regarded as one of the greatest rap albums of the 1990s. For the first time ever, Be With presents the definitive double LP version of this eternal hip-hop classic, including the legendary "Path To Rhythm" which never appeared on the original LP or on vinyl, anywhere. An indelible vibe from start-to-finish, Kollage presents Bahamadia's swirling rhymes delivered with an irresistibly butter flow and razor-sharp assuredness over a steady slew of smoothed-out, jazzed-up, blunted beats. Achingly cool and effortlessly funky throughout, it's an absolute must for true '90s hip-hop fanatics. The entire Kollage project was recorded at D&D Studios and the ties to Gang Starr are keenly felt, with DJ Premier producing five tracks in addition to the killer songs Guru had already produced with her. Working with the cream of the mid-'90s East Coast sound, Kollage is, accordingly, a record that demonstrates a varied musical taste with disparate influences. With intelligent, poetic lyricism and a laconic verbal style bursting with both warm texture and deceptive energy, Bahamadia's flow was as inspired by Aretha and Nancy Wilson as it was Q-Tip, Schoolly D and Lady B. Incredibly, only the European and Japanese CD versions of Kollage were released with the brilliantly breezy "Path To Rhythm," featuring Ursula Rucker. Whilst ostensibly a "bonus track," it's anything but. Very much in sonic conversation with KRS-One's stretched-out sleeper classic "Higher Level," it's absolutely essential. Somewhat predictably, whilst Kollage was released to significant critical acclaim, it suffered from disappointing sales. In the intervening years -- and for far too long -- it was a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. This Be With double LP reissue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston, and pressed at Record Industry. It's too bold and beautiful to remain overlooked and underserved.
Unbeknownst to the general public at the time and underappreciated until today, arguably the world's first punk record was recorded on September 28, 1966, in New York. On that day, The Godz got together to record their first album Contact High with The Godz in about 30 minutes, to be released on the avant-garde label ESP. It comprises eight rudimentary songs (plus one bizarre Hank Williams cover), played without prior rehearsals or repeats, sounding deliberately incompetent and completely lacking even the political undertones or avant-garde ambitions of other far-out music produced in New York at the same time. In 2008, Berlin-based musician and journalist Jacek Slaski met ESP owner Bernard Stollman in New York and learned the story behind the Godz' first album. He decided to trace and re-enact that historical moment and got together his band The Curators to perform a note-by-note replay of Contact High with The Godz. Again, without rehearsals or repeats. They set up (without audience) in the Festsaal Kreuzberg in Berlin on November 30, 2008, began by listening to the first Godz song, repeating it, then the next, then the next. The resulting first derivative of the original album was duly titled Contact High with The Curators and is finally released here after having laid around on external hard drives for 15 years. Edition of 200 with insert containing liner notes, and a beautiful sleeve design by Nathan D'Arcy. The Curators were formed in Berlin in 2007 by architect Anna Krenz and writer Jacek Slaski, who at the time ran the art space ZERO, and were joined by camera operator Patrick Classen. All three are non-educated and non-professional musicians. The Curators played in different venues in Berlin, Rotterdam, Vienna and Warsaw, and the band was dissolved around 2011. For this album, they were joined by songwriter and singer Doc Schoko.
Christina Kubisch (b. 1948) belongs to the first generation of sound artists and is among the most prominent European artists working in sound installation and electroacoustic composition today. Many of her works involve ephemeral phenomena such as ultraviolet light, solar energy and electromagnetic induction. She transforms them to make them perceivable acoustically and visually, thereby reminding the spectator of their presence while also allowing their aesthetic qualities to crystallize. Among her most well-known works is a project called Electrical Walks which employs specially-built headphones that receive electromagnetic signals from the environment and convert them into sound. She uses these headphones for auditory dérives through any given territory, guided by the sounds that are inaudible to passersby, and stopping wherever they seem interesting. Things like light systems, wireless communication systems, ATMs, anti-theft security devices, surveillance cameras, neon advertising, etc., have proven to emit particularly strong signals worth of being explored, often even sounding quite musical. Finally, Kubisch compiles her findings into a map and allows the public to use the headphones themselves to set off for own journeys. One sound source that has shown to be particularly worthwhile, and surprisingly varied throughout different countries, is public transportation. Zenger Station thus focuses on the electromagnetic sound qualities of trams, buses and related infrastructure. Side A is taken by the "Zenger Station" suite of three single pieces, composed from recordings Kubisch made in Prague in 2021 and 2022 and titled after the transformer station of the same name. Side B has a piece from 2021 called "A bus meets a tram meets a trolley" including tram, electric bus and trolley bus recordings from Rome, Bangkok and Bratislava, respectively. Edition of 300 with full-color sleeve and four-sided insert with photos, liner notes and an extensive interview with Christina Kubisch by Christoph Cox.
NPVR is the avant garde duo made up of the late Peter Rehberg and Nik Void. Editions Mego presents their second and final release. No, this is not some kind of Beatles synthetic AI that raises the dead reconstructed recordings but rather a new album made by the humans and their machines. The initial meeting of Rehberg and Void was in London in 2016 and despite or due to their mutual awkwardness found solace and compatibility in the fact that they both had a similar electronic modular set up, along with matching cases to transport all. The idea to collaborate was an obvious and organic process as a means to connect their individual gear together and observe the outcome. The fruits of these initial experiments, recorded in London, resulted in the playful experimentation of their acclaimed 2017 release 33 33 (EMEGO 251LP). Now, Editions Mego presents the logically titled follow up, 33 34. These sessions were recorded six months after the initial recordings at Peter's home in Vienna. This was planned out as a mirror city release to the original London recordings. The initial session of these recordings was edited by Rehberg and sent to Void to further develop. Over time the final versions were agreed on and then shelved as other outside projects took over. Following Rehberg's untimely passing, Void had difficulty listening back to the sessions but eventually thought it fit to complete and release this album, of which even the artwork (like 33 33, an image from Zurich photographer, Georg Gatsas) had been decided upon prior to Rehberg parting ways. There is an unmistakable joy to these recordings. One encounters an enthralling exploration of their chosen machines which conveys the excitement of what can be randomly conjured when people speak through such devices. There is no grand statement or argument here, just the sheer thrill of creation and the recorded results of random encounters.
First vinyl edition of the album Rhetorical Islands, originally released by Giuseppe Ielasi in 2012 as a limited-edition CD on his Senufo Editions label, with recordings made in 2011 as a commission for l'Audible Festival, Paris. The album's ten tracks have neither titles nor accompanying text, standing for themselves as what Ielasi himself has called "isolated sound worlds." They are nonetheless unparalleled in their plasticity, acoustic events with a rare degree of tangibility. Ielasi evokes physical objects, some of which seem to have been constructed out of paper and cardboard, others based on a mechanics of elastic materials. Of course, these objects are hallucinations, and precisely because Ielasi constructs them so masterfully there's no need for any further information. Here's to everyone creating their very own sculptures while listening to Rhetorical Islands. The front and back cover features 0.058, a work on paper by the artists Thomas & Renée Rapedius. They make sculptures whose form and artistic inspiration are defined by their materials. Like Ielasi's acoustic islands, their impact derives from self-referentiality, resulting in paradoxical objects that embody both a detailed material study and a potential for free association.
This record contains four tracks taken from a live performance which took place on December 3rd 2021 at the Vinyl Harvest record store in Esch-sur-Alzette Luxembourg. The concert was curated by non-profit organisation I Am Esch Twenty Too and the label mint.conception.recordings. I Am Esch Twenty Too was founded in 2020 as an alternative suggestion to the city of Esch-sur-Alzette being European Capital of Culture 2022 and its role and program. The budget for this concert was generated by the entrance fee to the concert only. Jan Jelinek has for more than 20 years been one of the most essential voices in contemporary electronic music. Arthur Clees is a young percussionist from Luxembourg and a bright talent intent on finding his own way into jazz, improv and electronic music. Both performers had never met each other before. Recorded by Karl Humbug at Vinyl Harvest for mint.conception.recordings. Mixed by Jan Jelinek. Mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi. Design by Erik Mathias.
In 1998, Carsten Nicolai, also known as Alva Noto, visited a sound installation created by Robert Lippok for a group exhibition in Weimar, Germany. Soon after, he invited Lippok to release music on his label Raster-Noton. Open Close Open was released in 2001 and marked the beginning of Lippok's solo career. Before, Lippok had already played in Ornament und Verbrechen (with his brother Ronald Lippok) and To Rococo Rot (with Ronald Lippok and Stefan Schneider). The title of the EP is a linguistic reference to the instructions found on everyday objects. In fact, the sound of birds or a closing door can be heard. Besides field recordings, cultural fragments were used -- including the sample of the famous "Adagietto" from Gustav Mahler's Symphony. No. 5. -- and integrated into three loop-based pieces, that have been praised by Fact Magazine as "a masterclass in collage, looping and tactile processing." The source material for Open Close Open initially served as a soundtrack for a video by Takehito Koganezawa, a visual artist from Japan. For this remastered vinyl reissue, Lippok revisited the original sound material and produced a new track called "Licht."
LP version. toechter is an all-female trio operating from Berlin. toechter's second full-length album Epic Wonder sees its classically trained members blend elaborate string arrangements with ethereal indie pop and delicate rhythms. Katrine Grarup Elbo, Lisa Marie Vogel, and Marie-Claire Schlameus exclusively use analogue sound sources (such as violin, viola, cello, and their voices), which were then electronically processed. Epic Wonder was created in the spring and summer of 2023. Playing with forms and contours, the music sounds like the awakening of something new. One seems to be listening to an ongoing conversation, an exchange about what music could be, where it wants to go and how it contributes to our view of life. It all rests on a simple premise: "Every sound you hear in our universe comes from us. The string trio is the core of toechter, the starting point of all our work." Those looking for new worlds of sound can find them in the work of this classically- trained musicians. Whether they add voices or percussive instruments, sample the sounds, or manipulate them electronically; ultimately, they are exploring the string trio's place in a world shaped by the digital. Sometimes dwelling on subtle, yet marveling phenomena like the evening fog covering a valley on Midsummer, sometimes on grandiose splendors like the genesis of mountains or the birth of a child -- letting interactions and encounters with other beings float through the musical universe as drips of emotional perceptivity. For the visual manifestation of Epic Wonder, toechter has engaged with Finish up-and-coming lens-based artist Aino Kontinen.
"Now-Again Records presents catalog-wide reissues of Latin music propellant Joe Bataan's legendary Ghetto Records. Next up in the series: La Fantastica. This brash, big band Latin orchestra from Brooklyn debuted on Ghetto Records with an underground Salsa album which also contains the beguiling, English-language psychedelic soul of 'Latin Blues.' Ghetto Records was Joe Bataan's way to get over on 'The Man' and out of the 'hood, a bold move by an artist looking for independence and creative control in an industry that had exploited his talents and treated him like chattel. As Bataan puts it today, 'Ghetto Records was part of my journey, a stepping stone to everything else that I've done. I learned enough that it enabled me to get out of the box with my thinking, it showed me how to deal with adversity.' Like many dreams and schemes born of the street, this one was audacious, perhaps even reckless to a fault. Hatched from desperation yet full of hope Ghetto Records came crashing down shortly after its inception. The seven albums in its discography languished out of print -- until now. These are the definitive reissues of these albums, licensed from Joe Bataan, with his oversight and input into a 16-page oversize book by Pablo Yglesias that details Bataan's larger-than-imagination life and his little Latin label that could."
"Before releasing their lone self-titled debut album, one of the most-rare rock records to be released in Europe in the 1970s, Paternoster provided the soundtrack for a film that could only have been made while the psychedelic movement was still in its first wave. The group's first recordings presented here are the soundtrack for Herbert Holbaís 1971 hippie sci-fi film Die Ersten Tage ('The First Days'), screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, and interestingly played on Austrian TV in August of that year. The material issued here is the genesis of Paternoster and set the stage for the release of one of the world's great rock albums with their self-titled debut the following year. The music has been painstakingly transferred directly from master tapes."
"The elusive gemstone of 1970s Harlem soul and funk from the Ray Alexander Technique, officially reissued with bonus tracks. Renowned for its enviable combination of musical muscle and malleability, guitarist/songwriter Raymond Alexander Jenkins' tight four-piece unit was so revered on the uptown club circuit that it was offered the opportunity to serve as the Apollo Theater house band. Jenkins demurred, hopeful and confident in his group's chances at making it on its own, and Let's Talk is the sublime result of their hard work. Independently released and recorded with a distinctly lo-fi charm, it is a collection of unabashedly sincere songs that perfectly encapsulates the era's heady milieu of Black pride and cultural awareness, and the plaintive emotion of struggling to realize dreams whilst navigating a city and neighborhood in decline. Personal tragedy coupled with Jenkins' inability to gain traction as a musician, would haunt him for years. But Let's Talk's reputation would eventually spread via word-of-mouth praise amongst soul and funk connoisseurs and record collectors. Now elevated to exalted status, it may finally be more widely appreciated as a testament to Jenkins' gifts. The main album is augmented by two songs by Ray Alexander Technique with Chris Bartley, not available on the original album."
LP version. To abandon animals for music -- and avant-garde jazz at that -- could seeming shocking to some people. However, it is exactly what Manuel Villarroel did, as he was a vet for three years before leaving his native Chili for Europe and a career in music. And though the animals may have suffered, the world of music can be grateful. Born in 1944, Manuel Villarroel lent an ear to the best pianists from North America: Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner, then Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, and Cecil Taylor. Manuel left Santiago in September 1970 to participate in the Contemporary Music Workshop in Berlin. To pursue his musical career, he rapidly decided to remain in Europe. The following year in Paris, Manuel began a quartet with saxophonist Jef Sicard (who would also play with his brother Patricio, in the Dharma Quintet). But the group would rapidly expand: Villarroel and Sicard added Gérard Coppéré (saxophone), William Treve (trombone), François Méchali (bass) and Jean-Louis Méchali (drums). And with the arrival of Sonny Grey, a Jamaican trumpeter heard ten years earlier with Daniel Humair, the Matchi-Oul Septet was complete. Complete and ready: on May 8th, 1971, Matchi-Oul was in the studio for Gérard Terronès' Futura label. The septet recorded seven of the pianist's compositions. A succession of tracks which flow magically from one to the next: from the first drum strokes to the last deep notes of the bass, the successive waves roll over the piano and whistle through the wind instruments. And when they all come together it gives even greater force to Villarroel's beautiful songs. Terremoto is a masterpiece of collective expression.
Violist, violinist and singer-songwriter Marla Hansen returns to Karaoke Kalk with Salt, her second full-length album to date. Building upon the sonic palette the Berlin-based musician established with her debut Dust (KK 116CD) in 2020, Salt takes the delicate mixture of acoustic instruments such as viola, violin, piano and guitar combined with subtle electronics to the next level. The new album is both a remarkable departure and at the same time sheds a new yet reassuring light on Hansen's work and creativity. Salt features numerous collaborations with like-minded musicians and friends, e. g. producer and composer Simon Goff, The Notwist's drummer Andi Haberl, and the renowned artist DM Stith. Salt is a big album. The opener "Chains" is driven by a gliding bass line, bobbing 808 snares, deep chords and a mesmerizing chorus doubled by luscious strings, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her creative journey. A stark statement, both musically and lyrically. Meanwhile, the title track of the album is an almost abstract sounding ambient miniature, sketch-like, dark and haunting, showcasing Hansen's voice in a shy, brittle and fragile state. In this range of styles and approaches, Hansen's vision is more present than ever. For refining and finishing the songs, Hansen turned to Simon Goff, who produced the album and engineered much of the recording, merging Hansen's newly-found songwriting approach with the artistic delicacy which made her debut album an exceptional piece of work. Features include among others: Alice Dixon (Oriel Quartett) on cello, Kyle Resnick (The National, Beirut) on trumpet, Benjamin Lanz (The National, Beirut) on trombone and tuba, and Miles Perkin on bass. And then there is The Notwist's Andi Haberl, who "crafted perfect drum and percussion parts to move the songs wherever they needed to go, either into their driving grooves, slow-build explosions or gentle swells of feeling." Salt is a bold artistic achievement, with songs as big as the biggest waves imaginable. With melodies as alluring as the most comfortable breezes. Perfect from start to finish.
Grey color vinyl. "Saicobab channels the vital energy of living music traditions through ecstatic performance. NRTYA, Sanskrit for 'dance,' explores the shared roots of Japanese and Indian spiritual practices in a tangible, intoxicating form. YoshimiO's experiments in this field are well documented and legendary from her work in OOIOO to her work in the Boredoms. Multi-instrumentalist Yoshida Daikiti reveals the human hand that shapes living traditions, as much through his fluid playing as his own collection of handmade instruments, while percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Motoyuki 'Hama' Hamamoto embodies the metaphysical power of rhythm. YoshimiO's wild vocal acrobatics and inimitable range shift from hypnotic chants to ethereal atmospherics and darting melodies, ducking and weaving around Daikiti's serpentine sitar figures and basslines. Hama's solid rhythmic architectures and deft polyrhythms are here enhanced by additional drums from Taketawa Yo2ro, slipping from subtle pulses to thundering grooves that drive the music. Saicobab's music exudes a true reverence for living musical traditions while remaining unbound by orthodoxy. The electrifying energy of the quartet's performance is palpable in every track, eliminating established hierarchies with performer and listener alike entwined in the same cosmic dance."
"180-gram red vinyl. Includes insert with extensive sleeve notes. Dillinger's sparring partner on this album is Trinity aka Wade Brammer, who was active during the 1970s and 1980s. Trinity as Dillinger, is best known for deejaying over reggae and dancehall tracks. 'Clash' albums became very popular at the tail end of the 1970s and into the 1980s with both singers and deejays competing against each other track by track."
Feeding Tube announces The Band Whose Name Is A Symbol LP. Verdun is the first studio LP this war-torn group have recorded in some time and boy oh boy what a magnificent freewheelin', incendiary and blissed out racket TBWNIS have conjured. Over the last 15 years there are few groups that have been more prolific or dedicated to pushing psychedelic rock and all things cosmic to its limits. With Verdun their sound has become even more expansive -- Scott Thompsons' outer zone zonk horn blowing... Jason Vaughan and Chris Laramee deep space swirling on synth/keys... Bill Guerrero's twelve-string is shimmering and Brydsian but this is the jangle of nails down your spinal chord? Dave Reford untamed and unleashed and going full tilt with Nathaniel Hurlow, and John Westhaver precise and driving. Verdun contains three monstrous compositions where shimmering tones unfold into sinister drone-territory which resemble German pioneers Neu! playing "This Heat!," where abrasive guitars and wild riffing, repetitive beats and raw primitivism are densely packed into a larger-than-life sound that never stops climbing skywards -- never have TBWNIS sounds so euphoric playing their brand of ecstatic rock 'n' roll. For anyone that likes to get lost in sound -- Verdun is a sonic amusement part -- close your eyes and climb aboard this rollercoaster, strap yourself in tight and let yourself get lost in the heaviest of vibrations as you go for a breathless physical/visceral ride. TBWNIS are one of the essential groups of the world's psychedelic underground and Verdun is a freaked-out trip.
"Pressed on blue swirl and orange swirl colored vinyl, packaged in a gatefold jacket with printed fold out lyrics sheet. Originally released in the fall of 1993, Return of the Boom Bap is KRS-One's first official solo album. The album is pure '90s hip-hop filled with KRS-One's trademark conscious raps and storytelling with boom bap beats from the man himself, DJ Premier, Showbiz, and Kid Capri. The album kicks off with a trademark intro leading into 'Outta Here,' a tale about coming up in the '80s with a message to emcees not staying true to their roots. Throughout the album KRS-One tackles corrupt police, fake emcees, religion and provides some comical relief on 'I Can't Wake Up' where he dreams about being a blunt passed around by a who's who of '90s emcees and Bill Clinton! The album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums and received a four mics rating in The Source in 1993. Get On Down is presents a limited edition pressing of Return of The Boom Bap to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the blast master's classic debut solo album. Includes the bonus freestyle track 'Hip-Hop vs Rap' that was on the original 'Sound of Da Police' 12"."
2024 repress. For his premiere recording on God Records, Phill Niblock confirms his minimalistic musical approach and composes two monumental pieces for flutes and additional voices, respectively. Commissioned by Erik Drescher and Natalia Pschenitschnikova, Niblock again delivers an almost stripped, uncompromising one-way sound monolith. Tremendous, straight, and to the point... Personnel: Phill Niblock - composition; Natalia Pschenitschnikova - bass flute, voice; Erik Drescher - glissando flute.
Abfall and Prurient present Smokestacks. A smokestack theatre is an open, usually cyclical, pollution factory stereotypically used in dark skulls. Such skulls and the faces they support have flue gas stacks, hence the name "smoke flu" and produce a high volume of congestion and respiratory creative illness. The earliest era of electric power development, coal fired electric stations in urban opera houses were common prior to the use of alienating currents for lighting as direct current electricity could only travel a short distance -- through face make up for use under heavy spot stage lighting. For example -- the distance from the temple to the eye socket. Or the nasal cavity to the cheek bones. Smokestacks are dark skulls. Don't ever forget their loud and rising voices as you approach the smokestack curtains of the theatre. Black vinyl edition. Includes digital download code.
"The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series entry #8: Karriem Riggins' To The Jungle. Riggins is the type of drummer whose power shakes even Malcolm Catto. If you know what that means, this is the album for you. The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series was created by Madlib and Egon to give their creative friends a chance to stretch out and indulge in whatever type of music they wanted. This music was created for easy, one-stop clearance in film and television synchronization usage and for sampling. You can also enjoy these albums in the way that many do with the best of the best vintage library catalogs -- listen, ponder, repeat."
"Now-Again Records presents catalog-wide reissues of Latin music propellant Joe Bataan's legendary Ghetto Records. The series concludes with Drug Story -- rare and unreleased material from Joe Bataan and his Ghetto Records vaults, including an entire side of Bataan's never-before- issued 'Latin Funk' that spans the gamut from salsa to soul. Drug Story was inspired by true events and ranks highest among Bataan's finest achievements as the poet laureate of El Barrio. Ghetto Records was Joe Bataan's way to get over on 'The Man' and out of the 'hood, a bold move by an artist looking for independence and creative control in an industry that had exploited his talents and treated him like chattel. As Bataan puts it today, 'Ghetto Records was part of my journey, a stepping stone to everything else that I've done. I learned enough that it enabled me to get out of the box with my thinking, it showed me how to deal with adversity.' Like many dreams and schemes born of the street, this one was audacious, perhaps even reckless to a fault. Hatched from desperation yet full of hope Ghetto Records came crashing down shortly after its inception. The seven albums in its discography languished out of print -- until now. These are the definitive reissues of these albums, licensed from Joe Bataan, with his oversight and input into a 16-page oversize book by Pablo Yglesias that details Bataan's larger-than-imagination life and his little Latin label that could."
"Drum-machine soul, funk, disco and boogie from Buffalo, NY. Rare 7" singles and previously unreleased tracks presented as a complete album. In the early '70s, Jessie Key and Sylvester Cleary -- two passionate idealists living in Buffalo, New York -- formed a close friendship based on a mutual mission to better their city. The Attica State Prison Riot of 1971 was a burning memory, and the Arthur vs. Nyquist lawsuit -- brought against the City of Buffalo for creating and maintaining a racially segregated school system -- was on the docket. Key was once a cotton-laborer in Mississippi, who journeyed north for school where he met his kindred spirit, Cleary. The two struck up an intense friendship, bought a drum machine and recorded their first 45, A Man, a paean to self-actualization and Black American empowerment, which they custom pressed and issued privately. Dozens of recordings followed over a decade long span, issued on local labels and warehoused on cassette tapes. Perennial optimists, Key & Cleary tried any -- perhaps every! -- path they could demarcate in hopes of forwarding their agenda of self-effected, positive change. They formed Buffalo's first minority-owned construction company, opened a health food restaurant in a building previously occupied by a fast-food chain, and even concocted a candy bar called 'The Buffalo Treat,' which they manufactured and sold locally. Eventually they started their own label, Buffalo's Reflection. On it they released their masterpiece, 'What It Takes To Live,' a sought-after disco and Northern soul classic, which previously appeared on Now-Again's Soul Cal anthology. This album collates the breadth of Key & Cleary's recordings from 1970 until the mid-1980s, both with songs issued on rare 7" singles and previously unreleased. It presents a conjoined musical vision and tells the story of a duo years ahead of their time, both musically and culturally. Love Is The Way was their ethos -- their goal was to enlighten humanity and to bend history in a more loving direction through communion."
"This is the first stop on Sven Wunder's musical journey. Wunder takes the listener somewhere around the easternmost part of the Mediterranean Sea, around the Levantine Sea, where he paints a colorful portrait and illustrates the region's flora through sound. The fruitage is a vivid bouquet where Wunder fuses colors and pigments by using traditional and modern instruments merged with arrangements and melodies that stretch from popular to folk music by portraying tulips, red roses, hibiscus, hyacinths, chamomile, magnolia, daisies etcetera. With both fine and thick brushes these flowers are pictured in both modern and classic idiom. The outcome is prismatic. It stands between Anatolian rock and European jazz-funk with ponderous drum patterns, groovy organs, far-out synthesizers, enchanting sax, and impetuous bass lines. Eastern Flowers sweeps through time and space and points towards the future. It could appeal to both psych and prog listeners, folk or jazz aficionados, and as well the gourmet hip hop connoisseurs."
Kashmiri Queens presents a more accessible side of Muslimgauze, featuring a faster tempo and fewer sonic overtones than his previous endeavors. The music's core is rooted in drone and raga samples complemented by a rich array of ethnic percussions. This 12" stands out for its authenticity, allowing the sounds of tablas, sitars, and various ethnic wind instruments to flourish openly without being interrupted. There's a notable departure from the usual style in one track, adopting a floating, ambient-like approach. While the music maintains a strong percussive quality, vocals make only occasional appearances throughout the tracks. It marks a departure from the artist's previous abrupt transitions, favoring a more concentrated and steady approach to the music. Sounds are allowed to linger for extended durations, providing a deeper listening experience. The beats take a backseat this time, although they remain a significant part of the musical tapestry. Notably, track nine is completely beatless, showcasing the artist's ability to create dramatic and twisted sonic landscapes with looped and distorted vocal excerpts. The tracks featured on Kashmiri Queens maintain a clean and polished sound, allowing the instrumentation and composition to shine. The third track weaves together drums, bells, a female singer, and enigmatic extended tones to create a compelling sonic journey. Track four introduces a drum-loop with a sussurus element and a backwards orchestral loop, culminating in an unexpected rhythm shift. Track ten employs a metallic tapping loop as its foundation, creating a distinctive rhythm in collaboration with the tabla. It also incorporates elements of strings, offering a dynamic soundscape reminiscent of early Muslimgauze work. The penultimate track is a moody and minimal masterpiece that plays with layers of metal loops, tabla, and zither, demonstrating the artist's innovative approach. In summary, Kashmiri Queens is an impressive addition to the Muslimgauze discography, staying true to their signature sound while introducing distinct elements that make it a must-have for fans of their work.
VA
Spectra Ex Machina: A Sound Anthology of Occult Phenomena, 1920-2017 Vol.1 CD
The anthology Spectra Ex Machina brings together rare documents pertaining to so-called occult phenomena, most of them taken from little-known archives. In the course of three volumes, this series traces an audio history of parapsychology through the exploration of spiritualism and haunted houses (Vol. 1); musician mediums (Vol. 2); experiences of extrasensory perceptions (clairvoyance, psychokinesis, etc.) and electronic voice phenomena (Vol. 3). The documents gathered here are, by their extravagance and far-fetched aspects, more than the mere objects of belief one would be tempted to reduce them to. They are vestiges of aberrant phenomena, fossils of an unknown civilization buried in the depths of the unconscious that are revived, in a way, when audiences listen to them. They can be understood as "works," in the full artistic sense of the word, and constitute a kind of "cabinet of sound curiosities" that is worthy of aesthetic interest. Sometimes imbued with a disconcerting dramatic intensity, these documents bear the features of an authentic time machine, placing the listener in the position of a witness of the time immersed in the dim darkness of the experimental hall. And it is at that precise moment that the aesthetic power of these archives takes precedence over their probative value. Their somewhat old-fashioned charm, maintained by the surface noise of magnetic tapes and old wax disks, gets stronger with each listen. Comes with 32-page booklet.
VA
Spectra Ex Machina: A Sound Anthology of Occult Phenomena 1920-2017 Vol. 2 CD
The anthology Spectra Ex Machina brings together rare documents pertaining to so-called occult phenomena, most of them taken from little-known archives. In the course of three volumes, this series traces an audio history of parapsychology through the exploration of spiritualism and haunted houses (Vol. 1); musician mediums (Vol. 2); experiences of extrasensory perceptions (clairvoyance, psychokinesis, etc.) and electronic voice phenomena (Vol. 3). The link between music, sound and the paranormal is manifested in many different ways. Gerard van der Leeuw, the Dutch historian and philosopher, wrote "Music represents the great struggle of reaching the wholly other, which it can never express." Furthermore, "The effect of music on the emotions is so mysterious as to seem magical. There is no logical explanation why a particular combination of musical notes, whether in the form of a tune or of a simple chord, can affect the heart. Nothing in nature has perhaps so persistently resisted explanation," as said Derek Parker, the British journalist. Since music is arguably the most intangible of the arts and since the paranormal, in all its manifestations, continues to intrigue people, the placing of these two subjects together seems obvious. This second volume of musical and audio anomalies continues and expands upon the works initially reproduced in the latter. Rosemary Brown makes a welcome re-appearance, especially with a performance of Grübelei via Liszt, as well as the Caruso-inspired tenor Leo May making a repeat performance. Few people realize that both Anton LaVey and Aleister Crowley were quite fine musicians and Alex Sanders was also interested in music. The background music of Wagner's Tannhäuser used by the latter combines both pagan and Christian elements. So close your eyes and let the magic of sound take over! Also featuring David Behr, Jack Webber, Robert, Rita Goold, Leslie Flint, Leo, Carmen Rogers, Uri Geller, Jean-Louis Victor, Joe Meek, Howard Menger, Barbara The Gray Witch, and Rev. Patrick J. Berkery, Ph. D.
VA
Five Spanish Pioneers of Electronic and Experimental Music: 1953-1969 LP
This LP reveals the extraordinary diversity of research -- almost all hidden -- by Spanish musicians in the '50s and '60s. Those pieces were composed while the country was under the tyranny of Francisco Franco. It is truly the ultimate grail, developed by musicologist Miguel Álvarez-Fernández: he is its curator, editor and commentator. This undoubtedly marks a major step in the approach and understanding of this music which had to fight to exist before the death of Franco in 1975. Miguel Álvarez-Fernández (Madrid, 1979) is a writer. He hosts the weekly radio broadcast Ars Sonora -- dedicated to sound art and experimental music, and offering hundreds of freely available podcasts on Radio Clásica (Spanish National Radio). Five Spanish Pionniers of Eletronic and Experimental Music aims to present five composers who most often work outside the rules and without the possibility of help from their own country. Jose Val del Omar (1904-1982) is essentially a creator, a filmmaker developing a dreamlike art -- not without links with Federico Garcia Lorca or Luis Buñuel. Eduardo Polonio (b. 1941) has published, in forty years, more than a hundred works. Josep Maria Mestres Quadreny (1929-2011) joined the Manuel de Falla Circle in 1952 and in 1974 he founded the Laboratori de Música Electroacústica Phonos. During his life he collaborated with Joan Miró and Antoni Tàpies. Juan Hidalgo (1927-2018) participated in the music festival XII Internationale Ferienkurse Fur Neue Musik in Darmstadt in 1957. The following year he met the American composers John Cage and David Tudor. A member of Fluxus, in 1966 he participated with Gustav Metzger, Otto Muehl, Wolf Vostell, and Hermann Nitsch in the Destruction in Art Symposium in London. Cristóbal Halffter (1930-2021) was soon considered one of the most important composers of his generation. As a lecturer at the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt, he worked with Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Luciano Berio.
London-based psychedelic folk quartet Kaleidoscope formed as the Sidekicks in 1964, changing their name to the Key the following year. By the time they signed Fontana for the 1967 debut album Tangerine Dream, their choral pop harmonies were stronger and the musicianship more accomplished, the distinctly English folk undercurrents more pronounced. A favorite of Spaceman 3 and other connoisseurs of neglected psych, originals of this rare gem now change hands at extortionate prices and the work has aged like a vintage wine, the unjustly overlooked classic now rightly feted.
Solo debut album by Camila de Laborde aka Opuntia, who is part of the project Camila Fuchs. Pink color vinyl, edition of 300 copies. Includes download code. Mercurio is the debut album by Opuntia, the solo project of Mexico City producer Camila de Laborde. After three albums with her duo/band, Camila Fuchs (ATP/Felte, etc.), Camila decides to embark on a new path of musical and interpersonal exploration with Opuntia as her new alias, and with the album Mercurio as a statement of metamorphosis and creative process. Broadly speaking, Mercurio is a direct impact of beautiful melodies, rhythms, and voices that traverse a leftfield electronic pop axis, sprinkled with elegant nods to experimental transitions. In Mercurio, you can sense the spaces, textures, and echoes, akin to a sort of retro sci-fi analogy. Bass hits or percussions carry a weight that bursts forth yet delicately dissolves instantly -- perhaps another analogy, akin to liquid metal. From softness to fury across the ten songs, Opuntia proposes an artistic reinvention in constant movement. Speeds and spaces change, but the narrative remains consistent from beginning to end -- finding a place, a resolved utopia. Mercurio is darkly joyful, with substantial doses of sophisticated pop.
Wewantsounds presents this reissue of Brion Gysin's cult avant-funk album produced by Ramuntcho Matta in the early '80s. The hugely influential Gysin who, with his friend William Burroughs, was revered by the likes of David Bowie, Brian Jones, Laurie Anderson, and Genesis P-Orridge, is accompanied here by Matta -- on his return from a two-year spell in New York -- and French post punk stalwarts Yann Le Ker (from the group Modern Guy) and Frederic Cousseau (from Suicide Romeo) plus special guests including Don Cherry, Elli Medeiros, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Caroline Loeb, and Senegalese drummer Prosper Niang (Xalam). This is the first time the album is reissued on vinyl, newly remastered from the original tapes, augmented with bonus tracks and a two-page color insert featuring new liner notes by Gysin scholar Jason Weiss.
AYERS, KEVIN
Joy Of A Toy: Remastered Gatefold Edition (Coke Bottle Clear Indie Exclusive) LP
"An original member of Soft Machine, Kevin Ayers embarked on a solo career following a US tour with the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968. He was one of the first signings to EMI's Progressive imprint Harvest and recorded his debut album in the summer of 1969 at Abbey Road studios. Joy Of A Toy is a classic of psychedelic and progressive rock, featuring contributions from his former Soft Machine band mates, David Bedford and such wonderful songs as 'The Lady Rachel,' 'Stop This Train (Again Doing It),' 'Girl on a Swing,' and 'All This Crazy Gift of Time.' This official gatefold LP vinyl edition fully restores the original LP artwork, has been remastered from the original Harvest master tapes and has been cut at Abbey Road."
"Engelchen" literally translates as "little angels," and for many in the febrile, dangerous era of the 1930s in Nazi-occupied Europe, as they wrote letters to arrange their paths out of danger as refugees, these were Ida and Louise Cook. Ida and Louise spent much of their early years in Sunderland, and in adulthood lived in a suburb of London with their parents. They were enormous fans of opera, and led relatively quiet and unfussy lives, Ida working for the civil service as a secretary and Louise as a writer of Mills & Boon romances under a pseudonym. Yet secretly these resourceful and eccentric women were using their musical obsessions as a means to help dozens of refugees escape with their lives. Their secretive heroics now almost beggar belief, and when Alison Cotton, herself from Sunderland, first discovered their story, she couldn't understand why it wasn't more widely known. Furthermore, she was inspired by their courage, fortitude and derring-do to compose Engelchen, a musical tribute to the duo's lives and work, first performed at Seventeen Nineteen Holy Church in Sunderland and now a full-length release by Rocket Recordings. Engelchen is a work which builds a bridge between the emotional intensity of the music that inspired the Cook sisters and the bravery and jeopardy of their lives. This story is relayed by Alison Cotton, whether acapella or by means of richly emotive string arrangements, with a deftness of touch, sensitivity and intensity that matches the feverish nature of the experiences and the unforgiving environs in which they took place. Summoning foley work to sum up the atmospheres of the sister's journeys (from train noises to the sound of gulls on the English coast, to the ominous military drumbeat) Engelchen is a transporting work whose spirit is situated in a very specific time and place. In putting together Engelchen, Alison met up with refugees living in the UK today via the charity North East Rise to discover the challenges they've faced on their journey, and those experiences ultimately found their way into a new version of the piece's eponymous track, connecting the Cook sisters' story to 2024. This is more than merely an inspirational tribute to two mavericks who beat the odds in an unforgettable feat of altruism. It's a celebration of the human spirit, one that reflects a universality in its narrative which transcends the boundaries of history and impacts very urgently on our daily lives. Whatever attempts may be made to tell this story, it's hard to imagine one that resonates deeper than Engelchen. Co-release with Rocket Recordings.
VA
Funeral Gongs Ceremonies in Ratanakiri, Cambodia LP
Those recordings of gongs orchestras were produced in 2003 and 2004 during funeral ceremonies in two Kung villages and one Jaraï village in Ratanakiri province, Cambodia by Laurent Jeanneau (Kink Gong), during a time when the jungle had not been replaced by rubber plantations. Focusing on funeral ceremonies, these hypnotics pieces are intense and haunting sonic experiments.
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Tear It Up: The Rockabilly Years 1956-59 LP
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African Electronic Music 1975-1982 2LP
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Joy Of A Toy: Remastered Gatefold Edition (Coke Bottle Clear Indie Exclusive) LP
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Glorious - The Ultimate Collection 2CD
Santa Sangre Soundtrack (Limited Extended Deluxe Edition) 2LP
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Spectra Ex Machina: A Sound Anthology of Occult Phenomena, 1920-2017 Vol.1 CD
Spectra Ex Machina: A Sound Anthology of Occult Phenomena 1920-2017 Vol. 2 CD
Funeral Gongs Ceremonies in Ratanakiri, Cambodia LP
Five Spanish Pioneers of Electronic and Experimental Music: 1953-1969 LP
It's Not Quite That Inventive (Sixty Years with Broken Music) 2CD
Needlefall (Purple Vinyl) LP
Gomma Dancefloor Gems Vol. 2 2LP
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