Browse by Label: EM RECORDS (JAPAN)

Artist:	MOORE, SAM
Title:	Moooohieee!
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1040CD

2002 reissue in stock for the first time. Innovator of the octo-chorda (an open/alternate-tuned eight-string steel guitar), banjo, singing saw, inflated rubber balloon, and various other "household instruments," Floridian Samuel Pasco Moore (1887-1959) -- not to be confused the Sam & Dave soul shooter -- was a darling both in NYC and on the vaudeville circuit during his 1920s heyday. While novelty acts suffered the pitfalls of most soft-soapers, Moore's sound is startling, heavenly, haunted Southern folk, Hawaiian and ragtime, the ghosts of Stephen Foster, and the stretching, endlessly splayed void that he carelessly toys with. Moooohieee!, his first compendium, on which he plays the octo-chorda and singing saw in duo settings, collects 13 of the man's unknown amount of sides. Only two others have seen digital release, and as far as we can tell, he had not a single LP moment.

        Today remarkably obscure, there appears nary a whiff of this unheard heavy in the noses of some of the biggest pre-war provocateurs in these parts. Glenn Jones reports that a) he's unaware of the man and b) John Fahey never mentioned him. Fahey's encyclopedic knowledge of the era -- and being pals with 78 heavyweight Joe Bussard -- probably led to at least his awareness of Moore's "Laughing Rag." It was a seller in its day, not forgotten in later years, and sounds like another coin jingling in the Takoma bag. But the real cream here is the singing saw material, which Moore performed on regular old off-the-farm toothed blade handsaws. If the other excellent saw records on EM are any kind of snort, Sam Moore is a giant of that universe. I mean, this cracker sounds like he's bowing the fucking earth, people.

        Some of these mysteries will hopefully be solved, bringing him into the light alongside Emmett Miller, John Jacob Niles, and the folk-blues giants. But for now, answers ain't exactly forthcoming. EM pulls out most of the stops for their amazing releases, but English liner notes are not among them. In this collected form, let's say Moooohieee! works as the Song Cycle of its day, with all the people's music mashed into one big holy huge. --Kris Price

Artist:	ANDROID SISTERS, THE
Title:	The Best of the Android Sisters
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1041CD

The concept of The Android Sisters was based on the novel Do the Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, the original inspiration for the fab sci-fi film Blade Runner. Also, they thought it would be a funny play on the Andrew Sisters as androids. This CD collects 1984's LP Songs of Electronic Despair, issued on Vanguard Records, plus bonus tracks. An odd combination of MIDI/Synclavier musical genre-hopping, dual femme robot-disco vox, satire, and social commentary.

Artist:	FASSETT, JIM
Title:	Symphony of the Birds
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1044CD

EM Records is a w-e-i-r-d Japanese reissue label that is slowly taking the world by storm. Very experimental/eccentric recordings, lovingly re-presented -- all officially licensed from the original artists, with deluxe packaging and sound. Symphony of the Birds is a CD reissue of the historical 1950s LP, featuring a three-track multi-speed tape collage, "Symphony," made by ONLY nature's birdsongs (it's REAL), plus regular-speed and time-stretched field recordings, and explanations from the man himself. Jim Fassett was the musical director of CBS radio in the '50s-'60s, and also famous as the author of another concrete work, Strange to Your Ears in the '50s. The kinda roots of recent field recordings/drones stuff. Total birdsong mania! Huge booklet of photos and (mostly Japanese-only) texts -- so big that EM actually uses a slightly larger-than-normal jewel case to make it fit!

Artist:	YOUNG, ROLAND P.
Title:	Isophonic Boogie Woogie
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1045CD

Reissue of the legendary 5-track first LP (plus 2 bonus tracks) from horn wizard and original underground FM radio DJ Roland P. Young, featuring soprano sax, clarinet, and electronically-processed bass clarinet. An enjoyable outing from a neglected musician. Cosmic Afro-minimal electronic winds recorded in 1970s San Francisco. Classic explorations from the dude who was responsible for the legendary Infinite Sound LP on Arch 1750.

Artist:	YOUNG, ROLAND P.
Title:	Isophonic Boogie Woogie
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	LP
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1045HJ-LP

Long-awaited, newly repressed for vinyl LP edition of the legendary 5-track first LP from U.S. horn wizard & original underground FM radio DJ Roland P. Young, featuring soprano sax, clarinet, and electronically-processed bass clarinet. Young's mid-'70s work with jazz/chamber/electronic ensemble Infinite Sound (including members Glenn Howell and Aisha Kahlil) helped form the musical language of Isophonic Boogie Woogie, a solo, jazz/world music-flecked exploration of acoustic and electronic sounds. An enjoyable outing from a neglected musician. Cosmic Afro-minimal electronic winds recorded in late 1970s San Francisco. CD version re-released in 2005 on Em Records.

Artist:	IASOS
Title:	Inter-Dimensional Music
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1050CD

CD reissue of the 1978 debut LP by the original new age music legend, Iasos. Fifteen tracks (including 3 bonus tracks) of original analog bliss. It is NOT the typical sounds of the average new age music found throughout the '80s, it is a trippy, exotic psych sound having roots in '60s West Coast experimental music. A cornerstone of new age music by real new agers. "l find lasos' inter-dimensional music needing new words to describe it. I feel as though I were entering a new world -- a new and very profoundly beautiful world. --Buckminster Fuller

Artist:	LEONARD, JIM
Title:	Super Saw
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1052CD

The second release in Em Records' series of "musical saw" releases. A compilation of tracks from three Jim Leonard private press LPs from the 1980s (with one previously-unreleased track). Famous as the author of the one and only musical saw book Scratch My Back, Jim "Supersaw" Leonard, self-taught musical saw master. Nineteen tracks recorded during the late '70s to mid-'80s. Vibrato-heavy, Theremin-like renderings of all your favorite chestnuts, with magnificent backing. Much love for the musical saw.

Artist:	ROSENBOOM, DAVID
Title:	Brainwave Music
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1054CD

CD reissue of biofeedback/brainwave music masterpieces from 1971 to 1974, using analog synthesizers, piano, and text. Includes a bonus track, a previously-unreleased 2001 piece featuring biofeedback-driven computer synthesis, violin and oboe. With original cover art. Listed in Alan Licht's "Minimalism Top 10 Pt. 3": "The sidelong 'Portable Gold and Philosopher's Stones (Music from Brains in Fours)' uses brain waves to trigger synths. A spiraling, oozing piece, it's the best analog synth minimalism I've heard this side of David Borden, Horacio Vaggione's 'Ending', or Keith Fullerton Whitman's release on Heavy Tapes. The other tracks, 'Chilean Draught' and 'Piano Etude (Alpha)' use rapid-fire, repetitive piano figures, like Fred Rzewski on speed or something, combined with an odd and effective text about environmental disaster in South America on the former and more brain waves on the latter." -- Alan Licht

Artist:	EATON, WILLIAM
Title:	Music By William Eaton
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1059CD

Originally released in 1978, this was a private-press album from an experimental stringed instrument builder (the photos of said instruments in this booklet are mindblowing). First time re-issue on CD. "When I started building instruments, playing guitar took on a whole new dimension. The process of envisioning the design, drawing the plans, making templates, cutting, carving, and gluing revealed new insights about the construction, inner workings and physical mechanics of guitars and stringed instruments. From the conception to the birth of each instrument, new layers of meaning unfolded. During this time I sought out quiet natural environments to play and listen to the 'voice' of my 6-string, 12-string, 26-string (Elesion Harmonium) and double neck quadraphonic electric guitar. Deep canyons contained a beautiful resonant quality and echo. A starlit night with a full moon provided all the reflection and endless space by which to project music into the cosmos. The sound of a bubbling stream and singing birds added a natural symphonic tapestry to a melody or chord pattern. These were solo sessions where I felt integrally connected to all that was happening. As I perceived it, everything was participating in a serendipitous dance. Everything was part of the music. I decided to record an instrumental album of music. The idea was simple; it would be a series of tone poems with no titles or any information attached, only the words 'Music by William Eaton.' It was conceived as a limited edition of 1000 copies, with no more to be pressed. While some of the songs evolved out of composed chord progressions, most of the songs were played spontaneously, only on the occasion of the recording. These improvised songs haven't been played since." --William Eaton

Artist:	MCLEAN, BARTON & PRISCILLA
Title:	Electronic Landscapes
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1060CD

2009 repress. Originally issued in 1979, first time on CD with bonus tracks. Although Barton and his wife Priscilla McLean have had a long and distinguished history of LP and compact disc albums throughout their professional composer/performer career, this album is unique in that it is the first one to present, on one CD, such a broad and comprehensive picture of their purely electronic music, spanning 1975 through 2001. Interestingly, although their materials and equipment have changed, their ideas of musical composition are still basically the same, creating a unity throughout the CD. From the liner notes: "When Bart introduced me to the new studio with the Synthi-100, I stared unbelievingly: here was a huge synthesizer, along a whole wall, with hundreds of push-pins (a matrix setup for connecting sounds, rather than the old patch cords), and 22 oscillators! The Synthi-256 Digital Sequencer was a full-sized keyboard, standing alone diagonally to the analog synthesizer, but connected internally. In that studio with the giant machines, one raced from one end of the room to another to play and record the sounds, never sitting down, and in removing unwanted noise or editing out a recorded section, the composer had to take a metal splicing block and sharp razor blade, and pressing down very hard, cut through the 1" wide acetate tape in two places, remove the unwanted time segment, and rejoin the two remaining ends with special splicing tape! So we three -- Bruce, Bart, and I worked all our spare time, alternating with each other, in the I.U.S.B. Studio. I spent whole days there, sometimes 22 hours long, working and working to get just the right sound-combinations and record them." --Priscilla McLean

Artist:	LEGENDARY STARDUST COWBOY, THE
Title:	Paralyzed!: His Vintage Recordings 1968-1981
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1061CD

Killer presentation of the earliest recordings of this Texas hero, including all 4 of his singles for the Mercury label, cut in the late '60s. Also including unreleased tracks and the 1984 album, Rock-it To Stardum. Typically great EM Records booklet with old photos and lyrics, etc. It might be the weirdest piece of music ever committed to tape in Fort Worth. On "Paralyzed," an explosion of madness recorded at Sound City Studios on Camp Bowie Boulevard in 1968, the Legendary Stardust Cowboy thrashes away at a single guitar chord over a rudimentary two-beat, tunelessly bellowing indecipherable lyrics and whooping like an Indian in an old Western movie. In the middle of the song, there's a drum solo that sounds like someone dropping trash cans down a flight of stairs, followed by a blatting bugle. The pandemonium starts up again only to subside, like the end of an epileptic seizure. Hearing the song for the first time is disorienting, to say the least. Its impact is both hilarious and primal. Norman Carl Odam is an unlikely musical hero. That's the name the Lege's parents gave him when he was born, in Lubbock in 1947. But since high school, he's called himself the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. He has an extremely limited vocal range, has trouble singing in time, and can barely play his instruments. Yet, some surprising people like him. Chameleon-like British rocker David Bowie based his Ziggy Stardust character on the Lege after receiving a copy of "Paralyzed" from Mercury Records upon signing with the label in 1968. Bowie even covered Odam's song "I Took a Trip (On A Gemini Spaceship)" on his 2002 Heathen CD. Joe Ely, who grew up with Odam in Lubbock, has said that his old friend "might be the greatest jazz musician ever to come out of West Texas." Ely's claim sounds preposterous, but it's still indicative of a degree of bewildered admiration. As for Norman Odam, these days he works as a night watchman in a Santa Clara bank. His current band -- bassist Klaus Fluoride (formerly of San Francisco punk originators, the Dead Kennedys), guitarist Jay Rosen, and Meyers -- works regularly around the Bay Area and even played a show in France with punk-era figures Alan Vega, Lydia Lunch, and Sigue Sigue Sputnik. Odam's been featured in Songs in the Key of Z, Irwin Chusid's book on "outsider" music, and Lubbock Lights, a documentary about his homeboys the Flatlanders.

Artist:	ACKAMOOR, IDRIS
Title:	Music of Idris Ackamoor 1971-2004
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$25.50
Catalog #:	EM 1062CD

2CD collection of the ex-leader of legendary Afro-spiritual/deep funk/free jazz group from 1970s Ohio (later in SF), The Pyramids. Their music is one of the most deep attempts by African-Americans, deep sounds like Strata-East, aggressive performances like Tribe or Black Jazz, every free jazz/funk collector should agree on it. Featuring 10 pieces of The Pyramids taken from their 3 albums and unreleased (!) recordings (including their first live recording in Holland!). Notably, The Pyramids had even stayed in African countries like Morocco, Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia and studied real African culture and music there in the early 1970s. Do you know other African-American jazz musicians who had done such a road trip in the early 1970s?? Also featuring the never-heard pre-Pyramids, P. Sanders and Strata East recording as The Collective, and 4 pieces from the late '70s to '00s, recording as Idris Ackamoor Quartet/Ensemble. Sixteen pieces in total. Ackamoor owns all original master tapes (it's a miracle!) and Em Records checked them all and compiled their finest and best cuts. All digitally re-mastered in excellent sound shapes. This 2CD set will be housed in a big "DUO" case with complete English liner notes written by Ackamoor himself, a bunch of rare photos and session data, etc. This is one of the best CDs that EM Records has ever produced.

Artist:	LERMAN, RICHARD
Title:	Music Of Richard Lerman 1964-1987
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$25.50
Catalog #:	EM 1063CD

2012 repress, originally released 2007. Every bicycle rider will dream of "Music for Bicycles," if it really exists. Sure, you know "Bicycle" sung by Queen, and "Tour de France" by Kraftwerk, but REAL bicycle music DOES exist! Travelon Gamelon (Music for Bicycles), realized by the sound artist Richard Lerman used real bicycles as musical instruments. Performed in the 1970s-1980s, he realized that the music for bicycles sounded like gamelan music in Southeast Asia. No joke, it's serious, a real true story. Travelon Gamelon had only ever been released as an album on Folkways Records in 1983, including 4 tracks of promenade and concert versions. It was long out of print and became a very hard to find, sought-after album for experimental/industrial music fans. This long-awaited re-issue is its first-ever CD release. This one and only original performance is not only an unrivaled experimental piece but also is the ultimate "industrial" music that will appeal to heavy noise/industrial music listeners. Music Of Richard Lerman1964-1987 is a 2CD collection, with the Travelon Gamelon (Music for Bicycles) album on disc one with an unissued bonus track. And disc two features other various soundworks of Lerman's entire pieces performed and recorded from 1964-1987. Both discs are CD-Extra (CD enhanced) including movies of his scarce performances on QuickTime and scores/diagrams for those works on PDF file. The liner notes were written by Arthur Sabatini and Richard Lerman himself. English & Japanese texts. A lot of photos within a heavy booklet, as usual. Packed in a duo case.

Artist:	LOCKWOOD, ANNEA
Title:	Early Works 1967-82
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1064CD

EM's original selection of Annea Lockwood's early works, which had once featured in Source: Music of the Avant Garde, a now-legendary magazine for new and experimental music from 1967-1973. This CD includes the album Glass World (originally issued on Tangent Records in England, 1970), and trippy, ritual shamanic tape piece "Tiger Balm" (1970). Also her most notable works, series performances "Piano Transplants (1967-1982)" is now re-realized in one single special booklet, containing "Piano Burning," "Piano Garden," etc. Annea Lockwood was born in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1939 and lived in London and Cologne from 1961-1972, studying at the Royal College of Music and the Musikhochschule, K�ln, and also freelanced as a composer-performer. Since 1973, she has lived in Peekskill, New York, and taught on the faculty of music at Vassar College, New York from 1982-2001. Her music has been presented in North America, Britain, France, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Scandinavia, Italy, Belgium, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

Artist:	CHILDISH & THE BLACKHANDS, WILD BILLY
Title:	Play: Captain Calypso's Hoodoo Party
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1065CD

Britain's bohemian/beat, poetry/writer, and musician who headed The Milkshakes and The Headcoast, Billy Childish appeared as Wild Billy playing Caribbean music with his one-night group The Blackhands (what a cool name!). Whole tunes were recorded in a kitchen room in 1988, using only one microphone in the span of a single day. Assembling a coterie of friends and players as the Blackhands -- notably including a trumpeter, one Dave -- Childish turned in a loose and lively romp through originals and covers both -- yet one more collection of rough and tumble wiggery from the man. Hoodoo is the sound of folks playing for their own enjoyment and having a fun time while they're at it. It's not quite rock, not exactly calypso, definitely not lounge, and not really big band jazz, but somehow the Blackhands make it all sound like a fusion of it all, like a record dropped somewhere out of the '30s or the late '40s into the present. Childish sends his vocals through some light effects, or maybe it's just the mike, giving it a mid-century scratchiness. His banjo takes the basic lead, but Dave's trumpet provides the flair, and even if it's not always note-perfect, that's hardly the point. Vocals from Ludella and Kyra provide a nice contrast, sometimes taking lead and sometimes pairing up with Childish in duets, while Seamus on accordion adds more fills and fun to it all. Everything kicks off with the old standard "Rum 'n Coca-Cola," delivered with an infectious glee -- the punchy drums from Richard add to the entertainment. Other oldies include the calypso number "Underneath The Mango Tree," "I Love Paris (In The Springtime)," and the Champs' legendary instrumental "Tequila." Even The Sex Pistols' anthem is given a hilarious and energetic run-through. Hearing Childish play the opening riff on banjo is reason enough to give this an ear.

Artist:	FARM
Title:	The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1066CD

Legendary independent soundtrack recording to the classic 1969 surf movie The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun, directed by George Greenough. The soundtrack was written, performed and produced by American surfer group, Farm. Farm's lead guitarist Denny Aaberg was a keen surfer and later became a well-known surf writer; the movie Big Wednesday (1978) is based on his novel about his surfing youth. Other members of Farm include bassist Phill Pritchard, guitarist Ernie Knapp, both of whom played with The Beach Boys in the 1980s-1990s, and the Dragon brothers Doug and Dennis (organ and drums respectively on this soundtrack). Dennis also has a Beach Boys link, having done sound work for them. Dennis became a busy surf soundtrack producer in the 1970s, did some early work with Van Halen, and was a member of the Surf Punks. An additional musician on this soundtrack is Daryl Dragon (The "Captain" in Captain & Tennille), who collaborated with Dennis Wilson. Daryl and Dennis Dragon produced about 30 albums in their Malibu studio. This album is the only release from this historical surfer quintet. The movie is very well-known and brought an epoch-making "street" style to surf films for the next decades, and is still a long-time favorite of many people. The fine soundtrack performances by Farm helped to promote the streetwise feeling of the film. No Annette, no Jan & Dean, no beach party anymore. People agreed the soundtrack -- jazz, blues and psychedelia-based -- was totally tremendous and birthed a new surf style. The trippy and imaginative sounds go well with the atmosphere of the Greenough film. The soundtrack has a strong reputation based on the reaction of viewers. However, despite the word-of-mouth fame, the existence of the original soundtrack album was known only to serious record collectors or surfers, as it was released privately (the original LP has no label credit or address), with only 1000 copies pressed. Distribution was limited to the U.S. West Coast, mainly surf shops, with some mail-order distribution. The album was illegally issued (with a different cover) in the early 1970s in Australia. Though Greenough is well-known for his superb underwater camera work on Big Wednesday and his later surf classic Crystal Voyager, The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun is the origin of his work.

Artist:	MARTIN & FINCH, PETER
Title:	Drouyn
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1067CD

Drouyn (aka Drouyn and Friends) is a cult Australian 1974 surf movie that was produced by Aussie surf filmmaker Bob Evans and filmed on location around the world over an 8-month period. It was his 14th surf film. The soundtrack featured music from Peter Martin and also the hard rock group Finch. Martin's contributions, both songs and instrumental pieces, are richly-orchestrated, using a wide variety of wind instruments, keyboards, and strings (shamisen on one track), with an intelligently funky, mellow and exotic feel, pleasantly smooth, with strong melodies and clever arrangements. Nearly every song on the album blends into each other, almost like a mix-tape. The three offerings from Finch (AC/DC bassist Mark Evans was a one-time member) are solid rockers with classic guitar playing and a solid bass sound. You'll feel your hair grow!

Artist:	TULLY
Title:	Sea Of Joy
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1068CD

First time on CD and reissue of the music from the classic Australian surf movie filmed by Paul Witzig in 1971, starring Wayne Lynce, Nat Young and Ted Spencer. Filmed in Australia, Mauritius, South Africa, Oahu and Kauai. The music was all written and performed by a psychedelic rock acid folk outfit called Tully featuring Richard Lockwood and Michael Carlos. The band that recorded Sea of Joy was the precocious child of two very different creatures, Tully the First (wild, psychedelic and spiritual progressive rock) and Extradition (ethereal acid folk sounds, later survived by the album Hush). They played together once, then became Tully the Second. The music they played for the soundtrack was engrossing and particularly enchanting, and still is. You may find there will be nothing to compare such a recording with -- not even other surf soundtracks or surfing-related music in the whole of surf music history (even now). Deep-psych-progressive-rock-acid-folk surf in the early 1970s! Some tracks were heard on the movie, but many of them are different versions and arrangements for this album, in a much higher audio quality than we hear on the original film. Sea of Joy, a title borrowed from the Blind Faith song of the same name (featured on the group's 1969 self-titled longplayer), was, as a film, a relaxing experience, instead of the usual story or travelogue. Uncrowded waves from Australia to Africa to Hawaii were a strong feature of the film and there was a serene beauty to the production. Geoff Watson in his review of the film in the surfing tabloid Tracks (issue #8) commented, "Paul Witzig takes us into his child's world in his newest film. It is a world of puppy dogs and slow motion pony rides, of fish eye gnomes and laughing faces. The grown-ups are friendly and very kind and every day is a holiday." A style and sound that won them inclusion in Lillian Roxon's highly-acclaimed Rock Encyclopedia. In fact, Tully were the only truly Australian group included in the book. Recorded at EMI's studios in Castlereagh Street, Sydney, the end result was a mixture of ethereal odes and tantalizing melodies. The organ-dominated title theme was mesmerizing -- it captured the mood of the film perfectly, even if many people missed the point.

Artist:	TAMAM SHUD
Title:	Evolution
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1069CD

Featuring the songs from another classic Australian surf movie filmed by Paul Witzig in 1969, played by an Australian group called Tamam Shud. This surfer quartet featured Lindsay Bjerre and Tim Gaze -- both of them successful for their solo career. Tamam Shud was one of the most original and innovative Australian groups of the late '60s and early '70s. They played a very important part as pioneers of acid-rock and progressive music. For many years after they split, they were something of a cult, and their original recordings were (and still are) very hard to obtain. But thanks to a gratifying "comeback," and some commercial success with their 1994 album Permanent Culture, and the driving, bluesy single "Stay," there has been a significant revival of interest in this outstanding and original group, and it sparked interest in this classic band with younger listeners as well. The evolution of Shud was typical of many groups of the era, beginning as an instrumental band, through "beat" pop songs and psychedelia, to progressive rock. From the original line-up (The Sunsets), through to Evolution, Goolutionites, Morning Of The Earth and Permanent Culture line-ups, the lingering "surf band" tag linked them with Sydney's northern beach surf culture. In reality, they established their major fan base on Sydney's university and college dance circuit, and with the "hippy" audiences at inner city underground venues like the Mandala Theatre in Darlinghurst and the Beacon Theatre in Newtown. A bonus track, "Bali Waters" features Richard Lockwood (from Tully) playing his ethereal flute on a mystical, psychedelic instrumental tune which is one of the highlights of this CD.

Artist:	TIM GAZE BAND, THE
Title:	Band on the Run
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1070CD

Made with the assistance of Coca-Cola Bottlers Australia and the Australian Film Commission, the film Band on the Run appeared briefly and then vanished, as did the accompanying soundtrack LP earmarked for release by Festival Records in mid-1982. However, Festival Records "jumped the gun" somewhat and pressed up a limited number of "promotional" copies, some of which were distributed before the release was cancelled. Of the 13 selections included on the soundtrack LP, eight were supplied by The Tim Gaze Band who also appeared in the film performing their material. The remaining tunes were all by American J.J. Cale, a Tulsa, Oklahoma musician renowned for his "soft yet rasping voice" and "weirdly haunting guitar style." As for the Australian content of the package, ex-Tamam Shud lead guitarist Tim Gaze and his group (Robbie France-Shaw on drums, Harry Curtis on bass, Peter Bolton on keyboards and Annette Henery on backing vocals) provided an assortment of vocal and instrumental tunes, most of which contained direct lyrical affinity with the surfing lifestyle. Of their eight contributions, Gaze wrote five outright and collaborated on two with the film's producer/director Harry Hodge (who supplied the lyrics) and one with Suzanne Petersen. Of these, Gaze sang the lead vocal on all except the Petersen-Gaze collaboration "Lazy Day Fever" which instead featured co-writer Petersen in the vocal spotlight. Petersen, who also played flute and guitar, performed live with The Tim Gaze Band at its inception. The connection that brought The Tim Gaze Band together with the film's director/producer Harry Hodge came via group member Peter Bolton's friendship with Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew, one of the "stars" of the film. "Rabbit" introduced Bolton and Gaze to Hodge and a deal was struck, the result of which was the group's contributions to Band on the Run.

Artist:	RAY, BRENDA
Title:	Walatta
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1071CD

2011 repress. Certainly the most unusual reggae album ever made. Augustus Pablo, King Tubby, Asha Puthli with Ornette Coleman, Lonnie Liston Smith and Pharoah Sanders -- very disturbing slices of psycho-dub/doo-wop/jazz-fusion/exotica music. Her breathy Chordettes meets Susan Cadgan vocals, multi-tracked whisperings about inter-galactic Bluebeat starlights over what sounds like a modulated cut of heavy rhythm. Brenda Ray will be familiar to observers of the Liverpool scene as part of the NAFFI organization through the '80s, also famed as Brenda & The Beachballs. Over the past years, together with cohort Sir Freddie Viadukt (aka The Minister of Noise), she has been aiding and abetting the reggae producer Roy Cousins, once of The Royals, in his program of remastering and reissuing selections from his Tamoki Wambesi imprint. Cousins suggested she record an album using original roots reggae tracks from original tapes. The whole album was overdubbed, played, recorded and mixed between 1995-2005 at NAFFI Studios. Everything was done by herself except the final mix-down with Sir Freddie. The cover photo has Brenda in a pose somewhere between Pharoah Sanders' Thembi and Augustus Pablo's East of the River Nile with a melodica pointed towards the water.

Artist:	RAY, BRENDA
Title:	Walatta
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	LP
Price:	$36.00
Catalog #:	EM 1071LP

Originally released in 2006 -- newly-produced vinyl LP version in a super limited edition. Certainly the most unusual reggae vox album ever made. Very disturbing slices of psycho-dub/doo-wop/jazz-fusion/exotica music. Prince Fari and Knowledge make sampled guest appearances, contrasting with Brenda Ray's breathy Chordettes meets Susan Cadgan vocals -- multi-tracked whisperings about inter-galactic Bluebeat starlight over what sounds like a modulated cut of heavy rhythm. Brenda Ray will be familiar to observers of the Liverpool scene as part of the NAFFI organization through the '80s, also famed as Brenda & The Beachballs. Over the past years, together with cohort Sir Freddie Viadukt (aka The Minister of Noise), she has been aiding and abetting the reggae producer Roy Cousins, once of The Royals, in his program of remastering and reissuing selections from his Tamoki/Wambesi imprint. Cousins suggested she record an album using original roots reggae tracks from original tapes. The whole album was overdubbed, played, recorded and mixed between 1995-2005 at NAFFI Studios. Everything was done by herself except the final mix-down with Sir Freddie. The cover photo has Brenda in a pose somewhere between Pharoah Sanders' Thembi and Augustus Pablo's East Of The River Nile with a melodica pointed towards water. Brenda explains that "Recording was not plain sailing. When engineering, recording and overdubbing tracks, I used a very close mike technique for vocals/harmonies. With my natural evolution of infusing vocal/harmonies, arranging and playing keyboards and a wide range of percussion instruments, I worked on tracks, and from the early stages knew this was something different than mainstream reggae." Housed in a handmade sleeve with a silkscreen print.

Artist:	MODERN SOUND QUARTET
Title:	Otinku
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1072CD

The Modern Sound Quintet was formed by Rudy Smith, a Trinidadian master of the "pans" and a genuine jazz bebopper, in late 1960s Sweden. This international group of musicians features John Rochford (piano) from Barbados, Sigfried McIntosh (bass) from Surinam, George Allyn (drums) from Trinidad and Kofi Ayivor (congas) from Ghana. Lars Samuelson, a jazz trumpet player and producer in Sweden who heard this quite unique quintet, was captivated by their concept and sound, and asked them to record an album. Otinku, the resulting album, was recorded in Stockholm in 1971, produced by Samuelson, and originally released on the Odeon label, a subsidiary of EMI Finland. With an Afro-jazz/Caribbean orientation, the selections are a rich mixture of jazz standards and original compositions, including recently re-discovered killer funk tunes "Otinku" and "Sugar Daddy,"and a fine steel jazz version of "Bags Groove." The album was their only release and is now a sought-after item for steel pan/Caribbean music fans and vinyl diggers.

Artist:	SMITH, RUDY QUARTET
Title:	Still Around
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1073CD

The album Still Around is the first record Rudy Smith made under his own name, and it is considered a classic and one of his best. In the long history of Pan music, both in Trinidad and internationally, this is one of the very few albums to feature Pan as the leading voice in a pure jazz setting. His group the Modern Sound Quintet played disco/reggae/jazz fusion, changing their name to the Modern Sound Corporation in the late 1970s. After extensive touring throughout Europe, they broke up in 1980. Rudy Smith moved to Denmark in 1983, where he decided to return to the music he loved, jazz and be-bop, forming the Rudy Smith Quartet. The group included Ole Mathiessen (piano), Niels Pr�stholm (bass) and a South African drummer, Gilbert Matthews. There is an international inspiration for the music on the 1984 album Still Around, featuring an Asian element, mixed with a dash of European, as well as American jazz. Rudy Smith is referred to as the jazz king of steel pans, and in Denmark as the father of the steel pan.

Artist:	WADA, YOSHI
Title:	Lament For The Rise and Fall of the Elephantine Crocodile
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1074CD

2011 repress! Finally, a CD reissue of Yoshi Wada's most important and most rare LP, Lament For The Rise And Fall Of The Elephantine Crocodile, originally released in 1982 on the India Navigation label. Yoshi Wada is a Japanese sound installation artist and musician -- he moved to New York in the late 1960s, and became well-known as a Fluxus artist with links to La Monte Young, and has been involved in many performances and sound installations. However, he has released only two recordings, which are both hard to find. This CD contains two pieces: track 1 features a solo overtone voice (he studied with legendary Indian vocalist Pandit Pran Nath) recorded at the performance space Dry Pool (literally a dry pool that Wada slept in before this recording), with a deep underground echoing feeling. Track 2 displays Wada's trademark dense psychedelic drones using his "pipe horn," a home-made, bagpipe-like instrument. These wondrous sounds will take you to another, better world. 96khz/24bit digitally remastered complete full-length version (original LP edition was edited). Liner notes in English & Japanese.

Artist:	STEEL AN' SKIN
Title:	Reggae Is Here Once Again
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD/DVD
Price:	$25.50
Catalog #:	EM 1075CD

Outstanding steel pan, disco and dub CD + DVD release and the third installment in Em Records' Steel Pan Series. Steel 'N' Skin were an Afro-Caribbean workshop band based in 1970s London, founded by Peter Blackman, featuring ex-members of 20th Century Steel Band (Grandmaster Flash's fave). Comprised of young nightclub musicians born in Ghana, Nigeria, St. Kitts, Trinidad and the UK, the group gave concerts and workshops in London schools, expanding nationwide to prisons, psychiatric hospitals and summer festivals. The group combined an admirably brave, open and unironic mix of musical forms with community outreach, non-cynical and untainted by preachiness or "social work." Gratifyingly intricate African ritual rhythms and strong vocals compliment reggae, funk, disco and soul influences to form a relentless groove machine. This EM reissue consists of Steel 'N' Skin's 1979 debut 12" single "Reggae Is Here Once Again," featuring "Afro Punk Reggae (Dub)," a fine disco-dub workout, plus two tracks from their 1984 LP Acid Rain as well as one unissued track. The documentary DVD by Steve Shaw features perceptive commentary from Steel 'N' Skin's founder Peter Blackman, killer live and rehearsal footage of the band, workshop scenes and devastating views of inner-city Liverpool. Including liner notes written by Peter Blackman, English/Japanese text and rare photos. DVD running-time approximately 34 minutes; All-Region; NTSC.

Artist:	STEEL AN' SKIN
Title:	Steel An' Skin
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	EM 1075LP

First time-ever vinyl LP release of this steel pan + disco + dub material from the 1970s. This LP version consists of Steel An' Skin's 1979 debut 12" single Reggae Is Here Once Again, featuring "Afro Punk Reggae (Dub)," a fine disco-dub workout (now a worldwide dancefloor favorite), plus tracks from their 1984 album Acid Rain. Three of those tunes, 1980s modern-soul/boogie-influenced "Lady (Vocal)," "Lady (Instrumental)" and also a typical Steel An' Skin performance "Burning World" appear only on this LP version (not on previous CD version). Steel An' Skin was a unit composed of young nightclub musicians born in Ghana, Nigeria, St. Kitts, Trinidad and the UK, who once performed with Ginger Johnson's Afrikan Drummers -- a highlife band under the tutelage of the late Ginger Johnson -- and played at Johnson's Iroko Country Club in Hampstead, London. Steel An' Skin began giving concerts and workshops in London schools, expanding nationwide to prisons, psychiatric hospitals and summer festivals, including the world-famous Notting Hill Carnival. The group combined an admirably brave, open and unironic mix of musical forms with a non-cynical approach to community outreach. Ultra-positive consciousness from Afro-Caribbean London, circa 1979. Features ex-members of the legendary 20th Century Steel Band (one of Grand Master Flash's favorites) sailing Trinidad-wise over gratifyingly intricate African ritual rhythms. Strong vocals compliment reggae, funk, disco and soul influences to form a relentless groove machine. Includes an insert in English and Japanese.

Artist:	WADA, YOSHI
Title:	The Appointed Cloud
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1076CD

This is the first-ever release of the extraordinary 1987 performance of Yoshi Wada's interactive sound installation The Appointed Cloud, recorded in the Great Hall of the New York Hall of Science. This majestic recording captures 60 minutes of sound produced by a self-made 80-pipe organ, a pipe gong, sirens and a massive suspended metal sheet, all triggered by a computer program designed by David Rayna. The CD also features Wada, Bob Drombowski and Wayne Hankin on bagpipes, plus Michael Pugliese (percussion). Dramatically structured, shifting and intense, The Appointed Cloud features massive low frequencies and regal percussion vying with the ululations of bagpipes, all resounding in the huge, reverberant space of the Great Hall with its 24-meter ceiling. This CD, the second Yoshi Wada release as a joint production of EM Records and Omega Point (the first being the reissue of 1982's Lament For The Rise and Fall of the Elephantine Crocodile), is sure to delight all who enjoy drones, dynamics and drama. "His creation explores the effects of low, rumbling bass sounds and the higher, ringing tones of the organ as they reverberate off the curving walls of the space ... The work continues Wada's fascination with producing sub-sonic sounds -- sound frequencies so low that it seems the sounds are produced by the inner ear rather than an outside source." --from the liner notes

Artist:	WADA, YOSHI
Title:	Off The Wall
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1078CD

More Yoshi Wada from EM Records! The long-awaited reissue of Wada's 1985 LP Off The Wall, recorded in Berlin and originally released on the esteemed FMP-subsidiary SAJ label. A minimalist yet majestic monsterpiece ("massive," as Tom Johnson declares in his perceptive liner notes), Off The Wall features Wada and Wayne Hankin on bagpipes, Marilyn Bogerd on adapted organ, and percussionist Andreas Schmidt-Neri. The original album consisted of two side-long pieces recorded on successive days by Jost Geber, who captured the power and dynamics of the quartet without losing the meditative delicacy of the bagpipes and the intricacy of their interplay with the homemade organ (constructed by Wada), resulting in a slowly-evolving mosaic of combination tones and overtones. Simultaneously static yet changing, rooted and ethereal, homespun and alien, ancient and very modern, the music is created entirely with acoustic instruments but has "electronic" textures at times, yet is very warm and human, always pulsing, shifting and mutating. Em Records is pleased indeed to release Off The Wall for the first time ever on CD, with the bonus track "Die Konsonanten Pfeifen," a slightly earlier recording with Wada and Hankin on bagpipes and Kevin Newhoff on percussion, originally released as a cassette.

Artist:	MANTECA
Title:	Ritmo y Sabor
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	EM 1079LP

Born and raised in Cuba, Lazaro Pla was a master "bongosero" known world-wide as Manteca. This vinyl reissue of Ritmo y Sabor, a mid-'70s rarity, features 35 minutes of percussion madness that will please any and all interested in pure, deep Latin music. Heavy, relentless yet limber bass-driven grooves are the order of the day, featuring Manteca's percussive extrapolations as well as the irresistible contributions of Nelson 'El Flaco' Pardon on timbales and Carlos 'Potato' Valdez on congas. Manteca was a featured performer with pianist Ernesto Lecuona, acknowledged as Cuba's greatest composer; Manteca's dazzling work can be found on recordings with Lecuona's Cuban Boys, as well as sideman work with other Cuban combos. His recorded output as leader and featured soloist is limited, however, so this LP, with its no-nonsense old-school rootsy production is a blessing, a chance to hear the master in full flight. Two vinyl sides of Afro-Cuban funk paradise from renowned legend Manteca!

Artist:	WICKED WITCH
Title:	Chaos: 1978-86
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	EM 1080CD

First-time ever reissue of rare evil psycho machine-funk from '80s Washington, D.C., including previously-unreleased mixes. Now is not the time to doubt your senses -- the Wicked Witch does exist. Born and raised in the musical magical cauldron of Washington D.C., Wicked Witch combines elements from alchemical mentors Parliament Funkadelic, Sun Ra, ESG, Run DMC, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix to cast a crazed spell on the innocent listener. An evil mass of machine-funk with lashings of rhythm and blues and fusion delivered direct from the heart of the Witch, a misunderstood psycho-genius weaving his solo web deep within the dark studio walls. Trained by masters at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Wicked Witch is in full control; he plays all, knows all, tells all. His message will not be denied. Believe your ears, believe your eyes: the Wicked Witch does indeed exist. First-time ever re-issue, remastered from the original master tapes, including rare photos.

Artist:	WADA, YOSHI
Title:	Earth Horns With Electronic Drone
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1081CD

Yoshi Wada and EM Records presents the first-ever, world-premiere release of Earth Horns With Electronic Drone, recorded live in 1974. Combining four of Wada's self-made "pipehorns" (made from plumbing materials, over three meters in length), with an electronic drone tuned to the electrical current of the performance space, this is a lost masterpiece of early minimalism, placing Wada rightfully in the pantheon with La Monte Young, Phill Niblock, Maryanne Amacher and Alvin Lucier. Recorded live in Syracuse, New York, this recording captures the room-filling complex overtones generated by the ever-shifting interplay of the breathing horns and the constant electronic drone. This is a music of ritual hypnotic power, its heavy low-end mass and sense of change within constancy engendering a meditative transcendency. Earth Horns With Electronic Drone is the fourth and ultimate release in Em Records' Yoshi Wada series, a must for all fans of minimalism, heavy drones, ritual, mystery and world-shaking transcendence. From an original performance of almost three hours, the CD features a 77-minute excerpt. The full performance is also available as a 3LP set (162 minutes). From Earth horns to beyond the firmament: prepare to be elevated! Pipehorns constructed by Yoshi Wada; electronic equipment designed by Liz Phillips and Yoshi Wada; Electronics: Liz Phillips; Pipehorn Players: Jim Burton, Garrett List, Barbara Stewart and Yoshi Wada. 96khz/24bit digitally remastered, including a booklet with text in Japanese & English, and a reproduction circa-1975 Fluxus poster by George Maciunas.

Artist:	JAMAL CREATIVE ARTS ENSEMBLE, THE KHAN
Title:	Drum Dance To The Motherland
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	LP
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1082LP

A special treat for the vinyl hounds! The long-awaited first vinyl reissue of The Khan Jamal Creative Arts Ensemble's almost-impossible-to-find, 300 copies only, 1972 Drum Dance To The Motherland. Newly remastered and sounding great, this is a unique, uncategorizable expression of Afrocentric America -- freely-improvised (but not necessarily "free jazz"), pulsing, moving, restless, yet restful. Recorded live in the group's hometown of Philadelphia and originally released on the now-defunct Dogtown Records, the players masterfully combine all the currents of Afro-American music -- jazz, R'n'B, blues, funk and more -- in a manner not imitative of, but somehow informed by, the spiritually Afro-astral work of Sun Ra. Drums, percussion, bass, guitar, clarinets and the balaphon-influenced marimba and vibes of bandleader Khan Jamal are all wondrously-integrated and propelled into other dimensions by the heavy, dub-like use of live echo and reverb by "sixth member" sound engineer Mario Falana (dancer/actress Lola Falana's brother!). Trippy! There is an abundance of fine playing in these grooves: tasty guitar, propulsive bass lines, layers of percussion, wailing clarinets, Jamal's vibes and marimba, all periodically carried farther out on waves of echo, and farther in via cavernous reverb. "Thirty years after its release, the album's tapestry of sound, fearless abstractions, relentless grooves, cool swing, flashes of ecstasy, and pan cultural embrace remain powerful and beyond category. This long overdue reissue rescues from obscurity a really stunning document of musical exploration, a classic session that perhaps now will acquire the status it has always deserved." --From the liner notes by Ed Hazell; Khan Jamal (vibraphone, marimba, clarinet); Alex Ellison (drums, percussion); Dwight James (drums, glockenspiel, clarinet); Billy Mills (Fender bass, double bass); Monnette Sudler (guitar, percussion).

Artist:	GUTHRIE, NORA
Title:	Emily's Illness/Home Before Dark
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	7"
Price:	$12.50
Catalog #:	EM 1083EP

Nora Guthrie's ultra-rare "Emily's Illness" is a lost gem of songcraft originally released in 1967, now reissued in the same 7" vinyl format (b/w "Home Before Dark") as the original. Featuring the pure vocals of the 17-year-old daughter of Woody Guthrie, "Emily's Illness" was written by Eric Eisner (The Strangers) and impeccably arranged by Artie Schroeck. A romantic collaboration of psychedelia, pop, and acid-folk, but informed by the harmonic and rhythmic developments of Jo�o Gilberto and jazz.

Artist:	ALTZ
Title:	Escape: The Reconstruction of Isophonic Boogie Woogie
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	EM 1084CD

Intergenerational gene-splicing from EM Records. Roland P. Young's classic Isophonic Boogie Woogie (EM 1045CD/HJ-JP) is tripped-out, minimalist, spiritual free-jazz from 1980, and is here mutated, masticated and machined by Altz, the hotly-tipped renowned "organic electronicist" and producer/remixer from Osaka, Japan. Maintaining and magnifying the cosmic bliss-vibe of the original release, Altz lovingly massages Young's sounds into the year 2009 (as experienced through Altz's patented acid-disco filtration system). Sounds are layered and treated, atmospheres extended, and propulsive elements from Young's original recordings are bolstered (there is some fine drumming here from former Boredoms member, Muneomi Senju). Altz also respects Young's more abstract side, following the elder master into atmospheres of freedom, unrestrained by the gravity of the beat and the conventions of the dancefloor. Rather than a mere roughshod remix, this release is a meeting -- Young's San Francisco of the late '70s encountering Altz in Osaka in 2009. Young is respectfully and playfully transformed, but not trashed, and we all go home happy. Editing, programming, electric bass, guitar, synthesizer, noise and drum machine by Altz and disc-scratching by DJ Kensei.

Artist:	OLIVE, TIM
Title:	The Specialist
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	EM 1085CD

This is the debut full-length solo CD from Osaka, Japan-based experimental electro-acoustic musician, Tim Olive. The Specialist was recorded in December 2008 and January 2009 in Osaka. Featuring Olive's microscopic, meticulous sounds, produced with his electric guitar/bass hybrid machine -- essentially, a piece of wood with two magnetic pick-ups, a bass string or two, and occasionally an unwound guitar string. No effects, just an analog preamp. All reverb sounds are from springs and/or metal plates applied directly to the pickups. Everything was recorded in real time, with overdubs on only two tracks. There are no song titles, as the music is not programmatic and the artist does not wish to impose any interpretations on the listener. Inspired by the challenges he encountered during solo live sets in Japan, Australia and Singapore, and with recording and performance collaborations with artists such as Alfredo Costa Monteiro, Shinichi Isohata, Katsura Mouri (BusRatch), Joel Stern, Adam Sussmann; plus long-running duos with Jeffrey Allport, Bunsho Nishikawa and Kelly Churko, The Specialist is the culmination of Olive's long artistic history; first in his homeland of Canada as an improv guitarist, and into the heart of Japan's experimental music scene. There is a fairly wide variety of dynamic ranges, densities and approaches here, though all pieces are concerned with texture and implied pulse, rather than tonality and metrical rhythm -- which the artist admits could be construed as a kind of specialism. The title refers to the gentleman on the cover (the photograph looted from negatives found in an abandoned building in Nagoya, with added color map transparencies in slide frames) and not necessarily to the artist himself, though the extraordinarily high level of work on this record implies long years of specialized work with the smallest and most compelling of resonances deconstructed from the guitar.

Artist:	COLLINS, NICOLAS
Title:	Devil's Music
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD/CD-ROM
Price:	$23.50
Catalog #:	EM 1086CD

EM Records presents the CD and vinyl reissue of U.S. experimental electro-acoustic artist/circuit bender Nicolas Collins' live radio sampling masterpiece, Devil's Music, originally released on vinyl in 1986. Born and raised in New York City, Nicolas Collins has been hugely influential in contemporary electronic music, having performed world-wide for many years, collaborating with Christian Marclay, Elliot Sharp, David Shea, David Tudor and John Zorn, composing, recording, modifying circuits and inventing instruments, and spreading the good word through his writing (Handmade Electronic Music -- The Art Of Hardware Hacking 2nd Edition; Routledge, 2009) and teaching (Department of Sound, School of the Art Institute of Chicago). The pieces released here are only part of his ongoing, multifaceted and truly experimental activities. This edition of Devil's Music is served up in all its stuttering glory, a time capsule of the mid-'80s New York City airwaves, acclaimed by Philip Sherburne as "an early template for techno," with a feel somewhat akin to scratching turntablist madness, a block-rocking party put through a blender and re-assembled by body-popping demons. Also included is "Real Landscape," a 1987 "remix" recorded in Europe (originally released on cassette), and (CD-only) "The Spark Heard 'Round The World," a fascinating tape piece sourced from multi-band radio and scanner recordings, plus a video of a live performance of "Devil's Music" from 1987 in Birmingham, Alabama. And if you're still not satisfied, CD purchasers also get a downloadable software version of the original hardware circuitry used for Devil's Music which, a la David Tudor, constitutes the original composition itself. Make your own "Devil's Music!" Devil's Music is available on 2LP vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, and double CD in a triple-gatefold sleeve (with bonus audio track plus CD-Extra and software). 24-bit digitally remastered; containing a booklet with text in English & Japanese, including rare photos.

Artist:	YOUNG, ROLAND P.
Title:	Istet Serenade
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	EM 1087CD

Thirty years since Isophonic Boogie Woogie (EM 1045CD/EM 1045HJ-LP), Em Records proudly presents new music from original underground DJ, horn-master, and producer, Roland P. Young. Istet Serenade is a foray into the area of music space that represents the core of Roland's sound philosophy, "isophonics," the theory of composed improvisation, of stillness in the fluidity of constant change. The thingness of actualized sound in the nothingness of acoustic evaporation and recreation from the source of the in-dwelling presence. This occurs at a speed which defies conscious comprehension, but which reveals abundant revelatory, spiritual aspects. It requires a state of immersion and a freedom to reach toward technical trust and semiconscious execution of the revealed composition. Upon returning to a conscious state, one hears what was created as though it is being presented. The thought then thinks about what was thought and executed as a comprovisation of point, with instantly-mixed and remixed sound devices: breath, posture, devotion, bass clarinet, soprano G and Bb clarinets and saxophone, kalimba, Native American flutes, electronic accoutrements, voice, percussion, Mac Book, family, pen, pencil and the One. As the artist himself explains: "The 10 pieces were chosen from 55 comprovisations created over the past year. My travels to and playing in the atmospheres of Israel, Prague, Rome, London, Paris, Istanbul and Santa Fe, New Mexico, combined with my formative years in Kansas City, Missouri, then my years in the Bay Area of Northern California and my current residence in Brooklyn, New York, inform my music with ever-expanding inspirations and creative possibilities. Istet Serenade is a slice of the possible." This is a sound that is thusly described as spaced acid-drones of intense acoustic chill, embracing electronic, ambient, world, avant garde, cosmic, free and chamber jazz. Deeply engrossing, truly far-out, and emblematic of this groundbreaking composer's commitment to his vision and experience of sound as a physical and spiritual process.

Artist:	KARKI & PARTY, BHARAT
Title:	International Music
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	EM 1088CD

1978 private production from Calcutta, India in a first time ever reissue. From beginning to end, this is a flood of weird Indian psychedelic funk, showering us with heavy percussion grooves in a borrowed "international music" style featuring elements of rock, as well as Latin and Arabic music, melded with chanted Hindu mantra. Electric guitar and bass, a bunch of Indian percussion, flutes, screams, organs and (maybe) Moog! An explosion of Indian youth music. Musicians: Bharat Karki, Utpal Dey, Provat Das, Biswanath Chandra, Bimal Biswas, Kany Roy, Chandan Roy Chowdhury, Benu Chatterjee, Badal Sarkar, Hillol Mandal, and Khoka. Vocals: Palash Mukherjee, Panchashil Dutta, Subhankar Sengupta, Miss. Sunanda Ghose Roy, and Miss. Mridula Bhattacharya.

Artist:	MAHALINGAM, T.R.
Title:	Mali: Essential Recordings of Carnatic Bamboo Flute, 1969-70
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$25.50
Catalog #:	EM 1089CD

EM Records and Meditations, from Kyoto, are pleased to announce the reissue, on double vinyl and double CD, of two classic 1969 and 1970 LP releases from Indian bamboo flute legend T.R. Mahalingam, known as "Mali" to his fans. Born in Tamil Nadu in 1925, Mali was a true original whose musicality revolutionized Indian flute playing, elevating the instrument from its folk origins to the heights of art music, imbued with spirituality, without losing vitality or succumbing to the blandishments of fame. Mali was a beguiling combination of virtuosity, spirituality and rebelliousness, and his music reflects this, and much more. He was a legend and a master. Mali's virtuosity was innate; he picked up the flute, against his father's wishes, at the age of five, and gave his first performance at seven, to great acclaim, eventually playing with other legendary musicians including the revered violinist Palghat Mani Iyer. Mahalingam developed tremendous control of the instrument, able to sustain single notes for over 40 seconds, able to play any music after hearing it only once, but he used his virtuosity to serve the music, pursuing the Carnatic ideal of the voice as the purest form of music. He sang with the flute. In contrast with the mechanically-keyed Western flute, the Indian bamboo flute allows the player to directly touch the finger holes, allowing access to a wider range of tones and contributing to this vocal quality. Mali added an extra hole to his flutes, increasing his expressivity, and performed other modifications to bring him closer to the ideal of the human voice. Mali's technical innovations also included the development of new fingering techniques and the introduction of a unique hand positioning, the "parrot clutch." This relentless search allowed the flute, for the first time, to be elevated to the highest ranks of Carnatic music. Mali was spiritually driven. He had a life-changing religious experience at the age of sixteen, lending a sense of depth and introversion to his music. He claimed to have seen god many times while playing, and was known to cut concert appearances short in such instances. He was also said to have been able to communicate with birds through his music. Legendary in India, Mahalingam was very influential in Europe and North America also, especially among composers including La Monte Young and Terry Riley. Olivier Messiaen, another bird lover, was keenly interested in Mali's music, and one may hear this influence in a number of Messiaen's pieces. So, a legend. A master. And beyond words. Please listen to Mali.

Artist:	SON OF P.M., THE
Title:	Hey Klong Yao!
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1090CD

Subtitled: Essential Collection of Modernized Thai Music from the 1960s. "Amazing Thailand!" -- The Thai national tourism slogan was undoubtedly inspired in part by the mind-bendingly cool 1960s recordings by the band The Son Of P.M., one of the leading lights of the Thai Shadow Music scene. Inspired by an influx of Western rock and pop music (including British guitar band The Shadows), The Son Of P.M. developed their own style of modernized Thai music, combining traditional Thai instruments with Western keyboards, drums and electric guitars. The result was a seductive, intoxicating blend of Thai melodies merging with elements of rock, surf, go-go, Latin and blues. Amazing indeed. The Son Of P.M. was one of several Shadow Music groups (including P.M. Pocket Music, featured on three tracks of this release), playing "Modified Thai Music," organized by manager Phayoung Mukda. These bands featured the keyboards and arrangements of P.M.'s adopted son Khabuan Mukda -- thus this particular band's moniker. The idea of modernized/modified/developed Thai music is central to Mukda and The Sons Of P.M. Retaining an essential Thai core, the music borrows melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements as well as instrumental timbres from a wide range of Western popular music sources. The resultant "developed" music loses none of its Thai character, vigor and �lan, and is enriched by the adoption and creative use of new influences. The music on this anthology is an excellent example of this spirit of openness and adventure, a rocking, rollicking parade of undeniably Thai music, relentlessly propulsive and energetic, informed by musical developments from around the globe. A true hybrid which creates energy instead of merely conserving.

Artist:	RAMAMOORTHY, T.K.
Title:	Fabulous Notes And Beats Of The Indian Carnatic - Jazz
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1091CD

Come join EM Records on another of their spatio-temporal musical journeys. This time, we're off to Madras, 1969 to hear legendary south Indian film music composer/director, T. K. Ramamoorthy's prescient Fabulous Notes And Beats Of The Indian Carnatic - Jazz, a daring fusion of Carnatic music and jazz. Although jazz musicians had been using Indian elements before this time, Fabulous Notes was the first recording in which accomplished Indian musicians adopted jazz elements. And these are accomplished musicians indeed -- veterans of the demanding Indian film music studios, trained in the strict discipline of the traditional Carnatic system, led by the visionary Ramamoorthy, a legendary composer who collaborated with M. S. Viswanathan in providing soundtracks for more than 700 films. The music here is a true Indian music, adhering to traditional Carnatic ragas with their varying ascending and descending modes, using a wide range of Indian instruments in an appealing fusion with jazz instruments, ideas and rhythms. The result is not a slavish imitation of modish Western styles, but a stimulating and surprising new entity; fans of later Ethio-jazz may well experience a frisson of familiarity at certain moments when listening to these recordings. Famed composer Ramamoorthy is also a masterful arranger and orchestrator, giving us surprising vistas of timbre, allowing instruments to come to the fore, supported in appealing combinations. But the true heart of both Carnatic music and jazz is improvisation, and T.K.R. allows these fine players space within relatively brief moments to make their own statements within the ragas, as detailed in the liner notes accompanying this reissue. What we hear is a new meeting of worlds, both sharing a respect for the primacy of improvisation, a love for the intricacies of ensemble-playing, and a fine understanding of the power of propulsive yet sophisticated rhythms. Fabulous Notes reveals a true Indian music, not merely Occidental music with hints of Indo-spice. We can picture the recording sessions, with the musicians seated on the floor of the studio, Indian musicians playing Indian music, playing jazz, playing Fabulous Notes And Beats Of The Indian Carnatic - Jazz. Indian instruments include: veena, gotuvadyam, flute, tabla tharang, tape, conch, ghatam, mridangam, chandai & sudha madhalam, tabla, jalra and bul bul thara, and Western instruments include: bass clarinet, saxophone, piano, guitar, double bass, trumpet, drums and bongos.

Artist:	CARROLL & FRIENDS, CORKY
Title:	Laid Back
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1093CD

Laid Back by Corky Carroll & Friends is a warm-hued snapshot of the musical life of one segment of the American surfing world, circa 1971. This album, the first ever recorded by true surfers, captures the relaxed, truly laid back feeling of the surfing life. The album features none of the tropes of "surf music": no reverb, no sugary vocal harmonies. Simply recorded with warm fidelity, what we hear is pro-surfer Corky Carroll and his surfer pals in various combinations delivering songs and instrumental pieces, perfectly capturing the sultry seaside atmosphere and their idyllic oceanic lives. All the performers were, in Corky's words, "real surfers" (unlike the Beach Boys), well-recorded in casual circumstances in California in 1971. Beginning (and closing) with Hawaii-born master board-maker Raymond Patterson's joyful slack-key guitar fantasias, the album features the famed Denny Aarberg on guitar (with Kathy Dragon of the legendary Dragon family), the articulate folk picking of David Lyons, Al Oakie's affable acoustic blues (with some fine harmonica), and the folky guitar playing of Carroll himself. A blend of vocal and instrumental pieces, the album is largely acoustic, and even the two tracks with electric instruments (from the band Hana, with electric pianist Jon Close, guitarists Dave Rullo and Herb Torrens, and bassist Dave Shoffner, surfers all) do not break the serenity of the calm, Pacific mood. Laid Back was Carroll's first recording, released independently on Rural Records (jointly run by Carroll and Dennis Dragon) while Carroll was still surfing professionally. Dragon, a skilled engineer, and Carroll "travelled up and down the California coast with (Dragon's) mobile recording setup and recorded this music in these people's living rooms and garages." You can feel the ocean nearby. Laid Back, a long-prized treasure, is an oceanic balm retrieved from the waves of time and offered to all by EM Records. Housed in a cardboard sleeve jacket plus an insert with liner notes written by Corky Carroll.

Artist:	CARROLL & FRIENDS, CORKY
Title:	Laid Back
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	LP
Price:	$36.00
Catalog #:	EM 1093LP

LP version. Laid Back by Corky Carroll & Friends is a warm-hued snapshot of the musical life of one segment of the American surfing world, circa 1971. This album, the first ever recorded by true surfers, captures the relaxed, truly laid back feeling of the surfing life. The album features none of the tropes of "surf music": no reverb, no sugary vocal harmonies. Simply recorded with warm fidelity, what we hear is pro-surfer Corky Carroll and his surfer pals in various combinations delivering songs and instrumental pieces, perfectly capturing the sultry seaside atmosphere and their idyllic oceanic lives. All the performers were, in Corky's words, "real surfers" (unlike the Beach Boys), well-recorded in casual circumstances in California in 1971. Beginning (and closing) with Hawaii-born master board-maker Raymond Patterson's joyful slack-key guitar fantasias, the album features the famed Denny Aarberg on guitar (with Kathy Dragon of the legendary Dragon family), the articulate folk picking of David Lyons, Al Oakie's affable acoustic blues (with some fine harmonica), and the folky guitar playing of Carroll himself. A blend of vocal and instrumental pieces, the album is largely acoustic, and even the two tracks with electric instruments (from the band Hana, with electric pianist Jon Close, guitarists Dave Rullo and Herb Torrens, and bassist Dave Shoffner, surfers all) do not break the serenity of the calm, Pacific mood. Laid Back was Carroll's first recording, released independently on Rural Records (jointly run by Carroll and Dennis Dragon) while Carroll was still surfing professionally. Dragon, a skilled engineer, and Carroll "travelled up and down the California coast with (Dragon's) mobile recording setup and recorded this music in these people's living rooms and garages." You can feel the ocean nearby. Laid Back, a long-prized treasure, is an oceanic balm retrieved from the waves of time and offered to all by EM Records. Housed in a handmade, silkscreened jacket plus an insert with liner notes written by Corky Carroll.

Artist:	OHNO, MATSUO
Title:	Choju Gigaku (Play On Animals)
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	7"
Price:	$16.50
Catalog #:	EM 1094EP

Em Records presents a slice of lost history unearthed for your enjoyment and delight. A first-ever reissue, on limited edition 7" vinyl of Choju Gigaku (Play On Animals), an ultra-rare 33rpm 7" flexi-disc by esteemed sound designer Matsuo Ohno, the legend behind the soundtracks for anime classics Astro Boy (1963-1966), Submarine Cassiopeia (1964) and Space Battleship Yamato (1974-1975). The original flexi-disc was released as a souvenir during the famed World Expo '70 in Osaka (think Stockhausen and Xenakis), but was available for only a brief time and soon disappeared, an object of rumor and mystery for collectors. As befitting Expo '70's remit as a meeting of world cultures, Ohno chose 6 well-loved Japanese and international songs -- and rendered them entirely in animal and bird sounds, using analog tape recordings. Choju Gigaku contains equal measures of musicality, magic, madness and mayhem, with domestic and barnyard animals combining their natural and pitch-shifted voices with the calls and cries of a multitude of birds. Eschewing musical instruments, Ohno utlized Japan's first variable-speed tape recorder to create these melodies, adding delay and reverb to the warm analog mix. The five songs on Choju Gigaku are "Sekaino Kunikara Kon'nichiwa," the theme song for Expo '70 originally sung by Haruo Minami, the Japanese traditional songs "Sakura Sakura" and "Yagi Bushi," an Italian song "Funiculi, Funicula," the Russian "Volga Boatman" and an American classic "Oh My Darling, Clementine." Recording in Sogosha studios (his production company) in Aoyama, Ohno was ably assisted by avant-garde composer/musician Takehisa Kosugi (Taj Mahal Travellers, Merce Cunningham and many others), who was an integral part of the recording process. Housed in a full reproduction of the original triple gatefold sleeve with liner notes newly written by Matsuo Ohno (in 2011).

Artist:	KUNITAKA, SATO
Title:	Wandering Shadow Of Southern Streets
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	LP
Price:	$25.50
Catalog #:	EM 1095LP

Subtitled: Blind Itinerant Musician From Amami Island. Em Records presents Wandering Shadow Of Southern Streets, 1970s recordings from Sato Kunitaka, dark star of the southern islands of Japan. Sato Kunitaka was born in 1919 in the Amami Islands, south of Kyushu. He lost his sight at eight months; his grandfather taught him to play sanshin, the southern shamisen, to ensure that Sato would be able to earn a living when he grew up. When he was 12, he began to play tategoto, a vertically-held form of koto. He developed a unique style on both of these instruments. From the age of 17, he began his wandering lifestyle, travelling through the Ryukyu Islands, a thousand-kilometer subtropical archipelago including Okinawa. He supported himself as a travelling musician, performing island folk songs, pre-War popular songs and his own compositions. Although he was a fine instrumentalist, Sato's real power resides in his voice: a powerful, wailing, howling sound dredged up from the depths of his being. Some have likened the impact of his voice to that of Charley Patton -- a dark, intense sound-world most unlike the relatively smoother, sunny vocal styles of other Ryukyu/Okinawa singers. After World War II, Sato's popularity spread to the U.S. troops stationed in Okinawa, and it is rumored that his wanderings took him to Hawaii. He continued his itinerant ways, travelling through the archipelago, singing, playing, living and loving (a man of rumor and mystery, he is said to have married at least eight different women during his lifetime). In the early 1970s, he came to the attention of Takenaka Ro, a writer and political activist, and through Takenaka's enthusiastic support, Sato travelled to Tokyo in 1975 to record his first album. Sato's fame continued to spread, and he performed at various folk festivals and made other recordings, some of which were released posthumously. Travelling and playing throughout the islands to the end, he made his last public appearance in Okinawa in 1985 and died the same year. "WSOSS" features recordings of Sato Kunitaka made in the late 1970s in Okinawa. These recordings, by Harada Kennichi, show Sato in his element, playing Ryukyu Island songs on his home turf, capturing his innate wildness and his elemental, raw spirit. Released on 12" vinyl, one side of "WSOSS" features Sato playing tategoto; the flipside is devoted to his sanshin. Both sides, of course, spotlight the mystery and majesty of his voice. Includes a 4-page insert with liner notes in both English and Japanese.

Artist:	SKANDRANI, MUSTAPHA
Title:	Istikhbars And Improvisations
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1096CD

Mustapha Skandrani: besides having an excellent name, this man, a luminary of Algerian music, possessed a unique musical sense, able to transcend the borders of musical cultures to create a distinctive fusion of Arabo-Andalusian and European styles. Istikhbars And Improvisations, recorded in 1965 in Paris, is a solo piano album presenting a trans-Mediterranean crossover based on traditional Algerian vocal pieces known as istikhbars. Playing these istikhbars (which have roots in the Islamic Arabo-Andalusian culture which flourished in Spain) on the piano, that quintessentially European instrument, Skandrani was greeted with derision by some purists. Skandrani's powerful musical vision, however, perceives the European element involved in Arabo-Andalusian musical culture, a world of exchange and co-existence, and his decision to play this music on the piano reminds us of this European influence. Skandrani's modus operandi on this release is to present each istikhbar, modal in nature, then to play an improvisation based on the istikhbar and its attendant mode. This A/B alternation continues throughout. The pellucid clarity of Skandrani's playing on this album may remind the listener of a modal Goldberg Variations, Bach and Glenn Gould transplanted to Andalucia. Other ears will hear the Arabic/Maghreb elements more strongly. Skandrani's precise touch and clear, symmetrical rhythmic sense links both worlds, assuring us that the Mediterranean is not a barrier, but a unifier, and that the differences between the cultures are not vast. This is an admirable achievement, resulting in beautiful music of a rare charm. Mustapha Skandrani was born in Algiers in 1920, and died there in 2005. He mastered a number of instruments at an early age, and his musical prowess led him to work with the great singers and ensembles of his day, in live performances, recordings, and radio broadcasts. Later in his life, he devoted much energy to education. Istikhbars And Improvisations comes with liner notes in English and Japanese. Housed in a gatefold cardboard sleeve jacket (embossed print) with inserts.

Artist:	SKANDRANI, MUSTAPHA
Title:	Istikhbars and Improvisations
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	LP
Price:	$33.00
Catalog #:	EM 1096LP

LP version, housed in a silkscreened printed handmade sleeve. Mustapha Skandrani: besides having an excellent name, this man, a luminary of Algerian music, possessed a unique musical sense, able to transcend the borders of musical cultures to create a distinctive fusion of Arabo-Andalusian and European styles. Istikhbars And Improvisations, recorded in 1965 in Paris, is a solo piano album presenting a trans-Mediterranean crossover based on traditional Algerian vocal pieces known as istikhbars. Playing these istikhbars (which have roots in the Islamic Arabo-Andalusian culture which flourished in Spain) on the piano, that quintessentially European instrument, Skandrani was greeted with derision by some purists. Skandrani's powerful musical vision, however, perceives the European element involved in Arabo-Andalusian musical culture, a world of exchange and co-existence, and his decision to play this music on the piano reminds us of this European influence. Skandrani's modus operandi on this release is to present each istikhbar, modal in nature, then to play an improvisation based on the istikhbar and its attendant mode. This A/B alternation continues throughout. The pellucid clarity of Skandrani's playing on this album may remind the listener of a modal Goldberg Variations, Bach and Glenn Gould transplanted to Andalucia. Other ears will hear the Arabic/Maghreb elements more strongly. Skandrani's precise touch and clear, symmetrical rhythmic sense links both worlds, assuring us that the Mediterranean is not a barrier, but a unifier, and that the differences between the cultures are not vast. This is an admirable achievement, resulting in beautiful music of a rare charm. Mustapha Skandrani was born in Algiers in 1920, and died there in 2005. He mastered a number of instruments at an early age, and his musical prowess led him to work with the great singers and ensembles of his day, in live performances, recordings, and radio broadcasts. Later in his life, he devoted much energy to education. Istikhbars And Improvisations comes with an insert with liner notes in English and Japanese. Limited edition of 200 pressed on vinyl.

Artist:	OHNO, MATSUO
Title:	I Saw The Outer Limits
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$27.50
Catalog #:	EM 1098CD

Mind-stretching analog synth wizardry from the legendary Matsuo Ohno, sound designer for Astro Boy and many other Japanese films and TV programs. His first non-soundtrack release, from 1978, is a massive, undulating galaxy re-released here on CD with a bonus mini-CD reissue of a rare 1970 flexi-disc Play On Animals, rated as one of 2011's top releases by Byron Coley of The Wire. This reissue of his stellar 1978 LP I Saw The Outer Limits presents him at the peak of his powers, combining his mastery of classic analog tape music techniques with then-state-of-the-art analog synthesizers. This is a true under-recognized classic, a masterfully recorded, massive-sounding poetic construction of unearthly sound, a breathing behemoth, with Ohno's galaxy moving beyond "sounds that already exist" in search of new sonic spaces. Matsuo Ohno was born in Kanda, in central Tokyo, in 1930. The relentless bombing onslaught of the war years, the near-apocalyptic conditions, were defining, formative forces. As a youth he was interested in Surrealism and philosophy, and was uninfluenced by music and musicians -- an exception being the electronic works of Karlheinz Stockhausen. Other early influences were the film director Fumio Kamei and the dramatist Michio Kato; rather than viewing himself as a musician, and never studying under any masters, Ohno forged his own path as the original "onkyo sound" artist, defining himself as an "onkyo designer" in the 1960s. His innate independent streak manifested itself early on, when, chafing under creative restrictions, Ohno left a prestigious post at NHK, Japan's national broadcaster. But of course, his skills were in high demand and he was extremely busy as a freelance sound designer for a wide range of films, television shows and radio programs, developing his ear and his technical savvy. In 1963 he began his most famed efforts, providing sound design for the legendary Japanese animation series Astro Boy, with Takehisa Kosugi as his assistant. I Saw The Outer Limits was the first full-length non-soundtrack release by Matsuo Ohno. The record was a huge step for him, being non-programmatic music, designed to stand alone, free of visual imagery. Ohno himself has stated that he was uninterested in notions of message, expression and representation. Shinji Hinoki, a producer at Toho Records, approached Ohno with the offer of releasing an album; Hinoki perhaps envisioned something to cash in on the popularity of the synth-driven elements of Pink Floyd -- what he got was something much more abstract and otherworldly. Hinoki supplied both title and subtitle, including the latter's variant spelling of "marijuana," a ploy to evade Japanese censors. On these recordings, made at Sogosha in Tokyo, his private studio, Ohno used the EMS Synthi AKS, which at that time in Japan carried a price close to that of a family car, the newly-released Roland System 100 (three of these, in fact), and a custom-made synth. He combined these synthesizers with his virtuosic control of analog tape recording techniques, resulting in a magnificent LP. The original vinyl release was, however, somewhat marred by 50 Hz hum generated during the mastering process at Toho Studios. This EM CD reissue restores the masterpiece to its primal, clear, massive glory. Housed in a foldout thick paper sleeve. Liner notes and biography in Japanese with an English translation. The bonus disc is pressed on a mini-CD (8cm) and packed in a triple foldout sleeve, in the same style as the original 1970 issue, and is inserted in the EM 1098CD sleeve.

Artist:	MAHALINGAM, T.R.
Title:	Portrait Of A Prodigy: His Early Years, 1940s-50s
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1099CD

The music on this release consists of the earliest recordings by flautist T.R. Mahalingam, a legendary figure in the Carnatic music of South India, one of the world's great musical traditions. Mahalingam, known as "Mali" to his legions of fans and admirers, was a musician who revered these traditions yet opened new realms, raising the flute to levels of voice-like expressivity. Portrait Of A Prodigy: His Early Years, 1940-50s reissues, for the first time, recordings from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s and show Mali at the peak of his powers, his acclaimed technical skills and rich tone at the service of his immense melodic and rhythmic gifts. The majority of these recordings were originally released in the 78 rpm SP format and feature him with two of his greatest musical partners, violinist T. Chowdiah and mridangam master Palghat Mani Iyer. Available for the first time as a commercial release outside of India, Portrait Of A Prodigy is a rare opportunity to hear a genius in his prime. A must-have for all fans of Indian music and for all who appreciate the joys of rhythmic playfulness and melodic mastery. Housed in a gatefold cardboard sleeve jacket with liner notes in English and Japanese.

Artist:	MAHALINGAM, T.R.
Title:	Portrait Of A Prodigy: His Early Years, 1940s-50s
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	LP
Price:	$23.50
Catalog #:	EM 1099LP

LP version. The music on this release consists of the earliest recordings by flautist T.R. Mahalingam, a legendary figure in the Carnatic music of South India, one of the world's great musical traditions. Mahalingam, known as "Mali" to his legions of fans and admirers, was a musician who revered these traditions yet opened new realms, raising the flute to levels of voice-like expressivity. Portrait Of A Prodigy: His Early Years, 1940-50s reissues, for the first time, recordings from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s and show Mali at the peak of his powers, his acclaimed technical skills and rich tone at the service of his immense melodic and rhythmic gifts. The majority of these recordings were originally released in the 78 rpm SP format and feature him with two of his greatest musical partners, violinist T. Chowdiah and mridangam master Palghat Mani Iyer. Available for the first time as a commercial release outside of India, Portrait Of A Prodigy is a rare opportunity to hear a genius in his prime. A must-have for all fans of Indian music and for all who appreciate the joys of rhythmic playfulness and melodic mastery.

Artist:	FAITED, THONGHUAD
Title:	Diew Sor Isan
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1101CD

Subtitled: The North East Thai Violin Of Thonghuad Faited. Em Records returns to Thailand, this time back to 1970s Isan. For Em Records' latest foray into unchartered musical territory, we are concentrating on the sor from Thailand, the traditional two-stringed violin that is a mainstay of Isan musical culture. Diew Sor Isan: The North East Thai Violin Of Thonghuad Faited focuses on the talents of one of the instrument's greatest proponents and brings his key releases together onto one anthology for the first time. Thonghuad Faited comes from the "molam" tradition, the dominant rural music that hails from Isan, the northeast Thai province that borders with Laos and Cambodia. Underpinned by woozy basslines, drones and clattering percussion, his music is characterized by sprightly melodies through to haunting dirges that could come from as far a field as eastern China, or even the Celtic traditions of Ireland. Detailed notes trace his history from humble beginnings to playing up to five gigs a night in Bangkok at the peak of his fame. Whether it's playing beautifully-crafted solo pieces, or providing a counterpoint for raw vocal work, Thonghuad Faited is a nationally-recognized master of his craft who has additionally cut sides with dozens of established singers over the years, such as Waipod Petchsupan and Angkanang Kunchai. Percussive, otherworldly and universal, Em Records is proud to present this unique music to the world, much of it released outside of Thailand for the first time. Housed in a gatefold cardboard sleeve jacket plus inserts with liner notes in English and Japanese.

Artist:	FAITED, THONGHUAD
Title:	Diew Sor Isan
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	EM 1101LP

LP version. Subtitled: The North East Thai Violin Of Thonghuad Faited. Em Records returns to Thailand, this time back to 1970s Isan. For Em Records' latest foray into unchartered musical territory, we are concentrating on the sor from Thailand, the traditional two-stringed violin that is a mainstay of Isan musical culture. Diew Sor Isan: The North East Thai Violin Of Thonghuad Faited focuses on the talents of one of the instrument's greatest proponents and brings his key releases together onto one anthology for the first time. Thonghuad Faited comes from the "molam" tradition, the dominant rural music that hails from Isan, the northeast Thai province that borders with Laos and Cambodia. Underpinned by woozy basslines, drones and clattering percussion, his music is characterized by sprightly melodies through to haunting dirges that could come from as far a field as eastern China, or even the Celtic traditions of Ireland. Detailed notes trace his history from humble beginnings to playing up to five gigs a night in Bangkok at the peak of his fame. Whether it's playing beautifully-crafted solo pieces, or providing a counterpoint for raw vocal work, Thonghuad Faited is a nationally-recognized master of his craft who has additionally cut sides with dozens of established singers over the years, such as Waipod Petchsupan and Angkanang Kunchai. Percussive, otherworldly and universal, Em Records is proud to present this unique music to the world, much of it released outside of Thailand for the first time. Includes liner notes in English and Japanese.

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Artist:	CRESHEVSKY, NOAH
Title:	The Tape Music of Noah Creshevsky 1971-1992
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1042CD

Artist:	SMITH, BARTON
Title:	Reelizations One & Two: The Sound of Barton Smith
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$25.50
Catalog #:	EM 1043CD

Artist:	BAY LAUREL, ALICIA
Title:	Music from Living On the Earth
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1047CD

Artist:	LINDO & THE HAMMER, SHERIFF
Title:	Ten Dubs That Shook the World
Label:	EM RECORDS (JAPAN)
Format:	CD
Price:	$20.00
Catalog #:	EM 1049CD